Perfectly Situated and Looking Ahead

Where Small-Town Charm Meets Big Ambitions

Fort Erie is a town in Ontario’s Niagara Region, brimming with opportunity, natural beauty, and a forward-thinking spirit. Bordering the city of Buffalo, New York, Fort Erie is perched along the shores of Lake Erie and the Niagara River, offering 46 kilometers of scenic shoreline, and pristine beaches. With acres of forest, and an extensive trail system, the community is a nature lover’s dream come true.

CAO Chris McQueen shares, “The ability to get out and be within minutes of nature from a fairly major urban center, and our proximity to Niagara Falls, really provides a lot of lifestyle options. I describe Fort Erie as a small community that’s able to do big things.”

The municipality is steadily gaining recognition for its vibrant lifestyle, economic growth, and comfortable blend of small-town charm with big-city accessibility. With a population surpassing 36,000, the town is experiencing rapid expansion, driven by its appealing lifestyle opportunities, and ideal location.

Booming Housing Market and Managed Growth

Fort Erie’s real estate market is flourishing, drawing new residents from the Hamilton and Greater Toronto Area. “Remote work has really provided an opportunity for people to seek out communities like Fort Erie,” McQueen relays. “We had 293 housing starts last year, which compares to an average that might be more in the 250 range. That has really started to show in our population growth.” He adds that currently the town has close to 10 years of housing development either approved or in the process.

To manage this growth, Fort Erie is identifying strategic growth areas for development in the official plan. “There are some areas of this older community that have a character that the town envisions to preserve, and a lot of heritage features in certain areas where growth may not be so attractive, and not compatible,” emphasizes McQueen. “On the opposite end, there are some areas of town that are close to major highway infrastructure, transportation corridors, and other amenities that people are looking for.”

Investment in Infrastructure, Downtown Revitalization, and Quality of Life

On the subject of sustainable growth, Mayor Wayne Redekop recounts, “We’ve been investing since 2012 about 2% of our general taxes in infrastructure renewal, so we’re in pretty good shape in terms of setting aside the funding, identifying our needs and working at replacing and rejuvenating our infrastructure.”

One of the challenges is expanding infrastructure to keep pace with growth. While the town has a strong handle on water services and the roads are well maintained, updating systems to support new housing developments is more complex. Redekop acknowledges, “Our asset management plan is second to none in the province, but we can’t do that on our own. We can’t expect our property owners to do that on their own. We do need provincia
l assistance. In our wastewater system we’ve got some areas where if we can’t address some of the shortcomings, it really stymies growth.”

“Revitalization efforts are ongoing in Fort Erie’s historic downtown areas. The Fort Erie we know today was formed through the amalgamation of many small communities and villages in 1970. Although unified, these areas have preserved their distinct character and charm, including 4 historic downtown districts within the larger community.”

“We have Business Improvement Associations (BIA) in three of those areas, Bridgeburg, Ridgeway and Crystal Beach, and they’re very active. They’ve been tapping into funding to improve their streetscapes and conduct all kinds of programs to attract businesses,” Redekop expands.

Façade programs, and initiatives that encourage rental units above storefronts are part of the efforts, along with a potential affordable housing Community Improvement Plan to bring more housing into the downtown areas. “That then makes those areas much more vibrant and conducive to the growth of businesses,” he adds.

Other quality of life projects include enhancements to the waterfront in Crystal Beach and the development of a recreation trail that runs east-west through the town. This trail connects with the Niagara Parks Trail along the Niagara River, creating a continuous network that draws visitors into the heart of the community.

“When we talk about walkability, there’s very few communities in Ontario where you can be in the downtown core area, and within a matter of a few minutes, walk to a nature trail in an urban forest, or a beachfront , most communities have much more distance between those kind of features,” boasts McQueen.

Economic Development and Workforce Initiatives

With over 156 new businesses opening since the pandemic, Fort Erie has demonstrated a strong economic trajectory. The town’s economic development team works closely with stakeholders, including the Chamber of Commerce and the Niagara Industrial Association, to attract new industries and support existing businesses.

“We have strong relationships with our larger industries, like Abatement Technologies. We’re working to maintain good relations with all of our manufacturers, all of our businesses. You don’t open 156 new businesses in a four year period unless you’re doing something right, and people are feeling that they’re welcome to be here,” shares Redekop.”

The town is taking a proactive approach to workforce development by forging educational partnerships to address local workforce needs. Part of the effort includes Fort Erie International Academy, a private college working in collaboration with Sheridan College and the Canadian College of Technology and Trades to provide trades-based programming. Programs focus on training in various trades such as welding, plumbing and mechanical technicians.”

Attractions and Tourism

Home to the historic Old Fort Erie, which hosts reenactments of the War of 1812, the beautiful waters of Crystal Beach, and Safari Niagara, a major family-friendly attraction, the town welcomes visitors year-round. “We have a lot of sporting fields and facilities, we have a large twin rink with 1,700 seats, which hosts our championship Junior B hockey team,” details Mayor Redekop.

“We have the Fort Erie Race Track, we have bingo halls, and we have the beaches along Lake Erie, and a few years ago we spent about $3.2 million to upgrade an area called Bay Beach. It is a tremendous draw for tourists into Fort Erie. And when people are there, of course, we’re encouraging them to go to the restaurants, to do some shopping in the downtown cores.”

Much needed updates to the town’s marina are on the table, further enhancing the attraction of the community. “The Niagara Parks Commission is committed to that, and right now they’re in the process of putting out an RFP to determine what interest there may be in developing some type of resort adjacent to the marina. That would be a tremendous draw for tourists and even when the boating season has passed, there are lots of other things that can be done in that area,” says the mayor.

A Vision for Growth

At the heart of Fort Erie’s transformation is a thoughtfully planned vision for the future, which is outlined in the council’s strategic plan. This well-defined plan offers a practical way to make certain that growth enhances the quality of life for both current and future residents. “Growth is great, but our expectation is, if you want to build in our community, you need to build to our vision,” Redekop imparts. “We value certain things, our natural heritage first and foremost. We’re along the river, along the lake, we’ve got some tremendous wooded areas. We have the greatest tree canopy in Niagara, which we value greatly. We have wetlands, we have wildlife habitat. All of that is what people who live here love, and the people who move here are attracted to our town because of that.”

Complementing this vision is Fort Erie’s collaborative approach to economic development. McQueen underscores the town’s ability to quickly assemble key partners from regional utilities like Canadian Niagara Power to influential figures in federal and provincial governments. This agility enables Fort Erie to quickly connect the dots between emerging business opportunities and the resources needed to support them.

“We have an exceptional economic development team. They have an impressive track record of attracting new businesses, helping businesses locally to grow, being an impetus for businesses looking for grants and incentives, and attaching them to incentives that help them move forward,” he conveys.

Together, this unified vision and proactive collaboration represent Fort Erie’s growth strategy. “We’ve got a good view of the future, where we want to go and what it’s going to take to get us there and be prosperous,” concludes Mayor Redekop.

At a Glance

Who: Fort Erie, Ontario
What: An attractive community embracing thoughtful growth and development.
Where: Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada.
Website: www.forterie.ca