A Rural Gem Poised for Thoughtful Growth

 A Niagara Region municipality preserving its agricultural roots while firmly embracing future development

West Lincoln’s landscape tells a story of careful stewardship. The municipality stretches across the Niagara Escarpment’s plateau, where family farms and agricultural operations dominate a terrain that transitions gradually into Smithville’s compact downtown. This visual narrative reflects West Lincoln’s core challenge, accommodating growth while preserving character.

“We have the largest municipality geographically in the Niagara region, but one of the smaller populations,” notes Mayor Cheryl Ganann.

The municipality’s strategy focuses on three pillars: modernizing infrastructure to support growth, diversifying housing options, and nurturing its agricultural innovation sector. “We want to see the growth,” Ganann explains, “but we still want to be building a complete community.”

A Rural Landscape with Small-Town Character

West Lincoln’s geography shapes its unique identity within the Niagara Region. Spanning vast agricultural lands, the municipality’s rural character remains its defining feature, with Smithville serving as its commercial center.

A key distinction separates West Lincoln from its neighbor, “many people do mix us up with Lincoln, which has a great many wineries,” Ganann notes. “Most of Lincoln is below the escarpment. West Lincoln is on top of the escarpment, we have one lonely winery. Our soils are suitable for farming and for many other agriculturally related businesses, we don’t have that perfect climate and land for growing grapes.”

This geographic difference has fostered divergent economic identities, where Lincoln thrives on viticulture, West Lincoln’s agricultural operations anchor its economy.

Smithville’s downtown currently faces infrastructure challenges that underscore the balance between growth and preservation.

“Right now, Highway 20 through Smithville is a major East-West thoroughfare and agriculture uses it, trucking logistics need to use that, and it puts our downtown in somewhat of a challenging position because of the amount of very heavy truck industrial traffic that needs to go through,” explains Truper McBride.

“It goes through the middle of our town,” Ganann adds. “We’ve had to deal with that issue for a good many years.” This thoroughfare’s industrial use currently limits the downtown’s potential as a pedestrian-friendly center, though planned bypass routes aim to transform this dynamic.

Building a Community, Not Just a Town

West Lincoln’s approach to development prioritizes community-building alongside physical infrastructure. The municipality’s Main Street revitalization efforts focus on creating mixed-use spaces that honor local heritage while accommodating growth.

“Currently we don’t have the Main Street that we would love to have, but it’s in the process of being redeveloped,” Ganann explains. “Those changes are being developed now in such a way as to sort of incorporate the old, keep the sense of older homes and the sense of being in a small town, and at the same time look at encouraging new small businesses in.”

“We have picked up three or four brand new businesses in those smaller buildings, typical small towns where commercial is down below and some residential on top,” she adds, describing downtown’s evolution. The redevelopment of the former feed mill site exemplifies this balance, with modern housing that maintains the area’s historic character.

Resident preferences guide these decisions. “Even though they know we need some growth, they want to live in a small town, and they want that small-town feel to still be there,” Ganann explains, referencing community feedback. This sentiment informs planning decisions, from streetscaping projects to zoning adjustments that preserve Smithville’s charm.

The upcoming Smithville bypass represents a transformative infrastructure project. “Once that loop is in place to allow the heavier trucks and machinery a different way to get around Smithville, that’s when we’re going to be able to make some of those larger changes,” explains McBride.

“It’s very easy for those kinds of roads to divide a community, I think what we want to look at going forward is how do we build a new main street through Smithville that really draws a community and gives a sense of place,” he adds.

This critical rerouting of industrial traffic will enable downtown’s reinvention as a pedestrian-oriented community hub.

Laying the Groundwork for Growth

West Lincoln’s growth strategy addresses fundamental infrastructure needs while creating diverse housing options. The municipality recently secured critical funding for essential upgrades.

“The province has recently been tremendous supporters of West Lincoln with the Housing-Enabling Water Fund, actually awarding just recently West Lincoln the single largest grant the municipality has ever been so fortunate to achieve,” McBride shares. This $4 million investment targets wastewater infrastructure upgrades to support planned urban expansion.

The housing strategy tackles specific demographic needs, particularly for seniors. “There are plans for a new Legion Villa, which is a seniors apartment complex,” explains Mayor Ganann. This project upon completion will complement infill developments that maximize existing serviced areas.

“It became very aware that older adults who were looking to move or to downsize didn’t have appropriate places to downsize to, so this housing stock issue for us has been a very major issue. People who wanted to stay within the community and perhaps not own that three-bedroom, four-bedroom home because they were down to two people living, didn’t have an appropriate place to go,” she explains.

“We want to make sure that residents who grow up and spend their whole life in Smithville have an ability to retire in the community as well. Housing needs shift, of course, as one grows older and life conditions change. So that’s an important, exciting project,” McBride adds.

Collaborative planning with regional and provincial partners has been essential. “We worked with our planners and our engineers worked in conjunction with the regional staff, and with private contractors and consultants,” Ganann states, describing the comprehensive approach to urban boundary expansion.

This coordination proved challenging at times, with Ganann recalling: “We actually for the first time saw the minister herself in January at ROMA, I felt like our message was finally heard. She was very receptive to the fact that we could be a small rural municipality in spite of being in the Niagara region, because we are very unique in that way.”

The infrastructure and housing initiatives reflect West Lincoln’s measured approach. As McBride emphasizes, “we’re looking at growth and the fact that the province has provided these projected growth numbers as an opportunity to really build the type of community that existing residents want to see.” This philosophy guides all development decisions, ensuring growth aligns with community values.

Agribusiness and Innovation: The Economic Engine

West Lincoln’s economic vitality stems from its innovative agribusiness sector, where traditional farming intersects with advanced technology. Local manufacturers like Stanpac, Niagara Pallet, and Big Country Raw exemplify this fusion. “The technology and the investment that they’re putting into these facilities is really quite state of the art,” observes McBride. He highlights Niagara Pallet’s recent expansion, which has completed a new building with a focus on automating processes.

These homegrown enterprises demonstrate how rural businesses can compete globally through innovation. Big Country Raw’s evolution particularly showcases West Lincoln’s supportive business climate. “They started just on their home farm feeding their own dogs and as it grew, they needed a bigger space and looked at our industrial park,” Ganann explains, illustrating how the municipality facilitates business expansion.

Municipal leadership actively supports this economic backbone. “We’re championing the need for broadband access to high-speed internet,” McBride explains, noting infrastructure essential for modern operations. The municipality also advocates for energy solutions, as with Stanpac’s needs for natural gas. These efforts create an environment where agribusinesses can scale while maintaining local roots.

A unique community asset, the Niagara Christian Gleaners, demonstrates West Lincoln’s agricultural ingenuity. “The name Gleaners comes from the old notion that when the farmer was finished with his field, somebody then would go through and glean whatever was left. All of that produce is donated to the Christian Gleaners and they then deal with it, wash it, cube it. They also have just expanded in our industrial park area… It’s a really viable way of using the produce that’s around us in a way that benefits others,” Ganann explains.

The nonprofit addresses both food waste and global hunger, repurposing imperfect produce that would otherwise go unused. Their operations have grown significantly with community support, hosting fundraising dinners that regularly sell out 450 seats per night.

These diverse enterprises share a common thread, deep roots in West Lincoln’s agricultural heritage paired with forward-looking approaches. The municipality’s support ensures this economic engine remains both competitive and community-focused.

The Road Ahead

West Lincoln’s immediate focus centers on delivering visible progress to residents. “I am hoping that within this term our residents actually see concrete proof that we are starting to try to provide all levels of housing,” Ganann states. This includes advancing both the seniors’ Legion Villa project and new residential developments, even if initially limited to grading and fill work.

The long-term vision emphasizes quality over quantity. “We’re designing and building for the community,” explains McBride. “When residents look at that growth, they should say ‘yes this is West Lincoln and we’re proud of where we’re going.'”

Farmland protection remains fundamental to West Lincoln’s identity. “Agriculture is in our DNA,” McBride emphasizes, noting the council’s careful planning to “properly steward and protect those agricultural lands” while accommodating strategic development.

West Lincoln stands as a testament to how rural communities can grow with intention. Through strategic infrastructure investments, diversified housing solutions, and support for agricultural innovation, the region charts a course for sustainable development.

“It’s not a situation here where we’re saying it’s growth for the sake of growth,” says McBride, “but an opportunity to really build the type of community that existing residents want to see.”

With major projects underway and a clear vision guiding decisions, the municipality proves rural communities can grow intentionally without sacrificing their identity.

AT A GLANCE

Who: Municipality of West Lincoln, ON

What: A rural community preserving agricultural heritage while implementing measured growth through infrastructure upgrades, housing solutions, and agribusiness innovation

Where: Niagara Region, Ontario

Website: www.westlincoln.ca