This morning, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, Trevor Jones and Minister of Infrastructure, Kinga Surma, announced a $41 million investment into Niagara’s irrigation infrastructure.
This critical funding, shared with the Town of Lincoln and City of St. Catharines, will support upgrades, expansion, and the modernization of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s user-paid Municipal Irrigation System, addressing growing demand from local farmers and reinforcing long-term food security across the region.
"The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake extends its sincere thanks to the Province of Ontario for investing in the Niagara Irrigation Initiative Project," stated Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa. "For over 40 years, Niagara-on-the-Lake has led the way in agricultural irrigation. As the only municipality in Ontario with an Irrigation Act, we are proud of our legacy and continued leadership in supporting growers and the broader agri-community."
"This announcement is a direct outcome of focused advocacy efforts and well-planned government relations," added CAO Nick Ruller. "Thanks to the dedication of the Town’s Irrigation Committee, the Niagara Irrigation Initiative Committee, and our local farmers, we’ve successfully championed the needs of our agricultural community, ensuring water continues to flow, farms continue to thrive, and our community remains strong and vibrant."
This announcement demonstrates the power of advocacy, not only to raise awareness but to influence decisions and drive tangible results. By strategically engaging decision-makers, Town Council and Staff were able to keep this issue top of mind and aligned with broader provincial priorities. The Town wishes to thank the Province of Ontario for this incredible investment and looks forward to seeing these funds put to good use in the community.
For more information about this, please read the Provincial news release.
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Media contact:
Marah Minor, Communications Coordinator
905-468-3266 | communications@notl.com