Community Initiatives & Events

Community Events Calendar

Niagara-on-the-Lake offers many enjoyable initiatives and events catering to residents, families, and guests alike. Learn about upcoming events below and ensure you're part of the excitement because community spirit is always alive in our town, and the fun never stops! Don't forget to check out information on how you can contribute to community projects and help support the ongoing initiatives that make our town thrive. See the "Donate" section below for details.

Happening Now

Lord Mayor Zalepa's Emergency Services Open House

Lord Mayor Zalepa is excited to host an Emergency Services Open House to engage residents with local emergency services and promote community well-being.

Event details are as follows:

Date: Thursday, October 30, 2025
Time: 5:30 to 8:00 p.m.
Location: Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre Auditorium (14 Anderson Lane)
RSVP: RSVP is not required but encouraged. Please RSVP by October 24, 2025, using this form.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Fire & Emergency Services, Niagara Regional Police Service, and Niagara Emergency Medical Services will each provide a brief presentation highlighting their service priorities and current initiatives specific to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Following the presentation, representatives will participate in a Q&A panel to answer questions from the audience. Additionally, each Emergency Services Team, along with Ontario Provincial Police, will host an information table within the Auditorium to share resources and connect with attendees.

RSVP TODAY

Queen-Picton Heritage Conservation District Study

Niagara-on-the-Lake is engaging residents in the Queen and Picton Heritage Conservation District Study to preserve the area's unique historical and architectural character. This collaborative initiative seeks input from the community to identify heritage features and establish guidelines that balance conservation with the needs of residents and businesses. Public participation is key to shaping a shared vision that celebrates the district's rich heritage while supporting its future growth. Stay involved through upcoming consultations and provide your insights to help protect this vibrant part of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Learn more about the Queen-Picton Heritage Conservation District Study

Donations

When making a donation, tax receipts will be issued for donations above $25. Donations can be made online using the button below or in person at the Town Administration Building (1593 Four Mile Creek Road, Virgil) via cash, debit or cheque (payable to the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake).

To donate to any of the following initiatives, please click the button below.

Donate

The Heritage Trail is the only unimproved multi-use trail in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Official Plan. It dissects the epicentre of the Wine Route in Niagara-on-the-Lake, a key destination for cycling, eco-tourism and agri-tourism.
As the automobile was responsible for the decline of the railway, it seems fitting that a shift from the automobile to a renewed priority on active transportation has the potential to breathe new life back into the Heritage Trail.
The 66-foot-wide corridor is visibly broken and even unknown to many residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Utilization of the trail has been compromised in the last few years by erosion and washout between Line 9 and York Road and in other sections.
The overall integrity of the corridor is eroding due to the inability of people to use it. Vegetation and grass are growing where people used to walk, run, cycle and ride horses. The trail is losing its “visibility” in both a physical sense and in the overall consciousness of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Niagara-on-the-Lake Canada Sesquicentennial Committee, created in 2017 to support and execute events to commemorate Canada’s 150 years of Confederation, chose the rehabilitation of the Heritage Trail as its Legacy project to connect communities and preserve a piece of Canadian history for new generations.
A committee of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, The Heritage Trail, was initiated in 2019 and will be directed by a group of volunteers from the community.
Donate
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The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is accepting donations to construct a new St. Davids pool. This pool was built in 1969. It sits in a 4-acre park (St. Davids Lions Park) in the village of St. Davids in Niagara on-the-lake. This pool has served the community for 54 years and it is due to be replaced. The pool is classified as Class A - 25 metre – 6 lane pool. The change house is 1900 square feet and hosts a male and female changerooms, mechanical room and guard room. Due to the age of the pool there have been major mechanical problems over the past 20 years.
Donate
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The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is committed to fostering an equitable and inclusive community where everyone feels a sense of belonging.
At the July 25, 2022, Council Meeting, Town Council approved the locations of one rainbow crosswalk and five rainbow benches in Niagara-on-the-Lake. A public engagement survey, open from June 1 to June 15, 2022, allowed for community feedback about the proposed locations and informed Council’s decision.
As of June 2023, a rainbow crosswalk has been installed at the intersection of Niagara Stone Road and Anderson Lane, and one rainbow bench has been installed at the Centennial Sports Park.
The Town is looking to install additional rainbow benches throughout the community at the following four locations:
- Mary and King Street (Old Town)
- Niagara on the Green Park (Glendale)
- Queenston Firehall (Queenston)
- Sparky’s Park (St. Davis)
Community members are invited to donate to offset the costs of these initiatives.
Donate

Check out the various community events and initiatives below:

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This program will allow service groups to assist in maintaining parks. A trailer will be assembled to include all of the tools required to clean a park and loaned out to groups on an as-needed basis. There is a sponsorship opportunity for the trailer, and anyone interested in this prospect should contact Kevin Turcotte.
View the Brochure
Parks Location Map
Volunteer Manual
Application - (click to submit an electronic application)
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This Community Centre Open House was made possible by a grant received from ParticipACTION!
Thank you to the vendor booths who promoted their programs and activities and to the residents who came to enjoy the bouncy castle for children, free lawn bowling lessons, door prizes, community goodie bags, free use of the Community Centre fitness gym, and special programming at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Library.
A Community vegetable garden was initiated in 2019 by the Communities in Bloom committee in partnership with the local Library. Local businesses provided funding and plant products. Local volunteers planted, watered and weeded the garden throughout the season and then harvested the crops as they were ready. The vegetables and herbs were distributed to the local community as well as the many migrant farm workers who come each year to work in our farming industry.
View the poster
Stay tuned for informaton regarding the 2025 National Day for Truth & Reconciliation.
In collaboration with Indigenous Peoples, the federal government was called upon to establish a statutory holiday to honour Survivors of residential schools, their families, and communities, and ensure that public commemoration of the history and legacy of residential schools remains a vital component of the reconciliation process.
Each year, September 30 marks National Day for Truth & Reconciliation (National Orange Shirt Day).
On August 30, 2021, Town Council approved that the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake commits to recognizing September 30, 2021, as the National Day for Truth & Reconciliation by sharing the stories of residential school survivors, their families, and communities, and engage in meaningful education related to Truth and Reconciliation.
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is committed to reconciliation and ensuring that residential schools' tragic history and ongoing legacy are never forgotten.
Historical Indigenous Figures of Niagara-on-the-Lake
Joseph Brant
Joseph Brant, or Thayendanegea (“two sticks bound together for strength”), Kanyen'kehà:ka (Mohawk) war chief, Loyalist, interpreter, statesman (born circa March 1742/43 at Cuyahoga (near Akron, Ohio); died 24 November 1807 at Burlington Bay, ON); brother of Mohawk leader Mary (Molly) Brant. Loyal to Great Britain during and after the American Revolution, he was an influential military captain. Like his sister Mary, he was a powerful diplomat who encouraged Indigenous tribes to share his political loyalties. A Six Nations (See Haudenosaunee) leader, he met significant political figures such as George Washington and King George III on behalf of his people.
This information was sourced from The Canadian Encyclopedia.
John Brant
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Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks.
John Brant (Ahyouwa’ehs) was the son of Joseph Brant. Along with John Norton, he led warriors at the Battle of Queenston Heights along with other engagements. He was a strong advocate for building schools, he was appointed resident superintendent for the Six Nations of the Grand River, he was elected to the Legislative Assembly of Upper Canada for Haldimand and his mother appointed him as a traditional chief, Tekarihoga.
John Norton
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Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks.
Major John Norton (Teyoninhokarawen) was adopted into the Mohawk Nation by Joseph Brant. He led fighters from Six Nations of the Grand River into battles at Queenston Heights, Stoney Creek and Chippawa. His journal chronicles his 1,000 mile journey from Upper Canada to the homelands of his Cherokee father, stories of Haudenosaunee culture and history, and Haudenosaunee involvement in the War of 1812.
Captain Alexander George E. Smith
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Photo courtesy of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum.
Alexander, son of Cayuga chief Alexander George E. Smith Sr., lived on the Six Nations Reserve near Brantford, Ontario. He enlisted in the Canadian Militia and became an officer in the 37th (Haldimand Rifles) Regiment which, in the pre-war years, made their journey to Niagara for the annual summer camp. When the First World War began, Alex went overseas with the Second Contingent and fought as a commissioned officer in France with the 20th Battalion. He was awarded the Military Cross for his bravery on the Somme, and was promoted to Caption, but was sent home in April of 1917. When the Polish Camp opened, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, he was appointed adjutant. Smith was admired by many of the Poles at the camp and for his services, he was named an Officer of the Order of the Black Star. As such, he was one of the most highly decorated Natives officers of the Great War.
Mary Brant
Mary Brant, Kanyen'kehà:ka (Mohawk), Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) leader, Loyalist, diplomat, political activist (generally known as Molly Brant and as Konwatsi'tsiaiénni in the Mohawk language, meaning “someone lends her a flower”) (born circa 1736; died 16 April 1796 in Kingston, ON). Brant was one of the most important Indigenous women in Canadian history. From her influential position as head of a society of Six Nations matrons, she enjoyed a much greater status within the Mohawk nation than her more colourful, younger brother, Mohawk leader Joseph Brant. Consulted by Indigenous people on matters of importance, she was a powerful ally to the British forces and served as their highly effective intermediary with the Iroquois in the American Revolutionary War (1775–1783).
This information was sourced from The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Tom Longboat
Thomas Charles Longboat, distance runner (born 4 July 1886 in Ohsweken, Six Nations Grand River reserve; died 9 January 1949). Tom Longboat (Haudenosaunee name Cogwagee) was an Onondaga distance runner from the Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation reserve near Brantford, Ontario. Largely because of his ability to dominate any race and his spectacular finishing sprints, he was one of the most celebrated athletes before the First World War.
This information was sourced from The Canadian Encyclopedia.
Indigenous Resources
- Celebration Of Nations: Niagara’s annual Indigenous arts gathering that celebrates creativity, diversity and resilience
- Indigenous Perspectives: A three-part docuseries by the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre intended to help educate about the Indigenous people's history. Topics included are the Indigenous involvement in the War of 1812, Residential Schools and healing as a community.
- Landscape of Nations 360
- National Centre
- Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum Indigenous History Page
- Regional Centre
- Woodland Cultural Centre
- Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (rcaanc-cirnac.gc.ca)
- NCTR - National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation
- Municipal - Indigenous Relations | AMO
- Famous Aboriginal sportspeople - Creative Spirits
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25th Annual Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Classic Tournament
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Royal Niagara Golf Club
Thursday, September 11, 2025
Click here to register.
SOLD OUT! (but you can still register on the waitlist)
We are excited to announce that the 25th Annual Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Classic Tournament will be held at the beautiful Royal Niagara Golf Club. We are pleased to continue offering sponsorship opportunities for this highly anticipated event.
As a participant, you will enjoy 18 holes of golf with a sponsored cart, a complimentary lunch, and a prime rib dinner at the Community Centre in Niagara-on-the-Lake following the tournament.
Our past twenty-four tournaments have been incredibly successful, with the 2024 tournament selling out completely. This year, we are proud to have IPCO Enterprises as our major sponsor, who will be providing a special gift to every golfer.
We look forward to your participation and support in making this year's tournament another great success.
Your registration includes:
- Free sponsored lunch
- Putting Contest
- Raffle Tickets at Dinner
- Multiple Hole in One Opportunities
- Closest to the Keg
- Longest Drive Prizes
- Closest to the Pin Cash Prize
- Survivor Ball
- Sponsored Golf Cart
- Dinner
- Prosciutto - Mulligan Raffle - back by popular demand
In honour of Random Act of Kindness Week on February 13 -19, 2023, the Town launched its third annual Shine Light, Spread Kindness Campaign. This campaign was a one-week initiative dedicated to promoting a culture of kindness in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The campaign provided daily suggestions on ways individuals can shine light and spread kindness through words, creativity, giving, stewardship, action, self-care, and gratitude.
Stay tuned for information regarding the 2024 campaign.