‘It’s not very appealing’; Premier Doug Ford plans to overhaul Niagara Falls, Ontario

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is teasing big plans for Niagara Falls and intends to transform the area into a more modern tourist destination.

In a press conference yesterday (Oct. 2), Doug Ford was in East York detailing construction initiatives surrounding the TTC’s Ontario Line in Toronto.

During the event, members of the press questioned Ford on the nature of development incentives in the City of Niagara Falls, such as the proposed massive 58-storey twin condo on the city’s skyline or the plans to restructure the area’s Toronto Power Generating Station into a five-star boutique hotel location. 

When responding to the press, Ford indicated that a US-based company has been maintaining a monopoly on casino operations in the City of Niagara Falls, and as a result, he has met with regional representatives and members of the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) to review how gambling and tourism are conducted the area. 

“I’ve been working with the region and [Mayor Jim Diotati] and it’s all about just coming up with a different way. It’s not all about gambling, it’s about a destination and it’s about bringing families there — it’s an incredible tourist attraction — but we have to clean it up and make it more modern,” said Ford when addressing the press. 

Ford further confirmed that there have now been active discussions with regional officials as well as Mohegan — the US company operating many Niagara Falls casinos.

“We want to give more economic opportunities and increase tourism, there is a whole market south of the border and we would love to have them come up… so, we are still in the midst of talking to Mohegan and talking to the mayor and the region to see exactly what they want,” Ford said during the conference. 

Ford went on to indicate that plans are in the works, however, it will be some time before anything concrete gets set in motion.

However, he drove further home the urgency of a much-needed revitalization of the area, as he indicated to the press, “That first kilometer, it’s all beautiful, but when you get further in, it’s not very appealing.”