Niagara Falls mayor talks reopening plans, property taxes, road closure

Ontario began easing public health restrictions yesterday with restaurants, gyms, movie theatres and casinos reopening at 50%, so with that we checked in Niagara Falls mayor Jim Diodati to see how the city is doing.

Province Reopening 

Several businesses in Ontario have reopened Monday as the province enters the first phase of its reopening plan.

A number of restrictions that were imposed on Jan. 5 in an effort to blunt the impact of the Omicron variant were lifted as of 12:01 a.m.

Last week, Ontario announced it would be “cautiously and gradually” easing public health measures.

The province said the restrictions had an impact on the stabilization of key public health and health system indicators.

It released a three-step phased approach to lifting public health measures, with 21 days between each step.

Yesterday, restaurant dining rooms, gyms and cinemas can reopen with 50 per cent capacity.

In Niagara Falls, that means casinos can open at 50 per cent capacity as well. Diodati says the city is really happy about the reopening. 

“People are just so grateful, they’re ready to have some fun,” said Diodati. “Everybody sacrificed together, now they can go back to the gym, I’m one of those, I’m looking forward to getting back into the gym again.”

Niagara Falls Entertainment 

Niagara Falls music is also returning to the convention centres. Blue Rodeo and The Trews concerts were cancelled for new years. Now, they will be performing in March. 

Diodati says the city is working with Mohegan and OLG to get a new $140 million entertainment centre open across the street from the FallsView Casino attached to the Hilton. 

“It will be as exciting for the performer, as it is for the spectators,” said Diodati. “We’re expecting that to open up sometime in the spring with some top notch talent.”

Niagara Falls Property Tax 

Property taxes in Niagara Falls went up 2.9 per cent, but Diodati says the good news is that it is below the rate of inflation.

“We’re the lowest of the big cities in Niagara,” said Diodati. “That’s taking in all the kind of nonsense we’ve had to deal with, with COVID…our revenues have dried right up, we’re not able to get revenues from our facilities, from our buses, things like that.”

2022 Summer Games Torchbearer Wanted 

Niagara Falls is looking for torchbearers for the 2022 Canada Summer Games. If anyone is interested, just visit Niagara2022games.ca if you’re 12 or older. 

Ralph Mellanby 

A hockey broadcast icon, Ralph Mellanby died at 87 on Saturday. Diodati remembers Mellanby as the producer of Hockey Night in Canada in which a famous character, Peter Puck, taught people about hockey. 

“We’ll definitely miss Ralph Mellanby and we’re grateful that he did contribute so much to hockey,” said Diodati.