NOTL councillors hear from three organizations looking for funding support

Representatives from three local organizations stood before Niagara-on-the-Lake council Tuesday night asking for their annual financial contributions.

The requests made by Niagara College, Niagara District Airport, and the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum are part of the 2025 budget process, with each outiining accomplishments and challenges before mentioning dollar figures..

The first speaker was Gord Arbeau, vice-president of advancement for Niagara College, which has a campus in Niagara-on-the-Lake, as well as one in Welland. 

His request was the smallest of the three, with an ask of $20,000, which has been the same amount “the past couple of years,” he said. 

The funding from the town, if approved, will support student learning enhancements within the college’s new Horticultural and Environmental Sciences Innovation Centre, a site the town has previously supported during budget time to assist in its construction, he said.

In his pitch, Arbeau said Niagara College is currently ranked the number one college in Canada when it comes to applied research. 

“We will know in the next couple of months whether we retain that running,” he said. 

Fielding a question from Coun. Wendy Cheropita, Arbeau said about 40 per cent of Niagara College’s population consists of international students, slightly less than the roughly 55 per cent it was before new laws were handed down about international students, such as not accepting them in programs that have a wait list for domestic students. 

Next up was Dan Pilon, chief executive officer of the airport commission. 

There are three funding sources for the airport; the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the City of Niagara Falls and the City of St. Catharines. 

The amount each municipality funds the airport is based on the most recent census data, explained Pilon, noting that NOTL’s portion is about eight per cent. 

The request to the town is almost $97,000, which is “essentially the same number as last year,” said Pilon. 

This is divided into about $42,000 in operating costs, and $55,000 in capital costs. 

Niagara Falls is being asked for $479,000 this year and the airport commission is requesting $694,000 from St. Catharines. 

Pilon said most airports, including the one in Niagara-on-the-Lake near the St. Catharines border, have seen a “full return to service” since the COVID-19 pandemic. 

A redevelopment project at the airport built in 1929 is also in the works. 

Buildings on the property were recently given a “clean bill of health,” but Pilon said in his presentation there are issues with water leaks in some of them. 

A full renewal of equipment assets was recently taken care of by a federal grant of $1.2 million, he said. 

Cheropita asked if the local airport sees itself competing with other airports. 

“I think we absolutely do, and we absolutely have to,” said Pilon. 

The site has one major selling point, which is “location, location, location,” he said, with its close proximity to water, St. Catharines and Niagara Falls, and the tourist district of NOTL. 

This is something other airports can’t boast. “It’s really hard to recreate the tourism assets we have in Niagara,” said Pilon. 

Sarah Kaufman, curator of the museum, is asking council to approve an amount of $383,000 in 2025. Last year, the museum requested about $300,000. 

She noted that the funding provided by the town is generated by parking revenue.

The museum offers 90 programs per year. About 60 per cent of the museum’s collections are archival materials considered property of the town. 

A focus of 2025 will be the museum’s 130-year anniversary, said Kaufman. 

The NOTL museum, along with the Welland Museum, are the only two of its kind in Niagara; non-profit organizations that are supported financially by their respective municipalities. 

The biggest chunk of the request will support a portion of staffing costs to the tune of $250,000. This includes an increase in hours for maintenance staff and an assistant curator, as well as a part-time educational programmer. “Your support is integral to our operations every year,” said Kaufman. 

No decisions were made on these requests during Tuesday’s meeting.