Pearle Hospitality, an Ontario-based hospitality company, is pitching a $200-million plan to develop and restore Toronto Power. Photo Credit: Niagara Parks.
At last week’s Niagara Regional Council meeting, Niagara Parks Chair Bob Gale and CEO David Adames provided an update on the state of Niagara Parks as an organization and the plans it has for the remainder of 2024 and into 2025.
This was Gale’s first presentation to council as parks chair, having assumed the position earlier this month thanks to an appointment by the provincial government.
Gale replaced former chair April Jeffs.
Adames did most of the presenting to council.
The presentation began with a basic outline of Niagara Parks, including its 1,800 employee count and $60 million payroll.
One issue that was raised early on was strain being placed on the budget due to deferred maintenance in parks across the region. Gale and Adames estimate that deferred maintenance costs now reach $175 million.
The two major capital projects Niagara Parks aims to complete during the 2024-25 fiscal year include the replacement of Niagara’s Fury and a broad-scale surge in repairs and maintenance.
Key maintenance priorities include the redevelopment of power stations (including the Toronto Power and Ontario Power Generating Stations) and the Niagara Parks Marina, as well as the restoration of the Whirlpool Golf Course.
A great deal of emphasis was placed on the redevelopment of Toronto Power, based in Niagara Falls. Gale and Adames relayed a pitch on behalf of a private hospitality company to spearhead the redevelopment of Toronto Power.
Pearle Hospitality, an Ontario-based hospitality company, is pitching a $200-million plan to develop and restore Toronto Power.
Some key features Pearle is pitching include a five-star boutique accommodation, culinary offerings, a craft brewery, a wellness spa, event and programing space, a museum and art gallery, as well as a theatre.
There will still be free viewing and participating areas for the public.
Pearle Hospitality has significant experience in restoring older properties like Toronto Power, having redeveloped heritage properties elsewhere in Ontario, including the Elora Mill Hotel and Spa, the Cambridge Mill and the Ancaster Mill, among others.
The presentation made by Gale and Adames noted that the public response thus far to Pearle Hospitality’s pitch has been positive. There have been over 300 mentions of the proposed project in the traditional media, including coverage in the National Post, Blog TO and CTV News. There has also been significant attention on social media.
The public engagement process has already been conducted and went well, according to the presentation. No less than 99 per cent of those surveyed thought that Toronto Power is an important piece of history that has significant heritage value and 82 per cent agreed the restoration project would have a positive impact on the Niagara community.
The presentation noted that Ontario Power similarly needs to be restored and suggested that a partnership with a private-sector organization, such as the proposed partnership between Toronto Power and Pearle Hospitality, could be the best path forward toward revitalization.
Councillor Joyce Morocco called the Toronto Power redevelopment project a “huge game-changer for Niagara.” She noted that Niagara doesn’t have a five-star property and came out strongly in favour of the project.
On a follow-up from a question from Morocco, Adames noted that Niagara Region hopes to sign a lease agreement with Pearle this summer with construction starting this fall. The construction period is expected to be at least three years.
Based on questions and comments, there is very strong support on council for the Pearle partnership proposal.
Jay Goldberg is the Ontario Director at the Canadian Taxpayers Federation. He previously served as a policy fellow at the Munk School of Public Policy and Global Affairs. Jay holds a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Toronto.
