July 24th, 2025 • Volume 6 • Issue 23

Regional Councillor Tom Insinna

Welland Water Treatment Plant – Advancing Crystal Beach pop Up Market – Annual Siege of Fort Erie Reenactment

Last week, I had the opportunity to tour the Welland Water Treatment Plant. I had my eyes opened as we walked through the 100-year-old facility. It wasn’t hard to tell that the facility was in dire need of upgrading. At one location of the building, you could see a crack that went from one corner of the wall all the way around, including the ceiling. It appears that the Welland River is eroding one corner of the building foundation and is slowly sinking and detaching from the rest of the building. A seismic instrument has been placed on the major crack to measure the changes. This was just one area. The equipment in most of the facility dates back to the 1960s and 1970s, with original parts still being used, as there are no replacement parts available anywhere. Needless to say, the staff are doing a tremendous job keeping the facility running with no risk to the drinking water. 

I will talk about my tour of the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant in my next article.

Advancing Crystal Beach is continuing their Pop-Up Market at the Crystal Ridge Community Church on Elmwood Ave. on July 24th, starting at 10 am. ACB can offer fresh vegetables and fruits at a lower cost thanks to the assistance from the United Way Niagara, Meridian Credit Union and Niagara Credit Union. The cost is 20% to 30% below the market price. All the produce is locally sourced, so if you are thinking of partaking, make sure to arrive before they are sold out.

The Annual Siege of Fort Erie Reenactment will take place again on August 9th and 10th of this year. If you have never seen the reenactment, you should try to attend and experience what it was like during the War of 1812 as soldiers clashed and cannons fired volleys. The grounds of the Fort will be filled with camps portraying days gone by, along with the quarters of the soldiers, and there will be several vendors from different time periods to haggle with. A free shuttle is being provided on the WEGO bus; you can be picked up at the parkettes located at the intersection of Lakeshore Road and Beatrice Street. The camp opens at 10 am each day, and there is no admission fee. There will be skirmishes throughout Saturday and Sunday, but you won’t want to miss the Saturday “Drummond’s Night Assault.” If you are so inclined, after the battle, you can take the Candlelight Tour, for which a cost is associated. Tours of the Old Fort Erie are also offered throughout the weekend at a discounted price of $15.00 per adult and $9.50 for children. If you have the chance to attend the reenactment, it is a great way to learn about our local history, and it is free. Thank you to all the staff and volunteers for making this possible. For more information, go to www.niagaraparks.com

Congratulations to Makayla and April on the Grand Opening of their new business, Lash + HeadSpa Suite, located at 25 Jarvis St. I had never seen a head spa massage apparatus, but I was introduced to it, and it was amazing. If you are in the area, drop in and see this new addition to Jarvis St.  While on Jarvis St., you are encouraged to drop by the newly opened Tito’s Pizza. As a person who enjoys a good pizza pie, I must say I am impressed. Congratulations on your Grand Openings!

Please remember to be kind and keep smiling!