July 24th, 2025 • Volume 6 • Issue 23
Mayor Wayne Redekop
Fort Erie is frequently referred to as a “Community of Communities”. The Town occupies a relatively large geographic area (166 square kilometres) with a population of approximately 36,600 spread out in a number of urban neighbourhoods. The current Town of Fort Erie was created in January 1970 with the establishment of regional government in Niagara. Twenty-six individual cities, towns, villages and townships were melded into 12 municipalities.
The Town of Fort Erie, originally incorporated in 1857 and amalgamated in 1931 with Bridgeburg (incorporated as a village in 1895 and a town in 1915) and Amigari (the hamlet that grew up in the vicinity of Concession Road and Gilmore Road), had a population in 1970 of 9,793. Bertie Township, consisting of Ridgeway, Stevensville, Crescent Park, Erie Beach, Thunder Bay, Oakhill Forest and the vast rural area in between, had a population of 9,281 in 1970. Crystal Beach, incorporated in 1921, had a population in 1970 of 1,857. To these existing municipalities, the provincial government added a portion of Willoughby Township known as Douglastown, along Black Creek. The name Town of Fort Erie was adopted.
The new Town of Fort Erie was the fourth largest municipality in Niagara, a status it still retains. It is the third largest by area. It is the geography that is both a blessing and a curse for Fort Erie. A blessing insofar as we are situated along Lake Erie and the Niagara River, two marvellous bodies of water, and enjoy beaches, many large creeks, forested areas in both the urban and rural areas, wildlife habitat, wetlands and an impressive range of flora and fauna. A curse because the disbursed nature of our urban areas requires an expansive system of roads, water and sewer lines and storm water systems. That infrastructure is expensive to construct and expensive to maintain. Our geography highlights the importance of an effective asset management plan and prudent financial management of municipal resources.
The various communities within Fort Erie provide for some interesting identities and rivalries. Each of the recognized urban areas of town have a distinct beginning and history. Those stories are detailed in Many Voices, the book about the history of Fort Erie. Three of the urban areas have their own Business Improvement Areas – Bridgeburg, Ridgeway and Crystal Beach. Business owners within a defined geographic area work collaboratively to promote their district and enhance municipal infrastructure to the benefit of all. Beautification, festivals, events, and advertising bring vibrancy to the area and provide entertainment for all residents of the town.
Until the amalgamation of the two high schools in town, Fort Erie Secondary School and Ridgeway-Crystal Beach High School competed for generations in a variety of ways, including sporting events. It was very interesting when students were asked to name the new combined high school that they chose “Greater Fort Erie Secondary School”. They recognized that wherever they lived or grew up in our town, they were all part of one municipality that consists of more than the historic boundaries of the old Town of Fort Erie. That decision was made in 2017 in a context where many were still having difficulty reconciling themselves with the result of regionalization in 1970. We can and should be proud of the neighbourhood in which we grew up or in which we live. Although not without challenges, we can all be proud that we live in Fort Erie, a welcoming, caring community of communities.