Why Ford government's new spin on a giant ferris wheel in Niagara Falls, Ont., has become a 'saga'

Overwhelming public oppositeness to erection a back hulk reflection wheel in Niagara Falls, Ont., and a new private-sector proposal for the city's existing one on Clifton Hill may put an end to a controversial proposal.

The province has proposed that there be a new wheel in historic Queen Victoria Park, overlooking the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls.

Mayor Jim Diodati sits on the board of the Niagara Parks Commission, which oversees the park known for its unspoiled beauty.

Diodati thinks the observation wheel plan for the park is a goner because the commission has received a letter of intent from Harry Oakes with HOCO Entertainment — which owns the current 17-storey Niagara SkyWheel and many other attractions on Clifton Hill — to transform the attraction into Canada's largest observation wheel.

Diodati said he had multiple meetings with Oakes about the idea, suggesting "quiet diplomacy" behind the scenes can sometimes be the best approach.

"The best way to combat a bad idea is with a better idea, and I think that's what we did here."

Niagara Parks now needs to review the Oakes letter, which it received on July 2, and determine what the implications are for the Queen Victoria Park proposal, Adames said.

Diodati said the parks board still needs to officially cancel the request for proposals process.

But "to me, that's just a formality. I think everybody has made their minds up on this quite some time ago."

The second observation wheel idea was part of the Destination Niagara plan unveiled in mid-December by Premier Doug Ford's government.

Other proposals under the plan include new casinos, redeveloping the Niagara Parks marina in Fort Erie and redeveloping a historic former hydro station into a five-star boutique hotel, with the aim of doubling tourism in Niagara Falls, visited annually by some 13 million people.

The office of Tourism Minister Stan Cho said while Niagara Parks reviews the Oakes letter and its possible impact on the procurement process for the observation wheel, the Niagara Parks Commission continues to advance projects in Destination Niagara.

The commission issued a request for proposals on Dec. 15 to the private sector, to build, finance, maintain and operate the observation wheel under a long-term lease agreement. The closing date was June 23. 

Niagara Falls riding MPP Wayne Gates has led opposition to an observation wheel at the park, doing Facebook posts of videos shot there. Gates also organized a petition that has garnered thousands of signatures, demanding that the province scuttle the idea.

On Monday night, at a townhall organized by Gates, about 1,200 people jammed into the Club Italia hall in Niagara Falls in a show of solidarity against the plan.

Tim Johnson, president of the Niagara Academy for Indigenous Relations, also signed the petition.

Johnson said that historically, the lands surrounding Niagara Falls are not simply scenic real estate or tourism assets — they're revered lands carrying deep significance for Indigenous people.

"The idea of encroaching on that space with commercial activity is just absolutely the wrong idea. 

"From an Indigenous perspective, there's so much associated in terms of the cultural identities of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabek people and the reverence for Niagara Falls," Johnson said. "This is a real insult to the long-standing presence of these peoples in the area."

Gates said the lack of consultation particularly galled him.

"This ferris wheel, they tried to move it through without talking to the residents. That's what I'm upset about the most," he said, adding that Ford "thinks he can bully us and tell us, 'You're going to have to have a ferris wheel.'"

Gates wrote a letter to Ford on Tuesday, asking him to direct his tourism minister and Niagara Parks to withdraw the Queen Victoria Park proposal and confirm in writing that no lease or future proposal is being sought for a second observation wheel at the park. 

Mike Goforth is president of Local 217 of the OPSEU Local 217, which represents Niagara Parks workers including staff who maintain the park.

"That's what our mandate is about: To protect and be a steward of the green spaces of the Niagara Parks. We need the community to stand together and uphold the mandate."

Liz Benneian, chair of the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee Niagara, said the land along the Niagara River is an "ecologically sensitive" and biologically diverse area.

The park is "one of the world's most scenic and iconic places."

Deadline arrives for proposals to build Ford government's observation wheel in Niagara Falls, Ont.

Reporter/editor

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