The Government of Ontario is transitioning the Blue Box Program to full producer responsibility by January 1, 2026. Most businesses and not-for-profits (non-eligible sources, or NESs) will no longer be eligible for municipal blue box service.

While consumption of biodiesel is increasing substantially on both sides of the border, U.S. subsidies for biodiesel are unmatched on the Canadian side, meaning that Canadian-priced biodiesel is uncompetitive. Without matching subsidies to keep Canadian prices competitive, Canadian biodiesel producers may abandon the market, leaving Canada with no domestic source of biodiesel. 

The GO train not only drives the economic integration of the golden horseshoe, but has a major role in relieving traffic congestion on the QEW, reducing emissions, and promoting productivity by reducing the time spent commuting. However, practical all-day, year-round GO train service has yet to be delivered to Niagara. 

Canadian crude oil can be shipped by rail as far as Thunder Bay, but a lack of tankers and oil infrastructure prevents it from going further. This necessarily limits Canadian oil exports eastward when markets in Europe are interested in new sources of energy from reliable and ethical trading partners like Canada.

Niagara and Canada face two simultaneous crises: a shortage of housing, particularly affordable housing, and a climate crisis that is resulting in droughts, floods, wildfires, and more. One demands accelerated construction at the lowest cost possible; the other demands a more expensive approach with higher standards of efficiency and emissions. These must be balanced.

As Canada’s largest wine region, Niagara has the potential to develop a “supercluster” of industries that revolve around the wine sector – if given the proper supports to grow.

While Ontario has made strides in power generation from multiple sources and successfully phased out coal, power transmission remains a weakness, not just within but between provinces. Additionally, aggressive growth targets for housing will require upgrades in generation and delivery.

Ontario’s Bill 23 (the More Homes Built Faster Act) and the since-abandoned proposal to develop in the Greenbelt endanger Niagara’s agricultural lands. Canada’s farmland has been slowly shrinking for decades, which threatens food security. The housing we need can be built within our existing urban boundaries, and our farmlands should be preserved.