Niagara Construction News staff writer
The Ontario government is investing nearly $44 million in Niagara Region municipalities to rehabilitate drinking water, wastewater and stormwater infrastructure projects aimed at supporting housing growth and improving public safety.
Funding is being delivered through the province’s Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program’s Health and Safety Water Stream (MHIP-HSWS), which supports upgrades to water systems and infrastructure designed to protect communities during extreme weather events.
Four Niagara-area municipalities will receive funding through the program:
- City of St. Catharines – $3.8 million for the Martindale Pond Weir Rehabilitation project
- City of Welland – $10.7 million to renew Broadway Area Sanitary, Water and Storm Infrastructure
- Regional Municipality of Niagara – $24.5 million for primary treatment upgrades to the Niagara Falls Wastewater Treatment Plant
- Town of Fort Erie – $4.5 million to replace an existing watermain along Colony Road, Windmill Point Lane and Staniland Park Road
“By upgrading and expanding critical water infrastructure in Niagara, our government is helping to ensure safe and reliable services across our region, while at the same time creating jobs and driving economic growth,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West. “This latest investment of nearly $44 million in Niagara is part of $272.5 million in provincial infrastructure investments across our local communities since 2024, representing one of the largest infrastructure commitments in Niagara’s history, supporting families and businesses for the future.”
Projects will help support access to safe drinking water, enable new housing development and create jobs across the region.
Ontario launched the MHIP-HSWS in January 2025 with an initial investment of $175 million. The province later expanded the overall Municipal Housing Infrastructure Program to $4 billion in August 2025 to accelerate the construction of homes and core infrastructure, including roads and water systems.
“Investments in core water infrastructure are critical to keeping our communities safe and resilient. The rehabilitation of the Martindale Pond Weir will help protect surrounding areas, maintain water levels in the pond and preserve an important part of the landscape of St. Catharines for years to come,” said St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe. We appreciate the Ontario government’s partnership in supporting infrastructure that strengthens communities across Niagara.”
An additional $700 million announced in January 2026 brought Ontario’s total investment in the MHIP-HSWS stream to $875 million.
Since 2024, the province has announced more than $272.5 million in Niagara Region through MHIP, the Ontario Community Infrastructure Fund and the Building Faster Fund.
MHIP funding has supported infrastructure enabling approximately 800,000 new homes and rehabilitated water, wastewater and stormwater systems serving about 375,000 existing homes across Ontario.
