Niagara Region | Fall 2025 | niagararegion.ca

Fall 2025 Issue

From Candy Wrappers to Crosswalks: What Halloween Teaches Us About Waste and Road Safety 

Halloween is more than costumes and candy – it’s a moment to reflect on how small choices can have a big impact. Whether it’s what we toss in the garbage or how we move through our neighbourhoods, this spooky season offers a chance to learn and make thoughtful choices. 

Waste doesn’t disappear like magic...
Halloween often brings a surge of single-use items: plastic wrappers, disposable decorations, and fast fashion costumes. These materials don’t vanish – they linger in landfills long after the last pumpkin is composted. 
This year, consider: 

• Reusing or repurposing costumes from past years or thrift shops 
• Choosing foil-wrapped chocolates (clean foil is recyclable in Niagara) 
• Decorating with items you can reuse next year 
• Composting pumpkins in your Green Bin (just remove candles, lights, or other decorations first) 

Safety is no costume – it’s essential! 
As kids take to the streets in search of treats, visibility and caution are key. Drivers and pedestrians alike play a role in keeping Halloween night safe: 

• Drivers: Slow down in residential areas, stay alert, and turn headlights on early
• Parents: Walk with children, use crosswalks, and ensure cars stop before crossing 
• Trick-or-treaters: Add glow sticks or reflective tape to costumes and carry flashlights 

Halloween is a celebration of imagination, but it’s also a reminder that our actions matter. Let’s make choices that protect our community and our environment. 

Wrapping Up Fall Projects? Know the Household Hazardous Waste Limits Before You Go

As Niagara residents finish up fall clean-up – clearing out garages, sheds and prepping for winter – many are planning trips to Niagara Region’s Household Hazardous Waste (HHW) Depots. If you're dropping off acceptable liquid hazardous materials (i.e. paint and motor oil) or fluorescent bulbs, be aware of new limits starting Nov. 10.

New Daily Limits:

• Liquids: Up to 40 litres per day
• Lamps: Up to 15 fluorescent tubes/bulbs per day
• Container Size: Each liquid container must be 20 litres or smaller

If you bring more than the daily limit, depot staff will ask you to return another day or seek disposal through a licensed hazardous waste provider.

Why the Change?
Niagara Region’s HHW depots are funded by residential tax dollars and meant to serve households, not businesses. These changes align with best practices across Ontario while helping ensure everyone has equal access to safe disposal. 

What Stays the Same?
You can still drop off a wide range of residential hazardous waste for free - just store it safely and transport it securely.

Let’s keep Niagara clean and safe this fall – one container at a time.

The Twenty Mile Arch Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation of the Sho'arishon Park

The Twenty Mile Arch Bridge, located on Regional Road 81 in the Jordan Valley, required replacement as determined by a Schedule “C” Municipal Class Environmental Assessment. A detailed design with environmental clearances was completed, recognizing the area's sensitivity.

Key Aspects:

• Partnerships: Niagara Region and the Town of Lincoln collaborated, enhancing the nearby Indigenous-themed Sho’arishon Park.
• Design: The bridge includes Indigenous art as pedestrian barriers.
• Traffic Management: To reduce disruption, a temporary single-lane bridge facilitates ongoing traffic during construction.
• Timeline: Construction began in February 2025, with completion expected by the end of the year, ahead of the two-season initial schedule.

This initiative not only bolsters regional infrastructure, but also honors cultural heritage and environmental preservation, and exemplifies effective community collaboration.

St. Catharines Go Station Precinct Development Project Update

The St. Catharines GO Station Precinct Development Project is not only on track—it’s rolling down the line toward early completion.

The project began with the demolition of the original bridge structure, built in 1922. Since then, the Contractor, Rankin Construction Limited, has made impressive progress: a new parking lot and bus drop-off area at the GO Station, a new access road from Ridley Road and a newly constructed roundabout at Ridley Road.

Major reconstruction is also well underway on Ridley Road (from Louth Street to Henrietta Street) and St. Paul Street (from Merigold Street to St. Paul Crescent). Excitingly, the new bridge is beginning to take shape and looking like a bridge again. The abutments, approaches, girders and deck slab are complete, and structural sidewalks are currently being poured. Up next is parapet wall construction.

To finish the bridge project, the contractor will complete the parapet walls, electrical work, stairs and railings, top asphalt, line marking and landscaping. St. Paul Street West is nearing completion, with only minor sidewalk sections, top asphalt, line marking and landscaping remaining. On Ridley Road, finishing touches, including manhole collars, line marking, landscaping and a Pedestrian Crossover, will be completed shortly. The GO Station parking lot and bus drop-off area are almost done and only need top asphalt, landscaping and line painting.

If you haven’t visited the area since construction began, you might not even recognize it – and that's in a good way. The teams at Associated Engineering, Rankin Construction, and Niagara Region have done an outstanding job. This project is moving full steam ahead – on track to finish early and on budget.

A Standout Season for the Water Wagon!

This year, our dedicated Water Wagon crew attended 65 events over 97 service days, bringing cold, refreshing tap water to communities across Niagara. This season, we provided 6,355 litres of tap water to event-goers, saving 3,178 plastic water bottles from entering the environment.

From track meets and charity fundraisers to major festivals like Port Colborne Canal Days and Pelham Summerfest, the Water Wagon is a welcome sight on hot summer days. Residents - and even their furry companions - stayed hydrated with free, ice-cold tap water while learning more about where it comes from.

The Water Wagon also provides a chance to spark meaningful conversations with staff about Niagara Region’s water and wastewater systems. Through interactive displays, visitors discover the impact of so-called “flushable” wipes on underground pipes and gain insight into how Niagara Region treats and delivers safe, high-quality tap water to residents.

Planning your 2026 event?

The Water Wagon can be booked up to one year in advance for public events in Niagara region that:

• Expect at least 400 guests to attend
• Are at least four hours long
• Are free and open to the entire community