Fort Erie sewage station site undergoing extensive archeological work

The site of a new sewage pumping station to be built in Fort Erie to replace the aging and outdated one next to it has been covered with a large tent and fence for several months.

This is to facilitate archeological work for which Niagara Region has spent more than $3 million since 2023.

The Catherine Street pumping station was built in 1981 and is reaching the end of its service life.

Due to its current condition and to support growth, it is set to be replaced on lands directly next to it at 263 Niagara Boulevard, as well as around the Lakeshore Road sewage pumping station, which is also to be overhauled, said Phill Lambert, the Region’s director of water and wastewater services.

That area of Fort Erie has been a topic on social media in recent months, with many people saying they are experiencing a foul, sewage-type odour on a regular basis.

Regional Councillor Tom Insinna addressed the matter while giving an update to town council late last month, saying he believes it is coming from a facility across the river in Buffalo.

In an interview on Monday, he said the odour is not coming from the Catherine Street-Niagara Boulevard lands.

“Not at all,” he said, adding there are no issues with how the old pumping station is working.

“Right now, it’s meeting capacity.”

A timeline of when construction of the new plant will begin is unknown, but Insinna said he is hopeful it starts soon.

He said there are residential developments that are waiting to get shovels in the ground but can’t before the new facility is in operation.

But until the archeological work is completed, progress on the new treatment plant at Niagara Boulevard and Catherine Street is on hold.

“The unfortunate part is that this is delaying a lot of plans that have already been put forward,” said Insinna.

Asked for information about what has been discovered by archeologists, Lambert said the work is required by provincial law and regulations, and that stages 1 and 2 have been completed.

Stage 4 has begun, which involves “more detailed work following strict provincial guidelines.”

Mississaugas of the Credit First Nations archeological operations supervisor Adam Laforme, who has been involved with work at the site, said last week he could not provide any information when Niagara This Week reached out to him.

Stephanie Rea, a spokesperson for the Ontario Chief Coroner, also said she had no information to share when asked about discoveries made at the property, and that the matter applies to the registrar of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement.

Joshua Henry, a spokesperson for that ministry, did not provide details of what has been discovered, but did confirm the Region has been ordered to undertake a burial site investigation.

Under the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, owners of land in which human remains are discovered have certain obligations.

“This includes the duty to take whatever steps are necessary to preserve the site until the remains have been reinterred in a local cemetery, or in a cemetery that has been established at or near the site, in accordance with the act,” Henry said in a statement, adding work must be carried out by a professional archeologist.

If the possible cultural origin of the remains is Indigenous, the registrar will notify one or more Indigenous communities.

“This includes the community or communities whose members have a close cultural affinity to the deceased, if known, and which is willing to act as a representative, or the nearest First Nations government to the site of the discovery,” Henry said.

Lambert was also asked about the odour near the river and said it has nothing to do with the Catherine Street facility.

“There are no mechanical issues at the pumping station, and all equipment is operating as designed,” he said.

Lambert said there are several potential reasons residents may be experiencing odour issues from time to time, such as the extended dry weather the region has been experiencing.

“When this happens, sewage can linger in the system longer, which allows for biological breakdown and can cause odours,” he said.

Lambert isn’t ruling out the smell coming from across the border.

“Also, due to various weather impacts such as wind direction, it is not uncommon for odours to be detected in the local community from treatment plants across the Niagara River occasionally,” he said.

Staff routinely monitor the operation of all regional sites including pumping stations and wastewater treatment plants to ensure they are operating optimally and efficiently, said Lambert, noting a “complete check” of the Catherine Street site was completed on Monday.

“There are no ongoing odour issues that have been identified at this time,” he said.

Niagara This Week inquired with City of Buffalo communications staff for this story on September 30 but has yet to receive a response.

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