Strong Fort Erie Neighbourhoods launches weekly service hub
May 4, 2026 at 3:27 AM
A provincial grant has expanded Strong Fort Erie Neighbourhoods into a weekly multi-agency service hub at St. Michael’s Hall, increasing access to housing, income and identification supports for local residents.
The Ontario Trillium Foundation capital grant has funded a “pop-up office” model that now anchors the group’s Community Connects navigation program, bringing multiple service providers into one location each Wednesday with the aim of reducing barriers to essential services and improving response to urgent needs such as eviction risk and lost identification.
Theresa Murphy, president of Strong Fort Erie Neighbourhoods, told Fort Erie Radio she hopes the hub model will improve response time for residents seeking help.
A recent meeting between Keith Sutherland, representing MPP Wayne Gates, and Rod McDowell, board of directors for Strong Fort Erie Neighbourhoods. Credit: Theresa Murphy“Building partnerships and collaborations with as many service providers as possible builds a strong network of support and helps hundreds of neighbours get the right resource at the right time,” said Murphy.
The hub operates through partnerships with agencies that either rotate or maintain a presence on site. Those include Service Canada, Bridges Community Health Centre, Ontario Works and the Fort Erie Public Library’s Centennial branch, and other senior support services and outreach groups.
Most recently, Job Gym is now attending the site weekly, along with the Niagara Regional Police which will distribute referral cards during calls and direct residents to non-police supports.
Community Connects organizers, Vince Cottone and Mary Anne Feagan, work with residents on site to secure assistance that ranges from utility relief and clothing to housing stabilization and document recovery. The program targets residents who face difficulty navigating multiple systems or accessing services spread across different locations.
Murphy said the hub is part of a new “Fort Cares” support system which aims to connect services across the community and address gaps in access. That work follows a roundtable in February that brought together more than a dozen organizations to coordinate responses to food insecurity in Fort Erie.
The program continues weekly at St. Michael’s Hall on Central Avenue with additional service partnerships under discussion as the network expands.
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Andrew Hawlitzky
Andrew is a Niagara community journalist who has covered everything from local politics to annual festivals and breaking news. He works to make local news a platform where community voices lead the conversation. "If you don't like the news, go out and make some!"
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