Fort Erie receives environmental grants tied to climate projects

Brent Jones
March 11, 2026 at 3:25 PM

The Town of Fort Erie says two new environmental grants will support tree planting and habitat restoration projects tied to its Climate Change Action Plan.

According to a municipal news release emailed to Fort Erie Radio on Wednesday, the town received two grants from the Niagara Community Foundation for projects planned in a future park area near the corner of Thunder Bay Road and Butlers Drive.

One grant provides $13,000 for a pollinator meadow and naturalization project, which the town says will support bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The project is planned for a park space that has not yet been developed.

A second grant was secured through a partnership between the town and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to support tree planting in another nearby park area along the Lake Erie shoreline, according to the release.

Town staff plan to work with the Bert Miller Nature Club and the town’s Environmental Advisory Committee to organize an Earth Day tree-planting event in April, where volunteers are expected to plant approximately 500 trees.

The town says the trees are intended to create wildlife habitat, establish a windbreak for nearby properties and provide a stopover location for migratory birds along the shoreline.

Mayor Wayne Redekop said in the release that the projects represent environmental progress through collaboration with community partners.

“By planting trees, creating natural areas, and supporting pollinators, we are investing in the long-term health of our environment,” Redekop said.

Edward Terry, the town’s manager of policy and community planning, said the projects align with goals in the municipality’s Climate Change Action Plan.

The town’s chief administrative officer, Chris McQueen, said the projects were funded through external grants, which he said helps limit pressure on municipal taxes.

According to the town, the Climate Change Action Plan outlines actions such as increasing tree cover, restoring natural habitat and supporting pollinators to improve biodiversity and environmental resilience.

However, the town’s release did not provide specific metrics showing progress toward the plan’s broader targets, which include reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving climate resilience over time.

The plan itself outlines a range of longer-term objectives, including expanding the urban tree canopy, improving stormwater management, protecting shoreline ecosystems and reducing emissions from municipal operations. The projects described in the release focus on habitat restoration and tree planting but do not directly address several of the plan’s other targets.

The Niagara Community Foundation is a regional charitable foundation that provides grant funding for community projects across Niagara.