Niagara Region’s Renovated Council Chamber Officially Opened

News from Niagara, Ontario’s regional government

(A Brief Foreword by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper -Finally gone are the days when our elected representatives on Niagara’s regional council met with their backs turned to people sitting in the public gallery.

Newly renovated reginoal council chamber from the public gallery. Photo courtesy of Niagara Region

It was one of the things that always bothered me about the old council chamber setup at Niagara’s regional headquarters. You’d go in there and find the councillors sitting with their backs turned to a gallery full of citizens who had come to talk to the council about an issue of concern to them. And this sitting arrangement may have contributed to the reasons so many Niagara citiens over the years have reported feeling alienated or disconnected from regional government.

This past Thursday, April 10^th, the doors were opened to a newly renovated council chambers with a sitting plan that makes it far more likely that Niagara’s directly elected regional councillors and the mayors of the Region’s 12 local municipalities will meet eyes with visiting delegations of citizens they represent.

The old regional council chambers. Photo by Doug Draper

Citizens with mobility challenges will be happy to know that this renovated chamber will be far more friendly to them too. Now here is the media release from the Region on this renovated facility.)

Niagara Region, April 10, 2014 – After undergoing extensive renovations and upgrades, Niagara Region’s Council Chamber opened and hosted its first Council meeting Thursday night.

The new Chamber has improved accessibility for all users (councillors, residents, delegations and viewers), technology upgrades to facilitate easier broadcasting and recording of Council and Committee meetings, and a new layout that encourages citizen involvement and government transparency.

“Local government should be open and transparent to all Niagara residents,” said Regional Chair Gary Burroughs. “Our new Chamber will help bring government, residents and businesses closer together to make inclusive, well-informed decisions for Niagara’s future.”

The new space features a parliamentary-style seating arrangement, with councillors facing each other and a direct line-of sight between the Regional Chair and the gallery. The chamber is also more fully accessible for those with disabilities, and is designed to exceed Facility Access Design Standards, incorporating ramps, accessible audio-visual equipment and contrasting colours for stairs and ramps to assist the visually impaired.

Fact Sheet On Renovated Council Chamber

Niagara Region’s recently unveiled Council Chamber has undergone a radical transformation. The many improvements incorporated into the new space have been designed with the ultimate goal of making local government more accessible and transparent.

Accessible to all Niagara residents:

 FADS (Facility Access Design Standards) compliant, incorporating ramps, accessible audio-visual equipment and contrasting colours for stairs and ramps to assist the visually impaired

 Larger public viewing screens, new projectors and lighting controls and a lobby-mounted screen for easier public access

Open to the public:

 Parliament-style layout creates a clear line of sight from the Regional Chair to the public

 Public seating improvements include individual seats, where the previous layout had only bench seating

 Built-in cameras, both fixed and controllable, can cover and record Council and committee meetings

Built for Niagara:

 Renovations were guided by the Council Chamber Renovation Committee

 Renovations took place from June 2013 – March 2014

 Previous Council Chamber did not meet accessibility standards at the time of renovation

 Architect: Macdonald Zuberec Ensslen Architects

 Contractor: Merit Contractors Niagara

 The renovation was completed under the $1.68 million budget

Enlarged image of renovated council chamber from behind the Regional Chair’s seat, with publicgallery in the background.

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