News from Niagara’s Regional Government
Posted September 4th, 2025 on Niagara At Large
Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Transit is receiving a major investment of more than $128 million from the Government of Canada, Government of Ontario and Niagara Region to refresh its transit fleet and improve public transit services.
This September 4th, Chris Bittle, Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, the Honourable Prabmeet Sarkaria, Ontario’s Minister of Transportation, the Honourable Sam Oosterhoff, Member of Provincial Parliament for Niagara West, and Mat Siscoe, Mayor of the City of St. Catharines and Chair of the Niagara Transit Commission, announced joint funding for eight Niagara Transit projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program in St. Catharines.
This funding will be used to purchase 124 conventional diesel buses to replace Niagara Transit vehicles that have reached the end of their life, supporting a modern, more convenient experience for commuters. The new buses will feature real-time tracking information, up-to-date bus times for riders, secure payment fareboxes and cameras to enhance public safety.
The funding will also contribute toward replacing 30 specialized/paratransit buses, refurbishing three conventional diesel buses adding two vehicles to the specialized transit fleet, and developing a long-term growth plan for Niagara Transit.
Quick facts
- The federal government is investing over $51 million through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream of the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program. The Ontario government is investing more than $42 million and the Regional Municipality of Niagara is providing over $34 million in these projects.
- The Public Transit Infrastructure Stream supports the building, expansion, and upgrading of urban and rural transit networks.
- Investments in public transit help Canadians get where they need to be, create new manufacturing and construction jobs, reduce pollution, and make life more affordable.
- The new Canada Public Transit Fund (CPTF) will provide an average of $3 billion a year of permanent funding to respond to local transit needs by enhancing integrated planning, improving access to public transit and active transportation, and supporting the development of more affordable, sustainable, and inclusive communities.
- The CPTF supports transit and active transportation investments in three streams: Metro Region Agreements, Baseline Funding, and Targeted Funding.
- Ontario is investing $70 billion over the next decade to build the largest public transit expansion in Canadian history.
- Ontario is also providing Niagara Region with over $6.8 million in funding through the 2024-25 Gas Tax program. The Gas Tax program dedicates two centres for every litre of gasoline sold in Ontario to municipalities for public transportation. Municipalities can use Gas Tax funding for transit operating and capital expenditures.
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Diesel buses, eh? What a shame. Diesel exhaust is a major contributor to respiratory problems, especially for the young and the elderly. I understand the reasons for this decision not to go electric (hybrid being unavailable as a option, I gather); nevertheless I wonder whether the Region’s finances will be any better in 12 years time, when these buses are ready to retire. Yes, we badly need to expand Niagara’s bus service, and we can’t do it without substantial help from the higher levels of governments. And of course the Ford PCs are firmly behind increasing fossil fuel use. Once upon a time, we might have expected the federal government to give us real financial help to electrify our transit system, in the interests of human and planetary health. No longer. The only kind of health Carney & Co. are focused on is economic. Let’s just hope a better economy brings us cleaner air and lower emissions.
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