‘The Region of Niagara is forging ahead with its plan to expand and extend Merritt Road between Pelham and Thorold, destroying some of Niagara region’s best wetlands and woodlands.’
An Action Alert from Liz Benneian at Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara (BCAN), a coalition of citizen groups and individual citizens across the Niagara region
Posted October 16th, 2025 on Niagara At Large
Niagara, Ontario – As part of its budgeting process, the Region of Niagara is forging ahead with its plan to expand and extend Merritt Road between Pelham and Thorold, destroying some of Niagara region’s best wetlands and woodlands.
To make matters worse, the estimated cost of this project has increased from approximately $35M in the Master Plan to $53M now.
The costs, of course, do not take into account the green infrastructure, climate mitigation, human health benefits and biodiversity preservation value of the natural capital that they are destroying.
An aireal view of the threatened wetlands and woodlands surrounding the stretch of Merritt Road that Niagara’s regional government is planning to expand and extend.
There were better alternatives to the Merritt Road extension plan, but the Council elected in 2014 committed to it and it has been moving ahead ever since. Pelham Advocates for Trees and Habitat (PATH) have written a letter to the Region as feedback on their proposed budget about Merritt Road and are asking any groups that would like to sign on to it to get in touch. I have attached PATH’s letter.
If your group would like to sign on to it, email Graham Pett treasurer@pelhampath.ca
I have also included the letter BCAN sent to the Region back in 2021 (click here to read it – mailbox:///C:/Users/owner/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/5jegjk56.default/Mail/pop.vaxxine.com/Inbox?number=7638&part=1.3&filename=Response%20to%20Merritt%20Road%20Study%20June%2028%202021.pdf&type=application/pdf), outlining the issues with the Merritt Road plan in case any of you would like to use parts of it for your individual letter to the budget process.
You can submit that here: https://www.niagararegion.ca/mailto.aspx?email=budget
BCAC will also be submitting our own letter about continuing regional funding for Merritt Road. I will email everyone once it is ready.
About Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara (BCAN) – BCAN is a collective of Niagara’s environmental groups and citizens that advocates for proven municipal best practices and policies that protect and enhance local biodiversity and combat climate change
To learn more about Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara and its good work for raising awareness and protecting and preserving our natural heritage, click on – (20+) Facebook
To read a recent letter sent to Niagara Region on this issue by one of BCAN’s fellow citizen group’s, Pelham Advocates for Trees & Habitat, click on – mailbox:///C:/Users/owner/AppData/Roaming/Thunderbird/Profiles/5jegjk56.default/Mail/pop.vaxxine.com/Inbox?number=7638&part=1.2&filename=%20%20PATH%27s%20Letter%20RE.%20Regional%20Budget%20and%20Merritt%20Road%20Expansion.pdf&type=application/pdf
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