“We need support and accountability from other levels of government. Selling off public assets is a dangerous and short-sighted move that puts long-term sustainability at risk.” – Haley Bateman, Niagara Regional Councillor
A News Release from Niagara Regional Councillor for St, Cathgarines, Haley Bateman
Posted May 7th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
St. Catharines Regional Councillor Haley Bateman
Niagara Region, ON – The provincial government has introduced several pieces of legislation that warrant close scrutiny from residents, workers, and those representing communities across Ontario. Among them is Bill 98, which proposes allowing municipalities to amortize the costs of infrastructure related to water and wastewater systems.
St. Catharines Regional Councillor Haley Bateman is raising serious concerns about the implications of this legislation, particularly around the potential for privatization.
“This legislation opens the door to privatization, despite claims to the contrary,” said Bateman. “To suggest otherwise is misleading. Permitting shareholders in water and wastewater systems is, by definition, privatization. The Act explicitly states that ‘a municipality, the Province of Ontario, the Government of Canada or an agent of any of them’ can hold shares in these systems. We cannot allow this to happen.”
Bateman emphasized that introducing shareholders fundamentally changes how essential services are managed.
“This would turn water into a for-profit commodity,” she said. “The only way to increase profit is to raise costs and reduce investment in the very systems we rely on for life. That should concern everyone.”
She also pointed to past examples that illustrate the risks associated with privatizing water infrastructure.
“This is not something we can afford to experiment with. There is no easy way to reverse course,” Bateman added. “In Hamilton, privatization led to 135 million litres of raw sewage spilling into the harbour. Taxpayers were left covering tens of millions of dollars in repairs for a system that should have been properly maintained by the private operator. Ultimately, the city had to bring the service back under public control to save money.”
Bateman argues that the solution lies not in privatization, but in renewed public investment and accountability.
“What Niagara needs is stronger investment from our provincial and federal governments in the services we have been elected to operate,” she said. “Straying from these essential responsibilities represents a failure to meet their obligations, and it’s part of how we ended up facing a $500 million infrastructure deficit.”
“As the Niagara Region approaches Infrastructure Ontario’s debt limit, we need support and accountability from other levels of government,” Bateman concluded. “Selling off public assets is a dangerous and short-sighted move that puts long-term sustainability at risk.”
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