MPP Oosterhoff Recognizes Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake as Recipient of Rural Partnership Award

January 20, 2026

Toronto – Sam Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, joined Hon. Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs, at the 2026 Rural Ontario Municipal Association Annual Conference in Toronto, this week, to recognize the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake as a recipient of a provincial rural excellence award.

The inaugural Rural Partnership Award was presented to Erwin Wiens, Deputy Lord Mayor of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, and Dave Turton, Mayor of the Town of Minto, as part of the Rural Inspiration Awards celebration at the rural leaders’ conference. The new award celebrates the outstanding contributions of individuals and organizations that are helping build vibrant communities in rural Ontario and ensuring prosperity across the province.

“I congratulate the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake for their innovative agreement on municipal asset sharing with the Town of Minto,” said MPP Oosterhoff.

“By sharing municipal assets and equipment through the GruShare listing platform, both rural municipalities are improving services while helping drive down costs for ratepayers.”

“This year’s winner of the inaugural Rural Partnership Award goes to two municipalities that demonstrated leadership in efficiency using the GruShare listing platform,” said Hon. Lisa Thompson, Minister of Rural Affairs.

“These municipalities saved money by sharing needed equipment instead of purchasing new items. This helps municipalities cut costs, generate new revenue and do what we, in rural Ontario, know how to do – help each other.”

“Our municipal agreement with the Town of Minto is helping lower costs while ensuring a high level of service to the residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake,” said Deputy Lord Mayor, Erwin Wiens.

“This is just one example of how the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake continues to be an innovative leader in rural Ontario.”

GruShare is a web-based service that lets municipalities list, connect and share underutilized equipment and resources.