Regional Municipality of Niagara

Niagara Region
Regional Municipality of Niagara
Flag of Niagara Region
Official seal of Niagara Region
Motto(s): 
Unity, Responsibility, Loyalty
Location of Niagara within Ontario
Location of Niagara within Ontario
Coordinates: 43°02′33″N 79°18′02″W / 43.04250°N 79.30056°W / 43.04250; -79.30056 (St. Catharines – Niagara (Regional Municipality of Niagara))[1]
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
Formed1970 (from Welland and Lincoln Counties)
SeatThorold
Government
 • ChairJim Bradley
 • Governing bodyNiagara Regional Council
 • MPsDean Allison, Chris Bittle, Vance Badawey, Tony Baldinelli
 • MPPsJeff Burch, Wayne Gates, Sam Oosterhoff, Jennie Stevens
Area
 • Land1,852.82 km2 (715.38 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total
477,941
 • Density258.0/km2 (668/sq mi)
Gross Metropolitan Product
 • St. Catharines – Niagara CMACA$17.4 billion (2020)[3]
Time zoneUTC−05:00 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Websitewww.niagararegion.ca Edit this at Wikidata

The Regional Municipality of Niagara, also colloquially known as the Niagara Region or Region of Niagara, is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada. The regional seat is in Thorold. It is the southern end of the Golden Horseshoe, the largest megalopolis in Canada.

The region occupies most of the Niagara Peninsula. Its eastern boundary is the Niagara River, which is also the border with the US state of New York. It is bounded on the north by Lake Ontario and on the south by Lake Erie.

Unique natural landscapes make the Niagara Region an important centre for agriculture and tourism in Canada. The most important agricultural enterprise in Niagara is viticulture, or winemaking. The Niagara Wine Route, which connects visitors to dozens of wineries, is a growing tourism draw while the internationally renowned Niagara Falls is one of Canada's major tourist attractions. Along with Shaw Festival, held annually in Niagara-on-the-Lake, and the Welland Canal, the Regional Municipality of Niagara receives up to 12 million visitors each year.

Niagara Region is situated on treaty land. This land has a rich history of First Nations such as the Neutral, the Haudenosaunee, and the Anishinaabe, including the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation.[4] There are many First Nations, Métis, and Inuit people from across Turtle Island that continue to live and work in Niagara today.

  1. ^ "Regional Municipality of Niagara". Geographical Names Data Base. Natural Resources Canada.
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SCref21 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Gross domestic product (GDP) at basic prices, by census metropolitan area (CMA)". statcan.gc.ca.
  4. ^ "Subject: Updated Land Acknowledgement Statements". Regional Municipality of Niagara publications. August 26, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2023.