Let’s Talk About Who Really Paid for Canalside

Uh, I’m about to say something that might make people mad…

They should put a plaque up at Canalside that says:

“Paid for by Niagara Falls.”

That’s not shade. That’s just how the math works.

Niagara Falls generates the power.

Albany controls the money.

Buffalo gets the waterfront.

Same state. Same power source. Very different results.

We’re talking about $750 million for Canalside and the surrounding waterfront area— much of it tied to hydropower revenue generated in Niagara Falls. And Niagara Falls itself? It got a fraction of that. Doesn’t that strike you as strange? It should.

We have one of the greatest natural wonders in the world in our backyard, and the money keeps going somewhere else. Even Artpark — which is beautiful and beloved — hasn’t seen a major investment in years. Meanwhile, just across the river, Ontario has built a state-of-the-art new music venue, making it even harder for our region to compete.

If talking about this makes people uncomfortable, good. It should.

Because pretending this imbalance doesn’t exist is exactly how it keeps happening.

It’s time to start telling the truth — and start sending people who will actually bring the money back home.