Niagara Region’s corporate services committee has backed approval of a $500,000 loan to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority for emergency roof repairs to the Centre for Conservation at Ball’s Falls and five other historical buildings.

Niagara-on-the-Lake Mayor Gary Zalepa was one of four committee members to vote against the funding request. Eight councillors supported the motion.

“I have concerns about this,” Zalepa said. “I don’t like how it’s come forward. If capital items are needed, they should be prioritized when you presented your budget last year. I would suspect that some trimming should have been done somewhere else.”

The financing, which the full regional council needs to approve at its Aug. 28 meeting, will draw on a regional reserve fund the NPCA will replenish ove

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