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St. Catharines | |
|---|---|
| City of St. Catharines | |
.jpg) Downtown St. Catharines | |
| Nicknames: The Garden City, St. Kitts | |
| Motto(s): Industry and Liberality | |
 Location of St. Catharines and itscensus metropolitan area in Ontario | |
  St. Catharines Location of St. Catharines in Southern Ontario | |
| Coordinates:43°09′30″N79°14′45″W / 43.15833°N 79.24583°W /43.15833; -79.24583 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Ontario |
| Region | Niagara |
| Settled | 1779; 246 years ago (1779) |
| Incorporated (town) | 1845; 180 years ago (1845) |
| Incorporated (city) | 1876; 149 years ago (1876) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mat Siscoe |
| • Governing body | St. Catharines City Council |
| • MPs | Chris Bittle,Dean Allison |
| • MPPs | Jennie Stevens,Jeff Burch |
| Area | |
| • Land | 96.20 km2 (37.14 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 97.80 m (320.9 ft) |
| Population | |
• City (lower-tier) | 136,803 (42nd) |
| • Metro | 433,604 (13th) |
| Time zone | UTC−5 (Eastern (EST)) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−4 (EDT) |
| Forward Sortation Area | |
| Area codes | 905, 289, 365, and 742 |
| Highways |  Queen Elizabeth Way Highway 406 Highway 58 |
| GDP (St. Catharines–NiagaraCMA) | CA$17.4 billion (2020)[4] |
| GDP per capita (St. Catharines–NiagaraCMA) | CA$37,505 (2016) |
| Website | stcatharines |
St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada'sNiagara Region, the eighth largest urban area in the province ofOntario. As of 2021, St. Catharines has an area of 96.20 square kilometres (37.14 sq mi) and 136,803 residents. It lies inSouthern Ontario, 51 kilometres (32 mi) south ofToronto acrossLake Ontario, and is 19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from theinternational boundary with the United States along theNiagara River. It is the northern entrance of theWelland Canal. St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres (4 km2) of parks, gardens, and trails.
St. Catharines is between theGreater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the Canada–U.S. border atFort Erie. Manufacturing was the city's dominant industry, as noted by the heraldic motto, "Industry and Liberality".General Motors of Canada, Ltd., the Canadian subsidiary ofGeneral Motors, was the city's largest employer, a distinction now held by theDistrict School Board of Niagara. THK Rhythm Automotive, formerlyTRW, operates a plant in the city, although in recent years, employment there has shifted fromheavy industry and manufacturing to services.
St. Catharines lies on one of the main telecommunicationsbackbones between Canada and the United States, and as a result a number of call centres operate in the city. It is designated an Urban Growth Centre by theGrowth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, intended to achieve a minimum density target of 150 jobs and residents combined per hectare by 2032 or earlier.[5]
St. Catharines is also home toBrock University.
TheIroquoian speakingChonnonton peoples who were also known as the "people of the deer" lived in the region. The Chonnonton would grow vegetables like corn, beans, and squash while living inlonghouses. In 1647 theSeneca conquered Chonnonton villages from east of the Niagara River. TheHaudenosaunee then destroyed the villages in the 1650s. After these attacks and smallpox epidemics, the Chonnontons disappeared completely, with the last recorded appearance of them in 1671 by French explorers.[6]
St. Catharines falls within the original territory of theMississaugas. A treaty signed in 1782 between the Mississaugas and the British government ceded a large tract of land, which included the St. Catharines area, to the Crown for the purpose of European settlement.[7] St. Catharines was settled byLoyalists in the 1780s. The Crown granted land in compensation for services and for losses in the United States. Early histories credit the Loyalists Serjeant Jacob Dittrick and Private John Hainer as among the first settlers to come to the area in 1790.[8] They took their Crown Patents, where Dick's Creek and 12 Mile Creek merge, which is now the city centre of St. Catharines. Historians have speculated that Dick's Creek was named afterRichard Pierpoint, aBlack Loyalist and former American slave, from an oral history account and events that had taken place around that time that would be consistent with him being the source of the name.[9] Secondary to water routes, indigenous trails provided transportation networks, which resulted in the nearby radial road patterns.[10] The surrounding land was surveyed, and ownships were created between 1787 and 1789.[11]
After theButler's Rangers disbanded in 1784 and settled the area, Duncan Murray, as a former quartermaster in the84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants), was appointed by the Crown to distribute free government supplies (victuals) for two years to the resettled Loyalists.[12] He did this from his mill, built on the 12 Mile Creek inPower Glen. After his death in 1786, his holdings were forfeited to the merchant Robert Hamilton of Queenston, who tried to operate for profit the well-established Murray's Distribution Centre and Mill under the management of his cousin. Among other ventures, Hamilton became land wealthy by expropriating lands from subsistence Loyalist settlers who were incapable of settling their debts.[13] Murray's distribution centre, later Hamilton's warehouse, and its location have long been a mystery. Hamilton's major profits were derived from transhipping supplies for the military and civic establishments from hisQueenston enterprise, not from charitably supplying the subsistence Loyalist settlers. Hamilton lacked interest in social development[14] and sold his business to Jesse Thompson before the turn of the 19th century.
The Merritt family arrived after this time and was among the later Loyalists to relocate after the American Revolution. They were from theCarolinas,New York, andNew Brunswick. In 1796, Thomas Merritt arrived to build on his relationship with his former Commander andQueen's Ranger,John Graves Simcoe, who was now theLieutenant Governor of Upper Canada.[15] The firstWelland Canal was constructed from 1824 to 1833.[16]William Hamilton Merritt worked to promote the ambitious venture by raising funds and enlisting government support. The canal established St. Catharines as the hub of commerce and industry for theNiagara Peninsula. Merritt played a role in making St. Catharines a centre ofabolitionist activity. In 1855, theBritish Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel; was established at the corner of Geneva and North Streets on land granted to the congregation by Merritt in the early 1840s. The area became known to refugee slaves from the United States as a place of "refuge and rest;" it was a destination, one of the final stops in Canada on theUnderground Railroad for African-American refugees fleeing slavery. The abolitionistHarriet Tubman then lived in St. Catharines.[17][18] By the mid-1850s, the town's population was about 6,000, of whom 800 were of African descent.[19] St. Catharines remains an important place inBlack Canadian history.
At an unknown early date, an inn was built by Thomas Adams on the east side of what is now Ontario Street. It became a community meeting place, election centre, stagecoach stop, and mail delivery deposit. That had been preceded by the church and a log school house completed before 1797,[20] all on the east bank of the 12 Mile Creek, at the extreme west end of what was then known as Main Street. It was an extension of the oldIroquois Trail and was renamed St. Paul Street by the settlers and their descendants by the mid-19th century. Later, several mills, salt works, numerous retail outlets, a ship building yard, distillery, and various other businesses were developed.
Incorporated as a village in 1845, St. Catharines had a population of about 3,500 in 1846. The primary industry was flour milling. Other industry included ship repairs, four grist mills, a brewery, three distilleries, a tannery, a foundry, a machine, and a pump factory. There were a variety of tradesmen, three bank agencies, and eight taverns. Stage coaches offered service to other towns and villages. There were already six churches or chapels, a post office that received mail daily, a grammar school, and a weekly newspaper.[21]
St. Catharines was incorporated as a city in 1876.[22] The city expanded when it annexedGrantham Township,Merritton, andPort Dalhousie in 1961.[23] Further westward expansion occurred in 1970, when part ofLouth Township was amalgamated into St. Catharines as part of a province-wide move to regional government, extending the city boundary to Fifteen Mile Creek, while the remainder of the township was assigned toLincoln.[23][24]
Before it was called St. Catharines, the settlement near Twelve Mile Creek was known by various names, including Shipman's Corners and The Twelve.[15] The name St. Catharines was first recorded in 1796, as St. Catherines, and became a common name for the settlement by 1809, but it would often be spelled with-er- or with an apostrophe before the-s.[25] The name and the spelling were standardized as St. Catharines when the town incorporated in 1845.[26] The Catherine after which the city is named is unclear. Common theories includeSaint Catherine of Alexandria,[27] Catherine Butler (wife ofColonel John Butler),[28] and Catherine Askin Hamilton (wife ofRobert Hamilton).[29] Catharine Rodman Prendergast Merritt, wife of William Hamilton Merritt, may be the source of the -ar spelling.[25] An alternate theory to explain the spelling was that Catharine with an-ar was the typical spelling of the name forPalatine German settlers in the region.[30]
St. Catharines' climate ishumid continental (Köppen borderlineDfa/Dfb).[31] It has a uniquemicro-climate because of the moderating influence ofLake Ontario/Lake Erie and the sheltering effect of theNiagara Escarpment to the south. This climate allows wineries to flourish.[32] As a result, the city records numerous frost-free days and frequent thaws in the winter, although it sometimes receives heavylake-effect snow during certain wind conditions, and micro-cooling lakeside on some spring afternoons. The summer season is predominantly warm, sometimes hot and humid, with an average high temperature of 27 °C (81 °F) in July. Summer thunderstorms are commonplace but generally less prevalent and less severe than farther west in southern Ontario due to the diminishing effect of the surrounding lakes.
The highest temperature ever recorded in St. Catharines was 40.0 °C (104 °F) on 10 July 1936.[33] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −25.7 °C (−14.3 °F) on 18 February 1979.[34]
| Climate data for St. Catharines (St. Catharines Airport), 1991–2020 normals,[a] extremes 1911–present[b] | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record highhumidex | 20.8 | 20.2 | 29.3 | 34.5 | 43.5 | 44.5 | 46.1 | 49.4 | 42.0 | 39.0 | 27.1 | 25.0 | 49.4 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 20.0 (68.0) | 19.4 (66.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 35.0 (95.0) | 36.1 (97.0) | 40.0 (104.0) | 38.3 (100.9) | 36.7 (98.1) | 31.1 (88.0) | 26.8 (80.2) | 21.9 (71.4) | 40.0 (104.0) |
| Mean maximum °C (°F) | 12.1 (53.8) | 11.1 (52.0) | 18.0 (64.4) | 24.7 (76.5) | 29.4 (84.9) | 32.1 (89.8) | 32.9 (91.2) | 32.0 (89.6) | 30.4 (86.7) | 25.5 (77.9) | 19.0 (66.2) | 13.2 (55.8) | 33.7 (92.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −0.2 (31.6) | 0.7 (33.3) | 5.3 (41.5) | 12.4 (54.3) | 19.6 (67.3) | 24.8 (76.6) | 27.3 (81.1) | 26.5 (79.7) | 22.5 (72.5) | 15.3 (59.5) | 8.7 (47.7) | 2.9 (37.2) | 13.8 (56.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) | −2.8 (27.0) | 1.3 (34.3) | 7.5 (45.5) | 14.1 (57.4) | 19.6 (67.3) | 22.3 (72.1) | 21.5 (70.7) | 17.6 (63.7) | 11.0 (51.8) | 5.1 (41.2) | −0.1 (31.8) | 9.5 (49.1) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −6.6 (20.1) | −6.3 (20.7) | −2.7 (27.1) | 2.5 (36.5) | 8.6 (47.5) | 14.4 (57.9) | 17.3 (63.1) | 16.5 (61.7) | 12.7 (54.9) | 6.7 (44.1) | 1.5 (34.7) | −3 (27) | 5.1 (41.2) |
| Mean minimum °C (°F) | −16.7 (1.9) | −15.8 (3.6) | −11.9 (10.6) | −3.8 (25.2) | 1.6 (34.9) | 7.4 (45.3) | 11.4 (52.5) | 10.4 (50.7) | 4.9 (40.8) | −0.8 (30.6) | −6.0 (21.2) | −12.0 (10.4) | −18.2 (−0.8) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −23.8 (−10.8) | −25.7 (−14.3) | −21.1 (−6.0) | −15 (5) | −4.4 (24.1) | 1.0 (33.8) | 6.0 (42.8) | 2.6 (36.7) | 0.0 (32.0) | −7 (19) | −13.9 (7.0) | −24.4 (−11.9) | −25.7 (−14.3) |
| Record lowwind chill | −42.0 | −34.6 | −28.3 | −19.7 | −2.9 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −8.3 | −18.9 | −28.0 | −42.0 |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 65.2 (2.57) | 54.9 (2.16) | 61.7 (2.43) | 77.0 (3.03) | 76.8 (3.02) | 85.9 (3.38) | 77.8 (3.06) | 70.3 (2.77) | 90.6 (3.57) | 67.0 (2.64) | 81.6 (3.21) | 71.5 (2.81) | 880.1 (34.65) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 30.8 (1.21) | 28.9 (1.14) | 39.3 (1.55) | 71.2 (2.80) | 76.3 (3.00) | 86.0 (3.39) | 77.8 (3.06) | 70.3 (2.77) | 90.6 (3.57) | 67.0 (2.64) | 72.1 (2.84) | 44.0 (1.73) | 754.2 (29.69) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 38.6 (15.2) | 29.3 (11.5) | 23.2 (9.1) | 5.8 (2.3) | 0.4 (0.2) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.0 (0.0) | 0.1 (0.0) | 9.6 (3.8) | 30.1 (11.9) | 137.1 (54.0) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 16.5 | 13.4 | 13.3 | 13.9 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 14.1 | 15.2 | 150.7 |
| Average rainy days(≥ 0.2 mm) | 5.8 | 5.8 | 8.4 | 12.4 | 11.5 | 10.9 | 9.8 | 9.7 | 10.9 | 11.8 | 12.1 | 8.1 | 117.0 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 0.2 cm) | 12.3 | 9.1 | 6.5 | 2.4 | 0.05 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.10 | 3.0 | 9.4 | 42.7 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 73.0 | 67.7 | 62.9 | 57.6 | 55.9 | 58.1 | 57.5 | 59.0 | 60.5 | 64.5 | 69.1 | 71.9 | 63.1 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 64.5 | 106.8 | 140.5 | 166.5 | 242.3 | 279.9 | 277.6 | 255.3 | 185.0 | 155.2 | 80.5 | 69.3 | 2,023.4 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 22.2 | 36.2 | 38.1 | 41.5 | 53.3 | 60.9 | 59.6 | 59.1 | 49.2 | 45.2 | 27.5 | 24.7 | 43.1 |
| Source 1:Environment and Climate Change Canada (precipitation/rainfall/snow/sun/relative humidity 1981–2010)[34][35][33] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: Canada Weather Stats(for temperatures, including mean minima and maxima 1991–2020)[36][37] | |||||||||||||
St. Catharines' development history has resulted in a number of unique and distinct communities within the city. The historical area of St. Catharines consisted of nothing more than what is now the downtown core, with the remaining land being part ofLouth Township on the west andGrantham Township on the east. St. Catharines continued to steadily grow through the late 19th and early 20th centuries, eventually annexing land to the southwest that would becomeWestern Hill and OldGlenridge, and to the east and north that would collectively become the central part of St. Catharines. In addition to the growth of St. Catharines, the town ofMerritton and the town ofPort Dalhousie existed as separate municipalities to the south and north of the city, each slowly growing their own residential base.
Along with the rest of Ontario, St. Catharines experienced explosive growth after World War II. St. Catharines continued to annex Grantham Township as development continued, including the large swaths of land to the north known now as "The North End". St. Catharines would also absorb Merritton and Port Dalhousie in 1961, making them part of the city. During this time, St. Catharines nearly tripled in population.
With the formation of theRegional Municipality of Niagara in 1970, the portion of Louth Township east of Fifteen Mile Creek was transferred to the City of St. Catharines. This included the eastern portion of the Hamlet ofRockway, as well as the Hamlet ofPower Glen. The few remaining portions of Grantham Township in the Northeast corner of the area, includingPort Weller, were also transferred to the city. With the new Louth Township lands belonging to the city, St. Catharines would begin two developments in the west end — Martindale Road in 1983, and Vansickle Road in 1987. These developments are nearing completion. There was also a push to continue further expansion to the west in the late 1990s, but this has since been halted byOntario Greenbelt legislation.
The following distinct communities exist within St. Catharines:
Numerous efforts have been made to improve the downtown; the restructuring of manufacturing resulted in a loss of jobs and retail businesses. In the early 21st century, city, university, and private developers undertook several initiatives to revive downtown, related to urban design, clustering activities to attract people to the area as a destination from day through evening events.
In 2006, city council approved converting one-way arteries through the city centre to allow for two-way traffic, to make it easier for people to make their way around the city to explore it. In terms of urban planning and use, two-way traffic improves circulation within the area. The city wanted to improve downtown as a destination, rather than a place to pass through. The council also want to have downtown St. Catharines on the Wine Route, a driving tour of Niagara wineries and an Ontario Wine Council initiative to boost the number of visitors to the region's many wineries.[38] The Wine Route was modified to officially redirect winery goers through the downtown starting in 2012.[39] The first phase of two-way traffic was completed in 2009, with St. Paul and King streets being converted. The cost of the conversion was $3.5 million and was shared with Niagara Region.[40] In 2012, most observers concluded that the change had achieved its goals; it garnered national media attention.[41]
In 2009, $54 million in joint federal, provincial and municipal funding was announced for the construction of a performing arts centre in the city's core, officially opened in September 2015 as theFirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. Complementing the centre, which features concert, dance and film venues, isBrock University's Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. The university renovated the former Canada Hair Cloth Building to use for the school. This former industrial building is behind St. Paul Street and next to the municipal performing arts centre.[42]
In late 2011, city council approved moving forward with the construction of a new spectator facility to replace the crumblingGarden City Arena Complex, built in 1938. Council voted to build a U-shaped facility, which will be home to the Niagara IceDogs, an Ontario Hockey League team, and be able to host other events, such as concerts. It would have room for 4,500 to 5,300 spectators. The goal is to keep the cost of the facility at or below $50 million and to build it on a swath of land known locally as the lower-level parking lot, behind St. Paul Street and abutting Highway 406.[43] Council's commitment to build the facility resulted in IceDogs' owner Bill Burke promising to sign a 20-year lease with the city after he threatened to move his team if the city chose not to build a new arena.[44]
The city has made other infrastructure improvements to the downtown. In January 2012, a new edition of the Carlisle Street Parking Garage opened. It was built to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design standards and was certified for its environmentally friendly features, including agreen roof, preferred carpool andhybrid vehicle parking, greywater collection, permeable interlocking brick pavement, and several bike racks for users. A mixed-use development, the structure was planned for retail space at street level on Carlisle Street, in order to promote activity and business on the street. The project cost $27.9 million, with funding split three ways between the federal, provincial and municipal governments.[45] Starting in 2019, certain streets located in downtown St. Catharines have been closed during weekends to vehicle traffic. Thesepedestrian zones have expanded over time. $214,500 (~$244,264 in 2024) was allocated in the city's budget in 2021 for these road closures.[46] In 2023, this initiative was discontinued.[47]
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1841 | 3,500 | — |
| 1871 | 7,864 | +124.7% |
| 1881 | 9,631 | +22.5% |
| 1891 | 9,170 | −4.8% |
| 1901 | 9,946 | +8.5% |
| 1911 | 12,484 | +25.5% |
| 1921 | 19,881 | +59.3% |
| 1931 | 24,753 | +24.5% |
| 1941 | 30,025 | +21.3% |
| 1951 | 37,984 | +26.5% |
| 1961 | 84,472 | +122.4% |
| 1971 | 109,722 | +29.9% |
| 1981 | 124,018 | +13.0% |
| 1991 | 129,300 | +4.3% |
| 1996 | 130,926 | +1.3% |
| 2001 | 129,170 | −1.3% |
| 2006 | 131,989 | +2.2% |
| 2011 | 131,400 | −0.4% |
| 2016 | 133,113 | +1.3% |
| 2021 | 136,803 | +2.8% |
| Ethnic origin 2021[48] (>2000 population) | Population | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| English | 31,030 | 23.1% |
| Scottish | 24,775 | 18.4% |
| Irish | 22,070 | 16.4% |
| Canadian | 19,025 | 14.2% |
| German | 16,000 | 11.9% |
| Italian | 12,515 | 9.3% |
| French | 11,345 | 8.4% |
| Dutch | 9,120 | 6.8% |
| Ukrainian | 6,955 | 5.2% |
| Polish | 6,930 | 5.2% |
| British Isles n.o.s. | 6,015 | 4.5% |
| Welsh | 2,600 | 1.9% |
| Russian | 2,440 | 1.8% |
| Chinese | 2,405 | 1.8% |
| Hungarian | 2,290 | 1.7% |
| Caucasian (White), n.o.s. | 2,215 | 1.6% |
| First Nations n.o.s. +North American Indigenous, n.o.s. | 2,185 | 1.6% |
| French Canadian | 2,130 | 1.6% |
| Indian (India) | 2,110 | 1.6% |
| Filipino | 2,020 | 1.5% |
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, St. Catharines had a population of136,803 living in58,903 of its61,977 total private dwellings, a change of2.8% from its 2016 population of133,113. With a land area of 96.2 km2 (37.1 sq mi), it had a population density of1,422.1/km2 (3,683.1/sq mi) in 2021.[49]
At thecensus metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the St. Catharines - Niagara CMA had a population of433,604 living in179,224 of its190,878 total private dwellings, a change of6.8% from its 2016 population of406,074. With a land area of 1,397.09 km2 (539.42 sq mi), it had a population density of310.4/km2 (803.8/sq mi) in 2021.[50]
Since 1998, St. Catharines has had one of the highest obesity rates of any centre in Canada. A 2001 analysis byStatistics Canada showed that 57.3 percent of its residents were overweight.[51] This caused the media, includingCTV,[51] theCanadian Broadcasting Corporation[52][53] andThe Globe and Mail to dub St. Catharines as Canada's "fattest" city.[54] In 2008, new statistics were released that show that the percentage of obese or obese/overweight residents ofHamilton (74.3%),Kingston (70.1%), andSt. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador (70%) is now higher than St. Catharines-Niagara (69.3%), though the obesity rate in St. Catharines was higher in 2008 than in 1998.[55]
23% of children in St. Catharines were estimated to be living inpoverty as of 2015, which was above Canada's average rate ofchild poverty.[56] In 2022, the municipality itself as an employer became the largest in Ontario to offer aliving wage, an action praised by the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network.[57]
As of the 2021 Census,[48] 16.5% of residents werevisible minorities, 2.5% had Indigenous identity, and the remaining 81.0% were White. The largest visible minority groups were Black (4.1%), South Asian (2.5%), Latin American (2.3%), Chinese (1.6%), Filipino (1.5%) and Arab (1.3%).
| Panethnic group | 2021[58] | 2016[59] | 2011[60] | 2006[61] | 2001[62] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | Pop. | % | |
| European[c] | 108,815 | 81% | 109,770 | 84.54% | 113,650 | 88.26% | 115,060 | 88.5% | 117,020 | 92.23% |
| African | 5,540 | 4.12% | 3,715 | 2.86% | 2,675 | 2.08% | 2,615 | 2.01% | 1,910 | 1.51% |
| South Asian | 3,325 | 2.48% | 1,865 | 1.44% | 1,430 | 1.11% | 1,690 | 1.3% | 1,385 | 1.09% |
| Indigenous | 3,305 | 2.46% | 3,550 | 2.73% | 2,425 | 1.88% | 1,915 | 1.47% | 1,480 | 1.17% |
| Southeast Asian[d] | 3,295 | 2.45% | 2,340 | 1.8% | 1,675 | 1.3% | 2,175 | 1.67% | 1,215 | 0.96% |
| East Asian[e] | 3,090 | 2.3% | 3,475 | 2.68% | 2,565 | 1.99% | 2,100 | 1.62% | 1,710 | 1.35% |
| Latin American | 3,065 | 2.28% | 2,175 | 1.68% | 1,920 | 1.49% | 2,310 | 1.78% | 785 | 0.62% |
| Middle Eastern[f] | 2,130 | 1.59% | 1,780 | 1.37% | 1,630 | 1.27% | 1,550 | 1.19% | 870 | 0.69% |
| Other[g] | 1,770 | 1.32% | 1,175 | 0.9% | 780 | 0.61% | 595 | 0.46% | 500 | 0.39% |
| Total responses | 134,335 | 98.2% | 129,845 | 97.54% | 128,765 | 97.99% | 130,005 | 98.5% | 126,875 | 98.22% |
| Total population | 136,803 | 100% | 133,113 | 100% | 131,400 | 100% | 131,989 | 100% | 129,170 | 100% |
In 2021, 58.3% of residents were Christians, down from 71.8% in 2011.[63] 25.8% of residents wereCatholic, 17.8% wereProtestant, 9.4% were Christians of unspecified denomination, 1.3% wereChristian Orthodox, and 3.9 were other Christian/Christian related traditions. 35.9% of the population had were irreligious or secular, up from 24.5% in 2011. All other religions/spiritual traditions made up 5.8% of the population. The largest non-Christian religions wereIslam (3.4%),Buddhism (0.6%), andHinduism (0.6%).
Tourism was considered to be an influential factor inConference Board of Canada's projected GDP growth for St. Catharines.[64] Its economy is affected by the millions of tonnes of cargo shipped through the Welland Canal,[65] as well as 140 industrial buildings based in the city.[66] In 2023, waste management company Ssonix Products had an explosion that killed an employee.[67] A year later, firefighters began an audit of hazardous materials contained in the city's buildings.[66]
St. Catharines was the location of a transmission plant forGeneral Motors.[68] The 20 hectare property where the factory once operated is now classified as a contaminatedbrownfield.[69] In 2025, theInformation and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario ordered the city to release reports regarding the extent of the environmental contamination on the site.Lead,trichloroethylene,benzene, andpolychlorinated biphenyls were present beyond safe limits. The city previously refused freedom of information requests by residents due to concerns that the report could harm General Motor's reputation.[70]
St. Catharines is also home to a variety of theatre companies. These companies include Garden City Productions (formerly the Operatic Society of Grantham United Church 1956–1962), Carousel Players (in the Old Courthouse), Mirror Theatre, Essential Collectives Theatre, and the Empty Box Theatre Company. In 2015, theFirstOntario Performing Arts Centre opened.[71] In 2016, theFilm House launched within the space, featuring cinema screenings with themed or genre-specific nights.[72]
TheGrape and Wine Festival Parade is held annually each September. More than 100,000 people were anticipated for the 2022 event.[73]
The International Chicken Chucking Championships takes place every January in the St. Catharines neighbourhood of Port Dalhousie and attracts hundreds of participants and observers.[74] Chicken Chucking consists of pitching or sliding frozen chickens along the ice-covered Martindale Pond and is hosted by theKilt and Clover. Animal rights groups such as Niagara Action for Animals have protested the event.[75] Proceeds from the event are donated to Community Care, a local food bank.[76]
St. Catharines was one of the cities that hosted the2022 Canada Summer Games. More than 5,000 athletes and coaches arrived for the games, which took place from August 6 to August 21, 2022. The opening ceremony was held at theMeridian Centre.[77]
The city's trail system offers over 90 kilometres (55 mi) of accessible pathways that are suitable for walking, jogging, cycling, hiking and cross-country skiing.
St. Catharines entered into theOntario Hockey Association Junior 'A' Hockey in 1943 as theSt. Catharines Falcons. In 1947, they became the Teepees and were affiliated with theAmerican Hockey League'sBuffalo Bisons. When theNational Hockey League's (NHL)Chicago Blackhawks made the Bisons their number one farm team, they inherited the Teepees. In the 1960s, the Jr. 'A' team went deeply into debt to the Chicago Black Hawks, but continued as a successful franchise and were named the St. Catharines Black Hawks. TheHamilton Fincups moved to St. Catharines in 1976 and played here for one year before moving back to Hamilton. The AHLSt. Catharines Saints played in St. Catharines between 1982 and 1986, before being forced to re-locate toNewmarket due to protests from the NHLBuffalo Sabres. The St. Catharines Saints served as thefarm team for theToronto Maple Leafs, and today are known as theToronto Marlies.
In 2007, theOHL'sMississauga IceDogs relocated to St. Catharines and became theNiagara IceDogs. The IceDogs played out of theJack Gatecliff Arena, which was renamed the Gatorade Garden City Complex (since renamedGarden City Arena Complex). In 2014, the IceDogs moved to the newly builtMeridian Centre.Since starting out the team has won theEmms Trophy in 2010–2011 & 2018–2019. They have also won theBobby Orr Trophy during 2011–2012 season and 2015–2016 season, qualifying for the OHL Finals. They would be beaten both times by theLondon Knights. The team has had numerous NHL alumni includingAlex Pietrangelo,Dougie Hamilton,Vince Dunn,Ryan Strome,Akil Thomas,Jason Robertson andAlex Nedeljkovic.
The currentSt. Catharines Falcons team plays in the Golden Horseshoe Division of theGreater Ontario Junior Hockey League. The team has played since 1968 and plays all home games out of the Jack Gatecliff Arena. The team were runners up for theSutherland Cup in 1979, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2014, but won the cup in 2012.
In 2015, theNational Basketball League of Canada announced that Niagara had been awarded a new franchise to play in the Meridian Centre. The team, named theNiagara River Lions, began play in2015 where they reached the conference quarterfinals. The team joined theCanadian Elite Basketball League after the2017–18 season. In 2021, the River Lions had one of their best seasons, finishing 2nd with a 10–4 record. The River Lions made it through the playoffs into the finals, where they lost 65–101 to theEdmonton Stingers. In 2024, the River Lions Captured their 1st CEBL Championship with a 97-95 win over the Vancouver Bandits. The River Lions finished 14-6 led by a perfect 11-0 Home record.
The city was the home of theNew York–Penn League'sSt. Catharines Blue Jays, the Short-season A affiliate of theToronto Blue Jays, from 1986 to 1999. In 1996 the team was renamed theSt. Catharines Stompers, and was subsequently sold and relocated toQueens, New York City in late 1999, where they became theQueens Kings.
St. Catharines Tigers RFC was formed in 1978. Beginning in 2015, the Tigers joined the Niagara Wasps RFC and play at their field in Thorold.
Minor league soccer arrived to St. Catharines in 1971, whenSt. Catharines Heidelberg received a franchise in theNational Soccer League (NSL).[83] Heidelberg played in the league for eight seasons, leaving in 1979.[84] The city received another team in the NSL, withSt. Catharines Roma Wolves acquiringWelland Lions Croatia's franchise rights in 1977.[85] St. Catharines Roma competed in the NSL until the 1997 season, and continued playing in the NSL's successor league, the Canadian Professional Soccer League (later renamedCanadian Soccer League) in 1998.[86] St. Catharines' most successful era was in the 1990s, when the club won several championships, including a leaguedouble in 1995.[87] The club found further success in the CPSL and won twochampionships.[87] In 2014, the club would leave the CSL circuit.[88]
In 2021,St. Catharines Wolves returned to the semi-professional level by joiningLeague1 Ontario with Club Roma as their home venue.[88]
Martindale Pond in St. Catharines'Port Dalhousie is the site of the annualRoyal Canadian Henley Regatta, a world-class event that brings over 3,000 athletes from various nations to the city. The site hosted theFISAWorld Rowing Championships in1970 and in1999. More recently, the World Master's Rowing Championship was held at the Martindale Pond in the summer of 2010, with $500,000 (~$699,989 in 2024) in improvements to the facility such as: a weed harvester, new docking and a new timing system. There are currently talks to bring the Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame to St. Catharines sometime in the near future. The pond is also home to theSt. Catharines rowing club,Brock University rowing club,Ridley College rowing club and to the annualCSSRA Championships, which draws hundreds of high school athletes from Canada, the U.S. and Mexico. The Martindale Pond or Henley, continues to hold its world-renowned status as a major rowing venue in the world. The rowing event in thePan American Games were held in St. Catharines in 2015. Several Olympic medallists in rowing are from St. Catharines, includingMelanie Kok,Buffy Williams, andDave Boyes. St Catharines hosted the2024 World Rowing Championships.[89]
There are marinas at Port Dalhousie and Port Weller and a club that sails from Municipal Beach. The St. Catharines Marina is at Port Weller. The Port Dalhousie Pier Marina and the Port Dalhousie Yacht Club are at Port Dalhousie.
St. Catharines is well known for its strong track and field programs and large amount of local clubs. St. Catharines has four track locations at Brock University, Governor Simcoe Secondary School, Sir Winston Secondary School, and Collegiate Secondary School. The city has also produced multiple club team national champions in both the U18 division with Edge Sport winning in 2024, and the U16 division with Thorold Elite winning in 2024.
St. Catharines is governed by a mayor and city council of twelve city councillors, with two councillors representing each of the six municipalwards in the city. A city councillor is also elected by the council as a whole to serve as deputy mayor, who only fills the role should the elected mayor not be available.St. Catharines City Council meets every Monday and is open to participation by the community. Matters put forward are voted on by members of city council; the mayor presides over council debate and serves very much like thespeaker, and as a result only votes in the case of a tie. After 2006, municipal elections will be in November every four years rather than the previous three. Unlike most cities its size, city councillors only serve on a part-time basis and continue with their non-political careers in the community. Only the mayor is elected to a full-time position. St. Catharines City Hall is downtown on Church Street.Tim Rigby was the Mayor of St. Catharines from 1997 to 2006;Brian McMullan was elected to succeed Rigby on 13 November 2006, and was sworn in on 4 December. He was re-elected in October 2010.[90] On 27 October 2014,Walter Sendzik was elected mayor of St. Catharines[91] and assumed office in December 2014.[92]
St. Catharines uses acouncil-manager government, and as a result achief administrative officer (CAO) is appointed by council to oversee the day-to-day operations of the city and its departments. The CAO, in effect, is the highest ranking municipal civil servant and has authority over the spending of municipal tax dollars. The CAO advises council on policy matters and acts as liaison between the administrative staff and elected officials. Some of the CAOs duties include assisting in the creation of the municipal budget, and ensuring that municipal funds are spent in a responsible manner. Residents of St. Catharines also elect six regional councillors to theNiagara Regional Council on an at-large basis. Unlike many otherregional municipalities in Ontario, regional councillors do not sit on city council and instead only represent at the regional level. Four school board trustees for theDistrict School Board of Niagara representing St. Catharines andNiagara-on-the-Lake are elected, as well as three trustees for theNiagara Catholic District School Board, two for five of St. Catharines' wards, and one forThorold and the Merriton Ward of St. Catharines. Regional councillors and school board trustees are elected at the same time, and on the same ballot, as the mayor and city councillors. St. Catharines has one of the lowest resident/representative ratios of any large city in Ontario. There are just under 7,000 people per elected municipal representative in St. Catharines, whileOshawa (a similar-sized city in Ontario) has one representative per 13,500 people.London, Ontario, has one representative per 30,500 people andToronto has one representative per 111,774 people. There has been discussion regarding a modification of the city/regional council arrangement, with the possibility of reducing city council to six full-time representatives and having the six regional councillors serve on city council. While there is growing support in the business community for such an arrangement, city council has been unreceptive to such ideas.
| Year | Liberal | Conservative | New Democratic | Green | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 38% | 25,971 | 33% | 22,587 | 21% | 14,785 | 2% | 1,318 | |
| 2019 | 40% | 28,141 | 32% | 22,319 | 21% | 14,951 | 6% | 4,299 | |
| Year | PC | New Democratic | Liberal | Green | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 35% | 18,062 | 39% | 20,318 | 16% | 8,455 | 4% | 2,169 | |
| 2018 | 34% | 21,006 | 38% | 23,014 | 23% | 13,825 | 4% | 2,321 | |
At the provincial level,St. Catharines is well known for electing high-profile members of theLegislative Assembly of Ontario.Jim Bradley was theMember of Provincial Parliament for St. Catharines from 1977 until 2018 and was Ontario's longest serving MPP.[95]Peter Kormos, who represented the southern portions of the city as part of theWelland riding, was a prominent Member of Provincial Parliament in theOntario New Democratic Party caucus and served previously as Minister of Consumer and Commercial Relations in theBob Rae government. From 1999 to 2003, during the premierships ofMike Harris andErnie Eves, St. Catharines was the only large city in Ontario to not have at least one government member representing the city, as theProgressive Conservative-held ridings ofLincoln andSt. Catharines—Brock were eliminated as a cost-saving measure.Robert Welch, a long-timeDeputy Premier of Ontario, represented the now-eliminated Lincoln and St. Catharines—Brock ridings throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.
Federally,St. Catharines is one of the mostbellwether of any riding in Canada, having only elected an opposition MP twice in its history.Chris Bittle is the current MP for St. Catharines and is a member of theLiberal Party of Canada, which currently forms Canada's government.[96] Most federal representatives from St. Catharines have maintained a low profile on either the government or oppositionbackbenches. The exception wasGilbert Parent, who served asSpeaker of the House for seven years whileJean Chrétien was Prime Minister.
St. Catharines is the judicial seat of the Niagara North Judicial District of Ontario, Central South Region, which represents the northern half of the Niagara Region equivalent to historicLincoln County. The Superior Court of Justice is on Church Street across from City Hall. A satellite court is inGrimsby. The city forms "1 District" of theNiagara Regional Police Service. The NRPS headquarters are no longer on Church Street, having moved to Niagara Falls in a finally constructed new building with administrative offices and support services on Cushman Road.
The most defining transportation icon of St. Catharines is the Welland Canal, aship canal that runs 43.4 kilometres (27.0 mi), passing through the city. Four of its locks are within city boundaries. The canal allows shipping vessels to traverse the 99.5-metre (326.5 ft) drop in altitude from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. TheGarden City Skyway is a nearby bridge that facilitates vehicle traffic into the city.
The main access routes into and out of St. Catharines are served by two majorfreeways. TheQueen Elizabeth Way runs east (at 15-Mile Creek) to west (atGarden City Skyway) andHighway 406 runs north (at QEW) to south (at St. David's Road). Prior to the construction of these freeways, St. Paul Street (formerHighway 8, nowRegional Road 81) and Hartzel Road (formerHighway 58, now a city-maintained street) provided east–west and north–south access to the city.
Public transportation is served by theSt. Catharines Transit Commission, which operates bus routes throughout the city and neighbouring Thorold. All major routes converge at the St. Catharines Bus Terminal, which is downtown within the headquarters of theOntario Ministry of Transportation. The central station is also served byCoach Canada, with service to Toronto and Niagara Falls.
Though transportation by rail is becoming increasingly popular, theSt. Catharines train station is largely under-utilized, with car and bus travel being the dominant forms of transportation for the city. The station is in its original building, outside the downtown core (because of issues involving the crossing of 12-Mile Creek). It is served daily byVia Rail andAmtrak trains connecting it toToronto andNew York City. The provincial and federal government recently committed $385 million each toGO Transit to aid in the development of their 10-Year Capital Expansion Plan, which includes an expansion bus line servicing the Niagara Region. Currently, regular GO Bus service exists to St. Catharines with a stop at Fairview Mall, allowing riders to travel either west toward Burlington or east toward Niagara Falls. A rail link with GO Transit operates during the summer months with plans for the city to be permanently linked via rail in the future.
St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport servicesgeneral aviation as well as charteredjetliner flights. The airport is served by charter flights fromFlyGTA Airlines and offers charter flights toBilly Bishop Toronto City Airport, Muskoka and Collingwood. It is near the city's east-end in neighbouringNiagara-on-the-Lake. Other airports surrounding the city includeNiagara Falls/Niagara South Airport andNiagara Central Dorothy Rungeling Airport. The closest airports in proximity offering long-haul and international flights areJohn C. Munro Hamilton International Airport,Niagara Falls International Airport andToronto Pearson International Airport.
St. Catharines had one of the firstinterurban electricstreetcar routes, which ran between the city andMerritton and was eventually extended toPort Dalhousie in the north andThorold to the south. Like most streetcar routes throughout the world, it was decommissioned in the 1960s, and the right-of-way has since been converted to parks and trails.
TheDistrict School Board of Niagara (DSBN), the local public school board, manages 6 secondary schools within St. Catharines:DSBN Academy,Laura Secord Secondary School,Sir Winston Churchill,Governor Simcoe, St. Catharines Collegiate, andEden. The opening of DSBN Academy was described as "Canada's most controversial pedagogical experiment in years" by theGlobe and Mail, as the school was specifically geared towards low-income students. This raised fears about segregation in public education and causing low-income students to feel singled out. Proponents argued that the additional academic supports offered to disadvantaged students would raise their chances of attending post-secondary education.[97] Governor Simcoe and Winston Churchill offerFrench immersion programs.[98] Eden Secondary School, although it operates through the DSBN and receives public school funding, is also a Christian school.[99]
TheNiagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) manages and operates 3 Catholic secondary schools within the city:Holy Cross,Denis Morris Catholic High School, andSaint Francis.
Ridley College, near the city's downtown core in the Western Hill neighbourhood, is a private co-educational boarding and day school. It was established as a boys' school in 1889, and became co-educational in 1973.
St. Catharines is home toBrock University (established 1964), a modern comprehensive university on the Niagara Escarpment.Concordia Lutheran Theological Seminary, a post graduate institution of theLutheran Church–Canada, also operates there. A partnership between the university and the Ontario Grape and Wine Industry established the city as a centre for cool-climate grape and wine research.
TheMichael G. DeGroote School of Medicine is a medical school operated byMcMaster University with a campus in downtown St. Catharines. Prior to 2004, it was known as the McMaster University School of Medicine.[100]
Although not a part of St. Catharines itself, there are nearby campuses forNiagara College inNiagara on the Lake andWelland. The college used to operate a horticulture-related campus in the city on 360 Niagara Street, across fromLaura Secord Secondary School from the 1970s to 1990s.
The Niagara region has no television service of its own. Stations broadcasting from Toronto,Hamilton andBuffalo are available over-the-air in the region, and the region has a local transmitter (CKVP-DT) rebroadcasting theBarrieCTV 2 stationCKVR-DT. A local specialty news and information channel calledNiagara News TV launched in February 2011, but ceased operations only 3 months later in April. In 2003, a local business consortium applied to theCanadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) for a licence to operate TV Niagara, acommunity television station in St. Catharines. The application was denied by the CRTC in 2005, citing concerns about the group's business plan and its dependence on gaining audience share in the Toronto market.[102]
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