City of St. Catharines
Historic buildings line St. Paul Street in Downtown St. Catharines; the former bed of the First Welland canal is in the foreground.
Flag Coat of arms Logo
Nickname: The Garden City
Motto: Industry and Liberality
Location of St. Catharines and its census metropolitan area in Ontario
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Niagara
Settled	1783
Incorporated	1845 (town)
	1876 (city)
Government
- Mayor	Brian McMullan
- Governing body	St. Catharines City Council
- MPs	Rick Dykstra
- MPPs	Jim Bradley
Area
- City	96.11 km² (37.1 sq mi)
- Urban	382.68 km² (147.8 sq mi)
- Metro	1,397.50 km² (539.6 sq mi)
Elevation	97.8 m (321 ft)
Population (2006)
- City	131,989 (Ranked 33rd)
- Density	1,373.3/km² (3,556.8/sq mi)
- Urban	308,596 (Ranked 12th)
- Urban Density	545.02/km² (1,411.6/sq mi)
- Metro	390,317 (Ranked 12th)
- Metro Density	279.3/km² (723.4/sq mi)
	Source: Statistics Canada
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
- Summer (DST)	EDT (UTC-4)
Postal code	L2M-L2W, L0S
Area code(s)	905/289
Website: City of St. Catharines

St. Catharines (2006 population 131,989; metropolitan population 390,317) is the largest city in the Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres (37.5 sq mi) of land. It lies 51 kilometres (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario and is 19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with the United States of America along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal. Residents of St. Catharines are known as St. Catharinites. Image File history File linksMetadata St_Catharines_Low_Level_Lot. ... Image File history File links Stcatsflag. ... Flag of St. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The original Coat of Arms of the City of St. ... Image File history File links Stcatslogo. ... EXAMPLE:Laughbox,Blondie,BamBam,Pinkie,etc. ... For other uses, see Motto (disambiguation). ... Image File history File links StCatsNiagaraOn. ... A census metropolitan area, or CMA is a Canadian census subdivision comprising a large urban area (known as the urban core) and adjacent areas (known as urban and rural fringes) that have a high degree of social and economic integration with the urban core. ... Image File history File links This is a lossless scalable vector image. ... Canada consists of ten provinces and three territories. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 107 Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Image File history File links Flag_of_Ontario. ... In the Canadian province of Ontario, there are three different types of census divisions: single-tier municipalities, upper-tier municipalities (which can be regional municipalities or counties) and districts. ... Heraldic Motto: Unity, Responsibility, Loyalty Corporate Motto: Building Communities, Building Lives Location of the Niagara Region within Ontario Area: 1,852 sq. ... Image File history File links RMNiagaraFlag. ... A Municipal Corporation is a legal defintion for a local governing body, including (but not necessarily limited to) cities, counties, and towns. ... Brian James McMullan is the mayor of St. ... The St. ... Type Lower House Speaker Peter Milliken, Liberal since January 29, 2001 Leader of the Government in the House of Commons Peter Van Loan, Conservative since January 4, 2007 Opposition House Leader Ralph Goodale, Liberal since January 23, 2006 Members 308 Political groups Conservative Party Liberal Party Bloc Québécois... Rick Dykstra is a Canadian politician. ... The Provincial Parliament of Ontario, is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... James J. Bradley (born February 19, 1945 in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada) is a long-time Ontario Liberal Party politician and Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. ... This article is about the physical quantity. ... Square kilometre (US spelling: Square kilometer), symbol km², is an SI unit of surface area. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... Elevation histogram of the surface of the Earth – approximately 71% of the Earths surface is covered with water. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ... The table below lists the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population, using data from the Canada 2006 census for census subdivisions. ... Population density per square kilometre by country, 2006 Population density map of the world in 1994. ... Cities with at least a million inhabitants in 2006 An urban area is an area with an increased density of human-created structures in comparison to the areas surrounding it. ... The urban areas identified below are defined by Statistics Canada with reference to continuous population density, ignoring municipal boundaries. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The table below lists the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada by population, using data from the Canada 2001 Census[1] and the Canada 2006 Census. ... Timezone and TimeZone redirect here. ... -12 | -11 | -10 | -9:30 | -9 | -8 | -7 | -6 | -5 | -4 | -3:30 | -3 | -2:30 | -2 | -1 | -0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Although DST is common in Europe and North America, most of the worlds people do not use it. ... Eastern Daylight Time or EDT is equal to: In North America, Eastern Standard Time + 1, or UTC − 4 hours. ... −12 | −11 | −10 | −9:30 | −9 | −8 | −7 | −6 | −5 | −4 | −3:30 | −3 | −2:30 | −2 | −1 | −0:25 | UTC (0) | +0:20 | +0:30 | +1 | +2 | +3 | +3:30 | +4 | +4:30 | +4:51 | +5 | +5:30 | +5:40 | +5:45 | +6 | +6:30 | +7 | +7:20 | +7... Area code 905 (1-905) (with overlay Area code 289) is a telephone dialing area for south central Ontario. ... Heraldic Motto: Unity, Responsibility, Loyalty Corporate Motto: Building Communities, Building Lives Location of the Niagara Region within Ontario Area: 1,852 sq. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor David C. Onley Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 107 Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area... Square kilometre (U.S. spelling: square kilometer), symbol km², is a decimal multiple of SI unit of surface area square metre, one of the SI derived units. ... A square mile is an English unit of area equal to that of a square with sides each 1 statute mile (≈1,609 m) in length. ... “km” redirects here. ... “Miles” redirects here. ... Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Satellite image of the Niagara River. ... A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ... The following people were born in, residents of, or are otherwise closely connected to the city of St. ...

St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres (4 km²) of meticulously groomed parks, gardens and trails. An acre is the name of a unit of area in a number of different systems, including Imperial units and United States customary units. ...

Manufacturing is the city's dominant industry, as noted by the heraldic motto, "Industry and Liberality". General Motors operates two plants in the city and until recently was the city's largest employer, an honour now held by the District School Board of Niagara. TRW operate a plant in the city, though in recent years employment has shifted from heavy industry and manufacturing to services. Heraldry is the science and art of describing of coats-of-arms, also referred to as achievements or armorial bearings. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... The Standard DSBN Insignia DSBN Insignia - Animated Variant District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) is a school board in the public school system of Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Niagara. ... TRW Incorporated was an American corporation involved in a number of businesses, mostly defense-related, but including automotive supply and credit reporting. ...

St. Catharines lies on one of the main telecommunications backbones between Canada and the United States, and as a result a number of call centres operate in the city. Combined, call centres employ the largest percentage of St. Catharines residents. NuComm International, a Canadian call centre operator, is headquartered in downtown St. Catharines. Each line is drawn between two nodes, representing two IP addresses. ... A very large collections call centre in Lakeland, FL. A call centre or call center (see spelling differences) is a centralised office used for the purpose of receiving and transmitting a large volume of requests by telephone. ... NuComm International is a Canadian-based provider of customer relationship and call center services. ... Montebello Park The Old Courthouse, at the corner of James and King streets The downtown core of St. ...

History

The city was first settled by Loyalists in the 1780s. The first settlers, Sergeant Jacob Dittrick and Private John Hainer of Butler's Rangers, came to the area where Dick's Creek met Twelve Mile Creek. Dick's Creek was named after another early settler, Richard Pierpoint, a native of Bundu (now part of Senegal). Pierpoint was commonly known as Captain Dick. This part of the settlement eventually became the centre of town. Native trails were used as travel routes, resulting in present day radial road pattern from the city centre. Britannia gives a heros welcome to returning American Loyalists. ... Butlers Rangers (1777–1784) was a Loyalist (or Tory) irregular militia regiment in the British Army during the American Revolutionary War. ...

The first business, a goods storehouse owned by Robert Hamilton, was established around 1783. The first mill, Crown Mills, was opened in 1786. The surrounding land was surveyed, and townships created, between 1787 and 1789. The small settlement was known at the time as "The Twelve".

In 1797, the first inn was built by Thomas Adams, located on the east side of Ontario Street next to what is now St. Paul Street. It became a community meeting place and stagecoach rest stop. In 1798, "The Twelve" became known as "Shipman's Corners", after the inn's new owner, Paul Shipman. According to some sources, St. Paul Street - the main route in and out of the city at the time - was named after him also. Inns are establishments where travellers can procure food, drink, and lodging. ...

The art deco facade of St. Catharines City Hall (completed 1937)

As Shipman's Corners, the town was visited by Laura Secord during the War of 1812, en route to warn James Fitzgibbon of the advancing Americans. She was travelling with her niece Elizabeth Secord, but Elizabeth was exhausted at that point and ceased her journey there. Laura Secord continued on to warn Fitzgibbon successfully. Image File history File linksMetadata St_Catharines_City_Hall. ... Image File history File linksMetadata St_Catharines_City_Hall. ... Asheville City Hall. ... Statue of Laura Secord at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa Laura Secord (née Ingersoll) (September 13, 1775 – October 17, 1868) was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. ... This article is about the U.S. – U.K. war. ... James FitzGibbon JamesFitzGibbon (November 23, 1782 – December 10, 1863) was a British soldier and hero of the War of 1812. ...

In 1808, the first name "St. Catharines" appeared for the first time on a survey, named after Robert Hamilton's wife, Catharine Hamilton. In 1817, the post office was established with the name "St. Catherines" (sic), but by 1821, the name was officially "St. Catharines".

The first Welland Canal was constructed from 1824-33 behind what is now known as St. Paul Street, using Twelve Mile and Dick's Creek. William Hamilton Merritt worked tirelessly to promote the ambitious venture, both by raising funds and by enlisting government support. The canal established St. Catharines as the hub of commerce and industry for the Niagara Peninsula. A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ... William Hamilton Merritt (3 July 1793 – 5 July 1862) was an influential figure in the Niagara Peninsula of Upper Canada in early 19th century and one of the fathers of the Welland Canal. ... Map of Southern Ontario showing Niagara Peninsula in red The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Ontario, Canada lying on the south shore of Lake Ontario. ...

Merritt would also play a role in making St. Catharines an important place of abolitionist activity. In 1855, the British Methodist Episcopal Church and 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 escaped slaves as a place of "refuge and rest", and cemented it as the final terminus on the Underground Railroad. This article is about the abolition of slavery. ... This article is about a 19th-century slave escape route. ...

The Town of St. Catharines was incorporated in 1845. St. Catharines was incorporated as a city in 1876.

Geography and climate

St. Catharines enjoys a unique micro-climate because of the moderating influence of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and the sheltering effect of the Niagara Escarpment to the south. As a result, the city can record a large number of frost-free days in the winter. The summer season is predominantly warm, sometimes hot and humid, with the average temperature of 27°C (81°F) in July, but humidity is often high making feel more than 40 °C (104 °F) with the humidex factor. Categories: Stub | Ecology ... Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Lake Erie (pronounced ) is the tenth largest lake on Earth[2] and, of the five Great Lakes of North America, is the fourth largest by surface area, the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume. ... Rattlesnake Point near Milton, Ontario. ... Celsius is, or relates to, the Celsius temperature scale (previously known as the centigrade scale). ... For other uses, see Fahrenheit (disambiguation). ... Heat Index (HI) is an index that combines air temperature and relative humidity to determine an apparent temperature — how hot it actually feels. ...

Grapes from a family vineyard near the city's west-end

The complex and extensive glacial history of the Niagara Peninsula has resulted in similarly complex soil stratigraphy in the area occupied by the city today. St. Catharines was once at the base of a glacial lake known as Glacial Lake Iroquois, which deposited thick layers of clay between the Escarpment and Lake Ontario. As a result of these factors, the city's soil is particularly conducive to fruit growing and is capable of producing grapes that are used to make award-winning wines. Three wineries operate in the city's west-end: Henry of Pelham, Hernder Estates and Harvest Estates. Image File history File links Niagara_Grape_Vines. ... Image File history File links Niagara_Grape_Vines. ... Map of Southern Ontario showing Niagara Peninsula in red The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Ontario, Canada lying on the south shore of Lake Ontario. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Glacial Lake Iroquois was a prehistoric proglacial lake that existed at the end of the last ice age approximately 13,000 years ago. ...

Since the opening of the first Welland Canal in 1829, the city has seen four different canal systems, whether modified or newly constructed, carved into its geographical landscape. The fourth and present-day canal forms the majority of the city's eastern boundary. The first three of the city's canals have largely been buried, portions of it beneath the present-day Highway 406 and Queen Elizabeth Way. Other remnants of the original canals can still be seen in various locations throughout the city, many of which are hidden within forested areas designated as city parks. There has been a growing movement in recent years to restore the original routing of the Welland Canal through the city. The restored waterway and locks would be open to pleasure craft and create a new tourist attraction within the city. A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ... Categories: Ontario provincial highways | Stub ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

Major parks

Montebello Park

The Old Courthouse, at the corner of James and King streets

• Montebello Park - Designed by Frederick Law Olmsted in 1887, who went on to create New York City's Central Park. A commemorative rose garden with over 1,300 bushes in 25 varieties is the city's largest rose collection and features an ornamental fountain. The focal point of the park is a band shell and pavilion built in 1888. The park is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act.

• Short Hills Provincial Park - Ontario's first provincial park, it is located in the Southwest portion of the city along the Niagara Escarpment.

• Burgoyne Woods - A 50-hectare (0.5 km²) wooded area and recreational park located near the Downtown core.

• Happy Rolph’s Bird Sanctuary - A 6-hectare (0.06 km²) park on the shores of Lake Ontario in the community of Port Weller. It is home to hundreds of native and migratory birds and features an exotic collection of flowering rhododendrons. An onsite petting farm (containing horses, pigs, sheep, goats and llamas, as well as a donkey named 'Hoti' -- 'Don Quixote') is operated by the city from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving Weekend. A trail running throughout the park leads to a peaceful waterfront memorial to Canadian victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

• Ontario Jaycee Gardens - Overlooking the Henley Rowing Course, this is the city's largest horticultural park with more than 8 hectares (0.08 km²) of meticulously landscaped gardens and flower displays. The park exists on land that once featured the Third Welland Canal. The former entrance to the canal can still be seen at the North-West end of the park.

• Walker Arboretum - Located along the hillside of Rodman Hall and the Twelve Mile Creek below, the original owner of this estate was Thomas Rodman Merritt, son of William Hamilton Merritt. In the late 1800s, an English landscape designer named Samuel Richardson was hired by Merritt to tend the grounds. As a result, the arboretum is an extensive, rambling garden with rare conifers which benefit from an exceptional micro-climate. It boasts one of the largest Chinese Empress trees in Canada.

• Woodgale Park - Located along Glendale Avenue between Glenridge Avenue and the Pen Center. Features wide open spaces, Flowing fruit trees, rare birds, baseball diamond and tennis courts. Also features a memorial to the original farm building on the north end of the park near Denis Morris High school. Locally known as Doug Hill Park, after a nearby resident who coached a number of baseball and tug of war teams in the area.

Image File history File linksMetadata St_Catharines_Montebello. ... Image File history File linksMetadata St_Catharines_Montebello. ... Image File history File linksMetadata St_Catharines_Courthouse. ... Image File history File linksMetadata St_Catharines_Courthouse. ... {{Infobox Person | name = | image = FLOlmstead. ... 1887 (MDCCCLXXXVII) is a common year starting on Saturday (click on link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... Central Park is a large public, urban park (843 acres, 3. ... The Ontario Heritage Act allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate properties in the Province of Ontario, Canada as being of cultural heritage value or interest. Once a property has been designated, a property owner must apply to the local municipality for a permit to undertake alterations to any... Short Hills Provincial Park is a park located in the centre of the Niagara Peninsula, near the city of Thorold in the Niagara Region in southern Ontario. ... Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Port Weller, Ontario is a village located at a Latitude of 43°13 North and Longitude of 79°13 West in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Subgenera Azaleastrum Candidastrum Hymenanthes Mumeazalea Pentanthera (Azaleas) Rhododendron Therorhodion Tsutsusi (Azaleas) Vireya Source: RBG, Edinburgh Rhododendron (from the Greek: rhodos, rose, and dendron, tree) is a genus of flowering plants in the family Ericaceae. ... Queen Elizabeth II in Canada for her official birthday, Victoria Day 2005, Edmonton, Alberta Victoria Day (French: Fête de la Reine) is a Canadian statutory holiday celebrated on the last Monday before or on May 24 in honour of both Queen Victorias birthday and the current reigning Canadian... For the American holiday, see Thanksgiving (United States). ... The date that commonly refers to the attacks on United States citizens on September 11, 2001 (see the September 11, 2001 Attacks). ... A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ... Thomas Rodman Merritt Source: Library and Archives Canada Thomas Rodman Merritt (October 17, 1824 – January 11, 1906) was an Ontario businessman and political figure in Upper Canada. ... William Hamilton Merritt (3 July 1793 – 5 July 1862) was an influential figure in the Niagara Peninsula of Upper Canada in early 19th century and one of the fathers of the Welland Canal. ... Landscape design is a part of landscape architecture. ... This article is about a type of botanical garden. ... Orders & Families Cordaitales † Pinales   Pinaceae - Pine family   Araucariaceae - Araucaria family   Podocarpaceae - Yellow-wood family   Sciadopityaceae - Umbrella-pine family   Cupressaceae - Cypress family   Cephalotaxaceae - Plum-yew family   Taxaceae - Yew family Vojnovskyales † Voltziales † The conifers, division Pinophyta, are one of 13 or 14 division level taxa within the Kingdom Plantae. ... Binomial name Paulownia tomentosa (Thunb. ...

Government and politics

Municipal

The Six Municipal Wards of St. Catharines

St. Catharines is governed by a mayor and city council of twelve city councillors, with two councillors representing each of the six municipal wards 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 forwarded are voted on by members of city council; the mayor presides over council debate and serves very much like the speaker, 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 located downtown on Church Street. Tim Rigby was the Mayor of St. Catharines from 1997 to 2006; Brian McMullan was elected to succeed Rigby on November 13, 2006, and was sworn-in on December 4. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (755x829, 72 KB)Map of the Wards in St. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (755x829, 72 KB)Map of the Wards in St. ... A ward is an electoral district used in local politics, most notably in England, Scotland, and Wales, as well as Australia, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, New Zealand, South Africa and many cities in the United States and the federal district of Washington, DC. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods... The St. ... It has been suggested that Speakers of the House be merged into this article or section. ... Tim Rigby is a politician in Ontario, Canada. ... Brian James McMullan is the mayor of St. ... is the 317th day of the year (318th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2006 (MMVI) was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... is the 338th day of the year (339th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ...

St. Catharines uses a council-manager government, and as a result a Chief Administrative Officer 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. Colin Briggs is Acting CAO, replacing B. Robert Puhach who resigned in February 2007. The city expects to a hire a permanent replacement by Fall 2007. The council-manager government is one of two main variations of representative municipal government in the United States. ... A chief administrative officer (or CAO) is a corporate officer responsible for management of the personnel of the corporation. ...

Residents of St. Catharines also elect six regional councillors to the Niagara Regional Council on an at-large basis. Unlike other Regional Municipalities in Ontario, regional councillors do not sit on city council and instead only represent at the regional level. Four school board trustees for the District School Board of Niagara representing St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake are elected, as well as and three trustees for the Niagara Catholic District School Board, two for five of St. Catharines' wards, and one for Thorold 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. The Niagara Regional Council is the governing body of the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada. ... A regional municipality (or region) is a type of Canadian municipal government which works much like a county; the method of government depends on how it is defined. ... The Standard DSBN Insignia DSBN Insignia - Animated Variant District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) is a school board in the public school system of Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Niagara. ... Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Niagara Region Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake (2001 population 13,839) is a town where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ... The Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) is a school board in the public separate school system of Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Niagara. ... City of Thorold Flag. ...

St. Catharines has one of the highest resident/representative ratios of any large city in Ontario. There are just under 7,000 people per elected municipal representative in St. Catharines, while Oshawa (a similar-sized city in Ontario) has one representative per 13,500 people. London, Ontario has one representative per 30,500 people, and Toronto has one representative per 55,000 people. There has been recent 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. Oshawa (estimated 2004 population 150 000; metropolitan population 296 298) is a city on Lake Ontario located approximately 60 km east of downtown Toronto in Ontario, Canada. ... For other places with the same name, see London (disambiguation). ...

Provincial

Federal and provincial ridings representing St. Catharines

At the provincial level, St. Catharines is well-known for electing high-profile members of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. Jim Bradley, the current member for St. Catharines and Ontario's longest serving Member of Provincial Parliament, is the current Minister of Tourism in the Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty, and served as Minister of Environment in the government of David Peterson. Jim Bradley recently celebrated 30 years in provincial politics, and it was noted that he actually served in the Ontario Legislature with the parents of five current MPPs.^[2] Peter Kormos, who represents the southern portions of the city as part of the Niagara Centre riding, is a prominent vocal member of the Ontario New Democratic Party caucus and served previously as Minister of Justice in the Bob Rae government. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (755x829, 77 KB)Provincial and Federal Ridings representing St. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (755x829, 77 KB)Provincial and Federal Ridings representing St. ... St. ... The Provincial Parliament of Ontario, is the legislature of the Canadian province of Ontario. ... James J. Bradley (born February 19, 1945 in Sudbury, Ontario) is a long-time Ontario Liberal Party politician and MPP in the Ontario legislature. ... A Member of Provincial Parliament (MPP) is an elected member of the Legislative Assembly of the Province of Ontario, Canada. ... The Ontario Liberal Party is a centrist provincial political party in the province of Ontario, Canada. ... Dalton James Patrick McGuinty, Jr. ... The Honourable David Robert Peterson, PC , LL.B , BA (born December 28, 1943 in Toronto, Ontario) was the twentieth Premier of the Province of Ontario, Canada, from June 26, 1985 to October 1, 1990. ... Peter Kormos (born October 7, 1952 in Welland, Ontario) is a politician in Ontario, Canada. ... Niagara Centre was a former federal electoral district represented in the Canadian House of Commons, and located in the province of Ontario. ... The Ontario New Democratic Party (formerly known as the Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, Ontario Section) is a social democratic political party in Ontario, Canada. ... Hon. ...

From 1999 to 2003, during the premierships of Mike Harris and Ernie Eves, St. Catharines was one of the few large cities in Ontario to not have at least one government member representing the city, as the Progressive Conservative-held ridings of Lincoln and St. Catharines—Brock were eliminated as a cost saving measure. Robert Welch, a long-time Deputy Premier of Ontario, represented the now-eliminated Lincoln and St. Catharines—Brock ridings throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s. Michael Deane Harris (born January 23, 1945, in Toronto, Ontario) was the twenty-second Premier of Ontario from June 26, 1995 to April 15, 2002. ... Ernest Eves (born June 17, 1946) was the twenty-third Premier of the province of Ontario, Canada, from April 15, 2002, to October 23, 2003. ... John Sandfield Macdonald The Ontario PC Party, formally known as the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario, is a right-of-centre political party in Ontario, Canada. ... Lincoln was twice a federal electoral district on the Niagara Peninsula in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Robert Stanley Kemp Bob Welch, OC (July 13, 1928—July 29, 2000) was a Canadian politician. ... The Deputy Premier of Ontario is the representative of the Premier of Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario when the current Premier is unable to attend functions executed by the Premier. ...

Federal

Federally, St. Catharines is one of the most bellwether of any riding in Canada, having only elected an opposition MP twice in its history. Rick Dykstra is the current MP for St. Catharines and is a member of the Conservative Party of Canada, which currently forms Canada's government. The southern portion of the city is included as part of the Welland riding, and is represented by John Maloney, a Liberal MP. Most federal representatives from St. Catharines have maintained a low profile on either the government or opposition backbenches. The exception was Gilbert Parent, who served as Speaker of the House for seven years while Jean Chrétien was Prime Minister. St. ... This article is about Bellwethers in general. ... Rick Dykstra is a Canadian politician. ... The Conservative Party of Canada (French: Parti conservateur du Canada), colloquially known as the Tories, is a conservative political party in Canada, formed by the merger of the Canadian Alliance and the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada in December 2003. ... Welland is the name of a federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada. ... John David Maloney (born January 5, 1945 in Welland, Ontario) is a Canadian politician. ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: ), colloquially known as the Grits (originally Clear Grits), is a Canadian federal political party. ... A backbencher is a Member of Parliament or a legislator who does not hold governmental office and is not a Front Bench spokesperson in the Opposition. ... Gilbert Parent was a Canadian Member of Parliament. ... Current house speaker Peter Milliken In Canada the Speaker of the House of Commons (French: Président de la Chambre des communes) is the presiding officer of the lower house and is elected by fellow MPs. ... Joseph Jacques Jean Chrétien, usually known as Jean Chrétien, PC, QC, BA, BCL, LLD (h. ...

Legal

St. Catharines is the judicial seat of the Niagara North Judicial District of Ontario, Central West Region, which represents the northern half of the Niagara Region equivalent to historic Lincoln County. The Superior Court of Justice is located on Church Street across from City Hall. A satellite court is located in Grimsby. James Ramsey is the current Crown Attorney. Lincoln County is a historic county in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Location of Grimsby in the Niagara Region Grimsby (2001 population 21,297) is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Crown Attorney or Crown Counsel are the public prosecutor in the legal system of Canada. ...

The city forms "1 District" of the Niagara Regional Police Service. The NRPS headquarters are located on Church Street, with administrative offices on James Street and support services on Cushman Road. The Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) provides policing services for the Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario, Canada. ...

Transportation

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St. Catharines Transit Terminal

A ship traversing the Welland Canal, with the Garden City Skyway in the background.

The most defining transportation icon of St. Catharines is the Welland Canal, a ship canal that runs 43.4 kilometres (27.0 mi), passing through the city. Three of its locks are within city boundaries. The canal allows shipping vessels to traverse the 99.5 metre (326.5 ft) drop in altitute from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Image File history File links Commons-logo. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2049 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: St. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2592x1944, 2049 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: St. ... A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ... A ship canal is a canal especially constructed to carry ocean-going ships, as opposed to barges. ... This article is about the unit of length. ... A foot (plural: feet or foot;[1] symbol or abbreviation: ft or, sometimes, ′ – a prime) is a unit of length, in a number of different systems, including English units, Imperial units, and United States customary units. ...

The main access routes into and out of St. Catharines are served by two major freeways. The Queen Elizabeth Way runs east (at 15-Mile Creek) to west (at Garden City Skyway) and Highway 406 runs north (at QEW) to south (at St. David's Road). Prior to the construction of these freeways, St. Paul Street (former Highway 8, now Regional Road 81) and Hartzel Road (former Highway 58, now a city-maintained street) provided east-west and north-south access to the city. The QEW is currently undergoing an extensive reconstruction and widening project through the city, which will see it reduced to one lane in both directions for the majority of the construction project. Motorists travelling through St. Catharines are advised to bypass the city, and the Ministry of Transportation has posted special detour signs directing traffic to exit and follow Thorold Stone Road in Niagara Falls through the Thorold Tunnel and back to the QEW via Highway 406. The construction project is expected to be complete by 2012. For specific systems, such as the Autobahns of Germany, see list of highway systems with full control of access and no cross traffic. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Garden City Skyway is a major high-level bridge allowing the Queen Elizabeth Way to cross the Welland Canal without the interruption of a lift bridge. ... Highway 406 is a 400-series highway in Ontario, Canada. ... Ontario provincial highway 8 is a primary highway (also known as a Kings Highway) in the Canadian province of Ontario. ... Niagara Regional Road 81 is among one of the longest Niagara Regional Roads in Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada, and served as the routing of Highway 8 prior to its decomisioning in 1970. ... Ontario Provincial Highway 58 is a provincially maintained highway in the Niagara Region in Ontario, Canada. ... Skyline of Niagara Falls, Canada, as seen from Niagara Falls State Park across the river. ... The Thorold Tunnel, located in Thorold, Ontario, Canada, is an underwater tunnel, carrying Highway 58 across the Welland Canal. ...

Public transportation is served by the St. Catharines Transit Commission, which operates bus routes throughout the city and neighbouring Thorold.

Ministry of Transportation Headquarters

All major routes converge at the St. Catharines Bus Terminal, which is located downtown within the heaquarters of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. The central station is also served by Greyhound Lines and Coach Canada, en route to Toronto and New York City and connecting it to major cities throughout Canada and the United States. Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (849x576, 230 KB) Summary Taken by User:Trappy, April 2006. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (849x576, 230 KB) Summary Taken by User:Trappy, April 2006. ... Ministry of Transportation Headquarters in St. ... Calgary-based Greyhound Canada is a subsidiary of Naperville, Illinois-based Laidlaw International, Incorporated (formerly Laidlaw, Inc. ... Trentway-Wagar (Coach Canada) Motor Coach Industries MCI 102DL3 3313 returning from the Toronto Bus Terminal, at University Avenue and Front Street. ...

Though transportation by rail is becoming increasingly popular, the St. Catharines train station is largely underutilized, with car and bus travel being the dominant forms of transportation for the city. The station is located in its original building, outside the downcore core (because of issues involving the crossing of 12-Mile Creek). It is served daily by VIA Rail and Amtrak trains connecting it to Toronto and New York City. The provincial and federal government recently committed $385 million each to GO Transit to aid in the development of their 10-Year Capital Expansion Plan, which includes an expansion bus line servicing the Niagara Region. A potential rail link with GO Transit in the near future continues to be debated in St. Catharines. St. ... VIA Rails trains travelling by Highway 401 near Brockville, Ontario. ... The high-speed Acela Express in West Windsor, New Jersey. ... New York, New York and NYC redirect here. ... // GO Transit (AAR reporting marks GOT), officially known as the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA), is Canadas first, and Ontarios only, interregional public transit system, established to link Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). ... // GO Transit (AAR reporting marks GOT), officially known as the Greater Toronto Transit Authority (GTTA), is Canadas first, and Ontarios only, interregional public transit system, established to link Toronto with the surrounding regions of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). ...

St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport services general aviation as well as chartered jetliner flights. It is located near the city's east-end in neighbouring Niagara-on-the-Lake. St. ... General aviation (abbr. ... The de Havilland Comet 1, G-ALYP - The first production Comet. ... Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Niagara Region Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake (2001 population 13,839) is a town where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ...

St. Catharines was the first - and last remaining - location in the world to have a working interurban electric streetcar route, which ran between the city and Merritton and was eventually extended to Port Dalhousie in the north and Thorold 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. An interurban, also called a radial railway in parts of Canada, is a streetcar line running between urban areas or from urban to rural areas. ... a historic postcard showing electric trolley-powered streetcars in Richmond, Virginia, where Frank J. Sprague successfully demonstrated his new system on the hills in 1888 A streetcar is a railway vehicle designed to carry passengers on tracks, usually laid in city streets. ... The Keg Restaurant Merritton is both a distinct community within and an electoral riding of St. ... The historic Lighthouse & pier Port Dalhousie, in relation to other nearby lakeports. ... City of Thorold Flag. ...

Education

St. Catharines is home to Brock University (established 1964), a modern comprehensive university located on the Niagara Escarpment. 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. "Brock" offers an Honours Bachelor of Science in Oenology and Viticulture. Brock University is a modern comprehensive university located in St. ... B.S. redirects here. ... Oenology is the study of wines in general. ... wine grapes Viticulture (from the Latin word for vine) is the science, production and study of grapes which deals with the series of events that occur in the vineyard. ...

St Catharines is also home to Niagara College. Niagara College has brought Canada its first Teaching Winery. The "Niagara College Teaching Winery" (or NCT for short) has created award winning wines. Niagara College has also taken home various medals from international wine competitions such as "Cuvee", "The Ontario Wine Awards" and "The Finger Lakes International Competition" to name a few. It is clear why key people in the Wine industry are approaching Niagara College for employees. Niagara College is the only fully licenced teaching winery in Canada.

McMaster University's Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine is set to open a satellite campus in St. Catharines in September 2008. The Hamilton, Ontario-based university will educate 15 first-year medical students in the city's first-ever med school. McMaster University is a highly regarded medium-sized research-intensive university located in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, with an enrollment of 18,238 full-time and 3,836 part-time students (as of 2006). ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Location in the province of Ontario, Canada Coordinates: , Country Province Incorporated June 9, 1846[1] Government  - Mayor Fred Eisenberger  - City Council Hamilton City Council  - MPs List of MPs Dean Allison Chris Charlton David Christopherson Wayne Marston David Sweet  - MPPs List of MPPs Sophia Aggelonitis Andrea... Medical school generally refers to a tertiary educational institution (or part of such an institution) which is involved in the education of future medical practitioners (medical doctors). ...

Ridley College, located near the city's downtown core in the Western Hill neighbourhood, is a distinguished co-educational boarding and day school. It was established as a boys' school in 1889, and became co-educational in 1973. Ridley College is a co-educational boarding and day university-preparatory school located in St. ...

A campus of the Niagara College of Applied Arts and Technology is located near the city's east end. The school's Horticultural Campus was once located on 360 Niagara Street in the 1970s-1990s but has since been relocated to Niagara-on-the-Lake. One of its greatest teachers, R. Roy Forster, was recognized with the Order of Canada on April 14, 1999, for his work in creating the VanDusen Botanical Garden in British Columbia. FREE YAYO Niagara College is a College of Applied Arts and Technology within the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. ... Categories: Canada geography stubs | Ontario communities | Coastal towns of Canada ... is the 104th day of the year (105th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... This article is about the year. ... VanDusen Botanical Garden is situated in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. ... Motto: Splendor sine occasu (Latin: Splendour without diminishment) Capital Victoria Largest city Vancouver Official languages English (de facto) Government Lieutenant-Governor Steven Point Premier Gordon Campbell (BC Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament House seats 36 Senate seats 6 Confederation July 20, 1871 (6th province) Area  Ranked 5th Total 944...

The District School Board of Niagara (DSBN), responsible for managing a school system of nearly 119 faculties, contains 8 Secondary Schools in the city of St. Catharines. The Standard DSBN Insignia DSBN Insignia - Animated Variant District School Board of Niagara (DSBN) is a school board in the public school system of Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Niagara. ...

The Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) operates 3 Catholic Secondary Schools within the city. The Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) is a school board in the public separate school system of Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Niagara. ...

Communities and development