St. Catharines, Ontario, is a city that beautifully blends history and modernity. As the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region and the eighth largest urban area in Ontario, St. Catharines is a vibrant community with a rich history and a promising future.
St. Catharines is located in Southern Ontario, 51 kilometres south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and 19 kilometres inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal. As of 2017, the city covers an area of 96.13 square kilometres and is home to 140,370 residents. Known as "The Garden City," St. Catharines boasts 1,000 acres of parks, gardens, and trails.
The city is strategically positioned between the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the Canada–U.S. border at Fort Erie. Once dominated by the manufacturing industry, St. Catharines has seen a shift in employment from heavy industry and manufacturing to services in recent years.
St. Catharines lies on one of the main telecommunications backbones between Canada and the United States, hosting a number of call centres. It is designated an Urban Growth Centre by the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, aiming to achieve a minimum density target of 150 jobs and residents combined per hectare by 2032 or earlier.
The early history of St. Catharines, Ontario, is marked by the presence of the Iroquoian speaking Chonnonton peoples, also known as the "people of the deer." The region was later conquered by the Seneca in 1647 and was devastated by attacks and smallpox epidemics in the 1650s.
St. Catharines falls within the original territory of the Mississaugas. 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. St. Catharines was settled by Loyalists in the 1780s.
The city's early histories credit the Loyalists Serjeant Jacob Dittrick and Private John Hainer as among the first settlers to come to the area in 1790. They took their Crown Patents, where Dick's Creek and 12 Mile Creek merge, which is now the city centre of St. Catharines.
Before it was called St. Catharines, the settlement near Twelve Mile Creek was known by various names, including Shipman's Corners and The Twelve. The name St. Catharines was first recorded in 1796, as St. Catherines, and became a common name for the settlement by 1809. The name and the spelling were standardized as St. Catharines when the town incorporated in 1845.
St. Catharines' climate is humid continental, with a unique micro-climate due to the moderating influence of Lake Ontario/Lake Erie and the sheltering effect of the Niagara Escarpment to the south. This climate allows wineries to flourish. The city records numerous frost-free days and frequent thaws in the winter, although it sometimes receives heavy lake-effect snow during certain wind conditions.
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 wines.
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 of Louth Township on the west and Grantham 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 become Western Hill and Old Glenridge, and to the east and north that would collectively become the central part of St. Catharines.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, St. Catharines had a population of 136,803 living in 58,903 of its 61,977 total private dwellings, a change of 2.8% from its 2016 population of 133,113. As of the 2021 Census, 16.5% of residents were visible minorities, 2.5% had Indigenous identity, and the remaining 81.0% were White.
St. Catharines is home to a variety of theatre companies, including Garden City Productions, Carousel Players, Mirror Theatre, Essential Collectives Theatre, and the Empty Box Theatre Company. The city also hosts several events, including the Grape and Wine Festival Parade and the International Chicken Chucking Championships.
Attractions in St. Catharines include the Lakeside Park Carousel, Morningstar Mill, Pen Centre, and the St. Catharines Armoury. The city also boasts several parks, including Montebello Park, Lakeside Park, Burgoyne Woods, Happy Rolph's Bird Sanctuary, Ontario Jaycee Gardens, Walker Arboretum, and Woodgale Park.
The most defining transportation icon of St. Catharines is the Welland Canal, a ship canal that runs 43.4 kilometres, passing through the city. The city is also served by two major freeways, the Queen Elizabeth Way and Highway 406. Public transportation is served by the St. Catharines Transit Commission, which operates bus routes throughout the city and neighbouring Thorold.
St. Catharines, Ontario, has a sister city relationship with Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago. This relationship fosters cultural exchange and mutual understanding between the two cities.
In conclusion, St. Catharines, Ontario, is a city that offers a unique blend of history, culture, and modern amenities. Whether you're a resident or a visitor, there's always something to discover in St. Catharines.
