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77-513: The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is a 95,000-square-foot (8,800 m) cultural complex located in downtown St. Catharines , Ontario. It opened in 2015 as the result of a partnership between the City of St. Catharines and Brock University , which share the venue for production, performance and learning purposes. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects to host a variety of international and local performing artists, it comprises four separate venues:

154-436: A 770-seat concert hall (Partridge Hall), 300-seat recital hall, 210-seat multi-purpose dance/theatre venue (Robertson Theatre), and the 199-seat Film House. The creation of the centre spurred a cultural and economic renaissance in downtown St. Catharines along with neighbouring its neighbouring Meridian Centre and Brock University's Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts . St. Catharines St. Catharines

231-601: A Slave; that he was conveyed [transported] to America about the year 1760, and sold to a British officer; that he served his Majesty [King George III] during the American Revolutionary War in the Corps called Butler's Rangers; and again during the late American War in a Corps of Colour raised on the Niagara Frontier. That Your Excellency's Petitioner is now old and without property; that he finds it difficult to obtain

308-494: 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. St. Catharines was incorporated as a city in 1876. The city expanded when it annexed Grantham Township , Merritton , and Port Dalhousie . There

385-478: A dwelling house of 16 by 20 feet [4.9 by 6.1 m]; to clear one half of the Road in front of each lot. The whole to be performed within two years from the date of the ticket. Note The Settlement duty performed as attested & admitted. 15 Sept. 1826. Sig. T. Ridout. The farm was probably a settlement for many Black settlers, but the exact number is unknown. Very few records were left, and even orally transmitted history

462-585: A family with him, each family member being allotted an additional 50 acres (200,000 m ). There is some evidence that Pierpoint did not arrive alone as victualling records from 1786 indicate that a woman accompanied him. Pierpoint didn't appear on either an assessment or census and no documentary evidence exists to explain the situation. Conversely, his participation in the Petition of Free Negroes and subsequent sale or abandonment of his grant suggests he may have been single, at least by 1794. In 1794 Pierpont signed

539-562: A laborer. Following the outbreak of the War of 1812 , Pierpoint proposed to organize a Corps of Men of Colour on the Niagara frontier. His offer was refused, but a small Black corps was raised locally by a white officer, Jordan tavern-owner Robert Runchey . Pierpoint volunteered immediately for Captain Runchey's Company of Coloured Men even though he was in his sixties. The corps served with distinction at

616-493: A land area of 96.2 km (37.1 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,422.1/km (3,683.1/sq mi) in 2021. At the census metropolitan area (CMA) level in the 2021 census, the St. Catharines - Niagara CMA had a population of 433,604 living in 179,224 of its 190,878 total private dwellings, a change of 6.8% from its 2016 population of 406,074 . With a land area of 1,397.09 km (539.42 sq mi), it had

693-453: A livelihood by his labour; that he is above all things desirous to return to his native Country; that His Majesty's Government be graciously pleased to grant him any relief, he wishes it may be by affording him the means to proceed to England and from thence to a Settlement near the Gambia or Senegal Rivers, from whence he could return to Bondu ... York Upper Canada 21st July 1821 His request

770-399: A mystery. Hamilton's major profits were derived from transhipping supplies for the military and civic establishments from his Queenston enterprise, not from charitably supplying the subsistence Loyalist settlers. Hamilton lacked interest in social development and sold his business to Jesse Thompson before the turn of the 19th century. The Merritt family arrived after this time and was among

847-522: 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 a green roof , preferred carpool and hybrid vehicle parking, greywater collection, permeable interlocking brick pavement, and several bike racks for users. A mixed-use development, the structure

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924-459: A new spectator facility to replace the crumbling Garden 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

1001-510: 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. The Wine Route was modified to officially redirect winery goers through the downtown starting in 2012. The first phase of two-way traffic was completed in 2009, with St. Paul and King streets being converted. The cost of

1078-616: A population density of 310.4/km (803.8/sq mi) in 2021. Since 1998, St. Catharines has had one of the highest obesity rates of any centre in Canada. A 2001 analysis by Statistics Canada showed that 57.3 percent of its residents were overweight. This has caused some elements of the media, including CTV , the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation and The Globe and Mail to dub St. Catharines as Canada's "fattest" city. In 2008, new statistics were released that show that

1155-460: A swath of land known locally as the lower-level parking lot, behind St. Paul Street and abutting Highway 406. 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. The city has made other infrastructure improvements to the downtown. In January 2012,

1232-626: A world-class event that brings over 3,000 athletes from various nations to the city. The site hosted the FISA World Rowing Championships in 1970 and in 1999 . More recently, the World Master's Rowing Championship was held at the Martindale Pond in the summer of 2010, with $ 500,000 (~$ 682,158 in 2023) in improvements to the facility such as: a weed harvester, new docking and a new timing system. There are currently talks to bring

1309-819: 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, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre opened. In 2016, the Film House launched within the space, featuring cinema screenings with themed or genre-specific nights. The Grape and Wine Festival Parade

1386-733: Is at Port Weller. The Port Dalhousie Pier Marina and the Port Dalhousie Yacht Club are at Port Dalhousie. Richard Pierpoint Richard Pierpoint was born about 1744 in Bundu in what is now Senegal . When he was about sixteen, he was kidnapped and sold into slavery . Surviving the Middle Passage across the Atlantic Ocean , Pierpoint was sold to a military officer in British North America named Pierpoint, probably in one of

1463-400: Is held annually each September. More than 100,000 people were anticipated for the 2022 event. The International Chicken Chucking Championships takes place every January in the St. Catharines neighbourhood of Port Dalhousie and attracts hundreds of participants and observers. Chicken Chucking consists of pitching or sliding frozen chickens along the ice-covered Martindale Pond and is hosted by

1540-465: Is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region , the eighth largest urban area in the province of Ontario . As of 2017, St. Catharines has an area of 96.13 square kilometres (37.12 sq mi) and 140,370 residents. It lies in Southern Ontario , 51 kilometres (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario , and is 19 kilometres (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with

1617-688: Is unknown. Following the British defeat, the Rangers settled in Niagara . Among the Loyalists who came to Upper Canada (where they were given the name United Empire Loyalists ) were several hundred Blacks (the " Black Loyalists "). Blacks represented about 10% of the total Loyalist emigration. Communities such as Buxton and the Queen's Bush Settlement were examples of how Blacks created communities and helped develop many of

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1694-463: The -s . The name and the spelling were standardized as St. Catharines when the town incorporated in 1845. The Catherine after which the city is named is unclear. Common theories include Saint Catherine of Alexandria , Catherine Butler (wife of Colonel John Butler) , and Catherine Askin Hamilton (wife of Robert Hamilton ). Catharine Rodman Prendergast Merritt, wife of William Hamilton Merritt, may be

1771-633: The Battle of Queenston Heights , the siege of Fort George , and the Battle of Lundy's Lane as well as other engagements. They were also instrumental in the construction of Fort Mississauga. The corps was used for labor and garrison duty for the remainder of the war. Pierpoint's unit was honorably disbanded in 1815. As a veteran, Pierpoint was entitled to a 100-acre grant of old-growth forest. In his late 70s, in 1821, Pierpoint petitioned Lieutenant Governor Maitland for passage back to his homeland in Senegal instead of

1848-482: The Blizzard of 1977 , an event which resulted in more than 150 cm of snow, wind that travelled the speed of 110 km/h, and a wind chill of approximately -45 degrees Celsius. The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) was closed and a state of emergency was declared. The Canadian Armed Forces was involved in rescue efforts. St. Catharines' development history has resulted in a number of unique and distinct communities within

1925-453: The Kilt and Clover . Animal rights groups such as Niagara Action for Animals have protested the event. Proceeds from the event are donated to Community Care, a local food bank. St. Catharines was one of the cities that hosted the 2022 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

2002-717: The Meridian Centre . 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 the Ontario Hockey Association Junior 'A' Hockey in 1943 as the St. Catharines Falcons . In 1947, they became the Teepees and were affiliated with the American Hockey League 's Buffalo Bisons . When

2079-782: The National 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. The Hamilton Fincups moved to St. Catharines in 1976 and played here for one year before moving back to Hamilton. The AHL St. Catharines Saints played in St. Catharines between 1982 and 1986, before being forced to re-locate to Newmarket due to protests from

2156-768: The New England Colonies . Richard Pierpoint acted as his personal servant. In 1776, with the outbreak of the American Revolutionary War , many enslaved African Americans were offered freedom in exchange for fighting on the side of the British . By at least 1780, Pierpoint was one of about a dozen Black people fighting with the Butler's Rangers regiment. Some members of the regiment were formerly enslaved Black people who enlisted as non-combatant laborers or sappers . The total number of black soldiers in Butler's Rangers

2233-681: The Niagara Escarpment to the south. This climate allows wineries to flourish. As a result, 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, 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

2310-613: The Petition of Free Negroes to Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe requesting that freed Blacks who had served as soldiers be given land grants adjacent to each other so that the former comrades could help each other with land clearing as many lacked the large families necessary to clear the land on their own. The Petition was read by the Executive Council of Upper Canada Government on July 8, 1794, and dismissed. Pierpoint subsequently abandoned or sold his grant and supported himself as

2387-655: The Queens 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. League1 Ontario 's St. Catharines Wolves are one of the most successful professional soccer teams in Canada, and play at Club Roma in the west-end of the city. Martindale Pond in St. Catharines' Port Dalhousie is the site of the annual Royal Canadian Henley Regatta ,

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2464-630: The "people of the deer" lived in the region. The Chonnonton would grow vegetables like corn, beans, and squash while living in longhouses . In 1647 the Seneca conquered Chonnonton villages from east of the Niagara River. The Haudenosaunee 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. St. Catharines falls within

2541-484: The Canadian Rowing Hall of Fame to St. Catharines sometime in the near future. The pond is also home to the St. Catharines rowing club , Brock University rowing club, Ridley College rowing club and to the annual CSSRA 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

2618-736: The Golden Horseshoe Division of the Greater 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 the Sutherland Cup in 1979, 1990, 1994, 1997, 2000 and 2014, but won the cup in 2012. In 2015, the National Basketball League of Canada announced that Niagara had been awarded a new franchise to play in

2695-738: The IceDogs moved to the newly built Meridian Centre . Since starting out the team has won the Emms Trophy in 2010–2011 & 2018–2019. They have also won the Bobby Orr Trophy during 2011–2012 season and 2015–2016 season, qualifying for the OHL Finals. They would be beaten both times by the London Knights . The team has had numerous NHL alumni including Alex Pietrangelo , Dougie Hamilton , Vince Dunn , Ryan Strome , Akil Thomas and Mark Visentin . The current St. Catharines Falcons team plays in

2772-564: 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. Historians have speculated that Dick's Creek was named after Richard Pierpoint , a Black 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

2849-734: The Meridian Centre. The team, named the Niagara River Lions , began play in 2015 where they reached the conference quarterfinals. The team joined the Canadian Elite Basketball League after the 2017–18 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 the Edmonton Stingers . In 2024,

2926-834: The NHL Buffalo Sabres . The St. Catharines Saints served as the farm team for the Toronto Maple Leafs , and today are known as the Toronto Marlies . In 2007, the OHL 's Mississauga IceDogs relocated to St. Catharines and became the Niagara IceDogs . The IceDogs played out of the Jack Gatecliff Arena , which was renamed the Gatorade Garden City Complex (since renamed Garden City Arena Complex ). In 2014,

3003-780: 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 the New York–Penn League 's St. Catharines Blue Jays , the Short-season A affiliate of the Toronto Blue Jays , from 1986 to 1999. In 1996 the team was renamed the St. Catharines Stompers , and was subsequently sold and relocated to Queens , New York City in late 1999, where they became

3080-575: The Township of Garafraxa -- containing one hundred acres. A "land ticket" was issued to him on July 30, 1822. Pierpoint would only get full ownership of the plot once he had cleared at least 5 acres (20,000 m ) of trees, cleared a road to the plot, and built a house: Location Ticket grant on fulfilment of settling duties req'd by Order in Council of 20 Oct. 1818: to clear and fence 5 acres [20,000 m ] for every 100 acres [0.40 km ] granted; to erect

3157-460: The U.S.–Canada border. Its economy is affected by the millions of tonnes of cargo shipped through the Welland Canal, with the locks for the canal being considered a tourist attraction by itself. St. Catharines was the location of a transmission plant for General Motors . The 20 hectare property where the factory once operated is now classified as a contaminated brownfield . St. Catharines

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3234-696: The United States along the Niagara River . It is the northern entrance of the Welland Canal . Residents of St. Catharines are known as St. Catharinites . St. Catharines carries the official nickname "The Garden City" due to its 1,000 acres (4 km ) of parks, gardens, and trails. St. Catharines is between the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area (GTHA) and the Canada–U.S. border at Fort Erie . Manufacturing

3311-407: The additional 100 acres (0.40 km ) of the grant is open to speculation. His commanding officer John Butler may have considered him to have been an NCO (non-commissioned officer), such men being entitled to 200 acres (0.81 km ). Additionally, he might have been considered a United Empire Loyalist and thereby entitled to an additional 100 acres (0.40 km ). Alternatively, he may have had

3388-400: The ambitious venture by raising funds and enlisting government support. The canal established St. Catharines as the hub of commerce and industry for the Niagara Peninsula . Merritt played a role in making St. Catharines a centre of abolitionist activity. In 1855, the British Methodist Episcopal Church, Salem Chapel ; was established at the corner of Geneva and North Streets on land granted to

3465-407: 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

3542-409: The centre, which features concert, dance and film venues, is Brock 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. In late 2011, city council approved moving forward with the construction of

3619-406: 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

3696-501: The communities in Southern Ontario. Blacks were entitled to the same proportion of land as their fellow Loyalists only if they fought for the British as a freeman. Others of African descent were not included as Loyalists. In 1788, Pierpoint was located on 200 acres (0.81 km ) of land in present-day St. Catharines . Loyalists first settled in the City of St. Catharines in the 1780s. Early histories credit Serjeant Jacob Dittrick and Private John Hainer, formerly of Butler's Rangers, among

3773-542: 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 the Underground Railroad for African-American refugees fleeing slavery. The abolitionist Harriet Tubman then lived in St. Catharines. By the mid-1850s, the town's population was about 6,000, of whom 800 were of African descent. St. Catharines remains an important place in Black Canadian history. At an unknown early date, an inn

3850-444: The conversion was $ 3.5 million and was shared with Niagara Region. In 2012, most observers concluded that the change had achieved its goals; it garnered national media attention. 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 the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre . Complementing

3927-429: 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. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −25.7 °C (−14.3 °F) on 18 February 1979. 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

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4004-492: The east and north that would collectively become the central part of St. Catharines. In addition to the growth of St. Catharines, the town of Merritton and the town of Port 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

4081-457: The eastern portion of the Hamlet of Rockway , as well as the Hamlet of Power Glen . The few remaining portions of Grantham Township in the Northeast corner of the area, including Port 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

4158-409: The first to come to the area, taking up their Crown Patents where Dick's Creek and 12 Mile Creek merge, now the city center of St. Catharines. Although never documented, some St. Catharines' historians have concluded that Dick's Creek was named after Richard Pierpoint, a Black Loyalist. Under normal circumstances, a private would have only received a grant of 100 acres (0.40 km ), so the reason for

4235-405: The land grant. A certificate from the Adjutant General Nathaniel Coffin was attached. The Petition of Richard Pierpoint, now of the Town of Niagara, a Man of Colour, a native of Africa, and an inhabitant of this Province since the year 1780. Most humbly showeth, That Your Excellency's Petitioner is a native of Bondu in Africa; that at the age of Sixteen Years he was made a Prisoner and sold as

4312-423: 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 the Regional 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

4389-427: The later Loyalists to relocate after the American Revolution. They were from the Carolinas , New York State , and New Brunswick . In 1796, Thomas Merritt arrived to build on his relationship with his former Commander and Queen's Ranger , John Graves Simcoe , who was now the Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada . The first Welland Canal was constructed from 1824 to 1833. William Hamilton Merritt worked to promote

4466-472: The main telecommunications backbones 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 the Growth 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. St. Catharines is also home to Brock University . The Iroquoian speaking Chonnonton peoples who were also known as

4543-724: The municipality itself as an employer became the largest in Ontario to offer a living wage , an action praised by the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network. As of the 2021 Census, 16.5% of residents were visible 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%). In 2021, 58.3% of residents were Christians, down from 71.8% in 2011. 25.8% of residents were Catholic , 17.8% were Protestant , 9.4% were Christians of unspecified denomination, 1.3% were Christian Orthodox , and 3.9 were other Christian/Christian related traditions. 35.9% of

4620-432: The opening of the first Welland Canal in 1829, the city has had 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 beside the present-day Highway 406 and near Lake Street and the QEW highway. Other remnants of

4697-409: The original canals can still be seen in various locations throughout the city; many remains are hidden within forested areas designated as city parks. Some residents in the region are interested in restoring the original routing of the Welland Canal through the city. They intend that the restored waterway and locks would be open to a new tourist attraction within the city. St. Catharines was affected by

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4774-412: 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 Crown granted land in compensation for services and for losses in the United States. Early histories credit

4851-427: The percentage obese or obese/overweight residents of Hamilton (74.3%), Kingston (70.1%), and St. 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. 23% of children in St. Catharines were estimated to be living in poverty as of 2015, which was above Canada's average rate of child poverty . In 2022,

4928-413: 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 were Islam (3.4%), Buddhism (0.6%), and Hinduism (0.6%). Tourism was considered to be an influential factor in Conference Board of Canada 's projected GDP growth for St. Catharines. The city is approximately 20 km from

5005-405: The source of the -ar spelling. An alternate theory to explain the spelling was that Catharine with an -ar was the typical spelling of the name for Palatine German settlers in the region. St. Catharines' climate is humid continental ( Köppen borderline Dfa / Dfb ). It has a unique micro-climate because of the moderating influence of Lake Ontario / Lake Erie and the sheltering effect of

5082-411: The source of the name. Secondary to water routes, indigenous trails provided transportation networks, which resulted in the nearby radial road patterns. The surrounding land was surveyed, and ownships were created between 1787 and 1789. After the Butler's Rangers disbanded in 1784 and settled the area, Duncan Murray, as a former quartermaster in the 84th Regiment of Foot (Royal Highland Emigrants) ,

5159-403: The world. The rowing event in the Pan American Games were held in St. Catharines in 2015. Several Olympic medallists in rowing are from St. Catharines, including Melanie Kok , Buffy Williams , and Dave Boyes . St Catherines will host the 2024 World Rowing Championships . There are marinas at Port Dalhousie and Port Weller and a club that sails from Municipal Beach. The St. Catharines Marina

5236-414: Was allocated in the city's budget in 2021 for these road closures. In 2023, this initiative was discontinued. (>2000 population) + North American Indigenous , n.o.s. 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 . With

5313-539: Was also a push to continue further expansion to the west in the late 1990s, but this has since been halted by Ontario 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

5390-660: Was appointed by the Crown to distribute free government supplies (victuals) for two years to the resettled Loyalists. He did this from his mill, built on the 12 Mile Creek in Power 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. Murray's distribution centre, later Hamilton's warehouse, and its location have long been

5467-413: 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, 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 old Iroquois Trail and

5544-623: Was denied, and instead, Pierpoint and several other Coloured Corps veterans were given land grants in Garafraxa, just outside present-day Fergus . Grant to Richard Pierpoint of the Township of Grantham in the County of Lincoln in the Niagara District, farmer -- as a private in the Coloured Corps under Captain Runchey and Lieutenant Robertson -- the easterly half of Lot No. 6 in the 1st Concession of

5621-474: 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. Three wineries operate in the city's west end: Henry of Pelham Winery , Hernder Estates and Harvest Estates. Since

5698-449: 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. Starting in 2019, certain streets located in downtown St. Catharines have been closed during weekends to vehicle traffic. These pedestrian zones have expanded over time. $ 214,500 (~$ 237,951 in 2023)

5775-417: 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,

5852-430: Was some westward expansion, which was divided between St. Catharines and Lincoln . 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, but it would often be spelled with -er- or with an apostrophe before

5929-593: Was the city's dominant industry, as noted by the heraldic motto, "Industry and Liberality". General Motors of Canada, Ltd. , the Canadian subsidiary of General Motors , was the city's largest employer, a distinction now held by the District School Board of Niagara . THK Rhythm Automotive, formerly TRW , operates a plant in the city, although in recent years, employment there has shifted from heavy industry and manufacturing to services. St. Catharines lies on one of

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