The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority is one of 36 conservation authorities in the Canadian province of Ontario . It was established via the Conservation Authorities Act , and is a member authority of Conservation Ontario .
83-656: The authority is responsible for the management and protection of the watershed in the Niagara Peninsula , which includes the Niagara River , Welland River , and other bodies of water flowing into Lake Erie and Lake Ontario . It covers all of the Regional Municipality of Niagara and portions of Haldimand County and the city of Hamilton . The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority manages 41 conservation areas, including: This Ontario -related article
166-494: 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
249-493: 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
332-454: A major role in attracting visitors seeking a unique cultural experience. Most of the local wineries offer full tours of their facilities with a few offering onsite dining featuring unique Canadian cuisine paired with their own VQA vintages. It is common for many of these wineries' world-class chefs to use fresh ingredients that are grown or acquired from local farms in season. Some wineries also feature live music and theatrical performances in
415-399: 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
498-522: 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
581-459: 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
664-510: 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
747-616: 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
830-460: 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,
913-626: 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
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#1732845043911996-451: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Niagara Peninsula The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie , in Ontario , Canada . Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula , it stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario , in the west. The peninsula
1079-819: 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
1162-400: 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
1245-759: Is located in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario , and has a population of roughly 1,000,000 residents. The region directly across the Niagara River and Lake Erie in New York State is known as the Niagara Frontier . The greater part of the peninsula is incorporated as the Regional Municipality of Niagara . Cities in the region include St. Catharines , Niagara Falls , Thorold , Port Colborne and Welland . Towns include Niagara-on-the-Lake , Lincoln , Pelham , Grimsby and Fort Erie , as well as
1328-448: Is lower. The three major cities, St. Catharines , Niagara Falls and Welland are mostly urban with most needed services available locally. The remainder of the peninsula, especially to the far west and south, is either partially urban or almost entirely rural. Centres of higher education are Brock University and Niagara College , both offering undergraduate and post-graduate studies in many disciplines. The major roadway bisecting
1411-446: Is the famous Shaw Festival Theater (named for playwright George Bernard Shaw ) located in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake . A resident repertory company of actors uses three theatres during a six-month season. Niagara-on-the-Lake is also the location of Fort George , a British-built and -occupied fort during the War of 1812 . It was rebuilt for the public during the 1960s and is open during
1494-582: 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 was the city's dominant industry, as noted by
1577-463: 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
1660-482: 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
1743-453: 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
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#17328450439111826-717: 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
1909-782: 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
1992-681: 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
2075-655: 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 ,
2158-538: The vintner . There is an official [1] Wine Routes Guide for those that wish to self-drive while transportation companies offering wine tours operate out of major hotel and bed and breakfast establishments in Niagara Falls , Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto . (Driving from downtown Toronto to the Niagara wine region is about two hours.) Another major attraction for the well travelled looking for cultural activities
2241-574: 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
2324-461: The 19th century by industrial developments. A succession of canals were built to connect the markets and mineral resources of the upper Great Lakes with the St. Lawrence Seaway (See also Welland Canal ). General Motors built a considerable presence in St. Catharines with auto plants and a foundry, and a number of auto-parts manufacturers followed. Dry docks were also built at Port Weller on Lake Ontario. Heavy industry has been diminishing for
2407-484: 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
2490-736: 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
2573-738: 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
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2656-655: The Iroquois c. 1650 as the latter sought to expand their fur-trapping territory as part of the Beaver Wars . From this point until the arrival of United Empire Loyalists following the American War of Independence , the region was only sporadically inhabited, as the Iroquois did not establish permanent settlements in the area. The Niagara Peninsula then became one of the first areas settled in Upper Canada by British Loyalists in
2739-564: 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
2822-734: 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,
2905-834: 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,
2988-519: The Niagara Peninsula has both the highest density and growth rate of seniors for any region within Ontario. The highest percentage of seniors to the total population is located within the city of Port Colborne . During the early 1990s a major telecommunications highway between metropolitan Toronto and the U.S. was upgraded to become one of North America's fastest fiber backbones. It passes through
3071-745: The Regional government, began operation in late 2006 but is restricted to those requiring transport to medical appointments throughout the region and have no other means of transportation. (Other restrictions apply.) The region hopes to have a fully integrated region-level transit system by the end of the decade. Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Grimsby are all connected to the CN railway line. Via Rail offers limited daily commuter and weekend service between these three peninsula municipalities and Toronto and many points between. Via Rail and Amtrak also offer daily southbound service from Toronto to New York City with stops at
3154-780: 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
3237-460: 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
3320-403: The agricultural period of European settlement, the Niagara area became an important industrial centre, with water-powered mills joined later by hydro-electric power generation in Niagara Falls and electricity-intensive industry in both Niagara Falls and St. Catharines . While agriculture – especially fruit farming along the shore of Lake Ontario – remains important to this day, it was joined in
3403-476: 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
Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority - Misplaced Pages Continue
3486-407: 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
3569-508: The area for more than 150 years primarily thanks to Niagara Falls . New development beginning during the mid-1990s has spun off an upscale hospitality boom throughout the whole Niagara Peninsula. Today, more than 10 million guests visit the peninsula annually to see the beauty of the Falls and the Niagara Parks . Ecotourism has become more popular with more people finding and exploring out of
3652-409: 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
3735-734: The city of Welland. Another shorter freeway is Highway 405 , named the General Isaac Brock Parkway in 2006. It begins at the QEW in Niagara-on-the-Lake, just east of St. Catharines, and ends about 9 km away at Queenston, Ontario , where it connects to an international bridge that crosses into the United States at Lewiston, New York . This is also a major travel zone for the Canada/US trucking industry. All cities and some towns in
3818-406: 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
3901-660: 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
3984-496: 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
4067-429: 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
4150-492: 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
4233-558: 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
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#17328450439114316-400: 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 the United States along the Niagara River . It
4399-451: The heart of the Niagara Peninsula and enters the U.S. at Buffalo, New York . This gave Niagara the advantage of having direct access to the backbone and attracting many new professional call centers. Compared with the cities of Toronto , Hamilton and most Ontario municipalities with populations similar in size to the whole of the Niagara Peninsula, the average cost of living is very reasonable. The cost of housing, both owned and rented,
4482-433: 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
4565-423: 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
4648-399: The late 18th century. The capital of the new colony was established with the founding of Niagara-on-the-Lake , then called Newark. Many English and Irish immigrants settled in the peninsula, but by the 1800s, Italian and German immigrants heavily populated the peninsula and were the chief sources of immigrants followed by French , Polish , and other Central Europeans . Following
4731-427: 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
4814-472: 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
4897-724: 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
4980-432: 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
5063-409: 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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#17328450439115146-412: 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
5229-524: The past decade or more primarily due to the slow-down of the North American automotive manufacturers. Thousands of jobs have been lost at long-time area employers such as General Motors , Thompson Products , Deere & Company , Dana Canada Corp, Port Weller Drydocks, Domtar Papers, and Gallagher Thorold Paper. Because of this, local municipalities have been forced to look at new and diversified opportunities to prevent an exodus of well trained staff. Hospitality and tourism has attracted numerous visitors to
5312-414: The peninsula have taxi services while St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland all have a local transit commission. There is also one major airbus company that services Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo airports exclusively. Most cities and some towns also have very limited inter-city bus services operated mostly by Greyhound and Coach Canada. A specialized inter-city regional bus service, owned and operated by
5395-445: The peninsula is the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). This freeway connects Toronto and Buffalo, New York , in the United States. It is one of the major thoroughfares for the North American trucking industry and is responsible for supporting the carriage of nearly one third of all goods imported and exported. The second major roadway is Highway 406 which begins at the QEW in west St. Catharines and ends approximately 30 km south in
5478-427: 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,
5561-413: 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
5644-427: The same stations. The Niagara Region also possesses significant maritime shipping infrastructure. The region is home to Port Weller, Port Colborne, the Welland Canal , and the largest Canadian Great Lakes port, in Hamilton . 43°00′N 79°30′W / 43.00°N 79.50°W / 43.00; -79.50 St. Catharines St. Catharines is the most populous city in Canada's Niagara Region ,
5727-405: 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
5810-411: 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) ,
5893-429: The summer months. Other key historical locations nearby include: Brock 's Monument, the Laura Secord Monument and the battlefield sites of Battle of Queenston Heights , Battle of Lundy's Lane and Battle of Chippawa . The region's moderate year-round climate, in addition to its close proximity to the United States for easy road and air access to the southern U.S., makes it a popular retirement destination. In fact,
5976-506: The townships Wainfleet and West Lincoln . The remainder of the peninsula encompasses parts of the City of Hamilton and Haldimand County . The area was originally inhabited by a First Nations people called the " Neutrals ", so named for their practice of trading goods such as flint arrowhead blanks with both of the feuding regional powers, the Wyandot and Iroquois . The Neutrals were wiped out by
6059-471: The vineyard during the summer months. Visitors come during the coldest months of the year (usually December to February) to watch some varieties of grapes being harvested and pressed outdoors in the vineyard as part of the process of creating the sweetest, and among the most expensive, wine on earth – ice wine . A few Niagara Peninsula wineries have won the most prestigious international awards for their ice wine products, many of which are only available from
6142-444: The way places such as the Niagara Escarpment , named a world Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1990. Another area of major tourism growth in the past thirty years has been the expansion of the grape and wine industry. The Niagara Peninsula is one of four recognized viticultural areas by the VQA in the Ontario wine industry. The many European-style wineries and vineyards have played
6225-463: 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
6308-414: 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
6391-539: 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
6474-760: 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
6557-462: 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
6640-474: 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
6723-449: 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)
6806-417: 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,
6889-430: 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
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