St. Catharines - Communities and Development

Communities and Development

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 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 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 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 in 1983, and Vansickle in 1987. These developments are nearing completion. There was also a push to continue further expansion to the west in the late 1990s, but this has since been halted by Ontario Greenbelt legislation.

The following distinct communities exist within St. Catharines:

• North
  • Bunting
  • Facer
  • Lancaster
  • Michigan Beach
  • The North End
  • Port Dalhousie
  • Port Weller
  • St. George's Point
• Central
  • Fitzgerald
  • Haig
  • Orchard Park
  • Queenston
  • Downtown St. Catharines
• West
  • Martindale
  • Power Glen
  • Vansickle
  • Western Hill
• East
  • Kernahan
  • Lock 3
  • Merritton
  • Oakdale
  • Secord Woods
• South
  • Barbican Heights
  • Brockview
  • Burleigh Hill
  • Glenridge
  • Marsdale
  • Riverview
• Louth Agricultural Lands