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The City of St. Catharines remembers ...
Every year on Nov. 11 Canadians come together for Remembrance Day to reflect and acknowledge the men and women who served or continue to serve their country during times of war, conflict and peace.
During a moment of silence at 11 a.m. Canadians remember and honour the courage and sacrifice of those who fought for our country.
Everyone is invited to City Hall and the Cenotaph at Memorial Park for Remembrance Day ceremonies on Nov. 11. At 10:15 a.m. veterans will lay wreaths at the Honour Rolls and Watson Memorial on the lawn at City Hall. The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 24 will hold a Remembrance Day service at the Cenotaph in Memorial Park.
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Stories from the Front Remembrance Day performance
A special Remembrance Day performance of Stories from the Front is set for the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.
Actors will bring the St. Catharines experience during the First World War to life with powerful stories, music and imagery drawn from the museum's Doing our Bit: WWI From St. Catharines to the Western Front exhibition and collection. The performance begins at 2 p.m. Tickets are $5 per person.
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St. Catharines man's design chosen for commemorative loonie
Congratulations to St. Catharines resident, Wesley Klassen, whose winning design was selected for the Canada 150 commemorative loonie artwork by the Canadian Mint.
Klassen's design is one of five selected by thousands of Canadians who took part in a national contest to create circulation coin designs for the 150th anniversary in 2017. The mint revealed the five selected designs at special events across the country, including revealing Klassen's design at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Klassen's design recognizes many of our countries achievements and draws on childhood memories of vacations and travels across Canada. It recognizes some iconic engineering achievements from the West to East coasts - all connected by railroad.
Congratulations Wesley - St. Catharines is very proud of you and your work and look forward to celebrating Canada's 150th birthday with you and your family.
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Street sweepers will be out soon
The City will soon be out cleaning leaves and grit from City streets.
Leaves on roads can cause slippery conditions for pedestrians and motorists, and increase the risk for flooding by clogging drains. To prevent this, City crews will clean leaves, dust and other debris from the streets.
You can help the City by not parking on the road between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m. when street cleaners are in your neighbourhood. Don't rake yard waste or other garbage onto roads: It could cause drainage issues and other hazards to pedestrians and motorists.
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Put yard waste in its place
Are you cleaning up your yard and garden for winter? Be sure to put yard waste in its place.
The Niagara Region picks up most yard waste placed at the curb in green organics bins and large paper bags during regular weekly garbage collection. The Region will also pick up small bundles of branches left at the curb on regular collection days until Nov. 25.
Branches and yard waste should not be dumped in ravines or creeks because they could be carried downstream, create blockages and cause water levels to flood.
Can't get the mess cleaned up in time? Branches and grass clippings can be dropped off at landfills anytime free of charge. Visit www.niagararegion.ca or call 905.356.4141 for more information about yard waste pickup.
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Loonie swim coming up
Make a splash for only $1 Monday, Nov. 14 from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre.
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PA Day activities at the City
There's a PA Day coming up on Friday, Nov. 18. Check out what the City has to offer to keep your children busy.
No school, get in the pool
Museum
The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre needs help crafting decorrations for it's annual Mitten Tree campaign, a drive to collect new and gently used warm winter clothing, such as mittens, hats, scarves and socks, for families and children in need.
Youngsters can spend their PA Day making crafts and helping decorate the museum for the event
. There will be mitten-themed crafts, hot-chocolate and a special I-Spy scavenger hunt. Craft workshops at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Admission by donation ($2 per child suggested). Children must be accompanied by an adult.
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Santa Claus is coming to town
The countdown to Christmas begins Sunday, Nov. 20, with the St. Catharines Santa Claus Parade.
This year's parade starts at 3:30 p.m. at the corner of Queen and Duke streets, marches along Queen Street and turns left onto St. Paul Street, continues along James Street, turns left onto Church Street and ends at Wellington Street.
Festivities kick off with a pre-parade free skate at the Meridian Centre from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. After the parade, families can enjoy crafts, face painting and other activities, live entertainment and meet Santa Claus from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at Market Square. At 5:15 p.m. organizers will flip the switch for the
Hotel Dieu Shaver Foundation Holiday Tree Lighting on the front lawn of City Hall.
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Free skating, swimming for National Child Day
Celebrate National Child Day with free skating and swimming.
National Child Day is celebrated around the world every year on Nov. 20 to recognize the adoption of the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child in 1959 and the Convention of the Rights of the Child in 1989.
The Niagara Children's Planning Council is partnering with the City to offer free skating and swimming for St. Catharines families to enjoy together.
Free skating
Sunday, Nov. 20
1 p.m. to 3 p.m
Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre
Free swimming
Sunday, Nov. 20
2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.
St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre
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Older Adult Forum set for Nov. 30
Are you an older adult with something to say about how to make St. Catharines a better place? Do you know any older adults who have an opinion?
Mayor Walter Sendzik and council will discuss issues that are important to the older adult community here in the Garden City during the second annual St. Catharines Older Adult Forum Wednesday, Nov. 30. All are welcome to attend. The forum takes place at the Irene Locke Room, St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
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Bill Burgoyne Arena open
Bill Burgoyne Arena is open and operating at regular business hours following the completion of repairs to the facility's brine distribution system.
Bill Burgoyne Arena closed Oct. 20 for repairs to its brine distribution system, which is used to cool the ice pad and remove heat from the pad.
Repairs were completed by late October and on Nov. 1 crews began installing and preparing the ice surface.
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Up next at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
I.AM.ME - Friday, Nov. 11
The current reigning champions of MTV's America's Best Dance Crew Season 6 who create large scale visuals, shapes and puzzles with their human bodies.
Voix de Ville - Extravagonzo - Nov. 18 + 19
This is the evolution of the Niagara Artists Centre's STRUTT. Expect the unexpected, wearable art beguiling projections, exhilarating set design featuring Kids in the Hall's Bruce McCulloch, Shadowy Men on A Shadowy Planet and more!
Toopy & Binoo Fun and Games - Monday, Nov. 22
The zaniness continues as best friends Toopy and Binoo return to the live stage with whimsical exuberance. Families will dance and sing-along.
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A Report from
Mayor Walter Sendzik
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As we head into a busy fall and holiday season, I'd like to invite you to join myself and City Council at several upcoming events and community meetings.
Remembrance Day services are being held across the city on Friday, Nov. 11.
On Sunday, Nov. 20, we will officially kick off holiday celebrations in St. Catharines with the
Santa Claus parade
. New this year, parade day will begin with a free family skate at the Meridian Centre and post-parade tree-lighting ceremony at City Hall. Please remember to bring your non-perishable food donations in support of Community Care's holiday food drive.
Work on a plan to improve inter-municipal transit in St. Catharines and the region is continuing. Back on Oct. 24 City Council received a presentation from the inter-municipal transit working group on options for route optimization, fare integration and expanded services. Beginning next week, the working group of mayors and senior staff from St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland, together with a team from Dillon Consulting will be holding several public meetings and seeking feedback from transit users, businesses and the community about plans for improved transit for the region. Please come out to learn more and share your views at any of the meetings being held across the region:
- Nov. 16, 7-9 p.m. at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre, 425 Carlton St., St. Catharines
- Nov. 23, 7-9 p.m. at Welland City Hall, multi-purpose room, 60 East Main St., Welland
- Nov. 29, 7-9 p.m. at Town of Lincoln, Council Chambers, 4800 South Service Rd., Lincoln
- Nov. 30, 7-9 p.m. at McBain Community Centre, Rooms D&E, 7150 Montrose Rd., Niagara Falls
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Council directs mayor, staff to finalize naming rights deal for IceDogs Way
Council directed Mayor Walter Sendzik and CAO Dan Carnegie to reach out to the Burke family to reconsider withdrawing their $1 million donation in exchange for the naming rights of IceDogs Way.
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Port pavillion back to the drawing board
Council wants to consider additional designs for the new picnic pavilion at Lakeside Park that reflect the history of Port Dalhousie and Lakeside Park.
Council directed ward councillors, the mayor, deputy mayor, City staff and the chair of the St. Catharines Heritage Permit advisory Committee to review alternatives and make a recommendation promptly.
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St. Paul St. streetscaping moving forward
A plan to make the St. Paul Street/Carlisle Street intersection more pedestrian friendly is moving forward.
Council directed staff to finalize new streetscaping designs for St. Paul Street that includes new sidewalks, curbs, lighting, street furniture and landscaping.
The City will study the impacts of the proposed changes to the intersection later this month. The City will set up pylons and other traffic devices to simulate the new road design.
Council also directed staff to look at eliminating the need for pedestrians to initiate signal crossings and to report back on possibility implementing an all way pedestrian crossing.
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S'No Parking back for 2016-17 winter
Winter is coming and residents will have another year to get used to temporary parking bans on City streets during and immediately after snow storms.
Last winter the City introduced S'No Parking, a call to residents to not park on the road when snow plows are out cleaning up wintery messes. Because there were only three major snowfalls last winter City Council wants another year of raising awareness before putting a full winter parking ban into effect.
The City also identified four exemption zones where residents have limited or no available parking on their property.
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Other news
PAC board
Coun. Carlos Garcia and Coun. Mark Elliot were appointed to liaise with staff developing the municipal service board governance model for the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.
Integrity commissioner
Council is tapping John Mascarin of the law firm Aird and Berlis LLP as the City's integrity commissioner for the rest of this term of council with an option to renew for two additional four year terms.
Third Street Louth
Council lowered the speed limit to 50 km/h on Third Street Louth between Hutton Street and the South Service Road.
Planning matters
Council will allow owners of a three-storey, 12-unit apartment building at 11 Permilla Street to sell units as condos. Council will not allow owners of six apartment buildings at 100 Woodrow St. and 80 Rockwood Ave. to sell units as condos.
Budget
Council requested the Niagara Region approve the single sub-class tax rate reduction of 30 per cent for both industrial and commercial classes for 2017.
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More council online
Council Highlights offers informal summaries of some of the recent decisions and business discussed during St. Catharines City Council meetings. The Office of the City Clerk provides a full recap of decisions and motions in its official minutes, available on the Friday after every St. Catharines City Council meeting.
Click here for City of St. Catharines council meeting agendas and minutes.
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Digital versions of the Garden City Current are available. Click here to read past issues.
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Nov. 21
City Council
6:30 p.m., City Hall
Click here to learn about other upcoming meetings.
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Click here to learn about construction projects happening in the City.
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