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St. Catharines Downtown Association

Category: Downtown in the News


Downtown Bunny Trail
Posted on April 15, 2025April 16, 2025 in BIA Member Communications, Downtown in the News, Featured Members

Downtown Bunny Trail

Thank you to everyone who came out to the 1st Annual Downtown St. Catharines Bunny Trail on April 12, 2025. […]

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Coming Together to Serve: Reflecting on the 2024-2025 Out of the Cold Season
Posted on April 9, 2025April 9, 2025 in BIA Member Communications, Downtown in the News

Coming Together to Serve: Reflecting on the 2024-2025 Out of the Cold Season

As we look back on another season of Out of the Cold, The St. Catharines Downtown Association (SCDA) would like […]

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RFQ: Photo/Video
Posted on March 28, 2025March 28, 2025 in Business Announcements, Downtown in the News

RFQ: Photo/Video

Request for Quotes (RFQ) for Photography and/or Videography and/or Drone Services Issued by: St. Catharines Downtown Association (Suite 14, 80 […]

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Downtown History of Public Transportation
Posted on July 9, 2024July 10, 2024 in Downtown in the News, Featured Members, Member Feature

Downtown History of Public Transportation

DYK that the history of public transportation in #DowntownStCatharines goes all the way back to 1874? The local public transportation […]

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Downtown Patios
Posted on June 27, 2024August 2, 2024 in Downtown in the News, Featured Members

Downtown Patios

It’s patio season!  Soak up the sunshine while dining in a restaurant and bar scene that has something for every […]

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NEW BUSINESS: NPAAMB
Posted on June 25, 2024July 10, 2024 in Downtown in the News, Featured Members, Member Feature

NEW BUSINESS: NPAAMB

Welcome the Niagara Peninsula Aboriginal Area Management Board (NPAAMB) at 39 Geneva Street, an Indigenous Employment Training organization that provides […]

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Article: Third St. Catharines Holi Festival paints the city in peace and laughter
Posted on June 25, 2024June 26, 2024 in Downtown in the News, Uncategorised

Article: Third St. Catharines Holi Festival paints the city in peace and laughter

Thank you to The St. Catharines Standard for the feature on the 2024 Downtown Holi Festival of Colour By Bill Sawchuk! […]

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History of St. Paul Street
Posted on June 18, 2024November 17, 2025 in Downtown in the News, Uncategorised

History of St. Paul Street

DYK that St. Paul Street is a part of the Iroquois Trail that has been here for 10,000 years?  Today […]

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Holi Festival of Colour Returns Downtown Next Saturday
Posted on June 13, 2024December 22, 2025 in BIA Member Communications, Downtown in the News

Holi Festival of Colour Returns Downtown Next Saturday

The streets of Downtown St. Catharines are set to come alive with a burst of colour on Saturday, June 22, […]

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Father’s Day in Downtown St. Catharines
Posted on June 7, 2024June 13, 2024 in Downtown in the News, Featured Members

Father’s Day in Downtown St. Catharines

Happy Father’s Day! Treat your Father figures to a fantastic weekend in Downtown St. Catharines! Need some gift ideas? Share […]

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NEW BUSINESS: EARTH TO EVE
Posted on May 16, 2024 in BIA Member Communications, Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Featured Members

NEW BUSINESS: EARTH TO EVE

Welcome Earth to Eve at 331 St. Paul St, a new botanical store that’s offering tropical plants and fauna. The […]

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St. Catharines considers Downtown Heritage District
Posted on April 24, 2024April 24, 2024 in BIA Member Communications, Business Announcements, Downtown in the News

St. Catharines considers Downtown Heritage District

St. Catharines is looking to make the downtown core, a heritage district. The downtown is the city’s urban growth area. […]

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Downtown St. Catharines comes together for Out of the Cold Supper program
Posted on April 4, 2024September 13, 2024 in BIA Member Communications, Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Featured Members

Downtown St. Catharines comes together for Out of the Cold Supper program

As another season draws to a close, the St. Catharines Downtown Association (SCDA) extends a sincere thank you to the […]

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Lunchtime Downtown
Posted on March 19, 2024March 23, 2024 in Downtown in the News, Member Feature

Lunchtime Downtown

Read our blog on some of our favourite spots, a full list of restaurants open for lunch is available below. […]

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NEW BUSINESS: SOLAIA
Posted on February 29, 2024February 29, 2024 in Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Featured Members, Member Feature

NEW BUSINESS: SOLAIA

Welcome Solaia at 30 St. Paul St, a new restaurant that’s offering a modern twist on classic Italian dishes. The […]

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NEW BUSINESS: RODMAN ART INSTITUTE OF NIAGARA
Posted on February 23, 2024February 23, 2024 in Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Member Feature

NEW BUSINESS: RODMAN ART INSTITUTE OF NIAGARA

Welcome Rodman Art Institute of Niagara (RAIN) at 104 St. Paul Street, a gallery that is offering an array of […]

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NEW BUSINESS: RIDE SKATE SHOP
Posted on December 6, 2023December 6, 2023 in Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Featured Members

NEW BUSINESS: RIDE SKATE SHOP

Welcome Ride Skate Shop at 1 Ontario Lane, a new one-stop shop for all your skateboard needs. The owner Trevor […]

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Downtown St. Catharines is the place to ‘Glow’ this Holiday Season
Posted on December 5, 2023December 5, 2023 in Downtown in the News

Downtown St. Catharines is the place to ‘Glow’ this Holiday Season

The holiday season is a magical time in Downtown St. Catharines. With dozens of stores offering unique gifts for every […]

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Walter Sendzik of 610CKTB’s The Drive speaks with Rachel Braithwaite about Gift Card Launch
Posted on November 29, 2023November 29, 2023 in BIA Member Communications, Downtown in the News, Uncategorised

Walter Sendzik of 610CKTB’s The Drive speaks with Rachel Braithwaite about Gift Card Launch

Thank you to Walter Sendzik and 610 CKTB for the opportunity to talk about the new Gift Card program!

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‘Spend more in the core’ with new Downtown St. Catharines Gift Card
Posted on November 27, 2023November 27, 2023 in Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Uncategorised

‘Spend more in the core’ with new Downtown St. Catharines Gift Card

The St. Catharines Downtown Association (SCDA) is excited to unveil its new Gift Card to encourage people to rediscover and […]

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NEW BUSINESS: BERG COUNSELLING
Posted on November 16, 2023November 16, 2023 in Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Featured Members, Uncategorised

NEW BUSINESS: BERG COUNSELLING

Welcome Berg Counselling, a new practice that is dedicated to helping clients “find purpose in their pain” at 110 James […]

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2023 Halloween Candy Trail
Posted on November 2, 2023November 3, 2023 in Downtown in the News

2023 Halloween Candy Trail

Last weekend we welcomed hundreds of families for the second annual FREE Downtown St. Catharines Halloween Candy Trail! Thank to […]

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NEW BUSINESS: CLIPTOMANIA SALON
Posted on September 27, 2023October 3, 2023 in Business Announcements, Downtown in the News, Featured Members

NEW BUSINESS: CLIPTOMANIA SALON

Welcome Cliptomania Salon, a new salon that’s offering an indulgent cosmetology experience. Manager Sarah Scott brings an affordable luxury to […]

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Article: Yesterday & Today: The Brownlee Block, a prominent corner of downtown St. Catharines
Posted on August 8, 2023August 8, 2023 in Downtown in the News

Article: Yesterday & Today: The Brownlee Block, a prominent corner of downtown St. Catharines

Check out this interesting history on the corner of St. Paul & Queen Street in Downtown St. Catharines! Read full […]

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St. Catharines Downtown Association

Do More in the Core.

St. Catharines Downtown Association

80 King Street, Main Floor, St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, L2R 7G1

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Imagine grabbing your bike and riding along the Twelve Mile Creek to your favourite restaurant downtown!

Once trees are established as natural assets and partnerships are created, these urban trees can be protected through the implementation of municipal by-laws. These efforts will provide urban trees with the proper resources to grow into mature infrastructure under the guidance of an urban forest technician.

From there, we can improve connectivity between the St. Catharines Downtown BIA and Twelve Mile Creek. Improving connectivity with Twelve Mile creek will help the SCDA to activate and monitor this area for its potential as an environmental & tourist asset. With this action, the SCDA can also advocate for improved multi-modal transportation routes and monitor their value for the downtown BIA.

While the law can help protect the existing tree population, the City of St. Catharines can invest in effective planning to ensure that new trees are provided with the proper ingredients to thrive and grow into maturity.

Each tree will require its own unique considerations and should be appraised by a professional. The primary considerations include:

LOCATION: Determining available sites within the Downtown core for new trees.

SPECIES SELECTION: Selecting hardy species that can survive within the conditions of an urban environment, while ensuring that the diversity of the urban forest remains high (this creates resilience against disease and climate change).

SITE PREPARATIONS: Preparing the site is arguably the most important step to ensuring longevity in a tree population; if a tree doesn’t have the opportunity to establish stability within its environment, it will not likely reach its full potential for size and age. There are multiple factors to consider:

  • Tree Species
  • Canopy potential
  • Stature
  • Hardiness (i.e. resilience to drought, weather conditions, sunlight, etc)
  • Leaf Size (shade capacity)
  • Soil Conditions (i.e. compaction, nutrient accessibility, moisture availability, etc.)

Is the soil too compacted for a sapling to establish itself? Perhaps a soil cell system and potential mycorrhizal amendments will do the trick! Is the site not suitable for in-ground tree planting? Perhaps a large, mobile tree planter would be more suitable.

There are a lot of creative ways to integrate green technology to ensure a flourishing urban canopy!

When a tree falls in the city, does it make a sound? Under the direction of the Urban Forest Manager & with the proper by-laws in place, every urban forest tree will be provided with various protections to prevent unmonitored losses:

  • Long-term maintenance
  • Developer accountability for equal-value replacements
  • Funds or subsidies for private property owners for replacing trees
  • Tree inspections and assessments
  • Investigations on maintenance and replacement strategies

Many municipalities have varying urban forest management by-laws that help protect their urban canopy. By exploring these protections, the City of St. Catharines can help protect our urban forest investments and reduce costly retroactive efforts to replace lost value.

We all love trees for their natural radiance: they provide us with shade, greenery, and a sense of community. For many of us, trees are the reference for where we call home. Like many other animals, we use trees to keep us cool, to get around and to keep us safe. Since trees are so important, it can be difficult to truly capture the infrastructural importance of trees for our communities and the environment.

This is where our first step comes into play. By reclassifying USTs, we will help establish these trees as valuable, sustainable, and significant assets for the City. The City of St. Catharines Asset Management department works to provide longevity for their assets, guide decisions, provide guidance for maintenance and rehabilitation, analyze costs/benefits, and strategically integrate this infrastructure with community objectives.

“Natural asset management is a meaningful way for municipalities to respond to the impacts of climate change.”

Cassandra Pacey, Asset Manager, City of Waterloo (August 2022)

By reclassifying trees as assets, particularly with an emphasis on Climate Change adaptation, the City of St. Catharines will ensure that the services trees provide us are justly appraised and appreciated, so that proper management of these assets can create a sustainable investment into the future.

By 2041, Downtown St. Catharines will look at lot different than it does today with an estimated 30% increase in population density. This level of development will have significant implications for the Urban Forest (UF) in the BIA. Currently, tree planning and maintenance is generally divided between two departments: Community, Recreation & Culture Services and Municipal Works.

These two departments are responsible for the entire UF in the City of St. Catharines which is an incredible amount of responsibility. An expanded Urban Forestry team would amplify and assist the work being done already, allowing for greater capacity, interdepartmental collaboration, and external participation from the public.

An expanded Urban Forestry team can provide many services for the City, to ensure these urban forests are properly valued and maintained into the future.

In a forest, some trees provide shade for other species to thrive beneath the canopy – while others share nutrients in the soil so that diversity can thrive! Similar to these forest trees, the best way to create strength and resilience for a sustainable urban forest is through the establishment of formal partnerships.

To bring more harmony between the City wide greening efforts, a formal partnership could exist between the City of St. Catharines’ Green Committee and the SCDA’s own StreetScape & Sustainability Committee. This would establish a cooperative force to ensure that urban street trees are effectively managed and prioritized as important infrastructure for the Downtown core.

These partnerships can be extended to other groups that will improve our collective efforts to provide a sustainable urban forest for many years to come such as:

  • The City of St. Catharines
  • Niagara Region
  • Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority
  • Vineland Research & Innovation
  • Niagara College
  • Land Care Niagara
  • Trout Unlimited
  • Bring Back the Brookies
  • ncStewards
  • Many more!
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