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Raising the alarm  If your home caught fire in the middle of the night would your smoke alarms go off? Sadly, for nearly one-quarter of residents in St. Catharines, the answer is no. Believe it or not, St. Catharines firefighters are finding the same rate of non-compliance when it comes to smoke alarms and escape planning as they did when they launched its innovative home smoke alarm inspection program 15 years ago. Read more. |
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On the roads
Crews eliminate potholes, one shovel at a time 
One thousand, four hundred, seventeen and counting.
That's how many potholes the City has patched up so far this year. But crews won't stop until they've patched them all.
Roads crews are out daily shoveling and packing asphalt into these springtime cavities so residents can enjoy a smooth commute over the more than 550 km of road the City maintains. Every year, the City budgets about $75,000 to fill the more than 10,000 potholes the City typically experiences each year. Read more |
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Cleaning the streets
It's time for a little spring cleaning.
The City is gearing up for its annual spring street cleaning operation and is just waiting for the weather to warm up a little more to begin.
You can help the operation run smoothly by not parking on the road during the cleanup. Find out when street cleaners will be in your neighbourhood by searching "Street Cleaning" at www.stcatharines.ca |
In your backyard
Borer brings danger t  o trees
There's something getting under the bark of the City's urban forest. It's the emerald ash borer and it's putting all of the City's ash trees at risk.
Forestry services have confirmed the presence of the pesky bug - responsible for killing millions of ash trees across southern Ontario and North America - in pockets of St. Catharines, and is calling on residents to band together to help protect the city's urban forest. Read more. |
Flower pots to bloom again
It's time to plant the seeds of beautification in the Garden City, and the Green Committee can help thanks to its annual flower pot program. Businesses can rent professionally designed and planted 25-inch pots filled with bright flowers and greenery for the spring and summer to add a touch of colours to their store or office.
Costs are: $85 for one pot, $160 for two pots, $225 for three pots and $280 for four pots.
Pots will be delivered in the late spring and picked up in the early fall. Businesses are responsible for watering the pots throughout the season. Email rcs@stcatharines.ca for more information. |
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Don't flick it
Put your cigarette butts where they belong: the garbage. The Clean City Committee is launching a new Don't Flick It campaign to emphasize how cigarette butt litter is unsightly, unacceptable, costly and harmful to the environment. Most important of all though, it's up to the community to prevent it.
Think twice, and dispose of your cigarette butts and garbage responsibly. |
 Help clean the city
Picking up litter: It's a dirty job but it's got to be done. And the Clean City Committee is looking for a little help.
This year's annual Pitch-In Week is set for April 21 to 27 and Cheryl Crawley, co-chair of the Clean City Committee, has her sights set on collecting all the litter left over from winter. This year's Clean City Sweep is set for Saturday, April 27.
"Mostly, what we pick up is the take-out people are leaving behind," said Crawley. "It's mostly litter from fast-food outlets, coffee cups, plastic bags, cigarette bu tts, a lot of water bottles." Read more |
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Maintenance starts at cemeteries
The winter wreath program at Victoria Lawn Cemetery and St. Andrew's Cemetery came to a close April 1.
Wreaths and glass encased flowers remaining on graves after April 1 were removed and disposed of to allow staff to proceed with regular spring maintenance. For more information contact the Victoria Lawn Cemetery at 905.688.5601 ext. 1557. |
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Events, Arts & Culture
 Million dollar Performing Arts Centre donation
Fundraising for the St. Catharines Performing Arts Centre kicked off this week with a million dollar bang.
The Partridge family of St. Catharines made history with a $1 million donation, the single largest family donor in support of the PAC. Members of the Partridge family, including family patriarch Peter Partridge, joined Mayor Brian McMullan at the April 2 event to announce the $1 million donation to the region's newest cultural destination.
In recognition of the donation, the PAC's 775-seat main concert hall will be named Partridge Hall. Read more. |
 City facilities opening for Spring and Summer
Parks, the Morningstar Mill, tennis courts, the Lakeside Park Carousel and more will all be opening soon. Read more for full details. |
