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In this Issue
Construction corner
Events
Citizens First
Automated water meter readers
Potholes
Property tax reminder
Shickluna Hydro Generating Station
Open air burning by-law
Family fun fest
IceDogs Way
City City Sweep
Summer planters
Street sweeping
Making it easier to vote
Goose management
Parks open for season
Soccer Golf
Twin City celebration
New First World War exhibit
Seniors Day
Culture funding available
New Leisure Guide
   
Find out when road work is happening in your neighbourhood. Click here
 
Contact Council
 
COUNCILLORS

  

Merritton

Coun. Jeff Burch

[email protected]

905.327.5153

  

Coun. Jennie Stevens

[email protected]

905.328.6722

 

St. Andrew's

Coun. Matt Harris

[email protected]

905.329.6802

  

Coun. Joe Kushner

[email protected]

905.327.9638 or

905.685.1817                  

 

St. George's

Coun. Peter Secord

[email protected]

905.327.9854

 

Coun. Laura Ip

[email protected]

905.327.9905

 

St. Patrick's

Coun. Mark Elliott

[email protected]

905.327.1763

 

Coun. Mat Siscoe

[email protected]

905.329.8162

 

Grantham

Coun. Dawn Dodge

[email protected]

905.327.9704

 

Coun. Bill Phillips

[email protected]

905.327.5363

 

Port Dalhousie

Coun. Len Stack

[email protected]

905.327.5235

 

Coun. Bruce Williamson

[email protected]

905.934.2787

 

Events Calendar

 

Visit our website for a list of events and programs.

  

Do more online at www.stcatharines.ca

  • View bids and tenders
  • Download Council minutes
  • Check out tax and water use calculators
  • Browse upcoming events
  • Search bylaws
  • and more

Check out e-services at www.stcatharines.ca

 

Contact Information

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How can we help you?

 

Have a question about your water/wastewater bill?

 

Call 905.688.5600.

 

Interested in a boulevard tree?

 

Call 905.688.5600.

 

Need a dog licence?

 

Call 905.688.5600.

 

The City of St. Catharines is making it even easier to access some of its most-used programs and services with Citizens First. Residents now have one phone number to contact the City. On the other end of the line, a friendly, knowledgeable customer service representative able to meet your needs is ready to help.

 

Read more

Automated Water Meter Readers

 

A leaky toilet or fixture in your home could waste hundreds of litres of water a day and you may not know you have a problem until hundreds of dollars has literally gone down the pipes.

 

With the City of St. Catharines' new automated water meter reading system, there's a good chance leaks won't go unnoticed.

 

Read more

Tell us about potholes 

Did you drive over a pothole recently? The City of St. Catharines wants to know about it.

Roads crews are out daily patching up holes in the road so residents can enjoy a safe and smooth ride over the more than 550 km of City streets. Every road the City maintains is inspected at least once a month, busier roads more frequently, to ensure they remain as safe as can be.

 

But, potholes and cracks can open up anytime, anywhere and often without warning. Call 688-5600 or email [email protected] to report potholes you've discovered on City streets. Are you on Twitter? You can report potholes by tweeting a message to @StCathRoads.

Be sure to include the name of the street and the nearest intersection.

 

Potholes on Regional roads, including Glendale Avenue and Martindale Road, can be reported to the Niagara Region at www.niagararegion.ca.

Learn more at www.stcatharines.ca/potholes

 
Next property tax payment May 9

 

Your next property tax bill payment for 2014 is due Friday, May 9. Avoid late charges by paying your bill on or before that date.

Make payments in person at City Hall or at most financial institutions. Payments are accepted through internet banking, telephone banking and regular mail.

Payments can also be deposited in the mail slot at the James Street entrance of City Hall. Remember to Include tax stubs with payments. Don't send cash in the mail.

Remaining 2014 property tax instalment dates

July 11

Oct. 10

Final property tax bills will be mailed out in June.

  

Pre-authorized payments

 Have you considered pre-authorized payment? Schedule property tax and water/wastewater bill payments to come out of your bank account automatically and never miss a payment again.

Signing up for pre-authorized payment is easy and offers the convenience of automatic withdrawals from your bank account for instalment/per bill or monthly instalments and enjoy peace of mind your bills will be paid on time.

Call 905.688.5600 or visit www.stcatharines.ca/propertytax for more information.

Clean energy project approved
Twelve Mile Creek will soon be the revenue stream the City of St. Catharines has been waiting for.

 

The Ontario Power Authority recently approved construction for St. Catharines Hydro's Shickluna Hydro Generating Station. Construction for the new power plant will begin in 2015.

 

Read more

 
City revising open air burning by-law

 

If you're thinking about lighting up a backyard bonfire, there's a few things you should know.

 

The Ontario Fire Code bans open air burning, including fires in outdoor fireplaces, fire pits and chimenias. But, the City of St. Catharines does allow small, supervised fires for cooking food. It's just important to keep safety, and your neighbours, in mind. 

 

Read more

Family Fun Fest May 24

Spring in to summer safety May 24 at the St. Catharines Fire Services' inaugural Family Fun Fest.

 

The event is free and brought to you by St. Catharines Fire Services and a number of other local community organizations. Families will have a chance to get up close to fire trucks, police cars and other mighty machines and enjoy a variety of other fun activities. With bouncers, carnival games, a barbecue and more, St. Catharines Fire Services promises something fun to see and do for every member of the family.

The event takes place in the Real Canadian Superstore's parking lot, at Fourth Avenue and Louth Street. For more information, or to discuss sponsorship opportunities, call Vince Giovannini at 905.688.5601 ext. 4221.

 
Meridian Centre fundraising continues

 

A new road to fun and excitement downtown is going to be called IceDogs Way.

 

The City of St. Catharines will name the road that will be adjacent to the Meridian Centre IceDogs Way to recognize Bill and Denise Burke for their $1 million contribution to the Meridian Centre's construction fundraising campaign.

 

Read more

Help clean up the city April 26

 

It's time to clean up this city and we need your help.

The City of St. Catharines' Clean City Committee invites you to help clean litter from parks and public spaces Saturday, April 26 during the Clean City Sweep. It's all part of Pitch-In Week, April 20 to 26, when volunteers from across Canada work together to tidy up their communities.

How you can help:

  • Join volunteers from 10 a.m. to noon at designated sites across St. Catharines. The City provides garbage bags and gloves.
  • Gather friends and family and target your own neighbourhood or favourite public park. Let the City know and it will provide bags and gloves and arrange for garbage pickup.

Businesses and community groups are welcome. This is a great chance for students to earn community service hours.

Call 905.688.5601 ext. 1630 or email [email protected] to register.

Visit www.stcatharines.ca/cleancity for more information about the event, this year's clean-up areas and other Clean City Committee initiatives.

 

 

Add some colour to your storefront

Want to add some colour to your storefront or office and help grow a more beautiful Garden City?

Businesses can rent professionally designed and planted 25-inch flower pots From the City's Green Committee for the spring and summer. Costs are: $80 for one pot, $150 for two pots, $210 for three pots and $260 for four pots.

Pots will be delivered in the late spring and picked up in the early fall. Businesses must water the pots throughout the season. Email [email protected] for more information. 

Street sweeping starting soon

 

The street sweepers are ready and the City of St. Catharines is just waiting for the last remnants of winter to disappear before they hit the streets.

The City sweeps all its roads once in the spring and again in the fall and all curbed streets once a month from June to September, picking up tonnes of grit and other debris.

Street sweeping helps make the city look its best, making roads more friendly and safe for walkers, cyclists and drivers. Street sweeping also reduces how much grit drains into storm sewers, keeping local water ways clean.

How you can help

Cars parked on the side of the road can make it hard to do a thorough cleaning. You can help by not parking on the road between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Visit www.stcatharines.ca/streetsweeping or call 905.688.5600 to find out when street sweepers will be in your neighbourhood. 

 

 

Making it easier to vote

 

The City of St. Catharines is bringing the next municipal election to the people.

 

The City will offer advance voting at five locations during the 2014 municipal election. With the hopes of making voting easier for Garden City residents, the City will offer advance polls in October at the Pen Centre, the Fairview Mall, the Grantham Optimist Club, the St. Catharines Public Library and the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre.

 

Read more 

The great wild goose chase

Geese are running afoul in the Garden City.

 

For nearly 50 years, geese have made happy homes in St. Catharines along the shores of the Welland Canal, Lake Ontario and Martindale Pond. The city's natural spaces and the wildlife that lives here are part of what makes St. Catharines such a wonderful place to live. But, too many geese can be a nuisance for residents and the City.

 

Read more

 

 

City parks opening for 2014

 

Besides the promise of warmer weather, St. Catharines residents have something else to look forward to in May: City parks opening for the season.

 

While residents can enjoy the outdoors in City parks year-round, regular maintenance begins May 1. By the time the Victoria Day weekend rolls around the farm animals will be in their summer home at Happy Rolph's Animal Farm and the City's splash pads, Morningstar Mill and Lakeside Park Carousel will open to visitors, too.

 

City parks are open for everyone to enjoy from dawn to dusk. Some parks include playground equipment, swimming pools, picnic tables, pavilions, benches, trails and other features. You can also rent sports fields, acquire permits for picnics and make arrangements for wedding photos at camera-friendly spots, such as Montebello Park. For information, visit www.stcatharines.ca/parks

 

Read more

 

 
Part soccer, part golf, all fun

 

Ever hear of soccergolf? It's exactly what it sounds like and it's coming to the City of St. Catharines.

 

When the Fairview Golf Course opens for the season in May it will feature soccergolf, a new spin on a favourite summer pass time that's quickly catching on in other parts of the world.

 

Read more 

 
A celebration 100 years in the making

 

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, the City of St. Catharines' twin city, is celebrating its centennial anniversary in June 2014. It's going to be a celebration 100 years in the making and you can be a part of it.

 

The St. Catharines Twinning Association is arranging a visit to Port of Spain for the celebration, which includes a parade June 20 and a civic reception June 26.

 

Read more 

 

Museum looking for local stories from the First World War

Do you know someone from St. Catharines involved in the First World War, whether at home or on the front lines? Do you know someone listed on one of the City's three cenotaphs or the memorial plaques at City Hall?

 

The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is looking for local stories for a new exhibit about the First World War from the perspective of St. Catharines residents.

 

If you would like to contribute to the new exhibit, contact Kathleen Powell, St. Catharines Museum curator, at 905.984.8880 ext. 5250 or email [email protected].

 

Read more
Seniors day

 

Seniors Day, a special event dedicated to improving the lives of older adults living in St. Catharines, is set for May 26.

The City of St. Catharines event for older adults takes place from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Polish branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, 294 Vine St. Visitors can learn about services to help older adults to live healthier, more balanced lives.

Organizations include health care agencies, financial advisors, retirement residences, fitness groups and social services from throughout Niagara.

Parking is available on site. Free bus rides to the Polish Legion for Seniors Day from anywhere in the city will be provided courtesy of St. Catharines Transit: just say "Seniors Day" when boarding. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.

www.stcatharines.ca/seniorsday

 

Applications open for culture funding 

 

Applications are now available for the 2014 St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP).

  

The City of St. Catharines has made funds available through the program to strengthen the cultural sector and improve the spirit and quality of life in the Garden City. St. Catharines not-for-profit arts, heritage and ethnocultural organizations have until Friday, May 30 at 4:30 p.m. to apply for the cultural funding. Members of the City's Culture

Committee will review all applications and make recommendations for investment later this year.

Visit www.stcatharines.ca/SCCIP for funding guidelines and applications. Contact the City at 905.688.5601 ext. 5229 to discuss eligibility and types of funding available.

First-time applicants are encouraged to attend an information session to learn more about the program and the application process.

  • Tuesday, April 8, 7 p.m.; City Hall (Committee Room 1)
  • Saturday, April 12, 11:30 a.m.; Russell Avenue Community Centre (Craft Room)

www.stcatharines.ca/sccip

  

 

Did you see the new Leisure Guide?

The City of St. Catharines' Spring/Summer Leisure Guide is available online.

The Leisure Guide is your source for information about swimming, skating, parks, museums and recreation programs in St. Catharines.

The online guide allows you to search content, bookmark pages, share by email and social media and links directly to ePlay for online program registration. There's still time to register for spring and summer recreation programs.

 

www.stcatharines.ca/LeisureGuide

 

 

 

The Garden City Current is produced by Corporate Communications.


Have questions or comments? Email us at [email protected].