Spotlight on St. Catharines
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Find the full report, including measures and
links to supporting data and resources at:
livinginniagarareport.com
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Niagara-focused evidence, go to:
niagaraknowledgeexchange.com/getconnected
Spotlight on
An agency of the Government of Ontario
St. Catharines
Un organisme du gouvernement de l’Ontario
Spotlight on TABLE OF CONTENTS
St. Catharines Introduction 04
Arts, Culture and Heritage 08
Community Belonging 10
Crime, Safety and Security 12
Economic Prosperity 14
Environment 16
Health and Wellness 18
Housing and Shelter 20
Learning and Education 22
People Getting Started 24
Recreation and Sports 26
Transportation and Mobility 28
Work and Employment 30
03
INTRODUCTION
Niagara Connects prepares the triennial Living in Niagara report to measure quality
of life across 12 socio-economic Sectors which align with the Social Determinants
of Health. The Sectors reflect the way people live, every day, in Niagara. First issued
in 2008, the report describes both current quality of life in Niagara and progress
toward building a stronger future.
The Living in Niagara-2017 report weaves together 615 relevant, reliable data items
from a total of 228 organizations, businesses, government bodies, institutions, networks
and groups. The data is combined with front-line knowledge shared by people working
in and across the 12 Living in Niagara Sectors.
The livingininniagarareport.com and its companion tool,
niagaraknowledgeexchange.com (NKE) are cornerstones in building
a culture of evidence-informed planning for Niagara. These data tools are
described, built and owned by the Niagara-wide community.
Living in Niagara-2017: Spotlight on St. Catharines highlights St. Catharines-focused data.
The Spotlight report was prepared to support social sustainability goals set out in the
City of St. Catharines Strategic Plan (2015-2025). The goals include a desire to ‘Strive for
the highest quality of life for all citizens’, and ‘take action to measure and monitor impact
on bettering the lives of those in our community’.
In preparation of this report, City of St. Catharines staff shared data sets relevant to
the 12 Living in Niagara Sectors. This both strengthened the 2017 version of the
region-wide report, and it helped to shine a light on St. Catharines-specific quality
of life information in the Niagara context.
When examining Statistics Canada data for St. Catharines, it is important to note that data
presented for the ‘St. Catharines-Niagara CMA (Census Metropolitan Area) groups data for
the City with that for all of Niagara, except Grimsby and West Lincoln. This presents some
challenges for building a picture based on St. Catharines-specific data.
04
INTRODUCTION
Niagara Connects prepares the triennial Living in Niagara report to measure quality Spotlight on Quality of Life in St. Catharines
of life across 12 socio-economic Sectors which align with the Social Determinants
of Health. The Sectors reflect the way people live, every day, in Niagara. First issued The City of St. Catharines is one of 12 local municipalities within the urban-rural
in 2008, the report describes both current quality of life in Niagara and progress mix Niagara Region of Ontario. The region is located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario,
toward building a stronger future. within the Greater Golden Horseshoe, one of Canada’s most densely-populated and
economically diverse areas.
The Living in Niagara-2017 report weaves together 615 relevant, reliable data items
from a total of 228 organizations, businesses, government bodies, institutions, networks St. Catharines is the largest local municipality in Niagara by population. The City is
and groups. The data is combined with front-line knowledge shared by people working home to almost one-third (29.7%, or 133,113) of the 447,888 people living in the region.
in and across the 12 Living in Niagara Sectors. Many community assets that contribute to quality of life in the Niagara Region are
headquartered in the City and operate region-wide, according to provincial and federal
The livingininniagarareport.com and its companion tool, standards. Socio-economic factors that define quality of life in the City tend to align
niagaraknowledgeexchange.com (NKE) are cornerstones in building with those for the region as a whole.
a culture of evidence-informed planning for Niagara. These data tools are
described, built and owned by the Niagara-wide community. The people of St. Catharines live and work within a regional economy. With the City being
the largest urban area in a growing region, it is a busy hub for many Niagara-wide services.
Living in Niagara-2017: Spotlight on St. Catharines highlights St. Catharines-focused data. This presents both opportunities and challenges. Long-term provincial forecasts project
The Spotlight report was prepared to support social sustainability goals set out in the annual growth for Niagara will be 1.6 per cent.
City of St. Catharines Strategic Plan (2015-2025). The goals include a desire to ‘Strive for
the highest quality of life for all citizens’, and ‘take action to measure and monitor impact Niagara Region’s End of Year 2017 Growth Monitoring Report affirms growth and
on bettering the lives of those in our community’. development is on the rise across the region. Along with this growth comes the realization
that managing related changes will require focused planning and investment of resources.
In preparation of this report, City of St. Catharines staff shared data sets relevant to For the City, guiding development in a manner that balances growth while continuing to
the 12 Living in Niagara Sectors. This both strengthened the 2017 version of the strengthen existing assets will be the key to maintaining St. Catharines’ attractiveness as a
region-wide report, and it helped to shine a light on St. Catharines-specific quality place for people and businesses to call home.
of life information in the Niagara context.
The following pages highlight actions already underway to strengthen quality of life
When examining Statistics Canada data for St. Catharines, it is important to note that data in St. Catharines., in each of the 12 Living in Niagara Sectors.
presented for the ‘St. Catharines-Niagara CMA (Census Metropolitan Area) groups data for
the City with that for all of Niagara, except Grimsby and West Lincoln. This presents some The data is presented in the context of overall Living in Niagara Sector themes; and the 2017
challenges for building a picture based on St. Catharines-specific data. rating of ‘How Niagara is doing’, and ‘How much progress is being made’ in each Sector.
These Niagara-wide ratings are intended to guide Niagara-wide community action planning
priorities for strengthening quality of life. Sector ratings were completed by Community
Expert Opinion Leaders, in each of the 12 Sectors according to validated report methodology.
04 05
Opportunities to Further Strengthen Quality of Life in St. Catharines
A number of opportunities exist for the City to further strengthen quality of life for its people
by focusing on working together with its stakeholders and partners to boost the overall
growth and development trajectory in the region.
The following suggested action steps reflect the considerable amount of work already
underway to support quality of life in the City, and they align with cross-sectoral evidence and
action opportunities in the Living in Niagara-2017 report:
1. Collaborate and build partnerships to support evidence-informed decision making.
For example, to strengthen the Arts, Culture and Heritage Sector, the city could leverage
its established assets and role as a Sector leader to support a region-wide movement to
develop metrics and evaluation to track Sector progress and impact. Building capacity
in this Sector will help to increase its profile, attract investment, and expand its
socio-economic contribution.
2. Openly share data. Data is a valuable resource; its value is maximized when it is
openly shared. Intentionally engaging in opportunities to gather, share, analyze and
talk about data can change the way we make decisions about investing resources.
3. Achieve inclusion while managing growth. Prioritize socio-economic equality
and belonging for people of all ages. Advance the Compassionate City initiative by
paying attention to health benefits of inclusion; seeing that Age-Friendly planning
principles apply to people of all ages; and supporting opportunities for
intergenerational, reciprocal mentoring.
4. Support development of the local workforce talent pool. Advance the City’s
Economic Development Strategy by identifying gaps in skill set training to attract
specific industry and to strengthen opportunities for existing employers.
5. Emphasize health equity. Support initiatives that address wellness promotion
and equitable access to physical and mental health services. Do this by strengthening
partnerships through weaving together data to address resource allocation at the
neighbourhood level.
6. Continue to strengthen natural assets and respect the unique environment which
attracts people to St. Catharines. Do this by supporting initiatives and investments
that help to build citizens’, homeowners’, businesses’ and the City’s overall capacity
to respond to climate impact effects.
06
Opportunities to Further Strengthen Quality of Life in St. Catharines
A number of opportunities exist for the City to further strengthen quality of life for its people
by focusing on working together with its stakeholders and partners to boost the overall
growth and development trajectory in the region.
The following suggested action steps reflect the considerable amount of work already
underway to support quality of life in the City, and they align with cross-sectoral evidence and
action opportunities in the Living in Niagara-2017 report:
1. Collaborate and build partnerships to support evidence-informed decision making.
For example, to strengthen the Arts, Culture and Heritage Sector, the city could leverage
its established assets and role as a Sector leader to support a region-wide movement to
develop metrics and evaluation to track Sector progress and impact. Building capacity
in this Sector will help to increase its profile, attract investment, and expand its
socio-economic contribution.
2. Openly share data. Data is a valuable resource; its value is maximized when it is
openly shared. Intentionally engaging in opportunities to gather, share, analyze and
talk about data can change the way we make decisions about investing resources.
3. Achieve inclusion while managing growth. Prioritize socio-economic equality
and belonging for people of all ages. Advance the Compassionate City initiative by
paying attention to health benefits of inclusion; seeing that Age-Friendly planning
principles apply to people of all ages; and supporting opportunities for
intergenerational, reciprocal mentoring.
Municipality 2016 Population
4. Support development of the local workforce talent pool. Advance the City’s
Fort Erie 30,710
Economic Development Strategy by identifying gaps in skill set training to attract
Grimsby 27,314
specific industry and to strengthen opportunities for existing employers.
Lincoln 23,787
5. Emphasize health equity. Support initiatives that address wellness promotion Niagara Falls 88,071
and equitable access to physical and mental health services. Do this by strengthening Niagara-on-the-Lake 17,511
partnerships through weaving together data to address resource allocation at the Pelham 17,110
neighbourhood level. Port Colborne 18,306
St. Catharines 133,113
6. Continue to strengthen natural assets and respect the unique environment which Thorold 18,801
attracts people to St. Catharines. Do this by supporting initiatives and investments Wainfleet 6,372
that help to build citizens’, homeowners’, businesses’ and the City’s overall capacity Welland 52,293
to respond to climate impact effects. West Lincoln 14,500
Niagara Region - Total 447,888
Source: Statistics Canada.
06 07
Arts, Culture and Heritage
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Track Progress and Impact
• Gather, share and learn from evidence that shows investment
in Arts, Culture and Heritage is essential to advance Niagara’s
social and economic health
08
Arts, Culture and Heritage
Spotlight on St. Catharines
St. Catharines is known for leadership in cultural planning in the Niagara region.
With the 2015 release of its Inspire St. Catharines Culture Plan 2020, the City put a
framework in place to integrate culture into municipal priorities and decision-making.
The plan is a tool linking cultural assets and investment, to support cultural, economic,
environmental and social priorities.
Recent additions to the City’s vibrant Arts, Culture and Heritage mix include:
• 2015 – In its first year, the 775-seat, 95,000 square foot FirstOntario Performing
Arts Centre (PAC) held over 1,100 ticketed events; hosted over 200,000 patrons;
and sold over 150,000 tickets.
• 2015 – The new Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts facility in
the historic Canada Hair Cloth building on St. Paul Street unites all of Brock University’s
Dramatic Arts degree offerings in a downtown setting.
• 2015 – The John Brown Heritage Foundation began restoring the John Brown House
on Pelham Road. This two-story house of old Loyalist Georgian architecture is the
oldest home in St. Catharines (circa 1796 and 1802). During the June, 2017 Doors
Open St. Catharines event, 750 visitors to the site learned about the ongoing
conservation and adaptive reuse of the house.
• 2016 – In its first season, the Foster Festival theater company at PAC sold 5,000 tickets
and was supported by over 1,500 volunteer hours.
Since 2005, over 50 St. Catharines Arts Awards have been presented, to celebrate artists and
cultural industries, honour cultural leaders and their achievements, and cultivate support for
the arts. Recipients of these annual awards demonstrate St. Catharines’ breadth of talent and
commitment to the arts.
Beginning in 2009, the In the Soil Arts Festival in downtown St. Catharines brings
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising together artists from a range of disciplines, to provide unique audience experiences,
and contribute to a Niagara that is self-determining and culturally distinct. In 2016,
Track Progress and Impact over 3 days, more than 500 artists and 5,000 festival patrons gathered to celebrate the
arts of Niagara and beyond.
• Gather, share and learn from evidence that shows investment
in Arts, Culture and Heritage is essential to advance Niagara’s In 2017, the St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP) committed $332,500 to
social and economic health support a total of 39 distinct creative sector initiatives, to strengthen the City’s overall
cultural ecosystem. Investments were made in sustaining core theatrical and music entities
and in supporting festivals, arts development programs, and culture initiatives.
The St. Catharines Public Library has locations in 4 areas of the City: downtown;
Carlton Street; Hartzel Road; and Port Dalhousie, as well as a Books to Go kiosk in the
Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre. In 2016, the library had 64,947 active
cardholders – 49% of the City’s population.
08 09
Community Belonging
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Include and Connect People, with a focus on
• Intergenerational, reciprocal mentoring
• Health benefits of inclusion
• The socio-economic impact of charitable, non-profit
and volunteer activity
10Community Belonging
Spotlight on St. Catharines
Connecting people to community strengthens economic vibrancy, population health
and civic engagement. This is the focus of several City initiatives.
The Compassionate City initiative emphasizes dignity, respect and opportunity for all people.
It includes a call for individuals to commit to making a difference in several ways:
• Working to provide food, shelter and dignity to citizens who are living in poverty,
are homeless, and need quality physical and mental health care;
• Working with business to build an innovative economy where businesses thrive and
jobs are created;
• Ensuring that seniors get the support they need to live a robust and active life;
• Ensuring that all children are safe, have first rate education and access to recreation facilities;
• Continuing to develop a strong cultural sector focused on supporting local artists; and
• Focusing on safety for women in all aspects of their lives.
Annual forums attract both younger and older people to talk about ideas and actions to
build a stronger future. In March, 2017, the City’s Youth Forum attracted 150 young people
under age 25. Since 2015, a November Older Adults Forum has attracted hundreds of
participants to share ideas about improving programs and services.
The 2013 St. Catharines Age-Friendly plan – A City for All Ages – laid the groundwork
for St. Catharines to be one of 40 municipalities that recently won an Ontario Ministry
of Seniors Affairs Age-Friendly Community Recognition Award. The city is an active
participant in the Age-Friendly Niagara Network, focusing on World Health Organization
principles to create safe and secure environments that foster community participation,
personal health and well-being.
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising Nineteen of the 74 distinct neighbourhoods in the Niagara Region (26%) are located within
the City of St. Catharines. People, businesses and associations are working together to help
Include and Connect People, with a focus on shape and provide a sense of belonging in several areas of the City, including the Queenston,
• Intergenerational, reciprocal mentoring Fitzgerald, Facer, Downtown and Port Dalhousie neighbourhoods.
• Health benefits of inclusion
• The socio-economic impact of charitable, non-profit
and volunteer activity
10 11Crime, Safety and Security
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Protect Community Safety through
• Early identification and timely access to mental health and
addictions services
• Continuing to build inter-agency partnerships that
combine complementary front-line skills to de-escalate
emergency situations
12Crime, Safety and Security
Spotlight on St. Catharines
Crime rates in the Niagara region continue to decrease, in line with the national trend.
Between May, 2015 and July, 2016, the Niagara Youth Court Screening Initiative (NYCSI) saw a
team of 8 service providers screen 81 First Appearance youth in the St. Catharines courthouse.
Of those youth, 80% identified with mental health and/or addictions issues; 77% were boys;
youth aged 16 and 17 were overrepresented; and 9% identified as Aboriginal. The NYCSI team
connected 60% of the youth to mental health and/or addiction supports; 29% received
extra-judicial sanctions (eg. referrals to community programs); 10% were connected with
basic needs supports (eg. housing, employment, education); and 4% were connected
with Aboriginal services.
Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) Niagara Branch works with the Niagara
Regional Police Service (NRPS) to deliver COAST (Crisis Outreach and Support Team) and
Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team (MCRRT) services for adults in mental health crisis.
MCRRT is a first response unit that includes a mental health worker riding alongside an officer,
responding to 9-1-1 calls related to mental health. MCRRT operates from 12 noon to 12
midnight, 7 days a week, in St. Catharines and Thorold. The MCRRT target for 2016-17 was
290 individuals; the actual number served was 596. Of those 596 individuals, 65% were
diverted from the hospital.
The Out of the Cold program provides a hot meal plus a safe, warm bed for individuals
without a home in St. Catharines, every night from November 1 to March 31. The dinners
are well-attended, with more than 30,000 served each year. In January 2016, the program
saw 140 individuals accessing a total of 882 overnight stays. Having access to Out of the Cold
helps to prevent individuals and families from becoming homeless; it also provides a point
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising of contact to community services. The program is coordinated by Start Me Up Niagara and
is supported by churches, community organizations and individuals concerned about
Protect Community Safety through poverty and homelessness in the city.
• Early identification and timely access to mental health and In 2018, St. Catharines will be home to Niagara’s first provincially-funded temporary
addictions services supervised injection site to help prevent overdoses and respond to the opioid crisis.
Niagara Region Emergency Medical Services (EMS) saw a 335 per cent increase in suspected
• Continuing to build inter-agency partnerships that
opioid overdoses between 2016 and 2017. EMS dealt with 520 cases in 2017. Positive Living
combine complementary front-line skills to de-escalate
Niagara’s StreetWorks program, which distributes naloxone kits for use in an emergency
emergency situations
opioid overdose situation, reports that during 2016, there were 147 occasions a kit was used
to reverse an overdose. In the first half of 2017 alone, this number had reached 190 occasions.
12 13Economic Prosperity
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Strengthen Niagara’s Trajectory
• #Rethink Niagara by weaving together data to reduce or remove
barriers so that more people are able to build up their own
ability to be financially secure, and to participate
14Economic Prosperity
Spotlight on St. Catharines
St. Catharines’ 2017 Economic Development Strategy provides a 5-year road map
to support the economic sustainability pillar of the 2015-2025 City of St. Catharines
Strategic Plan. The Strategy predicts stable but modest economic growth (1.4%) for
the St. Catharines – Niagara area. Growth factors include: emerging protectionism
and trade policy changes; and opportunities around federal and provincial policy
priorities such as climate change, infrastructure investment and innovation.
The Strategy profiles the region’s favourable relative competitiveness, especially when it
comes to overall costs of doing business. Factors include: total tax costs being 47.6% lower
than in the U.S.; close border proximity; 1 million trucks using Niagara’s international border
crossings annually; and the majority of development lands being within 1 mile of major
highway access.
Relative cost of housing, the City’s built and natural amenities, and the presence of
high-speed fibre are noted as contributing to St. Catharines’ attractiveness for investment
by employees, entrepreneurs and micro-employers.
St. Catharines’ 2017 Economic Development Strategy focuses on 5 key
economic development thrusts.
• Business retention and expansion – St. Catharines is home to 3,951 enterprises.
Of these, 98% are small enterprises (5 to 99 employees), and micro-enterprises
(1 to 4 employees). As many as 70% to 80% of new jobs may be generated through
expansions within the local business base.
• Innovation and entrepreneurship – the City is taking leadership in strengthening existing
businesses’ access to local research, innovation and technology assets.
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising • Attracting new investment – the City continues to work with Niagara Region,
through the Team Niagara model, for external investment attraction.
Strengthen Niagara’s Trajectory • Talent and workforce – St. Catharines is supporting initiatives to attract, retain and adapt
a talent pool to align with evolving business requirements.
• #Rethink Niagara by weaving together data to reduce or remove • Marketing – presenting a strong brand image for the City supports both economic
barriers so that more people are able to build up their own development and tourism growth objectives.
ability to be financially secure, and to participate
The Strategy emphasizes the importance of focusing on data as a resource, both to support
the City being ready for investment, and to measure stakeholder alignment with economic
development goals. St. Catharines is participating in the Open Data movement by sharing
20 datasets to inform the Living in Niagara-2017 report; and 22 open datasets uploaded to
the NiagaraOpenData.ca platform hosted by Niagara Region. This early-stage work helps
to lay the foundation for constructing the #Rethink Niagara Data Repository and Refinery tool,
to strengthen evidence-informed planning for a stronger future.
14 15Environment
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Increase Resilience through
• Healthy, secure food systems
• Empowering people to mitigate climate effects
• Measures of progress that support a balanced approach
16Environment
Spotlight on St. Catharines
TreeOcodeniagara.com has crowd-sourced data about more than 23,000 trees in
St. Catharines. This Geospatial Niagara initiative supports the preservation and propagation
of the urban forest canopy, for the health, environment and economic benefits derived.
The City of St. Catharines is one of 600 members of the Global Covenant of Mayors for
Climate and Energy program, borne out of the 2014 United Nations Climate Change Summit.
Targets are being set based on an inventory of climate hazards the City faces, such as extreme
weather causing flooding; and greenhouse gas emission levels. A 2016 greenhouse gas
emission inventory of how much carbon dioxide (CO2) is emitted into the atmosphere by
St. Catharines residents and businesses showed that in 2014, the equivalent of almost a
million tonnes of CO2 was emitted, with vehicles traveling on the road making up 48%
of those emissions.
The 2016 Census of Agriculture shows that within the City of St. Catharines, there are a total
of 83 farms, run by 115 farm operators. Farms in the City are located on lands which directly
border the City’s Urban Area to the west and east. The provincial Greenbelt Plan, enacted in
2005, governs all of the City’s agricultural lands, which comprise 2,720 hectares, or 30% of the
municipal land base. The Greenbelt is directed toward the protection, preservation and use
of lands for agriculture and natural heritage conservation. All of the City’s agricultural land is
designated as Specialty Crop Area, for crops such as grapes and tender fruit.
The St. Catharines Green Advisory Committee assists City Council and staff on matters relating
to greening and the urban forest. The committee has prepared information for distribution
to residents, encouraging them to consider planting garden species to attract bees and
other pollinators such as monarch butterflies. As well as supporting pollination of food crops,
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising pollinators support healthy ecosystems that clean the air, stabilize soils, protect from severe
weather conditions, and support other wildlife.
Increase Resilience through St. Catharines is working collaboratively within the region to support the vision for a
• Healthy, secure food systems sustainable Niagara, through development of a consolidated transit solution that connects
to GO service; support for active transportation planning; and expanding the number of
• Empowering people to mitigate climate effects local electric vehicle charging stations. Currently, the CAA Electric Vehicle Charging Station
• Measures of progress that support a balanced approach Locator shows a total of 11 stations in the City.
16 17Health and Wellness
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Promote Wellness, with a focus on
• Obesity
• Mental health and addictions
• Equitable access to community and health services
18Health and Wellness
Spotlight on St. Catharines
As St. Catharines is the largest urban area in the Niagara Region, significant health care and
wellness-focused assets are located in the City. This contributes to both businesses and households
wanting to locate nearby; in turn this creates a requirement for careful municipal growth planning.
St. Catharines is home to the new one million square foot Niagara Health facility that opened in 2013.
The Branscombe Mental Health Centre opened in 2016 and is located near the Niagara Health site.
The Centre is where Pathstone Mental Health works to improve the mental health of children and
youth in Niagara.
In 2017, Quest Community Health Centre (CHC), located on Queenston Street served a total of
3,899 clients through 30,112 client encounters. Quest, established in 2007, provides primary
health care, health promotion, and community capacity building. CHCs take a client-centered
holistic, interdisciplinary approach to removing barriers to health care, by addressing the broader
determinants of health such as employment, education, environment, social isolation and poverty.
Quest’s priority populations include individuals experiencing mental health, addictions and/or
concurrent disorders; street-involved populations (homeless, under-housed, sex trade workers);
isolated seniors; sexually and gender diverse populations; at risk children, youth and families;
individuals who frequent the Emergency Department for care/Opioid dependent; and migrant
agricultural workers.
A total of 201 undergraduate MD students have completed studies at the McMaster University
Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine Niagara Regional Campus, since its 2007 inception.
The academic campus is located in the Cairns Bioscience Complex at Brock University, which
opened in 2012. Before they become physicians, graduates must go on to complete postgraduate
residency training. Family medicine teaching clinics are located in St. Catharines and Welland.
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising All Niagara Health sites, West Lincoln Memorial Hospital and Hotel Dieu Shaver are actively involved.
Sixty postgraduate residents have completed residency in Niagara, with 50% of these physicians
Promote Wellness, with a focus on beginning practice in Niagara. The McMaster Niagara Family Health Centre on Ontario Street in
• Obesity St. Catharines serves approximately 7,300 patients, with 33,000 patient visits per year.
• Mental health and addictions The City is one of eight municipalities in Niagara identified by the Hamilton-Niagara-Haldimand-
Brant Local Health Integration Network (HNHB LHIN) as being on the High Physician Need list.
• Equitable access to community and health services
Physician recruitment work is ongoing. In 2016, there were 4 new practicing physicians in the City.
The Healthy Kids Community Challenge (HKCC) in Niagara aims to reduce childhood obesity rates.
In 2016 in St. Catharines, HKCC funding from the provincial government provided recreation fee
assistance for 360 children from families in financial need. The funds helped those children to
participate in spring and summer recreation programs, and to access parks, trails,
outdoor pools, splash pads, and playgrounds.
18 19Housing and Shelter
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Strengthen Housing Choice
• Share data and measurements among groups addressing
various aspects of housing and homelessness
• Offer a spectrum of housing options
20Housing and Shelter
Spotlight on St. Catharines
Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation reports show that between 2015 and 2016,
average home listing prices in Niagara grew by 18% (over $52,000). Niagara Region’s 2017
Growth Monitoring Report states that between 2016 and 2017, the average sale price for
all homes in Niagara increased by 29%, rising from $333,545 to $404,910.
In 2016, a total of 2,388 homes were sold in St. Catharines, and 2,298 were sold in 2017.
The average sale price rose 21.8% in this period, from $299,182 to $364,264.
Niagara Region reports that in 2017, housing starts, completions and building permits
continued at high volumes compared to 2016. In St. Catharines, row/townhouse
development represented the majority of starts (195 of 350 starts, or 56%).
In 2017, St. Catharines had a total of 191 housing completions, compared to 313 in 2016.
Of those in 2017, 105 (55%) were rowhouses and 64 (34%) were single detached.
In 2017, St. Catharines issued 467 residential building permits, compared to 336 in 2016.
St. Catharines is working with partners across Niagara to support implementation of the
Niagara Region Housing and Homelessness Action Plan. As of September, 2017, there were
more than 4,900 households waiting for Rent-Geared-to-Income housing across the region.
Addressing this challenge requires a focused approach, with community partners
and all levels of government working together.
2016 Statistics Canada data shows that 50.4% of renter-households in St. Catharines pay
30% or more of income on rent (up from 44% in 2011). A City-focused Housing Action Plan is
in place, to address affordable housing needs and create policy to support rental unit supply
better meeting demand. Approaches being examined include zoning tools; development
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising application processes; advocacy programs; and the potential to include an affordable housing
grant in the community improvement plan.
Strengthen Housing Choice
In 2017, plans were announced for a new Niagara Regional Housing complex to be
• Share data and measurements among groups addressing built on Carlton Street, with construction to be completed by late fall 2018. Thanks to the
various aspects of housing and homelessness Carlton United Church community and an investment of over $11 million of federal and
• Offer a spectrum of housing options provincial funds, the complex will help to provide 85 families with a safe, affordable
place to call home.
20 21Learning and Education
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Emphasize Lifelong Learning, with a focus on
• Early learning and development with referrals to
specialized services
• Building up individuals’ resilience and workplace competencies
22Learning and Education
Spotlight on St. Catharines
Within the City, English instruction is provided in 38 elementary schools (25 with District
School Board of Niagara (DSBN) and 13 with Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB);
and in 10 secondary schools (7 with DSBN and 3 with NCDSB). As well, there are
2 French-language Catholic elementary schools; and there is 1 public French-language
elementary school. The Ridley College day and boarding school provides JK to 12 learning
for more than 700 students from over 50 countries.
Brock University, located in St. Catharines, is home to over 18,500 students; of those, 90% are
enrolled in undergraduate programs. Just over 25% of Brock students are from the Niagara region;
40% are from the Greater Toronto area; 30% are from the rest of Ontario; 1% are from the rest of
Canada; and 4% are from outside Canada.
Brock’s Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts is located on St. Paul Street in
the City downtown.
The Goodman School of Business Centre for Innovation, Management and Enterprise Education
at Brock University provides continuing education seminars, certificate programs and corporate
education and training in Niagara and beyond.
The Niagara Regional Campus of the McMaster University Michael G. DeGroote School of
Medicine offers students the opportunity to learn and experience medicine in a regional setting.
The campus is based within the Cairns Family Health and Bioscience Research Complex at
Brock University. Students gain clinical skills at Niagara Health (NH) hospital sites and experience
placements with NH, specialist offices, Niagara Region Public Health Unit, Hotel Dieu Shaver
Health and Rehabilitation Centre, and West Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Grimsby.
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising Niagara College, with campuses in nearby Niagara-on-the-lake, Welland and Niagara Falls has
more than 9,000 full-time students in over 100 diploma, graduate certificate, apprenticeship and
Emphasize Lifelong Learning, with a focus on Bachelor’s Degree programs. The college anticipates a 15.7% increase in international student
enrolment and a 1.1% increase in domestic student enrolment in the 2017-2018 year.
• Early learning and development with referrals to
specialized services
• Building up individuals’ resilience and workplace competencies
22 23People Getting Started
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Empower Children, Youth, and Newcomers starting out, through
• Inclusion
• Equitable access to mental health services
24People Getting Started
Spotlight on St. Catharines
The Early Development Instrument (EDI) measures a Senior Kindergarten (SK) student’s
readiness to learn, across 5 domains. 2015 EDI data for Niagara highlights the Emotional
Maturity domain as the primary vulnerability concern, with a steady and significant increase
in the percentage of children vulnerable in this domain since 2008, rising above the provincial
average in 2015. For Niagara, 2 other domains are higher than the provincial average: Social
Competence and Language and Cognitive Development. The Niagara Children’s Planning
Council, consisting of agencies providing early childhood services, is collectively working
toward reducing this vulnerability by 15%, so that more children are meeting expectations
when it comes to aggressive, hyperactive/inattentive, and anxious/fearful behaviour.
Such a reduction will help to strengthen the future trajectory for everyone in Niagara.
Niagara Nutrition Partners (NNP) provides breakfast, snack and lunch programs in elementary
and secondary schools, as well as community-based programs. Between 2011 and 2015, the
number of students served by NNP in St. Catharines rose by almost 25% (from 3,690 to 4,609).
For all of the Niagara region in the same time period there was a 42.5% increase, from 12,202
to 17,391 students.
Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre data about clients who accessed settlement services
shows that the annual number of refugee claimants rose from 156 to 232 between 2014
and 2017. Of all clients served, 57% were female; and the largest age group was 25-44 years
of age. In 2016-17, the most common countries of origin were Syria, Colombia and China.
An October, 2017 Newcomers and Refugees in Niagara forum held at Silver Spire Church
in St. Catharines highlighted an increasing focus on the important role language and
culture play in newcomers being able to access and benefit from the mental health
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising services they require.
Empower Children, Youth, and Newcomers starting out, through
• Inclusion
• Equitable access to mental health services
24 25Recreation and Sports
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Affirm Socio-Economic Benefits of
• People having access to recreation and sport activities
and facilities
• Volunteer activity
26Recreation and Sports
Spotlight on St. Catharines
St. Catharines is home to the 5,300-seat Meridian Centre spectator facility, which has achieved
attendance numbers of over 729,000 since opening in 2014. Niagara Ice Dogs hockey and
Niagara River Lions basketball games comprise 66% of the attendance; sporting events and
concerts comprise another 20%.
There are over 90 km of trails, 48,276 square metres of outdoor recreation space, and 514,518
square metres of indoor recreation space in the City. This includes 10 arenas/icepads;
1 municipal and 3 non-municipal indoor aquatic centres; 2 gymnasiums; 3 dedicated older
adult centres; 32 outdoor rectangular fields; 22 ball diamonds; 2 splash pads; 10 outdoor pools;
28 tennis courts; 22 multi-use courts; 1 skateboard park; 90 playgrounds; 2 golf courses;
and 1 leash-free dog park.
In 2017, St. Catharines received a Bronze Bicycle Friendly Designation from the
Ontario Share the Road Cycling Coalition. A total of 6 municipalities in the Niagara region,
and 39 communities in Ontario have received the Designation.
St. Catharines is no stranger to welcoming the world to major sporting events. The City will
play a strong role as Niagara prepares to host the 2021 Canada Summer Games. Significant
work done by volunteers helps to make these major sporting events a success.
For example:
• The 2015 Pan American Games were held in Canada, based in Toronto. St. Catharines hosted
the rowing events, with the support of 625 volunteers.
• In 2016, the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Women’s World Junior Championships
were hosted in St. Catharines, thanks to 350 dedicated community volunteers.
• The 2017 Scotties Tournament of Hearts Canadian Women’s Curling Championship,
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising the world’s largest women’s curling event, was held at the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines.
A total of 450 volunteers stepped up to support this tournament.
Affirm Socio-Economic Benefits of • In August, 2017, the 135th Royal Canadian Henley Regatta hosted 2,293 athletes from
• People having access to recreation and sport activities 140 clubs and 10 countries. The work of 565 volunteers made this event possible.
and facilities
• Volunteer activity
26 27Transportation and Mobility
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Improve Transportation Choice
• Invest in what’s equitable and accessible for people in Niagara
• Further develop consolidated transit, to align with
implementation of daily GO train service
28Transportation and Mobility
Spotlight on St. Catharines
In 2017, Niagara Region, in collaboration with the cities of St. Catharines, Welland
and Niagara Falls, achieved a triple majority vote to secure consolidated transit service.
This will lead to a shared transit solution for Niagara which will support implementation
of daily GO train service.
The City is updating its Transportation Master Plan (TMP) to align with the evolution of
transportation needs. The TMP development process looks at providing alternative and
sustainable ways to connect residents to the places they need to go, both within the City
and beyond its borders. This encompasses: public transit; cycling on roads and trails;
sidewalks; walking paths; GO Train; Inter-municipal Transit; and streets.
In 2016, St. Catharines Transit provided people with a total of 5,312,346 rides; and Para-Transit
provided 33,075 rides. City Council is investing in transit and para-transit improvements
through a 6.6% budget increase for these items in 2018.
Brock University students experience over 2.5 million public transit rides in Niagara each year.
Their U-pass fees, together with fees paid by Niagara College students provide 40% of
St. Catharines Transit Commission’s total annual revenue (Brock 33%; Niagara College 7%).
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Improve Transportation Choice
• Invest in what’s equitable and accessible for people in Niagara
• Further develop consolidated transit, to align with
implementation of daily GO train service
28 29Work and Employment
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Increase Quality of Jobs
• Build a continuum of opportunity that allows people to
advance to the next level of employment
• Grow the talent pool that attracts business to Niagara
• Map adult literacy in the context of modern-day
workplace competencies
30Work and Employment
Spotlight on St. Catharines
Across the region, there is an increasing focus on quality of jobs, productivity,
growing the talent pool that attracts businesses to Niagara, and reducing
precarious employment.
Niagara Region reports that in 2017, Niagara had an estimated total of 216,186 jobs.
Niagara’s top 3 employment sectors are Retail Trade (27,630 jobs), Accommodation
and Food Services (25.927 jobs); and Health Care and Social Assistance (25,426 jobs).
St. Catharines’ 2017 Economic Development Strategy includes a focus on talent
and workforce. The intent is to identify shortfalls in training and/or skill sets required
to attract specific industry, and to strengthen opportunities for existing employers.
In 2017, the Living Wage for Niagara region is $17.57/hour, up slightly from
$17.47 for 2016. The conservatively-estimated Cost of Living for a family of four
with two young children in 2017 is $71,294, a 9% increase over the 2016 amount.
These amounts were calculated according to nationally-validated methodology,
using data gathered by the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network.
As of 2017, St. Catharines had 7,654 single-person businesses. There were 3,770
businesses in the City with one employee, compared to a total of 12,576 businesses
in Niagara with at least one employee.
Of St. Catharines-based businesses with employees in 2017, 1,872 (almost 50%) had
between 1 and 4 employees; 802 (21%) had between 5 and 9 employees; 536 (14%)
had between 10 and 19 employees; and 389 (10%) had between 20 and 49 employees.
A total of 10 businesses in the City had more than 500 employees.
Living In Niagara-2017 report: Action Themes Arising
Increase Quality of Jobs
• Build a continuum of opportunity that allows people to
advance to the next level of employment
• Grow the talent pool that attracts business to Niagara
• Map adult literacy in the context of modern-day
workplace competencies
30 31Find the full report, including measures and
links to supporting data and resources at:
livinginniagarareport.com
To receive a weekly E-blast of quick links to new,
Niagara-focused evidence, go to:
niagaraknowledgeexchange.com/getconnected
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