What to See in St. Catharines - Top Sights and Attractions

Theatre in St. Catharines, Ontario. The FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre is a 95,000-square-foot cultural complex located in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario. It opened in 2015 as the result of a partnership between the City of St. Catharines and Brock University, which share the venue for production, performance and learning purposes. Designed by Diamond Schmitt Architects to host a variety of international and local performing artists, it comprises four separate venues: a 770-seat concert hall, 300-seat recital hall, 210-seat multi-purpose dance/theatre venue, and the 199-seat Film House.

The creation of the centre spurred a cultural and economic renaissance in downtown St. Catharines along with neighbouring its neighbouring Meridian Centre and Brock University's Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts.^[5]

Bridge in Ontario, Canada. The Garden City Skyway is a major high-level bridge located in St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, that allows the Queen Elizabeth Way to cross the Welland Canal without the interruption of a lift bridge. Six lanes of traffic are carried across the bridge, which is 2.2 kilometres in length and 40 metres at its tallest point. It is the tallest and largest single structure along the entire QEW; the Burlington Bay James N. Allan Skyway, which is also part of the QEW, is actually two separate and smaller four-lane bridges.

Among all the bridges spanning the present Welland Canal, the Skyway is numbered Bridge 4A (the Homer Lift Bridge is Bridge 4).

Construction began in January 1960, with the main span crossing the Welland Canal hoisted into place in July of that same year. The bridge was open to traffic on October 18, 1963. During construction, the bridge was referred to as the Homer Skyway, taking its name from the lift bridge that the new skyway was to replace. Upon dedication, the bridge was officially named the Garden City Skyway, using the nickname of St. Catharines, "Canada's Garden City."

Tolls were charged on the bridge until 1973.

Should the Garden City Skyway be closed due to a traffic accident or weather conditions, traffic is diverted along frontage roads (Dieppe Road, Dunkirk Road, Glendale Avenue, Queenston Road, Taylor Road and York Road) to cross the canal at the Homer Lift Bridge, re-connecting to the QEW on the opposite side.

The construction work included an Ontario "tall-wall" concrete median barrier, new bridge parapets, and the installation of shaded high-pressure sodium lights using the existing truss poles.

In 2015, the high-pressure sodium lights on the bridge were replaced with bright white LED lights on the existing truss poles.

The Ontario Ministry of Transportation (MTO) is actively pursuing studies with the goal of twinning the Skyway. The second bridge would be constructed north of the existing Skyway for Toronto-bound traffic, while the existing bridge would be used by vehicles heading toward Niagara.^[7]

Restaurant in St. Catharines, Ontario. The Kilt and Clover is a restaurant and public house located at 17 Lock Street in Port Dalhousie, Ontario, a district within the City of St. Catharines, Ontario on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is known for its eccentricities, eclectic customers, and acts as a meeting place for the residents of Port Dalhousie, Ontario. In the summer months it is popular with tourists. The pub takes great pride in its motto of "Warm Beer & Lousy Food."

There is an Irish and Scottish theme to the pub and its staff members wear kilts while working. When a staff member leaves on good terms, his or her kilt is officially retired and displayed on the walls of the pub. Its patio is L-shaped and has a permanent awning on the north side of its building but is uncovered on its west side.

In August 2006, the Kilt and Clover was charged under the Smoke Free Ontario Act when by-law officers observed four patrons smoking cigarettes on the uncovered west side of its patio. The Niagara Regional Government and the Ontario Ministry of Health argued that if a roof covers part of a patio, smoking is prohibited on the entire patio. In July 2007, a justice of the peace ruled in favour of the Kilt and Clover. The decision was appealed to the Ontario Court of Justice in February 2008. In a precedent-setting case, Justice Ann Watson ruled the pub was not breaking the law by allowing smoking on an uncovered portion of its wraparound patio.

On March 29, 2010, the Ontario Government passed Regulation 48/06, revamping the application of the Smoke Free Ontario Act to specifically address the prohibition of tobacco smoking on covered and partially covered restaurant and bar patios. This statutory change has overtaken the case law made by the Kilt and Clover.

Every January, the Kilt and Clover hosts the International Chicken Chucking Championships. Billed as a bird-brain sporting contest, the community event raises money for local charities including the community food bank. In 2009, the 9th annual Chicken Chucking with 38 teams raised over $2000.00 for charity. In past years, teams have come as far away as the United States and Europe. The 2010 event was fowled with over $2,100.00 being raised for Hospice Niagara.

The act of chicken chucking consists of pitching or sliding frozen chickens along the ice covered Martindale Pond similar to curling and shuffleboard. After chicken chucking, the used frozen chickens are ground up and made into dog food.

There was a second location in Beamsville at 5205 King St. The Beamsville Location has since been closed.^[9]

Downtown St. Catharines is the central business district of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is defined by the city as the area between Highway 406 on the west and south, Geneva Street on the east until it reaches St. Paul Street then Welland Avenue north until it meets Niagara Street.

It an historical area of the city, as well as a significant cultural and entertainment destination, playing host to several bars and restaurants along St. Paul and James Streets, and the popular Niagara Grape & Wine Festival and Grand Parade in September. Various retail and commercial businesses, are found throughout the core, as well as government, financial and law offices. Since 2015, the neighbourhood has been home to the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, a campus of Brock University.^[10]