News from the City of St. Catharines

The City of St. Catharines is rolling out tax relief to non-residential property owners to provide support from the COVID-19 pandemic.
This new program is open to owners of occupied commercial, shopping centre, parking lot or office property who can demonstrate financial hardship related to COVID-19. If the application is approved, property tax payments can be deferred from July 31 and Oct. 30 to Nov. 30, 2020. 
“This application-based program will offer assistance... Read More...

From the history of the Welland Canal to a vibrant and growing arts scene, there is no shortage of culture to celebrate in St. Catharines.
So much so that this year it will take a whole month to celebrate as Culture Days returns. The City is once again gearing up to participate in the Canada-wide celebration of arts and culture, that this year will expand from its traditional weekend-long format to encompass a whole month, from Sept. 25 to Oct. 25.
Every year communities... Read More...

For entrepreneurs, starting up a new business is a dream come true. But, knowing where to start can be overwhelming and finding start-up money challenging.
That’s where the St. Catharines Enterprise Centre can help. Through the Provincially funded Starter Company Plus program, the team at the City of St. Catharines small business office offers business training, mentorship and a grant up to $5,000 to help eligible entrepreneurs successfully launch their own businesses.... Read More...

St. Catharines and the Town of Lincoln’s economic development and tourism departments have begun the process of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic through formalizing a sub-regional tourism marketing partnership. 
“Partnerships such as this are a well-established way of driving business in our region,” said Mayor Walter Sendzik. “For more than a decade economic development and tourism in the Niagara region has relied upon collaborative marketing... Read More...

As the City continues efforts to address the impacts of short-term rentals on the community, staff are looking to the public for their input.
An online open house is underway, running until Oct. 16, providing the public with a breakdown of proposed amendments to the City’s Zoning By-law related to short-term rentals (STRs). Several concerns related to such property uses were identified in previous public consultation on the topic in late 2019.
On Feb. 24, 2020 City... Read More...