Coming up at City Council: June 23, 2025 meeting

St. Catharines City Council meets next on Monday, June 23, at 6 p.m., at City Hall in the Council Chambers (third floor). Residents can watch in person, or online via the City’s YouTube page.

On the Consent Agenda

There are several items that are on the consent agenda, a procedural tool that allows multiple agenda items to be passed with a single motion if Council is in agreement with the recommendation on the agenda. City Councillors can request an item be moved to the discussion agenda (sometimes called “pulled for discussion”). Items listed on consent, include:

• St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program Funding (SCCIP) – Rounds One, Two and Three: Council will consider a recommendation to award $360,500 in funding to 30 applicants to the Sustaining – Core and Midsized Programs, and to the Arts Development, Culture Builds Community, and Culture Days Activity Programs. A summary of recommendations, brief descriptions and projects, and more is included in the staff report.
• Recreation Facility and Programming Plan – Progress Update: Council will receive a progress update on the efforts of developing a new Recreation Facility and Programming Plan. The staff report includes an overview of the recently completed research and community consultation phase with key findings and insights from these phases, as well as an updated project timeline and next steps.
• Updates to the By-law to Manage and Regulate Election Signs: Having previously adopted a by-law to manage and regulate election signs in February, Council will receive some recommended updates to the by-law. With the municipal by-election and federal and provincial elections having happened since then, amendments are being recommended based on experiences during those election campaigns. The staff report summarizes the by-law changes.
• Single Source Procurement for Garbage Truck: Council will consider approval of a purchase of a garbage truck, previously approved during the adoption of the 2024 to 2026 multi-year capital budget. The truck will be used to help collect garbage and empty cans at the beaches, parks and in the downtown core. While the purchase was originally approved in the budget, under the City’s procurement by-law, a sole or single-source contract where the total cost exceeds $150,000 requires Council approval to proceed with an award.

On the Discussion Agenda

Items tabled for discussion are staff reports on the agenda that are considered one at a time. Items listed as discussion reports include:

• Proposal from Owner of St. Catharines Saints Hockey Franchise: The owner of a new hockey team in the Allan Cup Hockey League is requesting a multi-year agreement with the City in hopes of operating out of Bill Burgoyne Arena for up to 10 home games, with the hopes of finalizing a deal for the 2025-2026 season.
• Parking Service Review: Council will consider a series of recommendations for its parking system, following an extensive review by a consultant, with the aim of enhancing user experience, improving efficiencies and ensuring long-term financial sustainability. The work also included community engagement. The study includes five key directives identified during the review and 17 recommendations of best practices. Council will consider endorsing the recommendations and the award of a complete parking e-ticketing solution.
• 2025 Asset Management Plan: Council will consider approval of the 2025 Asset Management Plan. An asset management plan is a guide that helps the City of St. Catharines take care of important things like roads, buildings, pipes, and parks. It helps the City make smart choices about how to build, fix, and look after these things now and in the future. This plan helps the City stay safe, caring, and ready for tomorrow — for everyone living here today and for future generations. The City has developed the plan, which builds upon previous work done in 2019, 2022 and 2024, in line with provincial legislation, ensuring infrastructure needs are appropriately addressed.

Additional Motions Being Tabled

A motion will be tabled by Coun. Dawn Dodge requesting that Council waive its naming policy for parks, trails and recreation facilities to rename Grantham Park to Jim Bradley Park. Bradley has been an elected official in various roles since 1970, representing the community at City Council, the Province and most recently Niagara Region where he is Regional Chair. His legacy also includes contributions to the community, including sports organizations, the Grantham Optimist Club and more.

Closed Session

Items listed on closed session (also known as in-camera) are portions of the meeting that are not open to the public. They are held during discussions on confidential or sensitive information, as permitted by specific exemptions outlined in the Municipal Act. Reasons permitted can also be found in the City’s by-law regulating the proceedings of Council (see Section H). Listed on the agenda are:

• Moffat Street Secondary Access (proposed or pending acquisition or disposition of land)
• Ssonix Status Update (litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals; advice subject to solicitor-client privilege)
• Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing re: 1537 Fifth Ave. Louth (litigation or potential litigation, including matters before administrative tribunals; advice subject to solicitor-client privilege)

Additional Information

Find the entire agenda for the meeting here. You can also find information on Council meetings, including ways to participate or offer feedback, such as correspondence or delegations, on our website.