At its August 24 meeting, St. Catharines City Council transferred up to $5 million from the City’s wastewater reserve fund and $15 million from its wastewater capital projects budget (from approved projects it will now fund through debentures, a kind of long-term financing) to its new Emergency Flood Alleviation Program.
Since the rainstorms, the City’s received more than 3,500 applications for its Flood Alleviation Program, a previous City program that supports about 30 applicants a year with an annual budget of $150,000. Due to the heightened interest in the program, the City began developing the Emergency Flood Alleviation Program, an expedited program to reimburse eligible homeowners for 90 per cent of the cost (up to a maximum of $5,000) of eligible flood protection devices, including backwater valves, sump pits and weeping tile disconnection, and associated installation work.
Council also directed the City to report on current and future sanitary storm projects.
The City of St. Catharines, working alongside community partners, is adapting temporary flood supports to meet the changing needs of residents as recovery continues. See our news release for full details, but some highlights:
- To support residents looking for general insurance information, the City has invited Insurance Bureau of Canada (IBC) to establish a community hub.
- IBC professionals are set up today (Wednesday, Aug. 12) at the Grantham Lions Club, 732 Niagara St., from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- They will also be welcoming residents on Thursday, Aug. 13 at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre, 425 Carlton St., in the Community Room, from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- IBC staff are trained insurance industry personnel who can help you navigate general home, business, or vehicle insurance questions. For questions regarding your specific insurance policy, contact your insurance representative.
- If you can’t make it in person, IBC ‘s Consumer Information Centre is available at 1-844-2ASK-IBC (1-844-227-5422) to help address questions.
Additional Recovery and Response Updates
- Team Rubicon has deployed in the community to support flood efforts. See more in our news release.
- Last week Mayor Mat Siscoe issued a mayoral direction in response to the widespread flooding. The direction asks staff to report back to Council with recommendations in seven key areas, including: an independent flood resilience review; priority flood mitigation areas; enhancement of the Flood Alleviation Program (FLAP); review of stormwater maintenance practices; improving public reporting and monitoring; expanding public education and preparedness; and arranging the third week of enhanced waste collection. See more in his statement.
- St. Catharines Fire Services has cancelled the remainder of the Hot Summer Nights events for the 2026 season. The decision was made to prioritize support of the ongoing flood recovery efforts.
Sunday, August 9
Waste Removal
Large bins will be available at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena Monday, August 10 to Saturday, August 15 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of flood-related garbage. Proof of residency will be required.
Household hazardous waste is not accepted at the City's large bins. Learn more about drop off locations for household hazardous waste at permanent depots year round from the Niagara Region.
Niagara Region's enhanced city-wide waste collection continues next week
Curbside garbage limits are lifted for flood-related waste until August 14 on your regular collection day. Garbage can be placed at the curb from August 10-14, even if it's not your regular garbage collection week.
Residents are not required to book flood-waste related large items for curbside collection. There is no limit to the number of large items you can set out curbside on your scheduled collection day.
Help keep Niagara Region's waste collection workers safe: use extra care when disposing of flood-waste that may contain nails, screws, broken glass, sharp edges or other hazards.
Reminder: enhanced garbage collection is limited to flood-related waste. There's a lot to pick up and this will help crews move through neighbourhoods more quickly.
Tipping fees are waived at Humberstone Landfill and Bridge Street Waste and Recycling Drop-off Depot until Aug. 15 (one pickup truck or trailer is the maximum load)
Learn more about the Niagara Region's temporary waste services due to flooding webpage.
Friday, August 7
More rain in the forecast
We continue to closely monitor weather conditions and are taking proactive measures to address forecasted rainfall. Our crews have been out across the city cleaning out ditching and clearing catch basin grates, inspecting and repairing damaged culverts and generally checking that everything can drain.
Like everyone, we are watching the forecast and urge everyone to continue to monitor weather conditions. We'll be doing the same and will post updates as needed.
Team Rubicon
Ontario Corps partner Team Rubicon Canada has landed in St. Catharines to support recovery efforts following heavy rainfall that caused widespread flooding across the community.
Beginning Sunday, August 9 Team Rubicon Canada volunteers, know as Greyshirts, will deploy to conduct debris removal as well as flood damaged items, flooring and drywall where necessary to aid in the cleaning process, answering a request for assistance through Ontario Corp to support and assist residents and homeowners through the difficult process of recovery.
Volunteers
Residents who wish to be part of the volunteer effort can learn more and register through Ontario Corp at www.corps.ontario.ca.
Waste Removal
Large bins are available at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena Saturday, August 7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of flood-related garbage. Proof of residency will be required.
Household hazardous waste is not accepted at the City's large bins. Learn more about drop off locations for household hazardous waste at permanent depots year round from the Niagara Region.
The large bins will be available August 10-15 at select City facilities from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. We'll post location information when available.
Niagara Region's enhanced city-wide waste collection continues next week
Curbside garbage limits are lifted for flood-related waste until August 14 on your regular collection day. Garbage can be placed at the curb from Augus 10-14, even if it's not your regular garbage collection week.
- Residents are not required to book flood-waste related large items for curbside collection. There is no limit to the number of large items you can set out curbside on your scheduled collection day.
- Tipping fees are waived at Humberstone Landfill and Bridge Street Waste and Recycling Drop-off Depot until Aug. 15 (one pickup truck or trailer is the maximum load)
Learn more about the Niagara Region's temporary waste services due to flooding webpage.
Sinkholes and erosion
The City continues to respond to infrastructure impacts, including sinkholes, erosion concerns, trail damage, roadway issues, and other storm-related repairs.
If you see dips, soft spots, washouts or other issues on a City roads and sidewalk or in City parks and other public spaces report it to us right away: Call 905.688.5600 or use our online Report an Issue form.
Stay up-to-date on road closures, construction and maintenance with our traffic notices webpage
Thursday, August 6
Team Rubicon
The City of St. Catharines appreciates the Province of Ontario's assistance with recovery for our community, including sending volunteers from Team Rubicon and contributing hundreds of cleaning kits to support our flood-impacted residents through Ontario Corps.
We are in collaborative discussions with provincial officials regarding potential further supports and assistance that may be available.
We continue to hear directly from residents in significant need about the scale of damage and recovery still ahead. We encourage these residents to join our Vulnerable Assistance Registry.
Enhanced waste collection now available citywide.
- Curbside garbage limits are lifted for flood-related waste until Aug. 14 on your regular collection day. Garbage can be placed at the curb from Aug. 10-14, even if it's not your regular garbage collection week.
- Residents are not required to book flood-waste related large items for curbside collection. There is no limit to the number of large items you can set out curbside on your scheduled collection day.
- Tipping fees are waived at Humberstone Landfill and Bridge Street Waste and Recycling Drop-off Depot until Aug. 15 (one pickup truck or trailer is the maximum load)
Learn more about the Niagara Region's temporary waste services due to flooding webpage.
Additional supports for waste removal
The large bins available at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of storm-related construction waste will be open Friday and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Proof of residency will be required.
Wednesday, August 5
Sink holes
Sink holes are beginning to appear around St. Catharines.
- Geneva Street is closed from Glenholme Drive to Guy Road for sink hole repairs
Stay up-to-date on road closures, construction and maintenance with our traffic notices webpage
See a dip or soft spot in the road? Report it to us right away: Call 905.688.5600 or use our online Report an Issue form.
Vulnerable Assistance Registry
A Vulnerable Assistance Registry is open for applications for eligible residents who require support removing water and waste from their homes. Fill out our online form or call 905.688.5600 for intake support.
Premier Doug Ford tours flood impacted areas
Mayor Mat Siscoe, St. Catharines Fire Chief Dave Upper and City of St. Catharines officials joined Premier Doug Ford in Port Dalhousie to tour impacted areas and understand the damage to our community from the recent significant rainfalls flooding. We continue to advocate for additional relief supports for our community.
Tuesday, August 4
2 p.m.
Enhanced waste collection expanded
The City has worked with Niagara Region to extend enhanced waste collection services for St. Catharines residents in the eligible areas an additional week. Curbside garbage limits are lifted entirely for flood-related cleanup waste until Aug. 14 on your regular collection day.
See the Niagara Region's Facebook page and Temporary waste services webpage for more information and updates.
11:15 a.m.
Additional supports for waste removal
The City of St. Catharines arranged for additional supports for waste removal for St. Catharines residents impacted by extreme rainfall events last week.
Large bins are now available at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena for St. Catharines residents who need to dispose of storm-related construction waste from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday.
Proof of residence will be required. Accepted construction waste includes:
- Drywall
- Insulation
- Concrete, bricks
- Construction wood
- Asphalt, ceramic tile
- Wood / laminate flooring
- Rolled carpeting
- Roofing shingles
- Plumbing pipes
The temporary waste services due to flooding announced by the Niagara Region, including increased garbage bag limits and free tipping fees at Humberstone and Bridge Street landfills, also remains available.
8:45 a.m.
Press Conference
Mayor Mat Siscoe and the City of St. Catharines held a media conference at 9 a.m. this morning regarding the recent significant flooding. Watch the media conference on our YouTube channel.
Monday, August 3
Mayor declares state of emergency
Mayor Mat Siscoe has declared a State of Emergency for the City of St. Catharines following significant flooding over the last week that has had widespread effects on homes and property over the last week. The declaration comes following a pair of intense storms that brought more than 140 mm of rain to areas across the City on July 27-28 and then again on August 2.
Sunday, August 2
10:30 p.m.
Significant Weather Event declaration
The City has declared a significant weather event, following another round of intense rainfall and storms, measuring over 100 mm of rain throughout the majority of the City, and higher volumes in some areas. Our crews are busy working through calls and service requests, addressing issues across the City. If you are experiencing flooding contact your insurance company to begin a claim and see our basement flooding page for important steps to take and information to gather.
Kiwanis open to community for showers, washrooms, pools will open late
To assist residents dealing with flood impacts in their homes the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre lobby, washrooms, change rooms and shower facilities will open tomorrow (Monday, Aug. 3) for public use at 5:30 a.m. to support those who may not have access to those amenities.
The pools at the facility will be opening late due to the ongoing flooding issue. They are tentatively scheduled to open at 9 a.m. tomorrow (Aug. 3), but a confirmation will be provided in the morning ahead of that. Any programming ahead of 9 a.m. is cancelled as of this time.
8 p.m.
Enhanced waste collection expanded
The City has worked with Niagara Region to expand its enhanced waste collection beginning tomorrow (Monday, Aug. 3). See their Facebook post for details and their website for more details and updates. This will include an expanded curbside collection approach, and will include areas of Merritton / Secord Woods, including:
- Unlimited regular household garbage bags and cans
- Large household items (such as furniture)
- Construction and demolition materials
Please place all materials within four feet of the roadway for collection and please note: Appliances, scrap metal, hazardous waste and liquid materials are not eligible for curbside collection. Learn about disposal options at https://niagararegion.ca/waste/.
Tipping fees continue to be waived at the Humberstone and Bridge Street landfills, and the City will begin placing large-scale bins at select City facilities (proof of residence will be required) on Tuesday. We will provide specific locations and detail as soon as these arrangements are finalized.
Today's rainfall
With today's rainfall, City crews have responded to a series of localized flooding calls, including overflowing catch basins, ditches and private properties. While water is dissipating, the rainfall warning remains in effect, with the potential for more heavy rain this evening.
If you have an urgent service request, call 905.688.5600. Non-urgent requests can be submitted online at https://webforms.stcatharines.ca/Report-an-Issue. We are not able to take service requests / reports via social media, so please use the appropriate channels to report issues.
Avoid creeks and watercourses with elevated water levels, and use caution around roads and low-lying areas that may experience flash flooding.
Vulnerable Assistance Registry
Reminder, The City has established a Vulnerable Assistance Registry for eligible residents who require support removing water and waste from their homes. Please fill out our form or call 905.688.5600 for intake support.
We continue to advocate to the Province for additional relief supports for our community beyond the programs already announced.
