2026 Trillium Awards recognize residents and youth helping the Garden City bloom

From a youth-led initiative bringing new life to a City park to a front-yard landscape where every detail comes together, the City of St. Catharines is celebrating the people and properties helping the Garden City live up to its name. The City recognized The Green Herons with its Green Leader Award and honoured 14  properties for outstanding landscaping and beautification efforts during its annual Trillium Awards celebration on Monday, Nov. 2.

The Green Herons, a group of young environmental advocates dedicated to protecting natural spaces and native species across Niagara, received the Green Leader Award for their commitment to environmental stewardship and community greening. Among their efforts is a new pollinator garden at Johnson Park in St. Catharines, featuring a diverse range of native plants that provide valuable habitat for bees, butterflies and other pollinators. The youth-led organization also operates its own native plant greenhouse, sourcing and 
growing plants in partnership with World Wildlife Fund and Carolinian Canada's In the Zone program. The Johnson Park project received support through the City's Community Gardens Funding Program, and The Green Herons will continue to maintain the garden. 

“The Green Herons are a wonderful example of how people of all ages can make a lasting difference in our community,” said Ilyse Norton, the City's Trillium Awards coordinator. “Their passion for protecting native species and creating healthier natural spaces is inspiring. The pollinator garden at Johnson Park is something the entire community can enjoy, and it will continue to benefit our local environment for years to come.”

The Green Leader Award recognizes an individual or community organization that has made a significant contribution to greening St. Catharines while inspiring others to do the same. The evening also celebrated the creativity and dedication of residents whose front-yard landscaping helps beautify neighbourhoods across the city. The Mayor's Award, the highest honour recognizing the best overall front-yard landscape among this year's nominations, was presented to 2 Leicester Court. The homeowners transformed the front yard into a natural garden filled with a wide array of flowering perennials, ornamental grasses, shrubs and mature trees. Highlights include pollinator-friendly plant material that pops with an abundance of texture and colour. The thoughtful combination of plants, design and attention to detail creates an exceptional overall display.

“What makes this year's Mayor's Award winner so special is how everything works together to create something truly beautiful,” said Mayor Mat Siscoe. “It's a great example of the care and creativity residents put into their properties. Across St. Catharines, these efforts do more than beautify individual homes. They bring pride to our neighbourhoods, inspire others and help make the Garden City such a special place to live.”

The Community Choice Award, determined through an online vote by residents, was presented to 43 Dalhousie Ave. in Port Dalhousie. Twelve additional properties received Civic Beautification Awards, recognizing outstanding front-yard landscaping in each of the city's six wards. “Every year, we're impressed by the time, effort and creativity residents put into their gardens and landscapes,” Norton said. “The Trillium Awards are an opportunity to celebrate that dedication and recognize the many ways residents contribute to a greener, more welcoming St. Catharines.”

The 2026 Civic Beautification Award recipients are: 
• Merritton Ward: 52 Pinecrest Ave. and 13 Colonel Lyall St. 
• St. Andrew's Ward: 42 McDonald St. and 22 Henrietta St. 
• St. George's Ward: 56 Garnet St. and 5 Stanmary Dr. 
• St. Patrick's Ward: 56 Court St. and 47 Kernahan St. 
• Grantham Ward: 22 Thompson Ave. and 28 Spring Garden Blvd. 
• Port Dalhousie Ward: 9 Mackie St. and 123 Dalhousie Ave., Unit 104. 

Learn more about the Trillium Awards at stcatharines.ca/TrilliumAwards.