10 Reasons People Love St. Catharines

Posted by Jamie Szeibert on Wednesday, June 29, 2022 at 7:34 AM By Jamie Szeibert / June 29, 2022 Comment

St. Catharines is one of the best places to live in Ontario, just 20 minutes from Niagara Falls, 20 minutes from Welland, and an hour and a half from Toronto. It is the largest city in the Niagara region with about 140,000 people in the community. Known as a friendly and charming city, there are plenty of reasons people are moving to St. Catharines. Keep reading to learn about 10 reasons people love St. Catharines.

1. Wine Country

Residents of St. Catharines enjoy living in beautiful Niagara wine country, home to world famous Icewine and many beautiful vineyards and wineries. If you enjoy wine tasting, meeting local vintners, or buying your wine from local businesses, you will love spending your weekends in St. Catharines enjoying the beautiful wine country.

2. Welland Canal

St. Catharines is located along Welland Canal, a ship canal that connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. Not only is Welland Canal an integral part of allowing ships to bypass Niagara Falls, but it provides a beautifully scenic backdrop.

3. Port Dalhousie

Port Dalhousie is known for its beach, waterfront park, and carousel. The waterfront area surrounding the port is a beautiful place to enjoy a picnic or a day in the sunshine. Every year in August, The Royal Canadian Henley Regatta takes place in Port Dalhousie. This world-class rowing event has been held in Port Dalhousie since 1903 and is a thrilling spectator sport attracting over 3,000 rowers from around the globe.

4. Downtown

St. Catharines has a recently revamped downtown area that is utterly picturesque, with shops, cafes, and restaurants everywhere you look. You could easily spend an entire day window shopping, enjoying delicious food, and taking with local business owners. New perks have been added to downtown with continued development, including educational and cultural facilities.

5. Happy Ralph's Animal Farm

Located along the shores of Lake Ontario, Happy Rolph's Animal Farm is a fun place to meet animals of many kinds or enjoy a quiet setting for a peaceful picnic. This is a family favorite, perfect for kids who love farm animals.

6. Parks and Gardens

St. Catharines is home to beautiful parks and playgrounds, many of which feature walking paths and benches in addition to impressive play structures and scenic surroundings. There is a reason St. Catharines is also called The Garden City.

7. First Ontario Performing Arts Centre

Built in 2015, the FirstOntario Performing Arts Center is a 95,000 square foot cultural complex that brings a variety of performing arts to the community. Residents enjoy performances of all kinds, in addition to educational lectures and seminars.

8. Ice Dogs and The Meridian Centre

The Meridian Centre is the 5,300 seat arena that is home of the Ice Dogs, where St. Catharines residents can watch games between the home team and others in the Ontario Hockey League. If you are a hockey fan, you will love the chance to see the next NHL star before they come on the scene.

9. Education

Public post-secondary education options are plentiful in the area, making St. Catharines a great option for those looking to further their education or families looking to relocate with adolescents or young adults in the family. Niagara College is just minutes down the road in Welland, and Brock University is also just minutes away.

10. The Falls

Of course, we cannot forget Niagara Falls, the honeymoon capital of the world and a favorite vacation destination for people around the globe. When you live in St. Catharines, it is just 20 minutes away. The Falls brings a steady stream of tourism to support the local economy, not to mention it simply never gets old seeing them for yourself. Enjoy a day trip to visit Niagara Falls and some of the attractions in the area.

To learn more about living in St. Catharines, contact our office any time. We would love to help you discover if making St. Catharines home is right for you.