Survey results released from Strategic Plan refresh | |
City Council has received valuable feedback that will assist in refreshing the City’s Strategic Plan. Close to 550 residents and businesses participated in the recent community survey on EngageSTC.
When asked to rank the five pillars of the Strategic Plan, respondents ranked Economic Prosperity as most important, followed by Effective Organization and Service Delivery (Organizational Excellence), Social Well-Being, Environmental Stewardship and Cultural Vibrancy.
The highest ranking answers specific to the pillars included: Help existing businesses stay and grow in the city, assist in bringing GO train service here, review City services and find opportunities for taxpayer affordability, work with other levels of government on solutions for homelessness and affordable housing, maintain existing trees and plant new trees on City property, and celebrate and promote the city’s history and heritage and preserve heritage assets.
Respondents also felt strongly about the vision statement proposed by Council, with over 86 per cent indicating that the statement reflected or somewhat reflected their hopes for St. Catharines and their expectations of the City’s municipal government. At their meeting Monday, Council voted to split the vision statement into a separate vision and mission statement.
New vision statement:
“St. Catharines will be a safe, innovative, sustainable, and caring city today and for future generations.”
New mission statement:
“The City of St. Catharines municipal government leadership will focus on accountability, affordability, innovation, and responsible stewardship of community resources.”
Council also directed staff to make the Community Improvement Plan (CIP) review the top priority under the Economic Prosperity pillar. Other amendments to both strategic directions and priority initiatives will be updated in the Strategic Plan document as well.
The plan provides a foundation for priority setting, development of staff work plans and resourcing through municipal budget processes.
| Setting up a home child care - focus of December webinar | |
The St. Catharines Enterprise Centre is teaming up with the Niagara Falls Small Business Enterprise Centre and Venture Niagara Community Futures Development Corporation to host a webinar for those interested in opening a home child care.
The webinar is scheduled for 1 p.m. on Dec. 6, 2023. Anyone interested in opening a home child care is welcome to attend.
Those interested can visit the link to register for the free webinar on Eventbrite.
| Let it Glow illuminates St. Catharines for the holiday season | |
Let it Glow - A Celebration of Light – returns this year with its family-friendly, outdoor festival of interactive light installations, entertainment, and cultural programming.
A prime location to visit for a free, self-guided tour of lights is Rennie Park in Port Dalhousie. Downtown lighting installations are located at Meridian Centre Rankin Bridge, James Street Alley, and City Hall.
A launch party is happening at Rennie Park on Dec. 1 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. featuring visits from Spiderman, Buzz Lightyear, Christmas Belle, the Grinch, and Santa. Visitors can take a ride on the historic Lakeside Park Carousel, opening for this special event.
The one-stop-shop Winter at the Market event is back again on Wednesdays in December from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Catharines Farmers Market at 90 King Street. Patrons can pick up holiday baked goods and local wine as well as toys, jewelry and other handmade gifts from local artisans.
Residents can enjoy a free skate at the Meridian Centre on Dec. 10 from noon to 4 p.m. and a photo session with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Batman, Elsa, Bluey and Paw Patrol characters will be on hand to meet with visitors.
Celebrate New Year’s Eve at St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre with one of four hour-long free leisure swims happening on Dec. 31 at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon. Pre-register at stcatharines.ca/DecemberSwim.
Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre will host free public skating on New Year's Eve from 9:30 a.m. to noon on all four pads – one of which will host the popular glow-in-the-dark event complete with glow sticks, character visits and a family photo booth. Watch for registration information at stcatharines.ca/ActiveSTC.
Scan QR codes found throughout Rennie Park in Port Dalhousie between Dec. 1 and Jan. 7 for a chance to win a ‘Port Delicious’ dining experience.
Sponsorship provided by Alectra Utilities. For more details visit lovestc.ca/LetItGlow.
| St. Catharines seeks public feedback for its first multi-year budget | |
Residents are being encouraged to provide input into the City’s first multi-year budget.
City staff have been busy engaging with residents this week at two open houses on Nov. 28 and 30 and a Telephone Town Hall that happened on Wednesday evening.
A Telephone Town Hall operates similarly to a radio call-in show, except instead of individuals calling in, the City will randomly call 30,000 St. Catharines’ households and ask residents to participate.
Listen to the Telephone Town Hall from Nov. 29 below:
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There are still lots of opportunities for residents to connect with the City during the budget process.
City staff will be hosting several interactive budget sessions at kiosks across the City throughout December, giving citizens another opportunity to ask questions and provide feedback and learn more about the budget. No time to stop by? Take the survey.
Dates, times and locations for the pop-up kiosks and links to more information and feedback tools can be found at stcatharines.ca/Budget.
This year the budget process will be a bit different under the new Strong Mayors legislation starting with a draft City staff-proposed budget followed by a Mayor’s proposed budget that will be released Jan. 3 for Council’s consideration.
Staff’s proposed budget was presented to Council on Nov. 22. Presentations included the 2024 to 2026 capital budget with a 2027 to 2030 forecast and asset management status update, water and wastewater budget and associated rates, and the operating budget.
Watch the meeting below:
|  | Residents can find the draft staff-proposed budget documents online at stcatharines.ca/CityBudget. | Arts and culture funding approved by Council | |
The City of St. Catharines continues to invest in the city’s vibrant arts and culture sector. At their meeting on Nov. 27, City Council approved the final rounds of St. Catharines Cultural Investment Program (SCCIP) funding for this year. The total allocation is $82,215.
The funds will be distributed to applicants through the Sustaining – Festival Program, Arts Development Program and Culture Builds Community Program. The approvals bring the total SCCIP funding allocated in 2023 to $401,400.
Successful applicants for rounds three and four of funding include:
- Sustaining – Festival Program: Bravo Niagara! Festival of the Arts - $14,500; Cicada Music and Arts - $18,000; Norm Foster Theatre Festival - $22,000; and TD Niagara Jazz Festival - $9,500.
- Arts Development Program: Bart Gazzola / Niagara Creatives Network - $2,000; and Matter of Black Community Services - $8,715.
- Culture Builds Community Program: Willow Arts Community - $7,500.
SCCIP for 2023 is funded through a diverse range of sources, including the Tax Levy, Civic Project Fund, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre Ticket Surcharge, Mayor’s Fundraising and Special Events Parking Fee Redirect, collectively contributing to the program's budget of $400,000.
Details on SCCIP funding programs for 2024 will be announced in the new year. Information on the programs, eligibility, applications, and more can be found by visiting www.stcatharines.ca/SCCIP.
| St. Catharines Fire Services adds new dispatch partners | |
St. Catharines Fire Services (SCFS) is proud to welcome two more emergency dispatch partners. As part of new Fire Dispatch Services agreements, SCFS is now providing emergency call-taking and dispatch services to Hastings County and Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte.
Hastings County, the second largest county in Ontario, is comprised of 14 municipalities including Centre Hastings, Bancroft, Madoc Township, Tweed and Deseronto. Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte is a First Nations Reserve, located east of Belleville.
The City of Quinte West was announced as a new dispatch partner back in September. SCFS also provides emergency dispatch services to eight other communities in Niagara region, as well as Haldimand County and Norfolk County.
The agreement with SCFS also prepares Hastings County and Mohawks of the Bay of Quinte to meet the mandatory transition to the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission’s (CRTC) Next Gen 911 (NG 911) system.
|  | Winter events happening all month long at the Market | |
Market Square is the place to be for holiday shopping and events this season.
Winter at the Market will run for three weeks on Wednesdays in December from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. starting on Dec. 6 while the regular market will see the holiday discovery table with free take-home activities for kids and the winter selfie booth from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. every Saturday.
Shoppers will be able to choose from a selection of fine preserves and local wines, as well as handmade items such as toys, games, jewelry, home decor, beauty products and more, all while supporting the local community.
Over 60 vendors will be selling their wares at the Winter at the Market event on Wednesday nights. Find a full list at stcatharines.ca/MarketEvents.
St. Catharines Farmers Market runs on Thursdays from 8 a.m. until 2 p.m. and Saturdays from 7 a.m. until 1 p.m. until Dec. 30. The market welcomes visitors on Saturdays all year long but will be temporarily closed on Thursdays for the month of January, reopening on Feb.1, 2024.
Find more information at stcatharines.ca/Market.
| Pollution Prevention and Control Plan Update | Watch the virtual Public Information Centre from Nov. 29, 2023: | |
A Message from Mayor Mat Siscoe | |
Hello St. Catharines,
We had another productive Council meeting this past Monday night. check out my Council recap video:
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What’s Happening in Our Community
Let it Glow
Let it Glow - A Celebration of Light - returns this year with its family-friendly, outdoor festival of interactive light installations, entertainment, and cultural programming.
The Let it Glow launch party takes place tonight, Dec. 1 at Rennie Park from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The event features visits from Spiderman, Buzz Lightyear, Christmas Belle, the Grinch, and Santa. New this year - visitors can take a ride on the historic Lakeside Park Carousel, which is opening for this special event.
In addition to the launch party, Winter at the Market is back again on Wednesdays in December from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at
St. Catharines Farmers Market. Patrons can pick up holiday baked goods and local wine as well as toys, jewelry, and other handmade gifts from local artisans.
On Dec. 10 residents can enjoy a free skate at the Meridian Centre from noon to 4 p.m. along with a photo session with Santa and Mrs. Claus. Batman, Elsa, Bluey and Paw Patrol characters will be on hand to meet with visitors. For all your Let it Glow details visit lovestc.ca/LetItGlow.
33rd Annual Civic Christmas Carol Concert
Join us on Tuesday, Dec. 12 at noon for the City’s 33rd Annual Civic Christmas Carol Concert at St. Thomas’ Church. The event will feature music from Laura Secord Secondary School Concert Choir, The St. Catharines Civic Brass Ensemble and the Ridley College Vocal Ensemble. Doors open at 11:30 a.m.
Donations to Community Care are encouraged.
Enjoy your weekend St. Catharines.
Sincerely,
Mayor Siscoe
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Recreation Facility and Programming Master Plan Update
Over 90 per cent of recommendations are complete or active, with only 11 recommendations not yet started from the City’s Recreation Facility and Programming Master Plan (RFPMP).
A summary of the RFPMP was heard by Council on Monday night including the status of the 83 recommendations and 22 sub-recommendations that were included in the plan during the last update, along with proposed next steps.
The City hired an outside agency in 2015 that specializes in the field to create the strategic document, complete with a framework to inform decision-making for the next decade.
In 2016, the Recreation Master Plan Advisory Committee was established to provide advice during the implementation of the plan’s recommendations and works to adhere to its guiding principles.
City staff and the committee have been successful in advancing projects and improving programs and services following the strategy of the plan. Examples include the Parks Renewal Plan, Buchanan House Parkland Visioning, Arena Strategy, Outdoor Play Spaces Design Requirements – Facility Accessibility Design Standards Policy update, Parks Legacy Fund, Sunset Beach Community Vision, RZone Policy, Aquatics Facilities Strategy, Indoor Tennis Dome, Recreation Facilities Allocation Policy, Sports Field Strategy, Fairview Park Visioning, and the Lancaster Park Recreational Facility.
The RFPMP has guided City staff in the vision for recreation in St. Catharines including the development, management and enhancement of City facilities and programming for residents and visitors for the last eight years. The presentation to Council highlighted recommendation number 83, which outlines that the plan is due to be refreshed before 2026.
City staff aim to incorporate qualitative objectives into the revised plan, such as addressing the evolving needs of the community, setting attainable long-term goals, and effectively managing resources in a sustainable manner. A request for proposals is in the works to once again engage a third party to renew the plan pending budget approval.
Council Vacancy Policy
A policy was approved on Monday night outlining a new process for when a vacancy occurs on City or Regional Council.
A request was made from the previous Council to update the policy to provide an opportunity to consider things such as experience, priorities, and equitable representation for future vacancies. Staff undertook a review of the existing policy and provided a new one that is accountable, transparent and provides flexibility in filling vacancies.
The new policy also reflects changes to the Municipal Act as a result of the recently established Strong Mayor Powers legislation.
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St. Catharines Fire Chief presents Chief's Coins
Scott DeVries (left) and Ron VanderZalm (right) of Colonial Florists were recently presented with the St. Catharines Fire Chief’s Recognition Coin by Fire Chief Dave Upper (middle).
The coins were presented in recognition of their outstanding actions when providing assistance to the victim of an explosion in St. Catharines earlier this year.
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St. Catharines Mitten Tree
The tradition returns this season with the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre's annual Mitten Tree Campaign.
Help local families in need by dropping off winter clothing donations at the museum between Dec. 2, 2023, and Jan. 6, 2024.
Donations are delivered weekly to Community Care of St Catharines and Thorold and to Start Me Up Niagara.
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St. Catharines Tree of Giving campaign
Every year our Tree of Giving campaign helps families enjoy the holiday season. Together our community has donated hundreds of toys and gift cards to deserving children. Now, more than ever we urge you to step in and help by providing a gift this year. No child should have to go without the joy of a surprise toy or gift over the holidays.
Every donation helps.
Now in its 26th year, the community can drop off a new, unwrapped gift or gift card in support of Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold, at City facilities until Dec. 11.
Donation bins are set up at City facilities to accept donations of new, unwrapped toys or gift cards (which are preferred as they are more inclusive).
As in the past several years, printable gift tags can be attached to the donations.
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