St. Catharines, Urban center in Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada
St. Catharines is a city in the Niagara Region of Ontario that sits between Lake Ontario and the Niagara Peninsula. The cityscape combines residential neighborhoods, parks along the water, and nineteenth-century buildings that still stand downtown today.
Loyalists founded the settlement in 1783 following a land treaty and built early farms along Twelve Mile Creek. The community officially became a town in 1845 and adopted the current name, which has remained unchanged since.
The name honors Catherine of Alexandria, a fourth-century martyr whose devotion inspired early settlers here. Today this connection appears in street names and public buildings visitors notice while walking through downtown.
The city sits along the Queen Elizabeth Way connecting Toronto with Niagara Falls and offers several parking options near downtown. Walking paths lead through parks and along the lakeshore, where visitors can explore different neighborhoods on foot.
The Welland Canal passes through the city and connects Lake Erie with Lake Ontario through eight locks that raise and lower large cargo ships. Visitors can stand at the lock walls and watch ships pass directly in front of them as the water adjusts the elevation difference.
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