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“We were stagnant for a long while, but now there are few cities in Canada that are seeing the same levels of downtown renewal. With the QEW and GO Train linking us to the Toronto-Hamilton-GTA economy, the momentum is building. There are more cranes in the air every month, and that’s a sign of the next stage of development.”
Brock University’s decision to immerse its art students and facilities in the downtown (including such details as not including food services in the school, so that students and faculty will need to venture into the downtown that much more every day) is a stroke of good fortune for the city.
And when the Scotties volunteers ask if we’ve had a chance to get out, to get lunch, to see the city; all we need to do is respond honestly. "I love the downtown," I tell them, and watch a pleased smile spread across their faces.
“We’ve sketched out a bold new vision for our city,” says Brian York, director of economic development and government relations at the City of St. Catharines. “Now we’re adding colours, and the palette is perfect for new business and good living.”
Thoughts on their new community: "St. Catharines has a small town feel but it's moving forward," Hope says. "They've done a lot of work on their downtown, shops and restaurants are popping up and we're right in the middle of wine country. They've built the new rink for the ice dogs recently, and construction on the new bridge. There always seems to be a festival or something to do on the weekends and where we moved is right near all the retail."
“The St. Catharines project may not represent a typical model for this size community,” suggests McCluskie, “but it is a testament to what can happen when the arts community works together.”
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