St. Catharines

In 1898, the Cataract Power Company (now Ontario Power Generation) began generating and transmitting electricity from St. Catharines to Hamilton. The entrepreneurial project resulted in the transmission of electricity a staggering 56 kilometers (35 miles) – the longest distance that electricity had been transmitted in Canada at that time, and the second-longest distance in the world! The station remains a working piece of Canada’s hydroelectric heritage. Check out the video below as part of Digital Doors Open and learn more about this fascinating site.

The old county courthouse was built at the corner of James and King streets in 1849. Three years later, town council approved putting a clock into the tower. The clock remains a working engineering marvel and is one of the many landmarks from St. Catharines’ past. As part of Digital Doors Open, watch the video below to learn more about the history of the clock. Today, the courthouse is used by the City of St. Catharines as municipal offices.

Construction of the inner range lighthouse began in 1898. It is 16 metres (52.5 feet) high and has a tapered eight-sided frame that supports a 12-sided lantern and beaver-shaped weathervane. Access to the lantern is provided by four very steep and narrow wooden staircases. Today, the lighthouses in Port Dalhousie serve as a symbol of St. Catharines and its maritime history. Explore this fascinating lighthouse as part of Digital Doors Open through the video below.

Come and visit The Brown Homestead as its doors are once again opened to the community! The Brown Homestead is the site of the oldest house in St. Catharines. They are currently undergoing restoration work and are on their way to becoming an important cultural centre, a site for innovation, education, community connection and heritage advocacy.