History
The current St. Catharines area was settled long ago by 3000 British loyalists towards the end of the 18th century. The fertile soils and access to lake water and agriculture made the area ideal for settlers. Because of the cities close proximation with the US border after the war of 1812 Canadians were reluctant to rebuild their city. In 1824 the Welland Canal company began construction on the Welland Canal to avoid dependence on the use of American Canals. Since the canal was established the city began to prosper. During the 1850s Harriet Tubman (conductor of the underground railroad which lead slaves north of the border to freedom) utilized St. Catharines as her home base. In 1876 St. Catharines was granted city-status. With the surge of the industrial revolution St. Catharines became an important place in Southern Ontario for industry. In the 1950s different townships formed to create the St. Catharines we know today. This change is very similar to the changes that occurred in cities in the Niagara region.
Would I Live There?
The short answer is: no. St. Catharines as a city does not appeal to me. Being born in a large diverse city like Toronto I would feel that St. Catharines would be a step in the wrong direction. St. Catharines just doesn't deliver on necessities that matter to me, for instance I need to live in a city with a large, diverse public transit system (because lets face it cars are expensive) and St. Catharines is a city that basically requires a car. In addition St. Catharines doesn't offer a wide array of specialized careers, or careers that would appeal to me because lets face it all of these companies have their headquarters here in Toronto. I suppose a few advantages to St. Catharines would be its quieter atmosphere as well as less traffic but for a Toronto boy like me it are loud bustling cities that appeal to me. Although its cultural activities and its lakefront scenery is quite pretty I don't see it as a city where I could work and live. I think I'll stick to the loud dirty streets of Toronto!