Industry in St. Catharines, ON

At St Catharines, the core community, the Welland Canal (1829) and an associated mill raceway from the canal at Merritton introduced mills, shipyards, and metal and machinery manufacture. Mineral springs with medicinal properties added resort hotels, and the town became a popular inland summer resort. The arrival of the Great Western and Welland railways (1853 and 1859 respectively), followed by the St Catharines and Niagara Central Railway (1887), then hydroelectric power from the locks, the raceway, DeCew Falls, and later the Niagara River, led to manufacturing, including automobile production and its accessories, paper, metal and machinery manufactures, wineries and canning factories, and the textile and clothing industries.

Leading entrepreneurs have included William Hamilton MERRITT of canal fame; Dr Chase of the mineral springs; William B. Burgoyne, founder of the St Catharines Standard; Louis Schickluna, for his shipyards; Dr Theophilus Mack, a prime mover in achieving the General and Marine Hospital and Canada's first school of NURSING (1874); and Lachlan McKinnon for founding the industry that became GENERAL MOTORS OF CANADA LTD.