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The city is surrounded by parks and sits in the middle of Ontario's most prominent wine regions: Niagara-on-the-Lake and Twenty Valley. Withe the opening of the Meridian Centre, downtown has boomed and new restaurateurs are pushing forward.
Niagara housing prices are rising faster than anywhere else in Canada, and the boom looks set to continue in lockstep with improved transportation links to the GTA.
Choosing where to buy a home is a very personal decision, but gut feeling alone shouldn’t guide the biggest financial decision of your life. Whether you’re moving to be closer to closer to your job, have access to better schools for your kids, or you’re an income property investor looking to purchase where there’s maximum upside potential, it’s important to have some knowledge of how the homes in the neighbourhood you pick are likely to appreciate over time.
Niagara Region, already known for its world-class wines, is acquiring a taste for craft beers. “Niagara is earning a growing reputation among beer lovers and foodies for its thriving craft brew scene,” said publicist Stephen Murdoch. “Just as the best wines reflect the area where they are produced, Niagara’s craft beers capture the unique charm and personality of the region and the passion of the brewmasters behind them,” he added. New entries include Lock Street Brewing in St. Catharines.
“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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