An Invite to City of St. Catharines residents from the City
Posted October 17th, 2025 on Niagara At Large
Should the park space be named after the late St. Catharines Councillor, Port Dalhousie resident and long-time community activist Carlos Garcia? The city is asking residents to vote in favour of one of three finalist names.
The City of St. Catharines is asking residents to vote for their preferred name from a list of finalists for an outdoor public space in Port Dalhousie.
Today (this October 17th), the “Vote for your preferred name” survey opened on the City’s “Name This Space!” page for 45 Lakeport Rd., on its EngageSTC public engagement platform at engagestca.ca/name-this-space <https://www.engagestc.ca/name-this-space>.
City esidents can vote for their preferred name in a short, one-question survey until Friday, Nov. 7 at 4:30 p.m.
The three finalist names are:
- * Lakeside Commons
- * Old Lock One Commons
- * N. Carlos Garcia Commons
The City initiated the naming process in the spring for the space at 45 Lakeport Rd., located near Main Street in the Port Dalhousie Commercial Core and Harbour Area Heritage Conservation District <https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/planning- and-development/resources/Port-Dalhousie-Commercial-Core-HCD-Plan-(Approved-by- OLT).pdf>.
Choose from the three finalists for a name this park space in Port Dalhousie.
After asking for potential names for the space, the City received 209 submissions. With input from the City’s Historical Services staff, and in consideration of the most-common names submitted, the above finalist names were selected.
“Thank you to everyone who submitted a naming suggestion in our survey this spring,” said Amanda Knutson, the City’s Community Project and Development Planner. “We’re looking forward to residents’ votes on their preferred name.
The City recognizes the names of our amenities have an important influenceon the sense of community and offering the public the opportunity to submit their ideas and feedback is an important part of the process.”
After public voting on finalists closes, a preferred name will be presented to City Council this fall.
While the community has referred to this space by several names over the years, it has never had an official name since its restoration in 2018.
Given the inconsistency, and to reflect the nature of the community collective that has helped make the space what it is today, last November, Port Dalhousie City Coun. Carlos Garcia requested that a formal process for the naming of the site take place. <https://www.youtube.com/live/IwvtP7kIwa4?t=10426s>
The public engagement process is part of the City’s Naming Policy on Parks, Trails and Recreation Facilities.
The vibrant community space has a rich history, once serving as Lock 1 for the second Welland Canal, which operated from 1845 until 1935, when it was replaced by the third Welland Canal. The lock’s stone walls are still visible today and have been incorporated into the surrounding public realm landscape.
To submit your preference from the three finalists above for a name for the park space in Port Dalhousie, click on – <https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/planning- and-development/resources/Port-Dalhousie-Commercial-Core-HCD-Plan-(Approved-by- OLT).pdf>.
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