News from the Coalition for a Better St. Catharines, a citizens group in the Niagara area
Posted October 13th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
On Thursday October 8th, The Ontario Superior Court of Justice granted the Coalition for a Better St. Catharines Intervenor status in the case concerning a Property Standards Order issued by the City of St. Catharines to the owner of the former GM site on Ontario Street (Bayshore Groups).
The Coalition is a citizens’ advocacy group that for the past six years has been pressing for action to address the deteriorating condition of the former GM site and its related health issues.
The abandoned buildings on both sides of Ontario Street have become a visible public safety concern for the surrounding community. Since 2018 the abandoned buildings have been sporadically occupied by trespassers, including young people and “urban explorers.
” The buildings contain asbestos materials and pose serious physical hazards, including damaged roofs, pits, holes in floors and ground, open elevator shafts and deteriorating structural components. Fires set by trespassers have also resulted in repeated responses by the City’s fire department. After years of advocacy, this spring the City finally conducted a formal inspection of the remaining buildings pursuant to its Property Standards Bylaw.
City inspectors identified numerous deficiencies, including:
- Missing and damaged exterior walls and broken windows;
- Deterioration and corrosion of exterior surfaces;
- Demolition debris;
- Deteriorated roof structures, steel framing and overhead structures; and
- Holes in the ground of varying depths.
The City subsequently issued an Order requiring the owner to remedy the identified deficiencies or, failing compliance, demolish the buildings.
Bayshores Group appealed the Order to the City’s Property Standards Committee and after not receiving the relief they sought registered an appeal with the Ontario Superior Court of Justice seeking to have the Order set aside or rescinded.
The Coalition has now been granted Intervenor Status in the Superior Court proceeding so that it can make submissions to the Court concerning the community’s interest in addressing the condition of the site.
The Coalition will also bring to the Court’s attention the need to immediately address safety concerns arising from the continued deterioration and abandonment of the buildings.
“We are pleased the judge recognized that the interests of the surrounding community should be represented in this matter,” said Gwen Kennedy, speaking for the Coalition. “We welcome the opportunity to participate in the Court proceeding and to ensure that the community’s concerns about the safety of the buildings, the condition of the property and the ongoing impact of this site on St. Catharines are heard properly before the Court.”
The Coalition will continue to advocate for a timely resolution of the proceeding and for appropriate actions to address the dangerous condition of the buildings and the continuing blight associated with the former GM site. For more information or interviews: info@abetterstcatharines.ca Gwen Kennedy.
Gwen Kennedy, Director
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