Ontario's Garden City
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From spring pastels through summer's lush greens to autumn's spectacular crimson and golds, Niagara boasts magnificent wild and cultivated wonders and the City of St. Catharines is right in the heart of it all.
Montebello Park - Exit the QEW at Ontario Street (#47) in St. Catharines and turn right onto Ontario. Drive south on Ontario until you reach Welland Avenue. Continue a short distance, and Montebello Park will be on your left. This unique and historically significant 6.5 acre park lies on the fringe of St. Catharines downtown core. The commemorative rose garden with over 1500 bushes in 25 varieties, is the city's largest rose collection. Picnic tables, washrooms, play equipment and walking paths are scattered throughout the park. Free to the public.
St. Catharines Farmers Market - Located two blocks up from Montebello Park (Right on Church Street and in City Hall's parking lot adjacent to St. Catharines heritage courthouse). Come to the newly renovated place where local farmers have been selling their goods since the early 1800s. Treat your taste buds to locally grown fruits, vegetables, cold cuts, sausages, poultry, cheese, eggs, honey, homemade preserves and baked goods are available or pick up some beautifully cut flowers (Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, 5:30am to 4:00pm).
Walker Arboretum & Botanical Gardens at Rodman Hall Arts Centre - Continue driving south on Ontario Street to St. Pauls West. Turn right onto St. Paul West and turn onto St. Paul Crescent. The Arboretum boasts plants and trees not normally grown in this area, is famed for more than 1500 spectacular rhododendrons and azaleas and includes over 200 plants and shrubs, 15 types of magnolia, a cedar from North Africa, and one of the largest Empress trees in Canada.
Happy Rolph's Bird Sanctuary - Read Rad, off Lakeshore Road, just east of the Welland Canal. From the QEW, take the Niagara Street exit #44 to Lakeshore Road and turn right. Head east over the Canal. One of Canada's most exotic collections of flowering Rhododendrons can be found at Happy Rolph's Bird Sanctuary, a 15 acre municipal park located on the shores of Lake Ontario. This is also the home of hundreds of native and migratory birds and resident waterfowl. A petting farm on site operates from Victoria Day (May) through Thanksgiving Weekend (October). Pavilion, playground and picnic facilities. Free to the public.
Centre for the Arts - Brock University - Niagara's cultural centre has built a reputation as one of the premier theatres in Canada by presenting exceptional professional entertainment by some of the most exciting and talented Canadian and international artists.
Other Options:
Chippawa Park in Welland, Simcoe Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Queen's Royal Park in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Roselawn Centre for the Living Arts.
