Queenston St. still awaiting revitalization
Wendy Dumas was optimistic back in March 2013.
The day after the closure of the St. Catharines General Hospital, the owner of Subs Plus on Queenston Street said she hoped it wouldn’t take too long for construction to get underway on the housing development on the property.
But as everyone in the area knows, that hasn’t happened.
“This hospital is just disgusting to look at. There’s so many broken windows and there’s people living inside and it’s dangerous,” she said. “It’s just awful and it’s so dark and gloomy at night and now the days are getting shorter, we’re back to that again.”
Dumas has thought about moving but that costs money. Plus, she’s had a connection with the neighbourhood for decades.
“We’ve been here for 33 years and we live in this neighbourhood as well,” she said. “We want to see the place look better not worse.”
Around the corner on Gale Crescent, Super Plak owner Murray Scott said the city has put energy into Centennial Park improvements and some streetscaping, but until the hospital is levelled and more residents and businesses move in, they’re stuck. Once more people are there, they could support retail such as a grocery store and bank and add to voices calling for improvements.
With mental health, addiction and prostitution issues in the area for years, Scott said local agencies are taxed and he wants to know how the city will help, not just the people with resources but those without.
There’s a feeling a solution would have been found already if the problems were happening elsewhere in the city.
“We certainly don’t see a lot of this problem along Yates Street, as an example. We don’t see a lot of this on South Drive. We don’t see it in front of city hall,” Scott said.
“Why is it acceptable to have a lot of these issues here with the human trafficking, the drug problems, the prostitution and all that stuff happen here?”
Merritton candidates were asked what they would do to help revitalize the Queenston Street area. Their full responses are online.
Kim Clifford said beautification efforts that were successful downtown should happen on Queenston Street. She also advocates smart growth to motivate new small businesses in the area, attract people and create more jobs. She also would lobby for a safe injection site and consider tamperproof needle containers.
David Haywood said he’ll continue working with the owner of the former hospital site to ensure it’s demolished within six months and the new development follows smart growth principles, including an affordable housing component and dedicated green space. He would also lobby for more police officers for the area and continue working with organizations on solutions for the opiate crisis.
Marta Liddiard said a safe injection site should be the number one goal followed closely by affordable housing. She also wants an investigation into the city’s role and what has been done to help the former hospital site project reach completion.
Lori Littleton said she’ll work with the developer and city staff to do whatever is necessary to facilitate the continuation of all phases of the project and advocate for an environmental assessment of the area. She would also support the work and efforts of the Queenston Neighbours, who are the leading voice in revitalization of the area.
Greg Miller said the area needs to be rejuvenated fairly and equitably, ensuring it remains an affordable place to rent an apartment or lease a commercial space. He said there needs to be an expansion affordable housing units, without rent increases above inflation and a ban to unfair “renovicitons.” He’d also ensure the
developer of the hospital site is maintaining property standards.
Lesley Seaborne said the priority is the redevelopment of the former hospital site and once that’s underway existing and new businesses will gain the confidence to remain and invest. She will also work closely with local organizations on the complex issues of homelessness, poverty, mental health and substance abuse.
Candidates had more to say about this issue. Read full responses on our website.