COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
■ Canada Day lighting of the bridge. Photo courtesy of Anthony
Gallaccio.
■ Aerial view of the Welland Canal and downtown Welland.
The City of Welland
The Rose City has become an attractive place for Niagara residents to live, work and play.
BY SCOTT LESLIE The Business Link
I
n the pages of The Business Link, we’ve
showcased many of Niagara’s most successful communities—whether it’s from an innovation or a lifestyle point of view. These days,
there’s no place more deserving of attention
than “The Rose City” itself—Welland.
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When it comes to year round living, the City
of Welland is an ideal community for many
reasons. Welland offers some of the lowest living expenses in the country—particularly with
costs like housing, transportation and goods
and services, edging out many larger communities such as London and Kitchener-Waterloo.
For sports and nature enthusiasts, Welland also
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has hundreds of acres of parks, fields and facilities for residents to enjoy—from boat launches
and baseball diamonds to lawn bowling greens
and bocce courts.
One of Welland’s greatest advantages has always been its location. For local business owners, Welland is within driving distance of 60%
of the U.S. marketplace and 62% of Canada’s
industrial heartland. With its close proximity to the Welland Canal and the St. Lawrence
Seaway, Welland has prime access to ocean
ports as far away as Europe and the Far East.
Welland even has rail access to much of the
North American market, as well as air service
at the nearby Niagara Falls and Buffalo Niagara
international airports.
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: THE CITY OF WELLAND
■ Canadian Dragon Boat Championships. Photo courtesy of Anthony Gallaccio.
■ Elton Lammie performing at “Country Night.” Photo courtesy of
■ Sarah Boulton performing during
Anthony Gallaccio.
“Made in Welland Night.” Photo
courtesy of Anthony Gallaccio.
Warfare and Waterways
The founding of Welland goes all the way back to 1788 when a series of Loyalist farms began
springing up along the Welland River. The earliest settlers included the Cook brothers who
had immigrated to Canada from Pennsylvania and established a flour mill on Lyon’s Creek.
Unfortunately, their modest property would end up playing a tragic role during The War of 1812.
In October of 1814, American forces holding Fort Erie were dispatched to Cooks Mills to capture the British supply depot there. Just east of the mills, a British force under the command
of Lieutenant Colonel Christopher Myers met the Americans and a bloody two-day battle
erupted. By the third day, however, the Americans were forced to retreat back to Fort Erie and
abandoned the fort, withdrawing across the Niagara River. It would be the last battle fought
between American and British forces before the war formally ended with the signing of The
Treaty of Ghent on December 24, 1814.
Perhaps the most important day in Welland’s history would take place on November 30,
1824. It was here that St. Catharines entrepreneur William Hamilton Merritt and a crowd of
over 200 spectators and dignitaries gathered near Twelve Mile Creek in Allanburg to officially
break ground on the new Welland Canal.
Looking for a way to supply water for his local sawmill and avoid the geographic trade barrier of
the Niagara Falls rapids, Merritt had proposed a new shipping canal that would connect Lake Erie
with Lake Ontario. In the decades to come, the new Welland Canal would develop into a massive
eight lock waterway system—and one of the most important economic projects in Welland’s history.
As one of the largest ship canals in the world, the present day Welland Canal now stretches
over 42 kilometres from Port Colborne to Port Weller—handling approximately 30-million tons
of cargo and 3,300 vessels each year. Whether it’s trans-Atlantic shipping or recreational boating, the canal has injected billions of dollars into the local economy over the years. In terms
of tourism, the Welland Canal also attracts over 225,000 people a year from around the world
to watch the giant ships traverse its waterways.
Continued on page 26
AUGUST 2015
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: THE CITY OF WELLAND
Continued from page 25
Projects and Investments
When it comes to attracting investment,
Welland’s strategic position along the Welland
Canal has always been one of its biggest selling
points. And Welland has had great success introducing many small and medium-sized firms
to the community. In recent years, Welland has
diversified its economy with the addition of
such substantial employers as Welded Tube,
PowerBlades and StelCrete to ASW Steel, Hodgson Custom Rolling, and SLM Recycling—and
that list continues to grow.
Just recently, Northern Gold Foods invested $23.7-million in the construction of a new
90,000 square foot food processing plant on a
6.4 hectare site on 316 Enterprise Drive on Highway 140. Once it opens later this year, the facility is expected to add over 55 new jobs to the
Welland community. This year, Welland will
also witness the launch of Atlantic Biodiesel (a
subsidiary of Luxembourg-based Heridge SARL)
on St. Clair Drive. Taking over the former Great
Lakes Biosdiesel plant, the $50-million facility
plans to produce 170 million litres of biodiesel
It’s the perfect time
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a year and will be one of the largest producers
of biodiesel fuel in all of North America.
And Welland continues to benefit from the
efforts of Niagara’s homegrown talent. This
past November, Trivium Industries opened a
new manufacturing plant on 459 Prince Charles
Drive South. Founded by Brock University graduate David D’Angelo, Trivium is an innovative
manufacturer of biodegradable containers for
the skin care, hair care, nutrition, and food
and beverage industries. This local firm is one
of the only companies in North America that
produces compostable bottles.
In order to ramp up local investment,
Welland has also begun offering a range of
financial incentives this year as part of its Niagara Gateway and Economic Zone Community
Improvement Plan (CIP). The Gateway CIP offers
a tax increment grant, a development charge
grant and a planning application fee grant—
and companies like Northern Gold Foods have
benefitted greatly from the CIP.
Currently, Welland boasts a labour force of
over 25,000 people with experience in several
high tech areas such as precision machining,
metal forming, electrical and connectivity,
The Welland Museum
The place to live, learn and explore our communities past,
present and future stories.
PROVIDED BY THE WELLAND MUSEUM
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ith a city more than 150 years old, there are a lot of stories to be told. What better way to learn
than by visiting the Welland Museum! Located in the historically-designated Carnegie Building, the
museum features year-round exhibits that explore the art, culture and history of Welland and
Pelham. Younger visitors are encouraged to experience hands-on play and discovery through the museum’s
interactive children’s gallery, which also includes a live reptile exhibit. Children can also choose from five
various themed party packages when hosting their birthday party here. The museum also offers a yearly
schedule of special events that accompany both educational and recreational programming. If you’re seeking
a special gift or a souvenir, the gift shop contains affordable and unique handmade items from across Niagara.
The Carnegie Gallery and Main Floor Exhibits recently underwent a year and a half closure for renovations
which brought the building to meet museum standards. The scaled back galleries are accompanied by
new paint, floors, and lighting. The recently rebranded museum also has a new logo, website and freight
elevator that allows all three floors to be fully accessible. Behind-the-scenes, staff are now working to
rehouse the remainder of the collection and archives onto new museum quality shelving.
A museum should be visited a number of times a year, and with these changing exhibits, it’s a great reason to return. Pan Am Games Exhibit runs until September 2015. Child’s Play: A Century of Toys 1850-1950
will be on display from September to November 2015, followed by Arresting Images, an award-winning
travelling exhibit from the OPP Museum, which will be installed in December 2015.
The museum will hold two Architectural Walks on August 8th and 22nd. Pre-registration is required.
There is also a $5 fee per person. Interested participants are asked to call the museum to register.
New this fall, the museum will be hosting a series of Haunted Walks that will be held on October 2nd,
17th, 24th and 30th. Accompanying fall programming, the museum will also be hosting the second annual
Heritage House Tour.
The Welland Museum is located at 140 King Street in Welland. Admission is now by donation! Operating
hours are Tuesday and Wednesday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., (seasonally) Thursday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m, Friday
and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed Sunday and Monday. Visit www.wellandmuseum.ca for
more information. The Welland Museum is also on Facebook, Twitter (@WellandMuseum) and Instagram. BL
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: THE CITY OF WELLAND
hydraulics and power distribution. In order to maintain that skilled work force and develop
the workers and business owners of tomorrow, however, Welland continues to put a high
priority on education.
In March, work officially began on one of city’s largest developments—Niagara College’s
new Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre. This multi-million dollar stateof-the-art manufacturing centre will dramatically expand the college’s applied research
department, and enable students and faculty to work closely with small and medium-sized
manufacturers on various innovative projects.
A Place To Live
Over the years, Welland city planners have made a concerted effort to build an attractive community where Niagarans can live, work and play—and that work continues on several fronts.
In terms of infrastructure work for instance, Highway 406 is presently undergoing a massive $100-million redevelopment project that will widen the highway from East Main Street
to Port Robinson Road. The development will also see the addition of several new bridges
and the renovation of two existing ones. In addition to replacing water mains on Empire
Street and Scholfield Avenue, the City of Welland is also looking at resurfacing sidewalks
and roadways throughout the community in places like Wellington Street, Windsor Street,
Fitch Street and First Avenue.
Keeping its streets “lean and green” has also been a part of the city’s ongoing focus. Since 2012
for instance, the City of Welland has been replacing the majority of its existing streetlights with
more energy efficient LED technology. As a result, the city has saved approximately $481,370 in
energy costs since 2012, and that number is expected reach nearly $1.4-million in the next 15 years.
As Welland becomes a popular haven for retirees, the city has seen its health care services
grow to meet the increasing demand. In the fall of 2013, the Welland McMaster Family Health
Team opened an $8-million full-service medical centre on 555 Prince Charles Drive North
with an extensive complement of doctors, nurses and therapists. More recently, Jarlette
Health Services also began construction on a new 96-bed long term care facility on Prince
Charles Drive. Known as “Royal Rose Place,” the new development is expected to be complete
by early 2016. Jarlette Health Services is a leading health care firm that operates a series of
retirement and long term care homes throughout the province.
■ The Sands Trio Rat Pack with Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Frank Sinatra performing at “Nostalgia Night.”
Photo courtesy of Anthony Gallaccio.
■ Memorial Pools and Splash Pad on Memorial Park Drive.
Continued on page 28
AUGUST 2015
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■ A sculpture honouring Leon's furniture store founder
Ablan Leon.
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COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT: THE CITY OF WELLAND
FAST FACTS
The City of Welland
■ For a time, the community was actually named “Merrittsville”
after the founder of the Welland Canal, William Hamilton Merritt. Welland wouldn’t take on its present name until it was
incorporated in 1858.
■ 1n 2014, 3,272 vessels carrying 31,756,972 total tonnes of cargo
traversed the Welland Canal.
■ Welland’s largest employers include Canadian Tire Financial
Services Ltd. (1,034 employees), Niagara Health System—Welland
Hospital (900 employees), the District School Board of Niagara
(595 employees), Convergys CMG Canada Limited Partnership
(486 employees) and Niagara College (385 employees).
■ Welland has been able to attract various call centres to the city,
mainly due to its high percentage of French-speaking citizens.
■ Welland was the first city in Canada to develop a free WiFi
network.
Sources: The St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation, Made In Welland, Wikipedia.
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■ ROWOntario Masters Championships. Photo courtesy of Anthony Gallaccio.
Continued from page 27
Welland has a wide array of choices for
residents looking to live life to the fullest. For example, the greater Welland area
boasts numerous hiking, jogging and biking
trails—not to mention world-class annual
events like the Niagara Food Festival and
the Welland Rose Festival. In the past few
years, however, the City of Welland has taken several steps to build some added excitement in the community—whether it’s the
construction of the $13.5-million Welland
Civic Square downtown on East Main Street
or launching its new Concerts on the Canal
series at the Merritt Park Amphitheatre.
One project in particular that’s helped
increase Welland’s stature in the sporting
community is the Welland International
Flatwater Centre (WIFC). Over $10-million has
been spent on the new water park and sports
facility which can accommodate all kinds of
water-based sports such as canoeing, kayaking, rowing and water polo.
The new venue was mainly developed for
the recent 2015 Pan Am Games which has attracted thousands of fans and athletes to the
Rose City and sellout crowds at every event.
However, the WIFC is expected to welcome
dozens of national and international competitions to the area in the years to come
including the World Dragon Boat Championships that will run from August 18th to the
23rd. This upcoming competition is expected
to attract up to 4,000 participants from over
20 countries.
All these multi-million dollar projects
and world-class amenities are just a few of
the many reasons why the City of Welland
has become more than just a place to live
these days.
It’s become a place to love. BL
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AUGUST 2015