Haig & Woodruffe Neighbourhoods • St. Catharines, Ontario

55 Acres of Toxic Neglect in the Heart of Our City

For 16 years, the former General Motors plant on Ontario Street has sat crumbling, contaminated, and dangerous — while politicians looked the other way. Toxins up to 1,100 times above safe limits.[3] A filtration system that may not be running.[8] Children playing among the ruins.[7] It's time this ends.

16
Years abandoned
55
Acres of blight
1,100×
Above safe toxin limits
$2M+
In liens on property

The Filtration System May Be Offline

The contractor hired to maintain the toxic runoff system filed a $1.75M lien for unpaid work.[1] The City admitted it has no idea if the system preventing cancer-causing chemicals from entering Twelve Mile Creek is still functioning.[8] The provincial environment ministry confirmed untreated stormwater is being stored on-site and referred the matter to its Enforcement Branch.[9] Demolition permits were revoked in April 2025 for inactivity.[1]

A History of Broken Promises

How We Got Here

The former GM Powertrain plant, originally McKinnon Dash & Metal Works, operated on Ontario Street from 1901.[1] For nearly a century it employed tens of thousands and shaped the city's economy. But when the doors closed, what remained was a toxic legacy no one wanted to own.

2010

GM Shuts Down Operations

After decades of declining production, the plant closes permanently,[16] leaving behind a century's worth of contamination. A Phase I Environmental Site Assessment that year identifies 12 areas of environmental concern.[3]

2012

Phase II Assessment Finds Widespread Contamination

A Phase II assessment documents heavy metals, industrial chemicals, and PCBs across the site at levels far above provincial safety standards — in soils bordering homes, daycares, parks, and businesses.[1] These assessments are not shared with the public.[5]

2014

Bayshore Groups Buys the Property for $12.5M

Ambitious plans are announced: retirement residences, apartments, commercial space, a trade school — a $250M mixed-use development.[2] The community celebrates.[4]

2015–2018

Promises Collapse

Bayshore strips the site of scrap metal and anything of value but fails to complete environmental work. Structures are demolished illegally without permits.[2] Photos emerge of then-Mayor Sendzik fishing in the Caribbean with Bayshore's Robert Megna.[2] By 2018 Bayshore has effectively abandoned the project.[6]

2018

City Staff Sound Internal Alarm

Internal emails reveal a city bylaw manager urged provincial staff to visit the site, calling it a matter of "urgency" — noting pits contaminated with machine oil and PCBs possibly leaching into surrounding soil and water.[6] Residents were not informed for two more years.[6]

2019

Coalition for a Better St. Catharines Forms

Frustrated residents organize, gathering over 2,000 petition signatures.[4] Susan Rosebrugh becomes a near-daily presence on Ontario Street with her handmade highlighter-green signs, sometimes protesting alone in winter.[6]

2020

Province Confirms Cancer-Causing Chemicals

The MECP confirms PCBs and contaminants are present in storm sewers near the site after rain or snow events, exceeding Ontario water quality objectives.[6] Residents present to council — one calls the site "a public health emergency."[4] Council rezones the land for mixed-use residential development despite the contamination.[13]

2021

Filtration System Installed

Peter's Environmental is hired to build and maintain a toxic runoff control system after the MECP identifies continuous PCB leaks and orders the property owner to install a system to capture and treat contaminated water.[9]

2022–2024

Two-Year FOI Battle

The Pointer files a Freedom of Information request in May 2022.[5] The City sides with GM, arguing residents might become "unduly alarmed" and cannot understand the data.[5] Ontario IPC Adjudicator Alec Fadel rules against them on November 12, 2024, finding none of the arguments persuasive, and orders full release.[5] The City's own webpage acknowledges the order.[14]

Dec 2024

The Truth Comes Out

Released environmental assessments reveal contamination at 10 to 1,100 times provincial limits, including petroleum hydrocarbons, lead, PCBs, benzene, cobalt, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons.[3] A former union health and safety rep who worked at the plant for 20 years says the documents are deeply upsetting.[12]

2025

System Fails, Permits Revoked

Peter's Environmental files a $1.75M lien for unpaid work.[1] Demolition permits revoked for inactivity.[1] City admits it doesn't know if the filtration system works.[8] NDP MPPs Stevens and Burch write to Environment Minister McCarthy.[9][10] MECP refers the matter to its Enforcement Branch.[9] A November council motion requests information but orders no new testing, enforcement, or remediation.[15]

2025–2026

Transparency Failures Continue

FOI documents reveal the City and province knew the filtration system was offline by October 28, 2025 but failed to inform the public.[11] The MECP denies a request for inspection reports, citing an "ongoing investigation."[11] Site fencing collapses, briefly leaving the property fully open.[17] At a town hall, the mayor tells residents the ministry is "comfortable with the measures in place."[18]

2026

Still Waiting

Council passes a non-binding motion asking the property owner to remove a catwalk by December 2026.[7] The mayor interrupts community advocate Gwen Kennedy during her council presentation.[7] Ownership records remain murky — a numbered company incorporated in September 2025 now corresponds with the City.[19] Coalition emails go unanswered.[19] The mayor uses strong-mayor powers to award a $250K single-source planning contract, bypassing competitive procurement.[20]

Environmental Hazard

What's in the Ground

Environmental assessments completed in 2010 and 2012 revealed toxic substances at dangerous concentrations across the 55-acre site.[3] These chemicals are persistent and the assessments noted they may be migrating to adjacent residential areas via groundwater, surface water, or windblown dust.[3] No comprehensive updated assessment has been completed since.[12]

Known carcinogen

PCBs

Detected leaking into storm sewers and Twelve Mile Creek at up to 1,000× provincial safe water standards.[1] Provincial sampling in 2022 confirmed levels remained "still significantly higher" than guidelines.[10]

Known carcinogen

Benzene

Volatile organic compound associated with leukemia. Found exceeding provincial limits in site soil and groundwater.[3][15]

Neurotoxin

Lead

Causes irreversible neurological damage, especially in children. No safe level of exposure. Found above provincial standards across the site.[3]

Toxic to aquatic life

Petroleum Hydrocarbons

Widespread from a century of industrial use. Can contaminate drinking water and devastate Twelve Mile Creek ecosystems.[3]

Known carcinogen

Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons

Potent carcinogens from incomplete combustion. Found throughout the site exceeding safe standards.[3]

Also found on site

Cobalt & TCE

Cobalt can cause lung disease and heart damage. TCE is a toxic solvent linked to kidney cancer. Both above safe limits.[3][15]

The site's environmental assessments concluded that contaminants may be migrating to adjacent residential areas and may represent hazards and risks to nearby neighbourhoods.
— Phase I & II Environmental Site Assessments (2010/2012), released Dec 2024 after 28-month FOI battle[3][5]
Immediate Danger

A Hazard Hiding in Plain Sight

Beyond chemical contamination, the site poses physical dangers. Fencing has proven inadequate — even collapsing on at least one occasion, leaving the property fully open.[17]

Half-demolished buildings with open access. Exposed manholes and pits nearly invisible at night. An oil grit separator hatch left open outside the fencing.[7] Children and teenagers enter regularly. Unhoused residents shelter in the ruins — St. Catharines Fire Chief David Upper confirmed seven emergency calls to the site in 2024 alone.[7]

Residents report toxic-smelling dust, rat infestations, and plummeting property values. Neighbouring businesses have closed.[4] One nearby resident was diagnosed with a rare form of male breast cancer in 2021.[6] The City's building services director stated the former GM buildings are "exempt from enforcement of bylaws."[7]

Who Is Responsible

A Pattern of Failure

This crisis results from cascading failures across every level — corporations, developers, politicians, and regulators.

Corporation

General Motors

Operated the site for 80+ years. Fought a two-year legal battle to prevent environmental assessments from being released, arguing disclosure would cause "reputational harm."[5] The sale agreement required buyers to meet environmental requirements, but GM did little to ensure compliance.[6]

Developer

Bayshore Groups

Purchased for $12.5M with grand plans.[4] Stripped anything of value, demolished structures illegally, failed on environmental work, and abandoned the project by 2018.[2] Tax arrears ballooned to nearly $2.5M.[19]

Developer / Financier

Movengo / Celernus

Murky ownership — a numbered company incorporated Sept 2025 now appears in correspondence, linked to Celernus Investment Partners.[19] Coalition emails go unanswered.[19] Critical studies still incomplete.[2]

Municipal Government

City of St. Catharines

Sided with GM to suppress reports.[5] Former mayor held private meetings with developers.[2] Admitted not knowing if filtration system works.[8] CAO stated they are "limited in abilities to force actions" despite provincial law saying otherwise.[7]

Provincial Government

Ontario MECP

Downplayed health official concerns (per FOI docs).[9] Conducted only limited testing outside the site perimeter.[12] Knew the filtration system was offline by Oct 2025 but didn't inform the public.[11] Political staff reportedly blocked responses to media.[17]

Contractor

Peter's Environmental

Hired in 2021 to maintain the filtration system.[10] Filed a $1.75M lien for unpaid work. The treatment system was reportedly deactivated at end of 2023.[17]

The Original Polluter

GM Profited for 80 Years. They Can't Just Walk Away.

General Motors operated this site from 1929 to 2010 — over 80 years of heavy industrial manufacturing that embedded the contamination now threatening this community. They sold the property in 2014 for $12.5 million[4] and then fought for two years to prevent the public from learning the true extent of what they left behind.[5]

But a property sale does not erase a pollution legacy. Ontario's environmental law is clear on this point.

The Ontario Environmental Protection Act is built on the "polluter pays" principle — one of the foundational principles of environmental law in Canada.[21] Under Sections 17 and 18 of the Act, the Ministry of Environment has broad powers to issue orders against those responsible for contamination — including past owners and operators, even if they no longer own the land.[22] The term "responsible person" under the Act explicitly includes current and former owners and operators of a contaminated site.[23]

Ontario's own framework states plainly that the original polluter and former property owners can be required to pay for cleanups, even if they no longer own the polluted land.[21] Where contamination has migrated off-site — as it has here, into Twelve Mile Creek and potentially into neighbouring properties[3] — the original polluter can face liability for remediation of the source property, neighbouring properties, prevention of further migration, and loss of property value.[22]

GM is a multinational corporation with annual revenues exceeding $170 billion. The community that powered their profits for nearly a century should not be left to absorb the cost of cleaning up what GM left behind. The provincial government has the legal tools to bring GM back to the table. They should use them.

Where pollution does occur, the polluter must pay to clean it up. The original polluter and former property owners can be required to pay for clean ups, even if they no longer own the polluted land.
— Ontario Environmental Protection Act, foundational principles[21]
Our Demands

What Needs to Happen

Immediate Comprehensive Environmental Testing

The province must test the entire 55-acre site — not just one stormwater pond.[17] The highest contamination was found on the slope by Twelve Mile Creek, an area excluded from the most recent testing.[17]

Restore & Monitor the Filtration System

The runoff control system, deactivated in late 2023,[17] must be immediately inspected, restored, and placed under continuous independent monitoring with public reporting.

Complete Demolition of Remaining Structures

The City has legal authority under the Ontario Building Code to order demolition and recover costs through a tax lien.[15] With $2M+ in liens, the City has leverage it has refused to use.[1]

Hold GM Accountable for Remediation Costs

GM operated this site for over 80 years and created the contamination. Ontario's Environmental Protection Act allows the province to order former owners and operators to pay for cleanup, even after a sale.[21][22] The MECP should use its authority under Sections 17 and 18 of the Act to bring GM to the table and require them to contribute to the full cost of remediation. A $12.5M property sale does not erase 80 years of pollution.

Full Public Transparency

Ontario's FOI legislation states municipalities should share records revealing "a grave environmental, health or safety hazard to the public."[12] All reports and findings must be proactively shared.

Community Health Assessment

Multiple residents have reported health effects they believe are linked to the site.[7] A full public health study of Haig and Woodruffe should assess whether proximity has contributed to elevated health risks.

Binding Remediation Timeline

No more non-binding motions.[7] The province requires a Record of Site Condition before residential development[14] — none has been filed. Enforceable milestones with consequences are essential.

Take Action

Write to Your Representatives

Copy the template below and send it to your councillors, MPP, and the Mayor. Personalize it with your own experience.

Template Letter

Who to Send It To

Ward 4 · St. Patrick's — Your Councillors

Coun. Caleb Ratzlaff

📧 cratzlaff@stcatharines.ca  ·  📞 905-327-0473

Coun. Robin McPherson

📧 rmcpherson@stcatharines.ca  ·  📞 905-328-0003

Mayor of St. Catharines

Mayor Mat Siscoe

📧 mayor@stcatharines.ca  ·  📞 905-688-5600 ext. 1540
City Hall, 50 Church St., St. Catharines, ON L2R 7C2

Member of Provincial Parliament · St. Catharines

MPP Jennie Stevens (NDP)

📧 jstevens-co@ndp.on.ca  ·  📞 905-935-0018
Constituency Office: 209 Carlton St., Unit B, St. Catharines, ON L2R 1S1
MPP Stevens has already written to the Environment Minister about this site and is actively pressing for answers.

Premier of Ontario

Premier Doug Ford

📧 premier@ontario.ca  ·  📞 416-325-1941
Online contact form: correspondence.premier.gov.on.ca
Legislative Building, Queen's Park, Toronto, ON M7A 1A1

Ontario Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks

Minister Todd McCarthy

📧 minister.mecp@ontario.ca  ·  📞 416-314-6790
The MECP is directly responsible for environmental enforcement at the former GM site. Minister McCarthy confirmed the matter was referred to the Enforcement Branch.

Join the Fight

The Coalition for a Better St. Catharines has been advocating for cleanup and accountability for over eight years.[7]

Coalition Website Coalition on Facebook

Sources

This site draws on investigative journalism, official government documents, community advocacy, provincial elected officials' correspondence, and syndicated local reporting. Sources are numbered as they appear in citations above.

Additional Resources

About This Site

This site was built by a concerned neighbour in the Haig neighbourhood. Every effort has been made to accurately present the facts of this situation based on publicly available reporting, official government documents, and published correspondence. However, this is a community advocacy project — not professional journalism or legal counsel.

If you spot an error, have additional information, or would like to suggest a correction, please reach out at cleanupontariostreet@proton.me. Getting this right matters.