Merritton, Ontario

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Keg Restaurant

Merritton is both a distinct community within and an electoral riding of St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It was named after William Hamilton Merritt, a prominent local entrepreneur and, in 1824, the founder of the Welland Canal Company. (Merritt was the great, great, great, grandfather of former St. Catharines Mayor Tim Rigby.)

Merritton is often referred to as The Heart of St. Catharines, due in large part to the location it occupies and the fact that it is home to a large percentage of all St. Catharines residents. Prior to amalgamation in 1968, which saw the original city of St. Catharines absorb several satellite towns, Merritton was a separate entity (along with Grantham and Port Dalhousie). To this day, residents maintain a sense of distinct community identity. The original town hall on Merritt St., once the City of St. Catharines' Museum, is now home to the St. Catharines Senior's Centre.

Merritton has developed a significant system of community organizations, including the Merritton Lions, who oversee the Community Days Parade (formerly known as the Labour Day parade) and Carnival , the Dunc Schooley Memorial Pool, and several other sports and recreation facilities. It is also home to one of St. Catharines' arenas, and a Community Centre.

As a former industrial center on the Welland Canal, Merritton retains a small yet impressive number of heritage sites. Among them are the Merritton Tunnel (under a former rail-bridge), remnants of the three previous Welland Canals, and The Keg restaurant, which is housed in the former Independent Rubber Company / Merritton Cotton Mills Annex. The area is currently undergoing a major infrastructure facelift involving the re-alignment of Glendale Avenue and the replacement of the Merritt Street Bridge. It is also experiencing a significant increase in residential construction, especially on property designated as Brownfield by the city.