Mayor Brian McMullan State of the City of St. Catharines Friday, January 25, 2013

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1 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY Mayor Brian McMullan State of the City of St. Catharines Friday, January 25, 2013 Thank you for the introduction. I m pleased to be here with you today to update all of you on our accomplishments and future plans for our city. First, I would like to thank the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce for hosting this event and welcome members and special guests to this, State of the City address. I would like to take a moment to recognize the St. Catharines City Councillors and staff in attendance: City Councillors: Mark Elliott; Bill Phillips; Jeff Burch; Mat Siscoe; Len Stack; and Dawn Dodge City staff: Colin Briggs; Dan Carnegie; Shelley Chemnitz; Dan Dillon; Heather Salter; Mark Mehlenbacher; Jim Riddell; Bonnie Nistico-Dunk David Oakes and members of our economic development team. What we are able to accomplish is a result of teamwork and the efforts of Council and City staff. Before I provide further remarks, I would like to set the stage by showing you our new City of St. Catharines video. (Play Video) St. Catharines is a community built on a rich history. Hard work, dedication and commitment shown by our founders played an essential part in our history, and what our community is today. It gave us a strong foundation that as a Council we strived to, and have successfully, strengthened. St. Catharines, not unlike other communities, has faced many challenges over the years. Yet, we have endured. The people of this city truly embody the spirit of our founders and are brimming with inspiration, vision and innovation. In spite of the economic storm, companies have thrived and expanded. 1

2 New businesses have snatched up the opportunity to set up shop, right here, in St. Catharines. To build a better future for our children, and our children s children, we continue to reinvent ourselves through investment in our community and in our people. Council shares the community s vision of a brighter tomorrow. Our willingness to partner, to reach for and achieve our goals is what grounds us and ensures we continue to be a vibrant, thriving community. We are also fortunate to have the support of other levels of government, our educational institutions and our local businesses. The people in this room have committed themselves to their business, their families, and to this community. It is because of all of you that we will continue to grow and prosper. The unprecedented investments in our community are already altering our landscape. Never before in our history have there been so many structures rising from the ground. As we rebuild and reinvent ourselves there is a renewed confidence. Together we can create a stronger, more resilient St. Catharines. ******************* Before we look ahead I d like to share with you the progress we have made thus far. Our Creative Cluster Master Plan, intended to map out our civic investments, is encouraging more residential development, capital investment and job creation. It didn t sit on a shelf. We acted on that plan and are taking the necessary steps to ensure St. Catharines is not being left behind in fact, we are leading by example. In this term of Council, many milestones have been achieved and it s translating into millions of dollars in private sector investment. It s a sure sign that we, in St. Catharines, are investing today for a brighter, more prosperous tomorrow. Now open for business is our $3.8 million Kiwanis Artificial Turf Field which, in 2012, hosted more than 50 user groups including the famed Hamilton TiCats. 2

3 On that field, our community and our young people are getting active with football, soccer and lacrosse and finally, St. Catharines has its Friday night lights. In early 2012, our $27.9-million Carlisle Street Parking Garage opened. While parking garages are not considered headline news, we see it as being another piece of the puzzle that will encourage people to visit our city s core. Our garage will prove to be an invaluable asset to encourage private investment and people to spend their dollars downtown. It will also handle the increased parking demands once we open our new Spectator Facility and new Performing Arts Centre. Our $20-million Kiwanis Aquatic Centre and Grantham Library sent waves of excitement throughout our community when it officially opened. We have seen an influx of people using this new barrier-free centre. In fact, for our pools we saw more than 41,000 drop-in visitors and nearly 3,400 participating in registered programs. During the opening, we also unveiled a mural (entitled Games of Water by Naoko Matsubara) our first formal commission of public art. As we continue to support the arts and culture in our community we hope to have many more unveilings in the years to come. Our Grantham Library Branch is a real page turner as an affordable, community education centre focused on providing children s programs, and enhancing literacy rates and computer skills. We ve seen nearly 450,000 drop-in visitors and more than 17,000 people participating in our programs. For 2012, there was a 7% increase in circulation. As for what s in store for 2013, I m confident we will begin construction, this year, of our $40-million Shickluna Hydro Generating Station. Just this week, we learned from Minister of Energy Chris Bentley that as a result of the government s commitment to meeting its hydroelectric target, the Ontario Power Authority has been directed to approve eligible municipal hydro projects. It specifies these new hydro builds should be less than 5 MW and our Shickluna project, and only one other project we know of, falls within that range. 3

4 This green energy, revenue-generating project, will provide us another funding source for municipal operations, services and programs at no cost to the taxpayer. Also on the books for 2013, is our $5.95-million Merritton Fire Hall which will open this spring. It will house trained personnel with state-of-the art fire apparatus and equipment, and be home to our communications centre. There are two important projects that are an integral part of the City s plan for our downtown which I have yet to mention: the new Spectator Facility and our Performing Arts Centre. As many of you are aware, the ground has been broken for our Spectator Facility and we look forward to opening the doors in September of Sports and entertainment is a vital component in our community which will bring new energy to our core the very heart of our downtown. While the Spectator Facility is a permanent home for our OHL team, the Niagara IceDogs, the facility can also host home shows, festivals, concerts, ice shows, and sporting events. Ball-Rankin, a local company, is at the helm for this project and determined to build our spectator facility on time and on budget. It is another piece of the puzzle which will draw more people to our city s core and in turn result in more business for our local restaurants, hotels and shops. We want those dollars to stay, right here, in St. Catharines so we re working hard to give people a reason to visit. We are also moving ahead with our $54-million Downtown Performing Arts Centre which will be complemented by Brock University s Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts. This project further demonstrates our commitment to support our existing arts and culture sector as well as encourage growth in this once untapped market. When the curtain opens in 2015, the spotlight will truly be on the City of St. Catharines. We are confident this facility will be a real show stopper that puts local talent, centre stage. 4

5 To further support growth in the arts and culture sector, we have also held community consultations to help us develop a new Municipal Culture Plan to help us redefine our vision for the future. To better serve the community, we are also working on a renewed customer service model and I am most excited about our Citizens First initiative. Through Citizens First, we have hired a consultant and established a working committee to review and evaluate how City services are delivered. Those results, as of today, will be posted on our City website. The ultimate goal is to set best practises because in St. Catharines we want to ensure our citizens are truly first. To further enhance our service delivery, this year we will have a new onsite customer service desk so people promptly get the information and assistance they require. To streamline and ensure a timely development approval process, we also have launched an improved AMANDA system. Ultimately, in the future, fillable applications will be available online and status information will be readily available to both staff and the development community. The City is also preparing a new comprehensive draft Zoning By-law which will be released for public review and input in April. The new Zoning By-law will be a consolidated, user-friendly and streamlined document, to support development and redevelopment opportunities throughout the City while protecting the character of neighbourhoods. To further enhance customer services, I have also written to all Niagara municipalities and the Region in an attempt to cut back on the red tape involved for the issuing of building permits. I m lobbying for changes that will make this process less onerous on developers, as well as reduce the duplication involved and expedite permit approvals. When it comes to future development, we realize there has been a shift to a more knowledge-based economy and St. Catharines is focusing on emerging markets. With the opening Brock University s $111.4-million Cairns Family Health Centre and Bioscience Complex new opportunities for growth abound. This complex will play a key role in advancing Canada s science and technology infrastructure. 5

6 St. Catharines can become a true leader in research and innovation. In addition to research in areas like cancer, biotechnology and green chemistry, the facility also houses a business incubator, which will create new partnerships between researchers and the private sector. The bioscience centre, along with the new Niagara Health System s $900-million healthcare complex, will further our plans to create a cluster in the bioscience and medical fields. On Fourth Ave., our new state-of-the-art health-care complex will begin accepting patients in March of this year. This new facility has already proven to be an integral part of recruitment efforts, as it has helped the NHS to attract 10 new physicians. We are confident these facilities, along with Brock University and our McMaster University campuses, will attract additional medical students, family physicians, researchers and specialists to this area. It s also creating nearly $50-million in private investments as developers are keen to capture some of the potential in this emerging market. In the area of the new health-care complex, we re seeing investments: such as the First Place Development of up to 130,000 sq. ft. retail and office space; Pathstone Mental Health s new 50,000 sq. ft. treatment facility; and approximately 60,000 sq. ft. for the CMD Medical Arts Building. The private sector is also currently investing more than $50-million dollars in our downtown. We re seeing investments in retail and office space like Quartek s new office and in medicine with McMaster s health centre and pharmacy. Also, for the first time in 25 years, new condominiums are being built in our downtown with Penn Terra s residential development. These projects fall in line with Smart Growth principles and the four pillars of sustainable development. We want more people living, working and seeking entertainment in our city s core. In green energy, a partnership between Bullfrog Power/ SolarShare was announced in conjunction with the launch of a new 572-panel solar array in St. Catharines. 6

7 As a major shareholder in Horizon Utilities, we are also launching a new energy mapping pilot project with the Ontario Power Authority. The pilot will combine customer data from smart meters with Municipal Property Assessment Corporation information, which will show where energy intensity is greatest. This information will, in turn, allow Horizon to identify customers who stand to benefit the most from energy conservation programs. Manufacturing is an important part of our history and still plays a vital role in our local economy. St. Catharines is a founding member of the Niagara Industrial Association of which 42% of the member businesses are located right here in our community. A recent survey of the NIA membership found that 59% said they had future expansion plans. It s exciting news for our community and for the Niagara region. Recent positive announcements demonstrate our local industry s ability to remain innovative and compete in the global market. Seaway Marine and Industrial was awarded nearly $28-million in retrofit contracts while Algoma Central Marine also has invested $300 million in a new Equinox Class Vessel fleet. As well, General Motors has started producing the new Six Speed Front Wheel Drive Transmission which is the result of a $245-million investment that has helped the company to secure approximately 300 jobs. In the past 10 years, GM has invested more than $1.7 billion in St. Catharines Powertrain Operations and remains a significant player in our local economy. While the public sector has an important role to play, it is all of you, in the private sector, through ingenuity and hard work, who generate jobs, create wealth and build a more prosperous economy. As the Mayor of this great city, I will continue to be a very vocal advocate for our community. It s imperative that St. Catharines continues to gain the support of other levels of government, invest in our infrastructure and create the right environment for private sector investments. 7

8 We have also lobbied to ensure we continue to have the presence of Niagara Regional Police downtown. Regional Council supports the efforts to have the new detachment built in our urban growth centre - a provincially identified area of significant growth and the administrative hub. We will also be working with the Region as they move ahead with the Burgoyne Bridge project, estimated at $59-million, which will serve as an important piece of infrastructure and gateway for west St. Catharines. Also on the transportation front, I will continue to lobby the province for expanding GO Rail service in St. Catharines. Affordable, reliable transportation is vital to encourage future growth. I believe it is not a matter of if the service will be expanded but when. To rebuild and reinvent ourselves, takes time. In the words of Martin Luther King Jr.: We are now faced with the fact that tomorrow is today. We are confronted with the fierce urgency of now. In this unfolding conundrum of life and history, there is such a thing as being too late. This is no time for apathy or complacency. This is a time for vigorous and positive action. As a result of our investments the private sector has renewed its commitment to make St. Catharines their place of business. We are committed to look for ways to continue to raise revenues that do not directly impact the taxpayers and find efficiencies in the manner in which we deliver services to the people of St. Catharines. We want St. Catharines to be a place where you can raise a family, watch your business thrive and see our community prosper. Our transformation is just the beginning: We re writing a new chapter in St. Catharines history. If we continue to demonstrate true leadership and collectively be promoters of this great city, we can achieve much. Yes, we can, right here in the great, great City of St. Catharines. The best is yet to come. 8