The End of the QEW Ghost Ship Era

For decades, commuters on the QEW have looked for the familiar silhouette of the Jordan Harbour "Ghost Ship." Whether you saw it in the morning mist or the evening glow, its disappearance marks the end of a massive chapter in Niagara’s local landscape.

The iconic 42.67 m (140 ft) silhouette of La Grande Hermine before its 2024 removal.
Illustration by SCG NIAGARA

The Final Voyage of La Grande Hermine

The ship wasn't actually an old pirate vessel, but a 1914 steel ferry originally named Le Progrès. While it was built to look like Jacques Cartier's 1535 flagship, this specific hull was "dressed up" in its wooden replica shell in 1991. After serving as a restaurant and even a haunted house, it was brought to Niagara with dreams of becoming a casino in Chippawa—a dream that ended when the owner passed away.

SHAREABLE Tip #22 - The "Toonie Test" for Your Tires!

Forget fancy gauges! In Canada, we have the perfect tire tool right in our pockets. Whether you're driving a hybrid, a sedan, or a heavy-duty truck, this trick works for ANY vehicle on the road.

A Toonie and a little bit of tread—the classic Canadian safety check!
Illustration by SCG NIAGARA

The 10-Second Toonie Test

Take a Toonie and slip it into your tire’s tread groove with the polar bear's paws facing down. While some people look for the letters, checking the rings as shown in the image above is the only way to be 100% accurate every single time.

The Historical Curve of St. Paul Street

Modern-day St. Paul Street in downtown St. Catharines.
By Municipal Affairs and Housing - CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Driving through downtown St. Catharines offers a much different perspective than the straight, rigid grids found in most other Ontario cities. St. Paul Street remains a rare exception, following a winding path that has shaped the city's identity for generations.

VIDEO: Canadian shoppers ditching made-in-USA goods as tariff threat looms

With the looming threat of American tariffs on Canadian goods, some shoppers are swearing off U.S.-made products. CTV's Kimberley Johnson reports.

St. Catharines - Not so Ratty After All

We don't know why, but for some reason, we thought St. Catharines was one of the rattiest cities in Ontario.

Perhaps it stemmed back from an old 2016 article we read about a former GM property on Ontario Street in St. Catharines that was infested with rats ... and then later, our own experience with them outside an old townhouse we used to live in.

So needless to say, we were quite surprised when Orkin came out with their Top 25 'Rattiest' Cities in Ontario and discovered St. Catharines barely made the list. Yay for St. Catharines!

Image: Orkin

According to their website, Orkin ranked the cities by the number of rodents (rat & mice) treatments the company performed from August 1, 2020 through July 31, 2021. The ranking included both residential and commercial treatments.

Source(s): Orkin