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.

The Winding Heritage of St. Paul Street

This central artery wasn't originally designed by urban planners; it was inherited from an ancient path. Long before the Welland Canal, this route followed the natural ridge of the Niagara Escarpment, allowing travelers to stay on high ground and avoid the marshy lowlands of the region.

Downtown Heritage & Conservation District - City of St. Catharines

An aerial perspective of the downtown curves.
By Cityofstcatharines - CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Preserving the Local Landscape

The winding nature of the street is a central part of the St. Catharines Heritage Conservation District. By following the natural landscape instead of a ruler, the early settlers created a downtown with a character that feels unique in North America.

For more fascinating facts and deep-dives into local history, visit SofistiKateIt.com.

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Sources: St. Catharines Downtown Association | St. Catharines Museum Blog

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

'SMART CART'. Coming to a Store Near You... (VIDEOS)

Isn't there an app for that? ;)

If you haven't heard by now, Canadian grocery chain, Sobeys, is creating something that is said to be the first of its kind in Canada. It's called the Smart Cart and no, it is not a substitution for workers of the human kind. At least, so it has been said. I'll believe it when I see it. I'm still trying to avoid self-check outs just for that sole purpose.

In the meantime, check out (get it?) more in the video below...

And if all that isn't good enough for your lazy ass for you, perhaps a Drive-thru supermarket is more up your 'aisle'. ...

Still ain't cuttin' it? Then this autonomous supermarket on wheels should do the trick...

VIDEO: Safety at Niagara Parks

Good to know...

We have implemented additional measures across Niagara Parks to ensure the health and safety of our guests and our employees.

INFOGRAGPHIC: History of PANDEMICS

Interesting graphic on the history of pandemics...

Pan·dem·ic /panˈdemik/ (of a disease) prevalent over a whole country or the world.

As humans have spread across the world, so have infectious diseases. Even in this modern era, outbreaks are nearly constant, though not every outbreak reaches pandemic level as the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) has.

Today’s visualization outlines some of history’s most deadly pandemics, from the Antonine Plague to the current COVID-19 event.

Source(s): visualcapitalist

VIDEO: Coronavirus outbreak: Canadian travellers scramble to get home; provinces announce school closures

Don't travel if you don't have to people! And for goodness sakes, wash your hands!...

screenshot

Abigail Bimman reports on the scramble of Canadian travellers to get back home as the federal government prepares to escalate its response against the COVID-19 pandemic. Plus, Heather Yourex-West looks at the tough measures provinces are taking to keep people safe.

COVID-19: The FACTS (14)

Some interesting facts, we discovered, from the World Health Organization through myths they are trying to bust on the covid-19 virus. Some may be scary, some may be amusing, but all are the facts!...

Are there any specific medicines to prevent or treat the new coronavirus?

To date, there is no specific medicine recommended to prevent or treat the new coronavirus (2019-nCoV).

However, those infected with the virus should receive appropriate care to relieve and treat symptoms, and those with severe illness should receive optimized supportive care. Some specific treatments are under investigation, and will be tested through clinical trials. WHO is helping to accelerate research and development efforts with a range or partners.

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Are antibiotics effective in preventing and treating the new coronavirus?

No, antibiotics do not work against viruses, only bacteria.

The new coronavirus (2019-nCoV) is a virus and, therefore, antibiotics should not be used as a means of prevention or treatment.

However, if you are hospitalized for the 2019-nCoV, you may receive antibiotics because bacterial co-infection is possible.

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COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in areas with hot and humid climates

From the evidence so far, the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted in ALL AREAS, including areas with hot and humid weather. Regardless of climate, adopt protective measures if you live in, or travel to an area reporting COVID-19. The best way to protect yourself against COVID-19 is by frequently cleaning your hands. By doing this you eliminate viruses that may be on your hands and avoid infection that could occur by then touching your eyes, mouth, and nose.

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Cold weather and snow CANNOT kill the new coronavirus.

There is no reason to believe that cold weather can kill new coronavirus or other diseases. The normal human body temperature remains around 36.5°C to 37°C, regardless of the external temperature or weather. The most effective way to protect yourself against the new coronavirus is by frequently cleaning your hands with alcohol-based hand rub or washing them with soap and water.

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Government of Canada: Avoid ALL TRAVEL on CRUISE SHIPS

We know you all have plans and looking forward to that cruise but is your health or your family's health worth it? ...

If an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs on your cruise ship:

• you could be subject to quarantine procedures, on-board ship or in a foreign country
• the range of consular services available to those on cruise ships, in particular in situations of quarantine, may be significantly restricted by local authorities

Read more: Canada

INFOGRAPHIC: Facial Hairstyles and Respirators

The infographic below, first published in 2017 by the CDC's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Healthy, was circulated on social media recently and actually has nothing to do with the new virus.

The NIOSH published the infographic to show workers what types of facial hairstyles affect a tight-sealing mask/respirator.

Facial hair that lies along the sealing area of a respirator, such as beards, sideburns or some moustaches, interferes with respirators that rely on a tight facepiece seal to achieve maximum protection, according to the CDC.

Source(s): CDC-blog

NEW Walmart PEN CENTRE, 221 Glendale Avenue, ST. CATHARINES (3 Photos)

So I checked out the new Walmart store which finally opened in St. Catharines at the Pen Centre. We've only been waiting for like what? 4 years? It has been so long that I've forgotten all about it until I read about its opening recently. As far as I can remember, it was a Zellers store, then a Target store and now the Walmart Supercentre store which I'm sure will have better success than its predecessors.

The sky was bright blue... the store facade was bright blue... there were not many cars in the parking lot - yet. It was a perfect day to check it out.

Unfortunately, I was not allowed to take pictures inside, so I just took a few, outside.

I was loving the bright blue, yellow and orange colours on the outside.

The dedicated online pickup section was something new at this Walmart. After ordering your online groceries (at Walmart.ca), you can now pull up into any one of 8 (at least I think there were 8), brightly-painted-orange parking spots and have your purchase loaded in no time!

There's even a walk-in clinic opening soon too.

Having said all that, I was surprised to find there were not many 'deals' to be had or even new or more choices than the other Walmart stores. I remember heading straight to the Crafts section and was disappointed to find the one on Welland Ave., had more selections. Of course, being a supercentre, this one has a produce/grocery section which the other one doesn't.

Oh well, even though I live closer to the one on Welland Ave., and will still be heading there when needed, I'm sure many will be happy for this new Walmart that has finally opened at the Pen Centre.

Happy shopping!

SHAREABLE Tip #21 - Check Your PROPANE LEVEL with THIS TRICK!

It's that time of year and there are many ways to check the level in your propane tank. Here is a simple one we can all do!

Interactive...

Pinnable version...

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CHECK YOUR PROPANE LEVEL with THIS TRICK!

POUR BOILING WATER DOWN THE SIDE OF THE TANK.

FEEL THE TANK

THE PROPANE WILL ABSORB THE HEAT AND YOU WILL

FEEL THE LEVEL OF THE PROPANE.

THE POINT WHERE HOT TURNS INTO COOL IS YOUR 

PROPANE LEVEL!

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SHAREABLE TIPS are pinnable images I create of random tips I come across daily. 

So go ahead. Share it!

Making life easier, one shareable tip at a time.

SUNSET BEACH, St. Catharines (22 Photos)

Took a long overdue stroll down Sunset Beach - and took some photos while I was at it...

This hidden gem located in the Grantham Ward, along the shore of Lake Ontario on the Waterfront Trail, is in close proximity to the Welland Canals Parkway Trail.

The park has 365 metres (1,200 feet) of sandy beach to lay out your towels, chairs, umbrellas and tents for your enjoyment.

Beach amenities include parking, playground, a beautiful picnic area, public boat launch ramp (for small and personal watercrafts during the boating season within daylight hours), and washrooms.

5 Things NOT TO DO to Your LAWN

So you think you're a lawn pro, do you? Well, we all do these things to our lawn over and over each year which are never beneficial to a healthy lawn, so sayeth the pros. So view the tips below if you want the best lawn on the block!



Source(s): scotts.com | familyhandyman.com | homeguides.sfgate | thespruce

NIKE is Still #1 When It Comes to Sneakers...

Check your runners right now. What brand are they? Chances are they're a Nike cause according to IBT, Nike's still on top!...

Contrary to what their name might suggest, basketball, tennis and running shoes are in no way confined to courts and tracks these days. Athletic footwear, less formally known as sneakers, can be found anywhere from boardrooms to fashion runways and companies such as Nike and Adidas are making billions feeding the sneaker frenzy.  

With annual footwear sales of $22.3 billion, Nike is still number 1 in the global sneakers market. Having started as an enterprise licensing Japanese running shoes for the American market, Nike quickly developed a name of its own in the 1970s when some of the company’s most iconic silhouettes were introduced. 

Niagara's Wanted

Recognize anyone?...

ONE Reason Why I LOVE YOU...

Valentine's Day is around the corner and you love your significant other because...
(Click on the button to reveal a reason)

Check out 5 more reasons here.

QUOTE: "We are not HUMAN BEINGS Having a Spiritual Experience..."

Video snapshot

From our Facebook Quotes For You Page...

"We are not HUMAN BEINGS having a spiritual experience..."
(Source: https://kwotes4u.blogspot.com/2018/12/we-are-not-human-beings-having.html)
Posted by Quotes for You on Thursday, December 27, 2018

Types of EATERS

Flexitarian? Never heard of it. And these are just the ones that are more popular. There are also Paleotarians, Pollotarians, Fruitarians, Lacto-vegetarian and so on and so on.

So what type of eater are you? I'm an omnivore who also love to eat a lot of veggies, nuts and fruits!!...

Sharing a PRODUCT/PRODUCE: NATURE VALLEY Granola Cups

Anyone tried those Granola Cups yet by Nature Valley? I have and all I have to say is, I won't be buying them again. I keep noticing them lately on the shelves at Walmart and they 'looked' yummy and sounded healthy so I thought why not grab a box!

I'm probably the worse reviewer for this since I don't like anything too granola-y. But whatever...

I found them too crunchy (aka dry) and really lacking in chocolate! It would have been better if they added a thicker layer of chocolate at the bottom instead of looking like it was slightly dipped in chocolate (or worse yet - painted on!😁), and made them a bit more chewier!

All is not lost though as I know my squirrels will appreciate them more!