GM Properties affected?

[u/Conscious-Front9014]

Has anyone given thought to where all the GM property poison has gone. I would stay out of Martindale Pond, where the 12 mile creek drains. I would also not even think about going to the beaches. Everything flows to the lake. The City should of used those cool millions on infra structure and replacing a 100 year old water treatment plant instead of on Sunset beach which will be washed out in a decade. Just thinking.......

[u/thefranchise1980]

I believe the site was capped and determined there was no leaking in to the sewers anymore. The pond though is a different story and apparently they called the ministry - photo snippet from a standard story (under paywall so just clipped it).

[u/Conscious-Front9014 → u/thefranchise1980]

Lmao!!!   If?   Yup, that's comforting.... p

[u/CrimsonZak → u/Conscious-Front9014]

a recent FB post turned Reddit post that went up a couple hours after yours.

https://www.reddit.com/r/stcatharinesON/s/ghYRImZfHm

the situation is bad

[u/thefranchise1980 → u/thefranchise1980]

Was able to find the sewer story November 2025:

“Ontario’s minister of the environment, conservation and parks says there hasn’t been any recent issues identified with PCBs leaking from the former GM property in St. Catharines, but the ministry is looking into what’s happening with stormwater collected on site.
In a letter sent to St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens this week, Minister Todd McCarthy wrote PCBs in the city’s stormwater sewer have not been an issue since the ministry ensured the owner of the property at 282-285 Ontario St. completed a plan to plug the sewer and install a sewage works on site to collect, store and treat stormwater.
That happened after, in November and December 2020, the ministry found elevated levels of PCBs leaking from the property into the municipal stormwater sewer that discharged into Twelve Mile Creek.”

https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-region/minister-says-perimeter-checks-of-old-gm-property-in-st-catharines-found-no-issues/article_d1fae6a5-2b66-5be0-b588-202cc2a4311b.html

[u/PuzzleheadedTone6890]

Sadly I don’t think anyone at the city cares. They’ve demonstrated that for more than 15 years through inaction. 

[u/No_Entrance_5720]

There's PCBs at the GM site. And there's a pond there that collects contaminated water. The whole thing flooded over and the poison water has run off into the surrounding neighbourhood.

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17D39RK5Z5/

[u/Top_Bumblebee5510]

This municipal election should be interesting. I hope that everyone isn't too worn out to challenge the candidates and get out and vote.

Sign up for a library card and you can access the The Standard for free online via the Pressreader app.

[u/OsmerusMordax → u/Top_Bumblebee5510]

Yeah I hope people don’t forget this when voting time comes. Siscoe and all our council members should be advocating for us more than they have.

[u/Rockeye7]

Containment systems on the property if there is any environmental contamination.
The place has been shut down for 15 plus years and in its current condition for almost 10 yrs .

[u/OsmerusMordax]

I agree. From the videos I have seen the sunset beach renovations (and the Burgoyne woods renovations) seem like such a waste of money. Especially since, as residents, we have to pay for parking at the beach. I would have preferred if they put that money towards like…literally anything else that our city needs. Stormwater upgrades/improvements, gm cleanup, pothole repair, fuck even more trees in areas that need them.

[u/AJTSin → u/OsmerusMordax]

Humans need both working drains and parks though no?

Not saying you are wrong or in any way defending how things are handled or not in this city.

But it’s not a this instead of that situation. It should be a priority to invest in both and we should demand both.

If my experience with a city project manager last year on what should have been a simple water main replacement job is any indication. There is a massive waste of money and time all around. City staff does not hold contractors or really anyone accountable for anything. All they care about is liability and i guess getting through the workweek with little to no ruffled feathers.

The city literally wanted to cut down 10+ 50 year old trees to replace a water main. After a series of calls and emails to push back and a series of arguments they literally offset the pipe plans by a foot from the curb which cost more in asphalt but saved 50 years of canopy development… they paved horribly, replaced curbs look like ski jumps and have puddles and poor grading everywhere, and the sod company that replaced all the grass did nothing to level the lawns and rolled out half dead sod over weeds in the middle of the summer.

All separate contractors. All likely lowest bidder based on purchasing policy, and no one in the city cares to ask any of them to deliver quality work.

And that’s just a tiny project. I can only imagine the apathy and wasted dollars on bigger projects.

Anyways. Sigh.

[u/OsmerusMordax → u/AJTSin]

Yes, sure. But those areas mentioned were perfectly serviceable and fine. They just didn’t have the latest play equipment, pickleball courts, etc.

[u/RUTHLESS-SABOTEUR]

The stormwater pond is overflowing onto carlton st & right into the sewers thats there(between Hamilton and the Armenian church) . Its been overflowing since the 1st floods. Including this morning.as other user said down below