New downtown memorial honours St. Catharines firefighters
St. Catharines on Tuesday officially opened a new memorial dedicated to firefighters who have died while serving the city or from work-related illnesses. The site, a small parkette near the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre at the corner of Race and Carlisle streets, features bronze statues, a granite memorial wall and landscaping designed to create a public place for remembrance.
The project was led by the City’s Fallen Firefighters Memorial Task Force in partnership with the St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association and the City of St. Catharines. Task force members worked with CFC Supply to design and install the memorial and ran a major donor campaign that raised $400,000 to cover the full cost.
“Today, we honour our fallen firefighters as they deserve to be honoured: at a memorial built by the community they gave everything to protect,”
said Fire Chief Dave Upper at the unveiling. He described the space as one where residents can pause, give thanks and pay respects, and a lasting place to remember sacrifices made by service members and their families.
Design elements and purpose
The memorial recognises both professional and volunteer firefighters who died in the line of duty, including volunteer members who served in St. Catharines wards and surrounding townships before the formation of the St. Catharines Professional Firefighters Association Local 485 in 1919. Design elements include two bronze statues depicting male and female firefighters, a granite wall with bronze name plaques, flag poles, custom metal signage and practical features such as benches and trees.
- Location: corner of Race and Carlisle streets, near FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre
- Primary features: bronze statues, granite wall with bronze plaques, Maltese Cross concrete pad
- Site amenities: benches, trees, flag poles, fire hydrant bollards, landscaping
- Design and installation partner: CFC Supply
- Raised funds for project: $400,000
Barry Katzman, chair of the Fallen Firefighters Memorial Task Force, reflected on the project's long timeline, noting that the idea began more than a decade ago.
“This Fallen Firefighters Memorial started with a conversation more than a decade ago, and to finally stand here and see it completed is incredibly meaningful,”
Katzman said he felt honoured to have worked with people who stayed committed to seeing the memorial through to completion.
Local context and community impact
The new memorial fills a visible place in downtown St. Catharines where families, colleagues and residents can gather to remember service and loss. Placed close to a cultural hub, the space provides both a quiet place for reflection and a public reminder of the risks first responders face.
For older residents and historians, the memorial also acknowledges the pre-1919 era of volunteer firefighting across local wards and townships — an aspect the task force specifically chose to honour in the inscriptions and design. That inclusiveness broadens the memorial’s reach beyond contemporary professional ranks to recognise centuries of community service.
City staff and the task force designed the site to be durable and accessible, combining aesthetic bronze and granite materials with practical landscaping and seating. A large concrete pad featuring the Maltese Cross provides a focal point for ceremonies and public gatherings.
| Feature | Material/Detail |
|---|---|
| Statues | Bronze — male and female figures |
| Memorial wall | Granite with bronze name plaques |
| Focal pad | Concrete with Maltese Cross |
| Additional elements | Flag poles, benches, trees, fire hydrant bollards |
The unveiling ceremony brought together city officials, firefighters and community members. Organisers say the memorial will be maintained as a public asset and act as a permanent tribute to those who died while protecting St. Catharines.
As part of the project’s legacy, officials and the task force emphasised that the memorial was built by the community — financed through donations and guided by volunteer stewardship — to ensure the sacrifices of fallen firefighters remain part of the city’s public memory.
The memorial is now open to the public and is positioned to become a site for annual remembrance events and informal visits from residents and visitors to downtown St. Catharines.
