ST. CATHARINES – A fire has completely destroyed the former site of the newspaper, a well-known building located in the city’s downtown area.
The blaze started Friday night and was put out late Saturday afternoon, according to a statement from a City of St. Catharines representative. The fire began on the upper floor of the structure at 17 Queen St. and spread, leading to part of the roof collapsing, it reported.
Firefighters utilized an excavator to access certain areas of the building so they could tackle some lingering hot spots, as stated by city officials.
Given the structural damage and unsafe conditions, authorities decided with input from the Office of the Fire Marshal not to investigate further and classified the cause of the fire as undetermined, according to city reports.
No injuries have been reported, and there is currently no estimate available for damages, it noted.
The , which also covered this incident, mentioned that the building had been vacant since 2013 when the paper relocated.
Kat Dodge, executive director of the St. Catharines Downtown Association, remarked that this building has been part of downtown since the late 1800s and still holds significant meaning for many in the community despite its vacancy.
“We’ve been hearing all weekend from people who have worked there or who grew up with parents working there and have memories of running through the halls,” Dodge said.
“Our longtime business owners remember when the Standard was the heartbeat of the city. There’s just so many memories and nostalgia centred around the Standard building, so it’s a big piece of history here in the downtown core.”
“It’s a huge loss to the downtown,” she added while noting it’s too soon to determine if any architectural features will be preserved from what remains.
Dodge mentioned that so far, emotional impacts have outweighed operational ones since firefighters managed to keep flames contained within one building and confirmed that smoke posed no risk to public safety.
Two side streets were closed off; however, most downtown businesses remained open during this time, according to Dodge.
This report by The Canadian Press was first Dec. 8, 2025.
The Canadian Press
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