City Takes Action on Old GM Plant Site

The owners of the former General Motors auto parts plants in St. Catharines, Ont., have been instructed to either fix, replace, or tear down structures at the site to “ensure public safety,” as stated in a directive from the city.

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe mentioned that these orders were issued for two properties on Ontario Street after the city received several complaints about one of them.

“For over a decade a great deal of time, energy and money has been invested in this site by everyone involved,” Siscoe wrote in an emailed statement.

“While the orders issued today will not resolve the issues that have prevented redevelopment to date, I hope they will serve as the starting point for a constructive path forward.”

The city has directed the owners to repair, replace, or secure all openings of the buildings to stop unauthorized access and remove or fix any damaged and unstable ceiling materials.

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If preferred, the owner can choose to demolish the buildings instead.

General Motors ceased production at these plants in 2010 and sold the property in 2014 to Bay Shore Groups for $12.5 million.

A few years later, Bay Shore announced a $250 million redevelopment plan for the site that included auctioning off equipment and then clearing it for demolition by 2015. The company had plans for building a retirement community featuring residences, biking or hiking trails along Twelve Mile Creek, and a trade school.

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Sine then, construction hasn’t moved forward and by early 2020, residents expressed “serious concerns” about property standards and possible environmental dangers.

The city even took legal action against the property owner listed as 2390541 Ontario Inc., regarding charges under Building Code Act and City Waste bylaws. The building code charges were linked to a February 2021 demolition of a smokestack done without a permit. The bylaw charges focused on their failure to test, remove and dispose of waste from the site.

This numbered corporation pleaded guilty in provincial court in January 2022 to twelve charges under both laws. It was fined $60,000.

If they don’t follow these recent orders from the city, they could face significant penalties.

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“There are multiple methods of escalating this situation; these can include administrative monetary penalties or prosecution under Provincial Offences Act. If necessary, we would carry out work required by our order at the owner’s expense,” said Paul Chudoba, who manages bylaw enforcement for the city.

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The numbered corporation was specifically mentioned because it’s recognized as “the property owner,” Chudoba added.

Additionally, actions have also been taken at the provincial level; St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens introduced a motion Wednesday urging action from province officials to ensure cleanup of this site under two sections of Environmental Protection Act.

“This section will give minister powers to hold current and former property owners accountable for remediation costs associated with that site,” Stevens explained during an interview with .

“There are numerous contaminants found there,” Stevens noted including hazardous industrial chemicals called polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs).

“We have asbestos; we also have cancer-causing substances present on that site.”

Cleansing efforts should be handled either by province authorities or “the massive corporation that once existed,” referring directly to GM. She believes Bay Shore has abandoned both community project plans and property management responsibilities.

The MPP indicated she’ll collaborate with Environment Minister Todd Mc Carthy regarding this matter.

Treated storm water was previously collected on-site according to Mc Carthy’s confirmation during question period at Ontario legislature on Wednesday; he mentioned his ministry’s investigation branch might initiate an inquiry into potential violations too.

‘We will take appropriate action if we find non-compliance,’Mccarthy stated.‘ contacted Bay Shore Groups seeking comments but did not get feedback before publication.’© 2026 , a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.

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