View source for Port Colborne

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2017}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name               = Port Colborne
| official_name      = City of Port Colborne
| other_name         = 
| native_name        = <!-- for cities whose native name is not in English -->
| nickname           = 
| settlement_type    = [[List of cities in Ontario|City]] ([[List of municipalities in Ontario#Lower-tier municipalities|lower-tier]])
| motto              = "Gateway to Navigation"<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portcolborne.ca/page/statistics_and_facts|title=City of Port Colborne - Quick Facts|website=portcolborne.ca|access-date=July 31, 2017|archive-date=July 15, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170715214427/http://portcolborne.ca/page/statistics_and_facts|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| image_skyline      = PortColborneBank.jpg
| imagesize          = 
| image_caption      = Former bank building on West Street in Port Colborne<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keithoverend.com/Intro/heritage/tour.HTM|title=index.HTM|access-date=July 31, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713142307/http://www.keithoverend.com/Intro/heritage/tour.HTM|archive-date=July 13, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref>
| image_flag         = 
| flag_size          = 
| image_seal         = Logo of Port Colborne, Ontario.svg
| seal_size          = 130px
| image_shield       = 
| shield_size        = 
| city_logo          = 
| citylogo_size      = 
| image_map          = Portcolborne-niagara.png
| mapsize            = 200px
| map_caption        = Location of Port Colborne in the Niagara Region
| pushpin_map        = Canada Southern Ontario
| pushpin_map_caption = Location in southern Ontario
| coordinates        = {{coord|42|53|N|79|15|W|region:CA-ON|display=inline,title}}
| subdivision_type   = Country
| subdivision_name   = Canada
| subdivision_type1  = Province
| subdivision_name1  = [[Ontario]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[List of regions of Canada|Region]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Regional Municipality of Niagara|Niagara]]
| subdivision_type3  = 
| subdivision_name3  = 
| subdivision_type4  = 
| subdivision_name4  = 
| government_footnotes = <ref>[https://www.portcolborne.ca/en/city-hall/mayors-office.aspx City of Port Colborne • Mayor's Office]</ref>
| government_type    = 
| leader_title       = Mayor
| leader_name        = Bill Steele
| leader_title1      = Governing body
| leader_name1       = 
| leader_title2      = [[Current members of the Canadian House of Commons|MP]]
| leader_name2       = [[Fred Davies (politician)|Fred Davies]]
| leader_title3      = [[Legislative Assembly of Ontario|MPP]]
| leader_name3       = [[Jeff Burch]]
| leader_title4      = 
| leader_name4       = 
| established_title  = Settled
| established_date   = 1830s
| established_title2 = Incorporated
| established_date2  = 1870 (village)
| established_title3 = &nbsp;
| established_date3  = 1966 (city)
| area_magnitude     = 
| area_footnotes     = <ref name="cp2016a"/>
| area_total_km2     = 
| area_land_km2      = 121.96
| area_water_km2     = 
| area_water_percent = 
| area_urban_km2     = 
| population_as_of   = 2021
| population_footnotes = <ref name="cp2016a">{{cite web |url=https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2021/dp-pd/prof/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&SearchText=port%20colborne&DGUIDlist=2021A00053526011&GENDERlist=1,2,3&STATISTIClist=1&HEADERlist=0 |title=Port Colborne, Ontario (Code 3526011) census profile |publisher=Statistics Canada |work=[[Canada 2021 Census|2021 Census of Population]] |access-date=October 23, 2022}}</ref>
| population_note    = 
| population_total   = 20033
| population_density_km2 = 164.2
| population_urban   = 
| population_density_urban_km2 = 
| population_blank1_title = 
| population_blank1  = 
| population_density_blank1_km2 = 
| timezone           = [[Eastern Time Zone|EST]]
| utc_offset         = -5
| timezone_DST       = [[Eastern Time Zone|EDT]]
| utc_offset_DST     = -4
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="CCN"/>
| elevation_m        = 175.30
| postal_code_type   = Forward Sortation Area
| postal_code        = [[List of L postal codes of Canada|L3K]]
| area_code          = [[Area codes 905, 289 and 365|905, 289, 365, and 742]]
| blank_name         = 
| population_demonym = Port Colbornite
| blank1_name        = [[Geographical Names Board of Canada|GNBC]] Code
| blank1_info        = FCHYP<ref name="GNBC">{{cite web | title = Port Colborne | publisher = Natural Resources Canada | date = October 6, 2016 | url = http://www4.rncan.gc.ca/search-place-names/unique/FCHYP}}</ref>
| website            = {{URL|http://portcolborne.ca/}}
| footnotes          = 
}}

'''Port Colborne''' is a city in [[Ontario]], Canada that is located on [[Lake Erie]], at the southern end of the [[Welland Canal]], in the [[Regional Municipality of Niagara|Niagara Region]] of [[Southern Ontario]]. The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 <ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/470848/Port-Colborne#tab=active~checked,items~checked&title=Port+Colborne+--+Britannica+Online+Encyclopedia|title=Port Colborne - Ontario, Canada|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> and was renamed after [[John Colborne, 1st Baron Seaton|Sir John Colborne]], a British war hero and the [[Lieutenant Governor of Upper Canada]] at the time of the opening of the (new) southern terminus of the [[First Welland Canal]] in 1833. The city's population in 2021 was 20,033.

==History==
In pre-[[New France|colonial]] times, Indigenous people of the [[Onguiaahra]] (Neutral Iroquois) lived in the area, due in part to the ready availability of [[flint]] and [[chert]] from outcroppings on the [[Onondaga (geological formation)|Onondaga Escarpment]].<ref>{{Cite web|title = Chonnonton (Neutral)|url = http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/neutral/|access-date = 2020-02-19|first = William C.|last = Noble}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/07565a.htm|title=CATHOLIC ENCYCLOPEDIA: Huron Indians|website=www.newadvent.org|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> This advantage was diminished by the introduction of firearms by European traders, and they were driven out by the Six Nations of the [[Iroquois]] around 1650 as part of the [[Beaver Wars]].

Originally called Gravelly Bay, after the shallow, bedrock-floored bay upon which it sits, today's City of Port Colborne traces its roots back to the [[United Empire Loyalist]] settlements that grew up in the area following the [[American Revolution]]. Growth became focused around the southern terminus of the [[Welland Canal]] after it reached [[Lake Erie]] in 1833. The town was the location of the [[Port Colborne explosion]], a grain elevator explosion in 1919 that killed 10 and injured 16.

As the population rose, [[Welland County, Ontario|Welland County]] was formed in 1845 from [[Lincoln County, Ontario|Lincoln County]] and Port Colborne was incorporated as a village in 1870, became a town in 1918, merged with the neighbouring Village of Humberstone in 1952, and was re-incorporated as a city in 1966. In 1970, Niagara Region municipal restructuring added Humberstone Township, further expanding the city.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.keithoverend.com/Intro/heritage/History/history.HTM|title=index.HTM|access-date=July 31, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110429132853/http://www.keithoverend.com/Intro/heritage/History/history.HTM|archive-date=April 29, 2011|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref name=port-colborne-history>{{Cite web|url=http://portcolborne.ca/page/history|title=City of Port Colborne - History|website=portcolborne.ca|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128000241/http://portcolborne.ca/page/history|archivedate=2020-11-28}}</ref>

In the year 1888, American tourists from the [[Southern United States|Southern states]] began building vacation homes on the lakeshore of the Western edge of the town. By 1890, an entire gated community of vacationers from the US South called Port Colborne their home during the summer months, naming the community The Humberstone Club. Over 30 grand summer homes, along with a variety of clubhouses and service buildings, were built along the lake in the following years, many of which still stand today on historic Tennessee Avenue. The southern architecture and style of these buildings would influence the design and construction of other historic buildings in the area. During the [[American Civil War]], [[Varina Davis]], wife of Confederacy President [[Jefferson Davis]], spent three years in the relative comfort and safety of the community.<ref name=port-colborne-history/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://eriemedia.ca/exhibit-explores-how-tennessee-came-to-port-colborne/|title=Exhibit explores how Tennessee came to Port Colborne|date=2019-04-29|website=Erie Media|access-date=2019-12-20}}</ref> <!-- not supported by cite: Today, the picturesque street of Tennessee Avenue is still home to many of these original vacation homes and buildings, as well as the original stone and wrought iron resort gates. The street boasts some immaculately maintained examples of late 19th- and early 20th-century Southern architecture. -->

Port Colborne was one of the hardest hit communities during the [[Blizzard of 1977]]. Thousands of people were stranded when the city was paralyzed during the storm, and the incident remains one of significance to the local population.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.thespec.com/news-story/2231395-missing-the-snow-a-look-back-at-the-blizzard-of-77/|title=Missing the snow? A look back at the Blizzard of '77|first=Mark|last=McNeil|date=January 28, 2012|newspaper=The Hamilton Spectator|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>

===Environmental concerns===
Emissions from [[Inco|Inco's]] base metal refinery, closed in 1984, resulted in soils contaminated with concentrations of nickel, copper and cobalt above the Ontario Ministry of the Environment's "soil remediation criteria."<ref name="ene.gov.on.ca">[http://www.ene.gov.on.ca/envision/land/portcolborne/index.htm Government of Ontario, Canada / Gouvernement de l'Ontario, Canada]</ref> However, two studies, one in 1997 and another in 1999 found "[no] adverse health effects which may have resulted from environmental exposures."<ref name="ene.gov.on.ca"/>  After a series of public meetings between the City, the Ministry of the Environment (MOE) and Inco, it was decided to perform a Community-Based Risk Assessment, a process designed to determine whether the contamination poses a threat to the current, past, or future residents of Port Colborne, and what Inco must do to clean up the contaminated areas.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://city.portcolborne.on.ca/cityhall/committees/details.cfm?recordid=61|title=City of Port Colborne|access-date=July 31, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061007144511/http://city.portcolborne.on.ca/cityhall/committees/details.cfm?recordid=61|archive-date=October 7, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Some residents launched a [[Class action|Class-Action Lawsuit]] against Inco in 2001<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jatam.org/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=255&Itemid=44&PHPSESSID=b59205dabaf7435ab6163bc44aee94b0|title=English - JATAM|website=www.jatam.org|access-date=July 31, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927195325/http://www.jatam.org/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=255&Itemid=44&PHPSESSID=b59205dabaf7435ab6163bc44aee94b0|archive-date=September 27, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koskieminsky.com/client_links/Inco/home.aspx|title=Koskie Minsky LLP|access-date=July 31, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061210204633/http://www.koskieminsky.com/client_links/Inco/home.aspx|archive-date=December 10, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref> seeking $750 million in damages to health, property value, and quality-of-life. Although this suit failed to be certified in 2002,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koskieminsky.com/client_links/Inco/docs/reasons_for_decision_jnordheimer_dated_15jul02.pdf|title=Koskie Minsky LLP|access-date=July 31, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070809133336/http://www.koskieminsky.com/client_links/Inco/docs/reasons_for_decision_jnordheimer_dated_15jul02.pdf|archive-date=August 9, 2007|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.elc.ab.ca/pages/Publications/PreviousIssue.aspx?id=332|title=Trouble for Toxic Torts as Class Actions |access-date=July 31, 2017 |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 4, 2013|df=mdy-all |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004232143/http://www.elc.ab.ca/pages/Publications/PreviousIssue.aspx?id=332 }}</ref> it was subsequently modified to limit the class, and focus solely on devaluation of property<ref>[http://www.hazmatmag.com/posted_documents/pdf/Pearson.pdf hazmatmag summary as at February 2004] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120624100748/http://www.hazmatmag.com/posted_documents/pdf/Pearson.pdf |date=June 24, 2012 }}</ref> and was certified on appeal on November 18, 2005.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.koskieminsky.com/client_links/Inco/docs/REASONS_NOV1805_McMURTRY_ROSENBERG_GILLESE.pdf|title=Koskie Minsky LLP|access-date=July 31, 2017|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061208170859/http://www.koskieminsky.com/client_links/Inco/docs/REASONS_NOV1805_McMURTRY_ROSENBERG_GILLESE.pdf|archive-date=December 8, 2006|df=mdy-all}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://canlii.ca/t/1m147|title=Pearson v. Inco Ltd., 2005 CanLII 42474 (ON CA)|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>  A timeline of the case has been written from the point of view of the plaintiffs.<ref name=kmtimeline>{{cite web|url=http://koskieminsky.com/Case-Central/Overview/Status-Of-Case/?rid=82|title=Smith v. Inco Ltd. - Koskie Minsky LLP|access-date=July 31, 2017|archive-date=October 4, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131004231800/http://koskieminsky.com/Case-Central/Overview/Status-Of-Case/?rid=82|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On July 6, 2010, the [[Ontario Supreme Court]] sided with the residents and awarded more than 7,000 households in Port Colborne a total of $36 million. Households in the Rodney Street area, in the shadow of the nickel refinery, were each awarded $23,000 while those living on the east and west sides of Port Colborne were each awarded $9,000 and $2,500 respectively.<ref name="stcatharinesstandard.ca">{{cite web|url=http://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2698114|title=Vale appeals $36-million judgment|website=St. Catharines Standard|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> Vale{{who|date=July 2021}} appealed the ruling to the [[Ontario Court of Appeal]], which found in 2010 that the plaintiff had not provided sufficient evidence of economic harm, raising the legal burden of proof but not invalidating [[Rylands v Fletcher]] as precedent law.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/knowledge/publications/57226/ontario-court-of-appeal-overturns-trial-decision-in-smith-v-inco|title=Ontario Court of Appeal overturns trial decision in Smith v Inco|website=www.nortonrosefulbright.com|access-date=July 31, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161201020408/http://www.nortonrosefulbright.com/knowledge/publications/57226/ontario-court-of-appeal-overturns-trial-decision-in-smith-v-inco|archive-date=December 1, 2016|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.weirfoulds.com/case-law-update-smith-v-inco-limited|title=Case Law Update: Smith v Inco Limited, WeirFoulds|website=www.weirfoulds.com|date=October 20, 2011|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lexology.com/library/detail.aspx?g=07c576cc-3956-437d-8c06-6dbacec797ce|title=No Harm, No Nuisance - The Ontario Court of Appeal Lays Out What Will, and Will Not, Fly in Proving Nuisance: Smith v. Inco Limited - Lexology|first=Miller Thomson LLP-Tamara|last=Farber|date=November 2011|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>  In April 2012 the [[Supreme Court of Canada]] sided with Vale and denied the residents the awarded compensation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://halifax.mediacoop.ca/story/who-pays-when-your-well-sucked-dry-and-your-home-contaminated/11214|title=Who pays when your well is sucked dry and your home is contaminated?|website=halifax.mediacoop.ca|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gowlings.com/KnowledgeCentre/article.asp?pubID=2673|title=Supreme Court Will Not Hear Appeal of Smith v. Inco|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref>  Court costs in the amount of CAD$1,766,000 were awarded the defendant by Henderson, J.<ref name=kmtimeline/>

==Geography==
===Climate===
{{Weather box
|location = Port Colborne (1981−2010)
|metric first = Y
|single line = Y
|Jan record high C = 15.0
|Feb record high C = 16.0
|Mar record high C = 24.0
|Apr record high C = 32.5
|May record high C = 31.5
|Jun record high C = 33.5
|Jul record high C = 35.0
|Aug record high C = 33.0
|Sep record high C = 31.0
|Oct record high C = 27.2
|Nov record high C = 20.0
|Dec record high C = 18.0
|year record high C = 35.0
|Jan high C = −0.4
|Feb high C = 0.6
|Mar high C = 4.8
|Apr high C = 11.5
|May high C = 17.9
|Jun high C = 23.1
|Jul high C = 25.9
|Aug high C = 25.4
|Sep high C = 21.3
|Oct high C = 14.8
|Nov high C = 8.7
|Dec high C = 2.7
|year high C = 13.0
|Jan mean C = −3.7
|Feb mean C = −2.9
|Mar mean C = 0.8
|Apr mean C = 7.0
|May mean C = 13.2
|Jun mean C = 18.7
|Jul mean C = 21.9
|Aug mean C = 21.3
|Sep mean C = 17.4
|Oct mean C = 11.0
|Nov mean C = 5.5
|Dec mean C = −0.4
|year mean C = 9.2
|Jan low C = −6.9
|Feb low C = −6.5
|Mar low C = −3.2
|Apr low C = 2.4
|May low C = 8.5
|Jun low C = 14.4
|Jul low C = 17.8
|Aug low C = 17.2
|Sep low C = 13.4
|Oct low C = 7.3
|Nov low C = 2.2
|Dec low C = −3.4
|year low C = 5.3
|Jan record low C = −26.0
|Feb record low C = −25.0
|Mar record low C = −24.0
|Apr record low C = −11.5
|May record low C = −3.5
|Jun record low C = 2.2
|Jul record low C = 6.0
|Aug record low C = 5.0
|Sep record low C = −0.5
|Oct record low C = −6.1
|Nov record low C = −11.5
|Dec record low C = −26.0
|year record low C = −26.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 73.1
|Feb precipitation mm = 57.0
|Mar precipitation mm = 66.8
|Apr precipitation mm = 76.1
|May precipitation mm = 89.7
|Jun precipitation mm = 78.9
|Jul precipitation mm = 82.2
|Aug precipitation mm = 82.5
|Sep precipitation mm = 98.0
|Oct precipitation mm = 90.4
|Nov precipitation mm = 100.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 88.8
|year precipitation mm = 984.6
|rain colour = green
|Jan rain mm = 32.5
|Feb rain mm = 26.9
|Mar rain mm = 46.6
|Apr rain mm = 71.9
|May rain mm = 89.1
|Jun rain mm = 78.9
|Jul rain mm = 82.2
|Aug rain mm = 82.5
|Sep rain mm = 98.0
|Oct rain mm = 89.7
|Nov rain mm = 95.2
|Dec rain mm = 53.2
|year rain mm = 846.8
|Jan snow cm = 40.5
|Feb snow cm = 30.1
|Mar snow cm = 20.2
|Apr snow cm = 4.2
|May snow cm = 0.6
|Jun snow cm = 0.0
|Jul snow cm = 0.0
|Aug snow cm = 0.0
|Sep snow cm = 0.0
|Oct snow cm = 0.8
|Nov snow cm = 5.8
|Dec snow cm = 35.6
|year snow cm = 137.7
|unit precipitation days = 0.2 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 15.2
|Feb precipitation days = 11.1
|Mar precipitation days = 12.5
|Apr precipitation days = 13.8
|May precipitation days = 13.3
|Jun precipitation days = 11.2
|Jul precipitation days = 10.6
|Aug precipitation days = 10.3
|Sep precipitation days = 11.8
|Oct precipitation days = 13.4
|Nov precipitation days = 15.1
|Dec precipitation days = 14.9
|year precipitation days = 153.2
|unit rain days = 0.2 mm
|Jan rain days = 6.2
|Feb rain days = 5.3
|Mar rain days = 8.7
|Apr rain days = 13.2
|May rain days = 13.3
|Jun rain days = 11.2
|Jul rain days = 10.6
|Aug rain days = 10.3
|Sep rain days = 11.8
|Oct rain days = 13.4
|Nov rain days = 13.9
|Dec rain days = 9.0
|year rain days = 127.1
|unit snow days = 0.2 cm
|Jan snow days = 9.6
|Feb snow days = 6.6
|Mar snow days = 4.5
|Apr snow days = 1.4
|May snow days = 0.08
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.12
|Nov snow days = 1.9
|Dec snow days = 7.1
|year snow days = 31.3
|source 1 = Environment Canada.<ref name="CCN">{{cite web
| publisher = [[Environment Canada]]
| url = http://climate.weather.gc.ca/climate_normals/results_1981_2010_e.html?stnID=4671&lang=e&dCode=1&province=ONT&provBut=Go&month1=0&month2=12
| title = Port Colborne, Ontario
| work = Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010
|date = October 31, 2011| access-date = April 9, 2014}}</ref>
|date=August 2010
}}

===Communities===
Communities within the city include:
* Bethel - Chippawa Road and Yager Road
* Cedar Bay - Cedar Bay Road and Vimy Road
* East Village
* Elco Beach - Wyldewood Road and Fireland 15
* Gasline - Pinecrest Road and Vimy Road
* Humberstone - Killaly Street and Highway 3
* Lorraine - Weaver Road and Firelane 1
* Nickel Beach - foot of Lake Road
* Pine Crest Point - Pincrest Road and Firelane 2
* Pleasant Beach
* Sherkston
* Sherkston Beaches
* Shisler Point
* Silver Bay
* Sugar Loaf Point/Sugar Loaf Marina - west side of Gravelly Bay

==Demographics==
{{Historical populations
|title       = Port Colborne
|type        = Canada
|align       = right
|width       = 
|state       = 
|shading     = 
|percentages = 
|footnote    = 
|1871| 1500
|1901| 1253
|1911| 1624
|1921| 3415
|1931| 6503
|1941| 6928
|1951| 8275
|1961| 14886
|1971| 21420
|1981| 19225
|1991| 18766
|[[Canada 2001 Census|2001]]| 18450
|[[Canada 2006 Census|2006]]| 18599
|[[Canada 2011 Census|2011]]| 18424
|[[Canada 2016 Census|2016]]| 18306
|[[Canada 2021 Census|2021]]| 20033
}}

In the [[2021 Canadian census|2021 Census of Population]] conducted by [[Statistics Canada]], Port Colborne had a population of {{val|20033|fmt=commas}} living in {{val|8710|fmt=commas}} of its {{val|10219|fmt=commas}} total private dwellings, a change of {{percentage|{{#expr:20033-18306}}|18306|1}} from its 2016 population of {{val|18306|fmt=commas}}. With a land area of {{convert|121.99|km2|sqmi|abbr=on}}, it had a population density of {{Pop density|20033|121.99|km2|sqmi|prec=1}} in 2021.<ref name=2021census>{{cite web | url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=9810000203&geocode=A000235 | title=Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, census divisions and census subdivisions (municipalities), Ontario | publisher=[[Statistics Canada]] | date=February 9, 2022 | accessdate=March 27, 2022}}</ref>
{{Canada_census
 |location = Port Colborne
 |2021_population=20,033 | 2021_pop_delta=+9.4  | 2021_land_area=121.99 | 2021_pop_density=164.2
 |2021_median_age=50.4 | 2021_median_age_m=48.8 | 2021_median_age_f=52
 |2021_total_pvt_dwell=10,219 |2021_mean_hh_income= |2021_geocode=2021A00053526011 | 2021_access_date=2022-04-27
|2016_population=18,306 |2016_pop_delta=-0.6 |2016_land_area=121.96 |2016_pop_density=150.1
|2016_median_age=50.0 |2016_median_age_m=48.8 |2016_median_age_f=51.1
|2016_total_pvt_dwell=9,825 |2016_total_pvt_dwell_usual=8,018 |2016_mean_hh_income=57,244 |2016_access_date=2009-06-22
|2011_population=18,424 |2011_pop_delta=-0.9 |2011_land_area=121.97 |2011_pop_density=151.1
|2011_median_age=47.5 |2011_median_age_m=46.4 |2011_median_age_f=48.6
|2011_total_pvt_dwell=10,083 |2011_total_pvt_dwell_usual=7,906
|2006_population=18,599 |2006_pop_delta=+0.8 |2006_land_area=121.97 |2006_pop_density=152.5
|2006_median_age=44.9 |2006_median_age_m=43.5 |2006_median_age_f=46.1
|2006_total_pvt_dwell=8,519 |2006_total_pvt_dwell_usual=7,791 |2006_mean_hh_income=49,404 |2006_access_date=2009-02-24
}}

==Economy==
Maritime commerce, including supplying goods to the camps for the labourers who worked on the first canal, ship repair and the provisioning trade, was, and still is, an important part of Port Colborne's economy. Like other cities in the region, Port Colborne was a heavily industrial city throughout most of the early 20th century because of its proximity to the [[hydroelectric]] power of [[Niagara_Falls#Hydroelectric_power|Niagara Falls]]. A [[grain elevator]], two modern [[gristmill|flour mills]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.adm.com/en-US/worldwide/canada/Pages/default.aspx|title=Archer Daniels Midland - ADM|date=July 31, 2017|website=ADM|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.robinhood.ca/rh.timeline.asp?lid=1|title=- Robin Hood®|website=www.robinhood.ca|access-date=July 31, 2017|archive-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801045632/http://www.robinhood.ca/rh.timeline.asp?lid=1|url-status=dead}}</ref> a [[nickel]] [[Refining (metallurgy)|refinery]],<ref name=vale1/> a [[cement|cement plant]] operated by [[Canada Cement Company|Canada Cement]], and a [[blast furnace]] operated by [[Algoma Steel]] were all major employers.

As recently as 2017, Port Colborne has been successful attracting new industry, such as the agro-business operations of Casco Inc.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.casco.ca/|title=Canada - English|website=www.casco.ca|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> and Jungbunzlauer,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.jungbunzlauer.com|title=Jungbunzlauer|first=Jungbunzlauer Suisse|last=AG|website=www.jungbunzlauer.com|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> which process corn into products such as sweeteners and citric acid.

The [[Vale Inco|International Nickel Company (now Vale)]] has long been one of the city's main employers, since a [[World War I]] scandal prompted the opening of a refinery in 1918.<ref name="cmj1">{{cite news |last1=Sandlos |first1=John |title=The Big Nickel scandal of 1916 |url=https://www.canadianminingjournal.com/featured-article/the-big-nickel-scandal-of-1916/ |publisher=Canadian Mining Journal |date=24 June 2024}}</ref> Taking advantage of inexpensive [[hydroelectricity]] from generating stations at nearby [[Niagara Falls]], from 1922 the refinery produced [[electrolytic]] nickel and [[Platinum group]] metals.<ref name="thompson60">{{cite book |last1=Thompson |first1=John Fairfield |last2=Beasley |first2=Norman |title=For the Years to Come: A Story of International Nickel of Canada |date=1960 |publisher=Longmans, Green & Co |location=Toronto}}</ref> It grew to employ over 2,000 workers by the 1950s. Cutbacks in operations and increasing factory automation have reduced the workforce to its present-day (2018) total of 170.<ref name=vale1>{{cite web|url=http://www.vale.com/canada/EN/business/mining/nickel/vale-canada/port-colborne/Pages/default.aspx|title=Vale Port Colborne |date=2018 |website=www.vale.com |access-date=July 31, 2018}}</ref>

'''Marine Recycling Corporation''' is a ship recycling firm, boasting of Green (environmentally friendly) services, located next to the [[Welland Canal]] at [[Gravelly Bay]] and operating since the 1970s.
<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.marinerecycling.ca/page/company/services/|title=Vale Port Colborne|date=2018|website=MRC|access-date=July 31, 2018}}</ref>

A 2012 report indicates the following as the largest private sector employers, with a staff of over 50, in Port Colborne at that time:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portcolborne.ca/page/top_employers|title=TOP 15 PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYERS IN PORT COLBORNE|website=City of Port Colborne|access-date=July 31, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190147/http://portcolborne.ca/page/top_employers|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* Port Colborne Poultry (Pinty's Delicious Foods, now owned by Olymel), 229 employees	
* Vale Canada Limited, 200	
* J. Oskam Steel Fabricators Ltd., 150
* IMT Partnership, 108	
* ADM Milling, 95	
* Thurston Machine Co. Ltd., 85	
* JTL Machine Ltd., 78	
* Jungbunzlauer Canada Inc., 74 
* Brennan Paving Ltd., 70
* Ingredion Canada Inc., 70

==Arts and culture==
[[File:Canal Days 2019 - Port Colborne, ON.jpg|thumb|Canal Days 2019]]
Port Colborne hosts the annual [[Canal Days]] festival in recognition of the important role played by the [[Welland Canal]] in the history of the city. Originating as a small fair held at the [[Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum]], it has grown to feature live music, an antique car show, fireworks, tall ships, a kite festival, and international foods. The festival also highlights Lock 8, which at {{convert|420|m|ft|abbr=on}}, is one of the world's longest [[canal locks]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.offshoreblue.com/cruising/welland-canal.php|title=Welland Canal Navigation, Locks, and Transit Information|website=www.offshoreblue.com|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> Lock 8 keeps the water level on the Welland Canal constant independent of weather on Lake Erie. Hence the ships are only raised or lowered one to four feet depending on the current water level in Lake Erie. Much of the festival centres around West St., which runs parallel to the canal, and offers a view of the [[Clarence St. Bridge]], built in 1929, it is one of only three remaining [[lift bridges]] on the canal today.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

The Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum, located near the centre of town, is a resource for local history and archival research. In addition to a collection of historic buildings and artifacts, it opened the "Marie Semley Research Wing" to foster research into local history, named to commemorate the long-standing efforts of a local resident who devoted hours to the museum.{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

The community features theatre venues with the professional Lighthouse Festival Theatre (formerly Showboat) and the amateur Port Colborne Operatic Society.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portcolborneoperaticsociety.com|title=Port Colborne Operatic Society-Home- Port Colborne Operatic Society|website=www.portcolborneoperaticsociety.com|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> The company has been presenting annual productions since its inception in 1945.

The Port Colborne [[Lions Club]], chartered in 1922, is one of the world's oldest Lions Clubs, and one of Canada's oldest [[service club]]s in continuous operation.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.niagarathisweek.com/community-story/3267600-ninety-years-strong-and-we-aren-t-lion/|title=Ninety years strong, and we aren't Lion - NiagaraThisWeek.com|first=Luke|last=Edwards|date=October 12, 2012|access-date=July 31, 2017}}</ref> The club is still active within the community, hosting many yearly events including an annual Lions Club Carnival in the summer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.portcolbornelionsclub.ca/news/article/19|title=Port Colborne Lions Club >> Port Colborne Lions Club - Serving Port Colborne Since 1922|website=www.portcolbornelionsclub.ca|access-date=July 31, 2017|archive-date=August 1, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170801050843/http://www.portcolbornelionsclub.ca/news/article/19|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Kinnear House is a local heritage property associated with the jurist [[Helen Kinnear]], the first woman in Canada to be appointed judge by the federal government, or to appear as counsel before the [[Supreme Court of Canada|Supreme Court]].<ref>{{Cite journal|date=1920-01-01|title=Helen A. Kinnear '20 (1894-1970)|url=https://digitalcommons.osgoode.yorku.ca/catalysts/17|journal=Osgoode Catalysts}}</ref>

The "incredible shrinking mill" is an optical illusion produced when viewing the federal grain elevator in Port Colborne. When travelling east on Lakeshore Road, the mill appears to move farther away as one drives closer.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://city.portcolborne.on.ca/visitinghere/attractions/the_incredible_shrinking_mill/|title=City Of Port Colborne - Visiting Here - The Incredible Shrinking Mill|date=February 12, 2008|access-date=July 31, 2017|url-status=bot: unknown|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080212031011/http://city.portcolborne.on.ca/visitinghere/attractions/the_incredible_shrinking_mill/|archive-date=February 12, 2008|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

==Attractions==
[[File:Port_Colborne_Historical_and_Marine_Museum.jpg|thumb|right|Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum]]
[[File:Port_Colborne,_Welland_Canal.jpg|thumb|right|[[Welland Canal]] in Port Colborne]]

Tourism is important to the Port Colborne's economy, aided by the city's proximity to Lake Erie beaches and marinas, and to Niagara Falls. In 2015, Port Colborne formed The Tourism and Marketing Advisory Committee to provide advice and recommendations for increasing this aspect of the economy.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portcolborne.ca/page/TMAC|title=TMAC|website=City of Port Colborne|access-date=July 31, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190507/http://portcolborne.ca/page/TMAC|url-status=dead}}</ref> Described by the city as "Niagara's South Coast", Port Colborne features live theatre, golfing, multi-use trails, fishing, beaches, restaurants, recreation, a marina, and shopping districts along the Welland Canal.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://portcolborne.ca/fileBin/mediaReleases/Media_Release_-_Travelers_Guide_to_Port_Colborne_for_Canal_Days.pdf|title=Canal Days|website=City of Port Colborne|access-date=July 31, 2018|archive-date=August 1, 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180801190324/http://portcolborne.ca/fileBin/mediaReleases/Media_Release_-_Travelers_Guide_to_Port_Colborne_for_Canal_Days.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Notable sites in Port Colborne include:<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.tripadvisor.ca/Attractions-g499288-Activities-Port_Colborne_Ontario.html#ATTRACTION_SORT_WRAPPER|title=Things to do in Port Colborne|website=Tripadvisor|access-date=July 31, 2018}}</ref>

* The Welland Canal 
* Port Colborne Port Promenade
* The Friendship Trail
* HH Knoll Lakeview Park 
* The Welland Canals Parkways Trail 
* Nickel Beach 
* Lock 8 Gateway Park 
* Sugarloaf Harbour Marina
* Historical and Marine Museum
* Vale Centre (twin pad arena and YMCA featuring pool, gyms and bocce courts)
* Thomas A. Lannan Sports Complex

==Education==
There are two [[high school]]s in Port Colborne, [[Port Colborne High School]] (commonly called Port High) and the [[Lakeshore Catholic High School]] (formerly a public high school called Lockview Park Secondary School). Lockview closed in 1987.

==Notable people==
* [[David Lametti]], federal Minister of Justice
* [[Tony Dekker]], singer/songwriter of folk band [[Great Lake Swimmers]]
* [[Jim Gregory (ice hockey)|Jim Gregory]], NHL General Manager ([[Toronto Maple Leafs]])
* [[Ted Kennedy (ice hockey)|Ted 'Teeder' Kennedy]], NHL hockey player
* [[Helen Kinnear]], first woman appointed judge by the [[Government of Canada|federal government]]
* [[Bronco Horvath|Joseph "Bronco" Horvath]], NHL hockey player
* [[Floyd G. Robinson]], teacher and educator
* [[Melissa McIntyre]], actress (''[[Degrassi: The Next Generation]]'')
* [[Don Simmons (ice hockey)|Don Simmons]], NHL hockey player
* [[Lynton Ronald 'Red' Wilson|Lynton 'Red' Wilson]], former CEO of [[BCE Inc.]], chancellor of [[McMaster University]], and officer of the [[Order of Canada]]
* [[DeFranco Family]], 1970s pop group
* [[Francis Moore (ice hockey)|Francis William "Dinty" Moore]], goaltender for the 1936 Canadian men's Olympic hockey team
* Lieutenant Colonel [[Russell Lambert Boyle]], Commanding Officer of the 10th Battalion, Canadian Expeditionary Force. Killed at the 2nd Battle of Ypres, April 1915.
* [[Alexis Davis (fighter)|Alexis Davis]], mixed martial artist
* [[Elmer Iseler]], choral conductor
* [[Matt Craven]], actor
* [[Vance Badawey]], politician
* [[Bill McBirnie]], award-winning jazz flautist

==References==
{{Reflist|2}}

==External links==
{{Commons category|Port Colborne, Ontario}}
{{wikivoyage|Port Colborne}}
*{{Official website|http://www.portcolborne.ca/}}

{{Geographic location|
North=[[Welland]]|
Northeast=[[Niagara Falls, Ontario|Niagara Falls]]|
West=[[Wainfleet, Ontario|Wainfleet]]|
Center=Port Colborne|
East=[[Fort Erie, Ontario|Fort Erie]]|
South=''[[Lake Erie]]''
}}
{{RegionalNiagara}}
{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Port Colborne| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Ontario]]
[[Category:Lower-tier municipalities in Ontario]]
[[Category:Populated places on Lake Erie in Canada]]
[[Category:Important Bird Areas of Ontario]]<!-- breakwater and mainland -->