A group of young Girl Guides has helped spark official action on a long-neglected industrial site after raising alarm over safety and environmental risks at the former General Motors property on Ontario Street.
Just days after the letters were delivered to Mayor Mat Siscoe and City Council, the City of St. Catharines issued Property Standards Orders requiring the site to be cleaned up.
The letters—written by girls aged 9 to 12 from the Girl Guides of Canada—highlighted concerns about asbestos, broken glass, rusting infrastructure, and potential contamination affecting nearby residents and Twelve Mile Creek.
“It seems like it took letters from Girl Guides to finally spark some action on the former GM site,” Ward Councillor Bruce Williamson said following the announcement.
The property, once part of the automotive footprint of General Motors, has been a long-standing concern in the community due to its deteriorating condition and environmental risks.
Mayor Mat Siscoe and City Council received a dozen handwritten letters and drawings as part of the youth-led advocacy effort organized by Erin Panda, a volunteer Guider and associate professor in Child and Youth Studies at Brock University.
“The girls wanted city leaders to know they were worried about health, safety, and the environment,” Panda said. “Seeing the City respond so quickly sends an important message to young people—that their voices matter and that civic engagement can create real change.”
One 10-year-old Guide didn’t mince words about the conditions on site: “It is very dangerous because it has asbestos, broken glass, rusty pipes. I love fresh air! The people near the site deserve it too.”
The letters called for stronger bylaw enforcement, demolition of unsafe structures, environmental remediation, and ongoing monitoring of Twelve Mile Creek. Some of the girls even sketched hopeful visions for the future of the property, imagining parks, housing, greenspace, and community spaces where decay currently sits.
Panda says the project has become an unexpected but powerful lesson in civic engagement.
“In teaching the girls about the role they can play in creating change, we are grateful the Mayor and Council listened,” she said. “This is an important first step toward a cleaner and safer future for our community.”
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