Port Colborne

The City of Port Colborne has plenty of great weather, ample beach front, and cultural attractions. Port Colborne has great historic shopping districts, a variety of restaurants, and good natural attractions and recreation facilities.
The original settlement, known as Gravelly Bay, dates from 1832 and was renamed after 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.

• Visitor Information can be found at the Humberstone Hall Visitor Information Centre at 76 Main Street West, at the corner of Main Street West and Mellanby Avenue. Visitor information can also be found at City Hall, at 66 Charlotte Street, in downtown Port Colborne. You can also call +1-888-767-8386 or +1 905-834-1668 for information.

History

In pre-colonial times, the Neutral Indians lived in the area, due in part to the ready availability of flint and chert from outcroppings on the Onondaga Escarpment. This advantage was diminished by the introduction of firearms by European traders, and they were driven out by the Iroquois around 1650 as part of the Beaver Wars.
Founded as Gravelly Bay, after the shallow, bedrock-floored bay upon which it sits, the modern 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 was extended to reach Lake Erie in 1833.
Sometime during the 1880s, American tourists from the Southern states began building vacation homes on the lakeshore of the Western edge of the town. Before long, an entire gated community of vacationers from the South called Port Colborne their home during the summer months. 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.

By plane

Buffalo-Niagara International Airport (BUF) in Buffalo, New York is about a 45-minute drive away.

• Buffalo Airport Shuttle, 716-685-2550, offers service from the Buffalo-Niagara airport to Port Colborne. A group of up to 4 can expect to pay approximately $95 each way and the drivers often have great tips on where to go and what to avoid.

Hamilton John C. Munro International Airport (YHM) in Hamilton, Ontario is about a 75-minute drive away.
Toronto Pearson International Airport (YYZ) in Toronto is about a 1½-hour drive away.

By car

Port Colborne, being on the South end of the Niagara Peninsula, is primarily accessed from the Queen Elizabeth Way highway. Visitors can head south from the QEW via Victoria Ave (Hwy 24), or via Highway 406/140 to reach the town. The drive south from the QEW usually takes between 25-40 minutes depending on traffic conditions.
Visitors already on the south end of the Peninsula can access Port Colborne by following Hwy 3 which passes directly through the center of town.

By car

Traffic is typically very light within the town. A minor annoyance are the three lift bridges that cross the Welland Canal. Delays of 15-25 minutes can arise when a ship passes under a bridge, although there are usually alternate routes available to get over the canal at other points in the city.

By taxi

• Port Taxi

  phone: +1 905-835-2424
  address: 165 King St

• A Premier Taxi

  phone: +1 905-835-8000

By bus

Public transit options are somewhat limited in Port Colborne. The City of Port Colborne has contracted with Welland Transit to operate their transit system. Port Colborne's transit service is comprised of a local community bus which operates within Port Colborne M-F 8AM-5PM, and the link service to Welland which provides 3 trips per weekday between the two communities.

• Welland CanalThe Welland Canal runs through the heart of the city and allows for excellent ship watching. You can view pleasure craft off the shore of Lake Erie, or watch Lakers and Salties in the harbour and lock. Excellent views of the lock can be found at Lock 8 Gateway Park on Mellanby Ave south of Main St (Highway 3). There are three lift bridges in Port Colborne that operate as watercraft pass through the lock and canal. The canal usually operates from late March through the end of December. During the winter months, ships are laid-up in the harbour for maintenance and repairs.

• Showboat Festival Theatre

  phone: +1 905 834-0833
  address: 296 Fielden Ave
  It can easily be accessed from any point in the Niagara Peninsula.

Events

• Canal DaysCivic Holiday Weekend (first weekend in August). The Niagara Region's largest summer festival, The Canal Days Marine Heritage Festival offers activities and attractions that will enliven the senses. The Tall Ships gather in Port Colborne each August holiday weekend, for a four-day celebration of history and heritage. Explore the decks, try your hand at the wheel, or feel the spray as you cruise a Tall Ship on Lake Erie. The Canal Days Festival encompasses the entire community, with activities at a dozen different venues: HH Knoll Lakeview Park hosts Ontario’s largest outdoor classic car and kite show. Each year more than 300,000 people visit the festival over four days. Friends, families, and former residents return and reminisce, and Canal Days continues to grow by bounds.

• Lions Carnival

  address: 130 Killaly St West
  Annual summer charity carnival hosted by the Port Colborne Lions Club. Rides, food, games, and fun.

• Minor Fisheries

  phone: +1 905-834-9232
  address: 176 West St
  Fresh caught fish (usually perch and pickerel) for sale. The restaurant features fish and chips, but also serves some other items. There is a small seating area inside, and an outside patio in the summer. Many visitors get take-out fish and chips, and then sit on one of the benches along the harbour, hoping that a ship will pass by. The restaurant is closed Sunday-Monday during the summer, and Sunday-Wednesday during the winter.

• The Smokin' Buddha Restaurant & Markets

  phone: +1 905-834-6000
  address: 265 King St
  Serving feel-good foods from around the world. Has a booth at the Fonthill, Port Colborne, Ridgway, and Welland Farmer's Markets.

• 2X4 Diner

  phone: +1 905-899-6339
  address: 72004 Regional Rd 27, Wainfleet

• The Reeb House

  phone: +1 905-834-8443
  address: 2481 Highway #3
  Menu is pub fare. Bands on weekends.

Motels

• Canadas Best Value Inn

  phone: +1 905-835-5202
  address: 10134 Highway #3
  26 units with cable TV, fridges, outdoor pool; CAA/AAA.

• Capri Motel

  phone: +1 905-835-5474
  address: 629 Main Street West
  10 units with double beds, cable TV, phone, a/c, wireless internet, free long distance calling, fridges and microwaves in all units.

• Good Night Motel

  phone: +1 905-835-1818
  address: 664 Main Street West
  23 units with cable TV, kitchenettes, jaccuzzi, outdoor heated pool.

• Seaway Motel

  phone: +1 905-834-0401
  address: 650 Main Street West
  17 units with outdoor pool, cable TV, fridges, BBQ, family suites, smoke free rooms; OAA.

• Sherkston Motel

  phone: +1 905-894-5454
  address: Highway #3 East, Sherkston
  6 units with satellite TV, fridges and microwaves, queen-sized beds, BBQ and patio, full kitchen access.

Bed and breakfasts

• Graces Victorian Bed & Breakfast

  phone: +1 905-835-8037
  address: 77 Kent Street
  Four rooms. Homestyle breakfast, television, and air conditioning.

• Kentfield Guest Suites

  phone: +1 905-835-8411
  address: 206 Kent Street
  Like a fine bed & breakfast but with more privacy.

• LakeBreeze Niagara Bed & Breakfast

  phone: +1 905-834-1233
  address: 234 Steele Street
  Hotel in a century-old bed and breakfast. 3 self-contained suites with separate keyless lock entrances. 80ft wrap-around veranda overlooking gardens. Full breakfast is served in the formal Dining Room or Veranda Dining Room depending on the weather. Other amenities include wireless internet, in-suite TVs and phones, onsite parking and secured lockup for bicycles, central air conditioning, and one handicap accessible and equipped suite.

• Talwood Manor Bed and Breakfast

  phone: +1 905-834-6049
  address: 303 Fielden Avenue
  Rooms are spacious with ensuite, private and shared baths. Each has a unique theme with quiet A/C. TVs in most rooms. Breakfast served in traditional dining room. In-house library, garden with gazebo, screened verandah. Wireless high speed internet. Ample private parking. Dock and walk from the Sugarloaf Harbour Marina. Secure storage for bicycles.

Inns

• Canalside

  phone: +1 905-834-6090
  address: 232 West Street
  800 sq. ft. studio suite, available daily or weekly. Room includes full kitchen facilities, pullout couch and queen bed with fireplace and LCD TV. Overlooking the canal. Room service available from on site restaurant.