A large group of children are seen on the sidewalk next to a large tudor-revival building. The children are wearing winter clothing. Some of the children are hanging off a lamp post.
A large group of children exit the Queen Street YMCA/YWCA in the winter of 1938. S1938.78.2.2

The few adults outnumbered by a large group of children in this photo makes for a particularly mischievous look to the big crowd, but this would have been a regular sight following programming provided by the Y, including swimming, basketball, debate society, sailing, and other sports and cultural activities.  

Built to replace an earlier YMCA on St. Paul Street (1905-1928), the Queen Street Y was paid for by fundraising and sizable donations from local philanthropists. The building was designed by local architects Nicolson and Macbeth, in the Neo-Tudor style, which was very popular in the 1920s.  

The Y moved to the YMCA Drive location in 1991 and the Queen Street Y building was demolished in 1994.

A large group of children enter a large building.
An earlier photograph in the series shows the group entering the Y. S1938.78.2.1.

The Y and the Community

Since so many sporting events, meetings, and other functions took place at the Y it features as the backdrop to many activities displayed by our bustling community in the mid-20th century.

An indoor swimming pool and diving board.
The indoor swimming pool is shown in this photograph from 1940. S1940.1.18.5
Children and youth are lined up in four rows with a couple of instructors at the back. The youth are flexing their muscles.
This gym class was photographed in 1937. It shows an impressive facility with lots of light, a raised running track, and basketball court.
Four people stand at the entry way of the YMCA/YWCA. Signs are hung on both sides of the doorway and above the doorway with messages relating to the annual maintenance fundraising campaign.
The Y was community led and funded. Many fundraising campaigns like this one in 1937 helped to keep the doors open for children participating in its programs.
A group of soldiers stands at attention on the snowy street outside the Queen Street YMCA/YWCA. They are wearing matching uniform coats and hats.
During the Second World War members of the local Lincoln and Welland Regiment made use of the shower, pool, changing, and recreation facilities. Here they are lined up in the winter of 1941. The Y supported the war effort with events and fundraising campaigns.
The new street sign for the YMCA/YWCA is photographed from the balcony of the building, and the street scape is shown in the background.
Every building needs an update once and a while. This new art-deco inspired sign was a signal of changing styles as it was installed on the traditional Tudor-revival style building.

There’s More to the Story

Visit the installations in-person at the addresses listed or navigate using the coordinates marked with Purple Pins on the History InSite map or navigate the installation online using the History Pin map.

About History InSite

A permanent, site specific installation, History InSite juxtaposes historical photographs with modern streetscapes by presenting the photo in, or close to, the place which it was taken.

St. Catharines has a rich photographic history and when compared to the changing streetscapes around the City, that history becomes much more meaningful, poignant, and relevant to our modern eyes.

The Downtown series was installed in July 2021. The Port Dalhousie series was installed in May 2022. The Merritton series was installed in May 2023.

History InSite is presented by the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre.

Graffiti Report

If you spot any graffiti on our purple History InSite signs, please send us a message.