Montebello Park, St. Catharines

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Montebello Park, once the estate of William Hamilton Merrit, entrepreneur, statesman, and founder of the Welland Canal, was acquired by the City of St. Catharines in 1887 from his son, Thomas Rodman Merritt. The Pavilion was constructed on the foundations of Merritt’s unfinished house, while the original bandstand was replaced in 1904 with the current structure, designed according to contemporary acoustical theories and modeled after the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo, NY.
The park was designed in 1887 by Frederick Law Olmsted, whose signature curving walkways and terrace treatments remain evident. Research conducted for the 1990 Park Master Plan confirmed Olmsted’s role in its design and construction. In 2004, WSLAL, in association with George Robb Architect, updated the Park Master Plan to align with current requirements. A new ramped access to the Pavilion, inspired by Olmsted’s original sketches, was completed in 2005, reinforcing the park’s heritage character while improving accessibility.