The History of the Abandoned St. Catharines Standard Newspaper Headquarters

The building at 17 Queen Street in St. Catharines, Ontario stands as the former home of the St. Catharines Standard, one of the city’s longest-running newspapers. Today, it is commonly known as the Abandoned St. Catharines Standard Newspaper Headquarters, but for more than a century it served as a busy centre for local journalism. The newspaper began publication in 1891, and after William Bartlett Burgoyne purchased it in 1892, the operation quickly expanded.

By 1898, the newspaper established its headquarters at the Queen Street location. As circulation grew, the building underwent several expansions to meet increasing production demands. Between 1928 and 1929, the company added a larger press room and printing department. Another major expansion followed between 1952 and 1953, when new space and updated printing presses modernized the operation.

For decades, reporters, editors, and press operators worked inside the building as it handled both editorial and printing functions. Changes in the newspaper industry during the 1990s led to the gradual relocation of printing and mailing operations. By 1996, much of the original press equipment no longer remained in use.

In 2012, workers removed the final printing press from the building, officially ending its role in newspaper production. The following year, in 2013, the St. Catharines Standard moved all remaining operations to another downtown location and left the Queen Street building vacant. Despite ownership changes and occasional redevelopment discussions, the property sat unused for more than a decade and became widely recognized as the Abandoned St. Catharines Standard Newspaper Headquarters.

On December 5, 2025, a major fire broke out in the long-vacant structure. Fire crews responded late that night, but flames spread rapidly through the upper levels, causing extensive damage and a partial roof collapse. Firefighters remained on scene into the next day to control hot spots and secure the area.

Unsafe interior conditions prevented a full investigation, and officials later classified the cause of the fire as undetermined. No injuries occurred, but the fire effectively ended the physical presence of a building that once played a central role in St. Catharines’ downtown and media history.

Thanks to our friend Freaktography for sharing this with myself & Zenning with Zay!