An industrious past and community pride helped build St. Marys into ‘The Town Worth Living In.’
Known as the Stonetown for its many buildings constructed with locally quarried limestone, St. Marys retains its 19th-century flavour while offering the advantages of a modern small town. The downtown streets are lined with century-old buildings and shops that attract a vibrant tourist trade. Its stone water tower boasts the slogan “The Town Worth Living In.”
Originally a mill town, St. Marys is on the Thames River southwest of Stratford, Ontario, in Perth County. A community walkway follows the old millrace along the river from Trout Creek to the tennis courts and swimming Quarry. A second stretch of walkway extends across the north of St. Marys from James Street to St. Marys Memorial Hospital, crossing the historic Grand Trunk Railway trestle bridge and providing a panoramic view of the town.
Limestone is no longer quarried for building blocks but it is still essential to production at St. Marys Cement, a major local industry. The Quarry, a limestone pit abandoned in the 1930s, is now a popular municipal swimming area. It has become known as the largest outdoor swimming pool in Ontario.
The St. Marys residents are proud of their community and its heritage. They are also proud to be part of a community that looks confidently to the future. With a new Wellness Centre and a new recreation centre, the town of about 6,500 is positioned for modest growth and stability.