City guide · St. Catharines, ON
St. Catharines Leaf Collection: A Homeowner Guide for Fall 2026
In St. Catharines, Niagara Region picks up leaves every week, all year, on your regular collection day. Put them in paper leaf bags or a labelled open bin. Set them out by 7 a.m., but not before 5 p.m. the night before. There's no limit on bags. The City does not vacuum loose leaves, and raking leaves onto the road breaks City by-laws.
Who picks up leaves in St. Catharines?
Niagara Region does, not the City. The City says it plainly: homeowners collect leaves and fruit from their trees and bag them for the Region's yard waste pickup. There's no loose leaf program and no leaf vacuum truck.
So the truck only takes what's in a bag or bin. A loose pile at the curb stays put.
The good news? Yard waste pickup runs weekly, all year long. It comes on the same day as your garbage, recycling and Green Bin. You don't have to wait for a special leaf week in November.
How do you find your collection day?
St. Catharines is in Area A on the Region's 2026 waste calendar. For your exact day, type your address at niagararegion.ca or download the Niagara Region Waste App. The app can send you collection reminders. Stuck? Call the Waste Info-Line at 905-356-4141 or 1-800-594-5542, weekdays from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
What bags can you use for leaves in St. Catharines?
Use bags that break down with the leaves. The Region lists paper leaf and yard bags as acceptable, and many hardware and grocery stores in Niagara sell them.
Plastic leaf bags are the big mistake. On its list of bags, the Region says clear, green, orange and blue plastic leaf and yard bags are not acceptable. Even ones marked "degradable" don't count.
Can you use a bin instead of bags?
Yes. The Region lets you use a rigid plastic container, like a storage tote, for organics. Here's what it needs:
- An open top, so the crew can see what's inside.
- A clear label. The Region sends free organics labels if you order them online.
- Handles or grips on both sides.
- No more than 91 cm (36 inches) tall and 61 cm (24 inches) wide.
- No more than 22.7 kg (50 lb) when full.
Wet leaves pack down and get heavy. On a rainy week, fill the tote part way. Leaves are also on the Region's Green Bin list, so a few extra handfuls can ride along with your kitchen scraps. Our post on yard waste bags vs bins compares the two.
What are the curb rules for leaves?
The Region and the City each have a few rules. Follow these and your leaves go on the truck:
- Set bags out by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
- Don't set them out before 5 p.m. the night before.
- Place bags and bins on the boulevard, not on the road.
- Put out as many bags as you need. There's no weekly limit.
- Twigs in a leaf bag can be up to 1.5 cm (half an inch) across and 30.5 cm (12 inches) long.
- Leave grass clippings out of your leaf bags.
Why can't grass clippings go in?
Niagara Region banned grass clippings from the curb back in 2011. Leave clippings on the lawn instead. The City's own gardening advice says they feed the soil and hold in moisture. You can also drop clippings off for free at a Region depot.
Can you rake leaves onto the street in St. Catharines?
No. The City says its by-laws don't allow any debris, leaves included, on a public road. Rake leaves from your yard and your boulevard, then bag them.
Leaves in the gutter clog storm drains fast. If you have a ditch in front of your home, clear it now and then. The City asks for this to keep culverts open and stop flooding. If a culvert near you is blocked, the City wants to hear about it.
When does the City sweep streets in the fall?
The City sweeps every street once in the fall, generally around mid-November, after the leaves come down. It goes sector by sector. Watch the City's street cleaning page for your sector, and keep your car off the street that day. The sweeper picks up stray leaves on the road. It isn't a pickup service for your yard.
When is fall branch pickup in St. Catharines?
Branches have their own pickup, separate from leaves. In fall 2026, it runs October 26 to November 20, on your regular collection day. That's a good window for hedge cuttings and storm-snapped limbs.
| Branch rule | Limit |
|---|---|
| How to tie | Bundles tied with string or twine |
| Bundle weight | Up to 22.7 kg (50 lb) |
| Bundle length | Up to 1.5 m (5 feet) |
| Bundle width | Up to 0.5 m (1.6 feet) across |
| Each branch | Up to 7 cm (2.8 inches) across |
| Time | At the curb by 7 a.m. |
Stumps, trunks and big limbs don't go to the curb. You can drop branches at a Region landfill for free, all year.
Where can you drop off leaves for free near St. Catharines?
Too many bags for one week? Residents can drop off leaf and yard waste, and grass clippings, for free at two Region sites open to St. Catharines:
- Humberstone Landfill, 700 Humberstone Rd., Welland.
- Bridge Street Residential Drop-Off Depot, 1300 Bridge St., Fort Erie.
Both are open Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. On Saturdays and stat holidays, they're open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. They close Sundays, Christmas Day and New Year's Day. The Niagara Road 12 site in West Lincoln is closer for some, but it only serves Grimsby, Lincoln, Pelham and West Lincoln residents.
Commercial loads of leaves pay a fee by the tonne at Region sites. That's one reason haul away can change a cleanup price.
Should you keep mowing while the leaves fall?
Yes, as long as the grass grows. The average first fall frost at the St. Catharines airport is October 21, based on records up to 2000. Grass slows after that, but it doesn't stop on a set date.
The City suggests keeping grass at 6 to 8 cm (about 2.5 to 3 inches). The tall grass by-law still applies in fall, too. Grass and weeds can't reach 20 cm (8 inches), on your lot or the boulevard.
A light layer of leaves can be chopped up by the mower and left on the lawn. That means fewer bags. Thick, wet mats are different, and they should come off before snow. Our guide to mulching leaves with a lawn mower explains the difference, and last mow of the season covers when to stop.
Pulling weeds during cleanup? Our partner crews don't spray, and we don't give chemical advice.
Can a crew handle your St. Catharines leaf cleanup?
Yes. Golden Oak Lawn Care matches you with a vetted, insured local crew in St. Catharines. They do the work. We stand behind it with the Golden Oak Guarantee.
Your crew can rake the lawn, beds and boulevard, then fill paper bags for your pickup day. They can tie hedge cuttings for branch weeks. A full fall cleanup can sit alongside weekly mowing until the grass quits. Ask your crew how they handle haul away in a heavy leaf year.
We measure your yard from satellite images, so no one needs to visit. Your price depends on lawn size, leaf volume, beds, slopes, gates and haul away. It comes by text in 60 minutes. You keep the same crew, with a photo after every cut. Book the Worry-Free Lawn Season and your first cut is free. Our St. Catharines lawn care page has more local notes, and our Niagara Falls page covers the next city over.
Want it handled? Get your price in 60 minutes, or call 1-866-904-LAWN.
St. Catharines Leaf Collection Questions
Does St. Catharines have a leaf vacuum or loose leaf pickup?
No. The City says owners bag their own leaves for Niagara Region's yard waste pickup. Loose leaves at the curb or on the road won't be collected, and leaves on the road break City by-laws.
Can I put leaves in clear plastic bags in St. Catharines?
No. The Region lists clear and coloured plastic leaf bags as not acceptable. Use paper leaf and yard bags, or a labelled rigid bin with an open top.
How many leaf bags can I put out each week?
As many as you need. Niagara Region sets no limit on yard waste bags. Have them out by 7 a.m. on your collection day.
Is yard waste picked up in winter?
Yes. The Region collects yard waste weekly, all year. Over the holidays, there's no pickup on Friday, December 25 or Friday, January 1. Friday pickup moves to Saturday those weeks.
Rules change, so check with the City before you plan. Sources: City of St. Catharines: Trees, City of St. Catharines: Street cleaning, City of St. Catharines: Gardening, Weeds and tall grass by-law, Niagara Region: Yard waste, Niagara Region: Branches, Niagara Region: Acceptable bags, Niagara Region: Acceptable containers, Niagara Region: Landfills, 2026 Waste Collection Guide, St. Catharines climate normals.
