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Niagara Regional Campus (NRC)

Welcome Address from Dr. Amanda Bell

Head shot of Amanda Bell
AMANDA BELL MD, MSc, CCFP, FCFP Regional Assistant Dean, Niagara Regional Campus

Welcome to the Niagara Regional Campus. We are pleased to be a distributed medical education site for McMaster University and within our community setting we provide the opportunity to strengthen healthcare through learning and educational innovations.  Community and engagement from faculty and learners have been strengths and cornerstones of the culture at the Niagara Regional Campus.  These stem from an intrinsic enthusiasm to teach and learn.  The Niagara Regional Campus is committed to maintaining this sense of community and engagement in all of our goals.

McMaster University’s Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine opened its Niagara Regional Campus in 2008 with several aims: to address the shortage of physicians, to enhance patient care, to improve research and education capacity, and to foster collegial relationships across communities through collaborations with Niagara healthcare leaders. Our commitment to these goals through the years has created a rewarding learning atmosphere for our medical students and enriched the healthcare community in the Niagara region.  Our priorities are scholarly activity excellence and impact; innovation, economic development, and community engagement; access and equity; and innovation in teaching and learning excellence.  We have a particular focus on understanding, working with, and serving underserved and equity-deserving populations.

Our students have felt warmly welcomed by the people of Niagara in all municipalities. We appreciate the support of community members, leaders, and healthcare workers who see the importance of local teaching to ensure high-quality care for all residents of Niagara.  Our campus is enthusiastically supported and sustained by a wide range of Niagara physicians who share their expertise and wisdom with our students.  The presence of our campus has also allowed us to recruit high-quality physicians with a range of specialties and experience who have enhanced the health care available within Niagara

We hope you will explore our website and discover Niagara’s local medical teaching, research, and innovation initiatives, along with our inter-professional collaborations with Brock University, Niagara College, Niagara Heath, and other community partners.

We warmly welcome you to visit us at the Niagara Regional Campus where we are committed to excellence for our students, our faculty, and our healthcare community.

Our Community

Expandable List

The Niagara Regional Campus recognizes and acknowledges that we are located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe nations. This territory, covered by the Upper Canada Treaties, is within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” Wampum agreement.

Learn more about the significance of land acknowledgment here.

The Niagara Region consists of 12 distinct and vibrant communities, all within a short drive from one another. They range from cities, urban in style and attitude, to towns and villages, rural and relaxed in nature, with each offering its own unique choice of recreational and educational opportunities. Joined to New York State by four international bridges, Peace Bridge, Rainbow Bridge, Whirlpool Bridge and Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, Niagara, Canada is minutes from Buffalo, NY and a ninety-minute drive from Toronto.

Located in the Niagara Peninsula’s southwestern corner where Lake Erie enters the Niagara River, the Town of Fort Erie offers the best of both worlds blending small-city living with the convenience of nearby large metropolitan areas, Toronto and Buffalo. Fort Erie is home to one of North America’s oldest and most attractive racetracks. As a border community, Fort Erie is home to a large population of newcomers to Canada.  Fort Erie is also the site of the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre which serves many of the Indigenous people in the region.

The City of Port Colborne is a destination steeped in marine heritage. Located on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, Port Colborne easily becomes the place to stop during your next daytrip to Niagara’s south coast. This community is passionate about innovation and workforce development.

The Township of Wainfleet is a rural township located in the Southern Niagara Region between the Welland River and the shores of Lake Erie. Wainfleet is a community grounded in agriculture, family, and rural traditions. Enjoy camping and resort areas, the beaches of Lake Erie and the clean country air.

The City of Welland, is home to one of the genuinely authentic recreational canals in Canada, with the Welland Recreation Corridor running through the city’s downtown core. Located in the heart of the picturesque Niagara Region, Welland is just minutes from neighbouring cities. Visitors are attracted to the area’s natural beauty, as they enjoy festivals, downtown restaurants, heritage buildings, waterfront music concerts, multi-cultural attractions, year-round sport competitions, and outdoor events. Welland is also home to a world class flat-water rowing and training facility.

A vibrant city located in the heart of Niagara Region. Niagara Falls provides a vast array of year-round activities for the entire family. Beautifully maintained biking and walking trails line the world-famous Niagara gorge while numerous golf courses, ball diamonds, playing fields, swimming pools and rinks unite local citizens.  Niagara Falls is more than a bustling tourist destination and provides employment and recreation opportunities for many citizens.  Niagara Falls is the site of the new Niagara Health South Niagara site which is slated to open in 2026.

Often called the loveliest town in Ontario, Niagara-on-the-Lake has a long and distinguished history. Today, its many attractions include historic sites – Fort George and the Historical Society Museum, the Shaw Festival in its three theatres, the marina, and the world-famous Niagara wineries.

Nestled in the heart of Niagara, the Town of Pelham, a fusion of rural and urban communities offers a unique lifestyle rich in history, agriculture, and commercial industries. Pelham’s central location makes it an ideal community for commuters, life-long residents, and businesses old and new. With state-of-the-art facilities (Meridian Community Centre) to heritage sites (Comfort Maple Conversation Area), Pelham embraces technological and urban change while preserving a small-town feel and nostalgia of days gone by.

The City of Thorold lives to the beat of its own rhythm and is seeing rapid growth in housing and development owing to its central location in the Niagara penninsula. Thorold is one of Canada’s most historic cities and is home to the famous Twin Flight Locks. Rich in history and spread over approximately 8,490 hectares of residential, agricultural, commercial and industrial land, it is the perfect place to visit and call home.

St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada’s Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. The City of St. Catharines offers many amenities and opportunities to both residents and visitors to live, work and play. Also known as “The Garden City”, the city ensures quality of life enhanced through unique festivals, historical sites, cultural attractions, authentic wine and culinary experiences.

The Town Of Grimsby is the personification of a small town. Its quiet, tree-lined avenues, its rural area, the natural Niagara Escarpment which winds through the town’s centre, the beaches on the shores of Lake Ontario, and its many parks define “home” to the town’s 27,000 people. Visitors come to Grimsby Beach to enjoy the Gingerbread houses that are affectionately painted by owners in bright colours.  Grimsby is home to West Lincoln Memorial Hospital, a site of Hamilton Health Sciences, and construction is ongoing to build a new hospital to serve this growing community.

Town of Lincoln is located in the heart of Niagara region, with one of the most diverse economies in Niagara. Lincoln encompasses  the communities of Beamsville, Vineland, Jordan, Campden, Tintern, and Rockway. The town and villages are filled with over 50 wineries, fresh fruit, vegetables, and flowers, heritage sites, and natural attractions such as the Niagara Escarpment and Lake Ontario.

One of the twelve lower tier municipalities in Niagara Region, the Township of West Lincoln is made up of many rural communities such as the hamlets of St. Ann’s, Silverdale, Bismark, Caistorville, Fulton, Grassie and Wellandport among others. From scenic back roads with vast farmlands and meandering rivers to canoeing on Twenty Mile Creek or the Welland River, the Township of West Lincoln has something for everyone.

Students can obtain a Universal Buss Pass (U-PASS) for use in St. Catharines, Thorold, Niagara Falls, Welland, Fort Erie, Pelham, and the Niagara Regional Transit Systems. The U-Pass is effective from Sept 1 until the end of the academic year. There is no Universal Bus Pass from May 1st until August 31. For more information, please visit the Brock Transit webpage

Niagara Region Transit (NRT) serves Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, Pelham, Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet, Welland, and West Lincoln. Download the Transit (Route App) to book your next trip. All NRT buses operate year-round. There is no Sunday or statutory holiday services.

NRT onDemand is a ridesharing pilot project for communities in West Niagara. Rideshare is a transportation option that uses smartphone technology and a fleet of dedicated vehicles to provide trips within the service boundaries with no fixed schedules or routes.

NRT OnDemand lets riders request trips in real-time through the app or over the phone by selecting a pickup point and destination.

Pelham Transit uses the NRT OnDemand App to offer transit for everyone and connect you to more possibilities in Niagara.

Welland Transit has joined forces with more than 200 cities and connecting riders to bus routes through the Transit app.

Niagara Falls Transit offers convenient and accessible travel options to get you where you want to go. Pick up an i-Ride card, a reloadable “smart card” that will replace tickets and monthly passes, these cards can be loaded with either pre-paid rides or as a time-based pass. Click here to learn more about the i-Ride Pass Card.

Coach Canada is one of the largest transportation companies in North America, providing local and inter-city transportation services for communities including St. Catharines.

MegaBus, is the first, low-cost, express bus service to provide intercity travel for as low as $1. A luxury double-deck bus that offers free Wi-Fi, panoramic windows, and a green alternative way to travel.

GO Transit service to Niagara Falls is your best bet to beat the traffic. GO Transit operates a train from Niagara Falls GO to Toronto Union Station which departs at 11:15 am, 3:15 pm, and 7:15 pm daily. From the Niagara Go Station, one can enjoy hop-on and hop-off access to the local WEGO bus to get you to all of the local attractions. When the Niagara GO train isn’t available, you can jump on the Lakeshore West GO train to Burlington and transfer to GO Bus Route 12 to get to Niagara. This will drop you off at the Niagara Falls Bus Terminal, across the street from the Niagara Falls Train Station.

Ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft services are offered in the region. Please note, that these services may not be widely available in the region, but are available in SOME parts of the region.

Owning or having access to a vehicle will be necessary to be able to fully participate in the program, particularly in the varied clinical opportunities across the region. Given the limited inter-city transit, it may be difficult to navigate (especially with call shifts, etc.) if you do not have a vehicle.

Every year our current medical students advertise housing opportunities through the Facebook group for incoming students. A link to the group page will be shared via a welcome email from the O-Week team.

Upper-year colleagues can also be a resource to find housing. May students live in the same buildings/areas in St. Catharines and are an excellent resource for incoming students.

There are plenty of options for students looking for housing in the Niagara Region. Visit the Brock View Rentals, St. Catharines Apartment and Housing Rentals, Kijiji and Miz Rentals, Places 4 Students, Rentals 101, Skrtich Living, and Niagara Student Living.

community teaching sites

Clinical placements for medical learners are provided in outpatient clinics, private practices in various specialties, the Public Health Unit, the Niagara Health sites, Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre, and West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

Below is a list of the Hospital and health partners:

Niagara Health is a multi-site hospital amalgamation comprised of five sites serving 434,000 residents across the 12 municipalities making up the Regional Municipality of Niagara

West Lincoln Memorial Hospital – A unique hospital affiliated with the Hamilton Health Sciences, WLMH is focused on integrating primary care for residents of West Niagara and serves as a point of access to one of the largest health systems in Canada for patients requiring more specialized care. On April 29, 2022, the Government of Ontario approved the construction of the new Hamilton Health Science site. The new WLMH will be built behind the existing facility, allowing the hospital to remain operational until the new one opens. The new hospital will have twice the current operating room capacity and be home to a robust ambulatory care program with access to specialists from across HHS specializing in cardiac, cancer, and seniors’ care, as well as a birthing program.

Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre is a specialty healthcare facility that excels in providing rehabilitation, complex care, and geriatric services.

Niagara Region Public Health – is committed to providing public health programs and services, and efficient responses to the changing public health needs of the communities they serve. This commitment is demonstrated through health protection, disease prevention, health promotion, and injury prevention programs.

Campus tour

In-Person Tour

There’s no substitute for the real thing! We are excited to welcome prospective students on campus. If you would like to see the campus facilities in person, please email macnrcpr@mcmaster.ca to book your personalized tour today.

Virtual Tour

Immerse yourself in a 360-degree, guided virtual tour of our campus. Go into our classrooms, labs, atriums, study spaces, and more – wherever you are!

 

Video Tour

We understand circumstances may prevent you from joining us on campus, but that should not prevent you from seeing it for yourself. Check out our video tour of the NRC! In it we cover some of the important places for your medical education:

Coming Soon