St. Johns is a small rural historic community in western Thorold, tucked against the Niagara Escarpment near Short Hills Provincial Park. It grew up around early mills on Twelve Mile Creek and is home to the St. Johns Common School, opened in 1804 and celebrated as one of the first free, non-denominational schools in Upper Canada. The City of Thorold has designated the schoolhouse and a neighbouring historic mill under the Ontario Heritage Act, anchoring the area's identity as a cradle of public education.
Known for
- St. Johns Common School (1804)
- one of Upper Canada's first free non-denominational schools
- gateway to Short Hills Provincial Park
- early Twelve Mile Creek mills
- Ontario Heritage Act designated heritage site