Consumer Proposal St. Catharines
A consumer proposal can cut your unsecured debt by up to 80%, stop creditor calls the day it’s filed and let you keep your home and car.
Our Licensed Insolvency Trustees help people across St. Catharines, from downtown and Port Dalhousie to Merritton, Glenridge and Grantham, with free, confidential consultations at our office on Page Street.
The sooner you act, the more options you have.
Safe, secure & confidential
How does a consumer proposal work in St. Catharines?
A consumer proposal in St. Catharines works through a Licensed Insolvency Trustee (LIT), who files a legally binding offer to your creditors to repay part of your unsecured debt. It can cut what you owe by up to 80%, and the federal Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act sets the same rules across Canada.
You make one fixed, interest-free monthly payment for up to five years and keep your home, car and other assets. Once your trustee files, collection calls, interest charges and wage garnishments stop.
Who qualifies for a consumer proposal in St. Catharines?
You qualify for a consumer proposal if you owe between $1,000 and $250,000 in unsecured debt and can’t repay it in full but can afford a regular monthly payment.
You also need to:
- Be an individual, not a corporation.
- Live in Canada or own property in Canada.
- Be at least 18 years old.
The $250,000 limit excludes your mortgage. If you don’t qualify, see our other debt relief options in St. Catharines, or we will assess your situation for free.
What do clients say about our consumer proposal service?
Clients rate Harris & Partners 4.8 out of 5 from more than 2,200 Google reviews and “Excellent” on Trustpilot, for clear advice and judgment-free support.
Based on OSB data, nearly 3 in 4 people in St. Catharines choose a consumer proposal over bankruptcy.
Among those facing insolvency, it's how most clear debt and keep their home.
Among those facing insolvency, it's how most clear debt and keep their home.
Consumer proposal vs bankruptcy vs debt consolidation: Which is right for you?
A consumer proposal in St. Catharines reduces your debt while you keep your assets, bankruptcy clears more debt but may cost you assets, and debt consolidation is a new loan that doesn’t reduce what you owe.
The right choice depends on your income, assets, and total debt, and a trustee will walk you through all three.
| Consumer proposal | Bankruptcy | Debt consolidation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Reduces debt? | Yes, up to 80% | Yes, most debt cleared | No |
| New loan needed? | No | No | Yes |
| Interest | 0% | 0% | Variable, often high |
| Stops collection calls? | Yes, on filing | Yes, on filing | No |
| Your assets | Keep all assets | May lose some assets | Keep all assets |
| Credit report | R7 until 3 years after completion or 6 years after filing, whichever comes first | R9 for 6–7 years after discharge (first bankruptcy) | Depends on repayment history |
| Government-regulated? | Yes | Yes | No |
How could a consumer proposal help you in St. Catharines?
A consumer proposal in St. Catharines could cut your debt, stop creditors chasing you, and let you keep your assets, all through one interest-free monthly payment.
- Reduce your debt by up to 80%: Creditors often accept significantly less than the full balance.
- Stop creditors the day you file: Collection calls and wage garnishments must stop, with legal protection under the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
- Keep your home, car and other assets: You don’t surrender property, unlike in bankruptcy.
- One interest-free payment every month: Interest freezes on filing, and your trustee sets the payment around your budget, spread over up to five years.
- Qualify easily, with a high approval rate: There’s no credit check, and 9 in 10 proposals we file are accepted by creditors.
How to file a consumer proposal in St. Catharines
A consumer proposal in St. Catharines has four main stages, from a free consultation with a Licensed Insolvency Trustee to a Certificate of Full Performance once your payments and counselling are complete.
- 1. Book a free consultation: A trustee reviews your debts, income and assets and explains every option, not just consumer proposals. It takes under an hour, and you have no obligation to commit.
- 2. Draft and file your proposal: If a proposal suits you, we prepare it with a monthly payment you can afford and file it with the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy. Collection calls, interest and wage garnishments stop immediately.
- 3. Creditors vote: Creditors have 45 days to respond. If creditors holding the majority of your debt by value accept, the proposal binds all of them.
- 4. Make your payments and finish the program: You pay your trustee once a month for up to five years and attend two financial counselling sessions. After your last payment, you receive a Certificate of Full Performance and the included debts are cleared.
Why choose Harris & Partners for your consumer proposal in St. Catharines?
We’ve helped Canadians get out of debt since 1964, with plain-English advice from people who care about your financial stability. There are no intimidating offices and no legal jargon.
We’re one of Canada’s largest insolvency filers, with more than 100 years of combined trustee experience and long-standing creditor relationships that help get proposals approved.
St. Catharines residents who file with us can legally reduce their unsecured debt by up to 80% and repay the rest in affordable instalments.
Why choose Harris & Partners for your consumer proposal in St. Catharines?
How much could you save with a consumer proposal?
In this example, a consumer proposal cuts monthly repayments on $38,290 of debt from $1,409 to $210 over 60 months.
Repayments over 60 months
Before help
$1,409
After help
$210
Example only; your payment depends on your income, assets and debts.
Estimate your monthly payment
What types of debt are covered by consumer proposals in St. Catharines?
A consumer proposal can include most unsecured debts, combining them into one interest-free monthly payment:
- Credit cards – balances across any number of cards
- Payday loans – ending the borrowing cycle
- Personal loans and lines of credit – from banks or private lenders
- CRA tax debt – income tax arrears, GST/HST you owe personally and CERB overpayments
- Student loans – once seven years have passed since you left school
- Medical bills and utility arrears – including unpaid hydro and gas
Mortgages and car loans are secured debts, so they stay outside the proposal. Filing does stop wage garnishments from your unsecured creditors, which makes it easier to keep up those secured payments.
Where is our nearest office to St. Catharines?
Our St. Catharines office is downtown, at:
36 Page St Suite B, St. Catharines, ON L2R 3Z9, Canada
Meet your Licensed Insolvency Trustee
Andrew was born in Ukraine and came to Canada in 1998 as a student. Andrew started his career in the insolvency and restructuring field in 2003 during the co-op accounting degree program at Grant MacEwan College in Edmonton. After graduation, Andrew continued to work in the field of insolvency and restructuring.
In 2011 Andrew earned his professional accounting designation. In 2013 he became a Chartered Insolvency and Restructuring Professional (CIRP) and a Licensed Insolvency Trustee.
Andrew now lives in Toronto, and he joined Harris & Partners in 2023. Andrew is passionate about helping people and businesses in financial difficulties.
Address
36 Page St, Suite B, St. Catharines, ON L2R 3Z9
How to get there
By car: The office is just south of the QEW. Exit at Niagara Street and head south to Welland Avenue. There’s free on-site parking, and Suite B is on the ground floor.
By public transit: From the downtown bus terminal, take St. Catharines Transit route 308/408 or 337/437.
Office hours
Monday to Friday: 09:00-17:00 (by appointment only)
St. Catharines consumer proposal FAQs
These answers cover the questions St. Catharines residents ask most about consumer proposals, from tax debt and credit ratings to cost.
Where can I get consumer proposal advice in St. Catharines?
You can get consumer proposal advice in St. Catharines at the Harris & Partners office on Page Street, downtown. It’s also the nearest office for most of the Niagara Region, including Niagara Falls, Welland and Thorold. Consultations run Monday to Friday by appointment, and the first meeting with a trustee is free with no obligation.
Do I have to go to court for a consumer proposal in St. Catharines?
A consumer proposal in St. Catharines usually doesn’t involve going to court. Once your trustee files it with the Office of the Superintendent of Bankruptcy and your creditors accept it, the court automatically treats it as approved after 15 days. A hearing only happens if the official receiver or another interested party requests a review in that time.
How much does a consumer proposal cost in St. Catharines?
A consumer proposal in St. Catharines costs nothing upfront, because federal rules fix the trustee’s fees and they’re paid from your proposal payments rather than billed separately. Your monthly payment is based on your income, assets and household costs, and typically your debt, over up to five years. The two required counselling sessions are included.
Can I include CRA tax debt in a consumer proposal in St. Catharines?
You can put most CRA debt into a consumer proposal in St. Catharines; personal income tax, GST/HST you owe personally, and CPP or EI overpayments all qualify. The CRA votes like any other unsecured creditor, and filing the proposal stops CRA garnishments and bank account freezes.
How long does a consumer proposal stay on my credit report in St. Catharines?
An R7 rating from a consumer proposal in St. Catharines stays on your credit report until three years after you finish paying or six years after you file, whichever is sooner. Bankruptcy brings a harsher R9 rating that lasts longer, and most people find their score starts to recover once their proposal payments are steady.