As a bedroom community, most residents commute to Welland, St. Catharines and some as far as Buffalo, Hamilton and Toronto daily for work.

Effingham Creek, a cold-water stream, originates in the glacial silts and sands of Short Hills area of the moraine, northwest of Fonthill.

Started in 1837 the nursery, at its peak, rented or owned 1000 acres, employed 250 local people and shipped throughout Canada and abroad.

On May 20, 1996, Fonthill's Can-View Drive In was reportedly struck by a tornado, which resulted in the destruction of one of its four outdoor movie screens.

Its main access route is Highway 20, a portion of which is also known as Canboro Road, running west to east from Hamilton to Niagara Falls.

In the Town of Pelham, Fonthill is the commercial centre where residents have access to basic shopping necessities.

Harold Black Park, named for a former Mayor, plays host to the town's Canada Day festivities, which includes a parade down Haist Street.

Fonthill has tried to balance its natural resources with a suitable development scheme, keeping an eye on a policy of smart growth.

Additionally, thousands of tonnes of aggregate material are removed each year from a large quarry at the top of the Fonthill Kame.