This Local Landscape Report goes in detail regarding the Henley Island located in Port Dalhousie; the Island serves a great purpose in the rowing community as well as the environment. The landscape itself has undergone many changes over time as the Island its self has been expanded and the rowing course has been dredged and maintained to accommodate the rowing course. The area surrounding the island contains lots of history as the body of water once served a very important purpose; Whats now known as Martindale pond as once the old Welland Canal. Having the Henley Island in St. Cathairnes is very important to the community because it creates interest in the sport of rowing, not to mention that the Henley Island is a world class facility capable of hosting major regata's which of course brings the community together.

Municipality: St. Catharines

Local area name: Henley Island

Other identifying names or descriptions: Port Dalhousie

Latitude and longitude: 43.193718285894214-79.2723749451012

Physical Dimensions

Length: 821m

Width: 231m

Surface Area: 144,964m2

Elevation:

92 / 82

The Henley Island is perfect for rowers who compete there as it is a very convenient landscape for rowing, as there is a parking lot very close to where rowers launch their boats, the parking lot is a matter of steps from the water, given that the Island has been expanded; there is lots of space on the Island during regattas for rowers to leave their boats as well as space to relax in between races. The island contains some greenery but of course contains it fair share of pavement. Located just off the island is Martindale's pond which is the body of water the race course is located on, the grand stand located further down from the Henley offers a prime viewing spot for spectators. Martindale pond also contains a wetland which offers many benefits to the environment especially to wild life. Surrounding the landscape are local shops and restaurants shops, a Marina, residential neighborhoods, roads and a highway located at the far side of Martindale pond.

Map 1: As you can see the Henley Island is very ideal for rowers as the parking lot is not far from the water, the island contains amenities such as the club and shel house . You can also clearly see that there is a very large dock which makes it easy on race days for multiple rowers to launch their boats at once.

The Henley Island contains its share of plants not to mention the area in general contains plants up and along the race course. The community has also made efforts to enhance the amount of plants on the island given that they are aware of the many benefits that exists. "It was announced a project spearheaded by the non-profit Niagara Restoration Council will receive nearly $25,000 from the Province's Great Lakes Guardian Community Fund to plant wild flowers and grass on one and a half hectares of Rennie Island, with the same coverage on the north and south ends of Henley Island" (Zettel, 2016). This $25,000 investment is very smart as there are so many benefits that can unfold as a result. "Plants are the basis for life on earth. They produce all the oxygen in the earth's atmosphere; they provide the food and habitat through photosynthesis that supports all living creatures (Hough, 2004). It is important to note that should and when the plants be brought onto the Henley Island the city needs to ensure that the plants are guaranteed to adapt given that modified environments overseen by cities may be manipulated which destroys plants communities as they do not always adapt. "Cities have created modified environments to which natural plant communities have generally not had time to adapt" (Hough, 2004). Further down from the Henley Island exists a wetland; just off of the wetland lies a highway, while it may seem concerning to have so much man-made infrastructure built up near the wetland it still serves a very meaningful purpose. "These remnants of natural forests or wetland have been surrounded by the advancing city, but still retain elements of the original ecosystems that once prevailed" (Hough, 2004). The small wetland at the end of the race course also attracts species of birds and other wild life; and though the Wetland is in the middle of human activity it offers value as it is a major source of nature that exists. "It is here in the middle of the city that one can still find trout lilies flourishing on the forest, or observe the annual migration of birds. Such places are one of the irreplaceable links between natural and urban processes. They are a small but vitally important historic and educational opportunity for nature in the city" (Hough, 2004). Given that people are also more aware of what human activity can do to wild life and nature more rules and regulations have been put into place to allow for nature to carry on "While urbanization reduces the amount of vegetation, it has been shown that there is a comparatively high number of species present in European cities compared to the surrounding agricultural countryside(Hough, 2004)." Therefor the city of St. Catharine's needs to establish guidelines to preserve nature. "At the same time, new associations have become established in human habitats as a result of species migrating from other climatic zones (Hough, 2004). Though it may almost seem like an impossible challenge to keep plants alive through the daily human activity that takes place it is extremely possible for a city such as St. Catharine's to do so give then intensely human dominated cities like Venice have done so. Venice is an excellent example of the phenomenon of naturalized plants in an intense urban setting that has, over time, become almost devoid of 'green' space in the conventional sense. Within city limits 147 vascular plants have been recorded growing wild, including seven ferns and twenty grass species. (Hough, 2004). It can be said for plants located in a city environment that they are there as a result of human efforts, this is known as "horticulture" "The standard dictionary definition of horticulture – the art or science of cultivating or managing gardens – embodies the ideal of nature under control. Each tree shrub and flower is a symbol of human ingenuity, an artefact in a humanized landscape" (Hough, 2004).

As mentioned before people are more aware of how human activity effects nature therefore cities need to compensate however it is important to note that cities compensate responsibility and in a natural way. "There is an unending human struggle to maintain order and control. It is evident in the formidable array of machines, fertilizers, herbicides and manpower, marshalled to maintain a landscape as close as possible to the form in which it was conceived. The dynamics of plant successions are subjected in our expectations of how plants should preform and behave in the city. (Hough, 2004)". This is of course something that some will agree and disagree with "The urban landscape is a product of conflicting values. It expresses a deep-seated affinity with natural things. (Hough, 2004)". "While in the new century the environment movement continues to change perceptions, the acceptance of nature is still a function of how it conforms to a predetermined set of values and to what extent it is under control. It is tolerated under our own terms, within the limits of convenience, deep-seated acculturation and aesthetic conventions" (Hough, 2004). I would personally like to see the Henley Island and the surrounding area be maintained in the most natural way possible therefore zero fertilizers or any unnatural sources of maintenance used to glorify the island. Maintaining the Henley in the most natural way will also allow for the city to learn how environmental planning and management of land are based. "The interrelationships of climate, geology and geomorphology, water, soils, plants and animals provide the fundamental ecological information on which environmental planning and management of land are based (Hough, 2004)". With the amount of pressure in our current world to take care of our environment cities that still have natural areas are obligated to look after areas containing nature. "places that have habitat potential for plants and animals – patches of woodland or meadow, valleys and other linkages – should be integrated into the planning and social network of city places. (Hough, 2004). Maintaining nature with in a city also offers exceptional value to recreational use and learning opportunities. "they provide, among other things, alternative opportunities for diverse and rich recreational and educational experiences" (Hough, 2004).

With some of the already existing infrastructure on the Henley Island offers opportunity for making the Henley Island more environmentally sound place. The club house and shell house offers lots of roof space which can serve as a functioning upper-level urban wetland. "With some adjustment to roof design, provides the ideal sites for upper-level urban wetlands and other habitat types. A few centimeters of water that can pond in some area and allow marsh vegetation to establish itself" (Hough, 2004). Much like the wetland these roof tops can benefit birds and wildlife. "Provide stop-over places for migratory birds and nesting sites for resident species" (Hough, 2004). As mentioned before when there exists human degradation, there should always be compensation to make up for lost habitat. "The rooftop wetland could, to some extent, replace some of the natural habitat lost to urbanization" (Hough, 2004).

Due to a world of information being at our finger tips many people are more aware of certain issues regarding nature and have a more general understanding of the living world around us. "Television and the internet have raised the education level of the public with a host of informative programs and websites on the nature of the living world". (Hough, 2004). Yet with information so easily available to find so many people are unaware of nature and wildlife that is around us; it might be highly possible that people living in the neighbourhood of Port Dalhousie do not know the benefits that the wetland just off the Henley Island offers. "Most of us know little about wildlife in the places where we mostly live. Can the city itself provide us with a direct experience of wild nature? To what extent does the city provide habitat for wildlife? How are these questions important to the quality of the urban places in which we live?" (Hough, 2004). It can defiantly be argued that while it is the cities job to protect the natural environment and wildlife at the Martindale wetland they must also educate locals especially those living close to the race course the benefits of the plants and wetland they make efforts to preserve. From my perspective should the St. Catharine's rowing alumni association as well as the city build any type of infrastructure on the Island or near the land scape, they will do so knowing they will have an impact on the environment therefor they should compensate and have a system that offers balance. "The disturbance of the natural environment through human activity sets up imbalances in plant and animal communities. Equilibrium is maintained by an elaborate system of checks and balances" (Hough, 2004). This should be the value system in place however Donal's Worster and John Livingston may argue otherwise. "Donal's Worster has shown that responses to nature over the past two centuries have shifted from the Arcadian view of peaceful coexistence to one that expresses the utilitarian view of nature as a resource" (Hough, 2004) "john Livingston has taken this further, suggesting that our understanding of nature is informed by an ideological insistence that domination is somehow 'natural" (Hough, 2004). The city however must set the example and value system for how they will properly respond to human domination toward the environment..

The race course was dredged and also expanded to accommodate the Olympic trails in 1964, "When the course was once again dredged in 1964 in preparation for upcoming Olympic trials, the result- ant silt was boldly used to more than double the size of Henley Island. An appeal was made for townsfolk and businesses to donate unwanted appliances and other non-explosive, inorganic items to in ll the new island boundary berms. Roadside collections produced truckloads of junk including television sets, bicycles, mattresses and at least one car – a Volkswagen Beetle. With stabilizing pilings driven into bedrock, the dredged silt and donated in ll, all topped with good quality soil, Henley Island was transformed into a venue large enough to become the base for all future racing, boathouses and storage structures associated with the Henley course" (Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, [PDF file]). While touring the Henley Island you can see where the island was expanded. When on the Island one can think to themselves that had the Island have never been expanded it would have been very hard to host the major events such as the Pan Am games and other events that it has hosted over the years.

The picture taken in 1965 is when the island began to expand, the outer ring seen in the picture is where the island was expanded, it was then filled with inorganic matter as mentioned above.

Bridges can greatly reduce the natural flow of water in a stream or even increase the amount of sediment build up. "Bridge construction can alter stream channels directly, while also restricting stream flow, reducing flow velocities upstream, and increasing sedimentation" (Alberti, 2008). Thankfully the Bridge that connects the Henley Island to land does not have pillars or support mechanisms that touch the bottom of the pond, thus not greatly reducing the natural flow of water between the Island and the land. The wetland on Martindale pond has not be altered in any way, for example it has not be replaced or drained, thankfully it has been left alone therefore it serves a crucial purpose of removing toxins and sediments from water. "Wetland plants and soils play a key role in purifying water because they can filter toxins and other pollutants from the water. However, urbanization contributes significantly to the loss of such important functions when wetland areas are replaced and drained". (Alberti, 2008). Another major benefit in relation to Hydrogeology and the Martindale wetland is that it helps cut the cost of creating quality drinking water. "Only recently have water managers started to recognize that preserving and restoring wetlands is a much less expensive way to maintain drinking water quality than building water treatment plants" (Alberti, 2008).

As mentioned before the Henley Island bridge does not have pillars in the water that would greatly cause a backup of sediment however Konrad does mention that bridges narrow the width of the channel thus constricting the natural flow of water. "Konrad (2003) describes how built structures (i.e., bridges) encroaching on the floodplain narrow the width of the channel, increasing the flooding upstream. Large amounts of sediments and debris transported by floodwaters can further constrict channels" (Alberti, 2008). In order to ensure sediment buildup never occurs as a result of the bridge I would like to see more dredging occur around the bridge to make a statement that the Henley island is not going to be known for leaving a negative footprint on the environment. A way in which the City of St. Catharine's as taken positive action toward Hydrogeology is adding in plants which with help with flood control as they require large amounts of water in transpiration. "since plants use large amounts of water in transpiration, they also perform flood control by reducing the amount of water that otherwise would flow downstream. Urbanization reverses all these functions by reducing the amount of riparian vegetation" (Alberti, 2008).

Holton, N. (2012, December 24). Photos: Henley Island Bridge. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/photos.../henleyislanddrive/&gallerynum=1&gallerysize=1

Google Maps. (2018). The Henley Island. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Henley+Island/@43.1924488,-79.2779724,1175m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d351421eb9120b:0x7f2ca774b6cae6c2!8m2!3d43.1914846!4d-79.2740086

The Henley Island makes climate manipulation very simple as it is a small space and easy to control, not only that but a landscape such as the Henley also reduces solar radiation. "In most successful example of climate manipulation in extreme conditions, the emphasis has been on an urban texture of small spaces and low buildings. In hot summer climates, narrow streets and small living spaces increased shade and reduce the buildup of solar radiation. They are in addition, easier to control artificially through the use of orientation, shaded canopies, arcades, plants, water and ventilation. In cooler climates, they are less subjected to cold winds, drifting snow and extremes of temperature". (Hough, 2004). The club house and shell house located on the Henley are not very tall there for solar radiation would be reduced. While overall the Henley Island does not have a lot of impact on climate, Hough does continue to recommend in his readings to implement green roofs tops as they have many benefits, one of those benefits being economic and environmental. "The environmental benefits of green roofs have been found to reduce cooling and heating consumption and to provide economic benefits"(Hough, 2004). As amazing as it may sound green roof tops also extend the life span of a roof, the green roofs also withstand harsh winter conditions much better than traditional roof tops do. "In addition, the green roof extends the membrane durability two to three times its life to fifty years or more by reducing winter freeze-thaw cycles. For instance, the Rockefeller Center roof, constructed in the mid-1930's, still retains its waterproofing membranes"(Hough, 2004). Hough also discusses the importance of plants as they have an impact on climate control "It has been estimated that on a single day in summer, 0.4 hectares of turf will lose about 10,800 liters of water by transpiration and evaporation. The transpiration of water by plants helps to control and regulate humidity and temperature. A single large tee can transpire 450 liters of water a day" (Hough, 2004). Just as it is up to governance to control and regulate authority, traffic control, and parking they must also control the aspects such as plants aka any biotic factors that can have an impact on climate.

Before the Henley Island and Martindale pond was used as a race course it was the back end of the old Welland canal "Once the Old Welland Canal at Port Dalhousie by St. Catharine's was approved as the race's permanent home, work began to create a Royal Canadian Henley Course exactly equal in length to the English HRR course (one mile and 550 yards) within an area of water that was eventually renamed Martin- dale Pond"(Royal Canadian Henley Regatta [PDF file]). The old Welland canal was an engineering marvel just as the current one is today, it is a big part of the commercial use and our trade between the U.S., therefor the location of race course has some very significant history behind it.

Fig 1: Retrieved from: https://goo.gl/images/Km9ogj

Fig 2: Retrieved from: http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?id=1020...

Education / Interpretation:

There exist no museums, exhibitions, exhibitions, interpretive centres or resource collections however there are some websites that offer some information about the Henley Island that are found on Google. ·

http://www.exploringniagara.com/places_to_explore/parks_beaches/henley_island.html

https://www.tripadvisor.ca/ShowUserReviews-g155013...

http://kayak-ontario.com/martindale-pond-port-dalh...

Architectural Heritage:

The Built environments and buildings that have been found on my local landscape are fairly simple but important. They have a shell-house that stores the boats as well as a club house. At the end of the race course exists the grand stand. "The rowing centre recently received $250,000 in federal funding to revamp the entrance to the spectator grandstands, including replacement of asphalt sidewalks with cobblestone walkways and new landscaping. That money is in addition to more than $714,000 in federal funds and $364,000 chipped in by St. Catharine's for renovations for Pan Am" (Review, N. F. 2015). The grandstand has some history as the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta has been held there since 1903. While the club house has its history, it should be maintained and or renovated to continue to make the sport of rowing appealing as well as draw interest to local regattas.

Recreational Uses:

Recreational use that occurs on my landscape is rowing; the course is formally run by the St. Catharine's Rowing Alumni Association, Rowers at different levels and ages compete at the Henley Island. For example, Ridley collage as well as other public or Catholic schools compete at the Henley not to mention Brock Universities own rowing team competes there. The Henley Island also got it's time to shine when the Pan Am games used the Henley as its rowing facility in 2015.

Ownership, jurisdiction, access, and management

The St. Catharine's Rowing Alumni Association owns and operates the Henley Island race course and club house, it is run privately and they can make decisions regarding rights to boat storage, club house rentals and race course use. When it comes to adding plants to the island however as well as maintenance to the island the City of St. Catharine's dictates what happens, this would therefore be municipal governance. Public access is permitted in my area as local kayakers, locals walking their dogs, paddle boarders, fishermen are at times found in the area, should a regatta be in secession public access rights change. Do land ownership and jurisdiction have any influence on the way your landscape looks today, and on the changes, that have occurred there (compared to surrounding areas) over time?

Governance has had an influence on the physical landscape and the way it looks today as they Island was expanded in 1965 not to mention that Martindale pond has been dredged of sediment when necessary to prevent a buildup of sediment.

Landscape Signatures

The Henley Island of course is used for recreation and leisure activities, such as rowing at all different ages and levels, as well as hiking, biking, dog walking, canoeing and kayaking. This type of human activity in turn leads to wear and tear on the natural landscape and patches. "Patch density increases exponentially with the degree of human change. That is, patches exposed to more human impact are also likely to be smaller, more uniform in structure, and less connected" (Alberti, 2008). Even though human impact on the Henley isn't as bad as human impact found in a major city there still always exists a human impact on the biophysical process. "Consequently, exposure to human influences is not necessarily a function of distance from a definable urban core. In addition, patterns of urbanization can cause variations in the interactions between human and the biophysical processes" (Alberti, 2008). The Henley Island and Martindale pond is still surrounded by roads which is turn means there are cars which release carbon into the atmosphere. "Effects of air pollutants on living organism will not only be limited to the human and animal health but also include the whole environment. Different geographical conditions, global climate changes, and the environmental variations affect the human health and the environment including the animal life" (Ghorani-Azam, 2016). In order for governing bodies to truly understand the landscape and what greatly affects it, the general understanding of topology must be understood; "To fully understand a complex landscape, we need to explore both the evolutionary path of the topology and how topology influences the landscape dynamic and functioning" (Alberti, 2008). While the Henley Island is different from other landscapes it is still unique to its self, therefore it is important to know exactly how the Island will be impacted as well as what impacts it the most and what can be done to manage the urban environment around the Henley. What will greatly help governing bodies uncover this is Network theory; "Network theory is emerging as a potentially very promising approach to uncovering general rules of complex landscapes (Andersson et al. 2006). Real-time data acquisition together with increased computing power are making it possible to investigate the topology and dynamics of networks containing millions of nodes, and to explore questions that could not be addressed before"(Alberti, 2008). Technology regarding the Network Scale of course has come a long way however over time we can hope that we will continue to have a better understanding of how adjacent uses and connection will impact landscapes such as the Henley.

The St. Catharines Rowing Alumni Association or S.C.R.A.A.)

Dan Little, Rental Chairman 146 Wall Road, RR3

Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON

L0S 1J0

Home 905 468-7928

Cell 905 704-9303

Fax 905 468-1003
Email: scraarentals@gmail.com

Alberti, M. (2008). Landscape Signatures. In Advances in Urban Ecology: Integrating humans and ecological processes in urban ecosystems (pp. 93-112). New York: Springer.Brock University Library Catalogue, EBSCOhost (accessed Sept 28th, 2014).

Alberti, M. (2008). Hydrological Processes. In Advances in Urban Ecology: Integrating humans and ecological processes in urban ecosystems (pp. 133-161). New York: Springer. Brock University Library Catalogue, EBSCOhost (accessed Sept 28th, 2014).

Alberti, M. (2008) [Digitized aerial photos], p.147. Retrieved on October 29th, 2014

Ghorani-Azam, A., Riahi-Zanjani, B., & Balali-Mood, M. (2016). Effects of air pollution on human health and practical measures for prevention in Iran. Journal of research in medical sciences: the official journal of Isfahan University of Medical Sciences, 21.

Hough, M. (2004). Plants and Plant Communities. Cities and Natural Process : A Basis for Sustainability. (pp. 86- 129). London: Routledge. Brock University eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed September 28th, 2014).

Hough, M. (2004). Wildlife. Cities and Natural Process : A Basis for Sustainability. (pp. 130 - 159). London: Routledge. Brock University eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed September 28th, 2014).

Hough, M. (2004). City Farming. Cities and Natural Process : A Basis for Sustainability. (pp. 159 - 188). London: Routledge. Brock University eBook Collection (EBSCOhost), EBSCOhost (accessed September 24th, 2014).

Review, N. F. (2015, July 03). CLOSEUP: Niagara in Pan Am spotlight. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news-story/81810...

Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, 135 years strong [PDF file]. Retrieved from Row360 - Issue 017 - Royal Canadian Henley-7.pdf

Zettel, M. (2016, April 27). Pollen to be plentiful in Port Dalhousie. Retrieved November 7, 2018, from https://www.niagarathisweek.com/news-story/6517735-pollen-to-be-plentiful-in-port-dalhousie/

Map References

Royal Canadian Henley Regatta, 135 years strong [PDF file]. Retrieved from Row360 - Issue 017 - Royal Canadian Henley-7.pdf

Google Maps. (2018). The Henley Island. Retrieved from https://www.google.com/maps/place/Henley+Island/@43.1924488,-79.2779724,1175m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m5!3m4!1s0x89d351421eb9120b:0x7f2ca774b6cae6c2!8m2!3d43.1914846!4d-79.2740086

Niagara Air Photo Index. [Niagara] [air photo].1:14,000. A3248-35. Photo 1. Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1931.

Holton, N. (2012, December 24). Photos: Henley Island Bridge. Retrieved November 14, 2018, from https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/photos.../henleyislanddrive/&gallerynum=1&gallerysize=1

This Local Landscape Report was prepared by [Matt Milliere] for the Brock University course TMGT 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 18, 2018.

All copyrights for cited material rest with the original copyright owners.