The Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (MIWSFPA) is the hub for everything arts related for Brock University students. Established in 2015 deep in the heart of downtown St. Catharines (15 Artists' Commons, St. Catharines), the refurbished Canada Hair Cloth Company (CHCC), established 1884, is rejuvenating the downtown core. The MIWSFPA sits in between the Meridian Centre (established 2014), a local favourite for watching Niagara Region's Ontario Hockey League team, the Niagara IceDogs, and the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre (established 2015), a great venue for watching a wide array of artistic talent. Southwest of MIWSFPA, highway 406, a highway that connects most of the Niagara Peninsula, allows easy access to the school. The 12-Mile Creek runs northeast of the MIWSFPA down to just below the MIWSFPA across from the 406 highway. In 1881, when the 406 highway was yet to have been built, water flowed from the northwest of the MIWSFPA, from Lake Erie, and the third original Welland Canal was established; intersecting the 12-mile creek at a location called Dick's Creek. The third Welland Canal used the water flowing from lake Erie and was used to power the CHCC via water mill. In the mid 1900's water mills lost importance and in 1955 land transportation took precedence over Dick's Creek. The Glenridge Fill was created when Dick's Creek was filled to form a landlocked channel, which is now present day highway 406. The remnants of Dick's Creek can be seen looking south when on Merritt Trail, a pedestrian walking trail that was created upon formation of the 406 highway and lies south of it. When the CHCC ceased operation in the 90's because of overseas competition, the City of St. Catharines initiated a three section plan called the "Downtown Creative Cluster Master Plan" with hopes of revitalizing the downtown. On April 16, 2007 President Jack Lightstone, of Brock University, presented a plan to refurbish the CHCC and situate a fine performing arts school in its stead. In May of 2015 the $45 million project was completed with $15 million donated from Marilyn I Walker (the name stead of the institution) and $26.2 million from the government. On September 28,2015 the institution was opened for classes.

Literature Sources

1. Brown, David. "Dick's Creek." Dick's Creek. http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/17-canals/791-dick-creek.html N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

2. "Dick's Creek." Guide Tags. www.guidetags.com/niagara-greenbelt/explore/historic-heritage-sites/canals/244-dick-s-creek. N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

3. Walter, Karena. "Brock's Downtown Arts School Taking Shape." St. Catharines Standard. www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2014/11/06/behind-the-scenes-brocks-downtown-arts-school-taking-shape. N.p., 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

4. Wierzba, Tomasz. Transforming Downtown St. Catharines into a Creative Cluster. n.p.: Brock University, 2014. Brock University Digital Repository. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

Municipality: St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara

Local area name: Downtown St. Catharines

Other identifying names or descriptions: Brock University's Downtown Campus, Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts

Latitude and longitude: 43 09'27.28" N 79 14'35.02" W via Google Earth and 43 15'75.20" N 79 24'27.00" W via Google Maps

Physical Dimensions:

Length: Approximately 34.54m

Width: Approximately 162.98m

Surface Area 5629.33 m2

Elevation: 100m

Highest / lowest point: 104m/99m

The Marilyn I. Walker school of Fine and Performing Arts rests directly to the south of Downtown St. Catharines. Laying on the edge of the Niagara escarpment and along the side of Dick's Creek, the intersection of the third Welland Canal and the 12-Mile Creek, this landscape was first carved out by the glaciers 23 thousand years ago. Over the past hundred years this, and its surrounding areas, have seen much change. From the Canada Hair Cloth Company in 1884 to the erection of Brock's Downtown Arts Campus, the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, in 2015 there have been great impacts on the landscape. The Glenridge Fill resulted in the destruction of many animal habitats and ecosystems to make way for highway expansion, which is more attributed to the larger number of citizens and tourists. This local landscape has transitioned to a more prominent residential and commercial landscaped. Though the area to the North of the Marilyn I. School is more developed, one can still find many remnants of historic St. Catharines and Dick's Creek to the south, which runs right underneath the school.

Map 1: Map view of the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (Source Google Maps) with the directions found via this link.

Map 2: Satellite view of the Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts (Source Google Maps)

Since 1934, the area to the North of the Marilyn I. school has seen a lot of development of the already present residential and commercial infrastructure. As more people have settled, the flora and fauna have been replaced by asphalt and brick. The deciduous landscape and wetlands of the Niagara region are home to many different kinds of plant and animal species, however the pollution of the great lakes and urbanization has negatively impacted the species flora, fauna, and animals present. As populations and transportation links expanded, cases, such as the Glenridge Fill, have occurred (Brown et al. 48) Whole ecosystems have been destroyed or relocated to develop new roads for growing populations, which results in a negative impact on the ecosystem. One can see the change in green space from 1934 to 2000 and then 2013.

The species more prominent in the local area are invasive to the local ecosystem, being more attuned to the altered climate attributed to urbanization, while the native pioneer species tend to reside more near Dick's creek to the ENE (Hough 91). Even with the more resilient alien species, the green space in the downtown area is vastly shrinking. There is less of a push for the preservation of the natural environment and more towards development of the downtown sector which threatens the species present. Most of the remaining fauna and flora in the area rests on the small yards of residents and along the banks of the 12-Mile Creek and polluted Dick's Creek. There are processes to enact urban forestry to create ecological, economical, and social benefits however it is yet to be seen whether the downtown sector will implement any of them (Hough 96-97).

The most prominent animals in the downtown hub are humans and their pets, dogs and cats. The urbanization of St. Catharines has prevented most animals but select bird species, squirrels, and raccoons to remain. Along the 12-Mile Creek lie important bird sites, however with the decrease of wetlands, primarily Dick's Creek, the species have dwindled. Many animal species face extinction because of declining wetlands, as seen by the lack of wildlife near Dick's Creek (Brown et al. 48). Aquatic life has also been impacted by the introduction of invasive species via the Welland Canal. Since the Glenridge Fill, the remaining aquatic species struggle more as their transport routes have been greatly altered.

In the downtown hub, the decrease in flora and fauna also have effect of less habitats for birds and squirrels (Brown 51). As areas like woodlands, meadows, marshes, and wetlands provide wildlife a place to live (Hough 131). As more of the animal's food sources have been paved over, so have their shelter and breeding locations resulting in them being uprooted from their native homes and the low level of wildlife in the downtown sector (Hough 134). Dick's Creek, since the Glenridge Fill, has lost most of its wildlife, except for a few bird, mammal, and fish species. The pollution of the area puts a strain on the wildlife still present and may attribute to a loss of wildlife in the future.

The 12-Mile Creek and Niagara Escarpment began their formation 300 million years ago as the erosion of the sea created the soft shale, sandstone, and harder dolomite limestone. One to two million years ago, during the Pleistocene era, glaciers carved out North America and 23 thousand years ago, the Escarpment was formed. This process left high-quality soil, composed of deep sandy loams and silty clay, for agriculture overtop of shale bedrock (Brown et al. 45). The Marilyn I. Walker school sits at a height of 99 to 104 m above sea level. To the north and southeast the effects of urbanization are evident with the prominent housing and commercial areas north of the school and transportation infrastructure to the southeast. From 1881 to 1955 the third Welland Canal resided to the east of this local landscape, flowing through Dick's Creek, which is now the present day parking lot of the Marilyn I. Walker school. As land transportation was becoming more of a necessity, and the development of new styles of power generation were procured, Dick's Creek and the Canal started running dry. To still utilize the area, the Glenridge Fill was created in 1955 to utilize the area for Highway 406. The Dick's Creek tributary still flows underneath the highway (Brown, "Dick's Creek")

The prominent hydrological processes in the area are the 12-Mile Creek to the west and south of the local landscape, and Dick's Creek that lies to the northeast of the Marilyn I. school and flows right under its parking lot. The 12-Mile Creek and Dick's Creek are both naturally occurring water channels in the area, however with the influence of humans, these water bodies have been significantly impacted. The first and second Welland canals ran along the 12-Mile Creek through Dick's Creek carrying water, and ships, from lake Erie to Lake Ontario. In 1824, Dick's Creek was put forth to be a component of the Welland Canal (Brown, "Dick's Creek"). The water flowing through the 12-Mile Creek, and along the canal, flowed along Dick's Creek and ran through the parking lot of what is now the Marilyn I. school. This canal was vital to the Canada Hair Cloth Company, after their establishment in 1884, as they relied on the water flow from the Welland Canal to Dick's Creek to turn the water-powered mill and power their company. ("A Brief History"). However, with the implementation of the third Welland Canal in 1881, 12-Mile Creek and Dick's Creek were by-passed and the water flow had declined. In 1887, as the second Welland Canal was abandoned, the Dick's Creek section of the canal lost its purpose and eventually, the steady stream of water dwindled. The use of the water-mill was lost and, to still utilize the area, Highway 406 was established. To still allow for the passage of water, a tributary runs under the present day Highway 406. This allows for the run-off water from the impervious surface of most of the paved downtown sector, to flow via Dick's creek into 12-Mile Creek (Alberti, 146 & 155).

The Niagara region predominantly experiences mild winters and temperate summers because of their location in relation to the great lakes and the geology of the landscape. This desirable weather results in the ability of grapevines, and fruit trees, to grow in abundance along the parts of the Niagara region (Brown 45). Niagara has been deemed a humid continental climate with quite a bit of variability as Arctic air is known to blow by in the spring and fall, and warm subtropical air streams occasional pass in the winter and spring (Brown 46). This appealing natural climate has encouraged the development of the area for agricultural, tourism, and residential purposes, which in turn have impacted the natural climate of the area. (Brown 49-52)

Urbanization has a major impact on the environment of an area via global warming, air pollution, and the development of macro-climates. The presence of stone and asphalt on roadways, sidewalks, and commercial and residential infrastructure results in the storing and conduction of more heat which in turn creates a micro-climate (Hough 190). While more agricultural sectors of the Niagara region contain evident vegetated areas, which retain less heat, the Downtown St. Catharine's area, by the Marilyn I. Walker school, is comprised primarily of infrastructure that absorbs the heat. This creates a warmer temperature in the downtown sector comparable to the surrounding areas. Though the change is typically by only a few degrees it can have other detrimental environmental impacts, predominantly on precipitation. With the incorporation of storm drains and snowplows in the Downtown sector there is little to no residual water moisture to be utilized for evaporation and cooling. This results in residual energy causing the heating effect present and lack of evaporation for precipitation (Hough 191).

Typically, if there is a large water body nearby the effects of the micro climate are minimized, however, as the water in Dick's Creek has decreased and the 12-mile creek narrows near the south end of downtown St. Catharines, and Lake Ontario lies 8.3 km away from the Marilyn I, there is not much to counteract the micro-climate. To add to the resulting increase in heat in downtown St. Catharines, the agricultural lands to the East and West of St. Catharines impact this micro-climate as well through the Coriolis Effect. The cycling of air between the countryside to the east and west, and the air from the urbanized hub of St. Catharines, results in a urban heat island in the southern portion of downtown St. Catharines, near the Marilyn I. school. This creates a temperature variance of up to 5^oC between the different regions, which would typically be dispersed by wind or rain, but the lack of precipitation results in longer periods of increased heat. This remains until the cool Arctic or warm Subtropical air streams pass through and cool down the area (Hough 191-194)

Prior to the settlement of Europeans, the land of present day St. Catharines, and between the Grand and Niagara rivers, hosted the Chonnonton, "People of the Deer". This Iroquoian-speaking tribe was called Neutral as they did not partake in many of the conflicts between the Huron and Iroquois. They utilized the land for hunting and fishing as well as growing their crops, squash, bean, and corn, commonly referred to as the "three-sisters" (Gayler & Jackson, "St. Catharines"). The Seneca conquered a few of the Chonnonton villages in 1647 because of their ideal location along the Niagara River. In the 1650's, the Haudenosaunee attacked and took over many of the remaining Chonnonton villages, greatly dwindling the tribe's numbers, as they were already suffering from smallpox. The area, being along a fresh water resource was in great demand by Aboriginals and helped to decide their settlement patterns. The Haudenosaunee still reside in the St. Catharines area, in reserves and other areas (Gayler & Jackson, "St. Catharines").

European settlers set their sights on present day Saint Catharines in the late 18^th century. Starting as an agricultural settlement in the 1790s to the developed downtown hub that is present today, Saint Catharines has drastically changed over the past two centuries with European involvement ("History of the City"). A tavern and important stagecoach transfer station, owned by Paul Shipman started the development of the area referred as Shipman's Corners, now present day St. Catharines. The land along the 12-Mile Creek was quickly developed as William Hamilton Merritt set up a wharf in 1815. Following this, the development of saw and gristmills occurred along the 12-Mile Creek, as settlers produced increasing quantities of grain and lumber. This quickly developed the area's reputation as the Niagara Peninsula's primary mile site. Merritt also erected a salt springs, giving the village a health resort affiliation ("History of the City"). 80 hectares of farmland were allocated to Richard 'Captain Dick' Pierpont, a soldier of the coloured infantry, Butler's Rangers, in the war of 1812 after discharge. The stream that flowed into 12-Mile Creek and through his farm was deemed Dick's Creek and would set the scene for a proposal by Merritt in the 1820s (Brown, "Dick's Creek").

With the construction of the Erie canal, as a trade route between Canada and the United States, it was recognized that other solutions were required for the transport of Canadian exports as well as for mill water supply. The idea to orchestrate a canal from Lake Erie to Ontario was put forth by Merritt and construction began in 1824. With the completion of it in 1829, the industrial center of Niagara was officially in place. The Welland Canal and St. Catharines relied on one another to prosper, as ship building was deemed essential along the canal and resources for travelers were found in the St. Catharines for the voyage ("History of the City").

Throughout the course of 1845 to 1854 railway routes were connection routes between, the now incorporated town of St. Catharines, Hamilton, and Port Colborne. Around this time milling was on a decline in the area so grain was transferred via rail to Port Colborne and Dalhousie. This raised the competition for wheat causing Saint Catharines' farmers to convert to other products such as fruit cultivation e.g. peaches ("History of the City").

As the 1850s and the abolishment of slaves via the American Fugitive Slave Act (1850) arrived, Saint Catharines was recognized internationally by elite Canadians and wealthy southerners as a health spa. As Harriet Tubman utilized the town as her hub of operations in the Underground Railroad, during this time, many who benefited from her good fortune worked and decided to settle down in St. Catharines working alongside Merritt and Tubman ("History of the City").

There was a population boom in 1871, associated with the third Welland Canal beginning construction. The larger population and respectively extended town limits resulted in St. Catharines' adornment of a city title in 1876. With the completion of the third Welland Canal in 1887, the population declined and shipyards and relocated from 12-Mile Creek and Dick's Creek, the route of the second Welland Canal ("History of the City"). In the 1900s a push for manufacturing occurred because of Saint Catharines location along prime land and water routes and hydro-electric power aided this. The continued industrialization and urbanization of the area throughout the 20^th century and yet again increased the population ("History of the City"). The implementation of the two bridges, connecting the west and south sections of the city occurred in 1915 and post war, the automobile greatly impacted the land that originally connected the 12-Mile Creek and Dick's Creek. Come 1955, to accommodate the fluctuation in desire for land transport, the Glenridge Fill buried the tributary connecting the two creeks ("History of the City").

As the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts is relatively new, having only been completed in 2015, there are not many historical documents pertaining to the specific location. Primarily, most resources are found on websites pertaining to the academic components of the site like https://brocku.ca/miwsfpa/ as well as show times and schedules. There are many news documents, by the Brock Press; St. Catharines Standard; and Niagara This Week, that pertain to the construction of the local site and its impact that it may have on the downtown sector. The Brock University facilities page (https://brocku.ca/miwsfpa/facilities/) gives an overview of the constructed site, while the Diamond Schmitt Architects website describes the process and the funds necessary for the construction of the building and the team behind it (http://dsai.ca/projects/school-of-fine-and-performing-arts-198-st-paul-street-brock-university/).

The site of the Marilyn I. Walker school has cultural and historical significance in that it was erected on the land of Dolphin MF. Co., owned by R. Bligh. When the manufacturing company was demolished, the brothers, James A. and Hugh E. Mcsloy, purchased the land and erected the Canada Hair Cloth Factory ("Ask Alicia Canada Hair Cloth Co."). This factory, erected in 1884, laid from 1872-1878 laid along Dick's Creek and relied on the flowing water from Erie to Ontario to run its mills for 123 years so it could manufacture train seats, parachute silk, and men's suit linings . In 1947 the land was purchased by Robert A. MacFarlane and was outsourced as a textile mill to DHJ Canada Inc. After the Glenridge Fill, the factory had no purpose aside from a cultural landmark ("Ask Alicia Canada Hair Cloth Co."). Realizing a push for the development of the arts in the downtown sector, the President of Brock University, Jack Lightstone, in 2007 submitted a proposal to create a downtown arts campus. With the implementation of the Downtown Creative Cluster Master Plan in 2008 the idea was eventually approved and Brock's arts campus was finished in 2015. To preserve the heritage, the exterior of the Canada Hair Cloth Company's Factory was kept and the interior flooring was restored and repurposed inside (Wierzba, "Transforming Downtown").

The Marilyn I. Walker school is recreationally used for all forms of arts; digital, visual, dramatic, vocal, and instrumental art forms are accommodated in this building. The location is monitored formally, courses and classes are held here to teach students to develop their skills and prepare for the workforce. Theatres are also utilized for public shows, whether put on by travelling performers, students, Brock affiliated organizations, or external companies. Present are also art studios, computer labs, and green screen rooms to appeal to all artistic needs, all of which are monitored by Brock University and their Facility staff.

The Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts sits on Brock University land. As Brock university is a public funded institution, the Marilyn I. Walker school is open for public access and use at the same time that the main campus is open. The development of the institution mirrored the efforts of the municipal government's Downtown Creative Cluster Plan in 2008 through the delegation of the past president, Jack Lightstone, in 2007. With the arrangement by the municipality to allow for Brock's downtown campus, the appearance and heritage of the Canada Hair Cloth Co. must be preserved (Wierzba, "Transforming Downtown"). To ensure that the Marilyn I. Walker school is clean and safe, the Brock University Facilities staff and Campus Security Services team monitor the area during hours of operation. There is a designated staff team from Brock University who oversee the daily operations of the building. This team is overseen by Director David Vivian and the Facility Manager Mandeep Ippolito. This team manages operations similar to Brock, like an educational institution. They ensure the facilities are clean, no threats are present in or around the property, students abide by Brock University rules and regulations, and that a safe space is present for students to receive education and develop relationships. As the facility is just over a year old, there have not been any notable alterations to the local landscape over time.

Typical urban landscapes can be complex and unpredictable, relying on human and ecological interaction to develop (Alberti, 93). The area of the Marilyn I. school and St. Catharines are clear examples of how a landscape is impacted by roads, and waterways. St. Catharines' location along the 12-Mile Creek and Dick's Creek were the driving force of the Aboriginal settlement in the 1600s (http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/st-catharines/) and the ability of transportation along the waterways led to European development in the 1800s. The desire to build the Welland Canal reflect the human desire for trade routes, while acknowledgment of transport by waterway relied on the ecological processes present (Alberti, 94) However, over time humans desired more efficient transport methods. Dicks' Creek and the 12-Mile Creek were by-passed with the implementation of the third Welland Canal in 1887 and Dick's Creek was running dry. As ships no longer could voyage the route of the first or second Welland Canal, because of reduced water levels attributed with by-passing the second Welland Canal, ecological process and human desire once again correlated (Alberti, 99). The automobile industry was growing and to accommodate the need for new road infrastructure Dick's Creek was over passed with the Glenridge Fill in 1955. This allowed for the manufacturing of highway 406, which connects most of the Niagara Peninsula, while the water still present in Dick's Creek flows underneath via a tributary that connected to 12-Mile Creek ("History of the City")

Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Facility Manager :

Mandeep Mukkar Ippolito; Brock University; Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 15 Artists' Common, St. Catharines, ON; 905-688-5550 x4765; mbalsom@brocku.ca

Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts Facility Director:

David Vivian; Brock University; Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 15 Artists' Common, St. Catharines, ON; 905-688-5550 x4401; dvivian@brocku.ca

"A Brief History of The Welland Canal." Welland Library. N.p., 2 Apr. 1973. Web. 6 Nov. 2016.

"A History of the Old Welland Canals." The Old Welland Canals Field Guide. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.

"Brief History." Welcome to the Welland Canal. N.p., n.d. Web. 1 Nov. 2016.

Alberti, Marina. Advances In Urban Ecology. [Electronic Resource] : Integrating Humans And Ecological Processes In Urban Ecosystems. n.p.: New York : Springer, c2008., 2008. Brock University Library Catalogue. Web. 5 Nov. 2016.

"Ask Alicia - Canada Hair Cloth Co." St. Catharines Museum - Museum Chat. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Nov. 2016.

Brown, David T., et al. The Land Between the Lakes: An Overview of the Niagara Region. Invited introductory chapter in Black, John and Kayo J. Roy (eds.): Niagara Birds. 2010

Brown, David. "Dick's Creek." Dick's Creek. http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/17-canals... N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

"Dick's Creek." Guide Tags. www.guidetags.com/niagara-greenbelt/explore/histor.... N.p., n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2016.

"Facilities." Brock University - Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine & Performing Arts. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.

Gayler, Hugh J., & Jackson, John. "St. Catharines." The Canadian Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

"History of the City." St. Catharines. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.

Hough, Michael. Cities And Natural Process. [Electronic Resource] : A Basis For Sustainability. n.p.: London ; New York : Routledge, 2004., 2004. Brock University Library Catalogue. Web. 11 Nov. 2016.

"Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts." Diamond Schmitt Architects. N.p., n.d. Web. 3 Nov. 2016.

Marlene Bergsma. "Fighting for Fair Payment for Canada Hair Cloth." St. Catharines Standard. N.p., 18 June 2013. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

Walter, Karena. "Brock's Downtown Arts School Taking Shape." St. Catharines Standard. www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/2014/11/06/behind-the-.... N.p., 6 Nov. 2014. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

Wierzba, Tomasz. Transforming Downtown St. Catharines into a Creative Cluster. n.p.: Brock University, 2014. Brock University Digital Repository. Web. 21 Sept. 2016.

Map References:

"Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 1934 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

"Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 2000 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

"Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 2013 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2016.

Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 2016. [Map View]. (2016). Retrieved from Google Maps November 10, 2016.

Marilyn I Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts, 2016. [Earth View]. (2016). Retrieved from Google Maps November 10, 2016.

This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Jonah Graham for the Brock University course TOUR 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 11, 2016.