Beaver Cotton Mills - Independent Rubber - The Keg Restaurant - Vegh, Bianca - Local Landscape Report

ABSTRACT

The Beaver Cotton Mills, currently known as The Keg is located on 344 Glendale Avenue, St. Catharines. It is also key to note that the Mill is situated at the bottom of the Niagara Escarpment. When passing by this historical building the most prominent feature is the large smokestack that now has The Keg logo on it. East of the building the fragments of the second canal are visible. The Beaver Cotton Mill was built in 1857 and produced a large amount of cotton, yarn, batting, and wadding. The success of the Beaver Cotton Mill leads to the construction of multiple other Mills, including; a cement plant, textile mill, and the Lybster Mill. After some time this Mill was more commonly known as the Merritton Cotton Mill. Unexpectedly, in 1881 the prosperous Mill caught on fire. Four years later the building was rebuilt and became the Independent Rubber Company in 1885. The company was known for its production of rubber footwear during WWI. During the great depression, the building was not being used and closed down until 2001. In 2001 the well-known steakhouse chain (The Keg) opened. There are a few original pieces from the Mill that are still visible to this day. As stated above, the smokestack is the original structure from the mill. Secondly, on the east side of the building, the old mill doors are still visible and in use. The obvious changes to the building are, the second half was demolished because of the fire and the landscape was altered to attract customers. The area around the building has been suburbanized in able to adapt to the student and family life in St. Catharines. It is evident that the area has gone through numerous changes throughout its time, but the plaque at the front of The Keg entrance stating the historical significance will leave a lasting memory for the area. Sadly, after visiting this site it is vital to note that the plague is no longer visible as the weather has demolished it. I hope that in the future the plaque stating the historical importance of this site will be refurbished.

LOCATION INFORMATION

Municipality: St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara

Local area name: St. Catharines

Other identifying names or descriptions Glendale Shopping District

Latitude and longitude: 43.13537604793584 N and -79.21497701328701 W

Physical Dimensions

Length Property: 100.76 m

Length Building: 59.75 m

Width Property: 73.97 m

Width Building: 32.65 m

Area Property: 7453.22 m

Surface Area Building: 1950. 84 m

Elevation:

Highest: 130m / Lowest 159m




 


 


 


 

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF YOUR LOCAL LANDSCAPE

The former Beaver Cotton Mill located directly along the Welland Canal and the Niagara escarpment was a necessity to the town from 1857 to 1881. The Mill was apart of the large 19th century boom of technology, industry and of course Mills. The Beaver Cotton Mill was known for its production of cotton, yarn, batting, and wadding. Since this Mill was very successful it prompted many other Mills to be built. This included a cement plant, textile mill, and the Lybster Mill which is now known as Johnny Rocco's Italian Grill. After a fire destroyed most of the building in 1881 four years later the building was transformed into the Independent Rubber Company. The Independent RubberCompany was known for their production of rubber shoes during WWI. Sadly, during they great depression the building was not in use. Then in 2001 the well- known steak house The keg invested into the run down historical building. Ever since then the building has remained as The Keg Steakhouse + Bar.


Works Cited

Nature Notes, www.ontfin.com/Word/merritton-cotton-mill-ontarios-old-mills/.

Administrator. "Old Merritton Cotton Mill." Niagara Greenbelt Gateway Website, brocku.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/69-mills/675-the-old-merritton-cotton-mill-.html.

Merritton Redevelopment Plan. City of St. Catharines, 1979.


Map 1

Map 2


The Keg Steakhouse + Bar St. Catharines

Map 1- The map view of 344 Glendale ave, St. Catharines, On (source google maps). This site is currently being held by the popular chain restaurant The Keg Steakhouse + Bar, but was formally known as the Beaver Cotton Mill

Map 2- Same as above in satellite view (source google maps)

Merritt Trail

Bruce Trail

Trails

Merritt Trail (Trail Map 1)

This 11 km trail begining at Bradley St in south St. Catharines (as suggested on the map above.) It then continues through to Martindale Rd located in west St. Catharines. At this point it connects to another trail called Green Ribbon Trail. It is important to note that Merritt Trail is not continuous. Therefore if the walker(s) are not familier with the trail it is suggests that a map is used.

They are many great features to the Merritt Trail that allow its walkers to have the best experience. To start, there are parking areas at the openings of the trail, picnic areas within the trail, gravel/ soil trails, signage to ensure that the users are aware that they are on the right track, partial wheelchair access (not fully wheelchair accessible), and lastly, the scenic and historic site.

In 1980 the Welland Canal Society began its construction of the Merritt Trail and was completed by 1986. The trail was named in remembrance of William Hamilton Merritt (original conceiver of the Welland Canal.) Throughout the trail you can see many historic features such as remains of former canal locks and mills, such as the Beaver Cotton Mill's original building (Ontario Trails Council, 2019.)

Bruce Trail (Trail Map 2)

This trail is a whopping 900 km long and follows the Niagara Escarpment. It begins in Queenstown, ON and finishes in Tobermory, ON (Bruce Trail Conservancy, n.d.) Amazingly the Bruce Trail is the oldest and longest marked hiking trail in Canada. in 1990 this trail was a key factor in the Niagara Escarpment being named one of twelve UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve in Canada by the United Nations (Ontario Trails Council, 2019.)

The Bruce trail is known for its natural, scenic, and historic features as it is on the Niagara escarpment and also passes the historic Beaver Cotton Mills building. The trail is made up of grass, soil, and rocks. It is also marked using interpretive sing which is paint marks on the trees that time the trail (Ontario Trails Council, 2019.)

Along the Bruce Trail's 900 km there are numerous activities that people of all ages can enjoy. This includes snowshoeing, hiking, camping, and rewards (badges.) The Bruce Trail has turned itself into a franchise with merchandise and specific hiking trips (Bruce Trails Conservancy, n.d.)


Parks and Greenery

Mountain Locks Park

Located on 107 Merritt Street, St. Catharines, ON is Mountain Locks Park. The park is approximately 1 km in length and 150 m in width. It is noted that the park would take about two hours to visit all its landmarks and hike. The First Welland Canal (locks 21- 32) ran through the park, which has given it its curved nature to date. In 1842 when the Second Welland Canal was built along the escarpment it continues to run through what we now know as Mountain Locks Park. Canal locks 15-21, 7 stone weirs, and 2 lock tenders houses (Bradly Street) also accompanied this park. The Second Welland Canal left the greatest impact on the park land. Many of the locks are still visible to this day and are a magnificent feature to the Mountain Locks Park (Old Welland Canals, n.d.)


ECOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES- ECOLOGY

The Niagara region is describes as being a deciduous forest biome. Specifically Niagara has temperate deciduous forests. this biome is populated with deciduous trees such as; beech, maple, black walnut, aspen, elm, hickory, and oak. A defining factor of deciduous tress is that they loose their leaves seasonally (Editors, 2019.) Some smaller plants found in this type of forest include ferns, flowers mosses and herbs (Editors, 2019.) In deciduous forest there is great diversity of animal life. Typical animals such as insects, spiders, slugs, frogs, turtles, and salamanders are commonly observed in this biome. Within the Niagara region it is also likely that larger spices like broad- winged hawks, cardinals, snowy owls, and pileated woodpeckers are easily observed. Within this biome there are numerous mammals which include white- tailed deer, racoons, opossums, porcupines and red foxes (Nature Work, n.d.) Although some of these species are not commonly seen they still populate the area.

Niagara has numerous endangered, threatened, and special concern species. The threat that endangered or threatened spieces cause to biodiversity is dangerous. If one of these species become extinct all previous ecological functions alter. This causes disturbances in the natural cycle of the land and habitants of the land that are irreversible. Rare / threatened / endangered plant or animal species.

Animal Species

EndangeredThreatenedSpecial Concern
Acadian FlycatcherBarn SwallowBald Eagle
Barn OwlBobolinkBlack Tern
Henslow's BitternCerulean WarblerLouisiana Waterthrush
Piping PloverEastern MeadowlarkPeregrine Falcon
Prothonotary WarblerLeast BitternWoodland Vole
Yellow- breasted ChatLake ChubsuckerMonarch Butterfly
Reside DaceMassasauga RattlesnakeEastern Ribbonsnake
Rusty- Patched Bumble BeeBlanding's TurtleNorthern Map Turtle
Eastern Pond-musselSpiny SoftshellSnapping Turtle
Kidneyshell
Round Pigtoe
Snuffbox
Gray Ratsnake


Plant Species

EndangeredThreatened Special Concern
American ChestnutAmerican Water- WillowBroad Beech Fern
American ColumboCommon Hop TreeGreen Dragon
Cherry BirchDeerberryShumard Oak
Cucumber TreeDwarf HackberrySwamp- Rose Mallow
Eastern Flowering DogwoodRound- leaved Greenbrier
Spoon- Leaved MossWhite Wood Aster
Spotted Wintergreen
Virginia Mallow
St. Catharines, more specifically the Glendale Avenue area where the Beaver Cotton Mill was located is a very urbanized location to date. Since there is a high demand for commercial stores there was a mass amount of deforestation that had been carried out, because of this there is only small isolated woodlots that exist today. This detestation through the Niagara region is a factor in the rise of species that are endangered, threaten, or of special concern (Niagara College, n.d.)


After the Beaver Cotton Mills transferred into the Independent Rubber Factory it was prosperous during WWI. Soon after during the Great Depression the large factory became vacant until 2001 when The Keg franchise purchased the historical building and transferred it into a restaurant (Nature Notes, n.d.) This site is an industrial heritage location. This entails that it is the legacy of the industrial area. There are many complex issues that can occur with soil and groundwater contaminants because of the industrial age. Since the Beaver Cotton Mill and Independent Rubber Factory were in production over several years there is an impact on the ecology and biology of the land. Hazardous chemicals and metals were released into the soil. This has also contaminated wildlife, more specifically the food- chain. An animal that consumes vegetation from the contaminated land can become contaminated itself which therefore results in a disturbance within the food chain. If the contamination is severe enough it can eventually raise an issue for human health in the area (Hough, 2004.)



 


 


 


 

ECOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES - GEOMORPHOLOGY

Geomorphology

The site of this local landscape lays on the Niagara Escarpment. The Niagara Escarpment formed as a result of faulting or erosion which divides two relatively level area leaving then with different elevations. The Ontario potion of the escarpment id 725 km long and extends into New York and continues into Michigan then Wisconsin (Lowes, 2006.) The area is also a Haldimand Clay Plain region which means that the land id defined by heavy clay soils which are impermeable, resulting in a high level of runoff in addition to little groundwater recharge (Luk et al, 1977.) This results in the land being a class II for urban land use and a class II for suitability for agricultural land use. This shows one that the areas are suitable for urban develop as well as agricultural land use. This created a conflict in the Niagara Region as the town was divided into what they should do with the land (Luk et al, 1977.)

ECOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES - HYDROGEOLOGY


In the area where my local landscape (Beaver Cotton Mill) is located the Welland Canal ran directly in front on the mill. The first Welland located between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie began at Port Dalhousie, connected to the Twelve Mile Creek, Port Robinson, Welland River, then up to the Niagara River where it then exited along Lake Erie. The finished project of the canal was completed on November 29, 1929, this being said many modifications to the canal were made throughout its years. The canal was 43,4 km in length and 2.4 m deep with 40 locks constructed of wood. An interesting fact is that horses and ox's were used to low ships from lock to lock. The total cost for the first Welland Canal was eight million dollars, the man that invested this is William Hamilton Merritt who is now known as the founding father of the Welland Canal (Welland Canal, n.d.) The second Welland Canal was similar to the first in the aspect of that it ran through the same towns. The town decided to reconstruct the canal in order to allow larger ships through the locks. The lock widths were increaded from 33.5 m to 45.7, as well and the depth increased to 3.1 m (Welland Canal, n.d.) The third Welland Canal was altered for efficiency, like previously it began in Port Dalhousie but then went to Allanburg instead of going through the Twelve Mile Creek. The canal was now 4.3 m deep and 13.7 m in width, as well as rebuilding 26 stone locks instead of the wood for durability. The last (fourth) Welland Canal that is in use to date was constructed from 1913 to 1932. The depth is currently 9.1 m with 8 locks being 24.4 m wide and 261.8 m long. The canal now runs directly along the Niagara Escarpment which is where The beaver Cotton Mill once stood. The Canal now begins at Port Weller and ends in Port Colborne. As one can see there has been numerous changes to the Welland Canal over the years and evidently it is no longer a main power source for the industrial town that once stood beside the Welland Canal (Welland Canal, n.d.)

Welland Canal

ECOLOGICAL AND PHYSICAL FEATURES - CLIMATE / MICROCLIMATE


It is proven that the Niagara region has one of the best climates for agriculture in Canada. The optimal growing season beings when the day temperature is above 6 degrees celsius, usually around the second week of April onto the first week of November. The mean precipitation in the Niagara region is 8640 mm (Luk et al, 1977.)

Since the data above is from 42 years ago there is defiant change since 1977. The regions climate has altered because of global warming and the growth in population. This change has been caused by urban development referred to as an urban heat island. An urban heat island is where a more populated area's climate is warmer than a rural close by area because of the human interactions that occur.

This idea of an urban heat island is exemplified in the text Cities & Natural Process; A Basis For Sustainability by Michael Hough. Hough states "It is quite apparent that climate of cities is markedly different from rural areas" (Hough pg 190, 2004.) Some elements in cities that effect climate are; buildings, paving, vegetation. These features act as active thermal connections between the atmosphere and land surface. The cycle that creates an urban heat island begins at sunrise, the buildings and paved areas absorb the heat radiating from the sun. Then when the sun sets the buildings and paved areas release/ radiate heat, then the cycle repeats the next day. This has proven to increase the temperature 5 degrees more than compared to region that is a country side (Hough, 2004.)


HISTORICAL FEATURES

Archaeological influences:

Before Eurpean settlers the land that the Keg now resides on was traditional territory of the Anishinaabeg, Attawandaron, Ojibway/ Chippewa and Haudenosaunee (Canadian Association of University Teachers, 2017.) It it thought to believe that the land that layed adjacent to the Welland Canal was used as a resource area. The water from the canal was used for drinking as well as fishing. The land was a hunting area for the small or larger mammals that inhabited the deciduous forests.

Land use history

The land were The Keg now stands has mass amount of historical relevance to the city of St. Catharines. In 1851 the Welland Canal Company purchased over 200 hectors of land along the canal. They made said purchase because their goal was to create a community in the area that was based on industrial operations as well as being powered by water (Nature Notes, n.d.) The Welland Canal Company achieved their goal to an extent. The 200 hectors of land that was purchased housed multiple mills, factories, and plants. This included a cement plant, textile mill, the Lybster Mill, and most successful of them all the Beaver Cotton Mill which is known as The Keg to date. The Beaver Cotton Mill was known for its production of cotton, yarn, batting, and wadding. As stated previously the land that was purchased was directly along the Welland Canal, which was the main generator for the mill and town (Nature Notes, n.d.)

The Beaver Cotton Mill was in use for 24 years until in 1881 the mill caught on fire. Four years later, in 1885 they converted the site into a number of industries. The most well- known being the independent Rubber Factory. The factory was known for its production of rubber footwear during WWI. After the war, during the great depression the building was not in use. The building was abandoned and deteriorating while the area around it was developing. During the end of this era the Merritton Development Inc. restored the building to its original condition. Once this occurred in 2001 the chain steak house restaurant The Keg purchased the building and it has stayed in their ownership since then (Nature Notes, n.d.)


CULTURAL FEATURES

Since there is great historical relevance to this site there are websites and a museum dedicated to the area.

St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre (1923 Welland Canals Parkway)

https://www.merritton.com/2010/08/merritton-histor...

https://www.stcatharines.ca/en/experiencein/Herita...

Architectural Heritage:

A feature that The Keg is known for is purchasing historic buildings and refurbishing them into their restaurant. There are still original pieces of the Beaver Cotton Mill through the Keg. One standout feature of the building is the large brick smoke stack, this is original from the Mill. A second feature that is original from the mill is the red door in the east side of the building. It is amazing that these features have survived 162 years.

Recreational Uses:

Currently the sole use for this landscape is a commercial estate. As stated above, since 2001 the landscape has been owned by The Keg Steakhouse + Bar.

LAND TENURE

Ownership, jurisdiction, access, and management

The land that the Beaver Cotton Mill once stood on is owned by the Keg Steakhouse + Bar (344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, ON.) It is private property so there is no trespassing, but public access is permitted since it is a commercial site. Since it is commercial use the land owners have used the landscape to gain more customers. They did this by expanding the parking lot and using a landscaper to give a flourished feel to the restaurant. Compared to the area around the building looks dated which is understandable because it is a historic site. The commercial area surround was developed in order to appeal to the suburban and student life adjacent to it (Merritton Redevelopment Plan, 1979.)

CONNECTIVITY AND CONTEXT


Surrounding my landscape there is prominently commercial and residential areas. The commercial and residential area surround was developed in the 1979 Merritton Redevelopment Plan. This plan included the development of parks, residential, school, sidewalks, and commercial areas. It was a major turing point for the town as it introduced a whole new population to the area (Merritton Redevelopment Plan, 1979.) The development of said areas have made the landscape more popular among the residents since it is located within a high dense commercial area.

CONTACT INFORMATION

[If applicable, list the individual(s) or organization(s) responsible for the management of your landscape, and provide contact details (Name; Jurisdiction / Affiliation / Agency; Address; Phone; Fax; E-mail; etc.)]

Managment: The Keg Steakhouse + Bar

Address: 344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, ON L2T 4E3

Contact Information: (905) 680 4585

Hours Of Operation (Holidays may Differ)

Monday 4pm - 11pm

Tuesday 4pm - 11pm

Wednesday 4pm - 11pm

Thursday 4pm - 11pm

Friday 4pm - Midnight

Saturday 3pm - Midnight

Sunday 3pm - 10pm

LITERATURE CITED


Text and online sources

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from http://oldwellandcanals.wikidot.com/mountain-locks...

Editors, B. (2019, October 04). Deciduous Forest. Retrieved from https://biologydictionary.net/deciduous-forest/

Explore the Trail. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://brucetrail.org/pages/explore-the-trail

Luk, S. H., Dillon, M. J., & Kezys, M. J. (1977). An ecological land use study in the Niagara region. Brock University.

Merritt Trail. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/index.php?url=trai.../view/merritt-trail

Merritt Trail. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.ontariotrails.on.ca/index.php?url=trails/view/merritt-trail

Nature Notes, www.ontfin.com/Word/merritton-cotton-mill-ontarios....

Lowes. N, Niagara Escarpment. (2006). Retrieved from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/...

Administrator. "Old Merritton Cotton Mill." Niagara Greenbelt Gateway Website, brocku.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/69-mills/675-the-old-merritton-cotton-mill-.html.

Merritton Redevelopment Plan. City of St. Catharines, 1979.

Species Monitoring. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://sustainability.niagaracollege.ca/project/s...

Temperate Deciduous Forests - NatureWorks. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwep8c.htm/redfox...

We are the Bruce Trail Conservancy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://brucetrail.org/

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wellandcanal.com/hist.htm

Map References

References

(n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.wellandcanal.com/hist.htm

Maps. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.giantsrib.ca/maps/

The Keg - Picture of The Keg Steakhouse Bar - St.Catharines, St. Catharines. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tripadvisor.ca/LocationPhotoDirectLink...

MERRITTON HISTORY. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.merritton.com/2010/08/merritton-history-part-1.html

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 1934 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 2000 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 2002 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 2006 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 2010 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 2013 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 2015 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

"344 Glendale Ave, St. Catharines, 2018 [Air Photo]." Niagara Navigator. N.p., n.d. Thurs. 7 Nov. 2019.

This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Bianca Vegh for the Brock University course GEOG 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 7, 2019.

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


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