Allanburg Bridge, Allanburg, Ontario
The Allanburg Bridge or 'Welland Canal, Bridge 11' is what joins the Welland Canal Route to Lundy's Lane, in the city of Thorold and the community of Allanburg. The bridge was originally constructed in 1929 and completed in 1930 as a way for vehicle and pedestrian traffic to co-exist and commute in virtual harmony with the shipping industry that has dominated the Welland Canal since its creation. The purpose of this mobile bridge is to allow people access to both sides of the river while still affording ships the opportunity to use the famous waterway in order to continue to traverse the Great Lakes within Canada. Over the years this site has encountered some unfortunate events, one of which has even gone "viral" on the internet when a cargo ship drove into the bridge while it was lowering. By creating this bridge, humans have in essence solved a transportation problem that they themselves created through the inception of the canal itself. As far as the aesthetics of the bridge and surrounding area it is not hard to see that while the bridge is functional, it lacks visual appeal due to its obviously aged and weathered coat of paint. The surrounding area however is especially interesting at night due to the lights that line the canal in order to ensure visibility for the cargo ships passing through. These lights seem to give the effect of a pathway towards something much bigger to come, which of course is in the form of Lake Ontario. As previously stated, this bridge is a vital part of the surrounding community because it allows community members to travel across the canal with ease.
Municipality: Thorold, Ontario
Local area name: Allanburg, Ontario
Other identifying names or descriptions Allanburg Bridge/ Welland Canal Bridge 11
Latitude and longitude: 43.0765 -79.2104
Physical Dimensions
Length: 60.96 m
Width: 15.24 m
Surface Area: 929.03 square meters
Elevation: 173 m
General Description:
This location is of vital importance to the local landscape due to its position over the famous Welland canal. The Allanburg bridge brings residents of Thorold to Niagara falls and vice versa. The function of this bridge is to allow vehicle and pedestrian traffic to move seamlessly over the river for most of the day with little interruptions whenever there is a ship coming down the canal on its way to the great lakes. over time it can be seen that the position of this bridge has helped to create communities on both of its ends which is important because it shows just how important the bridge is to so many locals as well as commuters.
As seen in the images below, taken in 1930 and 2013 respectfully, the Allanburg Bridge has maintained nearly the exact same functionality as from its creation to the present day, even as the community surrounding it has grown.
With specific references to the readings above and other resources you have found on your own, describe the major biotic features of your landscape,
The local area is home to many different forms of plant life. For example, a species of grass that dominates the canal's edge is called "Giant silver Grass". The abundance of this grass species can be attributed to the proximity to water and the lack of tree cover that would take away energy that would aid it's growth over time.
The animal species that can be found in this area are more than abundant. First of all, on land one can find a variety of urban and non urban animals such as raccoons, foxes, various sub species of squirrels such as red tailed squirrels and eastern grey squirrels which are the most popular in the area. Other species in this location can only be found by looking underwater. The Welland canal is known for being home to Largemouth bass, Smallmouth bass, Pike, and Muskie.
In the immediate area of the bridge it is quite apparent that the local wildlife has been affected due to human intervention. First of all, as seen in the the timeline of Aerial photographs, there has been a growing human settlement on both sides of the bridge that may seem small and insignificant, there are certainly factors that would be very harmful towards any wildlife in the area. A prime example of this would be the fence that runs parallel to the river in order to ensure that people or animals do not get too close to or into the water.
Once again, when referencing the satellite imagery, over time it is very clear that the area has changed. While the vast majority of the land has stayed as farmland there are some exceptions that are not nearly as natural and thus actually hurt the local biotic and biotic environment. For example, fairly recently there has been the creation of a golf course as well as a drive-in movie theatre.
The most important feature in this location is of course the Welland canal. While the canal is not a natural part of the setting, it all but commands the local landscape and how humans can use the local land as well as travel between locations. The soil in this area is very rich with nutrients and is very valuable to farmers because of this. In the summer months it is very common to see the fields full of various crops such as Corn, Soy beans, and a variety of other forms of produce. The proximity to the Canal certainly affects the local agriculture in both positive and negative ways. For instance the canal is great for farmers because it aids them with drainage in their fields but still maintaining a healthy level of nutrients in the soil. And negatively, the passing ships do cause some environmental issues such as pollution.
The Glaciers that once dominated the Niagara Landscape created some of the areas most notable physical characteristics, an example of this being the Fonthill Kame, which was created by a river running on top of the glacier which left debris and formed the unusual landform created by the deposit of loose sediment from the glacial period. When the glacier eventually receded this hard packed ground would eventually soften up and become the nutrient rich farmland that it has been used as by human settlements since the Native Neutrals called this area home centuries ago.
The Welland canal is the most important hydrological feature of this landscape. Although it was built to serve a single man made purpose, this body of water has grown and developed into being a vital addition to the local landscape. The canal serves as a habitat and water source for many different living beings. However, this body of water literally cuts communities in half and creates an unquestionable border. When building the canal this was a calculated decision, as stated in the journal article, 'This Colossal Project: Building the Welland Ship Canal', it is stated that "We knew we would be breaking apart communities, but we had to go forward because we were connecting empires" (Bower, 2018).
The most important change over time of course was the creation of the Welland canal. At one point this was no more than dry farmland with scattered ponds (Jackson 1991). The inception of the Welland canal system made it easy for ships and people to get from one side of the peninsula to the other. This canal changed the local landscape dramatically, but what it did for trade throughout North America is unfathomable. As previously stated, this entire geographic area has been shaped by the artificial introduction of the Welland canal. As stated in the article on the Welland canal, Assessing the potential movement of invasive fishes through the Welland Canal, this man made water form has certainly had an impact on not only its immediate ecosystem, but it has also affected its surrounding areas such as Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, in the article it is specifically stated that the canal has connected to similar but potentially dangerously different hydrosystems with a calm and fairly easy to traverse pathway for different types of marine species (Kim 2016).
The Local Climate of the Niagara is a humid continental climate which means that the area experiences all 4 seasons and is largely affected by the large bodies of water in its proximity which are Lake Ontario, and Lake Erie.
The introduction of the Welland Canal system is a good example of how humans have made a profound impact on the local landscape that has potentially altered the local microclimate. For example, in the given reading it is stated that a body of water will affect a microclimate due to the fact that it takes more energy in order for it to heat up or cool down, thus slowing the same processes for the surrounding area (Hough 1994). In addition to this, a separate article suggests that the presence of such a body of water will almost certainly lead to a drastic increase in the local plant life and thus more of the sun's energy will be taken by these trees and small plants that have been allowed to grow due to the artificial abundance of groundwater (Boykoff 2010).
The Natural landscape of the Niagara region was formed throughout many thousands of years into what it has been seen as by any humans who have ever been in the area. For example, as it was described in both the lecture and the reading, "Origin and Evolution of the Great Lakes", the region was once under Lake Iroquois and thus was uninhabitable for humans for a long period of time (Larson & Schaetzl, 2001). This however meant that the former lake bed would turn into nutrient filled ground that was fertile and abundant in the area which played a large role in the neutral native settlement of the area due to their ability to grow crops for food. Moving forward, as stated in the article, "The Archeology of the Niagara Peninsula", there is evidence of European goods being traded in the region far before any actual European intervention which suggests that there were native "middlemen" who would transport goods back and forth between regions and benefit both sides (Pengelly, 1991). It is understood that until and beyond European settlement, the Niagara region has been used and appreciated for its impressive ability to grow fruits and vegetables which were grown out of necessity at first and then eventually the region's natural resources were exploited and developed into industry after European colonization.
Moving forward to more contemporary times, the land that surrounds the Allanburg Bridge has been used for residential and farming purposes for generations. but from the aerial photos it is easy to see that recreation has also been a part of the local community that has been recognized over the last hundred years. Specifically, as seen in the image on the bottom of the page, on the western side of the bridge there are two baseball fields that are in place for youth and adults alike to use and enjoy.
The commercial uses for this location are fairly obvious. while the local industries have largely gone by the wayside in the past decades, the Welland Canal and the Allanburg bridge have not stopped doing work for the local community and the millions upon millions of dollars in goods that need to pass through the great lakes system. Each and every day the Allanburg Bridge raises and lowers in order to ensure that all in the area and those who are just passing through on their way somewhere else are able to do so in the most time and cost efficient way possible.
On the western end of this bridge there is a stone monument with a plaque that gives a brief description of the history of the Welland Canal system and what it has meant not only to the local community but the entire country of Canada as well.
from personal observation of satellite images as well as first hand experiences seeing the local architecture, it is safe to say that while the local buildings are not ancient, they are in fact old and have stood a large test of time. when comparing the satellite images from the 1930's to the present day ones it can be seen that the local farms and homes remain in state.
Recreational Uses:
The Welland Canal is used for a variety of purposes, but in this particular stretch due to the proximity to the lift locks, the only legal use for the waterway is the passage of water vessels as per the Canada Navigable Waters act.
Ownership, jurisdiction, access, and management
The land and water that immediately surrounds the Allanburg bridge is owned by the Federal government of Canada. This is designated as 'crown land' and can not be purchased or owned by a private entity in any form. The surrounding community however falls under the municipality of Thorold and of course each individual property such as farms and residential properties are privately owned. for this particular location however it is up to the City of Thorold to work the lift bridge that allows both vessels and vehicles to continue towards their destination safely. The bridge is in connection with local communication strategies such as electronic billboards and radio stations which inform the public when the bridge will not be available and for how long.
Public access is the main purpose of the Allanburg bridge due to the fact that it was created in order for the general public to cross the Welland canal safely and efficiently.
The fact that the land is owned and controlled by the government plays a very large role in how it looks. While at night the bridge looks quite picturesque with the lights lining the canal, during the daytime as an observer you are struck by the cold and grey appearance of the chain linked fence that lines the canal, as well as the peeling paint and obvious cosmetic disrepair of the bridge its' self.
First of all, he Co-operation of the surrounding community with the various challenges that the Welland Canal running through their backyards is undoubtedly imposes on the lives of local residents is of the utmost importance for the greater success of the Canadian economy as a whole. as mentioned in Alberti's book, "we cannot understand the structure, function, and evolution of urban landscapes if we focus separately either on the built or natural components" (Alberti 2008). This is an important point to understand in the context of the Allanburg bridge because there are various natural and man made components to the local landscape that are deeply intertwined in order for the local and collective community to succeed. The fact that the Allanburg bridge is able to raise and lower means that the rest of the area and the country can benefit from the trade of goods and the movement of people throughout the area. Over time, the main function of the bridge has not changed, but the functionality of it has. This means that as technology has developed over time there have been new communication tecniques put in place in order for people to be able to know the schedule of the bridge so that they can plan their travels accordingly and not be held up by the bridge while it is allowing a ship to pass. Some of these advances in technology include radio updates, a 24/7 phone number with live updates, as well as electronic billboards with current information. Over the decades in which the Allanburg bridge has been in use it has undergone and various changes in itself and the local landscape. Through my first hand experiences at this location I can safely say that it is a very smooth functioning operation from top to bottom due to countless hours of effort that has been put into its development by all forms of government.
Alberti, M. Advances in Urban Ecology Integrating Humans and Ecological Processes in Urban Ecosystems. Springer US, 2008.
Bower, S. (2018). This Colossal Project: Building the Welland Ship Canal, 1913–1932 by Roberta M. Styran and Robert R. Taylor (review). University of Toronto Quarterly, 87(3), 478–479. https://doi.org/10.3138/utq.87.3.123
Boykoff, F. (2010). Discursive stability meets climate instability: A critical exploration of the concept of "climate stabilization" in contemporary climate policy. Global Environmental Change, 20(1), 53–64. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gloenvcha.2009.09.003
Hough, Michael. "Climate." Cities and Natural Process, 1994, pp. 45–218.
Jackson, J. (1991). The construction and operation of the First, Second, and Third Welland canals. Canadian Journal of Civil Engineering, 18(3), 472–483. https://doi.org/10.1139/l91-058
Kim, M. (2016). Assessing the potential movement of invasive fishes through the Welland Canal. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 42(5), 1102–1108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jglr.2016.07.009
Larson, G., & Schaetzl, R. (2001). Origin and Evolution of the Great Lakes. Journal of Great Lakes Research, 27(4), 518–546. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0380-1330(01)70665-x
Osborne, B. (2018). This Colossal Project: Building the Welland Ship Canal, 1913-1932 by Roberta M. Styran and Robert R. Taylor. Ontario History, 110(1), 124–. https://doi.org/10.7202/1044335ar
The Welland Canals and Their Communities: Engineering, Industrial, and Urban Transformation. John N. Jackson. (2000). Isis, 91(2), 381–381. https://doi.org/10.1086/384797
Images Cited:
Google Earth. Thorold, Ontario, 1932
Google Earth. Thorold, Ontario, 2008
Google Earth. Thorold, Ontario, 2010
Google Earth. Thorold, Ontario, 2015
Google Earth. Thorold, Ontario, 2018
Welland Ship Canal - Britain Lube Ship Passing Under Lift Bridge in Allanburg, Ontario. 1930.
Nicholls, Jonathan. Ship Passing Under Welland Canal Bridge 11. 2013.
This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Daniel Ross for the Brock University course GEOG 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 12, 2020.
All copyrights for cited material rest with the original copyright owners.
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