THE VILLAGE OF QUEENSTON, Niagara-on-the-Lake

The village of Queenston is located at the top portion of the Niagara Escarpment along the Niagara Gorge. In the late 1780's, Robert Hamilton founded Queenston at the north end of the Niagara Portage; a road that was used for transportation of passengers and goods around Niagara River's rapids and falls. This village is known for its historic landmark, Queenston Heights Park, where the famous War of 1812, the Battle of Queenston Heights took place on October 13^th, 1812. The term "heights" is used to describe the intersection between the Niagara Escarpment and the Niagara River. Here stands the statue of the British General Sir Isaac Brock who was shot in the chest by an American rifleman. This statue symbolizes the final scene of the Battle of Queenston Heights where Colonel Winfield Scott abandoned his British men. In addition to the statue, a memorial site commemorates the Canadian heroine Laura Secord for warning the British of an American attack. After the war ended, the village of Queenston and the its bordering town, Lewiston in Niagara Falls, New York had become the international focus of trade and commerce. A suspension bridge was built in 1850 to connect Queenston and Lewiston that allowed pedestrian and horse and buggy traffic, along with a ferryboat service that was used to transport people and materials to both sides of the border. Queenston Heights has become a tourist destination due to its rich historical background. Along with the Brock and Laura Secord monuments, tourists can visit the Laura Secord Homestead, the Mackenzie Printery and Newspaper Museum, the Riverbrink Art Museum, and walk along the Bruce Trail.

Literature Sources

1.Brown, L. (2012). The War of 1812, Brock and Queenston Heights. Canadian Folk Music, 46(3), 8-14.

2.Niagara Falls Info. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.niagarafallsinfo.com/history-item.php?e...

3.Smith, D. (2001). Disaster at Queenston Heights. American History, (5).

4.Queenston Heights Park. (n.d.). Retrieved September 18, 2016, from http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/76-parks-gardens-a-conservation-areas/665-queenston-heights-park.html

5.Queenston. (n.d.). Retrieved September 20, 2016, from http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/q...

Municipality: Niagara Region

Local area name: Niagara-on-the-Lake

Other identifying names or descriptions: Wine Country Ontario

Latitude and longitude: 43°9'54" N and 79°3'21" W

Length: 2,070 m

Width: 2,110 m

Surface Area: 4,367,700 m²

Elevation:

183 m / 105 m

The Village of Queenston, located at the top portion of the Niagara Escarpment, is a tourist destination rich in cultural and historical heritage. An unforgettable event in history took place on the grounds of Queenston, which shaped the village as to how we see it today. Due to the fact that the village of Queenston is small, this report is based on the attributes of the Niagara Escarpment. The ecological and physical features, geomorphology, and climate are discussed from the standpoint of the Niagara Escarpment. The hydrogeological, historical and cultural features, land tenure, and connectivity and context are discussed from the standpoint of the village of Queenston. In whole, the village of Queenston's and the Niagara Escarpment's features and attributes are connected to each other as they both assisted in formation of our country.

Map 1: The village of Queenston, located 5km north of Niagara Falls Ontario in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The town of Queenston, located at the top portion of the Niagara Escarpment, includes many different biotic features including plant and animal species and communities. With over 1,500 species of vascular plants, 40% of Ontario's rare flora is located at the northern part of the Niagara Escarpment where the town of Queenston resides. The plant species that make up the northern half of the Niagara Escarpment include the oldest trees found in eastern North America; 1000 years. One of the eldest trees includes the Thuja occidentalis trees, which are most commonly known as Eastern White Cedar trees. There are also many local plant species that are significant to the Great Lakes including the Lakeside Daisy, Dwarf Lake Iris, Hill's Thistle, Provancher's Philadelphia Fleabane, and the Ohio Goldenrod. 37 species of orchids are also found in the northern part of the Niagara Escarpment. Some of these orchids include Calypso Orchid, Ram's-head Lady-slipper, and Alaska Rein Orchid. As well, there are 50 species of ferns, most of which the Hart's-tongue fern appears along the Escarpment. The northern part of the Niagara Escarpment is home to one a rare fern species in Canada called the Wall-rue, an Appalachian species. A threatened plant species also resides in the northern portion of the Niagara Escarpment called the American Ginseng, in which appear in rich Sugar Maple forests. Deciduous regions have a continuous life cycle under natural conditions, in which "parts of the community die and regenerate, but the forest as a whole remains" (Hough, 2004, p. 87).

The continuing evolution of plant communities controls the stability and diversity of wildlife populations by way of "their interaction with land forms, soils and climate" (Hough, 2004, p. 131). These plant species provide animal species distinct environments by the layering or the structure of forest vegetation (Hough, 2004). Many different animal species have been recorded along the Niagara Escarpment, in which many are either threatened or endangered. Of 325 bird species in Ontario, 200 species have indicated that breeding is evident in the Niagara Escarpment. 25 of these breeding species are believed to be vulnerable, endangered or threatened. These species consist of the Bald Eagle, Red-shouldered hawk, Black Tem, Louisiana Waterthrush and the Hooded Warbler. There are 55 mammal species and 34 reptile and amphibian species, including the North Dusky Salamander, Eastern Massasauga Rattlesnake, Southern Flying-squirrel and the Eastern Pipistrelle, all of which are rare, endangered, threatened and vulnerable.

The surrounding area of the Niagara Escarpment is severely industrialized, in which its vegetation has been intensely manipulated by human activities. The cliff that the Niagara Escarpment is situated on provides a large amount of support for "undisturbed, ancient, unproductive ecosystems" that contains many of the rare plant and animal species, as well as "some of the oldest and slowest-growing trees in eastern North America" (Haig, Matthes & Larson, 2000). The Niagara Escarpment is increasingly threatened by "conversion of its neighboring lands from forest to agriculture, real estate development, and the strip mining of limestone" to function as a natural passageway (Haig et al., 2000). This has made way for fragmentation of ecosystems to occur in some places and is forthcoming in others, but the impact on the biodiversity of the ancient ecosystems is not yet known.

At the time when the escarpment was formed, 500 to 400 million years ago, a large portion of North America was submerged in warm shallow water including the Great Lakes Basin and Southern Ontario (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2016). Due to the fossil remains of the warm water, organisms and limestone had implanted themselves into the composition of the escarpment (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2016). The Niagara Escarpment is composed of a ridge of rock that was formed by materials such as "sand, silt and clay" that were accumulated in the ancient sea and through time, condensed into sedimentary rock strata (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2016). Thick materials were also accumulated in the ancient sea and were later condensed and hardened to form sandstone, and light materials were placed into the bed of the sea as clay and through time, became shales (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2016). Limestone and dolomites formed from coral reefs that were formulated in warm waters (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2016). There is a sporadic group of thick, forested limestone outcrop that spans 735km long that is immersed within the landscape, in which is dominated by "farm fields, roads, rivers, and residential buildings" (Haig et al., 2000). The limestone represents islands of rocks, up to 30m in height, that were formed by erosion during the Holocene; a period in time where global changes caused human activity (Haig et al., 2000). These rocks maintain a vegetation type that is significantly different from the surrounding ground level (Haig et al., 2000).

This topographic geology map is from 1961. Queenston appears to be in the light grey area of the map. The light grey portion of the map indicates partially red, sandy shale. Just below Queenston in the dark grey portion of the map, indicates dark grey shale, light grey dolomitic limestone, and some grey shale.

Due to recreational, commercial and residential land uses, the Niagara Escarpment has been put under stress because these land uses are in disagreement with efforts in conserving and preserving the natural features of the area (Moss & Nickling, 1980). A critical concern for the escarpment is slope stability. Initially, the movement of glacial ice caused the steepening and erosion of the slopes over the upper escarpment (Moss & Nickling, 1980). Low water stages of Lake Algonquin maintained the steep slopes which resulted in a moderately weak "fossil hill formation" from the concentration of erosion (Moss & Nickling, 1980). Instability is typically found where "outcrops of more resistant beds are being presently undercut by the weathering and mass wasting of weaker shale and heavily jointed dolomite beds" (Moss & Nickling, 1980). Presently, instability is contained in certain parts of the escarpment, and is both scattered and spatially random (Moss & Nickling, 1980).

The major hydrogeological feature of the village of Queenston is the Niagara River. As it flows in a "northerly direction, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario," the Niagara River partially constitutes the boundaries between Canada and the United States, separating the province of Ontario and the state of New York (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). The Niagara River is the drainage channel for four of five great lakes, including Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, and Erie. Due to the combination of "relatively high, steady flow and steep gradient of the river," the Niagara River is made to be one of the best hydroelectric power sources in North America (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). On the Canadian side, the Niagara River provides a driving force for almost 2 million kilowatts of electricity from a number of power plants (Encyclopedia Britannica, 2016). Another main source of power generation is from the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Stations 1 and 2, located in Queenston. The station is based on a simple theory but on a much greater scale: if you have a coil of wires and there is a magnetic field that is passed over the coil of wires, electron flow is created and produces electricity (Niagara Parks, 2016). Powerful electro-magnets are transported by the forcefulness of falling water inside a massive coil of wires (Niagara Parks, 2016). Since the Niagara Escarpment has the highest vertical drop, it is the most effective location for hydroelectric power generation, in which these historic power stations were chosen to be built (Niagara Day Tour, 2016).

Since 1986, water levels on Lake Erie and other Great Lakes have been on a downward slope due to "warmer temperatures and reduced ice cover" which makes way for evaporation to surpass precipitation (Penney, 2012). Many problems occur with lower water levels, including contamination of surface waters, the taste and odor of drinking water by higher temperatures that contribute to "blue-green algal blooms", and infectious organisms into the water stream from "increased run-off combined with sewage overflows" (Penney, 2012). Pollutants from "roads, animal feces, lawn and garden chemicals, and other substances" contaminate the water supply; rapid snowmelts or hard rains can carry a combination of contaminated "storm water and raw sewage" into the lakes and rivers of the region (Penney, 2012). Flooding is a big issue in Ontario due to intense rainfall or rain-on-snow events, which overflows soil capacity, "water courses and storm water systems" (Penney, 2012). Improvements to reduce flooding will become more crucial and challenging as climate change results from rain-on-snow events and intense rainfall (Penney, 2012).

This air photo was taken in 1981 of the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Stations 1 and 2.

The primary cause forcing climate change is initiated by human activities that are rapidly raising the concentration of greenhouse gases (Penney, 2012). Greenhouse gases are essential to life on earth as they trap and absorb atmospheric "infrared radiation" that is produced by "solar rays that reach the earth's surface," in which aids in warming the planet (Peney, 2012). Global warming is a recognizable outcome of the increase of greenhouse gases (Penney, 2012). Temperatures in Canada have increase by "1.3°C on average in the last century and if they comtinue to rise, global temperatures "may rise 4-7°C in the next century" (Penney, 2012). The Niagara Region's climate has already been through many of changes:

• Annual average temperature increase – 1.3°C in the last 40 years
• Daily temperatures about 30°C
• Heat waves – 3 or more continuous hot days
• Lengthier growing season – warmer weather is significant in May and September
• Frost-free days increase – 10 more per year
• Slight increase in annual precipitation, mostly in winter months
• Winter experiences more rain and less snow
• Increase in summer droughts and dry spells
• Freeze-thaw cycles increase
• Heavy rain events increase (Penney, 2012).

Climate change has caused sea levels to rise, warmed oceans and atmosphere, and diminishment of snow and ice (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2015). The Niagara Escarpment Commission (2015) states that human activity causing greenhouse gas emissions are at their highest and that climate changes are widely impacting human and natural systems. Ontario has already experienced the effects of climate change, including severe flooding, ice storms, damages to infrastructure, and impacts to ecosystems and the industries of tourism and agriculture (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2015). For the sake of reducing possible "environmental, social, health and economic risks" related to climate change, and responding to possible negative impacts of climate change, "migration and adaptation strategies are necessary to ensure the resiliency of these systems" (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2015). By adapting to climate change, we are taking action into reducing or eliminating the negative effects of climate change and taking advantage of the positive effects by preparing for changes that are occurring or are likely to (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2015). By using migration strategies, we are aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions that cause climate change by capturing them at the source and storing them where they will not enhance climate change (Niagara Escarpment Commission, 2015).

Archaeological Influences

Since the village of Queenston is so small, it was hard to find settlers to this land specifically. This portion of the report will discuss pre-European settlement and land use in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, which is Queenston's local area name. According to the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake (2016), the pre-European settlers in the Niagara Region were the Mound builders around 100AD, which were native people from the Ohio Valley. Ancestors of The Six Nations Confederacy replaced the Mound builders 400 years later (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). In 1400, the land was conquered by Neutral Indians, in which they relied on fishing, hunting and agriculture in order to survive (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). In the mid-1600s, the Iroquois defeated the Neutrals, and later, the "Mississauga natives settled on the Canadian bank of the Niagara River" (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). Between 1600-1700, the first European settlers came to this area, in which Etienne Brule was the first in 1615 (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). The portage around Niagara Falls was used for trade with the west by other French explorers (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). In 1679, several buildings were constructed on the American side of the river by the French that served as "links in the lucrative fur trade" (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). Fort Niagara was one of the buildings that was built and was used in military action by the British and the French during the Seven Years War (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016).

Land Use History

After the arrival of the European settlers, Fort Niagara became British territory, in which Sir William Johnson bargained a settlement with the Native peoples giving the British "a strip on land on both sides of the River" (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). Loyalists to the British Crown desired refuge in Fort Niagara as they fled their homes during the American Revolution (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). Colonel John Butler was proposed to settle and cultivate the west bank of the river due to the necessity of providing food for the refugees (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). In 1781, the area officially became know as Newark, which was later changed to Niagara-on-the-Lake with a recorded 84 settlers in the area (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). The settlement of Newark was initiated in 1791 by D.W. Smith, who laid out a military grid "in four acre parcels subdivided into one acre lots" (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). In the next year, a first governor of Upper Canada was appointed, John Graves Simcoe, with a command to bring the colony government and order (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). From 1792 until 1796, Newark had become the "seat of government for the new province," and the British had given up Fort Niagara to the Americans (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016). From Chippawa to Queenston, a Canadian portage, Niagara-on-the-Lake built a status as a commercial centre when "legislators and government officials built several fine houses in the Georgian and Regency tradition" (Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2016).

It wasn't until the war of 1812 that influenced Queenston as it is known today. The US declared war against Great Britain in their desire for the domination of Canadian land. American troops crossed the Niagara River from Fort Niagara in the hopes of capturing Queenston on October 13^th, 1812. In whole, the British defeated the Americans but with a great loss to their general Sir Isaac Brock. The village of Queenston is based around a monument dedicated to Sir Isaac Brock found in Queenston Heights Park, that reminds visitors how important the battle was, Brock's influence on the war and Canada's future, and to honor those who served our country. Following the war of 1812, Queenston and its bordering town Lewiston, in the state of New York, had become the international focus of trade and commerce. Ferryboat services were established as a means of transportation of people and materials across both sides of the border, and in 1850, a suspension bridge was built to connect Queenston and Lewiston that allowed pedestrian and horse and buggy traffic. Two more bridges were built after a storm destroyed the first bridge, the second another suspension bridge, and the third a larger, more modern steel arch bridge as we see it today.

Education / Interpretation and Architectural Heritage

The village of Queenston includes many educational and interpretive resources available to visitors that illustrate the formation of the village. These resources are also Queenston's forms of architectural heritage. As the war of 1812 took place in Queenston, there are many museums and exhibitions that open to the general public. Brock's monument, a statue located in Queenston Heights Park, overlooks the village and symbolizes the final scene of the battle (Niagara Parks, 2016). This monument represents the importance of the battle, Brock's influence on the war and Canada's future, and those who served our country (Niagara Parks, 2016). The monument offers a self-guided tour of the battlegrounds, which starts at the platform of the monument, including a magnificent view of Lake Ontario at the top (Niagara Parks, 2016). Interpretive programmes are offered 7days/week from May through Labour Day weekend from 10a.m-5a.m (Niagara Parks, 2016). A great exhibition to visit in Queenston is the Laura Secord Homestead. Laura Secord was a famous Canadian heroine during the War of 1812, as she traveled for miles on foot to warn the British of American attacks (Niagara Parks, 2016). Qualified costume interpreters provide guided tours of the historic house and the history of the surrounding area (Niagara Parks, 2016). There is also a memorial site in Queenston Heights Park that commemorates the Canadian heroine (Niagara Parks, 2016). A great museum to visit is the William Lyon Mackenzie Printery, as it is known as the "best hands-on museum in Upper Canada" (Niagara Parks, 2016). It is the restored home of the rebel publisher, William Lyon Mackenzie, in which uncovers "500 years of printing technology, amid the authentic ambiance of a period print shop" (Niagara Parks, 2016). The experience is hands-on as it allows visitors to work with a "linotype and eight operating heritage presses" (Niagara Parks, 2016). Queenston is also home to the Riverbrink Art Museum with a unique collection of over 1,400 works by Canadian and international artists (Niagara Parks, 2016). This museum illustrates Niagara and Canadian culture and heritage, in which serves visitors from a regional and international viewpoint, improving the appreciation and knowledge of the visual arts (Niagara Parks, 2016).

Recreational Uses

Recreational uses in Queenston are offered in Queenston Heights Park. The park features two picnic pavilions, accommodating up to 350 people each including "washrooms, children's water play area, a playground, tennis courts, and a baseball diamond" (Niagara Parks, 2016). A band shell and covered pavilions are available in Queenston Heights Park for performances, which can accommodate up to 800 people (Greenbelt, 2012). Free concerts are featured on Sunday afternoons through July and August in Queenston Heights Park (Niagara Parks, 2016). The park is also an end point of the Bruce trail, which passes through the Niagara Escarpment and winds northward towards the town of Tobermory (Greenbelt, 2012). The Brice Trail is an important feature to Ontario because it guarantees that the area will be protected from future development, which the forest will remain occupied /(Greenbelt, 2012).

The village of Queenston as a whole is under the municipal jurisdiction of the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Where all the historical attributes of Queenston are situated in Queenston Heights Park, the Niagara Parks Commission controls the grounds maintenance and retail aspect of each significant feature, such as Brock's Monument, Laura Secord Homestead, and the Mackenzie Printery. Therefore, public access is permitted in Queenston, and is in fact advertised for tourists to visit Queenston because of it's rich historical culture. Since the Niagara Parks operates Queenston Heights Park, they are in charge of maintenance, retail, and even have their own police force for the grounds (Niagara Parks, 2016). The Niagara Parks maintains Ontario's shoreline, which is the Niagara River, which aims to preserve and enhance the natural beauty of the Niagara Falls and Niagara River corridor (Niagara Parks, 2016).

The village of Queenston falls under the Corporation of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Zoning Bylaw. Zoning bylaws are used to regulate the use of land within a certain municipality. Niagara-on-the-Lake zoning bylaw "functions as a legal document under the Planning Act for managing the area of land and future development for the town" (Hynde, 2016). Queenston bylaws include:

• Established Residential Zone 1 and 2
• Village Commercial Zone
• Institutional Zone
• Open Space Zone
• Environmental Conservation Zone
• Site Specific Expectations (Hynde, 2016).

As Alberti (2008) states, urban landscapes are "highly heterogeneous, spatially nested, and hierarchically structured." All landscapes are different, in terms of geology, ecology, culture, and history, and each landscape is located is an area that has been built around the history of the formation of Canada.

Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport

Niagara Parks Commission

7400 Portage Road South

Niagara Falls, Ontario L2E 6T2

CANADA

Tel: 905-356-2241

E-mail: generalmanager@niagaraparks.com

Literature Sources

• Encyclopedia Britannica. (2016). Niagara River. Retrieved November 08, 2016, from

https://www.britannica.com/place/Niagara-River

• Exploring Niagara. (2014). The Niagara River Parkway. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from

http://www.exploringniagara.com/places_to_explore/...

• Greenbelt. (2012). Queenston Heights Park. Retrieved November 10, 2016, from

http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/76-parks-...

• Haig, A. R., Matthes, U., & Larson, D. W. (2000). Effects of natural habitat fragmentation on the species

richness, diversity, and composition of cliff vegetation. Canadian Journal of Botany, 78(6), 786-797.

• Hynde, P. (2016). Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake: Comprehensive Zoning By-law. Retrieved November 11, 2016, from

https://notl.civicweb.net/document/1162

• Moss, M. R., & Nickling, W. G. (1980). Geomorphological and vegetation interaction and its relationship to slope stability

on the Niagara Escarpment, Bruce Peninsula, Ontario. Géographie physique et Quaternaire, 34(1), 95-106.

• Niagara Day Tour. (2016). Hydro Power Stations. Retrieved November 08, 2016, from

http://www.niagaradaytour.com/niagara-hydro-power-...

• Niagara Escarpment Commission. (2015). Niagara Escarpment Plan Review. Retrieved November 09, 2016, from

http://www.escarpment.org/_files/file.php?fileid=f...

• Niagara Escarpment Commission. (2016). The Natural History of the Niagara Escarpment. Retrieved November 07,

2016, from http://escarpment.org/_files/file.php?fileid=filed...

• Niagara Parks. (2016). Brock's Monument, Laura Secord Homestead, Mackenzie Printery. Retrieved

November 10, 2016, from http://www.niagaraparks.com/

• Niagara Parks. (2016). The History of Sir Adam Beck. Retrieved November 08, 2016, from

http://www.niagaraparks.com/niagara-falls-attracti...

• Nicholson, R. (2010). Topping off Ongoing Success of Queenston-Lewiston Bridge Plaza Improvements. Retrieved

November 11, 2016, from http://www.robnicholson.ca/media/rob-in-the-news/-...

• Penney, J. (2012). Adapting to climate change: Challenges for Niagara. Retrieved on November 09, 2016, from

https://www.niagararegion.ca/government/planning/p...

• Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. (2016). History of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Retrieved November 10, 2016, from

https://notl.civicweb.net/document/3857/History of Niagara-on-the-Lake.March 2013.pdf?handle=1F4061091E2C43D4B6236CC6F21BFB7A(list the maps you consulted in the preparation of this report, including digital maps, Google Earth

Maps and Air Photos

• Department of Mines and Resources. Map 584A Toronto-Hamilton Ontario, sheets 30M and part of 30L. 1 Inch to 4

Miles. Geological Survey. Ottawa: Geological Survey of Canada, 1961

• Regional Municipality of Niagara. Niagara photomap. Scale 1:5,000. Photomap L3, Thorold, Ontario, 1981
• Regional Municipality of Niagara. Niagara photomap. Scale 1:5,000. Photomap L4, Thorold, Ontario, 1981

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

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