The quaint village of St. David's is situated in Southern Ontario on the southern edge of what now is known as Niagara-on-the-Lake at the base of the Niagara Escarpment. It was established in 1780 when United Empire Loyalists along with officers from the Butler's Rangers traveled across the Niagara River into Upper Canada. The village of St. David's was integral during the late 18th century as it was strategically located nears bodies of waters adjacent to where two First Nation's trails met. The first trail followed the Four Mile Creek running from Lake Ontario to the top of the Niagara Escarpment to Lake Erie while the second trail ran alongside the base of the Niagara Escarpment. The village of St. David's close proximity these First Nation's trail network was essential to the development of its urban environment. These trails provided transformational flexibility, rapid communication between settlements, economic growth through primary resources, swift military and supply movement while avoiding the marshy clay plains possessed by the region (Burghardt, 1969).

In the late 18th century, settlers settled on land in Upper Canada without a title; however, under the Resettlement Program approved by the Governor of Lower Canada, settlers would receive property and agricultural equipment under the provision that any excess yields be sold to the British. Sixteen loyalist families obtained 500 acres through the Resettlement Program that later become known as St. David's. In the early 1800's, the settlement was named to St. David's after David Secord, an officer of the Butler's Rangers referred by other loyalist settlers as a king for his admirable leadership during settlement. The history of St. David's was entrenched during the War of 1812 as American invaders sought to capture the Niagara Peninsula. St. David's was left devastated by warfare as it was captured by invading American forces six times and recuperated by British forces seven times (Wilkinson, 2003). Prior to the British regained St. David's for the final time in 1814, the American Commanding Officer authorized the order to burn down the village (Wilkinson, 2003). After the War of 1812, St. David's was quickly rebuilt as David Secord donated large amounts of land to build a school, a cemetery and several small industries. Thus, the landscape ecology which is centered on the interactions and patterns between humans and the existing ecosystems including the various plants and animals have been altered within this region (Farina, 2006, p. 2). Settlers since the United Empire Loyalists cleared vast land regions including wetlands and forests without the any prior understanding of their benefits upon the ecosystem thereby negatively impacting the region. Wetlands are vital to watershed management by protecting water quality and moderating water quantity (Hough, 2004). Furthermore, the cleared forests acted as natural cleansers for air and water while preserving soils, cycling nutrients thereby supporting biodiversity. These immensely important landscapes have been manipulated to construct commercial fruit farms and cultural structures to provide the landscape with a sense of place among its residents. The expansion and alteration to the built environment not only affected the physical environment but their perception regarding the environment and their engagements with it by (Hough, 2004). The urban environment reflects the possessed cultural attitudes towards nature and existence through the construction of a culturally diverse milieu that accommodates the needs of its inhabitants. Through human intervention, this space has become a place due to the underlying historical, ecological and cultural influences.

Municipality: Niagara-on-the-Lake

Local area name: village of St. David's

Other identifying names or descriptions: Wine Country

Latitude and longitude: 43.1603° N, 79.1040° W

Physical Dimensions

Length: 1,998.3 m

Width: 1,516.64 m

Surface Area: 3,030,701.71 m

Elevation:

Highest Point - 195 m

Lowest point - 101 m

The Local landscape that I have chosen to examine is located in the municipality in Niagara-on-the-Lake called the village of St. David's. This local landscape is located in Southern Ontario on the southern edge of Niagara-on-the-Lake at the base of the Niagara Escarpment. The village of St. David's possesses a surface area that spans 3,030,701.71 meters located in-between Highway 405 and Line 9 Road Niagara-on-the-Lake with an elevation ranging from 101 to 195 meters above sea level. This picturesque municipality consists of several housing subdivisions, recreational parks, churches, a golf course and multiple diverse industries. However, the current urban environment that is now known as the village of St. David's has experienced has observed many changes as a result of human interactions which has altered the landscapes within the region. The land, in its natural state, was provided to United Empire Loyalists families through a Resettlement Program approved by the Governor of Lower Canada and became known as St. David's. The urban expansion of this area occurred shortly after the Second World War when there was a high demand for housing which supported the development of roads and highways (Brown et al., 2010). As a direct result of this development, the population of the village of St. David's spiked and resulting in further developments in order to accommodate for poorly planned low-density developments (Brown et al., 2010). Within the past century, the village of St. David's has attracted a variety of heavy industries including tourism and agriculture that have negatively impacted the local natural habitats while providing St David's with economic stability (Brown et al., 2010). Years of human interactions and interventions have altered the natural landscapes that had once previously existed although these interactions and interventions have granted meaning to the area through its possessed cultural, historical and ecological significances. This report will focus on the local landscape and examine the transformation and development of the village of St. David's at the hands of humans through a comprehensive investigation of its possessed ecological, physical, historical and cultural features.

Map 1:

With the progression of time, the village of St. David's has undergone significant ecological changes. The village of St. David's has observed many physical features changes as a direct result of human intervention which has had a major impact on the local landscape due to the alterations of ecological features specifically to local plants, animals and landscape. The concepts of landscape and urban ecology are essential in explaining this process. Landscape, from the ecological perspective, refers to the interactions between the temporal and spatial aspects of a landscape along with abiotic and biotic contexts in which the organisms are living (Farina, 2006, p.1). The patch mosaic of village of St. David's consists of structural, resource and functional patches as the contrast between patches are high (Farina, 2006, p.11). These patches can be further identified within the anthropocentric landscape classifications and mainly consists of diverse trees, grass and shrubs. Within the immediate local area, there exists White Oak Trees, Tamarack Trees, White Ash Trees, Grape Trees, Maple Trees, Common Reed, Black Cherry, Basswood, Staghorn Sumacs and Wild Bergamot (Niagara College, 2016). Within the forested community of this municipality, the trees create the canopy as the dominant species, shrubs have adapted to living in shade and ferns along with numerous herbaceous plants reside on the forest floor. The trees located within the community appear to be rage in ages from mature to seedlings and either naturally grown or have been planted depending on the patch.

It is through urban ecology, regarded as the study of ecosystems that include human living in both cities and urbanizing landscapes, that we are able to understand the how humans effect and cooperate with ecological processes (Marzluff, 2008,p. 7). Assemblages of trees and plants are selectively bred in order to satisfy the environmental and cultural demands of the urban area (Hough, 2004, p.93). Within the village of St. David's, plant groups are used for aesthetics and sustenance. In fact, some plant communities within the township have adapted to the urban conditions without human assistance (Hough, 2004, p.93). The plant species located within St. David's actively reduce air pollution and modify the local climates (Hough, 2004, p.93). However, as some plants are able to successfully adapt and thrive, there are some plants that are casualties. Some plant species within this region have not been able to successfully adapt to changing urban conditions without human assistance and are now considered to be endangered or threatened. Some plants species that are considered to be endangered or threatened within the region include the Deerberry Tree, Broad Beech Fern Tree, Common Hop Tree, Swamp-Rose Mallow and Spoon-Leaved Moss (Niagara College, 2016).

The village of St. David's is comprised of serval diverse natural landscapes including wetlands and woodlands. These landscapes have been altered by within the Niagara Region in order to construct planned urban cultural landscapes. The destructive process of clearing valuable landscapes for urbanization have decimated a once prosperous forests and wetland ecosystem. In fact, the process of urbanization has also changed the human relationship with the local environment. The landscape ecology of the village of St. David's has transformed from early settlers utilizing natural landscapes for transportation via indigenous trails or agricultural purposes to heavier intrusive industries and urban expansion.

Another ecological feature of the village of St. David's that has also been altered due to human intervention is the local regional wildlife. The clear cutting of woodland and the clearing of wetland regions with this municipality have devastated what was formerly a thriving ecosystems that has negatively impacted the local habitats of several species that resided in the region. In southern Ontario alone, 80 percent of the original wetlands and 2 million hectares of the Niagara forest region have been urbanized since the settlement of United Empire Loyalists to St. David's (Brown et al, 2010, p.48). The forest habitat located within St. David's fostered many species of birds, squirrels, raccoons, rabbits, white-tailed deer, weasels, red foxes, skunks, garter snakes and various insects. The municipality's wetland ecosystems provided habitats for various species of fish, reptiles, amphibians beavers, birds, muskrats, otters and insects. Urbanization has drastically changed these natural ecosystems that has dramatically affected wildlife communities (Hough, 2004).

However, academic studies have indicated that there were both positive and negative effects of urbanization on various animal assemblages (Hough, 2004). Some animal species flourished alongside urbanization like house sparrows and starlings as their population size increased (Hough, 2004). Overpopulation and uncontrolled breading of animals have become major concern as there has been a dramatic explosion in the deer population within the Niagara-On-Lake Region that has negatively affect these ecosystems balance (Hough, 2004). On the flip side, many animal species population sizes decreased as they became threatened or endangered. Some of the threatened or endangered species within these habitats included Milkshakes, Monarch Butterflies, Peregrine Falcons, Rusty-Patched Bumble Bees and the Red-headed Woodpecker (Brown et al, 2010, p.48). These effect of these radical land-use alterations inhibits wildlife gene flow and forced these animals to live in harsher conditions that were foreign to their normal habitats. Some of these human interactions with these patches have certain repercussions.

Geomorphology is the study of landforms, the materials of which they are comprised of and the ecological processes that contributes to their evolution. Given that the village of St. David's is located in Southern Ontario at the base of the Niagara Escarpment, it has experienced major evolutionary shifts that have altered local landscapes making it an essential area of examination when completing a local landscape report. This section of the Niagara Escarpment was formed 430 to 450 million years ago whilst under a shallow sea. During this period, prehistoric rivers would deposit sediment within this shallow sea that would eventually form thick layers of sedimentary rocks and ancient reef structures that became visible when the sea withdrew (Brown et al, 2010, p.44). Through the process of erosion, earthen materials such as softer shales led to the deterioration of large blocks of dolostone caprock due to the natural force of glaciation along with its meltwater (Brown et al, 2010, p.45). Prior to human intervention, the topography of the landscape was impacted by the occurrence of the natural processes of glaciation and erosion. The current composition of the village of St. David's is comprised of sandstone, shale, sand, clay and dolostone over layers of a sedimentary limestone bedrock. The natural process of glaciation and erosion also enhanced the proprieties of the soil located within this region as 39 percent of the region is comprised of mixed silt and loam, 30 percent of mixed clay and loam, 14 percent of mixed sand and loam while 17 percent of the region is covered by various urban developments (Niagara, 2012).

Human interaction through grading, plowing, leveling and excavation in the aforementioned landscapes have contributed the urban development within the landscape. After the Second World War, there was an increased demand for housing that encouraged urban developments and urban expansion to accommodate for a society that was transitioning towards automobile-dependency (Brown et al, 2010, p.45). This initiated the development of houses, highways, streets, regional roads and other manmade urban structures located in the village of St. David's. In order to construct these urban development, the area underwent various landscape alterations and transformation. Clear cutting, land leveling, excavating and the regrading of the wetland and woodland landscapes sealed the soil of these landscapes (Marzluff et al, 2008). The natural soil of the area was permanently sealed and covered over by impermeable artificial materials that included asphalt and concrete. The village of St. David's possessed a low to moderate soil sealing and the process of sealing soil for urban development deprived the landscape of the soil's numerous benefits (Marzluff et al, 2008). The negative impacts of these actions included the reduction of the soil's ability/filter to absorb rainfall including its holding capacity, an imbalance of the climate within the region, the prevention of the recycling of dead organic material and it hindered the completion of the carbon cycle through topsoil (Marzluff et al, 2008).

Hydrology is the study of the earth's water including the water on and within the ground before it reaches the oceans or evaporates (Alberti, 2008). This application of geography focuses on flood control, irrigation systems, domestic and industrial water supply, and the generation of hydroelectric power (Paul & Meyer, 2008). The village of St. David's does not directly possess any natural bodies of water within the region although it is near several major hydrogeological features. The Niagara River flows approximately 15 kilometers east from the village of St. David's. This hydrogeological feature is 58 kilometers in length and borders Canada and the United States. In fact, the Niagara River connects Lake Erie to Lake Ontario and acts as a drainage channel for Lake Superior, Lake Michigan, Lake Huron, and Lake Erie (Gupta, 2008). The Niagara River possesses a high, steady flow with steep gradient of approximately 326 feet and is recognized as one of the best sources for producing hydroelectric power (Gupta, 2008). Another major hydrogeological feature located just 4.8 kilometers east of the village of St. David's is the Sir Adam Beck Generating Stations containing two hydroelectric generating stations. These generating Stations, owned and operated by Ontario Power Generation, account for approximately 80% of Ontario's electricity and utilizes a large reservoir to store water for the purpose of producing power when electricity demand is low and increasing production when the power demand is high (Energy, 2014).

The village of St. David's possesses a municipal water systems that purify rain and melted snow water for human consumption and transport clean drinking water to residents and businesses. While wastewater from households and businesses are transported by an underground sewer system, wastewater treatment centers are utilized to remove contaminants before returning the water back into the environment. The heavy industries within the village of St. David's has forced irrigation pump systems to be built in order to supply water to satisfy the agricultural needs of the region. The urban expansion of the village of St. David's has prompted the modification and alteration of the surrounding landscapes to accommodate for the needs of population; however, these irrigation system implementations have negatively impacted water utilization. This municipality possesses an annual perception of 913.2 mm, annual infiltration of 150 mm and an annual runoff of 153 mm (Penney, 2012). The major impact of urbanization in this region has been caused by the increased water runoff and decreased water infiltration which can double due to the increase of soil sealing (Paul & Meyer, 2008). This can lead to poor water quality due to pollutants such as oil and greases from automobiles and pesticides that contaminate water supplies within the environment.

The inflow of water from glacier melt water and terrestrial runoff have contributed to the fluctuation of water flowing within the hydrogeological features near the village of St. David's. The fluctuating levels of water flowing through these hydrogeological features can affect the climate of the Niagara Peninsula including the village of St. David's (Pengelly et al, 1996). Being that the main heavy industry within this municipality is agriculture, the fluctuation of water flowing in these hydrogeological features can affect the vegetation within the region (Pengelly et al, 1996).

Climate refers to the long-term patterns of weather within a land region while microclimates refer to the climatic conditions in an area can be affected by the landscape such as orography and coastlines. Human activities have had a profound influence on the local climate surrounding the village of St. David's. Greenhouse gas, for example, is a byproduct of many natural processes within the environment as they absorb and trap infrared radiation within the atmosphere (Penney, 2012). However, through the processes of urbanization and human activities, the concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere increased by approximately 41 percent and continues to rise having a direct negative impact on the surrounding air quality (Stein, 2018). Carbon dioxide increases heat temperatures and the combination of these greenhouse gases produces ultraviolent sunlight and moisture which can cause respiratory issues in humans (Hough, 2008). This affects the entire region that encapsulates the village of St. David's as an overall warmer atmosphere can result in multitude changes within its possessed microclimate. The impermeable materials used in the creating of urban elements such as streets and buildings within the village of St. David's store and conduct heat faster than natural biotic and abiotic elements (Hough, 2008). Urban structures are interrupting wind patterns thereby reducing the cooling power of the wind. The microclimate is also affected by the problems resulting from encountered precipitation. Within urban areas such as the village of St. David's, rain is carried away by storm sewers and snow is cleared. This inhibits natural evaporation due to the absence of moisture and the energy that was intended for cooling is now available for heating contributing to the rapid production of heat (Hough, 2008). These factors have contributed to the alteration of this municipality's microclimate that has caused an increase to the annual average temperature of the Niagara-On-The-Lake region by approximately 1.3 degrees Celsius in the last 40 years, additional 30 degree Celsius days and more heat waves (Penney, 2012). Some other noted changes experienced to the climate has been the increase of precipitation perpetuated through heavier rain and snowfall, more prolonged summer droughts and a longer agricultural growing season (Penney, 2012).

The village of St. David's rapid increase of heat due to Greenhouse gasses has altered the microclimate climate within the region; however, the 2019 New Niagara Official Plan has designed a plan to reduce their contribution to climate change (Niagara, 2019). A key element to reduce climate change within the Niagara region will be through land use planning as it this has been the most effective tool to counter climate change. The region has implemented new zoning bylaws, development permits designed to minimize climate change, the reduction in automobile dependence through sustainable transportation, utilization of renewable energy sources, initiated the shift towards ecofriendly farming practices and the protection and preservation of the natural surrounding environment (Niagara, 2019).

Archaeological Influences

The village of St. David's possesses a rich history due to its Indigenous and European settlements within the region that has greatly influenced the environment. The Indigenous People inhabited the Niagara Region for over 11,000 years. The first recorded evidence of human settlement within the Niagara Peninsula which encompasses the village of St. David's has been dated back to 1300 and 1400 A.D (Sultzman, 2000). The Onguiaahra, an Iroquois tribe, was historically referred to as the Neural Tribe by European explorers for their ability in mediating disputes between warring Hurons and Iroquois tribes, occupied the territory that spanned from the Niagara Peninsula, upstate New York and through portions of southeastern Michigan with a population of 20,000 people living in scattered villages (Sultzman, 2000). The Onguiaahra were the leaders of a group of ten tribes from the Iroquois Nation that relied on hunting in addition to gathering in order to survive. European settlers first started arriving in the area and started settling in the region in the early 1600s. The location of what was later to be known as St. David's lay the intersection of two important First Nations trails (Wilkinson, 2003). One was a north-south trail from Lake Ontario to the top of the Escarpment and beyond to Lake Erie while the east-west trail traversed along the edge of the Niagara River below the Escarpment to as far east as modern day Burlington Ontario. Due to the strategic location of the area, trading posts were established within the village. The importance of the fur trade within the region initiated a fur trade rivalry between the Huron and Iroquois people sparked a six-year long war that decimated the Onguiaahra Tribe's population and were into become adopted by neighboring Tribes (Niagara, 2015). The Iroquois were victorious in the six-year long war and took control of the Niagara region. The documented evidence of this settlement makes St. David's amongst the oldest remaining settled communities in Ontario (Niagara, 2015).

Land use history

After the arrival of the European settlers, the European population became more prominent win the 18^th century. The Niagara Peninsula was purchased by the British government from the First Nations people and through the Resettlement Program United Empire Loyalists, 500 acres of land were obtained in what was later to become known as St. David's. The area was named after David Secord, an officer of the Butler's Rangers who was an instrumental figure during the settlement and development of the land. On June 18^th, 1812, the United States declared war against Great Britain including their colonies (Wilkinson, 2003). During the War of 1812, American invaders sought to gain control of the Niagara Peninsula for its strategic location which included the village of St. David's (Wilkinson, 2003). In 1813, after the burning of York known today as Toronto, the village of St. David's became the acting Capital of Upper Canada (Wilkinson, 2003). Although throughout the war, the possession of the land fluctuated between the British and Americans forces. Prior to being reclaimed by the British forces, the American Commanding Officer authorized the order to loot then burn down the entire surrounding area including St. David's devastating the village and several surrounding ecosystem (Wilkinson, 2003)s. However, after the War of 1812, St. David's was quickly rebuilt as David Secord and Richard Woodruff donated large portions of land to build a school, a cemetery and several small industries. Some of the industries that were constructed within this period include four gristmills, a tannery, shoe, potash, plough and barrel factories, canning factory, harness shop, breweries, print shop, several blacksmiths, three hotels and forty houses (Wilkinson, 2003).

The landscape of the region was further altered as the agricultural focus shifted from mixed farming to fruit growing which is credited to David Jackson Lowrey as he established the first peach trees farms and the first commercial vineyard in 1869 (Wilkinson, 2003). Throughout the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the village of St. David's has seen its population continue to increase and with the increase in population, came urban expansion and the attraction of heavy industries (Brown et al, 2010). Landscapes were destroyed and greatly altered to construct streets and highways to accommodate for the municipality's growing dependency on automobiles for transportation and economic purposes.

Education / Interpretation

Encompassed within the village of St. David's are serval educational and interpretive resources available for general public consumption which depict this municipality's possessed architectural heritage and illustrates the historical formation of this remarkable village. Due to the village of St. David's rich historical background, the Niagara-on the-Lake Museum, located at 43 Castlereagh Street, has been documenting, collecting and preserving the rich history of the local region. The museum possesses digital exhibitions and pictorial collections that briefly illustrates the village of St. David's archaeological influences and land use history. In fact, the museum offers a self-guided walking tour of St. David's, provided by the St. David's Heritage Committee, to commemorate the Burning of St. David's (Niagara-on the-Lake, 2020). The tour contains information pertaining to several historic structures, stories of the municipality's influential figures and other distinctive places in town. To experience this self-guided tour, visit the Niagara-on-the-lake museum website (Niagara-on the-Lake, 2020).

Moreover, to encourage awareness of the history of the village of St David's among its tourist and increasing population, this municipality has allocated funds towards identity mapping the region. Through this process, the village of St David's has been identified due to the pivotal historic events and locations that invoke a strong sense of identification with the community and the landscapes with the citizens of the region (Beaker & Hanna, 2009). The Heritage Committee has implemented historic land markers throughout the St. David's. These land markers are located at key historical locations within the city and inscribed on the land markers are brief yet critical explanations for the historical significance of the location. The plaques used for these land makers are manufactured using bronze and approximately 50 centimeters by 40 centimeters (Golder, 2015). The mapping of the community identity is a powerful tool for engaging community as it allows citizens to celebrate past historical events that make their community unique while further permitting tourist to learn about the uniqueness of the community (Beaker & Hanna, 2009).

Architectural Heritage:

The built environment refers to the manufactured human created milieu that provide the setting for human activity (Marzluff et al, 2008). This built environment manipulates the landscape in order to accommodate for the population through the construction of buildings, greenspace, neighbourhoods and their supporting infrastructures. After the burning of the village of St. David's, much of the original built landscape was destroyed although some of the early archeological heritage of the village has been preserved and protected. The street called Paxton Lane, which was the original First Nations north/south trail, has been the main road for the village of St. David's since its existence (Niagara-on the-Lake, 2020). Several archeological heritage structures are situated alongside this historically significant street. Archaeological heritage structures that are protected along this road include Solomon Quick's Tavern, the Secord/Paxton family home and the Clement/Doyle family home (Niagara-on the-Lake, 2020). Alongside Four Mile Creek Road are several other archeological heritage structures but the majority of these structures have changed ownership several times and have experienced significant cosmetic and structural renovations by their owners. The local school building, farms, gristmills, blacksmith shops, factories and other various archeological structures constructed with the land donations from David Secord and Richard Woodruff have since then been demolished or repurposed (Niagara-on the-Lake, 2020).

It should be mentioned however that several small cemeteries constructed during the 19th century have been preserved and maintained. The current built landscape of the village of St. David's includes various structures that collectively contribute to the prosperity of the city. The urban strategists and planners that have built the current infrastructure of the city agreed that through in order to attract younger and talented adults to the surrounding area in efforts to expand upon the local economy, erecting certain type of structures are required (Beaker & Hanna, 2009). These urban strategists and planners have placed a high importance of creating culture through the built environment to include schools, vineyards, churches, restaurants and several small industries in the local and surrounding neighbourhoods (Beaker & Hanna, 2009).

Recreational Uses:

As previously stated, urban strategists and planners have built the village of St. David's environment to in a way that would produce a culture that appeals to younger talented adults in the hopes of propelling the local economy forward (Beaker & Hanna, 2009). The city has implemented various diverse recreational uses that are well maintained, accessible and available for the public (Niagara, 2020). St. David's Park located on York Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake features two open-access tennis courts, a playground, community pool, washrooms, accessible parking and a picnic pavilions. In addition, Cannery, Lowery and Sparky's park all located within the village of St. David's for similar recreational uses although these parks are more accommodating towards people with disabilities and the older demographic as these parks are accessible friendly. In 1984, the Upper Canada Heritage Trail was established in the village of St. David's for recreational usage. The trail was once a railway line that transported passengers and freight to and from ports in Niagara-on- the-Lake until the line was eventually abandoned in the 20th century (Bruce Trail Conservancy, 2013). This trail's route connects the village of St. David's with the city of Niagara-on-the-Lake and eventually connects to the Niagara River Recreation Trail.

The village of St. David's amalgamated with Niagara-on-the-Lake in order to create the regional town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Therefore, through this merger the village of St. David's falls under the municipal jurisdiction of the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The village of St. David's, is situated within the Niagara region thus, it is the responsibility of the Niagara Parks Commission to maintain and protect the various public land uses while showcasing the grandeur of the village (Niagara Parks, 2016). Niagara Parks Commission continues to move forward with its plans to improve the overall operations of the recreational uses utilized within the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in order to create a culture that attracts creative adults to further enhance the local economy (Beaker & Hanna, 2009). This means that the village of St. David's permits public access as it attempts to create a built environment and preserve the natural environment to attract not only new residents but tourist as well.

The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has implemented The Official Plan which sets out policies that deal with legislative and administrative concerns, policies to guide physical growth and policies to express a wide variety of social, economic and environmental concerns within its townships (Niagara-on-the-Lake, 2017). To further, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Zoning By-law is needed to assist the amalgamated municipalities in the implementation of objectives and policies laid out by the Official Plan. The village of St. David's falls into this category of amalgamated municipalities that utilize Zoning By-laws to aid the application of the Official Plan within the community. The Zoning By-law document is a precise legal document that functions under the Planning Act as it used regulate the use of land and states what land uses will be permitted within the municipality. The village of St. David's community zoning district applies to all the land within the urban area boundaries (Hynde, 2009).

The village of St. David's By-laws include

• Residential (R1) Zone

• Residential (R2) Zone

• Residential (R3) Zone

• Residential Multiple (RM1) Zone

• Residential Multiple (RM2) Zone

• Estate Residential (ER) Zone

• Residential Development (RD) Zone

• Village Commercial (VC) Zone

• Service Commercial (SC) Zone

• Enterprise (E) Zone

• Institutional (I) Zone

• Open Space (OS) Zone

• Environmental Conservation (EC) Zone

• Site Specific Expectations

Urban landscapes exhibit serval fundamental features of complex systems as do not exist in isolation but are rather connected through heterogeneous, spatially nested, and hierarchically structured (Alberti, 2008). Therefore, all landscapes are different as they possess diverse ecology, geology, developed culture and history. These factors all have collectively contributed to the urbanization of the land while also connecting to and constructing relationships with other landscapes. Thus, the village of St. David's is connected to various other landscapes and these connected landscapes have influenced it over time. Landscape connectivity among human-dominated ecosystems can either facilitate or impede the flow of resources and organisms, depending on ecological or human processes. Despite the fact that urban development improves the connectivity, it also fragments habitat patches, which can therefore decrease the chances of species survival and pose a major threat to the species which may culminate in their extinction (Alberti, 2008). Adjacent to the village of St. David's is the village of Queenston, Ontario that is connected via York Road. The percentage of land that is covered over by roadway has impacted patches of land including their ecological properties thus altering the overall landscape. This has influenced the village of St. David's over time as the percentage of land covered could be responsible for decreased species survival and potential species extinction (Alberti, 2008). Another, adjacent land use of the village of St. David's is the King's Highway (405). Although, this highway is not very long, it is directly south of the village of St. David's as it connects the Queen Elizabeth Way to the Queenston-Lewiston International Bridge near Niagara Falls. Through the urban ecological gradient, this land use impacts on the municipality can be assessed (Alberti, 2008). The human-induced disturbances associated with urbanization such as highways have produced negative ecological responses in the local environment. Evidence indicates that greenhouse gasses from automobiles that use highways are resulting in warmer climate temperatures affecting the phenology of organisms along with the range and distribution of species (Marzluff et al, 2008).

The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake Operations Department

Public Works and Parks & Recreation

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Image References

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Ferreira, S. (2020). Map of the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake [Photograph].

Ferreira, S. (2020). Pendergast Blacksmith Shop [Photograph].

Ferreira, S. (2020). The Old Firehall [Photograph].

Ferreira, S. (2020). The Plaques Used to Mark Land in St. David's [Photograph].

Ferreira, S. (2020). The village of St. David's local park [Photograph].

Ferreira, S. (2020). Urban expansion in St. David's [Photograph].

Ferreira, S. (2020). York Street [Photograph].

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Marcucci , M. (2015). The purest of Noble trees (Oak Tree) [PNG]. https://www.yourleaf.org/blog/michael-marcucci/sep....

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[Photograph of a Deerberry Tree in Monticello Park] (n.d.) [PNG].http://www.mpnature.com/plants/pages/ts_deerberry.html.

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This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Stephen Ferreira for Brock University course TMGT 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 12, 2020.

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