Montebello Park is located in downtown St. Catharines; it is bounded by Lake Street, Ontario Street, Midland Street and Queen Street. William Hamilton Merritt Jr. owned and named the park "Monte Bello" which means "beautiful mountain" in Italian. William's original plan was to build his family's estate on the land but suddenly passed in 1862. Since then, the estate was owned by heirs of the Merritt family until 1887 when the park was purchased by the City of St. Catharines making Montebello Park the first public park in the city. Montebello Park is 6.5 acres that features a pavilion, a garden with an ornamental fountain, a shaded playground area, and a bandshell. A year after the park was purchased by the City of St. Catharines, the pavilion was built on the original foundation of the Merritt estate; Montebello Park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, a renowned landscape architect. Other projects Olmstead designed and worked on included Central Park in New York City and Mount Royal Park in Montreal. Since 1888, despite rain or shine the pavilion has hosted several concerts which became the focal point of the park along with the bandshell which was built in 1904. The rose garden is located on the north-east end of Montebello Park and features 25 varieties with over 1300 bushes; the largest collection of roses within the city. Bushes and plants had been planted before, but the commemorative rose garden was created in 1919. Over the years, many have gathered at Montebello Park to attend social and cultural events such as the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Festival, Niagara's Grape and Wine Festival in early autumn or the Rib Fest in the summertime. Within the park's landscapes there are walking trails, park benches, picnic tables and numerous trees; many of the trees have been donated or have been planted to commemorate certain individuals and/or groups of people recognized by the City of St. Catharines.

Municipality: St. Catharines

Local area name: Downtown St. Catharines

Latitude and longitude: 43.158460°N, 79.251340°W

Physical Dimensions

Length: ~200m (at its widest)

Width: ~250m (at its widest)

Surface Area: 6.3 acres

Elevation:

Highest: 135m

Lowest: 106m

Montebello Park was the first public park in the Garden City, St. Catharines. Boasting 6.3 acres of public green space and the largest rose garden collection in the city, there is no denying why Montebello Park is the largest and most popular public event space in the region. This beautiful park was designed by Frederick Law Olmstead, a world-renowned landscape architect that also had a large role in designing Central Park in New York City. His original plan for Montebello Park was to build out a baseball diamond and tennis courts for public recreational use. Unfortunately, the idea was later scrapped and now includes a large outdoor pavilion, bandshell, playground, and acres of luscious green grass intertwined with tree-lined trails, a perfect spot to have a summer picnic.

Map 1: 3D Aerial View of Montebello Park in St. Catharines, Ontario

a) Biota:

The famous Civic Rose Garden of Montebello Park has the ornamental fountain along with the different varieties of roses within the 1300 rose bushes. Some of the different types of rose species include Liebeszaber, Pink Peace, Winnipeg Park, Flaming Peace, Beauty Star, Commemorative 1812 Rose, Queen Elizabeth, L.D. Braithwaite, Garden Party, Othello, Double Delight, Tropicana, Jayne Austin, Esme Euvard, and First Prize. Throughout the park there are bushes planted around the pavilion and trees for shaded areas on the hot summer days. Montebello Park can be considered a temperate-zone deciduous forests since it is in eastern North America with four distinct seasons; the different forest types go through periods of infancy, youth, maturity, old age, and rebirth (Hough, 2004). Since Montebello Park goes through the four seasons, the park undergoes this process continuously; the plants and tree life mostly die in the colder temperatures and regenerate in the warmer temperatures.

b) Geomorphology:

The major physical features of Montebello Park are highlighted through the enhancement of the natural topography through the views of the open area with the placement of the seating areas and shelters designed by Olmstead. With the elevation of the grounds at the focal point of the park being the perfect foundation for the pavilion. Montebello Park is not considered a National Park but will always be a part of the history and culture of St. Catharines! Over the years, the city of St. Catharines has changed the natural landscape of the park by adding the pavilion in 1888, the bandshell in 1904, the addition of the Rose Garden officially in 1919 and the walking trails along the park.

Montebello Park does not have any major hydrogeological features. The park is comprised of 90% grass and the rest of the 10% being made up by walking paths, the pavilion, and the bandshell. Much of the water that runs off in the park is slowly absorbed by the grass and helps prevent excess surface runoff to the streets that can cause storm water management problems for the city. The closest hydrogeological feature is the twelve-mile creek. This waterway helps to drain a watershed of about 180km2. It is also the discharge route for the two smaller hydroelectric power plants from Decew Falls. The twelve-mile creek runs all the way down to Lake Ontario.

Montebello Park is a 6.3 acre public green space that has tree-lined paths and acres of grassland for the public to enjoy. Throughout the years, many trees have been planted and donated by individuals and organizations honouring those that have made a major positive contribution to the community. Planting trees is a great way to help reduce the community's carbon footprint. Trees help to absorb carbon dioxide that comes from cars, trucks, and urbanization, knowing this, the surrounding area in Montebello Park has been covered in new plant and vegetation, helping to absorb carbon dioxide and helping to increase the oxygen inside levels inside the atmosphere.

Archaeological Influences

When discussing the archaeological influences and history of the landscape, Montebello Park was originally a Crown Grant given to Robert Hamilton, a politician, businessman, judge, and office holder, in 1796 (Biography – Hamilton, Robert – volume V (1801-1820) – dictionary of Canadian biography n.d.). As an influential individual in the fur trade and his ability to develop strong business relationships with the British army, he sold the land to William Hamilton Merritt in 1820. After his passing, the land was sold to William Hamilton Merritt Jr. The land ownership changed one last time in 1887 where the City of St. Catharines ended up purchasing the site which then became the city's first official park. The park was designed by a world renown landscape architect, Frederick Law Olmsted. Through his design and his thoughtful planning of future developments nearby, the space has a large pavilion and bandshell for the public to use for large events and gatherings

Land Use History

William Hamilton Merritt's original plans for the 6.3 acre lot was to build his family's estate on the land. Unfortunately, since his sudden passing and the land being sold to the City of St. Catharines, the existence and purpose of Montebello Park was to create a large public park and event space for community members to enjoy. Frederick Law Olmstead, the landscape architect for the park originally had plans to build a baseball diamond and tennis courts for public recreational use. However, the idea was later scrapped and has now turned to a beautiful green space for the city and other organizations to host large public outdoor events. Over the years, many festivals and events have taken place at Montebello Park. Some examples include the annual Niagara Grape & Wine Festival and the St. Catharines Rotary Ribfest. The Park is also open to the public year round for families and friends to gather and enjoy a beautiful day under the sun. Throughout the last few centuries, the area has not undergone any drastic changes. The City of St. Catharines originally designed the space for public events and gatherings and to this day, the purpose of this park has not changed and continues to be a top choice for event organizers.

Education / Interpretation:

The City of St. Catharines has an official website with general information about Montebello Park.

Website Link: St. Catharines - Montebello Park

Architectural Heritage:

The early architectural heritage of Montebello has been preserved exceptionally well and continues to be the focal point of the park. The pavilion and bandshell continue to prove the test of time, standing for 100 plus years and counting. Over time, additional features have been added to the park such as the playground with a shaded area, the fencing around the Rose Garden, and the benches and picnic tables that line the park's walking trails for the community to enjoy. In 1978 after 90 years since it was built, the Montebello Park Pavilion was identified by the City of St. Catharines as an "Architectural and Historical Buildings for Designation" (). In 2007, the pavilion was dedicated to Walter Ostanek to celebrate 50 years as Canada's Polka King.

Recreational Uses:

Montebello Park has numerous recreational uses with the focal point of the park being the pavilion and the bandshell; this allows for gatherings of all kinds for the public no matter the weather. Montebello Park has become a cultural resource for not only the city of St. Catharines but also the Niagara region as it holds festivals, events and programs promoting cultural heritage to the community (Baeker & Hanna, 2009). The Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre holds outdoor events such as the Niagara Folk Arts Festival where there are foods from all over the world live performances of national dances and singing of national songs. Additionally, the Niagara Folk Arts Centre held a spike ball tournament in the open field and Friendsgiving in October at the pavilion. The Niagara Grape and Wine Festival and the Annual Rib Fest are held at Montebello Park bringing in the community to enjoy and support local businesses!

Ownership, jurisdiction, access, and management

Montebello Park was owned by William Hamilton Merritt Jr. His original plans were to build his family's estate on the 6.3-acre lot; the dwelling being located on the current foundation of the pavilion. Unfortunately, Merritt Jr. suddenly passed, and his family had to decide on the future plans for the large plot of land. The family came up with the idea to divide the land into individual garden plots for rental. After around 15 years of renting out the garden plots, the land was sold to the City of St. Catharines in 1887. This is when Montebello Park became the first public park in St. Catharines where the pavilion and bandshell were built for public event use. The City of St. Catharines is currently still the owners and operators of the park and have done an amazing job up-keeping the area to maintain the cleanliness and physical appearance of the space. In 2018, the pavilion floorboards and railings were replaced as the area is directly exposed to the outdoor elements and needed replacing (Renos at Montebello Park Pavilion, 2018).

Montebello Park was bought by the City of St. Catharines in 1887 and became the city's first official park. Because of this fact, industrialization and urbanization were designed around the park and residential and commercial opportunities began to roar. Montebello Park is down the road from the downtown core of St. Catharines and therefore a lot of traffic and tourism is common for the area. Being that the park is surrounded by main streets and Highway 406, accessibility to the area is readily straightforward. For those that do not drive, public transit in the downtown core is timely and provides plenty of access to various parts of the city. The Park is also very close to the Twelve Mile Creek. This powerful stream serves as a source for energy for the Decew Falls Generating Station at the base of the Niagara Escarpment (Decew Falls generating station no. 1 - 1898). The Meritt Trail also runs nearby Montebello Park. This 10.3km trail runs parallel to the Twelve Mile Creek and provides all residents and visitors a great place for exercise, nature viewing, and road biking (Merritt Trail - Ontario, Canada | alltrails).

City of St. Catharines

PO Box 3012, 50 Church St.

St. Catharines ON L2R 7C2

Tel: 905.688.5600

Fax: 905.682.3631

TTY: 905.688.4TTY (4889)

City Hall Hours: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Phone & Email Service: Monday - Friday, 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Baeker, G., & Hanna, J., (2009). Culture, Authenticity, Place: Connecting Cultural Mapping and Place Branding (pp. 9-12). Municipal World.Biography – Hamilton, robert – volume V (1801-1820) – dictionary of Canadian biography. Home – Dictionary of Canadian Biography. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2021, from http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/hamilton_robert_5E.html.

Blozowski, K. (n.d.). Frederick law Olmsted Designs Montebello Park. Retrieved September 20, 2021, from https://stcatharinesheritage.wordpress.com/2014/05/01/frederick-law-olmstead-designs-montebello-park/

Brock University. (2012). Montebello Park. Niagara Greenbelt, http://brocku.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/76-parks-gardens-a-conservation-areas/313-montebello-park.html

Decew Falls generating station no. 1 - 1898. Niagara Greenbelt Gateway Website. (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://brocku.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/58-hydrolectric-stations/379-decew-falls-generating-station-no-1-1898.html.

Gannon, D. (2016, August 05). YESTERDAY and today: When Montebello?s pavilion was new. Retrieved September 21, 2021, from https://www.niagarafallsreview.ca/news/niagara-region/2016/08/05/yesterday-and-today-when-montebello-s-pavilion-was-new.html?rf

Gardens in Niagara. (2021). Montebello Park. Retrieved September 22, 2021, from https://exhibits.library.brocku.ca/s/gardens-in-niagara/page/montebello-park

Hough, M. (2004). Plants and plant communities. In Cities and Natural Process: A Basis for Sustainability (2nd ed., pp. 86–129). essay, Routledge. Retrieved November 12, 2021.

Merritt Trail - Ontario, Canada | alltrails. AllTrails . (n.d.). Retrieved November 6, 2021, from https://www.alltrails.com/trail/canada/ontario/merritt-trail--3.

Renos at Montebello Park Pavilion. stcatharinesstandard.com. (2018, May 6). Retrieved November 5, 2021, from https://www.stcatharinesstandard.ca/news/niagara-region/2018/05/06/renos-at-montebello-park-pavilion.html.

This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Janella Tutanes for the Brock University course TOUR/GEOG 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November 14, 2021.

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