The Queenston Docks, now used primarily as a boat launch and scenic fishing spot, was once an integral part of the trading industry. Being located in Queenston, Ontario, these manmade docks can be found along the Niagara River, a major travel route connecting Lake Ontario to the rest of the Great Lakes Basin (Dale, 2011). As a result of the transportation route, Queenston saw a rise in population as steamships docked to deliver goods, as well as take passengers up the river into Toronto (Brown, 2010). Both the Queenston Docks and the Erie and Ontario Railway would play a major role in creating a booming economy for Queenston as they made the town widely accessible to all (Exploring Niagara, n.d.; Brown, 2010). During winter, much of the Niagara River would freeze and create an ice dam, leaving boats either stuck in the ice or unable to pass through. This would ultimately lead to the flooding of buildings within the town as the clumped ice thawed in the springtime (Brown, 2010). Looking at the Queenston Docks today, there has been a growing concern over the fishing habits because of locals. Fishing has become a staple activity at the docks and as a result some of the ecosystems within the Niagara River have been jeopardized due of overfishing. Lake sturgeon were once found in abundance throughout Lakes Erie and Ontario, as well as the Niagara River, but the population has drastically decreased because of the overexploitation of this species (Hughes, Lowie, and Haynes, 2011). The Queenston Docks serve as one of the major boat launches for Lower Niagara citizens, sharing the duty with the Port Dalhousie Launch. The docks have become a repurposed cultural landmark of the town, offering citizens the opportunity to partake in recreational water activities along the Niagara River and Great Lakes Basin.

Municipality: Niagara on the Lake

Local area name: Queenston, Ontario

Other identifying names or descriptions: Situated right on the Niagara River, just outside the town of Queenston, ON

Latitude: 43.164152

Longitude: -79.050783

Physical Dimensions:

Length: Approximately 280 meters

Width: Approximately 50 meters

Surface Area: 14,000 square meters

Elevation:

Highest: Approximately 100 meters

Lowest: 0 meters (water-level)

Amidst the Niagara Peninsula, a stretch of land connecting Lake Ontario to that of Lake Erie, one is able to find the waterway that is responsible for much of the transportation that occurs between these two places. Having originally been settled on by the Neutral Nation tribe, this land would eventually be taken by European settlers where it would be transformed into 26 cities and towns (Brown, Middleton, Vaughan, 2010). Amongst those 26 towns would be the small hamlet of Queenston and its accompanying dock system used to assist in moving ships through the Niagara River. The Queenston Docks, being located in the modern-day region of Niagara on the Lake is an integral part of the Niagara on the Lake region as it not only serves its citizens in easy access to the water for their boats, but it also acts as a prospering ecosystem used by migratory bird and fish species during breeding seasons.

The Queenston Docks roughly stretch 280 meters of the Niagara River, being situated very close to the Niagara Falls Power Generating Plant further upstream. It is also located right next to the United States border as across the river from the Docks is Lewiston, NY. This assessment of the of Queenston Docks will include only the Canadian portion of the Niagara River in which the docks reside on, as well as part of the town of Queenston to the West, and the lush greenery to the south of the Docks. The Queenston Docks have developed a cultural identity amongst tourists and locals as being the optimal spot for recreational water activities such as boating and fishing. Anglers are encouraged to fish by the Niagara Park Association as the area encompasses numerous species of fish, making it a hot-spot for outdoor enthusiasts alike. The Docks also provide a beautiful outdoor backdrop that many photographers use when taking their pictures.

Map 1. Map of the Canada and U.S. border showing the location of the Queenston Docks. To the North is Lake Ontario and to the South is Lake Erie. The Queenston Docks are found on the Niagara River.

Google. (2020.). [Map of Canada and U.S. Border]. Retrieved Thursday, November 12th, 2020.

The Queenston Docks is surrounded by forestry, moderately dense vegetation, and a plethora of diverse wildlife. Though, recently there has been a push towards developing the land around the Queenston Docks into suburban areas and residential housing. Queenston has experienced urban sprawl within recent memory, which has attributed to the change in cultural meaning attributed to the Docks. What were once used for delivering supplies and passengers has now become a popular boat launch amongst a forested area.

Figure 2. Image of the Queenston Docks in 1930. Note the urban sprawl and agricultural fields to the west of the site.

[Niagara Air Photo Digital Images, 1930 Series]. [18932-039]. St. Catharines, ON: Brock University Maps, Data & GIS, 2016. Accessed November, 12th, 2020.

To continue, the Queenston Docks are designed to resist the constant weathering of a Canadian climate, using concrete slabs and tightly compacted dirt to hold the structure in place. As a result of this, certain areas around the dock have ben modified to allow for access to the site. These changes are considered minimal as the Queenston Docks fall within Ontario's Greenbelt, making much of its land protected by the provincial government from human alterations. The site falls within a lush vegetated area only mildly disturbed by the surrounding town. Focusing specifically on plant life, the Docks are home to numerous spruce trees that make up the upper layer of the forest canopy. Below this are smaller shrubs and other vegetation that cover a majority of the surface area surrounding the site. Focusing on the biota within the landscape, the Queenston Docks appear to have forestry in the maturity or old age portion of the forest cycle. According to Hough (2004), forest types goes through five stages; infancy, youth, maturity, old age and rebirth. When looking at the landscape, it appears that the surrounding forest is at the maturity or old age period because the trees and overgrowth are too tall and filled in to be part of any other period of the tree cycle.

The area of the Niagara River that the Queenston Docks falls on is notorious for being overfished. As a result, there have been regulations placed on what species of fish are able to be caught in the area. Lake sturgeon were once found in abundance at both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, but due to overfishing the population is not endangered in those areas (Hughes, Lowie, Haynes, 2011). Furthermore, the Niagara Region now entails five regions within its borders that have been chosen as Important Bird Areas (IBA), meaning that these zones have become significant sites for bird migration and ecosystem growth (Brown et al., 2010). More specifically, the stretch of land that makes up the Niagara River Corridor is one of these areas that are outlined by Birdlife International as being central for bird breeding in the Niagara region (Brown et al., 2010). With a mix of large spaces of land and water for fauna to inhabit, it makes for a healthy balance between plant and animal species as the ecosystem have enough space and resources to sustain itself. For example, when exploring the reason, the numerous bird species that inhabit the area, it could be a direct result of the amount of fish found in the neighboring Niagara River.

b) Geomorphology:

When describing the geomorphology of the Queenston Docks and surrounding area, it is important to remember that this land is constantly changing because of both natural and anthropogenic effects. Therefore, by focusing on the most recent version of the landscape, the most accurate depiction of the Queenston Docks geomorphology will be given. As said previously, the area around the Queenston Docks have been subjected to urban sprawl as a result of population and economic growth within the town of Queenston. According to Wessolek (2008), climate and weather cycles, as well as the impacts of emission and motor traffic are key in understanding the soil sealing occurring in an area. The Queenston Docks are widely regarded as one of the most popular boat launches in the Niagara region so both foot traffic and vehicle use in the area are very common.

Upon visiting the site, it was noticed that there was one paved road that lead to the boat launch. This single road would become a fork in the road and split into two paths, both of which lead down to the Docks. One of the forks would lead you to a parking lot where boats could be parked and inspected before being placed into the water, while the other took the person down to the jet boat launch. Both of these roads are surrounded by forest, especially the road leading to the parking lot because to the south is dense forestry. The area around the Docks was excavated to allow for easier access to the boat launch via automobiles, and in turn asphalt was laid to avoid accidents and skidding.

Figure 3. Google Earth photo of the Queenston Docks divided into three sections to help with Marzluff's Classification of Urban Areas into Sealing Classes.

Google. (2020). [Map of Queenston Docks - Divided into Three Sections]. Retrieved Thursday, November 12th, 2020.

Using the picture provided above (Figure 2) with regards to Marzluff et al., (2008) Classification of urban areas into sealing classes, the Queenston Docks are divided into three sections so as to provide the most accurate classification of soil sealing for the entire site. Section 1 refers to the actual Docks and boat ramp portion of the site. Section 2 is of the suburban area to the West of the Docks. Section 3 shows the road used to get to the Docks as well as the accompanying parking lot. In saying this, section 1 falls under Sealing Class 3 as the main portion of the Docks show strong sealing (concrete) and could be considered to be that of a former industrial zone because of its use in transporting goods (Marzluff et al., 2008). Section 2 can be classified under Sealing Class 1 because of its limited sealing due to minimal housing settlements in the area (Marzluff et al., 2008). Finally, section 3 will be classified as Sealing Class 1 as it has even less human-induced changes than section 2, but still has sealing because of the paved road that runs through the site (Marzluff et al., 2008).

The Niagara River is an important feature in relation to the Queenston Docks. The river acts as a connector between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, making it the primary transportation route between Canada and the United States until the development of Highway 405.

The Docks are located right next to the Niagara River which means that lots of natural hydrogeological change occurs. According to Alberti (2005), water is able to transport sediment and other materials through the process of erosion and deposition, therefore altering the surface area of the site. Visiting the site, one is able to see how sediment is deposited near the shores of the Docks and surrounding area, probably in part due to the Horseshoe Falls found farther down the Niagara River. Sandy shores have been created, which act as fishing spots for locals. The erosion of Niagara Falls plays a large part in carrying this sediment downstream to Queenston and Lewiston. Since the turn of the 19^th century, physical factors as the flow volume of the Falls, the waterfall shape, and the actual strength of the bedrock itself has resulted in a receded Niagara Falls (Hayakawa, Matsukura, 2009). Bedrock plays an important role in the erosion of waterfalls and transportation of sediment as it acts as an abrasive material that wears down surfaces (Hayakawa et al., 2009). This could be a reason as to why the Queenston Docks are primarily made of concrete, so that it may avoid the erosion of materials being brought downstream by Niagara Falls. To continue, another natural hydrological change that occurs at the Queenston Docks would be the freezing of the Niagara River during the winter time. The mounds of ice accumulate over the river and result in the edges of the river residing, especially at the ice melts and carries sediment downstream to be deposited elsewhere.

One of the major human-induced changes in the hydrogeological landscape would a result of the hydroelectric dams that was made south of the Queenston Docks. These dams are meant to use the energy created from the water moving downstream from Niagara Falls as a way of utilizing a clean energy source. Altering the volume of water that runs down the river and can lead to a rise or decrease in water level which can affect natural habitats in the area. Also, another common anthropogenic change that occurs to streams and rivers found close to urban centers would be how humans make the river straighter, deeper, and wider to avoid flooding on the shore (Alberti, 2008). The Queenston Docks are found just slightly above water level to avoid flooding, but in comparison to the neighboring town, it is still at risk of flooding. The Docks can be found at the bottom of the Niagara escarpment, meaning that it is likely that alterations were made to the river to support its proximity to the water.

Figure 4. Ground-level perspective of the Queenston Docks outlining the water level.

Duggan, M. (2020). Fishing is common at the Queenston Docks [Photograph]. Queenston, ON

When analyzing the effects of human-induced changes brought on the Niagara Region as a whole, one is able to see that the rising temperatures are detrimental to various cultural and economic attractions in the region. Most notably, Niagara's signature ice wine is in danger because climate change has altered pick seasons and grow times (Shaw, 2017). Shaw (2017), says that the last 50 years have seen a global rise in temperature, with this spike being more noticeable in northern climates because of anthropogenic effects like the burning of fossil fuels.

The Great Lakes are another reason for local microclimates to experience little change as the bodies of water help in regulating the temperature of the region (Brown et al., 2010). More specifically, the warm waters of Lake Erie and the cooler waters of Lake Ontario create a strong lake breeze that are able to lower summer temperature but raise winter ones (Brown et al., 2010). As the Queenston Docks will always be found between these two bodies of water, there will be minimal change made to the microclimate. This is not to say that some change has occurred though. Natural changes occur in the area because of solar radiation, wind, precipitation and humidity (Hough, 2004). These elements are what cause seasonal changes to occur within the microclimate, meaning that each year will have four different climates to match Canada's four seasons. The Queenston Docks is not directly next to any major cities, but it is located between the two towns of Queenston and Lewiston. According to Hough (2004), paved surfaces such as concrete and streets are able to conduct and store heat much better than vegetated surfaces. As the Queenston Docks are made up of a majority concrete, this means that the incoming solar radiation can be absorbed and stored creating a potential miniature heat island at the site. Also, air quality can begin to be seen as an issue because of the constant usage of automobiles in the area. An increase in air particulates and carbon dioxide levels will lead to rising air temperatures and create further ozone problems (Hough, 2004). The site is predominantly used for cars and boats, both of which attribute to growing carbon dioxide emissions because they burn fossil fuels for energy.

Figure 5 . Picture of the Queenston Docks showing the asphalt surface that humans used to pave it.

Duggan, M. (2020). Concrete Pavement at the Queenston Docks [Photograph]. Queenston, ON

The Niagara Region was once considered to be Anishinaabe, Ojibway/Chippewa, and Haudenosaunee land before treaties were signed with the British Crown relinquishing these groups of their rights to the area (Ontario Federation of Labour, 2017). The lands in and around the Niagara Region would be recognized under the Upper Canada Treaties, with most being signed/purchased between 1781 and 1930 (Ontario Federation of Labour, 2017). It would be during the American Revolution in 1775 that areas around Fort Niagara would be signed for because of the arrival of British Loyalists to fight in the war (Ontario Federation of Labour, 2017). From that point on, much of the area surrounding the great lakes would be used to participate in the fur trade. Indigenous groups would use this passage of water to travel through the Niagara Strait and then portage around the Falls (Beatty-Medina, 2012). This area would become an important stronghold in maintaining British control over Lower Canada from the Americans. Most importantly it served as a major transportation route for the growing fur trade at the time (Beatty-Medina, 2012).

With regards to the growth of Queenston, it saw a dramatic increase in resources and population as a result of incoming steamships from the fur trade (Brown, 2010). The Queenston Docks would be used to take passengers staying within Queenston downstream into Lake Ontario, and eventually Toronto, which was still a thriving hub for business at them time (Brown, 2010). Queenston would remain a small town, but over time urban sprawl would consume much of the land around the Docks.

Map 2. Depiction of the Niagara River showing strategic points during the American Revolution (1775-1783).

Beatty-Medina, C. (2012). Contested Territories: Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850. Michigan University Press, https://doi.org/10.14321/j.ctt7zt59g

Education / Interpretation:

The Queenston Docks is not known for being informative but rather its ability to provide people with easy access to the water for their watercrafts and other recreational activities. Unfortunately, there is no museum or information booth to explain the history or cultural significance of the Docks other than a sign outlining what fish are protected within the Niagara River by the Ministry of Natural Resources.

Figure 6. Sign outlining a list of endangered fish species in the Niagara River, found at the Queenston Docks.

Duggan, M. (2020). Sign showing fish species at the Queenston Docks [Photograph]. Queenston, ON

Architectural Heritage:

The Queenston Docks remain a minimalistic location in that not much of the landscape has been changed. The majority of the location still consists of the docks themselves, while new areas have been excavated for parking purposes. Most of the buildings can be found on the outskirts of the site, found in Queenston. When driving to the Docks, there are bed-and-breakfasts, as well as other small shops owned within the community to entice tourists to stop in before launching their boat at the dock. One of the largest changes that have occurred to the area over time would be the implementation of gates to prohibit access to the Docks during certain times of the year. When visiting last, the boat launch was still accessible to the public, but the jet boat portion of the Docks were gated to stop access to automobiles. This was an electronic gate so it can be assumed that it had recently been implemented to prevent intruders.

Recreational Uses:

As mentioned previously, the Docks serve as an access to point to the Niagara River for the locals. It has created a culture of water sports and entertainment for the townspeople of Queenston, as well as other citizens of the Niagara region. This is further exemplified through the jet boats tours that the Docks now give of the river. Since the water current can be strong at points, these jet boats act as an easy transportation method if one chooses to see the entirety of the river. According to Baeker and Hanna (2009), places that are booming with entertainment and already have an established culture are great at drawing in people to the location. In the case of the Queenston Docks, the boat launch offers a spot to meet with friends and share a common activity in boating, but the site also offers the jet boat tours for tourists looking to adventure down the Niagara River. This follows the principles of Richard Florida, an urban strategist who aimed to use the natural environment in the area to attract creative people (Baeker, Hanna, 2009). The jet boat tours can be seen as a way of exploring the landscape, potentially drawing in tourists who are perceived as creative because of their adoration for nature.

The Niagara Parks foundation is the group responsible for maintaining and creating guidelines for the Queenston Docks. Since the landscape is owned by the region, it makes it a public space accessible to everyone. With the recent rise of COVID-19, there have been precautions put into place to assure the safety of those attending the Queenston Docks. It is only recently that the Niagara Parks group has placed restrictions on the number of people able to attend the Docks at a time because of COVID-19 restrictions placed by the government. Social distancing is difficult to maintain on the site because of its singular boat launch and limited parking space.

The Queenston Docks fall within Niagara's Greenbelt and therefore makes it so that biota and animal life are protected from public endangerment. This also means that there is no clear-cutting within the area as it would endanger the health of the surrounding ecosystem. Having being implemented in 2005, the Greenbelt plan, made up of both the Oak Ridges Moraine and the Niagara Escarpment, ensure that resources in the area remain untouched, especially as southern Ontario accounts for generating $50 billion annually in agriculture (Greenbelt Alliance, n.d.). In saying this, the Greenbelt Plan invests over $2.6 billion into southern Ontario (including that of Queenston and the Queenston Docks), that go towards cleaner air, better water filtration, flood control, waste treatment, and improved habitats for animals (Greenbelt Alliance, n.d.).

Since this legislature has only been implemented recently, it is difficult to say how human interaction with the environment was before restrictions were put into place to protect the area. As it is the same with many forested areas on the outskirts of towns, there was probably some form of clear-cutting that occurred to make room for the residential neighborhood to west of the Docks. Since the Greenbelt Plan has been enacted in the region, there has been no environmental impacts to note.

The Niagara Region as a whole is considered to be an emerging economic presence and overall beautiful and convenient place to live. It is due to the region's proximity to a natural landscape like Niagara Falls, and the easy access to major cities like Hamilton and Toronto that allow for locals to experience various sporting and cultural events. Though, this title has only been recently established because of NiagaraPalooza, a festival held in Niagara Falls that attempted to give the region a brand to rely on (Baeker, Hanna, 2009). Having noticed that Niagara had an aging population, low mean income and education rate, as well as high rates of youth leaving the area, the festival was designed to attract people to the region to experience all that it could offer (Baeker, Hanna, 2009). In Niagara Falls, investors came flocking in the hopes of capturing this area's uniqueness in being located right next to Horseshoe Falls in an attempt to make money (Baeker, Hanna, 2009). Similarly, Queenston thought that it could use the same access to the Falls as a way of creating a thriving local economy. The Queenston Docks acted as a gathering place for locals to experience the beauty of the region, but also provided tourists with a destination on route to other places. This is especially important given the Docks closeness to the American border, meaning that it would be able to attract both American and Canadian citizens to the site.

Having Niagara Falls so close in proximity would also provide the town of Queenston with an opportunity to make money as they are able to provide a person with a more classical experience of nature than the city Niagara Falls. According to Alberti (2008), urban landscapes are patches of land that encompass both human action and natural processes and therefore lead to newly altered patches as a result. Queenston Docks falls under the Niagara Escarpment and the accompanying Greenbelt plan, making it less prone to these human actions. The land is less developed that its Niagara Falls counterpart and therefore could lead to an increase in tourist attraction because of this preservation of nature.

Figure 7. Example of the forestry that surrounds the Queenston Docks. Note the sign displaying the fork in the road, taking the person to two different parts of the dock.

Duggan, M. (2020). Sign showing directions to the boat launch and jet boat area [Photograph]. Queenston, ON

The Queenston Docks fall within the Niagara Region, and as a result the Niagara Parks Association are the ones to take care of the site. Also, the Ministry of Natural Resources are also vital in maintaining the sites cultural significance because they are the ones to patrol the waterways surrounding the Queenston Docks. Most notably, they are present throughout different times of the year to make sure anglers are properly certified and catching and releasing the proper species. This stretch of river next to the Docks is actually provided a zone, meaning that certain fish species are more inclined to breed there as it is downstream from the falls (Niagara Greenbelt, n.d.). It would be the Niagara Parks association that closed the Queenston Docks in early June because they felt social distancing measures could not be upheld at the location. It is their responsibility to uphold the safety of locals and tourists who visit the Docks because it is considered to be a publicly shared space.

Contact Information:

Niagara Parks Commission
Oak Hall
P.O. Box 150
7400 Portage Road
Niagara Falls, ON L2E 6T2

Toll-free: 1 (877) 642-7275

(contact us, n.d.)

Text and online sources:

Alberti, M. (2008). Advances in Urban Ecology: Integrating Humans and Ecological Processes in Urban Systems. New York, Springer.

Baeker, G., Hanna, J. (2009). Culture, authenticity, place: Connecting cultural mapping and place branding. Culture, retrieved from https://lms.brocku.ca/access/content/group/0c4b412...

Beatty-Medina, C. (2012). Contested Territories: Native Americans and Non-Natives in the Lower Great Lakes, 1700-1850. Michigan University Press, https://doi.org/10.14321/j.ctt7zt59g

Brown, R. (2010). From Queenston to Kingston: The Hidden Heritage of Lake Ontario's Shoreline. Natural Heritage Books. Dale, R. (May, 2011). Queenston. Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/...

Brown, R. (2010). From Queenston to Kingston: The Hidden Heritage of Lake Ontario's Shoreline. Natural Heritage Books.

Contact Us. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.niagaraparks.com/contact-us/

Fishing at Queenston Docks. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://brocku.niagaragreenbelt.com/listings/125-f...

Hough, M. (2004). Cities and Natural Process: A Basis for Sustainability. Routledge, London.

Hughes, T., Lowie, C., Haynes, J. (2011). Age, growth, relative abundance, and scuba capture of a new or recovering spawning population of lake sturgeon in the Lower Niagara River, New York. North American Journal of Fisheries Management, 25(4), retrieved from https://doi-org.proxy.library.brocku.ca/10.1577/M0...

Marzluff, J., Shulenberger, E., Endlicher, W., Alberti, M., Bradley, G., Ryan, C., Simon, U., & ZumBrunnen, C. (2008). Urban Ecology: An International Perspective on the Interaction Between Humans and Nature. Springer, New York.

Niagara Falls, Canada - Attractions - Restaurants. (2020). Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.niagaraparks.com/

Ontario Federation of Labour. (2017, May 31). Retrieved from https://www.ofl.ca/wp-content/uploads/2017.05.31-T...

Queenston, Ontario. (2014). Retrieved September 28, 2020, from http://exploringniagara.com/places_to_explore/towns_cities/queenston.html

Shaw, T. (2017). Climate change and the evolution of the Ontario cool climate wine regions in Canada. Journal of Wine Research, 28(1), 13-45.

The Greenbelt Plan. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://greenbeltalliance.ca/node/89

Map References:

Google. (2020.). [Map of Canada and U.S. Border]. Retrieved Thursday, November 12th, 2020.

Google. (2020.). [Map of Queenston Docks - Divided into Three Sections]. Retrieved Thursday, November 12th, 2020.

[Niagara Air Photo Digital Images, 1930 Series]. [18932-039]. St. Catharines, ON: Brock University Maps, Data & GIS, 2016. Accessed November, 12th, 2020.

This Local Landscape Report was prepared by Mitchell Duggan 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.