Glen Ridge Public School is located in the neighbourhood of Old Glenridge in St. Catharines. The school served as a community hub for over 85 years, children would play in the park, dogs would run in the soccer fields and parents would socialize. When Glen Ridge School opened in 1929, the neighbourhood now known as Old Glenridge, was mainly farmland, parks and a few houses. Shortly after the school opened people started migrating to the neighbourhood. The homes in this neighbourhood are definitely unique compared to more recently built neighbourhoods, making the school's architecture match the landscape around it.

As the rest of St. Catharines developed, more schools were built nearby. As a result parents started sending their children to other schools, as they were more equipped to have to handle a larger capacity of students. During the 2015-2016 school year, there was only an enrollment of 57 students, ranging from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 6. This meant classes were split between three grades because there were not enough students to justify hiring a staff member for every grade, which would have been unfair to the students, as well as the teachers. In February of 2016, the school board voted to close the school down in June of 2016. Many residents and neighbours were upset as a result, however the school board addressed this by planning the renovation of a neighbouring school for displaced students to now attend.

As of this summer, Glen Ridge Public School is being renovated into a 10-unit condominium, and the surrounding land has been built into townhouses. The park on the property was just recently rebuilt to maintain the 'community hub' aspect. The townhouses that have been built on the property unfortunately do not blend with the unique character and style of the existing neighbourhood. The only section of the block to blend with the surrounding neighbourhood is the original school house that has been preserved, and soon to be added onto. The company that is reconstructing the site is keeping many elements of the school, such as the school bell, original flooring in the entrance, and they may even keep a water fountain for the old school charm. They are even turning the library into a common area for residents. Neighbours are eager to have the reconstruction of the Glen Ridge Public School finished and to be able to enjoy the park and new landscape.

Municipality: St. Catharines

Local area name: Old Glenridge

Other identifying names or descriptions: St. Catharines is also known as Garden City, located in the Grantham township of the Niagara Region.

Address: 101 South Drive, St. Catharines, ON, L2R 4V6

Latitude and longitude: 43.1497858, -79.2379342

Physical Dimensions

Length: 143 metres

Width: 82.8 metres

Area: 11601 metres²

Elevation:

Highest point: 364.2 feet

Lowest point: 360.9 feet

Glen Ridge Public School is the hub of the Old Glenridge community. Formerly a school, and now set to be a 10-unit condominium, the school has been a very important place to the community for years. Many of the residents living in the neighbourhood attended Glen Ridge School back when it was running and remember making some of their fondest memories there. The school was home to many native plant and animal species, and is located between the Twelve Mile Creek and the Welland Canal. Right off the 406 highway, the Old Glenridge neighbourhood is accessible for travellers and locals. Prior to being neighbourhood, the area was farmland owned by some of the founding fathers of St. Catharines. Glen Ridge Public School is a very special place to many, and has a very rich history behind it with many stories trapped within the walls.

The front of the school, standing in South Drive.

Plant Species

There are many unique native plant species to the Niagara Region. Native plants have evolved through thousands of years that have shaped their physical features and biological makeup to change and adapt to the geological conditions. Niagara is one of the most diverse forest lands in all of Canada. The lush forests that surround the Niagara Region are a continuation of the Carolinian Forest. Some unique plants to the Niagara Region are sassafras, flowering dogwood, red mulberry. Black walnut, sycamore, hop-hornbeam, and tulip tree (Johnson, 2014). When focusing specifically on the area of Old Glenridge there are many native plant species such as ash trees, many types of birch trees, and many types of birch.

Stinking sumac, an invasive species, located on the property

A beautiful native tree that sits on the property

Animal Species

The Niagara Region is home to over 300 bird species, 53 mammals, 36 reptiles and amphibians, and 90 types of fish. Due to the urbanization of the Niagara Region, there are many species of animals that are not seen by humans very often. Some animal species that are less likely to be seen while roaming the streets are the monarch butterfly, lynx, white tailed deer, wolves, groundhogs, red foxes, garter snakes, beavers, and badgers. These are just some of the animals that are native to the Niagara Region. These animals have been effected by the urbanization of the Niagara Region because their habitat has been turned into a neighbourhood and this allows for other species that are readily available to take over the habitat. When focusing specifically on the neighbourhood of Old Glenridge, coyotes, skunks, rabbits, raccoons, birds, and grey and black squirrels are some of the more commonly seen animals. (Discover Southern Ontario, n.d.) The site of Glen Ridge Public School is home to many animal species that are commonly seen around the neighbourhood such as, squirrels, raccoons, and birds. These animals choose to make the school's grounds their home due to the large trees that border the property, as well as the field on the property allows for good hunting ground for birds, it provides a place for squirrels to bury their nuts. When visiting the Old Glenridge school, one can expect to actually see many squirrels and birds living amongst the community (Hough, 2004). The neighbourhood also lays between Dicks Creek and Twelve Mile Creek, and bordering by a golf course. So naturally it is home to many native species.

At-Risk Species

Niagara Region is home to some of the most rare and endangered species in all of Ontario. Some of the provinces most at-risk species of flora and fauna, including the northern dusky salamander, peregrine falcons, and butternut trees have been able to survive because of the work Niagara Parks puts in to save them. The current species that Niagara Parks are focused on are the monarch butterfly, karnier blue butterfly, timber rattlesnake, bobo link, eastern meadowlark, the northern dusky salamander, deerberry, and American water willow. (Niagara Parks Nature + Gardens, 2020)

Invasive Species

Invasive plants squeeze out native species, which in turn effects the fauna that are dependent on the native plants for food and shelter. When a community becomes populated with invasive plants and species, it can affect the surrounding environment. Some invasive plants pose as a threat to human health, for example hogweed, which has a sap that is toxic to human skin. Some plants can also introduce new crop diseases and crop-damaging insects. This affects the Niagara Region greatly because a lot of the economy is focused on crops and farming. Invasive plants also reduce forest regeneration by competing with native tree seedlings, for example the dog strangling vine creates a bed above the earth and does not allow seedlings to grow. This prevents native species from growing, and actually assists the invasive plants in growing further. There are also economic consequences of fighting invasive species, and it is costly. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency has spent over $30 million in Ontario alone to fight a single invasive species, the emerald ash borer. And lastly, invasive species can affect outdoor activities such as hiking, swimming, fishing, bird watching, etc. by clogging swimming areas and covering hiking trails. Some of the more common invasive plant species are: the Emerald Ash Borer, which destroy ash trees, the Hemlock Woolly Adelgid, which is an insect that kills eastern hemlock trees (actually first discovered in Niagara in 2014), the Tree of Haven (AKA stinking sumac) which crowds out native species, the Common Buckthorn shrub, which overruns habitats in forests and agricultural fields, also the Garlic Mustard which is a fast-spreading herb affecting plenty of habitats, dog-strangling vines which strangle other plants and trees, and lastly Phragmites, a grass which crowd out native species. (Niagara Parks Nature + Gardens, 2020)

Human Factors

The Old Glenridge School property was used for other things before the site actually became to be a school, from farmland, to grassy wheat fields, to a school where children would frolic in the field. This site has had many years of human influence, from farming soil to a new construction site, the land has been influenced by human factors. This obviously has affected the native species to the environment by disturbing their hunting ground. As mentioned above, when neighborhoods and cities are built, it pushes native species out and allows for invasive species to take over. A common outdoor cat, or even a pet dog are not native to Ontario, and now they are hunting the chipmunks, mice, possums, etc. and this is invasive to the native environment. Often times when native plants are seen in the city it is through the cracks in the pavement or on the side of highways, this is also due to human factors. The site of Old Glenridge is currently under construction as well, this without a doubt has created issues for the native species since at least July. By tearing up the roads and completely replacing the grass the squirrels and birds that once used to take shelter at the school are now completely displaced.

The town houses that were built on the property. The front doors of these townhouses face Highland Drive.

The Niagara Escarpment began to form over 450 million years ago as the bed of a tropical sea, as the millions of years that followed, what is known as Canada began to move north and the sediments of the seabed were compressed into rock, mainly limestone and shale. As more years passed, the formation and melting of glaciers, water flowing, and other elements caused the limestone to weather at different rates than the shale, which created a unique landform that can be seen today (Bruce Trail Conservancy, n.d). With the unique formation of the Niagara Region, it became a UNESCO world biosphere reserve and with the efforts of local residents, the preservation of the Niagara Region has become possible.

The area that Old Glenridge is located is protected by the land formation of the Niagara Escarpment. The schools land actually used to be farm land before people settled into the neighbourhood. Tillage and cropping can reduce the soils organic matter levels and cause poor soil structure, so the land has been pretty influenced by human factors. When actually looking for the soil type of the Old Glenridge area on the ArcGIS provided by Brock University, the soil has not been mapped because the soil has been so 'man-modified' over time.

At the moment, the site is currently undergoing construction to turn the school into a condominium, there has been so much done to the soil and surrounding area. The construction company tore out the grass and leveled the ground, as well as building a parking lot on half the property, remodeling the park, and even taking down the basketball nets. There has been some major changes to the Old Glenridge School property within the last months and with construction nearing the end, hopefully it will remain untouched long enough to regain its habitat.

Aerial photo of the Glen ridge neighbourhood prior to its development. Courtesy of ArcGIS.

Aerial photo of the Glen Ridge School property before construction began. Courtesy of ArcGIS.

The neighbourhood of Old Glenridge is located between two creeks; Dicks Creek and Twelve Mile Creek. The site is also near the Welland Canal. These waterways were adapted with canals so that it could allow passage between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The idea behind the Welland Canal was to create a quicker way for transportation without entering the United States.

Focusing on Old Glenridge, the development of the neighbourhood and building of roads has caused more effect on the hydrogeology than most would expect. Alberti (2008) explains that the pavement, cement, and other surfaces as well as the usage of storm drains and the quick removal of snow do not allow for the natural absorption of moisture in the environment. By allowing puddles to form and snow to absorb into the ground it will evaporate and creates a natural cooling process, as well as providing richer soils. Humans have affected this process even further through the consumption of water, introducing contaminants to the water, and building unnatural infrastructures. (Alberti, 2008, p.133-161)

The Niagara Region has a continental climate, this means the region experiences cold winters and warm summers. Located between two great lakes, Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, there is moderate seasonal temperatures.

When looking at the micro-climate scale, the topography of influence of humans are extremely important. Wind, precipitation, solar radiation, and temperature are all influenced by the landscape. The biggest influence on the micro-climate of a landscape is bodies of water. Large bodies of water moderate the temperature of an area because they warm and cool faster than land mass. (Hough, 2004) St. Catharines has a unique microclimate because of the moderating influence of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario, as well as the sheltering effect from the Niagara Escarpment.

As a result of the mild climate, Niagara is known as the "fruit basket of Canada" as its long warm-season makes for the perfect growing conditions. In mid-April one can expect temperatures over 12°C with temperatures quickly warming up by mid-May. The long and warm summer continues well into September reaching temperatures up to 30°C. The summers in St. Catharines fluctuate between beautiful sunny days to humid days that surpass 30°C. Autumn sets in slowly and is considered to be the most enjoyable season in Niagara. The Niagara Peninsula gets between 1800 and 2000 hours of sunshine annually, with December being the greyest month. There are no significant periods of precipitation, but can be expected throughout the year. When it comes to snowfall, it is usually very minimal, with the odd snowstorm setting in, one can expect no more than forty inches of snow. Winter temperatures also rarely drop below 0°C, which is another important factor on the ability to grow fruits in the region. (Niagara-on-the-Lake Realty, 2020)

The average temperature in St. Catharines by month. Courtesy of ClimateData.Org.

Land use history:

After World War II, the area that is now known as Niagara Region experienced a high demand for housing, which resulted in a low-density urban expansion, this expansion helped the building of the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). The QEW evolved from a lightly traveled, low-speed roadway to a popular, high-speed highway. Shortly after, construction was started on the 405 and 406. However, in the 1980s and 1990s the Niagara economy was hit hard by the recession, and as a result the population was now seeing a big decline. Due to this, there was a halt on the widespread development that was happening all over the region, after that all the development that has been done to Niagara Region has been focused on filling in the space that was left behind from the previously poorly planned development. Today, as a result of the skyrocketing housing prices of the Greater Toronto Area, and the growing population of the Oakville-Burlington area, people are navigating more towards the Niagara Region. With the expansion of the Niagara Region, especially with the building of the 406, it is no surprise that this neighbourhood is as busy and popular as it is today. (Brown et. al, 2010)

The land that Glen Ridge School sits in was used for many things before it was a school. In the late 1800s the land was used for farming. The land stretched for miles filled with wheat fields and sometimes some berry crops would appear. Other than farming, the land was pretty much only used for the schools grounds and now construction into new homes. Often times the property would be used recreationally amongst the neighbourhood.

This photo, taken c. 1935, shows how the surrounding land looked prior to becoming a neighbourhood. Courtesy of Nahri, et. al. 2016.

Education / Interpretation:

Although there is not a specific museum or exhibit for the historic Glen Ridge School, plenty of heritage plans and strategies were made to help save the school from being reconstructed. Many of the neighbourhood residents felt that it was important to the neighbourhood to keep the building standing. So although it does not have any educational or historical exhibitions or centres, the school provided education to many children over the 90 years it served the community. The school was also a place where locals built relationships and a community, many of the locals are experts on the land as their families have lived here for decades.

Architectural Heritage:

Glen Ridge Public School was designed by the St. Catharine's architectural firm of Nicholson and Macbeth. These architects designed many of the unique character homes in the Old Glen Ridge neighbourhood. These architects also built buildings like the Municipal Building (City Hall) and many other public buildings that still stand today. The school is an iconic example of "Arts and Crafts" architecture, which was a form of design that was popular across Ontario during the 1910s and '20s. The building was essentially designed as a large school house, and plenty of its main architectural features can be found on the houses nearby. The school is unique because it is architecturally integrated into the character of the neighbourhood. The school has been a part of the neighbourhood, not added in, for almost 90 years. The dominant features of the school are the large hip roof, the scaled front porch, many beautiful glass windows, and an massive chimney. Another interesting feature worth being pointed out is the "Boys" and "Girls" entrances at either side of the building. The site of Glen Ridge Public School has actually become a designated heritage site because of its unique architecture and importance to the neighbourhood. (Nahri, et. al. 2016)

With the current construction taking place, they have actually tried to maintain as much of the school as possible. They removed the addition that was added on the 1980s but kept the original school building.

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The front entrance of the school and its beautiful front entryway.

The weathering that has happened over the years is visible here, as well as the unique red brick that was used to construct the building.

The bas reliefs on either side of the building, unsure of the significance, these have been on the side of the building since it has been built. These are located above the "Boys" and "Girls" entrances on either side of the school. Courtesy of Nahri, et. al., 2016.

The beautiful windows that show the unique architecture to the school. Taken from Karena Walter.

Recreational Uses:

Most recreational activities taken place on the property are mainly informal. there was a playground, basketball court, baseball diamond, and a field on the school property. It was there from the time the school opened until the time construction started. Many people have made their friends while at the park, or playing soccer in the field, and would hang out after school and on the weekends. Also all the parents who would meet in the park while their kids would play together. Since then, the park has been rebuilt and families have been playing on it ever since. Many also use the field as a place for their dogs to play, before the construction started the field was fenced in and made a great place for dogs and owners to make new friends. The school also served as a place to host public meetings and other events, such as polling stations.

Ownership, jurisdiction, access, and management

The land that Glen Ridge School sits on is comprised of Lots 339 to 408 and Lots 474 to 483 (both inclusive) as shown on the Glenridge Plan of Subdivision. The study area land in Glenridge originally comprised part of Lot 16 in Concession 7 in the Grantham Township. This 100 acre lot was originally owned by Abraham Clendennin in December of 1798. In May of 1808, Clendennin sold his lot and others to Robert Hamilton. When Hamilton passed, Lot 16 fell into the hands of Willian and Thomas Dickson and Thomas Clark. These owners were big influencers on the St. Catharines community in their time. Later, in November of 1826, Lots 16 and 17 were sold to John Clendennin, who was the son of the original property owner, Abraham Clendennin. Eventually, the north part of Lot 16 and part of Lot 17 were sold to Ralph Morden Clement, who was a native to the township of Grantham. From then, Clement sold 66 acres to his father-in-law, who then sold it to his daughter Charlotte Clement. Charlotte mortgaged the property three times. Unfortunately however, Charlotte was unable to make her payments and was forced to "quit claim" all of her interest to McInnes. From May of 1868, McInnes owned the property and ended up selling to Bernard King in the 1880's. From the 1880's until the time of his death Bernard King owned the property that Glen Ridge Public School sits on. Bernard passed away in 1898 and the property wen to the Wilson family. In October of 1910, Wilson entered an agreement with Fredrick Hara for the purchase and sale of the land but unfortunately the sale was never finalized. By May1912, Wilson had established a company called St. Catharine's Improvement Co. Ltd. (SCIC). A plan he had for the company was to build a beautiful subdivision called "Glen Ridge", its name coming from its location. Sitting between Dick's Creek to the east and 12 Mile Creek to the west. There were ambitious plans for the subdivision, it was surveyed and laid out by the property owner, F.H Rutherford. This land was then deposited in the Land Registry Office as Plan 98 (Grantham) and as Plan 121 (City) in late April of 1913. By May of 1915 ground was broken for the first home in the new neighbourhood. (Nahri et. al., 2016)

When new homes started to be built within the subdivision there were many restrictive covenants that would monitor what could happen in the neighbourhood, such as who could live there and types of fencing, this was a legal binding upon the purchaser (SCIC) and all owners following that would be in place for 30 years. The development of the area was restricted as part of "Area C" (Lots 474 to 483) and as part of "Area D" (Lots 399 to 408). In December 1918 the SCIC sold the area to the Lincoln Construction Co. Ltd. By May of 1919 the land was sold back to SCIC, who then sold it to the Board of Education for the City of St. Catharines. At that time was when the education board entered an agreement with the SCIC to construct a school. (Nahri et. al. 2016)

In more recent times, the land is owned by the District School Board of Niagara and 1/3 belongs to the city of St. Catharines.

January 22, 1949. Taken from Nahri et. al. 2016.

Glen Ridge School is an example of a structure that is perfectly integrated into an old inner city neighbourhood. It served the community as the local elementary school for almost 90 years. The culture, heritage, and perfect integration in the neighbourhood, the school has built can never be replaced. With the facilities of 160 students (1/3 of the size of the 480 student facilities that replaced it), so the school really represents a unique small-scale educational facility.

The building itself perfectly represents 'smart growth' as the school is easily accessible to all neighbours, and children did not have to cross any major roads on their journey to school. The building sits close to the sidewalk of South Drive, where there are no driveways to crowd the entrance of the school. Children are able to walk safely to the front door of the school, unlike many modern schools, where the children enter at the back of the building after walking through a mini-airport style drop off system. Glen Ridge School does not have a "kiss-n-ride lane" and the parking lot is located at the side of the school so it does not interfere with the main entrance of the school. Many parents felt comfortable allowing their children to walk to and from school every day because getting to school safely is extremely possible in this neighbourhood.

Glen Ridge School also functioned as a hub for community meetings and other activities. This building was specifically built for the neighbourhood to serve as a streetscape and vital part of the cultural landscape in the Old Glenridge neighbourhood.

Unfortunately, the unique design of Glen Ridge School got lost in the development of modern schools. The school which closed in mid 2016 still serves the community as an important hub for children, parents, and dog owners alike. In the schools 87 years of serving the community, the school is not only the geographical centre of the community, but it is also an important identifying symbol for the neighbourhood. (Nahri, et. al. 2016)

The development of the new park on the property. This is the west side of the property standing on Rockcliffe Rd.

Standing on the corner of Rockcliffe Rd and Highland Ave, this is the property under construction

O'Hara Trucking and Excavating

71 Berryman Ave, St. Catharines, L2R 0A2

Phone: (905) 684-1447

City of St. Catharines

50 Church Street, St. Catharines, L2R 7C2

Phone: (905) 688-5600

District School Board of Niagara

191 Carlton Street, St. Catharine's, L2R 7P4

Contact: https://www.dsbn.org/contact

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This Local Landscape Report was prepared by [YOUR NAME HERE] for the Brock University course TMGT 2P94: Human Dominated Ecosystems on November XX, 201X.

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