The Martindale Marsh is a unique area belonging to the Twelve Mile Creek watershed system. It is located in northern St. Catharines between the Henley Bridge and the Port Dalhousie Harbour. The overall land has a surface area of more than 2 kilometers including 91 hectares of water reservoir. The depth of the ground water ranges from approximately .25 meters to 5 meters throughout areas of the marsh.
Open Year-Round
From Toronto: Head Southwest on QEW approximately 95km
Take Exit 51 for Seventh St approximately 0.8km
Right (south) at 7th Louth St approximately 0.2km
Left (east) at S Service Rd approximately 2.9km
Right (southeast) at Martinedale Rd approximately 0.6km
Parking for Martindale Marsh is on the left hand side
From Fort Erie: Head west on QEW towards Exit 1A approximately 48.8km
Take Exit 51 for Seventh St approximately 0.7km
Right (north) at 7th Louth St. approximately 0.4km
Right (northeast) at Lakeshore Rd W approximately 1.9km
Right (south) onto Martindale Rd approximately 2.5km
Parking for Martindale Marsh is on the left hand side
The Martindale Marsh is important to the watershed and has been designated a Class 1 Wetland. The bustling marsh brings an element of diversity to a rather flat and dry portion of the city. The area attracts a variety of species that would be other otherwise uncommon to the St. Catharines portion of the Niagara Region. It serves as a spawning habitat for numerous species of fish, small mammals and birds including white water-lily, dogwood species, wild grapes, northern pike, yellow perch, sunfish, largemouth bass, and gizzard shad, mallards, red-winged blackbird, muskrat, american bittern, mink, and painted turtles.
The area has a unique history as it originally served as a part of the first three Welland Canals and was home to Natives in the 1600s. Later this area was invaded by the Mississauga Natives who eventually sold the land to the Canadian government.
Martindale Pond was a result of the dam construction for the Welland Canal. Also, with the development of the third Welland Canal, a new channel became the cause for the construction of the Henley Rowing Course.
Today the Green Ribbon Trail, which is dedicated to missing children, runs throughout the marsh area and is ideally suited for year round activities such as fishing, ice skating, jogging and canoeing. Stations found along the path indicate particular aspects of the wetland and include information about plants, fish, birds, reptiles, amphibians and mammals.
Recreation & Community Services Department
Parking
Phone: | (905) 937-7210 |
St. Catharines, Ontario
Latitude: | 43.10855925410 |
Longitude: | - 79.28718622410 |
320 Geneva Street
City of St Catharines, Ontario
L27 7C2
Tel (905) 937-7210
Fax (905) 646-9262
Email jmclaghlin@stcatharines.ca
Natural and Urban; Soil- Compacted