Fort Erie - Postcards

Board with five postcards. First postcard, Queen Street, Showing Transmission Tower, Fort Erie, Ont. Second postcard, Grand Stand and Betting Ring, Fort Erie, Ont. Third postcard, Ruins of Old Fort, Fort Erie, Ont. Fourth postcard, Crumbling Walls of old Fort Erie, Canada. Fifth postcard, Steel Transmission Tower, Fort Erie, Canada.

St. Catharines St. Paul Street - Postcards

Board of six postcards of St. Catharines. First postcard, St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, Ont., Canada. Second postcard, St. Paul Street, looking west from N. St. C. and T. Depot, St. Catharines, Ont. Third postcard, St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, Ont. Fourth postcard, St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, Canada. Fifth postcard, St. Paul Street Square, St. Catharines, Ont. Sixth postcard, Shipman's Gore, St. Catharines, Ont.

Restoration and succession of a bee community in southern St. Catharines, Ontario, within a ten-year study period

A wild bee community in southern St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada, was studied from 2003 to 2012 to analyze the effects of primary succession on abundance and diversity. At a former landfill site near Brock University, which previously contained no bees, the number of bees and bee species was expected to increase rapidly following measures to restore the site to grassy meadow habitat. The Intermediate Disturbance Hypothesis (IDH) states that over time, succession occurs. Abundance and diversity increase initially and peak when pioneers coexist with specialized species, then decline because of competitive exclusion. Alternatively, abundance and diversity may continue to increase and stabilize without declining. Bees were sampled repeatedly among years from newer restoration sites (revegetated in 2003), older restoration sites on the periphery of the former landfill (revegetated in 2000), and nearby low disturbance grassy field (i.e. control) sites. In the newer sites, bee abundance and diversity increased then decreased while in older restoration and control sites mainly decreased. This pattern of succession matches the general predictions of the IDH, although declines were at least partially related to drought. By 2006, total bee abundance levels converged among all sites, indicating rapid colonization and succession, and by 2012 diversity levels were similar among sites as well, suggesting that the bee community was fully restored or nearly so within the ten-year study period.

The Political Economy of St. Catharines' Illicit Taxi Trade

The global restructuring of production has led to increasingly precarious working conditions around the world. Post-industrial work is characterized by poor working conditions, low wages, a lack of social protection and political representation and little job security. Unregulated forms of work that are defined as “irregular” or “illegal”, or in some cases “criminal,” are connected to sweeping transformations within the broader regulated (formal) economy. The connection between the formal and informal sectors can more accurately be described as co-optation and, as a subordinate integration of the informal to the formal. The city of St. Catharines within Niagara, along with much of Ontario’s industrial heartland, has been hard hit by deindustrialization. The rise of this illegal service is thus viewed against the backdrop of heavy economic restructuring, as opportunities for work in the manufacturing sector have become sparse. In addition, this research also explores the paradoxical co-optation of the growing illicit taxi economy and consequences for racialized and foreign credentialed labour in the taxi industry. The overall objective of this research is to explore the illicit cab industry as not only inseparable from the formal economy, but dialectically, how it is as an integrated and productive element of the public and private transportation industry. Furthermore the research examines what this co-optation means in the context of a labour market that is split by race.

Music Program for St. Mark's Church "Song of the Bell" - 1884

A musical program for a concert at Music Hall Niagara for the St. Marks' Church organ fund. The program consists of 27 numbers from Schiller's "Song of the Bell. The event is dated Thursday, April 17th, 1884 and admission is 25 cents, 15 cents for children.

Letter written by Mahlon Taylor to Samuel Clarke commenting on US troops during Fort George occupation, July 26, 1813

Fort George, situated on the west side of the Niagara River in Niagara-on-the-Lake, served as the headquarters for the Centre Division of the British Army during the War of 1812. On May 25, 1813, the Americans launched an artillery attack on the Fort, destroying most of the buildings. Two days later, the Americans invaded the Town of Niagara and occupied Fort George. They remained in the Fort for almost seven months, but suffered defeats at the Battle of Stoney Creek and Beaver Dams. Only a small number of militia remained stationed at the Fort. Fearing an attack by the British, the Americans retreated back across the Niagara River in December, 1813. The Fort remained in British possession for the rest of the War.

Photographs of secretarial staff at Lightning Fastener, ca. 1935

Lightning Fastener Co. Ltd. was a zipper manufacturer located on Niagara Street in St. Catharines. It was founded by Gideon Sundback, the inventor of the modern fastener. Sundback was born in Sweden, but settled in the United States in 1905. It was here that he designed and patented a “separable fastener” in 1913. Although he lived in Hoboken, New Jersey, he decided to establish a manufacturing facility for his invention in Canada, choosing St. Catharines over other locations such as Fort Erie and Hamilton. At the height of its success, the company employed more than 500 people and produced more than 50 million zippers annually. Over time, the company had difficulty remaining competitive and was forced to close in 1981.

Broadside reporting the Fenian Invasion of Canada, June 2, 1866

The Fenians were a group intent on securing Irish independence from England. The movement had its origins in Ireland in1857, under the leadership of James Stephens, with the assistance of John O'Mahony, an American who had raised funds for the cause. The American branch of this movement was especially successful, having raised $500 000 and enlisting about 10 000 American Civil War veterans. The group split into two separate factions, one desiring an invasion of Canada and the other preferring an uprising in Ireland. It soon became apparent that an uprising in Ireland was not imminent, and a decision was made to invade Canada. In April, 1866, a raid was launched against New Brunswick. It proved unsuccessful, and another raid was attempted on June 1, 1866, this time in Ridgeway, near Fort Erie, Ontario. The Canadian militiamen were defeated, but the Fenians subsequently withdrew. A third incident occurred on June 7, this time at Missisquoi Bay in Quebec, when the Fenians crossed the border, remained there for 2 days, and withdrew. A failed uprising in Ireland in 1867 signaled the demise of the movement. The Fenian threat helped to promote a sense of union among Canadians and provided an incentive for Confederation.

Toward Peace - Spring Concert St. Catharines Public Schools Programme, 1945

A spring concert programme by the St. Catharines Public Schools on May 4, 1945. The concert is titled "Toward Peace" and features the students of the following schools: Alexandra, Cavell, Central, Connaught, Memorial, Robertson, Victoria, Court St., Prince of Wales, St. Andrew's Ward, Glen Ridge, St. Paul's Ward, Queen Elizabeth.

St. Catharines Collegiate Institute Entrance Examination Letter

A letter from the principal of St. Catharines Collegiate Institute, A. E. Coombs, notifying the mother of Helen Smith of her examination results. Helen received honours for her entrance examination mark and the letter reads as follows: "Dear Helen, I am glad to be able to inform you that Helen Smith of 39 Church St. obtained Honours at the entrance examination with a total of 517 marks out of 650. The less fortunate H. Smith was Howard Smith of 122 Queenston St, whose name appears in the pass list. Yours truly A.E. Coombs"

St. Catharines Collegiate Institute - Literary Meeting and Presentation of Prizes

A pamphlet detailing the programme events for the Literary Meeting and Presentation of Prizes for Thursday December 22, 1921. The pamphlet includes examination results, scholarship recipients, prizes for public speaking and the annual field day results.

Letter written by Mahlon Taylor to Samuel Clarke commenting on US troops during Fort George occupation - July 26, 1813

A letter written by Mahlon Taylor to his uncle, Samuel Clarke, dated at Marcellus [New York], July 26, 1813. Mahlon Taylor writes that he believes the mail he has sent out is not making it past Princeton, as he has not had a reply to any of his sent correspondence. He also writes that he has heard there are 3500 men at Fort George, 1000 are unfit for duty, and that there is skirmishing daily. He comments that the general opinion is that the troops will withdraw from Canada entirely. The letter is signed Mahlon C Taylor and is addressed to Mr. Samuel Clarke, no. 227 South Front Street, Philadelphia.

Transforming Downtown St. Catharines into a Creative Cluster

The City of St. Catharines, located on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, is Niagara Region's only major urban node. Like many small/medium-sized cities in Canada and abroad, the city experienced a rapid decline of large-scale manufacturing in the 1990s. In a renewed attempt to recover from this economic depression, and spurred by Provincial policy, the City implemented the Downtown Creative Cluster Master Plan (DCCMP) in 2008. In this thesis I conduct a discourse analysis of the DCCMP. My analysis indicates that DCCMP is shaped by neoliberal economic development paradigms. As such it is designed to restructure the downtown into a creative cluster by attracting developers/investors and appealing to the interests, tastes, and desires of middle-class consumers and creatives. I illustrate that this competitive city approach to urban planning has a questionable track record, and has been shown to result in retail and residential gentrification and displacement.

Broadside reporting the Fenian Invasion of Canada, June 2, 1866

The Fenians were a group intent on securing Irish independence from England. The movement had its origins in Ireland in1857, under the leadership of James Stephens, with the assistance of John O'Mahony, an American who had raised funds for the cause. The American branch of this movement was especially successful, having raised $500 000 and enlisting about 10 000 American Civil War veterans. The group split into two separate factions, one desiring an invasion of Canada and the other preferring an uprising in Ireland. It soon became apparent that an uprising in Ireland was not imminent, and a decision was made to invade Canada. In April, 1866, a raid was launched against New Brunswick. It proved unsuccessful, and another raid was attempted on June 1, 1866, this time in Ridgeway, near Fort Erie, Ontario. The Canadian militiamen were defeated, but the Fenians subsequently withdrew. A third incident occurred on June 7, this time at Missisquoi Bay in Quebec, when the Fenians crossed the border, remained there for 2 days, and withdrew. A failed uprising in Ireland in 1867 signaled the demise of the movement. The Fenian threat helped to promote a sense of union among Canadians and provided an incentive for Confederation.

Press Release - Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway Assignment, 25 October 1973

A press release assigning Sean O'Sullivan to study the future of the Great Lakes and St. Lawrence Seaway.