Second Welland Canal - Book 3, Survey Map 21 - Village of Port Colborne

Survey map of the Second Welland Canal created by the Welland Canal Company showing the areas in and around Port Colborne. Identified structures associated with the Canal include Lighthouse, Pier Light, Old Lock House, Collector's Office, Harbour Master's House, Canal Boundary, Back Ditch, Reserved Back Ditch, Basin, Light-Keeper's House and Ferry Recess. The surveyors' measurements and notes can be seen in red and black ink and pencil. Local area landmarks and businesses are also identified and include Gordon's Woodyard, Welland Rail Road, Welland Railway Elevator and Proposed Elevator, W.R.R. Flour Shed, Roman Catholic Church, School House, Sandhills, Lake Erie, and the High Water Mark. Streets running parallel to Canal include King St., West St., East St., Queen St., Hamilton St., and the Road Allowance are labelled. Streets running perpendicular to Canal include Kent St., Victoria St., Adelaide St., SugarLoaf St., George St., Alexandrina St., William St., Fort Erie St., Lake Rd., and New Road to Dutch Settlement are also labelled. Property owners and leasers as well as buildings on lots are also idenitified and noted as follows: Adams estate, J. Towhig, J.C. Kerr, Mrs. Hill, S. Cooke, Mrs. Yocum, W.T. Cooke, P. Wintermute, J. Shickluna, William Cooke, J. McChesney, John Beatty, W. Robertson, John Gordon, T. Armstrong, John Harper, George Keefer, Estate of James Black, Thomas Park, N. Higgins, S. Hopkins, and L.G. Cartier. Map of the Village of Port Colborne. Being Lot No. 27 and part of Lot No. 28 in the 1st Con. Township of HUMBERSTONE. Scale 2 Chs. per Inch. land shaded in RED Owned by DEPT. Do. Do. BLUE Sold to the COUNTY of WELLAND

Gainsborough [Presbyterian] Church records, 1833-1836, 1841-1846, 1855-1857, 1860-1864, 1866 [photocopy]

The Gainsborough Presbyterian Church was organized prior to 1833, but no records were kept until this date. In 1809, the church was lead by Rev. Daniel Ward Eastman. In 1833 the church became part of the Niagara Presbytery of the American Presbyterian Church. The records include transfer of membership, records of marriages, lists of subscribers and session minutes. Photocopies from originals were made in 1977 by E. Phelps, University of Western Ontario, prior to their deposit with the United Church of Canada Archives, Toronto, Ont.

Sean O'Sullivan fonds

Sean O’Sullivan was born in Hamilton, Ontario, in 1952. At an early age, he demonstrated an interest in politics. A chance meeting with John Diefenbaker in 1963, when Sean was just 11 years old, marked the beginning of his involvement with the Progressive Conservative Party. Diefenbaker became a mentor to him, and the two exchanged correspondence for many years. Sean became an active member of the Party, and his political career took off quickly. In 1965, he was elected to the executive of the Hamilton Area Young Progressive Conservatives, in 1968 was elected President, and also served as Youth Director for Diefenbaker’s re-election campaign. In 1970 he was elected President of the Ontario Young Progressive Conservatives, and in 1971 became Youth Adviser to Premier William Davis. Later that year, Diefenbaker chose Sean to be his Executive Assistant. In addition to his political activities, Sean enrolled at Brock University in 1969 to study political science. In 1972, he resigned as Diefenbaker’s assistant in order to run as a candidate for Hamilton-Wentworth in the federal election that year. At just 20 years of age, Sean was the youngest MP elected to the House of Commons. While working as an MP, Sean continued his studies at Brock University part-time, graduating with distinction. After being re-elected in 1974, he rose to greater prominence when he succeeded in having a private member’s bill passed making the beaver one of Canada’s national symbols. In 1977, he resigned as MP in order to pursue religious studies and become a Catholic priest. After completing four years of studies at the Irish College of Rome’s Gregorian University, Sean was ordained a priest in Toronto in 1981. In July, 1982, he was appointed Director of Vocations (full-time recruiter) for the archdiocese of Toronto. In this capacity, he implemented a controversial and widely publicized campaign to recruit priests. The recruitment succeeded in generating interest in the priesthood, doubling the number of students in the archdiocese. He was one of the founding members of Serra House, a residence for students considering the priesthood. After his term as Vocations Director ended in 1985, O’Sullivan became publisher of The Catholic Register, a weekly church newspaper. That same year, he was awarded an honorary doctorate from Brock University. In January 1987, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada. Later that year, he submitted a report to the Attorney General of Ontario, titled You’ve got a Friend, after conducting an independent review of Advocacy for Vulnerable Adults in Ontario at the request of the government. In 1983, O’Sullivan was diagnosed with leukemia. The disease went into remission after treatment, but was incurable. In 1989, he had a bone marrow transplant at Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto, but died shortly afterwards. He was 37 years old. A memorial fund was established in his name, and included contributions from prominent business, church and political leaders such as Prime Minister Brian Mulroney, Toronto Sun Chairman Doug Crieghton and His Eminence G. Emmett Carter. The O’Sullivan family requested that Brock University be the beneficiary of the proceeds of the campaign.

Photograph of St. Catharines Collegiate Institute students, October 20, 1925

The origins of the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute can be traced back to the formation of the Grantham Academy on Church St. in 1829. In 1845, the name was changed to the St. Catharines District Grammar School and in 1890 the Grammar School was renamed the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute. The current site of the school on Catherine Street was built in 1923 to accommodate the increasing demand for technical education, and became known as the St. Catharines Collegiate Institute and Vocational School. The school was enlarged with additions in 1945, 1965 and 1969. In 2006, the school underwent major renovations, which were completed in 2008. It is currently a secondary school administered by the District School Board of Niagara.