Colin Duquemin fonds, 1935, 1968-2001, n.d.

Colin Duquemin was born in 1932 in Guernsey, British Channel Islands, and came to Canada as a young adult. He attended McMaster University (B.A.), the University of Toronto (B.Ed.), the State University of New York at Buffalo (M.A.) and the University of London, London, England (M.Sc.). He began his career as a tea taster and tea buyer in Colombo, Ceylon (Sri Lanka), but later became a teacher. He spent most of his teaching career as a manager of the St. Johns Outdoor Studies Centre, north of Fonthill, Ontario, developing environmentally related programmes for elementary and secondary school students. He was also active in many local organizations, serving as Associate Director of the St. Catharines Grape and Wine Festival Board, Chairman of the St. Catharines Historical Museum Board, President of the Niagara Military Institute and President of the Canadian Canal Society. In addition to the numerous curriculum materials he authored, Colin wrote the Driver’s Guide Series, highlighting the many points of interest in the Niagara region, including the Welland Canal, battlefields of the War of 1812, and the Niagara Parkway. He also wrote A Guide to the Grand River Canal (1980) with Daniel Glenney, The Fur Trade in Rupert’s Land: Opening up the Canadian Northwest (1992), Stick to the Guns! A short history of the 10th field battery, Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery (1996), Niagara Rebels: the Niagara Frontier Incidents in the Upper Canada Rebellion, 1837-1838 ( 2001), and edited and contributed to A Lodge of Friendship: the History of Niagara Lodge, No. 2, A.F. & A.M, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, 1792-1992 (1991). He died in December 2012.

George Upper collection, 1989, 1995, undated

George Upper is a Niagara area artist. His limited edition prints feature local scenes, many from Port Dalhousie, Ontario.

Fairview School class photograph, ca. 1930.

Fairview School (9th Street Louth, St. Catharines, Ontario) photograph, ca. 1933 Individuals in the photograph are identified as follows: Front Row, L to R: Stuart McDonald, Pete Burtch, Carl Schwenker, Bill Davey, Jim Barnes, ? McDonald, Marie Youngblutt, Lorraine Havens, Margaret Sinclair, Carla Prince, Verna Sinclair, Helen Welsh, Margaret Welsh, Elsie Backshall, Smith girl, Amy McDonald. 2nd Row, L to R: Nelson Sinclair, Gordon Wilson, Ivan Burtch, ? Smith, George Corman, Roy Burtch, Mort Corman, Bob Bell, ?Wilson, Jim Combe, Murray Combe, Jack High, George Welsh, Larry Downes, Gordon Schwenker, Albert Davey, Harvey Davey. Back Row, L to R: Bert Sinclair, Jim Mason, Len Corman, Johnny Corman, David Hallett, Lloyd Graham, Paul Harndon?, Gordon Dormes, George Bell, Doug Garriock, ?McDonald, Mary? Honsberger, Mary Backus, Hilda Wilson. The teacher may be Beatrice Armstrong.

John N. Jackson papers, 1960-1989, n.d.

John N. Jackson was born in Nottingham, England in 1926. He developed a passion for landforms and geography from his father, a high school math and science teacher who had studied geology. During the Second World War, he served in the British Navy. He received his BA from the University of Birmingham, and a PhD from the University of Manchester. After spending a year as a visiting professor at the University of British Columbia, he was hired in 1965 as the founding head of the Geography Department at Brock University. He taught at Brock for more than 25 years, immersing himself in the geography and history of the Niagara area. He became particularly interested in the history of the Welland Canals. He authored 20 books on various topics, including land use in Niagara, the history of St. Catharines, the Welland Canal, and railways in the Niagara Peninsula. He died in 2010, at the age of 84.

Bee Communities in Restored Landfill Sites of Niagara Region

This study examined the impact of habitat restoration on bee communities (Hymenoptera: Apidae) of the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. Bee abundance and diversity was studied in three restored landfill sites: the Glenridge Quarry Naturalization Site (GQNS) in St. Catharines, Elm Street Naturalization Site in Port Colborne, and Station Road Naturalization Site in Wainfleet during 2011 and 2012. GQNS represented older sites restored from 2001-2003. Elm and Station sites represented newly restored landfills as of 2011. These sites were compared to control sites at Brock University where bee communities are well established and again to other landfills where no stable habitat was available before restoration. The objective of this study is to investigate the impact of restoration level on bee abundance and diversity in restored landfill sites of the Niagara Region. Based on the increased disturbance hypothesis (InDH) and the intermediate disturbance hypothesis (IDH), I hypothesized that bee abundance and diversity will follow two patterns. First pattern according to InDH suggest that as the disturbance decrease the bee abundance and diversity will increased. Second pattern according to the IDH bee abundance and diversity will be the highest at the intermediate level of disturbance. A total of 7 173 bees were collected using pan traps and flower collections, from May to October 2011 and 2012. Bees were classified to five families, 21 genera and sub-genera, containing at least 78 species. In 2011 bee abundance was not significantly different among restoration levels while in 2012 bee abundance was significant difference among restoration level. According to family there were no significant difference in Halictidae and Apidae abundance among restoration level while Colletidae and Megachilidae abundance were varied among restoration levels. The bee species richness was highest in the newly restored sites followed by restored control sites, and then the control site. The current study demonstrates that habitat restoration results in rapid increases in bee abundance and diversity for newly restored sites, and, further, that it takes only 2-3 years for bee assemblages in newly restored sites to arrive at the same levels of abundance and diversity as in nearby control sites where bee communities are well established.

Bissonette & Case, the Clothiers

A card advertising Bissonette & Case, the Clothiers in St. Catharines. The card reads: Buy your Men's clothing and Boy's clothing at Bissonette & Case. Over 2,000 men's suits $3.75 to $16.50. Over 2,500 boys suits, $2.75 to $10.50. Our children's clothing department separate and by itself. Over 3,000 children's suits. The grandest stock ever seen here. Suits $1.25 to $7.00. Bissonnette & Case, Cor. St. Paul Street and Helliwell Lane, St. Catharines, Ontario.

A Masters Student’s Journey: Trying to Balance Two Eyes of Research

This project is about a reflective research journey taken by a Masters student in the Child and Youth Studies Department at Brock University in St. Catharines Ontario. This journey consisted of a mixed method approach using the qualitative method of autoethnography along with the Indigenous research method of storytelling. The research was done using the concept of two-eyed seeing which consisted of trying to balance the two eyes of research: Indigenous and Western. The Non-Aboriginal researcher not only reflected on her own learning journey but also the lessons she learned from the voices of 48 women from Six Nations of the Grand River Territory. Like the trickster character Coyote, the researcher struggled, stumbled and was transformed by this journey.

Taxpayers Coalition Niagara fonds

Taxpayers Coalition Niagara (TCN) was founded and incorporated in 1990 in response to the increasing tax burden faced by citizens, and the sometimes questionable use of taxpayers’ money by the government. Originally founded as the Committee for Responsible Government, the name was changed to Taxpayers Coalition Niagara in order to facilitate membership in a similar provincial organization, Taxpayers Coalition Ontario. The non-partisan Coalition was comprised of businessmen from St. Catharines, with Frank Sheehan as President. The objectives of the Coalition included individual freedom and responsibility; obtaining maximum value for tax dollars; identifying and exposing irresponsible government policy and practice; the reduction of debt at all levels of government; the elimination of wasteful and unnecessary programmes; encouraging elected officials to regain control of their bureaucracies; and discouraging ‘empire building’ within local government. Early in 1991, the Coalition began advertising for members and financial support, receiving $11 000 from 1100 supporters. The membership consisted of both businesses and private citizens, eventually reaching 3500 members. The Coalition formed several committees, each one responsible for monitoring a public sector, such as municipal councils, school boards, police services and regional council. The Coalition worked towards achieving their objectives through presentations given to these groups by the committee leaders, as well as through ‘letters to the Editor’ and advertisements in local newspapers. Frank Sheehan resigned as President in 1995, in order to run as a Conservative candidate in the Provincial election. In June 1995, Charles Atkinson was elected President. The recent election of the Conservative government (led by Mike Harris) resulted in the expectation that many of the Coalition’s objectives would be achieved by the newly elected government. Accordingly, it was decided that the organization would operate in a reduced capacity. The Coalition was terminated in April, 2003, after several years of little or no activity.

William Hamilton Merritt Welland Canal circular, July 12, 1823

William Hamilton Merritt (1793-1862) was a soldier, merchant, and politician who was instrumental in the promotion and development of the Welland Canal. After serving with the Lincoln militia during the War of 1812, Merritt became a merchant in St. Catharines, and purchased some land on Twelve Mile Creek on which he ran a sawmill and constructed a grist mill. He initially envisioned a canal between the Welland River and Twelve Mile Creek, which evolved into a plan to link Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. This would enable goods from western Canada to be conveniently shipped to Montreal and Great Britain through the St. Lawrence, while bypassing the Niagara portage. His plan met with opposition for financial and political reasons, as well as from those along the Niagara portage whose businesses would suffer if the canal were built. Despite this opposition, the Welland Canal Company was chartered by the Upper Canadian assembly in January, 1824. Construction on the canal began later that year, and was completed in 1829.

Travel themed scrapbook

The main focus of the articles is transportation in St. Catharines and Merritton, Ontario from 1903-1911.

William Hamilton Merritt Welland Canal circular, July 12, 1823

William Hamilton Merritt (1793-1862) was a soldier, merchant, and politician who was instrumental in the promotion and development of the Welland Canal. After serving with the Lincoln militia during the War of 1812, Merritt became a merchant in St. Catharines, and purchased some land on Twelve Mile Creek on which he ran a sawmill and constructed a grist mill. He initially envisioned a canal between the Welland River and Twelve Mile Creek, which evolved into a plan to link Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. This would enable goods from western Canada to be conveniently shipped to Montreal and Great Britain through the St. Lawrence, while bypassing the Niagara portage. His plan met with opposition for financial and political reasons, as well as from those along the Niagara portage whose businesses would suffer if the canal were built. Despite this opposition, the Welland Canal Company was chartered by the Upper Canadian assembly in January, 1824. Construction on the canal began later that year, and was completed in 1829

Copyright in the Stacks: The Chilling Effects of Unclear Copyright Interpretations in the Canadian Academic Library

Presented at the Annual Conference of the Canadian Political Science Association, Brock University, St. Catharines, Ontario, May 27, 2014

Persia steamboat poster, no date

The “Persia” was built in St. Catharines in 1873. From 1877 to 1894 the ship was owned by James Norris of St. Catharines. The Toronto and Montreal Steamboat Co. acquired the ship in 1894, followed by the Quebec Navigation Co. in 1907. A fire severely damaged the ship in 1911, and the following year the “Persia” was rebuilt as a barge.

Article - "Fonthill Woman Among 21 Pilots in Welland - Florida Air race", 1953

An article in The St. Catharines Standard that discusses the upcoming sixth all-women's international air race from Welland, Ontario to New Smyrna Beach, Florida. Mrs. Rungeling will be accompanied by Beverly Belfry of St. Catharines and wife of a Thompson Products executive. Thompson Products is also sponsoring Mrs. Rungeling's flight and a representative, Mr. Stauffer, of Thompson Products, states "It is encouraging to see the international air race grow as it has done...This year's list of 21 probable entries compares with eight in last year's race".

Photograph - Thomas Woodruff and Julia Cleveland Woodruff at DeVeaux Hall

Black and white, 12 cm x 17 cm photograph, mounted on board, of DeVeaux Hall in St. Catharines, Ontario. It was built by Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff. Shown in this photo are Thomas Woodruff and Julia Cleveland Woodruff. This photo was described by R.W. Band in 1973 and is included.