Founding Plaque Programme

A programme for the 1969 ceremony unveiling the Founding Plaque.

Founding Plaque Unveiling

The plaque commemorating the history of Brock is unveiled outside Thistle Complex.

Founding Plaque Unveiling

Dr. Gibson speaks during the unveiling of a historical plaque at Brock.

Founding Plaque Unveiling

Pictured here from left to right are: Dr. Gibson, President of Brock University; James N. Allen, Chairman of the Niagara Parks Commision; MacKenzie Chown, Mayor; and Prof J. M. S. Careless co-chairman of the provinces archaelogical and historic sites board and professor at U of T.

World War I Memorial Plaque

World War I Memorial Plaque (17 ½ cm in diameter). This is a bronze plate encased in a 26 ½ cm x 24 cm wooden frame. The inscription on the plate is “He died for freedom and honour, Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff”. [In 1916 the British Government decided to issue a memorial plaque to be given to the relatives of those who died in the Great War. On the plaque is a figure of Britannia who is facing left and holding a laurel wreath over the box where the serviceman’s name is placed. In her right hand she holds a trident which represents Britain’s sea power. There are 2 dolphins facing her on her left and right hand sides. A lion stands in front of her. He faces left with a menacing growl. A very small lion that faces right is located below the larger lion’s feet. He is biting into a winged creature which represents the German Imperial eagle. Near the lion’s right paw there are the initials E CR P which stand for Mr. E. Carter Preston who designed the plate. Some of the plaques include a stamped batch number in front of the lion’s rear left paw. This plaque was produced in batch 17].

President's Portrait

On Tuesday, February 10th, 1970, Chairman of the Board, D. Whiting Lathrop presented a portrait of Dr. Gibson to the University. The plaque reads: Dr. James A. Gibson First President and Vice Chancellor of Brock University by Ian Henderson Artist in Residence 1969-1970 Presented to the University by the Board of Governors February 1970 The portrait hung in Dr. Gibson's waiting room until the end of his presidency where it was relocated to H-Block in MacKenzie Chown.

Granite Unveiling

As part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of Sir Isaac Brock's birth on October 6, 1969, a piece of granite from Isaac Brock's childhood home in Guernsey was unveiled along with a plaque commemorating the ties between the General, the University, and Guernsey. The granite had been donated by Sir William Arnold, Bailiff of Guernsey, two years prior and had been in the possession of the university since that time before it was unveiled. The granite block was integrated into a wall in the Thistle Complex. It has since been relocated and is now part of a wall in the Walker Complex. Pictured here from left to right are: Sir William Arnold, Mrs. Arnold, Dr. Gibson and Governor General Michener.

Development of a bovine adenovirus type 2-based gene delivery vector /

ABSTRACT Recombinant adenoviruses are currently under intense investigation as potential gene delivery and gene expression vectors with applications in human and veterinary medicine. As part of our efforts to develop a bovine adenovirus type 2 (BAV2) based vector system, the nucleotide sequence of BAV2 was determined. Sixty-six open reading frames (ORFs) were found with the potential to encode polypeptides that were at least 50 amino acid (aa) residue long. Thirty-one of the BAV2 polypeptide sequences were found to share homology to already identified adenovirus proteins. The arrangement of the genes revealed that the BAV2 genomic organization closely resembles that of well-characterized human adenoviruses. In the course of this study, continuous propagation of BAV2 over many generations in cell culture resulted in the isolation of a BAV2 spontaneous mutant in which the E3 region was deleted. Restriction enzyme, sequencing and PCR analyses produced concordant results that precisely located the deletion and revealed that its size was exactly 1299 bp. The E3-deleted virus was plaque-purified and further propagated in cell culture. It appeared that the replication of such a virus lacking a portion of the E3 region was not affected, at least in cell culture. Attempts to rescue a recombinant BAV2 virus with the bacterial kanamycin resistance gene in the E3 region yielded a candidate as verified with extensive Southern blotting and PCR analyses. Attempts to purify the recombinant virus were not successful, suggesting that such recombinant BAV2 was helper-dependent. Ten clones containing full-length BAV2 genomes in a pWE15 cosmid vector were constructed. The infectivity of these constructs was tested by using different transfection methods. The BAV2 genomic clones did appear to be infectious only after extended incubation period. This may be due to limitations of various transfection methods tested, or biological differences between virus- and E. co//-derived BAV2 DNA.

Improving the oral health status of functionally independent and dependent seniors residing in long-term care facilities through dental hygiene education /

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the oral health status of residents residing in 2 long-term care facilities and determine if dental hygiene education was required in order to improve their current oral health. The oral health status of 6 independent and 4 dependent individuals residing in 2 long-term care facilities was evaluated. In addition, the current oral health and disease prevention practices employed by 4 caregivers who were responsible for providing oral care to dependent residents in the long-term care facilities were evaluated. Furthermore, an evaluation of the oral care practices of independent residents who were responsible for providing their own care was conducted. Finally, the challenges that caregivers and independent residents faced when performing oral care were determined, and methodological changes were proposed. Using a generic qualitative research methodology, data collection was comprised of semi structured interviews, field observations, and documentation. The oral health status of the residents was reevaluated 3 months later. The findings of this study demonstrated an increase in plaque accumulation, gingival inflammation, and unhealthy gingival tissue colour changes among the residents over the 3-month period. The study revealed that poor oral health among the residents was a result of inadequate oral hygiene care techniques, difficulties accessing oral health care, financial limitations, insufficient care staff, insufficient time for personal care duties, lack of professional development, minimal interprofessional collaboration of health disciplines, and lack of perseverance on the part of the caregivers and residents. Overall, oral health is essential, and maintaining optimal oral health requires increased collaboration and communication between health care providers.

Women’s Literary Club of St. Catharines Fonds

The Women's Literary Club of St. Catharines was founded in 1892 by a local author, Emma Harvey (Mrs. J.G.) Currie (1829-1913) and held its last official meeting on February 19, 1994. The Club developed, flourished and eventually waned. After more than one hundred successful years, the last members deposited the Club's archives at Brock University for the benefit of researchers, scholars and the larger community. The ‘object of the Club’ was established as “the promotion of literary pursuits.” The Club was a non-profit social organization composed of predominantly white, upper middle class women from the St. Catharines and surrounding areas. Club meetings were traditionally held fortnightly from March to December each year. The last meeting of the year was a celebration of their Club anniversary. The early meetings of the Club include papers presented and music performed by Club members. The literary pursuits that would dominate the agendas for the entire life of the Club reflected an interest in selected authors, national and local history, classical history, musical performances and current cultural and newsworthy events. For example in 1893 a typical meeting agendas would contain papers on Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, Hawaii, Brook Farm, Miss Louisa May Alcott and “Education of Women 100 years Ago.” Within the first year of the Club’s existence, detailed minute books became the norm and an annual agenda or program developed. The WLC collection contains a near complete set of meeting minutes from 1892 until 1995 and a comprehensive collection of yearly programs from 1983-1967 which members took great care to publish each year. Mrs. Currie brought together a group of women with a shared interest in literature and history, who wanted to pursue that interest in a formal and structured manner. She was well educated and influenced at an early age by her tutor and mentor William Kirby, local historian, writer and newspaper editor from Niagara-on-the-Lake. While Currie’s private education influenced her love of literature and history, the Club movement of the 1890’s offered a more public forum for her to share knowledge and learning with other women. Mrs. Currie was the wife of St. Catharines lawyer, James G. Currie, who also served as a Member of Parliament for the county of Lincoln. Mrs. W.H. McClive, who was also married to a St. Catharines lawyer, worked closely with Currie and they began research into the possibility of a literary Club in St. Catharines. Currie corresponded with a variety of literary Clubs across North America before she and Mrs.McClive tagged onto the momentum of the Club movement and published “A Clarion call for Women of St. Catharines To Form a Literary Club” in the local paper The St. Catharines Evening Journal. in 1892 and asked like Clubs to publish the news of their new Club. The early years of the WLC set the foundation of how the Club meetings and events would unfold for the next 80 plus years. Photos and minutes from the first ten years reveal an excitement and interest in organized Club outings. One particular event, an annual pilgrimage to the homestead of Laura Secord, became a yearly celebration for the Club. Club President, Mrs. Currie’s own personal work on Laura Secord amplified the Club’s interest in the ‘heroine of 1812’ and she allocated the profits from her publication on Secord in order to create a commemorative plaque/monument in the name of Laura Secord. The Club celebrated this event with a regular pilgrimage to this site. The connection felt by Club members and this memorial would continue until the Club’s last meetings. The majority of members in the early years were of the upper middle classes in the growing city of St. Catharines. Many of the charter members were the wives of merchants, business men, lawyers, doctors, even a hatter. Furthermore, the position of president was most often held by a woman with a comprehensive list of interests. This is particularly the case in Isabel Brighty McComb (1876-1941). Brighty who became a member in 1903, became Club president in 1932 and stayed in her post until her death in 1941. Similar to Mrs. Currie, Brighty was a local historian and published 2 booklets on local history. Her obituary indicates her position in the community as an author and involved community member committed to lifetime memberships in the Imperial Order of Daughters of Empire, I.O.D.E., the National Organization of Women, N.O.W. and the United Empire Loyalist Society, as well as the WLC. She was a locally known ‘teacher of elocution’ and a devoted researcher of Upper Canadian history. In a Club scrapbook dedicated to her, the biographical sketch illustrates the professionalism surrounding Brighty. There is very little personal history mentioned and the focus is on her literary works, her published essay, booklets and poetry. This professional focus, evident in both her obituary and the scrapbook, illustrate the diversity of these women, especially in their roles outside of the home. The WLC collection contains a vast array of essay, lectures clippings and scrapbooks from past meetings. Organized predominantly by topic or author, the folders and scrapbooks offer a substantial amount of research opportunity in the literary history of Canada. The dates, scope of topics and authors covered offer historians an exciting opportunity to examine the consumption of particular literary trends, artists and topics within the context of a midsized industrial city in English Canada. This is especially important because the agenda adhered to by the Club was bent on promoting, discussing and reviewing predominantly Canadian material. By connecting when and what these women were studying, scholars many gain a better understanding of the broader consumption and appreciation of literary and social trends of Canadian women outside of publishing and institutional records. Furthermore, because the agendas were set by and for these women, outside of the constructs of an institutionalized canon or agenda, they offer a fresh and on the ground examination of literary consumption over an extensive length of time.

Transmission of West Nile virus in the Niagara Region among a population at risk for exposure

Background. West Nile Virus (WNV), a mosquito-borne flavivirus, is one of an increasing number of infectious diseases that have been emerging or re-emerging in the last two decades. Since the arrival ofWNV to Canada to present date, the Niagara Region has only reported 30 clinical cases, a small number compared to the hundreds reported in other regions of similar conditions. Moreover, the last reported human case in Niagara was in 2006. As it has been demonstrated that the majority of WNV infections are asymptomatic, the question remains whether the lack of clinical cases in Niagara truly reflects the lack of transmission to humans or if infections are still occurring but are mostly asymptomatic. Objectives. The general objective of this study was to establish whether or not active WNV transmission could be detected in a human population residing in Niagara for the 2007 transmission season. To fullfil this objective, a cross-sectional seroprevalence study was designed to investigate for the presence of anti-WNV antibodies in a sample of Mexican migrant agricultural workers employed in farms registered with the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program (SAWP). Due to the Mexican origin of the study participants, three specific research objectives were proposed: a) determine the seroprevalence ofanti-WNV antibodies as well as anti-Dengue virus antibodies (a closely related virus prevalent in Mexico and likely to confound WNV serology); b) analyze risk factors associated with WNV and Dengue virus seropositivity; and c) assess the awareness of study participants about WNV infection as well as their understanding of the mode of transmission and clinical importance of the infection. Methodology: After obtaining ethics clearance from Brock University, farms were visited and workers invited to participate. Due to time constraints, only a small number of farms were enrolled with a resulting convenience and non-randomized study sample. Workers' demographic and epidemiological data were collected using a standardized questionnaire and blood samples were drawn to determine serum anti-WNV and anti- Dengue antibodies with a commercial ELISA. All positive samples were sent to the National Microbiology Laboratory in Winnipeg, Manitoba for confirmation with the Plaque Reduction Neutralization Test (PRNT). Data was analyzed with Stata 10.0. Antibody determinations were reported as seroprevalence proportions for both WNV and Dengue. Logistic regression was used to analyze risk factors that may be associated with seropositivity and awareness was reported as a proportion of the number of individuals possessing awareness over the total number of participants. Results and Discussion. In total 92 participants working in 5 farms completed the study. Using the commercial ELISA, seropositivity was as follows: 2.2% for WNV IgM, 20.7% for WNV IgG, and 17.1 % for Dengue IgG. Possible cross-reactivity was demonstrated in 15/20 (75.0%) samples that were positive for both WNV IgG and Dengue IgG. Confirmatory testing with the PRNT demonstrated that none of the WNV ELISA positive samples had antibodies to WNV but 13 samples tested positive for anti-Dengue antibodies (14.1 % Dengue sereoprevalence). The findings showed that the ELISA performance was very poor for assessing anti-WNV antibodies in individuals previously exposed to Dengue virus. However, the ELISA had better sensitivity and specificity for assessing anti-Dengue antibodies. Whereas statistical analysis could not be done for WNV seropositivity, as all samples were PRNT negative, logistic regression demonstrated several risk factors for Dengue exposure_ The first year coming to Canada appeared to be significantly associated with increased exposure to Dengue while lower socio-economic housing and the presence of a water basin in the yard in Mexico appeared to be significantly associated with a decreased exposure to Dengue_ These seemingly contradictory results illustrate that in mobile populations such as migrant workers, risk factors for exposure to Dengue are not easily identified and more research is needed. Assessing the awareness of WNV and its clinical importance showed that only 23% of participants had some knowledge of WNV, of which 76% knew that the infection was mosquito-borne and 47% recognized fever as a symptom. The identified lack of understanding and awareness was not surprising since WNV is not a visible disease in Mexico. Since WNV persists in an enzootic cycle in Niagara and the occurrence of future outbreaks is unpredictable, the agricultural workers remain at risk for transmission. Therefore it important they receive sufficient health education regarding WNV before leaving Mexico and during their stay in Canada. Conclusions. Human transmission of WNV could not be proven among the study participants even when due to their occupation they are at high risk for mosquito bites. The limitations of the study sample do not permit generalizable conclusions, however, the study findings are consistent with the absence of clinical cases in the Niagara Region, so it is likely that human transmission is indeed neglible or absent. As evidenced by our WNV serology results, PRNT must be utilized as a confirmatory test since false positivity occurs frequently. This is especially true when previous exposure to Dengue virus is likely.

Tony Biernacki Collection, 1967, 1979-1980, n.d.

Tony Biernacki's rowing career began in 1950 in Ottawa with his first Henley medal in 1952 in the coxless four. Sculling became his real means to success. Since 1955 he has posted record times and had numerous wins in the single. He represented Canada at the National Team between 1958 and 1967 and raced in the single at the British Empire Games and Pan Am Games (Chicago, silver medal) and pair at the Worlds in Yugoslavia in 1966. He won the Olympic trials in 1960 in Rome, but was unable to go. Upon his retirement from competition Tony was hired as the Team Manager for the following Pan Am Games. Tony was hired by Brock University in 1965 as a technician in the Chemistry Department. He became the head rowing coach that same year and began women’s rowing at the university level in Ontario with the first women’s crew in 1967. As Brock's second coach ever, he led the teams to championship form and kept the athletes racing through the summer regatta season. Tony remained at Brock from 1965 to 1980. He was one of the founders of The Canadian Masters Rowing Committee and he helped to initiate master's racing at the Canadian Henley. In 1985 he won the single, double and quad at the World Masters Regatta in Toronto. For a number of years he was also the world record holder for his age category on the C2 ergometer. His last heartfelt project was the construction of a wheelchair ramp at Resurrection Lutheran Church where he was an active member. Mr. Biernacki passed away on January 9, 1998 at the age of 66 after a valiant battle with cancer only a month after being awarded the Canadian Coaching Provincial Coaching Award. He is survived by his wife Janet, daughters Tracy, Tammy Pauls, and Tory Phannenhour, and son, Tony Jr. He is also survived by several grandchildren.

Welland County Records, 1961-1989

The origins of the Welland County Fair date back to the founding of the County of Welland in 1852. A provincial charter was issued in 1853 to create the Welland County Agricultural Society that was to operate the Fair. In 1970, the Welland County Fair became the Niagara Regional Exhibition, and the Society became known as the Niagara Regional Agriculture Society. The Society seeks to “encourage interest, promote improvements in and advance the standards of agriculture, domestic industry and rural life”. The Welland Festival of Arts was developed in 1986 in order to revitalize the town’s economy. An “outdoor art gallery” was created by painting murals on buildings that depicted the town’s heritage, a concept successfully adopted by the town of Chemainus, B.C. The first mural was completed in the summer of 1988, and by 1991 there were a total of 28 murals around the city. The endeavour proved successful: in the years that followed the creation of the Festival, two new hotels were constructed, a third was expanded, and there was an addition to the Seaway Mall to accommodate the increased tourist traffic. Optimist International is a non-profit organization that strives to “bring out the best in kids” . The first Canadian club was formed in Toronto in 1924. The Welland branch of the Optimist Club was founded in 1937. The first Welland County General Hospital opened in 1908. As the population increased, it became necessary to expand the existing facilities. Additions were made to the original structure with an East wing in 1930 and a children’s ward in 1931. However, in the 1950’s, the hospital was operating beyond optimum capacity and the need for a larger facility was clear. It was decided that a new hospital would be built, which opened in April 1960. The new hospital had 259 beds and 51 bassinets. Further additions were made in 1967 and 1978. The County of Welland was formed in 1850 when it was officially separated from Lincoln County, however, the two counties continued to operate together until 1856 when a new County building and jail for Welland County were completed. That same year, the first meeting of the Council of the Corporation of Welland County took place. The final meeting of the Council took place on December 18, 1969. The following year, the County of Welland merged with Lincoln County to form the Regional Municipality of Niagara. The Welland Mills in Thorold, Ont., was built in 1846-1847 by Jacob Keefer and is thought to have been one of the largest flour mills in Upper Canada. Ownership of the mill changed several times over the years and previous owners include the Howland family, the Hedley Shaw Milling Company and the Maple Leaf Milling Company. In 1986, the building received a heritage plaque from the Ontario Heritage Foundation, an agency of the Ontario Ministry of Culture and Recreation. At this time, the mill was no longer in operation and was being used for storage by Fraser, Inc. By 2006, the dilapidated building had been redeveloped into18 apartments and 2 floors of commercial space, while maintaining many heritage features. The building is currently known as the Welland Mills Centre.

Woodruff Family fonds, 1784 – 1983, (non-inclusive)

The Woodruff Family Collection: From the time the Woodruff Family came to Canada from the United States in 1795, they took an active role in the forming of their communities both in a civic and social manner. This is evident through the documents contained in this collection. The Woodruffs played an active role in the battles fought in Upper Canada and they were an integral part of the Village of St. Davids. They were educated, business-minded and socially engaged. They accumulated much of their fortune through land dealings. Much of this collection focuses on Samuel DeVeaux Woodruff who was principally a businessman. His dedication to his work is shown through his numerous undertakings. He made his mark on the Niagara Peninsula through his work on the railways, roads, marsh land revisions, canals and the paper industry. He was also involved with the founding of the Long Point Company and he took control of building DeVeaux Hall down to the last detail. His offspring inherited his work ethic and his business acumen. The people who married into the Woodruff Family also possessed key social, political and business ties. Anne and Margaret Clement were from a staunch Loyalist background. Samuel Zimmerman was instrumental to the founding of Niagara Falls and Judge Samuel DeVeaux left behind a legacy for poor and homeless boys in Niagara Falls, New York. The Woodruff Family undoubtedly left a mark on the Niagara Peninsula. This collection brings to light many endeavours of the family and their varied contributions.