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.

Copy of poster advertising “Grand Buffalo Hunt at Niagara Falls” with Bill Hickok, August, 1872

James Butler Hickok (1837-1876), also known as “Wild Bill” Hickok, was an American gun-fighter, scout and spy. He was involved in altercations with others while working for the famous express company Russell, Majors and Waddell (in 1861), and later while working as a wagon master, scout, and spy for the Union forces during the Civil War. These altercations resulted in the deaths of 4 people, but Hickok was acquitted in all cases. An embellished article written about him in Harper’s magazine helped contribute to his reputation as a western hero. He served as a deputy U.S. marshal and sheriff in Kansas in the late 1860’s, helping to bring law and order to a previously lawless area. He gambled considerably, and during a card game on August 2, 1876, was shot and killed. The cards he was holding (two aces, two eights, and a jack) became known as the "dead man's hand."

Niagara aerial photographs, 1921-1991, undated

This collection contains 129 aerial photographs of the Niagara region. The dates vary from 1921-1991, with some photos undated. Some of the areas covered include the Welland Canal, the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), Niagara Falls, the Short Hills, and St. Catharines. Most of the photos are black and white.

Priming the Governance System for Climate Change Adaptation: The Application of a Social Ecological Inventory (SEI) to Engage Actors in Niagara, Canada

Adaptive systems of governance are increasingly gaining attention in respect to complex and uncertain social-ecological systems. Adaptive co-management is one strategy to make adaptive governance operational and holds promise with respect to community climate change adaptation as it facilitates participation and learning across scales and fosters adaptive capacity and resilience. Developing tools which hasten the realization of such approaches are growing in importance. This paper describes explores the Social Ecological Inventory (SEI) as a tool to 'prime' a regional climate change adaptation network. The SEI tool draws upon the social-ecological systems approach in which social and ecological systems are considered linked. SEIs bridge the gap between conventional stakeholder analysis and biological inventories and take place through a six phase process. A case study describes the results of applying an SEI to prime an adaptive governance network for climate change adaptation in the Niagara Region of Canada. Lessons learned from the case study are discussed and highlight how the SEI catalyzed the adaptive co-management process in the case. Future avenues for SEIs in relation to climate change adaptation emerge from this exploratory work and offer opportunities to inform research and adaptation planning.

Niagara Falls Special Attractions - Postcards

Board with five postcards of Niagara Falls attractions. First postcard, Lincoln Beachey's Flight under Niagara Falls Bridge (copyright 1911 by Photo Specialty Co.). Second postcard, Calvery Walking Niagara Gorge on 3/4 in. cable. Third postcard, Burning Spring, Niagara Falls, Canada. Fourth postcard, Mrs. Anna Edson Taylor "Shot Horseshoe Falls (165 feet) October 24, 1901, and survived - a feat never before accomplished. Entered barrel one and one-half miles above the Falls. Was in barrel one hour and fifteen minutes. Had 32 pounds of air in barrel; 100 pounds weight on foot of barrel. Rescued six hundred yards below falls on Canadian shore". Fifth postcard, Burning Spring, Niagara Falls, Canada.

Niagara on the Lake Army Activities - Postcards

Board of five postcards of Niagara on the Lake. First postcard, Drilling C.E. Forces and Niagara Camp. Second postcard, Infantry at Niagara Camp. Third postcard, Panoramic view of Niagara Camp 1918. Fourth postcard, Niagara Camp View, Over-Seas Forces, Fort Mississauga on Left. Fifth postcard, Niagara Camp Over-Seas Forces ready to embark for the Front.

Niagara Suspension Bridge Bank note, 1841

The Niagara Suspension Bridge Bank operated in Queenston in 1840. The bank issued notes in denominations of ten dollars, five dollars and one dollar, and featured a drawing of the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge, ten years prior to its construction. The notes are signed by the bank’s Cashier, Gilbert McMicken, and President, Joseph Hamilton. The bank failed a year after its establishment.

The True and Wonderful Story of Paul Gasford

"The following true and remarkable story is taken from the Christian advocate, a respectable paper published by the Methodist Connexion, in the city of New-York."--Preface, t.p. verso. The Christian advocate was first published in 1826. See ULS. Caption title: Paul Gasford. In printed wrapper. "Advice from a bee."--poem, p. [16]. "English classics, for sale by M. Day, 374 Pearl-st."--p. [4] of wrapper.

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.

Canadian Niagara Power Glass Slide - Group of men walking through the hydro tunnel

Four men (unidentified) walking in tunnel wearing hard hats and carrying flashlights.