Books
Triumph and Tragedy (multiple authors, St. Catharines Museum, 2020)
This is a great book which documents the building of the Fourth (current) canal through its initial in-service in 1932. It also commemorates the lives of the 138 workers who lost their lives in the course of construction.
Of particular interest to me is a set of 1920s-vintage maps in the back, showing the alignment of the canal in the context of other landmarks - and also the alignments of the Second ("Old") and Third ("Current") canals. It's a Rosetta Stone for canal inquirers!
My copy is #22 of 850 printed.
This is a great book which documents the building of the Fourth (current) canal through its initial in-service in 1932. It also commemorates the lives of the 138 workers who lost their lives in the course of construction.
Of particular interest to me is a set of 1920s-vintage maps in the back, showing the alignment of the canal in the context of other landmarks - and also the alignments of the Second ("Old") and Third ("Current") canals. It's a Rosetta Stone for canal inquirers!
My copy is #22 of 850 printed.
"The Welland Canals and Their Communities" (John Jackson, University of Toronto Press, 1997)
This book looks across the First through Fourth Canals (including the modern Welland By-Pass), telling their respective stories. It also examines the way the canals affected the pre-existing communities (such as St. Catharines), and the communities that came into being in response to the canals. Of these, some (like Welland) grew into cities and some (like Allanburg) shrank into modest residential neighbourhoods.
This book is the best I have addressing the industrial context for canal development, including all the pre-electricity canal side business that took advantage of falling water.
This book looks across the First through Fourth Canals (including the modern Welland By-Pass), telling their respective stories. It also examines the way the canals affected the pre-existing communities (such as St. Catharines), and the communities that came into being in response to the canals. Of these, some (like Welland) grew into cities and some (like Allanburg) shrank into modest residential neighbourhoods.
This book is the best I have addressing the industrial context for canal development, including all the pre-electricity canal side business that took advantage of falling water.
"Niagara's Changing Landscape" (Hugh Gayler (editor), Carleton University Press, 1994).
This is a geographic study, and looks at the wider Niagara Peninsula evolution from early post-glacial times. The rise of land that runs down the spine of the upper Niagara Peninsula (and made necessary the "Deep Cut" described in several instalments) dates back that far. Also from that era are some of the key creeks still visible today - or flooded by civil works related to the canals and to hydro-electric development.
This is a geographic study, and looks at the wider Niagara Peninsula evolution from early post-glacial times. The rise of land that runs down the spine of the upper Niagara Peninsula (and made necessary the "Deep Cut" described in several instalments) dates back that far. Also from that era are some of the key creeks still visible today - or flooded by civil works related to the canals and to hydro-electric development.
The Brock University Archives Department
The Archives Department has been very helpful to this project. All the 1850s-vintage survey maps used in "The Second Welland Canal" came from the Archives Department. The Archives Department has also provided a number of other very informative files which I have attributed where used.
Their public-facing contact is [email protected] and https://brocku.ca/library/archives/
The Archives Department has been very helpful to this project. All the 1850s-vintage survey maps used in "The Second Welland Canal" came from the Archives Department. The Archives Department has also provided a number of other very informative files which I have attributed where used.
Their public-facing contact is [email protected] and https://brocku.ca/library/archives/
Web Sites
I have benefited from numerous web sites in the course of this project. A few of my favourites:
- The Old Welland Canals Field Guide: This in an invaluable guide for canal hunters. The numerous maps and photos were (and are) extremely useful to me in conducting field work, and a lot of this knowledge would be hard to replicate now as there are many more fences and no-go areas now.
- A Bend in the River: This is a story first printed in the Hamilton Spectator which documents the journalist's (Tom Hogue) 2014 exploration of the Welland River. This was a real eye-opener for me. The article includes video content and a strong environmental statement.
- WellandCanals.ca: This site dated 2015 is also a great resource, as many of the shooting points are no longer accessible (at least legally and safely). There are sections for all four Canals and the "Feeder Canal" which supplied water to the First and Second Canals.
- The History of Power Glen: The Power Glen area is divided by the border between St. Catharines and Thorold, and it is a rather magical place. It is roughly bounded by Decew Road (on top of the escarpment) to the south, Pelham Road (down the escarpment) and Tail Race Road (further down in the valley of Twelve Mile Creek) to the south, First Street Louth to the west and the Decew Falls Generating Station (and its reservoirs) to the east. This history contains information I have not seen anywhere else.
I have benefited from numerous web sites in the course of this project. A few of my favourites:
- The Old Welland Canals Field Guide: This in an invaluable guide for canal hunters. The numerous maps and photos were (and are) extremely useful to me in conducting field work, and a lot of this knowledge would be hard to replicate now as there are many more fences and no-go areas now.
- A Bend in the River: This is a story first printed in the Hamilton Spectator which documents the journalist's (Tom Hogue) 2014 exploration of the Welland River. This was a real eye-opener for me. The article includes video content and a strong environmental statement.
- WellandCanals.ca: This site dated 2015 is also a great resource, as many of the shooting points are no longer accessible (at least legally and safely). There are sections for all four Canals and the "Feeder Canal" which supplied water to the First and Second Canals.
- The History of Power Glen: The Power Glen area is divided by the border between St. Catharines and Thorold, and it is a rather magical place. It is roughly bounded by Decew Road (on top of the escarpment) to the south, Pelham Road (down the escarpment) and Tail Race Road (further down in the valley of Twelve Mile Creek) to the south, First Street Louth to the west and the Decew Falls Generating Station (and its reservoirs) to the east. This history contains information I have not seen anywhere else.
Topographical Maps
The story of the Welland Canals and surrounding waters is told in elevation as well as routing. I use these sites:
- The Ontario Topographical Map Site: This is authoritative. The user interface is easy, and you can zoom in close to get the detail you need. Full marks!
- Heat-Mapped Topographical Maps: The only thing the Ontario site doesn't do is provide a heat-map view. This site does, and it is extremely useful for visualization of (for example) the complex valley of Upper Twelve Mile Creek. My only caution is that there are a lot of "clickable things" for which I cannot vouch. What I do is navigate and screen-print to PowerPoint - I don't click anything.
The story of the Welland Canals and surrounding waters is told in elevation as well as routing. I use these sites:
- The Ontario Topographical Map Site: This is authoritative. The user interface is easy, and you can zoom in close to get the detail you need. Full marks!
- Heat-Mapped Topographical Maps: The only thing the Ontario site doesn't do is provide a heat-map view. This site does, and it is extremely useful for visualization of (for example) the complex valley of Upper Twelve Mile Creek. My only caution is that there are a lot of "clickable things" for which I cannot vouch. What I do is navigate and screen-print to PowerPoint - I don't click anything.