Borer’s Falls – Cootes #071031

See also Borers Falls (071007) for Borer’s Falls details

COOTES PARADISE

Cootes Paradise is an 840-hectare wildlife sanctuary containing a 250-hectare coastal wetland located at the west end of Hamilton Harbour, a natural bay at the west end of Lake Ontario. The sanctuary supports a wide variety of plants and animals including rare and threatened species.

Its 30,000-hectare drainage basin acts as the catchment for three main waterways: Spencer Creek, Borer’s Creek and Chedoke Creek. Several smaller streams including Westdale Creek, Long Valley Brook, Hickory Brook and Highland Creek flow into the marsh as well. The Dundas Sewage Treatment Plant and several Combined Sewage Overflows also discharge into Cootes Paradise.

Located at the crest of the Golden Horseshoe between two major yet largely fragmented biomes—the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Life Zone and the Carolinian Life Zone—Cootes Paradise is surrounded by agricultural, residential, industrial, commercial and recreational lands. Its urban location makes this sanctuary a vital link to other conservation areas in the region including Spencer Gorge, Iroquois Heights and Borer’s Fall’s/Rock Chapel—part of the Bruce Trail and the Niagara Escarpment UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.

Cootes Paradise Marsh is considered one of the most important waterfowl staging habitats on the lower Great Lakes and the largest nursery habitat for fish in the region. The Government of Ontario has designated Cootes Paradise as a Provincially Significant Class 1 Wetland and an Area of Natural and Scientific Interest (ANSI). It also is listed as an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) in the Hamilton Region.

Historic Description of Cootes Paradise Marsh

Prior to the 20th century, the nutrient-rich, shallow waters of Cootes Paradise thrived as a coastal freshwater marsh habitat. Almost 100 percent of Cootes Paradise was covered with emergent aquatic plants like wild rice and submergent plants such as wild celery, providing food, shelter and migration stop-overs for a variety of birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians and insects. The lush wetland also provided suitable spawning, nursery and adult habitat for many native warm water fish like bass and pike and cold water species such as herring and trout.

The plentiful flora and fauna of the Great Lakes coastal freshwater marshes did not go unnoticed by settlers in the 1800s. Cootes Paradise and its surrounding natural habitats offered abundant fishing and hunting opportunities, fertile farmland and convenient access to water. However, human settlement of Hamilton Harbour and its surrounding natural lands brought with it several stressors that, over time, had a cumulative impact on the natural abundance of Cootes Paradise and neighbouring lower Grindstone Creek.

Throughout both Cootes Paradise and Grindstone Creek watersheds, agricultural practices and residential, commercial and industrial development contaminated connecting tributaries with sewage effluent, eroded soil and sediment and chemical runoff. By 1837 the Desjardins Canal, a shipping channel dissecting the marsh and terminating at the extreme western end in Dundas, reduced the marsh’s capacity to assimilate nutrients and stabilize sediments.

Feeding and spawning behaviours of non-native carp uprooted and destroyed marsh plants and re-suspended sediment making waters cloudy, preventing light penetration and plant growth. By the end of the 19th century, exotic plant species like purple loosestrife and reed manna grass, accidentally introduced to North America, began successfully competing with, and eradicating, native plants. The natural ecology of Cootes Paradise and Grindstone Creek was further disrupted in 1956 when the Seaway Commission began regulating Lake Ontario water levels.

As human pressures on the watersheds increased, the decline in the health and biodiversity of Cootes Paradise became markedly visible. In the 1930s Cootes Paradise experienced a 15% permanent reduction in marsh vegetation. By 1985 the level of plant growth had decreased further, losing 85% of its original plant cover. This permanent loss of aquatic flora had a direct negative impact on water quality and the fish and wildlife inhabitants of Cootes Paradise and lower Grindstone Creek.

Concerns over environmental degradation led the International Joint Commission to designate Hamilton Harbour as one of 42 Areas of Concern in the Great Lakes. In 1986, the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan was initiated to address this environmental degradation in the Harbour including key areas like Cootes Paradise and lower Grindstone Creek. Under this plan, a variety of conservation projects and monitoring programs have been implemented to control pollution, restore and improve fish and wildlife habitat and enhance public access.

Cootes Paradise is a large wetland at the western end of Hamilton Harbour, bordering the cities of Hamilton and Burlington, Ontario, Canada. It is owned and managed by the Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG). Originally a shallow marsh providing habitat for a wide variety of lifeforms, the marsh went into decline beginning in the late 19th century through human overuse and the introduction of carp into Hamilton Harbour. By 1985, 85% of its plant cover was lost. In an effort to reverse this ecological decline, the RBG introduced Project Paradise in 1993, part of the Hamilton Harbour Remedial Action Plan. The project focuses on removing sources of stress to the marsh by minimizing the number of spawning carp and the planting of native plants. There are five identified anthropogenic stresses: overgrazing by carp and Canada Geese, high nutrient levels, water turbidity, sediment accumulation, and the controlled water level in Lake Ontario. Controlled burns have also been conducted in an effort to restore some of the forest areas to their original Oak savanna ecosystem, a rare grouping of Carolinian plants and animals. Cootes Paradise is connected to Hamilton Harbour via the Desjardins Canal which was dug through Burlington Heights in the early 19th century in an effort to connect Dundas, Ontario with shipping on the Great Lakes. In 2000, the City of Hamilton constructed a 3 km recreational trail connecting Cootes Paradise to Pier 4 park; this trail is also part of the Waterfront Trail system.

Plants

Cootes Paradise is home to numerous plant species of all sorts, a number of which have been introduced following European settlement of the area. Among the trees found in Cootes Paradise are various species of oak, maple, and pine, as well as less common species such as sassafras tree, Kentucky Coffee Tree, and tulip tree. In recent years there has been a noticeable die-off of trees on the RGB property surrounding Cootes Paradise, and in 2005, following the death of a child participating on a nature hike, the RGB was forced to cut down numerous dead and dying trees that posed a public-safety concern.

Mammals

A number of mammals inhabit Cootes Paradise, including White-tailed deer, Red Fox, Raccoon, Beaver, and Red Squirrel.

Birds

Many species of birds use Cootes Paradise at some point during the year, most notably during the Spring and Autumn migratory periods. Notable species include the Caspian tern, Black-crowned night heron, Osprey, Pileated woodpecker, and the Protonothary warbler.

Fish

Numerous species of fish are found in the murky waters of Cootes Paradise, among them being bottom-feeders such as the Brown bullhead and invasive species such as the White perch. Sport fish such as pike, Largemouth bass, and Yellow perch are also found in limited numbers.

Cootes Drive

Cootes Drive was built in 1936, one of the first divided highways in Ontario. In those days wetlands were seen as impediments to “progress” a progress that put a premium on automobile mobility. As a result, a significant wetland was in filled to accommodate the road.

Ø Originally named King's Highway 8D

Ø Built to bypass a winding section of Hwy 8 between Hamilton and Dundas. Known as the Dundas Diversion

Ø Renamed Hwy 102 in 1947

Ø Construction began in early 1936, grading of the two roadways completed by end of 1936 and unofficially opened to the public

Ø One of the first divided highways ever built in Ontario

Ø Paved in 1937

Ø Served as a model for other divided highway projects in the late 1930s, the most notable being the QEW and the initial phases of Hwy 401

Ø The highway is 3.2 Km long

Ø The posted speed is 80 km/h

Ø There are two lanes in each direction

Hickory Island and Cormorants

Fish-eating birds destroyed the forest cover on Hickory Island. Although you wouldn’t know it now, the island was once covered with trees. Where did they all go?

The answer lies in a black seabird called the Double-crested Cormorant. You may have seen them in summer feeding in Cootes Paradise, loitering on Hickory Island, or flying in ragged V-shaped flocks out to Lake Ontario.

Cormorants are colonial nesters, meaning that they nest together in large groups. They first started nesting on Hickory Island in 1995 and their local population increased quickly, reaching 218 nests by 1998. They are not very sophisticated housekeepers, and their droppings, which are very high in nitrogen, coated the plants below the nests and eventually killed them. As the roots of the dead trees rotted, the trees blew over, depriving the cormorants of nesting sites. The Hickory Island cormorant colony has thus declined steadily since 1998.

Crooks' Hollow #071014

Nestled in a small valley, through which the Spencer Creek flows on its journey to the edge of the Niagara Escarpment, north of Dundas and Hamilton, lies the pioneer community known as Crooks' Hollow.

Following the close of the American Revolution in the late 1700's, Upper Canada became a haven for United Empire Loyalists escaping the United States, many of whom made their way from Niagara to the western end of Lake Ontario where they had been granted land by King George III of England. Attracted by the potential waterpower offered by the Spencer Creek, many early settlers came to this area of Flamborough West. It was to this particular area that two early families came, the Mordens and the Crooks.

The Conservation Area, with parking, is .06 km east of the ruins of the Darnley Mill.

United Empire Loyalists were granted land here and between 1813 and 1826, James Crooks established a sawmill, general store, barrel factory, blacksmith's shop, woollen mill, distillery and tannery here. Near the ruins of the Darnley Grist Mill, circa 1813, James Crooks produced the first writing paper made in Upper Canada. Today, you can discover other mill foundations and traces of dams, while the Hollow is a relaxing park of gentle green hills along Spencer Creek.

Crook's Hollow was founded by Scottish born James Crooks who immigrated to Upper Canada while still in his early teens. When James first arrived he joined his older brother Francis, who had been operating a store in Fort Niagara. By 1807, Crooks had established his own store, gotten married and was ready to settle down and raise a family.

It was war and politics that forced Crooks to relocate his centre of operations to Flamborough County. The Crooks brothers, which now included a third brother, William, had purchased several parcels of land along Spencer Creek with the intention of building a grist mill. Construction on the mill began in 1811 but the War of 1812 intervened and Crooks returned to the Niagara area to fight against the Americans. He was captured by the U.S. Navy and escaped, only to find his Niagara home had been destroyed. The schooner, which he and his brother had purchased several years earlier to transport supplies, was also captured by the Americans. It sank during a violent storm on Lake Ontario in 1813. With nothing left to hold him in Niagara, Crooks and his family returned to Flamborough to start a new life.

The area that became known as Crooks' Hollow had its industrial beginnings in 1801, when Jonathon Morden, a sawyer by trade, built a sawmill on Spencer Creek. Crooks constructed a new dam and sluice, south of the Morden property, and completed his mill in 1813.

Crooks was an industrialist who went on to build an empire that was massive for its time and astounding, even by today's standards. By 1829, the settlement had grown to include the original grist mill, known as Darnley Mill, a distillery, linseed oil mill, cooperage, tannery, woollen mill, card clothing factory, foundry, agricultural implement factory, paper mill, log cabins for the workers, a general store and inn. A 100 man workforce and their families lived in the community that aligned Spencer's Creek for half a century.

James Crooks died in 1860 at the age of 82. Following his death, the original grist mill was purchased by James Stutt and Robert Sanderson, who enlarged the structure and converted it to a paper mill. The mill was hit by a massive boiler explosion in 1885 that killed two men. It was rebuilt and continued to operate until 1934, when it was gutted by fire. The remaining industries gradually closed after the village was bypassed by the railways during the mid 19th century.

Although the city of Dundas, further to the south, has grown to encompass Crook's Hollow, the area has been under the protection of the Hamilton Region Conservation Authority since 1969. Although little remains of the early structures, visitors to the site can view maps and take a walking tour through one of Ontario's earliest industrial empires

Morden’s Mill

In 1798 Jonathon Morden built a dam and sawmill on the site. (see pictures) It was the first mill to be built on the Spencer Creek above the escarpment . His son James added a grist mill in 1841. The Morden family operated these mills until they burned in 1905.

Remains of a once thriving industry

In 1841 William Bullock built a large grist mill and sawmill on this site (see pictures), installing in 1850 the first steam plant on Spencer Creek. The mills were operated by William Joseph who continued in the lumber business. In 1866 the large steam engines were moved to a new location on lot 6, concession 4, in the township and the mill property and mill rights were leased to Andrew, James and William Clark and Mathew Langley, who installed woollen machines to manufacture blankets and woollen cloth which they sold throughout the country. Within a year fire destroyed the structure; undismayed the partners signed another lease for five years, from the completion of a new stone building to be erected by William and Joseph Bullock. The new stone building, 40 by 60 feet, three stories, was opened as a cloth and blanket factory. The Clarks purchased the property in 1871 and shortly after William Clark and Mathew Langley withdrew from the partnership and purchased the Miller property further up Spencer Creek in the village of West Flamborough. Here the produced woollen goods no doubt from the cloth produced at Bullock Corners.

After Clark retired in 1900, James Clark and son-in-law Fred Thornton continued under the name of Clark Blanket Company until the death of Mr. Clark in 1921. The business was continued by John and Gilbert Clark, sons of James Clark until the early 1930’s when John died. A severe flood on February 5,1938 carried away a greater part of the foundation of the mill and the machinery and business were move to Dundas. Remains of the mill were removed in the 1950’s, however a greater part of the dam has withstood the test of time and has been restored as a historic symbol of the pioneer industry that once occupied this land.

The area adjacent to Spencer Creek from Webster’s Falls to the Christie Conservation Area reservoir was the hub of industrial development in the West Flamborough area during the early 1800s. The creek provided a source of power needed to run the early mills located along its banks.

Since the settlement of this area, eight dams have been constructed, two of which are still in place. The Dundas Public Utilities Commission dam, built in 1913 to provide water to the Town of Dundas, is located within the Crook’s Hollow Conservation Area. The Christie Conservation Area reservoir is still in operation providing low flow augmentation in the summer and providing Dundas protection from flooding. The ruins of the dams constructed in the 1800s and early 1900s are still evident today along the banks of Spencer Creek.

Ashbourne Mills is a good example of this industrial development. The mill was constructed in 1830 by Joseph Webster Jr., and operated as a flour, grist and oatmeal mill until it was destroyed by fire in 1898. The location of the mill was approximately 45 metres west of the brink of Webster’s Falls. The cobblestone bridge immediately adjacent to the brink of Webster’s Falls is the former site of a dam used in the operation of Ashbourne Mills.

The Dundas Parks Board removed the wooden dam and, using the existing stone and earthen banks on the side of the creek, constructed the cobblestone bridge over Spencer Creek in the 1930s. The cobblestone bridge as a popular attraction of the park; however, over time the bridge deteriorated and was closed to the public. To maintain the bridge as the focal point of the park and to ensure it was maintained for future generations, the Optimist Club of Greensville undertook to restore the bridge. It was officially re-opened on Canada Day, 2000.

Natural Areas Report: CHRISTIE STREAM VALLEY

The Christie Stream Valley study area is located in a semi--rural section of Flamborough, 8 km west of the Dundas urban area. This area includes a 7.5 km segment of the main trunk of Spencer Creek, from north of Peters Corners downstream to Greensville. This study area encompasses Christie Conservation Area, which is centred on a 60 ha reservoir, and the historic Crooks Hollow Conservation Area, located along Spencer Creek downstream of the reservoir. Much of the terrestrial habitat in this large area consists of manicured parkland and coniferous plantations which provide only low quality wildlife habitat. Aquatic habitat in the reservoir is also of poor quality.

The Christie Stream Valley study area encompasses the floodplain valley of Spencer Creek, including the Christie Reservoir, and adjoining upland areas. Community mapping was not conducted at this site during the NAI. The vegetation communities within the Christie Conservation Area have been previously mapped at part of the wildlife management program at this C.A. Most of the area consists of former agricultural lands which have been converted to manicured parkland on the north side, and conifer plantations and successional fields on the south side. Only small pockets of remnant natural communities (cattail marsh, cedar swamp, broadleaf swamp, and broadleaf upland woods) are present; high quality natural wildlife habitat is very limited. Parts the Christie Conservation Areas are being intensively managed for desirable wildlife species.

Physiography and Topography: The Christie Stream Valley includes the main trunk of Spencer Creek as it crosses the northern extension of the Norfolk Sand Plain physiographic region. This area is located between the shallow bedrock of the Flamborough Plain on the north, and the Dundas Valley re-entrant in the Niagara Escarpment to the south.

The upstream section of the study area consists of a moderately-developed meandering stream channel and floodplain. The central portion of this stretch of Spencer Creek is affected by seasonal flooding and draw-down in the reservoir created above the dam by Crooks Hollow. Downstream of the dam, the course of Spencer Creek follows a shallowly-incised bedrock valley. This lower section of the stream is marked by a long history of waterpower-based industrial developments. The reservoir (elevation 235 m at recreational level) is flanked by upland areas comprised of thick sand deposits rising to 265 m elevation on the south side, and 250 m on the north side.

Topography on the south side is rolling, with moderate to steep slopes. Slopes on the north side of the area are generally gentle except in the northeastern portion. The steepest slopes are located near the dam. Bedrock Geology: The bedrock surface in this area forms a south to southeast-sloping plain (207 to 245 m elevation). Bedrock outcrops occur locally along Spencer Creek, including a few outcrops on the south shore of the Christie reservoir.

The contact between bituminous dolostone of the Eramosa Member of the Lockport Formation and the overlying brown dolostone of the Guelph Formation passes through the southeast corner of this area. This contact is exposed in two geologically significant outcrops: one near the main dam, and the other in a roadcut on the north side of the Crooks Hollow C.A.

Overburden Geology: Overburden in this area consists of thick sand deposits which grade from hilly ice-contact kame terrain south of the Spencer Creek valley into gently-sloping glaciolacustrine plain to the north. Overburden thickness generally increases from 5 to 10 m along Highway #5, to 40 metres at Christies Corners. However, Spencer Creek and the side streams which join the main creek have created incised ravines so that overburden thickness within the study area varies from 0 to 30 m.

Soils: Soil development in the floodplain and reservoir is affected by seasonal flooding and deposition of alluvium. On the south side of the stream valley are well-drained soils of the Grimsby sandy loam - Brant silt loam complex, except for a small area of Ancaster silt loam in the southeast corner. Springvale sandy loam is the dominant soil on the north side of the reservoir but small patches of imperfectly- to poorly-drained Vineland sandy loam, Flamboro sandy loam, and Beverly silt loam are also present. Farmington loam and muck soils are present on the small patches of shallow bedrock in this area.

Hydrogeology: Most water wells in the vicinity of this study area tap various bedrock aquifers located anywhere from one to 21 m below the bedrock surface. Some of the deeper wells encounter sulphur water. Southwest of the study area, some wells use a shallow overburden aquifer which extends south towards Ancaster. The piezometric surface is similar but some 10 m lower than the topographic surface. The southerly movement of groundwater found on the Flamborough Plain converges on Spencer Creek valley from the north.

On the south side of the valley there is a local northerly movement of groundwater from the piezometric high associated with the topographic high comprised of sandy kame deposits. Small springs and groundwater-supported wet areas are reported on the north side of this area. While the high infiltration rates in the sandy overburden suggest the upland areas function as recharge areas, this shallow groundwater may largely discharge locally into the Spencer Creek system rather than move vertically into fractures in the bedrock.The poor water quality in the reservoir and fluctuating natural flow levels downstream reflect the predominate influence of overland flow.

Hydrology and Surface Drainage: This study area encompasses a 7.5 km long segment of the Spencer Creek valley from the confluence of West Spencer Creek and the main stream, to Highway #8 upstream of the Spencer Gorge. This is the middle reach of the main trunk of Spencer Creek and has an average gradient of less than 5 m/km. Due to the agricultural setting and general lack of natural areas and riparian habitat, moderately degraded, warmwater condition prevail in the creek and reservoir. The Christie reservoir was constructed in 1971 as a multi-purpose flood control and recreation facility.

During the summer the reservoir is maintained at a recreational level of 60 ha with a maximum depth of 6 m. The water is drawn down to the original creek bed level each fall for flood control purposes. This draw-down precludes the establishment of wetland vegetation. Water quality in this reservoir is adversely impacted by upstream agricultural and industrial activities. The reservoir is subject to pollution surges and algal blooms. Nine small artificial ponds, some of which are spring-fed, have been managed as put-and-take trout ponds. Water quality in these ponds is reported as "generally good", but at least one pond has been affected by phosphorus and ammonia rich effluent discharged from wastewater treatment facilities at an upstream industrial complex.

Devils Punch Bowl D2k #070924

Location: Devil's Punchbowl Conservation Area, Stoney Creek

Type: Ribbon

Height: 37 metres

Source: Stoney Creek

Ownership: Hamilton Conservation Authority

Parking: Devil's Punchbowl Conservation Area.

Driving: Exit QEW onto Centennial Parkway South. Head up the escarpment until you reach Green Mountain Road. Turn left onto Green Mountain Road and left again at First Road East. Follow the signs to Devil's Punchbowl.

Hiking: Devil's Punch Bowl Trail is part of the Bruce Trail. Follow the side trail from Battlefield Park or the main trail from Centennial Parkway, walking along the Niagara Escarpment. When the trail reaches the Devil's Punch Bowl gorge, it does a 2.2 km loop of the gorge. The conservation area can also be accessed from the Dofasco 2000 Trail.

Nearby: Battlefield House Museum, Nash Jackson House, Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology, Fifty Point Conservation Area and Confederation Park.

This waterfall area contains two separate falls, Upper and Lower. The Lower Falls is a 6 metre classical waterfall, and the main Upper Falls is a 37-metre ribbon waterfall. The Devil's Punchbowl is one of the Niagara Escarpment's most amazing sights, created at the end of the last ice age by huge streams that plunged over the Stoney Creek Escarpment to carve it out. From the bottom of the falls, you can see the many different coloured layers of stone, sand and fossils that make up the Escarpment in this area. The Punch Bowl is the only area where you can view such a large vertical display of Silurian stratified rock. Some of the layers include Queenston Formation red shale, Cabot Head grey shale, limestone and shale dolomite.

There is a spectacular view of Stoney Creek and Hamilton Harbour from the lookout, not to mention the view down into the seemingly bottomless gorge.

This is a really interesting site, and probably doesn't get the publicity it deserves. Do you notice something odd about this waterfall? How could the little trickle of a creek have eroded such a monstrous sized gorge? Well, the creek was probably much larger during the period just after glaciers left southern Ontario about 10-12,000 years ago. If drainage patterns were different, and more water was directed towards this creek, it would have had increased erosion power and could have eroded a gorge of this size.

The waterfall is easily viewed from the quiet park on the side of Ridge Rd. This is one of the best places to appreciate the layered nature of the sedimentary rocks underneath much of southern Ontario. But the best view of the falls is from its base. But this is a deep gorge, and it is next to impossible to get to the bottom from this point. The easiest, and safest way is to follow the directions to Lower Devil's Punchbowl Falls, and walk upstream along the path. The view from this point is stunning. As you enter the circular shaped gorge, isolated from just about everything else, it's just you and the 40 m high ribbon of a waterfall. As a special treat, if you visit on a windy day, you may be treated to what is probably one of Ontario's only "bending" waterfalls. When winds are strong enough, the falls can bend sideways in mid air, to maybe 10-15 degrees off from the vertical.

This is where the rumors abound. It is said that moon shiners set up their wares along the tree line near Ridge Road, and thirsty road workers would hike to the top of the escarpment with two-gallon pails to get some cold water from the falls. But were both buckets truly filled with water when they returned? There are many that have their doubts. The moon shiners were thought to be doing the devil's work, and hence the name Devil's Punchbowl.

There are also rumors that because the waterfall and surrounding area was so beautiful, some felt it should be named after God. But because of the afore mentioned business dealings, and out of respect for God, it was named Devil's Punchbowl instead.

No matter how the name actually came about, the site is a wonder to behold. High atop the mountain brow, sitting at the edge of the escarpment is the lookout point which hosts a 50 foot high steel cross adorned with 106 lights to light up its edges. Why is it here? What purpose does it serve?

Way back, in approximately 1930, a very tall pine tree stood on a rough and rocky ledge just below the escarpment edge near Ridge Road. Each year this tree was decorated with a balance of red and green lights at Christmas time, then lit, to send forth the message of Christmas greeting to the surrounding neighborhoods. But sadly after many years, the tree began to show the effects of time and it began to sag as it was pulling away from the rocky ridge, so it was deemed unsafe to decorate it.

People had become rather attached to the idea of spreading Christmas spirit through the lighting of the tree, and something occurred to a trio of enthusiastic supporters from Ontario Hydro. Why not put up an experimental set of lights to see how it would be received?

With this in mind William Sinclair, Murray Hyslop and Bert Tyman went to work finding the best location to erect a wooden cross to share the message of "Good Will" with everyone in the surrounding area. The cross was positioned just west of the tree, and very near the edge of the escarpment. The cross would be lit during the Christmas and Easter holidays. For 5 years the wooden cross reigned on top of the hill. By 1966 time again began to take its toll. The wooden cross was falling apart.

An idea from the original trio of Ontario Hydro linesmen was spread through the general community looking for a permanent solution to this problem. They wanted to erect a steel cross that could stand the test of time and bring forth a reminder of the good will of God. With the support for the project spreading, things moved forward and a site just east of the punchbowl was selected as the permanent location for the cross.

A steel hydro tower measuring more than 50 feet tall that was no longer being used was brought over from Birch Ave in Hamilton, Ontario to form the base of the cross. With this acquisition, the cross project got underway. Many local companies and the surrounding communities threw in their money, supplies, and labor to further the cause, and help bring their dream to reality.

On Dec 18, 1966 the cross was dedicated and as night fell, the photo electric cells blazed to life and the cross shone out across the valley far and wide. In April of 1990 the Knights of Columbus donated the sum of $1,300 to cover the cost of lighting the cross each night. The cross now comes to life every night of the year to remind people of the "eternal values" and share the "good will of God" with one and all.

The Legends

For years there have been legends circulating about Devil's Punchbowl. It has been said that on dark moonless nights you can still see the fiery eyes of a phantom moon shiner carrying his pails of booze along ridge road.

It has also been said that a group of scouts were visiting Devil's Punchbowl one day. One of the scouts had brought along his dog. As they were walking along the edge peering into the gorge, the hillside gave away and the boy and his dog fell to their deaths far below. The boy's father was grief struck and mourned for his only son. He felt the loss so deeply that he felt the need to share his grief with the world and he erected the cross in his memory.

The Realities

Although Devil's Punchbowl is an awe inspiring site, many people visit here for other reasons. Super Dave Osborne used this site as a backdrop for his "atomic yoyo" trick in 1989. There have also been numerous suicides from various points surrounding the punchbowl reported in the Stoney Creek News over the years. In 1991 a 20 year old man apparently jumped to his death from the lookout point. And 5 years prior, a young woman leaped over the edge to her death and was later found by a group of school students out on a field trip. Somewhere around that time a young man hung himself from the railroad tracks that run near the base of the punchbowl. It seems that Devil's Punchbowl has been a focal point for many tragedies over the years.

Dofasco 2000 Trail

The Dofasco 2000 Trail is an 11.5 km multi-use trail on Hamilton’s East Mountain. It passes through the beautiful rural countryside of Stoney Creek with both on and off-road sections.

Located on the Powerline Road allowance it runs in an east-west direction on top of the Niagara Escarpment. The trail offers users a unique opportunity to view the beauty and diversity of our region - from the steep slopes and vistas of the Niagara Escarpment to wetland areas and woodlots. As a stone dust trail featuring a 2 km boardwalk through the Vinemount Swamps, it has a passive recreation focus on hiking, cycling and cross-country skiing.

The trail links the 1812 Battlefield Park, Devil's Punch Bowl Conservation Area, and Vinemount Wetlands and will eventually continue "on-road" to link with the Waterfront Trail at the Fifty Point Conservation Area on Lake Ontario. Another "on-road" link will make the connection to the Chippawa Trail which is now designated a part of the Trans Canada Trail network. This link will pass by the recently discovered underground caves in the Eramosa Karst Conservation Area.

Nearby Trails

Chippawa Trail (multi-use )

When completed, this 15 - kilometre abandoned rail corridor linking Hamilton with Caledonia will become part of the Niagara branch of the Trans Canada Trail .

It will also be connected to the Caledonia -t o- Dunnville Rail Trail along the Grand River.

Bruce Trail (footpath)

T his continuous 725 kilometre footpath follows the Niagara Escarpment through Southern Ontario, from Queenston Heights to Tobermory. The portion through Hamilton is known as the Iroquoia section. The Headquarters is located at Raspberry House at the Royal Botanical Gardens.

Ontario Water front Trail (multi-use)

The Waterfront Trail stretches 325 kilometres along the shore of Lake Ontario. The trail links as many as 177 natural areas, 143 parks and promenades, 80 marinas and yacht clubs, hundreds of historic places, fairs, muse u ms, art galleries and festivals. A section of the trail forms the lake shore promenade at Confederation Park .

Red Hill Valley Trail (multi-use)

This 7 kilometre trail connects to both the Waterfront Trail in Confederation Park and the Bruce Trail. It passes through lovely escarpment lands and beautiful natural areas.

Niagara Escarpment Rail Trail (multi -use)

This 7 kilometre trail is a former rail line that runs from the Corktown area in downtown Hamilton east and up the escarpment.

The trail passes Mohawk Sports Park, which has washrooms, children's play grounds and various sports fields. The Rail Trail ends at Albion Falls. The trail is mostly flat, but becomes quite steep past the Kenilworth access as it climbs the escarpment.

The Dofasco 2000 Trail is an 11.5 kilometre multi-use trail on Hamilton’s East Mountain. The trail links the Devil ’s Punch Bowl Conservation Area, 87- Acres Park, the Bruce Trail and Battlefield House Museum and Park. It passes through the beautiful rural countryside of Stoney Creek with both on and off - road sections. The trail will eventually continue on road to link with the Ontario Waterfront Trail and Fifty Point Conservation Area on Lake Ontario.

The Dofasco 2000 Trail is managed by the Hamilton Conservation Authority. It was built in partnership with the Conservation Foundation, Dofasco Inc., the Millennium Bureau of Canada, TD Friends of the Environment and the City of Hamilton.

Your trip begins at the Devil’s Punchbowl Conservation Area at Ridge Road, which offers a stunning city view from its lookout. From there the trail will pass an apple and cherry orchard and provide a link to the Bruce Trail, and the Battlefield House Museum.

The on-road section of the trail currently runs along Devil’s Punchbowl The Devil’s Punchbowl Conservation Area is one of the most amazing sights of the Niagara Escarpment. It was created at the end of the last ice age by huge rivers that plunged over the Stoney Creek Escarpment and carved out the Punchbowl. From the lookout, you get a spectacular view of Lake Ontario and the Hamilton Harbour, not to mention the view down into the seemingly bottomless Punchbowl.

Linkage to the Bruce Trail

The Bruce Trail is 725 kilometres long, with more than 200 kilometres of associated side trails. The Niagara Escarpment, along which the Bruce Trail runs, was proclaimed a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations in 1990. It is one of only ten such reserves in all of Canada. Please note that the Bruce Trail is a footpath only.

Battlefield House Museum and Park

Battlefield House was built by the Gage family in 1796. It gives visitors the chance to experience what life was like in the 1830 ’s .

This pioneer homestead is where the Gage family was held as the Battle of Stoney Creek took place around their home. The one hundred foot (30.48 metres) high Battlefield Monument is dedicated to one hundred years of peace between the United States and Canada since the War of 1812. From the main Bruce Trail, follow the side trail marked with blue blazes for access to Battlefield House .

Vinemount South Swamp

This swamp forest is the biggest natural forest area south of the Escarpment in the Hamilton area. It is home to several rare and important species, including the Northern Harrier, the Sedge Wren and Edward’s Hairst reak Butterfly. The final phase of the trail will be a board walk th rough the swamp.

Erland Lee (Museum) Home

Built in 1808, it was home to the Lee Family for six generations.

Erland Lee and his wife Janet were instrumental in founding the Women’s Institute of Saltfleet Township. They invited Adelaide Hoodless to come speak in Stoney Creek in 1897, which helped to lay the Institute’s foundations. The house is the best example of Gothic Revival in Ontario. It is located at 552 Ridge Road, just west of the on-road section of the Dofasco 2000 Trail .

Dofasco 2000 TapleyTown Rd to 87 Acres #070930

See also: Devils Punch Bowl D2k #070912

For the first part of the trail (Devil’s Punch Bowl to Tapleytown Rd)

Saltfleet Northeast Woods

The woods provide a home to 50 species of breeding birds, nine of which are uncommon in the Hamilton area, including a breeding ground for the Sedge Wren, a highly significant species of wren. Approximately 55 hectares, the Saltfleet Woods are made up of marshy fields and woodlots.

87-Acres Park

The park’s large quarry pond is habitat to several species of migratory waterfowl as well as home to mammals such as muskrats. The wetlands were re cently expanded to provide more waterfowl habitat. 87-Acres Park is popular for viewing hawks such as the Red-tailed Hawk .

Ridge Road and the Niagara Escarpment, giving users a stunning view of the city below. To the south of the Ridge Road section you can see the Vinemount South Swamp, an environmentally - significant swamp forest through which a board walk section of the trail will eventually run. Also along the trail you will observe the Sinclair Sugar Bush, and 87-Acres Park ’s quarry pond, home to a wide variety of wildlife and a habitat for several species of migratory waterfowl.

The Dofasco 2000 Trail can be accessed anywhere along its length. However parking is available at Tenth Road East and the Devil’s Punchbowl Conservation Area.

Tapleytown

Tapleytown was one of the first areas of Upper Stoney Creek to be settled and still retains a great deal of its Loyalist beginnings.

The roads, farms, and fields of this hamlet, centred around the crossroad churches and school, still evoke a country flavour.

Thankfully development of the area has been through large lots and single family dwellings, so a great deal of the sense of the history of Tapleytown remains.

Tapleytown Road marks the 4th line east of Centennial Parkway, and is considered Tapleytown's "other main street".

A former school (now a church) and the area's best sugar bush are just two of the road's features.

The Thomas family is one of Tapleytown's oldest families, and produced an important political figure, Reeve Leslie Thomas, in the middle of the 20th century.

Where Stoney Creek crosses Tapleytown Road, the area's most well known sugar bush still runs every spring.

The Erland Lee farm sat at the north end of Tapleytown Road. Dating back to the 1790s, the Lees became one of the prominent Saltfleet families in the mid 19th century, before declining in the mid 20th.

The most famous personages from the family were Erland and Janet Lee, who helped found the world's first rural women's organization, the Women's Institutes (est. 1897).

Erland and Janet Lee's daughter, Alice (Lee) Freel, became the first woman on Saltfleet Township Council (1926).

During her adult life, Alice (Lee) Freel lived slightly farther west on Ridge Road at the Devil's Punch Bowl, at local landmark, Jubilee Hall.

Jubilee Hall was originally built by J.B. Walker, a prominent farmer in Saltfleet who owned land both above and below the Devil's Punch Bowl.

Walker's property was sold upon his death to Emmerson Freel. The Freel family farmed the property for the next two generations.

Emerson's sons, Charles and Clifford, inherited the house.

Clifford and his wife Alice (Lee) ran a successful red cherry farm until the 1970s.

The Loyalist footprint, left behind when Tapleytown was first settled, may be fading, but the heritage of this area, the geographical centre of Stoney Creek Mountain, is retained through the continuation of several heritage buildings and the relatively low-density development that has occurred in the 20th century.

Though the rise of the automobile may have whittled away at Tapleytown's economic strength (its shops and farms), its relative isolation from the busy urban centres to the north makes the former hamlet an ideal place to live.

This on-line exhibit is only a portion of the Erland Lee Museum's photographic archives.

Stoney Creek

The community of Stoney Creek is located on the south shore of western Lake Ontario, just east of Hamilton (pre-amalgamation) into which feed the watercourse of Stoney Creek as well as several other minor streams. The historic area, known as the "Old Town", exists below the Niagara Escarpment. In 1974 the old town of Stoney Creek merged with Saltfleet Township. In 1984 Stoney Creek became a city.

Though residential growth exploded, particularly in the 1970s and 1980s in the lower city and in the west mountain in the 1990s and 2000s, most of the land mass of Stoney Creek remains agricultural. The communities of Elfrida, Fruitland, Tapleytown, Tweedside, Vinemount, and Winona serve as distinct reminders of the agricultural legacy of Stoney Creek and Saltfleet township.

It lost its independent status in 2001 as the Provincial Government formally merged Stoney Creek, Ancaster, Glanbrook, Dundas, Flamborough and Hamilton into the new city of Hamilton, turning the new multi-million dollar Stoney Creek City Hall into a Hamilton Public Library.

According to the 2001 census the population of Stoney Creek was 57,327 up 5.5 per cent from the 1996 census[1]. Children under 14 years of age totaled 19.4% while those in retirement age constituted 12.6% of the total population. Some 25.94% or a quarter of the population was foreign born. The census showed that Stoney Creek was 92.72% white (European), (of which 55% had British Isles origin, 16% Italian[2], 21% Croatian, Polish, Serbian, Ukrainian etc.), 3.0% South Asian, 1.0% Black, 1.0% mixed race, 0.6% Chinese. As of the 2006 census, the population of Stoney Creek had risen to 62,292.

Religious affiliation

The 2001 Census reports the following religious composition of the people of Stoney Creek

* 48.3% Roman Catholic

* 28.5% Protestant

* 4.7% Christian Orthodox

* 1.2% Other Christian

* 1.6% Muslim

* 1.0% Hindu

* 1.1% Sikh

* 0.6% Other

· 13.0% No religious affiliation

History and attractions

Historic Stoney Creek was settled by Loyalists after the American Revolution and was nondescript until it was put on the map as it were by the Battle of Stoney Creek during the War of 1812. Although only several dozen soldiers were killed in the battle, it was an important one since outnumbered British regulars and Canadian militia defeated invading Americans. The site of the Battle of Stoney Creek near Centennial Parkway and King Street has been preserved as Battlefield House with its associated museum, monument and park.

Branches of the Bruce Trail provide access to Battlefield Park as well as the Devil's Punch Bowl. The latter is marked by a large illuminated cross and offers an excellent lookout for both Stoney Creek and Hamilton. Other green spaces of note include Fifty Point Conservation Area, which includes camping and a small craft harbour.

Both the Devil's Punch Bowl and the large cross mentioned above were featured in the 2006 horror film Silent Hill. It can be seen during the first few scenes. Another movie filmed in the area include the 1998 film The Big Hit starring Mark Wahlberg.

On a more commercial note, the Winona Peach Festival serves up homegrown fruit, crafts and music. Like the peach festival, the Stoney Creek Flag Festival is also held every summer. The Stoney Creek Dairy on King Street — with a stylized Battlefield Monument in its logo — has offered frozen treats to people in the region for decades under a variety of ownership, the current one being Ben & Jerry's. Eastgate Square Mall straddles the former border between Hamilton and Stoney Creek.

Economy and transportation

Due to the temperate environment on the western end of the Niagara Peninsula, the Stoney Creek area in eastern Wentworth County was and still is known for fruit growing. In recent decades, as the quality and reputation of Ontario wines grew, Stoney Creek became part of the fringes of the Niagara winery region.

Agriculture continued to be the major employer for decades, only supplanted by others as community growth brought it into closer contact with Hamilton and the great conurbation of the Golden Horseshoe. Stoney Creek became a centre for light industry, road transportation and commuting residences, since its land costs were much lower than in neighbouring Hamilton.

Stoney Creek is served by the Queen Elizabeth Way, various current or former Ontario provincial highways and a largely irregular network of residential streets. Portions of Upper Stoney Creek are on a great grid pattern. It is poorly served by public transit in the form of the Hamilton Street Railway or HSR, which was operated in Stoney Creek by the regional government since 1974 and the megacity government since 2001.

Stoney Creek, along with Ancaster and Waterdown are among the fastest-growing parts of Hamilton. In recent years, new condominiums have being built along the lakefront beyond the reach of the industrial Hamilton Harbour. Many of the builder's sales efforts have been directed at residents of the Greater Toronto Area in large part because of the affordability factor and quick access to the western GTA via the Burlington Skyway. Detached housing growth remains strong in developments above the mountain.

Politics and government

Local jam merchant E.D. Smith promoted the area and served as a Wentworth MP around the turn of the 20th century. Otherwise, the most recent political tremor occurred when Tony Valeri, the federal minister of transport who supported Paul Martin as Liberal leader, defeated Sheila Copps, a former Canadian heritage minister who supported Jean Chrétien, in a bitter constituency nomination election after redistricting forced the two sitting MPs head-to-head in the formerly divided Hamilton East-Stoney Creek.

Like its bigger neighbour, Stoney Creek expanded over the 20th century to encompass more and more of its smaller neighbours like Fruitland, Winona, Vinemount, Tapleytown, Tweedside and Elfrida in Saltfleet Township. The Town of Stoney Creek, along with five other second-tier municipalities, became part of the two-tier municipal federation called the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth in 1974. Areas it annexed on top of the Niagara Escarpment became known as Upper Stoney Creek or Satellite City.

In 1984, it was granted city status, and was looking to challenge its more populous neighbour. However, over its residents' strenuous objections, the City of Stoney Creek was amalgamated with the other municipalities of Hamilton-Wentworth Region to form the new City of Hamilton. However, its suburban voters helped ensure the first mayor of an amalgamated Hamilton came from the former suburbs. The new city's second mayor, Larry DiIanni, had served as a Stoney Creek Councillor for 20 years.

Dundas Valley #070923

Dundas Valley Conservation Area

The Dundas Valley is one of southern Ontario's most spectacular natural treasures. Highlights of the 1,200-hectare conservation area include lush Carolinian forests, colourful meadows, cold-water streams, stunning geological formations and an array of rare plants, birds and wildlife.

The area is part of a large glacial valley that spreads out into Lake Ontario. It was excavated by a succession of glaciers that disappeared some 10,000years ago. The final landscape detail has been shaped by glacial melt water, and more recently by streams flowing through the valley. The rich natural environment existing here and along the Niagara Escarpment has been designated a World Biosphere Reserve by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Trail System

A 40-kilometre trail system and the world-famous Bruce Trail provide access to almost every part of the Dundas Valley. The network is organized along three major trails: the Main Loop Trail, including several secondary trails branching from it; the world-famous Bruce Trail; and Canada’s first inter-urban rail trail - the 32-kilometre Hamilton-to-Brantford Rail Trail which is one of the region's most important walking, cycling and equestrian routes (it's also part of the Trans Canada Trail). Links to Paris and Cambridge extend this latter trail by 80 kilometres.

Trail Centre

The Dundas Valley Trail Centre, a replica of a Victorian train station, is the hub of the valley's trail network. The centre, currently open Wednesdays to Fridays 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. and weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., has a food concession, interpretive displays, brochures and maps detailing the Dundas Valley. It is also the starting point for numerous guided hikes and nature-oriented workshops. It is also headquarters for the Friends of the Dundas Valley, a volunteer group dedicated to the preservation of this important natural area, and the Volunteer Patrol.

The 40-kilometre trail system is organized around a main loop with five linear trails providing visitors with access to almost every part of the valley. The conservation area is bisected by one of the region's most important walking, cycling and equestrian routes - the West Hamilton to Brantford Rail Trail, which stretches 32 kilometres (20 miles), from Ewen Road in Hamilton to Mohawk Park in Brantford. Links to Cambridge and Paris extend the trail another 50 kilometres.

Hermitage Ruins and Gatehouse

The Hermitage is the legacy of George Gordon Browne Leith, second son of a Scottish baronet who immigrated to Canada in the 1850s. For many decades, the grand 100-hectare estate was home to the Leith family and its servants. Regrettably, The Hermitage burned almost completely in October 1934. Shortly after, Alma Dick-Lauder, Leith’s daughter, camped on the site, then built a small home inside the ruins where she lived until her death in 1942.

The Gatehouse, known as The Lodge, was built around this time and for many years was home to Penelope Hutchinson, a granddaughter of George Leith. Today, The Gatehouse serves as a museum and testament to a remarkable family and their magnificent estate. Group tours of The Gatehouse and Hermitage ruins can be arranged. Call (905) 627-1233.

Located on the Main Loop Trail, just off Sulphur Springs Road in Ancaster.

Griffin House

An excellent example of Ancaster's early history is preserved in a simple 1.5-storey house just west of the Hermitage Ruins. The Griffin House was the home of Enerals Griffin, his wife Priscilla, their children and descendants.

Born into slavery in Virginia, Enerals Griffin escaped to freedom in Canada in 1828-29. In 1834, the Griffins purchased the house with 50 acres of land and for the next 150 years their descendents farmed here.

Archeologists have unearthed over 3,000 artifacts on this small site including stoneware, porcelain, clay pipes and masonry. The home has been restored to the pre-1850 period as a site for interpreting Black-Canadian history. Group tours and themed hikes are organized by the HCA and Fieldcote Museum. The Griffin House is located just off Mineral Springs Road. For more information, call (905) 627-1233 or (905) 648-8144.

Thomas A. Beckett Living Forest

Each year, supporters of the Conservation Foundation Living Forest Fund are invited to help plant trees and shrubs in the Thomas A. Beckett Forest. Many donors plant a tree to mark special achievements and to honour the lives of loved ones. Their donations have supported the purchase and planting of trees, maintenance of a trail and development of interpretive materials in the forest itself. The forest is named for Judge Thomas Beckett, a well-known conservationist and the first chairman of the HCA. Under his leadership from 1966-72, the HCA began a major lands acquisition program, which included lands in the Dundas Valley.

The forest is located adjacent to the Governors Road parking area.

Main Loop Notes

The first point of interest is the historical Sulphur Springs fountain. As you near Sulphur Springs Road you may notice a hint of Sulphur in the air. The Sulphur Springs fountain is located on the opposite side of the road.

During the late 1800s, the Sulphur Springs Hotel with its mineral spa was a popular summertime destination. The sulphur waters were believed to have wondrous curative powers that attracted visitors from far and wide. The hotel closed in 1910 after two severe fires. The existing house “Deerspring”, was built on the ruins and is now privately owned.

The Hermitage

Ruins are all that remain of the Hermitage, a once magnificent stone mansion that was built in 1855 by George Gordon Browne Leith. The stones used in construction were quarried from local sites; the red bricks from the Dundas Valley and the limestone sills from the Credit River Valley. Look closely at the stones of the ruins, and you may be able to find fossils of sea creatures and plant life.

The last resident of the Hermitage was Mrs. Alma Dick Lauder, daughter of the Leiths. In 1934 the Hermitage was destroyed by fire. Mrs. Lauder built a small house within the ruins and continued to live there until her death in 1942.

Gatehouse Museum

The Gatehouse, built around the same time as the Hermitage, was once known as “The Lodge”. It was originally the home of the gatekeeper and his family. The gatekeeper performed general duties and opened the gate for family and visitors to the Hermitage. Today, the building is the Gatehouse Museum, and houses the history of the Hermitage and the family who lived there. Behind the building, Ancaster Creek tumbles over the Hermitage Falls before winding its way through the valley.

Apple Orchard

What came first, the apple or the seed? We may never know, but we do know that the Merrick family planted this orchard over 50 years ago. Many different types of apples could be found here, including Macintosh, Jonathan and Golden Delicious. Apple cider was once made in the cider shanty, which still stands in the orchard. The area has now been left to regenerate naturally and is an ideal spot to watch for Eastern bluebird, Whitetailed deer, Red-tailed hawks, and Turkey vultures.

Old Oak Tree

At the bottom of the apple orchard is the intersection of the Monarch and Main Loop Trails. Towering overhead is a White Oak tree approximately 150 years old. Two benches have been placed beneath this magnificent tree, for visitors to relax and enjoy a quiet moment before completing the return loop to the Trail Centre.

Hemlock Grove

As you make your way down the side of the valley towards the Hemlock grove, you may notice a series of terraces, each one reminiscent of an old streambed. Hemlocks, with their short, flat needles, offer year round protection for small birds and animals such as Red Squirrels, Nuthatches, Chickadees and occasionally owls. Watch closely for the unusual tree, which has been nicknamed “Watcher of the Woods”. This tree with the smooth, grey bark is an American Beech. It gets its nickname from the unusual markings on the trunk, which resemble eyes.

Dundas Valley Trail Centre

The heart of the valley and the focal point of the trail system, the Dundas Valley Trail Centre is a beautiful reproduction of a Victorian train station. The Trail Centre offers interpretive displays, snack bar and gift shop, washrooms, and a picnic pavilion. It is open to the public on weekends and holidays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.