A Town With a Past

As we thumb through travel albums and fantasize about taking a trip one day soon, we shouldn’t neglect our local area; the Golden Horseshoe. Take Niagara On the Lake. Most readers know NOTL as the day trip of the century: crowds of people shopping, taking wine tours, staying at quaint B and B’s, and going to the Shaw Festival. But there is a lot more to this town than just tourism.

The Niagara area played a major role in Canada’s history. During the war of 1812, (a war between the USA that wanted to annex Upper Canada, and Britain that wanted to keep the territory as part of its massive empire), Niagara was the site of several battles. Situated on the Niagara river which was, even then, an informal border, the area saw bloodshed and the deaths of many Canadian soldiers at Fort George as they fought the Americans across the river at Fort Niagara.

Many of us have visited, or even climbed, the monument dedicated to General Brock who lost his life fighting an important battle. We’ve all eaten chocolates dedicated to Laura Secord, who apparently walked with her cows through American territory to warn the British of a planned attack. The Canadians/British finally won the war, but a battle in 1813 saw the US general burning NOTL to the ground as he retreated from his occupation of Fort George.

Following the war, the town was rebuilt and many of those heritage homes are still standing; homes such as the Hawley House, 1816, a neo-classical beauty. My parents knew the owners who purchased and renovated it in the 1950’s, finding a priceless set of sterling silverware hidden in the ceiling. St. Mark’s Church, originally built in 1792, was mostly destroyed during the fire, but was rebuilt and is the oldest continuously-used church west of Quebec. Next door stands the church rectory built in 1858, a brilliant example of an Italian Villa, L-shaped, with a tower in the middle and wonderful windows. Other heritage buildings stand proudly on the main street and along many side streets. Most have plaques which make for interesting and informative walking.

But I know a different Niagara On the Lake. As a child, I spent my summers there. It was a sleepy town back in the 1950’s and 60’s. My friends and I used to ride our bikes to the movies (now the Royal George Theatre), and afterwards we would wander down the main street to the Avondale Dairy for ice cream. When I was in university I worked at the Oban Inn as the dining room hostess and general gopher. The Shaw Festival was just beginning and I met all the actors, when they came in to the bar for a drink.

I got to know the owners quite well. Edna Burroughs steered the ship, checking on flower arrangements and menus with a magnifying glass. Her son Gary was the amiable sous-chef who eventually became mayor of NOTL. Her daughter was Jackie Burroughs, the (late) well-known actress. Jackie would drop in occasionally to chat, mostly when her mother wasn’t around. Edna did Not approve of Jackie’s interesting lifestyle or her boyfriends. I, however, was in awe. It was a coming-of-age time for me, just as the town was growing up too.

Not too long ago, during the pandemic, I had a chance to visit Niagara again. It was the same tourist destination. But it was missing one key element – people! The town was deserted. The theatre was closed. There were actually empty parking spots on the main street. The restaurants were only doing takeout and the owners were standing on the sidewalks begging for customers. It was a sad state for this historic town which has contributed so much to life in Canada as we know it today.

During covid our minds, in searching for things to ponder, often go backwards. We remember things that were more interesting than our lives today; going on trips, celebrating milestone occasions, and sometimes reliving our childhood. When I go backwards, I end up in Niagara On the Lake.

Sue