Niagara From the Trail
Beginning of the Bruce Trail
Prior to setting
out on the 27,000km long Trans Canada Trail in 2019, we trekked across Ontario on the
800-900 km long Bruce Trail. Part of these hikes was the route
along the Niagara Parkway from Fort Erie through Niagara Falls to Fort George
in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. This
stretch is known by a few names such as the Fort to Fort Trail, the Niagara
Parkway Trail, and the Freedom Trail.
Along the way it also joins with the Laura Secord Legacy Trail, Brock’s
1812 Route, and of course the Trans Canada Trail. It is one of the few places where both the Bruce Trail and Trans Canada Trail intersect and briefly weave together.
Most people know
of this region for the iconic falls at the heart of the area, the idealized
Victorian village of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the plays at the Shaw Festival, and
the regional wines. Yet there is so much more to this district, from its
Indigenous roots to the legacy of British Loyalists, to women’s history and
the achievements of Laura Secord, to British and
Canadian military history, to print and political culture, to Black Canadian history on the route of the
Underground Railroad. To venture along
the Niagara shorelines and through to Short Hills Provincial Park is to trek
along a historical route amid a living museum that spans over 100 km.
Natural Wonders, Historic Importance
Along the Niagara
Parkway there are over 100 monuments and historical plaques that note many
(though not all) of the key landmarks, historical sites, government acts, and
persons of importance from the region’s history. Venturing the length of this trail means that
visitors get a unique opportunity to follow in the footsteps of Canadian
history amid all of its diversity, complexity, challenges, and splendour.
Highlights
include historical, cultural, technological and ecological wonders along the
pathway including Old Fort Erie, sites related to the Underground Railway, 1812
battlefields, Niagara Falls, the Spanish Aero Car, the Butterfly Conservatory,
the Floral Clock, Queenston Heights, the Mackenzie Printery, Laura Secord
Homestead, and Fort George. Each of these attractions offers opportunities to explore the Niagara Peninsula as well as
rediscover local and national history.
Citizen Science and Birds
For nature enthusiasts, there are also a number of amazing birding areas throughout this region – as
it is one of the best spots in Canada to view gulls! In addition to the various waterbirds and
waterfowl that can be spotted throughout the Niagara region, Bonaparte’s
Gulls, Herring Gulls, Ring-billed Gulls, Black-headed as well as California
Gulls can also be found. A number of
other species of birds are also quite common here including Red-Bellied
Woodpeckers, Carolina Wrens, Northern Mockingbirds, Scaups, Canvasbacks, and
Swans. Many of these species can be found along the Niagara River in spots such
as the shorelines in the town of Fort Erie, the nearby Mather Park, further
north in Fort George on the edge of Niagara on the Lake, as well as around the
falls in spots such as the old power stations and Dufferin’s Islands Nature Park.
Hopefully our few
tales and pictures from our time trekking this 100 km of the Trans Canada Trail along the Niagara River Recreational Trail will do
justice to the region’s beauty and historical legacy in our coming blog entries.
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