Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa stops for a moment and shares with the small group of people that has accompanied him on a morning walk the history of the Commons area. He said the area was once known as Camp Niagara, a training camp for tens of thousands of people during the First and Second World Wars. A train that was operated and owned by Erie and Ontario Railroad would take military personnel to a dockyard, where they would be taken to Montreal before heading overseas.
The Commons also hosted the eighth World Scout Jamboree in 1955, for which more than 11,000 scouts from 71 countries were set up in a tent city next to Fort George National Historic Site. It is also set to host another polo match, on Sept. 14.
Zalepa talked about the diverse ecology at Paradise Grove, near the Commons. The woodlot of environmental, cultural and historical significance comprises 26 hectares of land known for species at risk, including snakes, old growth oaks and prairie tallgrass. The 30-minute walk that began at the Charlotte Street entrance of Upper Canada Heritage Trail continued along to King Street and around the walking path of the Commons, with Zalepa greeting other walkers and acquaintances as they appeared.
He pointed out the importance of Butler’s Barracks, the Old Scout Hall and the Parks Canada lands, and reminded the group of the town’s Veterans Memorial Park with its soccer pitches, tennis courts and pool. And as the group walked past the Randwood Estate stone w.
