Thorold, Ontario
Encyclopedia
Thorold is a city in Ontario
, Canada
, located on the Niagara Escarpment
. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara.
The Welland Canal
passes through the heart of the city, and the Twin Flight Lock
s, located downtown, attract thousands of tourists annually.
and Port Robinson
. Thorold, located on the brow of the Niagara Escarpment
, soon became dominant and was incorporated
as a village
in 1850 and as a town
in 1870. When the Regional Municipality of Niagara
was formed in 1970, the Town of Thorold expanded to include the former Thorold Township. In 1975 the town became incorporated as the City of Thorold.
Thorold is also the location of the War of 1812
battle site, Beaverdams
, where, on June 25, 1813, Colonel Charles Boerstler and his American
troops were defeated by a force of 80 British
regulars
and 300 Caughnawaga Mohawks
.
Decew House, on DeCew Road, was constructed in the late 18th century as a home for British Captain John B. DeCou. It served as the area's British headquarters during the War of 1812
. On June 22, 1813, Laura Secord
journeyed from Queenston
to DeCew House to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon
of an impending American attack. FitzGibbon and his men were able to capture the American force and help turn the tide of the war. The house was destroyed by fire in 1950 but the site is commemorated by the rebuilt foundation and a plaque.
The Old Fire Hall, at 12 Albert Street West, was constructed next to the Second Welland Canal in 1878. This building once housed Thorold's police force and, to this day, contains a jail in the basement. For many years, the fire bell tolled for the town's strictly enforced nine o'clock curfew
. The Old Firehall was designed by the architect John Latshaw and built for $2,483. It has a combination bell tower
and hose tower, yellow and red brickwork, semi-circular wood windows, and a circular wood window in the gable end at the tower. Decorative yellow brick arches frame each window. The bell which hung in its tower remained in use until 1964, when the fire department moved into its new hall on nearby Towpath Street. In 1967 the old bell was installed outside the new firehall. The "Old Hall" was used as the Thorold YMCA for several years thereafter.
Chestnut Hall, at 14 Ormond Street North, is a carefully restored 1862 building that was once home to John McDonagh, a lumber
merchant and mayor
of the Town of Thorold from 1881–1884. Chestnut Hall currently houses the Thorold & Beaverdams Historical Society, in addition to the Thorold Museum
and part of the Thorold Public Library
.
St. Johns School House
, on Hollow Road, is a single-room wooden school house located in the west portion of Thorold. Opening in 1804, it was the first free school
in Upper Canada
. The first teacher at the school was Samuel Birdsall. The enrolment in 1826 was recorded as 29 students. The building was fully restored in 1974.
Maplehurst, at 14 Saint David's Road West, is a Thorold landmark and the former home of Jacob Keefer. The mansion sits on the highest rise in the city offering a commanding view of the community below. Built by Hugh Keefer in 1885, this red stone structure with elaborate gables
and dormers has been variously used in the past as a residence, a hospital, and a private nursing home
. Maplehurst was recently restored to its original condition and is currently known as the Keefer Mansion, a 10 room inn noted for its fine dining.
Welland Mills, at 20 Pine Street North, was constructed in 1846 on the bank of the second Welland Canal by Jacob Keefer and, at that time, it contained the largest watermill
in Canada. The Keefers were entrepreneurs and are considered one of Thorold's founding families. At its height, the mill was capable of manufacturing 300 barrel
s (89 tonne
s) of flour per day and storing 70,000 bushel
s (1,900 tonnes) of wheat and 5,000 barrels (440 tonnes) of flour. Today, the Welland Mills building is being restored to offer commercial space on the ground floor and residential apartments above.
Beaverdams Methodist
Church and Burying Ground
, on Marlatt's Road, was constructed in 1832. Beaverdams Church is the oldest Methodist Church still standing in Ontario
. The first minister to preach in the chapel
was Reverend Egerton Ryerson
, who is largely responsible for founding the province of Ontario's education system.
Soldiers' Monument
is a war memorial
monument that commemorates World War I
(1914–1919), World War II
(1939–1945) and the Korean War
(1950–1953). Located in Memorial Park, at the corner of Albert and Chapel streets, it was unveiled on Sunday, October 30, 1921 and was erected by the citizens of Thorold to: "Honour the Memory of the Men of Thorold, who gave their lives for the cause of freedom in the great war, and in grateful remembrance of those who shared its dangers."
The Old Public Library, at 1 Ormond Street South, is one of 156 Carnegie libraries
to have been funded in Canada. The building, designed by architect A.E. Nicholson, was opened in 1912. The library moved from here to its present home in Chestnut Hall in 1983. The building now serves as the Thorold Seniors'
Centre.
The city includes the neighbourhoods of Allanburg
, Beaverdams, Confederation Heights, Port Robinson
, St. Johns, Rolling Meadows, Thorold South and Turner's Corners.
St. Johns was one of the first areas in the interior of Niagara Peninsula
to be settled by Europeans. The first Europeans settled in the area about 1792, when a sawmill
was built on St. Johns Creek, a tributary of the Twelve Mile Creek. It was one of only two mills in Niagara at the time. In 1804, St. Johns became home to the first free school
in Upper Canada
, housed in a single-room, wooden schoolhouse
. By the time a post office was established in 1831, the community included a woollen factory, a tannery
, a foundry
, stores, and a number of mills. Eventually, the hydro power offered by the site became less of a commodity. As industry in surrounding towns grew, St. Johns' affluence declined.
at Lake Ontario
and ending at Lake Erie
in Port Colborne
. Three sections of the trail are located within Thorold, which are:
Section Four: Glendale Avenue to Beaverdams Road, Thorold
Section Five: Beaverdams Road to Allanburg, Thorold
Section Six: Allanburg to Port Robinson, Thorold
The trail follows the Welland Canal, and passes next to the Thorold Lock 7 Viewing Complex.
Mel Swart Conservation Park is a waterfront park located on Lake Gibson
. The park offers a large track along the perimeter, and has a boardwalk
suspended out over the lake. The park is a popular site for family picnic
s.
Short Hills Provincial Park
is partially located in the City of Thorold.
Some other of the numerous recreational parks in the city include:
Battle of Beaverdams Park - Historical displays, bandstand and playground equipment. It is not far from the actual location of the battle site. One of the locks of the second canal has been partially excavated for its historical interest.
McMillan Park - Baseball diamond, and playground equipment.
Sullivan Park - Baseball diamond, splash pad, and playground equipment.
Hutt Park - Baseball diamond and playground equipment.
Confederation Park - Baseball diamond, soccer field, basketball court, tennis courts, Splash pad, and playground equipment.
C.E. Grosse Park - Soccer field, wading pool and playground equipment.
Beaverdams Park - Baseball diamond, basketball court and playground equipment.
McAdam Park - Baseball diamond, Skatepark and playground equipment.
is an underwater vehicular tunnel, built between 1965 and 1967, which allows Highway 58
to cross the Welland Canal without interrupting shipping. It is the longest tunnel in Ontario.
Technical information:
In 1824, mill owner William Hamilton Merritt
formed the Welland Canal Company, with George Keefer of Thorold as its first President. Construction began following a sod-turning ceremony at Allanburg on November 30, and in 1829, five years to the day later, the first vessels sailed from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. The original canal followed the Twelve Mile Creek and Dick's Creek from Port Dalhousie
, cut through the heart of Thorold and terminated at Port Robinson on the Welland River. Ships continued down the river to Chippawa
, then followed the Niagara River to Lake Erie. In 1833 the Canal was extended south to Gravelly Bay (later Port Colborne). When complete, the canal was 44 km
(27 mile
s) long, and had 40 wooden locks. In 1827, in anticipation of the completion of the Canal, George Keefer had built a mill (since demolished) near the edge of the Escarpment; an initiative that ultimately led to the creation of Thorold.
The Second Welland Canal: 1845-1886
Deterioration of the wooden locks and the increasing size of ships on the Great Lakes
led to calls for a bigger and better canal. The government purchased the Welland Canal Company’s assets and proceeded with plans for a second Welland Canal. Construction began in 1841 and was complete by 1845. There were 27 locks made of cut stone. The second canal followed essentially the same route as the first, and it remained a feature of downtown Thorold until it was filled in during the 1960s. One lock has been partially excavated and is a feature of the Battle of Beaverdams Park.
The Third Welland Canal: 1887-1931
The third Welland Canal followed the same line as the earlier canals in the southern part of the Peninsula but, north of Allanburg, the route was quite different. It by-passed downtown Thorold to the east, following the valley of the Ten Mile Creek down the Escarpment and continuing in a broad arc to Port Dalhousie. It had 26 stone locks, extensive remains of which can still be seen east of the present canal. One of these, Lock 24 in Thorold, was the target of an unsuccessful bombing attack by Irish-American Fenian
sympathizers in 1900. While the first two canals were lined by mills of various kinds, the banks of the Third Canal were kept free of industry by deliberate government policy.
The Fourth Welland Canal: 1932–Present
Construction of the fourth canal (officially known as the Welland Ship Canal) began in 1914 but, because of delays due to World War I and other factors, it was not opened until 1932. The number of locks, now built of concrete, was reduced to eight; four of these, including the world-famous Twin Flight Locks, are in Thorold. The canal adopted a direct north-south route over the Escarpment, following the valley of the Ten Mile Creek all the way to a new Lake Ontario outlet at Port Weller
. New industries associated with the canal led to the creation of the community of Thorold South in the 1920s. In 1973, a by-pass was excavated around the City of Welland
. This was to be the first phase of a fifth Welland Canal, which would cross the Escarpment in one super-lock, but plans for further development have been shelved.
for a safe journey. Sailors, being a superstitious group, considered it bad luck to embark at Lock 7 without first visiting the Kissing Rock.
Mountain Top Ceremony - Held at the Lock 7 Viewing Complex, this annual celebration marks the opening of the Welland Canal shipping season with the arrival of the first ship of the year through Lock 7. Usually held in late March.
Italia-in-Festa - Celebrating Italian food, drink, dance and entertainment. Thorold is rich in Italian history and is the ideal
location for a celebration of this culture. Usually held the last weekend in June.
Thorold Arts & Crafts Show - This event, begun in 1979, and was held during the month of July The event was moved from Battle of Beaverdams park to the Thorold Community Arena
on Front Street in 2007 and is held during the last weekend of May each year.
Thorold Antique Car Show - Downtown Thorold is the location for this event, generally held at the end of July.
The Canal Bank Shuffle - A three day long, annual festival of music and dance in the downtown core. The Shuffle attracts some of North American's top Blues
musicians and features over 20 acts at a dozen venues within walking distance of each other.http://www.canalbankshuffle.com (Member of the Crossborder Blues group.http://www.crossborderblues.com)
Thorold Annual Santa Claus Parade - The Santa Claus
Parade
is held in November each year, and runs through the downtown core of the city.
November Thorold's Christmas Arts & Crafts Show - The November Arts & Crafts Show is held at Thorold Secondary School
the third weekend of November each year.
The Pipe Band is solely supported by fundraising activities. The band's weekly practices are hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion
, Branch 17.
The band's typical parade season is from May to November.
Official Name: The "City of Thorold Pipe Band"
Clan: MacGregor
Motto: 'S rioghal mo dhream (Gaelic: Royal is my race)
Tartan: Ancient MacGregor
Significance: Founder James (Jim) Greig
Founded: May 28, 1986 - Thorold, Ontario Canada
Pipe Major: Mitchell McDowell
Drum Major: Eric Millar
Band Logo: Two sets of pipes resting on a side drum
complex, located near the intersection of highways 20
& 406, is the only one of its kind in the Niagara Region. A tornado
swept through the Niagara Peninsula
on 20 May 1996, and one of the things it damaged was the screen at the drive-in. Coincidentally, that drive-in was scheduled to show the movie Twister that evening. The storm swept through a couple of hours before dark, so no one was yet in the facility when the screen came down.
Station 1 - Located in downtown Thorold, Station 1 is home to Protection Hose Company No. 1. The Protection Hose Company No. 1 Precision Drill Team was established in 1903, and is the oldest active fire department precision drill team in North America.
Throughout its history, this team of volunteers has been the honour guard for the Governor-General
, the Duke of Connaught
and Princess Patricia
in 1914, their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
in Niagara Falls
in 1951, and several others. Their shiny chrome helmets were purchased in 1929 to replace the original white leather helmets and the fancy dress uniforms were purchased in 1976. The type of marching that is done is called close-order drill, where they use only half and quarter steps while touching shoulders much like the early British military used in warfare.
Station 2 - Located in Thorold South.
Station 3 - Located in Port Robinson.
Station 4 - Located on Highway 20
.
are a Junior 'B' hockey
team in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
. The Blackhawks were Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League Champion
s in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and Golden Horseshoe Conference Champion
s in 2008. In 2005, the team went on to capture the Sutherland Cup
as the best Junior 'B' team in Ontario. Notable former players include Nathan Horton
, Dwayne Roloson
and Owen Nolan
. The Blackhawks home rink is the Thorold Community Arena in downtown
Thorold.
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, located on the Niagara Escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
. It is also the seat of the Regional Municipality of Niagara.
The Welland Canal
Welland Canal
The Welland Canal is a ship canal in Canada that extends from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. As a part of the St...
passes through the heart of the city, and the Twin Flight Lock
Lock (water transport)
A lock is a device for raising and lowering boats between stretches of water of different levels on river and canal waterways. The distinguishing feature of a lock is a fixed chamber in which the water level can be varied; whereas in a caisson lock, a boat lift, or on a canal inclined plane, it is...
s, located downtown, attract thousands of tourists annually.
History
The earliest communities in what is now Thorold emerged at Beaverdams, DeCew Falls and St. Johns but, after the opening of the First Welland Canal in 1829, they were superseded by the new canal villages of Thorold, AllanburgAllanburg, Ontario
Allanburg is a community within the City of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Welland Canal and Highway 20, both important transportation routes through the Niagara Peninsula. The two cross at a 1932-built vertical-lift bridge, numbered as Bridge 11 by the Saint Lawrence Seaway...
and Port Robinson
Port Robinson, Ontario
Port Robinson is a small community in the southernmost part of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. The community is divided in half by the Welland Canal, as there is no bridge in the immediate vicinity to connect the two halves of the community. In the summer, a passenger ferry runs across the canal...
. Thorold, located on the brow of the Niagara Escarpment
Niagara Escarpment
The Niagara Escarpment is a long escarpment, or cuesta, in the United States and Canada that runs westward from New York State, through Ontario, Michigan, Wisconsin and Illinois...
, soon became dominant and was incorporated
Municipal corporation
A municipal corporation is the legal term for a local governing body, including cities, counties, towns, townships, charter townships, villages, and boroughs. Municipal incorporation occurs when such municipalities become self-governing entities under the laws of the state or province in which...
as a village
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
in 1850 and as a town
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in 1870. When the Regional Municipality of Niagara
Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario
The Regional Municipality of Niagara , also known as the Niagara Region, or, colloquially, "Regional Niagara", is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada....
was formed in 1970, the Town of Thorold expanded to include the former Thorold Township. In 1975 the town became incorporated as the City of Thorold.
Thorold is also the location of the War of 1812
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
battle site, Beaverdams
Battle of Beaver Dams
The Battle of Beaver Dams took place on 24 June 1813, during the War of 1812. An American column marched from Fort George and attempted to surprise a British outpost at Beaver Dams, billeting themselves overnight in the village of Queenston, Ontario...
, where, on June 25, 1813, Colonel Charles Boerstler and his American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
troops were defeated by a force of 80 British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
regulars
Regular Force
In the Canadian Forces, a Regular Force unit or person is part of the full-time military, as opposed to being part of the Primary Reserve.Regular Force personnel are employed full-time, and have usually signed long-term contracts committing them to regular service...
and 300 Caughnawaga Mohawks
Mohawk nation
Mohawk are the most easterly tribe of the Iroquois confederation. They call themselves Kanien'gehaga, people of the place of the flint...
.
Historical sites
War of 1812
The War of 1812 was a military conflict fought between the forces of the United States of America and those of the British Empire. The Americans declared war in 1812 for several reasons, including trade restrictions because of Britain's ongoing war with France, impressment of American merchant...
. On June 22, 1813, Laura Secord
Laura Secord
Laura Ingersoll Secord was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. She is known for warning British forces of an impending American attack that led to the British victory at the Battle of Beaver Dams.-Early life:...
journeyed from Queenston
Queenston, Ontario
Queenston is located 5 km north of Niagara Falls, Ontario in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The community is bordered by Highway 405 and the Niagara River; its location on the Niagara Escarpment led to the establishment of the now-defunct Queenston Quarry in the area...
to DeCew House to warn Lieutenant James FitzGibbon
James FitzGibbon
James FitzGibbon was a British soldier and hero of the War of 1812.Born to Garrett FitzGibbon and Mary Widenham in Glin, County Limerick, Ireland, he enlisted in the Knight of Glin's Yeomanry Corps at age 15...
of an impending American attack. FitzGibbon and his men were able to capture the American force and help turn the tide of the war. The house was destroyed by fire in 1950 but the site is commemorated by the rebuilt foundation and a plaque.
The Old Fire Hall, at 12 Albert Street West, was constructed next to the Second Welland Canal in 1878. This building once housed Thorold's police force and, to this day, contains a jail in the basement. For many years, the fire bell tolled for the town's strictly enforced nine o'clock curfew
Curfew
A curfew is an order specifying a time after which certain regulations apply. Examples:# An order by a government for certain persons to return home daily before a certain time...
. The Old Firehall was designed by the architect John Latshaw and built for $2,483. It has a combination bell tower
Bell tower
A bell tower is a tower which contains one or more bells, or which is designed to hold bells, even if it has none. In the European tradition, such a tower most commonly serves as part of a church and contains church bells. When attached to a city hall or other civic building, especially in...
and hose tower, yellow and red brickwork, semi-circular wood windows, and a circular wood window in the gable end at the tower. Decorative yellow brick arches frame each window. The bell which hung in its tower remained in use until 1964, when the fire department moved into its new hall on nearby Towpath Street. In 1967 the old bell was installed outside the new firehall. The "Old Hall" was used as the Thorold YMCA for several years thereafter.
Chestnut Hall, at 14 Ormond Street North, is a carefully restored 1862 building that was once home to John McDonagh, a lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
merchant and mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of the Town of Thorold from 1881–1884. Chestnut Hall currently houses the Thorold & Beaverdams Historical Society, in addition to the Thorold Museum
Museum
A museum is an institution that cares for a collection of artifacts and other objects of scientific, artistic, cultural, or historical importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary. Most large museums are located in major cities...
and part of the Thorold Public Library
Public library
A public library is a library that is accessible by the public and is generally funded from public sources and operated by civil servants. There are five fundamental characteristics shared by public libraries...
.
St. Johns School House
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
, on Hollow Road, is a single-room wooden school house located in the west portion of Thorold. Opening in 1804, it was the first free school
Secular education
Secular education is the system of public education in countries with a secular government or separation between religion and state.An example of a highly secular educational system would be the French public educational system, going as far as to ban conspicuous religious symbols in schools.In...
in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
. The first teacher at the school was Samuel Birdsall. The enrolment in 1826 was recorded as 29 students. The building was fully restored in 1974.
Maplehurst, at 14 Saint David's Road West, is a Thorold landmark and the former home of Jacob Keefer. The mansion sits on the highest rise in the city offering a commanding view of the community below. Built by Hugh Keefer in 1885, this red stone structure with elaborate gables
Gables
Gables may refer to:* Gables, portion of walls between the lines of sloping roofs* Ken Gables , Major League Baseball pitcher* Gables, Nebraska, an unincorporated community in the United States...
and dormers has been variously used in the past as a residence, a hospital, and a private nursing home
Nursing home
A nursing home, convalescent home, skilled nursing unit , care home, rest home, or old people's home provides a type of care of residents: it is a place of residence for people who require constant nursing care and have significant deficiencies with activities of daily living...
. Maplehurst was recently restored to its original condition and is currently known as the Keefer Mansion, a 10 room inn noted for its fine dining.
Welland Mills, at 20 Pine Street North, was constructed in 1846 on the bank of the second Welland Canal by Jacob Keefer and, at that time, it contained the largest watermill
Watermill
A watermill is a structure that uses a water wheel or turbine to drive a mechanical process such as flour, lumber or textile production, or metal shaping .- History :...
in Canada. The Keefers were entrepreneurs and are considered one of Thorold's founding families. At its height, the mill was capable of manufacturing 300 barrel
Barrel (unit)
A barrel is one of several units of volume, with dry barrels, fluid barrels , oil barrel, etc...
s (89 tonne
Tonne
The tonne, known as the metric ton in the US , often put pleonastically as "metric tonne" to avoid confusion with ton, is a metric system unit of mass equal to 1000 kilograms. The tonne is not an International System of Units unit, but is accepted for use with the SI...
s) of flour per day and storing 70,000 bushel
Bushel
A bushel is an imperial and U.S. customary unit of dry volume, equivalent in each of these systems to 4 pecks or 8 gallons. It is used for volumes of dry commodities , most often in agriculture...
s (1,900 tonnes) of wheat and 5,000 barrels (440 tonnes) of flour. Today, the Welland Mills building is being restored to offer commercial space on the ground floor and residential apartments above.
Beaverdams Methodist
Methodism
Methodism is a movement of Protestant Christianity represented by a number of denominations and organizations, claiming a total of approximately seventy million adherents worldwide. The movement traces its roots to John Wesley's evangelistic revival movement within Anglicanism. His younger brother...
Church and Burying Ground
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
, on Marlatt's Road, was constructed in 1832. Beaverdams Church is the oldest Methodist Church still standing in Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
. The first minister to preach in the chapel
Chapel
A chapel is a building used by Christians as a place of fellowship and worship. It may be part of a larger structure or complex, such as a church, college, hospital, palace, prison or funeral home, located on board a military or commercial ship, or it may be an entirely free-standing building,...
was Reverend Egerton Ryerson
Egerton Ryerson
Adolphus Egerton Ryerson was a Methodist minister, educator, politician, and public education advocate in early Ontario, Canada...
, who is largely responsible for founding the province of Ontario's education system.
Soldiers' Monument
Monument
A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of historic times or cultural heritage, or simply as an example of historic architecture...
is a war memorial
War memorial
A war memorial is a building, monument, statue or other edifice to celebrate a war or victory, or to commemorate those who died or were injured in war.-Historic usage:...
monument that commemorates World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
(1914–1919), World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
(1939–1945) and the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
(1950–1953). Located in Memorial Park, at the corner of Albert and Chapel streets, it was unveiled on Sunday, October 30, 1921 and was erected by the citizens of Thorold to: "Honour the Memory of the Men of Thorold, who gave their lives for the cause of freedom in the great war, and in grateful remembrance of those who shared its dangers."
The Old Public Library, at 1 Ormond Street South, is one of 156 Carnegie libraries
Carnegie library
A Carnegie library is a library built with money donated by Scottish-American businessman and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie. 2,509 Carnegie libraries were built between 1883 and 1929, including some belonging to public and university library systems...
to have been funded in Canada. The building, designed by architect A.E. Nicholson, was opened in 1912. The library moved from here to its present home in Chestnut Hall in 1983. The building now serves as the Thorold Seniors'
Pensioner
In common parlance, a pensioner is a person who has retired, and now collects a pension. This is a term typically used in the United Kingdom and Australia where someone of pensionable age may also be referred to as an 'old age pensioner', or OAP. In the United States, the term retiree is more...
Centre.
Communities
| Census | Population |
|---|---|
| 1841 | 1,000 |
| 1871 | 1,635 |
| 1901 | 1,979 |
| 1911 | 2,273 |
| 1921 | 4,825 |
| 1931 | 5,092 |
| 1941 | 5,284 |
| 1951 | 6,397 |
| 1961 | 8,633 |
| 1971 | 15,065 |
| 1981 | 15,412 |
| 1991 | 17,542 |
| 2001 | 18,048 |
| 2006 | 18,224 |
The city includes the neighbourhoods of Allanburg
Allanburg, Ontario
Allanburg is a community within the City of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Welland Canal and Highway 20, both important transportation routes through the Niagara Peninsula. The two cross at a 1932-built vertical-lift bridge, numbered as Bridge 11 by the Saint Lawrence Seaway...
, Beaverdams, Confederation Heights, Port Robinson
Port Robinson, Ontario
Port Robinson is a small community in the southernmost part of Thorold, Ontario, Canada. The community is divided in half by the Welland Canal, as there is no bridge in the immediate vicinity to connect the two halves of the community. In the summer, a passenger ferry runs across the canal...
, St. Johns, Rolling Meadows, Thorold South and Turner's Corners.
St. Johns was one of the first areas in the interior of Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
to be settled by Europeans. The first Europeans settled in the area about 1792, when a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
was built on St. Johns Creek, a tributary of the Twelve Mile Creek. It was one of only two mills in Niagara at the time. In 1804, St. Johns became home to the first free school
Secular education
Secular education is the system of public education in countries with a secular government or separation between religion and state.An example of a highly secular educational system would be the French public educational system, going as far as to ban conspicuous religious symbols in schools.In...
in Upper Canada
Upper Canada
The Province of Upper Canada was a political division in British Canada established in 1791 by the British Empire to govern the central third of the lands in British North America and to accommodate Loyalist refugees from the United States of America after the American Revolution...
, housed in a single-room, wooden schoolhouse
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
. By the time a post office was established in 1831, the community included a woollen factory, a tannery
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
, a foundry
Foundry
A foundry is a factory that produces metal castings. Metals are cast into shapes by melting them into a liquid, pouring the metal in a mold, and removing the mold material or casting after the metal has solidified as it cools. The most common metals processed are aluminum and cast iron...
, stores, and a number of mills. Eventually, the hydro power offered by the site became less of a commodity. As industry in surrounding towns grew, St. Johns' affluence declined.
Trails
The Welland Canal Parkway Trail is a paved recreational path beginning in the City of St. CatharinesSt. Catharines, Ontario
St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometres of land...
at Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario
Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south by the American state of New York. Ontario, Canada's most populous province, was named for the lake. In the Wyandot language, ontarío means...
and ending at Lake Erie
Lake Erie
Lake Erie is the fourth largest lake of the five Great Lakes in North America, and the tenth largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also has the shortest average water residence time. It is bounded on the north by the...
in Port Colborne
Port Colborne, Ontario
Port Colborne is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada...
. Three sections of the trail are located within Thorold, which are:
Section Four: Glendale Avenue to Beaverdams Road, Thorold
Section Five: Beaverdams Road to Allanburg, Thorold
Section Six: Allanburg to Port Robinson, Thorold
The trail follows the Welland Canal, and passes next to the Thorold Lock 7 Viewing Complex.
Parks
Lake Gibson
Lake Gibson is a lake near Thorold, Ontario, Canada. The lake is not natural, but rather was created as a reservoir for hydroelectric power generation at the Ontario Power Generation Decew Falls 1 and Decew Falls 2 generating stations. The lake was created by flooding the shallow valley of...
. The park offers a large track along the perimeter, and has a boardwalk
Boardwalk
A boardwalk, in the conventional sense, is a wooden walkway for pedestrians and sometimes vehicles, often found along beaches, but they are also common as paths through wetlands, coastal dunes, and other sensitive environments....
suspended out over the lake. The park is a popular site for family picnic
Picnic
In contemporary usage, a picnic can be defined simply as a pleasure excursion at which a meal is eaten outdoors , ideally taking place in a beautiful landscape such as a park, beside a lake or with an interesting view and possibly at a public event such as before an open air theatre performance,...
s.
Short Hills Provincial Park
Short Hills Provincial Park
Short Hills Provincial Park is a provincial park located in the centre of the Niagara Peninsula, bordering the city of St. Catharines and the town of Pelham in the Niagara Region in southern Ontario, Canada. It occupies an area of 6.6 km²...
is partially located in the City of Thorold.
Some other of the numerous recreational parks in the city include:
Battle of Beaverdams Park - Historical displays, bandstand and playground equipment. It is not far from the actual location of the battle site. One of the locks of the second canal has been partially excavated for its historical interest.
McMillan Park - Baseball diamond, and playground equipment.
Sullivan Park - Baseball diamond, splash pad, and playground equipment.
Hutt Park - Baseball diamond and playground equipment.
Confederation Park - Baseball diamond, soccer field, basketball court, tennis courts, Splash pad, and playground equipment.
C.E. Grosse Park - Soccer field, wading pool and playground equipment.
Beaverdams Park - Baseball diamond, basketball court and playground equipment.
McAdam Park - Baseball diamond, Skatepark and playground equipment.
Thorold Tunnel
The Thorold TunnelThorold Tunnel
The Thorold Tunnel, located in Thorold, Ontario, Canada, is an underwater tunnel, carrying Highway 58 underneath the Welland Canal. Built between 1965 and 1967, the tunnel is 840 metres in length. It consists of two separate tubes, each two lanes wide...
is an underwater vehicular tunnel, built between 1965 and 1967, which allows Highway 58
Highway 58 (Ontario)
King's Highway 58, commonly referred to as Highway 58, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Highway 58 currently runs from the Highway 406 junction on the St. Catharines – Thorold boundary to the Highway 406 junction near Turner's Corners, all...
to cross the Welland Canal without interrupting shipping. It is the longest tunnel in Ontario.
Technical information:
- Length: 840 metres (2,755.9 ft)
- Height: 4.5 metres (14.8 ft)
- Vehicular lanes: two westbound, two eastbound
- Speed limit: 80 kilometres per hour (49.7 mph)
- Roof thickness: 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) of reinforced concrete
- Wall thickness: 1.5 to 1.8 m (4.9 to 5.9 ) of reinforced concrete, covered with epoxy paint
- Lighting: 2,300 high pressure sodium lampsSodium vapor lampA sodium vapor lamp is a gas discharge lamp that uses sodium in an excited state to produce light. There are two varieties of such lamps: low pressure and high pressure...
- Traffic volume: approximately 24,300 vehicles daily
Welland Canal
The First Welland Canal: 1829-1844In 1824, mill owner William Hamilton Merritt
William Hamilton Merritt
William Hamilton Merritt was an influential figure in the Niagara Peninsula of Upper Canada in early 19th century and one of the fathers of the Welland Canal....
formed the Welland Canal Company, with George Keefer of Thorold as its first President. Construction began following a sod-turning ceremony at Allanburg on November 30, and in 1829, five years to the day later, the first vessels sailed from Lake Ontario to Lake Erie. The original canal followed the Twelve Mile Creek and Dick's Creek from Port Dalhousie
Port Dalhousie, Ontario
Port Dalhousie is a community in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. It is known for its waterfront appeal. It is also home to the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta and is historically significant as the terminus for the first three routes of the Welland Canal.The city's most popular beach, on the...
, cut through the heart of Thorold and terminated at Port Robinson on the Welland River. Ships continued down the river to Chippawa
Chippawa, Ontario
Chippawa is a community located within the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario.The village was founded in 1850, and became part of the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario by amalgamation in 1970. It is located on the Canadian shore of the Niagara River about 2 km upstream from Niagara Falls. It is...
, then followed the Niagara River to Lake Erie. In 1833 the Canal was extended south to Gravelly Bay (later Port Colborne). When complete, the canal was 44 km
Kilometre
The kilometre is a unit of length in the metric system, equal to one thousand metres and is therefore exactly equal to the distance travelled by light in free space in of a second...
(27 mile
Mile
A mile is a unit of length, most commonly 5,280 feet . The mile of 5,280 feet is sometimes called the statute mile or land mile to distinguish it from the nautical mile...
s) long, and had 40 wooden locks. In 1827, in anticipation of the completion of the Canal, George Keefer had built a mill (since demolished) near the edge of the Escarpment; an initiative that ultimately led to the creation of Thorold.
The Second Welland Canal: 1845-1886
Deterioration of the wooden locks and the increasing size of ships on the Great Lakes
Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are a collection of freshwater lakes located in northeastern North America, on the Canada – United States border. Consisting of Lakes Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, they form the largest group of freshwater lakes on Earth by total surface, coming in second by volume...
led to calls for a bigger and better canal. The government purchased the Welland Canal Company’s assets and proceeded with plans for a second Welland Canal. Construction began in 1841 and was complete by 1845. There were 27 locks made of cut stone. The second canal followed essentially the same route as the first, and it remained a feature of downtown Thorold until it was filled in during the 1960s. One lock has been partially excavated and is a feature of the Battle of Beaverdams Park.
The Third Welland Canal: 1887-1931
The third Welland Canal followed the same line as the earlier canals in the southern part of the Peninsula but, north of Allanburg, the route was quite different. It by-passed downtown Thorold to the east, following the valley of the Ten Mile Creek down the Escarpment and continuing in a broad arc to Port Dalhousie. It had 26 stone locks, extensive remains of which can still be seen east of the present canal. One of these, Lock 24 in Thorold, was the target of an unsuccessful bombing attack by Irish-American Fenian
Fenian
The Fenians , both the Fenian Brotherhood and Irish Republican Brotherhood , were fraternal organisations dedicated to the establishment of an independent Irish Republic in the 19th and early 20th century. The name "Fenians" was first applied by John O'Mahony to the members of the Irish republican...
sympathizers in 1900. While the first two canals were lined by mills of various kinds, the banks of the Third Canal were kept free of industry by deliberate government policy.
The Fourth Welland Canal: 1932–Present
Construction of the fourth canal (officially known as the Welland Ship Canal) began in 1914 but, because of delays due to World War I and other factors, it was not opened until 1932. The number of locks, now built of concrete, was reduced to eight; four of these, including the world-famous Twin Flight Locks, are in Thorold. The canal adopted a direct north-south route over the Escarpment, following the valley of the Ten Mile Creek all the way to a new Lake Ontario outlet at Port Weller
Port Weller, Ontario
Port Weller, Ontario is a community in St. Catharines, Regional Municipality of Niagara, Ontario, Canada and is part of the Golden Horseshoe region. It is located north of the centre of St...
. New industries associated with the canal led to the creation of the community of Thorold South in the 1920s. In 1973, a by-pass was excavated around the City of Welland
Welland, Ontario
Welland is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Southern Ontario, Canada.The city has been traditionally known as the place where rails and water meet, referring to the railways from Buffalo to Toronto and Southwestern Ontario, and the waterways of Welland Canal and Welland River,...
. This was to be the first phase of a fifth Welland Canal, which would cross the Escarpment in one super-lock, but plans for further development have been shelved.
Kissing Rock at Lock 7
There is a legend in Thorold of a "Kissing Rock" located at the Lock 7 Viewing Complex. It is said that, around the time of the opening of the fourth Welland Canal, a sailor on the Great Lakes named Charles Snelgrove, originally from England, would bring his lady friends to the rock near Lock 7 to kiss the girl good-bye before boarding his ship. According to the legend, before long other sailors learned of the rock and they, too, began to bring their girlfriends or wife to kiss goodbye at the rock, sometimes chipping a piece of the rock and putting it in their pocket as a talismanAmulet
An amulet, similar to a talisman , is any object intended to bring good luck or protection to its owner.Potential amulets include gems, especially engraved gems, statues, coins, drawings, pendants, rings, plants and animals; even words said in certain occasions—for example: vade retro satana—, to...
for a safe journey. Sailors, being a superstitious group, considered it bad luck to embark at Lock 7 without first visiting the Kissing Rock.
Arts and culture
Thorold is home to several festivals and annual events. Included are:Mountain Top Ceremony - Held at the Lock 7 Viewing Complex, this annual celebration marks the opening of the Welland Canal shipping season with the arrival of the first ship of the year through Lock 7. Usually held in late March.
Italia-in-Festa - Celebrating Italian food, drink, dance and entertainment. Thorold is rich in Italian history and is the ideal
location for a celebration of this culture. Usually held the last weekend in June.
Thorold Arts & Crafts Show - This event, begun in 1979, and was held during the month of July The event was moved from Battle of Beaverdams park to the Thorold Community Arena
Arena
An arena is an enclosed area, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theater, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the...
on Front Street in 2007 and is held during the last weekend of May each year.
Thorold Antique Car Show - Downtown Thorold is the location for this event, generally held at the end of July.
The Canal Bank Shuffle - A three day long, annual festival of music and dance in the downtown core. The Shuffle attracts some of North American's top Blues
Blues
Blues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
musicians and features over 20 acts at a dozen venues within walking distance of each other.http://www.canalbankshuffle.com (Member of the Crossborder Blues group.http://www.crossborderblues.com)
Thorold Annual Santa Claus Parade - The Santa Claus
Santa Claus
Santa Claus is a folklore figure in various cultures who distributes gifts to children, normally on Christmas Eve. Each name is a variation of Saint Nicholas, but refers to Santa Claus...
Parade
Parade
A parade is a procession of people, usually organized along a street, often in costume, and often accompanied by marching bands, floats or sometimes large balloons. Parades are held for a wide range of reasons, but are usually celebrations of some kind...
is held in November each year, and runs through the downtown core of the city.
November Thorold's Christmas Arts & Crafts Show - The November Arts & Crafts Show is held at Thorold Secondary School
Thorold Secondary School
Thorold Secondary School is a public secondary school in Thorold, Ontario, Canada. The school was named after Sir John Thorold, a member of the British Parliament for Lincolnshire, England.-History:...
the third weekend of November each year.
City of Thorold Pipe Band
The City of Thorold Pipe Band has been serving the Niagara Region and beyond for almost 20 years in community based activities, civic parades, military parades, and a variety of other events.The Pipe Band is solely supported by fundraising activities. The band's weekly practices are hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion
Royal Canadian Legion
The Royal Canadian Legion is a non-profit Canadian ex-service organization founded in 1925, with more than 400,000 members worldwide. Membership includes people who have served as current and former military, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, provincial and municipal police, direct relatives of...
, Branch 17.
The band's typical parade season is from May to November.
Official Name: The "City of Thorold Pipe Band"
Clan: MacGregor
Motto: 'S rioghal mo dhream (Gaelic: Royal is my race)
Tartan: Ancient MacGregor
Significance: Founder James (Jim) Greig
Founded: May 28, 1986 - Thorold, Ontario Canada
Pipe Major: Mitchell McDowell
Drum Major: Eric Millar
Band Logo: Two sets of pipes resting on a side drum
Drive-in
The Can-View 4 drive-in theaterDrive-in theater
A drive-in theater is a form of cinema structure consisting of a large outdoor screen, a projection booth, a concession stand and a large parking area for automobiles. Within this enclosed area, customers can view movies from the privacy and comfort of their cars.The screen can be as simple as a...
complex, located near the intersection of highways 20
Highway 20 (Ontario)
King's Highway 20, also known as Highway 20, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Presently, it is a short stub between Highway 58 and Niagara Regional Road 70 in the town of Thorold.- History :...
& 406, is the only one of its kind in the Niagara Region. A tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
swept through the Niagara Peninsula
Niagara Peninsula
The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. The population of the peninsula is roughly 1,000,000 people...
on 20 May 1996, and one of the things it damaged was the screen at the drive-in. Coincidentally, that drive-in was scheduled to show the movie Twister that evening. The storm swept through a couple of hours before dark, so no one was yet in the facility when the screen came down.
Fire department
Thorold is home to four fire stations.Station 1 - Located in downtown Thorold, Station 1 is home to Protection Hose Company No. 1. The Protection Hose Company No. 1 Precision Drill Team was established in 1903, and is the oldest active fire department precision drill team in North America.
Throughout its history, this team of volunteers has been the honour guard for the Governor-General
Governor-General
A Governor-General, is a vice-regal person of a monarch in an independent realm or a major colonial circonscription. Depending on the political arrangement of the territory, a Governor General can be a governor of high rank, or a principal governor ranking above "ordinary" governors.- Current uses...
, the Duke of Connaught
Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
The title Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was granted by Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to her third son, Prince Arthur....
and Princess Patricia
Princess Patricia of Connaught
Princess Patricia of Connaught was a member of the British Royal Family, a granddaughter of Queen Victoria...
in 1914, their Majesties King George VI and Queen Elizabeth
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
in Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River draining Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls along with the comparatively small Bridal Veil Falls, which combined form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has...
in 1951, and several others. Their shiny chrome helmets were purchased in 1929 to replace the original white leather helmets and the fancy dress uniforms were purchased in 1976. The type of marching that is done is called close-order drill, where they use only half and quarter steps while touching shoulders much like the early British military used in warfare.
Station 2 - Located in Thorold South.
Station 3 - Located in Port Robinson.
Station 4 - Located on Highway 20
Highway 20 (Ontario)
King's Highway 20, also known as Highway 20, is a provincially maintained highway in the Canadian province of Ontario. Presently, it is a short stub between Highway 58 and Niagara Regional Road 70 in the town of Thorold.- History :...
.
Thorold Blackhawks
The Thorold BlackhawksThorold Blackhawks
The Thorold Blackhawks are a Canadian junior ice hockey team based in Thorold, Ontario, Canada. They play in the Golden Horseshoe division of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League.-History:...
are a Junior 'B' hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
team in the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League
The Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League is a Canadian junior ice hockey league based in Southern Ontario, Canada. The league is sanctioned by the Ontario Hockey Association, Ontario Hockey Federation, and Hockey Canada...
. The Blackhawks were Golden Horseshoe Junior Hockey League Champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
s in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and Golden Horseshoe Conference Champion
Champion
A champion is the victor in a challenge, contest or competition.There can be a territorial pyramid of championships, e.g. local, regional / provincial, state, national, continental and world championships, and even further divisions at one or more of these levels, as in soccer. Their champions...
s in 2008. In 2005, the team went on to capture the Sutherland Cup
Sutherland Cup
The Sutherland Cup is the ice hockey Ontario Junior "B" Provincial Championship trophy. The Sutherland Cup is now the championship trophy of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League. Until 2007, the Cup served as an interleague provincial championship...
as the best Junior 'B' team in Ontario. Notable former players include Nathan Horton
Nathan Horton
Nathan Horton is a Canadian professional ice hockey winger who currently plays for the Boston Bruins of the National Hockey League...
, Dwayne Roloson
Dwayne Roloson
Albert Dwayne Roloson is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the National Hockey League . He has previously played for the Calgary Flames, Buffalo Sabres, Minnesota Wild, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Islanders during his professional career...
and Owen Nolan
Owen Nolan
Owen Liam Nolan is a Canadian professional ice hockey player, who is currently a free agent. He has played in the National Hockey League for the Quebec Nordiques, Colorado Avalanche, San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs, Phoenix Coyotes, Calgary Flames and the Minnesota Wild before signing with...
. The Blackhawks home rink is the Thorold Community Arena in downtown
Downtown
Downtown is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's core or central business district ....
Thorold.