Welland Walk

Reflection 7

Welland Walk

Description

Last Tuesday was freezing, but my boyfriend and I were visiting Niagara Falls for a couple of days over reading week so I thought what better time to get an OOCLO done? We went at about 4:00 in the late afternoon, because it gets dark any later in February. I think he was more excited than me too embark on this Thorold adventure, and learn about the war of 1812. I really had no idea about the history. It wasn’t very busy perhaps because it was so cold out, good thing we dressed for the weather. Overlooking the canal, I knew that the ships were going to be massive but seeing them up close was a different story, along with the huge gates. As we continued walking we posed for some pictures with the murals, well mostly I did and in the pamphlet it said that these were the largest mural project of their kind in Canada, they were much larger than I had originally expected. The water I was use too and had seen before is in Toronto, so you can only imagine I was used to seeing water and the area around it highly polluted. Unexpectedly this water was clean, he wind caused it to be choppy and I can imagine very cold. Walking past the Constable house, the area was absolutely breathtaking, even though I found it a bit sketchy perhaps because the area was very old and it was starting to get darker out. I felt like someone was following us the whole time, it looked and felt like something out of a movie. Closer to the houses on Regent and Chapel, we noticed children outside which caused the eeriness to go away. The houses down Carleton Street were large in size along with the property they had, which I wasn’t expecting in this area usually the land suffers in older neighborhoods and the houses have character but aren’t huge. I enjoyed that all the houses were different, not like in my community all built by the same builder causing every other one to be the exact same. We than decided to return to his car, my glasses fogged up when entering the warm car which was slightly embarrassing. Tim Horton’s was the next stop to attempt to warm back up.

Examination

I was looking through all the past readings we have done, and Imagine Niagara popped into my head when thinking about this OOCLO. When I thought of Niagara before coming here, I imagined casinos, hotels, waterparks and haunted houses, a tourists dream. After doing OOCLOS and seeing this Canal it changed my mind and made me realize you can’t judge places before you see them first hand. Schneekloth & Shibley (2005) talked about two imaginations “industrial riches and natural heritage”. I think taking a walk through Thorold and seeing the canal is the perfect place to find this. You have the industrial aspect of the actual canal and locks with the metal and coldness, while the nature incorporated as well.

I think like Schneekloth & Shibley (2005) argue that the past makes us who we are and therefore we must treasure it and display it where we can. In 1812 I learned that this area use to be a battlefield so back then it wouldn’t have looked the same as now, but at least having this canal and murals holds on to some of the past. Schneekloth & Shibley (2005) say that places by their nature are going to change we just must hold onto the memories and meanings for the next generations which I believe directly relates to the Welland canal and Thorold walk.

Relating to our topic of social media from this semester, I believe that our phones and the internet have steered us away from getting to see the outside world and I for one am guilty of this. Looking at pictures and experiencing something for you are two totally different things. I hope that my children will still get to see and experience nature for themselves and not take it for granted.

Articulation of Learning

I have learned that history isn’t boring and is still significant to us today, by taking walks or seeing murals on the wall.

I learned this when I walked through Thorold, along the canal, down Carleton street, and past the houses.  

This learning matters because I think I myself take nature and history for granted, when really it is important to know the area in which you’re living in.

In light of this learning I plan on taking more walks around the area, as I am new to this area I feel like I should make a lot more effort to get to know where I live.

Reference

Schneekloth, Lynda H., & Shibley, Robert G. (2005). Imagine Niagara. Journal of

Canadian Studies, 39(3), 105-120.