Undiscovered Niagara

Albert Stray is Head of Mobile Library Services at the London Public
Library.

Undiscovered Niagara is a leisurely journey along the route of the old
King’s Highway (No. 8) linking Grimsby and Queenston. It is an area of
unmatched beauty—an area that most people rushing along the Queen
Elizabeth Way to Niagara Falls or Niagara-on-the-Lake never see.

In her introduction, Bramble points out that this area of Ontario is
home to half Canada’s endangered plants and animals. Rich in surviving
Carolinian forest, it is home to such exotic-sounding birds as the
yellow-breasted chat and the mockingbird; and to trees such as the
Kentucky coffee and the cucumber, as well as a 500-year-old maple (in
Pelham).

Though Bramble concentrates on the towns and villages that line Lake
Ontario, the St. Catharines writer does draw attention to other scenic
routes of interest: the 40-kilometre Niagara Parkway between Fort Erie
and Fort George (Niagara-on-the-Lake), and the Niagara Wine Route, which
takes in 14 local wineries.

Each of the five chapters highlights the people and places of a
specific part of Niagara. Maps show points of historical or of
recreational interest. Sixty stunning color photographs graphically
illustrate what you can find off the beaten track; these are
supplemented by five black-and-whites of earlier days.

A wealth of detailed information occupies each section’s write-ups.
Bramble provides details about the early settlers, historical points of
interest, walking tours, and scenic drives. One of Niagara’s best kept
secrets is included: the Niagara Glen, located between Niagara Falls and
Queenston along the Parkway. Access to this primeval area is by wooden
steps that lead down to the Gorge and its gravel pathways; these, in
turn, twist their way to the river’s edge. The scene in the Glen
markedly contrasts the fruit stands, orchards, and elegant
stone-and-brick Loyalist homes that line the rest of the Parkway.

Bramble succeeds in evoking Niagara’s charm and color. This book will
be of interest to public libraries, especially for travel collections.