Born in Niagara-on-the-Lake in 1833, Kate Crooks was a pioneering botanist whose work reached far beyond Niagara. A member of the Botanical Society of Canada, she collected around 500 botanical specimens from southwestern Ontario.

Florence Hutchison became a familiar and much-loved figure in Virgil when she turned her and her husband’s butcher store into a grocery and candy shop follow the death of her husband.

Anne Woodruff was a founding member of the First Presbyterian Church in St. Davids, which opened in 1888, and served as its organist, Sabbath school teacher, and first secretary of the Women’s Missionary Auxiliary.

Rosanne Fedorkow’s greatest local legacy may be the Queenston Community Library. When library service to the village ended in the 1970s, Rosanne helped establish a new community library and volunteered as its librarian until 1995.

Prior to the War of 1812, alliances had been established between the Crown and many First Nations, including the 1764 Treaty of Niagara, which was negotiated by Sir William Johnson for the Crown.

Kahkewaquonaby (Dr. Peter Edmund Jones) is believed to have been the first licensed First Nations doctor in British North America.

For cavalry units, polo was more than a spectator sport. It was a useful training tool that allowed riders to hone their skills on horseback while carrying a mallet in one hand, rather than a sword.

Labour Day has long marked the unofficial end of summer, but it was once one of the biggest celebrations of the year in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

After being badly damaged during the War of 1812, Fort George was eventually abandoned and sat largely in ruins for more than a century — that changed in the 1930s.

Whether it was horses, dogs, goats and even bears, animals played a role in military life during both World Wars, whether as transportation, messengers or mascots.

The swim across Lake Ontario, covering 51 to 52 kilometres, remains one of the world’s most challenging open-water swims.

People have been fishing Lake Ontario and the Niagara River for as long as people have lived along these shores. The river, lake and creeks once teemed with fish, providing food, supporting the local economy and shaping a way of life for generations.

This bank on Queen Street was here during the First World War, when it was the Imperial Bank of Commerce, and likely much earlier, making it a familiar fixture on Queen Street for generations of Niagara-on-the-Lake residents.

At the time of the First World War, there was no hospital in Niagara-on-the-Lake. After the devastation of the Spanish flu pandemic, the community realized it needed a permanent hospital.

Inspired by the successful Chautauqua movement that began in New York State, the Niagara Assembly transformed an area of town into a summer destination that brought together education, religion, music and recreation.

While today’s summer fruit harvest still relies on baskets, few people realize they were once made right here in town.

Girl Guides have been a familiar part of community life in Niagara-on-the-Lake, participating in parades, public celebrations and service activities throughout the year.

Established in 1877, the Niagara-on-the-Lake Lawn Bowling Club was among the first lawn bowling clubs in Canada and is still active to this day.

During the war, the YMCA sponsored a variety of sporting events, including football matches. Rivalries between battalions at Camp Niagara could be intense.

Built under the leadership of Janet Carnochan and the Niagara Historical Society, Memorial Hall was constructed to provide a permanent home for the community’s artifacts, documents and stories.

Constructed around 1782 as a grist mill, this building was one of the first “King’s Mills” in what would later become Upper Canada. The mill was originally operated the Secords.

This week’s image captures a familiar moment from childhood that many of us have likely experienced: summers at the beach or at the wading pool at Queenston Heights, running through sprinklers on hot days and more.

In 1914, Queen Street became the focus of a major local improvement project: paving. The project ultimately saw Queen Street paved from King Street to Simcoe Street.

In 1901, when the future King George V and Queen Mary (then the Duke and Duchess of Cornwall and York) visited Niagara-on-the-Lake for the royal visit, they entered a floral wonderland with installations everywhere.

Located at the corner of Mississagua and Mary streets, Pepe’s was once a favourite stop in town, where locals could satisfy a sweet tooth with penny candy or ice cream.