Brock’s Monument will stay closed and under scaffolding until May next year, as Parks Canada tackles a $1.1-million restoration project for the 166-year-old war memorial.
This’ll be the monument’s first major restoration since 2009, repointing mortar, replacing stone and installing new roofing.
Parks Canada now has access to all the funding it needs, which came from the federal government.
“All necessary resources are already in place,” said Parks Canada spokesperson Julia Grcevic.
Until the project finishes in the spring, scaffolding will surround the Niagara-on-the-Lake monument and block the view of the tower.
However, Grcevic said she doesn’t have the schedule detailing the current status of the restoration, which was set to start this month — as of Monday, Brock’s Monument was unscaffolded.
A routine 2022–23 engineering review showed the 166-year-old tower needed urgent repairs, so “Parks Canada developed a conservation plan and design work was underway,” Grcevic said.
It then worked with a consultant engineer to revise the plan and expand the project before the federal funding was announced Sept. 8.
The Friends of Fort George, which runs programs at the monument, called the investment “very exciting” and said it will preserve the site for the more than 20,000 visitors it welcomes each year.
“This is something we’ve been waiting a little while for,” said executive director Amanda Gamble.
“Some of the mortar had started to fall, so for us, it’s huge.”
Gamble said the restoration will ensure the students hired each season to welcome visitors, run the small museum and lead tours “will be able to continue to do what we do up there safely.”
Niagara Parks has no involvement in the project, but “verbally, there would be consultation on anything there,” said Bob Gale, chair of the Niagara Parks Commission.
“They keep us informed as we do them.”
Gale said the restoration is great for the community and he loves places where you “see kids coming to learn history.”
“It’s such an important part of the Queenston-Niagara-on-the-Lake area, plus all of Canada,” he added.
The monument is the centrepiece of a corridor of historic sites, from the Mackenzie Printery to the Laura Secord House and McFarland House. “It’s incumbent on us to keep those in great shape,” Gale said.
“I’m glad that Park Canada is doing that with Brock’s Monument, too,” he added. “Causes us to bring our game up a little bit.”
The project could prompt the commission to reconsider expanding hours at Queenston Heights Restaurant, which closed during the pandemic but sometimes hosts brunches, weddings and special events. “This will cause us to enhance our wanting,” he said.
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa praised the Friends of Fort George for its role in sharing the site’s history and welcoming visitors.
He said the funding is “fantastic” and will help preserve the site for years to come.
“I remember great memories as a young person — going up the stairs and coming in, hearing the stories,” Zalepa said. “And seeing my kids, you know, interested in that.”
“This is just an important thing to do, to keep being able to tell that story for the next generation,” he said.
Gamble said that since the monument is built of Queenston limestone and not to today’s standards, the restoration “is a big process.”
The “great thing” about Parks Canada taking on the project, though, she added, “is that it’s going to have to be done properly, to maintain that historical integrity.”
Parks Canada has carried out major rehabilitation about every 12 years since 1971, with any stones replaced stamped with a hidden date so future workers will know their age.
The site has also been routinely inspected since the $2.2-million restoration in 2009-10.
Grcevic said cultural sites like this are irreplaceable links to the people and events that shape history.
“While this will obstruct the view of the monument itself, this work will ensure the long-term conservation of this iconic symbol of Canadian heritage and recognizable landmark on the Niagara Escarpment,” she said.
The monument closed in August, but Queenston Heights Park will remain open to visitors throughout the restoration project.
