G is for Gingerbread House

This house on Ontario St is affectionately called The Gingerbread House and is being painstakingly restored to its original glory, albeit with a bit more green that the original.

Here you can see the completed restoration on the rear and west side of the house. 

It is currently used for short term rentals with furnished suites, but was built by the village of Burlington's then master carpenter, A. B. Coleman in 1893, possibly as a showpiece for his work.

ABC Wednesday

Monday Mural

The Welland Club

another John Hood mural




depicting the professional club in 1920 with the Union Jack flying and straw hatted men at lawn bowling. 

being curious, I had to get a closer look of the strange wooden structure...

it seemed to be an abandoned outdoor patio

here is a view of the rest of the building that used to be a restaurant.

MondayMurals

WhimsicalWindows and Delirious Doors

under the bridge

at the canal below the Burlington Skyway

the first bridge (now the Toronto bound lanes) is on the right, 

with the twinned bridge (now Niagara bound lanes) on the left

SundayBridges

flying away

a sound on the wind

and the ducks all rise

as clouds to the sky

camera-critters

F is for florist

ABCWednesday

signs, signs

Monday Mural

with the crest of Austria at the top centre and clockwise Vienna, Burgenland, Carinthia, Lower Austria, Upper Austria, Styria, Salzburg, Tyrol, Vorarlberg.

a mural on the side of the Continental Austrian Club "a family club for folks with an Austrian connection. The club has a varied social program including monthly dances with live bands... Austrian and German food is served at the Hubertuskeller every Friday evening." 

MondayMural

Niagara St Bridge

 Niagara Street Bridge leading to Division St 

and the view from the other side towards St Andrews Presbyterian Church

Built in 1981, it was from this bridge that I took the photo of the Main St Bridge featured last week. 

Sunday Bridges

Dunlop St

in italics

Barrie is possibly the only city I have noticed to italicize their street signs 

signs, signs

E is for escarpment

The Niagara Escarpment 
is a Unesco World 
Biosphere Reserve

 It is from the top of the escarpment that one can get such sweeping views of the city of Burlington

ABCWednesday

Monday Mural

three historical scenes

 painted by John Hood, 

the one on the left is dedicated 'for my dad' 
with the one on the right dedicated 'for my mom'

 these depict scenes from the early days of Welland, specifically King St in 1911 above 
and on the top photo Merritt Park from 1910
and the market from 1906 

I have enhanced the photos to bring out the colours which have faded since these were painted in 1988

Monday Murals

bridge #13

or the Main Street Bridge as it is more commonly called in Welland where it has become the symbol of the city. It is a vertical lift bridge crossing the abandoned portion of the Welland Canal. It was locked permanently in a lowered position after the shipping season in 1972 when the canal was rerouted to the east of the city to make it a straighter and safer route. The bridge is now a oneway west-bound road crossing the recreational waterway from the city centre.

this view give an idea how the vertical towers dominate the skyline 

from Main Street. The bridge is actually at a an angle to accommodate the lack of a right angle between Main Street and the canal channel.

for the SundayBridges celebrating its 100th post!

D is for Dutch

Until about 50 years ago, Burlington was rural with many farms, orchards and greenhouses utilizing prime growing soil. Eventually, the farms disappeared as the city became more urban. The orchards have been obliterated for new roads and housing development, and now all but one of the greenhouses are gone. Most, if not all, of the greenhouses were operated by the many Dutch families who emigrated here after the war. 


There is The Dutch Shop that sells everything you might need imported from Holland. It is rare that I have gone in there and been the only customer.

And there are these Dutch homes situated on Lakeshore Road

I'm not certain what exactly de ketilburcht means, except that burcht is 'castle'... and a bit of research shows that the family who currently live here are named Ketelaars

And this house, which was built in 1872 for William Dalton and was known as Applevilla after being sold to John Chamberlaine 'Apple Jack' Smith. It sits on the corner of Lakeshore Rd and Smith Ave. As an aside, there are three other farmhouses on Smith with the names Dalton or Smith on the historical plaques. 

The house was later the residence for the Netherlands consul - which explains that crest over the front door.


ABC Wednesday

Monday Mural

The cafe at the Royal Botanical Gardens has changed hands several times and that could be why this mural - or more specifically, trompe l'oeil - has now disappeared. 

Monday Murals
Whimsical Windows, Delirious Doors

up on the roof

Right smack dab in the middle of town, I've found a paradise that's trouble proof (up on the roof)

and if this old world starts getting you down there's room enough for two (up on the roof)

(Gerry Goffin & Carole King)

camera-critters