The City of St. Catharines intends to construct a new fire training tower at 45 Renown Rd: “to save on costs of outsourcing training outside of the city.” This location is, however, the site of the Shickluna Shipyard, a registered archaeological site in the Province of Ontario (AgGt-268) and is subject to protection under section 48 of the Ontario Heritage Act.  This was the preeminent shipbuilding facility along the First and Second Welland Canal where from 1828 through its closure in 1891, over 100 ships would be launched.

Since 2018, a team from Brock University, with support from the Niagara community, have been focused on archaeological excavations at the site. The team uncovered 20,000 artifacts that have helped to characterize the human occupation of this early industrial complex along Twelve Mile Creek. The city’s proposed development will impact not only archaeological features and finds associated with this historic shipyard but also impede further investigations due to access.  

Given the significant archaeological conflict, we ask that the City of St. Catharines find an alternative location to position this new fire training tower. Help us to protect the archaeological integrity of this historic site so that we may continue to uncover the story of St. Catharines' contribution to Canada’s marine industry.  Together, let’s celebrate 200 years of the Welland Canals and the importance of the region’s shipbuilding communities, both past and present.  

Visit https://beacons.ai/shicklunashipyard to learn more about this archaeological project.