Two men carry water in a milk can using a wheel barrow.
Two unnamed men move clean drinking water via milk can and wheelbarrow leaving Port Dalhousie. The old Maple Leaf Rubber Factory building is in the background, the building on the right is still standing. STCM S1937.72.3.1

Folks in Port Dalhousie resorted to unusual methods to secure clean drinking water during a water main break int he village on May 13, 1937. Fifteen hundred people were affected. Fire hoses were run from the village system to the affected areas, but residents outside the supply had to get water from other points where supply was available. The one-foot-square hole in the pipe took two days to be repaired.

The Water Main Break

The burst water main in Port Dalhousie caused quite the commotion:

Newspaper article about the water main break
Newspaper article from The St. Catharines Standard reporting on the water main break on May 13, 1937.
Workers stand next to a large hole in the road and a pile of debris. A public works road sign is in front of the hole.
Village workers on site of the water main break, May 13, 1937. STCM S1937.72.3.4
A worker is seen in a hole working on a broken water pipe.
A worker sees to a broken water main in May of 1937. STCM S1937.72.3.2
Newspaper photo caption.
Newspaper photo caption accompanying the image of a worker working on the hole in the water pipe.

Changes to the Landscape

Port Dalhousie and Lakeport Road is almost unrecognizable as it appears in the image with the two men carrying the water. The history of the Maple Leaf Rubber Company (later Dominion Rubber, and later Lincoln Fabrics) is well documented but seeing familiar sights in new contexts broadens our perspectives. Seeing how people navigated these spaces that we can no longer navigate in the same way connects us to that lost history in a deeper way than merely looking at an aerial photograph.

Speaking of aerial photographs (and Fire Insurance Plans), they are helpful for understanding the tangible context of change in the neighbourhood. We’ve included a red star to mark their location in the map below.

Fire Insurance Plan, Port Dalhousie
A red star marks the location of the subjects of photograph S1937.72.3.1 on this 1929 Fire Insurance Plan of Port Dalhousie. Courtesy Archives and Special Collections, Brock University Library.
Aerial photograph of Port Dalhousie in 1954.
Aerial photograph of Port Dalhousie in 1954-1955. Courtesy Brock University Map Library, 4309-043 1954-1955.

There’s More to the Story

Check out the entire History InSite installation across Merritton, downtown St. Catharines and in Port Dalhousie.

About History InSite

A permanent, site specific installation, History InSite juxtaposes historical photographs with modern streetscapes by presenting the photo in, or close to, the place which it was taken.

St. Catharines has a rich photographic history and when compared to the changing streetscapes around the City, that history becomes much more meaningful, poignant, and relevant to our modern eyes.

The Downtown series was installed in July 2021. The Port Dalhousie series was installed in May 2022. The Merritton series was installed in May 2023. Additions to each installation are made on an annual rotation.

History InSite is presented by the St. Catharines Museum & Welland Canals Centre.

Graffiti Report

If you spot any graffiti on our purple History InSite signs, please send us a message.