Collaboration celebrated in dedication of new gateway at Queen and Mississagua

When Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Gerry Kowalchuk stepped to the podium at the foot of Mississagua Street for the ribbon-cutting ceremony to official dedicate the new gateway structure, there was a strong feeling of collaboration in the air.

Following a welcome from from NOTL parks and recreation manager Kevin Turcotte and comments from Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa, Kowalchuk, whose family fund supported the construction of the dry stone wall and the installation of the surrounding gardens, had a long list of people to thank for bringing the project to fruition. 

That included his neighbour Alex Topps, a retired landscape architect who sat with Kowalchuk on a planning committee along with Coun. Wendy Cheropita and former Coun. John Wiens, Bill Clark, Janet Trogdon and Janice Johnston. 

He thanked the Lord Mayors and town councils from 2020 to 2023 who supported the project along the way, as well as town staffers Turcotte, parks supervisor J.B. Hopkins and former CAO Marnie Cluckie, and both Brad Smith and Haig Sefarian of Sefarian Design Group, the landscape architect firm behind the design. 

Smith, the principal designer for the project, told The Local that from the start he thought a long, linear structure that would take up the entire intersection at Queen and Mississagua Streets would be a striking complement to the area. 

It was the first time for Smith to design a project centred on a dry stone wall. 

“It was so exciting,” enthused Smith, who visited the site bi-weekly during its construction. “I couldn’t stop taking pictures the whole time. It was phenomenal. Seeing it today, I am overwhelmingly proud of Gerry and the whole team for sticking with the plan.” 

Kowalchuk also gave a shoutout to Chris Hopkins of Three Seasons Landscapes for the work that was done to remove the previous structure and ready the area for the new design.

And some of his most effusive praise went to Menno Braam, the dry stone wall expert who placed each and every stone into the structure. 

“Menno is a skilled craftsman, a stone mason who expertly constructed this dry stone wall,” said Kowalchuk. “I think you can agree this wall is no doubt the focal point of this gateway project. Thank you Menno for your expertise.”

A smiling Braam, who is currently building a dry stone wall for a homeowner in NOTL’s Garrison Village, was pleased with the way the surrounding gardens complement his handiwork. 

“I always prefer to see my work surrounded by plants, said Braam. “It makes it look so much better. It’s the full presentation, and they did a great job.”

Kowalchuk explained the four points the committee followed in choosing the design of the welcome to NOTL’s heritage and business district. The four-part vision is now enshrined on the plaque that is in place on one side of the gardens. 

It was important, he said, that it had to exhibit “a striking first impression and a lasting impression that is beneficial to the town.” It also needed to be a “symbolic representation of the visual beauty of Niagara-on-the-Lake which will complement the town’s image.”

The committee also decided that the concept of the new structure being a “gateway” was necessary, and that landscaping excellence had to reflect both innovation and creativity.

“As I stand here today, I believe we have accomplished the criteria of our vision statement,” he confirmed. 

Zalepa suggested that the new gateway is a significant and beautiful asset to the town. And he reminisced about his earlier days living in NOTL.

“Every time I pull up to the stop sign I take a look through the archway to the lake,” said the Lord Mayor. “It kind of reminds me of the archway at Fort Mississauga, from when I was a kid, looking through the gateway there. I had the same feeling there.”

For the gardens, J.B. Hopkins explained that the gardens were designed to have colour and shape through all four seasons. 

“We included various shrubs that keep their form and colour through the winter,” said Hopkins. “We chose some very interesting small trees and shrubs, including a witchhazel that flowers bright yellow in February. We also incorporated a lot of native plants and nativars, some of them perennials and some of them ornamental grasses. Many of them are attractive to pollinators.”

Hopkins added that the new gardens, though covering a much larger area than the previous one, will actually require less labour because of the perennial nature of many of the plantings. 

With his wife Lise Andreanna and about 40 other supporters watching, Kowlacuk joined Zalepa and the others for the ceremonial ribbon cutting. 

“I believe we had the vision to improve the appearance of this prominent intersection,” Kowalchuk concluded in his presentation. “I am grateful for the support of both town council and the majority of the residents in our community for having the will to make it happen. I am very pleased with the result. I absolutely love it.”