Geokids visit Willowbank, Laura Secord Homestead in Queenston

The rich history, cultural heritage, and natural beauty of Queenston was shared with members of the NOTL Geopark Geokids Club during an afternoon of exploration, education, and inspiration.

The recent visit started at Willowbank, which is both a geosite and a national historic site, designated in 2004 because of its international significance as an Indigenous meeting place, its prominence as an active portage route, and its proximity to a major battle area during the War of 1812.

Marie Louise met the group in the drystone structure built in 2014, and used by the Wisdom Keepers to to share stories. “We have to learn together. We do teachings here, we do talks, we do circles, we do drumming, we do dancing,” said Marie Louise, an Indigenous community connections facilitator and the “guardian of the garden.”

Marie Louise is Irish, Scottish, Welsh and Mohawk of Kahnawake. She explained that Turtle Island, also known as North America, started when Sky Woman fell through a hole in the sky while looking for sustenance for her child. “She grabbed Indian tobacco, strawberries, corn, beans and squash” as she fell, said Marie Louise. Geese helped her to gently land on a turtle’s back, and the earth grew around her.

“This is a place where you will enjoy that serene feeling, that comfort of all the land, the land, the air, the water, the sun, all the sacredness. It happens in this space, and that's why our community wanted to come here.”

Just steps behind the building is the “big Indigenous Community Love Garden.”

Planted at the centre of the garden is a medicine wheel with its “four sacred medicines, the Indian tobacco,” sage, cedar and sweetgrass, she told the group.

The garden, which is maintained by volunteers, will also grow strawberries, corn and squash.

Club members made their way down the steep bank at the back of Willowbank, and reconvened behind St. Saviour’s Anglican Church.

From here, Mikayla Cote, a co-op student with the Niagara Parks in the Earth Science program at Brock University, explained the significance of Queenston shale.

Standing on the bank of the escarpment, the shale can be seen on the U.S. side of the Niagara River. It is a reddish-brown colour and was formed approximately 450 million years ago. “Shale forms in moderate, slow, calm shallow water, which means this area that we were standing on around 450 million years ago would have been a shallow sea,” said Cote.

The sedimentary rock is made up of “small sand-sized particles, pebbles and mud” which “accumulate on top of each other and compress themselves together really tightly.”

Queenston shale is red because it is made of iron oxide, which, when exposed to air, turns red.

The Laura Secord Homestead, a Niagara parks attraction, was next on the tour. Staff member Anthony gave the “full context in the history of who Laura Secord really is.” Her home was the starting point of her perilous 32-kilometre journey to warn the British of an imminent surprise attack during the War of 1812. It was ransacked by invading American soldiers during the battle of Queenston Heights, but has been restored.

Afterwards, all Geokids Club members were treated to ice cream. Members are between five and 14 years old. “GeoKids' goals are to help provide families and children opportunities to connect with nature in a fun and informative way,” said organizer Francesca Sorrenti.

For more information on Geokids, email [email protected]. Registration is $40 for the year, which includes trips and indoor learning sessions.

“We're open to donations as well from the community because it is a nonprofit organization,” added Sorrenti.