Cultural Landmarks of Hamilton-Wentworth

The Royal Botanical Gardens

Location:  Administrative Building, 680 Plains Road West, Burlington, Ontario.

The development of Hamilton's Royal Botanical Gardens was the dream of Thomas Baker McQuesten. His inspiration for the garden was influenced by his many visits to the gardens at Kew, in Edinburgh. However, the first section of the garden to be constructed was the Royal Botanical Rock Garden which emerged from a gravel pit located on the north-east side of Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Royal Botanical Rock Garden became a tourist magnet within the region and led to further appropriation of lands to create the modern Royal Botanical Gardens. Nevertheless, the initial formation of the Royal Botanical Gardens was very contentious, as questions arose regarding which level of government had authority over Cootes Paradise and how the development of the property should be guided.

In September of 1887, a Special Committee of the city council decided against the marsh becoming the private property of Mr. Semmens. Mr. Semmens possessed the upper part of the marsh, excluding Mr. Osler's farm and wanted to acquire the government land in order to maintain the area for hunters and fishermen. His land ran from the basin down to the marsh behind the cemetery. The government owned land divided Mr. Semmens' land from the west to the east end. Essentially, this prevented Mr. Semmens from draining the marsh of which he claimed ownership of four hundred sixty five acres. If he were to have successfully bought or leased the government owned one hundred thirty five acres, then he could have drained the marsh and made thousands of dollars off the development of the land.

The Dundas marsh and Cootes Paradise continued to be wet lands that were not used and were neglected by all levels of government until a proposal was put forth offering to dedicate the marsh as a duck breeding area. The land included in the proposal was approximately three and a half miles long by nine hundred feet wide. In 1925, the Dominion government passed an Order-in-Council authorizing the Marine Department to lease the Crown Lands in the Dundas Marsh to Captain George A. Midford. The agreement stated he would lease this property for one dollar per year and would develop a duck breeding farm. Midford also stated he would invest five thousand dollars to develop the marsh. The Hamilton Harbour Commission did not recognize any other authority over the marsh and claimed jurisdiction which was reiterated by the Hamilton Harbour Commission Chairman, Mr. William Ainslie.

Thomas Baker McQuesten, a resident of Hamilton and a member of the Board of Parks Management also agreed with the Harbour Commission and did not want a private enterprise developing public land. Essentially, McQuesten believed that the land should be developed as an overall sanctuary for birds, animals, and plant species and any land development should be conducted by public officials. McQuesten argued over the validity of the deal stating the Hamilton Harbour Commission had jurisdiction over the Dundas marsh and Cootes Paradise. Therefore, according to McQuesten, the lease which was agreed to by Captain Midford and the Federal government was invalid. McQuesten also fought a public war against the deal. He brought together the Hamilton Board of Parks Management, the Hamilton Bird Protection Society, the Hamilton Cemetery Board and other organizations to lobby the government against the agreement. The efforts of the groups paid off, when in April of 1925, the Federal Government said there could be no agreement that allowed for the commercial use of the marsh until a report was heard from the Hamilton Harbour Board.

On May 19, 1925, McQuesten organized a mass protest in Hamilton, Ontario which prompted the Hon. H.J. Cardin, who was over seeing the case, to reconsider the lease. On May 25, 1925 the Hon. H. J. Cardin decided in favor of the Hamilton Harbour Commission, stating that this government body had the jurisdiction over the marsh and that the lease to Midford would not be granted. Captain Midford kept up efforts to reinstate his lease agreement to no avail.

On October 25, 1925, a bird sanctuary was approved for the marsh and in February of 1927 an Order-in-Council was passed which stated all wildlife within the marsh would be protected. This protection was extended to all plants and animals. In the same year a commission was created in order to direct the development and operation of the marsh.

In 1927, The Board of Parks Management acquired 400 acres of land in the Westdale area of Hamilton. Westdale was a planned community on Hamilton's western outskirts. The land was purchased from the land development company, McKittrick Properties. McKittrick owed $130,000 to the City of Hamilton and was unable pay the money owed to the city. Therefore, the company faced two possible alternatives, sell the land or claim bankruptcy. Thus, they sold the land to the Board of Parks Management. The Board had made an agreement with the city to pay off any outstanding debts that McKittrick Properties had accumulated. The total cost for the agreement was $200,000.

The land was situated near the small Baptist college called McMaster University.   A Hamilton Citizen's Committee, under Mr. W. J. Westaway offered $500,000 to build a new science building, if the school remained in its current location. The Board of Parks Management also offered to use some of their newly acquire land to build a public park which would beautify the area and university. The school agreed to stay and construction on the new building and garden began.

Thomas Baker McQuesten recommended Dunnington-Grubb for the landscaping of the garden. Grubb's plans were detailed and elaborate which caused some people such as the university's Chancellor Howard Whidden to state "I am also anxious to see you in connection with the changes which Mr. Grubb has been making in the formal park just off the highway. This of course is a parks board affair, but... We must not let Mr. Grubb run away with us either...". The completed garden was to become the Royal Botanical Garden's famous Sunken Garden. It had a concrete pool, steps with balustrades and formal plantings of flowers throughout. It became a favourite place for people to have their wedding photos taken in the spring, summer, and fall.

McQuesten realised the university would eventually expand and he wanted to guarantee the lands would be protected from developments, however, he never received an official statement from the university. The lack of an official agreement led to the ultimate destruction of the garden.

Construction on the Rock Garden began on November 3, 1929, due to a City of Hamilton request for the Hamilton Parks Board to beautify the north-east entrance to the city as the construction on the High Level Bridge had commenced. This project was supported by McQuesten, since the project was well suited for relief employment projects since much of the work to be done would only require unskilled labour. Tenders for the construction of the gardens were made open to all British subjects. However, Wilson, Bunnell, and Borgstrom of Toronto, Ontario, Canada were chosen to plan and direct the construction of the site. It was reported that ten thousand tons of rock would be required to create the Rock Garden. The rock was retrieved from Albion Falls on the Hamilton Escarpment and from the Waterdown area. This garden took approximately three years to build and was situated on two acres of land. Thousands of annuals were planted alongside five hundred alpine plants, flowering shrubs, and trees. The garden did not receive permission to use the "Royal" distinction until 1930, when King George V officially gave permission. May 30, 1930.

In 1931, the Royal Botanical Gardens received more land, when the hundred and twenty two acre George M. Hendrie farm was donated on the north end of the gardens. There were two main stipulations if the donation was accepted. First, the family would provide an ornamental gate for the entrance to the gardens, and secondly, the grave of his father's favorite race horse would remain family property until the son's death.

In 1932, the Royal Botanical Gardens established a separate committee which included botanists, park experts, all the Board of Parks Management members, landscape architects Borgstrom and Dunnington-Grubb. However, due to the depression, there was little funding for development. In fact, little had been done to the expanse of Royal Botanical Garden lands since the survey of four hundred acres in earlier years.

 In 1932, an attempt was made to survey the land recently appropriated to create the Royal Botanical Gardens. Maps were drawn and trees were selected for labeling. The second stage was to decide how to develop the marsh. There was one main problem- the marsh dwellers. These people could not afford to live in the city, so they constructed their own homes in the Dundas marsh area, which became known as Shacktown. Some of the homes were of very shoddy construction, but others were considered adequate. Some other marsh residents lived in house boats. Nevertheless, the city needed to remove these people and eviction notices were served by the Hamilton Harbour Commission in 1936.

In 1936 a Provincial Government Act incorporated the Royal Botanical Gardens and gave it some financial security in the form of Provincial grants.

Since, McQuesten was the Minister of Highways, he had little time to devote to the development of the Royal Botanical Gardens. However, with the impending war, highway construction was halted and McQuesten looked for other projects to focus on.

In January of 1942, McQuesten commissioned Borgstrom to prepare a list of recommendations concerning the future of the Royal Botanical Gardens. Borgstrom believed the gardens required more funding from government agencies and the only way this could be achieved was if the gardens became a major public attraction. Borgstrom suggested that there should be further development of the garden and that there should be a mass planting of lilacs, crabapple trees, cherry trees, a rose garden, climbing plants, herb gardens, fern garden, bulb garden, and even a zoo with animals in a natural habitat.

On April 1st, 1941 a Provincial Bill brought the Royal Botanical Gardens into being one hundred years to the day after the Kew Gardens in England had been created.

McQuesten's interest in the Royal Botanical Gardens was extensive and he attempted to develop the area until his last meeting with the Board of Parks Management. His enthusiasm about the project facilitated him being selected on July 22, 1941, to administer the RBG's development which included the Rock Garden, Cootes Paradise, and the land leading to McMaster University.

 In April of 1942, McQuesten added to the Royal Botanical Gardens' property holdings by transferring nearly five hundred acres of property from his Ministry which was the proposed site for the Dundas Highway Bypass, to the Royal Botanical Gardens for one dollar per acre. This land was located on the north shore of Cootes Paradise and later became the arboretum.

 McQuesten's vision for the Royal Botanical Gardens was grand. He wanted the gardens to become a leader in innovation and be known world wide as a superior garden and teaching facility. He wanted every type of tree and shrub in the world that could grow in Canada included in the garden's inventory. In 1942, McQuesten began to plan the development of the Dundas marsh.

The Board of Parks Management continued to acquire land for the Royal Botanical Gardens. They bought the Raspberry property for two thousand dollars and than made an offer for the Binkley property for one hundred dollars an acre. Both properties were comprised of twenty acres.

At the end of the war, McQuesten added another committee to his portfolio by being nominated the first president of the Royal Botanical Gardens.

At this time, the gardens possessed one thousand seven hundred acres. However, the gardens needed the funds to maintain the land. Therefore, a fundraising committee was set up. At its inception, the only form of stable funding was from the Board of Parks Management and amounted to $8,200 per year.

An unofficial announcement was made in November of 1945 regarding the establishment of a resident institute for the training of park gardeners, managers, and superintendents. This was the first time in Canada that an institution would be "...providing instruction in a field in which the demand exceeded the supply of qualified persons." Preparations had begun for the development of this school; however, a home for the school had to be found. The Royal Botanical Gardens Board decided to take up the offer to purchase the Rock Garden Hotel property for sixteen thousand dollars, which was located at the eastern end of the second steel bridge. The hotel had accommodations for forty-five students and space for the board.

On October 10, 1946, Dr. Radforth, a McMaster University professor gave a report to the Royal Botanical Gardens Board and commended the development of the teaching capacity of the garden. "Royal Botanical Gardens is being established for the advancement of botanical and horticultural science and knowledge, the prosecution of the original researchers in the plant sciences and similar subject, instruction in the above pursuits and the prosecution and exhibition of ornamental and decorative horticulture and gardening." The school was able to offer diploma and degree courses.

The Royal Botanical Gardens Institute of Parks and Recreation was not just a gardening school. Rather, it trained men to assume roles as chief executives of municipal park systems, managers of golf clubs, and park directors with assistance from McMaster University.

On October 13, 1946, concerns were raised over toxins in Cootes Paradise when fish and turtles began dying in the bay. It was discovered that the Hamilton Health Department was responsible for spraying Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT) on the marsh, fifty yards off shore two years previous in order to control mosquitoes. Thus, studies were undertaken of the marsh to determine four main characteristics of the marsh- depth of open water area, chemical analysis of water, the collection of plant life, and survey of the muskrat population. The study found the levels of the water much lower than what had been previously predicted. There was a substantial variety of plants, while the water testing was incomplete. The muskrat population was suspiciously low as only a few were found in the area.

The Royal Botanical Gardens opened memberships in October of 1946. Annual members paid five dollars, Garden Club Associates paid twenty-five dollars, Contributing Members paid one hundred dollars, Life Members paid two hundred dollars, Life Fellowships paid one thousand dollars, and Benefactors paid five thousand dollars. These memberships included free admission to the gardens, access to reserved sections, tours, exhibitions, Royal Botanical Gardens publications, and study sessions.

The Children's Garden was opened under the direction of McMaster University professor, Dr. Radforth on November 14, 1946. The goal of the facility was to instruct children on planting methods, proper care of plants, flowers, and vegetables after school and on Saturdays. There were twenty five to fifty children per session and the age category was from seven to fourteen years of age. During these sessions, children would be given a chance to conduct a project and awards were given out at the end of the year. The first sessions were held in the Westdale are of Hamilton, Ontario and were quite successful. Later, these sessions expanded to include other areas of the city.

In 1946, the Royal Botanical Gardens was given a generous donation of plants which included two to three hundred peonies and a cash donation which was exempt from income tax

By 1948, the Royal Botanical Gardens possessed one thousand sixteen hundred acres of land which spanned from Dundas to the Hendrie estate and included Cootes Paradise, a stretch of water in Burlington Bay between the High Level Bridge and Carroll's point. By February 1949, the goal of the Royal Botanical Gardens had changed from being a decorative entrance to the city to a place of recreation, education, and research.

As early as 1949, pollution was a concern for the marsh. Refuse freely floated under Longwood Road bridge from the city's west end refuse dump.  The Royal Botanical Gardens attempted to rectify the problem by installing a boom which spanned the Desjardins Canal.  It was supposed to prevent floating refuse from entering Cootes Paradise.   However, the boom proved to be ineffectual.

The Garden also had difficulty with poachers and many warnings were issued. Nevertheless, there was to be an increase in concerns regarding the safety and purity of the waters in the marsh.

The Royal Botanical Gardens developed the idea in November of 1949 of a spring garden which was to display iris and peonies. Moreover, a new Royal Botanical Gardens development was an Arboretum which would be concerned with different species of trees and research would be conducted on tree growth. By 1950, the gardens received an increase in funding which exceeded $70,000, and they had accrued one thousand, 800 acres of land.

A new concern for the gardens in 1950 was the carp which had invaded the marsh and were upsetting the balance of the ecosystem. The Department of Lands and Forests were doubtful anything could be done. Nevertheless, the Royal Botanical Gardens went ahead with their plans of setting up the first "Carp Control Program". This program was deemed unsuccessful. Even though three tons of Carp had been removed from the upper end in two days, it was unlikely the Carp could be completely removed from the marsh. Therefore, the Carp program that began May 9, 1950, ceased operations on June 17, 1950.

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References:
Best, John. Thomas Baker McQuesten: Public Works, Politics and Imagination. Corinth Press: Hamilton, Ontario, 1991.
Royal Botanical Gardens Scrapbooks.  vol. 1-4.  Special Collections, HPL.
Royal Botanical Garden's Official Website
Michigan State University. Gardens Around the World: Royal Botanical Gardens Hamilton, Ontario. www.msue.msu.edu/msue/imp/mod70/70000269.html