Appendix C3 Summary of Vegetation Communities in Study Area

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1 Appendix C3 Summary of Vegetation Communities in Study Area

2 GO Transit Niagara Rail Expansion Summary of Natural Environment Features at Alternative Station and Layover Sites Station / Layover Alternative Description Designated Features Conservation Authority Regulated Areas Location of Natural Feature Hamilton - James Street North The site includes a gravel parking area and a Unknown Between parking area sloped cultural meadow area down to the rail and tracks tracks. ELC CODE ELC Name Dominant Species Photograph ID Disturbed area comprised of Photos 1 and 2 goldenrod and aster species, curly dock, evening primrose and thistles. Scattered shrubs and trees are present including staghorn sumac and Manitoba maple. Hamilton -Confederation Hamilton - Centennial Parkway Hamilton - Fruitland Road Hamilton - Lewis Road The eastern half of the site is currently used for commercial purposes. The western portion of the site is naturalized and is in various stages of succession, including thicket and forested communities. An abandoned industrial site primarily asphalt covered. Some trees present around perimeter. No natural features present. Agricultural lands, ploughed but not planted at the time of the site visit. A sparse line of deciduous trees and meadow forb species follows the rail tracks in the ROW. A small number of trees and common meadow species are also located along the watercourse to the east of the site. The eastern half of the site is in agricultural uses and includes a friut tree orchard. The western half has been allowed to natural ize and is in various stages of succession, including culutral meadow, thicket and woodland communities. North-western portion of the site. CUT1 Staghorn sumac, Manitoba maple and white ash with variety of other shrubs, and ground cover. White ash, basswood, elm, and willow. South-western portion of the site. FOD4 Dry-Fresh Deciduous Forest N/A N/A N/A N/A Unknown N/A N/A N/A N/A Photos 5 and 6 Unknown N/A N/A N/A N/A Photo 7 Unknown Regulated areas exist along the ditch on the west side of Lewis Road and in low lying areas surrounding the pond and drainage features on the west side of the site. Western-most portion of the site. CUW1 Woodland Ash spp., manitoba maple, white cedar, poplar spp. Photos 3 and 4 Photos 8,9,10, and 11 East of the CUW1 community Between agricutlrual lands and the CUT1 and CUW1 communities, also located in the Northwest corner of the site. CUT1 of dogwoods, raspberry, hawthorn with small cedar and other young deciduous tree species. Some fruit trees from an abandonned orchard are also present. Common meadow species such as goldenrods, asters, thistles and European grasses.

3 GO Transit Niagara Rail Expansion Summary of Natural Environment Features at Alternative Station and Layover Sites Station / Layover Alternative Description Designated Features Hamilton - Fifty Road East Lands directly south of Fifty Road are abaondonned agricutlrual fiedls that have begun to naturalize. A hydro tower is located in the southwestern corner fo the site. A gravel driveway area is present. Lands surrounding the driveway are comprised of shrubs with sparse tree cover. Hamilton - Fifty Road West Site is abaondonned agricutlrual fiedls that have begun to naturalize. A hydro corridor is located in the south of the site. A gravel driveway was present, but has since been left to naturalize as well. Lands surrounding the former driveway are comprised of shrubs with Grimsby - Casablanca Boulevard Lands south of the ROW include a rural Locally significant Life residence with manicured lawn and a Science ANSI (Irish Grove) naturalizing thicket area. The thicket extends located approximately 90 north of the ROW inro the eastern half of the metres west of the site. site. The western half of the site is heavily disturbed with some old field regrowth. Grimsby - VIA Station Grimsby - Bartlett Avenue The historic train station is east of Ontario St and is now used as a antiques shop. A small kiosk is available for VIA passengers. The existing sites icnludes parking, platform and a work/storage yard for the antique shop. East of Ontario St. is a parkign area and a steeply sloping treed area. Much of the site lies within a hydro corridor and is characterized by old field meadow. A residence is located at the eastern portion of the site that includes manicured lawn and an orchard. Conservation Authority Regulated Areas Unknown Unknown Regulation area along drain on west side of Maple Rd. Regulated areas exist but site has been altered due to changes in QEW access. Will need to be reviewed. Location of Natural Feature Surrounding residence. North and south of ROW Most of site outsdie of South-west corner. South-western portion of the site. Distrubed area on northwest portion of the site Northeast and southwest of ROW. Treed slope between Ontario St. and Maple Ave. Western portion of site outside of rural residential area ELC CODE ELC Name Dominant Species Photograph ID Goldenrod and aster sp., Photos 12, 13 and teasel, white sweet clover, 14 CUT1 CUT1 CUT1 CUW1 Woodland strawberry. Silky dogwood, raspberry, multiflora rose, buckthorn, manitoba maple, trembling aspen and elm. Goldenrod and aster sp., teasel, white sweet clover, strawberry. dogwood, raspberry, buckthorn, crack willow, trembling aspen and elm. White sweet clover, curly dock, asters, Queen Anne's lace with some small patches of cattails in depressions where ground has been Multiflora roase, Manitoba maple, white ash, nannyberry, dogwood sp. Manitoba maple with sumac and a catalpa. Photos 15 and 16 Photos 17,18 and 19 Red clover, vetch, bedstraw Photo 20 sp. And grasses with some staghorn sumac, silver maple, buckthorn and trembling aspen along ROW. Beamsville - Ontario Street Portion east of Ontario St. is characterized by mowed grass with a narrow strip of trees along ROW that widens into an ash stand at far eastern end. The portion of the site west of Ontario St. includes orchards, agriculture, old field meadow and mowed turff. Regulated area along a Far eastern corner of drain which runs adjacent to site east of Ontario St. the ROW east of Ontario St. FOD4 Three areas located in the North-east, Southeast and South-west corners of the site West of Ontario Street. Dry-Fresh Deciduous Forest White ash in relatively young even-aged stand. Goldenrod, meadow sweet, mullien, common burdoc, curled doc and common plantain. Photos 21, 22, 23 and 24

4 GO Transit Niagara Rail Expansion Summary of Natural Environment Features at Alternative Station and Layover Sites Station / Layover Alternative Description Designated Features Conservation Authority Regulated Areas Vineland - Victoria Avenue Tree fruit orchard Regulation area associated with drain running through centre of property Location of Natural ELC Feature CODE ELC Name Dominant Species Photograph ID N/A N/A N/A N/A Photo 25 St. Catharines - First Street Agricultural lands with small srtip of grasses along ROW Regulation area associated with flood prone lands across southeast portion of the site. N/A N/A N/A N/A Photos 26 and 27 St. Catharines - Vansickle Road St. Catharines - VIA Rail Old field meadow with small gravel extraction site and processing plant. Southeast corner includes existing VIA station and parking. Norht of the parking area is an open meadow with scattered sections of gravel fill. A small open canopy woodland is located through the centre of the site. Regulated area along drain which crosses southwestern corner of site. Most of site outside of gravel extraction areas. Small area of cattails in depression where gravel has been extracted. North of existing station Centrally within meadow MAS2 CUW1 Mineral Shallow Marsh Woodland Goldenrods, aster, curly dock, Queen Anne's lace. Cattails Vetch and grass sp. With Queen Anne's lace, knapweed and common milkweed. Trembling aspen, Manitoba maple, weeping willow, silver maple, buckthorn, tamarack. Photos 28 and 29 Photo 30 St. Catharines - Glendale Avenue Niagara Falls - VIA Station Lands south of the ROW form a treed slope. Lands between the two tracks and north of the ROW are characterized by open shrub thicket and open canopy wooded areas. Includes existing station, small parking area and passenger platform. area located north of ROW, followed by treed berm that follows tracks to the west. Marginal ESA (Welland Canal Wood) located on south side of tracks. Provincially significant Life Science ANSI (Niagara Gorge) and Earth Science ANSI (Niagara River Bedrock Gorge) located approximately 100 metres east of the site. Wooded areas are regulated along with a buffer that extends north of the ROW. Wooded area north and south of ROW to the west of the layover site. South of ROW FOD5 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple Deciduous Forest North of ROW CUT1 North of ROW North of community along berm and along ROW to west of site FOD5 Dry-Fresh Sugar Maple Deciduous Forest Sugar maple, Manitoba maple, white ash, black walnut. Staghorn sumac, Manitoba maple and trembling aspen with variety of other shrubs. Golendrod sp., aster sp., Queen Anne's lace, grasses. Sugar maple, poplars, tamarack, ash. Photo 31 Photo 32

5 Photographs of Alternative Station and Layover Sites Photo 1 Hamilton James Street North Photo 2 Hamilton James Street North Photo 3 Hamilton Confederation Photo 4 Hamilton Confederation Photo 5 Hamilton Centennial Parkway Photo 6 Hamilton Centennial Parkway

6 Photo 7 Hamilton Fruitland Road Photo 8 Hamilton Lewis Road Photo 9 Hamilton Lewis Road Photo 10 Hamilton Lewis Road Photo 11 Hamilton Lewis Road Photo 12 Hamilton Fifty Road

7 Photo 13 Hamilton Fifty Road Photo 14 Hamilton Fifty Road Photo 15 Grimsby Casablanca Boulevard Photo 16 Grimsby Casablanca Boulevard Photo 17 Grimsby VIA Station Photo 18 Grimsby VIA Station

8 Photo 19 Grimsby VIA Station Photo 20 Grimsby Bartlett Avenue Photo 21 Beamsville Ontario Street Photo 22 Beamsville Ontario Street Photo 23 Beamsville Ontario Street Photo 24 Beamsville Ontario Street

9 Photo 25 Vineland Victoria Avenue Photo 26 St. Catharines First Street Photo 27 St. Catharines First Street Photo 28 St. Catharines Vansickle Road Photo 29 St. Catharines Vansickle Road Photo 30 - St. Catharines VIA Rail

10 Photo 31 St. Catharines Glendale Avenue Photo 32 Niagara Falls VIA Station