Geneva's Secret Garden

Art exhibit at a local school named after Harriet Tubman.

I have driven down Geneva Street, in St. Catharines, a thousand times. But it is not until you take a stroll along the sidewalk that you appreciate the layers of history that the street displays. My favorite neighbourhood of Geneva Street is between Welland Avenue and Church Street. This area represents several eras. Each building style speaks to the priorities of the time period when it was built. Many of the businesses I frequent such as my health food store, hairdresser, interior designer, and the Chinese grocer are located along this stretch. With our car-centric habits we often drive to our destination, park, and depart without ever exploring. Your visual attention is often distracted by loud landmarks like the two-story pink mural on the antique store or the fluorescent sign of a gas station. It may be easy to miss the the charming garden tucked away in an alleyway.

Between a car sales lot and a church, a wide red brick path invites the curious passersby to explore a tiny garden. Red heuchera and golden Japanese forest grass enliven, the sanctuary from the street, with bright colour. The path takes wide turns to lengthen the journey as you contemplate the branching structure of an elegant dogwood tree. A bench is situated in front of a statuary bust on a pedestal. The bust is of Harriet Tubman. She has a direct gaze as she overlooks her secret garden.

Harriet was a conductor on the Underground Railroad. She knew how to tell directions from looking at the stars. She led people escaping slavery to Canada by memorizing landmarks in the landscape along the way. She was a strategist and master of disguise. No one was ever able to catch Harriet Tubman or any of her passengers.

Harriet Tubman lived in St. Catharines on North Street from 1851-1858. Of the people that she guided to freedom, some put down roots in our community. The alleyway garden is tucked in beside the Salem Chapel, built in 1855. Many of the people who were freed from slavery attended Salem Chapel. It was also an important center for Canadian 19th century abolitionist and civil rights leaders. Today, this site is a National Historic Site of Canada. Local Historian Rochelle Bush, a descendant of African American freedom seekers, shares the stories of the site through Tubman Tours Canada.

By getting out of your car and exploring your neighborhood on foot you will have an opportunity to time travel through familiar urban typology.