Welland in Niagara Region, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)
Junction Village
Welland Feeder Canal
Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 21, 2025
1. Junction Village - Marker
Junction, sometimes referred to as Helmsport, Port Hellems or Hellemsport, originated in the area of today's Canalbank Street. The settlement was named after John A. Hellems who had fought at Lundy's Lane in the War of 1812. The Hellems farm, settled in 1804, extended from Denistoun Street east to Plymouth Road and from Lincoln Street south to Ontario Road, Hellems also operated a wharf on the west side of the canal, south of the junction with the Feeder. As early as 1840, Hellems served as a Justice of the Peace, at a time when work on the canal brought a large number of lawless men into this area.
Junction came into being in the mid-1840s when Hellems developed and sold a number of village lots along
this page online
According to Smith's Canadian Gazetteer of 1846, Junction had a population of about 60 inhabitants, and the settlement boasted two stores, two taverns and a blacksmith shop, as well as a tailor and a shoemaker. One tavern, at the north end of the village's Main Street, was owned by James Tult; the other publican was James Boyd, and his tavern was nearer the corner of Ontario Road, on property purchased from John Hellems in 1848.
A prominent feature of Junction was the Traveller's Home, a 22-room hotel built in 1848 by James Tuft, the tavern owner. (It could well be that the tavern and the hotel were the same establishment). The structure was located on Canalbank Street, near the present railway underpass. The hotel boasted a large ballroom on the second floor where weekly square dances were held. After Tuft's death, the hotel was managed by Sarah Jane McCabe, and then by her daughter, Addie. In later years, the building was
Photographed by Kevin Westell, July 21, 2025
2. Junction Village - Marker in context
The photo faces east and south-east from Prince Charles Drive. The marker is one of the six around the marsh-pond within the feeder canal lock.
Erected by Welland Canal Recreational Canal Corporation.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Settlements & Settlers. In addition, it is included in the The Welland Canals series list. A significant historical year for this entry is 1840.
Location. 42° 58.445′ N, 79° 15.47′ W. Marker is in Welland, Ontario, in Niagara Region. It is at the intersection of Prince Charles Drive S and Ontario Road, on the right when traveling north on Prince Charles Drive S. The marker is one of six in a semi-circle around a small marsh-pond around the feeder canal lock, between two dog park fenced areas, 40 metres east of Prince Charles Drive and 40 metres east of Ontario Road. The best parking is at the dog park, off of Federal Road. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 383 Prince Charles Drive S, Welland ON L3B 3P2, Canada. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is on Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe and in Niagara Canada. It is also in Central Canada. Globally, it is in North America, on the Great Lakes, in the Western Hemisphere, in the Western World, and in the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once a British colony, the Viceroyalty of New France, the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy, and Rupert’s Land.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: The Origins (here, next to this marker); The Decline (here, next to this marker); The Feeder Canal - Junction Lock - 1845 (here, next to this marker); The Raceway (here, next to this marker); Economic Impact (a few steps from this marker); The Eight Bridges (a few steps from this marker); Artist - Catharine Mills "Hockey" (approx. 0.9 kilometers away); Ukrainian Labour Temple 2005 (approx. one kilometer away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Welland.
Credits. This page was last revised on July 23, 2025. It was originally submitted on July 23, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. This page has been viewed 104 times since then and 36 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 23, 2025, by Kevin Westell of St. Catharines, Ontario. • Andrew Ruppenstein was the editor who published this page.
