Surprisingly this article from the Sudbury Star talks about Harry Oakes but doesn’t mention at all his time in Niagara Falls or his contributions to the city, and the many locations that are named after him. For those who don’t know, Harry Oakes is connected to Oakes Garden Theatre (at the foot of Clifton Hill), Oak Hall (the…
If you’ve been to Niagara Falls more than once, you’ve probably noticed the name Oakes on a lot of things. There is Oakes Garden Theatre, Oakes Park, and more. These are all named after Sir Harry Oakes. He was a prospector who discovered gold in Kirkland Lake, Ontario, and then bought some property in Niagara…
This isn’t exactly about Niagara Falls, but it does relate to Harry Oakes, one of the key historical figures in Niagara Falls. From RepublicOfMining.com: In the early 1900s, young Ernie Martin immigrated from Staffordshire, England, to Canada to seek his fortune. He finally ended up in Kirkland Lake, where gold was to be found if…