Lazy niece qualifies as home intruder

Surely the greatest infrastructure project of 1930s Ontario was construction of “The Middle Road” — a four-lane divided highway intended to run from Toronto to Fort Erie. Midway through its construction this infrastructure colossus was given a more distinguished name — the Queen Elizabeth Way.

In many respects it was a very prosaic undertaking — laying ribbons of concrete from Toronto to Fort Erie — but along the way there were stylish highlights. One was right here in St. Catharines, where the highway crossed Twelve Mile Creek.

The design of the Henley bridge (built 1938-39) was the work of Toronto architect William Lyon Somerville. His other contributions to Niagara include the plaza, carillon tower, and bus terminal at the Rainbow Bridge, and the nearby Oakes Garden Theatre.

Each entrance to the Henley Bridge incorporated the prow of a Viking ship, carved in Queenston limestone, complete with oars and warrior shields, and bearing the crest of the Royal family. Above the prow of the ship there were four lions holding the crests of the provinces. (Those lions were originally part of pedestals for flag poles, but the flag poles were removed decades ago.)

Less often noticed are the two stone piers that stand at both ends of the bridge, on the opposite sides of the highway from the ships’ prows in the centre. The piers at the west end of the bridge feature bas reliefs of sailing ships, a nod to the history of the channel below when it was part of the First and Second Welland Canals. The piers at the east end of the bridge depict, on the south side, a native paddling a canoe, while on the opposite side, nearer to Martindale Pond, we see a Henley rower.

Our old photo this week shows the bridge under construction sometime during the winter of 1938. It was not yet finished at the time of the Royal Visit to St. Catharine on June 7, 1939, but nonetheless inscriptions below the bridge’s Viking ships inaccurately state that the “Henley Bridge was opened by Their Majesties King George Vi and Queen Elizabeth on the Seventh Day of June 1939.”

Actually, the Henley Bridge was not completed until several months after that Royal Visit. In any case the King and Queen didn’t visit the bridge — the closest they got was the place where Niagara Street crossed the Middle Road construction site, where their car broke a beam of light, unveiling signs saying “Queen Elizabeth Way,” thus officially dedicating the highway.

Construction on the highway continued through much of 1940. It was formally opened — Toronto to Niagara Falls — in a ceremony at the Henley Bridge on August 23, 1940.

Since then the Henley Bridge has at least twice been seriously modified — widened to six lanes in the 1990s, and to eight lanes in 2004-2007. But it remains a notable highlight of a thoroughfare that now extends all the way from Toronto to Fort Erie. Dennis Gannon is a member of the Historical Society of St. Catharines. He may be reached at gannond2002@yahoo.com ASK AMY

I have a niece who lives with me. She is 22 years old, and she is the laziest person ever.

She is manipulative, jealous, self-centered, dirty, lazy, a liar, a user, and she basically thinks the world revolves around her. Her mom has convinced her that she is a princess.

I don’t know what to say or do about it, but her living with me is a pain in the neck. I have my own three kids to pick up after, a house to clean, a husband to care for, and this young woman is living here for free. She won’t even clean a dish! What can I do? — HAD IT AUNT

You don’t provide any backstory, or say how or why this niece landed in your home, and so my answer is very straightforward.

Given your obvious and extreme dislike for your niece, and the fact that this is your home, it is not good for either of you to cohabit.

I don’t know if your husband has imposed this presence on you, or why you seem to lack the power to control who lives with you, but the obvious answer is to give your niece a move-out date with a little boot behind it.

The fact that you don’t know what to say or do about this makes you seem powerless in your own household, but if you are the adult who cooks, cleans, and manages the household, then you may have more power than you think.

You seem quite passive in terms of your expectations for your various family members. You are not a maid. You are a mom. There is a difference. You just need to realize it and be brave enough to say, calmly, “This isn’t working. It’s time for you to find another place to live.”

If your niece really is a manipulative mastermind, she will find somewhere else to light. This should not be your problem, but her mother might get involved.

I wanted to weigh in with an idea for “Want to be my Own Magic Wand,” concerning how to battle inertia at home.

The way I do it is to promise myself small rewards, once I’ve completed a chore. For instance, I’ll watch a favourite movie after I’ve cleaned the kitchen. — ALSO INERT

I sometimes play a favourite movie while I’m cleaning.