Historic Sulphur Springs Fountain Restoration 2025

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EVENTBRITE

The Historic Sulphur Springs fountain in Ancaster has demolished and we are raising funds for it's restoration.

Using this GoFundMe Page is one of many ways of donating to the Sulphur Spring - if you would like to make a private or direct donation, please email us

Project will consist of a new memorial

https://sulphursprings.ca/f/granite-stone-selection-for-monument

Here is a link to current site conditions

https://sulphursprings.ca/f/2024-07-05-sulphur-well-site-conditions

Funds will go to pay for the new memorial , two granite stones, on a granite stone base with custom engraving.

Here is a link to our fundraising goals and history

https://sulphursprings.ca/f/fundraising-goals-25k

This fundraiser will go 100% to the restoration of the well, with any surplus being dedicated to a not for profit that will ensure it's long term care, with regards to landscaping and general upkeep.

The Dundas Valley is the dominant landform on the west side of Hamilton. The south slopes of the valley extend northward into the valley from higher ground in Ancaster, and the north slopes of the valley extend southward into the valley from higher ground in Dundas/Greensville. The upper Dundas Valley is an attractive hilly, forested natural area which features extensive conservation lands as well as numerous private properties that are kept in a natural state by their owners. Wildlife abounds, and many rare or threatened plant and animal species call the Dundas Valley their home.

There are several creeks in the upper Dundas Valley, including Ancaster Creek, Sulphur Creek, and Spring Creek. The headwaters of these creeks and their tributaries are a series of springs. The most important of these springs flow year-round, while others are “intermittent” - flowing through the fall, winter and spring but drying out in the warmer, drier summer months.

Some of these springs may have their source in the bedrock layers deep beneath the valley, while others arise in the thick sand and gravel “overburden” layers above the bedrock. Springs arise when water pressure beneath the ground is high enough to force a flow of groundwater to the earth’s surface. Springs are more commonly found in hilly areas like the Dundas Valley, where differences in ground elevation lead to the hydraulic head differences that favour formation of springs.

Springs are important because of the flow of water that they provide. This water sustains aquatic and terrestrial organisms near the springs themselves, but the water also flows downstream where it can support other organisms many miles away.

Sulphur Creek is the strongest-flowing creek in the upper Dundas Valley. Its headwaters rise in several springs in a low wetland area between Jerseyville Road and Taylor Road in Ancaster. From there the creek flows northwestward toward Martin's Road, northward to Mineral Springs Road, and then eastward toward Dundas. Along its length there are numerous inflowing tributaries, each of which is fed by one or more springs. Sulphur Creek is a spring-fed "coldwater creek” which attests to its spring sources and the dense forests it flows through. In all Sulphur Creek is fed by two dozen or more springs, but only one of these is known to have a mineralized, bedrock source - Ancaster’s Sulphur Spring.

The Sulphur Spring is found just a few meters west of Sulphur Springs Road, in a deep valley approx. 600 meters north of Mineral Springs Road. This historic spring was known and used by indigenous people and local settlers as well as visitors. It is mentioned in historical documents, and is an important feature in the Town of Ancaster’s geography and history. The spring flows years round at a rate of about 1 litre/second.

The Sulphur Spring’s water is highly mineralized, and has a bedrock source deep below the ground surface. Only groundwater sourced from the bedrock could exhibit the degree of mineralization found in the spring’s water. The sulphur in the spring water is most likely coming from gypsum layers which are present at depth in the bedrock.

Around 1880 a nearby house (“Deerspring”) was turned into a hotel and used as a summer spa - the main attraction was the Sulphur Spring’s mineralized water, which was pumped up to the hotel for bathing and drinking. Believed by some to have curative properties, a taste of the spring water is an unforgettable experience.