called Notre Dame Academy; classes started on 14 February 1927 with three teachers and 32 attendees. In addition to classrooms, the property included a residence for students who were boarding there. The school was closed in 1993 but the convent continued to function and was renovated in 1997. Nuns continued to live there as the convent became a retirement home; as recently as summer 2019, 54 elderly nuns were still residing in the convent. The property was then put up for sale and plans were made move 300 bodies and gravestones from the cemetery to a nearby Catholic cemetery. Plans were also being made to relocate the residents of the convent. 2001 amalgamation Ontario's Progressive Conservative government embarked on a province-wide restructuring of municipal governments, amalgamating several municipalities into larger ones. It was proposed that Flamborough be amalgamated with five other municipalities into a new City of Hamilton. Many Waterdown residents disagreed with this proposal. Due to Waterdown's location as a "sandwich town", resting between Burlington and Hamilton, residents argued that Hamilton would not extend city services, such as bus routes, to Waterdown. Instead, they suggested that Flamborough be split into parts, with Waterdown amalgamating with Burlington. Burlington had expressed some interest in amalgamation and there was support for this idea in Waterdown. Burlington is closer geographically and the Aldershot and Kerncliff Park neighbourhoods wrap around the south and east ends of the community. Burlington had also expressed a willingness to expand bus service to Waterdown. However, despite a local campaign to sway the government, Waterdown was amalgamated into Hamilton with the rest of Flamborough. This prompted the elected Member of Provincial Parliament at the time, Conservative Toni Skarica, to resign from his position. Skarica ran (and won) partially due to a platform of keeping Flamborough unamalgamated, and vowed to resign if the government forced an amalgamation with Hamilton. He gained a brief local celebrity status during that time because of his stance. Souharissen Natural Area On August 21, 2014, the Souharissen Natural Area was dedicated in Waterdown by the Honourable David C. Onley, 28th Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, and Chief Bryan Laforme and Council of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation. Over 50 people attended the dedication including David Sweet MP, Councillor Judi Partridge, Carolyn King, United Empire Loyalists, and other members of the Mississaugas of the New Credit. The day began with the lighting of the