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Niagara Falls, Ontario

Niagara Falls is a Canadian city of 82,184 residents on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of south-central Ontario. It lies across the river from Niagara Falls, New York, and was incorporated on June 12, 1903.

The city is dominated by Niagara Falls, a world famous set of two large waterfalls on the Niagara River and benefits from the fact, that both falls, the American and Horseshoe, can be best seen from the Canadian side of the river, thus presenting the city one of the major tourist attractions of the world. The natural spectacle brings in millions of tourists yearly. The city permitted the development of a tourist area along the falls and the gorge. This area which stretches along the Niagara River parkway and tourist promenade is particularly concentrated at the brink of the falls and, apart from the natural attractions along the river, includes huge parking lots, souvenir shops, observation towers, high-rise-hotels, casinos and theatres, mostly with colourful neon billboards and advertisements. Further to the north or south there are golf courses alongside historic sites from the War of 1812.

History

The Niagara Falls area has seen continuous settlement since the 17th century, first by the Iroquois and then by Europeans who were drawn to the immense falls. Louis Hennepin, a French priest, is regarded as the first European to visit the area in the 1670s.

Tourism started in the early 19th century and has been a vital part of the local economy since that time. As well as the obvious attractions of the falls, Niagara Falls markets itself as a honeymoon destination and is self-proclaimed as the honeymoon capital of the world.

With the creation of a Niagara regional government in 1970, the city amalgamated with the village of Chippawa and surrounding Willoughby, Crowland, and Stamford Townships, creating the present-day municipal boundaries.

The City's Official Historian is Sherman Zavitz, who gives regular radio broadcasts on many aspects of Niagara's history .

Geography and Climate

Niagara Falls, Ontario is 130 kilometres (81 mi) from Toronto by road. The area of the Niagara Region is 1800 square kilometres (718 sq mi). The city sits at .

Topography

The city is built along the Niagara Falls waterfalls and the Niagara Gorge on the Niagara River which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.

Climate

The weather and climate for the Niagara Region of Ontario is moderate to extreme in both summer and winter. There are considerable extremes in either temperature or the type of weather that might be associated with locations that are in close proximity to a landmass such as the bodies of water surrounding the region.

Niagara Falls climate normals from Environment Canada	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec
Avg. temp. (°C)	-4.5	-4.1	1	7.3	14	19.1	22.3	21.4	16.9	10.6	4.7	-1.4
Avg high temp. (°C)	-1	-0.5	5.1	12.2	19.3	24.2	27.2	26	21.3	14.7	8	1.9
Avg low temp. (°C)	-7.9	-7.7	-3.2	2.4	8.6	13.9	17.2	16.7	12.5	6.4	1.3	-4.7
Precipitation (millimeters)	69.5	67.4	75.5	75.5	76.5	87.5	75.4	81.6	95.2	84.3	91	90.7

Demographics

Ethnic Origin	Population	Percent
English	22,880	29.32%
Italian	15,425	19.77%
Scottish	13,910	17.82%
Irish	11,200	14.35%
French	8,710	11.16%
Source: 2001 Census of Canada

In 2006, the population of Niagara Falls was 82,184 persons

, an increase of 4.3 percent from the previous 2001 census, slightly below national growth, while the metropolitan area enumerated 427,421 people. The population of Niagara Falls is older than Canada in general in terms of age structure. Youths under 14 years of age number 18.09%, while those of retirement age number 17.03% showing a continuous ageing trend. Some 5,130 (6.57%) inhabitants described themselves visible minorities (non-white/non-European)

83.97% of Niagara Falls city residents self-identified with Christian denominations. The largest denominations consist of Catholic (41.99%), Protestant (36.80%), and 5.18% other Christian mostly Orthodox, 14.10% claimed no religious affiliation, while minor religions (1.93%) including Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim accounted for the rest.

Communities

Chippawa
Crowland
Niagara Falls
Silvertown
Stamford
Willoughby

Niagara Falls Neighbourhoods

Business and Tourist Centers

Economy

With a plentiful and inexpensive source of hydroelectric power via the waterfalls, many electro-chemical and electro-metallurgical industries located here in the early to mid-20th century.

Industry began moving out of the city in the 1970s and 80s because of recession and increasing global competition in the manufacturing sector. Tourism tightened its grip as the city's most important economic engine. It is a more popular destination than Niagara Falls, New York, in part due to the better view of the falls from the Canadian side. Also, Ontario's drinking age of 19 (compared to the 21 drinking age in the United States) attracts many 19 and 20-year-olds from the United States to the bars on the Canadian side.

In the mid-1990s the Ontario government introduced legal wagering to the local economy with Casino Niagara. The late-1990s witnessed an economic boom as numerous luxury hotels and tourist attractions were built. The first casino was followed in 2004 by the larger Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. Upon launching, the casino business was successful in attracting American tourists due to the then lower Canadian dollar. However, with the United States Dollar now lower than parity, the Seneca Niagara Casino open on the American side, and a casino facility coming to Buffalo, New York, as well as impending passport requirements on the American side, the local tourist economy is not without potential problems.

The recent development has been almost completely centred on the Clifton Hill and Fallsview areas. The Niagara Falls downtown is undergoing a major revitalization process, this area is being developed into a arts and culture district. The downtown was a major centre for local commerce and night life up until the 1970s, when the development of the Niagara Square (mall) began to draw away crowds and retailers. In 2006, New York City based developer Aaron Lichtman proposed a major investment in the area to encourage new retail development; the proposal, titled Historic Niagara, remains dependent on government funding of complementary services. Since then Historic Niagara has brought art galleries, boutiques, cafes and bistros to the street and includes the renovation of the Seneca Theatre.

Government

Niagara Falls City Council consists of 8 councilors and 1 Mayor. City elections take place every 4 years with the next election in November 2010. Council is responsible for policy and decision making, monitoring the operation and performance of the city, analyzing and approving budgets and determining spending priorities.

Education

Niagara Falls has two post-secondary institutions as well is served by the District School Board of Niagara and the Niagara Catholic District School Board which operate elementary and secondary schools in the region. There are also numerous private institutions offer alternatives to the traditional education systems.

Post Secondary

Brock University in St. Catharines
Niagara College in Welland, with campuses in Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

High Schools

Saint Michael Catholic High School
Westlane Secondary School
Stamford Collegiate
A N Myer Secondary School
Saint Paul Catholic High School

Library

Niagara Falls is also served by a growing library system composed of four branches, with the main branch located in the downtown area. It is visited by over 10,000 people weekly. The Niagara Falls Public Library system's goals include preserving and indexing public materials relating to the history of Niagara Falls. An extensive online database exists with over 20,000 photographs and art works at Historic Niagara Digital Collections

Culture and Events

Winter Festival of Lights

The Winter Festival of Lights (WFOL) is Canada's foremost illumination festival. The 26th annual event runs from November 8, 2008 to January 5, 2009. It includes over 3 million sparkling tree and ground lights and more than 100 animated light displays, including the world-famous Enchantment of Disney displays depicting long loved Disney classics like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, modern classics like Beauty and the Beast and The Lion King, and the most recent additions, Pirates of the Caribbean and Cars. It also includes a brilliant, two-storey high Zimmerman Fountain display created using LED technology; the world's largest, illuminated Canadian-American Flag display; an angelic Nativity Scene display; North America's largest, illuminated Menorah display, and many other wondrous displays. The majority of the illuminations can be found within the Niagara Parks' Winter Wonderland, a 5 km route along the Niagara Parkway, while others can be found along Lundy's Lane (Candy Cane Lane) and new for 2008 within the Fallsview tourist area.

From humble beginnings in 1983, the Winter Festival of Lights continues to enchant and delight the many wintertime visitors to Niagara Falls, Ontario. In its first year of operation, approximately 250,000 people and 35 motorcoaches visited the Winter Festival of Lights. Since then, the celebration has grown tremendously with attendance reaching 1.3 million visitors and over 1,000 motor coaches.

The success of the Niagara Falls, NY Festival of Lights, which began in 1981 inspired the Niagara Falls Canada Visitor and Convention Bureau (now Niagara Falls Tourism), the City of Niagara Falls, The Niagara Parks Commission and numerous local businesses to band together to create a parallel event. Unfortunately, the Niagara Falls, NY event was discontinued in the 1990s.

The tremendous growth of the WFOL has had a positive impact on the local economy. In fact, it was recognized in the 2003 Festivals and Events Ontario Economic Impact Survey as having the largest economic impact ($60+ million) of all festivals in Ontario.

Over the past several years, the Winter Festival of Lights has been recognized for its achievements by many organizations. Awards and recognitions in that time include: • Attractions Canada - Award for Best Cultural Event (2002)
• WinterLights Celebrations Competition (winter version of Communities in Bloom) – Best Overall Tourism/Promotion Award (2005)
• WinterLights Celebrations Competition (winter version of Communities in Bloom) – Winner in the 50,000+population category - Niagara Falls (2006)
• Festivals & Events Ontario – Best Website and Official Printed Programme (2005); Best Merchandise/Souvenir Idea (2006); Best Newspaper Insert (2007); Best Overall Marketing Campaign (2006 & 2007) all in the $500,000+ budget category
• Festivals & Events Ontario – Top 50 Event (2005, 2006 & 2007) & Top 100 (2008)
• American Bus Association – Top 100 International Known Event (2007 & 2008)
• Niagara Falls Tourism Misty Award for Progressive Development (2007)

The Festival includes a calendar full of festive events, such as:

Disney’s® Beauty and the Beast December 1, 2008 – January 3, 2009 It’s the classic love story of Belle, a young woman in a small town, and the Beast, who is really a prince trapped in a spell placed on him by an enchantress. This world-class performance rivals any Broadway production you may have seen and is sure to enthrall!

Concerts at the Arena: Randy Travis, Debbie Reynolds, the Stars of Hee Haw November 30 - December 3, 2008

Niagara Falls Comedy Fest November 21 & 22, 2008 It features some of the best comedic talent around. Last year featured John Pinette, Brent Butt, Terry McGurrin, Winston Spear, Rodney Pentland and Mark Matthews.

Candy Cane Lane 5k Race & Fun Run November 23, 2008 The competitive 5k Race includes cash prizes for the top overall male and female runners and medals are awarded to the top male and female finishers in various age categories. Fun Runners may walk, run, use sleighs or skis – the goal is to have fun while enjoying the outdoors.

Fireworks over the Falls During the Winter Festival of Lights enjoy spectacular fireworks as they explode high over the mighty falls. Enjoy them from the comfort of your hotel's dining room, stay in for a romantic, room service dinner or visit one of the many restaurants found nearby.

Schedule: Saturday, November 8, 2008 * 6:15 & 8 PM (approx.) Friday, November 14, 2008 * 9 PM Friday, November 21, 2008 * 9 PM Friday, November 28, 2008 * 9 PM Friday, December 5, 2008 * 9 PM Friday, December 12, 2008 * 9 PM Friday, December 19, 2008 * 9 PM Friday, December 26, 2008 * 9 PM Wednesday, December 31, 2008 * 9 PM & MIDNIGHT (as part of the NYE Party) Friday, January 2, 2009 * 9 PM

Winter Festival Candle Light Stroll December 13, 2008 Enjoy the romance and magic of a candle light stroll along Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls. Then join Victorian carolers and listen to the sounds of choirs, barbershop quartets, vocal ensembles, bell ringing choirs, and more. The event also includes a re-enactment of the Live Nativity Scene and a Christmas Storyteller. Bring the children for a visit on Santa’s knee, enjoy hot chocolate, roasted chestnuts, and romantic horse & carriage rides.

25th Annual Festival of Lights Cheerleading Championships December 6 & 7, 2008 It is the longest-running Festival event and attracts teams from Michigan, New York State, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Ontario. The competition is judged by the Universal Cheerleaders Association with the top teams from the USA Divisions automatically qualifying for the US National Championship held at Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

Full event details can be found at www.wfol.com

Sites of Interest

The Niagara Falls tourist sector is centred around the waterfalls and follows the from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. As much of the land adjoined to the river is parkland under the watch of the Niagara Parks Commission many attractions based on the local natural environment have been created. To prolong visitor stays the city of Niagara Falls has a number of additional attractions in close proximity but not related to the natural features, including casinos and entertainment complexes. The Niagara Peninsula is also a significant wine-growing area, with winery tours and festivals becoming a significant area of growth in the local economy.The Canadian side of Niagara Falls has more attractions.

Falls observation related attractions

Maid of the Mist
Journey Behind the Falls
Skylon Tower observation deck
Weekly fireworks over Niagara Falls
Nightly illumination of Niagara Falls
National Helicopters
Niagara Helicopters
Niagara Skywheel
Queen Street Arts & Culture District

Niagara River and parkway attractions

Niagara Botanical Gardens
Floral Clock
Spanish Aerocar over the Niagara River whirlpool
White Water Walk at the Niagara River rapids
Winter Festival of Lights
Butterfly conservatory
Niagara Heritage Trail
Dufferin Islands
Niagara Parks School of Horticulture

Niagara River Recreation Trail
Whirlpool Jetboat tours of the Niagara Gorge
Numerous parkway golf courses
The Rainbow Carillon, which sounds from the Rainbow Tower

Tourist sector entertainment

Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls — Tourist promenade featuring many arcades, haunted houses, wax museums, and themed restaurants.
Falls Avenue Entertainment Complex — 20 acre property featuring attractions, themed restaurants and hotels.
Marineland — Aquatic theme park
Casinos-- Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
Major theme restaurants including Planet Hollywood , Rainforest Cafe and the Hard Rock Café
IMAX[www.imaxniagara.com] Theatre and daredevil museum
Greg Frewin Theatre / Las Vegas style magic show.
Skylon Tower - Revolving dining towering 774 feet above Niagara gorge.
Fallsview Tourist Area
WWE Niagara Falls - World Wrestling Entertainment Store and Ride
Fallsview Indoor Waterpark
MGM Studios Plaza
Queen Street Arts & Culture District

Transportation

Highways

Niagara Falls and Niagara Falls, New York are linked to major highways in Canada and the United States respectively, with the 400-Series highway the Queen Elizabeth Way acting as a major artery between Toronto, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. Highway 420 is also another highway in the city. Niagara Parkway is a road operated under the Niagara Parks Commission.

Regional airports

Buffalo Niagara International Airport in Cheektowaga, New York.
Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario.
Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport in Mount Hope, Ontario.
Niagara Falls International Airport in Niagara Falls, New York
Niagara District Airport in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario.

Shuttle bus services connect the city with all three airports.

Rail

VIA Rail runs out of the Niagara Falls station, and in the summers offers a bike train service on a limited schedule.
Amtrak also has trains connecting it to Toronto and New York City

Bus

Niagara Transit is the public transit operator in the city.
Greyhound Canada has daily runs to and from Toronto and Buffalo, New York.
Coach Canada has daily runs to and from Toronto and Buffalo, New York.

Cabs and shuttlebuses

Niagara Livery Service is a shuttle bus operator for Casino Niagara.
5-0 is a local cab service. A taxi shuttle provides transfers to airports from Buffalo, New York to Niagara Falls, Ontario and Toronto, Ontario.
Niagara Falls Taxi is another local taxi cab service that has a niche in mass taxing from the Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Ontario airports back to Niagara.

Media

Niagara Falls is served by two main local newspapers, three radio stations and a community television channel. All other media is regional based, as well from Hamilton, Toronto and nearby Buffalo, New York.

Niagara Falls is considered part of the Toronto television market rather than the Buffalo television market. While Niagara Falls is directly across the Niagara River from the American side of the Buffalo area, Toronto is an hour and a half northwest. However, it is considered part of the Buffalo radio market.

Newspapers

Due to its proximity to Toronto and Buffalo, the local media is dominated by Toronto and Buffalo outlets. Local residents have easy access to the papers like the Toronto Star and the Toronto Sun. The Buffalo News is also widely available.

Local newspapers are:

Niagara this Week Canada's Largest community newspaper
Niagara Falls Review

Radio

710 AM - CJRN, "710 CJRN" Tourist information
101.1 FM - CKEY, "Z101" urban CHR
105.1 FM - CFLZ, "105.1 The River" hot adult contemporary

Television

TV Cogeco is a community channel serving Niagara Falls.
CIII-TV55, a Global transmitter from nearby Fort Erie
CHCH from Hamilton, Ontario and serves the Niagara Region.

Sports

Sports teams of Niagara Falls
Club	League	Sport	Venue	Established	Championships
Niagara Falls Canucks	Golden Horseshoe Junior B Hockey League	Hockey	Niagara Falls Memorial Arena	1979	2
Niagara IceDogs	Ontario Hockey League	Hockey	Gatorade Civic Center	2007	2

Notable People From Niagara Falls

Jay Triano - Toronto Raptors Assistant Coach & former Captain and later Head Coach of the Canadian National Men's Basketball team
Daneen Boone - actress
Billy Cupolo - former NHLer
Stephan Moccio - Musician, Arranger, Composer
James Cameron - Director
Eddie Greenspan - Lawyer
Brian Greenspan - Lawyer
Gord Singleton - Olympic cyclist
Barbara Frum - television journalist
Derek Sanderson - NHL player
Rob Nicholson - Minister of Justice and Attorney General for Canada
Sherman Zavitz - Historian