Encyclopedia
Niagara Falls, Ontario is a
city on the
Niagara River, in the
Golden Horseshoe region. It lies across the river from
Niagara Falls, New York, and was incorporated on June 12, 1903.
The city is dominated by the
Niagara Falls waterfalls on the
Niagara River connecting
Lake Ontario and
Lake Erie. The natural spectacle brings in hundreds of thousands of tourists to the city yearly. The city has built a tourist area surrounding the falls to increase the city's appeal as a vacation destination and prolong stay times. These attractions include viewing and observation based activities like the
Maid of the Mist,
Journey Behind the Falls and the
Skylon Tower observation deck. Other attractions include the Clifton Hill tourist area, casinos
Casino Niagara and the
Fallsview Casino, natural attractions like the
Niagara Gorge, as well as 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.
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.
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. The
casino business has been less successful in attracting American tourists with the currently higher
Canadian dollar.
The recent development has been almost completely centered on the Clifton Hill and Fallsview areas. The Niagara Falls downtown strip continues to suffer considerable decay, with much of the Queen Street retail area now vacant. The downtown area was a major centre for local commerce and night life up until the 1970s, when the development of the Niagara Square shopping 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. The local government is currently seeking part of this funding from higher governmental tiers .
Transportation
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.
The Niagara area is served by several airports, including
Buffalo Niagara International Airport in
Cheektowaga, New York,
Toronto Pearson International Airport in Malton, Ontario and Hamilton/John C. Munroe International Airport in Mount Hope, Ontario.
Shuttle bus services connect the city with both airports.
Niagara Falls station is served by
VIA Rail and
Amtrak trains connecting it to
Toronto and
New York City.
Niagara Transit is the public transit operator in the city.
Niagara Livery Service is a shuttle bus operator for
Casino Niagara.
Taxis are also available. The 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.
Demographics
In between 1996 to 2001, the population of the city grew by 2.5 per cent, lower than the provincial and national average. The population of Niagara Falls is older than Canada by means of age structure, as many retirees move to Niagara Falls. The number of those under 14 years of age is 18.1 per cent while those over 65 constitute 17 per cent. The city has also done a good job of attracting immigrants into the area. Some 5.5% percent of the population declared themselves as visible minorities .
According to the 2001
Statistics Canada Census, 83.97% of Niagara Falls city residents self-identified with Christian denominations. The largest denominations consist of
Roman Catholic , Protestant , and 5.18% other Christian mostly Orthodox, 14.10% stating no religion, and minor religions including Jewish, Buddhist, Hindu, and Muslim. The relatively high Roman Catholic population reflects the large numbers of persons of Italian, Irish, and French origin.
Area Attractions
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.
Falls observation related attractions
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:
Oakes Park
Oakes Park is a multi-use, municipally owned and operated recreational complex in the central area of Niagara Falls at the intersection of Stanley Avenue and Morrison Street.
Mining magnate Sir Harry Oakes donated the 16-acre parcel of land, formerly a farmer's field, as a work project during the dark days of the
Great Depression. Oakes also supplied money and tools for the construction project. Crews worked for $1 per day, switching every few days to permit as much employment as possible. The park officially opened on August 31, 1931.
The main facilities are a baseball stadium used by the Greater Niagara Baseball Association and other elite youth and senior
baseball clubs, two smaller baseball fields for younger divisions, a soccer pitch, and athletics facilities including a 400-metre track.
The main baseball diamond has outfield dimensions of 318-402-322 and is equipped with a press box, electronic scoreboard, and clubhouses.
Communities
- Chippawa
- Clifton Hill District
- Crowland
- Fallsview
- Lundy's Lane
- Niagara Falls'"
- Stamford
- Willoughby
Local media
Due to its proximity to Toronto, the local media is dominated by Toronto based organizations. Local residents have easy access to the papers like the
Toronto Star and the
Toronto Sun, as well as the television and radio stations from the Greater Toronto Area.
Newspapers
Radio
In addition, numerous tourist and travel advisory stations are available off-air in the Niagara area.
References
External links
