'Niagara Falls' is a Canadian
city of 82,184 residents
1 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 the
Niagara Falls waterfalls on the
Niagara River and benefits from the fact, that both falls, American Falls and Horseshoe Falls, can be best seen from the Canadian side 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.
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.
[3]
| Niagara Falls climate normals from Environment Canada3 | 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
In 2006, the population of Niagara Falls was 82,184 persons
[1], 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)
[2].
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.
[5]
Communities
★
Chippawa
★
Crowland
★ '''Niagara Falls'''
★ Silvertown
★
Stamford
★
Willoughby
Business and Tourist Centers
★
Clifton Hill District
★
Fallsview
★
Lundy's Lane
Economy
Niagara Falls, Ontario. The hub of tourism, including the casinos, are now in the Fallsview area shown in the background
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 many bars on Clifton Hill.
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 successful in attracting American tourists with the
Canadian dollar lower than parity. However, with 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.
Some of the many vacant buildings in the Queen Street downtown area
The recent development has been almost completely centred 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. As of February 2007, the project appeared stalled
[3].
Government
Niagara Falls City Council is comprised 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
Niagara District School Board 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
★ Stamford Collegiate Secondary School
★ Westlane Secondary School
★ A N Myer Secondary School
★ Saint Paul Catholic High School
★ Saint Michael 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
Sites of Interest
Horseshoe Falls
]]
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
★ Niagara Helicopters
★ Niagara Skywheel
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
The Niagara Falls Hard Rock Cafe
★ 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
★ See-Sight Tours
[4]- Providing fully guided tours of Niagara falls, Ontario.
★
Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls — Tourist promenade featuring many arcades,
haunted houses,
wax museums, and themed restaurants.
★
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 Theatre and daredevil museum
★ Cirque Niagara — an
equestrian /
Cirque Nouveau style
circus
★
Greg Frewin Theatre /
Las Vegas style
magic show.
★
Skylon Tower
★
Fallsview Tourist Area
★
WWE Niagara Falls
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.
Shuttle bus services connect the city with all three airports.
Rail
★
VIA Rail runs out of the
Niagara Falls station
★
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.
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[5]Canada's Largest community newspaper
★
Niagara Falls Review[6]
Radio
★ 710 AM -
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
Notable People From Niagara Falls
★
Daneen Boone - actress
★
Billy Cupolo - former NHLer
References
1. Community Highlights, City of Niagara Falls
2. St. Catharines-Niagara Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) with census subdivision (municipal) population breakdowns, land areas and other data
3. Canadian Climate Normals 1971-2000, Niagara Falls, Ontario
4. Selected Ethnic Origins, for Census Subdivisions (Municipalities) With 5,000-plus Population - 20% Sample Data
5.
External links
★
Official website of the City of Niagara Falls
★
Official map site of the City of Niagara Falls
★ [http://www.niagarathisweek.com /Niagara Falls Community Newspaper
★
Niagara Falls Bridge Commission
★
Niagara Peninsula Communities
★
Greater Niagara Baseball Association
★
Historic Niagara Digital Collections
★
Niagara Falls Poetry Project
★
Niagara Falls Discussion Forum
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