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Niagara Falls, Ontario

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City of Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara Falls skyline at night
Niagara Falls skyline at night
Nickname: 
The Honeymoon Capital of the World
Location of Niagara Falls in the Niagara Region
Location of Niagara Falls in the Niagara Region
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
RegionNiagara File:RMNiagaraFlag.jpg
IncorporatedJune 12, 1903
Government
 • MayorTed Salci
 • Governing bodyNiagara Falls City Council
 • MPRob Nicholson
 • MPPKim Craitor
Area
[1][2]
 • City209.58 km2 (80.92 sq mi)
 • Urban
382.68 km2 (147.75 sq mi)
 • Metro
1,397.50 km2 (539.58 sq mi)
Population
 (2006)[1][2]
 • City82,181 (Ranked 60th)
 • Density392.14/km2 (1,015.6/sq mi)
 • Urban
308,596 (Ranked 12th)
 • Urban density545.02/km2 (1,411.6/sq mi)
 • Metro
390,317 (Ranked 12th)
 • Metro density279.3/km2 (723/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-5 (EST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC-4 (EDT)
Postal Code
L2E-L2J, L0S
Area code(s)905/289
Skyline of Niagara Falls, Canada, as seen from Niagara Falls State Park across the river.

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 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 [3].

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 43°7′N 79°4′W / 43.117°N 79.067°W / 43.117; -79.067.

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.[4]

Niagara Falls climate normals from Environment Canada[4] 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[5]

In 2006, the population of Niagara Falls was 82,184 persons[2], 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)[3].

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.[6]

Communities

Niagara Falls Neighbourhoods

Business and Tourist Centers

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 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 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 (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 [4].

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

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.

There is no admission fee to enjoy the illuminations but donations are gratefully accepted, with all proceeds used to enhance the lights and displays.

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

Horseshoe Falls
File:Skylon Tower at night.JPG
The Skylon Tower as seen through a light display.

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

Niagara River and parkway attractions

The Niagara Falls Hard Rock Cafe
Clifton Hill
  • 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

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

Shuttle bus services connect the city with all three airports.

Rail

Bus

Cabs and shuttlebuses

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:

Radio

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

References

  1. ^ a b c "Community Highlights, City of Niagara Falls". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  2. ^ a b "St. Catharines-Niagara Census Metropolitan Area (CMA) with census subdivision (municipal) population breakdowns, land areas and other data". Statistics Canada, 2006 Census of Population. 2007-03-13. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  3. ^ Sherman Zavitz, 'Niagara Falls History',[1]
  4. ^ a b "Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000, Niagara Falls, Ontario". Environment Canada. 2004-02-25. Retrieved 2007-03-23. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)
  5. ^ "Selected Ethnic Origins, for Census Subdivisions (Municipalities) With 5,000-plus Population - 20% Sample Data". Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Population. Retrieved 2007-03-17.
  6. ^ "Community Highlights, City of Niagara Falls". Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Population. 2007-01-02. Retrieved 2007-03-17. {{cite web}}: Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links

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