Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada

🇨🇦 Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is on the western bank of the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. It is part of the St. Catharines-Niagara Census Metropolitan Area, the city is across the river from Niagara Falls, New York. The Niagara River flows over Niagara Falls at this location, creating a natural spectacle which attracts millions of tourists each year.

The tourist area near the falls includes observation towers, high-rise hotels, souvenir shops, museums, indoor water parks, casinos and theatres, mostly with colourful neon billboards and advertisements. Other parts of the city include golf courses, parks, historic sites from the War of 1812, and residential neighbourhoods.

History Prior to European arrival, present day Niagara Falls was populated by Iroquoian-speaking Neutral people but, after attacks from the Haudenosaunee and Seneca, the Neutral people population was severely reduced. The Haudenosaunee people remained in the area until Europeans made first contact in the late 17th century. The Niagara Falls area had some European settlement in the 17th century. Louis Hennepin, a French priest and missionary, is considered to be the first European to visit the area in the 1670s. French colonists settled mostly in Lower Canada, beginning near the Atlantic, and in Quebec and Montreal.

After surveys were completed in 1782 the area was referred to as Township Number 2 as well as Mount Dorchester after Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester (and today is only honoured by Dorchester Road and the community of Dorchester Village). The earliest settlers of Township Number 2 were Philip George Bender (namesake of Bender Street and Bender Hill near Casino Niagara originally from Germany and later New Jersey and Philadelphia) and Thomas McMicken (a Scottish-born British Army veteran). Increased settlement in this area took place during and after the American Revolutionary War, when the British Crown made land grants to Loyalists to help them resettle in Upper Canada and provide some compensation for their losses after the United States became independent. Loyalist Robert Land received 200 acres (81 ha) and was one of the first people of European descent to settle in the Niagara Region. He moved to nearby Hamilton three years later due to the relentless noise of the falls.

In 1791, John Graves Simcoe renamed the town was Stamford after Stamford, Lincolnshire in England but today Stamford is only used for an area north-west of downtown Niagara Falls as well as Stamford Street. During the war of 1812, the battle of Lundy's Lane took place in July 1814. In 1856, the Town of Clifton was incorporated by Ogden Creighton after Clifton, Bristol. The name of the town was changed to Niagara Falls in 1881. In 1882, the community of Drummondville (near the present-day corner of Lundy's Lane and Main Street) was incorporated as the village of Niagara Falls (South). The village was referred to as Niagara Falls South to differentiate it from the town. In 1904, the town and village amalgamated to form the City of Niagara Falls. In 1963, the city amalgamated with the surrounding Stamford Township. In 1970, the Niagara regional government was formed. This resulted in the village of Chippawa, Willoughby Township, and part of Crowland Township being annexed into Niagara Falls.

An internment camp for Germans was set up at The Armoury (now Niagara Military Museum) in Niagara Falls from December 1914 to August 1918.

The city's official historian is Sherman Zavitz, who gives regular radio broadcasts on many aspects of Niagara's history.

Black history Niagara Falls has had a Black population since at least 1783. Up to 12 African-Americans were a part of the Butler's Rangers, including Richard Pierpoint. When they were disbanded in 1783, they tried to establish themselves through farming nearby, making them among the first Black settlers in the region. It is estimated that nearly 10 percent of the Loyalists to settle in the area were Black Loyalists.

Niagara Falls' Black population increased in the following decades, as a destination on the Underground Railroad. In 1856, a British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church was established for African-Canadian worshipers. The BME Church, Nathaniel Dett Memorial Chapel is now a National Historic Site, remaining in operation into the 21st century. Composer, organist, pianist and music professor Nathaniel Dett was born in Niagara Falls in 1882.

In 1886, Burr Plato became one of the first African Canadians to be elected to political office, holding the position of City Councillor of Niagara Falls until 1901.

Geography Niagara Falls is approximately 130 km (81 mi) by road from Ontario's capital of Toronto, which is across Lake Ontario to the north. The area of the Niagara Region is approximately 1,800 km² (690 sq mi).

Geography: 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.

Communities and neighbourhoods Although more historical and cultural diversity exists, Niagara Falls has 11 communities and 67 neighbourhoods defined by Planning Neighbourhoods and Communities for the City of Niagara Falls. • Beaverdams ◦ Hyott ◦ N.E.C. West ◦ Nichols ◦ Shriners ◦ Warner • Chippawa ◦ Bridgewater ◦ Cummings ◦ Hunter ◦ Kingsbridge ◦ Ussher ◦ Weinbrenner • Crowland ◦ Crowland • Drummond ◦ Brookfield ◦ Caledonia ◦ Coronation ◦ Corwin ◦ Drummond Industrial Basin ◦ Hennepin ◦ Leeming ◦ Merrit ◦ Miller ◦ Orchard ◦ Trillium • Elgin ◦ Balmoral ◦ Central Business District ◦ Glenview ◦ Hamilton ◦ Maple ◦ Oakes ◦ Ryerson ◦ Valleyway • Grassybrook ◦ Grassybrook Industrial Basin ◦ Oakland ◦ Rexinger • Northwest ◦ Carmel ◦ Kent ◦ Mulhearn • Queen Victoria ◦ Clifton Hill ◦ Fallsview North ◦ Fallsview South ◦ Marineland ◦ Queen Victoria • Stamford ◦ Burdette ◦ Calaguiro ◦ Church ◦ Cullimore ◦ Gauld ◦ Ker ◦ Mitchellson ◦ Mountain ◦ N.E.C. East ◦ Olden ◦ Pettit ◦ Portage ◦ Queensway Gardens ◦ Rolling Acres ◦ Thompson ◦ Wallice • Westlane ◦ Garner ◦ Hodgson ◦ Lundy ◦ Munro ◦ Oakwood ◦ Royal Manor ◦ Westlane Industrial Basin • Willoughby ◦ Niagara River Parkway ◦ Willoughby.

Economy Tourism started in the early 19th century and has been a vital part of the local economy since that time. The falls became known as a natural wonder, in part to their being featured in paintings by prominent American artists of the 19th century such as Albert Bierstadt. Such works were reproduced as lithographs, becoming widely distributed. Niagara Falls marketed itself as a honeymoon destination, describing itself as the "honeymoon capital of the world". Its counterpart in New York also used the moniker. The phrase was most commonly used in brochures in the early twentieth century and declined in usage around the 1960s.

With a plentiful and inexpensive source of hydroelectric power from the waterfalls, many electro-chemical and electro-metallurgical industries located there in the early to mid-20th century. Tourism increasingly became the city's most important revenue source.

Casino Niagara and numerous luxury hotels and tourist attractions were built, and a second casino, Niagara Fallsview.

Recent development has been mostly centred on the Clifton Hill and Fallsview areas. The Niagara Falls downtown (Queen Street) is undergoing a major revitalisation; the city is encouraging redevelopment of this area as an arts and culture district. Historic Niagara has brought art galleries, boutiques, cafés and bistros to the street. Attractions include renovation of the Seneca Theatre.

The Queen Street Downtown Park features a children's playground complete with soft artificial turf, benches, seating, landscaping named Rosberg Family Park / Olympic Torch Trail. The "Water Molecule" sculpture is also featured at this park, created by artist Derek Costello.

The city encourages location filming of movies and TV series and many have taken advantage of locations. Recent titles include several currently filming as well as Reliving Marilyn, Fight!, Odd Squad: The Movie and Blanket Fort: Vada Gets Toxic.

Culture

Some cultural areas of Niagara Falls include Queen Street, Main and Ferry Streets, Stamford Centre and Chippawa Square. Community centres that are host to cultural activities include the City of Niagara Falls Museums, Niagara Falls Public Libraries, Coronation 50 Plus Recreation Centre, Club Italia and Scotia Bank Convention Centre.

Visual arts • Niagara Falls Art Gallery • Peterson's Community Gallery

Performing arts • Niagara Falls Centre for the Arts • Seneca Queen Theatre

Culture: History • Niagara Falls History Museum • Battle Ground Hotel Museum • Willoughby Historical Museum • Niagara Military Museum • Niagara Falls Wedding and Fashion Museum • Lundy's Lane Historical Society • Battle of Lundy's Lane Walking Tour • Historic Drummondville • Stamford Historic Area.

Nature, parks and gardens • Queen Victoria Park • Rosberg Family Park / Olympic Torch Trail.

Festivals and events • Winter Festival of Lights • Niagara Integrated Film Festival • Springlicious • Mount Carmel Fine Art and Music Festival • Niagara Icewine Festival • Niagara Woodworking Show • Greater Niagara Home and Garden Show • Niagara Night of Art • Niagara Region Jazz Festival.

Conventions and conferences • Niagara Falls Convention Centre • Sheraton on the Falls Hotel and Conference Centre.

Attractions Notable attractions in Niagara Falls include: • Table Rock Welcome Centre • Journey Behind the Falls • Skylon Tower • Niagara SkyWheel • Winter Festival of Lights • Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory • Niagara Heritage Trail • Dufferin Islands • Niagara Parks School of Horticulture • The Rainbow Carillon, which sounds from the Rainbow Tower • Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls — Tourist promenade featuring a Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum, arcades, five haunted houses, four wax museums including a Louis Tussauds Wax Works, and themed restaurants including the Hard Rock Cafe and Rainforest Cafe. • Marineland — Aquatic theme park • Casinos — Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort • IMAX Theatre and Daredevil museum • Fallsview Tourist Area • Fallsview Indoor Waterpark • Tower Hotel (Niagara Falls).

Transport: Road Niagara Falls is linked to major highways in Canada. The Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW), stretching from Fort Erie to Toronto, passes through Niagara Falls. Highway 420 (along with Niagara Regional Road 420) connect the Rainbow Bridge to the QEW. The Niagara Parkway is a road operated under the Niagara Parks Commission which connects Niagara-on-the-Lake to Fort Erie via Niagara Falls.

Niagara Falls formerly had King's Highways passing through the city. These included: • The original routing of Highway 3, (which later became Highway 3A), which ended at the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge via River Road • Highway 8, which ended at the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge via Bridge Street • Highway 20, which ended at the Honeymoon Bridge and later the Rainbow Bridge via Lundy's Lane and Clifton Hill

Transport: Rail Via Rail Canada and Amtrak jointly provide service to the Niagara Falls station via their Maple Leaf service between Toronto Union Station and New York Penn Station.

In summer 2009, Go Transit started a pilot project providing weekend and holiday train service from Toronto to Niagara falls from mid June to mid October. These GO Trains run seasonally between Toronto Union Station and Niagara Falls at weekends.

At other times, regular hourly GO train services are provided between Toronto Union and Burlington station, where connecting bus services operate to and from the rail station at Niagara.

As of January 2019, GO Transit offers two-way, weekday commuter service from Niagara Falls station (Ontario) to Union Station (Toronto) as part of the Niagara GO Expansion. The full expansion project is expected to be complete by 2025.

Transport: Bus • Coach Canada has daily runs to and from Toronto and Buffalo, New York. • GO Transit offers daily bus service between Niagara and Burlington GO Station. • Megabus has daily runs on its route to New York City starting in Toronto. • Niagara Falls Transit is the public transit operator in the city.

Cabs and shuttle buses • Buffalo Airport Shuttle is a reservation based shuttle that operates from the Buffalo Airport to and from Niagara Falls, Buffalo, Hamilton, and Toronto. • Niagara Livery Service is a taxi/limo company in 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 a local taxi service from Buffalo, New York and Toronto, Ontario airports back to Niagara. • Elite Taxi is a local taxi service that provides regular and wheelchair accessible taxi service to and from Niagara Falls, ON. Specialists in airport transfers (Buffalo, Hamilton, Toronto, Niagara Falls, NY).

Active transportation The City of Niagara Falls is working toward Bike Friendly designation and providing more resources to encourage active transportation.

Education Niagara Falls has one post-secondary institution in the city and another in the Niagara Region.

Post secondary • In the Niagara Region: Brock University in St. Catharines. • In the City of Niagara Falls: Niagara College based in Welland, also has campuses in Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines.

Library Niagara Falls is also served by Niagara Falls Public Library, a growing library system composed of four branches, with the main branch in the downtown area. It is visited by over 10,000 people weekly. An extensive online database of photographs and artwork is maintained at Historic Niagara Digital Collections.

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

Media: Press Local newspapers are: • Niagara Falls Review • Niagara This Week • St. Catharines Standard

Due to its proximity to Hamilton and Toronto, local residents have access to the papers like The Hamilton Spectator, the Toronto Star, and the Toronto Sun.

Media: Radio • 91.7 FM - CIXL-FM, "Giant FM" Classic Rock • 97.7 FM – CHTZ-FM, "97.7 HTZ-FM" Mainstream Rock • 101.1 FM – CFLZ-FM, "More FM" CHR • 105.1 FM – CJED-FM, "105.1 The River FM" adult hits

The area is otherwise served by stations from Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo.

Media: Television • Cogeco is the local cable television franchise serving Niagara Falls; the system carries most major channels from Toronto and Buffalo, as well as TVCogeco, a community channel serving Niagara Falls. • CHCH-DT (UHF channel 15 - virtual channel 11) from Hamilton, Ontario also serves the Niagara Region.

Television stations from Toronto and Buffalo are also widely available. Officially, Niagara Falls is part of the Toronto television market, even though it is directly across the Niagara River from its American twin city, which is part of the Buffalo market.