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Niagara Falls, Ontario




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Niagara Falls, Ontario ( 2001 population 78,815) 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. 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.


ECONOMY

With the plentiful and inexpensive energy source, many electro-chemical and electro-metallurgical industries located here in the early to mid twentieth century.

Later in the twentieth century, industry began moving out of the city and tourism started to become the number one economic activity. 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 . It was followed in 2004 by the larger Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort . The Casino business has been successful in attracting American tourists with the currently lower Canadian Dollar .


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 hte 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 Toronto, Ontario and Hamilton/John C. Munro International Airport in Hamilton, 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

Racial make-up
  • White: 93.4%

  • Aboriginal: 1.1%

  • Chinese: 1.0%


Religious make-up

Culture
  • Niagara Falls (along with the rest of the Niagara Region ) has a considerable Italian-Canadian community (roughly 9% in 2001). In 1999, 2,200 Niagara Falls residents said they speak Italian at home.



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



Tourist sector entertainment:


COMMUNITIES



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



Online news



Radio


In addition, numerous tourist and travel advisory stations are available off-air in the Niagara area.


EXTERNAL LINKS



  North Niagara-on-the-Lake
  West Thorold , Welland
  Center Niagara Falls
  East '' Niagara River ''