Niagara Falls Ontario is located just across the river from Niagara
Falls New York with the great waterfall situated right between these twin cities.
The Canadian side offers the best views of Niagara Falls and has a very different
character than its counterpart in the USA.
Niagara Falls Ontario is much more commercialized and tourist oriented
than Niagara Falls New York. On the Canadian-side, the escarpment overlooking the falls
has a beautiful park with well-manicured gardens, but just behind that, the hill is covered
with high-rise hotels, casinos and numerous tourist attractions.
The adjacent streets are filled with museums, souvenir shops, gaming arcades,
restaurants, clubs and tourist attractions of all kinds. If you don't mind all of the commercialism,
Niagara Falls Ontario offers more to see and more to do than Niagara Falls New York.
The majestic rumble of the falls can be heard from miles away, but the sight itself
never fails to cause the viewer to pause and gaze in wonder at the 600,000
gallon per second mass of hissing, frothing water crashing over a 170 foot cliff
amid huge clouds of spray and mist.
The Canadian Falls, is also called the Horseshoe Falls (because of its shape). A
small body of land known as Goat Island divides the river into two channels. On
one side is the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, and on the far side across the border
is the smaller, American Falls. On sunny days rainbows rise just above the
mists.
The
Rainbow Bridge, the Queenston Bridge and the Bridge Street Bridge each span the
distance between the cities of Niagara Falls, New York, USA and Niagara Falls,
Ontario, Canada: two totally different worlds. Across the Canadian border in
New York State, the area beyond Niagara Falls is filled with the charm and
beauty of small rural towns. A State Park and a large industrial area of
Niagara Falls, New York border the American Falls.
In the
City of Niagara Falls, Ontario (the Canadian side) can be found acre after acre
of meticulously landscaped lawns and a profusion of colorful flower beds, all
open at no charge to the public. There has been a tremendous building boom in
recent years especially in the Oakes Drive and Fallsview area. Hotels have been
constructed, existing facilities modernized, and emphasis placed on esthetically
pleasing architecture that blends with the incredibly beautiful natural
features. One street, Clifton Avenue, retains a carnival midway atmosphere, but
there is a definite advantage to having all of the congestion and glitz confined
to one minute area. Controlled and planned growth has prevented the
proliferation of this type of attraction elsewhere.
Throughout
the area, historical sites have been preserved. The Oakes mansion now serves as
the headquarters of the Niagara Parks Commission, but its first floor remains as
it was in the lifetime of philanthropist Sir Harry Oakes. Fort Erie has been
restored and welcomes visitors to reenactments of military life in the early
19th century.
The
Niagara Parks Commission operates a School of Horticulture on the grounds of its
Botanical Gardens. Established in 1936, this is one of the few residential
schools for apprentice gardeners. A greenhouse that is second to none is open
year round with free admission and outstanding floral exhibits that change with
the seasons. A family oriented vacation destination, Niagara Falls Ontario
offers hundreds of acres of parks with broad lawns and shade trees; free boat
launching areas; covered pavilions with picnic tables along the Niagara Parkway.
A
recreation trail runs parallel to the Niagara River from Lake Erie ( site of
Historic Fort Erie) in the south, to Lake Ontario (Fort George) and
Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. This popular trail is used for jogging, biking,
and walking, and has historic interpretative plaques placed along its length.
The Falls are illuminated year round as an international project. The beautiful
display of the various colors lighting the Falls is viewed nightly by many
visitors. Friday night fireworks at the Falls are also a favorite.
Casino
Niagara has become popular with thousands. Its attractive interior, excellent
restaurants and interesting shops, combined with a wide variety of games of
chance and a comedy club, have attracted patrons from the United States, Canada,
and from other countries as well. June, 2004 marked the eagerly anticipated
opening of a second casino in the Fallsview area. Named Niagara Fallsview, the
casino is part of a luxury Resort complex which is lavishly appointed. The huge
entry courtyard features three bridges to the front door, representing the three
local bridges connecting Canada with the United States. An extensive Galleria
showcases a street-long expanse of exclusive boutiques. The casino portion of
Niagara Fallsview spans 200,000 square feet on one floor. A 1500 seat theater
adjoins the gaming area, where top name entertainment is scheduled throughout
the year.
The city's
musical offerings span the tastes of a broad spectrum of visitors. The Hard Rock
Café is usually filled to capacity with guests who enter along the sidewalk of
the stars in which one finds personalized paving stones from many well known
stage and screen personalities. Niagara Concerts offers world class ballet,
instrumental concerts, and symphony.
Niagara-on-the Lake is a delightfully picturesque town of 13,000 at the northern
end of the Falls, on the shores of Lake Ontario. It is graced with lovely 19th
century homes set in beautiful gardens. There are many shops and boutiques to
delight the visitor. The town has three theaters and is especially famous for
its annual George Bernard Shaw festival. Vineyards and wine tasting tours are
another popular attraction.
The
Niagara Falls area is known for both winter and summer sports. Golf, hockey,
skiing, fishing and boating are among these. Experience the magic of the Niagara
region soon. It is an unforgettable travel destination: home of the famous
Falls, and so much more!
