|
I wrote this Commentary
because I want to share what I thought about Interesting Facts about Niagara Falls Canada. With any luck you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical background
While the moniker “Niagara” is told to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have observed the folklore to be a more spellbinding story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden pledged by her father to an Indian warrior she hated. She chose to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of marrying a man she did not love. The chronicle says that she paddled her canoe over the falls and into He-No’s arms. Together their souls will live always in the Thunder God’s sanctuary behind the Falls.
You probably already know that tourism is the regions primary source of income. This really began during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After our country's Civil War the railroads began publicising the area as a vacation spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamorize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry savored a second boom immediately after World War One. It was the automobile that furnished a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area turned much easier and was one of the best holiday destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new cars to.
Almost from the time that Niagara Falls was discovered man has been attempting to harness the monumental water flow as an perpetual supply of energy. The first successful campaign to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his lumbermill with a minor man made canal. The major exploitation came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla invented the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This engineering made it possible to transfer electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls renders almost 4.4GW of power to the bordering areas of both the United States and Canada.
Conservation efforts
Once Europeans commenced to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was quickly targeted by developers and entrepreneurs alike as a way to realize a fast fortune. Unlike today most of the land in the area was privately owned and was easily acquired for growth. This came at a cost to the raw beauty of the area. Luckily a group of worried citizens led by noted artist Frederick Church organised the Free Niagara movement. This governance was successful in convincing the general populace that Conservation of the area was in its best concern.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, engaged by New York State, set about purchasing land from developers in an campaign to retard the overwhelming development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Each establishments have been hugely successful at maintaining the area and limiting development so that future generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonderment.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a rich account of romance and adventure to a real natural wonder. If your considering a vacation to the region, I’m sure you’ll be able to discover plenty to do. I have numbered several good books at the conclusion of this article or you can visit Amazon for a overall list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to leave the area as decent as you discovered it and to leave the barrel at home.
Niagara Falls : An Intimate Portrait - by John Grant
Fodor's Toronto 2006 : With Niagara Falls & the Niagara Wine Region (Fodor's Gold Guides) - by Fodor's
In the Mad Water: Two Centuries of Adventure and Lunacy at Niagara Falls - by T. W. Kriner
Niagara Falls Volume II (Images of America) - by Daniel M. Dumych
|
