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I wrote this Commentary
because I felt compelled to clarify some of the uninformed statements made about Nightlife in Niagara Falls Canada. With any luck you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical backdrop
While the moniker “Niagara” is alleged to come from an Iroquois phrase “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have found the folklore to be a more engrossing story. The fable from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden pledged by her father to an Indian warrior she detested. She chose to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of wedding 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 refuge behind the Falls.
You likely already know that tourism is the regions principal source of income. This really began during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After this country's Civil War the railways began publicising the area as a holiday spot. It wasn't difficult given the history to glamorize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry enjoyed another boom immediately after World War One. It was the auto that supplied a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area became much easier and was one of the best vacation destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new motorcars to.
Almost from the instance that Niagara Falls was found man has been attempting to rule 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 sawmill with a modest man made canal. The major growth came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla devised the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This applied science made it possible to channel electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls supplies almost 4.4GW of power to the surrounding areas of both the United States and Canada.
Conservation efforts
Once Europeans started to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was promptly targeted by developers and entrepreneurs alike as a way to score 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 toll to the raw beauty of the region. Fortunately a group of concerned citizens directed by noted artist Frederick Church organized the Free Niagara campaign. This organisation was successful in convincing the general populace that Preservation of the area was in its best interest.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, chartered by New York State, began purchasing land from developers in an endeavor to slow down the overwhelming development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both organisations have been hugely successful at keeping up the area and limiting growth so that new generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder.
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 area, I’m certain you’ll be able to locate enough to do. I have numbered many adept books at the conclusion of this article or you can visit Amazon for a complete list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to leave the area as decent as you encountered 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
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