|
I wrote this Article
because I seriously question the statements made about What to do in Niagara Falls Ontario on February 18 2006. I hope you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical backdrop
While the name “Niagara” is stated to come from an Iroquois phrase “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have found the folklore to be a more stimulating story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden engaged by her father to an Indian warrior she despised. She chose to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of wedding a man she did not love. The story says that she paddled her canoe over the falls and into He-No’s arms. Together their souls will live eternally in the Thunder God’s sanctuary behind the Falls.
You most likely already know that tourism is the areas chief source of income. This really commenced during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After our country's Civil War the railways began advertising the area as a holiday spot. It wasn't hard given the history to glamorize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The touristry industry savored another boom immediately after World War One. It was the automobile that offered 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 cars to.
Almost from the instance that Niagara Falls was discovered man has been trying to harness the monumental water flow as an eternal supply of energy. The first successful attempt to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his sawmill with a modest man made channel. The major development came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla formulated the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This technology made it possible to transport electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls renders almost 4.4GW of power to the surrounding 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 enterprisers alike as a way to take in a speedy fortune. Unlike today most of the land in the area was privately owned and was easily acquired for development. This came at a cost to the innate beauty of the area. Fortunately a group of worried citizens led by noted artist Frederick Church formed the Free Niagara drive. This organisation was successful in convincing the general public that Preservation of the area was in its best concern.
In 1885 the Niagara Reservation State Park, chartered by New York State, set about buying land from developers in an campaign to retard the consuming development in the region. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Both administrations have been staggeringly successful at keeping up the area and limiting growth so that the next generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonder.
Niagara has so very much to offer. From a robust chronicle of romance and adventure to a major natural wonder. If your deliberating a vacation to the vicinity, I’m certain you’ll be able to find enough to do. I have numbered a few good books at the conclusion of this article or you can visit Amazon for a full list of books on Niagara Falls. Please remember to leave the area as decent as you found 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
|
