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I wrote this Point of View
because I want to share what I thought about toronto to niagara falls vacations. Hopefully you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical backdrop
While the name “Niagara” is said to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have noticed the folklore to be a more appealing story. The legend from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden affianced by her father to an Indian warrior she abhorred. She opted to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of marrying a man she did not love. The history says that she paddled her canoe over the falls and into He-No’s arms. Together their souls will live evermore in the Thunder God’s sanctuary behind the Falls.
You probably already know that tourism is the areas chief source of income. This really started during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After this country's Civil War the railroads began publicizing the area as a holiday spot. It wasn't hard given the history to romanticize Niagara Falls as an idealistic honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry enjoyed a second boom immediately after World War One. It was the motorcar that provided a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area turned much easier and was one of the best vacation destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new autos to.
Almost from the time that Niagara Falls was found man has been seeking to harness the massive water flow as an endless supply of energy. The first successful endeavor to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his lumbermill with a modest man made canal. The major evolution came in 1883 when Nikola Tesla devised the three-phase system of alternating current power transmission. This engineering made it possible to transfer electricity over long distances. Today Niagara Falls supplies almost 4.4GW of power to the encircling areas of both the United States and Canada.
Preservation efforts
Once Europeans began to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was quickly targeted by developers and enterprisers alike as a way to bring in a fast fortune. Unlike today most of the land in the area was privately owned and was easily acquired for development. This came at a price to the raw beauty of the area. Luckily a group of worried citizens guided by noted artist Frederick Church conceived the Free Niagara effort. This organization 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 out buying land from developers in an campaign to retard the overwhelming development in the area. The Canadians followed suit in the same year with the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park. Each organisations have been hugely successful at conserving the area and constraining exploitation so that future generations will be able to enjoy this natural wonderment.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a deep history of romance and adventure to a real natural wonder. If your looking for a holiday to the vicinity, I’m sure you’ll be able to find plenty to do. I have named a few effective books at the conclusion of this article or you can visit Amazon for a total list of books on Niagara Falls. Please don't forget to depart the area as nice 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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