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I wrote this Point of View
because I felt compelled to clarify some of the uninformed statements made about what to do in Niagara Falls Ontario. With any luck you'll find some
useful information to put to good use.
Historical backdrop
While the moniker “Niagara” is said to come from an Iroquois word “Onguiaahra”, or “The Strait”, I have observed the folklore to be a more enthralling story. The fable from Native American Indians tells of Lelawala, a gorgeous maiden bespoken by her father to an Indian warrior she loathed. She opted to sacrifice herself to the Thunder God He-No instead of wedding 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 always in the Thunder God’s refuge behind the Falls.
You in all likelihood already know that tourism is the regions main source of income. This really started during the early 1900's and even Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte visited with his bride. After our Civil War the railroads began publicizing the area as a vacation spot. It wasn't hard given the history to romanticise Niagara Falls as an ideal honeymoon destination.
The tourism industry savored another boom immediately after World War One. It was the auto that provided a much need boost to the industry. Travel to the area went much easier and was one of the best holiday destinations that New Yorkers could drive their shiny new autos to.
Almost from the time that Niagara Falls was found man has been attempting to rule the monumental water flow as an endless supply of energy. The first successful effort to use the falls as an energy source was documented in 1759 when Daniel Joncairs powered his sawmill 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 science made it possible to transmit electrical energy over long distances. Today Niagara Falls will bring approximately 4.4GW of power to the surrounding areas of both the United States and Canada.
Conservation efforts
Once Europeans began to settle in the Niagara Falls area it was promptly targeted by developers and entrepreneurs alike as a way to bring in a quick fortune. Unlike today most of the land in the area was privately owned and was easily acquired for development. This came at a toll to the raw beauty of the region. As luck would have it a group of concerned citizens guided by noted artist Frederick Church organized the Free Niagara campaign. This establishment was successful in convincing the general populace that Conservation 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 movement to slow down 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 staggeringly successful at preserving the area and curtailing exploitation so that new generations will be able to enjoy this natural marvel.
Niagara has so much to offer. From a deep chronicle of romance and adventure to a real natural wonder. If your shopping for a holiday to the vicinity, I’m certain you’ll be able to discover enough to do. I have named a few sound books at the end of this article or you can visit Amazon for a absolute 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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