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A BRIEF HISTORY
This corner of Canada has lots of history as it was where the Americans fought in
1812 for supremacy over the British, particularly around Niagara On the lake. Brock's
Monument is a 56 metre (185 ft) column atop Queenston Heights, dedicated to Major
General Sir Isaac Brock, one of Canada's heroes of the War of 1812. Brock is interred
at the monument's base, on the heights above the battlefield, where he fell during the
Battle of Queenston Heights. Brock died by gunshot wound to the chest in 1812 whilst
leading a charge of British regulars and Canadian militia up the Heights to regain the
Redan Battery, earlier captured by American infantry forces. The combined British,
Canadian, and First Nations forces eventually won a resounding victory.
NIAGARA FALLS
You do not have to be honeymooners to enjoy the honeymoon capital of the world,
as anyone visiting (adults and children alike) will be mesmerized by the awesome
splendour of the falls. This is truly a sight to behold and one that is a "must see"
experience, the memory of which will live on for years to come.
The Niagara Falls, located on the Niagara River, drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario and
is the collective name for the Horseshoe Falls and the adjacent American Falls. The
Niagara Falls form the highest flow rate of any waterfalls in the world and has a vertical
drop of more than 165 feet (50 m) with the Horseshoe Falls being the most powerful
of the two. Niagara Falls forms the international border between Canada and the USA
and is located between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New
York. The current rate of erosion is approximately 1 foot per year and it is estimated
that 50,000 years from now - the remaining 20 miles to Lake Erie will have been eroded
and the falls will cease to exist.
In October 1829, Sam Patch, who called himself "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high
tower into the gorge below the falls and survived. This began a long tradition of daredevils
trying to go over the falls. On October 24, 1901, 63-year-old Michigan school teacher Annie
Edson Taylor was the first person to go over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt: she
survived, bleeding, but virtually unharmed. Niagara Falls visits rose sharply in 1953 after the
release of Niagara, a movie starring Marilyn Monroe and Joseph Cotten. Later in the 20th
century, the falls were a featured location in 1980s movie Superman II.
The Falls are best viewed from the Canadian side of the Niagara River, where the
Niagara Parkway runs alongside the River. The Fallsview Casino and shopping complex
on the hill next to Murray Street also presents an excellent vantage point and is well
worth a visit, together with a trip up the Skylon Tower. No Visit to Niagara would be
complete without a journey on the famous Maid of the Mist and a walk through the
caves in "A Journey Behind the Falls". In both cases you are supplied with a blue mac
as you will get wet without one. There are also a couple of water parks in Niagara Falls
which are well worth a visit.
TOP TIP: ensure you stay in Niagara Falls Ontario rather than Niagara Falls USA!
The streets closest to the falls such as Fallsview Boulevard and Falls Ave are the best
locations to stay as streets further back from the Niagara River are in less desirable
areas. Clifton Hill is one of the major tourist promenades in Niagara Falls, Ontario.
This area contains a number of gift shops, wax museums, haunted houses, restaurants,
hotels and themed attractions. For visitors, particularly families and teenagers, it is a
major amusement area and centre for night life.
NIAGARA ON THE LAKE
A visit to this area would also not be complete without a visit to Niagara on the Lake,
just down river from the falls on the shore of Lake Ontario. This was the original
capital of Canada and is separated from the USA by the Niagara River. Niagara
on the Lake is the most picturesque town you will ever see with pristine sidewalks,
manicured flower beds and vintage pastel coloured colonial buildings. It looks as if it
has been created by Disney, but it is very real and a huge tourist attraction.
There are lots of gift and craft shops here as well as three theatres and some great
restaurants. This marks the gateway to the fruit orchards and wine growing regions of
Ontario with its famous ice wine made from frozen grapes. In most respects Niagara
on the Lake is a far more desirable place to stay and take the 30 minute journey up
to Niagara Falls. Look out for the exciting Jet Boat Tours based here, which take you
up the Niagara River towards the falls, through the rapids and the mighty whirlpool.
There are both dry and very, very wet versions from which to choose!
Niagara on the Lake Skylon Tower
Fallsview Casino
