Welcome to the official Niagara Falls Tourism blog, written by Niagara's own George Bailey.
Read George's Bio Here
Photos by George Bailey...
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OFFICIAL BLOG OF NIAGARA FALLS TOURISM |
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ON YOUR NIAGARA FALLS HONEYMOON
By GEORGE BAILEY
2009-06-29 13:19:29
|  | Post a comment | Here’s something you want to get if you’re in Canada on a Niagara Falls honeymoon. Be sure to pick up an official “Honeymoon Certificate” signed by Niagara Falls, Ontario Mayor Ted Salci. Not only is it a nice reminder of your visit, it also has value. Along with the certificate, a free pass for one is offered at numerous attractions in Niagara Falls. Get the certificate before you begin your visiting from either the Niagara Falls Tourism Office on Robinson Street (next to the IMAX theatre) or the Ontario government Tourism Office on Stanley Avenue. You need proof to get the certificate. Those on a “trial run” do not qualify.
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NIAGARA FALLS FUNAMBULISTS
By George Bailey
2009-06-19 16:26:07
| | Post a comment | June reminds me of the "Great Blondin-Jean Francois Gravelet", Niagara’s first Funambulist. Okay, what’s a Funambulist? It’s a tightrope walker. And it was in June 30, 1859 that Blondin first walked successfully across the Niagara Gorge on a two-inch manila rope from the U.S. side to Canada in 15 minutes. He made the return trip in seven minutes. He made the trip several times. On a trip in August 1959, he even successfully carried his manager, Harry Colcord on his back above the Niagara River.
Between 1859 and 1897 nine different walkers used a tightrope to successfully cross the gorge and one even rode a bicycle-velocipede. Today, it is illegal to cross over the Niagara River on a tightrope without the permission of the American and Canadian Park Commissions. My late friend, Niagara historian George Seibel in his book "Niagara Falls, Canada – A History" tells of these early Niagara Funambulists.
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NEW BORDER CROSSING REGULATIONS NOW IN EFFECT
By George Bailey
2009-06-12 15:37:28
| | Post a comment | In case you haven’t already heard, people crossing the U.S. /Canadian border now require one of the following: a valid passport, a NEXUS or FAST card, or an enhanced driver’s license/enhanced identification card. Canadian citizens 15 and younger will only require proof of citizenship, such as a birth certificate. For more information visit www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca.
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IS IT THE NIAGARA RIVER OR THE NIAGARA STRAIT?
2009-06-12 15:35:40
| Did you know the Niagara River that flows between Lake Erie in the south and Lake Ontario in the north is not really a river. It is technically a strait and early maps identify it that way. A strait is defined as ”a narrow channel of water connecting two large bodies of water.”
Over the years it has been referred to as a river. Most rivers in North American flow from north to south but this one doesn’t. This “river” flows from south to north. The distance between the two lakes is 58 kilometres (36 miles) and the elevation between the two lakes is approximately 99 metres (326 feet).
Click here to learn more interesting facts about the Falls.
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NIAGARA DAREDEVILS
By George Bailey
2009-06-01 18:48:40
| | 2 comments Latest by SFA 06/06/09 21:45:29 EDT | As the weather starts to warm up I’m reminded of the Daredevils that intentionally went over Niagara Falls in all types of contraptions from a rubber ball to a kayak.
The first person to go over the Canadian Horseshoe Falls (no one has tried to go over the American Falls because of the heavy concentration of rocks below it) was 63-year old Annie Taylor from Bay City, Michigan. She survived. The last person claiming to be a daredevil to go over the falls wore only street clothes. Kirk Jones on October 20th 2003 became one of the luckiest people on this planet when he survived. Most people (including me) believe he was trying to kill himself and was not doing it as a daredevil.
On March 11,2009 an unidentified man jumped in the water above the Canadian Horseshoe Falls in an attempt to commit suicide. Miraculously, he also survived the plunge over the falls and was rescued 30 minutes later from the Niagara River below the falls by Chief Pilot Reudi Hafen of Niagara Helicopters. To this date the man has never been identified. He became the third person to go over Niagara Falls without some kind of protection and survive. Seven-year old Roger Woodward accidentally went over Niagara Falls wearing only a life jacket on July 9, 1960 and survived.
To date 16 different people, including two women, claiming to be daredevils have intentionally tried to “beat” Niagara Falls. Two of these people went over Niagara at the same time in the same barrel. Five of these people lost their lives in the attempt. My book, “Daredevils Over Niagara,” provides more details. It is illegal to attempt such a feat.
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HOW NIAGARA FALLS WAS FORMED
By George Bailey
2009-05-26 11:51:27
| | 5 comments Latest by otephou 05/31/09 20:04:28 EDT | The falls of Niagara are about 12,000 years old give a take a few hundred years. This is young compared to other falls found in Africa or South America that are up to 2.5 million years old. The falls were formed during the Glacial Age (500,000 to 2 million years ago), when glaciers melted and formed lakes. Where Lake Erie is now found, a lake called Algonquin overflowed and ran downhill to Lake Iroquois (where Lake Ontario is now found). The rushing water carved out a channel we now call Niagara River. The falls was created when the riverbed dropped off suddenly like an underwater cliff forming Niagara Falls.
Even though I’ve lived in Niagara Falls most of my life I never take this majestic waterfall for granted. It’s mesmerizing at any time of the year.
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MARILYN MONROE AND THE MAKING OF NIAGARA
By George Bailey
2009-05-18 21:40:55
| | 2 comments Latest by George 05/19/09 09:49:13 EDT | For two sun-filled weeks in June of 1952, Niagara Falls, Canada took “second billing” when movie icon Marilyn Monroe visited to make the movie “Niagara.” I was only eight at the time but I can remember my father, who was first mate on the Maid of the Mist, telling me he “starred” with Marilyn in the movie. He is actually in the film, about a click of the finger. He’s the handsome guy wearing the uniform on the gang plank to the Maid. Anyway, when the technicolour (a rarity at the time) movie was released in January of 1953, it put Niagara Falls on the map for many years and helped re-establish it as the "Honeymoon Capital of the World".
I wrote a book, “Marilyn Monroe and the Making of Niagara,” several years ago on the making of this movie, and even today I still get requests for copies of this book. It is no longer in print and I see copies on e-Bay go for $125.00! I originally sold it for $10.00. I have two copies myself.
Here’s a copy of a photo from my book.
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SPRING ACTIVITIES IN NIAGARA FALLS
By George Bailey
2009-05-14 12:43:17
| | 1 comments Latest by Tim 05/15/09 12:18:37 EDT | Spring brings many new outdoor activities in Niagara Falls. The bulbs in Queen Victoria Park near the falls have popped their heads out of the ground in an explosion of springtime colours. You’ll see about 75,000 daffodils - no need to try and count them just take my word - near the falls. The original ones were a gift from the people of Holland for Canada’s help in the second World War.
Other great places to check out for new life at this time of the year are The Glen about ten minutes north of the falls. Here’s where you can walk to the river’s edge. Along the way wildflowers can be spotted under the canopy of mature trees that are also starting to bud. You need to be in pretty good shape for this one-hour hike into the gorge. The walk back can be exhausting.
An easy walk is Dufferin Islands just above the Canadian Horseshoe Falls. The skunk cabbage in this area is an interesting plant to see and photograph.
Another nearby attraction that indicates Spring has arrived is to visit the Welland Canal at Lock Three in Thorold (about one-half hour from the falls) and see the ships that begin travelling through the canal for another shipping season.
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EARLY SPRING IN NIAGARA: OUT OF THE WOODS AND INTO THE (BOTANICAL) GARDENS
By George Bailey
2009-05-07 10:35:47
| | 6 comments Latest by george 05/21/09 19:21:52 EDT | Looking for things to do in Niagara Falls this Spring? I asked Lorne Fast, instructor at The Niagara Parks School of Horticulture at the Botanical Gardens to tell me what's happening in the ground. Here’s what he had to say:
“As early May is upon us, the Niagara area is out of the woods as far as the risk of winter-like weather. Weather stats give the following temperatures for May 1st in Niagara Falls: average high a pleasant 17C (62F), average low 6C (42F), (yes, it did once fall to -3C (27F), but that was back in 1881). As spring hits its stride, the pace of unfurling the season’s new colours quickens as plants are warmed by the sun. This is most evident in the spectacular array of plants at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens.
In early May, the early and mid-season tulip buds in the rose garden are just beginning to show some colour. Their hardier cousins on the south side of the student residence, having been emboldened by the warmth of the sun, are confident enough to go all the way, splaying open their petals for all the world to see. But the real action is in the woodland garden behind the student residence. The ephemeral woodland plants beneath the trees are in a hurry – they need to get their flowering done before the warm sun is blocked by the canopy’s emerging leaves. Here the white Dutchman’s breeches are out in full bloom(ers), hanging upside down from the plant’s newly created temporary laundry line. The fumewort (corydalis) has also opened its flowers to create a smoky purple haze over the leaf strewn forest floor. The forget-me-not flowers of the Siberian bugloss emerge in a hazy light blue cloud above tender new foliage.
As you move out of the woods into the rock garden, you'll find the dwarf mat and cushion-forming plants from high alpine meadows happily blooming in the cool mid-spring air. Blue & purple aubrietas, bright yellow basket-of-gold, dwarf narcissus and hardy dwarf species tulips show off their ephemeral colours against the grey pitted limestone rocks. Across the drive, the large pink saucer magnolia flowers bloom against the clear blue sky. Further down the drive the clear soft yellow ‘Elizabeth’ and ‘Yellow Bird’ magnolias are just beginning to open. As you explore the Gardens further, other shrubs also are at the front of the line to show off their wares before the foliage takes over: Corylopsis, with pendulous clusters of pale yellow, early pink Korean rhododendrons, the aptly named ‘Big Dude’ magnolia with its huge rose purple & white tepals.
All of these can be explored at your leisure, now that we're out of the woods and into the Botanical Gardens.”
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A GOOD READ ON NIAGARA HISTORY
By George Bailey
2009-04-23 13:40:47
| | 2 comments Latest by George 04/24/09 11:36:35 EDT | I just finished reading Niagara Falls Historian Sherman Zavitz's latest book, "Looking Back-Niagara Falls-Historic Notes". For anyone who likes to read of Niagara's past this is a must-read. It contains 45 vignettes about the city from the late 18th century to the middle of the 20th century. I thought I knew a fair amount about Niagara's history, but after reading Sherman's book I realize there's lots more to learn. The book talks about many Niagara Falls attractions that are still around today. Lots of them have colourful tales about Niagara honeymooners and a few of the Niagara Daredevils that went over the falls.
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MAID OF THE MIST BOATS OPEN THIS WEEK
By George Bailey
2009-04-20 11:20:22
| | Post a comment | The Maid of the Mist boats open Thursday, April 23rd for the 2009 season. Visitors can board either at the Canadian or U.S. dock at 10 am and tours depart every 15 minutes, with the trips last about 30 minutes. New this year on the American side below the American Falls is a 1.5 million boarding dock, one of the three planned for both sides of the border over the next few years. The Maid of the Mist boats have been operating since 1846.
The Maid of the Mist passes in front of the American Falls on its way up the Niagara River to the base of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.
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THE SHAW OPENS 2009 SEASON
2009-04-06 15:36:08
| | 9 comments Latest by Gail 06/16/09 10:49:41 EDT | If you like live theatre then head to the Shaw Festival found just down the road from Niagara Falls in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The 2009 season has just begun.
Jackie Maxwell, Artistic Director of Shaw (as the locals call it), tells me one of the highlights this year is Sunday in the Park with George (no, it's not me). It's a moving musical love story which originally opened on Broadway in 1984. This season there are eleven productions on stage at the Shaw and several special events.
I can remember when Niagara-on-the-Lake was a sleepy little town with a small main street anchored by a bar where "Women and Escorts" entered through a separate door. All that changed when in 1962 when a local lawyer and playwright, Brian Doherty, introduced this little theatre to produce the dramatic works of Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. It's not sleepy anymore.
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SPRING HAS ALMOST SPRUNG AT NIAGARA
2009-03-26 11:03:51
| | 15 comments Latest by George 05/11/09 03:52:07 EDT | One sure sign that Spring is just around the corner is that the Crocus in Queen Victoria Park near the falls are starting to pop there heads through the ground. In a few weeks we should see the Daffodils joining them.
Another sign, the ice-bridge below the falls has almost completely gone. I took this photo at 9:30 in the morning and it appears the American Falls is on fire. That’s because the air is warmer (hallelujah) than the cold water. Check out the large chunk of ice that’s stubbornly hanging around. It will probably be here until early April.
Once all the ice from Lake Erie above the falls has floated down and over the falls and clears the Niagara River into Lake Ontario we can expect to see the Maid of the Mist boats enter the water again for their 163rd season!
I think Old-Man Winter has finally left us. Good riddance to him. He won’t be missed.
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WHEN THE GOING GETS TOUGH, THE TOUGH GO TO NIAGARA FALLS
2009-03-18 09:16:31
| | 9 comments Latest by George 05/11/09 03:49:57 EDT | I‘ve finished my walk to Timmies for my morning coffee and newspaper. In today’s local paper, The Niagara Falls Review, there’s a story about how the number of visitors to Niagara Falls during March Break are stronger then ever. This doesn’t surprise me. During my many years in the hospitality industry, I always found when times were tough people still took time to enjoy themselves. Our destination is especially popular because there are so many things to do in Niagara Falls with the family and it’s easy to get to being close to large metropolitan areas. Visitors from nearby the United States also receive and extra bonus of about 25 cents on their dollar. But ask before you pay to make sure you get the full benefit of your dollar. Your best bet is to exchange your U.S. dollars at a bank before you spend it in Canada.
Even during the Depression, folks were still visiting the Falls. This photo was taken in the 1930s.
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LOOK AND LISTEN TO NIAGARA FALLS TO LEARN WHAT THE DAY WILL BRING
2009-03-06 12:34:42
| | 22 comments Latest by George 05/04/09 04:09:49 EDT | When I started this blog late last year, I said I'd talk about how you can look and listen to the falls and predict the weather for the day.
Well, when I opened the second floor window of my home (I'm about five kilometres from the falls) a few days ago I could hear the deep roar of the falls was much louder than it normally sounded. There was also no high plume of mist in the air hanging over the falls. These were two sure signs of impending gloomy weather. I knew that the day would be a stormy one. Why?
The loud sound meant that shallow Lake Erie (approximately 60 feet or 18.2 metres) in the south was being churned up by storms and pushing more water to the southwest over Niagara Falls. Hence, the falls were louder. The fact there was a low plume meant low humidity, which also is an indicator of poor weather. Old Timers are often quoted in early Niagara Falls Guidebooks about these signs.
By the way, the weather that day was cloudy and rainy. Bang-on!
When I worked in the tourist industry years ago this also meant increased business in Niagara restaurants, attractions and gift shops. Today, it's still the case.
The photo below shows what the plume looks like on a nice day in Niagara.
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CAN’T WAIT TO SMELL THE FLOWERS...THEN DON’T
2009-02-23 17:32:18
| | 2 comments Latest by George 03/03/09 15:57:33 EST | Niagara is in bloom all year round. That’s right. All you have to do is plan a visit to the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory along the lower Niagara Parkway where the temperature is always in the eighties and you’ll be surrounded by a lush tropical oasis under glass. The free-flying butterflies complete the atmosphere. When I go there, which is often, I wear bright coloured clothing. Butterflies can actually see colours and they are attracted to bright colours. Chances are they’ll land on you. Adults are $11.50, children 6-12 years are $6.80 and under five are free.
Here’s another tropical destination… Bird Kingdom near the Canadian end of the Rainbow Bridge on River Road has over 400 free-flying birds. I especially like to hear the sounds these birds make. Prices vary. When I visit either of these Niagara attractions I try and go when the sun is out. They’re much like us, and more active when the sun shines!
If you still need a lift, go to the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse just south of the falls. Admission is free. The Spring show continues until Easter. For two to three weekends around Easter the greenhouse features Easter Lilies and forced spring bulbs.
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DOES THE NIAGARA RIVER FREEZE?
2009-02-09 11:22:32
| | 4 comments Latest by george 02/22/09 06:13:25 EST | I've had some questions recently about whether or not the Niagara River ever freezes up?” The answer is no. The water going over Niagara Falls continues to flow at a rate of 4 to 8 miles per hour. The volume of water going over the falls (at this time of the year about 100,000 cubic feet per second, give or take a few cubic feet) and speed of the water prevents the water from freezing.
During a very cold winter an ice bridge usually forms below the falls. However, these ice bridges aren’t like they use to be. The last real big ice bridge was formed in 1954. An international ice boom installed at the mouth of the Niagara River at Lake Erie has prevented the build up of these big ice bridges.
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BLAME THE ROMANCE ON NIAGARA'S NEGATIVE IONS
2009-01-30 09:28:41
| | Post a comment | That's right! The negative ions (don't let the name fool you, they're good-guys) at Niagara Falls created by the falling water produce the largest source of negative ions in the world. That's not just me talking. A medical doctor published a book several years ago called, "The Ion Effect" confirming this fact. In the book he says you can't help but feel romantic and happy when you're near the falls. It's much like walking in a light rain, visiting the beach or taking a sauna. Millions of people choose Niagara Falls to "pop the question".
How can you spot a couple on a Niagara Falls honeymoon? First of all, they don't know anyone else is around them. You can see them twirling their wedding rings and kissing a lot! I like to wish them the best and see the expressions on their face.
This Valentine’s Day, plenty of hotels have created Niagara Falls romantic getaways that will put the spark back in your love life — and you can’t lose with the falling water beside you.
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“ICE-BRIDGE PUSHES THE HONEYMOON BRIDGE INTO THE GORGE”
2009-01-23 11:59:41
| | 2 comments Latest by David Ruiz 01/27/09 15:35:28 EST | That was the headline in Niagara Falls newspapers 71 years ago when the Honeymoon Bridge collapsed into the Niagara River when severe winter weather pushed ice against the hinge supports of the arch on the American side and bent and twisted the bridge’s girders. The collapse took place at 4:20 p.m. on January 27th.
It was already known the bridge was doomed for disaster and people were restricted from the bridge. As a result, there were no injuries. Only one newspaper photographer, Frank Seed, was able to photograph the collapse. His photo is below.
A new rainbow Bridge was constructed in 1941 just down river from the foundation of the Honeymoon Bridge. While this natural Niagara attraction can still be seen during severe winters, chances are the ice bridges will never reach the heights they did in 1938.
Anyone still around that remembers the collapse?
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NIAGARA’S ICE WINES ARE READY TO BE SERVED
2009-01-16 09:23:45
| | Post a comment | How many of you folks out there have heard of Ice Wine? If you haven’t, let me tell you about it.
Today, making Icewine is a Canadian game and Niagara is the perfect place to make it. It’s because we have long, warm summers and cold winters (like we are getting now) creating the ideal conditions for producing this “liquid gold” as some people call it. When the temperatures drop below minus 8 degrees Celsius for a period of two or three continuous days, frozen grapes that have been left on the vines are picked by hand. When they are pressed, the natural water portion of the juice remains with the grape skins in the form of ice crystals. A tiny portion of this highly concentrated juice is expressed. This juice is fermented for several months and the result is a sweet and flavourful Icewine.
If you can make it to Niagara, take in the Niagara Icewine Festival that occurs between January 16 and 25th. Dress in layers of clothing, many of the events take place outside.
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NIAGARA FALLS IS FOR THE BIRDS AND THE BIRDERS
2009-01-07 17:12:54
| | Post a comment | It might come as a surprise to some of you that Niagara Falls from mid-November through the end of January literally hundreds of “birders” flock to witness one of Niagara Falls natural attractions. They’re here to see the largest and most diverse concentration of gulls in the world.
In 1996 the entire Niagara River corridor between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario became the first site in North America to receive international recognition as a “Globally Significant Important Bird Area” by major conservation groups in Canada and the United States.
Speaking with a group of “birders” I spotted above the falls (they talked out of the side of their mouths because they kept their eyes through their binoculars) they told me that about 19 individual species of gulls have been identified on the Niagara River this winter (there are 43 species worldwide).In addition numerous species of ducks, geese and swans congregate here. Apparently they like the abundance of fish in the river.
A sure fire spot to see birds in Niagara Falls at any time of the year is at the Niagara Falls Aviary.
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OH CANADA EH
2008-12-17 11:49:13
| | Post a comment | Okay, well I’m still getting my feet wet in this blogging thing. I’m not quite sure yet if I should mention businesses specifically. I don’t want this blog to sound like a commercial. However, my sister, Olive (that’s right, we’re originally from Newfoundland and that’s definitely a “Newfie” name and I can hear you saying okay that why he’s like he is) recently attended the Oh Canada Eh Dinner Show to see The Farndale Christmas Carol. What a hoot. Not only was the 5 course dinner a hit, the play was in the same category.
Owner Ross Robinson is a classy guy and since 1994 has grown this live theatre, with his original partner Jim Cooper, into must-see Niagara entertainment. It will put you back about $50.00 each but worth every penny. The show runs each evening until the end of December. If you like this type of thing put on your list to see The Greg Frewin Theatre and Las Vegas style Magic Show. You didn’t know Niagara Falls was that classy did you. All this good stuff is found on the Niagara Falls Tourism site. Break a leg.
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BROCK'S MONUMENT
2008-12-10 18:28:04
| | 1 comments Latest by mukesh 06/22/09 00:28:53 EDT | If you’ve driven the Niagara Parkway towards Niagara on the Lake you can’t help but see Brock’s Monument at Queenston near the Canadian end of the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge (Canadians call it the Queenston-Lewiston Bridge but the official name is the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge) wrapped in scaffolding.
Brock's Monument is a tribute to Sir Isaac Brock. Brock was a British General who lost his life at the Battle of Queenston that took place on this site on October 13, 1812. It was one of the major battles of the War of 1812-141 where the British (Canadians) came out on top. Ron Dale, superintendent of Parks Canada for the Niagara region says the 56 metre monument which was built in 1853 was long overdue for repair. The mortar had deteriorated and the statue of Brock which stands atop the monument was ready to fall apart. The work on this Niagara attraction, which began early in 2008, is expected to be completed by the spring of 2009. Dale says the monument has even undergone work that now makes it earthquake proof!
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NIAGARA FIREWORKS
2008-12-03 09:41:36
| | 4 comments Latest by Hi, you have a great site! I also recommend this site: g1nou , thanks! 05/19/09 06:41:11 EDT | I was in Queen Victoria Park last Friday near the falls showing a few friends the illumination of the falls. I’ve seen it a million times but the lights on the falls still wow me, especially if you stand under the beams of light that shine above your head when you stand across from the tower (it was at one time the overflow tower for the water that backed up from the Ontario Power Plant, now abandoned, found at the edge of the Niagara River just below the falls) where the lights are found.
Anyway back to what I wanted to tell you. I hadn’t realized there was a fireworks display over the falls at this time of the year. I checked and learned that a Niagara Falls fireworks display takes place every Friday this month at 9 pm with the final display at the same time on January 2nd. It’s all part of the Winter Festival of Lights, an annual Niagara event that is now taking place.
A little known fact is that the huge light casings that hold the bulbs to light up the falls are the same casings that light up the skies over London during the Battle of Britain.
Here’s another tidbit. The nightly illumination is not only paid for by The Niagara Parks Commission but equal partners are the cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario and New York, The State Reservation of New York found in Niagara Falls, New York and Hydro One. The two main operators who change the lights each evening 365 days of the year, Peter Gordon and Dick Mann have been doing this almost as long as the lights have been existence. (only kidding guys). The lights were first put on the falls in June of 1925.
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WINTER HAPPENINGS AROUND NIAGARA FALLS
2008-11-26 12:40:21
| | 1 comments Latest by Frank 01/25/09 15:52:10 EST | A few days ago Melissa asked me what was happening in Niagara at this time of the year. Twenty-five years ago I would have said nothing. Boy, have things changed. If you haven’t been here recently you know Niagara Falls no longer puts up the closed sign for the winter. This whole month is alive with Winter Festival of Lights events.
The biggie is the free televised New Years Eve outdoor event held outdoors near the falls. With fireworks over the falls at midnight. Even our downtown area of Niagara Falls (no, it’s not Clifton Hill... that’s the visitors downtown) is having a re-birth. The area has taken on an arts and craft theme and it’s a great place to stroll.
Anyone remember walking in Queen Victoria Park with the snow drifting down in front of the beams of light that illuminate the falls each evening? I do. It was magic and still is. Even better if you are holding the hand of the one you love. Okay, I’m a hopeless romantic.
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NIAGARA ON A WINTER MORNING
2008-11-20 09:52:49
| | 15 comments Latest by Permod 01/01/09 12:18:46 EST | A photo I took this morning of Murray Hill after this winter's first snow fall on Nov. 20th. You can see the winter icicles and the falls in the background. Very cold morning!
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NIAGARA SUNRISE
2008-11-19 09:14:54
| | 3 comments Latest by Darline 11/20/08 21:59:59 EST | This morning I grabbed my camera and headed off at 6 am walking to the falls (it’s about a 20 minute walk for me) to capture, what I think, is one of Niagara’s best kept secrets: the sun rising in the east over Niagara. Okay, lots of cities talk about great sunsets but few about great sunrises. Ours in Niagara Falls, Ontario should get the red ribbon. I’ve attached one of the photos I took to make my point.
There are several others benefits to looking at Niagara as the day comes alive. There are few people (if any) around. You can personably own Niagara and with the exception of the sound of the water rushing over Niagara Falls, it’s quiet. A rarity in this hectic world around us. If there are others there, conversation is easy. I’ve ended up having a coffee later in the morning with people from all over the world. This morning it was with a man and a woman out jugging from Germany.
I remember years ago getting a request from an assistant of Lech Walesa, President of Poland from 1990 to 1995, to take him to the falls to do what I have been doing for years at all times of the year...look at the sun rise over Niagara. I picked him up at his hotel just the two of us (yes, just the two of us… no security or hangers on), and I left him to have his own
Niagara experience alone at the brink of the falls. We didn’t talk, because he didn’t speak English and Polish isn’t in my vocabulary. His assistant later told me it was one of the best experiences of his life. I could see it on the expression on his face when we got back in the car. If you need some sunrise in your life, you now know where to find it.
George
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THE NIGHT THE LIGHTS WENT OUT IN NIAGARA
2008-11-10 10:49:17
| | 4 comments Latest by George 01/07/09 14:09:54 EST | If you’re 42 years of age and born in July of 1966 there’s a chance you might have been conceived as a result of what happened here in Niagara on November 9th. I can remember that day clearly because all the lights in the city went out at 5:16 pm. I was showing a few folks how to turn the lights on the falls when everything went dead. Boy, I thought I was in trouble. I soon learned it wasn’t me. It was because of a major power failure at the Sir Adam Beck No.2 power plant in Queenston. It was a cold November evening, not like what we’re getting now, and power for heating, lighting and cooking was at its max.
When a maintenance employee incorrectly set a protective relay on one of the transmission lines a chain reaction occurred and cut off power effecting 25 million people and 80,000 square miles in Ontario and the Northeast United States were left without electricity for 12 hours. Later it’s reported the birth rate in these areas soared in July of 1966!
Today, Ontario Power Generation (I still think of it as Ontario Hydro) is digging another tunnel, ”Big Becky” under Niagara to divert more water from above the falls to the generating plants at Queenston. Once completed in 2010 the 14.4 metre, 10.4 kilometre tunnel will deliver enough water from above the falls to power a city of 160,000 people. For you techies, that’s 1.6 billion kilowatt hours. Just in time for our hybrids! Anyone else remember the black out? What were you doing (be careful) when it happened?
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THE GENERAL BROCK HOTEL AND TWO GREAT SHOWS
By George Bailey
2008-11-04 19:14:49
| | Post a comment | One of Niagara Falls landmarks is the Crowne Plaza Hotel, originally named the General Brock Hotel. It’s Niagara Falls’ oldest hotel built in the late 1920's and still one of the classiest with a top notch view of the falls from your room. This Niagara hotel had lots of attention over the years.
When Marilyn Monroe wasn’t filming the movie ”Niagara” in June of 1952, she stayed for two weeks in Suite 801 of the General Brock Hotel. Customs officers from the Rainbow Bridge across the road reportedly brought binoculars into work for those two weeks.
A year later in the same month, the first live TV broadcast in Canada was made from the roof of the hotel. Host of the Today Show Dave Garroway interviewed politicians and paraded couples on a Niagara Falls honeymoon live for two eight-minute segments. They were aired each hour for the three hour show. CBS Affiliate WBEN-TV of Buffalo carried the segment. Any one still hanging around that remembers this?
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PRINCESS DIANA AND ME
2008-10-24 12:27:17
| | 9 comments Latest by George 11/20/08 12:55:43 EST | October 26th is a day that will always stand out in my mind. On this day in 1991 I was lucky to be able to escort Princess Diana and her two children William and Harry on a personal tour of Niagara Falls and take them on a ride aboard the Maid of the Mist. What a lady she was.
Not because she was a Princess but because she was genuine. She was nice to everyone. No snob here. Her kids were polite and even after a private lunch before the boat ride in the Refectory Restaurant they cleared their plates from the table and placed them on the side table.
While on the Maid she and her children even posed for me while I snapped photos of her at the wheel and on deck. The paparazzi on shore must have been going nuts. After she left the boat she thanked me and even referred to me by name.
When she left I was approached by one of the paparazzi and offered two-thousand dollars for the little disposable camera that I took the photos with. I refused. I still cherish those photos.
By the way I had nothing to do with Princess Diana’s breakup a while later from Charles, so you can put the rumour to rest.
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LOOK THERE’S A RAINBOW
2008-10-17 11:34:59
| | 6 comments Latest by George 05/29/09 11:01:10 EDT | Hey, as I look out my window this afternoon I’m mesmerized by a glorious high rainbow in the sky. Niagara Falls has the best rainbows in the world on sunny days. They’re caused by the sun beams hitting the heavy mist from the falls. You see the rainbows when the sun is about 33 degrees behind your shoulder. I can almost predict when the rainbow will appear because I’ve been hanging around so long. You see Niagara Falls rainbow on the U.S. side of the border in the morning when the sun rises in the east and from noon until the sun sets in the west they’re seen on the Canadian side of the border.
This reminds me of the time when a number of year ago I was escorting Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, his wife and teenage sun around the falls. When we were nearing the falls I picked up my big clumsy cell phone ( they were new then) and spoke into the receiver and said,” Can you turn the rainbow on for the Prime Minister?” Wahala...the rainbow appeared just as we got near the falls. Man, were they impressed!.
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MR. NIAGARA FALLS
Welcome to my Blog!
By George Bailey
2008-10-06 13:30:56
| | 12 comments Latest by Anonymous 04/22/09 13:59:58 EDT | Okay, I have to admit I never knew what a Blog was. I thought someone was spelling the word Bog incorrectly. Then the folks at Niagara Falls Tourism told me no there is such a word and then explained it to me. This should tell you something about my age. But I’m game for anything and since they consider me their “Niagara Guy” I agreed to be their Niagara Blogger.
I'll be putting together my own personal experiences on what I’ve learned hanging around this waterfall for the past 50 or so years. I’ll touch on Niagara history, but I won’t live there. There are just too many exciting things happening today at Niagara Falls.
I'm writing these Blogs from my second floor home office about six kilometres from the falls. On a clear day (like today) as I look out my window I see a spectacular plumb of mist from the falls rising high into the sky. This is a sure sign it’s going to be a nice day. More about this in one of my later blogs.
If I cock my ear and open my window I can sometimes hear the falls. Help me make this Blog come alive. I welcome your questions, criticisms ( keep it gentle folks ) and comments. Thanks. Here goes...
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