Niagara Parks Commission

Last updated
Niagara Parks Commission
Agency overview
Formed1885 (1885)
Type Crown agency
Jurisdiction Government of Ontario
Headquarters Oak Hall
7400 Portage Road
Niagara Falls, Ontario
Minister responsible
Agency executive
  • Chair
Child agency
Key document
  • Niagara Parks Act
Website www.niagaraparks.com

The Niagara Parks Commission, commonly shortened to Niagara Parks, is an agency of the Government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River.

Contents

History

The Commission was founded in 1885 and charged with preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River corridor as a public greenspace and environmental heritage. [1] The first commissioner was Casimir Gzowski. Other notable Commissioners have included Thomas McQuesten and James Allan. Current Commission Chair is vice chair April Jeff’s. Former chair Sandie Bellows, died October 2021.

Activity

In total, the Commission is in charge of about 16.19 square kilometres (6.25 sq mi) of parkland along the river, in addition to the Niagara Parkway which spans 56 kilometres (35 mi). In this corridor, the NPC manages numerous trails, historic sites, picnic areas, and attractions. The Commission formerly managed Navy Island National Historic Site under a lease agreement with the Parks Canada.

Niagara Parks also operated the People Mover, a shuttle bus system intended to aid transportation along the Niagara River and help reduce automobile crowding near the Falls. The buses were powered by propane and included a trailer unit during most popular hours. In the long term, the Commission is planning for a fixed track transit system along the Niagara Parkway, although no decision has been taken on the exact technology to be used. [2] [3] In the meantime, the Commission joined forces with Niagara Falls Transit to launch the fully accessible WEGO bus system in 2012, and in the process discontinued the People Mover service. [4]

Sites and attractions managed by the Commission

Niagara Heritage Trail

The Niagara Heritage Trail is a historic and scenic route running the entire 56 kilometre Canadian coastline of the Niagara River from Fort Erie northward to Niagara-on-the-Lake. Construction began in stages during the early 1980s, and was completed in 1995.

The trail makes its central heart in Queen Victoria Park near the main tourist area, and also passes by attractions such as the Whirlpool Golf Course, Niagara Botanical Gardens, the Butterfly Conservatory, and the Floral clock.

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Falls, Ontario</span> City in Ontario, Canada

Niagara Falls is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is on the western bank of the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, with a population of 88,071 at the 2016 census. It is part of the St. Catharines - Niagara Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). Incorporated on 12 June 1903, the city is across the river from Niagara Falls, New York. The Niagara River flows over Niagara Falls at this location, creating a natural spectacle which attracts millions of tourists each year.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara-on-the-Lake</span> Town in Ontario, Canada

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York, United States. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the Niagara Region of Ontario and is the only town in Canada that has a lord mayor. It has a population of 17,511 (2016).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Secord</span> Canadian heroine of the War of 1812

Laura Secord was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. She is known for having walked 20 miles (32 km) out of American-occupied territory in 1813 to warn British forces of an impending American attack. Her contribution to the war was little known during her lifetime, but since her death she has been frequently honoured in Canada. Though Laura Secord had no relation to it, most Canadians associate her with the Laura Secord Chocolates company, named after her on the centennial of her walk.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Peninsula</span> Peninsula in Ontario, Canada

The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario, in the west. The peninsula is located in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, and has a population of roughly 1,000,000 residents. The region directly across the Niagara River and Lake Erie in New York State is known as the Niagara Frontier.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Regional Municipality of Niagara</span> Regional municipality in Ontario, Canada

The Regional Municipality of Niagara, also colloquially known as the Niagara Region or Region of Niagara, is a regional municipality comprising twelve municipalities of Southern Ontario, Canada. The regional seat is in Thorold. It is the southern end of the Golden Horseshoe, the largest megalopolis in Canada.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queenston</span> Town in Ontario, Canada

Queenston is a compact rural community and unincorporated place 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) north of Niagara Falls in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. It is bordered by Highway 405 to the south and the Niagara River to the east; its location at the eponymous Queenston Heights on the Niagara Escarpment led to the establishment of the Queenston Quarry in the area. Across the river and the Canada–US border is the village of Lewiston, New York. The Lewiston-Queenston Bridge links the two communities. This village is at the point where the Niagara River began eroding the Niagara Escarpment. During the ensuing 12,000 years the Falls cut an 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) long gorge in the Escarpment southward to its present-day position.

Chippawa is a community located within the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Whirlpool Aero Car</span> Cable car in Niagara, Ontario

The Whirlpool Aero Car or Spanish Aero Car is a cable car located in Niagara Falls, Ontario that transports passengers over a section of the Niagara River referred to as the Niagara Whirlpool. The system was designed by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres Quevedo and has been upgraded several times since 1916. The system uses one car that carries 35 standing passengers over a one-kilometre trip.

Royal Botanical Gardens (RBG) is headquartered in Burlington owning extensive environmental protection areas, historic sites and culturally relevant gardens in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is one of the major tourist attractions between Niagara Falls and Toronto, as well as a significant local and regional horticultural, education, conservation, and scientific resource. The mandate is derived by a Provincial Act of 1941 centred on human interaction with the natural world and protection of environmentally significant lands that form the western tip of Lake Ontario. Royal Botanical Gardens spans an area of about 10 km by 4 km, dominated by two coastal wetlands, and glacial-carved landscapes that extend from the lake up to the Niagara Escarpment plateau. The various gardens and natural areas are accessed through nine public entrance locations. It is one of several Prescribed Public Bodies listed under the Ontario Heritage Act.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cullen Gardens and Miniature Village</span>

Cullen Gardens & Miniature Village was a popular tourist attraction in Whitby, Ontario, Canada. Officially opened in May 1980 by founder Len Cullen and his wife, Connie, the Gardens were a major tourist attraction in Whitby for 25 years.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Incline railways at Niagara Falls</span>

There have been several different incline railways built at the Niagara Falls, on the border between Canada and the United States.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Parks Commission People Mover</span> Tourist-oriented bus service in Niagara Falls, Canada

The Niagara Parks Commission People Mover was a tourist-oriented, public transport bus service in the city of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. It was operated by the Niagara Parks Commission from 1985 to 2012. It linked various tourist sights and attractions along the Canadian side of the Niagara Falls and the gorge downstream of it.

The Niagara Parkway, formerly known as Niagara Boulevard and historically as the Niagara Road, is a scenic road in the province of Ontario that travels on the Canadian side of the Niagara River from the town of Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The portion north of Table Rock in the city of Niagara Falls is designated as an Ontario Scenic Highway. Niagara Boulevard originally referred only to the section from Fort Erie to Chippawa.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St. Lawrence Parks Commission</span>

The St. Lawrence Parks Commission is a Crown agency of the Government of Ontario that manages parks and heritage sites along the shoreline of the St. Lawrence River in southeastern Ontario. It functions similarly to the Niagara Parks Commission's role in overseeing attractions and conservation on the Ontario side of the Niagara River.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Queen Victoria Park</span>

Queen Victoria Park is the main parkland located in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada opposite the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Established by the Niagara Falls Park Act in 1885 and opened in 1888, the park is operated by the Niagara Parks Commission and is considered the centerpiece of the Niagara Falls recreational tourist area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">WEGO (Niagara Falls)</span> Tourist-oriented bus service in Niagara Falls, Canada

WEGO Visitor Transportation System (WEGO) is a bus system in Niagara Falls, Ontario jointly operated by Niagara Falls Transit and the Niagara Parks Commission. It replaced Niagara Falls Transit's Falls Shuttle, as well as the Niagara Parks Commission People Mover. Originally scheduled to launch on June 29, 2012, the service's inauguration was postponed due to delays in its buses' intelligent transportation system. WEGO launched its preview service on August 13, 2012, then finally began official operations, a week later, on August 20. WEGO is a pairing of the words "we" and "go". WEGO does not stand for anything, however.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Niagara Parks School of Horticulture</span>

Niagara Parks School of Horticulture is both an educational institution and a public botanical garden that is maintained by dedicated staff and students with a united objective to educate, cultivate, and preserve ornamental plants. The school bills itself as an alternative to post-secondary training for horticulture by providing students with a 36 consecutive month program combining practical and academic studies. The School of Horticulture is part of the Niagara Parks Commission located in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laura Secord Legacy Trail</span>

Laura Secord Legacy Trail is a 32-kilometer trail as a monument to Laura Secord's journey and legacy. It includes the Laura Secord Commemorative Walk that was established in 2013. Secord embarked on a journey in June 1813 during the War of 1812 from the Secord Homestead in Queenston, Niagara-on-the-Lake to deliver a message on 22 June 1813 to Lt. James FitzGibbon at the DeCew House in Thorold, Ontario.

References

  1. "Niagara Parks Attractions". Clifton Hill Resorts. Retrieved 2010-07-23.
  2. "People Mover Buses". Niagara Parks Commission. Archived from the original on April 1, 2007. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  3. "The Review - Remember the people mover?". Osprey Media. Retrieved March 30, 2007.
  4. Langley, Alison. "New tourism buses stall". Niagara Falls Review. Archived from the original on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 2 May 2013.

Further reading