as written and displayed in a recent “Discover Hamilton”
magazine.
An intriguing sketch of the Niagara River from Lakes Erie to Ontario,
is very 'snake-like 'in its geography as it twists and winds its way
northward.
Photos and Adventures invite us to visit!
“For
centuries, people from around the world
have been drawn to the shores of the Niagara River to witness its
grandeur firsthand.
In 1885, the Government of Ontario recognized the importance of
preserving this natural wonder and introduced the Niagara Falls Park
Act in order to ensure that the land adjacent to Niagara Falls would
be conserved and protected for future generations to enjoy.
Today our ribbon of parkland
stretches 56 kilometres (approximately 35 miles) along the Niagara
River from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario ~ and features natural
attractions, locally sourced restaurants, Audubon certified golf
courses, restored heritage sites and world-recognized gardens and
greenspaces.
Despite the diversity of sites and experiences,
we are actually one solid and entirely unique stretch of land.
We are Ontario's only 56-km outdoor adventure museum.
“Since
our establishment in 1885, Niagara Parks' land, experiences and our
environmental stewardship responsibilities have grown far beyond
Queen Victoria Park at the brink of Horseshoe Falls. Within our
ribbon of riverside parkland is our breath-taking Niagara Parkway.
“Each
of these experiences take place against the stunning back-drop of the
Niagara River which was carved by Canadian waters flowing from the
Arctic watershed ~ touching each of the five Great Lakes running
through the St. Lawrence and ultimately reaching the Atlantic Ocean.”
With so much to see and do,
you'll have endless ways to begin your adventure here with us.
Welcome to Niagara Parks!
Niagara
River Facts
The Great Lakes is the world's largest surface fresh water system.
The total area drained by the Niagara River is approximately 684,000
kilometres.
Flowing north from Lake Erie, it is 58 kilometres in length to Lake
Ontario.
The elevation difference between these 2 lakes is 99 metres; Niagara
Falls is 52 metres high.
About 500 other waterfalls are taller than Niagara Falls.
The Angel Falls in Venezuala is tallest at 979 metres (332 feet).
(Some of the tallest falls in the world have very little flow-over
water.)
It is the combination of height and volume that makes Niagara Falls
so beautiful.
More than 168,000 cubic metres (6 million cubic feet) of water goes
over the crest-line of the Falls every minute during
peak-daytime-tourist hours.
Niagara Falls has receded 11.3 kilometres (7 miles) in 12,500 years ~
and may be the fastest moving waterfall in the world. Today, at Grand
Island, the Niagara River divides into The Horseshoe Falls (Canadian)
and the American Falls.
The Niagara Gorge extends from the Falls for 11 kilometres (7 miles)
downstream to the foot of the Escarpment at Queenston.
The waters of the Niagara River are used by a combined Canada/United
States population of more than 1,000,000 people such as : drinking
water, fishing, industrial cooling water supply; receiver of
municipal and individual effluents; hydro power generation (Sir Adam
Beck Station in Ontario) and the New York Power Authority.
The Niagara River is the drainage outlet for the 4 upper Great Lakes
(Superior, Michigan, Huron and Erie). From Lake Erie to Lake Ontario
is a distance of 35 miles (56 km).
The Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge which stood from 1855 to 1897
across the Niagara River
was the world's first working railway suspension bridge. It spanned
825 feet (251 metres) and stood 2.5 miles (4.0 km) downstream of
Niagara Falls where it connected to Niagara Falls, Ontario to Niagara
Falls, New York.
The
Real Maid of the Mist: Niagara's Famous Legend
(posted January 19, 2015 by Jeff Johnson)
“Niagara
Falls has been around for more than 12,000 years, meaning that every
new culture walking Niagara's trails, has imagined different and
thrilling tales about its creation and existence. The most fantastic
story of them all concerns a young Seneca girl named 'Lelawala' who
would become immortalized in the history of Niagara Falls as first
and true maid of the mist.
“When
visiting the Falls, watch the mysterious mists and remember
Lelawana's sad tale ~ saddened by the recent death of her husband.
This initial loss started an avalanche of misfortune in her life ~
quickly losing hope of overcoming her current sorrows.”
Thus one day Lelawana boarded her canoe
and paddled into the middle of the roaring Niagara River. Singing
a time-honoured death-hymn, the girl allowed the canoe to be caught
by the rushing current ~ and soon Lelawana and her boat were thrown
over the edge of the enormous Falls. However, instead of finding the
'sweet release of death' in the deep waters below, Lelawana was
caught mid-descent by Heno, the 'god of thunder.' Heno brought
Lelawala to his home behind the falls, where he and his son nursed
Lelawana back to health. Once again, happy and confident in her
life, Lelawana fell in love with and married Heno's youngest son ~
and together the family lived behind the Falls.
Yet, Lelawala had one regret in her magical life behind the
thundering water. She wished to see the people of her past once
more. Unfortunately, she gained this opportunity too soon. Heno
informed the girl that a great snake was travelling down the river
with plans to poison the waters from which her people drank. They
would die and the great snake would feast on them. Lelawana was
granted permission to warn her people ~ and she was able to save them
from disaster before returning to her watery home. When the snake
finally visited the village, it was enraged to find the people had
fled.
But Heno rose up out of crashing waters and struck the beast dead
with a single lightning bolt.
However, the great snake's body obstructed the river's flow ~ and
began rushing directly into Heno's home behind the falls. Heno was
able to evacuate his family, Lelawana included, before the damage was
complete ~ and they relocated to a new place in the sky.
From their new home, she could every day watch her people
but she never again could visit with people of her past.
Written by Merle Baird-Kerr...June 28, 2018
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