Read this entry to learn about Niagara Falls. At the end of this blog entry is a short group assignment you can complete during and after your trip to Niagara Falls.
WHERE CAN I FIND NIAGARA FALLS?
The Niagara Falls straddle the international border between the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York.
The falls are 27 km north-northwest of Buffalo, New York and 120 km south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
HOW MANY FALLS ARE AT NIAGARA FALLS?
Niagara Falls is divided into the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. The Horseshoe Falls drop about 53 m. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 792 m wide, while the American Falls are 323 m wide.
HOW WERE THE FALLS FORMED?
Niagara Falls were formed when glaciers receded at the end of the last ice age, and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes carved a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. While not exceptionally high, the Niagara Falls are very wide.
More than six million cubic feet (168,000 m³) of water falls over the crest line every minute in high flow, and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.
WHAT DOES NIAGARA MEAN?
There are differing theories as to the origin of the name of the falls. According to Iroquoian scholar Bruce Trigger, "Niagara" is derived from the name given to a branch of the locally residing native Neutral Confederacy, who are described as being called the "Niagagarega" people on several late 17th century French maps of the area.
WHY DID NIAGARA FALLS BECOME A TOURIST CENTRE?
During the 18th century, tourism became popular, and by mid-century, it was the area's main industry. Napoleon Bonaparte's brother Jerome visited with his bride in the early 19th century.
After the American Civil War, the New York Central railroad publicized Niagara Falls as a focus of pleasure and honeymoon visits.
With increased railroad traffic, in 1886, Leffert Buck replaced Roebling's wood and stone bridge with the predominantly steel bridge that still carries trains over the Niagara River today.
WHEN WERE THE BRIDGES BUILT?
The first steel archway bridge near the Falls was completed in 1897. Known today as the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge, it carries vehicles, trains, and pedestrians between Canada (through Canadian Customs Border Control) and the U.S.A. just below the Falls.
In 1941 the Niagara Falls Bridge Commission completed the third current crossing in the immediate area of Niagara Falls with the Rainbow Bridge, carrying both pedestrian and vehicular traffic between the two countries and Canadian and U.S. customs for each country.
THE ASSIGNMENT
- Students will work in groups of three. With your group choose a tourist attraction. Here are five possibilities: Maid of the Mist; Casino Hill; Clifton Hill; The Hershey Store; a winery.
- Visit the tourist attraction with your group. Learn about the tourist attraction. Here are some questions you can think about: What can people do at this place? Why is this place popular? Where exactly is this tourist attraction located? What do I like most/least about this place?
- Take photos of your tourist attraction with a digital camera. Later, we can add photos to our blog!
- Write a paragraph about your tourist attraction with your group. Your paragraph must include an introduction sentence, a number of evidence sentences, and a closing sentence. You can email your paragraphs and photos to me (Cam) and I can add them to this blog.
