Map of Southern Ontario showing Niagara Peninsula in red

The Niagara Peninsula is the portion of Ontario, Canada lying on the south shore of Lake Ontario. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. Lake Ontario lies to the north and Lake Erie to the south. The region directly across the Niagara River and Lake Erie in New York State is known as the Niagara Frontier. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 4th... Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Satellite image of the Niagara River. ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Location in the province of Ontario, Canada Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario Incorporated June 9, 1846[1] Government  - Mayor Fred Eisenberger  - City Council Hamilton City Council  - Representatives 5 MPs and 5 MPPs Area [2]  - City 1,138. ... Lake Ontario, bounded on the north by the Canadian province of Ontario and on the south by Ontarios Niagara Peninsula and by New York State, USA, is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. ... Lake Erie (pronounced ) is the eleventh largest lake on Earth[2] and, of the five Great Lakes of North America, it is the fourth largest by surface area, the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... The Niagara Frontier refers to the the stretch of land south of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and extending westward to Cleveland, Ohio. ...

Government

The greater part of the peninsula is incorporated as the Regional Municipality of Niagara. Cities in the region include St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Thorold, Port Colborne and Welland. Towns include Niagara-on-the-Lake, Lincoln, Pelham, Grimsby and Fort Erie, as well as the township of West Lincoln. Niagara Regional Municipality (2001 population 410,574), also known as Niagara Region, Regional Niagara, or the Regional Municipality of Niagara, is an area covering 12 municipalities, including th cities of Niagara Falls, Port Colborne, St. ... Nickname: The Garden City Motto: Industry and Liberality Location of St. ... Skyline of Niagara Falls, Canada, as seen from the Embassy Suites hotel. ... City of Thorold Flag. ... Location of Port Colborne in the Niagara Region Port Colborne (2001 population 18,450) is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada near Niagara Falls. ... Welland (formally The Corporation of City of Welland; 2001 population 48,402) is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada. ... Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Niagara Region Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake (2001 population 13,839) is a town where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Location of Lincoln in the Niagara Region Lincoln is a town on Lake Ontario on the Niagara Peninsula. ... Location of Pelham in the Niagara Region The Town of Pelham (2006 population 16,155) is located in the centre of Niagara Region in Ontario, Canada. ... Location of Grimsby in the Niagara Region Grimsby (2001 population 21,297) is a town on Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Location of Fort Erie in the Niagara Region Fort Erie (2001 population 28,143) is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. ... Location of West Lincoln in the Niagara Region West Lincoln is a township in the Niagara Region of Ontario, Canada. ...

History

The area was originally inhabited by a First Nations people called the "Neutrals", so named for their practice of trading goods such as flint arrowhead blanks with both of the feuding regional powers, the Wyandot and Iroquois. The Neutrals were wiped out by the Iroquois c. 1650 as the latter sought to expand their fur-trapping territory. From this point until the arrival of United Empire Loyalists following the American War of Independence, the region was only sporadically inhabited, as the Iroquois did not establish permanent settlements in the area. First Nations is a term of ethnicity used in Canada. ... This group was called the Attawandaron by the Hurons, meaning people of a slightly different language. Their territory was almost entirely in southern Ontario, save for three or four villages to the east, across the Niagara River in New York State; their western border was about Lake St. ... Huron redirects here. ... Languages Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, Cayuga, Seneca, Tuscarora, English, French Religions Christianity, Longhouse religion Related ethnic groups other Iroquoian peoples The Iroquois Confederacy or Haudenosaunee (also known as the League of Peace and Power; the Five Nations; the Six Nations; or the People of the Long house) is a group of... The name United Empire Loyalists is given to those American Loyalists who resettled in British North America and other British Colonies as an act of fealty to King George III after the British defeat in the American Revolutionary War. ... The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783), also known as the American War of Independence, was a war fought primarily between Great Britain and revolutionaries within thirteen of her North American colonies. ...

The Niagara Peninsula then became one of the first areas settled in Upper Canada by British Loyalists in the late 18th century. The capital of the new colony was established with the founding of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Many English and Irish immigrants settled in the peninsula, but by the 1800s, Italian and German immigrants heavily populated the peninsula and were the chief sources of immigrants followed by French, Polish, and other Eastern Europeans.^{[citation needed]} Flag Map of Upper Canada (orange) Capital Newark 1792 - 1797 York 1797 - 1841 Language(s) English Religion Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Sovereign  - 1791-1820 George III  - 1837-1841 Victoria Lieutenant-Governor See list of Lieutenant-Governors Legislature Parliament of Upper Canada  - Upper house Legislative Council  - Lower house Legislative Assembly Historical... (17th century - 18th century - 19th century - more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 18th century refers to the century that lasted from 1701 through 1800. ... Categories: Canada geography stubs | Ontario communities | Coastal towns of Canada ... This article is about the English as an ethnic group and nation. ... Eastern Europe is, by convention, a region defined geographically as that part of Europe covering the eastern part of the continent. ...

Following the agricultural period of European settlement, the Niagara area became an important industrial centre, with water-powered mills joined later by hydro-electric power generation in Niagara Falls and electricity-intensive industry in both Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. While agriculture – especially fruit farming along the shore of Lake Ontario – remains important to this day, it was joined in the 19th century by industrial developments. A succession of canals were built to connect the markets and mineral resources of the upper Great Lakes with the St. Lawrence Seaway (See also Welland Canal). General Motors built a considerable presence in St. Catharines with auto plants and a foundry, and a number of auto-parts manafucturers followed. Dry docks were also built at Port Weller on Lake Ontario. World map showing the location of Europe. ... Skyline of Niagara Falls, Canada, as seen from the Embassy Suites hotel. ... Nickname: The Garden City Motto: Industry and Liberality Location of St. ... Alternative meaning: Nineteenth Century (periodical) (18th century — 19th century — 20th century — more centuries) As a means of recording the passage of time, the 19th century was that century which lasted from 1801-1900 in the sense of the Gregorian calendar. ... The Canal du Midi, Toulouse, France Canals are man-made channels for water. ... The Great Lakes from space The Great Lakes are a group of five large lakes in North America on or near the Canada-United States border. ... The Saint Lawrence Seaway in its broadest sense (see Great Lakes Waterway) is the system of canals that permits ocean-going vessels to travel from the Atlantic Ocean to the Great Lakes as far as Lake Superior. ... A ship transits the Welland Canal, with the Homer Lift Bridge and Garden City Skyway in background. ... General Motors Corporation (NYSE: GM), also known as GM, is an American automobile maker with worldwide operations and brands including Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, GMC, Holden, Hummer, Opel, Pontiac, Saturn, Saab and Vauxhall. ... Port Weller, Ontario is a village located at a Latitude of 43°13 North and Longitude of 79°13 West in the Canadian province of Ontario. ...

Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls.

Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1160 KB) Description : Winter at The Falls. ... Image File history File linksMetadata Download high resolution version (2048x1536, 1160 KB) Description : Winter at The Falls. ... Maid of the Mist The Maid of the Mist is a boat tour of Niagara Falls. ... For other uses, see Niagara Falls (disambiguation). ...

21st Century

Heavy industry has been diminishing for the past decade or more primarily due to the slow-down of the North American automotive manufacturers. Thousands of jobs have been lost at long time area employers such as General Motors, Dana Canada Corp, Port Weller Drydocks, Domtar Papers and Gallagher Thorold Paper. Because of this, local municipalities have been forced to look at new and diversified opportunities to prevent an exodus of well trained staff. Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning compared to light industry. ... General Motors Corporation, also known as GM or GMC is the worlds 2nd largest auto company by sales revenue (Behind Toyota)[1] and has been the worlds largest automaker by unit sales from 1931 to 2006, longer than any other automaker. ...

Visiting

Hospitality and tourism has attracted numerous visitors to the area for more than 150 years primarily thanks to Niagara Falls. New development beginning during the mid 1990's has spun off an upscale hospitality boom throughout the whole Niagara Peninsula. This article is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Tourists on Oʻahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes, and also refers to the provision of services in support of this act. ... For other uses, see Niagara Falls (disambiguation). ...

Today, more than 10 million guests visit the peninsula annually to see the beauty of the Falls and the Niagara Parks. Ecotourism has become more popular with more people finding and exploring out of the way places such as the Niagara Escarpment, named a world Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1990. Niagara Parks Commission Logo Detail of a provincial plaque commemorating the NPC, near the brink of the Falls. ... Ecotourism means ecological tourism, where ecological has both environmental and social connotations. ... Rattlesnake Point near Milton, Ontario. ... A biosphere reserve is an international conservation designation given by UNESCO under its Programme on Man and the Biosphere (MAB). ... UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) is a specialized agency of the United Nations established in 1945. ...

Another area of major tourism growth in the past thirty years has been the expansion of the grape and wine industry. The many European style wineries and vineyards have played a major role in attracting visitors seeking a unique cultural experience. Most of the local wineries offer full tours of their facilities with a few offering onsite dining featuring unique Canadian cuisine paired with their own VQA vintages. It is common for many of these wineries' world class chefs to use fresh ingredients that are grown or acquired from local farms in season. Some wineries also feature live music and theatrical performances in the vineyard during the summer months. For the ultimate adventure, visitors come during the coldest months of the year (usually December to February) to watch some varieties of grapes being harvested and pressed outdoors in the vineyard as part of the process of creating the sweetest, and among the most expensive, wine on earth - Ice Wine. A few Niagara Peninsula wineries have won the most prestigious international awards for their Ice Wine products, many of which are only available from the vintner. A winery is a facility where fruit, usually grapes, is processed into wine. ... A common vineyard. ... Vintners Quality Alliance, or VQA, is a stringent regulatory and appellation system which guarantees the high quality and authenticity of origin for Canadian wines made under that system. ... Grapes for ice wine, still frozen on the vine. ... The term vintner is applied to wine merchants as well as (erroneously) winemakers. ...

There is an official [1] Wine Routes Guide for those that wish to self-drive while transportation companies offering wine tours operate out of major hotel and bed and breakfast establishments in Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto. (Driving from downtown Toronto to the Niagara wine region is about two hours). Dariush Grand Hotel,Kish island, Iran The 4-star Manor House Hotel at Castle Combe, Wiltshire, England. ... Tourists of various nationalities chatting over breakfast at a B&B in Quebec City. ... For other uses, see Niagara Falls (disambiguation). ... Categories: Canada geography stubs | Ontario communities | Coastal towns of Canada ...

Another major attraction for the well travelled looking for cultural activities is the famous Shaw Festival Theater (named for playwright George Bernard Shaw) located in the village of Niagara-on-the-Lake. This is also a great place for history enthusiasts to learn about the history of Canada as this was the seat of its first government when it was known as Upper Canada. This is also the location of Fort George, Ontario, a British built and occupied fort during the War of 1812. It was rebuilt for the public during the 1960's and is open during the summer months. Other key historical locations nearby include: Brock's Monument, the Laura Secord Monument and the battlefield sites of Battle of Queenston Heights, Battle of Lundy's Lane and Battle of Chippawa. George Bernard Shaw (born 26 July 1856, Dublin, Ireland died November 2, 1950, Hertfordshire, England) was an Irish writer. ... Categories: Canada geography stubs | Ontario communities | Coastal towns of Canada ... Flag Map of Upper Canada (orange) Capital Newark 1792 - 1797 York 1797 - 1841 Language(s) English Religion Anglican Government Constitutional monarchy Sovereign  - 1791-1820 George III  - 1837-1841 Victoria Lieutenant-Governor See list of Lieutenant-Governors Legislature Parliament of Upper Canada  - Upper house Legislative Council  - Lower house Legislative Assembly Historical... Fort George is a historic military structure at Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada, that was the scene of several battles during the War of 1812. ... Combatants United States Great Britain Canada Bermuda Eastern Woodland Indians Commanders James Madison Henry Dearborn Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Andrew Jackson George Prevost Isaac Brock† Tecumseh† Strength •U.S. Regular Army: 35,800 •Rangers: 3,049 •Militia: 458,463* •US Navy & US Marines: (at start of war): •Frigates:6 •Other... This article refers to the British general. ... Statue of Laura Secord at the Valiants Memorial in Ottawa Laura Secord (née Ingersoll) (September 13, 1775 – October 17, 1868) was a Canadian heroine of the War of 1812. ... Combatants Britain United States Commanders Isaac Brock † Roger Sheaffe Stephen Van Rensselaer Strength 1,300 regulars, militia, and natives 6,000 regulars and militia Casualties 14 dead 77 wounded 100 dead 300 wounded 925 captured The Battle of Queenston Heights was a British victory of the War of 1812 which... Combatants Britain United States Commanders Gordon Drummond Phineas Riall Jacob Brown Winfield Scott Strength At start: 2,200, 5 guns Reinforcements: 1,800, 3 guns At start: 2,000, 3 guns Reinforcements: 1,000, 6 guns Casualties 84 dead 559 wounded 193 missing 42 captured 171 dead 572 wounded 110... The Battle of Chippawa (sometimes spelled Chippewa) was a decisive victory for the American army which allowed for the invasion of Canada along the Niagara River. ...

Living

The region's moderate year-round climate, in addition to its close proximity to the United States for easy road and air access to the southern U.S., makes it a popular retirement destination. In fact, the Niagara Peninsula has both the highest density and growth rate of seniors for any region within Ontario. The highest percentage of seniors to the total population is located within the city of Port Colborne, Ontario. This is not to say that all of the Niagara Peninsula are seniors, in fact, with the booming hospitality and services industry, there are more employment opportunities for younger singles and families than ever before. Motto: Ut Incepit Fidelis Sic Permanet (Latin: Loyal she began, loyal she remains) Capital Toronto Largest city Toronto Official languages English Government - Lieutenant-Governor James K. Bartleman - Premier Dalton McGuinty (Liberal) Federal representation in Canadian Parliament - House seats 106 - Senate seats 24 Confederation July 1, 1867 (1st) Area Ranked 4th... Location of Port Colborne in the Niagara Region Port Colborne (2001 population 18,450) is a city on Lake Erie, at the southern end of the Welland Canal, in the Niagara Region of southern Ontario, Canada near Niagara Falls. ...

During the early 1990's a major telecommunications highway between metropolitan Toronto and the U.S. was upgraded to become one of North America's fastest fiber backbones. It passes through the heart of the Niagara Peninsula and enters the U.S. at Buffalo, New York. This gave Niagara the advantage of having direct access to the backbone and attracting many new professional call centers. Thousands of new jobs, from customer service, technical and management have and continue to be created directly and indirectly. Nickname: Location of Buffalo in New York State County Erie County Government  - Mayor Byron Brown Area  - City 52. ...

Compared with the cities of Toronto, Ontario, Hamilton, Ontario and most Ontario municipalities with populations similar in size to the whole of the Niagara Peninsula, the average cost of living is very reasonable. The cost of housing, both owned and rented, is lower. The three major cities, St. Catharines, Ontario, Niagara Falls, Ontario and Welland, Ontario are mostly urban with most needed services available locally. The remainder of the peninsula, especially to the far west and south, is either partially urban or almost entirely rural. Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Diversity Our Strength Image:Toronto, Ontario Location. ... Motto: Together Aspire - Together Achieve Location in the province of Ontario, Canada Coordinates: Country Canada Province Ontario Incorporated June 9, 1846[1] Government  - Mayor Fred Eisenberger  - City Council Hamilton City Council  - Representatives 5 MPs and 5 MPPs Area [2]  - City 1,138. ... Nickname: The Garden City Motto: Industry and Liberality Location of St. ... Skyline of Niagara Falls, Canada, as seen from the Embassy Suites hotel. ... Welland (formally The Corporation of City of Welland; 2001 population 48,402) is a city in the Regional Municipality of Niagara in Ontario, Canada. ...

Centres of higher education are Brock University and Niagara College, the former offering post-graduate studies in many disciplines. Brock University is a modern comprehensive university located in St. ... FREE YAYO Niagara College is a College of Applied Arts and Technology within the Niagara Region of Southern Ontario. ...

Transportation

The major roadway bisecting the peninsula is the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). This freeway connects Toronto and the United States via New York State. It is one of the major thoroughfares for the North American trucking industry and is responsible for supporting the carriage of nearly one third of all goods imported and exported. The second major roadway is Highway 406 which begins at the QEW in west St. Catharines and ends approximately 30km south in the city of Welland. Another shorter freeway is Highway 405, named the General Isaac Brock Parkway in 2006. It begins at the QEW in Niagara-on-the-Lake, just east of St. Catharines, and ends about 15km away at Queenston, Ontario where it connects to an international bridge that crosses into the United States at Lewiston, New York. This is also a major travel zone for the Canada/US trucking industry. The Queen Elizabeth Way (commonly referred to as the QEW, Q, QE, or Queen-E) is a vital 400-Series freeway in Ontario, Canada. ... Template:Hide = Motto: Template:Unhide = Diversity Our Strength Image:Toronto, Ontario Location. ... State nickname: Empire State Other U.S. States Capital Albany Largest city New York Governor George Pataki Official languages None Area 141,205 km² (27th)  - Land 122,409 km²  - Water 18,795 km² (13. ... Highway 406 as part of the 400-series network Highway 406 near downtown St. ... Image:Highway-405. ... The Village of Queenston (Latitude 43°10N Longitude 79°03W) is located 5km north of Niagara Falls, Ontario in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. ... Lewiston is a village in Niagara County, New York, USA. The population was 2,781 at the 2000 census. ...

All cities and some towns in the peninsula have taxi services while St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland all have a local transit commission. There is also one major airbus company that services Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo airports exclusively. Most cities and some towns also have very limited inter-city bus services operated mostly by Greyhound and Coach Canada. There are no efficient inter-city public transportation operating in the peninsula, however, a specialized inter-city regional bus service, owned and operated by the Regional government, began operation in late 2006 but is restricted to those requiring transport to medical appointments throughout the region and have no other means of transportation. (Other restrictions apply). The region hopes to have a fully integrated region-level transit system by the end of the decade.

Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Grimsby are all connected to the CN railway line. Via Rail offers limited daily commuter and weekend service between these three peninsula municipalities and Toronto and many points between. Via Rail and Amtrak also offer daily southbound service from Toronto to New York City with stops at the same stations. VIA Rail Canada (also referred to as VIA Rail and VIA; pronounced vee-ah) is an independent Crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. ... Acela Express in West Windsor, NJ Amtrak Cascades service with tilting Talgo trainsets in Seattle, Washington Amtrak train in downtown Orlando, Florida For other uses, see Amtrak (disambiguation). ...

See also

• Niagara, St. Catharines and Toronto Railway

The Niagara, St. ...

External links

• The Regional Municipality of Niagara