Final Destination: Niagara Falls

6/4/2011

Today, I am going to wrap up my short journey in Ontario. My final destination is at one of the world's most magnificent and extraordinary nature--Niagara Falls. I can somehow here the sound of the pounding water and the roar of the falls from hundreds of kilometers away. Let's go check it out!

Niagara Falls is also a Canadian city on the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario. The municipality was incorporated on June 12, 1903. Across the Niagara River is Niagara Falls, New York. Every year, millions of visitors, tourists come and enjoy this fantastic landmark. I am one of them.
Here's the reason why this city can attract so many people, even more than New York: The city is dominated by the Niagara Falls, a world famous set of two large waterfalls on the Niagara River and benefits from the fact that both falls, the American and Horseshoe, can be best seen from the Canadian side of the river, thus presenting the city one of the major tourist attractions of the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls,_Ontario) Impressive Eh?

The city permitted the development of a tourist area along the falls and the gorge. I can see many visitors standing around the falls and taking pictures. I am going to join them.
Latitude: 43° 6' 0 N, Longitude: 79° 2' 60 W
Topography:
The city is built along the Niagara Falls waterfalls and the Niagara Gorge on the Niagara River which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. Nothing but a huge fall is there. A few cliffs along the side of the fall. The water is very strong and blue.
Climate: it has a humid continental climate which is moderated to an extent in all seasons by proximity to water bodies. In winter it can receive snow-squalls from both Lake Erie and Lake Ontario.

The precipitation is convectional, since there's no mountain around this place. Most of the moisture come from the Lakes and the Fall.

 Pretty much, there is nothing else to do in this small city other than watching the Falls. So, I am going to do that. I am going to ignore any other places in this city but the Niagara Falls. But, let's me introduce the history of this place first so everyone can have a better understanding of this place^^

The Niagara Falls area has seen continuous settlement since the 17th century, first by the Iroquois and then by Europeans who were drawn to the immense falls. Louis Hennepin, a French priest, is regarded as the first European to visit the area in the 1670s. Tourism started in the early 19th century and has been a vital part of the local economy since that time. As well as the obvious attractions of the falls, Niagara Falls markets itself as a honeymoon destination and is self-proclaimed as the honeymoon capital of the world. The name of the town was changed to Niagara Falls in 1881. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Falls,_Ontario)

After the history check@@ let's move on to the Fall itself^^ It is located in Great Lakes St. Lawrence Lowland region. Around it, the city depends on tourism, service and industry based economy and a bit of natural power. People come and visit and the shops serve all the foods and other services. The economy didn't really change a lot over time. The Fall was here so the land was fertile. But mainly, the reason why people kept settling here was that the Fall itself was magnificent and wonderful.

The Horseshoe Falls, also known as the Canadian Falls, is part of Niagara Falls, on the Niagara River. Approximately 90% of the Niagara River, after diversions for hydropower generation, flows over Horseshoe Falls. The remaining 10% flows over the American Falls. It is located between Terrapin Point on Goat Island in New York State, and Table Rock on the Ontario side of the falls. Much of Horseshoe Falls is located in Ontario, Canada with the remainder in New York State, United States of America. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_Falls)

Another interesting facts I got from the internet: The name is derived from its curving, horseshoe-shaped crest that is 671 metres in width. At the center of the Horseshoe Falls the water is about 3 metres deep. It passes over the crest at a speed of about 32 kilometres per hour. The fall is 53 metres high, has an average crest elevation of 152 metres and faces northwards. The depth of the river at the base of the falls, estimated at 56 metres, is actually higher than the fall itself. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horseshoe_Falls)

So I visit the Horseshoe Fall^o^

I am now behind the fall in a tunnel. I can see a curtain form by the powerful water, rushing down the cliff side. The water soak my shirt already! I hear the roaring from the reflection in the tunnel.The tunnel is full of people who are taking pictures. The wall inside the tunnel is concrete. Because the workers made this many years ago by drilling, the wall still has it's natural shape. It's irregular. The wall is covered by dropping water. It's quite chilly inside and is a bit wet. Unfortunately I can't take any pictures because I am not allowed to do so ;(

I then go take a ferry. The ferry just travels underneath the Falls. I feel the moisture hitting my face even though I am a hundred meter away from the Fall. See how strong the force is?

When I am only 20 m away from the fall, it's like raining. I suddenly want my umbrella. There is also a strong wind blowing here. The ferry trip is about 1.5 hr.
I sort of want to try bungee jumping at Niagara Fall in a really hot summer^^ It should feel great!!!!!!
On the way back to the dock, I sit down and find out the population of this small city.
The population of Niagara Falls is about 82,184 people. It's not a huge city. English people occupy about 22880, Italians occupy 15425 and the Scottish occupy 13910.
Population is pretty spread out since the Falls are wonderful and people like to live around them rather than staying in the city. The city itself is in between rural and urban I would say. The pulling effects are the wonderful nature and the hydro-power=cheap electricity^^

Let's take a look at one special economy of this place. Hydroelectric is a great source of energy here. Many electro-chemical and electro-metallurgical industries located here in the early to mid-20th century.

Another place to look at is Niagara Peninsula. It  is the portion of Southern Ontario, Canada lying between the south shore of Lake Ontario and the north shore of Lake Erie. It stretches from the Niagara River in the east to Hamilton, Ontario in the west. It's slightly bigger in terms of population: it's about 1,000,000 people.

The area was originally owned by a First Nations people called the "Neutrals". The Niagara Peninsula then became one of the first areas settled in Upper Canada by British Loyalists in the late 18th century. 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.(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Niagara_Peninsula)
The land is really fertile here. I see many farms here. I think it's probably  because this region is surrounded by 2 lakes. I also see some grape farms^^ Apparently the fruit farming is a good choice here.

My journey has come to an end.
The long weekend is about to end too.
I will go back to BC tomorrow and I will, for sure, miss this wonderful province, Toronto, again!




Source; Wikipedia, Google Engine, www.statcan.ca

Third Stop: St. Catherine

6/3/2011

I am in St. Catherine, Ontario. I am so excited to see those rowers rowing hard in the Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association.

(St. Catharine is right below Lake Ontario)

 It lies in Southern Ontario 51 kilometers (32 mi) south of Toronto across Lake Ontario, and is 19 kilometers (12 mi) inland from the international boundary with the United States along the Niagara River. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Catharines)
**By the way, it's called "The Garden City" because of its 1,000 acres ( around 4 km²) of meticulously groomed parks, gardens and trails.**

It's position is at 79° 15', W and 43° 10', N. I feel the breeze from Lake Ontario. The water is so clear. I can see some rowers practicing hard on the lake. Hopefully I will be able to see the Brentwood rowers^^ Even though it's beside the lake, it's still a humid continental climate region since it's in the middle of North America. But it has a unique micro-climate because of the moderating influence of Lake Ontario and Lake Erie and the sheltering effect of the Niagara Escarpment to the south. It's in Great Lake St. Lawrence Lowland so there are no mountains around; therefore, it had a precipitation of convection--mainly cause by the difference of the temperature.Here are the climate data of this peaceful place:

During my car drive, I find out that this isn't a really big city. It's not as huge as Toronto or Ottawa. It's the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region but is only the sixth largest urban area in Ontario, Canada, with 97.11 square kilometers of land.
**interesting fact: Residents of St. Catharines are known as St. Catharinites.

It has many small canals since the city is right beside the river. The lakeside is very beautiful. I often see many people jogging or chilling underneath the trees beside the lake. Lake Ontario is vast! I can't really see the edge of it. The water is glittering and the wind is puffing mildly. So nice. I hear the cheering of the visitors along the lakeside for the rowers in the race. I should walk my way there and take a look^^
The city isn't like New York or other cities; it's not full with lots of people. It has a similarly complex soil stratigraphy in the area occupied by the city because of the complex and extensive glacial history of the Niagara Peninsula. St. Catharines was once at the base of a glacial lake known as Glacial Lake Iroquois, which deposited thick layers of clay between the Escarpment and Lake Ontario. The city's soil is particularly conducive to fruit growing and is capable of producing grapes that are used to make award-winning wines. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Catharines) I see a few agricultural growing centers located outside the city!
Since the opening of the first Welland Canal in 1829, the city has seen four different canal systems, whether modified or newly constructed, carved into its geographical landscape. The canals are now cleaned and allow ships or boats to pass through.
This is the Welland Canal I pass by. It  is a ship canal in Canada that extends 42 km (27.0 miles) from Port Weller, Ontario, on Lake Ontario, to Port Colborne, Ontario, on Lake Erie. This canal enables ships to ascend and descend the Niagara Escarpment and to bypass the Niagara Falls.

I am now in the Montebello Park in the city. It is a public park in downtown. It's designed by Frederick Law Olmsted. It has a commemorative rose garden with over 1,300 bushes in 25 varieties is the city's largest rose collection and an ornamental fountain. The focal point of the park is a historic band shell and pavilion used for festivals. The park is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act, which allows municipalities and the provincial government to designate individual properties and districts in the Province of Ontario, Canada. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Catharines) I look closely at the roses, whether it's white or red. They are as beautiful as the angels. I also visit the band shell.

It looks quite funny eh? After the visit of this park, I then go to the Ministry of Transportation Headquarter just for the fun of it. There is nothing but a tall building. Kind of lame~~Also, I visit the Old Courthouse. It looks like a church with a dome on the top of it. It's abandoned, sadly. There are some old court documents in this "museum." See the picture below:

It's afternoon now, I am going to watch those rowers now^^ Speak to this, I need to introduce what's CSSRA (Canadian Secondary School Rowing Association)
It is an organization which governs high school rowing in Canada. The CSSRA has hosted the main high school rowing event, known as the CSSRA Championships (also known as "Schoolboy") since 1945. Schoolboy is held annually the first weekend of June (Friday through Sunday) in St. Catharines at the Royal Canadian Henley Regatta course. The event is the largest high school regatta in Ontario, as well as Canada, and possibly North America.The CSSRA Championships are hosted by the St. Catharines rowing club. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CSSRA) The total distance of the race is about 2000m~ wow, so long.
On the lake, thousands of rowers are preparing for their big races. I see the Brentwood crew with red and white uni-suits. Unfortunately I don't see them rowing at all, probably because the wind is too big@@ It's a bit windy. This is a rowing event that is way bigger than the Brentwood regatta. I am amazed by how manyn people come.

I catch one picture of this rowing event^^

There's one thing St. Catherine needs to take care of:
*It's a bit too close to both lakes, if there's a huge storm a big flooding might occur.*
I know it hasn't happened yet, but it's just a prediction.

I would say this city is based on not natural resources but a agricultural and service economy. The land is very fertile since it is in the Lowland region! And thousands of people come to visit each year so the income from tourism is quite large.
 In nineteen century, this land was full of tribes and local communities of English speaking people. They farmed here and formed  a small community. Gradually, more people come in because of the wonderful view and the fertile land. The city then formed.

Speak to all these people, the population of this city is around 390,317 (not that big). But it is the sixth largest city in Ontario! (imagine the whole northern part of Ontario is empty.....)

The population has grown a lot in the past century!
the population around this region is actually quite spread out. Many people choose to grow vine and other vegetation in more rural areas rather than staying in the city. Also many people decide to live around the Great Lakes too. So the population is less dense in St. Catherine than that in Toronto or Ottawa^^

It's time for bed now.
Hope those rowers will do well in the races this weekend
:)))
Let's visit the great Niagara Fall tomorrow!





Source: wikipedia, google engine (pictures), www.statcan.ca

First Stop: Toronto

June 1 2011

I just got off the Toronto Airport~~
This is a huge cities with thousands of tall buildings! That's why people say it's the biggest city in Canada!

Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario, which means it is more important than Winnipeg.It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. (The longitude and latitude are: 79° 24' W and 43° 40' N) It has a convectional precipitation but I am lucky today because it's sunnnnnnnny today! It's also a continental climate region.

It is the fifth most populous city in North America! So many people on the road. I want to go watch maple leaf play but i don't have time for that :(  (other teams here suck: Toronto Raptors and Bluerays........) According to my long ago Social Studies 9 memory, Toronto is in Great Lake St. Lawrence river region...hmmm... Whatever, I will go treasure hunt now!

Toronto is Canada's economic center$$  It is home to the Toronto Stock Exchange, the world's seventh largest in terms of market value. No wonder people come in every year. It's most service based economy with some manufacturing based economy. I can see many banks, shops all over the place. I also see some factories in the less urban regions. I can't imagine hundred years ago, this place was still a huge forest and grassland! Things changed a lot when the Europeans settled here in the past century. As more people came in, the land was cleared and it started developing into a town and thus a big city.
This was the long time ago picture:

and this is the picture now:

Cool eh!
Also, the population changed a lot.....obviously
On my book, it showed that the population here was originally sparse in 1800s. But more people came in after that. After the War of 1812, more people came in because Toronto was the center of Canada! The government was around here and it is a rich place! Now Toronto has a population of 5,555,912!!!!!!!! Amazing! Everyone loves city right? Who doesn't? Toronto's leading economic sectors include finance, business services, telecommunications, aerospace, transportation, media, arts, film, television production, publishing, software production, medical research, education, tourism, engineering, and sports industries.

Population Location and demographics --->

As I travel, I realize that I am experiencing the history. Toronto's history began in 18 century when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy. The settlement was later established as the Town of York and proclaimed as the new capital of Upper Canada. In 1834, York was incorporated as a city and renamed to its present name.I stop at the government building and look at the history records of this magnificent city.

When Europeans first arrived at the site of present-day Toronto, the vicinity was inhabited by the Huron tribes. The name Toronto is likely derived from the Iroquois word tkaronto, meaning "place where trees stand in the water". In 1813, as part of the War of 1812, the Battle of York ended in the town's capture and plunder by American forces. The city received new immigrant groups beginning in the late 19th century into early 20th century, particularly Germans, French, Italians, and Jews from various parts of Eastern Europe. Despite its fast paced growth, by the 1920s, Toronto's population and economic importance in Canada remained second to the much longer established Montreal. However, by 1934, the Toronto Stock Exchange had become the largest in the country. Following the Second World War refugees from war-torn Europe and Chinese job-seekers arrived, as well as construction labourers, particularly from Italy and Portugal. Following elimination of racially based immigration policies by the late 1960s, immigration began from all parts of the world. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toronto) Wow! Sounds like most of the population here aren't necessarily Canadian aboriginal people.

Enough with the history, let's look at the cultural indications of this big city, Toronto.
Toronto is a major scene for theatre and other performing arts, with more than fifty ballet and dance companies, six opera companies, two symphony orchestras and a host of theatres. Holly! That's way more than those in Victoria!

At noon, I am in Toronto biggest and busiest shopping center, Toronto Eaton Center. Thousands of people rush in and out! It's Toronto's top tourist attraction according to my book. After that, I go to Toronto's most significant building, CN tower. The CN Tower is a communications and observation tower in Downtown Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It stands 553.33 meters. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CN_Tower) I can barely see the top! It is the 5th tallest building on the planet.

Besides all those crazy modern buildings, Toronto actually promotes the development of arts, culture and heritage throughout the City. Also, it ensures accessibility to a variety of cultural activities that enhance the cultural attractions of the Toronto Region. Lastly, it provides direct cultural services through its museums and historic sites, and supports the entire cultural sector of the community. 

Another historic place in Toronto is the University of Toronto. It's the greatest university in Canada. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada. It was originally controlled by the Church of England but now becomes a secular institution. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Toronto) I see many trees along the campus and many young students walking leisurely here. I wish I can study here. It has the 4th biggest university library in the world. I almost get lost in this green, huge campus! Way too many education centers!

In UT, I visit Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library. It has the largest repository of publicly accessible rare books and manuscripts in Canada. it's a really cool place! It's completely silent in the library. I see so many protections for these rare books in the library including many security systems, alarm and fire extinguishing stuff. Just In Case of course! I sneakily take a picture of this library (inside ><)

I learn about the historically famous people in Ontario here. I now know who William Mackenzie was. He was famous because he pretty much led rebellions in 1837 in the whole Upper Canada, which is nowaday Ontario. The rebellion of 1837 drew the attention of British government to sit down and look at the serious issue in Canada. A key shared goal was the allowance of responsible government, which was eventually achieved in the incident's aftermath. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1837_Rebellion) I hate seeing people bleeding, but only through rebels a government can see the real problem.

Many churches here are Anglican churches because the majority of the population were English Canadians. The long-rooted conflicts between French Canadians and English Canadians stirred up many bloody events in Canadian history.

I see a few issues of Toronto posted on the official website:
1. the unemployment rate is still high up at 10%
2. The release of CO2 in the factories is still not low enough
3. The water pollution caused by the factories needs to be solved
4. The price is a bit too high =P
Hope the government of Toronto, along with  the government of Canada, can do something for these issues.

Anyway,
It's almost night time now, I need to go back to my hotel now. Enough typing. Have a good night guys.
Thanks for reading my article.




Source: Wikipedia, Google engine (picture) and Government Official website