Misplaced Pages

#180819

92-522: The name "Etobicoke" was derived from the Mississauga word wah-do-be-kang ( wadoopikaang ), meaning "place where the alders grow", which was used to describe the area between Etobicoke Creek and the Humber River . The first provincial land surveyor, Augustus Jones , also spelled it as "ato-be-coake". A letter from January 22, 1775 uses "Tobacock". Etobicoke was adopted as the official name of

184-568: A NOAA gauging station above the falls. During winter, the Power Authority of New York works with Ontario Power Generation to prevent ice on the Niagara River from interfering with power production or causing flooding of shoreline property. One of their joint efforts is an 2,700-metre-long (8,800 ft) ice boom, which prevents the buildup of ice, yet allows water to continue flowing downstream. In addition to minimum water volume,

276-711: A landslide . This drastically reduced power production and put tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs at stake. In 1957, Congress passed the Niagara Redevelopment Act, which granted the New York Power Authority the right to fully develop the United States' share of the Niagara River's hydroelectric potential. In 1961, when the Niagara Falls hydroelectric project went online, it was the largest hydropower facility in

368-587: A barrel with only minor injuries. Soucek was fined $ 500 for performing the stunt without a license. In 1985, he was fatally injured while attempting to re-create the Niagara drop at the Houston Astrodome . His aim was to climb into a barrel hoisted to the rafters of the Astrodome and to drop 55 m (180 ft) into a water tank on the floor. After his barrel released prematurely, it hit the side of

460-588: A brief account of the experience: "When I came into its awful presence the power of discription failed me, an irrisistible power closed my lips." Being on the Canadian border, Niagara Falls was on one of the routes of the Underground Railroad . The falls were also a popular tourist attraction for Southern slaveowners, who would bring their enslaved workers on the trip. "Many a time the trusted body-servant, or slave-girl, would leave master or mistress in

552-594: A census in Logstown in 1748, he identified the people as Tisagechroamis , his attempt at conveying the sound of their exonym name in Wendat . Other variants of this spelling were Tisagechroamis , Tisaghechroamis , Tisagechroan , Tisagechroanu , and Zisaugeghroanu . "The Tisagechroanu were the Mississagas from Lake Huron , a large tribe of French Indians, or under French influences. The name Tisagechroanue here

644-585: A descendant of Schoellkopf's firm, formed the Cataract Company headed by Edward Dean Adams, with the intent of expanding Niagara Falls' power capacity. In 1890, a five-member International Niagara Commission headed by Sir William Thomson among other distinguished scientists deliberated on the expansion of Niagara hydroelectric capacity based on seventeen proposals but could not select any as the best combined project for hydraulic development and distribution. In 1893, Westinghouse Electric (which had built

736-413: A few shelters designed to protect the landscape while allowing large numbers of visitors to enjoy the falls. Commemorative statues, shops, restaurants, and a 1959 glass and metal observation tower were added later. Preservationists continue to strive to strike a balance between Olmsted's idyllic vision and the realities of administering a popular scenic attraction. Preservation efforts continued well into

828-474: A focus of pleasure and honeymoon visits. After World War II, the auto industry, along with local tourism boards, began to promote Niagara honeymoons. In about 1840, the English industrial chemist Hugh Lee Pattinson traveled to Canada, stopping at Niagara Falls long enough to make the earliest known photograph of the falls, a daguerreotype in the collection of Newcastle University . It was once believed that

920-644: A group of First Nations peoples located in southern Ontario , Canada. They are a sub-group of the Ojibwe Nation. The name "Mississauga" comes from the Anishinaabe word Misi-zaagiing , meaning "[Those at the] Great River-mouth." It is closely related to the Ojibwe word Miswe-zaagiing , which means ‘a river with many outlets.’ According to the oral histories of the Anishinaabe, after departing

1012-547: A location roughly approximately 60 metres (200 ft) south of the Railway Suspension Bridge. This one was of an entirely different design; it was a cantilever bridge to provide greater strength. The Niagara Cantilever Bridge had two cantilevers which were joined by steel sections; it opened officially in December 1883, and improvements were made over the years for a stronger structure. As rail traffic

SECTION 10

#1732779762181

1104-561: A long tradition of daredevils trying to go over the falls. Englishman Captain Matthew Webb , the first man to swim the English Channel , drowned in 1883 trying to swim the rapids downriver from the falls. On October 24, 1901, 63-year-old Michigan school teacher Annie Edson Taylor became the first person to go over the falls in a barrel as a publicity stunt; she survived, bleeding, but otherwise unharmed. Soon after exiting

1196-580: A potential source of power. The first known effort to harness the waters was in 1750, when Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the falls to power his sawmill. Augustus and Peter Porter purchased this area and all of American Falls in 1805 from the New York state government, and enlarged the original canal to provide hydraulic power for their gristmill and tannery. In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company

1288-469: A proposal for international discussions on the establishment of a public park. Goat Island was one of the inspirations for the American side of the effort. William Dorsheimer , moved by the scene from the island, brought Olmsted to Buffalo in 1868 to design a city park system, which helped promote Olmsted's career. In 1879, the New York state legislature commissioned Olmsted and James T. Gardner to survey

1380-498: A series of bridges. In 1955, the area between the rocks and Goat Island was filled in, creating Terrapin Point . In the early 1980s, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers filled in more land and built diversion dams and retaining walls to force the water away from Terrapin Point. Altogether, 120 m (400 ft) of Horseshoe Falls were eliminated, including 30 m (100 ft) on the Canadian side. According to author Ginger Strand,

1472-532: A state reservation at Niagara, and the Niagara Falls Association, a private citizens group founded in 1882, mounted a great letter-writing campaign and petition drive in support of the park. Professor Charles Eliot Norton and Olmsted were among the leaders of the public campaign, while New York Governor Alonzo Cornell opposed. Preservationists' efforts were rewarded on April 30, 1885, when Governor David B. Hill signed legislation creating

1564-482: A supplemental report detailing plans to restore the falls. Their intent was "to restore and conserve the natural surroundings of the Falls of Niagara, rather than to attempt to add anything thereto", and the report anticipated fundamental questions, such as how to provide access without destroying the beauty of the falls, and how to restore natural landscapes damaged by man. They planned a park with scenic roadways, paths and

1656-487: Is an old valley, St David's Buried Gorge , buried by glacial drift , at the approximate location of the present Welland Canal . When the ice melted, the upper Great Lakes emptied into the Niagara River, which followed the rearranged topography across the Niagara Escarpment . In time, the river cut a gorge through the north-facing cliff, or cuesta . Because of the interactions of three major rock formations,

1748-510: Is derived from the name given to a branch of the local native Neutral Confederacy , who are described as the Niagagarega people on several late-17th-century French maps of the area. According to George R. Stewart , it comes from the name of an Iroquois town called Onguiaahra , meaning "point of land cut in two". In 1847, an Iroquois interpreter stated that the name came from Jaonniaka-re , meaning "noisy point or portage". To Mohawks ,

1840-494: Is diverted via four huge tunnels that arise far upstream from the waterfalls. The water then passes through hydroelectric turbines that supply power to nearby areas of Canada and the United States before returning to the river well past the falls. When electrical demand is low, the Lewiston units can operate as pumps to transport water from the lower bay back up to the plant's reservoir , allowing this water to be used again during

1932-419: Is full of small fish and crayfish , a sign of purity of water. The creek is characterized by winding paths ravines and shale banks. A section of Etobicoke Creek runs close to Toronto's Pearson International Airport , leaving a ravine very close to the west ends of runways 24L and 24R or the beginnings of Runways 6R & 6L. There have been two major aircraft incidents which have resulted in aircraft in

SECTION 20

#1732779762181

2024-503: Is now illegal, on both sides of the border, to attempt to go over the falls. Charles Stephens , a 58-year-old barber from Bristol, England, went over the falls in a wooden barrel in July 1920 and was the first person to die in an endeavor of this type. Bobby Leach went over Horseshoe Falls in a crude steel barrel in 1911 and needed rescuing by William "Red" Hill Sr. Hill again came to the rescue of Leach following his failed attempt to swim

2116-747: Is probably a misprint, for it is most often found Zisaugeghroanu." Starting in 1781 during the waning years of the American Revolutionary War , the Crown purchased land which encompassed much of present-day southern Ontario from the Mississauga in a series of transactions. They purchased the land to fulfill promises made in the Haldimand Proclamation concerning land promised to the Iroquois for their support for

2208-595: Is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control. The verdant green color of the water flowing over Niagara Falls is a byproduct of the estimated 60 tonnes/minute of dissolved salts and rock flour (very finely ground rock) generated by the erosive force of the Niagara River. The Niagara River is an important bird area due to its impact on Bonaparte's gulls , ring-billed gulls , and herring gulls . Several thousand birds migrate and winter in

2300-574: The Mississagi River . The Mississauga called for the core Anishinaabe to Midewiwin , meaning 'return to the path of the good life'. The core Anishinaabe peoples formed the Council of Three Fires and migrated from their "Third Stopping Place" near the present city of Detroit to their "Fourth Stopping Place" on Manitoulin Island , along the eastern shores of Georgian Bay. The homelands of

2392-481: The Niagara Gorge in 1920. In 1928, "Smiling Jean" Lussier tried an entirely different concept, going over the falls in a large rubber ball; he was successful and survived the ordeal. In the "Miracle at Niagara", on July 9, 1960, Roger Woodward, a seven-year-old American boy, was swept over Horseshoe Falls after the boat in which he was cruising lost power; two tourists pulled his 17-year-old sister Deanne from

2484-637: The Niagara River , which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario before flowing out to the Atlantic Ocean through the St. Lawrence River , the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 m (160 ft). During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168,000 m (5.9 million cu ft) of water goes over

2576-894: The North America Railway Hall of Fame in 2006. There was a lengthy dispute as to which agency should build the replacement for the Niagara Railway Arch, or Lower Steel Arch Bridge in the Upper Niagara area. When that was resolved, construction of a steel bridge commenced in February 1940. Named the Rainbow Bridge , and featuring two lanes for traffic separated by a barrier, it opened in November 1941 and remains in use today. The enormous energy of Niagara Falls has long been recognized as

2668-810: The Queen's Rangers .) Both "creek" and "river" appear in newspapers and books until about 1960. "Creek" was officially adopted by the Geographical Names Board of Canada on November 18, 1962, though it existed far earlier. The name of the river in Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) language of the Mississaugas , in modern Fiero orthography is Edoopikaag-ziibi . Etobicoke Creek begins south of the Oak Ridges Moraine and flows through Caledon, Brampton , and Mississauga — west of

2760-650: The Toronto Pearson International Airport and the surrounding industrial area — to its mouth at Lake Ontario in the Etobicoke portion of the city of Toronto. The length of the creek is 61 kilometres (38 mi). The creek's southern section forms a city and county-level boundary, separating Toronto on the east from Mississauga , in Peel Region , as far north as Eglinton Avenue (north of where it flows entirely through Peel), on

2852-532: The Vanderbilts had fueled the construction of giant underground conduits leading to turbines generating upwards of 75 megawatts (100,000  hp ), sent as far as Buffalo, 32 km (20 mi) away. Some of the original designs for the power transmission plants were created by the Swiss firm Faesch & Piccard, which also constructed the original 3.7 MW (5,000 hp) waterwheels. Private companies on

Etobicoke Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

2944-521: The twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario , and Niagara Falls, New York . Niagara Falls was formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age ), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path over and through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean. Horseshoe Falls is about 57 m (187 ft) high, while the height of

3036-478: The "Second Stopping Place" near Niagara Falls , the core Anishinaabe peoples migrated along the shores of Lake Erie to what is now southern Michigan . They became "lost" both physically and spiritually. The Mississauga migrated along a northern route by the Credit River , to Georgian Bay . These were considered their historic traditional lands on the shores of Lake Superior and northern Lake Huron around

3128-601: The 19th century, the Mississauga sought to gain compensation for the land granted to them but given to other settlers. In the 21st century, the Canadian government awarded the Mississauga of the New Credit First Nation nearly $ 145 million in settlement of this land claim. All the Mississaugas are a subset of the Ojibwe nation of 200,000 people. Historically, there were five First Nations that made up

3220-618: The 20th century. J. Horace McFarland, the Sierra Club , and the Appalachian Mountain Club persuaded the United States Congress in 1906 to enact legislation to preserve the falls by regulating the waters of the Niagara River. The act sought, in cooperation with the Canadian government, to restrict diversion of water, and a treaty resulted in 1909 that limited the total amount of water diverted from

3312-477: The American Falls varies between 21 and 30 m (69 and 98 ft) because of the presence of giant boulders at its base. The larger Horseshoe Falls is about 790 m (2,590 ft) wide, while the American Falls is 320 m (1,050 ft) wide. The distance between the American extremity of Niagara Falls and the Canadian extremity is 1,039 m (3,409 ft). The peak flow over Horseshoe Falls

3404-413: The Canadian side also began to harness the energy of the falls. The Government of Ontario eventually brought power transmission operations under public control in 1906, distributing Niagara's energy to various parts of the Canadian province. Other hydropower plants were being built along the Niagara River. But in 1956, disaster struck when the region's largest hydropower station was partially destroyed in

3496-572: The Crown during the war, and to compensate the Iroquois for losing territory to American colonists. The sale of land by the Mississaugas of the Credit to the Crown was referred to as the "Between the Lakes Treaty." In 1848, the Iroquois granted land to the Mississauga within the former's Six Nations Reserve on Grand River. The Mississauga became established on the New Credit. Beginning in

3588-492: The Falls was the wreck of the schooner Michigan in 1827. Local hotel owners acquired a former Lake Erie freighter, loaded it with animals and effigies of people, towed it to a spot above the falls and let it plunge over the brink. Admission of fifty cents was charged. In October 1829, Sam Patch , who called himself "the Yankee Leapster", jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and survived; this began

3680-554: The Horseshoe Falls is now entirely in Canada. Other sources say "most of" Horseshoe Falls is in Canada. The only recorded freeze-up of the river and falls was caused by an ice jam on March 29, 1848. No water (or at best a trickle) fell for as much as 40 hours. Waterwheels stopped, and mills and factories shut down for having no power. In 1912, American Falls was completely frozen, but the other two falls kept flowing. Although

3772-502: The Mississauga Nations. Today, there are six, listed here along with their historical counterparts, where applicable: Niagara Falls This is an accepted version of this page Niagara Falls ( / n aɪ ˈ æ ɡ ər ə , - ɡ r ə / ny- AGG -ər-ə, -⁠grə ) is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge , spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and

Etobicoke Creek - Misplaced Pages Continue

3864-668: The Mississaugas were originally claimed by the Huron/Wyandot , who were driven off by the Iroquois in the Beaver Wars in 1649/50. The Ojibwe Anishinaabe then moved into the area around 1700, pushing out the Iroquois. The French had previously called an Anishinaabe band near the Mississagi River Oumisagai or Mississauga and for unknown reasons began to apply that name to the Ojibwe who took over

3956-418: The Niagara Falls was between present-day Queenston, Ontario , and Lewiston, New York , but erosion of the crest caused the falls to retreat approximately 10.9 kilometres (6.8 mi) southward. The shape of Horseshoe Falls has changed through the process of erosion, evolving from a small arch to a horseshoe bend to the present day V-shape. Just upstream from the falls' current location, Goat Island splits

4048-797: The Niagara Reservation, New York's first state park. New York State began to purchase land from developers, under the charter of the Niagara Reservation State Park . In the same year, the province of Ontario established the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park for the same purpose. On the Canadian side, the Niagara Parks Commission governs land usage along the entire course of the Niagara River, from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. In 1887, Olmsted and Calvert Vaux issued

4140-455: The Western world. Today, Niagara is still the largest electricity producer in New York state, with a generating capacity of 2.4 GW. Up to 1,420 cubic metres per second (50,000 cu ft/s) of water is diverted from the Niagara River through conduits under the city of Niagara Falls to the Lewiston and Robert Moses power plants. Currently between 50% and 75% of the Niagara River's flow

4232-505: The balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities and then on to American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls. This is accomplished by employing a weir – the International Control Dam – with movable gates upstream from Horseshoe Falls. The water flow is halved at night and during the low tourist season winter months and only attains a minimum flow of 1,400 cubic metres per second (49,000 cu ft/s). Water diversion

4324-499: The barrel, she said, "No one ought ever do that again." Days before Taylor's attempt, her domestic cat was sent over the falls in her barrel to test its strength. The cat survived the plunge unharmed and later posed with Taylor in photographs. Since Taylor's historic ride, over a dozen people have intentionally gone over the falls in or on a device, despite her advice. Some have survived unharmed, but others have drowned or been severely injured. Survivors face charges and stiff fines, as it

4416-411: The course of the Niagara River, resulting in the separation of Horseshoe Falls to the west from the American and Bridal Veil Falls to the east. Engineering has slowed erosion and recession. The current rate of erosion is approximately 30 centimeters (0.98 feet) per year, down from a historical average of 0.9 m (3.0 ft) per year. At this rate, in about 50,000 years Niagara Falls will have eroded

4508-549: The crest of Horseshoe falls was reduced to maintain an uninterrupted "curtain of water". In August 2005, Ontario Power Generation , which is responsible for the Sir Adam Beck stations , started a major civil engineering project, called the Niagara Tunnel Project , to increase power production by building a new 12.7-metre (42 ft) diameter, 10.2-kilometre-long (6.3 mi) water diversion tunnel. It

4600-486: The crest of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate. Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power . Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century. Niagara Falls is 27 km (17 mi) northwest of Buffalo, New York , and 69 km (43 mi) southeast of Toronto , between

4692-482: The daytime when electricity use peaks. During peak electrical demand, the same Lewiston pumps are reversed and become generators. To preserve Niagara Falls' natural beauty, a 1950 treaty signed by the U.S. and Canada limited water usage by the power plants. The treaty allows higher summertime diversion at night when tourists are fewer and during the winter months when there are even fewer tourists. This treaty, designed to ensure an "unbroken curtain of water" flowing over

SECTION 50

#1732779762181

4784-779: The discharge of some errand, and never come back." This sometimes led to conflict. Early town father Peter Porter assisted slavecatchers in finding runaway slaves, even leading, in the case of runaway Solomon Moseby, to a riot in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Canada. Much of this history is memorialized in the Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Center . After the American Civil War , the New York Central Railroad publicized Niagara Falls as

4876-506: The falls and to create the single most important document in the Niagara preservation movement, a "Special Report on the preservation of Niagara Falls". The report advocated for state purchase, restoration and preservation through public ownership of the scenic lands surrounding Niagara Falls. Restoring the former beauty of the falls was described in the report as a "sacred obligation to mankind". In 1883, New York Governor Grover Cleveland drafted legislation authorizing acquisition of lands for

4968-505: The falls by both nations to approximately 1,600 cubic metres per second (56,000 cu ft/s). That limitation remained in effect until 1950. Erosion control efforts have always been of importance. Underwater weirs redirect the most damaging currents, and the top of the falls has been strengthened. In June 1969, a temporary rock and earth dam was constructed, completely diverting the Niagara River from American Falls for several months. During this time, two bodies were removed from under

5060-522: The falls commonly ice up most winters, the river and the falls do not freeze completely. The years 1885, 1902, 1906, 1911, 1932, 1936, 2014, 2017 and 2019 are noted for partial freezing of the falls. A so-called ice bridge was common in certain years at the base of the falls and was used by people who wanted to cross the river before bridges had been built. During some winters, the ice sheet was as thick as 12 to 30 metres (40 to 100 ft), but that thickness has not occurred since 1954. The ice bridge of 1841

5152-478: The falls is credited to Belgian missionary, Father Louis Hennepin in 1677, after traveling with the explorer René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle , thus bringing the falls to the attention of Europeans. French Jesuit missionary Paul Ragueneau likely visited the falls some 35 years before Hennepin's visit while working among the Huron First Nation in Canada. Jean de Brébeuf also may have visited

5244-419: The falls much easier. The story of Niagara Falls in the 20th century is largely that of efforts to harness the energy of the falls for hydroelectric power , and to control the development on both sides that threaten the area's natural beauty. Before the late 20th century, the northeastern end of Horseshoe Falls was in the United States, flowing around the Terrapin Rocks, which were once connected to Goat Island by

5336-400: The falls while passing through New York en route to Cumberland House as part of his second Arctic expedition, calling them "so justly celebrated as the first in the world for grandeur". In 1843, Frederick Douglass joined the American Anti-Slavery Society 's "One Hundred Conventions" tour throughout New York and the midwest. Sometime on this tour, Douglass visited Niagara Falls and wrote

5428-405: The falls) was a two-level suspension structure that opened in January 1869; it was destroyed during a severe storm in January 1889. The replacement was built quickly and opened in May 1889. In order to handle heavy traffic, a second bridge was commissioned, slightly closer to American Falls. This one was a steel bridge and opened to traffic in June 1897; it was known as the Upper Steel Arch Bridge but

5520-498: The falls, affords the closest view of the falls and is open to non-commercial vehicle traffic and pedestrians. The Whirlpool Rapids Bridge lies 1.6 kilometres (1 mi) north of the Rainbow Bridge and is the oldest bridge over the Niagara River. Nearby Niagara Falls International Airport and Buffalo Niagara International Airport were named after the waterfall, as were Niagara University , countless local businesses, and even an asteroid . The first recorded publicity stunt using

5612-405: The falls, including a man who had been seen jumping over the falls, and the body of a woman, which was discovered once the falls dried. While Horseshoe Falls absorbed the extra flow, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers studied the riverbed and mechanically bolted and strengthened any faults they found; faults that would, if left untreated, have hastened the retreat of American Falls. A plan to remove

SECTION 60

#1732779762181

5704-424: The falls, states that during daylight time during the tourist season (April 1 to October 31) there must be 2,800 cubic metres per second (100,000 cu ft/s) of water flowing over the falls, and during the night and off-tourist season there must be 1,400 cubic metres per second (50,000 cu ft/s) of water flowing over the falls. This treaty is monitored by the International Niagara Board of Control, using

5796-412: The falls, while spending time with the Neutral Nation . The Finland-Swedish naturalist Pehr Kalm explored the area in the early 18th century and is credited with the first scientific description of the falls. In 1762, Captain Thomas Davies , a British Army officer and artist, surveyed the area and painted the watercolor, An East View of the Great Cataract of Niagara , the first eyewitness painting of

5888-419: The falls. During the 19th century, tourism became popular, and by the mid-century, it was the area's main industry. Theodosia Burr Alston (daughter of Vice President Aaron Burr ) and her husband Joseph Alston were the first recorded couple to honeymoon there in 1801. Napoleon Bonaparte 's brother Jérôme visited with his bride in the early 19th century. In 1825, British explorer John Franklin visited

5980-417: The gorge. It opened for use by the public in July 1848 and remained in use until 1855. A second bridge in the Upper Falls area was commissioned, with two levels or decks, one for use by the Great Western Railway . This Niagara Falls Suspension Bridge opened in 1855. It was used by conductors on the Underground Railroad to escort runaway slaves to Canada. In 1882, the Grand Trunk Railway took over control of

6072-453: The huge mound of talus deposited in 1954 was abandoned owing to cost, and in November 1969, the temporary dam was dynamited , restoring flow to American Falls. Even after these undertakings, Luna Island , the small piece of land between the American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls, remained off limits to the public for years owing to fears that it was unstable and could collapse into the gorge. Commercial interests have continued to encroach on

6164-516: The land surrounding the state park, including the construction of several tall buildings (most of them hotels) on the Canadian side. The result is a significant alteration and urbanisation of the landscape. One study found that the tall buildings changed the breeze patterns and increased the number of mist days from 29 per year to 68 per year, but another study disputed this idea. In 2013, New York State began an effort to renovate Three Sisters Islands located south of Goat Island. Funds were used from

6256-411: The lands immediately north of Lake Ontario . On the 1675 Carte du Mississippi et des lacs Supérieur, Michigan et Huron , the Mississauga were recorded as "Missisakingdachirinouek" ( Misi-zaaging dash ininweg : "Regular-speakers of the Great River-mouth"). This was not how the Mississaugas originally knew themselves, but they eventually adopted the name and use it today. When Conrad Weiser conducted

6348-475: The name refers to "the neck", pronounced "onyara"; the portage or neck of land between lakes Erie and Ontario onyara . Many figures have been suggested as first circulating a European eyewitness description of Niagara Falls. The Frenchman Samuel de Champlain visited the area as early as 1604 during his exploration of what is now Canada, and members of his party reported to him the spectacular waterfalls, which he described in his journals. The first description of

6440-515: The ravine. The position of the ravine so close to the airport's overrun area has raised some concerns among the general public, despite Toronto Pearson's compliance with all safety regulations. On March 24, 2020, approximately 400 litres of red ink spilled onto Etobicoke Creek, causing it to turn red. Another tributary called Silver Creek was buried during the construction of Malton Airport , which has since become Toronto Pearson International Airport. Mississaugas The Mississaugas are

6532-533: The re-licensing of the New York Power Authority hydroelectric plant downriver in Lewiston, New York, to rebuild walking paths on the Three Sisters Islands and to plant native vegetation on the islands. The state also renovated the area around Prospect Point at the brink of American Falls in the state park. Theories differ as to the origin of the name of the falls. The Native American word Ongiara means thundering water ; The New York Times used this in 1925. According to Iroquoian scholar Bruce Trigger , Niagara

6624-695: The remaining 32 km (20 mi) to Lake Erie, and the falls will cease to exist. In the 1870s, sightseers had limited access to Niagara Falls and often had to pay for a glimpse, and industrialization threatened to carve up Goat Island to further expand commercial development. Other industrial encroachments and lack of public access led to a conservation movement in the U.S. known as Free Niagara, led by such notables as Hudson River School artist Frederic Edwin Church , landscape designer Frederick Law Olmsted , and architect Henry Hobson Richardson . Church approached Lord Dufferin , governor-general of Canada, with

6716-596: The river eroded the soft layer that supported the hard layers, undercutting the hard caprock, which gave way in great chunks. This process repeated countless times, eventually carving out the falls. Submerged in the river in the lower valley, hidden from view, is the Queenston Formation (Upper Ordovician ), which is composed of shales and fine sandstones . All three formations were laid down in an ancient sea, their differences of character deriving from changing conditions within that sea. About 10,900 years ago,

6808-577: The river only 6 m (20 ft) from the lip of the Horseshoe Falls at Goat Island. Minutes later, Woodward was plucked from the roiling plunge pool beneath Horseshoe Falls after grabbing a life ring thrown to him by the crew of the Maid of the Mist boat. The children's uncle, Jim Honeycutt, who had been steering the boat, was swept over the edge to his death. On July 2, 1984, Canadian Karel Soucek from Hamilton, Ontario , plunged over Horseshoe Falls in

6900-497: The rocks above the falls. The two men on the scow were rescued, but the vessel remained trapped on rocks in the river, and is still visible there in a deteriorated state, although its position shifted by 50 meters (160 ft) during a storm on October 31, 2019. Daredevil William "Red" Hill Sr. was particularly praised for his role in the rescue. After the First World War , tourism boomed as automobiles made getting to

6992-552: The rocky bed did not erode evenly. The caprock formation is composed of hard, erosion-resistant limestone and dolomite of the Lockport Formation (Middle Silurian ). That hard layer of stone eroded more slowly than the underlying materials. Immediately below the caprock lies the weaker, softer, sloping Rochester Formation (Lower Silurian). This formation is composed mainly of shale , though it has some thin limestone layers. It also contains ancient fossils . In time,

7084-560: The second deck after it absorbed the Great Western company. Significant structural improvements were made in the late 1870s and then in 1886; this bridge remained in use until 1897. Because of the volume of traffic, the decision was made to construct a new arch bridge nearby, under and around the existing bridge. After it opened in September 1897, a decision was made to remove and scrap the railway suspension bridge. This new bridge

7176-705: The small figure standing silhouetted with a top hat was added by an engraver working from imagination as well as the daguerreotype as his source, but the figure is clearly present in the photograph. Because of the very long exposure required, of ten minutes or more, the figure is assumed by Canada's Niagara Parks agency to be Pattinson. The image is left-right inverted and taken from the Canadian side . Pattinson made other photographs of Horseshoe Falls; these were then transferred to engravings to illustrate Noël Marie Paymal Lerebours ' Excursions Daguerriennes (Paris, 1841–1864). On August 6, 1918, an iron scow became stuck on

7268-455: The smaller-scale Ames Hydroelectric Generating Plant near Ophir, Colorado , two years earlier) was hired to design a system to generate alternating current on Niagara Falls, and three years after that a large-scale AC power system was created (activated on August 26, 1895). The Adams Power Plant Transformer House remains as a landmark of the original system. By 1896, financing from moguls including J. P. Morgan , John Jacob Astor IV , and

7360-509: The state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls , which straddles the international border of the two countries. It is also known as the Canadian Falls. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island , with both islands situated in New York. Formed by

7452-585: The surrounding area. The features that became Niagara Falls were created by the Wisconsin glaciation about 10,000 years ago. The retreat of the ice sheet left behind a large amount of meltwater (see Lake Algonquin , Lake Chicago , Glacial Lake Iroquois , and Champlain Sea ) that filled up the basins that the glaciers had carved, thus creating the Great Lakes as we know them today. Scientists posit there

7544-422: The tank, and he died the next day from his injuries. In August 1985, Steve Trotter , an aspiring stuntman from Rhode Island , became the youngest person ever (age 22) and the first American in 25 years to go over the falls in a barrel. Ten years later, Trotter went over the falls again, becoming the second person to go over the falls twice and survive. It was also the second "duo"; Lori Martin joined Trotter for

7636-549: The township (later city, now part of the city of Toronto) in 1795 on the direction of Lieutenant Governor John Graves Simcoe . The name for the waterway used in the Toronto Purchase treaty was Etobicoke River. Simcoe in a memo from April 5, 1796 refers to it as "Smith River or Etobicoke". In a letter dated April 9, 1796 he used "Tobicoke". (No reference appears for Smith but could be linked to Samuel Smith who would be granted land in Etobicoke and served with Simcoe in

7728-515: The west. The watershed encompasses 211 square kilometres (81 sq mi). Mean summer waterflow has increased over the period 1967 to 2006 from 3.5 m/s to 5.0 m/s (4.5 cu. yd. to 6.5 cu. yd.) as recorded at a measuring station near the river mouth at the Queen Elizabeth Way. The creek ends in a large recreational area, Marie Curtis Park . It is surrounded by cliffs and the bottom is solid stone, often covered with smaller rocks. It

7820-426: Was chartered, which eventually constructed the canals that would be used to generate electricity. In 1881, under the leadership of Jacob F. Schoellkopf , the Niagara River's first hydroelectric generating station was built. The water fell 26 metres (86 ft) and generated direct current electricity, which ran the machinery of local mills and lit up some of the village streets. The Niagara Falls Power Company,

7912-618: Was improved and incorporated into the Saint Lawrence Seaway in the mid-1950s. While the seaway diverted water traffic from nearby Buffalo and led to the demise of its steel and grain mills, other industries in the Niagara River valley flourished with the help of the electric power produced by the river. However, since the 1970s the region has declined economically. The cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada, and Niagara Falls, New York, United States, are connected by two international bridges. The Rainbow Bridge, just downriver from

8004-621: Was increasing, the Michigan Central Railroad company decided to build a new bridge in 1923, to be located between the Lower Steel Arch Bridge and the Cantilever Bridge. The Michigan Central Railway Bridge opened in February 1925 and remained in use until the early 21st century. The Cantilever Bridge was removed and scrapped after the new rail bridge opened. Nonetheless, it was inducted into

8096-500: Was initially known as the Niagara Railway Arch, or Lower Steel Arch Bridge; it had two decks, the lower one used for carriages and the upper for trains. In 1937, it was renamed the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge and remains in use today. All of the structures built up to that time were referred to as Lower Niagara bridges and were some distance from the falls. The first bridge in the so-called Upper Niagara area (closer to

8188-515: Was officially placed into service in March 2013, helping to increase the generating complex's nameplate capacity by 150 megawatts. It did so by tapping water from farther up the Niagara River than was possible with the preexisting arrangement. The tunnel provided new hydroelectricity for approximately 160,000 homes. Ships can bypass Niagara Falls by means of the Welland Canal , which

8280-547: Was often called the Honeymoon Bridge . The single level included a track for trolleys and space for carriages and pedestrians. The design led to the bridge being very close to the surface of the river and in January 1938, an ice jam twisted the steel frame of the bridge which later collapsed on January 27, 1938. Another Lower Niagara bridge had been commissioned in 1883 by Cornelius Vanderbilt for use by railways at

8372-474: Was recorded at 6,370 m /s (225,000 cu ft/s). The average annual flow rate is 2,400 m /s (85,000 cu ft/s). Since the flow is a direct function of the Lake Erie water elevation, it typically peaks in late spring or early summer. During the summer months, at least 2,800 m /s (99,000 cu ft/s) of water traverse the falls, some 90% of which goes over Horseshoe Falls, while

8464-486: Was said to be at least 30 metres (100 ft) thick. On February 4, 1912, the ice bridge which had formed on January 15 began breaking up while people were still on it. Many escaped, but three died during the event, later named the Ice Bridge Tragedy. A number of bridges have spanned the Niagara River in the general vicinity of the falls. The first, not far from the whirlpool , was a suspension bridge above

#180819