Posts Tagged ‘canada’
Marc-oliver of Ziptrek informed me that the zip-line will stay up and stay free for a while after the olympics!! Thanks Marc! I was in line for about 8 hours to get on this thing. it was free okay? and it is definitely in a unique location. I don’t know of any other urban location ziplines off the top of my head. It was neat to zip over a crowd and among city buildings. felt a little like spiderman, batman, or jack bauer cuz they’d do **** like that.
Duration : 0:5:12
Niagara Falls (French: les Chutes de Niagara) are massive waterfalls on the Niagara River, straddling the international border separating the Canadian province of Ontario and the U.S. state of New York. The falls are 17 miles (27 km) north-northwest of Buffalo, New York, 75 miles (120 km) south-southeast of Toronto, Ontario, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York.
Niagara Falls is composed of two major sections parted by Goat Island: Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side of the border and American Falls on the United States side. The smaller Bridal Veil Falls also is located on the American side, separated from the main falls by Luna Island. Niagara Falls were 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 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 fall over the crest line every minute in high flow,[1] and almost 4 million cubic feet (110,000 m³) on average. It is the most powerful waterfall in North America.[2]
The Niagara Falls are renowned both for their beauty and as a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Managing the balance between recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 1800s.
Niagara Falls is divided into the Horseshoe Falls and the American Falls. The Horseshoe Falls drop about 173 feet (53 m). The American Falls drop about 70 feet (21 m) before reaching a jumble of fallen rocks that were deposited by a massive rock slide in 1954. The larger Horseshoe Falls are about 2,600 feet (792 m) wide, while the American Falls are 1,060 feet (323 m) wide. The volume of water approaching the falls during peak flow season is 202,000 cubic feet per second (5,720 m³/s).[3] By comparison Africa’s spectacular Victoria Falls has over 15 million cubic feet (424,750 m³) of water falling over its crest line each minute during the peak of the wet season (250,000 cu ft/7,079 m³ per second).[4] 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, 100,000 cubic feet per second (2,832 m³/s) of water actually traverses the Falls, some 90% of which goes over the Horseshoe Falls, while the balance is diverted to hydroelectric facilities. This is accomplished by employing a weir with movable gates upstream from the Horseshoe Falls. The Falls flow is further halved at night, and during the low tourist season in the winter, remains a flat 50,000 cubic feet per second (1,416 m³/s). Water diversion is regulated by the 1950 Niagara Treaty and is administered by the International Niagara Board of Control (IJC).[5] Viewpoints on the American shore generally are astride or behind the falls. The falls face directly toward the Canadian shore. Thus, the most complete views of Niagara Falls are available from the Canadian shoreline. It is about a two hour drive from Toronto.
Duration : 0:1:56
Niagara falls, which are massive waterfalls on the Niagara River, have always been popular for the enchanting beauty and largess. The name Niagara originates from an Iroquois word Onguiaahra which means thunder of waters. Here are some interesting facts about Niagara falls:
Facts About Niagara Falls
•Niagara Falls were formed as a result of glaciers receding at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation and water from the newly-formed Great Lakes, which together created a path through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean.
•Although the Niagara Waterfalls are not exceptionally high, they are very wide. Their length of brink is 1060 feet while their height is 176 feet. Niagara Falls are one of the most powerful waterfalls in North America.
•Niagara Falls are located on the international border that separates the Canadian province of Ontario and the American state of New York.
•Niagara Falls includes two major sections which are divided by the Goat Island. These two sections are the Horseshoe Falls, on the Canadian side and the American Falls on the United States side. One smaller section of the waterfall called the Bridal Veil Falls is also located on the American side and is separated from the main falls by the Luna Island.
•One of the oldest and best known tourist attractions at the Niagara Falls is the boat cruise called Maid of the Mist boat cruise, which is named after an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character.
•The Niagara Falls had long been identified as a potential source of power. One of the very first attempts to utilize the Niagara Falls as a source of energy was in 1759. In 1759, Daniel Joncaire built a small canal above the waterfalls to power his sawmill.
•Augustus and Peter Porter later purchased this place along with the entire American falls in 1805 from the New York state government. Augustus and Peter Porter enlarged the original canal in order to provide hydraulic to power their gristmill and tannery.
•In 1853, the Niagara Falls Hydraulic Power and Mining Company was chartered, which eventually constructed the canals that were to be used for electricity generation. In the year 1881, under the leadership of Jacob Schoellkopf, power was generated using the Niagara waters. The power was sufficient to illuminate both the Falls as well as the nearby Niagara Falls village.
•It is a fact that the original Niagara Falls were near the sites of present-day Queenston, Ontario, and Lewiston, New York. However owing to the erosion of their crest, the waterfalls have retreated several miles southward.
•Several people have attempted to conquer the Niagara Falls. In October 1829, Sam Patch, jumped from a high tower into the gorge below the falls and also survived the jump. This incident has continues into a long tradition of daredevils, some of whom successfully conquered the falls, while some even lost their lives in the attempt.
•The number of tourists visiting the Niagara Falls in 2008 is expected to total 20 million. In addition to this, the annual rate is expected to top 28 million tourists per year by the year 2009
Duration : 0:1:51
The Maid of the Mist is a boat tour of Niagara Falls. (The actual boats used are each named Maid of the Mist, followed by a different Roman numeral in each case.) The boat starts off at a calm part of the Niagara River, near the Rainbow Bridge, and takes its passengers past the American and Bridal Veil Falls, then into the dense mist of spray inside the curve of the Horseshoe Falls. The tour is available starting from either the Canadian or U.S. side of the river, returning to the starting point in each case.
All passengers receive a blue Maid of the Mist poncho.
The first Maid of the Mist was launched in 1846 as a ferry service between the Canadian and American sides, pre-dating by two years the construction of the first suspension bridge at the site. However, with the opening of the Whirlpool Rapids Bridge further downriver in 1848, the ferry service lost business, and by 1854, became a tourist attraction instead with the launch of a more luxurious boat. The current captain of the Maid of the Mist is Captain Mark Keith of St. Catharine’s, Ontario
Duration : 0:9:55
Niagara Fall’s Suicide Jumper Survives Suicide Plunge over Canadian side of Niagara’s Horseshoe Falls. Definitely not a daredevil, a 30 y.o. man from western Ontario, in a suicide attempt, calmly entered the rapids above Horseshoe Falls, at 2 p.m. EDT, 11 Mar 2009, and survived the 170 ft plunge, and the freezing water for another 45 minutes, while evading rescue efforts. The force of the falls completely stripped him of his cloths. First taken to Greater Niagara General Hospital and later, transferred to Hamilton General Hospital, his condition was upgraded from critical to stable, with expectation of a full recovery. Only two other people and one dog are known to have survived the plunge without protection.
Though conscious when taken by ambulance, the man (identity not released) suffered hypothermia and a head injury. He fought off emergency responders from the Niagara Falls, Ont., police and fire departments, who tried to rescue him by helicopter and from the shore. He removed a harness that the helicopter rescuers secured around him, and he swam away from several other attempts. Finally, the helicopter downdraft was used to push him out of an eddy, while a firefighter swam about 50 yards into the Niagara River to grab him. Amazing enough to survive the plunge, the man also survived near certain hypothermia in the freezing water. Large ice chunks flowed around him and an ice bridge still crossed the Niagara river a short distance downstream from him.
Stunters are finned and charged for their rescue. Depression and other illnesses which induce suicide are not illegal and not fined.
Ruedi Hafen was the private helicopter pilot.
There are 12 to 18 suicides per year at Niagara Falls, as compared to about 25 at the Golden Gate Bridge. Many people are rescued above the falls, from suicide attempts and accidents. A known total of 15 people in 15 (planned and admitted) over-the-Falls stunts (2 men did 2 stunts, and 2 stunts were a pair) were performed since 1900. Of those, 9 survived, including the two women and one African American stunters. Six (6) men perished. A turtle survived in one and a dog in another – the dog had it’s nose stuck in the only air hole – the man suffocated. An equal number of people attempted but did not succeed in going over the Falls. The first successful stunt was performed on 24 Oct 1901 by Annie Edson Taylor, on her birthday, using a seeled barrel. She used her cat inside a barrel in a test run, which failed. Challengers usually used air holes, and later air bottles to survive till rescue. It is a race against time for air capacity if a barrel gets caught behind the falls after plunging. Only one man attempted a stunt trip over the American Falls, using a 9-foot rubber ball device he built to survive the rocks. He was stopped and arrested before he launched.
On 9 July 1960, 7 y.o. Roger Woodward became the “Miracle of the Niagara” when he survived a Horseshoe Falls plunge, after a boating mishap, with only a life vest and bathing suit for protection. His 17 y.o. sister, Deanne, was grabbed at the top by two tourists as she came along the side of Goat Island, seconds before the falls edge. Boat owner and family friend, James Honeycutt, died. On 20 Oct 2003, Michigan resident and auto parts worker, Kirk Raymond Jones was drinking earlier in the day and became the first person to backstroke over Horseshoe Falls and survive, wearing only his clothes. Entering the rapids in Canada, he calmly smiled at tourists as he went over the brink. People were shocked to see him surface and swim to shore. Despite a judge’s decision, Jones has denied it was a planned stunt. In the 1800’s a dog was swept over the falls and survived. Other animals are believed to have survived from time to time but were never confirmed.
Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls is the largest of the Niagara falls, that include Rainbow (American) Falls and Luna (Bridal Veil) Falls. Most of the Niagara River is diverted for hydro power generation in Ontario and NY. By a US-Canada treaty, in order to balance Falls beauty, power generation, and reduce erosion, 45 million gallons (6 million cubic ft or 168,000 cubic meters) of water go over the falls every minute during tourist season daytime (50% is diverted), with half of that amount during night and non-tourist season (75% is diverted). Rapids above the Falls reach a speed of 25 mph / 40 kph. The fastest recorded speed is 68mph, at the brink of the Falls.
Duration : 0:7:4
Movies and television
Already a huge tourist attraction and favorite spot for honeymooners, Niagara Falls visits rose sharply in 1953 after the release of Niagara, a movie starring Marilyn Monroe. Later in the 20th century, the Falls was a featured location in 1980s movie Superman II, and was itself the subject of a popular IMAX movie. Much of the episode Return of the Technodrome in the 1987 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon series take place near the Niagara Falls and it’s hydroelectric plant. Illusionist David Copperfield performed a trick in which he appeared to travel over the Horseshoe Falls in 1990. The Falls, or more particularly, the tourist-supported complex near the Falls, was the setting of the short-lived Canadian television show Wonderfalls in early 2004. With the recent influx of more international tourists, annual visits exceeded 14 million in 2003. More recently, location footage of the Falls was shot in October 2006 to portray “World’s End” of the movie Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End.[29] The movie Canadian Bacon takes place in the Niagara area.[citation needed]
Tourism
Peak numbers of visitors occur in the summertime, when Niagara Falls are both a daytime and evening attraction. From the Canadian side, floodlights illuminate both sides of the Falls for several hours after dark (until midnight). The number of visitors in 2008 is expected to total 20 million and by 2009, the annual rate is expected to top 28 million tourists a year.[30] The oldest and best known tourist attraction at Niagara Falls is the Maid of the Mist boat cruise, named for an ancient Ongiara Indian mythical character, which has carried passengers into the whirlpools beneath the Falls since 1846. Cruise boats operate from boat docks on both sides of the falls.[31][32]
American side
From the U.S. side, the American Falls can be viewed from walkways along Prospect Point Park, which also features the Prospect Point Observation Tower and a boat dock for the Maid of the Mist. Goat Island offers more views of the falls and is accessible by foot and automobile traffic by bridge above the American Falls. From Goat Island, the Cave of the Winds is accessible by elevator and leads hikers to a point beneath Bridal Veil Falls. Also on Goat Island are the Three Sisters Islands, the Power Portal where a huge statue of Nikola Tesla can be seen, and a walking path which enables views of the rapids, the Niagara River, the gorge, and all of the Falls. Most of these attractions lie within the Niagara Falls State Park.[33]
The Niagara Scenic Trolley offers guided trips along the American Falls and around Goat Island. Panoramic and aerial views of the falls can also be viewed from the Flight of Angels helium balloon ride, or by helicopter. The Niagara Gorge Discovery Center showcases the natural and local history of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Gorge.[33][34]
Canadian side
On the Canadian side, Queen Victoria Park features manicured gardens, platforms offering spectacular views of both the American and Horseshoe Falls, and underground walkways leading into observation rooms which yield the illusion of being within the falling waters. The observation deck of the nearby Skylon Tower offers the highest overhead view of the Falls, and in the opposite direction gives views as far as distant Toronto. Along with the Minolta Tower (formerly the Seagrams Tower, currently the Konica Minolta Tower), it is one of two towers in Canada with a view of the Falls.[35]
Along the Niagara River, the Niagara River Recreational Trail runs the 35 miles (56 km) from Fort Erie to Fort George, and includes many historical sites from the War of 1812.[36]
The Whirlpool Aero Car, built in 1916 from a design by Spanish engineer Leonardo Torres y Quevedo, is a cable car which takes passengers over the whirlpool on the Canadian side. The Journey Behind the Falls – accessible by elevators from the street level entrance – consists of an observation platform and series of tunnels near the bottom of the Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side.[37][38]
There are two casinos on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort and Casino Niagara. The former is situated in the Fallsview Tourist Area, alongside many of the area’s hotels, whilst the latter is adjacent to Clifton Hill, a major tourist promenade.[39]
Duration : 0:1:15
Going Over the Edge at Niagara’s Rainbow Falls – also known as Niagara’s American Falls: Neither suicide nor daredevil, a horrible tragedy by a man who over medicated.
I was contacted by this man’s family. He was a pharmacist, named Robert Ahrens, from the Tonawanda, NY. area. His body was recovered and medication found in his system. It is believed he over medicated and was not fully cognizant of his actions at the time he jumped in the water. His family firmly believes this was not a willful suicide act.
Death of any sort (accident or suicide) is not funny; lessons should be learned. This took place in the 1980s (often suggested to be 1985). News reporter, Phil Kavitz, and videographer, Larry Frazier, were recording a report at Prospect Point for Buffalo TV News 2 when a man jumped into the water and went over Rainbow (American) Falls.
Some people think it looks like he tripped or slipped. If you’ve been in this area, you would know that it’s not a totally unimpeded dash to the water. The family believes that he did not know of the danger and did not know exactly where he was. In this area the Niagara is fast moving and relatively shallow. He appears from his position and shoulders, above the water, as if he is paddling or was holding a small item that held him up.
This is definitely not a stunt. It is only a coincidence of circumstance that a news crew was in the area which afforded a final documented moment in history.
This area is the Niagara Falls heavy tourist area of Prospect Point, along the Tonawanda (American) Channel, bounded by Goat Island and Luna Island on the far side (SW) of the channel and Prospect Point on the near side (NE). It is slightly upstream of the brink of the American Falls (NW). The Niagara River/strait flows North 36 miles (58 km) from Lake Erie on the South to Lake Ontario on the North. In this area the water averages 2 to 3 feet deep with class VI (heavy) rapids, at speeds up to 3 feet per second. The depth and speed are affected by the amount of water diverted for power. Daylight hours in tourist season 50% of the water is diverted for power; 75% is diverted during winter and at night in tourist season. The rapids above the Falls is created by a 50-55ft (16m) drop in the rock strata from Chippewa-Grass Island Pool to the brink of the Falls.
Susan Banks was the news anchor at Ch 2, and no longer works there (maybe Buffalo Ch 7 now). I have not found a recent update about Kavitz or Frazier.
I’ll put up any info if anyone has more information or more accurate information.
Niagara Falls consists of the Horseshoe (Canadian) Falls, Bridal Veil (Luna) Falls, and Rainbow (American) Falls. The international border passes along the tip of Terrapin Point on Goat Island, NY, which puts much of Horseshoe Falls in Ontario, Canada, and the other two Falls in New York, US.
The power and the majesty of Niagara Falls is overwhelming, making the Falls one of the most beautiful places on earth. You can get up close and personal with the Falls in many safe ways. The Maid of the Mist (US and Canada), the Cave of the Winds (US), and Journey Behind the Falls (Canada) are amazing.
———- Suicides and Other Deaths at Niagara ———–
Unfortunately, some people visit Niagara Falls for non-tourist reasons. Every year there are 12 to 18 known suicides at Niagara Falls (not all bodies are recovered), compared to about 25 a year at the Golden Gate Bridge. Other people perform stunts over the falls, and some people have river recreation accidents and get rescued or meet their death over the falls.
Suicide awareness, proper help and the support of friends and loved ones could prevent a vast number of these deaths. The danger of this and any river can prevent needless accidental deaths.
The lure of the Falls for suicide is well documented, but in recent years, the publicity is presumed to inspire more people to choose the Falls to meet their end. It begs the question, why more isn’t done to curb suicide at it’s source, and more done for mental health and substance overuse or abuse services.
At the Falls, many people, both men and women, have gone into the rapids quietly, calmly, and often without witnesses. Due to the rocks at the bottom of the American (Rainbow) Falls, there is a lure to the expectation of a quick finality and a hope that their body won’t be found – although many are pushed out by the force of the water and recovered. Often the only facts of the suicide are notes, letters, personal belongings, and clothes left behind.
Some reports show that most suicides (maybe 90%) are over Horseshoe Falls, and that 90% of those survive the plunge but die by drowning at the bottom (the mechanics of a huge waterfall is described like a slide on a cushion of water bubbles). With the suicide jumper of 11 Mar 2009, only three people without major protection are known to fully survive without a scratch.
Duration : 0:0:51
NIAGARA FALLS, USA “Natural Wonder” The AMERICAN FALLS in Winter white! Here’s 5 different viewpoints from: The Observation Deck in NY, Goat Island, NY near the Bridal Veil Falls, and on the Ontario, Canada side walking towards The HORSESHOE FALLS. Braving the frigid December elements was well worth it, to see this amazing tourist attraction in transforming snow and ice! UNBELIEVEABLE BEAUTY!! The Bangles singing “Hazy Shade of Winter”.
Duration : 0:3:4
23.7 2008 Maid of The Mist boat tour takes you past the American and Bridal veil falls, then stops at the base of the Horseshoe Falls for at least 5 minutes giving you time to enjoy the awesome roar of the falls! Breathtaking !
( I had to stop videotaping once we got to the base of the falls, too much mist, camera started to get wet).
Duration : 0:3:57