ABOUT NIAGARA AND THE PEOPLE WHO LIVE HERE

Planes, trains, buses and automobiles: whatever the mode of transportation, close to 20 million visitors from all over the globe make their way to Niagara each year.

What is it about Niagara that makes it one of the top vacation destinations?

We've got beauty and a past: Apart from the unforgettable magnificence of the world-famous waterfalls, the area boasts numerous award-winning vineyards, miles of tender fruit orchards, parks and trails for nature lovers, rolling country drives, scenic beachfronts along Lakes Ontario and Erie, theatres, museums and art galleries, and wonderful views of the Niagara Escarpment, not to mention the ships from around the world that ply the Welland Ship Canal. And if you like history, you can step into the past at Fort George and experience what it must have been like during the War of 1812 or take a
virtual tour of the Niagara Freedom Trail where you walk in the footsteps of an estimated 40,000 slaves from America who travelled the Underground Railroad to seek freedom in Canada under the guidance of Harriet Tubman. Indeed, Niagara offers something for everyone to enjoy year-round, and the Winter Festival of Lights held simultaneously on both sides of the Niagara Falls border over the Christmas season draws thousands of visitors every
year.

Tourism travel to Niagara Falls actually dates back to the 1820's and before the end of that century had increased more than 10-fold to become the area's premier industry. Early English settlements included what is now Niagara-on-the-Lake, and St. Catharines (site of the first Welland Canal).

How to get here: Getting to this picturesque and history-laden part of Canada is as easy as choosing your mode of transportation. If it is by air there are four international airports within an hour's drive of Niagara. In Canada, Toronto International Airport, whose correct title is Lester B. Pearson International Airport, is a little over an hour's drive north of Niagara; Hamilton International Airport is located approximately 30 minutes north of Niagara. In the U.S. there is the Greater Buffalo International Airport, a half hour drive south of Niagara but that is not allowing for time spent crossing the border; and the Niagara Falls International Airport in Niagara Falls, N.Y., which is only approximately 15 minutes south of Niagara Falls, Canada, again not allowing for border crossing. Also there is the Niagara District Airport in Niagara-On-The-Lake, Canada, which handles commercial, charter, private and corporate aircraft.

There are four international bridges spanning the Niagara River and linking Canada and the U.S.

If you prefer to travel by train, VIA Rail Canada provides passenger transportation across Canada with connections to the United States but you'd be wise to check to see if they have accessible coaches where you live coming this way.; Not all trains are accessible. Bus/coach transportation is provided by a number of companies, the major ones being Greyhound and Trentway and it is also wise to ask ahead and arrange an accessible bus if you cannot sit in a regular coach seat and your wheelchair or scooter cannot be stored under the bus with the common luggage.

For those who like to be behind the wheel and travel by road, the main route serving the Niagara Peninsula is the Queen Elizabeth Highway (commonly known as the QEW) which runs through the peninsula from Hamilton to the Peace Bridge at Fort Erie linking Canada and the U.S. The QEW actually goes all the way to Toronto and links up with the 400 series of highways.

Highway signs in Canada are posted in kilometres with 100 km/h (60 mph) being the speed limit on major highways. The next major highway through the peninsula is Highway 406, which exits off the QEW and takes you to St. Catharines, Welland and Port Colborne, crossing Niagara from north to south.

Where are we? - If you can't find Niagara, as such, on a map, Niagara itself is actually a region spanning close to 1900 square kilometres and comprises 12 municipalities: Fort Erie, Grimsby, Lincoln, Niagara Falls, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Pelham, Port Colborne, St. Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet, Welland and West Lincoln, each definitely worth a visit with its own attractions, such as the 28 murals painted by Canadian artists on Welland buildings. And did you know that the border town of Fort Erie is home to Lois Maxwell, Miss Moneypenny of James Bond movie
fame?

Although commonly referred to as the Niagara Peninsula, the area is in fact an isthmus - a narrow piece of land connecting two larger bodies of land - and is nestled between two lakes and a river, namely Lake Ontario to the
north and Lake Erie to the south, which are connected by the Niagara River and the Welland Ship Canal.

More than 400,000 people call Niagara home and live, work and play here. The leading employers include General Motors of Canada, Casino Niagara, Canadian Tire Acceptance Ltd., which services Canadian Tire credit customers, Stelpipe/Page Hersey Works and Atlas Specialty Steels, both of which produce steel products, and the NuComm International call centre. Niagara is also somewhat of a bedroom community for people who enjoy living here but still work in such cities as Hamilton and Toronto.

Language: In 1988 Canada officially became a bilingual country - English and French --with the passing of the Official Languages Act. However, the social fabric of Niagara reflects a wide ethnic diversity, a veritable mosaic of multiculturalism with many nationalities maintaining their own meeting facilities and places of worship. Many of the 12 communities making up Niagara have clubs such as Armenian, Croatian, Hungarian, Italian and Polish staging exciting and colorful events throughout the year. Among the most notable events are the Welland Folklore Festival on the Labour Day weekend in September and the St. Catharines Folk Arts Festival, a two-week multicultural event held the last two weeks of May. If you think you might have a problejm with the language in Niagara, think again. English is the language spoken by the vast majority of people in Niagara and virtually all signage is in English.

Schools: Niagara is proud of its educational facilities, everything from 100 day care centres and nursery schools to its two post-secondary institutions, Brock University, whose main tower dominates the St. Catharines skyline, and Niagara College of Applied Arts and Sciences located in Niagara-on-the-Lake and Welland. St. Catharines also boasts one of the finest private schools: Ridley College, which names Britain's Prince Andrew among its alumni, is known in many countries around the world. Ridley was established as a boys school in 1888 and became co-educational in 1973. Today, almost half its registrants are girls.

Shopping: A visit to Niagara wouldn't be complete without checking out the shopping malls. The Factory Outlet Mall in Niagara Falls is popular with shoppers on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border while the Pen Centre in St. Catharines is the largest of the region's malls which number close to 20.
Historic Niagara also offers much in the way of antique shops with Niagara-On-The-Lake (not all accessible) leading the way and Jordan Village a close second (completely accessible).

Currency: For visitors who are unfamiliar with Canadian money, we have both coinage and paper money. Coins come in denominations of one cent, five cents (called a nickel), 10 cents (called a dime), 25 cents (called a quarter), a dollar (which is 100 cents and is called a loonie) and we also have a two-dollar coin (called a toonie). Paper money comes in 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100-dollar bills, with each denomination easily identified by its own color. Some places f business will not cash anything larger than a $20 bill due to counterfeiting so get your Canadian money in small bills before you arrive if you want to save time or visit a currency exchange here but don't load up on large bills. All major credit cards are accepted everywhere in Niagara so you don't need a lot of cash. And there's a bonus if you're visiting from the U.S. or carrying U.S. currency. Your dollar is worth more in Canada. Rates fluctuate daily but merchants all over Niagara recognize the U.S. dollar and allow a fair daily exchange.

Tipping is also customary and 15% of the bill is usually appropriate when dining out. If you have someone helping with luggage a loonie per bag or $2-$5 for the doorman or bellboy would be an example of an acceptable tip.

So if picturesque and historic Niagara is in your vacation plans a warm welcome awaits you.
For more information about Niagara and all it has to offer keep reading www.accessibleniagara.com and go to our links section where you'll find links to many more Web sites on Niagara.