NIAGARA FALLS – Today, the Ontario Heritage Foundation unveiled a provincial plaque to celebrate the establishment of The Niagara Parks Commission.

Niagara Falls has been a popular tourist destination for nearly 150 years. By the 1870s, over 250,000 tourists came to the Falls annually. But visitors were becoming increasingly annoyed by the uncontrolled private commercial development around the Falls. In 1878, Governor General Lord Dufferin strongly urged that governments on both sides of the border combine their efforts to create a public park system to protect the Falls.

Although Lord Dufferin's original suggestion was for an international park, both the American and Canadian sides developed their parks separately and independently. In 1885, the State Reservation at Niagara, supported by the State of New York, opened to the public. In the same year, the Ontario government established a Board of Commissioners to create a self-financing park while overseeing the development of the Falls – with Casimir Gzowski as its first Chairman.

"Celebrating our heritage contributes to our quality of life and builds stronger and more prosperous communities," said The Honourable Madeleine Meilleur, Ontario Minister of Culture. "From those early days, there was recognition of the significance of Niagara Falls to the people of Ontario and the world."

In 1887, an Act was passed that established the Queen Victoria Niagara Falls Park (to become The Niagara Parks Commission in 1927). Early years were devoted to building pathways, laying out gardens and building a road along the bank. As time progressed, when funds generated by park admissions were obviously inadequate to keep the Park self-sufficient, the Niagara River was harnessed to generate hydroelectric power that ultimately assured a regular source of income. Yet, through all this, the Commissioners never lost sight of their objective to preserve and protect the scenic beauty of Niagara.

"The sheer majesty of Niagara Falls has always held visitors in awe," said The Honourable Lincoln M. Alexander, Chairman of the Ontario Heritage Foundation. "Its spectacular natural beauty has been preserved for generations of people to enjoy. Its mammoth power continues to illuminate."

Over the years, the Niagara Parks Commission has added to its portfolio – with acquisitions like the Chippawa Battlefield, the Laura Secord Homestead and many other parks. Today, The Niagara Parks Commission remains financially self-sufficient while welcoming millions of visitors each year to its parklands, gardens, attractions and restaurants.

"The Niagara Parks Commission is proud to be recognized as a place of historic significance by the Ontario Heritage Foundation," said Niagara Parks Commission Chairman Jim Williams. "Be it the development of hydro electric power in Ontario over a century ago or the evolution of Niagara as a world-class tourism destination, The Niagara Parks Commission has had a major role to play."

"Ontario's heritage is enriched," added Alexander, "by the ongoing work of The Niagara Parks Commission to preserve Niagara Falls. We are proud to honour them today with this provincial plaque."

This unveiling is part of the Foundation's Provincial Plaque Program that commemorates significant people, places and events in Ontario's history. Since 1953, more than 1,180 of these distinctive blue and gold plaques have been unveiled.

The Ontario Heritage Foundation is a not-for-profit agency of the Government of Ontario, dedicated to identifying, preserving, protecting and promoting Ontario's heritage.

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Contact:

Alan Wojcik
Manager, Marketing and Communications
Ontario Heritage Foundation
Telephone: 416-325-5013
E-mail: alan.wojcik@heritagefdn.on.ca