INTRODUCTION

The Regional Municipality of Niagara is a beautiful and diverse region nestled between Lake Ontario on the north, Lake Erie to the south and the Niagara River to the east. A brief outline of Niagara follows. For additional information we have included some great links at the bottom of this webpage.

Niagara is a unique micro climate making it Canada's finest wine region. The wines of Niagara have a world wide reputation of excellence.

Regional Niagara borders New York state in the USA and is accessible by four international bridges from Buffalo, Niagara Falls and Lewiston.

Regional Niagara is one hour from Toronto on the Queen Elizabeth Highway and has excellent rail and shipping connections as well as its own Niagara District Airport.

As a tourist destination, we are home to Niagara Falls, one of the seven wonders of the world, historic Niagara-on-the-Lake - the first seat of government in Canada, the Welland Canal - where ships climb mountains, and Casino Niagara. Regional Niagara was also the northern terminus of the Underground Railroad - slavery's Freedom Train.

QUICK FACTS ABOUT NIAGARA

A 1,800 sq.km. area located between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie, directly adjacent to the United States. ¨ª An estimated population of 408,905* living in 12 municipalities ranging from small, rural farming areas to large, urban industrial and service centres.
The four international crossings in the Region saw 28% of all same day trips from the U.S. into Canada in 1995. In 1995, 6,454,681 same day trips were recorded, a 6.2% increase from 1994.
A one hour drive to Toronto and immediately accessible to Buffalo and Western New York via the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). Within one day's drive of 55% of all U.S. manufacturing activity,** and almost half of the U.S. population.***
Two regional airports and two international airports within one hour's drive.

REGIONAL COMMUNICATIONS

Three daily newspapers: St. Catharines Standard, Niagara Falls Review and the Welland-Port Colborne Tribune are published in the region. All other major dailies also available. Weeklies are published in 12 municipalities.
AM Radio Stations - CHOW 1470, CHSC 1220, CKTB 610 and CJRN 710.
FM Radio Stations - CHRE-FM 105.7, CHTZ-FM 97.7, and 101.1 the Planet FM.
Cable TV service of 44 Channels available from Rogers Cablesystems and Grimsby Cable TV

QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE MUNICIPALITY

Regional shopping centres are located in St. Catharines (Pen Centre, Fairview Mall), Niagara Falls (Niagara Square) and in Welland (Seaway Mall). Specialty and downtown retailers, as well as big box retailers are also present throughout the region.
19 community centres, 22 public libraries, 13 swimming pools, 29 public tennis courts, 26 ice arenas, 8 theatres, 10 cinemas and 29 public golf courses.*
Seven major hospitals are located in the Region with over 2,917 beds**, over 526 Physicians** and 189 Dentists available.***
Law enforcement maintained by the Niagara Regional Police Service, the Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP and the Niagara Parks Commission.
Full fire and ambulance service available throughout the region. A 9-1-1 system is available for emergency situations.

AREA TRANSPORTATION

Two railways, Canadian National and Canadian Pacific, handle freight shipments
Passenger service is handled by VIA Rail
Intermodal (piggyback) service is located in southern Welland at Dain City
Regular road transport services available in the region
Courier services available from 15 companies
Regularly scheduled inter city bus service available every hour, seven days a week, to major destinations
11 taxi companies to serve the region

Sightseeing services and airport transportation available

NIAGARA'S PARKLAND
The famous Niagara parkland exhibits nature in full glory for all to treasure. Concerned for the natural and historical beauty of the Parks, the Niagara Falls Parks Commission was founded in 1885 to preserve and secure the radiance of the parklands. The Niagara Parks Commission is a self funded agency of the Ontario Provincial Government.

The Niagara Parks Commission maintains immaculate golf courses, restaurants, gift shops, breathtaking flower gardens, marina facilities, and several unique attractions, all enhancing the splendour of the parklands. The Commission has provided recreation trails and a transportation network to compliment the historic sites of Niagara.

The Niagara Parks Commission maintains one of Canada's finest public golf courses. The Whirlpool Golf Course is both challenging and invigorating to play. The lush green fairways wander their way throughout the course revealing 18 immaculately groomed greens, creating a golfer's retreat.

The Niagara River Recreation Trail is a newly constructed hiking, jogging and biking trail that stretches along the route from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake. The trail provides a safe place for fresh air enthusiasts while taking in the picturesque scenes along the "Mighty Niagara River".

The Niagara parkland stretches 54 scenic kilometres from nearby Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake and covers a span of 1,254 hectares of land. The Park is treasured as a haven of nature's beauty, ideal for family gatherings and leisurely walks, any time of the year. Considering the roar of the Falls, the natural wooded surroundings are remarkably tranquil.

AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY

Niagara has a collection of unique agricultural resources. Due to the combination of soil and climate, the Region has areas of unique agricultural land for tender fruit and grape production, as well as areas of good general agricultural land, suitable for producing a wide range of crops.

Two-thirds of Ontario's tender fruit orchards are located in the Niagara region, stretching from Grimsby to Niagara Falls. These orchards account for the majority of the province's peaches, cherries, pears, plums, prunes and grapes.

Niagara's grape industry has over 15,000 acres of growing area. New wineries are an expanding part of Niagara's overall agricultural/food processing sector. Increased sales of local Vintner's Quality Alliance (VQA) products and new facilities continue to strengthen both the agricultural industry and tourism in the Niagara region. A Wine Route, signposted from Stoney Creek to Niagara Falls, connects 24 of the area's wineries which offer tours and tasting. Hundreds of thousands of visitors tour the scenic Niagara Peninsula wine route annually.

ECONOMIC GROWTH

A continuing surge in development activity across the Niagara Region is driving advocates of the area to become more aggressive in their efforts to attract investors to the peninsula. On May 9, 1997, invited guests from Toronto and area financial institutions were welcomed by Regional Chairman Brian E. Merrett, the Hon. William Saunderson Minister of Economic Development, Trade and Tourism, and Gord Feeney, Vice-Chair of the Royal Bank of Canada. The objective of the day was to visit current operations in the agriculture and tourism sector to promote tourism investment opportunities that are evolving in Niagaras rapidly diversifying economy.

IMPORTANT NIAGARA LINKS