Minister’s door open: Craitor
From Niagara This Week:
The door to Tourism and Culture Minister Michael Chan’s office is always open and the minister will look at ways of increasing tourism in Niagara Falls, Kim Craitor said Thursday.
Craitor, who represents Niagara Falls at Queen’s Park and who is also the parliamentary assistant to Chan, made the remarks in a telephone interview with former provincial Progressive Conservative party leader John Tory on Newstalk 1010’s The Live Drive program, Craitor.
“The answer is the door is always open,” Craitor told Tory when asked if the minister would consider looking into getting the Niagara Parks Commission to change its decision to not allow a walk across the Niagara Gorge in front of the Horseshoe Falls by Nik Wallenda.
“The minister will listen to ideas from anyone, including Mr. Wallenda, Craitor said.
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Caution needed at the falls
From the Buffalo News:
This newspaper is not in favor of stunts that put both the daredevil and rescuers in danger. So we hope that the governor and State Legislature thought it through thoroughly before giving the green light to Nik Wallenda’s plan to walk a wire across Niagara Falls.
The legislation sponsored by Republican Sen. George D. Maziarz of Newfane directs the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation to allow Wallenda to anchor one end of his wire on Goat Island in Niagara Falls State Park. He still needs Canadian approval for the other end of the wire.
While Wallenda may have the “unconditional support” of Niagara Falls, Ont., Mayor Jim Diodati and Ontario Parliament member Kim Craitor, he still needs the approval of the Niagara Parks Commission.
The argument for allowing this stunt is simple: It would boost tourism to the falls. The stunt itself would draw thou-sands to the falls, and news coverage of the event would provide free publicity around the world.
Wallenda proposes to be a a modern-day version of the “Great Blondin” a century and a half after that daredevil’s tightrope walks across the gorge. In this age of 24-hour news channels and viral YouTube videos, the images would be projected worldwide.
In addition, Wallenda’s inevitable tour of the morning and late-night talk shows would add to the hype.
The arguments against Wallenda are many, starting with the question of whether such a publicity stunt diminishes the grandeur of one of the wonders of the world.
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Festival of Lights turns up the wattage with new sports events
From the Niagara Falls Review:
With its 30th anniversary looming next year, the CAA Winter Festival of Lights is adding more juice to its lineup.
Sponsored by beverage maker Cintron, a new three-day sports festival will take place throughout the city to conclude this year’s event. It’s expected to attract about 1,300 athletes in a variety of sports, along with 2,600 spectators during tourism’s chilly off-season.
Festival of Lights general manager Dino Fazio looks at it as a “mini-Olympics,” with potential for major competitions and TV coverage down the road.
“Curling, gymnastics, basketball, girls and boys hockey, you name it — if anybody wants to be part of it, they will be,” said Fazio. “The sky’s the limits in terms of the number of sports we could add, the number of age groups we could add.
“The beauty about this event is that it can include provincial and national championships.”
Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor announced $81,400 in funding for the sports festival over the next 24 months through the province’s Trillium Foundation. The money will be used to hire an events manager.
WKBW Channel 7 in Buffalo also had a related article
- Winter Festival of Lights to Open Nov. 5th.
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Falls Incline Railway slated for overhaul
From the Niagara Falls Review:
It’s time to stop the decline of the incline.
The Niagara Parks Commission has plans to replace its aging Falls Incline Railway that makes it easier for visitors to go from the Fallsview tourism district down into the park.
The upgrade is the next phase of its Table Rock Redevelopment Project and is intended to enhance the overall guest experience of Niagara.
The announcement was made Friday near the Table Rock Clock Tower close to the incline by Janice Thomson, interim chair of the NPC, and Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Tourism and Culture.
The projected opening date is March 2013.
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Ontario tourism minister didn’t force people-mover deal on Parks Commission: Niagara Falls MPP
From Bullet News Niagara:
A pending deal between the City of Niagara Falls and the Niagara Parks Commission to create a new people-mover bus system to service the millions of visitors to the Honeymoon Capital each year was no shotgun wedding.
While Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor acknowledges he and Ontario Tourism Minister Michael Chan were asked to help resolve an impasse in negotiations between the parties in recent weeks, the minister did not force a deal on the provincial agency, whose chairwoman Fay Booker continues to raise concerns about the impact the new system could have on Niagara Parks’ revenue stream.
“No – I don’t think that’s true,” said Craitor, when asked if the ministry put pressure on Booker and the commission to get the deal done.
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Justify sole-source contract: MPP
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Whatever information Niagara’s regional tourism organization used to justify an “exception” from the province’s ban on single-source contracts, it should be disclosed to the public to ensure public confidence in the agency, Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor says.
“I think that the chairman of the board should explain to the media or to the public what they presented to the bureaucrats that convinced them this should be an exception,” Craitor said Th ursday.
The first project by Niagara’s regional tourism organization — a body created last year by Ontario’s Liberal government to promote tourism — led to a controversy after it was revealed it commissioned Niagara Fallsbased Rev Publishing to produce a glossy $500,000 tourism magazine without putting it out to tender.
“This is not a good way for it to start out,” said Craitor, who is also parliamentary assistant to Ontario Tourism Minister Michael Chan.
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Craitor kicks off Tourism Week in Falls
From Niagara This Week:
Niagara Falls’ economic bread and butter is front and centre this week as part of celebrations for this year’s national Tourism Week.
In a kickoff celebration held today at the Ontario Travel Information Centre on Stanley Avenue, Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor, who’s also the newly appointed parliamentary assistant to the minister of tourism and culture, encouraged Niagarans to get out and enjoy the summer in Ontario.
“Our province has so much to offer, not only to visitors but residents as well,” he said.
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Convention Centre halfway done
From Niagara This Week:
Construction of the Niagara Convention and Civic Centre reached its half way point with a topping off ceremony as the last pieces of the roof were installed last Friday.
Construction began on the centre May 1, 2009 and the doors are scheduled to open April 8, 2011.
Mayor Ted Salci, MPP Kim Craitor, Regional Chairman Peter Partington and vice-president of Bondfield Construction, John Aquino, all spoke, congratulating the workers on their work in keeping the construction on schedule and in budget.
“You guys really do work hard,” said Craitor, “I tip my hat to each and every one of you.”
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Kim Craitor stresses the importance of Defibrillators
Niagara Falls MPP, Kim Craitor speaks to students about the danger of heart disease and cause of heart attacks. He stresses students not to smoke and keep active daily. Very few get another chance at life after experiencing a heart attack, that can be varied between a healthy lifestyle. Those lives that could have been saved [...]$75-million hotel announcement follows casino deal
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Ontario has locked down Casino Niagara’s long-term future with a 15-year extension on the lease at its Falls Avenue location.
The government’s commitment could unleash up to $1 billion in private investment in the area around Clifton Hill -money investors were afraid to spend when the casino’s location was uncertain, said Niagara Falls MPP Kim Craitor.
Ontario Lottery and Gaming, the Crown corporation that owns the province’s casinos, reached a deal with Canadian Niagara Hotels, the company that owns the building Casino Niagara has occupied since its 1996 opening.
“Today is really great news for the employees that work at Casino Niagara,” said Craitor, during a Friday afternoon ceremony at the casino.
It ends uncertainty that has surrounded Casino Niagara’s future for years. While the province was committed to keeping two casinos running, there was no guarantee Casino Niagara would remain on Falls Avenue…
Moments after Craitor’s announcement, Canadian Niagara Hotels released a statement about its plans to start work on a 30-storey 300-room hotel.
The new hotel will be built on land the company owns near its Planet Hollywood restaurant.
The $75-million Marriott Residence Inn would be the first all-suites hotel in the area around Clifton Hill.
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