EDITORIAL — Reducing passport prices would aid tourism industry
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Ontario’s tourism industry, particularly in Niagara, has been in one long struggle for the better part of the last decade.
Ever since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, border security in the United States has been an ongoing concern; a byproduct of that has been fewer American visitors heading north.
That scenario was magnified last year when the U.S. Department of Homeland Security implemented its Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, making a passport a necessity if you plan on crossing the border — or more to the point, if you want to enter the United States.
That means any American without a passport can get out of their homeland, but they can’t get back in.
And because fewer than one in three Americans owns a passport, that has manifested in plummeting tourism numbers.
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LaChiusa’s Queen of the Mist, About Niagara Heroine, in Development; Mary Testa Stars
I don’t know anything about this, but apparently there is going to be a play that is “about a real-life lady daredevil who survived a plunge over Niagara Falls”. The play will be about Annie Taylor.
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Online reservation booking becomes increasingly popular
From the Buffalo News:
The online booking of tourism reservations continues to grow in popularity, according to the Niagara Tourism&Convention Corp., principal promoter of tourism in Niagara County.
Bookings through the corporation’s Web site ( www.niagara-usa.com ) in June and July amounted to twice as much revenue for local hospitality vendors as did bookings for those same months last year, said John H. Percy Jr., president and chief executive officer of the corporation. He said 2,547 bookings have been made so far this year through the online reservation system.
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193-room Hotel Niagara headed to the auction block
From the Buffalo News:
The once-elegant 12-story Hotel Niagara, built in 1924 with 193 rooms, is going on the foreclosure auction block.
The hotel, which has been closed for some time, has fallen on hard economic times and needs modernization if it is to remain competitive. It has been the subject of a mechanic’s lien, owes back taxes and has been condemned for occupancy because of the lack of heat and water during a reconstruction effort.
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Reconsider trolleys, former city worker urges
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Niagara Falls should put the brakes on the purchase of buses for shuttling tourists around town and reconsider an electric trolley system before plans for the new people mover system leave the station, says former city employee Derek Costello.
But council members say their current people mover plan is affordable, will serve a wider area and is what the tourism industry wants now.
Electric trolleys are better for the environment than buses that burn fossil fuels. Their long-term maintenance costs are lower than buses with tires and moving parts have to be replaced more frequently than steel wheels or electric motors, Costello said.
“There’s such a strong movement (toward trolleys). It makes you think why, why, why buses?” Costello, a retired engineering technician, said. “A mistake is made forever. To amend a decision now is more prudent.”
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Sophistication at Fallsview Casino Resort
From the Toronto Sun:
Well known for its glitzy casino — the largest and most elegant in Canada with 3,000 slot machines and 130 gaming tables — Fallsview Casino Resort has also earned a much-deserved reputation as one of the finest hotels in Niagara Falls.
Every year since it opened in 2004, the Hotel at Fallsview has been awarded the CAA/AAA Four Diamond Award, which recognizes excellent customer service and attention to detail.
So even if gambling is not your thing, the 374-room property provides everything a couple needs for a pampering weekend away: Luxurious rooms with a view, excellent gourmet restaurants and shops.
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From Hennepin to hydro
From the Niagara Falls Review (including a video):
The area around Niagara Falls was to be preserved as “a mecca of peace” for the “millions of overworked and tired humanity” to enjoy, according to John Langmuir, the second chairman of the Niagara Parks Commission.
A century and a quarter after it was created, the parks commission is still meeting that objective, said historian Sherman Zavitz, who quoted Langmuir’s vision during a walking tour of Queen Victoria Park Sunday.
“He thought about that for a while before he wrote those lines,” Zavitz said.
Sunday’s tour was one of the events marking this year’s 125th anniversary of the Niagara Parks Commission’s creation in 1885. Zavitz will lead a second free tour Wednesday at 6:30 p.m., leaving from the parks police station.
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Garbage no picnic for NPC
From Niagara This Week:
The Niagara Parks Commission has a garbage problem.
The NPC discussed problems regarding increased garbage and litter at some of its locations after general manager John Kernahan pointed out problems with picnickers at the Botanical Gardens during his delivery of a Business Highlight Report at last week’s board meeting. Specifically, picnics are not permitted at the gardens but people have ignored the rules which has resulted in a problem with litter.
I thought the comments by OPSEU Local 217 president Bill Rudd were true:
…[he] said the NPC has closed or limited many of its picnic areas and has begun charging for parking at established picnic areas. The result, according to the president of the NPC’s employee union, is people picnicking in areas not normally used for such a purpose.
“If you can get people to go to picnic areas, there is no garbage,” he said.
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Group puts Falls on list of most ‘playful cities’
From the Buffalo News:
The City of Niagara Falls, which has received a grant from the New York State Environmental Protection Fund to inventory all of its local parks, create a master plan for their improvement and develop a system of trails linking the parks with the Niagara River waterfront, has been chosen as one of America’s most “playful cities.”
The choice was announced Wednesday by KaBOOM!,a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Washington, D. C., and dedicated to giving priority to playful activities and ensuring that children are healthy by providing the time and space for them to play.
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New vice-chair for NPC
From Niagara This Week:
The Niagara Parks Commission has a new vice-chair.
The agency’s newest commissioner, Janice Thomson, has been appointed to the seat recently vacated by longtime commissioner Archie Katzman. Her term as vice-chair became effective on Aug. 10.
“I was really delighted when I was advised that I was appointed vice-chair,” said Thomson. “It’s a very professional organization and it’s an exciting opportunity for me.”
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