New Maid of the Mist operator announced this afternoon
I’m sure there will be lots of articles to post later, but this afternoon the Niagara Parks Commission announced that as of 2014 there will be a new tour boat operator taking tourists to the base of the falls to feel the power. The press release is on the NPC web site. I can’t find a reference to Hornblower Canada Company on the web just yet, but I assume they are related to Hornblower Cruises and Events out of the US.
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- Maid of the Mist future in jeopardy From the Buffalo News: Though Maid of the Mist boats...
- Canadian officials pressed on Maid of the Mist issue From the Buffalo News: New York’s senators urged Canadian officials...
- Future cloudy for Falls favorite Maid of the Mist From the Washington Examiner: Deliberations in Canada over the future...
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Articles regarding Nik Wallenda’s wire-walk
I’ve been on vacation for the last week and a bit. We didn’t really do anything other than do some work around the house. I saw all the articles about Nik Wallenda, and meant to post some of them, but never got around to it. In case you’ve missed some of them, here is a selection of articles I found talking about the approval that the Niagara Parks Commission gave to Nik Wallenda to walk on a wire over Niagara Falls.
- St Catharines Standard – Tim Denis’ View from the Drive-Thru – he is against it
- Niagara Falls Review – Wallenda speaks to Niagara Falls council – the day before the announcement Nik Wallenda appeared before Niagara Falls city council
- WGRZ Channel 2 Buffalo – Nik Wallenda Provides Details on Upcoming Walk Across The Niagara Gorge – includes video
- NBC Sports Off the Bench – Morning Mail: Crazed man will attempt to walk over Niagara Falls on a tightrope – the writer thinks he’s insane
- The Buffalo News – Daredevil sees Falls as ‘second home’ – he talks about how he might do something permanent in Niagara Falls
- The Niagara Gazette – Wallenda says walk just beginning of Falls partnership – he talks about how he might do something permanent in Niagara Falls
- WIVB Channel 4 Buffalo – Tightrope walk to boost Falls economy – talks about economic impact
- The Huffington Post – Nik Wallenda’s Niagara Falls Tightrope Walk Is (Finally) A Go – general article about the decision
- The Canadian Press (via Yahoo! News) – Niagara Parks Commission approves Nik Wallenda bid for tightrope walk over gorge – general article about the decision
- The UK Daily Mail – I’m thrilled to death: Daredevil gets the green light to be first tightrope walker to cross Niagara Falls – general article about the decision
I know there have been articles popping up everywhere, but most of them have been reprints of Associated Press or Canadian Press articles.
In case you were wondering, and missed my earlier comments, I was totally in favour of this, and am glad he was given a chance.
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- A few more articles about Nik Wallenda’s proposed wire walk over Niagara Falls Here are a few more articles that I’ve found that...
- Wallenda making pitch to Canada for tightrope walk From the Niagara Gazette: Nik Wallenda’s lifelong dream may be...
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Wallenda to meet with Niagara Parks Commission officials on Thursday
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Nik Wallenda, the American aerialist who wants to walk across the Niagara Gorge on a tightrope, will meet with officials from the Niagara Parks Commission this week.
NPC chairwoman Janice Thomson told The Review on Monday that a meeting has been scheduled for Thursday between Wallenda and NPC senior staff.
The meeting will not be open to the public.
“It is an internal staff meeting,” Thomson said. “I will be there and our general manager and her senior managers who will discuss this project with him (Wallenda).”
Thomson expects the meeting will last at least two hours.
The Canadian Press also had a similar article called Daredevil to pitch Niagara Falls tightrope walk again
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- Wallenda getting second chance to woo Niagara Parks Commission From the Niagara Falls Review: There are people on both...
- Wallenda won’t give up on falls tightrope dream From the Niagara Falls Review: Both Nik Wallenda and the...
- Wallenda to meet with park, city officials about performance over gorge From the Niagara Gazette: Nik Wallenda is scheduled to meet...
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Future cloudy for Falls favorite Maid of the Mist
From the Washington Examiner:
Deliberations in Canada over the future of the Maid of the Mist sightseeing boats at Niagara Falls are being closely watched in the United States, where elected and tourism officials want to avoid disruptions to an iconic draw that brings millions of tourists to the Falls each year.
The double-decker boats ferry people from both sides of the Niagara River to the base of the Horseshoe Falls under separate agreements with New York state and Ontario, Canada. The tours have run continuously since 1846.
The Niagara Parks Commission, an arm of the Ontario government that controls the land and buildings around the Canadian falls, approved a 25-year contract with the Maid of the Mist Steamship Co. in 2008. But the lack of competition for the deal drew criticism, so the commission called for bids from competing boat tour operators for the first time.
The multimillion-dollar bids are under review; the commission is expected to make its recommendation to Ontario’s tourism minister in February, though at one point it had anticipated choosing a company by the end of last year.
Read more at the Washington Examiner: http://washingtonexaminer.com/entertainment/travel/2012/01/future-cloudy-falls-favorite-maid-mist/2147516?utm_source=feedburnerdcexaminer%2Fwheels&utm_medium=feedWheels&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+dcexaminer%2Fwheels+%28Wheels%29%24%7Bdistribu&utm_content=%24%7BdistributionCha#ixzz1kx3vjMZd
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Maid of the Mist future in jeopardy
From the Buffalo News:
Though Maid of the Mist boats have been shuffling tourists to the base of Niagara Falls for 126 consecutive years, their future on the American and Canadian sides of the cataracts remains uncertain.
In six weeks, the tourism company will find out if it can continue those tours, or whether the Canadian government will award a 25-year lease to another company, possibly with different ideas for the real estate around the cataracts.
“We’re still in the review process,” interim Niagara Parks Commission Chairwoman Janice Thomson said today.
The government had hoped to make a decision by the end of 2011, but needs five or six more weeks, Thomson said.
Some of the comments after the article are worth looking at…
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- Maid of the Mist’s future uncertain From Buffalo Business First: The 2011 season for the Maid...
- Next tour boat operator could be named by year’s end: NPC From the Niagara Falls Review: The winner of the much-publicized...
- Maid of the Mist decision delayed From WIVB Channel 4 in Buffalo (including video): The Niagara...
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Parks Commission needs more time for boat tour lease decision
From the Niagara Falls Review:
It has had more than 11 months to pick a winner, but the Niagara Parks Commission says its evaluation team needs more time.
More than a year and a half after a long-term operator for boat tours at the base of the Horseshoe Falls was originally supposed to be found, NPC officials said Thursday the team making the decision needs another “five or six weeks,” before announcing a winning bidder.
The deal will be worth a minimum of $5.5 million per year, not including the commission’s share of annual revenue from ticket and souvenir sales.
Chairwoman Janice Thomson had said she expected to announce who would be awarded a 25-year lease to operate boat tours near the falls by the end of 2011, but she told The Niagara Falls Review the complex process to select a winner is still underway.
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- Next tour boat operator could be named by year’s end: NPC From the Niagara Falls Review: The winner of the much-publicized...
- Boat tour evaluations being done in secret From the Niagara Falls Review: The Niagara Parks Commission is...
- Deadline for boat tour bid Monday (yesteday) (I know I’m late, but I still wanted to post...
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NPC appoints new chair
From Niagara This Week:
After almost five months in the interim position, Janice Thomson has been appointed the chair of the Niagara Parks Commission’s Board of Directors.
While the announcement was made by Tourism and Culture Minister Michael Chan on Wednesday, the appointment was actually effective Nov. 16. Thomson, executive director of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce & Visitor and Convention Bureau, also has experience as a sales and marketing consultant and a former owner and operator of a restaurant in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The Niagara Falls Review also had an article called Janice Thomson named permanent chair of NPC
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New buses for Niagara Falls VRT system
From the Niagara Falls Review:
A provider has been chosen to supply new buses to the revitalized peoplemover system for the City.
Niagara Falls Transit and The Niagara Parks Commission jointly placed an order valued at $18 million for a mix of clean-diesel 40-foot Nova LFS and 62-foot articulated LFX buses from the St. Eustache, Que., company.
“Staff at both organizations are impressed with the contemporary design of Nova buses,” Niagara Falls Transit General Manager, Dave Stuart said. “We feel the interior amenities are attractive and well thought out for customers requiring greater levels of accessibility.”
The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), meanwhile, has worked with Niagara Falls Transit and The City of Niagara Falls on the establishment of an enhanced Visitor Transportation System for the Park and City that will result in the purchase of new clean-diesel vehicles to replace NPC’s aging and inaccessible peoplemover buses.
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Political parties not ignoring tourism, say candidates
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Tourism may not be as prominent an issue in this provincial election as it was in 2007.
But candidates representing the three major parties looking to form government after Oct. 6 are adamant they’re not overlooking an industry they say is so vital to Niagara’s economy.
During the provincial election four years ago, tourism had its own section in the Liberal, Progressive Conservative and New Democratic platforms.
For example, then PC leader John Tory promised more money for marketing.
Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty pledged a “comprehensive competitiveness study,” which led to a $4-million report, which in turn led to the creation of regional tourism organizations tasked to make Ontario’s tourism industry more competitive with other destinations around the world.
While there were specific promises for tourism in 2007, this time around, there are few.
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SAVE NOW with Niagara Falls End of Summer Deals!
Last week I received the latest newsletter from Niagara Falls Tourism:
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