Second chance for rink
From the Niagara Falls Review:
The Rink at the Brink might see another winter after Niagara Parks Commission and Winter Festival of Lights officials smoothed over some of the commission’s concerns about the fledgling tourist attraction’s first season.
“We are cautiously optimistic the parks commission board will approve the rink operating within the parks’ land this year as they did last year,” said Winter Festival of Lights manager Dino Fazio after a lunch meeting with parks chairwoman Fay Booker and vice-chairwoman Janice Thomson.
They got together Tuesday because the parks commission in August put the festival on notice it might not renew the lease it gave the festival last year to run a temporary, open-air skating rink near the Horseshoe Falls.
The festival operated the rink, which is about two-thirds the size of an NHL rink, but it was assembled on parks land.
Parks commissioners were upset the rink wasn’t dismantled until July, despite festival assurances it would be gone in April.
Related posts:
- ‘Rink at the Brink’ gets the thumbs up From the Niagara Falls Review: Outdoor skating is on its...
- Outdoor skating rink to open Nov. 23 at ‘brink’ of Horseshoe Falls From a Canadian Press article found at Yahoo! Canada News:...
- The ice is nice: Rink at the Brink is ready for skaters From the Niagara Falls Review: The unmistakable sound of winter...
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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.
Related posts:
- Park poised for 125th anniversary From the Buffalo News: Dignitaries from around the nation and...
- $850 K for historic Hydro landmark From Niagara This Week: A total of $850,000 will soon...
- More reporting about “Niagara Miracle” I linked to an article last week about the 50th...
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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.
Related posts:
- $50 M for new People Mover From Niagara This Week: A long-awaited city-owned People Mover system...
- City, NPC trying to finalize people mover plans From the Niagara Falls Review: A deal that could lead...
- ‘Extremely bleak’ conditions still dog Niagara’s tourism industry From the Niagara Falls Review: The Niagara Parks Commission wasn’t...
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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.”
Related posts:
- New governance for Niagara Parks From Niagara This Week: There have been a lot of...
- New NPC chair highly regarded From the Niagara Falls Review: The Niagara Parks Commission is...
- New Chair Of Niagara Parks Commission Confirmed From a press release seen on the Government of Ontario...
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Niagara Parks opens river boat bidding
From Buffalo Business First (the Niagara Falls Review also has a different article):
Want to operate a tour boat from the Canadian shores of the lower Niagara River?
Then, the Niagara Parks Commission wants to hear from you and your company.
The parks commission, Friday afternoon, set a Nov. 24 deadline for any company to bid on tour boat operations. The Maid of the Mist Steamboat Co. has been running tour boats from both the U.S. and Canadian shores of the lower Niagara River for generations and while its U.S. pact runs for more than three decades, it’s Canadian lease has been under fire for the past year.
Related posts:
- Reopening boat lease fraught with danger From the Niagara Falls Review: Premier Dalton McGuinty sailed into...
- Maids enjoy favourable reputation From the Niagara Falls Review: Maid of the Mist is...
- Controversy rocks Maid of the Mist Corp.’s boat From the Buffalo News: Maid of the Mist tours will...
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New governance for Niagara Parks
From Niagara This Week:
There have been a lot of changes over the past few months at the Niagara Parks Commission and it seems the biggest are yet to come.
In addition to open meetings, a new chair and a new board member, at its latest monthly board meeting the NPC adopted a new governance structure. The new structure will oversee the operations of the Park system and its dedication to preservation and enhancement of Niagara Falls and those lands located along the Niagara River corridor.
“The effective governance and review of such an important organization as Niagara Parks requires that we continually evolve our ways of thinking and doing business,” said NPC chair Fay Booker. “In today’s complex and ever-changing economy, an effective oversight model is one that adapts with the times. I believe the changes we have made today will help guide our operations successfully for years to come.”
Related posts:
- New Chair Of Niagara Parks Commission Confirmed From a press release seen on the Government of Ontario...
- Community website launched by Niagara Parks From the Niagara Falls Review: The Niagara Parks Commission has...
- No shakeup at the Parks From the Niagara Falls Review: There are no plans to...
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People mover base garage to be on Stanley Ave
From the Niagara Falls Review:
A $16 million maintenance garage for the future people mover system will be built on Stanley Ave. as the result of a city council vote Monday, though some politicians question why they wouldn’t put it downtown where it might help revitalization efforts.
“Not enough was done to see if we could have made that investment downtown,” Coun. Vince Kerrio said.
As the city and Niagara Parks Commission move ahead with plans for a new bus system to shuttle passengers around tourism areas, they’ll need a new garage to store and service the 27 buses in the fleet.
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- People mover deal needs more time From the Niagara Falls Review: It will take at least...
- People mover talks progressing From the Niagara Falls Review: Talks aimed at creating an...
- City, NPC trying to finalize people mover plans From the Niagara Falls Review: A deal that could lead...
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The Niagara they show. The Niagara we know.
From the Toronto Star:
We can diss you too, Niagara.
Any place where a girl can come back from a bachelorette weekend having signed someone’s butt and enjoyed the cliché awesomeness of a heart-shaped Jacuzzi shouldn’t be taking jabs.
But jabs are exactly what were thrown down in a new campaign called “Shake Off the City” produced for the Niagara Parks Commission.
And it has defensive Torontonians pretty peeved.
Related posts:
- No shakeup at the Parks From the Niagara Falls Review: There are no plans to...
- Community website launched by Niagara Parks From the Niagara Falls Review: The Niagara Parks Commission has...
- Operators need to show innovation From the Niagara Falls Review: Weddings aboard a tour boat...
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NPC on target for boat tour competition
From the Niagara Falls Review:
The document that will spell out what the Niagara Parks Commission wants from a boat tour provider is on target for release in the next few weeks, says commission general manager John Kernahan.
“It’s coming along very well. I think we’re going to be on or very close to our target of late July or early August to release the RFP (request for proposals),” Kernahan said.
But Bill Mocsan, the consultant hired by the provincial government to help guide the parks commission through the process, wouldn’t say when the document will be issued.
He said Monday telling The Review might allow one bidder to find out sooner than another.
Eleven companies took part in an April session to find out more about the bidding process, though it doesn’t mean all of them will submit bids when the parks commission issues its request for proposals.
Related posts:
- Operators need to show innovation From the Niagara Falls Review: Weddings aboard a tour boat...
- Lobbying in full swing to replace Maid boats From the Niagara Falls Review: Rules aimed at keeping the...
- Report on NPC suggests change in business practices From the Niagara Falls Review: There will be “significant recommendations”...
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People mover deal needs more time
From the Niagara Falls Review:
It will take at least two more meetings for the city and Niagara Parks Commission to work out a deal to jointly run a people mover bus system that will shuttle tourists among Niagara Falls attractions, commission chairwoman Fay Booker says.
“We have a draft agreement in front of us we’re working on,” Booker said Friday after meeting with Mayor Ted Salci.
They were trying to finalize an agreement in principle they reached in June to run a bus system on roads owned by the parks commission in Queen Victoria Park and on city-owned streets like Clifton Hill and Fallsview Boulevard.
“We’re really hoping by early August,” Booker said when asked how long it might take to finalize the rest of the details.
Related posts:
- City, NPC trying to finalize people mover plans From the Niagara Falls Review: A deal that could lead...
- City, NPC closing in on People Mover deal From the Niagara Falls Review: Niagara Falls council and the...
- $50 M for new People Mover From Niagara This Week: A long-awaited city-owned People Mover system...
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