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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Setting sail under cloud of uncertainty
From the Buffalo News:
Maid of the Mist workers Tuesday hurriedly prepared for the start of the upcoming tourist season — hoping it won’t be the last on the Canadian side for an iconic tour boat company that traces its roots back 126 years.
The Maid of the Mist Steamboat Corp. has owned exclusive rights from its Canadian docks below the falls since the company began, but Ontario’s tourism minister has ordered the lease on the Canadian side be opened to competitive bidding, in effect putting the long-term future of the company into question.
Charter boats will keep ferrying visitors between the docks at Table Rock and the American, Bridal Veil and Horseshoe falls, but they may belong to a different company and not be part of the small fleet called the Maid of the Mist.
“Everything is up in the air,” said John H. Percy Jr., president and chief executive of the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corp. on the U.S. side of the border. “Right now, I’m just looking forward to 2011 season and continuing to work with them.”
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NPC to remove ‘unfriendly’ fence
From the Niagara Falls Review:
It’s not exactly tearing down the Berlin Wall, but the Niagara Parks Commission plans to remove the iron fence that funnelled visitors to the Table Rock complex into its gift shop before they could even get a closeup view of the Horseshoe Falls.
“This was a very unfriendly action, this fence,” chairwoman Fay Booker said in an interview Saturday, adding the commission’s own employees pointed out it was “not people-friendly.”
“Their sense was it’s how they’re fencing off the public.”
Removing big sections of it is part of a focus on the “re-beautification” of its park areas that will take place this spring, leading up to a “grand opening” on the April 30 weekend, Booker said.
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Signage could be a kink for Rink at the Brink
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Niagara Parks commissioners may be about to throw a kink in plans for the Rink at the Brink.
On Monday, commissioners voiced their concerns about a request from the Winter Festival of Lights to erect signs and banners near the outdoor rink near Table Rock promoting the Toronto Dominion bank as this year’s title sponsor.
With less than two weeks until opening day, commissioners, who expressed concerns about setting a precedent opening the NPC up to criticism, put the request on hold pending receipt of additional information from parks staff .
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Rink at the Brink to Return for 2010-2011 Season
As previously announced, the Rink at the Brink will be back on Niagara Parks Commission land this year. The official press release is available here:
Thousands of visitors to Niagara Falls will once again be able to experience the thrill of skating just steps from the Horseshoe Falls, thanks to the decision taken today by The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) Board.
During its regularly scheduled Commission meeting, the NPC Board voted to rescind their August decision to terminate the agreement between Niagara Parks and Winter Festival of Lights (WFOL) organizers concerning the operation of the Festival’s iconic Rink at the Brink ice skating attraction near Table Rock Complex.
Ongoing meetings among staff members at both organizations have allayed concerns expressed by NPC and have resulted in plans and commitments to alleviate operational concerns and expedite future on-site rehabilitation once the skating season is complete.
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Torch arrival should attract 3,000 spectators
From the Niagara Falls Review:
More than 3,000 supporters are expected to line the route along the Niagara River Parkway Sunday as the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Torch Relay arrives in Niagara Falls.
To celebrate the arrival of the flame, the city is hosting a free community event starting at 5:30 p. m. near Table Rock that will include live entertainment, interactive displays and giveaways from Torch Relay sponsors, including Coca-Cola and RBC.
At approximately 7 p. m., Olympian and Niagara Falls resident Gord Singleton will carry the flame and light a 1.3-metre-high cauldron.
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Lace up with Lord Stanley’s Mug
From Niagara This Week:
The Stanley Cup is coming to Niagara Falls.
A slogan for the event being passed around the city is “two icons, one location.”
The Hockey Hall of Fame put together a package specifically for the 27th year of the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights at the Rink on the Brink on Saturday, Dec. 19 for families to attend.
Rink on the Brink is an outdoor skating rink (18-by-36 metres) located next to the Table Rock on the Niagara Parkway right across from the Falls.
“We’re trying to encourage all of the youth in local sports, boys or girls, whether it’s travel or house league, or even sports enthusiasts to come down and participate in leisure skating, enjoy the memorabilia and get your photograph taken with the Cup,” said Rick Morocco, the manager of sponsorship and sales of WFOL.
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TABLE ROCK CHANGES HAVE IMPROVED SAFETY
From the Niagara Falls Review:
The gateway to Niagara Falls from the Falls Incline and parking lot has been at the same location for more than a quarter of a century.
So what’s different now? Pedestrians are now delivered to the second floor of Table Rock, instead of the first floor.
Why? For public safety and accessibility.
Prior to the renovations, in order to gain access to Table Rock it was necessary to descend a flight of stairs or navigate a ramp that did not meet accessibility standards.
This delivered you to the edge of a road which during the summer months carries as much traffic as any regional arterial road in Niagara and more than most.
Motorists and pedestrians found the traffic signals in the area confusing. The mingling of tens of thousands of pedestrians and vehicles simply wasn’t safe by today’s standards.
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Parks commission has learned a thing or two from Clifton Hill
From the Niagara Falls Review:
If you’re checking out the new Rink at the Brink this weekend, you’ll have no trouble finding it. The Niagara Parks Commission’s new fence running the length of its Table Rock parking lot makes it impossible to miss it.
It turns visitors to the falls into cattle, herding them from the parking lot right into the gift shop of the new Niagara’s Fury attraction -and now, to the temporary rink area.
For locals who don’t regularly go into Queen Victoria Park, a visit to the new Winter Festival of Lights skating rink will be their introduction to the parks commission’s black, iron monster.
The new fence runs along the west side of the Niagara Parkway, from the Canadian Niagara Power building north to the new clock tower and walkway addition to the Table Rock building.
You don’t need an MBA in marketing to see what’s going on here. The parks commission appears to be funnelling everybody who parks in its lot right into its own ticket sales counter, gift shop and restaurants.
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Rink ready to rock
From the Niagara Falls Review:
It won’t take long for the city’s newest ice rink to heat up.
A three-month battle of the bands competition starts next Thursday at Rink at the Brink, the new outdoor facility that opened near Table Rock Wednesday.
Rock the Ice Nights will run every Thursday until a champion is crowned Feb. 25, with several career-aiding prizes at stake.
“We went to all the schools in Niagara asking the kids, ‘What do you want to do? What would you like to see down at the Rink at the Brink?’” says Tina Myers, assistant manager of events with the Winter Festival of Lights. “The consensus was live music, food and prizes. So, that’s what we’re trying to do.”
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