April 1, 2006 19:24 - Niagara SkyWheel
Clifton Hill’s Giant Wheel Officially named as the Niagara SkyWheel!Quality Inn / Giant Wheel Development Update
We are proud to announce the “name” of our future observation ride, which will be known officially as the “Niagara SkyWheel.” Our giant wheel will feature climate controlled gondolas providing year round sight-seeing comfort as you soar 175 feet above the Falls area. The mild winter has helped keep the SkyWheel construction on schedule, with a grand opening planned for the end of May.
As a part of the construction, the original Quality Inn driveway will be transformed into the official entrance of the SkyWheel. Quality Inn guests can enter the adjacent Comfort Inn driveway and check in at its respective lobby. This will be our common lobby for both the Quality Inn and Comfort Inn. A newly designed map of the complex and updated signs will help direct guests to their hotel wing and local amenities.
Also during the expansion phase, Quality Inn guests will be able to take advantage of the free deluxe continental breakfast, served overlooking the tropical indoor pool of the Comfort Inn.
Printed from the March 2006 - Clifton Hill Resorts newsletter
April 2, 2006 19:43 - Niagara April Events - April 3 - 9, 2006
Niagara Falls Events - April 2006
Sat., April 1, 2006
Shantero Productions presents
RON JAMES - GONE WITH RON
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Saturday, April 1, 2006 8:00 PM
Shantero Productions presents
RON JAMES - GONE WITH RON
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Tickets On Sale Tuesday Dec. 6th!!
Ron James’ new show Gone With Ron is a rocket-fuelled rant on a world out of whack, from a man in collision with cosmic forces beyond his control ... a full-throttle hurtle to the Great Out There, with the audience riding shotgun! With his unique poetic style and performance-driven physicality, James bounces from the War in Iraq to home renovations; mid-life meltdowns to airport security; family vacations to Future Shop 'blue shirts';
Read more...
http://www.arts.brocku.ca/performances/viewperformance.php?scode=2005&ecode=R018
Sat., April 1, 2006
Willowbank Archaeology Program
Exploring the Bright-Urban Site
for beginning archaeologists Lab workshop: An introductory course* to our rich cultural heritage through practical experience
*($180 for entire 5 course program, call for more details). Bring a Lunch
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $40.00
Reservation Required:
The School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank,
14487 Niagara Parkway, Queenston.
Phone: 905.262.1239 email: willowbankschool@bellnet.ca
Sat., April 2, 2006
Centre for the Arts presents
THE HARLEM GOSPEL CHOIR
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Sunday, April 2, 2006 2:30 PM
The Harlem Gospel Choir is hands-down, the most famous and uplifting gospel choir in the world today and to see them live is an opportunity not to be missed.
In this, the choir’s second visit to the Centre for the Arts, you will once again be treated to the jazz and gospel spirituals that The Harlem Gospel Choir so effortlessly belts out! Directed by founder Allen Bailey the choir - once dubbed the “Angels in Heaven” by U2 - will perform a selection of popular inspirational songs that are sure to take you to ‘seventh heaven’.
Read more...
http://www.arts.brocku.ca/performances/viewperformance.php?scode=2005&ecode=CA35
Sunday, April 2, 2006
Brock University Film Society presents
HIDDEN (FRANCE/AUSTR IA/GERMANY/ITALY,05)
David S Howes Theatre
Sunday, April 2, 2006 7:00 PM
The Film Studies Program, in the Department of Communications, Popular Culture and film, is the oldest academic film program in Canada. For 35 years we have been bringing unique and critically acclaimed Canadian and international films to the Niagara region.
BUFS is a member of The Film Circuit, a project of the Toronto International Film Festival Group, a non-profit charity. All films are shown on Sunday, at 7:00pm in the David S. Howes Theatre, Brock University.
Tickets at the door: Members $6; Non-members $8. Students with valid Brock University or Niagara College ID $6
Read more...
http://www.arts.brocku.ca/performances/viewperformance.php?scode=2005&ecode=BUFV
Thursday, April 6, 2006
Centre for the Arts presents
WOMEN FULLY CLOTHED
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Thursday, April 6, 2006 7:30 PM
Take an all-star cast of five renowned Canadian comedy artists, give them today’s challenges of careers, family dynamics and sexuality and you get Women Fully Clothed, “the five funniest women in comedy” according to Eugene Levy…and he ought to know!
Starring Kathryn Greenwood from Whose Line is It Anyway/This Hour has 22 Minutes, Robin Duke from Saturday Night Live/SCTV, Debra McGrath from Getting Along Famously, Jayne Eastwood from My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Chicago and Wonderland, and Teresa Pavlinek from History Bites/The Jane Show, this hilarious show captures life as these “wonderful wacky wild women” see it.
Read more...
http://www.arts.brocku.ca/performances/viewperformance.php?scode=2005&ecode=CA36
Friday, April 7, 2006
Centre for the Arts presents
THE COTTARS
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Friday, April 7, 2006 7:30 PM
Hailed as “one of the hottest acts in the folk world today” by The Boston Globe, The Cottars have a fierce respect for their roots in Cape Breton music. Their drive to preserve their heritage is balanced by a gift for expanding and extending the tradition and, in the process, discovering the powerful ways that roots music can come alive and thrive in new contexts.
The Cottars are two brother/sister pairs who met while the duos were performing separately, yet on the same bill, at a Cape Breton festival in 2000. Six months later, while again performing alongside each other, a local DJ suggested that they get together and jam. A bond between the young musicians was immediately obvious – “It was almost destiny that we all met.”
Read more...
http://www.arts.brocku.ca/performances/viewperformance.php?scode=2005&ecode=CA37
Apr 08, 2006
Niagara Concerts - Vienna Concertverein
Kingston College, 4700 Epworth Circle, Niagara Falls
We are honured to welcome back Maestro Kerry Stratton conducting the chamber orchestra of the Vienna Symphony on its first Canadian appearance. Guest violinist from Korea, Min-Jeong SUH will charm the audience with her brilliant technique, brimming passion for music and praiseworthy talent. Maestro Stratton has specifically requested presenting this concert to his favourite audience!
Website: http://www.niagaraconcerts.ca
Email: niagaraconcerts@cogeco.ca
Phone: 905-358-6174
Sat., April 8, 2006
Willowbank Lecture Series
Laura Secord’s Walk and the Writing of Canadian History
Cecelia Morgan, Published Author/associate professor at the University of Toronto. Laura Secord became a heroine of the War of 1812, with her walk to warn the British troops at Beaverdams. Secord has been commemorated in history, through novels, textbooks and most famously by her image on the Laura Secord Candy Company Products.
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. $10.00
The School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank,
14487 Niagara Parkway, Queenston.
Phone: 905.262.1239 email: willowbankschool@bellnet.ca
Monday, April 10
Fac. of Social Sciences Speaker Series presents
ANTONIO NEGRI
David S Howes Theatre
Monday, April 10, 2006 8:00 PM
Admission is free. Tickets are required for entry.
Please contact the Box Office to reserve your tickets.
Read more...
http://www.arts.brocku.ca/performances/viewperformance.php?scode=2005&ecode=I010
Sun., April 9, 2006
Chamber Music Salon at Willowbank,
Beethoven and Beyond
Performed by the artists of the Niagara
International Chamber Music Festival
Ferdinand Ries & Beethoven
Featuring Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata and his letters.
James Wegg, musical host.
2 p.m. Tickets: $35.00, available at the door.
The School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank,
14487 Niagara Parkway, Queenston.
Phone: 905.262.1239 email: willowbankschool@bellnet.ca
April 3, 2006 17:23 - Cirque Niagara Avaia
Cirque Niagara Avaia is an exciting new attraction I can hardly wait to see. Avaia blends equestian grace with acrobatic artestry in what promises to be an really visual show. Here is some interesting information on Cirque Niagara Avaia from their press release: AVAIA is a mystical journey into the abyss of time where ancient mysteries of the past engage with the innovations of the future. Above all, it is a celebration of life and of man's love for horses demonstrating the harmony between mankind and nature. While the horses move in a perfectly timed dressage, the infinitely creative mix of artistry, acrobatics and dance will astonish and spark the imagination. The artists not only defy the laws of gravity, they transcend the laws of nature as they unveil the secret wisdom of the future and of times past.
Cirque Niagara Avaia is a new $10 million production which features world-class Cirque performers and is specifically designed for Niagara. It is the fruits of a partnership between Niagara Parks and Cirque Niagara.
Starting this spring, two huge circus tents will help transform Rapidsview Park (across from Marineland) into a dynamic venue for visitors to see something really unique in Cirque Niagara Avaia.
Read the whole story
April 4, 2006 11:24 - Disney Aladdin Jr. comes to Niagara Falls
For 16 weeks starting on May 16, 2006, the $1.6 million musical adaptation of the famous hit Disney film will be performed live right here in Niagara. It all takes place at the 700 seat Greg Frewin Theatre.Silver Mist Productions, a new Niagara based company, is delighted to bring Disney's Aladdin Jr to Niagara Falls for a limited time engagement ending September 5th, 2006.
The story of Aladdin, takes place in Agrabah, City of Enchantment, where every beggar has a story and every camel has a tale. All the favourite Disney characters are here in this stage adaptation of Disney's hit, including Aladdin, Jasmine and of course the Genie.
Filled with magic, mayhem and flying carpet rides, audiences' spirits will soar with excitement. Most of all, the tunefully, Academy award-winning score with songs including "A Whole New World" and "A Friend Like Me". A definite must see theatrical performance!
Here are more detail and ticket information.
April 5, 2006 17:38 - Niagara Changing Landscape
It's official. Niagara Fall's new high tech ferris wheel will be known as the Skywheel. And it is expected to be operational by the end of MaySo what else can be expect it to be surrounded by. Here is a review of some comments made by Harry Oakes, president of HOCO, upon receiving city council approval back on May 30, 2005.
Extensive landscaping and making use of a new generation of amusement park rides, like a high-tech ferris wheel, will make a family entertainment centre a good fit on Clifton Hill, said Harry Oakes, president of HOCO Ltd.
We’re really looking to ensure the long-term vitality of the Clifton Hill area,” Oakes said following Monday’s council meeting.
City council approved his company’s application to build a $100-million family entertainment centre on the undeveloped land at the top of the escarpment, stretching from Clifton Hill to Robinson Street. It’s similar to an amusement park, but on a smaller scale, with up to 20 rides.
Attractions repeat visitors to Niagara Falls will be interested in seeing is the key to getting people to stay longer after they have seen the falls, Oakes said.
HOCO, which owns businesses on the south side of Clifton Hill, will build two roller coasters, a 28-storey hotel and two water parks. It’s an attempt to put an amusement park in an urban setting.
HOCO’s property sits directly west of Queen Victoria Park. Using landscaping features will make it fit in with the park’s existing natural setting.
“We’ve introduced 43 per cent of the site as streetscaping or landscaping,” Oakes said.
His family’s company has owned the site for years. Because it owns such a large site, it wouldn’t face the same urge to “maximize the density” of the area.
“We’re looking at the long-term family-ownership of the site as important to us,” Oakes said.
Developing HOCO’s site is an important step in linking Clifton Hill and the Fallsview area, said Oakes’ lawyer Victor Muratori.
“It’s a key property, along with the People Mover System, to create a link between these two subdistricts,” Muratori said.
Oakes said the 294-room hotel and a portion of the ferris wheel would be the only parts of the development seen from the park. At 175 feet tall, the ferris wheel will have glass-enclosed, heated cars to allow it to run year-round.
From an article by Corey Larocque in the Niagara Falls Review, May 30, 2005.
April 6, 2006 10:16 - Fort Erie - Is the Peace Bridge enough?
Fort Erie - Is the Peace Bridge enough?FORT ERIE Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop says it’s too early to say whether another bridge between Fort Erie and Buffalo is warranted.
Based on declining traffic volumes across the Peace Bridge in recent years, there’s speculation an environmental review of plans to expand cross-border traffic capacity may conclude the current bridge is sufficient for the time being.
While Redekop said he still believes another span is needed for a variety of reasons, he cautioned against drawing firm conclusions until the expansion project’s draft environmental impact statement is completed later this year.
“The no-build option is one of the options being studied as part of the (environmental impact statement),” Redekop said Wednesday.
“However, I suspect there are still reasons why a new bridge is neccessary.
“It would be a shame if we’ve gone this far through the process if it turns out there’s no need to build a bridge.”
According to Buffalo and Fort Erie Public Bridge Authority figures, traffic volumes have been declining steadily for the past five years.
Between 2000 and 2005 the number of cars crossing the Peace Bridge declined by 17.53 per cent, trucks by 10.52 per cent and buses by 19.10 per cent.
According to PBA general manager Ron Rienas, there’s reason to believe traffic will continue to decline, at least in the short term.
Coun. Richard Shular noted the declining traffic count crossing the Peace Bridge hasn’t deterred the Ambassador Niagara Signature Bridge Group, a private company, from developing a rival plan to build a bridge in Fort Erie.
Read the complete article by John Robbins in the Niagara Falls Review (Feb 23, 2006).
April 7, 2006 10:43 - If passports are law, make them easier to obtain
Now that the need to show a passport before entering the United States appears certain, the question is: What now?Businesspeople and politicians in Canada have argued long and loud against the U.S. plan to force everyone including Americans to show a passport before entering the States.
Unless American President George W. Bush backtracks on his recent statements, those arguments failed.
It’s time to move on.
What’s needed now is a plan to protect the Canadian economy (and the American one, too).
Currently, only about 35 per cent of Canadians own a passport and even fewer Americans have theirs. Governments on both sides need to start now on a campaign to inform the public that as of Jan. 1, 2007, passports will be needed to enter the U.S. by air or sea and at land crossings by 2008.
Not only must that campaign tell people how to get a passport (in Canada, applications are available at Canada Post outlets or online at www.ppt.gc.ca) it must include a lowering of current fees.
Right now, a Canadian older than 15 must pay $87 and the passport is valid for five years. For those younger than 15, the cost is $37.
Knock the price down, say, to $20 per passport.
In the U.S., as has been suggested in Congress, a day-pass service should be available at all border crossings for people who forgot to bring, or don’t yet have, their valid passport.
The United States is a big country, far too big to enforce air-tight security. There is plenty of coastline and unpatrolled ground for someone to sneak in unseen.
To keep border crossings safe and secure, then, any new demand for absolute proof of identity has to include a reasonable amount of leeway.
If the Americans don’t figure that out before the new rules take effect, experience is bound to teach them that later.
Read the whole Editorial - Friday, April 07,2006 -The Niagara Falls Review.
April 8, 2006 13:25 - Journey Behind the Falls
'Journey behind the Falls' is the best year round way to appreciate Niagara Falls. As you approach within 10 feet of the water crashing down in front of you, the power and might of the Falls is unforgettable. As the best thing is that it is open throughout the year.
Niagara Parks Commission first decided to evacuate a tunnel well behind the Falls in 1889. Guides led visitors through the tunnels with lanterns.
In 1951 an observation plaza was built at the end of the old tunnel 2 elevators descend 125 ft, to a 46 meter (150 ft) tunnel burrowed behind the thundering curtain of Niagara Falls. You can walk to within 10 ft of the tunnels end - there's water spraying everywhere. It's quite a memorable sight. And the raincoats you are provided are really needed when you 'Journey behind the Falls'.
Read all the details and an important Insider Tip.
April 9, 2006 22:44 - Niagara April Events - April 10 - 16, 2006
Monday, April 10
Fac. of Social Sciences Speaker Series presents
ANTONIO NEGRI
David S Howes Theatre
Monday, April 10, 2006 8:00 PM
Admission is free. Tickets are required for entry.
Please contact the Box Office to reserve your tickets.
Read more...
Sun., April 9, 2006
Chamber Music Salon at Willowbank,
Beethoven and Beyond
Performed by the artists of the Niagara
International Chamber Music Festival
Ferdinand Ries & Beethoven
Featuring Beethoven’s Waldstein Sonata and his letters.
James Wegg, musical host.
2 p.m. Tickets: $35.00, available at the door.
The School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank,
14487 Niagara Parkway, Queenston.
Phone: 905.262.1239 email: willowbankschool@bellnet.ca
Friday April 14, 2006
Annual Hawkwatch Open House
Come out to Beamer Memorial Conservation Area on Good Friday (April 14th, 2006) for the Annual Hawkwatch Open House put on by the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch Group. This event features Hawk Talks, Bird Identification, Nature Displays and more!
For more information on this event please contact Kim Frohlich @ 905-788-3135 X 241
or at Frohlich@conservation-niagara.on.ca
Children's programs at 11:45 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
Find out all the details at Niagara April Events
April 10, 2006 22:13 - Birds of Prey Soaring High over Niagara
Last year over 16,000 hawks, eagles, vultures and falcons were counted at Beamer Memorial conservation Area. That includes 8 golden eagles. Come down for the Annual Hawkwatch Open House this Good Friday.Annual Hawkwatch Open House
On Good Friday (April 14th, 2006), the Annual Hawkwatch Open House will be held at Beamer Memorial Conservation Area. This area is known as the best place in the Niagara Peninsula to observe the annual hawk migration.
There will be Hawk Talks, Bird Identification, Nature Displays and more.
For more information on this event please contact Kim Frohlich @ 905-788-3135 X 241or at Frohlich@conservation-niagara.on.ca
April 11, 2006 10:11 - Is Niagara Falls downtown getting a facelift?
'A historic shopping and entertainment district' is what is being proposed.Architect Jay Valgora presented plans to revitalize downtown at City Hall's council chamber Thursday night.
The nine-step plan includes creating new parks, bringing large national and international retail chains to the city and creating small storefronts, so neighbourhood businesss, roadside cafes, museums and galleries can thrive.
The foreign developer is prepared to invest $100 million downtown. The city in return would have to invest $35 million in infrastructure upgrades. The roads need to be realigned, two parking structures need to be built and parkland needs to be created downtown.
This is an emotional issue in Niagara Falls. Some homes and established businesses are in areas that are designated for redevelopment. And then there is the significant cost of the project.
April 12, 2006 09:26 - Slots reward 10th-millionth customer
Fort Erie Slots honours 10th-millionth customer.Slots at Fort Erie Race Track welcomed its 10-millionth customer over the April 1st weekend.
Claudia Gietzen, of Buffalo, was visiting the track Sunday evening when she discovered she had the distinction of becoming the slot facility's 10-millionth customer.
To mark the occasion, Gietzen was presented with a $100 gift basket containing Slots at Fort Erie merchandise and $1,000 cash.
Since the slots opened in 1999, it has averaged more than 4,200 patron daily.
Slots is open 24 hours on weekends and from 9 a.m. to 3 a.m. on weekdays.
April 13, 2006 01:16 - Explore Niagara's waterways via kayak with the Peninsula Paddlers
The Peninsula Paddlers are individuals around Niagara with a passion for sea kayaking.They conduct numerous day paddles throughout southern Ontario as well as extended camping expeditions further from home.
They try to have an event scheduled every weekend of the year. Winter tours are impromptu. It is, however, not a teaching club.
If you have a passion for kayaking, check the Peninsula Paddlers out.
April 14, 2006 10:12 - Striking Easter Displays at Niagara Parks Greenhouses.
Easter lilies, Forced Spring bulbs, and Schizanthus are featured this Easter. In May the Hydrangea Show features Hydrongeas, Delphinums and Foxgloves. All the different seasonal displays make every visit a little different.
The Niagara Parks Greenhouses are open year round. During the colder winter months it is wonderful to be able to loose yourself in the warm, fragrant, and colourful setting. The birds flying throught the greenhouses add a nice dimension.
And the best part is that admission is always free. However, on the weekends and throughout the summer you would have to pay for parking. You can still park along the roadway and just walk a little further.
April 15, 2006 15:23 - Tickets for 'Live with Regis and Kelly' in Niagara Falls - Update
Press Conference: Tickets for 'Live with Regis and Kelly' in Niagara Falls
NIAGARA FALLS, ON, April 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort is hosting a press conference with the City of Niagara Falls, the Niagara Parks Commission, the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation and the Canadian Tourism Commission. Date: Wednesday, April 19
Time: 11am
Location: Maple Room A/B
Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
6380 Fallsview Boulevard
Niagara Falls, Canada
During this conference, these five partners responsible for bringing the popular daytime TV show Live with Regis and Kelly to Oakes Garden Theatre in Niagara Falls, Canada, on Monday, May 22, 2006, will announce the way in which members of the public will be able to get the remaining tickets to either the 9am or 11am taping of the show.
Members of the media are asked to arrive at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort beginning at 10:30am for on-site registration. All media may park in the resort's parking garage free of charge.
SOURCE Fallsview Casino
April 16, 2006 00:10 - Niagara April Events - April 17-13, 2006
Wednesday, April 19, 2006
Centre for the Arts presents
THE WAY WE FEEL: A CELEBRATION OF THE MUSIC OF GORDON LIGHTFOOT
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Wednesday, April 19, 2006 7:30 PM
Gordon Lightfoot is without question a master songwriter and a man who has forever changed the face and fate of Canadian music. For more than forty years his songs of love, loss, struggle, despair and watershed historic events have been irretrievably bound up with what is Canadian. Read more...
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Apr 22, 2006
Niagara Concerts - Red, Hot & Blue
Kingston College, 4700 Epworth Circle, Niagara Falls
This long running song and dance revue from Branson Missouri, takes audiences on a musical journey from the Ragtime Era to the Roaring 20`s, from the Classic Jazz of the 1930`s to the Swingin` 40`s and Big Band Era, and from the Hilarious 50`s to the Rockin` 60`s and Disco 70`s. Truly a fun way to end our 2005-2006 season!Website: http://www.niagaraconcerts.ca
Email: niagaraconcerts@cogeco.ca
Phone: 905-358-6174
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Sunday, April 23, 2006
Niagara Symphony Masterworks Series
GREEN: AN EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Sunday, April 23, 2006 2:30 PM
Read more...
-Sun., April 23, 2006
Book Reading/Signing AT Willowbank
Cathy Gildener, M.A., PhD,, Clinical Psychologist
Author of Seduction and Too Close to the Falls
A unique chance to meet the author and listen to her
read from her newest novel Seduction
released in February of 2005.
Have your personal copy signed.
Sunday Afternoon 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. $10.00
Reservation Required:
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April 17, 2006 11:34 - Temperatures, Not Hotels, Likely Alter Niagara Falls' Mist
From Newswise.com:When the Niagara Parks Commission posed that question back in 2004, the concern was that high-rise hotels on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls were contributing to the creation of more mist, obscuring the very view that millions of tourists flock there every year to see.
The suspicion was that new high-rise buildings were altering airflow patterns, contributing to a higher, thicker mist plume.
Consultants conducted wind tunnel experiments that seemed to confirm that mist levels were enhanced by the tall buildings around the falls, a report that circulated in the Canadian news media.
Now University at Buffalo geologists have determined that the high-rise hotels are probably not to blame.
"According to our findings, it is unlikely that the buildings at the falls enhance the mist," said Marcus Bursik, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Geology in the UB College of Arts and Sciences, who led the study with several students who were investigating the plume for their graduate-degree projects. "Rather, our data show that it's air and water temperature that control the amount of mist."
April 18, 2006 15:57 - Great Wolf Lodge a heart-stopper
Attraction a heart-stopper; Lodge lights up faces of children By JOHN LAW Review Staff Writer
Saturday, April 15, 2006
NIAGARA FALLS After a year and a half of construction, Canada’s first Great Wolf Lodge has arrived.
All 406 rooms of the $130 million resort were filled for its official opening Friday, giving the head wolf a sheepish grin.
“The best part is watching the kids’ faces when they walk in the door,” said Great Wolf Lodge general manager Keith Simmonds. “It lets you know you did it right.
“They stop in their tracks, their eyes pop open and then they run to the nearest animal or feature. We had one little girl stand in the lobby she was frozen in her tracks and she said, Mummy, feel my heart.’”
Three years of planning and construction finally paid off for Jim Pattison, the Vancouver billionaire who owns the massive new attraction on the corner of River Road and Victoria Avenue. Reporters and camera crews followed his every step during a media sneak peak of the facility Thursday.
“It exceeded my expectations,” he said. “It turned out better than I thought it would.”
The lodge is operated by Ripley Entertainment, which Pattison purchased in 1985. The company owns the Ripley’s Believe It or Not! museum on Clifton Hill and has plans for an $80 million aquarium next to the Great Wolf Lodge.
Read the whole story.
April 19, 2006 09:35 - Driving at NASCAR in Niagara
Printed from Niagara Falls ReviewBy DAN DAKIN
Thursday, December 08, 2005
NIAGARA FALLS – The wheels are in motion to bring NASCAR racing to Niagara.
Five years after a grand announcement to build an auto-racing track off Sodom Road fizzled, a new development group with strong ties to the top levels of racing are quietly getting the ball rolling for another track in the region.
Chippawa’s Jay Mason, who has been involved in auto racing for nearly 25 years, confirmed Wednesday he is the project co-ordinator.
Mason said financing for the Niagara project is coming together and said there were two major players involved. Both have been involved in high profile sports ventures in the past.
He estimated the cost of the track and land will be $100 million, would be built in Fort Erie or Niagara Falls and would be open for business by 2009.
An additional $50 million worth of capital improvements such as roads and services would be required for the facility.
“We would certainly like to be open in 2009, but it’s too early to make that prediction,” said Mason, whose son Jesse raced in the Indy Racing League’s Infiniti Pro Series last year.
Mason said a location for the facility hasn’t been decided yet, but he confirmed International Country Club in Stevensville is on the short list.
Read the rest of the story.
April 20, 2006 21:02 - Regis and Kelly Niagara Falls - TV show turns to luck of the draw.
Printed from Niagara Falls Review TV show turns to luck of the draw
By JOHN LAW Review Staff Writer
Thursday, April 20, 2006 - 02:00
Local News -
NIAGARA FALLS Fans hoping to see Live with Regis & Kelly next month will need a bit of luck and a lot of patience.
On April 30, 3,000 envelopes will be pulled from a giant drum one each for the first 3,000 people who register at the Niagara Fallsview Casino’s Grand Hall.
The catch? Only 750 of the envelopes contain a voucher for tickets to the May 22 taping at Oakes Garden Theatre.
“Since this is a casino property, we’ve decided to use pure luck to determine who gets those tickets,” Niagara Fallsview Casino general manager Steve Wolstenholme said during a media conference Wednesday.
Read all the details
April 21, 2006 08:38 - Senecas Add Hotel to Niagara Falls Casino
This news item is a little dated but it describes an important addition to the Niagara Falls, N.Y. tourism services.NIAGARA FALLS, N.Y., Dec. 30, 2005 - The new Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel does not just dominate the skyline of the one-time Honeymoon Capital of the World. For all practical purposes, the 26-story glass-and-steel building, which officially opened on Friday, is the skyline on the American side of the Niagara River.
The 26-story Seneca Niagara Casino and Hotel is at the end of Falls Street in Niagara Falls, N.Y.
Jutting from land owned by the Seneca Nation in downtown Niagara Falls and adjoining the Senecas' existing casino, the $240 million hotel and its colored glass and lights, arrayed in American Indian patterns, contrasts sharply with the decaying neighborhoods that surround it.
"People have been coming here for years, and the place looked like it looks," said David Rosenwasser, the president and chief executive of the Niagara Tourism and Convention Corporation. "Now, there's a sign of life, and it's so large it subliminally sends a message."
To residents and business owners, the message is mixed.
Read the rest of the article
April 23, 2006 20:29 - Niagara April Events - April 24-30, 2006
Friday, April 28, 2006
Centre for the Arts presents
THE ARROGANT WORMS
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Friday, April 28, 2006 7:30 PM
The Arrogant Worms began their journey to musical comedy success (an oxymoron!) in 1991 on campus radio in Kingston, Ontario. Those nine listeners were very impressed and the guys could have retired at the top of their game but they kept going…into the frightening world of live shows. A new audience was cultivated and the meagre income from those early shows was enough to record their self-titled debut album in 1992.
The group has since released nine more independent albums, consistently topped the sales charts for their distributors and sold over 150,000 albums to date. Recognizing this valuable Canadian resource, American label Oglio Records released Gift Wrapped, a ‘best of’ collection in 2002.
Read more...
April 29, 2006
Wayzgoose 2006
The 28th annual gathering of private press printers, hand bookbinders, printmakers, paper makers and decorators and many others in the book arts. See one of a kind books, prints, calligraphy and more.
10am -5pm
Location: Grimsby Public Art Gallery, 25 Adelaide Street
Email: gpag@town.grimsby.on.ca
Website: www.town.grimsby.on.ca/art_gallery
Phone: 905-945-3246
Visit website
April 29, 2006
Niagara Symphony Presents Masterworks 4
AN EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Featuring Christie Goodwin, Oboe
Join 6 million Canadians and 500 million people in over 180 countries in celebration of Earth Day (registered trade mark) - the largest, most celebrated environmental event worldwide. Music of the great outdoors, celebrating the arrival of spring with the participation of the musicians of tomorrow from the Niagara Youth Orchestra.
Time: 2:30pm
Gaetano Donizetti Concertino for Oboe in F Major
Edward Elgar Three Bavarian Dances, Op. 27
John Estacio A Farmer's Symphony: The Harvesters
Karl Goldmark A Rustic Wedding Symphony, Op. 26
After this concert, volunteers and supporters are invited to attend an onstage reception with the artists. Contact Erika at the Niagara Symphony for more information or to rsvp your attendance.
This is a Youth Club concert.
For Tickets: Contact the Centre for the Arts Box Office: 905-688-5550, ext 3257, Fax - 905-688-4277, Or buy online www.niagarasymphony.org.
http://www.niagarasymphony.org/concerts.php
$37 / $33 / $25 / $10 Student.
Sunday, April 30, 2006
Centre for the Arts presents
MEN OF THE DEEPS
Sean O'Sullivan Theatre
Sunday, April 30, 2006 2:30 PM
It is a moment that has happened only a few times before at the Centre for the Arts. The audience has been seated, the lights fade to black and the sound of male voices is heard in the distance. There’s a collective gasp as Men of the Deeps, clad in coveralls and hard hats with lanterns, emerge from the darkness of the Sean O’Sullivan Theatre’s ground floor stage entrance. It’s as though they are emerging from the coal mines of Cape Breton, sending shivers up the spine of everyone in the theatre. This is the experience that awaits you this evening!
The Men of the Deeps is a choir of working and retired coal miners from Cape Breton Island. Organized in 1966 as part of the island’s contribution to Canada’s Centennial Year, the group’s inception was an effort by the people of Cape Breton to preserve in song some of the rich folklore of the island’s coal mining communities.
Read more...
April 24, 2006 01:11 - Niagara Falls International Airport
For some reason people have a tough time remembering that the Niagara Falls International Airport is one of the best-situated, easiest to use airports in North America. It has a proud aviation heritage, birthplace of the world's first supersonic plane and first commercial helicopter.
Impressive as all that is, people seem to forget it every time they see the view.
The airport has three active runways, which serve general aviation, military, and commercial flights.
Ready for anything
The Niagara Falls International Airport handles international charter and cargo service and functions as the reliever airport for the region. The fourth longest runway in New York State at 2994 meters (9,825 feet) enables it to accommodate all commercial aircraft.
April 25, 2006 00:03 - New Falls travel guide put out by Frommer
From the Buffalo News
4/21/2006
NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. - This tourist destination has been mentioned in Frommer's travel guides for several years, but now the travel "bible" has put out a whole book on the area. Frommer's Niagara Region Guide Book was launched Wednesday evening at a media event in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The 240-page book has detailed maps, suggested itineraries and "honest reviews" of hotels, restaurants and tourist sites for the estimated 20 million people who visit the falls every year.
The book includes some hotels, restaurants and tourist sites in Niagara Falls, N.Y., but it is primarily about the Ontario side of the falls, said Betsy Foster, marketing coordinator with Tourism Niagara, based in Thorold, Ont.
Buffalo News
April 26, 2006 00:01 - City endorses downtown plan
By COREY LAROCQUE for the Niagara Falls ReviewTuesday, April 25, 2006
NIAGARA FALLS A downtown revitalization project that would invest $100 million and attract national retail chains to Queen Street could move forward after city council sent a message it wants to work with the investors.
Council members met for two hours privately, but emerged saying publicly they would give Aaron Lichtman, the principal owner of Historic Niagara, a letter of intent saying the city wants to proceed with his proposal.
“Clearly, it’s meant to be a positive indication of our willingness to move forward,” said the city’s chief administrative officer John MacDonald.
When Lichtman came forward in January with a proposal to revitalize downtown, he told the city it should spend millions of dollars improving public areas by 2008. A parking garage, more parks and improved gateways to Queen Street are necessary if his group is to attract retailers downtown. The cost of those public projects has been estimated at about $35 million, raising a lot of questions around City Hall about where that money will come from.
Read all the details in the Niagara Falls Review.
April 27, 2006 00:17 - Downtown revamping window’ still open for 4 weeks.
Downtown revamping window’ still open
But investors say council must make financial commitment within four weeks By COREY LAROCQUE for the Niagara Falls Review
Wednesday, April 26, 2006
NIAGARA FALLS With a four-week window of opportunity left, investors behind a downtown revitalization project say they’re still confident they can keep moving ahead, even though city council hasn’t given the financial commitments investors were seeking.
Meanwhile there’s some division on council about how quickly the city should proceed with the Historic Niagara group, led by New York businessman Aaron Lichtman.
A so-called “comfort letter” council agreed Monday to send to the group was a “step in the right direction,” Lichtman said. It signals Niagara Falls will spend cash on parks, parking and road improvements if a deal can be worked out to bring private investment downtown, he said.
Lichtman said there was a “sense of urgency” for the city to make that commitment.
There may be less than a month for council and Lichtman’s group to come to terms.
Find out what needs to be done, when and what the big rush is. It's all in Corey Larocque's
Review article
April 28, 2006 09:14 - Fishing Season Opens.
If you enjoy fishing trout or spring salmon, then your time has come. Here are two Niagara areas where you can cast your line and enjoy the day.1- Trout Fishing - April 29th till end of the trout season.
The St Johns Conservation Area pond is stocked twice annually with rainbow trout. What an excellent fishing enviroment for the whole family. The conservation area offers two wheelchair accessible fishing piers along with a boardwalk trail and picnic area. You will need a fishing license and there is a limit of three fish per person.
Location: St Johns Conservation Area
2984 Holland Road, Thorald
More Info: 905 788-3135
Visit their website for the details.
2- Spring Salmon - April 8 to June 18, 2006
The St. Catharines Game andd Fish Spring Salmon Derby is underway. Troll the waters of Lake Ontario to try and win prizes for the biggest fish caught in 4 categories. The grand prize is $5,000 just waiting for this year's lucky winner. All you need is a boat, your rod and reel, a little knowledge and plenty of luck.
Location: St Catharines Game and Fish Club
61 Lighthouse Road, St. Catharines, Ont
More Info: 905 937-6335
Visit their website for details.
April 29, 2006 22:07 - Degree Poker Giveaway
Win your seat in the Degree Poker Championship.The Degree Poker Championship is back at the Niagara Fallsview Casino May 3-12, 2006.
The Grand Prize is $100,000 and a seat in the 2006 World Series of Poker in Las Vegas.
Visit the Degree Poker Registration Desk at Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, May 3, 4, 5 and 7, 2006 from 8am - 10am for your chance to win one of 350 seats
Draws: May 3, 4, 5 and 7, 2006 at 10:15am in the Galleria
Must be present to win.
Each day we will keep drawing names until that day’s seats have been won.
Visit the Degree Poker website at
www.degreepoker.com.
RULES & REGULATIONS
April 30, 2006 23:03 - Niagara Falls Events - May 2006
Sat May 6, 2006
Spring Ghost Tours at Fort George
From: May 6, 2006
To: June 25, 2006
Join us Sundays in May and June on a lantern tour of haunted Fort George. Hear the real life tales of encounters with things that go bump in the night.
Location: Fort George, Niagara-on-the-Lake
Email: giftshop@friendsoffortgeorge.ca
Website: www.ghrs.org/ghosttours
Phone: (905)468-6621 Fax:(905)468-7681
Admission:$10
Time: 8:30pm
Willowbank Archaeology Program
Exploring the Bright-Urban Site, for beginning archaeologists Lab workshop: An introductory course* to our rich cultural heritage through practical experience
*($180 for entire 5 course program, call for more details)
10 a.m. to 2 p.m. $40.00
Reservation Required:
The School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank,
14487 Niagara Parkway, Queenston.
Phone: 905.262.1239 email: willowbankschool@bellnet.ca
George Carlin
Time: 8:00PM or 10:30PM
Where:Avalon Ballroom, Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort
Prices: Mezzanine Seating & Floor Seating $59.50, $69.50 / Balcony Seating $39.50
SOLD OUT
Emmy-nominated, Grammy award-winning comedian George Carlin brings his unique brand of comedy to Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort. Carlin's observations and commentaries range from serious to downright silly. Don't miss this chance to see one of comedy's best.
To reserve tickets, simply order online, contact TicketMaster at 1.877.833.3110 or visit any TicketMaster outlet. Tickets may also be purchased by calling or visiting the Avalon Ballroom Box Office - 1.888.836.8118 open 10am-8pm
May 06, 2006 - May 08, 2006
Pelham Arts Festival
1:00 AM - 1:00 AM Pelham Arena, FonthillProfessional displays of art featured, various forms of live entertainment and home cooked meal vendors
Sun., May 7, 2006
Chamber Music Salon at Willowbank,
Beethoven and Beyond
Performed by the artists of the Niagara
International Chamber Music Festival
Much Ado about Kreutzer Sonata
Featuring music by Beethoven & Janacek, hosted by James Wegg.
2 p.m. Tickets: $35.00, available at the door,
or call Willowbank to reserve:
The School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank,
14487 Niagara Parkway, Queenston.
Phone: 905.262.1239 email: willowbankschool@bellnet.ca
