I’m not a fan of cold weather. When my friend Barb suggested we go to Niagara Falls before she moved from Buffalo, I had slight reservations. I wanted to see the Falls, but not in the frigid January Canadian air. “It’s so beautiful in winter with the snow and mist,” she said. “Alright, let’s go,” I said.
I’m happy we went, because the Falls in winter is quiet, not that I don’t like noise and people, but the roar of Horseshoe Falls intensifies.
With an azure sky, serene surrounding and one of my best friends in tow, I took one for the team and froze my fingers to capture Niagara Falls mid-January.
This was my first visit to Horseshoe Falls since I was 7 or 8 years old.
Niagara Falls is part of Ontario’s Niagara Parks System. From its inception in 1885, the Niagara Parks Commission has operated in a self-sustaining manner having never received monies from any provincial government.
3,160 tons of water flows over Niagara Falls every second. This accounts for 75,750 gallons of water per second over the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 681,750 gallons per second over the Horseshoe Falls. *
Over 12,000 years ago, Niagara Falls extended seven miles down river to what is now Lewiston, New York and Queenston, Ontario. Over the years, the brink has eroded, sometimes as much as six feet per year, to its present site. *
The deepest section in the Niagara River is just below the Falls. It is so deep it equals the height of the Falls above, 52 metres (170 ft.).
Horseshoe Falls is in the middle of the Niagara River that runs between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. This 36 mile in length river is a natural outlet for both “Great Lakes.”
The first person to see and describe Niagara Falls in-depth was Father Louis Hennepin, a French priest who accompanied LaSalle on his expedition to the Niagara region in 1678. *
During the last Ice Age, starting about 1.7 million years ago, continental glaciers up to two miles thick covered the Niagara Frontier region. *
Studies and history of Niagara Falls indicate that thousands of years ago, the Falls was 11 km downstream from its current spot. Erosion was a major issue associated with the Canadian Falls. And the rate of average erosion of the Niagara Falls rose up to 1 metre per year until early 1950s. **
The water falls at 32 feet per second over the falls, hitting the base of the falls with 280 tons of force at the American and Bridal Veil Falls and 2,509 tons of force at the Horseshoe Falls. *
The Canadian side of the Falls was first called as “horseshoe” in 1721 **
The Height of Canadian Falls 170 ft (52 metres) **
Audubon designated the Niagara River Corridor as an Important Bird Area (IBA) in 1996, the first internationally recognized area in the world. The river supports thousands of wintering gull and waterfowl species. *
Niagara Falls are capable of producing over 4 million kilowatts of electricity, which is shared by the United States and Canada. *
Horseshoe Falls is more impressive than the American Falls. In fact, the American Falls is wimpy by comparison. Although Horseshoe Falls reins supreme, the entire Niagara Falls system is a natural wonder that expresses a small fraction of the beauty of Mother Earth. No matter the time of year one visits, The Falls never disappoints. Grab that passport and go.
*Facts provided by Niagara Falls State Park
**Facts provided by Info Niagara