Niagara Falls, Ontario, is a city that sits on the western bank of the Niagara River in the Golden Horseshoe region of Southern Ontario, Canada. With a population of 94,415 as of the 2021 census, it forms part of the St. Catharines - Niagara Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). The city, incorporated on 12 June 1903, is a stone's throw away from Niagara Falls, New York. The Niagara River cascades over the falls at this location, creating a breathtaking spectacle that draws millions of tourists each year.
Before the arrival of Europeans, the area that is now Niagara Falls was inhabited by the Iroquoian-speaking Neutral people. However, after attacks from the Haudenosaunee and Seneca, the Neutral population was significantly reduced. The Haudenosaunee people remained in the area until Europeans made first contact in the late 17th century. The Niagara Falls area saw some European settlement in the 17th century, with Louis Hennepin, a French priest and missionary, considered the first European to visit the area in the 1670s.
The area was referred to as Township Number 2 and Mount Dorchester after Guy Carleton, 1st Baron Dorchester, following surveys completed in 1782. The earliest settlers were Philip George Bender and Thomas McMicken. Increased settlement took place during and after the American Revolutionary War, with the British Crown granting land to Loyalists to help them resettle in Upper Canada.
In 1791, John Graves Simcoe renamed the town Stamford after Stamford, Lincolnshire in England. The town was renamed Niagara Falls in 1881, and in 1904, the town and village amalgamated to form the City of Niagara Falls. In 1963, the city amalgamated with the surrounding Stamford Township, and in 1970, the Niagara regional government was formed.
Niagara Falls has had a Black population since at least 1783. Up to 12 African-Americans were a part of the Butler's Rangers, including Richard Pierpoint. When they were disbanded in 1783, they tried to establish themselves through farming nearby, making them among the first Black settlers in the region. Niagara Falls' Black population increased in the following decades, as a destination on the Underground Railroad. In 1856, a British Methodist Episcopal (BME) Church was established for African-Canadian worshipers. The BME Church, Nathaniel Dett Memorial Chapel is now a National Historic Site, remaining in operation into the 21st century.
Niagara Falls is approximately 130 km by road from Ontario's capital of Toronto, which is across Lake Ontario to the north. The area of the Niagara Region is approximately 1,800 km2. The city is built along the Niagara Falls waterfalls and the Niagara Gorge on the Niagara River, which flows from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario.
The city of Niagara Falls has a humid continental climate, which is moderated to an extent in all seasons by proximity to water bodies. Winters are cold, with a January high of −0.4 °C and a low of −7.8 °C. Summers are warm to hot and humid, with a July high of 27.4 °C and a low of 17 °C.
Niagara Falls has 11 communities and 67 neighbourhoods defined by Planning Neighbourhoods and Communities for the City of Niagara Falls.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Niagara Falls had a population of 94,415 living in 37,793 of its 39,778 total private dwellings, a change of 7.2% from its 2016 population of 88,071. With a land area of 210.25 km2, it had a population density of 449.1/km2 in 2021.
Some cultural areas of Niagara Falls include Queen Street, Main and Ferry Streets, Stamford Centre and Chippawa Square. Community centres that are host to cultural activities include the City of Niagara Falls Museums, Niagara Falls Public Libraries, Coronation 50 Plus Recreation Centre, Club Italia and Scotia Bank Convention Centre.
Notable attractions in Niagara Falls include the Table Rock Welcome Centre, Journey Behind the Falls, Skylon Tower, Niagara SkyWheel, Winter Festival of Lights, Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory, Niagara Heritage Trail, Dufferin Islands, Niagara Parks School of Horticulture, The Rainbow Carillon, Clifton Hill, Marineland, Casino Niagara and Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, IMAX Theatre and Daredevil museum, Fallsview Tourist Area, Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, and Tower Hotel.
(Information about transportation in Niagara Falls, Ontario is missing in the provided data. Please provide the information to complete this section.)
