Niagara-on-the-Lake

Niagara-on-the-Lake
—  Town  —
Nickname(s): The Loveliest Town in Canada
Location of Niagara-on-the-Lake in the Niagara Region
Niagara-on-the-Lake Location in Ontario
Coordinates: 43°15′19″N 79°4′18″W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Niagara
Settled	1781
Incorporated	1792
Government
• Lord Mayor	Dave Eke
• Governing body	Town Council
• MP	Rob Nicholson
• MPP	Kim Craitor
Area
• Land	132.83 km2 (51.29 sq mi)
Elevation	82.3 m (270 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	15,400
• Density	115.9/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zone	Eastern (EST) (UTC-5)
• Summer (DST)	Eastern Daylight (EDT) (UTC-4)
Postal code	L0S 1J0
Area code(s)	905/289
Website	www.notl.org

The Court House, a Shaw Festival theatre and Parks Canada headquarters of Niagara National Historic Sites.

St. Mark's Church

Niagara-on-the-Lake (Cayuga: Tganawai:ˀ ) (2011 population 15,400) is a Canadian town located in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is located across the Niagara river from Youngstown, New York, USA. It is also the only town in Canada that has a Lord Mayor.

History

The settlement was originally known as Butlersburg, in honour of Colonel John Butler, the commander of Butler's Rangers. The town received official status in 1781 when it became known as Newark, a British military base and haven for British loyalists fleeing the United States during the volatile aftermath of the American Revolution. Newark was made the first capital of Upper Canada (now the province of Ontario), and the first provincial parliament was convened at the Navy Hall in 1792 by Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe. Due to Newark's close proximity to the American border, Simcoe moved the capital in 1797 to York and Newark was renamed Niagara the following year.

Niagara played a central role in the War of 1812. Niagara was taken by American forces after a two day bombardment by cannons from Fort Niagara and the American Fleet, followed by a fierce battle. Later in the war the town was razed and burnt to the ground by American soldiers as they withdrew to Fort Niagara. Undaunted by this setback, the citizens rebuilt the Town after the War, with the residential quarter around Queen Street and toward King Street, where the new Court House was rebuilt out of firing range of the cannons of Fort Niagara. In 1859 the town built its first public school, Niagara Public School.

The town's present name was adopted around 1880 as a Postal Address to distinguish the town from Niagara Falls. The name was not officially adopted until 1970, when the Town of Niagara and the Township of Niagara were merged.

Historic sites

Most of the former military sites, such as Fort George, Navy Hall, and Butler's Barracks, have been restored. Fort George's restoration was done as a "Make Work Project", guided by plans from the Royal Engineers, during the Great Depression of the 1930s, an early example of historic preservation. Fort George National Historic Site is a focal point in a collection of War of 1812 sites which, collectively, are managed by Parks Canada under the name Niagara National Historic Sites. That administrative name includes several national historic sites: Fort Mississauga, Mississauga Point Lighthouse (1804, the first on the Great Lakes), Navy Hall, Butler's Barracks, and Queenston Heights.

A map of the National Historic District.

Cenotaph and clock tower.

Niagara-on-the-Lake ("NOTL" or "N-O-T-L" in local shorthand) teems with historical plaques, many national and provincial, reflecting its significance in the establishment of many of the province's institutions. Among these were its first newspaper, lending library, parliament, historical museum, and governing body for the legal profession. Critical battles in the defence of Upper Canada took place here, at Queenston, including one in which heroine Laura Secord gained her fame. The town gave many black Americans their first taste of freedom, both as a stop on the Underground railroad for those travelling further into Upper Canada, and as a refuge in its own right. Its stock of Regency and Classical Revival buildings, considered the best in the country from the post-war of 1812 period, led the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada to recommend that the town's historic district be designated a National Historic Site of Canada, a designation which was approved in 2003. The historic centre had already been designated as a provincial Heritage Conservation District under the Ontario Heritage Act in 1986. And, although it did not make the final list, the Historic District was considered for nomination as a World Heritage Site.

Other significant sites in NOTL:

• The town contains other National Historic Sites of Canada within its boundaries: the Battlefield of Fort George and nearby Fort George, Butler's Barracks, Fort Drummond, Fort Mississauga, the site of the Mississauga Point Lighthouse, the Niagara Apothecary (the oldest apothecary in Canada), the Niagara District Court House, Queenston Heights, Queenston-Chippawa Hydro-electric Plant, Willowbank and Vrooman's Battery.
• Old Court House Theatre 1847
• St. Mark's Church 1791 - oldest Anglican Church in Ontario
• McFarland House, built ca. 1800, is the oldest surviving building in Niagara-on-the-Lake. During the War of 1812 the house was used as both a hospital and Officer's Quarters, therefore it survived the Burning on Newark in December 1813. It is now open to the public for guided tours, as well as a tea patio.

Tourism

The town is home to the Shaw Festival, a series of theatrical productions featuring the works of George Bernard Shaw, his contemporaries, or plays about his era (1856–1950), running from April to November. The festival operates three theatres in the centre of town: the Festival, Royal George, and Court House theatres, and features one of a repertory acting company, scenic staff, and collection of resident and guest directors considered some of the best in the English-speaking world.

The surrounding region enjoys a comparatively mild climate thanks to the adjoining lakes, and excellent soil for fruit production, for which it has become one of Canada's centres. In particular, NOTL has grown into a major viticultural region. Visitors flock to dozens of nearby wineries, including those making the world's largest volumes of ice wine. The town is also known for its gardens, art galleries, antique shops, and golf courses. There are many hotels, inns, bed and breakfasts, and spas in the area.

The old Niagara Public School, today a popular bed and breakfast.

A side street

The town accentuates its British heritage, and features the only Lord Mayor in Canada. Prior to 1970, the town was simply the Town of Niagara, and the title was Mayor. In 1970, the Town of Niagara, and the Township of Niagara were merged to create the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. The title of "Lord Mayor" was to be given to all Mayors from that time forward. Many people incorrectly refer to the Mayor of Niagara prior to 1970 as "Lord Mayor". The first Lord Mayor was Frederick S. Goring.

Location shooting

Several popular films and TV shows have been shot on location in the NOTL Old Town, including:

• When Michael Calls, also released as Shattered Silence (1972), which starred Michael Douglas, Ben Gazzara and Elizabeth Ashley
• The Dead Zone (1983), which starred Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Brooke Adams and Tom Skerritt
• Samuel Lount (1985)
• The Experts (1989), which starred John Travolta, Arye Gross and Kelly Preston
• Trapped in Paradise (1994), which starred Nicolas Cage, Dana Carvey and Jon Lovitz
• The Ref (1994), which starred Dennis Leary, Judy Davis and Kevin Spacey
• Canadian Bacon (1995), which starred John Candy, Alan Alda and Rhea Perlman
• That Old Feeling (1997)
• An All American Fairytale (2001)
• Amelia (2009), which starred Richard Gere, Hilary Swank, and Ewan McGregor
• Mighty Niagara

Demographics

Census	Population
1871	1,600
1901	1,258
1911	1,318
1921	1,357
1931	1,228
1941	1,541
1951	2,712
1961	2,108
1971	12,552
1981	12,186
1991	12,945
2001	13,839
2006	14,587
2011	15,400

Only 15% of the population is under 14 years of age. Those over 65 years of age number 22.6% and constitute a fast-growing population. The town has seen growth of almost 1% yearly, partially due to a large number of retirees moving to the town.

Awards and recognition

The Town of Niagara was the site of the 8th World Scout Jamboree in 1955. Over 11,000 Scouts from 71 countries attended the Jamboree. It was the first to be held outside Europe and had the theme "Jamboree of New Horizons". Niagara-on-the-Lake was named the Prettiest Town in Canada in 1996 by Communities in Bloom, a nationwide beautification programme. The town is now a popular tourist destination, located at the northern terminus of the Niagara Parkway, a scenic drive and biking/walking path.

Communities

Queenston, around 1805, by army surgeon Edward Walsh.

In addition to the primary town site of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the town also includes the villages of Glendale, Homer, McNab, Queenston, St. Davids and Virgil.

Glendale is located near the junction of the QEW, Highway 405, and Highway 55, and adjacent to the Welland Canal. It is home to the Niagara-on-the-Lake campus of Niagara College.

Virgil is located just south-west of old town Niagara-on-the-Lake, where most of the tourism takes place. The community has a large Mennonite community, who originally settled the area in the early to mid 20th-century. Virgil has a large sports park, serving as the centre of Niagara-on-the-Lake's bustling hockey, softball, lacrosse and soccer leagues, two arenas, three baseball diamonds and a skate park. Once a year, on the Victoria Day weekend in May, the community holds its annual "Stampede". The festival includes rides and attractions. Virgil's educational institutions are St. Michael's Elementary School and Crossroads Public School, which opened in September 2011, amalgamating the now-closed Virgil and Colonel John Butler Public Schools. The town's only secondary school, Niagara District, was closed by the District School Board of Niagara in 2010. The Old Town also has an elementary school, located on King Street - Parliament Oak Public School. St. Davids Public School serves JK to Grade 8 students in the southern part of the municipality.

External links

• Niagara-on-the-Lake official site
• Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce Web Site
• Niagara-on-the-Lake Bed and Breakfast Association
• Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum Web Site
• Images from the Historic Niagara Digital Collections at the Niagara Falls Public Library
• Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, from The Canadian Encyclopedia