Niagara Falls Thunder Alley

OPINIONS

My Niagara Falls

Point of View

March 28th 2011

Fresh Air of Spring at Niagara Parks Commission

The Niagara Parks under the direction of Chair Fay Booker has taken a number of positive and much needed steps to improve the operations and direction of this fine organization. It is truly the breath of fresh air. Creating a much more public friendly and accessible parks system is a first step in revitalizing a system that was in desperate need of repair and nurturing. Secondly, focusing on the strengths of the existing Niagara Parks natural attributes is a key to reinvigorating tourism success that has been lost for many years by previous administrations. Accentuating and improving upon the existing natural gems within the Niagara Parks rather than the grandiose will undoubtedly pay big dividends in the future financial, public relations and tourism success of the NPC.

- Rick 11/03/28

October 21st 2010

The Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights needs to go "Back to the Basics".

The Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights will now be known as the CAA Winter Festival of Lights. The CAA (Canadian Automobile Association) has agreed to sponsor the Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights for a minimal period of 2-3 years, with a provision to extend their sponsorship beyond this time frame.

 
The Winter Festival of Lights has been plagued with financial difficulty since they added the new attraction "Rink at the Brink", a covered ice rink built in 2009-2010 on Niagara Parks property opposite the Table Rock Center. Costing approximately $1 million dollars, the rink was for the most part funded by Provincial and Federal grants.

Despite comments to the contrary by WFOL officials, the success of the “Rink by the Brink” from a financial basis was disappointingly dismal. To further add salt to the wound, the Niagara Parks requires the removal of the rink each April costing $180,000 extra.

Rather than admitting it was a bad investment, the Winter Festival of Lights organization has convinced the Niagara Parks to allow them to build the rink again for the 2010-2011 season. Officials are still trying to convince themselves that the rink is as iconic as the skating rink at Rockefeller Center in New York City. It is more likely destined to become as iconic as the Totem Pole Park at the Niagara Glen.

In the spring of 2010, the Festival of Lights Committee asked for and was granted a $400,000 co-signed loan from the City of Niagara Falls to cover outstanding debts related primarily to the ice rink. 

This winter season the rink will remain open to the weather elements which can likely be attributed to reducing the cost of building and removing the sheltered structure at a substantial cost savings. The constant heavy mist from the Horseshoe Falls due to its proximity was the primary reason to erect a covering over the rink in the first place. The WFOL had it right in the first place by covering the rink. Removing the covering will ultimately save a considerable amount of money however the consequences of not covering the rink will result in many days of unfit, cold and a very wet outdoor environment in light of the frequent mist from the waterfalls.

Every year, the WFOL is required to erect and then dismantle the ice structure. That cost alone is staggering, let alone ludicrous. Interestingly, during the summer, the Niagara Parks has the area of the rink restored to grass yet it remains roped off to prevent public access. If this is the case, then why is the WFOL required to dismantle the rink?

It is unfortunate that the WFOL and the Niagara Parks couldn’t have come to some type of shared use agreement whereby the structure needn’t be torn down every year. Perhaps the Niagara Parks could have come up with an innovative idea to use the structure for some commercial venture during the tourist season. After all they built "THE FURY", didn't they? Without such an agreement, the Rink at the Brink is “On the Brink” of extinction.

Maybe it's just another step in a continuing series of efforts by the Niagara Parks to coral and restrict public access to specific picnic and resting areas of the park as they have done with the wrought iron fence built along the border of the Table Rock parking lot, under the auspices of public safety. I am waiting for the Niagara Parks to fence the remaining four kilometres along the remaining sides of Queen Victoria Park for public safety as well but that's another story for another day.

The WFOL needs to get back to the basics of the Festival of Lights improving and building upon the most important element of this festival - the lights. Over the past several years the expenditures for light purchases and maintenance have been decreasing while administration costs have been increasing. The light displays without continued expansion and timely upkeep have become stale. One million dollars could have purchased a lot of new light displays. Now the WFOL is saddled with this costly ice rink that may become their albatross.

Although the new sponsorship may sustain the WFOL for at least several more years, its time that the WFOL organization refocus and go back to the basics in order to expand upon an already world class festival that has evolved since the early 1980’s before it is financially bankrupt.

- Rick 10/10/21

 

April 28th 2010

I support the Niagara Parks Police Service. I have had the pleasure to have worked with the many fine members of the Niagara Parks Police on many occasions for more than three and a half decades. They are second to none when comparing police services within the Province. They are equal to any member of the NRP in training, ability, use of force and professionalism. They are armed as is any other police officer in the province.

Accountability has never been an issue until now because even though not governed by the SIU, they have always complied with all the rules regulations and general orders issued by NRP or the province. They are held accountable for their respective actions by NRP Police Services Board by virtue of securing their special constable status as well as being governed by the existing various federal and provincial statutes (i.e. Criminal Code of Canada etc). The SIU issue is not a new issue. It’s been around for a number of years and has not been overly problematic.

 
With the sudden change of support and sponsorship of the Niagara Parks Police Service, I can't help but to think that the NRP Police Services Board has a hidden agenda or is empire building. Maybe they need a place for their overpriced and useless equestrian unit. I can see stables in the park already.

It seems that the NRP Police Services Board has a tendency to act like a rogue nation. It’s time for the dog to start wagging it’s own tail. The Government of the Province of Ontario needs to wake up, smarten up and take control before it’s too late. It is time for the government to revise the Police Services Act to bring all armed special constables under the SIU umbrella and to protect the right of existence of the Niagara Parks Police Service. Otherwise the citizens of Niagara and the millions of visitors from around the world will lose a valuable and highly recognized institution.

- Rick 10/04/28

February 13th 2010

For many years, tourism operators have said they have worked for the common good of promoting tourism in Niagara with one voice. They talk the talk but seldom walk the walk. Lip service is cheap and pats on the back are plentiful.

In times of economic difficulty, the industry is the first to point the finger of blame at anyone and everyone including each other or anything in order to deflect any responsibility. In the meantime, prices keep increasing while the quality of tourist services and value suffers.

It has gotten to the breaking point where people simply cannot afford to visit or stay for longer periods of time  because of exorbitant prices for meals, attractions and accommodations.

In Niagara, the tourist has become  nothing more than a "cash-cow" rather than a valued visitor. Quite often tourists leave Niagara Falls with negative feelings of being "ripped-off".

In truth, the tourism industry acts like a dysfunctional family, driven by greed and the cut-throat nature of their competition. Rather than working harmoniously for the common good of all tourists, the industry thrives itself on self-preservation at the expense of each other and especially every visitor to Niagara.

Some in the industry have forgotten two very simple facts. Firstly, visitors for the most part come to Niagara to see the mighty cataracts. The rest of the tourism industry is the financial beneficiary; a fact the industry often forgets.

Everyone in the tourism business seems to want to take credit for the successes of tourism in Niagara Falls.

Some have suggested the Festival of Lights has been the catalyst, while others would differ and suggest it is the marketing genius of the hotel owners or Niagara Falls tourism promotions while others would have you believe it is the result of the casinos' or city politicians. To some degree, all this is true.

While I agree, everyone involved in the tourism industry needs to take a well deserved bow for their respective contribution, let us not forget the most important anchor behind all Niagara Falls tourism.

The true success of Niagara Falls tourism is the waterfalls. Pure and simple. Without nature's gift of the majestic waterfalls and the gorge, there would be little or no tourism, no hotels, no casinos', no attractions nor any noteworthy festivals. Our twin cities wouldn't be known around the world as it is today as a world class destination.

Without the waterfalls the tourism house of cards would fall flat. There would be no money and very little new development.

The same cannot be said of the Falls. It is the diamond in the Niagara tourism tiara, for even without all the supporting development, money, casinos', hotels' and attractions - nature's Falls of Niagara will continue well into the future to be the center piece of all tourism along the Niagara Frontier.

Today, the industry of tourism has the tools and resources to make a tremendous impact and impression on every single visitor to Niagara Falls. The question is whether or not the tourism industry is prepared to put their own self interests behind those of our guests in order to make every visit an affordable and enjoyable event. 

Perhaps one day in the not too distant future, the industry will put side their greedy self interests and realize the collective benefits of working together in a unified tourism industry.

They might even create a positive and balanced climate where they can still make money and the visitor will be treated royally with an affordability that encourages them to return again and again. Then and only then will the true winner be the tourist and the tourism industry in Niagara Falls.
 

- Rick 10/02/13

 niagarahistory@gmail.com