Niagara Parks Commission

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Niagara Parks Commission Logo

Detail of a provincial plaque commemorating the NPC, near the brink of the Falls.

Dozens of NPC plaques invite visitors to pause on their journey.

The Niagara Parks Commission, or Niagara Parks for short, is an agency of government of Ontario which maintains the Ontario shoreline of the Niagara River.

1 History
2 Activity
3 Aims and objectives
4 See also
5 References
6 External links

[edit] History

The Commission was founded in 1885 with Casimir Gzowski as the Commissioner. It was charged with preserving and enhancing the natural beauty of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River corridor as a public greenspace and environmental heritage. Other notable Commissioners have included Thomas McQuesten and James Allan.

[edit] Activity

In total, the Commission is in charge of about 16.19 square kilometres of parkland along the river, in addition to the 56 kilometer Niagara River Parkway. In this corridor, the NPC manages numerous trails, historic sites, picnic areas, and attractions. These include Journey Behind the Falls, the Butterfly Conservatory, and the Queenston Floral Clock. The Commission manages Navy Island National Historic Site under a lease agreement with the national park service. It also owns the Chippawa Battlefield Park, and has developed a historical interpretive walk at this War of 1812 site.

Other significant properties include the Mackenzie Printery & Newspaper Museum, which holds the nation's oldest press; McFarland House, an 18th Century Georgian home offering tours, tea, wine, and light fare; and the Laura Secord Homestead, home to the heroine of the War of 1812, and a national historic site. In addition, the NPC has placed dozens of green plaques marking significant sites and events along the Niagara River.

Niagara Parks also operates the People Mover, a shuttle bus system intended to aid transportation along the Niagara River and help reduce automobile crowding near the Falls. The buses are powered by propane and include a trailer unit during most popular hours. In the long term, the Commission is planning for a fixed track transit system along the Niagara River Parkway, although no decision has been taken on the exact technology to be used.^[1]^[2]

NPC now attempts to protect the natural beauty and attract tourism along the Niagara River, Niagara Gorge and Niagara Falls. The NPC is a self-financed agency of the Ontario Ministry of Tourism and Recreation.

[edit] Aims and objectives

The aims and objectives of The Niagara Parks Commission as set out in The R. Strong & Associates Report, 1969, are as follows:

To maintain, preserve and enhance the beauty and surroundings of the Canadian Horseshoe Falls and the Niagara River, from Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake, while maintaining financial self-sufficiency;
To develop, operate and maintain a system of parks and recreation areas, historic sites and educational facilities which complement the natural wonders of Niagara Falls and the Niagara River, and which will facilitate and add to the visitor’s enjoyment;
To provide those wishing to view and enjoy the splendor of Niagara Falls an opportunity to do so with ease;
To provide a broad range of educational opportunities in the fields of horticulture, geology, natural history and the history of the Niagara Frontier;
To continually seek new methods and means for improving the visitor’s experience when visiting the Falls area;
To encourage complimentary uses of land adjacent to the Parks system and to work with other groups and agencies who have compatible interests in the Park area.
To ensure a suitable first and last impression for the many millions of foreign visitors to Ontario and to Canada crossing the borders along the Niagara Frontier;
To encourage and promote the development of the tourism industry in Ontario and Canada; and
To pursue the self-sustaining nature of the Parks System while recognizing the limitations of compatible and suitable revenue-producing facilities and the long-range need for capital improvements.