Niagara Peninsula

Lore & Background

The area was originally inhabited by a First Nations people called the 'Neutrals', so named for their practice of trading goods such as flint arrowhead blanks with both of the feuding regional powers, the Wyandot and Iroquois. The Neutrals were wiped out by the Iroquois c. 1650 as the latter sought to expand their fur-trapping territory as part of the Beaver Wars. From this point until the arrival of United Empire Loyalists following the American War of Independence, the region was only sporadically inhabited, as the Iroquois did not establish permanent settlements in the area. The Niagara Peninsula then became one of the first areas settled in Upper Canada by British Loyalists in the late 18th century. The capital of the new colony was established with the founding of Niagara-on-the-Lake, then called Newark. Many English and Irish immigrants settled in the peninsula, but by the 1800s, Italian and German immigrants heavily populated the peninsula and were the chief sources of immigrants followed by French, Polish, and other Central Europeans.

Reader's Guide

Following the agricultural period of European settlement, the Niagara area became an important industrial centre, with water-powered mills joined later by hydro-electric power generation in Niagara Falls and electricity-intensive industry in both Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. A succession of canals were built to connect the markets and mineral resources of the upper Great Lakes with the St. Lawrence Seaway. General Motors built a considerable presence in St. Catharines with auto plants and a foundry, and a number of auto-parts manufacturers followed. Dry docks were also built at Port Weller on Lake Ontario. Heavy industry has been diminishing for the past decade or more primarily due to the slow-down of the North American automotive manufacturers. Thousands of jobs have been lost at long-time area employers such as General Motors, Thompson Products, Deere & Company, Dana Canada Corp, Port Weller Drydocks, Domtar Papers, and Gallagher Thorold Paper. Hospitality and tourism has attracted numerous visitors to the area for more than 150 years primarily thanks to Niagara Falls. Today, more than 14 million guests visit the peninsula annually to see the beauty of the Falls and the Niagara Parks. The Niagara Peninsula is one of four recognized viticultural areas by the VQA in the Ontario wine industry. The many European-style wineries and vineyards have played a major role in attracting visitors. Another major attraction is the famous Shaw Festival Theater (named for playwright George Bernard Shaw) located in the town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Niagara-on-the-Lake is also the location of Fort George, a British-built and -occupied fort during the War of 1812. Other key historical locations nearby include: Brock's Monument, the Laura Secord Monument and the battlefield sites of Battle of Queenston Heights, Battle of Lundy's Lane and Battle of Chippawa. The region's moderate year-round climate, in addition to its close proximity to the United States for easy road and air access to the southern U.S., makes it a popular retirement destination. The Niagara Peninsula has both the highest density and growth rate of seniors for any region within Ontario. The major roadway bisecting the peninsula is the Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW). This freeway connects Toronto and Buffalo, New York, in the United States. It is one of the major thoroughfares for the North American trucking industry and is responsible for supporting the carriage of nearly one third of all goods imported and exported.

Did You Know?

• The Neutrals, the original First Nations inhabitants, were named for trading flint arrowhead blanks with both the Wyandot and Iroquois.
• The capital of Upper Canada was first established at Niagara-on-the-Lake, then called Newark.
• The Niagara Peninsula has both the highest density and growth rate of seniors for any region within Ontario.
• The QEW freeway supports the carriage of nearly one third of all goods imported and exported in North America.
• The Niagara Escarpment was named a world Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1990.