Marriott - Spring/Summer 2015

TODAY MAGA ZINE

CREATE A GRAZING BOARD

The art of casual dining

HISTORY WITH A VIEW Exploring Fallsview Boulevard’s roots & ever-changing landscape

+ Explore Niagara WITH MAGNIFICENT TOURS

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ANDREW HIND & MARIA DA SILVA

JILL THAM

SHERMAN ZAVITZ

Andrew and Maria are freelance writers specializing in travel, history and lifestyle. They have a passion for new adventures and experiences, and for exploring little known stories. Andrew is never without a book or three in hand, and some obscure historical fact at the tip of his tongue. Maria is a natural storyteller who loves the paranormal, cooking and good wine (mostly, she’ll say, for putting up with Andrew). You should follow them @discoveriesAM.

Convinced she would have made a better teen in the 80s instead of the 90s, Jill’s passion for writing came after seeing the movie Stand by Me. When Jill is not moonlighting as a freelance writer, she is an Elementary teacher juggling her three children. Along with being a regular contributor to Today Magazine, Jill’s articles have been featured in Canadian Running, Pedal, Allergic Living and @OECTA. jilltham.wordpress. com @JillBT

A retired teacher, Sherman Zavitz has had a fascination with the history of Niagara Falls for many years.

Past president of The Lundy’s Lane Historical Society and has served on the boards of The Canadian Canal Society, The Friends of Fort George and the Niagara Falls Museums. He has been recognized for his historical expertise by being appointed official historian for both the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and The Niagara Parks Commission.

CONTRIBUTORS

LYNN OGRYZLO

GABRIELLE TIEMAN

ANDREA KAISER

Lynn is a food, wine and travel writer, author of three international award-winning cookbooks and regular contributor to REV Publications.

Lynn specializes in culinary tourism covering regional cuisine destinations, slow food, culinary holidays, wine, spirits and “la dolca vita”. She can be reached for questions or comments at lynnogryzlo.com.

Gabrielle is a writer with REV Publishing and holds a passion for covering travel and event pieces. She is always up for an adventure and loves meeting new people but also maintains close relationships with her Keurig and bicycle. Her favourite time of year is scarf season and she has easily watched the movie Armageddon 200 times. You should follow her @gabrielletieman

Andrea Kaiser grew up in Niagara, and is no stranger to the Ontario wine industry. You could say she was born into a life of food and wine and now shares this passion for Niagara Flavours through her writing, teaching and work. Well, we will call it work for lack of a better word.

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 5

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elcome to the summer edition of Marriott. As a tourism publication, we bring you in depth articles on all the best things to see and do during your visit to Niagara Falls.

For this issue, we cover the creative side of Niagara (Summer of Thrills, page 63), the picturesque side (Magnificent Tours, page 74, Niagara’s Prettiest Hikes, page 79), the historical side (History of Fallsview area, page 41 and Harry Houdini, page 36)…with a little bit of food and wine thrown in (of course). We’ve definitely got something for everyone.

This time of year is particularly beautiful in Niagara, so take advantage of it by getting out and exploring everything this area has to offer.

Have a great summer season, and I hope you enjoy this issue of Marriott.

LETTER

W

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 7

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PUBLISHER Rev Publishing Inc.

ONTENT

PRESIDENT & CEO Daniel A. Pasco ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Alexandra Mills SALES REPRESENTATIVES Melanie Bryson Crystal Lowes Patricia Bolus Lynn Ann Lynch Lance Mallett Dan Carbonara EDITOR Megan Pasche PRODUCTION MANAGER Tina Lanzillotta GRAPHIC DESIGNERS Tabitha MacDonald Rachel Bertrand IT/WEB DEVELOPER Justin Soungie DIGITAL SALES MANAGER Dave Mace MARKETING & SOCIAL MEDIA

Jessica Zelman CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Lynn Ogryzlo Gabrielle Tieman Andrew Hind & Maria Da Silva Sherman Zavitz Lauren Charley Evan Saviolidis Jill Tham Andrea Kaiser CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AJ Harlond David Haskell TO ADVERTISE PLEASE CALL 905.356.7283 or 1.877.888.2825 WEBSITE todaymagazine.ca

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Marriott by Today Magazine is published by Rev Publishing Inc. All opinions expressed in Marriott by Today Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the view of Marriott by Today Magazine, it’s employees or owners. Reasonable care is taken to ensure that the information contained in this magazine is as up-to-date and accurate as possible, as of the time of publication, but no responsibility can be taken by Marriott by Today Magazine for any errors, omissions or comments made by writers or interviewees that are contained herein. Furthermore, responsibility for any losses, damages or distress resulting from adherence to any information made available through this magazine is not the responsibility of Marriott by Today Magazine. All unsolicited manuscripts and/or photographs submitted are assumed to be intended for publication or republication in whole or in part. The right to alter, edit or refuse photos and/or manuscripts intended for publication is assumed. All unsolicited material submitted to Marriott

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COVER STORY 74

MAGNIFICENT TOURS

There’s no better way to explore Niagara

FOOD & DRINK 14

19

IN DEFENSE OF THE GRAZING BOARD An amuse to your bouche

FROM LAKE TO TABLE

These Niagara area catches are making a splash on your dinner plate

24 THE PERFECT MILKSHAKE

One of Niagara’s favourite summer treats

30 MEGALOMANIAC

A true Canadian winery

33

BRUNCH

It’s the new dinner party

HISTORY & CULTURE 36 HARRY HOUDINI His mysterious Niagara connection 41

FALLSVIEW BLVD

Overlooking the grandest scene in the world

45 NIAGARA’S FLORAL CLOCK The beauty of passing time

48 FROM THE ARCHIVES

A history of stunting at Niagara Falls

51

IGNITE YOUR COMPETITIVE SPIRIT

The Pan American Games

ABOUT TOWN

55 FILM, WINE & FOOD

The Niagara Integrated Film Festival

59 CELEBRATING NIAGARA’S GRAPE HARVEST The Niagara Wine Festival

63 DON’T LOOK DOWN

The Niagara Falls summer event is sure to give you a thrill

68 HITTING THE LINKS

Exploring Niagara’s Golf Trail

79

TAKE A HIKE

Get lost in the splendor of Niagara’s prettiest trails.

HERE. SEE. DO. 83 THE LIFE OF THE PARTY

Niagara-on-the-Lake just keeps getting hipper

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FOOD & DRINK

IN DEFENSE OF THE

GRAZING BOARD AN AMUSE TO YOUR BOUCHE

BY LYNN OGRYZLO

The grazing board: it’s a funny name that conjures up images of cows in a field. Yet to me, it’s the most delicious of casual dining experiences. Of course, I’m talking about sipping on drinks that stimulate an appetite for nibbles of gourmet foods that you and your friends’ leisurely nosh while layering the experience with great conversation.

Often confused with a charcuterie board, a grazing board is the cheese platter of the 1980s, reincarnated by the modern day carnivores’ lust for cured meats and demand for exciting flavours. They include both meat and cheese with accompaniments that can be tart, crunchy, smooth or savoury. When put together properly it becomes a continual play on the palate that lasts for hours.

Charcuterie boards on the other hand, are only cured meats with a few condiments for flavour contrast. Notice how I said cured meats and not charcuterie. Charcuterie is a French word and yet, very few (if any) of the ingredients on the board are French.

Think about it, prosciutto and salami are Italian, kielbasa is Polish and ham hocks are German. Sure, cornichons, the little French, miniature, tart pickle is the perfect foil for rich fatty meats but it has now been replaced with Korean kimchi which does the same job yet adds a modern twist with a complexity of flavours the little cornichon lacks.

Creamy French pate has become passé being replaced with coarsely textured terrines, which are both English

and French inspired. So where is the justification to use the French word charcuterie?

John Zagaria of Dolce Lucano, the Woodbridge equivalent to Niagara’s famous Pingue Prosciutto is a specialist in all cured meats but he refuses to use the French word charcuterie. Preferring instead to talk of salumi, the Italian word for the same family of meats such as sopressata, capacola, bresaola, Genoa salami and prosciutto. But since the word salumi is not showing any signs of popularizing the way charcuterie did, I think we’ll continue to hear charcuterie.

My preference has always been for a grazing board because it offers many more options to try new and interesting foods. Organized properly a grazing board becomes an afternoon amuse to your bouche. The goal is to feel pampered and satisfied in an atmosphere of indulgence. To do this, quantities are kept to a minimum while maximizing on the number of flavour elements. Keep in mind that on any good grazing board there could be three meats, two cheeses, three accompaniments, bread and fruit. Certainly you can add more or less, depending on the number of people and the time you have to indulge.

The great thing about a grazing board is that you own it. It can be as adventurous or tame as you like and get this – all ingredients can be purchased from a convenient grocery store to a well stocked, specialty food shop.

How much easier can decadence be? >>

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 15

GRAZING BOARD DESIGN MEAT The deli counter is your playground when selecting a mix of cooked and cured meats. Be adventurous with a smoky speck and creative with slices of cooked sausage. Bacon-like pancetta will add richness and real Black Forest Ham will add a bit of sweetness. You may also want a cured sausage like soprasatta or aged items like bresaola.

Whatever you do, don’t forget Niagara’s quintessential cured meat, prosciutto di Niagara.

If you choose two different meats, plan on two ounces of total meat per person. The more kinds of meat you have, the more people tend to eat so for three meat choices, count on three ounces of total meat per person. Bring meats to room temperature for the best flavour. To do this, remove them from the refrigerator approximately 15 to 20 minutes ahead of serving and simply include a small fork for serving.

CHEESE Don’t cut the cheese! That is so 1970s! Instead, leave it whole. To make the board more visually appealing, stick to an odd number of different favours and styles of cheese.

Firm cheeses include Asiago, Grana Padano and Manchego.

Everyone loves a rind cheese such as brie, gorgonzola and ash veined. If you like creamy cheeses, pull out a small bowl and fill it with rondule, buratta or chèvre.

You can also try selecting cheeses by the type of milk such as cow, goat or sheep for a range of different flavours.

When planning your cheeses, balance the strength of the cheese to your choice of meat. If you choose smoky meats, pair it with an equally strong blue cheese. If your meats are salty and elegant such as prosciutto, a hard cheese like Pecorino partner best. If you’re serving a really strong cheese, serve it on a separate platter to avoid flavour contamination.

To serve, bring the cheese to room temperature by removing it from the refrigerator approximately one hour before serving.

For firm cheese, a knife with holes prevents the cheese from sticking to it, a butter knife works for soft cheeses and for hard varieties, a cheese plane will shave off the perfect thickness of cheese for your cracker. If you don’t have special cheese knives, just remember to provide one knife for each cheese to avoid mixing the different flavours together.

ACCOMPANIMENTS Condiments, condiments, condiments! Use them generously, they build layers of flavours beyond the meat and cheese, add interest and round out the entire experience. Serve them in little bowls on the board with a small spoon or knife for easy sharing. Choose a variety from the following: Acidic foods cut the richness of cheese. Choose from gherkins, kimchi or anything pickled like red onions, artichokes and mushrooms.

Fresh fruit such as slices of mild pear, the tang of an apple or grapes.

Look for delicate champagne grapes for a special treat.

Oily foods are a great foil to meats. Examples are olives and marinated vegetables such as mushrooms, eggplant and sun-dried tomatoes.

Flavour excitement comes from sweet, savoury and salty foods.

The sky is the limit here. Grainy mustards, vegetable salsa, fruit chutney, honey, ratatouille, caponata, bacon jam, wine based jelly or caramelized onions.

Textural diversity is as important as flavour. You could add crunchy raw vegetables but I recommend roasted nuts or apple chips. Dense and chewy can be had from dried fruit such as figs, cherries or apricots.

Bread plays a supportive role. Offer a selection of breads, including sliced baguette, bread sticks, and crackers in all different shapes and sizes. It’s not a good idea to vary the taste and texture among the breads because they will just fight with everything else on the board. If you’re serving soft cheeses and spreadable condiments, slices of fresh baguette allow for easy smearing of all the flavours.

SPREAD OUT THE SPREAD Once you've chosen your food it’s time to put the platter together.

Choose a large plate, a food grade wooden board or marble slab, with plenty of room so that none of the cheeses or meats touches anything else and you have plenty of room for cutting. Really strong cheeses should be on their own platter. TM

ACCOMPANIMENTS

CHEESE

MEAT

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 17

FROMLake TO TABLE

BY LYNN OGRYZLO

THERE’S NO TASTE LIKE HOME. THESE NIAGARA AREA CATCHES ARE MAKING A SPLASH ON YOUR DINNER TABLE.

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 19

IT’S SMALLER AND CAN BE SERVED WHOLE UNLIKE THE LARGER OCEAN FISH THAT YOU’LL FIND FILLETED. I LIKE THE WHOLE FISH STYLE OF PRESENTATION. - ROSS MIDGLEY

The fish wagon on the harbour in Goderich fries up fresh lake fish from the chilly waters behind it. I just put a basket of deep fried perch on the picnic table to cool and that’s when it happened. A larger than life seagull swooped down and scooped up an entire piece of perch in his beak. Fresh out of the deep fryer I can only imagine how it burned as I watched the large piece of fish slide down his bulging throat. He wobbled around on the pavement, dazed, then took flight over the lake.

For anyone who’s had Ontario fish cooked straight from the lake you know how irresistible it can be. In Niagara, I make an annual pilgrimage to Minor Fisheries in Port Colborne and buy a giant bag of whatever they’ve fished out of Lake Erie that day, always leaving with a large order of fried perch to eat on the way home.

There is water all around us in Niagara on the north, south and east sides and you can find something delicious swimming in any direction.

Ontario has a chilly maritime influence that produces an ultra fresh, pristine, icy spring water character in all of the fish that come from the various lakes. Some call it the purity factor in Ontario fish; others just love it for the amazing freshness.

There are over 150 species of lake fish. They come from our lakes, rivers, streams and fish farms, the main fish species include pickerel (walleye), yellow and white perch, whitefish, smallmouth bass, chinook salmon, coho salmon, rainbow trout, brown trout, northern pike, largemouth bass and carp.

To me it sounds like an awful lot of fish and makes me wonder why our markets and restaurants are dominated by ocean faring fish? When it comes to Niagara’s restaurants, it’s rare to find a chef who would consider lake fish an exciting alternative to salmon but, I have found a few exceptional chefs who do. The list includes Stephen Treadwell of Treadwells, Claudio Molico of Casa Mia, Dan LeBlanc of Benchmark, Jason Parsons of Peller and Ross Midgley of Ravine.

“I was a saltwater guy,” says Midgley who hails from Prince Edward Island. When he moved to Niagara he looked out onto Lake Ontario

with a heavy heart. But it wasn’t long before “I was introduced to lake fish at my first job with Stephen Treadwell at Queens Landing,” says Midgley. “I quickly learned about the diversity of really great fish out of the Great Lakes,” as he explains how he likes the delicate nature of yellow perch, the meatiness of white fish, the polish of pickerel. “I’ve even learned how to make chowder from whitefish,” says the man who easily blends his East Coast style with Niagara ingredients.

Midgley’s favourite is whitefish. He lightly smokes it, breaks it up and crafts a whitefish cake topped with a poached egg and a creative leek based tartar sauce. The combination of flavours are rich, light and clean, much like the character of the whitefish itself. It’s a wonderful lunch sipped with a glass of Ravine Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc.

“My favorite is pickerel,” says Executive Chef Claudio Molico of Casa Mia Ristorante in Niagara Falls. “It packs the most flavour, it’s delicate, flakey, firm, dense, almost milky flavour. It’s not overly fishy and that’s what customers like.”

At Casa Mia, Claudio lightly flours a fillet of pickerel and skillet sears it in a good quality olive oil. “We don’t really fuss a lot with lake fish”, he says explaining that when you start with a really fresh, regional product there is not much to do except a simple application to bring out the best in it. Sometimes Claudio will offer it with sautéed shrimp and leeks spooned overtop, something to add richness, compliment it’s elegance and give more of a celebratory experience to his customers. Other times he’s finished it Gremolata style (lemon, light garlic and parsley) for a clean, fresh flavour.

Midgley prefers the size of lake fish because it’s more manageable in a restaurant. “It’s smaller and can be served whole unlike the larger ocean fish that you’ll find filleted. I like the whole fish style of presentation.”

As the warm weather approaches, Molico’s thoughts are turning to cold preparations. He cures it with fresh lime juice and finds the elegant fish flavours come alive with fresh lime. They ramp up the excitement by serving it in the lounge with special cocktails for a well rounded mouthful. “It’s like an Italian ceviche,” says Molico.

To understand the flavour differences between ocean fish and lake fish better, Midgley explains that lake fish is more delicate than the heartier ocean fish. The skin of lake fish is more delicate and “that speaks to high heat (cooking) and a quick pan sear,” says Midgley. “A perfect crispy skin on pickerel for example is the hallmark of great lake fish. “It doesn’t get any better than a perfect crispy skin,” says Midgley.

Midgley would like everyone to cook more fish at home and has some advice to share. “If you can, let it fridge dry, that’s the best way,” says Midgley. Of course, fridge-drying means to place the fish uncovered, skin side up, in a single layer in the refrigerator for a day or two. “This way the skin dries and will crisp better”. But if you’re like me, you’re thinking of the uncontrolled aromas in your fridge and Midgley sympathizes. “So pat it dry with paper towels,” he offers as an alternative. Then heat a pan to the smoking point, season the fish and sear flesh side down first. Then flip it to crisp the skin. When a crispy skin is achieved, plate it with skin side proudly facing up. It’s sizzling food porn for fish lovers.

Ontario Fisheries like Minor are small and don’t have the ability to distribute their catch. It’s why you won’t see Minor Perch on the menus of Ravine or Casa Mia. Because they don’t have the ability to deliver, Midgley and other chefs use lake fish friendly distribution companies like Seacore and Aqua Blue. “They’ll get me fresh lake fish and if they don’t have it, I don’t substitute.” The same goes for Molico who uses Tide & Vine to access his lake fish. “It all depends on the season and what’s available and when,” says Molico who won’t put lake fish on his regular menu. “I take advantage of it when it’s available, but it’s just not dependable.”

I asked Molico how he got his love of Ontario fish and he talks of his childhood. “I remember a bucket of smelts every spring. My mom would clean them, flour them and fry them up. We’d devour them! Wow, they were so good. That’s how I got my love of all tiny fish.” He sits back in his chair starring at me and a smile begins to widen across his face, “wow, that was a great memory,” he says in complete satisfaction. TM

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 21

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Scan for more milk-shakey goodness.

Perfect

THE

MILK

DRIVE UP TO A WINDOW AND ORDER YOUR SHAKE.

Drive around and the server in the window hands you your shake turned upside down, demonstrating that not a drop will drip. This is known as a ‘concrete’ in some southern regions. However, in the world of milkshakes, thicker is not always better.

It was during prohibition that the first milkshake was invented. Like many prohibition inventions, it was a tonic popularized by a rough and rugged group of ailing drinkers who were obviously in desperate need of a tonic. It was an extravagant milk, egg and whisky based drink whipped up by hand because no one had invented the blender yet. It took another 30 years before milkshakes diversified into flavours of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla with whisky or any other sort of booze optional. They were hand-shaken with crushed ice and milk, sugar, and flavorings. Another 30 years later, ice cream was added and milkshakes were often referred to as ‘frosted shakes’. >>

SHAKE A FAVOURITE SUMMER TREAT BY: LYNN OGRYZLO

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 25

By the 1930s, milkshakes were less about the booze and more a popular drink at malt shops. The addition of malted milk powder (dried milk, malted barley and wheat flour) in milkshakes came about as a casualty of the brewing industry during prohibition. They added these beer ingredients and marketed as an easily digested restorative health drink for disabled people and children and as an infant's food. Some breweries turned into soda shops or ‘malt shops’, and it was the typical soda fountain of the period used by high school students as a meeting place or hangout.

This reminds me of scenes from Happy Days. Fonzie was a fan of milkshakes and he and his friends hung out at a soda fountain where a soda jerk would throw a scoop of frozen ice cream into a steel-mixing cup. Then attach the cup to a milkshake mixer that would whip air into the shake. It wasn’t long after (1922) that Hamilton Beach invented the blender (another great local invention!) and milkshakes went from dense, luxuriously, velvety textures to their modern, whipped, aerated and frothy form.

They had funny names for them back then. “Twist It, Choke It, and Make It Cackle” was a malted chocolate milkshake with an egg in it, “Shake One in the Hay” was their name for a strawberry shake and a “White Cow” was a vanilla shake. Teenagers sipping one milkshake from a flutted soda glass through two straws was seen as a sign of affection and intimacy.

Somewhere along the line we seem to have forsaken the lusty milkshake for low calorie diet drinks but don’t look now, milkshakes, often called frappes now, are making a comeback, and why not? Layers of sumptuous cream and lavish vanilla gush across the palate with an aloof coolness and a texture that caresses your psyche. The perfectly whipped shake is a frenzy of luxurious lightness that enrobes your tongue while the minuscule icy shards dance about before succumbing to the heat of your mouth.

Simply put, milkshakes are downright delicious and one of our best feel-good treats.

There was an iconic soda shop in downtown St. Catharines smack in the middle of St. Paul Street. Everyone went to Diana Sweets, or ‘The Di’ as we would call it back then. The rich art deco booths, leaded pane glass dividers and counters are now in the Harley Davidson building in Niagara-on-the-Lake. While you can go in there today and have a coffee and reminisce, sadly you cannot get a famous Di milkshake.

Milkshake centre is now at Avondale Dairy Bar on Stewart Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake and like everywhere else, the beautiful soda glass has now been replaced with paper cups changing the once decadent, fête into a modern day farm-toglass experience. Manager Sara Petriello says they still make their milkshakes individually, by hand in the traditional metal cup. They start with good quality ice cream that’s made fresh daily on-site and use real fruit toppings, nothing artificial, no unnatural flavourings and no thickening agents.

“Our milkshakes are all made to order,” says Sara. The standard ice cream in every milkshake is vanilla but if you want something else, just ask and they’re happy to oblige making your choices limitless. She often recommends chocolate ice cream with real peanut butter whipped into the shake. Sara confides it’s a killer shake and everyone loves it.

We’ve come a long way from the three standard choices of vanilla, chocolate or strawberry.

“I don’t know, but we’re selling more and more milkshakes every year,” says Sara responding to the possible comeback of the illustrious milkshake. She says people just like to >>

SIMPLY PUT, MILKSHAKES ARE DOWNRIGHT DELICIOUS AND ONE OF OUR BEST FEEL-GOOD TREATS. be treated so she tries to make every shake special. “Our chocolate has a scoop of rich, double chocolate ice cream, a bit of fresh milk and a huge drizzle of chocolate syrup.”

It’s dark, dreamy and plush and personally? I’d tip a bit of Bailey’s for over-the-top perfection!

Milkshakes began as an eggnog mixture and like the rest of the Niagara, somewhere along the line the egg was dropped from the milkshake recipe. Avondale Dairy Bar included. Pity, a whipped egg added more froth, lightness and a decadent mouthfeel. But today we’re just not willing to eat raw eggs any longer.

Avondale buys fresh fruit from Niagara farmers and freezes or preserves it for their shakes. And while I wanted to know their secret formula of milk to ice cream ration, Sara is keeping that one close to her chest.

Inside the Crown Plaza Hotel in Niagara Falls is an old-fashioned, retro soda shop called Always Refreshing Soda Shop. They also make each milkshake by hand and offer dozens of flavours from their ice-cream counter. Soda Jockey, Jackie says they don’t have a secret formula, instead, it’s more a matter of intuition. “I put more ice cream to milk because that’s what people like, but I can make it thinner if they want by simply using less ice cream.” When I asked her if she could make a shake so thick it wouldn’t spill when turned upside down she replies, “I don’t think it’s possible with real ingredients.”

In downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake, Cows Ice Cream Parlour whips up the most luscious milkshakes I have ever had. They use homogenized milk with 16% butterfat and 9-ounces of super rich ice cream. Before you roll your eyes over the fearless fat they pack, know that flavour travels best on fat – that’s why they’re so good. Pick from over 30 flavours in their ice cream counter which is also ultra rich and you’ve got a pure decadent experience at the end of your straw. Try the Nutella with pecan pie ice cream or the salted caramel ice cream with marshmallow cream. A word of caution, at Cow’s they don’t make milkshakes other than in the hot summer months because the very nature of milkshakes remind us of summer drinks and indulgence.

This year you will find milkshakes appearing on more restaurant menus, some will even be made with booze again. The best ones are made by hand from scoops of rich ice cream and milk in a soda blender using a stainless steel cup. Some fast food restaurants don’t make shakes by hand with ice cream. Instead, they make shakes in automatic milkshake machines, which freeze and serve a premade milkshake mixture consisting of milk, a sweetened flavouring agent and a thickening agent. They are only available in 2 or 3 flavours and are often times the thickest shakes, the kind you can turn over without spilling a drop - back to my point that when it comes to milkshakes, thicker is not always better. TM

“Dancing Polar Bear” by Noo Atsiaq, 22” tall x 12” x 8”

Native Canadian Art Gallery 129 Queen Street, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, L0S 1J0 Canada Phone: 905-468-8787 Toll Free: 1-855-668-8787

Native Arts Niagara 3845 Main Street Jordan, ON, L0R 1S0 Canada Phone: (905) 562-8888 Toll Free: 1-800-646-2848

www.canadiannativeartgallery.com canadiannativearts@outlook.com

www.nativeartsniagara.com scottdaly@nativeartsniagara.com

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MEGALO A TRUE

BY GABRIELLE TIEMAN

CANADIAN WINERY Megalomaniac Winery is nothing short of jaw dropping.

Original in their product, bold in their flavours and audacious with their branding, this groundbreaking winery continually crafts wines of distinction – but with a touch of sass.

This cheeky line is a daring turn for a Niagara homegrown – touting brand favourites SonofaBitch Pinot Noir, Bravado Cabernet Sauvignon, Narcissist Riesling and Bigmouth Merlot. But though Megalomaniac may use their unique branding and attitude to poke fun at the occasionally rigid and traditional Niagara wine industry, each wine remains loyal to the Niagara Region with their elevated homegrown characters; creating a truly unique reflection of a Canadian winery with a global perspective.

What began as strictly a retirement side venture for owner John Howard has since rapidly grown – evolving from a brand of limited quantity, hand-crafted wines made by some of the finest winemakers into an established world class award winning winery.

Megalomaniac’s 120 acres of vineyard on the Vineland Upper Bench in Lincoln has been cultivated and restored to its natural glory; boasting five varietals on premise and a newly constructed multi-level winery featuring an open concept tasting bar, retail facility, private tasting rooms and a rooftop terrace. The winery is even believed to rest upon the highest vantage point on the Niagara Escarpment between Milton and Niagara Falls; so no matter where you find yourself standing and in which direction you may glance, you receive incredible panoramic views of both the Niagara Region and Toronto and Niagara Falls skylines.

Howard, the former proprietor of Vineland Estates Winery and Executive Vice-President for Canon’s North American operations, is no stranger to the evolution and growth of industry. Under Howard’s innovative eye, Vineland Estate’s once petite winery grew into a highend operation with much acclaim; expanding vineyards

by 300 acres and growing production from its humble 2,000 case beginnings into a 50,000 case operation over the course of eight years.

Howard has done much the same with his newest venture. What began as a single vintage meant to help financially support his charity Kids’ Health Links Foundation, which provides computers for children in hospital so they can stay connected to family and friends, took off. And though Howard’s initial goal was to limit annual production to a few thousand cases while keeping the bottle price low, the winery has continued to grow exponentially; developing from 2,000 cases to roughly 35,000 cases in a few years and boasting a 50% compounded growth rate for four years running.

"I was going to spend my retirement f ly fishing, I was going to spend time in Bordeaux [France], and I was going to farm this property,” said Howard. “I wasn't really keen on the notion of making wine again. For me, I was done making wine in Canada; I had two Wine Chateux in France [With the Jeanoueix family, a dynasty in the wine industry]. So we did one vintage, where a portion of the proceeds would go to the charity, and called it Megalomaniac.

“I called it Megalomaniac frankly to poke fun at people in the wine business who take themselves too seriously,” said Howard. “And I didn't care, because it was only going to be one vintage. Everyone will know who I am poking fun at and in a year, it will be over.”

But the vintage sold out within 90 days and in tandem with the wine’s success, the foundation established a threshold. It became clear to Howard that the foundation could have a huge impact on children hospitals across the country.

The notion of taking it national came up, so he made another vintage. Today, neither the winery nor the foundation has ceased growth; with the foundation currently residing in 11 of the 13 children’s hospitals across Canada.

MANIAC "At the beginning, we were cautioned that wine journalists would beat us up pretty badly because of the name,” said Howard. “But our sense was that if we produced a really good wine at an affordable price, there would always be a place for that product. That has been a bit of a threshold; producing the best wines we can, but presenting them at a very affordable price. Our underlining theme is value and it is very important to us and our customers."

Following the success of the vintages, Megalomaniac quickly found themselves at the forefront of interest in the wine world. Their brilliant packaging – which portrays a faceless figure of a male executive wearing a bowler hat – received much acclaim in 2007 when Narcissist Riesling was singled out as the only individual design to earn double-gold honours at the San Francisco International Wine Competition under unanimous vote.

"I really think the branding struck a note with wine people internationally," said Howard. "To win gold, first you have to have more votes than anyone else from the tribunal, but to get double gold it has to be unanimous. It's a pretty big deal for Napa [Valley].”

Though Howard says he had no aspirations to expand the brand past its original concept, Howard said they had no choice but to build the new building – which opened in 2014 – to accommodate current and future growth. Rising upwards from the Underground Cellar Howard had constructed years previous to house farming equipment, a winery of esteem rose with one reoccurring theme; that it be Canadian.

“I wanted it to be Canadian,” said Howard. “And I wanted it to be organic. All of the stone is from the escarpment. Majority of the wood is Canadian. It’s supposed to look Canadian and I want it to look Canadian because we are in Canada. This idea of trying to emulate Italy, France; I don't get that. You want property that looks French? Buy in France!"

Though they farm a variety of Bordeaux varietals imported from France on the property, this passion for a true Canadian winery can be found flowing effortlessly among the grapes surrounding the vineyard – with Howard’s patriotism mirrored by the Crimson King Maple Trees that line the drive into the winery.

“Anyone who takes a photograph - there is a maple leaf in front of it," said Howard. "That's who we are. But it was natural that we would

have Bordeaux varietals here because of what we were doing in France.

Some of the same vine clones we have on our properties in France are planted here so it gives us an interesting dynamic."

The winery farms a traditional blend of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot on the home vineyard and an evolving crop of five varietals on the rolling fields of the main vineyard including all Bordeaux varietals – Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc – and Pinot Noir and Riesling.

“We are very keen on farming what we put into the bottle,” said Howard. “We want people to see that and see the commitment we have got in terms of owning and operating and maintaining the amount of vineyard that we have.”

The winery also features on premise labs and state of the art fermentation and barrel rooms for on-site wine tasting, testing and experimentation. Megalomaniac chose to invest in both high end cigar barrels and traditional round barrels for developing their wines – allowing their wine makers the opportunity to experiment and test aging and development components on the same grapes.

But expansions are not set to cease in the near future. Howard said the winery is currently working on the addition of an 8,800 square foot patio accompanied by large stone pillars that will surround the tasting bar and retail facility in order to help soften the concrete exterior and provide even greater views of the surrounding region. Another 1,800 square foot balcony will rest above and a 4,200 square foot roof garden that will offer a seating area with breathtaking views will adorn the top of the building. Howard said they are also looking to build an experimental kitchen for catered events and add drone technology into the vineyard for live profiles of the grapes. All renovations sit with the same goal of creating an all-encompassing Niagara wine experience.

“We really want people to come out here and have fun and get a perspective of Niagara that is traditional," said Howard. "If it wasn't for this industry, all of this land on the horizon could soon be planted with basements. We’ll always pride ourselves in protecting our Agricultural Heritage."

“We’re proud of our Niagara Heritage and we’re certainly proud of our Homegrown Wines!” TM

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IT’S THE NEW DINNER PARTY BY: LYNN OGRYZLO

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The most leisurely of all meals with no boundaries and no rules, brunch has become our new dinner party. I often wonder how this lovely culinary tradition began.

The most exciting story originated in London in the late 19th century. Apparently there was this group of students and as the story goes, they liked to drink – a lot. So, they thought a later meal on Sunday morning would allow them to stay out later on Saturday night. This somehow became a license to party hardy and it explains the use of Mimosas and Bloody Mary’s as traditional brunch drinks and a perfect example of the English term, “hair of the dog that bit you”. Leave it to English to decide the way to cure a hangover was with more drinks.

Today, brunch is often seen as a casual meal, yet I think it has a certain luxurious feel to it. Think about it, on what other occasion can you take your time rolling out of bed and looking forward to a gourmet breakfast complete with cocktails? Under these conditions, brunch becomes my perfect way to start the day.

Of course, this means you’re going to prepare a lot of the meal the night before. It’s like all those magazines that suggest preparing meals hours in advance so you can enjoy your company when they arrive. I’m going to suggest doing most prep the night-before so you can sleep late like you know all of your guests will be doing.

Take a quick inventory of restaurant brunch options and the list can include all or some of the following: eggs, pancakes, sausages, bacon, ham, fruits, pastries, along with large roasts of meat or poultry, cold seafood like shrimp and smoked fish, salads, soups, vegetable dishes, many types of breadstuffs, and desserts of all sorts.

If you have a large staff with unlimited time and budgets, you too can have a buffet table overflowing with these options like restaurants do, but remember one thing when planning brunch – you are not a restaurant! It’s wiser for you to pick a few items that can easily be made ahead of time and serve it as a regular meal. So if your heart is set on Eggs Benedict or a Spring Chèvre Soufflé, then be prepared to be the only early bird in the group. If you want to lazily roll out of bed, looking forward to leisurely meal with guests, then here are a few suggestions for a pulling off a decadent brunch like a pro.

Yogurt should always be eaten in very small amounts, should always be plain and should never be low fat. Stick to good yogurt and you’ll be happy with the full flavour you get from layering tangy yogurt with fresh sweet berries and crunchy, earthy, granola. Use small, stemmed dessert glasses and only fill half way. Up your game by marinating the berries in icewine or your favourite liqueur the night before. Serve them on a white plate in the centre of the table and let your guests help themselves.

Another healthy way to use yogurt is to smear a tablespoonful or two between paperthin crepes and top with fresh berries and dust with granola. Make the crepes the day before, layer them between sheets of waxed paper and refrigerate them to keep them fresh and in perfect condition.

You’ve seen it everywhere, a poached egg on top of everything from steak to rice. So go for it and top crab cakes with a thick layer of guacamole, a delicate salad of arugula leaves, bacon slices and yes, a poached egg. Everything except the poached eggs can be made the day before and refrigerated.

If you don’t like poaching, then whip your eggs. Line large muffin tins with bacon and cook mini, aged pecorino cheese soufflés inside – yum. You can make these the day before and simply warm them later.

Egg casseroles like Creamy Egg Strata, Red Pepper, Mushroom and Brie Frittata and Swiss and Bacon Pie can be prepared the night before then mixed together and baked on brunch day.

If that’s not inspiration enough for your next brunch, try baking eggs. Dishes you’ve made the day before such as a nest of potato rosti, stuffed peppers or layered spinach and sausage are perfect for this. Just wrap them in foil and bake to reheat. Remove the foil and crack eggs overtop and return to the oven to finish baking. You can top anything from a Moroccan Tagine to an Indian curry by topping it with an egg and baking.

The key to success with brunch breads is to know your baker. You want to serve your guests the best possible quality on this special occasion so find an artisan baker who produces a high quality bread selection. You could ask your baker if there are frozen options available that you can bake up fresh and warm.

Croissants are most popular but so is the light, almost sweetish, eggy flavour of brioche, Pannetonne has a lemony lightness to it, rye is more robust and slices of French baguette are versatile. These breads are especially delicious toasted with lots of soft, sweet butter on then.

Scones, biscuits, monkey bread or sticky buns can all be made the day before and baked on brunch morning. The smells of fresh bread in your home would drive the greatest enemy of wheat into a frenzy. If you’re unsure of baking bread, purchase fresh pizza dough from a bakery and roll it into sticky buns to bake in the morning.

I would stay away from traditional pancakes because they need to be made fresh but thick Belgian waffles can be made the night before and simply warmed before serving. Make a waffle bar by serving them on one plate with small bowls of accompaniments like whipped cream, fruit granola and dried fruit so your guests can create their own toppings.

Of course, Mimosas and Kir Royales are the classic champagne based brunch cocktails, but modern day hostesses can be a little more creative these days. I like to mix up a blend of coconut water, grapefruits wedges and sprigs of fresh rosemary. Let that steep overnight, place it in the centre of the table so your guests can serve themselves and put a bottle of sparkling wine next to it for guests who want to make a cocktail of their morning drink.

Choose from champagne, sparkling wine and Moscato d’Asti. In addition to being especially good with eggs, the effervescence of sparkling wine stimulates the palate and creates a sense of lightness that is welcome early in the day. Moscato is lighter in alcohol (typically 5 – 6% alcohol) and that always welcome for mid-day drinking.

Check out the more than 100 brunch dishes and cocktails on The Ontario Table Pinterest page, Brunch My Way and enjoy. TM

You’ve probably heard Brutus, Montreal’s renowned bacon bar takes bacon and brunch to the next level with their all-bacon brunch menu that includes their bacon-meatball breakfast poutine. Ok, some of you are salivating but I find the overuse of bacon an assault to my stomach. I prefer to add bacon to quiche, tarts, biscuits or scones. Throw crispy bacon into a frittata or an eggy brioche brunch casserole. However you like your bacon, it should be thick-cut, lean as possible and cooked slow to render as much fat as possible. Smoking is optional and by-the-way, so is bacon. Maybe it’s time to explore the other popular brunch meats like country ham (cut thick), sausages of all kinds, smoked salon and shrimp.

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catwalker/Shutterstock.com

Niagara Connection

By Andrew Hind and Maria Da Silva

arry Houdini was one of the greatest entertainers of the 20th century. Mysterious and larger-than-life, he mesmerized audiences with spectacular acts that blended danger with a showman’s flair. Though little remembered today, Houdini had a long association with Niagara Falls that was just as mysterious as any of his celebrated performances.

Harry Houdini was born Erich Weiss to a poor Jewish family in Budapest, Hungary on March 24, 1876. He took his immortal stage name in honour of his idol, the French magician Jean Eugene Robert-Houdin. In time, however, he surpassed the achievements and renown of Houdin and indeed all other magicians of the day to become the greatest escape-artist and illusionist the world had ever seen. >>

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HISTORY & CULTURE

Harry Houdini’s Mysterious

Still, there was something fascinating about watching the undisputed master of magic onscreen with a location so shrouded in mystical allure.

Bettmann/Corbis, the new york times

McManus - Young Collection

Houdini’s life, like the acts he performed on stage, was full of drama and shrouded in mystery. Some claim, for example, that he was a spy in the employ of Scotland Yard. Others, most notably Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the author of Sherlock Holmes and at one point a close friend of Houdini, claimed that he was a medium who used supernatural abilities to perform his magic acts. Certainly, the magician kept his stunts a closely guarded secret and often outwardly lied about his background to retain an air of the unknown about himself.

The great magician visited Niagara Falls several times with his beloved wife, Bess, and upon forming the Houdini Picture Corporation in 1919 made sure that the first film he made would feature the Falls.

Filming of The Man From Beyond, which Houdini not only produced but also starred in, took place at Niagara Falls in May of 1921. One of the most celebrated scenes in the movie sees Houdini swimming through the raging rapids to rescue the heroine from certain death. It was a stunning and death-defying performance, the equal of any of his stagecraft stunts for sheer drama.

What the audiences didn’t realise was that Houdini’s audacious swim was nothing more than a Hollywood effect; Houdini was in no danger and the swim through the rapids certainly did not test his physical mettle since he strapped into a leather harness that slid on a cable and made the stunt effortless. Still, there was something fascinating about watching the undisputed master of magic onscreen with a location so shrouded in mystical allure.

Houdini died a mere five years later on October 31, 1926 at Grace Hospital in Detroit. Stories that his death was the result of a failed stage act or of being punched in the stomach are false; in truth, he died of peritonitis, internal poisoning resulting from a ruptured appendix.

Many people find it oddly appropriate that the world’s greatest magician should die on Halloween.

In his last will and testament, Houdini bequeathed his magic paraphernalia to his brother Theodore, who had followed him into the industry and was known professionally as Hardeen. Theodore was free to make use of the items, but was left with strict instructions that they be burned upon his retirement so that no one would discover the secrets of their stagecraft. For reasons unknown, Theodore did not follow Houdini’s implicit instructions. Instead, the effects were put into storage and, for a while at least, forgotten. Then, in 1967, the collection of magic items were re-discovered and put up for sale. Houdini must have been rolling over in his grave. The secrets of his life’s work would be revealed, and the legacy of mystery and marvel that he had worked so hard to preserve would be dashed.

After learning of the sale from an article appearing in the Toronto Star, entrepreneur Henry Muller saw an opportunity to combine the timeless reputation of Houdini with the kitsch of Niagara Falls and make a fortune. Muller managed to acquire the collection and then purchased a former meat packing plant on Centre Street near Niagara’s tourist core at Clifton Hill to serve as their new home. After months of renovations on June 6, 1968, the doors to the Houdini Magical Hall of Fame were swung open to the eager public.

Muller and his investors were pleased with the reception, but it seems as though a long-dead Houdini was not. He let his displeasure be known early and frequently. During the first year of the museum’s operation, there were a series of six mysterious fires in the building, a robbery, as well as a freak accident in which one of the museum directors walked through a plate glass window and died an excruciating death. This string of inexplicable misfortune caused many to speculate that the museum was cursed, and if indeed it was, the logical choice for the offending spirit was Harry Houdini himself. For a man who had cheated death so many times and had developed an avowed interest in mysticism, voicing his anger from beyond the grave didn’t seem impossible or even extraordinary.

The curse seemed to follow the museum even after it moved to the 19th-century Victoria Park train station atop Clifton Hill in 1972.

Nevertheless, the Houdini Magic Hall of Fame remained one of Niagara Falls’ most popular attractions.

In a spectacle worthy of Houdini, the museum came to a dramatic end on the night of April 30, 1995. A fire broke out within the building and began racing through the exhibit halls, spreading so fast that responding fire fighters were powerless to stop their relentless advance. Hundreds gathered to watch the inferno. By morning, Want more the building had been gutted and Houdini?

Scan here. most of its contents destroyed. It seemed that Houdini’s wishes had finally been carried out. The cause of the fire has never been determined, leading some to even blame the deceased magician himself.

Today, Ripley’s Four Dimensional Movie Theatre stands on the grounds of the former Houdini Magic Hall of Fame and Niagara Falls’ connection with the master magician has been largely forgotten.

For more dramatic history tales associated with Niagara Falls, please see Andrew Hind and Maria Da Silva’s Niagara: Daredevil’s, Danger and Extraordinary Stories (Folklore Publishing). TM

OVERLOOKING THE GRANDEST SCENE IN THE WORLD

FALLSVIE

BY SHERMAN ZAVITZ “You are indeed lucky in the magnificent setting of your convent school and I am sure it is an inspiration daily to look out of the windows at Niagara Falls.”

These were the words of the Countess of Bessborough to the staff and students of Loretto Academy during her visit to the school on October 25, 1933. She and her husband, the Earl of Bessborough who was Canada’s governor general at the time, were on a one-day visit to Niagara Falls. Loretto and its lovely location directly overlooking the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, an area long known as Fallsview, had been included in the Countess’s itinerary.

Today it’s the thousands of visitors each year looking out the windows of one of the many Fallsview hotels who are inspired by the sensational view of the famous falls below.

At one time Fallsview was a relatively quiet area. Now, with many large gleaming hotels as well as the Fallsview Casino Resort, it is throbbing with excitement and energy – a key location in the huge Niagara Falls tourism industry. A look at Fallsview’s past reveals a many-sided story.

During the early years of Niagara’s settlement and tourism, Fallsview benefited not only from its marvellous location but also by having the Portage Road bisect the area.

Opened in 1790, the Portage was the Niagara Region’s first major road. Connecting Chippawa and Queenston, it was used to transport freight and passengers around the rapids and falls of the Niagara River. (Although the Portage lost its commercial importance in 1830 following the opening of the Welland Canal, much of the original route, now a busy thoroughfare, still remains.) >>

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Charles Willson seems to have been the first to realize Fallsview’s potential as a business site. Around 1795 he opened a tavern on the east side of the Portage Road where the Oakes Inn is now located.

Charles died around 1812 after which his widow, Debora, took over the ownership and management of the business. During the War of 1812 Willson’s Tavern is mentioned in various dispatches, letters and journals. Debora declared herself to be neutral, providing refreshments (along with information) to both British and American officers who stopped at her establishment. This must have placed her in compromising and even dangerous situations at times. Nevertheless, her tavern remained open all during the war.

Part of its popularity with the military of both sides seems to have been due to Debora’s two lovely adult (and single) daughters, Harriet and Statira, both of whom worked in the tavern.

Following the War of 1812, Debora sold her property and business to William Forsyth, a prominent local entrepreneur. He made improvements to the building and constructed an addition that offered rooms for overnight accommodation. The name was changed to the Niagara Falls Hotel.

A guest in 1822 described the Forsyth family’s hotel, noting, “Their place might have been an old farmhouse in Worcestershire. The house was low with little windows and lozenge-shaped panes, cow houses, stables and pigsties hung close around. The public road (the Portage) was in the rear.”

Later that year Forsyth demolished his Niagara Falls Hotel and on the same site built the Pavilion, Niagara’s first major hotel. Described in an 1836 Niagara guide book as “having an imposing appearance,” the Pavilion was three storeys high and of white clapboard construction. At both the front, which faced Portage Road, and the back, which overlooked the falls, were galleries for viewing the area’s scenery.

Apparently the Pavilion’s bar was a widely- known, popular gathering spot. Adam Fergusson of Scotland visited Niagara in 1831. Arriving at the Pavilion’s bar, he met well-known Upper Canada (Ontario) frontiersman Doctor William “Tiger” Dunlop. Fergusson wrote, “I scarcely recollect of anything more welcome than a beverage with which my companion (Dunlop) regaled me at Forsyth’s, under some odd name, but which consisted of a bottle of good brown stout turned into a quart of iced water with a sufficient quantity of ginger, cinnamon and sugar; truly it was a prescription worthy of being filled.”

The Pavilion was destroyed by fire on February 19, 1839.

By that time Fallsview had become a religious centre. This began with the construction of a lovely little Roman Catholic Church that still stands looking out over the cataracts and upper rapids of the Niagara River. Originally known as St. Edward’s, construction of the church began in 1837.

St. Edward’s had both its status and its name significantly changed in 1861. Early that year, Archbishop John Joseph Lynch of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toronto became greatly concerned about events unfolding in the United States that seemed to be hurling that country into a civil war. He suggested to Pope Pius IX that a pilgrimage shrine dedicated to Our Lady of Peace be established overlooking Niagara Falls – a place he described as “the grandest scene in the world.”

The Pope agreed with the Archbishop’s proposal and on March 1, 1861 issued the appropriate decree to elevate St. Edward’s to a place of pilgrimage. The name was then changed to the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace.

Six months later a small group of nuns arrived at Fallsview. Members of the Sisters of Loretto, this religious congregation had been given a large parcel of land immediately north of Our Lady of Peace for establishing a school to be known as Loretto Academy. It was first housed in a former hotel. This was replaced by a large stone building constructed

in two stages between 1869 and 1880.

Although the school closed in 1982, this landmark heritage structure still stands.

On the other side of Our Lady of Peace is the Mount Carmel Spiritual Centre.

Originally built as a hospice and a residence for members of the Carmelite Order, the building formally opened in 1899. Both its use and to some extent its look have changed over time - for a number of years it was a school for young men in training for the priesthood. A highlight is the 1926 chapel which features a number of incredibly beautiful stained glass windows.

While 19th century Fallsview obviously witnessed a great deal of religious-related activity, it also saw, at least for a day, one of the most extraordinary, even bazaar, entertainment events ever held in Niagara Falls. The date was August 28, 1872 and the event was the Grand Buffalo Hunt.

While the show’s promoter, local businessman Thomas Barnett, had expected to be able to import a large number of buffalo from Nebraska, due to a host of logistical problems, only two actually arrived here along with a Texas ox. A few Indians from the American West were hired as well as a number of Mexican cowboys.

Directing the show was none other than “Wild Bill” Hickok.

Designed as a promotional event for Niagara Falls and held inside a large, especially fenced area, advertising promised the Grand Buffalo Hunt would be a “thrilling spectacle.” However, it turned out to be more of a boring yawn. A reporter covering the event for the local press noted, for example, how one of the buffalo cows was brought out from a pen in the centre of the enclosure. But “it just loafed around and then laid down.” Finally persuaded to stand up, she was then lassoed and pulled back into the pen. The rest of the brief show was no better, the reporter summing up the whole thing as a “swindle” and a “farce.”

Railways played a significant role in the early development of tourism in Niagara Falls. For the Michigan Central Railway in particular, the late 19th century brought a business bonanza and a public relations coup, due, in large measure, to Fallsview.

The Michigan Central (later the New York Central) was an American-owned line connecting Detroit and Buffalo via southern Ontario, from Windsor to Fort Erie. In 1883 the company constructed an extension of their mainline from Welland to Niagara Falls, with the tracks passing by Fallsview. At the same time, a bridge was built to take their trains across the Niagara River into Niagara Falls, New York and then on to Buffalo.

As a finishing touch, the company

created a large, attractive viewing platform at Fallsview, just below Loretto.

Once all this was completed, the Michigan Central launched an advertising blitz, calling itself “The Niagara Falls Route,” declaring, “There is but one Niagara Falls on earth and but one great railway to it.” All this had the intended effect – business on the company’s Niagara Falls line boomed.

Part of the company’s publicity described how all daylight trains would stop at Fallsview: “Every train stops from five to ten minutes at Falls View – which as the name indicates is a splendid point from which to view the great cataract. It is right on the brink of the grand canyon, at the end of the Horseshoe, and every part of the Falls is in plain sight. Even if he is too ill or too lazy to get out of his car, every passenger can see this liquid wonder of the world from the window or the platform. Thousands of beauty lovers and grandeur-worshippers will journey over the only railroad from which it can be seen.”

The Fallsview stops ended in the 1920’s.

In the decades that followed, passenger train service on the line rapidly declined until it was dropped altogether. An era had passed – times had changed. Later owned

by Canadian Pacific, the tracks were closed and torn up in 2001.

By the mid-1920’s, a large number of Niagara visitors were arriving by automobile. As an outgrowth of this trend, tourist camps became popular, a place where you could park your car and pitch a tent or, in most cases, rent a cabin. Some also featured a camp kitchen where simple meals could be prepared.

The Falls View Tourist Camp (historically, the area was spelled as two words) quickly became a popular place to stay in Niagara Falls. Located in the area where the Embassy Suites and Tower Hotels are now, the camp provided a superb view of the falls by day while at night the roar of the cataracts would lull you to sleep in your tent. By 1935 the Falls View Tourist Camp was gone, a likely victim of the Great Depression.

A major turning point in Fallsview’s fortunes came in July 1962 with the opening of the 325-foot- (98-metre) high Seagram Tower, the first of Niagara’s viewing and dining towers that overlooked the falls. Now operating as the Tower Hotel, it offered a whole new concept in Niagara tourism and put Fallsview firmly in focus for vast numbers of visitors and residents. The area has not looked back since.

War, religion, transportation and tourism have all played a role in the long history of Fallsview. While the look of the area has changed over the years, the view is still an “inspiration.” TM TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 43

A hidden Niagara treasure. Two Sisters Vineyards marks the beginning of a new chapter. Gently unfolding over 7 6 acres, Two Sisters Vineyards tells a story of a simpler time, celebrating nature’s landscape and the endless beauty of graceful architecture.

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Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission

NIAGARA’S FLORAL CLOCK THE BEAUTY OF PASSING TIME

BY GABRIELLE TIEMAN

Our lives revolve around time. Alarm clocks, schedules, timers; time is an ever controlling factor in day to day life. But Ontario Power Generation and the Niagara Parks Commission’s Floral Clock has given us the opportunity to look at time, having halted the rush and planted the beauty back into the passing minutes in a literal fashion. >>

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This free horticulture attraction featured along the Niagara River Parkway adjacent to the Centennial Lilac Garden and Sir Adam Beck Generating Stations entices millions of tourists annually, all coming to take in the beauty of this modern mechanical clock meets organic botanical wonder.

Built to act as a beautiful distraction, the clock was designed and constructed in 1950 by Ontario Hydro with the intention of drawing attention away from the wires that surround the area.

“The clock was more or less built to soften all of these wires,” said Donna Rossi, lead hand gardener to the floral clock.

Inspired by a similar famous clock found in the Princess Street Gardens in Edinburgh, Scotland, Ontario Hydro Chairman Dr. Richard L. Hearn was told to look into the floral wonder in 1903 while on a business trip. Inspired by the beauty of the clock and the attention it was attracting, Hearn set away to design a similar, but more impressive in stature, clock which would later be constructed in 1950.

In 1977, Ontario Hydro joined with the Niagara Parks Commission allowing them to control the maintenance and design of the botanical aspect of the floral clock while Ontario Hydro maintained the original design and construction of the hardware – including the clock mechanism, hands, transformers, drive system and musical applications that are housed within the three small rooms underneath the clock.

To this day, the Floral Clock continues to be a team effort.

“This is a full partnership with Ontario Hydro,” said Mark Dykstra, Senior Director of Parks with the Niagara Parks Commission. “It is on Ontario Generation property. The Niagara Parks Commission maintains the garden piece of it, Ontario Hydro works with us on the infrastructure piece.”

Today, the clock is more than three times the size of its inspiration in Scotland, with the face measuring 40 feet across, the planted area measuring 38 feet across and containing over 16 thousand locally grown carpet bedding plants and three traditional hands that weigh a combined 1250 pounds.

But the clock is not only a once annual feat, it features two faces each year; one in the spring that is made up of violas which provide a colourful design to welcome the spring and the second at the beginning of June for the summer season, showcasing thousands of carpet bedding flowers. Chosen for their easy maintenance, these summer season flowers begin growing in the greenhouses at the School of Horticulture in November and include red, pink and yellow Alternanthera, grey and green Santolina and other similar plants that are used until the ground frosts in October.

“It’s based on the ability to trim it and keep the height low,” said Dykstra. “Other annual plants just get too tall and then you lose the blossom. The actual density of the colour that you get with those plants is what creates this pattern.”

“Even annuals you would have to keep deadheading and you wouldn’t always get the colour,” added Rossi, a graduate of Niagara College, who has been part of the Clock’s maintenance and design team since 1998, with her first designs featured in 2000.

But the clock’s face is not simply a pretty design. Rossi and her design team utilize the creative surface to commemorate the history of the Niagara Parks Commission and Hydro as well as celebrate special events important to the community.

“Whether it is a theme, like the War of 1812 or an anniversary like the one for Hydro coming up in 2015, groups do contact us with an interest in displaying it on the clock,” said Dykstra. “In the end, it is like a piece of art the beauty of it.”

Past clock faces have commemorated the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara, The Boy Scouts, and the War of 1812. Community members

BUT THE CLOCK’S FACE IS NOT SIMPLY A PRETTY DESIGN. ROSSI AND HER DESIGN TEAM UTILIZE THE CREATIVE SURFACE TO COMMEMORATE THE HISTORY OF THE NIAGARA PARKS COMMISSION AND HYDRO AS WELL AS CELEBRATE SPECIAL EVENTS IMPORTANT TO THE COMMUNITY. can pitch ideas to the team for inspiration, but the majority of the ideas come from Rossi, usually almost a year prior to the planting.

“I try to come up with the design one year before,” said Rossi. “The ideas are always there. I am always looking at things, on sides of buses or billboards, wherever I get an idea.”

Following finalizing the clock’s face design, Rossi puts the design to scale and puts a graph on it. Then it is given to the carpenters who make a wooden template of the design. Once the template is done, Rossi sets out to make the metal forms that outline the design and help in the planting process. Starting from the top and working their way down, it takes a team of six plus people and four days, weather permitting, to rip out the plants, lay the design and plant the new seasonal arrangements.

But the manual labour does not end at the initial planting. Every two weeks, two gardeners of the maintenance team halt the clock to trim the plants in order to maintain the height and colour of the clock face’s design. This process takes two to three half days, weather permitting.

Adding another touch of whimsy, curving around the clock’s face is an 85 foot wishing well pond, housing bright gold fish and lily pads.

Constructed as a preventative tactic to ensure tourists did not climb up on the clock or pick the flowers, all summer long tourists can be found tossing change into the pond and making a wish. When the Parks drain the pond later in the season, the coins are given to Ontario Power Generation who then give it to local charities.

So next time you’re in Niagara taking in the beauty of the great Niagara Falls this summer, pack a lunch, take a trip along the river and let yourself marvel at the Floral Clock and the beauty of passing time. TM

daredevi s JEAN FRANCOIS GRAVELET (THE GREAT BLONDIN) Professionally known as “The Great Blondin”, Gravelet was the first of many tightrope walkers to appear at Niagara Falls. He was a professional artist and showman trained in the great tradition of the European circus. At age 31 he came to America and made the announcement that he would cross the gorge of the Niagara River on a tightrope.

On June 30, 1859 the rope was in position and at five o’clock in the afternoon Blondin started the trip that was to make history.

Watchers saw him lower a rope from the tightrope to the Maid of the Mist, pull up a bottle and sit down while he refreshed himself. He began his ascent toward the Canadian shore, paused, steadied the balancing pole and suddenly executed a back somersault.

Never content merely to repeat his last performance, Blondin crossed his rope on a bicycle, walked blindfolded, pushed a wheelbarrow, cooked an omelet in the centre and made the trip with his hands and feet manacled.

Yet even these stunts failed to satisfy Blondin’s urge to test himself. He announced that on August 19 he would cross the gorge carrying his manager, Harry Colcord, on his back. It was to be the supreme test of Blondin’s skill and stamina.

According to Colcord, the trip was a nightmare. In the unguyed centre section, the pair swayed violently. Blondin was fighting for his life. He broke into a desperate run to reach the first guy rope. When he reached it and steadied himself, it broke. Once more the pair swayed alarmingly as Blondin again ran for the next guy.

When they reached it Blondin gasped for Colcord to get down.

Six times in all Colcord had to dismount while Blondin had to charge the crowd on the brink to prevent the press of people forcing them back in the precipice.

He died in England at the age of 73.

WILLIAM LEONARD HUNT A resident of Port Hope, Ontario, known as Signor Farini, William Hunt duplicated almost all Blondin’s stunts, but never managed to steal the limelight from Blondin.

The Niagara Falls Gazette reported Farini’s September 5, 1860 washing machine stunt, “He strapped an Empire Washing Machine to his back and walked slowly to the desired place in the centre of the rope”.

He secured his balancing pole and machine on the cable. He then drew water from the river nearly 200 feet below, in primitive style, with a pail and cord.

Several ladies, desiring to patronize him in his character as a washerwoman, had given him their handkerchiefs to wash. Before long his washing was done, the handkerchiefs wrung out and hung up to dry on the uprights and crossbars of the machine. With the washing flapping in the wind, he adjusted his load and returned.

HARRY LESLIE After the 1859 and 1860 performances of Blondin and Farini, there was a lull until June 15, 1865 when Harry Leslie, billed as “The American Blondin”, crossed the Whirlpool Rapids gorge on a rope.

ANDREW JENKINS On August 24, 1869 Andrew Jenkins crossed the Whirlpool Rapids on a rope, riding a velocipede.

MARIA SPELTERINA A 23-year-old Italian woman, Maria Spelterina was the only woman to cross the Niagara gorge on a tightrope. In 1867, she walked backwards, put a paper bag over her head, and wore peach baskets on her feet to inject some drama into her crossings.

STEPHEN PEER Stephen Peer of Niagara Falls, Ontario made several crossings, but a few days after his walk on June 25, 1887, his body was found on the rocks below. It was assumed that he had fallen while attempting a night crossing wearing his street shoes.

of niaga ra

Niagara Falls has always held an allure for those who like danger, like to test the limits of human endurance. It has held so much allure in fact, that Niagara Parks had to officially state that stunting on their property is prohibited. These pages highlight a history of stunting at the Falls; some stunters were successful, others were not as lucky.

ANNIE TAYLOR (Survived) Mrs. Annie Taylor, a 63-year-old schoolteacher, decided that a trip over Niagara Falls was her way to fame and fortune. On October 24, 1901, assistants strapped her (along with her cat, as seen in this photo) into a special harness in a barrel. A small boat towed the barrel out into the main stream of the Niagara River and the barrel was cast loose. The rapids first slammed it one way, then the other, then came the drop and a bone-wrenching jar so violent that Mrs. Taylor was sure she hit rocks. Seventeen minutes after the plunge, the barrel had been tossed close enough to the Canadian shore to be hooked and dragged onto the rocks.

Mrs. Taylor was dazed but triumphant and being the first person to conquer the mighty Falls of Niagara, she found the fame she sought so desperately. But fortune was a bit more elusive. Twenty years after her brush with death at Niagara, she died destitute.

BOBBY LEACH (Survived) Bobby Leach, an Englishman, successfully made a trip in an all-steel barrel on July 25, 1911, and then spent 23 weeks in hospital recuperating from numerous fractures and other injuries. Fifteen years later on a lecture tour in New Zealand, he slipped on an orange peel, broke his leg and died of complications from the injury.

CHARLES STEPHENS (Died) The next barrel stunter to try the Falls was also an Englishman, Charles Stephens. When his heavy oak barrel hit water after the drop over the Falls on July 11, 1920, Stephens went out the bottom. He was killed and only one arm was recovered.

JEAN LUSSIER (Survived) Jean Lussier, a native of Quebec, designed a six-foot rubber ball composed of 32 inner tubes and a double-wall steel frame. One of the biggest crowds on record saw the stunt on July 4, 1928. The ball took some hard knocks in the rapids but the skip over the Falls was perfect. About one hour after entering his ball, Lussier stepped ashore none the worse for wear. For many years he displayed his ball at Niagara Falls and sold small pieces of the inner tubes for souvenirs at 50 cents a piece.

GEORGE STATHAKIS (Died) On July 4th, 1931, George Stathakis, a Greek chef from Buffalo, went over the Falls in a 2,000-pound contraption of wood and steel. He survived the plunge over the Falls only to die after becoming trapped behind the curtain of water for 22 hours. He had enough oxygen for only three hours.

RED HILL JR. (Died) In the summer of 1951, Red Hill Jr. planned to go over the Falls in a flimsy contrivance he called the “Thing” which consisted of 13 inner tubes held together with fish net and canvas straps. On August 6, the “Thing” headed into the rapids with Hill in it. It was tossed into the air, upended, thrown from side to side and bounced off rocks. It was starting to disintegrate even before it reached the Falls. When the drop came, the “Thing” disappeared into churning water at the base of the Falls. Seconds later what was left floated into view. The following day, Hill’s battered body was taken from the river. TM TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 49

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IGNITE YOUR COMPETITIVE SPIRIT PAN AMERICAN GAMES 2015

By Jill Tham

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Most top athletes participate in many events before they reach the highest level of competition. The Pan American Games is an important milestone in an athlete’s career. The Pan American Games is the world’s third largest international multisport games occurring every four years. Canada has had the privilege of hosting the Games twice; both times in Winnipeg, MB. This year, Canada will have a third shot at hosting the Games; this time with events happening in our own backyard. Toronto, will be the official host of the Games and will utilize many venues in different cities across southern Ontario.

Approximately 400 events in 36 sports will take place between July 10th to 26th and the Parapan Am Games from August 7th to 15th. “In the Pan Am Games, there are a few different sports that are not in the Olympics such as bowling, karate, racquetball and wakeboarding,” says Mike Strange, former Pan American Games athlete and Olympic boxer. “It makes them distinct from other competitions.”

“The vibe of the Pan Am Games is just like the Olympics. You get to experience the same jitters and excitement of an opening ceremony. For a boxer, the Pan Am Games is probably the toughest games, other than the Olympics, because of the incredible talent from Cuba and the United States,” states Strange. Mike has a positive outlook for Canada’s success at the 2015 Pan American Games. “I look forward to seeing the athletes compete for gold in our community,” says Strange.

One of the venues for the Games in the Niagara area will be the Welland International Flatwater Centre. The centre will host canoe and kayak sprinting. The Welland Canal is a man-made passageway that enables cargo ships to transport goods between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. The Canal is an important part of the St. Lawrence Seaway as it moves ships up and down the escarpment through a series of locks. Several decades ago, an area of the canal in Welland, was rerouted, leaving the old shipping lane perfect for flatwater sports and competitions. Since construction, this section of the Canal has been used by the city and its members to compete and train in the areas of swimming, sculling, canoe polo, kayaking, dragon boat, triathlon, canoeing and water polo.

IN THE PAN AM GAMES, THERE ARE A FEW DIFFERENT SPORTS THAT ARE NOT IN THE OLYMPICS SUCH AS BOWLING, KARATE, RACQUETBALL AND WAKEBOARDING MIKE STRANGE

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The City of Welland has been working diligently to upgrade the facility in preparation for the Games. Efforts include widening a section of the canal and building a timing tower, an athletic centre and permanent seating for 500 spectators. With ten million dollars of upgrades, the Welland International Flatwater Centre will now provide an off season location perfect for training. “The addition of the only multisport moving water training tank in Canada provides for a unique legacy opportunity. Owning the podium starts in Welland and every Canadian athlete participating in a flatwater sport will make their way to the Olympics, World Championships, Pan American Games and podium via the Flatwater Centre,” says Stephen Fischer, Executive Director of the Welland Recreational Canal Corporation and Welland International Flatwater Centre.

Only a short drive from Welland to St. Catharines, one can find the calm waters of the Martindale Pond, home of the Royal Canadian Henley Rowing Course. The Henley is no stranger to the thrill of competition as it has hosted several rowing events and North America’s largest annual rowing regatta. The Henley’s storied history made it a natural choice as the site for 14 rowing competitions. In preparation for the Games, upgrades will be made to the main bridge that connects the rowing facility to the mainland.

The summer of 2015 will be an exhilarating one for both residents and tourists of the Niagara Region as they welcome hundreds of athletes and thousands of visitors. Niagara invites you to come for the spectacular view of the falls and stay for the Games.

The rowing events at the Canadian Henley Rowing Course in St .Catharines will be taking place from Saturday, July 11 to Wednesday, July 15, and the Canoe/Kayak Spring events at the Welland International Flatwater Centre, will be taking place from Saturday, July 11 to Tuesday, July 14. Tickets for both events can be purchased by visiting toronto2015.org/tickets

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THE NIAGARA INTEGRATED FILM FESTIVAL

BY GABRIELLE TIEMAN

Film, wine and food are coming together once again to celebrate fresh and unique cinematic finds at the annual Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NIFF) this June.

Returning for their second year to shine a cinematic spotlight on the natural beauty of the Niagara Region, NIFF will once again take full advantage of the region’s resources by combining the best of Niagara’s offerings into an amalgamated masterpiece of wineries, nature and top shelf independent films from across the globe.

40 films and 100 screenings will be showcased over the June 18-21 weekend throughout St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Twenty Valley. Sticking to the precedent set during last year’s successful festival, the films will premiere in an assortment of venues – ranging from traditional such as local cinemas, auditoriums and theatre halls to the unconventional vineyards, amphitheatres and even airport hangars which will host outdoor screenings amongst the grapes in full summer glory. >>

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 55 55

THE FESTIVAL IS NOT JUST ABOUT SEEING A MOVIE, IT IS AN EXPERIENCE. - KATE YORGA

Kate Yorga, the Programming Director for NIFF, says the festival is not just about seeing a movie, it is an experience.

"We all remember the first non-typical film we saw,” said Yorga.

“Because it does take a while to get your palette adjusted to something that doesn’t have the typical story structure or a different style of storytelling. This is a great chance to explore those kinds of films."

Yorga says veteran programmer Tony Watts has been globe-trotting and attending film festivals for months now, chasing over 100 films for 40 slots and scouting critically acclaimed features in preparation for making his best picks for what to be showcased at NIFF. "There are thousands of films around the world and it is a complicated process but mainly we are looking for premieres: world premieres, international premieres, or national and Canadian films," said Yorga. "We are always asking ourselves: is it a great film? Is there something entertaining or informative about it in the sense of a documentary? What is their plan for the film? Distributors make a plan for each particular film that they choose and they set up which festivals all over the world to release it to audiences. If it has already played in Canada, we probably won’t take it, because again, we are looking for premieres."

This year’s festival will present three Canadian premieres over the course of three days: the documentary The Lost Aviator and comedies People, Places, Things and Unexpected. They will also showcase a vast variety of genres and styles in order to appeal to a greater audience. Featuring a smattering of sci-fi, fantasy, comedy, spotlight films, dramas, shorts and everything in between; ensuring every genre is properly represented and that there is something to appeal to the vast demographic audience present in Niagara.

“Festival audiences are a special breed of people,” said Yorga. “These are people that are adventurous and are willing to see something that is not showing at the regular multiplex theatre. We are lucky to have a vast audience in Niagara and we choose films that suit a wide range, from dramas to comedies, to family films and documentaries. Some thrillers and darker fare. Maybe some foodie films and anime.”

Set in the golden age of Aviation, The Lost Aviator director Andrew Lancaster follows the life and times of his great uncle, Captain Bill Lancaster and uncovers a fascinating tale of high adventures, obsession, a love triangle and a sensational murder trial.

People, Places, Things directed by James C. Strouse stars comedian Jemaine Clement and will have audiences in stitches. Follow Will Henry, a newly single graphic novelist, balancing parenting his young twin daughters and a classroom full of students while exploring and navigating the rich complexities of new love and letting go of the woman who left him.

Unexpected, a comedy by director Kris Swanberg, features a large cast including academy award nominee Elizabeth McGovern and How I Met Your Mother alum Cobie Smulders. An inner-city high school teacher discovers she is pregnant at the same time as one of her most promising students and the two develop an unlikely friendship while struggling to navigate their unexpected pregnancies.

Other movies to screen at NIFF include I’ll See You in My Dreams; a soon to be favourite directed by Brett Haley starring Blythe Danner, Sam Elliott and Martin Starr.

Yorga said that though their team travels around the globe to try and choose films that are unique and different from the norm, it is impossible to reach every international film festival. Online screening processes and the internet have made it easier for festivals like NIFF to capture a broad scope of films and uncover cinematic masterpieces from around the globe.

"It is a great process now with online screeners," said Yorga. "In the old times you had to get film teams to send the hard copy [of the film] to you. Even with DVDs it wasn't the easiest. But now you can send them to us online and everything is protected by watermark so we can watch them and see what we think without fear of it getting into the wrong hands."

Along with the feature length films, The World’s Smallest Film Festival competition is back featuring one to three minute shorts shot entirely on any smartphone or tablet. This year’s theme for the films is

water, staying true to Niagara’s defining characteristic, and must be shot entirely on either a smart phone or tablet.

Niagara Rises will also return for a second year. The program exclusively showcases homegrown features made by Niagara Region’s resident film makers, writers, directors and producers.

Other events returning include food and film events Filmalicious and Film Fest. Filmalicious will pair local wineries and world renowned cuisine with original feature-length films for a night of world class dining and film outside in the vineyard; with Film Feast, wineries will once again host an evening of food, wine and short films.

"There is so much to do in the Niagara Region so the fact that you can combine seeing a great vineyard with having a wonderful dinner and enjoying a film is a special thing," said Yorga. "It's about making magical memories."

Ticket prices start at $25 dollars for individual films and move upwards depending on the event. Yorga said she encourages movie goers to choose at least one foreign film to view throughout the course of the festival.

"I always advise people to check out the foreign films in particular because those especially will not be coming to a theatre near you and this is probably your only chance to see amazing cinema from around the world," said Yorga. "It is a special opportunity."

NIFF was brought to reality by the legendary Bill Marshall, one of the original founders and chair emeritus of the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). Widely known as the world’s most successful public film festival, TIFF, originally known as “The Festival of Festivals,” was first brought to life in 1976 as an outlet for international producers and film makers to showcase their films and original productions to a broader audience. Showcasing an average 350 films from over 70 countries annually, the festival is widely known for jumpstarting the careers of many actors and directors and placing Canada on the map for film excellence and appreciation.

For more information on the festival schedule, events and purchasing tickets, visit niagarafilmfest.com. TM

Josh Silburt, Morning Fog - Ottawa Valley (detail), acrylic and oil on panel, c.1985, Allan Silburt Family Collection

2015 EXHIBITIONS: JOSH SILBURT: ARTIST IN TURBULENT TIMES ARTHUR LISMER: THE ARTIST AS TEACHER CARTOONS, CARICATURES, AND SATIRICAL PRINTS MARC AURÈLE DE FOY SUZOR-COTÉ AT RIVERBRINK AVANT LA LETTRE: CANADIAN LANDSCAPE BEFORE THE GROUP

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NIAGARA WINE FESTIVAL

CELEBRATING NIAGARA’S GRAPE HARVEST By: Lauren Charley

There is something divine about the peaceful scenery when cruising down long country roads, as the sun is setting behind a pink and blue sky, with a crisp breeze signifying summer’s end. Every autumn, locals and businesses from around the region come together to welcome tourists and host a celebration in recognition of what the Niagara Region is known for: its legendary wine country. The Niagara Wine Festival marks the annual celebration of the grape harvest and embraces the region for its local cuisine, music, arts and culture.

This year, the annual Niagara Wine festival is scheduled to take place between September 12 and 27. During this time there will be many events and activities hosted in various locations throughout the region, including the Grande Parade, festivities in Montebello Park, tours and tastings, and many opportunities to enjoy the fine culinary expertise of Niagara’s top chefs.

ABOUT THE NIAGARA WINE FESTIVAL The Niagara Wine Festival was established 64 years ago, in 1951, as a way to celebrate the region’s grape harvest. Niagara is the home of Canada’s largest grape and wine industry, and is internationally acclaimed by wine experts and enthusiasts who have fallen in love with the area for its scenic beauty, peaceful countryside, renowned “farm-to-table” approach to cuisine, and of course, its refreshing, award-winning wines. “As the leading tender fruit producer in Canada, agriculture has always been a very important piece of who we are as a region,” says Kimberly Hundertmark, Executive Director of Niagara Grape & Wine Festival. >> TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 59

I HAVE BEEN FORTUNATE TO BE PART OF THE NIAGARA GRAPE AND WINE INDUSTRY FOR 21 YEARS. THE RICH TAPESTRY OF EXPERIENCES THAT WE HAVE WOVEN MAKES ME SO VERY PROUD. EVERYONE SHOULD BE LUCKY ENOUGH TO WORK IN COLLABORATION WITH THE AMAZING GROWERS, WINEMAKERS AND STORYTELLERS THAT I CAN CALL FRIENDS. – KIMBERLY HUNDERTMARK, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, NIAGARA GRAPE AND WINE FESTIVAL

61 season. What began as a singular fall festival, incorporated as part of the “Niagara Grape and Wine Festival”, has now expanded to three events, with the additions of the New Vintage Festival in June, and the Niagara Icewine Festival in January. All three festivals keep the spirit of wine alive in the region, embracing it as an important part of its history, identity, and culture.

The Niagara Wine Festival offers a number of attractions which the whole family can enjoy. Kids love celebrating the grape harvest through a selection of events such as parades, concerts, entertainment acts, and street parties.

The 64th Annual Meridian Grande Parade celebrates this year with the theme “Harvest Street Party”. During the procession, schools, businesses, restaurants, sports teams, and financial sponsors maneuver proudly through downtown St. Catharines, as they display their extravagantly decorated floats and glowing community pride. The parade this year will be held on Saturday, September 26 at 11am, as it jaunts along the traditional route beginning at Welland Ave and climaxing along St. Paul Street.

On the second and third weekends of The Niagara Wine Festival, Montebello Park’s “Center Stage”, in the heart of downtown St. Catharines, brings attendees a full roster of extraordinary Canadian musical talent. These musicians include popular, local bands and well-known Canadian tribute bands. The enjoyment of live music is accompanied by a selection of fine decadent foods and exquisite wines, offered by participating wineries and business vendors, set up throughout the park. Visitors will also find this a hot spot to find unique trinkets and treasures, sold by local retail boutiques.

FESTIVAL DISCOVERY PASS Over the three weekends between September 12 and 27, the Discovery Pass is the ultimate way to maximize your experience of the legendary Niagara Wine Festival. With the $40 Discovery Pass, guests can enjoy a sampling of the exquisite local wines paired with its perfect culinary accompaniment, using the expertise of Niagara’s top chefs and viticulture experts. The pass includes a selection of eight “experiences” held at any of the 38 participating wineries in Niagara.

Each winery hosts a unique tasting with an original theme, where attendees can indulge in the best of both their culinary skills and winemaking expertise. At every establishment, the experts have worked carefully to pair their best wine of the harvest with a food that is both original and sensationally delicious. Guests can expect to try gourmet and exotic savouries like vegetarian white lasagna cupcakes and maple-smoked bacon pumpkin tarts, matched with the perfect wine to enhance the flavours of each delicacy.

PLANNING YOUR VISIT TO NIAGARA WINE FESTIVAL Whether you are a local or a visitor to the region, Niagara Wine Festival is sure to provide an exciting way to savour the last of the warm and comforting summer months, as the season comes to an end and welcomes the fall grape harvest. Every year there are new wineries, businesses, acts, and events to be discovered, keeping the celebration fresh whilst keeping its proudest traditions.

To begin your research on this fantastic opportunity to embrace Niagara’s grape and wine industry, visit niagarawinefestival.com to start planning your itinerary! TM

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DON’T BLINK

By Megan Pasche

Sometimes, you just have to let go and live life on the edge. But nobody lives these words more thoroughly than the entertainers of Niagara Falls. >>

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Sometimes, you just have to let go and live life on the edge. But nobody lives these words more thoroughly than the entertainers of Niagara Falls. Over the years, Niagara has come to be known as home to those who know no fear, boasting a rich history of acrobats, street informabuskers, daredevils and thrill seeking performers (for more informa tion on Niagara’s thrilling history of daredevils, see page 48). And though 155 years has passed since the first stuntman successfully crossed Niagara Falls with nothing but a thin rope separating him from a 170 foot plunge into the rapids, daredevil antics continue today to test the boundaries of what most deem the impossible.

Taking a twist on the traditional venue of street performances, this summer’s busker acrobatics are taking to the air and ground as world renowned aerial artists invade Niagara’s skyline with death defying disshows performed hundreds of feet above the famed Clifton Hill dis trict and the streets themselves with a wide array of variety acts. interThis free daredevil series put on by Zero Gravity Circus, an inter nationally renowned Toronto-based circus production company, the Victoria Centre BIA and the Tourism Partnership of Niagara will runshowcase three separate gut dropping shows with performances run ning four times a day, five days a week until September 7th. varThis summer will feature both variety acts and thrill acts. The var iety acts will feature “a wide range of versatile, professional performing artists who provide engaging, memorable entertainment…variety shows are largely interactive and comedic and showcase the talent and skill of many colourful and exciting circus disciplines-magic, chain saw juggling, clowns, rola bola, escape acts, rope walking” and more.

The Thrill act portion of Summer Of Thrills has been expanded since last summer, and Vince Ferro, Summer of Thrills event coordinator notes, “in addition to the wheel of fate and the motorcycle highwire addiacrobat act; this year’s Summer Of Thrills will introduce an addi additional death defying thrill act; two 70 foot high sway poles.” In addi tion, Vince says, for this summer’s event, an educational element will be added, with visitors having the opportunity to interact with some characters from Niagara’s daredevil past, including Annie Taylor, Charles Blondin and the Great Farrini. They will be available for photos before and after every thrill act.

The performers in this year’s thrill acts are Hans and Natalia Winn, who come from a long line of circus performers. The Winn family goes back eight generations into the circus world and are famous for their high wire acts, stunts and aerial escapades. Hans Winn, the patriarch of the Winn family, died last year, but his family continues on the legacy. Hans Sr. started in the circus at the age of 6 and he and his siblings grew up in a German travelling circus. The family moved to California in the 1960s, and they began performing in state fairs and festivals. The act eventually grew to include more family members, with Hans Sr. continuing to perform into his late 70s. Hans Sr. had six children and most of them perform in the circus, including his son and daughter who together, are the stars featured in Summer of Thrills.

Ferro says that spectators from last year’s event were amazed at the “high calibre, death defying” thrills that were performed, and this year’s event promises to propel the experience to new heights of excitement, disbelief and awe.

THIS YEAR’S THRILL ACTS INCLUDE: THE SKY SCRAPING SWAY POLE ACT “Take in the unwavering courage of daredevil athletes atop 2 flexible slender poles. Witness unforgettable aerial acrobatics, a jaw dropping midair exchange and you won’t want to miss the death defying descent! Towering above Victoria Avenue at 70 feet tall and visible from a great distance, this heart stopping performance couldn’t be more high profile!”

ACROBATIC MOTORCYCLE HIGH WIRE “A motorcycle balancing atop a thin steel cable with a trapeze aerialist beneath it. The motorcycle rider completes several death-defying stunts, including free standing on top of the motorcycle, as the aerialist performs various acrobatic stunts from the trapeze. Then, the motorcycle and aerial artist amaze the crowd by defying gravity and flipping the bike and trapeze numerous revolutions around the cable.”

Shows for the Acrobatic Motorcycle take place between the Tussaud’s billboard sign and Day’s Inn (5943 Victoria Avenue)

WHEEL OF FATE “This act features an acrobatic daredevil acrobat on one end of a giant pendulum while his beautiful female partner counterbalances on the incredopposite end in an awesome display of incred ible balance and impeccable timing. Witness the fearless daredevils as they build momentum while walking, running and jumping inside and outside amazeof this huge revolving apparatus. Watch in amaze ment as these death defying athletes fly through the air like super heroes for the ultimate finale.”

Shows for the Wheel of Fate take place on the rooftop of the Imperial Hotel (5851 Victoria Avenue). TM Summer Of Thrills runs Thursdays to Mondays starting July 2nd until September 7th with 4 thrills shows daily at 2pm, 4pm, 6pm and 8pm.

8pm Street shows run approximately 30 minutes each and the sky high thrill acts are about 10 minutes each.

More information can be found at topofcliftonhill.com

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WE ARE NIAGARA FALLS HORNBLOWER NIAGARA CRUISES

VOYAGE TO THE FALLS BOAT TOUR The legendary boat tour of Niagara Falls is Canada’s most iconic visitor experience. It’s been thrilling millions from all over the world for more than 150 years.

You may have seen the Falls before, but you’ve never seen them quite like this! So why just look at them when you can get right in? Hold onto your heart and get ready for the thrill of a lifetime.

Hornblower will take you on a ride you’ll never forget. Into the very heart of the mighty Horseshoe Falls!

Prepare for an awe-inspiring journey aboard Hornblower’s state-of-the-art 700-passenger catamaran boats. You’ll experience the famous boat tour of the Great Gorge, American Falls, Bridal Veil Falls and of course, an up-close and personal connection with the world’s most famous cataract – the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

Hornblower’s Voyage To The Falls boat tour is a once-in-a-lifetime experience and an absolute must for every visitor to Niagara Falls. Open daily from 8am, boats sail every 15 minutes until dusk.

FALLS ILLUMINATION CRUISE & FALLS FIREWORKS CRUISE Featuring on-board licensed bars, light snacks and music, these extended 40-minute cruises are Niagara’s ultimate evening entertainment. Set to the backdrop of starry skies, the dazzling city skyline and amazing coloured illumination of the Falls these intimate cruises are the very best way to view the Falls at night. Guests can savour fine Niagara wine and beverages on-board while cruising the Gorge and taking in the magic of Niagara Falls at night. There’s no other evening entertainment quite like this! Falls Illumination Cruises operate daily in season and sail 9:45-10:25pm.

Falls Fireworks Cruises include a bonus 10pm fireworks spectacle directly overhead. This is a Niagara Falls experience not to be missed. As colours whirl and sparks fly above, this incredible Falls cruise is the ultimate highlight of any evening out. Falls Fireworks Cruises operate every Friday, Sunday and holiday from May 15 through September 7. Boats sail 9:45 to 10:25. With limited availability tickets sell out fast.

If daytime thrills aren’t your cup of tea, then be sure to enjoy Hornblower’s all new night-time Falls Illumination Cruise or Falls Fireworks Cruise.

If you’re one of the lucky few who can snag tickets to the Falls Illumination Cruise or Falls Fireworks Cruise, be sure to go early and take in the evening sunset while relaxing at Hornblower’s unique new Fallsview Patio. Nestled in the gorge at the river’s edge there is nowhere else you’ll get a view anything like this. Enjoy the remarkable setting, great music and Hornblower’s famous hospitality before or after sailing.

If you’re lucky and the breeze is just right, you can sometimes catch a soft waft of fine Falls mist. It doesn’t get any closer than this! Whatever you do while visiting, be sure to plan an evening out with Hornblower Niagara Cruises. They are certain to deliver an amazing experience and memories that will last a lifetime.

To reserve your ticket book online at niagaracruises.com or call toll free 1-855-264-2427. Located at 5920 River Road (Niagara Parkway) at the foot of Clifton Hill, Niagara Falls CANADA.

Nothing quite says summer like golf. Once the air warms up and the greens dry out, courses become flooded with golfers – and the Niagara Region is no exception.

An internationally respected golfer’s paradise, the Niagara Region boasts over 50 of the most beautifully tailored and artfully designed golf courses in the world – creating the greatest concentration of golf facilities in a single region in Canada.

But, with 50 golf courses throughout the Niagara Region, it can be hard to decide which courses to schedule into a vacation. Niagara has simplified the choosing process, compacting seven of the must play courses open to the public into the Niagara Golf Trail.

BY GABRIELLE TIEMAN

HITTING THE LINKS on niagara’s golf trail Heralded as a golfer’s dream, the Niagara Golf Trail has something for every golfer. Whether you are a seasoned veteran or a casual player, there is a course that caters to your individual ability, price range and preference.

The trail’s courses range from world class to entry-level, all designed by the best in the sport. Featured courses on the trail include Beechwood Golf and Country Club, Grand Niagara Golf Club, John Daly's Thundering Waters Golf Club, Legends on the Niagara Golf Complex, Royal Niagara Golf Club, Whirlpool Golf Course and new this year is Seneca Hickory Sticks Golf Course, the first American course to join the trail.

To find out more about the Niagara Golf Trail, golf packages and green fees, visit niagaragolftrail.com.

GRAND NIAGARA GOLF CLUB When a course is designed by an architect as internationally celebrated as Rees Jones, you are guaranteed an exceptional round of golf. In its tenth season, the Grand Niagara Golf Club does not disappoint, with uniquely crafted holes that pay homage to world-renowned courses.

Known as the “Open Doctor,” golf architect Rees Jones is famous for revitalizing PGA championship courses across North America. Upon completing his design for Grand Niagara, Jones told reporters he had “built a golf course worthy of a major championship.”

Bob Culig, PG member of Canada and head golf professional at Grand Niagara, says what Rees Jones has done for this course is make it user friendly.

“All skill levels can come and enjoy the course and what we have to offer,” said Culig. “Even the most experienced golfer can

receive a challenging game while someone less familiar with the game can get out, have fun and enjoy the nature of the course while learning how to golf.”

But as a championship golf course only minutes away from Niagara Falls, crowds could be a worry; but Culig guarantees golfers never feel rushed at the Grand Niagara.

“When you are playing it is like you and your partners are out by yourself,” said Culig. “There is so much land, it is a large property, and even though you’re not by yourself, it feels like it – even on those busy days. [Rees Jones] has taken a large piece of property and made it very nice for the golfer who enjoys being out in nature.”

Operating as a semi-private facility, the Grand Niagara caters to locals who are looking for memberships and individuals who want to drop in for a game. >> BEECHWOOD GOLF

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 69

BEECHWOOD GOLF AND COUNTRY CLUB Having recently celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, the Beechwood Golf and Country Club boasts a rich history along with a tough game of golf. Located in St. Catharines, it sits on preserved history, a landmark which was once the scene of “musket fire and fighting,” and the site of the Battle at the Beech Woods in 1813.

This par 72 layout and semi-private establishment features gently rolling terrain, contoured fairways and strategic water hazards that combine to make each hole a unique experience – and equally as difficult.

Golfers can expect to find eighteen classically designed holes, each moderately difficult. Another semi-private facility, Beechwood is a welcome course for locals and tourists alike.

JOHN DALY’S THUNDERING WATERS GOLF CLUB A landmark golf course in Canada, Thundering Water’s Golf Club is famed golfer John Daly’s first signature golf course in the country. Located in Niagara Falls’ Fallsview Tourist District, it is a mere 1,500 yards from the iconic Horseshoe Falls – and just as impressive in stature.

Sitting at a challenging par 72, this John Daly signature course is not to be taken lightly. Designed in collaboration with Canadian golf architect Bo Danoff, Thundering Waters brings Daly’s “risk for

reward” strategy to life and places it onto the fairway. Combining nature’s tranquility with obstacle treachery, Thundering Waters features sweeping fairways, sculpted bunkers and creeks all nestled between sand dunes, which combine for a difficult, yet, enjoyable, game of golf.

These aesthetically pleasing sights also function as interesting obstacles for the gentleman golfer. The course tests your accuracy and offers a challenge for golfers to improve their game. Though not for the weak of heart, the course is friendly to golfers of all skill levels.

LEGENDS ON THE NIAGARA GOLF COMPLEX The largest of the seven courses on the trail, Legends on the Niagara Golf Complex has not one, but two exceptionally crafted eighteen hole championship level golf courses. This natural setting is a golfer’s dream getaway, sitting on one thousand acres of natural turf, water hazards, sand traps and landscaping. If this wasn’t enough, the course also plays host to an extremely large driving range and bonus 9-hole course.

The impressive Battlefield course is located on the north side of the Legends on the Niagara property. Designed by Canadian golf architect Douglas Carrick, a veteran who has created a truly unique course that challenges every level of golfer.

The course features a nice mix of wide, links style holes with generous fairways and greens that are bound by dense forest and brush.

The second course, Ussher’s Creek, located on the south side of the property, is one of Canadian golf architect Thomas McBroom’s finest achievements.

This challenging course features thick stands of trees, wetland hazards, knee-high fescue rough and impeccable conditioning from tee to green. These all combine to make Ussher’s Creek a classic parkland course.

Both courses feature four sets of tees, catering to all levels and encouraging play from juniors to the most advanced golfers.

ROYAL NIAGARA GOLF CLUB Known as a must play course of international standing, the Royal Niagara boasts 7,000 yards of sculpted fairways, rolling greens and water, designed by landscape architect Ted Baker. Baker, the founding member of the Stanley Thompson Society, is known for preserving famed golf courses throughout North America.

Tucked away next to the historic Welland Canal, Bruce Trail and Niagara Escarpment, the unique golf course incorporates natural landscapes to make for a difficult course. Although heralded for being a championship golf course and fairly challenging – it was host to the Telus Skins Game in 2003 – Velizar Amoff, operations manager at the Royal Niagara, says the course has a little something for every level of golfer. >>

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 71

“The course has five sets of tees so it is accessible to all calibres of players,” said Amoff.

The golf club’s three individually designed championship level 9-hole courses allow golfers who place a high premium on originality to thoroughly enjoy themselves.

Amoff said it is the unique layout of the course and its convenient location to the border that keeps tourists coming back to their courses each season.

WHIRLPOOL GOLF COURSE Revered as one of the highest rated and renowned golf courses in Canada, Whirlpool Golf Course is an 18-hole championship public course in the Niagara Region. The course features challenging designs by renowned golf architect Stanley Thompson, one of Canada’s most accomplished and respected golf course architects.

Before Thompson’s premature death at 59, Thompson designed and remodelled over 145 golf courses– with the majority throughout Canada.

Known for his strategic design tactics, Thompson was steadfast in his belief that golf must be played with the mind as well as the body. His courses reflect this thoughtful design tactic in its artfully crafted sand traps and bunkers.

Dramatically situated next to the Niagara whirlpools, it is hailed as one of the most challenging courses on the Niagara Golf Trail. But this should not dissuade any golf lovers to try out this course. Its intrinsic design and prestige that accompanies its 72-year heritage makes for an appealing course for all experience levels.

SENECA HICKORY STICK GOLF COURSE A new partner with the Niagara Golf Trail, Seneca History Stick Golf Course is the trail’s first American partner. Located in Lewiston, New York just over the border from Niagara Falls, this picturesque public course is aptly named to reflect the presence of the rare and protected Shellbark Hickory trees that line the course.

Designed by architect Trent Jones, whose repertoire consists of over 500 golf courses throughout the United States, is known for working with nature when designing a course – and Seneca Hickory is no exception. The course mirrors with its natural surroundings of lakes and mature trees to create a serene course for all playing levels.

And don’t overlook warming up before you hit the greens. Seneca Hickory Stick boasts some of the most realistic practice facilities in the area, including a natural grass driving range, vast putting green and designated grass and sand chipping areas. TM

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Magnificent Tours

By Megan Pasche

THERE’S NO BETTER WAY TO EXPLORE NIAGARA What better way to discover a new city than by having someone who knows the area show you around? There’s no hassle of trying to find your way, just a nice, leisurely tour, with someone else doing all the work. Tours depart directly from the Marriott lobby, so all you need to do is show up on time.

Magnificent Tours offers numerous tours throughout the Niagara Region, all in the comfort of a climate controlled bus or limo, depending on which tour you choose. You’ll visit Niagara’s best attractions, wineries and more. Below is a breakdown of all the tours they offer and some highlights of what exactly you’ll see.

NIAGARA FALLS SUMMER SCENIC TOUR PRICING (all + HST and in Canadian dollars) ADULT: $159 CHILD (5 TO 12): $95 KIDS UNDER 5: FREE DURATION OF TOUR: 5 HOURS. Their website notes, “let us show you the sights and sounds of Niagara with our fully narrated Niagara Falls Scenic Tour. See the sights and feel the roar of Niagara Falls. This full day Niagara Falls >>

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 75

TOUR HIGHLIGHTS JOURNEY BEHIND THE FALLS Get up close and personal with the mighty falls!

You’ll take an elevator down 150 feet to tunnels that wind under the falls. In addition to being able to see the falls through the small openings in the rock, there is also an upper and lower observation deck to take in the view from.

NIAGARA’S FURY Located in the Table Rock Centre, this attraction lets you witness the history of Niagara Falls in an interactive way, in the safety of a 4D multi-sensory theatre spectacle.

SKYLON TOWER This is the 775 foot tall iconic building in the Niagara Falls skyline, and it is one of the best places to view the falls from.

WHITE WATER WALK This pathway takes you along one of the longest stretches of white water in the world. You start with an elevator ride down 70 metres to the bottom of the gorge, you will talk through a 73 metre long tunnel and emerge at the observation deck/boardwalk.

SOUVENIR CITY If you are looking for the perfect Niagara Falls souvenir, you need not travel any farther then this. This 15,000 square foot shop is one of the largest gift shops in Niagara Falls, and offers a huge selection including: bags, bobble heads, mugs, key chains, ornaments and so much more.

DAREDEVIL MUSEUM This cool museum takes a look at all the people who have attempted to conquer Niagara Falls.

Some of the actual contraptions that daredevils used are on display, including the barrel of Annie Edson Taylor, who was the first recorded daredevil to go over the falls.

Scenic Tour is our signature tour. Experience the majesty and power of Niagara Falls while getting to the front of the line.

Our prices are among the best in the luxury tour market and we are committed to offering more during your stay in Niagara Falls through our Niagara Falls Scenic Tour.”

This tour includes admission to Journey Behind the Falls, Hornblower Niagara Cruise, Niagara’s Fury, The Skylon Tower and Souvenir City. Also, passes to the following attractions are included for guests to enjoy at a later time: The White Water Walk, Niagara Falls IMAX Daredevil Museum, WEGO Pass, a pass to return to the Skylon Tower. The bus also drives past many Niagara Falls sites including: The Mt. Carmel Monastery, Dufferin Islands, Old Scow, the Whirlpool Rapids, Niagara Helicopters, and many more.

NIAGARA’S BEST TOUR PRICING (all + HST and in Canadian dollars) ADULT: $130 CHILD (5 TO 12): $75 KIDS UNDER 5: FREE DURATION OF TOUR: 3 HOURS Their website says, “This tour includes the top three attractions in Niagara Falls: Hornblower Niagara Cruises, Journey Behind the Falls, and the Skylon Tower. This tour is perfect if you only have a few hours to spare and want to visit the top attractions in Niagara Falls.”

NIAGARA WINE TOUR PRICING (all + HST and in Canadian dollars) ADULT: $89 CHILD (5 TO 12): $25 CHILDREN UNDER 5: FREE DURATION OF TOUR: 4 HOURS According to their website, this tour lets you “experience the beauty of Niagara’s world famous wine country through our Niagara Wine Tour. Visit award-winning Niagara wineries for tours and tastings. Educate yourself on the best wines with a look into the wine making process.” This tour operates daily, and visits Inniskillin Wines, Reif Estate Winery, Jackson Triggs Winery and Truis Winery at Hillebrand.

CUSTOM TOURS Magnificent Tours also offers corporate and custom group tours, including fully guided tours for large or small groups that you can customize depending on your interests. This can incorporate scenic areas, wineries, breweries and restaurants: you can craft your perfect Niagara day!

For more information on Magnificent Tours and everything they offer, please visit the Tour Desk in the main lobby or reference their website at magnificentniagarafallstours.com TM

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TAKE A HIKE AND GET LOST IN THE SPLENDOR OF NIAGARA’S PRETTIEST TRAILS.

BY MEGAN PASCHE

Niagara is full of amazing places to get outside and explore, especially on foot. We are lucky to have conservation areas filled with walkways and wildlife, scenic walking trails, and tons of hiking paths that snake and meander through some of the best scenery this province has to offer. >>

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 79

NIAGARA GLEN

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These hiking trails run right along the Niagara Gorge, and through four kilometres of Carolinian forest. There are three different trails: white, blue and red, and they are all clearly marked. Some of the trails in this area are on rough terrain, and you’ll find yourself climbing up and down slopes, over trees and around boulders. Be prepared for an elevation change of 200ft, and make sure to stay safe with proper footwear. And though it may seem tempting, especially in the hot summer sun, don’t venture out into the water, as swimming is prohibited. Parking can be found in a lot along the Niagara Parkway, but keep in mind this place can get very busy in the summer time, so if you are looking for solitude while hiking, this might not be your best bet.

One of the most scenic trails in the Niagara Glen will bring you right along the Niagara River to the Niagara Whirlpool, where you can spend some time in the gorge and watch the Spanish Aero Car travel high above your head from one side to the other.

LOUTH CONSERVATION AREA Located along 16-mile creek in Lincoln County, the trails in this conservation area are lined with rock formations, some impressive waterfalls and if you are lucky, filled with the sound of singing songbirds. There is a small parking lot located on Staff Ave.

BRUCE TRAIL This is Canada’s oldest and longest footpath, and the Niagara portion of it stretches from Queenston to Beamsville. Planned hikes are available on predetermined days, or you can hike solo whenever you want. Badges are given if you register and then complete the entire Niagara section of the trail. If you are extremely ambitious, you can sign up to hike the entire trail from end to end. To put it in perspective, if you hiked for 8 hours a day, it would take approximately 30 days to finish the entire trail. There is no set time limit for doing an end-to-end hike, you could take thirty days or thirty years, and either way, you still get the coveted badge at the end. Maps are available online from the Bruce Trail Conservancy. Some historic highlights along the Niagara portion of the Bruce Trail are: Morningstar Mill/Decew Falls, Queenston Heights Park and Decew House.

ROCKWAY CONSERVATION AREA Protecting a portion of the Niagara Escarpment, this conservation area is a great spot for hiking, as it’s not too busy, and is hidden halfway between Jordan and St. Catharines. Parking is available on 9th Street or Regional Rd 69 at the Rockway Community Centre. You can hike along the 15-mile creek and enjoy the views of many different kinds of trees, as well as two different waterfalls. There is also the remnant of a salt spring that makes the area quite historically significant as the spring was thought to be used as far back as 1792.

SHORT HILLS PROVINCIAL PARK Short Hills is a huge 735-acre natural environment park, which covers parts of St. Catharines, Pelham and Thorold. It’s a great place for hiking and mountain biking, and trails are marked according to which activity is permitted on the trail. This is an area where it is extremely important to stay on the marked path, as it’s very easy to get lost in Short Hills (I speak from experience; I have had to be rescued not once, but twice from Short Hills. I didn’t even knowingly leave the marked path, so fellow directionally challenged people beware) Parking is available off Pelham, Roland and Wiley Roads.

BALL’S FALLS This beautiful area set in Twenty Valley got its name from the family that originally lived there. In addition to being able to see the original home, restored church, an operating flour mill, a lime kiln, a black smith shop and carriage shed, there is also a recently opened Centre for Conservation, which has many interactive exhibits and programs. Several trails run through the area, and maps are available online, which will lead you to the various points of interest, as well as the upper and lower falls.

POP UP PICNICS The perfect complement to some of Niagara’s hikes, is grabbing some local food and enjoying a nice leisurely picnic while you are outside. Most of the hiking trails listed have clearings along the paths where you can stop and enjoy a bite to eat, while enjoying the view. The most challenging part is to hike to your location with all your food. The best part of picnicking in Niagara? You don’t even need to make your own food…there are numerous places you can stop and pick up food to go, and we aren’t talking quick fast food purchases, Niagara’s chefs offer everything from cheese platters to charcuterie and gourmet meals. It makes for the perfect Niagara summer day! Check out some of these spots for great places to grab some picnic food to take along on your hike with you.

Cheese Secrets, located in downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake offers baskets packed full of bread, cheese and charcuterie, making for a great and easy meal to picnic with. You need to order ahead though, so give them a call at 905-468-2555 Savoia Gourmet Emporium on Martindale Road in St. Catharines is a great place to find a perfect picnic basket, as Chef Oscar Turchi offers delicious warm sandwiches, salads and soups that are perfect for a picnic. Preordering is a definite must though. Give them a call at 905-641-2230 to order something for your next outdoor dining experience.

Gooddine Catering offers several options for boxed lunches and picnics, usually consisting of salads, sandwiches, fruits and more. Everything is prepared in house and Chef Colin Gooddine uses local foods where he can. Preordering is a must and you can do so by emailing gooddinecatering@gmail.com or calling 289-6876370. You can also view ordering options at gooddinecatering.com TM

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here . SEE . do

THE LIFE of the PARTY

BY ANDREA K AISER

Maybe I’m getting older or maybe Niagara-on-the-Lake is getting hipper but it occurred to me last summer – I live in a cool part of the world! As a teenager I certainly don’t recall having similar sentiments and having worked in hospitality my entire life I can recall on many occasions being asked by visitors where they could find some local ‘action’ after nine which was met by me, for the most part, with a bit of a chuckle at the assumption that anyone was even up after the sun set.

Okay yes, the Angel Inn did have live music, even in ‘those days’ and still does every weekend but ask me on a weekday and I was hard pressed to come up with any suggestions. That is not to say I still don’t live in a quiet community by big city standards, but the pulse of the town has quickened and when the sun sets on wine country the lights do not all go out.

My all time favourite night on the town – bar none - has to be Jackson Triggs Winery Amphitheatre. I mean really, what can compete with Canadian artists performing live in such an intimate venue amongst the vines? Not to mention the amazing wines and fabulous food trucks. And this year’s line-up will not disappoint. To name a few, The Sam Roberts Band is back for two nights along with the Arkells who were named Group of the Year and Rock Album of the Year at the Junos this year.

Several great Canadian icons are also slated for the stage including Spirit of the West, Jann Arden, Jim Cuddy and Steven Page.

Peller Estate Winery has recently come to the table with some lively events that keep rocking after the sun goes down with their Food Truck Eats in May and the new Wine Country Fair in August. Trius Winery Movies in the Vineyard are also back by popular demand – showings include Grand Budapest Hotel, Princess Bride and Guardians of the Galaxy. Wine and Sci-fi; what could be better?

If quaint venues with live music are more your style, you must try one of our new local brew pubs. Oast House and Silversmith Brewing Company offer entertainment most weekends and often feature casual fare to pair with their local brew. Local favourites however still include the Angel Inn, an institution of sorts and more recently the Irish Harp – where you can raise a ruckus singing along to the likes of Finnegans Wake, Vox Violin and Celtic Cross. Ravine Vineyard Restaurant also offers entertainment but during the week on Thursdays and Sunday evenings. All summer long you can of course enjoy great wines on their patio or have a friendly game of ping pong. Yes, move over beer pong.

Local talent, local beer, local wine – where else would I be but Niagaraon-the- Lake? This little town has become the life of my party. TM

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 83

CREDITS FOR SHAW PHOTOS: EMILY COOPER

CHECK OUT THE UPCOMING PLAYS FROM THIS WORLD CLASS ONTARIO THEATRE, THAT SHOWCASES THE WORK OF GEORGE BERNARD SHAW AND HIS CONTEMPORARIES. >>

2015 TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 85

“This piece requires a type of theatrical storytelling that we rarely get the opportunity to practice here at The Shaw. Instead of gloriously furnished drawing rooms or brilliantly conceived habitats, you will see a bare stage with an assortment of ladders, ropes and rigging.

With the power of your imagination combined with ours, however, we will be able to travel absolutely anywhere … in any way. I can’t wait!” —JM This production is recommended for age 11+.

Running time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes including one intermission.

YOU NEVER CAN TELL RUNNING UNTIL OCTOBER 25

ROYAL GEORGE THEATRE PETER AND THE STARCATCHER RUNNING UNTIL NOVEMBER 1 Imagine a creaking frigate with an orphan boy in its hold, a disguised pirate ship following in the distance and a trunk carrying stardust – the kind that could let a child float into the air or freeze him in time. A theatrical prequel to Peter Pan, this magical play takes you on a journey using the power of music and story-telling to chronicle the adventures of an orphan soon to be called Peter Pan, and Molly, a girl charged to protect a parcel of stardust from falling into the wrong hands. The Broadway production opened in 2012 and went on to win five Tony Awards delighting audiences young and old.

In one of Shaw’s most light-hearted plays, we meet Mrs Clandon and her three children, twins Dolly and Phillip and Gloria, her prototype of the modern woman. They have just returned to England after 18 years on the island of Madeira and are readjusting to British life at a summer resort. The children have no idea who their father is and, through a comedy of errors, end up inviting him to a family lunch.

Meanwhile, a dentist named Valentine falls for Gloria whose ideals don’t include marriage. And through it all, the friendly waiter William dispenses wisdom with the phrase “You never can tell.” Part of Shaw’s collection called Plays Pleasant, the play’s family mishaps and romantic skirmishes still resonate in today’s battle of the sexes.

“Once again, I am happy to bring another Shaw play into the Royal George to allow you to experience it in a new and intimate manner.

This, plus the fact that Jim Mezon has directed and acted in more Shaw plays than virtually any artist on the continent, should open up this delightful piece in a fresh and revelatory way.” —JM This production is recommended for age 12+.

THE DIVINE: A PLAY FOR SARAH BERNHARDT JULY 5 – OCTOBER 11 A new play by acclaimed Québécois playwright Michel Marc Bouchard about the legendary actress Sarah Bernhardt and her controversial performances in Quebec City at the turn of the 20th century. Two young seminarians – Michaud, an engaging theatre enthusiast and Talbot, a moody new recruit from a poor family – are charged with telling the “Divine Sarah” that she is not welcome by the Catholic Church. But the show must go on, and as the young men become involved in her world, their lives are forever changed by their encounter with the theatrical superstar. Commissioned by the Shaw Festival, Bouchard wrote this play as a tribute to Bernard Shaw, the Festival and the power of theatre.

“My first season at The Shaw, in 2003, I programmed Michel Marc’s play The Coronation Voyage. I wanted to introduce Shaw audiences to this extraordinary writer whose plays are a unique mix of poetry and politics. I am thrilled, now, to be premiering a play he has especially written for us – one that is notably premiering in Linda Gaboriau’s beautiful English translation … a first for Michel Marc!” —JM This production is recommended for age 17+.

COURT HOUSE THEATRE

THE TWELVE-POUND LOOK JUNE 11 – SEPTEMBER 12

Harry Sims is about to be knighted. However, the typist he has hired to answer the messages of congratulation turns out to be the wife who left him several years ago without explanation. Unaware of their connection, the new Lady Sims admires the typist’s capability. When Harry privately confronts his former wife, she leaves him with a warning: he (or any man) should watch for the ‘look’ that may grow in a woman’s eyes when she is with a man she cannot love. And that twelve pounds is all it may take to buy her freedom. Best known as the writer of Peter Pan, this play has been called a feminist battle cry by a 20th century nobleman whom we usually associate with boyhood fantasies.

“The joy of watching a one-act play is to see and hear a story told in deft, essential strokes, with characters brought to life swiftly and RUNNING UNTIL SEPTEMBER 13 succinctly. J.M. Barrie was a master of this form, which is why I programmed this tart, surprising tale. Also, I liked the idea of having the Ellida, claustrophobic, restless and haunted by the past, swims in the writer of the original Peter Pan in the same season as its putative presea every day. She is married to small town Doctor Wangel who has quel, Peter and the Starcatcher!” —JM two teenage daughters by his previous wife. As her husband tries to This production is recommended for age 12+ cure her ennui with old friends and cheer her with affection, she plays the dutiful wife. But always in her mind is what happened years ago, when she promised herself to another man. On a late summer’s day he comes to claim her. Governor General Award-winning playwright Erin Shields gives us a sharp new version with a fresh take on a rarely produced Ibsen classic.

“The connection between Shaw and his early contemporary, Ibsen, is a strong one and so I think it behooves us to explore the latter provocateur here at The Shaw. This time we are bringing you a very different Ibsen, however, with a play which I would call a romance, where the pull of family and the recognition of deep true love are portrayed with great empathy.” —JM

THE LADY FROM THE SEA

STUDIO THEATRE

This production is recommended for age 11+.

TOP GIRLS

THE INTELLIGENT HOMOSEXUAL’S GUIDE TO CAPITALISM AND SOCIALISM WITH A KEY TO THE SCRIPTURES

MAY 23 – SEPTEMBER 12

JULY 11 – OCTOBER 10

What does it take for a woman to make it to the top? Marlene has just become the boss at the Top Girls employment agency. In the play’s dazzling and highly theatrical first act, she hosts a dinner party to celebrate with iconic women from history and hears their stories of struggle and success. We also see the world of poverty she escaped from – one that still holds her stay-at-home sister Joyce. Slowly, we discover what Marlene had to give up to become a success. Since its premiere at the Royal Court Theatre in 1982, this play has become a contemporary classic and remains a significant achievement by one of theatre’s most inventive and boldly political playwrights.

“After presenting Caryl Churchill’s Serious Money in the Studio Theatre in 2010 – a play which exposed greed in the world of high finance – I felt we needed to keep exploring some more of the very diverse plays by this extraordinary ‘Contemporary Shavian’. This play, written and set in the era of Margaret Thatcher, explores the changing roles of women with the same surgical precision and lacerating wit … with a dash of astounding theatricality to boot.” —JM

Gus Marcantonio – retired Brooklyn longshoreman and family patriarch – has been behaving very oddly. An intervention is staged by his sister, three children and their various spouses and exes which leads to a rollercoaster ride of argument and revelation as family, political and personal values are wrestled noisily and passionately to the ground.

The title – from Shaw’s The Intelligent Woman’s Guide to Socialism and Capitalism and Mary Baker Eddy’s Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures – reflects the work of two powerful 19th century thinkers, as Gus, a powerful 20th century thinker on the verge of defeat, struggles to understand the 21st century. The New Yorker called Tony Kushner’s sweeping family drama one of the Best Plays of 2011.

“Tony Kushner is without doubt one of the most influential and thought-provoking writers currently at play in North America. This piece is a major work — a far-reaching examination of contemporary values which introduces us to one of the most argumentative and, at times, hilariously thorny families in recent theatre lore. It is also a delight to us here at The Shaw, that the first argument in the play is whether Major Barbarais really a ‘great’ play!” —JM

Mature content and coarse language. This production is recommended for ages 17+.

Mature content and coarse language. This production is recommended for ages 17+. >>

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 87

FESTIVAL THEATRE SWEET CHARITY RUNNING UNTIL OCTOBER 31 Experience the bold and colourful world of 1960s New York through the eyes of Charity Hope Valentine. The dance hall hostess dreams of a brighter future but she can’t help but give her heart to all the wrong guys. Then she meets the meek but sweet Oscar Lindquist when they get trapped in an elevator. Could he be the man to change Charity’s luck and take her off the market as a heart-for-hire? Cy Coleman and Dorothy Fields’ bright music and dance numbers like ‘Big Spender’ and ‘If My Friends Could See Me Now,’ paired with a book by Neil Simon made this a Broadway hit when it premiered in 1966.

“Musical Director Paul Sportelli and I are excited to introduce a musical from an era new to The Shaw – the 1960s, by way of New York City. Here is an opportunity for director Morris Panych and his brilliant design team to revel in the crazy energy and visual opportunities of this burgeoning time, exploiting the jazzy funky ‘vibe’ that propels the story of our very Sweet heroine, Charity.” –JM This production is recommended for age 13+.

Running time is approximately 2 hours and 40 minutes including one intermission.

he can transform her into a duchess. As Higgins strives to do the impossible, Shaw examines with his trademark wit, issues of class and women’s independence. First produced in English in 1914, the play ran for months in the West End and toured the United States and Europe.

Shaw quipped about the play’s popularity, “There must be something radically wrong with the play if it pleases everyone,” he said, “but at the moment I cannot find what it is.”

“The last time this story was played out on the Festival Stage, it took the form of the musical My Fair Lady. It will be fascinating, then, to go back to the source, and follow this beloved, timeless tale to its original and much more ‘Shavian’ conclusion! Helping point out the difference will be director Peter Hinton’s new contemporary take on the play.” –JM This production is recommended for age 12+.

LIGHT UP THE SKY JUNE 25 – OCTOBER 11 Playwright Moss Hart was one of Broadway’s biggest stars who cowrote the hit comedies You Can’t Take It With You and The Man Who Came to Dinner. This play is his comic love letter to the theatre world. A new play is about to have its first out-of-town tryout and assembled in a suite at the Ritz-Carlton are the leading lady, the naive playwright, the emotional director, the vulgar producer and his ice-skater wife. Everything is love and kisses and toasts to the “magic time” of theatre. But when they return to the hotel after the show, things aren’t quite as rosy.

“Any reader of Moss Hart’s popular biography Act One will recognize in this play the wry examination of the foibles of theatre folk and the affection with which they are depicted. The result is a rollicking comedy with every part a heaven-sent opportunity for a Shaw actor!” —JM This production is recommended for age 13+.

PYGMALION

THEATRE LOCATIONS:

MAY 31 – OCTOBER 24

Court House Theatre | Located at 26 Queen Street

A flower-seller and a linguistics professor’s unlikely pairing are at the heart of this classic. Eliza is the flower girl who dreams of moving up in the world but her accent keeps her in her place. Her chance encounter with Henry Higgins, a world expert on speech, inspires a bet that

Royal George Theatre | Located at 85 Queen Street Festival Theatre | Located at 10 Queen’s Parade Studio Theatre | Located at 10 Queen’s Parade Tickets are available at shawfest.com TM

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE PEOPLE’S PAST AT THE SENECAIROQUOIS NATIONAL MUSEUM

BY LAUREN CHARLEY

THE SENECA-IROQUOIS NATIONAL MUSEUM Visitors are invited to join the Seneca people as they are guided through a history of their past, and are presented with an informative overview of their culture and traditions. The collection of permanent and temporary exhibits provide guests with an introduction to the ideas and values that reflect those of the Onöndowa’ga:’ and Hodinöhsö:ni’ people.

The permanent exhibits deliver an exceptional analysis of the most important part of the Seneca’s roots and the history of the Six Nations. The “This Is Where We Walked Exhibit” guides visitors through a journey of the hardships endured by the Seneca Nation of Indians, and the challenges they faced with losing their homes, land, sense of community, and lifestyles. Attendees are welcome to check out two models of real Iroquois dwellings including a log cabin and a longhouse room, where they can learn

“THE ONÖNDOWA’GA:’ ARE WHO THEY ARE BECAUSE OF OUR RESILIENCY, OUR LANGUAGE, HISTORY AND CULTURE. ONCE ONE OF THESE DISAPPEARS, WE WILL DISAPPEAR AS A UNIQUE PEOPLE.” - SUE GREY, EXTERNAL RELATIONS MANAGER, SENECA-IROQUOIS NATIONAL MUSEUM

about daily life as a member of the Seneca Nation. Additionally, the “Ga’säde:ngö (clans) - “Why Animals and Birds” exhibit explains why these clans are an essential and lasting component of Hodinöhsö:ni’ culture.

Non-permanent exhibits are also vital to the changing curriculum of the museum’s programming, as there are always new and exciting presentations that cater to visitors of all ages with different interests. One of their most recent temporary exhibits during the later months of 2014, the “We Play Lacrosse Exhibit” attracted local lacrosse teams to the museum to learn about the history of their favourite sport and a background about the culture it came from. The Seneca museum also frequently hosts educational and leisure events open to the public. These include language classes, farmer’s markets, and spiritual wellness sessions to unite both native and non-natives by experiencing the traditional ways of life of the original settlers. A majority of the Seneca population continues to reside today in the Allegany Territory (Salamanca, NY) and the Cattaraugus Territory (Irving, NY).

VISIT THE SENECA-IROQUOIS NATIONAL MUSEUM Be sure to discover all that is offered at the Seneca-Iroquois National Museum during your next trip to Salamanca and the beautiful surrounding towns in the Allegany Territory. The area is rich in divine natural beauty and offers many activities in which to enjoy the spectacular scenery. The spirit of the SenecaIroquois Nations is kept alive at the museums’ superior exhibitions. Authentic Native American made souvenirs are available for purchase at the museum’s gift shop.

Seneca-Iroquois National Museum is located at 814 Broad Street, Salamanca, NY 14779. For a current listing of hours or more information, visit senecamuseum.org. EWNY

TODAYMAGAZINE.CA 91

SPECIAL SECTION

THE SENECA NATION OF INDIANS The Seneca Nation of Indians is the largest of six Native American nations, which comprise the Haudenosaunee or Iroquois Confederacy, also commonly referred to as simply the Six Nations. The confederacy is a democratic government that predates the United States Constitution. As the Seneca Nation is the Westernmost of the Six Nations, they are known as “The Keeper of the Western Door”. This door to the symbolic longhouse is shared with the other five nations which include Cayuga, Oneida, Onondaga, Mohawk, and Tuscarora, which are collectively called “Hodinöhsö:ni’” or “People of the longhouse”.

They are known as the People of the Great Hill or “Onöndowa’ga’:”, but referred to as Seneca with many spelling variations by the non-natives. The Onöndowa’ga:’ is comprised of eight different clans, with an animal side, or a bird side. “Lineage, or the blood line, is matrilineal (through the mother). So mothers, sisters, and daughters in the Onöndowa’ga:’ world define the family,” explains Sue Grey, External Relations Manager, SenecaIroquois National Museum. Members of the animal clans, which include the bear, turtle, wolf and beaver, marry those from a bird clan, including heron, hawk, snipe, and deer, to prevent marrying a family member.

Seneca keeps their rich history and proud traditions alive by promoting their culture through awareness, education, and festivities to encourage both natives and non-natives to learn about their interesting past. Unlike some other Native American cultures, Seneca has not assimilated entirely into mainstream, North American culture, and has even kept alive their own language that is separate from English. Today the Seneca Nation of Indians is comprised of a population of over 8000 enrolled members. They are the fifth largest employer in Western New York, creating thousands of jobs and playing an integral role in the region and New York State’s economy.

KC KRATT

On the Waterfront

New hotels and restaurants. Sunset cruises and river history tours. Free weekly concerts and yoga classes. Waterside happy hours and dining. Ice bike, kayak and stand-up paddleboard rentals. Buffalo is having more fun on its expansive shoreline than at any other time in its history. Over 1 million visitors converged on the city’s waterfront last year thanks to $300 million in new development, from the HarborCenter sports and entertainment complex to the 35,000 square foot Ice @ Canalside rink.

This once-in-a-lifetime transformation is the focal point of Buffalo’s renaissance.

Buffalo is starting to capitalize on its potential as a

playground for the active.

THE ACTIVETIMES.COM

Kim Weber Queen City Ferry “Awesome ride from Templeton’s Landing down to the river and back. Got a great Sunset view as we headed into the lake from the Buffalo River. Crew was great!!

You owe yourself a ride on this wonderful asset @ Canalside”

CANALSIDE

JOE CASCIO

A T R AV E L E R ’ S R E V I E W

Wonderfully relaxing spot ERIE BASIN MARINA

Reviewed by James G, a TripAdvisor traveler » London, Canada » October 16, 2014

“The Marina is one of Buffalo’s special gems. There are always boats coming and going. The flowers are lovely and well cared for. Parking is rarely a problem. While it’s lovely for a stroll along the waterfront at any time, it especially comes into its own at sunset. The views across the water are outstanding, usually with rich color. It’s a very relaxing place to visit”

A T R AV E L E R ’S R E V I E W

A T R AV E L E R ’S R E V I E W

BUFFALO NAVAL PARK

(716) FOOD & SPORT

“Buffalo’s Naval Park is Awesome”

“Most amazing sports bar I’ve ever been in!”

“What an incredible surprise. Beautiful memorials, several ships that you can tour, great view of the lake. I only wish we had more time there.”

Reviewed by David W, a TripAdvisor traveler » Mineola, NY » February 18, 2015

Reviewed by Buffalo1949, a TripAdvisor traveler New Jersey » December 15, 2014

BUFFALO BILLS

Home Field Advantage It’s 8:30 a.m. on a Sunday: time to crack open a cold one, fire up the grill

and start the party with 70,000 of your closest friends. Tailgating at the Ralph before a Bills game is a time-honored tradition that goes back decades. So is the Friday Night Bash, where fireworks cap off a summer evening of Bisons baseball in downtown’s retro-style Coca-Cola Field. Buffalo’s professional teams – the Bills, Sabres, Bisons and Bandits lacrosse – pride themselves on honoring the city’s proud sports history and treating you to the best fan experience in their leagues.

Charlie Fashana

BUFFALO BISONS

Baseball is the greatest game and all generations go to it. I always get that at the ballpark. ‘Oh, you used to serve my grandfather.’

Or, ‘I used to come here and sit on my dad’s knee, and now I’m getting a beer from you.’

It’s amazing how many people come to me for their first legal beer and get their picture with the Conehead getting that first beer. It’s a rite of passage.

I can’t sell it cheap, but I can sell it cold.

CONEHEAD AS TOLD TO MILB.COM

@CharlieFlash23

BILL WIPPERT

“Love how the @BuffaloSabres honor their heritage at the FNC with remnants from the Old Aud. #Tradition”

JOHN PAGET JOHN PAGET

JOHN PAGET JOHN PAGET

This might be the last simple place left in the NFL. A place where fans navigate tiny roads and pass signs for $10 parking on people’s front lawns, and they can walk to a stadium that doesn’t look like the Emirates Palace.

And when they do visit they can find an RV in the middle of the parking lot where a Hall of Fame quarterback tailgates just like them – every game-day morning.

YAHOO.COM

RHEA ANNA

All the City ’s a Stage What were once known as the “lively” arts are exactly that in Buffalo –

brimming with vitality, energy and uncompromising creativity. More than 20 theater companies entertain audiences year round, including the summertime pleasures of Shakespeare in Delaware Park, which is celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2015.

Buffalo’s musical offerings are just as eclectic with clubs and concert halls presenting the kind of diverse programming you’d expect to find in a much larger metropolis.

Of special note this year is the 75th anniversary of one of the most renowned concert venues in the country – Kleinhan’s Music Hall, home of the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra. Let us entertain you!

Shakespeare in Delaware Park has been going since 1976. The setting, only 10 minutes drive from downtown, is superb, in a venue designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, the man behind Central Park, on a gently sloping hill where all of Buffalo brings folding chairs and picnics to enjoy the show.

The admission is free, the experience priceless.

THE TORONTO STAR

JOE CASCIO

A T R AV E L E R ’ S R E V I E W

Stunning!

SHEA’S PERFORMING ARTS CENTER

Reviewed by Annma, a TripAdvisor traveler » New York, NY » October 14, 2014

“There were no performances scheduled at Shea’s for when we were in Buffalo, so we decided to go on the behind-the-scene tour instead. Are we glad we did. Our very knowledgeable and engaging tour guide gave us a thorough tour that highlighted the history and restoration of this marvelous space – the last surviving Tiffany-designed theater in the U.S.! We can’t wait to come back to see performances here.”

PAUSA ART HOUSE FIVE STARS ON YELP

What a wonderful place to gather, hear great music, view original art with the changing exhibitions, grab a glass of wine or local beer on tap, attend a wine tasting, have a small bite to eat. They are all about showcasing local visual and musical talent. What a tremendous addition to the strong local art movement!

Karen M., Buffalo, NY

A T R AV E L E R ’S R E V I E W

IRISH CLASSICAL THEATRE COMPANY

“Wonderful Theatre Experience!!!”

RHEA ANNA

“If you love live theatre and are visiting Buffalo you’ll love the Irish Classical Theatre. The stage is done in the round which creates a unique perspective for the audience. The price is right and you’ll enjoy your evening out. Then go to Mother’s for a late night 5-star dinner.”

Reviewed by Timothy V, a TripAdvisor traveler Oklahoma City, OK » November 27, 2013

DON’T SETTLE FOR ANYTHING LESS THAN

SPECTACULAR Just minutes away from Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino is Seneca Hickory Stick Golf, WNY’s premier course – a course so beautifully designed, it doesn’t stand “on par” with the region’s best courses… it soars like an “eagle” above them. So much so, the course was recently recognized by Golfweek magazine as one of the Best Casino Courses, and Golf magazine ranked Hickory Stick as #12 public course in the entire New York state area.

Located in scenic Lewiston, N.Y., Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course offers 18 holes of championship-level golf on a challenging PGA-style terrain designed by world-renowned course architect Robert Trent Jones II, who has designed more than 270 golf courses in 40 different countries. For avid golfers this is sure to be on everyone’s “must-play” list.

Named to reflect the presence of rare and protected shellbark Hickory trees on site, Seneca Hickory Stick features a picturesque layout highlighted by tranquil lakes and ponds, native plants and grasses that are surrounded by large mature trees. The course fits in and feeds off of its natural surroundings to create an experience that those who play the course will appreciate and enjoy. It will take golfers on a unique

journey throughout their round.

Several years in the making, the 257-acre, 7,026-yard course provides a test of skill and finesse for every shot. The largest hole is a massive 620-yard, par-5 at the 11th hole, and the shortest hole – a 159-yard, par-3 at the 18th hole – presents a challenging water hazard. Additionally, Seneca Hickory Stick Golf Course features a unique double green at the ninth and 18th holes. It’s a fitting way to cap off the perfect round of golf.

No membership is required, and golfers are encouraged to purchase the Seneca Hickory Stick Loyalty card that provides benefits like discounted green fees, advance tee-time booking options and a special birthday bonus.

In addition, members of Seneca Resorts & Casinos Players Club can use their points earned through their casino play to pay for green fees, retail merchandise or food & beverage at Hickory Grill, located in the Clubhouse.

Call 1-877-8-SENECA and ask about Golf & Stay packages in conjunction with Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino. Visit SenecaHickoryStick.com for more details.

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