A little about the Niagara Falls area:
The city is dominated by the Niagara Falls waterfalls on the Niagara River and benefits from the fact, that both falls, American Falls and Horseshoe Falls, can be best seen from the Canadian side thus presenting the city one of the major tourist attractions of the world. The natural spectacle brings in millions of tourists yearly. The city permitted the development of a tourist area along the falls and the gorge. This area which stretches along the Niagara River parkway and tourist promenade is particularly concentrated at the brink of the falls and, apart from the natural attractions along the river, includes huge parking lots, souvenir shops, observation towers, high-rise-hotels, casinos and theatres, mostly with colourful neon billboards and advertisements. Further to the north or south there are golf courses alongside historic sites from the War of 1812.

The Niagara Falls area has seen continuous settlement since the 17th century, first by the Iroquois and then by Europeans who were drawn to the immense falls. Louis Hennepin, a French priest, is regarded as the first European to visit the area in the 1670s. Tourism started in the early 19th century and has been a vital part of the local economy since that time. As well as the obvious attractions of the falls, Niagara Falls markets itself as a honeymoon destination and is self-proclaimed as the honeymoon capital of the world.With the creation of a Niagara regional government in 1970, the city amalgamated with the village of Chippawa and surrounding Willoughby, Crowland, and Stamford Townships, creating the present-day municipal boundaries.

Some interesting stories about the area can be found at Niagara Falls Blog.

Some history behind Chippawa:
Chippawa is a community located within the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Located mostly around a tributary of the Niagara River affectionately known as the Chippawa Creek. The village was founded in 1850, and became part of the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario by amalgamation in 1968. Laura Secord, heroine of the War of 1812, lived in the so-called Rose Cottage located on the banks of the Welland River to a ripe old age. She died in town at 93. During the War of 1812 many famous battles were fought in the area known as Chippawa. Canadian militia lost one of their first battles here, but were able to reclaim it from the United States, helping to establish Canada and Britain's victory. The Welland river is also known locally as the Chippawa Creek. Famous Canadian film director James Cameron, lived in the village for much of his youth. His parents continue to reside there, living in the same house he was raised in. The house is on Parkway Dr. The village is very proud of having been the home of this celebrity, and comemerates this on both the street sign for Parkway Drive which is decorated to look like a film strip, and the village's welcome sign which is decorated with the words "Home of James Cameron". Despite being in very close proximity to Niagara Falls one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, Chippawa still remains a very quiet area of the city.


For more information on Niagara Falls, visit Wikipedia.org