From the Niagara Falls Review:
A melee at the Dragon Fly Bar at the Fallsview Casino sent one employee to the hospital with a fractured jaw.
Niagara Regional Police were called to the bar around 2:15 a.m. Sunday after a crowd of more than 200 patrons converged on the street following a disturbance that started inside the bar.
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Things like this never happened at Maple Leaf Village. I miss my Niagara. *sigh*
ohhh karen…you are SO right..there’s so much more to see and do now..but i also miss the *old* days..especially maple leaf village..
ohhh Sue - so nice to know I’m not alone!!! I’m not saying bring back the Bibleland Wax Museum or Miniature World…but somewhere in between would be nice. : )
As someone who remembers MLV - and the old ferris wheel I assume - doe you have an opinion on old vs. new wheel. The old one was parallel to the gorge as opposed to the perpendicular position of the new one. The old one you could overlook the gorge th whole time. I tried the new one this summer and had a view of the falls really only when you came over the top and down the “front”. Then again - if you are on the “city view” (as they say in hotel lingo) side of the old wheel,was that terrible? What do you think?
Any other opinions?
actually karen..i never went in either ferris wheel..the height thing..but my husband and i and our 2 kids spent endless weekends there..always staying at the pilgram/masterhost/hilltop casino hotel…above the jewelery store…the kids were always thrilled to go there cuz they knew they were goin to the village…over 20 years now..our youngest is 21 and we have a granddaughter who has been a few times now too…lol..we even got remarried at 2000 millenium wedding at oakes garden..it was kewl….the whole hill is part of our family..it means so much to all of us…it’s not that it’s all gone..it’s just changed for the better…just takes some getting used to is all….lol
Im only in my mid twenties, but I vividly remember MLV as a kid. Do you know how impossible it is to even find pictures of that place online? I found a few on the niagara library page, but thats it. I remember the Elvis museum, all the tacky shops, the haunted house inside, a comedy club maybe? I used to like the outdoor amusement park area, if any of yall know where I can find some pics of the old place let me know.
ohhhhh…niagara….you HAVE to remmebrr the entrance into maple leaf village…hang a left at frankenstein..the ferris wheel was the FIRST thing ya saw..it was right in the entrance..it was just the bestest place to be…20 years ago…
haha yeah i remember even though i was only 6
it was cool.
6?…hmmm…ok..yur alot younger than me…lol….anyhoe…go to mapleleaf village.com..lottsa stuff to go to..
http://www.maple leaf village ontario canada has lots of info..
Here are acouple links with some Maple Leaf Village pictures…
http://www.nfpl.library.on.ca/nfplindex/results.asp?action=browse&q=295&key=391
http://cec.chebucto.org/ClosPark/Maple.html
My favorite on the first site is #11 - good ol’ Saint George with the dragon along the bottom of the fountain (you can’t see it on the picture but do you remember it?). AND the laser that used to be aimed at his shield???
Don’t forget the “Lillie Langtry Theatre” and the original “Maple Leaf Fudge” location. We used to love watching them mix the fudge on the marble - just waiting for the fudge to drop off the edge - and it never did! If I recall correctly the Elvis spot was once occupied by a JFK museum???
BTW - I think the comedy club was called YUK YUK’S. Does anyone remember the name of the 50’s Diner themed restaruant?
wasnt able to get that site to work? that must be something new because i was looking a few months ago and couldnt find anything
Try this one http://cec.chebucto.org/ClosPark/Maple.html
Some pictures and history.
it was shabooms…remember all the laundry and stuff hanging from the ceiling?..it was a pretty cool place
Whats the status of Casino Niagara? It is supposed to remain open now that Fallsview has moved in? Ive always kind of thought maybe a new improved MLV would be created if Casino Niagara were going to be closed. I must admit however, Im more of a fan of C.N. than I am Fallsview. Those two sites posted are the only websites I can find on the web that have MLV pictures. Those are the only two I could come up with in my searches a while back seems odd, no tribute site or anything. I cant seem to find nearly any pics of the inside “mall” type area.
You know, I always heard it was always supposed to be a “temporary” casino - but I don’t see ANY casino giving up ANY gambling floor space EVER if they can help it. I don’t see the hotels on either side wanting it to go either, especially considering the changes the foxwood has gone through since the casino came along.
As far as more inside pics of MLV - I’ll have to check the family archives! LOL! And there SHOULD be a tribute site. Maybe I’ll get to work on that! : ) There’s got to be more people like us around who want to walk down memory lane.
What makes you more of a fan of CN than the fallsview? I have to admit that I haven’t been back there since the new one opened. I wish I had a picture of the year CN first opened - I saw a line from the (back?) entrance through an alleyway to Clifton Hill!
I just like CN better, the entire Fallsview district seems a little farther out from where everything I like is. CN always seems less crowded, easier to get drinks etc… I have a hard time thinking they would shut down CN, Ive also heard it was a temp casino in the past, but I cant see that being good for the surrounding hotels, like you said.
CN was definitely built as a temporary, but when Fallsview was being build the city and hospitality industry lobbied hard to have it remain. Luckily, the government (OLG) didn’t take too much convincing, believing that it was worth a shot at all that extra money.
In the past year, a lot of work has been done at CN. They have made it slightly smaller, and gone for more of a sports/younger crowd atmosphere. Hopefully, the city can continue to draw more visitors to support both venues.
If it ever did close, I think that Canadian Niagara (the company that owns the whole property) would still do OK. The have done an excellent job of riding the success of the Casino on their property by building quality attractions and facilities that could now stand on their own, without a casino.
I’ve been wondering if the tower near CN is the same tower that was there when MLV was - was it left and incorporated in what is there now? Or is that a different tower all together? I had been to MLV once during my first visit to the Falls back in the late ’80s. I remember the Elvis thing, and the 50’s retaurant, but that’s about all I remember of it. (oh, have any of you noticed the forums seem to be working now? - I had been awaiting word from Graham, but seems to be functioning.)
yes..it’s the same tower..right across the top it read maple leaf village..it used to also be an observation tower…actually..that tower..the stained glass in the ceiling of the casino and the old facade of the village inside the casino..are about the only things left of maple leaf village..
I thought I had heard Casino Niagara has plans to tear down the old observation tower left from Maple Leaf Village.
If they go ahead with the proposed Rainbow Plaza Hotel, that would replace the whole front end of the casino including the tower.
Did the CN tower pre-date MLV? I think it was once the Kodak - and the Onieda tower before that.
Like the Ramada/Konica-Minolta/Minolta/Panasonic…..whatever it was before that tower. Can it be called a tower now that all of the hotels around it are TALLER than it now??
BTW - God bless the Skylon for STAYING the SKYLON!
is there anywhere i can get a pic of the rainbow plaza proposal?
I posted about the Rainbow Tower in June 2005…
The Casino Tower was built by Oneida Silversmith Factory (Oneida Community Developments) in 1963 and was called the Oneida Tower. They owned a factory and offices on Falls Ave where MLV was. The OLG had great plans for the tower but it was completely unsafe and would cost too much money to bring it up to code. They did some repairs when the Casino was under construction so the tower wouldn’t fall down on the street.
Wow, that thing would be huge! By the way Im pretty sure this subject has set the record on AccessNiagara.com for the most posts ever.
Thats funny because it has nothing to do with the fight at Dragonfly.
WOW LOUISE! Interesting! Thank you so much for the info. I think it would be a lot cheaper to get that tower to code than to build the Rainbow Tower Graham referred to! LOL! I wonder where they’ll find the money? WHEEEEW! I crack myself up!!!
On a more serious note - Is it just me or does that tower seem disproportionately large for the casino below it? I’m no expert, but let’s look at slot numbers to compare. CN has 1800 machines. Fallsview has 3000. What was the floor capacity at CN when they had lines around the block? I was in CN in the early years when you had to take any machine you could get just because the seat in front of it was free. It wasn’t pleasant! Unless they plan a casino floor expansion (And they can’t have Oakes Garden dammit) this plan seems odd to me.
Karen, As I mentioned above, Canadian Niagara has expanded their facilities so much around the CN, that the casino has now become just one of the draws. They have the huge indoor waterpark, Rainforest Cafe, Planet Hollywood, Hard Rock Cafe, Hard Rock Club, Hershey Store, MGM Studios, Marvel Adventure World, WWE Attraction and they are right near Clifton Hill with much more.
Whoever would have thought that the Hilton, Embassy Suites, Fallsview Hotel, Marriot, and all the others could fill up, but they do.
Apparently it’s true: build it and they will come.
Aaahhhhh. My apologies. I’m not exactly the demographic for those things so I guess I discounted them. There’s a little town in a desert somewhere out west that people speculated about being able to fill rooms, too. Can’t quite place the name…. : )
Anyway, as someone who has stayed at the Flamingo Motel, Courtyard by Marriott, Sheraton Fallsview, Embassy Suites, Park Plaza, Fallsview Casino Hotel, Seneca Casino Hotel….(multiple times at most of these)…I should know better.
You’re right. They have built them…and I have come - again, and again, and again!!!
By the way, Niagara….
To think this all started with my one little line! I think I touched a nerve. We’re all old friends by now. Let’s do lunch. : )
Karen
wow!..this is a great thread…thanks for starting it karen..lol…anyhow..i just spent a few hours going thru the closed canadian parks site…not too much about the skylon..anybody else remember when they had a huge ferris whell and full amusement park INSIDE the skylon…i went on a school trip..i was probably 10 or so..guessing in the area of 33-36 years ago..
What can we say…we’re good conversationalists. (And things are kind of slow at work). Ohhhhh Sue, you were there at the beginning with me. What a long, strange trip it’s been.
I vaguely remember an arcade setting in the Skylon. I haven’t been back in years (Husband has a fear of heights). I meant to go this summer - my mom and I stayed right next door at the casino hotel - had a beautiful view of it. But you know that casino…it’s tough to make it off the property sometimes. They’re evil I tell you - EVIL!!!! Mwwaaahaahaa!!!!
Sorry. I know it’s my own fault. I have a problem. The first step is admitting it. LOL
Don’t get me started on the Skylon - my pet peave! If you haven’t been in years, don’t worry, nothing has changed. They just sit there collecting dust while the rest of the city passes them by. Arggghhh.
It seems we’ve hit on another nerve! You’re right - all the other attractions scream “HEY - LOOK AT THIS COOL NEW THING WE’VE GOT”. whether it’s a new fancy pigeon or a big honkin’ Ferris Wheel. I haven’t heard so much as a whimper from the Skylon.
The Skylon had a great deal a few years back. It was a gold card for $20.00. It allowed you to go as many times as you want and get 15% or so off your souvenirs. So we actually gained money. We only went because my niece’s favorite color is yellow and of course the skylon has yellow elevators. It was funny a year or so we heard if you went up to the skylon tower and saw the fireworks it was the best view but me and my mom stayed in the front doors of the skylon while my sister and her kids went up. We found out we saw more and they waited 1/2 hour to get a ride down. A new tidbit has anyone eated at Betty’s Restaurant? They have the best food I have tasted in Niagara Falls and the best pie. And as for the Mapleleaf village my memories was it was run down and old but I remember a fudge shop, nightmares haunted house, The Japanese Restaurant (name escapes me) they cut the food in front of you. And a nice food court. It was run down but still enjoyable to go everytime we visit. I think even though people say the Skylon has not changed in year really that could be said the same for other attractions - I dont remember things like - Fun House, Guinness well acually anything on that side of the street ever getting a real upgrade. It is usually the same thing and who wants to waste their money when you know what is going to happen. I think the only real change on that side was the Ripley’s moving theatre and them taking our adventure dome (did not miss that) and replacing it will the lego’s town.
The Japanese restaurant was Suisha Gardens. After MLV closed, they moved and are still open on Lewis Ave., a few blocks from Clifton Hill.
Yes, Betty’s is a local (and bus tour) favourite. Try the fish and chips.
Get back to work, or you’re all FIRED!!!!!
Its a great community we have going here, Im very greatful for Graham and this site. Being as far away as I am this keeps me connected, but Im lookin forward to returning in January, miss it much. A few topics ago, I vented about how much the Skylon disapoints, its just insane how much it feels like a waste and a swap meet in there. The little stores in there are so tacky, the arcade area is lack luster. I do have some doubt as to if some of the attractions around CN could survive without the casino there, it seems like a real shift would be to the Fallsview district at that point. However, I do think if a family amusement center/area replaced CN they would still flourish. I like the city having 2 seperate casinos in seperate areas. I also think the passport situation will play some kind of role in all this eventually…
I’m hoping we can make it back this coming spring or summer. I’ve been watching the whole passport thing. I had told my husband I was going to start working on getting all the paperwork together, but now I am planning to wait it out a bit. We don’t need anything for at least another year, and the smaller passcard sounds like a better idea to me. Smaller - I can keep it in my pocket. You never know where we end up when we get there. We check in to our hotel, then out the door we go. We go back and forth across that bridge on a whim more times than I care to admit.
Does anyone know what is going on with the space where the Wintergarden was on the American side? We heard they were getting rid of it. I was kind of hoping they’d start doing something on the American side. The only thing different over there since my first visit to the Falls is that balloon ride and the casnio.
Don’t know if it’s still there, but last year the old Wintergarden had become Smokin’Joe’s Family Fun Center!!
That mall never lived up to the Canadian standards. I hope they do something clever with it.
I do have fond memories of the Wintergarden, though…I used to work for American Color in Buffalo (but I was based here in Pittsburgh) and they used the Wintergarden for some “location” model shots. I didn’t know that had happened, but when we started using the shots here…I had to ask “is that the Wintergarden??”. This little Pittsburgh girl freaked them out! LOL!
I loved working for that company for multiple reasons, but one perk was getting to travel there a couple times on business. At the time, they were based just down the road from Walden Galleria. It was great!
Since this seems to be the “forum” I just wanted to let everyone know the Ripley’s Aquarium has the green light. I talked to Alan Ramsay (VP of Attraction Operations) and he said they are currently working on pricing the contract. As my gift I have his business card that let’s me into any Ripley’s attraction in the world (except for the aquariums) for the rest of my life for my friends and I
That is truly excellent news. Hopefully that also means that the nervousness about the passport situation has passed and some of the other large projects (Hilton, Rainbow Plaza)will go ahead.
Getting back to MLV pictures, I just came across these from 1939 that show the area as it was then, with the Brock Hotel on the right and the Community Plate Co. (Oneida) with a nice lawn where MLV/Casino were later built. You can even see what looks like a hotel and some cabins on Clifton Hill.
http://www.nfpl.library.on.ca/nfplindex/data/1/5/98215-518887.jpg
http://www.nfpl.library.on.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?id=98165&b=1