From the Niagara Gazette:
The latest attempt to bring a tethered balloon ride back to Niagara Falls has been grounded before getting in the air.
Adrian Devine, co-operator of the High Life Ballooning Company, has been in talks with city officials and the Cordish Co. to operate a hot-air balloon at the site of the former Flight of Angels Balloon Ride at 310 Rainbow Blvd.
While not as large as the one operated by the Great American Balloon Co., Devine said his balloon could’ve been in place by this weekend if not for a “last-minute hiccup” Wednesday in finalizing the lease with Cordish, the property’s owners.
“I’m literally battling right now to try to save the venture,” Devine told the Niagara Gazette. “We would like to be in Niagara Falls. It’s in Mr. Cordish’s hands now.”
Devine said the Cordish is requiring the balloon to have an insurance policy with levels exceeding what’s available in the industry. The policy obtained by High Life is the same one held by the Greater Niagara Balloon Co., which had operated a tethered helium balloon at the site since 2001 before leaving town at the end of last summer.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Statistics Canada says tourism spending rose 1.3 per cent in the first quarter.
The agency says Canadians spent 2.3 per cent more money in Canada and less on travel outside the country.
From the Welland Tribune:
Why not view one of the world’s most famous sights, high above the multitude of visitors clamouring to get close?
The mighty cataracts in Niagara Falls draw 20 million to the banks of the Niagara River each year. You can view the falls, by boat (Maid of the Mist), by air (Niagara Helicopter) or from a bridge (Rainbow Bridge).
My family decided to get high above the sight by choosing a new way, a ride on a wheel. The Niagara Sky Wheel to be exact and it is currently Canada’s largest observation wheel. It’s 53 meters (175 feet) tall and the circumference, is 166 meters (545 ft.) It’s located in the hub of things on Clifton Hill, which is within walking distance to the falls. This novel attraction opened in 2006. The giant wheel has 42 climate-controlled gondolas which were designed and built in Switzerland. Each gondola is enclosed almost entirely by windows, allowing for a 360 degree view of the surrounding area, including both the American and Horseshoe Falls.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
A quick 10-count confirms David Whysall’s very good at his job.
“Got ‘em all,” says Whysall, wiggling his fingers.
He has been in the fireworks business going back to his childhood.
“I’ve been in it since 1965,” he says. “It was a local industry back in England and I was good in chemistry, so the two came together.”
He moved to Canada in 1982 to work for what he now calls “the competition,” Hands Fireworks.
Whysall eventually started his own company, selling fireworks under the brand “Mystical Distributing.”
But he’s known in Niagara as the guy who lights up the skies over Niagara Falls.
Someone with a Wordpress blog posted about a recent trip to Niagara Falls (including being unimpressed with the non-tourist area):
Well, this was what we saw when we got off the bus that was suppose to bring us to Niagara Falls. This got us questioning ourselves whether we had got off the bus at the right stop. Where is the waterfall?!
From the Niagara Falls Review:
We can’t see Jimi Hendrix any more. Barring a miracle, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin will never tour again. The Eagles will cost you $200.
Yep, classic rock fans have it rough these days. But for five Fridays this summer, Zooz is their fix.
For the fifth straight year, the Stevensville animal house will bring Toronto-based Classic Albums Live to its outdoor amphitheatre, starting with “Led Zeppelin IV” tonight.
The company’s motto is “note for note, cut for cut.” And they aren’t kidding - composed of professional musicians, every album is faithfully reproduced down to the smallest detail. It has won Classic Albums Live a huge North American fanbase.
The Zooz shows are among Niagara’s biggest concert draws, averaging about 3,500 people per show.
From the Niagara Falls Review:
Removing the provincial sales tax applied to hotel stays and attractions would provide an economic boost for tourist towns like Niagara Falls, says Ontario Progressive Conservative Leader John Tory.
Doing so would also benefit families and businesses struggling through challenging economic times made worse by skyrocketing energy costs, he said.
“It might just tip the balance for people who are thinking, in light of gas prices, not to take that weekend in Niagara Falls, whether they be from Toronto or London, or, for that matter, Buffalo,” Tory said during a visit to the Cataract City Thursday.
He was joined by Niagara-West Glanbrook MPP Tim Hudak, the party’s finance critic and a former tourism minister, and Niagara Falls Mayor Ted Salci.
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