NIAGARA FALLS

LOCATION: Where is it?

PLACE: physical & human Physical characteristics of the natural environment Human elements of a place Eg. Occupations, recreation, settlement types and patterns, political, economic, religious beliefs, ideas, language…etc

Demographics Religious profile 43.2% Protestant 36.4% Roman Catholic 14.6% Non-religious 3.8% other Christian 0.9% Muslim Top ten largest ethnicities Canadian - 121,660 (those who are most likely of British/French origin whose ancestors have been in Canada for many generations) English - 108,425 Scottish - 66,385 Irish - 56,640 German - 49,435 French - 48,155 Italian - 44,645 Dutch - 23,805 Ukrainian - 16,735 Polish - 16,295 Demographics Racial groups White: 349,390 or 95.9% Black: 2,990 or 0.8% Multiracial: 2,665 or 0.7% Chinese: 2,345 or 0.6% Other Asian: 2,320 or 0.6% (based on single responses)

Niagara Wine Region

Niagara Escarpment The Niagara escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff Through time the soft rocks are weathered away or eroded by the action of streams.  The result is two landforms of differing elevations/height.

REGION The Niagara region is very unique! A region is an area that is defined by certain similar characteristics.  What are the human characteristics that make it unique (from its surroundings)? What are the physical characteristics that make it unique (from its surroundings)?

MOVEMENT Material (can see) vs Non-material (can’t see) movement How do people, goods and ideas move from place to place?

HUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION How does the physical place influence human activities? How do human activities alter the physical place?

Annie Taylor was the first person to conquer the falls in a barrel.  Though bruised and battered Annie made it, she expected fame and fortune. Annie died in poverty.

Bobby Leach was the second person to go over Niagara Falls in a barrel, and the first male to do so on July 25, 1911 Years later while touring in New Zealand, Bobby slipped on an orange peel and died from complications due to gangrene!

Nik Wallenda becomes the first tightrope walker to cross near the base of the Falls (several others had crossed just downstream from the Falls more than a century ago). He started from the U.S. side at around 10:15 p.m. ET and completed it about 25 minutes after he started. He took steady steps for most of his journey but ran the last few paces, with his safety tether trailing behind him. During his crossing, Wallenda spoke to his father through a headset and even took questions from ABC broadcasters as he made his way across the specially installed cable, which was about 550 metres long and roughly five centimetres wide. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ka2vnJWQxyo

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/daredevil-will-gadd-climbs-niagara-s-horseshoe-falls-ice-wall-1.2937548

ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERNS Over the years, the Niagara area has attracted not only sightseers, but also massive hydroelectric projects and many chemical plants built nearby to the abundant power and water from the river. Unfortunately, the area is like a sponge that absorbs all the chemicals and pollutes the nearby rivers. During most of this century (and especially during the Second World War), liquid chemical wastes were dumped in open pits in the area. As the city expanded, residential neighbourhoods were built over and around these pits. Today, 90% of all toxic waste pollution comes from chemical dumps left abandoned by former industrial & chemical companies which have since closed or moved from the area.  In 1995, it was estimated that there are a total of 336 inactive hazardous waste and hazardous substance sites in the area