It was an exciting day already: my helicopter ride with Niagara Helicopter had given me a close-air above Niagara Falls and my visit to the Butterfly Conservatory in Niagara Falls had a perfect winter escape to a sanctuary tropical. But more adventure was yet to come.
Appropriately strengthened from my very late lunch in "The Famous" 24 hours of high-end dinner at the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort, I was ready for my evening explorations. First on the menu wasNiagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights. Each year from early November to early January, more than 125 movie screens lighting decorate the city. In total, more than three million lights illuminate the Niagara Parks Winter Wonderland.
Drive just outside the Niagara Fallsview Casino Resort I was greeted by lighting displays in the form of white flakes and blue were mounted on light poles. On my left, at the end of Murray Street I drove by an entire collectionIlluminated characters called Enchantment "Disney" displays. I turned right onto the Niagara Parkway and shortly behind the Horseshoe Falls I was greeted by the Canada-Illuminated Flag.
I continued my way south along the Niagara River and reached an area called Dufferin Islands whose circular roadway features a vast collection of bright screens called "The Great Canadian Outdoors." The trees were decorated in thousands of multicolored lights and a setmenagerie of brightly illuminated Canadian animals, including wolves, bears, fish, squirrels, beavers, deer, moose, buffalo and many more flanked the road. The highlight of this area was the Ark of Noah, whose orange, red and green lights were reflecting in the water.
All Illuminations Festival of Lights Niagara Falls can be viewed for free, but a group of volunteers was available at the end of the Dufferin Islands displays to accept donations that will strengthenlights and screens. A winter paradise along the Niagara Parkway includes other lighted displays, like a horse and carriage, an arrangement of grapes and wine, a candlestick and a scene of the Nativity. Even an exhibition of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Officers stood guard.
The Enchantment of Disney displays at the foot of Murray Street include popular Disney characters like Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, Beauty and the Beast, The Lion King, Little Mermaid, SleepingBeauty, Mickey Mouse and Disney Pixar Cars. In addition to the lighting displays, the Niagara Falls Festival of Lights also features frequent fireworks which are scheduled to run daily between December 26, 2007 and January 6, 2008.
Together with cascades of bright colors of these displays for a truly enchanted environment. The Mighty Niagara Falls themselves are illuminated throughout the year, a tradition that has been institutionalized since 1925 when the Niagara RegionFalls Illumination Board was responsible for enlightenment. But special lighting displays of the Falls were undertaken much earlier, for example in 1860 when a spectacular light show on the Falls celebrated a visit by the Prince of Wales. In 1901, special lighting has been installed as part of the Pan American Exposition that was held in Buffalo. Six years later, General Electric Company illuminated the Falls for several weeks with 36 powerful projectors.
In 1925, 24 carbonprojectors were installed that created a total of 1320000000 light. Since then, the falls have been highlighted most nights, except during WWII when power was turned off and during the years after the war when there was a shortage of electricity due to a boom construction. Today, the Falls are illuminated daily at least until 10 pm at night, and from May to December at midnight.
Now I get to see the process of lighting the first-hand through a visit to the"Illumination Tower", which is really a former surge tank for one of the now closed power plants that surround the Niagara River. I parked my car at Fallsview Casino again, walked around the restaurant and retail complex at Queen Victoria Square and the right to all heavy Tower Illumination circular reminded me of an early medieval Norman tower Castle style. I found a small bell at the rear of the building and rang a couple of times before the door was answered 76 years, PeteGordon, star of the show and a lighting operator for the Parks Commission's Niagara for 47 years. Pete was not expecting any visitors, but kindly let me into the office area of illumination of the tower. This special visit was arranged for me by the Parks Commission's Niagara.
Pete used to work as a painter for the Parks Commission's Niagara, but together with another colleague, it has been operating the lights illuminating the Falls for almost half a century. The days of work, it is generallythere are 5 to 12 pm, creating a colorful light show on the majestic Niagara Falls. Pete said that in the first part of last century, the public could climb on top of the illumination of the tower, but because of insurance issues, the tower is closed today for the general public.
After this brief introduction Pete then took me to the viewing platform outside that houses 18 very large projectors, each equipped with color screens to produce different lighting effectson the huge waterfalls. From there, we had a magnificent view across the Niagara River, including the American Falls and Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Pete then took me into the control room and showed me some rather ancient-looking dashboard that reminded me of an outdated fuse panel, with each color identified by the white, red, green, blue, and yellow buttons. Pete even let me operate the controls and I create my own combination of light falls. After I did all my colormixing panel inside Pete took me outside to the observation platform and we actually checked the mixture of colors that I had created.
When the lights overlap they create additional combinations of colors and the final product of my attempts was a mix of light blue, yellow, pink and purple. I admit I was a little tickled pink to realize that I had to change the colors on the Canadian Falls. Back inside the building Pete explained that the lights of the creation of this greatsymphony of colors were actually used headlamps during WWII in London during the Battle of Britain. He even removed one of the bulbs used in fire research, which, incidentally, is made by Osram Sylvania, a German company, and carries a price tag of up to $ 2,000. Today, the Falls are illuminated by Power 500 million candles. I thought it was rather ironic that these historic lights were supposed to protect the city of London from German air raids during the Second World War todaybased mainly on German technology for their power of illumination.
Pete, having lived in Niagara Falls all his life, is a big fan of his hometown and also has a thorough knowledge of this city. He told me the story of the bridge the honeymoon, which collapsed in 1938 because of a jam in the gorge which pushed this bridge steel arch road to its foundations. He even showed me some old photos of this bridge before and after its collapse and said he remembers seeing thebridge collapsed. It should be about six years at the time.
History picturesque Niagara Fall is attested by another disastrous event that Pete remembers first-hand. A hydroelectric station with the name of Schoellkopf Power Plant, built in 1895, was located on the American side of Niagara River. On June 7, 1956 was water seeping through a wall and cracks were widening rapidly, despite the efforts of workers to stem the flow of water with sandbags. All of asuddenly a loud rumble could be heard and the wall of the plant began to crumble. Moments later the entire southern part of the power plant fell into the River. Debris was thrown as far as the Canadian side of the throat and an employee of the plant has died. This is just one of many historic events in Niagara Falls colorful that Pete Gordon remembers first-hand.
I was curious what Pete actually does during his seven hours. He said it changes colorcombinations manually every two minutes or so. In the meantime, he reads or does crossword puzzles and added that he never feels alone. Sometimes he receives a special tour of Australia, groups of Japanese tourists, the Dutch or Chinese, and he mentioned that, in particular the Japanese travel groups really enjoy the experience of enlightenment of the Tower. I admired the dozens of international organizations, most Japanese business cards on the wall. Even celebrities such as Danny DeVito, Rita Perlman and Robert Urichhave visited the Illumination Tower.
Before I left, Pete has sent a special invitation for me whenever I intend to return to Niagara Falls he would take me on a personal visit to his hometown and show me all the special places. I certainly ready to take on this and I am told that the city of Niagara Falls could not wish for a better ambassador than Pete Gordon who has so much pride and affection for his hometown.
Inspired by this experience almost magicalIllumination Tower I was ready for my last adventure of the day: my first live Magic Show. I drove five minutes into the Clifton Hill area and arrived at the Greg Frewin Theater. As I entered, a large group of tourists was just enjoying a buffet dinner and began to file into the theater and take their places. I had the chance to sit down with Greg Frewin, the Grandmaster of Magic himself, shortly before the show and get to know this master illusionist a little.
Despite its impressiveInternational Credentials, Greg Frewin is actually a boy who hails from Stoney Creek, Ontario, just up the street from Niagara Falls. It became clear very early that he was fascinated by magic when his grandfather showed him some magic tricks. In grade 9 he met a gentleman who had taken a course in basic magic and Greg wanted to learn from him, but this man would not take students. But Greg insisted, and a week later he received a call back and became a pupil only magician. Histeacher became a full-time magician, and Greg shared the same goal, but his parents did not take his career decision seriously.
He then finished high school and worked as a waiter in a local Keg Restaurant for five years. But he continued his studies in magic, started to participate in contests and implement small business parties. He won a national competition in the United States and came in first among 600 magicians. After this breakthrough the industry took note, andinternational agents from Europe and Japan started approaching Greg. He ended up working in places like Yokohama, Osaka, Tokyo, Taiwan and China, and toured Europe for several months on a cruise ship. He also worked on missions to full-time in France and Germany.
A successful career in Las Vegas followed with appearances on major scenes such as the Flamingo Hilton, Caesar's Palace and the Tropicana. Greg skills as an illusionist has received much international money: he won the firstin numerous international competitions magic convention, beating out hundreds of other talented magicians, and won the first magician of the Year Award by the Canadian Association of Magicians. More than 35 specialty television covered the skilled magic act of Greg Frewin. For the first two years of his own stage every Friday and Saturday night shows have been sold and tickets for the summer are always in high demand.
Two years ago took the lives of Grega different turn with the creation of Greg Frewin Theater in Niagara Falls, Ontario. With a young family he now has a lifestyle more sedentary, although he still works very long hours. For example, he personally looks after the animals involved in his show: five tigers, a mountain lion, cougar, pigeons and parrots and various Chuck the Duck. Even after the end of a magic show at 11 am Greg still drives his animals home and feeds them. One of his Siberian tigers, Boomer,was rejected by his mother as a baby and Greg adopted him. He has watched Boomer since he was eight days old. Greg added that his techniques of animal training is based on positive reinforcement and that big cats are just as affectionate as house cats. Yet he still realizes he has to deal with wild animals and is extremely safety conscious.
Greg added that in addition to his magic shows, the theater has recently branched and added other genres, for example, Elvis TributeArtists. This more diverse programming is particularly important during the winter to provide a wider range of theatrical entertainment.
After giving me this excellent introduction to the community and the world of magic, Greg excused himself because he had to prepare for the show. I took my seat in the audience and started chatting with the woman sitting next to me, a traveler convention of Australia. She and I were very excited about attending our first magicshow.
The show began shortly after, and Greg Frewin and his two assistants appeared on the scene. The music was pumping and Greg was in full control of his act. Greg movement and that of his two assistants were sharply choreographed. Two of his tigers made an appearance, pigeons appeared out of nowhere, and even Chuck the Duck mysteriously popped out of a position without further explanation. Throughout the act Greg's two assistants Darlene and Jamie-Lynn vanished andreappeared inexplicably right in front of everyone's eyes.
With the help of a willing audience member Greg even turned a $ 50 bill into a $ 1 bill in ordinary vision of a skeptical public, and at heart the sorrow of the person who had $ 50 donation. One of the great acts of the night was a state of mind the levitation illusion amazing that seemed to defy any sense of logic or science. I sat in the front row and Greg Watched every move like a hawk, but after all it wasthat I was still completely unable to understand how Greg had pulled part of his grand illusions. Judging by the crowds that gathered around Greg after the show asking for autographs, I realized it really is a talented international high caliber, a real celebrity magician.
Images of this eventful day were flashing through my mind as I returned to my home for the night. Once I arrived at the Best Western Cairn Croft I stretched out on my king-size bed andmentally savored the day's experiences once again, but are already looking forward to another exciting day tomorrow that would give me a chance to experience a close encounter of the majestic waterfalls.
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