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THE REGION
Ongiara
Niagara Region
Bridgeburg Station
Fort Erie/Ridgeway
Buffalo

NIAGARA REGION

Water is the primary force that has shaped southern Ontario, not only geologically but also culturally and historically. Over 430 million years ago this region was part of an enormous inland sea that stretched from Rochester to north of Toronto and south into Michigan and Wisconsin. The gradual recession of the waters and corresponding erosion created the Niagara Escarpment which was declared a World Biosphere Reserve in 1990.  The Escarpment is home to a great diversity of flora, fauna and waterfalls, Niagara Falls being the most famous of these. The topography is further moulded by the combination of the Niagara River to the east, Lake Erie to the south and Lake Ontario to the north. The abundance of water also influences the weather of this region:  Southern Ontario enjoys four seasons. The lakes provide moisture for the cold, snowy winters and a natural form of air-conditioning for the sunny, drier summers. The rivers, lakes and marshes also create micro-climates such as the renowned vineyard and fruit-growing area near the southern shore of Lake Ontario.  The local heritage from the First Nations continues to thrive today.  In a tradition where words held power, the names they gave us speak of their connection to the land in which they lived: Ontario means ‘beautiful water’; Erie comes from Erielhonan which means the 'people of the mountain lion'.  This region of southern Ontario offers a wealth of possibilities, from the multicultural sophistication of Toronto to the simple pleasures of hiking the Bruce Trail.