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Table Rock, Niagara Falls

Buildings and structures in Niagara Falls, OntarioGeography of Niagara Falls, Ontario
Niagara, The Table Rock in Winter, oil on canvas painting by François Régis Gignoux, ca. 1847, United States Senate
Niagara, The Table Rock in Winter, oil on canvas painting by François Régis Gignoux, ca. 1847, United States Senate

Table Rock was a large shelf of rock that jutted out from the Canadian shore of Niagara Falls, Ontario, just north of the present day observation and commercial complex. Revealed in the mid-18th century as the Horseshoe Falls receded, Table Rock was the first major vantage point for tourists of the early and mid-19th century. In 1818, the first part of the rock collapsed, followed by minor rockfalls in 1828 and 1829. The most notable rockfall occurred in July 1850, when roughly one-third of the point collapsed into the Niagara Gorge. A driver was washing his carriage on the point when the rock structure gave way. The man escaped, but the carriage was destroyed.Further rockfalls occurred in 1853, 1876 and 1897. For safety purposes (with the Ontario Powerhouse directly in the gorge below), the remaining rock was blasted in 1935. Table Rock is a popular stop for tourists. During the winter months, the site's proximity to the mists from Niagara Falls causes the shelf and surrounding areas to be covered by a thin sheath of ice, which has been captured by many photographers. The Table Rock Welcome Centre is located on Niagara Parkway and is linked to the higher Fallsview Tourist Area by the Falls Incline Railway.

Excerpt from the Wikipedia article Table Rock, Niagara Falls (License: CC BY-SA 3.0, Authors, Images).

Table Rock, Niagara Falls
Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls

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Wikipedia: Table Rock, Niagara FallsContinue reading on Wikipedia

Geographical coordinates (GPS)

Latitude Longitude
N 43.079154 ° E -79.078442 °
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Address

Table Rock Centre (Table Rock Welcome Centre)

Niagara Parkway 6650
L2G 7X5 Niagara Falls
Ontario, Canada
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Niagara, The Table Rock in Winter, oil on canvas painting by François Régis Gignoux, ca. 1847, United States Senate
Niagara, The Table Rock in Winter, oil on canvas painting by François Régis Gignoux, ca. 1847, United States Senate
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Niagara River
Niagara River

The Niagara River () is a river that flows north from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. It forms part of the border between the province of Ontario in Canada (on the west) and the state of New York in the United States (on the east). There are differing theories as to the origin of the river's name. According to Iroquoian scholar Bruce Trigger, Niagara is derived from the name given to a branch of the locally residing native Neutral Confederacy, who are described as being called the Niagagarega people on several late-17th-century French maps of the area. According to George R. Stewart, it comes from the name of an Iroquois town called Ongniaahra, meaning "point of land cut in two".The river, which is occasionally described as a strait, is about 58 kilometres (36 mi) long and includes Niagara Falls in its course. The falls have moved approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) upstream from the Niagara Escarpment in the last 12,000 years, resulting in a gorge below the falls. Today, the diversion of the river for electrical generation has significantly reduced the rate of erosion. The total drop in elevation along the river is 99 metres (325 ft). The Niagara Gorge extends downstream from the Falls and includes the Niagara Whirlpool and another section of rapids. Power plants on the river include the Sir Adam Beck Hydroelectric Power Stations (built in 1922 and 1954) on the Canadian side, and the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant (built in 1961) on the American side. Together, they generate 4.4 gigawatts of electricity. The International Control Works, built in 1954, regulates the river flow. Ships on the Great Lakes use the Welland Canal, part of the Saint Lawrence Seaway, on the Canadian side of the river, to bypass Niagara Falls. The Niagara River also features two large islands and numerous smaller islands. Grand Island and Navy Island, the two largest islands, are on the American and Canadian sides of the river, respectively. Goat Island and the tiny Luna Island split Niagara Falls into its three sections, the Horseshoe Falls, Bridal Veil Falls, and American Falls. Unity Island lies further upstream, alongside the city of Buffalo. The Niagara River and its tributaries, Tonawanda Creek and the Welland River, formed part of the last section of the Erie Canal and Welland Canal. After leaving Lockport, New York, the Erie Canal proceeds southwest until it enters Tonawanda Creek. After entering the Niagara River, watercraft then proceed southward to the final lock, where a short section of the canal allows boats to avoid the turbulent shoal water at the river intake and enter Lake Erie. The Welland Canals used the Welland River as a connection to the Niagara River south of the falls, allowing water traffic to safely re-enter the Niagara River and proceed to Lake Erie.

Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls

Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the border between the province of Ontario in Canada and the state of New York in the United States. The largest of the three is Horseshoe Falls, which straddles the international border of the two countries. It is also known as the Canadian Falls. The smaller American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls lie within the United States. Bridal Veil Falls is separated from Horseshoe Falls by Goat Island and from American Falls by Luna Island, with both islands situated in New York. Formed by the Niagara River, which drains Lake Erie into Lake Ontario, the combined falls have the highest flow rate of any waterfall in North America that has a vertical drop of more than 50 m (160 ft). During peak daytime tourist hours, more than 168,000 m3 (5.9 million cu ft) of water goes over the crest of the falls every minute. Horseshoe Falls is the most powerful waterfall in North America, as measured by flow rate. Niagara Falls is famed for its beauty and is a valuable source of hydroelectric power. Balancing recreational, commercial, and industrial uses has been a challenge for the stewards of the falls since the 19th century. Niagara Falls is 27 km (17 mi) northwest of Buffalo, New York, and 69 km (43 mi) southeast of Toronto, between the twin cities of Niagara Falls, Ontario, and Niagara Falls, New York. Niagara Falls was formed when glaciers receded at the end of the Wisconsin glaciation (the last ice age), and water from the newly formed Great Lakes carved a path over and through the Niagara Escarpment en route to the Atlantic Ocean.