The Regional Municipality of Niagara, also colloquially known as the Niagara Region or Region of Niagara, is a

regional municipality A regional municipality (or region) is a type of Canadian municipal government similar to and at the same municipal government level as a county, although the specific structure and servicing responsibilities may vary from place to place. Reg ...

comprising twelve municipalities of

Southern Ontario Southern Ontario is a primary region of the province of Ontario, Canada, the other primary region being Northern Ontario. It is the most densely populated and southernmost region in Canada. The exact northern boundary of Southern Ontario is disp ...

, Canada. The regional seat is in Thorold. It is the southern end of the

Golden Horseshoe The Golden Horseshoe is a secondary region of Southern Ontario, Canada, which lies at the western end of Lake Ontario, with outer boundaries stretching south to Lake Erie and north to Lake Scugog, Lake Simcoe and Georgian Bay of Lake Huron. The ...

, the largest megalopolis in Canada. The region occupies most of the

Niagara Peninsula The Niagara Peninsula is an area of land lying between the southwestern shore of Lake Ontario and the northeastern shore of Lake Erie, in Ontario, Canada. Technically an isthmus rather than a peninsula, it stretches from the Niagara River in t ...

. Its eastern boundary is the

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 diffe ...

, which is also the border with the US State of

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States New York may also refer to: Film and television * '' ...

. It is bounded on the north by

Lake Ontario Lake Ontario is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is bounded on the north, west, and southwest by the Canadian province of Ontario, and on the south and east by the U.S. state of New York. The Canada–United States border sp ...

and on the south by

Lake Erie Lake Erie ( "eerie") is the fourth largest lake by surface area of the five Great Lakes in North America and the eleventh-largest globally. It is the southernmost, shallowest, and smallest by volume of the Great Lakes and therefore also ha ...

. Unique natural landscapes make the Niagara Region an important centre for

agriculture Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people ...

and

tourism Tourism is travel for pleasure or business; also the theory and practice of touring (disambiguation), touring, the business of attracting, accommodating, and entertaining tourists, and the business of operating tour (disambiguation), tours. Th ...

in Canada. The most important agricultural enterprise in Niagara is

viticulture Viticulture (from the Latin word for '' vine'') or winegrowing (wine growing) is the cultivation and harvesting of grapes. It is a branch of the science of horticulture. While the native territory of '' Vitis vinifera'', the common grape vine, r ...

, or winemaking. The Niagara Wine Route, which connects visitors to dozens of wineries, is a growing tourism draw while the internationally renowned

Niagara Falls Niagara Falls () is a group of three waterfalls at the southern end of Niagara Gorge, spanning the Canada–United States border, border between the Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Ontario in Canada and the U.S. state, state ...

is one of Canada's major tourist attractions. Along with Shaw Festival, held annually in

Niagara-on-the-Lake Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Niagara Peninsula at the point where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario, across the river from New York, United States. Niagara-on-the-Lake is in the Niagara Region of O ...

, and the Welland Canal, the Regional Municipality of Niagara receives up to 12 million visitors each year.

Administrative divisions

Demographics

As a

census division Census divisions, in Canada and the United States, are areas delineated for the purposes of statistical analysis and presentation; they have no government in and of themselves. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic uni ...

in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultu ...

, the Regional Municipality of Niagara had a population of living in of its total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of . With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. Historic populations: * Population in 2001: 410,574 * Population in 1996: 403,504 Racial groups *

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White ...

: 388,415 or 92.1% *

Black Black is a color which results from the absence or complete absorption of visible light. It is an achromatic color, without hue, like white and grey. It is often used symbolically or figuratively to represent darkness. Black and white ha ...

: 5,210 or 1.2% *

Multiracial Mixed race people are people of more than one race or ethnicity. A variety of terms have been used both historically and presently for mixed race people in a variety of contexts, including ''multiethnic'', ''polyethnic'', occasionally ''bi-eth ...

: 845 or 0.2% * Chinese: 3,760 or 0.9% *

Other Asian Other often refers to: * Other (philosophy), a concept in psychology and philosophy Other or The Other may also refer to: Film and television * ''The Other'' (1913 film), a German silent film directed by Max Mack * ''The Other'' (1930 film), a ...

: 12,045 or 2.9% *(based on single responses) Religious profile *43.2%

Protestant Protestantism is a Christian denomination, branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Reformation, Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century agai ...

*36.4%

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: * Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

*14.6% Non-religious *3.8% other

Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι� ...

*0.9%

Muslim Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...

Top ten largest ethnicities *

Canadian Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...

- 121,660 *

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ...

- 108,425 * Scottish - 66,385 * Irish - 56,640 *

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

- 49,435 *

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

- 48,155 * Italian - 44,645 * Dutch - 23,805 *

Ukrainian Ukrainian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Ukraine * Something relating to Ukrainians, an East Slavic people from Eastern Europe * Something relating to demographics of Ukraine in terms of demography and population of Ukraine * So ...

- 16,735 * Polish - 16,295

Features

Education

* Brock University (St. Catharines) * Conseil Scolaire Viamonde - French Public * District School Board of Niagara - Public * Niagara Catholic District School Board - Separate * Niagara College (Niagara-on-the-Lake, Welland) *

Niagara Parks School of Horticulture Niagara Parks School of Horticulture is both an educational institution and a public botanical garden that is maintained by staff and students. The school bills itself as an alternative to post-secondary training for horticulture by providing st ...

(Niagara Falls, Ontario)

Festivals and major events

* Canada Games - 2022 *

Canal Days Canal Days is a marine heritage festival held in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. The festival has been held annually since it was started in 1979 by the Port Colborne Historical & Marine Museum. Port Colborne is located on the north-east shore of ...

(Port Colborne) *Festival of Lights * FISA World Rowing Championships - 1970 & 1999 * Shaw Festival *Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre
Art at the Pumphouse
(August Civic Holiday weekend) *Niagara Folk Arts Festival (St. Catharines) *Niagara Grape and Wine Festival *Niagara Greek Festival *Music Niagara Series (NOTL) *New Year's Eve at Niagara Falls *Twenty Valley Winter Winefest *Niagara Food & Wine Expo (Niagara Falls) *Niagara Icewine Festival (NOTL) *Niagara Integrated Film Festival (NOTL) *Niagara New Vintage Festival (NOTL) *Niagara Parks - Coca-Cola Concert Series (Niagara Falls) *Rib fest *Jazz Festival *SCENE Music Festival *Buskerfest *Royal Canadian Henley Regatta *St. Catharines Wine Tasting of 2005 *Niagara-on-the-lake Peach Festival *Friendship Festival (Fort Erie) *Bravo Niagara Festival of Arts (NOTL) *Marshville Heritage Festival (Wainfleet) *Serbian Day (Vidovdan) *NOTL Ghost Walks *Niagara Falls Comic Con (Niagara Falls) *Welland FloatFest *Welland Zombie Walk *West Niagara Fair

Health care services

* Hotel Dieu Shaver Health and Rehabilitation Centre * Niagara Health System

History and trails

Bruce Trail The Bruce Trail is a hiking trail in southern Ontario, Canada, from the Niagara River to the tip of Tobermory, Ontario. The main trail is more than long and there are over of associated side trails. The trail mostly follows the edge of the Niag ...

* Fort George National Historic Site (Niagara-on-the-Lake) *Annual Fife & Drum Muster and Soldiers Field Days - Fort George * Fort Mississauga National Historic Site (Niagara-on-the-Lake) *Niagara Parks - Siege of Fort Erie Re-enactment *Chippawa Battlefield Park *Greater Niagara Circle Route *Merritt Island (Welland) *

Morningstar Mill Morningstar Mill is a heritage site located in St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. The site includes the Morningstar Mill, a sawmill, the home of the Morningstar family, a barn used for blacksmith demonstrations, and the Decew Falls gorge along the ...

(St. Catharines) * Navy Island National Historic Site (Niagara Falls) *

Niagara Parkway The Niagara Parkway, formerly known as Niagara Boulevard and historically as the Niagara Road, is a scenic road in the province of Ontario that travels on the Canadian side of the Niagara River from the town of Fort Erie to Niagara-on-the-Lake ...

* Niagara Wine Route * Old Fort Erie (

Fort Erie Fort Erie is a town on the Niagara River in the Niagara Region, Ontario, Canada. It is directly across the river from Buffalo, New York, and is the site of Old Fort Erie which played a prominent role in the War of 1812. Fort Erie is one of Ni ...

) *

Queenston Heights The Queenston Heights is a geographical feature of the Niagara Escarpment immediately above the village of Queenston, Ontario, Canada. Its geography is a promontory formed where the escarpment is divided by the Niagara River. The promontory form ...

National Historic Site (Niagara-on-the-Lake) *Old Ivy Walk *Waterfront Trail *Friendship Trail * Welland Canal Parkway *Balls Falls Conservation Area (Thanksgiving Festival) *Niagara Botanical Gardens *Daredevil Exhibit *Drummond Hill Cemetery * Dufferin Islands *Battle Ground Hotel Museum *Niagara Falls Museum *Niagara Historical Society Museum *Niagara Falls Underground Railroad Heritage Centre *Fort Erie Museums *Graffiti Alley *Bertie Hall

Notable people

Paul Bissonnette Paul Albert Bissonnette (born March 11, 1985), nicknamed "Biz Nasty", is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Pittsburgh Penguins and Phoenix Coyotes. Bissonnette is currently a ...

, former NHL player *

James Cameron James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. A major figure in the post- New Hollywood era, he is considered one of the industry's most innovative filmmakers, regularly pushing the boundaries of cinematic capability ...

, film director *

Daniel Girardi Daniel Girardi (born April 29, 1984) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey defenceman. Undrafted, Girardi played 13 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning as a stay-at-home defenseman ...

, former NHL player * Dallas Green, musician and producer known as "City and Colour" *

Tim Hicks Tim Hicks (born August 22, 1979) is a Canadian country music singer-songwriter from St. Catharines, Ontario. Since he released his debut single " Get By" in 2012, he has charted eighteen top ten hits on the Canada Country chart. Hicks’ catalo ...

, musician * Nathan Horton, former NHL player *

Stephan Moccio Stephan Moccio is a Canadian composer, producer, pianist, arranger, conductor and recording artist. He co-wrote and co-produced the two end credit songs for ''Fifty Shades of Grey'' and its soundtrack: "Earned It" (The Weeknd) and " I Know You ...

, Grammy and Academy award-winning musician and composer *

Jordan Nolan Jordan Nolan (born June 23, 1989) is a Canadian actor and former professional ice hockey forward. He was selected by the Los Angeles Kings in the seventh round (186th overall) of the 2009 NHL Entry Draft. Nolan won the Stanley Cup twice wit ...

, former NHL player * Daniel Paille, former NHL player * Neil Peart (1952-2020), drummer for the band Rush *Joel Thomas Zimmerman, musician known as "

Deadmau5 Joel Thomas Zimmerman (born January 5, 1981), known professionally as Deadmau5 (stylized as deadmau5; pronounced "dead-mouse"), is a Canadian electronic music producer and DJ. He mainly produces progressive house music, though he also produce ...

" *Imane Anys, Twitch streamer who goes by the name " Pokimane"

Other

* Scotiabank Convention Centre (Niagara Falls) * Clifton Hill (Niagara Falls) *Lundy's Lane Tourist District (Niagara Falls) *Niagara Olde Town (Niagara-on-the-Lake) * Port Dalhousie (St. Catharines) * Safari Niagara (Fort Erie) *Victoria Ave (Niagara Falls) *Welland Canal Centre (St. Catharines) *Howell Family Pumpkin Farm (Fonthill)

Protected areas

Short Hills Provincial Park Short Hills Provincial Park is a provincial park located in the centre of the Niagara Peninsula, bordering the city of St. Catharines and the town of Pelham in the Niagara Region in southern Ontario, Canada. It occupies an area of . It also ...

*Wainfleet Bog Provincial Wildlife Preserve *Ball's Falls Conservation Area *Chippawa Creek Conservation Area *Long Beach Conservation Area *Morgan's Point Conservation Area *Cave Springs Conservation Area *St. John's Conservation Area *Rockway Conservation Area *Louth Conservation Area *Mountainview Conservation Area * Beamer Memorial Conservation Area *Woodend Conservation Area *Woolverton Conservation Area *Wainfleet Wetlands *Humberstone & Willoughby Wetlands *Mud Lake Wetlands *E.C. Brown Conservation Area *United Empire Loyalist Conservation Area *Port Davidson Weir Conservation Area *Sugar Bush Conservation Area *Stevensville Conservation Area *Virgil Dams Conservation Area *Happy Rolph's Bird Sanctuary * Niagara Glen Nature Reserve

Wineries

West Niagara *Cave Spring Cellars * Fielding * Flatrock * Henry of Pelham Family Estate Winery -

St. Catharines, Ontario St. Catharines is the largest city in Canada's Niagara Region and the sixth largest urban area in the province of Ontario. As of 2016, it has an area of , 136,803 residents, and a metropolitan population of 406,074. It lies in Southern Ontario ...

c. 1980s * Hernder Estate Wines *Peninsula Ridge *Vineland Estate East Niagara *Chateau des Charmes *Coyote's Run *Hillebrand Winery - Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario c.1979 *

Inniskillin Inniskillin is a Canadian winery located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. Inniskillin, which is mainly noted for its icewine production, has played an important pioneering role in the modern Canadian wine industry. Since 1994, Inniskillin als ...

- Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario c.1974 *Marynissen *Pillitteri Estates Winery See also Niagara Peninsula wineries

Transportation

Airports

Niagara Region contains three airports used primarily for

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations with the exception of commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services ...

: * St. Catharines/Niagara District Airport (Niagara-on-the-Lake) * Welland/Niagara Central Airport (Welland) * Niagara Falls/Niagara South Airport (Niagara Falls) Aside from scheduled commuter flights between Niagara District Airport and Toronto City with FlyGTA, for commercial flights Niagara residents use

Toronto Pearson International Airport Lester B. Pearson International Airport , commonly known as Toronto Pearson International Airport, is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its metropolitan area, and the surr ...

, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, or

John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The airport is part of the neighbourhood of Mount Hope, southwest of Downtown Hamilton and southwest of Toronto. The airport serves the ci ...

in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area; as well as crossing the border to use Buffalo Niagara International Airport or

Niagara Falls International Airport Niagara Falls International Airport is located east of downtown Niagara Falls, in the Town of Niagara in Niagara County, New York, United States. Owned and operated by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority, the airport is a joint civ ...

Upstate New York Upstate New York is a geographic region consisting of the area of New York (state), New York State that lies north and northwest of the New York metropolitan area, New York City metropolitan area. Although the precise boundary is debated, Upsta ...

Public Transport

Niagara Region is served by

GO Transit GO Transit is a regional public transit system serving the Greater Golden Horseshoe region of Ontario, Canada. With its hub at Union Station in Toronto, GO Transit's green-and-white trains and buses serve a population of more than seven mil ...

and

Niagara Region Transit Niagara Region Transit is a regional public transit system operating in the Niagara Region of Ontario. Unlike other regional transit systems in the province, Niagara Region Transit operates with, rather than replaces, the existing municipal tran ...

, as well as the following local bus operators: *

Niagara Falls Transit Niagara Falls Transit operates the public transport bus services in Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada. Established in 1960, Niagara Transit originally operated ten routes. In 2007 the operation of Niagara Transit was taken over by the transporta ...

St. Catharines Transit St. Catharines Transit (SCT) provides bus service to St. Catharines, Ontario, and the neighbouring city of Thorold. The St. Catharines Transit Commission took over operation of transit services within the city from Canadian National Transportatio ...

(also serves Thorold) *

Welland Transit Welland Transit was a public transportation agency in Welland, Ontario, Canada from 1977 to 2022. Upon its inception in 1973 the bus service was operated by a private company, known as "Metro Niagara Transit," funded by the city of Welland, which ...

(also serves Port Colborne) * Fort Erie Transit *

Niagara-on-the-Lake Transit Niagara-on-the-Lake Transit was a provider of public transportation in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario, Canada. Initiated on April 2, 2012, it served as a conventional bus operator serving both local residents and tourists. The service was suspended ...

Grimsby, Pelham, Wainfleet, Lincoln and West Lincoln do not have local transit systems.

Highways

400-Series expressways: * Ontario 405

Highway 405 * Ontario 406

Highway 406 * Ontario 420

Highway 420 * Ontario QEW

Queen Elizabeth Way (QEW) Other highways: * Ontario 3

Highway 3 * Ontario 20

Highway 20 Route 20, or Highway 20, may refer to: International * European route E20 Australia * Sturt Highway (NSW/VIC/SA) * Yarra Bank Highway Brazil * BR-020 Canada * Alberta Highway 20 * British Columbia Highway 20 * Manitoba Highway 20 * New ...

Highway 58 * Ontario 58A

Highway 58A * Ontario 140

Highway 140

References

External links

* {{authority control Niagara Populated places on Lake Erie in Canada