Extraordinary lives
New book Niagara Proud tells stories of the personalities that have shaped Falls
She has already written about some of the celebrities and famous athletes. So when it came time to follow up her book Niagara’s Own Extraordinary Lives, author Stephanie Nielsen wanted the less flashy. The less familiar.
But around here, no less important.
She ended up profiling 50 former, current and deceased Niagara Falls residents for her fourth book, Niagara Proud ($20, Soleil), released last month.
“My background is sociology, and I thought I’m going to use my own criteria … I don’t care if people don’t understand or disagree because this person isn’t famous, or ‘Why did you put that person in?’,” she says. “For me, those people belong there.
“They may not have the fame of James Cameron, but they are leading — or have led — an extraordinary life.”
Among her subjects is the late Niagara Falls historian George Seibel, criminal lawyers Brian and Eddie Greenspan, and Jake’s Chip Wagon owners Jake and Amy Hiebert. All have fascinating stories, and all have contributed to the fabric of Niagara Falls in different ways.
“I tried to look at different areas, not just the arts but politics, medicine, sports,” says Nielsen. “It was my brother who really insisted. He said ‘That little book — Niagara’s Own Extraordinary Lives — was really nice, but it’s not finished.’ He said you need to get a second edition with more people in it.”
Her brother also suggested a walking map for visitors to find the city’s hidden gems, with plenty of photos, which he took.
“The sad part is he died in June and never got to see the finished product.”
It wasn’t the only hardship Nielsen faced while writing the book. Her husband is battling bladder cancer and her son has severe OCD. But she’s fond of a Timothy Findley quote: “Hope against despair.” As bad as things seemed, her love of the city’s inhabitants kept her on course.
A lawyer friend in Toronto confirmed it for her: “He said you know what I like about it? You’ve focussed on people other individuals would never have heard of. You’ve taken a lot of very special people and you’ve immortalized them.
“That touched my heart.”
Now that it’s out, Nielsen can only hope it has the same legacy as the work of one of her subjects, Seibel: A book that will be referenced long after she’s gone.
“It’s my child, it’s my legacy I’m leaving behind. For however people respond to it.”