New lights help Falls shine bright

NIAGARA FALLS — The nightly spectacle of Niagara Falls lit up after dark just got more spectacular.

A $3 million upgrade saw the installation of 1,400 new high-tech lights called luminaires that beam brighter and more vivid rainbows of light from Canada onto the famous waterfalls.

Mixed together, the separate red, green, blue and white LED units can illuminate the waterfalls against the night sky in endless combinations that range from subtle hues to deeply saturated colours.

Perched on the upper level of an 1899 building known as “Illumination Tower,” the highintensity system unveiled Dec. 1 replaced a bank of 21 spotlights, each 30 inches in diameter, that were equipped with coloured gels.

The illumination highlights the sections of Niagara known as American Falls and Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

The first major upgrade in 20 years has more than doubled the previous lighting levels and filled in gaps the old spotlights could not reach. Officials expect it will reduce energy consumption by 60 per cent.

The shorter the days, the longer the night light shows, meaning winter offers prime viewing. Visitors unwilling to brave the frigid air outdoors can watch from the windows of hotels and restaurants on the Canadian shore. The lights are on from 5 p.m. until midnight from November through January. For most of summer, they shine from 9 p.m. to midnight.

The falls were lit for the first time in the summer of 1860 when 200 lights similar to those used for signalling help at sea shone in honour of a visit from the Prince of Wales, later Edward VII.