Famous tourist attraction sets record for earliest season opening
Niagara City Cruises is getting an early start to the season this year as they opened their boat tour operations on March 16th
People can get an up-close and personal look at Niagara Falls early this year because one of its most popular tourist attractions has just opened for the season — the earliest in its history.
Niagara City Cruises provides people with an opportunity to view the magnificent falls up-close from the Niagara River gorge in the safety of a tour boat.
This year the famous attraction opened on March 16th, rather than its typical opening date between April and May. But thanks to a mild winter, locals and tourists alike can get an early experience of the falls.
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Since the winter was so mild, Lake Erie, which the Niagara River flows out of, had a low ice cover. This is a trend that has been observed in all of the Great Lakes for years, with the lakes seeing an average 22 per cent decline in their overall maximum ice covers since 1973.
This resulted in the ice boom, that is used to prevent ice buildup from the lake entering the river, to be removed early. The decision to remove the boom is based on the amount of ice left on Lake Erie, as well as the current weather outlook. This event is the signal that boat tours can resume once again for the season.
With files from Rachel Schoutsen
Thumbnail image courtesy of Ken Geyer
