Regardless of the tariffs, trade wars or political threats of the day, when the sun goes down every night, Canada and America’s common Niagara Falls continue to be illuminated as one.
“I hope that it symbolizes that these two countries really have so much together to share so much and that our mutual respect and our admiration of the falls have a reflection of how we should really be with each other,” said Mayor Robert Restaino in Niagara Falls, NY, to CBC Hamilton.
He and his counterpart throughout the River, Niagara Falls, Ontario, Mayor Jim Diodati, are two of 18 members of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board.
The centuries-old Canadian-American cooperation ensures that the most powerful and most famous waterfalls in the continent in bright, color-changed lights are impressed 365 days of the year.
Together, Horseshoe Falls on the Canadian side and American waterfalls and bridal travers from the Niagara Falls.
After the months of economic threats from US President Donald Trump, Diodati comes with the fact that the cross-border community feels the burden.
“We have so much history, so many interdler relationships and economy that it is hurtful when something like this happens. It cuts,” said Diodati.
600 Niagara Business Export to us
Fort Erie, Ontario, Mayor Wayne Redekop, said that the residents of the Niagara region are afraid of what US tariffs would mean for jobs and costs.
He spoke to Ramraajh Sharvendiran, moderator of CBCs Here and nowEarly this week. He said there are around 600 companies in the region that export to the United States and employ 30,000 employees who could be affected by Trump’s tariffs. But they also have friends and family who live nearby on the other side of the border.
“We don’t want people to compete against each other,” said Redekop.
O’clock | Niagara Falls, ont., Reaction to the threat to tariffs:
From Tuesday, US President Donald Trump will plan to impose a tariff of 25 percent of most imported Canadian goods. The city of Niagara Falls is one of many regions that sit along the Canadian US border and are concerned about the economic and personal effects. Naama Weingarten from CBC has the story.
Diodati announced CBC Hamilton on Friday that the message of which he heard from his American colleagues on the Illumination Board and in other offices.
“This is not the American people, that is the president who does politics,” he said.
“The lights will continue to shine brightly in the waterfalls, and these two great nations will continue to be close friends and allies.”
The tradition dates from the 19th century
The Niagara Falls was first illuminated with 200 lights along the rocks in 1860 to honor the visiting prince of Wales, and became a tradition for special occasions.
In order to officially make the exercise, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board was founded on February 24, 1925.
The board consists of representatives from Niagara Falls Cities, local power authorities as well as the departments of New York and Ontario Parks who meet quarterly. They are responsible for the financing, operation and maintenance of the lights.
Your work is often done quietly. Diodati said he didn’t even know that the board of directors existed until he was elected mayor for the first time a decade ago.
“I just thought that the lights in the waterfalls were miraculous every evening, do you know?” he said.
Behind the scenes is the board of directors, which consists of half Americans, half Canadian, dealing with the review of lighting requests from non -profit organizations.
“It is extremely refreshing to work the government together on so many levels on both sides of the river to do it best,” said Restaino. “We should (Trump) write a letter and say: ‘Hey, come to a meeting, see how we get together.'”
The inquiries range from the marking sensitization days to public holidays to global events.
For 15 minutes on March 15, the cases will be blue -green to recognize the effects of Long Covid, and on March 17th they will be green for St. Patrick’s Day, says the Niagara Park website. When Russia entered Ukraine in 2022, the waterfalls were illuminated in yellow and blue to support Ukraine, said Diodati.
The next time the board meets, Restaino and Diodati both said that they will draw up a topic of Canada-USA as a declaration of solidarity.
“I think that’s a brilliant idea,” said Diodati.
