It’s likely one of those special things we all just take for granted around here, much like the natural wonder that they shine a spotlight on every night.
They’re also one of the first things many out-of-towners remark about their visit to Niagara Falls — the colorful lights shining against the cataracts every night.
Sure, the nightly fireworks are great but you can see fireworks anywhere. You can’t see Niagara Falls anywhere else and while it’s definitely a magnificent sight during the day, it’s an almost magical experience to see the colorful hues against the roar of water at night.
More often than not, the colors themselves have a special meaning — celebrating global events or highlighting causes, charities, holidays and cultural milestones.
The nightly shows are all thanks to the binational Niagara Falls Illumination Board which celebrated its 100th anniversary on Monday. The board is made up of members from the Niagara Falls Illumination Board is made up of representatives from the City of Niagara Falls, Ont.; City of Niagara Falls, NY; Ontario Power Generation Inc.; New York Power Authority; New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and the Niagara Parks Commission.
The first time Niagara Falls was illuminated using electricity was in 1879, to mark the visit of Princess Louise and her husband, the Marquis of Lorne and the Governor General of Canada.
But it wasn’t until the early 1920s that a group of Niagara Falls businessmen, known as the ‘generators,’ advocated for an upgrade to the lighting system. Their efforts raised enough funds to install 24 new arc lights, which led to the formation of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board on Feb. 24, 1925. The board has since been solely responsible for financing, operating and maintaining the nightly illuminations.
The lighting, of course, has evolved significantly over the years. Many were excited to see the most recent upgrade, which took place in December 2016 and involved a $4 million LED lighting grid. It provides twice the brightness, a broader color spectrum and consumes a quarter of the energy compared to the previous system.
As we mentioned, the Falls are often lit in special colors for registered charities wishing to mark a significant date in support of their cause. This occurred for the first time in 2004 when Estée Lauder requested that the lights be turned pink for a night as part of its Breast Cancer global event.
In contrast, on March 29, 2008, the Falls went dark for an hour to participate in the global Earth Hour initiative launched by the World Wildlife Fund, in support of action on climate change.
In April 2016, the Falls were lit in royal purple to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Coincidentally, on the same day, legendary music icon Prince passed away, causing images of the illuminated Falls to go viral as the illumination became connected to honoring Prince’s legacy.
In September 2022, to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, the Falls were illuminated in bright orange to honor the tragic legacy of the residential school system. While visiting Niagara Falls for commemorative events that year, residential school survivor and Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Webstad viewed the powerful illumination in person along with her family.
And this past December, both the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls were lit up in red, white and blue to honor the life of former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th president of the United States and the first former president to reach the age of 100. A champion of peace, humanitarian efforts and environmental stewardship, his values resonate deeply on both sides of the border, exemplifying the strong Canada-U.S. friendship.
It’s a friendship that’s sadly being put to the test these days and the work of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board should be celebrated on both sides of the border.
The board has big plans to celebrate its 100 years with a weekend of special events in mid-September, though details have not been released.