Experiencing beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

from left: Devin, Vivian, and Diane

As I mentioned in my Friday adventure post, I was surprised to see my nephew Devin at my sister's house. On Saturday, I went back to my sister Vivian's house for another visit with Devin. My sister Diane came over, as well. The four of us decided to have an afternoon adventure. So... where do we go? How about Niagara Falls? In New York or in Canada? We agreed on Canada and we also discussed how crowded Niagara Falls, Ontario, would be on a Saturday afternoon. So we decided to visit Niagara-on-the-Lake instead.

view from the restaurant, where we
had our lunch. As you can see,
Niagara-on-the-Lake is a lively,
walkable community, and
window shopping is fun there.

Niagara-on-the-Lake is a town in the Niagara region of Canada, where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario. It has a population of 17,511. It is the home of the famous Shaw Festival, which features productions of George Bernard Shaw's plays in three theaters, from April through November each year. Niagara-on-the-Lake was settled in 1781 and was incorporated in 1792. Its original name was West Niagara.

lovely items, suitable for
a tea party, that
were for sale at a
small store that we visited

During the War of 1812, the settlement was burned to the ground by American troops. Years later, Niagara-on-the-Lake became one of the first places where escaped slaves from the United States, who had traveled on the perilous Underground Railroad, found freedom. Many of them settled in Nova Scotia, and their descendants still live there.

Historic building in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Some interesting features of Niagara-on-the-Lake include architecture. A few of the oldest churches include Ontario's oldest Anglican church, St. Mark's (built in 1791);

one of the many historical
markers in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Historical markers come in pairs:
one in English and the other
in French.

Ontario's oldest Catholic church, St. Vincent de Paul (built in 1826);

and the oldest structure in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the McFarland House (built in 1880).

view of the Escarpment

another view of the Escarpment