NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE, ONTARIO (ON) CANADA
Niagara-on-the-Lake bed and breakfasts welcome history boffins
Niagara-on-the-Lake bed and breakfasts are continually being established to accommodate hoards of visitors who want to explore this extraordinary historical town located in Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario right in the south-east corner of Canada. Niagara-on-the-Lake is situated across the river from Youngstown, New York. The first thing travelers learn when they arrive at their bed and breakfast is where Niagara-on-the-Lake got its name. It used to be called Niagara but because of confusion with the town of Niagara Falls the name was changed around 1880 and officially adopted in 1970.
Where a pleasant town exists today including many lodges, inns and B&Bs was a native American village known as Onghiara. In 1781 the British government established Butlersburg, later known as West Niagara. Many Loyalists who fled from the United States settled there during and after the American Revolution. Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario is a charming historical town, possibly the most interesting and definitely one of the prettiest in Canada. Bed and breakfast establishments are located near all the major sites of interest.
There are bed and breakfasts are near Fort George, Butler's Barracks and Navy Hill all of which have been restored, some of them during the 1930s Depression when the government created jobs for the poor. Bed and breakfast accommodation is a good option for visitors planning to visit the Fort George National Historic site, which is the focal point in a collection of War of 1812 sites collectively managed by Parks Canada. Niagara-on-the-Lake (or N-O-T-L in local shorthand) is dotted with hundreds of historical plaques reflecting its importance in the history of Canada. Some Niagara-on-the-Lakes B&Bs are housed in buildings that are historically important. Canada's first lending library, newspaper, parliament and historical museum were all established first in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.
Niagara-on-the-Lake bed and breakfast businesses first started to spring up the in the town, along with inns and lodges, when the 8th World Scout Jamboree was held there in 1955. It made sense for scouts, scoutmasters, the press and interested parties to stay in Niagara-on-the-Lake B&B when not out camping. Bed and breakfast owners will tell you proudly that Niagara-on-the-Lake was named the Prettiest Town in Canada in 1996.
The town is home to the Shaw Festival, a series of theatrical productions featuring the works of George Bernard Shaw and his contemporaries. The shows take place in three theatres in the centre of town with talent brought from all over the world. Bed and breakfast accommodation is booked out during the Shaw Festival months. For all these reasons, Niagara-on-the-Lake now attracts thousands of tourists each year and has dozens of bed and breakfasts to accommodate them.
