Niagara

Club Contacts

President: Marilyn Weber, marilynw167@gmail.com

Journey Coordinator: Sandra Yemm, syemm@sympatico.ca

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Club Info

The Friendship Force of Niagara was founded in 1998, and received its charter in 1999. We have enjoyed forming friendships with FF members from all over the world during the last 24 years. We often welcome two Inbound Journeys per year, and our members typically go on two Outbound journeys most years. Many of our members have also participated in Global Journeys.

We have around 50 members, both couples and singles. Members of our Club live in the Niagara Region. It is a Peninsula between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie which runs about 50 kilometers in both directions on the border between Canada and United States near Buffalo NY.

Area Info

Niagara is well known for Niagara Falls. Its world-famous and beautiful Horseshoe and American Falls are geological features formed by the 50-metre drop in the Niagara River between Lake Erie and Lake Ontario. The area between the two Great Lakes has temperate conditions that make the Niagara Region an ideal location for orchards, greenhouses, grape-growing, and diverse agriculture. With this bounty available, a strong food and wine culture has developed.

The largest community in the Niagara Region is St. Catharines with a population of 133,000. It has a culturally rich multi-ethnic mix, complementing the English-speaking majority. The area features Brock University (20,000 students) and Niagara College (almost 15,000 students). The Niagara area offers many cultural attractions. Niagara Falls can be experienced in a number of exciting and adventurous ways. Historical Niagara-on-the-Lake, Forts George and Erie, the Welland Canal which allows ocean-going ships to “climb a mountain” to access to the Great Lakes, the Niagara Park’s gardens, and an array of museums and galleries offer a wealth of fascinating viewing and learning. Niagara’s wine industry has gained international prestige. Niagara is also one of Canada’s three tender fruit farming regions producing cherries, peaches, plums, pears and grapes.

Typical Journey

Our journeys begin with a welcome party, and usually include the following elements: a day of sightseeing at Niagara Falls; tours of historic Niagara-on–the-Lake and small towns in the area; visits to a winery and vineyard, a tour of Welland Canal; dinner parties with other club members; and a farewell party. There will also be some free time that is customized to the interests of each Ambassador. Ambassadors may be able to enjoy a play or musical at the Shaw Festival Theatre in Niagara-on-the-Lake. We prefer to host in May/June or September/October. Any club wishing to visit Toronto should do so before or after the Journey in Niagara. We are an enthusiastic club, and take every possible measure to make the Niagara experience a memorable one.

Highlights of your Inbound Journey could include:

  • Niagara Falls – an all-day experience to see world-famous Niagara Falls and the surrounding attractions
  • Historic Niagara-on-the-lake and other small-town gems such as Grimsby, Jordan, and Port Dalhousie.
  • Farm visits (Niagara boasts 1.4 million square metres of greenhouses as well as tender fruit orchards)
  • Winery tours & tastings including Icewine (we’re famous for it – Niagara is one of the world’s leading producers of icewine; Niagara Peninsula is Canada’s largest viticultural area, accounting for 75% of Canada’s grape-growing volume).
  • Closest major airport: Your choice of Toronto, Ontario, Canada or Buffalo, NY, USA
  • Cost of transportation between the airport and our city: to be determined when the Inbound Journey is being planned
  • Maximum number of ambassadors our club can host: 15-20.