June 29, 2019
Niagara Diplomacy
Fort Colborne to Niagara Falls
Jackie’s avg speed: 8.8 mph
Scott’s avg speed: 10.1
Weather: sunny, 65-70 degrees, 8 mph wind from the north
The manager of the Capri Motel delayed us a bit. I rang the bell outside the door at 07:35. Her son had given me the key the day before but not processed the payment. She opened the door looking sleepy, I think I woke her up. She ran the card number through, gave me my receipt, and we were on our way by 07:48.
Scott said the ride was about as easy as it gets – paved bicycle paths and level roads the whole way. The 17-mile paved Friendship Trail took us from Port Colborne to the town of Fort Erie. Low shrubs grew on each side providing a clear view of lush farmland and country houses beyond. Just east of west of Ridgeway, the trail cut closer to the Erie shore. We could see the Buffalo, NY skyline on the other side, signaling our Ontario sojourn was nearing the end. People had been kind, passing on a friendly greeting if we made eye contact. When we thanked drivers who paused to wait for us to cross the road, many would give us a smile and wish us a good ride.
As we wrap up our travel through Ontario, we offer some unofficial inspiration.
In 2007, a new song replaced "A Place to Stand" after four decades. "There's No Place Like This" is featured in television advertising, performed by Ontario artists including Molly Johnson, Brian Byrne, Keshia Chanté, as well as Tomi Swick and Arkells. (Thanks Wikipedia!)
For those who like the old version.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lVkEADL6fIc
And the new.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cbn1_WZw0fM
About a mile from Fort Erie, the bicycle path bent north to follow the course of the Niagara River, then our route merged for a short while with the Niagara Parkway. We paused to read a plaque outside Bertie Hall, a red brick house. William Forsythe, Sr. built it in 1830 to provide refuge to American slaves who crossed the Niagara River, often followed by bounty hunters. Ontario has preserved many exhibits that show how Canadians helped American slaves who fled to Canada via the Underground Railroad.
We stuck with the parkway, since traffic was light on Saturday morning. Cyclists have the option of taking the Niagara Recreation Trail, a paved bike path on the west side side of the parkway.
How many readers remember their first time seeing Niagara Falls? We had been on the American side way back in the 90s when visiting colleges with our younger son, but we don’t remember the view. We won’t forget approaching on a bicycle in slo-mo, watching the river change as it neared the cliff.
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For almost 16 miles we rode along and then passed a stone marker about the 10.2 kilometer long Niagara Tunnel constructed from 2005 to 2013, 40 meters below the river. Farther on we saw a series of weirs, or low dams, that control the flow of the water. As we got closer, we could hear the roar and see the powerful current churning up the bottle green water rushing to its inexorable conclusion. We pedaled by the first cataract that flowed over a broad shelf of rock. We got off our bikes and slowly moved in the throng of tourists along the path to take in the iconic view of Horseshoe Falls.
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The plaque about the tunnel and hydro plants piqued our curiosity. With a little help from his internet friend, Scott found out the tunnel diverts water to a reservoir behind two hydro power stations, Sir Adam Beck 1 and Sir Adam Beck 2. The U.S. side has its own reservoir and hydro power station, the Robert Moses Niagara Power Plant.
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Ontario manages the weirs in conformance with the 1950 Niagara River Diversion Treaty between the United States and Canada. Each side has the right to half of the generating capacity of the water. If, for example, the turbines on one side cannot handle its share of the river, that side can divert its share of water to the other and “rent” the generators. Wars have been fought to control the rivers on international borders. And how often does the United States cede control of anything to another country? What a triumph of diplomacy!
We arrived at the Ramada By The River a little after 14:00. The clerk who took our reservation had set us up for a special rate of $109, plus tax, but for the night before. It took some time to straighten out. The desk clerk kept referring to us as a “no-show,” and I kept correcting his misapprehension. At one point he wondered whether Ramada would refund the erroneous charge, and I said my credit union could easily cancel it. In a few more minutes, he had it all settled, we would only be charged for the night we had requested. We’ll verify that later.
Seeing Niagara Falls has made us more intrigued by its history and the feats of engineering that have gone into managing the flow of the Niagara River. We will continue our musings tomorrow when we cross over the Sir Adam Beck power stations.
Today's ride: 41 miles (66 km)
Total: 2,213 miles (3,561 km)
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