VIDEO: Meanwhile, in Niagara Falls (Canada) this happened...

In the summer of 2022, Canada's ultra-woke Gliberal government started solving the crisis of illegal immigration by dumping some 4000 bogus refugees "from the USA" -- the illegals who (with the help of the RCMP) crossed the border Roxham Road -- into Niagara Falls (the nicer one, on the west bank of the river) an other unwilling border cities (Brockville, Cornwall and Windsor). 

They were housed "temporarily" in hotels, with room service laid on, at a cost of over C$220 ($158 in real money). The officially welcome (but really UNwelcome newcomers) also receive -- present tense because they are still there! -- free medical care, transportation, education and social services, all paid for by long-suffering taxpayers.   

The cost to said taxpayers has been enormous. Hoteliers have had to turn away tourists because all their room were occupied, and/or tourists refused to stay in "refugee hotels" turned into dumps by the sand people. See "Ungrateful 'refugees' destroy Canadian hotels", WWW  3/8/18, includes video.

Yes, that was in 2018. The same thing started happening in Niagara Falls in 2022 after Toronto said it just couldn't take any more "temporary" residents. In this video of last October, a minion of Marx Carney's government claimed there are no more refugees in hotels, so the cost of hosting illegal migrants isn't an issue any more. 

Sorry, lady, but it IS an issue. They may not be in hotels, but they are still in Niagara Falls. According to Agent 3, who sent us the link to the video below, a white pedestrian picking his way through the trash on Lundy's Lane would find himself in the minority. 

The cost to the munipalities (the City of Niagara Falls and the Regional Municipality of Niagara) of providing education and social services for the illegal immigrants is enormous, probably not far off the billion dollars mention in the title. Schoolrooms are full of kids -- including "unaccompanied minor" males with moustaches and beards -- who can't speak English and are socially, if not mentally retarded.

Hospital ERs are full. So are the walk-in clinics. The illegal migrants have brought with them not just their gold rings but their third-world diseases. Charitable agencies that support vulnerable people are overwhelmed too. Check out Project Share (Agent 3 writes) and other food banks. Almost all the people doing the work of collecting and distributing food are white, whereas those getting their groceries (and complaining that they don't like the food) are mostly, errr, darker.

It's no wonder, then, that a group of Niagara Falls men have stood up on their hind legs to say that it's high time the "temporary" residents went back where they came from. The protesters in this next video are advocating for what sociologists call "remigration".

As you can imagine, these guys are being called "racists", "neo-Nazis", yada yada yada. Walt says, you can hardly blame them. If my city tax bill went up by 10% overnight, I'd be protesting too! 

If you live down by the Falls and want to make your voice heard, you'll find a useful link in the video. Good luck!

VIDEO: Hot new attraction at Niagara Falls (the good side)

Agent 78 has called our attention to a video promoting "Niagara Takes Flight", the brand new catchpenny attraction on the Canadian side of Niagara Falls. It's a fully-immersive flying theatre ride, taking visitors to the skies for a breathtaking journey along the Niagara River corridor, with thrilling views of Niagara Falls and its surrounding landscape from the sky.

Sez the promotional copy, "You'll soar across 56 kilometres of parkland, from the shores of Lake Ontario to the edge of Lake Erie, as breathtaking landscapes unfold beneath you. Gliding over swirling rapids and steep rock faces, past lush forests and through dramatic battles that changed the course of history, all before getting closer than ever before to the thundering Horseshoe Falls."

Cinematic visuals shot across all four seasons unfold on a 55-foot dome screen while motion-based and other sensory effects like wind, mist and scent come together to create the exhilarating illusion of free flight. 

There is a pre-show voiced by James Cameron (yes, that James Cameron) which is heavy with woke "land acknowledgment" propaganda -- how the Indians First Nations saved the falls from the rapacious white colonizers.

There's almost no attempt to explain the historical moments and sites shown on the screen, but hey, the ride's the thing, and I think the Niagara Parks Commission -- kudos to them! -- hopes at least a few of the tourists will visit the other sites shown and learn that there's much more to Niagara than just the falls! Tell `em Walt sent ya!

Going to Niagara Falls to see the eclipse? Read this first

Walt [and Ed.! Ed.] are in Niagara Falls ON to see the solar eclipse this coming Monday. Niagara Falls is reckoned to be the best place in the world to see it, being right in the middle of the path, so there should be 100% totality around 1518 EDT. 

The only hitch could be the weather. Local Indians First Nations have been persuaded to do an anti-rain dance, just in case.

We chose the Canadian side of the river for reasons anyone who has visited Niagara Falls NY will know. The best views of the falls are from the Canadian side, and a US dollar will get you $1.35 in funny money -- but it'll be all coins. Canuckistan have no paper notes of less than five dollars.

Warning! If you're farther away than you can manage in a day trip, and haven't got a guarantee place to stay, forget it! The hotels, motels and inns on the Canadian side are 100% full... and have been for some time. 

Tourists who thought they had a hotel room booked months ago are being told by some hotels their reservations are cancelled because "a large group of people have decided to extend their stay." See "Screwed by Wyndham Garden Niagara Falls--they cancelled our prepaid rooms for the eclipse. What can we do?" on Reddit.

How come? What the lickspittle media are not telling you is that Niagara Falls hotels are full of "refugees" and asylum-seekers, sent there over a year ago by Canada's Liberal government (Blackie McBlackface, Prop.) See "Thinking of visiting Niagara Falls? Think again!", WWW 25/3/23. 

The supposedly temporary arrangement was, of course, anything but. The real reason for the "state of emergency" declared last week by the Region of Niagara is that the unwelcome "visitors" refuse to leave. 

Last wee, over 100 of them -- from shitholes like Nigeria, Pakistan, and Mexico -- who had their claims approved [Really? Ed.] were told to find other accommodations. But if they leave the hotels, they'll have to pay for their own lodgings, food, etc. So they're still there. 

They were given a check-out deadline of 22 April, but everyone knows it won't be enforced. Bad optics for the Trudeau government and wokesters in general. The hoteliers don't care, as they're still getting paid. Better a month of illegals @ $200/night than two days of tourists @ $1000, eh!

That's the news from Down by the Falls. Canada... or Niagara Falls at least... is full up. Stay home.

Wut?

Let me get this straight. While Trudeau's minions on the pretty side of the Niagara River were operating under the assumption that yesterday's vehicle explosion (my emphasis) at the Rainbow Bridge in Niagara Falls was "terror-related", their counterparts in the Paranoid States of America, directed by NY Governor Kathy Hochul (D) are now saying there is "no indication of a terrorist attack" at this time.

In a statement released late yesterday, FBI Buffalo said, [it] "has concluded our investigation at the scene of the Rainbow Bridge incident. A search of the scene revealed no explosive materials, and no terrorism nexus was identified. The matter has been turned over to the Niagara Falls Police Department as a traffic investigation."

Wur? A "traffic investigation"? Really?!

Walt's crack incident reconstruction team [meaning me. Ed.] has sifted through the multiplicity of eyewitness statements, police statements, CBP statements, FBI statements, yada yada yada, to compile this timeline.

A "Western New York man" -- so far unnamed -- and his wife cross the Rainbow Bridge yesterday morning to attend the KISS concert scheduled for Toronto in the evening. Apparently they were unaware that the Tuesday night concert in Ottawa had been cancelled, owing to the illness (from "flu") of singer-guitarist Paul Stanley, and the Toronto concert was also scrubbed.

So, the disgruntled American couple went back across the bridge in a huff [a minute and a huff? Ed.] or perhaps it was a Bentley, always a great concert-going car. Then, perhaps maddened by having to pay the toll for nothing, they drive home -- location so far unrevealed -- load up the Bentley with enough explosives to blow up... errr... something large*, and tear back through beautiful downtown Niagara Falls (NY) at speeds of 100 mph. Those who know the alleged city will tell you that, in itself, is a pretty good trick.

Then, instead of turning into the Rainbow Bridge entry lanes, where the only checkpoint or obstruction to entering Canada is the toll-booth, they aim the vehicle at the United States CBP facility on the southerly side of the plaza. 

The 13 or 14 booths referred to by Ms Hochul (see yesterday's post) are there to intercept travellers coming into the USA. Someone trying to get into Canada from that side would encounter a forest of "wrong way" signs, fences and other barriers. Of course if you were flying through the air, you'd miss them... or most of them.

The vehicle hit one of the booths and exploded in a rather large ball of flame -- much too large to have been caused by a malfunctioning EV battery, or even a tankful of cheap American gas. Initial reports said the car was "packed with explosives", but nothing has been said about that since the FBI took over the investigation.

Meanwhile, the Rainbow Bridge remains closed. (The other three bridges across the Niagara River have been reopened.) After all, it was only a traffic accident... right? Is there anythiing else about which your Democratic government can reassure you today?

* Further reading: "Activist darling of the leftist media arrested for allegedly trying to ‘firebomb’ an Israeli company in New Jersey", American Thinker, 22/11/23 (same day as the Rainbow Bridge "traffic accident")

VIDEO: "Allahu akbar!" at Niagara Falls??? Questions arise

One of Walt's agents says that nothing ever happens in Niagara Falls NY. All the action, he claims, is on the pretty side of the river. Today was different. For those who missed it, we have some video from security cameras at the US side of The World's Longest Undefended Border (TM) crossing, timestamped about 1120 EST today.

What, dear reader, was your initial reaction to that video. Did you think it was probably just an accident? No biggie! Nothing here to see, folks!

That's the official party line [the Liberal Party and the Democratic Party. Ed.], which was rushed into print and onto the Web within a couple of hours of the "serious incident". The Powers That Be had to start the gaslighting PDQ because "right-wing" media had already starting using the T-word -- T as in Terrorism.

The T-word has been scrubbed from all the early reports in the lickspittle media, because in recent years people in Europe and North America have, for some strange reason, come to associate terrorism with the Religion of Peace (TM), Muslim jihadis, and, since last October 7th, Hamas. 

In Canada, the bought-and-paid-for media have been enjoined (by Bill M-106) from saying or writing anything that would stoke the fires of Islamophobia. See "If Canadians are Islamophobic, perhaps there's a reason", WWW 27/7/21. Most of the American media are no better.

But I digress. Here's what is known [admitted? Ed.] about what happened. The vehicle came from U.S. side of the border, travelled along Main Street at speeds estimated at 100 MPH, then became airborne and crashed into a US Customs and Border Patrol booth before bursting into flames. 

Two people in the vehicle that exploded were declared dead at the scene, and officials have said a third person believed to be a border employee was injured and taken to hospital, but has since been released. One of the occupants of the vehicle has been identified (but not named) as "a resident of western New York." 

Karen Kathy Hochul, the Democratic Governor of the Empire State, had this to say about that, "At this time there is no indication of a terrorist involved attack here at the Rainbow Bridge in Western New York." (My emphasis. Walt)

Later, Governor Hochul amplified her analysis. "If you can imagine this vehicle basically incinerated. Nothing is left but the engine. The pieces are scattered over 13, 14 booths. So it is a large scene, and it's going to take a lot of time… to be able to piece together the real story... It has not been determined to be an accident. You don't know whether the driver was intentional in how they drove… All I know is there was a horrific incident. A crash, an explosion, loss of life, but at this time, no known terrorist connection." 

I have some questions I'd like to ask.

* If the car wasn't "packed" with explosives" (as a law enforcement officer said before being silenced), what caused it to burst into flame? Even an EV wouldn't do that.

* How did police identify the "resident of western New York" whose body parts were "scattered over 13, 14 booths" by the force of the blast? And if his identity is known, why hasn't his name [not "Mohammed", surely! Ed.] and other information been released? 

* First reports said the vehicle was trying to get into the USA. It's clear from the videos that the opposite is true. So, if the occupants of the vehicle were trying to get out of the USA, why was that? 

* Were they on the run? From what? Or were they trying to get into Canada, to terrorize its famously Islamophile prime minister?

* Is it possible the deceased weren't Muslims, but Jews? (Just kidding.)

That's enough questions for today. Fortunately for Governor Hochul and all the other Authorities, whose ability to secure the World's Longest Etc border now seem even more suspect, the promised investigation will now have to wait until after the holiday weekend. Happy Thanksgiving, everone!

UPDATED: Thinking of visiting Niagara Falls? Think again!

Walt has received a letter from an American friend who's visiting Niagara Falls, Canada, for some cheap shopping. (The US greenback is worth 1.37 beaverbucks so it's no wonder the mall parking lots are full of cars with US licence plates.)

If you're thinking of visiting the Honeymoon Capital of Canada [he writes], book your hotel room now, and don't be surprised if you have to share space, in the hotel and everywhere in Niagara Falls, with folks like this. 

This pic appeared in the Toronto Sun on Friday. Niagara Falls has welcomed (???) nearly 5000 of these bogus refugees and asylum-seekers, who crossed the porous US-Canada border at Roxham Road, and were sent by the Liberal government to Niagara Falls because the government of Québec said they couldn't and wouldn't take any more.

Trudeau's ministry of DEI has booked another 500 (FIVE HUNDRED) rooms in NF hotels to house these benefit shoppers, many of whom were sent north by Brandon after having entered the USA illegally from Mexico, through the gaps in Trump's wall.

Some, like this chap (dressed as he is for the Canadian winter), came to the New York from Africa, and were given bus tickets to Roxham Road, which they took gratefully because Canadians will immediately give them shelter -- rooms in previously five-star hotels -- food (from food banks), free medicare, free taxi rides, etc etc, all paid for by you know who.

Let's see. Another 500 hotel rooms at, say, 5 or more per room, would be another 2500 to go with the >5000 who have arrived since November. Perhaps they will help Niagara's tourist attractions though. Since they don't have to work -- indeed they can't work! -- they have lots of time, and lots of Canuck taxpayers' money to spend seeing the sights. Hope genuine tourists don't mind sharing!

Looks like Trudeau has pulled the ole switcheroo on this one... locking the barn door (except for 15,000 more who he promised just yesterday to admit without any screening or questioning) AFTER the swine have gone inside. Pretty smart for him, damn gringo!

UPDATE added at 2200: A reader has commented (thank you) that the situation is even more dire in Brockville ON -- closer to the Québec border -- than Niagara Falls. Another has email to say that the3 same situation obrains in Wndsor ON, just across the border from Detroit MI. Why they are sending all these flotsam and jetsam to border towns is inexplicable. Maybe they're hoping that they'll make the jump south to get back into the USA???

VIDEO: You think Brandon is incoherent and incompetent?

For those Americans and others who don't know who I mean when I write about Blackie McBlackface (pictured in yesterday's post), Prime Minister of All Canuckistan, here's a little video proving that (yes, Virginia) there is someone less capable of speaking (and thinking) clearly than Demented Joe Brandon, President of the Disunited States.

    

Sadly for Canada, Mr McBlackface, aka Mr Socks, is not a "looser" (should be "loser") yet. In fact, although even this comedian laughs at him (and rightly so), he is likely to be re-elected in 2025, or whenever he chooses, buoyed on the votes of 10s of 1000s of illegal immigrants who are now being sent out into the regions (Hello, Niagara Falls!) to vote Liberal at the first opportunity.

You think that can't happen? Fact: Canadian polling officials are not allowed to ask would-be voters for proof of citizenship. As long as they have a photo ID plus some scrap of paper showing a Canadian address -- even just an envelope addressed to them -- they are given a ballot. O Canada! 

Thanks and a tip o' the toque to Agent 6, who speaks Spanish almost as well as he speaks French!

Further reading: "It’s Time We Get a President Who ‘Wises Up,’ ‘Stops Acting Like a Dimwit in Front of the Whole World’" - South Dakota Governor (and presidential hopeful?) Kristi Noem, quoted in Breitbart News, 18/2/23.

Niagara Falls starts using "low-sound" fireworks - Walt reveals why

This is a holiday weekend in parts of the Great No-longer-white North. On Monday locals in the more British parts (i.e. not Québec) will celebrate the Queen's Birthday. Not Her Britannic Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, but the very late Queen Victoria. That shows you how up-to-date Canadians are.

In Niagara Falls -- the clean one on the Canuck side of the river -- the Niagara Parks Commission begins its nightly fireworks showed, intended to make clear to those stuck on the shabbier side of the river that people on the western side are having lots more fun. Not just two casinos instead of one, and a lower drinking age, but fireworks too!

The nightly pyrotechnic display is pretty spectacular, to be sure. And it used to be pretty noisy too. Depending on the wind, you could hear the explosions echoing through and above the Niagara Gorge, up to ten miles away -- especially those ones that explode in a small circle of white light followed by an almighty BANG! Why, they sounded just like bombs, or cannon fire. You know, the kind of noises you'd hear if you were in a war zone. And that, gentle readers, turned out to be a problem.

To understand the dilemma faced by the NPC, you need to know that (according to Agent 78, who does know), white Canadians don't visit Niagara Falls. The whities you see oohing and awing are mostly Americans, who haven't heard about Canada's changing demographics. (Merci, Justin Trudeau, et mange d'la merde!) Canadian visitor are mostly immigrants, including hordes of Middle Eastern and south Asian "refugees" and asylum-seekers. And they, poor things, have a tendency to be "triggered" by the sound of explosions. At least, that's what the SJWs told Niagara Parks.

As a result, in a display of sensitivity and political correctness unusual even by Canadian standards, the NPC has sourced some new "low sound" fireworks for the nightly show. Instead of going "BOOM", these ones just explode with an inoffensive "pop". Less bang for the beaverbuck! And so the "accommodation" of "newcomers" reaches another high... or low... depending on how you look at it.

Footnote: The same argument was used last summer to dissuade the organizers of the CNE Airshow, the largest in Canada, to cancel the show entirely because the noise of the "warplanes" could "trigger" the poor downtrodden "refugees", yada yada yada. Fortunately the CNE has more guts than the NPC. Or at least they did last year.

FROZEN! What global warming looks like

One of Walt's agents sent along this nice photo of Niagara Falls -- the Canadian Falls part, actually -- where they've been having a real, old-fashioned winter. None of that global warming or climate change BS for the hardy folks who venture out to see the beauty of the falls, which, by the way, is not frozen. The falls are still falling, underneath the crusts of ice.

Tomorrow is Groundhog Day. In villages north and south of Niagara Falls, famous groundhogs will come out of their burrows -- voluntarily or otherwise -- to predict how much more of this global warming we'll have to endure. In Pennsylvania, Al Gore will explain to the media any cold signals given by Punxatawney Phil. In Ontario, Canuck Environment Minister "Climate Barbie" McKenna will interpret the actions of the new Wiarton Willie. The old one died last summer... of the heat, no doubt.

"Walk Like a Refugee" a test of endurance for plucky Jewish family

The following is a précis of a story which appeared recently in Niagara This Week -- the newspaper that's worth every cent you pay for it. It had such an emetic effect on Agent 3 that he passed it along to us to share with all those who may be a bit bloated after the holiday weekend.

These folks are the (((Bromstein-Jagers))), (((Elizabewth Bromstein))), her husband (((David Jager))) and their 5-year-old daughter, Kismet. They enjoy life in west Toronto, and are keen to help Muslim refugees come to enjoy life in the Great No-longer-white North. In 2016 they started a campaign which they called "Walk Like a Refugee", to raise funds to help a Syrian family who had moved to Toronto at the invitation of Prime Minister Dressup, and were running out of welfare benefits.

By walking from Toronto to Niagara Falls, the (((Bromstein-Jagers))) raised $12,000 to help the extended family of Amir and Nour Fattal, who now want to sponsor Ms Fattal's sister and her husband, who of course will need help to resettle. So it was back on the trail, earlier this month, for the (((Bromstein-Jagers))), who endured sore feet, tired legs and speeding traffic as they walked, once again, the 85 miles from the Little Apple to the Cataract City.

The family's aim was to recreate, "albeit on a small scale", the experience of millions of people worldwide who flee their homes due to war and disease and must often walk for days or weeks in search of safety. And can you imagine, they had to rely only on the kindness of strangers (who put them up in decent hotels), a stroller to give young Kismet the occasional rest, and — perhaps most importantly — a video recorder to document their journey. One video, which we are sadly unable to embed here, shows the three singing the Sesame Street tune "Ladybug Picnic".

Ms (((Bromstein))) told the newspaper's credulous reporter that she and her family would usually set out for the day at around 9 or 10 AM, wrapping up for the night at around 5 or 6 PM. Along the way, they found accommodation from both friends and strangers. In one of the way-points, Grimsby, they were given a free night's stay at the Casablanca Winery Inn. Farther along, in Saint Catharines, a bed and breakfast owner who was fully booked instead put them up at the Holiday Inn. In Niagara-on-the-Lake, they stayed at the White Oaks Resort and Spa, which is as upscale as the name suggests.

A good part of their efforts went into keeping Kismet occupied, which meant stopping every once in a while to collect shells or pet a dog they encountered along the way. But the trek wasn't all smooth sailing ["walking", shurely! Ed.] From Grimsby to Saint Catharines, they had to walk along the busy North Service Road, where they kept Kismet safely strapped in a stroller.

Deciding that they would get off the road for the final leg to Niagara Falls, the (((Bromstein-Jagers))) set out for the Bruce Trail, where the stroller got a flat and they promptly got lost. "I thought 'We're lost and we're going to die!" said Ms (((Bromstein))), but "then two kids came along on bikes."

Note from Ed.: I am sad to report that Walt was unable to finish this piece. Apparently he suffered the same effects as Agent 3, and was last seen running towards the outhouse. He left some scribbled notes about the Jewish conspiracy to overrun North America and Europe with Muslim "refugees", and something about George Soros, but I will leave it to him to finish up another day.

When you're riding a dead horse...

One of Walt's agents thinks Niagara Falls is a pretty funny place. He passes along this little tidbit from the Niagara Falls Reporter.

The tribal wisdom of the Senecas, passed on from generation to generation, says that; “When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount.”

However, in Niagara Falls city government, more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

1. Appointing a committee to study the horse
2. Lowering standards so that dead horses are not disposed of
3. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired
4. Telling everyone that we’ve always ridden our horses this way
5. Hiring contractors to resuscitate the dead horse
6. Hiring outside consultants to put together a training program for support staff to work better with the dead horse
7. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse’s performance
8. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse’s performance
9. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed , it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the city’s budget than do some other horses
10. Promoting the dead horse to a supervisory position.

The unfunny thing is that misgovernment is not exclusive to Niagara Falls or to municipal government. You can substitute any municipality or state/province or country and still be right on.

Note from Ed.: There may be a word missing from No. 10. Should read "dead horse's ass", surely.

Niagara Falls in danger from those who should protect it

This is Niagara Falls. [Yeah. We read the caption! Ed.] More accurately, it's the Canadian or Horseshoe Falls, which, together with the American and Bridal Veil Falls on the US side of the river constitute "Niagara Falls". Niagara Falls is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. And it is in danger.

The danger comes, as it has since the day when Father Hennepin first laid eyes on it, from human activity. Nowadays, Niagara Falls looks pretty good, compared with what it was towards the end of the 19th century. By that time, tourism and other industry had almost obscured the natural beauty of the falls.

The American side was lined with heavy and very dirty industries, taking advantage of cheap power and churning out tons of chemical and other pollutants. On the Canadian side, "the Front" -- the roadway seen in the photo -- had become a cross between the Vegas strip and a carnival midway. It was lined with tacky stores, saloons, and other tourist traps. A visitor couldn't even see the falls without paying to go through a hotel sited near Table Rock, then guided down a dangerous path to the foot of the falls.

In response to this unplanned, haphazard and unregulated "development", the Ontario government, in 1885, ordered the clearance of all the buildings on it side of the river and the establishment of Queen Victoria Park, seen in the lower right part of the picture. And it created the Niagara Parks Commission (NPC), which has the responsibility for not just the part, but virtually all the land on the Canadian side of the Niagara River, from Fort Erie in the south (opposite Buffalo NY) to Niagara-on-the-Lake at the north end.

According to the Commissions's Mission Statement, "Niagara Park’s [sic] mission is to protect the natural and cultural heritage along the Niagara River for the enjoyment of visitors while maintaining financial self-sufficiency." It also has a "Vision Statement". Here it is.

You don't see anything there about tourism, do you. There is a reference in the Mission Statement about the "enjoyment of visitors", but that's it. Yet for the last half-century or more, there have been people on the Commission who think NPC is all about tourism, and only tourism! In this, they are informed and supported by the Niagara Falls city council, because, since the collapse of the area's industrial sector, Niagara Falls lives or dies by tourism or lack thereof.

The conflict between promoting tourism and preserving the environment and heritage surfaces every couple of years. In 2003 it was a bunny-brained proposal by string a line of gondolas -- cable cars -- along the gorge, to amuse the tourists and mulct them even more US dollars. Five years later, it was a secret deal to give the Glynn family a sweetheart lease to continue operating its rust-bucket "Maid of the Mist" boat ride for another quarter-century.  Two years ago it was Niagara Falls mayor Jim "Who's Yer Daddy" Diodati's shameless promotion of the Nik Wallenda stunt, which he said would bring millions of tourist dollars into the city. (It didn't, but Mr. Diodati is still mayor, and Niagara Region's representative on NPC.)

Now the NPC, with the encouragement of Mr. Diodati and hotel-owner Vince Kerrio (who represents the City of Niagara Falls) has revived a plan, mooted four years ago, to install a "Zipline and Aerial Adventure" attraction on the Canadian side of the gorge, to give the tourists something more to do (and spend money on).

The Niagara Falls (NY) Reporter tells us that four (count `em, 4) ziplines, carrying thousands of passengers, at an estimated $50 per ride, will embark from the Grand View Market in Queen Victoria Park and soar at high speed some 2200 feet along the west wall of the gorge to the base of the former Ontario Power Company’s generating station facing the Horseshoe Falls.

The NPC assures everyone that the ziplines are below the level of River Road, so won't be visible from Queen Victoria Park. However, visitors to the New York State Park on the American side will have a fine view of rotund tourists, clad in their colourful attire, seated in harness, hanging upside down, or "flying" in the "Superman" position. Should be quite a sight.

   

The other part of the "attraction" will be an aerial adventure course, where customers will move like orangutans from tree to tree using log ladders, rope swings, scrambling walls, hanging nets, spinning logs, wobbly bridges, tightropes, monkey bars and... wait for it... zip lines rising above the forest canopy. This healthful and educational activity will take place above the Niagara Whirlpool at Thompson Point, presently a part of the NPC domain where one can sit and enjoy the natural beauty in peace and quiet. No more!

Preserve Our Parks, a citizen activist group which was instrumental in fighting the Maid of the Mist deal and the cronyism and corruption which plagues NPC, has sent to the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, a statement of opposition to the proposed zipline attraction, and requesting an environmental assessment which they say was never done. 

Will Preserve Our Parks and other concerned citizens succeed in protecting Niagara Parks from the commissioners and managers who seem to have lost sight of NPC's vision? Stay tuned!

How Canuck immigration cops spot fake marriage fraud

There are a lot of pink faces -- white faces blushing -- in Ottawa and Vegreville AB [Where dat?! Ed.] as the Toronto Red Star reveals the contents of a manual issued to Canadian immigration officials to help them recognize fraudulent "marriages of conveniences", entered into for the purpose of getting one of the partners into Canada.

(Vegreville AB is the village in the hinterland where immigration applications are processed. It also happens to be the home of the world's biggest pysanka -- Ukrainian Easter egg -- but I digress...)

The three-page training guide, titled "Evidence of Relationship", lists clues officers should look for in assessing a spousal sponsorship application. Here's the list.

• University-educated Chinese nationals marrying non-Chinese
• Photos without parents or any family members, just a small group of friends
• Private marriage ceremony performed by either a minister or justice of the peace
• Informal reception in a restaurant
• Sponsor is uneducated, with a low-paying job or on welfare
• The couple do not kiss on the lips in photos
• Couples who do not have a honeymoon, not even a couple of days away, usually because of university and/or no money
• There are no “diamond” rings
• Wedding photos done professionally but pictures are very limited
• Some submit photos dressed in pajamas or cooking, to show they are living together
• Photos have them wearing the same clothes in various locations
• Are they touching each other in the photos, or trying not to touch?
• Photos of activities taken in the Niagara Falls area, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Toronto.

Very interesting. Walt wonders if the couple pictured below had their application approved.

Looks pretty contrived to me. On the other hand, they're both white (or pinkish), so they probably passed. If one of them had been, ohhhh, let's say Chinese, what would the result have been.

The training material, obtained under an access to information request and posted online by immigration lawyer Steven Meurrens, has created an uproar on social media among some Canadians and their foreign-born spouses. Mr. Murrens told the Star, "I am surprised that a Chinese marrying a non-Chinese, or a Canadian who is poor trying to sponsor a spouse, is an indicator of marriage fraud. That they actually put that in writing is surprising. I’d like to think that most immigration officers would realize how ridiculous that part of training was and would just ignore it."

At least one of Walt's agents would certainly agree.

UPDATED: Pontifical High Mass for Father Nicholas Gruner

UPDATE FROM ED. 12 MAY - Click here to find the link to the Fatima Center video of the Mass for Father Gruner.


The Fatima Center has announced the following arrangements for the funeral of Father Nicholas Gruner, RIP, who passed away on April 29th.

Visitations:
USA - Wednesday, May 6th, at Amigone Funeral Home, 3644 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga NY, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The Holy Rosary will be recited at 8:30 PM.
Canada - Thursday, May 7th and Friday May 8th at Benner Funeral Home, 1105 Benner Road, Fort Erie ON, from 2:00 to 4:00 PM and 7:00 to 9:00 PM. The Holy Rosary will be recited at 8:30 PM.

His Excellency Bishop Bernard Fellay, SSPX, will celebrate a Pontifical High Mass on Saturday, May 9th, at 9:30 AM, at the Scotiabank Convention Centre, 6815 Stanley Avenue, Niagara Falls ON. The Holy Rosary will be recited prior to the Mass, beginning at 9:00 AM.

Interment will follow at Saint Michael's Cemetery on Stonemill Road, Fort Erie ON.

Niagara politico sez someone's trying to make him look like a fool

Walt's Agent 3 continues to be fascinated by politics on the pretty (i.e. Canadian) side of the Niagara River. Politics in the Niagara Region, he writes, is practised much as it was a century ago -- a mix of cronyism, corruption and craziness which wouldn't be out of place in such democracies as, say, Zimbabwe. The craziness makes for some good laughs, as in two items from yesterday's news.

In Fort Erie -- across the river from the third-poorest city in the USA -- the town's Economic Development and Tourism Corporation general manager, Jim Thibert, is suing one of the town's Councillors, Don Lubberts, alleging violation of the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act.

In his statement of claim, Thibert alleges Lubberts should have declared a conflict when a land matter was discussed in closed sessions of the town council in March and April. In the spirit of civil discourse for which Fort Erie public officials are known, Thibert told a local online paper he filed the lawsuit for the sake of political ethics. "The point is – he shouldn't have been in the fucking room if he has a conflict. That's the rule!", Thibert said.


Meanwhile, there's a provincial election going on. The Ontario Liberal Party is led by outgoing premier Kathleen Wynne, who just yesterday told a public meeting how glad she is to be a lesbian after 37 years of heterosexuality, and how wonderful it is to live in a province which celebrates diversity, yada yada yada.

For some reason, the Liberals had trouble finding a candidate in Niagara Falls, so finally parachuted in a Bay Street lawyer named Lionel Tupman, who is rumoured to have a cottage somewhere in the northern part of the riding. Not much is known about Tupman except that he appears to be male, was called to the bar in 2012, and has never been elected to anything anywhere.

And, apparently, he has a somewhat thin skin. Canadian Press/CTV News reports that Tupman is considering... wait for it... legal action after he says someone altered one of his tweets "to try and make a fool" out of him.

Seems someone intentionally altered his message — an invitation to a campaign event — to change the word "plans" to, errr, "penis". Tupman says he was not hacked but is the victim of an online troll who wants voters to think he can’t spell or use social media appropriately. Agent 3 says that would put him on a par with 95% of the voters and 99% of Ontario's other politicians.

Tupman says he’s consulting with the party’s leadership to determine how best to "control the damage" and get the word out that he never issued the controversial tweet. Perhaps he can start by figuring out how a tweet can be altered unless the sender's account is hacked, which Tupman says wasn't what happened.

Furthermore, Tupman says -- harrumph, harrumph -- his campaign is considering legal action [against an unidentified troll? Ed.] because the tweet can "seriously damage a campaign". Sounds like the beginnings of a great excuse for June 12th, when Tupman will finish a dismal third behind the NDP's Wayne Gates and the Tory candidate, "The Other" Bart Maves. [Walt's got the trifecta on this one. Lifetime pct .974.]

"There’s no doubt it will be injurious," Tupman told CP. "It makes me look like an idiot." And let's not forget that Tupman is a litigation lawyer -- oo, oo -- and says he takes the "nasty" attack on his Twitter account "very seriously". As do we all, Lionel. As do we all.

Memo to voters in Niagara Falls, Canada

Poor Len Canayen here. Walt is out of town today. He's gone to the capital to attend the Bar Association's annual Mann Act Dinner-Dance. But he asked me to pass on a message from Agent 3 to the voters in the Ontario riding of Niagara Falls, concerning the by-election to be held on Thursday.

Agent 3 thinks the only one of the three major parties' candidates who will stand up for the ordinary people -- not special interests -- is the NDP candidate, Wayne Gates.

Walt endorses Wayne Gates. So do I. Send a message to Queen's Park. Get out and vote for Wayne.

Memo from Ed.: Walt has indeed read and endorsed this message. We have (alas) not been paid anything for posting it!

Thunder on the right! Politics and religion meet in Niagara Falls, September 9th to 13th

Is it possible to separate religion and politics -- church and state -- when you talk about saving our civilization from physical disaster and economic ruin? The godless Communists wish it were, because belief in God is antithetical to belief in an all-powerful State. The secular humanists wish it were, because faith in God implies lack of faith in mankind.

That's why, nowadays, you rarely hear politicians speak publicly about God or faith or anything vaguely religious. Most of them are afraid even to proclaim their personal beliefs, for fear of being pilloried in the lamestream media as "religious kooks".

And what of our religious leaders? Even when they do take a stand on a political issue with moral implications -- abortion, for instance -- they water the wine with disclaimers that non-believers or people of other faiths are entitled to their opinions, and Christian morality needn't be imposed on non-Christians... or even on self-styled "Christians" who choose to ignore the Church's teaching on such matters.

There is one Catholic apostolate which has never shied away from making the connection between religion and politics. That would be the Fatima Center, founded and directed by Rev. Fr. Nicholas Gruner.

For over three decades Father Gruner has been preaching the Full Message of Fatima. Very briefly, the Message is that the world can be saved from destruction and enjoy a period of peace (and the concomitant economic "peace dividend") in exchange for the Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. See "Why Pope Francis consecrated  his Pontificate to Our Lady of Fatima".

It is not unfair to say that Father Gruner has been a voice crying in the wilderness created by the Freemasons, one-worlders and apostates in the Vatican. Until now. In 2012, two Italian members of the European Parliament arranged for "the Fatima Priest" to speak to that body. Thus Father Gruner learned that it's not enough to preach to popes and bishops. You have to get the message out to the politicians too.

That's why the Fatima Center is convening a conference in Niagara Falls in September "to examine the condition of the world and the Church and to urge our leaders to take the only action that can avert the economic, political and military disaster that is looming". The name of the conclave? "The Path to Peace"!

Will "The Path to Peace" be just another talkfest? The Fatima Center has mounted "peace conferences" before, targeted chiefly at bishops and priests, for whom geopolitics was not always of great interest. But the prospectus Walt has just received suggests the upcoming convention should be very different. One look at the roster of speakers tells me this is going to be HUGE!

The keynote speaker is going to be... wait for it... none other than Dr. Ron Paul. The conference brochure calls him "the only voice of reason" in the US Congress. "Dr. Paul stands by the truth," it goes on to say, "in season and out. He knows that the course governments are following can only lead to greater catastrophes than those we are now suffering."

Walt would cross the falls on a tightrope -- à la Wallenda -- just to hear Dr. Paul, but there's more! Getting second billing -- a close second -- is the Hon. Romeo Dallaire, a Canadian senator, and Lieutenant-General (Ret.) of the Royal Canadian Army. It was Lt.Gen. Dallaire who commanded the hapless UN forces in the Rwanda débâcle. He saw firsthand the failure of the "international community" to stop the worst genocide of modern times. His address will focus on the ethical and moral issues of conflict resolution.

Other speakers include Peter Lance -- winner of five Emmy Awards for news and documentaries -- and G. Edward Griffin, also a successful writer and documentary film producer. Joe Schiedler, National Director of the Pro-Life Action League, is on the list, along with William F. Jasper, senior editor of The New American.

As well, attenders will be able to hear talks by Father Gruner and a number of his colleagues and collaborators, including Father Paul Kramer, the author of three books on the troubles within the Church. Christopher Ferrara and John Vennari are American Catholic writers and commentators, referred to in WWW from time to time.

On the distaff side are Cornelia Ferreira, whose articles have appeared in Catholic Family News and Christian Order, and Catherine Pearson, author of Fatima's Unfinished Business. The Hon. Mario Borghezio, a member of the European Parliament, will speak, as will Roberto Fiore, leader of the Italian political party Forza Nuova.

As of today, "The Path to Peace" has confirmed 20 speakers, who will hold forth for five days, September 9th through 13th, at the new Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls, Canada.

Walt will be there! How about you? For a brochure or further information, e-mail The Fatima Center or call toll-free 1-800-263-8160. Tell them Walt told you!