Jobs in Niagara Falls - Various Employment Opportunities in This Popular Tourist Destination
Finding a job just about anywhere these days can be a challenging task for even the most qualified person. Just because it is challenging though doesn't make it impossible, and when you narrow down your focus and determine where you would best be suited, finding employment in the Niagara Falls area may be a good bet.
Niagara Falls is a popular tourism hot spot. There are several reasons people travel here including the natural beauty of the area, the casinos, the wineries and of course the Falls themselves.
To find a job you must determine what area you are most interested in or qualified for. I have compiled a list of the largest or most popular areas of employment in Niagara Falls to help you in your search for the perfect job.
Types of Employment
Hydro Generation: The City of Niagara Falls original boom came because of the fact that it is where Hydro-electricity started in North America. The very first generating station was built here and the city still provides much of power hungry North America with its electricity. With a new tunnel, designed to provide more water to the hydro plants under construction, there is a bright future in Niagara for anyone in the industry. This means that everything from guards, maintenance and office staff to engineers, electricians and fully qualified linesmen will still be in demand as the service grows.
Niagara Parks: The Niagara Parks are in charge of looking after all the parkland, the Falls and the Niagara Gorge. They employ many different people from maintenance and grounds keepers and administration staff; as well as running tourism info kiosks they even have their own police force, the Niagara Parks Police. A career with Niagara Parks can be very rewarding and many positions include one on one interaction with the public.
Wine Industry: The entire Niagara Region is known world wide for its wine production, especially for its Icewine. Many of the areas wineries are on the constant lookout for new and experienced employees to help fill the need of a growing industry.
Although many jobs in this field require an educational background in wine there are some such as front end sales and hospitality that can help you get your foot in the door. If you already have an education in the field of wine, Niagara employees people in every wine industry category.
Hotels: The accommodations industry in Niagara Falls is very large. There is a hotel here representing just about every popular chain hotel in North America. The Hilton Hotel and Suites Niagara Falls in fact, is now Canada's largest hotel and is actually taller than the Skylon Tower. Careers in the Hotel industry include everything from valet, bell hop and cleaning services to reception desk, room services, kitchen staff and hotel management. Hotels are like small cities and require a large staff to run efficiently. Entry level positions are usually available in the Spring as tourism and room bookings begin to pick up.
Casinos: The City of Niagara Falls has two Casinos, Casino Niagara and the Fallsview Casino Resort. Both are very popular and have many job positions within them. The most common employment positions in either one would include security guards, Table attendants, slot attendants, maintenance, cleaning, Restaurant and Bar staff and management staff.
Restaurants & Bars: Known as the hospitality industry, restaurants, bars, clubs and reception halls are in every city in the world. Unlike most cities however, Niagara Falls caters to customers from all around the world. It is for this reason that these places are always on the lookout for talent coming in from all over the globe. The restaurant industry in Niagara Falls is much like it's hotel industry. They hire most of their employees during the Spring to Fall months to help handle the larger tour crowds. This type of employment is great for students that can work part time or during the summer.
Tourism: This is what the Falls is famous for. People from all around the world travel here to get a glimpse of the Natural Wonder and to see all the beauty that surrounds this place. The tourism industry in Niagara Falls covers a very large description of positions and is where a large portion of jobs come from during the busy season. This industry includes jobs from sightseeing tour operators, bed and breakfast employees, venders, attraction operators and store and gift shop clerks to name just a few.
The descriptions above were meant as very broad strokes, examples of the various types of employment that can be found in Niagara Falls. Like any other city, especially one that has been built around tourism, there are literally thousands of possible job opportunities here and each one of them have their own unique qualities that would suit the right person.
About the Author
As a life long resident of the Niagara Region, Tim Nagy uses his extensive knowledge of the area when writing on related topics such as Niagara tourism, sight seeing, accommodations, attractions and anything else to do with this popular travel destination.
Tim is a writer and partner contributor to Everything Niagara Falls http://www.everything-niagara-falls.com/, a site dedicated to providing free information on all there is to do and see in Niagara Falls.
Free Niagara Falls Attractions
Niagara Falls waterfalls as one of the seven world's natural wonders and its numerous attractions has stunned numerous visitors. Many of the tours are paid, but there are also things to do which are for free. Several of these popular sites and activities are in or close to the Niagara Falls city and they are among the best tourist attractions in Canada also.
Niagara impresses with extraordinary natural beauty, warm hospitality, variety of cultural offerings, natural, historic and man-made attractions and amazing modern and historic architecture.
The most popular Niagara attractions on Canadian side are Maid of the Mist, Journey behind the Falls, Spanish Aero Car, Skylon Tower, Marineland and Niagara Jet boat.
On the American side, popular things to do are Cave of the Winds tour, Niagara Aquarium and Maid of the Mist boat tour.
There is a charge for all these attractions, and it can be expensive. For family of four admission is too pricey.
If you are on a budget, you can still find several excellent, free Niagara Falls attractions and places worth visiting:
1. Viewing Horseshoe Falls from Canadian side is a must. Canadian side gives you a perfect view of the cascading Niagara Falls during the day, the rainbow above and illuminated falls during the night. This side is also ideal for you to make some amazing pictures.
American Falls with Bridal Veil Falls are on the other side of the border.
2. During the summer, Fireworks in the night is breathtaking. It can be seen during the summer, on Friday, Sunday and on holiday evenings at 10pm.
3. Visiting Niagara botanical garden, with 99 acres of the beautiful gardens and over 2400 roses, trees and shrubs, is free of charge, all year round.
4. Hiking and biking around Niagara region and its trails, parks and other areas. There is a nice walking waiting for you, starting with a conservation zone Ball's Falls, Niagara Glen Nature Reserve, Bruce trails and more.
5. Tasting wine in Niagara wineries. Niagara has over 15000 acres under vine and with more than 60 Niagara wineries. Keep in mind that there is a charge for premium wines.
6. Visiting Welland Canal and watching ships, where around 3000 ocean and lake vessels go through the total of 8 locks per year. Lock 3 and lock 7 are giving you the best view. The canal is 43km in length, and elevation between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie is 99.5 m. It takes an average 11 hours for ships to go through the canal.
7. Visiting a Floral Clock - its 40 feet in diameter area is consisting of more than 24 000 colorful carpet plants. It is one of the largest in the world. Its face is changed twice a year and during the winter, flowers are replaced with multi-colored stones.
8. Gorgeous drive from Niagara Falls Canada to Niagara-on-the-Lake along Niagara Parkway, where you can visit some of the above attraction, enjoy the scenery, like Niagara Whirlpool, Aero Car and Niagara Gorge.
9. Strolling down the streets of the "prettiest Canadian town", Niagara-on-the-Lake.
Niagara Falls doesn't have to be expensive, we have just showed you several free attractions... hotel deals are available, cheap motels also, you just have to search for them.
What is my selection of the best things to do in and around Niagara you can find in the article about Niagara Falls attractions.
Niagara Falls tourist guide is a guide for everybody visiting Canada and mighty Niagara waterfalls. This is a guide that provides ultimate information with a personal touch; about hotels, motels, attractions, events, places around and much more.
The information given here was collected from personal experience, other people experience, and with a help of many travel guides, websites and travel books.
The Niagara Region's Icewineries: Wine Tasting In A New Light
Wine tours have long been popular in the realm of unique vacations; but for anyone who'd like to take the novelty of such a getaway to a whole new level, Canada's Niagara region - and its famous Icewineries - await.
One of the most intriguing aspects of a wine tour is learning the history behind a type of wine, a winery or a region that yields the wine - none of which are an exception when it comes to Icewines. The discovery of Icewine in 1794 was accidental when, out of necessity, winemakers in Germany pressed frozen grapes - the resulting juice of which was found to have an unusually high concentration of sugar. It wasn't until the mid 1800s, however, that the winery intentionally began to produce Icewine for distribution.
The production of Icewine did not extend to Canada until 1973, after which time the venture proved to be a huge success. Today, Canada - and particularly, Ontario's Niagara Peninsula region - is the largest producer of Icewine, a product that's often referred to as "liquid gold". That's because the juice from Icewine grapes composes about one-fifth the amount that would be extracted from unfrozen grapes. For instance, if the grapes of an unfrozen vine produced a bottle of wine, the grapes of a frozen vine would produce just one glass of Icewine.
The Icewine harvest begins in the winter months - typically, in December - once temperatures drop below -10 to -13 degrees Celsius and grapes have frozen on the vines. Natural freezing concentrates the sugars, acids and extracts, thus intensifying the flavors of the juice; then, as the frozen grapes are pressed, the highly concentrated, sweet juice is extracted. The natural water portion, however, remains in the grape skins as ice crystals. The juice is then fermented very slowly over the course of several months to produce Icewine. Typical grapes used for ice wine production include: Riesling Seyval Blanc, Vidal Blanc and the red grape Cabarnet Franc.
The Niagara region hosts an ice wine festival every January to celebrate the fruit of each year's harvest. Locals and tourists alike can indulge in ice bars, frozen art exhibits and tours through Niagara's famous wine routes - alongside, of course, a taste of some of the region's most exquisite Icewines.
If you're considering taking an Icewine tasting tour in the Niagara region this winter, rest assured that there are plenty of fantastic options for accommodation in Niagara Falls. The Doubletree Resort Lodge & Spa Fallsview, Niagara Falls, for example, features an award-winning VQA wine list, including Icewine by the glass or bottle at Buchanans Chophouse. So you can get started on the wine tasting before you even hit the festival or your tour!
By touring Niagara's Ice wineries, you'll learn about the unique processes involved in making Icewines, as well as have the opportunity to try some of the most exceptional wines in the world. So what are you waiting for? Take the novelty of a wine-tasting tour to a whole new level - experience the Niagara region's famous Icewines.
How I Found a Hidden Gem Winery in Niagara Wine Region
Tawse - Luxury behind a mighty fence
Once you're in the Niagara wine region, after driving for a while, a view of never ending vineyards can get boring. Every now and then you see a hut-like winery store and contemplate whether this one will be different from the first few.
Well, this was not the case with Tawse Winery and Vineyards of Niagara Peninsula.
We just passed another hut-like estate when we saw a large fence that marked the entrance to the Tawse Winery. Once we entered the gate, a magnificent vista opened in front of our eyes. A picturesque pond with well manicured grounds, covered by flowers and ornamental grasses, shrubs and other perennials... it was breathtaking. We took our cameras and started clicking along.
After a few minutes of enjoying the grounds, we finally made it to the entrance of the winery, passing all sorts of high end vehicles parked at the front. The building looked modern yet very solid with a classic flare. We entered it, and... to our surprise - the back wall was made of glass - we saw the steel wine aging barrels and other winemaking equipment that covered about three levels.
The tasting room was at the front, on the main level. The cashier on the left and the bar in the middle. Nicely lit, this modern U-shaped bar had several horticulture specialists (or at least very educated servers) ready to serve. Over a handful of wine tasting menus were laminated and spread over the surface of the bar counter for the visitors to study. The pricelists were placed at the front in their sturdy wooden frames. Don't choke when you see the prices... but they wines are well worth it.
We decided that we won't be buying anything there for now (an average bottle was $60), but will try a few varieties. Both Chardonnays that I tried were amazing, and so was the Red Zinfandel Ice Wine. We took a few more pictures inside. I decided to check out the girls room just to see if it's as extravagant as the rest of the estate. And so it was.
After leaving the winery store, we drove to the back of it to take pictures of the magnificent view of endless vineyards, lake Ontario on the horizon, and an occasional farm house roof barely seen from among the lush greenery.
We did not want to leave. Too bad there is no restaurant on the property. It would definitely do well. The place just screams 'luxury'. I would definitely recommend this place to everyone. Let me know how your enjoyed it.
[http://www.winery-explorer.com/] is a resource dedicated to enhance your wine tasting experience by providing extensive wine related travel information. It also allows you to win your trip by sharing your opinions and experiences. Find more articles like this one as well as descriptions of the most popular wine regions.
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