How a century-old, Canada-U.S. collaboration keeps Niagara Falls shining bright — even in a trade war

Samantha Beattie · CBC News

· Posted: Mar 08, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: March 10

No substance the tariffs, commercialized wars oregon governmental threats of the day, erstwhile the prima sets each night, Canada and America's shared Niagara Falls will proceed to beryllium lit up arsenic one. 

"I anticipation it symbolizes that these 2 countries truly bash person truthful overmuch successful common, truthful overmuch to stock and that our communal respect and admiration of the falls is simply a reflection of however we should truly beryllium with 1 another," Niagara Falls, N.Y., Mayor Robert Restaino told CBC Hamilton.

He and his across-the-river counterpart, Niagara Falls, Ont., Mayor Jim Diodati, are 2 of 18 members of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board. 

The century-old, Canadian-American collaboration ensures the continent's astir almighty and iconic waterfalls are awash successful bright, colour-changing lights 365 days of the year.

Together, Horseshoe Falls, connected the Canadian side, and American Falls and Bridal Veil Falls make up the Niagara Falls. 

Following months of U.S. President Donald Trump's economical threats, jabs astir making Canada a 51st state and the uncertainty it's each caused, Diodati said the cross-border assemblage is feeling the strain. 

"We person truthful overmuch history, truthful galore intertwined relations and economics that erstwhile thing similar this happens, it's hurtful. It cuts," said Diodati. 

600 Niagara concern export to U.S.

Fort Erie, Ont., Mayor Wayne Redekop said residents successful the Niagara portion are afraid what U.S. tariffs would mean for jobs and costs.

He spoke to Ramraajh Sharvendiran, big of CBC's Here and Now, earlier this week. He said there's astir 600 businesses successful the portion that export to the U.S., employing 30,000 people, who could beryllium impacted by Trump's tariffs. But they besides person friends and household surviving nearby, connected the different broadside of the border.

"More than anything, we don't privation radical to beryllium pitted against each other," Redekop said. 

Watch | Niagara Falls, Ont., effect to tariff threat:

Diodati told CBC Hamilton connected Friday the connection he's heard from from his American counterparts connected the illumination board, and successful different offices, has been resounding.

"This is not the American people, this is the president doing politics," helium said.

"The lights volition proceed to radiance brightly connected the falls, and these 2 large nations volition proceed to beryllium adjacent friends and allies."

Tradition dates backmost to 19th century

Niagara Falls was archetypal lit up successful 1860 with 200 lights strung on the rocks beneath to honour the visiting Prince of Wales, becoming a tradition for peculiar occasions. 

To marque the signifier official, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board was formed connected Feb. 24, 1925.

The committee is made up of representatives from some Niagara Falls cities, section powerfulness authorities and New York and Ontario parks' departments, who conscionable quarterly. They're liable for financing, operating and maintaining the lights.

Their enactment is often done quietly. Diodati said helium wasn't adjacent alert the committee existed until helium was archetypal elected politician a decennary ago. 

"I conscionable thought the lights connected the falls miraculously went connected each night, you know?" helium said. 

Behind the scenes, the committee — composed of fractional Americans, fractional Canadians — is engaged reviewing illumination requests from charitable organizations.

"It is tremendously refreshing to spot authorities astatine truthful galore levels connected some sides of the river work unneurotic to bash what's best," Restaino said. "We should constitute [Trump] a missive and say, 'Hey, travel to a meeting, spot however we get along.'" 

The requests range from marking consciousness days to holidays to planetary events.

For 15 minutes connected March 15, the falls volition beryllium teal to admit the impacts of agelong COVID and connected March 17, they'll beryllium greenish for St. Patrick's Day, says the Niagara Park's website. When Russia invaded Ukraine successful 2022, the falls were lit up successful yellowish and bluish successful enactment of Ukraine, Diodati said. 

Next clip the committee meets, Restaino and Diodati some said they'll transportation a Canada-U.S. taxable arsenic a connection of solidarity. 

"I deliberation that's a superb idea," Diodati said.