DC students on ‘The Maid of the Mist’ – a boat that circles the base of the Niagara Falls.

The mighty Niagara Falls is one of the seven wonders of the natural world—and a force of nature you need to see to believe.

If you think your child might benefit from an international ESL summer camp, consider choosing one that offers them easy access to some of the world’s most exciting natural wonders. Destination Canada takes advantage of its central Canadian location to organize day and weekend trips to these kinds of exciting sites.

Our Niagara Falls trip is one of the most highly-anticipated parts of every summer! To find out why, test your knowledge, and get your child ready for an international adventure, check out these three fun facts about the Falls.

1. The Falls is Always on the Move: Explaining Erosion in English Summer School

Niagara Falls isn’t famous for having the tallest or widest waterfall system in the world, but for the extremely high volume of water that passes over its summit. Believe it or not, an astounding 30,480 cubic metres of water flows over the Falls every single second! If you’ve experienced the Niagara Falls in person, you likely still remember the powerful ‘roar’ this much water makes.

Because the water flow is so strong and heavy, it’s been known to erode the rock face beneath it. Through erosion, the Falls essentially pushes itself backward, moving deeper into the Niagara River and further from tourist lookout points. Researchers first recorded the erosion by surveying the Falls’ movement from 1842 to 1905—when it eroded an average of 1.16 metres per year. Since then, scientists and engineers have worked to keep the Falls in its place, battling its erosive powers by diverting some of the water flow.

Today, the Falls still moves back about 0.3 metres per year. We encourage our ESL students to catch it while they can!

This part of the Niagara Falls has eroded into a ‘U’ shape, so Canadians call it ‘the Horseshoe.’

2. English Summer School Students Learn: The Falls Have a ‘First Nations’ Name

Learning about our country’s unique history is part of every great ESL camp in Canada. Much of Canada’s most vibrant and colourful history comes from its First Nations or Aboriginal populations—those who called Canada home long before European settlers arrived. Like many historic Canadian landmarks, Niagara owes its name to Canada’s First Nations people.

Historians say ‘Niagara’ comes from the native Iroquois name for the region, ‘Ongiaahra’ (pronounced ‘Oh-ne-au-ga-rah’). Ongiaahra means ‘point of land cut in two.’ That name still suits Niagara Falls, as it is part of the Niagara River which divides Canadian land from American land.

3. A Safe & Spectacular Border: The Falls Colourfully Connects Two Countries

Canada and the United States are proud to share the longest undefended border in the world. When students at our English summer school visit Niagara Falls they see this border firsthand, and gain an understanding of the lasting friendship these two countries share.

There are two bridges connecting the Niagara region to its American counterpart, affectionately named the Rainbow Bridge and the Peace Bridge. At Niagara Falls, the US and Canada are divided not by fences or soldiers, but by a spectacular landmark, and a river so narrow that tourists on either side can wave to each other.

Niagara Falls even hosts the annual Friendship Festival, celebrating the peace and natural beauty these countries experience together in the midst (and mist) of this natural wonder. On a guided trip with their classmates, your child can practice their new English language skills in an atmosphere of friendly Canadians, international tourists, and our respectful neighbours to the south.

ESL students take in the international view from atop Niagara Falls’ 158m tall Skylon Tower.

Are you looking for a great English language summer camp for your child?

Visit Destination Canada for more information or to register today.