Niagara Falls, ON – For the past century, as the sun sets in Niagara Falls, the iconic natural wonder comes to life with a breathtaking, multi-coloured spectacle, through nightly illuminations carried out by the Niagara Falls Illumination Board. Today, February 24, 2025, the binational organization will celebrate its 100th anniversary, marking a century of illuminating the Falls in recognition of global events, causes, charities, holidays and cultural milestones.
History of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board
Over a century ago, on September 14, 1860, Niagara Falls was forever transformed when 200 Bengel lights were installed to honour a visit from the Prince of Wales. Over the following decades, the Falls continued to be illuminated for royal visits and special occasions. However, it wasn’t until the early 1920s that a group of Niagara Falls businessmen, known as the ‘generators,’ advocated for an upgrade to the lighting system. Their efforts raised enough funds to install 24 new arc lights, which led to the formation of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board on February 24, 1925. The Board has since been solely responsible for financing, operating and maintaining the nightly illuminations.
The lighting of Niagara Falls has evolved significantly over the years. The most recent upgrade took place in December 2016, when a new $4 million LED lighting grid was introduced. It provides twice the brightness, a broader colour spectrum and consumes a quarter of the energy compared to the previous system.
A Legacy of Light
Over the years, illuminations have helped raise awareness for hundreds of charities, along with recognizing globally significant events and milestones. The first time Niagara Falls was illuminated using electricity was in 1879, to mark the visit of Princess Louise and her husband, the Marquis of Lorne and the Governor General of Canada.
Today, the Falls are often lit in special colours for registered charities wishing to mark a significant date in support of their cause. This occurred for the first time in 2004 when Estée Lauder approached the Niagara Falls Illumination Board to request that the lights be turned pink for a night as part of the company’s Breast Cancer global event.
In contrast, on March 29, 2008, the Falls went dark from 8 p.m. to 9 p.m. to participate in the global Earth Hour initiative launched by the World Wildlife Fund, in support of action on climate change.
In April 2016, the Falls were lit in royal purple to celebrate Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday. Coincidentally, on the same day, legendary music icon Prince passed away, causing images of the illuminated Falls to go viral as the illumination became connected to honouring Prince’s legacy.
In September 2022, to recognize National Day for Truth and Reconciliation Day in Canada, the Falls were illuminated in bright orange to honour the tragic legacy of the residential school system. While visiting Niagara Falls for commemorative events that year, residential school survivor and Orange Shirt Day founder Phyllis Webstad viewed the powerful illumination in person along with her family.
More recently in December 2024, both the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls were lit up in red, white and blue to honour the life of former President Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States and the first former president to reach the age of 100. A champion of peace, humanitarian efforts and environmental stewardship, his values resonate deeply on both sides of the border, exemplifying the strong Canada-U.S. friendship.
The Niagara Falls Illumination Board celebrates its 100th anniversary on February 24, 2025, kicking off a year of celebration, culminating with special events planned for the weekend of September 12 – 14, 2025. Further details around the Board’s celebratory plans will be shared later this year.
Quotes
“As Board Chair, it is amazing to think of the millions of visitors that have enjoyed the quiet beauty of the lights on the Falls each evening over the last 100 years. For the last century, the NFIB has enabled this lighting as an enhancement to the natural beauty of the Falls and we are proud of the opportunity to continue this binational effort that is shared with so many from around the world.” – Kent Keeler, Chair of the Niagara Falls Illumination Board.
Link: Falls Illumination photos are available here.
All special illumination requests are reviewed and approved by the Niagara Falls Illumination Board, which has financed and operated the “illumination of Niagara Falls” since 1925. The Niagara Falls Illumination Board is made up of representatives from the City of Niagara Falls Ontario, City of Niagara Falls, New York, Ontario Power Generation Inc., New York Power Authority, New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and The Niagara Parks Commission. It is the Illumination Board’s responsibility and mandate to finance and maintain the nightly illumination of both the Horseshoe and American Falls.
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