Niagara-on-the-Lake

Town in Niagara Regional Municipality, southern Ontario; population (1991) 12,900. It is situated on the southern shore of Lake Ontario, at the mouth of the Niagara River, opposite New York State. It is a site of considerable historical interest.

The site now occupied by Niagara-on-the-Lake was chosen as the first capital of Upper Canada (part of what is now Ontario), and named Newark. Settled by Loyalists (those who remained loyal to Britain during the American Revolution), it served as the capital in the period 1792–96, when the government was relocated to York (Toronto). In the War of 1812, the area saw much action. Queenston, now part of the city, was the scene of a British victory in October 1812. Fort George, built in the 1790s on Lake Ontario, was occupied by American forces May–December 1813; when they abandoned it, they burned Newark. Modern Niagara-on-the-Lake is a summer resort and a canning and processing centre for a fertile region growing fruit and vegetables. Other industries include winemaking, basketry, and boatbuilding.