Niagara Falls then and now: The Seneca Theatre

click on photos to enlarge!

Below: View of old downtown area of Niagara Falls (looking north) with Bridge St. seen running across top of photo. The two railroad bridges across the Niagara River are just out of frame at the right. The orange marks indicate buildings in the photo that are now demolished, and the yellow marks indicate train tracks that have been removed, as of May 28, 2008. (original photo from Niagara Falls Library Archive)

Below: Jun.7, 1939 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (affectionately later known as the Queen Mum, mother of Queen Elizabeth II) are greeted in Niagara Falls at the Niagara Parks administration office.  The girl (who looks like she's actually shaking the King's hand!) is Eleanor Donald, a local student from Simcoe Street school. The man at her left is Niagara Falls mayor Carl Haniwell, and partially hidden in between them also stood the mayor's young son, David Haniwell. After this quick visit to Niagara Falls, the royal entourage headed to Washington D.C., to meet President Roosevelt, ostensibly to get the isolationist F.D.R's support for the war brewing in Europe. By September, Stalin and Hitler collaborated together to invade Poland, starting WW2, while the Americans did not get involved until after they were attacked at Pearl Harbor in 1941.

Above: same view, May 28, 2008. The building now houses a police station, and has had a second storey added. Note: the same window can be seen open in both photos!
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Below: Hotel parking lot, north-east corner of Stanley Ave. and Dixon St. Taken Apr.9, 2008, by R. Bobak.


Above: same view, now a huge excavated pit, in preparation for a new building. Taken May 26, 2008, by R. Bobak. Above: The excavation continues deeper, photo taken June 9, 2008, by R. Bobak. Note part of the new perimeter concrete foundation wall already in place at north (bottom of photo) side of site.
Below: The Seneca movie theatre's deco neon marquee, Queen St., Niagara Falls, Sept.28, 1965 (NFLA)


Above: same view, May 28, 2008.
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Below: Edgewood Estates housing development on the (for now) outskirts of Niagara Falls, on the east side of Garner Rd., south of Lundy's Lane. Roads are in place, and an overflow pond has been dug at the left of the photo. Taken May 1, 2008 by R. Bobak.


Above: same view as it was earlier, on Apr.10, 2007. The old farmland had just been scraped and levelled. Note the Skylon tower seen in the far distance in the center of both photos.
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Below: Edgewood Estates on Apr.10, 2007, taken by R. Bobak, showing the old green farm house with a stand of trees to its rear.


Above: same view, May 1, 2008. A road now leads into the subdivision, the old green farm house has been demolished, and a new model home (the first of many to rise on the old farm field) has taken its place.
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