Niagara-on-the-Lake is a Canadian town in Southern Ontario where the Niagara River meets Lake Ontario in the Niagara Region of the southern part of the province of Ontario. It is across the Niagara River from Youngstown, New York, US. It is the only town in Canada that has a Lord Mayor.The town, now including two former villages, St. David's and Queenston, was significant during the War of 1812 and even earlier, when it was the first capital of Upper Canada . Today, the town, with its quaint colonial-style buildings, is a popular tourist destination that includes the Shaw Festival, Fort George, wineries and an outlet mall on the highway.Niagara-on-the-Lake is among the best places to retire in Ontario, according to Comfort Life, a publication for seniors. According to this source, Niagara region has the second-highest percentage of seniors in Ontario.HistoryThe settlement, known from about 1781 as Butlersburg, in honour of Colonel John Butler, the commander of Butler's Rangers, was renamed West Niagara to distinguish it from Fort Niagara. It was a British military base and haven for pro-British loyalists fleeing the United States during the volatile aftermath of the American Revolution.
