Local Voices: A Bright Light for Niagara Falls

Linus MacDonald has been the man behind the Niagara Falls Illumination show for over 27 years, overseeing nightly displays and a newly developed energy-efficient lighting system. Find out how he got his start and the improvements he’s made to the magical lighting display over the years.

"I love every bit of it." After 27 years of working with the Niagara Falls Illumination Board (and 62 years of working with lighting!), lighting engineer Linus MacDonald is still awed by the beauty and power of the Falls.

In 1997, his television broadcast job brought him to Niagara Falls on New Year's Eve, where he worked out how to light the Falls to look perfect on television. It so impressed the Board that they asked him to work his magic for them directly.

Lighting the way

The Falls were first lit with electrical lights in 1879 for a royal Canadian visit, but it wasn't until the 1920s that the lights were shining regularly. The most recent upgrade to the program came in 2016 when the lights were upgraded to LED. And it was quite an upgrade: 100 panels of LED lights provide twice the power of the previous Xenon spotlights while using a whopping 60% less energy!

MacDonald explains that the LED lights are also superior in getting coverage across the Falls from towers that stand at a distance of 1,600 to 2,100 feet from the Falls themselves. "We wanted the Falls covered from one end to the other," he says — a feat that was not possible with the Xenon spotlights. "We accomplished that, so every inch of the Falls has color." The new LED lights also allow the Board to create virtually any color on the Falls, a massive shift from the limited palette of the Xenon lights.

For the best views of the Niagara Falls night lights on the American side, it is recommended to stand at Prospect Point or on Luna Island.

While the massive amounts of mist that the Falls produce act as a reflector, making projections difficult to produce, the glowing hues of the Niagara Falls Illumination light show are a beloved nightly attraction, starting shortly before sunset every evening.

Even after 27 years, MacDonald can still say with a wide grin on his face, "I like being a part of it all. I really do."

Check out the Niagara Falls illumination schedule below.

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