Niagara Falls illuminated in NATO blue for Alliance’s 70th anniversary

  • 14 Jul. 2019 -
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  • Last updated: 16 Jul. 2019 14:40

The Niagara Falls were illuminated in NATO blue on Sunday night (14 July 2019), marking the Alliance’s 70th anniversary and the start of Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg’s visit to North America. At 10:00pm local time, both sides of the Falls were floodlit in deep blue – the colour of NATO’s official flag, adopted in 1953.

Welcoming the lighting, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said: “It was beautiful to see both Canadian and US Niagara Falls illuminated in blue for NATO’s 70th anniversary. Water can be a bridge rather than a barrier: the Falls bring Canada and the United States together, just as the North Atlantic unites our Alliance.”

Secretary General Stoltenberg began a visit to Canada and the United States on Sunday. On Monday, he will accompany Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to meet troops at Canadian Forces Base Petawawa, and later deliver a speech at the University of Toronto’s Massey College. On Wednesday, Mr. Stoltenberg will deliver keynote remarks at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado. 

Sunday’s illumination was made possible by the Niagara Falls Illumination Board, which is made up of representatives from the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario; 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.