Hotels, casinos in Niagara Falls light up the night as sign of hope

There was a spectacular view in Niagara Falls over the weekend and it had nothing to do with the majestic waterfalls.

Hotel rooms and casinos lit up the night with glowing hearts Saturday night.

Niagara Falls Tourism said the buildings were lit as a sign of hope and solidarity with the community as it works to stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati posted a video of the light show on Twitter saying in one post, “We are all in this together Canada. #Hope in the dark. All eyes are not on the falls tonight, they are looking up instead.”

What a sight! @MacLeodLisa This is a proud moment for tourism, and for communities everywhere. #hopeisintheair #hopeinthedark @NiagaraFalls pic.twitter.com/UDhF8PfSkG

— Jim Diodati (@jimdiodati) March 23, 2020

In a video posted on Sunday, Diodati encouraged residents to share positive stories to help uplift each other during the pandemic.

Have positive stories to help uplift your friends and neighbours? Share them! @NiagaraFalls pic.twitter.com/ePKPuSpy1E

— Jim Diodati (@jimdiodati) March 22, 2020

All hotels, casinos, and city facilities were closed after Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a State of Emergency last week.

The city of Niagara Falls also activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC) to coordinate a response to any type of emergency during the “rapidly evolving situation.” The EOC is staffed by employees trained in emergency management.