The original site (1996–97)
Niagara-on-the-Net launched in July 1996 as "the premier online service of Niagara-on-the-Lake, linking everything in our world, to everything in yours." It was produced by Styx River Graphics and served from vaxxine.com, offering residents and visitors one of the earliest town websites in Ontario: a directory of local businesses, a weekly featured personality, community news and — ambitiously for the era — an online forum and a planned telephone directory.
The directory was thorough: 376 establishments across dining, lodging, wineries, shopping, services and community life, each with an address and phone number. Its first featured personality was Karl Kaiser of Inniskillin Wines; its first sponsored profiles included a harbourfront restaurant, a lakeside bed & breakfast and a local real-estate broker.
What this site is today
This restoration preserves the original site's entire web address structure — every one of the 394 archived pages still lives at its original URL — while presenting the same content in a modern, fast, mobile-friendly design. Business details are unaltered historical records; the design, navigation, accessibility and search visibility are new.
What you will find here
- The complete A–Z business directory — 376 searchable listings.
- Nine guides and sections for planning a visit.
- Featured profiles: The Anchorage, Innisfree on the Lake, Kevan O'Connor Realty and Karl Kaiser, Inniskillin Wines.
- The original maps, photographs and artwork of the 1996 site, preserved and labeled.
Our promise
Independent, ad-free and plain: no accounts, no tracking, no ads. Listings are historical records — we keep them exactly as published, and we say so. Questions and corrections are welcome via the contact page.