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Niagara Falls, Ont. will be lit in red, white and blue followed by a fireworks show on Saturday as a thank you to the Buffalo Bills for including O Canada at their Sept. 17 home opener.
Niagara Falls, Ont. will be illuminated in Buffalo Bills colours on Saturday as a gesture of thanks to the NFL team and its Canadian fans.
Niagara Falls Light Up For Bills
The falls will glow red, white and blue, followed by a fireworks show featuring the same colours. The event is organized by Niagara Falls Tourism. The tribute responds to the Bills including the Canadian national anthem at their Sept. 17 home opener against the Detroit Lions. Canadian band Barenaked Ladies was tapped to sing O Canada, even though neither team playing was Canadian.
On Friday, Niagara Falls Tourism took out a full-page ad in The Buffalo News inviting American residents to come watch the falls light up. Buffalo, we could hear you singing from here, the ad reads. Canadians sang along from the stadium, in sports bars and on couches across the country. Adam Stiles, interim president and CEO of Niagara Falls Tourism, said the event is a chance to say thank you for doing something nice for Canadians.
I think that is sort of just what that neighbourly spirit is really all about, he told CTVNewsToronto.ca on Friday. So that is what we wanted to reciprocate back to them. You know, they are showing us the love. We want to show it back.
Bills Team Honours Canadian Fan Base
Stiles added there was no reason for that NFL game to include the Canadian national anthem, other than the fact they know they have a large Canadian fan base and they have thousands of fans that drive over every single home game. In September, Kate Husman, chief strategy officer for the Buffalo Bills, told CTV News that 12 per cent of Bills season ticket holders are Canadian.
The organization also estimates between 15 and 20 per cent of fans at home games are Canadian. Husman said including the Canadian national anthem was a meaningful gesture as a border town, as a neighbour town, to honour those Canadian fans who have supported the Bills for so long. Stiles said when it comes to a human-to-human level, both sides share a lot in common. We have had a lot of history, he said.
Neighbourly Spirit Crosses The Border
We share a river. We have shared experiences. We have got family members on both sides of the border. We continue to draw on that connection on that personal level and just wanted to say thanks for doing something nice for us.
The friendly exchange comes despite the ongoing trade war between Canada and the U.S. and rising tensions between the neighbouring countries. Both regions are making thoughtful gestures to show mutual respect and appreciation. The lighting and fireworks are set for Saturday in Niagara Falls, Ont.
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CTVToronto:Niagara Falls, Ont. to show appreciation for Buffalo Bills by lighting up the falls in team colours 
CTVNews:Niagara Falls, Ont. to show appreciation for Buffalo Bills by lighting up the falls in team coloursThis story was compiled and edited by the HeadTopics newsroom and HT AI from the reports above.
Niagara Falls Buffalo Bills Canadian National Anthem Niagara Falls Tourism Canada U.S. Relations Canadian Fans O Canada Fireworks Tribute
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