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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 9, 20 21 | 30 The words feel back-ward for a visit to anatural wonder, butas the coloured lights from the Niagara Falls Illumina- tion - a bank of lights that set the three waterfalls aglow in colour every evening - signal the begin- ning of the night, the heartbeat of Niagara Falls begins to pound. Niagara Falls is the entertainment capital of Canada. Enter the Clifton Hill dis- trict, and the entertainment hub of downtown Niagara Falls. Enjoy live music events, such as the upcoming Niagara Falls Music Live beginning Dec. 27 celebrating the return of live mu- sic over six nights in 20 venues with 75+ performances, including New Year's Eve with Blue Rodeo, Serena Ryder and Crown Lands. Find all the event details at musi- clive.ca For theatre buffs, the famous Shaw Festival, one of North America's finest cultural attrac- tions in Niagara-on-the-Lake is only minutes away. My son couldn't wait to dodge dinosaurs while sinking putts at Dinosaur Adventure Golf, and by the second hole, had his eyes on the video game style go-kart track that awaited us at Niagara Speed- way. My daughter and my wife were busy visiting their favourite celebrities in one of two Holly- wood-themed wax museums just steps from where our taxi had dropped us. The entrance to the 53 metre Skywheel is more active than the wheel itself. Bordered by bowling alleys, classic carnival midway games and indoor circuses? Yes, a simple purchase of a fun pass al- lowed my family into three differ- ent choice events, and before we knew what was next, my daugh- ter and I were guiding each other through mazes of mirrors, ribbons and laughter. South of us is the Fallsview Indoor Waterpark, a three-acre water slide paradise. And just above our heads, screaming voic- es emanate from a roller coaster that appears to be running in and out of a building. My daughter squeezes her fun pass tight. "Dad, this is much more than just a waterfall." This content was funded and approved by the advertiser. Book Your Next Niagara Adventure Now. Scan for all of the Best Deals on Hotels and Attractions SPONSORED NIAGARA FALLS TOURISM CONTRIBUTED THE SUN SETS, AND NIAGARA FALLS COMES ALIVE SAVING YOU MORE ON NOW AT THE BRICK! SAVING YOU MORE SAVING YOU MORE Visit thebrick.com for more details and locations. On Dec. 2, Halton Region reported that a number of Omicron variant cases have been identified in the region -- consisting of one-lab confirmed case and two proba- ble cases. All three cases are linked, with one of the probable cases having recently traveled to Nigeria. "We continue to monitor the situation closely and I urge all residents to be vigi- lant given the entry of the Omicron variant in our community," said Dr. Hamidah Meghani, Halton's medical officer of health. Adults aged 50 and up who received their second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine about six months ago -- or 168 days -- can start booking an appointment for a booster shot on Monday, Dec. 13. The expanded rollout was announced by Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario's chief med- ical officer of health. He said that Ontario will further ex- pand eligibility for the booster dose based on age and risk, with an interval of six to eight months from the second dose, begin- ning in January. As for the weekly COVID-19 cases, the region's website shows that from Nov. 26 to Dec. 2 there were 241 new cases, up from 148 the previous week. As of Dec. 3, the number of active CO- VID-19 cases stood at 217 -- with 86 cases in Milton, 61 in Oakville, 57 in Burlington, and 13 in Halton Hills. There have been 20,582 cases of COVID-19 during the pan- demic, with 20,121 marked as resolved and 244 deaths. WEEKLY ROUNDUP: OMICRON VARIANT CASES REPORTED IN HALTON BAMBANG SADEWO bsadewo@metroland.com Here's a weekly looks at COVID-19 cases and news. John Rennison photo NEWS SCAN FOR MORE Scan this code to view COVID cases tracker.