Maid of the Mist announces 2012 launch date

Good news if you want to get close to Niagara Falls this year: the Maid of the Mist is starting the season early on both the American and Canadian sides of the Niagara River gorge.

The famous falls tourist attraction will start up on April 12th – three weeks ahead of last year – thanks to unseasonably warm temperatures, and ice-free conditions on Lake Erie and the Niagara River.

The attraction has been around since 1846. A few weeks ago when a new tour operator was announced by the Niagara Parks Commission, the company which currently runs the Maid of the Mist had said it may not be running this season.