Until the 1920s, a horse and carriage was still the primary mode of transportation for many in Niagara. In some of the big cities, motor cars became prevalent even earlier. The horse and carriage featured here is certainly upscale, which leads us to believe that it was for hire. The Town of Niagara had a few livery stables, such as Michael Greene (and later Jack Greene) on King Street and Daniel Waters on Prideaux. Before the Queens Royal Hotel shut down, both Greene and Waters would have been busy shuttling hotel guests around town. In the off-season, they also had an agreement to remove vagrants with a one-way ticket to Toronto on behalf of town council. Maybe not in these nice leather carriages, though.
In the background is the Times Newspaper office, a laundry and a clothing outfitter. Today, you would enjoy a sweet treat in this building at either Nina’s Gelateria or the Olde Tyme Candy Shop on Queen Street.