Chippawa is a community located within the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario. Located mostly around a tributary of the Niagara River affectionately known as the Chippawa Creek.
The village was founded in 1850, and became part of the City of Niagara Falls, Ontario by amalgamation in 1968.
Laura Secord, heroine of the War of 1812, lived in the so-called Rose Cottage located on the banks of the Welland River to a ripe old age. She died in town at 93. During the War of 1812 many famous battles were fought in the area known as Chippawa. Canadian militia and British regulars lost one of their first battles at the Battle of Chippawa which is seen as one of the most important victories for the U.S. in the war, but the American campaign was unable to advance further after the Battle of Lundy's Lane. The Niagara Campaign helped to stablize the frontier between the U.S. and Canada, which resulted in the status quo ante bellum of the Treaty of Ghent.
The Welland river is also known locally as the Chippawa Creek.
Famous Canadian film director James Cameron, lived in the village for much of his youth. His parents continue to reside there, living in the same house he was raised in. The house is on Parkway Dr. The village is very proud of having been the home of this celebrity, and comemerates this on both the street sign for Parkway Drive which is decorated to look like a film strip, and the village's welcome sign which is decorated with the words "Home of James Cameron".
Despite being in very close proximity to Niagara Falls one of the most popular tourist sites in the world, Chippawa still remains a very quiet area of the city.