The Lake Report: Check out our weekly print edition for Niagara-on-the-Lake here.

Province clears way for smaller NOTL council in 2026

Paige Seburn -
Niagara-on-the-Lake could still end up with a smaller council in time for the 2026 municipal election after Ontario passed a law Thursday giving the province the power to make the change happen.

NOTL Votes 2026: ‘Jill and Joe average’ focus drives Steve McGuinness into council race

Steve McGuinness, a retired Bay Street financial executive, is pitching himself as a financially experienced candidate focused on affordability, growth and protecting the town’s character.
Paige Seburn -

NOTL Votes 2026: Andrea Kaiser enters the race as town risks losing regional voice

Kaiser, who represents Niagara-on-the-Lake on regional council, is running for the town’s top elected job as it faces the possible loss of one of its two seats at the regional table.
Paige Seburn -

NOTL Votes 2026: Vaughn Goettler vows to stave off amalgamation, ‘uncontrolled’ development

Goettler, a longtime entrepreneur turned philanthropist who calls NOTL home, ran in the town's 2022 municipal election for lord mayor opposing the threat of Niagara's amalgamation as one of his key platform points.
Zahraa Hmood -

Editorial: Zalepa’s re-election message boils down to ‘meh, maybe’ — and that says everything

Richard Harley -
"Niagara-on-the-Lake deserves a mayor fully invested in protecting this community, preserving its character and respecting the people who live here," writes Richard Harley.

Enjoy plenty of laughs and support a good cause at Pink Pearl’s comedy night

Eat, Pink, Drink! Comedy returns Friday, May 15, featuring comedians Frank Spadone, Leonard Chan and Ali Hassan, for an evening of live entertainment in support of the national charitable organization.
Zahraa Hmood -

From boundary backlash to a fresh start at Crossroads

After a controversial school boundary change left some families angry and anxious about what came next, students from the St. Davids school visited Crossroads to meet the community waiting for them in September.
Paige Seburn -

Town enforces bylaws against tulip festival on opening weekend

Blue skies brought a smoother opening weekend at TASC Tulip Farm than last year, but a storm is building as the town says the festival is operating in violation of its bylaws.
Andrew Hawlitzky -

NOTL Votes 2026: Weston Miller wants to bring ‘resident-first’ leadership

Paige Seburn - 0
Miller, a NOTL realtor who serves as president of the Chautauqua Residents Association, is positioning himself as a candidate focused on residents, quality of life, transparency and carefully managed growth.

New official plan for NOTL pulled after province warns it could strip key policies

A warning from the province is forcing Niagara-on-the-Lake to rework its long-awaited official plan, with key policies at risk if it’s approved as is.
Read more ...

News

This year’s planning priorities for NOTL about ‘getting stuff across the finish line’

Paige Seburn - 0
Niagara-on-the-Lake councillors spent roughly an hour Tuesday arguing over a simple question with big consequences for the town: what planning work should staff focus on in 2026?
Read more ...

News

NOTL reviewing OUTNiagara offer, plans to proceed with its own Pride ceremony

Paige Seburn - 0
Niagara-on-the-Lake says it is reviewing a new offer of free support for Pride flag raising ceremonies, courtesy of OUTNiagara, but will proceed with its own event as planned.
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Local

59th annual Virgil Stampede returns this May long weekend

Niagara-on-the-Lake's vibrant summer season is just around the corner, and the community of Virgil is readying to welcome it in with the 59th-annual Virgil Stampede this upcoming May long weekend.

Explore beautiful backyards in NOTL at Shaw Guild’s annual garden tour

The Shaw Guild is marking a special milestone this June with the 20th anniversary of its annual garden tour, which offers visitors a behind-the-scenes look at some of Niagara-on-the-Lake's most beautiful residential gardens.

‘That’s our drinking water’: Shoreline cleanup tracks plastic pollution in Lake Ontario

Persistent plastic litter and microplastics along the Lake Ontario shoreline are driving a summer-long cleanup campaign that launched Saturday at Queen’s Royal Park where 24 volunteers collected 5,640 pieces of litter.

Handbell choir rings in five decades of music by young performers

The Niagara Bethany Handbell Choir marked 50 years in Niagara-on-the-Lake by reuniting youth ringers and alumni who have kept its music and charity work alive.

Entertainment

NOTL handbell choir rings in 50 years of music magic with anniversary concert

The Niagara Bethany Handbell Choir, one of Niagara-on-the-Lake's longest-running music ensembles, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a special concert on Sunday, May 3.

Sisters show off their renovation skills in reality TV competition

Sisters Marcy and Melissa Mussari put their building and designing prowess to the test as contestants on the new season of Home Network's "Renovation Resort."

Opinion

The Turner Report: NOTL vs. the machine

The next lord mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake, writes Garth Turner, "must not only rule a disparate, complex town ... but be the sole voice at the senior level where big tax, policy and service decisions are made."

Dr. Brown: How humanity came to stand on its own two feet

"Bipedalism freed up the arms and especially the hands for other tasks such as tool-making, creating art and music, all of which was enabled and fostered by increasingly larger brains," writes Dr. William Brown.

Ross’s Ramblings: In the past, life for children was simpler, but also stricter

"It was only a few decades ago that most parenting decisions were made by parents. Today, we seem to involve several levels of government, Moms and Dads, and people in between," writes Ross Robinson.

Entertainment

A blooming good time: Flower festival returning to Niagara-on-the-Lake in May

Running May 8 to 11, the festival will transform Old Town into a flower-filled showcase, with organizers promising expanded installations and new events for this year.

Events

Today

News

‘Life is a circus’: Humour meets anxiety at Pumphouse artist’s surrealist exhibition

Artist Victoria Wallace represents daily life as a precarious tightrope walk through surreal animal imagery in a new exhibition at the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre.

Local

The history of Fort Mississauga: Why it was built

Built in 1814 by the Coloured Corps and Royal Engineers, Fort Mississauga stands on the shores of the Niagara River, highlighting the early military history of Niagara.

Developer withdraws court appeal of tribunal’s decision on Rand Estate

A prominent developer was expected to take the matter of its rejected plan for a development on a historic property in Niagara-on-the-Lake to the highest court in Ontario last month — however, the advocacy group involved in the case says the developer has withdrawn its appeal.

RiverBrink makes accessibility upgrades, thanks to $92K from province

The art museum's installed a new accessible ramp on one side of the building, updated its exterior stairs on another side and added handrails to the stairs, allowing users with mobility challenges to safely enter the building.

News

No patio season on Queen Street this year in NOTL

Zahraa Hmood - 0
The lord mayor's last-gasp attempt to bring outdoor patios back to the downtown core this season failed on Tuesday night. It would've allowed some temporary patios to reopen on Queen Street.
Read more ...

The Lake Report and its website named best in Ontario

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The Lake Report’s strong performance in the Ontario Community Newspapers Association’s awards continued last Friday as Niagara-on-the-Lake’s hometown news source again took home more top honours than any other publication in the province.

Wild West of Wine: Court backs NOTL discretion on Konzelmann, council clears path for outdoor events

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The court found no evidence the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake acted unfairly or in bad faith and treated its decision not to enforce the bylaw around outdoor events as a discretionary choice.

‘They just wanted to get it done’: New freedom of information rules keep Ontario in the dark, warns MPP

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The move is being condemned by Ontario's opposition parties and other critics as a violation by the Ford government of the transparency and accountability public officials are expected to uphold.

Grape King Augusta Van Muyen raises a glass to Niagara wines

Augusta Van Muyen, vineyard manager at Tawse Winery in Vineland since 2021, knows her terroir. She's been named this year's Grape King: “I’m super honoured to represent the wine industry,” she says.

NOTL makes $125K bet on airport bus service connecting Niagara to Pearson

With a new bus service linking Niagara District Airport to Toronto's Pearson International Airport coming this June, Niagara-on-the-Lake has agreed to back it with up to $125,000 if the service falls short.

New development at former American Hotel inches toward construction

A condo development set to replace the historic waterfront property known as the old American Hotel is moving closer to construction.

NOTL Museum’s neighbourhood walking tours return on May 1

With the help of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, you can witness this town's history come alive, through every house, street corner and sign post in some of its oldest and most distinctive settlements.

NOTL BBQ fundraiser to kick off Rankin Run

The Rankin Run is an annual, Niagara-based fundraiser and one- and five-kilometre walk or run dedicated to raising funds for local cancer care.

NOTL Sports Wall of Fame nominations open for 2026

Residents have until May 25 to submit nominations for individuals who have made significant contributions to sport in Niagara-on-the-Lake.