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

NOTL fires longtime town treasurer, deputy takes over

Paige Seburn -
Council appointed Nick Alaimo as treasurer Tuesday, replacing Kyle Freeborn, who was fired after more than 14 years with the municipality. Alaimo's appointment takes effect immediately.

$9.7M moves Niagara airport expansion closer to takeoff

Commercial flights to and from Niagara-on-the-Lake are one step closer to reality, after the Niagara District Airport secured $9.7 million from the province for the project.
Paige Seburn -

World Cup watch party brings NOTL communities together

World Cup mania reached a fever pitch on Sunday afternoon as soccer fans came out to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre to witness the final match of this year's FIFA World Cup.
Maddy Gordon -

NOTL had roughly $2.35M in unspent project funds last year

The money will either return to its original funding source or help pay for related work, including protective equipment for firefighters, guide rail improvements, crack sealing and more.
Paige Seburn -

House once marked for flames now protected as NOTL heritage

Paige Seburn -
More than 60 years after a historical society saved it from destruction, the roughly 230-year-old home known today as Merriwood was among nine designated properties honoured this month.

Brock’s Monument reopens after $2.2M restoration project

Visitors can once again climb Brock's Monument after Parks Canada completed the main phase of a restoration project to preserve one of Niagara's best-known historic landmarks.
Niagara Now -

Gordon Lightfoot’s nephew brings his uncle’s songs to St. Mark’s

More than three years after Gordon Lightfoot's death, his music filled St. Mark's Anglican Church as a sold-out audience gathered to celebrate the Canadian icon through the voices and instruments of musicians who knew him.
Andrew Hawlitzky -

Sports: NOTL celebrates the world with Invitational tourney

The theme was Around the World and members of the organizing committee were decked out in airline flight attendants’ gear while golfers sported attire from various countries and cultures across the globe.
Kevin MacLean -

Royal George rebuild gets final heritage permit

Paige Seburn - 0
Niagara-on-the-Lake council voted 6-3 to grant the heritage permit for 85 Queen St., part of a wider redevelopment that has already received official plan, zoning and site plan approvals.

NOTL slashes projected $1.18M deficit to $212K

Niagara-on-the-Lake closed 2025 with an almost $212,000 operating deficit, less than one-fifth of the $1.18-million shortfall municipal staff forecasted.
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News

NOTL council cost roughly $314K last year

Paige Seburn - 0
The town paid its nine council members $219,150 in wages and honorariums, $74,056 in employer contributions and benefits and $20,787 for conferences, travel and a councillor’s cellphone costs.
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News

Enjoy live music at Band in the Barn, returning July 31

Richard Harley - 0
The midsummer fundraiser will feature live music by Gumbo Stew, food from PigOut Niagara, beer and wine from Bella Terra Vineyards, Konzelmann Estate Winery and the Exchange Brewery, a live auction and dancing among the vines.
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Local

Active sightings keep search for missing greyhound dog alive in NOTL

Luna, a small 12-pound dog, remains missing after reported sightings in the NOTL and Virgil area, according to a missing-dog notice circulating locally

Town backs decentralized offices, plans $150K council chamber revamp

Niagara-on-the-Lake is shelving plans for a larger municipal office in favour of spreading staff across existing town facilities — a move its staff say will help it avoid significant costs.

NOTL could lose key council powers before election. Here’s the backup plan

With one month to go until nominations close for the municipal election, the town is preparing for the possibility that council could temporarily lose some of its power until the election is over.

Pumphouse Pride month event postponed after backlash, protest threats

A source who reached out to The Lake Report, an artist who we've chosen not to name, said the Pumphouse received a threat regarding the event from Canadian white nationalist group the Second Sons.

Entertainment

Shaw review: Savour the vigorous comedy of ‘One for the Pot’

More than 40 years after the debut of this British farce on the Shaw Festival stage, "One for the Pot" returns with excellent performances that contain the elements needed to make this for-the-masses comedy a laugh riot, writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Shaw review: A celebration of golf’s past — and Broadway’s best

"Matters of etiquette, rules and styles of play inform. To Wodehouse, the only way to really find a true character is to play golf with him," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Opinion

The Turner Report: Who can save NOTL from political grift?

"Although this level of government has the greatest impact on citizens’ daily lives, it is weak, ineffectual, rudderless and dominated by special interests," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: America’s greatest architect believed nature, not money, should shape our cities

Over the last five centuries, says Frank Lloyd Wright, what humanity has called architecture has been "phony": "It was not innate, it wasn’t organic and it didn’t have the character of nature.” 

Ross’s Ramblings: We didn’t choose English — we just got lucky

"As a pretentious British boss of mine said many years ago ... 'I have found that around the world, one can get on with two languages: English, and loud English,'" writes Ross Robinson.

Entertainment

Jazz Crawl hits all the right notes across Niagara-on-the-Lake

From vineyard sunsets to waterfront views, Niagara-on-the-Lake became one big jazz stage last weekend as music lovers travelled from venue to venue as part of the Niagara Jazz Festival's annual Jazz Crawl.

Events

Today

News

$218K clears major hurdle for Irish Harp to reopen patio

The Irish Harp is one step away from keeping its popular back patio for good. But first came months of debate, a major shift in thinking at town hall and a $218,000 price tag for three parking spaces.

Local

Calling all corks: Why this NOTLer is giving wine corks a second life

Sal Fasullo, a retail team member at Peller Estates, says he wanted to do something with the corks the winery was throwing away every day. "I started to collect them," he says. "Suddenly, I had more corks than I knew what to do with."

Three years after fleeing abuse, NOTL singer shares story through new song

With the trial of her accused abuser behind her, singer-songwriter Catherine Leniarsky is sharing a piece of what she's been through in her new song, "House of Cards."

Chautauqua’s secret to Neighbourhood of Year is no secret: It’s the people

Some might point to its leafy tree canopy, pocket-sized parks, beach access or the famous sunsets at Ryerson Park. But ask the people who live in the neighbourhood and the answer is clear: community.

News

‘Grassroots’ investment will decide soccer’s future in Canada, NOTL club president says

Andrew Hawlitzky - 0
Canada's best FIFA World Cup showing is over, and the president of Niagara-on-the-Lake's youth soccer club says the game's future in this country now depends on what happens far from the big stadiums.
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Niagara-on-the-Lake garden tour celebrates creativity, community and well-being

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In Lenore Sooknarine’s eyes, gardening is more than a hobby – it’s an interaction with the world around her. She was one of 10 gardeners who opened up her home to the public for the Horticultural Society's annual garden tour.

Modern mapping tech retraces Laura Secord’s historic journey

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Visitors to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum later this month will get a chance to see how modern technology is shedding new light on one of Canada's best-known historical journeys.

Rewind: The top Niagara-on-the-Lake news stories this week

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NOTL's planners and heritage committee voice concerns with Rand Estate hotel plans. The sweetness of summer continues with the annual Cherry Festival (peaches next, in August). And, advocacy group launches petition after hit-and-run death of farmworker.

Advocates launch petition after farmworker killed in NOTL hit-and-run

After the hit-and-run death of a seasonal farmworker in rural NOTL, an advocacy organization is calling for improved safety and support for workers, including better transportation and road improvements.

PHOTOS: St. Mark’s Cherry Festival celebrates another successful year

Hundreds lined up outside the church on Saturday afternoon to get their hands on one of the church's cherry pies, as well as quarts of fresh cherries, all in celebration of the summer's cherry season.

New Rand Estate hotel plan criticized by town’s planners

NOTL's municipal and heritage planners rejected Benny Marotta's previous development plans for the historic Rand Estate, and once again, they're not enamored with his latest proposal.

Video series features Niagara’s history through its cemeteries

As Canadians embrace staycations this summer, a new video series is inviting residents and visitors to discover Niagara's history in a new way.

Local creatives showcase their work at Artistry by the Lake

With a view of Lake Ontario and the sound of waves rolling in, vendors at Queen's Royal Park showcased their products and met with fellow creatives.

Nature speaks through colour in Lynda Flanagan’s latest Pumphouse exhibit

Lynda Flanagan's latest collection of paintings invites viewers to consider not only the coexistence of humans and the natural world, but also what binds them to each other.