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

NOTL Votes 2026: Residents talk election: what needs fixing, what’s worth keeping

Paige Seburn -
A hotel next door. A tax bill that makes you question what you’re getting. Parked cars that block your view of the road. For residents who shared their thoughts with The Lake Report, the municipal election comes down to decisions they can feel close to home.

Four years later, Niagara-on-the-Lake voters still concerned about development, taxes and transparency

In its Oct. 13, 2022 election edition, The Lake Report outlined the top issues facing voters, including regional taxes, overdevelopment, tourism management and transparency. Four years later, many of those same concerns remain part of the conversation.
Julia Sacco -

What the numbers tell us about voter turnout in Niagara-on-the-Lake these past two decades

Looking at the participation of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s eligible voters during the last four election cycles, turnout has tended to oscillate between either slightly less than or slightly more than half of the eligible population of electors casting their ballots.
Zahraa Hmood -

No endorsements: NOTL residents’ group won’t tell voters who to choose

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Residents' Association spent weeks putting election candidates in the hot seat. But when it comes to telling voters who deserves a seat at the table, the group is staying out of it.
Paige Seburn -

Get to know these historical spots in NOTL during Doors Open on Saturday

Niagara Now -
Doors Open Ontario will be hosted in town on Saturday, Oct. 17, with local sites offering free admission to guests to come inside and hear from knowledgeable guides about the living and built heritage of these places.

Editorial: Pros and cons of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s three mayoral candidates

"At the end of the day, we need someone who can get Ford to respect us until we can try again to vote him out. The question, I guess, becomes, what’s the best strategy?" writes Richard Harley.
Richard Harley -

Commentary: There’s no excuse for not voting in the municipal election

"So, what direction will NOTL voters choose? That’s impossible to predict but what we do know is it has never been easier to exercise your democratic franchise," writes Kevin MacLean.
Kevin MacLean -

What’s in a name? Candidate says town staff suggested she reverse her surname on ballot

Most people know this lifelong Niagara-on-the-Lake resident as Karen Taylor-Jones. But as a candidate for town council in the upcoming election, she is listed and will appear on the ballot as Karen Jones-Taylor.
Zahraa Hmood -

St. Davids florist expands with shop at Clayfield Commons

Andrew Hawlitzky - 0
Bloom & Co. opened its second location this fall at Clayfield Commons in the Village, an area Falconer said she has heard people call "uptown Niagara-on-the-Lake." "Clayfield feels sort of like the little sister to our St. Davids location," she said.

Niagara-on-the-Lake teen to represent Canada in Youth Olympics

Seventeen-year-old Nolan Grealy dreams of representing Canada at the Rugby World Cup. His selection for the 2026 Youth Olympics is another step toward that goal.
Read more ...

News

No ‘A Christmas Carol’ in NOTL this year as Shaw Festival announces holiday shows

Niagara Now - 0
A Christmas Carol will be missing from Niagara-on-the-Lake’s holiday theatre lineup this year, as the Shaw Festival moves its long-running production to Toronto before bringing it home to a larger stage in 2027.
Read more ...

News

Concession 7 Road closed for road work part of Modero Estates development

Niagara Now - 0
The closure, which started Monday, is for a portion of Concession 7 Road between York and Queenston roads and will last five weeks.
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Local

Look out for migrant workers: Advocacy group puts up new signs, urges drivers to be alert

Giant reflective signs reading “Look Out For Migrant Workers” were installed at the meeting point and four other locations where seven migrant farmworkers have been killed or seriously injured.

Air Canada bus link to Pearson adding two more daily departures

After the launch of a new bus service this year that connects travellers to Toronto from Niagara, the service is set to expand to five from three daily departures starting mid-December, just in time for holiday travel.

Last market of the season for a new Garrison Village

Laura Townsend, director of marketing for the Clayfield Hotel, said moving the market from the Garrison Village parking lot to the new greenspace has reinvigorated the market and attracted new visitors.

Muslim youth group holds 5K for Niagara hospitals

Rain was in the forecast and Thanksgiving dinner was on the calendar, but a few dozen people still signed up to run or walk for Niagara Health Foundation, which took them on a trek through several parts of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Entertainment

Shaw review: The art of classical music in a century of transformation

"In the 18th century, instability, wars and social change were the norm," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson. "The function of music socially and politically was to represent the social values held by the royals, the aristocrats and the wealthy bourgeoisie."

Shaw review: Veteran stage actors reflect on their unpredictable and ephemeral world

Three longtime Shaw actors, Sharry Flett, Patrick Galligan and Sanjay Talwar, sat down to chat with theatre critic Anthony Chase about their journeys as actors and careers at the Shaw. The result? "They shared a love and total commitment to what they are doing," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Opinion

Editorial: Please vote, but let’s cool the nastiness

If you live here in Niagara-on-the-Lake and want to have a say in how it is governed over the next four years, now is...

The Turner Report: When the cranes came to town

"I think we all get that the mouldy 110-year-old George needed to be rebuilt or replaced. But few expected Shaw Inc — the real-estate development company that used to just put on plays — would propose something of this magnitude," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: Every vote matters. Here’s how to make yours an informed one

"It falls back on us to exercise every effort to choose representatives that are committed to ongoing public consultation, adhering to the direction of their constituents and steadfastly fulfilling the promises they made," writes Brian Marshall.

Entertainment

Shaw review: Uncovering the strides Jewish women made in theatre

"Who were these famous and groundbreaking Jewish women? What did they have to overcome to succeed? What drove them forward? Ambition, drive, resilience for certain," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Events

Today

News

Driver charged after airborne crash into Niagara-on-the-Lake building causes $120K damage

A 27-year-old man is facing impaired and dangerous driving charges after police say his vehicle went airborne and slammed into a building early Wednesday morning, causing an estimated $120,000 in damage.

Local

Road Rally raises $75k for Red Roof, new facility opening in 2027

The annual scavenger hunt event raised $75,000 for the respite care organization, allowing it to comfortably finish the project of rebuild its main facility, set to reopen the start of next year.

NOTL Votes 2026: Busy first advance poll reveals split views on what Niagara-on-the-Lake needs

Some voters came to town hall Wednesday morning convinced Niagara-on-the-Lake needs to change course. Others came because voting early was simply easier. And some came away thinking there is not much to fix at all.

Price is right: The couple behind a $10M Shaw donation who decided to keep Royal George’s name

Timothy and Frances Price have been attending plays at the Shaw Festival since the '80s, the same decade the theatre company expanded to putting on productions at the Royal George on Queen Street. "We enjoyed the town, we enjoyed the plays and the community," said Tim.

News

Youth take centre stage at Niagara Regional Native Centre’s powwow

Julia Sacco - 0
Youth took the lead at the Niagara Regional Native Centre’s annual powwow Saturday, connecting culture and celebration. “The powwow is a deep place in connection,” said Lou Davis, one of the event's youth co-ordinators. “I’ve been coming here since I was a fresh newborn and came into this world.”
Read more ...

NOTL Votes 2026: Final council forum gets personal over conflicts of interest

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Five candidates seeking a seat on Niagara-on-the-Lake council found plenty to agree on Friday night. Infrastructure needs to catch up. Strong mayor powers should stay on the shelf. Residents should be able to see how councillors vote. And more tourism is not necessarily better. But the harmony did not last all night. The final council candidates forum turned pointed when the discussion shifted to conflicts of interest,...

After death scare, Ron Planche’s life in photos comes to Niagara Pumphouse

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Last December, Ron Planche was told he had one year left to live. Now, after finding out he's going to be OK, he's celebrating his second chance with an exhibition of his life's work in photography and photojournalism at an exhibition, on now until Oct. 29 at the Pumphouse.

Agriculture art installation set to be completed mid-October

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Ron Clavier’s Thanks for the Meal project has been more than a decade in the making, and in early September, the concrete foundation piles were laid for the first art installation in the series.

Shaw Festival gives doctors a lesson in bedside manner

The Theatre of Medicine brought physicians and medical educators together for workshops on eye contact, posture, vocal tone and first impressions. "It has the real potential to be part of their whole system of practice," said program director Alexis Milligan.

Alone and terrified in Cape Breton, a portrait painter discovers the forest

Sherry Park spent six weeks living by herself in Cape Breton Highlands National Park. That adventure, which she called beautiful and terrifying, inspired her collection of landscape paintings on display now at the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre.

Construction on St. Davids roundabout delayed to start in 2028

The Niagara Region confirmed with The Lake Report that the St. Davids roundabout project has been delayed (and not cancelled), sharing it now hopes to complete its construction by the end of 2028.

Laura Secord student takes home Pumphouse scholarship

The Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre has awarded its 2026 art education scholarship to Laura Secord Secondary School graduate Emma Smith.

St. Davids roundabout delayed, not cancelled, says Niagara-on-the-Lake mayor

The mayor says the Niagara Region has advised the town that the St. Davids roundabout was deferred in its capital budget to prioritize other infrastructure investments: "The project has not been cancelled."

‘Not the work of one day’: NOTL marks National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Commemorative efforts in Niagara-on-the-Lake spanned from the raising of a flag outside town hall to education efforts at elementary schools and the museum, hoping to create a lasting impact on the public's awareness of all chapters of Indigenous history in Canada.