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Friday, March 6, 2026

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

Niagara Region chair’s idea for weighted voting ‘deeply concerning’: NOTL councillor

Zahraa Hmood -
Coun. Erwin Wiens shared online Thursday that Niagara Region Chair Bob Gale's latest letter was not "reviewed, discussed or approved by" the lord mayor or council before it was sent to the province.

Five-storey Virgil proposal raises red flags over land ownership, height

A proposed five-storey development in Virgil is raising pointed questions from councillors and nearby residents, who warn the project could set a troubling precedent.
Paige Seburn -

NOTL council rejects change to St. Davids subdivision plan

One resident argued the plan removes permanent protection for the land and could open the door to more development in the future, which he argued is not a minor change.
Paige Seburn -

Royal George demolition still on hold after court delays judicial review

The Shaw's lawyers warned the matter is urgent and any further delays could “seriously impact in a negative manner on the project’s funding.”
Paige Seburn -

Opinion: Sky-high proposal and some jerk in Jamaica

Richard Harley -
"I had a plan: propose to my now-fiancée Alanna (she said yes) in some sort of grand and romantic fashion. Easy, right? Not so much," writes Richard Harley.

Canada’s first sake master: Masaki Sushi’s sommelier earns prestigious designation

Yoshi Takaoka says reaching the master level required years of work and study beyond his previous certifications: "We need to know everything regarding sake."
Daniel Smeenk -

Opinion: Want to see the future of amalgamation? Look at Ottawa

"Amalgamation with local adjacent municipalities with failing infrastructure will result in higher cost of living, more taxes and less service," writes Richard Connelly.
Submitted Column -

Dr. Brown: Humanity’s evolution may come with a bit of editing

"The path to modern humans was never scripted, because of the important role natural selection and chance play in the evolution of most species, including our own," writes Dr. William Brown.
Dr. William Brown -

‘We are going to be fighting tooth and nail’: NOTL council opposes forced amalgamation

Paige Seburn - 0
The Town of NOTL took a stance against forcibly merging NOTL with other cities and towns in Niagara and argued that the municipality is in good place and can stand on its own.

One year later, ‘buy Canadian’ sentiment remains strong

Here in Niagara-on-the-Lake, while some business owners say shoppers have taken a greater interest in supporting all things Canadian, one says there are factors beyond what people choose to buy impacting the success of homegrown products.
Read more ...

News

NOTL nut farmer goes to South Korea for international expo

Daniel Smeenk - 0
Linda Grimo’s presentation, “Growing Chestnuts in Canada: Progress Through Perseverance,” focused on the recovery of chestnuts in North America after widespread disease.
Read more ...

News

Legion issues awards for art and writing to two NOTL schools

Daniel Smeenk - 0
The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 124 in Niagara-on-the-Lake presented awards Monday to students at St. Michael Catholic Elementary School and Royal Oak School for artwork and writing created to honour Remembrance Day.
Read more ...

Local

Gale says ‘no apologies’ for launching amalgamation debate

Niagara Regional Chair Bob Gale is not backing down from his push to rethink how Niagara is governed — even after councillors voted to rein in his amalgamation efforts and launch their own review process.

Head of Newark Neighbours food bank steps down

The manager of Niagara-on-the-Lake's only food bank says she's stepping down as the head of operations, with her replacement taking the helm effective immediately.

Team Wine wins 19th Caps, Corks and Forks tiebreaker at Niagara College

A sold-out room of 250 guests cast corks and caps course by course Saturday night at Niagara College’s NOTL campus, where Team Wine broke a 9–9 deadlock to win the 19th Caps, Corks and Forks.

Gale’s amalgamation bid hits wall of opposition at regional council

The region needs more time to consider the implications of amalgamating Niagara and closely examine the issues with Niagara Region's governance before making a decision, several councillors said.

Entertainment

Icebreakers Comedy Festival returns to Prince of Wales

The Icebreakers Comedy Festival returned to the Prince of Wales last weekend, bringing nationally known comics back to a venue residents may have remembered from the festival’s early years.

Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder fights rare disease in NOTL filmmaker’s new documentary

Matt Finlin's latest documentary, "Matter of Time," will debut on Netflix on Feb. 9, the story of the fight to cure a rare genetic disorder called epidermolysis bullosa.

Opinion

The Turner Report: The big threat. Did we bring it on?

"Turning us into a 'burb of the Falls or the pointy part of a big region would likely be the beginning of the end of NOTL. For all the bad decisions that have impacted us, this place is unique," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: Secord House, the Shaw and the struggle for Niagara’s future

"The regional government seems to be a bottomless hole into which taxpayers continually pour money and receive few practical benefits from having done so," writes Brian Marshall.

Ross’s Ramblings: Another show-stopping musical from Niagara’s young thespians

"As a parent of two former Secord students, who between them performed in four great Secord musicals, last Saturday evening was certainly a trip down memory lane," writes Ross Robinson.

Entertainment

Inside the last days of the Royal George, Niagara-on-the-Lake’s century-old theatre

On Saturday, the front doors opened for the last public entry into the Royal George before the careful work begins of taking apart the little theatre occupying a big place in the town's heart

Events

Today

News

‘Your voice gets smaller’: Amalgamation fears dominate tense council meeting

Councillors pressed Niagara Region's chair on the financial case behind the proposal to merge Niagara's municipalities. “You want to see the end of Niagara-on-the-Lake," said Coun. Erwin Wiens.

Local

Amalgamation won’t fix Niagara’s problems, Brock professor argues

The public policy expert says he's doubtful merging Niagara's cities and towns together will lower costs and make governance more efficient.

Wild West of Wine: ‘We respect the ruling’ says Konzelmann after court permanently restricts outdoor events

Konzelmann's president says no outdoor events have been booked, scheduled or planned and none will be hosted or marketed unless the winery gets approval.

‘We never received one complaint’: Native Centre board members speak out against misconduct allegations

Conflicting accounts are re-emerging at the Niagara Regional Native Centre, where current leadership is pushing back against allegations of intimidation and mismanagement.

News

NOTL Museum expansion inches forward after community open house

Daniel Smeenk - 0
The expansion of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum moved another step closer to reality Monday as the town hosted an open house to gather community input on the proposal.
Read more ...

Proposed five-storey residential building for Virgil faces some backlash

0
The five-storey residential building, to be located at 1544-1546 Four Mile Creek Rd., would include 31 apartments and rooftop amenity space on the fifth floor.

PHOTOS: Packed pub takes in Canada’s ‘heartbreaker’ loss against U.S. in Olympics men’s hockey final

0
It was broken hearts abound at the Sandtrap Pub and Grill, as patrons who came to watch the Olympics men's hockey final were met with the crushing disappointment of Canada's 2-1 loss against the United States.

‘This is existential’: Niagara-on-the-Lake not welcoming amalgamation idea, says mayor

0
Reactions are pouring in from across Niagara in response to letters sent this week from regional government chair Bob Gale backing the amalgamation of Niagara's municipalities. "We need all parts of the town coming together. This is existential," said Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa.

Rotary Club gets $3,470 donation from Peller Estates

The Rotary Club of Niagara-on-the-Lake is getting a big lift from Peller Estates Winery and Restaurant, to the tune of $3,470, raised through the restaurant’s Holiday House Tour silent auction the previous week.

Queenston Pottery shares love of sculpting with Valentine’s Day class

A lump of clay took shape as a pair of cats at Queenston Pottery as the studio ran a Valentine’s Day sculpting workshop with a morning family session and an evening date-night version with wine and charcuterie.

Wine, Chocolate and Cheese passport offering a bevy of tastings until March 8

On Valentine's Day at Ravine Vineyard, reserved tasting slots kept staff busy through Valentine’s Day as a multi-weekend wine, chocolate and cheese passport began across Niagara wine country.

Council roundup: New fill rules, parks plans, naming policy and Glendale extension

The site alteration policy shifts approval authority to the director of public works and infrastructure and expands enforcement tools.

Judge rules Konzelmann’s outdoor events violated rules, restricts winery from hosting events without approval

The judge issued a permanent injunction restraining Konzelmann from conducting or permitting “any use not permitted” by the zoning bylaw, including any outdoor events.

Niagara-on-the-Lake expands Old Town heritage district after cost debate

This expansion changes the boundaries of the area that defines the historic quality of Old Town, adding new homes and buildings to the district.

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