Dave van de Laar spends much of his time photographing nature and people around his home in Niagara-on-the-Lake, whether for The Lake Report or his own projects.
For the past couple of years, one of those projects has been putting together a calendar for the upcoming year, featuring a work of original photography for each month of the year.
Now, as the end of 2025 draws near, Van de Laar is rolling out his calendar for 2026, his third year releasing a calendar.
He said it’s especially popular with former residents who want a reminder of home.
“A lot of people send it (the calendars) all over the world now,” he said. “A lot of people, they send them to their relatives that used to live in NOTL like that live in Europe.”
“I know one lady … her husband is in an old folks’ home. And what they do is every month they both open up the calendar to the next month. It’s kind of a tradition; it’s kind of neat.”
Van de Laar took a photo to represent each month this year. January features “Heritage Beneath the Snow,” which he calls “a quiet winter portrait of a red-brick house nestled among the evergreens.”
The calendar includes similar descriptions throughout. April shows tulips in the foreground and a carriage horse passing by, accompanied by the line: “As spring blossoms across Niagara-on-the-Lake, the clatter of hooves echoes in streets steeped in history.”
The summer images — from June to August — include the Laura Secord House at mid-day, a hummingbird in mid-flight and a cannon at Fort George in mid-fire.
He said he first created a calendar after posting his photos on social media and seeing the strong response. He began photography 15 years ago, focusing at first on “art photography” before shifting to scenery, which drew more interest.
“I sort of stuck with that,” he said.
His favourite NOTL locations range from the Prince of Wales Hotel to crab-apple trees to the gazebo. He tries to capture each spot in every season.
Working on the calendar, he said, keeps him sharp and encourages him to see his surroundings in new ways, offering something fresh for both himself and his audience.
“It keeps giving me inspiration to go out looking at different things,” he said.
The 2026 calendars are available for $20 at davehvandelaar.com, by emailing davehv@gmail.com, and at select local shops and wineries. Van de Laar says he hopes it’ll make a good Christmas gift for your friends or loved ones.
Van de Laar is an award-winning local photographer and was named the Ontario Community Newspapers Association’s 2024 Photographer of the Year.
