“Nobody is sure who coined the term ‘sleepy little town,’ but one thing is for certain: in the past few years, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake certainly cannot be described in those terms,” writes Brian Marshall.
“This proposal is another fail on multiple levels and is underwritten by the arrogance of applicants simply who want what they want, full stop,” writes Brian Marshall.
“An intelligent man concerned with the welfare of this province’s citizens would come to very different decisions than what is currently occurring at Queen’s Park,” writes Brian Marshall.
“There are those who respect our built heritage, who embrace the generations that have come before and understand how traditional buildings add to our community,” writes Brian Marshall.
“There are those who consider our built heritage just ‘old stuff’ which stands in the way of realizing new development and should be unapologetically demolished,” writes Brian Marshall.
“What we have witnessed is the construction of a 21st-century modern glass and metal hotel that speaks neither to Niagara-on-the-Lake generally nor the Village specifically,” writes Brian Marshall.
“Doug Ford’s government is taking a page out of Trump’s playbook to introduce equally ill-advised legislation with dire future impacts on provincial and local levels,” writes Brian Marshall.
“If you go for a walk in your neighbourhood, look at the houses — what you’ll see on the streetscapes will begin to communicate its architectural language,” writes Brian Marshall.
“If you plan to do any work on your contributing property, that undertaking should be informed by the building’s architectural style to ensure that any alterations are compatible and in-keeping with its contributing attributes,” writes Brian Marshall.
“Intrinsic to the plan’s policies and guidelines is the understanding that a property that contributes to the overall integrity of the cultural heritage value of the conservation district,” writes Brian Marshall.
“If the plan is followed and enforced, there should be no fear of having an inappropriately designed monster McMansion squeezed into the lot next door,” writes Brian Marshall.
“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.
“The published findings of this report resulted in the conclusion that while amalgamation was supposed to bring cost savings, smaller government and lower taxes, it didn’t,” writes Brian Marshall.
“It is fundamental to the job that the interests of the public are paramount and should be continually demonstrable in day-to-day performance,” writes Brian Marshall.
“The old hospital could become an adaptive reuse example to the world — provided the political will is brave enough to move forward,” writes Brian Marshall.
“Senior town staff and certain downline staff members were fully cognizant of the actual ‘state of affairs.’ However … it seems that they failed to communicate these requirements to their heritage planners,” writes Brian Marshall.
“I opine that the several municipal processes related to proposed and undertaken alterations of this important heritage property have been fundamentally flawed,” writes Brian Marshall.
“This simplistic design approach to apartment buildings has dominated the sector for decades and has resulted in a quasi-institutionalized environment within the resultant neighbourhoods,” writes Brian Marshall.
“Food sovereignty and security must be considered paramount in all government policy. Otherwise, we may find ourselves as a banana republic — the beggars at the table,” writes Brian Marshall.
“In 2025, we have borne witness to a series of assaults on the tapestry of Niagara-on-the-Lake,” writes Brian Marshall, writing about the Crysler-Burroughs property, Glencairn Hall, the Royal George Theatre and more.
“The basic precepts of good urban development planning place the onus on the local government to proactively identify low, medium and high-density locations,” writes Brian Marshall.
“Here in Niagara-on-the-Lake, apparently aided and abetted by several of our elected ‘representatives,’ this narrative has been successfully played out again and again over the term of the current council,” writes Brian Marshall.
“If one gives away a million dollars here and there … where does the money come from to make up those losses in order to fulfil the region’s legislated responsibilities?” writes Brian Marshall.
“The proposed size, massing and form of the building, considered within the context of the surrounding buildings, completely dwarfs everything else in the heritage district,” writes Brian Marshall.
“On every Nov. 11 since that day, I have shared the evening with a bottle of whisky, those memories and the words that were written down that evening,” writes Brian Marshall.
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