To anyone who reads this publication, it isn’t news that the majority of our council — in approving the rezoning of the Parliament Oak property to allow for the construction of a contextually inappropriate hotel — continued its practice of wielding a machete on the fabric, character and cultural heritage landscapes of Niagara-on-the-Lake.
I’d like to start off this week by saying how much I appreciate that each of you take the time to read my scribblings in this opinion column each week. Next month, I
Well, since being elected in November 2022 — 19 short months ago — our current council and lord mayor have managed to create more angst across the resident population of Niagara-on-the-Lake than any
Over the years, I’ve been fortunate to speak in various venues about heritage architecture. During these talks, one of the things I’ve consistently noted is that most people wrestle somewhat with the Regency
Community resistance to ill-considered government land-use dictates are mounting across Ontario. On May 6, Oakville’s town council voted 14-to-1 against accepting the federal government’s densification deal. To provide a little background, last summer
A few days ago, I was privileged to chat with a number of Queenston residents about the history, heritage and unique character of their village. It was completely apropos that this discussion took
Every morning it is my wife’s habit to walk her dog along the streets of Old Town. Recently, she found herself walking down Prideaux Street and, as she neared Gate Street, a couple
You are sitting in an architect’s office explaining your vision for an addition on the historic building you own. As you explain your concept for an addition that is sympathetic and stylistically in
While the provincial government shovels money into “sexy” capital infrastructure projects — like the unnecessary and largely unwanted roundabout in St. Davids, which is projected to cost somewhere between $3.9 million and $12
As Richard Harley reported in this newspaper last week, it appears as though an agreement has been reached for the conveyance of full title for the Wilderness to the Niagara Foundation. A collective
Driving into the outskirts of Old Town, it is impossible to miss the steel and concrete edifice rising on Niagara Stone Road. Now, this is not a commentary on the design – the
This week I’d like start off by borrowing a page from my colleague, Ross Robinson’s playbook, and do a little “rambling” about things which arguably challenge folks who own their own home and
On March 18, I attended the virtual open house regarding Konik Estates’ phase two application for development of lands by Grey Forest Homes Ltd. During this meeting, a question was raised with the
On March 8, Premier Doug Ford held a press conference in Milton. During his remarks, he ruled out allowing fourplexes “as of right” across Ontario, saying it would be a “massive mistake.” Back
The town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has been described as having the greatest concentration of surviving British Colonial architecture built between 1813 and 1860 of any municipality west of Quebec. It would be nice to
At the corner of King and Mary streets stands a large white building that recalls the early days of the Town of Niagara. In 1800, the renowned Mohawk leader Joseph Brant purchased the
Over the past few years, this column has stressed the importance of sympathetic — and contextually appropriate — design to achieve new developments (or renovations and additions) that integrate into the existing community.
Within the foreseeable future, Glendale will be home to 20,000 – or more – residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake. That’s likely to be over half of the town’s projected population. This will inevitably alter the
So, you’ve decided it is time to paint the exterior of your house and are feeling a little trepidatious. That’s OK – since everyone knows of at least one home painted in colours
Since about 2010, the most popular colour palettes for the exterior treatment of homes have been muted tones dominated by neutral greys and taupes or a mix of the two, commonly referred to
Looking at the letters to the editor published in the Lake Report during the last couple of months, it seems there is a rising tide of acrimony being voiced by Niagara-on-the-Lake’s citizens and
In Ontario, the Residential Tenancies Act is the piece of legislation that — while being very broad, generally — provides explicit, legal requirements governing all aspects of the landlord-tenant relationship. This act also
There is an unspoken but generally accepted assumption among most Canadians that housing is a commodity traded on the open market with the objective of generating profit. This consideration of housing as an
It often amazes me how, once a concept is adopted by the government, the actual success of the concept is rarely – if ever – quantitatively evaluated. It seems to be an axiom
Over the past five decades I have been blessed to work with some pretty brilliant folks, each of whom have freely shared pearls of wisdom with me. I recall a conversation back in
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