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
This past Dec. 12, Sean Fraser, the federal minister of housing, announced his government intends to “take a lesson from our history books” by drawing on the incredibly successful example of Canada’s Wartime
Over the past few days, I have been battling a particularly nasty cold, which has reduced my energy levels to a mere ghost of what I consider normal. Work of any sort was
In November of 1947, Winston Churchill stated: “Many forms of government have been tried, and will be tried, in this world of sin and woe. No one pretends that democracy is perfect or
Before we get into this week’s primary topic, I’d like to extend my best wishes to an individual who served the people of Niagara-on-the-Lake as our principal heritage planner for more than eight
On Nov. 11, I stood at the back of the crowd gathered in Old Town to mark Remembrance Day. I thought that here, in Niagara-on-the-Lake, the occasion would reflect the profound influence that
I don’t believe it is an overstatement to say that, for the first time in the history of Ontario, we have a government that is actively mounting an assault on provincial heritage. Whether
Upfront this week, an update regarding our provincial government’s ongoing use of municipal zoning orders. In the Oct. 26 edition of The Lake Report, the Arch-i-text column, “The Greenbelt and the games governments
Were you aware that Ontario has a Ministry of Red Tape Reduction headed by cabinet minister Parm Gill? And yes, that is the ministry’s actual name. Apparently, since 2018, we have had an
Well, the halls of Ontario’s provincial government have certainly staged high theatre since Aug. 16, when the auditor general published her report regarding Premier Doug Ford’s Greenbelt legislation. Her report, reinforced by the integrity
Over the past few weeks I have been experiencing a fierce internal debate around the subject of the proposed Glendale development by White Oaks Tennis World Inc. On one hand, this proposed development
In last week’s column we looked at the Canada-centric expression of Edwardian Classicism. In that article, it was mentioned that during the latter part of the 19th century, “there was growing disaffection with
On and off over the last eight weeks, we have explored a number of 19th and early 20th-century architectural styles that contributed to the evolution of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s existing built heritage. As regular Arch-i-text
When I first began writing the Arch-i-text series back in 2018, my intent was to make this column a place wherein the character of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s community, reflected in its built heritage and shared
Over the past few weeks, we have explored a number of 19th-century architectural styles and visited local examples. From Georgian to Gothic Revival and including the Eclectics, these styles all had one thing
Toward the end of the 19th century, a number of societal forces in both Britain and the United States combined to have a profound impact on architecture. The Industrial Revolution in the United
I was walking along Queen Street last Thursday morning when I encountered a young couple visiting town, staring perplexed at a yellow sign posted in front of 228 Queen St. I must have
In architecture, the term “revival” is applied to the various design schools that use visual styles that echo the elements of a previous architectural era. Generally speaking, revivalist architects do not attempt to
While I had intended this week to continue the series on historic architecture, which began with Georgian era and was followed by Regency era, a vital matter that affects future development in the
For most of the 1700s, the controlling elements of British society were staunchly conservative, promoting the values of rationalism, order and harmony; attitudes that launched the Industrial Revolution in Britain decades earlier than
Upon the death of Anne, the last of the Stuart monarchs, in 1714, her closest Protestant relative George Ludwig of the Hanovers ascended to the throne of the United Kingdom and Ireland. And
Those who know me understand that there has to be a compelling reason for me to visit Old Town on weekends during the high season. It’s not that I mind sharing the treasure
Although you may not have noticed yet, in the face of 10 interest rate hikes since March 2022, the building industry has been slowly grinding to a halt. A year ago, contractors and
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