Arch-i-text: Big developments could be NOTL’s future if YOU don’t stand up
The impact of the passage of the Ford government’s Bill 23 has started already. Last week one of this column’s readers sent me an email link to a new real estate listing for
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Arch-i-text: There is no historical evidence that Breakenridge owned slaves
A teacher selected a group of 10 students and instructed them one after another to whisper the sentence she gave the first child into the ear of the next and so on until
Arch-i-text: It’s up to the people to stop Ford’s steamroller
For the last two weeks I have written about the Ford government’s Bill 23, the so-called More Homes Built Faster Act. We examined the negative impacts this legislation will have on agriculture, environment,
Arch-i-text: Giving away the farm to benefit developers
I recall during one of my parents’ early 1960s cocktail parties overhearing my father state with great disdain that, in the Duplessis government’s Quebec, there was nothing that could not be obtained at
Arch-i-text: Doug Ford’s housing act isn’t about affordable homes
In two columns published in February of this year I wrote a brief analysis of the provincial government’s task force report on affordable housing. It was my opinion then that, if the recommendations
Arch-i-text: Uncertain futures for historic McNab church and Queenston cottage
In the late spring of 2021 I wrote a series of pieces about the churches of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Included in the April 21 column was Christ Church McNab, a wonderful example of mid-19th century ecumenical architecture
Arch-i-text: Change the road forward and adopt design guidelines
In the Oct. 13 edition of this newspaper, Evan Loree reported on an action taken by town council to have staff “assess the old Cobbler’s House” at 329 Victoria St. for “historical significance”
Arch-i-text: Fond farewell and a building worth saving
In a recent conversation, Jon Kormos described William (Bill) German as the finest crafter of traditional furniture and cabinetry that he has ever dealt with. And, as one of the former owners of
Arch-i-text: Chautauqua and the reason for its being
Editor’s note: This column has been updated to correct the locations of the Chautauqua Hotel and Lakeside House. Tourism and Niagara-on-the-Lake, the two are almost synonymous. Since the middle of the 19th century, this
Election ’22: Brian Marshall: Mayoral candidates discuss development
Disero, Goettler and Zalepa offer their views on protecting NOTL’s unique character Over the past few weeks, I had conversations with each candidate for lord mayor. As regular readers of the Arch-i-text column might expect,
Arch-i-text: Celebrating three of McNab’s hidden gems
The hamlet of McNab out Lakeshore Road toward St. Catharines has a long history within the warp and weave of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Named McNab after its founders, John and his younger brother Colin McNab,
Arch-i-text: Just what is that? Abbreviations and jargon of development process
As we move toward the municipal election in October, some of the candidate platforms include short forms and abbreviations that leave folks scratching their heads while trying to figure out just what is
Arch-i-text: Breaking a development paradigm
We need to trade ‘developer models’ for community designs that worked in past A few days ago I received an email from SORE (Save Our Rand Estate) that outlined questions they had
Arch-i-text: More things to wonder about
By way of full disclosure, in addition to Irish, Welsh, English and French contributors, my family lineage includes Seneca and Mississauga ancestors. But, even if that wasn’t the case, I would still be
Arch-i-text: Good design underwrites the future of NOTL
Council candidates need to take a stand on imposing design guidelines In past columns I have often referred to and described the attributes of a particular building in identifying its architectural style.
Arch-i-text: A tale of demolition by neglect
Back in the 1980s my driving route between home and the airport took me past one of a comparatively few Canadian Regency Octagon houses. Sited on a valuable piece of real estate, it
Puzzled by attempt to destroy St. Davids heritage with roundabout
When I visited with Jon Kormos at his home in Queenston recently our conversation touched on several topics related to the heritage of Niagara-on-the-Lake and our mutual dismay at some of the changes
Arch-i-text: Guardians of a 19th-century treasure
Owning a historic house is like a marriage, it’s a labour of love. Along the way there are many compromises to be made, given an old home’s unique and sometimes limiting characteristics, but
Arch-i-text: Managing change through design guidelines
I suggested in last week’s column that the instituting design guidelines in Niagara-on-the-Lake should be a priority. Further, these guidelines would need to be supported by an infrastructure that would record and archive
Arch-i-text: Town’s lack of design guidelines needs action now
Back in the early 1980s, I attended a presentation recommending the organization invest in and install an emergency preparedness plan. During that session, one of my colleagues asked a question along the lines
Arch-i-text: Brought back from the brink
The threatened historic houses of Niagara-on-the-Lake is a topic this column has spoken about many times over the past few years. I find it unconscionable that irreplaceable pieces of our shared built-heritage are
Arch-i-text: The history of garage dominance
In his 1928 seminal book “Propaganda,” Edward Bernays, the “father of public relations,” wrote: “The conscious and intelligent manipulation of the organized habits and opinions of the masses is an important element in
Arch-i-text: It’s all about context
One of my favourite sayings goes: “Good design costs no more than bad design, but bad design scars the streetscape for generations.” And, in my opinion, good design is fundamentally directed toward achieving
Arch-i-text: Marching backward on heritage protection
Way back in 1972, UNESCO published the World Heritage Convention. This document called on countries around the world to not only protect built-heritage, but to also give “heritage a function in the life
Arch-i-text: The NOTL Craftsman
When the British Arts & Crafts style made its entre into North America, it generated a wave of creativity among architects. On the east coast, Arts & Crafts found its expression in Shingle
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