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
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
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
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”
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
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
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,
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,
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
Since its settlement, Niagara-on-the-Lake (aka Newark, Niagara) has witnessed the loss of many fine pieces of architecture. We all know of the burning of the town during the War of 1812 and in
You are a gentleman of the late 18th century who is calling upon the impressive home of Mr. D.W. Smith Esq. Mounting the stairs to the front entrance, the decorative iron ring knocker is
A few days ago I watched a 2014 video entitled “Strange & Familiar,” which revolved around one woman’s crusade to save and revitalize the community of Fogo Island in Newfoundland. Initially my interest
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