Evan Loree, Author at Niagara Now

Not your average community newspaper

When you’re surrounded by as much talent as I have for the last year and a half, you tend not to rest on your laurels. I started at The Lake Report in 2022,

Town appoints Vizzari to regional transportation committee

Coun. Adriana Vizzari will be representing the town on a committee to advise the region on transportation matters. The appointment follows a decision March 8 to bar regional Coun. Andrea Kaiser from representing

Tipsters got $1M in illegal drugs off streets, Crime Stoppers says

Did you know tips to Crime Stoppers Niagara helped remove more than $1.1 million worth of illegal drugs from the streets of Niagara in the last five years? Jason Snyder, vice-chair of the

NOTL comes in clutch for Newark Neighbours food drive

On a snowy Saturday morning, volunteers across Niagara-on-the-Lake braved slushy, slippery streets to pick up food donations from townhomes on behalf of Newark Neighbours. When Brian Litke and Wally Williams took off from

Easter bazaar brings in $5,000 for Pleasant Manor auxiliary

The women’s auxiliary annual Easter bazaar and bake sale came and went in a flash, but left the long-term residents of Pleasant Manor a little more enriched in its wake. Anne Litke, chair

Good Reif: Wine fans treated to international spread at estate winery

Wine aficionados and foodies had the delight of enjoying an international spread at Reif Estate Winery over the weekend. Visitors to the 52-year-old winery on Niagara Parkway were sampling six different kinds of

Baristas brew black gold at Virgil Starbucks competition

Whose cup o’ Joe gets the judges jonesing the most? If you asked some of the folks at Starbucks in Virgil last Thursday afternoon, Scooter Sousa brewed the best. Sousa, who works at

Horse-drawn carriage operators compete for limited parking permits

The town may be back to two horse-drawn carriage operators in 2024. Laura Sentineal, who owns Sentineal Carriages with her husband, Fred, asked council to consider granting her an additional permit to park

Town approves $48M budget and 6.75% tax increase

After months of planning and debate, council voted Tuesday to approve the 2024 budget. All in, property owners will be paying 6.75 per cent more in town taxes than they did in 2023.

Councillors have mixed feelings on illegally paved conservation land

The issue of a roadway illegally built on conservation land in Glendale may be resolved, but it raises questions about what the town can do to protect the natural environment. Niagara-on-the-Lake council endorsed

Tiny tots get cooking at library

Somethin’s cookin’ over at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library. Kids came out to make apple crumble and miniature pizzas at the library for one of its March Break activities last Thursday. It was a

Oops: Stumped hikers rescued on wrong side of federal fence

Maybe they thought the grass was greener on the other side? Niagara-on-the-Lake fire chief Jay Plato says he isn’t wholly sure how two men came to be in need of rescuing Monday at

Police’s human trafficking unit searches Read Road property

The Niagara Regional Police’s human trafficking unit searched a rural property on Read Road on Tuesday morning. A large number of officers, including those from the canine, marine, street crime and emergency task

160 homes could replace rural woodlot in Virgil

A new subdivision plan is in the works for Virgil, which may mean the death of up to 800 trees. Developer Grey Forest Homes plans to put 160 homes on a lot currently

Legion honours student contest winners

The Niagara-on-the-Lake branch of the Royal Canadian Legion is handing out first, second and third-place plaques to the winners of its annual Youth Remembrance Contest. In the first two weeks of March, Lori

Town wants to expand heritage registry before end of year

Province’s imposed expiring dates is causing problems for municipalities In a game of tug of war with the province, Niagara-on-the-Lake municipal staffers are looking to tighten their grip on the town’s heritage assets.

St. Davids desperately seeking sidewalks

St. Davids is not a safe place for pedestrians, some residents say. Two representatives of the St. Davids Ratepayers Association, a membership club representing the interests of the village’s residents, urged council to

With attendance lagging, Shaw lost $5.7M in 2023

Charitable donations pushed revenue to record $36.7 million It was a tough fiscal year for the Shaw Festival. In the face of a rapid drop off in COVID-19 relief funds, inflation, lagging

Your town tax bill is expected to jump 6.75%

Niagara-on-the-Lake residents can expect a municipal tax hike of about 6.75 per cent for 2024. The budget debate got heated when NOTL’s nine elected officials discussed ways to save money in the 2024

Saga of illegally paved conservation land finally resolved

No penalty for hotel developer but new trees and shrubs must be planted The town has granted a developer permission to pave over conservation land — more than five years after the work

St. Davids roundabout plan sparks more heated council debate

Then town rejects regional rep Kaiser as nominee for transportation committee Around and around we go, the issue of a proposed roundabout in the heart of St. Davids has become a

Royal Oak teachers pave positive futures for students

It’s carpet time. Krista McMackin, a teacher for the past three years at Royal Oak Community School, is herding kids into a group for a math lesson after recess and morning snack. As

NOTLers lead the way for International Women’s Day

The women of Niagara-on-the-Lake made Queen’s Royal Park their stomping grounds on Monday morning. About 125 women came out to the second annual International Women’s Day photo shoot hosted by The Lake Report

Nothing stops NOTL’s women firefighters

At Niagara-on-the-Lake’s fire station in Glendale, women stand shoulder to shoulder with men, and go toe to toe with fire. Rebecca Van der Zalm has been on the team of volunteer firefighters since

Snow plow namers get kudos from council

Three winners of the Niagara-on-the-Lake’s new snow plow naming contest got their grip and grins at town hall Tuesday night. Winners Jordana Hernder, Laura Hollemans and Carleen LeBlanc showed up for a quick

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