Richard Harley, Author at Niagara Now

NOTL home builder Kekoo Gatta drowns in Niagara River

Kekoo Gatta, the founder and owner of Gatta Homes in Niagara-on-the-Lake, didn’t return home after going for a swim in the Niagara River Tuesday night.

Part 2: Home Sweet Home: Old hospital, other sites could be seniors housing, Zalepa says

Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa says Niagara-on-the-Lake needs more housing and support options for its aging population — and one solution could be finding town properties, or other suitable land, that could be developed to meet those needs.

Editorial: Poilievre is truly great — at pandering

“Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre delivered a plethora of lies during his visit to NOTL, forcing The Lake Report to respond with the longest editorial it has ever published.”

Home Sweet Home: Mayor says he understands need for seniors housing

A group of Niagara-on-the-Lake residents conducted a detailed survey on seniors’ housing needs. The results of the survey were sent to NOTL politicians, including Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa. The Lake Report met with

‘Pledge It’ for The Lake Report and invest in NOTL news

“‘When there’s no one there to tell the story, there’s no accountability.’ This simple phrase is one of the main reasons journalism is essential to a Canadian democracy,” writes Richard Harley.

Editorial: We love ya, Canada Day. We just can’t hear ya

The Canada Day festivities around town, as always, again this year were a tremendous community gathering — but at Simcoe Park, there was one big problem.

Lake Report’s national award-winning magazine returns bigger than ever

The Lake Report’s national award-winning summer tourism guide is out on shelves across town.

Editorial: NOTL mayor and council can do better

Much of Niagara-on-the-Lake, it seems, is at loggerheads with its municipal leadership — not all, but a majority of councillors seem opposed to listening to the people who voted them in. Or, if they’re listening, they’re not supportive of what “the people” are telling them.

EXCLUSIVE: Mid-term approval rate for NOTL council is extremely low, survey finds

If a new online poll is any barometer, Niagara-on-the-Lake residents aren’t happy with the way town council is performing. Not at all. The Lake Report quietly launched an online survey last week, asking people how they felt about council’s performance halfway through the 2022-26 term.

SURVEY: Let us know how you feel about NOTL town council

The Lake Report is looking for feedback on how Niagara-on-the-Lake residents feel about the performance of the town’s elected officials. It’s been two years since the 2022 municipal election campaigns were in full

Rural tragedy: NOTL man, 85, dead after minivan submerged in pond following crash

An 85-year-old Niagara-on-the-Lake man is dead after the minivan he was driving collided with an SUV and landed in a pond in a rural area of town on Wednesday evening. Emergency crews frantically

Editorial: Thank a Virgil Stampede volunteer this year

It’s time again for the Virgil Stampede. The annual carnival is a sure sign of better weather, the end of frost warnings and the start of what is basically summer in our wee

Bar Ruffino and friends help raise $10,000 for Community Crew

It was a night of great wine and food that Community Crew volunteers and supporters won’t soon forget. On April 23, Bar Ruffino, the newest addition to Ruffino’s Pasta Bar & Grill, hosted

Editorial: Courage in the face of death

One can only hope that if we ever develop a disease like ALS, we handle it as well as Peter Earle has. As related on the front page of this week’s edition of

One man’s journey with ALS: His body ravaged by an insidious disease, Peter Earle vows to face death on his own terms

Peter Earle is preparing to die on June 4. The Niagara-on-the-Lake men’s shop owner has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, which has robbed him of his ability to speak, his mobility and soon his life.

Niagara Foundation buys the Wilderness after years of negotiations

Purchase price not revealed but ‘significant’ donations enabled organization to close deal After years of intense negotiations, the Niagara Foundation has obtained full ownership of the Wilderness property in Niagara-on-the-Lake. The organization

Editorial: More ways needed to skin a catnapper

As reported in this week’s issue, and widely circulated on social media, a neighbour of a St. Catharines couple admits he kidnapped their cat Zeus and dumped it in Niagara-on-the-Lake. When approached by

Hundreds of volunteer hours make Crossroads home show a major success

There was a little something for everyone at the Crossroads Public School’s 14th annual NOTL Home, Garden & Craft Show. The show opens up the school, with vendors lining the gyms and classrooms,

Ross’s Ramblings: I tried to watch the all-star hockey weirdness

Yes, I gave it my best shot, but I just couldn’t relate to the big hockey show in Toronto last weekend. The hardest working people were the talking heads who laboured mightily to

Editorial: Tractors and new traditions

Welcome back to reality We hope you had a refreshing vacation and are headed into the new year with a renewed sense of enthusiasm and optimism. As we begin 2024, we like to

Editorial: Flawed development system needs fixing

There has to be a better way. It’s easy to say that about just about any process. Most times they can be streamlined, made more efficient and be used to fix flaws. But

$6M project will extend fort’s shoreline walkway and breakwall

Niagara-on-the-Lake’s historic Fort Mississauga is getting another upgrade — to the tune of $6 million. Parks Canada announced the funding Friday, which will be used to build a 500-metre section of breakwall to

One region-wide city: Schlange thinks amalgamation would benefit Niagara

Former regional CAO calls for sweeping governance changes Change isn’t strange for Harry Schlange. The former Niagara Region chief administrative officer has been the driving force behind a lot of change in

Niagara Now and The Lake Report welcome newest reporter

Niagara Now and The Lake Report are pleased to announce the newest addition to our reporting team, Richard Hutton. A seasoned Niagara area reporter, Hutton is no stranger to the news business. He

Editorial: It’s not rocket science — yes, it’s a hate crime

It is shameful what has happened – repeatedly – to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s rainbow crosswalk. It also is hateful. The Niagara Regional Police Service says it is investigating the latest vandalism as a “potential” hate

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