Richard Harley, Author at Niagara Now

Rand Estate off the market, Marotta says

Developer Benny Marotta has taken the Rand Estate off the market, after putting it up for sale for $19 million in October of last year. Marotta said his family decided to take the property

Town sees drop in visitors with rainy Sunday

Vast majority of travellers are from Niagara region, mobile data shows Niagara-on-the-Lake had fewer visitors last weekend with a provincewide shutdown and rainy weather, but still saw thousands of visitors coming, many of them for

A hawk’s eye view: ‘Tripping the Niagara’ documentary highlights NOTL history and sights

Chatting with documentary director Mitch Azaria

Abandoned baby squirrels what to do?

Over the weekend, my partner and I had the unfortunate experience of watching a mother squirrel be separated from her two babies after a piece of a roof was removed from our neighbour's home.

Editorial: We need science over politics: Round 2

If you went down to Niagara-on-the-Lake’s downtown core on Saturday morning, you might have thought people were finally listening to the province’s lockdown orders. But if you went back at about 2 p.m.,

Former Mori Gardens property could be a farmers’ market, Marotta says

The former Mori Gardens property could become a temporary farmers' market or something similar, says developer Benny Marotta, who purchased the 26-acre property in 2020 for $5 million. This week, most of the

ICU admissions ‘well above’ first and second waves, says Hirji

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise in Niagara and across the province, ICU and hospital admissions are passing totals from the peak of the second wave and far exceeding what they were during the first wave,

‘I got the Shot’: Lord mayor gets jabbed

Lord Mayor Betty Disero got her COVID-19 vaccine last week. She got a last-minute call Friday after a cancellation at Simpson's Apothecary in Old Town and rushed down to get her jab of the

On the lighter side: That’s a bulldog in the window

Richard WestSpecial to Niagara Now/The Lake Report I enjoy a daily walk around NOTL, especially during the year of COVID. A month or so ago, I was returning home up Gate Street and I

Brynns Branches: In teaching about giving, stolen pussywillows offer another lesson

Virgil father Jeff McGuffin was teaching his one-year-old daughter Brynn about the spirit of giving when he found a few more lessons to impart along the way. After putting pussywillows out near the curb for sale

Pandemic Heroes: NOTL’s essential food workers

During the global COVID-19 pandemic, front-line workers at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s grocery stores have gone above and beyond to create a safe, friendly environment for locals to shop. Harvest Barn, and both Phil’s and Hendriks Valu-marts,

Hirji urges Ontario to consider regional travel restrictions

Niagara-on-the-Lake is continuing to see thousands of visitors entering town on weekends, despite pleas from public health officials across Ontario for people to stay home and not travel out of their region. The

Hit-and-run victim Matthew Wilson was lifelong NOTLer

A 40-year-old man who was killed in a hit-and-run on Lakeshore Road Sunday night was a lifelong NOTL resident with a passion for sports. Niagara Regional Police said they have identified the driver of a

Town denies wrongdoing, says it acted legally in development freeze

In an ongoing legal battle between Hummel Properties Ltd. and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, the municipality says it acted legally when it implemented a bylaw to freeze all development in Old Town. Hummel, a prominent

Police investigating fatal hit-and-run in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Police are investigating a hit-and-run that left a man dead on the side of Lakeshore Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Officers were called to the area, near NcNab Road at about 7:18 a.m. Monday and discovered a deceased adult

Hummel lawsuit alleges ‘insidious scheme’ by mayor, council

Developer Hummel Properties Inc. is suing the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake for damages over an interim control bylaw passed just days after council was sworn in on Dec. 3, 2018. Although the allegations have

First state of the town focuses on positives, challenges for NOTL

When will Niagara-on-the-Lake get a dog park? What’s up with the town’s diversity committee? How will the municipality streamline operations during the pandemic? What are the pandemic impacts and how are the town’s finances? Those were

Wellness committee launches COVID vaccine hotline for help with booking

Niagara-on-the-Lake's wellness committee has set up a phone number residents can call to get help with booking their vaccines. Cindy Grant, chair of the committee, said the idea came to her when the

American living in Niagara gets vaccine, thanks to response to Lake Report letter

Ralph Dangelmaier was feeling left out, unable to get a vaccine when he tried to book one. The American citizen, a former navy fighter pilot, is over 80 and was desperately looking for a

Pandemic Heroes: Patio pals pull together for Sandtrap project

Throughout the global COVID-19 pandemic, restaurants have been some of the hardest hit businesses. But when restaurants were allowed by the town to set up temporary patios last year, a group of friends who

Editorial: State of the town is a helpful tool for residents

The NOTL Chamber of Commerce, Lord Mayor Betty Disero and chief administrative officer Marnie Cluckie last week held their first state of the town address, to fill residents in on some of the municipal

Town gears up for tourists, as active COVID cases keep rising

With cases of COVID-19 rising across the region and nicer weather around the corner, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake is again getting ready to accommodate tourists. The town said it is “proactively preparing” for an anticipated increase in visitors by

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