Richard Harley, Author at Niagara Now

Editorial: COVID is making the rounds … again

It’s a similar story no matter who you talk to — it seems everyone knows someone who has had COVID-19 of late. As testing reaches an all-time low, as Doug Ford’s government continues

Editorial: Happy ending to learning pod saga

It’s a nice thing when stories have happy endings. So we were happy to learn that the Niagara Alternative Learning Alliance has taken steps to become a legal, viable school by working with the

Alitura open house attracts crowds despite rain

Despite the rain Saturday morning, crowds of curious and hungry people headed to an open house for the new Alitura bakery. It was one of the first outdoor events in Niagara-on-the-Lake this spring and owner Fabian Reis was

Visitors have started to return to downtown NOTL

Downtown Niagara-on-the-Lake was starting to show signs of life again on Saturday, despite a rainy, wet morning. At about noon, groups of visitors were walking the streets, window shopping and picking up goods from the

Garrison House hosting Top Chef Canada winner for special dinner

Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Garrison House restaurant is gearing up to host two Top Chef Canada chefs for a night of local spring food. Winner Erica Karbelnick and her husband Josh (a finalist) will join chef David Watt for a

Shaw Review: ‘Cyrano’ is a mix of humour and heartache

The Shaw Festival opened for the season with the official premiere of “Cyrano de Bergerac” on Saturday, one of the first full-house performances since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. As the lights

NOTL Snaps: Foggy days, first sunset of spring

Calling all NOTL photographers: send us some of your interesting, evocative, quirky images of life around town and we’ll consider them for this space on our editorial page. Email

Bunny Trail and Kinsmen Easter Egg Hunt return in April

There are a few things to be hoppy about this April, as pair of popular Niagara-on-the-Lake Easter gatherings return after a two-year hiatus. The Niagara Nursery School will hold its Bunny Trail event and the NOTL Kinsmen will hold

Return of the Festivals: NOTL’s much-loved summer events return

It’s the year of the return of the festivals and Niagara-on-the-Lake organizations are gearing up to bring them back with a splash. The Lake Report has confirmed this year’s Virgil Stampede and fruit festivals

Editorial: Some sensible solutions to short-term rental problem

The Chautauqua Residents Association’s new president Brian Crow is forward thinking and sees the problems short-term rentals can cause. He’s seen first-hand how short-term rentals have begun to hollow out his tight-knit neighbourhood, how

NOTL woman running weekend food drive to help fill St. Catharines community fridge

Catherine Leniarsky doesn't want to see anyone go hungry. The 33-year-old woman from Niagara-on-the-Lake is on a weekend mission to help stock the Lincoln County Community Fridge in St. Catharines, after hearing they're having a

Farmworker Hub part of a growing community chain to support seasonal workers

Niagara-on-the-Lake's Farmworker Hub is a place for people to come together. For seasonal workers, it's where they can get the things they need — clothes, warm gloves and boots, food, toiletries, kitchen basics like

NOTL March break hockey tournament a sign of life returning to normal

A minor hockey tournament took over the Virgil arenas Friday to Monday, as 42 teams faced off for the title of champion in various age groups. It was a sign of life coming

Letter: Farewell to Jer Houghton

Thank you for such an amazing year! It's been a pleasure getting to know you personally and professionally. I have so much respect and appreciation for everything you do, and I'm grateful for

30th annual Candlelight Stroll is Dec. 6

The 30th annual Candlelight Stroll in Niagara-on-the-Lake will take place Dec. 6 at 6:30 p.m. As is tradition, the guided stroll will wind through the historic Old Town, with streets lined by more than 15 choirs, bands and

Exploring Photos: ___

Our Cenotaph clock tower bell is in the belfry of the, Court House Theatre. The bell was cast in 1838 and weighs 700 pounds. It is one of the oldest town bells in

In NOTL, strong women are leading by example

'There’s no hurdle that can’t be overcome if you’re determined enough,' councillor says While women in Canada and around the world still face obstacles to achieve equal rights and opportunities, there’s a strong sense

Editorial: The fierce women of NOTL

Niagara-on-the-Lake is home to countless strong, fearless, talented, hard-working and intelligent women. We know this first-hand because so many of them contribute to this newspaper and to our community at large. So, in honour of

Leaving the new Hong Kong for the freedom of Canada

Editor’s note: While we celebrate the progress of equality for women around the world, we want to highlight some of the strong, fearless women who have made incredibly tough decisions to protect themselves

NOTL actor holding fundraiser for Ukrainian relief effort

Tara Rosling doesn’t like war. Seeing what’s happening in Ukraine, the Niagara-on-the-Lake actor and her daughter Eliana wanted to do something to help. “It feels kind of silly in a way to hold

New chamber president says focus is on official tourism strategy

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Chamber of Commerce has a new president. The chamber announced last Thursday that Minerva Ward will replace Eduardo Lafforgue as the head of the organization. She is expected to begin March

Sailing school returns after two years, club looking for kids to register

After being closed for two years because of COVID-19, the NOTL Sailing Club is gearing up to restart its sailing school for youth again. Rod Gardner, director of the NOTL club’s “Learn to Sail”

Data shows 25 convoy donations from NOTL

New data obtained by The Lake Report appears to show at least 25 people with Niagara-on-the-Lake addresses donated to the “freedom convoy” of truckers that tied up downtown Ottawa with three weeks of protests over

NOTLers reflect on Ukraine, past and present

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, some Niagara-on-the-Lake residents with Ukrainian heritage are thinking back on their own families and when they moved to Canada. Andre Kostiuk's thoughts have been of his father and

Arch-i-text: A new vision for affordable housing

My wife has a mantra she developed during her successful career as the CEO of an international corporation. It goes: “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always

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