LOVE REPORT: For Mary Lou Turner, always a joy
Ross Robinson Love can be described as a strong positive feeling toward someone or something. To that end, I can happily say that I love Mary Lou Turner. She is a joy to
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Ross’s Ramblings: Going to Mexico to avoid Canada’s overpriced dental cartels
So many of us have inaccurate ideas about life in other countries. For example, it is easy to believe there are murderous cartels in Mexico, often controlling the illegal drug and arms businesses.
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
Ross’s Ramblings: Why this NOTL lad loves to travel
St. Augustine, it is said, wisely wrote, “The world is a book. The person who does not travel reads only one page.” Travelling is a great teacher, and my recent 19-day dental trip
Ross’s Ramblings: Travel in Mexico without guacamole
Reflecting on my peripatetic life, I realize I have often studiously avoided the local foods that define an area. Recently, this meant 19 days in Mexico without tasting, seeing, or even smelling guacamole.
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Ross’s Ramblings: Aging characters contribute to character of NOTL
The festive season is well behind us and I had plenty of time to be thankful for the characters of Niagara-on-the-Lake. They have a big influence on our town. Yes, we have built
Ross’s Ramblings: Niagara punches way above its weight musically
The holiday season brought even more musical and cultural events to our wonderful part of the world, and it was tiring to try to keep up. When will the good times end? Music
Ross’s Ramblings: Sandy Sugarswirl at North Pole delights Niagara children
It’s been a wonderful 33 years for one Canada Post employee, who was very busy over the holidays writing letters to Niagara area children before Christmas. In a world — and a country
Ross’s Ramblings: Our town shines as a primo holiday season destination
So much to do, and so many spirited local folks making Christmas-y things happen. Last weekend, visitors from nearby towns and faraway countries descended on Niagara-on-the-Lake, enthusiastically getting into the holiday spirit. People
Ross’s Ramblings: Enlightening encounters and braving the chilly elements
So much going on in our town and so much to learn. Last week, I came upon the Learn & Live seminar at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Public Library, presented by Trevor Kwolek of Great
Ross’s Ramblings: Of historic buildings, colourful celebrations and sad sports
Do Ross’s Ramblings focus too often on Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Old Town? At the risk of over-rambling, this week I will touch on three diverse subjects. Firstly, a somewhat high level (for me) discussion of
Ross’s Ramblings: Our main street becomes more H0H0H0 fabulous every year
Not that many years ago, it seemed that Niagara-on-the-Lake’s idea of decorating Queen Street for the festive season was to spend 20 bucks on white lights at Canadian Tire or Penners. Improvements have
Ross’s Ramblings: Old-time hockey and NOTL’s wondrous musical moments
Although I no longer watch hockey on the television, mainly because the players are too fast and too clever, the tragic news of a hockey player dying in England has been all over
Ross’s Ramblings: A positive day in the world of oncology. Hurray!
Until four months ago, I never imagined I would hear my name and the noun cancer in the same sentence. I won’t be melodramatic, but the numbing sound of those words from Dr.
Ross’s Ramblings: A few things that confuse me in NOTL and beyond
The days come and go, and the seasons gently change. We somehow manage to keep up with the many shifts, technologically, socially and geopolitically. Occasionally, I just go with the flow, trusting our
Ross’s Ramblings: Let’s create a new tradition for Halloween
Why is Halloween always awkwardly celebrated on Oct. 31? Mainly, because it has always been celebrated on Oct. 31. Perhaps too often, I ramble that traditions hinder progress and stifle creativity in our
Ross’s Ramblings: We encourage people to visit, but now where can they go?
As the seasons change here in our blessedly peaceful corner of the world, my hours spent downtown cause me to randomly ramble. Our creative and aggressive tourism marketers use their expertise to attract
Ross’s Ramblings: Niagara-on-the-Lake could learn a thing or two from the Swiss
An eventful 41 years ago, it was my good fortune to spend a lot of time in and around Interlaken, Switzerland (pronounced Interlochen, not Interlaken.) It is a very old Swiss town that
Ross’s Ramblings: A perfect NOTL weekend with lots of love to go ’round
My thick dictionary defines “marketing” as the provision of goods and services to meet consumer needs. This has always seemed a bit shallow to me, and I feel that people remember goods and
Ross’s Ramblings: Important evening of music trivia at the Legion
Always up for trying something new with new friends, and confident enough to admit I would be the weak link on a team, I participated in the NOTL Legion Branch 124’s music trivia
Ross’s Ramblings: Old Town filled with happy and adventurous visitors
Queen Street was busy last weekend with visitors of all ages out and about, enjoying what we lucky NOTLers take for granted. Temperatures were perfect for walking and bike riding, and there were
Ross’s Ramblings: The Rugby World Cup on a grey day at the Olde Angel Inn
A Sunday afternoon bike ride downtown and the day becoming a bit chilly. Grey clouds were hovering just above our beautiful tree cover. Our town council was wise way back in 1922, planting
Ross’s Ramblings: ‘Historical artifacts’ from dock dig a bit of a stretch
A while back, I rambled about the project-delaying archeological study overkill at the corner of Simcoe and Johnson streets, where a new culvert was being painstakingly constructed. At one point, up to nine
Ross’s Ramblings: It was Tom Tomato’s time to shine as a fruit
Yes, NOTLers, strawberries, cherries and peaches enjoy a day in the sun each year here in Canada’s prettiest town. So, it was high time the plump red and under recognized tomato was put
Ross’s Ramblings: Solitary sights on a Sunday morning sidewalk in NOTL
As the Man in Black sang, “There’s something in a Sunday that makes a body feel alone.” It was an early-morning catch-up breakfast with my daughter at Butler’s Sports Bar last Sunday morning,
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