
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

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

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,

My musical career more or less peaked in the 1960s with Elvis, the Beatles and the Beach Boys. But even then, I had heard of the mystical Stradivarius violin. Last weekend, a violin

Yes, readers, it is sometimes cathartic to take a giant leap out of one’s comfort zone. Last Saturday, I went from comfy and cozy Niagara-on-the-Lake to big and crazy and noisy and chaotic

Back on July 6, I rambled about the situation in our pretty town, after a particularly busy weekend when we had welcomed an amazing number of happy tourists. Visitors are blown away by

Yes, folks, we mere mortals are just along for the ride. When Mother Nature sends us a message, find some shelter and hunker down. On Sunday our town was hopping until the rains,

My great-grandfather Jabel Robinson was a giant in the early days of farming in western Ontario. While studying family history last week, I learned he had been the founding president of the Dominion

Back about 10 years ago, Atis Bankas dusted me during a men’s tennis league night at the Memorial Park tennis courts. While enjoying a cold Oast House’s Barnraiser after the match, I told

The past few weeks, Queen Street has been chock-a-block with visitors and locals taking the airs and enjoying our unique village. I observe the passing scenes, as many different groups of people walk

Could we have had any more fun in NOTL last weekend? A sold out pickleball tournament at the two arenas in Virgil, with over 300 entrants — Dominic Ventresca and his Dominators tennis

This Sunday, June 11 at 12:30 pm, a ceremony of remembrance will be held on Byron Street, in a quiet corner of the St. Vincent de Paul cemetery. Yes, friends, let’s take a

Loyal readers know I never get mean or sarcastic with my musings. I try to look for something absurd and often poke fun. Usually with a message. Rambling is sometimes not easy, forcing

Yes, I am bewildered again this year by the results of the hockey playoffs. Also puzzled, flummoxed, confounded and confused. Try as I might, I just don’t understand how year after year teams from

Our wee town shows well and, for a variety of reasons, it is highly ranked as a primo place to visit. The vineyards and wineries, the mighty Niagara River, Lake Ontario nearby, famous

As a former hockey player and hockey fan whose interest has been dwindling for several reasons, I have been unable to resist the excitement of this year’s first-round NHL playoffs. The last week

How a change in lifestyle has changed my thinking. For more than 100 consecutive mornings, I have listened to our cenotaph clock chime 10, as I stand on the lower front step of

For years when we were unable to understand the finances of a large company or a level of government, my old high school buddies and I would explain away our ineptness by saying,

There is so much wrong with sports these days. The captain of the Toronto Maple Leafs and Wayne Gretzky on television promoting gambling. “Get in the game. Gamble now. Here’s how to gamble

Monday morning at 9:50, I arrived at the Court House to lead my daily “Free Walking Tour of our Town,” for the 74th straight day. Imagine how my heart soared, as there were

Monday, Feb. 20 was a lovely day for families to be outside enjoying fresh air in our lovely spa-like town, where the Niagara River empties into Lake Ontario. Six people arrived on the

‘Twas a joy to read the heartwarming and very personal story by NOTL athlete Wallace Wiens regarding the lifelong contribution that Mrs. Dove made to her quiet and humble life. She writes so

Now that I am downtown every morning for two hours, leading my Free Walking Tours around Queen Street and Queen’s Royal Park and St. Mark’s cemetery, it amazes me how much effort is

Often, haggis is a hard sell, but not last Friday evening in our town. The stars must have aligned, because many of us, fans of Robbie Burns, asked for seconds and thirds of

Many thoughts that get into my head lead me to ramble. Only a few encourage me to think deeply. While walking around town last weekend, two signs told me I wasn’t really welcome

Thank goodness for pet dogs or many locals would get no real exercise outdoors in the fresh air – especially in the winter, when dog owners take their pets out two or three

© All Rights Reserved, Niagara Now.

