Ross’s Ramblings: Changing from Queen to King and where will it stop?
Our much loved Queen has died and I have come to realize the ubiquity of the word Queen. Yes, that word is everywhere, in so many areas of our Canadian lives. I have
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Ross’s Ramblings: Using hockey stars to promote gambling is offensive
Am I the only one, or is the sight of Wayne Gretzky, Auston Matthews and other hockey celebrities encouraging me to gamble on professional sports games offensive? In our lifetimes, will Niagara IceDogs
Ross’s Ramblings: Ubiquitous NOTL signs are dumbing down our lives
Is it just me, or has there been a recent proliferation of signs here in our pretty and horticulturally rich wee town, and in our beautiful Niagara region? Some are helpful, but others
Ross’s Ramblings: Will new diverging diamond road ‘improve’ confusion at Glendale?
It was surely a slow news weekend, despite the 50th anniversary stories reminding us of the society-altering 1972 Munich Olympic tragedy and the Canada-altering rough and tumble, hooliganistic hockey win over Russia. The
Ross’s Ramblings: The characters of NOTL give town its character
We regularly hear well-meaning local people pontificating about protecting the character of our charming wee town. Zoning density, lot coverage, square footage and more details. Can we agree that bricks and mortar and
Ross’s Ramblings: Canada Summer Games coast to a noisy ending with fireworks in gorge
My pal Dave Boyes and I attended the closing ceremony of the Canada Summer Games in Niagara Falls. It was a nostalgic trip for both of us, as we had both been part
Ross’s Ramblings: Tennis final thrills spectators at Canada Games
It was a fun and raucous Saturday evening at the tennis courts in Memorial Park, as the final match unfolded between the two mixed doubles teams from Quebec and British Columbia. It was
Ross’s Ramblings: Sh-h-h! The Canada Games tennis tournament is at Memorial Park
Do you think athletes prefer to play in front of quiet, empty bleachers? No, they don’t. I spent five hours in the furnace-like heat on Sunday and, as well as being treated to great
Ross’s Ramblings: As society slowly changes, so does our language
How do we manage to stay abreast of the changes in our world and the evolution of our words? Long ago, in the days before computers and mobile phones, life must have moved
Ross’s Ramblings: Music Niagara understands sound, technically
As an event organizer, I learned long ago to “always overspend on sound.” How many times have we been to concerts or speeches or weddings or sports events where the organizer has cheaped
Ross’s Ramblings: Change comes even to NOTL, usually for the better
“One of the things that never changes is that things always change.” This high level and tricky aphorism offered by Michael Clarke in the Veterans Memorial Park tennis pavilion earlier this week caused
Ross’s Ramblings: Dollar for dollar, how do we solve a puzzle like the exchange rate?
This economic flimflam has confused me since my university days in the U.S. way back in the 1960s. “The exchange rate” was then 1.07, with our Canadian dollar stronger that its U.S. counterpart.
Ross’s Ramblings: Humble NHL legend Guy Lafleur’s quiet visit to NOTL
Guy Guy Lafleur died a few weeks ago and the Montreal Canadiens and their adherents showed class and love as they cheered for him one last time. They know how to love each other,
Ross’s Ramblings: Mothers Day on the Niagara Parkway and in the Kyiv subway
The luck of the Canadians or the resilience of the Ukrainians? Sometimes, life is overwhelmingly a matter of luck and timing. On a perfect weather Sunday afternoon for Mother’s Day last weekend, I
Ross’s Ramblings: A proverbialplethora of Porta Potties is plaguingourpretty metropolis
Yes, some of us have had way too much time on our hands during the ongoing deadly global pandemic. And my ramblings today may cause a parallel reaction to the strange result of
Ross’s Ramblings: A chance to bring more diversity to NOTL Sports Wall of Fame
Not to worry, folks, it is not my intent to write a scholarly academic article discussing the rights and freedoms of all sporting residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake. However, let me attempt to spur
Ross’s Ramblings: Not in the antipodes, but the Stanley Cup has been MIA
Let’s get back to our Canadian roots, and talk some hockey. I’m distressed by what has happened to “our game.” Between 1948 and 1998, the first 50 years of my life, we Canadians could argue that
Ross’s Ramblings: When COVID strikes, self-isolating gets lonely in a hurry
Last Wednesday afternoon, I suddenly became a member of the COVID-19 in-crowd. After just over two years of listening to medical statistics, watching Dr. Theresa Tam and Dr. Peter Juni and Dr. Anthony
Ross’s Ramblings: Spring is here, with traditions and confusion about ‘the cottage’
Spring is teasing us, and even the NOTL dog walkers seem to have a spring in their steps. Dogs are tugging at leashes and dog walker discussions are solving many of the problems in
Ross’s Ramblings: Spring is here, with traditions and confusion about ‘the cottage’
Spring is teasing us, and even the NOTL dog walkers seem to have a spring in their steps. Dogs are tugging at leashes and dog walker discussions are solving many of the problems in
Ross’s Ramblings: Stephen Leacocks Mariposa could be NOTL, with a side of Jos Louis
Try to follow my Ramblings this week as I do my best to combine two subjects that contribute to what makes Canada my unique home and native land. Please be a bit patient.
Ross’s Ramblings: ‘Detective Kids’ find lost keys in hard-to-find NOTL park
I lost my ring of keys in Rye Heritage Park last Thursday. Car keys, door keys, post box key, other keys. What a pain. My tennis pal Manny and I looked everywhere for
Op-ed–Ross-Why is ‘negative’ good news and ‘positive’ bad news?
Ross Robinson Special to The Lake Report Many of us on our planet speak English. A complex language to be certain, it often forces me to get my thickest book off the shelf. The
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Ross’s Ramblings: NOTL snowblower jockeys conquered this year’s epic Canadian snowfalls
They’re everywhere. They’re everywhere. Is it just me, or has there been a dramatic increase in snowblower usage this winter? So many driveways and sidewalks have been groomed to perfection so soon after
Ross’s Ramblings: With Beijing Games done, Canada Summer Games are next
I worked at the Munich Olympic Village in 1972 and the Montreal Olympic Games in 1976. In the athlete cafeterias, I was on a multinational 1052-member team, putting out over 15,000 meals each
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