“The design for the theatre is a matter of taste, but it sure beats the Dairy Queen. Also, it enhances the look and feel of the old town by adding some much-needed class,” writes Mike Henry.
“Rebuilding the Royal George close to the Festival Theatre would create a genuine ‘cultural district’ in the town,” writes James Webber.
“What most of the committee realized during the Shaw’s presentation was that the new building was going to destroy heritage houses and turn Victoria Street into a service road for trucks backing into a loading dock,” writes Wayne Murray.
“No more mistakes. Distracted driving kills. Stop making excuses to play Russian roulette with children’s lives and follow the flipping rules,” writes Lani Parkinson.
“On the one hand, we have the traffic camera at Crossroads School and, on the other, we have the dangerous E. coli levels at Queen’s Royal Beach (and, likely, the much-ignored Ryerson Park beach),” writes Bruce Dickson.
“We’ve spent decades designing roads that prioritize speed over safety — wide lanes, big turning radii, fast-moving arterials. It’s no surprise people treat them like highways,” writes Frank Hayes.
“All of this will come at the expense of the historic ambience and lack of stewardship responsibility to maintain one of Canada’s most unique communities,” write Jim and Erika Alexander.
“Let’s remember: this was a temporary solution for a temporary crisis. If there’s now a desire to make patios permanent, then we must follow a proper planning process,” writes Coun. Maria Mavridis.
“It’s hard to feel any sympathy for the region when it comes to this issue. Regardless, they are a cash grab! Plain and simple,” writes Yousaf Shaikh.
“Why are our tax dollars now going to repair and upgrade the irrigation and municipal drainage system that has not been maintained properly for years and should be paid for by those that benefit from it?” writes Kip Voege.
“I would like Niagara-on-the-Lake to be a partner in tackling these issues, which can affect any of our friends and family members, no matter who they are or where they come from,” writes Steven Soos.
“Peace — first within ourselves, then within our families, our communities, our countries and finally in our increasingly small and fragile world — seems well worth the effort,” writes Hugh Church.
“In a small community such as Niagara, where everyone knows everyone, businesses that rely on work directed to them from both governmental bodies and developers within the region are not going to want to upset their sources of income,” writes Gienek Ksiazkiewicz.
“We can lament the fact that the properties close to Queen Street are no longer suitable for single-family houses, but the community has to decide what the best alternative use is,” writes Wayne Murray.
“Wrought iron and striped awnings come to mind, rather than the rough-looking backyard lean-to appearance they currently represent,” writes Ann Handels.
“We believe that prioritizing senior housing isn’t just a seniors’ issue — it’s a community issue. It’s about keeping families together, supporting caregivers, and making sure that long-time residents don’t have to leave the place they love as their needs change.”
“The people can be consulted but not, on the whole, trusted, and all the participation must be, implicitly, for the change. A sort of Manufacturing Consent Lite,” writes Jeremy Langton.
“Wake up, everyone, please. Life is short and precious: Let’s not accelerate our demise,” writes Frank Hayes.
“Once we have removed the temporary patios, you will see how lonely and small our downtown will seem,” writes Jackie Bonic.
“While we understand this may come as a disappointment to many in our community, we remain committed to our mission and are pleased to confirm that the much-loved Healing Cycle Ride will proceed as planned,” writes Bonnie Bagnulo, executive director of NOTL Community Palliative Care Service.
“Our proposal includes Wellness Estates NOTL, an adult condominium community designed to help residents age in place through integrated health services,” writes Nick Vaccaro.
The lord mayor “certainly has the right,” to use “strong mayor powers,” writes Michael Fox. “However, he could go some way to restore confidence that democracy, at times on life support in NOTL, is actually still alive.”
“I’ve read every letter on this subject in all of the local newspapers without finding a single numeric alternative to our findings. There’s been plenty of time and opportunity,” writes Kenn Moody.
“As a seasoned sign guy, I believe the bylaw should be amended to include only residential and not commercial properties. Each eligible resident gets a single vote. Many commercial properties or building sites were covered with signage and, dare I say, over-signage,” writes Ken I’Anson, who helped with putting up candidate signs around NOTL during the 2025 federal election.
“We can do better in NOTL and there are resources to help us figure out how. This would be a step towards a more positive, cost-effective way of encouraging appropriate development in the current environment of flawed, broad-brush provincial directives,” writes Chrys Kaloudis, former urban design committee member.
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