At the final meetup of Niagara-on-the-Lake's mayoral candidates before the polls open on election day, Oct. 26, Erwin Wiens, Andrea Kaiser and Vaughn Goettler were divided on a variety of issues, including how a municipality is supposed to be run.
Early voting gave some Niagara-on-the-Lake residents peace of mind, while others saw it as an opportunity to make their voices heard ahead of election day.
The Lake Report asked more nominees for trustees what their top three priorities are, why they decided to run and what they would like to change or fix at the school board level.
The gloves came off on stage Thursday night when one Niagara-on-the-Lake council candidate accused two fellow candidates, both incumbents, of betraying residents over the Parliament Oak development.
At barely 14, NOTL's Kaige Zhu and Eli Perng already competed in tournaments far more intense and demanding than most recreational golfers will ever experience. But they're just getting started.
"Some will mourn the final performances of 'A Christmas Carol' at the Royal George for the foreseeable future. Others will mourn the passing of the theatre itself," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"The basic precepts of good urban development planning place the onus on the local government to proactively identify low, medium and high-density locations," writes Brian Marshall.
"Over the last six years, I’ve witnessed their hard work, dedication and faithfulness to care for their charges much as they would their own. That’s been a privilege to witness first-hand, and never more so than in Jan’s last few days," writes Dr. William Brown.
"As locals, most of us tend to fall into the trap of taking our trees for granted. Not so for Suzanne and her horticultural and history-hungry daughter," writes Ross Robinson.
"We have no shortage of issues that will affect our futures, but may I humbly and respectfully request that we all take a few deep breaths?" writes Ross Robinson.
"Metered parking is enforced for 3,340 hours a year, meaning the annual maximum revenue is $18,370 per space at full utilization," writes Steve McGuinness.
"Depending on the version, ChatGPT was trained on millions to trillions of times more data than was used in this simple model. That’s where ChatGPT gets its information and power," writes Dr. William Brown.
"Here in Niagara-on-the-Lake, apparently aided and abetted by several of our elected 'representatives,' this narrative has been successfully played out again and again over the term of the current council," writes Brian Marshall.
"People respond with anger, aggression and the need to lash out when they’re insecure and under threat. Not by an old dude with a dodgy leg, but by circumstances," writes Garth Turner.
"People flock here (three million of them annually) because it’s authentic. It’s ancient. Historic. Quaint in a way Mississauga and Buffalo never will be. Not cute. Not fake," writes Garth Turner.
"If one gives away a million dollars here and there ... where does the money come from to make up those losses in order to fulfil the region’s legislated responsibilities?" writes Brian Marshall.
"Let’s all lighten up a bit and get jolly as the holly appears once again. Queen Street downtown, and indeed our four villages, are being transformed again," writes Ross Robinson.
"Is AI intelligent? Sure. It is, and becoming as intelligent or more than most humans. Is AI sentient? Not yet, but on the way. And it won’t be long," writes Dr. William Brown.
"Why is this production so satisfying? Irving Berlin's songs are pure genius. The orchestra sweeps and swirls us along. We unabashedly sing on request," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"They’re here. They invaded November 11th. They stood among us. Being a tolerant, inclusive people, we let them. It’s what makes us Canadian," writes Garth Turner.
"It’s shocking how many Canadians have not prepared a will or completed any basic end-of-life planning. No matter your age or wealth level, this is imprudent and irresponsible," writes Steve McGuinness.
"From Niagara-on-the-Lake to Hong Kong and eventually to Toronto, the word 'love' has suddenly been added to our vocabulary. And it happened so naturally, so quietly," writes Ross Robinson.
"Diminishment, the loss of abilities which we take for granted ... comes to all of us in different ways and times. It’s how we manage that diminishment that counts," writes Dr. William Brown.
"The proposed size, massing and form of the building, considered within the context of the surrounding buildings, completely dwarfs everything else in the heritage district," writes Brian Marshall.
"On every Nov. 11 since that day, I have shared the evening with a bottle of whisky, those memories and the words that were written down that evening," writes Brian Marshall.
"This new budget process is more compressed and accelerated than in prior years. This change was imposed on May 1 when the province conferred strong mayor powers on our town without voter consent," writes Steve McGuinness.
"All models are provisional and, even if based on the best data available, might have to change in the light of new evidence," writes Dr. William Brown.
