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.
"I have concluded that the design principle underlying all of them is to frustrate customers so thoroughly that we hang up, abandoning all service attempts, forever and ever, amen," writes Steve McGuiness.
"Far too often a ghost facade prioritizes a superficial appearance over functional reality," writes Brian Marshall of the new proposal for the Royal George Theatre.
"There is always something special about sitting out in the garden in the evening watching the glittering lights on the surface of the water," writes Joanne Young.
"The story of human evolution is important too because without modern humans, there would be no science and no one to understand what was happening in the universe — the universe would unfold without a witness," writes Dr. William Brown.
On the rebuilding and reopening of the new Royal George Theatre, Ross Robinson writes, "Please don’t say 2029 and then take a year or two or three longer ... The pain to local businesses and residents will be unbearable. To everyone involved."
In the past, Queen’s Royal, home to the town’s famous gazebo, has often been declared unsafe, so this year The Lake Report obtained and analyzed water test data gathered by Niagara Region staff to determine how good — or bad — the situation was.
"A hole 23 feet deep is no backyard swimming pool. It will consume a good chunk of the Parliament Oak site, rising toward King Street as it transitions from parking garage to hotel foundation and car ramp," writes Garth Turner.
"Their shared dreams rise and fall, worn down by circumstances caused by a multitude of factors. These include the onset of the Great Depression, economic uncertainty, job losses and racism," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
From turtleheads and asters to Joe Pye weeds and toad lilies, these fall-blooming flowers can be added to your garden to keep the beauty and interest going even as the summer season comes to an end.
"The driving presumption is that more frequent in-person interaction between team members will lead to better coordination and cohesion. But it could just as easily lead to more downtime spent socializing with distracted co-workers around the water cooler," writes Steve McGuinness.
"Sometimes the negative 'press of events' can lead us to believe that there are no 'wins’ to celebrate. But, au contraire, there are," writes Brian Marshall.
"Improv is hard work. If the goal of Murder-on-the-Lake is to take very good care of its audience, this production succeeds admirably," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"I was part of a wonderful tableau of Canadiana, with people of all ages, ethnicities, clothing styles and spoken languages. No rhyme or reason to it, it was just happening," writes Ross Robinson.
"Property taxes are a housing expense directly controlled by municipalities. The town portion of our residential tax bills has increased at multiples of inflation (a 24 per cent compound rate) during this council term," writes Steve McGuinness.
"It is so rewarding to be able to grow your own food. I grew up on a farm — every year, we planted a large garden that would feed my family of eight for the entire winter," writes Joanne Young.
"Are flights on a major air carrier more of a vital commodity than mail delivery in 2025? When does a public service cross over the line from necessary to essential?" writes Steve McGuinness.
NOTL homeowners will pay more than $16 million for policing in 2025, but that total could be a lot lower if regional council stops using home values to calculate how the service is funded, says the former chair of Niagara's police services board.
"There is an extremely disturbing trend in this province directed at marginalizing, diminishing or outright destruction of our shared history, built heritage and cultural landscapes," writes Brian Marshall.
"Please, bring back the Spiegeltent in whatever future form it may take and do plan more of these innovative, imaginative offerings. Let's have more opportunities to tap, swing and lift our spirits," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"NOTL ain’t TN. This is paradise. Everybody wants to be here, right?" writes Garth Turner. "But wait. We also have a weird market. And some people are being clobbered by it."
"I was given a tour of the infrastructure work being done in west St. Catharines, preparing for the commencement of the magic pill that will be GO Train service to Niagara," writes Ross Robinson. "I was attentive and polite, but very skeptical."
"Studies show that being around trees and green spaces improves your overall mental well-being," writes Joanne Young. "Spending time with trees is time well spent."
