"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.
"Growth and change in any town may be inevitable. However, those forces must be thoughtfully and consistently managed in order to preserve its unique character and cultural landscapes while evolving into a greater version of itself," writes Brian Marshall.
"Under the Canada Health Act, provinces are required to maintain universal health plans offering their residents medical coverage. The provinces receive significant social transfer amounts from the feds in return," writes Steve McGuinness.
"This is a very solid story of science at its best, expressed in the imagination and dogged persistence of the three laureates," writes Dr. William Brown, on this year's winners of the Nobel Prize in medicine and their discoveries concerning how the immune system is kept in check.
"Around NOTL, so many residents and visitors proudly wearing Blue Jays merchandise. People smiling and saying hello to strangers. In our world today, any positive news is welcome, and this World Series run is definitely good news," writes Ross Robinson.
"It’s telling that MacKay-Lyons, whose main body of work is unabashedly contemporary, adheres strictly to this sense of place as derived from understanding its existing (or historic) vernacular materials, building culture and forms," writes Brian Marshall.
"The NOTL rebels’ plan is to have candidates identified and in place well before the race. There may be a slate. There will certainly be public engagements — forums, Q&As, debates. There will be money, as well as passion," writes Garth Turner.
"The Nobel Prizes in the sciences began in 1901, and despite the emergence of a host of other worthy prizes in mathematics, engineering and recently the computer sciences, it remains the gold standard," writes Dr. William Brown.
"These core principles are neglected, ignored or improperly applied by far too many practicing architects and results in poor designs which, if constructed, assault the public's senses with inferior built architecture," writes Brian Marshall.
"Urbanites may not get this, but in much of Canada, the post office is Canada. The sole, identifiable, enduring and working link to the federal government. Once that is shuttered, the bond dies," writes Garth Turner.
The following column was written by the late Joanne Young, garden expert and coach, and was originally published in the Sept. 8, 2022 edition of The Lake Report.
"The lord mayor and some councillors defend this padding as prudent to redress a perceived infrastructure deficit. But what will these reserves actually be spent on?" writes Steve McGuinness.
"Even in State College on a very busy weekend, our driver didn’t once ask me for directions. It was out of character for me, but I just sat in the back seat with my mouth shut. He would just glance at his GPS screen and implicitly trust the computers," writes Ross Robinson.
"In 2024, it was obvious just how powerful these computational programs could be for determining the 3D structure of a protein," writes Dr. William Brown.
"Council has made unpopular development decisions before, but it appears to be playing this one more carefully. Let’s hope they’re listening," writes David Israelson.
"We are being asked to accept the partial destruction of the Queen-Picton heritage district’s place identity on the very questionable altar of a cultural institution’s ask," writes Brian Marshall.
"The buyer of a $1.9-million house needs $400,000 in cash and an income of about $220,000 to handle the $8,400 monthly mortgage payment, plus property tax and utilities. Ouch," writes Garth Turner.
"It takes villages, towns and cities of scientists working together, whether directly or simply by sharing insights and data, to make most science work in our time," writes Dr. William Brown.
The following column was written by the late Joanne Young, garden expert and coach, and was originally published in the Oct. 5, 2023 edition of The Lake Report.
"When only 16, Maria fled her homeland in 1944 to Germany, sometimes riding with all their belongings in a horse-drawn carriage. A tough life happened during and after the Second World War," writes Ross Robinson.
"Now people who flock to see old, quaint, authentic and irreplaceable architecture are greeted by a fine example of the Mississauga Industrial school of design," writes Garth Turner.
"Properly executed, the restoration of this vital and unique piece of heritage will stand as a lasting legacy bequeathed to all Canadians," writes Brian Marshall of the restoration of the David Secord House.
"Bradley’s political style was as effective as his personal style was, well, dull. He was modest, polite, thoughtful and hardly ever used the teacher voice he had at his disposal. He didn’t need to," writes David Israelson.
