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.
"Prior to the advent of machine-made modern brick late in 19th century, bricks were handmade by workers who mixed native clay with water to make the slurry that was then hand-packed into rectangular forms, then laid out to dry," writes Brian Marshall.
"I am hopeful this summer's spike in outages were just bad luck in timing but we will continue to invest to improve and strengthen NOTL's electrical system," writes Tim Curtis, CEO of NOTL Hydro.
"Building more places with the same land values, labour overhead and material costs won’t make them affordable. Developers aren’t charities," writes Garth Turner.
"For the British forces that day ... approximately 20 lost their lives. However, the losses of Brock and Macdonnell made the British victory less triumphant," writes Andrew Laliberte about the Battle of Queenston Heights in the War of 1812.
It was the sight of legendary and lavish parties almost a century ago, and on Sept. 13, its history as a gathering place for the social scene of Niagara-on-the-Lake was revitalized.
"I think we do a lot of dressing up of how tolerant we are of others. We feel good giving to charity. But inclusion is a whole different art," writes Jodey Porter.
"The production value was incredible, but my basic theatrical IQ was forced to new levels by the extraordinary athleticism and body control shown by Matt Alfano as Alfie and Peter Fernandes as Francis," writes Ross Robinson.
In national and provincial competitions since 2020, the paper has now earned a total of 112 awards for its journalism, advertising excellence and community involvement.
"Immigrants need safety and opportunity, and Western countries need their talents and energy to secure the country. It’s that simple," writes Dr. William Brown.
"None of the worlds we live in are worlds where blindness is understood — and, believe it or not, Niagara-on-the-Lake is really bad for blind people’s accessibility," writes Jodey Porter.
For almost six years, Kevin MacLean has been The Lake Report's managing editor — now, he is stepping down from overseeing the paper's day-to-day operations, though he will remain as a co-owner and regular contributor.
"There’s no escape: good genes, a healthy lifestyle, timely, effective intervention and treatment along the way, and luck, may put off this or that threat, but in the end, there is an end," writes Dr. Brown
"I love my parents for many reasons, including the fact that the differences between gentile and Catholic and Jewish were never discussed," writes Ross Robinson. "To my mom and dad, people were people."
Although the polo games at Niagara Camp were for the spectator’s enjoyment, polo was a training tool for the cavalry to hone their riding skills on the field.
"Throughout the 10 years that Brock was stationed in Canada, he continued to rise through the ranks and make a name for himself as an able and empathetic leader," writes Amanda Gamble.
"There are some 1,500 workers around here. Most stay eight months. They do tasks Canadians reject. Our growers depend on them. To my eye, they also respect and help them," writes Garth Turner.
Steven Hall is just one of many NOTL residents who has taken care of an older family member, serving as the primary caregiver for his father, Bruce Hall, before his death in May.
"We all have places in our gardens that prove to be difficult spots," writes Joanne Young. "So, instead of 'try, try again,' it is time to stop, take a step back and look at your situation differently."
