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NOTL Votes 2026: The business of running a town: Mayoral rivals disagree on the job

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.

Niagara-on-the-Lake voters at last advance poll before Oct. 26 talk development, planning, patios

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.

NOTL Votes 2026: School board trustees talk student mental health and responsible spending

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.

NOTL Votes 2026: ‘Will they betray your trust again?’ Parliament Oak accusation heats up candidate debate

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.

Sports: NOTL phenoms reflect on a season of progress on links

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.

Dr. Brown: How AI is catching up to human doctors in medicine

"As it is, the health-care system is overloaded. Physicians and patients alike are frustrated with long waiting periods to see physicians and nurse practitioners. For now, health-care organizations such as the Harvard system, see ChatGPT as a partner for physicians — but how long will that partnership be complementary and equal?" writes Dr. William Brown.

Arts review: Highs and lows in Shaw’s ‘Witness for the Prosecution’

"When truth is clearly evident, it speaks for itself." Agatha Christie, the world's best-selling novelist and Queen of Crime, leads us to seek the truth in a noir genre courtroom drama of justice, dislocation, love and betrayal.

Home Sweet Home: By the numbers: 53% of NOTLers are 55-plus

Niagara-on-the-Lake’s population in 2024 is estimated at 20,863, according to Statistics Canada’s 2021 census data, together with estimates from the province and Niagara Region,...

Home Sweet Home: Many, but not all, feel financially secure

Niagara-on-the-Lake is often viewed as an influential, well-to-do community. And in many pockets of town, that is definitely true. However, a minority of NOTL seniors...

Editorial: We love ya, Canada Day. We just can’t hear ya

The Canada Day festivities around town, as always, again this year were a tremendous community gathering — but at Simcoe Park, there was one big problem.

Growing Together: Hedge your bet with these helpful tips

It may be true that nothing makes a good neighbour like a good fence, but a living wall or green screen of sorts is much more pleasing on the eyes. There are several reasons why you may want to consider planting a hedge of some type.

Arch-i-text: Luxury Parliament Oak hotel is a pie-in-the-sky idea. Here’s why

To anyone who reads this publication, it isn’t news that the majority of our council — in approving the rezoning of the Parliament Oak property to allow for the construction of a contextually inappropriate hotel — continued its practice of wielding a machete on the fabric, character and cultural heritage landscapes of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The Turner Report: Old is cool in NOTL and a prized flag rises again

It was raining, so we drove. But forget about parking. The streets of Old Town were jammed. Dorothy and I ended up walking through the wet and the dark halfway back from where we started.

In depth: NOTL seniors don’t ever want to leave, survey finds

Independence. Health care. Social relationships. The desires, needs and focus of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s aging populace can be summed up in those three points, according to a comprehensive survey conducted by two leading Canadian researchers.

Exploring History: School’s out!

In celebration of the end of the school year, our photograph features the Niagara High School Cadet Corps showing off their pyramid-building skills.

Sports: NOTL Soccer Teams of the Week for July 4

The U9-10 Irish Design and Timbits Red teams Photography by DAVE VAN DE LAAR

Lake Report’s national award-winning magazine returns bigger than ever

The Lake Report’s national award-winning summer tourism guide is out on shelves across town.

Growing Together: How to nip powdery mildew in the bud

As we move into summer, we sometimes start to see more diseases pop up in our gardens. Some plants are more prone to certain diseases than others, but even so, you can take some precautions to limit the amount of damage that the disease will inflict on the plants.

Arch-i-text: Wiens, Cheropita and past campaign promises

I’d like to start off this week by saying how much I appreciate that each of you take the time to read my scribblings...

The Turner Report: America, Trump and the price of NOTL real estate

Who hasn’t stood on the river bank and stared across at Fort Niagara? In Niagara-on-the-Lake, America is close. No wonder so many from New...

Joyous NOTL planning 3rd annual Summer Potluck

Mariah Reese Special to The Lake Report Joyous NOTL is hosting its third annual Summer Potluck on Saturday, July 27. This year's celebration, at McFarland House, on...

Dr. Brown: How homo sapiens outlasted all human species

For much of our human evolution, climate played a major part in the success or failure of various human species variants — including the last, homo sapiens — the lone survivor as Chris Stringer so aptly put it in the tile of his 2012 book, "Lone Survivors: How We Came to be the Only Humans on Earth."

Online exclusive: Investigation examines concerns about farmworkers program

The Lake Report and its news website niagaranow.com have teamed up the investigative news site thepointer.com to bring readers long-form, detailed, investigative journalism on...

The Turner Report: What now? Where does NOTL housing market go from here?

This marks the debut of columnist Garth Turner as a regular contributor to The Lake Report. He's a longtime journalist, commentator and former federal...

Mayor and councillor push back against hotel criticism

A critique circulated by Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Bob Bader last week sparked some quick and assertive pushback from Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa and Coun. Maria Mavridis.

Guest Column: Why the power went out in NOTL last week

The power went out in much of Niagara-on-the-Lake last Thursday, June 13. We asked NOTL Hydro CEO Tim Curtis what happened and he provided...

Arch-i-text: Lord mayor has broken platform promises on development

Well, since being elected in November 2022 — 19 short months ago — our current council and lord mayor have managed to create more...

Exploring History: The Oban House

The original Oban House was built by Capt. Duncan Milloy, a sailor and owner of the Niagara Harbour and Dock Company. He enlarged a...

Growing Together: These new plants are made for shade

There is one thing that I can say with certainty about plants is that there will always be new varieties being released each year. ...

Dr. Brown: Culture, and how we’re always learning from each other

As a species, humans consider themselves set apart from all other species because we possess gifts denied other creatures: our considerable powers of imagination,...

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