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.
"Without hard boundaries including progressive taxation and dissolution of monopolies, oligarchy will continue to deconstruct society until elections, law, and truth become historical artifacts," writes Keith McNenly.
"The economy has flatlined. Trump’s war went badly. Inflation is back, so interest rates won’t be falling ... But people still want houses. And, of course, everyone wants to live here," writes Garth Turner.
"Any correctly thinking council — one that represents the good of the town and its residents as opposed to commercial real estate investors — would support proper controls and a cap on the short-term rental market," writes Brian Marshall.
"The relatively sudden demise of a once-accepted part of our lives, almost instantly replaced by handheld devices that mostly pass the time in our pockets," writes Ross Robinson.
Mini-brains, writes Dr. William Brown, "replicate in amazing detail the earliest development of the six-layer cortex of human neocortex, typical of human embryos at equivalent stages of embryonic development."
The agency that helps Niagara young people struggling with mental health problems has launched a major new campaign to pay off the mortgage on its headquarters and free up millions of dollars to treat kids at the grassroots level.
"In my decades on this planet I’ve been pushed around a few times ... But never been beaten, viciously, until one pleasant and warm Friday afternoon in the bucolic bosom of Old Town NOTL," writes Garth Turner.
"We were gifted with laughter, anticipation and Wodehouse magic, plus some terrific Gene-Kelly-inspired dancing. Anchors away, don't miss this joyful cruise," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"Ironic that NOTL, at about a quarter of the population of Portland, should have identical total (2022 vs. 2024) numbers for licensed short-term rentals," writes Brian Marshall.
“Queen Street will never be the same,” Nicholas Colaneri tells Garth Turner. “The change might not be tomorrow, but watch out 15 years from now, when we won’t have heritage any longer."
"As the ring-master of inventions and deceptions, Wyke is supremely confident that in the real world of crime, who could possibly outthink him?" writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"At the very least, this application should not have been deemed complete until it complied with the provisions of the tribunal’s decision. Instead, it was given the go-ahead," writes Brian Marshall.
"How do we solve the quandaries of the conflicts of interest? The very people who have expertise in a certain subject often opt to recuse, to voluntarily remove themselves, from the discussions," writes Ross Robinson.
"Future conflicts are breeding now because of what happened in the past and continues in the present and will be bitterly remembered in the future," writes Dr. William Brown.
"More than 40 years later, it is almost hard to imagine the town without the Shaw as we now know it," writes Richard Harley. "And yet here we are again, acting as if the next step forward is some shocking attack on the town’s soul."
"The same tired logic keeps being used to make elected officials sound powerless, as if councillors are merely there to nod along while planners, consultants, developers and provincial policy do the real governing," writes Richard Harley.
"It was Sara Farb's finale, a stationary no-holding-back solo, guaranteed to rouse emotions, that wrenched the audience to an eruption of applause. Impressive, but still not quite enough to fill the void," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"The legacy of our current council will be forever. A large hotel and venue plunked in a residential hood ... Changes of mass and scope to the main street that can never be undone," writes Garth Turner.
"Nobody is sure who coined the term 'sleepy little town,' but one thing is for certain: in the past few years, the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake certainly cannot be described in those terms," writes Brian Marshall.
"Politicians have a habit of hanging on long after their best-before dates, believing the country can't get by without them. That's a sign of cognitive impairment, not an encouragement," writes Dr. William Brown.
From the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the recent disheartening outcome for the Montreal Canadiens, to cherishing Niagara's homegrown corner store chain and an overlooked park in NOTL, Ross Robinson's Ramblings run the gamut this week.
Ahead of this fall's municipal election, Coun. Gary Burroughs says Niagara-on-the-Lake’s next council needs to start by asking why some residents no longer trust town hall.
"Canadians have the right to access diverse ideas, literature and viewpoints without censorship, allowing libraries, schools, bookstores and readers to explore both popular and controversial works," write Susan Elliott and Dr. Robin Williams Foster.
