"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.
Many celebrated across the country on Nov. 11, 1918 as the First World War came to an end. However, many soldiers on the front lines were almost stunned with the anti-climatic silence that ensued.
"Here in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I suggest that one of the primary 'benefits' is the character and heritage of the town that we have inherited. And, when a part of that inheritance is threatened, I argue that our elected officials are obligated to fight for its preservation," writes Brian Marshall.
"Before you start stuffing all those leaves into bags, you may want to consider making use of them as mulch in your gardens," writes Joanne Young, sharing her tips for properly collecting dead leaves for compost.
When it comes to putting your garden to bed for the winter, there are a few things that you can do to help your evergreens make it through the cold weather looking their best.
"The formation of stars, galaxies and the natural elements combines the dominant themes of physics in the first half of the 20th century: General relativity ... and quantum physics," writes Dr. William Brown.
"It is cheaper and easier for a developer to do the cookie-cutter thing, creating a series of isolated dwellings ... that do not embrace community but are inwardly focused on the individual occupying family," writes Brian Marshall.
For some, autumn is just a sign of the impending winter season, but Joanne Young writes, "as long as it lasts, we need to enjoy this wonderful weather and the changing of leaf colours."
"The good people of the NOTL Legion work so diligently and enthusiastically to organize social events and fundraising projects. I quickly learned that the activities and social events are almost never-ending," writes Ross Robinson, the newest member of Legion Branch 124.
Gene editing once held "the promise of fixing mutant genes responsible for the mutant proteins that cause hundreds of other protein-related diseases," writes Dr. Brown. "Unfortunately, transforming theory into practice is difficult."
"With some exceptions, progress in science is usually incremental and biology, especially biochemistry," writes Dr. Brown, analyzing how our understanding of the science behind DNA has evolved — while some central questions remain.
"Fall is a great time to be dividing some of your clumps of perennials in the garden, especially during the month of October," writes Joanne Young, sharing tips on how to know which ones can be divided at this time and the best way to get it done.
"The public mood is sour. Houses are crazy. High rates didn’t bring lower prices. There are still 8,000 people in NOTL without a family doctor. And now there’s employment anxiety," writes Garth Turner.
"The future of this glorious piece of Canadian history and heritage is placed in question," writes Brian Marshall of the Glencairn estate. "Having survived the highs and lows of nearly 200 years, what will happen to it next year?"
Ross Robinson shares some observations of the goings on of Niagara-on-the-Lake's busy downtown street — from the cenotaph repairs, crosswalking concerns, ostentatious bikers and public vaping (why does anyone do it?).
"The scenic cornrows of grapes, the river’s majesty, the horses and storybook gardens of the Old Town hide a troubling anti-establishment buzz. Animosity is growing," writes Garth Turner.
It's a trick question: by pruning your shrubs in the early fall, before its leaves have dropped, you will cut off food the plant stored throughout the year, which will result in a weaker plant, writes Joanne Young.
"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.
