Monday night's debate moved through 14 questions on growth, taxes, transparency, tourism, climate change and how the next mayor should lead. The forum also exposed clear differences in how each candidate would approach the job.
When the Canadian Community Newsmedia Award winners were unveiled Monday, The Lake Report garnered 22 more national awards, bringing its provincial and national total to 192 since 2020, when the paper started entering industry award competitions.
The lifelong NOTL resident is speaking publicly about what he sees as NOTL’s biggest threat: overdevelopment. "I think that it needs to be reined in — and reined in responsibly," he says.
Musicians Patrick McManus and Beau Dixon are reuniting for a special Mother’s Day gig at Oast House in Niagara-on-the-Lake on May 11: ""Bring your kids, bring your mom, or bring your kid’s mom," says McManus.
Tanya Rice is hosting her fifth annual planter and bake sale through her volunteer group, the Community Initiative for Animal Rescue, to raise money for two organizations: Angel’s Rest Dog Rescue and the Heart and the Hope of Lost and Found Pets Niagara.
With a background in law, Celia Taylor says she is passionate about community advocacy and environmentalism. As a candidate, she hopes to contribute to a riding focused on environmental protection, fair access to justice and sustainable development.
A 25 per cent tariff on imported automobiles, including motorcycles, came into effect on April 3, which owner Randy Clare says has created a great deal of uncertainty in the market.
Liberal candidate Andrea Kaiser has thrown her hat into the ring for the title of MP of her riding and used her campaign launch open house last Sunday to speak out against "illegal" U.S. tariffs on Canada and express her trust in Prime Minister Mark Carney.
Some of the Shaw Festival's performances will be hosted at the Old Courthouse on Queen Street for the next two to three years, as the Royal George Theatre, currently closed for an $80 million revitalization project, is expected to reopen by 2029.
Wine lovers in Niagara-on-the-Lake will have a chance to taste small batch wines from several "virtual" wine brands at two pop-ups at Marynissen Estates Winery in April. The wines are all passion projects, products of collaboration among a group of people who work in the wine industry in various roles.
NOTLers came out to two public information forums on March 27 and April 1 to hear about official plan updates and share where they think the town should focus its attention in policy planning. "I'm concerned about the attitude of the town to urban design in general,” said one resident.
Andrea Kaiser says she wasn't planning to run in this year's election, until threats to Canadian sovreignty began to emerge from south of the border, pushing her to take the lead: "For this election, for this moment in time, I feel like it was made for me."
Elected to the District School Board of Niagara in 2018 and re-elected in 2022, Shannon Mitchell says her role helped deepen her knowledge of the region’s education issues and community needs.
Tony Baldinelli is urging Niagara-on-the-Lake residents to vote Conservative to protect the region’s wine industry, which he says is at risk because of tax changes by the Liberal government.
One generous donor from Toronto, who has contributed in the past, delivered a whopping 15 bikes from an organization that repairs bikes for public use but had a surplus needing major work. “We were really happy to get as many bikes as we did,” said volunteer Dave Cox.
“The success of Willowbank is an indication of interest and commitment to making sure that this place and many other places are around many generations from now," said the National Trust of Canada's executive director.
The rebuild will cost between $75-85 million in total, with exact details still being finalized, the Shaw’s executive director and CEO Tim Jennings told The Lake Report.
The town aims to present a draft official plan to council in June, followed by formal consultations and public engagement over the summer. The next public information session for town residents will be held on April 1 at the community centre.
Whether it be spouses, siblings, children, or friends, helping with meals, personal hygiene, or navigating the healthcare system, with an aging population, better support is more important than ever, says Larissa Zwar: "The care system doesn't work if there are no informal caregivers."
The lord mayor said he and other leaders collaborated on a document that will be given to both governments, which outlines the group’s stance on tariffs and the need to strengthen the U.S.-Canada relationship.
The get-together on March 19, run by volunteer Laura Fakla, gave her the chance to get some much-needed bereavement support and create an art piece to honour Murphy.
Ferox’s website states, “We strive to host a variety of events for all our guests at the winery. From live music to dinners to pick-up parties, there is always something happening at Ferox!” It is one of many online posts about what Ferox has to offer at its site on Concession 4 Road.
While the rules around how estate wineries versus farm wineries can operate are clearly spelled out in bylaws, some wine producers don't seem to be following them, and the town's enforcement of those bylaws has been called into question by competing wineries.
A major concern of consultant Robin Garett's was the removal of the term “wine country” from the tourism vision statement. Some edits also removed the theme of collaboration from the original strategy, Garrett said.
All four major parties in Niagara-on-the-Lake's riding have announced their candidates for the snap federal election on April 28. Lifelong Niagara-on-the-Lake resident Andrea Kaiser is the face of the Liberal Party for the riding, facing off against incumbent Conservative Tony Baldinelli.
