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Niagara Falls
Friday, February 7, 2025
Year in Review: A summer of floods and political anger
A couple of hundred residents came out to protest outside NOTL town hall on July 30. Some followed their elected officials as they entered the municipal offices for a council meeting, including Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa. DAVE VAN DE LAAR

The last six months of 2024 in Niagara-on-the-Lake were marked by extreme weather upheaval and a volatile political climate.

Heavy rains caused serious flooding problems, damaging homes and properties in neighbourhoods around NOTL, high E. coli levels closed Queen’s Royal Beach several times over the summer and more than 200 angry residents held a loud and emotional protest outside town hall, accosting councillors and expressing deep frustrations with their decisions.

As well, ongoing development plans for the Glendale neighbourhood, the Rand Estate, lowrise condos in Old Town and residents’ concerns about their future housing needs were just some of the top NOTL news stories in the second half of 2024.

July

July 4: In an 8-1 vote, council gives White Oaks’ mammoth highrise plan the green light, provided federal agencies approve the building heights, which are in the flight path for the Niagara District Airport.

The NOTL Museum buys the historic Carnochan house, which is located beside the museum property.

Independence, health care and social relationships are among the top concerns expressed by NOTL seniors in a comprehensive survey about future housing needs. The survey is supervised by leading Canadian researchers Michael Ennamorato and Stephen Ferley.

The annual cake parade and fantastic fireworks highlight Canada Day festivities in NOTL.

Just in time for summer, The Lake Report’s award-winning tourism magazine, “NOTL: A Guide for Distinguished Explorers,” hits the street.

July 11: Heavy rains and flooding raise some serious infrastructure concerns in St. Davids.

Virgil’s Sheri Durksen fights intolerance after vandals targeted her Pride flags. Twice. She puts up more flags.

Billed as a summer celebration for the whole family, the 2024 edition of the St. Mark’s Anglican Church Cherry Festival doesn’t disappoint.

Red Roof’s Steffanie Bjorgan is honoured by the Governor General with Canada’s prestigious Meritorious Service Award.

July 18: Shaw Festival artistic director Tim Carroll and associate artistic director Kimberley Rampersad are selected to direct separate productions at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon in the U.K.

Former assistant golf pro Ricky Watson shoots a near-record 30 over nine holes at the NOTL Golf Club. His round includes a hole-in-one on #4.

A driver who survived an encounter with a notorious section of Lakeshore Road is alive because a tree that killed two motorists in the last 13 months at the exact location was removed,
says an area resident. Not everyone is happy when Niagara Region takes down some trees at the site.

NOTL volunteers Betty Knight and Dave Hunter help organize a charity drive that sends 3,200 books to Jamaican schools.

July 25: Queen’s Royal Beach reopens after high E. coli levels closed it for a week. It’s one of several closings that will occur over the summer as high bacteria levels plague the lake.

Two NOTL teams, the U9 and U13 Niagara Thunderhawks, battle back from deficits to capture their zone championships in an action-packed tourney played at home in Virgil.

With his cognitive decline obvious, U.S. President Joe Biden made the right decision to step aside and not run for re-election, says columnist Dr. William Brown.

Pickleball is hugely popular and members of the NOTL Pickleball Club team up to donate $2,000 raised at its spring tournament to three local charities: Red Roof Retreat, Newark Neighbours and Central Community Centre.

August

Aug. 1: In an unprecedented show of resident anger, about 200 people descend on town hall to protest council’s approval of several major developments, including a hotel at Parliament Oak and highrises in Glendale.

With three councillors absent, a controversial severance plan for developer Rainer Hummel’s historic Queen Street property that was initially approved by the town’s planning committee two weeks ago is defeated on a tie vote.

Two young NOTL golfers (and St. Davids Public School classmates), Kaige Zhu, 11, and Eli Perng, 12, finish first and second in the Notah Begay Junior Canadian Golf Championships in Quebec.

Aug. 8: In the wake of an in-depth survey of NOTL residents’ housing needs, Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa says he understands people’s desire to have more options as they age.

Not enough business is cited as the reason behind the revelation that Virgil’s Starbucks will close permanently in October.

Hot rods and cool wheels will be on display at three car shows in NOTL. Downtown on Queen Street there will be McLaren and Porsche supercars while vintage vehicles will be featured at the Kinsmen and St. Davids Lions shows.

Kennedy Bartel and rowing partner Isabella Issig win gold in the pairs under-17 2,000-metre race at the prestigious Royal Canadian Henley Regatta.

Aug. 15: Mostly blind for most of her life, NOTL’s Jodey Porter launches a multi-part series exploring her disability and life now thanks to her new guide dog, Doc.

“Canada’s immigration systems are a breeding ground for contemporary forms of slavery,” a new United Nations report alleges, and the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change says farmworkers need to be granted permanent resident status.

The town’s former hospital and high school properties might offer options for seniors housing, Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa says.

In a blistering editorial that garners reaction across the country, The Lake Report’s Richard Harley criticizes Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre for presenting a litany of lies and misleading statements during a visit to NOTL.

Aug. 22: Farmers take exception to the UN report and call it “insulting” and inaccurate.

The late Wyland Groen, a much-admired and successful basketball coach in NOTL, and national lawn bowling champion Katherine Smith are inducted into the NOTL Sports Wall of Fame.

The Niagara Regional Native Centre’s summer picnic celebrates with friendly fun and togetherness.

After being closed for two years under a court-ordered ban, NOTL’s outdoor pickleball courts finally reopen for play.

Aug. 29: The Lake Report’s Summer of the Flood series kicks off and outlines how torrential rains have led to flooding, concerns about infrastructure and questions about overdevelopment.

The Shaw Festival reveals that the Royal George Theatre will close in 2025.

In the spring, Niagara’s tender fruit growers had serious worries about losing most of this year’s crop due to weather problems. Turns out it’s not a bumper crop, but they are happy with the results.

Considered one of the toughest competitions of the year, Janice and Jim McMacken win the alternate shot Matrimonial Open at the NOTL Golf Club with a score of 5-under 67.

September

Sept. 5: Respected NOTL home builder Kekoo Gatta tragically drowns in the Niagara River.

Migrant workers have unequal access to resources, the Migrant Workers Alliance for Change says in a letter to Premier Doug Ford.

Long-awaited and much-needed, restoration begins on NOTL’s cenotaph on Queen Street.

Players from the NOTL Tennis Club bring home gold from the Canada Senior Games in Quebec. Among the many big winners were Fran Doran, Kim Laidlaw, Manny Umoquit, Maria Dinga, George Nijbert, Gerry McIlhone and Hank Andrulis.

Sept. 12: Council approves a zoning change that will allow a controversial lowrise condo project on Mary Street to go ahead. Many residents are not pleased.

Jill Troyer’s Heartbeat of the Harvest series launches, taking readers behind the scenes to learn about some of the key people who make it all happen.

On the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, NOTL again commemorates the tragedy.

In the wake of severe flooding, The Lake Report revisits a 2021 town staff report that said the municipality’s infrastructure is inadequate and continued development in St. Davids could lead to more flood damage.

Sept. 19: Coun. Nick Ruller, the town’s former fire chief, is appointed chief of the Brampton Fire Department and he resigns from council.

A former NOTL daycare worker faces a number of charges including assault of a child related to alleged incidents at a centre in Niagara Falls.

The Lake Report is honoured with 16 more national awards, once again, the most of any publication in the country.

Most NOTL residents think tourism is important, according to a new Abacus Data survey presented to town councillors.

Sept. 26: The town and Konzelmann Estate Winery are sued by resident Ed Werner over special events, such as weddings, being permitted at wineries.

After about 200 people attended an earlier protest this summer, a second demonstration outside NOTL town hall, against the already approved Parliament Oak hotel development, attracted only eight people.

Alexis Dowsett is quadriplegic and since a new company took over Niagara Transit in July she has been unable to use the service, even if they try to book weeks in advance. The transit agency says it is working on solutions.

October

Oct. 3: Data from Niagara Region shows that NOTL has an adequate number of doctors, but Coun. Sandra O’Connor says that’s only part of the story and the town still needs two more physicians.

NOTL’s John Bobrel completes the Berlin Marathon on Sept. 29, the fifth race in his quest to conquer to world’s top six marathons, a rare and enviable feat.

The NOTL Chamber of Commerce plans to celebrate autumn by hosting its first-ever Harvest Festival on Oct. 26. It will also serve as an opportunity to support the businesses, particularly farmers, operating in the community.

NOTLers and town staff take time to reflect on the past and educate themselves more on Indigenous culture and history on the 11th anniversary of Orange Shirt Day, now known across Canada as the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation.

Oct. 10: Lois McDonall, 85, is invested into the Order of Canada at a ceremony at Ottawa’s Rideau Hall in recognition of her career as an international opera singer.

As town councillors begin immersing themselves in budget deliberations, Deputy Lord Mayor Erwin Wiens expresses concerns about escalating legal costs over development proposals.

A 19-year-old man wanted by police after a Sept. 15 gang rape in St. Catharines is arrested at a home on Line 6 Road in NOTL. Larry Smith faces more than a dozen charges.

Doors Open Niagara-on-the-Lake again invites people to celebrate the town’s many heritage treasures with its annual tour of buildings, including the Exchange Brewery, Shaw Festival Theatre, Niagara Masonic Lodge and the NOTL Museum.

Oct. 17: In a major ruling, the Ontario Land Tribunal says plans for a 172-unit subdivision on the Rand Estate have to be re-evaluated. It says developer Solmar’s proposals “do not represent good planning in the public interest.” Time will tell, but the decision is seen as a victory for the Town of NOTL, resident group Save Our Rand Estate and Blair and Brenda McArthur, who live near the development.

NOTL council fills the seat vacated by Nick Ruller and stuns many observers by not selecting the person who finished next on the ballot in 2022. So, instead of picking Allan Bisback, councillors choose Andrew Niven, chair of the Chamber of Commerce and NOTL Tourism.

Glendale is planned to be home to tens of thousands of new residents over the next few decades but proposals for highrises, hotels and other developments have residents concerned as updates to the Glendale secondary plan are considered.

Oct. 24: After criticism from some council colleagues and the public, Deputy Lord Mayor Erwin Wiens says the appointment of Andrew Niven to council is “completely democratic.”

Despite a town lawyer labelling the Rand Estate ruling a “complete success,” Coun. Erwin Wiens is more circumspect, suggesting the town is still spending way too much on legal fees to fight controversial developments.

Friends of Fort George president Tony Chisholm is named the Niagara Foundation’s Living Landmark Award recipient for 2024.

After recovering from shoulder surgery during the summer, NOTL’s Kaleb Dietsch makes his debut as a full-time member of the OHL’s Ottawa 67’s, facing off in St. Catharines before a crowd that includes a large contingent of family and friends.

Oct. 31: NOTL’s newest councillor, Andrew Niven, steps down from his roles as chair of the Chamber of Commerce and Tourism NOTL. He also tells The Lake Report that he approached Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa about filling the position.

NOTL’s perennial “Jam Queen” Kim McQuhae wins four more firsts at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, along with three second-place and four third-place prizes.

Councillors find another $21,000 in the discretionary grants budget to contribute to the restoration of the Upper Canada Heritage Trail, to ensure another kilometre of the trail can be restored.

Animal advocates call on pet owners to make sure their cats are neutered and spayed after a number of kittens are dumped in a field near the Lakeshore Road water treatment plant in NOTL.

November

Nov. 7: As NOTL prepares to remember Canadian soldiers’ sacrifices, the museum’s massive Poppy Project expands to include an installation at the RiverBrink Art Museum.

The NOTL Public Library, which fired its chief librarian and paid an undisclosed severance last spring, asks the town for a $66,000 grant to help cover a deficit of $81,000. If it means raising taxes, board co-chair Wayne Scott says he’s OK with that. It’s not known how the severance payout affected the library’s deficit.

The town goes back to the drawing board after being unable to come to terms with the person who was its preferred choice to fill the chief administrator’s job.

Niagara Region plans to hold a public workshop to hear design opinions for a controversial roundabout at York and Four Mile Creek roads in St. Davids. Critics have called the roundabout idea a multi-million dollar waste of taxpayers’ money.

Nov. 14: As debate gets heated over a 41-unit lowrise condo project on Mary Street, Coun. Gary Burroughs says challenging the Ontario Land Tribunal is about more than money, it’s a matter of morality.

The new grocery store that will open in the Village development in NOTL in late 2025 will be a Foodland franchise, one of the grocery brands operated by Sobeys.

As part of this year’s Remembrance Day ceremonies, the grave of former NOTL resident and First World War hero Maj. Benjamin Geary at St. Mark’s Cemetery is now adorned with a new monument to commemorate his life and valour.

Nov. 21: As NOTL gears up for the holidays, town volunteers are busy helping to decorate Queen Street for the winter season.

The chair of the Niagara Foundation says a town report about the foundation’s lease of the historic Foghorn House is “misleading,” “unfair” and “lacks historical context.”

The Niagara Regional Native Centre asks NOTL residents to extend the spirit of the giving season to the families who rely on it for help and contribute some much-needed food pantry items.

Nov. 28: The town’s initial draft budget would require a tax hike of 14.4 per cent — but councillors say their deliberations are just beginning and the increase will be pared down.

Workers and volunteers gear up for one of NOTL’s newest seasonal attractions — the annual Tractor Parade in Virgil.

Thousands of Canada Post workers have been on strike since Nov. 15, but the labour dispute has not closed three of NOTL’s postal outlets. The locations in Virgil, St. Davids and Queenston are offering limited services.

The NOTL Museum’s Barbara Worthy and NEOB Lavender’s Melissa Achal win big at the annual Women in Business Awards sponsored by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce.

December

Dec. 5: The Town of NOTL is suing a local quarry company for costs related to the cleanup of the Cole Drain in 2022 following an environmental spill. In an Ontario Superior Court filing, the town says Arriscraft Canada Inc. is responsible for the sludge-like and putrid material in the drain, which the town cleaned up at a cost of $1.2 million.

NOTL’s long-awaited update to its official plan takes a big step forward as council receives an update, including a proposed work plan to guide the process for revisions and approval.

An early provincial election could be on the horizon and the NDP is nominating incumbent Wayne Gates to seek re-election in the Niagara Falls riding, which includes NOTL.

The Shaw Festival’s “A Christmas Carol” returns to the Royal George Theatre and earns a stellar four-star review from Lake Report reviewer Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Dec. 12: In a quest to increase public transparency, the town makes detailed reports on the ongoing Parliament Oak hotel development available on the municipality’s website. Previously some councillors balked at the idea, suggesting it was not necessary and the documents are too complicated.

The annual Candlelight Stroll brings out thousands who walk through Old Town and purchase candles to support the family of Asadullah and Mahdia Kazemi, who fled Afghanistan and the Taliban more than a year ago.

Premier Doug Ford makes an unannounced stop in NOTL for a private function at the home of prominent developer Rainer Hummel. He is joined by Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa and Coun. Erwin Wiens, Shaw Festival executive director Tim Jennings, and cabinet ministers Paul Calandra and Stan Cho.

The town is pausing the issuance of short-term rental licences including cottage rentals, country inns and vacation apartments, starting Dec. 10.

Dec. 19: Once again, Santa Claus rolls into town, delighting crowds who pack downtown for his annual official visit to NOTL.

To commemorate the season, The Lake Report produces a special Christmas wrap decorated with colourful artwork created by hundreds of students at Crossroads Public School.

Niagara Region’s new budget means the regional portion of your property tax bill is set to rise almost 10 per cent.

Joan King’s Stockings for Seniors project means nearly 150 seniors at NOTL’s long-term care homes will not be left out. They’re receiving stockings chock full of essential items and treats.

The Lake Report takes its annual break from publishing and returns early in the new year.

kevin@niagaranow.com

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