In the second half of 2025, development pressures, the Royal George Theatre redevelopment and the Parliament Oak hotel project dominated the headlines in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
But there also was plenty to celebrate, thanks to the annual peach and cherry festivals, garden and house tours, the Terry Fox Run, the library’s 225th birthday, plus the Christmas Parade and the annual Tractor Parade to close out the year.
Here is part 2 of our Year in Review:
JULY
July 3: Willow Cakes & Pastries has closed its regular retail operation, but it is still churning out delicious treats — and again this Canada Day, chef Catherine O’Donnell and her team produced the giant cake that attracts thousands to the July 1 parade through Old Town.
Beachgoers are still frolicking in the water at Queen’s Royal Beach despite a warning from Niagara Region about dangerous levels of E. coli contamination, suggesting that the lone sign encouraging potential swimmers to search online to learn about water safety levels may not be enough. An investigation by The Lake Report using the region’s data will show the beach was only declared safe for 10 of 31 days in steamy July.
Joyous NOTL’s Mariah Reese and her family are declared “standout neighbours” after residents nominated them as part of the Town of NOTL’s Good Neighbour Day promotion. Joyous NOTL, which has more than 2,000 members, aims to spread positivity and connection across the community.
July 10: The Shaw Festival’s plans to rebuild the Royal George Theatre are met with moans and groans from an unusually packed council chamber. Attendance was so high for the town’s planning committee meeting that an overflow room was required.
The future of NOTL’s former hospital site is back on the table and the town is asking residents what should become of the old building. Online surveys and in-person comments will be used to determine what might happen on the site.
After the Virgil speed camera is chopped down for the fourth time this year, the region vows to use CCTV to monitor the camera — and maybe catch the culprit.
July 17: St. Davids boxer Mckenzie Wright, the reigning Canadian champion, narrowly missed qualifying for the 2024 Olympics, but she is not deterred. The 35-year-old has a new coach and is training hard to try to make her dream come true.
More than 900 people join the NOTL Horticultural Society for its 30th annual garden tour. The organization also awards two horticultural scholarships, for Niagara Parks and Niagara College.
NOTL follows a bylaw enforcement process of engage, educate, then enforce — but despite a formal complaint and a Lake Report investigation, Ferox by Fabian Reis winery remains in the education stage, working with the town as it plans to document any further rule violations. Ferox advertises food service and promotes events and patio service — all activities it is not allowed to offer.
Around 250 historical re-enactors pitched tents at Fort George to commemorate the 212th Battle of Fort George.
July 24: NOTL native Richard Alan Moore, 39, who killed an 84-year-old cyclist in a hit-and-run two years ago, is facing several serious new charges after a boat collided with a swimmer in Muskoka on Saturday evening, leaving a 22-year-old man with life-threatening injuries. Moore faces several serious charges including impaired operation causing bodily harm.
After hearing from unhappy residents, Shaw Festival executive director Tim Jennings says the theatre company plans to revisit its plans for the rebuild of the Royal George Theatre.
Town council votes to support Parliament Oak developer Solmar’s bid to have Niagara Region waive more than $800,000 in development charges related to its underground parking garage. The town will send a letter to the region supporting the request.
July 31: NOTL resident Jon Taylor, co-chair of construction manager Govan Brown, says the company will do everything it can to minimize impact on residents and tourism, while striving to hire local and create economic impact from the Royal George rebuild.
NOTL council approves the first draft of a new official plan, bringing the town closer to the final version it hopes to hand in to the province by November. It’s now available for public review and feedback.
Two of the three young people killed in a fiery single-vehicle crash on Queenston Road last week are laid to rest after a funeral service in Niagara Falls. Their car left the road, hit a tree and burst into flames, trapping all three men inside.
NOTL golfer Stephen Warboys, 72, finishes tied for fourth in the 70 and over division of the Ontario Senior Men’s Golf Championship. It was at Lora Bay Golf Club on the shores of Georgian Bay in Thornbury.
AUGUST
Aug. 7: Farmers say they are proud of how they treat their workers — and frustrated by national reports that they say don’t reflect what’s happening on NOTL farms. A cross-Canada survey released by the Migrant Rights Network details allegations of worker mistreatment.
The Shaw’s presentation of “Gnit” earns a rare five out of five stars from The Lake Report’s reviewer, Penny-Lynn Cookson, who says the entire cast shines.
Emotions bubble close to the surface for many who gather to celebrate Inniskillin’s 50th anniversary. There are lots of smiles and a few tears during the commemoration of the winery founded by Donald Ziraldo and Karl Kaiser in 1975.
Aug. 14: The Shaw tweaks its design for the rebuild of the Royal George Theatre, hoping the revisions will satisfy critics in the community.
After torrential spring rains created havoc at TASC Tulip Pick Farm’s spring festival, town council rejects the company’s request for a permit to hold a late-summer tulip fest.
The sweet aroma of peaches fills the air as the NOTL Chamber of Commerce and the St. Vincent de Paul Parish each hosted their annual celebrations of everything peachy.
There’s joy and heartbreak as the NOTL Golf Club crowns its club champions at its annual golf tournament. Overall, James Grigjanis-Meusel is men’s open champ while Louise Robitaille earns the women’s title.
Aug. 21: NOTL homeowners will pay more than $16 million for policing in 2025, but that total could be a lot lower if regional council stops using home values to calculate how the service is funded, says Ken Gansel, the former chair of Niagara’s police services board.
Chautauqua residents of all ages show their solidarity by turning out to protest the town refusing to designate their neighbourhood for a secondary plan under the new official plan.
After arson badly damaged Glencairn Hall in April, volunteers salvage what they can and then crews tear down what is left of the historic estate.
NOTL’s old hospital site could become a one-stop hub for everything from condos and a pool to high-tech health services, says Dr. Nick Vaccaro, founder of RegenaLife, which wants to take over the town-owned property.
Aug. 28: Despite rejections by the town and the Ontario Land Tribunal, developer Benny Marotta is trying again to obtain approval for a low-density residential development on the historic Rand Estate.
It’s a sign that summer is winding down as the NOTL Soccer Club’s wraps up the season with its annual year-end festival.
In an effort to reduce the number of crashes and fatalities, NOTL has cut speed limits on all rural roads to 70 km/h from 80 km/h.
David Mines, a longtime coach, manager and trainer in NOTL hockey and lacrosse in NOTL, and the late Michael Kappel, an international wrestler and rower, are inducted into the town’s Sports Wall of Fame.
SEPTEMBER
Sept. 4: Growing peaches has been “challenging” for NOTL farmers this year as hot days and nights sped up ripening and could mean a smaller crop, says Scott Epp of Epp Family Fruit Farms. On the upside, peaches are sweeter than ever.
More than 50 people attend a virtual open house hosted by the town, where developer Solmar presented its latest attempt to rezone land near the historic Rand Estate. Most participants expressed strong disapproval of the project.
Niagara Region data analyzed by The Lake Report shows the water at the town’s only monitored beach, near the gazebo at Queen’s Royal Park, was unsafe for most of the summer. From the first day of summer on June 20 through Aug. 18, E. coli levels exceeded safe levels on 41 of 60 days.
St. Davids golfers Kaige Zhu and Eli Perng, both just 13, perform well at the Canadian under-15 championships in British Columbia. Zhu led after the first round but on day two fell back to finish fifth while Perng was 34th in the field of more than 50 young players.
Sept. 11: A white nationalist rally by about 50 members of the extremist group Second Sons at Brock’s Monument over the Labour Day weekend draws strong condemnation from NOTL’s mayor and many residents.
Overcrowding at St. Davids Public School renews calls for safety improvements, but the District School Board of Niagara says it won’t provide answers or possible solutions until trustees receive a report later this fall.
Brock’s Monument will be closed to the public until next spring to allow for more than $1 million in repairs to the 172-year-old structure.
Penner Home Hardware marks its 75th anniversary with a community barbecue for customers, staff and family.
Sept. 18: The town settles a six-year legal battle with former resident John Black, who accused the municipality of abuse of process, bad faith and misuse of power involving his purchase and planned addition to his home at 27 Prideaux St.
Hundreds of participants kick off the annual Terry Fox Run in NOTL, by running, walking, biking and inline skating through hitting the streets of Old Town to support the fight against cancer.
Gardening expert Joanne Young dies suddenly on Sept. 11 at age 56. She was known and loved for her work with the NOTL Horticultural Society, her gardening seminars and her weekly columns in The Lake Report.
Queenston marks Laura Secord’s 250th with speeches, a cake crafted by Niagara College and a pointed reminder that local history links to today’s cross-border economy.
Sept. 25: On the heels of settling one lawsuit, the town agrees to pay developer Hummel Properties Inc. $1 million over the town’s misuse of an interim control bylaw in 2018 that targeted Hummel’s project on Niagara Stone Road. The Ontario Court of Appeal in 2022 ruled the town’s actions had been illegal.
The town issues a stop-work order and begins fining developer Benny Marotta’s company $500 a day for illegally doing excavation work and removing soil from the Parliament Oak hotel site because no permit has been issued.
The Lake Report wins another 13 national awards for its quality journalism, commentary and advertising. In the Canadian Community News Media Awards, the newspaper and its website niagaranow.com received recognition in several categories.
Wi-Fi in the heritage district, more public washrooms and signs to help visitors navigate Old Town are just a few of the changes that could be coming to NOTL next year. Town staff presented the plans and more to council as part of a proposal to spend $1.9 million in revenue from the municipal accommodation tax, a hotel levy charged to overnight visitors.
OCTOBER
Oct. 2: After a five-year absence, the Niagara Regional Native Centre’s annual powwow returns to the NOTL centre and attracts huge crowds.
Well, we won’t have to worry any more about the Virgil speed camera being chopped down. Premier Doug Ford has moved to outlaw speed cameras across the province, a decision that will cost the NOTL an estimated $100,000 in revenue that was to be used for traffic upgrades.
After ignoring a stop-work order from the Town of NOTL, developer Benny Marotta’s company has received a permit to continue its excavation work at the future Parliament Oak hotel site.
Pedal Pub patrons across Ontario can now sip drinks while pedalling and partying. But not in NOTL. Town council votes to maintain its alcohol-free rules.
The NOTL Golf Club, the oldest in North America, celebrates its 150th birthday with a big party and players decked out in historic outfits.
Oct. 9: Four hundred years ago, a towering oak tree began life near what is now Lakeshore Road. The mammoth tree, on the Epp family farm, has earned provincial award recognizing its age and historical importance.
Council presses pause on Ferox by Fabian Reis’s request to change its zoning from farm winery to estate winery. The Ferox property is about half the size of a typical estate winery but, in the past, has held events that are only permitted under the estate winery designation.
The Garrison Village farmers market will move to a much larger location next year, near the Clayfield Hotel now under construction on the property. The market will grow to about 40 vendors from the current 15, organizers say.
Oct. 16: The Niagara Regional Native Centre’s board of directors faces new allegations of intimidation, mistreatment and financial misconduct, as former staff and past leaders say programs have been disrupted, employees feel silenced and almost $25,000 in payments were issued to board members this year. The allegations have not been proven and no board members will comment.
A summer survey and public input shows that NOTL residents want to see the former town hospital used for housing, planning consultants tell a public meeting at the NOTL Community Centre. Meanwhile, Lake Report contributor David Israelson argues the site should become a community cultural hub.
Oct. 23: The town’s freeze on new short-term rental licences will remain in place until at least next year as council delays any further changes to its rental bylaw.
Cyclists and walkers participating in the annual Hummel Family Healing Cycle Ride raise $60,000 to keep palliative care services free for NOTL residents.
A special eight-page section of The Lake Report is published to celebrate the 225th anniversary of the establishment of the NOTL Public Library, which became Upper Canada’s first circulating library.
A new group, formed by Julia Buxton-Cox, Penny Milligan and Audrey Pellett, brings women together to pool their donations and support local charities. The NOTL chapter of 100 Women Who Care collects $100 donations from 100 women and gives $10,000 or more to a single charity. Hospice Niagara is the first recipient — of $15,100.
The NOTL Museum is getting a big boost to its facilities with the addition of an elevator, thanks to a $150,000 donation from the Royal Bank of Canada Foundation.
Oct. 30: A boundary change approved by Niagara school trustees that will shift about 125 St. Davids students to Crossroads Public School next year was rushed, poorly communicated and caught many families off-guard, parents say.
How about those Blue Jays?! As Toronto appears in the World Series for the first time in 32 years, NOTL residents pack pubs, hold viewing parties and a few lucky ones take in the first two games at what still is the SkyDome to some fans.
Vandalism at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in Old Town has left the church community angry, confused and unsure what to do next. Church members say it is the second time since last month that a headstone was knocked over at the cemetery.
Thanks in large part to the work of dozens of volunteers, the NOTL Wolves’ annual Harvest Classic Rep Tournament brings 40 teams to town from across Ontario, making it one of the region’s biggest youth hockey tournaments of the year.
NOVEMBER
Nov. 6: Flights from NOTL to cities like Ottawa or Chicago could one day take off under a newly approved $195-million, 20-year master plan to expand and modernize the Niagara District Airport, which is jointly owned by the municipalities of NOTL, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines. If funding and airline partnerships are finalized, the goal is to eventually have the airport available for regular commercial flights to major Canadian and U.S. cities.
After Hurricane Melissa tore through Jamaica, cutting off power and communication across the island, NOTL residents and provincial advocates moved quickly to help — collecting supplies, raising money and supporting farm workers desperate to reach loved ones back home.
The Rotary Club pledges $100,000 to support the NOTL Museum’s multi-million-dollar renovation and expansion project.
Nov. 13: A large group, including leaders from all three levels of government, gathers to protest the Chinese government’s persecution of NOTL hotelier Jimmy Lai. The democracy advocate’s niece, Erica Lepp, leads a march from Simcoe Park to Queen’s Landing, one of Lai’s hotels. Meanwhile, as foreign ministers from some of the world’s leading democracies meet in town, local officials say it gives Canada an important chance to press for Lai’s release.
Richard Alan Moore, who left the scene after his pickup fatally struck cyclist Nestor Chemerika, 84, is jailed for 11 months after pleading guilty. Meanwhile he awaits trial on serious charges after a swimmer was hit by a boat in Muskoka in July.
Mayor Gary Zalepa storms out of a council meeting after the town delays a decision on the Shaw’s planned rebuild of the Royal George Theatre.
NOTL marks Remembrance Day with several ceremonies, including a large gathering at the Landscape of Nations Memorial in Queenston to honour Indigenous veterans.
Nov. 20: Council makes a few additions to the draft 2026 budget, pushing the potential property tax hike to 2.19 per cent from the original proposal of 1.81 per cent. One of the changes is adding a certified engineer to town staff.
After a contentious year, Ferox by Fabian Reis’s zoning application for estate winery status is approved — but with strict limits on occupancy and hospitality uses.
In an in-depth feature story, NOTL fire and emergency personnel speak about how crucial it is to talk about and process the emotions and trauma they encounter on the job. It’s important not to bottle up feelings, fire chief Jay Plato says.
Farmer and accomplished jam maker Kim McQuhae cleans up again this year at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair’s professional jams and jellies competition, winning a total of 20 awards.
Nov. 27: Niagara Region council decides Two Sisters Resort Corp. won’t be paying a nearly $1 million regional development fee for its Parliament Oak hotel underground garage. However, it’s unclear how or if the region will make up the money.
NOTL’s long-awaited official plan is inching toward reality, as councillors lay out their final concerns before the document comes back for approval in February.
Retired engineer Ron Simkus says the hotel development on the former Parliament Oak school site could worsen flooding along nearby One Mile Creek if groundwater from the property isn’t properly managed during construction. The developer didn’t respond to questions about water discharge plans for the project.
DECEMBER
Dec. 4: A cynic might suggest that because it’s a municipal election year, there’s no way the 2026 town budget will have close to the nearly 8 per cent property tax hike inflicted 12 months ago. And they’d be right: council keeps the increase to 2.19 per cent.
Jan. 1 brings a major change to blue box collection for Ontario businesses, especially those with large amounts of cardboard, plastics and other recyclables. Private companies will now handle the service for non-residential recycling and that means extra costs for businesses small and large.
The Town of NOTL says the trucking of soil from the site of the future Parliament Oak hotel to the property where Glencairn Hall once stood was done without the required permits. The town doesn’t say if the developer involved will face any consequences.
St. Davids boxer Mckenzie Wright takes another step on the long road to fighting for Canada at the 2028 Olympics, winning her fifth career national championship. That phenomenal feat puts her in a “rare position within the history of Boxing Canada,” says the head of the national boxing federation.
Dec. 11: NOTL’s Rotary Holiday House Tour brings thousands of people out to visit seven specially decorated homes while raising hundreds of thousands of dollars for charities at the 26th annual affair.
NOTL runners Ben Bayne and Luke Simpson, both 13, finish among the top competitors at the Amateur Athletic Union’s Cross-country Nationals in Knoxville, Tenn. Bayne is second and Simpson eighth among 13-year-olds in the four-kilometre race and the result earns the two Canucks all-American status. In addition, their team from the Thorold Elite Track & Field Club places first overall, well ahead of all their U.S. opponents.
Council approves a 29-unit, three-storey apartment proposed for Four Mile Creek Road, even though its density is triple what the town’s planning rules normally allow.
Huge crowds fill downtown streets for the annual Candlelight Stroll, raising $14,500 for Pink Pearl Canada, an organization supporting young women with cancer.
Dec. 18: Radiant Care Pleasant Manor in Virgil opens its new long-term care home, a $70.5-million redevelopment project adds 119 new beds to the facility. The three-storey building will have a total of 160 beds.
Santa comes to town for the annual Christmas Parade through Old Town and the fifth annual Tractor Parade lights up Virgil as 92 elaborately decorated trucks and tractors roll through the streets.
Premier Doug Ford unveils a new Destination Niagara tourism strategy that includes expansion of the Niagara District Airport.
Curator Sarah Kaufman departs the NOTL Museum to take on a similar job in Port Colborne, her hometown.
NOTL’s Jewish community celebrates and reflects during Hanukkah, marking the start of the holiday with a ceremony in Simcoe Park beside a large lit menorah.
