"I had a plan: propose to my now-fiancée Alanna (she said yes) in some sort of grand and romantic fashion. Easy, right? Not so much," writes Richard Harley.
"Turning us into a 'burb of the Falls or the pointy part of a big region would likely be the beginning of the end of NOTL. For all the bad decisions that have impacted us, this place is unique," writes Garth Turner.
"The regional government seems to be a bottomless hole into which taxpayers continually pour money and receive few practical benefits from having done so," writes Brian Marshall.
"The path to modern humans was never scripted because of the important role natural selection and chance play in the evolution of most species, including our own," writes Dr. William Brown.
"As a parent of two former Secord students, who between them performed in four great Secord musicals, last Saturday evening was certainly a trip down memory lane," writes Ross Robinson.
The representatives of small governments like NOTL "aren’t 'politicians' of the ilk perceived by Premier Ford, with offices in glass palaces and numerous staff," writes Keith McNenly, "but community members representing community members."
"If you sometimes buy milk from the supermarket and sometimes from the convenience store, it does not mean that one or the other should be shut down," writes David Israelson.
"Amalgamation, I believe, is a component of a broader provincial economic strategic plan that recognizes the Niagara region and the provincial government are underutilizing the revenue generating capacity of Niagara Region," writes Gienek Ksiazkiewicz.
"As we fast approach the municipal election cycle, expect our elected officials to dust off their tired, old, scripted and repetitive stump speeches. Political puffery on steroids," writes Samuel A. Young.
"Let’s take a careful and thoughtful approach toward amalgamation. Niagara’s entire system of local democratic representation hangs in the balance," writes Kevin MacLean.
"The next month will bring the collapse of the theatre, the erasure of the historic barber shop beside it ... and geothermal drilling," writes Garth Turner.
"The published findings of this report resulted in the conclusion that while amalgamation was supposed to bring cost savings, smaller government and lower taxes, it didn’t," writes Brian Marshall.
"What was the point of having black maple leaves on the Canadian ice hockey sweaters? Was it Nike’s creative folks dictating to our national Olympic bosses?" writes Ross Robinson.
"The picture of human evolution, and indeed the evolution of most species, may look very different by the mid-century mark and beyond," writes Dr. William Brown.
"The picture of human evolution, and indeed the evolution of most species, may look very different by the mid-century mark and beyond. That’s what makes the story so intriguing for me," writes Dr. William Brown.
"Scott once said, 'Find your passion and pursue it; then there is no such thing as work.' He certainly found his at Fort George," writes Tony Chisholm. Finlay, who died on Feb. 19, was 70.
"A straightforward explanation of designation categories and the obligations that accompany them would go a long way toward helping residents understand their situation without unnecessary worry," writes Debra Rowe.
"While we’re being 'encouraged to think about and reaffirm our commitment to intellectual freedom,' the town has announced it will be restricting information given to the media," writes Cathy Simpson.
"I would like to give this council one small piece of advice: listen to your electorate and respond accordingly with respect and civility," writes Buddy Andres.
"It is difficult to reconcile the town council's public support for mandatory swim education with the absence of the infrastructure required to deliver it," write the Niagara-on-the-Lake Indoor Pool Facebook group.
"With all due respect to the councillor, there are many serious inaccuracies and allegations in her opinion letter that need to be corrected," writes Elena Morandi-Bonner.
"It would be helpful for everyone on all sides of this dispute, right or wrong, to lower the temperature, in print, online and in social media," writes David Israelson.
"In my crystal ball, at the 2030 Winter Olympic Games, I think we will have curling referees in black and white striped shirts, blowing whistles to signal infractions," writes Ross Robinson.
