"Can you believe it? Another year has almost passed and it’s now settling into the season of Christmas trees, holiday lights and comfort foods," writes editor-in-chief Richard Harley, with a full calendar of what's going on in town for the holiday season.
"After decades of chronic under-investment by local governments, they will not be able to address the investment necessary to bring Niagara’s water and wastewater systems up to date," writes Brian Marshall.
"In weeks, Trump will take office. His aggressive cabinet picks suggest what he said in the campaign is what he’s going to do. That has a bunch of economists losing their lunch. The consensus is his agenda will end up whacking Canada," writes Garth Turner.
"Yes, we are lucky to live in Canada’s prettiest town, but let them know they are lucky to call their hometown home, too," writes Ross Robinson. "You will have made a random person feel better. You will have been kind, which is a very good thing."
"The corral has been breached, guardrails ignored, and the rustlers are making off with prize stock. And no amount of sunny press releases negate that evidence," writes Terry Mactaggart.
"I ask the Niagara Region why it feels spending $4 to $10 million on a roundabout in St. Davids is more important ... than using that money to repair its water infrastructure," writes Bob Wheatley.
After reading Kevin MacLean's article on his experience in the emergency room at the St. Catharines hospital, Wendy Cheropita shares the trials of her own "waiting game": "What I didn’t know was what lay ahead of me. This was my first visit in 10 years."
"There is no compelling need we can see that merits spending $10 million — or more — of taxpayers’ money to fix a problem that does not exist," writes editor emeritus Kevin MacLean.
Dušanka Alimpić, the heart and soul of family-owned bakery Fritters on the Lake, died on Nov. 16, leaving behind her husband Zoran and her family. "She will be missed beyond words but remembered with immense gratitude and affection," writes friend Stewart Istvan.
"It’s clearly time for a real estate update, especially now that we understand where Donald Trump is headed. Expect surprises in the next year or two regarding mortgage rates," writes Garth Turner.
"Einstein was a brilliant theorist, bold in his thinking, relentless and determined," writes Dr. William Brown. "But he could be stubborn to the point of failing to recognize inconvenient facts derived from his own studies."
A heritage designation for a home may, under certain circumstances, "add a little to the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation’s assessed value calculation," writes Brian Marshall. "However, I might observe that the financial return on investment, which the property owner will derive from designation, far outstrips that potential cost."
"Did we learn the necessary lessons? Only two decades after the end of the First World War, the war to end all wars, we decided to do it all again. Young men who didn’t know each other fighting the wars for men who knew each other. Why?" writes Ross Robinson.
"After discussions with the Bereavement Authority of Ontario and with the support of town staff, we have developed an agreeable plan of action as an alternative to raising the headstones," writes George Webber.
"The council has told the region it does not want this roundabout, yet you continue to go against them and a significant number of the town's residents," writes Kip Voege.
"No one is suggesting that roundabouts do not have a place in our road infrastructure, but rather, installed only in selected intersections," writes Brian Marshall. "I submit that the centre of St. Davids is not one of these intersections."
"Using evergreen boughs and trees is one of the longest Christmas traditions. The year-round green foliage provides us with a sign of hope to carry us through the winter and into the new year," writes Joanne Young.
"Town council and staff: I strongly urge you to immediately accelerate the process of determining the future of this important town-owned site," writes Cindy Grant.
"Event planning takes talent and desire, but the per-person price can be very fair due to the shoulder season timing. The town’s business people win, and the visiting groups win," writes Ross Robinson about off-season corporate retreats.
Trisha Romance's decision to support the NOTL Public Library, "reflects a deep understanding of legacy — the belief that what we nurture today helps build the future we all share," writes Katie Desharnais.
