Dear editor:
I am writing as a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake and the owner of Bélisle Pottery, a small arts-based studio in Virgil.
Over the past three years, our studio has grown into more than just a place to make ceramics. It has become a community hub. We now have 30 active members, a waitlist across multiple age groups and we regularly welcome both residents and visitors through workshops, collaborations and events.
Spaces like ours are not just businesses. They are places where people gather, learn and connect outside of their daily routines. They support mental health, foster belonging and create opportunities for meaningful engagement at every stage of life.
At the same time, spaces like ours are fragile. Many small arts spaces operate with a level of uncertainty, and finding suitable, properly equipped and affordable space is increasingly difficult. When these spaces are lost, what disappears is not just a business, but a piece of the community itself.
Sites like 176 Wellington represent an opportunity. Not just for development, but for thoughtful development. I would encourage the town to remain open to proposals that balance community needs with its own priorities, and to consider how spaces for arts, culture and gathering can be part of that future.
As conversations around this site include the possibility of additional parking, I would also encourage the town to think creatively about access and mobility. Many well-loved destinations rely on peripheral parking paired with small shuttle systems to support walkable cores. It is something I would absolutely use myself for a night in Old Town.
As Laozi wrote, “Clay is molded to make a vessel, but the utility lies in the space within.” Spaces like these serve that same purpose for a community. They bring together people of all ages, encourage lifelong learning and create opportunities for meaningful engagement as we age.
These environments are both community-driven and economically sustainable.
Niagara-on-the-Lake is known for its culture, its charm and its sense of place. Supporting small creative businesses and community spaces is essential to preserving that identity while allowing it to grow.
Valérie Bélisle
NOTL
