"Signs matter in this process. They convey a message about the candidate. They remind you who’s running and show who supports them," writes Garth Turner. "Well, what do some of the current signs tell us?"
"In short, we have two candidates who, should they become lord mayor, will support and perpetuate the current system and one candidate who is willing to take what we’ve got and work toward something different," writes Brian Marshall.
"Who were these famous and groundbreaking Jewish women? What did they have to overcome to succeed? What drove them forward? Ambition, drive, resilience for certain," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"Rick Hansen had been paralyzed in a car crash when he was only 15 years old. The years have gone by, and if he had been bilingual English/French, he just might have been the Governor General of Canada. What a life to reflect upon."
"We have to be clear with every level of government — arts and culture are important and they need government support to thrive. Arts, culture and heritage bring people to Niagara-on-the-Lake, but that doesn’t happen by accident," writes Wayne Gates.
"If we begin demanding that individuals resign from public life based solely on the title of books they have read or purchased, we are venturing down a very slippery slope," writes Rob Brenmer.
"Let’s stay focused on amalgamation of one kind or another folks, and maybe go to the public (not private) library and read some intriguing books once in a while," writes Peter Rusin.
"Eventually, everything made with oil — which is pretty much everything, like the plastic on the berries, plus the diesel and jetfuel that got them to the store — will become dearer," writes Garth Turner.
"If the plan is followed and enforced, there should be no fear of having an inappropriately designed monster McMansion squeezed into the lot next door," writes Brian Marshall.
"I have lived here for some 40 years, and have driven or run past Mennonite churches hundreds of times, with little thought about their history," writes Ross Robinson.
"My guess is that had AI been trained on similar challenging math problems, it wouldn’t have taken long before AI mastered other questions posed by top notch mathematicians," writes Dr. William Brown.
"Our local leaders should think boldly and speak clearly. It’s time to dream — otherwise, someone else will be dreaming for us," writes David Israelson.
"Amalgamation was intended to deliver 'better, more efficient government at less cost to the taxpayer.' But, 25 years later, Hamilton residents are still waiting," writes Ken Bosveld.
"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.
"Amalgamation with local adjacent municipalities with failing infrastructure will result in higher cost of living, more taxes and less service," writes Richard Connelly.
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.
