"Lord Mayor Zalepa has now formally endorsed the move to chop council, dump our elected rep to the region, accept an unelected super-chair and submit to a voting scheme that would mute our voice. Your voice," writes Garth Turner.
"Doug Ford’s government is taking a page out of Trump’s playbook to introduce equally ill-advised legislation with dire future impacts on provincial and local levels," writes Brian Marshall.
"Whoever came up with the design for the hospital gown? Or did it evolve naturally over the years? Seriously, it must have been the brainchild of a highly unqualified committee," writes Ross Robinson.
"As decisions are made about the future of 176 Wellington, I hope there is room to consider what it could mean for young people in this community to have a place that reflects their potential," writes Andorlie Hillstrom.
"The site is immediately beside the densest residential area in the Old Town and in a beautiful park, which has a steady stream of walking and biking visitors," writes Catherine Cornell.
"I, for one, appreciate that The Lake Report gives Garth a prime-position soapbox even though I thoroughly disagree with his assessment and conclusions," writes Doug Mepham.
"Residents living on our once quiet town streets, in homes neighbouring unhosted short-term rental sites, complain about irresponsible renting to unruly groups," writes Steve McGuinness.
"Telescope design, whether for space or land-based, manufacture, launch and maintenance, to say nothing of the scientists and engineers involved, are all very expensive," writes Dr. William Brown.
"Grasses can be used as focal points in the garden. Many of the tall or dramatically coloured grasses can be used to draw the eye and anchor garden beds," writes Joanne Young.
In a statement from the Niagara Foundation issued this week, it writes, "We recognize and value the Shaw Festival as a core cultural element and encourage it to be equally respectful of the heritage elements of this town, ensuring the Royal George 'fits' within our heritage district."
"Despite the absurdity of life and perhaps unreached dreams, our aspirations remain, and we can still find magic in the power of language and theatre," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
In response to editor-in-chief Richard Harley's July 31 editorial, The Lake Report, writes Garth Turner, "embraces the size, the massing, the demolitions, the height, the truck bays, the big-box architecture, the gobbling-up of a residential street and the three or more years of construction chaos involved."
"In the event this report has not been completed — which would be odd given that we’re eight months into 2025 — the question then becomes why would staff be proceeding with this application in the absence of any form of validation of the applicant’s claims?" writes Brian Marshall.
"Clearly, council shouldn’t have approved such a colossal commercial development on a property surrounded on four sides by single-family houses on quiet, narrow laneways," writes Wayne Murray.
"The lord mayor appears to be refusing to provide the information and has instructed the new CAO to merely prepare a summary of the historical correspondence and to 'close the loop,'" writes Gienek Ksiazkiewicz.
"Robin is a respected festival director and tireless advocate whose efforts have made a meaningful cultural impact. Her support for the Shaw proposal stems from a sincere desire to see our town thrive," writes Kate Morris.
"The town asked for input on the revised official plan and as a respondent, the Chautauqua Residents Association (in my opinion) gets unfairly criticized," writes Brian Crow.
The old Royal George may need to tumble and be rebuilt, but Old Towner and Tiktoker Sally Basmajian says, “there are right ways of doing things and just egregiously wrong ways of doing things.”
"A major institution is doing things the right way — listening, adjusting, communicating and making real efforts to include the public in the process. That’s not lip service. That’s leadership," writes editor-in-chief Richard Harley.
in many jurisdictions, the sheer volume of important heritage assets which potentially stood to be lost was such that only a small fraction could be protected via Part IV designation.
"Harvesting tomatoes at the right time and in the right way ensures the best flavour and extends the productivity of your plants," writes Joanne Young.
"The next round of renderings will offer a fuller picture — complete with streetscapes, gardens, and trees — so you can better visualize the theatre as part of the community fabric," write Tim Jennings and Tim Carroll.
"I sincerely hope this Ross’s Ramblings will help the StopGap ramp initiative gain traction. It would simply be the right move — and would feel so good," writes Ross Robinson.
