"Although this level of government has the greatest impact on citizens’ daily lives, it is weak, ineffectual, rudderless and dominated by special interests," writes Garth Turner.
Over the last five centuries, says Frank Lloyd Wright, what humanity has called architecture has been "phony": "It was not innate, it wasn’t organic and it didn’t have the character of nature.”
More than 40 years after the debut of this British farce on the Shaw Festival stage, "One for the Pot" returns with excellent performances that contain the elements needed to make this for-the-masses comedy a laugh riot, writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
"As a pretentious British boss of mine said many years ago ... 'I have found that around the world, one can get on with two languages: English, and loud English,'" writes Ross Robinson.
"I provided you with an opportunity to do the right thing, which you have obviously declined to do. Please be advised that I intend to pursue this in the appropriate forum(s)," writes Derek Collins.
"Babe Ruth, among his many quoted phrases, said, 'It ain’t over till it’s over.'
That amazing team of Blue Jays players has proven what we already knew: it’s never over, we’re just occasionally between innings," writes Keith McNenly.
"Some people believe our little lovenest of a town is lurching toward surveillance, confinement and control. Look at the official, shiny new draft official plan, they say," writes Garth Turner.
"A process begun in December 2024 looks like it will easily drag into next year’s municipal election. Hopefully, the voters will remember," writes Bob Bader.
"Businesses in sectors like oil and gas (and specifically producers of liquid natural gas) are especially favoured ... Sometimes the squeaky wheel attracts the grease," writes Steve McGuinness.
"Connecting with nature and connecting in nature both have solid benefits: little hands in sand and water and soil, bring the principles of science and math and literacy alive," write Dr. Robin Williams and Dr. Richa Agnihotri
"As I write this there are six (seriously, just six) rentals listed with realtors in the Old Town. The average rent being asked is $3,000 a month," writes Garth Turner.
"Growth and change in any town may be inevitable. However, those forces must be thoughtfully and consistently managed in order to preserve its unique character and cultural landscapes while evolving into a greater version of itself," writes Brian Marshall.
"Under the Canada Health Act, provinces are required to maintain universal health plans offering their residents medical coverage. The provinces receive significant social transfer amounts from the feds in return," writes Steve McGuinness.
"This is a very solid story of science at its best, expressed in the imagination and dogged persistence of the three laureates," writes Dr. William Brown, on this year's winners of the Nobel Prize in medicine and their discoveries concerning how the immune system is kept in check.
"Around NOTL, so many residents and visitors proudly wearing Blue Jays merchandise. People smiling and saying hello to strangers. In our world today, any positive news is welcome, and this World Series run is definitely good news," writes Ross Robinson.
"It’s telling that MacKay-Lyons, whose main body of work is unabashedly contemporary, adheres strictly to this sense of place as derived from understanding its existing (or historic) vernacular materials, building culture and forms," writes Brian Marshall.
"The NOTL rebels’ plan is to have candidates identified and in place well before the race. There may be a slate. There will certainly be public engagements — forums, Q&As, debates. There will be money, as well as passion," writes Garth Turner.
"Do we plan for the few, or do we plan for everyone — families, seniors, artists, educators, and the millions who come here to experience Niagara’s beauty and culture?" writes Syreeta Larkan.
"The Nobel Prizes in the sciences began in 1901, and despite the emergence of a host of other worthy prizes in mathematics, engineering and recently the computer sciences, it remains the gold standard," writes Dr. William Brown.
"In this production, three white siblings were loyal and steadfast, while the lone Black sibling was the betrayer — seduced by the Witch, captured and imprisoned. The child who looked most like mine was the one punished and needing to be rescued," writes Yakira Mukendi.
"While older residents are a vital part of our community, this demographic alone does not represent the full spectrum of Niagara-on-the-Lake residents," writes Jennier Reimer.
"These revolting developments in Niagara-on-the-Lake are such blatant examples of functional illiteracy in the pursuit of billions that they need to be held up in front of the faces of the voters of Ontario," writes Kevin McCabe.
"One day, his voice will fall silent — and when it does, we will miss that which completed our picture-perfect postcard and how deeply it was woven into the spirit of this town," writes Debra Rowe.
"These core principles are neglected, ignored or improperly applied by far too many practicing architects and results in poor designs which, if constructed, assault the public's senses with inferior built architecture," writes Brian Marshall.
"Urbanites may not get this, but in much of Canada, the post office is Canada. The sole, identifiable, enduring and working link to the federal government. Once that is shuttered, the bond dies," writes Garth Turner.
The following column was written by the late Joanne Young, garden expert and coach, and was originally published in the Sept. 8, 2022 edition of The Lake Report.
