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Thursday, October 23, 2025

Opinion

Arch-i-text: Takeaways from Brian MacKay-Lyon’s lecture on good and bad design

"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 Turner Report: NOTL rebels target ‘worst council ever’

"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.

Letter: What happens to the old hospital will define NOTL’s future

"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.

Ross’s Ramblings: A short drive to Elora, but a total change of attitude

"Here in Niagara, we seem to be impatient, unhappy and often down on each other. Often a bit mean," writes Ross Robinson.

Dr. Brown: Upcoming Nobel series at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Library

"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.

Dr. Brown: How ChatGPT and AI have evolved the past two years

"The hype surrounding AI in the last two years may have been over the top, but the future of life as we know it will become increasingly dependent on AI," writes Dr. William Brown.

Letter: Silver lining could increase interprovincial trade

Dear editor: A tiny silver lining in the current border tariff war is the opportunity to drop provincial barriers to internal Canadian trade. I hope...

Ross’s Ramblings: Can NOTLers learn about wine tariffs from history?

"If the new U.S. president proceeds with his threatened tariffs, it will certainly be his biggest financial gamble since he took a lead role in Atlantic City casinos. History teaches us the results could again be dire, costly and uncomfortable," writes Ross Robinson.

Letter: Town provided no information on impact of heritage designation on home value

Dear editor: I read with interest and considerable fellow-feeling the article by Paige Seburn about NOTL "heritage designations." I have had a similar rather negative experience...

Opinion: Canada-U.S. trade: Limit retaliation, negotiate, build a stronger economy

Ted Carmichael Special to Niagara Now/The Lake Report How should Canadian governments and citizens respond to the Trump administration’s threatened tariffs? Even if Canada’s commitments on fentanyl...

The Turner Report: When Tariff Man arrives in NOTL

Ed from Rochester was walking into the Stagecoach when Cody and I walked out, still chewing a Milkbone. (Cody, not me.) “So, why is Trump...

Ross’ Ramblings: How to think about life in NOTL like a bonsai tree

"The desire for non-single-family accommodation continues, so it behooves NOTL to somehow grow and densify. Like bonsai, let’s plan our growth and appearance," writes Ross Robinson.

Dr. Brown: Triumphs for Google in new weather-predicting technology

Google's GenCast, introduced at the end of 2024, is a program designed to accurately predict weather forecast for 15 days — "a far more difficult task than 10 days," writes Dr. William Brown, explaining how the program works and its implications for the future.

The Turner Report: Organizing the unhappy flock in NOTL

How do you wrestle an opinion out of someone? Simple. Insult them. Or at least try. Eben knows that. “Why so sheepish man?” he asked after...

Arch-i-text: If push comes to shove, enforcing standards can be done

In this week's edition of Arch-i-text, Brian Marshall outlines how a municipality may directly intervene to bring a property into the provincially required standards under the Building Code Act.

Letter: NOTL needs to curb wasteful spending

"I believe our town does not know how to budget, does not know how to look at where wasteful spending is taking place and does not seem to hire based on merit. And every year, it gets worse," writes Susan Pohorly.

Letter: Should ‘manifest destiny’ worry us here in NOTL?

"In Canada, we are not allowed to shut down power to anyone in the middle of winter. What reaction do you think there would be should Canada take similar action against the U.S. this winter? A clear and present danger of freezing to death?" writes Daphne Lavers.

Growing Together: Elevate your garden by adding flow to the landscape

For gardeners who have been working on adding to their outdoor space but feel dissatisfied with the results, what is missing is the sense of flow, writes Joanne Young: "It is the sense of flow that creates unity and peacefulness in the landscape."

Editorial: An unnecessary provincial election

Somehow Premier Doug Ford, his anointed PC candidates and members of his re-election team can keep a straight face when they repeatedly tell us...

Ross’s Ramblings: Let’s leave our lights on during dark days

"So much of life is controlled by our reactions, especially when something beyond our control has affected us. Even the smallest thing can be remembered and can have a positive or negative influence on the rest of our lives," writes Ross Robinson.

The Turner Report: Shooting it out with the tourist cartel

"What’s worse than NOTL becoming a theme park? Why, turning into a cartel, of course. David Gilchrist says it’s already here, aided by the bandidos at town hall," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: Disparities in how municipalities enforce the Building Code Act

"Clearly, the province has recognized the serious nature of a conviction under the building code and has provided a sledgehammer to enforce it but, far too often, municipalities have bypassed the sledgehammer in favour of a fly swatter," writes Brian Marshall.

Letter: Development issues pale in comparison to rising taxes

"I would suggest that the combination of unsustainable tax increases and no serious attempts to reign in spending represents a financial crisis," writes Jonathan Household.

Growing Together: How to transform your outdoor living space

"The biggest piece of advice that I can give you is to do your homework. It pays to invest in a designer who will take all of your wishes and needs and fit them into your space," writes Joanne Young.

Letter: Patios should have to meet standard of excellence

"Our identity will not be enhanced with the retention or addition of more outdoor patios along Queen Street. With no plans in place as to how many curbside patios should be permitted along Queen Street, things will only get worse. Plain and simple," writes John Morley.

Letter: Don’t elected officials represent the electorate?

"Is the lord mayor suggesting that if we as residents, have a personal agenda, and want certain things accomplished, we can only do so by being on council?" writes Buddy Andres.

Dr. Brown: Avian flu, a.k.a. H5N1 – the next pandemic?

The possible transmission of H5N1, also known as bird flu, into the human population, and then from human to human, "would put us a risk for a second pandemic in less than a decade, and this time, the political climate has changed and might hobble our response to a possible pandemic," writes Dr. Brown.

Letter: Wealthy developers need to be responsible, co-operative

"Some developers appear to be using their wealth to purchase undue influence with the provincial politicians that control the tribunal. This increases the perception that the playing field is not level," writes Steve McGuinness.

Letter: A sonnet to bid adieu to Willow Cakes

With Willow Cakes & Pastries closing its brick-and-mortar store on Mary Street at the end of this month, Brian Emes shares a poem he wrote in pre-COVID times to the beloved local bakery.

Letter: Tourism needs to be ‘perfectly paired’ with residents’ needs

"Residents of NOTL understand that tourism is a contributing factor to life here and support a shared approach — however, tourism has to be well managed and that depends on the town council," writes Jackie Bonic.

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