"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.
"By removing the flowers as soon as they are done, the plant produces more flowers to produce more seeds. So, deadheading produces more blooms," writes Joanne Young.
"I would like Niagara-on-the-Lake to be a partner in tackling these issues, which can affect any of our friends and family members, no matter who they are or where they come from," writes Steven Soos.
"The fact that Royal Oak even exists is a small miracle for Niagara-on-the-Lake. It makes the town, all parts of it, a better place, and the more people know about it and why it’s important, the better it is for all of us," writes David Israelson.
"In all, four heritage buildings will be offed. The iconic Queen streetscape will be forever altered, the 120-year-old Royal George erased, trees sacrificed and apparently you have nothing to say about it," writes Garth Turner.
"I support the Shaw’s overture for redevelopment of the Royal George. However, it must be done sympathetically, within context and not at the expense of the Part V heritage district," writes Brian Marshall.
"Peace — first within ourselves, then within our families, our communities, our countries and finally in our increasingly small and fragile world — seems well worth the effort," writes Hugh Church.
"But as we move into early summer, we start to lose some of that magic of spring and need to add in some shrubs that will extend interest and colour into summer," writes Joanne Young.
"In a small community such as Niagara, where everyone knows everyone, businesses that rely on work directed to them from both governmental bodies and developers within the region are not going to want to upset their sources of income," writes Gienek Ksiazkiewicz.
Ross Robinson writes about watching game five of the finals between the Edmonton Oilers and the Florida Panthers this past weekend at Butler's Sports Bar, and asks just how much love Canadians have for the sport — or, if some of them just follow the Leafs.
"We can lament the fact that the properties close to Queen Street are no longer suitable for single-family houses, but the community has to decide what the best alternative use is," writes Wayne Murray.
"Their bold foliage, which comes in a variety of greens, blues and golds, makes them ideal for creating structure and contrast in shade gardens," writes Joanne Young.
"It’s never a good thing when normally docile folks believe councillors are in the pockets of developers, that the town’s government is anti-family or that public matters are shielded from, well, the public. But here we are," writes Garth Turner.
"The window for successful treatment of neurodegenerative diseases is usually well before symptoms develop, and perhaps explains why treatments employed when the first symptoms develop may be too late to prevent progression of the disease," writes Dr. William Brown.
"Wrought iron and striped awnings come to mind, rather than the rough-looking backyard lean-to appearance they currently represent," writes Ann Handels.
"Our residential real estate market continues to slump. Despite recent Bank of Canada interest rate drops, the days of cutthroat home bidding wars are well behind us," writes Steve McGuinness.
"We believe that prioritizing senior housing isn't just a seniors' issue — it’s a community issue. It's about keeping families together, supporting caregivers, and making sure that long-time residents don’t have to leave the place they love as their needs change."
"Down came the strap on my palm. Then the same for Armour. Once each — and then a second time, for good measure," writes Ross Robinson. "Not bitter. Things change."
"Back on Queen Street this morning, I had a retired couple from the Cape Cod area arrive for my free walking tour," writes Ross Robinson, who "were absolutely effusive while telling me how beautiful our town is, with the many flowers and charming downtown."
"The town and the Shaw have grown together, welcoming first tens of thousands and then hundreds of thousands of patrons every year, helping this little corner of Ontario become one of the most cherished destinations in Canada," write Tim Jennings and Tim Caroll from the Shaw Festival.
"So the town has launched a race for business survival. Not only do we risk displacing people and houses with hotels and tourists, but life is a whole lot tougher — and more expensive — for the guys already in the hospitality biz," writes Garth Turner.
"Take responsibility for your actions: it might hurt financially, but the wisdom of obeying the speed limit near a school (whether kids are present or if it's late at night) seems like something right out of Driver Ed 101," writes Kevin MacLean.
The clear-cutting of a forest in Virgil this year to make way for development is "only a single, relatively small, local example of the potential devastation which could, and likely will, be visited upon the landscape of this province should the Ford government’s Bill 5 be passed into law," writes Brian Marshall.
Joanne Young covers topics such as when to prune early spring blooming shrubs, how often gardeners should fertilize their lawns and whether or not ants are responsibile for opening up peony buds.
"The people can be consulted but not, on the whole, trusted, and all the participation must be, implicitly, for the change. A sort of Manufacturing Consent Lite," writes Jeremy Langton.
