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Wednesday, January 14, 2026

Opinion

Letter: Development control done for the right reasons

"The 2018-2022 NOTL council consistently strove to protect the natural and built heritage of Old Town, from our tree canopy and green spaces to our historic buildings and streetscapes," writes Terry Davis.

Opinion: Canada, a.k.a. Venezuela North?

"Now, upon seeing how the United States treats countries such as Venezuela when it plainly desires its resources, there can be little doubt that Canada might be an additional target on Donald Trump's radar," writes J. Richard Wright.

Arch-i-text: If development swallows up farmland, who will feed us?

"Food sovereignty and security must be considered paramount in all government policy. Otherwise, we may find ourselves as a banana republic — the beggars at the table," writes Brian Marshall.

The Turner Report: First the Fence, then the flood

"Soon the historic buildings behind the chain-link — some dating to the 1880s — will be razed. The excavators will move in. Then the erection of a 55,000-square foot complex with a six-storey height," writes Garth Turner.

The Forum: Santa Ford’s lump of coal: return to sender

"Wouldn’t our provincial government be wiser to support economic diversification? NOTL may aspire to be Napa North, but we lack their nearby Silicon Valley," writes Steve McGuinness.

Editorial: Folksy Ford and the end of speed cameras

"It is a cash grab, sure," writes Kevin MacLean of the speed camera program. "But so what? It’s a penalty earned for not obeying the law, in a school zone, amid warning signs."

Dr. Brown: The standard model of the universe — what’s wrong with it?

"Here, many billions of years later, was evidence of the radiation created in the Big Bang, now cooled to a few degrees above zero Kelvin and stretched by the expanding universe into the microwave range — what became known as the cosmic background radiation," writes Dr. William Brown.

Ross’s Ramblings: Who’s paying for this stuff?

"Do our political party leaders think we believe they have a great big pot filled with money that they dip into to pay for their projects and programs?" writes Ross Robinson.

Letter: Old Town wouldn’t be the same without Jimmy Lai

"After living here for 25 years, I think that the town of NOTL would not look so prosperous without Mr. Lai's and his sister's arrival," writes Yimlei Molly Yep.

Opinion: Reflections after an astounding World Series

"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.

The Turner Report: NOTL and the elitist cabal

"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.

Letter: The town’s short-term rental boondoggle

"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.

Bottom Line: How the federal budget will impact us in NOTL

"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.

Op-ed: Niagara Children’s Garden crucial for kids’ well-being

"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

The Turner Report: NOTL picks tourists over tenants

"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.

Arch-i-text: Political tripe won’t save Niagara-on-the-Lake’s character

"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.

Bottom Line: Don’t let sickness break your bank

"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.

Dr. Brown: The immune system: distinguishing friends from foes

"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.

Ross’s Ramblings: Let’s ramble from a very crowded Blue Jays bandwagon

"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.

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.

Letter: The lion, the witch and the weight of representation

"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.

Letter: Community feedback on old hospital doesn’t represent everyone

"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.

Letter: The past is a foundation for the road yet travelled

"The people of NOTL built the hospital to care for their residents. That spirit of service and connection should continue," writes Toby Simmonds.

Letter: New hotel on King Street nail in the coffin for NOTL’s idyllic past

"Council should be ashamed and question deeply their commitment to ensuring NOTL remains a liveable place for its citizens," writes Greg Davis.

Letter: Revolting developments in NOTL go all the way to the top

"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.

Letter: How our town crier represents the spirit of Old Town

"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.

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