Opinion

The Turner Report: Storms remind us who town’s real Ruller is

"Democracy takes a hit when the one assuming that role refuses to speak on the record, be interviewed, or allow underlings to comment," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: Our stormwater drains and ponds need proper care

"Without proper maintenance," writes Brian Marshall, "in a short period of time, a drain can lose its effectiveness to manage water and help to prevent flooding."

Shaw review: Once maligned, author Edna Ferber shines again

"She sought unusual locations where ordinary people built empires against the odds and where strong, smart women overcame gender, convention and adversity," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Dr. Brown: In anti-aging quest, the brain is the biggest obstacle

"Rejuvenating the brain might hold the line or possibly slow decline a bit, but not return our brain back to where it was when we were 20. That’s way beyond the science as it exists," writes Dr. William Brown.

Ross’s Ramblings: Legion rises above adversity after last week’s flood

For many NOTLers, for many years, “the Legion” has been a social constant. Of...

Letter: Answers needed about old hospital future

"Hopefully there will some of these questions answered and acted upon, so that the plan benefits the taxpayers here, instead of just the tourists," writes Cecilia Bennett.

Editorial: Eustáquio has scored for Canada

"When Stephen Eustáquio fired the ball into the back of the net last Sunday in the dying moments versus South Africa, the adulation unleashed at outdoor watch parties, in pubs and in TV rooms across the country was heartfelt and possibly life-changing for some future football stars," writes Kevin MacLean.

Arts review: From singalongs to studio spaces, Shaw rethinks the theatre experience

"Survival dictates new directions. 'Beyond the Stage' is expanding our experiences of theatre by allowing us to witness and explore exciting new paths," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

The Turner Report: The adult in the room

"His colleagues at town hall, says Gary Burroughs, are too easily manipulated into big decisions. Like approving a massive hotel in the middle of a residential 'hood. Or (soon, he reckons) greenlighting a Ritz-Carlton hotel, spa and residences on the former Rand Estate. Together with the Terminal 4 Clayfield edifice in Garrison Village, these developments put NOTL into tourism overdrive," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: We don’t need to eliminate vacation rentals — just manage them

"Bit by bit, the legal underpinning by which a municipality can defensibly justify decisions to preserve its community in the face of a developer’s application are eroded," writes Brian Marshall.

Ross’s Ramblings: Don’t overlook this province on your next cross-country road trip

"Due to its geography and a rather low population count, we don’t tend to think of New Brunswick too often. For many Canadians, it's a necessary part of the road trip between Ontario and Quebec and the other three Atlantic provinces," writes Ross Robinson.

Dr. Brown: AI solved a math problem that stumped us for decades

"ChatGPT came out in late 2022 and look what’s happened since. Plot the curve for human intelligence and AI’s intelligence and the differences are obvious," writes Dr. William Brown.

Letter: Save Our Rand Estate silent on latest tribunal ruling

"The silence surrounding this decision is a coverup; nobody knows about this but everybody should, because SORE just got beat up," writes Peter Rusin.

Letter: When our poodle went missing, NOTL came to the rescue

"Please remember, NOTL has a soul. It lies within this wonderful community and its residents. We are proud to call this home," writes Sue-Ann Ramsden.

Letter: Watching the world pass by in Old Town

"As I enjoy reading, it always surprises me when a passerby looks over and smiles. But then, I really shouldn’t be surprised — Niagara-on-the-Lake is one of the friendliest places I’ve ever visited," writes Lucy Kovaliv.

Letter: More tourism seems to be the future of NOTL

"Tourism represents an opportunity, but can also become a curse. As elections draw near, let’s determine which way we are leaning and take the appropriate actions," writes Terry Mactaggart.

Opinion: Slow down, you’re movin’ too fast

"Whether it’s lane jumpers, high-speed tailgaters or mid-lining motorcyclists, everyone seems in a hurry," writes Kevin MacLean.

Opinion: The world’s first trillionaire and the rise of rule by riches

"Without hard boundaries including progressive taxation and dissolution of monopolies, oligarchy will continue to deconstruct society until elections, law, and truth become historical artifacts," writes Keith McNenly.

The Turner Report: Hitting the bottom in NOTL

"The economy has flatlined. Trump’s war went badly. Inflation is back, so interest rates won’t be falling ... But people still want houses. And, of course, everyone wants to live here," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: Unhosted vacation rentals may be a death knell for our community

"Any correctly thinking council — one that represents the good of the town and its residents as opposed to commercial real estate investors — would support proper controls and a cap on the short-term rental market," writes Brian Marshall.

Ross’s Ramblings: Watches, leather shoes and other products of a bygone era

"The relatively sudden demise of a once-accepted part of our lives, almost instantly replaced by handheld devices that mostly pass the time in our pockets," writes Ross Robinson.

Dr. Brown: The big science behind these lab-grown mini-brains

Mini-brains, writes Dr. William Brown, "replicate in amazing detail the earliest development of the six-layer cortex of human neocortex, typical of human embryos at equivalent stages of embryonic development."

Letter: Amalgamation or not, we need cost savings

"Cost savings are needed somewhere, or we’re going to be taxed to death," writes Gienek Ksiazkiewicz.

Letter: As a former vacation rental host, ‘hollowing out’ criticism is unfair

"The allegations about hollowing out and the loss of neighbours didn't apply then and doesn't apply now to hosted short-term rentals," writes Kenn Moody.

The Turner Report: The beating and the blessing

"In my decades on this planet I’ve been pushed around a few times ... But never been beaten, viciously, until one pleasant and warm Friday afternoon in the bucolic bosom of Old Town NOTL," writes Garth Turner.

Review: Revel in the absurd delights of the Shaw’s ‘Jeeves & Wooster’

"We were gifted with laughter, anticipation and Wodehouse magic, plus some terrific Gene-Kelly-inspired dancing. Anchors away, don't miss this joyful cruise," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Arch-i-text: Where is the cap on short-term rentals in NOTL?

"Ironic that NOTL, at about a quarter of the population of Portland, should have identical total (2022 vs. 2024) numbers for licensed short-term rentals," writes Brian Marshall.

Letter: NOTL thrives because of cultural development

"There are better (and still profitable) uses of that property that would also celebrate its historic placement among us. Randwood should be available to the public for reasonable access," writes Terry Mactaggart.

Letter: Property severance isn’t the issue with the Rand Estate

"For your writer to make the comment that people are not allowed occupancy at the remaining Rand property is both incorrect and false, as are those that refer to hypocrisy and again to NIMBYism," writes Derek Collins.

The Turner Report: The anti-establishment man

“Queen Street will never be the same,” Nicholas Colaneri tells Garth Turner. “The change might not be tomorrow, but watch out 15 years from now, when we won’t have heritage any longer."

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