"A&M are pumping their latest project. It’s a whopper. If the sisters get their way with local politicians (once again), the old Rand Estate will turn into a five-storey, 111-room luxury Ritz-Carlton hotel," writes Garth Turner.
"Should any future council enact an interim control bylaw, underwritten by a duly compliant study, it will be largely legally unassailable," writes Brian Marshall.
"Niagara-on-the-Lake should not be treated as an extension of a 'Vegas North' casino economy. We are not a desert entertainment strip," writes Keith McNenly.
"I have heard that during his 26 years as mayor, Henry Paffard advocated for the planting of over 1,000 trees. By any measure, that’s a lot of limbs and leaves and shade and oxygen. And with trees come squirrels," writes Ross Robinson.
"Regardless of differences of opinion over development projects, I recognize that public discourse should be conducted respectfully and without casting aspersions on others," writes Stewart Hall.
"Town council and staff: I strongly urge you to immediately accelerate the process of determining the future of this important town-owned site," writes Cindy Grant.
"Event planning takes talent and desire, but the per-person price can be very fair due to the shoulder season timing. The town’s business people win, and the visiting groups win," writes Ross Robinson about off-season corporate retreats.
Trisha Romance's decision to support the NOTL Public Library, "reflects a deep understanding of legacy — the belief that what we nurture today helps build the future we all share," writes Katie Desharnais.
"It always amazes me how something like the vineyards and orchards can change so drastically from season to season, each season just as beautiful as the next. It reminds me that we all go through different seasons in life," writes Joanne Young.
In this week's column from Dr. Brown, he traces the evolution of computer technology's use in the field of scientific research, from its earlier, more elementary uses in the late 20th century, to the unfolding possibilities of today's AI machine learning.
"We have legal mechanisms to address differing views and even when those mechanisms fail an individual, it shouldn’t be assumed that a decision is careless or circumventing," writes Mark Smith.
"It’s obvious to me that the majority of our councillors do not care about the well-being of NOTL citizens. More and more, tourists are their primary, secondary and tertiary goals," writes Linda Sauro.
"The only possible way of a return to democracy by this council, as seen by this writer, would be for Mr. Niven to now decline the position offered, even though he has accepted, in the face of obvious public outrage," writes Derek Collins.
"Residents only want a community that mirrors the other four settlement areas that make up Niagara-on-the-Lake. Is this too much to ask for?" writes Steve Hardaker.
"If NOTL doesn’t defend itself and developers are allowed to do whatever they want, what is the cost to the community in terms of quality of life and property values?" writes Stewart Hall.
"We applaud library board and staff members who uphold the principles of neutrality, viewpoint diversity, free speech and intellectual freedom," writes FAIR in Libraries.
"Here in Niagara-on-the-Lake, I suggest that one of the primary 'benefits' is the character and heritage of the town that we have inherited. And, when a part of that inheritance is threatened, I argue that our elected officials are obligated to fight for its preservation," writes Brian Marshall.
Why did Tony Caldwell pay $200,000 more than asking for an uninhabitable and vacant pile that cleaners refused to enter without hazmat gear? Garth Turner speaks with the man who just bought the "mould house" in Old Town about his plans to preserve this heritage home.
"The greed, fear and lack of moral character of some oligarchs having hundreds of billions in wealth, have direct consequences on the freedoms the rest of us enjoy," Keith McNenly writes.
"As a member of an election team that spent long hours, walking endless miles, at no small cost, to reach out to the NOTL electorate only to have the practice tossed away as irrelevant ... I find (that) infuriating and disheartening to say the least," writes Carol Williams.
"There can be no good excuse for not reading books here in our Niagara," writes Ross Robinson, beginning this week's Ross' Ramblings with a shout-out to Old Niagara Bookshop on Regent Street.
"The lord mayor just missed a golden opportunity to change the tone and build trust," writes Paul Kirkconnell, following up his Aug. 8 letter about the municipality's response to the July protest held outside NOTL town hall.
"By not following the precedent established by previous councils ... (council) has, in my view, turned away from democracy and fairness. And, it has yet to justify or explain the rationale for its decision," writes Terry Davis.
"Why was this done in-camera? What criteria did council use to select Andrew Niven? Where is the transparency? Why does council seem to not listen to voters opinions?" writes Sandra Hardy.
