"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.
"Of the numerous benefits offered by mature trees, the one most valued by me is the mental and spiritual well-being that I experience when in the presence of these silent members of our community," writes Win Laar.
"In my book, this tribunal decision must count as a 'win' and flies in the face of an often-repeated suggestion voiced by certain members of the town council that costs associated with going before the tribunal are a waste of money because we’re going to lose," writes Brian Marshall.
"Nobel committees don’t always get things right, but this time they made a spectacular, if controversial, choice," writes Dr. Brown of this fall's Nobel Prize wins in physics and chemistry.
Besides knowing they are good for pies and carving for Halloween, how are you with pumpkin trivia? Joanne Young shares a bounty of fun facts about the fall-time gourd and how it became a part of celebrating spooky season.
"If everyone is given permission to remove their mature native trees with such carelessness, then we will continue to see a decline in Niagara’s limited canopies," writes Sean Parkinson.
"In the last 90 days, virtually nothing sold for more than $1.5 million. The average house takes over 100 days to get an offer — and six in ten are conditional on the buyer being able to sell," writes Garth Turner.
"The formation of stars, galaxies and the natural elements combines the dominant themes of physics in the first half of the 20th century: General relativity ... and quantum physics," writes Dr. William Brown.
"I have argued for several years that weeknight Halloween is unduly stressful for parents, grandparents and school teachers. And oh yes, young children and students too," writes Ross Robinson.
"It should be perfectly clear to the town’s residents where our priorities lie, without the need for another survey to obfuscate the issue," writes Paul and Elizabeth Masson.
"It appeared that town council was in a rush to quietly pass as many approvals for developments by amending the official plan, rezoning, completely ignoring the parking and traffic challenges and the availability of services," writes Luba Fraser.
"It is cheaper and easier for a developer to do the cookie-cutter thing, creating a series of isolated dwellings ... that do not embrace community but are inwardly focused on the individual occupying family," writes Brian Marshall.
"In a world where misinformation travels faster than truth, newspapers and their websites keep Canadians informed, connected and engaged in communities from coast to coast," writes Paul Deegan.
"Nobody wants to wake up to their home and possessions being destroyed," writes Richard Harley. "Even if canoeing in your lawn does sound like a good time, we need to start fixing what's broken."
"One fear is Trump will ultimately tank our dollar, stall the economy and add almost 2 per cent to mortgage rates. But there’s no guarantee, of course, he’d govern with the same machismo as he campaigns. Let’s hope so," writes Garth Turner.
"The good people of the NOTL Legion work so diligently and enthusiastically to organize social events and fundraising projects. I quickly learned that the activities and social events are almost never-ending," writes Ross Robinson, the newest member of Legion Branch 124.
Gene editing once held "the promise of fixing mutant genes responsible for the mutant proteins that cause hundreds of other protein-related diseases," writes Dr. Brown. "Unfortunately, transforming theory into practice is difficult."
"For more than 50 years, from the 1830s to the 1880s, the Gothic Revival style of architecture dominated the Ontario marketplace and continued its popularity in the province into the early 20th century," writes Brian Marshall.
"How does the town expect us bus drivers to do our job of transporting tourists from hotels to wineries when we aren’t even allowed to park close to the hotel to pick up these tourists?" writes Barry Wilding.
"It is obvious that bylaw enforcement really is flawed and in trouble and Patrick Devine's comprehensive reporting on heritage is a real eyeopener," writes Christopher Allen.
"What worries me is not that Premier Ford threw this cockamamie idea out to the press and the people," writes Ross Robinson about the proposed tunnel for under Highway 401. "I find it frightening that his most trusted and wise advisers would come up with such garbage."
"With some exceptions, progress in science is usually incremental and biology, especially biochemistry," writes Dr. Brown, analyzing how our understanding of the science behind DNA has evolved — while some central questions remain.
"Fall is a great time to be dividing some of your clumps of perennials in the garden, especially during the month of October," writes Joanne Young, sharing tips on how to know which ones can be divided at this time and the best way to get it done.
"The public mood is sour. Houses are crazy. High rates didn’t bring lower prices. There are still 8,000 people in NOTL without a family doctor. And now there’s employment anxiety," writes Garth Turner.
"If democracy is defeated in the United States by election of an authoritarian as president, the free democratic world could re-enter a pre-Magna Carta era, a time of unprecedented presidential power not constrained by rule of law," writes Keith McNenly.
