Opinion

Commentary: There’s no excuse for not voting in the municipal election

"So, what direction will NOTL voters choose? That’s impossible to predict but what we do know is it has never been easier to exercise your democratic franchise," writes Kevin MacLean.

Editorial: Pros and cons of Niagara-on-the-Lake’s three mayoral candidates

"At the end of the day, we need someone who can get Ford to respect us until we can try again to vote him out. The question, I guess, becomes, what’s the best strategy?" writes Richard Harley.

The Turner Report: This is how I’m voting

"If we elect the same people (and most are reoffering) we’ll get the same result. More hotels. More bending over for tourism. More construction. More old buildings razed. More density. More compromise. More loss," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: Get ready for fewer seats at the regional table

"If you are one of the approximately 191,000 Niagara residents that live outside the boundaries of the three large cities, you have just been marginalized as a perpetual member of the minority," writes Brian Marshall.

Ross’s Ramblings: This 13-foot-tall giraffe sculpture briefly lived on Queen St.

"He had the large sculpture placed in front of the Prince of Wales Hotel, but local leaders didn’t think it belonged at the corner of King and Queen streets. Much controversy ensued and Gerry the Giraffe was soon turfed," writes Ross Robinson.

The Turner Report: Old is cool in NOTL and a prized flag rises again

It was raining, so we drove. But forget about parking. The streets of Old Town were jammed. Dorothy and I ended up walking through the wet and the dark halfway back from where we started.

Letter: Outrage against NOTL librarian based on false premise

"As a former library trustee in Lincoln, I’ve followed your reporting on the wrongful termination of chief librarian Cathy Simpson, who apparently was discharging her responsibilities dutifully, yet ran afoul of a strident cabal, consisting of a misguided resident, some mutinous library staff and a plainly hysterical library board chairperson," writes Kevin Burns.

Editorial: NOTL mayor and council can do better

Much of Niagara-on-the-Lake, it seems, is at loggerheads with its municipal leadership — not all, but a majority of councillors seem opposed to listening to the people who voted them in. Or, if they're listening, they're not supportive of what "the people" are telling them.

Letter: Development naysayers are an endless source of amusement

Dear editor: I look forward to enjoying my fresh read of The Lake Report every week to see if the Old Town complainers will ever...

Letter of the Week: Let’s focus on realistic solutions, not just opposition

Dear editor: The battle of the Titans vs. the NOTLers continues unabated. The Titans want big hotels, big event venues, high-end condos, affluent customers, high traffic. NOTLers...

Letter: Councillors need to reconsider development plans

This is an edited version of a letter to members of Niagara-on-the-Lake town council. A copy was submitted to The Lake Report for publication. I...

Growing Together: How to nip powdery mildew in the bud

As we move into summer, we sometimes start to see more diseases pop up in our gardens. Some plants are more prone to certain diseases than others, but even so, you can take some precautions to limit the amount of damage that the disease will inflict on the plants.

Arch-i-text: Wiens, Cheropita and past campaign promises

I’d like to start off this week by saying how much I appreciate that each of you take the time to read my scribblings...

Letter: Councillors, please protect our Old Town

Dear editor: Last week, I sent a letter to Niagara-on-the-Lake's town councillors and the lord mayor asking them to adhere to the town plan regarding...

Letter: Council never had chance to reject housing for Parliament Oak site

Dear editor: I read Coun. Maria Mavridis' response, published in the June 20 issue of The Lake Report, "Mayor and councillor push back against hotel...

Letter: Lord mayor should resign

Dear editor: Recent planning decisions made in Niagara-on-the-Lake are so egregious that I believe the lord mayor, the members of council who voted in favour...

The Turner Report: America, Trump and the price of NOTL real estate

Who hasn’t stood on the river bank and stared across at Fort Niagara? In Niagara-on-the-Lake, America is close. No wonder so many from New...

Dr. Brown: How homo sapiens outlasted all human species

For much of our human evolution, climate played a major part in the success or failure of various human species variants — including the last, homo sapiens — the lone survivor as Chris Stringer so aptly put it in the tile of his 2012 book, "Lone Survivors: How We Came to be the Only Humans on Earth."

Letter: Parliament Oak hotel approval could lead to 7-storey buildings throughout Old Town

Dear editor: Most people don’t understand that if the old Parliament Oak school site is rezoned commercial, allowing a building height of 19 metres, then...

The Turner Report: What now? Where does NOTL housing market go from here?

This marks the debut of columnist Garth Turner as a regular contributor to The Lake Report. He's a longtime journalist, commentator and former federal...

Letter: Is NOTL reaching a tipping point on development?

Dear editor: I was one of those who spoke at the June 11 council committee of the whole meeting when the staff recommendation to approve...

Letter: We already have plenty of quality hotels in NOTL

Dear editor: Councillors who voted for the Marotta hotel referred to an unapproved draft tourism report stating we need more high-quality hotels in Old Town. Yet...

Guest Column: Why the power went out in NOTL last week

The power went out in much of Niagara-on-the-Lake last Thursday, June 13. We asked NOTL Hydro CEO Tim Curtis what happened and he provided...

Guest Editorial: Rules needed to protect Online News Act funding

Gordon Cameron Special to Niagara Now/The Lake Report When Canada’s Parliament finally passed Bill C-18, a.k.a. the Online News Act, there was great rejoicing in the...

Arch-i-text: Lord mayor has broken platform promises on development

Well, since being elected in November 2022 — 19 short months ago — our current council and lord mayor have managed to create more...

Growing Together: These new plants are made for shade

There is one thing that I can say with certainty about plants is that there will always be new varieties being released each year. ...

Letter: At its heart, ‘My Fair Lady’ is a love story

Dear editor: The Lake Report review of “My Fair Lady,” laudatory as it was, missed the larger idea that it's a love story ("‘My Fair...

Letter: Don’t blame the tree for fatal Lakeshore crash

Dear editor: It is tragic that a life again was lost when a vehicle hit a tree on Lakeshore Road. Not knowing the reason the vehicle...

Letter: Tree could live on as works of art

Dear editor: Regarding your June 6 editorial about the numerous accidents with that big maple tree on Lakeshore Road ("No more fatalities — cut down...

Letter: Let White Oaks build its highrises

Dear editor: It may yet happen that White Oaks gets to build its highrises, although they might not be as high as originally proposed, ("Town...

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