-0.9 C
Niagara Falls
Tuesday, February 11, 2025
Ross’s Ramblings: Today’s tradition in NOTL was yesterday’s change
Without accepting progress, Niagara-on-the-Lake wouldn’t have some of its finest hotels, such as the Queen’s Landing — once a controversial development near homes. FILE PHOTO

A few years ago while rambling in The Lake Report, I observed that we often seem to live in a BANANA Republic. “Build absolutely nothing anywhere near anything.”

Dear friends, we cannot stop change. How about YIMBY? Yes, in my backyard.

Not that long ago, there were four, count ’em four, gas stations downtown on Queen Street. During the winter, local kids regularly took over our main street for seemingly endless games of road hockey. No adults, no coaches, no referees.

Just kids of different ages arriving with their hockey sticks and tennis balls and joining in. The teams seemed to be evenly matched and eventually the games ended when the players had to go home for dinner.

Now, are kids sports over-organized? We can learn by listening to younger people. And by thinking about rule changes that might make sports more interesting to play and watch.

Reading the letters to the editor in The Lake Report makes it seem that our wonderful town is full of old fuddy duddies, know-it-alls who resist all change and progress.

Let me look into the future, perhaps 20 years ahead to 2044. Modesty prevents me from saying my predictions will all be accurate. But it is fun to study history and be open-minded.

Not that long ago, Niagara wines were produced from Concord grapes. A few innovative vintners brought vinifera grapes to our area, worked hard and smart, and now Niagara wines compete on the world’s wine stages.

But when did wineries become wedding venues on the side? Now, several of my pals have their peaceful lives regularly ruined by fireworks displays, noisily polluting the neighbourhood air. Let’s be daring and look to the future.

As my wise young daughter Carrie observed several years ago, traditional fireworks are environmental disasters. Noisy, smelly and self-serving.

Surely today’s technologies make it possible to present entertaining and environmentally friendly spectacles using alternatives. Drones, lasers and holograms could light up the skies without frightening young children and hundreds of innocent pets whose ears are hypersensitive.

Jumping bravely now to sports. Soccer to be specific. As I travel internationally, I watch. In Mexico and Morocco, kids play on small fields, much less than half the size of our soccer fields in Canada.

More action around the goals, more fun when more goals are scored and all this without any adults in sight. I applaud Canadian soccer volunteers, but let’s throw off the constraints we sometimes play under.

Perhaps this will increase the skill levels, and get rid of the 0-0 games that must be decided by penalty kicks.

Maybe I am missing something, but our Canadian international teams often get whupped by countries that have fewer financial resources and government sports bureaucracies.

Not to preach, but let’s all look in the mirror and think with open minds.

Back to Queen Street downtown. I talk to visitors each and every day. Our town is so pretty and so charming. Town employees and Chris Allen and other landscapers work so hard and creatively to delight locals and tourists. We are so fortunate.

Almost daily, my Walking Tour guests ask me why we don’t have crosswalks on Queen Street. Such a wide street, almost 60 feet. Between the post office and the ValuMart (I know, I know The Independent) pedestrians and motorists struggle to co-exist.

When will the town put in a crosswalk or two? At the same time that Canadian hockey will stop allowing and, yes, encouraging fighting?

Within a week of someone getting killed on Queen Street or on a hockey rink?

Sad, but true. I predict a vehicle-free NOTL main street by 2044.

History and travel teach.

Subscribe to our mailing list