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Thursday, April 9, 2026

The Lake Report: Check out our weekly print edition for Niagara-on-the-Lake here.

Province plans to cut Niagara region council down to just elected mayors

Paige Seburn -
Ontario’s proposed Better Regional Governance Act could cut down the town’s representation at the Niagara Region council table to one person from two.

Province declines NOTL seat-cut proposal, council split on whether move was ‘premature’

Niagara-on-the-Lake’s push to cut two council seats ahead of the 2026 election has been rejected by the province, leaving councillors divided over whether the move was rushed or needed.
Paige Seburn -

Kinsmen Club celebrates an egg-cellent turnout at annual Easter event

It took just minutes for 8,000 chocolate eggs to vanish — scooped up by a sea of excited children who fanned out across the Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre in a spring tradition nearly 50 years in the making.
Andrew Hawlitzky -

A blooming good time: Flower festival returning to Niagara-on-the-Lake in May

Running May 8 to 11, the festival will transform Old Town into a flower-filled showcase, with organizers promising expanded installations and new events for this year.
Niagara Now -

Veteran documentarian turns to memoir after decades behind the camera

Tim Taylor -
Shelley Saywell, considered one of Canada’s foremost documentary filmmakers, is the author of a recently published best-selling memoir, "If Only Love: A Memoir of Second Chances."

Virgil student wins big at Niagara science fair for microplastics research

For Sophie Clattenburg, a Grade 8 student from Virgil with a passion for chemistry, microplastics are a topic of great interest to her: "They're ubiquitous."
Zahraa Hmood -

Sports: Hockey players and volunteers honoured at annual awards

With another successful season in the books, the NOTL Minor Hockey Association honoured some of its coaches, players and volunteers last week.
Niagara Now -

The Turner Report: How democracy slips away

"Lord Mayor Zalepa has now formally endorsed the move to chop council, dump our elected rep to the region, accept an unelected super-chair and submit to a voting scheme that would mute our voice. Your voice," writes Garth Turner.
Garth Turner -

Take in the beauty of Italy, on display at new art gallery

Niagara Now - 0
"From Italy With Love," a new exhibition at Il Gelato di Carlotta, showcases the creations of artists who took part in artist and instructor Sandra Iafrate's painting workshops throughout Italy. 

Residents back better cell service — but push Niagara Parks on tower locations

Niagara Parks Commission's CEO said while it’s encouraging there is agreement on the need to solve connectivity issues, concerns about aesthetics and location remain central.
Read more ...

News

March showed water is safe, enforcement’s changing and town operations are on track

Paige Seburn - 0
Parking tickets dropped in Niagara-on-the-Lake last year, while the town’s drinking water met provincial standards — two of several updates councillors heard during the month of March.
Read more ...

News

Burton firm on community vision as town’s parking plan for former hospital looms

Paige Seburn - 0
As council signals a parking-focused future for the site, the James A. Burton & Family Foundation is holding firm in its vision for the old hospital.
Read more ...

Local

Royal Oak’s future at former hospital site uncertain as costs, plans come into focus

As the town plans to redevelop the site of the former hospital at 176 Wellington St., the future of Royal Oak School, now operating inside the building, is increasingly uncertain.

Sports: Memorable performances for Wolves in provincial tourneys

Two rep hockey teams that competed in last weekend’s provincial championships encountered high-calibre opposition while turning in exciting performances.

Parents call for safer school bus stops, better enforcement in NOTL

Safety concerns at school bus stops in Niagara-on-the-Lake are prompting growing concern from parents, particularly in rural areas where children must cross busy roads with limited infrastructure.

NOTL Museum finalist in national ‘Next Great Save’ competition with $50K prize

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum is among a dozen historical organizations up for a $50,000 prize in a national competition — which the museum plans to use to turn a 115-year-old house into its own research centre.

Entertainment

Board game nights aim to keep seniors’ minds sharp

From chess and cards to cribbage, Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit, participants can take part in a whole host of board gaming. The sessions will run Monday and Friday afternoons starting April 17.

Comic Jeff Paul returns home to film first standup special

The Niagara-on-the-Lake native is set to record his first standup comedy special and second album at Navy Hall on April 11, marking what he calls a milestone moment in a career more than a decade in the making.

Opinion

Arch-i-text: Premier Ford’s tidal wave of unwise new legislation

"Doug Ford’s government is taking a page out of Trump’s playbook to introduce equally ill-advised legislation with dire future impacts on provincial and local levels," writes Brian Marshall.

Ross’s Ramblings: Hospital gowns always make a fashion statement

"Whoever came up with the design for the hospital gown? Or did it evolve naturally over the years? Seriously, it must have been the brainchild of a highly unqualified committee," writes Ross Robinson.

Dr. Brown: Fire was key to evolution — where did it come from?

"If controlled fire was a huge plus for neanderthals 400,000 years ago, how far back does controlled fire go?" writes Dr. William Brown.

Entertainment

Organist, retired pilot joins the Edison Singers

An affable, easygoing sort, Michael Bloss, is currently the music director at St. Mark’s Church in Old Town. And, up until this past fall, a full-time pilot for Canada’s leading air service company, Cargojet.

Events

Today

News

Funding cuts put pressure on HIV, AIDS work — NOTL fundraiser steps in

Global funding for HIV and AIDS programs is dropping. A Niagara-on-the-Lake fundraiser is here to help — and is warning that shrinking international aid has left frontline groups with a fraction of the funding they once had.

Local

Big Brothers Big Sisters brings drag to Queen’s Landing to fund youth mentorship

The event brought together Pride Niagara drag performers and a youth-serving charity in a deliberate pairing, one that organizers say reflects a real overlap in the populations they serve.

Mini therapy horses help raise $6K for rescue reeling from brutal winter

The Community Initiative for Animal Rescue ran the two-day fundraiser for Last Chance, which featured special appearances from three therapy miniature horses: Chewy, Houston and 2%.

Artist brings longings for Scotland to Niagara Pumphouse

The exhibition, called "Cianalas," takes its name from a Scottish Gaelic word meaning a deep longing for a place or a strong sense of belonging to one. It runs until April 25 in the Joyner Gallery.

News

Letter: This isn’t a fairyland for tourists

Reader Submission - 0
"You can’t have a happy, healthy, diverse town without realizing it is a town first, not a money-maker," writes Elaine McCaughey.
Read more ...

Nominations now open for NOTL’s Business Achievement Awards

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From entrepreneurs to community leaders, Niagara-on-the-Lake residents are being invited to put forward nominations for the town’s annual Business Achievement Awards. This year's gala is set for May 20.

NOTL Museum expansion adds ‘another layer’ to town’s cultural identity: donor

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For Brian Johnston — a chartered professional accountant by training and longtime real estate executive — a community’s strength lies not only in what it offers today, but in how well it understands its past.

Council reverses course on Paxton Lane, approves previously defeated plan

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A Niagara-on-the-Lake subdivision proposal council had already rejected is back — and now approved — in a reversal that’s raising questions about cost, control and heritage protections.

NOTL approves advertising rates, eyes $200K in annual revenue

Niagara-on-the-Lake council has approved a new advertising pricing chart and timelines, establishing a formal structure the town says could generate about $200,000 annually.

Bridging the gap: NOTL opens new round of accessibility ramp applications

After installing its first round of accessibility ramps in Old Town last year, Niagara-on-the-Lake is expanding the StopGap program, opening applications for more businesses this spring.

Pop-up closet delivers essentials to those in need in NOTL

Niagara’s Mobile Closet rolled into Niagara-on-the-Lake for the first time Thursday, turning a church parking lot into a space where residents could access clothing and essentials with dignity.

NOTL council votes to cut two seats ahead of 2026 election

The town framed its decision as part of a broader effort to streamline local governance and respond to concerns raised by the province about municipal structures across Niagara.

NOTL pitches 150-space parking lot for old hospital site

The town is studying a project to add 150 parking spaces to the spot, which could bring in up to $1.9 million a year, instead of opening the land to outside ideas — for now.

Court dismisses Royal George challenge, but bid to appeal filed

A Divisional Court panel has dismissed a legal challenge against Niagara-on-the-Lake’s handling of the Royal George Theatre project, finding the town’s process was thorough and justified.

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