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

Cars targeted across NOTL as residents report repeat incidents

Paige Seburn -
Stolen vehicles, smashed windows and people caught checking cars on security cameras have Niagara-on-the-Lake residents comparing notes after a string of incidents stretching from late last week into this week.

School starts next week, but promised child-care bus remains unclear

Several students are readying to switch schools this fall following a boundary change. However, one family is still waiting for an answer to a question it raised almost a year ago: what happens after the final bell rings?
Paige Seburn -

Niagara Region reviewing NOTL’s steep policing bill

Niagara-on-the-Lake households are being charged hundreds of dollars more for regional policing than households anywhere else in Niagara — and regional government is now looking at whether there is a different way to split the bill.
Paige Seburn -

Pucker up, help some pups: Young girl’s annual lemonade stand raises $10K for dog resuce

Since the lemonade stand began five years ago in 2021, it's raised more than $10,000 to support Niagara Dog Rescue, which helps homeless and unwanted dogs find a new home.
Andrew Hawlitzky -

The Turner Report: Vistors lament what their president has done

Garth Turner -
"On Queen Street, I heard the same story everywhere. The Americans were mortified. Apparently, nobody who comes here from the U.S. voted for that guy. Or will admit it," writes Garth Turner.

Shaw review: Cerebral and intimate ‘Ohio State Murders’ is one to see

With quality performances from its two leads, superb production value and creative direction from Philip Akin, Adrienne Kennedy's story of love and betrayal is well-realized at the Shaw, writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.
Penny-Lynn Cookson -

Sports: Porters outduel competition to capture Matrimonial Cup

One of the most demanding annual tests of golf was played at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club on Friday. This year’s winners were Carolyn and Drew Porter with a net 65 score.
Kevin MacLean -

Sunday transit service is coming to Niagara-on-the-Lake

Starting Sept. 6, NOTL's Niagara Transit Plus microtransit service will run on Sundays and statutory holidays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., bringing service to days when it previously wasn't available.
Paige Seburn -

More hydro boxes set for makeovers as part of Pumphouse art competition

Zahraa Hmood - 0
Twenty-nine artworks are in the running to become one of three tableaus that will be used to beautify three hydro boxes in NOTL — part of a project that’s seen 23 hydro boxes turned into public art so far.

Willowbank School of Restoration Arts celebrates 20th anniversary on Sept. 19

The School of Restoration Arts at Willowbank is celebrating 20 years since its foundation in 2006, with plans to invite the public onto its 13-acre property to tour the 19th-century Willowbank Estate.
Read more ...

News

Find your inner Picasso at Queenston art studio’s painting workshops

Zahraa Hmood - 0
A local couple, who run an art studio and gallery out of the old Laura Secord school in Queenston, are hosting a three-day painting workshop for painters both aspiring and experienced.
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News

NOTL Votes 2026: Andrew Niven says voters can now judge whether he earned his seat

Paige Seburn - 0
Incumbent Coun. Andrew Niven says Niagara-on-the-Lake needs to protect what makes it different as it grows — and after almost two years helping make those decisions on council, he's ready to put his record before voters.
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Local

NOTL Votes 2026: Nicholas Colaneri wants town hall to stop waiting and start acting

The council candidate in this year's election says the town has spent too long reacting to problems instead of getting ahead of them: “One thing at a time is how this town has been run."

Discover some great wines off the beaten path in NOTL

The barrel cellar at Marynissen Estates Winery was transformed into a pop-up tasting room last weekend, showcasing small-lot artisanal wines from Liebling Wines, Divergence and more.

‘The story needs to be passed down’: Family celebrates 100 years since coming to Canada

This August marks 100 years since Elizabeth Andres, mother to Buddy Andres and his 11 siblings, arrived in Canada from South Russia, present-day Ukraine. A century later, Andres honoured his parents' sacrifice with a gathering of 140 family members.

Gary Pillitteri talks building estate winery from the ground up, life in politics and family

Seventy-eight years ago, Orazio (Gary) Vincenzo Pillitteri arrived in Niagara with his father to escape political persecution in his native Sicily. Today, his family's Pillitteri Estates Winery is one of Canada’s most prolific wineries.

Entertainment

Shaw Festival’s 2027 lineup will feature ‘South Pacific,’ ‘The Color Purple’ and more

The 65th season will feature Rodgers and Hammerstein’s "South Pacific," "The Color Purple," "Arsenic and Old Lace" and "Grimm Tales," among 11 productions across three theatres in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Shaw review: ‘Amadeus’ falls short of original play’s theatricality

"I left feeling detached, that form had superseded content, that the visceral theatricality that Shaffer so brilliantly offers by his gifts of storytelling had been denied," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Opinion

Arch-i-text: Without affordable housing, NOTL can’t be for everyone

"Hospitality, viticulture and agriculture are the career choices of a comparable few, not the many. The town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has focused for so long and with single-minded purpose on tourism that it has largely become a single-source economy," writes Brian Marshall.

Dr. Brown: Is it time for science’s veterans to step aside?

"Senior researchers sometimes have advantages," writes Dr. William Brown, "However, those same laboratories can be stifling for budding young scientists who challenge traditional views and are open to fresh ideas."

Letter: We must uproot the hate infiltrating our community

"If we are to see this town develop more, we must not fall for division. We must look out for one another," writes Emily Ratkovsky.

Entertainment

Yellow Door teens bring Broadway hit ‘Hadestown’ to NOTL stage

A Broadway musical that swept the Tony Awards and set a new record at the box office this summer is coming to Niagara-on-the-Lake this week. Performances are set for Aug. 28 to 30.

Events

Today

News

Mystery meets sci-fi as two NOTL authors compare their writing worlds

Richard West and Paul Masson will be at the NOTL Public Library on Sept. 1, to celebrate the release of their latest novels and discuss what inspires their writing, how they build fictional worlds and how an idea becomes a finished book.

Local

St. Davids entrepreneur honoured as Ontario’s top RV dealer

John Petrie, owner of Niagara Trailers, has been named this year's RV Dealer of the Year by the Ontario RV Dealers Association, the group's highest honour.

Coaches Kurt Hamm and Gary Friesen enter NOTL Sports Wall of Fame

Two new names were added to Niagara-on-the-Lake's Sports Wall of Fame on Friday, honouring youth soccer coach Kurt Hamm and former Ontario Hockey League player Gary Friesen.

‘Shrouded in mystery’: NOTL council candidate questions treasurer’s exit

The sudden departure of NOTL's longtime treasurer is drawing criticism from one council candidate who says this points to a deeper problem with staff turnover, succession planning and public trust at town hall.

News

NOTL Votes 2026: Final-hour filings shake up the race, council avoids lame-duck limits

Paige Seburn - 0
Niagara-on-the-Lake's council race kept growing right up to Friday's 2 p.m. nomination deadline. Eleven councillor candidates will be on the ballot this fall.
Read more ...

NOTL’s mayor in the running to be next Niagara Region chair

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For the first time in two decades, Gary Zalepa’s name won’t be on the ballot for this fall’s municipal election, but his career in local politics could be far from over.

Integrity commissioner says mayor in conflict on Rand Estate

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The town's integrity commissioner found that the lord mayor's participation in a discussion on the Rand Estate's development was an "error in judgement made in good faith" and close the file.

‘Photo op’ or real help? NOTL growers await action after province tours flooded farms

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Provincial politicians toured some of NOTL's hardest-hit farms last week and saw the damage firsthand. Now, growers want to see what comes after the visit.

Residents of the Shaw’s Artists’ Village talk life in new home

The Artists' Village's residences for actors and other peformers with the Shaw Festival opened in February. The apartments have been nearly full since April.

Fast horses, fierce competition: NOTL Museum lecture dives into polo

Stephen Littlechild, a Toronto Polo Club player, instructor, coach and umpire with more than two decades of experience, will speak about the history, strategy and horsemanship behind the game on Thursday, Aug. 20, at 7:30 p.m.

How line dancing became a part of St. Saviour church’s social tapestry

The advantages of line dancing, says instructor Anita Menezes, are many: advantages to line dancing: you don’t need for a partner, you can dance for yourself alone and no one expects anything from you.

Shaw’s Artists’ Village opens its doors in Niagara-on-the-Lake

The Shaw Festival is celebrating the opening of a campus that will house dozens of performers who put on the theatre company's productions, plus education and outreach programs.

Nostalgia meets gallows humour in this comedy tour, coming to NOTL on Aug. 20

Comedian Eric Johnston is set to stop in NOTL this Thursday as part of his "Son of a Bull" comedy tour, which sees him getting candid about addiction in the family, mental health and being the son of a professional wrestler.

Developer looks to take apart and transfer 19th-century NOTL schoolhouse

After concerns this spring that a 19th-century schoolhouse in Niagara-on-the-Lake was set to be lost to demolition, the future of this building now appears clearer.