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

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

Paige Seburn -
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.

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."
Paige Seburn -

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.
Niagara Now -

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

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.
Kevin MacLean -

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

Tim Taylor -
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.

‘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.
Maddy Gordon -

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.
Jill Troyer -

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 -

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

Zahraa Hmood - 0
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.

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.
Read more ...

News

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

Andrew Hawlitzky - 0
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.
Read more ...

News

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

Paige Seburn - 0
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.
Read more ...

Local

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.

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

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.

Integrity commissioner says mayor in conflict on Rand Estate

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

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.

Entertainment

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.

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.

Opinion

The Turner Report: The pipes, the hotel and the hypocrisy

"Fallout from the Big Soak continues. This goes to the heart of governance issues. If we can’t trust our reps to deal with stuff like flooding or police the voracious developers in our midst, maybe it’s time to get some new ones," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: We need to rethink how we prevent major flooding

"We have to do more than put a Band-Aid on a broken system — otherwise, flooding will become the new norm," writes Brian Marshall.

Ross’s Ramblings: The back-to-school stampede was different in my day

"Yellow school buses? Not even a factor back then in Canadian school districts where we lived. Now, a logistical miracle that inconceivably transpires every school day morning," writes Ross Robinson.

Entertainment

Shaw review: Exploring the enchanting and diverse world of puppets

A fascination that likely began when humans first created shadow images on caves in ancient times, puppets have survived millenniums as a storytelling device popular around the world, writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Events

Today

News

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.

Local

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.

News

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

Zahraa Hmood - 0
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.
Read more ...

Council splits with heritage committee over Rand Estate’s next steps

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NOTL council stopped short of committing to the heritage committee’s recommendation that the developer save specific historic features identified in an Ontario Land Tribunal ruling from almost two years ago.

NOTL still tallying damage two weeks after first flood

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The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake still cannot say how many properties or basements flooded, what the damage will cost or whether municipal infrastructure failed.

NOTL church celebrates 200 years with 37th annual Peach Festival

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The parish, founded in 1826, is celebrating its 200th anniversary, and the annual peach festival is one stop in a season of bicentennial events being held this year.

Witness the sport of kings at Niagara Polo on Sept. 12

Niagara Polo, an afternoon of charity polo matches held to raise money for the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum, is set for Sept. 12. Teams from the Toronto Polo Club will play two four-chukker polo games, while spectators watch from the sidelines at the Commons.

What’s old is new again: Stratus embraces a 8,000-year-old winemaking method

Guests got their hands dirty with clay under the tutelage of local potter Valérie Bélisle. They made their own miniature amphoras, in the shadow of Stratus' own wine filled vessels, while tasting select wines.

Behind the harvest: NOTL artist turns her brush to Niagara’s agricultural community

Nancy Wardle puts the people behind Niagara's harvest on canvas in a new portrait exhibition, arguing residents admire farms while often overlooking the workers who sustain them.

Penner’s cuts rebuilding costs for NOTL flood victims

The Virgil hardware store has introduced special pricing on cleanup and construction materials for people affected by this summer's floods.

300 classic cars rev up to Kinsmen’s 26th Show and Shine

A night of rain threatened the outdoor grounds of the Kinsmen Club of Niagara-on-the-Lake's biggest fundraiser, but the fields dried in time and more than 300 classic cars rolled into the 26th annual Show and Shine on Sunday.

Hummel family pledges $125K to Niagara Pumphouse

The art centre's board chair says this donation will help it expand its programs, support artists and improve the spaces the centre shares with the public.