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

Niagara-on-the-Lake reels after storm floods homes, farms

Paige Seburn -
By Wednesday afternoon, most of the flooding had receded, but the cleanup, repairs and steps to mitigate such problems when the next storm strikes has only begun.

The long journey home: Search for missing dog enters eighth week

Since May, the Ibbotson family and a team of volunteers have been searching for Luna the dog, who has been spotted by multiple people around town but hasn't successfully been caught and taken back home.
Maddy Gordon -

Volunteers step forward at 63rd St. Davids Lions Carnival

The St. Davids Lions Club has pulled off its family carnival for a 63rd straight year, and its club president says he could not be happier with the number of people who came out to the village fairgrounds.
Andrew Hawlitzky -

PHOTOS: Severe flooding throughout NOTL after overnight storm

Residents of Niagara-on-the-Lake are dealing with the aftermath of a torrential downpour Monday night: several homes, roads and fields in the town are flooding, with the worst of it happening in rural residential areas and farmlands.
Niagara Now -

Animals rushed from flooded Niagara-on-the-Lake rescue farm

Paige Seburn -
Fish washed onto the driveway and geese swam past them after floodwater swallowed an animal rescue farm in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

‘If negativity can grow so fast, positivity can too’: Joyous NOTL celebrates annual picnic

The picnic brings together members of a private Facebook group Mariah Reese started in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic, to push back against the negativity she saw taking over local online spaces.
Andrew Hawlitzky -

Grade 6 student at St. Michael wins big in Legion contest

Last fall, Dean Pagnotta wrote about these men and women who fought for Canada, each carrying out "a brave and heartfelt job," he wrote in a 335-word essay.
Zahraa Hmood -

Sports: NOTL reclaims title in showdown with Toronto Hunt Club

The Niagara-on-the-Lake Golf Club and the Toronto Hunt Club have a long history of competition and last Saturday it was NOTL's turn to play host to their big city counterparts.
Kevin MacLean -

Council rejects housing plan revived by strong mayor powers

Paige Seburn - 0
Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa used his strong mayor powers to bring a rejected St. Davids housing proposal back for another vote last Tuesday, but council defeated it by an even wider margin.

Sports: Squash brings international athletes to NOTL

Young athletes from 38 countries are in Niagara-on-the-Lake this week to take part in the World Squash Junior Championship, a six-day tournament of more than 500 matches.
Read more ...

News

Ian Mell fundraiser collects tons of pet food, raises $1.4K

Paige Seburn - 0
A fundraiser held in memory of Niagara-on-the-Lake businessman and animal lover Ian Mell collected 991 pounds of pet food and raised $1,416 for local animal rescues.
Read more ...

News

NOTL Museum’s Heritage Festival brings history to life

Niagara Now - 0
History isn't just preserved in Niagara-on-the-Lake — it's celebrated. On Monday, Castlereagh Street will once again become a living showcase of the town's past as the Niagara-on-the-Lake Museum hosts its annual Heritage Festival.
Read more ...

Local

Art at the Pumphouse returns this weekend with juried show, live demos

Paintings, pottery, photography and plenty of riverside inspiration will fill the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre this weekend as its annual Art at the Pumphouse show and sale returns with more than just artwork on display.

Shaw lands $750K grant, takes shows to Toronto

The Shaw Festival has secured $750,000 for its new Royal George Theatre as it prepares to take two Niagara-on-the-Lake productions to Toronto this fall. The...

Joyous NOTL picnic returns Saturday

Niagara-on-the-Lake residents are invited to bring a dish and pull up a seat as the Joyous NOTL summer picnic returns for its fifth year...

NOTL parts ways with longtime town treasurer

Council appointed Nick Alaimo as treasurer Tuesday, replacing Kyle Freeborn, who departed after more than 14 years with the municipality. Alaimo's appointment takes effect immediately.

Entertainment

Shaw review: A thoughtful ‘Heartbreak House’ that never fully catches fire

"'Heartbreak House' is a profound examination of generational change, of dreams and ambitions shattered by war, of industry and government overturning social programs in favour of exploitation," writes Penny-Lynn Cookson.

Enjoy live music at Band in the Barn, returning July 31

The midsummer fundraiser will feature live music by Gumbo Stew, food from PigOut Niagara, beer and wine from Bella Terra Vineyards, Konzelmann Estate Winery and the Exchange Brewery, a live auction and dancing among the vines.

Opinion

The Turner Report: When the rules just don’t matter

"Our leadership gave the final green light to a modern complex that will forever, irrevocably, irreversibly change our landmark street. Not since 1847 when the Courthouse was built has anyone done this," writes Garth Turner.

Arch-i-text: What will it take to ensure heritage properties are protected?

"What do we want our legislative bodies — municipal and provincial — to do to underwrite our shared wish relative to protecting Ontario’s heritage?" writes Brian Marshall.

Dr. Brown: The surprising link between dementia and epilepsy

"Do some patients with mid-to-late-stage dementia have abnormal electrical activity in their brains that contributes to their cognitive decline?" writes Dr. William Brown.

Entertainment

Gordon Lightfoot’s nephew brings his uncle’s songs to St. Mark’s

More than three years after Gordon Lightfoot's death, his music filled St. Mark's Anglican Church as a sold-out audience gathered to celebrate the Canadian icon through the voices and instruments of musicians who knew him.

Events

Today

News

$9.7M moves Niagara airport expansion closer to takeoff

Commercial flights to and from Niagara-on-the-Lake are one step closer to reality, after the Niagara District Airport secured $9.7 million from the province for the project.

Local

World Cup watch party brings NOTL communities together

World Cup mania reached a fever pitch on Sunday afternoon as soccer fans came out to the Niagara-on-the-Lake Community Centre to witness the final match of this year's FIFA World Cup.

NOTL had roughly $2.35M in unspent project funds last year

The money will either return to its original funding source or help pay for related work, including protective equipment for firefighters, guide rail improvements, crack sealing and more.

House once marked for flames now protected as NOTL heritage

More than 60 years after a historical society saved it from destruction, the roughly 230-year-old home known today as Merriwood was among nine designated properties honoured this month.

News

Royal George rebuild gets final heritage permit

Paige Seburn - 0
Niagara-on-the-Lake council voted 6-3 to grant the heritage permit for 85 Queen St., part of a wider redevelopment that has already received official plan, zoning and site plan approvals.
Read more ...

NOTL slashes projected $1.18M deficit to $212K

0
Niagara-on-the-Lake closed 2025 with an almost $212,000 operating deficit, less than one-fifth of the $1.18-million shortfall municipal staff forecasted.

NOTL council cost roughly $314K last year

0
The town paid its nine council members $219,150 in wages and honorariums, $74,056 in employer contributions and benefits and $20,787 for conferences, travel and a councillor’s cellphone costs.

Brock’s Monument reopens after $2.2M restoration project

0
Visitors can once again climb Brock's Monument after Parks Canada completed the main phase of a restoration project to preserve one of Niagara's best-known historic landmarks.

Active sightings keep search for missing greyhound dog alive in NOTL

Luna, a small 12-pound dog, remains missing after reported sightings in the NOTL and Virgil area, according to a missing-dog notice circulating locally

Town backs decentralized offices, plans $150K council chamber revamp

Niagara-on-the-Lake is shelving plans for a larger municipal office in favour of spreading staff across existing town facilities — a move its staff say will help it avoid significant costs.

NOTL could lose key council powers before election. Here’s the backup plan

With one month to go until nominations close for the municipal election, the town is preparing for the possibility that council could temporarily lose some of its power until the election is over.

Pumphouse Pride month event postponed after backlash, protest threats

A source who reached out to The Lake Report, an artist who we've chosen not to name, said the Pumphouse received a threat regarding the event from Canadian white nationalist group the Second Sons.

$218K clears major hurdle for Irish Harp to reopen patio

The Irish Harp is one step away from keeping its popular back patio for good. But first came months of debate, a major shift in thinking at town hall and a $218,000 price tag for three parking spaces.

Calling all corks: Why this NOTLer is giving wine corks a second life

Sal Fasullo, a retail team member at Peller Estates, says he wanted to do something with the corks the winery was throwing away every day. "I started to collect them," he says. "Suddenly, I had more corks than I knew what to do with."