"Will builders and developers have free rein to 'build, baby, build' here in NOTL and everywhere else in the province? The future of places like Niagara-on-the-Lake hang in the balance."
From federal and provincial elections, Trump trade wars, a polar vortex, mysterious vandals who repeatedly cut down the Virgil speed camera and more, here are some of the biggest and best stories of the first six months of 2025.
From a town council perspective, Coun. Erwin Wiens called the announcement “super exciting” and praised the province for recognizing Niagara as a tourist destination, funding the Shaw Festival and exploring improvements to the Niagara District Airport.
Nicole Boyer, whose life included important years in St. Davids, her daughters Zoe and Pyper and the family labrador, Jasper, are being remembered following a fatal collision on Highway 11 in northern Ontario on Dec. 21.
Big changes are coming to the Garrison Village neighbourhood this year, and it all starts with the opening of a new grocery store at the end of this month.
As migrant farmworkers prepare to return to Niagara-on-the-Lake, the Farmworker Hub NOTL hopes to welcome them with wellness bags of everyday essentials, offering some relief at the start of the season after a challenging year marked by Hurricane Melissa.
Mandy Rennehan has won many awards for her entrepreneurial success and outreach work — receiving the Order of Canada, however, feels different, she says.
Freezing rain is expected to sweep through Niagara Tuesday, prompting warnings about slick roads, icy walkways and the risk of utility disruptions — and a reminder to homeowners to check what’s buried beneath the snow.
A portion of Line 2 Road in Niagara-on-the-Lake will be closed until this spring for construction work to replace a culvert at Townline Road. Crews will provide a detour route around the site for traffic.
A small but determined crowd braved the elements and upheld the tradition of welcoming the new year by gathering at Niagara-on-the-Lake's clock tower cenotaph...
An official with the Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines told The Lake Report that the suspect, a man in his 30s from Niagara Falls, was granted bail and is due in court next on Jan. 26.
Detectives are investigating this incident and looking for a white male, mid-30's, approximately 5'11'', with a medium build, who was last seen wearing blue jeans, a black jacket, a blue toque and black boots.
Doug Ford's plan to turn Niagara into a global tourism powerhouse could have some major effects on Niagara-on-the-Lake, though it's unclear at this time what's in store for the small town neighbouring Niagara Falls.
The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has reversed course on its response to a proposed York Road development at the Ontario Land Tribunal, opting to pursue a settlement instead of mediation, after staff shared that a settlement would cost $20,000 less than mediation
Kaufman led visitors through archival rooms normally closed to the public. The spaces contain items ranging from cartons of paper records to a 1949 photograph of the Pillar and Post staff, a pig’s head costume from one of the first Shaw Festival productions and an original War of 1812 British redcoat.
The StopGap ramps have arrived in Niagara-on-the-Lake, marking, for some, a turning point in improving the accessibility of heritage district shops for people with mobility issues.
Tina Dirks, who has lived at Radiant Care Pleasant Manor since January, placed a red poinsettia on the table in her room shortly after it arrived. She said the flowers make the season feel more like Christmas.
On Friday, volunteers from across Niagara-on-the-Lake will gather to make and deliver dozens of Christmas stockings to residents in long-term care homes.
"The shuttle bus to Fairview Mall from NOTL was cancelled when COVID hit, but there seems to be no push to resume operations. This makes no sense," writes Helen Kopec.
"While Ontario municipalities struggle to balance the property rights of landowners with broader community interests, Doug Ford continues to exert his full weight on one side of the property development scales," writes Steve McGuinness.
The free weekend open house ran Dec. 13 and 14 at Fort George National Historic Site, showcasing British-influenced Christmas customs adapted to Upper Canada through traditional music, food, crafts and guided tours by staff.
Virgil's long-term care home has wrapped up a $70.5-million redevelopment that has added 119 new beds to the facility. Current residents are expected to move into their new homes next week.
Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Christmas Parade returned Dec. 13 at near pre-pandemic scale, organizers say, drawing residents and visitors to Old Town as 102 entries moved through the historic core in clear winter weather.
The criminal conviction of Hong Kong publisher and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai under the region's national security law comes as no surprise to the family of the Niagara-on-the-Lake hotelier.
Jordan Frost will oversee its engineering, environmental services and roads divisions, focusing on safe, sustainable infrastructure that can support future growth.
When asked to characterize the story of Niagara-on-the-Lake, Sarah Kaufman says it is one of people who step up to make a change for the better: "It can be very inspiring history to learn from."
Christian is a defender who made the Ontario Player Development League, which starts in spring 2026. The league, which runs from under-13 to under-17, bills itself as the province’s highest level of competitive youth soccer.
