The Niagara Falls Review
What do you do with 12,000 licence plates?
At first Mike McClashie was “on the fence” about inheriting his grandfather’s licence plate collection. Actually, calling what John Rubick accumulated during more than seven decades a mere “collection” requires, well, some literary licence. When the...
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Tubman's Niagara legacy celebrated with new tour
A new selfguided Black history tour in downtown St. Catharines celebrates 175 years since Harriet Tubman's arrival and preserves the stories of freedom seekers and abolitionists who shaped the city. Walking through the streets of downtown St....
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Pen Centre's new owner is just getting started
For decades, the main escalator inside the former Hudson's Bay storefront carried shoppers to a cavernous retail space filled with shelves of housewares, children's clothing and furniture. The motionless escalator now sits behind a temporary door,...
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Marineland begins moving beluga whales
The first six of Marineland's 30 remaining beluga whales were being removed from the park Monday. A source within the park confirms the animals were being transferred from the Niagara Falls facility to Toronto Pearson Airport, where they will be flown...
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Hospital passes halfway point in construction
With less than two years until its planned 2028 opening, Niagara Health is marking three years since construction began on the south Niagara hospital, saying the project remains on schedule and on budget. The 120,000-square-metre hospital being built...
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Region sees steep insurance rate hikes
Living in the Niagara region has long meant paying less for car insurance than drivers in Ontario's biggest cities. That gap is narrowing — and quickly. A new national report suggests premiums in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls are climbing faster...
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College emergency drone program set to take flight
Niagara College students, staff and alumni could be among the first responders on the ground when flood waters rise or wildfires spread across Ontario. Boots on the ground filling sandbags or eyes in the sky — the college’s new defence systems...
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Tempers are boiling over future of water services
Port Colborne Mayor Bill Steele accused Niagara Region's top administrator of unfairly targeting the city after a staff report recommended ending the Region's participation in the city's exploration of a municipal services corporation (MSC) for water...
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TIME TO COOL DOWN
With summer heat in full force, the Welland River in Chippawa offered a perfect place to cool down as people floated downstream and made the most of the warm weather. Environment and Climate Change Canada said the heat wave, which started Monday, is...
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`Call off your pit bull'
While elected officials get the credit for helping their constituents, they’re not working alone. Several of them have had a “pit bull” working tenaciously behind the scenes to help people in need. For Mike Haines, who spent the bulk of his 47-year...
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Niagara development fee shakeup underway
Niagara Region is beginning the complex task of rewriting the bylaw that determines how much developers pay toward the roads, water systems and other infrastructure needed to support growth — all while adapting to sweeping provincial rule changes that...
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Food banks struggling with growing demand
Lineups at Niagara food banks continue to grow, but not as before. Executives with the region's emergency food assistance programs are concerned donations to their organizations are not meeting demands, while volunteers and employees feel the impacts...
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$19 million for companies at both ends of the canal
Ontario is investing $19 million into companies at both ends of the Welland Canal, part of a more than $90-million investment into the province’s marine industry. A total of $11 million is going to Hamilton-based Ontario Shipyards, which operates Port...
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`Emergency rescue' plan approved for Marineland
Ottawa has endorsed a plan to move the animals to facilities in the U.S. and Spain U.S. authorities have approved an “emergency rescue” operation to import Canada's last captive whales and dolphins, a consortium of marine parks said Wednesday. The...
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`A preposterous violation' of a historical landscape
If Premier Doug Ford needed any more proof about how unpopular his plan is for a ferris wheel in Niagara Falls' Queen Victoria Park, he got it Monday night. More than 600 people packed Club Italia for a town hallstyle forum hosted by New Democrat MPP...
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Turn of events on ferris wheel
A Niagara Falls company is providing an alternative to the province's controversial plan for a largescale ferris wheel in a public park with a proposal to build Canada's largest wheel on Clifton Hill. In a gamechanging proposal, HOCO Ltd., which...
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HEARTBREAKING END
U.S. President Donald Trump intervened on behalf of American star forward Folarin Balogun, whose suspension was lifted in a decision that allows him to play in a World Cup match against Belgium on Monday. Balogun, the American leader with three goals,...
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Calls for mayor's resignation despite apologies to evacuees
Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati has apologized for comments made during and after a city council meeting that Indigenous leaders and residents said were disparaging about emergency evacuees being housed in local hotels. But for some, the apology — it...
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Killed farm worker was `always smiling': friend
Sinhue Garcia was the kind of person you wanted to be around, say friends and acquaintances of the migrant farm worker from Mexico who was killed in a hit-and-run Saturday. “It has been very hard on everyone,” William Mafara, who identified himself as...
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Indigenous leaders critical of comments about evacuees in Niagara Falls
Indigenous leaders have taken exception to what they say were disparaging comments about emergency evacuees being housed in Niagara Falls. This comes in response to comments made during and after last week's city council meeting. Nishnawbe Aski...
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Niagara Health operates with smaller deficit
Although Niagara Health is again reporting a budget deficit, it is no longer sinking deeper into the red. The hospital system recently released an audited financial statement showing a $19.1million budget deficit for the 202526 fiscal year that...
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Fixing up GM property can't be done ‘on a whim’
The owner of the former GM property on Ontario Street has been given an extra 120 days to fix the buildings or demolish them, though a representative for the mortgage holder couldn't guarantee it's enough time. St. Catharines' property standards...
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Feds give $183M to build coop housing project
The largest affordable and co-operative housing development in Niagara will be built at the former Hotel Dieu Hospital site with an injection of $183 million from the federal government. Thursday’s funding announcement was made by St. Catharines MP...
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`Desire for change' to city's homeless strategy
A steering committee is being created to advance a dozen recommendations in a 78page report outlining how Niagara Falls can better deal with housing, shelter and food security challenges. The report, prepared by retired city chief administrative...
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Repeat offender guilty in toddler sex assault
Warning: This article contains details of child sexual abuse and sexual violence that some readers may find disturbing. Even a calm, dispassionate recitation of agreed facts could not mask the horror of Daniel Senecal’s vicious sexual assault on a...
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Cancer patients gain new hope with clinical trials
Dr. Radhika Yelamanchili vividly remembers a patient whose life was prolonged for years as a result of research being conducted at Niagara hospitals. “I can still remember his face right in front of me,” she said. The oncologist and internal medicine...
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Local job market showed `encouraging' signs in May
Niagara’s labour market saw encouraging signs in May, with continued employment growth and improved labour force participation — including particularly strong gains among the region’s youngest demographic. Data from the Workforce Collective showed the...
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Brock welcomes world to FIRST robotics event
From metalclanking battlebots to custom Lego creations, a week of highoctane engineering has taken over Canada Games Park as athletic spaces and common areas turned into competitive arenas. A combination of sporting championship energy with a splash...
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Tougher security urged after Lakeside Park fight
Violence that erupted among a group of teenage girls at Lakeside Park last week was too close for comfort for workers at Dalhousie Beach Club Snack Bar. Business owner Jeff Mackie said the fight that led to a 17-year-old girl suffering head and face...
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St. Catharines, Welland in the housing money
St. Catharines and Welland were again recognized for building hundreds of new homes last year, receiving more $4.5 million from the provincial government's Building Faster Fund. Although Niagara Falls disputes it, the Honeymoon Capital fell short of...
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Niagara woman reunites with cat after 12 years
Despite having to surrender her beloved cat more than a dozen years ago, Brittany McNutt never forgot Bean. And it turns out after all this time, Bean never forgot about her. Dealing with an unstable living situation and mental health issues, the...
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Cleanup of GM property delayed by owner's appeal
Orders from St. Catharines to repair the buildings at the former General Motors site on Ontario Street or knock them down have been appealed by the property owners. The orders under the Ontario Building Code Act for 282285 Ontario St. came with a...
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The long road from Niagara courtroom to Hollywood
Among the thousands of people who converged on the convention centre for this month's Niagara Falls Comic Con was a man more accustomed to law and order than pop culture. Retired judge Harvey Brownstone was there to see actor David Arquette. He is...
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`Heartbroken about what this means for our community'
Staff and clients of Niagara's only safe consumption and treatment site closed Friday after provincial funding was cut earlier this year. “(We're) heartbroken about what this means for our community,” said Talia Storm, director of StreetWorks Services...
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Living with Crohn’s ‘really affects your whole life’
For Charlie Bender, living with Crohn’s disease has meant years of pain, uncertainty and added expenses — challenges now eased by remission and a national scholarship award. The Brock University student was diagnosed with Crohn’s at age 16, although...
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Abandoned puppy on the mend at new home
Just less than two months after being found severely emaciated and covered in sores in a parking lot off north St. Catharines trail, a young puppy has been delivered to a loving home. Jacob was the name given to the roughly eightmonthold bully/...
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Man juggling a soccer ball from Toronto to Niagara Falls
It takes a delicate mix of balance, coordination and softtouch control to master juggling a soccer ball without using hands. Now imagine keeping the ball in the air using your feet, thighs, chest, shoulders or head without letting it hit the ground...
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Surviving for seven more years and still counting
There were no symptoms before the seizure. No headaches, vision loss or memory lapses — nothing to sound the alarm something was profoundly wrong. Until March 24, 2019, when Katherine Dodge woke up in the middle of the night to her partner (now...
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Niagara Falls ready to catch World Cup fever
Niagara is hoping to score big during the FIFA World Cup as tourism officials game plan for ways travelling fans can get off the sidelines between matches and visit Canada’s No. 1 leisure destination. The biggest sporting event on the planet is less...
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`It's just a mess': Drivers name region's worst roads
For a street that ought not to see much traffic, Sider Road in Fort Erie is the source of many complaints. At least that's the conclusion one would draw from CAA's Worst Roads campaign for Niagara, which put the granular road on the top of the list...
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Ottawa endorses plan to move Marineland whales
TORONTO Ottawa has endorsed a plan to move Canada's last remaining captive whales to aquariums in the U.S. and Spain. There are 30 belugas and four dolphins at Marineland, the shuttered theme park in Niagara Falls that still face mass euthanasia...
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Two libraries, one `brain' equal `best of both worlds'
Niagara's two largest library systems have partnered on a new “digital brain” that's aimed at giving patrons a better experience and staff more data to curate collections. St. Catharines Public Library and Niagara Falls Public Library teamed up in a...
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Solicitor general denies overreach in policing bill
As civil liberties advocates and opposition politicians warn a proposed public safety bill could hand Queen's Park unprecedented influence over local policing, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner rejected suggestions that the Doug Ford government plans...
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Only three Niagara mayors have used strongmayor powers to boost housing
Eleven Niagara mayors have issued 250 strongmayor decisions since being given such powers by the provincial government. But only eight of those uses, made by three mayors, were for their intended purpose — to foster housing development. The powers...
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Student identified in St. Catharines homicide
The family of a 23yearold international student found dead in a St. Catharines residence earlier this month as a result of a homicide is working with officials in Canada and India to bring her body home. Niagara Regional Police issued a statement...
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Two drones patrolling U.S. waters of Lake Erie
Canadian boaters on Lake Erie venturing near the U.S. border may find themselves under the watchful eye of 10-metre-long, high-tech autonomous surface drones. Deployed by the U.S. Coast Guard, two wind-powered drones will monitor the...
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Stolen Lexus leads police to major auto theft ring
A police investigation started last spring into the theft of a single Lexus SUV led to the discovery of a multimilliondollar auto theft ring operating in Niagara and across southern Ontario. This led to a multiagency investigation that resulted in...
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Opposition growing to second ferris wheel
Hands off Queen Victoria Park and no second ferris wheel in Niagara Falls’ tourist district. That’s the message Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates wants residents to send the provincial government. The New Democrat posted this month to his Facebook page...
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Owners of former GM property ordered to repair or tear it down
St. Catharines has issued major repair orders for buildings on the former General Motors property on Ontario Street that could ultimately lead to their demolition by the owners or city. The city posted the orders under the Ontario Building Code Act on...
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Niagara Catholic director of education leaving board
Director of education Camillo Cipriano has resigned from the Niagara Catholic District School Board (NCDSB) after accepting a position with the Toronto District School Board, officials announced Friday. The NCDSB named Giancarlo Vetrone, the associate...
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Morningstar Mill work drags on into third season
Morningstar Mill heritage site in St. Catharines remains closed and under construction at the start of a third summer season, but the city said it expects to have it up and running within weeks. The Decew Road attraction closed for a $2million...
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Man says human rights were violated at Ribfest
A St. Catharines man has filed a formal human rights complaint after he said he was accosted and forced to leave last year’s Rotary Ribfest in Montebello Park due to his service animals. The claim was filed by Frank (Francois) L’Écuyer with the Human...
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Niagara's economy stalls amid `global uncertainty'
While economic growth in Niagara has slowed sharply, the region is seeing gains in other key areas, including population growth and housing affordability. Those trends were among the highlights of the biannual economic report to regional council last...
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Power grab or public good? Why Doug Ford's `strong' regional chair scheme is so controversial
If Ontario has a cradle of representative democracy, it may well be NiagaraontheLake. Best known for its historic inns, cosy pubs, fudge shops and the Shaw Festival, back in 1792 it was called Newark, the first capital of Upper Canada, until the...
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What's the future of the Lake Ontario shoreline?
How will Lake Ontario's shoreline change over the next 10, 20 or even 100 years? The answers are critical for Niagara and Hamilton residents, businesses and the thousands of users of the coastal area who are at the mercy of the significant weather...
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Champions of Niagara's CTS lament its demise
Niagara's only drug consumption and treatment site will close within weeks. The Ontario government announced in March it would defund all eight remaining drug consumption and treatment sites (CTS) across the province, forcing them to close by June...
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Mother Nature giving us a break for long weekend
So much for April showers bringing May flowers. It has been a damp month in Niagara so far, with rainy days occurring more often than not. However, while there have been a lot of rainy days — 10 out of the first 14 — the accumulation is more or less...
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Kindness and candy for Telus Days of Giving
School supplies lined a centre table inside the Club Roma ballroom. Exercise books, packages of paper, a pencil case, pencils and erasers were placed inside new backpacks to be delivered to students. Along the side of the room, tables were filled with...
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Driving home message of staying sober behind wheel
Banners with space for proclamations, with students signing their commitment to make the choice not to get behind the wheel impaired. A series of obstacle courses run while wearing goggles simulating the sensation of being drunk or on drugs — from...
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Niagara Parks staff take aim at premier
With the busy summer tourist season ahead, a union representing hundreds of Niagara Parks workers is threatening to strike if ongoing contract negotiations don't yield “fair wages amid skyrocketing costs of living.” Ontario Public Service Employees...
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`We're all still brothers and sisters'
Niagara Regional Police pulled off a clean sweep of its U.S. counterparts in the latest edition of the International Law Enforcement Tug of War on the Rainbow Bridge. The NRP men’s and women’s teams both won 2-0 in best twoout-of-three matches against...
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Twinning work ramps up on Garden City Skyway
The design of the new QEW Garden City Skyway is more than halfway complete, with the team behind the project anticipating construction in 2027 and the new bridge open to traffic in 2031. While “slight tweaks” to the details could be made, Jeff...
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Municipal councils shrinking, Niagara strong chair coming
Ontario's opposition parties spent hours battling the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026, which they condemned as antidemocratic during two marathon latenight sessions this week at Queen's Park before final passage late Thursday morning. On the...
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`Pretty close to perfect'
There was a stretch of about four months in 2025 that pushed Restaurant Pearl Morissette into a new culinary realm. After several years hovering near the top, the Jordan Station restaurant claimed the No. 1 spot in Canada's 100 Best Restaurants...
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Man taken to hospital after shooting in Niagara Falls
A 58yearold man was taken to hospital after being shot at a motel property in downtown Niagara Falls Tuesday morning. Niagara Regional Police responded to The Edgecliff Inn at Queen Street and Zimmerman Avenue at about 9:30 a.m. for reports of a...
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Minister defends appointed regional chairs
Pushing back at concerns he's eroding local democracy, Ontario's municipal affairs minister says citizens have nothing to fear from appointed regional government chairs with “strong” powers to override elected councillors. “This is about enabling...
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Mayors split and Redekop defiant on appointed chair
With apologies to Welsh poet Dylan Thomas, Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop has no intention of going “gentle into that good night” over a provincially appointed regional chair with the power to veto decisions made by elected officials. Redekop warned...
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Life's a beach in Niagara but there's a price to pay
With beach season ahead, it was time for St. Catharines city council's almostannual debate about paid parking at Lakeside and Sunset beaches. For the fifth time, councillors clashed on merits of free parking versus paid parking at the beaches and...
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It was a day of jubilation when St. Catharines officially became a city
May 1 is a milestone, marking the sesquicentennial (or 150th birthday) of the City of St. Catharines. St. Catharines gradually evolved into a community of importance. Around 1817, the settlement became a post office village with William Hamilton...
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GM investing $691M in St. Catharines plant
After months of coping with U.S. tariffs and uncertainty, an investment of nearly $700 million in General Motors' St. Catharines propulsion plant sends a “longneeded” message about the viability of Canada's automotive industry, says a local union...
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Port Colborne producer tapped as a judge for international Emmys
Scrolling through his emails one Monday morning earlier this year, TV producer Frank Greco saw one that jumped out at him. It was from the International Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, better known as the organization behind the Emmys,...
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Grimsby's butter tart tagteam
As John Meissner is hoping to make April 19 National Butter Tart Day in Canada, Larry Short is baking to win the top tart prize at Ontario's Best Butter Tart Festival in Midland. Short, who met up recently with Meissner at SunRay Orchards in Grimsby,...
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A new kind of game night
Valérie Bélisle moved to Niagara six years ago to take a job in fine dining. When the pandemic hit, she decided 20 years in the hospitality industry was more than enough, turning her pottery hobby into a studio in Niagara-on-the-Lake. But running her...
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War of 1812 enthusiast lauds PM's reference to Gen. Brock
When Bob Ciupa listened to Prime Minister Mark Carney reference the heroism and leadership of Maj.Gen. Sir Isaac Brock during a video presentation, it was “refreshing.” “It was wonderful that the prime minister gets it,” said Ciupa. A student of...
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`The system must change for people like Heather'
After more than three weeks of emotional testimony, the parents of Heather Winterstein hope changes stemming from a coroner’s inquest will be a lasting legacy for her. “If this inquest spares even one family the loss we have suffered, it will have...
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Suggestion of homicide rocks Niagara Health
Niagara Health leadership is assuring its staff they have the hospital system's support amid an “unsettling” request that an inquest jury classify Heather Winterstein's death as a homicide. Chief executive officer Lynn Guerriero and chief of staff Dr....
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