The Welland Tribune
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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NiagaraWoodlawn traffic backlog in Region's sights
Wellanders' traffic frustrations about the Niagara Street and Woodlawn Road intersection are on Niagara Region's radar. “We're fully aware of a lot of the issues that have been raised (about the street),” Diana Morreale, the Region's director of...
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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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`Thank God I slipped and I fell or we wouldn't be having this conversation'
When Ted Nolan went for a walk about four years ago, he slipped and fell to the ground. No stranger to pain after enduring the nightly grind of junior hockey followed by eight seasons in the pro ranks, the onetime National Hockey League player made a...
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`A real love affair with this community'
A longtime official historian for Niagara Falls is receiving the highest recognition for volunteer service a person can receive in the Canadian honours system. It was announced last October that Sherman Zavitz would be awarded the Sovereign's Medal...
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Battle lines drawn over plan for Niagara's future
The political divide over the Better Regional Governance Act, 2026, is on full display at Queen's Park. Tabled April 2 by Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack, the bill would reduce the uppertier regional council to 12 mayors overseen by...
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Redefining power at Niagara Region
Niagara's regional government is poised for a fundamental shift, one that would place significant power in the hands of an unelected, provincially appointed chair. If passed by the provincial government as expected, the changes would push the region...
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Prison over people? Ontario's billiondollar plan comes under fire
A freedom of information request revealed Ontario’s Ministry of the Solicitor General has a long-term, three-phase plan to expand the province’s jail system by more than 50 per cent by 2050 at a cost of $6.8 billion. The first phase includes 1,170 new...
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Councillor Strange not guilty of assault
Niagara Falls Coun. Mike Strange has been found not guilty of assaulting his former commonlaw wife. “I am left in a state of doubt as to Mr. Strange's guilt,” Judge Stephen Darroch said in an Ontario Court of Justice in St. Catharines on...
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A classic summer ritual
It’s an iconic North American summer experience. Something one visualizes when thinking of the 1950s, ’60s and ’70s. The old-time drive-in, once a thriving business model that drew thousands of people, young and old, to outdoor theatres across the...
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`The need is still there'
As Beyond the Streets shelter closes at the end of another winter, the organization that runs it is reflecting on the experience and what it hopes to improve upon if tasked to run the shelter again. It's the second winter the organization has operated...
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Sluggish local economy set for rebound next year
After a difficult start to the decade, Niagara’s economic outlook is showing signs of a rebound, driven by gains in tourism, goods and services and a range of other factors. However, the recovery is expected to be gradual, with several challenges...
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Port Dalhousie oil leak traced to transformer
Work has been underway in Port Dalhousie to clean up an oil leak from a transformer that Alectra Utilities says was vandalized. Yellow containment booms remain in the water in the harbour near the former Lincoln Fabrics building, soil is being...
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Fonthill student makes primetime TV debut
Fonthill's Grace NicolaouWood makes her primetime TV debut this weekend, but she might not be awake to see it. The 10yearold actor guest stars on an episode of CBS's mystery drama “Watson” on Sunday at 10 p.m. — the same day her family celebrates...
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GO rider frustrated by busing after derailment
GO train service connecting St. Catharines and Niagara Falls to Burlington resumes Thursday after being out of commission since a train derailment in St. Catharines last week. Since then, the gap has been filled by GO bus service. And one St....
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Falls Manor to become transitional housing site
A 73yearold institution in Niagara Falls is being converted into transitional housing for women and genderdiverse people living in poverty, while also providing skills development and workforcetraining opportunities. The transformation of Falls...
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Mayorsonly regional council `real challenge'
Good luck. That's the message some Niagara Region councillors have for the next 12 mayors and provincially appointed regional chair who will solely be making decisions that impact the peninsula. “The amount of work that I've been doing just as a...
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COVID staff shortages left ED systems `not working'
As Heather Winterstein waited hours in the St. Catharines hospital emergency department while dying of sepsis, patients with far less severe medical conditions were being treated before the 24yearold Indigenous woman, a coroner's inquest heard. On...
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Province reshapes Niagara's next regional government
Niagara's regional government is poised for a dramatic overhaul after Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Rob Flack introduced sweeping legislation at Queen's Park Thursday. The proposed law would slash council size, concentrate power among mayors...
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New Year's Eve concert returning to Niagara Falls
After a six-year hiatus, the popular New Year’s Eve concert is returning to Niagara Falls. The news was announced during Tuesday’s city council meeting by Niagara Parks chief executive officer David Adames, who was providing politicians with an update...
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Train derailment fix expected to span a week
Repairs to Canadian National Railway Co. tracks following Monday's train derailment in St. Catharines are expected to take a week to complete. The morning derailment involved 13 railway cars and resulted in the temporary closure of Glendale Avenue...
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Train derailment leaves canal bridge inoperable
Shipping on the Welland Canal came to a stop after 13 railway cars derailed Monday morning in St. Catharines. The derailment occurred east of Glendale Avenue, resulting in the road being temporarily closed. But Nicole Giroux, manager of media...
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`Start of something new and powerful'
In a spirit of peace, truth and reconciliation, family, friends and loved ones of Heather Winterstein gathered in Fort Erie to honour and celebrate the young Indigenous woman in anticipation of an inquest into her death. Francine Shimizu,...
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Portrait of a leader
There's a subtle but telling detail in Jim Bradley's official portrait, now hanging in the foyer outside regional council chambers alongside those of eight other former chairs: he is not wearing the Region's ceremonial chain of office. “I just wanted...
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Who's leading Niagara's governance reform push?
Who’s really steering governance reform in Niagara? Bob Gale launched the latest salvo in February, two months after the province appointed him chair of Niagara Region. He cited high taxes, a multibillion-dollar infrastructure gap and too many...
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Solution sought to save safe consumption site
St. Catharines Public Library is bracing for a wave of individuals seeking supports that staff were never set up to provide. Niagara paramedics are expecting an increase in overdose calls on top of already high call volumes. And downtown businesses...
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Competition for vacant Bay store at Pen Centre
While the vast majority of former Hudson Bay storefronts across Canada sit quietly empty, the twostorey retail unit inside Niagara Pen Centre has become a rare commodity — attracting a surge of interest that caught even its owners by surprise. And...
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Thorold Music's mournful swan song
Leo Moretti was looking through old photographs spread on the counter at Thorold Music. They included many grainy black and white images snapped by family members decades ago. “This is October of '67, and that's my brother's band playing,” he said...
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First ship of season highlights Welland Canal's legacy
After 45 years sailing the Great Lakes, Capt. Donald Kemp has earned his first top hat. As his Algoma Central Corp. ship Radcliffe R. Latimer was docked in the Welland Canal beside Lock 8 Gateway Park in Port Colborne on Sunday morning, Kemp...
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The craft of the cut
Butchery was once considered a lost art, tucked away in the backrooms of grocery stores. But Niagara College is putting the art of meat back in the spotlight, to the place where steel meets stone. The college is launching a oneyear certificate...
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`Women can't be on their own out here'
Laura Beaupre worries for her safety after bylaw and police officers came to the encampment she called home. She fears what is beyond the confines of the community near the Silvertown district in Niagara Falls. Last week, residents of a Niagara Falls...
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`Like asking the turkeys to vote for Thanksgiving'
It will be back to business when regional council meets for the first time next week following the resignation of chair Bob Gale, after one of the most tumultuous months in Niagara's political history. Niagara Falls Coun. Joyce Morocco said she and...
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Niagara’s pandemic story preserved in art
Donna Szoke was overwhelmed when six boxes stuffed with 80,000 sticky notes arrived. “It was just mind-blowing to have those in the studio. I mean, I was just crying constantly, looking through them,” said Szoke, an associate professor with Brock...
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`We'll see more people dying in city parks'
It's being called a step backwards that will lead to more overdose deaths and further stress hospital emergency medical services, after the Ontario government confirmed Monday it will pull funding from all drug consumption and treatment sites across...
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Unions issue warning about water privatization
Union leaders are calling on Niagara municipalities to take water privatization off the table and listen to residents who have spoken out against amalgamation. Fred Hahn, president of CUPE Ontario, said Ontario’s Bill 60, the Fighting Delays, Building...
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Safe consumption site called `total failure'
At least one business owner would not be unhappy if Niagara’s only drug consumption and treatment services site was forced to close. Tim Toffolo, a brew-your-own beer and wine business owner, said he is at wits’ end with “this experiment of the...
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Gale resigns over Hitler manifesto controversy
Niagara Region Chair Bob Gale has resigned his position, effective immediately, after it was revealed he had purchased a signed copy of Adolf Hitler's “Mein Kampf.” Gale, a former candidate for Premier Doug Ford's Progressive Conservatives in the 2022...
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Tackling the monster of Niagara amalgamation
If municipal governance reform is going to help Niagara slay the tripleheaded dragon of unsustainable property tax increases, structural inefficiencies and a ballooning infrastructure gap, a fourcity amalgamation may end up looking like a...
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Gas prices expected to drop
Wait until Thursday evening before you fill up your tank, even if you have to push your car to the gas station, advises Dan McTeague. That's because despite dire warnings Monday that gas prices could surge by as much as 25 cents a litre by the end of...
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