The Welland Tribune
Tunnel closed 80 years reopening next summer
One of Niagara's most iconic attractions is about to get its biggest transformation in decades. Niagara Parks is investing $25 million — entirely from its own earned revenue — to expand Journey Behind the Falls, including reopening a tunnel that has...
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Fourth whale dies after relocation
A fourth whale that was moved out of Marineland in July has died after struggling with its health after arriving at her new home in Chicago, Shedd Aquarium said Monday. The park said 26yearold Osiris died Monday morning. The female beluga was one of...
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`I have to make this right'
Francine ShimizuOrgar's work is not over. The mother of Heather Winterstein, who died Dec. 10, 2021, after waiting hours for care at the St. Catharines hospital emergency department, said she doesn't want what happened to her daughter to happen to...
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`Queen Victoria Park belongs to the public'
A proposal to install an electric tram through Queen Victoria Park has ignited fierce debate in Niagara Falls — not just over what belongs in one of Ontario's most iconic green spaces, but also who gets a say before a deal is done. Niagara Falls MPP...
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Niagara floods rack up $360M in insured losses
Two summer storms wreaked havoc on Niagara, battering communities and leaving a trail of destruction in their wake. The scale of that damage is now coming into focus, with initial estimates climbing to nearly $360 million. But that figure accounts...
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Niagara MD, daughter set skyhigh jump record
One year after setting a world record for the highest tandem parachute jump, Artaj Singh has done it again. The lead physician at Primary Care Niagara recently returned from Tennessee, where he set a new record by jumping from more than 13,266 metres...
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Tram pondered through Queen Victoria Park
The ferris wheel fight in Queen Victoria Park is freshly over, but a new battle over what gets built on Niagara's most prized public land may be just getting started. This fall, Niagara Parks plans to announce the winning proponent for a proposed...
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Union warning Region on water system overhaul
Faced with a $2.8billion infrastructure deficit, Niagara Region is under increasing pressure to find new ways to pay for critical projects. But before the municipality restructures how it delivers water and wastewater services, Canadian Union of...
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Plan for ferris wheel near the falls is over
There will be no ferris wheel in Queen Victoria Park, as Niagara Parks has announced it has cancelled its controversial search for interested parties. Niagara Parks made the decision after plans arose for expansion of the privately owned ferris wheel...
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`It means so much to the people of St. Catharines'
It's like putting together a fivemetretall puzzle that weighs several tonnes. For the past few weeks, workers from Ledwez Masonry have been rebuilding the historic archway that once adorned the main entrance to the old St. Catharines General...
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Two nations recall one moment in time
Canadian and U.S. flags flew side by side above the Horseshoe Falls, lifted high on the aerial ladder of a Niagara Falls fire truck. Below, the sun broke through the mist — much as it had 25 years ago on the morning everything changed. Emergency and...
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Borders became barriers: how 9/11 changed Niagara
It was supposed to be a celebratory day of golf to promote the soontoopen Legends on the Niagara. Instead, local tourism officials and American writers gathered around a television set at the picturesque facility along Niagara River Parkway in...
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Region split on asbestos responsibility at GM site
A discussion over who should test for asbestos at the former General Motors plant in St. Catharines turned into an argument Tuesday over who is responsible for protecting residents from potential health risks at the longneglected site. Niagara...
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Students trade summer holidays for classrooms
After weeks without early morning alarm clocks, packed lunches or lastminute searches for disappearing homework, Niagara families were back in the schoolday routine Tuesday morning. With the hugs and goodbyes lasting a little longer than...
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FROM LOSS TO LEGACY
In 2006, Rebecca Orr survived a crash that killed her father. What followed was something she didn't see coming. Years of grief and confusion about how to process his death. “It took us off guard,” she says. “None of us had faced significant death...
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Flood state of emergency lifted in St. Catharines
St. Catharines' state of emergency sparked by widespread flooding has been lifted — but Mayor Mat Siscoe said life in the city is not yet back to normal. Siscoe, who made the declaration on Aug. 3 and ended it Thursday, said its termination means the...
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Diagnosing a deadly syndrome
Dr. Jennifer Tsang has spent much of her career as an intensive care unit physician looking after many patients with sepsis. It's an extreme immune system response to localized infections, such as pneumonia and urinary tract or abdominal...
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Could Canada block U.S. ships in the Welland Canal?
The Strait of Hormuz, it isn't. But could Canada block American ships from passing through the Welland Canal as retaliation for tariffs imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump? After all, the canal's eight locks are all right here in Ontario. While...
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`Anxiety is existing and will continue'
St. Catharines will mark a month of being in a state of emergency this week as the city continues to heal from widespread flooding of thousands of homes and properties. Officials with the city's emergency operations centre were considering lifting the...
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Drone technology helps in Niagara Falls rescue
A man lying near the water's edge in the lower Niagara River in Niagara Falls was rescued by emergency personnel on Sunday morning with the help of thermal drone technology. Fire Chief Jo Zambito said at around 9:30 a.m. a Niagara City Cruises boat...
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Ford, Niagara residents say it's Lake Ontario — always
Premier Doug Ford made his point in oversized letters Saturday, unveiling a giant waterfront sign at Fifty Point Conservation Area declaring: “Lake Ontario, Now and Always.” “(U.S.) President (Donald) Trump can call it whatever he wants, but I can...
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`Lake Ontario, actually': Canadians fighting back
Canadian businesses from coast to coast — from ice cream companies to beer companies to small firms — are banding together to protect Lake Ontario's name after U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order to change it. The American president,...
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Infrastructure funding comes with a tradeoff
Niagara could receive more than $750 million from the province to build desperately needed water and wastewater infrastructure to support new housing, but the proposed deal comes with a significant tradeoff for Niagara residents — the loss of hundreds...
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Inside Niagara College's $74M Welland expansion
At the heart of the Niagara College Applied Health Institute expansion is a bright, naturally lit educational hub, designed to blur the line between campus and community. Outside, a pedestrian plaza and courtyard are framed by layered hardscaping...
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No Ontario disaster relief a month after first floods
Disaster relief from the Ontario government continues to be sought for St. Catharines residents and the municipality after widespread flood damage first experienced a month ago. City councillors unanimously passed a motion Monday night calling on...
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What CanadaU.S. trade war means for Niagara
Will he or won't he? The question has been answered — and Niagara is bracing for impact. U.S. President Donald Trump imposed 50 per cent tariffs on roughly $20 billion worth of Canadian goods Saturday morning after trade negotiations with Canada...
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Food banks stepping up to help victims of floods
Flooding on July 27 and Aug. 2 devastated parts of Niagara Region, displacing hundreds of people and flooding thousands of homes. Now, food banks are cautioning that emergency relief supplies are critically depleted — as demand surges. In West...
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Will conservation authority changes mean more floods?
As Niagara continues to dry out from recordbreaking rainfall earlier this month that left hundreds of people with flooded basements and homes, the province is pressing forward with its plan to amalgamate the existing conservation authorities from 36...
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What's up with plans for new ferris wheel?
It's been six weeks since about 1,200 people attended a town hall to oppose the provincial government's ferris wheel proposal for Queen Victoria Park — two months since a request for proposals (RFP) for such a development closed. More than six weeks...
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Storms caused `real consequences' for local farmers
Niagara farmers are seeking help from the provincial government after enduring two devastating flooding incidents less than six days apart. Flowers Canada executive director Andrew Morse said farmers are seeking some relief from a variety of...
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Flood victims tap retirement savings as insurance gap widens
When the floodwaters receded from Niagara basements last week, residents thought the hard part was over. But for several, it was only the beginning. Dipping into retirement savings. Dealing with ignored calls. Mounting anxiety. Much of the damage was...
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Crew takes 7 hours to clear 93yearold's flooded home
As soon as torrential rains hit Niagara at the start of the month, Team Rubicon Canada volunteers began assembling site survey teams. The organization received initial requests from the City of St. Catharines and tasked teams to conduct a needs...
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Sinkhole count rises across St. Catharines
The number of sinkholes spotted in St. Catharines has risen to 10 as public works staff juggle those problems, erosion concerns and other washedout areas after flooding across the city. Municipal works director Tim Marotta on Friday said since a...
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Volunteer relief team set to assist flooding cleanup
Volunteers from across Ontario are descending on St. Catharines and Lincoln this weekend as part of Team Rubicon Canada to help floodimpacted residents restore their homes. The veteranled disaster response charity put out a call to its volunteers,...
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The ground is giving way in the wake of flooding
A sinkhole opened on Geneva Street Wednesday and an embankment is collapsing in Port Dalhousie as St. Catharines feels the aftereffects of massive flooding in recent days. Fire Chief Dave Upper, the city’s community emergency management co-ordinator,...
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`There is a population that have lost everything'
The province is expected to have boots on the ground in St. Catharines Thursday to help vulnerable residents clear out their basement flooding, while Premier Doug Ford has indicated he's looking into additional supports. Ford visited St. Catharines...
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`A week or two later is too late': Siscoe
Saying his residents are dealing with the effects of one the “most significant” weather events in the city's history, St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe reasserted his plea for help on Tuesday with flooding cleanup from the upper levels of...
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`A hurricane's worth of rain'
Standing in his St. Catharines basement, flooded for the second time within a matter of days as a result of torrential rains, Mayor Mat Siscoe urged the provincial and federal governments Sunday night to come to homeowners' aid. More than 100...
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City says infrastructure not to blame for flooding
Inspections this week have confirmed widespread flooding in St. Catharines was not because of any particular infrastructure failure but an “extraordinary” volume of rainwater, the city says. Crews have been working around the clock since the storm...
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Niagara border traffic sees a `slight rebound'
Niagara’s border crossings have experienced a small uptick in traffic volume after “some pretty steep declines” following Donald Trump’s return as U.S. president and his rhetoric about Canada. “Last year was the first full year of a new administration...
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Niagara bets on agritech, talent to grow farm economy
Agriculture remains one of Niagara's economic pillars, and Niagara Region officials are working to keep it that way. An update to regional councillors on its fiveyear Grown in Niagara — Agricultural Action Plan highlighted efforts to attract...
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North Niagara finds basements, crops submerged after rainstorm
Hundreds of St. Catharines residents reported flooded basements, trails were washed out and the city's indoor pool was closed after another major rainstorm thundered through late Monday night and seemed to never ease up early Tuesday morning. The city...
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Wineries adapting to remain competitive
The Ontario wine industry is like a complex merlot or intriguing burgundy with a series of bold flavours, sophisticated tastes and spicy aromas that create a surprising total drink experience. The same can be said for the wide range of issues...
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A year since their grandkids drowned, the battle remains
It's been almost a year since Evelyn Paige and Mike Williams learned their grandchildren drowned in a river. It's not an anniversary the St. Catharines couple want anyone else to experience. Paige remembers the phone call. Her daughter's devastated...
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Nextgen CT scanners slash Niagara wait times
New CT scanners bringing the latest technology to local hospitals have placed Niagara Health at the forefront of medical imaging, and there are still three more to be added in years to come. The hospital system celebrated the completion of its...
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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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`Emergency rescue' plan approved for Marineland
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 shuttered Marineland tourist attraction is up for sale and the park has said it is...
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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
Canadian fans look on in dejection during secondhalf FIFA World Cup round of 16 soccer action as their team loses, 30, to Morocco, in Houston, Saturday. It was Canada's first time making it to the round of 16.
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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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A hot time at Niagara's Canada Day festivities
National pride had already been running high as a result of Canada's breakthrough run to the World Cup round of 16, uniting Canadians and putting the country's colours on display long before July 1. By Canada Day, residents were more than ready to...
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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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CANAL Cruiser meets library's growing needs
As a child growing up on Welland's Oakland Avenue, Jamie Lee spent a lot of time at the former library on King Street. And he recalled the times the library came to him. “While I don't remember exactly where the old bookmobile stopped in my...
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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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