The former Brethen in Christ church at 50 Lincoln St is one of many vacant buildings scattered across Welland The city’s bylaw office wants to strengthen the vacant building bylaw Staff report says vacant buildings can have a negative impact on the overall community by becoming dilapidated Welland’s elected officials will be asked to strengthen the city’s vacant building bylaw by introducing new fees requiring mandatory engineer reports and implementing additional registration requirements A report from bylaw enforcement supervisor James Cronshaw said the department which took on the vacant building registry five years ago has seen a slight increase in calls for service year after year The increase prompted a review and update of the bylaw introduced in 2011 and first enforced by the building division Proposed changes would allow for additional enforcement provisions biweekly and yearly inspections by bylaw and fire services administrative penalties to deter noncompliance and consistent monitoring by the owner It also provides tools to address unwanted graffiti grass and unlawful entry in a timely manner Cronshaw’s report said vacant buildings can have a negative impact on the overall community by becoming dilapidated include a building or a part of a building that does not appear to be in use is not protected from the entry of unauthorized persons and is not protected from stopping rain The definition also includes buildings where the supply or use of any one or more of the electricity gas or water utilities is discontinued or disconnected and where 25 per cent or more of the door and window openings are partially or completely boarded up Cronshaw’s report said it does not include buildings under construction or demolition with an open or active building permit ones used on a seasonal basis or on farm properties and accessory buildings if a main building is in use are ready for occupancy and are actively being offered for sale nor those owned or controlled by the federal The city has a list of some of the empty buildings across Welland but it does not include their current conditions The buildings include a mix of residential Tuesday’s meeting on the second floor of city hall (60 East Main St.) begins at 7 p.m. and can be viewed online at www.welland.ca/Council/LiveStream.asp Your browser is out of date and potentially vulnerable to security risks.We recommend switching to one of the following browsers: Account processing issue - the email address may already exist Invalid password or account does not exist Submitting this form below will send a message to your email with a link to change your password An email message containing instructions on how to reset your password has been sent to the email address listed on your account Terra Lightfoot will perform at Welland’s Concert on the Canal series on the floating stage at Merritt Park July 11 Welland’s Sleepy Jean (Katey Gatta) opens for Terra Lightfoot on the floating stage at Merritt Park July 11 The free concert series kicks off in June and runs through September with six performances on the floating stage at Merritt Park will take place starting June and run through until September in the amphitheatre alongside the Welland Recreational Canal “This series has become a summer tradition that brings our community together in the heart of the city,” said concert series co-ordinator Aaron Berger The release said performers include local talent and crowd-pleasing headliners It said the free series was recognized as one of the top 100 festivals and events in Ontario by Festivals and Events Ontario in 2024 we’re thrilled to build on that success with a lineup that reflects the vibrancy of our community The series kicks off June 6 with special guest DJ Dave Stiles opener Joe Lapinski and headliner the Smoothies Jonesy will open for headliner Figure Four with special guests Amanda Lyn Parker and Mage Welland’s Sleepy Jean (Katey Gatta) opens for 2025 Juno nominee Terra Lightfoot July 11 Billy Rogers opens for Bruce Springsteen tribute group Hungry Hearts Band Aug The Handsome Devils and the Bucking Broncos close out the series Sept The city said all performances begin at 7 p.m. Attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs blankets and a non-perishable food donation for the community food drive Lisa Delle Monache of Welland won $75,000 with the Instant Red Hot Cash lottery game Winning ticket purchased at Avondale on Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls A Welland woman has a generous friend to thank for her lottery win Lisa Delle Monache won $75,000 with Instant Red Hot Cash a scratch lottery game that has a top prize of $75,000 The health-care worker generally plays instant games “I have a friend who buys them for me a couple times a week and gift-giving is his love language,” she said in an Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp Delle Monache discovered her big win after meeting up with some friends for a drink She hasn’t made any specific plans for her winnings yet but said she plans to upgrade her upcoming vacation “I don’t think it’ll truly sink in until the money is in my bank account.” The winning ticket was purchased at an Avondale location on Lundy’s Lane in Niagara Falls builder for baseball; Bernice Smith Hopkins hockey; were inducted into the Welland Sports Wall of Fame in a ceremony Sunday at Seaway Mall receives a certificate from Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch in recognition of the 12-plus years her late husband Gary served as chair of the Welland Sports Wall of Fame committee Welland Sports Wall of Fame inductee Don Burns is flanked by selection committee members Quinn Vos There have been 192 plaques added to wall since 1993 Two people who made a living in western New York excelling at Canada’s national winter sport are among the Welland Sports Wall of Fame’s 2025 induction class who saw action with three National Hockey League teams over a 14-year professional career despite going undrafted was enshrined as an athlete in a ceremony Sunday at Seaway Mall Dave Burkholder’s plaque joined his father Murray’s on the builders wall for hockey after guiding Niagara University Division 1 men’s program to a 247-279-68 record and three first-place finishes in 16 years as head coach The one-time Ontario Hockey League assistant coach with the former Niagara Falls Thunder also spent two seasons as head coach of the junior-B Welland Jr Dave’s younger brother and the director of scouting for the ECHL’s Toledo Walleye — and since 2007 the colour commentary for Niagara IceDogs home games broadcast on YourTV — was also inducted as a builder for hockey Golfer Bernice Smith Hopkins was added to the wall as an athlete and Don Burns as a builder for baseball and basketball It was the first induction ceremony since the death of longtime Welland Sports Wall of Fame chair Gary Talosi in February at age 73 Dave Burkholder spent his formative years in Welland after moving to the Niagara region with his family when he was 10 a Division 2 goalie for the Rochester Institute of Technology who played baseball in the off-season took a “little piece” from all the coaches over the years He said he was “very lucky” to have his father as a coach growing up was ahead of his time in regards to coaching,” Dave his midget hockey team would go to Murray Burkholder’s downtown office after Sunday morning practice and read the book “The Magic of Thinking Big.” “He brought our family up to love sports and to love competition Burkholder recalled his father’s coaching advice was “always be fair but what a great philosophy for a coach to live by.” Ed Burkholder got into scouting after coaching minor hockey in Welland and in 2002 won a Kelly Cup championship in the ECHL with the Greenville Grrrowl in South Carolina Being part of “a great hockey fraternity” was among the joys of growing up in Welland “We had coaches who taught us things about hockey but more importantly taught us things about life,” Burkholder “You could be in any city in Canada or North America and if you run into a player from Welland you instantly have that bond of having coaches like Ernie Bradham Burkholder said he wouldn’t have a career in pro hockey without Nick Vitucci “I sent out to every ECHL team a resumé and I had one call and that was from Nick Vitucci and he said ‘I’d like to give you can opportunity in Greenville an on-ice track suit and business cards.’” “This ring is not on my hand without Nick Vitucci,” he said pointing to his Kelly Cup championship ring Another highlight of his pro career was spending the 2006-07 season scouting for the Detroit Red Wings while Toledo’s ECHL franchise was being rebranded from the Storm to the Walleye and while awaiting completion of a new arena continue to operate the hockey school that Murray Burkholder started in Welland in 1970 Murray Burkholder was inducted into the wall of fame in 2006 as a builder for hockey Though Don Burns coached minor basketball for 35 years — almost as long as the 37 he coached minor baseball — he was celebrated as “Mr Baseball” in the program for Sunday afternoon’s ceremony spent a majority of his career coaching at the house league level “I always felt that the house league got shortchanged,” he said “I would tell the house league teams that I was going to work them to death so we would have a chance.” He recalled the same was true while he was playing high school basketball at Notre Dame “You had to practise every day to have a prayer and that’s what we did with the house league teams.” He is only person to serve as commissioner of both the Welland minor basketball (1985 to 1990) and minor baseball ( 1996 to 2016) Burns received the Gord Sykes Memorial Award for grassroots coaching currently an assistant on Buffalo Sabres head coach Lindy Ruff’s staff made his NHL debut with the Detroit Red Wings in 2006-07 He also played for the Los Angeles Kings but is most known for parts of seven seasons with the Sabres All but three of his 21 career regular-season goals in the NHL and all but five of his 28 assists were scored in a Sabres uniform Ellis said the traits that helped him have a career in pro hockey were indicative of growing up in Welland “I played a blue-collar game built on work ethic who played four years in the OHL with the then Toronto St Michael’s Majors after one season with the former Welland Cougars also thanked his parents for supporting his dream of playing in the NHL I have learned a lot from that because I do the same for my own kids,” the father of three said “the value of tenacity,” has served Ellis well throughout his life “It was ‘Never say die,’ no matter how things got Ellis looked up to the “generation that came before me” while growing up in Welland “I was always enamoured with the history here.” Ellis believes that a coach’s job is “to inspire “I had great coaches who taught and inspired me to go ahead and chase my dream.” He recalled an invitation to attend an NHL training camp from Jim Devellano then a senior vice-president with the Detroit Red Wings “That moment for me sparked my confidence.” Ellis is going on the wall as an individual and I am grateful for the team that I have,” he said “I accept my place in the Welland Sports Wall of Fame not as an individual but a member of the team that surrounds me Bernice Smith-Hopkins won the ladies championship at Lookout Point at age 16 before going on to win the Niagara District Champion of Champions where she won 13 club championships in a row was represented by her daughter Brenda Whitmore at the induction ceremony “She was very lucky to have her parents by her side supporting and encouraging her,” Whitmore said Whitmore recalled when her father was working out of town he asked why Smith-Hopkins kept a golf club beside the bed “Her answer was if anyone tries to break in at least I know how to swing this,” Whitmore said with a chuckle Smith Hopkins last played in September 2023 and suggested it was time to retire after 70 years just last week she was spotted on the putting green “And her clubs are still in her closet,” her daughter added Smith-Hopkins has made eight holes-in-one over her career Induction of the Class of 2025 brings the number of plaques on the wall to 192 since the Welland sports shrine was established in 1993 a Class of 2011 inductee as a builder for basketball and soccer officiating is the fourth person to chair the selection committee following Bob Fox YourTV will broadcast the induction ceremony 7 p.m The French Navy patrol vessel Fulmar P740 passes behind Canada Steamship Lines’ Spruceglen at the Clarence Street Bridge Friday in Port Colborne as it heads to Detroit Staffed with 11 Gendarmerie Maritime sailors the 40-metre-long former trawler carries out surveillance sovereignty action and security missions in the waters around Saint Pierre and Miquelon which sits about 19 kilometres southwest of Point May on the Burin Peninsula in Newfoundland Crew members are seen on the French navy patrol vessel Fulmar P740 Friday The French naval patrol vessel Fulmar P740 on its way south through the Welland Canal at Lock 6 Cooper moves alongside the French navy patrol vessel Fulmar P740 in the Welland Canal Friday The pilot boat was picking up and dropping off pilots for the 40-metre-long former trawler based in the French islands Saint Pierre and Miquelon off Newfoundland’s southwest coast Based in the French islands of Saint Pierre and Miquelon off Newfoundland the French naval Fulmar P740 heads for Detroit A week after being named the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ play-by-play voice Rick Zamperin was named new co-host of CHCH Morning Live Former CHML morning man Rick Zamperin also takes over as voice of the Ticats Based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts Scott Radley is a columnist with the Hamilton Spectator focusing on sports and politics. Reach him at sradley@thespec.com Just days after being introduced as the Hamilton Tiger-Cats’ play-by-play voice — a position he previously held from 2007-14 — he’s now added co-host of CHCH Morning Live to his resume “It’s pretty incredible,” the 49-year-old says of what’s happened Not sure what music the producers played to launch his introductory segment but it really should’ve been that old sitcom theme It was last August that Zamperin finished his daily morning show on 900CHML only to learn minutes later that Corus was shuttering the radio station Putting him out of work after 24 years there The months that followed saw him continue hosting the Ticats’ postgame show (The Fifth Quarter) as he had for years Except now it was recorded in his basement and broadcast on YouTube it was something fun and familiar to do while waiting for some opportunity to arise in the media Though such a hope was feeling more and more like a bit of a long-shot “Odds are,” he told himself more than a few times Tim Bolen announced he was leaving the CHCH morning show Zamperin got a text from the station’s sports guy “I think you’d be great for this position,” it said Zamperin thought about it for a bit and agreed He was used to getting up insanely early and he knew how to read the news and talk to people He submitted a demo reel he created in his basement Because other candidates were also in the mix This time it was Ticats’ communications boss Scott McNaughton on the other end Zamperin figured it might have something to do with this week’s CFL draft and whether he’d be covering it The thought that it might be about doing play-by-play never occurred to him Yet after calling the 2014 Eastern Final and sending the Ticats off to the Grey Cup in Regina When TSN launched a new radio station in Hamilton the following summer and grabbed the team’s broadcast rights “I had an opportunity to go to TSN,” Zamperin says Calling games had been what got him into broadcasting in the first place He sorely missed doing the games in subsequent years He was being asked if he’d like to live his childhood dream for a second time He realized that if he was actually in the running for the CHCH job he could only accept the Ticats’ offer if the station agreed But it’s a touch presumptuous to ask the boss — who’s not your boss and may never be — for a favour Meaning he couldn’t really say “yes” to the Ticats but he sure didn’t want to say “no.” So he asked McNaughton if the Ticats could wait awhile for an answer But as the days went on and he had to ask them to wait again and then again as he waited for an answer on his future So Zamperin finally brought it up with news director Greg O’Brien before the process was done “I actually very much like the fact that our Morning Live co-host is going to be the voice of the Ticats on the radio,” O’Brien says “Rick is so deeply rooted and well-known in this community,” he says If you have to stay up all night calling football and a postgame show A glance at the schedule suggested Zamperin’s well of good luck hadn’t yet run dry The Ticats play just two evening games the nights before a TV shift — and none out west in the killer time zone — this season There might be a couple of mornings when the eyes feel a little sandpapery and the throat’s a little hoarse “They are two things that I dearly love and they’re at opposite ends of the clock,” he says His first CHCH show alongside Annette Hamm will be May 12 As for his signature touchdown call — Touchdown And what will his signature phrase be on the TV show Opinion articles are based on the author’s interpretations and judgments of facts, data and events. More details A developer behind a subdivision on the site of the now-closed Hunters Pointe Golf Course called on Welland councillors to remove an unnecessary overpass from approval conditions Highlands Residents Association members are opposed to the removal of an overpass to service a subdivision on the former Hunters Pointe Golf Course ZSM Development Group had been required to provide access to Oxford Road after residents in surrounding subdivisions raised concerns A developer behind a subdivision on the site of the now-closed Hunters Pointe Golf Course called on Welland councillors to remove an unnecessary overpass from approval conditions city council approved 1,155 single-detached homes condominium and stacked townhouses and mixed-use units on the 83.6-hectare property east of Highway 406 A piece of land north of Daimler alongside a rail line is also owned by the developer City planning staff set 91 conditions on the draft plan approval for the site with councillors later adding the overpass from the development to Oxford Road after residents in surrounding subdivisions raised concerns over access With a set of train tracks running across it Daimler Parkway is the lone road into the area between the highway and Welland Canal to the east Daimler and Woodlawn Road is also the entrance/exit to the highway the overpass was estimated to cost $10 million to $15 million and be the sole expense of the developer The overpass was to be built once there were 600 houses constructed was incorporated in 2017 and owned by Qing Zhou of Toronto The company purchased the former golf course for $19 million in 2018 In 2020, ZSM Development Group, which has the same address as the numbered company, was identified as the developer during a council meeting. The company has a listing on its website for the Hunters Pointe development and one for Peterborough Servicing work and model home installation planned for later this year at Canoe Village Representing the numbered company, lawyer Mark Flowers of Davies Howe LLP asked council to exercise its authority to amend the draft plan conditions by deleting the condition It’s unfortunate it’s taken this long to bring this request to council for a public meeting,” said Flowers during a public meeting Tuesday He said there were two reasons why council should delete the condition the first being it is contrary to the Development Charges Act which prohibits a municipality from imposing a condition of approval “related to a development or requirement to construct a service related to a development except for local services.” Flowers added there was no need for it. He said construction and upgrades to Oxford Avenue on the west side of the highway went beyond local services and would benefit far more than those in the proposed subdivision When the subdivision came before council in 2020 city staff said an overpass was a convenience approved by the Ministry of Transportation Staff also said in the report whether the developer or ministry built the overpass ongoing maintenance and eventual replacement would fall to the city Flowers said the company’s transportation consultant confirmed there is no need for an overpass due to traffic capacity constraints on Daimler Parkway or as a secondary or emergency access for the development He said a recently received copy of a traffic impact study conducted on behalf of the city looked at alternative scenarios including the developer increasing the density of the subdivision which would increase the number of vehicles “Our client is not proposing any increase in the permitted density of development on its lands decided to test scenarios whereby there would be an increase in density of up to 25 per cent It’s not a proposal we’re making.” Flowers also said during an Ontario Land Tribunal settlement agreement between the developer and Highlands Residents Association it was left open for the developer to come back to council and request the removal of the overpass condition My client should not be obligated to fund this infrastructure If the city in its wisdom determines it wants to go ahead with an overpass regardless but it will be at the city’s expense funded through whatever sources of revenue you may wish to use which could include development charges and taxes and so forth,” he said Ken Beard of the Highlands Residents Association said residents were opposed “in every respect possible” to the developer’s request “It’s (the overpass) absolutely mandatory traffic volume will be enormous and problematic Resident David Duffus said council acted wisely in 2020 when it added the overpass condition “I think we heard a suggestion from the lawyer there’s a legal overreach and the city couldn’t impose the condition Maybe the city has the authority to rescind the development plan for the subdivision Then you can negotiate again for a 600-unit subdivision instead of a 1,200-unit subdivision.” Duffus encouraged council to push for a second access at the cost of the developer John Chiocchio asked if council could rescind the draft plan approval for the subdivision and make the developer start from scratch the city’s director of planning and development said council can’t rescind the draft approval but it does not have to lift the condition for the overpass “We’re just here listening to what the applicant has to say and what the residents have to say we’ll review with our traffic consultant and solicitor and present an actual recommendation report on which direction to go,” said Munday Tony DiMarco said residents had his full support and hoped council would take the developer’s “ridiculous ask right off the table.” the rest of council voted in favour of receiving a staff report on the request for information only and come back with a report to council Niagara Regional Police arrested a 37-year-old West Lincoln man on child luring and child pornography possession charges He was previously arrested in April after an undercover investigation into child luring Accused from West Lincoln was first arrested on April 3 following an undercover investigation A 37-year-old West Lincoln man previously arrested in April after an undercover investigation into child luring has been arrested again The man was first arrested April 3 following a joint investigation that began in March when an undercover officer — posing as a child under 16 years old — communicated with the suspect for a sexual purpose The suspect was charged with two counts each of luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate sexual interference and luring a child via telecommunication to facilitate sexual assault police said further investigation led to the accused again being arrested He has been charged with possessing child pornography communicating with a person under 16 to make child pornography and communicating with a person under 18 to invite sexual touching Police said the offences are alleged to have occurred before the accused was first arrested in April Anyone with information is asked by police to call 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009524. Information can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or going to CrimeStoppersNiagara.ca. Information about keeping children safe online is available on cybertip.ca. a National Day of Awareness for the thousands of Indigenous women and two-spirit people who have been subject to violence in Canada Niagara College will honour the day by hanging red dresses at both the Welland and Daniel J Red dresses will hang at both campuses until May 12th The Indigenous Education department welcomes the NC community to join them for a special film screening of Finding Dawn a documentary about the epidemic of missing and murdered Indigenous women in Canada The screening will take place tomorrow from 1:30 to 3:30pm at the DJP Campus the Niagara College Student Administrative Council is hosting Coffee for a Cause in support of Niagara Chapter of Native Women 100% of sales from the purchase of coffee and teas will go towards NCNW One Driver Arrested and Six Others Issued Roadside Suspensions During Easter Weekend R.I.D.E in Welland officers from the Niagara Regional Police Service (NRPS) conducted a RIDE spot check in the City of Welland during the Easter long weekend officers stopped approximately 200 vehicles and asked drivers if they had consumed any alcohol or drugs earlier in the evening 24 drivers were required to provide a breath sample for analysis One driver provided a sample that resulted in a “fail” and was subsequently arrested Six other drivers provided samples resulting in an “alert” and had their licences suspended for a period of three days In addition to the arrest and roadside suspensions police charged three drivers with operating a motor vehicle on a highway with no insurance More than a dozen provincial offence notices (tickets) were also issued for various traffic-related offences The Niagara Regional Police Service remains committed to reducing impaired driving through education and the apprehension of offenders via enforcement programs like RIDE Impaired driving remains the leading criminal cause of death in Canada through grant funding from the Ministry of the Solicitor General as part of the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) program Serving and Protecting the Regional Municipality of Niagara Designed by eSolutions Headquarters 5700 Valley Way Niagara Falls, ON L2E 1X8, T: (905) 688-4111 Top Update: The missing boy was located and is safe Family and police are concerned about a missing 13-year-old boy last seen in Welland Johnny was last seen walking near Kent Street and King Street in Welland around 4:55 p.m. He is described as white, approximately 90 pounds Anyone with information on Johnny’s location should contact police at 905-688-4111 Members of the public who wish to provide information anonymously can contact Crime Stoppers of Niagara or by calling 1-800-222-8477.  Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards to people who contact the program with information that leads to an arrest Subscribe to INsauga – Ontario Headline News’ daily email newsletter for a chance to win a $100 gift card to Toronto Eaton Centre OR Sherway Gardens A Lincoln and Welland Regiment soldier with happy residents of Bergen op Zoom on Oct the day the town was liberated by the Canadians Members of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment take cover from German sniper fire in northwest Europe in 1945 Unknown members of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment in the Netherlands sometime between 1944 and 1945 “Press On” upon its arrival at the Lake Street Armoury in March 1945 The officer standing next to the tank is Major Edward J master warrant officer and regimental historian with Lincoln and Welland Regiment in front of “Press On” at the Lake Street Armoury Jack Sinke was a six-year-old boy in the Netherlands when the Germans invaded in May 1940 Engelbert Marinus points to the house he and his family lived in when the Netherlands were liberated by Canadians on May 5 May 5 marks the 80th anniversary of the surrender by the German army’s in the Netherlands It has been 80 years since Canadian forces accepted the surrender of the German army in the Netherlands on May 5 Members of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment were part of the First Canadian Army which played a pivotal role in that country’s liberation from the Nazis in the Second World War The Lincoln and Welland troops were battle hardened by the time they arrived at the Dutch-Belgian border They were part of the fierce fighting at the Falaise Gap in late August 1944 when the Allies encircled retreating German troops and closed the gap they had been moving through they would have been pushing west through Belgium and eventually into the Netherlands which would have been in the fall of 1944,” said Drew Neufeld a master warrant officer and regimental historian with Lincoln and Welland Regiment the Niagara regiment played a significant role in the Battle of the Scheldt a crucial campaign to open the Scheldt estuary a river that borders Belgium and the Netherlands with its mouth at the North Sea “It was very important that they opened the Scheldt estuary to be able to supply the soldiers efficiently,” Neufeld said During the Battle of the Scheldt, the Lincoln and Welland group helped liberate Bergen op Zoom “A lot of the company commanders will say it was the worst experience,” Neufeld said was kind of an anomaly where the commander of the German army at the time made a deal with the mayor (of the town) ‘If you don’t give away our position and help the Allies we will move to the north which would be the canal and we’ll keep the fighting to the outskirts of the (town) and not really destroy the main part.’” Neufeld noted In his book “Because We Are Canadians: A Battlefield Memoir,” Sgt Charles Kipp with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment recalls planning of the siege of Bergen op Zoom took place in the basement of a home near the town that was owned by a Mr an English professor who acted as an interpreter for the Canadians Their conversation inspired the title of Kipp’s book Kipp says a toast was raised to the success of the coming battle and their host asked why they appeared so steady and not nervous about what was to come “Because we are Canadians,” Kipp and his colleagues replied This year marks the 80th anniversary of the freeing of Bergen Op Zoom by the Lincoln and Welland Kipp writes the Lincoln and Welland soldiers made their way into the town during the night on Oct swimming across the zoom and making their way to the top of a dyke and along a rail line that ran across it “I could see and hear men going down all around me The Canadians escaped down the side of the dyke “The sky over our heads was one big sheet of flames from the German guns,” Kipp writes The surviving soldiers eventually made their way to an eight-foot-high wall outside a gin factory “Out of our entire company of about 30 strong The Canadians fought room to room and in the hallways “We were just running all over and shooting everything we could see,” Kipp writes The only light came from the muzzle flashes of the guns.” Of the 13 Lincoln and Welland soldiers who had made it to the gin factory Kipp said only eight were left when the fighting was over Bergen op Zoom was liberated by the Canadians Neufeld said the Lincoln and Welland Regiment fought so fiercely in its push through the Netherlands it gained a reputation for toughness among the enemy “One of my favourite quotes during that time was from a German prisoner who said ‘The Lincoln and Welland Regiment has no sentiment no discipline and no mercy’ because they were so tenacious and determined to meet their objectives,” Neufeld said “They effectively pushed their way through the Netherlands along with the rest of the Canadian Army and Allied forces The push through the Netherlands was a slow and bloody slog “I can only imagine the hardships and struggles they would have went through,” Neufeld said “(They saw) the best and worst of humanity.” By the time the Netherlands was liberated on May 5 more than 7,600 Canadians had died in the eight months of fighting it took to get there “The Dutch people cheered Canadian troops as one town after another was liberated,” states a Canadian government website detailing Canada’s involvement in the liberation of the Netherlands “This was a memorable time for the people of the Netherlands.” Jack Sinke was a six-year-old boy when the Germans invaded the Netherlands in May 1940 “It was kind of exciting at first,” said the 91-year-old Vineland resident whose family lived on a farm near the Belgian border but later on we heard about concentration camps and stuff like that Sinke recalled the Germans taking most of the locals’ food and raiding store shelves and sending all the clothing and other materials back to Germany but was only allowed to keep two for his own family,” the letter says “All the others he had to sell to the Germans for a cheap price.” Sinke’s letter recalls the time his father was confronted by two German soldiers who came to the house demanding he hand over his two remaining pigs we will take your children,’” the letter says Sinke says he got scared and hid behind his mother’s skirt and he looked to see the German soldiers leaving without the pigs Sinke said he was 10 years old in the fall of 1944 when residents in his area got word the Canadian Army was pushing into the Netherlands from Belgium “The Canadians were going to free us,” said Sinke who recalls hearing the Allied gunfire in the distance and squadrons of Allied bombers flying over their house “The glass in the windows rattled,” he said He noted the nearby airport was a frequent target of attack because it was wanted by both the Germans and the Allies “Most of my early life was dangerous and scary,” Marinus recalled The former Grimsby resident who now lives in Stoney Creek said the family later moved to Ootmarsom Marinus recalled the Canadians and other Allies appearing in the forests around the city American and Australian camps meeting there,” said Marinus who recalled visiting each of the camps and getting to try their food Marinus noted May 5 remains a special day for Dutch people A reminder of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment’s service in the Second World War sits in front of the Lake Street Armoury in St The M5A1 Stuart VI recce tank came into the regiment’s possession in late February 1945 (the day after its arrival at the armoury after being transported to St Catharines on the back of a flat rail car) noted the tank had been with one of the armoured units of the British Columbia Tank Regiment but was disabled after it ran over a mine on the edge of the Hochwald Forest near the Dutch-German border then commander of the Lincs,” the article says The article says members of the regiment’s pioneer platoon started swarming over the tank and the limbering battlewagon came out of its death throes as a trim speedy reconnaissance carrier,” the article states On the front of the tank was “Press On” — one of the favourite expressions of Lt-Gen Guy Simond to encourage his troops in battle — painted in large white letters The article noted when Press On arrived in St “There are the flags of the countries touched by the tank: Canada Catharines and other points in the Niagara district painted their names on the tank for posterity,” the article says May 5 remains a special day on the calendar in the Netherlands where the liberations is celebrated as a national holiday and the sacrifices of Allied soldiers The Glendale Avenue Bridge over the Welland Canal in St Catharines is stuck in a raised position Saturday The bridge is expected to be out of commission for another two weeks The phrase “What goes up must come down” does not apply to the Glendale Avenue Bridge in St The bridge over the Welland Canal was raised on Tuesday said there’s an issue with the expansion joint that is preventing the bridge from fully lowering It’s expected to be out of commission until May 12 Repairs are underway and crews are working extended hours to complete the work as quickly as possible The issue affects vehicle and pedestrian traffic but has no impact on ships travelling the canal The Seaway said in a press release it recognizes the closure is disruptive and “sincerely appreciate” the public’s patience and understanding while it resolves the issue The Glendale Avenue crossing is one of four bridges over the Welland Canal in St in addition to the QEW’s Garden City Skyway Richard Borgatti of Welland won $350,000 with the Instant Crossword Extreme lottery game Richard Borgatti's winning ticket was purchased at Best Mart on Rice Road Richard Borgatti’s winning ticket was purchased at Best Mart on Rice Road A Welland man has won a major windfall with a scratch lottery ticket but had a hard time convincing his wife he won Richard Borgatti won $350,000 with Instant Crossword Extreme she didn’t believe me,” he said in an Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp “I had to get the store owner on the phone to convince her.” The father of two and grandfather of one discovered his lottery win at a store when he scanned his ticket on the self checker “When I realized I’d actually won $350,000 The health-care worker has been a regular lottery player for 20 years and generally plays Crossword and Proline games like a weight lifted off my shoulders,” he said “My wife and I will travel to China to visit my son His winning ticket was purchased at Best Mart on Rice Road in Welland Instant Crossword Extreme is a scratch lottery game with a price of $30 and the top prize is $350,000 Welland is asked to contribute $17.8 million toward the new south Niagara Falls hospital under construction at Montrose and Biggar roads City staff will explore financing options to secure Welland's commitment before construction is complete in 2028 City staff will explore financing options to secure Welland’s commitment before construction is complete in 2028 Last week, Niagara Health president and chief executive officer Lynn Guerriero and executive vice-president Harpreet Bassi were before city council to talk about the city’s share and the future of Welland hospital With an original $2.3-billion estimate in 2017 to build the facility Niagara Region and Niagara Health Foundation were expected to contribute a collective $230 million — 10 per cent of the cost for which the local community is responsible The hospital system applied a consistent contribution rate of $340.63 per capita across all municipalities and used 2016 census data which showed Welland had a population of 52,293 Expected construction costs have since jumped to $3.6 billion to design but Bassi and Guerriero said the hospital system is sticking with its $230-million ask of municipalities Bassi said the Ministry of Health covers 90 per cent of the cost stretchers and furniture and seating for waiting areas Payment schedules have been worked out with the Region and Niagara Falls The presenters asked city council for its commitment to be secured before construction is complete in 2028 “We understand that this funding is a significant request from us,” said Bassi She said municipalities can pay over several years and have flexibility including upfront payments and customized payment plans Bonnie Fokkens wanted a comprehensive look at financing options and what Welland’s future debt and debt limit would look like with expenditures including $2 million for an information technology strategic plan and potential new arena costs of up to $106 million “I don’t know what our expenditures are in 2028 I know we have some projects on the go we can’t cut and I don’t want to leave the city high and dry in three years with these major expenditures,” Fokkens said Graham Speck said he couldn’t support putting the burden of the local share on municipal taxpayers when health care is a provincial responsibility We are told we have an infrastructure deficit of at least $22 million a year and growing with our sewers sidewalks and roads in deteriorating condition We have the possibility of more than $100 million to replace our aging arena The issue I have is how this (the local share) is downloaded to municipalities from what used to be solely funded from provincial revenues,” he said David McLeod said though he may disagree with the funding model the city and residents have a local share to pay and it also helps ensure we have a regional system that works including the redevelopment of the Welland hospital “If we want to delay these types of things We need to come up with a way of funding it that is responsible to the taxpayer allows us to pay for our municipal responsibilities and execute them in a timely manner as well,” McLeod said Guerriero said if the entire local share is not met the hospital system would have to borrow the money which would include paying interest on top “We would also be limited in how much of a loan we would be able to get.” It could also delay the new hospital’s opening “If we don’t succeed in meeting our obligation within the local share plan it is doubtful the (provincial) government will support future infrastructure investments in health care and it is a significant worry we have We will be asking them for support for the development of the future Welland site “Our master plan for hospital services in Niagara does not work without Welland It is a cornerstone of our model and we can’t delay the process of moving forward,” said Guerriero The redevelopment of Welland hospital will be done in two phases with provincial funding to start site renovations to get it to 2028 when the new Niagara Falls hospital opens and the hospital system has requested a planning grant for which it has yet to receive approval How much the expansion costs and the local share from municipalities to pay for it are part of the process Some plans for the Welland site include same-day surgical and diagnostic procedures hospital-based clinics and emergency services with 10 observation beds One of the first moves would see complex care beds moved to the Third Street site Those beds would be for patients recovering from an acute care episode or needing further treatment before going home The residential addictions treatment program “One of the most exciting things we want to focus on is managing chronic conditions because Niagara has a higher than average rate than the rest of the province for certain chronic conditions,” said Guerriero “What we think we could do is build a campus of care that focuses on bringing in partners like public health community services and social services onto that campus to support the needs of the communities based on what we’re seeing in terms of chronic illness,” Guerriero said Welland Fire and Emergency Services deputy chief stands on Buchner Road near a portable water pond In the background are Niagara Falls firefighters who were called to assist Welland with spot fires across 120 hectares on Welland’s east side Thursday Smoke rises from behind a hill at the west end of Buchner Road in Welland Thursday Firefighters from four municipalities battled spot fires across 120 hectares on the east side of the city Niagara Falls firefighters walk with brooms used to extinguish spot fires in Welland No cause was immediately known for what sparked the fires on the east side of the city firefighters from four municipalities battled spot fires across 120 hectares of land on the east side of Welland between Buchner and Ridge roads said firefighters responded to a grass fire on Silverthorn Street at 11:30 a.m and they noticed a few other fires burning We found several spot fires over about a 300-acre area between Buchner and Ridge roads.” Lamoureux said the fire service called for mutual aid from Niagara Falls Wainfleet and Port Colborne fire departments to assist Welland’s professional and volunteer firefighters Wainfleet sent a tanker truck and its utility terrain vehicle a Kubota RTV-XG850 Sidekick with tracks that allows for access to remote and inaccessible areas Niagara Falls sent two pumper trucks and a tanker and Port Colborne sent its Engine 2 to the scene The fire service ran a hose line from a water connection at Innio Waukesha’s factory off Highway 140 to Buchner Road A portable water pond was set up behind Welland’s Pump 2 Firefighters from four municipalities battled spot fires across 120 hectares on the east side of Welland between Buchner and Ridge roads for five hours Thursday our priority is going to be getting a water supply,” Lamoureux said Sparks moved by the wind could have spread fire to a larger area across small creeks or over a road due to the dry conditions the fire is fairly well contained within this block We’re going to attack it from the flanks and keep it away from the roads,” he said from the west end of Buchner Road Barricades were set up on Buchner Road at Highway 140 to prevent access to the area Niagara Emergency Medical Services had an ambulance on standby at the scene Lamoureux said the fires were out by 4:30 p.m. and firefighters and equipment from neighbouring municipalities were released from the scene at that time shows the potential layout of a four-pad multi-use arena facility on River Road in Welland The nearly $107-million project is moving forward Jack Ballantyne Memorial Arena is in very poor condition says a city staff report The location of a four-pad multi-use arena facility on River Road in Welland It would cost Welland nearly $30 million over the next 10 years to keep its two arenas on King Street open Keeping the city's aging arenas open would cost nearly $30 million over the next 10 years with a high risk of unplanned downtime and/or catastrophic failure Keeping the city’s aging arenas open would cost nearly $30 million over the next 10 years Welland will bench its aging King Street arenas in favour of a nearly $107-million four-pad multi-use facility to be built next to Youngs Sportsplex Construction on River Road will start after detailed designs are complete community services director Jessica Ruddell said during last week’s city council meeting City staff will develop a comprehensive funding plan to pay for the facility after council approved a staff report to move forward A 2022 needs assessment found the Main, now known as LIV Communities Arena and Jack Ballantyne Memorial arenas at 501 King St. Welland Minor Hockey Association and Niagara Centre Skating Club Ruddell said council could assume the two facilities are in worse condition since the assessment She said LIV Communities Arena is slightly better off than Jack Ballantyne She said its building components are in very poor condition We could lose the plant (the refrigeration system) at any time You’re exposing yourself to further risk the longer you try to keep an aging facility open.” Bonnie Fokkens asked if there was funding for the new facility’s detailed design in the 2025 budget and if it could be done in-house without using a consultant Ruddell said the city is looking at basic concepts at this point and that no design funds were put in this year’s budget was hired last year to carry out an arena feasibility study With public feedback and input from user groups the firm’s study recommended the multi-use four-pad facility on River Road Residents had said a new facility can’t focus solely on hockey A concerned Fokkens last week questioned the cost as Niagara Health requests $17.8 million for the city’s share of building the south Niagara Falls hospital “I’d like to see staff come back to council with a projected financial position what is going happen to our tax base and if it’s going to affect our infrastructure funding John Chiocchio is also not ready to proceed saying in uncertain times and increasing prices this is not the time to be spending residents’ money “This is the time we should be restraining and looking at ways to save money I think we need to put a Band-Aid on here until possibly the next (term of) council A staff report said it would cost the city nearly $30 million over the next 10 years to keep the two King Street arenas open and they would continue to age with a higher risk of unplanned downtime and/or catastrophic failure There would be limited ability to attract tenants for revenue generation higher overall cost to operate and maintain and no ability for renovation or program improvements Chief administrative officer Rob Axiak said city staff were not asking for funding nor asking for Welland taxpayers to foot the entire bill “If we go down this route we’re going to look for every single funding partner possible,” said Axiak David McLeod said of what he has seen to date the new facility isn’t exciting or creative enough He said if the facility is going to meet the Wellanders’ needs He suggested including sports wellness or sports medicine aspects or adding a bowling alley as examples of giving more to the community Axiak said there will be more public engagement and the city will look for funding partners such as the federal and provincial governments Ruddell said funding partners generally want to ensure local partners are supportive of an initiative before they’re willing to commit their money A garage on Afton Avenue in Welland was destroyed by fire Monday night The fire also damaged neighbouring structures A fire Monday night destroyed a garage and damaged surrounding structures on Afton Avenue a homeowner tried using a garden hose to extinguish a fire on Milkweed Trail Two garage fires over two days in Welland have caused $150,000 in damage Matt Richardson said Welland Fire and Emergency Services was called to a structure fire on Southworth Street Richardson credited a responding officer for recognizing the fire was actually on Afton Avenue “He redirected incoming crews to respond to Afton where they discovered a well-involved detached garage fire “We can only go by what 911 callers provide to the dispatch centre We have to be reactive and have good situational awareness to know when to redirect our resources if the information is inaccurate.” Welland firefighters deployed high-capacity hose lines to extinguish the blaze Richardson said due to the fuel load in the garage — the amount of combustible material available to burn — there was high heat “Siding melted on some of the neighbouring properties.” The fire prevention office is still investigating the cause of the blaze Richardson said the garage was destroyed and estimated the damage to it and surrounding properties at $100,000 Deputy Chief Burt Lamoureux said firefighters were called to Milkweed Trail on the city’s north end Tuesday for a reported fire in a detached garage Milkweed is off of Line Avenue near the Pelham border Our crews got a quick knock-down on it and protected the house.” Lamoureux said a small appliance under cabinets in the garage caused the fire The homeowner tried to extinguish the fire with a garden hose Lamoureux said while the fire service appreciates the willingness to help residents should look out for their safety and security first and foremost They should get out as quickly as they can call 911 and let the firefighters deal with the fire.” Damage to the garage and its contents was put at $50,000 “There was slight smoke and heat damage to the house,” Lamoureux said A skid steer sits at the entrance of a 9,290-square-metre plaza owned by retail property owner and developer Plaza Retail REIT under construction on the northeast corner of Niagara Street and Quaker Road Longo’s will anchor the plaza with a 3,530-square-metre grocery store A Plaza REIT graphic shows the location of a Longo’s grocery store set to open next spring Company president Deb Craven said there will a job fair in the future with more than 100 people expected to be hired for the Welland store Longo’s leads with its produce and the Toronto-based grocery chain will lead a new plaza under construction in north Welland It (Welland) is a new market for us,” said Craven The 3,530-square-metre store will have the full range of Longo’s services and products and Craven describes it as medium to large size compared to others in the chain The bowling alley closed last June and was demolished in September The development marks the first time Longo’s has partnered with Plaza Retail REIT founded the company and opened the 140-square-metre Broadway Fruit Market at Yonge Street and Castlefield Avenue in Toronto in 1956 Craven said the chain is concentrated in the GTA “We’ll probably be hiring north of 100 team members It’s exciting to be creating jobs for the communities we’re in but we’re not sure what the date is yet.” Craven said Welland is a good fit for the chain There are at least 6,000 houses/condominiums/townhouses proposed within two kilometres of the plaza “We think it’s a strong market for Longo’s We think we’ll be welcomed in the community.” Craven said the Welland location will have The Loft It’s a chance to share our love of food with the community or sessions where adults come in and learn to cook.” Craven said team members run classes and experts are brought in to teach people how to unlock the joy within food She said it’s a way to engage the community and unlock the love of food It’s the best quality and we’re proud of it and I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention our bakery “We will have all of these super fresh areas as well as our full grocery selection in this store We are super proud of our deli and our cheese section as well.” Craven said the store will have cheese masters to advise people on what to choose when putting together charcuterie boards and pairings for entertaining themselves or others A selection of prepared foods and ready-to-heat meals will be found in the Welland location items people can grab for a quick lunch or dinner Making sure families have the best choices for a reasonable cost and with tons of value.” Longo’s has always focused on sourcing locally One hundred per cent of our beef is Canadian We’re continuing to leverage relationships the family built over 70 years.” Craven said sourcing 100 per cent local and Canadian with things like produce can be challenging “You can’t always get everything 12 months of the year What we’re doing is making sure our guests have as much choice as possible and the best quality product.” With a push for Canadian-made goods due to U.S Longo’s marks their shelves with Canadian flags Store flyers also identify Canadian products Craven said when the growing season is at its height in Niagara Longo’s is sourcing from the region and has long-term partnerships knowledgeable staff and service set the chain apart engage with team members who are passionate about food When guests from Welland come in the store and ask where something is it’s aisle 7,’ they’ll walk you to the product They’ll make sure you’re finding exactly what you need We’ll even provide umbrella service on a rainy day to your car.” under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act in Provincial Offences Court last month Welland Fire and Emergency Services said in a release A second Welland property owner was fined $11,250 for having no smoke or carbon monoxide alarms in a two-unit residential building Chaining shut the main entrance to a five-storey commercial building in downtown Welland has cost the owner $13,500 In a news release, Welland Fire and Emergency Services said fire prevention officers responded to several fire safety complaints over two months last year at 76 Division St A fire prevention officer told the property owner to keep all the building’s exits clear As a result of the serious safety violations the owner was taken to Provincial Offences Court and fined last month “Chaining or blocking means of egress in a building impedes occupants’ ability to evacuate safely in an emergency occupants often have little time to escape a fire safely and a chained and padlocked exit can lead to disastrous outcomes,” said deputy chief Matt Richardson in the release He said Ontario’s Fire Code prohibits blocking or obstructing exits A second Welland property owner was fined $11,250, including court costs, under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act last month The release said a fire safety complaint at 305 Scholfield Ave last December led fire prevention officers to find no smoke or carbon monoxide alarms in the two-unit residential building “This case underscores the critical importance of installing and maintaining working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in every residence,” said Richardson “Ontario has already experienced a record number of fire injuries and fatalities Missing or inoperable smoke alarms are often a common occurrence in those instances We need everyone to ensure their properties are firesafe Landlords also need to be aware of their prescribed responsibilities for fire safety.” smoke alarms must be installed on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas Carbon monoxide alarms must be installed near sleeping areas if a home has a fuel-burning appliance portable fuel-burning heaters and generators Smoke alarms need to be replaced every 10 years they must have visual signalling features such as strobe lights People unsure of alarm requirements in their homes can contact their local fire department complains about his placement on a councillors speaker’s list during a general committee meeting last fall as chair Ward 6 Coun DiMarco wants to end virtual city council meetings John Chiocchio wants to phase back senior non-union management staff and directors into their respective city facilities full time by fall John Chiocchio will ask to end hybrid-remote options and phase back senior non-union management staff and directors to work full time at city facilities Tony DiMarco wants Welland to pull the plug on online city council meetings and will call for all elected officials to return to council chambers Appearing virtually for Tuesday’s meeting the Ward 4 councillor who has been banned from city hall for the past 15 months said technical issues with remote meetings are behind a motion he’ll put forth during the next council meeting the provincial government allowed municipalities to run meetings online Councillors who participated electronically were counted toward quorum — the minimum number of elected representatives required to conduct business Electronic participation in open council meetings across Ontario had been allowed prior to the pandemic but participating council members did not count toward quorum The city moved to remote meetings in March 2020 and councillors appeared via Zoom Residents could watch a livestream on the city’s website Welland started livestreaming council meetings in 2019 a majority of councillors and Mayor Frank Campion voted to direct Ward 4 Coun as many as four councillors were allowed back in chambers as well as four senior staff members and the mayor for hybrid in-person and electronic meetings Hybrid meetings continued as pandemic measures lifted In May 2022 a full return to in-person meetings was allowed along with the return of residents in chambers Technical issues for councillors appearing remotely periodically cropped up but seemed to escalate after new meeting software was adopted last fall DiMarco’s last in-person meeting was in December 2023 when he was banished for unruly behaviour Since then he’s had issues connecting and hearing fellow councillors and staff during several meetings Frustrated after saying he had been knocked down in the order of the speaker’s list during a general council meeting late last October the councillor rushed from his Whiteoak Crescent residence to city hall about a 10-minute drive but was denied entry John Chiocchio said he will put forth a motion at the next council meeting about city employees and remote work department heads and directors were allowed to work remotely they split their time between city facilities and remote work Chiocchio said a hybrid work policy at the time stated it would not be permanent He’ll ask to phase back senior non-union management staff and directors into their respective facilities full time by this fall Welland Mayor Frank Campion speaks about the future of the city at his ninth annual fundraising breakfast Thursday Mayor Frank Campion talked about the year ahead at his ninth annual fundraising breakfast Welland is focused on opening up lands along the Welland Canal corridor for new industry this year “It’s important to us,” Campion said Thursday of the lands along the working canal at his ninth annual fundraising breakfast at the Blue Star Restaurant The event raised nearly $5,500 for Open Arms Mission a volunteer-driven organization providing food personal care and other items to those in need in the community “We’re working with a variety of agencies on the canal lands Campion said one of the agencies the city is working with is the Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority (HOPA) Port Colborne and Thorold signed a memorandum of understanding with HOPA to create a network of multimodal hubs along the canal and work together to snap up lands declared surplus by Transport Canada along the waterway As he addressed the 100 people at the breakfast the mayor said the city would target industry for those lands to bring jobs to Welland He also told attendees two large industries are interested in the city though he didn’t say what they were or where they would be located Carrying on with infrastructure work this year is another priority A sanitary trunk sewer on Ontario Road will see a 1,200-millimetre pipe installed connecting a stage pumping station at the east end of the road near the canal to Southworth Street with a second phase extending the sewer system from Southworth to King Street Provincial funding will help pay for the $15-million project “Work will begin on West Main Street,” the mayor said including intersections at Niagara Street and Prince Charles Drive lighting and crossings along the trail system beside the recreational canal and residents will see improvements at Merritt Park and Welland Market Square where a wetland will be built by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority He also spoke about the arena feasibility plan Consultants recommend the city build a new facility As he spoke about what the city is looking toward this year the mayor touched on accomplishments in 2024 the city sold 62 hectares of prime real estate land fronting the recreational canal in north Welland for $35 million to LIV Communities LIV Communities said its Lock and Quay community will bring $1.5 billion in construction activity — plumbing landscaping and more — to Welland and result in 3,800 to 4,000 housing units for some 7,000 people Construction is expected to start in 2026 and last at least a decade “We’re using our geographical assets along the canal,” Campion said of the development the new $13.6-million Forks Road Bridge was another milestone Welland’s $6.57-million Memorial Park Pool opened last summer It features a zero-entry access area with play structures a 50-metre lane swim area with an accessibility ramp Campion also spoke about various conferences elected officials and city staff attended last year “People ask what we do at the conferences and why we go We learn things and it’s a chance to meet with provincial ministers.” Richard Borgatti of Welland is celebrating after winning a $350,000 top prize with Instant Crossword Extreme has been playing the lottery with OLG a couple times a week for 20 years “I hadn’t noticed my win until I scanned my ticket using the store’s ticket checker,” Richard recounted while visiting the OLG Prize Centre in Toronto to pick up his winnings like a weight lifted off my shoulders,” Richard smiled The winning ticket was purchased at Best Mart on Rice Road in Welland Hydro One has selected the preferred route for the proposed Welland Thorold Power Line will help meet electricity demands and support future growth in the Niagara region we have been conducting a Class Environmental Assessment (EA) under Ontario’s Environmental Assessment Act to build a new 230-kilovolt This proposed transmission line will extend from our existing Hydro One corridor in Thorold and connect into the Crowland Transformer Station (TS) in Welland These included using portions of an existing transmission corridor near Crowland TS upgrading an existing transmission line between Crowland TS and Allanburg TS in Thorold and building a new corridor north of Schisler Road in Welland we gathered environmental and technical data along with input from Indigenous communities Based on this information and the feedback we received B2 and C1/C2 have been selected and together make up the the preferred route for the new transmission line (see map below) The Class EA is expected to be complete at the end of 2025 The project will also require approval from the Ontario Energy Board under Section 92 (Leave to Construct) We invite you to attend our upcoming community open house to learn more about the project speak with our project team and share your feedback to 7:00 p.m.Location: Royal Canadian Legion For more information on this project:www.HydroOne.com/WTPL © 2018 The Corporation of the City of Thorold Phone: 905-227-6613 Fax: 905-227-5590 TTY: 905-227-6206 Email us The City of Thorold is committed to providing high quality customer service We welcome your comments to help us monitor and improve our services and experiences Report a Concern Sign in Join now, it's FREE! WFES responded several times to fire safety complaints at 76 Division Street the fire prevention officer (FPO) found that the main entrance to the five-storey commercial building was chained shut The FPO told the property owner to keep all exits clear As a result of these serious safety violations legal action was initiated against the company that owns the building the company was found guilty in Provincial Offences Court and fined $13,500 under the Fire Protection and Prevention Act (FPPA) “Chaining or blocking means of egress in a building impedes occupants’ ability to evacuate safely in the event of an emergency and a chained and padlocked exit can lead to disastrous outcomes,” said Matt Richardson “The Ontario Fire Code prohibits blocking or obstructing exits for precisely this reason and WFES will always act upon this egregious violation.” WFES responded to a fire safety complaint at 305 Scholfield Avenue When the FPO inspected the two-unit residential building they found there were no smoke or carbon monoxide alarms anywhere in the building As a result of this significant safety issue the FPO initiated legal action against the property owner the property owner was found guilty in Provincial Offences Court and fined $11,250 “This case underscores the critical importance of installing and maintaining working smoke and carbon monoxide alarms in every residence,” said Richardson “Ontario has already experienced a record number of fire injuries and fatalities We need everyone to ensure their properties are fire safe Landlords also need to be aware of their prescribed responsibilities for fire safety.” WFES implores all residents to make fire safety a priority These prosecutions and fines reflect the serious risks fire safety issues pose in buildings and property A Welland Fire and Emergency Services recruit watches his throw bag during training alongside the Welland Recreational Canal Five recruits were practising setting up a rapid deployment craft and other water rescue skills Welland Fire and Emergency Services training officers Dylan Rusin (in red helmet) and Kyle Legault (in black helmet) speak with new recruits during water rescue training Welland Fire and Emergency Services recruits use a rescue dummy during throw bag training Welland Fire and Emergency Services recruits repack a throw bag A Welland Fire and Emergency Services recruit uses line from a throw bag to reach a stationary target A Niagara Regional Police officer on an ATV passes by Welland Fire and Emergency Services recruits and training officers Throw bags are one aspect of water rescue methods used in the Welland Recreational Canal and other waterways Welland Fire and Emergency Services recruits training at Rotary Club of Welland Park Two cats perished in a fire that destroyed a home at 74 Summit Ave. one Saturday evening and one Sunday morning Welland firefighters battle a blaze at 74 Summit Ave. Two fires destroyed a Welland house during the weekend Damage to the property is estimated at $700,000 Two cats perished and a home was destroyed after a fire broke out in the basement of a Welland residence Welland Fire and Emergency Services was called for a reported structure fire at 74 Summit Ave Firefighters arrived to find heavy smoke coming from the back of the house and launched an offensive fire attack “They found a well-involved fire in the basement of the residence and through that they were able to get the fire under control which made visibility challenging,” Richardson said Sunday The house had working smoke alarms and the resident in the tenant-occupied property escaped safely Richardson said firefighters searched to find missing pets but “despite our best efforts in resuscitation A fire prevention officer was on scene Saturday night and concluded the investigation likely an electrical issue,” said the deputy chief fire services heard from police heavy smoke was coming from the same residence and when firefighters arrived found heavy smoke and fire on the main floor as a more involved fire overtook the structure “It was an aggressive fire and we deployed a defensive operation on the property deploying elevated master streams (from the aerial truck) and high-diameter hoses on the property to control the fire,” said Richardson remains unclear but “the fire was put out at the earlier time and the property was secure when we left and released (it) to the property owner.” As to the rationale as to how a second fire occurred With the cold weather and winter storm conditions several nearby municipal fire hydrants were frozen Saturday night and firefighters had difficulty establishing a water supply Richardson said they were able to establish “water supply on a hydrant further just down the street to make sure that our trucks had that water supply.” as well as a third-party excavator to assist in knocking down the structure the property is not safe for firefighters to enter “The wind and the cold did make for some challenging conditions and certainly right now they’re on scene with the excavator with the heavy snowfall just for visibility and everything else.”  He added no firefighters suffered any injuries We just need to get access to deeper into the structure to flood it out to make sure all the hot spots went down.” the property was secured and a remediation company hired by the property owner’s insurance to board up the home Richardson said it was during that interim period the second fire broke out A 550-square-metre building under construction at the corner of Rice and Thorold roads in Welland will house at least three fast-foods outlets Osmow's Shawarma and Papa John's are coming to Welland Osmow’s Shawarma and Papa John’s are coming to Welland Rice Road could soon rival Niagara Street as the place to go for fast food in Welland A commercial plaza at the northwest corner of Rice and Thorold roads already home to a drive-thru KFC and Halibut House restaurant will be adding at least three options for takeout Osmow’s Shawarma and Papa John’s pizza are among the chains opening locations in a 550-square-metre building under construction at the busy intersection Each will operate out of a 90-square-metre unit with a “target” of April for completion of construction a spokesperson for Harmount Investments Ltd. said the Brampton-based developer is “85 per cent confident” the target will be met Redfearn added it was too early to say whether the fourth tenant also will operate a location specializing in fast food and takeout The plaza being developed is directly across Rice Road from Thor-Rice Plaza and is less than a block from Welland Centennial Secondary School and within walking distance of Niagara College have established a presence in the Niagara region Guac Mexi Grill has 55 locations across five provinces Catharines is among the 42 locations in Ontario Scott Street — and Victoria Avenue in Niagara Falls the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with more than 5,500 locations in 49 countries has two takeouts in Niagara Falls and two in St Welland resident Doug Morris with some of the trees cut down for a trail behind homes on Cedar Park Drive and Whiteoak Crescent in the city’s north end Residents in the area oppose the trail system and are concerned about safety and privacy Felled trees for a trail system between Cedar Park Drive and Whiteoak Crescent in Welland This series of photos taken by Cedar Park Drive resident Doug Morris show Niagara Regional Police standing by as Pineridge Tree Service employees cut down trees behind Whiteoak Crescent in north Welland A WSP Canada graphic shows the trail system between Whiteoak Crescent and Cedar Park Drive Page Drive and Whiteoak Crescent said they worry about safety and privacy with trails behind their houses North Welland residents heard trees being felled loud and clear Tuesday started clearing part of a controversial trail system One of those residents was Cedar Park Drive’s Doug Morris who took photos of the work and police standing near Pineridge Tree Service employees City says plan will result in $18.5 million of improvements over next 20 years “It’s primarily because of the limited input when this whole thing started; not knowing about it until a couple of years after things were well underway.” The north Welland route first appeared in 2019 in a parks, recreation and culture master plan as one of several conceptual trail systems throughout the city city council passed a community trails strategy which called for an $18.5-million investment into expanding cycling walking and recreational trail networks during the next 20 years The city received $1 million in federal funding in January 2023 to implement the trails strategy for an area around Hilda Street and north Welland and Niagara College Virtual and in-person meetings were held in August and September 2023 with trail consultants WSP Canada and city staff residents submitted more than 160 questions and raised safety and privacy concerns Morris said when residents first learned of the system He said they didn’t want to see loss of green space and wildlife behind the homes The property between Cedar Park and Whiteoak residents is city-owned and has a creek running down the middle “There’s not a lot of room on either side there The green space has been there for years,” said Morris the city said only a few trees would be removed Three were marked at the west end of Cedar Park “They didn’t just cut three trees down like they had told us they would but it’s somewhere in the neighbourhood of about 25 to 30 trees The city told us even though the tender for the trail hasn’t been released they were removing the trees before migratory birds came in and started nesting in April,” said Morris the city’s manager of transportation engineering said the tree removal was being done now so work would not interfere with the migratory birds nesting period from April 1 to Aug He said Pineridge was working on Cedar Park Page and Lancaster Drive and would be cutting a few trees on the Hilda Street and Abbey Road trail sections in the next few days “Trees cut will be removed when construction commences,” said Khan He said a tender for the trail system was released Wednesday Morris said Pineridge started cutting trees behind Cedar Park and Whiteoak Tuesday Khan said police were a preventive measure “A few residents were out and not leaving the site; as such police were approached to assist with the contractor completing this task,” he said in an email Residents in the area were not notified of the work and a permit to allow the tree cutting was not issued since the contractor was working on the city’s behalf Morris said residents were in their backyards watching the work and called it a “slap in the face” for police to be called Page Drive resident Nadia Potter said residents feel helpless “It makes no sense to prioritize trails no one wants over the safety and security of residents who have lived here for years Especially since we’re ultimately paying for it,” she said in a text message As one of the administrators of the Welland North end trail residents Facebook page Potter said the trails are going in areas that flood and won’t be accessible for months “The section behind Cedar Park is the biggest problem and that’s where they have started this project Potter said many have spoken out against the project and were met with resistance from city staff “It’s truly a waste of money and no one wants it here yet staff continues ahead with this project against everyone’s wishes.” Potter hopes to get support from city councillors and said the project shouldn’t be moving forward Though the trail won’t run through her backyard Cedar Park’s Kaitlin Turner feels like residents aren’t being heard “The trail doesn’t have a purpose,” said Turner “I get what they’re trying to do but it doesn’t go anywhere The trail through Cedar Park and Whiteoak will cross First Avenue and maps show it ends at Rollins Drive When the community trails strategy was approved by council a link to Niagara College to the south of Rollins and College Park Drive was identified as a high priority No map shows a link to the college property through those streets “I just feel by putting the pathway there (between Cedar Park and Whiteoak) you’re taking away something from people who bought those houses believing they had privacy She said there is a lot of development in the area — nearly 2,000 homes are proposed in the Quaker Road corridor from Niagara Street to Rice Road — and trees are being cut down everywhere outside the trail system Turner said more trees have been cut down than residents were told would be Some of those trees were behind Andrew Stirling’s Whiteoak residence When they went through a few weeks ago (Pineridge) they spray-painted all the trees to be taken down There was no need for these trees to be cut down.” Stirling said some of the trees being cut down were behind Ward 4 Coun DiMarco has been a staunch opponent of the trail system in his neighbourhood His opposition saw him reprimanded a year ago after breaching the Municipal Conflict of Interest Act and city council’s code of conduct DiMarco failed to declare a conflict of interest despite being advised to do so by the integrity commissioner in 2023 in the trail system running behind his home Integrity commissioner report follows Ward 4 councillor’s failure to declare a conflict of Stirling felt it was ignorant for the section of trail behind Whiteoak to be cut first and added he can’t go to DiMarco to complain because the councillor finds himself in a difficult position on the issue otherwise he’ll get an integrity complaint slapped on him if he says anything.” Stirling said there was more than enough space on city-owned land to move it away from the Whiteoak homes and trees and centre it between the properties on both sides “For them to put it right behind people’s back fences it brought up issues of security and privacy Now you’re going to have all these people basically walking through your backyard,” he said not everyone has a fence behind their house The City has received an application to rezone a portion of land at 425 Blackmarsh Road (between 418 Blackmarsh Road and 70 Welland Street) from Apartment 2 (A2) Zone to the Residential 2 (R2) Zone to create one new lot for a Single Detached Dwelling.  A Municipal Plan amendment is not required There is a similar rezoning application for another portion of the large 425 Blackmarsh Road parcel This current application seeks to rezone a different portion of that large parcel You can learn more about this application on the Planning St. John’s webpage at engagestjohns.ca/planning John's webpage allows the public to learn more about planning applications give feedback and ask questions all in one place.  View Application Provide your comments to the Office of the City Clerk including your name and address to cityclerk@stjohns.ca or P.O Comments received become a matter of public record and are included in the Council agenda for the date a decision on the application will be made Any identifying information (including your name) will be removed prior to your comment being released publicly you must indicate as such with your submission Collection of personal information is authorized under the Access to Information and Protection of Privacy Act, 2015 and is needed to consider your comments on this application. Questions about the collection and use of your information may be directed to the City Clerk at 709-576-8619 or cityclerk@stjohns.ca Notices are sent to property owners within 150 metres of the application site. For more information call 709-576-6192, email planning@stjohns.ca Sign up to receive information from the City of St Check out the various categories of general news Subscribe Today Phone: 709-754-2489, Send an Email It appears you are trying to access this site using an outdated browser parts of the site may not function properly for you We recommend updating your browser to its most recent version at your earliest convenience Welland’s physician recruitment program which was launched in 2023 and offers $100,000 to doctors who set up a practice in the city Ayesha Ahmed is practising at 905 Niagara St Welland’s newest doctor recruited under the city’s physician recruitment incentive program is currently accepting new patients In a city council information package on the municipality’s website director of economic development and strategic initiatives said the city has attracted 14 physicians through the program the $1-million program allots $100,000 to physicians who moved to the Rose City to either start or take over a practice Doctors in the program must commit to staying in Welland for at least five years city councillors approved adding another $1 million to the program DeChellis said Dr. Ayesha Ahmed is practising at Intrepid Medical Centre, 905 Niagara St. People looking for a family doctor can contact her at 905-361-1449 or by emailing welland@intrepidhealthgroup.com Welland’s fairgrounds are now owned by Mountainview Fairgrounds Developments Inc after it purchased the Niagara Street property from Niagara Regional Agricultural Society for just under $40 million Niagara Regional Agricultural Society has said it is committed to finding a new home for the Niagara Regional Exhibition Niagara Regional Agricultural Society president Colin Bowman said the society and buyer intend to issue a press release on the sale Welland’s fairgrounds have a new owner after the Niagara Regional Agricultural Society sold the property for nearly $40 million to Mountainview Fairgrounds Developments Inc when the then-Welland County Agricultural Society purchased it for $60,000 NRAS president Colin Bowman said he had no comment on the sale “There will be a press release from the buyer and ourselves He said the sale will not be discussed during the agricultural society’s annual general meeting, slated for Sunday at the Welland Community Centre on Lincoln Street Society members will discuss minutes of previous general and special meetings appoint a new auditor and elect new directors directors will hold a special meeting behind closed doors to discuss a replacement property purchase for the Niagara Regional Exhibition Niagara Regional Agricultural Society announces its members six weeks ago voted unanimously to The Tribune learned of the sale by searching Ontario Land Registry Office records which showed both the sale price of $39,939,750 and the property’s new owner which has housing and condominium projects across Welland Basciano and Memme are also active officers No one from Mountainview could be reached for comment Monday afternoon The fairgrounds feature a 3,715-square-metre exhibition building which has been home to an indoor tennis club and the Bullettproof Baseball Academy The site also hosted the World Electronic Music Festival in 2007 connected with the history of the Three-County Society It was formed to improve agricultural methods across Niagara and encourage domestic farm production With the society fracturing in 1853 due to the passing of a governmental law allowing division for large counties a separate branch of the association called the Welland County Agricultural Society was formed in Port Robinson that same year it would be the organization responsible for continuing the tradition The fair moved to the Niagara Street site from Denistoun Street in 1975 backs onto subdivisions in Thorold to the east and is next door to Welland Sports Complex Talk of its sale began a year ago, following a special meeting of NRAS directors in December 2023, when a realtor was in attendance. a news release from the society said the property had been sold to an undisclosed buyer at an undisclosed price with a potential October closing date Bowman said the fair would not shut down and would continue to operate no matter where it lands He also said there were no plans to dissolve the society Society members had heard the exhibition had three-to-five years left at the Niagara Street fairgrounds On its Facebook page the society has an event listed for June 7 called Mudbogz for ATVs and SXSs which are side-by-side off-road vehicles also known as utility task vehicles (UTVs) You will also start receiving the Star's free morning newsletter Niagara South 2025 federal election live results. Browse live results for all 343 ridings 266 of 266 polls are reporting as of 4:21 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election 266 of 266 polls are reporting as of 4:21 p.m. Follow our full coverage of the 2025 federal election Davies has 36,702 of 76,762 votes (47.81%) is in second place with 33,708 votes (43.91%) and Chantal McCollum Badawey has represented the riding since 2015 Niagara South used to be named Niagara Centre The riding’s boundaries were updated for the 2025 federal election 27,169 voters cast ballots at advance polls Looking for another riding? Here are the full results for the 2025 federal election. The Liberals have 169 races called in their favour They have 8,535,128 votes and 43.69 per cent of the popular vote The Conservatives have 144 races called in their favour They have 8,059,938 votes and 41.26 per cent of the popular vote The Bloc Québécois have 22 races called in their favour They have 1,232,095 votes and 6.31 per cent of the popular vote The New Democrats have seven races called in their favour They have 1,231,198 votes and 6.3 per cent of the popular vote The Greens have one race called in their favour They have 243,471 votes and 1.25 per cent of the popular vote There were three independents and four vacancies in the 338-seat Commons the Commons has grown by five ridings starting with this election This article was automatically generated using data provided by Canadian Press and will update as riding results become available This illustration shows the concept for a six-storey 78-unit affordable housing development in Welland on a portion of Hooker Street Park city council approved turning over city-owned land for the project A 0.39-hectare section of Hooker Street Park will be used by Niagara Regional Housing for a 78-unit affordable housing development The rent-geared-to-income building will feature five bachelor 26 two-bedroom and six three-bedroom units Calling it a step in the right direction, Welland Ward 2 Coun. Leo Van Vliet has lent his support to a six-storey, 78-unit affordable housing apartment building to be constructed on a portion of Hooker Street Park To be operated by Niagara Regional Housing which manages public housing units across the region that provide affordable housing on a rent-geared-to-income basis Construction on the 0.39-hectare parcel of land is expected to start in 2026 “I think this just goes to show how successful we can be when working together with other levels of government,” Van Vliet said during a recent city council meeting Council approved a report conveying the property Conveying the property instead of an outright sale or lease allows the city first right of refusal (to take back) if the Region stops providing affordable housing on the site “I have been on the affordable housing (task force) for five or six years now and I have to tell you there are times I go into a meeting and think to myself ‘What are we really doing here?’” said Van Vliet The veteran councillor said it seemed the group was getting nowhere for years we have two fair-sized projects staring us in the face I look at the rental rates and it’s certainly affordable housing at its best there will be more in the future,” he said It was announced earlier this month that a $5.33-million affordable housing project of two two-storey buildings, each with 12 units, will be constructed and operated by Gateway Residential & Community Support Services and Mainstream Services on the southwest corner of Broadway and Kilgour Avenue A $5.33-million affordable housing project includes two Monthly rent in Niagara Regional Housing’s building is estimated to be $456 for bachelor and one-bedroom units and $731 for two- and three-bedroom units a serving area and scooter storage on the ground floor The city will keep a three-metre-wide portion of land on the eastern boundary to accommodate a recreational pathway providing access from the Welland Recreational Canal to Edward Street and Hooker Street Park A fence/screen will be installed on the south side along the length of the building footprint to improve privacy for ground floor units from the neighbouring property The site was chosen by the city’s affordable housing advisory committee for its proximity to high-density development to the south shopping amenities at nearby Pupo’s and St and Hooker Street and Rotary parks and open space director of planning and development services said the city and Region worked together on the affordable housing project after city council referred it back to staff a month ago councillors wanted to see an entrance to the site from Denistoun instead of using an unopened Edward Street road allowance on the northeast side of the project Edward Street passes behind Welland Tennis Club and in front of Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Ragusa convent and Sacred Heart Day Nursery Councillors raised concerns about increased traffic in front of Sacred Heart and said children from the daycare used the unopened road allowance to access the park Entry and exit to the site will be from Denistoun which is in line with four multi-storey residential apartment buildings to the south but still using the west side of the unopened road allowance Sharmila Setaram said she is proud to have more affordable and subsidized housing coming to Welland Munday said a soccer field next to the site may be rearranged and upgrades may be made to the park which could include a pavilion and additional trees that would be paid for by the city He said the Region will pay for replacement trees and fencing on its side Previously used as a parking lot for the former Newman Steel operations environmental site assessments will be needed to determine whether soil or groundwater contamination is present and whether remediation is required In the report, city staff recommended council approve allowing Niagara Regional Housing to apply for Welland’s brownfield community improvement plan and its incentive programs given the site’s former industrial use Those incentives include grants for environmental studies brownfield tax assistance and tax increment if remediation is required and brownfield fees for planning and building Munday said the agency would not apply for the city’s affordable housing reserve fund which supports affordable housing projects in Welland Welland Mayor Frank Campion spent four days in Hannover earlier this month meeting with several companies Mayor Frank Campion and the city's chief administrative officer and economic development and strategic initiatives director met with several companies over four days in Hannover Mayor Frank Campion and the city’s chief administrative officer and economic development and strategic initiatives director met with several companies over four days in Hannover Mayor Frank Campion says a trip to Germany was about creating jobs and long-term economic sustainability for Welland residents Earlier this month, Campion, chief administrative officer Rob Axiak and economic development and strategic initiatives director Lina DeChellis spent four days in Hannover, Germany, at Hannover Messe Hannover Messe is the world’s leading industrial trade fair and brings together key players in engineering Canada was a partner in the show this year “We got involved in the trade show because we talked to Global Affairs Canada Invest Canada and Invest Ontario,” Campion said “We weren’t aware of this (trade show) until we were talking to those folks.” Axiak said the city’s participation was encouraged by Global Affairs Canada during a visit to Ottawa last December through its Can Export Community Investments program provided the city with a grant of $4,520 to help offset the costs — no total was given — of attending the event Campion said the city rode on Global Affairs Canada’s coattails without the expense of a booth or paying extra money for extra services “We felt getting there and attending was the cost of it Campion said there’s a drive to bring companies from Europe and China “We’re seeing more and more global investment.” Campion pointed to last year’s announcement by Japanese company Asahi Kasei that it would be building a $1.56-billion lithium-ion separator battery plant in Port Colborne’s north end to be called Asahi Kasei Battery Separator Canada “A big part of our strategy is to tap that (investment) market.” Part of the city’s strategy is working with Transport Canada and Hamilton Oshawa Port Authority to free up lands along the (working) Welland Canal for industrial use “We attempted at one point to expropriate property and we found it was not an appropriate way to go We were tasked with coming up with a new strategy and that’s to get those lands along the canal I’ve had meetings in the past couple of weeks with HOPA and the seaway the city can get back to Invest Ontario and Invest Canada and get on a list showing how much land the city has available “That encourages them (Invest Ontario and Invest Canada) when they get requests from foreign countries We’re on their list of places to go.” Campion said the trip to Germany was not to meet with two companies already looking at the city as a place to move are not eying lands along the canal because none are available The trip was about networking with companies having a presence on the global stage and putting the city on the radar of those looking to invest overseas Axiak and DeChellis met with several companies The mayor did not name any companies the trio met with “We don’t know if they’re going to come here The investment is worth it because of the opportunities that are available.” The trip also allowed the three to meet up with Bosch Rexroth which has a site in Welland on Prince Charles Drive South Campion said it was a chance to speak with Bosch Rexroth’s leaders and see if there were other opportunities for Welland to work with the company The city sat in meetings with Invest Ontario and Invest Canada and companies interested in Canada and Ontario “We don’t know what the results of those will be and they’re certainly not going to be immediate.” The mayor said speaking with one company might indirectly lead to other interested parties “I have a bunch of (business) cards which we’re going process and get back to those people because now we have an understanding of what they’re selling and what their supply chains look like without pitching to them.” who told the city’s representatives to call them “People continue to say there are no jobs in Welland that’s why we go to things like (Hannover) Messe.” The City of Port Colborne will be busting out the top hat Saturday to help ring in the 2025 shipping season on the Welland Canal The long-standing ceremony features a top hat being presented to the captain of the first downbound vessel of the season as it begins its 10-hour trip though the eight locks of the 44.4-kilmoetre waterway linking Lake Erie to Lake Ontario “Our top hat ceremony is about our community coming together to welcome the first downbound vessel through the Welland Canal as we celebrate the start of the new shipping season,” said Port Colborne mayor Bill Steele “It’s always wonderful to see the crowd turn up each year to enjoy a time-honoured tradition.” features a pancake breakfast hosted by the Port Colborne Fair Trade Committee beginning at 8 a.m the ceremony will also include representatives from federal and provincial governments as well as members of Port Colborne council Steele said the event is important as it “marks our commitment to the marine industry and its contribution to our local (SLSMC) will host its own top hat ceremony at the Welland Canals Centre at Lock 3 in St It’s a departure from previous years when the Port Colborne and St Catharines events both took place on the same day “There'll be members from industry and a lot of people from the public like to attend this particular ceremony,” said Nicole Giroux-Laplante media relations and communications manager for the Seaway Included in the delegation will be SLSMC chief executive officer Jim Athanasiou will also include the presentation of a top hat to a downbound vessel that will already be on site The SLSMC announced near the end of last season that it would be investing $350 million in the canal on infrastructure upgrades energy infrastructure and mechanical and structural systems The first round of work has been completed “Everything will be ready all of the winter works working hard to work towards the opening on the season on the 22nd.” moved through the Seaway with trends across major cargo segments indicating continued demand in key sectors Grain experienced a year-over-year increase of 12 per cent Liquid bulk was up 10 points year-over-year last season was the longest planned season on record shows the location of a four-pad multi-use arena facility on River Road in Welland Consultants say there’s no room for a four-pad facility where the Welland Main and Jack Ballantyne Memorial Arena arenas are They recommended city-owned land on River Road as a prime location A lack of prime-time space at the city’s two King Street rinks — the aging Welland Main and Jack Ballantyne Memorial arenas — is restraining the growth of sports To meet the needs of sports groups in the rapidly expanding city a consultant is recommending Welland build a four-pad arena complex on River Road to address user group needs as its King Street facilities near the end of their lifespans Five user groups now take up almost all prime-time ice hours in Welland with Welland Minor Hockey accounting for nearly half of the use The lack of available time for other users at the two King Street rinks — Welland Main and Jack Ballantyne Memorial arenas — is restraining the growth of sports sledge hockey and other recreational activities during an arena feasibility study presentation to city councillors Tuesday urbanMetrics worked with CS&P Architects Inc commissioned last summer to assess the potential development of a new multi-use arena CS&P principal Susan Lewin and project architect Ryan Giuricich were also party to the presentation The Toronto-based company held two public engagement sessions and used a survey posted to the city’s Engage Welland website last September and November The report did not say how many people attended the public sessions A 2022 needs assessment found the main and Jack Ballantyne arenas It said both would require significant investment to maintain service levels and avoid downtime Council heard the lack of ideal ice time has resulted in sports groups moving outside Welland for better hours “Girls figure skating is non-existent largely due to limited ice time CanSkate (a learn-to-skate program) has limited use and sledge (hockey) and adult leagues find it hard to obtain prime-time hours.”  residents told consultants a new facility cannot focus solely on hockey They said a training facility with weights and conditioning equipment and a track for dry land training should be among its features A gym would need to accommodate basketball food and drink options and a warm place from which to watch rink games are also needed A twin-pad facility would not solve ice-time capacity issues Lewin said council must consider three things — the number of ice pads needed the location of a new facility and whether to retrofit the aging facilities or build a new one Lewin took council through four options Tuesday — three that were not recommended The rejected options were: rehabilitating the arenas or building a new twin-pad facility on the limited-size site; building a twin-pad arena on 1.5 hectares of land on Shaw Street beside Empire Sportsplex; building a four-pad facility on 13 hectares at Memorial Park next to the Welland Canal a plan that would consume most green space The consultant recommended a four-pad arena complex on 12.6 hectares of River Road land and it could be a major sporting complex or community hub,” she said Lewin said the city could build a twin-pad to start and later expand retail and administration space inside a four-pad with a pedestrian walkway to Youngs Sportsplex Time limitations prevented a robust council discussion everybody wants it … but no one wants to get up in the morning but we need to get a lot of clarification on this presentation.” John Chiocchio said he understood the thinking behind a four-pad arena but didn’t understand the extra expense of a walking track with the YMCA down the road He asked if there had been any discussions about Niagara Health using the King Street property to expand hospital services Lewin said that was an interesting proposal and added the site could also be used for housing Three people were treated by paramedics after a fire broke out in a three-storey Welland apartment building Tuesday night Three people were treated for smoke exposure at the scene by Niagara Emergency Medical Services paramedics Three people were treated by paramedics after a fire during which residents took refuge on balconies to escape smoke broke out in a three-storey Welland apartment building Fire Chief Adam Eckhart said six Welland Fire and Emergency Services trucks and 25 professional and volunteer firefighters responded to an alarm activation at St there was nothing showing from the exterior found smoke on the third floor and identified a fire in a unit in the southwest corner of the (apartment) building.” No one was at home in the unit during the fire As smoke filled the third-floor hallway of 250 Prince Charles Dr. some residents in the 24-unit structure took to their balconies out of harm’s way and into a place where it wasn’t hazardous.” Residents with mobility issues were moved to balconies by firefighters each wearing a self-contained breathing apparatus “Our firefighters brought them blankets to keep them warm.” Three people were treated for smoke exposure at the scene by Niagara Emergency Medical Services “Smoke throughout the third floor contaminated the hallway and several units,” Eckhart said “There was no smoke or water damage in the unit below (the fire’s origin) We were ventilating to improve the air quality for a few hours after the fire was suppressed.” Eckhart said residents were allowed back to their apartments the owner of the unit where the fire started found accommodation elsewhere in the city The fire chief did not have a damage figure “I think it would be important to remind people not to cook unattended and make sure any sources of ignition are extinguished or shut off before they leave their residence.” A conceptual rendering shows what is being proposed for a retail plaza at the corner of East Main and Wellington streets in Welland A site plan for a commercially zoned property in east Welland includes a grocery store and a restaurant Development at the corner of East Main and Wellington streets in Welland could begin in the fourth quarter of 2025 or the first quarter of 2026 The property at East Main and Wellington streets is now used by Canadian Tire for storage A Welland building now used by Canadian Tire for storage will return to its retail roots if Avison Young has anything to say about it The commercial retail estate services firm hopes that a 9,200-square-metre building at the northwest corner of East Main and Wellington streets can become a plaza with at least 10 tenants “We’re planning on redeveloping that property to convert it back to a grocery-anchor retail centre,” said Nick Boertien a sales representative and principal with Avison Young A target date for completion of a plan that would add three more buildings to the 4.7-hectare site has yet to be set Canadian Tire has a lease in place until the fourth quarter of this year “We’re going to be looking to take back the building at the end of this year and start work on the development in Q4/Q1 2026,” Boertien said in an interview There are no plans now to demolish part of a building that has served as offices for Canadian Tire Financial Services and once housed a Zellers department store “The plan as it sits today is to utilize the existing building as it is.” There have been some expressions of interest but so far no tenant has committed to a project that is a block away from the roundabout at the south end of Highway 406 “We just started less than a month ago on the project,” Boertien said “We do already have some interest from one grocer and we have interest from some other larger retailers as well “We’re not contemplating any at this point.” A site plan for the existing building shows six units ranging in size from 134 square metres to 544 square metres for a restaurant fronting a parking lot facing East Main Street Four units facing Wellington Street measure 2,358 which also faces a parking lot with access off Major Street The site plan also shows three additional buildings facing Wellington Street that would add nearly 1,900 square metres of space — 410 sits across Wellington Street from a Tim Hortons and Canadian Tire Financial Services kitty-corner to Niagara Battery and Tire and next to Welland Hydro on East Main Street Avison Young is a commercial real estate services firm with more than 100 offices in 20 countries would increase the number of grocery stores east of the Welland Recreational Canal to four Currently serving the east side of Welland are a FreshCo on Ontario Road A grocery store is also intended to anchor a retail development at the northeast corner of Niagara Street and Quaker Road A Welland woman in her 90s last August received a three-month water bill for $7,528 which was later attributed to a leaky toilet asks city councillors to forgive all or part of a $7,528 water bill his mother-in-law received last year due to an unnoticed leaky toilet in her home Her son-in-law asked city councillors for relief of full payment but no resolution was reached during their Tuesday meeting The family of an older Welland woman sought relief from the city for a staggering $7,528 water bill that accrued as a result of an undetected leaky toilet but left a council meeting without any resolution Mike Marcello appeared before councillors Tuesday on behalf of his mother-in-law and typically her water consumption has averaged in the range of 14 cubic metres per three-month billing period to 25 cubic metres during busy times and her consumption number was 1,472 cubic metres.” said his mother-in-law was alarmed and called her family His brother-in-law went to the house and found a leak in a rarely used basement toilet “We believe that was the reason for the excess consumption and I believe she was in contact with the water department There was an email I saw about a high leak adjustment amount due to the water policy that could forgive $1,000.” He said his mother-in-law had been asked if she would be willing to pay $150 monthly to cover the bill “We’re concerned about how to approach this We weren’t denying the fact the water was consumed We just thought it was an excessive bill to pay given Olive has always paid her taxes on time and never missed a water bill.” Leo Van Vliet advised him to speak with chief administrative officer Rob Axiak about the bill He said the family offered to pay $800 and asked the city to forgive the rest of the bill and it would have to come through city council Marcello wanted council to forgive the bill but said the family is still prepared to offer $800 as a penalty which would typically be a full year’s consumption for his mother-in-law why not give the city (staff) the flexibility in adjusting that amount in exceptional circumstances You could pass a bylaw that says up to a certain amount the city can make that decision rather than having the next person come to you and plead to you as I have.” He suggested the city could allocate a small percentage in its water-wastewater budget to cover incidents like his mother-in-law’s and change billing for older adults to monthly City councillors had no questions for Marcello after his presentation “What we have done is received your report but have taken no action on it,” said Mayor Frank Campion He told Marcello he couldn’t recommend what the family do next a city councillor could have referred it to city staff for a report A councillor could come back with a notice of motion at a future council meeting and propose a solution to the billing issue asked if council could go in camera to discuss the water bill to give the family some peace of mind Campion said it was not something that could be taken behind closed doors and we’re all aware of what has transpired There is nothing to discuss in camera at this point,” he said shows the proposed subdivision area at 450 Rice Rd A graphic in an Upper Canada Consultants report shows the proposed Quaker Road subdivision in north Welland Upper Canada Consultants will appear before Welland city council on Tuesday 14 on behalf of developers pitching projects Developments proposed for north Welland could lead to close to 500 new homes built on properties on Rice and Quaker roads for statutory public hearings under the Planning Act on behalf of BSF Communities Inc BSF Communities Inc. is proposing an official plan amendment to redesignate 450 Rice Rd. to medium density residential and environmental conservation area from low density greenfield residential, medium density residential, mixed use and environmental conservation area. An environmental study by Markham-based Beacon Environmental Ltd found the property is 95 per cent active agricultural field with the Towpath Drain flowing west to east along the northern boundary There is a proposal to realign the drain and establish a buffer zone around it and not allow residents to access the area The developer wants to build 139 townhome units with each unit having a private driveway and private attached garage on the east side of Rice just north of Quaker Road There would be 54 visitor parking spaces on site A private road 195 metres north of the Rice and Quaker intersection would provide access to the subdivision A traffic study said the full build-out of the development is projected to generate approximately 67 new vehicle trips during the weekday morning peak hour and 79 new vehicle trips during the weekday afternoon peak hour An area resident wants sidewalks on Quaker Road before the subdivision is built “A left-turn lane warrant analysis was conducted at the proposed development driveway to Rice Road and determined that a southbound left-turn lane is not warranted,” said the study by Cambridge-based Paradigm Transportation Solutions Ltd Upper Canada Consultants will also speak on behalf of Ashton Homes (Western) Ltd That developer wants an official plan amendment to change land to low and medium density residential open space and environmental conservation area from low density greenfield residential open space and environmental conservation area Ashton Homes (Western) Ltd. is proposing to build a residential subdivision comprised of 264 single-detached residences and 76 townhouse units on 16.2 hectares, along with a park and areas for environmental conservation and storm water management. The Towpath Drain also flows through the property on the north side of Quaker between Niagara Street and First Avenue Upper Canada’s planning justification report for the development said though the proposed subdivision will contain 340 dwelling units but will contribute to affordability by increasing the supply of housing within the area and achieving a broader range of housing at different price points Bryan Green says area residents are concerned about increased traffic and speed as Two subdivisions are already proposed for the area — one by Ambria (First Welland) Ltd on the east side of First Avenue north of Quaker Road with 138 stacked townhomes — representing 354 dwelling units — on 3.87 hectares of land formerly used as a driving range calls for between 711 and 741 dwelling units in 36 townhouse blocks on 30 hectares of land Residents opposed or in favour of either BSF Communities Inc can appear before council in person that night Those who want to appear virtually must contact city clerk Tara Stephens at clerk@welland.ca no later than noon on Jan 10 to be provided a link to join the meeting The meetings are livestreamed at welland.ca/Council/LiveStream.asp and information, including file numbers and reports, can be found under public planning notices at welland.ca/Media/Notices.asp Welland and Niagara Region consists of Good Friday (April 18) Easter Sunday (April 20) and Easter Monday (April 21) Almost everything that is closed on Friday is also closed Sunday The reason Easter weekend changes every year swinging back and forth between March and April is that the dates are based on the moon and not on religion-specific dates the date of Easter Sunday is the first Sunday after the first full moon of spring March 22 is the earliest Easter can occur in any given year If the first spring full Moon happens to fall on a Sunday Easter Sunday will be observed on the following Sunday Many malls in Niagara Falls and Niagara-on-the-Lake remain open because both cities are designated tourist areas whereas other municipalities in the region are not others add “hours may differ” because it’s a holiday What’s OPEN and CLOSED on Easter Monday (April 21) Coastal Titan stands moored just north of Lock 6 of the Welland Canal on Tuesday Commercial ship traffic is not scheduled to start until Saturday but the vessel is necessary for some maintenance work prior to the opening of the shipping season The seaway opens to commercial traffic on Saturday If you’ve seen a ship in the Welland Canal even though the shipping season doesn’t open until Saturday is set to open the 67th navigation season of the St The occasion will be marked in Port Colborne with the annual top hat ceremony at Lock 8 Gateway Park motorists in the north end of the peninsula Monday night encountered raised bridges over the canal as a vessel passed through Seaway community relations officer Sam Pane explained the ship — Coastal Titan — is being used to perform last-minute maintenance on the canal prior to the opening of the shipping season This year is an unusual one for the opening of the canal in that top hat ceremonies in Port Colborne and St Catharines are taking place on different days the city-organized ceremony is taking place on the actual opening date followed by the presentation of the traditional beaver felt fur hat to the captain of the first downbound vessel City spokesperson Doug Hunt said the event is usually held on the first day of the shipping season because that is when the first downbound ship passes through ceremonies have occurred without the first ship being there because of last-minute weather delays Catharines top hat ceremony at Lock 3 is run by the Seaway and is being held Tuesday Pane said the reason it’s being held Tuesday has to do with logistics “We’re doing the opening ceremony on the earliest possible date after the official opening,” he said Pane said the decision on the opening date for the canal shipping season is made once the Seaway is able to predict when maintenance will be completed The goal is always to open it at the earliest opportunity and we were able to open it up earlier,” he said Mike Zettel is a reporter for Niagara This Week Welland firefighters walk from Canal View Homes at 60 King St. to their truck after clearing the top two floors of noxious fumes caused by an improper mix of cleaning supplies Welland Fire and Emergency Services firefighters use fans to clear noxious fumes from the Canal View Homes apartment building at 60 King St. A maintenance worker led a tenant affected by noxious fumes Wednesday to the safety of the lobby at 60 King St People are urged to be cautious when using household cleaning products after a seven-storey downtown Welland apartment building was partially evacuated Wednesday Welland Fire and Emergency Services deputy fire Chief Matt Richardson said firefighters responded to Canal View Homes at the corner of King and Divisions streets just before 2 p.m “A tenant in the building was mixing cleaning products which created noxious fumes and created a medical emergency for the person.” Richardson said a maintenance worker in the 56-unit affordable housing building smelled the odour and helped the tenant to the lobby “The maintenance person went back to the apartment and began to experience health issues as well due to exposure Richardson said firefighters wearing self-contained breathing apparatus could smell chemicals on the sixth floor of 60 King St They evacuated tenants there and on the top seventh floor Fans were set up in stairwells to clear fumes from the building and tenants were later allowed to return to their units Richardson said due to the maintenance worker suffering from exposure the provincial Ministry of Labour was notified Niagara Regional Police and Niagara Emergency Medical Services also responded to the call “This is a reminder to residents to be very cautious when using and mixing cleaning products,” Richardson said “They should make sure to read the product label and not mix inappropriate chemicals It can create noxious fumes and be corrosive They should also wear approved personal protection equipment.” Kandis Litalien enjoys a tropical drink at Welland FoodFest on Merritt Island last year Organizers have pulled the plug on this year’s event “due to unforeseen circumstances.”  Heavy work commitments and personal health issues with the people involved and uncertainty with the Merritt Island venue were cited as reasons for the event's cancellation were cited as reasons for the event’s cancellation Two years after its debut, Welland FoodFest won’t be dishing up a third helping this year it will not be possible to proceed as planned,” a post on the event’s website reads personal health issues and uncertainty with the venue it will be impossible to proceed this year.” The event had been scheduled for Oct. 4 and 5 on Merritt Island It was the organizers and volunteers of Welland Floatfest who initiated the food affair after the long-running Niagara Food Festival was cancelled in 2015 and its successor Feast Street folded in 2018 Niagara Food Festival started at Welland Market Square in 1993 later moved to Merritt Island and finished its 22-year run in 2015 on King Street Called the “Peninsula’s Tastiest Party,” it folded after incurring financial losses primarily as a result of inclement weather filling East Main Street from Hellems Avenue to King Street and the entirety of Cross Street with vendors Welland FoodFest ‘s first run on Merritt Island in the parking lot and part of the trail system leading north featured 24 food vendors and a beer garden At least 10,000 people attended the two-day event despite organizers declining a permissive grant from the city to help run the festival saying the money should go to other groups in Welland city councillors later awarded the event $8,000 Forty food vendors and food trucks served a variety of culinary treats over two days last October and at least 4,800 foodies attended the first day alone organizers apologized for any disappointment this year’s cancellation may cause “We were looking forward to sharing this experience with all of you we would love to plan a similar event in the future and will keep you updated moving forward for future events,” said a post A spokesperson for Welland FoodFest said organizers could not comment on whether the recent sale of part of Merritt Island to Niagara Region by the City of Welland was a factor in the decision to scrap this year’s event Regional council approved spending $7.7 million in exchange for city-owned land in the park’s regional councillors approved spending $7.7 million for the land The funds will also be used to build water access and a dock tree canopy enhancement and demolition of the Pope Francis Centre Construction on the island is expected to begin next year The Ontario Land Tribunal has overruled Welland’s committee of adjustment and allowed a minor variance that could see the former Bogner Photography and Gallery building in downtown Welland developed into 14 apartment units The Ontario Land Tribunal has allowed a minor variance that could see the former Bogner Photography building in downtown Welland developed into 14 apartment units Ground-floor commercial space could also be part of redevelopment of the former Bogner Photography and Gallery building Turning the historic Rose Block at the corner of West Main and Niagara streets in Welland into a 14-unit apartment building is in the “final permit stages” after the Ontario Land Tribunal overruled a committee of adjustment decision the committee rejected a development proposal submitted by a numbered Ontario company because it did not include parking spaces and exceeded restrictions on residential space in the Downtown Mixed Use Centre Zone the zoning for the property at 28 West Main St the committee pointed out that eight parking spots were required for 14 residential units It also ruled that in denying the request that zoning for a building that housed the former Bogner Photography and Gallery required that a minimum of 25 per cent of space be devoted to commercial usage The proposal had called for ground floor space to be turned into residential units the Ontario Land Tribunal was satisfied that permitting the minor variance would be “consistent with the Provincial Policy Statement 2020 and conform to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe.” Bogner Photography relocating to British Columbia the tribunal also heard that parking concerns could be mitigated by continuing to use municipally owned land to the east Such access to parking could be formalized through an agreement that would be required as part of the site plan application a sales representative for Re/Max Niagara Realty Ltd. said in an interview on behalf of 1000272358 Ontario Inc. that a deal for parking has yet to be secured “It’s in the final permit stages essentially We went to the Ontario tribunal to fight the city We appealed and we won on both of these accounts,” Cleary said “Now the city has our permit and it’s in the final stages of review.” Approval doesn’t necessarily mean the owners of the property will go ahead with the project We want to know if it’s possible or not,” he said it obviously can make a big difference for us The project is “already approved” as far as Cleary is concerned “The city is just going through the permit to make sure everything in the drawings are good and so on and so forth,” he said “The city has to go through their process and do their review.” Cleary pointed out that some commercial space in the three-storey building is “not off the table.” “We still do have drawings that include two commercial units.” Some work has already taken place at the property manager of planning and development services for the City of Welland said permits have been issued for the demolition of a single-storey addition and a decommissioned four-storey elevator shaft at the rear of the building There also has been “partial demolition of interior walls to suit future renovation.” The building dates back to the late 1870s when it was constructed for Hugh Alexander Rose a prominent merchant who ran a general store It housed other business operations before being purchased from the Lathrop family by Thies and Audrey Bogner in October 1983 They used the ground floor for a photography gallery and main studio with the second floor used for two studios and the top floor to store props and backgrounds is accepting patients at Samy’s Clinics on Division Street Thirteen physicians have come to the city through its incentive program since 2023 recruited through the city’s physician recruitment incentive program the city’s economic development director stated in a council information package Working with Niagara Region’s physician recruitment specialist the city has attracted 13 physicians through the program The city allots $100,000 to physicians who move to the Rose City to either start or take over a practice To become a patient of Babatunde, people can call 365-888-3576 or go to www.samysclinics.ca 24-unit development in north Welland can move forward after the developer and city reached a settlement before the Ontario Land Tribunal 24-unit apartment building on a lot behind homes on Aqueduct Street and Gadsby Avenue A controversial housing development in north Welland can move forward after a settlement was reached between the city and developer, says an Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT) ruling despite staff’s recommendation that city council approve the project who purchased the land in 2019 after it was declared surplus by the city in 2017 took Welland to the OLT “for its failure to make a decision within the time frames prescribed” in the Planning Act — 120 days for official plan amendments The OLT hears and adjudicates matters related to land use planning, environmental and natural features, heritage protection, land valuation, land compensation, municipal finance and related issues. Residents were opposed to the sale in 2019, and said they received no notice about the status of the property, which holds a woodlot then-chief administrative officer Gary Long said the city had a legal binding contract with the purchaser to sell the land Long also said the lot was not part of the city’s parks system despite it being adjacent to Aqueduct Park In 2022, residents argued the property was to remain parkland, as promised to the owners when they sold it to the city in 1990 Council heard a letter from a former mayor indicated the lot was to be preserved as parkland but no report ever appeared before city council in the ’90s that would have made that binding There was opposition to the scale of the development Lucchetta planned for eight townhouses on the Aqueduct section of land The plans were later changed to the apartment building Residents didn’t want to see the woodlot lost and said it was home to wildlife such as the endangered little brown bat They also said the area sucked up groundwater during rain events said the proposed use of the property is compatible with the surrounding area as the configuration and siting of the proposed building will not impact the streetscape along Aqueduct Tomaino also said the height of the building does not exceed the maximum permitted for other structures on the surrounding properties Under official plan amendments agreed to by the city and developer the woodlot will be designated as core natural heritage and a woodland management plan developed to ensure its long-term preservation The rest of the property will be zoned as medium-density residential for the apartment building on the northwest corner with an access driveway to Aqueduct Street The site will have 28 parking spaces on the south side of the proposed building Niagara Regional Police are investigating after a woman reported being attacked from behind while walking in downtown Welland and sexually assaulted while unconscious last Friday evening The victim reported being attacked from behind and dragged into an alley by two unknown men Welland residents are asked to keep their eyes open for anything suspicious after a woman reported being knocked unconscious from behind while walking downtown dragged into an alley and sexually assaulted by two unknown men Niagara Regional Police said officers responded to a belated report at about 4 a.m she was walking on East Main Street near Cross Street when she was suddenly struck from behind and knocked out She awoke to find she had been dragged into a nearby alley and sexually assaulted by two unknown men and she made her way to the hospital on her own for treatment of minor injuries The first suspect is described as having a medium build while the second is was wearing a dark balaclava and appeared to have dark brown sideburns and eyebrows Detectives from the NRP sexual assault unit are investigating and will be canvassing the area for information over the next two to three days Police are also appealing for surveillance video from the area and asked that  anyone who may have been in the area between 8 p.m 11 to review their footage and contact police if they spot the victim Police said the victim was wearing dark-coloured snow pants and a dark-coloured winter coat Police said the community is being asked to maintain heightened vigilance and to report anything suspicious Anyone with information is asked by police to call 905-688-4111, option 3, ext. 1009407. Information can be submitted anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 (TIPS) or going to CrimeStoppersNiagara.ca