👋 Hey there, fellow Notler!

🎉 1k Subscribers 🎉 

What a blast it’s been seeing this list grow with locals who are interested in what’s happening in our town. We launched this newsletter a couple of weeks ago and it’s been great connecting with so many of you that make our community a special place to be a part of.

So far, most of you have shown interest in learning more about local restaurants and things to do around town (See graph below). Moving forward we’re going to make sure we focus on these areas the most!

Each year we see a flood of people coming to experience the places that we have available to us in our own back yard. I consider myself lucky to live in such a great town and based on the replies we’ve received to our welcome emails, it’s obvious that our residents consider themselves blessed to live here also.

👉 In today’s newsletter:

• The Churchill Lounge on a Wednesday evening: (AKA “$5 Burger Night”)

• A feel-good story about a great neighbour

• Pickleball is back! But with a few conditions.

• Beware the local catnapper on the loose…

• Answer a fun trivia question to win a $100 gift card to the Harp 👀 (Week 2 of 3)

🍔 How good could a $5 burger be?

If $5 can barely buy a fast food burger these days, how good could a $5 burger from Churchill Lounge located inside the Prince of Wales Hotel possibly be? We were very curious to find out.

On Wednesday night, we visited Churchill Lounge after hearing rumours that it’s a local favourite.

I must say, it exceeded our expectations.

For $5, we received a full burger—identical to those on their regular menu—accompanied by a large side of fresh-cut fries. The only question I left with was: How can they afford to do this every week?

If I was a better photographer, you’d be able to see the tomatoes, onions, and all the other toppings you’d usually expect on a burger when ordering one on a night out.

This has to be the best deal we’ve found in town so far. You know I had to wash it down with a cocktail, so I opted for an Old Fashioned, made the Churchill Lounge way with their own unique twist.

🥃 According to their menu, this cocktail contains the following ingredients:

• 1 oz Elijah Craig Small Batch Bourbon

• 1 oz Writer’s Tears Whiskey

• ¼ oz Grand Marnier

• ½ oz Dillon’s Sweet Vermouth

• Dillon’s Bitters

• Serve on the rocks with fire orange zest and a gourmet trade Bing cherry.

I must say, with a price tag of $18.90 for one drink, I had high hopes, and it was satisfactory. If you're an Old Fashioned enthusiast like myself, I think it’s worth a try. However, next time I’ll just order an Old Fashioned the traditional way.

I must add that whenever we've gone to the Churchill Lounge, the service has been excellent, and the staff have always been both professional and friendly.

😀 A feel-good story from this week

It’s time to share an uplifting post I saw on my Facebook news feed this week (see post below). Kudos to the young man looking out for his neighbours in this situation. Let’s aim to be the same kind of community members and take action when we see folks who might be in need.

☀️ It’s Pickleball season! Who’s excited?

Many of us are excited to step outside and play pickleball outdoors this summer! However, this excitement is dampened by Councillor O'Connor's reservations.The councillor has raised several concerns about the readiness and adequacy of our outdoor pickleball facilities, specifically regarding the number of courts, their maintenance, and the potential noise impact on nearby residents.

The sport’s rising popularity in our town calls for a supportive approach to integrating it into community spaces. This would allow enthusiasts to enjoy their games without undue restrictions, fostering a more active and engaged community.

The full dialogue in this article written by The Local highlights the need for thoughtful support for expanding access to pickleball facilities.

To learn more about the Pickleball community in Niagara-on-the-Lake, check out their website. See you on the courts. 😎

Local cat, kidnapped and dumped by a disgruntled neighbour…

For all the cat lovers here, feel free to skip this story as it may be quite unpleasant.

The case of Zeus, the local black and white cat, has finally come to light following his disappearance on March 4. Wendy Clout, the owner of Zeus, shared that her neighbour admitted to trapping Zeus and abandoning him near Church and McNab roads in Niagara-on-the-Lake. This revelation came after a five-week search during which Clout and her family posted flyers and extensively searched their neighbourhood.

The circumstances of his disappearance became clear when Wendy overheard a neighbour admitting to the trapping. Despite the confession, efforts to retrieve Zeus were complicated when the local police directed them to Provincial Animal Welfare Services (PAWS), who have yet to take decisive action.

For more details on this ongoing story, you can read the full article in this edition of The Lake Report.

🥳 Giveaway + Trivia

Alrighty folks! It’s week 2/3 to answer a trivia question to have your name entered for a $100 gift card to The Irish Harp!

To make sure everyone is on the same page, if you answered correctly last week you can answer again this week to have your name entered twice. 😉

So here it is…

Which historic figure is commemorated by a statue in Niagara-on-the-Lake, known for his role in establishing freedom and rights for enslaved individuals in the 18th century?

A) John Graves Simcoe

B) Richard Pierpoint

C) Harriet Tubman

D) William Wilberforce

If you think you know the answer, replying to this email with it to be entered into our draw! The winner will be announced on May 1st.

It’s our goal this year to have community members join us in curating some of the content we share with our audience. Do you know someone or something in our community that should be featured?

Please let us know by replying to this email or by sending their information to [email protected].

That’s it for today folks,

NOTL News