- NOTL News
- Posts
- đź‘‹ NOTL, Father's Day Is Here!
đź‘‹ NOTL, Father's Day Is Here!
Fathers, Jokes, and Peach Pies

June 13th 2025

This week…
🎣 Take your Dad fishing during Ontario’s free fishing weekend (June 14–15).
🥧 A story about Peach Pie…
🍔 Let Dad take over the grill—it’s his time to shine (and maybe brag a little).
🧔‍♂️ It’s Father’s Day on Sunday!
Last month, we celebrated the women who hold so much of our world together—moms, grandmothers, and mother figures who lead with care, strength, and love.
Now, it’s Father’s Day—and this weekend, we’re turning the spotlight toward the men who show up in big ways and small. The Dads, stepdads, grandfathers, and father figures who help shape life here in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
You’ll find them firing up the BBQ, fixing something that definitely wasn’t broken until they touched it, or sharing “when I was your age” stories with impressive confidence. They’re the steady hands behind family traditions, early mornings, life advice, and that one chair no one else is allowed to sit in.
And if you’re looking for a way to celebrate? June 14th and 15th are free fishing days across Ontario. No license needed—just a rod, some bait, and a bit of time on the water. It’s the perfect excuse to slow down, swap a few stories, and maybe catch a memory or two.
So here’s to the men who raised us, guided us, and stuck around through it all. NOTL wouldn’t be the same without you.
🥧 The Great Peach Pie Mix-Up of 1978
Nine out of ten doctors usually recommend eating more fruit.
And let’s be honest—10 out of 10 Dads prefer getting theirs through the medium of pie.
So, in honour of Father’s Day (and Dad’s sweet tooth), let’s retell a pie story!
You’ve probably heard whispers of it—the incident at the Peach Festival bake-off. It was the summer of ’78. Sun blazing. Queen Street packed. The scent of fresh peaches, thick enough to make you forget your name.
The Peach Festival, in full swing, and the highlight, as always, was the Annual Peach Pie Bake-Off. Locals circled the judging tent like seagulls over a sandwich, waiting to see whose pie would claim victory.
Front and centre: Mabel Thompson, age 72, a true legend of the crust. She’d won five years running. Known to chase squirrels away from her peach trees with a broom and language not fit for a church bulletin, she was bound to put up a fight. Her entry that year was, predictably, flawless!
And then… Ronnie DeLuca made an appearance.
Sixteen years old, part-time dishwasher, full-time agent of chaos. No one knew he’d entered until he appeared with a pie named “Ronnie’s Radical Peach Fusion.”
The judges dug into Mabel’s first with sighs of joy, and murmurs of excitement!
Then they tried Ronnie’s…
The first judge coughed. The second blinked rapidly. The third just froze with his fork midair, staring into the distance, questioning every choice he’d ever made.
Someone whispered, “What… is that?” And then, in a raspy voice from the end of the table, came the now-legendary line:
“It hurts. But I kind of want more.”

*What the 78’ Peach Pie Mix-Up may have looked like - Imagined by AI
Turns out Ronnie had confused cayenne pepper for cinnamon, and instead of a sweet, cozy pie, he’d served up a dessert that tasted like a fruit stand got struck by lightning.
A crowd began to gather, and a paramedic—on standby for heatstroke, looked as if about to faint himself. Then the applause started!
Ronnie didn’t win. But he walked away with an “Honourable Mention,” a few pats on the back, and what may have been a small cult following among NOTL’s young folk.
As for Mabel?
Furious. Not because she lost—she didn’t. But because a chili-charged pie had momentarily stolen the spotlight. As she stormed out, she threatened to only make apple pie from now on, then B lined it up to the kitchen to bake some shortcake. Obviously, to calm her nerves.
Now, is this exactly how it went down?
Well… the records from that year are conveniently fuzzy. Some swear it’s true. Others say Ronnie was invented by a newsletter writer with too much coffee, not enough supervision, and a desire to live up to his father’s hilarious stories. Honestly? That second one’s feeling pretty likely.
But in NOTL—where stories move faster than peach jam on toast—sometimes it doesn’t matter if it’s real… Especially around Father’s Day, when half the fun is hearing Dad retell the same exaggerated story for the fifth time—only slightly more fantastical each retelling.
So, whether it’s a cayenne pie catastrophe or that one time he “almost caught a fish this🫸 Really Big 🫷big,” we say, bring on the tall tales. They’re part of what makes family—and small towns—so great.
Got a story of your own? Wild, heartwarming, or hilariously unbelievable? Send it our way. We’re always on the lookout for the next “Wait, that really happened?” moment.
Send your stories to matt@notlnews.com!
🔥 Let the Grill Master Do His Thing!
Father’s Day is around the corner, and in Niagara-on-the-Lake, that can only mean one thing: grills are firing up, and Dads are stepping into their natural element—BBQ commander-in-chief.
This year, skip the reservations and roll out the patio chairs. Because let’s be honest: the greatest gift you can give him is the gift of letting him grill for you. That’s right—don’t take the tongs away. Hand them over, stand back, and let him take full responsibility for feeding the entire backyard with nothing but a primitive fire, confidence, and a secret spice rub he refuses to admit he found at Costco.
He’ll pace. He’ll prod. He’ll say “ten more minutes” at least three times. And if all goes well, he might even hit you with a classic line like:
“I apologize, this may be the best steak you’ll ever eat—I just can’t help it.”
Whether it’s steak, burgers, ribs, or something wrapped in bacon just for fun, the backyard BBQ is where Dad gets to shine. Make sure to pair it with some grilled corn, a chilled drink, and a little space for your Dad to monologue about how back in his day, he could have gone pro!
For all you Notlers, we hope this Father’s Day is filled with plenty of good memories and even tastier grilled meats!
📣 Here ye, here ye, Esteemed Notlers! 🌟
The town criers have spoken—and we demand more of your brilliance! Yes, you, purveyor of fine opinions and champion of charming corners in NOTL. We’ve seen your splendid suggestions rolling in, and dare we say… we are delighted beyond measure.
But the scroll remains open, the ink not yet dry. So rise, noble citizen, and send forth thy most cherished local haunts, events, and enterprises! Let us parade them through the public square (or, you know, our newsletter).
📬 Send your glorious ideas to matt@notlnews.com and secure your place in local legend.
🕰️ Don’t delay—posterity awaits, and the spotlight grows impatient.

“Happy Fathers Day, Dad! I wouldn’t trade you for anything. Of course, nobody’s offered me anything.”