👋 Notler, We've Got Some Stories

This week…

🐦 NOTL’s resident trouble maker is a… bird?

🖼️ Another art showcase for us creative types!

🥗 Can you smell what the ROCK Les Marmitons are cooking?

👀 A very real and very serious apology…

🦅 NOTL Wildlife Report

Local legend confirmed: The red-winged menace at Niagara-on-the-Lake’s 8th hole isn’t just aggressive—he’s got comedic timing.

One unsuspecting golfer was mid-sentence warning about the infamous bird when—BAM!—he got dive-bombed mid-thought. The attack was swift, feathery, and honestly… kind of majestic. We’ve got the GIF on loop, and it just gets better every time we watch. 🤣

The look of sheer terror? Oscar-worthy. The timing? Impeccable. The bird? Still out there, still angry, still undefeated.

As it stands, the score is: Bird – 1, NOTL – 0. 🏆

If you’re golfing at hole 8 this week, keep your head on a swivel—and your phone ready. 📱

If you have a run-in with our local feathery villain, don’t keep it to yourself. Keep in mind—if there’s no photo, did it even happen?  Tag @notlnews on Instagram—we want to see the drama, the flails, the glory. 🪶

We Love Art in NOTL 🎨🌊

Let’s be real: NOTL lives for a good gallery show—and Tanya Markvart’s solo debut, The Spring Shoreline, is giving us everything we love. Local landscapes? ✔️ Birch panels? ✔️ Deep reflections on the inner life? Oh yes.

Now on view at the Niagara Pumphouse Arts Centre, this exhibit features 12 stunning abstract landscapes inspired by Tanya’s solo walks along the ancient Niagara Escarpment. Painted with acrylic ink on birch wood, the works let nature’s own textures shine through—and honestly, they’re gorgeous.

📍 Joyner Gallery, on view until June 22

🎟️ Free admission (we love that for us)

Tanya, a self-taught artist based in Ontario’s north Bruce Peninsula, blends her background in film and environmental studies to explore how landscapes shape our inner world. Her work has appeared in galleries across Southern Ontario—and now, she’s bringing the shoreline to NOTL.

Interested in learning more about this amazing event?

So stop by, soak it in, and ask yourself: what do you see on the shoreline?

🍷👨‍🍳🎉 Les Marmitons: From Friendship to Gastronomy

A Group 20 Years in the Making!

Here in NOTL, we love a good community story—and for 20 years, Les Marmitons Niagara has been cooking up exactly that. To celebrate their anniversary, the group hosted their annual Spousal Night on May 12, this time with added meaning and a side of gratitude.

Under the guidance of guest chef Ryan Crawford, members prepared a multi-course dinner—not for each other, but for their spouses, many of whom were finally seeing what really goes on at these monthly gatherings.

The meal was thoughtful, well-executed, and—if the reactions were any indication—deeply appreciated. For many, it was a chance to showcase not just culinary growth, but the sense of community the group has built over the years.

The meal was thoughtful, well-executed, and—if the reactions were any indication—deeply appreciated. For many, it was a chance to showcase not just culinary growth, but the sense of community the group has built over the years.

Les Marmitons meets monthly, inviting guest chefs to lead hands-on sessions where members cook, learn, and dine together. While the food is central, the real focus is on friendship, skill-building, and shared experiences—something this anniversary event captured perfectly.

The group continues to welcome new faces, new techniques, and new stories—always with an apron on and a glass nearby.

Curious about the whole Les Marmitons story?

Correction: The Speed Camera Lives (Sort Of) 🚨🐦

It’s time to set the record straight. In last week’s issue, we reported that the speed camera in Virgil had been removed. Turns out, it wasn’t relocated—at least not in the traditional sense. It was cut down. As in, someone literally took it out at the base in what authorities are calling a clear act of vandalism.

So yes, for about a week, there was nothing but a patch of dirt where the camera once stood. We assumed it had been officially removed—but as it turns out, it was taken down in a much more… creative fashion.

Consider this our official correction. We may have been a little too quick on the “report” button—faster than a red-winged blackbird zeroing in on a golfer’s head.

Between rogue birds dive-bombing hole 8 and speed cameras getting ambushed in the night, it’s safe to say NOTL has entered its wildlife revenge arc.

For the full scoop, check out The Lake Report’s coverage .

We’ll keep our eyes peeled—both for flying objects and missing infrastructure.

📣 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 [email protected] and secure your place in local legend.

🕰️ Don’t delay—posterity awaits, and the spotlight grows impatient.