Good morning, neighbour.

You were expecting us Thursday. So, naturally, here we are Tuesday.

Starting this week, The Grapevine is arriving every Tuesday and Thursday at 8 a.m.

The old Thursday edition was trying to do two jobs at once - and getting rather long in the process. So we’ve split it into two more focused reads: Tuesdays for what changed around Niagara and why it matters; Thursdays for weekend plans, food and things worth discovering.

Same neighbour. Two different jobs.

Tomorrow is Canada Day, which means Niagara is about to begin its annual group project: 12 municipalities, a long list of plans and at least one person insisting they know a better place to park.

We already did the sorting. Our region-wide guide is waiting below.

First, though, there’s a famous public lawn, a major housing project and one Sunday plan that has disappeared from the calendar.

In today’s Grapevine:

Let’s get into it.

— Ian

One of Niagara’s most recognizable lawns could eventually have a very different silhouette.

Private proposals for an observation wheel in Queen Victoria Park were due June 23. The submission period is now over; the public questions are not.

Niagara Parks has not said how many compliant proposals came in, when it may decide whether any should move forward, or what the wheel’s size, design, operating model and exact footprint might be.

That makes this less a picture of a future attraction than a decision about public land. Niagara Parks’ preferred locations are in Queen Victoria Park opposite the Horseshoe Falls, on one of its most visible stretches of public parkland.

Niagara Falls already offers several ways to look down at itself. The question is whether its most famous front lawn needs another one.

👉 Read about the proposal →

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates is hosting a public town hall Monday evening about the proposed wheel.

Gates opposes the project and is organizing the event to explain that position and hear from residents.

This is not an official Niagara Parks consultation. It does, however, put one side of the debate in a room before our next Tuesday edition.

📍 Club Italia, 2525 Montrose Rd., Niagara Falls
🕕 Doors at 6 PM; town hall from 6:30–8 PM
📅 Monday, July 6

👉 See the town hall details →

The former Hotel Dieu site is beginning a very different second life.

The Collective Housing Co-operative broke ground June 25 on a development planned to include 492 affordable co-op homes in central St. Catharines. The project is supported by more than $183 million in federal funding.

Plans include a mix of unit sizes, 99 barrier-free homes and possible ground-floor space for a grocery store or other everyday services.

The total is large. The useful details are smaller: homes designed for different households, more accessible units and the possibility of groceries or basic errands downstairs.

The old hospital site is being remade around kitchens, keys and neighbours.

👉 See the housing announcement →

Welland FloatFest will not go ahead this Sunday, but organizers say they hope to bring it back in summer 2027.

The July 5 event was set to mark its tenth anniversary with floating, food vendors, market booths, live music and fireworks.

Organizers said they could not move forward without the cooperation and support needed to provide a safe environment. All 2026 floating registrations will be cancelled.

They also thanked the participants, volunteers, vendors and performers who had been preparing for the event and apologized for the disappointment.

Anyone who had Sunday circled still has time to make another plan. Thursday morning’s Grapevine will arrive with a fresh list of things happening around Niagara - and our Canada Day guide is ready below for anyone looking to get out sooner.

Here’s hoping the tubes return to the water in 2027.

👉 Read the official cancellation notice →

Tomorrow’s plans are spread across 12 municipalities, several parks and enough separate schedules to make a simple outing feel like research.

We checked all 12 municipalities and put the confirmed celebrations in one guide, including fireworks, festivals, live music, family activities and practical details such as parking, shuttles and location changes.

Use it to compare what is happening near home - or decide whether a wider Niagara day is worth loading the folding chairs into the car.

👉 Open the Canada Day Across Niagara guide →

A St. Catharines parent shared that her son spent the first day of summer break setting up his plant stand.

While plenty of kids were easing into vacation mode, he was arranging indoor and outdoor plants and getting ready for customers.

His mother wrote that the project is about more than sales. It is helping him learn responsibility, build a strong work ethic and see what his own effort can earn.

She invited neighbours to stop by, say hello or simply share the post to help his small business reach a few more people.

Not a bad way to begin summer: something to grow, something to work toward and a few neighbours cheering you on.

👉 See the original community post →

If you had the deciding vote…

what would you add there - and what would you leave alone?

Hit reply and tell me what you would protect, change or build, and why. I may share a few responses in a future issue, with your permission.

Use the guide, enjoy the holiday and save a little decision-making energy. Thursday, we’ll bring the weekend.

See you Thursday,

🍇 Ian
The Grapevine

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