Large crowd, small church for sunrise service page 13 eThe trustedtrusted voicevoice ofof ourour community.community. notllocal.com APRIL 25, 2019 Volume 1 • Issue 15 Bunny Trail ‘all about the kids’ Penny Coles ing principle is children. The Local That’s what we’re always focused on, and they’re “The rain didn’t put having a great time.” a damper on a fantastic Luanne Kulchar, at family event,” said Adam the Bunny Trail with Stewart, the president her daughter and two of the Niagara Nursery grandchildren, said she School board Saturday. remembers taking her “It’s all about the kids, kids to Simcoe Park in and they’re having a great the early days of the egg t i m e .” hunt. Given the weather, At 10 a.m., when the she thought the indoor NOTL Kinsmen’s Easter event was expertly han- egg hunt is traditionally dled. beginning on the grass “I’m really impressed outside the communi- with how well-organized ty centre, families with the event is,” she said. children were so packed Her daughter Maegen together inside the build- Bergeron, who remem- ing it was hard to move, bered scrambling for as kids lined up to be giv- eggs in the Simcoe Park en chocolate eggs to fill as a kid, was visiting for their baskets. the weekend from Kings- It was the first time ton with her husband the egg hunt had to be and two children. moved inside due to She said she was hav- weather, but the commu- ing fun running into nity centre “is the perfect old school friends, now venue” for the Bunny bringing their kids to the Trail, the family event Easter event. organized as the main “This is like a little fundraiser for the nurs- reunion, seeing every- ery school, said Stewart, one from high school and everyone adapted. here with their kids. It’s a Morgan and Audrey Bowen get creative at the Niagara Nursery School fundraiser Bunny Trail Saturday morning, while “It’s great to see the great tradition.” Crystal the Bunny looks on. The community centre was packed with kids having fun, enjoying several activities offered community come out to by the nursery school. (Fred Mercnik) support us. Our govern- More photos on page 13 ‘Respectable’ is key for new restaurant Penny Coles clared the property sold permit, ideally he would of the former strip club. one of its main entrances entertainment provided The Local just a few weeks ago, and like to be open by June, Leading up to its final to town, he says. over the years. the new owner isn’t wast- providing great music in days before being shut “The whole idea is to Neufeld is working Driving past the for- ing any time. a completely renovated down and put up for sale improve the image of this hard to erase the image, mer Private Eyes strip club Although Will Neufeld restaurant. last October was the site prop e r t y.” but at the same time, on Niagara Stone Road, it’s has a lot of work ahead of A Mennonite chicken of some pretty unpleasant Inside isn’t so great ei- wants to preserve a little of obvious work is underway him, including upgrades farmer and grape grower, stuff, including a stabbing ther — it’s seedy, worn, to clean it up. to the electrical system be- he says “respectable” is — not the image Niaga- cavernous and dark — and The for-sale sign de- fore he can get a business key in the transformation ra-on-the-Lake wants at not hard to imagine the Continued on page 2 .” day family “Our undays :S CLOSED 8am-5pm at /S 8am-6pm ri -F Mon www OPEN: Canal) lland We 2, Lock of (East Niagara-on-the-Lake E, St. Carlton EXCITING NEW INTRODUCTIONSEXCITINFORG18 NESPRING!W INTRODUCTIONS FOR SPRING! .sunshine-express.ca sell.” we plant every in is reputation growing LET OUR“Our TEAM HELP YOU CREA LET OUR TEAM HELP YOU CREATE THE RUSH! HE TT BEA IRRESISTIBLE DREAMS YOUR OF ESCAPE ARD Extended seasonBACKY IRRESIST BACKYARD ESCAPE OF YOUR DREAMS E L B I T S I S E R R hoursI starBACKYtingARD ESCAPE OF YOUR DREAMS BEATTHE RUSH! BEA T T H E RUSH! THE TE CREA YOU HELP TEAM OUR “Our growingLET reputation is in every plant “Our growing reputation is in every plant we sell.” .sunshine-express.ca SPRING! FOR INTRODUCTIONS NEW April 25 EXCITING SPRING! FOR INTRODUCTIONS NEW 18 Carlton St. E, Niagara-on-the-Lake (East of Lock 2, We1lland8 Carlton St.EXCITING E, Niagara-on-the-Lake(East of Lock 2, Welland Canal) w 16 1 OPEN: Mon -Fri 8am-6pm /Sat 8am-5pm CLOSEDOPEN:Sundays: Mon.-Fri.“Our family8am-6pm/Sat. 8am-5pm CLOSED: Sundays “Our family day.” ww www.sunshine-express.ca R0054671 2 April 25, 2019 THE NOTL LOCAL notllocal.com Country rock music of choice for new restaurant Continued from page 1 ther afield, will enjoy,him they will be there for describing his genre of the opening. Many have the character of the place. choice as country rock. been so supportive of his The main stage is stay- Although there has goal they are offering to ing, for the live bands he been chatter around town help, with friends showing hopes to feature. about a country and west- up to dig in with cleaning One of the smaller ern bar, he says that’s not up the interior — a big dancers’ stages has been part of the concept. project, he says, which will removed, with the floor- Before he gets to that take a while to complete. space to be used as part of stage, his first priority is to The large space, with one large dance floor. “clean up the building and several rooms, is licensed A third stage will re- make it pretty,” inside and for 426 people. He al- main, but is being repur- out. ready has a liquor license, posed. For the exterior, he’s and while Neufeld is put- Neufeld grins when he thinking grey with black ting first things first, he is says he wanted to keep trim, he says, “something thinking down the road something of the original, classy,” with the look of an about an outdoor patio on for the sake of tradition — establishment that suits a the roof of the lower sec- the inside has been cut out visible location in NOTL. tion. to allow for the bartender Despite the ambitious “I just came back from and supplies, and a bar desire for a relatively quick New York City, where I saw top has been built on the opening, “we’re not even two roof-top patios. I real- surface of what was once a close,” he says, with some ly like the idea, but that is stage. factors out of his control, a long way off. There is so He’s got more plans for such as the necessary up- much else that needs to be the place, including the grades to meet current fire done first,” he says. name. codes, and the inspection “We’re going to provide “What do you think of approvals which will be a good quality operation, Club Fifty 5?” he asks, for required before the Town a respectable operation. I the site at the beginning issues a business permit. remember when this place of what is now a regional His son William, an was the Rainbow Inn, road, but which locals still engineer, and his daugh- and the Garden City Race call Hwy. 55. ter Sarah, who both live Track was just over there,” William, Sarah and Will Neufeld are all pitching in to clean up the former strip club with plans He wanted Club 55, but locally, will be helping out he says, pointing across for a family-run operation. (Penny Coles) discovered it was taken, with what will be a family Queenston Road. and now he’s pretty excited business. “This place was always with the alternative. He hopes to offer great hopping on race day. I He just wants to show- music and food in an envi- miss those days, and I case great local bands ronment where his family want to see this something NOTLers and visitors, and friends will be com- like the Rainbow, packed from the region and fur- fortable — they’re telling again.” Niagara-on-the-Lake Will Neufeld, grape grower and chicken farmer, is at home on a tractor, but this time it’s to cart away garbage from his new business. (Penny Coles) Firefighters cooking pasta Lauren O’Malley of fundraising, but also Proceeds come from The Local that the firehall is a place the spaghetti dinner, which where people can go for costs $10 for adults and $5 The Queenston Volun- help, and where we put on for kids 12 and under, and teer Firefighters Associ- events that get the com- also from business-card- ation spaghetti dinner is munity involved.” sized ads placed on the pla- about so much more than Copeland says they cemats at the dinner. The a cheap and cheerful meal, typically expect around food is all-you-can-eat, says organizer Rob Cope- 200 people to attend the and includes salad, as well land. The group’s presi- event, which started in as desserts provided by Er- dent says the fundraising 1996. It helps to fund a inn Lockard from Sweets event is about people. number of local commu- & Swirls Cafe. Takeout is “This goes out to the nity organizations such available as well.