News & Views

A Vote for Vaughn Goettler is a Vote to Save Niagara-on-the-Lake

Why am I running for Lord Mayor? This is one of the first questions people usually ask and to me it’s the most important one. I’m running because I want to do my part to make Niagara-on-the-Lake an even better place, and I have the ideas, experience and heart to do my part as Lord Mayor. I'm running because so many people in this Town who I respect asked me to, so we would have a good alternative to choose instead of more of the same. I love Niagara-on-the-Lake. We are at a t

One of the things I love most about Niagara-on-the-Lake is that our town is full of people who give back to our community. This week’s Lake Report was full of examples from the world of local sports like Kurt Hamm, who is not only a legend on the kids’ soccer field but also shows a beautiful peace sign on his lawn every holiday season. Being a volunteer and donating time are things that make a community truly special. Traditional teaching urges that we should give ‘time,

Going in to this year’s municipal election, it’s really important for Niagara-on-the-Lake voters to be aware of the changes Premier Doug Ford, Queen’s Park and our current Town leaders have made to our local government. Municipalities are the oldest form of government in the entire world, and are the closest to the people who they serve. Unfortunately, Doug Ford and local leaders here appear determined to weaken this foundation. Ford has eliminated Regional Councillor

You're about to see a new colour across town. Yesterday our campaign sign crew started delivering lawn signs all across Niagara-on-the-Lake. This first wave is going to take a while because we have a lot of driving to do! That's a great SIGN that our election campaign is underway, and for me it’s a reminder of my responsibility to live up to your expectations as our next Lord Mayor. This sky-blue colour was chosen on purpose. It's a sign of optimism for the future. As you

Is Niagara-on-the-Lake a better place today than how it was when Gary Zalepa and Erwin Wiens took over Town Hall four years ago? I know my answer, and it's is a big NO. That's why I'm running to be the Lord Mayor, because I believe that we can do better. We MUST do better, because this year there is just too much at stake. Let’s look at the record. It’s not pretty. Over the last four years, Erwin Weins has worked in lock step with the current Lord Mayor to support some

This isn't a typical post for a Lord Mayor candidate in Niagara-on-the-Lake, but I want to take a moment to celebrate Dolly Parton. For me, Dolly represented the spirit of every person who has ever dreamed of making something more of their current life. She inspired me when I was getting my first start in the working world, and never stopped sharing so much positivity with other people, even when things were hard. It's so rare to be successful in life, and still be a decent

“Experience You Know.” That is Erwin Wiens’ key pitch for becoming Lord Mayor. His website says experience “means asking the right questions, reviewing the details, and making informed decisions based on facts, not assumptions” and “recognizing the difference between what sounds good and what can actually be achieved.” Let’s test that on a recent example. Experience You Know: Tax Breaks for Rich Developers On July 15, 2025, a lawyer for the developer of the hotel that is bei

At one of our recent meet and greets, someone asked what I thought of the latest headlines. Here is a post with some of my thoughts.