https://niagarastar.com Independent coverage of Niagara's councils, construction, canal, and casinos, fact-checked to roughly the same standard as a Clifton Hill wax figure. en-us https://niagarastar.com/post/st-catharines-shuts-down-welland-canal-in-solidarity-with-strait-of-hormuz/ https://niagarastar.com/post/st-catharines-shuts-down-welland-canal-in-solidarity-with-strait-of-hormuz/ Thu, 10 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT St. Catharines has closed the Welland Canal in a show of support for the Strait of Hormuz. City officials say the closure is in effect, though ships are still using the canal. https://niagarastar.com/post/port-colborne-free-agent-family-doctor/ https://niagarastar.com/post/port-colborne-free-agent-family-doctor/ Tue, 08 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT The city signed Dr. Sarah Jenkins, widely considered the most sought-after family physician on the market, to a five-year deal less than an hour after the signing period opened, beating out competing offers from Welland, St. Catharines, and Niagara-on-the-Lake. https://niagarastar.com/post/north-end-home-relisted-as-waterfront/ https://niagarastar.com/post/north-end-home-relisted-as-waterfront/ Sun, 06 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMT A north end bungalow is back on the market as waterfront property after this summer's storms, with 1,100 square feet of year-round water access located entirely below grade. https://niagarastar.com/post/flock-selfie-stick-launch/ https://niagarastar.com/post/flock-selfie-stick-launch/ Tue, 11 Aug 2026 00:00:00 GMT The surveillance company's first consumer product lets users capture their best angle, along with the plates, vehicles and approximate identities of everyone behind them. https://niagarastar.com/post/play-rug-road-network/ https://niagarastar.com/post/play-rug-road-network/ Thu, 23 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT A staff report says the children's play mat city planners have used to design St. Catharines' roads since 1987 is fraying, and no replacement rug on the market matches the existing network. https://niagarastar.com/post/niagara-college-beavers-acknowledgement/ https://niagarastar.com/post/niagara-college-beavers-acknowledgement/ Tue, 14 Jul 2026 00:00:00 GMT A new wildlife acknowledgement at Brock University has prompted a longer one from Niagara College, and a moose neither institution can locate. https://niagarastar.com/post/niagara-wineries-ai-sommeliers/ https://niagarastar.com/post/niagara-wineries-ai-sommeliers/ Tue, 09 Jun 2026 00:00:00 GMT Several Twenty Valley and Niagara-on-the-Lake wineries have begun offering AI sommeliers this fall, with human-led tastings now available by reservation for an additional fee. https://niagarastar.com/post/clifton-hill-wax-museum-84-month-financing/ https://niagarastar.com/post/clifton-hill-wax-museum-84-month-financing/ Fri, 15 May 2026 00:00:00 GMT A Clifton Hill wax museum has begun offering seven-year payment plans on admission, complete with gap coverage, bi-weekly payments, and a finance office beside the gift shop. https://niagarastar.com/post/niagara-college-ship-fit-program/ https://niagarastar.com/post/niagara-college-ship-fit-program/ Thu, 09 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT The college's new Vessel Fit Determination graduate certificate welcomed its first cohort this week, joining a roster of programs built around the region's signature industries. https://niagarastar.com/post/glendale-ave-closed-absence-of-construction/ https://niagarastar.com/post/glendale-ave-closed-absence-of-construction/ Wed, 01 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMT Niagara Region has closed a stretch of Glendale Avenue in St. Catharines after motorists, accustomed to years of lane shifts and pylons, struggled to navigate the road with nothing on it.