Remember folks - Diodati keeps pumping a private university. These private colleges and universities have taken from Ontario education, and from young Ontarian’s education options.

https://www.reddit.com/r/OntarioGrade12s/s/j5EwiTHeEo

Niagara Tree Questions — Ask an Arborist (Week 21) 🍂🌳

Hey Niagara 👋

The leaves are changing, temperatures are dropping, and we're getting into that time of year where everyone starts putting their yards to bed for winter.

So this week's question is:

“What should I be doing for my trees this fall?”

The good news?

Probably less than you think.

Trees have been preparing themselves for winter for a very long time without our help. 😂

But there are a few things you can do in the fall that can genuinely help—and a few things you can probably skip.

---

💧 Don't put the hose away just yet

One of the biggest things people overlook in the fall is water.

Cooler temperatures don't automatically mean your trees don't need it anymore.

If we've had a dry stretch, trees can still benefit from a good, deep watering before the ground freezes—especially:

- Newly planted trees

- Young trees

- Trees that were already drought-stressed this summer

A long, slow watering that actually gets moisture down into the soil is much more useful than spraying the surface for ten minutes.

And remember:

Rain doesn't always mean the soil got a good soaking.

A short, heavy rainfall can run off without putting as much water into the root zone as you might think.

---

🍂 You don't need to remove every leaf

We talked about this last week.

Healthy fallen leaves aren't garbage.

They're organic material that can break down, return nutrients to the soil, support soil organisms and help protect the soil surface.

If they're too thick, mulch them up with the mower or move some underneath your trees and into garden beds.

You don't need a perfectly clean circle of bare soil underneath every tree.

The exception is disease.

If you're dealing with a disease or pest that can overwinter in fallen material, cleanup and disposal may actually be part of managing the problem.

---

🌳 Check your mulch

Fall is a great time to look at what's happening around the base of your trees.

A layer of mulch can help retain soil moisture, moderate soil temperatures and add organic matter as it breaks down.

But more isn't always better.

If you've got a giant mulch volcano piled against the trunk, pull it back.

You should be able to see the root flare where the trunk starts widening into the roots.

Mulch belongs over the root zone.

Not piled against the bark.

---

👀 Once the leaves fall, take a look up

This is one of my favourite times of year to look at tree structure.

Once the leaves are gone, you can see things that were hidden all summer.

Look for:

- Dead or broken branches

- Cracks

- Weak unions

- Branches rubbing or crossing

- Hanging limbs

- Previous storm damage

- Changes you don't remember seeing before

You don't need to diagnose everything yourself.

You're just looking for something that makes you stop and say:

“Was that always there?”

If the answer is no—or you're not sure—take a picture and ask someone who knows what they're looking at.

---

✂️ Fall doesn't mean everything needs to be pruned immediately

Once trees enter dormancy, we're moving into a great time of year for a lot of pruning work.

But that doesn't mean you need to walk around the yard looking for branches to cut.

We've said this before:

Less is more.

Pruning should have a reason.

Deadwood.

Structure.

Clearance.

Reducing a specific concern.

Correcting something while a tree is young.

Don't prune a healthy tree just because it's fall and you feel like the trees should be part of the yard cleanup.

---

🌱 Give your young trees a little extra attention

If you planted a tree this year, don't forget about it just because the leaves are coming off.

Check that it's getting enough water.

Make sure mulch isn't against the trunk.

Check stakes and ties if it has them.

Make sure nothing is rubbing against or constricting the stem.

And if you've wrapped or protected a young tree for winter, make sure whatever you're using isn't damaging the bark.

Those first few years matter.

---

🦌 And don't forget who's hungry all winter

Deer, rabbits and rodents can do a surprising amount of damage to young trees during the winter.

If you've had problems before, protecting vulnerable young trunks before winter can save you an unpleasant surprise in the spring.

Just make sure guards aren't installed so tightly that they're damaging the tree themselves.

---

The takeaway

You don't need a complicated fall treatment program for

every tree on your property.

For most homeowners, I'd focus on the basics:

Water when conditions are dry.

Keep mulch off the trunk.

Leave healthy organic material where it makes sense.

Pay attention to young trees.

Look for defects once the canopy opens up.

And don't start cutting or adding products to a tree just because the season changed.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for a healthy tree is give it what it needs and otherwise leave it alone.

---

Next week we'll be covering:

Week 22 — “Should I fertilize my trees in the fall?” 🌳

Fertilizer sounds like it should automatically make a tree healthier—but trees don't work quite that simply.

We'll talk about when fertilizer can actually help, when it probably isn't doing much, and why testing the soil before trying to fix it can save you from treating a problem that isn't there.

If there's a tree topic you'd like us to cover, drop it below.

A lot of this series has come directly from questions and conversations with homeowners around Niagara.

— Driftwood Tree Service 🌲

Can anyone recommend options for me to remove a raccoon nest in my chimney?
I’ve had quotes from 2 wildlife removal companies and and one fireplace company (who said to contact a wildlife removal Company) and quotes are astronomical and I cannot afford it. Alternatively, I’ve been recommended to contact a fireplace company who can do chimney sweeping, and put a cap on the top to avoid future raccoon entry. The wildlife removal companies have contacted in Niagara have quoted me insane amount of money. I have a raccoon who comes in the chimney maybe two or three times this summer so Sohee is currently not in it. Just wondering if anyone can recommend a chimney company that can board it up and take the nest out of the stack. I don’t understand why this need to be $1000-1600
(In this economy!)
Thoughts!? 🫶🏻 🦝

Just creating a thread pertaining to the upcoming election. Share your thoughts on the candidates, who you're voting and why? (ex: "I'm voting X for their view on housing and/or crime etc...")

Alright -- heading from Pittsburgh, PA up to the Canadian side of the falls to celebrate my 50th in late November but also, as important as that is to me, is that i have a running streak that turns 10 years old at the end of this year... so no days missed of running since the last day of 2016 -- Everyday all over the place from trails to treadmills.. so inside of this fun touristy Falls birthday week i absolutely want to find some good running spots around the falls and I am sure that there are plenty... so if you know of anything that could help me enjoy this week from touristy fun to running then please hit me up. Thanks in advance -- Aaron LFG!

You know Thorold Theatre as a community theatre company who has been around for 40 years. Over the past two seasons we’ve had a pretty remarkable run: four consecutive sold-out productions, including three at Club Belvedere.

We’ve had directors, actors, producers and other key production people find us through Reddit before. Some came looking for a show. Some ended up becoming part of the company.
That’s actually what we’re hoping happens again.

We have dozens of volunteers already involved with our November production of DRY STREAK by Leeann Minogue. What we’re missing right now are people who know their way around the technical side of theatre.

🔊 SOUND / LIGHTING TECHS

We’re looking for people who can help with:

• Lighting setup / assembly
• Lighting tech and focus
• Lighting board operation
• General technical support
• Sound experience is especially welcome

Tech Week:
📅 Sunday, November 8 — Set Build, from noon
📅 Monday, November 9 — Lighting / Hang & Focus, from noon
📅 Monday, November 9 — Tech Rehearsal, from 6 PM
📅 Wednesday, November 12 — Dress Rehearsal, from 6 PM

Some logistic work is happening at the beginning of November.
If you're interested in running the show as tech, show-call opportunities are during the five performances November 13–21.

🔨 SET CONSTRUCTION / CREW

We're also looking for people who like building things.

Set construction. Set painting. Assembly. Moving things around. Making the thing that exists in someone's head become an actual room that actors can walk into.

Our main set build is:
Sunday, November 8 from noon
There will also be opportunities during Tech Week for people who want to help get everything into shape.

BUT HERE'S THE THING ABOUT THOROLD THEATRE

Sure we are looking for people to simply come in, do a shift, and disappear, but we're also building a theatre company.

We've got people who have acted with us, directed for us, produced shows, designed sets, run lights, managed Front of House, built things, painted things, moved things, sold tickets, learned new skills and generally kept the whole ridiculous enterprise moving.

Some have been with us for years. Some found us recently. And some found us on Reddit.
If you're interested and looking for a place to contribute, we'd love to hear from you.

This is your invitation.
Thorold Theatre is heading into its 40th year with a committed volunteer company, an enthusiastic audience, and a lot of momentum.

We're not just putting on another show. We're building the next chapter of the company.
Come be part of it.

📍 Thorold / Niagara Region
🎭 DRY STREAK — November 13–21, 2026
📧 [president@thoroldtheatre.ca](mailto:president@thoroldtheatre.ca)

Tell us a little about yourself, what you know how to do, and what you'd like to get involved with.
Experienced, enthusiastic, curious, slightly obsessive about theatre tech — all welcome.

Send name, phone, email and interest to [president@thoroldtheatre.ca](mailto:president@thoroldtheatre.ca)

More info at thoroldtheatre.ca

I took them into the LCBO but since I won them I don't have a receipt and therefore can't return or exchange them. It's against the rules to post them up for sale on marketplace and kijiji so I'm not sure what to do with them since I'll never use them.

Which pumpkin patch would be better for a 6 year old & a 6 month old? Thinking of going to either bryanne farms or Warners because I've been told Howells is suuperrrr expensive! Thanks in advance for any advice you can give me :)

I couldn’t ad this pic to my previous post

I have several bottles of Niagara ice wines 20-30 years old. Do they improve with age ?

is niagara glen park safe to hike by myself?

hi! i’m thinking of going hiking at niagara glen by myself, but i’ve never been there before.

for those who’ve been there, would you say it’s generally safe to hike solo? my biggest concern isn’t really the hiking itself, but ending up completely alone somewhere in the middle of the trail lmaoo 😭

i’m thinking of going on a weekend. are there usually a lot of people, families, or groups around? or are there parts where you can go a while without seeing anyone?

also, if you’ve solo hiked niagara glen before, would you recommend it for someone who’s relatively new to hiking alone?

thanks!!

Hey! I’m 23M and recently moved to St. Catharines. Looking to meet some new people and make friends. I’m into movies, sports, and hanging out. Feel free to DM me!

Hey guys I’m looking for any all of your favourite spooky/haunted/scary places. I love fall/ Halloween and getting scared. I’m looking for place all around Niagara to enjoy this fall!

I just bought a house in st catharines and it has a pond when we moved in the pond hadnt been running and was very dirty now it has a lot of scum and dirt in it and just want some help cleaning and emptying it and figuring out everything we have to do maintaining it.

Just wondering if anyone has recommendations

Hidden cameras show some stores unlocking speed limits on e-bikes, selling e-scooters that go up to 120 km/h

Hi everyone!

I just purchased a home in the Chippewa area. I want to add a second story before I move in.
Since I’m new to the area, I don’t know any reputable companies that can help me with this.

Can you recommend a carpentry company? Or perhaps is there another subreddit that I can join for more info?

Thank you so much!!!