14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada
(Located in the NOTL Community Centre)

info@notl.club

Located in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, or as we locals call it, NOTL, our Duplicate Bridge Centre offers ACBL sanctioned games on Tuesday and Friday afternoons.

If you’re visiting our lovely town for it’s world class theatre, restaurants, wineries, or even to learn about NOTL’s historical significance, consider joining us for a pre-show or a pre-dinner game of duplicate bridge. We always welcome guests, and if you want to join us, but need a partner, please send an email to partnership@notl.club

On Tuesday’s at 12:30, included in your game fee, is a mini-lesson, so think of coming early, to pick up some extra tips and tricks!

We are a member owned and volunteer run club, and if you’re fortunate enough to live in NOTL, please think of coming out and giving our club a try.  As a member, we offer reduced game fees, regular social events, and of course great community; all with that extra touch of NOTL hospitality!

Are you new to Bridge? Have you always wanted to learn this ever popular and growing game? Want to find out why so many people are hooked on Bridge? Please send us an email, and we’ll help you get started.

Game information:
Tuesday & Fridays 1pm; Please arrive no later than 12:45
Fee $5/$7 for members/non-members
Annual membership fee $20

For partnership information, please send an email to partnership@notl.club. 
For any general enquiries, please send an email to info@notl.club.

14 Anderson Lane, Niagara-on-the-Lake, ON, Canada
(Located in the NOTL Community Centre)

info@notl.club

Located in beautiful Niagara-on-the-Lake, or as we locals call it, NOTL, our Duplicate Bridge Centre offers ACBL sanctioned games on Tuesday and Friday afternoons. ..........

Evelyn Jean Eaton 1936-2025

Founding member of NOTL Duplicate Bridge Centre

Evelyn Jean Eaton passed away peacefully surrounded by family at her home in St. Catharines on Friday, March 7, 2025. Evelyn was married to the late Alvin Hague for 10 years with whom she raised two children, Rand (Kim) Hague and Cindy (Malcolm) Hague MacLeod. She married Ivan Eaton in 1969 and helped to raise his three children, Ellen, Brian (Vivian) and Vern Eaton. She's pre-deceased by her husband Ivan of 51 years and her brother, Brian (Shirley) McIntosh. She will be sorely missed by her sister, Lauren (Bob) McIntosh as well as relatives and friends, too many to mention here. Evelyn was thrilled to welcome nine grandchildren into the family Ryan (Kelly), Taylor (Katie) and Madison MacLeod; Cory, Melissa (Milan) Eaton, Jacqueline (Addison) Byrd, Emily (Alex) Meliton, James Stonehewer and Sarah (Connor) Slattery McCulloch along with four great-grandchildren Brooklyn MacLeod, Miller and Cameron MacLeod and Kya McCulloch.

Evelyn approached life with curiosity and had a never-ending thirst for knowledge. Mid-life she obtained her Master of Education part-time at McGill University, while working at Laurenvale School Board in charge of Continuing Education. Her degree led to a private practice in Family Counselling in Montreal and at Cornwall Hospital. Once retired, she and Ivan travelled extensively. Back at home, they built two custom homes – one in Iroquois and the other in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario that provided the backdrop for memorable gatherings with family and friends. Ev expanded her horizons through competitive bridge and was an avid reader of American politics, enjoying animated political discussions. Both Ev and Ivan had a love for gardening and animals. They raised horses and entered horse competitions in Iroquois. Their family always included cherished dogs, Bonnie and Tia, Sasha, McDuff and lastly, sweet Kodi who has been by Ev's side the past several years.

Evelyn sought adventure both at home and abroad. In her late 70's, she bought a motorcycle and rode in tandem with her son Rand up to the family cottage in Haliburton.
She travelled solo to see Orangutans in the jungle in Borneo. Just a few months ago, she crossed skydiving off her list and only a few weeks ago zip-lined on a family cruise. She was an advocate for women's rights and constantly challenged traditional roles. Her legacy encourages us all to have the courage to stand up for what we believe in and to embrace life to its fullest.

In keeping with Ev's wishes, a private interment will take place in Willow's Rest. In lieu of flowers, donations to Doctors Without Borders, St. Joseph's Hospital or Dying with Dignity would be appreciated by Ev's family. The family would like to thank the medical team and caregivers who supported Ev at St. Catharines Hospital and at her home in Anchor Pointe, these past few weeks. A special thanks to Dr. Collins for her care.

Full obituary can be found here.

Evelyn Jean Eaton 1936-2025

Founding member of NOTL Duplicate Bridge Centre

Evelyn Jean Eaton passed away peacefully surrounded by family at her home in St. Catharines on Friday, March 7, 2025. Evely ..........

A very Canadian message from Jean Chretien who published this open letter on Jan 11:

Today is my 91st birthday.

It’s an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. To look back on the life I’ve had the privilege to lead. And to reflect on how much this country we all love so much has grown and changed over the course of the nine decades I’ve been on this Earth.

This year, I’ve also decided to give myself a birthday present. I’m going to do something in this article that I don’t do very often anymore, and sound off on a big issue affecting the state of the nation and profoundly bothering me and so many other Canadians: The totally unacceptable insults and unprecedented threats to our very sovereignty from U.S. president-elect Donald Trump.

I have two very clear and simple messages.

To Donald Trump, from one old guy to another: Give your head a shake! What could make you think that Canadians would ever give up the best country in the world – and make no mistake, that is what we are – to join the United States?

I can tell you Canadians prize our independence. We love our country. We have built something here that is the envy of the world – when it comes to compassion, understanding, tolerance and finding a way for people of different backgrounds and faiths to live together in harmony.

We’ve also built a strong social safety net – especially with public health care – that we are very proud of. It’s not perfect, but it’s based on the principle that the most vulnerable among us should be protected.

This may not be the “American Way” or “the Trump Way.” But it is the reality I have witnessed and lived my whole long life.

If you think that threatening and insulting us is going to win us over, you really don’t know a thing about us. You don’t know that when it came to fighting in two world wars for freedom, we signed up – both times – years before your country did. We fought and we sacrificed well beyond our numbers.

We also had the guts to say no to your country when it tried to drag us into a completely unjustified and destabilizing war in Iraq.

We built a nation across the most rugged, challenging geography imaginable. And we did it against the odds.

We may look easy-going. Mild-mannered. But make no mistake, we have spine and toughness.

And that leads me to my second message, to all our leaders, federal and provincial, as well as those who are aspiring to lead our country: Start showing that spine and toughness. That’s what Canadians want to see – what they need to see. It’s called leadership. You need to lead. Canadians are ready to follow.

I know the spirit is there. Ever since Mr. Trump’s attacks, every political party is speaking out in favour of Canada. In fact, it is to my great satisfaction that even the Bloc Québécois is defending Canada.

But you don’t win a hockey game by only playing defence. We all know that even when we satisfy one demand, Mr. Trump will come back with another, bigger demand. That’s not diplomacy; it’s blackmail.

We need another approach – one that will break this cycle.

Mr. Trump has accomplished one thing: He has unified Canadians more than we have been ever before! All leaders across our country have united in resolve to defend Canadian interests.

When I came into office as prime minister, Canada faced a national unity crisis. The threat of Quebec separation was very real. We took action to deal with this existential threat in a manner that made Canadians, including Quebeckers, stronger, more united and even prouder of Canadian values.

Now there is another existential threat. And we once again need to reduce our vulnerability. That is the challenge for this generation of political leaders.

And you won’t accomplish it by using the same old approaches. Just like we did 30 years ago, we need a Plan B for 2025.

Yes, telling the Americans we are their best friends and closest trading partner is good. So is lobbying hard in Washington and the state capitals, pointing out that tariffs will hurt the American economy too. So are retaliatory tariffs – when you are attacked, you have to defend yourself.

But we also have to play offence. Let’s tell Mr. Trump that we too have border issues with the United States. Canada has tough gun control legislation, but illegal guns are pouring in from the U.S. We need to tell him that we expect the United States to act to reduce the number of guns crossing into Canada.

We also want to protect the Arctic. But the United States refuses to recognize the Northwest Passage, insisting that it is an international waterway, even though it flows through the Canadian Arctic as Canadian waters. We need the United States to recognize the Northwest Passage as being Canadian waters.

We also need to reduce Canada’s vulnerability in the first place. We need to be stronger. There are more trade barriers between provinces than between Canada and the United States. Let’s launch a national project to get rid of those barriers! And let’s strengthen the ties that bind this vast nation together through projects such as real national energy grid.

We also have to understand that Mr. Trump isn’t just threatening us; he’s also targeting a growing list of other countries, as well as the European Union itself, and he is just getting started. Canada should quickly convene a meeting of the leaders of Denmark, Panama, Mexico, as well as with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, to formulate a plan for fighting back these threats.

Every time that Mr. Trump opens his mouth, he creates new allies for all of us. So let’s get organized! To fight back against a big, powerful bully, you need strength in numbers.

The whole point is not to wait in dread for Donald Trump’s next blow. It’s to build a country and an international community that can withstand those blows.

Canadians know me. They know I am an optimist. That I am practical. And that I always speak my mind. I made my share of mistakes over a long career, but I never for a moment doubted the decency of my fellow Canadians – or of my political opponents.

The current and future generations of political leaders should remember they are not each other’s enemies – they are opponents. Nobody ever loved the cut-and-thrust of politics more than me, but I always understood that each of us was trying to make a positive contribution to make our community or country a better place.

That spirit is more important now than ever, as we address this new challenge. Our leaders should keep that in mind.

I am 91 today and blessed with good health. I am ready at the ramparts to help defend the independence of our country as I have done all my life.

Vive le Canada!

A very Canadian message from Jean Chretien who published this open letter on Jan 11:

Today is my 91st birthday.

It’s an opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. To look back on the life I’ve had the privilege to lead. ..........