The celebration of the bicentennial of the War of 1812 is far from over. This summer you can experience the Bicentennial anniversary of the historic war in a number of ways. In Port Dalhousie, at the north end of St. Catharines, the Tall Ships event is set to take place from June 29 to July 1.

The new Ontario government has re-introduced legislation on March 25 that, if passed, will help make more local food available in markets, schools, cafeterias, grocery stores and restaurants throughout the province. The proposed legislation is part of a broader local food strategy that encourages the growth and development of markets for foods grown and made in Ontario, and provides funding for innovative and collaborative local food projects.

School is coming to a close and many are wondering what there is to do in Niagara during the summer. Well if you are a fan of food, beer or wine then Springlicious is an event you do not want to miss. The event takes place on May 31, June 1 and 2, and for the sixth year in a row you can enjoy the incredible beer, wine and food along with live entertainment.

Holy Comic Con, Batman! On June 8 and 9, Comic Con will be taking place at the Scotiabank Convention Centre at 6815 Stanely Ave. in Niagara Falls. With celebrities like Adam West (Batman in the 1960’s TV series) and Lou Ferrigno (The Incredible Hulk) and comic book artists such as Marc Silvestri (Marvel, DC, Top Cow), this year’s event is sure to please super hero, fantasy and science -fiction fans alike.

Nadia Baronas started having health problems six years ago. It took her a few years to figure out what was going on, until a friend told her to try removing wheat from her diet. “I went cold turkey, and within one to two days I noticed an incredible difference,” she said.

Trade in your cans for tans at Me Time Tanning until the end of March. Throughout March, Owner Michael Scarlett has been collecting non-perishable food items and donating all of it to Community Care. In return, patrons who donate food will receive great rewards.

On April 3, The Design Exchange at 234 Bay St. in Toronto will be hosting the Level Up Gaming Showcase. This unique event will grant student game developers in various college and university programs — such as design, animation and computer science — the opportunity to show off their skills in game design to video game industry professionals.

Hugo Chávez, Venezuela’s President for the past 14 years, died of cancer on March 5. Thousands of Venezuelans came out to see his body taken to a military museum in the Venezuelan capital of Caracas where he was laid to rest. Nicolas Maduro, Chávez’s handpicked successor was in attendance for the ceremonies that took place at the museum.

Children truly are the future. The grade 5/6 class at Applewood Public School in St. Catharines has designed — with the help of their teacher, Bryce Honsinger — the Gators H.E.L.P. initiative in order to raise money not only for the local community, but for the people of Sudan.

Health care in Niagara is entering an evolutionary process, and it begins with the new St. Catharines Hospital site. Officially opening on March 24, this state-of-the-art facility located at 1200 Fourth Ave. is a model for the modern hospital as it not only contains the region’s top specialists, but utilizes the most sophisticated health care technology currently available.

The Liberal Party of Canada is in the midst of choosing a new leader to replace interim leader Bob Rae. Rae was chosen by the Liberal Party caucus to take over as interim leader on May 25, 2011 after a horrific defeat in the election just earlier that month.

Roman Catholic cardinals will enter a conclave in the Sistine Chapel starting March 12 to begin the process of electing a successor to Pope Benedict XVI. The Catholic Church, of which there are about 1.2 billion members, was shocked last month with the abdication of Benedict XVI, and now has the unique situation of choosing a new Pope while the former incumbent is still alive.

A recently released report suggests that Ontario does not need a junk food tax to fight childhood obesity, but should ban the advertising of such drinks and munchies to kids under the age of 12. Taking aim at “high-calorie, low nutrient foods, beverages and snacks”, the 63-page report to Health Minister Deb Matthews also wants to outlaw “point-of-sale” promotions and displays in stores starting with sugar sweetened drinks.

“Nerds, geeks, dweebs…” mutters the passing group of jocks. Their attractive cheerleader girlfriends giggle wildly as they hang off the football players’ bulging arms. The thick-framed glasses wearing, Star Wars shirt adorning group on the receiving end of the insults pull their noses out from their comic books to catch the pack of athletes snickering as they walk out of sight… This was an average day in the life of the geek only but a decade or so ago.

The Quebec students who staged a memorable series of protests last spring could see their efforts result in a roughly 80 per cent discount on planned tuition hikes. The Parti Quebecois (PQ) government has planned to increase tuition, which is a long-awaited development in a political dispute that rocked Quebec last year and has led students to protest over the tuition increase.

March is upon us, which means that spring is finally on the way. On March 23, Niagara College’s Event Management Students are welcoming spring with a 5km run and walk in support of the Many Hands Project at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus. This second annual 5km run will be Spring themed featuring a running track that starts at Niagara-on-the-Lake campus and loops through Woodend Conservation Area.

In January 2013, two ambitious Brock University students decided to set up a new gym on Highway 20 in Thorold, just south of Brock University. Codi Armstrong is a current Brock student, and you may have seen him around the Zone where he works as a Personal Trainer.

Canadian journalism icon, Marci Ien, is celebrating her tenth year as co-host of CTV’s CANADA AM, and to honor such an occasion, she has decided to share her passion for education and journalism with the next generation of young, talented Canadians. Ien began her career in journalism in the most unlikely place – a children’s television show.

Anneka Bosse and Charissa DiMarco are fighting the forces of evil by promoting the benefits of Fair Trade. On March 10 from 3:00 to 6:00 p.m., Mahtay Café in downtown St. Catharines will host a murder mystery tea party being put on by Brock Fair Trade (BFT) entitled, ‘Murder Most Foul, Trade Most Fair’.

The future of Canada’s passenger trains is on the line.  VIA Rail, Canada’s leading passenger train service, is under threat of cutbacks. A federal government cut of $41 million in VIA operating funds over the next three years has already forced discontinuance of several VIA trains, and more cuts are to come.

After a long delay, Andrew Bennett was chosen as Canada’s first Ambassador for the new Office of Religious Freedom on Feb. 19. The branch of Foreign Affairs was first promised by Prime Minister Stephen Harper in the last federal election two years ago.

Just a few days before Reading Week began the neighbourhood of Thorold South received a rude awakening. Following a home invasion that occurred at the same residence late on Feb. 13, Niagara Regional Police (NRP) raided a Deerfield Parkway home in Thorold South the next day and uncovered a chemical drug lab.