Daily Archives: February 9, 2010

 (This article, shared with Niagara At Large from a leading resident in Port Dalhousie, may give those fighting a similar high-tower condo project in the Crystal Beach area some idea of the odds they are up against.)

By Carlos Garcia

Ontario’s dismal record of failing to preserve our heritage is about to get worse – much worse.

Port Dalhousie, from across the harbour, as it looks today, but apparently not for much longer.

The landmark Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) decision to allow a 20-storey height condo tower in Port Dalhousie’s low-rise Heritage Conservation District (HCD) means every one of over 90 HCDs in the province is now vulnerable to towers and inappropriate development.

The volunteer community organization PROUD Port Dalhousie’s epic struggle to preserve the heritage of Port Dalhousie included: City and Regional Council meetings, OMB pre-hearings, a failed OMB mediation, and a 71-day marathon OMB Hearing. The City of St. Catharines and PROUD put forward a very strong OMB case, supported by leading expert witnesses and provisions of  the Provincial Policy Statement and City’s Official Plan, Zoning By-Law (3-storey height limit) and Heritage Guidelines.

Despite this Herculean effort, OMB Vice-Chair Susan Campbell claimed to strike a balance between the Planning and Heritage Acts and approved the proposal in almost its entirety (the OMB had NEVER before approved a tower in a designated HCD). PROUD then requested a review of the decision arguing that, contrary to Campbell’s ruling, the HCD Plan had the elevated status of the 2005 revision to the Heritage Act and, accordingly, Council “shall not …pass a by-law for any purpose that is contrary to the objectives set out in that plan”. Continue reading →

 From Doug Draper

 I was checking out at the service desk of a retail store some three or four weeks ago when the cashier, who has been reading my columns years, asked me what I was writing about that week.

A Student Centre? This campus of Niagara College may have no students at all taking classes on it if the college teachers' union moves forward with a strike in the days ahead. Photo by Doug Draper

“Well, I’m writing about the possibility of a college teachers’ strike,” I said, “and I’m calling the piece – ‘College teachers who strike this time should be fired.’”

At that point, a young girl who was also working at the service desk turned around and told me that she is a student at Niagara College, and that about the last thing she and her fellow students need right now is a teachers’ strike. All three of us – the cashier, the young girl and I – got carried away in a discussion about this until I turned around and noticed a man behind me, weighed down with a couple of fairly heavy items, waiting to check out. I immediately apologized to him for keeping him waiting.

“That’s okay,” he said. “I have a son in college and we are worried about this too.”

Worried indeed!

These are far from the only folks I’ve talked to in recent weeks who feel the same way. Continue reading →

By Wayne Gates

Over the past six years, the provincial government has increased spending on health care in the Niagara Region by 42 per cent.

CAW Local 199 President Wayne Gates

The question today is where did it go?  It obviously didn’t improve quality! 

This increase has instead produced closures of beds, programs, and operating and emergency rooms. It has resulted in staff layoffs and buyouts. It is leading to the closure of the GNGH’s maternity ward. How can the Honeymoon Capital of the world not have a maternity ward?

Here are a few troubling facts:

·  Our emergency room wait times far exceed the provincial average.

·  Surgeries are being delayed and even cancelled. Witness last week when local surgeons complained about the postponement of serious cancer surgeries. Continue reading →

By Sue Salzer
 
A report given by Kevin Smith to the regional government of Niagara points out glaring problems that have been created by the Niagara Health System.
 
Smith , who represents the administration of the Regional Ambulance Service (EMS) , reports overwhelming wait-times for paramedics to off-load patients at the Niagara Falls Hospital emergency department. The amount of time before paramedics can release their patient to Hospital personnel has almost doubled since the closures of the Emergency Rooms in Fort Erie and Port Colborne. Hours of wait  time have increased from around 130 hours to current times of approximately 240 hours per month.
 
The ambulances, two paramedics and the unfortunate patients are delayed an average of  eight  hours daily before they can be released to the care of hospital personnel. This is neither a wise nor necessary use of our ambulance resources and personnel. Continue reading →