If you have been a regular visitor to our Niagara At Large news and commentary site, you know that we have shown an ongoing interest in the welfare of all creatures great and small.

Nature of Things host David Suzuki

Someone from the CBC knew about NAL’s passion for animals and sent us the following note on a program we’re sure many of you who share our panel will want to check out.

The program, featured on CBC’s long-running and ever-popular ‘The Nature of Things’ hosted by the one and only David Suzuki, is called  ‘Mysteries of the Animal Mind’ and is being broadcast this Thursday, January 26 at 8 p.m. EST on CBC Newsworld Cable channel 6. Niagara At Large is pleased to share the following write-up from CBC on this program.

Thursday, January 26 – Mysteries of the Animal Mind Any pet owner knows their cat, dog or budgie has feelings. But many scientists considered it absurd to entertain questions about how animals might feel or that they might be thinking—it was unacceptable to ascribe experiences like delight, boredom or self-awareness to non-humans. Now scientists are exploring the complex mysteries of the animal consciousness.

In Mysteries of the Animal Mind we meet the researchers who are finding growing evidence of compassion, cooperation, altruism, empathy, intelligence and communication in all sorts of different species. We’ll meet Diana Reiss of Hunter College who takes viewers underwater at the Baltimore Aquarium. There, her team witnesses the curious looks of the dolphins as they look into a mirror for the first time. She discovers that dolphins can recognize themselves—joining a select group known to have this ability.

Dr. Frans de Waal, one the world’s most widely recognized primatologists, shows viewers a group of chimpanzees who teach us we’re not the only species with a sense of fair play. And at Duke University, Brian Hare introduces us to bonobos, a close relative of ours, who will happily share food—even with a stranger.

(Niagara At Large invites you to share your comments on this fascinating topic before or after you have viewed the program.)

This Post Courtesy of  Chorus Niagara

“Wonderful, it brought me to tears.  Thank you all so much!”
“This brings a smile to my face every time.”
“…..a staggering gift you gave the world this Christmas, I could never have imagined, many thanks.”
“This is simply one of the most beautiful and worthwhile things that I have ever seen on YouTube.”
“WOW!  That was REALLY WELL SUNG.”
“Only one word in my mind – WONDERFUL!”

St. Catharines, Ontario - These are just a sampling of the thousands of comments received by Chorus Niagara in response to its viral flash mob performance of Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus on YouTube.  Performed live,  on November 13th, at Welland Ontario’s Seaway Mall,  and produced by Alphabet Photography as a Christmas greeting to their customers, the YouTube sensation has set records as ‘The Most Watched Flash Mob of All Time’ with 28.5 million hits, and also holds the title of ‘The Top Rated Video of All Time’ in Canada.

Chorus Niagara at a performance in Grimsby, Ontario

Chorus Niagara, Niagara’s premiere 100-voice ensemble has received worldwide attention from the public and media as the flash mob video circles the globe attracting viewers from the United Kingdom, Brazil, Germany, France, Italy, Korea, Hong Kong, Australia, Greece, the United States as well as across Canada.

Robert Cooper, Chorus Niagara’s Artistic Director, has been very busy responding to interview requests.  “This has been an incredible experience and boon to both Chorus Niagara and the appreciation for the choral art. We are most grateful to Jennifer Blakely, Founder of Alphabet Photography.”  Cooper says.   St. Catharines Mayor, Brian McMullan echoes his sentiments,  “This is such a wonderful made-in-Niagara story.  The flash mob was a brilliant way to spread the Christmas spirit,  and the talents and creativity of Chorus Niagara.  It’s thrilling to see this performance resonate with so many.”

The Choir’s YouTube performance has been featured on CTV’s Canada AM, CNN, ABC World News, Good Morning America, The View, Inside Edition, eTalk, Fox News, National Public Radio’s Here and Now and has also been covered in print by the National Post, LA Times, Toronto Sun, Toronto Star, London Free Press, Hamilton Spectator, Business Review Canada, Niagara News, St. Catharines Standard, The Winnipeg Free Press and Canadian Fundraising and Philanthropy.

Chorus Niagara performed two sold out concerts of the complete Handel’s Messiah in December and has been swamped with invitations to perform in a variety of venues including The United States, Germany, Great Britain and Europe.  The chorus has also received numerous requests to purchase recordings of their musical performances.

View the video at www.chorusniagara.ca/ or  www.alphabetphotography.com

 221 Glendale Avenue, P.O. Box 25019, St. Catharines, Ontario L2T 4C4    905-934-5575    www.chorusniagara.ca        
“To entertain, educate and inspire through the performance of fine choral music”

Here a few future performance dates for Chorus Niagara that you may enjoy -

Chorus Niagara Singathon – Saturday, Feb 12, 10 a.m. to 3 pm  (approx.)
at the Seaway Mall, Centre Court.
 
Sounds of Light Concert – Prismatic Array of Choral Gems
Saturday, March 5th, 7:30 pm at the Cathedral, St.Catharines.
 
Feel the Spirit-160 Voices…Joyous Celebration
Saturday, May 14th, 7:30 pm at the Cathedral, St.Catharines

(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to residents in our greater binational Niagara region.)

One of North America’s largest and most celebrated annual gardening events – Garden Walk Buffalo – has received prestigious award for its success in promoting community pride and the beautification of urban neighbhourhoods.

One of the many homes and institutions opening their lawns and gardens to visitors each year for Garden Walk Buffalo. File photo by Doug Draper

If you missed Garden Walk Buffalo this past summer or have never been to one, stay tune to its return next July. You can count on Niagara At Large to share the details when the dates and times for the event are approaching.

In the meantime, NAL is posting a media release from the volunteers of Garden Walk Buffalo, commenting on the award received for their efforts.

Media Release

The American Institute of Architects Buffalo/WNY Chapter (AIA) awards this honor annually to a group that has performed outstanding volunteer service on behalf of, or relating to, the built environment. The award was presented at the AIA Design Award Gala, held November 18, 2010 at The Mansion on Delaware Avenue.

The nominating letter stated, “Garden Walk Buffalo has been dedicated to the promotion of the City of Buffalo and WNY and to encouraging neighborhood beautification and to promoting community pride. Through these efforts, the group has changed the way many people view the built environment…and is therefore deserving of this award.”

Garden Walk Buffalo president, Jim Charlier, states, “We could not be more proud of Garden Walk’s accomplishments, including helping to reinvigorate parts of Buffalo’s Westside; providing positive, and unexpected, PR outside of Buffalo; and providing more than $26,000 in Beautification Grants for gardening projects.

As much as the Walk is about the gardens, it’s a sly way for visitors to get to walk around neighborhoods of great architecture they would normally not get a chance to walk through.” Mr. Charlier goes on to say, “More than any other event held in Buffalo, Garden Walk gets visitors out into great neighborhoods, meeting city residents enjoying our great architecture and appreciating our walkable streets.”

Garden Walk Buffalo graciously accepts this award on behalf of the Garden Walk committee members, past and present; 
its founders Marvin Lunenfeld & Gail McCarthy; and especially its 350-plus  gardeners that present their gardens each year.

Garden Walk Buffalo, the largest garden tour in the U.S., is held the last weekend of July each year. In 2011, the free event will be Saturday and Sunday, July 30 & 31, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. More than 350 residences and businesses throughout the west side of Buffalo open their creative urban gardens for more than 50,000 visitors from around the U.S. and Canada. For more information, visit www.GardenWalkBuffalo.com.

High-resolution, print-worthy, professional photography of Garden Walk Buffalo is always available in the Garden Walk Press Kit, found here. http://gardenwalkbuffalo.com/index.php/press-kit/press-kit-the-basics

One of many rare art pieces features at exhibition

 The collection includes Chinese New Year’s poster prints (some made from woodblocks dating back to the late Qing dynasty in Henan, Mianzhu, and Tianjin), Tibetan Thangka paintings and woodcarvings, and tapestries from the Tajik people in Xinjiang.
 
In addition to these unique cultural artifacts, the exhibition features photos, music, and videos of indigenous people and landscapes that provide context for understanding and appreciating these vanishing artistic traditions.
 The art exhibition opens this Tuesday, November 2 and continues through Friday, November 12 daily between the hours of 9 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. in the Upton Hall Czurles-Nelson Gallery at Buffalo State College. The college campus is located at 1300 Elmwood Ave. across that avenue from the Albright Knox Art Gallery and the Upton Hall can be found by turning off Elmwood onto a campus road called Iroquois.

For more information, call (716) 878-5252.

(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region. We welcome news and commentary to post on this site from our American neighbours in Erie and Niagara Counties, New York. Email drapers@vaxxine.com for further information.)

Lest you have any doubt our binational Niagara region is home to a treasure trove of fine heritage and architectural sites, mark this October 16th and 17th on your calendar for the 9th annual Doors Open Niagara.

The century-old 'Electric Tower' in downtown Buffalo is one of the many sites free for the viewing during this year's Doors Open Niagara. Photo by Doug Draper

This annual weekend event, organized by a group of dedicated volunteers from both sides of Canada/U.S. border in concert with the not-for-profit Binational Economic and Tourism Alliance, swings the doors open, free of charge, to more than 60 conservations areas, museums, wineries, heritage buildings, including churches, mansions, inns and wineries and other sites, between the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.

The sites on the list are located in Jordan, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Niagara Falls, St. Catharines, Thorold, Wainfleet, Welland and Port Colborne and surrounding areas in Ontario, and in Buffalo, Niagara Falls, Amherst, Lockport, Lancaster, Clarence, Youngtown, Tonawanda and surrounding areas in Erie and Niagara Counties in New York.

The sawmill and adjacent Morningstar Mill in the picturesque Decew area of Thorold are among the sites listed for this year's Doors Open Niagara. File photo by Doug Draper.

Doors Open Niagara is a celebration of some of the best communities on both sides of the Niagara River have to offer to residents and tourists alike when it comes to the arts, culture and history of our region. It is well worth taking some time out on the weekend to enjoy it.

For more information on Doors Open Niagara and the sites open for tours this October 16th and 17th,  go to Google, Yahoo or whatever search engine you use and key in ‘Doors Open Niagara’ and follow the links on that website to ‘Doors Open Niagara Sites’ for a list and map of the sites. You might also trying downloading a flyer for this even by clicking on http://www.doorsopenniagara.ca/images/stories/pdf/don_flyer_2010-final.pdf .
(Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)

There are both framed and unframed pieces featured at this show, which has been held now for more than 30 years.

The show and sale opens on Thursday, Oct. 14 and runs to Sunday, Oct 17 between the hours of  10 a.m. and 5 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Niagara At Large doesn’t mind getting a little gushy here.

Historians and others on both sides of our binational border, involved in planning upcoming War of 1812 commemorations, have created a wonderful, rich-in-history Niagara 1812 bicentennial map that is already becoming a big hit in our schools and among others who care about our shared heritage on both sides of the border.

This map, which is far more than any average map and includes great historic drawings of some of the key figures from that war, and written nuggets on battles, received a “first prize” award from an international mapping organization at an annual conference it held this July In San Diego, California.

Following is a media release from the Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council for Niagara, Ontario and the Niagara Frontier in New York celebrating the award they received for this map. The release also offers information on how you can get a copy of this great map.

MEDIA RELEASE

1812 Bicentennial Map wins first prize at the world’s largest GIS conference

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Niagara Region/Niagara Frontier – July 23, 2010 – The Bicentennial Map launched by the Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council won first prize in the Map Gallery for Best Cartographic Design at the 2010 ESRI International User Conference held last week in San Diego.

The map was designed by John Docker, GIS Analyst with the Niagara Region, as well a number of contributors, and is one of many exciting Legacy Council projects.  

The ESRI International User Conference is an annual event produced by the Environmental Systems Research Institute. It is the largest geographic information system (GIS) event in the world. This year’s conference attracted 15,000 attendees and featured works from over 100 countries. In addition to this award, the Bicentennial Map received previous recognition from ESRI Canada as it will be featured in the organization’s 2010 Calendar for the month of October.

The Bicentennial Map was officially unveiled in February 2010 and includes 125 points of interest organized along six trails that guide visitors through Niagara. Each trail is associated with a narrative that tells the history of the War of 1812. This prominent award is a tribute to the promotion of the Bicentennial celebrations and recognizes the outstanding design efforts of John Docker.

The Map is used as an educational tool highlighting the significant role that the Niagara Region played in the War of 1812. The creation, printing and distribution of the original Map were made possible with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage, Niagara Economic Development Corporation, Niagara Parks Commission, the Niagara Region, Ontario Ministry of Tourism, the Trillium Foundation, and a number of contributors and advisors.

The award-winning map can be found in schools, local museums, historical attractions, and tourism outlets throughout Ontario and Western New York. The featured points of interest on the Map can also be found online at www.discover1812.com under “Trip Ideas”.

The Niagara 1812 Bicentennial Legacy Council is a cross-border not-for-profit organization established to commemorate the War of 1812 and celebrate the 200 years of peace between Canada and the United States which have followed.

(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)

Plans by a coalition of interests, including the Niagara Arts Council, Toronto Symphony Orchestra and others working under the name ‘Project Niagara’, to launch a summer music festival on lakeshore lands in Niagara-on-the-Lake are dead.

This Niagara Project vision of a summer evening music festival along a scenic stretch of Lake Ontario shoreline has faded to black.

Project Niagara has pulled the plug on its plans for a 17-week festival on 270 acres of Parks Canada lands along Lake Ontario, reportedly due to a realization that it is not likely to get the tens-of-millions of dollars in funding it would need from Ontario’s provincial government and the federal government to turn it into a reality.

The demise of this $76-million vision for a ‘Tanglewood-like’ venue for music under the stars will sadden some. But there are no doubt others – especially people living in the vicinity of the lands where the festival would go – who are relieved by the news.

“The Harmony Residents Group was pleased to learn that Project Niagara has ended its efforts to develop a summer music festival. We believe (this festival) was an inappropriate use for the Lakeshore Road property,” said Randy Busbridge, head of the residents group in a statement this July 15 to Niagara At Large. “We extend our best wishes to the Toronto Symphony Orchestra and National Arts Council. They are both venerable institutions and we wish them well,” continued Busbridge, who went on to say that he hopes residents in Niagara-on-the-Lake and surrounding communities, including all levels of government, will remain united in realizing another plan for the Parks Canada lands.

Aerial shot of Parks Canada land that could be a sprawling public site celebrating Niagara's ecology.

That plan, floated by the Harmony group for the past few years as an alternative to the Project Niagara project, calls for developing the lands, which is home to a host of wildlife and a stand old Carolinian forest, as an eco park.

“Such a park,” said Busbridge, “would compliment existing nature and heritage attractions (and) would play to our strenght as a picturesque town, steeped in history surrounded by natural wonders. It ouwld respond to a growing segment of the tourism market.”

Gary Burroughs, Niagara-on-the-Lake’s lord mayor, calls the eco-park plan a “fabulous idea” for the lakefront land and says he wants to work with the Harmony group to promote it to before other levels of government.

They may wish to start at the regional government level, where the region’s chairman, Peter Partington, has already vowed to make protecting and preserving shoreline areas where the public has access to our rivers and lakes one of his priorities before he leaves office at the end of this year. Indeed, Niagara is blessed with being nestled between two of the greatest freshwater lakes in the world.

A stand of old-growth Carolinian forest on lands some want to preserve as a publicly accessible eco-park in Niagara.

Unfortunately, there are too few places left where people can get out of their cars with their friends or members of their family and walk freely along the shores without encountering ‘no tresspassing’ signs or a fence running right down to the waterline.

On provincial member of parliament – Kim Craitor, the Liberal MPP for a riding of Niagara Falls that includes Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake – is trying to do something about that with a private member’s bill calling for more public access to our lake shores. But so far, other members of his own majority government have not embraced that bill.

So suffice to say, public access to the Parks Canada lands in Niagara-on-the-Lake would therefore be a welcome draw for residents and visitors to our region alike.

(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)

The Horseless Carriage Club of America will embark on a Niagara Vintage Tour Sunday, July 18 to Friday, July 23, and will cruise into Port Colborne July 20 with about 60 cars and make its way to the Port Colborne Historical and Marine Museum at 2 pm.

This 1910 Cadillac is one of about 60 antique cars that will be touring Niagara, Ontario later this July.

The club – which defines the Horseless Carriage as any pioneer gas, steam, or electric motor vehicle built or manufactured before January 1, 1916 – is one of few clubs to represent the dawning of the age of the automobile.

The unique period of history covers the automotive industry from the turn of the century to the end of carriage coachwork, gas lights, hand cranking, and the profuse use of brass.
 
The historical vehicles possess charm and character, and have fascinated adults and children for generations, inspiring members of the Horseless Carriage Club to promote the restoration and preservation of these classic automobiles and use them for their original purpose; driving and touring. For more information visit www.hcca.org.
 
HCCA members will park their vehicles on the Port Colborne Museum grounds from 2 to 3:30pm, and invite the public to view their spectacular cars. The group will then make a stop at Lock 8 Gateway Park on the Welland Canal before venturing back on the road heading towards Thorold.

(A show of classic cars will also be held on Front Street – the main downtown street of Thorold, Ontario on Saturday, July 24 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.)

(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)

The Port Colborne Public Library is featuring a special exhibit of photographs by Welland photo artist Terry Nicholls beginning this Thursday, July 15 and running through October 15.

A piece titled 'Riverside', one of many works by Terry Nicholls on exhibit at the Port Colborne Public Library.

The exhibit opens at the library this July 15th at 6 p.m. through 8 p.m.; with the artist of 30 years on hand to greet all from the public who wish to meet him and experience his work.

“When I was asked by a member of the library’s board if I would like to exhibit my work this summer, I was both delighted and somewhat stunned,” said Nicholls. “I had a few pieces entered in the Roseland (Port Colborne’s premier arts venue) Juried Show a couple of years ago. But I never had a solo gig before. … Nor have I had to work so long and hard matting and framing, with twenty-seven pieces in a show. …

” I photograph whatever happens to catch my attention as I’m walking around – whatever forces its way into the “frame” I carry with me in my mind’s eye,” continued Nicholls. “I’m very selective about how I shoot. Usually I’ll take only one or two exposures, perhaps using different lenses or viewpoints. …

“I try not to ask myself whether it will ultimately make a strong enough image to print. I just try to figure out exactly what it is about the subject matter that interests me – the colour, the light, the context, the shape, line, or texture – and then I see how I can work with the file later to bring those factors to the fore in a composition which I hope will arrest the viewer’s eye as the initial sight caught mine.”

“My work is entirely digital in nature—the original raw image files are captured by a digital SLR camera, and the files are then cropped, edited, and otherwise manipulated to my taste on the computer until ready to print out,” said Nicholls.
 
This method of working gives me a great deal of creative scope; often a particular image requires a lot of post-camera processing to get it to the point where it evokes the feeling I had about the subject at the time of pressing the shutter release. I feel that while the initial exposure should be technically as good as possible, it is still only the raw material for the making of a memorable image. Even masters such as Ansel Adams played endlessly with their images in the chemical processing and enlarging stages before they found what they were looking for. In my case I waste a lot less paper and chemicals and the original file always remains as shot, ready for further experimentation anytime I feel like playing.”

Terry Nicholl’s exhibit of photo art will continue at the Port Colborne Public Library, located on 310 King Street in that Niagara, Ontario city, through mid-October and his pieces will be available for purchase, as will unmated prints which will be produced as required.

(Click on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary on matters of interest and concern to our greater binational Niagara region.)