Niagara At Large

Provincial Gas Tax Funding Will Help Operate and Expand Local Public Transit Services

“We are immensely grateful to the provincial government for their generous allocation of $6.8million in gas tax funding. This critical investment will empower us to enhance our region’s infrastructure and better serve our residents.”                                     – Jim Bradley, Chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara West Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted April 25^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A portion of gas taxes collected from the pump have been used to fund municipal transit systems through successive governments in Ontario for many years now.

(A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – For those who may not know, this parcel of money for Niagara’s transit system is not a special gift of funding being being awarded here by the Ford government. In Ontario, money collected from gas taxes –  money, by they way, that is collected from each and every one of us every time we pump gas into a car or any other gas-driven vehicle – has been routinely and annually distributed to municipalities across the province that operate transit system for many years now. Here, just for an example, is a link to a newspaper story about gas tax funds going to transit system from 2015  when the former Ontario Liberal government was still in power –https://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ontario-gives-municipalities-333-million-from-gas-tax-to-fund-public-transit/article27227965/o  . So it is not clear why Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley is gushing with words of gratitude here  as if the gas tax funds allotted to  transit this year is some kind of a magnanimous gesture on Ford government ‘s part.)

ST. CATHARINES, Niagara – The Ontario government is supporting the newly consolidated Niagara Region Transit system with a $6,845,789 investment from the 2023-24 Gas Tax program.  The funding can be used to expand service hours, increase routes, purchase new vehicles and improve accessibility to increase transit ridership.

“This investment is fantastic news for transit riders across Niagara,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara. Continue reading →

Extension Plan by Niagara Region Threatens a Provincially Significant Wetland/Woodland Area

Please Lend Your Name to the Petition Below Before Saving Natural Heritage Lands in This Area is Too Late!

Posted April 25^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara citizens have been out in front of Niagara’s regional headquarters and local municipal headquarters time and time again urging our elected leaders to protect and preserve what is left of our natural heritage. file photo by Doug Draper

A Brief Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – Niagara Regional Council – yes the same Niagara Regional Council  that declared a ‘Climate Emergency’ a few years ago – is now planning to expand Merritt Road in the Thoorld, Pelham, Welland area and potentially destroy provincially significant wetlands we need to preserve the biodiversityso important to the survival of all life on this earth  and  to combat climate change.

I am beginning to wonder if the last refuge of municipal council and staff who want to go on with business as usually is to declare a Climate Emergency.

A Petition has been started by Niagara resident Jason Lovejoy to stop this environmental vandalism in the Thorold, Pelham, Welland area. Please read it and lending your name to it if you can.

A Petition Started by Jason Lovejoy

Attention Niagara Residents, Especially, Residents of Thorold, Pelham and Welland

Why this petition matters

The Niagara Region plans to spend $52M to modify a 3km section of Merritt Road, including a new 800m extension through a Provincially Significant Wetland/Woodland, that is supposed to be protected from development and alteration, and along Rice Rd.

This Petition is to Stop the Merrit Road Expansion, and save the Provincially Significant Wetlands & Woodlands (PSW&W)!

The wetlands/woodlands along Merritt Road are providing valuable climate change mitigation and flood management functions at no cost to local residents! The land around Merritt Road contains a sensitive flood plain which cannot be fragmented any further without increasing the risk of impacting homes in the area. This development may also turn Merritt Road into a speedway, right next to the children’s playground, Merritt Meadows.

Please join us in telling the Region to save money and lower taxes while accommodating housing growth with improved public transit, proper watershed management, and better/cheaper roadwork alternatives. 

Sign the PATH petition and/or learn more at https://www.pelhampath.ca/

We, the undersigned, petition the Regional Council of Niagara as follows:

1. To commit to protecting the Natural Environment System that the Region itself designated (Niagara Official Plan, June 2022) by permanently protecting the PSW&W of Singer’s Drain and Towpath Drain and not approving the proposed improvements to the undeveloped Merritt Road. 

2. To reconsider alternatives i.e. improving / expanding existing transportation corridors east/west (Port Robinson Road, Quaker Road) and north/south (Cataract Road & Merrittville Highway).

3. To create a trail through this area for human use and to maintain connectivity between natural areas. This trail would connect the existing Steve Bauer Trail in Pelham through Thorold and Welland to the Welland Canal Trail System and could be included in a Niagara GeoPark system.

4. To ensure that all future studies of such projects must include a report on a realistic analysis of the climate crisis impact and determine an accurate valuation of the natural heritage and biodiversity of the study area.

5. To complete extensive studies of the blue salamander, unique crayfish, chimney swift and other fauna, as well as the various rare existing flora within the area of this proposed development, before this project receives Council approval.

6. To allocate the $52+ million (Preliminary Estimate) for this project to be redirected to improve public transit and fix the Region’s aging infrastructure, which is now estimated to cost some $2 billion.

Sign the Petition by Clicking on – https://www.change.org/p/stop-proposed-merrit-road-expansion?cs_tk=AqjTn6Lk7I_GMoxJMmYAAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvPLCLbBEvFQxh5JQc3JaTfw%3D&utm_campaign=6689e5c5521a4a75b19ff7be694ad983&utm_content=initial_v0_4_1&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_signer_receipt&utm_term=cs .

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

400-Series Highways – Including Niagara’s Highway 406 Between Thorold and Welland -Will See Posted Speeds Of 110km/h

News From Ontario’s Ford Government

Posted April 24^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – Just what we need! Doesn’t the Ford Government have anything better to do – like go after the price-gougers in the grocery and housing industries for example? How about saving a few forests or wetlands or ending government subsidies for corporations like Enbridge to construct more pipelines to heat homes with  climate-ravaging gas?

Apparently not.

During a time when we are seeing more wild and reckless driving on our roads and highways, why not consider raising speed limes. And consider this. If the posted speed limit goes up to 110 km/h, now we will have drivers gunning up to speeds of 130 or 140,and as usual, there won’t be enough police around to catch them.)

Now here is the News Release from the Ford Government – 

The Ontario government is raising the speed limit permanently from 100 km/h to 110 km/h on 10 additional sections of provincial highways in northern and southern Ontario.

The change builds on the safe and successful increase to six sections of provincial highways in 2022 and aligns with posted speed limits in other jurisdictions across Canada. Continue reading →

“The free testing program has not only facilitated access to safe drinking water for Niagara residents, but revelations from testing has led to Niagara’s high instance of bacterial contamination, which was only made available using the data collected from the free drinking water testing program offered by Public Health Ontario”                                                                                     – St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens, Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch and Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

From lett, Niagara MPPs Jeff Burch, Wayne Gates and Jennie Stevens

Posted April 24^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – Now I know that Earth Day is over. Pardon the way I put this but his is friggin unbelievable. When is all of the dismantling of Ontario’s health and environmental protection programs by the Ford Government going to end?)

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Thursday April 25th, 2024 at 7 P.M. See Details Below

An Invite to All from Niagara’s Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS)

Posted April 24, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario –  On  Thursday April  25th at 7 p.m. The Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society will be holding a zoom meeting celebrating our 48th year of work to protect the unique and threatened Niagara Tender Fruit and Grape Lands and other  prime farmlands in Ontario.

The hosting panelists for the zoom meeting are three speakers from farm related  groups that have  a broad range of experience  in farmland preservation in order to highlight the current threats to these vital  food  resources and point a positive way forward . Continue reading →

A News Brief by Doug Draper

Posted April 23rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Ontario’s Ford Government has appointed Bob Gale, a third-term Niagara Regional Councillor for the City of Niagara Falls, to a one-year term as Chair of the Niagara Parks’ Board of Commissioners..

Gale was a Ford Conservative Party candidate for the riding of Niagara Falls in the 2022 provincial election where he was beaten by the riding’s incumbent, NDP MPP Wayne Gates. He  returned to Regional politics in the fall ofthat year after earlier declaring to a reporter at a Niagara Falls newspaper that, as the newspaper put ithe “doesn’t belong in a crowd of politicians.”

“I found that politicians are different from me,” he was quoted saying in the same a June 18th, 2022 Niagara Falls Review article. Continue reading →

Fifty-four Earth Days After The First One, We Are Edging Close to Ecological Collapse And We Need Bolder Action From Our Political Leaders and Ourselves

‘It’s too late to stop all of the beasts climate change will unleash. They’re at the gates; we can feel and hear them out there, in the unknown to come.”                                                                                              – from a 2023 cover story in Macleans Magazine titled “Canada In 2060, A Climate Change Report.”

An Earth Day Commentary by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large publisher and veteran environment reporter

Posted April 22, 2024, on Niagara At Large

During the very first Earth Day, on April 22nd, 1970, I was a high school student in Welland and I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing that day.

I and four other students from my high school received permission from a rare few of our more progressive-minded teachers to stage a protest outside a Union Carbide plant that had long been notorious for belching dark, dirty clouds of smoke over the city’s south end and onward, into the horizon.

On the very first Earth Day on April 22, 1970, this future environment reporter, Doug Draper, was out front wearing a gas mask and holding up a sign that read; ‘If You Aren’t Part Of The Solution, You Are Part Of The Pollution’ in front of a polluting plant in Welland. file photo

We were greeted by workers at the plant, out for a lunch break, who threw empty pop cans at the chain-link fence between us and who shouted at us to “get back to school.” But there were also a good number of cars that passed by with drivers giving us a thumb’s up and honking their horns in support. Continue reading →

An Earth Day Special – Don’t Miss This Documentary – Airing this  This Monday, April 22nd, 9 P.M. On PBS – WNED TV Network Serving the Western New York and Southern Ontario Regions – About An Environmental Disaster That Unfolded In A Neibhourhood Near the Shores of the Niagara River

“The documentary  highlights how ordinary women fought for their families’ safety, challenged  those in power, and galvanized a grassroots movement that led to the landmark (U.S.) Superfund Bill.”

A Call-Out to All of Usto Watch this Stirring Story from the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, an organization founded by Environmental Advocate and former Love Canal ResidentLois Gibbs

This young child is among hundreds of residents iin the poisoned Love Canal neighbourhood crying out for help.

Posted April 21st^d, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The American Experience documentary *Poisoned Ground: The Tragedy at Love Canal* premieres tomorrow April 22 on PBS, PBS.org, and the PBS App.

This Earth Day, the documentary premiere chronicles the story of Love Canal, a  neighborhood in Niagara Falls, N.Y., where residents discovered their homes were  built on a toxic chemical waste dump, leading to health crises.

The documentary  highlights how ordinary women fought for their families’ safety, challenged  those in power, and galvanized a grassroots movement that led to the landmark Superfund Bill.

Finally, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, seen here with Love Canal resident and leader of the Love Canal Homeowners Association, comes to the rescue with a federal emergency declaration

The Love Canal tragedy began with industrial waste dumping in the late 1940s and escalated in the 1970s with widespread health issues. CHEJ founder, Lois Gibbs, and several residents pushed for government action, eventually leading to federal emergency declarations and the passage of the (U.S.) Superfund Bill, marking Love Canal as the first Superfund site for cleanup.

Filmmaker Jamila Ephron emphasizes the ongoing challenges faced by marginalized communities affected by  toxic waste contamination.

While you prepare yourselves for the premiere, be sure to get ready by watching the official trailer here –

• Thank you, The Team at the Center for Health, Environment & Justice

For more on the Center for Health, Environment and Justice, click here – <www.chej.org?link_id=2&can_id=4babaab2162247c7eb9a1f215bbd0de9&source=email-earth-day-and-beyond-2&email_referrer=email_2288400___subject_2815308&email_subject=on-earth-day-watch-poisoned-ground-the-tragedy-at-love-canal-premiering-on-pbs-9nil11-pm-et>

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted April 20^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

This Saturday, April 20^th is Record Store Day – a day set aside each year to celebrate the treasure of good music we can discover at record stores and a day to encourage us to support record stores and not let any more of them die.

As a life-long lover of music, I have been saddened over the past few decades to see the number of great record stores closing, from the grand old Sam the Record Man store on Yonge Street in Toronto to the equally grand Record Theatre store in Buffalo, and all too many record stores in locations in between.

Most of these stores, like growing numbers of news media outlets, have fallen victim to people turning to the sterile, soulless world of the internet for almost everything they want to read, watch and hear. Continue reading →

“Solar energy can power anything.The impact of inventing new low-cost, highly efficient solar cell alternatives is profound and urgent. It could change the future of energy in Canada and address the worldwide energy shortage for humankind.”                                          – Jianbo Gao, Brock University Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry

News About A Greener Energy Future from Brock University in St. Catharines, Niagara

Posted April 19^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – Those  Niagara Regional Councillors who recently voted in favour of using our tax dollars for subsidizing the connection of gas pipelines to new homes for as long as 40 more years should consider the following news from Brock University. It might help at least some of them get their heads out of the sand and take the climate emergency we are facing more seriously.)

As Earth Day (this April 22^nd) nears, prompting people to reflect on their conservation efforts, an international expert in solar cell research at Brock University is working to make green energy more accessible to all.

Jianbo Gao, Assistant Professor in Brock’s Department of Chemistry and Affiliated Professor in the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering shares some very encouraging news about solar energy and for the future of our planet.

Jianbo Gao, Assistant Professor in Brock’s Department of Chemistry and Affiliated Professor in the Yousef Haj-Ahmad Department of Engineering<https://brocku.ca/mathematics-science/engineering/>, is leading novel research in photovoltaics, a method of converting solar radiation into electricity. Continue reading →

A Few Brief Words from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted April 19^th, 2024 on Niagara At Larger

Doug French

Thirty-two years after their daughter Kristen’s murdered body was found three torturous days after she did not make it home from school one spring afternoon before the Easter weekend holiday, it is still hard to imagine how Doug and Donna French and others in their family made it through the heartache and horror.

I was still working as a reporter at The St. Catharines Standard at the time and a few times during and after the trials of the monsters responsible for her death, I saw Doug and Donna French standing at the reception desk of our newsroom, waiting to speak to one or more of my news colleagues over stories the paper was continuing to publish on the terrible episode. Continue reading →

Show You Support Through Purchasing Cookies During Tim Hortons Annual SMILE COOKIE CAMPAIGN

A News Release from The Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region, Autism Ontario South Region and Project SHARE,

Posted April 19^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Thorold, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Niagara Falls – Nationally, Tim Hortons restaurant owners will be supporting over 600 charities and community groups through the Smile Cookie campaign from April 29 – May 5, 2024. 

Locally, with every purchase of a Smile Cookie from the St. Catharines, Thorold and Niagara-on-Lake locations, the proceeds will be donated to The Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region and Autism Ontario South Region and sales from Niagara Falls will be donated to Project SHARE and the Alzheimer Society. Continue reading →

“I continue to work with Welland. Port Colborne and Fort Erie to ensure the hospital and the two UCCs (Urgent Care Centres) are maintained with the services expected by the respective communities.”                                                                                                       – Vance Badawey, federal Liberal Government MP for Niagara Centre

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre Liberal Government MP Vance Badawey

Posted April 18^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey is ministerial assistant on federal transporation file

Vance Badawey, MP for Niagara Centre and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, is pleased with this April 16^th’s tabling of the 2024 Budget.

“Housing healthcare, affordability, and economic incentives top my list of priorities that we advocated for that have been introduced in this budget,” stated Badawey.

Continue reading →

News from the City of St. Catharines

Posted Thursday, April 18th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines/Niagara – Celebrate conservation and environmental sustainability with the City of St. Catharines by joining in Earth Day-related activities.

Earth Day at Market Square

The City of St. Catharines has partnered with Links for Greener Learning to hold its annual Earth Day event on Friday, April 19, 2024, at Market Square from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Elementary school students will participate in the hands-on activities and demonstrations. This year’s theme is Planet vs. Plastic. Continue reading →

You Are Invited to a Virtual “Lunch and Learn” Event, April 23^rd, from Noon to 1 P.M. (For more details on this Zoom Meeting, read Poster below.)

A Call-Out to All of Us from Brichway Niagara (formerly Women’s Place)

Posted April 18th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

For more information on this event and on Birchway Niagara and its work in the Niagara community, click on – Birchway Niagara – Allied Against Abuse

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Free tree pickup at Lancaster Park – Read Details Below

A News Release from the City of St. Catharines

Posted April 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Niagara – Registration is now open for St. Catharines residents to reserve a free tree in advance online here for the City’s 2024 Spring Tree Giveaway.

American Beech, Hackberry, Pin Cherry and Spicebush are the tree species available at this spring’s event at a new location – Lancaster Park at 31 Wood St.

The number of trees is limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis online. Registration will close as stock is reserved. Registration officially closes on April 26 at 4 p.m. Continue reading →

Polluting Gas Will Provide 25 Per Cent of Ontario’s Electricity In 2030 – Up From Four Per Cent

News from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a citizens group advocating for a healthier environoment and real action on climate change

Posted April 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

According to the Independent Electricity System Operator’s (IESO) 2024 Annual Planning Outlook,  one-quarter of Ontario’s electricity supply in 2030 will be produced by burning fossil gas. 

To add insult to injury, the IESO is asking the federal government to establish emission caps which will allow the gas plants’ greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution in 2035 to be 5.2 times greater than their 2017 level. In addition, it is asking the Government of Canada to allow the gas plants to continue to operate until 2050. Continue reading →

Young people “face a world full of trauma, pain, hate and judgment, and while social media may be a symptom of these things, it is not the sole cause, and to suggest so is to overlook a thousand other contexts that shape young people’s lives.”  – Brock Professor Shauna Pomerantz,  Department of Child and Youth Studies 

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted April 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – While four Ontario school boards recently announced a $4.5-billion lawsuit against the social media giants behind Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and TikTok, Brock University experts are calling for additional actions to address the influence popular online platforms have on teens.

Brock Univers Professor Shauna Pomerantz in the Department of Child and Youth Studies

Professor Shauna Pomerantz in the Department of Child and Youth Studies says that although a leak from whistleblower Frances Haugen shows that Meta was aware of the harm teenaged girls experienced using Instagram, she also fails “to see how suing social media corporations will stop bullying, mental health crises and inattentive students.”

She suggests that other options, such as regulating or banning smartphones in schools, could make a big difference in spite of the complexities of culture change and rule enforcement.

Continue reading →

“It’s hard to think of a more enticing target for corruption than unchecked municipal decisions to approve sprawl.”

“By rubber-stamping an application to needlessly extend a settlement boundary and bulldoze farmland or wildlife habitat, a small town councilor could confer hundreds of millions in windfall wealth upon a real estate speculator who bought up farmland at a low price.”

A Statement from Phil Pothen, Land Use and Land Development Program Manager, Environmental Defence Canada

Posted April 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Toronto – The Ontario Ford Government’s proposed Provincial Planning Statement and Cutting Red Tape to Build More Homes Act seem calculated to ensure that the Greenbelt sprawl and real estate scandal spreads and expands into a wave of suburban “Greenfield Scandals”.

Bill 185 would hinder efforts to speed up housing construction by promoting the wasteful, low-density sprawl that has caused Ontario’s housing shortage.

Together, the new law and the proposed Provincial Planning Statement would effectively wipe out the protective Settlement Area Boundaries and Municipal Comprehensive Review processes that prevent low-density sprawl from destroying what remains of farmland and natural areas outside the Greenbelt.

Continue reading →

‘Participants are asked to take pictures of plants and animals within the city limits of St. Catharines. …. . Community members can then help identify the organisms and species that are photographed.’

An Invitation from the City to All Residents of St. Catharines

Posted April 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Niagara – Residents of St. Catharines are being encouraged to get outdoors and explore nature. The City will once again be participating in the City Nature Challenge, scheduled for April 26 through to April 29. 

The international event is held annually and aims to motivate residents to learn about the wildlife and ecosystem in their own cities. 

Participants are asked to take pictures of plants and animals within the city limits of St. Catharines and upload them to the City’s event page on iNaturalist. Community members can then help identify the organisms and species that are photographed.

Continue reading →

“We are excited to announce that Welland’s Central Fire Station has been nominated as a finalist for The Next Great Save Competition! … Saving this building will reinforce the historical, cultural and commercial importance of the downtown while preserving a century-old architectural jewel.”                                                              – from Nora Reid and all of the volunteer members of  the Central  Station Education Initiative 

A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter/ Publisher Doug Draper

Posted on Niagara At Large on April 16th,2024

Welland’s grand old Central Fire Hall in the city’s downtown

Congratulations to all of the members , friends and loyal supporters of the Central Station Education Initiative, dedicated to protecting and preserving the icon, century old Welland Central Fire Station in the city’s downtown.

They have very recently received the good news that their project to save this classic heritage building is one of 12 finalists in the Camada-wide “Next Great Save  Competition sponsored each year by National Trust Canada. Continue reading →

Stations would supply reliable, affordable and clean power for an additional 30 years

“OPG’s investment at the Sir Adam Beck complex in Niagara Falls will ensure that Ontario has the power needed to support the growing demands of our economy, while creating 200 new, good-paying jobs for local workers.” –               – Vic Fedeli, Ontario Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade

“The Niagara region played a foundational role in Ontario’s early electrification more than a century ago and will continue to be a clean electricity centre for decades to come, thanks to this refurbishment.”                    – Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

“Through this significant investment Niagara Falls will continue to help power Ontario. We welcome the good jobs and economic development this project brings with it and are proud to build on our long history of clean energy generation.”                                                                                                                            – Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted April 16^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The Adam Beck Hydro Power facilities along the lower Niagara River in Niagara Falls, Ontario

NIAGARA FALLS , Ontario – The Ontario government is supporting Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG) plan to refurbish its hydroelectric stations in the Niagara region, including the Sir Adam Beck Complex at Niagara Falls.

This $1 billion dollar infrastructure program would secure up to 1,700 megawatts (MW) of clean electricity, equivalent to powering 1.7 million homes, helping to meet increasing demand from electrification and fueling the province’s growth. Continue reading →

“We have no idea how many seniors have been fined or forced into a Long-Term Care home against their will, because the Ford government refuses to be transparent.” – Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates.

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted April 16^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates: Ford government admits fining seniors in LTC is just a cost of doing business

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates whose riding includes Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake has been after the Ford government to provide better quality care and more resources for staff in long-term-care homes for years.

QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls), Official Opposition critic for Long Term Care (LTC), caught the Ford government in a tight spot as he pressed them on their decision to fine seniors under Bill 7 (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bill-7-passes-ontario-long-term-care-1.6568125) :

“We have no idea how many seniors have been fined or forced into a Long-Term Care home against their will, because the Ford government refuses to be transparent,” said Gates. “We’ve seen awful stories of families being charged $5,200 dollars (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/charge-bill-7-ontario-government-long-term-care-1.7157231) to keep their loved one close to home – but we’ve learned all of that from determined reporting, not Ford transparency.”

When asked to come clean today, Minister of Health, Sylvia Jones admitted that several people had been charged, but wouldn’t say by how much. Continue reading →

Was This Declaration Necessary? Did It Help Or Hurt? And How Well Was It Communicated To Our Municipal Leaders And Others That Needed To Know?

A News Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted April 15th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

In the days leading up to this April 8th Solar Eclipse, Niagara’s Regional Government declared a State of Emergency as a precaution before possibly unprecedented numbers of people came in to Niagara to see it

It’s beginning to look like one municipal party in Niagara or another may not be giving us the straight goods around the Regional Government’s decision to declare a “State of Emergency” in the days leading up to the April 8th Solar Eclipse that reached totality in the skies over Niagara Fall.

At the very least, there appears to have been some kind of communication breakdown between the parties over this declaration.

Whatever may have gone off the rails here, it isn’t a good thing– especially for people who may be facing the possibility of a real emergency which, in the case of the April 8^th solar fest, at least some did not believe an emergency declaration was warranted at all.

Continue reading →

Wednesday, April 17^th, 2024 – For Contact Information on How You Can Register, See Poster Below

An Invite to All from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted April 15^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Niagara’s Regional Government  Recently Voted Against Calling on Ford Government Not To Override Ontario Energy Board Decision to End Subsidy for Building New Gas Pipelines

“Reinstating this subsidy for new methane gas hookups for developers will cost over $1 billion over the next 4 years alone. In addition to higher energy bills (versus heat pumps), these new gas hookups will be bad for new homebuyers who will breath toxic fumes from gas stoves, give their kids a greater risk of childhood asthma, and generate needless carbon pollution.”                                                           – Ontaro Clean Air Alliance 

A New Release from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a citizen group advocating for renewable energy and an end to climate ravaging fossil fuel emissions

Posted April 14^th, 2024

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large – We will the names  those on the Niagara Regional Council who voted against OEB’s decision to end gas pipe subsidies below this news release.)

Now here is the Ontario Clean Air Alliance’s News Release-

A number of Ontario municipalities are taking an important stand for their residents and our climate by calling on the Ford government to drop its plan to protect Enbridge Gas’ subsidies.

Hamilton, Guelph, Whitby, Severn, Lake of Bays, Kingston, County of Prince Edward, and Pelham have all passed resolutions urging the provincial government to not block a decision by the Ontario Energy Board (OEB) to end the subsidy for hooking up new homes to Enbridge’s gas system.

The OEB correctly noted that ending this subsidy would lead to lower energy bills for existing gas customers. This was not some spur of the moment decision by the OEB – it came after a year-long hearing that heard from many expert witnesses. Continue reading →

‘The proposed Highway 413 will cause irreversible environmental devastation. This six-lane, 52-kilometre highway would pave over 400 acres of (Ontario’s) Greenbelt and more than 2,000 acres of Ontario’s most productive farmland.’ – Ontario Nature

A Call-Out to All of Us from Ontario Nature, a non-profit group dedicated to protecting and preserving Ontario’s natural heritage

Posted April 14^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

There are no two ways about it – the proposed Highway 413 will cause irreversible environmental devastation. This six-lane, 52-kilometre highway would pave over 400 acres of the Greenbelt and more than 2,000 acres of Ontario’s most productive farmland.

It would negatively impact 29 species at risk, including redside dace, red-headed woodpecker, Blanding’s turtle, western chorus frog and black ash. It would destroy  75 wetlands (28 of which are provincially significant), polluting and damaging fish and other wildlife habitat. It would also cause more than 17 million tonnes of additional CO2 emissions by 2050, the year by which Canada is committed to reaching net-zero emissions. 

Highway 413 must be stopped.   

Continue reading →

“With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided.” – Leaders of G7 Nations

Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, United Kingdom, United States

Statement Released by the Office of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

Posted April 14^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – We, the Leaders of the G7, unequivocally condemn in the strongest terms Iran’s direct and unprecedented attack against Israel. Iran fired hundreds of drones and missiles towards Israel. Israel, with the help of its partners, defeated the attack.

We express our full solidarity and support to Israel and its people and reaffirm our commitment towards its security.

With its actions, Iran has further stepped toward the destabilization of the region and risks provoking an uncontrollable regional escalation. This must be avoided. Continue reading →

Posted April 14th, 2024 by Doug Draper on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Posted April 14, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, (this April 13^th, 2024) issued the following statement on the  attacks by the Iranian regime against Israel:

“Canada unequivocally condemns Iran’s airborne attacks against Israel. We stand with Israel.

“After supporting Hamas’ brutal October 7 attack, the Iranian regime’s latest actions will further destabilize the region and make lasting peace more difficult. Continue reading →

Niagara’s Regional Municipality Recently Voted Against Joining This Show of Support

“On December 21, 2023, the OEB (Ontario Energy Baord) decided not to continue a $250 million a year government payment that Enbridge had requested in its rate application for 2024-2028. In its ruling, the OEB argued that it did not make sense to continue to build gas pipelines to new homes in light of the energy transition taking place globally.”                                                 – Adrian Currie, Ontario Climate Program Manager for the Canada-wide citizens organization Environmental Defence

A News Release from Environmental Defence

Posted April 12^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

But First, here is a Brief Foreword  from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper –

At the March 21st, 2024 meeting of Niagara Regional Council. Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson tabled a motion that would have had the Region calling on the Fort Government not to overrule the Ontario Energy Board’s recent decision to stop subsidizing gas piplines to new homes. A majority of her fellow Regional Councillors boted against the motion.

As if to openly mock their 2021 declaration of a “climate emergency”, a majority of  Niagara Regional Councillors recently a voted not to join other municipalities in Ontario in urging the Ford government not to overrule a December 2023 decision by the Ontario Energy Board to stop using our tax dollars to subsidize the construction of any more gas pipelines to newly built homes.

In a vote of 14 to 12, a motion tabled by Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson at a March 21^st council meeting, asking the Ford government not to overrule a December 21 Ontario Energy Board (OEB) decision was turned down.  

The OEB stated that the major purpose of its decision to stop the subsidies was discourage the use of climate-damaging fossil fuels to heat homes in favour of newer technologies like heat pumps that are already proving to be less costly than gas and far less of a problem for the Earth’s atmosphere and climate.

The only local council in Niagara that has so far voted in favour of the province not overruling the OEB’s decision is the Town of Pelham, whose Mayor, Marvin Junkin, also voted in favour of Huson’s motion in his capacity as a Regional Councillor.

Niagara At Large will post lists of the Regional Councillors who voted for and against Huson’s March 21^st motion below the Environmental Defence news release which begins here –

Continue reading →

This Saturday, April 13th at 3 P.M at The Film House on St. Paul Street in Downtown St. Catharines

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted April 11th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

To quote with something the Scarecrow said to Dorothy and her dog Toto in L. Frank Baum’s imaginary ‘Land of Oz’, “Some people without brains do an awful lot of talking.”

Or perhaps in my case, there are people out there who don’t care for my reporting and commentary on this site who would replace the word ‘talking’ in that quote to ‘writing’.

That’s okay. This veteran journalist has never really cared what certain people think about me and my reporting, just so long as I am making all of the right enemies.

That leads me back to this post which may read like an ad to you even though I am not getting paid a penny for it, nor will I expect free tickets to this wonderful film or would I accept them even if the managers of The Film House offered them to me. Continue reading →

Brock University Professor of Kinesiology Toby Mündel

“People’s bodies adjust to the “normal” ambient temperature of where they live. If these rise, there may be an elevated risk of illness and death, but the fact that the regular ambient temperature is high compared to other places doesn’t pose a risk in itself.” he says”                                                                                       – Brock University Professor of Kinesiology Toby Mündel

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted April 12^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

As scientists express concern<https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-68665166> over the world’s hottest March on record — the 10th record-breaking month in a row — a Brock University physiology expert is calling for a more holistic way of determining the health risks posed by extreme heat.

“Public health messages tend to be oversimplified to say things like, ‘At this temperature, people are susceptible to heat stroke, and at this maximum temperature, people will die,’” says Professor of Kinesiology Toby Mündel. “The truth is much more nuanced when you take many other factors into consideration.”

Mündel is part of an international research team that published a review study in March<https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23328940.2024.2310459>challenging conventional methods of calculating the risk of illness and death from extreme high temperatures. Continue reading →

“If we save our wild places, we will ultimately save ourselves.”    – Steve Irwin, Australian wildlife educator and conservationist

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted April 11^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

One of the many inhabitants  of Waverly Woods along the shores of Lake Erie in Fort Erie, Ontario where some of the woods has recently been bulldozed down for urban development.  When the residents move in, what will become of this fox, if he is still around, and other wildlife  in the area?

Niagara, Ontario – Over all my years covering environmental stories in Niagara, I’ve witnessed more than my share of ignorance and negligence  when it comes to the way that we humans treat the wild places around us.

To share with you  an all-too-common example of what I am talking about – one that continues to anger the hell out of me each and every time it continues to happen – there are the people out there who choose to move into a home located in a recently built, low-density subdivision that is somewhere way out from the core of a city or town where there were wetlands for turtles and frogs and where forests and meadows used to grow. Continue reading →

A News Commentary by Doug Draper, followed by a News Release from Ontario’s Ford Government

Re- Posted April 10^th on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – In the days leading up to the April 8th solar eclipse, news came out that was important and did not necessarily get the attention it deserved because of all the understandable hoopla over the eclipse. The news about the Ford government planning to move ahead with a costly expansion of the Garden City Skyway is one of them and that is why we are posting it again here.)

“Building more roads to prevent congestion is like a fat man loosening his belt to prevent obesity”

Doug Ford’s vision for the 21st Century – more and more highways for ever more trucks and cars

This is something that the late Lewis Mumford, a celebrated historian for his time and a philosopher of technology, said back in 1965 when at least some in the field of building more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly ways of moving people and goods around began to realize that building and expanding ever more roads and highways was only going to make a bad problem worse.

Of course, it is  doubtful Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a college drop-out who seems to take pride in his ‘I’m just one of the guys’, Homer Simpson persona, has a clue who Lewis Mumford is.

 Given his girth, however, one might think that Ford might have some idea how loosening your belt to solve a weight problem makes about as much sense as spending countless billions of dollars widening  roads and highways to  solve traffic congestion.

But apparently not.

Continue reading →

 “Everyone in Ontario has the right to get health care with their OHIP card, not their credit card.”

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition Party Leader Marit Stiles

Posted April 10^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – Official Opposition NDP MPP Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP are calling for an audit of private clinics charging patients to access primary care.

Ford’s Conservatives opened the floodgates for private, fee-based health care in our province while millions are struggling without a family doctor’s office,” said Stiles.

“Everyone in Ontario has the right to get health care with their OHIP card, not their credit card. Instead of holding bad actors accountable, Ford and Jones are encouraging private clinics to force Ontarians to pay for health care that should be free.”

Continue reading →

‘Open data is data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed by anyone with very few restrictions. The data is provided to support transparency and accountability of organizations.’

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted April 11^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Entering its eighth year of providing a single point of access to Niagara’s open data, today the Niagara Open Data Community Consortium marks another milestone with the relaunch of  NiagaraOpenData.ca [https://niagaraopendata.ca/], a community data catalogue where users can access data from across the region.

Open data is data that can be freely used, re-used and redistributed by anyone with very few restrictions. The data is provided to support transparency and accountability of organizations or to drive innovation and innovative approaches to address challenges faced in our community. Continue reading →

“As charitable organizations, food banks were designed to provide temporary assistance to those in need.  Today, they are responding to systemic inadequacies by supporting an alarming number of vulnerable residents with food security.”                          – Assistant Professor of Political Science Joanne Heritz, Brock University

A News Report by Cathy Majtenyi  at  Brock University, on  Important Research  coming out of the  University on the state of Niagara food security

(A NOTE from Niagara At Large – A version of this news was reported earlier this month on Niagara At Large but with all of other news leading up to the April 8th solar eclipse, important  news like this, on the status of so many Niagara residents’ lives,  deserves to be reported again.)

Posted April 9^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Brock University’s Niagara Community Observatory released a policy brief on April 2 documenting the situation of food insecurity in the region and beyond.

Niagara is experiencing an “alarming increase” in the number of people — particularly children — who are relying on food banks to meet their basic food security needs, says research from Brock University’s Niagara Community Observatory (NCO).

But this trend shows no signs of slowing down because the main drivers of food insecurity — wages and social assistance programs failing to keep up with inflation and the lack of affordable housing, among others — aren’t being addressed, says the research brief, released Tuesday, April 2. Continue reading →

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley,

“As Regional Chair, I am keenly interested in hearing from Niagara’s youth about ways to make local government more engaging, and if our programs and services are meeting their unique needs. I am looking forward to identifying a new group of individuals from across Niagara that not only represent our diversity, but who are also able to share their ideas and opinions about how to make our region a better place to live. I invite all interested young people to visit our website and complete an application.”                                                                               – Niagara Regional Chair, Jim Bradley

An Invite to Young People from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted April 7th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – As part of Niagara Region’s efforts to hear from as many voices as possible, applications are currently being accepted from youth ages 13-19 to participate on the Regional Chair’s Youth Advisory Panel (RCYAP).

Established in 2021, RCYAP members provide recommendations, advice and information to the Regional Chair and staff on issues that affect Niagara teens. The panel is comprised of 12 members, each with different backgrounds, experiences, and viewpoints. The Regional Chair and one Regional Councillor volunteer representative also serve on the panel. Continue reading →

Help the City of St. Catharines celebrate arts in the community by nominating a local artist or arts champion

Nomination Deadline Is Friday, June 14 at 4:30 p.m.

.A Call-Out from the City of St. Catharines in Niagara, Ontario

Posted April 7^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Ontario – Local artists, residents, businesses, and organizations are eligible to be nominated for the annual awards in the following categories: the Arts in Education Award, the Emerging Artist Award, the Established Artist Award, the Making a Difference Award, and the Patron of the Arts Award.

Nominees must be a St. Catharines resident or have been consistently active in the arts in the city for an extended period.

Continue reading →

On American Side, Celestial Spectacle Drew Both Cheers and Looks of Horror  

A Brief Report from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted April 8^th, 2024

As crowds at the Falls wait for eclipse to reach totality shortly after 3 p.m. this April 8th, there sure are alot of clouds up there.

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Within just a few hours of the solar eclipse coming and going over the skies of Niagara, I began hearing complaints from people on the Ontario side of the Falls that they could not  see the great spectacle as well as they hoped to because of cloud cover.

Many said they had been waiting for months, and in some cases years to feast their eyes of this rare celestial show, and some had spent a good deal of time and money for hotel rooms after travelling here from homes as far off as North Bay, Ontario and Boston, Massachusetts just for the occasion.

And now this! After a full day of clear skies, clouds get in the way.

Continue reading →

A Message from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted April 8^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – With the eclipse event concluding without incident, effective 5:45 p.m. today (Monday, April 8th), Regional Chair Jim Bradley officially rescinded the emergency declaration for the Niagara Region.

Niagara Region wishes to thank the hundreds of volunteers and numerous staff who worked diligently throughout the day to ensure the health and safety of all remained a top priority. Continue reading →

From Mexico, through Texas and on up through the State of Ohio and Windsor, Ontario area to Buffalo, N.Y. and Niagara and beyond, NASA is documenting the total eclipse path live. Click on the screen below to watch –

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Illumination Show Will Run at 8:00, 8:30, 9:00 and 9:30 P.M. on Solar Eclipse Day, Monday, April 8^th, 2024

An Invitation to All from the Niagara Parks Commission in Niagara, Ontario

Posted April 8^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

  Niagara Falls, ON   – As North America eagerly anticipates the breathtaking occurrence of the total solar eclipse on April 8, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board is thrilled to announce a special illumination display to complement the celestial spectacle.

A spectacular view of the Horseshoe Falls lit up. Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission

On the evening of Monday, April 8, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board will illuminate the Canadian Horseshoe and American Falls with a specially designed illumination show in celebration of the total solar eclipse. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted April 7^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

In ancient times, there were whole cultures of people who saw a solar eclipse as a sign of doom – a warning that the apocalypse was coming.

Then again, there were also many people in those times who believed the earth was flat and that the sun and every other terrestrial body they could see in the sky revolved around it.

Nevertheless, and as strange as it may seem to so many who are on the edge of their seats with excitement over the total solar eclipse that will unfold in the skies on April 8^th,  the dark minutes we will all experience this Monday afternoon when our earth’s moon completely covers the sun could be taken as a metaphor for some pretty dark and dangerous times we are now living in. Continue reading →

“Plan Ahead, Stay Safe, And Have A Fun Eclipse Day This Monday April 8^th, 2024″

A Message from the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted April 7h, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario  – MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) is reminding residents and visitors to take the necessary precautions outlined by local officials for a safe and fun-filled eclipse day in Niagara.

“We can all feel the excitement building in the community for this once in a lifetime event—but it’s important that we all work together as a community to ensure a safe day for everyone,” said Gates.

Continue reading →

A News Release from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted April 6^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper –

The Horseshoe and American Falls will be lit up in the blue and white colours of the Toronto Blue Jays this Sunday, April 7th for the team’s home opener. All photos courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission

I’m not sure many people would visit this news and commentary site to read a post about illuninating the Horseshoe and American Falls for the opening of the baseball season.

But I have always loved baseball. It’s my favourite team sport, so please indulge me for a moment.

The only thing I find a drag about the opening of the baseball season is the weather. Isn’the spring opener supposed to come with a little more warmth outside?

Continue reading →

A News Commentary by Doug Draper, followed by a News Release from Ontaro’s Ford Government

Posted April 5^th on Niagara At Large

“Building more roads to prevent congestion is like a fat man loosening his belt to prevent obesity”

Doug Ford’s vision for the 21st Century – more and more highways for ever more trucks and cars

This is something that the late Lewis Mumford, a celebrated historian for his time and a philosopher of technology, said back in 1965 when at least some in the field of building more cost-efficient and environmentally friendly ways of moving people and goods around began to realize that building and expanding ever more roads and highways was only going to make a bad problem worse.

Of course, it is  doubtful Ontario Premier Doug Ford, a college drop-out who seems to take pride in his ‘I’m just one of the guys’, Homer Simpson persona, has a clue who Lewis Mumford is.

 Given his girth, however, one might think that Ford might have some idea how loosening your belt to solve a weight problem makes about as much sense as spending countless billions of dollars widening  roads and highways to  solve traffic congestion.

But apparently not.

Continue reading →

“Some people may insist measles isn’t a big deal, but measles can cause quite a number of problems, including immune amnesia, which can compromise the quality of your immune response to other pathogens. It can lead to more serious infections down the road.”                                                                                                              – Adam MacNeil, Associate Professor of Immunology and Director of the Inflammation and Immunity Lab at Brock University

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted April 4^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Adam MacNeil, Associate Professor of Immunology and Director of the Inflammation and Immunity Lab at Brock University

With measles cases on the rise across the country, a Brock University immunologist says the highly contagious virus may be just the start of other vaccine-preventable illnesses making a return.

“Unfortunately, I think measles is just the harbinger here,” says Adam MacNeil, Associate Professor of Immunology and Director of the Inflammation and Immunity Lab at Brock, whose research explores how immunity interacts with viruses, allergens and people’s lived experiences. Continue reading →

“Wars are poor chisels for carving out peaceful tomorrows.”  – Martin Luther King

A Brief Comment by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted May4th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The great voice for racial equality, social justice and peace, Martin Luther King

It was 56 years ago today, on May 4th, 1968, that one of the most powerful voices for peace, social justice and an end to all forms of racism over the past hundred or more years was shot and killed in Memphis, Tennessee.

The night before, in that same city where King, a civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner, was gunned down by a man full of anger and hate driven by God knows what, that this great man delivered his iconic “I’ve Been to the Mountain Top” speech.

The speech ended with him telling his audience that while up there, he had looked over the other side and he had; “seen the promised land. I might not get there with you,” his prophetic words rang on, “but together as a people, we will get to the promised land.”

For many, King’s assassination was an earth-shaking blow to hope and peace during a time – not too much different than the times we are living in today – of war (both hot and cold), and social and racial injustice. Continue reading →

“Niagara Region Transit is dedicated to providing safe, reliable transit service to our riders. Although we may experience temporary disruptions in reliability on April 8th, our commitment to safety remains paramount.”                                            – Carla Stout, General Manager, Niagara Transit Commission

News from Niagara Region Transit

Posted April 4^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA REGION, Ontario – After careful consideration and in response to community needs, Niagara Region Transit (NRT) will maintain full transit service on April 8th, during the Solar Eclipse.

This decision reflects the commitment of NRT to ensure continuous transportation accessibility for residents and visitors alike. Continue reading →

‘The Big Banks and their multi-millionaire executives are a powerful lobby group – that’s why they have been able to keep their gouging fees and credit card interest rates so high for the past 30 years.’

News from Democracy Watch, a leading Canadian citizen group advocating for democratic reform, government accountability and corporate responsibility

Posted April 4th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A new study has found Canada’s Big Banks gouge $7.7 billion out of Canadians every year in excessive fees that UK and Australian banks don’t charge!

Canada’s Big 6 Banks gouged out a total of more than $58 billion in profits in 2023 (almost triple their 2010 profits), paid their CEOs an average of $12 million each, and gave out more than $21 billion in total bonuses to employees.

Meanwhile, the Trudeau Liberals have only partially kept 2 of their 5 promises from the 2021 federal election to stop bank gouging and abuse and increase bank accountability. Continue reading →

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted April 4^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates whose riding includes Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake has been after the Ford government to provide better quality care and more resources for staff in long-term-care homes for years.

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario – MPP Wayne Gates, Ontario NDP Official Opposition critic for Long-Term Care (LTC), is fighting for seniors who have been bullied by the Ford government into LTC homes against their choosing.

“Hundreds of seniors have been bullied into LTC homes (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/ont-long-term-care-1.7150035) against their will because of Ford’s cruel Bill 7”, said Gates.

 “Today we learned that the province has hit seven of those seniors with fines of up to $400 dollars a day in a cruel attempt to force them into a LTC home that they didn’t choose, with one patient gettinghit with a fine of $5,200. (https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/windsor/charge-bill-7-ontario-government-long-term-care-1.7157231)

It’s intimidation – and it’s just wrong.

Continue reading →

Niagara community activist and recipient of Niagara Region’s first annual Environmental Award, Liz Benneian

“I have been, and continue to be, very grateful for your support, and for the support of the broader community of Niagara residents, who care about good planning, good government, our environment and climate and the kind of future we will leave to our children and grandchildren.”  – Lincoln resident and director of the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee – Niagara  

Some God News – And Couldn’t We All Use A Little More Good News – from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted April 3^rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Liz Benneian with Niagara Regional Chair after she was presented the Region’s Environmental Award along with four other recipients of Niagara Impact Awards.

At this past March 28th, 2024’s annual State of the Region event, featuring a keynote address by Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley and hosted each year by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, Liz Benneian, a resident of Lincoln  and a community activist who, among other things, is a director of  the  region-wide coalition of citizens now known to many as  Biodiversity and Climate Acton Committee – Niagara, was presented the Region’s first-ever Environmental Award.

This new Environmental Award – presented  by Chair  Bradley – is one of four other Niagara Impact Awards created by the Region in 2021 “to recognize those individuals, non-profit organizations and private-sector businesses who have gone ‘above and beyond’ to improve the quality of life for those in our community.” Continue reading →

Research (by Assistant Professor of Political Science Joanne Heritz) shows food bank usage has risen in all of Niagara’s 12 municipalities. The largest increase was seen in Niagara-on-the-Lake, where use grew 118 per cent from 2021 to 2023, followed by St. Catharines and Thorold with an 82 per cent increase from 2022 to 2023 and Niagara Falls with a 65 per cent increase from 2022 to 2023.

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted April 3^rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The federal government is on the right track with its new National School Food Program that will provide 400,000 meals to children, but more needs to be done to increase food security in Niagara and beyond, say two Brock University political scientists.

“This marks a critical milestone in Canada, the only G7 country without such a program,” Professor of Political Science Charles Conteh says in response to the new program announced Monday, April 1st. Continue reading →

“This announcement is good news for employers and workers in Niagara and will help prepare the next generation of highly skilled workers for the good jobs of today and tomorrow.”              – Niagara West Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara West Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted April 3, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA FALLS – The Ontario government is working to fill the labour shortage by successfully training new electrical construction workers for in-demand careers in Niagara, together with union partners. 

Niagara West ConservativeMPP Sam Oosterhoff

Enabled by an investment of $672,700 through Ontario’s Skills Development Fund, the government has partnered with the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 303 to deliver the Job Readiness Program for local apprentices and jobseekers.

“We know in-demand jobs in the skilled trades continue to grow,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.

“This announcement is good news for employers and workers in Niagara and will help prepare the next generation of highly skilled workers for the good jobs of today and tomorrow.”

“As Ontario faces the largest labour shortage in a generation, our government is delivering on our commitment to build up our workforce and grow our economy,” said Hon. David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development. Continue reading →

Are We About To Get Burned in Niagara? Free Webinar April 3rd*- Read Below for More Details on Joining in on the Webinar Presentation

A Call-Out to All of Us from Liz Benneian, Director of Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara, a citizens advocacy coalition for protecting and preserving a healthier environment across our region

Posted April 2nd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

 Citizens in Niagara have twice fought off attempts to build an incinerator here. Now some Regional Councillors are talking about it again.

Learn more about why this is a very bad idea on Wednesday, April 3rd from 12 to 1 p.m. A panel of experts from across the country and Europe will discuss the threat incineration is posing in Canada.

Continue reading →

This notice is in effect until 9:00am, Friday, April 5th, 2024, and will be updated as required.

A Flood Advisory from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA)

Posted April 2^nd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

For Tuesday, April 2nd, 2024, this notice is intended to advise the public and local municipalities of the potential for flooding within the NPCA’s jurisdiction as it relates to the Niagara Peninsula, the southeastern portion of the City of Hamilton and the eastern portion of Haldimand County.

Environment Canada has issued a special weather statement for the Niagara Peninsula watershed calling for significant accumulations of rain. Forecasted rainfall amounts of 30 – 60 mm is expected throughout the Niagara Peninsula beginning later this morning through Wednesday evening. This amount of rain flowing over saturated ground can cause significant runoff into local ditches, watercourses, and storm infrastructure.

Continue reading →

Increase to $17.20 an hour follows passage of government’s fourth Working for Workers Act

News from the Ontario Government of Premier Doug Ford

Posted April 2^nd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — The Ontario government is increasing the minimum wage from $16.55 per hour to $17.20, effective October 1, 2024. This 3.9 per cent annualized wage increase is based on the Ontario Consumer Price Index (CPI) and brings Ontario’s minimum wage to the second highest in Canada.

“Under the leadership of Premier Ford, our government is helping nearly one million workers earn more money for themselves and their families,” said David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development.

“We are providing businesses with certainty and predictability by announcing this annual wage increase six months in advance, while also helping families offset the rising cost of living, so that Ontario continues to be the best place to live, work and raise a family.” Continue reading →

 “The National School Food Program is a game changer. The Program will take pressure off of families, invest directly in the future of our kids, and make sure they’re able to reach their full potential – feeling healthy and happy. This is about fairness and doing what’s right for our kids to get the best start in life.”             – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A  Pre-Budget Announcement from Canada’s Trudeau Government

Posted April 2^nd,2024 on Niagara At Large.

Every generation deserves a fair, healthy future – from kids, to parents, to grandparents. It’s why we’re supporting families, one of the many things that we are doing in Budget 2024 to build an economy that helps every generation get ahead.

Children deserve to have the best start in life. But today, nearly one in four children in Canada do not get enough food. That impacts their health and their opportunities to learn and grow.

Higher grocery prices are making it hard for parents to afford to put enough good, healthy food on the table. Study after study has shown that when kids eat well, they do better in school. And when kids do well, that sets them up for success. Continue reading →

Ex-U.S. President Wants You To “MAKE TOILETS CLEAN AGAIN!”

By Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted April 1^st, 2024

Just a week after Donald Trump began hocking his own “Make America Pray Again” version of the Bible, he is now offering, for the low, low price of $29.99, a radically different item for your shopping pleasure – a one-of-a-kind “Make Toilets Clean Again” brush with featuring a likeness of MAGA Word’s favourite strongman topped with a head full of yellow bristles strong enough to brush away the most stubborn stains in your toilet bowl.

Order yours now and Trump’s ‘Ultra MAGA’ fundraising team will send you a second brush absolutely free, along with a 12-pack of toilet paper with a picture of Trump giving the finger to everyone who, as he often puts it, have “not been very nice to me,” on each and every role. Continue reading →

Curious about the cosmos? Wondering why a total solar eclipse in Niagara is such a rare sight?

An Invite from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted April 1^st, 2024 on Niagara At Large

At one of two upcoming free Brock University public lectures, Assistant Professor of Physics Barak Shoshany will discuss eclipses, including what to expect of the April 8 total solar eclipse and how to watch it safely.

Niagara, Ontario – Two Brock University professors are giving free public lectures next week about the celestial spectacle and the significance of lunar and solar cycles.

Assistant Professor of Physics Barak Shoshany will present All About Eclipses<https://experiencebu.brocku.ca/event/262285> on Friday, April 5 from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. in David S. Howes Theatre.

The presentation will discuss the differences between solar and lunar eclipses, the types of solar eclipses and why a total solar eclipse is so rare. He will also explain what people can expect to see during the upcoming total solar eclipse on Monday, April 8 and how to view the eclipse safely. Continue reading →

News and a Call-Out to All of Us to Press the Ford Government for from the Green Party of Ontario

Posted March 29^th, 2024 at Niagara At Large

Two more beluga whales died at Marineland in (a large amusement park in Niagara Falls, Ontario) this (past)  week.

That brings the marine mammal death toll at this “attraction” In the last five years to 21 – 16 belugas, an orca, two seals, and two sea lions.

How many more animals have to die before the (Ontario Ford) government takes action?

Continue reading →

    – Take in the beauty of the blooms at the Orchid Show at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse 

    – Step into nature with a visit to the Butterfly Conservatory

    – Discover the transformation of spring at the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens

    – Travel back in time to the heart of hydroelectric power generation at the Niagara Parks Power Station + Tunnel

    – Be one of the first to set sail this season on Niagara City Cruises’ iconic Boat Tour

Inside Niagara Parks’ Butterfly Conservatory. All photos courtesy of Niagara Parks

An Invite to All from the Niagara Parks Commission in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 29^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

 Niagara Falls, ON   – Hop into spring with a visit to Niagara Parks this Easter long weekend. Take in the budding beauty around the Niagara River corridor and enjoy a variety of springtime activities. There is something for everyone to enjoy in this holiday long weekend, from festive springtime floral displays to Niagara Parks’ iconic nature-based attractions.

** The Orchid Show at Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse

Experience the breath-taking and colourful blooms of over 1,500 expertly grown Phalaenopsis orchids at Niagara Parks’ first-ever Orchid Show at the  ## Floral Showhouse ## (https://www.niagaraparks.com/visit/nature-garden/floral-showhouse/). The striking floral display filled with hues of purple, yellow, pink, and white draws inspiration from the once-in-a-lifetime total solar eclipse happening in Niagara Falls on April 8, 2024. Continue reading →

All of Niagara preparing to host thousands of visitors for once-in-a-lifetimeview total solar eclipse

“Declaring a State of Emergency under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA) strengthens the tools the Region has at its disposal to safeguard the health and safety of residents and visitors and protect our critical infrastructure in any scenario that might arise.”

An Important Message from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted March 28^th, 2024 on Niagara At  Large

NIAGARA, ONTARIO – On (Monday) April 8th, all of Niagara will be one of the best places in Canada to view the total solar eclipse, and thousands of visitors are expected to come to our region to see it.

In order to make sure Niagara is prepared to accommodate this once-in-a-lifetime event, and out of an abundance of caution, Regional Chair Jim Bradley proactively declared a State of Emergency for Niagara Region under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act (EMCPA), effective today, March 28. Continue reading →