Citizen Opposition Is Growing to Plans by Ontario Premier and his Enablers in Politics and the Development Industry to Gut More of our Natural Heritage for Urban Sprawl
A News Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper
Posted November 20th, 2022 on Niagara At Large
One of the more than 100 Niagara citizens rallying this November 19th in support of saving our green lands. Photo by Dahlia Steingberg
Niagara, Ontario – Neither icy roads nor blowing snow stopped more than 100 Niagara residents from picketing outside of the Beamsville constituency office of Ontario Ford government MPP Sam Oosterhoff in support of saving what is left of our natural heritage from Ford, Oosterhoff and their pals in the province’s money-grubbing development syndicate.
Based on messages Niagara At Large received this past weekend, far more people would have joined the November 19th, Saturday afternoon rally from places like Port Colborne, Fort Erie, Niagara-on-the-Lake and the northern end of St. Catharine’s had the lake-effect impacts of the storm not made driving to Beamsville more hazardous.
One thing seems for sure though.
Neither rain, sleet nor snow is going to stop the opposition to the Ford government’s horrific Bill 23, which calls for selling off what Ford has called “chunks” of our Greenbelt and what is left of our conservation lands to the worst of the worst in the development industry.
Those politicians at the municipal, provincial and federal level who refuse to stand up on behalf of our communities and future generations who would pay the price for the rape of these lands had better buck up.
At the rally in front of Ontario Ford government MPP Sam Oosterhoff’s constituency office
In the 2018 municipal elections in Niagara, citizens across this region who bother to vote proved that they can purge a whole bunch of bad actors from the regional and local councils, and never doubt that they can and will do it again if this moral corruption around the destruction of our precious green places is allowed to continue.
“Think people don’t care about the environment or all the things the Ford government is doing to dismantle good planning?,” asked Liz Benneian, a director of Niagara area citizen and a director of the Ontariogreen environmental education group and of the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee, who played a key role in organizing the November 19th rally.
“People all around the province are protesting cuts to the Greenbelt, the sell off of Conservation areas, forced municipal boundary expansions and the abrogation of citizens’ rights.,” she said. … “We will definitely be holding another rally.”
Niagara West Tory MPP Sam Oosterhoff (left) and his boss, Premier Doug Ford are like two peas in a pod when it comes to paving over chunks of our Greenbelt and destroying more of our wetlands and woodlands.
There have to be more and more citizens’ rallies against what Ford and company are planning to do to our green lands, infrastructure funding that would cost municipal taxpayers in Niagara tens-of-millions of dollars per year, and to our democracy, where Ford has moved to reappoint Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley to another four year term with no scrutiny from our other elected regional representatives.
Perhaps one rally should be held this coming Thursday, November 24th, when the newly elected and-re-elected Niagara regional council gather at the Region’s headquarters in Thorold 10 a.m. for swearing in ceremonies and their inaugural council meeting.
Yes, we had members of Niagara Region’s outgoing council send a letter of concern to the Ford government, and that is good.
But let’s see how many members of our new Niagara Regional Council we can get to stand up to Ford in defense of what is left of our precious natural resources.
To watch a brief video of Niagara citizen Liz Benneian speaking at the November 19th rally, click on – https://www.facebook.com/benchlandscitizengroup/videos/698186951488979
For more on Liz Benneian and Ontariogreen, visit that organization’s site at www.ontariogreen.ca
Visit the site for the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee of Niagara by clicking on – Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee – Niagara – Posts (facebook.com)
To watch another Rally in the Hamilton area this November 19th against the Ford government and its developer allies to rape our green lands, click on the following link –Ford Protest Nov 19 on Cootes Drive
To read a piece Niagara At Large recently posted on Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley’s response to plans to reappoint him to the Chair’s position for another four years, click on – Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley Embraces Ford Government’s Decision to Reappoint Him for Another Four Years | Niagara At Large
To read a recent news release from Ford Government Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff, supporing his government’s plan to pave over some of Niagara’s green lands on the grounds that it will mean more access to affordable housing, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2022/10/31/niagaras-lone-tory-mpp-sam-oosterhoff-applauds-fords-nature-gutting-more-homes-built-faster-act/
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