A Perfect Theme Song For This Passing Week In Niagara

A Brief One from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted November 22^nd, 2025

Cars, trucks, and more trucks and cars, and where has all the green space gone?

At this past November 20^th’s Niagara Regional Council meeting, the debate was over whether a development corporation should pay the Region development charges for an underground parking lot it will include with a hotel it is building in Niagara-on-the-Lake or burden everyday ratepayers across Niagara will the cost.

In Thorod, a group of residents called Friends of Memorial Park packed a city council meeting there to oppose the extension of a parking lot for a nearby seniors’ centre write into that historic park.

A few representatives for the Thorold residents came right out, during their message to city councillors and fellow residents, and quoted the lyrics from a song by the legendary Canadian singer/songwriter – “They paved paradise, put up a parking lot.”

It all leaves me asking once again – How long are we going to let cars and trucks rule? And at what cost to everything else?

With that, I thought I would leave you with a young Joni Mitchell performing that song about paving over paradise, called Big Yellow Taxi, followed by a bonus song by her, Both Sides Now, from way back in the very wild and rebellious year of 1969. You can hear and watch this great Canadian artist here by clicking on the screen immediately below –

Here are a few recent posts on the issues I referred to that you can visit by clicking on the following links – Niagara Regional Councillors Defy Opposition & Waive Development Charges For Underground Parking For Planned Niagara-on-the-Lake Hotel | Niagara At Large

Thorold Council Agrees To Public Meeting On Plan To Extend Parking Lot Into City’s Historic Memorial Park | Niagara At Large

From Doug Draper at Niagara At Large, remembering the assassination of John F. Kennedy – a U.S. president who so many Canadians actually thought very well of – 62 years ago this November 22^nd during a trip he and his First Lady, Jackie, took to Dallas, Texas.

President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jackie, riding in a limo in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963, just moments before the president was assasinated.

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