Wednesday, 25th March, 7 p.m. by Zoom
Community activist groups demand to have a say in municipal amalgamation at recent rally outside Niagara Regional headquarters.
An Invite To All from the Niagara area citizens group A Better Niagara
The Following Is A Message from Liz Benneian, a founding member of A Better Niagara
Posted March 18th, 2026 on Niagara At Large
Regional Chaos — How It Affects Us
Well, the past couple of weeks have certainly been full of chaos here in the Niagara Region. And what happens next can have profound impacts for local environment groups. 
Many of BCAC’s (The region-wide citizens coalition Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara) groups like Pelham Advocates for Trees and Habitat, the Grimsby Environmental Network, Ontariogreen, the West Lincoln Green Team, 50by30Niagara and others have been able to bring about important changes in their communities precisely because we have accessible, local governments, where we can talk to our Councillors and Mayors, where they know us and staff are willing to work with us.
That will all change if power gets consolidated to one large municipality or 4, or a Region with weighted votes that gives the biggest municipalities control, or if our critical public utilities like water and wastewater are privatized and citizens have no one to hold to account.
Many municipalities are already asking their citizens for feedback on governance changes, but citizens have barely had time to digest all that’s gone on, weigh the various options, understand the issues at play and think about what would work best for Niagara’s citizens.
That’s why I encourage everyone to attend a citizen-led, open public discussion that looks briefly at what’s happened so far, who’s taken what positions and what some of the issues are, followed by an open dialogue where we can hear each others’ thoughts and ask questions.
I will give the brief opening and Dave Augustyn, former Mayor of Pelham and former Pelham Regional Councillor, will facilitate the discussion.
The information and ideas discussed will be put together in a report which will be circulated to all attendees and made public.
The session is being hosted by A Better Niagara, a group that was formed in 2017 in response to governance issues prior to the 2018 municipal election. Quiet for the past few years, the group has been revived due to renewed concerns about governance in this election year. I am president of A Better Niagara. It is a not-for-profit corporation and is governed by a board.
To register for the meeting and get the link please email abetterniagara@gmail.com
NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views O 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
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