Author Archives: dougdraper

“Generally, the grades of the Niagara Peninsula watershed are below those observed in Ontario, but equivalent to grades observed across southwestern Ontario, where there are greater environmental stressors from higher population densities and larger concentrations of agriculture and industry.”

A News Release from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted March 23^rd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

2023 NIAGARA PENINSULA WATERSHED REPORT CARD

In celebration of World Water Day (this past March 22nd, 2023), the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is pleased to present the 2023 Watershed Report Card—a check up on the health of the Niagara Peninsula watershed, focusing on surface and groundwater quality, forest conditions, and watershed features.

The Watershed Report Card is part of an initiative by conservation authorities to evaluate key indicators of watershed health with guidelines and a grading system provided by Conservation Ontario. The NPCA has participated since 2012, producing a report every 5 years. Continue reading →

Zoom Meeting to Take Place on Wednesday, March 22 at 7 P.M. (See details for registering to attend this important meting below)

An Invite to Everyone Interested and Concerned from the Niagara Health Coalition, a member of the province-wide, citizens-based Ontario Health Coalition

Posted March 20th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Health’s Welland Hospital site among those that may see services, including emergency care, reduced in months and years ahead..

Niagara Public Meeting

The Niagara Health System (the amalgamated organization running Niagara’s hospital services) is planning to close vital hospital services in Welland, Port Colborne & Fort Erie. It has already reduced ER times and surgeries in Welland.

At the same time, the Ford government is moving forward with a plan to cut and privatize our public hospitals’ core services including surgeries and diagnostic tests. Our hospitals will be financially impacted by the loss ofthose services. This in turn will affect the types of services offered and the staffing levels . Continue reading →

From Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted March 20th, 2023

I you received two copies in your in-box of the Niagara At Large post that begins with the words ‘Hallelujah to Sunshine….’, one of them will not open to my celebration story to spring. But please try the other copy you received. It will work. Thank you. Doug Draper

Please Listen to a  Great  Spring-Flavoured Song Below.  It Should Make You Feel Good.

From Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted March 20^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Earlier this March, on a morning after we had another overnight dump of icy mush, I opened the front door to another dark, cold hour or so of shoveling the front stoop, sidewalks and driveway.

And in the middle of all this, my first robin of the year landed in a nearby bush.

“What are you doing here now, beautiful bird? How are you going to find anything to eat on this frozen ground?

Since then I have been putting out food each morning for the robin and counting the days do spring which, for a person like me who doesn’t mix well with dark and cold, could not come soon enough.

So how great it was this March 20^th to wake up to sunshine on a day when spring is officially here at 5:24 p.m. You can finally almost see the buds growing larger and larger on the trees. Continue reading →

“With this initiative, our government is helping more Canadians access a home that meets their needs and is within their means. This is a significant step toward building more housing faster in our cities and ensuring that everyone has a safe and affordable place to call home.”                                                                                     – Ahmed Hussen, Federal Minister of Housing and Diversity and Inclusion

A News Release from the Office of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

Posted March 17^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Right now, in cities across the country, it is too hard to build the housing we need, particularly affordable housing.

Housing policies are often barriers to producing results and many Canadians – from young families, to seniors, to newcomers – are finding it harder to find an affordable place to call home. It is clear that we need to accelerate change so the system works for all Canadians. Continue reading →

The “Peaceful Memorial” for Kiska will be Held Outside the Marineland Amusement Park along Portage Road in Niagara Falls, Ontario on Saturday, March 18^th from 10 to 11 A.M.

An Invite to All of Us to attend from Niagara animal advocates Jenny McQueen and Shadia Toderovitz

Posted March 17th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Kiska, the now late orca whale, served more than 40 years in captivity at Marineland in Niagara Falls,, Ontario

Please join us for a quiet memorial for Kiska (an orca whale who lived in captivity at Marineland for decades and spent her last dozen or so years remaining there, as the only orca (“killer whale”) still living in captivity in all of Canada).

Absolutely everyone is welcome.

We’ll bring the big RIP banner. Feel free to bring your own signs too, and messages to display.

Kiska was beloved by all; so many individuals and organizations campaigned for her, for decades. Humankind failed her.

Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17^th, 2023

It’s St. Patrick’s Day again when trying to arrest every reveler drinking beer on the hood of a police cruiser is an exercise in futility.

There just aren’t enough stockades to put them in.

I always know St. Patrick’s Day is near because my inbox is suddenly filled with news releases from colleges, universities and other government agencies urging people to keep their drinking under control.

Good luck with that. You’re more likely to see your first unicorn before going to a St. Patrick’s Day party or parade where the drinking is under control. More likely the green beer will be flowing like water over Niagara Falls. Continue reading →

“It appears it’s (back to) business as usual at the Region.”

A Comment to Niagara At Large from  one of many concerned and upset Niagara, Ontario residents

Posted March 16th, 2023

Before we share the Niagara resident’s comment with you, here is a Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper –

The comment I am featuring below was recently sent to Niagara At Large as a response to a March 11th news commentary posted here on the recent decision by Niagara Region’s council to agree to settle a more than three-year-old, $850,000 lawsuit against former Niagara regional chair Al Caslin and two of Caslin’s then senior staff, Jason Tamming and Robert D’Ambrose.

Then Niagara regional chair Al Caslin delivering one of his ‘State of the Region’ addresses during his time in office in the mid- to late-2010s. He kept telling the audience of mostly business leaders and fellow politicians how much there was “to cheer about.”

The lawsuit was launched against Caslin and other two in response to their alleged misconduct around the controversial hiring in2016 of Carmen Angelo as the Region’s chief administrative officer (CAO) – a position  Angelo disappeared from following a 2018 municipal election that saw Caslin and several other regional councillors who relentlessly supported Caslin’s agenda soundly defeated at the polls.

Then, this past March 10th, Niagara’s Regional Government circulated a news release to announce that the lawsuit against Caslin and the others has been settled and that the results of that settlement will remain “confidential,” never to be known to Niagara citizens and taxpayers. Continue reading →

Investment Providing Supports in Long-Term Care Homes Across Niagara Region

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

Posted March 15^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West ConservativeMPP Sam Oosterhoff

GRIMSBY – The Ontario government is investing $294,513 in nineteen projects across Niagara to help seniors with complex medical needs like dementia and bariatric care connect to specialized care and supports in their long-term care home instead of a hospital.

This is part of a $20 million investment this year in 189 projects province wide through a new Local Priorities Fund operated by Ontario Health.

The funding was announced today at Deer Park Villa in Grimsby, a local long-term care home administered by the Regional Municipality of Niagara.

“Today’s announcement in Grimsby highlights our government’s commitment to fix Ontario’s long-term care system and ensure seniors in Niagara get the quality of care and quality of life they need and deserve,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West. Continue reading →

“Canadians need to have confidence in our electoral system, and in our democracy. As Independent Special Rapporteur, David Johnston brings integrity and a wealth of experience and skills, and I am confident that he will conduct an impartial review to ensure all necessary steps are being taken to keep our democracy safe and uphold and strengthen confidence in it.”                              – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A News Release from the Office of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

Posted March 15^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

The Government of Canada takes any attempts at undermining our democracy very seriously and will continue to take action to protect our institutions and uphold Canadians’ confidence in our democracy.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced that the federal government intends to appoint the Right Honourable David Johnston as Independent Special Rapporteur, a new role as part of a suite of measures to help combat foreign interference and strengthen confidence in our federal electoral process and democratic institutions. This follows consultations with all parties in the House of Commons. Continue reading →

“The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of trained, certified volunteers who help their community in a time of disaster or crisis.”

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 13^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region is searching for volunteers from across Niagara to join its Community Emergency Response Team.

The Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) is a group of trained, certified volunteers who help their community in a time of disaster or crisis. Having an emergency response team in place helps increase Niagara’s safety and resiliency, and is a critical part of emergency response employed by communities throughout North America. Continue reading →

“On behalf of Regional Council, I want to unequivocally restate our position that the actions of the former regional chair (Al Caslin), and his staff (former regional execs Jason Tamming and Robert D’Amboise), were entirely inappropriate and truly inexcusable for any individual holding public office or serving in a position of influence.”                                                                             – current Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley following the settlement of an $850,000 lawsuit this March 9th, filed by the Region more than three years ago against the trio.

A Brief News Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted March 11^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Former Niagara Regional chair Al Caslin

Niagara’s current regional council and supporting staff have reached what they are coming right out in a news release and calling a “confidential” settlement with former Niagara regional chair Al Caslin and two of Caslin’s then senior staff, Jason Tamming and Robert D’Ambrose.

The lawsuit – seeking an $850,000 claim that broke down to $500,000 against Caslin, $250,000 against D’Ambrose and $100,000  against Tamming, for their alleged roles in the controversial 2016 hiring of Carmen D’Angelo to the Region’s top job, Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) – a position D’Angelo vanished from following the 2018 municipal elections that saw Caslin soundly defeated.

According to what little Niagara’s regional government is willing to tell us about the settlement in a news release, it can at lease continue to call the actions of Caslin and the other two egregious and can also continue to agree with the findings of an Ontario Ombudsman’s 2019 report called ‘Inside Job’on the CAO hiring controversy. Continue reading →

Kiska’s Death at Niagara Falls, Ontario Amusement Death Hopefully Marks the End of These Great Whales Being Held in Captivity for Humans’ Amusement

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

March 11^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Kiska, an orca or species of whale more commonly and callously referred to by humans as a “killer whale,” died at Marineland in Niagara Falls, Ontario this past March 9^th.

Kiska, the orca whale, serving more than 40 years in captivity at Marineland in Niagara Falls,, Ontario

This magnificent member of a marine mammal family known to be highly social it natural environment of oceans and seas, lived out all but three of her 47 years in cement ponds at the Marineland amusement park – the last 11or so of them as the only captive orca left in this park and in all of Canada. Continue reading →

“Ontarians need a functioning, well-funded, publicly available health care system that is there when we need it. That’s what people in this province deserve.”                                                                 – France Gélinas, Ontario NDP Health critic.

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition New Democratic Party

Posted March 9^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – The Financial Accountability Office (FAO) report (https://www.fao-on.org/web/default/files/publications/FA2209%20Health%20Sector%20Spending%20Plan%20Review/Ontario%20Health%20Sector%20Spending%20Plan%20Review-EN.pdf)  found that the Ford Conservatives’ plan will fall $21.3 billion short of the funding needed for hospitals, home care, and long-term care unless the government immediately changes course.

“Ford continues to put profiteers ahead of patients,” said Opposition Leader, Marit Stiles. “Conservatives say their plan is working but today’s report shows what too many Ontarians already know – it’s not. His ideological push to privatize will only make things worse.”

“When it comes to health care, Ford has fundamentally failed Ontarians,” said France Gélinas (Nickel Belt), NDP Health critic. “Year after year, Ford has refused to fund the health care services that all Ontarians deserve, and support the health care workers who care for us in times of need. Unless Ford makes a change right now, Ontario will have less hospital capacity and less long-term care capacity in 2028 than we did a decade ago. This $21 billion funding shortfall is only part of the story – the larger problem is a health care staffing shortage created by the Ford government.” Continue reading →

Congressmembers Brian Higgins of New York & Bill Huizenga of Michigan Lead Push for Greater Commitment from Canada on Great Lakes

Leaders Stress Importance & Benefits of Joint Effort to Protect Shared Fresh Water Resources

A News Release from the Buffalo, New York Office of U.S. Democratic Party Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted March 9^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins. File photo

Congressmembers Brian Higgins (NY-26) and Bill Huizenga (MI-04) are leading an effort to encourage the Government of Canada to strengthen its commitment to protecting and investing in the Great Lakes.

In a letter to President Biden, the Members say, “we write to underscore the importance of the Great Lakes to the United States and Canada, as well as the shared commitment that both our nations must uphold to support the Great Lakes.”

President Biden has announced his intention to visit Canada and meet with Prime Minister Trudeau during the month of March.

The Congressmembers are asking for this issue to be a priority in bilateral discussions, writing “We encourage you to highlight the importance of this binational resource, the investments needed to restore and protect the Great Lakes during your official visit to Canada…” Continue reading →

“The more clearly we can focus our attention on the wonders and realities of the universe about us, the less taste we shall have for destruction.”
― Rachel Carson

“In nature nothing exists alone.” – Rachel Carson, from Silent Spring

By Doug Draper, reporter and publisher at Niagara At Large

Posted March 8th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

This March 8th, 2023 is International Women’s Day and it is a time when I join many others, as we should not every day of the year and not just on International Women’s Day, celebrate women whose pioneering work has inspired us to build a better world for all

On this International Women’s Day one of the first women that comes to mind for this journalist and veteran reporter on environmental issues is American scientist Rachel Carson, whose book that shook the world, the most powerful and now legendary ‘SILENT SPRING’, set the stage for the first Earth Day in 1970 and what became known as the “modern environmental movement” and inspired people in Niagara (many of them women) and around the world to become leaders in fighting for environmental protection.

In 1963, the year after her ground-breaking book Silent Spring was first published,, Rachel Carson is featured on a cover of Time Magazine

When Silent Spring was published 60 years ago, in the fall of 1962, is became a bestseller but it also had those powerful concerns in the petro-chemical industry, in particular, to try to smear her as a communist and to try to have her black-balled as a professional scientist and writer. Continue reading →

A Brief One shared by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted March 7^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

In a story that has gone viral around the world, two amazing geese – Frankie and Blossom – get a second chance at love.

The feeling I get from the communication I do with people out there and around me is that many of us – not just a few – are at least a bit in the dumps, mentally and physically, after three years of COVID-19 and all of the troubling news here, there and around the world that continues to swamp us.

If you fall into that group, I must admit that I am with you.

So when I nice story that tugs at our hearts in the best of ways comes along, why not embrace it. Continue reading →

Building bridges at the forefront of Niagara Health’s diversity employer recognition

News from Niagara Health, Niagara, Ontario’s amalgamated system of hospital and related health care facilities

Posted March 7^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s Best Diversity Employers (2023) (CNW Group/Mediacorp Canada Inc.)

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Health is being recognized for having exceptional workplace diversity and inclusive programming as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers in 2023.

Presented by independent evaluator MediaCorp. Canada Inc., Canada’s Best Diversity Employers honours national leaders in creating inclusive workplaces for women, visible minorities, persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Continue reading →

MPP Gates disappointed government refuses to support OHIP coverage for life saving prostate cancer test

“We (Ontario’s New Democratic Party) came forward with an easy solution to this health care issue and they said no. They are clearly more interested in supporting private, out-of-pocket health care delivery.”

Niagara Falls Riding MPP and NDP incumbent Wayne Gates. file photo

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

Posted March 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) has been a long-time champion of a solution to provide OHIP coverage for prostate specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer when referred by a healthcare provider.

Today his important legislation failed to move forward after conservative members voted against it.

“Frankly I’m disappointed, but not surprised—this has consistently been the tone of this government when it comes to public health care,” said Gates. Continue reading →

“In Niagara, there is a desperate need for housing with supports to assist people who are facing trauma caused by homelessness, addictions and mental health challenges.”                                                – Joanne Heritz, Assistant Professor in Brock University’s  Department of Political Science and Research Associate in the Niagara Community Observatory

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Regional Council recently voted to declare three separate states of emergency for homelessness, mental health and opioid addiction, appealing to the federal and provincial government for help in dealing with these crises.

Three Brock University researchers are available to comment on issues surrounding this development.

Darlene Ciuffetelli Parker, a Professor in the Department of Educational Studies and Director of Teacher Education, conducts research with schools and non-profit communities on poverty-related issues, particularly focusing on high-risk populations and the impact of poverty on schools and communities. Continue reading →

Community Meeting to Take Place On Wednesday, March 8^th at 7 P.M. – See Details Below

A News Release from the City of St. Catharines in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

 The City Of St. Catharines Will Host A Community Meeting As It Continues To Work With Provincial And Regional Agencies On The Ongoing Investigation And Remediation Following The Jan. 12 Fire At 20 Keefer Rd. In Port Weller.

The explosive January 12th fire in St. Catharines’ north end.

Community Members Will Be Able To Attend A Meeting In Person, Or Watch Online Via The City’s Youtube Page, On Wednesday, March 8, At 7 P.M. At The Grantham Lions Club, 732 Niagara St. Continue reading →

(A Message from Niagara At Larger reporter and publisher Doug Draper- The following news commentary  was originally posted on Niagara At L:arge this past February 13th, 2023.  We have decided to post it again, this March 4th, 2023, as we have noticed that mainstream newspapers in Niagara are now publishing stories on the same report. 

NAL considered this report, prepared by an appointed federal government panel, to be significant at the time since it should be of interest and concern to voters in the Niagara, Ontario region. Therefore, here we go with the posting, one more time,just in case you missed our news commentary on this the first time around. )

A Report, Released this February 10^th by the Federally Appointed Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario, Has Mapped Out Some Major Changes to Riding Boundaries in Niagara Ontario

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

Re- Posted February 13^h, 2023 on Niagara At Large

A final report on federal and provincial election boundary changes for Niagara and the rest of the province has now been released

If the late NDP MPPs Mel Swart and Peter Kormos, both long-time representatives for the Niagara Centre Riding (earlier known as the Welland-Thorold Riding), or the late Liberal MPP Vince Kerrio Sr., a long-time representative for the Riding of Niagara Falls, came back to life now, the changes just tabled in Canada’s House of Commons for  their ridings would likely make their heads spin.

For starters, the name of the Niagara Centre Riding, currently held provincially by NDP MPP Jeff Burch and federally by Liberal MP Vance Badawey, will be changed to Niagara South and, according to new boundary changes,  it will lose all of its constituents in the south end of St. Catharines, including Brock University, and will now take in virtually all of Fort Erie.

The Niagara Falls Riding, currently held provincially by NDP MPP Wayne Gates and federally by Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli, will be named the Niagara North Riding and will lose the aforementioned Fort Erie area to Niagara South while keeping all or most of the City of Niagara Falls and Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Those are among the major changes outline for Niagara according to a final report, tabled in the House of Commons this past Friday, February 10^th, 2022 by a three-person panel appointed by the federal Speaker of the House to serve on an Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario.

The final report was tabled by the panel, made up of Ontario Court Justice Lynne Leitch and political science professors Karen Bird of McMaster University in Hamilton and Peter Loewen of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, after it spent more than a year of research and consulting with individuals and groups across the province.

A map of new federal and provincial riding election boundaries, including name changes for three ridings in the Niagara region.

The commission also held a series of public meetings across Ontario, including one at Brock University in Niagara last fall, where it invited anyone who wanted to in the region to comment on its proposals for electoral boundary changes and to make their own recommendations. Those who could not attend these meetings were invited to write the commission or offer comments online.

Another major change for Niagara included in the final report would take virtually all of the Town of Grimsby north of the Niagara Escarpment out of the current Niagara West Riding and include it in a new Riding to be called Hamilton-Stoney Creek-Grimsby Lakeshore.

One proposed change that at least some in Niagara strongly objected to and that was ultimately dropped by the commission was to take all of Thorold, the most urban part of the municipality  north of Highway 20, and include it in the Niagara West Riding, as a way to kick up population numbers in the predominantly rural riding represented provincially by Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff and federally by Conservative MP Dean Allison.

Niagara’s four federal and provincial election ridings as we knowthem now.

At the public meeting with the commission late last year at Brock University, a number of speakers, including Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, argued that it makes no sense to take Thorold out of a riding that includes a Welland Canal corridor it has so much economically and historically in common with Welland and Port Colborne.

In its final report, the commission wrote; “It was stated that the importance of the Welland Canal to the community identity of Thorold, both historically since Confederation and currently, cannot be underestimated. The Commission concluded that the demonstrated north/south economic development resulting from the canal communities’ aligned representation should be preserved. Thus, these suggestions (shared by Badawey and other Niagara area citizens) were implemented.”

If and when the new riding boundaries are official, the least changes in Niagara will arguably occur in the St. Catharines Riding, currently represented provincially by NDP MPP Jennie Stevens and federally by Liberal MP Chris Bittle, where the ridingwill lose a sliver of west St. Catharines to the Niagara West Riding and will gain constituents from the current Niagara Centre Riding in south St. Catharines.

One of the major goals driving the review of the entire electoral boundaries landcape in Ontario was to make population numbers in the more than 120 ridings across the province more equal.

Niagara At Large will post more on this issue as information and statements from significant others in the community come in.

Stay Tuned.

In the meantime, here are links to the commission’s report and to related material that you can click on below –

To read the commission’s entire report, click on – https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca/com/on/rprt/on_rprt_e.pdf

To learn more about the commissioners, . click on – https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca/com/on/mem/index_e.aspx

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

So Long to 89-Year-Old Music Legend Wayne Shorter

A Brief Tribute from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted March 3rd, 2023 

If you live in Niagara or anywhere in the Greater Toronto/Hamilton Area, and you’ve been listening to the weather reports over the past 24 hours up to the posting of this piece – around 4 p.m. this March 3^{rd –}  – you have probably heard that any hour now, we may be in for one hell of a winter storm.

So if there is still time and you don’t have all of the food and other necessities you may need to ride through what may be one of the winter’s wildest storms at home, stop reading this NOW and get out to the nearest stores to pick whatever you may need for the next 24 hours or so up.

And speaking of weather reports, the world has just lost the co-founder of Weather Report, one of the greatest jazz/fusion groups of all time. Continue reading →

Grocery CEOs Seheduled to Testify in Parliament

“Just last week, Loblaws and its CEO Galen Weston announced they made $14 Billion in revenues in one fiscal quarter alone as Canadians struggled to put food on the table.”

A Message to Canadians rom Federal New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh

Posted March 3^rd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh

I know Canadians are fed up with high grocery prices. You’re making sacrifices just to put food on the table for your family, or even worse, skipping meals.

It shouldn’t be this way.

That’s why next week in Parliament, I’ll be grilling the CEOs of the big grocery store chains to hold them accountable for the high prices Canadians are seeing at their stores.

We’ll make these CEOs face the music. They may be rich and powerful, but we’re forcing them to testify.

And I won’t take it easy on them. Continue reading →

“People across the province, especially seniors and young families are being pressed to the limit as (Ontario’s) Ford government allows Enbridge to continuously raise the price of gas for heating a home.”                                                                                 – Jennie Stevens, NDP MPP for St. Catharines, Ontario

A News Release from the Office of St. Catharines Riding NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

Posted March 2nd, 2023 on Niagara At Largest 

St. Catharrnes NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

QUEEN’S PARK – Today (this March 2^nd, 2023) at Queen’s Park, MPP Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines) called for the Ford government to provide relief for families who struggle to pay their heating bill as prices are increased.

“People across the province, especially seniors and young families are being pressed to the limit as the Ford government allows Enbridge to continuously raise the price of gas for heating a home,” said Stevens.

The Ontario Electricity Support Program (OESP) already provides immediate on-bill relief for families who struggle to pay their electricity bills. There is no similar program for families struggling to pay natural gas or other heating bills. Continue reading →

Honoured this March 1st, 2023 with a most Prestigious U.S. Library of Congress Gershwin Prize

THANKS FOR ALL OF THE BEAUTY YOU  BRING TO A TROUBLED WORLD

A Brief Tribute from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted on Niagara At Large on March 2nd, 2023

Joni Mitchell, wonderful painter that she is. A self portrait with one of her beloved cats

She has worn he word “legend” now for quite a long time and has often been called by other giants in the popular music field, including the late David Crosby of Byrds and Crosby, Stills & Nash fame, as one of the greatest, if not the greatest singer-songwriters of all time.

Joni Mitchell, creator of such songs as ‘Both Sides, Now’, ‘Big Yellow Taxi’, ‘The Circle Game’, ‘Woodstock’, ‘River’ and so many more, has already been honoured with almost every conceivable music award, and an Order of Canada from her home country.

Now, along with the likes of Carole King, Willie Nelson, Tony Bennett, Smokey Robinson, Billy Joel, the late great Burt Bacharach and more, she is no a winner of the U.S. Library of Congress Gershwin Prize, which is huge.

By the way, Joni Mitchell is also a great painter.

Thank You Joni, for all of the beauty and passion you have brought to a world that desperately needs it

1. Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Here is Joni Mitchell, way back when, performing Both Sides, Now. Click on the screen below to watch it –

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

Canada and Ontario Making Significant Enhancements for the Food Supply System

“It is significant that this historical agreement was signed in Niagara, one of the most productive and diverse growing regions in the country.” – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West.

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

Posted March 1^st, 2023 on Niagara At Large

 From Left to Right): Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; Vance Badawey, MP for Niagara Centre; Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, and Hon. Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

VINELAND STATION, Niagara, Ontario  – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, joined Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food, and Hon. Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, at the Vineland Research and Innovation Centre in Niagara West, today (this March 11st, 2023), as a witnessing signatory to the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a landmark agreement that will help unleash the potential of local growers and farm families across Ontario and Niagara.

From Left to Right): Hon. Marie-Claude Bibeau, Federal Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food; Vance Badawey, MP for Niagara Centre; Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, and Hon. Lisa Thompson, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs

Farmers and the province’s wider agri-food sector will benefit from the targeted investments of the new, five-year agreement between the governments of Canada and Ontario, ensuring growers and farm families across Ontario continue to lead the world in food production, food safety, innovation and sustainable practices.  Continue reading →

“The spirit of cooperation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples to make the Jordan Hollow Indigenous Cultural Park happen is a positive reflection of the values of Niagara.” – Karl Dockstader, Plenty Canada advisor for content, culture, and protocol and art jury member

A News Release from the Town of Lincoln in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 1^st, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Lincoln, Ontario – Plenty Canada and its partner, the Town of Lincoln, are thrilled to announce the selection of two site-specific Indigenous public artworks that will be installed permanently in Jordan Hollow Indigenous Cultural Park (https://speakuplincoln.ca/jordan-hollow-park) located at 3039 King St. in Lincoln, Ontario.

How entrance to  park will look – Two-Row Helix
David Beyer and Lilly Otasevic, Image courtesy of Town of Lincoln

The inclusion of these artworks in the park represents a significant step towards Reconciliation by promoting Indigenous culture and celebrating the work of contemporary Indigenous artists.

Plenty Canada received a non-repayable contribution of $180,000 through the Government of Canada’s Tourism Relief Fund Tourism Relief Fund in southern Ontario (canada.ca) delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/feddev-ontario/en) (FedDev Ontario), to support this project to include public art within the park. Continue reading →

  *   Members of the public are invited to share their knowledge, stories and/or personal connections to Oak Hall and Queen Victoria Place

  *   Data collected from online surveys will be used to inform future planning for the sites

A News Release from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted March 1^st, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Niagara Parks has launched a public engagement exercise to gain knowledge and input about two of its heritage buildings in Niagara Falls, Oak Hall and Queen Victoria Place, through the use of a digital survey available on its website.

A vintage photo of Niagara Parks’ Oak Hall. Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission

Members of the public are invited to visit niagaraparks.com/heritagesurvey to complete a short survey about their knowledge of Oak Hall and Queen Victoria Place. As part of Niagara Parks’ heritage planning process, the survey results will then be incorporated into the development of heritage assessments for the buildings, which both require capital investment. Continue reading →

NEW REPORT – More than enough land available to build over 2 million homes in the Greater Golden Horseshoe by 2031, without touching the Greenbelt or expanding urban boundaries

“There is so much existing land inside urban boundaries that the (Greater Golden Horseshoe region, including Niagara) would need to double the rate of land consumption in the 21st century in order to consume it all within three decades.”

Niagara citizens at Regional Headquarters for November 24th Inaugural meeting of council. Photo by Doug Draper

A News Release from The Alliance for a Liveable Ontario,   Environmental and other top-flight citizen voices from across the province and country for  protecting and preserving what’s left of our Natural Heritage

Posted February 27^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishinaabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Huron-Wendat – A new report makes it clear that there is more than enough land already in the planning pipelines to build over 2 million homes by 2031, far more than the 1.5 million housing units the Province wants built across Ontario. Continue reading →

Gordon Pinsent – Age 92

“Mr. Pinsent loved his province and his country deeply. He entertained millions around the world and inspired us to say ‘yes’ to doing the things we love and to pursuing our dreams.”    – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A Statement by Canada’s Prime Minister on the death of Gordon Pinsent

Posted February 26^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Iconic Canadian entertainer Gordon Pinsent

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the death of Gordon Pinsent-

“It was with profound sadness that I learned yesterday (this past Saturday, February 25^th) about the passing of Canadian icon Gordon Pinsent – one of the country’s most prolific and beloved actors.

“Born in Grand Falls, N.L., Mr. Pinsent had a storied career, spanning over six decades, as an actor, writer, director and singer. He will be fondly remembered for his many roles in Canadian shows and films, including Away From Her, The Rowdyman, The Forest Rangers, The Red Green Show, Due South, The Grand Seduction, Street Legal, Republic of Doyle, and as the voice of Babar the Elephant. Continue reading →

A News Release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC)

Posted February 26^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Michele-Elise Burnett to be honoured

Niagara, Ontario – On March 3rd, 2023, the GNCC will hold its 22nd annual International Women’s Day event, co-presented by Niagara Economic Development and PenFinancial Credit Union. As in 2022, the event will be in-person.

Every year, the GNCC honours and celebrates the extraordinary contributions of one woman, and this year, the International Women’s Day award will be presented to Michele-Elise Burnett, Naawii Cappo, Métis of Ontario citizen with Algonquin roots, Bear Clan, President of Kakekalanicks, an Indigenous arts and consultancy company which helps promote and educate Indigenous art and artists to a broad audience. Continue reading →

 “Putin thought his invasion would be a quick victory, but he was mistaken. Ukrainians have stood strong over the last 365 days and counting, and as Russia continues its brutal war against Ukraine, Canada and Canadians will stand by the Ukrainian people for as long as it takes.”                                                                 –  Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A News Release from the Office of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

Posted Februarry 24^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

One year ago today (this February 24^th, 2023), Putin launched a brutal full-scale invasion of Ukraine. In the face of the immense human suffering, appalling human rights violations, and cruelty inflicted upon the people of an independent and sovereign nation, Ukraine still stands strong.

The Ukrainian people have bravely stood up to the Russian regime, in defence of their sovereignty, territorial integrity, and  independence – and our shared values of democracy and freedom. The Government of Canada will stand with the people of Ukraine for as long as it takes. Continue reading →

“The Ford government committed to maintain full emergency department and acute care services in Welland – what happened to that promise? Ontarians deserve a government that keeps their promises, especially when their local health care is at stake.” – Jeff Burch, NDP MPP for Niagara Centre

A News Release from the Constituence Office of Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

Posted February 24^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP leader

NIAGARA, Ontario – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, joined MPP Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre) and MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) in Welland, Ontario this (February 24th, 2023) morning to advocate for increased access to public health care across the province, including in Welland where after-hours emergency surgeries will no longer be taking place after February.

“The Ford government is making a clear choice to withhold billions of dollars in health care spending,” said Stiles. “We could be funding solutions in public health right now – instead, Ford’s decision is creating a staffing crisis in our health care system that he has no interest in fixing. Continue reading →

Province Tops Up Gas Tax Funding To Make Up For Lower Gas Sales

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

Posted February 24th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West Tory MPP Sam Oosterhoff (left) and his boss, Premier Doug Ford

BEAMSVILLE, Niagara – The Ontario Government is providing more money to support the expansion and improvement of Public Transit Services In Niagara.

The funding is part of the province’s gas tax program which will allocate more than $379.5 Million To help 107 municipalities operate and improve local transit. 

Niagara is receiving $6,519,878 in gas tax allocations, including:

Continue reading →

“They Paved Paradise, Put Up a Parking Lot.”                     – Joni Mitchell

Waverly Woods – Almost All of  this Natural Haven,  Gone Forever. How Tragic That Is For Present and Future Generations, To See You Go

THIS IS DOUG FORD’S ONTARIO!

A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 23rd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Waverly Woods last fall, the last time I saw it. Photo by Doug Draper

I’m sorry to say that I only got to know Waverly Woods, along the Ontario shores of Lake Erie where the waters of the Great Lakes enter the Niagara River about four or five years ago. Continue reading →

“ On August 11th, 2022, a family wedding fundraiser known as a “stag and doe” was hosted at the Premier’s home. … Invitees included developers and lobbyists, with invitees later telling journalists they felt “browbeaten” into purchasing tickets. Some expressed concern about risking their professional reputations by being seen as “trying to gain influence by paying for his daughter’s wedding.”                                                                                            – from a February 23^rd, 2023 letter Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles sent to the Province’s Integrity Commissioner 

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Leader Marit Stilesj

A News Release from Ontario’ Official Opposition New Democratic Party

Posted February 23^rd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition, submitted a complaint to the Integrity Commissioner this morning requesting an investigation into whether the Premier has violated the Members’ Integrity Act concerning two Ford family events.

The complaint includes fresh evidence that suggests a troubling pattern of ongoing government policy decisions benefitting developers and lobbyists with close ties to the Premier. Continue reading →

Applications Now Open For Community Garden Funding

A News Release from the City of St. Catharines in Niagara, Ontario

Posted February 22^nd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – Not only is this a great thing to begin thinking about and planning during the last cold weeks of winter, but what a great thing the City of St. Catharines in promoting during a time when all the more green plants and trees is a counterattack on carbon emmissions and climate change.

Every municipality in Niagara, Ontario should do this. – Doug Draper)

The City of St. Catharines is providing funding to help community gardens take root.

The City is once again supporting community groups looking to establish new community gardens, and/or improving existing ones.

Applications for the annual program are now open, providing the opportunity for incorporated charities and not-for-profit groups to apply to receive matching funds from the City for up to half of eligible start-up costs, including lumber, soil, seeds, rain barrels and other materials and equipment.

“The contribution of community gardens cannot be measured in the yield of a harvest – this is also about community building, learning about horticulture and enjoying some time working in the outdoors,” said Ilyse Norton, the City’s Development Horticultural Technician. Continue reading →

The $3.6-Billion Hospital – Slated to be Open in 2028 – Is Meant to Serve All Resident in Niagara, Ontario’s Southern Tier

A News Release from Niagara Health, the amalgamated system of hospital services in Niagara, Ontario

Posted February, 21st, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – This Tuesday, February. 21st, 2023, Niagara Health (NH) and IO announced that EllisDon Infrastructure Healthcare (EDIH) has been awarded a fixed-price contract of approximately $3.6 billion to design, build, finance and maintain the new South Niagara Hospital.

What the new South Niagara Hospital would look like on lands in southwest Niagara Falls – The South Niagara Site Will Be Located At The Corner Of Montrose And Biggar Roads In Niagara Falls. Construction Will Begin This Summer, With Opening Planned For 2028. Artistic Rendering Is Subject To Change.

The contract reflects the payments made during construction, the substantial completion payment and the monthly service payments before inflation adjustments.

EDIH will soon begin site work on the property, with construction planned to begin this summer. The hospital will take five years to build, with occupancy planned for 2028. Continue reading →

“He was decent. …The world needs fewer Rambos and more leaders like him. I’m sure they will roll out the red carpet when he arrives at the Pearly Gates.”

Former U.S. President and life-long environmentalist and humanitarian Jimmy Carter

A Comment shared with Niagara At Large from Fort Erie, Ontario resident and retired hospital emergency care nurse Linda McKellar

Posted February 20^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large – Every once in a while, depending on the subject a comment from an NAL reader is addressing, and the depth gone to make some points, we like to bump the comment up from down under the post it’s author was responding to. As 98-year-old Jimmy Carter – a true humanitarian and friend of Canada – lives out his final days of life at home in hospice, here is one of those – )

It will be a sad day when this great, honest and GOOD man leaves this planet.

I was in Egypt when the accord was signed between Begin and Sadat. That was the one time I didn’t argue when people called me an American. Jimmy Carter was so loved in Egypt for finally giving them a sense of peace and security. That accord has lasted for 45 years!

I met him and (his wife) Rosalynn in 2008 in Nepal where he was still acting as an election monitor…in his 80s! A fireball riding mountain roads in a Jeep in his jeans. I just strode up to him with my hand out to shake his. Continue reading →

A Few Words for former U.S. President Jimmy Carter , an Environmentalist and Life-Long-Long Humanitarian 

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 19th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Then U.S. President Jimmy Carter, visiting Niagara Falls, New York in the late 1970s, with then Love Canal Homeowners’ Association president, when he declared a second state of emergency in the chemically ravaged Love Canal neighourhood.

When I began my work in or around the beginning of the 1980 as the first (and  sadly the last) full-time environment reporters the then proudly independent and family-owned St. Catharines Standard has had, there were many disturbing issues to report on.

Those issues included pollution in the waters and in the air above our Great Lakes region, and the discharge of highly toxic chemicals like dioxin and cancer-causing chloro-benzenes into the Niagara River in particular. Colonies of gulls in the Niagara River and Lake Ontario where laying eggs with some much industrial poison in them that they would not hatch – a warning sign that the Great Lakes ecosystem was on the verge of collapse.

But there was also plenty of reason for optimism.

Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 17^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto Mayor John Tory’s last day in office as eggs are pelted against his windows.

I turned on the CBC television news earlier this Friday, February 17^th to images of the outgoing City of Toronto Mayor John Tory serving his last day in office with the yoke and shells of eggs splattering the windows of that office outside.

I am no fan of Mayor Tory, has resigned from the mayor’s job after admitting to an affair with a female. I am particularly disappointed in him for so eagerly wrapping his arms around “strong mayor powers” Ontario Premier Doug Ford afforded him to over-ride decisions made by a majority on his council, even while the Mayor of Ottawa, Mark Sutcliffe, shunned such powers as an attack on our democracy.

Yet egging the windows outside Tory’s office struck me as one more sign that politics and any semblance of civility around governance in our country is getting uglier and uglier. Continue reading →

Brock University expert says adhering to law not enough when it comes to politicians and finances

A News Release from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted February 16^th, 20223 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is under criticism for having real estate developers attend a stag and doe event where they made monetary gifts to his daughter and future son-in-law.

Paul Dunn, Professor of Business Ethics in Brock University’s Goodman School of Business, says the optics of the situation must be considered alongside what is legal.

“Adhering to the letter of the law is rarely sufficient,” says Dunn. “Integrity means following its spirit.”

Dunn says the standards held by professional accountants are an example for others when considering the optics of their decisions.

When an accountant conducts an audit, if there is not independence, the audit opinion lacks credibility, he says. Continue reading →

Shouldn’t We Be  More Concerned About Issues Like Homelessness, the Cost of Food and Climate Change?

A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 15^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

While Canadians are grumbling about the cost of eggs and why we are paying some of the highest prices for telecommunication services in the world, our Prime Minister is busy with his NORD partners in the U.S. shooting down “objects.”

Oh look, Another “object” up in the sky. Turn on the air warning sirens!

NORAD, as you may know, was created by Canada and the United States during another era of paranoia called The Cold War, captured so perfectly in one of the period’s greatest films, Dr. Strangelove.”

In the film, one of the military commanders warns that if they don’t stay alert to potential danger, “the Commies will catch us with our pants down and clobber us.” Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted February 14^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Another Day. Another Mass Shooting in America.

This one at a campus of the Michigan State University in that state’s City of Lansing – a nice campus I remember attending as an environment reporter many years ago on a conference being held on the Great Lakes.

At the time of this posting, three students from this once-proud public university campus are dead, the shooter is dead and five other students are in hospital with serious or life-threatening wounds from yet another mass shooting attack. Continue reading →

Originally Posted on February 12, 2023 by dougdraper | 3 Comments

A Report, Released this February 10^th by the Federally Appointed Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario, Has Mapped Out Some Major Changes to Riding Boundaries in Niagara Ontario

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

Re- Posted February 13^h, 2023 on Niagara At Large

A final report on federal and provincial election boundary changes for Niagara and the rest of the province has now been released

If the late NDP MPPs Mel Swart and Peter Kormos, both long-time representatives for the Niagara Centre Riding (earlier known as the Welland-Thorold Riding), or the late Liberal MPP Vince Kerrio Sr., a long-time representative for the Riding of Niagara Falls, came back to life now, the changes just tabled in Canada’s House of Commons for  their ridings would likely make their heads spin.

For starters, the name of the Niagara Centre Riding, currently held provincially by NDP MPP Jeff Burch and federally by Liberal MP Vance Badawey, will be changed to Niagara South and, according to new boundary changes,  it will lose all of its constituents in the south end of St. Catharines, including Brock University, and will now take in virtually all of Fort Erie.

The Niagara Falls Riding, currently held provincially by NDP MPP Wayne Gates and federally by Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli, will be named the Niagara North Riding and will lose the aforementioned Fort Erie area to Niagara South while keeping all or most of the City of Niagara Falls and Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Those are among the major changes outline for Niagara according to a final report, tabled in the House of Commons this past Friday, February 10^th, 2022 by a three-person panel appointed by the federal Speaker of the House to serve on an Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario.

The final report was tabled by the panel, made up of Ontario Court Justice Lynne Leitch and political science professors Karen Bird of McMaster University in Hamilton and Peter Loewen of the Munk School of Global Affairs & Public Policy at the University of Toronto, after it spent more than a year of research and consulting with individuals and groups across the province.

A map of new federal and provincial riding election boundaries, including name changes for three ridings in the Niagara region.

The commission also held a series of public meetings across Ontario, including one at Brock University in Niagara last fall, where it invited anyone who wanted to in the region to comment on its proposals for electoral boundary changes and to make their own recommendations. Those who could not attend these meetings were invited to write the commission or offer comments online.

Another major change for Niagara included in the final report would take virtually all of the Town of Grimsby north of the Niagara Escarpment out of the current Niagara West Riding and include it in a new Riding to be called Hamilton-Stoney Creek-Grimsby Lakeshore.

One proposed change that at least some in Niagara strongly objected to and that was ultimately dropped by the commission was to take all of Thorold, the most urban part of the municipality  north of Highway 20, and include it in the Niagara West Riding, as a way to kick up population numbers in the predominantly rural riding represented provincially by Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff and federally by Conservative MP Dean Allison.

Niagara’s four federal and provincial election ridings as we knowthem now.

At the public meeting with the commission late last year at Brock University, a number of speakers, including Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, argued that it makes no sense to take Thorold out of a riding that includes a Welland Canal corridor it has so much economically and historically in common with Welland and Port Colborne.

In its final report, the commission wrote; “It was stated that the importance of the Welland Canal to the community identity of Thorold, both historically since Confederation and currently, cannot be underestimated. The Commission concluded that the demonstrated north/south economic development resulting from the canal communities’ aligned representation should be preserved. Thus, these suggestions (shared by Badawey and other Niagara area citizens) were implemented.”

If and when the new riding boundaries are official, the least changes in Niagara will arguably occur in the St. Catharines Riding, currently represented provincially by NDP MPP Jennie Stevens and federally by Liberal MP Chris Bittle, where the ridingwill lose a sliver of west St. Catharines to the Niagara West Riding and will gain constituents from the current Niagara Centre Riding in south St. Catharines.

One of the major goals driving the review of the entire electoral boundaries landcape in Ontario was to make population numbers in the more than 120 ridings across the province more equal.

Niagara At Large will post more on this issue as information and statements from significant others in the community come in.

Stay Tuned.

In the meantime, here are links to the commission’s report and to related material that you can click on below –

To read the commission’s entire report, click on – https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca/com/on/rprt/on_rprt_e.pdf

To learn more about the commissioners, . click on – https://redecoupage-redistribution-2022.ca/com/on/mem/index_e.aspx

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 Great Fun-Filled Family Friendly Weekend of Activities from Friday, February 17^th thru Monday (Family Day) February 20th

An Invite to All from Conservation and Nature Groups on both sides of the Niagara River

Posted February 13^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Family Day Weekend, February 17 – 20, will definitely be for the birds, as the sixth annual Birds On The Niagara International Festival (BON23) takes place on both sides of the border, offering free family-friendly activities for the entire four days.

The festival, which is the only transboundary event of its kind in North America, was created to celebrate the wonderful winter presence of birds and the nature that sustains them.  Canadian participation began in 2018 and the celebration continues to grow.

Birds On The Niagara is a collaboration of organizations, agencies and individuals from both sides of the border, focusing on the intersection between regional winter birds, regional conservation initiatives, regional social justice contexts and inclusion.

This year’s theme is The Future- what is coming our way in the context of changing bird populations, changing habitats and changing cultures. Continue reading →

THE NIAGARA DISTRICT COUNCIL OF WOMEN (NDCW) Members Meeting at 7:00 p.m.; Speaker Presentation for the Public at 7:30 p.m on Wednesday, February 15th 

An Invite to Join In from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted February 13^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Presentation Topic– “Seniors at Risk”

 SPEAKER:  Mary Shkoury,  Prevention Consultant Elder Abuse Prevention Ontario (EAPO)

Presentation highlights: Continue reading →

Tune to the Program on CBC Radio One FM 99.1 from 4 to 6 P.M.

Call in to the Open Line Program at 1-888-416-8333.

An URGENT  Call Out to All of Us from the Ontario Health Coalition, a not-for-profit citizens group advocating for quality public health care

Posted February 12^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

An Update to This Post – If you want to listen to the CBC Cross Country Checkup Program  referenced in this post, click on the following link – https://www.cbc.ca/radio/day6/private-clinics-solution-to-health-care-crisis-1.6744362 )

Their odious question for Canadians is – “Are private clinics the solution to Canada’s health-care crisis? How much are you willing to pay for faster service.”*

The framing of their question is false and entirely from the privatization ultra-right wing that wants to dismantle public medicare in our country.

Of course what CBC does not mention is that it us ILLEGAL to charge a patient and the private clinics that are doing so are BREAKING THE LAW for greed. Continue reading →

A Report, Released this February 10^th by the Federally Appointed Electoral Boundaries Commission for the Province of Ontario, Has Mapped Out Some Major Changes to Riding Boundaries in Niagara Ontario

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

Posted February 12^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

A final report on federal and provincial election boundary changes for Niagara and the rest of the province has now been released

If the late NDP MPPs Mel Swart and Peter Kormos, both long-time representatives for the Niagara Centre Riding (earlier known as the Welland-Thorold Riding), or the late Liberal MPP Vince Kerrio Sr., a long-time representative for the Riding of Niagara Falls, came back to life now, the changes just tabled in Canada’s House of Commons for  their ridings would likely make their heads spin.

For starters, the name of the Niagara Centre Riding, currently held provincially by NDP MPP Jeff Burch and federally by Liberal MP Vance Badawey, will be changed to Niagara South and, according to new boundary changes,  it will lose all of its constituents in the south end of St. Catharines, including Brock University, and will now take in virtually all of Fort Erie.

The Niagara Falls Riding, currently held provincially by NDP MPP Wayne Gates and federally by Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli, will be named the Niagara North Riding and will lose the aforementioned Fort Erie area to Niagara South while keeping all or most of the City of Niagara Falls and Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake. Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

Posted February 10^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP released the following statement in response to news of developers attending personal parties with the Ford family:

“If people weren’t already asking questions about Doug Ford’s cozy relationship with developers, they sure will be now.

Ontarians will have questions about what exactly occurs behind closed doors at Ford’s parties. I know I do.

I don’t think it’s too much for Ontarians to ask that their Premier is being transparent and putting their interests first – not the interests of the highest bidder. Continue reading →

To Hell With Ford and Company  at Queen’s Park. Let Them Live With the Lead Pipes, Asbestos Insulation and the Rest of the Rot Like Everyone Else

A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 9th, 2023 at Niagara At Large

When I learned from a report on CBC Radio earlier this February 9th that the Ontario government is prepared to spend at least a billion dollars of our money to upgrade that house of ill repute that allegedly serves as a provincial legislature, I was on the verge of throwing a coffee mug into a mirror.

They are going to spend at least a billion dollars of our money fixing this place up when people across the province are struggling to keep a roof over their heads?

Here we are – so many young and old and everyone in between Ontario residents today – struggling to pay our bills and put decent food on our tables, and we’ve got Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his government wanting to spend at least a billion dollars of our money upgrading Queen’s Park in Toronto. Continue reading →

A weeklong display of empty red dresses and a day of activities at Brock University will honour the lives of missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.

A News Release from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted February 9th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The REDress Project began as an art installation by Métis artist Jaime Black at the University of Winnipeg in 2011 to signify the loss of thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (2SLGTBQQIA) people over the past 40 years to colonial violence.

Brock’s Hadiyaˀdagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre Peer Assistant Evelyn Dilworth prepares red dresses that will be hung throughout Brock’s main campus and Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts from Feb. 13 to 17. The dresses signify the loss of thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual people.

Now in its fifth year at Brock, the display will see dresses hung indoors and outdoors across the University’s main campus and Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts from Monday, Feb. 13 to Friday, Feb. 17.

Brock’s Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement Robyn Bourgeois said it remains critical to raise awareness about violence against Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic led to an increase in gender-based violence. Continue reading →

For All Those Who Died and Who Are Suffering In The Wake of this Horrific Earthquake

A New Release from the Niagara Parks Commission in Niagara, Ontario

Posted February 8^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

.

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Falls Illumination Board will be illuminating both the Canadian Horseshoe and American Falls in red & white (Turkish Flag) and red, white & green (Syrian Flag) from 10 – 10:15 pm this (Wednesday, February 8^th) evening in solidarity with the people of Turkey and Syria.

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

Family Doctors and Others in the Health Care System are Extra Billing Patients Up To Hundreds of Dollars Per Visit and Our Provincial and Federal Governments Are So Far Doing Nothing About It

A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 8^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Didn’t Ontario Premier Doug Ford recently stress that people living iin this province will not have to take out their credit card and pay over and above OHIP fees for health care? Does that mean he has lied?

Canadians used to speak proudly to our American friends and neighbours about having one of the best health-care systems in the world, fully available to everyone at zero cost above what we all pay in taxes.

But not anymore.

Thanks to at least more than two and a half decades of successive federal and provincial governments slashing taxes in favour of the most powerful and privileged among us, and cutting funding to services, including our health care, at the same time, our once-proud universal health care system is circling the drain. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

A “recently released strategic plan… outlines the intention of Niagara Health (the amalgamated board operating hospitals across Niagara on behalf of the province) to permanently close the Welland Hospital and shift it to being an “ambulatory site” as of 2028.”          –from an Open Letter to Ontario’s Ford Government from Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

An Open Letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Health Minister, Sylvia Jones, from Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Posted February 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Please read the following open letter from (Niagara Centre NDP) MPP Jeff to the Premier (Doug Ford) and the Minister of Health regarding the upcoming changes to the Welland Hospital – 

February 6th, 2023

Hon. Doug Ford, Premier of Ontario Room 281, Legislative Building, Queens Park Toronto, ON M7A 1A1

Hon. Sylvia Jones Ministry of Health 777 Bay Street, 5th Floor Toronto, ON M7A 2J3

 OPEN LETTER

Dear Premier Ford and Minister Jones,

Niagara Health System continues closing walls in on Welland Hospital Site. File photo by Doug Draper

I am writing you to update you on a serious issue in our community that will have a significant negative impact on health outcomes for our constituents in Welland and throughout the Niagara Region.

Over the past few weeks, my office has been inundated with calls and correspondence from concerned nurses, doctors and constituents about impending changes to services provided at the Welland Hospital site of Niagara Health. Niagara Health has indicated that at the end of this month, the Welland Hospital will no longer be offering emergency surgical care after hours. Continue reading →

“The time to remove the vaccine requirement on Canadians and encourage a robust return to cross-border travel is long overdue.” – Brian Higgins, the U.S Congressman for the Buffalo-Niagara Falls, New York Area

A News Release from the Buffalo, New York Office of U.S. Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted February 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Measure for Showing Proof of Vaccination Up for Congressional Consideration this Week

Buffalo, New York Area Congressman Briian Higgins

Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) has submitted an amendment<https://amendments-rules.house.gov/amendments/HIGGIN_009_xml230203163440653.pdf> under consideration this week, which would end the requirement for showing proof of vaccination for Canadians entering the United States along land ports of entry.

“This lingering mandate is hurting families and the U.S. economy,” said Higgins.  “The time to remove the vaccine requirement on Canadians and encourage a robust return to cross-border travel is long overdue.”

On October 1, 2022, Canada dropped many of its remaining COVID travel restrictions, including the vaccination requirement for travelers crossing the border. Continue reading →

Marit Stiles, incoming Ontario NDP leader

“Winning more for people means fixing health care instead of selling it off. It means building homes you can actually afford without paving over wetlands. And it means a fairer economy with good jobs and more opportunity.”                          – Marit Stiles, New Leader of Ontario’s New Democrats and Official Opposition Party

A News Release fromthe New Democratic Party of  Ontario

Posted February 4^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO –  The Ontario NDP is embarking on a new chapter as it officially makes Marit Stiles leader of the party and the NDP’s candidate for premier at a celebration on Saturday.

“Today (this Saturday, February 4^th), we start the countdown to the end of Doug Ford’s disastrous government, and the beginning of a better, brighter future for Ontario,” said Stiles. “People are counting us. They are counting on a strong NDP to put forward a positive vision for our province and win more for people, and that work starts right now.”

New Democrats from across the province gathered in Toronto, and virtually, to celebrate the new leader and join in her vision for a better Ontario. Continue reading →

‘Please contact Jagmeet Singh and ask him to use his political leverage to persuade Prime Minister Trudeau to prohibit the building of NEW gas plants in Ontario effective immediately.’

A Call-Out from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a citizen-based organization advocating for a future of renewable energy

Posted February 4^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

In March 2022, Prime Minister Trudeau promised to achieve significant greenhouse gas (GHG) pollution reductions by 2030 in return for NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh promising to keep him in office until June 2025.

However, Doug Ford’s plans to build NEW gas plants and ramp up the GHG pollution from Ontario’s gas plants by more than 700% by 2043 is a clear and unequivocal threat to Trudeau’s commitment to reduce our GHG pollution and meet our Paris Agreement climate targets. Continue reading →

David Barrick – a former Niagara Regional Councillor and NPCA Executive  – Was a Highly Controversial Figure in Niagara Up to His Departure from the Area in Early 2019

A News Release from the City of Brampton, Ontario

Posted February 3^rd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large –

Many in Niagara may remember David Barrick, a Niagara regional councillor for the City of Port Coborne and member of what commonly became know as a “cabal’ at the Region under former Niagara Regional Chair Al Caslin up to the fall of 2018 when a municipal election brought sweeping changes around the council table.

Shortly before his dparture as the “interum” CAO at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority in early 2019, here is David Barrick at left with then NPCA board chair David Bylsma. File image.

Outside an NPCA board meeting in early 2019., some Niagara residents make it clear they want David Barrick to leave. File photo by Doug Draper

Before going to Brampton to serve as that city’s chief administrative officer in 1019 under the leadership of that city’s mayor, Patrick Brown, Barrick was also a controversial administrator at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority at a time when many citizens across the Niagara expressed concern that the NPCA had been steered away from its long-time mission as a green steward for our natural heritage.

Barrick’s performance in Brampton soon raised concern and controversy there and right  up to his ejection a year ago last March from the city’s CAO job. Continue reading →

On This World Wetlands Day, Let’s Pledge to Stop the Ford Government from Needlessly Destroying More of our Wetlands

A Call-Out to All of Us from the Green Party of Ontario

Posted February 2^nd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

This February 2^nd, 2023, on World Wetlands Day, it’s more important than ever that we keep up the fight to save Ontario’s wetlands.

Our wetlands play a key role in protecting us from floods by soaking up stormwater runoff. They improve water quality, protect us from soil erosion, and provide habitat for threatened species.

But our wetlands are disappearing at an alarming rate. And with Doug Ford’s disastrous Bill 23 – the More Homes Built Faster Act – we’re at risk of losing the few we have left. Once they’re gone, they’re gone forever. Continue reading →

News from the City of St. Catharines in Niagara, Ontario

Posted February 2^nd, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is celebrating Black History Month with several Freedom Seeker-focused tours and a brand-new exhibit opening.

Black History Month is celebrated every February and offers the opportunity for everyone to learn the stories and the many important contributions of Black Canadians.

Museum visitors are invited to take a 45-minute tour of On the Liberty Line on Feb. 4 at 11 a.m. or Feb. 25 at 11 a.m. Children and their families will explore early Black History in St. Catharines through the eyes of Freedom Seekers and Black community members during the Underground Railroad era and beyond. Continue reading →

Development Company Seems To Have Had Advance Knowledge Of Ford’s Greenbelt Plan Before It Was Made Public Say Ontario’s NDP

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition New Democratic Party

Posted February 1^st, 2023 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large – To date, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has insisted that his Conservative government did not tip off any development companies before the government introduced  egislation that allows   some urban development on Greenbelt lands in the Golden Horseshoe, was made public late last year.)

Marit Stiles, incoming Ontario NDP leader

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Incoming Leader of the Ontario NDP, revealed new information about the Ford government’s plan to carve up the Greenbelt, indicating that a land development company seems to have had advance knowledge of the plan before it was made public.

“The more information we uncover about Ford’s scheme to tear up the Greenbelt, the more concerned I become”, said Stiles. “Protected land became extremely lucrative overnight, and Ford donors seem to have benefitted enormously from land they had just purchased. Maybe they were just incredibly lucky. But something doesn’t seem right to me.” Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 1^st, 2023 on Niagara At Large

One of many ceremonial grave yards in front of Ontario long-term care homes as deaths in homes across the province begin to spiike during pandemic.

As much as I hate them,  no wonder you have people driving around our Niagara region and others across the country with “Fxxk Trudeau’ flags and bumper stickers on their cars and trucks.

No wonder more and more Canadians seem to be losing respect for politicians and for government all together.

In the case of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberals, the release a day ago of “voluntary” standards – that’s right, not mandatory or legally-enforceable, but ‘VOLUNTARY ‘ for improving standards for protecting seniors across Canada in long-term care homes, is just one more example why so many people are losing faith in government. Continue reading →

“Trees are essential to our lives: they capture carbon, improve air quality and support wildlife, and they are important allies in our fight against climate change.”                                                            – Jonathan Wilkinson, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources

A News Release from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA)

Posted January 31^st, 2023 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara Peninsula Tree Planting Partnership (NPTPP) invites private landowners to join collective efforts to bring millions of trees to the Niagara Peninsula watershed, in support of Canada’s goal of planting two billion trees.

The Government of Canada’s 2 Billion Trees (2BT) Program seeks to partner with governments and organizations to plant two billion trees – trees that will capture and store carbon from the atmosphere, improve air and water quality, help to restore nature and biodiversity, cool urban centres and create and support thousands of green jobs. Continue reading →