Author Archives: dougdraper

A Message from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted September 20th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

If you have been paying any attention to what has been going on at Niagara regional council and some of our local councils in this region of the province over the past four years, or reading some of the news and commentary on this site or our daily newspapers, you must know by now that we have a hell of a deplorable mess on our hands in the governance department.

To be fair, we have some very good people sitting on our regional and local councils who have tried – often with the odds stacked against them – to fight the good fight on behalf of their communities, and they deserve to be re-elected.

And that we need these good people and the experience they have back to work with new people coming in. Continue reading →

Thursday, September 20^th, 2018 at Queen’s Landing Hotel in NOTL – Tickets Only $275

Can You Afford A Ticket For This?  And Where Do The Proceeds From The Ticket Sales Go?

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted September 20^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

It’s not too late to ante up and make your charitable donation to conservation projects in Niagara by buying a $275 ticket to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation’s 2018 Water and Environmental Leadership Award Gala this Thursday, September 20^th at the oh-so-swanky Queen’s Landing Hotel in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Or if you have a group of people you want to go to this gala event with, you can fork out $2,500 for a table for 10. Or how about half a table for a grand total of $1,350.

Can you afford a ticket for this? Continue reading →

“A millionaire premier may be happy with fewer elected representatives but it’s very hard to see how it could mean more power for citizens or better representation of their interests and concerns.”

A Message from CATCH – the public watchdog group Citizens at City Hall – in Hamilton, Ontario

Posted September 19th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Hamilton, Ontario – The 14-year experience of CATCH has found municipal councillors to be mainly decent over-worked individuals making hundreds of important decisions about people’s lives. They pay attention and respond to public concerns raised between elections. Those democratic features don’t seem to be valued in the current controversy swirling around Queen’s Park.

The visible issue is the Conservative government’s attempt to reduce Toronto city councillors from 47 to 25. That includes overriding a court ruling that blocked the reduction move for violating the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The persistence of their actions indicates the Conservative conviction that many people aren’t concerned about having fewer elected municipal councillors or about the right to be effectively represented. If a basis for that view wasn’t there, the governing party would be unlikely to go to such extreme lengths to pursue its objective. Continue reading →

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large – This news release follows in the wake of recent concerns raised by Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch and others that increasing numbers of individuals who need Niagara specialized Transit for medical reasons are finding it hard to to book the service due to funding shortfalls at the regional government level.)

Niagara residents have accessible transit travel options on both Niagara Region Transit and Niagara Specialized Transit.

Niagara Region Transit provides conventional transit service for those individuals seeking to travel between Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland with feeder services to Fort Erie, Port Colborne and Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Niagara Specialized Transit is designed for those individuals who are looking for transportation from one municipality to another municipality and require enhanced accessibility accommodations above what is provided on conventional transit services. A rider may be accompanied by a companion, support person or personal care attendant and /or service animal on both Niagara Region Transit and Niagara Specialized Transit. Continue reading →

And Apparently All Ontarians Have Doug Ford and his “Government for the People” to thank

A News Release from the Office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Posted September 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Fill up at the tanks!

Hey Friends! Give the man a thumbs up

Gas prices dropped by 5 cents today due, in large part, to Premier Doug Ford and the Government for the People’s cancellation of the cap-and-trade carbon tax.

Meanwhile, on the opposition benches, the NDP caucus want hard-working Ontario families to pay more every single time they fill up at the pumps.

• The NDP continue to actively promote and support Kathleen Wynne’s cap-and-trade carbon tax.
• Joel Harden, the NDP MPP for Ottawa Centre, openly campaigned on a $150/tonne carbon tax – which would be the highest carbon tax in the entire world. If implemented, it would increase gas prices by 35 cents per litre.
• The NDP’s Finance Critic Sandy Shaw has called the PC plan to lower gas prices “reckless.”

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 reminder that we only post comments by individuals who also share their first and last names.

For more news and commentary from Niagara At Large – an independent, alternative voice for our greater bi-national Niagara region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at www.niagaraatlarge.com .

“A politician thinks of the next election. A leader thinks of the next generation.” – Bernie Sanders

‘Any lout can throw their weight around. Reasoned, consultative governance takes more than you seem to be displaying at this stage of your leadership.’

A Commentary by Gary Screaton Page, a Fort Erie resident and recent recipient of Ontario Medal for Good Citizenship

Posted September 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Trump Tot, aka Trumpette, aka Doug Ford is not about governing for the people but rather about governing BY Doug Ford.

He is so Trump-like.

Consider how he dismisses protesters as “professionals”.

Label a group or person and that takes care of them. Give them a dismissive name and diminish their humanity.

We do that with enemies. The behaviour is typical of childish, schoolyard bullies. Continue reading →