Author Archives: dougdraper

Canadian civil rights icon Viola Desmond

“In 1946, Viola Desmond took a courageous stand against injustice that helped inspire a movement for equality and social justice in Canada. … More than 70 years later, we honour her as the first Canadian woman to appear on a bank note, and hope her story inspires the next generation of Canadians to follow in her footsteps.” – Jennifer O’Connell, Parliamentary Secretary to Canada’s  Minister of Finance

News from the Bank of Canada

Posted November 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

The Bank of Canada today issued the new vertical $10 bank note featuring the portrait of social justice icon Viola Desmond, during a ceremony at the Canadian Museum for Human Rights (CMHR) in Winnipeg. Canadians will start to see this new note over the coming weeks and months as it gradually enters into circulation alongside existing $10 notes.

Bank of Canada Governor Stephen S. Poloz and Wanda Robson, Viola Desmond’s sister, spoke about Desmond’s legacy and the ongoing pursuit of human rights and social justice in Canada. They spent the first new bank notes at the CMHR, which itself is featured on the back of the new note. Continue reading →

Expert Panel to discuss the issue of Free Speech on Campus

Join the Discussion, Wednesday, November 21^st at 7p.m at the St Catharines Public Library on James Street in the City’s downtown.

An Invite to All from Brock University

Posted November 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Are some ideas too dangerous to teach? That question is at the heart of a panel discussion taking place Wednesday, Nov. 21 at St. Catharines Public Library.

Brock University Political Science Professor Leah Bradshaw and Labour Studies Assistant Professor Paul Gray are part of a panel discussion on free speech being held at St. Catharines Library Nov. 21.

Titled “Dangerous Ideas, Dangerous Times: What, if any, are the limits to free speech on campus?” the event brings together a panel of Canadian experts, including Brock University Political Science Professor Leah Bradshaw and two professors from the University of Toronto. Brock Labour Studies Assistant Professor Paul Gray will moderate the discussion. Continue reading →

We need solutions now – not decades from now.

Some Tips for Action from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Posted November 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

To many of us, the latest IPCC report on climate change was like a siren going off. Never before have the world’s climate scientists issued such a stark and alarming assessment of the disaster that we are racing toward and how little time we have left to change course.

Meanwhile, in Ontario the new government has yet to explain how it is going to achieve real reductions in climate damaging emissions after cancelling both our carbon cap-and-trade system and many renewable energy contracts. Right now, Ontario simply doesn’t have a plan to achieve the kind of immediate greenhouse gas pollution reductions the IPCC has told us are desperately needed. Continue reading →

Meet at 12:30 p.m. this Sunday, November 18th at Charlotte and John Street in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Another Call-Out to Join the effort to save Niagara’s trees from Judith Patey, one of many concerned citizens in NOTL

Some of the grand old trees marked for destruction. This has got to stop here and elsewhere in our Niagara region.

Posted November 17^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

A Reminder (to All across our Niagara region):

We will meet at Charlotte and John Street at12:30 p.m Sunday November 18th to collect black armbands and placards and then march up to the entrance of 588 Charlotte, then back down to John Street and along the front of the Rand Estate.

The march will end up in the park directly across from Marotta’s Two Sisters winery at approximately 1:30 p.m.where we would share eulogies and stories about what once was the greatest estate in Niagara on the Lake.

We did it before when we had six to eight hundred out at the town hall, lets do it again! Niagra Falls MPP Wayne Gates will also be in attendance showing his support.

Several hundred citizens gathered at a town hall meeting in Niagara-on-the-Lake earlier this year to show their support for saving trees on the Randwood Estate property

 What follows is a statement this past week from the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in response to growing citizens’ concerns over what is happening on the grounds of the historic Randwood Estate property. –

The Town is aware of the recent activities which have taken place at the Randwood Estate property. Continue reading →

Ford Moves to Kill Province’s Independent Environmental Watchdog. And Only Enough of Us, Standing Up in Opposition, Can Stop Him

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted November 17^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

This Ontario Premier has declared war on our province’s programs and institutions for protecting our environment.

Industries in Ontario that want to carry on polluting our air, water and soil, or developers who think they need to take out more of our wetlands or wooded areas, or anyone else who views despoiling the environment as a mere business practice, , must be feeling a little bit happier today.

Doug Ford, Ontario’s premier and boss hog of his self-described “Government for the People” who vows to make the province more “open for business,” apparently at any environmental cost, announced plans this November 15^th to shut down the 24-year-old office of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario. Continue reading →