Author Archives: dougdraper

Lowering the age of self-referral to mammograms to 40 connecting more women to life-saving screening sooner

“Breast cancer screening is critical to detect cancer early, when it’s easier to treat. It’s incredibly important that Ontario is expanding access to breast cancer screening through self-referral for people 40+ and will undoubtedly help to reduce the risk of dying of breast cancer for more people in Ontario.”    – Andrea Seale, CEO, Canadian Cancer Society

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted October 8th, 2024 on Niagara at Large

Starting this October 8th, 2034, women over the age of 40 can self-refer for publicly funded mammograms through the Ontario Breast Screening Program (OBSP). This historic expansion will give an additional one million women the option to connect to important screening services to detect and treat breast cancer sooner.

“Breast cancer affects one in every nine women in Ontario and we know early detection and increased access to treatment and care saves lives,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “That is why today our government is proud to take this historic step by connecting an additional one million Ontarians to the care they need, when and where they need it.” Continue reading →

A News Release from Data Shows, a professional, non-partisan data gathering venue based in Ontario, Canada

Posted October 8th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Regardless of how much support he is getting in national polls, Piere Poilievre appears to be almost  universally embraced by those who participated in the so-called “Freedom Convoy” that blocked the streets of Ottawa more than two years ago. Many climate deniers and anti-vaxxers – these Freedom Convoy activists among them, appear to be big backers too.

Polls from Abacus, Nanos and Mainstreet released this past week show the federal NDP overtaking the Liberals.

All three pollsters show the Liberals at their lowest level of support since the 2021 election and the NDP in territory they have never or rarely touched since the last vote.

New framing creates pathway to stop Poilievre.

Polls showing the NDP on the upswing and the Liberals on their way out start an important reframing of the next election. Continue reading →

If It Forms Province’s Next Government, NDP Leader Says Her Party Will Also Restore Services to Urgent Care Centres in Port Colborne and Fort Erie

A News Release from the Office of Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

Posted October 7^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP leader

WELLAND – Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP, joined MPP Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre) to announce the Ontario NDP’s firm commitment to deliver better health care for the region with a new Welland Hospital and restored services to Niagara’s Urgent Care Centres in Port Colborne and Fort Erie.

“The people of Niagara deserve to have health care they can rely on,” said Stiles. “You deserve to see a doctor when you need one, and to get health care close to home. That’s why an Ontario NDP government will open a fully staffed and full-service hospital in Welland and restore services to Niagara’s Urgent Care centres. It’s time you had a government that puts you first.” Continue reading →

A Few Thoughts on the First Anniversary of the Israel-Hamas War

“I Want To Know Who The Men In the Shadows Are. I Want Somebody Asking Them Why. They can be counted on to tell us who our enemies are but they’re never the ones to fight or to die.” – Jackson Browne, from his song ‘Lives In The Balance’

By Doug Draper

Posted October 7^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

On this first anniversary of the brutal attack by Hamas terrorists that murdered close to 1,200 men, women and children on the Israeli side of the Gaza/Israel border and took  some 200 more hostage, my first thoughts go to the many thousands of young people, right down to babies, who have been killed in the war that has been raging on ever since.

Photos of some of the children taken hostage in the October 7th, 2024 attack on Israel by Hamas

In my view, it is the children who are truly the most innocent and vulnerable victims of all this carnage.

And yes, the vast majority of young people who have died in what has come to be called this ‘Israel-Hamas War have been and continue to be Palestinians on the Gaza side of the border. Continue reading →

GNCC is hosting a special event on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at Club Italia, bringing together business owners, community leaders, and professionals for a morning of networking, learning, and inspiration. See Details Below

A News Release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce in Niagara, Ontario

Posted October 7^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Hand sketched SUPPORT SMALL BUSINESS quote. Lettering for banner, header, advertisement

Niagara, Ontario – Small business has a big impact! Eleven million Canadians work for a small business, and small businesses produce more than one-third of all private-sector economic activity.

In celebration of Small Business Month, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) is thrilled to host an inspiring event dedicated to empowering businesses with the tools they need to grow and thrive.

This event will take place on October 16, 2024, at Club Italia, bringing together business owners, community leaders, and professionals for a morning of networking, learning, and inspiration. Continue reading →

“These workers embody the spirit of cooperation that underpins our partnership with the United States, and we stand behind them as they work to turn the lights back on for our friends South of the border.”                                                                                             – Niagara West MPP and recently appointed Ontario Associate Minister of Energy Sam Oosterhoff

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara West Ford Government MPP Sam Oosterhoff, with a Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 4^th, 2024 on Nagara At Large

A Brief Foreword by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – 

Canada and USA flags Handshake vector illustration Eps 10

The number of things Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Conservative government have done, are doing and are planning to do that are so objectionable to many of us would fill more books than I have room left for on my shelves.

However, when they do something that is unquestionably good, I believe in giving credit where credit is due.

Lending some of the manpower and technical support of Hydro One to our neighbours in the southern United States who are still trying to cope with more than a million power outages in the wake of Hurricane Helene – one of the most destructive and deadly hurricanes in history on this continent – is certainly one of those good things. Continue reading →

And In A Year When Niagara Homeowners Face Another Big Hike In Their Property Taxes, Guess Who’s Going To Pay For Them?

A News Commentary by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted October 3^rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Headquarters in Thorold

At this past September 26^th’s meeting of Niagara Regional Council, the Council voted overwhelmingly to extend financial “incentives” aimed at making it more financially attractive for developers to build housing in the region.

It is an incentive program (known more formally as the ‘Smart Growth Regional Development Charges Reduction Program’) that may also continue placing more of a financial burden on existing homeowners and renters at a time when many are already struggling to cover the cost of property taxes that, for at least the last two years at the Regional government level, have been rising above the rate of inflation.

“We are looking at an eight percent increase in (property) taxes now,” said Fort Erie Regional Councillor Tom Insinna who wondered out loud at the September 26^th meeting if an extension of the incentive system would force the council to cut resources and personal from its existing services in an effort to keep that tax hike down. Continue reading →

“I want to know who the men in the shadows are,
I want to hear somebody asking them why,
They can’t be counted on to tell us
Who our enemies are,
But they’re never the ones to fight or to die.”

• Lyrics from Jackson Browne’s powerful antiwar song ‘Lives In The Balance’

A Commentary by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted October 3^rd, 2024

People are living in a complete state of denial if they don’t know that, between the climate crisis and the darkening clouds of war in the Middle East and elsewhere, we are living in truly dangerous times.

And if enough of us don’t face that fact, there is a real possibility that these dangerous and deadly threats to our lives will not be resolved. They will only grow worse.

There are at least a few things I have come to believe in my time on this planet and they are as follows -.

• We are never going to resolve the dangers we face by hiding our heads in the sand or by trading in misinformation or ‘alternative facts’.
• And in the case of war, in particular, we are never going to put an end to them by pitting one group of people against another – Israelis against Palestinians, Palestinians against Israelis, Russian citizens against Ukrainian citizens, Ukrainian citizens against Russian citizens, and on and on and on.

It is the political leaders who turn us against each other – who fan the flames of war or in the case of climate change, fail to take effective measures to address it, and it is all those merchants of death and destruction who profit off these disasters who we need to come together as people from all walks of life and use our power as citizens and voters to put out of business.

They are, what singer/songerwriter Jackson Browne calls in ‘Lives In The Balance’, arguably one of the most powerful antiwar songs of the past 50 years “the men in the shadows.”

To hear that song, click on the screen below –

Let’s Join Each Other In Standing Up For Peace and a Better Life for All on Our Planet – Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

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

It’s One Way Of Supporting Our Local Farmers And The Green Land They Grow Food On And Of Sending A Message To The Profit Gougers Who Own And Operate The Big Grocery Chains

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted October 2^nd, 2024

The height of this year’s season for growing food of all kinds may be over in Niagara but farmer’s markets are still offering the produce from all that growing across the region.

So while there is still time before the frost sets in and the snow flies, do what you can to support our local farmers by purchasing your food directly from them rather than from the corporate grocery chains that have been making record profits gouging us at the checkouts. Continue reading →

“More lanes on a highway will actually make gridlock even worse. Ford is taking us down the wrong path. A more expensive, slower, more polluting path.”                        – Ontario’s Green Party responding to the Ford Government’s idea of building a multi-billion dollar tunnel for more trucks and cars under Highway 401

A Message from the Green Party of Ontario

Posted October 2^nd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ontaro Premier Doug Ford plans for the province’s transportation would be laughable if they weren’t so potentially costly and dangerous.

Ford’s harebrained ideas to solve traffic haven’t stopped at ripping up bike lanes. I’m sure you’ve heard that last week Ford had the ridiculous suggestion to tunnel underneath Highway 401 to add even more lanes of traffic.

There’s many reasons why this suggestion is absurd The astronomical cost, the decades it would take to build – not to mention the alternatives.

Think about what the estimated $60 billion that could be spent on: building much-needed housing, public transit, or improving our hospitals.

Needless to say, opposition has been overwhelming, from experts to community groups. Continue reading →

“I want to make it clear that if there is ever a conflict between environmental quality and economic growth, I will go for beauty, clean air, water and landscape.” – then-U.S. Presidential candidate Jimmy Carter in 1976

A Tribute and Happy Birthday Message from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 1^st, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Jimmy Carter, as he looked during his years as U.S. President

At the risk of insulting all of the politicians out there, there are some people, in my view, who are too honest and too full of decency to be in politics.

One of those people is former U.S. President Jimmy Carter who turned 100-years old this October 1st 2024.

Jimmy Carter, who was trained as a nuclear scientist before he was elected Governor of his homes state of Georgia in 1971 and President of the United States in November in 1976, was also one of the first elected leader on the planet who could see the climate crisis coming and proposed measures to address it. Continue reading →

Welland’s historic Central Fire Hall remains a heritage gem in Niagara

News from volunteer members of the Central Education Initiative in Welland, Ontario

Posted October 1^st, 2024 on Niagara At Large

This past September 27^th, Welland’s 1926 Gotfredson Bickle Pumper returned to Central Fire Station, the first time the vintage fire truck has been in a Welland Fire Station for close to 70 years.

Central Station Education Initiative purchased this piece of Welland’s firefighting history with the help of a generous local donor in May of last year and it has been in storage since then.

Volunteers Fred Infantino and Dave Thomson (retired firefighters) with the Bickle at Central Fire Station on Friday Sept. 27, 2024.

Restoration work on the Bickle will continue in the future.

Continue reading →

Increase to $17.20 an hour brings Ontario’s minimum wage to among the highest in Canada

News from Ontario’s Ford Government Followed by a Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 1st, 2024 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — David Piccini, Minister of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (for Ontario), issued the following statement on increasing the province’s minimum wage:

“Today (this October 1st, 2024), the general minimum wage in Ontario increases from $16.55 per hour to $17.20, helping nearly one million workers earn more money for themselves and their families. Continue reading →

By Doug Draper

Posted September 30^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Singer/Songwriter and sometimes film actor Kris Kristofferson as he looked back then

If you are a member of the Baby Boomer generation that came of age in the 1960s with The Beatles, The Woodstock Festival and everything before and after and in between, it is hard to ignore the fact that many of our music heroes who came to fame at that time are passing away at an ever more frequent rate.

For me, one of them was Kris Kristofferson, a singer/songwriter and sometimes film actor (he played the lead male role in the 1974 version of ‘A Star Is Born’ with co-star Barbra Streisand) who died this past Saturday, September 28th, 2024 at age 88. Continue reading →

“This sets an important precedent for other Canadian cities and municipalities.”

From Environmental Defence, a Canada-wide citizens advocacy group for a cleaner, greener planet

Posted September 29th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A Statement by Emilia Belliveau, Energy Transition Program Manager, Environmental Defence

Congratulations to Toronto for leading the fight against fossil fuel advertising and greenwashing.

This past week in Toronto two important motions by city Councillor Dianne Saxe passed that will lead to limits on the oil and gas industry’s pervasive and misleading advertising.

Toronto has recognized how damaging fossil fuel advertising is in the face of the climate crisis and taken action into its own hands. This sets an important precedent for other Canadian cities and municipalities. Continue reading →

Federal Conservative Leader Trades in Lies and Fear-Mongering to Draw Our Voters

‘More than a century ago, Mark Twain said; “A lie can make its way halfway round the world, while the truth is lacing up its boots.”_ — And that was before social media.’                                    – Federal Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

A Message from Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Posted September 29^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Politics in Canada is often Shakesperean.- “Full of sound and fury…signifying nothing.” But for heights of hyperbolic hyper-partisanship, (federal Conservative Party) Pierre Poilievre takes the cake.

Federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre’s vision of Canada if he is not swept into power

This week he said the Liberal government’s carbon price would cause a “nuclear winter” for the economy.”

There would be (Poillievre went on to declare) mass hunger and malnutrition with a tax this high… Our seniors would have to turn the heat down to 14 or 13 C just to make it through the winter. Inflation would run rampant and people would not be able to leave their homes or drive anywhere.” Continue reading →

Residents of All Ages Invited to Join In ‘Dancing For Climate Action’ NOW on Tuesday, October 1st, from 4 to 5 P.M. in Niagara-on-the Lake, Ontario’s Simcoe Park

“Seniors are now joining youth to demonstrate that they too are prepared to put their time and energy into rebuilding a sustainable planet for their grandchildren and for generations to come.” – Lidija Biro, a member of Seniors for Climate and a coordinator the Day of Action in Niagara

A Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper followed by a News Release from Seniors For Climate Niagara

Posted September 27th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

From Doug Draper – As a long-time environment reporter and aging member of a Baby Boomer Generation that, in my view, has more than a little explaining to do to younger people about it’s conspicuous consumption of carbon-polluting fossil fuels that has made such a significant contribution to the climate crisis we are facing today, it is great to see more and more senior citizens join young people  organizing and pressing for action to address this dangerous, destructive and deadly problem.

With the support of the David Suzuki Foundation and numerous other non-profit citizens group, Seniors for Climate is using this coming Tuesday, October 1st’s National Seniors Day in Canada to hold rallies and other events for climate action across the country, including one in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s Simcoe Park from 4 to 5 p.m. and one at the Grimsby Public Library on 18 Carnegie Lane from 7 to 8 p.m. Continue reading →

“If we want to solve our traffic problems, we need to give people more affordable choices in how they get around – like the choice to bike, walk or take public transit instead of being stuck in gridlock for hours on end.” – Ontario’s Green Party

A Message from the Green Party of Ontario

Posted September 27th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Now he’s looking at building a multi-billion dollar tunnel to accommodated more trucks and cars under Highway 401 and banning more bike lanes on municipal roads across the province.

This week (Ontario Premier) Doug Ford signaled that his government is declaring war on bike lanes,  an idea so profoundly stupid it’s hard to believe it’s real.

At a press conference Ford suggested banning the construction of new bike lanes on major roads and streets to lessen traffic congestion on those thoroughfares.

It is truly an unserious proposal from an unserious government that doesn’t have a plan to tackle gridlock. And not to mention, it’s dangerous.

Continue reading →

“The disconnect between low wages and high rents is not simply a market imbalance. The large and growing gap illustrates how Canada’s employers and landlords double-dip on low-wage workers, paying them inadequate wages and then taking a large portion of their wage increases back in the form of rent increases,”                                                                                                                – Ontario Senior Political Economist Ricardo Tranjan and Senior Economist David Macdonald for the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

A New Report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Posted September 26th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Rent is out of control across Canada—we’re fighting to stop it

Affordable housing is a hot topic across the country. And with good reason—there isn’t a province or major city in Canada where minimum wage workers can afford rent.

Throughout Canada, the gap between rent and wages far exceeds 30 per cent of minimum wage workers’ monthly pre-tax income, the standard measure of housing affordability. Those workers putting in an average 40 hour work week simply cannot afford to pay rent. Continue reading →

Join Members of the Historical Society of St. Catharines this Thursday, September 26^th at the St. Catharines Museum at Lock 3 along the western banks of the Welland Canal

Posted September 26^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

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

“There are significant gaps in the coverage and types of contraception offered under provincial programs.”                         – St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

St. Catharines, ON – As we recognize World Contraception Day on September 26th, Jennie Stevens, NDP MPP for St. Catharines, is renewing her priority of continuing to advocate for free contraception at the provincial level.

This is in light of the upcoming federal government’s non-confidence vote and federal Conservatives’ plan to scrap the developing pharmacare program. This would jeopardize the progress made toward reproductive justice for women and gender-diverse Canadians in the form of barrier-free contraception.

Last March, Stevens tabled a motion in the legislature, opening up OHIP coverage to all forms of prescription contraception.

The motion, initially supported in late 2023, was ultimately shut down by the Ford government earlier this year, citing existing contraception coverage through the OHIP+ program and the Ontario Drug Benefit Plan. Continue reading →

“We urge residents to protect themselves and their loved ones by staying up to date with vaccinations.” – Niagara Region’s Public Health Department

A News Release from Niagara Region Public Health

Posted September 25^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – This news release is so long I fear many will not want to read it. But it contains important information about our health and that is why we are posting it here.)

Niagara Region Public Health has recently confirmed two laboratory cases of influenza (flu).

As we enter respiratory illness season, cases are expected to increase over the coming weeks and months, marking the beginning of a critical time for public health.

Respiratory illnesses, such as the flu, COVID-19, RSV, pertussis (whooping cough), and pneumococcal disease can lead to severe health complications—especially for our most vulnerable. We urge residents to protect themselves and their loved ones by staying up to date with vaccinations.

Flu Vaccine Availability

The  influenza vaccine [https://www.ontario.ca/page/flu-facts] will be prioritized for  high risk groups [https://www.ontario.ca/page/flu-facts#section-3] in early October, with vaccines for the general public expected to be available sometime between the end of October and early November, once additional vaccine supply is available. Continue reading →

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

Joint Statement by Canada, the United States of America, Australia, European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and Qatar – September 26, 2024

Posted September 26th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The death and destruction on both sides of the Isreal-Lebanon border rages on. Canada joins a host of other countries in caling for an end to it.

Ottawa, Ontario- The situation between Lebanon and Israel since October 8th, 2023 is intolerable and presents an unacceptable risk of a broader regional escalation. This is in nobody’s interest, neither of the people of Israel nor of the people of Lebanon.

It is time to conclude a diplomatic settlement that enables civilians on both sides of the border to return to their homes in safety.

Diplomacy however cannot succeed amid an escalation of this conflict.

Continue reading →

This Saturday, September 28^th and It’s Free. See Details Below for Registering

Posted September 25^th, 2024 with a Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Two Thumbs Up to Buffalo, Its People and Its Architectural Gems from Doug Draper –

If you have only ever driven around the beltways of Buffalo, New York on your way to the airport, the thruway or a suburban mall, you may be surprised to discover that the city’s downtown and many of its neighbourhoods to the north are home to what experts in the field of urbanism say is some of the finest architecture and urban landscape in North America. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted September 25^th, 2024

Here is a lawn sign for a U.S. Presidential Election that I never dreamed I would ever see in my lifetime.

And yet Donald Trump, who has been convicted on 34 felony counts in a hush money case, and who is still facing many more criminal charges, and who was convicted earlier this year in a civil case involving sexual assault, is still polling close enough to U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Kamal Harris that he could win another term in the White House.

Try to imagine that and what it says for tens-of-millions of Americans who continue supporting this disgraceful man.

God help the United States and the rest of the world, including Canada, if he wins.

Canada better be preparing plans now for what we and our other close allies are going to do to deal with the possibility of that.

For the first time in a very long time, there is hope across the border. You can feel it.

In the meantime, we Canadians need to reach out as soon as we can  to every relative and friend we may know in the United States and urge them to throw their support behind Kamala Harris.

• Doug Draper, an unapologetic Canadian for Kamala

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

Are Enough of Us Going To Stand Up To Doug Ford and his Lackeys On This Awful Idea and Say NO?

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

Posted September 22^nd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

I can’t believe I have to write this one but I feel that I do.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford continues pushing to  take us further and further backwards on building better communities for the 21st Century.

And let me start with my imagining what Doug Ford, our Premier in Ontario, might say, if pressed on his government’s views on bike lanes and traffic congestion.

“Friends,” I could hear him bellowing in that Homer Simpson-like vernacular of his, “if we could only get these cyclists off our roads and make more room for trucks and cars, we would have less traffic congestion.”

First of all Mr. Premier, I may be unfortunate enough to live in Ontario during your reign of error but I, for at least one, am not one of your friends, okay.

Second, a draft report from your government that CBC reporters recently managed to obtain  reveals that the Ford  government is looking at the possibility of banning any more bike lanes on municipal roads across the province if, in the government’s view,  it is determined that they would interfere with  truck and car traffic and are therefore cause  more traffic congestion.

This  makes about as much sense as some of that demented stuff we hear across the border after a mass shooting – i.e.: ‘If only more people had guns, there would be less crime.’ Continue reading →

Jungbunzlauer plant expansion to create 50 new jobs and boost local economy

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted September 24^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

PORT COLBORNE — The Ontario government is welcoming a $200 million investment by Jungbunzlauer to expand its existing facility in Port Colborne, which will create 50 new jobs and strengthen regional supply chains.

“Thank you to everyone at Jungbunzlauer for your continued confidence in Port Colborne, Ontario workers and our province’s growing manufacturing sector,” said Premier Doug Ford.

“Our government was proud to support this investment as part of our plan to keep rebuilding Ontario’s economy, including our manufacturing sector, and bringing back better jobs with bigger paycheques for the workers of our province.” Continue reading →

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates.

“This (Bill to force seniors in to long-term care homes that are not of their choosing) is an attack on the dignity of seniors, the very people who built this province. These are our mothers and fathers who are being treated with complete disrespect by the Premier and the Long-term Care Minister, the fifth one in almost as many years.”                                                                                – Wayne Gates,  NDP MPP for a Niagara Falls Riding that includes Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie

A Statement from Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted September 24^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario  – MPP Wayne Gates, Ontario NDP Official Opposition critic for Long-Term Care (LTC), issued the following statement on the charter challenge to the Ford government’s controversial legislation, Bill 7:

Continue reading →

Or Why The World May Be Better Off If Cats Ruled And We Humans Disappeared 

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted September 23^rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

I hope you will bear with me while I try sharing this with you.

When I think of all the suffering and death and and damage and destruction we humans are visiting on our planet through preventable poverty, wars, through greed, through stupid, unsustainable and unlivable urban growth (as opposed to smarter, more friendly growth for people other living creatures), and through all of the climate ravaging carbon pollution and other toxic garbage we are unleashing on our atmosphere, our water and the lands that grow our food, meadows and forests, I can’t help but agree with an observation Mark Twain made more than a century ago.

“If man could be crossed with the cat,” the great author and satirist once mused, “it would improve man, but it would deteriorate the cat.”

The great author Mark Twain with one of his many cat companions

It’s a line that has me wondering, as I have wondered so many times before as I try to follow news about the mess we humans continue to make of just about everything that matters, if the world would not be better off if cats and dogs (just to throw out a bone to the dog lovers here) ruled and we humans disappeared. 

And while I am at it, you tell me where Mr. Twain, an astute observer of the human condition and one of the most legendary man of words, is wrong here.

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

Regional Municipality of Niagara and Town of Lincoln Receiving Over $22 Million in Water Infrastructure Funding to Enable Construction of 4,462 New Homes

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

Posted September 23rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Doug Draper at work in a newsroom, back in the days when there still were newsrooms. file photo

A Brief Foreword Comment  from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper – Okay, so how about some funding from the Ford government and from Justin Trudeau’s federal government (let’s not leave the federal government out of this) for affordable housing?

You can bet that the cost of housing on this old Prudhomme’s site with a nice view of the lake is going to be out of reach for many.

When all three levels of government- federal, provincial and municipal – use our tax dollars to provide funding or incentives for building housing, it is hardly ever for affordable housing. It is for housing, including vanity homes and condos, priced at whatever the market will bear.

And if you can’t afford that, well then maybe you can just go on living in your parents’ basement or buy yourself a tent.

By the way, at a time when existing homeowners, including residents living on low or fixed incomes, are already being hammered with increases in municipal property taxes well above the rate of inflation, Niagara’s regional council will looking, as soon as a council meeting scheduled for this coming Thursday, September 26th at 6:30 p.m.,  at approving even more lucrative incentives for developers and homebuilders . 

Want to make any bets on how a vote on that will go?

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Now here is the News Release from the constituency office of Ford Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff-

Continue reading →

‘Greens are writing to Doug Ford to call on his government to follow the rest of Canada and implement a deposit-return program for all beverages.’

A Message from the Green Party of Ontario

Posted September 23r^d 2024 on Niagara At Large

Even children know how to recycle and why it benefits our environment. Why doesn’t Doug Ford?

We expect everyone in Ontario to recycle and yet Doug Ford refuses to hold our grocery giants to the same standards.

The Beer Store’s deposit-return program for alcoholic beverages has saved 203,914 tons of avoided greenhouse gas emissions. There were plans to expand the program to include non-alcoholic beverages which would have forced polluting companies to be accountable for the waste they were creating.

That is until the Ford government canceled the program. Continue reading →

One Last Ode to the Summer of 2024 from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted September 20^th, 2024

Are we here already? Where did all those Summer days go?

Only one more Saturday of Summer before this Sunday, September 22^nd when we turn the page to the first day of Fall.

As much as this passing Summer was filled with too many rained-out days earlier on and, as the Summer went on, too many days that were so hot and muggy that, by afternoon, it was hard on the heart to take a long walk or a jog along the beach, I have always loved Summer.

I will miss those Boston Ferns and Cala Lilies in my backyard when they are gone.

I know I am not the only one out there who will miss those day of short sleeves, outdoor picnics and sitting in the shade with a good book or the radio on  – however extreme, in this age of climate crisis, the heat was at times – and will miss them even more when all the colours of Fall are gone and another cold Winter sets in.

So I hope you will join me in embracing this last Saturday of Summer with a song written by Sting and sung so beautifully by the late Eva Cassidy, who’s sun set far too early at the age of 33.

The song is Fields of Gold and you can hear it in company with a nice video by clicking on the screen immediately below –

 Finally, let’s take some take some time, as Fall sets in, to remember and honour the lives of all  the friends and family members and significant others in our community that we lost this summer. – Doug Draper, NAL

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

News and a Call for Public Input from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted September 20^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is excited to announce the launch of two pivotal projects aimed at enhancing the sustainability and resilience of natural resources and conservation lands in the Niagara Peninsula watershed— the Conservation Area Strategy (CA Strategy) and the Watershed-based Resource Management Strategy (Watershed Strategy).

The CA Strategy is designed to provide a comprehensive framework for the programs and services offered across NPCA’s conservation areas. By understanding how visitors engage with these natural spaces and the programs and services they offer, NPCA aims to enhance the visitor experience, support local biodiversity, and ensure these natural spaces remain vibrant and sustainable for future generations. Continue reading →

“The delay in implementing an oil and gas emissions cap is holding Canada back.”

A Statement by Aly Hyder Ali, Oil and Gas Program Manager, Environmental Defence

Posted September 19^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa – New analysis confirms that a cap on emissions from the oil and gas industry is crucial to achieve Canada’s climate commitments.

Today’s report (released September 19, 2024) from the Canadian Climate Institute provides an early estimate of Canada’s national greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in 2023.

While it is promising to see overall reductions in GHG emissions, the data exposes a clear issue: increasing oil and gas emissions are stalling Canada’s progress on climate action, once again erasing much of the progress made by other industries. Continue reading →

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

Posted September 19^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe

Niagara, Ontario – St. Catharines Mayor Mat Siscoe is set to host a townhall meeting at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre (located on St. Paul Street in the city’s downtown) on October 2nd, starting from 5:30pm and concluding at 7:30pm, at Partridge Hall in the Performing Arts Centre.

The goal of this event is to amplify the voices of marginalized communities and to create a platform for individuals to express their perspectives and concerns directly to the Mayor.

“In a time where inclusivity and diversity are increasingly recognized as essential components of a thriving community, I am looking forward to engaging in meaningful conversations with members of equity-deserving groups to gain insight into the pressing issues that impact individuals and groups at the local level,” said Mayor Mat Siscoe. Continue reading →

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 18^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region Public Health has reported its first laboratory-confirmed human case of West Nile virus infection of 2024.

While most people infected with West Nile virus do not get sick, 20 per cent of people will experience flu-like symptoms and fatigue. Continue reading →

A Brief Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper followed by a News Release from Brock University’s Niagara Community Observatory

Posted September 18^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A Foreword by Doug Draper –

The campus of Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

The Niagara Community Observatory (NCO) has done it again.

Over the past 15 years, this Brock University-based think-tank, working in concert with a host of knowledgeable individuals and community groups across Niagara, has prepared report after report on every issue from affordable housing, poverty in Niagara, municipal amalgamation, reversing the exodus of and attracting young people to our region to land-use planning, child care and what can be done to encourage residents to buy more locally-grown food. Continue reading →

You Are Invited to a Free Public Showing – Tuesday, October 1^st from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at the Canada Games Park next to Brock University in Thorold

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 17th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – On Tuesday, Oct. 1, Niagara Economic Development and the Automotive Parts Manufacturers Association (APMA) welcome the public and car enthusiasts to view Project Arrow, the first all-Canadian electric vehicle prototype currently on a two-year global tour. 

Led by the APMA, Project Arrow is the first all-Canadian, zero-emission vehicle that has been designed, engineered, and built through the joint efforts of Canada’s world-class automotive supply sector and post-secondary institutions.  Continue reading →

Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives has an “Alternative Federal Budget” For Building A Better Canada for All

News from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Posted September 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

With parliament resuming this week, CCPA’s experts are keeping a close eye on the federal government’s plan to tackle some of the issues affecting Canadians’ everyday lives: a harrowing housing crisis, an urgent climate emergency, and an economic system that benefits few and harms far too many.

With the supply-confidence agreement between the Liberals and NDP coming to an end, it makes the future a little unpredictable.

Will we find ourselves in a snap election? Will dental care survive? What will happen to pharmacare? Will climate change regulations actually be put in place?

In our latest blog, CCPA experts take a look at what to expect on the Hill this fall and beyond. Continue reading →

Refurbished Hydro One transformer station will help deliver clean energy and enable more growth in Niagara Region

“I’m pleased to see Hydro One’s investment in the Niagara Region, which will provide increased transmission capacity to support our growing community and local industry                                  – Sam Oosterhoff, Associate Minister of Energy-Intensive Industries

“The significant investment in Niagara-on-the-Lake’s electricity system will reduce the impacts of power outages in our region and will ensure our residents and businesses can rely on clean, safe electricity.”                                                                                                         – Gary Zalepa, Lord Mayor of Niagara-on-the-Lake

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted September 16^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Sir Adam Beck Hydro Power Station along the Lower Niagara River in Niagara, Ontario

NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE – The Ontario government along with Hydro One announced the completion of refurbishments at the Beck #2 Transformer Station in Niagara Falls.

This $135 million infrastructure program will extend the life of the existing station by another forty years and ensure a reliable supply of affordable and clean energy that will enable new homes, new investments, and new jobs in southwestern Ontario. Continue reading →

“Democracy didn’t happen by accident, and it won’t endure without effort. Canada will always stand up for democracy – it’s the foundation of a future of collective security and prosperity.”   – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A Statement from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Posted September 15^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

“This year’s International Day of Democracy comes at a pivotal time.

“Rapidly evolving technologies are disrupting our way of life. Disinformation is rampant. Global supply chains are being stretched. And climate change continues to be an existential threat.

“In the face of this unprecedented change, democracies around the world are becomingly fragile – risking economic prosperity and slipping into authoritarian waters. Continue reading →

“Time and time again, Justin Trudeau caved to big oil lobbyists to protect big oil profits instead of tackling the climate crisis.”      – Federal NDP Environment and Climate change critic Laurel Collins.

A News Release from the New Democratic Party of Canada

Posted September 13^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

OTTAWA — Canadians are already living through the deadly and catastrophic impacts of the climate emergency while Justin Trudeau and his minister of Environment Steven Guilbeault give huge handouts to big polluters. That’s not a climate plan the next government should stick to, according to the NDP.

Canadians pay 14-times more than big polluters like Suncor in Trudeau’s system. And he still isn’t hitting a single one of our climate targets.

Justin Trudeau destroyed any credibility his plan had when he did a home heating carve out that benefitted one part of the country over others—and the Liberal team made it clear that was an election ploy. Continue reading →

Fundraising Goal For The Late Rush Drummer Who Hailed From Port Dalhousie in St. Catharines Set At $1 Million

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

Posted September 13^th, 2024 at Niagara At Large

Following the official launch event at Lakeside Park, the Neil Peart Commemorative Task Force is proud to announce the beginning of a fundraising campaign to honour legendary drummer Neil Peart with a public work of art.

Neil Peart at the drums where few in the world of music could match him

The campaign, which aims to raise $1 million, will fund the installation of a memorial alongside the Neil Peart Pavilion at Lakeside Park – a location forever tied to Peart through his lyrics to the hit RUSH song of the same name. Continue reading →

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 13^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara’s Regional Headquarters in Thorold

Niagara Region is now accepting applications from organizations for the Niagara Prosperity Initiative to support poverty reduction.

Applicants may request between $100,000 to $300,000 per year, for three years for targeted projects aimed at working together to prevent and end poverty and increase well-being in Niagara. The targeted projects are informed by local needs and best practices as outlined in the Niagara Poverty Reduction Strategy.

To be eligible for funding, organizations must: Continue reading →

See Details Below

A Message from the City of St. Catharines

Posted September 13^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

This is just a follow-up message (to a news release circulated earlier this month) to note that Lakeside Park Carousel will reopen this weekend.

City staff worked to address any concerns identified, related to ensuring safety of staff conducting the regular, routine maintenance of the carousel.

The carousel will resume operation on weekends and holidays, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., starting this Sept. 14-15 weekend through to Thanksgiving Monday, Oct. 14. Continue reading →

You Are Invited to Participate in a Rally in Fort Erie, Niagara this Sunday, September 12^th starting  at 12 P.M at the former Douglas Memorial Hospital site. (See More Details Below.)

A Call-Out to All of Us from Environmental Defence and the Canadian Association Of Physicians For The Environment

Posted September 12^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

As Ontario grapples with emergency room closures, a critical shortage of nurses, family doctors, and other health professionals, the provincial government is planning to spend tens of billions of taxpayer dollars on two controversial highway projects that would cut through the Greenbelt — Highway 413 and the Bradford Bypass.

In response, outraged Ontarians are taking a stand, demanding that Premier Ford cancel these unnecessary and harmful highways. Instead, they are calling for these funds to be redirected to address Ontario’s healthcare crisis, which has reached a breaking point. Continue reading →

An Invite from the Niagara District Council of Women. SEE DETAILS BELOW

Posted September 12^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

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

Investments in emergency care reducing ambulance offload times by more than 50 per cent

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted September 12^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ambulances parked at the St. Catharines Hospital site in Niagara. file photo by Doug Draper

The Ontario government is investing over $910 million to increase the availability of ambulances across the province and connect people and families to emergency care faster and closer to home.

“When someone experiences an emergency, it is vital that they receive the care they need as quickly as possible,” said Sylvia Jones, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health.

“By strengthening all aspects of the health care system and ensuring faster access to emergency care, our government is providing paramedics and emergency departments with the tools they need as we connect more people across the province to high-quality care, when they need it most.” Continue reading →

John Storm – January 5h, 1953 to August 28^th, 2024

A Few Words of Remembrance by Doug Draper followed by an Obituary

Posted September 12^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

It has been a tough summer for losses of significant others who have made positive contributions to our Niagara community

Remembering journalist and community activist in Niagara, John Storm

Over the past few weeks alone there has been the death of Patrick Robson, age 63 and a passionate and inspiring public servant, urban planner and educator;  Liz Palmieri, age 74 and a founding executive officer of the great charity organization, The Niagara Foundation; and last but not least,  John Storm, age 71 and was a veteran newspaper journalist, a journalist and host of a popular Cogeco Cable 10 TV program called ‘Taking Niagara by Storm’ who dedicated his time to improving lives of people in Niagara through a number of .community groups. Continue reading →

Any American In Their Right Mind Who Watched This September 10^th’s Presidential Debate Has Got To Vote For Kamala Harris

A Brief Comment from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher and an unapologetic Canadian for Kamala supporter, Doug Draper

Posted September 11^th, 1014

U.S. Democratic Party presidential candidate Kamala Harris must win! There is no Option B unless, for some insane reason, you want to follow Trump to and through the Gates of Hell.

Any person of sound  mind who watched the September 10^th U.S. Presidential Debate between the Democrats’ Kamala Harris and the Republican MAGA Party’s Donald Trump has got to feel bewildered at the thought that tens of millions of Americans continue to support  Trump.

Why do I say that?

Because t Kamala Harris was the only candidate on that debate stage who sounded and looked presidential, and who was coherently and intelligently discussing plans for making life better for people in her country and other countries in this world

She was and is the only one candidate we can look to to bringing the hate, fear and danger that defines the Trump era to a close. Continue reading →

Some 3,000 people, most of them Americans, and 124 Canadians,  murdered in 9/11 terrorist attacks

A Brief Remembrance by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper, followed by a Statement from Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

Posted September 11^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The front page of the New York City-based Village Voice shortly after the 9/11 attacks

If you were over the age of 16 at the time, chances are you knew exactly where you were when you heard the news on September 11th, 2001.

That was the day that a handful of fanatics – most if not all of them Saudi Arabian nationals, hijacked then flew four commercial jets full of passengers into the Twin Towers in New York City, into the Pentagon just outside of Washington D.C. and into the ground in rural Pennsylvania.

As if the deaths that day weren’t tragic enough, that attack set the tone for many long dark years when the United States and its allies attacked Afghanistan, where the master mind of those attacks, Osama Bin Laden, was thought to be hiding, and Iraq, where the then U.S. George W. Bush administration spun falsehoods that “weapons of mass destruction” were being stored there. Continue reading →

‘The NDP’s potential anti-Poilievre momentum is more than 50 per cent larger than the group open to following the Liberals to stop Poilievre’

A News Release from Data Shows, a professional, non-partisan data gathering venue based in Ontario, Canada

Posted September 10^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and his party could gain significant support in next federal election from voters who have had it with the Liberal’s Justin Trudeau and who want to stop Pierre Poilievre and his right-wing Conservatives from gaining power.

To stop Pierre Poilievre, 55 per cent of current Liberal, Green or Bloc supporters would “definitely” or “probably” swing their support to Jagmeet Singh’s NDP if they were best positioned, according to the most recent poll from Abacus Research.

The NDP’s potential swing group, which represents 17 per cent of the Canadian electorate, would boost the NDP within close range of the poll-leading Conservatives.

The NDP’s potential anti-Poilievre momentum is more than 50 per cent larger than the group open to following the Liberals to stop Poilievre. Only 11 per cent of Canadians drawn from current NDP, Green or Bloc supporters would definitely or probably vote Liberal to stop Poilievre. Continue reading →

“We do want to assure everyone that Marineland remains under strong leadership during this time.”

Marie Holer, wife of the late Marineland Canada founder, John Holer. She succeeded her husband in running the park following his death in 2018

News from Marineland Canada in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Posted September 9th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA FALLS, ON- (Date this news was originally released, September 6th, 2024)  It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Mrs. Marie Holer, the beloved wife of Marineland’s founder, John, her son John Jr. and her surviving son Peter.

Her grace, kindness, and unwavering support were integral to the fabric of Marineland’s legacy. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from Nalie Mehra, Executive Director of the Ontario Health Coalition, a citizens activist group dedicated to protecting and preserving quality public health care services in the province

Posted September 9^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Health Coalition Executive Director Natalie Mehra

Please do join me for a quick briefing and discussion about the next phase of the fight back to stop Ford’s health care privatization at the Update, High-Level Briefing & Strategy Meeting on Wednesday, September 11th, 7 p.m. via Zoom online.

Click here to register – <https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZArfu2pqj4oEtCMZv9_Z3EIyFDd5QZ5ZH7d#/registration>

A REMINDER – That is this week on Wednesday, September 11^th at 7 P.M.

Thank you very much. I look forward to seeing you all!

• Natalie Mehra, executive director, Ontario Health Coaliton

A P.S. from Ontario Health Coalition’s Natalie Mehra – Continue reading →

‘The climate crisis impacts us all. The unnatural storms, fires, droughts and heatwaves across Canada this year will keep getting worse until we transition off of fossil fuels and the pollution they create.’

News from Environment Defence, a Canada-wide citizens group advocating for a cleaner, greener environment

Posted September 7^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

As the world continues to burn and countless billions of dollars of destruction is continuing to happen, almost all that Canada’s Justin Trudeau and his Liberals continue to do is use billions of dollars of our tax money to fund big oil and the tar sands.

A new report released by Oil Change International reveals that governments worldwide have already wasted over $40 billion on carbon capture and hydrogen projects. Just five countries account for 95 per cent of those billions – and Canada is third on the list. 

Around 45 per cent of the $40 billion was spent on projects that are not even operational today. That’s why we say the money was wasted. 

Even worse, these governments are gearing up to waste billions more – over $300 billion more!

Continue reading →

A Comment from Linda McKellar, a Niagara, Ontario resident and retired hospital nurse

Posted September 9^th,2024 on Niagara At Large

For the people? It sure doesn’t look that way when you see what he is doing to health care and other public services people need.

I just can’t take Ford’s duplicity any longer.

People need to smarten up, educate themselves and act before our systems (not just health care) are run by oligarchs (rich political leaders with only their own interests paramount) and the average person suffers as a result.

Having worked in the health care system for over 40 years and retired for 15, the subtle but DEADLY changes in health care are both intentional and not for the benefit of anyone but, as (U.S. Senator and former presidential candidate) Bernie (Sanders) would say, the top one per cent and private insurance companies. Continue reading →

“Leilani’s … expertise in environmental planning and commitment to collaboration will ensure NPCA continues to thrive and adapt to the evolving needs of our communities.”             –John Metcalfe, Chair, NPCA Board

News from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted September 9^th, 2024 n Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario –The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Leilani Lee-Yates as its new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Secretary-Treasurer, effective September 7, 2024.

Leilani Lee-Yates has been appointed by NPCA Board as the Conservation Authority’s  new Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and Secretary-Treasurer, effective September 7, 2024.

Leilani, currently NPCA’s Director of Watershed Strategies and Climate Change, will be succeeding Chandra Sharma.

Leilani Lee-Yates brings over two decades of experience in environmental planning, watershed management, and strategic leadership.

Since joining NPCA in 2021, she has led transformative initiatives, including developing critical planning and policy documents, securing significant federal and provincial grants, and enhancing NPCA’s restoration, stewardship and monitoring programs. Continue reading →

For 100 years, Ontario has built our system of local public hospitals that operate on a non-profit basis, in the public interest. Under the cover of the pandemic, the Ford government began to make plans to privatize Ontario’s public hospital services, including surgeries and diagnostics to private for-profit hospitals and clinics.

A Detailed Account of the Ford Government’s privatization plans prepared by the Ontario Health Coalition, a non-profit citizens group advocating for quality public health care for everyone across the province

Posted September 9^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

On January 16, 2023, Premier Doug Ford announced his plan to open new private for-profit day hospitals in three cities, expand other for-profit clinics and shunt tens of millions in public funding to private clinics and hospitals.

The premier said that 50% of the surgeries done in our public hospitals could be cut and privatized. This would devastate our vital public hospital services unless Ontarians stop the Ford government from privatizing them. Continue reading →

“Liz leaves behind a strong legacy for Niagara. Her fingerprints are seen all throughout the charitable sector and beyond.”

Some Sad News from the Niagara Community Foundation, a leader in philanthropy and Niagara’s go-to “charity of charities.”

Posted September 6^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

NCF’s founding Executive Director Liz Palmier

To our NCF Community,

With our collective sorrow, we share the news of the passing of NCF’s founding Executive Director Liz Palmieri.

Liz had a passion for Niagara and a vision for a future where all residents of Niagara could live and thrive. It is because of her vision, that NCF has being able to turn the intent of so many donors into tangible impact for the past 24 years.

She will be fondly remembered and deeply missed by the entire NCF family the community at large. Continue reading →

A News Commentary from the Liberal Party of Ontario

Posted September 6^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie

TORONTO, ONTARIO — Today, Doug Ford locked in his $1,000,000,000 government hand-out to multinational brewers, big grocers, and international convenience store chains.

“There is no reason for the cost of convenience to be $1 billion. Doug Ford’s buddies have made a killing off his latest giveaway at the expense of Ontario families.” — Bonnie Crombie, Leader of Ontario’s Liberals

Ontario’s agreement with the multinational brewers was set to expire in just a short few months, at which point alcohol could have been made available in corner stores for free, without taxpayers paying $1 billion to wealthy corporations and Conservative insiders. Continue reading →

Patrick Robson – December 11, 1961 to August 25, 2024

A Brief & Personal Tribute from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted September 5^th, 2024

Patrick Robson, a model public servant and teacher who cared passionately about the community

I have been writing so many tributes lately to significant others who have passed in our region of Niagara that it should be getting easier.

But it is never gets easier. It is hard and this one is going to be hard too.

It is especially hard this time because I am still recovering from the shock I felt after hearing the news more than a week ago from a mutual friend and admirer of Patrick Robson – a good person and a model public servant who made a daily practice of putting the interests of the public in our communities across Niagara first, and a passionate teacher who inspired so many students during his all-to-short time  as a teacher in the Environmental Management Program at Niagara College – had died so suddenly this past August 25^th at age of 62. Continue reading →

Politicians on Both Sides of the Canada/U.S. Border Should Take Note

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

Posted September 5^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Liz Cheney on the cover of her recent, best-selling book ‘Oath and Honour – A Memoir and a Warning’

I never thought a time would come when I would count Liz Cheney – a former U.S. Republican and very conservative Congresswoman and daughter of former Vice President Dick (a.k.a. Darth Vader) Cheney – as one of my heroes.

But her willingness to put country and the interests of its people above more narrow partisan and self interests – in her case to speak out forcefully against the tyranny of Donald Trump, knowing she would lose her Congressional seat and receive death threats from Trump’s most zealous supporters – and her work as co-chair of a Congressional Committee uncovering the facts behind Trump’s January 6^th, 2021 attempted insurrection, makes her a profile in courage and heroism in my books.

In her recent book, ‘Liz Cheney Oath and Honour- A Memoir and a Warning’, she writes this in the prologue;  “Elected officials who believe their own political survival is more important than anything else threaten the survival of our republic, no matter what they tell themselves to justify their cowardice.”

Then this past August 4^th 2024, at Duke University in North Carolina, she had this to say in front of a large audience that listened, then gave her a rousing round of applause and a standing ovation.

To hear and watch it click on the screen immediately below –

 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

Expansion Delivers on Ford Government’s Promise to Give People More Choice and Convenience and Promote Ontario-Made Products and Local Jobs

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

Posted September 5^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West Conservative MPP  Sam Oosterhoff

BEAMSVILLE – Starting today (this September 5^th, 2024), all licenced convenience stores in Ontario can sell beer, cider, wine and ready-to-drink alcoholic beverages, marking the largest expansion of consumer choice and convenience in provincial alcohol sales since the end of prohibition almost 100 years ago.

As of September 5, 4,187 convenience stores across Ontario, including local retailers in Niagara, are licenced to sell alcoholic beverages, in addition to nearly 3,000 other licenced retail outlets, as well as takeaway options from licenced bars and restaurants. Continue reading →

An Invite to the  Public from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 5^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region is inviting public input as it enters phase two of developing the Waste Management Strategic Plan (the Plan), which will set the framework and direction for waste management in the region over the next 25 years.

During this phase, members of the public, businesses and organizations can provide their feedback on:

• The mission statement, vision statement, goals and guiding principles that were developed in phase one Potential programs, services and initiatives, including waste disposal options, that will help Niagara Region achieve the Plan’s goals.

Continue reading →

“During June and July 2024, peak season for construction, fewer housing units were started than in the same months of 2022 or 2023. … Adjusted for size, British Columbia has outpaced Ontario every month since June 2022, sometimes delivering results doubling those from the Ford PCs.”

A News Release from Data Shows, a professional, non-partisan data gathering venue based in Ontario, Canada

Posted September 5^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The Progressive Conservative government led by Premier Doug Ford in July again failed to spur the housing construction starts its own task force reported are needed to bring market balance, according to data from Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

In February 2022, a report by the PCs’ handpicked Housing Affordability Task Force found Ontario would need to start building 12,500 housing units every month until 2031 to bring balance to the housing market and restrain prices increases that have made home ownership impossible except for those with wealth or high incomes.

Ford PCs didn’t get it done.

Continue reading →