Author Archives: dougdraper

A Statement from Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

Posted January 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley,

Regional Chair Jim Bradley offered the following statement following news of the federal government’s investment of $25.7 million from the Housing Accelerator Fund in St. Catharines:

“I am pleased to see the federal government’s investment of over $25 million into the City of St. Catharines to fast track the construction of new homes.

“Over the next 10 years, more than 12,000 homes will be built in part due to this generous funding, representing a significant impact on our goal to ensure there is more attainable and affordable housing. Continue reading →

“As one of the great humanitarians of the 20th century, Mr. Wallenberg’s story is a powerful reminder that we must stand up against antisemitism, hatred, and racism. In light of … the appalling rise in antisemitic incidents in our communities, this reminder is more crucial than ever. The federal government will continue to combat antisemitism, as well as the denial and distortion of the Holocaust.”                                                                           – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A Statement Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Raoul Wallenberg Day

Posted January 17^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s  Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement on Raoul Wallenberg Day:

“Today (this January 17^th, 2024), we pay tribute to Raoul Wallenberg, a remarkable humanitarian who rescued thousands of Hungarian Jews during the Holocaust.

“Working as a Swedish diplomat in Nazi-occupied Hungary, Mr. Wallenberg issued thousands of ‘protective passports’ to Jews, providing them diplomatic immunity and saving them from persecution. Under dangerous circumstances, he established a network of hospitals, orphanages, soup kitchens, and safe houses.

As a result, tens of thousands of Jews escaped certain death. And his dedication didn’t stop there: he helped diplomats from other neutral powers – such as Switzerland and the Vatican – to do the same, protecting even more lives. Continue reading →

Parents in Niagara Region May Lose Child Care Spaces If Conservatives Refuse To Act

“The lack of child care spaces due to staffing concerns is a problem right across Ontario and that includes the Niagara region” – Wayne Gates, NDP MPP for Niagara Falls Riding

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

Posted January 16th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates on his feet in the Ontario legislature. file photo

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario – NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls riding) is sounding the alarm about the availability of child care spaces in Niagara region, after hearing from concerned parents who may be facing a permanent reduction in before-and-after-school child care at a Boys and Girls Club in Niagara.

“The lack of child care spaces due to staffing concerns is a problem right across Ontario and that includes the Niagara region,” said Gates.

“My office worked with the Boys and Girls Club at Riverview Public School to find a temporary solution to ensure they can continue to operate, but this a bigger structural problem.” Continue reading →

Half of Canadians Surveyed say United States may be on its way to becoming an authoritarian state

The Survey results also show “a significant number (29%) aren’t convinced (a Biden or Trump victory in this year’s U.S. presidential election) would matter either way for Canada.”

A Survey of Canadians’ views from the Angus-Reid Institute, Canada’s Non-Profit Foundation Committed to Independent Research

Posted January 16^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

The 2024 American Presidential election looks starkly familiar to the 2020 edition, as it is expected that Joe Biden and Donald Trump will represent the Democratic and Republican Parties respectively.

For Canadians, a repeat outcome from 2020 would be welcome, while a Trump victory has many predicting dire consequences for both sides of the 49th parallel.

New data from the non-profit Angus Reid Institute finds two-thirds of Canadians concerned American democracy will not be able to survive another four years of Trump at the helm. Continue reading →

(Let’s) demand that the Ford government show us a real plan to take action on climate in 2024

A Message from Ontario’s Green Party

Posted January 16^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Dense clouds of smoke from a record number of wildfires this past 2023 assaulted the respiratory systems of people and destroyed huge areas  of habitat for wildlife  across Canada and much of the U.S.

Ontario, Canada – 2023 was the hottest year on record – ever. Record-setting forest fires raged across North America, droughts beached fishing boats in the Amazon, and hurricanes, cyclones and tornadoes grew larger and more frequent. 

Now, climate scientists are warning that we’re on the brink of surpassing our 1.5C warming target within the decade.

The science has never been clearer: we need to reduce our emissions NOW by moving to renewable energy as fast as possible. But as per usual, Doug Ford is asleep at the wheel.

Continue reading →

Nearly $2.3 Million Boost in Funding to Expand Pediatric Services

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

Posted December 16th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

ST. CATHARINES, Niagara  – Ontario is investing nearly $2.3 million to increase access to pediatric services for children and youth in Niagara so they have the care they need, when they need it, right in their own community.

This is part of the government’s investment of an additional $330 million each year in pediatric health services at hospitals and community-based health care facilities across the province.

The nearly $2.3 million in additional funding includes $1.79 million in provincial support for the Niagara Children’s Centre and $500,000 for Niagara Health.

The funding will be used to:

  *   Increase access to children’s rehabilitation services, including speech-language pathology, physiotherapy, and occupational therapy at the Niagara Children’s Centre, Continue reading →

“This case feels more important than ever as we come out of the hottest year on record, and it could not be more critical that the Ontario Government acts accordingly.”                                          – – – Madison Dyck, Thunder Bay, Ontario and one of the young people involved in the court case

“There is urgency with this historic youth-led climate case going to court for climate action and for future generations. This case holds precedence and change towards a caring future.”                                 – Beze Gray, Aamjiwnaang First Nation, Ontario, another one of the young people involved in the court case 

A News Release from Ecojustice, an environmental law charity pursuing cases for a livable planet

Posted January 15th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Footnote from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – I hope as many as possible will read the following news release, follow this case and do everything they can to support this group of young people. Congratulations to them, to Ecojustice and to other supports for continuing to pursue this case against Ontario’s Ford government.

And shame on all those Ontario voters – most of them older people, including members of the ‘Baby Boomer Generation’ that has had a record of releantless, piggish consumption that has made a mess of our Earth – for twice electing into power a Ford government that has demonstrated over and over again its disdain for environmental protection.

By voting for Ford and his party of climate laggards, these aging Boomers and too many  other members of the over-50 crowd  have helped place a livable future for  our children and grandchildren in peril.

Now here is the January 15th, 2024 news release from Ecojustice – 

Toronto, Ontario —Seven young people at the helm of Mathur et. al., a historic youth-led climate case, (were) back in court(this January 15th)  in what will be a crucial moment in the fight against the climate emergency in Canada.

The young people championing this important case. Photographer Tilly Nelson, set design Kendra Martyn & Kira Evenson

The group is at the Court of Appeal for Ontario, continuing their legal challenge of the Ontario government’s decision to significantly weaken the province’s 2030 climate target. 

Sophia, Zoe, Shaelyn, Alex, Shelby, Madi, and Beze, backed by lawyers from Ecojustice and Stockwoods LLP, are fighting to protect their generation and future generations from government caused climate harms.  

The case faced a setback in April 2023 when it was dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court, however the decision included several positive findings. Continue reading →

New investigations team will strengthen oversight and resident safety

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted January 15th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — The Ontario government has created a new Investigations Unit to ensure every long-term care resident lives with dignity and experiences the quality of care they deserve.

Supported by an investment of $72.3 million, the new 10-person unit will be an effective deterrent and tool when escalated enforcement is needed to improve compliance and ensure resident safety.

The new unit is now active and will investigate allegations such as: failing to protect a resident from abuse or neglect, repeated and ongoing non-compliance, failing to comply with ministry inspector’s orders, suppressing and/or falsifying mandatory reports, and negligence of corporate directors. Continue reading →

“I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hell of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality.”                    – Martin Luther King, in an acceptance speech he delivered after receiving the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 

The late civil rights icon Martin Luther King

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper on Martin Luther King Day in America

Posted January 15th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

This Monday, January 15^th, 2024 is Martin Luther King Day in the United States, a day set aside to remember and celebrate the efforts of this heroic civil rights leader to crusade for human equality and peace around the world.

Had he not been assassinated in the spring of 1968 at age 39, Martin Luther King could conceivably still be alive today. And one can only image what he would think of the rise of white supremacy, racial and religious hatred, anti-democratic rule, and continued threat of war and murderous wars now occurring in regions of the world like the Middle East and Ukraine. Continue reading →

Ford Is Moving This Long-Time Government Service to a U.S.-Based, Privately-Operated  Retail Chain

“Welland residents who reached out to my office are worried that these changes will lead to additional delays and longer wait times for back government services like health cards and driver licenses.”– Jeff Burch, Niagara Centre NDP MPP in a letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

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

Posted January 15th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

WELLAND, Ontario – Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch has written a letter to Doug Ford following reports that 11 ServiceOntario locations are set to close across the province, including one in Welland.

The ServiceOntario locations are set to be replaced with kiosks in privately-owned Staples – the latest in Ford’s pattern of putting government services in the hands of private companies.

View Jeff Burch’s letter to Doug Ford  click on – (https://mcusercontent.com/353019c4e982ae7eb8ea53150/files/dd3f9219-14a8-8509-ed90-4dc749257054/MPP_Burch_Welland_ServiceOntario_Letter.pdf) 

Or see it below –

To watch a Toronto City TV news report on this story, click on –

A Brief Footnote from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – Now the question is, which ServiceOntario outlet in Niagara might the Ford government close next? Set your watches for the answer that will come, once again, without any consultation with the public.)

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

Ed Broadbent, Who Passed Away this January 11^th at Age 87 – Spent His Life Fighting For the Common Good and for Social Justice for All

“Today, as we stand at the cusp of 2024, Canada faces significant challenges. A worsening affordability crisis, right-wing extremism, and historic levels of cynicism, created an environment where leaders like Doug Ford, Danielle Smith, Pierre Poilievre, and Donald Trump are emboldened. Thankfully, we at the Broadbent Institute are purpose built to meet these challenges head-on.” – from a Holiday Season message Ed Broadbent sent out to supporters of the Broadbent Institute he founded and to all Canadians just this past December, 2023

A Few Words of Remembrance from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large, followed by a Tribute from the Broadbent Institute and more 

Posted January 11^th, 2024

Ed Broadbent, during the years he served as Leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party

All I can say is that I feel blessed to have shared some of my life  in Canada at the same time as Ed Broadbent, a true humanitarian who served as an inspiration for all who shared his dream for a society that is kind and just for everyone.

Ed Broadbent, who for those old enough to remember, was one of only two  federal  NDP  leaders  in the party’s 62-year  to win more than 40 seats in an election. In 2011,  the now-late and then leader of the ,arty did even better with what was is known to this day as the  “Big Orange Wave” win for the NDP  of 59 seat – a result that has not been achieved by any federal NDP leader since and  can largely be attributed to Layton’s dynamic leadership and to the  two decades  Broadbent spent building a party many Canadians,  were eager to rally their support behind. eager to rally behind.  Continue reading →

Three job fair events scheduled for 2024, beginning on Saturday, January 20

See the Job Fair Schedule and all  Related Details  Below

A Call-Out to seasonal and student job seekers from Ontario’s NIAGARA PARKS COMMISSION

Posted January 11^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Parks’ historic Queen Victoria Park with the American Falls roaring in the background

Niagara, Ontario – One of the region’s largest employers seeking to hire for seasonal and student positions across various departments ahead of the summer season

View popular positions and register today at niagaraparks.com/jobfair

 All job seekers are invited to explore the wide variety of seasonal job opportunities available across various departments at Niagara Parks during three upcoming job fair events for the 2024 season, with the first taking place on Saturday, January 20, at Table Rock Centre. Continue reading →

NDP Leader Marit Stiles gives Premier three quick solutions to shorten wait times today

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party

Posted January 11^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

You would think that Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles delivered a challenge to Doug Ford on Thursday to stop ignoring Ontario’s health care crisis and work with the NDP to implement three solutions to immediately reduce out-of-control health care wait times.

“Last year, we saw hundreds of emergency rooms and urgent care centres shuttered; people forced to travel far because their ER or urgent care centre lacked the staff to stay open,” Stiles said at a press conference.

“Doug Ford promised to fix the Liberals’ hallway medicine crisis, but things are only getting worse. The Premier needs to stop pretending this crisis doesn’t exist. He can bring the Legislature back right now and work with us to reduce health care wait times.” Continue reading →

An Invite to All of Us from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted January 10^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

image furnished by NASA

The Niagara District Council of Women  is holding a zoom public  meeting  on  climate change  at 7;30 p.m. on  January 17th  featuring Dr. Adam Martin  (PhD)  .

Dr. Martin , who teaches at the Department of Physical and Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto, has encapsulated the nature of his  talk in  its  title “CLIMATE CHANGE AHEAD ! :THE WORLD, THE PROVINCE, NIAGARA. And he goes on to say,  Continue reading →

Let’s triple wind and solar in Ontario by 2035 to lower bills and pollution (and to fight climate change)

“We need a real commitment to renewable energy in Ontario – not window dressing.  Please send a message [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/triple/] to Premier Ford, Energy Minister Todd Smith, party leaders and your MPP, and tell them you want to see a tripling of wind and solar in this province by 2035.” – Ontario Clean Air Alliance

A News Release from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a not-for-profit citizens group dedicated to fighting for a cleaner and safer environment

Posted December 10^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

For the last five years, (under the Ford government) Ontario has been treading water on renewable energy – not contracting for one kilowatt since the election of 2018 – while the  rest of the world has surged forward [https://rmi.org/the-renewable-revolution-continues/].

Now the province says it wants to get back in the game with a target of contracting for 5,000 megawatts (MW) of renewable energy capacity.

But, as with everything the Ford Government does, the devil is in the details. What the Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) is actually proposing is a mix of renewing contracts with existing wind and solar power facilities and contracting for some new supply.

This means that Ontario could meet its 5,000 MW target while adding only a token amount of new renewable energy to its grid. Continue reading →

“It is also important to learn from past experiences. Many long-term academic studies have demonstrated that the projected benefits of past amalgamations often failed to materialize.”           – Jim Bradley, Chair for the Regional Municipality of Niagara

A Statement from Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley to the Provincial Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy

Posted January 10^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley,

Regional Chair Bradley appeared before the Provincial Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy during a one day hearing in  St. Catharines this January 10th, 2024 to share his personal views on the housing crisis and what role municipal governance plays in addressing that challenge.

The following is a transcript of Chair Bradley’s opening statement.

“Good morning. I am Jim Bradley, Chair of the Regional Municipality of Niagara, accompanied by our Regional CAO Ron Tripp. I stand before you to share own personal perspectives on the future of municipal governance in Niagara and its pivotal role in tackling the housing crisis.

“A recent examination showed that even with an annual income of $85,000, homeownership remains elusive in Niagara. But as I have stated on numerous occasions, the Niagara Region is committed to partnering with your government to address the housing crisis.

“I also agree with Ontario Minister of Muncipal Affairs and Housing Paul  Calandra: this governance discussion should be focused on how a manipulation of governance would result in more homes being built. My comments today will be focused on that goal. Continue reading →

Posted by Doug Draper, January 8^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

How do you feel our Niagara region should be governed in the years ahead?

Do you believe that the 12 local municipalities we have now should be cut down to possibly four or three?

Maybe you would like to get rid of local municipalities altogether and just have one ‘City of Niagara’ rather than have 12 or fewer local or lower-tier municipalities and a regional government.

Perhaps you agree with Ontario Premier Doug Ford and a number of Niagara’s local politicians and citizens that our region has “too many politicians.”

Or maybe you would prefer that Niagara’s current two-tier system of government, including the local municipality you live in stay as it is. Continue reading →

A Message to Ontario’s Premier – Leave Niagara’s Current System of Municipal Governance Alone!

A Commentary by Doug Draper, journalist, Niagara At Large

UPDATED – Posted January 8th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

For the last 30 or so years of my time working as a journalist in Niagara, I have been hearing the same tired old trope coming from what always seems like a relatively small segment of the population with a big bullhorn.

The trope I am talking about goes like this – “Niagara has too many politicians.” And it almost always comes from individuals and organizations with a long track record of being to the far right when it comes to politics and who often complain about government playing “too big a role” in our lives.

Local municipalities across are Niagara Region the way they are mapped out now, and the way they should stayT.

Little wonder then that Ontario’s current premier Doug Ford – the boss hog of one of the most extremist, right-wing governments the province has ever had and who appears to almost never see a government-funded service he wouldn’t like to privatize – has repeatedly said that he thinks Niagara has too many politicians.

Just to cite a few cases, there Ford was, quoted in a March 2019 report on the St. Catharines-based radio station CKTB (Heart Radio),  saying; “Too many politicians is not a good thing and it hurts the community” Continue reading →

Whether by Neglect or Design or Both, Are the Ford Conservatives Taking Us Back To A Time Before Universal Health Care Champion Tommy Douglas, When Quality Health Care Is Only There For Those Who Can Afford to Pay For It?

A Comment by Linda McKellar, a retired health care nurse living in Niagara

Posted January 5^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

I have no idea where Ford is getting the thousands of new “nurses” he claims to have added to the system.

Are they RN’s, nurse practitioners, licensed practical nurses, personal support workers, orderlies? Is he even aware of the differences or does he hope the public is unaware of the differences?

Of course all categories are team members BUT the education and experience necessary to qualify for each is very different. The responsibilities and abilities are vastly different. The diagnostic and assessment skills are night and day.

The same with the ability to perform certain procedures, some life saving, and having enough pharmaceutical knowledge to safely dispense medications with consideration for untoward side effects and interactions. Continue reading →

A Statement from Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted December 5^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates whose riding includes Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario – MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls riding), Official Opposition critic for Long-Term Care (LTC), released the following statement in response to alarming new COVID-19 rates in LTC homes that have led to 260 deaths in four months (https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/more-than-260-ontario-long-term-care-residents-died-after-getting-covid-19-in-last-four-months-1.6709469) :

“These deaths are heartbreaking to see, and it seems like the Conservatives have learned nothing from the past four, difficult years. Every person we lose is a tragedy, and they leave behind loved ones who mourn them.

Continue reading →

“Less than half an hour into 2024, and Canada’s 100 top-paid CEOs have made more than 200 times what most (workers across Ontario and Canada)  will earn in a year. ,,, It’s beyond unfair, and it doesn’t have to be this way.”

A Statement from Ontario NDP Official Opposition Party Leader Marit Stiles

Posted January 4^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — Official Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles issued the following statement in response to a report (https://www.cbc.ca/news/business/canada-richest-ceo-average-salaries-1.7065191) from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives that finds Canada’s top CEOs make 246 times more than the average worker:

“Less than half an hour into 2024, and Canada’s 100 top-paid CEOs have made more than 200 times what most Canadians will earn in a year.

This is while people are struggling more than ever to afford necessities; while food banks are seeing record usage.

It’s beyond unfair, and it doesn’t have to be this way.

Continue reading →

A Message to Ontario’s Premier – Leave Niagara’s Current System of Municipal Governance Alone!

A Commentary by Doug Draper, journalist, Niagara At Large

Posted January 4th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

For the last 30 or so years of my time working as a journalist in Niagara, I have been hearing the same tired old trope coming from what always seems like a relatively small segment of the population with a big bullhorn.

Local municipalities across are Niagara Region the way they are mapped out now, and the way they should stay

The trope I am talking about goes like this – “Niagara has too many politicians.” And it almost always comes from individuals and organizations with a long track record of being to the far right when it comes to politics and who often complain about government playing “too big a role” in our lives.

Little wonder then that Ontario’s current premier Doug Ford – the boss hog of one of the most extremist, right-wing governments the province has ever had and who appears to almost never see a government-funded service he wouldn’t like to privatize – has repeatedly said that he thinks Niagara has too many politicians. Continue reading →

“Without workers, our hospitals can’t function, and Ontarians will go without the care they need.”                                                        – Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

You would think that Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party

Posted January  3^rd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles is calling on the Ford Conservatives to address an urgent call from the Ontario Council of Hospital Unions to stop underinvesting in Ontario hospitals, after a new poll (http://chrome-extension//efaidnbmnnnibpcajpcglclefindmkaj/https://nanos.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/2023-2465-CUPE-OCHU-Members-survey-Populated-report-with-tabs.pdf) shows close to half of hospital workers are considering leaving the sector.

“There is an all-out crisis in our hospitals and the Conservatives are pretending everything is okay — the reality is far from it,” said Stiles.

Continue reading →

100 Highest-Paid CEOs now Make 246 Times More Than Average Workers

A News Release from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives with a Foreword from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted December 2^nd, 2024 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large –

I can already image at least some who read the news release below saying; “Gee, thanks for starting the New Year by posting news that makes me angry.”

To that I say if we’re not angry we’re not paying attention and if we’re not paying attention, the only change we may have is that things will get even worse.

We’ve got to know about this growing wage gab across Canada and the obscene amount of money the few at the top are shoveling, and we’ve have got to put the heat on our elected representatives at the provincial and federal levels of government to do something about it.

Meanwhile, I’ve lost patience with all those politicians and Chambers of Commerce and other representatives for big business out there who keep beating this drum that we can’t raise the minimum wage or have the kind of living wage or basic income that Ontario Premier Doug Ford blew away during his Conservative government’s first term in in office because the cost of more decent wages for regular working people will hurt business and be passed onto consumers. Continue reading →

“The future doesn’t exist. The only thing that exists is now and our memory of what happened in the past. But because we invented the idea of a future, we’re the only animal that realized we can affect the future by what we do today.”                                  – David Suzuki, scientist, environmental activist and longtime hose of CBC’s ‘The Nature of Things’

A New Year Message from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted December 31st, 2023

A happier, healthier future is in our hands. Let’s work together to make it happen.

All of the havoc far too many people here and around the world have been through over this passing year leaves one to wonder and possibly dread what 2024 will bring.

For that reason, I find it a bit too Pollyannish to simply offer up to one and all a full-throated Happy New Year.

Given the times and all the challenges we collectively face, the usual drive-by wish for a Happy New Year just doesn’t seem to cut it.

Instead, my wish for the New Year is that as many of us as possible do  what we can do today and every day to make the coming year and all the years to follow better than the one we are saying good bye to.

And in that spirit and with your patience, I wish to leave you with just a few ideas of what we all can and must do together –

Continue reading →

If Trump Gets Back In The Oval Office Again – And Thanks To Millions of Americans He’s Put a Spell On, He Very Well Might – WE’RE ALL IN BIG TROUBLE!

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

Posted December 28^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Over this passing Holiday Season, I  stole a little time from all the hustle and bustle of last-minute shopping to watch the classic Dr. Seuss-animated version of ‘How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’ again.

Here, immediately below, is a headshot of the Grinch, with that wicked smile on his face while he hatches his plan to steal all the children’s Christmas toys.

I wasn’t long into the Grinch story when it made me think of another, possibly even more devious and dangerous character.

Here, immediately below, is a headshot of him, with a smile just as wicked, if not more so, as worn by the Grinch.

In that smile, it is not hard to imagine him dreaming of the day when he once again assumes the highest office in his land and uses and abuses its powers to tear up his country’s Constitution and blow away all the democratic rules and institutions around him, and proceeds to wreak havoc on every longtime friend and democratic ally in the world, including Canada.

Continue reading →

“We made the Ford Government’s refusal to consider renewable energy an issue the government could no longer ignore. Now we have to make sure that it prioritizes the  cleanest and lowest cost options to keep our lights on, instead of  polluting gas  and  high-cost nuclear power.”                                                                                  –  Ontario Clean Air Alliance

A Call-Out for Support from The Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a longstanding  not-for –profit citizens activist group fighting for governments to take real action on climate change

Posted December 28^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Ontario is finally ready to feel the power of the sun and the wind once more.

For the sake of our future, we need much more of this.

Five years after tearing up 758 renewable energy project contracts, the Ford Government has announced that it is going to join the rest of the world in tapping into our lowest cost sources of new electricity supply – wind and solar.

But whether this is a real commitment to taking a low-carbon path to meeting our energy needs or just window dressing is going to depend a lot on the details. Continue reading →

One of the More Heart-Tugging and Inspiring Stories of 2023

A Brief Look Back and Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 27, 2023 on Niagara At Large

I long ago came to a conclusion about our species that I know at least some of you out there share with me.

We human can be, and too often can be, the cruelest and most destructive species on the planet.

I am speaking in generalities of course. I know there are also good people among us, doing what they can to make the world better for every living being we share this planet with.

After years of cruel confinement, Vanilla the chimp finally has a chance to live a good life. Photo by Save The Chimps, a group dedicated to protecting chimpanzees

The following story about a chimpanzee named Vanilla tugged at my heart the – as I am sure it will tug at the hearts of many of you –  first time I saw it broadcast this past spring on CBC and a number of other news networks.in Canada and the United States.

It is a story that both speaks to the cruelty too many humans inflict on other species and to the good in who, in this case, worked so hard to free this chimp and give her a chance to live out her life with others of his kind, in the safety and comfort of a sprawling outdoor sanctuary in Florida. Continue reading →

“It is essential that new homes be built with decarbonization in mind, both to limit their contributions to climate change and to save homeowners the costs associated with retrofitting their home sometime in the future.” – Keith Brooks, Programs Director, Environmental Defence

A Statement from Environmental Defence on the Ontario Ministry of Energy’s Move to Reverse Ontario Energy Board’s Decision on Gas Rates

This could be the new logo for the Doug Ford Conservatives across Ontario. We have just been through one of the worst years on record in this climate crisis and they still don’t get it. Just keep burning more carbon-polluting gas, is their answer

Posted December 27th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto -– It is shocking that the Ministry of Energy is moving to overrule the Ontario Energy Board, which made a very sound decision to save homeowners money by encouraging new homes to be built with heat pumps, rather than gas furnaces.

The speed at which this decision was made by the Ministry is also concerning.

The OEB decision would eliminate the subsidy for housing developers to connect to the gas system effective January 1, 2025. Currently, developers can receive a subsidy worth up to $6k per home, with an average of $4.5k per home.

The OEB said eliminating this subsidy would encourage developers to install heat pumps instead, which will improve affordability by lowering heating costs while also reducing risks and costs for all other gas ratepayers. Continue reading →

Posted by  Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

December 25^th, 2023

” “Someday at Christmas men won’t be boys
Playing with bombs like kids play with toys
One warm December our hearts will see
A world where men are free”

• From a song written and performed by Stevie Wonder

Stevie Wonder wrote and performed the song ‘Someday At Christmas’ in the mid-1960s while he was still in his teens and the War in Vietnam was ramping up and killing more lives. It’s lyrics tugged at people and the song became a bestseller for Motown Records at the time.

With all of the suffering and death from wars now raging in Ukraine and the Middle East, the song’s  message, unfortunately, is just as relevant this Christmas.

To listen to the song, ‘Someday At Christmas, click on the screen immediately below –

Here, immediately below,  are the full lyrics to the song.

Continue reading →

A Call-Out for a Green Christmas from Doug Draper, reporter/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted December 23^rd, 2023

I heard a newscaster from one of the cable networks saying that at least some people around us –and maybe even you – are dreaming of one of those ‘White Christmas’s’ that Bing Crosby used to sing about.

So you say you’re dreaming of a white Christmas. Do you want to end up possibly looking like this? An image of Omar Sharif from the movie Dr. Zhivago after suffering his way through snow and ice in the frigid fields of a Russian winter.

To that I say; “Really? You’ve got to be kidding!”

The forecast for this Christmas is a green one and that has me dancing merrily away with sugar plums in my head.

For those of you dreaming of a white Christmas, try finding a copy of the movie Dr. Zhivago and fast forward it to the part where the lovesick doctor (played by Omar Sharif) is wading for what seems like days through mountains of frigid Siberian snow, with blue cheeks and icicles frozen to his beard, in search of the woman of his dreams. Continue reading →

Let’s Stand Together for a Greener, Healthier World Free of Hunger, of Homelessness, of Greed, of Hate and of War

“War Is Over If You Want It”

A Holiday Message from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted December 22^nd, 2023

Dense clouds of smoke from a record number of wildfires this 2023 assaulted the respiratory systems of people and other living beings across Canada and much of the U.S. No cost can be placed on the huge loss of forests and habitat for wildlife

It has been a rough two or three years for many of us with the pandemic and all of the illness and death and isolation and  it brought, and with this passing year’s  record number of damaging and destructive floods, wind storms, wildfires and extreme heat episodes brought to us by all of the carbon pollution overheating our planet. 

So here is a wish for warm times  and  peace  to those of us who celebrate Christmas, and for the same to all of our friends and neighbors and to everyone on this Earth  who celebrate the Holiday Season in other ways..

Yet while so many of us  gather together with our loved ones for this Holiday, so many other lives around the world are being torn apart and cut short by war.

With that in mind, I leave you with a song written many years ago by John Lennon and performed by John and Yoko. It seems to me to be a fitting song at this time.

To hear this song of hope for a better, more peaceful future, and to watch a nice video that accompanies it, please click on the screen below –

Warmest Wishes, Doug Draper, with a call-out to you to support local news and to encourage others to visit and engage in our online news and commentary on Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com or on Facebook

Our cat Luna also wishes you the best of the season although, being as cat-like as she is, she absolutely refused to wear one of those Santa hats we paid too much for in a pet store.

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

“Ford Conservatives continue to shortchange Ontarians, under-spending by billions of dollars.”           – Ontario NDP Finance critic Catherine Fife

A Statement from Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP

Posted December 22^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

As the gap between the haves and the have-nots grows, so do the number of homeless camps across Niagara and the rest of Ontario

Official Opposition NDP Finance critic Catherine Fife issued the following response to the Financial Accountability Office (FAO)’s report on the Ford government’s spending in 2023-4:

“People are struggling to get by during a cost-of-living crisis, yet the Ford Conservatives continue to shortchange Ontarians, under-spending by billions of dollars.

The government’s overall spending is $2 billion less than planned, including less-than-planned spending in vital areas like social services, education and public health. Continue reading →

“We need to reach as many people who care as possible to press for Canada to start implementing our promises (to take immediate action to address climate crisis).”      – Canada’s Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

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

Posted December 18th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Green Party of Canada Leader and long-time environmental activist Elizabeth May

A Foreword from Doug Draper , Niagara At Large – Few Canadians who have been following environmental issues over the years would question Elizabeth May’s dedication in the fight for a healthier planet.

Through her many years as a founding member of the Sierra Club of Canada and her leading role in building and promoting the environmental agenda of the federal Green Party, Elizabeth May has been an unflinching champion for environmental causes from coast to coast.

Elizabeth May is no stranger to our Niagara region either.

A number of years ago, she was keynote speaker at a well-attended fundraiser for enriching the vegetation and habitat for wildlife in Mel Swart Conservation Park along the shores of Lake Gibson in Thorold. Continue reading →

Here Is Betting You A Buck A Beer That IT COULD!

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

Posted December 20^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Despite all of the controversy and scandall he has been rolling in, Doug Ford is still flying high across Ontario, according to a recent poll

With the Greenbelt scandal controversy dogging them for most of the year, not to mention an ongoing RCMP investigation  that ensued, along with  protest after protest over the way they have been mishandling short-changing key  services like education, affordable housing and health care, you would think that Doug Ford and his Conservatives would now be circling the drain in terms of  public popularity.

Yet at least one recent survey of Ontarians, conducted for Tr provincial election was held now, Ford and company might very well pull through with a minority, and maybe even another majority government. Continue reading →

“Looking to the future, we hope that this progress on zero-emission vehicles also leads to similar ambition in reducing emissions through shifting travel to public and active transportation.” – Canadian citizen groups Environmental Defence and Équiterre

A Statement from Environmental Defence and Équiterre on Canada’s Electric Vehicle Availability Standard

Posted December 19^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario –  Environmental Defence and Équiterre applaud (Canada’s federal) Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault for finalizing Canada’s Electric Vehicle Availability Standard, which will require automakers to gradually shift to 100 per cent zero-emission vehicle (ZEV) sales by 2035.

This is a crucial policy that will help put Canada on the path to net zero emissions.

“The Electric Vehicle Availability Standard is a holiday gift to the planet. Canada will now join the ranks of leading jurisdictions such as the European Union, California, Quebec and British Columbia, in phasing out the sale of new gasoline cars at the pace required by global net zero objectives.

Continue reading →

New Electric Vehicle Availability Standard will give Canadians better access to more affordable cars and cleaner air

“Many Canadians are increasingly eager to make the switch to cleaner transportation, since it’s a win-win-win in savings, their heath, and the environment.”           – Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change

A News Release from Canada’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Posted December 19^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – Across the country, as Canadians make the switch to electric vehicles, they not only help keep our air clean, they save money on their monthly bills by driving cars that aren’t only comfortable and reliable, but cheaper to run and maintain.

Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault

To make sure people who want to make the switch have access, the Government of Canada is taking action to improve the availability of new electric vehicles across the country.

That’s why  (this December 19^th, 2023), the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced Canada has finalized its new Electric Vehicle Availability Standard to increase the supply of clean, zero-emission vehicles available to Canadians across the country.

The Standard complements additional actions underway by the federal government to develop a robust electric vehicle supply chain and infrastructure that creates good, middle-class jobs and ensures a cleaner, safer environment. Continue reading →

‘Ontario’s current blue bin recycling system is failing: only 43 per cent of non-alcoholic beverage containers are collected and recycled.’

A Statement on Recycling in Ontario from Environmental Defence Associate Director Ashley Wallis

Posted December 18^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – We are relieved to learn that The Beer Store’s successful reuse and recycling program will be preserved. The existing deposit return program keeps hundreds of millions of reusable glass beer bottles in circulation, and even more cans and plastic containers out of landfills and the environment.

The preservation of this successful program indicates that the province recognizes its value. It is only logical that it would also see the value of a complementary deposit program for non-alcoholic beverage containers.

The current blue bin recycling system is failing: only 43 per cent of non-alcoholic beverage containers are collected and recycled in Ontario.

Continue reading →

Legendary Rolling Stones guitarist Keith Richards Lives to Celebrate his 80^th Birthday. 

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted December 18^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Rolling Stones icon Keith Richards, the way he looks today.

I had a CBC television news network on this past Sunday, December 17^th when I heard one of the broadcasters say; “Keith Richards, guitarist for The Rolling Stones… and immediately I found myself thinking; “Oh no, he has died.

And why wouldn’t that be my first thought?

For us children of the 1960s, the music heroes we grew up with are now passing on at an accelerated pace.

There was Jeff Beck, guitarist extraordinaire with The Yardbards, Robbie Robertson, the guitarist and principle songwriter for The Band, and Charlie Watts, the drummer for The Rolling Stones, just to name a few who left us this year alone. Continue reading →

“As Niagara Regional Chair, I understand the concerns of our community amidst these tough financial conditions.” – Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted December 16^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

(See a brief comment by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper at the bottom of this news release.)

NIAGARA, Ontario – Niagara Region’s 2024 Budget process is now complete following last (Thursday, December 14^th) night’s Regional Council meeting. The budget continues to support and invest in the programs and services Niagara residents rely on every day.

For 2024, the portion of the General Levy to support Niagara Region operations, Niagara’s agencies, boards and commissions, including Niagara Regional Police, will increase by 3.72 per cent.

In addition to these operating costs, the 2024 General Levy is required to accommodate critical investments in, historically underfunded, infrastructure renewal throughout Niagara Region with a 1.5 per cent increase dedicated to capital project financing.

Finally, an additional 1.8 per cent increase was required to accommodate for the financial impacts of provincial policy under Bill 23, which required municipalities to provide development charge exemptions.

In total, Council approved the General Levy budget with an increase of $38.6 million in 2024 equaling a 7.02 per cent property tax increase on the Regional portion of the tax bill.

Continue reading →

(UPDATE – Since this piece was first posted in the afternoon of this December 14th, a majority on Niagara Region’s budget review committee passed a motion tabled by St. Catharines Regional Councillor Laura Ip to not to increase transit fares for riders through the coming year. No additonal funding was approved for better building Niagara’s transit service however. so the views expressed below still stand – Doug Draper) 

“Public transit is vital to communities around the world by providing a fast, affordable and efficient way to get around.”                                                – National Research Council of Canada

“Public transit can increase social equity in our society. … By eliminating the need to own a car, public transit allows people living on lower incomes to direct more of their earnings to essentials such as food, clothing and rent.”                                                                                                           – Canadian Health Association for Sustainability & Equity

“If our buses carry more people and directly reduce their own tailpipe emissions, transit’s ability to be part of the climate solution only grows.”                                                    – The Canadian Urban Transit Association

“The most powerful tool urban policymakers have to address catastrophic climate change is the humble city bus.”                                                                                                       – The Canadian Centre For Policy Alternatives

A Call-Out to All Niagara residents from Doug Draper, reporter/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted December 14th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

This coming January 1^st, 2024 marks the first anniversary of the launch of a new consolidated transit system in Niagara, marking the end of a patchwork of local transit services that fell short of encouraging more people in our region to opt for a bus rather than a car to take them to where they want to go.

For long-time transit supporters in Niagara, the January 1^st launch spelled hope that the decades of nickel and diming transit services in this region would finally be over. Continue reading →

“Red Light Cameras have a proven history of improving intersection safety through a reduction in the frequency and severity of collisions. They are particularly effective in reducing right-angle collisions, which more commonly result in injuries, fatalities, and high societal costs.”- Niagara Region

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted December 13^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

A red traffic signal with a sky blue background

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region is starting a Red Light Camera program beginning late January 2024. The Red Light Camera program will issue tickets to drivers who run red lights.

Earlier this year Regional Council approved the use of Red Light Cameras at 10 signalized intersections throughout Niagara. Red Light Cameras have a proven history of improving intersection safety through a reduction in the frequency and severity of collisions. They are particularly effective in reducing right-angle collisions, which more commonly result in injuries, fatalities, and high societal costs. Continue reading →

Ford Is  Refusing To Show Leadership At A Critical Time

“A year of drastic climate events, including some of the worst forest fires we have ever seen in our province should have been a wake-up call for the Conservatives to take real climate leadership.”                                                – Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP

Posted  December 12^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition NDP, joined Peter Tabuns (Toronto—Danforth), the critic for Energy and Climate Action, to call on Ontario’s Conservative government for clear climate action as the international community wraps up COP28, the 2023 United Nations Climate Change conference.

“A year of drastic climate events, including some of the worst forest fires we have ever seen in our province should have been a wake-up call for the Conservatives to take real climate leadership and lead with a plan that actually reduces emissions at a scale that meets global targets,” said Stiles.

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

“Ontario can and should be a leader on green energy strategies—not just in Canada but globally. We have the opportunity and resources to show leadership, but this government chooses to ignore reality and refuses to implement our practical solutions.”

Tabuns sounded the alarm about Ontario falling behind on meeting its own climate targets. Continue reading →

Ford and Company Are Now Hoping For Another Legal Win Over Their Equally Controversial Plans to Build a New Super Highway Thru Ontario’s Greenbelt

A News  Release from Ontario’s Ford Government

Posted December 11^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

But First, A Brief Foreword by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large –

A mid-20th Century Neanderthal’s Vision of Ontario’s future, with less than a wit of concern for the climate crises or the value of food-growing lands and a healthy ecosystem.

Short of throwing Doug Ford and his Conservative Party minions out of office in the next provincial election, there doesn’t seem to be any end to this Ford government’s drive to deconstruct and privatize iconic public places like Ontario Place, and to take us back to the 1950s with unbridled urban sprawl and   more construction of super highways to accomodate ever more cars.

As has already been shown through the controversy over Ford and his gang attempting to carve up our Greenbelt for developers, there are large numbers of residents across the province – both rural and urban – who want to see our precious green lands protected for present and future generations.

There are also many who want to save the Ontario Place generations of people have enjoyed now for the last 50 or so years. Continue reading →

‘Public transportation needs to be seen as a critical public good that must be supported by (Niagara’s)Regional Council.’

Niagara resident and environmental activist Liz Benneian

A Call-Out for Building Niagara’s Public Transit System from Liz Benneian, Executive Director and Manager, of Environmental Education Ontariogreen and leading member of the citizens’ coalition Biodiversity and Climate Acton- Niagara

Posted December 11^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Service cuts and fare increases were not what was envisioned for the Niagara community when the Region of Niagara amalgamated transit into a regional service.

However, that’s what current and future transit riders can expect now that Regional Council has asked the Niagara Region Transit Commission (NTC) to cut their proposed budget for a third time.

The NTC staff recommended a 10 per cent increase. This increase was meant to cover the takeover of responsibilities such as snow removal from bus stops formerly undertaken by Local Area Municipalities (LAMs) as well as inherited capital funding applications, and already in progress projects that had to be completed — costs which were not fully accounted for when the LAM’s transit operating budgets were consolidated to create the NTC’s first-year operating budget. Continue reading →

A News Release from Canada’s Ministry of Environment and Climate Change

Posted December 7^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

“We are moving forward on our commitment to introduce an ambitious and achievable pollution cap on oil and gas sector emissions. The pollution cap will ensure Canada’s oil and gas sector does its part to reduce emissions and it will enhance the sector’s competitiveness in the rapidly decarbonizing global economy – Steven Guilbeault, Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change

Federal Environment and Climate Change Minister Steven Guilbeault

Ottawa, Ontario – Canadians are making decisions and choices today that will profoundly impact the world we leave to our children and grandchildren.

Climate action pays immediate dividends in good jobs and cleaner air and water, but it also opens up more opportunities for the generations that will follow. Every sector of the economy has a part to play in cutting pollution, particularly the oil and gas sector—one of a few where greenhouse gas pollution levels continue to increase.

This December 7^th, 2023, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, and the Honourable Jonathan Wilkinson, Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, introduced Canada’s draft framework to cap pollution from the oil and gas sector to reduce emissions and remain competitive in a shifting global market. Continue reading →

In the absence of adapting  public infrastructure to more frequent and intense climate hazards, the costs of maintaining to  are projected to add $4.1 billion per year on average over the century.

A News Release from the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario

Posted December 7^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO, Ontario – This past November 22^nd  the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario (FAO) released its final report in the Costing Climate Change Impacts to Public Infrastructure (CIPI) series. This report projects the budgetary impacts of extreme rainfall, extreme heat and freeze-thaw cycles on public infrastructure in Ontario.

Much of Ontario’s public infrastructure was designed based on historical climate data, and the climate is changing, leaving the $708 billion portfolio vulnerable to climate hazards.

In the absence of adaptation, more frequent and intense climate hazards are projected to add $4.1 billion per year on average over the century to the cost of maintaining existing public infrastructure in a medium emissions scenario. Continue reading →

“In our 2023 annual audit, we found that the government did not follow the Environmental Bill of Rights, 1993 (EBR Act) when it made sweeping changes to the Province’s land use and housing framework and removed lands from the Greenbelt.”

A News Release from the Office of the Ontario Auditor General

Posted December 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO –  The government made significant changes to energy, land-use planning and housing policies without meaningful consultation, undermining Ontarians’ ability to participate in decisions that can impact the environment, Acting Auditor General Nick Stavropoulos said this December 6th, 2023.

 “We have seen some improvements over the past five years, but ministries must do more to ensure members of the public can effectively exercise their right to participate in environmentally significant decisions.” Continue reading →

An Urgent Message To The World From The United Nations

Posted December 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

With global temperatures hitting record highs, and extreme weather events affecting people around the globe, this year’s UN climate change conference, COP28, is a pivotal opportunity to correct course and accelerate action to tackle the climate crisis.

COP28 is where the world (gathered to take) stock of progress on the Paris Agreement – the landmark climate treaty concluded in 2015 – and chart a course of action to dramatically reduce emissions and protect lives and livelihoods.

The science is clear: to preserve a livable climate, the production of coal, oil, and gas must rapidly decline, and global renewable power capacity – including wind, solar, hydro and geothermal energy – needs to triple by 2030.

At the same time, financing for adaptation and investments in climate resilience need a quantum leap.

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

Posted December 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates whose riding includes Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the-Lake

QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls Riding) called for immediate action Tuesday following new reports (https://www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca/index.php/report-release-unprecedented-and-worsening-ontarios-local-hospital-closures-2023/) of a dramatic increase in emergency room and hospital closures over the past year, including the Fort Erie urgent care centre.

“In this year alone, there have been closures in 868 emergency departments and 316 urgent care centres in Ontario,” said Gates. “These closures have deeply affected our communities, including Fort Erie through the closures at Douglas Memorial Urgent Care Centre.”

The Ontario Health Coalition (OHC) report found that vital hospital services such as emergency departments, maternity and obstetrics, outpatient laboratories and intensive care units, have been facing repeated closures at an unprecedented rate in the past 3 years. Continue reading →

One Year On, Remembering Alice

A Brief One from  Doug Draper

Posted December 6^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

“You cannot ask for more if you are having a cat to love you unconditionally.”~ Charles Dickens

“Why be mean to cats when they treat you far better than people?”~ George Carlin

“If having a spirit/soul means being able to feel loyalty, gratitude, and love, then cats are better than a lot of humans.”~ James Herriot

Those who think cats are unfriendly, unaffectionate and aloof have never shared a home with a cat.

I will take cats over humans any day when it comes to all of the damage my species is doing to life on this planet.

Alice. ? to December 6th, 2022. Always in the hearts of the humans in my home.

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

“Better use of transit can save governments and taxpayers many of the hidden costs of urban travel, including road building, maintenance, parking, land cost, policing, accidents and environmental impacts.” – Canadian Urban Transit Association at Home – CUTA (cutaactu.ca)

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 4th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

“I find Niagara doesn’t have the culture of riding the bus. It (this lack of culture) is inbred (and) it has been that way for a long time,” said Welland Regional Councillor Leanna Villella at a meeting of Niagara Region’s budget review committee this past November 30th.

Mat Siscoe, a Regional Councillor for St. Catharines, the Niagara municipality where he also serves as mayor and where, as a city councillor, played a lead role in in bringing together transit services in St. Catharines Niagara Falls, Welland and other area municipalities in finally creating a single Regional transit system that was officially launched, this past January 2023.

St. Catharines Mayor and Niagara Regional Councillor Mat Siscoe

At the November 30th budget review meeting, Siscoe had this to say about a “transit culture” in Niagara and why he feels Niagara’s regional government needs to one and not cut transit services and hike fares for bus riders as some regional councillors appear ready to do.

“The point has been made that we don’t have a transit culture,” said Siscoe said as part of his overall defense of a budget t7.8 per cent budget increase the Niagara Regional Transit Commission recently put before the Region’s council.

“We have undercut transit in Niagara for decades,” he said, adding that Ottawa, as an example, “didn’t have a transit culture 60 years ago (but) a transit culture was created. Ottawa made the decision to fund transit appropriately (and ridership significantly improved).” Continue reading →

“In Niagara Falls, Project SHARE’s food bank served more than 11,000 people – a total of one in every eight residents. That represents a staggering 71% increase from 2022.”

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

Posted December 4^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates, whose riding also includes Niagara-on-the-Lake and Fort Erie

“We are seeing an affordability crisis in Ontario and people in my community in Niagara are accessing food banks in record numbers,” said Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates this Monday, December 4rth.

“Despite this dire situation, the Premier thinks we should be spending $650 million of hard-earned tax dollars on a private luxury spa in downtown Toronto.”

A recent report (https://feedontario.ca/research/hunger-report-2023/) from Feed Ontario revealed that more than 800,000 Ontarians used a food bank between April 2022 and March 2023 – an increase of 38% province-wide.

In Niagara Falls, Project SHARE’s food bank served more than 11,000 people – a total of one in every eight residents. That represents a staggering 71% increase from 2022. Continue reading →

Residents from hard hit communities to bring messages to Doug Ford

“Rural communities across mid-Ontario and the south are particularly hard hit, but we are also seeing closures of vital services in the largest cities of the province.” – Ontario Health Coalition

A News Release from the Ontario Health Coalition, a citizen’s group fighting for the preservation of a well-functioning public health care system in Ontario

Posted December 4^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto – Across Ontario, the frequency and severity of hospital closures is unprecedented and it’s getting worse. That’s the message of a new report from the Ontario Health Coalition that details almost a thousand closures of the most urgent of our local hospitals’ services.

The report is being released in a Tuesday, December 5^th press conference featuring residents, nurses, and a physician from the hardest hit towns and regions across Ontario. The press conference will be in front of the main legislative building at Queen’s Park. Continue reading →

“This tunnel would be the largest underwater tunnel to carry hazardous liquids in the world, crossing directly through the heart of the world’s largest surface freshwater system, the Great Lakes.”

A Statement from Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager, Environmental Defence

Posted December 4^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – We are dismayed by the Michigan Public Service Commission’s decision today to grant Enbridge a permit to construct a dangerous oil pipeline tunnel underneath the ecologically sensitive Straits of Mackinac – through the heart of the Great Lakes.

The tunnel fails to address the broader risks posed by Enbridge’s aging Line 5 pipeline and introduces new and terrifying environmental safety risks.

The Commission is disregarding warnings from independent industry experts and putting residents on both sides of the U.S.-Canada border in uncharted, dangerous territory. Continue reading →

Ten year review process must be overhauled to repair damage caused by Greenbelt scandal

“Ontario Farmland is a finite resource; continuously and strategically expanding the Greenbelt and implementing protections for all farmland in Ontario will guarantee that future generations have secure access to local food.”        – Max Hansgen, President, National Farmers Union (Canada)

A News Release from ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE, a not-for-profit citizens group advocating for the protection and preservation of our natural heritage

Posted December 1^st. 2023 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – Nineteen of Ontario’s leading environmental and farm organizations are calling for significant changes to the Greenbelt Statute Law Amendment Act, 2023 – legislation introduced by the Ontario government last month in hopes of beginning to extract itself from the Greenbelt scandal.

In its current form, the draft legislation would restore Greenbelt protection to the fifteen key areas of farmland and natural heritage the government stripped of protection in December 2022.

The green areas on this map, including those in Niagara, mark the Greenbelt. I

However, the group of organizations, which include Environmental Defence, the National Farmers Union and the Grand River Environmental Alliance, have warned the government that the changes proposed fall far short of making good on Premier Doug Ford’s September 21st promise that Ontario will never again remove land from the Greenbelt. Continue reading →

Port Colborne Regional Councillor is Right to Demand Contents of a 2019 Ford government report on municipal governance and what it may have to say about our region’s future

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

Posted  November 30th, 2023

“What we have here is a failure to communicate.”

That often-quoted line from the 1967 Paul Newman film ‘Cool Hand Luke’ certainly applies to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Conservative government and all the many fast ones they have pulled on we, the people, going back to the first days they were sworn in to office in June of 2018.

The fast ones began with Ford and company taking a butcher’s axe to Toronto’s city council, literally cutting the number of council members in half.

They continued with gutting a “basic income” program launched by the previous provincial Liberal government for helping low-income people rise above poverty, the closing of Ontario’s Environmental Ombudsman’s Office and weakening of tools the NPCA and other Conservation Authorities can use to protect our natural resources, and tearing up dozens of contracts with private and public sector parties to move from sources of dirty, polluting energy to green, renewable energy sources. Continue reading →

‘Twenty-two of Canada’s largest environmental and conservation organizations form the Green Budget Coalition… have more than a million members and supporters, and decades of experience solving Canada’s biggest environmental challenges.’

News from the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) and 22 group member Green Budget Coalition

Posted November 30^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada  – The impacts of the worsening climate and biodiversity crises continue to be felt across Canada and around the world.

With (the federal government’s recent)fall economic statement and the UN climate COP28 starting this November 30th, the Green Budget Coalition today released a comprehensive set of fiscal recommendations for how the federal government can simultaneously address these linked climate and biodiversity crises, while strengthening Canada’s economy and improving affordability and quality of life for people in Canada.

“We’re highlighting the most effective and urgent federal investment opportunities for climate, nature, jobs, and affordability,” said Will Bulmer, Green Budget Coalition Co-Chair and Lead Specialist, Government Relations at WWF-Canada, on releasing the Coalition’s Recommendations for Budget 2024.

“On nature, Canada’s international commitments announced at COP15 in Montréal need to be followed by leadership and long-term funding. On climate, Budget 2022 noted that $125-140 billion needs to be invested annually, from all sources, to attain net-zero emissions by 2050. While we face challenging economic times, investing in nature and climate now will save us more by avoiding future costs.” Continue reading →

MPP Jennie Stevens’ motion is supported by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists’ of Canada, Coalition of YWCAs, Ontario Association of Interval Transition Houses, Planned Parenthood and many more organizations. 

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

Posted November 30^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large 

St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

QUEEN’S PARK – MPP Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines) will keep up the fight for universal contraception after Ford’s Conservatives voted it down today.

 “It’s outrageous that Ford’s Conservatives voted against giving Ontarians universal contraception today,” said Marit Stiles, Leader of the Official Opposition. “This is a common sense measure to lower barriers to accessing vital health care for so many, and a clear way to help lower costs amidst an affordability crisis.”

 “It’s been a real honour to work with the advocates and organizations who are working tirelessly to bring universal contraception to Ontario,” said Stevens. “Hearing their voices and their stories has been so meaningful – and I’m determined to keep fighting alongside them until we make this a reality.”  Continue reading →

“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”- Jane Goodall

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper, reporter/publisher, Niagara At Large followed by a recent interview with Jane Goodall that I urge you to watch and hear

Posted October 25^th, 2023

With all of the chaos, carnage and lack of principled action on the part of our political leaders now swirling around us, it is good to know that there are still some heroes in this world.

One of them is Jane Goodall, one of the world’s foremost experts on on chimpanzee behavior and how it relates to humans, and a dedicated advocate for protecting wildlife  and our environment.

At age 89, Goodall is still fighting the good fight for out earth like few others more than half her age.

Not so long ago she was interviewed for CBC’s The National and the result were words of concern, of wisdom and of inspiration, not to mention a call to action to save what we have left of this world’s precious, life-sustaining resources.

I urge you to take a little time to hear and watch that interview by clicking on the screen immediately below –

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJAKIGDOitc

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

‘Miracle will be popping-up at The Old Stone Inn Boutique Hotel, 6080 Fallsview Blvd, Niagara Falls (on Thursday, December 14th)! Enjoy the gorgeous wintry setting with kitschy holiday décor, seasonal spirits festive cocktails, and all your favourite Holiday songs.’

An Invite  from Pride Niagara

Posted November 29^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario –Miracle is a Christmas-themed pop-up cocktail bar that serves holiday cocktails in a festive setting. With kitschy holiday décor, professionally developed cocktails and the nostalgic energy of the best office party you’ve ever been to, Miracle is sure to get even the grouchiest grinch in the holiday spirit.

The concept was born in 2014 when upon the advice of his mother, owner Greg Boehm decided to halt construction of what was to be his new East Village cocktail bar called Mace and transformed the unfinished space into a pop-up bar serving holiday-themed drinks among over-the-top Christmas decorations. As crowds swarmed the NYC location, Boehm’s friends throughout the bar industry asked how they could recreate the holiday magic on their own turf and expansion became inevitable. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted November 28^th, 2023

On this day of her memorial service and funeral, how sad it is to say a final farewell to former U.S. First Lady and humanitarian Rosalynn Carter.

She and her husband Jimmy Carter are among the most decent, honest and down-to-earth President and First Lady who ever inhabited the White House.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter in Niagara Falls, Ontario, in summer of 1996. file photo, Niagara Falls Public Library

They visited Niagara, Ontario about two and a half decades ago and everyone I talked to who met them said they were beautiful people who would start anyconversation with locals by saying; “Just call us Jimmy and Rosalynn.’

Not surprising for a couple who were living in affordable housing during Jimmy Carter’s presidential run and who forbade the playing of ‘Hail to the Chief’ while they were in the White House.

They had solar panels placed on the roof of the White House however and were the the first President and First Lady to raise warnings about climate change. And that was back in the mid-to-late 1970s!

Compare that to the sorry likes of the Reagans and Trumps.

If you missed the memorial service and care to watch it, you can catch it all here by clicking on the screen 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

“A government that is serious about lowering electricity bills will help people in this province adopt these money saving solutions. One that doesn’t take climate change seriously and is under the thumb of big fossil fuel interests, will not.” – Ontario Clean Air Alliance 

A Call-Out  from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a citizens group advocating for clean, carbon-free sources of energy 

Posted November 28^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large 

Peak power demand management or gas plants?

Technologies like heat pumps and electric vehicles are taking off. That’s good news for our climate but concerns have been raised about the impact of this trend on electricity supplies. 

There’s no question that here in Ontario the Ford Government has been caught flat footed by the pace of these changes, which are rapidly accelerating despite the government eliminating incentives for EVs and slashing energy efficiency program budgets. The government has instead used growth in electricity demand driven by electrification as one of its rationales for massively  expanding the use of polluting gas-fired power plants [https://www.cleanairalliance.org/campaigns/gas/], claiming the province has no other options. Continue reading →

News from the not-for-profit group Elephantics Canada

Posted November 28^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from Doug Draper, journalist, Niagara At Large –

The continued slaughtering by poachers of such magnificent animals as Elephants, Rhinos and Tigers – simply because some creeps among our species want their body parts – should, in my view, be treated by Canada and other countries around this world as crimes on par with the deliberate murder of humans.

Poachers and their so-called customers should face maximum  hard time in prison.

Short of tracking down these people, who obviously couldn’t give a damn if these great animals go extinct, .and punishing them to the fullest extent of  the law, what are we going to say to our children and grandchildren, and how will they view us, when the last elephant on this earth we all share is gone.

So it is very good news that Canada’s federal government has finally done what it should have a long time ago – put a ban on the trafficking of  elephant ivory and rhino horns in this country. Let’s now hope and press the government if we have to, to actively enforce this ban.

Now here, immediately below  is the news release from Elephanatics.)

Elephanatics is Ecstatic to Announce:

After eight long years of advocating for a domestic ban on elephant ivory and rhino horn in Canada, regulations have been enacted by the Canadian Government to ban the elephant ivory and rhino horn trade, along with the import of hunting trophies containing these parts. We couldn’t be happier to deliver this news to all our followers and supporters who have been our backbone and inspiration to carry on and get this job done! It took a lot of courage, but – We did it!

Firstly – A HUGE shout out to us – ‘Team Elephanatics’ – who created the #IvoryFreeCanada campaign and were joined by Humane Society International Canada, Rhino and Elephant Defenders, World Elephant Day and the Jane Goodall Institute of Canada, to form the Ivory Free Canada coalition. Together, we have been relentless in our mission to get this ban passed!

Black Rhino (Diceros Bicornis).
Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.
WWF Kenya, working alongside Kenya Wildlife Service and Narok County Government, place transmitters on 40 Black Rhino (Diceros Bicornis) to monitor their movements and enhance their protection.

And secondly, an even bigger thanks to all the scientists, NGOs, politicians, the Ivory Free Canada coalition, volunteers, friends, family, educators, journalists, and people who worked tirelessly to make this happen. From the petition, started by the Ivory Free Canada coalition, that reached over 700,000 signatures that showed overwhelming support by citizens to save elephants and rhinos; to endless advocacy; to the collaboration of like minds working together to save a species, the end result has been a success. It took a village and a community dedicated to the cause of making the world a better place for elephants to get this done and we should all be stupendously proud of our efforts!

Who would have ever guessed that a small group of committed and disciplined people, who advocated for the betterment of elephants, could evoke such integrity and inspiration from like-minded partners, and see their dream come to fruition. We are humbled and grateful.

With deepest respect, thanks, and love, to everyone who was part of this enormous endeavour.

Fran Duthie, President Elephanatics Canada

About Elehantics Canada – Elephanatics was formed in May 2012 – incorporated in 2015. We are an elephant advocacy organization residing in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada!

Our mission is to help the long-term survival of African elephants by raising and disseminating information about their ecology and conservation in the face of the recent resurgence of continental-wide ivory poaching in Africa. We educate Canadians about issues of ivory poaching, habitat loss, human-elephant co-existence, the importance of the elephant as a keystone species and connect Canadians directly with elephant conservation partners in Africa.

For more from this advocacy group, click on – Elephanatics – Elephanatics

To watch a video on this topic from another great organization, the World Wildlife Fund –

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 Statement from Ontario’s Official Opposition (NDP) Party

Posted November 28^th, 2023 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPPs issued the following response to a Feed Ontario report (https://globalnews.ca/news/10116705/ontario-food-banks-report/) that tracked a 38 per cent increase in food bank usage since last year – the single largest increase they’ve ever recorded:

Food to be given as donations, stored at a food bank in Columbus, Ohio, U.S. December 6, 2021. REUTERS/Gaelen Morse

“This increase in food bank use is staggering and should be ringing alarm bells in Ford’s office,” said MPP Bhutila Karpoche (Parkdale—High Park), Official Opposition critic for Affordability. “When people with full time job are relying on food banks, you have to ask who this government is really working for. Ford has the power to strengthen social safety nets and help make life more affordable, but he’s completely abdicated his responsibility.” Continue reading →