Author Archives: dougdraper

Hosted by the Niagara District Council of Women on Wednesday, February 13th at 8 p.m. in St. Catharines     – See Details Below

Posted February 7th, 2019 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 reminder that we only post comments by individuals who also share their first and last names.

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

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

“Niagara has a fascinating earth history that has created so many beautiful sites, culminating in Niagara Falls. And this brand allows us to showcase those sites as well as the history and culture that has developed around them.” – Carol Phillips, Research Co-ordinator with the Niagara Community Observatory

Carol Phillips, Research Co-ordinator with the Niagara Community Observatory, presents a brief she wrote about the possibility of Niagara becoming a UNESCO Global Geopark. Photo courtesy of Brock University

News from Brock University’s Niagara Community Observatory

Posted February 7^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – With the mighty cataracts, vineyards producing critically acclaimed wines and vast networks of bicycle paths, tourists coming to Niagara have many options of what to see and experience. There’s also a world of rocks, canyons, waterfalls and other land features that even many locals don’t know about.

Niagara’s unique, rich geology — and the economic and cultural activities connected to these features — might be better known if Niagara region was to become a UNESCO Global Geopark, says new research from Brock University’s Niagara Community Observatory (NCO). Continue reading →

News from Ontario’s “Government for the People”

Posted February 5^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword Note from NAL reporter and publisher               Doug Draper –

Ford government picks fellow Tory traveller Sandie Bellows to chair board of Ontario’s time-honoured Niagara Parks Commission

This news should come as no real surprised for those who have been following rumours for months now that Ontario’s Ford Government would begin to appoint Tory partisans to positions on a Niagara Parks Commission (NPC)  that has been under the jurisdiction of the province since it was founded more than a century ago.

So it is no surprise that Sandie Bellows, who ran as a Ford candidate in St. Catharines  last June’s provincial elections, and received an appointment from the Ford government as a member on the Parks Commission board weeks before she won a seat in St. Catharines on Niagara’s Regional Council, has now been appointed as chair of the NPC’s board, replacing Janice Thomson, a Niagara-on-the-Lake resident who held the position for seven years.

It will be interesting to see who else gets appointed to positions on the NPC in the days and weeks ahead. We’ll be watching.

Now here is the Ford government’s news release on Bellows’ appointment – 

The Honourable Michael Tibollo, Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport, has announced the appointment of Sandie Bellows as the new Chair of the Niagara Parks Commission. She will begin her four-year term immediately. Continue reading →

“We are already working together as Team Niagara to be open for business and attract investment, jobs, and economic development.” – from a Statement released this February 4^th from Niagara, Ontario’s 12 mayors

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

Posted February 5^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The mayors of Niagara’s 12 local municipalities released a statement this February 4^th about the Ontario Ford government’s recently announced review of municipal governance in Niagara and several other regions of the province – a statement that seems more interesting for what it doesn’t say than for what it does.

Ontario’s Doug Ford (right) has picked up where his Tory predecessor Mike Harris left off with the municipal amalgamation bandwagon. Now Niagara’s 12 mayors have released a statement on Ford’s “governance review.”

The Niagara mayors’ statement – posted immediately below in full – expresses support for the Ford government’s call for “improved governance” and they pledge to work together with the provincial government to find “improvement in the way Niagara works.”

They go on to talk about “working together as Team Niagara” to attract more “investment, jobs and economic growth.” Continue reading →

See the Award-Winning Follow the North Star exhibit at the St. Catharines Museum this Black History Month – February 2019

“On behalf of the Government of Canada, I invite all Canadians to take part in community events for Black History Month and learn more about the important role that Black Canadians have played – and continue to play – to strengthen the country we all call home.” – from a Statement on Black History Month from Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

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

Posted February 5^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A statue of the great heroine of the Underground Railroad and one time St. Catharines resident Harriet Tubman, standing at a public school named after her in St. Catharines, Ontario

Niagara, Ontario – The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is celebrating Black History Month in February with special guided tours of its award-winning Follow the North Star exhibit.

Museum visitors are invited to learn more about local Black History at the St. Catharines Museum with special guided tours every Thursday this month (Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28) at 10:30 a.m. and select Saturdays (Feb. 9, 23) at 10:30 a.m.

  “Everyone is invited to explore the Follow the North Star exhibit and discover the rich legacy of Niagara’s African-Canadians,” said Kathleen Powell, curator of the St. Catharines Museum. “The special guided tours tell the stories of the city’s first African-Canadian settlers, such as Harriet Tubman, St. Catharines’ role in the Underground Railroad, and more.”

Follow the North Star is a permanent exhibit at the museum and recognizes the contributions of local Black Canadians to St. Catharines, Niagara, and Canada. Black History Month is celebrated across the country every February and offers the opportunity for everyone to learn about these stories and the many important contributions of Black Canadians. Continue reading →

• On Wednesday, February 20^th at 7 p.m. at the Holy Rosary Hall in Thorold, Ontario

An Invite to All from the Thorold Garden Club

Posted February 5^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

It’s the time of the year when we start planning our gardens. 

We choose the fruits and vegetables we want to grow for food and the flowers that will add beauty to our lives. 

None of this will happen if we don’t have bees to pollonate the plants.  The bee population is diminishing rapidly. 

Communities are taking action by becoming “Bee Cities” and educational institutions are becoming “Bee Schools”.

A Bee City is part of a North American movement to support pollinator protection. Continue reading →

D’Angelo Reportedly Quit the CAO Job Late This January and –Believe It Or Not – Has Filed a Lawsuit Against the Region for “Constructive Dismissal”

A Brief One by Doug Draper

Posted February 4^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region’s embattled CAO Carmen D’Angenlo, who has reportedly been off on medical leave since late last year, has now quit his job and is suiing the Region.

According to at least two news reports, members of Niagara’s Regional Council received an email this February 4^th that the Region’s besieged CAO Carmen D’Angelo, who has been off on medical leave from his $230,000-plus benefits job for more than a month now, quit the job late this January.

D’Angelo, who has been a subject of growing evidence reported to the media over the past year that he received unfair advantages in getting the job in the first place, then had his contract for the position extended by former Regional Chair Al Caslin and others without the knowledge and approval of the Region’s council and the public that ultimately pays him, has also filed a lawsuit against the Region, claiming constructive dismissal.

Al Caslin, then Niagara Region’s Chair, sits to the left of then CAO Carmen D’Angelo at a Regional Council meeting more than a year ago. In last October’s municipal elections, Caslin polled almost last in a field of more than 20 candidates running for a seat on the Region’s council in St. Catharines. Former St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley polled first and is now the Region’s Chair.

Generally speaking, constructive dismissal involves circumstances where an employee feels that have little or no choice but to leave or quit their job, not because they want to, but because of the conduct of an employer.

All of this – D’Angelo going on medical leave, then quitting and suing the Region – has taken place while the Region’s new council and the public at large awaits the findings of an investigation into the circumstances around D’Angelo’s hiring and contract extension that was launched last year by Ontario’s Ombudsman. Continue reading →

Always Remember, There Are Good People Among Us, Working To Make Our World A Better Place

A Brief Message from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher             Doug Draper

Jane Goodall, as I remember her during my first years at Brock University in the 1970s

Posted February 4th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

“Whatever we believe about how we got to be the extraordinary creatures we are today is far less important than bringing our intellect to bear on how do we get together now around the world and get out of the mess that we’ve made. That’s the key thing now. Never mind how we got to be who we are.”                                                                                                 – Jane Goodall, primatologist, anthropologist, environmentalist and all-round humanitarian

This time of year, when the winter blues set in, I sometimes find myself feeling even more down over news about people in other regions of the world, and even some in our own backyard, who are saying and doing things that self-serving, dishonest, hurtful and sometimes even dangerous and destructive.

With a friend.

Whenever I catch myself feeling a little too down about all of the bad out there, it is always good for the psyche and soul to remind myself or to be reminded by others that there are also a lot of good people out there, doing good things.

Feeling in the dumps late this January about everything from Donald Trump and Doug Ford, to all of the garbage still going on at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, such a reminder came for me when I turned on CNN and Fareed Zakaria, one of the very best hosts of a program on that cable TV network, was interviewing one of my heroes going back to my school days in the 1970s – the oh so wonderful Jane Goodall.

As she has for more than 50 years now, Jane Goodall, at age 84, is still touring country after country, encouraging anyone who will listen to find peace and harmony with our planet and all the creatures living in it while we still have time to pass on a world that is worth living in to future generations.

Her words and her passion are truly uplifting, and if you don’t believe that getting a little exposure to a person like Jane Goodall can inspire you to feel a little better about the state of the world we live in, click on the screen link below –https://www.cnn.com/videos/tv/2019/01/27/exp-gps-0127-jane-goodall-full-interview.cnn

Living examples of people like Jane Goodall can and should inspire each and every one of us, however average or ordinary we think we are, to do extraordinary things for the good of our community and our world, and for all of the humans and non-humans we are fortunate enough to have a few brief moments sharing what may be the one and only oasis for life in the universe.

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space following the Bernie Sanders quote below.

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

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

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

“Why wouldn’t you publish (them) anyway, just to have our own sunshine in the Niagara region?” – Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley to “Acting CAO” David Barrick at the Region’s January 31st, 2019 budget review committee meeting

A Brief Report by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper (with more to come later)

Posted February 1^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

NPCA’s “acting CAO” David Barrick visits Niagara Region meeting over Conservation Authority’s budget

David Barrick, allegedly serving as the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s interim or acting chief administrative officer (CAO), told members of Niagara Region’s budget review committee this January 31st that the NPCA did not report salaries and benefits higher above $100,000 per year for Ontario’s ‘Sunshine List’ last year because Conservation Authorities in the province don’t have to.

Yet a fast look at the province’s 2018 Sunshine list reveals that at least 10 of the 35 other Conservation Authorities in Ontario, are on the list, posting information for members of their staff earning annual salaries and benefits of $100,000 or more.

Among the Conservation Authorities on the list are those for Lakehead Region, Essex Region, Halton Region, Otonabee Region and more. Continue reading →

Ontario Health Coalition tours new report across province comes to Niagara this coming Tuesday, February 5th

An Invite to All of Us from the Ontario Health Coalition and its regional chapter, the Niagara Health Coalition

Posted February 1st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Ontario Health Coalition is touring a new report, Situation Critical, in St. Catharines on Tuesday, February 5.

Situation Critical is a new report that examines government data to reveal the current shocking state of long-term care in Ontario.

Among all the data that the Ontario Health Coalition has collected on long wait lists, inequities, staffing shortages, and medical needs is a statistic that over the last 5 years measured there were 27 homicides.

It is part of a rising tide of violence among residents of long-term care facilities.

Why is this happening?

This Ontario Health Coalition report bases its assessment of the current state of long-term care in Ontario and what the needs of our population of seniors are from available data from the long-term care industry and the Ontario government. Continue reading →

Niagara Activist Emily Spanton Wins Some Justice in France

A Brief One from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted February 1^st, 2019

Emily Spanton

St. Catharines resident Emily Spanton said in a courtroom in Paris, France this January while two French police officers, accused of raping her while she was visiting the country as a tourist in 2014, were found guilty and sentenced to seven years in prison.

Emily ran, but fell short of winning a seat on Niagara Regional Council in last October’s municipal elections in a field of more than 20 candidates in St. Catharines vying for six seats on the Region’s Council.

She is a passionate citizen activist in the region, joining many other citizens across Niagara who has been fighting to save Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, pressing to get what is supposed to be our Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority back to focusing on protecting and conserving our environment first again, and for more transparency and accountability in municipal government. Continue reading →

But Has Very Little Say In How That Money – OUR  TAX MONEY – Is Being Spent, So We Are Being Told

By Doug Draper

Posted January 31, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Here’s a bit of a quiz for you?

NPCA’s “acting CAO” David Barrick visits Niagara Region meeting over Conservation Authority’s budget

Name a public body that gets to bill our Niagara regional government for more than eight and a half million dollars annually of our municipal tax money to cover most of its budget, yet doesn’t have to get a lick of approval from our Region’s council for its budget?

It doesn’t even have to offer our regional councillors much in the way of details on how that money is being spent.

Wouldn’t you know it? That body is oh so infamous Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA).

And this January 31^st, the NPCA’s alleged acting CAO, David Barrick, appeared before the Region’s budget review committee to outline what the Conservation Authority has chosen to let our duly elected regional councillors know, and to avoid disclosing details requested by councillors on some of the rest. Continue reading →

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted January 31^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Along the winding river that cuts through the heart of St. Catharines lie keys to the Garden City’s maritime past, relics of a glorious industrial era still evident today.

The Shickluna Shipyard operated from 1838 to 1891 along St. Catharines’ Twelve Mile Creek.

A research team led by Brock University archaeologist and maritime historian Kimberly Monk aims to uncover an abandoned shipyard built by a Maltese immigrant in the 19th century, along with workers’ cottages and even the hull of a ship. Continue reading →

“I just got back from travelling the province … and I heard over and over again that people are fearful about more cuts to come under Ford to things that people count on — like education and health care.” – Ontario NDP Finance critic Sandy Shaw

A Message from Ontario’s New Democratic and Official Opposition Party

Posted January 31^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — Sandy Shaw, Ontario NDP Finance critic, released the following statement in response to the release of the Ontario’s Financial Accountability Office (FAO) report, Income in Ontario: Growth, Distribution and Mobility:

“Today’s report from the FAO shows what many Ontario families already know: That everyday Ontarians are worse off today than they were 20 years ago. Continue reading →

It was groups of dedicated citizens, along with a handful of politicians across this Niagara region that fought for so long to get our Conservation Authority back. The board could respect their efforts by taking some urgent action!

A Brief Comment from one of those Niagara dedicated citizens, Robert Milenkoff, with a Forward from Niagara At Large reporter Doug Draper

Posted January 30^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

From Doug Draper –

Welland resident Robert Milenkoff, at left, during one of many citizens rallies outside of NPCA board meetings over the past three years. File photo by Doug Draper

Less than two months into their tenure as members of a new board of directors for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), they are already losing the patience of citizens who have been fighting for three or more years now to get his public body back on track.

One can understand the loss of patience.

Attend any one of the three meetings this new board has held so far and where is any sense of urgency for getting this beleaguered body back to where it was in decades gone by when dedicated people like Andy Burt, Gord Harry and Douglas Elliot had a hand in fulfilling its conservation and environmental protection mission?

Where is any passion for returning the NPCA back to what a conservation agency could and should be? Continue reading →

A Call-Out from Ontario NDP Education critic Marit Stiles

Posted January 30th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park — Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Education critic, released the following statement in response to the Ford Conservatives’ refusal to take full-day kindergarten off the chopping block:

“I’m getting calls from panicked parents after the Ford Conservatives revealed they’ve put full-day kindergarten on the chopping block. No parent should have to worry that their kids will miss out on the advantages of full-day kindergarten. 

The Liberals cramming 29 little ones into a kindergarten class was wrong, but scrapping full-day kindergarten will make things so much worse. It’s unconscionable for the Ford Conservatives to consider making our youngest students pay for their cuts. Continue reading →

The Problems at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority Demand Urgent Attention

Niagara’s Taxpayers and Natural Heritage Deserve Far Better Than What We Are Getting Here

The N,PCA’s new chair – recently elected West Lincoln Mayor Dave Bylsma –  seeks some direction from “acting NPCA CAO” David Barrick to his left, while the NPCA’s recently promoted “communications and administration director” Krystle Caputo flanks him on the right at a recent NPCA board meeting.

Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter & publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 29^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

In my view, Peter Gill is almost always spot on with the images he produces to spotlight the many messes in municipal governance that are in need of urgent redressing across this Niagara region.

However, I have a wee bit of an issue with one of the images that Gill -a retired Niagara Regional Police who unfortunately lost his bid last fall for a seat on Niagara’s Regional Council, posted on social media this January 29th.

I am re-posting the image for you here, and then I’ll tell you why –

Did you see the snail that Peter Gill pasted on the flag flying in front of the Region-owned building in Welland where the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) has its headquarters.

The problem I have with attaching a snail to that flag to depict the status of efforts to clean up the monumental mess at the NPCA is that at least snails, like sloths or turtles, move forward. Continue reading →

“Niagara College is a strong contributor to Niagara’s economic prosperity (and) we welcome the opportunities this partnership will provide for our students and look forward to working together with Lincoln to promote and foster innovation and sustainability in Niagara’s key industries.”                                          –  Niagara College President Dan Patterson

News from Niagara College and the Town of Lincoln in Niagara, Ontario

Posted January 29th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Lincoln, Ontario  – This January 28th, Niagara College and the Town of Lincoln signed a formal memorandum of understanding (MOU) that will see the municipality and college collaborate to explore, facilitate and support social and economic development. A main area of focus will be Niagara’s agri-business sector.

From left to right, Associate Dean Al Unwin, Niagara College; Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton; President Dan Patterson, Niagara College; Councillor Paul MacPherson, Town of Lincoln; CAO Michael Kirkopoulos, Town of Lincoln

The MOU was signed by Mayor Sandra Easton and Niagara College President Dan Patterson at Lincoln’s Council meeting on Jan. 28. This MOU is another opportunity for Lincoln to benefit from the expertise of the high quality post-secondary institutions here in Niagara. Continue reading →

An Event featuring Members of the Legal Team that helped win the Dave vs. Goliath case against the Monsanto corporation. Attend the Event  or Watch It on Livestream

Hosted by the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) and Friends of the Earth

Posted January 28th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper –

In a  David vs. Goliath court battle last year against one of the world’s large manufacturers of chemicals and biotechnology for agriculture, lawyers representing a  school groundskeeper in California was able to win a $289-million damages suit against Monsanto.

For the first time in any court, lawyers were able to win a ruling that one of Monsanto’s major chemical products, identified by the trade name Round Up, was responsible for groundskeeper Dewayne Johnson’s cancer. Continue reading →

One of area’s largest employers is now set to fill over 350 seasonal positions

An Invite to Job Seekers from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Re-Posted this January 28^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission, one of the region’s largest employers with over 1,700 full-time and seasonal employees, will host its annual Job Fair on Saturday, February 2 at Niagara Parks’ Legends on the Niagara Golf Complex.

The annual Job Fair allows Niagara Parks to showcase the seasonal job opportunities that exist within the Commission each year, while providing individuals with an opportunity to connect directly with various departmental hiring managers. Representatives from Niagara Parks’ Human Resources Department will also be on-hand to help answer any questions. Continue reading →

Stop Private  Clinics and Unlawful User-fees and Extra-billing of Patients. Sign an Online Petition Below

A Call-Out from the Ontario Health Coalition, a province-wide citizens network fighting to save quality public health care

Posted January 28^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Ontario Health Coalition, in partnership with the provincial and territorial health coalitions and the Canadian Health Coalition, has been working tirelessly to bring an end to the unlawful extra-billing of patients by private health clinics and stop the privatization of health care services. Continue reading →

Statement from Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

Posted January 27^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — Andrea Horwath, leader of the Ontario NDP and Leader of the Official Opposition, issued the following statement on International Holocaust Remembrance Day:

To the horror of many last year, this swastika was found sprayed on a sidewalk near an elementary school in St. Catharines/Niagara where children and their teachers and parents gathered two years earlier to celebrate the unveiling of a statue of 19th Century civil rights icon Harriet Tubman

“On International Holocaust Remembrance Day, we remember the six million Jews who were murdered in the Holocaust. We honour their memories, and pledge never to forget the horrific genocide systematically carried out against them.

This January 27th, on behalf of Ontario’s New Democrats, I re-commit to never forgetting the thriving communities destroyed, and the millions of lives senselessly snuffed out by the Nazis.

We pledge to continue the work of stamping out anti-Semitism in our own communities, and to eliminate discrimination and xenophobia in all its forms, against all peoples.”

To read story posted on Niagara At Large in February 2018 on a swastika spray painted near a St. Catharines school where a statue of civil rights heroine Harriet Tubman stands, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2018/02/02/hate-in-the-shape-of-a-swastika-finds-expression-near-a-statue-of-civil-rights-heroine-harriet-tubman-in-niagara-ontario/ .

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space following the Bernie Sanders quote below.

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

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

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

Nine Cents  – That’s Right, Just  Nine Copper Pennies Left – in the Police Budget’s Reserves!

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher            Doug Draper

Posted January 25th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Nine cents!

That’s right, only nine copper pennies left in reserves for a Niagara Regional Police Service with an annual operating budget exceeding $140 million a year.

Or since we don’t have pennies in Canada any longer, let’s round that out to one thin dime. And as the old song about being down and out on the streets of Broadway goes, “one thin dime won’t even shine your shoes.”

Nine cents was all that Niagara Regional Police (NRP) Chief Bryan MacCulloch and the new board of the Niagara Regional Police Force has found left over in a pot of reserve money – set aside for emergencies and unexpected expenses that turn up – that should hold at least few hundred thousand dollars, according to a January 25th report in The St. Catharines Standard.

Here is someone’s impression of, from left to right, then-Niagara Regional Chair, then-Port Colborne Regional Councillor David Barrick and Niagara Falls Regional Councillor Bob Gale (the only one of the three who is back again) on the last Niagara Regional Police Services board.

As outrageous as that is, it is not really all that shocking given all of the concerns raised and reports we’ve heard about voodoo economics and the reserves being raided by members of the old police board, chaired over the past four years by Niagara Falls Regional Councillor Bob Gale – all with a mind to making overall annual budget increases for NRP look good, and to achieve that much ballyhooed zero per cent increase. Continue reading →

“We are looking forward to reviewing the purposed changes to help serve Niagara Residents better. Niagara Region is committed to making service delivery and improvements as one of our top priorities” ~ Jim Bradley, Niagara Regional Chair

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 25th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region’s Waste Management Division recently completed an extensive public consultation with various stakeholders groups (residents, businesses, business groups, local area municipalities, etc.) to obtain their input on the proposed waste collection service options being considered for Niagara Region’s next waste collection contract (i.e. garbage, recycling and organics).

The results of the public consultation are now being shared with local area municipal councils, for further input, before reaching Regional Council for their review in March. Continue reading →

“Many students are struggling financially, many have left their jobs to pursue their education, and we find that they really appreciate the help they receive through this event,” – Marsha Fiorino, co-op career consultant and employer support, Niagara College’s Career Services

A News Release from Niagara College

Posted January 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara College is helping students suit up to make a positive impression on potential employers.

Dress to Impress, a free business clothing and accessories giveaway for students, will be held at the College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus on January 29 and at the Welland Campus on January 30.

Niagara College staff members Nimisha Sumathi (co-curricular recognition program coordinator, Centre for Student Engagement) and Leadership) and Marsha Fiorino (co-op career consultant and employer support, Career Services) roll up their sleeves to collect donations in the advance of the Dress to Impress clothing giveaway

Hosted by NC’s Career Services department, the event will give students the opportunity to pick up professional attire free of charge to wear for job interviews and networking events. Continue reading →

Unfortunately, It Sure Looks That Way & Niagara Deserves A Much Better Voice For Our Environment Than This.

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

Posted January 23^rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

It was just a month ago that a Superior Court Justice, James Ramsay, stated in an Ontario court in Welland that the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) was in a state of “chaos” and that circumstances inside this public agency were “intolerable” enough that new board members, appointed by Niagara’s Regional Council, needed to meet as soon as possible to address what is wrong.

Almost two months after  Niagara’s new Regional Council appointed 12 new members to the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), how much of what an Ontario Superior Court judge called “chaos” at the NPCA has the new board really addressed?

Well, thanks in no small part to efforts a citizens group called A Better Niagara made in that court,  a new board of the NPCA has now met a total of three times – much of those times behind closed doors with little to show in the way of real change.

“I have lost faith in this board,” said Liz Benneian, A Better Niagara’s executive director, when those doors were closed on the board’s third kick at fixing the NPCA can this January 23^rd.   Continue reading →

What the region needs are more housing options for renters and owners, within our cities, close to where people want to live, work and play. Not sprawling subdivisions on farmland, forests and the source of our drinking water.

From Environmental Defence, a Canada-wide organization dedicated to environmental protection

Posted January 22^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Statement from Environmental Defence’s Executive Director, Tim Gray on Ontario’s proposed changes to the Growth Plan

Toronto, Ontario – This (past January 15^th), the (Ontario) Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing posted proposed changes to the Growth Plan for public comment.

What we apparently don’t have in Ford’s Ontario is enough of this, which is not only costly in terms of lost farmland and other natural areas, but in terms of how much it costs to service lower density sprawl with roads, waterlines and other infrastructure.

These changes were proposed under the guise of helping to increase housing supply in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH), by loosening the regulations in place that encourage building within our existing town and cities, and instead favouring sprawl. Continue reading →

This Coming Sunday, January 27th  – 2 to 4 p.m. – at the Niagara Falls Military Museum

“Anti-Semitism is alive and well throughout Europe as well as Canada and the U.S. — and it is virulent and violent.”  – Elizabeth Vlossak,  Associate Professor of History and co-founder of Brock University’s History Lab

An Invite from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted January 22nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A free public event designed to educate people about the Holocaust and the larger context of the Jewish community is planned for Sunday, Jan. 27.

Brock University will host the lecture at the Niagara Falls Military Museum in observance of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

History Professor Jack Lightstone, past-President and Vice-Chancellor of Brock University, will deliver a public keynote lecture titled “The making of ‘the other’ and its social and political consequences: Lessons from the historical experience of the Jewish people.”

“The Holocaust was not simply the ‘final solution’ to the ‘Jewish question’ stemming from the minds of Nazis, but the result of 1,700 years of virulent anti-Judaic rhetoric, primarily from Christian leadership, beginning in the second century,” says Lightstone. Continue reading →

Ford’s “Government for the People” Set to Unleash Low-Density Sprawl Across The Countryside

It’s Growth at any Cost to Our Green Places in Ford’s Ontario, and the Rogues in the Development Industry are Rubbing their Hands

Another Dispatch from CATCH (Citizens at City Hall) in Hamilton

Posted January 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Does “Open For Business” have to mean paving over ever more of our natural heritage?

The provincial government has tossed another bombshell into municipal planning with the release last week of dozens of proposed changes to the rules governing how cities can grow.

These are in addition to the controversial Bill 66 changes that lets municipal councils override the Greenbelt Act, Clean Water Act and other environmental and planning legislation in order to facilitate specific development prospects.

More than one hundred amendments to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe were posted last week for 45 days of public comment. Major changes include substantially lower density requirements, reduced protection of agricultural lands, and removal of social justice and climate change objectives from the plan.

Is Ontario’s Ford government opening the door to more of this kind of business like what was done at this wild and wonderful place – Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls – this past fall. File Photo by Emily Spanton

 A Queen’s Park media release announcing the changes says “Ontario’s government for the people wants to speed up development and increase the supply of housing”.

Continue reading →

How Climate Change is Affecting Ice on Lake Superior

By Lianna Lopez,  York University for the Canada/U.S. International Joint Commission

From the International Joint Commission’s newsletter Great Lakes Connection

Posted January 21st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Changes in lake ice tell a story about a region’s climate. The time when lake ice freezes and breaks is highly sensitive to changes in climate, along with how long that ice remains intact.

The timing of these events is affected by fall, spring and winter air temperature but also can be influenced by snowfall, rain, wind strength and incoming sunlight. In particular, Lake Superior’s rich ice history has been a subject of interest, motivating researchers to look back several decades to detect patterns in the climate.

Ice on Superior in Duluth, Minnesota. Credit: Sharon Mollerus

Due to the size of Lake Superior, ice research has generally been conducted at a specific location or focused on the extent of ice formed over the lake surface area. A specific lookout point in Bayfield, Wisconsin has consistently kept records since 1858 of the day lake ice broke each spring. Continue reading →

One of area’s largest employers is now set to fill over 350 seasonal positions

An Invite to Job Seekers from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

January 20^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission, one of the region’s largest employers with over 1,700 full-time and seasonal employees, will host its annual Job Fair on Saturday, February 2 at Niagara Parks’ Legends on the Niagara Golf Complex.

The annual Job Fair allows Niagara Parks to showcase the seasonal job opportunities that exist within the Commission each year, while providing individuals with an opportunity to connect directly with various departmental hiring managers. Representatives from Niagara Parks’ Human Resources Department will also be on-hand to help answer any questions. Continue reading →

Ontario NDP wants to see details on Ford government’s     Ontario Student Assistant Plan changes

“Reports reveal that the Ford government is not going to fund a two-year tuition freeze it’s imposing, forcing colleges and universities to accept what is estimated to be a $250-million revenue loss.”

A Message from Ontario’s NDP and Official Opposition Party

Posted January 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park — Ontario NDP Colleges and Universities critic Chris Glover released the following statement regarding news that tuition will drop for 2019-2020, and be frozen for 2020-2021:

“Doug Ford’s … tuition announcement is going to turn out to be a smoke and mirrors exercise. Ontario’s college and university students know that they are not going to benefit from a Doug Ford government.

Reports reveal that the Ford government is not going to fund a two-year tuition freeze it’s imposing, forcing colleges and universities to accept what is estimated to be a $250-million revenue loss. That means cancelled courses, larger class sizes and laid-off faculty. Students will likely pay for the freeze with two years of a lower quality education — followed by skyrocketing tuition in 2021 to make up for the shortfall.

Ontario already has the lowest per-student funding in Canada, the highest levels of student debt, the largest class sizes and the most precariously employed professors.  

We are also growing deeply concerned that Ontario Student Assistant Plan (OSAP) grants will be cut by Ford, hurting low and middle income students. Students counting on OSAP to give them a shot at university or college know that OSAP needs to be improved, not hacked apart.

The NDP has proposed a new system that would see provincial student loans converted to grants. That would means schools and students would both win, and new graduates wouldn’t saddled with a debt load that weighs them down just as they’re starting out.

The Ontario NDP will be paying very close attention to this announcement.”

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space following the Bernie Sanders quote below.

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

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

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

Need for Universal Drug Plan should be one of the most pressing issues facing Canadians in this federal election year

A New Report from the Broadbent Institute

Posted January 21st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

This January the Broadbent Institute released a significant new report, ‘Charting the Path to National Pharmacare in Canada‘, concerning what we expect will be one of the most pressing issues facing Canadians in this election year.

Right now, about 7.5 million Canadians are not taking the medications they need because they can’t afford them, and it’s been estimated that around 700,000 Canadians skip buying groceries to pay for their medications that currently aren’t covered. Continue reading →

This Event is Free and Open to the Public

An Invite from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted January 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – After inclement weather put Demystifying Dementia on hold last fall, the much-anticipated Brock event has been rescheduled for later this month.

The much-anticipated Brock panel has been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. in Sean O’Sullivan Theatre.

Co-hosted by Brock University’s Centre for Lifespan Development Research and the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Demystifying Dementia will help raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of dementia in Niagara and the many agencies and partners across the region that have taken on the roles of education, prevention, intervention and research targeting memory-related issues.

The event will see Lynn McCleary, Associate Professor of Nursing, explain what dementia is, why we shouldn’t assume that it is a normal part of aging, and how, through education, stigmas may be broken down.

“I hope this panel will become a platform for people to be able to talk with each other about their symptoms and how to have a good life with dementia,” McCleary says. “Unfortunately, many are afraid to tell someone they are having difficulty. We hope to shift this perspective.”

McCleary and Recreation and Leisure Studies Associate Professor Colleen Whyte will join a panel of representatives from the community to provide an overview of recent and ongoing Brock research as well as resources available in Niagara.

Topics will include the prevalence of dementia and how the likelihood of it developing increases with age, diagnosis and transitions in care. Findings from research will also highlight how friendships are sustained for people living with dementia, as well as the role of music among older adults with dementia.

Panel members will also include: Melanie Elliott (MA ’17), Research Associate with Methologica Inc.; Naomi O’Brien, Respite Services Manager with Niagara Region’s Community Programs for Seniors; and Jessica Pace, Education Co-ordinator with the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region.

The event is free and open to the public, but online RSVP through brockdementiapanel2019.eventbrite.ca is required as space is limited. Free parking is available in Lot D.

What: Demystifying Dementia — Lessons from research and community programming
Who: The event is open to anyone interested in learning more about dementia, including the general public, policy-makers, organizations, educators and practitioners
When: Thursday, Jan. 31 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Brock University, Sean O’Sullivan Theatre, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines.

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space following the Bernie Sanders quote below.

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

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

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

 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted January 19^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

This Monday, January 21^st is Martin Luther King Day across the United States – a day set aside to mark the all-too-short life of one of the most passion voice of the past hundreds years for social justice and peace around the world.

One can only wonder what great civil rights leader, who would have turned 90 this January had he not been cut down 50 years ago this past spring by an American-born white man who no doubt would have voted for Trump had he been alive today, would think about his country today.

What would Martin Luther King have to say about all of the yelling and screaming for wall to keep people out by millions of Americans who feel emboldened by the character now occupying the highest office of the land to say the most vile and vulgar things they want about people of colour or about women or about members of the LGBQ community, or about Canadians and their prime minister?

 “Brick by brick they built them but it seems to me
Brick by brick they built them where they shouldn’t be
We should be building bridges to a better day
Where no walls would stand in the way.”

• Lyrics from a song called ‘Walls’ from a great new Barbra Streisand album by the same name – an album that is a call out for truth and justice in the age of Trump.

To hear and watch, Martin Luthuer King’s iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech from 1962, click 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 reminder that we only post comments by individuals who also share their first and last names.

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

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

A Brief Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted January 19th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Do you notice yet how Doug Ford – – Ontario’s college drop-out, buck-a-beer guzzling premier – and his self-described “Government for the People” don’t seem to my pandering to aging baby boomers and other more senior supporters out there, all while they  relentlessly go on cutting and gutting  programs for younger people and for whatever may be left of a quality future for young people on on this plane.

Cheaper gas and beer sure seem to hit the spot for Ford’s aging supporters across the province – far more so than an affordable education and a clean environment for young people.

Ford is all for cutting taxes on carbon fuels that are wreaking havoc on our atmosphere, oceans and climate – all so that Bob and Bonnie Baby Boomer, who seemed to forget about saving for their retirement while they were buying plastic toys all their adult lives, can save a few pennies on a litre of gas while they driving their four-wheel monster mobile to the shopping mall.

But to hell with younger people and any opportunity they have for an affordable education, secure jobs with a living wage, and a planet that is liveable, long after Bob and Bonnie are no longer over-burdening our health care system and have made their final exit. Continue reading →

“Thorold has moved from an industrial city to one where families want to live and visit. We have a new downtown – a busy one. There is much building going on and now we have this latest decision (by Thorold’s City Council to say ‘yes’ to Cannabis stores) which does not quite fit in.”

A Commentary by Pamela Minns, a Thorold resident and award-winning heritage advocate

Posted January 18th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

In 2017, the revitalization of downtown Thorold  has begun to receive national attention. It  has been a project done in partnership with local heritage advocates like Pamela Minns, local businesses, Thorold’s city council and the provincial and federal governments.

Niagara, Ontario – I am disappointed, but not surprised, that our new Thorold Council voted unanimously this past January 15th to have Cannabis stores in Thorold/Niagara.

I noted there were only two “letters to the editor” on this subject in the local newspaper.

I would have thought, with the keen interest in sports in Thorold, that we have families with children, and that members of our community would express their thoughts on this important subject offering some objection to Council, but as I understand it, only 1,600 responded to the City (with a total population of more than 18,000) on this subject, and a decision was made on that very low response where 65% “opted in” – that is 1,040 residents said “yes.” Continue reading →

“This plan would further fragment and worsen home care, having the private companies themselves take over all of home care is akin to having the fox guard the chicken coop. It is unacceptable and we will fight it with all our strength if it comes to that.”  – Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the   Ontario Health Coalition

A Message from the Ontario Health Coalition, a province-wide citizens network advocating for quality public health care for all

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra

Following the story that broke on CBC news this January 17, revealing rumours that Ontario’s fourteen local health integration networks (LHINs) will be restructured into five, the Ontario Health Coalition has raised questions about the Ford government’s intentions regarding this restructuring rumour.

The Coalition had heard similar rumours last week.

“When Tim Hudak was PC party leader their plan was to shut down the LHINs entirely. Today the rumoured plans is to keep the LHINs but make the regions ginormous. The question is what part of the existing LHINs does Ford intend to keep,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. Continue reading →

An Extreme Cold Weather Alert will go into effect on on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, as temperatures are expected to drop below -15 C

A Heads Up from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Temperature Gauge in the Snow

Niagara, Ontario – The Extreme Cold Weather Alert is intended to mobilize outreach workers and community agencies, recommend precautions for the general public during extreme cold weather, and offer information on the location of shelters and additional resources.

During extreme cold, those most at risk include: infants under one year of age, individuals 65 years of age or older, the homeless, outdoor workers, sport enthusiasts (skiers, ice skaters), people living in homes that are poorly insulated or without heat, and people living in homes without power (usually due to other weather-related events such as a winter storm). Continue reading →

A Call-Out for Ideas from the Niagara Prosperity Initiative

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Prosperity Initiative’s 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP)will be open February 4 – March 1, 2019. An information session will be held at 1pm on Monday, February 4, 2019 at Four Points by Sheraton, Thorold.  Registration is not required. 

NPI is open to funding projects that focus on specific areas within housing, health, employment and neighbourhood/community empowerment.

The questions and instructions for the 2019 RFP are attached and available under the resources menu at www.niagaraprosperityinitiative.ca.

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space following the Bernie Sanders quote below.

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

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

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

Support Will Help Enhance and Expand Transit Systems

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff .

Niagara, Ontario – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West has announced that the municipalities of St. Catharines and Pelham will be receiving $2,632,909 and $51,334 respectively in provincial funding. Ontario’s Government for the People is helping 107 municipalities across the province expand or improve their public transit systems with Ontario’s gas tax program.

“St. Catherines and Pelham can use this funding to upgrade transit service, purchase new vehicles, add routes, and improve accessibility,” said Oosterhoff. “The goal is to keep commuters moving, and prevent gridlock.”

“We are investing in public transit to make it a more convenient travel option and attract more riders,” said Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation. Continue reading →

Free tuition for low-income students cancelled

“The Ford government is going after low-income and middle-income students by cutting grants, making loan support harder to get, and cranking up the amount of interest they’ll pay.”             – NDP Colleges and Universities critic Chris Glover

News from Ontario’s New Democratic and Official Opposition Party

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park — Students who need grants and loans to help pay for post-secondary education are going to get less help and pay more interest, following changes by the Doug Ford government.

“The Ford government is going after low-income and middle-income students by cutting grants, making loan support harder to get, and cranking up the amount of interest they’ll pay,” said NDP Colleges and Universities critic Chris Glover. “This is going to mean more debt, holding back young people already desperate for relief from debt.” Continue reading →

“The Doug Ford government has attempted to spin this announcement as a 10 per cent reduction in tuition fees when in reality Ford’s plan will increase out-of-pocket costs for students, diminish the quality of education students receive and undermine crucial student supports on campus,” said Nour Alideeb, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario

A Response to Ford’s 10-Per-Cent Tuition Fee Cut Announcement from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario

Posted January 17, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – On January 17, 2019, the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) government launched a reckless plan for post-secondary education in the province, leaving students in Ontario worse off. Continue reading →

“Instead of using OSAP (the Ontario Student Assistance Program) to indirectly subsidize future rounds of tuition hikes, we will focus our resources on the families in greatest need while challenging our partners in the post-secondary sector to deliver better value for the high tuitions they already charge.” – Merrilee Fullerton, Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities

News from the Ontario Government

Posted January 17th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

(A Note from Niagara At Large – We urge are readers to also click on the link and read the following response to this Ford announcment from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario at – http://cfsontario.ca/2019/01/17/ford-sets-pse-on-disastrous-path/ . NAL has also posted this response from the Students Federation as a separate story.)

The first ever province-wide tuition reduction will make college and university more affordable and accessible for students and families, while empowering students to choose how fees are spent

For the first time in Ontario, students at every publicly-assisted college and university will see their tuition rates go down by 10 per cent thanks to a province-wide tuition rate reduction introduced by Ontario’s Government for the People. The tuition rate reduction is the latest step in the Ford Government’s plan to keep more money in the pockets of Ontario students and families. Continue reading →

The Class, called “Grow Yer Own Stone,” will be held at t Hannelore Headley Books on Sunday, February 10^th                      in St. Catharines, Ontario

News from the Proprietors of Hannelore Headley Books in St. Catharines

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

On Feb 10, 2019, Hannelore Headley Books will be offering their first  “Cannabis 101” class that we are calling “Grow Yer Own Stone.”

With legalization in Ontario, we have been asked by our customers to offer some basic courses so that they all can grow their recreational cannabis indoors and out!

The class runs from 1-4 p.m.(or a bit longer depending on discussions) on Sunday Feb 10.  You must be pre-registered and can pay at the bookstore or by etransfer . Continue reading →

“A living wage reflects what earners need to be paid based on the actual costs of living and being included in the community,”          – Glen Walker, Chair of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

News from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Glen Walker, Chair, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network presenting certificate to Alyshia Meredith, Owner/Founder. Person Centred Care Inc., Fort Erie.

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Person Centered Care (PCC) has become Niagara’s tenth certified Living Wage Employer.

Person Centered Care is a private agency that was founded in 2016 by Alyshia Meredith. Their Life Skills Coaches are trained to support people of all ages with vulnerabilities such as developmental disabilities, mental health, dual diagnosis, and the elderly. Supports include goal setting, outreach and day services, person-directed programs and activities, and respite care. Continue reading →

Blue Monday is a myth, but the winter blues are very real

From Niagara Health Psychiatrist Dr. Amin Muhammad

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

It’s about this time of year you might hear the term Blue Monday. Typically the third Monday of January, it has been described as the most depressing day of the year.

In fact, Blue Monday – created by a travel company in the early 2000s – is actually a myth because there is no scientific basis to call a day the most depressing of the year, says Niagara Health Psychiatrist Dr. Amin Muhammad.

While Blue Monday is a myth, the winter blues are all too real for many people. “Winter can bring a lot of depression,” says Dr. Muhammad, pointing to fewer daylight hours as one of the reasons. Continue reading →

“Our Niagara’s Greenbelt tender fruit and grape lands and other prime farm lands should not be “open for business”    other than that of tender fruit and grape, cash crops and other farming, and farm-related uses.” – from Gracia Janes and Doug Woodard of the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society

A Call-Out from the Niagara-based Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS)

Posted January 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Gracia Janes, a Niagara resident and veteran citizen activist, has joined with her group, the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) in calling on Niagara’s municipal politicians to oppose the Ontario Ford government’s Bill 66.

As the oldest farmland preservation group in Canada, and credited in the Provincial Legislature for being the impetus behind the establishment of the Greenbelt land use protections, the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) strongly opposes Bill 66 the Open For Business Act.

This week,  as the January 20^th  deadline for comment on  the proposed  Legislation closed in ,  PALS  is sending letters to the Regional  Council  and all 12 lower-tier municipalities, asking them to let the Government of Ontario  know that our  Niagara’s  Greenbelt tender fruit and grape lands and  other prime farm lands  should not be  “open for business”    other than that of  tender fruit and grape , cash crops and other farming, and farm-related uses.

 PALS also urges Niagara’s 12 lower- tier municipalities to officially   go on record, that   they will not use these re-zoning powers should Bill #66 be approved.

According to PALS Board member Gracia Janes,  “ We know that Bill 66  refers to commercial development , but this will bring with it  sewer, water,  and road  extensions,  which in turn use  good farmland and put pressure on nearby farmlands and farming. Continue reading →

Review Will Also Include Numerous Other Local Municipalities Across the Province

Ford’s Ontario Conservatives “have announced a plan Tuesday to comprehensively review the province’s regional governments. …

Are 12 local municipalities in Niagara, Ontario too many? What do you think?

The review includes all eight regional municipalities — Halton, York, Durham, Waterloo, Niagara, Peel, Muskoka District, Oxford County, and the County of Simcoe — and their lower-tier municipalities … and the province hasn’t ruled out the possibility that some could be amalgamated in the future.” – an excerpt from a January 15th, 2019 CBC News report

A  News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted January 15th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The day Doug Ford’s Conservatives won enough seats in last June’s Ontario election to form a majority government, you had to know that the infamous “A” word – for amalgamation of municipalities in the province – would be back on the agenda again.

Ontario’s Doug Ford (right) picks up where his Tory predecessor Mike Harris left off with the municipal amalgamation bandwagon

And you also had to know – if you have been paying any real attention to the politics around municipalities in Ontario over the past 20 or 30 years, that Niagara, with its 12 local municipalities and more than 130 mayors and councillors for a population of less than 500,000 – would surely be one of the regions on the list for review.

So here we are, less than seven month in to the four year term of Ford’s self-described “Government for the People,” and municipal amalgamation is back on the table for the first time since the former Ontario Conservative government of Mike Harris began pushing it in a big way more than 20 years ago. Continue reading →

Still Looking Like ‘the Same Old, Same Old’ at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

There’s an oft-repeated lyric in song by the rock band The Who that goes like this; “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

The lyric is from a song  called Won’t Get Fooled Again’ and the 12 members Niagara’s Regional Council appointed to the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) might do well to keep the title of that song in mind.

The new board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority spent most of its first meeting this past January 7th behind closed doors

They might do well to remember it because citizens across Niagara spent the past four years fighting for openness and accountability, and for an NPCA that puts conservation first – a Conservation Authority that is a strong, unwavering voice for our natural heritage – and they are not about to be fooled by a new board that behaves like the old one. Continue reading →

“The darkest hour is always just before the dawn.”           – from a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

If you don’t think elections matter, you are wrong. They do.

Members of Niagara’s new Regional Council take the oath of office at their inaugural meeting this past December 6th.

All that it takes to remind myself of that is a visit to Niagara’s regional government headquarters where the comparison between the way things are in that building now and the way they were a year ago at this time, or even four or five months ago, when Al Caslin and his so-called “cabal” were still running the show, could not be more stark.

Among my nightmare images of the last Regional Council at work was this one, with poor Toto representing just about any member of the council or public who had the audacity to confront or question what certain others on the council were doing. Thanks to Niagara’s voters, most, if not all of the flying monkeys are gone.

You go in that regional headquarters now and the people workers there look happier and the atmosphere is so much warmer than it was over the past four years when what I took to calling the flying monkeys were around, squawking and barking at whoever they didn’t want around while they were doing their business.

No one who dared to question or raise concerns about what they were up to seemed immune from their bullying and insults. In my nightmares, it wasn’t hard to imagine them dragging poor Toto away.

Then came last October’s municipal elections and like the Good Witch in Oz Land who came to shoo the bad one and her monkey army away, the voters of Niagara had the presence of mind to throw a good number, if not all, of the bad actors out. Continue reading →

This legislation could also spell the end for Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls and other green areas across our region and province

A Brief News Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper, followed by a statement from the Canadian citizen’s group, Environmental Defence

Posted January 10th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Believe it or not, there was a time in the history of Ontario that the province’s Conservative Party demonstrated a real interest in protecting the environment for present and future generations.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his so-called “Government for the People” have declared all-out war on environmental protection – all in the name of making Ontario more “open for business.”

It was an Ontario Progressive Conservative government under the leadership of then Premier Bill Davis – way back in 1972, when the word “progressive” in the party’s name meant something – that created the Ontario Ministry of Environment and set the prototypes for so many of the environmental protection rules that would follow.

Then in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the Ontario Conservatives taking a hard swing to the right under the leadership of Mike Harris, and now with Doug Ford, who has recast the once-proud party of Bill Davis with the deceptive brand “your (supposedly meaning ‘our’) Government for the People,” a war on environmental protection, cheered on by the most backward and self-serving members of the business, development and farming industries, has reached its shock and awe moment. Continue reading →

One and All are Invited to this First Community Meeting on Sunday, January 13^th from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Civic Square,           60 Main Street, East in Welland

A Public Notice from A Better Niagara

Posted January 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large –

A Better Niagara is a network of citizens from across our Niagara region that organized before last October’s municipal elections to encourage their fellow citizens to get engaged and vote in those elections for positive change for our future.

Debbie Zimmerman, a former Niagara regional chair and municipal councilor, fielding questions from  area citizens in St. Catharines a year ago this January as a guest speaker at a Better Niagara session on getting engaged in the coming October 2018 municipal elections. File Photo courtesy of Emily Beth Spanton

This veteran Niagara reporter would join many others across the region in arguing that voters in those October elections certainly delivered by casting out a good number of bad actors, particularly at the regional government level where the conduct, over the past four years, of far too many on the Region’s council was disturbing, to say the least. Continue reading →

“We hope in doing so (becoming a certified Living Wage employer) that we will be able to retain employees and attract higher caliber candidates who will aid in our growth.” – Daryl Crowder, Operations Manager at Niagara Pallet

New from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted January 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Niagara Pallet has become Niagara’s 9th certified Living Wage Employer.

The Niagara Pallet team receives Living Wage Employer certification

Niagara Pallet started in 1993 and is owned by the Vrugteveen family. They are a leading manufacturer, seller and recycler of pallets and shipping materials. Their Smithville-based operations are housed in a 23,000 square foot building with an 18,000 square foot addition opening soon. This is the first phase of a significant expansion plan scheduled over the next five years. Continue reading →

Admission to this Free Event will be on a first come, first served basis – Tuesday, January 15^th, 2019 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.) at Brock University’s Ian D. Beddis Gymnasium

News from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted January 9^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – We are very excited to invite alumni, friends and the community to embrace this unique opportunity.

Admission to the free event will be on a first come, first served basis. Those wishing to attend will enter a queue in front of the Ian D. Beddis Gymnasium upon arrival.

While there are approximately 2000 seats available for the town hall, organizers expect the event to reach capacity and some visitors in the queue may be turned away. Brock will be unable to reserve seats. Continue reading →

How Much Are  Justin Trudeau’s Words On Reconciliation With First Nations and Fighting Climate Change Really Worth?

A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large –

Posted January 9^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Police moving in to arrest Indigenous protesters during protests this past Decembers over plans to build tar pipeline across First Nations lands in British Columbia.

While Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was preparing a statement this January 8th about strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities across the country, federal police forces in British Columbia were busy arresting Indigenous people protesting plans to build pipelines for transporting climate-disrupting toxins from Alberta’s tar sands across First Nations lands.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture, and all of the platitudes from this Prime Minister about closer relations with Indigenous people and about fighting climate change are growing quite thin while arrests like this are being made and while the PM’s own government invests more than $5 billion on buying and building pipelines that major bank investors in other parts of the world will no longer support of Indigenous people

Now here is a Statement released this January 8th, 2019 from the Office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau –

Ottawa, Ontario – The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement today(this January 8th)  after meeting with Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations:

“Today, I had the honour to meet with leaders of Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations for a second time to strengthen our unique and enduring relationship. Continue reading →