Author Archives: dougdraper

“Young people need … a partner ready to fight for paid internships, training opportunities and better work opportunities that can lead to good, stable jobs.” –                                          Ontario NDP employment critic Catherine Fife

A Commentary on the State of the Job Scene from Ontario’s New Democratic Party

Posted February 13^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario’s Wynne government circulated a media release this February 1oth, boasting that this past January 28,8000 jobs were created in the province. Nowhere in the release did it say that a majority of those jobs were part-time.

Queen’s Park – According to this month’s Labour Force Survey, of the 28,800 jobs created in Ontario in January, 23,500 were part-time.  This continues the disturbing trend, identified in the 2016 year end jobs figures released last month, which shows dramatic increase in part-time, precarious work in this province – numbers the NDP says show that while the cost of living in Ontario is rising fast, families’ incomes aren’t. Continue reading →

Watching the Deconstruction of  Decades of Hard-Fought Environmental Progress

A Commentary by Leslie Daniels, a Niagara, Ontario writer and longtime environmental activist

Posted February 12^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

No one likes to be contradicted. So ordering silence when one can serves a purpose. The problem is that this has been going on for ages and we as the human race will be the ones to suffer for it – again.

Just when we thought we were making progress in the world coming to terms with issues that are affecting our very survival as a species. We had been warned decades ago by scientists like Rachel Carson and conservationists and naturalists like Grey Owl. Continue reading →

An invited from the Sierra Club chapter of Western New York

Posted February 12th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

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

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 binational 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 Call-Out from Democracy Watch

Posted February 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Dear Friend,

The Kinder Morgan pipeline company, and companies that will benefit from the pipeline, gave Premier Christy Clark’s B.C. Liberal Party more than $550,000 in the past few years.

On January 12th, Premier Clark approved Kinder Morgan’s proposal to add a new pipeline that will carry crude oil from the Alberta tar sands to the B.C. coast for shipping in oil tankers to other countries. Continue reading →

News from Canada’s Health Coalitions, citizen advocacy groups for quality public health care

Posted February 10^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Across Canada – Canada’s Health Coalitions signed a joint statement and held a media conference today on the recent bilateral health care deals and called for a united health accord. 

Since late December the federal government has abandoned a national health accord negotiation and is now signing bilateral health deals with the provinces and territories. These deals will not fund public health care at the necessary levels to maintain today’s public services. Canada’s Health Coalitions are calling for a national health accord which ensures everyone can access needed health care services in accordance with the Canada Health Act.  Continue reading →

International Joint Commission to hold Public Meetings this March in St. Catharines, Ontario and Buffalo, New York

By Sally Cole-Misch, Canada-U.S. International Joint Commission

Posted February 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Canadian and US governments presented their progress report last fall on efforts to restore the Great Lakes by meeting the goals of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement.

Our Great Lakes from space

The IJC has now released its initial assessment of that progress in a draft Triennial Assessment of Progress report. The TAP report was released in draft form so we can hear from you before it becomes a final report to both countries.

“Now that the IJC has released its draft assessment of progress report, we’re eager to hear from Great Lakes residents,” US Commissioner Rich Moy said at the time of the report’s release. Continue reading →

By Doug Draper

Posted February 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The family of missing Niagara woman Ashley Simpson received unanimous support from regional councillors this February 9th for calling on the federal government to provide support for parents who take time away from work to search for a missing child.

St.ill missing St. Catharines woman Ashley Simpson. Photo courtesy of the Simpson family.

“Ashley’s family is very frustrated (and) we need someone to get the ball rolling here’ said family friend and supporter Steven Soos as he stood with member of the family and read a request for the regional government to send a letter to the federal government, asking that families that leave their jobs to go searching for missing loved ones be covered by EI benefits and not risk being left with no funds to support them. “This is just one small step (to support the family members) in a year of frustration.” Continue reading →

News from the Women in Niagara (WIN) Council and Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Posted February 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Women In Niagara (WIN) council in concert with the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that Rosemary Hale, an accomplished author and passionate advocate for the arts in Niagara – is this year’s recipient of the International Women’s Day Award.

The award will be bestowed to Hale during the 16th Annual International Women’s Day Luncheon, to be held on Friday, March 3, 2017 at Club Roma in St. Catharines.

“The combination of Rosemary’s commitment to expanding artistic culture in Niagara, and her caring and supportive nature of those in this industry make her a well-deserved recipient of this award, as we celebrate International Women’s Day,” says Ruth Unrau, Chair of WIN. Continue reading →

An Invite from the Niagara Centre NDP Association

Posted February 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

A  Reminder to All to Join in this Event in Welland/Niagara this Saturday, February11tth from 1 to 4 p.m.

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

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 binational 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

–         ACall-Out to Our Government To Adequately Fund Child Welfare Services

 An Invitation to you from the Niagara Centre NDP

 Posted February 8th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

 Niagara, Ontario –  This coming Saturday, February 11th, The Niagara Centre NDP invites you to Have a Heart for our indigenous youth: call on our government to adequately fund child welfare services.

Hi-Ho Mistahey, produced by indigenous filmmaker Alanis Obomsawin, will be screened at this event following by a group discussion

The Niagara Centre NDP invites you to mark the National Day of Action on Equity for Indigenous Youth on Saturday, Feb. 11, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, at the Community Room in Welland Civic Square (City Hall) 60 East Main Street, in Welland. 

Canada is failing its indigenous youth – and it’s a tragedy and a national disgrace.

In a historic ruling in January 2016, the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal found the Canadian government racially discriminated against 163, 000 First Nations kids by systematically underfunding federal services that put their lives at risk. 
 Continue reading →

–         Council Wants ‘Qualified and Intendent Citizens’ with ‘Conservation Expertise’ on Board

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted February 8th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Well hallelujah! Some of our municipal politicians are listening.

Pelham Mayor David Augustyn and his council want non-politicians with expertise in environmental and conservation fields sitting on the NPCA board.

Growing numbers of residents across the Niagara region have been arguing for at least a year now that all or most of the 15 individuals sitting on the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority should not be elected politicians appointed by other elected politicians but citizens from across the region who have some expertise in the environmental and conservation field.

Now, for the first time in as far back as this long-time environmental reporter can remember, the council of a local municipality in Niagara is taking the idea that the board should be made up of citizens with expertise in conservation matters seriously enough to do something about it. Continue reading →

A Call-Out posted by Doug Draper, publisher, Niagara At Large

February 7th, 2017  

Ed Smith

“I have been subjected to castigation, ridicule and now I am being threatened by legal action by my own government. … I willfully dedicated 25 years of my professional life fighting for the ‘ideal’ of Canada. Countless others have sacrificed much more than that, and there is nothing that will divert me from doing right by that.”          

– Ed Smith, a Niagara, Ontario  citizen and community leader, and a retired Canadian Armed Forces officer, speaking this past November, 2016 about being threatened with a lawsuit by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

Since Ed Smith spoke those words, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority – a public body funded with millions of dollars annually of our municipal tax money – and its former CAO Carmen D’Angelo (now CAO for Niagara’s regional government) have slapped him with a defamation suit totalling $200,000. Continue reading →

A Brief Update by Doug Draper

Posted February 7^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – We posted a news commentary on Niagara At Large this February 3^rd,  focusing on concerns raised, even by Western New York area Congressman Chris Collins (a strong supporter of Trump through his race for the U.S. presidency), about an executive order Trump recently signed that could make border security so restrictive that crossing the Peace Bridge and other border bridges in the greater Niagara area could become a nightmare.

I will provide a link to that news commentary below and, along with that, I also hope to turn your attention to a story – published this past January 28^th – in The Buffalo News on this matter because, dear folks, whether you personally cross the border to shop or visit friends and relatives or not, anything Trump does that seriously jams up traffic at the border could do countless hundreds of millions of dollars of damage to job and the economy of our regions in both countries. Continue reading →

Vance Badawey is new Vice-Chair of Ottawa’s Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Posted February 7th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre MP and former Port Colborne mayor Vance Badawey

Ottawa, Ontario –  Niagara Centre Member of Parliament, Vance Badawey is pleased to announce that he has been selected by his peers to serve as Vice-Chair of The Standing Joint Committee for the Scrutiny of Regulations (REGS).

REGS is tasked with reviewing and scrutinizing regulations and other statutory instruments that have been passed by Parliament. 

The Committee serves as an overview body which ensures that regulations have been implemented in a way that complies with the letter, and spirit, of the law.  Continue reading →

It’s back to the Status Quo when it comes to Municipal Governance in Niagara – At Least for Now

A News Brief by Doug Draper

Posted February 7th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Arguing that democracy in Niagara would not be better served by having dual-duty representation on city and regional councillors, a majority of St. Catharines councillors voted against the idea following a public meeting this February 6th.

St. Catharines City Hall

“There is no proof that double-direct (another way of saying double-duty) representation will result in any improvement (in governance for citizens) … There is no evidence to suggestion communication will be improved,” said St. Catharines councillor Bruce Williamson, who was one of the first out of the gate to say he would vote against dual-duty after a majority of citizens who spoke earlier in the evening expressed their opposition. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted February 6^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – In order for the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network to build a community that understands and works to reduce the root causes of poverty we need to communicate with local people, organizations and businesses about the issues surrounding poverty.

To do this, we are seeking speakers for our Speakers Bureau.  Attached to this email you will find information about requirements and benefits of being part of the Speakers Bureau. Continue reading →

“And we won’t leave much of a trace, either. Thank God for that.” – the late great American satirist and all-round social critic, George Carlin

George Carlin’s take on what we humans are doing to the planet, with an Introduction by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted Febraury 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Intro by Doug Draper – I want to make a confession here that is embarrassing because it shows what kind of a fool I’ve been been for most of my adult life.

I was once of those naïve young people who thought that I could do something in my own small way to save the planet form environmental degradation.

In my mid-teens, I made the mistake of reading’Silent Spring’ – a book by a late American scientist Rachel Carson, who warned that we humans were emitting agents into the environment and otherwise altering it in ways that could have deadly consequences for a web of life forms on the planet that includes us.

Corporations that produced the pesticides and other agents discussed in Silent Spring issued warnings of their own following the book’s 1962 publication that Carson was engaging in science fiction and fear-mongering, but I didn’t listen.

That’s poor dumb me  in the black-and-white photo to the right – the one wearing the gas mask and holding up a sign reading; “If you aren’t part of the solution, you are part of the pollution” – still in my teens and participating in the very frist Earth Day in the spring of 1970 when, as some of the people working in the factory I was demonstrating in front of, said I should have been in school that weekday morning, working on multiplication tables.

Well, I went on in school and graduated with a Master’s degree in journalism before – wouldn’t you know it – spending the better part of the next three decades working as a full-time environment reporter at a daily newspaper in Niagara.

Unbenown to me at the time, what a waste of the middle years of my life that would turn out to be! Continue reading →

A Call-Out from Erick Smith, Executive Director, The Broadbent Institute, founded by former Canadian NPD leader Ed Broadbent

Posted February 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

I want to start by thanking you (many Canadians out there ) for all the support they’ve given to proportional representation over the past few months. The breadth of people who have come together to advocate for a better democracy has been heartening.

Even though Justin Trudeau has said he’s abandoning his commitment to electoral reform, we’re not giving up. The stakes are too high. We need to tell Mr. Trudeau that abandoning his clear promise to Canadians is unacceptable. Continue reading →

 Wastes Would Likely Be Shipped Through Niagara, Ontario/Buffalo, New York Area, Crossing One or More    Niagara River Bridges

The following Statement has been circulated by Gracia Janes of Niagara, Ontario and Environment Convenor for Canada’s National Council of Women and environmental representative for Ontario’s Council of Women. It was issued as a press release  by the plaintiffs in the U.S. court case against the transport of extremely dangerous liquid nuclear waste, containing Highly Enriched Uranium from Chalk river to South Carolina, which, given the Court’s decision, indeed puts the Niagara region at risk . 

Posted on February 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

In spite of a disappointing ruling by a US Judge on Thursday afternoon, February 2, public opposition is growing to an unprecedented plan to ship 23,000 litres (6000 gallons) of intensely radioactive liquid from Chalk River, Ontario, to the Savannah River Site in North Carolina – a distance of over 2000 kilometres. Continue reading →

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted February 3^rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Those of us who live north of the U.S. border had to know it was coming when Donald J. Trump took the oath of office as the 45^th president of the United States.

How much aim is Trump now taking on Canada-U.S. border

Americans are living in a state of “carnage.” so says the new president, and it has quite a bit to do with his ‘alternative facts’ that ‘virtually every other country around the world’ is taking advantage of the United States, threatening the U.S. and its people with violence, or otherwise ripping it off.

In this us-versus-them world Trump lives in it was only a matter of days following his January 20^th before he would set his sights on the Canadian border and he is doing so already with the revocation of at least some Nexus cards on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border and plans – according to another one of those infamous ‘executive orders’ he’s been signing since entering the White House – to require all Canadians to undergo “biometric tests” when crossing the border into the United States. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Special Guest journalist Nick Fillmore

Posted February 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

What a difference some 50 years has made in one of Canada’s most important and powerful industries!

Back in 1970, the Senate of Canada called an inquiry to investigate the exorbitant profits made by Canada’s handful of media barons.

Skinflint media mogul Roy Thomson had declared that owning a radio or television station was like having a license to print money. He added that owning a newspaper was even better, because a license was not required.

The Senators hummed and hawed, and made some recommendations that were mostly ignored by the powerful media owners, who continued to make big profits.

How times have changed.  Continue reading →

News from the Office of U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted February 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Peace Bridge crossing the upper Niagara River between Fort Erie in Niagara, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. File photo by Doug Draper

(A Brief Foreword Note from NAL publisher Doug Draper – A number of parties on the Ontario side of the Niagara River and Peace Bridge, including the Niagara District Council of Women which has been very active on this issue, have continued to express opposition to plans to ship highly toxic shipments of radioactive waste through the Niagara region and Niagara/Buffalo border. On the U.S. side, Democratic Congressman Brian Higgins has been making a full environmental review of these shipments one of his priorities.)

Buffalo, New York – U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced (this February 1st, 2017) that the House of Representatives has approved H.R. 677 the Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Intelligence and Information Sharing Act of 2017.  Continue reading →

–         On Wednesday, February 8^th at 7:30 p.m. in                          St. Catharines/Niagara

An Invitation to All from the Niagara District Council Of Women

Posted February 2nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Join the Council of Women for a PUBLIC MEETING on Transgender Inclusion – on what it means, on what the challenges are and what are the successes of the transgender community.

Where – in the Mills Room of the St. Catharines Centennial Library, 54 Church Street, in downtown, St. Catharines, Ontario.

When – Wednesday February 8th  7:30 p.m.

Speakers –

Susan Gapka has survived homelessness, drug abuse and poverty, and since 1999 has been an important political voice for the transgender community in Toronto.  In 2000, she graduated with honours from the Community Worker Program at George Brown College. A political science degree from York University would come in 2009.  Continue reading →

New 16 kilometer  Rapid Transit Line Would Connect the Waterfront with Hamilton Airport

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted February 2nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Note from NAL – It is interesting to see one of Niagara, Ontario’s neighbouring municipalities moving so far ahead on a public transit file it has already been way ahead of Niagara on. Interesting, indeed.)

Ontario is moving forward with planning for a proposed 16 km Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line that would connect the Hamilton waterfront to Hamilton International Airport, making it easier for people to travel across the city.

Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca was joined by Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger today to announce the proposed line, which would also connect to the Hamilton Street Railway, the future Hamilton Light Rail Transit (LRT) line, GO Transit buses, and the Hamilton GO Centre and West Harbour GO stations. Connections to key destinations such as Mohawk College, St. Joseph’s Healthcare, and the West Harbour area will also be explored during the planning phase, and details such as the number of stops will be determined through further study by Metrolinx and the City of Hamilton. Continue reading →

“University officials have spent several days consulting faculty and students affected by the new measures, and monitoring the plight of international students whose education plans have been paralyzed by political moves in Washington.”

A Message from Brock University

Posted February 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from NAL publisher Doug Draper – Every once in a while I have my issues with the way things are going at my old alma mater – it was Brock University where I earned an Honurs B.A. before making the mistake of going on and getting a Master’s degree in the now dying pression of journalism – but this is a good and gutsy move Brock is making with a group of other universities and colleges across Canada to help foreign students caught in Trump’s dark madness.

Brock University has long expressed pride in hosting a divese population of students. – Photo by Denis Cahill

I salute the schools from coast to coast in our ‘great white north’ for doing this and for showing through this offer to help those who are targets of Trump’s hate and fear driven, discriminatory actions that Canada welcomes them.)

Now here is the Message from Brock –

Niagara, Ontario – Brock University has announced immediate steps to streamline its admissions process and waive certain fees for students from countries impacted by U.S. travel restrictions. Continue reading →

“This cynical decision is designed to let the Liberals keep power for longer. But Justin Trudeau is about to learn that when you break people’s faith, you will reap what you sow.”

A Message from Canada’s Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

Posted February 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s Green Party leader Elizabeth May who has tried hard to work with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on climate change and other issues, is now feeling betrayed by him.

I feel more deeply shocked today by this government’s actions than any other time in my adult life.

Thousands upon thousands of Canadians put faith in this Prime Minister’s direct promise that 2015 would be the last election under first-past-the-post. He has broken that promise.

I never expected anything other than appalling decisions from Stephen Harper. But when you believe in someone and they let you down, that is much harder.

This cynical decision is designed to let the Liberals keep power for longer. Continue reading →

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted February 1^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – A proposal to locate an incinerator somewhere in Niagara, Ontario for burning waste has finally been extinguished by municipal politicians following many months of opposition from citizens in the region.

Citizen watchdog Liz Benneian speaks last summer at public meeting in Thorold community of Port Robinson about incinerator proposal. File photo by Doug Draper

The plan by a private corporation to build a so-called ‘energy-from-waste incinerator somewhere in the Allanburg/Port Robinson area of Thorold was recently voted down by Thorold’s city council. Then this January 31^st, a majority of councillors on Niagara Region’s public works committee said no to it – believing it would likely never fly anyway with an Ontario government that, earlier this year, indicated no interest in such projects, reportedly because of a surplus supply of electricity is already available in the province.

But credit for killing a proposal that belongs somewhere back in the last century – if burning waste to produce energy was ever a good idea at all – must also go to concerned Niagara area citizens like Liz Benneian and others, including her ‘No Burn Niagara’ citizens coalition, who rallied other residents across the region, and who never failed to show up at municipal council meetings to make the case against incinerating waste. Continue reading →

“This year, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, let us never forget the stories of Black Canadians’ courage in the face of intolerance.”

Posted February 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Prime Minister of Canada, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement this February 1st, 2017 to celebrate Black History Month:

Statue of Harriet Tubman was commissioned by the District School Board of Niagara from former Niagara residents and artists Frank Rekrut and Laura Thompson, who now live and own an art studio in Florence, Italy. It was unveiled a year ago this February at Harriet Tubman Public School in St. Catharines/Niagara. File photo by Doug Draper

“Throughout our history, Black Canadians have played a key role in building and shaping the diverse, compassionate, and prosperous country that we are all so proud to call home.

“Every February, Canadians celebrate Black History Month by acknowledging the remarkable achievements and contributions that Canadians of African and Caribbean descent have made to Canada.  

“I urge all Canadians to reflect on the bravery and courage of individuals like Viola Desmond, a prominent Black Canadian businesswoman who changed the course of Canadian history by defiantly refusing to leave a whites-only area of a movie theatre in 1946.

“In recognition of her impact on the civil rights and freedoms movement in Canada, the Government of Canada chose Viola Desmond as the face of Canada’s ten dollar bank note.

“This year, as we celebrate the 150th anniversary of Confederation, let us never forget the stories of Black Canadians’ courage in the face of intolerance. Diversity is our greatest strength, and we must always continue to build a country that affords equality and opportunity for all. Continue reading →

And No Amount of Fear-Mongering, Trying to Pit One Group Against Another and Alternative Facts are Going to Stop Them

From Niagara, Ontario resident Gary Screaton Page, for Niagara At Large and our many online visitors.

At a recent rally in Buffalo, N.Y., protesting virtually everything Trump stands for. Photo by Doug Draper

Posted February 1^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

So, Trump is going to “Make America Great Again” and unite the country by being the “President of all the people”?

 Not so!

A friend, film producer and director, Aaron Wolf – a partner in Howling Wolf Productions located in Los Angeles – had just arrived at the airport in L.A..

On entering the terminal, he encountered a sea of protesters, stretching from one end of the building to the other. Continue reading →

A Brief Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – Several hundred Niagara area residents attended a candlelight vigil in St. Catharines, Ontario this Tuesday, January 31st evening for the victims of the Quebec shootings.

In a large lot, next to the Masjid-An-Noor mosque in the city’s downtown, they ended the vigil with a singing of ‘We Shall Overcome”. Many brought their children, candles in hand, to the vigil.

It was a beautiful show of solidarity in the face of a world that has gone a bit mad.

Now Here is a Message from Canada’s Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

Posted January 31st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Click on the following to watch Elizabeth May’s statement – http://www.greenparty.ca/sites/all/modules/civicrm/extern/url.php?u=153527&qid=55737303 .

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

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 binational 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

“I encourage you to visit the renewed Library and I hope that the community enjoys and cherishes it for generations to come.”

A Column by Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Posted January 31st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Word got around quickly last week that the renewed Maple Acre Library opened on Tuesday (January 24th). When I went by around 3:30 PM, it was a hive of activity!

Pelham’s renewed Maple Acre Library. Photo courtesy of Town of Pelham

Some folks worked in the Quiet Room (situated in the 1919 original Library), while others used the computers in the Technology area. A senior signed up for a Library Card for the first time, and kids read and played in the new Children’s area. Continue reading →

 Meeting Set For Monday, February 6th, Followed by Vote on the Motion to Change Composition of Regional Council

News from the City of St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted January 31st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – St. Catharines City Council will hold a special meeting Monday, Feb. 6 to discuss the double duty model of council representation.

St. Catharines City Hall

The council meeting will be held at 6:30 p.m. inside Council Chambers, with double duty as the only item on the meeting agenda. Following speaking delegations about double duty, City Council will then vote on the motion to change the composition of Regional Council.

Residents looking to speak at the meeting can register with the Office of the City Clerk by calling 905.688.5601 ext. 1501 or emailing clerks@stcatharines.ca . Continue reading →

Posted January 31st on Niagara At Large

Niagara At Large is posting the following information prepared by the Islamic Society of St. Catharines, Niagara about a vigil for the victims of the Quebec shootings, scheduled for this Tuesday, January 31st, in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario at the corner of Geneva Street and Welland Avenue.

For more information from the Islamic Society of St. Catharines, Niagara, click on – http://www.isscniagara.org/ .

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space 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 binational Niagara region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at www.niagaraatlarge.com .

Jeff Burch, executive director of the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre and chair of the Niagara Refugee Assistance Committee

A Call-Out to All of Us from Niagara’s Multicultural Leadership for “Understanding and Compassion in the Face of the Cruel and Unfair Actions of the U.S. Government and Those Who Hate.”

An Open Letter to the Citizens of Niagara from Jeff Burch, Executive Director of the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre and Chair of the Niagara Refugee Assistance Committee

Posted January 30th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

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

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 binational 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 Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted January 30th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

A great photo of Barack Obama, published last year in Rolling Stone magazine, taken while he was still U.S. president and up in the Arctic, talking about the need to take urgent action on climate change

On the very last page of the latest (February 2017) issue of Rolling Stone magazine, there is a black and white photo of now former U.S. President Barack Obama with his back turned, with the following quote from him above that photo.

The quote – an excerpt from is parting message to the American people –  reads as follows; “Show up. Dive in. Stay at it. … I will be right there with you as a citizen, for all of my remaining days.”

It’s a heartfelt message from this first ever (and hopefully not last) Afro-American president and many surely took it to mean that one day – but not too soon, given the grace usually granted to a new president to chart his own way without digs from the last person who held the office – he would speak out, if and when he felt he had to on matters of serious concern. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from Former Canadian NDP leader Ed Broadbent

Posted January 30th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ed Broadbent

The past two days have been chilling.

This  Sunday, January 29th, 2017,  the horrific effects of hate rocked the whole country with the terrorist attack on the mosque in Sainte-Foy.

Our hearts this morning are with the Muslim community in Quebec and across Canada. As the investigation into this horror continues, it is more important than ever for each and every one of us to stand up against hate.

Sunday’s (January 29th) attack came a day after Donald Trump’s disgusting and terrifying Muslim ban took effect in the United States. Continue reading →

Posted January 30th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement this January 29th  after hearing of the fatal shooting at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec located in the Ste-Foy neighbourhood of the city of Québec:

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

It was with tremendous shock, sadness and anger that I heard of this evening’s tragic and fatal shooting at the Centre culturel islamique de Québec located in the Ste-Foy neighbourhood of the city of Québec.

“We condemn this terrorist attack on Muslims in a centre of worship and refuge.

“On behalf of all Canadians, Sophie and I offer our deepest condolences to the family and friends of all those who have died, and we wish a speedy recovery to those who have been injured. Continue reading →

Canada’s Prime Minister Should Also Consider Following  Mexican President’s Lead & Cancelling Plans To Meet With Trump

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted January 29^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

In the wake of America’s new president, Donald Trump, signing an executive order this past January 27^th, closing America’s borders to refugees and others from Syria and other Muslim-populated countries, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took to Twitter, as Trump is want to do, to send out a very un-Trump-like message of his own.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau greets Syrian refugees arriving at Toronto airport last year.

“To those fleeing persecution, terror & war, Canadians will welcome you, regardless of our faith. Diversity is our strength,” stated Trudeau in a January 28^th tweet. “Welcome to Canada.”

I can’t help but think there is a little bit of father Pierre’s penchant in that tweet for letting the big man in the White House now we aren’t just going to role over every time he barks. But it might be a good idea if the son followed up the tweet with a statesman-like address in the Canadian people and the world that, in spite of the kind of racist bile spewing from the mouths of some, like federal Conservative leadership candidate Kellie Leitch, Canada is not going to follow Trump and his shock troops to the darkest reaches of human nature. Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario Citizenship and Immigration Minister Laura Albanese

Posted January 29, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Earlier this Sunday,  January 29th,  I spoke to the federal Minister of Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada, The Honourable Ahmed Hussen, and reiterated Ontario’s open door stance with respect to receiving immigrants and refugees from all countries, irrespective of race, ethnicity or faith.

Ontario’s economic and social strength is built on our traditions of openness and
diversity. Since December 2015, Ontario has received approximately 20,000 refugees, including over 16,000 refugees fleeing the Syrian crisis and the remainder coming from other countries across the globe. Continue reading →

Supporting More Travel Options, Improving Local Transit for Commuters and Families

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted January 27th, 2017 on Niagara At LargeJ

Ontario is boosting support for nearly 100 cities and towns across the province, providing them with reliable, long-term funding to improve and expand their local transit systems and offer more travel options for commuters and families.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

Premier Kathleen Wynne and Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca were at York Region Transit’s Richmond Hill facility today to announce the new investment.

The province has heard directly from people who are frustrated by their daily commute and from municipalities that are struggling to meet their transit needs. In response to these concerns, starting in 2019, Ontario will be increasing funding for local transit through an enhancement to the existing gas tax program, doubling the municipal share from two cents per litre to four cents by 2021. There will be no increase in the tax that people in Ontario pay on gasoline as a result of the enhancement to the program. Continue reading →

Statement from Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted January 27th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath issued the following statement.

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

“The needs of Toronto, and municipalities across the province, have been ignored for too long by Premier Wynne and her Liberal government.  New Democrats are proud to support  citizens groups and municipal leaders who have called on the Province to contribute its fair share when it comes to funding transit and transportation,  affordable housing for vulnerable Ontarians, and affordable and accessible childcare for working families.

While municipalities will no doubt find good use for additional gas tax revenue, they cannot wait until 2021 for support. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted January 27, 2016 on Niagara At Large

While so many of us are wondering what happened to winter this January, some may also recall the day winter swept eastward across Lake Erie, bombarding large swaths of Niagara and Western New York with an epic fury that claimed lives and had millions of people on lock down for the better part of a week.

This ambulance and the cars around them were not going anywhere – a typical scene on the highways and streets of Niagara and Western New York during the storm

It began on January 28th, 1977, on a Friday morning after many had already left home for school and work. Then sometime around 9 a.m., television and radio stations began broadcasting alerts fast and furious. There was a ferocious winter storm coming our way and everyone ought to go home or to anywhere where there is food and a warm place to ride the storm out – and do it as soon as possible.

Not everyone took the alerts as seriously as they should have. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Council of Canadians

Posted January 26th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Earlier this January, the Ontario government announced it would raise the fees that bottled water companies like Nestlé must pay to pump out millions of litres of groundwater every day. The new fee? One-fortieth of a penny per bottle. That is less than one cent per case!

Do you think the Ontario government is serious about protecting threatened aquifers? Neither do I.

We must keep the pressure on the Ontario government and show that we will not let it practically give water away – even in times of drought – to corporations like Nestlé that turn around and sell it for billions in profits. You can add your voice by sending a message to the Wynne government before January 31, the deadline for public comments. Continue reading →

“Words Matter, President Trump.” – from the Science and Security Board for the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists

Board Marks 70th Anniversary of Iconic Clock By Expressing Concern About “Unsettling” and “Ill-Considered” Statements of President Trump on Nuclear Weapons and Climate Change; Developments in North Korea, Russia, India and Pakistan Also Highlighted.

News from the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists, non-profit organization representing scientists around the world

Posted January 26th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Washington, D.C. –It is now two and a half minutes to midnight.

How much closer to midnight do we want to get?

 For the first time in the 70-year history of the Doomsday Clock, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists’ Science and Security Board has moved the hands of the iconic clock 30 seconds closer to midnight. In another first, the Board has decided to act, in part, based on the words of a single person:  Donald Trump, the new President of the United States. 

The decision to move the hands of the Doomsday Clock is made by the Science and Security Board of the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists in consultation with the Bulletin’s Board of Sponsors, which includes 15 Nobel Laureates.  The Science and Security Board’s full statement about the Clock is available online. Continue reading →

News from Brock University and the Niagara Community Observatory

Posted January 26th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Post-secondary schools like Niagara College and Brock University, an image from which is shown here, draw young people to Niagara. But what more can be done to keep them in the region after they graduate?

Contrary to popular belief, the population of 20-somethings in Niagara is increasing, so efforts to attract and keep young people in the region need to be extended to more age groups, new Brock University-led research shows.

Youth attraction initiatives in communities tend to focus on those in the 20-29 age bracket. However, the Niagara population of people in their 20s has actually grown over the past 15 years, says the latest Niagara Community Observatory brief, titled Growing Niagara: A closer look at Niagara’s aging population. Continue reading →

News from the Constituency Office of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

Posted January 26th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – This office has received calls regarding door to door sales reps for a water treatment company now in the Welland area. One 89 year old resident has ended up with equipment she never wanted and its now being removed at no cost after this office called the company in question.

Know your rights when you sign a contract at your door. Learn about avoiding common door-to-door scams for water treatment systems, gas and electricity marketers and water softeners. Continue reading →

A Brief One by Doug Draper

Posted January 26th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

In case you have not yet seen this one – it has gone viral around the world – here is a great message from the Netherlands to Trump (sorry,  but I have one helluva hard time punching in the word “President” in front of his name.

While so many people around the world, and in his own country, are having a hard time coming to terms with this presidency, a Netherlands TV network has put together a broadcast piece that speaks for itself.

Click on it here and watch –

Now what do you think. Share your views below.

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

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 binational 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

“Actions speak louder than words Mr. Annunziata, and it’s unfortunate that you perceive mine to be divisive when one of your first public statements in this new capacity is a letter designed to undermine the very legitimate concerns that I’ve brought forward on behalf of Niagara’s residents.” – Welland MPP Cindy Forster

From the Niagara, Ontario constituency office of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

To Mr. SandyAnnunziata, NPCA Chair:

Ontario MPP for the Niagara riding of Welland, Cindy Forster, who has recently called for a full investigation and audit of the NPCA’s operations

I’m writing to firstly congratulate you on your new position as Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and secondly, to thank you for sharing your lengthy perspective on recent developments with the NPCA in the region. Despite the confrontational nature of your press document, I’ll do my best to address some of your key concerns. 

I appreciate your relaying a verbose understanding of the term advocacy.  Given the many definitions you provide, it’s unfortunate that you overlook my responsibility as an elected Member of Provincial Parliament to ensure the voices in my community are heard. This responsibility includes working with countless individuals, advocates, community groups, municipalities, and fellow MPP’s across partisan lines to ensure advocacy translates into effective political action. Continue reading →

“This is ‘good news’, says Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau of Trump’s plans to forge ahead with the Keystone XL pipeline. “I’ve been on the record for many years supporting it because it leads to economic growth and good jobs for Alberta.” 

A Call-Out to Us All from Canada’s Green Party

Posted January 25th, 017 on Niagara At Large

Friend –

Trump isn’t wasting any time. The new US President has approved the Keystone XL and Dakota Access pipelines.

Remember Keystone XL? It’s the pipeline Justin Trudeau wants to build, and will move bitumen and toxic solvents from Alberta to refineries in the US. President Obama had rejected it, but now, thanks to Trump, it’s back from the dead. And Justin Trudeau’s Cabinet has reaffirmed their support for the project, right on the heels of approving the Kinder Morgan and Line 3 pipelines. Continue reading →

Welland MPP Cindy Forster and her “Supervisor” – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath – Served with ‘Letter of Warning’

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted January 24th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Well, the proverbial cat is out of the bag now.

St. Catharines regional councilor Brian Heit, now facing a lawsuit related to NPCA issues

Niagara At Large learned weeks ago from sources  that Brian Heit and Kelly Edgar – two regional councillors representing the Niagara municipality of St. Catharines – were being served with a lawsuit by a person named Bill Montgomery, who runs a Niagara-on-the-Lake marketing business.

But the information NAL received about the legal action was a bit sketchy at the time and, when contacted by this journalist, Heit and Edgar both said they had received legal advice not to make any comments for the record.

Not wanting to post anything that might do unwarranted damage to two public figures I have long had a good deal of respect for around their record of public service, I decided to temporarily set the matter aside while awaiting further information.

St. Catharines regional councilor Kelly Edgar, also now faces a lawsuit related to NPCA issues

I did so knowing that the day might come when members of the mainstream media caught wind of the legal action and published a story. And this Tuesday, January 24th, that happened with a front-page story in a St. Catharines area newspaper, The Standard, featuring a headline that reads – ‘NPC lawsuits piling up’ which, if you haven’t already, you can read by clicking on a link below.

The Standard story reports that Montgomery has launched a slander and defamation lawuit, not only against Heit and Edgar, but against Ed Smith, a St. Catharines resident and retired Canadian Forces officer who is already facing a $200,000 defamation lawsuit filed against him by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and its former CAO (now CAO for Niagara’s regional government) Carmen D’Angelo. Continue reading →

 An Invite from Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey, Federal MP for Niagara Centre, and Niagara College

Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster “stated that she has “heard from board members who say, ‘We’ve gone in a new direction to balance conservation with the economy.'”

The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s new Chair, Fort Erie regional councilor Sandy Annunziata

“I believe it is irresponsible for a member of the provincial legislature to marginalize the voices of other stakeholders. There are carpenters and trades people employed in the home building industry, skilled workers in manufacturing whose plant can’t expand, and farmers looking to maximize yields through expanding their land use.”

“MPP Forster is choosing to ignore their concerns and appears to listen only to those with an apparent singular agenda. In effect, she seems to be pandering to one special interest group, and only one. The NPCA will not do that.” – from a statement bye NPCA’s new Chair, Sandy Annunziata

A Statement fromSandy Annunziata, Fort Erie regional councillor and new chair of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Released by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and posted by Niagara At Large this January 23^rd, 2017

Welland, Ontario  – I will always appreciate the opportunity to engage in thoughtful discussion with our partners. Continue reading →

“Opponents suggest that the change will create … more full-time politicians (who would want “full-time wages”), attract partisans, and make local government less accountable and more out-of-touch from average citizens.” – from a commentary by Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

A Commentary by Dave Augustyn, Mayor of the Town of Pelham in Niagara, Ontario

Posted January 23rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Do you think we should elect more full-time politicians in Niagara?

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Should it be harder for people to represent the views of their neighbours? Or, should anyone be able to serve part-time on local Council and offer their experiences from a job or other activities?

People are asking these thoughtful questions about the “dual duty, ward Councillor” proposal for the City of St. Catharines and Niagara Regional Councils.

Currently, St. Catharines elects 12 part-time (Part T)ime City Councillors (two in each of six wards), and six part-time Regional Councillors (“at-large” across the City). City residents also elect a full-time (Full Time) Mayor who serves on both Councils. That’s 19 people (12 Part Time + 6 Part Time  +1 Full Time = 18 Part Time & 1 Full Time) representing citizens on the two Councils. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Linda McKellar, a Niagara resident and frequent contributor of commentary to Niagara At Large

Posted January 23rd, 2017

I refuse to listen to (Trump’s inaugural ceremonies) tripe.

Imagine how many great novels, documentaries and movies I can digest in four years! Thanks Donnie Boy.

Some of the estimated 3,000 people in Buffalo, New York who joined hundreds of people in Niagara, Ontario and some three million around the world in supporting a massive Women’s March on Washington, D.D.’s in the wake of Trump’s inauguration. Photo by Doug Draper

No man (nation) is an island. Although I’m against pipelines and fossil fuels, I wonder what Trump would do if Canada decided to build the pipeline through British Columbia and sell all of the bitumen to China, thus leaving the U.S. without access. Invade? Build a wall?

America can just tear more of its own land apart fracking for gas and digging for more coal. It can continue to destroying the lives of miners from black lung and mine collapses, rather than offer them job training in green alternatives.

Talk about regression. Continue reading →

NAFTA ‘has hurt people in all three countries (Canada, Mexico and the United States,” says Council of Canadians chairperson Maude Barlow. “We need a better deal, not a worse one.”

A Media Advisory from the Ottawa-based citizens group, Council of Canadians

Trump and other U.S. presidential candidates were greeted with many signs like this last year on the campaign trail.

President Trump is expected to sign an executive order today this January 23rd) to launch the renegotiation of NAFTA, having already signed one to withdraw from the Trans-Pacific Partnership. As an organization formed in response to the first free trade agreement with the U.S., the Council of Canadians is available for comment.

“NAFTA has needed renegotiation since before it was signed. It has hurt people in all three countries, and has resulted in larger inequality and corporate rights. Chapter 11 is a symbol of that,” says Maude Barlow, National Chairperson of the Council of Canadians. “But negotiating behind closed doors is not going to solve the problem. It will not give us a deal that puts the interests of people and communities before corporations. We need a better deal, not a worse one.” Continue reading →

News from Niagara, Ontario’s regional government

Posted January 23^rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region – Niagara Region Transit service has been extended. At its meeting on Jan. 19, 2017 Niagara Regional Council approved a motion to extend the Niagara Region Transit pilot program until the work of the Inter-municipal Transit Working Group and decisions on the consolidation of transit services in St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Welland are complete. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from the Sierra Club in Western New York

Posted January 23rd, 2017 on Niagara At LargeNIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space below the Brnie quote.

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 binational 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

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted January 23^rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Parks Police Chief Carl Scott retiring

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Having provided 40-years of dedicated and distinguished policing and community service to both The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) and the residents of Niagara Region, Niagara Parks Police Chief, Carl Scott announced his retirement from the Niagara Parks Police Service, effective May 31, 2017.

“We would like to thank Chief Scott for his proven leadership, years of service and commitment to both the Commission and the Niagara Parks Police Service”, stated Niagara Parks Chair, Janice Thomson. “Chief Scott’s passion and commitment to the Niagara Parks Police Service and all that it represents will be missed. We wish Chief Scott and his family all the best.” Continue reading →