Former Beatles Drummer Finally Gets A Full Measure Of The Respect He Deserves

A Brief High Five and a Peace Sign to Ringo from NAL reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted March 20th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Beatles fan that I am, I have to get just a little about this out there for all the other Beatles fans out there from age 77, right down to (yes, they are still buying the records) right down to the age of 16.

This first day of spring, March 20th, back in his home country of England, Ringo Starr – born Richard Starkey in Liverpool – was knighted by Prince William in a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace.

Ringo Starr, shortly after receiving his long-overdue knighthood this March 20th at Buckingham Palace in London, England

The 77-year-old musician received the honour 21 years after it was bestowed on Paul McCartney, the only other surviving member of one of the greatest rock bands in the world, The Beatles. Continue reading →

With a few words of wisdom from people of                 Irish descent

Posted this St. Patrick’s Day – Saturday, March 17^th – by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Let’s celebrate this St. Patrick’s Day weekend with a few good quotations for these sometimes strange and dark times –

“Those who are animated by hope can perform what would seem impossibilities to those who are under the depressing influence of fear.” – author Maria Edgeworth, 1804.

“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small portion of events, and in the total of all those acts will be written the history of this generation.” – the late U.S. Senator Robert F. Kennedy during an address to the University of Capetown, South Africa, 1966.

And finally, a message that makes a great deal of sense in these mad Trumpian times from the late American comedian and cultural critic George Carlin, who in one of his stand-up routines, once described himself as a person who “used to be Irish Catholic.” –

Continue reading →

Niagara Falls Illumination Board to take part in annual “Global Greening” campaign

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission and Niagara Falls Illumination Board

Posted March 15th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – In partnership with Tourism Ireland’s “Global Greening” campaign, the Niagara Falls Illumination Board will once again light up Niagara Falls in green on Saturday, March 17 in celebration of all things Irish, on St. Patrick’s Day.

Both the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls will be bathed with vibrant green light for 15-minute intervals at the top of the hour from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., joining numerous prominent world icons such as the Sydney Opera House, Empire State Building, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, the London Eye, the Colosseum in Rome and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, to name but a few. Continue reading →

Be There on Sunday, March 25^th for t 2:30 p.m. Matinee in  St.   Catharines/Niagara –

An Invite from Chorus Niagara

Posted March 15, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Jump on board the Chorus Niagara Transcontinental for a fun-filled choral excursion across Canada. Squid-jiggers, bronco-busters, pesky black flies and log-jammed lumberjacks tell their stories in song with lots of participation for both the young and the young-at-heart!

A Chorus Niagara first, this is an original new work, written and directed by Monica Dufault, Artistic Director of Carousel Players. Continue reading →

By Joan Baez (This piece, from The Wall Street Journal, was reprised on Readers Supported News on March 3^rd, 2018.)

Posted March 8^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper – At a time in this world when too much of what is swirling around us is oh so ugly, disturbing and dangerous, it should be comforting to know that we also still have great people around like Joan Baez, one folk singer in America who has lived and behaved courageously and heroically going back to earliest days as a civil rights and peace activist in the 1960s.

Joan Baez has just released a wonderful studio album called ‘Whistle Down the Wind’ which includes a song called ‘The President Sang Amazing Grace’ about the gunning down of a group of African Americans praying in a church in Charleston, South Carolina by a white supremacist in 2015 and then President Barack Obama singing Amazing Grace at the funeral ceremonies for the group.

Like a growing number of popular music icons from the 1960s and 70s, including Paul Simon and Elton John, Joan Baez has recently announce her decision to say farewell to the concert tour circuits. She has Toronto on her tour schedule this September, and I am hoping she will fit one more date in Buffalo, New York in before it is all over. If that happens and I am fortunate enough to get tickets, maybe I will see you there.

Joan Baez as she looked in the Sixties

I hope you find the following story Joan Baez tells about finding her voice as a pacifist as moving as I did, and as inspiring too.)

Joan Baez, 77, is a folk singer and guitarist who received a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2007. Her latest album is “Whistle Down the Wind” (Razor & Tie). She spoke with Marc Myers.

When I was 9, my father faced a moral dilemma. After getting his Ph.D. in physics, he took a job at Cornell University on a project to improve the bulletproof windows of fighter jets. But in the late 1940s, he wasn’t comfortable working for the defense industry, given the horrors of the atomic bomb. Continue reading →

An Invite from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted March 5th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – We are all vessels. Our bodies are carriers of knowledge. Our ways of life are ways of knowing.

Rodman Hall Art Centre invites the public to explore Indigenous ways of knowing through art during a special community event Wednesday, March 7.

Emma Beards, centre, is among several students from Soaring Eagles Indigenous Secondary School who will have artwork featured in a special exhibition, We Are All Vessels, at Rodman Hall Art Centre. Beards discusses her work with Rodman’s Art Installation Assistant Lauren Regier, left, and Associate Professor Peter Vietgen of Brock’s Faculty of Education.

Held in conjunction with local Indigenous organizations, the day includes a free workshop, live music, exhibit tours and a public talk by Tim Johnson, Artistic Producer of Celebration of Nations and Co-chair of Landscape of Nations: The Six Nations and Native Allies Commemorative Memorial. Continue reading →

‘Share your garden and show your pride in our neighborhoods and city.’

A Call-Out to Buffalo area gardeners from the volunteers at Garden Walk Buffalo

Posted March 5^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

In the backyard of a home during the 2017 Garden Walk in Buffalo. File photo by Doug Draper

(A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large – When so many of us have had more than enough of the winter cold and just want it to start getting warmer and greener outside, it is nice to get this call-out from an organization that hosts one of the nicest and most popular summer events of the year in our greater Niagara region. Here is a one for all of our Buffalo area friends and readers.)

Buffalo, New York – Garden Walk Buffalo invites gardeners from the Peace Bridge to Main Street and from Canalside to the Scajaquada to be part of the 2018 Garden Walk Buffalo, to be held Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Share your garden and show your pride in our neighborhoods and city.

Garden Walk Buffalo hosts the largest free garden tour in the country with 60,000+ visitors coming from all over the states, Canada, and even further abroad. It has an estimated economic impact of $4.5 million. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted March 4^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

“Sunrise doesn’t last all morning
A cloudburst doesn’t last all day
Seems my love is up
And has left you with no warning
But it’s not always going
To be this grey

All things must pass
All things must pass away”

– Lyrics by George Harrison, from All Things Must Pass

If you are old enough to remember seeing The Beatles make their North American television debut way back in February of 1964, here is another marker for how much time has slipped away since then.

The youngest member of that legendary foursome – George Harrison – would have turned 75 years old this winter, had he not died from cancer in November of 2001. Continue reading →

An invite from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara to Film Lovers, One and All

Posted February 27^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

The similarities are chilling. The topic, disturbingly timely.

DeKalb Elementary, a 21-minute American film about a gunman entering an Atlanta elementary school and encountering a compassionate employee, is set to be screened this week during the Brock University Film Series.

It’s one of five films nominated for the Academy Awards Best Live Action Short Film category, all five of which will be screened during the special BUFS Gala Oscar Night Wednesday, Feb. 28 at Landmark Cinemas starting at 7 p.m. Continue reading →

Be Part of the Audience – Saturday March 3, 2018 , 7:30 pm Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

News from Chorus Niagara in Niagara, Ontario

Posted February 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

CHORUS NIAGARA presents Johann Sebastian Bach’s magnum opus and the opera he never wrote, the monumental St.Matthew Passion.

Chorus Niagara is proud to present this towering masterpiece featuring two choirs, two orchestras and six soloists by a composer at the pinnacle of his creative powers. Patrons will experience a unique and innovative ‘semi-staged’ rendering of one history’s most trans-formative stories. Continue reading →

Posted February 15th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Make Ontario’s Niagara Parks Part of Your Family Day Getaway

• ·         Wild Ontario exhibit showcasing Ontario’s native species returns to the Butterfly Conservatory, starting Saturday, February 17, 2018
• ·         Witness the breathtaking formations and ice-coated landscape surrounding the “Frozen Falls”
• ·         Niagara Parks’ Heritage Team will be set up at Table Rock Centre with exciting, interactive displays highlighting Canadian history

Inside Niagara Park’s Butterfly Conservatory. You can enjoy a wonderful escape from the winter in here.

Niagara Falls, Ontario  – Over its short history, Family Day has quickly become the ideal time for a mid-winter escape to Niagara Parks.

With the start of Heritage Week celebrations coinciding with the holiday long weekend (Family Day and Presidents’ Day), allow Niagara Parks to provide the perfect combination of engaging historical programming, awe-inspiring natural attractions and mouth-watering, Feast On certified culinary experiences that will leave you wanting more. Niagara Parks truly has something for everyone: Continue reading →

‘Niagara Falls will be bathed in soft pink and red lights at the top of each hour for 15 minutes, throughout the evening                      on February 14, 2018’

An Invite to All from Ontario’s Niagara Parks  Commission

Posted February 5^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – From the warm, lush paradise of the Spring Show at the Floral Showhouse, to the incredible sight of the illuminated Falls from the dining room of our signature Elements on the Falls restaurant, Niagara Parks offers something for everyone this Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day Illumination

File photo of Niagara Falls illuminated for Valentines Day courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission

Niagara Falls will be bathed in soft pink and red lights at the top of each hour for 15 minutes, throughout the evening on February 14, 2018 beginning at 7 p.m., providing the ultimate backdrop for couples celebrating this romantic holiday. The Valentine’s Day illumination is in addition to the regular nightly illumination of the Falls, which takes place from 6:30 p.m. to midnight that evening. Continue reading →

Thursday, February 15th at 7 p.m. in Buffalo, New York

Posted January 31th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York –  Since forming in 2017, the UB faculty jazz professors (aka Buffalo’s premiere jazz musicians) have been presenting clinics and concerts at high schools around town in Clarence, Williamsville, Amherst, and City Honors in Buffalo.

In February the Quartet – Bobby Militello, saxophone /flute; George Caldwell, Piano;  Sabu Adeyola, contra-bass; John Bacon, drums –  will play in concert for the general public.

Location: 836 Main Street – Scientology Building

Date: Thursday, February 15

Time: 7 pm

Admission:  $10. donation at door goes directly to the musicians

Buffalo Music Hall of Fame inductee, Militello and Grammy Award winning, pianists, ‘Best Large Jazz Ensemble Performance,’ Caldwell also serve as artistic directors for the Buffalo Jazz Collective .

For inquiries about the UB jazz concert program contact: George Caldwell –  gocaldwe@buffalo.edu / 917-318-6922

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 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

‘Get your motor runnin, head out on the highway.’

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted January 29th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

I was at a birthday party for one of my high school classmates in 1968 where we were each received a gift of thanks for attending.

I can’t remember what I was given but a friend of mine got a copy of record album with a five pretty wild and hairy looking guys on the cover.

The album was called ‘Steppenwolf’, which was also the name of the band  responsible for the 11 tracks of music inside, and of a very popular novel at the time by German author Hermann Hesse that this Canadian-based – previously known as ‘The Sparrows’ – renamed itself after. Continue reading →

News from Brock University in St. Catharines, Niagara, Ontario

Posted January 12^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Scott Henderson is equal parts movie buff and Oscar prognosticator.

As a film professor at Brock University, Henderson is one of the faces behind the Brock University Film Series, which kicks off its 2018 season at the Pen Centre’s Landmark Cinemas on Wednesday, Jan. 17.

For more than 40 years, Brock’s Department of Communication, Popular Culture and Film has hosted the film series to bring some of the best in international, independent and Canadian cinema to St. Catharines.

Now part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Film Circuit, the selection committee of professors Henderson, Anthony Kinik, Liz Clarke and Peter Lester has access to many of the most hyped films during award season. Continue reading →

Let’s All Make A New Years Pledge for 2018 to Keep Record Stores Alive

By Doug Draper

Posted December 22^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Canada and countless others around the world said goodbye in 2017 to one of its favourite musical sons, and a true advocate for social justice and environmental protection, Gord Downie.

For those of us – young and old – who are fans of pop music going back to the first records of Elvis, Chuck Berry and The Beatles, 2017 was another year of sad goodbyes to some of the giants in the world of rock and soul and folk and blues and jazz, and everything in between.

The goodbyes started with the one and only Chuck Berry and  another one of rock’s pioneers, Fat Domino, and continued with the legendary likes of Gregg Allman of Allman Brothers fame, Allman Brother co-founder and drummer Butch Trucks, Glen Campbell, J. Geils, one half of Steely Dan’s brilliant music makers, Walter Becker, soul-singing sensation and late comer to stardom, Charles Bradley, and (I still can’t believe this next guy left us before I was ever able to get my hands on one of those always hard to get tickets to see him in concert) Tom Petty – just to name a few

Greg Allman, co=founder of the legendary Allman Brothers Band, left us in 2017 with one last great recording out of the just as legendary Muscle Shoals studios called ‘Southern Blood’.

On the Canadian side of the ‘rock and roll heaven’ ledger, 2017 goes down as the year millions of us mourned the news we all knew was coming when Tragically Hip front man and national treasure Gord Downie succumbed to brain cancer. Canadian music fans also said goodbye to April Wine bassist Steve Lang and, for those of us who got into the habit, starting in the late 1960s and early 1970s, of going to a Lighthouse concert whenever that band was booked to take a stage anywhere within driving distance, we lost its co-founder and one of the world’s greater drummers, Skip Prokop. Continue reading →

News from the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario

Posted December 21^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario  – Now in its 13^th year, the Shaw Festival Film Series begins Saturday, December 23 at the Festival Theatre (10 Queen’s Parade). The weekly screenings of celebrated films and documentaries continues until February 17. All proceeds from this annual event benefit the Shaw Festival.

The nine feature films scheduled every Saturday at 3 p.m. (doors open at 1:30 p.m.), beginning December 23 until February 17: Continue reading →

·         Annual New Year’s Eve celebration to include all Canadian musical line-up

·         Two spectacular fireworks shows are planned from the Niagara Gorge and Skylon Tower

An Invite from Ontario’s Niagara Parks and the City of Niagara Falls

Posted December 19th, 10`7 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission and the City of Niagara Falls, along with its Niagara Falls New Year’s Eve event partners, invite the public to join the celebrations and be part of one of Canada’s longest running New Year’s Eve festivities and concert series, taking place in Queen Victoria Park.

Photo courtesy of the Niagara Parks Commission in Niagara Falls, Ontario

This year’s concert features an all-star lineup of Canadian talent and will open with two artists who have been making their mark on both the Canadian and American country music scenes, as two-time country pop female vocalist of the year, Jess Moskaluke and emerging country stars, James Barker Band, take the stage. Continue reading →

A Brief Memory and Tribute by Doug Draper

Posted December 10^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Sittin’ in the mornin’ sun, sittin’ till the evenin’ comes. Watchin’ the ships roll in, and then I’ll watch them roll away again.”

How many times have you found your mind drifting off to that dock of the bay with that oh, so plaintive, soulful voice of Otis Redding and the understated beauty of Steve Cropper ‘s guitar and Donald ‘Duck’ Dunn’s bass riffs serenading away in the background?

It was 50 years ago this December 7^th that Otis Redding finished recording that song, which he wrote with a little assistance from Steve Cropper (a friend and producer of his from Booker T. and the MGs fame), and just three days later – on December 10, 1967 – Otis died in a plane crash on his way to a show in Madison, Wisconsin. He was only 26 years old. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Niagara Anti-Racism Coalition, Development and Peace and the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara

Posted December 8^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – If you decide to do so, you will feel compelled to join with others, including Jews, Muslims and Christians, in striving for a truly just and lasting peace in Palestine and Israel, a peace that has been elusive for 69 years and more.  

Produced and directed by Leila Sansour, a Christian Palestinian,  OPEN BETHLEHEM is “a story of a homecoming to the world’s most famous little town… While personal, it charts the creation of a campaign to compel international action to bring peace to the Middle East”.  Please see the poster for show details. Also visit  http://www.openbethlehem.org/the-film.html 

Open Bethlehem is being promoted by the Niagara Anti-Racism Coalition, Development and Peace and the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara

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 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 Call-Out to You from Brock University and the Rodman Hall Coalition

Posted November 28th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Rodman Hall in St. Catharines/Niagara, Ontario. Join the discussion on planning its future.

Niagara, Ontario – Brock University and the Rodman Hall Coalition are taking steps to gather public input about the future direction of Rodman Hall Art Centre, as well as identify partners who might participate in the future operation of the museum and art facility.

The Rodman Hall Coalition was created in 2016, to bring diverse community input on the future of Rodman Hall. Its 12 volunteer members include community leaders, arts professionals, Brock staff and administration, and members of the Rodman Hall Advisory Board and Brock’s Board of Trustees. The Coalition is chaired by Brock alumnus Tom Goldspink, a former University Trustee and current member of the Rodman Hall Advisory Board. Continue reading →

Call for Entries is out now!

A News Release from the Organizers of Garden Walk Buffalo

Posted November 28^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – If you are anything like me and you prefer spring and summer to the long, cold days of winter that are coming on, here is one way for at least one way at least those of us with artistic talent can find a little escape.

The winning submission that turned out to be the great promotional poster for Garden Walk Buffalo in 2016

Garden Walk Buffalo is without doubt one of the annual highlights of summer in our greater Niagara region and the organizers of this popular event are already making their call on artists across the region for submissions of original artwork to promote the Garden Walk in 2018.

So here is the detailed information on submitting artwork, posted immediately below, along with some great information and a video on the Garden Walk. NAL is always pleased to help promote events like this, organized by dedicated community volunteers to make our towns and cities better places for all of us to live in.)

Buffalo, New York – Garden Walk Buffalo is looking for submissions of original artwork to promote the 2018 event, which will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 28 and 29, 2018. This is an opportunity to share your artwork with hundreds of local gardeners and thousands of visitors. Continue reading →

“She (Diana Krall) has been so great to work with, you could almost forget her status in the music world.” – Brock Fine Arts assistant professor Amy Friend

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted November 6th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – When the e-mail popped into Amy Friend’s inbox, she was certain it couldn’t be real.

But a feeling inside prompted the Brock Fine Arts assistant professor to respond to the inquiry, which asked about her artwork and whether she’d consider collaborating with renowned Canadian musician Diana Krall.

It was soon after that Friend found herself on the phone with the Grammy Award winner discussing possibilities for her upcoming tour.

The artwork of Brock Fine Arts Assistant Professor Amy Friend, a sample of which is flashed across the stage here, is being featured on the international tour of renowned Canadian musician Diana Krall.

 Friend’s experimental photography has since helped Krall to set the scene on stage, acting as her backdrop as she captivates crowds in venues across North America and Europe. Friend’s work has been featured on the jazz singer’s international tour since June and the partnership is expected to continue through to the summer. Continue reading →

THE TRAGICALLY HIP: LONG TIME RUNNING Finally Comes to the U.S. for One Week Only! – November 3rd thru November 9th, 9:30 p.m. each night (or a little after)

A Brief Foreword by Doug Draper, publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted November 3^rd, 2017

The tickets for the week-long run of this moving documentary on last year’s Farewell Tour of Gord Downie and The Tragicaally Hip have been selling out rapidly, with only a limted number left for the week nights next week, according to one of the North Park Theatre’s managers. Continue reading →

By Doug Draper

Posted October 30^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“I won’t back down. No, I won’t back down. You can stand me up at the gates of hell, but I won’t back down.” – Tom Petty, from his 1989 anthem of defiance, ‘I Won’t Back Down’.

I was up on the roof of a shed in my backyard, laying shingles this past October 2nd, when I first heard the news blaring from a radio I had on below – ‘Tom Petty found dead, apparently from a massive cardiac arrest, at age 66.

That was four weeks ago and Tom Petty would have turned 67 had he lived to celebrate his birthday this October 20^th, and as much as I am reminded of the reality of what happened with a cover of a recent Rolling Stone magazine sitting on my desk, with a picture of him staring back at me under the dates 1950 to 2017, I’m still trying to come to terms with the fact that one of my all-time favourite recording artists going back to the time when Petty and I – about the same age and sitting in our separate family homes, his in Gainesville, Florida and mine in Welland, Ontario – first saw The Beatles performing live, on a television show in North America. Continue reading →

News from the City of St. Catharines

 Posted October 20^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario  – The City of St. Catharines recognized 13 properties with real curb appeal at the 2017 Trillium Awards.   During a special reception at City Hall on Monday, Oct. 16, Mayor Walter Sendzik and members of City Council congratulated this year’s Trillium Award recipients.

Mayor Beautification Award – 125 Vansickle Rd. Photo courtesy of City of St. Catharines

“Thank you to all of the nominees who work hard caring for their gardens and properties to make our city a more beautiful place to be,” said Mayor Sendzik. “St. Catharines residents take great pride in our reputation as the Garden City which contributes to making St. Catharines a more green and sustainable place to live.”   Continue reading →

A Few Words of Tribute from Niagara, Ontario resident and long-time public servant and Tragically Hip fan Patrick Robson

Posted October 20^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Gord Downie, during a Tragically Hip concert at Artpark in Lewiston, New York in 2009, File Photo courtesy  of Kelly Robson

Canadians from coast to coast, Canadian ex-pats across the globe, and music fans everywhere  who were fortunate enough to be touched by the poetry and passion of the Tragically Hip, were collectively and deeply saddened to learn of the passing of the band’s frontman, Gord Downie.

Privately, his family has our thoughts and prayers as they deal with their profound sense of loss. Canada’s  Prime Minister, expressing the sentiment felt by millions, wept openly and unashamedly.

Gord was a giant in Canadian music, to be sure. But far more than that, he was a giant as a Canadian citizen. Continue reading →

         – 1964-2017 –

A Brief One from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted October 19^th, 2017

When news broke, this Wednesday, 2017^th of the death of Canadian  musician, poet and activist Gord Downie at age 53, Niagara at Large posted a short piece in tribute that you can visit by clicking on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2017/10/18/heres-to-you-a-great-canadian-and-humanitarian-gord-downie-rest-in-peace/ .

On the front pages of a few major Canadian newspapers this October 19^th,  there was an image of an illustration by artist Jeff Lemire, who worked on the drawings and animation for Gord Downie on a project the Tragically Hip frontman completed last year called Secret Path, recounting the tragic story of a young Indigenous boy , Channie Wenjack, who in October of 1966, died of cold and hunger as he tried walking hundreds of miles along railroad tracks to get home to his family from a residential school where he was taken and kept like a concentration camp prisoner.

Jeff Lemire took the image he had drawn of the young  boy on the tracks for the Secret Path project and replaced  him with Gord Downie walking away from  us, as one way of  honouring him following his death. This moving image has been posted by the artist on Facebook, and  if you are a fan of Gord Downie and have not yet seen it, I am reposting it here.

Further to that, Gord Downie was a vocal advocate for environmental protection and a long-time supporter  who also sat on the board of  the b-inational citizens group Lake Ontario Waterkeeper.

This October 18^th, Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, a sister group of Lake Ontario Waterkeeper, posted the following words –

‘All of us at Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper are saddened by the loss of Gord Downie of The Tragically Hip. Gord was not only a beloved artist here in Western New York, but also served as a Trustee for our partners at Lake Ontario Waterkeeper. On October 3, 2013, Gord headlined a night of acoustic performance and poetry to benefit our organization’s mission. We will never forget that amazing evening, nor the artistry of this talented and passionate human being. Thank you, Gord, for sharing your life and art with the world. You will be greatly missed.’

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 One from Doug Draper

Posted October 18^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Since first hearing the sad news last year that Gord Downie was diagnosed with terminal  brain cancer, we all new this day was coming – Gord Downie dies this Tuesday, October 17^th, at age 53.

One’s mind almost immediately flashes  back to that last heroic cross-country tour he and the Hip went on last summer – what Gord and all his friends and and fans knew at the time was a farewell tout – and here in Niagara, to the thousands of people who packed  the Meridian Centre in St. Catharines on August 18^th, 2017 to view the last show, fed in on giant screens from the band’s hometown in Kingston, Ontario.

I recall being across the border in Buffalo, New York earlier that August day, visiting a few of my favourite haunts, including my friends at Record Theatre where they were playing a bit of Tragically Hip music on the intercom, and I was blown away with how many people said they were going to gather at places in that city where that were going to offer live feeds of the show, to celebrate the band and its front man in concert one last time.

Justin Trudeau, just another of millions of Tragically Hip fans at the last show of the Farewell Tour in Kingston, Ontario on August 18th, 2017

Justin Trudeau, just another of millions of Tragically Hip fans at the last show of the Farewell Tour in Kingston, Ontario on August 18th, 2017Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and a fan of Gord Downie and the Hip who was in that huge  audience in Kingston, Ontario for that last show, could barely keep it together as he spoke about the passing of Gord Downie this October 18th morning in Ottawa – “He loved this country with everything he had … and he  knew that, as great as we are, he wanted to make it better … We are less as a country without Gord Downie in it.”

Amen.

NAL will have more on Gord Downie later. Share your thoughts.

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

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 Guest Column from Niagara heritage advocate Pamela Minns

Posted  October 18^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – In the world of HERITAGE, the Prince of Wales Prize is the Academy Award – it is the Oscar of all awards, and for 2017 the City of Thorold has been given this honour.

The revitalization of downtown Thorold has received national attention and 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.

It is delivered through the National Trust for Canada, and we have been informed that “the independent awards jury was unanimous in its decision to honour Thorold for its long standing commitment to heritage policies and programs that help preserve and celebrate its rich industrial history”.  Continue reading →

News from CHORUS NIAGARA, the Niagara region’s premier 100-voice symphonic ensemble.

Posted October 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Honour the immense courage of individuals on all sides of war with the premiere of this deeply moving new commission by Ontario composer Allan Bevan. The power, passion and poignancy of human conflict are illuminated by chorus, soloists, narrators and orchestra. 

Chorus Niagara presents this dramatic musical work set on the battlefields and the home-front.  Captivating lyrics, drawn from the art of the day and sensitive musical expression explore the psychological and emotional devastation of the ordinary people caught up in the Great War.

London, Ontario composer Allan Bevan is widely recognized for the beauty, intensity, and craftsmanship of his choral music. His work has garnered many awards and have been performed and commissioned by many noteworthy choruses including Chorus Niagara, the Vancouver Chamber Choir, and Pro Coro Canada. He holds graduate degrees in music from the University of Alberta, and the University of Calgary, and he is an Associate Composer of the Canadian Music Centre. Dr. Bevan has approximately sixty compositions in print primarily in the catalogues of the Vancouver-area publishers Cypress Choral Music, and Classica Music Publishers. Learn more about Allan Bevan HERE

Continue reading →

 An Invite to All from the City of St. Catharines in Niagara, Ontario

Posted October 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

 Thanksgiving weekend offers one last long weekend to take a spin on the carousel at Lakeside Park or explore the historic grist mill at Decew Falls.

The iconic Lakeside Park Carousel has been enchanting all kids at heart for generations

Residents can enjoy the Lakeside Park Carousel from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. this weekend. The carousel closes for the season at 6 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 9. Visit http://www.stcatharines.ca/Carousel for more information. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted October 4rth, 2017 on Niagara At Large

• Enjoy vibrant fall foliage on full display throughout Niagara Parks, including the spectacular Niagara Glen
• Rogers Hometown Hockey to kick off season with live broadcast in Queen Victoria Park
• Holiday Menu and Thanksgiving Brunch at Niagara Parks restaurants
• Special fall promotions at Niagara Parks Golf Courses

Niagara Falls, Ontario  – Niagara Parks will be offering something for everyone this Thanksgiving weekend, including a two-day celebration of Canada’s national game as the Rogers Hometown Hockey Tour launches their season in Queen Victoria Park on Saturday, October 7 and Sunday, October 8.

Countless visitors take in the Autumn colours in Niagara Parks’ Dufferin Islands above the Falls. Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission

Vibrant Fall Colours Transform Niagara Parks
Celebrate the transition to fall in Niagara as you tour the Niagara River Recreation Trail along the Niagara River and enjoy breathtaking views complemented by the bold red, orange and gold hues and fall chrysanthemums that surround you. Plan a hike throughout the over four kilometres of trails that comprise the Niagara Glen, which will offer the perfect fall scene of changing leaves overlooking the incredible Niagara River and Whirlpool below. Visit the Niagara Glen Nature Centre or the Whirlpool Aero Car for an unforgettable, panoramic view of the fall colours within the Niagara Gorge. Please visit http://www.niagaraparks.com for more information. Continue reading →

Book will be officially launched Tuesday, October 3rd, 2017 at Thorold City Council following the council meeting’s 6:30 p.m. commencement

 Here is a summary of the book – ‘Where the Beavers Built Their Dams (Heritage Thorold, 2017)’ – by Sarah King Head

 Posted October 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

 As a historian over the past 30-odd years, I’ve developed a pretty good sense for unearthing and giving voice to historical narratives that lie hidden – often within plain sight.

Take for example the Beaverdams area in Thorold. Everyone knows the quaint little island community has got a lot of history – especially with 185-year old Beaverdams Church as its backdrop – but aspects of its deeper history have been obscured by profound transformations to the landscape over the past two centuries. Continue reading →

Rededication event celebrates the extensive rehabilitation work undertaken at Oakes Garden Theatre

80th Anniversary celebrations include special Canadian citizenship ceremony

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted September 19^th on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – In a ceremony held today, The Niagara Parks Commission was pleased to rededicate the awe-inspiring amphitheatre, Oakes Garden Theatre, in celebration of the venue’s 80th anniversary.

Oakes Garden Theatre near the Falls. Photos courtesy of Niagara Parks

Oakes Garden Theatre and its associated Rainbow Gardens are outstanding examples of design and architecture created to specifically act as a dramatic gateway to Canada. Influenced by the City Beautiful architectural movement of the mid-20th century, the venue was first opened to the public with an original dedication ceremony held on September 18, 1937. Continue reading →

A nod to something REALLY GOOD that happened in Niagara this past week

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted September 15th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

With all of the crap that rained down on our heads this past week around the God-awful Niagara Peninsula Development Authority (or was that once the Conservation Authority?) and regional council, it does one’ body and soul well to recall that we had legendary Canadian singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie, in our midst, if only for a few precious days.

Buffy Sainte-Marie injected some welcome words of wisdom, strength and inspiration into the Niagara scene this last September 8-10 weekend, and we sure needed them.

Here all the way from her haven of a home in Hawaii, Buffy was at Niagara’s FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines this past September 8th and 9th for the weekend-long ‘Celebration of Nations’ with friends and neighbours from this great continent’s Indigenous communities.

On the opening night of the Celebration, the Juno, Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning artist performed in concern at the Arts Centre and the following afternoon she joined a panel discussion with Canadian dancer Santee Smith,   Allison Fisher, executive director of Ottawa’s Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, and artist Denise Bolduc, recipient of the 2017 Ontario Arts Council Indigenous Award, in a ‘Moccasins Talk’ on activism, resistance and resilience. Continue reading →

Hamilton, Ontario native was one of Canada’s musical treasures

A Few Words of Tribute from a fan, Doug Draper

Posted September 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

For many people coming of age in the late 1960s and 1970s, one of the must see bands of the times was ‘Lighthouse’ – especially if you were a young Canadian in a country that seemed to be coming of age itself in the afterglow of centennial celebrations that saw the whole world coming to one of the greatest parties of the century, Expo 67.

Skip Prokop laying down the beat for the Canadian rock ensemble Lighthouse. The Hamilton native who earned international acclaim and recoded with such legends as Janis Joplin and Carlos Santana has left us at the age 73.

This Canadian saw Lighthouse in concert more than half a dozen – almost as many times as I saw The Guess Who, another band that rose to the same level of a musical institution in Canada during those years . Continue reading →

‘Hundreds of people said they no longer listen to Radio One, while other said they turn the radio off as soon as they hear one of the selfie-like programs.’

A Commentary by  Nick Fillmore

Posted September 7th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Hmmm … then why are people turning it off ?

(A Brief Foreword Note from Nick – Because I worked with CBC for more than 25 years and have great loyalty to quality public broadcasting, I regret that I need to take CBC Radio One management to task in an aggressive manner. But when considerable damage is being done to the network and managers refuse to answer basic questions, I feel I have no alternative.)

Long-time CBC Radio One listeners upset over summer programming that featured a dozen shows about personal concerns and peoples’ problems will be listening carefully this fall to see how many of those kinds of programs are in the line-up. Continue reading →

Let’s gather to learn about and celebrate our shared history, and future. 

An Invite to All from Niagara’s FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

Posted September 6^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – “We’re thrilled to partner with the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre,” said Kakekalanicks president and Artistic Director Michele-Elise Burnett (Métis).

Legendary singer/songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie among Celebration of Nations event headliners

“The great Métis leader Louis Riel once said, ‘My people will sleep for one hundred years, but when they awake, it will be the artists who give them their spirit back.’

Through the Celebrations of Nations programming delivered at this state-of-the-art venue, we’re doing our best to make that vision come true.”   Celebration of Nations will showcase a variety of Indigenous arts and artists, ranging from traditional and contemporary music, dance and visual arts to film screenings, creative workshops, teaching, and hands-on activities for both children and adults. Continue reading →

• Laura Secord Homestead to host new literary speaker series, beginning on September 7th

• Series will highlight outstanding Canadian female authors and their contributions to Canadian literature

• Wine and cheese events will feature lectures, passage readings and open discussion

Laura Secord Homestead

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

September 6th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queenston in Niagara, Ontario  – The Niagara Parks Commission is pleased to announce a new four-part literary speaker series, Coast to Coast: Canada’s Literary Women, in celebration of Canada’s 150^th anniversary and the multitude of unique and extraordinarily talented, female literary voices found within this country. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from Brock University in St. Catharines

Posted September 6th on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Before Suzanne Rochon-Burnett passed away, she asked that her daughter Michele-Elise take over where she had left off.

Suzanne Rochon-Burnett. Photo courtesy of Brock University

“She gave me instructions for her art,” said Michele-Elise Burnett. “She said, ‘you’ve been fortunate to see and know this art, but it will be your responsibility to continue to share the knowledge, the teachings and the messages that are being told through our people’s art.’” Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted September 4^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Learn to work the saxophone
I play just what I feel
Drink Scotch whiskey all night long
And die behind the wheel
They got a name for the winners in the world
I want a name when I lose
They call Alabama the Crimson Tide
Call me Deacon Blues.”

–       From the song Deacon Blues, written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen and featured on Steely Dan’s 1977 album Aja

The lyrics of that song haunted me the first time I heard them while away at university in Windsor, Ontario, and they haunt me still.

Walter Becker, guitarist, Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, cofounder of the rock/jazz fusion group Steely Dan, and co-writer of that song and so many others, from Do It Again, Reeling In The Years, Rikki Don’t Lose That Number, Kid Charlemagne and Peg, died this September 3^rd at age 67.

His musical legacy lives on.

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

If Vinyl Records can make a  big comeback, so can Record Theatre

A News Commentary by NAL publisher Doug Draper

Posted August 28th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

‘If Record Theatre didn’t exist, someone among us would have to invent it’

In the days leading up to the closing of Record Theatre in Buffalo, New York this past Sunday, August 27th, I found myself growing angry with all of the ‘it’s-the-end-of-an-era’ clichés being served up in stories about the store by the mainstream media.

‘End is near for the iconic Record Theatre,’ was the way The Buffalo News put it in a header for a story it ran on its business pages five days before the closing what the newspaper went on to report was “touted the ‘World’s Largest Record Store’ … when it opened in 1976.”

People still picking up some music hours beforeRecord Theatre’s doors close – hopefully not forever or for long – on Sunday, August 27th

Then there were all the pat lines coming out of talking heads on Buffalo area news networks about how time has passed places like Record Theatre behind because most people are cherry picking their music from online pirates who (and the corporate owned networks won’t necessarily tell you this) have done their bit to destroy music as an art form and to rip off the artists who make it. Continue reading →

 Indigenous 150+ Offers All Ages A PWYC – Pay What You Can – Film Screening  

Don’t Miss It at Seneca Queen Theatre on 4624 Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario. Doors Open 6:30 p.m., Screening begins at 7 p.m.

Parking is complimentary in the Niagara Municipal lot in behind the theatre; with complimentary street parking also available during the evening after 5 p.m./ramps and wheelchair accessible washrooms are available.   Continue reading →

‘I’ve witnessed a lot of disasters at the CBC over more than 40 years in journalism, but what’s happening now in radio is the worst I’ve ever seen. Senior managers must be held accountable.’ – Veteran Canadian journalist Nick Fillmore

A Commentary from Nick Fillmore

Posted August 24th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

During CBC Radio’s 81 years  the public broadcaster has been the country’s most important life-line, unifying the nation and helping us understand each other and the important issues of the day.

I am lucky to have worked at the CBC for more than 25 years. I held several positions, including Canadian Editor of The National, working as an investigative journalist, as a radio documentary producer, and as an editor with National Radio News.

Today CBC Radio is more important than ever. With newspapers failing to do their job, journalism in Canada is in crisis. Media organizations are failing to provide communities with news and analysis that is necessary for democracy to function properly. Continue reading →

Don’t Miss It! – Indigenous 150+ Offers All Ages A Pwyc – Pay What You Can – Film Screening   in Niagara Falls, Ontario 

• Wednesday, August 30th at Seneca Queen Theatre on 4624 Queen Street in downtown Niagara Falls, Ontario. Doors Open 6:30 p.m., Screening begins at 7 p.m.
  

  Branden Emmerson, water protector at Standing Rock camp in North Dakota during heroic struggle to block Dakota Access Pipeline

• Branden Emmerson, a Niagara area resident and water protector who spend more than five months at Standing Rock, will be in attendance. 
• Traditional Opening and Welcome from Senator Garry Laframboise, Métis Nation of Ontario
• Phil Davis of Six Nations Mohawk Turtle Clan, drum keeper for the Ohniakara Singers

 A Q&A panel to date – Moderator: Kanadoha (Jennifer) Dockstader, Oneida of the Thames, Bear Clan, Executive Director, Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre (FENFC)

– Also featuring Brendan Emmerson, Niagara area resident and water protector who spent months at the Standing Rock camp in North Dakota to block construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline Continue reading →

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted August 21tth, 2017 on Niagara At Large

 Niagara Falls, Ontario  – This August 18th, The Niagara Parks Commission officially launched its new pollinator exhibit, Saving the Pollinators; Our World Depends on It, at the Butterfly Conservatory with an announcement and unveiling led by Niagara Parks Chair, Janice Thomson.

Niagara area high school students work with Niagara Parks staff in 2016 to create a haven for bees in a pollinator garden behind Niagara Parks’ Butterlly Conservatory. File photo by Doug Draper

At this new bilingual exhibit, visitors can learn more about Ontario’s pollinating species, from bees to hummingbirds, who, despite their small size, play a major role in maintaining our environment.

The exhibit will educate visitors on the different types of pollinators and their habitats, as well as spread awareness regarding the risks of pollination decline and how citizens can make a difference in protecting and preserving natural habitats so that pollinators can flourish and continue their important work. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted August 20^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario  – The Niagara Parks Commission will host a solar eclipse viewing event at the new Niagara Glen Nature Centre on Monday, August 21th from 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.

Join us at the Niagara Glen to view the solar eclipse from our recently unveiled Niagara Glen Nature Centre.

The event will include guided viewing tours with special protective glasses, as well as crafts for kids and light refreshments, all with a panoramic view of the Niagara River under the darkened sky caused by the eclipse. Continue reading →

The Day the King of Rock & Roll – Elvis Aaron Presley – Died

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted August 16^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

I was a child of the 1960s myself, which meant I lived my teen years on a heavy diet of Beatles, Rolling Stones, The Who, The Kinks, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix, Canada’s own Guess Who and Sly and the Family Stone,  just to mention a few.

Elvis Presley, as he appeared on his 1968, now legendary ‘Comeback Special’ on NBC TV

I was still a year away from starting kindergarten when Elvis Presley entered Sam Phillip’s Sun Records studio in Memphis and began covering songs written mostly by black artists, and played a major role in introducing a new music called Rock & Roll to millions of young people across North America and had their parents shaking in fear with songs like That’s All Right (Mama), Good Rockin’ Tonight, Hound Dog, Don’t Be Cruel and All Shook Up.

Except for one brief and shining moment in 1968, when Elvis appeared on television for an hour in what would from then on be known as his ‘Comeback Special’, all those crappy movies his money-grubbing manager, “Colonel” (no evidence he ever was a real colonel) Tom Parker, had forced him to do through the early years of the decade, made him pretty uncool for someone like me who saving up my lunch money for the next Cream album and identifying myself with the Woodstock generation. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from Dave Thomas, chair of the Canada-Cuban Friendship Association in Niagara, Ontario

Posted August 14th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Fort Erie, Ontario – The Canadian-Cuban Friendship Association (CCFA) of Niagara invites local residents to celebrate friendship between Canada and Cuba with a BBQ, music and meet members of Cuba’s diplomatic mission to Canada. Toronto Consul of Cuba, Susana Malmierca, husband, Ramon Ramirez, also Consul of Cuba, Ingrid Izquierdo, husband Yuris Palacio and their families have been invited as special guests.

This event will take place Sunday, August 20th, 2:00 until 6:00 P.M. at the Niagara Parks Commission pavilion at Old Fort Erie. In honour of our guests and symbolic of Canada-Cuba friendship the Cuban flag will be raised beside the flag of Canada for the day. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted August 9th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Galveston, oh Galveston, I am so afraid of dying,
Before I dry the tears she’s crying,
Before I watch your sea birds flying in the sun, at Galveston, at Galveston.”       – from the 1969 song, Galveston, written by Jimmy Webb and performed by Glen Campbell

Many people under the age of 40 probably don’t have a clue who Glen Campbell is, and that is understandable.

Long gone are most of the radio stations that devoted 24/7 to playing the songs climbing up and down the Billboard charts and that made recording artists like Campbell a superstar in the golden era of 1960s and 70s pop.

Glen Campbell, who died this August 8th at – believe it or not, for all of those who remember what, for so very long, seemed like that everlasting boyish face – age 81, gained fame as a solo artists with beautifully crafted, country-tinged pop songs like ‘Gentle on My Mind’, ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’, ‘Wichita Lineman’ and ‘Galveston’ at a time when, in 1967 and 1968, LSD-soaked rockers by artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Jefferson Airplane and The Doors where the rage. Continue reading →

A Live Concert – Saturday, August 2017 – overlooking the waters of Niagara Falls

“What can be more fascinating, and, in this case more entertaining, than coming to an awareness of the Indigenous influences in the development of North American popular music. It’s the hot FREE event of the summer season.” – Michele-Elise Burnett, artistic director of Celebration of Nations

An Invite from Ontario’s Niagara Parks and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre

Posted August 8^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Parks’ Oakes Garden area with the American and Horseshoe Falls in the background

Niagara Falls, Ontario – “RUMBLE: The Indians Who Rocked the World” presents RUMBLE AT THE FALLS, offered by Rezolution Pictures in association with the Niagara Parks Commission and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre.

This signature live concert event will be held Saturday, August 19, 2017, 7:30 PM, at Niagara Parks’ Oakes Garden Theatre, overlooking the powerful Niagara Falls.

This timely and uniquely entertaining LIVE MUSIC concert will reveal the significant contributions Indigenous musicians have made to North American popular music. Continue reading →

This coming Monday, August 7^th, Facer Street in St. Catharines/Niagara is getting ready to host one of the biggest parties of the summer. 

An Invite to All from Organizers of St. Catharines Facer European Festival

Posted August 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Facer European Festival returns to St. Catharines on the Civic Holiday, Monday, Aug. 7. The second annual street party will celebrate one of Niagara’s most storied neighbourhoods with classic continental cuisine, live entertainment, including music and cultural demonstrations, neighbourhood walking tours, and free activities for all ages.

The event is a nod to the history of a neighbourhood, known to locals as ‘Little Europe,’ and the diversity of the people who built it.

The Facer European Festival is also a fundraiser of The Facer District Merchants and Residents Association to beautify Facer Street and make it a regional destination for enjoying a taste of la dolce vita. Continue reading →

News rom Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted July 28^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – This July 28th, The Niagara Parks Commission officially launched its Life on Display exhibit at the Floral Showhouse, a key component of Niagara Parks’ Begin Here campaign to commemorate the sesquicentennial of Canada and the province of Ontario.

Life on Display Parkwood Estate. Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission

Visitors to the Floral Showhouse are sure to be captivated by the outdoor art installation featuring repurposed vintage pieces from the Durham Region’s former and beloved Cullen Miniature Village collection, first acquired by Niagara Parks in 2011. Continue reading →

‘Why Can’t He Be Our President?’ asks headline on the magazine

A Brief One from Doug Draper, publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted July 26, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Wanna see our pictures on the cover
Wanna buy five copies for our mothers…
Wanna see my smilin face
On the cover of the Rollin’ Stone.”

–      Lyrics from the Dr. Hook song, Cover of the Rolling Stone.

The very first issue of Rolling Stone magazine, published 50 years ago this year, featured Beatle John Lennon on its cover.

Since then, the magazine’s cover has cameod every mega star in music from Jimi Hendrix to Stevie Wonder, David Bowie, Prince, Bruce Springsteen and Adele, a gala of Hollywood actors and almost every U.S. president going back to Richard Nixon and Jimmy Carter.

But never a Canadian prime minister, at least up to now. Continue reading →

Explore some of the best urban landscape and architecture anywhere on the continent, in Buffalo, New York’s historic neighbhourhoods – Saturday and Sunday, July 29th & 30th,       10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

An Invite from the volunteer citizens who put Garden Walk Buffalo together

Posted July 25,, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York – Now in its 23^rd year, Garden Walk Buffalo hosts the largest free garden tour in the country with more than 60,000 visitors coming from all over the states, Canada, and even further abroad.

 A FREE self-guided tour, no tickets required, with over 400 urban gardens in beautiful, historic neighborhoods of the city, Saturday and Sunday, July 29 & 30, 10 a.m.- 4 p.m.

A chance to see some of the most beautiful and creative urban gardens – water gardens, rock gardens, courtyards, perennial borders, and cottage gardens; anywhere in America Continue reading →

• Niagara Parks unveils revitalized Niagara Glen Nature Centre

• New programming will focus on education, outdoor adventure and guided tour

• New Niagara Glen Nature Centre set to become trailhead facility for Niagara Parks

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted July 21^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – With a grand opening ceremony held this July 21st, The Niagara Parks Commission officially unveiled its newly revitalized Niagara Glen Nature Centre, as a trailhead to the Niagara River gorge and an interpretation facility that will focus on Niagara Parks’ important stewardship role, while educating the public on the geological, environmental and historical significance of the spectacular Niagara Glen.

Inside Niagara Park’s new Niagara Glen visitors centre overlooking the lower Niagara River. Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks

The Niagara Glen has become a renowned outdoor destination for hikers, cyclists, conservationists, boulderers and anyone seeking an opportunity to connect with nature. Continue reading →

‘A Brief One from NAL publisher Doug Draper

Posted July 21st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

In case you missed the breaking news earlier this Friday, July  21^st, Sean Spicer, the pit bull of a press secretary in Donald Trump’s White House, tendered his resignation, leaving cable news commentators wondering what that means for Spicer and his now former boss, the Tweeter in Chief.

Which one is the real Sean Spicer?

I’m more concerned about what it means for Saturday Night Live and how it will possibly do as well next season as it did in the last one with actress/comedian Melissa McCarthy’s brilliant cameo appearances as Spicer shooting it out with White House reporters. Continue reading →

By Linda McKellar

Posted July 13th, 2017 in Niagara At Large

Two years ago I had the unexpected pleasure of coming upon a treasure.

At Port McNicholl  near Midland, Ontario there is a magical relic of our own Great Lakes history, the SS Keewatin.

The SS Keewatin, in 2012, being towed from Michigan to her permanent home in Port McNicholl. near Midland, Ontario. All photos courtesy of the ‘Friends of the Keewatin’.

The Keewatin was built in Scotland in 1907 and sailed across the stormy North Atlantic (and did so, amazingly, with an open bridge). When she arrived in Canada there was a major problem as she was too long to fit through the locks of the Welland Canal.

The solution? Continue reading →

Friday, July 28 and Wednesday, August 30,

An Invite from the First Peoples Group, Great Lakes Métis Council, M’Wikwedong Native Cultural Centre,  the Fort Erie Native Friendship Centre and the Niagara Regional Native Centre

Niagara, Falls, Ontario – INDIGENOUS 150+ is an indigenous film series dedicated to showcasing Indigenous films and artists, using story-telling and cinema as a vehicle for reconciliation.  In recognition of support from the City of Niagara Falls under the Niagara Falls Cultural Development Fund (NFCDF) program and with Good Influence Films a pay-what-you-can film series, for all ages, is taking place in Niagara Falls Canada.  Continue reading →

 Old-fashioned family fun … Museum admission and car show are free.

An Invite to all from the Buffalo History Museum

Posted July 12th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

From 2014 car show at Buffalo History Museum. photo courtesy of museum

Buffalo, New York – The Buffalo History Museum announces its 5^th Annual Antique & Classic Car Show. The rain or shine festivities will showcase prized autos and feature free admission to the Museum; complimentary tours; food trucks; award presentations; prize giveaways, Oldies Hit Parade DJ music and surprise guests.

• WHEN: Sunday, July 30, 2017
  SHOWTIME: 9 am – 3 p.m. (Museum is open 12 – 5 pm)
  COST: Museum admission and show are free
  WHERE: The Buffalo History Museum
  One Museum Court (Elmwood Ave. and Nottingham Terr.)
  ADDITIONAL PARKING FOR GUESTS: McKinley High School lot at 1500 Elmwood Ave.

Registration for cars (day of event) is from 9:00 to 11:00 am. Cost is $15. Dash plaques will be given to the first 100 registrants.

File photo from 2016 car show. Courtesy of Buffalo History Museum

2017 SPONSOR SUPPORT:  Joseph Golombek, Jr. Councilmember North District, Master Khechen’s Martial Arts Academy, Lester H. Wedekindt Funeral Home, Lenox Grill, Urban Paint, Romeo’s Superior Home Improvements, Mark Brylinski – Hunt Real Estate, C & C Auto Repairs, Hagerty Insurance, Grand Jude Plumbing & Heating, Westermeier Martin Dental Care,Vape E’s

For more information on the Buffalo History Museum and the many exhibits and events it is hosting, visit the museum’s website at – http://www.buffalohistory.org/ .

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

An Invite to all teddy bears owners from the City of St. Catharines

Posted July 7^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Ontario – Calling all teddy bear owners – you and your cuddly friend are invited to the Morningstar Mill for a Teddy Bear Picnic.

Morningstar Mill off Decew Road and Lake Gibson. File photo by Doug Draper

Head to the mill Sunday, July 9 from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. for a day of fun, history and furry friends. The picnic is perfect for children aged four to nine and will include crafts, games, lunch and more. Visitors will also enjoy an inside look of the Morningstar mill and homestead. There will even be a nurse’s station for minor repairs to teddy bears, dolls and other stuffies.

“This is sure to be an un-bear-lievably good time,” said Kathleen Powell, who oversees the Morningstar Mill for the City. “We are looking forward to hosting young visitors and their families for a special morning of fun activities.” Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper, publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted July 4th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“I’ve got a mule and her name is Sal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal
She’s a good old worker and a good old pal
Fifteen miles on the Erie Canal

We haul’d some barges in our day
Filled with lumber, coal and hay
We know every inch of the way
From Albany to Buffalo.”

• Lyrics from the song ‘Low Bridge, Everybody Down’, later known as the Erie Canal Song, written by Thomas Allen in the early 1900s and recorded by every musical icon from Pete Seeger to Bruce Springsteen

Two hundred years ago this July 4th, 2017, in Rome, New York – an upstate community just east of Syracuse and west of Utica – dignitaries broke ground for a public works project that would have a major impact on the future and fortunes of Niagara, Ontario, Western New York and many other communities in Canada and the United States.

Along the Erie Canal, Buffalo, N.Y. (No. M 71, Buffalo News Co., Buffalo, N.Y.) — not postally used ; approximately 1908

What began on that Fourth of July day in 1817 was the construction of the Erie Canal – a watercourse stretching hundreds of kilometres between the shores of Lake Erie in Buffalo and the Hudson River in Albany that triggered an unprecedented industrial boom that meant growth and prosperity for many communities, including Buffalo, New York and across the border in Niagara, Ontario. Continue reading →

 News from the Niagara Parks Commission in Niagara, Ontario

Posted July 4th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

• Ontario Live will take place every Wednesday night in July and August
• Annual Coca-Cola Concert Series will feature local talent every weeknight from July 1 to August 31
• All performances begin at 8:00 p.m. and culminate with fireworks over Niagara Falls at 10:00 p.m.

Niagara Falls, Ontario – This summer, Niagara Parks’ annual Coca-Cola Concert Series in Queen Victoria Park will be accompanied by a new Wednesday night edition called Ontario Live. Featuring a diverse selection of Ontario artists making airwaves today, Ontario Live will take place on Wednesday nights throughout July and August on the Illumination Stage overlooking the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

Ontario Live in Niagara Parks
The series will continue every Wednesday night in July and August on the Illumination Stage in Queen Victoria Park. Performances will begin at 8:00 p.m. and will culminate with a fireworks display over Niagara Falls at 10 p.m. Continue reading →