Category Archives: Arts & Entertainment

News from the City of St. Catharines

Posted June 29^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – St. Catharines families can add taking a spin on the Lakeside Park Carousel to their Canada Day festivities this weekend.

After a six-week delay caused by record-breaking high water levels in Lake Ontario that saturated Lakeside Park, the carousel is set to open for the season Saturday, July 1.

“We are thrilled to be able to open up the Lakeside Park Carousel for the Canada Day weekend,” said Lori Mambella, the City’s manager of programs and culture services. Continue reading →

 An Invite to All from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted April 28th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

• ·         Indie rock band Hollerado to headline free Canada Day weekend concerts in Niagara Parks

• ·         Launch of new Niagara Parks experience: Night Lights: Journey Behind the Falls After Dark

• ·         Free admission to Old Fort Erie and Laura Secord Homestead    on July 1

• ·         Fireworks over Niagara Falls at 10:00 PM on July 1 and July 2

  

• ·         New partnership between Niagara Parks and GO Transit makes travelling round-trip from Toronto to Niagara Falls even easier

 Niagara Falls, Ontario – Niagara Parks is set to mark Canada’s 150th birthday with a full lineup of events over the July 1st weekend. Continue reading →

An Invite to all from Brock University and Rodman Hall 

Posted June 7th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

An opening reception will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. Thursday, June 8 for Voices of Eagles, a new exhibit at Rodman Hall by students in the Soaring Eagles Indigenous Secondary School Program of the Niagara Catholic District School Board.

An art display by Dante MacNaughton and Britney Labelle which is part of Voices of Eagles, a new exhibit at Rodman Hall by students in the Soaring Eagles Indigenous Secondary School Program of the Niagara Catholic District Board.

The Soaring Eagles program provides an alternative learning environment, which focuses on the inclusiveness of cultural knowledge and teachings into the curriculum to help support Aboriginal students and to also provide education and awareness to non-Aboriginal students. Continue reading →

–         At the Niagara Artist Centre – Frdiay, June 9th at 1 p.m.

An Invite from the Organizers of the TD Niagara Jazz Festival

Posted June 7^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Considered one of the world’s most exciting saxophonists, Pat LaBarbera comes to the TD Niagara Jazz Festival in 2017 with one huge fan club.

Jazz giant Pat LaBarbera in Niagara, Friday, June 9th for TD Niagara Jazz Festival

This Juno award-winning musician is regarded as jazz royalty and will be the featured performer at SAX IN THE VINEYARD at Henry of Pelham Winery, Thursday, June 8th at 7pm. But if you want to get close up and intimate with this astonishing musician, join him at the Niagara Artist Centre this Friday, June 9th, at 1pm. LaBarbera will be hosting a ‘Jazz Improvisation Clinic’ from 1pm to 3pm. at the NAC studio, 354 St. Paul Street, St. Catharines, where participants can enjoy playing, talking, or simply listening. Continue reading →

 News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted June 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario  – In a ceremony conducted this past June 2nd , The Niagara Parks Commission unveiled two commemorative panels honouring the life of Harriet Tubman and her historic crossing of the Niagara River in 1856, leading freedom seekers to Canada.

Panel Unveiling by students from the Harriet Tubman and Lockview Public Schools of St. Catharines. Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks

The development and installation of the bilingual panels are the result of a request made by students from the Harriet Tubman and Lockview Public Schools of St. Catharines, who proposed that a Harriet Tubman Interpretive Panel be created and placed on Niagara Parks land. Continue reading →

Digging Up the Fort – first-hand perspectives on the archaeological findings at Old Fort Erie

An Invite to All from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted June 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Fort Erie, Ontario  – The Niagara Parks Commission is pleased to be hosting another of its popular Speaker Series events, on Wednesday, June 7 from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., at its Old Fort Erie Welcome Centre Theatre.

Old Fort Erie in Niagara, Ontario, across the Niagara River from Buffalo, New York. Photo courtesy of the Niagara Parks Commission

Join us for an evening of fascinating insight into the archaeological findings of the famed 1987 excavation at Snake Hill, as well as the more recent findings uncovered by archaeological digs that have taken place in and around Old Fort Erie, over the past five years.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of the excavation at Snake Hill, where the remains of 28 US soldiers who perished during the 1814 American siege were discovered on private property in Fort Erie. Dr. Robert MacDonald, who played a key role in the excavation, will speak to the significance of this discovery and the impacts it has had on our understanding of this major event in the War of 1812. Continue reading →

The Farmers’ Revolt – Classic Of Canadian Theatre Seen For First Time At The Festival

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

Posted June 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario — 1837: The Farmers’ Revolt – the rebellion that helped shape this home and native land – begins previews May 7 at the Court House Theatre.

Created in 1973 by Rick Salutin and Theatre Passe Muraille, this ground-breaking Canadian work features an energetic portrayal of Canadian history through music and movement. The Shaw Festival and director Philip Akin (“Master Harold” … and the Boys, 2016) honour Canada 150 with a true collective piece from this nation’s theatre history. Oh Canada!  

The rarely performed celebrated work tells the tale of immigrant farmers who joined the William Lyon Mackenzie-led rebellion after becoming fed up with the discriminatory policy of government.

The Shaw’s production retains the theatrical nationalism of the original – with actors playing multiple roles presenting vignettes of Canadiana – while instilling a present-day consciousness. Continue reading →

An Invited from  the Friends of Beaverdams Church

Posted June 2nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The historic Beaverdams Church in the Niagara community of Thorold, Ontario. File photo by Doug Draper

The purpose of this one-day conference is to facilitate and share a deeper understanding of local history, with special reference to early Methodism in Upper Canada within the community of Beaverdams, Thorold, and its expression in art, culture, social justice and education. Continue reading →

A Brief One by Doug Draper

Posted June 1st,  2017 on Niagara At Large

‘It was 50 years ago today – on June 1st, 1967 for all those fans who lived in The Beatles’ home country of England, and June 2nd for the rest of us across North America and around the world.

By the time Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band was released 50 years ago this June – on the eve of what would be a ‘Summer of Love’ swirling with the sounds of Jefferson Airplane, The Doors and Jimi Hendrix and Otis Redding catching fire at the Monterey Pop Festival – fans of The Beatles were starving for a new album by the group.

It seemed, for fans at the time, that an eternity had passed since the release of The Beatles last album, Revolver, the summer before. To that point, the group’s North American label, Capital Records, had released one album after another since the group first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show three years earlier, and chart-topping singles were almost overlapping one another. Continue reading →

 An Invite to All from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted May 17^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Established during the reign of Her Majesty Queen Victoria, Niagara Parks and Queen Victoria Park, are the perfect venues to enjoy the fresh blossoms and glorious sunshine this Victoria Day long weekend.

Join us as we celebrate the occasion with a fantastic lineup of activities, combining time-honored favourites, such as the Falls Fireworks display, with brand-new attractions and programming.

Victoria Weekend Fireworks over the Horseshoe Falls and Niagara River Gorge in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Falls Fireworks Display
Queen Victoria Park
Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, ON
Canada’s longest-running fireworks series, showcasing the illuminated beauty of Niagara Falls at night, is set to return with a bang on Friday, May 19 at 10:00 p.m. Continue reading →

An Invite from Niagara Nature Tours

Posted May 15^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Join Niagara Nature Tours fifth annual Victoria Day bird watching tour on May 22, with Jean Hampson and her husband Bob Highcock. Hampson who helped conduct a birding study in this same area in 2015 said, “We had a great day with twelve species of warblers, including Northern Waterthrush, Palm and Canada Warblers. Also, Veery, Indigo bunting and Ruby-throated hummingbird.  I was able to take photos of a Black-throated Green warbler and a Chestnut-sided Warbler. And happily I’ve seen these same species here ever since.” Continue reading →

An Invite to Moms and All from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted May 11^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Celebrate the arrival of spring and delight in the amazing sights, sounds and aromas of Niagara Parks in bloom, this Mother’s Day weekend.

Tulips in bloom with American Falls in the background. Photo courtesy of Niagara Parks

Enjoy the stunning magnolia trees and flowering Japanese cherry trees, as you make your way to an afternoon tea or a fabulous Mother’s Day brunch at any of Niagara Parks’ FeastON certified restaurants, all of which are strong supporters of our local economy, featuring Ontario farm-fresh produce and products and a selection of outstanding local wines and beers. Niagara Parks truly has something for everyone on this special weekend, including: Continue reading →

If You Love Classic Rock and R&B Music, Go See: ‘Bang! The Bert Berns Story, Screening at the Performing Arts Centre’s            Film House, Saturday, May 13th at 9:30 p.m.

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

Posted May 11^th, 2017

Niagara, Ontario – For all of you out there who share the love I have for the creative geniuses who have produced some of the best music recorded over the past 50 or 60 years, I just took a few hours away from the usual madness to enjoy a great film about the genius of Bert Berns and I’m sure you would enjoy it too.

Bert Berns (sometimes know as ‘Bert Russell’ or ‘Russell Byrd’ for songwriting credits) was born in the boroughs of New York City in 1929 and grew up with a serious heart condition doctors told him might take his life before he turned 21. It was a death sentence that drove musical gifts that eventually saw him writing and producing music and launching or furthering the careers of artists like the Isley Brothers, The Drifters, Ben E. King Solomon Burke, Van Morrison and Neil Diamond at Atlantic Records, and finally his own record label, Bang, where he cranked out Top 40 hits like ‘Twist and Shout’, ‘Kentucky Woman’ and ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ until his death in 1967. Continue reading →

Classic of Canadian theatre seen for first time at the Festival

A News Release from The Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Posted May 9th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario  — 1837: The Farmers’ Revolt – the rebellion that helped shape this home and native land – begins previews May 7 at the Court House Theatre.

Created in 1973 by Rick Salutin and Theatre Passe Muraille, this ground-breaking Canadian work features an energetic portrayal of Canadian history through music and movement. The Shaw Festival and director Philip Akin (“Master Harold” … and the Boys, 2016) honour Canada 150 with a true collective piece from this nation’s theatre history. Oh Canada! Continue reading →

Free museum admission, children activities, Ted’s grilled hot dogs, tours and discussion by Melissa Brown

An Invite to All from the Buffalo History Museum

Pan-American Exposition Buffalo, New York, 1901

Posted May 9th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York. – On May 19, 2017, M&T Third Friday, The Buffalo History Museum invites all to commemorate the Pan-American Exposition – a World’s Fair that was held in Buffalo, May 1- Nov. 2, 1901. Event takes place at two locations.

QUICK SCHEDULE

*Spirit of the City, the History Museum’s 3000 square foot feature exhibit showcasing the Pan-American Exposition, and the Museum collection’s storage areas populate the Resource Center (459 Forest Ave).

The exhibit recreates a Pan-Am Exposition hall that features “the Little Building,” a rediscovered structure from the Pan-Am grounds, plus artifacts and hands-on displays that explore the exposition’s funny and serious sides.

For more information about the events or other program happenings, call The Buffalo History Museum at (716) 873-9644 ext 320. Find us on Facebook and Twitter @BuffaloHistory. Visit the website: www.buffalohistory.org.

An artit’s rendtion of the Pan-Am Expo site from the air.

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 from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted May 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Hydrangea Display at Niagara Parks

Niagara Falls, Ontario –Take in the dazzling sight of giant floral displays bursting with the colours of spring. Among this year’s features are enormous hanging baskets – some over five feet wide, overflowing with colourful hydrangeas.

A seasonal specialty, the annual Hydrangea Display at the Niagara Parks Floral Showhouse will run from Saturday, May 6 through to Friday, June 2.

In addition, forced Foxglove and Delphinium will complete the spectacular setting of blues, pinks and whites within the Showhouse. The Hydrangea Show will run until early June, when staff will begin working on the next popular display: Regal Geraniums. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Friends of Beaverdams Church in Thorold

Posted April 27th, 017 on Niagara At Large

The two century old Beaverdams Chuch in Thorold, Ontario is one of the oldest in the province. File photo

After the great success of the How Great Thou Art luncheon and art auction in 2016, the Friends of Beaverdams Church are again hosting a fundraising event on May 7 to raise money for replacing all 26 windows at historic Beaverdams Church.

“Windows on Beaverdams” will showcase work by local artists that will be available for sale and as donations to the silent auction. All proceeds go toward the restoration project.

Hurry, as tickets are running out!

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

 ‘The exhibit highlights which habitats and species are at risk and how concerned citizens can help make a difference in protecting and preserving these natural sites and species.’

An Invite to All from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted April 25th, 2017 on Niagara At large

Niagara Falls, Onotario – The Niagara Parks Commission is pleased to welcome a new family-friendly, educational exhibit “Wild Ontario – A Celebration of Ontario’s Biodiversity,” that will be taking place at the Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory from Saturday, April 29 to Sunday, June 11.

Some of the Butterfly Conservatory’s regular inhabitants. File photo by Doug Draper

Visitors will be introduced to various fascinating species of mammals, amphibians, birds, fish, reptiles and invertebrates, all native to this province. Interactive and bilingual displays will explain Ontario’s three different Ecozones: the Hudson Bay Lowlands, the Ontario Shield and the Mixed Wood Plains, as well as the unique regions and habitats that can be found within these Ecozones. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Great Volunteers at Garden Walk Buffalo

Posted April 20^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreward Note from NAL publisher Doug Draper – For all of us on the Ontario side of the Niagara River who doubt that Buffalo, New York is making a dramatic comeback after decades of hard times, mark this fantastic annual even down on your calendar for this summer.

Along with the gardens, the architecture of the homes and buildings in many of the neighbourhoods in this city is an experience to behold – a feast to the senses for anyone who is in to well-put-together urban landscape.)

Garden Walk Buffalo invites gardeners from the Peace Bridge to Main Street and from Canalside to the Scajaquada to be part of the 2017 Garden Walk Buffalo, to be held Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Share your garden and show your pride in our neighborhoods and city. Continue reading →

– Tom McCamus stars as George at the Royal George Theatre –

News from The Shaw Festival in Niagara, Ontario

Posted April 7^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario  — Equal parts political comedy and biographical drama, Alan Bennett’s The Madness of George III explores the dangerous consequences when a king who loses control of his body, words and mind in the midst of his rule.

The Madness of George III debuts at The Shaw’s Royal George Theatre on April 11.   The Madness of George III, directed by Kevin Bennett and starring Tom McCamus, depicts the king as a real human being, whose loss of sanity threatens not only his State but the people he loves.   Continue reading →

News from Chorus Niagara

Posted April 6^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Following three sold out performances earlier this year, Chorus Niagara and Artistic Director Robert Cooper present PHANTOM OF THE OPERA, the original 1925 silent version featuring Lon Chaney with a LIVE CHORAL SOUNDTRACK performed by the 100-voices of Chorus Niagara and organist extraordinaire Lynne Honsberger.

The score is specially crafted by Robert Cooper for this performance. Phantom of the Opera plays for one screening only Wednesday May 3rd, 7:30pm on the huge screen in Partridge Hall, FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, 250 St. Paul Street in downtown St.Catharines, Ontario. 

An informative and entertaining pre-concert chat introducing this historic film by former film, media and pop culture professor Joan Nicks, M.A., (Brock University) is complimentary prior to the concert for ticket holders. Continue reading →

News from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted March 31st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Marilyn Rose, the founding Dean of Brock’s Faculty of Graduate Studies who passed away in 2015, was a beloved colleague to many people, and now her memory will live on through an annual lecture created in her honour.

The late Brock University dean/professor Marilyn Rose

The inaugural lecture named for the distinguished English professor took  place this Thursday, March 30 at 2 p.m. in Sankey Chamber, given by award-winning Nisga’a poet Jordan Abel. The event is free and open to everyone.

 “The lecture marks the beginning of a new venture, honouring Dr. Rose and all of her work by building a community around her various academic interests,” says event organizer Professor Gregory Betts. Continue reading →

Hail, Hail to a True King of Rock ‘N’ Roll – Hail, Hail Chuck Berry

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted March 19th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Hail, hail rock and roll
Deliver me from the days of old
Long live rock and roll
The beat of the drums, loud and bold
Rock, rock, rock and roll
The feelin’ is there, body and soul.”

–         From the 1957 Chuck Berry song, ‘School Days’

“Before Elvis there was nothing,” were John Lennon’s words on the way Elvis Presley and Rock’N’ Roll exploded on to the music scene in the last half of the 20^th Century.

The late Beatle could have said the same of the iconic Chuck Berry, who died this March 18^th at age 90, and who Lennon idolized so much, he invited Chuck Berry to join him as his special guest while he was guest hosting a popular American talk show in the 1970s. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey invites Niagara organizations to submit  project proposals

From the Niagara Centre Constituency Office of Federal MP Vance Badawey

Posted March 16th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Welland, Ontario – Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, Vance Badawey is inviting Niagara organizations to submit a project proposal to the Department of Canadian Heritage’s Inter-Action: Multiculturalism Funding Program.

The Projects component of this program supports national initiatives that will promote diversity, inclusion, and building positive relationships among the different cultural, religious, and ethnic communities in Canada.

Priority is given to projects that work toward eliminating discrimination, racism, and prejudice through youth community engagement and involvement, art, culture, and/or sport. Continue reading →

A Column from Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Posted March 16th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Last week (during the first full wee of this March), Pelham Town Council signed five-year agreements with six major community groups for their use of the new Pelham Community Centre. These binding agreements exceed the Town’s revenue goals for the Centre and confirm the demand for a second arena.

Artist’s rendition of new Pelham Community Centre

Council was thrilled to enter into these partnerships with the Pelham Minor Hockey Association, the Pelham Panthers Basketball Association, the Pelham Jr. B. Hockey Club and the Southern Tier Admirals AAA Hockey.

The Town is also excited to welcome the Welland Raiders Minor Lacrosse and the Niagara Centre Skating Club back to Pelham. Now that we have these agreements with major users in place, the Town will work to rent and program the rest of the available time at the facility. Continue reading →

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

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission & Niagara Falls (Ontario/New York) Illumination Board

Posted March 16^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Falls Illumination Board will renew its partnership with Tourism Ireland’s “Global Greening” campaign this year, as it lights up Niagara Falls in green on Friday, March 17 for St. Patrick’s Day.

File photo courtesy of Niagara Parks Commission and the Niagara Falls Illumination Board

The Falls will shine a brilliant shade of green for 15 minutes at the top of each hour from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m., in celebration of all things Irish.

The “Global Greening” campaign connects Niagara Falls with many other world icons such as the Empire State Building, the Colosseum in Rome, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Nelson’s Column in London and the Leaning Tower of Pisa, in honouring this festive day. Continue reading →

 News from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted March 7th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission is proud to be presenting another dynamic lineup of special events and activities for guests planning a visit to Niagara this March Break. Enjoy the majesty of the Falls, all while allowing Niagara Parks to provide the perfect combination of engaging historical programming, awe-inspiring natural attractions and our mouthwatering, Feast ON certified culinary experiences that will leave you wanting more. Take it all in at Niagara Parks this March Break:

Northern Spotted Owl

Northern Owls – Niagara Parks Butterfly Conservatory
March Break Hours: Daily 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Butterfly Café Holiday Hours March 11 to 19: Daily 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
2565 Niagara Parkway, Niagara Falls, ON
Northern Owls, an exhibit from the Royal Ontario Museum (ROM), is the first of Niagara Parks’ planned Rooted initiatives, developed under the provincial government’s Ontario 150 Funding Program. Designed to celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of both Niagara and the province, the exhibit focuses on the fascinating and less well-known aspects of owl behavior, biology and lifestyle. Continue reading →

“We’ve got an opportunity right now to do something about it. The government is listening – I encourage all fans of music, theatre, sports, to make your voices heard.”                             — Rob Baker, The Tragically Hip

News from the Ontario Government

Posted March 3^rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario is reviewing the rules for buying and selling tickets online to give fans a fair shot at getting tickets to see their favourite team, musical act or theatrical performance.

Event tickets are mostly bought and sold online. While this has given fans more options, it also means that tickets to popular shows and games often sell out within hours, sometimes minutes. Many tickets are then posted on resale sites at a price much higher than their original value. This leaves fans unable to find the tickets they want at a price they can afford. Continue reading →

An Invitation to the Show from Chorus Niagara in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Chorus Niagara and Artistic Director Robert Cooper kick off 2017 with THE FARTHEST SHORE – A CELTIC CELEBRATION in Partridge Hall at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines, Saturday March 4th, 7:30pm.

Following two sold out shows in the first half of the season, Chorus Niagara raises the bar with a glorious Niagara premiere of Welsh Composer Paul Mealor‘s The Farthest Shore.

Thrust into the international limelight with his beautiful anthem for the wedding of His Royal Highness Prince William and Catherine Middleton, Mealor has written an ambitious choral work for soloists, chorus, children chorus, brass quintet and organ, based on an Anglesey folk tale about a boy who was washed ashore in a storm. Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted February 28th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

There has been a rule of thumb in America for decades going back to the times Johnny Carson and David Letterman ruled late night TV.

I DARE YOU TO LOOK ME RIGHT IN THE FACE AND SAY THAT!

If you are a politician and you have e hosts of late hour shows hammering you night after night with mocking jokes and stealthy satire that sees the ratings of their shows soar, you are running out of highway. Next stop, a giant sinkhole with your political obituary in it.

We’re now living in the Age of Trump where many old rules have been broken – most of them by none other than the creature with orange hair, himself. But if this rule still holds, it is hard to see how Trump will make it through a full, four-year presidential term. Continue reading →

Posted by Doug Draper on Niagara At Large

February 27^th, 2017

For at least as far back as one of the first great marches on Washington for civil rights in 1963, and the the anti-war and environmental movements going back to killing fields of Vietnam and the first Earth Day in 1970, the folk-singing trio Peter, Paul and Mary was always there, singing songs and raising a voice for a better life for people on this planet.

Peter, Paul and Mary in their early years, performing at the 1963 March on Washington where Martin Luther King delivered his iconic ‘I Have a Dream’ speech

Mary Travers may now be gone – she passed away eight years ago – but Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey are still at it, this time going viral on YouTube with a song performed by Paul with an introductory statement from Peter.

That lyrics to the song, sung to the music of the late Nat King Cole’s classic hit ‘Unforgettable’, are all about Trump in the White House and it is called “Impeachable,” which would most certainly be music to the ears of many Americans I know. Continue reading →

The Exhibit – Opening This Coming Aprile 6^th – Will Offer A Glimpse Into Western New York During This            Unprecedented Conflict

News from the Buffalo History Museum

Posted February 21^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Buffalo History Museum, overlooking a pond and the south end of the city’s scenic Delaware Park.

Buffalo, New York– On April 6, 2017, The Buffalo History Museum will premiere its new World War I exhibit, For Home and Country, marking the 100th anniversary of American involvement in World War I.

During the war, our nation lost nearly 117,000 of its bravest men and women. The exhibit will commemorate the sacrifice of 968 lives from Western New York. Continue reading →

Goodbye Stuart McLean

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted February 16th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Americans had the late Mark Twain and until this past February 15th, Canadians had Stuart McLean.

Stuart McLean, Canadian storyteller and host of the ever popular CBC Radio program Vinyl Café.

He was one of the Western world’s most engaging storytellers, , and he was one of the last of the all-time great voices, along with late Barbara Frum of ‘As It Happens’ fame and Peter Gzowski of Morningside,  on CBC Radio over the past 30 or 40 years.

“He had a voice that you could not, not listen to. … You had to listen to the guy,” said Michael Enright, another one of the great CBC Radio broadcasters, Michael Enright, of his long-time friend and colleague who died this February 15th at age 68 following a courageous battle with cancer. Continue reading →

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted February 13^th, 2017

Niagara Falls, Ontario  – Niagara Falls will be bathed in soft pink and red lights this Valentine’s Day, providing the perfect backdrop to celebrate this romantic evening.

Visit Niagara with that someone special and view the beauty and impact of the newly enhanced illumination of both the American and Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

This new LED lighting technology has dramatically improved the viewing experience of Niagara Falls at night and allows for a more robust colour spectrum, which will be on full display when Niagara Falls is illuminated in pink and red at the top of each hour for 15 minutes, throughout the evening on Tuesday, February 14, 2017. Continue reading →

News from the Niagara Parks Commission in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Posted February 7^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) is pleased to present Northern Owls, a travelling exhibit from the Royal Ontario Museum that offers a unique look into the intriguing world of owls.

The exhibit is the first of NPC’s planned Rooted initiatives, developed under the provincial government’s Ontario 150 Funding Program and is designed to celebrate the natural and cultural heritage of both Niagara and the province. Northern Owls will be taking place from February 13 to April 17, at the fully accessible Butterfly Conservatory.

This family-friendly and educational exhibit features 11 different specimens of Northern Owls and focuses on the fascinating and lesser-known aspects of owl behavior, biology and lifestyle. The exhibit will be presented in three sections: “Feathers”, “Hunters by Nature” and “The Ultimate Northern Owl”, each filled with interesting and thought-provoking facts and anecdotes about these secretive birds. Continue reading →

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted February 6th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Some of the most critically acclaimed films of 2016 are coming to Niagara through the Brock University Film Series.

The Academy Award nominated movie Moonlight to screen at Brock U. as part of film series.

With the Oscars just around the corner, there has been plenty of buzz about the recently nominated films, and one of the frontrunners stealing the spotlight is Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight.

Jenkins, the first black filmmaker nominated for an Academy Award for Best Director, Best Screenplay and Best Picture, based the film on Tarell Alvin McCraney’s short play, In Moonlight Black Boys Look Blue. The film adaptation is about self-discovery and connection and follows the life of a young black man from childhood to adulthood as he navigates the dangers of drugs and violence in his rough Miami neighbourhood and his complex love for his best friend. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper, a life-long MTM fan

Posted January 25th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Who can turn the world on with a smile,” was the first lyric to the theme song from one of television’s all-time greatest sit-coms, and man, does the world ever need that smile now!

The answer to the question in that song, of course, was Mary Tyler Moore, who died this January 25th – I’m still saying; ‘Oh know, not Mary!’ – at age 80. It would be sad news any time, but especially so, breaking in as it did as a Trump was busy outlining his plans to build his wall along the entire U.S./Mexican border and move forward, as soon as possible, with the construction of the Keystone XL pipeline from Alberta’s tar sands to oil refineries in Texas.

Those of us who are old enough to remember, first met Mary Tyler Moore when she played Laurie Petrie opposite Dick Van Dyke’s Rob in The Dick Van Dyke Show in the early 1960s – TV’s first ‘modern couple’, as was noted at the time, mirroring America’s first modern political couple – President John F. Kennedy and his wife and first lady Jackie. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from Chorus Niagara

Posted January 24th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Seaway Mall, Centre Court, Welland, Ontario | Saturday February 18, 2017

Chorus Niagara in performance – Photo by Jeff Baker

Continuous Performance 10am-3pm by Niagara’s Premiere 100-voice symphonic ensemble

Chorus Niagara holds the 11th annual Singathon Fundraiser again this year at ‘The Most Famous Food Court in the World’. Singathon is a continuous 5 hour marathon of choral performance that takes place at the Seaway Mall in Welland where our YouTube viral fame began. Continue reading →

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

Posted December 30th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The countdown is on to 2017 and the City of St. Catharines is offering free activities for family and friends to celebrate together.

New Year’s Eve Family Celebration

Ring in the New Year with free skating or swimming at our free New Year’s Eve Family Celebration this Saturday, December 31st.

The free family skate takes place from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre. The free family swim runs noon to 2 p.m. at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre. Both venues will also feature music by live DJs, crafts and other activities. Continue reading →

It Was Five Years Ago & A Moment Well Worth Reprising For The Holiday Season

A Brief Intro by NAL publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 23, 2016 on Niagara At Large

All I can say is if there were more episodes like the one I am about to repost here on Youtube, I would go out to shopping malls more often.

But there are few episodes as warm and moving – in a real community-like way – like this one, which is one of the excuses I give to my wife and others for avoiding most shopping malls completely, unless there is a good sale in a book or record store inside.

Hallelujah Chorus goes viral in a Niagara, Ontario shopping mall

At any rate, this episode was captured in the food court inside the Seaway Mall in Welland, Ontario by Niagara filmmaker Vickie Fagan, and became an international hit on Youtube, with the very fine musicial organization Chorus Niagara leading anyone and everyone within earshot in the mall in a rousing performance of the Hallelujah Chorus.

Hee it is to click on once more for your Holiday Season pleasure. Have a warm and peaceful one, and do what you can to support independent, locally owned stores by shopping in them!  – Doug Draper, Niagara At Large[

You can also watch the Vickie Fagan-produced animated Holiday film ‘The Curse of Clara” (recently aired on CBC) by clicking on the following website – http://curseofclara.com

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

 News for the Holiday Season from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted December 23^rd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) is pleased to offer a variety of great activities and spectacular venues to enjoy the beauty of the holiday season:

Niagara Parks Presents: Aura – Let it Glow: Evenings right through to January 31st

This year, Niagara Parks is once again pleased to present Aura: Let it Glow, bringing several incredible illumination-themed events to the Ontario Power Generation (OPG) Winter Festival of Lights.

Niagara Parks fireworks over the Falls

The annual festival transforms Niagara Falls into a palette of breathtaking colour with millions of sparkling lights and animated displays, located within Niagara Parks, Dufferin Islands and surrounding tourist districts.

This year, the festival has been further enhanced with the addition of the upgraded LED illumination of both the Canadian Horseshoe and American Falls, which takes place every evening. For more information and updates, please visit: www.niagaraparks.com/aura. Continue reading →

News from ‘Curse of Clara’ producer and Niagara, Ontario filmmaker Vickie Fagan

Posted December 15^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The Curse of Clara, Canada’s latest holiday perennial is back, airing on CBC on Sunday December 18th at 4:30p.m!

(If you catch this post on time, there will also be a special screening of The Curse of Clara at the Niagara Falls Museum in Niagara Falls, Ontario this Thursday, December 15^th starting at 7 p.m. A link for the museum that includes directions for finding it, etc. is available at the bottom of this post.)

In this delightfully heartwarming holiday tale, Vickie, a small-town girl, is accepted into the prestigious National Ballet School in Toronto, and lands the coveted role of Clara in the Company’s annual production of The Nutcracker. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper 

Posted December 11^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Oh no, not another one! What an awful year this one has been for deaths in the world of popular music.

This past Friday, December 8^th, I was in one of my favourite music stores – Record Theatre in Buffalo, New York –picking up a reissued, deluxe edition of the first, now 46-year-old debut  album by Emerson, Lake & Palmer, and the nice, young lady behind the counter told me that Greg Lake, the basest who had sung most of the lead vocals, had just died the day before.

Lake, the co-founder of the group and King Crimson earlier on, eulogized as a ’pioneer of progressive rock” in a short obit posted this December 7^th (the day of his death) by Rolling Stone magazine, was 69. Continue reading →

In A Year Of Titanic Losses In The Pop Music World, It’s Good To Know That Some Of The Great Ones Are Still Alive And Hitting The Hgh Notes  

A Brief One by Doug Draper

Posted December 2^nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Foreword Note from Doug Draper – Most of us know there are a number of things going on now in regional, provincial, state and national politics that have us feeling depressed, disappointed and outraged now. NAL posts lots of news and commentary on this site, addressing those things head on. But every once in a while, it is good to have a break from that stuff and do a post on something that mike make us feel a little better – like music. That’s why this post is here.)

It’s been a pretty damn depressing year – this 2016 has – for deaths in the world of music.

We lost some of the real geniuses and giants in blues, jazz, folk and rock, and all genres in between, and there can’t be much more room left up there on that stage in Rock & Roll heaven.

So it is especially good to discover that some of the great ones are still around, making records that match anything they and others have released over the past 40 or 50 years.

On that high note, if you were to tell me back in 1966, when I was grooving to ‘Paint It Black’ off the first album they released with every track on it penned by them, that I’d be going to a music store in 2016 to buy the latest new studio album by The Rolling Stones, I would never have believed it. Continue reading →

Entries due January 31, 2017 <!–[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]–> <!–[endifews from Garden Walk Buffalo

Posted November 22^nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York – Garden Walk Buffalo is looking for submissions of original artwork to promote the 2017 event, which will be held from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, July 29 and 30, 2017.

This is an opportunity to share your artwork with hundreds of local gardeners and thousands of visitors and to help communicate the spirit of this unparalleled, nationally recognized tour.

Garden Walk Buffalo is the largest garden tour in the United States and one of Buffalo’s most anticipated summer events. It attracts tens of thousands of visitors from the U.S., Canada, and abroad to Buffalo’s Westside to tour more than 400 creative urban gardens. Continue reading →

By Doug Draper

Posted November 20^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Way back when, during what some musicologists now consider to be ‘the golden age’ of rock and Top 40 pop, he introduced us to his ‘Delta Lady’ through the voice of legendary companion Joe Cocker.

Leon Russell in his prime

He also taught us about how complicated love relationships can be through the lyrics of one of his most beautiful songs, ‘This Masquerade’ (elevated to pop classic status by singer/guitarist George Benson) and had a huge hit single of his own for years earlier in 1972 with a song called ‘Tight Rope’ and his own version of ‘This Masquerade’ on the flip side.

Following all of the understable tributes to legendary songwriter, poet Leonard Cohen, who slipped away earlier this November after releasing, a few weeks earlier, of  one more extraordinary set of music, ‘You Want It Darker’, the passing of Leon Russell, days later on November 13^th at age 74, did not receive the attention it otherwise deserved. Continue reading →

“Looks like freedom but it feels like death. It’s something in between. I guess it’s closing time.”                                                         – from Leonard Cohen’s 1992 song, ‘Closing Time’.

A Brief One by Doug Draper

Posted November 11^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

On a week when that mal-tempered roach with orange hair was elected to the most powerful office in the world, one was at a loss to imagine any news we could be served that would be any worse.

Then late this Thursday night, November 10^th, there came the news with the cold wind that Leonard Cohen died at age 82 – just a few months after his beloved old friend and lover Marrianne, whom he immortalized in song, passed away, and just two weeks after the release of his latest album, ‘You Want It Darker’, which has already received critical acclaim around the world as one of the very best albums of the year.

“They say that life is a beautiful play with a terrible third act,” said Leonard Cohen’s son Adam during an interview about his father’s new album in the latest, November 17^th edition of Rolling Stone magazine. “If that’s the case, it must not apply to Leonard Cohen. Right now, at the end of his life, he’s at the summit of his powers.” Continue reading →

An Invite from The St. Catharines Library

Posted November 3^rd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – A visual reminder of the sacrifices of local residents during the First World War is on display now at the St. Catharines Library.

Photo of exhibit area courtesy of St. Catharines Library in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario

St. Catharines in the Great War showcases uniforms, recruitment posters, photographs, letters and other artifacts from the First World War to tell the story of local men and women who served during the war. A partnership of the St. Catharines Heritage Advisory Committee and the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre, the exhibit is on display in the lobby of the St. Catharines Central Library Branch, located at 54 Church St. in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario. Continue reading →

Posted October 20th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

NAL did not get a media release for this and doesn’t really no any more about it than what is contained in the following poster. However, we have a soft place in our hearts for the Canada’s fledgling Green Party and this sounds like it might make for a fund and interesting day. So here goes –

If anyone out there cares to offer more information on this event, feel free to share it in the comment space below, along with your first and last name, and any other identifier you may care to share.

PLEASE JOIN THE CONVERSATION – Niagara At Large welcomes 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.

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

News from Brock University in St. Catharines

Posted October 20^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – As the most improbable and high-stakes U.S. presidential election in modern times careens to a close, the Brock University Department of Political Science is hosting a screening and discussion of The War Room, the influential 1993 documentary about the first time a Clinton ran for President.

The War Room, the third film in the department’s Politics and Film Series, offers a behind-the-scenes account of Bill Clinton’s insurgent and (at the time) improbable campaign for the presidency, and offers an illuminating contrast to the 2016 campaign between Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton and Republican candidate Donald Trump. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 14th, 2016

This is just a reminder and  follow-up to an advance I posted earlier this October on the launch this coming Sunday, October 16th at the Chapter’s bookstore in the Niagara, Ontario community of St. Catharines of Mike Clarkson’s new book on ‘The Age of Daredevils” in Niagara Falls.

Read the earlier story I posted in Niagara At Large on this book launch by clicking on – https://voiceofniagara.wordpress.com/wp-admin/post.php?post=21411&action=edit .

PLEASE JOIN THE CONVERSATION – Niagara At Large welcomes 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.

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

A Brief One from NAL publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 14^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

See them big plantations burning, Hear the cracking of the whips, Smell that sweet magnolia blooming, And see the ghosts of slavery ships, I can hear them tribes a-moaning, I can hear the undertaker’s bell, Nobody can sing the blues, Like Blind Willie McTell

• – From Bob Dylan’s song ‘Blind Willie McTell’

They walked along by the old canal, A little confused, I remember wel,l And stopped into a strange hotel, With a neon burnin’ bright, He felt the heat of the night, Hit him like a freight train, Moving with a simple twist of fate

• – From Bob Dylan’s song ‘Simple Twist of Fate’

Continue reading →

Check It Out And Help Keep Record Stores Alive!

A Brief One from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 7^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Every so often – and far more often than one might imagine given that the flagship store is now more than nine years gone – I still hear people I meet in Buffalo, in Toronto and in many cities and towns in between, how much they miss one of the mothers of all record stores – Sam the Record Man store on Yonge Street in Toronto.

For anyone who loves collecting music by favourite artists on vinyl or CDs, I felt like a little kid walking into the world’s greatest toy store when I entered that place with the giant neon sign shaped like LPs above the front doors.

Sam’s, like so many of the great independent record stores, fell by the wayside as younger generations of would-be customers buying and downloading music online, and corporate chain retailers like Wal-Mart and Best Buy started mass-selling the top 20 CDs the suits at Disney Corp. want us to consume, but carry hardly any titles by artists whose music reduces Britney Spears and Justin Bieber to the soulless, flatulating midgets that they are.

Fortunately, one of the last of the great independent record stores going back to the formative years of Bruce Springsteen, Pink Floyd, David Bowie, U2, Prince and so many others in the 1970s and 80s is still with us – in Buffalo, New York. Continue reading →

By Doug Draper

Posted October 5th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Few jounalists I know have captured the power, the drama the beauty and theatrics in and around one of the world’s most scenic wonders – the Great Falls of Niagara – with as much passion and insight as Michael Clarkson.

Award winning journalist and author Michael Clarkson launching new bood on ‘The Age of Daredevils’

So it makes all the sense in the world that Michael Clarkson has written a book on the many daredevils that have tempted fate in the roaring waters of the Falls.

In the spirit of full disclosure, Michael and I were colleagues at The St. Catharines Standard in the 1980s and 1990s when the Burgoyne family still owned that newspaper and were generous enough to provide a newsroom full of journalists the resources needed to produce quality work.

During that time, I was writing about the toxic chemicals washing down the Niagara River and the Horseshoe and American Falls, and Michael was covering  the cast of characters plunging over the Falls in barrels and other makeshift contraptions, and reporting the first-hand accounts of those who survived, along with insightful accounts of what motivated them to do something that claimed so many lives. Continue reading →

Beginning October, Second Sunday Concert Series Celebrating The Rich Jazz Heritage Of Western New York

An Invite  from the Buffalo History Museum

Posted September 30^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

What: The Buffalo Jazz Collective (BJC), the premier not-for-profit jazz organization in Western New York launches their inaugural concert series “Jazz on 2nd Sundays” this fall at The Buffalo History Museum (TBHM).

The Buffalo History Museum, overlooking the ponds of Delaware Park in Buffalo, New York

Beginning in October, concerts will be held on the second Sunday of each month at 2:30 pm with pre-concert talks at 2 pm.

Please visit www.buffalojazzcollective.com for complete details and ticket information.

“Jazz on 2nd Sundays” includes performances by Buffalo jazz legends and special guests such as George Caldwell, Bobby Militello, Don Menza, and Sam Noto. Continue reading →

By Doug Draper

Posted September 28^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Summer may officially be over, but that isn’t stopping the boys of summer from invading the Greater Niagara Region this last week of September.

By boys of summer, I’m talking about ‘The Beach Boys’ or what is left of them with founding member and singer Mike Love putting on the first of four shows under the Beach Boys brand this September 29^th through October 1^st at the Fallsview Casino in Niagara, Falls, Ontario, and the band’s legendary songwriter and singer/musician Brian Wilson performing at the University of Buffalo’s Center for the Arts this September 28^th.

It is the Brian Wilson part of this late September reach back to the band’s fabled “summer days and summer nights” that I want to focus on because it is the suite of songs he wrote and is paying tribute to on this tour through our region and much of the world this year that played such a profound and last role in the evolution of pop music.

One of those Brian Wilson songs, in particular, will forever remain part of the soundtrack of my life as I will never forget the first time I heard it while sitting in the back seat of my father’s car with the radio on during a family vacation 50 years ago this summer.

A bright sunlight was reflecting off the blue waters of the Potomac River as my dad was driving us to see the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. when the first symphonic chords of ‘God Only Knows’, the B side of a single that had “Wouldn’t It Be Nice” achieving Top 10 status earlier that summer.

From those first few chords to lyrics that turned so many of the “kiss me, hold me tight” lines  in other songs inside out– “I may not always love you, but long as there are stars above you, you’ll never need to doubt it, I’ll make you so sure about it. God only knows what I’d be without you …” – it was a song that, at that time in pop music, sounded radically different than almost everything else on those transistor radios that, in those days, almost everyone between the age of 13 and 30 had glued to their ears. Continue reading →

Arnold Palmer Dies At Age 87

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted September 26^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The year 2016 is continuing to take a depressingly high toll when it comes to heavy weights and legends in a number of fields.

In the area of pop music, we’ve seen the loss of David Bowie, Prince, Eagles co-founder Glenn Frey, Earth, Wind & Fire bandleader Maurice White and Beatles producer George Martin, just to name a few.

Arnold Palmer, as many will remember him on those black & white television screens back in the late 1950s and early to mid 60s when he dominated as a player

We’ve lost towering voices for peace and human rights like Elie Wiesel and Ursula Franklin, beloved comedian and actor Gene Wilder and one of the most brilliant and daring play writes of the past 50 years, Edward Albee.

In the world of sports, we’ve lost Muhammid Ali, whose heroism as a person all but eclipsed his remarkable boxing career, then we lost Mr. Hockey Gordie Howe and now, Mr. Golf (or “the King of Golf,” as many also called him) Arnold Palmer, who died this September 25^th at age 87.

Arnold Palmer’s impact as a cultural icon and on the game he was one of the undisputed masters of can hardly be over-estimated. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted September 21st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

May seem hard to believe for any of us who can remember when he first emerged on the scene as a poet/songwriter/singer out of Montreal, Quebec with a captivating album of lyric rich songs like Suzanne, Sisters of Mercy and So Long, Mariane.

Leonard Cohen as some of us remember him when he first arrived on the scene in the 1960s.

Yes, it may seem hard to believe, but this September 21st is (was)Leonard Cohen’s 82nd birthday. And fortunately, Canada’s poet of darkness and a treasure of an artist we share with the world, is still writing and recording songs.

His latest song, released on this birthday and played a couple of times in celebration to him on CBC radio, is called ‘You Want It Darker’ and is everything you want want from someone who can take us on a long day’s journey into night like practically no one else on the planet.

Happy Birthday Leonard, and here are the complete lyrics of  You Want It Darker – Continue reading →

A Message To Public from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted September 18^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Queenston, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) is pleased to announce a special new workshop entitled “Dye Day”, set to take place at the Laura Secord Homestead in the historic Village of Queenston, Ontario on September 24^th  from 12 noon until 3 p.m.

Niagara Parks’s historic Laura Secord Homestead in the Niagara-on-the-Lake community of Queenston,, Ontario. File photo by Doug Draper

Interpretive staff at the Homestead will be creating natural dyes and speaking to the colours that would have been available during Laura Secord’s era, including dyes used in the making of the iconic red British military uniforms of the War of 1812.

Those attending will learn about the traditional dyeing process and have the opportunity to dye wool cloth, as each participant will receive a bundle of hand spun yarn to take home, along with a product kit, so they can continue experimenting on their own. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted September 8^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its five-year mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.”

With those words – narrated by Canadian-born actor William Shatner who played the starship’s captain, James T. Kirk, and heard for the first time by

The original Star Trek crew took flight 50 years ago, this September

millions of television viewers across North America 50 years ago this first full week of September – a fascination with Star Trek was lunched that (through reruns of the original show and through its many TV and movie sequels) has captivated legions of ‘Trekkies’ around the world to this day.

In all of the Star Trek shows and movies, one of the major attractions has been the endless parade of mysterious life forms (with not just a few looking very much like ourselves) that the crew of the Enterprise would encounter on those “strange new worlds” they explored in our solar system and beyond.

Yet when our minds come back from those other-world fantasies and adventures, what is vitally important to remember is this. … Continue reading →

News from the Niagara Parks Commission

Posted September 4rth, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – To commemorate the 80^th anniversary of The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) School of Horticulture, NPC is pleased to announce the creation of a new signature event, Rooted: Celebrating the Gardens, a showcase of the natural, cultural, and culinary profile of the Niagara region.

Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens

Taking place on grounds of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens and School of Horticulture on Saturday, September 10th and Sunday, September 11th, this new weekend-long event provides visitors with an experience that combines the breathtaking lushness of the Niagara Parks Botanical Gardens, with interactive and informative programming featuring local artists, Niagara Parks horticultural professionals and culinary experts and the numerous community nature and garden clubs, which work closely with NPC.

Weekend Events to Include: Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted August 30^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“From the very first day when filthy bits of slime crawled out of the sea and called to the stars ‘I am man’, our greatest dread has always been the knowledge of our mortality. But tonight, we will hurl the gauntlet of science into the frightful face of death itself. Tonight, we shall ascend into the heavens! We shall mock the earthquake! We shall command the thunders and PENETRATE THE VERY WOMB OF IMPERVIOUS NATURE HERSELF!” – some of the words spoken by Gene Wilder, playing Dr. Frederick Frankenstein (or Frokensteen as he pronounced it) in the Mel Brooks’ 1974 classic Young Frankenstein.

Sadly enough, American actor and comedian Gene Wilder died this August 29^th, 2016 at age 83.

Gene Wilder defying mortality in Young Frankenstein

Thankfully though, he has left us volumes of funny moments on the screen.

One of my many favourites was in Young Frankenstein after the of a man he had planted brain in went roaring out of the castle and Gene Wilder, in his Frankenstein role) called Igor – pronounced ‘Eye-gor’ by Mary Feldman, the pop-eyed actor who played him – over and asked whose brain he had put in the now-out-of-control guy.

“It was someone named ‘Abe Normal’,” responded Eye-gor. “Ah,” said Wilder’s Frankenstein, quickly figuring out why things were skidding so badly off the rails. “Are you telling me that I just put an abnormal brain in a six-foot-five, 350 pound gorilla? Is that what you are trying to tell me?!!!” (yes I know, I may have misquoted the height and weight of the monster there)

Of course, no one you could imagine anyone else doing a more masterful job of over-acting and shouting out lines in scenes like that than Gene Wilder.

He was another one of those originals that you simply cannot replace or do a Frankenstein and re-animate, for that matter.

It was very sad to hear the news of his death but the laughs will return with all the great movies he performed in over the years.

In my unprofessional opinion, Young Frankenstein, along with A Fish Called Wanda, My Cousin Vinny and a handful of others, are among the top comedy films ever made.

If you have a favourite Gene Wilder film, feel free it share it in the space below.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post in the space below. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

By Doug Draper

Posted August 19^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Here’s a call-out to all you political junkies out there who’ve found yourselves getting addicted to all of the cheek smackin’, skull knockin’ and eye pokin’ substituting for civil discourse in the U.S. presidential election.

Never mind these three knuckleheads.

You can give yourselves a break from the Donald and Hillary and Bill follies for a day this weekend because the original kings of slapstick, the Three Stooges, are coming back to our cross-border region – in seven classic episodes, featuring Curly, Larry and Moe in six, and the ever handsome Shemp in one, on the historic Riviera Theatre’s big screen in North Tonawanda, New York.

Spend some quality time with the ORIGINALS!

The Three Stooges Film Festival or ‘Stoogefest’ as it’s more popularly called – is celebrating its 25^th anniversary in Western New York this coming Sunday, August 21^{st. ,} And if you let your inner knucklehead take over long enough to go, you might just see yours truly sitting somewhere in the first 10 rows wearing my ‘Curly for President’ t-shirt. Continue reading →