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Niagara is ready for this week’s arrival of the COVID-19 vaccine – Niagara Health System

“It is a relief that vaccines are finally arriving in Niagara. Throughout this pandemic, residents of long-term care homes and retirement homes have suffered the brunt of this pandemic.” – Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Medical Officer of Health and Commissioner (Acting), Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services

News from Niagara Health, Niagara, Ontario’s amalgamated system of hospitals

Posted January 11th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The arrival of the Pfizer vaccine is a turning point in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Niagara.

We expect delivery of the Pfizer vaccine in Niagara on Tuesday or Wednesday, and we are prepared to get doses into arms as soon as the shipment arrives.

Niagara Health (NH) and Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services (NRPH&ES) have been working together on the region’s vaccination plan, starting with priority populations identified by the Ontario government for Phase 1 of COVID-19 vaccinations.

“We have planned aggressively and are well prepared to begin administering the COVID-19 vaccine in Niagara,” says Lynn Guerriero, President and Interim CEO of Niagara Health. “With rising numbers of COVID-19 in the community and in the hospital, the vaccine will help us save lives, protect our hospital services and beat this pandemic. Every vaccine dose in an arm reduces the risk of the virus spreading in our region.” Continue reading →

Niagara, Ontario NDP MPPs Call on the Ford Government to Work with Region’s Public Health on Vaccine Distribution Here

“Niagara’s seniors and frontline health care staff cannot wait any longer to receive life-saving vaccinations … No long-term care home should be left out, while the province sits with thousands of vaccines in the freezer.”                                                        – St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

A Call-Out to the Ford Government from Niagara MPPs Jeff Burch, Wayne Gates and Jennie Stevens

From left, Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates and St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

Posted January 11^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Where is Ontaraio’s Ford government’s detailed plan for moving vaccinations forward?

NIAGARA, Ontario  – NDP MPPs Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls), Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines) and Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre) are calling on the Ford Government to increase the role of Niagara Public Health in the distribution strategy of the COVID-19 vaccine and ensure long-term care residents and frontline healthcare workers have quick access to the vaccine.

“We have spoken directly with public health officials and frontline health care staff that have expressed serious concern about the rollout of vaccines in Niagara,” said Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates.

“We do not need to reinvent the wheel, our public health units have ample experience in vaccine distribution—specifically, they have the expertise to get the vaccine into our long-term care homes quickly. Niagara is struggling with outbreaks in these homes and our healthcare workers are stretched to the breaking point. This vaccine will save lives and protect workers, there’s no reason we shouldn’t be using the quickest method to get it out which is our local teams.” Continue reading →

What’s next after the gutting of Conservation Authorities?

Sign Up for This Event – Scheduled for this Tuesday, January 12^th at 7 P.M – Now. Details Below

A Webinar Event Hosted by Environmental Defence, the Canadian Environmental Law Association and Ontario Nature, and also Featuring now-former chair of the Ontario Greenbelt Council, David Crombie

Posted January 11^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

This past  December 8th, 2020, the Ontario government passed a new law which seriously weakened Conservation Authorities, allowing the province to turn its back on science-based planning.

This means that new developments that could cause floods or landslides and destroy protected and ecologically sensitive lands can be ordered to go ahead. 

At the same time, the government has been making unprecedented use of Minister’s Zoning Orders to force through planning decisions without debate or input from municipalities or the public.  Continue reading →

“Let us be clear, this was an act of domestic terrorism. Democracy must not be intimidated. Leaders and politicians in the U.S. – and here in Canada – have a duty to end divisive rhetoric and end the flaming of hatred. … Now, it is more urgent than ever, that the (Canadian) government works to immediately ban and dismantle all hate organizations operating in Canada.”  – Jagmeet Singh, Leader of Canada’s NDP

A Statement from Canada’s New Democratic Party (NDP)Leader Jagmeet Singh

Posted January 10^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh says he knows what it is like to be a target of hate and white supremacy. He is calling for the voices of intolerance to be rooted out in Canada.

Jagmeet Singh, Leader of Canada’s NDP, made the following statement:

“The horror that unfolded at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (this past January 6^th, 2021) was frightening and it was incited by American President Donald Trump. He had the opportunity to end it and to clearly denounce the actions of those attempting to overthrow democracy and put the lives of many in danger, but he refused to.

Let us be clear, this was an act of domestic terrorism. Democracy must not be intimidated. Leaders and politicians in the U.S. – and here in Canada – have a duty to end divisive rhetoric and end the flaming of hatred. What we saw (on January 6^th), was a direct result of dangerous, divisive speech.

While we may be quick to say this is a problem that exists only in the United States – hate knows no borders. We need to act with urgency to stop the flames of hatred here in Canada. Currently, over 300 white supremacists groups are operating in our country. Continue reading →

“These are unprecedented times, and Niagara’s municipal leaders recognize that most residents are making the sacrifices necessary to combat COVID-19 (and) Niagara residents are reminded of the importance of following all public health directives to keep everyone safe.”                                                            – from a Statement released this January 8th, 2020 by Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley and Niagara’s 12 Mayors

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 9^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Yesterday evening (this past Thursday, January 7th), Niagara’s 12 Mayors and the Regional Chair met virtually to discuss the pressing challenges facing the community due to the second wave of COVID-19.

With the significant increase of COVID-19 cases, an alarming rise in the number of pandemic-related deaths, and the continued impact of outbreaks in more than 50 per cent of Niagara’s long-term care homes, the consensus of the heads of council was that Niagara is at a critical point and a concerted effort will be required by all partners to help gain control of an exceptionally serious situation.

Niagara’s Mayors and Regional Chair agreed on the following principles. –

Continue reading →

“Over the past year, Canada has worked tirelessly to get the transparency, accountability, and justice that the victims and their families deserve. We have been unrelenting in pursuit of the truth, and Canada will not accept anything less.”                             – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A Statement from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Posted January 8^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement to mark the first anniversary of the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752:

Three of the 63 Canadians, Bahareh Hajesfandiari, his wife Mehdi Sadeghi and their daughter Anisa, who perished when a Ukrainian jetliner went down in Iran

“One year ago today, a passenger jet carrying 55 Canadian citizens and 30 permanent residents, was shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile, in Tehran. Of the 176 innocent people who died on Ukraine International Flight 752, 138 had ties to Canada. Today, we honour those who were lost and stand shoulder to shoulder with the people they loved.

“Over the past year, Canada has worked tirelessly to get the transparency, accountability, and justice that the victims and their families deserve. We have been unrelenting in pursuit of the truth, and Canada will not accept anything less than a comprehensive and honest explanation from the Iranian regime of what exactly happened that day.

“We continue to work closely with our international partners to ensure a thorough, transparent, and credible investigation into the cause of this tragedy, and to hold Iran accountable, including by ensuring that Iran makes full reparations for the victims of PS752 and their grieving families, and to ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. Continue reading →

Cutting Dr. Tom Stewart Loose Follows in Wake of Rebukes from Hospital Workers, from Public, and even suggestions from Ontario Premier Doug Ford that he Should Go

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

Posted January 7th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Dr. Tom Stewart – now Niagara Health’s former CEO following Holiday Season Caribbean vacation

Niagara Health’s CEO Dr. Tom Stewart was recently caught with his beach trunks on – on a Holiday Season vacation in the Caribbean while other brave and dedicated doctors, nurses and care workers were back here at home in our region, risking their health at our hospitals to treat members of our communities during this killer pandemic.

So Niagara Health’s board of directors really had no choice.

In a statement the board released shortly after 9 p.m. this Wednesday, January 6th, it oh-so-gingerly announced that it is cutting its contractual ties with Dr. Stewart and with the managerial services of  the neighbouring St. Joseph’s Hospital System in Hamilton.

Yet this move to cut ties with this CEO – arrogant enough to do a vacation in southern climes while the rest of us were being told to stay home and sacrifice get-togethers with members with friends and beloved members of our family – only came after associations and unions supporting hospital workers expressed anger upon hearing of this elitist’s conduct, and after it made news across Ontario and the rest of the country. Continue reading →

Hey Mr. Premier, We need the vaccine going into arms NOW!

“Niagara hear(s) crickets when it came to the Ford government discussing their vaccination plan for Ontario. For weeks, residents in Niagara and myself have been highlighting the sluggish and vague vaccine rollout. ,,,

“If the premier is not going to put forward a vaccination plan that includes Niagara, then he needs to let our Niagara Public Health experts lead a vaccination campaign for the region.”           – St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

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

Posted January 5^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

st. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

ST. CATHARINES, Ontario – NDP MPP for St. Catharines Jennie Stevens is supporting Niagara Region Chief Medical Officer Mustafa Hirji’s request for the province to allow Niagara Public Health to create and administer a vaccination plan in long-term care homes and retirement homes in Niagara.

On Tuesday January 5^th, 2021), Dr. Hirji requested a public health led vaccination campaign that will actually get vaccinations in the arms of vulnerable seniors in long-term care.

“Today (January 5^th), Niagara heard crickets when it came to the Ford government discussing their vaccination plan for Ontario. For weeks, residents in Niagara and myself have been highlighting the sluggish and vague vaccine rollout. If the premier is not going to put forward a vaccination plan that includes Niagara, then he needs to let our Niagara Public Health experts lead a vaccination campaign for the region”, says Stevens. Continue reading →

Trump May Be Leaving Office, but the Tens-of-Millions in his Cult will still be there to Push Forward with his Doctrine of Anger, Hate and White Nationalism

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

Posted January 5^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

If any Americans may be wondering why the United States is not taken as seriously in the eyes of the world as it was even seven or eight years ago, click on the screen immediately below and watch –

The problem is that Trump and his tens-of-millions of followers are not going away, even if and when U.S. President-elect Joe Biden is finally allowed to take the oath of office this January 20^th.

They and their mouthpieces in the extreme right-wing media will still be around to block virtually everything the Biden/Harris administration wants to do and to continue taking a wrecking ball to whatever is left of the foundations of American democracy for years to come.

And if they get their way, come the next presidential election four years from now, they will get someone in who is far more competent around fulfilling their vision of a white-dominated, totalitarian state.

God Help America.

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Two of Trump’s millions of American followers, wearing t-shirts at one of Trump’s cult rallies that read; “I’d rather be Russian than Democrat.” Trump may be leaving the Oval Office, but these people will still be there. How will Canada and the rest of the world deal with it?

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Long-Term Care Plan And Vaccines Program Need Urgent Overhaul – Now

“The vacations (of Ontario MPPs) need to stop. All MPPs need to return to the legislature. We are facing a longer, deeper lockdown because Doug Ford keeps choosing to do too little too late. Let’s stop him from continuing to make that choice.”              – Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

A News Release from the Official of Ontario’s Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted January 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP MPP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath want’s Ford Longterm-Care Home Minister’s head.

HAMILTON, Ontario  — With Ontario in deeper depths of the COVID crisis than ever, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is calling for MPPs to return to the legislature immediately to work on solutions to save people in long-term care, and fix Ontario’s lethargic vaccines program.

“Long-term care homes are in a humanitarian crisis. Seniors are being forced to cry out to beg for food and water, while they’re left vulnerable to deadly infection. The province is lagging far behind the country on vaccinations, and doesn’t appear to have a plan to ramp up. And COVID-19 is spreading faster than ever,” said Horwath. Continue reading →

And We Can Do So Much Better. Never Mind the Old Normal. Let’s Create a New Normal With a Fairer, Healthier, More Prosperous World For Everyone

A Brief Commentary by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 3^rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

I was standing in a line at a grocery store this past Sunday with a few items I needed to get for the home when I looked over at a magazine rack and saw one of those special editions of Time Magazine with a cover headline that read; “2020 – The Year In Review”.

Chuckling for a brief moment, I found myself saying out loud; “Who would want to get a magazine reviewing a year like that.” A young lady behind me quickly concurred; “I think we have had enough of that one. I say we move forward.”

Then I came home from the store and checked my email, where quite on the same theme, someone shared a copy of the following image – some very timely beach art, produced along the shores of Lake  Erie this past New Year’s weekend by Wainfleet/Niagara area residents Kelly and Patrick Robson –

A most timely message for the New Year, produced and photographed on the beaches of Lake Erie, courtesy of Kelly and Patrick Robson and family. A Better New Year to them and to all of us.

Amen!

And Thank You Kelly and Patrick for sharing this spot-on creation.

Let’s hope as many of us as possible resolve to re-imagine and reshape a healthier, more sustainable and prosperous future for ourselves and our children as we emerge from these dark and difficult times.

With enough will and wisdom, we can and we must do better that simply – as some of our current business and political leaders want us to do -“go back to (the old) normal.”

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Let’s All Pledge to be Just as Good to Them

A Brief Comment from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 2n^d, 2021 on Niagara At Large

The late American actress and animal welfare activist Doris Day was once quoted saying the following –

“I have found that when you are deeply troubled, there are things you get from the silent devoted companionship of a dog that you can get from no other source.”

I would say that the same is true of cats, for those of us who have been fortunate enough to invite cats into our homes and let them adopt us.

From what I have been reading and hearing on the news, record numbers of dogs and cats have been adopted across North America this year by people longing for the special kind of companionship they can provide during a time when we are staying mostly at home during this pandemic. Continue reading →

‘A Brief Note from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher            Doug Draper

How many of us had to share moments with loved ones through windows this past year?

Posted January 1^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

For those of you who work through the more celebratory moments of New Year’s to feel a few misty and mellow ones too, as I tend to do, a song came to mind for me that, as old as it is and now going back more than 50 years to some of the most volatile  years of the 1960s, strikes a chord for these times.

At the windows of their homes, Italians share songs during some of the darkest days of the pandemic

The song, written by the legendary composing team Burt Bacharach and Hal David, and performed by the equally legendary singer Dionne Warwick, was released in 1967 with the ongoing carnage of the War in Vietnam in mind.

Yet now, for this listener anyway, it resonates again as we continue – even as the clock struck midnight to a New Year we all hope will bring sunshine again – to struggle together through the nightmare of this seemingly relentless, unforgiving pandemic.

To listen to that song, click on the screen below –

And let us all hope for a better 2021 for us all.

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Rod Phillips’ Resignation Comes Two Weeks After Ontario Premier Knew About His Caribbean Vacation

A Little Breaking News on Niagara At Large

Posted December 31^st, 2020

From Doug Draper at Niagara At Large –

After a sneaky vacation to the Caribbean Islands, Ontario’s Finance Minister Rod Phillips walks the plank.

I was not planning on posting anything else before the clock strikes 12 this New Year, but this is hard to hold back on ….. and I will keep it short.

This afternoon of Thursday, December 31^st, 2020, CBC reported that Rod Phillips, the Ontario Ford Government’s all-so-irresponsible and arrogant Finance Minister, resigned after returning from a Holiday Season vacation in the Caribbean – this after Ford and other senior officials in the Ontario government urged the rest of us to stay home during this COVID-19-driven provinc-wide lockdown.

The first few paragraphs in a CBC news report on this go like this –

“Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips has resigned after returning from a controversial Caribbean vacation while the province is under strict lockdown measures that discourage non-essential travel, Premier Doug Ford announced Thursday.

Continue reading →

A New Year’s Message from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 31st, 2020 on Niagara At Large

In the nice neighbourhood I grew up in on the west side of Welland Ontario, there was this wonderful old, silver-hair fellow across the street named Truman C. Jones, or T.C. for short.

I met him before I was old enough to go to school, through my adoration for a heroic Lassie-like collie he had named Jamie, and Mr. Jones, as I always called him, became a mentor of mine.

One of the many things I still remember him telling me was this; “Dougie (the name he forever called me), don’t ever wish any time away. Make the best of every moment.” Continue reading →

Do Whatever You Want While The Rest of Us Sacrifice!

Ontario’s Premier Cannot Give Minister Rod Phillips a Free Pass for Choosing to Leave the Country for a Vacation, While Instructing Ontarians To Stay Home

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party, with a Brief Foreword form Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 30th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

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

Ontario’s Finance Minister Rod Phillips, seen here with his dear leader Doug Ford behind him, sneaks off on a warm-climate vacation, while we, the rest of us suckers are on a province-wide lockdown.

So now we find out that Rod Phillips – this creep of an Ontario Finance Minister we have, courtesy of his moronic boss, the premier, Doug Ford – having tabled a hellish budget which, among other things, guts our province’s Conservation Authorities and further compromised the health of our environment for our children, sneaks off on a vacation to the Caribbean Islands during a province-wide lockdown where the rest of us sacrifice and suffer!

Sorry I am in so off a mood during this Holiday Season, but God damn these two-faced Doug Ford bastards!

It’s just fine with them to tell the rest of us to stay home and stare at “we are closed signs” at virtually every restaurant, store and public institution for at least the next four weeks. But hey, if they want to climb aboard a jet and sneak off on an –out-of-country vacation to warmer climates during an Ontario-wide walk down, that is just dandy. Continue reading →

As Long-Term Care Outbreaks Explode, Ontario Opposition Leader  Calls For Minister To Be Replaced

35 More Homes In Outbreak Compared To One Week Ago

A Statement from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted December 30th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP MPP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath want’s Ford Longterm-Care Home Minister’s head.

HAMILTON, Ontario — Nursing Homes Like Tendercare In Scarborough Are In Desperate Crisis, And Outbreaks Are Bursting Into More Long-Term Care Homes Every Day — Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath Calls For Doug Ford To Urgently Replace The Failed Minister Of Long Term Care Merrilee Fullerton.

“Over 2,700 Long-Term Care Residents Have Lost Their Lives — They Were Loved, And They Died Without Their Family There To Comfort Them And Say Goodbye. And Thousands More Families Are Now Racked With Worry About Their Parents And Grandparents As The Virus Rips Through Nursing Homes Again,” Said Horwath. Continue reading →

A Message from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 24^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Well what can someone say as we live the final days of a year like this?

One of our favourite f, Tigger. You can find out more about Tigger and his calendar further down in this Holiday message. Photo courtesy of Joe Krawchuk

I have been a professional wordsmith, or at least an aspiring or struggling one,  for most of my adult life, and yet this Holiday Season I am fighting for words that might leave us all with the kind of warm Holiday Season message I normally like to send out.

Thanks to that invisible killer virus out there, though, what once passed as normal, just one past Christmas season ago, is gone, and in a way, when I hear the likes of a Doug Ford say they want to “get back to normal again,” my response is; ‘No we don’t. Let’s build a new normal. Let’s re-imagine or reshape our communities in ways that are more conducive to tolerance and civility, and to a healthier economy and environment for us all!” Continue reading →

Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Why Isn’t Ford Also Declaring What Are Left of Our Woodlands, Our Wetlands, Our Watersheds, Our Endangered Plants and Animals, and our Conservation Authorities in Ontario “Essential” to the Health of Our Environment and our Children’s Future?

A Brief Holiday Season Message from Ontario Premier Doug Ford, with a Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 24^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

A Foreword from Doug Draper at NAL –

So now we have Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, declaring Santa Claus an “essential service” for all of the children out there.

It seems like a cute enough little message on the surface, and I am sure that some out there would say to me; ‘Hey, why not just loosen up on this guy during the Holiday Season, and let the message stand on its own?”

Sorry, but I have a hard time doing that with a premier who is coming on like he has our children at heart with this Santa declaration, even while he and his government continue to wipe out the environmental measures generations of Ontarians fought for – measures that are we should be building on, and not destroying, for the health and welfare of our children’s future.

From slashing funding for planting trees and watershed protection and restoration, to significantly weakening rules for protecting endangered species and green places, to more recently moving to gut our Conservation Authorities, and their capacity to deal with flooding or rule on development proposals that may have a negative impact on vital environmental features in our Great Lakes basin, Ford and his government have done more compromise a healthy, sustainable future for our children than any gifts from Santa can make up for.

So never mind Santa Claus. What we have with Ford and his government is a Grim Reaper leaving coal in our children’s stockings.

Continue reading →

Making Connections – Even Virtually – Important During Holidays

A Tip Sheet from Niagara Health, Niagara, Ontario’s amalgamated system of hospitals

Posted December 23^rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Stay connected. Even if it’s not in person.

That’s the message for the holidays from Dr. Maxine Lewis, Chief of Mental and Addictions for Niagara Health and St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

Maintaining connections with others is always important for your mental health, but especially during a pandemic that has put limits on the amount of in-person contact people have with each another.

“People are demonstrating really innovative ways to stay connected with each other, like video conferencing and telephone,” says Dr. Lewis. Continue reading →

Government Providing Grants of up to $20,000 to Small Businesses Impacted by New Public Health Measures

“The number of daily cases continue to rise putting our hospitals and long-term care homes at risk. We need to stop the spread of this deadly virus.”                                                                                        – Ontario Premier Doug Ford

A News Release from the Office of Ontario’s Premier

Posted December 21^st. 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford

TORONTO, Ontario — As COVID-19 cases continue to rise at an alarming rate, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other health experts, is imposing a Province-wide Shutdown.

Additional restrictions will be put into place and reinforce that Ontarians should stay at home as much as possible to minimize transmission of the virus and prevent hospitals from becoming overwhelmed. The Province-wide Shutdown will go into effect as of Saturday, December 26, 2020, at 12:01 a.m.

Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, and Dr. Naveed Mohammad, President and CEO, William Osler Health System. Continue reading →

Skywatchers Call It “The Great Conjunction”. Beginning this December 21^st and for the Next Few Weeks, It is also a Great (and most welcome) Diversion from COVID-19 and Related Madness

Posted by Niagara At Large publisher and reporter Doug Draper

December 21^st, 2020

“Skywatchers are in for an end-of-year treat,” begins a recent news release from NASA.

“What has become known popularly as the “Christmas Star,” continues the news release, “is an especially vibrant planetary conjunction easily visible in the evening sky over the next two weeks as the bright planets Jupiter and Saturn come together, culminating on the night of Dec. 21.”

“In 1610, Italian astronomer Galileo Galilei pointed his telescope to the night sky, discovering the four moons of Jupiter – Io, Europa, Ganymede, and Callisto. In that same year, Galileo also discovered a strange oval surrounding Saturn, which later observations determined to be its rings. These discoveries changed how people understood the far reaches of our solar system.

“Thirteen years later, in 1623, the solar system’s two giant planets, Jupiter and Saturn, traveled together across the sky. Jupiter caught up to and passed Saturn, in an astronomical event known as a “Great Conjunction.”  …

For more details on when and where to watch for this rare event in our skies, check out the NASA news release and a related Globe and Mail newspaper story below.

To read the full NASA media release, with details on when and where to watch for this sky spectacular, click on – https://www.nasa.gov/feature/the-great-conjunction-of-jupiter-and-saturn

To read a Globe and Mail report on the Great Conjuction, including an audio report, click on – https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-how-to-see-and-photograph-the-great-conjunction-of-2020/ .

To watch it when or after it happens, try clicking on the screen, at the appropriate time, immediately below –

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

Canada Federal Conservative Party Statement Regarding Genetic Variant of the COVID-19 Virus

Posted December 21^st. 2020 on Niagara At Large

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson. A Brief Note here from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – I would buy as much o what this character says about COVID-19 as I would buy a Brexit plan from him. He operates in the same dead zone as his old friend Donald Trump.

OTTAWA, Ontario – The Hon. Michelle Rempel Garner, Shadow Minister for Health, issued the following statement calling on the Trudeau Liberals to provide Canadians with information about the new genetic variant of COVID-19 identified in the United Kingdom:

“Canadians are looking for accurate information about the new variant of COVID-19 that has been identified in the United Kingdom. The ties between our two countries are extremely close, with many Canadians’ families overseas.

“I am pleased that the Prime fMinister is convening a meeting of the Incident Response Group this afternoon.  It is imperative that the Trudeau government provide Canadians with information and proactively respond to the following questions:

Continue reading →

A Statement from Niagara, Ontario’s Three NDP MPPs

Posted December 21st, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates, St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens and Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch released the following  statement in response to the Niagara, Ontario  region being moved to the Red-Control Zone

From left, Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates and St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

Niagara, Ontario — “Our communities are facing longer and deeper lockdowns, once again, because Doug Ford failed to take action and invest the money we needed in our health and safety.

It should never have come to this. If Ford had stepped up earlier with paid sick days and family care days so people didn’t have to go to work when they’re unwell, testing in our schools and workplaces and more funding for our local health units to test and contact trace, we could have avoided this.

Instead, Ford decided to sit back and wait for the vaccine, knowing it’s still months before everyone is vaccinated.

Our thanks and praise go to everyone in the Niagara region, particularly our frontline heroes, who are working hard to prevent the spread, and our condolences go out to all those that have had their lives touched by COVID.”

The three NDP MPPs at a news conference in downtown St. Catharines this past fall, for the launch of an NDP plan to support Ontario’s main street businesses.

NIAGARA AT LARGE Encourages You To Join The Conversation By Sharing Your Views On This Post In The Space Following The Bernie Sanders Quote Below.

“A Politician Thinks Of The Next Election. A Leader Thinks Of The Next Generation.” – Bernie Sanders

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

Posted December 18th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

I have never known a cat in my life – however dynamic – that has not needed a nap every once in a while.

Well, with your patience, Niagara At Large is taking a little one now, if only until the coming week leading up to Christmas when we will once again be posting more news and commentary about the issues and the crazy world around us – in earnest! Continue reading →

“This is a watershed moment – the beginning of the end of this terrible pandemic. The light at the end of the tunnel grows brighter every day, but we must remain on our guard.”                  – Ontario Premier Doug Ford

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted December 14^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued the following statement on the first COVID-19 vaccinations being administered to frontline health care workers in Ontario and in the country:

“Today (this Monday, December 14th, 2020) is a historic day for Ontario and for Canada as the first Health Canada-approved COVID-19 vaccines have started to be given to our frontline health care heroes.

I would especially like to recognize Anita Quidangen, the first person in Ontario and Canada to receive the shot. Anita is a personal support worker (PSW) from the Rekai Centre at Sherbourne Place, a long-term care home in Toronto.

She has worked tirelessly to care for some of our most vulnerable, both throughout this pandemic and since her first days as a PSW in 1988. Anita has spent years rolling up her sleeves to protect our province, and today, she didn’t hesitate to find a new way to do so. She represents the best of the Ontario Spirit. Continue reading →

Brenda Johnson, Hamilton city councillor and Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s board

“The NPCA is thankful to its partner municipalities, residents, nature clubs, professional associations, not-for-profit organizations, volunteers, community groups, and many others who made a difference by voicing their support for the important work of conservation authorities. …We are especially grateful to our local media for their ongoing coverage and helping us keep our communities informed.                                                                               – Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority Board Chair  Brenda Johnson

A News Release from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA)

Posted December 12^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

NPCA REMAINS COMMITTED TO KEEPING PEOPLE AND PROPERTY SAFE AND CONSERVING THE WATERSHED’S NATURAL RESOURCES

On December 8th, the Government of Ontario passed Bill 229 Budget Measures Act, along with Schedule 6 approving changes to the Conservation Authorities Act.

While the NPCA was hoping for full withdrawal of Schedule 6, as it presents significant challenges related to its planning and permitting activities and defending lands as the second largest landowner in Ontario, partial success was achieved.

During the process, amendments to Schedule 6 addressed conservation authorities’ enforcement activities, as well as several governance-related concerns pertaining to the appointment and duties of Board members. Continue reading →

Prime Minister Announces Canada’s Strengthened Climate Plan to Protect Environment, Create Jobs, and Support Communities

News from the Office of the Prime Minister of Canada

Posted December 12^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

As we continue to address the challenges of today and the impacts of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada remains focused on meeting the tests of the future.

Climate change is the biggest long-term threat of our generation, but it is also the greatest economic opportunity.

By accelerating action to fight climate change and rebuilding a more sustainable and resilient economy, we can create new jobs and opportunities for Canadians, while also ensuring cleaner air and water for our kids and grandkids.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, (this December 11^th) announced Canada’s strengthened climate plan, A Healthy Environment and a Healthy Economy, which will help achieve our economic and environmental goals. Continue reading →

WELLAND’S CENTRAL FIRE STATION CELEBRATES 1OOth BIRTHDAY VIRTUALLY

Find Out Below How You Can Go Online – This Coming Thursday, December 17th, 2020 – To Enjoy What This Heritage Gem Has to Offer

Welland’s iconic old Fire Hall – one of the best of the still standing fire stations of its kind in Canada – is celebrating its 100th Birthday. We all have to make sure that it is saved.

Niagara, Ontario – On Dec. 17, 1920, with the official opening of the Central Fire Station, firefighting and public safety in Welland rolled into the 20th Century.

A stylish and practical $43,851 fire hall, built on an easy-to-exit 45-degree angle at Hellems Avenue and Division Street, contained the latest firefighting features of the period.

For the hall’s centennial on Dec. 17, 2020, the Central Station Education Initiative (CSEI), which leases the closed fire hall from the city, had planned to hold an “at home”, a traditional fire department open house. Continue reading →

News from Niagara Health, the body managing the amalgamation of hospital sites in Niagara, Ontario

Posted December 11^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – An outbreak of COVID-19 has been declared today on the inpatient Unit C at Niagara Health’s Greater Niagara General Site in Niagara Falls.

The outbreak was declared as a result of three healthcare-associated cases of COVID-19 involving two patients and a healthcare worker.

Our Infection Prevention and Control team, working with Niagara Region Public Health and our Occupational Health and Safety team, is monitoring the situation closely. Continue reading →

Horwath Wants Legislature To Return Immediately To Get To Work Protecting People From Second Wave

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Andrea Horwath in St. Catharines this August 8th to press for more resources to safeguard province’s long-term care homes

HAMILTON, Ontario — “Doug Ford is waving the white flag in the fight against COVID-19, and just waiting for a vaccine now,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath.

On Tuesday (December 8^th), Doug Ford ended the session of the legislature early — and Horwath said that’s despite the fact that Ford hasn’t done the things people need to stay safe until the vaccine is delivered. She’s calling for the legislature to return immediately, so MPPs can pass more protections and support for people, who likely still have to get through months before vaccines are available to all.

“Sending MPPs home to have a holiday break at the height of the pandemic is wrong,” said Horwath. Continue reading →

“As climate change accelerates, no individual, province or sector will be immune. Now more than ever, we cannot afford to ignore massive future costs—especially those that we have the power to manage.”                                                                                                             – Kathy Bardswick, President, Canadian Institute for Climate Choices

A News Release from the Canadian Institute for Climate Choices, with a Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 6th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

A Foreword by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large –

This sticker in place of the one Ford forced gas stations to display on their pumps to protest the federal government’s efforts to put a price on climate ravaging carbon pollution.. The courts recently ruled against Ford trying to make the display of his anti-carbon pricing stickers mandatory.

Almost every time public debate turns to what we need to do now – collectively as regions, provinces, states and countries – to address a climate crisis that is already doing major damage to our natural resources and to properties and communities, we get extreme right-wing politicians like Doug Ford in Ontario, Jason Kenney in Alberta and Donald Trump in the United States arguing that taking the real action that is needed and moving toward a green economy is going to cost too much.

In Ontario, we have witnessed Premier Doug Ford and the anti-environmental protection ideologues that make up his Trump-like party, spend tens of millions of our tax dollars fighting Canada’s federal government’s efforts to, at the very least, put a modest price on climate-ravaging carbon pollution. Continue reading →

NDP MPP for Niagara Falls Wayne Gates stood up in the Ontario legislature this December 7^th  to tell Doug Ford to stop attacking the environment

Our kids’, our grandkids’ futures are at stake. … Stop the attack now. We must stand up for our greenbelt, our environment, our climate, our kids and our grandkids.”                                                        – Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

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

Posted December 7^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario NDP MPP Wayne Gates

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPP for Niagara Falls Wayne Gates stood up in the Ontario legislature Monday (December 7^th) to tell Doug Ford to stop attacking the environment by gutting the province’s conservation authorities.

This weekend David Crombie, chair of the Greenbelt Council, and six of its members, resigned in protest against the Ford government’s pushing through changes to the Conservation Authorities Act in the budget omnibus bill.

“For weeks, my colleagues and myself have been highlighting the shameful decision the of this government to sneak in damaging anti-environmental legislation underneath the smokescreen of the budget.

These recent resignations further prove that this government’s priorities when it comes to the environment are all wrong. They want to tear up 80 years of environmental protection and help their developer friends pave over the greenbelt. Continue reading →

Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO)  joins thousands calling for withdrawal of Ford Government’s  Bill 229 Schedule 6

“ACO’s mandate is to encourage the conservation of culturally significant landscapes. We strongly oppose the removal of the excellent protection which Ontario’s Conservation Authorities have provided.”                                                                                                  – ACO Board of Directors Chair Kae Elgie

A News Release from Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO)

Posted December 7th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Architectural Conservancy Ontario (ACO) has joined the hundreds of organizations and thousands of individuals calling for the withdrawal of Bill 229 Schedule 6, the portion of the Protect, Support and Recover from COVID-19 (Budget Measures) Act which would limit the powers of Conservation Authorities to comment on land use planning decisions.

“ACO’s mandate is to encourage the conservation of culturally significant landscapes,” said ACO Board of Directors Chair Kae Elgie. “We strongly oppose the removal of the excellent protection which Ontario’s Conservation Authorities have provided.”

The proposed legislation removes highly trained and experienced scientists and engineers and 75 years of Conservation Authorities’ experience from the land use planning process. Continue reading →

Six more Greenbelt Council resign in protest to Ford Government’s Move to Gut Environmental Rules and Conservation Authorities

“Conservation Authorities are key to the future of watershed planning in Ontario. … The steps taken in (the Ford Government’s Budget Bill) ill 229 (to gut the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and province’s 36 other CAs), put decades of excellent work across city and regional boundaries at risk.”                                                                                                              – from a resignation letter by Ontario Greenbelt Council member Leith Moore

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party

Posted December 7^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — Peter Tabuns, NDP critic for Energy and the Climate Crisis, has issued the following statement regarding Sunday’s resignation of six more members of the Greenbelt Council in protest over measures in Doug Ford’s budget that will gut conservation authorities.

These resignations follow the resignation of Chair David Crombie Saturday (December 5^th) evening:

“I want to thank the outgoing members of the Greenbelt Council for their principled stand against Doug Ford’s attack on the environment, the Greenbelt, and conservation. People have had enough of Ford working for powerful developers and not in the best interests of the province. Continue reading →

“The provincial government is circumventing the planning process and shutting down public consultation and now they are ending the ability of any “nuisance” bodies like Conservation Authorities to apply laws that protect wetlands, floodplains and source water protection areas.”                                                                                      – Caroline Schultz of Ontario Nature.

Ontario’s Ford Government now just a few days away from moving to destroy the voice and the role the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and 35 other Conservation Authorities across the province play in flood management and protecting our environment from ill-conceived development. RAISE YOUR VOICE AND STOP THIS GOVERNMENT FROM RAPING OUR CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES’ ROLE IN NATURAL HERITAGE PROTECTION.

An Urgent Call-Out to All of Us from ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE and ONTARIO NATURE

Posted December 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario government’s proposed amendments to Bill 229, Schedule 6 are a shocking escalation of attacks on public safety, natural values and safe drinking water

Toronto, Ontario –  The Ontario government will today bring forward amendments to its proposed legislation that attacks Conservation Authorities, which will allow the provincial government to order dangerous development projects to proceed against the science-based decisions of Conservation Authorities in a manner that threatens public safety and environmental values all across the province.

These new, and never previously discussed, amendments expressly force Conservation Authorities to issue permits for development, even if it will cause flooding or erosion and jeopardize human health and safety, if the government issues a Minister’s Zoning Order (MZO). They also force Conservation Authorities to accept and implement “pay to slay” agreements with developers to allow natural values to be wiped off the landscape for a fee. Continue reading →

Coalition Calls on on Ford Government to Implement Recommendations Immediately

A News Release from the Ontario Health Coalition, a province-wide citizens advocacy group for quality public health care

Posted December 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Toronto – The second set of recommendations from Ontario’s Long-Term Care COVID-19 Commission were released this December 4th.

You can click on them here: http://www.ltccommission-commissionsld.ca/ 

The Commission continues to do excellent work and the Ontario Health Coalition said it is fully in support of the recommendations which focus on restoring comprehensive inspections in all LTC homes, improving compliance and enforcement of care standards and care plans, ensuring that staffing levels are inspected, and improving infection control measures in long-term care homes. Continue reading →

‘Ford Government’s Midnight Amendments to Legislative Bill Threatens Ontarians’ Safety from Floods and Throws Our Wetlands at Mercy of Developers’

Environmental Protection Role of Our Conservation Authorities Hangs in the Balance

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party

Posted December 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario NDP Environment critic Ian Arthur responded to the Ford government introducing amendments allowing developers to destroy wetlands, floodplains and source water at a cost to human safety, to proposed legislation that attacks Conservation Authorities:

“Doug Ford is a threat to Ontarians’ safety. Ontario’s wetlands, floodplains and source water and the wildlife they support aren’t just beautiful; they protect people from dangers like flooding, disease and the contamination of our food and water. Continue reading →

Anti-Environment Ford Government Moving to Ram CA-Gutting Thru Ontario Legislature as Soon as this coming Monday, December 7th

We need your help with a last-minute push to retain the Current Mandate of the Province’s 36 Conservation Authorities – Ontario Nature, a province-wide citizens advocacy group for our environment

A News Release from Ontario Nature

Posted December 4th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Rather than listening to tens of thousands of Ontarians – including nearly 20,000 Ontario Nature members and supporters who requested that Schedule 6 be removed from Bill 229 – the provincial government (of Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff and company) is proposing several pages of never-seen-before amendments that tighten the screws even further on Conservation Authorities.

These amendments include one that will require a Conservation Authority to issue a permit that would otherwise be prohibited by provincial law and policy, if associated with a Minister’s Zoning Order. Continue reading →

“Funding will ensure Niagara region remains one of the top tourism destinations in the world” – Ford Government

A News Release from the Ontario Government of Premier Doug Ford

Posted December 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Ontario government is providing the Niagara Parks Commission with up to $12.81 million to help ensure the region remains one of the top tourism destinations in the world during the COVID-19 outbreak.

This one-time funding will help protect jobs, keep some attractions open, ensure compliance with public health protocols, and continue to keep visitors safe through policing and road maintenance activities.

Details were provided today by Lisa MacLeod, Minister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries, Sam Oosterhoff, MPP of Niagara West, Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls, and David Adames, CEO of the Niagara Parks Commission.

“Ontario’s heritage, tourism and culture agencies are important components of the province’s economic and social recovery,” said Minister MacLeod. Continue reading →

Ontario’s Ford Conservatives Now Working to Rip Apart Role of Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and 35 other CAs Across Province in Environmental Protection

A Call-Out from Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner to Stop Ford Tories’ War on our Environment

Posted  December 1^st, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner

Two days ago (this past Sunday, November 29th), I stood on the banks of the Grand River alongside local leaders, to condemn the rollback of flood protections by the Ford government.

The Grand River Conservation Authority (one of 36 Conservation Authorities in Ontario that may have been established at various times later) was formed in the 1930s in direct response to severe flooding.

But now Doug Ford wants to gut the ability of conservation authorities (including the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority in our Niagara watershed) to protect communities from severe flooding, thus taking us back decades in responsible  planning. Continue reading →

We, As Citizens, Don’t Have Much Time Left to Act – To Stop Ford and his Government from Further Threatening Our Natural Heritage

A Call-Out from Ed Smith, St. Catharines community activist and member of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s Board of Directors

Posted November 27^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Long-time St. Catharines citizen activist and Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board member Ed Smith makes a plea to fellow Niagara citizens to speak up for Conservation Authorities and our green spaces. File photo by Doug Draper

We are days away from the greatest environmental catastrophe to be unleashed on Niagara by a sitting government. Once it occurs there will be no undoing the damage and it will result in mortal consequences to Niagara’s last few remaining wilderness areas.

Ontario’s Ford government has bundled into its recent budget legislation a section called Schedule 6.

Schedule 6 of the Budget Bill deals specifically with the 36 Conservation Authorities across Ontario, including our Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

Since taking office  more than two years ago, the Ford government has tried to take control of our environment away from any strict protections and hand it over to causes more sympathetic to the needs of developers. Continue reading →

“We hope (the Ford Government) will listen to the chorus of voices asking them to protect the vital role of conservation authorities in Ontario”                                                                                     – April Weppler, Canadian Environmental Law Association

A Message from the Canadian Environmental Law Association

Posted November 27^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Dear Fellow Ontarians

Thank you for your continued support for conservation authorities. We promised you an update on the province’s omnibus budget measures Bill 229 that is threatening Conservation Authorities, and here it is – the government is fast-tracking passage of Bill 229.

The Ford government’s legislation would purge Conservation Authorities across the province, including our Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority in this region, of citizen voices on its board of directors. Ford is moving to block citizens from sitting on these boards. His pals in the development community don’t want citizens to have a say.

Through a time-allocation motion that passed Monday, the government has sent the Bill to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs for an expedited review (https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/committees/finance-economic-affairs/parliament-42/notice-hearings/2020-nov-23-notice-hearings-standing-committee-finance-economic-affairs) .  While the timelines are very tight, there is a small window for public comment, through both in-person presentations and written submissions. Continue reading →

Then – After Risking Themselves Caring For Others – Ford’s Tories Reward Them by Cutting Their Pay

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Demands Ontario Health Minister Immediately Reverse Directive That Denies Pay to Health Care Workers Who Need to Self-Isolate

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

Posted November 25th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPP Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre) has demanded the Ford government reverse a directive from the Ministry of Health that tells hospitals to stop paying frontline heath care workers who self-report when they are exposed to COVID-19 and are forced to go into isolation.

“This government likes to talk about the hard work done by nurses, doctors, personal support workers and other frontline health care workers, correctly calling them ‘heroes’. Yet the actions of this government put them in an impossible situation, having to choose between reporting an exposure and feeding their family,” said Burch during question period at the Ontario legislature Tuesday.

“Will this Minister investigate, reverse this disgraceful directive, and ensure that front-line health care workers in Ontario’s hospitals receive their full pay when they are mandated by the employer to self-isolate due to COVID-19?,” Burch asked Health Minister Christine Elliott. Continue reading →

Doug Ford’s Conservatives are Shameless in their Assault on the Environment

A News Release from the Green Party of Ontario

Posted November 24^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

You might never have heard of a conservation authority.

That’s OK.

They quietly keep us safe by regulating development in watershed areas (including the Niagara area)- where 95 per cent  of Ontarians live.

Most importantly, they hold the line against reckless projects in flood-prone areas. Continue reading →

Ford Government’s Plan to Gut Role of Conservation Authorities May Be Getting More Media Attention Than The Premier and Company  Bargained For

A Statement from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA)

Posted November 23^rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

MEDIA COVERAGE ON (Ford Government”s BILL 229 & CONSERVATION AUTHORITIES

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority takes this opportunity to thank members of the media for their dedication to ensuring that our communities are well aware of the potential impacts that Bill 229 will have on conservation authorities across Ontario.

Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s board in session in early 2019 . File photo by Doug Draper

These proposed changes to the Conservation Authorities Act will greatly impact the NPCA’s role in land use planning and will completely change the role of conservation authorities in protecting Ontario’s environment and ensuring people and property are safe from natural hazards.

We are proud to serve and support our community, and are grateful for the amount of support that has been shown. Continue reading →

Local Conservation Authorities, including the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and Hamilton Conservation Authority,  and many citizen organizations are fighting Ford government legislation gutting Conservation Authorities.

A News Release from CATCH, the Hamilton-based group Citizens At City Hall

Posted November 23rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

There is massive opposition to the Ford government’s legislation that slashes the powers of conservation authorities and makes life easier for developers. It would also convert the Hamilton Conservation Authority into a sub-committee of city council.

All local conservation authorities and dozens of citizen organizations are demanding withdrawal of the changes, including a local climate group that is holding a public on-line webinar (https://hamiltoncatch.us20.list-manage.com/track/click?u=8ffda5515733a1dd97a7b21fa&id=534b78f4d8&e=a31ab29d46) and “phone zap” on Tuesday afternoon (November 24th at 1 p.m.).

Conservation Halton, which oversees several watersheds in Hamilton, says the Ford government move is a “cause for alarm” while Hamilton Conservation Authority (HCA) says it “would reduce [its] ability to protect the natural environment and our watersheds.”

Continue reading →

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

Posted November 22^nd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

U.S. President John F. Kennedy and wife and First Lady Jackie arrive in Dallas, Texas on November 22nd, 1963. Shortly after this photo was taken, Kennedy was murdered on the streets of that city.

You know that time is flying by (dare I say, at warp speed) and that you are approaching the fossil stage of your life when the date November 22^nd comes around and hardly anyone mentions the assassination of John F. Kennedy any more.

There was a time, not so many decades ago, when it was said that virtually everyone over a certain age remembered exactly where they were and what they were doing when they heard the news, on that fateful day of November 22^nd, 1963, that then U.S. President John F. Kennedy was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas.

Many heard about the assassination of the president for the first time from one of the most respected television news anchors at the time, legendary CBS news anchor Walter Cronkite, who barely ever lost his professional composure, but did on this one when his voice began to shake and tears welled up in his eyes.

You can watch Cronkite announcing that news to the world by clicking on the screen immediately below –

Open up the obituary pages of your local newspaper now and you l see the growing numbers of people age 70 years and older who are passing on and taking their memories of that shocking news and it meant for those times and for times moving forward with them. Continue reading →

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

Posted November 20^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Lincoln Regional Councillor and NPCA board member Robert Foster

Thank You Lincoln Regional Councillor Robert Foster!

And Thank You also to Pelham Regional Councillor Diana Huson.

This November 19^th, at a meeting of the whole Niagara Regional Council, Foster tabled and Huson seconded a motion asking the Region’s Chair, Jim Bradley, to send a letter to Ontario’s Ford Government, urging it to eliminate a clause – already known infamously to many across the province as Clause 6 or ‘Schedule 6’ – that would go a long way toward eliminating the role of Conservation Authorities in such areas as flood management and commenting on development plans that might impact negatively on our natural heritage. Continue reading →

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff

“As a local MPP, I appreciate the work of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and believe Bill 229 will help strengthen and further define the core mandate of local conservation authorities.”                                                                                                 – Niagara West MPP and Ford Government representative   Sam Oosterhoff

Posted November 20^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

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

A week after Ontario’s Ford government tabled a 2020 Budget on November 5^th with a clause embedded in it that – if it received final passage in the days ahead – will radically diminish the role our Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and other Conservation Authorities across the province play when it comes to protecting and preserving our natural heritage, I reached out to Niagara’s only Ford government MPP, Sam Oosterhoff, to ask him for his take on this controversial action.

Without any further commentary from me, I want to share with our Niagara At Large readers, for the record, my note to Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff earlier this month, and his response. Continue reading →

Province Tying Conservation Authorities Up in Red Tape – Repeal Schedule 6 of Ford Government’s Budget Measures Act

A News Release from Conservation Ontario, the umbrella body for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority aned 35 other Conservation Authroties across Ontario

Posted November 20^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Kim Gavine, General Manager, Conservation Ontario

NEWMARKET Ontario  – Conservation Ontario (CO) recommends the Province repeal (remove) Schedule 6 which amends the Conservation Authorities Act and the Planning Act because the changes being proposed will create more red tape and higher costs for Ontario taxpayers as well as threaten the independent watershed-based approach used by conservation authorities (CAs) in land use planning.  

There are a number of proposed changes contained in Bill 229: Protect, Support and Recover from COVID 19 Act (Budget Measures Act)  which Conservation Ontario believes will have the potential to add significant delays and costs in conservation authority enforcement, planning and permitting processes as well as ultimately have the potential for significant impacts on Ontario’s ability to provide cost-effective flooding and natural hazards management/protection and drinking water protection to Ontarians.  Continue reading →

Ontario’s NDP is calling on Doug Ford to scrap troubling new legislation that would gut the role of Conservation Authorities in protecting and preserving our Natural Heritage

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition Party

Posted November 20^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

When it comes to preserving our natural heritage for future generations, Doug Ford and his legion of Tory MPPs are proving they simply couldn’t give a damn. Who needs Trump when we have this rabble running Ontario like a dictatorship.

QUEEN’S PARK — Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP is calling on Doug Ford to scrap troubling new legislation that paves the way for developers to build on the province’s wetlands by stripping conservation authorities of their powers.

The changes, buried in the government’s budget bill, would let the Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry override the conservation authorities responsible for protecting Ontario’s wetlands and keeping people and property safe from floods.

“By attempting to help his developer friends skip checks and balances, Doug Ford is undermining conservation authorities and recklessly endangering communities,” said NDP Environment Critic Ian Arthur. “We should be protecting our wetlands and keeping people safe from floods, not dragging Ontario backwards in the fight against the climate crisis. Continue reading →

With COVID-19 Case Counts Soaring, No Surprise Here

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

Posted November 20^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Who knows when we see traffic like this again on the Peace Bridge crossing between Niagara, Ontario and Buffalo, New York

As if the latest word from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the status of travel across Canada-U.S. border crossings come as any surprise, of course the ban on crossings for all but essential travel has been extended for yet another month.

We are now going on 10 months since the Peace Bridge, Rainbow Bridge and other crossings between Canada and the United States were first closed to most of us due to the global pandemic, and it is almost getting to a point where this is the new norm.

As someone who loved day visits to favourite people and places in Buffalo, New York, this Niagara, Ontario resident has all but completely accepted this state of affairs as a new norm with no end in sight. Continue reading →

Ford Government Needs to do More to Help Ontario Through a Second Wave of COVID-19

“If I were premier today, I’d be providing direct, concrete financial help to small businesses, workers would have paid sick days so no essential worker has to go to work sick, and we would have launched an aggressive recruitment strategy to (properly) staff up long-term car homes.”                                                               – Andrea  Horwath, NDP Leader and Leader of the Official Opposition Party in Ontario

A News Release from the Office of Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted November 20^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Andrea Horwath in St. Catharines this August 8th to press for more resources to safeguard province’s long-term care homes

QUEEN’S PARK — After Doug Ford relaxed public health protections in recent weeks, additional lockdown measures now seem inevitable. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on Doug Ford to include specific measures to make sure people and small businesses make it through.

Horwath is calling for:

• * Immediate direct concrete financial support to compensate small businesses and help with costs like rent and payroll
• * Paid sick days for every Ontarian
• * An immediate and urgent recruitment plan to hire at least 10,000 PSWs, with a permanent $5 per hour raise

Continue reading →

Wayne Gates has demanded Premier Doug Ford immediately release emergency funding for restaurants and bars in Niagara

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

Posted November 18^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario NDP MPP Wayne Gates

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) has demanded Doug Ford immediately release emergency funding for Niagara restaurants and bars, after new restrictions were introduced by the local public health unit.

“The premier knows Niagara is a tourist destination. We depend on our restaurant and bar industry.

In fact, 13 per cent of all jobs in Niagara are tied directly to this sector which doesn’t include thousands of spin-off jobs. These businesses cannot survive without financial help – the premier holds that power in his hands,” said Gates in the Ontario legislature Tuesday.

Will the premier stand up today, tell the restaurant and bar owners of Niagara that he hears their cries for help and immediately announce emergency funding to ensure they can weather the storm of these new mandatory public health restrictions?,” asked Gates during question period. Continue reading →

A Zoom Meeting, Hosted by the Niagara District Council of Women, this Wednesday, November 18^th at 7:30 P.M.

An Invited from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted November 17^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Join us for a Public meeting on –

EMERGENCY RESPONSES WHEN MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES & RACE CONVERGE

• ·       What is the Niagara Regional Police Force  plan to  improve its responses  to emergency mental health  calls?
• ·       What other service providers  should be involved ?
• ·       Who would benefit from a better system ?

Continue reading →

“The people of Niagara ask that you (Ontario Premier Doug Ford & Company) stop using this devastating pandemic as cover to suspend laws and impede conservation authorities that exist to protect our environment. This short-sighted decision is irresponsible and disrespects the people of Niagara.”                       – Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

An OPEN URGENT LETTER to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks Jeff Yurek

Posted November 16^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Dear Premier Ford and Minister Yurek:

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

I am sending this letter to express my outrage as well as the deep disappointment of Niagara citizens with the recent actions of your government with respect to local conservation authorities.

At a time when we are all dealing with a worsening deadly coronavirus pandemic, you have chosen to accelerate an ongoing harmful agenda to strip the NPCA and conservation authorities across Ontario of its citizen appointees, in direct opposition to the recommendations of the 2018 Ontario Auditor General’s Report.

That report concluded that part of the problem with the NPCA was that it’s board was only made up of politicians.

As people stay home and frontline workers put their lives on the line during the COVID-19 crisis, your government imposes new regulations buried in the Ontario 2020 Budget gutting our Conservation Authorities by rolling back environmental oversight at the local level. Continue reading →

Warning Covers this Sunday, November 15^th at Noon Thru Mid-Day Monday, November 16th

An Urgent Notice from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Conservation Authorities in the Grant River & Long Point Areas, and Environment Canada

Posted November 15^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

For Sunday November 15, 2020, this notice is intended to update the public and local municipalities of the condition of the Lake Erie Shoreline as it relates to the Niagara Peninsula and the eastern portion of Haldimand County.

Niagara is currently under a Wind Warning as issued by Environment Canada, calling for very strong southwesterly winds gusting to 100+km/hr. These winds will significantly increase water levels and waves along the Lake Erie Shoreline. Continue reading →

Don’t Let Ontario’s Ford Government Gut the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and 35 other Conservation Authorities Across Our Province

‘The Ford Government’s Bill 229 is the most recent in a disturbing trend of using omnibus budget measures bills to make substantial changes to environmental laws, thereby side-stepping the public’s right to comment under Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights.’ – Canadian Environmental Law Association

 An Urgent Call-Out to All of Us from the Canadian Environmental Law Association

Posted November 13^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

On November 5, 2020, the Ontario government tabled omnibus budget measures Bill 229 in the Ontario Legislature, Schedule 6 of which proposes fundamental changes to the Conservation Authorities Act and to the conservation authorities’ role in land use planning.

Bill 229 is the most recent in a disturbing trend of using omnibus budget measures bills to make substantial changes to environmental laws, thereby sidestepping the public’s right to comment under the Environmental Bill of Rights.

In CELA’s view, the proposed changes to conservation authorities in Bill 229 will not achieve the crucially important goal of building climate resilience for Ontario. To the contrary, the package of amendments as proposed are likely to set back watershed planning and implementation of an ecosystem based approach by decades. Continue reading →

News from Niagara College in Niagara, Ontario

Posted November 13^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara College will advance its COVID-19 related research after being granted close to $50,000 for the purchase of a biomedically compatible 3D printer for its Research & Innovation division.

Samantha Jemison, a student in NC’s Mechanical Engineering Technology program, calibrates an FDM 3D printer as a research assistant with the Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC). The Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) award will fund the purchase of a biomedically compatible 3D printer for the Research & Innovation division for COVID-19 related research. Photo courtesy of Niagara College

The state-of-the-art 3D additive manufacturing equipment will be used by researchers at NC’s Walker Advanced Manufacturing Innovation Centre (WAMIC)<https://www.ncinnovation.ca/specializations/walker-advanced-manufacturing-innovation-centre> at the Welland Campus.

The award, which is part of a special fund of $28 million in research infrastructure support, was announced on November 6 by the Honourable Navdeep Bains, minister of Innovation, Science and Industry. Continue reading →

New modelling data Released This November 12th Shows Ontario needs to take Powerful, Decisive, Immediate Action to Stop the Spread of COVID-19

Daily COVID Cases in Ontario now Hitting Record Levels Surpassing 1,400 and Counting

A Statement from Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted November 12^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Grim projections show action is necessary to stop the spread – Ontario Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Is this Ontario Premier and his Tories letting us down on the battle against COVID-19?

QUEEN’S PARK — New modelling data released this Thursday, November 12^th  shows that Ontario needs to take powerful, decisive, immediate action to stop the spread of COVID-19, or cases will reach 2,000 to 6,000 per day, and hospitals will be overwhelmed.

Official Opposition leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement in response to the new information –

“This data modelling is horrific, and shows that Doug Ford’s choice to overrule expert advice, and cancel public health protections was gambling with people’s lives, and condemning us to live with COVID longer. Continue reading →

Say Goodbye to Bodies Like The NPCA Playing A Key Role in Science-Based Flood Management, Input on Development Proposals and Restoration and Preservation of our Natural Heritage

A Commentary Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper, followed by a link to a Must-Read Report in The Toronto Star

Posted November 12th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford moves forward with is plans to deconstruct the province’s Conservation Authorities as voices for environmental protection

As we have been learning since Premier Doug Ford and his Conservatives released their 2020 Budget this November 5th, embedded in that budget are plans to radically diminish the role that the province’s 36 Conservation Authorities, including our Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, play in environmental protection in our precious watersheds.

If and when Ford and company carry through with this demolition plan, all citizen voices on Conservation Authority boards, with the exception of representation from the agricultural industry, will be purged and Conservation will have little left to do but to maintain and manage the conservation areas they currently have under their control.

Any further role we need them to play – especially in an era of climate emergency and relentless pressure from developers to continue with low-density sprawl over natural lands – will be weakened to a point where citizens will have few, if any, bodies left to turn to with concerns over environmental protection. Continue reading →

Jeopardy Host Alex Died at Age 80 This November 8th. He Was Diagnosed in 2019 with late-stage Pancreatic Cancer.

A Statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the Death of Alex Trebek

Posted November 9^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Camada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement this November 8^th  on the death of Alex Trebek:

“This November 8th, we lost a proud Canadian and beloved TV star who was a familiar face to millions of people across North America and around the world.

“For many of us, Alex Trebek was a daily part of our lives. As the host of /Jeopardy! /for almost four decades, he hosted more episodes of a single  television game show than anyone else in history. We looked forward to his quick wit and wry jokes – and the questions about Canada he’d sneak into the show. Continue reading →