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For Now at Least, the Status Quo in Niagara – 13 Municipal Councils (including regional) and more than 120 Municipal Councillors – Will Remain

Niagara Region’s council in session and now looking like it won’t be downsized any time soon. file photo by Doug Draper

“Our government … conducted a review of Ontario’s eight regional governments (including Niagara’s) … After careful consideration of the feedback we heard through the course of the review, our government stands firm in its commitment to partnering with municipalities without pursuing a top-down approach. We will provide municipalities with the resources to support local decision-making.”                                                              – Steve Clark, Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted October 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

One of many protesting the Ford government’s decision to slash the size of Toronto’s city council, arrested in the provincial legislature last year.

Okay, so what was all that hooting, hollering and hand-ringing ll about?

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Conservatives began their term in power last year by taking a meat axe to Toronto’s city council – cutting the number of elected councillors serving one of North America’s largest cities almost in half – then went on to make all kinds of noise about doing something similar in other regions of the province.

“Big government is bad, in my opinion,” he told one of Niagara’s mainstream newspapers earlier this year. What’s Niagara and Muskoka? They have 122 or 133 elected officials? … That’s absolutely ridiculous.” Continue reading →

Ontario’s Ford Government Announces It Will Not Move Forward With More Downsizing of Municipal Councils in Province   

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

Regional Chair Bradley’s Statement on the Provincial governance review  Announcement

Posted October 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Niagara, Ontario – ​Regional Chair Jim Bradley offered the following statement regarding the Minister Steve Clark’s announcement on the municipal governance review:

“Today, the Provincial Government announced that they will not being taking a ‘top-down’ approach to amalgamations across Ontario, instead letting local councils decide what is best for them in terms of governance, decision-making and service delivery.

I applaud the decision of Minister Steve Clark and the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing for listening to the people of Ontario when making this important decision. Continue reading →

“It is an honour to represent the City of St. Catharines for this special occasion with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. The bonds between our cities and our countries were forged in the toughest of times and they are bonds that remain strong through the special relationships that have developed over the last 75 years.” – St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik

St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik

News from the City of St. Catharines

Posted October 24^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Mayor Walter Sendzik is honoured to join members of the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and Canadian leaders to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation of The Netherlands in the Second World War at ceremonies in the city of Bergen op Zoom this week.

The Lincoln and Welland Regiment played a major role in key battles to liberate The Netherlands in September and October, 1944. The Dutch city of Bergen op Zoom was a strategic location that was liberated by the Lincoln and Welland Regiment and South Alberta Regiment in October 1944.

Canadian troops moving in during the liberation of the Netherlands from Nazi occupation in the fall of 1944

 The Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen op Zoom holds the graves of 1100 Canadian soldiers who were killed in the liberation of the area, including 69 casualties from the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. Every year, families and descendants of veterans travel to the city for commemoration ceremonies to honour their loved ones. Continue reading →

All Existing Services will be  Transferred to           Welland Courthouse

“The consolidation of services to the Welland courthouse will improve service levels to the public and ensure Niagara residents can find all necessary resources in one location. The efficiencies generated from this transfer keep the Niagara taxpayer in mind.” ~Jim Bradley, Niagara Regional Chair

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted October 24th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines services moving to Welland Courthouse

Niagara, Ontario – ​The St. Catharines Provincial Courthouse will be closing Oct. 31, 2019 at noon.

Regional Council approved the closure of the 71 King St. courthouse on June 20, with all existing services transferring to the new 1,836 square metre Welland courthouse, located at 445 East Main St.

Up until its closure on Oct. 31, the St. Catharines Courthouse will continue to operate as a counter service to assist members of the public with setting a trial or early resolution meeting, extensions or re-openings, appeal documents and fine payments. No trial proceedings have taken place at the courthouse since October 2018. Continue reading →

With one decade to halve emissions, Parliament has critical role in addressing climate crisis

A Message from the David Suzuki Foundation

Posted October 23^rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

OTTAWA — The newly elected Canadian Parliament must implement unprecedented action to meet its international climate commitments, in line with maximum global warming of 1.5 C. To do so, members of Parliament must come together and work across political boundaries.

“Canadians overwhelmingly support climate action. They want immediate and long-term solutions to the climate crisis now,” David Suzuki Foundation CEO Stephen Cornish said. “Canadians — especially younger people — expect government to rise to the challenge.” Continue reading →

“Invasive species are great at spreading and growing. They basically take over habitat, displacing many native species and further endangering native species that are already threatened.” – Lyn Brown, Master of Sustainability student, Brock University

News from Brock University in St. Catharines 

Posted October 23^rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – They hitch rides on the soles of people’s shoes and in water carried and dumped by ships, enabling them to sneak through borders undetected.

During her Master of Sustainability program at Brock University, Lyn Brown (MS ’19) created the Niagara Region Aquatic and Riparian Invasive Species Control Database, which lists activities by organizations and groups in Niagara that manage invasive plant and aquatic species.

Once in their new homes, they destroy their neighbours by crowding them out, passing along diseases or even poisoning nearby plants, sometimes leading to major landscape transformations.

Plants and animals being introduced on purpose, or inadvertently into new environments, can have harmful impacts<https://www.environmentalscience.org/invasive-species> on native ecosystems.  Continue reading →

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath eager to get back to provincial legislature to help families affected by Conservative cuts

Ford and Company Shut Doors on House for doing Peoples’ Business a Full Five Months Ago!

A Message from Ontario’s Opposition New Democratic Party

Posted October 23^rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath wants the provincial legislature back in business.

QUEEN’S PARK – Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says New Democrats are eager to return to the legislature and work for families after Premier Doug Ford went into hiding for five months.

“Five months ago, Doug Ford shut down the legislature and went into hiding to help his friends in the federal Conservative party. It didn’t work,” said Horwath. “While Doug Ford hid the damage caused by his cuts was in plain sight: in our hospitals, our schools and for families across Ontario.”

Horwath noted that Ontario families continue to feel the fallout caused by Doug Ford’s budget cuts. Over the summer schools narrowly avoided a province-wide shutdown and the independent Financial Accountability Office confirmed that Ontario schools will shed 10,000 teaching jobs due to Ford cuts. Continue reading →

Support the Campaign to “Rescue” Welland’s classic Central Fire Hall – Saturday, November 2^nd at Welland’s Royal Legion Hall

A Call-Out to All from the Central Station Education Initiative

Posted October 23^rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Rescue Me!

A night of blazing rock music by the popular band Stonewall will fire up fund raising to preserve Welland’s classically designed Central Fire Station.

The Saturday, November 2^nd  dance at Welland’s Royal Canadian Legion hall, at 383 Moringstar Ave., will feature the popular band Stonewall leading a fun-filled night of dancing. It will include tasty snacks and great prizes.

Tickets are $10 at the door or in advance from members of the Central Station Education Initiative. Doors open 7:30 p.m. for a party that continues until midnight. Continue reading →

“You can’t always get what you want, but if you try sometimes, you get what you need.” – from the lyrics of a song by                The Rolling Stones’ Keith Richards and Mick Jagger

With the election over, will these three federal leaders now work more closely together for progressive change?

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

Posted October 22^nd, 1019 on Niagara At Large

The choices for many of us in this federal election may not have been great ones. Some even found them  disappointing and awful.

Yet, for more progressive-minded people across the Niagara region and across the country – for those of us who are demanding far stronger action on climate change and who want to see other common good services protected and improved – the results of this October 21^st election may be as good as we could expect, given the choices and given the very real threat of a Scheer Conservative Party win.

In fact, the results of this election could be the start of a new dawn for more progressive action on climate and a host of other common good issues, from health care and education to fairer wages and closing tax loopholes for the upper ten per cent, if a minority Liberal government, the NDP and Greens can put one-upmanship partisan politics aside and work together for a healthier, more just and prosperous future for all. Continue reading →

Statement from  Official Opposition Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath on the Federal Election

Posted October 22^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Toronto — Andrea Horwath, NDP Leader and Leader of the Official Opposition, issued the following statement:

“I want to congratulate Justin Trudeau on his re-election as Prime Minister and thank all of the candidates who put their names on the ballot, and put their lives on hold to make democracy work.

I look forward to working with the new government and elected MPs of all stripes on priorities identified throughout the campaign: improving our healthcare system, expanding drug coverage with pharmacare, making education affordable and taking action on the climate crisis. Continue reading →

Ford wants new federal government to help pitch in on services for Ontario municipalities, people

“Ontarians need and expect our governments to work with our municipal partners to build new and needed hospital infrastructure, create long-term care beds for our aging population, address gridlock and congestion on our roads and to build affordable housing for young people and families.”               – Ontario Premier Doug Ford

A Statement from Ontario Premier Doug Ford on the Federal Election 

Posted October 22nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Toronto — Today (October 22^nd) Doug Ford, Premier Of Ontario, Issued The Following Statement: 

“I want to congratulate Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on his re-election, and congratulate all federal leaders on a hard fought campaign to ensure Canadians’ voices are heard on the important issues facing this country. 

Our government looks forward to working with the Prime Minister, and with all federal parties, to build better public services and to make life more affordable and prosperous for Ontarians and all Canadians.  

This Ford government sticker is a shot at one of the federal Liberal government’s efforts to place a price on climate-changing carbon pollution by, in part, demonizing it as a “tax.” Ford is continuing to fight the so-called “carbon tax” in the courts.

We stand ready to work with the federal government on important shared priorities, including building critical infrastructure for the future, breaking down barriers to trade, ensuring better access to mental health services, and investing in health care, education and other vital public services. 

Our Government is further encouraged by the Prime Minister’s commitment on the campaign trail to fund the federal government’s share of the all-new Ontario line subway project. 

Ontarians need and expect our governments to work with our municipal partners to build new and needed hospital infrastructure, create long-term care beds for our aging population, address gridlock and congestion on our roads and to build affordable housing for young people and families. 

I look forward to working with Prime Minister Trudeau and to continuing to work with the federal government to deliver on the priorities that matter most to the people of Ontario.”

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

A Reminder That We Only Post Comments By Individuals Who Also Share Their First And Last Names.

For More News And Commentary From Niagara At Large – An Independent, Alternative Voice For Our Greater Bi-National Niagara Region – Become A Regular Visitor And Subscriber To NAL At Www.Niagaraatlarge.Com . .

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

“As a first order of business, the federal government must legislate a new greenhouse gas reduction target for this country. … The government also needs to bring a swift end to fossil fuel subsidies, reign in the disinformation campaigns paid for by the fossil fuel lobby, and craft a transition plan for workers and communities who will be impacted by the phaseout of fossil fuels from our economy.” 

Statement from Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence, on the results of the 2019 Federal Election

Posted October 22^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

This election was essentially a referendum on climate change action, and Canadians voted a strong “yes!”

Although a majority of Canadians didn’t vote for any one political party, a majority of Canadians did vote for a more ambitious climate action plan.

Now the parties and members of  parliament must work together across party lines to forge an alliance to deliver action in line with what Canadians are expecting and what science tells us must be done.

As a first order of business, the federal government must legislate a new greenhouse gas reduction target for this country and increase our level of ambition to ensure Canada does its part to limit warming to 1.5 degrees. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from Niagara Action for Animals (NAfA)

Posted October 22^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – NAfA will be holding a bazaar at the Fairview Mall on Geneva Street in St. Catharines this Wednesday, October 23^rd and Thursday October 24^th during mall hours.

We will be at the IKEA end of the mall this time and have a whole host of new and nearly new items to  sell…. including household goods, decor, children’s toys & stuffies & books, jewellery, framed prints, ‘pet stuff’ and more!

We hope you can come see us and find some bargains or just pop by for a chat.

P.S. – Knit Cat (pictured in this post) will be joining us.

Niagara Action for Animals is a non-profit, all volunteer charity devoted to ending all forms of animal cruelty through education, direct action and legitimate protest.

For more on Niagara Action for Animals and its advocacy work, click on – https://niagaraactionforanimals.org/ .

A Brief Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large –

Niagara Action for Animals is currently one of the longest-lasting citizen groups advocating for any issue in Niagara, and even if you don’t agree with its positions or actions on every issue, it has done and it continues to do some great work for all creatures great and small.

It is a group that deserves the greater community’s support which is why Niagara At Large is pleased to  post NAfA’s call-out for this charity event.  Please support it if you can.

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

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

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

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

Vote for the Candidate in Your Riding – Liberal, NDP or Green – Who You Believe is Most Likely to Win and Spare Us from the Nightmare of a Service Gutting, Climate-Denying Ford-Scheer Coalition in Ontario

Vote Liberal, Green or NDP, whichever party and candidate you believe has the best chance in your riding of beating the Conservative and fighting for a better future for us all.

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher                 Doug Draper

Posted October 20^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

I have often wondered who, among us, is getting called for all the polls we read and hear about during provincial and federal elections,

Then a few days ago, for perhaps only the second or third time in my life, I was called by a national polling agency and asked to respond to a few questions about this Monday’s federal election.

First I was asked, who I thought was the best leader among all at the helm of parties in this federal race. My answer, without a nanosecond of hesitation, was Green Party Leader Elizabeth

The very next ask from the pollster was which party in my party that I planned to vote for. My answer was the Liberals.

If this comes across as confusing, disappointing or something worse to you, let me try offering a brief explanation. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre Conservative Candidate’s Record on former NPCA Board, Regional Council Should Be Enough To Count Her Out

A Commentary by Ed Smith

Posted October 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

If I lived in Niagara Centre (and I don’t), I would not vote for Aril Jeffs, who is now running in that riding as the federal Conservative candidate.

Ed Smith raises concerns about operations at a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board meeting three years ago. April Jeffs was a board member at the time.

There are many reasons why I wouldn’t, and Jeff’s promotional ads in which she talks about the need for “trust” has made me feel compelled to write this.

April Jeffs was on the Board of Directors of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and was a councillor at the Niagara Region during what can only be described as some of the darkest days of politics in Niagara’s history.

In the interest of transparency, I need to tell you that I am the Niagara citizen that April and the rest of the NPCA board at the time and a now former CAO (Chief Administrative Officer) of the Conservation Authority tried unsuccessfully (in 2016 and 2017) to sue.

They were disturbed by me being critical of their actions at the NPCA and by my demands for answers. Continue reading →

Brickell sued the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority for $2.3 million in February of 2019 for wrongfull dismissal by now former NPCA administrators and board members in late 2018

A Brief Foreword Note by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted October 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Former NPCA CAO Mark Brickell and the Conservation Authority have apparently reached a settlement on Brickell’s $2.3 million lawsuit against the agency. No further detailed have been made available.

I knew that the NPCA’s new board and administrators were working to reach some sort of mutually agreeable settlement to the heft lawsuit former NPCA CAO Mark Brickell filed against the agency in February of this year.

However, we have no details on whatever settlement may have been reached in recent days or any payment or compensation the NPCA has made to Brickell, who served in the role of CAO from April 2017 to December of last year.

The following “Joint Statement”, released late this Friday afternoon, October 18^th, 2019 as all of the information we have received so far.

It came with a note from an NPCA communications specialist, reading; “Because this is remains an HR matter, the NPCA will not be providing any further comment.”  Continue reading →

Join Host Friends of One Mile Creek and Guest Speaker Owen Bjorgan at a Free Meeting on Wednesday, 23^rd, at  7.m. in the Niagara-on-the-Lake  Community Centre

An Invite from Friends of One Mile Creek (FOMC) in Niagara-on-the-Lake

Posted October 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario  – At the October 23^rd meeting of Friends of One Mile Creek (FOMC), special guest speaker Owen Bjorgan will talk about Niagara’s wetlands and what’s happening in the watersheds of our traditional creeks such as One Mile Creek, Two Mile Creek, Four Mile Creek and Eight Mile Creek.

Owen Bjorgan doing what he loves – exploring Niagara’s natural places

An accomplished photographer and experienced outdoor adventurer, Owen will explain and show how important wetlands are in our ecosystem. Continue reading →

The Conservatives came in Dead Last for their Platform!

“The NDP is tops with an overall mark of A- for producing one of the mostprogressive platforms in decades, with the best plans to close taxloopholes, tackle tax havens, make the tax system more progressive andlevel the digital playing field by taxing foreign e-commerce giants.”

“The Greens weren’t too far behind with a B+ for their ambitious proposalsincluding increasing the carbon pricing system and closing tax loopholes.”

“The Liberals and the Bloc both tied in third place with a score of C- afterreleasing platforms that mostly skipped over tax fairness measures while the Conservatives came in dead last with an F for their platform, which included proposals to reintroduce tax breaks for millionaires.”

A News Release from the nation-wide public interest group, Canadians for Fair Taxation

Posted October 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

We’ve just released our Fair Tax Report Card grading every party on the tax fairness strength of their platforms and promises.

Grades were based on the top five tax fairness priorities our supporters selected this summer: closing tax loopholes, tackling tax havens, making the tax system more progressive, levelling the digital playing field, and addressing climate change. Continue reading →

The potential changes could affect water tables, trucking routes and where quarries could expand. Self-filing procedures and elimination of licensing for some “low risk” activities are also proposed.

Changes of concern to Hamilton and other municipalities include no longer requiring “agreements between municipalities and aggregate producers regarding aggregate haulage.”

News from Citizens at City Hall, a Hamilton, Ontario-based citizen watchdog group

Posted October 16^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Hamilton, Ontario – City of Hamilton staff are fuming over a Ford government re-write of the rules governing quarrying and related aggregate transportation.

The provincial plans emerged from a “summit” last March to which the
city was not invited.

And once again the changes have not been spelled out in
sufficient detail to determine their impacts, although they have won
the endorsement of the aggregate industry association.

The potential changes could affect water tables, trucking routes and
where quarries could expand. Self-filing procedures and elimination of
licensing for some “low risk” activities are also proposed. Continue reading →

“A living wage reflects what earners need to be paid based on the actual costs of living and being included in the community.”

News from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted October 16^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

ClaraDerma+ co-owners Alicia Yap and Olenka Allison with Niagara Poverty Reduction Netwok chair Glen Walker

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that ClaraDerma+ has become a certified living wage employer at the Champion level.

ClaraDerma+ is a medical aesthetics clinic dedicated to helping patients address their skin needs using a variety of preventative measures, corrective treatments and patient education. They are based in St. Catharines and currently employ five full time, three part time and three contract staff.

“Being a living wage employer is not only beneficial to our staff’s quality of life, but also beneficial to the business as a whole when the people working here are happy to be a part of the team. Our clinic’s tagline being “your concern is our concern” does not only apply to our clients/patients,” says ClaraDerma+ co-owners Alicia Yap and Olenka Allison. Continue reading →

A Call on All of Us to Speak Out for Putting Our Species and Others before Stones and Gravel

A Call-Out from Ontario Nature, a not-for-profit, non-partisan citizens’ advocacy group for protecting and preserving Ontario’s natural heritage 

Posted October 14th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Here we go again.

Relentless in the pursuit of its “open for business” agenda, the Government of Ontario wants to weaken protections for nature in order to fast-track development.

Specifically, the government aims to make potentially devastating amendments to Ontario’s Provincial Policy Statement (PPS) which would permit pits and quarries on sensitive landscapes across the province.

Ontarians cannot let these proposed changes fly under the radar. If you agree, please join Ontario Nature in voicing your concern. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

“Each day that children ,,, are denied much needed therapy, it is another day their full potential for success and growth is thwarted by your government’s inaction on getting funding finalized.” – Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

An ‘Urgent Open Letter’ from Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch to Ford’s Minister of Children, Community and Social Services

Posted October 16^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Signs like this have become commonplace in Ontario since Doug Ford’s Ontario Conservatives were elected to power in June, 2018.

Dear Minister Todd Smith:

I am sending this urgent letter on behalf of constituent Joe Seranni of Welland who has yet to see any provincial funding to provide much needed therapy for his son Ashton.

Ashton, who was 3 years old when his father applied in March, has been diagnosed with autism and his Physician recommended 10 hours of applied behaviour analysis (ABA) therapy a week.

Joe will tell you almost in tears the advances his son has made with the limited therapy he is now getting weekly that he is paying out of pocket. Otherwise, there would be no therapy at all. Continue reading →

‘The province’s new rules on climate change are limited to preparing for its “potential” impacts. … There are no policies within the (Ford government’s revised Provincial Policy Statement) document which speak to the importance of taking measures now to prevent or avoid climate change,” declares a City of Hamilton staff report.

A News Article by the Hamilton-based citizens’ watchdog group, Citizens At City Hall (CATCH)

(This article was originally posted on September 30th, 2019 in CATCH’s online newsletter at http://hamiltoncatch.org/list_articles.php .)

Posted October 15th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Bulldozing over ever more paradise to make way for more low-density, urban sprawl.

Hamilton, Ontario – City staff are challenging yet another massive rewrite of planning rules by the provincial government. Planning staff oppose the province’s proposed elimination of policies to fight climate change and protect sensitive natural areas.

They are also questioning “market based” changes that will make it easier for developers to pave over farmland and effectively shift planning approvals “from a municipal-led approach to a developer-led one.”

Municipalities are facing a major revision of the Provincial Policy Statement (PPS), the document which sets out the overriding rules that all land use planning in Ontario “must be consistent with”.  The PPS directs policies on housing, infrastructure, transportation, economic development, aggregate extraction, land servicing arrangements and other municipal activities. Continue reading →

Ontario Premier Doug Ford issued the following statement on Thanksgiving Day, 2o19

Posted October 14th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford wishes Ontarians a happy Thanksgiving

Toronto — “Today, people across Ontario will come together to celebrate Thanksgiving. It’s a time to be thankful for the many good things in each of our own lives.

We all have our different traditions, whether it’s carving a turkey, volunteering at the local soup kitchen, or giving thanks before sharing a meal with loved ones.

On this day, I also want to recognize and give thanks for the work of our first responders and our Canadian service members. They go above and beyond every day to keep us safe and healthy.

From my family to yours, wishing you a very Happy Thanksgiving.” – Ontario Premier Doug Ford

End of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Statement and the News Release circulated by Ontario News

The above image obviously did not come from the Ontario government’s news media reps with the Premier’s Thanksgiving statement.

A Thanksgiving Footnote from Niagara At Large –

In this photo, circulated in social media before the 2018 provincial elections, here is then-Ontario Conservative Party leader Doug Ford posing with this then Niagara Centre Riding candidate April Jeffs

And  if we don’t have enough to be thankful for this Thanksgiving season, consider the following. 

We now have April Jeffs , a former Wainfleet mayor and a former member of the board of directors of the Niaagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) under the management of past NPCA administrators, including  Carmen D’Angelo and David Barrick, and Doug Ford’s former  Niagara Centre Riding candidate in the 2018 Ontario election, running as the Conservative/Andrew Scheer candidate in the Niagara Centre Riding in this federal election.

Is the turkey ready yet?

To review the special report Ontario Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk released a year ago this September onoperations at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority under the administration of the NPCA’s past administrators and board of directors, click on – http://www.auditor.on.ca/en/content/specialreports/specialreports/NPCA_en.pdf .

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

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

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

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

A Message from Ontario Nature, a non-partisan, public advocacy group for protecting and preserving our natural heritage 

Posted October 13^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Are you ready to vote for nature?  

You don’t need to wait in line on October 21st. Advance voting has already started and runs through the holiday Monday, October 14th.

Here’s what you need: 

Continue reading →

“Nine out of 10 Canadians are concerned with plastics pollution in groundwater sources and drinking water, almost nine out of 10 are concerned about plastics pollution in soil and food eaten.”

A Message to All Candidates in this Federal Election from Friends of the Earth, one of the more time-honoured environmental groups on the plant

Posted October 13th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – Half way through the federal election, Friends of the Earth Canada has a message for Canadian politicians. 

The electorate wants action to stop plastics pollution: 86% of Canadians want you to take more action on plastics as a way of reducing climate harmful greenhouse gases. And 8 out 10 Canadians will support you to ban production and use of single-use disposable plastic containers and packaging.

Friends of the Earth is releasing its new national poll with six questions on plastics pollution. Oraclepoll Research Limited conducted the 1,200 person national poll on behalf of Friends of the Earth between September 20-23 (margin of error for total N=1,200 sample is ± 2.8%, 19 times out of 20). Complete results are attached to the release – including vote intent breakout by question. Continue reading →

“Our elected officials at every level of government must hear from their constituents that this is a priority. Audubon is committed to protecting the places birds need now and in the future and taking action to address the root causes of climate change.” – Renee Stone, Vice President of Climate for the National Audubon Society

A Introductory Commentary to this News from the National Audubon Society of the United States from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 11^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Of all of the disturbing news that has come out in recent years about the rapid acceleration of damage and destruction climate change is wreaking on our planet, this news about what has been happening and what could very well continue happening to bird populations in Canada and the United States now occupies a place near the top of my worst news list.

I was out on Cape Cod this September, where one of the many joys is watching sea birds running along the shores, pecking their beaks in the sand, or soaring above the surf at sun rise or sun set, when I first read a report in a magazine called Science about the significant crash in bird populations across North America over the past 50 or so years.

According to the study cited in the magazine, a continued loss of natural habitat, including woodlands, wetlands, and natural pastures to urban sprawl and agriculture has played no small part in the disappearance of an estimated three billion wild birds. Continue reading →

“The Niagara River has captivated American and global citizens alike as a national symbol, a cultural landmark and as a milestone in America’s modern conservation movement. It’s only fitting that one of the most recognizable waterfalls in the world be included in the Ramsar convention’s wetlands of international importance.” – Steve Guertin, Deputy Director, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

A News Release from the Buffalo, New York office of U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted October 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, New York. – The United States side of the Niagara River Corridor, iconic for its world-renowned waterfalls and globally significant bird and fish populations, was (this past October 3^rd) designated by the United States as a Wetland of International Importance under the world’s oldest environmental treaty, the Ramsar Convention.

Visited by millions of people, and the source of electrical power for vast populations of two countries, the Niagara River is vital to North America’s economy. It is enjoyed by hundreds of thousands of boaters, hikers, anglers, birdwatchers and swimmers each year.

The river is a laboratory for research and education that informs the world and it serves as a model of successful conservation and restoration in the midst of large cities. Continue reading →

How a Made-In-Canada National Tree Planting Strategy Can Help 

“Canada has the third highest land potential to plant trees in the world – 117 billion trees over 78.4 million hectares, to be exact. This represents more than 10 per cent of the global trillion tree target, meaning Canada has real potential to become a climate leader on a global stage by putting these trees in the ground.” 

By Rob Keen, Registered Professional Forester and CEO of Forests Ontario and Forest Recovery Canada  

Posted October 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Good news is rare, though it seems like nearly every day for the past few weeks there have been new commitments by global leaders to fight climate change by planting huge numbers of trees.  

In my 38 years as a forester, I’ve never experienced enthusiasm for tree planting as powerful as what we’ve seen in 2019.

The trigger? Climate change.

So now, as Canadians, how do we harness and deploy large-scale tree planting on a national scale?

Planting one trillion trees around the world may be one of the most effective ways to combat the impacts of climate change, according to a recent study by ETH Zurich University and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.    Continue reading →

 “What is it about Republicans (if you are Canadian, substitute the word “Republicans” here for “Conservatives”)and the environment? They never waver from their commitment to do nothing.”                                                                                                        – American comedian, political commentator and HBO television host Bill Mayer

A News Commentary by Doug Draper and a New Report from the non-for-profit, non-partisan public advocacy group, Environmental Defence Canada

Posted October 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford has accomplished little or nothing on the climate emergency file, according to a new report released by the public advocacy group, Environmental Defence

A short answer to Bill Maher’s question is that for current generations of Republicans in his country and current generations of Conservatives in Canada, any kind of environmental protection policies and programs are enemies of the gods they worship more than their children’s future – money, power and growth at any cost, otherwise known as unbridled, predatory capitalism.

In summary, looking after the natural world around us is simply not in a modern-day Republican’s or Conservative’s DNA. Continue reading →

Investigation of Shooting Leads to Niagara Falls Man being Charged with Five Counts of Animal Cruelty

Baxter the cat is on the mend and looking for a loving home

A News Release from Kevin, ExecutiveDirector/Animal Cruelty Inspector, Lincoln County Humane Society

Niagara Falls, Ontario – In September, 2019, the Lincoln County Humane Society responded to a complaint of a cat being shot with a BB gun, by a resident of Niagara Falls.

Shortly after the shooting, Niagara Regional Police Officers attended thescene and quickly brought the cat to the LCHS Animal Clinic for care. Overthe next few days the cat, now named “Baxter”, remained in critical care ata veterinary hospital.

While his prognosis was very poor, Baxter has nowalmost made a full recovery and will be available for adoption soon at the LCHS in St. Catharines.  In support of Baxter the LCHS provided over $2,500 worth of veterinary care, which has only been partially been covered by donations. Continue reading →

Remembering Veteran Environmentalist and a Great Lakes United founding member Lee Botts 

A Tribute from Long-time Ontario environmentalist and a former Great Lakes United leader, John Jackson 

Posted October 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Dear Great Lakes Friends and Colleagues 

Celebrating the life and legacy of Great Lakes environmentalist Lee Botts

It is with great memories and deep appreciation of her work for the Great Lakes for almost 60 years, that I tell you of Lee Botts death on Saturday at age 91. 

Lee has been an inspiration for so many of us who were lucky enough to know her, and a mentor for many of our current Great Lakes activists.

Lee was always outspoken, always had deep knowledge to support her outspokenness, and never hesitated to push at whatever level necessary to protect and enhance the Great Lakes system.  Lee was always searching for solutions and pushing for and working on implementation of those solutions.

She always had a good sense of the politics of the situation and of how to work the political system.

And she made time to talk with and support young activists. 

Continue reading →

A Call-Out to All of Us who care about Wildlife from the Green Party of Ontario 

Posted October 10th 2019 on Niagara At Large 

All eyes are focused on the federal election, but we need your help today to protect Ontario’s wolves.  

THE FORD GOVERNMENT WANTS TO DECLARE OPEN SEASON ON WOLVES AND COYOTES in northern Ontario under the guise of moose conservation.

But scientists, and the ministry’s own website, say that a one-dimensional strategy focused only on hunting wolves and coyotes won’t work.   Continue reading →

Protecting the pollinator population through planting News from Niagara’s Regional Government 

Posted October 10, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Niagara, Ontario – (This past) September 20th and 21st, Niagara Region welcomed over 75 volunteers from across the region to assist in the planting of more than 1900 native pollinator plants in the Niagara Region headquarters’ new pollinator garden.

Volunteers from across the Niagara community help plant a pollinator garden at the regional headquarters.

 The 3,000 sq. ft. garden features a wide variety of pollinator plants that provide a continuous source of flowers from spring through fall. Continue reading →

We’ve Got What Could Be the Most Important Election for Our Future to Weigh In On

A Message from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 7^th, 2019

I’m back from a weeks-long, out-of-country break and the journalist in me is dying to get back in the fray – at least for now.

We are in to the last few week of a federal election in Canada – one that may very well make the difference between a future that could be promising or could be a nightmare for generations to come – and I feel a need to get some news and commentary in, if it will do any good.

We will hold off making decisions about the future of Niagara At Large until the October 21^st election is over.

So Niagara At Large will get back to posting more news and commentary in a few days.

Meanwhile, I urge all of you – especially young people out there – to stay informed and to vote for the candidate in your riding who shows the most promise of fighting for your future.

That means voting for possibly any candidate running for the almost any of the key parties – Liberal, NDP or Green – that convinces you that they will made it a number one priority to address the greatest threat facing life on this planet in this century – an overloading of carbon-based greenhouse gases that has opened the door to a potentially irreversible climate catastrophe.

Of course, we want a healthy and just economy for people too, but there will be no place left for that if we do not also have a healthy, liveable planet.

For the sake of our future, stay away from Andrew Scheer (left) and his Conservative partners and climate laggards like Doug Ford

That should count the federal Conservative Party of Andrew Scheer out. There is simply no real evidence to suggest that Scheer or any of his Conservative affiliates, including Premiers Doug Ford of Ontario and Jason Kenny of Alberta, will take the necessary action to address this existential threat to our future.

So stay engaged and vote as if a healthy, liveable future on this planet is at stake, because all of the leading-edge science around the world – science that Scheer, Ford and company choose not to take seriously – says that it is.

More on this in the days ahead. Stay tuned.

• Doug Draper,  journalist at large

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

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

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

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

– Be There on Wednesday October 9th  at 8 p.m. at the St. Catharines Central Library in Niagara, Ontario –

“Work is underway on a community plan  that  has been undertaken by the Niagara Region-wide Housing and Homeless Service system.”                                                                                           – Lori Beech, Executive Director of Bethlehem Place

An Invite to All from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted October 7th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

On Wednesday, October 9th  at 8 p.m. at the St. Catharines Central Library, at 54 Church Street,  the Niagara District Council of Women (NDCW) will hold a public forum on “Homelessness in Niagara-Community Solutions”.

Panelists  will  focus on  the current   efforts of  agencies, individuals, faith communities  and municipal governments to work together to quickly develop  plans of action  to  prevent  homelessness, serve those who suffer from it, build more affordable housing  and stem the tide of Niagara’s  growing housing  crisis. Continue reading →

A Message from NAL reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted September 26^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

For the next six or seven days, Niagara At Large will be on the road and will therefore not be posting new news and commentary.

It is time for a little break

The site and all of the news and commentary already posted will remain available to our readers, however, and we welcome any responses to those posts that you choose to send our way.

Every effort will be made to periodically check for reader’s comments while we are on the road and we will endeavor to get them on a.s.a.p. for all to read.

We also encourage individuals and organizations to continue emailing news releases and information packages for future posting . And we thank everyone in advance for your patience and understanding while we take a short break.

There is a good deal going on in our region and world that warrants serious attention, including a federal election all Canadians should be engaged in, and we will be getting back at it soon.

Stay tuned.

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

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

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

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

‘With this designation, the Niagara River Corridor becomes the 40th Ramsar site in the United States and joins more than 2,300 wetlands worldwide recognized for their rare and unique habitat, wildlife, and biological diversity.’

News from the the U.S.-based Niagara River Greenway Commission, New York State Parks, University at Buffalo, and the Bi-national Niagara River Ramsar Steering Committee

Posted September 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara River (U.S.) Corridor To Officially Be Recognized As A Ramsar Site

On Thursday, October 3rd, 2019, a ceremony will be held designating the Niagara River (U.S.) Corridor as a Wetland of International Importance under the Ramsar Convention, a global treaty supporting the conservation and sustainable use of wetlands and related waters.

 The ceremony will be hosted by the Niagara River Greenway Commission, New York State Parks, University at Buffalo, and the Bi-national Niagara River Ramsar Steering Committee, with representatives attending from the State of New York and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Continue reading →

Apparently They Are in Ford’s Ontario, Where Starting this September 26^th, You’ll Be Able To Drive Even Faster on the Niagara Stretch of the QEW

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted September 24^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Am I on another planet, or are there other people out there who feel that raising speed limes on Ontario highways, including the section of the QEW between St. Catharines and Hamilton, is not a good idea?

The speed limit on that stretch of the QEW and two others highways in the province – Highway 402 from London to Sarnia and Highway 417 from Ottawa/Gloucester to Ontario/Quebec border – is being raised from 100 to 110 kilometres per hour this September 26^th.

And to read a news release put out this September 24^th by the constituency office of Niagara West MPP and Ford government representative Sam Oosterhoff, you would think that these experiments, or “pilots” as the Ford government calls them, on three highways in Ontario may be a key to “improve traffic flow on provincial highways.”

“Traffic flow on the QEW is a major concern for residents who commute to Hamilton and Toronto from Niagara,” said Oosterhoff in the news release. 

That may very well be true but how is raising the speed limit going to help? Continue reading →

“You come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You have stolen my dreams and my childhood with your empty words…. People are suffering. People are dying. Entire ecosystems are collapsing. We are in the beginning of a mass extinction and all you can talk about it money and fairy tales of eternal economic growth – how dare you?”                                                                                  – 16-year-old, Swedish  climate activist Greta Thunberg, speaking to world leaders this September 23^rd,  at the 2019 UN climate action summit in New York

Climate activist Greta Thunberg delivering a sizzling message to world leaders at the UN Climate Action Summit this September 23rd

A Brief Comment by Doug Draper, followed by Greta Thunberg’s message to world leaders at this September’s UN Climate Action Summit

Posted September 24^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres noted near the start of the first-ever Climate Action Summit the UN has hosted for young people around the world that world leaders with only “beautiful speeches” to offer, need not come to this summit with little or nothing but beautiful speeches.

Come to the summit instead, said the UN chief, with “concrete plans for cutting harmful greenhouse gas emissions, and strategies for carbon neutrality by 2050.”

One wonders how many world leaders that leaves out? Probably quite a few.

UN Secretary-General Antonia Guterres and Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg shake hands during Climate Action Summit

Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, did not show up, reportedly due to the federal election. And U.S. President Donald Trump, who has even gone so far as to recently assault efforts to shift to energy-efficient light bulbs, made a token 10-to-15 minute appearance.

Trump left beforebefore 16-year-old, Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, who has ignited a youth movement for the planet around the world, delivered a message at the summit that leaders like Trump and that Trudeau who, for his part, purchased (without any open consultation with Canadians)  a controversial pipeline for the tar sands with billions  of  taxdollars for that matter, need to hear.

It was quite a shot at those leaders who are not taking sufficient action to address what is a full-blown climate emergency, and it speaks for itself.

Here is the entire message for you to watch by clicking on the screen below –

Hours after Greta Thunberg delivered her message to world leaders, Trump fired out the following tweet about her – “She seems like a very happy young girl looking forward to a bright and wonderful future. So nice to see!”

A bright and wonderful future? Not the way he is going about gutting every environmental protection safeguard going back five decades ago, to the very first Earth Day.

The man is more dangerous to future life on this planet than Agent Orange and nuclear fall-out combined.

For an audio version of Greta Thunberg’s message, click on –https://soundcloud.com/unradio/clip-climate-activist-greta-thunbergs-remarks-at-the-climate-action-summit-at-un-hq-in-ny

For a recent story in Maclean’s magazine on Canada’s efforts to address the climate emergency, click on – https://www.macleans.ca/society/environment/india-is-putting-canadas-climate-change-plan-to-shame/

To visit Climate Action Tracker’s website for a rating of countries’ performance around addressing the climate crisis, click on – https://climateactiontracker.org/

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

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

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

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

“I and the Ontario NDP will continue to fight to keep Port Colborne Urgent Care going. We will make sure the Ford Conservatives don’t allow crucial health care facilities to be ripped out of the Niagara Peninsula.”        – Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

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

Posted September 24^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP’s Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

The NDP MPP for Niagara Centre, Jeff Burch, had the following to say about the looming closure of Port Colborne’s urgent care centre, set for 2026:

Niagara Centre — Port Colborne residents rely on having an urgent care centre in their community that is quick and easy to access when a loved one gets injured or sick.

The NDP has long opposed the cancellation of health care services from the Niagara region, arguing that health care services should be added, not taken away. The Liberals put families at risk with hospital cuts and a plan to close multiple health care facilities in the Niagara Peninsula. Continue reading →

Here are more upcoming events at Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara that you can participate in

Posted September 24^th, 2019 on Niagara At LargeNIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space following the Bernie Sanders quote below.

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

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

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

An Invite to All from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce 

Posted September 24^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, the region’s largest body for representing members of the business community on the Ontario side of the Niagara River, is hosting a candidates debate for those running in the St. Catharines Riding on October 7^th. 

The St. Catharines Riding is an interesting one to watch because, federally and over the past three or four decades, it has bounced back and forth between the Liberals and Conservatives – and often goes to the candidate of the party that wins nationally. Continue reading →

“…and all at once summer collapsed into fall.” – Irish author, poet and playwright Oscar Wilde

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

September 23rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Sun sets on Cape Cod Bay on the final day of summer 2019. Photo by Doug Draper

I will see you back in Niagara soon.

We have an important federal election in Canada this October. Once again, and not for the last time, I urge all of the young people out there – a group that has been notorious in the past for showing up at the polls in small numbers – to get engaged in this election, and vote as if your entire future depends on it, because it does! Continue reading →

World’s Young Climate Leader’s  Vow To Hold Leaders Accountable At The Ballot Box

“We demand action. Stop wasting time. Stop hindering the work [towards a sustainable future] for short term profits. Engage young people in the design of adaptation plans,” said Ms. Kumar, who warned: “We will hold you accountable. And if you do not remember, we will mobilize to vote you out.” – Fijian climate change action advocate Komal Kumar

“I encourage you to go on … to keep your mobilization, and more and more to hold my generation accountable. My generation has largely failed until now to preserve both justice in the world and to preserve the planet.” – United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres, a 70-year-old member of the baby boomer generation who was described as a “keynote listener” at the Youth Climate Summit

News from the United Nations with a brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted September 22^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A Foreword from Doug Draper –

I amat least one member of the baby boomer – and I know there are others – who hopes that in Niagara and every other region across Canada and the United States, the afterglow of this first-ever United Nations Youth Summit on Climate and the Strike for Climate Action participated by millions of people around the world this September stays alive and grows.

Here is hoping that it inspires young people to vote in unprecedented numbers in the upcoming Canadian election this October 21^st and in the U.S. election in November, 2020 for only those candidates who make a firm commitment to move us as close as we can to a carbon-free world in the next decade.

Don’t accept any more excuses or dribble about moderation or the need for balance or compromise. We have a full-blown emergency on our hands and we can no longer leaders who fail or refuse to take decisive action. As 16-year-old Swedish climate activist has told us over and over again, ‘we have to act as if our house is on fire, because it is’.

So here is more from the United Nations on this past Saturday, September 21^st Youth Climate Summit that I hope you will take a few moments to consider.

News from the United Nations – 

Students and young activists on Saturday (September 21^st)  threw down the gauntlet to world leaders heading to United Nations Headquarters next week for high-level climate talks, demanding that they “stop wasting time” and work harder to curb carbon emissions, “or we will vote you out.”

“We have been waiting for you!” Jayathma Wickramanayake, the UN Youth Envoy, said, welcoming the boisterous crowd of young climate leaders, who made it clear from the very start of the day-long event that global political leaders are now on notice: they must make radical changes to shift the world away from fossil fuels and towards clean energy, protect our oceans, and promote sustainable consumption. Continue reading →

Time for Ford to Get With the Times and Opt for a        100 Per Cent Renewable Future

A Message from the Ontario Clean Air Coalition

Posted August 19th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

**Have you heard the hum?**

Hydroelectric generating turbines in Quebec. Could they be a source of more renewable energy for Ontario too?

There’s a hum in the air – one that seems to get a little louder each summer. It’s air conditioning season and many people’s electricity bills will be climbing as temperatures soar.

So what happened to that 12% cut in hydro bills that Premier Ford promised more than a year ago? Absolutely nothing.

In fact, the Ford government has stubbornly stuck with one of the worst decisions of the former government -doubling down on high-cost nuclear power instead of taking Quebec up on its offer to sell us low-cost water power. Continue reading →

The Future Survival of Every Species on this Planet – including our own –  depends on it

“The fact is that no species has ever had such wholesale control over everything on earth, living or dead, as we now have. That lies upon us, whether we like it or not, an awesome responsibility. In our hands now lies not only our own future, but that of all other living creatures with whom we share the earth.”
― British broadcaster and natural historian David Attenborough

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

Posted August 14^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Donald Trump has a hell of a lot of nerve pointing his fat little fingers at brown people and calling them “rapists.”

Trump should look in the mirror and ask the question; “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the biggest rapist of all?”

The orange-hair monster would probably not like the answer because he mirror would be reflecting those little fingers back at him.

And this is not just about the growing list of women who have accused Trump of groping or raping them. This is about the biggest rape of all on a victim that we all need to nurture and protect to survive on this planet.

That victim is Mother Nature, which Trump has proven time and time again that he could care less about going back to the earliest days of his nightmare presidency when he moved unilateral decision to pull out of a Paris Climate Accord that less than a year earlier – in 2016 – his country signed following negotiations with more than 190 other signature nations around the world. Continue reading →

Despite Overwhelming Public Opposition, Trump Administration Moves Forward on Plans to Roll Back Critical Endangered Species Protections

“We are in the midst of an unprecedented extinction crisis, yet the Trump Administration is steamrolling our most effective wildlife protection law. This Administration seems set on damaging fragile ecosystems by prioritizing industry interests over science. We intend to fight these regulatory rollbacks so that we can preserve the natural world for generations to come.”                                   — Rebecca Riley, Legal Director of the Nature Program, Natural Resources Defense Council

An Urgent Message from the Sierra Club, one of the world’s oldest, grassroots environmental organizations

Posted August 13^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

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

If Canadians do not believe Trump’s ongoing war on our planet does not affect us, we are sorely mistaken.

Any significant decline or extinction of animal species on this continent as a result of his (I would call them criminally negligent) cutting and gutting of his country’s environmental protection programs and regulations will have a profoundly tragic impact on us all, and it is another act of hostility on our children and grandchildren, and their future.

And let’s not forget, Ontario’s Ford government is also moving to roll back endangered species protections in this province as a way of offering up welfare to its friends and supporters in the development industry. )

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This past August 12th, against a backdrop of recent reports of global mass extinction, the Trump administration released final regulations weakening the Endangered Species Act, the nation’s most effective tool in saving wildlife from extinction.

The Trump Extinction Plan would gut critical endangered species protections by making it much more difficult to extend protections to threatened species, delaying lifesaving action until a species’ population is potentially impossible to save; making it more difficult to protect polar bears, coral reefs, and other species that are impacted by the effects of climate change; allowing economic factors to be analyzed when deciding if a species should be saved; and making it easier for companies to build roads, pipelines, mines, and other industrial projects in critical habitat areas that are essential to imperiled species’ survival. Continue reading →

People across the country want our governments to do more to combat climate change,according to a new Abacus Data survey commissioned by former Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives–BC Director Seth Klein

Earlier this year, countless thousands of young students across Canada went out on a one-day strike for climate action

“My overall conclusion is that our politicians have been underestimating the public. … When it comes to bold climate solutions, the Canadian public is ahead of our elected leaders”     – Seth Klein, Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

News from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, a not-for-profit, nation-wide research group

Posted August 13^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Vancouver, Canada —The results of an extensive nationwide survey released today suggest Canadians are increasingly anxious about the climate crisis, and have a stronger appetite for “systems-level” climate solutions than political leaders tend to assume.

Among the findings:

Continue reading →

Wetland-Rich Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario has been Targetted for Urban Sprawl

“It is our opinion that the PSWs (Provincially Significant Wetlands) on the (Thundering Waters) site, along with PSWs throughout our (Niagara) watershed should be protected and allowed to remain in a natural state.”                                               – from a letter sent to Ontario Natural Resources and Forestry Minister John Yakabuski from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s Board of Directors

A look at some of the more than 280 acres of wetlands inside Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara, Falls, Ontario. The environmentally rich area is located near the Niagara River and within the Niagara watershed.

By Doug Draper, reporter and publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted August 12^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

In a letter sent to Ontario Natural Resources and Forestry Minister John Yakabuski, the board of directors of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is asking the province not to remove any protective designations for significant wetlands located within the more than 190 hectares (280 acres) of Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls’ southwest end.

A computerized image of what urban development might look like on the Thunder Waters property

The letter, dated July 24^th and included in the agenda package for the NPCA board’s upcoming August 14^th, meeting, follows in the wake of concerns raised by some board members earlier last month that parties interested in building on parts of the Thundering Waters Forest property may be lobbying the province to have at least some protective boundaries for provincial significant wetlands (PSWs) on the property adjusted or removed completely to better accommodate plans for a multi-use urbanization project said to be worth more than $1.5 billion. Continue reading →

“Tackling things such as gender inequality, racism, heterosexism and environmental degradation in schools would contribute to the notion that we are an interconnected community of people who need to support and help each other.”                                           – Shauna Pomerantz, Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies (CHYS), Brock University 

News from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario 

Posted August 12^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Niagara, Ontario – With the United Nations marking this Monday, Aug. 12 as International Youth Day<https://www.un.org/development/desa/youth/iyd2019.html>, two Brock University professors say today’s youth are taking matters into their own hands to solve the world’s problems. 

Brock University Associate Professor Shauna Pomerantz, left, and Professor Rebecca Raby from the Department of Child and Youth Studies say young people are speaking out about social issues at a younger age than ever before.

“Young people seem to be changing the world,” said Shauna Pomerantz, Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies (CHYS). “I don’t recall living though a time where young people have been so vocal, active and heard.”

United Nations established International Youth Day to celebrate and encourage youth around the world. This year’s theme — transforming education — highlights efforts, including efforts by youth themselves, to make education more relevant, equitable and inclusive.

According to Pomerantz and her CHYS colleague, Professor Rebecca Raby, a key to transforming education would be to acknowledge inequality and confront ideology that values independence and self-reliance above compassion and community. Continue reading →

“I need my dad … mommy. My dad didn’t do nothing. He’s not a criminal.”

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted August 11^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Eleven-year-old Christina Peralta pleas for the release of her parents

Some of you may already have seen the heartbreaking video of an 11-year-old girl down in Mississippi, shaking with tears for her parents and begging for their release after they and hundreds of other allegedly undocumented workers were arrested in Gestapo-like raids under the jackboot of Trump’s cruelty and hate.

“Government, please put your heart — let my parents be free with everybody else, please,” pleads the girl that a shocked world is coming to know as Christina Peralta and a face for all of that rage and hate. “I need my dad … mommy,” the girl pleads. “My dad didn’t do nothing. He’s not a criminal.”

Christina was reportedly one of many children who headed off to their first day of a school year that begins early in that state, only to discover that their parents had been arrested during raids at food-processing plants where they were employed – all of this happening in the wake of the hate-filled mass murder of more than 20 people at a shopping mall in El Paso, Texas.

If you haven’t already, I urge you to watch the brief video clip of this little girl by clicking on the screen below. Certainly every American should watch it –

.I watch this and I wonder what the hell has gone so terribly wrong in a country where I have many good friends – a country I once had a good deal of respect for? Continue reading →

Niagara Centre MPP Says Father and Grandfather’s  Life Hangs in the Balance while Doctors are Overwhelmed with other Patients

An Urgent Plea to Ontario Health Minister from Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Posted August 9th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

An Open Letter from  Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch to Christine Elliott, Ontario Minister of Heath , and toRob MacIsaac, President and CEO, Hamilton Health Sciences 

Dear Minister Elliott and Mr. MacIsaac: Re:  59 Year old Welland man fighting for his life with golf ball sized brain tumour

Welland, Ontario father and grandfather Dean Baker is desperately waiting for surgery to remove deadly brain tumour in a heath care system overwhelmed with patients.

 I am sending this urgent letter on behalf of Dean Baker appealing on compassionate grounds to expedite life saving surgery to remove this brain tumour.

He is a husband, father of two children and three grandchildren. His family physician says the tumour must be removed and if not he will die. He has been to see his Neurosurgeon at Hamilton General Hospital and given no specific date for surgery, leaving him and his life in limbo.  Continue reading →

John, Paul, George and Ringo took their iconic walk across Abbey Road on August 8^th, 1969

“And in the end, the love you take is equal to the love you make.” – from one of the very last songs The Beatles ever recorded together as a group, and from one of the very last tracks on one of the group’s finest albums, Abbey Road 

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted August 8^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

If you are a frequent follower of Niagara At Large, you know already that it is hard for me to ignore a milestone moment in the history of one of the world’s greatest pop music groups.

So let’s all ‘come together’ and remember the very last photo shoot The Beatles did for an album cover before the group dissolved the following year. Continue reading →

Grants Support Northern Border Security Measures

Brian Higgins

“The border between the United States and Canada represents the longest bi-national land boundary in the world and presents unique challenges.  This funding helps local and federal agencies coordinate protection and response measures.”                                    – U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins, representing communities along the U.S. side of the Niagara River border

News from the Buffalo, New York Office of U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted August 8^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Peace Bridge between Niagara, Ontario and Erie County, New York – one of the major border crossings on the continent

Buffalo, New York – Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) has announced that Erie and Niagara Counties have each been awarded $325,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Higgins, who serves as co-chair of the Congressional Northern Border Caucus, said, “the border between the United States and Canada represents the longest bi-national land boundary in the world and presents unique challenges.  This funding helps local and federal agencies coordinate protection and response measures.” Continue reading →

Flooding Along the Shores of Lake Ontario Closes Port Dalhousie’s Popular Carousel in Niagara, Ontario Again

A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter Doug Draper, followed by a News Release from the City of St. Catharines

Posted August 7^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Climate change, scientists tell us, is quite a bit about the frequency and intensity of storms. So here we are again.

Just five days after the always so popular vintage carousel ride in St. Catharines/Niagara’s Lakeside Park was finally opened after what were record high Lake Ontario waters finally began to recede, the City of St. Catharines has been forced by another bought of flooding to close it again.

The carousel, which has been a hit of the season at 5 cents a ride for young at heart for decades now, usually opens in spring and rides on into the fall. Continue reading →