Category Archives: Signs of our Times

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Another Sign Of Our Times

Posted on February 17, 2015 by dougdraper | Leave a comment

Niagara At Large launched a series we call “A Sign of our Times” on this news and commentary site more than four years ago as a way of simply featuring signs and images that say something about the times we live in.

This time, as we observe the 50^th anniversary of Canada’s red-and-white, maple leaf flag, this image created and sent to NAL courtesy of Niagara artist Julia Blushak.

At a time when the Canada some may remember when that flag was raised for the first time seems to be at a crossroads, this image should stimulate discussion and debate.

To learn more about the work of Julia Blushak, click on the following links – www.paperfang.com and www.elbowisland.ca .

NAL invites you to submit a jpeg of a sign or image you feel says something about the strange times we live in for our consideration. Keep in mind that some images may be subject to copyright protections we don’t want to violate.

(Niagara At Large invites you to join in the conversation by sharing your views on the content of this post below. For reasons of transparency and promoting civil dialogue, NAL only posts comments from individuals who share their first and last name with their views.)

Posted in Learn How To Join Niagara At Large On Twitter And Facebook By Clicking Here, Signs of our Times

Another Sign Of Our Times

Posted on December 11, 2014 by dougdraper | 2 comments

A Brief Note from NAL publisher Doug Draper

A sorry note for our Greater Niagara Region neighbours in Buffalo, New York.

This sign courtesy of New Jersey friend Claudia Farbe

It’s bad enough Buffalo already has an infamous reputation internationally as a place where the winter monster dumps just about as much snow in the world as it does in the North and South Poles and Siberia combined. Now this.

While my wife Mary and I were on Cape Cod, Massachusetts late this November for a Thanksgiving gathering with some of our American friends, one member of the group – Claudia Farber from New Jersey – showed us a photo of a sign she took at the entrance to a popular store on the Cape.

The sign at the Birdwatcher’s General Store in the Town of Orleans on the Cape was an obvious reference to a snow storm this past November that dumped so much snow in the Buffalo area, a state of emergency was declared, and it read as follows; ‘Notice – All shoplifters will be arrested and taken to Buffalo.’

Maybe the author of the sign should go to Buffalo where he or she may very well discover that there are far greater things happening, in a positive way in Buffalo, than snowfall.

Just another word on that major dump of snow this past November, most of it fell on towns around the city proper. In fact, according to U.S. National Weather Service statistics, Erie Pennsylvania and Grand Rapids, Michigan were buried in more snow during the same period than the City of Buffalo.

Niagara At Large invites all of our friends and readers to share an image of a sign they feel depicts something about our interesteing and crazy times. You can email a jpeg image to drapers@vaxxine.com .

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Yet Another Sign Of Our Times At A Time When We In Niagara, Ontario Cannot Afford To Be Apathetic

Posted on September 28, 2014 by dougdraper | Leave a comment

A Brief from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

When I asked readers a month or so ago to send in ‘signs of our times’ – meaning an image of any sign or bumper sticker that speaks to our crazy an interesting times – I got this one from Robert Tripp from the colourful community of Ridgway in Niagara, Ontario.

It falls in to the bumper sticker category and it seems particularly relevant as Niagara, Ontario residents – at least those who choose to get engaged and vote – go to the polls in possibly the most important municipal elections this region, with its high jobless rates and other challenges, faces so far this century.

This one features a line from Plato, from more than 2,000 years ago in a time-honoured country called Greece, where democracy first took a firm foot-hold.

Read this one and keep it firmly in mind as you decide whether or not you will get engaged or allow apathy to shut you off in these municipal elections

(Niagara At Large invites you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.)

Posted in Learn How To Join Niagara At Large On Twitter And Facebook By Clicking Here, Signs of our Times

Hey Ontarians – Here’s A Billion Dollar Sign Of Our Times

Posted on June 17, 2014 by dougdraper | 2 comments

A Brief Note on this one from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

I am posting this one because it so expresses the view many people in Ontario, including this Ontarian, have that the province’s Liberal government flushed more than a billion of our tax dollars down the toilet when it cancelled plans to build two gas-fired energy plants in Oakville and Mississauga to secure seats there in the 2011 provincial election

Only major problem I have with this image is that it should contain the face of the Liberal premier at the time, Dalton McGuinty, and not Kathleen Wynne. Continue reading →

A Sign Of Our Times – Canada’s Three Stooges

Posted on May 16, 2014 by dougdraper | Leave a comment

A Brief Comment by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

With some apologies to the late great Three Stooges – Curly, Larry and Moe and their descendants – here is an accurate depiction of three of the stooges we in Ontario and Canada have to put with today.

Image courtesy of Terry Nicholls

Thanks to Terry Nicholls from our greater Niagara regional community of Welland, Ontario for sharing this image he created with Niagara At Large.

I guess that the only criticism I would give to this image is that the original Moe Howard of Stooges fame, interfaced with Ontario Tory leader Tim Hudak here, at least had some real leadership skills. Continue reading →

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Niagara, Ontario’s Regional Council ‘Reconfirms” Its Boast As ‘Green Energy Capital Of Canada’

Posted on October 11, 2013 by dougdraper | 2 comments

A Commentary by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Green Energy Capital of Canada? Really?

Yes, yes, yes. We know that Niagara, Ontario and Niagara Falls, New York share a natural resource called the Niagara River and Falls that generate huge amounts of hydro energy that is one hell of a lot greener than nuclear, gas or coal. And we know that we had the ‘Big Becky’ super drill here, burrowing another gargantuan tunnel from the upper to lower Niagara Rivers to divert even more water from the natural Falls for hydro power purposes.

And yes, yes, yes, drying up the natural Falls until there is nothing left above the cataract but a venue for bungee jumpers may be something some Niagara residents, adamantly opposed to wind energy facilities in their communities may be okay with. But is that what Niagara, Ontario’s regional council means by green energy? Continue reading →

Could A Simple Toad Save Bay Beach – Another ‘Sign Of The Times’

Posted on July 24, 2010 by dougdraper | 3 comments

Could an endangered species of toads stop plans by a corporate conglomerate to erect a multi-storey condo on Bay Beach in the fabled Crystal Beach community of Fort Erie, Ontario.

The Fowler's Toad At Bay Beach, Fort Erie. Created by Paul Kassay

That is what Paul Kassay, a longtime advocate for preserving and enhancing the Crystal Beach area, hopes the Fowler’s toad will do for Bay Beach as many residents and people who own property there on both sides of the Canada/U.S. border prepare to fight those corporate developers and their own Town of Fort Erie at Ontario Municipal Board hearings, and at the ballot box during this October’s municipal elections. Continue reading →

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Another In Niagara At Large’s Series Of ‘Signs Of Our Times’

Posted on March 13, 2010 by dougdraper | 2 comments

By Doug Draper

Here is one of my favourite signs along the Niagara River corridor – erected by the Niagara Parks Commission some years ago for the benefit of any visitors to the Canadian side of Niagara Falls who might be a little bit on the daring side.

A sign one thinks would not be necessary except for the stupidity of the human species. Photo by Doug Draper

Don’t know if there are any comparable signs on the American side of the river but given how litiginous a society there seems to be south of the border (or east of the border in this case) the New York State Park authorities might want to post a few around Goat Island and Terrapin Point just as a matter of ‘due diligence’.

The sign literally warns people not to jump over a fence which is the last stop left before plunging hundreds of feet to rock and water below the roaring Horseshoe Falls of Niagara. Continue reading →

‘Signs Of Our Times’ – A New Niagara At Large Series On Signs That Say Something Good, Bad, Maddening Or Crazy About The Times We Live In

Posted on February 27, 2010 by dougdraper | 3 comments

By Doug Draper

Niagara At Large is launching a new off-and-on-and-whenever-we happen-get-a-good-submission’ series that speaks to the good, bad and ugly across our binational Niagara region called “Signs Of Our Times.”

Signs of the Times photo by Bob Liddycoat

And when we say signs, we are talking about real signs up on poles, a billboard, on a picket line or displayed on a lawn or wall somewhere that you happen to spot in your communities and can share an image of with Niagara At Large. Send us a digital image of the sign; along with a bit of commentary on why you feel whatever message the sign conveys ranges from something that may be great for our communities, to something that is sad, disgusting or absurd.

We are starting this ‘Sign Of The Times’ series with an image of a cluster of signs captured by Bob Liddycoat, now a Wainfleet, Ontario resident and old journalism colleague of mine, taken on Ormond Street in his old hometown of Thorold, Ontario. You may have viewed them already on the right, up-hand side of this column. In Bob’s note on this one, he mentioned “three billboards from three levels of government telling us what a wonderful job they’re doing – all at our expense. …

“And if this is just one stretch of one street in one town in Canada,” added Bob, “imagine what they’re wasting across the country.”

What are they wasting, indeed! Continue reading →

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