Category Archives: Uncategorized

A News Brief by Doug Draper

Posted December 6^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region’s new Chair, Jim Bradley

In front of a packed Niagara Regional Council chambers that included ex-regional chair Al Caslin, former St. Catharines MPP and recently elected Regional Councillor Jim Bradley received the support of a majority on the new council to serve as its chair.

Bradley was elected to a four-year term as Niagara Region’s chair in a three-way race this December 6^th with new Welland Regional Councillor Leanna Villella and Lincoln’s new regional council member Rob Foster.

A total of 19 votes went to Bradley, seven to Villella and five to Foster before the council voted one more time to unanimously support the outcome of what was the first contest for chair held completely in the open in the Region’s almost five-decades-long history. Continue reading →

Wayne Gates to Table Bill In Ontario Legislature for More Funding People Struggling with Mental Health and Addictions

 “People deserve better services, and no one should ever deal with mental health struggles without the support they need.” – Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

Posted December 5^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

Niagara, Ontario — Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates will be tabling a motion in Queen’s Park on Thursday that could secure funding to operate three 24-hour, seven-day-a-week mental health and addictions drop-in counselling programs across Niagara.

“Front-line staff are doing everything they can to ensure that every resident of Niagara has access to mental health and addictions help when and where they need it – but they can only stretch a dollar so far,” said Gates. “People deserve better services, and no one should ever deal with mental health struggles without the support they need. I believe this funding could help our front-line providers ensure that everyone in need of treatment can get it as soon as they need it.” Continue reading →

“It’s time for defeated Fort Erie (Regional) Councillor Sandy Annunziata and the rest of the board to step down and allow the individual municipalities to make their appointments to the NPCA Board as set out in the Conservation Authorities Act.” – Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

New from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, with an Afterword from Niagara At Large reporter Doug Draper on who should be made to pay the legal bills for this.

Posted December 2^nd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Welland/Niagara – MPP Jeff Burch confirmed this December 2^nd that the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authorities’ attempted use of an outdated Order in Council from 1994 to oversee new appointments is not valid.

An official from the Ministry of Natural Resources stated in an email to the MPP’s office that the power to appoint and replace members of an authority now supersedes any direction provided within a previous Order in Council, or other past process governing the appointment of authority members.

The statement outlined that the Order in Council in question was made under a previous version of the Conservation Authorities Act that has since been revoked. New provisions of the act have come into force that provides participating municipalities with the clear authority to appoint and replace members. The Conservation Authorities Act was amended in 2017. Continue reading →

A Public Service Message from Niagara’s Region’s Public Health Department 

Posted November 30^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Free quit smoking patches are available to Niagara residents for a limited time.

The STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) Program offers eligible participants in Niagara five weeks of cost-free nicotine replacement therapy and smoking cessation information to help them in their quit attempt.

• WHAT: Free patches for adults in Niagara to quit smoking
• WHERE: STOP workshops will be held in Welland and Thorold
•  WHEN: December 12 (Welland) and December 18 (Thorold), 2018

Continue reading →

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted November 30^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s longest running fireworks series set to return beginning with the Victoria and Memorial Day long weekends in May 2019

Updated schedule to feature 110+ fireworks shows, including daily fireworks throughout the summer

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Daily Falls fireworks return next summer as part of the 26th Falls Fireworks series in Niagara Parks. Launched from within the Niagara Gorge, 114 incredible displays will captivate visitors from around the world. New for 2019 is the introduction of low-noise fireworks on select weeknights. Continue reading →

Includes a Balanced, Made-in-Ontario Climate Change Solution to Preserve and Protect the Environment for Future Generations

News from the Ford Government and Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks

Posted November 29th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Today (this November 29th), Ontario’s Government for the People released a new made-in-Ontario environment plan to protect our air, land and water and reduce litter and waste while lowering greenhouse gas emissions and helping communities protect themselves from climate change.

“This plan strikes the right balance between a healthy environment and a healthy economy,” said Rod Phillips, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. “It contains solutions that will protect our air, land and water, reduce waste, address litter, increase our resilience to climate change and help us all do our part to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Most importantly, it does all of this without imposing an ineffective, regressive carbon tax on hard-working Ontario families.” Continue reading →

“This is a last grab at power that people of Niagara will not stand for. … I would ask those not successful in the recent election to respect the will of Niagara taxpayers and step aside in order to allow the newly elected councils to determine board appointments.” – Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

A Message from the Niagara Centre Constituency Office of NDP provincial representative Jeff Burch

Posted November 28th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre Jeff Burch and Cindy Forster, his predeccesor in the Niagara Centre riding, who spent the past four years before him speaking out for public accountability at the NPCA. File photo.

QUEEN’S PARK—Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch responds to the news that the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority will be changing the way members of the board are appointed.

Recently, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and Chair Sandy Annuziata released a memo indicating that NPCA Board Appointments would be in accordance with OIC 2706, an outdated ministerial mandate from 1994. Mr. Annunziata, a Fort Erie Regional Councillor was defeated in last months Municipal Election.

Burch says, “This is a last grab at power that people of Niagara will not stand for. And it is the taxpayers that will be paying the legal bill from the NPCA for its hired law firm to dig up this decades old Order in Council.”

It only highlights the need for a new board to try and restore public trust in a once respected conservation authority.”

After the controversies of the past few years, many municipalities including Welland, Port Colborne, Fort Erie, St. Catharines and Pelham have passed motions to move to an expert citizen appointment system, something Burch fully supports.

Burch notes that the NPCA is not at the behest of Sandy Annuziata or a select few from the conservative cabal recently voted out of office. It is a taxpayer funded municipally regulated and provincially overseen entity.

He says, “I have been in touch with the Auditor Generals office and as Municipal Affairs critic for the official opposition, I support the rights and the wishes of Niagara’s municipalities and their newly elected representatives to democratically and transparently determine the new NPCA Board of Directors.”

I would ask those not successful in the recent election to respect the will of Niagara taxpayers and step aside in order to allow the newly elected councils to determine board appointments.”

Watch and listen to Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch tell Sandy Annunziata, the current chair of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board of director and others on the currrent NPCA board to respect the taxpayers of Niagara and steps aside now.

To read a recent commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper on this issue, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2018/11/28/npcas-board-like-trying-to-get-rid-of-cockroaches/

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