Category Archives: Uncategorized

Greenbelts Play Vital Role in Adapting to the Growing Threat of Climate Change

Report Examines Eight Greenbelts Around The World, Ranging From Brazil To Denmark, To Shine A Light On The Threats And Opportunities They Face

A News Release from The Greenbelt Foundation in Ontario

Posted July 27^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – I post the following piece less than two months after roughly 18 per cent of eligible voters in Ontario who bothered to vote elected a second majority government for Doug Ford and his Conservatives in the province for the next four years.

Ford has promised to build and expand multi-lane highways through the Greenbelt that will encourage more car and truck traffic and low-density sprawl. He was also caught on video in the past, promising developers that he would be willing to allow “chunks” of the Greenbelt to be paved over for housing.

So here we go. Thanks to those who voted this Ford government back in and to those who couldn’t bother to vote, we  stand to lose more of our green heritage in an era of climate emergency.

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large)

TORONTO, Ontario — The protection and enhancement of greenbelts around the world is more important than ever to the future of the cities and regions in which they exist. That is one of the key findings of a new report that shows how greenbelts, or natural areas with protected land-use policies, are evolving globally to respond to current and emerging conditions. Continue reading →

An Open Letter from Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates to Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Posted July 26^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

RE: Immediate action required to meet Niagara’s health needs

Niagara Falls Riding NDP MPP Wayne Gates

‘I am writing today (this July 26^th, 2022) regarding the alarming closure of emergency rooms across Ontario. As you well know, in the last COVID wave Niagara was allowed to be under-resourced which led to the unacceptable decision to cease services at Douglas Memorial Urgent Care in Fort Erie. Today’s urgent letter is a request to avert that situation from occurring again.

I am writing today to ask you to immediately direct Ministry of Health staff to connect with Niagara Health, assess the staffing situation in Niagara and take measures immediately to ensure that the people of Fort Erie are not once again left without their urgent care centre. I am also requesting your offices ensure the people of Fort Erie will not lose their healthcare services again. Continue reading →

Vance Badawey file photo

Badawey – a Member of Canada’s Metis Community and Liberal Government’s Parliamentary Seeretary to Indigenous Services –Paid Own Way to Historic Event

Did the Pope’s July 25th Apology Go Far Enough?

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 26^th 2022 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre Liberal MP Vance Badawey was among the many thousands gathered near a mass grave for a former residential school in the outskirts of Edmonton, Alberta this past July 25^th when Pope Francis issued his much-anticipated apology for the Catholic Church’s role in those infamous schools.

Vance Badawey, right, with two other members of Canada’s Indigenous community at gathering in Alberta this July 25th for Pope’s historic apology for his church’s role in residential schools. Photo courtesy of Niagara Centre constituency office

Like so many others, Badawey, who is also a member of Canada’s Metis community, no doubt found an apology that has been a long time coming heartfelt on the Pope’s part and moving.

Other than that, I will not make the mistake of putting any words in Badawey’s  mouth or anyone else’s in the Indigenous community except to say, fromwhat has been reported, that feelings were mixed. Continue reading →

VAST (Visual Assessment Survey Tool) Benefits for Great Lakes Shoreline Resiliency from Community Coastal Monitoring

Niagara’s Visual Assessment Survey Tool (VAST) is expanding this year to monitor the success of local restoration projects improving coastal resiliency. Coastal communities and visitors can get involved today, becoming active participants in the protection of their shorelines.

A News Release from the Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative

Posted July 22nd, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Launched in the summer of 2021 by Niagara Coastal, VAST engages coastal residents, visitors, community groups and other local organizations in collecting data to fill knowledge gaps across our Great Lakes shorelines.

Participating citizen scientists complete surveys and submit standardized, repeatable images to monitor coastal stressors.

These images and data are used to advocate for policy changes, guide coastal management decisions, and identify local actions that communities can take to improve their shorelines.

In its first year of operation, over 1,800 photos from 70 different sites across the Great Lakes shoreline were submitted to the VAST platform. The monitoring season reopened this year on April 15 and is well underway. Citizen scientists have already submitted over 660 images of the coast, volunteering 180 hours of their time to support shoreline protection. Continue reading →

“We are very excited to have our beloved carousel showcased on a Canadian stamp.”                                                                                     – Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of historical services and curator of the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canal Centre.

A News Release from the City of St. Catharines in Niagara, Ontario

Posted on Thursday, July 21, 2022

St. Catharines, Niagara’s most treasured carousel animal, the Looff lion, is being prominently featured on a stamp released by Canada Post this July 21st.

The St. Catharines issue is joined by four other stamps in the series that display Canadian vintage carousels – The Bowness Carousel in Heritage Park Historical Village in Calgary, Alberta, the C.W. Parker Carousel No. 119 in Burnaby Village Museum in B.C., the Roseneath Carousel at Roseneath Fairgrounds in Ontario, and LeGalopant located in La Ronde in Montreal, Quebec.

Each of the popular merry-go-rounds has one of their animals featured on their own individual stamp. Continue reading →

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

Posted July 21^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Well here we go with the first jack boot hitting the ground in the dictatorship Tory Premier Doug Ford is going to impose on Ontario, a mere six weeks after winning a majority government thanks to a pathetic 18 per cent of the province’s eligible voters.

But never mind such a  tissue thin mandate that might cause others to lead the province with a little humility.

Thanks to an Ontario election this June that drew the lowest voter turnout  in the province’s history, Ford and his Conservatives managed to win a majority of seats which allows them, if they want, to run a dictatorship for the next four years. Continue reading →

New discoveries are already being made at the historic Shickluna Shipyard in downtown St. Catharines — and volunteers are being invited to join in the experience.

A News Release from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted July 20th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Shickluna Shipyard in downtown St. Catharines . Photo vintage 1860s. Brock U. archives

The second season of the archaeological dig near Twelve Mile Creek got underway last week after a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re thrilled to return to the Shickluna Shipyard and share in the experience of exploring local historical and maritime archaeology with our Brock University students and the wider Niagara community,” says archaeologist Kimberly Monk, Adjunct Professor with Brock University’s Department of History.

The 2022 field school is building on the success of the 2019 season<https://brocku.ca/brock-news/2019/07/public-tours-to-be-held-at-excavation-site-of-historic-shickluna-shipyard/>, with further excavation of two key locations: a worker’s cottage and a boathouse.

The site was first used as a shipyard by Russell Armington from 1828 to 1837 and then by Maltese immigrant Louis Shickluna from 1838 to 1880. Joseph Shickluna was the last to run the shipyard from 1880 to 1891 before it was leased to the St. Catharines Box and Basket Company until 1901. Continue reading →

“For years, the crown corporation has been fueling climate disaster by providing billions each year to oil and gas companies.” – Julia Levin, Environmental Defence

A Statement from Julia Levin, National Climate Program Manager for Environmental Defence, on Export Development Canada’s New Climate Targets

Ottawa | Traditional, unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg People – The new climate targets released this July] by Canada’s export bank, Export Development Canada are a disappointment.

 For years, the crown corporation has been fueling climate disaster by providing billions each year to oil and gas companies.

The only responsible thing to do is to end public financing to the fossil fuel sector but even as people are fleeing their homes and dying from climate disasters, Export Development Canada has put forth weak promises that fail to really decrease fossil fuel financing.

A message climate activists have been sending out to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Liberal government in recent years as they continue to spend billions of dollars of Canadians ‘tax ,money – moey that could be used for health care or for clean energy projects – on tar sand pipelines like the Trans Mountain pipe to the west coast.

This plan also, unfortunately, buys into the debunked myth that fossil gas is a “transition” fuel, instead of directing investment to genuine climate solutions.

To read more on the details in  Export Development Canada’s latest climate report, click on – [https://www.edc.ca/en/about-us/newsroom/edc-net-zero-2050-update-2022.html]

ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DEFENCE (environmentaldefence.ca): Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organization that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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

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

Ontario NDP calls Ford’s Health Care Cuts Dangerous Amid Rash Of ER Closures

Official Opposition NDP says it is unbelievably callous and dangerous for the Doug Ford Conservatives to have shortchanged health care

New FAO report reveals underspending across the board – including $1.8 billion in health care

A News Release from Ontario’s New Democratic Party

Posted July 19th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — The Official Opposition NDP says it is unbelievably callous and dangerous for the Doug Ford Conservatives to have shortchanged health care by $1.8 billion as the province grapples with a rash of ER closures amid an ongoing staffing crisis.

In a report released today, the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario revealed that the Ford government withheld $1.8 billion earmarked for health care as part of $7.2 billion in mid-year cuts for 2021-22. Continue reading →

Niagara Coastal’s Community-based Water Monitoring Program will Improve Access to Beach Water Quality Data for Niagara Region Residents

“Community-based initiatives are extremely valuable as they establish a foundation for watershed residents to become actively involved in the health of their coast.” – Annie Michaud, Professor of Environmental Studies at Niagara College.

News from The Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative

Posted July 18^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – With provincial government ministries and agencies, historically responsible for environmental and natural ecosystem protection missing in action and often  unwillingly to openly communicate with the public and media about  concerns in these areas – except through a  lens contaminated by political interests – it is becoming more and more important that we have partnerships and projects like this.

In an age when government agencies are shamelessly letting us down, citizen-based initiatives, working in partnership with learning institions likeNiagara College and Brock University (to the extent those institutions are willing to involve themselves in projects that may  upset the political powers that be, appear to be the wave of the future.

It is becoming ever more clear that citizens have to play the lead role in protecting and conserving our environment. At a time when every region of the world, including ours,  is vulnerable to damaging and deadly climate-related disasters, we can no longer count on government-based bodies to do it.)

Now here is the News from Niagara Coastal- 

For three years, the Niagara Hub has been collecting low-cost, timely, and reliable recreational water quality data for beaches across Niagara’s Lake Erie north shore. Continue reading →

“We have thousands of seniors who need supports to stay in their homes as long as they can. Once they need care, they need to know the care will be there for them.”   – Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

A News Release from Ontario’s New Democratic (NDP) Party

Posted July 18th, 2022 on Niagara At Large 

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

QUEENS PARK —NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls, Fort Erie & Niagara-on-the-Lake) was recently given a major portfolio within the NDP caucus

 Gates will now be the party’s leading voice on long-term care, homecare and retirement homes as the Official Opposition critic.

“It’s no surprise this is an issue that’s close to my heart. I’ve been saying for years long-term care was broken in Ontario – but the pandemic really showed us how bad it was,” said Gates.

Continue reading →

“As a parent of an under-five-year-old myself, and someone who has dedicated significant time to studying immunity at its most fundamental level, I will absolutely be vaccinating my child,” MacNeil says.

News from Brock University in St. Catharines Ontario

Posted July 18th,. 2022 on Niagara At Large

Brock University immunologist Adam MacNeil.

The recent approval of a COVID vaccine for infants and preschoolers is a boost needed in Canada’s ongoing battle with the pandemic, says Brock University immunologist Adam MacNeil.

Health Canada announced this past July 14th that the Moderna vaccine has been approved for children between six months and five years old.

“This is a monumental step toward maximizing the vaccine layer of protection across our communities as we continue to wrestle with the evolution of one of the most transmissible pathogens in human history and learn more about its long-term impacts on health outcomes,” says MacNeil, Associate Professor of Immunology.

The children’s vaccine works in exactly the same way as the adult version, he says, with very mild — and no serious — side effects reported to date. Continue reading →

Join This Free Webinar Event on Thursday, July 14^th at 7 P.M

News of this Event was Shared by Liz Benneian, a leader of coalition of Earth-friendly groups and individuals across Niagara called the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee – Niagara

Posted July 12^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Everyone is welcome to a free Zoom webinar on Designing For Biodiversity: turning yards and gardens into habitat.

The presentation focuses on how people can help protect and enhance biodiversity through plant choices, garden design and adding habitat elements from water sources to wood piles. Continue reading →

A Message from the Green Party of Ontario

Posted July 6th, at Niagara At Large

Ontario is losing farmland at an alarming rate.

New data from The Ontario Federation of Agriculture says Ontario is losing farmland at a rate of 319 acres per day.

That’s 319 acres of family businesses, 319 acres of land that protects us from the harmful effects of climate change, and 319 acres of land used to grow your food – all gone.

The pirates in Ontario’s development industry couldn’t give a damn about saving farmland and that is okay with the Ford government. So take what is on the left side here and turn it into more of what is on the right. Then where do we get locally grown food, as if they give a damn. It is all about money in their pocket, and nothing more

The culprit of this devastating loss? Sprawl. It needs to stop now.

Doug Ford’s disastrous plan to pave over precious farmland with supersprawler projects like Highway 413 and The Bradford Bypass threatens the security of the province’s $50 billion food and farming sector. Continue reading →

As the Great Lakes Surpass the Oceans in Plastic Pollution, Environmental Defence Is Urging the Government to Do More to Protect the Freshwaters We Need to Survive

A News Release from Environmental Defence, a leading Canadian advocacy group for protecting our environment

Posted July 6^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg,Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – This Plastic Free July, Environmental Defence is highlighting that plastic pollution is not just an oceans problem.

More than 10,000 tonnes of plastic are dumped into the Great Lakes every year—they now have a higher concentration of plastic pollution than the ocean garbage patches. The Great Lakes are drowning in plastic and the federal government must act urgently.

“The Great Lakes contain 84 per cent of North America’s surface water, essential for the survival of millions of people, animals and plants,” said Michelle Woodhouse, Water Program Manager at Environmental Defence.

“But the lakes are very much threatened by plastics,” added Woodhouse. “The only way to save the Great Lakes from plastic pollution is to reduce plastic production altogether. Continue reading →

“Community-based initiatives are extremely valuable as they establish a foundation for watershed residents to become actively involved in the health of their coast.”                                                     – Annie Michaud, Professor of Environmental Studies at Niagara College.

News from The Niagara Coastal Community Collaborative

Posted July 5^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

For three years, the Niagara Hub has been collecting low-cost, timely, and reliable recreational water quality data for beaches across Niagara’s Lake Erie north shore.

Taking samples of water for testing off the Great Lakes waters of Niagara, Ontario

This year, funding from the Niagara Community Foundation and a partnership with Niagara College will expand the community-based monitoring hub to include sites across Lake Ontario. Continue reading →

 “Through this enhancement project we aim to improve access to greenspace and opportunities for people to connect with nature, protect and highlight the site’s ecological and cultural significance, and showcase our commitment to sustainable practices.” – Adam Christie, Director of Conservation Areas, Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA).

Cave Springs Conservation Area from the sky. NPCA photo

A News Release from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted July 5th, 2022 on Niagara At Large06.22.2022

An exciting project is underway to enhance access to the Cave Springs Conservation Area, while maintaining the site’s significant natural and cultural aspects.

The outcome of this project will include a completed Cave Springs Management Plan, and enhancements to the conservation area such as a new parking area and improved accessible trail, a new trail system, wayfinding, and educational signage. Continue reading →

“Now it is time to fast-track CLTs to the top of the affordable housing priority list in our communities and across Canada.”

A Guest Column by y Colin Bruce Anthes

Posted July 5th on Niagara At Large

This May Canadian house prices finally fell for the first time in two years, a period during which the average house price had skyrocketed by an astonishing $300,000.

The spiral at one point saw the House Price Index increase by 29 per cent in a single year.

An unprecedented amount of recent purchasing has been made by private speculators and the mega-landlord initiatives called REITs (Real Estate Investment Trusts), pushing much of the working class off the metaphorical and literal turf. Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper, publbisher, NAL

Posted on the Fourth of July, 2022 on Niagara At Large

You don’t have to follow he news from the American side of the border too much to arrive at the conclusion that the country, which  has long branded itself  “the world’s greatest democracy”,  is sliding down a slippery, slimy slope to full-fledged fascism.

Despite all the damaging evidence coming out about Trump and his cult followers at those Jan. 6 Congressional hearings, the common wisdom among pundits on all sides of the political spectrum in the U.S. is that the Republicans, which have become the party of Trumpism, will win this coming November’s mid-term elections.

That means that by the beginning of next year the ‘Party of Trump’ will hold a majority of seats in the U.S. Congress and Senate which will put an end to the current President, Joe Biden, and his Democrats passing anything else in the way of progressive form. Continue reading →

A Brief Message from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted on Canada Day, July 1^st, 2022

Suffice to say, there is a good deal of ugly out there these days.

Whether we want to blame it on how easy social media sites make to trash people, on a growing crisis of confidence in government and our public institutions, on the pandemic, on a Trump cauldron of anger and hate metastasizing through not only bodies of Americans, but the bodies of at least some on our side of the border too, or on a combination of all these and more, it is hard to deny that we are in a darker place than we were even a decade or so ago.

In Niagara alone, there have been attacks of vandalism on the properties of some of our elected representatives, nasty encounters with our front-line health care workers, the repeated acts of damage and defacement done to statues and busts of civil rights heroine Harriet Tubman, including the spray painting of a swastika on a sidewalk outside of a school bearing her name, and recent assaults on the property of people expressing support the people of Ukraine by displaying a Ukrainian flag. Continue reading →

A Brief One by Doug Draper

Posted June 29th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Twenty-Five Years old and threatened with everything up to and including bodily harm  by Trump Republicans, what a profile in courage she is!!!!!

A Statement by Buffalo, New York-area Congressman Brian Higgins on Supreme Court Decision Overruling Roe v. Wade

Posted June 24^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) released the following statement in response to today’s ruling by the Supreme Court:

“The decision to overturn Roe v. Wade is a devastating and dangerous theft of women’s rights. This takes us fifty years backward, stripping away the personal freedom for all who are pregnant to make medical decisions that impact your body and your life.

“It will limit access to and criminalize reproductive health services in states across the country. This extreme infringement by the conservative court doesn’t reflect the views of a majority of Americans and sets a dangerous precedent that threatens the continued erosion of decades of progress on equal rights.”

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

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

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted June 23^rd on Niagara At Large

Thanks to new U.S. Supreme Court ruling, Any Screwball Can Carry a Gun into a Movie Theatre, Grocery Store, Shopping Mall – Anywhere They Want!

A Supreme Court in the United States that is largely controlled by Trump and by Facists that Call Themselves Republicans, carrying a gun in public is now just plain dandy anywhere in the United States, including border communities like Niagara Falls and Buffalo, New York.

That means that virtually any angry male – and they are mostly males of the Trump persuation – can run around with guns and if they get angry, then it is up to them what happens next.

The June 23^rd Supreme Court rulling comes less that two months after an 18-year-old white supremacist entered a Top’s grocery store in Buffalo and killed and wounded more than 10 people with a military-style assault weapon that he purchased legally – but apparently most Americans couldn’t give a shit because their rights to own these weapons mean more than human lives.

As a Canadian speaking to others on our side of the border, do you want to cross over and take a chance on that?

And why aren’t our federal representatives speaking out and warning us about this?

Why aren’t they looking at closing the Canadian borders to Americans on the grounds that they are okay with carrying guns? They should be given that stastistics in Canada have shown for years now that a majority of the guns used in deadly acts of violence here come from the United States.

It appears that Americans place free and easy gun ownership and use above human live, but why should we?

It’s time to close the border down to gun-totting Americans.

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

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

A Message from Doug Draper

Posted June 23^rd on Niagara At Large

For the past number of days Niagara At Large has been experiencing serious technical glitches related to the software used to post news and commentary here.

I am not a computer technician or a website expert so I am doing my best to correct the problems so we can get back in business.

I do not make any money for doing this site either so I try to avoid spending more time and money out of pocket to keep this online site going. That’s just the way it is.

I beg your patience while I try to work through the website problems here.

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

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

“You say it’s your birthday. …. We’re going to have a good time. … Happy birthday to you.”                                    – lyrics from The Beatle song,  and one primarily penned by Paul McCartney

A Brief One by Doug Draper

Posted June 18, 2022 on Niagara At Large

I was barely in my teens when a rock group called The Beatles crossed the Atlantic from Britain ignited music mania with their first big appearance on an American television show that received record-breaking ratings that night.

That was 1964 and Beatle member Paul McCartney was still in his 20 when, three years later, he wrote a song for the group’s Sgt. Pepper album called “When I’m Sixty-Four,” leaving his fans trying to imagine him, along with the rest of us, ever getting that old.

Well, the pages of the calendar seem to have turned faster than a whirligig in a wind storm and here we are this June 18^th with Paul McCartney at 80.

Believe it Beatle fans. It’s true.

We’ve gone a long way down that long and winding road.

As a toast to Paul, here is another one of the songs he was the primary composer of, along with a little help from fellow composer John Lennon and The Beatles. You can watch and hear them perform it – one of the group’s biggest of all the big hits it had – following a bit of fun banter from the group by clicking on the screen below –

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

Niagara Health is Maintaining Our Masking Requirement for Everyone Inside Our Hospitals

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

Posted June 9^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Health west St. Catharines hospital site

Although provincial masking mandates will change on Saturday, June 11, Niagara Health will continue to require everyone who comes into any of our hospital sites to continue to wear a face mask, including when visiting at a patient’s bedside.

Hospitals care for vulnerable patients who are at heightened risk of infection. Continuing to follow masking is an effective infection prevention and control measure against COVID-19. Masking helps us to maintain a safe environment for our patients and their loved ones, and for our staff, physicians and volunteers, by limiting the risk of infection transmission and outbreaks. Continue reading →

Conservative Sam Oosterhoff Wins in Niagara West, NDP Incumbents Wayne Gates, Jennie Stevens and Jeff Burch win in Ridings of Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Niagara Centre Respectively

A News Commentary by Doug Draper at NAL

Posted June 2^nd, 2022 on Niagara At Large

The slogan Doug Ford and his Ontario Conservatives flashed around the province in this election was “Get It Done.”

Well, they sure did get it done alright, because this was decisive win for the Ford forces that has all but buried the opposition under the asphalt of one of the new highways they are promising to build through swaths of Ontario’s greenbelt.

Fortunately that burial did not include three very good and hard-working NDP incumbents in Niagara – Wayne Gates in the Riding of Niagara Falls, Jennie Stevens in the Riding of St. Catharines and Jeff Burch in the Riding of Niagara Centre. Continue reading →

Do Yourself and Do All of Us a Big Favour. Vote for Anyone Else!

A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper

Posted June 1^st, 2022 on Niagara At Large

The following video, featuring a message from a fellow Ontario citizen and writer named Paul Chato, was sent to Niagara At Large earlier today by one of our readers.

In order to protect the innocent, I will not identify the reader by name. However, I thank her for sending this important message and I urge anyone who is thinking of voting for Doug Ford and his Conservatives to hear it before they go to the polls this Thursday, June 2^nd.

It might just make you consider changing your mind as we face the possibility of suffering through four more years of a Ford government that will continue to wreak havoc on the quality of life in our community, on our public services and on our environment.

To watch and listen to the message, click on the screen immediately below –

Our feature and the future of generations of Ontarians to come is on the line in this provincial election – Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

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

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

. “Ontarians need to know that the government has done next to nothing to fight climate change the past four years and instead has made more of an effort to battle those who are taking climate action.”                                                                                                           – Keith Brooks, Programs Director of Environmental Defence

A Report from Environmental Defence, a citizens group advocating for our environment

Posted May 19^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

New report reviews Ontario’s poor track record on climate change over the past four years

The report argues that the province is not on track to reach its 2030 emissions reduction target 

Paving more paradise, even in a time of climate crisis

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – A report released today from Environmental Defence reviews the Ontario government’s last four years of climate change policy and argues that Ontario is not on track to meet the province’s emissions reduction target, despite recent modelling released from the provincial government. Continue reading →

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

Posted May 18^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

One day after U.S. President Joe Biden travelled to Buffalo, New York to pay homage to the 10 victims of a murderous, white-supremacist driven rampage this past Saturday, May 14^th and five days after it happened, it already appears that cable news channels in the United States are moving away from covering this massacre.

U.S. President Joe Biden and his wife and First Lady Jill visit a makeshift memorial to the victims of a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York. “Hate will not win,” promised Biden. But in Trump’s America, it probably will.

That is not all that unusual. You can go back to the shooting slaughter of children at the Sandy Hook school in Connecticut a decade ago and all of the other mass shootings, they very quickly become little more than statistics in an America that prizes the right to purchase military-style assault weapons more than human lives. Continue reading →

“Greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rises, ocean heat levels and acidification, all set new records during 2021, while some glaciers reached the point of no return.”

A New Report on the Need for Urgent Action on Climate Change from the United Nations

Posted May 18th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large –

How sad it is to think that Ontario voters are about to give Doug Ford and his party of climate laggards another four years in government

A little more than  two weeks out from a provincial election in Ontario – one in which a majority of Ontarians of voting age are showing through their continued support of Doug Ford’s Conservative government that climate change is not a crisis in the making that they take seriously – scientists from around the world, working under the umbrella of the United Nations, have released yet another ‘red alert’ report.

As Ontario seems ready to elected the Ford government to another four years of paving over our green lands for the sake of their big-money donor friends in the property speculation and building industry, my message to Ontario voters is this – Let’s please stop protecting that collectively we give a shit about the climate crisis and our children’s future.

Not when it appears we are about to vote Doug and his party of climate laggards back into power.

Now here is that latest UN report –

The  rural Niagara farmers who are members of a right-wing landowners coalition that hates wind and other forms of reneawable energy. They also oppose any efforts to keep people building on flood plains because they do not believe that climate change is a problem They would rather see us go on burning coal and gas.

Climate and Environment

Greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rises, ocean heat levels and acidification, all set new records during 2021, while some glaciers reached the point of no return, according to the latest flagship report from the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), published on Wednesday. Continue reading →

Ontario Liberals Are Like the Deja Vu of Dalton McGuinty and Kalthleen Wynne All Over Again, And Who Wants That Culteru of Screw You, We’re in Charge Here in Ontario  Arrogance Back?

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted May 9th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca was a dutiful member of the McGuinty’Wynne Liberal team. Now he wants us to believe he is an answer for our future.

Ontario Liberal Leader (why do I have to keep looking up his name) Steven Del Duca) released his party’s full platform this Monday,  May 9th.

The third party’s challenged communications gurus attempted to circulate a copy of the platform to news outlets today but, compared to news circulated by the governing Ford Government and NDP, information about the platform was hard to get to.

Perhaps that makes sense given the fact that going back to the earlier years of this relatively new century, when the Ontario Liberals were in power under the smug, dictatorial leadership of Dalton McGuinty and his sycophant Kathleen Wynne, almost anything resembling openness and transparency when it came to information the public had a right to know was in short supply anyway.

However, according to one Global News report, “ Continue reading →

“People in Grimsby have been asking their government for a GO station for over a decade. They want and deserve better transit connections. … We’ll finally get the train to stop in Grimsby. ”       – Niagara West Riding NDP candidate Dave Augustyn

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP

Posted May 9^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

GRIMSBY — An NDP government will construct a Grimsby GO Station and make sure families get access to frequent and reliable GO train service, said NDP leader Andrea Horwath and Niagara West NDP candidate Dave Augustyn.

“People in Grimsby want and deserve better access to GO Transit to get to work, school or wherever else they need to go,” said Horwath.

“Families have been waiting for years for a GO station in Grimsby. Doug Ford and the Del Duca Liberals refused to give this community access to GO trains and reliable all-day service. An NDP government will invest in better public transit and make sure Grimsby families get the GO station they need to make their commutes easier.” Continue reading →

Ontario government relying on climate change deniers in court case against youth

Ontario’s chosen experts question basic climate science and dismiss Ontario’s responsibility to lower emissions

A News Release from Environmental Defence, a Canada-based citizens goup

Posted May 9th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Toronto | Traditional territories of the Huron-Wendat, the Anishnaabeg, Haudenosaunee, Chippewas and the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation – The Ontario government solicited expert testimony from a known climate change denier to defend its poor record on climate action, in a court challenge brought from seven Ontario youth.

The youth are arguing that the Government of Ontario violated their charter rights when it rolled back targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The provincial government also solicited evidence from an economist who believes that Ontario’s actions have little to no impact on Canada’s overall emissions and, therefore, the province bears no responsibility for the damages caused by climate change. Continue reading →

Following the Supreme Court’s Draft Ruling on Abortion, Another Body Blow to the Rights of Women – Just in Time for Mother’s Day

A Brief One by Doug Draper 

Posted May 9th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

I admit that it’s been a while since I’ve been to a doctor to have my ears syringed but, but I thought I just heard on a television I have on in the background that the U.S. Supreme Court has ordered all American women to wear burkas when they are out of their homes.

Sorry, I made the mistake of assuming that this was U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and some of her female  members of her Democratic Party caucus covered in these burkas. But how are you supposed to tell? As it turns out,, no burkas  for American women yet,

The burka ruling comes just a week after a draft ruling was leaked showing that a majority of the mostly Republican-appointed Justices on the Supreme Court are moving to overturn Roe v. Wade, an almost 50 year old ruling from the Court that allows American women the right to have an abortion.

For those who don’t know what a burka is, it is a garment that covers a woman’s entire body and leaves her looking like some combination of a pup tent and a beehive keeper, which might make sense if we weren’t living through a time when bee populations are plummeting due to pesticide use, habitat loss and other climate-related causes. Continue reading →

Ford Boasts That He Is Not Going to Let Anything Stop Him From Pouring Pavement

On First Day of Ontario Election Campaign, Ford Says He Won’t Let Anything Get In Way of Cutting Thru Geenlands and Pouring Pavement

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted May 4^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

“We’ll cut through all the excuses, all the obstacles and delays and it’s time to start pouring the concrete.” – Ontario Premier Doug Ford on May 4th, 2022 election launch

Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford and his Conservatives now seem on their way, according to polls, to winning a second majority in this June 2^nd’s provincial election.

And among other things, he is staking a big win on building more roads and highways, even through greenlands and wetlands.

Given Ford’s base, which includes a disproportionate number of older Ontarians who live in a culture of roads and highways and car dependency, he may very well be right to assume that their support is enough to win him a second term of government.

Here is Doug Ford’s opening election address, delivered at a site for a proposed Highway 413. To watch it, click on the screen below –

My fear is that Ford is right in assuming that a majority of Ontario voters will want more roads and highways, even if it means that the billions of dollars it will cost to build them will not go to other services.

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

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

Do You Really Want Another Four Years of Ford Government?

A  Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted May 2nd, 2022 on Niagara At Large

So far, it looks like Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Conservatives are laughing their way to a Big Win in this spring’s provincial election.

I know that there are more than a few people out there who put little stock in polls when it comes to predicting the outcome of elections.

Then there is that old line that the only poll that really counts is the one when the final votes are counted on Election Day. As hard a line it is to argue with, it is most often used by those who find the party they support running behind in the polls.

As a journalist who’s had a hand in covering more elections than I care to count, I have my issues with polls too – not least of which is what appears to the a practice of too many news outlets (especially in recent years) to substitute stories on polls for good, in-depth coverage of the candidates and their policies.

That being said, it is hard to ignore polls completely, just as it is hard to ignore the fact that over the years, pollsters have become better at forecasting elections with a high degree of accuracy. Continue reading →

A Reminder About an Online Workshop – This Tuesday, May 3d at 7 P.M.  – For You

Posted May 2^nd, 2022 on Niagara At Large

To read a related piece Niagara At Large posted on this event, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2022/04/28/join-a-workshop-on-how-to-run-for-municipal-office-in-niagara-and-win/

About A Better Niagara – A Better Niagara is a non-partisan, non-profit organization with a mandate to encourage civic engagement and municipal public participation in Niagara.

Formed by a desire to see transparency and accountability in municipal politics A Better Niagara is committed to a Niagara that is more democratic, more equal and more open.

For more on A Better Niagara, click on – https://www.facebook.com/betterniagara/

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

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

In Niagara, the Message from Private Lakeshore owners and Local Municipalities  Seems to Be – Pay Up Or Get the Hell Off the Beach

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

Posted April 27^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

This is how those who don’t own land along the Great Lakes shores in Niagara are treated – ‘ No Tresspassing” or, for short, ‘get the hell out.’. So much for ‘Our Great Lakes’.

For more than four decades, this reporter – in my capacity as one covering environmental issues – has encouraged us all to do what we can to protect our Great Lakes.

But it is getting harder and harder for me to do that any more because these Great Lakes apparently do not belong to us.

They belong to federal and provincial governments that want to fill them full of fingerlings so that they may be exploited as a multi-billion dollar commercial and sport fishery.

And they belong to municipalities in Niagara and elsewhere that want to exploit them for revenue by charging residents in our region and other regions of the Great Lakes fees to walk on the beach. Continue reading →

NDP Platform –  Strong. Ready. Working For You – Focuses On Fixing And Expanding Health Care, And Making Life More Affordable

News from the Office of Ontariio’s Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted April 25^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

TORONTO — The (Ontario) NDP has released a comprehensive election platform that lays out a plan to fix the things that matter most to people — including expanding OHIP so people can get mental health care, dental care and prescriptions with their OHIP card, not their credit card.

“The last few years have been tough. People are waiting in pain because our health care system is on its knees. And folks are working harder than ever while the cost of living and the cost of homes makes it impossible to get ahead,” said Horwath.

“But it really doesn’t have to be this way. Ontario is the greatest place in the world to live, and together we can start to fix the things that have been broken — the things that matter most to everyday people.” Continue reading →

This April 25^th an Ontario Land Tribunal Hearing Begins that May Decide the Fate of a Popular Green Place Known As Waverly Woods

A Commentary by Maria Featherston, a Fort Erie resident and member of Community Voices of Fort Erie, a citizen’s group now fighting a David vs. Goliath battle to save Waverly Woods

Posted April 23^rd, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Inside the tree canopy of Waverly Woods, a beautiful green area along the shores of Lake Erie in Fort Erie, Niagara, and a much beloved destination for people on both sides of the Niagara River. File photo by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Four years ago, a small group named Community Voices of Fort Erie was formed to do battle over a beautiful piece of property named Waverly Woods.

They do not have great amounts of money or power; they are just ordinary citizens, like your neighbours, but they have a strong sense of purpose.

Starting Monday morning, April 25, their lawyer and team of experts will attempt to convince an LPAT (Ontario Land Tribunal) hearing that the planned subdivision with its condo should not go ahead.

What makes Waverly Woods so special?

It is a microcosm of Canadian history, beginning with indigenous history thousands of years ago on the site. During the War of 1812, Erie Beach/ Waverly Woods played a significant role, especially during the Siege of Fort Erie August 14-15, 1814, which was described by an American officer as “a great slaughter.” Continue reading →

‘When we protect our planet, everyone benefits. We deliver clean air, we create good middle-class jobs, and we ensure our children and grandchildren can inherit the natural landscapes we are so proud of as Canadians.”                                                                                – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Posted April 22, 2022 on Niagara At Large

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Earth Day:

“Today, we join the international community to mark Earth Day, which reminds us of our shared responsibility to protect our planet – for now and for the generations to come.

“As Canadians, we are fortunate to have breathtaking forests, majestic mountains, and scenic lakes and coasts right in our backyards. Just as these gifts inspire us, they come with a tremendous responsibility to protect them. From preserving nature to fighting climate change and delivering clean air, Canada will continue to lead the way to a better future for everyone. Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted on Earth Day, April 22^nd, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Was it really just three years ago that a world-wide movement involving unprecedented millions of people to address the climate crisis was on a roll.

That movement, propelled by Greta Thunberg, a Swedish teen activist bursting with purpose and determination, inspired tens of thousands of people to march in Montreal, and inspired people other cities across Canada, including Niagara, raising a voice for action.

One the signs from these marches that stayed has stayed with  me, held up by a young lady who, like Greta, appeared to be in her teens, was painted with the following words; “If You Don’t Act Like An Adult, We Will!” Continue reading →

An Earth Week Invite to All from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

An Invite from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted April 21st, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Children enjoying the annual trout fishing event at NPCA’s St. John’s Conservation Area. Photo courtesy of NPCA

This Saturday, April 23, the pond at St. Johns Conservation Area (in Pelham, Niagara’s Effingham area) will officially open for another trout fishing season, starting at 10 a.m.

Visitors are welcome to enjoy a spring outing in nature with family and friends at the first community fishing day held at St. Johns Conservation Area since the pandemic.

“We are excited to welcome visitors to St. Johns and look forward to engaging them in outdoor education and recreation, and the conservation of the native species that call this area home,” says Alicia Powell, Manager of Conservation Area Services at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA). Continue reading →

“The goal of GLEN (the newly organized Great Lakes Ecoregion Network) is to generate momentum to strengthen the protection of water quality (in the Great Lakes).

An Introductory Message from the Great Lakes Ecoregion Network (GLEN)

Posted April 20th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

The Great Lakes, the largest source of fresh, drinkable water in the world, if we have the sense to look after them.

The Great Lakes Ecoregion Network (GLEN) is a new initiative to engage members of the basin-wide Great Lakes environmental community on issues related to the binational Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement (GLWQA).

As the 50th anniversary of the signing of the GLWQA is celebrated later this (April), we call on the US and Canadian federal governments to renew and strengthen their commitment to water quality and ecosystem health in the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence River Basin.

The GLWQA, first signed by President Richard Nixon and Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, on April 15th, 1972, was a groundbreaking step by the two nations to jointly manage a shared resource. It led to strategies to revive Lake Erie and tackle toxic pollution throughout the Basin. Continue reading →

There Are Currently 90 Inpatients At Niagara Health Who Have Tested Positive In Our Care, Including Five In Our ICU.

“Unfortunately, our (hospital) staff and physicians are experiencing an increased number of disrespectful behaviours directed towards them. … Every member of our community has been impacted by the pandemic. People are exhausted and discouraged, and this includes our staff and physicians who continue to provide care for those in need.”

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

Posted April 20^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Health’s St. Catharines hopsital site

Niagara, Ontario – Since Thursday, April 14, seven patients from the Niagara region who tested positive for COVID-19 have died. Our teams are currently managing eight outbreaks at our Niagara Falls, St. Catharines and Welland sites and in our Extended Care Unit (ECU) at the Welland Site. In addition, 372 Niagara Health staff and physicians are currently self-isolating.

We would like to reinforce the importance of wearing face masks and following other public health recommendations to protect against this highly contagious virus. We are working closely with regional and provincial partners to coordinate our efforts and provide safe, quality care to our communities. Continue reading →

And Please Say a Pray for Victory and Peace for the People of Ukraine

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

Posted April 16^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

It may be as warm outside as we would like it to be for the middle of April, but I hope that doesn’t stop any of us from enjoying a nice Easter with some people and/or pets that we love.

This Easter comes five days before the 52 anniversary of the very first Earth Day on April 22^nd, 1970 when we can get together with members of our communities and, through planting trees, cleaning up plastic and other waste from shorelines and roadsides, or other earth friendly acts, show our politicians that we demand more than just words out of them when it comes to the fate of our planet.

Continue reading →

“We’re pleased to have on-going support from local employers who recognize the value and benefits of paying at least a living wage. Paying a living wage is direct action to address poverty and helps people afford the cost of living.”                                                  – Jennifer Gauthier, Vice Chair, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network.

A News Release from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted April 11^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

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

The Niagara SPCA and Humane Society serves eight municipalities in the Niagara region, as well as Haldimand County and the Mississauga’s of the New Credit. They operate three shelters, one low cost animal clinic, and two mobile animal hospitals that travel throughout the province. Continue reading →

You Have an Important Role to Play in Stopping the Destruction of 12 Mile Creek Ravines in St. Catharines/Niagara

A Call-Out from Friends of 12 Mile Creek, a Niagara-based citizens group

Posted April 7^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Twelve Mile Creek is a study in contrasts – in some areas, one of the most natural, and in other areas, one of the most altered watersheds in Niagara.

The ravine behind Riverview Blvd. is in an altered area, however, it is a quiet and peaceful place of Creekside trails and woodland slopes.

Sadly, this ravine is being destroyed by a plan advanced and supported by the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games and the Mayor of St. Catharines for the construction of a mountain bike racecourse. Continue reading →

“This tragedy has affected everyone on our campuses and created a strong desire to help.”

A News Release from Niagara College

Posted March 31^st, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Student Anastasia Bobrova, who is from Russia, pens her message of support for Ukraine at NC’s Welland Campus with a powerful message “We are all one family. Ukraine, we are with you.”

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara College has partnered with a number of colleges across Ontario to make a joint donation of $200,000 to UNICEF’s Ukraine emergency fund<https://www.unicef.org/ukraine/en>.

“Niagara College stands with the people of Ukraine,” said NC president Sean Kennedy. “We are proud to contribute to a fund that will help provide vital necessities and services for Ukrainian families who are experiencing hardship and loss.”

Donations to the Ukraine emergency fund will support the organization’s ongoing programs and response to the escalating need in Ukraine by providing communities with safe water, urgent medical aid and health-care services, child protection and education. UNICEF has been working in Ukraine since 1997. Continue reading →

Effective March 1^st, Ford Government Will Lift Proof of Vaccination Requirements for All Settings

A News Release from the Office of the Ontario Premier

Posted February 14^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — With key public health and health system indicators continuing to improve, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is cautiously and gradually easing public health measures sooner, with the next phase of measures being eased on February 17, 2022 at 12:01 a.m.

“Given how well Ontario has done in the Omicron wave we are able to fast track our reopening plan,” said Premier Doug Ford. “This is great news and a sign of just how far we’ve come together in our fight against the virus. While we aren’t out of the woods just yet we are moving in the right direction.” Continue reading →

Virtual event, weeklong display to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people

An Invite to Us Al from Brock University and Niagara College

Posted February 10th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Red dresses will be hung throughout the campuses of Brock University and Niagara College next week to remember missing and murdered Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit people.

The REDress Project, an annual initiative that sees red clothing displayed in public spaces, began as an art installation by Métis artist Jamie Black at the University of Winnipeg in 2011. It has since been replicated in communities across Canada, including at Brock University and Niagara College in recent years.

The empty red dresses are meant to signify the loss of thousands of Indigenous women, girls and two-spirit, lesbian, gay, trans, bisexual, queer, questioning, intersex and asexual (2SLGTBQQIA) people over the past 40 years to colonial violence. Continue reading →

A News Release from Niagara Health, Niagara, Ontario’s amalgamated system of hospital services

Posted February 10^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

The Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre will fully reopen to provide 24/7 service beginning on Wednesday, February 23, 2022 at 8 a.m.

In addition, consistent with recent changes in provincial direction, Niagara Health will proceed with the gradual resumption of surgical, procedural and outpatient services beginning next week.

“We are pleased to be in a position to start reopening services for patients, and appreciate the community’s understanding during this challenging fifth wave when we had to make difficult decisions to prioritize care for patients needing critical, emergency and acute care services,” says Lynn Guerriero, Niagara Health President and CEO. Continue reading →

You Are Invited to a February 15^th Online Summit To Help Stop Health Care Privatization

A Call-Out from the Ontario Health Coalition, a province-wide citizen advocacy group for quality, public health care

Posted February 10^th, 2022 on Niagara At Large

Last week Doug Ford’s Health Minister (Christine Elliott) announced that she is bringing in *private hospitals*.

• They are midstream in *privatizing 18,000 LTC beds* for the next 30-yrs.
• They passed legislation to *privatize* the last remaining public parts of *home care*.
• They are *privatizing vaccines and COVID-testing*, and more.
• They are planning *billions of dollars in permanent cuts* to public services post-election…*

… if we don’t stop them.* 

It Stops *Now* EMERGENCY SUMMIT II Health Care Privatization & Cuts Launch the fight back for Long-Term Care, Hospitals, Home Care & more.

 Join us on *Tuesday, February 15 at 7pm* via Zoom to beat back privatization & austerity, and to force improvements in LTC, hospitals and home care. Continue reading →

‘The Wainfleet Bog (in Niagara, Ontariio) is a provincially significant wetland and is the largest least disturbed bog remaining within the Carolinian region of Southwestern Ontario.’

A Call-Out from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted February 3^rd, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The NPCA is in the process of establishing the Wainfleet Bog Advisory Committee and applications are now being accepted at https://getinvolved.npca.ca/wainfleet-bog-advisory-committee until Feb. 28 at 4 p.m.

This committee will provide collaborative perspective, guidance, and expert advice in the review, revision and implementation of the Wainfleet Bog Management Plan and other site strategies for the Wainfleet Bog Conservation Area. Continue reading →

Additional measures to slow the spread of Omicron variant as province accelerates booster dose rollout

News from the Ontario Government of Doug Ford

Posted December 17^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — In response to the rapidly-spreading and highly transmissible Omicron variant, the Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is applying additional public health and workplace safety measures, including capacity and social gathering limits.

These measures will help curb transmission and continue to safeguard Ontario’s hospital and ICU capacity as the province continues to rapidly accelerate its booster dose rollout. Continue reading →

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

“Having spoken with our pharmacies it is clear that Niagara is not being given enough booster doses to meet capacity at our pharmacies and primary care providers. Some pharmacies are finding that the doses they are receiving are considerably less than the doses they’re ordering. This means that they’re forced to book booster dose appointments well into 2022. This is not acceptable for Niagara and lives depend on your quick action to rectify this.”                                                                        – from an Open Letter Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates sent this December 13^th to Ontario’s Health Minister

An Open Letter to Ontario’s Deputy Premier and Health Minister from Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates Posted December 14^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

To Ontario Health Minister and Deputy Premier Christine Elliott

RE: Immediate need for doses at pharmacies and primary care providers in Niagara

I (Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates) am writing to you today (this December 13^th)  to urgently request that your Ministry release additional booster shot dosages to pharmacies and primary care providers in Niagara. As you likely know, Niagara Region Public Health has made the understandable decision to focus their vaccination efforts on children aged 5-11 years old for the next few weeks. As Public Health tells us, children have three times higher rate of getting COVID-19 than any other age group, and they have not yet had any chance to be vaccinated. Continue reading →

The Citizens’ Effort Continues to Save this Beloved Island of Green in Fort Erie, Niagara from being Paved Over

A Call-Out from Marcie Jacklin, a Fort Erie resident and leading member of the citizens’group, Community Voices of Fort Erie

Posted December 9^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

From Marcie Jacklin –

Marcie Jacklin

Hello everyone

Do you need a special Christmas gift? Check out our unique guide to the Birds of Waverly Woods. 60 colour photos. Only $13.
To order email waverly2021@gmail.com or call 905-871-4681. 

And for that special someone that has everything? Give a gift for generations to come by donating to https://www.forterievoices.org/donation 

Inside Waverly Woods – now a target for urban development

* Share the petition with others https://www.change.org/p/ten-story-condo-going-up-in-waverly-woods Can we get to 8900 signatures by December 31st?  If you prefer not to sign the petition an alternative is to join our email list by sending your email and name to cvferie@gmail.com .

* Please donate to help us cover our legal and expert costs.

Go to this link https://www.forterievoices.org/donation or send a donation to Community Voices of Fort Erie, P.O. Box 273, Fort Erie, Ontario L2A 2S0. Continue reading →

December, 1980 – Forty-One Years Ago This December 8^th

By Doug Draper                   

Posted December 8^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

John Lennon, as he looked during his ‘Fab Four’ days with The Beatles

Forty-one years ago this December 8^th, I was a young cub reporter at The St. Catharines Standard, driving back to the newsroom to write a story out of a meeting I was covering in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

I barely sat down at my desk in the newsroom when one of the editors, checking some of the news coming in from around the word, said; “Oh know. Someone shot John Lennon.”

“Is he dead,” another in the newsroom asked. “It doesn’t say,” was the response. “This is just a first bulletin coming in.”

This Beatles fan, who was a particular fan of John, decided to write whatever story I had to write as soon as possible because I had a feeling that the next bulletin coming in would not be good, and it wasn’t. Continue reading →

“My bill would honour (our veterans’) sacrifice and service by making sure they can access care as soon as they need it.”               – Jennie Stevens, NDP MPP for St. Catharines

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

Posted December 8^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP MPP Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines) re-tabled her bill Wednesday that prioritizes veterans for long-term care beds, making sure veterans and their families can access care when they need it.

“Seniors who need the support of a long-term care home should be able to quickly find one in their community. That’s especially true for the many veterans who have sacrificed so much for their country, who are now languishing on long waitlists to be able to get the care they need,” said Stevens.

“My bill would honour their sacrifice and service by making sure they can access care as soon as they need it.” Continue reading →

Support for workers and employers will continue until July 31, 2022

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted December 7th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO – The Ontario government is extending its Worker Income Protection Benefit program, which provides paid sick days, until July 31, 2022 to continue keeping workers safe and ensure they do not lose pay if they need to miss work for reasons related to COVID-19.

Employees can continue to access this paid leave to get tested, vaccinated, self-isolate, or care for a family member. Should the Canada Recovery Sickness Benefit be extended, workers in Ontario have access to the most generous paid sick days program in Canada. Continue reading →

“This is one holiday tradition we never want to miss, no one should ever go cold over winter.” – Kathleen Powell, Supervisor of Historical Services and St. Catharines Museum Curator.

A Call-Out to All from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre

Posted December 2^nd, 2021 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines/Niagara — Giving the gift of winter warmth is a holiday tradition worth keeping at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre.

This Saturday, Dec. 4, the museum will kick off its Annual Mitten Tree Campaign, inviting the public to come out and donate new, or gently-used winter wear such as mittens, gloves, scarves and toques.

The donated items will be used to decorate the Mitten Tree set up in the museum lobby, and ultimately will help those in need through Community Care St. Catharines and Thorold; and Start Me Up Niagara’s Out of the Cold Program. Guests can stop by the museum during open hours from Dec. 4 to Jan 8 to make their donation. Continue reading →

News from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

This image courtesy of citizen-based Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara

Posted December 1^st, 2021

The Niagara Regional Council meeting was tonight – this December 1^st – and the vote went in the right direction for our environment.

This story will be updated this December 2^nd.

To watch the meeting and the excellent delegations from citizens across Niagara who went before the council and spoke up for Option 3C, click on – https://www.niagararegion.ca/government/council/council-meetings.aspx?q=Committee+of+the+Whole

What Option 3c is about

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

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

“I understand that the government was dealing with an unprecedented (pandemic) crisis. But even in a crisis, systems should be in place to make sure that only eligible businesses receive taxpayer dollars, and program funds reach those who need it most.”                                                                                               – Bonnie Lysyk, Auditor General of Ontario

A News Release from the Office of Ontario’s Auditor General

Posted December 1^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO – Provincial economic aid to businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic was provided without consultation or good criteria, and resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars going to ineligible recipients, while there was no help for others that needed it, says Auditor General Bonnie Lysyk in her 2021 Annual Report.

“The province wrote off $210 million of Ontario Small Business Support Grants paid to ineligible recipients,” said Lysyk.

“Given the amount of money, the absence of better controls or assessment processes is troubling.”

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Ontario Government Supports Expansion of Care to Individuals Experiencing Homelessness in Niagara

“This new funding extends care to marginalized and homeless members of our community who do not have a doctor.”                       – Sam Oosterhoff, Conservative Government MPP for Niagara West Riding

A News Release from Ontario’s Ford Government

Posted December 1^st. 2021 on Niagara At Large

A new helper for Niagara’s homeless people marches to town in the name of Niagara West PC MPP Sam Oosterhoff

ST. CATHARINES – The Ontario government is supporting high-quality and compassionate health care for individuals experiencing homelessness in Niagara through an Alternative Funding Plan (AFP) partnership with the Shelter Health Network and REACH Niagara.

Announced today by Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, additional support from the province will increase the annual base funding to up to $935,000 for eight to ten new service sites in St. Catharines, Welland and Niagara Falls to provide primary care services to 1,500 patients in 2021/22.

The commitment from the province includes an additional $425,000 in 2022/23 for two to three additional service sites to support another 500 unique patients.

A collaborative effort to increase access to primary care, REACH Niagara partners with local physicians and nurses, community health clinics, family health teams, as well as Niagara Public Health, Niagara EMS, and local shelters, to treat marginalized communities and individuals experiencing homelessness with dignity, kindness and respect. Continue reading →