Category Archives: Uncategorized

One NDP Bill Aimed at Increasing Organ Donations. Other Would Prohibit Replacement Workers during Walkouts/Strikes

The late Welland MP Peter Kormos became a political icon across Ontario, and one of the leading voices for the rights of working people

News Releases from Ontario’s New Democratic Party

Posted March 28^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

NDP Health critic France Gélinas Tables Bill To Increase Organ Donation

The bill is named after Welland MPP Peter Kormos, who was passionate about organ donation. Kormos died March 30, 2013.

Queen’s Park — NDP Health critic France Gélinas has re-introduced the Peter Kormos Memorial Act (Trillium Gift of Life Netwoark Amendment), which would change organ and tissue donation in Ontario from an opt-in system to an opt-out system.

“This bill will take people off transplant wait lists,” said Gélinas. “It will help not only save lives, but help transplant recipients live longer, more productive lives.” Continue reading →

We’ve Had More Than Enough Secrecy at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted February 27th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

NPCAs former “acting CAO” David Barrick. Public has a right to know terms of “mutual separation agreement” Conservation Authority reached with him. r

“What I can tell you is that the community will be well served by the settlement,” one interim member of the NPCA’s board, Welland Regional Councillor Pat Chiocchio was quoted telling a local newspaper recently about a “mutual separation agreement” the Conservation Authority negotiated with  alleged “interim CAO” David Barrick on his way out the door.

What Chiochio and other members of the board have not told us since news of this so-called mutual separation agreement was made public this February 21^st is how much it is costing the public with respect to any buyout package Barrick received.

West Lincoln Mayor Dave Bylsma, who serves as the board’s interim chair, was quoted telling a media outlet, The Hamilton News, that the agreement was approved by the entire board, made up of hime and eleven other Niagara mayors and regional councillors, along with representatives from neighbouring Hamilton and Haldimand County.

And, added Bylsma, it “is not tainted. It’s responsible (and) it’s poetic.” Continue reading →

With Special Guests Dr. Amy Fitzgerald, University of Windsor, Animal Rights & Environmentalism and Dr. Lori Marino, Kimela Centre for Animal Advocacy

At Brock University’s Pond Inlet, Thursday March 21^st,  3 p.m. to 7 p.m. in St. Catharines Niagara

An Invite from Niagara Action for Animals (NAFA)

Posted February 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Dear friends of animals –

Please mark Thursday, March 21st on your calendar….and share attached poster!

NAfA is pleased to co-sponsor the upcoming talk at Brock University presenting Dr. Lori Marino. 

As many of you may know, Lori is a neuroscientist and expert in animal behavior and intelligence.  Continue reading →

Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) takes major step to lower Ontario’s electricity bills

A News Release from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Posted February 19^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

On February 1^st, Ontario’s Independent Electricity System Operator (IESO) asked Hydro One to upgrade its transmission system to permit Ontario to buy large quantities of low-cost water power from Quebec.

Specifically, the IESO has asked Hydro One to increase its import capability by up to 1,650 megawatts (MW) by December 2022 at a cost of approximately $20 million. This upgrade will permit Ontario to buy enough Quebec water power to displace more than 50% of the output of the Darlington Nuclear Station. Continue reading →

“We’re’re running out of time to take effective action on climate change, and Doug Ford is wasting month after month playing politics with our environment.”                 – Ontario NDP Climate Change critic Peter Tabuns

News from Ontario’s Official Opposition and New Democratic Party

Posted February 13, 2019 on Niagara At Large

United Nations science panels estimate that we may have about a dozen years left to turn the climate change crisis around, and Ontario has this character, Doug Ford, at the helm.

Queens Park, Ontario — Doug Ford’s new climate change scheme is a carbon tax that would have Ontarians paying more, but getting a weak plan for their money.

Ford’s proposed plan charges a carbon tax of $20 per tonne, rising to $50 per tonne by 2022. That comes as people are already on the hook for liabilities from Doug Ford’s cap and trade market shut down, plus footing the $30-million bill for Ford’s ongoing legal challenge against the nearly identical federal carbon tax.

“People are already footing the bill for Ford’s politically-motivated legal battle against the carbon tax, and now Ford has written up virtually the same carbon tax plan,” said NDP Climate Change critic Peter Tabuns. Continue reading →

“I urge this government to deliver the funding these (Ontario Coaltion of Rape Crisis Centres) were promised, and to make sure survivors of sexual violence have access to these vital services in their time of need now and moving forward.”                – Suze Morrison, Ontario NDP critic for Women’s Issues

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP and Official Opposition Party

Posted February 7^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park — Suze Morrison, Ontario NDP critic for Women’s Issues, said it’s simply wrong for Doug Ford to force survivors of sexual assault to wait for services as the Conservatives keep rape crisis centres in the dark about whether promised funding will flow.

The rape crisis centres were promised a 30-per-cent increase for the 2018-2019 fiscal year, but the Ford Conservatives continue to hold that funding hostage.

Attorney General Caroline Mulroney refused to answer questions about the status of that desperately-needed funding during a phone call yesterday with representatives of the Ontario Coalition of Rape Crisis Centres and Action ontarienne contre la violence faite aux femmes, according to participants on the call. Continue reading →

News from B rock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted February 1^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – With confetti raining down and a round of applause from faculty, staff and students, the ribbon was cut on the $24-million transformation of the Goodman School of Business at Brock University Friday, Feb. 1.

A celebration was held Friday, Feb. 1, to officially open the new Goodman School of Business building at Brock University. Pictured from left are Mark Goodman, Brock MBA student and President of the Graduate Business Council Priya Mehta, Dan Goodman, BBA student and President of the Business Students’ Association Aidan Gilhula, Brock President Gervan Fearon, Goodman Dean Andrew Gaudes, and Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff.

The remarkable project brings the Goodman School to the forefront of a competitive Canadian business school market, offering its growing student body a modern, bright and high-tech learning environment. Continue reading →

News from the Ontario of Government

Posted January 31^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Premier’s Council on Improving Healthcare and Ending Hallway Medicine is releasing its first report, providing an overview of the problem of hallway health care in Ontario. 

“There’s much to be proud of in our health care system. However, there are also many barriers that make the system difficult to navigate for patients and providers,” said Special Advisor and Chair of the Council Dr. Rueben Devlin. “This report is a first step in advising the government on how to transform Ontario’s health care system.” Continue reading →

Some Facts and Figures About Snow and Ice and the Rushing Waters of The Falls

• Record-breaking temperatures result in remarkable ice formations and the illusion of “Frozen Falls”
• Miniature glaciers and frozen mist have transformed Niagara Falls into a truly inspiring, natural and distinctly Canadian winter wonderland

From Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted January 25th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Do the Falls actually freeze?

Well, technically no. Though it is a trick question, as to the eye it might look as though they do.

The Falls of Niagara in Snow and Ice. All photos in this series courtesy of Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

During particularly cold temperatures, the mist and spray begin to form a crust of ice over top of the rushing water, making it appear as though the Falls have in fact stopped. However, the water continues to flow underneath the sheets of ice.

Continue reading →

Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

“We’re relieved, but we know we’re going to have to be vigilant. Ford and the developers he trades favours with clearly want to be able to plow through the Greenbelt.” – Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

News from Ontario’s NDP and Official Opposition Party

Posted January 23rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

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

Fighting to stop more of this from happening to what is left of Ontario’s natural heritage

Following concerns raised by Ontario’s New Democratic Party and by numerous municipalities across the province, including Niagara’s Regional Council, about the potential threat that language in Bill 66 – a so-called “Open For Business” piece of legislation being proposed by the Ford government – poses to the province’s Greenbelt and to opportunities for public consultation when it comes to development that may intrude on green space, the government has (as of this January 23rd) abandoned a controversial section in the bill. Continue reading →

First ever province-wide tuition reduction will make college and university  more affordable for students in Niagara

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara West and Ontario Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted January 19^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff .

Niagara, Ontario – For the first time in Ontario, students at every publicly-assisted college and university will see their tuition rates go down by 10 percent thanks to a tuition rate reduction introduced by Ontario’s Government.

This is the latest step in the Government’s plan to keep more money in the pockets of students and families.

 “We believe that if you’ve got the grades, you deserve access to an affordable postsecondary education,” said Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities. “By lowering tuition across the entire province, our Government is ensuring that all qualified Ontario students will have more affordable access to high quality skills, training and education.” Continue reading →

Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins

“The President’s proposal to potentially use emergency authority to bypass Congress and reprogram funds for the wall, which the public does not support and Mexico will never pay for, … is shameful.” U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins based in the Buffalo/Western New York area

From Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted January 9th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Statement By Congressman Brian Higgins in Response to President Trump’s Remarks

Buffalo, N.Y. – Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) issued the following statement in response to President Trump’s speech on border security and his shutdown of the federal government: 

“The only crisis is the one manufactured by this President. In causing this government shutdown, President Trump is holding federal workers and programs hostage to advance a political agenda. 

“The President’s proposal to potentially use emergency authority to bypass Congress and reprogram funds for the wall, which the public does not support and Mexico will never pay for, while those who patrol our borders are not getting paid for the work they are doing because of the President’s obstinance, is shameful. Continue reading →

Monday, January 7th, 2019 from 4 to 6 p.m.

An Invite from Citizens Campaigning to Save the Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls

Posted January 4^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

• When: January 7th, 4pm -6pm
• Where: Mahtay Café on St. Paul Street in downtown St Catharines
• What: Thundering Waters Letter Writing and Web Film Debut

• 

  Niagara area citizens have been fighting to save wetlands like this provincially significant one – on lands targeted for development – in Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls. The lands fall within the Niagara River watershed in the Great Lakes basin. File photo

St Catharines, Ontario – Community organizers will be hosting a letter writing campaign and info session about the damage to protected wetlands in Niagara Falls by Gr Can Inc. Mike Enns, a local film maker, will be debuting his web video about the damage and the public is welcome to join us to learn and help protect what little natural spaces are left in Niagara. Continue reading →

New gender analysis suggests that executive bonus pay has little to do with ‘merit’

A New Report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Posted January 3rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario —Canada’s 100 highest paid CEOs netted 197 times more than the average worker made in 2017, earning the average yearly wage ($50,759) before lunch on Jan. 2, according to a new report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

The report shows the country’s 100 highest paid CEOs on the S&P/TSX Composite index made an average of $10 million in 2017, slightly less than last year’s report but still the second highest amount since the CCPA has been keeping track. Continue reading →

A Comment from a Niagara At Large reader that is well worth taking into the New Year

Posted December 31st, 2018 on Niagara At Large

We live in a time when more than possibly ever before, the technical fix takes precedence over the human touch.

Walls and fences are used to control the movement of people. “Friends” on Facebook and Twitter feeds take the place of face-to-face interactions with people in what are left of the places that serve as communities.

So it is not unusual that so much attention has been placed on installing some kind of fencing or security barriers on the Burgoyne Bridge in St. Catharines to prevent more people who feel down on life from jumping off. Continue reading →

Join us at  Montebello Park in St. Catharines/Niagara this January 1st at 6 p.m. for a ‘Shine Your Light’ gathering of our Niagara community

An Invite from Karen Orlandi, Student/Outreach, c/o Bethel United Church, Cooks Mills United Church and Silver Spire United Church

Posted December 31st. 2018 on Niagara At Large

Our solution to the incredible sense of loss we have experienced as a Region, is to re-connect our community.

We need each other and we believe the answer is in community.

We will gather January 1st at 6:00 p.m. in Montebello Park to turn on the light we each have brought at 6:15pm. Bring your phone, a flashlight, a candle, lantern, etc. Continue reading →

A member of the Cree nation, Cheechoo made history in July 2015 when she was the first woman and first Indigenous Canadian to be appointed to the ceremonial leadership role of Chancellor of Brock University

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted December 27th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Brock University Chancellor Shirley Cheechoo, an award-winning actress, artist, playwright and filmmaker, has been awarded the Order of Canada.

Brock University Chancellor Shirley Cheechoo

The announcement came on Boxing Day from Governor-General Julie Payette, who included the Indigenous academic leader among 103 Canadians being appointed to the Order.

One of the country’s highest honours, the Order of Canada recognizes Canadians whose service shapes society, whose innovations ignite imaginations and whose compassion unites communities. Continue reading →

NDP Leader Horwath Has Again Written To Ontario’s Integrity Commissioner

News from the Office of Ontario NDP and Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted December 21th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — Showing just how necessary a public inquiry into Ford’s political interference in Ontario’s police force is, Doug Ford continues to refuse to answer the questions the people of Ontario have for him.

Three days out of three, Ford has dodged question period, and dodged accountability.

“It’s time for Mr. Ford to come out from the back rooms and secret meetings, and start being accountable to the people of Ontario,” said NDP Leader Andrea Horwath. “It’s becoming absolutely clear that the only way to find out what really happened when it comes to Ford’s interference in Ontario’s police force is to hold a public inquiry, so the public can see the evidence, and hear the testimony of those involved — including Mr. Ford.”

Horwath has written to the Integrity Commissioner again, asking him to invoke a rarely used section of the Public Inquiries Act to launch a public inquiry, a power usually reserved for the premier and cabinet.

Proving Horwath’s point, Ford has responded to the Integrity Commissioner’s investigation in writing, but the public is not allowed to see that response.

“If there’s any circumstance that shows exactly why the Integrity Commissioner was given the power to call a public inquiry, this is it,” said Horwath.

Questions the Official Opposition NDP MPPs have been asking in this week’s question periods include those about Ford’s involvement in the appointment of close friend and ally Ron Taverner to head the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP), as well as Ford’s order that a secret “camper style” vehicle be bought and tricked-out for him, and the expense of that be hidden from people.

On Wednesday, the NDP revealed documents accessed via Freedom of Information laws which show that Ford met with the then-OPP commissioner Vince Hawkes on July 25. Presumably on that day, the commissioner told Ford of his coming retirement. Five days later on July 30, Ford met with Taverner over dinner.

Ford has also refused year-end interviews, choosing to only speak to his own publicly funded propaganda network.

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

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/

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

At Niagara Regional Headquarters – This Wednesday, November 28th at 6:30 p.m. Be There With Your Ideas for a Better Niagara

Dr. Andrew Sancton Hosting Public Meeting to Seek Input on Niagara Region Governance

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Re-Posted November 27^st, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Headquarters

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper– If you are one of the many residents across Niagara who have not been too pleased with the way we have been governed at the regional level in recent years – and the feedback NAL has been getting, especially over the past four years, says there are certainly many of you – you should come to this public meeting, armed with ideas on how to fix things up.

Thanks to the results of the October 22nd municipal elections, most of the faces on the next regional council, to be sworn in this December, will be new, and now may be the best time the public has had in the almost five decades long history of regional government in Niagara to press for a more open, accountable council that serves in the interest of all residents.

So please consider attending the following public meeting with your ideas.)

WHAT: 

As part of a Niagara Region Independent External Governance Audit approved by Regional Council, Dr. Andrew Sancton and Dr. Tim Cobban are hosting a public meeting to seek community input on Niagara Region Governance. This feedback will be used to assist Dr. Sancton in developing recommendations and advice to Niagara Region and Regional Council on how to improve and enhance organizational and governance practices. Continue reading →

“With this project, we want to help the community and the town contribute to solutions and strategies to adapt to climate change.” Liette Vasseur, Brock University Professor and UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted November 26^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

A research project examining how coastal communities can deal with the impacts of climate change will formally launch in the Town of Lincoln this week.

Just east of Lincoln, along the shores of Lake Ontario, the Lakeshore Park area and properties along the harbour in Port Dalhousie community of St. Catharines  were completely swamped as water levels in the lake rose to near record high levels in the spring of 2017. Walls of sandbags were placed around buildings and the popular carousel ride in the park and harbour area in an effort to minimize  damage.               File photo by Doug Draper

The town suffered around $1 million in damage as a result of back-to-back spring storms in 2017 that caused massive flooding from Lake Ontario. Announced in May, Brock University Professor and UNESCO Chair in Community Sustainability Liette Vasseur is leading a three-year research study that will focus on Lincoln as the Ontario component of a wider project by Université du Québec à Rimouski. Continue reading →

“It’s an apparent attempt to not only delay and confuse the process of appointing a new board, but it also makes us ask what deals they are trying to get done behind the scenes, and how much more damage they want to do before they are finally heaved out the door.” – the citizens watchdog group, A Better Niagara

A Message to fellow Niagara residents from a Better Niagara

Posted November 26^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

NPCA board chair and defeated Fort Erie regional councillor Sandy Annunziata can’t seem to take the verdict of Niagara’s voters for an answer

Niagara, Ontario – Now we know at least a portion of what the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority has been up to since so many of their members were defeated in the municipal election.

On Friday, NPCA Board Chair Sandy Annunziata (an outgoing Fort Erie regional councillor defeated in the October 22^nd municipal elections) sent a memo to all municipal governments in the region that, in effect, states the current NPCA board has decided a new process must be used to appoint an NPCA Board, and that process will be presided over by current chair Sandy Annunziata.

It’s an apparent attempt to not only delay and confuse the process of appointing a new board, but it also makes us ask what deals they are trying to get done behind the scenes, and how much more damage they want to do before they are finally heaved out the door. Continue reading →

Remembering Those Who Have Been Lost in Acts of Anti-Transgender Violence

A Message from Enzo De Divitiis and Pride Niagara in Niagara, Ontario

Posted November 20th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Transgender Awareness Week , a platform for LGBT+ advocates to raise awareness through education and advocacy, to educate about transgender and gender non-conforming issues.

Today, Tuesday November 20 is Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) Transgender Day of Remembrance is  a day honouring  the memories of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence due to their gender identity and expression. Continue reading →

Betty-Lou Souter, Chief Executive Officer, Community Care, St. Catharines & Thorold Receives                   Lifetime Achievement Award

“We honour these women in our awards, but we recognize the achievements of so many more. The contributions to Niagara’s prosperity and community made by women are overlooked too often. I hope that the achievements of these extraordinary community leaders will lead to recognition of the work of others.”
— Mishka Balsom, President & CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

News from the Greater Niagara Charmber of Commerce

Posted November 16th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Betty-Lou Souter receives Niagara Chamber’s 2018 Lifetime Achievement Award

Niagara, Ontario – “Women make incredible contributions to our business community every day.  We are thrilled to be able to celebrate and recognize these accomplishments through this annual event,” said Nicole Regehr, Chair of the Women in Niagara (WIN) Council. “The caliber of women in leadership roles in Niagara is no surprise to us, but it never ceases to encourage and inspire.”

The WIBAs are an annual event, honouring women from around Niagara whose contributions to the community go above and beyond the call of duty. The WIN council received over 160 nominations from around the region in many different sectors. Continue reading →

Continuing Loss Of Wetlands And Other Natural Areas That Filter Pollution Compounds The Problem

Ontario Environmental Commissioner Dianne Saxe

“Wetlands and woodlands continue to be destroyed by agriculture and development. These areas help filter pollutants from water, reduce flooding, protect against soil erosion, filter our air and provide critical habitat for many of Ontario’s species at risk.” – Ontario environmental Commissioner Dianne Saxe

A News Release from Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner

Posted November 15^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

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

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his so-called “Government for the People” are giving the province’s independent environmental watchdog the axe. He has announced he is closing down the whole office

As some of you may already have heard, Doug Ford’s described “Government for the People” announced this Novmenter 15^th that it is shutting down the Office of Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, which has functioned as an independent watchdog body in the province, much like the Ontario Ombudsman’s Office, on environmentally related issues since it was formed in 1994.

This move by Ontario’s four-and-a-month-old Ford government follows what now appears to be a pattern of cutting and gutting programs and institutions involved in environmental protection matters, and Niagara At Large will have more news and commentary of that latter.

In the meantime, the following news release from the Office of Ontario Environmental Commissioner Dianne Saxe, posted on the Office’s website this November 13^th and speaking to a detailed new report the Office has just completed on environmental protection, may be its last or one of its last.

Here it is –

Toronto – The Ontario government continues to allow raw sewage to overflow into Ontario lakes and rivers at an alarming rate, says a new report by Dianne Saxe, Environmental Commissioner of Ontario.

Back to Basics, Saxe’s 2018 Environmental Protection Report, outlines how Ontario’s waters are being poisoned by raw sewage and harmful runoff laden with fertilizer and road salt. Continue reading →

The Ford Government Would Do Well Not To Turn This Important Agency into just another  Gift Shop For                         Its Partisan Pals

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher            Doug Draper

Posted November 9^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Parks Commission Chair Janice Thomson

Toward the end of an address that the Niagara Park Commission’s current Chair, Janice Thomson delivered at a public meeting this past October, detailing robust state the NPC now finds itself in financially, and as a steward of the Niagara River corridor and a tourist draw, she had this to say –

“These are not farewell remarks, but I did want to take this opportunity at a public meeting to comment on our current positive state and recognize the dedicated efforts of all staff and Commissioners that brought the organization to this point and will lead it to great heights in the future.”

I would love to believe that these are not Thomson’s farewell remarks as Niagara Parks chair, but I fear they will be.

Thomson, a resident of Niagara-on-the-Lake who also serves as executive director of the town’s Chamber of Commerce & Visitor and Convention Bureau, was first appointed Chair of the NPC’s board by the province’s former Liberal government in 2011, is now only days away from finding out if she will be re-appointed by Ontario’s current Fort government or replaced (this November 15^th) by someone else.

Niagara Parks Commission headquarters in Niagara Falls, Ontario

And that is where my nightmare begins. Continue reading →

A Public Forum Panel – Wednesday, November 14th,      8 p.m. in St. Catharines

An Invite to All from the Niagara District Council of Women

Re- Posted November 9th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara District Council of Women will be hosting a Public Forum Panel, “Is Niagara Ready for Legal Cannabis” on Wednesday, November 14 at 8:00 pm in the Mills Room at the St. Catharines Central Library (54 Church Street). 

One of the guest speakers – Patrick Robson,  Professor of Environmental Management and Assessment, Niagara College

Our guest speakers will be: Patrick Robson,  Professor of Environmental Management and Assessment, Niagara College; Professor Bill MacDonald Coordinator of the Cannabis Production Program at Niagara College; Barbara Wiens, Director of Planning & Development for the Town of Pelham; and a representative from Niagara Region Public Health. 

Discussions will include regulatory issues; the need for qualified and trained professionals in the cannabis production industry; regulatory and trade requirements for the safe and legal production and packaging of cannabis; land use planning; the local perspective, community questions and concerns; and public health considerations. Continue reading →

The Area is also the Site of a Key War of 1812 battle. “Do developers think they can just dig up a cemetery (to those who fought here) and plant houses?”

A Commentary by Linda McKellar, a citizen activist and resident of Fort Erie, Ontario

Posted November 8th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

While citizens continue their efforts to save the Waverly Woods area for its significance as a green space and a home to wildlife, it is important to focus on the areas historic significant as well.

This Painting by E.C Watmough depicts the British storming the Northeast Bastion of Fort Erie, during their failed night assault on August 14, 1814.

The Waverly Woods area was the site of the bloodiest battle on Canadian soil in our history, the Siege of Fort Erie, in 1814. Sure the fort remains but more died here than at Lundy’s Lane, Queenston or Chippewa.

Some casualties from the 1814 battle were discovered in the area, at a place called Snake Hill in the late 1980s.

How many people, even locals, are aware of that fact?

Will the monument to these brave men from both sides of the border, now nameless and whose many graves are yet to be found, be a condo? These men – human beings – sons, husbands, and brothers – are very likely interred on this very spot according to historical documentation and previous finds.

Do developers think they can just dig up a cemetery and plant houses? Continue reading →

“I think the growers in this area are very lucky that CCOVI (Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute) has taken up the challenge of trying to do what is best for the industry,”                                                                                        – Niagara, Ontario grape grower and winemaker Bill Schenck

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted November 8th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

With the help of two new research vineyards, Brock University’s Cool Climate Oenology and Viticulture Institute (CCOVI) is looking to aid Canada’s grape growers and wineries.

Grapevines have been planted in two new CCOVI research vineyards for a clone and rootstock evaluation program.

CCOVI partnered with two commercial grape growers to plant the St. Catharines and Niagara-on-the-Lake vineyards that will be used for a clone and rootstock evaluation program of the main VQA grapevine varieties in Ontario.

 Jim Willwerth, CCOVI Senior Scientist, said the program takes a proactive approach that will help the industry grow and adapt to challenges expected with climate change. Continue reading →

Joni Mitchell, singer/songwriter and painter extraordinaire, turns 75 this November 7^th, 2018

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

Posted November, 7^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

“They took all the trees
And put ’em in a tree museum
And they charged the people
A dollar and a half to seem ’em

Don’t it always seem to go,
That you don’t know what you’ve got
Til its gone
They paved paradise
And put up a parking lot.”

• From Joni Mitchell’s 1970 song ‘Big Yellow Taxi

The lyrics to Joni Mitchell’s song Big Yellow Taxi , either by coincidence or design, were penned and released to the world in the same year as the first Earth Day, and was listed a decade ago members of the global music community as “the most performed song” of at least the past 50 years.

Jonii Mitchell, near the beginning, writing songs that worked as soundtracks during the ”flower power’ years of the 1960s

Over my many years as a reporter covering environmental stories, I have the lyrics of this song quoted countless times by citizens across this and other regions, fighting to stop low-density urban sprawl from paving over ever more of our farmlands, woodlands and wetlands. Continue reading →

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted November 7^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Shortly after the armistice was signed at 11:11 a.m. on Nov. 11, 1918 to end the First World War, the Canadian Pipes and Drums’ 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders marched into Mons, Belgium announcing to the citizens that they had been liberated from four and a half years of German occupation.

At left, Brock University Sport Management student and Drum Major Kieran Boyle, Black Watch Association Pipes and Drums, marches in the 2018 St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Montreal. At right, drummer David Balfour is pictured after the First World War 42nd Battalion Royal Highlanders of Canada Pipes and Drums marched into Mons, Belgium as the first group after the armistice was signed on Nov. 11, 1918.

On the 100th anniversary of that historic event this Sunday, a Brock University student and retired Canadian Forces member will be part of a re-enactment matching the exact route marched by Canadians a century earlier. Continue reading →

For the Sake of Peace, Love, Justice, Democracy and the Future of our Planet, Vote this Tuesday, November 6th!

Vote for the Beginning of the End of Rage, Hate, Greed, Climate Denial and Trumpism!

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

Posted November 5^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

A sign I have seen on the front lawns of a number of people’s homes in Buffalo, New York

As a Canadian who has lived most of his life near the border of his country and the United States, I have made many good friends in the United States over my 60-some-odd years and have grown to love the places I visit, including the coastal town of Massachusetts and the classic old neighbourhoods and Olmstead parks of nearby Buffalo.

So to see all of that growing less welcoming and darker over the past few years with that vile, hate-filled monster now occupying the White House is heartbreaking.

To see and hear Trump and his band of psychos declare Canada, for some incomprehensible reason, a “national security risk” and declare that there is “a special corner in hell” waiting for our prime minister – even while Trump boasts about having wonderful relationships and exchanging “love letters” with some of the world’s most brutal dictators – seems like such a betrayal of a long, peaceful relationship between our two countries. Continue reading →

“Our bi-annual BioBlitz events provide students, staff, and the community an opportunity to connect with nature on a deeper level and learn about all of the wildlife they have right in their backyards.” Niagara College’s sustainability engagement officer Amber Schmucker.

An Invite to All from Niagara College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake campus

Posted October 31st on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara College will host a Fall BioBlitz on Thursday, November 1 with special guests from the World Wildlife Fund and other community organizations.

Students, staff and the community have an opportunity to connect with nature at Niagara College’s bi-annual BioBlitz. Photo courtesy of Niagara College

The event, which is open to the college community and the public, will take place between noon and 6 p.m. at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus. Organized by the College’s Office of Sustainability, the BioBlitz aims to help participants connect with the outdoors while identifying plants and animal species for the College’s biodiversity inventory. Continue reading →

• To Take Place on Sunday, November 4^th at 6 p.m. in front of St. Catharines City Hall in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario

• Everyone Welcome

An Invitation to All of Us, circulated by Karrie Porter, St. Catharines resident and newly elected member of St. Catharines city council

Posted October 31^st, 2018 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Ontario  – A candlelight vigil to remember the victims of the shooting at the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsbburgh will take place in front of St. Catharines City Hall on Sunday, November 4 at 6pm.

The vigil will also present an opportunity to stand with the Jewish community of St. Catharines in the face of a rising tide of anti-Semitism sweeping Canada, the United States and the rest of the world and affirm that the people of this city will not tolerate hate and bigotry.   Continue reading →

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted October 25th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large – For all of you out there who have raised complaints about the quality of waste collection service many neighbourhoods across Niagara have received in recent years, you are well-adivised to get engaged in this consultation process.)

This fall Niagara residents will have their chance to provide input on the proposed service level options for waste collection services in Niagara. Niagara Region oversees the curbside collection of garbage, recycling and organics throughout Niagara.

By 2021, Niagara Region will start a new contract for waste collection (garbage, recycling and organics) for homes and businesses. Prior to the start of a new contract, the Region is consulting with Niagara residents, businesses and other stakeholders on proposed service level options. Continue reading →

This Monday, October 22nd, Vote Wisely. Vote As If Niagara’s Future Is At Stake!

Get Engaged. Show You Care. VOTE, VOTE, VOTE

Posted by Doug Draper on Niagara At Large, October 22nd, 2018

In Our Niagara Region 

Do It!

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

A 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

Thursday, October 18^th, 7 to 9 p.m. at the Grimsby Royal Canadian Legion

A Call-Out from the Niagara Health Coalition

Posted October 17^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

A rendiition of what a new West Lincoln Memorial Hospital might look like

Who: The Niagara Health Coalition (NHC) is organizing a town hall meeting regarding the West Lincoln Memorial Hospital.

When: Thursday, October 18, 7-9 pm

Where: Grimsby Royal Canadian Legion, 233 Elizabeth St.  Grimsby

Why:  The West Lincoln Memorial Hospital needs not only to be rebuilt and but also to get more than $ 12 million dollars to keep its two surgeries open.  West Niagara has been waiting since 2013 for the go ahead to build a new hospital.  Continue reading →

Caslin and Company at Niagara Region Win Canadian Journalists’ “Code of Silence Award for           Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy’

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted October 15th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Caslin circus wins national award!

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara’s regional government received a national award this Monday, October 15 and not one of those still in power at the Region – not the Region’s Chair Al Caslin or CAO Carmen D’Angelo or any of their stand-ins – showed up for the presentation.

That’s no surprise though, since this particular award, presented each year by the Canadian Association of Journalists, News Media Canada, Canadian Journalists for Free Expression and Ryerson University-based Centre for Free Expression (CFE), is not the kind any self-respecting municipal leaders would want in a news release – just days away from municipal elections that could very well see quite a few on this regional council swept out of office.

James Turk, director of Ryerson University’s Centre for Free Expression’. with ‘Code of Silence’ Award given to Niagara’s regional council by Canadian journalists associations.

The award, given by the four, Canada-wide press-advocacy groups, is called the “Code of Silence Award for Outstanding Achievement in Government Secrecy” in the category of municipal government.

James Turk, director of the Centre for Freedom and 15th, a distinguished visiting professor at Ryerson University in Toronto, made the award announcement at a press conference in downtown St. Catharines this October 15th, said the award’s purpose “is to call public attention to government departments and agencies that put extra effort into denying public access to government information to which the public has a right under access to information explanation.”

In that spirit, a citation, inscribed on the award Turk said the Canadian groups will attempt to send to the regional government reads as follows – Continue reading →

Judging by recent events in the United States and the ongoing horror of missing and murdered indigenous girls in Canada, we have not gone very far from the days when girls and women were not much more than men’s ‘many toys’ 

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted  October 11th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Lesley Gore, who died in February of 2016 at age 68, made this empowering song a bit hit when she was 16 years old. On her new album, Ann Wilson reminds that the song has not lost its relevance.

This past August at Artpark in Lewiston, New York, was saw the still mighty Ann Wilson, lead singer of the classic rock and soul band Heart, sing a few songs from her latest album ‘Immortal’, featuring a set of songs from recently departed pop music icons.

One of the songs Ann Wilson sang from the album is called “You Don’t Own Me,” a song that became a big hit in the early 1960s for the late American pop singer Lesley Gore, who was better known at the time for teeny bopper songs like “It’s My Party” and “Sunshine, Lollypops.”

Wilson called the song was very gutsy for a teen artists to perform at the time, with lyrics that began – “You don’t own me, I’m not just one of your many toys. You don’t own me; don’t say I can’t go with other boys. And don’t tell me what to do,  Don’t tell me what to say,  And please, when I go out with you, Don’t put me on display… “

Gutsy for 1963? Before the advent of the women’s movements of the last half of the 20th century and more than 50 years before the #Me Too Movement of today, it was a gutsy song for a young American girl to belt out – and she did belt it out – indeed. Continue reading →

“It’s high time we shine a light on the role that throwaway plastic producers are playing in the plastic pollution crisis,” – Sarah King, Greenpeace Canada’s Head of Oceans and Plastics

News from Greenpeace Canada

Posted October 11^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

by Loujain Kurdi

The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Nestlé also found to  respectively  be the worst plastic polluters worldwide  

A Greenpeace diver holds a banner reading “Coca-Cola is this yours?” and a
Coca-Cola bottle found adrift in the garbage patch.
The crew of the Greenpeace ship MY Arctic Sunrise voyage into the Great Pacific Garbage Patch document plastics and other marine debris. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is a soupy mix of plastics and microplastics, now twice the size of Texas, in the middle of the North Pacific Ocean.

Montreal  – The Coca-Cola Company, PepsiCo, and Nestlé were the corporations most frequently identified in the international report through the 239 cleanup – audits held on World Clean Up Day in  42 countries by the Break Free From Plastic movement. 

The Canadian Plastic Polluters Brand Audits found the top 5 polluting corporations to be Nestlé, Tim Hortons, PepsiCo., The Coca-Cola Company and McDonald’s.

The Coca-Cola Company, the 4th worst polluter in the Canadian audit, was the top global polluter in the international audit, with Coke-branded plastic pollution found in 40 of the 42 participating countries.  Continue reading →

Eagles, Hawks And Falcons Abound During The Fall Raptor Migration

“Sadly though, many Canadian bird populations have experienced significant declines over the last 40 years. In Ontario, habitat loss threatens bald eagles and ospreys, and climate change is disrupting the availability of lemmings and other prey that owls hunt.”

Osprey – photo credit,_Missy_Mandel_courtesy_of_Ontario_Nature

News from Ontario Nature, a conservation organization that protects wild species and spaces through conservation, education and public engagement.

Posted October 10^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario — The beginning of fall is an exciting time for bird enthusiasts as summer fledglings become air-borne adults and join others of their kind on route to warmer climes. This mass exodus is happening all around us. Continue reading →

Don’t Miss This – Tonight, Wednesday October 10th, 2018, 8-9:30 p.m. at the St. Catharines Central Library in Downtown St. Catharines

Protecting the Great Lakes with John Jackson 

Canadian environmentalist and former Great Lakes United leader John Jackson

An Invite to All from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted October 2^nd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara District Council of Women will be hosting a public forum, Protecting the Great Lakes, on Wednesday, October 10 from 8:00 to 9:30 pm at the St. Catharines Central Library, on  54 Church St. in the city’s downtown.

Our guest speaker for this public forum is John Jackson, Great Lakes Expert and former President of Great Lakes United. “Together, we need to work to protect the world’s largest freshwater ecosystem.”

John Jackson is a passionate leader who has been tirelessly advancing public engagement throughout the Great Lakes, combining an extraordinary depth of knowledge about the Great Lakes with passion and a strategic vision for binational collaboration. He has a remarkable ability to influence Great Lakes policies and issues.

Some issues that John will discuss are:

• Massive levels of recycling are being touted as the solution to plastics contamination in the Great Lakes. But does this simply spread toxics ever further? How do we get out of this recycling enigma?
• Nuclear power plants are being closed or will eventually be closed all around the Great Lakes (except Lake Superior). What is the radioactive legacy that these toxic hulks leave around the Great Lakes? The new era of nuclear power in the Great Lakes basin? Small size units scattered across the basin? And/or nuclear power units floating on the Great Lakes near major power users?
• Continued concerns regarding invasive species in the Great Lakes
• Urban and agricultural runoff as the most significant source of pollution in the Great Lakes
• Working bi-nationally on the Great Lakes in the era of Trump

John dedicates his time to Great Lakes issues, with a focus on the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement and engaging stakeholders and the public in caring for our shared waters.

The Niagara District Council of Women (NDCW) has 26 federated group members plus individual members from across the Region. This year we celebrate our 100th year of service to the community.  In June, we hosted women from across the country at the 125th AGM of the National Council of Women of Canada at Niagara College.  

You can learn more about our council, our history and 100th Year Anniversary at www.ndcw.ca

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

“We hope adding an EV charging station downtown will continue to make these environmentally-friendly vehicles a viable alternative to traditional vehicles for our residents.” – David Oakes, St. Catharines’ Deputy Chief Administrative Officer.

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

Posted October 3^rd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Max Cananzi, president for Alectra Utilities Corporation, and Mayor Walter Sendzik unveil the new electric vehicle charging station at City Hall.

St. Caharines, Ontario – A dual-head electric vehicle charging station is now available at City Hall in the area of the James Street parking lot entrance. Two electric vehicles can plug into the EV charging station at a time.

To kick off the pilot project, the City of St. Catharines is offering free EV charging from now until October 2019; regular parking rates will still apply. Continue reading →

“People around the Great Lakes region rely on that water, and they should have a say in whether or not it stays in the lakes.”

A Call-Out from the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a Great Lakes-wide citizens advocacy group

Posted October 3^rd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

The Great Lakes are huge — and hugely important to the region — but their water is not unlimited. If we’re not careful, they could go away.

Proposals to divert water outside of the Great Lakes are hotly debated around the region. As they should be! The public should have plenty of opportunities to weigh in as regional leaders assess them. Tell Great Lakes leaders to provide more options for formal public input when evaluating water diversion proposals.

The Great Lakes Compact is a binational agreement that bans diversions of Great Lakes water outside the basin, with limited exceptions. For example, Waukesha, Wisconsin applied for Lake Michigan water because it straddles the Great Lakes basin divide. Continue reading →

“It’s clear we need a supervisor, a clean sweep of the board, and changes to the Conservation Act to ensure that at least 50 per cent of the board are community members with a working knowledge of conservation.”

NDP’s Jeff Burch calls for provincial oversight of conservation authority in wake of Auditor General Report

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Posted October 3rd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Queen’s Park – In question period  this Wednesday (October 3^rd), Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch said that Doug Ford is failing to hold the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) accountable after a scathing Auditor General Report revealed that the conservation authority is working against the interests of Niagara families.   

“The report detailed that the NPCA is having difficulty fulfilling its legislative mandate,” said Burch. “The NPCA is plagued by financial mismanagement, a high employee grievance rate and issues of conflict of interest. Beyond the audit, we’ve seen the NPCA fire key staff, censure board members, lobby the government to develop on provincially significant wetlands, and sue a private citizen – Ed Smith, a Canadian Forces veteran — for criticizing its practices. Continue reading →

“The advanced poll on campus reflects Brock’s commitment to outstanding citizenship and community engagement.”                    – Brock University President Gervan Fearon

News from Brock University

Posted October 3rd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – When the advance poll for the upcoming municipal election opened at Brock’s main campus this Wednesday (October 3rd), senior administration came ready to cast their ballot.

From left, Brock University Students’ Union President Aidan Hibma, University President Gervan Fearon and interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic Greg Finn vote in the advance poll held at Brock on Wednesday, Oct. 3.

University President Gervan Fearon and interim Provost and Vice-President, Academic Greg Finn, joined by Brock University Students’ Union President Aidan Hibma, exercised their democratic right in hopes of encouraging other members of the Brock community to do the same. Continue reading →

Thursday, October 11th, 2018, starting 9:30 a.m. at The Robby (Robertson Hall) on 85 Church Street                      in St. Catharines/Niagara 

An Invite to All from the Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre

Posted October 3rd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Folk Arts Multicultural Centre will be hosting a distinguished panel to discuss immigration, diversity and inclusion in our local communities.

As a critical stakeholder, the Centre is inviting everyone in the community to listen and ask questions to our panelists: Continue reading →

City Of St. Catharines Is Gearing Up To Give Away More Free Trees This Fall – Saturday, October 20th

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

Posted September 28th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

The City will be giving away four varieties of trees to residents on Oct. 20, including the Eastern Redbud. Photo courtesy of City of St. Catharines

St. Catharines/Niagara – St. Catharines residents can receive a free tree to plant on their own property at the Free Tree Giveaway, Saturday, Oct. 20 at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre parking lot from 7:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., or until supplies run out.

Five hundred trees will be available on a first come, first served basis.

Trees will be distributed in three-gallon pots and are about three-feet tall. They should easily fit inside a standard car. Residents can choose from four different varieties: American Beech; Eastern Redbud; Sugar Maple and Swamp White Oak. Continue reading →

“We are pleased to see the renegotiated NAFTA deal includes, as it should, one of our greatest allies and trading partners, Canada. – Buffalo area Congressman Brian Higgins

Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins

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

Posted October 1^st, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York – Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) released the following statement in response to the announcement of a new trilateral trade agreement between the United States, Canada and Mexico: 

“We are pleased to see the renegotiated NAFTA deal includes, as it should, one of our greatest allies and trading partners, Canada.

The Peace Bridge in the Niagara/Buffalo region. A major gateway for goods between Canada and the U.S.

The NAFTA of 1994, was a bad deal, leading to American job loss, that lacked the enforcement measures necessary to hold partners accountable and was in desperate in need of fixing.  We are continuing to review the details of this new agreement to see if it meets the test of protecting American workers.” Continue reading →

“In my beautiful riding of Niagara West, numerous wind turbines scar the landscape. It angers the members of my community because they know these turbines produce energy we don’t need.”   Niagara West MPP and Ford  Government rep Sam Oosterhoff

A News Release from Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted September 27th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Queen’s Park – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West was assured by the Hon. Greg Rickford, Minister for Energy, Northern Development and Mines today that Ontarians would no longer receive energy projects they did not want and did not need.

The statement came as a response to Oosterhoff who asked the Minister how repealing the Green Energy Act would protect his constituents from needless energy projects.

“In my beautiful riding of Niagara West, numerous wind turbines scar the landscape” said Oosterhoff. “It angers the members of my community because they know these turbines produce energy we don’t need.” Continue reading →

Be There on Saturday, September 29th for the 1ST Annual Central Fire Station Celebration

A News Release from the Central Station Education Initiative in Welland, Ontario

Posted September 18th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Welland, Ontario –   A not-for-profit corporation named Central Station Education Initiative (CSEI) is thrilled to announce the first annual Central Fire Station Celebration.

The event will be hosted in Downtown Welland on Hellems Avenue, from East Main Street to Division Street. The celebration is the first of a series of celebrations to create community support for the upcoming renovations of the building, leading up to the 100th anniversary in 2020. Continue reading →

From the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted August 23^rd, 2018 on Niagara At Large

An Open Letter to Ontario Environment Minister  Rod Phillips

RE: Sewage Discharge in Niagara River

Dear Minister Phillips,   I am writing to you today regarding a serious environmental issue, which was raised with your predecessor as well as your counterparts in Niagara Falls, New York. Here in Niagara we are experiencing continual discharge of wastewater and raw sewage into the Lower Niagara River.

A year ago this past July, an overflow of pollution from the Niagara Falls, N.Y. wastewater plant left water in the Niagara River below the Horseshoe and American Falls looking like ink. Following heavy rains recently, it happened again, and there have also been overflows from the Ontario side. Is our aging municipal infrastructure for treating sewage and storm water failing us?

This issue has been ongoing for far too long and continues to threaten the health of our beloved Niagara River. Despite assurance from treatment plants in the New York State that no more discharges would occur we heard alarming news this morning that upwards of 8 million gallons of raw sewage was discharged.

The continued damaging of our River is nothing short of an environmental catastrophe.  Continue reading →

“So far, in 2018, there have been six raccoons and four skunks test positive for rabies.” 

From Niagara Region’s Public Health Department

Posted August 18^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Headquarters in Thorold

Niagara, Ontario – This week, two skunks in an urban area of Welland, and one raccoon in rural Lincoln have tested positive for rabies. 

Niagara Region Public Health has seen an increase in the number of animals testing positive for rabies in Niagara. 

So far, in 2018, there have been six raccoons and four skunks test positive for rabies.  In 2017, there were a total of 21 animals that tested positive for rabies (19 raccoons, two skunks) and 12 in 2016 (10 raccoons, two skunks).  Continue reading →

Posted by Doug Draper on Niagara At Large

 August 14, 2018

Niagara At Large will have more later on this great lady, now gravely ill in hospice in her native Detroit.

In a brief statement, she asks for our prayers. 

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

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

Posted July 23^rd, 2018

In the wake of an Ontario Ombudsman’s report this past July 18^th, condemning the seizure by Niagara regional officials of reporters’ computers and notes, followed by their expulsion last December from municipal property, calls have been mounting across Niagara for the resignations of the Region’s CAO, Carmen D’Angelo, and Region’s Chair, Al Caslin.

Niagara Region’s chair Al Caslin with the Region’s CAO, Carmen D’Angelo perched to his right. Growing numbers of people are saying it is time for these two to say goodbye. File photo by Doug Draper

One of those many calls is coming from retired senior Niagara Regional Police officer Peter Gill, who has recently registered his name to run in St. Catharines for a seat on Niagara regional council.

Peter Gill posted the following on his Facebook page –

By the way, The National Post is by no means the only large media organization to run a story or editorial on this disgusting episode in our Niagara region. There has been coverage in The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star and on CBC, just to mention a few. Continue reading →

“Journalists perform an essential civic function, a big part of which involves chronicling government decisions and those who make them, so voters can hold elected representatives to account. … Thankfully, we have public officials such as Mr. Dubé (Ontario’s Ombudsman) on hand to remind everyone of the truth.” – from a Globe and Mail editorial, published on the newspaper’s main editorial page on July 20th, 2018

Posted by Doug Draper in Niagara At Large, July 21st, 2018

Globe Editorial: Ontario’s ombudsman stands up for press freedom

“Last December, municipal officials in Ontario’s Niagara region issued a statement apologizing for the “inconvenience” caused to a reporter who was expelled from an unruly council meeting and had his laptop confiscated. Continue reading →

To rebuild the kind of news media we lost in this region thanks to corporate chains cutting and gutting newsrooms, we are going to need your support!

A Message from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted June 19^h, 2018 on Niagara At Large

For the next five or six days, this independent site for news and commentary will be relatively inactive while we are on the road, travelling from the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts surrounded by the waters of the Atlantic, through the heart of that state and New York State to Buffalo, then back to our home base in Niagara, Ontario.

First thing next week – starting June 25^th – we are going to hit the ground running because we have a great deal of work to do in our region with only four months left before the October 22^nd municipal elections – elections that, without doubt, will make the difference between more of the same divisive, self-serving ugliness at the regional level of government and hope for a healthier better future for you and I, for the youngest among us, and for the communities we live in. Continue reading →