Category Archives: Uncategorized

‘Nearly everyone (90 per cent) is concerned about COVID-19’s impact on the economy and 69 per cent of Ontarians are concerned about the impact the outbreak has on their personal finances’.                                                                                                        – from the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario report

News from the Canadian Mental Health Association, Ontario

Posted May 11th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – Seven out of 10 Ontarians (69 per cent) believe the province is headed for a “serious mental health crisis” as it emerges from this pandemic and nearly eight out of 10 (77 per cent) say more mental health supports will be necessary to help society, according to new poll results released today.

This data comes from the first of three polls Pollara Strategic Insights is conducting on behalf of Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA), Ontario Division.

CMHA Ontario is looking to evaluate how Ontarians’ perceptions of their mental health are changing as they come out from underneath the pandemic. Two more surveys will follow in the coming months as restrictions loosen around COVID-19 and the economy continues to re-open. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Gary Screaton Page, a resident of Fort Erie in Niagara, Ontario

Posted May 10^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

World War II was a tragedy on so many fronts. On so many levels the human cost was incalculable!

So, too, the cost to our humanity. Little understood is how a nation that once birthed great music, art, writing, theology, and philosophy could so crumble to the point of raising a Hitler.

We must be vigilant. Democracy is fragile.

In spite of our pride in our nation, we are not immune in Canada to what happened in Germany in 1933, after the Reichstag adopted the Enabling Act of 1933 in March that year giving expanded authority, Hindenburg had previously appointed Hitler as Chancellor on 30 January 1933 after parliamentary elections and much backroom intrigue. Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper (with a little help from Joe Biden)

Posted April 25^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic candidate for the U.S. presidency – the most powerful office in his country if, no longer, in the world, thanks to its current occupant – said in a Twitter message yesterday that he “can’t believe” what he felt he had so say in it.

It is truly breath-taking and speaks to how insane politics and the human condition has become in the United States, that Biden came out with a message like this.

As one who has covered politics as a journalist for some 40 years now, I certainly never dreamed that a candidate for a major office in any democracy around the world would feel compelled to send out a message like this. It is truly breath-taking.

Here it is –

And I think that just about speaks for itself. I had my say in a spoof piece I wrote and posted this April 24^th on this madness.

If you missed it, here is the link  – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2020/04/24/looking-for-a-covid-cure-try-swallowing-a-flashlight-and-washing-it-down-with-some-windex-or-lysol/

NIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post, along with your name (not a pseudonym), in the space immediately below the Bernie Sanders quote.

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

If You Missed This Inspiring Event, Please Click On It Below

Posted by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large on April 23^rd, 2020

If you missed this wonderful event streaming live this April 22^nd, you can still watch it.

The 50^th annual Earth Day may have come and gone this April 22^nd, but it is still Earth Week in Canada, the United States and other countries around the world all week, until this April 2y6th.

So while you are home, staying safe, take a little time out to watch this.

Watch it and make a pledge to yourself and to others across our communities that coming out of this pandemic, we are going to be kinder to our life-giving natural resources.

We are going to stand up and vote ‘yes’ for our natural heritage, and we are going to vote out of office political Neanderthals like Donald Trump in the United States, Jason Kenney and Doug Ford on the provincial stage in Canada, and the Jim Diodatis right here in Niagara.

Let’s make a promise to ourselves and each other that we are going to work together to  build a greener, healthier and more prosperous future for ourselves and for generations to come.

You can watch the global Earth Day celebration, featuring some of the great minds on climate and other issues, and a host of musicians and others, by clicking on the screen immediately below –

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

“The federal government has so far refused to deny (COVID-19) support to companies that operate in tax havens. … We’ve called on the federal government to deny funding to corporations that abuse tax havens to avoid Canadian taxes.”                                       – Canadians for Tax Fairness

A News Release from Canadians for Tax Fairness

Posted April 23th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

(Niagara At Large is posting this News Release with KUDOS to this citizens group, Canadians for Tax Fairness, for demanding that Canada’s federal government stop giving our tax dollars to corporations that either refuse or don’t want to pay taxes here.)

Pressure is mounting on governments to ensure COVID-19 funding doesn’t go to companies that exploit tax havens or use public funds to pad their profits.

They suck as much out of Canada and Canadians as they can stuff in their safes, then they take it down to a haven where they don’t pay one plug nickel in taxes. Now these deadebeats want a bailout during this pandemic. Tell Trudeau and his Liberals not to give it to them.

The government of France has just joined Denmark and Poland in not allowing corporations that operate in tax havens to benefit from its COVID19 bailout fund.  France and Denmark are also restricting corporate recipients of state aid from using funds to pay dividends and buying back their own shares.

Three weeks ago, Canadians for Tax Fairness called on the federal government to apply similar restrictions, to increase transparency and accountability over these funds, and to recover amounts that are ultimately not needed through measures such as an excess profits tax. Continue reading →

A Comment from Doug Youmans, a veteran journalist living in Niagara, Ontario

Posted April 14th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note– Doug Youmans’ comment was originally posted in Niagara At Large this past April 10^th as a response to a News Release circulated by the Office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford, headlined; Ontario Significantly Expanding COVID-19 testing. A link for that News Release is available below Doug Youman’s remarks)

By Doug Youmans – 

I realize the Premier made a big show (at a COVID-19 press briefing recently) of his outrage over the lack of testing, but wasn’t he the one at the controls of who got tested, how many tests were in circulation, and how much funding was in place to ensure those things were happening. Continue reading →

News from Niagara Health in Niagara, Ontario

Posted April 2nd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – To enhance safety and mitigate the financial burden placed on families during this time, all patients, staff and physicians now have free parking at all Niagara Health sites. This temporary measure will continue until further notice.

Parking fees have been temporarily suspended at all Niagara Health sites, including this hospital in Welland

 The decision to place a moratorium on parking fees: Continue reading →

‘Seasons Retirement Community in Welland is committed to the health and safety of  their staff and residents. They are working diligently with Niagara Region  Public Health and Emergency Services to control the outbreak.’

News from Niagara’s Regional Government in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 27^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services is declaring an outbreak of  COVID-19 at Seasons Retirement Community in Welland after a second case of  COVID-19 was confirmed at the facility.

The first case at this facility, a resident in their 80’s, developed respiratory symptoms on Wednesday, March 18 and is currently in the hospital in stable condition.

The second resident became  symptomatic on March 23, and was subsequently taken to the hospital and tested  for COVID-19.

Seasons Retirement Community in Welland is committed to the health and safety of  their staff and residents. They are working diligently with Niagara Region  Public Health and Emergency Services to control the outbreak.

Seasons Retirement Community on First Avenue in Welland, Ontario

As this is an evolving situation, we continue to remind everyone the importance of using credible sources to stay informed. We update our website frequently as new information is confirmed.

We encourage all Niagara residents to visit our Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) webpage  <https://www.niagararegion.ca/health/covid-19/default.aspx>.

For information regarding travel, please visit the Government of Canada website  <https://travel.gc.ca/>.

Visit Ontario’s website​ <https://www.ontario.ca/page/2019-novel-coronavirus> to learn more about how the province continues to protect Ontarians from COVID-19.

Niagara At Large will have more updates as new information comes in. Stay Tuned.

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

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

For More News And Commentary From Niagara At Large – An independent, alternative voice for our greater bi-national Niagara Region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at www.niagaraatlarge.com .

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

“This is a necessary measure to protect the health and well-being of our patients, reduce traffic in the hospital, and practice social distancing.” – Derek McNally, Executive Vice President of Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive for Niagara Health

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

Posted March 19^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Health’s St. Catharines hospital site

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Health is implementing a no-visitors policy effective today at 8 p.m. as part of our ongoing efforts to maintain a safe environment for our patients.

“We understand how difficult these decisions can be for our patients and families,” said Derek McNally, Executive Vice President of Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive for Niagara Health. “This is a necessary measure to protect the health and well-being of our patients, reduce traffic in the hospital, and practice social distancing.” Continue reading →

Coronavirus Outbreak Places Public Sessions on this Important Issue on Temporary Hold

A Message from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted March 19^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region will be back with new dates for public to meet on review of its tree protection rules.

Niagara, Ontario – Due to recent events and the temporary closure of event facilities, please note that the Public Information Centres (PICs) previously scheduled for March 24, 25, 30 and 31 have been cancelled.

Our website<https://www.niagararegion.ca/culture-and-environment/woodland-bylaw-review/default.aspx> and social media have been updated to reflect this change and newspaper notices regarding the cancellation have or will soon be published. Updates regarding rescheduled PICs, if applicable, will similarly be advertised. Continue reading →

Western New York is Quickly Running Out of Tests

News from the B uffalo, New York Office of U.S. Democratic Constressman Brian Higgins

Posted March 18th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York – In a letter to Admiral Brett Giroir, Assistant Secretary of Health and Human Services and Coronavirus Czar, Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) is demanding the Administration address the urgent need for coronavirus disease (COVID-19) test kits.

Higgins writes –

“This Administration should be acting in a proactive way to help communities plan to address this crisis responsibly. It is horrifying that at this time we must instead beg for your attention.  Our nation is already significantly behind the curve in our response to this public health crisis, and we cannot afford further delays in testing.”

Yesterday Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz, in public communications and in discussions with Congressman Higgins, expressed concern about the dire shortage of COVID-19 testing kits.  New York State was able to provide an additional 200 tests, but that will only get the County through the next couple days. Continue reading →

A Message from the Lincoln County Humane Society (LCHS) in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 3^rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Lincoln County Humane Soceity (LCHS) is reminding people to remember their pets when preparing for dealing with any potential implications of Covid 19.

As this situation develops and we receive information from all forms of social media it is important to determine what arrangements should must be made.

Specifically, the LCHS reminds people to prepare for the care of their pets. Continue reading →

Elementary and Secondary Schools in Province will be closed March 4^th thru April 5th

“We recognize the significant impact this decision will have on families, students, schools, as well as the broader community, but this precaution is necessary to keep people safe.”                               – from a Statement issued this March 12^th, 2020 by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Education Minister Stephen Lecce

News from the Office of the Ontario Premier

Posted March 12^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — Today (this March 12^th), Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, and Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following statement in response to the impact of COVID-19 on publicly funded schools as March Break approaches:

“The health and well-being of Ontarians is our government’s number one priority.

Since we first learned of COVID-19 as an emerging public health issue, Ontario has been diligently monitoring the developing situation to protect the health and well-being of all Ontarians.  We have also taken decisive action to ensure the province’s health care system is positioned to be ready for any scenario. Continue reading →

How Much Lower Can this Premier and his Conservatives Sink?

And How Many Women Are There In Ford’s Government? Shame On Them For Not Speaking Out On This One!

A look at the huge turnout at the Women’s March in Toronto in the winter of 2019. Wonder how many votes Ford and his Tory caucus members will draw from the Ontario citizens who were here?

A Statement from Ontario NDP Women’s Issues Critic Jill Andrew

Posted March 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

NDP slams Ford’s cruel cut to support for survivors

Now Ford and his government are moving to cut funding for rape crisis centres in Ontario.

QUEEN’S PARK — Jill Andrew, Ontario NDP Women’s Issues critic, released the following statement in response to news that the Doug Ford government is cutting $1 million in funding for rape crisis centres:

“Doug Ford is making a cruel cut to funding that helps rape crisis centres support survivors with services like free counseling when we know the need is only growing.”

“The Liberals waited until they were on the cusp of an election to react to #MeToo and the surge in survivors seeking support, and now Doug Ford’s Conservatives are taking things from bad to worse for survivors of rape and sexual violence. Continue reading →

You Are Invited to a Community Sustainability Science Café hosted by the Brock University United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)

A Free Public Gathering – This Monday (TODAY), March 2nd, 6:30 p.m. at the Welland Public Library in downtown Welland, Ontario

Posted March 2nd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

For more details, view the poster below –

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

An Invite to All from the Work The Hope group

Posted February 27, 2020 on Niagara At Large

If you are regularly following the news in Ontario, you already know we have challenges around having enough affordable long-term care services across Niagara and the province.

If you are interested or concerned about this issue, you may want to attend one of the following free public forums in Niagara, beginning with one at the Niagara Falls Library at 6;30 p.m. this Thursday, February at 6:30 p.m. (tonight).

Please see the poster for details immediately below.

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

Applications for musical entertainment are being accepted now and up to Saturday, March 4

Got a hot band? Apply to perform at Niagara Park’s summer concert series.

A News Release from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted February 10^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Niagara Parks is looking for bands to perform during its annual summer evening concert series held in Queen Victoria Park overlooking both the American and the Canadian Horseshoe Falls.

The free outdoor concert series sponsored by Coca Cola provides an excellent opportunity for visitors and Niagara residents alike to experience live, family-friendly entertainment by the Falls throughout the summer months. Continue reading →

The Provincially Significant Wetlands in Thundering Waters Forest – in the long-troubled waters of our Bi-National Niagara River Watershed – Should Not Be Paved Around At All!

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

Posted February 14th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Let me segue into yet another call for saving Thundering Waters Forest and the rich abundance of wetlands inside this jewel of a place in our bi-national Niagara River watershed this way.

A look inside the wetlands-rich Thundering Waters Forest in the Niagara River watershed.

At a meeting this past February 12th of Niagara Region’s planning and economic development committee, Wayne Redekop, a member of the committee and Mayor of the Town of Fort Erie, said the following before the committee was about to defer any decision on a request by Ontario’s wine industry to relax rules over what then can do on Niagara Escarpment lands – some of which are designated, through the United Nations, as a globally significant “biosphere reserve.”

Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop believes that in this age of climate change, our region has to do everything possible to save what is left of our natural heritage

“Our interest is obviously in ensuring that we have a vibrant economy,” Redekop told fellow members of the committee. “But we also have an interest in ensuring that we protect natural heritage features.”

“And for as long as I have been here,” he added, “we have heard people talk about what a great area Niagara is to live, to do business and to raise a family. And I am trying to get my head around how do we do that if we don’t have some regard for what people really do think is significant about Niagara. And that is our natural heritage.”

“With all of the stuff that is happening with respect to climate change, the Fort Erie mayor concluded, “with the significance of biodiversity, I am really not supportive of …eroding the natural heritage area that we’ve got in Niagara, whether it is NEC, whether it is the greenbelt, whether it is the wetlands in Fort Erie.  I think we’ve got to keep our eye on the ball.” Continue reading →

Saturday, February 29^th from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m, at the Historic Queenston Chapel

An Invite to All from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted February 11^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Park’s Queenston Chapel on 29 Queenston St., in Queenston, Niagara-onthe-Lake, Ontario, where the symposium will be held

Queenston, Ontario – Niagara Parks will host its first Black History Symposium at the historic Queenston Chapel on Saturday, February 29 from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m., bringing together leading community historians and commentators specializing in black history and culture.

Learn how the Niagara region played host to some of Canada’s most poignant stories of courage and freedom through three different perspectives: Continue reading →

“Unfortunately, we expect to see much extreme weather throughout 2020 and the coming decades, fuelled by record levels of heat-trapping greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.”                     – Petteri Taalas, World Meteorological Organization (WMO) Secretary-General Petteri Taalas 

Breaking News from the United Nations on the Climate Emergency our Planet is now facing

One of the signs at a “Climate Action” rally held in St. Catharines/Niagara last September, 2019, while world leaders gathered at the United Nations for a climate summit. File photo by Marie Cipryk

Posted January 15th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

2019 was the second warmest year on record after 2016, according to the World Meteorological Organization.

“The average global temperature has risen by about 1.1°C since the pre-industrial era and ocean heat content is at a record level,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas.  

 “On the current path of carbon dioxide emissions, we are heading towards a temperature increase of 3 to 5 degrees Celsius by the end of century.”  Continue reading →

News from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted January 14^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – On Wednesday, January 15th at 1 p.m., Brock University will join other post-secondary institutions across the country in a moment of silence to remember the victims of Ukraine International Airlines Flight PS752.

Universities across Canada will mark one week since the devastating crash that claimed the lives of 176 people, including 57 Canadians and many from the country’s university community.

Brock held a vigil on Friday and lowered the flags in front of Schmon Tower to half-mast, and on Wednesday, the community will join in remembering the victims with a moment of silence during a brief ceremony in the Rankin Family Pavilion starting just prior to 1 p.m.

Some of the faces of those who perished in the crash.

We realize not everyone will be able to attend, so Brock encourages faculty, staff and students to consider honouring the moment of silence in classrooms, offices or wherever you are at that time.

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

“The Emergency Alert about an incident at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station brings home how vulnerable people and our environment are to nuclear contamination and how unprepared the public is to respond to a real nuclear accident in Canada.” – Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada

Ontario’s Pickering Nuclear Power Plant, along the north shores of Lake Ontario near Toronto

News  from Friends of the Earth Canada

Posted January 14, 2020 on Niagara At Large

The false alert that had countless thousands of people rattled for a little while this January 12th. There are some calls for a full investigation of this incident

Ottawa, Ontario, Canada  – In a national poll administered this month to over 2000 Canadians, Friends of the Earth Canada finds strong concerns over the threat of contamination by nuclear reactors and nuclear energy to local drinking water and neighbourhood safety and security.

More than eight out of ten (82%) Canadians are concerned about nuclear spills that would contaminate drinking water and almost eight out of ten (77%) cite concerns about neighbourhood safety and security risks close to nuclear plants.

Ontario’s Ford government would rather have more than this than wind energy farms, which it is working to tear down

Respondents were asked if the provincial governments of Ontario, New Brunswick and Saskatchewan were on the right path by selecting small modular nuclear reactors to deal with climate change.  Seven out of ten younger respondents (70%), aged 18-34, said it is the wrong path while more than six out of ten (63%) Canadians aged 35-64 also said it’s the wrong path.

“The Emergency Alert about an incident at Pickering Nuclear Generating Station brings home how vulnerable people and our environment are to nuclear contamination and how unprepared the public is to respond to a real nuclear accident in Canada,” says Beatrice Olivastri, CEO, Friends of the Earth Canada.  “Our polling results show that a majority of Canadians feel the small nuclear option is the wrong path to deal with climate change.”  

Oracle Poll Research conducted the 2,094 person national poll on behalf of Friends of the Earth Canada in January 2020 (margin of error for total N=2094 sample is ± 2.1%, 19 times out of 20).

Friends of the Earth Canada (www.foecanada.org) is the Canadian member of Friends of the Earth International, the world’s largest grassroots environmental network campaigning on today’s most urgent environmental and social issues.

For a more detailed report on the poll results, click on – file:///C:/Users/owner/AppData/Local/Temp/FOE%20Omnibus%20Report_Jan13.pdf .

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

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

For More News And Commentary From Niagara At Large – An independent, alternative voice for our greater bi-national Niagara Region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at http://www.niagaraatlarge.com .

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

“Your government seems to have no sympathy or understanding for the incredible strain that it (autism) puts these families under, both emotionally and financially.”                                       – Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, in an Open Letter to Ontario Minister of Children, Community and Social Services Todd Smith

An Open Letter from Niagara Centre’s NDP MPP Jeff Burch, with  Foreword and Afterword Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter Doug Draper

Posted January 9th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Foreword by Doug Draper

Since taking the oath of office in June 2018, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has repeatedly boasted that he was going to run a “government for the people.”

Indeed, Ford has used the mantra “for the people” so often in front of the word “party” or “government,” that you almost have to be reminded that it is the old “Progressive Conservative Party” and it is a “Progressive Conservative Government” that is very light on the “Progressive,” that he is actually talking about.

And exactly what “people” Ford is talking about when he brags about running a “government for the people” continues to be a subject of debate.

It certainly doesn’t seem to include adults and children struggling to get the assistance they need to deal with a diagnosis of autism in their families, and make sure there is adequate and reliable coverage for the therapy a diagnosed child requires to live a happy and productive life.

For most of the past 12 months Ford’s Conservatives – his so-called “government for the people” – have been in power in Ontario, all families living with autism in their family have been getting is stories about cuts and changes to programs to help people with autism, as if with this issue, like so many others, Ford’s Tories never really had a coherent plan to begin with.

Joe Serianni of Welland and his four-year-old son Ashton, who was diagnosed a year ago with autism. Like thousands of other families across Ontario, the Serrianni family is still waiting for funding assistance from the province for urgently-need therapy for addressing the developmental challenge.

One of the many thousands of families across Ontario facing this government-manufactured mess is the Serianni family in Welland who have a four-year-old son Ashton, who was diagnosed with autism close to a year ago when he was still three, and has been receiving therapy at Bethesda Services, an agency in neighbouring Thorold that provides therapeutic services to children and adults with developmental challenges.

According to Ashton’s dad, Joe, the services Bethesda is providing have been very helpful, but the problem for the Serianni family, like so many others across the province, is this.

The Seriannis have so far been paying out of their own pockets – as much as they say they now can – for Ashton’s therapy, and almost a year after he was diagnosed and began his therapy sessions, they still haven’t received a single penny of assistance from Ford’s ‘government for the people’. Continue reading →

“This (court) decision is a watershed moment for NOTL generally and in particular for the many hundreds of residents appalled by the Marotta Randwood proposals and the decimation of landscape features last November by the Marotta group.”              – Save Our Rand Estate (SORE)

News from A Better Niagara, a Niagara-based citizens watchdog group

Posted January 13th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The citizens’ group Save Our Rand Estate (SORE) and the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake, have won a big victory over the Marotta development group. Read what SORE had to say about Friday’s (January 10th, 2020) Superior Court ruling below.

Once again, having good people elected to Council (NOTL was one of the Region’s municipalities that saw significant turnover during the 2018 municipal election), and having engaged, organized citizens, has proved to be an effective one-two punch in wresting control of how our communities develop away from private interests. Congratulations to Council and to the citizens who gave their support to SORE. Continue reading →

He Grew Up in Port Dalhousie, Niagara and went on to become a brilliant song lyricist and one of the highest-ranked drummers in the history of popular music

Drummer, Song Lyricist, Book Author and Rock and Roll Hall of Famer Neil Peart Died January 7^th, 2020 at Age 67

Neil Peart at the drums where few in the world of music could match him

A Brief Tribute from one of Neil Peart’s big fans, Samuel McAdorey

Posted January 12^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

In the 2003 film School Of Rock, Jack Black’s character Dewey Finn finagled his way into a job as a private school teacher.

Finding that some of his students had real musical talent, Finn started moulding them into a rock band. To inspire the drummer, Finn gave him a copy of the album 2112 by Rush, with orders to listen to Neil Peart’s drumming technique.

Such was the stature of Peart, who went from growing up in St. Catharines to becoming the most influential rock drummer of his and following generations. To other drummers he was known as The Professor, in honour of his inventive and intricate drumming style.

To his legions of fans around the world, he showed that drumming was about much more than simply establishing the tempo.

His fills in the music of Rush filled the spaces that lead guitarists normally would fill in other bands, and his song lyrics captured the imagination of so many fans who were looking for more than reminders of the banality of everyday life.

A true visionary has passed.

Rest in Peace, Neil.

Samuel (Uel) McAdorey is a Niagara, Ontario resident and a serious follower of good music who is also a big fan of the band Rush

On the Late Show with David Letterman in 2011, showing the world why he was already ranked by music critics as one of the best drummers in the world –

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

In 2020, Niagara’s Conservation Authority needs leadership that has a firm understanding of and unwavering determination to address one of the most serious threats  our ecosystem faces in the 21st Century

It’s Time for David Bylsma to Hang Up his Hat as the Conservation Authority’s Chair

Parent’s citizens group for climate action says it is time for David Bylsma to say goodbye to his seat as Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s board of directors

A  Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher          Doug Draper

Posted January 11th, 2020 on Niagara At Large 

A new Niagara-based group of young people and their parents, calling themselves ‘For Our Kids Niagara’ and flagging a tagline; ‘Connecting Parents to Climate Change’, has publicly put out a call (along with a petition you can click on below) to members of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s (NPCA’s) board of director to not  re-appoint West Lincoln Mayor David Bylsma as the board’s Chair.

NPCA board chair David Bylsma’s Christian Heritage Party calls the the 2006 Academy Award-winning documentary on climate change, produced by former U.S. vice-president and Nobel Peace Prize winner and climate action activist Al Gore, an example of “seriously distorted propaganda campaigns.”

The key reason the group gives for making this call is that Bylsma, who is also president of Canada’s Christian Heritage Party (CHP), a fringe political party that openly discards any idea that human activities play a significant role in climate change, and that goes on to accuse those who make a case for human activities playing a role in climate change of perpetuating a  “phoney crisis.” 

“As party member and national president of the Christian Heritage Party (CHP),” states the group For Our Kids in its petition calling on the NPCA board to elect a new Chair, “Bylsma has stated publicly that CO2 emissions do not pose a threat to the environment, and that the science of the (United Nations’) Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (the largest global collaboration of climate scientists) is illegitimate.”

In a world facing a  climate emergency that needs to be taken seriously by all of us, says the group. the NPCA and its board need a Chair “who is in touch with the realities of a changing climate. … We have no time left to play host to politicians who delay action on climate change,” insists the group. “We need leadership now!” Continue reading →

Ontario Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Ontario’s NDP Leader  calls on Ford to let province’s Auditor General probe cost, justification for ripping down wind farm

“Ontarians deserve to know the truth. And we need it quickly. Doug Ford’s war on the environment is putting us all in danger, and everyday Ontarians are footing a massive bill for it.”                                         – Ontario’s NDP and Official Opposition Party Leader Andrea  Horwath

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition Party

Posted January 9^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Ontario  — Andrea Horwath, Leader of the province’s Official Opposition New Democrats, is calling on Doug Ford to allow Ontario’s Auditor General to examine the true costs and justification for his government’s decision to tear down the Nation Rise Wind Farm in North Stormont.

Peter Tabuns, NDP critic for Energy and the Climate Crisis, wrote to the Auditor General requesting an urgent investigation into all the costs associated with the decision to scrap the Nation Rise project that was just months from completion.

The Auditor General confirmed that she will audit the costs of cancelling the wind farm in her annual report. But she also confirmed that she is willing to conduct a special investigation into the Nation Rise cancellation, and cannot proceed without a mandate from the government. Continue reading →

To Learn a Little More about the History of Lincoln and the Celebratory Activities to come, Read On

A News Release from the Town of Lincoln

Posted January 9th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – 2020 marks the 50th anniversary of the the Town of Lincoln. In 1970, three communities came together to form Lincoln – Louth Township, Clinton Township, & Beamsville. Since then, we have become a community of communities to include Jordan, Vineland, Beamsville, Campden, Tintern & Rockway.

This year, to mark this important occasion, the Town is excited to celebrate & showcase our community through our many upcoming community events, culture & arts activities & beautification of our common spaces. It’s our year-long birthday and we invite you to join!

In every community, its history, its sense of belonging, is its people. To kick off this year’s celebrations at the New Year’s Levee, we launched a video of residents who shared various stories of what made them come to Lincoln, made them stay in Lincoln, made them do business in Lincoln. Enjoy!

To stay up to date on this year’s activities, follow us on social media, subscribe to our digital newsletters ([uuid-link:node:2d352848-f26f-4fff-ad3b-3a7d4da596de]) , or keep checking back to our celebration web page ([uuid-link:node:bd6d8214-36be-466c-b2fb-9f1b6c5eead6]) .

For businesses or community organizations interested in using the celebratory logo, wanting to promote a 50^th^ anniversary community event, or find out how to get involved, please contact our planning committee via email (mailto:info@lincoln.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

Under International Agreement, Deliberately Destroying “Cultural Sites” is a War Crime

Trump Tweets out his threat to make cultural sites in Iran a target of U.S. attacks

“By threatening cultural sites in Iran, the president fails to consider the broad value of these places, not just to Iran, but to the world more broadly. … Iran’s losses would be a tragic for all of us.”                                                                                                             – Elizabeth S. Green, Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at Brock University

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

Posted January 7th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The ancient city of Persepolis is significant tourist attraction in Iran

Niagara, Ontario – The threat by U.S. President Donald Trump against Iranian sites of cultural importance has archaeologists concerned.

“While the destruction of monuments and the looting of sites was a frequent feature of ancient combat, modern efforts strive to preserve heritage in recognition of its value beyond the national level,” says Elizabeth S. Green, Assistant Professor in the Department of Classics at Brock University. “By threatening cultural sites in Iran, the president fails to consider the broad value of these places, not just to Iran, but to the world more broadly.

“Iran’s losses would be a tragic for all of us.”

Continue reading →

A peak at the “bulldog edition” or earliest pressing of the front page of the New York Times, sure to be a collector’s item and available on newstands everywhere on Thursday,, December 19, 2019

US. Congressman Brian Higgins, a Democrat from the Buffalo, New York area, among those voting to impeach

“There is no joy in impeachment, but the President’s actions demand it.  Inviting foreign interference in U.S. elections is a threat to our security and democracy.”              – U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins, Buffalo, N.Y.

A Statement by U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins representing the Buffalo, New York Area

Posted December 18th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Supporting Articles of Impeachment Against President Trump

Today (this December 18^th, 2019), Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) released the statement below following his vote supporting articles of impeachment against  President Trump –

“The only things standing between a democracy and a dictatorship is the separation of powers and the rule of law.” Continue reading →

“Consummerism = Climate Crisis” – from Greenpeace

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

Niagara At Large, November 29^th, 2019

A banner reading “Consumerism = Climate Crisis,” written in spanish and displayed on a banner hung from a store in a shopping district  in Spain by the environmental group Greenpeace. Give it some serious thought

Consummerism can also equal mass madness and violence toward others we don’t even know. Click on the screen below.

Somewhere between the Three Wise Men bringing the Baby Jesus a few gifts, and what we’ve got going on now, something has flown seriously off the rails. It works well for the money lenders though.

This Holiday Season, make peace with Mother Earth. Be a minimalist!

Continue reading →

A Film House presentation – BETTER CITIES FILM FESTIVAL PROGRAM – Saturday, November 30th, from 2 to 5:30 p.m. at The Film House in downtown St. Catharines, Ontario

Hosted by The Film House in St. Catharines and Better Neighborhoods Inc. Niagara, Ontario –

The best one-day short film festival on placemaking is coming to St. Catharines! The Better Cities Film Festival collects, curates and presents the very best shorts from international filmmakers on the theme of improving the places we live.

This afternoon session offers a customized selection of films on the topics of housing, mobility, urban design and placemaking to consider the question; “How will we build a better St. Catharines?”

Free screening sponsored by Better Neighbourhoods Inc., St. Catharines. Continue reading →

Ontario Premier Doug Ford

“In order to bring our world-class health care system into the 21st century, we need to get rid of the inefficiencies and back office duplication. This is how we are continuing to put patients first and ensure sustainability for future generations.”                   – Ontario Premier Doug Ford

News from Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his Conservative Government

Posted November 13th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Changes will Protect Uninterrupted Access to Patient Care

TORONTO — Ontario is taking the next steps in its plan to better integrate the province’s health care system to help end hallway health care.

On December 2, 2019, five provincial agencies will begin transferring into Ontario Health while the 14 Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) have been clustered into five interim and transitional geographic regions.

The Hamilton, Niagara, Hadlimand, Brant LHIN (Local Health Integration Network), still outlined with thin black border lines on this map, is now being clustered with other LHINs to form an interim West region stretching west to Windsor and northward along the shores of Lake Huron and Georgian Bay. Map courtesy of Ontario government

This is an administrative step only and not a merger of the LHIN boundaries. Further, there will be no impact to patients’ access to home and community care or long-term care placement as Ontarians continue to receive the care they need from the care providers they have built relationships with at the 14 LHINs. Continue reading →

News from Niagara College

Posted November 13th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara College will mark its 20th year of applied research activity with the honour of earning the number one spot in all of Canada for research.

In its annual report “Top 50 Research Colleges,” Research Infosource Inc. has announced that Niagara College has secured the top place in the country, based on total research funding numbers for 2018. The listing also demonstrates NC’s steady standing as a leader in research in Canada, as this represents the fifth year in a row of being in the Top 10.

On November 12, Niagara College announces its number one ranking in Research Infosource Inc.’s Top 50 Research Colleges.  President Dan Patterson (front right) and VP Research, Innovation & Strategic Initiatives Marc Nantel (front left) hold up a banner announcing the good news as they gather with staff members from NC’s  Research & Innovation division.

“A great year for Niagara College research,” said Ron Freedman, CEO, Research Infosource Inc. “Not only in terms of research income – number one in the country – but research partnerships, where Niagara ranks number three among large colleges.” Continue reading →

Groups say the Ontario Government is putting the aggregate industry ahead of people. The province needs to go back to the drawing table, and consult with communities and environmental groups, rather than give industry free rein

A News Release from Environmental Defence Canada, Ontario Nature, Wellington Water Watchers and Gravel Watch

Posted November 12, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Some of the Ontario residents protesting what they charged was a secret meeting earlier this year between representatives of the province’s Ford government and quarry owners and operators to discuss the possibility of some deregulation of quarries

Toronto, Ontario – With the introduction of Bill 132, the Ontario Government is rolling a boulder in front of municipal efforts to control groundwater impacts from aggregate pits and quarries and taking aggregates policy in the wrong direction.

Proposed changes to the Aggregate Resources Act (ARA) will prevent municipalities from addressing the impacts of pits and quarries on groundwater by outlawing the use of municipal zoning bylaws to
prevent aggregate operations from digging beneath the water table. This change poses a dangerous threat to local groundwater supplies and quality.

The provincial government is also proposing to stop municipalities from
implementing zoning restrictions on aggregate development on Crown Land within their boundaries. This change impacts many communities across Ontario.

Meanwhile, the government’s proposed amendments would make it easier for aggregate operators to make changes to their operations with a poorly defined “permit by rule” system that allows changes for unspecified “low risk” activities. It would also prevent consideration of road damage from haulage in deciding on license approvals. Continue reading →

The Consequences for any Wrongdoers Should Fit Whatever Wrongdoing Ontario’s Ombudsman Finds

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

Posted November 1^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube’s long anticipated report on all of the controversy surrounding the hiring of former Niagara Region CAO Carmen D’Angelo is now within weeks of being released

The long wait is almost over.

After 14 months of investigating, Ontario Ombudsman Paul Dube is now two weeks away from letting members of Niagara’s Regional Council get their very first, behind-closed-door peak at his office’s draft report on a hiring controversy that has shaken public trust in our regional government for at least three years.

Indeed,  it was exactly three years ago this past October that Al Caslin, who was  Niagara Regional chair at the time, alled a snap meeting of  council  where, at the end of it, a majority of councillors agreed to hire Carmen D’Angelo – who already had, in the minds of many members of the public, a chequered record as CAO at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) – as the chief administrative officer (CAO) at the region – a job that  involves enormous responsibility and commands an annual salary of $230,000 plus benefits.

D’Angelo’s hiring  drew questions and concerns right from the start, and over the next two years they intensified as members of the public read one media expose after another about the circumstances surrounding it.

Now former Niagara regional chair Al Caslin and the Region’s former CAO Carmen D’Angelo, when they were still running the show two years ago. file photo by Doug DraperThere were reports of allegations thabefore he was hired, D’Angelo had  received from someone working in or around Caslin’s office a list of other candidates running for the CAO job – information that no candidate for any public servant position should be given access to. There were reports that he allegedly received access to at least  some of the questions he would be asked during his job interview. Continue reading →

Catherine McKenna and Greta Thunberg are favourite targets of fossil fuel junkies and climate denying trolls

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 30^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

When it becomes more and more obvious that those who chose to deny or doubt climate change do not have facts and science on their side, the only recourse they have left, short of voting for politicians like Doug Ford, Andrew Scheer, Jason Kenney and Donald Trump, come down to this – shamelessly showcasing a wilful ignorance of the facts and science, and hurling insults, right up to and including vulgarities that are not fit for prime time, at those advocating for more action on climate change.

Some one sprayed this Vulgar word on the campaign office window of Canada’s Environment Minister, Catherine McKenna, shortly after this October 21st’s federal electoin

That proved to be the case again this fall, just a day or two after this October 21^st’s federal election, when the mostly female volunteers working in Catherine McKenna’s Ottawa, Ontario campaign office arrived to find the C-word (yes, that c – – t word) sprayed across a poster of McKenna’s face on the office’s front window. Continue reading →

Leading Canadian Environmental Organizations Release Responses from Federal Parties on 10 Environmental Priority Questions

A News Release from Environmental Defence Canada, a citizens’ advocacy group for our environment

Posted October ??, 2019 on Niaggara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – This October 1st, Canada’s leading environmental organizations released the answers to a Federal Party Survey on Environmental Platforms that address the climate change, biodiversity, toxics and waste crises harming our country.

The survey was distributed to the six main political parties in July 2019 and responses were received from five of them: the Bloc Quebecois, Conservative Party of Canada, Green Party of Canada, Liberal Party of Canada and New Democratic Party. The People’s Party of Canada did not respond.

The survey represents the collective priorities of the 14 environmental organizations and outlines required actions to address the environmental protection, economic justice and human rights issues facing Canadians. Continue reading →

Greta Thunberg, left, marches with thousands of others ahead of a first of a kind Youth Climate Summit that the United Nations is hosting in New York City this September 21st

“We demand a safe future. Is that really too much to ask for?”     – from an address by 16-year-old Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at a New York City rally this September 20^th, as millions of people around the world went out on “strike” for climate action ahead of a United Nation’s sponsored Youth Climate Summit this September 21st

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted September 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

In what may be the largest global demonstration of its kind for protecting our earth’s environment, literally millions of people around the world took part in “strikes” this September 20^th for climate action.

The growing size of these demonstrations, expected to continue in communities and countries around the world in the weeks and months ahead, raise hope that upcoming elections in Canada (we have a federal election this October 21^st) and in the United States next year will be used to sweep those politicians not committed to act decisively NOW on the climate emergency out of office.

Climate deniers and laggards in public office can no longer be tolerated given the seriousness of the threat to survival that the world faces today. Continue reading →

‘LINDA RONSTADT – The Sound of My Voice’

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted September 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Linda Ronstadt, during her Stone Poney days in the late 1960s, before she went solo.

Linda Ronstadt has, by almost any measure in the world of music, made her mark as one of the greatest singers of the past 50 years.

I confess that I have a bit of a bias here. I had a massive school-boy crush on Linda Ronstadt going back to her first hit, ’Different Drum’ with a folk-rock group called the Stone Poneys in 1967.

But bias or no bias, the boat-load of Grammy Awards, the decades-long string of hits on the Billboard charts record sales totalling more than 100 million, and the induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, speak for themselves. Continue reading →

From Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted September 18th, 2019

Niagara At Large is taking a little time off to walk the beaches of Cape Cod and think about where a news and commentary site like this may go in the future, if anywhere?

I know I leave myself wide open to Trump-inspired trolls out there who hate so much of what we post here, but I will ask you the question anyway – “Any suggestions?”

We have a strong and loyal readership now, but we need to grow and we are going to need some support in the future in order to survive.

Thanks so much to all of our many readers for supporting us with your visits and comments over the past 10 years.

With more support, we can build this independent, alternative news voice into a real tour de force for democracy and for social and environmental justice in our greater Niagara region.

Doug Draper, journalist

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 –  moan independent, alternative voice for our greater bi-national Niagara region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at http://www.niagaraatlarge.com .

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

“This new hospital represents a significant and important investment in healthcare in Niagara. With the government’s support, we are one step closer to a new hospital and we look forward to our continued work with the Ministry of Health to plan the next stage.” – Angela Zangari, Interim President, Niagara Health

A News Release from Niagara Health, formerly the Niagara Health System

Posted September 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Planning for the new South Niagara Hospital took an important step forward as Infrastructure Ontario has listed the project (Niagara Falls Hospital) in their Market Update for Projects in Pre-Procurement.

The proposed site for a new hospital for Niagara’s south end is in the southwest end of Niagara Falls off the QEW. Is that a good location for people in communities like Welland and Port Colborne?

  The South Niagara Hospital is listed in the Market Update to start issuing RFQs (Request for Qualifications) in spring 2021 and issuing RFPs (Request for Proposals) in winter 2021 with a financial close in 2022.

With a Stage 2 revised submission soon to be provided to the provincial Ministry of Health, the project will move through important milestones. The submission outlines the program and service requirements, equipment and space needs and has been developed with extensive input from Niagara Health’s staff, physicians and community partners.   Continue reading →

In the Case of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, We Are Talking No More Than Two to Four Per Cent

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher           Doug Draper

Posted September 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

To Ontario Premier Doug Ford – How about adding more to the pot, if you want to have a say in how Conservation Authorities do business?

There is an old saying that goes like this; “If you want to play, you gotta pay.”

Some attribute the line to American novelist Stephen King, although I always tied it to Bruce Springsteen, who used it as far back as the 1970s to rev up audiences at his shows.

At the risk of insulting those two guys, I could hear a line like that coming out of the mouth of Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, because it does seem to have a bit of a free market ring to it, doesn’t it?

“If you want to play, you gotta pay,”

In other words;‘If you’re not going to put down more doe, it’s time to get up and go.’

Continue reading →

A Video of Activists Naomi Klein from Canada and Greta Thunberg from Sweden, on Stage in New York, September 10^th, 2019, and brought to us by the award-winning international news organization, The Intercept

A Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher             Doug Draper

Posted September 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Climate activists Greta Thunberg and Naomi Klein. Photo downloaded from Twitter

Long-time Canadian activist, journalist and best-selling book writer Naomi Klein and 16-year-old Swedish activist extraordinaire Greta Thunberg, who has almost single handedly kindled a world-wide youth movement to address what is a full-blown climate emergency we face today, are heroes of mine.

And I hope they become heroes of yours too, if they are not already.

But more than that, I hope that their  words and actions inspire all of us to exercise the intelligence, forsight and moral fortitude to act decisively now to make the changes necessary to save the life-sustaining resources of this great earth of ours for ourselves and our children.

Here are Naomi Klein and Greta Thunberg together recently, sharing their concerns, their call for action and their vision for a better future, all ahead of a major United Nations gathering later this September for a summit on climate action  in New York.

Their appearance also predates public strikes being organized by individuals and groups of people – young and old and many in between – around the world this September 20^th and 27^th to build the push for climate action now

Click on the screen below to watch and share it around using the hashtag #ourclimatefuture –

Before we leave you, here is a link to a commentary posted on Niagara At Large this past September 9^th on the need to make the environment a major issue in Canada’s October 21^st federal election – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2019/09/12/in-this-federal-election-in-canada-vote-first-and-foremost-for-our-environment/

In response to that September 9^th commentary, one of Niagara At Large’s regular readers and commenters on issues discussed and debated on this site, shared the following comment that I believe is worth repeating here. –  

By Linda McKellar, Fort Erie, Ontario –

The climate should be PRIORITY ONE!  What good is a booming economy if you can’t breathe the air or drink the water (if you even have any) or your home burns in a forest fire or gets washed away by flooding?   Continue reading →

“Imagine two elders with no vested interest in the status quo speaking out about climate change and the kind of world we are leaving to our children.” — David Suzuki

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

Posted September 13^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

It is heartening to know that not every person over the age of 70 is either treating the climate emergency our world faces as some kind of joke or commie plot, or is out there saying; “Why should I care what the world’s like in 20 or 30 years. I’ll probably be punching out before then anyway. So I’m supporting politicians like Harris and Scheer, just to long as they keep their hands off my pension and health care, and give me cheap gas and more tax cuts.”

We’ve got what a recent best-selling book by the same title calls “a generation of sociopaths” – otherwise known as aging baby boomers  and older – who we can count on to drive to the polls in droves in this October’s federal election, to vote for any candidate that promises to strike down putting moe of a price (what the likes of Harris and Scheer demonize as a “tax”) on climate-changing carbon pollution.

So thank God there are at least some people over 70 out there – in this case, 83-year-old David Suzuki, a scientists and host of the long-running CBC program, A Nature of Things, and 81-year-old Stephen Lewis, a former Ontario politician and United Nations Ambassador for Canada – who are prepared to go out there and speak out for climate action and our children’s future.

Suzuki, Lewis and another great Canadian over the age of 70 – 78-year-old folksinger and social justice activist Buffy Sainte-Marie, who is joining them as a special guest – are embarking on what they are calling a “Climate First Tour” of five key cities across the country this September and October, starting at 7p.m this September 14th, at Convocation Hall at the University of Toronto. Continue reading →

Personal Watercraft Operators in Restricted Waters Faces Federal Charge

A News Release from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Police

Posted September 13^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – On September 11th, 2019 at approximately 7:00 p.m. emergency services responded to the upper Niagara River following a 9-1-1 call that an individual had fallen off his personal watercraft in restricted waters at the International Control Dam.

A second personal watercraft operator was observed in these restricted waters but steered back towards shore.

Niagara Parks Police Service members positioned themselves along three shoreline locations between the Toronto Power Generating station and the brink of the Horseshoe Falls with rescue throwlines. Continue reading →

A Statement from Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch and Ottawa MPP Joel Harden for Ontario’s New Democratic Party

Posted September 13th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park –  Ottawa NDP MPP Joel Harden and NDP Municipal Affairs critic, Jeff Burch,  issued the following statement after the City of Ottawa’s finance and economic development committee approved a property tax increase, a direct result of Doug Ford’s cuts to Ontario municipalities.

“Doug Ford is cutting critical services — including public health — and downloading the costs of those provincially funded programs onto municipalities, and families that pay municipal taxes.

Let’s be clear: if Ottawa or any other community has to raise municipal taxes this year, it’s a Ford Tax.

The alternative, with Ford’s funding cuts, is forcing cities to look at cutting community programs that families depend on. Either option is unthinkable for many city councillors and municipal leaders. Continue reading →

“At a time where we’re losing our grants, we’re losing OSAP, it should be more important than ever to fund student jobs, and jobs that allow us to excel in our career after graduating. Unfortunately that doesn’t seem to be a priority for provincial government.”

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition and New Democratic Party

Posted September 12^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Ontario — NDP MPPs Jessica Bell and Chris Glover are calling on the Ford government to reverse its attack on student unions and services, which has put campus and community radio stations across the province under threat.

“Doug Ford’s cuts mean that half of Ontario’s community radio stations are at risk of having to close down over the next two years,” said Bell, MPP for University-Rosedale. “Ford forcing universities and colleges to implement his personal student fee policy means many campus radio stations face considerable financial instability, and are laying off students. That’s simply unacceptable.” Continue reading →

They Have Big Sales On This September. If You Love Books, Do Yourself A Favour and Check These Stores Out

A Brief One from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted September 12th, 2019  on Niagara At Large

Hannelore Headley Old & Fine Books in St. Catharines, Niagara on 71 Queen Street near Montebello Park

(Let me start by saying that this is not a paid ad. It  is an updated version of a piece I posted about this two great bookstores when they both hold month-long sales like this a year or so ago – Doug Draper, NAL)

I am posting this one because I’ve always been a strong supporter of what are left of our great old brick and mortar book and record stores in Niagara, Ontario and across the border in the Buffalo and Niagara Falls, New York areas, and I urge you to support them as a friend of book and record stores by becoming a customer.

And it is a great time to become a customer because right now, two of the very best of the used bookstores in our Niagara region are having sales of  50 per cent off most of their inventory, every day they are open, right up to the end of this month of September.

The Write Bookshop, in the downtown of St. Catharines on 285 St. Paul Street

Those two stores – both of them independently owned and run by very nice and knowledgeable people – are Hannelore Headley Old & Fine Books on 71 Queen Street, off Lake Street near Montebello Park in St. Catharines, and The Write Bookshop, right in the downtown of St. Catharines on 285 St. Paul Street.

The following is a short message from the people at Hannelore Headley Old & Fine Books on their sale –

“There is still time to stop by for our spring book sale; 50% off all used books, and 20% off books marked firm.

There are exceptions, for example books mark new or on consignment can’t be discounted and credit slips won’t apply. So come by and help us make some space, let’s get those books out of boxes! (Sale runs until end of this September). 

And don’t forget the similar sale at The Write Bookshop on nearby St. Paul Street in the city.

Please check these two great stores out, and vote as often as you can with your wallet to keep real book and record stores alive!

For more information on Hannelore Headley Old & Fine Books in St. Catharines, Niagara, click on – https://www.facebook.com/Hannelore-Headley-Old-Fine-Books-Inc-533950869988039/ .

For more information on The Write Bookshop in downtown St. Catharines, Niagara, click on – https://www.facebook.com/TheWriteBookshop/ .

For a related post from the Niagara At Large archives – a goodbye tribute to Hannelore Headley, founder of  Old And Fine Books who died five years ago this June, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2013/06/28/a-sad-goodbye-to-one-of-niagaras-greatest-lovers-of-books/ .

Feel free to name some of your favourite book stores in Niagara, Ontario and the Buffalo, New York area below.

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

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

“Our communities – and the province as a whole – risk falling behind if we do not leverage the rich and diverse competitive advantages of our local economies.” – Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce

A New Report from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce  and Ontario Chamber of Commerce

Posted September 12^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara,Ontario – This September 12th, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC) released a new report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies.

The report outlines how government of all levels can work with industry to unleash the potential of Ontario’s regional economies and reinforce the competitiveness of the province as a whole.

“We are only as strong as our weakest link and our ability to prosper depends on the strength of our different regions. Economic and population growth rates in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and Ottawa have far surpassed those in other areas of the province,” said Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce. Continue reading →

Vote As If Our Whole Future Is At Stake – Because It Is!

“This election, who we vote for matters more than ever before. It matters not only for our country, but also for our children’s future and the health of our planet.” – Sierra Club Canada

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

Posted September 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

As of this September 11^th, 2019, a federal election in Canada is officially on and for Canadians from coast to coast, this may very well be the most important election in our lives.

This federal election is of critical importance because as many of the best scientists and climate experts around the world have been warning us over and over again, we are facing a full-blown climate catastrophe and breakdown of the systems that support life on this planet if we don’t take strong action now to stave it off.

We now have possibly a dozen or so years left before we reach a perilous tipping point – a point of no return – some of the most recent scientific models tell us, and the rate of melting ice, rising waters, severe winds, droughts and wildfires is escalating beyond almost any and all predictions made 10 or 20 years ago.

One of today’s great champions for our planet and we adults need to listen to her – 16-year-old Greta Thunberg from Sweden. “You say you love your children above all else,” she said, “and yet you are stealing their future in front of their very eyes.”

As that remarkable young climate activist from Sweden, Greta Thunberg, put it during a presentation she made to some of the world’s financial leaders at the annual World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland this past January; “I want you to act. I want you to act as you would in a crisis. I want you to act as if the house is on fire, because it is.”

Greta’s call to them must be the call we Canadians make to ourselves and everyone around us in the 40 or so days we have leading up to an October 21^st vote. If we do not make that call our own, if we don’t go to war now on this over-arching threat to our planet, then nothing else – what we do on health care, on education, on job creation and on a host of other issues – will matter because there will be no ground left to build a life on. Continue reading →

“We saw the best and the worst in humanity in that moment, and we will never forget those who lost their lives.”                                      – from a Statement by New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo

A Brief News Commentary by  Doug Draper

Posted September 11^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Anyone who was over the age of 10 on September 11^th, 2001 probably remembers where they were and who they were with when countless millions around the world turned on screens to the sight of fire and smoke billowing out of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center on the lower shores of Manhattan in the City of New York.

Some 3,000 people died when those two towers cratered, and when commercial jetliners filled with passengers were used as missiles to take out them and a section of the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C. Depending on what media sources you go to, 26 or more of the victims of the terror attacks that day were Canadians. Continue reading →

A New CBC Report Says Doug Ford Is Continuing To Talk Up Urban Development In Greenbelt

Jim Bradley, during one of the many times he, as an MPP for St. Catharines, spoke to a gathering of Niagara residents working to protect and preserve green space in the region.

“When our (Ontario Liberal) government was elected to office in 2003, urban communities were sprawling at a dangerous rate and tens of thousands of acres of precious land were being gobbled up for development. To counter this worrisome trend, our government created the largest permanent Greenbelt anywhere in the world, which protects almost two million acres of pristine land and fresh water.”                                                  – then-St. Catharines MPP Jim Bradley, in a statement in the Ontario legislature, delivered May 1st, 2018

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

Posted September 190^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

“One of the main reasons I decided to run for public office at the provincial level was to protect our valuable farmland, green fields, wetlands, ravines, rivers streams and environmentally sensitive areas from unwise and reckless development.”

Those words were spoken in the Ontario legislature on May 1^st, 2018 by Jim Bradley, who was the Liberal MPP for St. Catharines at the time, and who earlier in his long tenure in provincial politics, served twice as Ontario’s environment minister.

Now Chair of Niagara Region’s council, Jim Bradley’s words recall the concern he already had for the survival of what is left of our natural heritage in the Golden Horseshoe while he was a a St. Catharines city councillor in the late 1970s, preparing to run as a candidate provincially.

Bradley’s words were also spoken after a video tape was leaked to the news media a year ago this spring, showing then Tory leadership candidate Doug Ford speaking to a group of developers in what he thought was a private setting about allowing “chunks” of the province’s protected Greenbelt to be paved over for housing if he were to become premier.

“People of all political persuasion have … expressed support for the Greenbelt,” added Bradley during his statement in the provincial legislature in May of last year. “They would be appalled and extremely concerned when viewing a video of (then) PC Party leader Doug Ford promising developers to open up a “big chunk” of Ontario ‘s greenbelt for development, and admitting that he had already talked to some of the biggest developers in the country (about doing just that.)”

Before I go on to comment on Ford’s continued, obsessive interest in turning over “chunks” of our world renown Greenbelt running through Niagara and around Hamilton and the Greater Toronto Area, here is that infamous video that you can watch by clicking on the screen below –

After this video went public, political critics like Jim Bradley slammed Ford. And the video also  triggered an outcry from environmentalists and members o the general public alike.

So much so that Ford quickly retreated from the words he was caught uttering in the video. Continue reading →

This year – 2019 – on Track to be Worst for Toxic Blooms Causing People to be Sick and Pets to Die

Toxic Algae is killing fish and threatening other life in Great Lakes

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

Posted September 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Buffalo, New York – Congressman Brian Higgins  is asking the United States Army Corps to expand a pilot project, which is seeing success in combatting Harmful Algal Blooms (HAB), to the Great Lakes.

In his letter Higgins says, “I write today to respectfully request that, simultaneous with the pilot effort on Lake Okeechobee, similar pilot efforts be undertaken in Lake Erie, which has suffered, in recent years, from serious harmful algal blooms.

A shot from space shows mats of green algae spreading through Lake Ontario. File photo

  “These phenomena (the letter continues) are not merely an impediment to recreational activities on the lakes, but the toxins associated with algal blooms threaten the water supplies of major cities.  This crisis is significant and growing and requires a rapid and coordinated response.” Continue reading →

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterfhoff

“Adding new long-term care beds and upgrading older beds to modern design at Shalom Manor (in Grimsby), and across the (Niagara) region, is key to our government’s transformational strategy to end hallway health care in Ontario. … “We owe it to the older generations who need care now, and for our children. One day, they will need this care too.” – Niagara West MPP and Ford Government rep. Sam Oosterhoff

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted September 10th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Grimsby, Ontario  — Across the province, there are more than 34,000 Ontarians waiting to get into a long-term care home, putting strain on the health care system and leaving residents waiting too long for the care they desperately need.

The government is taking swift action and delivering on its commitment to end hallway health care by adding more long-term care beds in communities across Ontario.

This September 10th, Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care, was joined by Effie Triantafilopoulos, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long-Term Care, MPPs Sam Oosterhoff, Toby Barrett, Will Bouma and Donna Skelly at Shalom Manor & Gardens in Grimsby to announce the government is allocating almost 1,000 new long-term care beds and upgrading almost 800 existing beds to modern design in Haldimand-Norfolk, Brant, Hamilton and Niagara. Continue reading →

Reiger Begonia Show at the Floral Showhouse this Fall·   Floral Showhouse takes on fall harvest theme, September 14 – October 21, in Niagara Falls, Ontario 

An Invite from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission 

Posted September 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Niagara Falls, Ontario – A wonderful mix of fall colours will be featured in this year’s Reiger Begonia show at the Floral Showhouse, from September 14 – October 21. 

The floral design theme is Rooted: Fall Harvest, with collections of rooted vegetables showcasing orange and red begonias in the north house. Continue reading →

Will Niagara West MPP and Ford Government Rep Sam Oosterhoff be Among the Last to Enjoy a Wedding at NPCA’s Ball’s Falls Conservation Area?

What more will Ontario Premier Doug Ford do to province’s cash-strapped Conservation Authorities?

And How Much Right Does The Province Have Left To Dictate Anything  Conservation Authorities Do When It Contributes So Little To Conservation Budgets?

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

Posted September 9th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

This August, in a letter to Conservation Ontario – an umbrella group for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) and 35 other Conservation Authorities across the province – Jeff Yurek, Ontario’s Minister of Environment, Conservation and Parks, recommended that Conservation Authorities begin to “wind down” any activities that “fall outside the scope of (their) core mandate.”

Kim Gavine, general manager of Conservation Ontario, responded that the recommendation, or “request as Yurek put it, in the minister’s August 16^th letter “stunned” Conservation Authorities and left them “caught completely by surprise.”

Ontario Environment, Conservation and Parks Minister Jeff Yurek stuns Conservation Authorities with letter suggesting they should “wind down” some activities.

In the wake of Yurek’s letter, Conservation Authorities were left wondering what “activities” he was referring to and what exactly the Ford government he serves views as their “core mandate.”

As the dog days of August dragged on, Ontario’s Conservation Authorities and the public at large were treated to at least a partial list of what activities the provincial government has in mind.

In media interviews, Yurek and one of his spokespersons were quoted in newspapers listing activities like zip-lining, maple syrup festivals, and photography and wedding permits in their conservation areas among the activities that should be wound down.

“Over the years, conservation authorities have expanded past their core mandate into activities such as zip-lining, maple syrup festivals and photography and wedding permits,” Yurek was quoted saying in an August 21^st story in the Toronto Star.

Weddings, just to focus on one the possible activities on the Ford government’s wind down list, have been very popular at the NPCA’s Ball’s Falls Conservation Area for many years now and through the fees the NPCA charges wedding parties for use of the facilities on the area’s scenic lands, it has also been an important source of revenue the NPCA uses to help cover the costs of watershed restoration and other conservation projects that are arguably part of its core mandate.

Niagara West MPP and Ford Government representative Sam Oosterhoff and his new wife recently enjoy their wedding reception at Ball’s Falls Conservation Area. (This photo was taken this August on front steps of historic Ball family residence.) Will they be among the last to do so as Ford government eyes winding down such activities at Conservation Authority sites? A Facebook image.

And it just so happens, as Niagara At Large recently learned from sources outside of the NPCA and this region of the province, that just two weeks before Yurek “stunned” Conservation Authorities with his request that such activities be wound down, that Niagara West MPP and Ford government representative Sam Oosterhoff, had his wedding at the Ball’s Falls Conservation Area, located in the Niagara municipality of Lincoln.

One of the many guests at wedding, sources confirmed was Ontario Premier Doug Ford. Continue reading →

Government of Ontario is proposing to open up hunting of wolves and coyotes across the north.

Ontario’s Ford Government is moving to put more of province’s wolves and coyotes in the cross-hairs. An Ontario Naturephoto of Grey Wolf cubs.  Photo by John Pitcher

An Action Alert from Ontario Nature, a non-partisan, not-for profit advocacy group for protecting and preserving Ontario’s natural heritage

Why are these wolves being scapegoated? Why, indeed, when there is no scientific evidence to justify Ford’s proposed cull? Ontario Nature photo by Douglas Sprott

Posted September 6^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Without a shred of supporting scientific evidence, the Government of Ontario is proposing to open up hunting of wolves and coyotes across the north.

The reason?

They claim that it’s to address the declining moose populations. But the evidence doesn’t add up. Continue reading →

“The Tongass (National Forest) is an essential carbon sink. It stores more atmospheric carbon than any other U.S. forest.  Each tree that is cut down removes a piece of this invaluable resource that helps slow climate change.”                                                                                – The Sierra Club, in an open appeal for our help to save this rich, life-giving forest

One of North America’s greatest stand of trees is now in Trump’s sights for destruction

A Call-Out for Support from the Sierra Club

Posted September 6^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from NAL’s Doug Draper – I am generally reluctant to post calls for support that involve asking for dollar donations on Niagara At Large, outside of a shortlist of exceptions.

I am making an exception in this case because the organization asking for donations – the Sierra Club – is one of the oldest and most respected conservation groups in the world – and the battle they need funding for is against efforts by the Trump administration and some of the greediest pirates in the logging industry to literally cut the life out of one of the last great stands of trees on this continent that Canada shares with the United States.

This disgusting and dangerous move, along with so many others Trump and his fellow swamp creatures are making around deconstructing a legacy of environmental safeguards has the potential to seriously compromise a healthy and prosperous future for all of us.

So we need to support groups like the Sierra Club in whatever way we can to fight these battles.)

Now here is the Sierra Club’s call-out for support –

In the last week of August, President Trump told the Forest Service to exempt the Tongass National Forest from the Roadless Rule that has protected it ; and millions more acres of National Forest System land; from road building and logging for 20 years. Continue reading →

* St. David’s Public School on Regional Rd. 81 (York Rd.) from Queenston Rd.    to Concession 3 Rd. in the Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake 

* Twenty Valley Public School on Regional Rd. 24 (Victoria Ave.) from    Frederick Ave. to Regional Rd. 81 (King St.) in the Town of Lincoln

Community Safety Zones will help get students to school safely at two locations in Niagara this September

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 6^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – It’s back to school time, and Niagara Region is launching Community Safety Zones at two locations on Regional Roads to help improve safety for students and their families travelling to and from school.

Community Safety Zones are intended to modify driver behaviour including reducing speed and distracted driving, and improve safety on certain sections of road where public safety is of special concern. Continue reading →