Niagara At Large

“It will be a tragedy like no other if our children and their children only know elephants from books and videos.”

A Call-Out from Avaaz, an online global citizens advocacy group

Posted August 2nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“It will be a tragedy like no other if our children and their children only know elephants from books and videos.”

Dear Friends –

Every 15 minutes an elephant is brutally slaughtered for its tusks, and at this rate they will be gone forever in just a few years.

Momentum is growing for a complete global ban on ivory — but the European Commission has just come out against it!

The elephant crisis is heartbreaking. In some areas these magnificent, sensitive creatures are so terrified of people they only come out at night, and mourning baby elephants refuse to leave the butchered corpses of their mothers.

Now 29 African governments have said if Europe gets its way, it will spell extinction for our elephants, and they need our help. Continue reading →

A Sad Sign of Our Times

A Brief One from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted August 1st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

It’s been too long since someone out there flashed us a ‘sign of the times’ worth posting, but here’s one we thought we’d share with you as we make our way through the dog days of summer.

This one comes courtesy of a long-time reader I can fairly well guess is no fan of U.S. presidential candidate and billionaire bigot and blowhard Donald Trump.

It is a sign that found its way to the internet from somewhere in the United States where I can tell you from my visit to Buffalo, New York this past Saturday and Sunday for that city’s annual Garden Walk tour, almost every single Buffalo resident I talked to is living in mortal fear of this fascist creep possibly becoming the next president of their country.

A majority of the people I talked to still wish Bernie Sanders had won the Democratic Party nomination for the presidency (Buffalo polled strongly for Bernie during the spring primaries) but said they will hold their noses this coming November and vote for Hillary Clinton, if they have to, to keep Trump out.

I only passed one house during the whole two days of the tour with a Trump sign in the yard where two dogs leashed to a pole near the the sign growled and barked at those of us passing by. Those dogs have the same temperament as the Donald, I thought, as their owner, sitting on the porch with five-o’clock shadow and his ball hat spun backwards yelled at them to “pipe down.”

You couldn’t make that scene up and for a split second I thought of snapping off a picture of those dogs snarling next to that Trump sign but the guy on the porch looked like he could grab my camera and put it in a place where I would have to have it removed via a procedure I’m not sure I’m covered for on the American side of the border.

So we’ll have to settle for the sign below, shared by one of our NAL readers instead.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. If you have a sign you think says something about our crazy times that we might post here, send it as a JPEG to drapers@vaxxine.com .

In the meantime, we encourage you to share your views on this post in the space below, remembering that we only post comments from people who also share their first and last name.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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

Posted August 1^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

A Call-Out from Catherine Ens of and for Niagara Action For Animals … with a Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

For most of the 37 years I have been reporting on environment and other issues in this greater Niagara region, the many dedicated volunteers working for and with Niagara Action for Animals have always been there – rescuing and adopting dogs and cats and other creatures big and small, picketing in front of Marineland and other amusement parks and circuses that display captive animals for profit and entertainment, speaking out against animal abuse of all forms, and advocating for the humane treatment of all living creatures.

Niagara Action for Animals – known by many simply as NAFA – has always been and continues to be one of the best friends other creatures we are blessed to share a few moments of time on this earth have ever had.

So I am pleased to post this information from Catherine Ens and NAFA on a few ways this August that you can support their valuable work. – Doug Draper, journalist.

From Catherine Ens and NAFA –

Scentsy Fundraiser for NAFA!

Friend of NAfA and Scentsy consultant Emily Chaperon is hosting a fundraiser to benefit animals in our community!

For this whole month of August, 25 per cent of Emily’s Scentsy sales – 100% of her commission – will be donated to Niagara Action for Animals. Please see attached poster for details and share widely! Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown

Posted August 1^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown made the following statement marking the anniversary of Emancipation Day:

“Today, we commemorate the anniversary of the enactment of the British Imperial Act, known as Emancipation Day. Inspired in large part by the heroic actions of William Wilberforce, the British Parliament voted in 1834 to abolish slavery in most of the British Empire.

This day recognizes the lives of those who were enslaved and oppressed. It also provides us an opportunity to remember an historic event, which displays our commitment to freedom and human rights.

Critically, the passage of the British Imperial Act made Ontario a beacon of freedom and hope, and launched the “Underground Railroad,” from which escaping slaves found their way to Ontario, and freedom.

I would like to commend my colleague MPP Ted Arnott for co-sponsoring the Private Members’ Bill which recognizes the first of August as Emancipation Day in Ontario

I am pleased to join the Black Canadian community and all Ontarians in marking this important day in our history.”

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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

A News Analysis from the Hamilton, Ontario-based ‘Citizens At City Hall” – CATCH

Posted July 28th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Hamilton’s hot weather is mirrored by escalating global average temperatures that are already closing in on the maximum increase agreed to in Paris last December by 190 countries.

The city’s outdoor burning ban issued last week follows four heat warnings already this summer and the long term forecast offers little relief with no night-time temperatures below 19°C forecast until well into August.

Climate change warnings going back a decade or more predict sharp increases in plus 30°C days. The Hamilton and Niagara area have also gone through agriculturally-damaging drought conditions for much of late spring and early summer, only partly relieved by (the recent July 25th) Monday morning’s storm. Continue reading →

Time For Canada To Open More Inspection Booths At Niagara Border Bridges

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 27^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau expressed “delight” in announcing this July 27^th that the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge – less formally known to the world as Prince William and Kate – are planning a Royal Tour of Canada his coming fall, and that seems fine.

Hopefully, the Royals are not planning to enter the country by way of the Peace Bridge or one of the other Canada-U.S. border crossings because they may have a very long wait on their hands.

Peace Bridge crossing between Niagara, Ontario and Buffalo, New York. photo by Doug Draper

Of course, our Royal guests won’t be entering Canada from the Peace Bridge. Saying that they might was just my way of leading in to the real issue I want to discuss here – the annoyingly long waits at these crossings into Canada.

These long lineups – due in large part to cuts to federal budgets and a lack of border inspectors on the Canadian side going back to the Harper government’s reign of error – may very well be discouraging visitors from coming to our region and spending money here, according to a recent story in The Buffalo News.

And to that I ask; ‘How penny wise and pound stupid can our Canadian federal leaders possibly be?’ Continue reading →

 Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the announcement of a Royal Tour of Canada by the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge

Posted July 27^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement this July 27^th regarding the upcoming Royal Tour of Canada by Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, which will take place in the fall of 2016:

“We are delighted by the Governor General’s announcement that Their Royal Highnesses, The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, will visit Canada this fall. During their stay, the Duke and Duchess will travel to British Columbia and Yukon on a visit that will showcase some of Canada’s finest natural beauty.

“This Royal Tour, the second undertaken by Their Royal Highnesses to Canada, also presents a unique opportunity for Canadians of all backgrounds to meet with the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge and learn more about our heritage, traditions, and institutions.

“Our government looks forward to providing Canadians with further details closer to the beginning of the Royal Tour.”

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

Bringing Products From Canada and 85 Other Countries to Consumers’ Fingertips

News from the Ontario Government

Posted July 26^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – Ontario is offering a new and convenient way to buy alcohol products by introducing online sales through LCBO.com.

Starting this July 26th, LCBO consumers can buy online up to 5,000 different products from across Canada and 85 other countries. Customers can choose to have their order sent to an LCBO store of their choosing for pick up, free of charge, or choose to have it delivered directly to their home, anywhere in Ontario. Continue reading →

Our work will continue in the form of a new group called Our Revolution

A Message from Vermont Senator & Progressive Movement Leader Bernie Sanders

Posted July 26^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Postscript from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – Niagara At Large keeps posting news and commentary about Berne Sanders because we know that many Canadians – particularly younger Canadians – have become as engaged as millions of their American neighbour’s in Bernie’s progressive agenda for improving the lives of everyday people.

In fact, campaign workers at the Bernie Sanders Buffalo, Office told me earlier this year that a number of Canadians offered to volunteer in knocking on doors in Western New York for Bernie during this past winter and spring’s election primaries.

Why?

Continue reading →

“The need for a skilled labour force to offset the loss of a natural ecological process is significant.” – Al Unwin, Associate Dean, Niagara College’s School of Environmental & Horticultural Studies

News from Niagara College

Posted July 26^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – With a significant and growing demand for highly-trained beekeepers across Canada and around the world, Niagara College has introduced a one-year hands-on Commercial Beekeeping Graduate Certificate program – the first of its kind in Eastern Canada.

Environmental Technician student Christine Combe checks out beehives at Niagara College’s new apiary, with the help of Dennis Edell, director of the Ontario Beekeepers’ Association. Photo courtesy of Niagara College

The three-semester program will see its first intake of approximately 30 students begin studies at the Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus in January 2017. With the winter start, the program will run parallel to the normal annual lifecycle of the honey bee, from the winter slumber to honey extraction, to returning the bees to their hives for overwintering.

“Our commercial Beekeeping program is a shining example of one of Niagara College’s key strengths – our ability to work closely with industry to develop high-quality academic programs that respond to specific needs in our community and beyond,” said Niagara College president Dan Patterson.  Continue reading →

Time Spent in Natural Settings Has Positive Impact on Mental and Physical Health

“Spending time in one of Ontario’s beautiful provincial parks is a wonderful way to connect with nature and stay healthy. But there are also many natural settings in your own neighbourhood. I encourage all Ontarians to get out to any natural setting and to take up the 30×30 Nature challenge.”  — Kathryn McGarry, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry

A Message from Ontario’s Liberal Government

Posted July 25th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – This is a good message from Ontario Natural Resources Minister Kathryn McGarry and her government.

But finding natural settings residents in Niagara, Ontario can connect with may become even more challenging if McGarry and her government do not soon do something about a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority with executive administrators and members of a  board – many of which are elected councilors appointed by their fellow Niagara regional councillors – who have compromised the NPCA’s historic mission further away from nature conservation and closer to allowing ever more brick and mortar development on what is left of the region’s green spaces.

A giant white oak tree in the Thundering Waters forest area targeted for residential and commercial development in Niagara Falls, Ontario

How much longer is the Ontario government going to deflect Niagara residents’ concerns about the current activities of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority by telling them the NPCA falls under regional and local government jurisdiction, only to have regional politicians tell residents that they have no jurisidiction over the NPCA either? When is some level of government going to take responsibility for this so-called Conservation Authority and stop saying ‘No’ to residents who ask for an independent, value for dollar audit of the more than $8 million annually of our tax money this body is awarded to spend?

These questions and concerns come from citizens at a time when the NPCA has expressed interest in applying something called “biodiversity offsetting” – code for bulldozing over – provincially significant wetland in Niagara Falls – an old-growth wetland the NPCA’s current board chair claims can be duplicated somewhere else in five years.

All of this to make way for a China-funded ‘Paradise-Thundering Waters’ development project in Niagara Falls, Ontario on hundreds of acres of land hosting forest and wetlands – a project Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne highlighted as a win for the province during a business trip she took to China in November of last year.

So it is good for the provincial government  to talk about what a positive experience it is for Ontario residents to connect with natural settings in and around their communities. But what is the provincial government going to do to ensure what is left of these natural settings are not bulldozed away with the support of a “Conservation Authority” that gives every appearance of being in bed with developers?)

Queen’s Park, Ontario – The Ontario government and Ontario Parks are challenging people across the province to spend more time in nature and develop new healthy habits. Continue reading →

News from Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Posted July 25^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Ever wonder what controls the heights and sizes of buildings in a community? What rules allow certain type of uses – like a gas station or an apartment building or townhouse – in one area, but not in another? Or, where do the rules come from for the amount of parking a store or an apartment or a church must have?

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

In Ontario, it’s a community’s Zoning Bylaw that contains detailed information on what kind of land use and what kinds of physical structures are allowed on each property in the Town. The Zoning Bylaw puts into effect the Town’s “Official Plan” or Secondary Plans (like the East Fonthill Secondary Plan or the North-West Fonthill Secondary Plan).

The details include the height and “massing” of buildings, the distance buildings must be set back from the street or other yards, and any landscaping requirements.

Since Zoning By-laws are legally enforceable (under the Ontario Planning Act), proposed developments that do not fit the By-law’s requirements are not allowed to proceed – unless they receive a variance. Thus, this important Bylaw helps achieve Council’s objectives for a successful, vibrant, and livable community. Continue reading →

By John Bacher of Greening Niagara

Posted July 25^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – In his recent statement on the environment, Laudato Si, Pope Francis warned that, “The Earth, our home is beginning to look more and more like an immense pile of filth.”

Citizen volunteers gather for Greening Niagara organized trash cleanup at Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontaritio

 In this statement, Francis was in agreement with some of the warnings of the draft Environmental Impact Study for the Thundering Waters development proposal in Niagara Falls, Ontario. It describes how vernal pools which provide important breeding habitat for frogs and the regionally rare Blue Spotted Salamander have been trashed by “numerous canisters, fuel drums or other forms of debris.” It also laments how the site is marred by “piles of garbage.”   

This past Saturday July 23^rd, about 30 volunteers, including two families with children, joined organizer of Greening Niagara in removing trash from a vernal pool which provides breeding habitat for amphibians. In coming out on this very hot and humid day to help remove this garbage, these volunteers responded not only to Papal directives, but to the teachings of this continent’s Native elders, who decry our planet being turned into a trash pile against the authority of sacred treaties. Continue reading →

“These (Animal Cruelty Investigation) workers and the animals of our province deserve better,” – Kendra Coulter, associate professor, Brock University’s Centre for Labour Studies

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted July 25^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Enforcement officers with the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) are underequipped compared to their police service counterparts and face many instances of disrespect on the job, says new research by Brock University and the University of Windsor.

Brock U. prof and labour experit Kendra Coulter and friend, Photo courtesy of Brock University

“OSPCA officers have the same legal authority as police to enforce animal cruelty legislation, yet key elements of their working conditions are quite shocking,” says Kendra Coulter, associate professor in Brock University’s Centre for Labour Studies, and lead author of the report.

The report, “Difference Makers: Understanding and Improving the OSPCA’s Animal Cruelty Investigation Work,” which can be found at humanejobs.org is a first-of-its-kind study of animal cruelty investigators and their work in Ontario. Continue reading →

‘Blue-green algae (has been) detected in very small quantities upstream from the Decew water treatment plant.’

News from Niagara, Ontario’s Regional Government

July 22^nd, 2016 on Niagara at Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region is taking steps to address the presence of blue-green algae detected in very small quantities upstream from the water treatment plant intake at Decew Water Treatment Plant.  Although the algae itself is harmless, it has the potential to produce toxins that are harmful at high concentrations.

While no toxins have been detected at this time, testing for toxins in these algae will continue daily. Tests conducted have shown that there is no toxin in the water at the treatment plant, nor upstream from it. Therefore, there is no risk to the public’s health.

Blue-green algae clusters in Lake Erie, an upstream source of drinking water for Niagara residents. This NASA photo was taken a few years ago. Concern has been growing about phosphorus and other pollutants from human activities causing a growing toxic algae problem in the Great Lakes

The Region’s Public Works and Public Health departments are working with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to monitor and prevent any potential future risk to the public.  Continue reading →

“Watch out now, take care, beware of greedy leaders. They’ll take you where you should not go. … Beware of darkness.” – from the George Harrison song, Beware of Darkness, 1970.

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 22^nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

On the final night of the Republic National Convention in Cleveland, Ohio this July 21^st, Ivanka Trump introduced her father, billionaire blowhard and wannabe U.S. president Donald Trump, to the podium as “a generous and compassionate man” – all while the late George Harrison’s original Beatle recording of ‘Here Comes The Sun” swelled up in the background.

No so generous though – if you could find an ounce of generosity in the man for anyone but himself at all – that the Donald would give any thought to asking those who own the rights to a musical composition for permission to use it in his campaign, much less pay a penny in royalties to use it.

Not long after the last chords of ‘Her Comes The Sun’ rang out at this Trump-fest of a convention, representatives of George Harrison’s estate circulated the following message on Twitter – “The unauthorized use of ‘Here Comes the Sun’ at the RNC is offensive & against the wishes of the George Harrison estate. If it had been ‘Beware of Darkness’ (a song from Harrison’s classic solo album ‘All Things Must Pass’), then we MAY have approved it! #TrumpYourself,” Continue reading →

Get Ready For The Next Billion Dollar Bite In The Pocketbook

 A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 21^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

I recently had a chance to see Jaws again on a big screen where the full impact of that mouth full of razor sharp teeth lunging to the surface from the shadowy depths of the sea belongs.

The theatrical return of this 1970s horror flick was a reminder of how often, during my earlier years as an environment reporter, I used lines from its story about a shark devouring bathers off the shores of Cape Cod as a metaphor for warnings of danger we humans too often choose to ignore.

One line from the movie came immediately to mind a few weeks back when I read a story in The Globe and Mail about how much this spring’s wildfires in Fort McMurray, Alberta will cost insurance companies, and the line goes like this – “You are going to ignore this problem until it swims right up and bites you in the ass.” Continue reading →

Girls are twice as likely as boys to experience psychological distress. Screen time, social media use, and problem gaming on the rise.  

News from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health in Ontario

TORONTO, Ontario, July 21, 2016 – More than one in three – an estimated 328,000 — Ontario students in grades seven to 12 report moderate-to-serious psychological distress, according to new survey results from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH). Girls are twice as likely as boys to experience psychological distress.

“This is a significant number of young people, especially girls, who are experiencing high levels of psychological distress,” says Dr. Robert Mann, senior scientist at CAMH and co-lead investigator of the Ontario Student Drug Use and Health Survey (OSDUHS). A total of 10,426 students from across Ontario participated in the 2015 OSDUHS, the longest-running school survey of adolescents in Canada, and one of the longest-running surveys in the world.

“We were also surprised to see this number increase to 34 per cent in 2015 from 24 per cent in 2013. That is a 10 per cent jump in reported psychological distress in just two years,” said Dr. Mann. Continue reading →

Posted July 2oth, 2016 on Niagara At Large 

A Community Information Session hosted by No Burn Niagara AND PORT ROBINSON PROUD

July 25, 2016 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Darlene Ryan Port Robinson Community Centre,  40 Cross Street, Port Robinson

Key Questions and Answers:

Q1:      What is No Burn Niagara?

A:         A citizen’s coalition formed to fight against a proposed waste incinerator in Niagara and to fight for zero waste.

Speaker: Liz Benneian, Founder Ontario Zero Waste Coalition

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/noburnniagara/

Q2:      Where is the proposed location for the plant? Continue reading →

By Leslie Daniels, Guest Writer, Niagara At Large

Posted July 19^th, 2018 on NAL

I wanted to write something lighthearted and funny about the Republican National Convention – but the RNC beat me to it.

Well them and the guy who just said it was amazing, that being as anti-LGBT as the GOP is, that they could “appropriate” Freddy Mercury and Queens’ song “We Are The Champions” – again.

However, as we all saw –  again, against the wishes of the band itself, there they were with BOZo, ummm “The” Donald Trump, rising from the smoke and ashes of the Republican Party to center stage  rocking to Queen’s anthem. Continue reading →

“I’m not a cheat, I’m not a thief, and I don’t break the rules.” – from Senator Mike Duffy’s testimony in an Ottawa court, December 2015

A  Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 18^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Mike Duffy – the federal Conservative Party-appointed Senator thrown under the bus a few years back for allegedly going at the benefits package for the Red Chamber’s honourable members like an all-you-can-eat smorgasbord – is right in his recent refusal to pay back $17,000 government administrators claim he owes for expenses he billed the Senate.

Mike Duffy – now back in the Senate and found innocent of any wrongdoing – has a right to compensation and an apology from Canadians

On what legal grounds should he?

As one of Duffy’s lawyers, Donald Bayne, was quoted saying in a July 16^th story in The Globe and Mail, the Senate has no legal right to pursue him in the wake of a federal court Justice’s decision earlier this year to exonerate him.

“The ruling is a final legal and factual determination that cannot be collaterally attacked,” the lawyer stated. Continue reading →

“The first day of the RNC was an absolute disaster.” – Brock political scientist Stefan Dolgert

From Brock University, Niagara, Ontario

Posted July 19^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

With the Republican National Convention underway, Brock University political scientist Stefan Dolgert says Trump’s campaign plays on the fear and anger of his supporters.

Donald Trump. The next U.S. president?

The Trump campaign, and specifically the 2016 RNC, appears to be modeled on Richard Nixon’s convention in 1968, and is focused on stoking the fears and resentments of white Americans.

‘Make America Safe Again’ is the theme, and liberal Democrats, social justice activists, Mexican immigrants, and Muslims are the enemy.

But, Dolgert points out American voters in 2016 are far more diverse than in 1968.

“Unless Trump can find another enemy to rally some non-white voters to his cause, it is doubtful this polarization will lead him to victory,” he says. Continue reading →

A Comment from the Ontario Conservative Party

Posted July 19^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – This Tuesday, July 19^th, the Financial Accountability Officer of Ontario confirmed that the Wynne Liberals’ mismanagement and reckless spending is causing Ontario’s debt to spiral out of control with no end in sight, stated Nipissing MPP and Finance Critic Vic Fedeli stated.

Queen’s Park, Ontario

In his latest report, the FAO indicated that the province’s net debt is set to rise by over $50 billion by 2020-21 to a record $350 billion. He also indicated Ontario has the highest debt burden among the major provinces, carrying $2.40 in net debt for each dollar of provincial revenue. Continue reading →

A  Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 15^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

When I turned on CBC this July 14^th to the news that yet another horrific terrorist attack had been committed – this one killing more than 80 men, women and children in Nice, France – I immediately thought of a nice couple from Paris, France that my wife and I met while we were visiting friends on Cape Cod, Massachusetts.

The couple, who came to the United States this spring to visit their son, who is working in New York City, decided to take a side trip to the Cape and other parts of New England before heading back home, and seemed to be enjoying their time except for the unescapable news that Donald Trump had emerged as the Republican Party’s frontrunner in the race for the U.S. presidency.

Even though the couple had lived through two other bloody terrorists attacks in their country in the last 18 months, including one last November that killed 130 people in suicide bomb attacks around Paris, they found Trump’s tough talk about a total ban on Muslin immigrants, and about bringing back waterboarding or worse and possibly dropping a few bombs himself to be troubling, and they wondered how much more dangerous the world would be if Trump became president and tried following through on those ideas. Continue reading →

In Canada, We At Least Now Have A Prime Minister Striving To Do The Same

An Excerpt from U.S. President Barack Obama’s July 12^th Address at Memorial Service for fallen Dallas, Texas Police Officers

Posted July 14^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from NAL publisher Doug Draper – With now fewer than six months left in his presidency, Barack Obama delivered what is arguably one of his most heartfelt and reasoned statements yet for healing the divisions between groups of people in his country.

This address came on July 12^th, in the wake of the killing of five police officers by a black Army veteran whose rampage was reportedly triggered by two black men shot to death by police days earlier.

U.S. President Barack Obama depicted as a witchdoctor in one of many racist posters displayed at rallies of angry white people in recent years.

The words in this eloquent address also came from a person who has been a high-profile target of racial prejudice going back to his historic swearing in as the African American to assume the U.S. presidency.

From the earliest days of his presidency, there were rallies of mostly older, white Americans, featuring Tea Party favourites like Sarah Palin, and featuring a forest of signs depicting Obama as an African witchdoctor, in white face or wearing a Hitler moustache. The rallies were punctuated with chants, echoed right up to the Donald Trump ranting mob-fests of today, of; “I want my country back!” – code for ‘get the darky out of the White House’. Continue reading →

News from Brock University

Posted July 14^th on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Naomi Cermak never had the chance to complete the triathlon she trained so hard for while battling cancer. The disease took that away from her. But, cancer could never steal her determination to try in all aspects of her life.

Naomi Cermak

Despite metastatic melanoma, the 31-year-old Brock University graduate achieved academic breakthroughs and thrived athletically throughout her short life. She died in 2013 after a 13-month fight with the disease.

To honour her memory and raise money for a graduate student scholarship in her name, the Brock community will come together on Thursday, July 21 for the Tri to Inspire triathlon being held at Brock. Continue reading →

Province Unveils Over 250 Convenient Charging Locations

In Niagara, Ontario, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls, Welland, Lincoln, Port Colborne and Fort Erie On The List Of Locations   For Charging Station

Posted July 13th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Ontario – Ontario is building almost 500 electric vehicle charging stations at over 250 convenient locations across the province to help reduce greenhouse gas pollution and fight climate change.

The province is working with 24 public- and private-sector partners to create an unprecedented network of public charging electric vehicle stations in cities, along highways, at workplaces and at various public places across Ontario. This includes over 200 Level 3 and nearly 300 Level 2 charging stations. The entire network will be in service by March 31, 2017.

The province’s $20-million investment under Ontario’s Green Investment Fund will expand charging infrastructure across the province and will help address “range anxiety,” a common concern of consumers regarding the distance electric vehicles can travel compared to traditional vehicles. Continue reading →

From the Office of Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

Posted July 13^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates addressed over 1,000 delegates at the Assembly of First Nations Annual General Assembly this week in Niagara Falls.

“I’ve taken the time to read over your goals for this Assembly and the goals of the sessions you will be attending,” stated Gates. “In these discussions I see a lot of hope for pathways forward. I see frameworks that can lead to consensus on the most pressing issues of our times.”

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates addresses First Nations assembly

“In these discussions I see the desire to finally have a plan that can say that economic development and environmental protection can work hand-in-hand. A plan that says the legacy of the residential school system will finally be treated with the importance it deserves and the recognition it still needs. I also see a desire to create a framework where we can discuss health alongside wellness and finally, I see hope that we can begin the much needed work towards a true nation-to-nation relationship.” Continue reading →

Provincewide Engagement Taking Place this Summer

Niagara Area Residents Interested In This Issue Should Mark Down The Following Place & Time To Make Sure Your Input On Improving Public Transit In The Niagara Region Is Heard  – Niagara Falls: August 10th, 2016 9:00am – 12:00pm, Gale Centre Arena, Memorial Community Room

A Call-Out For Input from the Ontario Government

Queen’s Park, Ontario – As part of Ontario’s commitment to facilitate new and innovative travel options, the province is seeking input on how to improve public transportation between communities.

This summer, Ontario will be engaging with industry, stakeholders, communities and Indigenous peoples across the province about how to modernize bus services in the province. Continue reading →

A Comment from Catherine Ens, Niagara Action For Animals

Posted July 12^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – While the story about residents going to St. Catharines city council this July 11^th demanding a bylaw for licensing cats has a ‘silly’ side, it also presents a serious message to the deadbeats who love their kitty until at the age of six months or so, she becomes a bit straggly looking, or she decides to sharpen her claws on the sofa or the litterbox is JUST to much of a chore.

So out she goes, dumped on a road side somewhere or left outside to fend for herself and ultimately pregnant – now one cat becomes five or six, all scrounging around garbage or killing other wildlife; doing what comes naturally and doing the best they can to eak out a living, so to speak.

PLEASE FOLKS, get your companion animals spayed and help to prevent the spiralling- out-of-control ‘pet’ overpopulation.   

As well – for a multitude of reasons – please do your best to keep them indoors!

As the co-founder of Niagara Action for Animals, a local charity in the Niagara, Ontario region, who advocates for animals, we all need to start taking our responsibilities for companion animals to heart.

About Niagara Action for Animals – Niagara Action for Animals is a non-profit, all volunteer charity devoted to ending all forms of animal cruelty through education, direct action and legitimate protest.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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

A Commentary by Linda Babb

Posted July 12th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

We, “The People”, are strong.

We are even stronger when united in spirit and heart to support a shared cause or goal.  When the shared cause is rooted in humanitarian intent or when the people focus their heart intention on environmental protection or preservation, the seduction of money or power is superseded by the higher purpose.

Niagara area citizens at one of many rallies this spring and summer to save what’s left of region’s natural heritage. file photo by Doug Draper

In and of itself, the concept of the proposal for Thundering Waters land in Niagara Falls, Ontario  is nothing new, threatening or necessarily bad.

Looking around our region there are many suitable sites for such development, ripe for an influx of money and ideas.  There is no denying that potentially the elements of the proposal could contribute to growth, a stronger tax base and perhaps prove to be beneficial. Continue reading →

The Battle For $15 An Hour

Posted July 12^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword by NAL publisher Doug Draper –

This book- The Fight For $15 – comes at a time when the wage gap between the highest one per cent and almost everyone else in the United States and Canada has widened astronomically and many millions now struggle daily to cover the costs of living. Many everyday Americans and Canadians have continued falling further and further behind.

And once again, Canadians do not appear to be fighting as forcefully as their American counterparts for the right to fair compensation for their contribution to the economy.

While U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders has made a $15-an-hour minimum wage a centerpiece of his campaign and U.S. states like California and New York State right across the border have announced their intentions to phase $15 an hour in, Ontario’s provincial government continues to support a system of unpaid internships – code for slave labour – that forces college and university groups to work for hundreds of hours for free in order to receive their diploma.

Many students are afraid to complain for fear of putting their graduation in jeopardy and many older Ontarians who never would have accepted this treatment while they were going to school, either actively engage in this exploitation of young people or turn their backs and look the other way.

Most shameful of all, Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne allows this system of indentured slavery to continue.

Here is a brief advance on the book.

The Fight for $15: The Right Wage for a Working America

By David Rolf

The battle for a higher minimum wage, led primarily by fast food workers, has become one of the biggest labor stories in the United States in decades.

This book by one of the organizers involved in that struggle shows how victories were won and makes the case that higher wages can revitalize the US economy.

The Fight for $15 offers tools and inspiration for making change happen.

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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

–        One Dead-Beat Tom Won’t Pay Kitty Support

News you probably can’t use from Doug Draper

Posted July 12^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Lest we at NAL be accused of ignoring the most important breaking news in Niagara, we are pleased to report that a proposed bylaw in St. Catharines to license pet cats and to bar them from roaming into other peoples’ yards was defeated by a majority of the Niagara, Ontario city’s council this July 11^th.

Sorry to say that the news hounds at one of Niagara’s intrepid daily newspapers, the St. Catharines Standard, beat us to the punch on this story.

And silly us.

Here we were at a public meeting in nearby Niagara Falls over plans to sacrifice more of what is left of the region’s greenspace for more urban sprawl – all while we could have been at the St. Catharines council watching one irate resident delivering a PowerPoint presentation featuring, among other feline felonies, a litter of kittens she alleged was fathered by a roaming tom owned by one of the councillors. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper, reporter/publisher, Niagara At large

Posted July 11^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

 “Protecting our environment is not a radical idea. It is a moral responsibility.” – Vermont Senator and U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, May, 2015

This message, from one of my very few living heroes in politics, was echoed ever so eloquently by a number of representatives of the Indigenous community in the Niagara area at a rally this past July 7^th to spare a large tract of forest and wetlands in Niagara Falls, Ontario from sprawling urban development.

“They call it development. I call it destruction,” Indigenous community member Karl Dockstader told those gathered at the rally to save what has become known to growing numbers of residents across Niagara and other regions of Ontario as the Thundering Waters Forest.

Just one little slice of the 200-plus acres of Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario.

“When our lives are over and it is time to return to the creator,” said Dockstader, “we can’t take anything with us but we can leave (this forest and the wetland within and around it) to our children.” Continue reading →

“I believe this announcement encourages us to continue to concentrate on developing a regional transit service.” –       Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

A Column from Niagara’s Town of Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Posted July 11^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Following months of anticipation, Ontario’s Provincial Government’s June 28th announcement to expand GO train service into Niagara created much excitement.

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Now that we’ve had a couple of weeks to reflect, how can we make this opportunity even better?

Significant Works –

While some have bemoaned the 2021 (Grimsby) and 2023 (St. Catharines & Niagara Falls) timetable, others realize that Metrolinx (the Provincial corporation that runs GO Transit) must undertake extensive work to extend GO Rail to Niagara.

Since CN owns the track upon which GO Rail to Niagara will travel, improvements must “occur in coordination with CN along their corridor, ensuring no impacts to CN and AMTRAK rail services.” Continue reading →

A Commentary by Doug Draper, with some Final Words from Niagara, Ontario resident and writer Leslie Daniels

Posted July 11^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Things must be going pretty well in St. Catharines with respect to local taxes, urban planning, water, road, transit and other services if one of the biggest issues in that Niagara, Ontario community these days is whether or not someone’s pet cat should be licensed and kept from wandering into neighbours’ yards.

The much ballyhooed St. Kitts cat license movement made front-page headlines again this Monday, July 11^th in that fearless watchdog of a newspaper, The St. Catharines Standard, and was expected to go before the city’s council that evening with people.

Why is an issue like this gaining so much attention and traction? Continue reading →

A Statement from the  Indigenous Solidarity Coaltion@Brock

Posted July 8th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The following statement was delivered by Coalition representative Celeste Smith this July 7th at a rally organized by the Indigenous community to save a large tract of forest and wetlands in Niagara, Falls, Ontario from developers’ chainsaws and bulldozers.

Celeste Smith delivers statement at rally to save Thundering Wates Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario. Photo by Doug Draper

“The Indigenous Solidarity Coalition @ Brock is dedicated to providing people in the Brock and Niagara community the opportunity to engage in events that raise awareness and foster activism surrounding Indigenous issues.

Through our work we aim to create a more inclusive and respectful environment toward Indigenous Peoples on campus and the surrounding region. From this standpoint we recognize the importance of bringing attention to, and actively engaging in, efforts to eradicate systemic discrimination against Indigenous Peoples in Canada. 

The Coalition is honoured to have been asked to stand with our community in support of saving the Thundering Waters Forest. This is why we here today, because we all need to stand together and take action!

Continue reading →

“The time is overdue for us to respect the land and to protect the unique pockets of natural antiquity that remain.”

By Linda Babb

Posted July 8^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

‘The Land is not an abstract diagram, outline on a piece of paper or a mere commodity to be sold to the highest bidder. The land is a comprehensive, living, breathing entity in itself.

We, as humans, could not survive very long without “the land” to live on. We depend on the land for our food supply; for the air we breathe – the trees clean the air for us, we don’t have the capacity to do that.

Continue reading →

Posted July 7th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

A Final Reminder to Join the Rally

Let Niagara Regional Chair and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority know that ‘Open For Business’ doesn’t have to mean destroying what is left of this region’s wetlands and woodlands!

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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

By Nick Fillmore

Posted July 7th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

While the banks, elites, and the super-rich have been scrambling to try to hold onto their billions following the UK’s shocking vote to exit from the European Union, the anger expressed by the leave side was another emotional cry to end the control that corporations and the elite have over everyday people in many Western countries.

The day after the vote, panic and fear struck at the hearts of money gamblers as their bets turned sour and markets lurched downward. The wealthiest people lost $120-billion.

On the other side of the equation, people in most part of the UK except Scotland and Northern Ireland expressed their anger over their inability to have more control over their lives. They blame the EU for the disastrous performance of the economy since the 2007-08 financial collapse. They also fear the idea of “ever closer union”, moving toward a United States of Europe, which would lessen their control over their lives. Continue reading →

A Report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Posted July 7th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword by NAL publisher Doug Draper – Given the importance to jobs and the economy the auto industry still plays in regions of Canada like Niagara, the silence from our political and community levels over the possibility the Trudeau government will sign this Harper negotiated trade deal is deafening compared to the amount of concern in the United States over the amount of damage this deal could do to jobs in the auto and many other sectors.

So congrats to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives for at least doing this study.)

Ottawa, Ontario – As global debate over the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) intensifies, a new study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives finds the agreement will negatively impact the Canadian automotive industry, undermining the competitiveness of assembly and small and medium-sized auto parts plants.

“TPP will be a game changer for the global automotive industry,” says Queen’s University professor and auto industry expert John Holmes, who co-authored the study with Jeffrey Carey, also from Queen’s. “The proposed treaty will significantly affect decisions regarding what, where, and how automotive products will be pro­duced within the wider TPP region, with Canada getting the short end of the stick.” Continue reading →

A Call-Out from Bernie Sanders & His Bernie for U.S. President campaign

Posted July 6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from NAL publisher Doug Draper – Bernie Sanders’ concerns about the potentially destructive impact this trade deal could have on everyday Americans applies just as much to Canadians if Canada’s Trudeau government signs this Harper negotiated deal. So why aren’t Canadians expressing more concern?)

Burlington, Vermont – U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (has) urged Democratic Party platform writers to take a stand against the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a proposed 12-nation trade pact that he said would have “disastrous” consequences for U.S. workers and the environment.

Bernie Sanders fights on for “a future to believe in.”

“The Democratic Party must go on record in opposition to holding a vote on the trade deal during the lame duck session of Congress and beyond,” Sanders said. “This is about preventing the outsourcing of jobs, protecting the environment, stopping pharmaceutical companies from increasing the price of prescription drugs, preserving our democracy and respecting human rights.” Continue reading →

By John Bacher

Posted July 6th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Under the peculiar system of land use planning we have in Niagara Region,  what is termed an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is a powerful instrument.

Its findings are an important way to protect forested land that is outside of the Greenbelt and not designated as provincially significant wetlands. These forests – vulnerable to development – are categorized in the Niagara Regional Policy Plan as Environmental Conservation Areas(ECAs).

Thundering Waters forest and wetland tract targeted for ‘Paradise’ development scheme

The Niagara Regional Official Plan, along with the plans of eight local municipalities in the region, including Niagara Falls, have forested areas that are called Environmental Protection Areas (EPAs) and are truly protected from development.

Most of the forested areas in Niagara, however, are weakly protected. That is why an EIS is important.

An EIS  has the power through the Niagara Regional Official Plan and  based on detailed studies of what is termed “ecological function”, to change ECA lands into EPA areas. Continue reading →

By Sandra O’Connor

A Special to Niagara At Large, Posted July 5^th, 2016

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) has no basis in law to pursue biodiversity offsetting.

Ontario’s Conservation Authorities Act states; “The objects of an authority are to establish and undertake, a program designed to further the conservation, restoration, development and management of natural resources.”

Destroying one wetland in favour of creating another wetland is not conservation, restoration, development or management.

A provincially significant wetland in Niagara Falls, pegged for wholesale destruction by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority under the guise of a “biodiversity offsetting” scheme.

The Conservation Authorities’ Regulations state: “an Authority may make regulations restricting and regulating the use of water in or from wetlands and prohibiting, regulating or requiring the permission of the authority for straightening, changing, diverting or interfering in any way with a wetland”. Continue reading →

Gather In Niagara Falls City Hall Courtyard On July 7^th, 6 P.M.

Posted July 4^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

A Call-Out from Karl Dockstader, a Niagara resident and member of the local indigenous community

The Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario is currently slated for a wholesale death by development by the Chinese GR (Can) Investment Co LTD.

There has not been official and full recognition of the value of this land asset by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, the Niagara Falls Council, Niagra’s Regional Council, the provincial government or the federal government. Continue reading →

News from Niagara, Ontario’s Regional Government

Posted July 4^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region, Ontario – At this (past June 30^th) Regional Council meeting, Council directed staff to undertake 2017 budget preparations with tax levy guidance of a 1 per cent increase.

Niagara, Ontario’s regional council will soon address controversial bid to “off-set” natural wetlands to make way for urban development

For the average homeowner with a property valued at $240,500 a 1 per cent increase on the Regional portion of their property taxes would equal approximately $14 annually.

Regional staff will now spend the next several months developing budget options for council’s consideration and approval, as well as undertaking public engagement on budget options. These options will be presented to Council in the fall when the budget review committee resumes deliberations. Continue reading →

Holocaust Survivor, Humanitarian, Nobel Laureate – 1928-2016

“Elie Wiesel was one of the great moral voices of our time, and in many ways, the conscience of the world. He raised his voice, not just against antisemitism but against hatred, bigotry and intolerance in all its forms.” – U.S. President Barack Obama

Posted July 3^rd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel

“Wherever men and women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.” – Elie Wiesel

“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” – Elie Wiesel

In a world where we are seeing too many people succumb to individuals and groups that peddle hatred, intolerance, anger and fear in otherwise good nations like Britain, the United States and, yes, even in Canada where millions voted last year for a federal Conservative Party embracing policies that are racist, zenophobic and homophobic, we need voices like Elie Wiesel’s as much as ever.

In Canada, at least, the party of hate and intolerance did not prevail in last fall’s federal election but many of their members still sit in Canada’s House of Commons where many of them now pretend to be more open and tolerant. A few members of the former Harper cabal went so far this July 3rd as to march in Toronto’s Pride Parade.

Let’s make a promise to ourselves and each other not be fooled by those who would wear any mask they feel they must to curry favour and slither back to power. Be forever vigilant.

And remember that the best way to pay tribute to the life’s work of Elie Wiesel for peace, tolerance and justice for all is to stand up against the darker forces every time they surface in the communities and countries where we live.

For more on Elie Wiesel and his humanitarian mission click on – https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/jul/03/elie-wiesel-tributes-obama-clinton-netanyahu .

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/03/world/europe/elie-wiesel-auschwitz-survivor-and-nobel-peace-prize-winner-dies-at-87.html .

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post in the space below.  A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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

A Brief Comment from Doug Draper

Posted July 1^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

On the eve of this Canada Day 2016, the nation’s senior justices dealt what will hopefully be a fatal blow to yet another decision by the former Harper government that was affront to democracy and the common good.

This time it was the Federal Court of Appeal quashing a permit Harper’s cabinet issued the tar sands industry to construct the notorious Northern Gateway pipeline from Alberta’s tar pits through British Columbia to the west coast.

“The three-justice panel concluded that the former Conservative government failed in its duty to consult First Nations prior to issuing a cabinet order approving the $7.9-billion pipeline that would deliver 525,000 barrels a day of oil sands crude to the West Coast,” reads a story that appeared at the top of The Globe and Mail’s Report on Business this July 1^st.

Hopefully, the voice of U.S. President Barack Obama saying; “This is the only planet we’ve got, and this may be the last shot we’ve got to save it,” are still ringing in Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s ears from Obama’s visit to Ottawa this June 29^th, and he won’t take any steps to reissue that permit.

Watching the live coverage of Trudeau introduce Obama in Canada’s House of Commons this June 29^th before the president delivered a speech that discussed the urgent need to address climate change and the need to treat people with different skin colours, religious beliefs and cultural backgrounds with tolerance and compassion, I could not help but think; “What a difference a year can make.” Continue reading →

A Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador

Posted July 1^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on Memorial Day in Newfoundland and Labrador:

“Beaumont Hamel is a name that is seared into the hearts of all Newfoundlanders and Labradorians. It is a name that represents courage, sacrifice, and sorrow.

Some members of the ill-fated regiment.

“One hundred years ago to this very day – in what would become the bloodiest battle of the First World War – 810 young men from the Newfoundland Regiment were ordered out of their trench. They calmly advanced, under withering machine gun and artillery fire, across no man’s land and into the teeth of the enemy. Continue reading →

Other Regions Of Ontario Are Years Ahead Of Us

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted June 30^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“We have finally done it.”

Those were among the first words out of the mouth of a beaming Niagara regional chair Allan Caslin this past Tuesday, June 28^th when Ontario’s Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca announced that the province will move forward with plans to bring year-round, weekday GO rail services into the Niagara Region by the year 2021, and run them all the way through to Niagara Falls by 2023.

Former Niagara regional public works commissioner Ken Brothers (left), Niagara-on-the-Lake regional councilor and then regional chair Gary Burroughs, then Port Colborne Mayor Vance Badawey (now the MP for the Niagara Centre Riding), former Grimsby councilor Debbie Zimmerman, and St. Catharines regional councilor Tim Rigby at a 2011 ribbon cutting for lauching a “pilot” inter-municipal bus transit service. File photo by Doug Draper

That is encouraging news as far as it goes, Mr. Chair, but it is far too early to say ‘we have finally done it’.

First of all, a lot could happen before the first weekday Go train is expected to arrive in Niagara in 2021, including at least one municipal and one provincial election which could change the make-up of the political players and the priorities they have for transportation operations in this region and the province.

Second – and most importantly – Niagara still has a long way to go relative to many other regions in Ontario when it comes to establishing a real region-wide transit system of its own to work in tandem inter-regional commuter trains services.

Regions like Waterloo had the will and vision to upload public transit services from lower-tier municipalities, including the cities of Waterloo and Kitchener, to the regional government level more than a decade ago, and riderships have soared. So has the influx of business and younger people able to use the services for getting to where they want to go, when they need to be there.

And what has Niagara done? Continue reading →

By Bernie Sanders

An Excerpt of a Column, published June 28th, 2016 in The New York Times

Surprise, surprise.

Workers in Britain, many of whom have seen a decline in their standard of living while the very rich in their country have become much richer, have turned their backs on the European Union and a globalized economy that is failing them and their children.

Vermont Senator and U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders

And it’s not just the British who are suffering. That increasingly globalized economy, established and maintained by the world’s economic elite, is failing people everywhere. Incredibly, the wealthiest 62 people on this planet own as much wealth as the bottom half of the world’s population — around 3.6 billion people.

The top 1 percent now owns more wealth than the whole of the bottom 99 percent. The very, very rich enjoy unimaginable luxury while billions of people endure abject poverty, unemployment, and inadequate health care, education, housing and drinking water.

Could this rejection of the current form of the global economy happen in the United States? You bet it could.

During my campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination, I’ve visited 46 states. What I saw and heard on too many occasions were painful realities that the political and media establishment fail even to recognize.

To read Bernie Sanders’ entire column in The New York Times click on – http://www.nytimes.com/2016/06/29/opinion/campaign-stops/bernie-sanders-democrats-need-to-wake-up.html?emc=edit_th_20160629&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=58968427&_r=0 .

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN. Niagara At Large encourages you to share your views on this post. A reminder that we only post comments by individuals who share their first and last name with them.

Visit Niagara At Large at www.niagaraatlarge.com for more news and commentary for and from the greater bi-national Niagara region.

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

Province Removes Sex Designation on Health Card, New Gender Option On Driver’s Licence Coming In Early 2017

News from the Government of Ontario

Posted June 30th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – The Ontario government is changing the way it displays sex and gender information on health cards and driver’s licences to ensure the fair, ethical and equitable treatment of people with trans and non-binary gender identity.

Previous card with sex field

From June 13 onward, Ontario health cards no longer display information about a person’s sex on the face of the card. This change will not affect the validity of the card, and cards will continue to function in the same way.

Starting in early 2017, driver’s licence holders will be given the option to display an ‘X’ on their card as their gender identifier if they do not exclusively identify as male or female. Driver’s licences that display an ‘X’ instead of an ‘M’ or an ‘F’, will also be considered valid and can be used in the same way as previous cards.

Current card without sex field

This summer, Ontario will also launch public and stakeholder consultations to help develop policy on how ministries collect, use, retain and display sex and gender information on public-facing government forms and products. Ontarians can sign up to be notified when consultations open, as well as when the ‘X’ gender identifier option becomes available for driver’s licences, by visiting Ontario.ca/myID. Continue reading →