Niagara At Large

A Response To America’s War Against Canada From Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, With A Few Words from Doug Draper At Niagara At Large

Posted February 2^nd, 2025 

This February 1^st, 2025, after more than a month of threatening Canada’s sovereignty, recently inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump signed a declaration of economic warfare against Canada that is designed to wreak havoc on Canadian people and Canadian businesses from coast to coast.

Later this February 1^st, Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau publicly outlined a response to this declaration of war that he and his government planned with premiers across the country.

Continue reading →

“We can never let Trump divide us within Canada, or divide us from our allies across the world. We’re stronger together, and together is how we win this fight.”  – Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

Posted February 2^nd, 2025 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO  – Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles released the following statement:

“Trump’s reckless tariffs are putting half a million Ontario jobs at risk. Workers, families and communities are worried about what the future holds.

“We have to defend every single job and fight back hard. We need to make sure people can keep a roof over their heads and keep putting food on the table. Continue reading →

Mishka Balsom, CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber 0f Commerce

“As the site of one of Canada’s busiest border crossings, a major exporter in manufacturing and agri-food, and as one of the country’s premier tourist destinations, much of Niagara’s prosperity has been built on the strong partnership we have always enjoyed with our American counterparts.”  – Mishka Balsom, CEO, Greater Niagara Chamber 0f Commerce

Dottie Gallagher, President & CEO, Buffalo Niagara

“Our group does not favour tariffs between our two countries. At a time of high inflation and when governments on both sides of the border have committed to fighting that inflation, this entirely avoidable economic burden to American and Canadian families must be rejected.”    – – Dottie Gallagher, President & CEO, Buffalo Niagara Partnership

“Placing a heavy tariff on all imports from our largest trading partner will raise costs and drive inflation on employers and families across the Buffalo Niagara region.”

News from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce in Niagara, Ontario

Posted February 2^nd, 2025 on Niagara At Large

The United States and Canada share a longstanding history of cross-border partnerships and business collaboration.

With deep regional economic ties, the Buffalo-Niagara Partnership, Chatham-Kent Chamber of Commerce, Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, and Windsor-Essex Chamber of Commerce jointly affirm our commitment to fostering a robust and mutually beneficial economic relationship between the United States and Canada.

We are stronger together. The trade partnership between the two countries has made both of us prosperous, and it still has untapped potential to help our economies grow. Continue reading →

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

Posted January 31^st, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Well the Orange monster in the White House has done it.

This January 31^st, 2025 Trump made it official that a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian goods crossing the border into what now passes as the United States will begin this February 1^st, 2025.

Why? Well, in large part, according to him, Canada has “treated the United States very, very badly” and has been a source of large quantities of fentanyl and other dangerous drugs that are “killing millions of American people.”

Never mind that these charges are bullshit.

Continue reading →

“Doug Ford was joined (in Niagara Falls this January 31^st) by Mat Siscoe, Mayor of St. Catharines, Jim Diodati, Mayor of Niagara Falls and Frank Campion, Mayor of  Welland, who offered their full support and endorsement of Ford and encouraged Niagara voters to send local Ontario PC candidates to Queen’s Park.”

From left, Niagara Falls Mayor Jim Diodati, St. Catharines Mayor Matt Siscoe and Welland Mayor Frank Campion openly throw their support behind Doug Ford

News from the Election Campaign of Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Posted January 31^st, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario— This January 31^st, 2025 , Doug Ford, leader of the Ontario PCs, announced that he will invest an additional $22 billion in the PCs’ nearly $200 billion plan to build, which is already the largest in Canadian history. Continue reading →

Mayor Wayne Redeokp’s “presentation (to the Niagara Health Board)reiterated that continuation of the Douglas Memorial Urgent Care Centre as a comprehensive healthcare “safety net” is one of Fort Erie’s top priorities.”- Fort Erie Councillor Joan Christensen

A News Release from the Town of Fort Erie in Niagara, Ontario

Posted 31st, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Town of Fort Erie has been steadfast and consistent in advocating for local health services to meet the needs of the community.

Mayor Redekop and town councillors attended the Niagara Health Board meeting this week on January 29, 2025, seeking support for the continuation of urgent care services beyond the opening of the South Niagara Hospital as the Fort Erie community’s primary care safety net. Continue reading →

“We need to fight like hell to protect Canadian jobs from Donald Trump. His tariffs will mean devastating job losses for hundreds of thousands of Canadians, and even higher prices at a time when families can’t take any more financial hits.”                                          – Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh

BUILD CANADIAN, BUY CANADIAN

News from Canada’s New Democratic Party Leader Jagmeet Singh

Posted January 31, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Canada’s NDP leader Jagmeet Singh (was)  alongside the Canadian Labour Congress, United Steelworkers Union and Sault worker (in Ontario this past January 30th, 2025)  to lay out a Build Canadian Buy Canadian plan, an overhaul of Canada’s procurement policies to create and keep good, unionized jobs and Canadian dollars North of the border.

Singh has also called for workers to be kept whole during a potential trade war, using every dime Canada is forced to collect in retaliatory tariffs directly to support impacted workers. Continue reading →

Ensuring long-term predictable public transit funding for the Regional Municipality of Niagara with over $35 million through the Canada Public Transit Fund

News from Canada’s Federal Government

Posted January 30^th, 2025 on Niagara At Largely

St. Catharines, Ontario — By working closely with its partners across Canada, the federal government is ensuring that more Canadians will be able to live near public transit, connecting them to jobs, services, and their communities.

This past January 29^th, 2025, the Honourable Nathaniel Erskine-Smith, Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities, Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines, Jim Bradley, Niagara Regional Chair, and Mat Siscoe, Mayor of St. Catharines and the chair of the Niagara Transit Commission, announced a federal investment of more than $35 million in transit funding for the Regional Municipality of Niagara, providing predictable and long-term funding. Continue reading →

Boycott U.S. Products. Cancel Any Trips To The United States. Buy From or Travel To More Friendly Regions of the World Like  Mexico, the Bahamas or Europe Instead

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

Posted January 29^th, 2025on Niagara At Large

If it wasn’t clear earlier on, it should be clear by now that the recently inaugurated U.S. President Donald Trump, backed by many it not all of his more than 70 million MAGA followers, have a hate on for Canada and are prepared to show it by slapping a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products crossing the U.S. border – a tariff that could do significant cost Canada a significant number of jobs and do major damage to the Canadian economy.

Stop buying any liquor or wine products made in the U.S.A.

Our federal and provincial governments north of the border are taking a wait and see approach before responding in kind to this tariff that Trump might slap on us as soon as this weekend or possibly in the coming week

But why should we, the people, wait?

We can stop buying American-made products now!

Continue reading →

“We’re fighting for more homes you can afford, better access to public healthcare, real climate action, and an affordable transportation plan that won’t waste billions of your tax dollars on tunnels and destructive highways like 413.”- Mike Schreiner, Ontario Green Party Leader

An Election Message from Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner

Posted January 29^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner

This is the moment we’ve been preparing for. After months of speculation, Doug Ford has called an early election.

This is our chance to change the face of politics in Ontario and work together to build a fairer future, a future full of opportunities for the people and places we love.

We have a short 29 days until the election. 29 days to make history by re-electing our seats in Guelph and Kitchener Centre and sending even more Green MPPs to Queen’s Park. Continue reading →

A News Release from the Office of the Premier of Ontario

Posted January 28^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — Premier Doug Ford today confirmed that the Honourable Edith Dumont, Lieutenant Governor of Ontario, has accepted the premier’s advice to sign a proclamation dissolving the 43rd Parliament of the Province of Ontario, effective as of 4:00 p.m. this January 28th, 2025.

Pursuant to the provisions of the Election Act, the Lieutenant Governor also called for the issuance of writs for the general election to be issued January 29, 2025, and named February 27, 2025, as the date of Ontario’s next general election.

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

” By working directly with communities like Niagara, we are empowering local leaders to implement solutions that meet their unique needs and create pathways to stability for those experiencing homelessness.” – Chris Bittle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Federal  Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities and Member of Parliament for St. Catharines 

News from the Constituency Office of Federal Liberal MPP Chris Bittle for the Riding of St. Catharines

Posted January 28^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines Federal Liberal MP Chris Bittle

Thorold, Ontario – Today (this January 28^th, 2025), the federal government and Regional Municipality of Niagara announced that an agreement to support people living without homes, including in encampments, has been signed as part of the Unsheltered Homelessness and Encampments Initiative (UHEI).

Through this agreement, the federal government will contribute $4.412,730 million in funding while the Regional Municipality of Niagara will match the federal funding of over $4.4 million over two years. Continue reading →

“With the increasing pressure and overwhelming demand on our healthcare system, it is crucial that we have a fully-serviced Welland Hospital and a 24/7 Port Colborne Urgent Care Centre.” – Jeff Burch, NDP MPP for the Riding of Niagara Centre

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

Posted January 28^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

THOROLD – Doug Ford has decided to put his own political interests ahead of Ontarians by calling an early election, despite 500,000 jobs being at risk.

“At a time when Ontario’s economy is uncertain and hundreds of thousands of jobs are on the line, Ford is prioritizing his own power over the needs of the people,” said Jeff Burch.

“Together, we can turn the page on Doug Ford and elect a government that will work for you: fixing healthcare, making housing more affordable, and lifting workers and families out of poverty.” Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted January 28^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) is pleased to announce the launch of its recruitment campaign for the Public Advisory Committee (PAC), a dedicated group of volunteer citizen representatives from diverse sectors across the Niagara Peninsula watershed.

Established in 2014, the PAC has played an invaluable role in providing sector-based perspectives, guiding key NPCA projects, programs, and initiatives. Meeting approximately four times per year, the PAC is poised to make an even greater impact in the years ahead, ensuring collaborative and inclusive input into conservation efforts alongside NPCA’s Board of Directors and staff.

Being part of the PAC offers unique benefits, including:

Continue reading →

Historic $95.5 Million in Provincial Funding Supports Critical Local Capital Projects Across Region

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara West Ford Government MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted January 28^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West Ford government MPP Sam Oosterhoff

WELLAND – The Ontario government is investing nearly $96 million in capital funding for three new elementary schools in Niagara, including Welland-Thorold Elementary School, Thorold East Elementary School and South Welland Elementary School.

Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West, announced the capital funding for the District School Board of Niagara projects, which will support hard working families across the region.

The provincial funding will support the creation of 2,060 elementary student spaces and 147 licensed child care spaces in Welland and Thorold as part of the government’s commitment to building modern learning spaces for Ontario students. Continue reading →

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles says she is ready to take on Doug Ford and win.

“Doug Ford doesn’t deserve a third term. In the coming weeks, (the people of Ontario) have the power to choose a better Ontario. We have the power to fight back against Trump, to turn the page on Doug Ford, and to vote for a Premier who is on your side.”– Marit Stiles, Ontario NDP Leader

A Message from Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leater Marit Stiles

Posted January 25^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

TORONTO – Marit Stiles and the Ontario NDP are ready to take on Doug Ford’s Conservatives and replace them with a government that’s on your side.

Earlier (this past Friday, January 24^th, 2025), Ford confirmed that he will call a snap election in the middle of a tariff threat. Stiles has released the following statement:

“While our province faces a grave threat with half a million jobs at risk, Doug Ford sees an opportunity to fight for one job – his own. He thinks he can con Ontarians with an early election to escape his record — but we won’t let him.

“It’s time for a change in Ontario.

Continue reading →

“As social media and those who control its platforms seek to distort the horrors of the Holocaust and platform Holocaust denialism, it is now more important than ever to remember.”

A Statement from the Office of Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Posted January 27^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

“Eighty years ago this (January 27th, 2025 , the Auschwitz Birkenau German Nazi Concentration and Extermination Camp was liberated. Within its confines, over one million Jewish people had been barbarically murdered. As the largest camp under Hitler’s regime, it became one of the most important symbols of the Holocaust.

“Let me be unequivocally clear – the Holocaust was one of the darkest chapters of human history. The Nazi regime systemically and senselessly murdered six million Jewish people, accounting for two thirds of the Jewish population in Europe.

Continue reading →

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

Posted January 26th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Cecile Richards, an American activist who at least  some NAL readers may know as a passionate voice for women’s rights and as a former president of Planned Parenthood – a citizens-based organization that describes itself as “a leading provider and advocate of high-quality, affordable sexual and reproductive health care for all people,” asa  leading provider of sex education  – died this past January 20th, 2025 at age 67 following a battle with brain cancer.

In a statement announcing her death, members of her family shared some words Cecile Richards used frequently as a call to action for the betterment of humankind. Continue reading →

Protect Our Planet & The Natural Heritage In Our Province-  Vote for Biodiversity and Climate Resilience

A Call-Out To All Ontario Voters from the non-profit environmental advocacy group, Ontario Nature

Posted January 26^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Ontario is headed for an early election. Premier Ford has said he will trigger the election on Wednesday, January 29th.

As residents of Ontario, we must make nature conservation an election issue.

While issues related to affordability and tariff threats from the United States are likely to dominate headlines and the election campaign, we cannot ignore the interrelated biodiversity and climate crises. All those issues are foundational to our long-tern health and wellbeing, and economic prosperity. Continue reading →

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted January 25^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Falls Illumination Board will unite fans on both sides of the border this weekend by lighting up Niagara Falls in blue, red and white in support of the Buffalo Bills appearance in the AFC Championship game.

The illuminations are scheduled for this Saturday, January 25th at 8:00 p.m. and 10:00 p.m., as well as Sunday at 10:00 p.m. Each display will run for 15 minutes. All are invited to come down, cheer on the team and share in the excitement.

The Horsehoe Falls in Niagara all lit up in Buffalo Bills colours

Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs AFC Championship game

Date and time of game: Sunday, Jan. 26, 2024 ; Time: 6:30 p.m. ET/3:30 p.m. PT ; Game: Buffalo Bills vs. Kansas City Chiefs ; TV channel: CBS

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

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

A Brief Note from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 24th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

A bid  by St. Catharines Regional Councillor Haley Bateman to have Niagara’s Regional Council oppose use of a ‘not-withstanding’ clause in Canadian law that some municipalities across Ontario, including Welland, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines, are now set to employ to over-ride the constitutional rights of homeless people and tear apart their encampments was turned down by the Council this January 23^rd.

Niagara At Large will post more details on this issue in a news commentary early this coming week.

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

The group that first came to fame backing up rockabilly singer Ronnie Hawkins and, later, Bob Dylan before finding stardom on its own.

A Brief Tribute by Doug Draper

Posted January 24^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Members of The Band with Garth Hudson, second from right

They were, quite simply, right up there at the top with The Guess Who and few others, as one of the greatest rock groups ever to come out of Canada.

And with the death of Windsor, Ontario-born Garth Hudson at age 86 – the last surviving member of the group that became known around the world as ‘The Band’ – the group’s ‘Last Waltz’ (the name of the award-winning film-documentary of their farewell show together in 1076) is truly over. Continue reading →

This January, 2025  Marks 100-Year Anniversary of Shea’s Buffalo Theatre Groundbreaking. Stay Tune For Month After Month of  Celebratory Events

‘A special celebration will take place in April, marking the birthday of Shea’s Buffalo Theatre founder Michael Shea. Born in 1859 in St. Catharines, Ontario, as a young boy Michael and his family moved to Buffalo’s Old First Ward.

St. Catharines, Ontario-born Shea’s Theatre founder Michael Shea, holding shovel at 1925 groundbreaking for the iconic Buffalo, N.Y. theatre

He worked as a laborer on the docks of Buffalo’s waterfront and later owned a saloon before beginning in the theatre entertainment industry, with Shea’s Buffalo being his crowning work.’

News from Shea’s Performing Arts Center in Buffalo, New York

Posted January 24th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – As much as this commentator  has joined others in encouraging boycotts of American-made products and travel to the United States in response to Trump’s threats against Canada, one exception I would make is the performing arts, art and craft festivals and garden walks in the Buffalo, New York area where it is likely that almost everyone in those creative fields voted against Trump in the November 2025 presidential election. It makes no sense to me that people in the arts, on either side of the border, should be punished in the war Trump has threatened to wage against Canada.)

Shea’s Performing Arts Center has kicked off the centennial celebration of Shea’s Buffalo Theatre. The commencement took place on January 15, 2025, which marks the 100th anniversary of the day ground was broken on construction of the historic theatre.

The launch marks the beginning of two years of centennial festivities planned at the theatre and in the community during 2025 and 2026. Built in one year and one day, Shea’s Buffalo Theatre first opened to the public on January 16, 1926.
Brian Higgins, President & CEO of Shea’s Performing Arts Center said. Continue reading →

“The president (Trumps) is talking clearly about territorial expansion (including in Canada), and while some people are saying that it’s just talk meant get a rise out of people, we can’t take that chance,” – Associate Brock University Professor Blayne Haggart

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

Posted January 23^rd, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Over the past two months, Trump has repeatedly threatened Canada with annexation

Concerns about aggression, authoritarianism and the future of democracy in North America are being shared by experts in Brock University’s Department of Political Science following U.S. President Donald Trump’s second inauguration.

Associate Professor Blayne Haggart says the rhetoric around expanding the country’s borders in Trump’s inaugural address was particularly shocking.

Continue reading →

Even Lady Liberty wants to leave the U.S.A.

Posted by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

January 22nd, 2025

I think it is a very safe bet that I am not the only one who would feel that this song by Davie Bowie nails it right now.

To hear the song and watch the video produced for it, click on the screen below –

Do you want to cross the border to the United States right now?

Buy Canadian. Send thetens-o-millions of Trumpies in America a Message. Let’s Boycott Anything and Everything We Can That Is Made In The U.S.A.

• Doug Draper, reporter/publisher, Niagara At Large

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

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

New Nuclear reactors will cost 2-3 times more than solar or wind power

A Call for Public Acton from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance, a non-profit organization dedicated to campaigning for clean, safe renewable energy

Posted January 21st, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Urge Ontario Energy Minister Stephen Lecce to invest our money in other safer forms of renewable energy. Keep reading for details on how to contact him.

Ontario Energy  Minister Stephen Lecce’s nuclear ambitions are nothing short of astonishing.

His latest proposal involves building a massive 10,000 megawatt nuclear station in Port Hope, almost three times the size of the existing Darlington Nuclear Station.

This plan, coupled with his proposals for new nuclear reactors at Darlington and in Bruce County and the rebuilding of outdated reactors at Pickering, would meet 100% of Ontario’s predicted 75% rise in electricity demand over the next 25 years. Continue reading →

“On this Day of Unity of Ukraine, we reaffirm our support to the people of Ukraine as well as the 1.3 million Ukrainian-Canadians who call Canada home. May Ukraine’s sovereignty be as unwavering and ironclad as the spirit of its people.”                       – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minster of Canada

A Statement from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Posted January 22^nd, 2025 on Niagara At Large

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today  (this January 22nd, 2025) issued the following statement on the Day of Unity of Ukraine. – 

“Today, on the Day of Unity of Ukraine, we celebrate the strength and resilience of the Ukrainian people. We also renew our commitment to a Ukraine that charts its own future with freedom and sovereignty.

“On this day in 1919, the Unification Act was proclaimed in Kyiv, uniting the Ukrainian People’s Republic and the Western Ukrainian People’s Republic. This landmark event symbolized Ukraine’s determination to achieve independence. This strength of will and character is as alive today as it was over a century ago. Continue reading →

Join Ontario Nature in urging the Government of Ontario to restore provincial wetland protections before it’s too late!

A Call-Out to All of Us from Ontario Nature, a non-profit citizens’ group dedicated to speaking out for the protection and preservation of Ontario’s natural heritage

Posted January 22^nd, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Ontario’s wetlands are incredibly valuable for many reasons. 

Wetlands mitigate flooding, store carbon and provide habitat for a diverse range of species, making them significant nature-based climate solution powerhouses. However, these powerhouses need our help now more than ever.

Wetland loss has already exceeded 72 percent in southern Ontario, and losses are ongoing. To make matters worse, changes to Ontario’s planning policy and legislation over the past several years have undermined wetland protection across the province, accelerating wetland loss. Continue reading →

“Climate change is a big scam for a lot of people to make a lot of money.” – U.S. President Donald Trump

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/ publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 21^st, 2025 on Niagara At Large

As of this past January 20^th, with Donald Trump’s swearing in as President of the United States, Canada no longer has an ally south of the border in the fight against man-made climate change.

Within a few hours of being sworn in for the second time in eight years as U.S. President, Trump signed a tsunami of executive orders. Among them was an order from his high office for the United States to immediately drop out of the nine-year-old Paris Climate Accord, signed by Canada, the U.S. and more than 90 other nations around the world to reduce climate-ravaging carbon emissions. Continue reading →

A Brief One Commentary by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted on Martin Luther King Day, January 20th, 2025

The legendary American civil rights leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner Martin Luther King must be tossing and turning in his grave.

This January 20th – a day set aside across the United States and other countries, if they choose to, to honour his great work as a voice for social justice, for racial equality and for the better angels in us – is also the day Donald Trump, who is the complete opposite of virtually everything King stood for, is being sworn in as president of the United States with a long list of grievance he vows to settle with those he considers to be “enemies” as he re-enters the White House. Continue reading →

Our Canada Is Worth Standing Up For Against the MAGA Forces South of the Border

A Brief Comment by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 19th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Getting ready for his closeup

Two and a half centuries after Americans fought to free themselves from the shackles of Crown rule, more than 70 million of them have voted to bring something that looks like a monarchy, with all the trappings of unelected, billionaire barons, back again.

On top of that their new ‘King Donald’ has been bellowing away about wanting to do some empire building, beginning with a takeover by military or economic force of the Panama Canal, of Greenland  and of our Canada.

Continue reading →

“As Premier of Ontario, if President Trump’s tariffs make retaliation necessary, I will stand shoulder to shoulder with the rest of Team Canada to fight back using every tool in our toolkit.”

From the Office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Posted January 19th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford

TORONTO— Today (this January 19th), Premier Doug Ford issued the following statement ahead of the U.S. presidential inauguration ceremony on Monday, January 20^th, 2025 –

“I want to offer congratulations to President-elect Donald Trump and Vice-President-elect JD Vance as they take office tomorrow in Washington, D.C.

Canada and the United States can be the richest, most successful, safest and most secure two countries on the planet. Continue reading →

Premier Danielle Smith Could Be Sworn In As the New State of Alberta’s First Governor And Most Of Her Subjects, Given Her Popularity in the Province, Would Probably Love It.

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

Posted January 17^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Danielle Smith, putting the interests of carbon-polluting oil industries over the greater interests of her country

At a time when it has never been more important for Canada’s leaders to stand together against threats to our country’s sovereignty and economy voiced by incoming U.S. President Donald Trump, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has chosen to side with the interests of her corporate masters in the carbon fuel industry over those of her our country.

Not so surprisingly, Smith, who has brandished words about Alberta remaining  “sovereign” from the rest of the country before, is insisting that the carbon-polluting tar sands operations in her province should be exempt from any tariff war Canada may be forced to engage in if Trump follows through with sweeping 25 percent tariffs on products entering his country from north of the border. Continue reading →

$200 payment will be sent to every eligible taxpayer and child in Ontario

News from Ontario’s Ford Government with a Foreword by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 17^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

A Foreword by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – Well here come those 200 buck cheques, just in time for Premier Doug Ford to call a snap provincial election.

Ford’s old friend and mentor Mike Harris used this same ‘give-the-little-people-a-few-bucks-of-their-money-back gimmick when he was premier a couple of decades ago and when I openly expressed criticism about at it a public forum  then, someone in the audience  held up their cheque with a smile and said; “Well, it’s better than nothing.” Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles

Posted January 17^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Place, along the Lake Ontario shoreline in Toronto was once  viewed by millions of visitors to it as a “peoples’ place”. Now, thanks to Ford and his masters in the development industry, pieces of it are being turned into a parking lot, a private spa, at a huge cost to Ontario taxpayers.

QUEEN’S PARK — Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, released the following statement in response to the Integrity Commissioner’s report on Ford’s Infrastructure Minister Kinga Surma:

 “Ontario taxpayers are subsidizing this Made-in-Austria mega spa to (at the Ontario Place site in Toronto) to the tune of $2 billion, and for what? Families from Windsor to Wawa are paying $400 per household for a Toronto luxury destination that’s hours away and out of reach. That’s not putting Ontario first.” Continue reading →

“This (Ford) government could be supporting people in our communities with home heating costs, or a real plan for affordable housing. Instead, the Conservatives are investing $2 billion in their Toronto mega-spa (at the old Ontario Place site), at a cost of $400 for every household in Niagara.” – Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

News from the Constituency Offices of Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates and St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

Posted January 16^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

From left, Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch, Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates and St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

ST. CATHARINES, Ontario – NDP MPPs Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines), Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre) and Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) issued the following statement in response to the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs pre-budget consultations in Niagara Region.

“The message we’ve heard today is clear,” said Stevens. “After seven years of Doug Ford, the Niagara Region has been left with an alarming shortage of family doctors and our St. Catharines hospital site is well over capacity.”

Continue reading →

“When they attack our country, when they attack our people, when they attack the jobs of hard-working Canadians, you cannot sit back and say, ‘Keep on attacking,'” declared Ontario Premier Doug Ford at a January 15th meeting with Canada’s Premiers and Prime Minister over what to do about Trump’s threats to use “economic force,”  including crippling tariffs, to annex Canada & turn it into a 51st U.S. state. “You have to hit back with every single tool in our toolbox.”

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 15^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford is seizing the moment in the fight against Trump’s threats against Canada.

If you follow history, you may very well know that it is quite often the case that when people see their country’s security and sovereignty being threatened by an outside force, they will, at least temporarily, put their differences on other issues aside and rally behind whoever looks like the strongest leader they have to fight back.

At the moment, at least, with Donald Trump just days away from being sworn in for a second term as U.S. president, and with him continuing to threaten Canada with sweeping 25 per cent trade tariffs that could crater our economy to a point where many here are begging for relief – even if that means becoming “the 51^st state,”- many may also see Ontario Premier Doug Ford  as the leader most likely to protect us. Continue reading →

“Canada as 51st State? Four-in-five Americans say a merger should be up to Canadians; 90% of Americans say ‘no.” – Angus Reid Poll Show

 ‘Among Americans, 31 per cent have a very favourable view of Canada and a further 46 have a generally favourable view.’

A Report from Data Shows, a professional Ontario-based polling analysis group

Posted January 15, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Trump’s threat to take over Canada by ‘economic force’ is not polling well with most Americans

President-elect Donald Trump may have gone too far and handed Canadians some useful ammunition to battle against his proposed 25 per cent tariff attack, a new poll suggests.

Trump’s recent pitch to use tariffs as “economic force” to annex Canada appears to be a misfire with his own supporters, who don’t want that, according to the survey by Angus Reid released on January 14^th, 2025.

Among 2024 Trump voters, 76 per cent disagreed with using economic or military force to annex Canada, the survey shows. Just nine percent of Trump supporters favoured economic force to annex Canada; only two per cent favoured use of military force. Eleven per cent didn’t know or couldn’t say. Continue reading →

It’s One Great Escape From The Cold Winter & Bad News

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted January 14^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

The cover of the now-classic 1963 album, ‘The Freewheelin’ Dylan’, showing Bob Dylan and his then girlfriend Suze Rotolo walking down one of the snowy streets of Greenwich Village, New York.

I have sometimes asked myself the following – ‘If I could travel back somewhere in a time machine, where would it go?’

One of the places and times near the top of my list is Greenwich Village in New York City in the early 1960s when it was one of the world’s great meccas for poets and other writers, and for young musicians like Gordon Lightfoot, Leonard Cohen, Joan Baez and Bob Dylan.

Earlier this week  my wife Mary and I went to a movie theatre at the Pen Centre in St. Catharines/Nagara  and saw a movie called ‘A Complete Unknown’ that brought me about as close to realizing that dream of going there than just about any other book I’ve read about that exciting time and place. Continue reading →

“I don’t care if you’re Conservative, Liberal, NDP, Green, or Independent – we must work together across party lines to protect Ontarian & Canadian jobs, independence, and sovereignty,”  – Wayne Gates.

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted January 14^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates whose riding includes the Canada-U.S border municipalities of Niagara Falls, Fort Erie and Niagara-on-the Lake

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario  — NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) responds to Premier Doug Ford’s dousing gasoline on rumours to call a provincial snap-election in the face of a U.S. tariff threat, and urging the Premier to use a Team Ontario approach, working with border communities and leaders across the province to protect jobs and the economy – 

“Ontario cannot afford to take its eye off the ball,” said Gates. “What I hear from my communities along the border and from our leaders is that this is an existential threat that requires an all-hands-on-deck approach. Continue reading →

An Important  Message from Niagara Region Public Health

Posted January 14^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region Public Health is reminding parents and guardians to review and update their children’s immunization records as required by the Immunization of School Pupils Act (ISPA).

This provincial law mandates that all Ontario students must be vaccinated against nine diseases, or have valid exemptions, to attend school. High vaccination rates are essential for protecting children, reducing school disruptions and preventing outbreaks. Continue reading →

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

Posted January 13^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Let me ask you a few questions.

If you are lucky enough to have a job, when was the last time you got a 25 per cent pay raise?

If you are a senior, when was the last time your pension was hiked 25 per cent?

And if you happen to own a small business, when was the last time you say a 25 per cent increase in revenue?

Yet on the other side of the ‘looking glass’, in that ‘wonderland’ where far too  many  of our federal, provincial and municipal politicians have taken to calling  shots that are completely out of touch with reality, raising costs well above the rate of inflation for   everything from municipal taxes, water rates, police services and post-secondary education to posting a parcel or letter has become the norm. Continue reading →

“Encampments and homelessness in every single community are a stark reminder of this (Ontario Ford) government’s failure. After six years, there is still no real plan to address the critical lack of affordable housing that is forcing so many of our neighbours out in the cold.”                           – Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles

A Statement from Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Marit Stiles

Posted January 13^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK – Marit Stiles, Leader of the Ontario NDP, released the following statement in response to AMO’s Municipalities Under Pressure report on homelessness – 

“This report is a searing indictment of this government’s inaction the homelessness crisis” said Stiles. “Under Ford’s watch, the number of people facing housing instability continues to increase at an alarming rate.”

“Encampments and homelessness in every single community are a stark reminder of this government’s failure. After six years, there is still no real plan to address the critical lack of affordable housing that is forcing so many of our neighbours out in the cold.” Continue reading →

‘You tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
How you don’t believe
We’re on the eve of destruction.’

Posted on Niagara At Large with a Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

January 12^th, 2025

There are some songs that are more relative today than they were when we first heard them.

With Trump’s inauguration to a second term as U.S. president just days away, a song called “Eve Of Destruction” by Barry McGuire is one of them.

Released in 1965, with a nuclear arms race in full throttle and civil rights and  anti-war protests playing out on streets and campuses across North America, McGuire’s hit song from 60 years ago could be the perfect soundtrack for the havoc Trump is promising to start wreaking  on his country, on Canada, and on other nations – including longtime friends and allies-  around the world  “on day one” of his presidency.

To hear and to listen to the powerful words of this prescient song, click on the screen below and crank it up –

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large. 

Stand Up For A Canada That Is Independent, Strong and Free!

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

“All of the internationally produced global temperature datasets show that 2024 was the hottest year since records began in 1850. Humanity is in charge of its own destiny. … The future is in our hands – swift and decisive action can still alter the trajectory of our future climate.”                                                 – Director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service, Carlo Buontempo

News from the European Weather Forecast Centre

Posted January 10^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

The year 2024 was the warmest on record globally and the first calendar year that was more than 1.5°C above the pre-industrial level, according to the Global Climate Highlights Report 2024 from the EU’s Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) implemented by ECMWF.

The Paris Agreement of 2016 has a goal to keep the rise in global surface temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and preferably to 1.5°C. This refers to an average over at least 20 years, so that one calendar year does not mean the goal has been missed.

Human-induced climate change remains the primary driver of rising air and sea-surface temperatures, while other factors, such as the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), also contributed to the unusual temperatures observed during the year. Continue reading →

“Niagara is one of the fastest-growing regions in Ontario, home to over 14 million tourists every year. Why is Niagara being treated like a second class community by barely being mentioned in the (Ford government’s)expansion plan?” – Niagara Falls Ontario NDP MPP Wayne Gates

From the Constituency Office of Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted January 10^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

NIAGARA FALLS, Ontario – Wayne Gates, NDP MPP for Niagara Falls, called out the Ford government over the lack of clear commitment to expanding Metrolinx’s GO Train service expansion plans with a timeline for all-day, two-way service to Niagara Falls.

“This isn’t just about GO Train service. It’s about making life better for all of us,” said Gates.

Continue reading →

“The scope and scale of homelessness across Ontario’s municipalities is truly staggering,”  – Robin Jones,  President, Association of Municipalities of Ontario

A Report from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO)

Posted January 10th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

This January 9th , 2025 the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) released a comprehensive study that reveals the unprecedented and growing toll of homelessness on individuals, families, communities, and governments.

It outlines the risk of inaction and how we can work together toward a solution.

The study was conducted by HelpSeeker Technologies, in partnership with AMO, the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) and the Northern Ontario Service Deliverers Association (NOSDA).

Ontario is at a tipping point in its homelessness crisis.

Continue reading →

“I am thrilled to have Dave as a part of our strong Team Niagara as we get to work delivering a better, brighter future for the people of Ontario!”- Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Leader Marit Stiles

News from Ontario New Democratic Party

Dave Augustyn, Ontario NDP candidate for Niagara West Riding

Posted January 10^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

GRIMSBY, Ontario – New Democrats in Niagara West came together to nominate Dave Augustyn to be the Ontario NDP candidate in the next provincial election.

“Niagara West deserves a representative that stands up for them and a government that builds homes, hires doctors, fixes schools, and makes life easier,” said Augustyn.

Continue reading →

“This strategy is a product of that collaboration and provides a roadmap that will benefit both students and the broader community.”                                                                                                 –  Michelle Sergi, The Niagara Regional Government’s Deputy Chief Administrative Officer

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 9^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara’s Regional Headquarters in Thorold

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region is working to improve housing for post-secondary students by supporting a new Post-secondary Student Housing Strategy.

This strategy, a part of the Region’s broader Attainable Housing Strategy, aims to optimize existing housing stock, enhance the availability and quality of student accommodations, and address the growing housing needs of Niagara’s students.

The strategy focuses on five main areas: collecting data, increasing the supply of housing (both on-campus and off-campus), securing funding and advocating for change from other levels of government, creating effective policies, and building partnerships. Continue reading →

“The Pow Wow is an opportunity for the Brock and broader Niagara community to come together and celebrate the brilliance and beauty of Indigenous cultures.” – Robyn Bourgeois, Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement, Brock University

An Invite from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted January 9^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – A powerful community-building tradition will return to Niagara next week as the second annual Pow Wow gears up to bring a vibrant celebration of Indigenous music, dance and art to Brock University.

Hosted by the Brock Hadiya’dagénhahs First Nations, Métis and Inuit Student Centre, in association with the Office of the Vice-Provost, Indigenous Engagement, the free public gathering will take place Friday, Jan. 17 from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the University’s Ian Beddis Gymnasium.

Continue reading →

  “As a leader, President, and humanitarian, Jimmy Carter left the world a better place. He leaves behind a profound legacy that will inspire us for generations to come.”                                                                                                        —  Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A News Release from the Office of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Posted January 9^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Former U.S. President and life-long humanitarian Jimmy Carter

Ottawa, Ontario – The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, announced he will travel to Washington, D.C., United States of America, on January 9, 2025, to attend the funeral of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

President Carter was an inspirational statesman, leader, and lifelong humanitarian. During his visit, the Prime Minister will deliver condolences on behalf of Canadians for the loss of President Carter, as well as reaffirm Canada’s commitment to a successful Canada-U.S. partnership. Continue reading →

Ontario Launches Rebates for Home Renovations Including New Windows, Insulation, Air Sealings, Smart Thermostats and Heat Pumps

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara West Ford Government MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted January 8^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

BEAMSVILLE – The Ontario government is launching new energy efficiency programs, including the Home Renovation Savings Program, to help families and businesses across Ontario and in Niagara save money.

The programs are part of a new $10.9 billion twelve-year investment in energy efficiency, the largest in Canada’s history.

“These new Energy Efficiency Programs will lower energy bills, put more megawatts into Ontario’s energy grid, and ultimately put more money back into the pockets of the people of Ontario,” said Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper, a life-long Beatles fan who has room for Elvis too

Posted January 8th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

“There must be lights burning brighter somewhere
Got to be birds flying higher in a sky more blue
If I can dream of a better land
Where all my brothers walk hand in hand
Tell me why, oh why, oh why can’t my dream come true.”

From a 1968 song written for Elvis Presley by Walter Earl Brown

It is hard to imagine a 90-year-old Elvis Presley. 

Forever known as ‘The King of Rock & Roll’, he was born on January 8th, 1935. And to borrow a few words from a Bob Dylan song, Elvis, who died on August 16th, 1977 at age 42 from an apparent drug overdose, will always remain “forever young.”

In 1968, at the end of a television show that rekindled his career and became known around the world as his ‘comeback special’, Elvis Presley introduced a song called ‘If I Can Dream’ which, in the dark and divisive times we are living in now, shares a  a message that we need more than ever. Continue reading →

At January 7^th, 2025 Press Conference, Trump Once Again Gives Canada’s  Sovereignty The Finger As He Talks About That ‘Artificially Drawn Line’ Between The Two Countries

A Commentary by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted January 7^th, 2025

Trump, figuratively speaking, gives Canada the finger as he strengthens his rhetoric about Canada becoming a “51st state.”

Up to now I have joined what I believe were many other Canadians in half dismissing U.S. Presidential-elect Donald Trump’s taunts and threats against our country as child-like ravings from the ignorant clown that he is.

But his rant at a press conference he hosted at his palace down in Florida this January 7^th has crossed the line for me, as I suspect it has for many others judging from the commentary later in the day on CBC’s main cable news network.

Even our outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his Foreign Affairs Minister Mélanie Joly, who have been walking fairly gingerly up to now in the hope, I imagine, that they can keep Trump from poisoning a long-standing friendship and economic partnership between the two countries, finally spoke out with some pretty strong words. Continue reading →

The Gentle-Spoken Folk Singer & Peace & Civil Rights Activist Dies At Age 86

A Brief Tribute by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted January 7^th, 2025

Peter Yarrow in his later years. He died this January 7th, 2025 at age 86.

Peter Yarrow, with his friends and fellow folksingers Paul Stookey and Mary Travers of ‘Peter, Paul and Mary’ fame, along with Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Pete Seeger and others that played the clubs and coffee houses in Greenwich Village, N.Y. in the early 1960s, were at the vanguard of a folk music revival that continues to inspire singers and songwriters today.

I was fortunate enough to see Peter, Paul and Mary in concert three times.

And in 1995, I was there to hear them perform a few of their best-known anthems for peace and social justice – Pete Seeger’s ‘Where Have All The Flowers Gone?’ and ‘If I Had A Hammer’, and Bob Dylan’s ‘Blowin’ In The Wind’ – at a 25^th commemoration at Kent State University in Ohio in memory of four students who, in 1070, were shot and killed on that campus by Ohio Guardsmen during a protest of the Vietnam War. Continue reading →

Provincial police resources will conduct highly visible activities to crack down on illegal cross-border activity

News from Ontario’s Ford Government

Posted January 7^th, 2025 on Niagara At Large

Traffic crossing the Canada-U.S. border on the Peace Bridge linking Buffalo, N.Y. and Fort Erie in Niagara, Ontario. On e of the busiest border crossings on the continent.

TORONTO – The Ontario government has launched “Operation Deterrence,” the province’s preparedness and planning framework for enhanced security at international borders and tackling criminal activity that is harming people on both sides of the border.

“Ontario has been calling on the federal government to step up and address safety and security concerns at the border. We need to see words turned into visible action,” said Premier Doug Ford. Continue reading →

“Every Liberal MP in power today and every potential Liberal leadership contender fighting for the top job helped Justin Trudeau break the country over the last 9 years.” – Federal Conservative Party Leader Pierre Poilievre

A Statement  from Canada’s federal Conservative Party Leader On Justin Trudeau’s announcement to resign as Prime Minister

Posted January 6^th, 2024 on Niagara At Large

“This Changes Nothing”

Canada’s federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre wants an “Axe the Tax election” now.

Ottawa, ON – The Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Leader of the Conservative Party of Canada and the Official Opposition, released the following statement (this January 6^th, 2025) on Justin Trudeau resigning as the Liberal Leader:

“Canadians desperate to turn the page on this dark chapter in our history might be relieved today that Justin Trudeau is finally leaving.

“But what has really changed? 

“Every Liberal MP in power today and every potential Liberal leadership contender fighting for the top job helped Justin Trudeau break the country over the last 9 years. Continue reading →

A Brief One Posted by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

January 6^th, 2025

Here is Canada’s now outgoing Prime Minister Justin Trudeau(left)  making nicey nice with Trump down at Mar–Lago late this past year. Within a matter of days after  Trudeau’s audience with America’s soon-to-be dictator, Trump went right back to openly  threatening Canada with plans for tariffs that would wreak havoc on the economies of both countries and with dreams of making Canada the 51st state  of his MAGA nation.

Shortly after Justin Trudeau announced this January 6^th, 2025 that he was resigning from office, Donald Trump, who has spent several weeks now, mocking and threatening Canada, posted the following on his social media site –

“Many people in Canada LOVE being the 51st State. The United States can no longer suffer the massive Trade Deficits and Subsidies that Canada needs to stay afloat. Justin Trudeau knew this, and resigned,” Trump posted.

“If Canada merged with the U.S. There would be no Tariffs, taxes would go way down, and they would be TOTALLY SECURE from the threat of the Russian and Chinese Ships that are constantly surrounding them. Together, what a great Nation it would be!!!”

An Afterword from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – Maybe we should tell Trump that if federal Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre is elected the next prime minister of Canada, his leadership would be redundant.

Meanwhile, here is a question for  all my fellow Canadians out there. How many of you want to live in the 51^st state of the United States with ringmasters Donald J. Trump and his buddy Elon Musk running the show?

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

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

A Brief Comment from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted January 6^th, 2025

It was beginning to seem like it was taking forever for this day to come, but within minutes of  this posting, Justin Trudeau – first sworn in as Canada’s Prime Minister in 2015 – will hold a press conference and announce that he is resigning.

The news, first reported by CBC, raises some obvious questions.

Probably first and foremost, who will take over leadership of the federal Liberal Party and will it make any difference coming into an election that will most certainly take place later this year?

Continue reading →

A year or so before the pandemic started in 2020, signs like this began appearing on lawns in Buffalo neighbourhoods. Buffalo residents were trying to assure us that regardless of anything Trump, then serving his first term as U.S. President,  had to say about Canada at that time, they considered us to be friends.

“It certainly is true Canadians’ opinion of the United States has plummeted. Surveys by Environics in the 2010s regularly found 60 to 70 per cent of Canadians held a favourable view of the US. But in September 2020, only 29 per cent held a favourable view. Canadian opinion recovered a bit with the election of Joe Biden but remains low, and is likely to fall lower with the return of Trump.”            – from a News Release circulated by the Ontario-based polling survey group Data Shows

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large followed by News from the polling survey group Data Shows

Posted January 3rd, 2025 on Niagara At Large

The Peace Bridge crossing between Niagara, Ontario and Buffalo, New York

With only a few weeks left before President-elect returns to White House for a second term, this commentator has heard and read more than a little commentary from my fellow Canadians about their waning interest in crossing the Canada-U.S. border, even for a day of shopping.

While some of it may have to do with the diminishing value of our dollar against American currency, more often than not I hear people say they don’t want to go to a country with a president who, even before he is sworn in, is already threatening Canada with potentially crippling trade tariffs and is insulting Canada with not-so-funny “jokes” about making us the 51st state. Continue reading →

“Until one has loved an animal, a part of one’s soul remains unawakened.” – the late French author Anatole France

Our newest furry friend, Misty

Support All Animal Assistance Efforts In Your Community

A Brief One by Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

January 3^rd, 2025

This past December, thanks to a partnership between Niagara Falls Community Cats, a citizens-based animal assistance group, and the folks who run the Pet Valu Store at the Pine Plaza in Thorold (Ontario) – two parties that have had a long record of finding cats good homes – our family was fortunate enough to adopt a beautiful young tabby named Misty.

As a family of animal lovers, there could be no better Holiday Season gift than that.

Here is Misty, striking a regal pose –

To find out more about Niagara Falls Community Cats and about what you can do to support their good efforts, click on – https://www.facebook.com/Niagara-Falls-Community-Cats-1655197994755647/

For information on Pet Valu in Thorold and cats that may be up for adoption, click on the store’s Facebook page at – https://www.facebook.com/PetValuThorold/

Let’s all do everything we can to live safely and lovingly together with all creatures great and small on this earth – domestic or wild.

• Wishing You All Better Days in the New Year, Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Luna

The best to you from Luna too, another wonderful friend and companion who came to us by way of Pet Valu and Niagara Falls Community Cats too.

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

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

‘You ask me what I want this year
And I try to make this kind and clear
Just a chance that maybe we’ll find better days.’

• Lyrics from a song by the Buffalo, N.Y.-based band, Goo Goo Dolls

A New Year’s Message from Niagara At Large reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted on New Year’s Eve, December 31st, 2024 on Niagara At Large

Will we have better days in the coming year?

When you consider at all of the political, economic and environmental forces rallying against us, there are so many reasons to fear that we won’t.

Here in Niagara, the Regional Council  just recently approved a budget for 2025 with a staggering 9.6 per cent increase in property taxes – the third year in a row that a majority of regional councillors have slammed us with an increase well above the rate of inflation. Continue reading →

“I have never been happier, more exhilarated, at peace, rested, inspired, and aware of the grandeur of the universe and the greatness of God than when I find myself in a natural setting.”    – former U.S. President Jimmy Carter from his 1988 book, ‘An Outdoor Journey’

A Brief One from Doug Draper, reporter and publisher of the totally independent online news and commentary site, Niagara At Large

Posted New Year’s Eve, December 31st, 2024

Jimmy Carter, the former U.S. President and humanitarian extraordinaire who died this past December 29th, 2024 at age 100, was also a great lover of the natural world who advocated for renewable energy at a time, in the 1970s, when most everyone else was barely giving it a thought and who (as president) ushered in landmark measures to protect the environment.

My father, Doug Sr., who finished his life’s journey a decade ago, was also a lover of nature who passed that passion that fueled an urge to write about environmental issues on to me, was thrilled to briefly meet Jimmy Carter in 1988 when the former president was autographing his latest book ‘An Outdoor Life’ for people in a West Coast bookstore.

My father, Doug Sr. on the left side of this photo, having a copy of the book ‘An Outdoor Journal’ signed by the man who wrote it, Jimmy Carter, on the right side of the picture.  The serious looking guy in the middle could be a secret service agent who continue to stand guard .after a U.S. president leaves office.

For those of us who share a love of the natural world and who do are part to protect and preserve it, here are a just a few words of wisdom from that book –

Continue reading →

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

Posted New Year’s Eve, December 31^st, 2024

The illustrators at Coca-Cola, a soft-drink that goes back to the late 1800s, have arguably done as much as author Clement Clarke Moore and the illustrators of his much-beloved early 1800s book ‘Twas’ The Night Before Christmas’ to shape the most popular, modern day image of Santa Claus in the western world.

I almost can’t believe I am doing this because I am no fan of television commercials and I have certainly never dreamed of posting one on this site (or on Facebook, if that’s where you go for  NAL news and commentary).

But after all, this is  (at least for another day or two) the Holiday Season when we  yearn for a little fun and magic to escape from so much of the bad and ugly news that invades our lives the rest of the year.

In that spirit, this ad from Coca-Cola, called ‘ Holiday Magic’, with its polar bears, a majestic elk, a beautiful dog and sparkling Christmas lights glowing in the snow as a fleet of gleaming red Coke trucks glides by , hits the spot like a nice cool  bottle of Coke  after a long jog or working up a sweat on an ice rink or the ski slopes.

I have to admit that I am totally captivated by the “magic” this one. To watch it, click on the screen immediately below –

So there, with more than a little help from artificial intelligence techniques,  is some Holiday Magic for us. Those advertisers at Coke sure now sure now how to do, as one of their slogans go, “the real thing,” don’t they?

For better or worse, Niagara At Large will get back to the more serious news and commentary in the New Year. Please keep supporting NAL with your visits to http://www.niagaraatllarge.com, and tell all your relatives, friends and associates to do the same.

• The Very Best to you in the New Year, Doug Draper

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

Posted by Doug Draper on Niagara At Large

December 29^th, 2024

former U.S. President and humanitarian extraordinaire Jimmy Carter

In my view, for what it is worth, no one as decent and as honest as Jimmy Carter has ever served as President of the United States since at least the end of the Second World War.

Even after he left office the Oval Office in 1981, he continued to devote his life to humanity effort as a founding member of Habitat for Humanity and in so many other ways.

The first and only U.S. president to install solar panels on the roof of the White House, he also continued to champion renewable energy and so many other causes aimed at making life better for people and other life on this planet.

Then U.S. President Jimmy Carter in Niagara Falls, New York in 1980, with Lois Gibbs, president of the then Love Canal Homeowners’ Association, after signing a second emergency declaration, to help Gibbs’ family and hundreds of others evacuate their homes around the Love Canal toxic waste dump.

While still president Jimmy Carter also made a big mark on the American side of the Niagara River when, during his presidency, he declared not one, but two federal  emergencies  that allowed hundreds of families to escape, without losing what they had invested in their homes,  from  buried industrial poisons spreading through the Love Canal neighbourhood where they lived.

The last news I read on him was that he mustered up all the energy he had at the age of 100 to cast his ballot for U.S. presidential candidate Kamala Harris this past November.

One can only imagine how broke hearted he must have felt when he learned that Donald Trump beat her.

Jimmy Carter visited Niagara with his wife Rosalyn at least once since he left political office and expressed his love for the natural heritage here.

In his memory, let’s double down in our efforts to protect and preserve that natural heritage.

RIP Jimmy Carter

• Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

To read a statement on the death of Jimmy Carter from Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, click on – https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/statements/2024/12/29/statement-prime-minister-passing-jimmy-carter .

To read a tribute Doug Draper wrote and posted on Niagara At Large on Jimmy Carter’s 100th birthday this past October 2024, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2024/10/01/happy-100th-birthday-jimmy-carter-a-true-humanitarian-and-pioneering-climate-activist/

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