Niagara At Large

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

Posted October 4th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

At a time when we are bombarded with so much bad news in this word, here – at least for a few hours – is some good news.

For the better part of this Monday, October 4th and at least up to the time of this posting, the online services of Facebook or that corporate equivalent of “the evil empire, as I call it, has been suffering what it calls “outages.”

In other words, many of us cannot even get on our own Facebook page if we have one, let alone anyone else’s, and I have to say that is fine with me. Continue reading →

“Today’s Speech from the Throne is disappointing for everyday families and working folks in Ontario,” … If I were Premier today, we would be investing in health care and our kids instead of cutting deeper. We’d be standing up for local business – not big box stores. And we’d be protecting workers – not Ford’s buddies.”       – Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

“During an incredibly difficult year for us all, we have been left to rely on a government content to do as little as possible, as late as possible. Today’s Speech from the Throne is no exception to that disappointing trend.”                                                                                – Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca

News Releases from the Offices of Ontario’s NDP and Liberal Leaders in Response to this Monday, October 4^th Speed from the Throne

Posted October 4^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

(Note to Readers – Niagara At Large is yet to receive news from Ontario’s Ford government on today’s Throne Speech or we would have already posted it. Hmm.)

Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath vows to keep fighting for  health care, schools and small businesses needs.

Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath vowed to keep fighting for the support health care, schools and small businesses need to get through the pandemic safely and come back strong, after they were left out of the Speech from the Throne.

“Today’s Speech from the Throne is disappointing for everyday families and working folks in Ontario,” said Horwath. “By announcing nothing new whatsoever to help patients, students, workers, or small business, Doug Ford made it clear again: he’s not here for you and he still doesn’t want to spend the money on you.” Continue reading →

“He (Premier Doug Ford) shuttered the Legislature for the entire summer and the grand plan he came back with is one that fails the residents of Niagara and Ontario in every possible way.”

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

Posted October 4^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

QUEEN’S PARK —Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates reacted to the Ford Government’s Throne Speech Monday morning, calling the speech a disappointment for Niagara.

“How can the Premier say he’s investing in healthcare and yet not say a single word about getting our New Niagara Falls Hospital built?

If you live in this community you have seen firsthand the urgent need for that hospital before the pandemic began, now that we’re two years into a health crisis it’s ridiculous that our Premier is still not getting shovels in the ground,” said Gates “to make matters worse, the throne speech said nothing about plans to hire the nurses and PSWs we desperately need, or to repeal bill 124 so they can get the pay they deserve. Calling them heroes and then refusing to support them is the definition of hypocrisy”. Continue reading →

This Time, Canada’s Prime Minister Takes A ‘Family Vacation’ on our Country’s ’very first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher           Doug Draper

Posted October 2^nd, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Next to his father, Pierre Trudeau to the right, Justin is a weak, soft-brained midget

If there is any lingering doubt that a federal election Prime Minister Justin Trudeau called this past August and that most Canadians did not want is over, Trudeau’s true itinerary this past September 30^th – Canada’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. – should put any doubt to rest.

Trudeau may by now have a proven record of failing to fully follow up on nice words he utters on election reform, climate change and a host of other issues, but if the federal election were still on, even he would not have been stupid enough to skip this most solemn of days for Canada’s indigenous peoples for what so many media outlets have described as a “few days of vacation. Continue reading →

“Tree plantings like this do more than beautify our parks and public spaces. The urban canopy provides critical ecological supports for the local watersheds that sustain agriculture and the natural environment that we all rely on.”                                            – Della Trojan of the Friends of Walker’s Creek.

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

Posted October 2nd, 2021 on Niagara At Large

There is some new greenery at Cherie Road Park thanks to a team effort between the City of St. Catharines; Friends of Walker’s Creek; Friends of Malcolmson Eco-Park and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

The Friends of Walker’s Creek, including Della Trojan seen here, teamed up with the Friends of Malcolmson Eco-Park, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and the City of St. Catharines to plant about 550 native trees and shrubs at Cherie Road Park on Saturday. Photo courtesy of City of St. Catharines

On Saturday, October 2nd, community volunteers from both the Friend’s of Walkers Creek and Friends of Malcolmson Eco-Park gathered at the City park to plant approximately 550 trees and shrubs native to the Carolinian Zone. The new greenery come courtesy of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) through a TD Friends of the Environment Foundation grant. Continue reading →

News from Ontario’s Ford Government

Posted October 1^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Rod Phillips, Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care, with Premier Doug Ford looking on to the right

TORONTO — As part of the government’s plan to protect long-term care residents and staff during the Delta-driven fourth wave, Ontario is taking further action with an additional suite of tools.

This includes making COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for all in-home staff, support workers, students, and volunteers by November 15, 2021, unless a staff member has a valid medical exemption, as well as expanded inspections of homes and redirecting provincial resources to enhance and audit existing testing in homes.

“We know that long-term care residents have been disproportionately impacted by COVID-19. As new variants continue to spread, we are seeing a growing number of outbreaks in long-term care homes where the risk to those most vulnerable remains high,” said Rod Phillips, Minister of Long-Term Care. Continue reading →

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter – A True Environmentalist – Turned 97 this October 1^st

By Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted October 1^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Jimmy Carter, during his years in the White House

After he moved into the White House in 1977 as the 39^th President of the United States, one of the things he did earlier on was install solar panels on its roof.

Wow, was the reaction of many at a time when solar panels still almost something in the range of science fiction technology and were rare to see anywhere.

Jimmy Carter was also the first leader of any Western industrial nation I can recall who raised serious warnings about carbon emissions (greenhouse gases, they were more often called at the time) and climate change, and who embarked on programs to develop renewable energy.

Later on during his all-too-short, four years in the White House, when the world found itself facing an oil shortage that had much to do with turmoil in the Middle East, Carter urged Americans, during the winter months, to turning down thermostats and dressing more heavily at home. Continue reading →

“No one who works full time should be struggling to make ends meet or living in poverty, all workers in Ontario deserve to receive a decent wage that let’s them build their lives in our great province.”

A Statement by Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted October 1^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

QUEEN’S PARK – Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement regarding the 10-cent change to Ontario’s minimum wage, which took effect today:

“Minimum wage workers in Ontario have seen the cost of living skyrocket past their wages, and every month they have to make tough decisions around paying their rent, affording medicine and putting food on the table.

The Liberals froze the minimum wage for years, only increasing it as a last-minute election ploy, and one of Doug Ford’s first acts as premier was to hurt workers by cancelling a long-overdue increase.

Now, after a year and a half of very difficult pandemic working conditions, Ford is insulting these workers with an 80-cent per day increase, before taxes. Ford called them heroes during the pandemic — but he’s here for his buddies, not for them. Continue reading →

Federal Court Upholds Landmark Compensation Order For First Nations Children

A Message from Desmond Sequeria, a social activist living in Niagara, Ontario, each person receiving it on this landmark ‘National Day for Truth and Reconciliation’  

Posted September 30^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Canadian child welfare activist Cikndy Blackstock

If this day  is to have any meaning at all, (Canadian child welfare activist and executive director of the Frist Nations Child and Family Caring Society) Cindy Blackstock ha a succinct message to all of us, contained in the report in the link immediately below – https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/federal-court-decision-human-rights-tribunal-child-welfare-1.6074346

Please do read the entire report, if you have not already, especially the following – “Cindy Blackstock, executive director of the First Nations Child and Family Caring Society, launched the human rights complaint that led to the ruling, along with the Assembly of First Nations –  Continue reading →

“Simple acknowledgement of our past is insufficient, and offering apologizes in themselves is not enough. Here in Niagara, we take seriously our responsibility to implement the Calls to Action found in the Truth and Reconciliation.”    – Niagara’s Mayors and Regional Chair

A Joint statement from Niagara’s mayors and Regional Chair regarding the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Posted September 30^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Today (Thursday, September 30^th), on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, we have an opportunity to acknowledge and reflect on the lasting impact of the Indian residential school system in Canada.

In the wake of hundreds of unmarked graves for Indigenous children, discovered on the grounds of former residentia schools in Canada, Niagara, Ontario municipal flags were lowered to half mast at the Region’s headquarters earlier this year. file photo by Doug Draper

Today is an opportunity to learn about this painful aspect of our country’s history, as well as to commemorate the survivors, their families, and their communities – as called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and Indigenous leaders. Continue reading →

“The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation recognizes that at least 150,000 Indigenous children from across the country were forcibly separated from their families and their communities. Children were brought to residential schools where too many experienced abuse and were removed from their cultures, languages, and traditions.”       – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A Statement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

Posted September 30^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation:

“Today (this Thursday, September 30^th), I invite everyone across the country to recognize and observe the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

“It is a day to reflect on the painful and lasting impacts of residential schools in Canada, and to honour survivors, their families, and their communities. It is also a day to remember the many children who never returned home, and an opportunity for us all to learn more, and to affirm the need for reconciliation and commit ourselves to the work ahead. Continue reading →

“Premier Doug Ford and Indigenous Affairs Minister Greg Rickford have refused to make Sept. 30 a province-wide statutory day. … I don’t believe this would even be a debate if the graves discovered belonged to stolen non-Indigenous children.”                                                                                             – Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted September 30^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP statement on marking National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa, NDP critic for Indigenous and Treaty Relations, will mark Thursday’s first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Orange Shirt Day with solemn reflection of Canada’s shameful mistreatment of Indigenous Peoples, and commemoration of the thousands of Indigenous children who never came home from Canada’s Indian Residential Schools.

Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

“Today (September 30th), Canadians and Ontarians come together in grieving the over 1,300 stolen Indigenous children who never made it home from Canada’s residential school system,” Horwath said.

“These were precious children that Canada made it a policy to forcibly steal from their families and communities, who suffered violence, physical and sexual abuse and malnutrition.

“We acknowledge the fresh pain and trauma of discovering the graves of more than 1,300 Indigenous children this past year, and yet we know that for First Nations communities, these stolen children were never a secret. These graves belong to the babies who never got to grow up, the precious brothers, sisters, and cousins whose families never stopped searching for them. Continue reading →

“Over the last three years, Ron has proven himself to be a competent, dynamic and committed leader as our Acting Chief Administrative Officer. This is particularly remarkable considering the unprecedented challenges that were brought forward by the global pandemic. … I believe Ron’s track record as a creative, resourceful and ethical leader helped to set him apart from other candidates (for the CAO position).”                          – Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 29^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – After completing an exhaustive competitive search, Niagara Regional Council has officially appointed Ron Tripp to the role of permanent Chief Administrative Officer (CAO).

The CAO is the most senior municipal public servant and the only direct employee of Council. In this capacity, Niagara Region’s CAO is charged with the oversight of all Regional operations, providing high-level leadership to more than 3,000 Regional staff and ultimately delivering on Regional Council’s strategic vision.

Tripp’s appointment comes after a 10-month long comprehensive process that was managed by the recruitment firm Legacy Partners, under the direction of Regional Council’s CAO Recruitment Committee.

Ron Tripp has more than 20 years of municipal experience, formerly holding senior roles with the City of St. Catharines and the Town of Fort Erie, where he served as the Acting Chief Administrative Officer. Continue reading →

“Reconciliation is not a destination; it is an ongoing commitment.”

A Statement  from the Town of Lincoln in Niagara, Ontario

Posted September 29^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Lincoln, Ontario – This Thursday, September 30 marks the first National Day for Truth and as part of Truth and Reconciliation Week September 27 – October 1.

On this day we encourage everyone to wear orange to remember the children who never returned home from residential school and to honour the Survivors and their communities. Continue reading →

 “A must-read if we’re serious about enacting positive change from the ground up, in communities, and through human connections and human emotions.” —Margaret Atwood, Twitter

“An optimistic view on why collective action is still possible—and how it can be realized.” —The New York Times

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

Posted September 29th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

If you have been watching the news this past number, you must have seen the almost daily reports on devastating wildfires, droughts, floods, wind storms and  mudslides ravaging communities and wilderness areas in Canada and around the world.

The once-picturesque town of Lytton, British Columbia was virtually destroyed this past July by unprecedented heat waves and wildfire. One resident said it is ‘canary-in-the-coal-mine’ warning to others that climate change is real and needs to be addressed now

What used to be 50 or 100 year climate-related catastrophes like this are now occurring almost daily now – just as climate scientists have been warning now for more than 50 years. Continue reading →

“The Konkle Creek Naturalization Project has been a decade in the making and I am so proud of the many benefits it brings to our town, residents, and the environment.”               – Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton

News from the Town of Lincoln in Niagara, Ontario

Posted September 29^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Lincoln, Ontario – The Town of Lincoln, in cooperation with the Active Transportation Advisory Committee, has proudly opened the Konkle Creek Naturalization Project. A small ribbon-cutting ceremony was held on September 25, 2021.

This project addressed the channel erosion issues of Konkle Creek, while concurrently restoring the form and function of the watercourse to the extent possible. It also provided the opportunity to further connect the community through the active transportation network. Continue reading →

“As a public-sector employer we need to lead by example and that includes doing everything we can to protect both our employees and the public from the risks of COVID-19.”                                                    – David Oakes, Chief Administrative Officer, City of St. Catharines

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

Posted September 28^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – In an effort to protect not only its employees but also the members of the public they serve the City of St. Catharines will require all its employees to obtain COVID-19 vaccination.

Specifically, all City employees — with the exception of those unable to receive the vaccine due to a Human Rights Code exemption — will be required to be fully vaccinated.

With scientific data demonstrating the effectiveness of vaccines in curbing the spread of COVID-19 and the increased risk of the Delta Variant to unvaccinated individuals, the City is adding vaccine requirements to its existing COVID-19 employee safety protocols such as mask requirements, daily screening and increased disinfection efforts. Continue reading →

A Passionate Plea for Action from 18-Year-Old Swedish Climate Activist Greta Thunberg

During a Global Climate Strike Rally in Germany on This Past September 24, 2021

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

Posted September 28^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

If you happened to miss this urgent address delivered by the remarkable young activist Greta Thunberg to a large audience in Germany this past September 24^th, please give it a listen. And please take it to heart.

If only we had a Prime Minister in Canada, let alone any provincial Premier across this country, speak about this climate emergency with that kind of passion.

“World leaders are talking about building back better, promising green investment and setting vague and distant climate targets as if to say that they are taking climate action,” Thunberg told thousands participating in the rally. Continue reading →

A Brief Introduction to this Well-Timed  Book and its Author by Doug Draper

Posted September 27^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Among the few individuals left from the golden era of modern-day environmentalism to write about book about the need to protect and preserve our Great Lakes rivers, who better to do it than Margaret Wooster.

Margaret Wooster, an ecologist by trace, was the last executive director of Great Lakes United, a large Canada/U.S. coalition of public and private sector organizations around the Great Lakes basin that was founded in 1982 with a mission to advocate for the health of the lakes for the tens-of-millions of people living around them.

Tragically, Great Lakes United (GLU) and its voice for multi-dozens of public and private bodies in both countries, died in 2013, at a time when the environmental movement driven from the first Earth Day in 1970 was running up against walls of apathy, and relentless push backs from special interests with a mind to exploiting lands around the Great Lakes. Continue reading →

“Doug Ford is forcing all children, teens and seniors to go without vision care in order to save a buck. He doesn’t want to spend the money, and it’s everyday people who are paying the price.” – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

News from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party

Posted September 27^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on the Doug Ford government to immediately get back to the table with optometrists, and put fair funding in place to give children and seniors the eye care they’re being denied.

“There are kids and teens struggling in school because they can’t see the board, or coping with eye pain and headaches. There are older adults facing the loss of independence because they can’t get a new prescription,” said Horwath.

“Doug Ford is forcing all children, teens and seniors to go without vision care in order to save a buck. He doesn’t want to spend the money, and it’s everyday people who are paying the price.” Continue reading →

“Niagara’s residents deserve better. Our environmental assets deserve protection. Our Region, our municipal governments and our Conservation Authority need to step up before there is nothing left to protect.”

This Story is from Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara, an alliance of citizen-based conservation and environmental organizations and individuals from across the Niagara region

Posted September 27^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Trees have already been buzz-sawed down at the historic Ranwood Estate in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. How many more trees have to be mowed down before someone in authority finally says ‘STOP’?

According to Niagara-on-the-Lake residents, the Region has given permission for the removal of the last 2.5 acres of forest remaining on the Randwood Estate lands, now owned by the Two Sisters winery in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

The land has already been the subject of controversial tree-cutting that had the community up in arms in 2017, and again in 2018, as 434 trees, including endangered butternut trees and Eastern Flowering Dogwood, as well as several hundred-year-old oaks and towering pines were cleared.

Residents say what happened to this historic and heavily treed property is an example of everything that’s wrong with local and regional planning and the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority — organizations which all failed at some point to protect the area’s significant woodlands, creek, aquifer and important Natural Heritage Corridor. Continue reading →

“A common denominator of workplace outbreaks has been low vaccination uptake by employees. A COVID-19 vaccination policy is the most effective means to increase vaccination coverage in the workplace.”

A News Release from the Niagara’s Regional Government’s department of Public Health

Posted September 26^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region Public Health is recommending local employers establish a workplace vaccination policy to protect their employees and clients from COVID-19, and to prevent disruption of business recovery.

With the Delta variant currently driving a fourth wave in Niagara, there have been 11 workplace outbreaks so far in (and as of the 23^rd of) September. This has required many employees to isolate as close contacts, disrupting business and impeding the economic recovery so many businesses need. Continue reading →

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

Posted September 24th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley – a former Ontario environment minister – receives Regional Council support for his motion to develop and impiment a climate action plan for Niagara

Niagara, Ontario – “Thank you for your leadership,” said St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik to Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley at a meeting of the Region’s council this September 23rd.

What Sendzik was thanking Bradley for was a motion the Chair tabled at the Region’s Planning and Economic Development Committee this past September 15th, directing Regional staff and the Council to develop and implement a climate action plan for Niagara.

That motion received final approval at full meeting of the Regional council this September 23rd, and could not come soon enough as the province, country and other parts of the world witness an unprecedented number of severe floods, droughts, killer heat waves, wildfires, wind storms and other climate-related events that are costing lives and countless billions of dollars of destruction to property and wildlife.

And closer to home, Bradley’s motion states that “the Niagara Region has already been impacted by climate change through shoreline and escarpment destruction, millions of dollars of infrastructure damages caused by extreme storm events and increase freeze–thaw cycles destroying our roads and subsurface infrastructure.” Continue reading →

“And our grandchildren will know that we are the culprits and… that we were warned and they will know that it was this generation that came centre stage to speak and act on behalf of posterity and that we missed our cue and they will ask themselves what kind of people we were to be so selfish and so short sighted.”                                                                                                 – British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on the global climate crisis

A Brief One from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

(This post has been updated to include a video of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s actual address at the United Nations, rather than just the news conference he held after.)

Posted September 23^rd, 2021

I never dreamed of a day I would be singing praises for British Prime Minister Boris Johnson.

But in an address he delivered to the United Nations this September 22^nd, he nailed it on the crisis our world faces today due to a climate crisis fueled by unsustainable human activities.

This Thursday, September 23^rd, at a Niagara Regional Council meeting that begins at 6:30 p.m., a motion tabled by Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley at the Region’s planning and economic development committee a week ago, will be on deck for discussion and, hopefully, will receive final approval.

That motion calls for developing and launching a climate action plan in our Niagara region – a call to action that is long overdue.

To hear and watch British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s September 23^rd address to the United States assembly in New York City, click on the screen immediately below –

To watch this Thursday, September 23rd Niagara Regional Council meeting click on the following link at 6:30 p.m. or at any time thereafter – https://www.niagararegion.ca/government/council/council-meetings.aspx 

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

An Article by  Kevin Bunch, a writer/communications specialist with the Canada/U.S. International Joint Commission (IJC), for the IJC’s September 2021 newsletter, Great Lakes Connection

Posted September 23^rd, 2021 on Niagara At Large

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

One of the provincially significant wetlands in Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario – an area now targeted for urban development.  photo by Lori Monroe

In a region of Ontario where most of the great wetlands that were here when the first European settlers arrive are gone now, I hope that as many Niagara residents as possible will read the IJC article below.

Then you might also want to go online and find the contact information for the Windsor, Ontario Office of the International Joint Commission and do some satellite mapping and analysis of the wetlands we still have left before they too are possibly destroyed by predators in the development industry. Continue reading →

 “The 85 per cent of us who did the right thing and got our vaccines earned the right to be at a stadium, the mall, or at church without having to worry about whether the person beside us is unvaccinated.”

A Message from Ontario Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted September 22^nd, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

QUEEN’S PARK — Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is calling for the vaccine certificate program to be improved in order to protect people, and Ontario’s progress in the fight against COVID-19.

“The 85 per cent of us who did the right thing and got our vaccines earned the right to be at a stadium, the mall, or at church without having to worry about whether the person beside us is unvaccinated,” said Horwath.

“For the safety of our families and our progress in the fight against COVID-19, let’s fix the vaccine certificate program. Doug Ford’s version is full of holes big enough for COVID to pour through — let’s close them.” Continue reading →

“As the polls show, a majority of Canadians know there is no time to waste. Our communities can’t afford any more delays. The federal parties must now put aside their differences and work together to do what is needed to tackle the environmental crisis we face.”

A Statement on the Canadian Federal Election Results from Tim Gray, Executive Director of Environmental Defence Canada

Posted September 22nd, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – While no party won a majority mandate yesterday, the environment did, thanks to the millions of Canadians who cast ballots for parties that put forward strong policies to confront the climate emergency and advance environmental protection.

At a time where multiple crises are converging globally, this was a crucial election for Canadians. As the polls show, a majority of Canadians know there is no time to waste. Our communities can’t afford any more delays. The federal parties must now put aside their differences and work together to do what is needed to tackle the environmental crisis we face. Continue reading →

News Coming in from City of St. Catharines, Town of Lincoln, and the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre in St. Catharines on How the Rules will Apply for Those Wishing to Enter Their Venues

Similar Rules Will Also Apply to Many Indoor Venues across the Niagara region and province

Posted September 9^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

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

The amount of text below is long but we feel to content is important enough that we are sharing it with our readers. There will probably be far more news to come on this new chapter to the war against COVID-19, and we will do our best to share key information with you.

In the meantime, if you live in another part of the Niagara region outside of St. Catharines or Lincoln, you may wish to call your municipality for more on the way these new rules will apply there.

Now here are some News Releases that have been circulated already by two Niagara, Ontario municipalities and one entertainment venue in our region –

City of St. Catharines facilities to require proof of vaccination starting September 22

St. Catharines City Hall

Starting Wednesday, Sept. 22, to comply with provincial regulations, anyone aged 12 and older will be required to show proof they are fully COVID-19 vaccinated to enter City of St. Catharines public facilities – unless an exemption applies.

Checks for COVID-19 proof of vaccination, indicating visitors are fully vaccinated with two approved doses, will be performed in addition to the visitor screening process currently in place at all City facilities, including those listed below: Continue reading →

An “Urgent Open Letter from Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott

Posted September 21st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Dear Premier Ford and Minister Elliott:

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

Many people already dealing with this ongoing pandemic and now having eye care services under OHIP stopped is really the last straw.

The Ontario Association of Optometrists says eye doctors are the lowest paid in the country and that OHIP has underfunded eye exams for decades.

My office has stacks of petitions from area optometrists and their patients demanding your government resolve this crisis in eye care coverage. They’re not even asking to make money at it. They are just saying, “Let’s negotiate something that covers our costs.” Continue reading →

“Public transit could have a huge impact on Niagara’s social and economic future. As we move forward, it’s important that we keep the public in the know, and keep their voices at the forefront of the discussion”                ~ Mat Siscoe, Chair, Linking Niagara Transit Committee

A Call-Out to All of Us from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted September 21^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region and all 12 local area municipalities are considering moving to a single, consolidated public transit system – a decision that could be made as early as this fall.

The proposed model <http://www.movingtransitforward.ca/>, based on consultation with all municipalities,would bring consistent operating hours and fares, new digital payment technology, and better connections for riders across Niagara. Continue reading →

On Friday, September 24th in St. Catharines, Ontario (See Details Below)

A Call-Out to All of Us from Extinction Rebellion Niagara

Re-Posted as a Reminder this September 21st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

As you may be aware, people around the globe are planning a Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 24th. To show our global solidarity and get back in the streets, we will be marching downtown St. Catharines on the (this coming Friday, September) 24th!

Here are the details of the day:

Continue reading →

Federal Liberals Need a New Leader, and Her Name is Chrystia Freeland

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher           Doug Draper

Posted September 21^st, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Let me start by saying something I think most of my fellow Canadians can agree with; “Thank God this federal election is over.

Voters lined up outside polling stations like this one in Thorold, sometimes for more than a hour, to cast their ballots in this pandemic election. Photo by Doug Draper

Now we can hopefully get back to focusing on issues that matter in our lives and communities before we were so rudely interrupted – issues like the fourth wave of this killer pandemic, trying to struggle back as individuals, families and businesses mentally and economically, safeguarding children in schools, and a climate crisis we are facing right now.

Canada’s Liberal leader and prime minister, Justin Trudeau, celebrates “victory” following this September 21st’s federal election

This snap federal election was called in mid-August by Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, and when asked over and over again why it was necessary, he kept falling back to the line that the government needed to hear from the Canadians people, and what we want to see done as the country moves forward.

It was a line that was never all that convincing.

Mr. Trudeau surely knew, before the election call, that he has more than 150 Liberal MPs with constituency offices spread out across the country. Canadians are calling in to those constituency offices every single day with their concerns and their hopes and desires on where they want to see the country go on a whole host of issues.

You don’t need to hold a snap election during a pandemic – one that cost Canadian taxpayers more than $600 million – to do that.

Continue reading →

“Continued closure of the U.S. border to vaccinated Canadians is completely unnecessary and unexplained.” – Brian Higgins, U.S. Democratic Congressman representing the Buffalo/Niagara Falls, New York area

A Statement by Congressman Brian Higgins on U.S. Extension of Northern Border Shutdown

Buffalo, New York – Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26), who serves as Chair of the Northern Border Caucus and the Canada-U.S. Interparliamentary Group released the following statement in response to the news that the United States is extending border restrictions for Canadians entering the U.S. through October 21, 2021.

“Continued closure of the U.S. border to vaccinated Canadians is completely unnecessary and unexplained.

“It is welcome news that the White House is making progress on reciprocating international public health measures to protect air travelers. Yet it is inexplicable that no announcement on easing travel restrictions at land ports of entry is being made today since the livelihoods of communities across the Northern Border depend on cross-border commerce. Continue reading →

Vote for the Candidate and Party in Your Riding That Have the Best Chance of Defeating Conservative Leader Erin O’Toole and his Party of Climate Laggards 

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted September 19^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

With election day finally upon us, daily tracking polls show the Liberals and Conservatives running neck to neck for first place nationally (each with around 32 percent of the total vote), and the NDP stuck at the same 19 or 20 per cent since election began, in spite of a good race run by a well-liked and highly popular (especially among younger people) Jameet Singh.

In the Niagara Ontario ridings of Niagara Centre and St. Catharines, tracking polls show the horse race between the Liberals and Conservatives is reflective of the national trend, although in the last week or so, Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey and St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle (both Liberal incumbents) have been inching ahead of their Conservative rivals. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper on Niagara At Large

Posted September 17th, 2021 at Niagara At Large

One of America’s most popular progressive politicians – Vermont’s independent and social democrat Senator Bernie Sanders and two-time U.S. Presidential candidate issued a statement on Twitter this September 17th, endorsing Canada’s Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh and his party in this coming Monday, September 20th federal election.

Canada’s NDP Leader gets election endorsement from one of the most popular progressive politicians in the United States – former Presidential Candidate and the still very active Senator Bernie Sanders, to the right in photo

Here is Senator Sander’s statement –

“Canada goes to the polls Monday. There’s one party that stood up for working people in the pandemic. One leader who has the courage to make the wealthy pay their fair share so everyone gets the medication they need. That’s why I support the NDP and Jagmeet Singh.” – Bernie Sanders

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

Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, and keeper of the tar sands, endorses federal Conservative leader Erin O’Toole

Any Politician – In This Case O’Toole – Who Looks and Sounds Like He’s Stuttering and Dancing on Coals When Repeatedly Asked To Clarify His Position on the Need for Vaccine Mandates During A Fourth Wave Of A Killer Pandemic Should Not Be Leading Our Country

“The choices that leaders make during a crisis matter.”                  – Justin Trudeau, leader of Canada’s governing Liberals, responding to federal Conservative leader Erin O’Toole’s unwillingness to offer clear answers to reporters’ questions about vaccine mandates and the mess that O’Toole’s right-wing, climate denying friend, Alberta Premier Jason Kenney, has made of dealing with the pandemic in his province.

Former U.S. Democratic President Barack Obama and Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

“Wishing my friend Justin Trudeau the best in Canada’s upcoming election. Justin has been an effective leader and strong voice for democratic values, and I’m proud of the work he did together.”                                                                    – Former U.S. President Barack Obama from a statement he posted on Twitter this September 16^th.

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher           Doug Draper

Posted September 16^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Let me begin this commentary with perhaps the one point many of us can agree on.

And the point is this.

I am completely on side with what is evidently view of a majority of my fellow Canadians that Trudeau and his Liberals should not have called this snap election at a time when we are entering a fourth wave of a pandemic that is wreaking so much havoc on our lives, and the health and economic welfare of the communities we live in. Continue reading →

A Message from Marcie Jacklin and Community Voices of Fort Erie

Posted September 16^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Fort Erie, Ontario – Next Monday, September 20th, Canadians will go to the polls to cast their votes for the federal candidate of their choice.  This is our democratic right, and also, our responsibility.

There is no doubt that we are currently facing a climate emergency.

We need only to look at the record high temperatures, wildfires and flooding that have occurred over the past year to see that action must be taken now.

We also need to conserve our natural resources, like Waverly Woods, to ensure a healthy environment for everyone. Continue reading →

“This is a fair, balanced approached that will ensure that the costs of new development do not fall to the taxpayer and that growth will pay for growth in the future.”                                           – St. Catharines Mayor Walter Sendzik

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

Posted September 16^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines City Hall

Niagara, Ontario – (Earlier this week) St. Catharines City Council has approved the re-introduction of development charges, providing a more balanced approach where growth pays for growth, rather than the burden of growth-related infrastructure falling to the taxpayer.

After extensive public engagement with the community and stakeholders – including the development industry and the City’s Development Studies Task Force, Council approved a development charges background study and bylaw Monday night, paving the way for development charge bylaw to come into effect January 1, 2022. Continue reading →

News from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted September 16^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Laura Secord’s 1813 trek from Queenston to DeCew House likely involved navigating through plants, shrubs and trees, which the area’s Indigenous Peoples knew intimately for their nutritional and curative properties.

A section of the Laura Secord Legacy Trail that runs from Niagara-on-the-Lake to Thorold. Brock biologist and UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability, Liette Vasseur, has formed a partnership with the Indigenous, not-for

The scenery between Niagara-on-the-Lake and Thorold has changed a bit since then, but the importance of knowing plants native to Niagara is as strong as ever, especially in Indigenous communities.

Brock biologist and UNESCO Chair on Community Sustainability, Liette Vasseur, has formed a partnership with Plenty Canada<https://www.plentycanada.com/>, an Indigenous, not-for-profit charitable organization that supports environmental protection and sustainable development goals. Continue reading →

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

Posted September 15th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

Niagara, Ontario – A motion tabled by Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley to move forward with a Niagara-based plan to address the impacts of climate change received approval from members of the Region’s Planning and Economic Development Committee this September 15th.

If the motion gets final approval at this coming September 23rd Regional Council meeting, the Region’s staff will proceed to develop proposals for addressing climate change at a local level and the Region will host a “climate summit” before actual climate-fighting practices are put in place.

In a statement to the Region’s Planning and Economic Development Committee before his motion was discussed and voted on, Bradley said –

“Actions to date, at all levels of government, have not been enough so far to change the path we we are on…. As leaders, and we are leaders as member of council, now is the time to mitigate the impacts of climate change, locally and globally.” Continue reading →

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

“I believe there is always an opportunity for civil debate in regard to public policy, but vandalism on property is nothing but destructive and ultimately counterproductive. Verbal and physical abuse of those running for public office is appalling and inexcusable.” – Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

A Statement from Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley

Posted September 14^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Regional Chair Bradley’s statement on the vandalism and harassment of those in the public realm – 

“I am disappointed to hear of yet another instance of vandalism against an elected official in Niagara. This behaviour is unacceptable and does nothing but denigrate our public discourse and serve to divide us as a community.

A photo from St. Catharines Liberal MP Chris Bittle’s Facebook page, of the ugly spray painting found on his car, in the driveway of his home.

The recent vandalism committed to the vehicle of Liberal candidate Chris Bittle, the spitting on and hurling of vile insults to Conservative candidate Krystina Waler, and racial insults being directed at campaign volunteers, are all examples of clearly despicable behaviour during an electoral contest.

Most recently, the vandalistic attack on the residence and vehicle of Mayor Walter Sendzik represent yet another unacceptable action taken against an individual in the public realm. Continue reading →

And It Is Trying The Patience Of People Who Have Done The Right Thing

A News Release from the Liberal Party of Ontario

Posted September 14^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Liberals Release Plan To Mandate Safety After Surge In Anti-Science Protests

Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca

TORONTO, Ontario – Ontario must take a zero-tolerance approach to anti-science rhetoric and public health non-compliance, which is threatening people’s lives and putting Ontario’s small businesses and economic recovery at risk.

“Doug Ford’s softness on public safety is costing us lives, money and time and trying the patience of people who have done the right thing,” said Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca. “This ends when we say it ends. No more nonsense. No more exceptions. No more delay. We must act with strength and determination to put this threat behind us.”

The Ontario Liberal Party’s “Mandate Safety” plan is calling for increased public safety measures that will protect communities, drive vaccine acceptance and accelerate our economic reopening, by: Continue reading →

Taking Place on Friday, September 24^th at 10 A.M. to 5 P.M. in Niagara Falls, Ontario

Address: 6746 Morrison Street, Niagara Falls, ON. MPP Wayne Gates office is in this strip-mall. Parking is available across the street beside LA Fitness.

A Call-Out to All of Us from the Niagara Activist Network and Housing Now Niagara

Posted September 14^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Schedule of Events:

-Street protest (please bring your own signs or artwork if you can) housing hand outs will be provided.

-All are welcome to bring their creativity to this demonstration, be it songs, poetry, dance, or artwork. We will be recording people’s personal housing testimonials, participants are invited to share their struggles and offer solutions.

-We will ask for your input on the preparation of a letter of demands that we will present to all three levels of government. Continue reading →

“Who says you can’t fight city hall (or the provincial or federal government) and win? Hear stories about how groups of engaged citizens in Ontario have fought and won environmental victories and changed governments.”

Wednesday, September 15th thru to Wednesday, September 22nd (See details for times and how to sign up below)

Niagara At Large is Sharing this from the Facebook Page of the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee-Niagara

Posted September 14^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Liz Benneian, (A Better Niagara, Biodiversity and Climate Action Niagara and Ontariogreen) will be speaking about “Advocacy In Action” in the first of a four-part lecture series sponsored by Extinction Rebellion, Wednesday, September 15th, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

One of the speakers for the series, Liz Benneian – a leading member of the citizen groups A Better Niagara and the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee – Niagara, seen here speaking at at a past  environmental rally in our Niagara region.

Who says you can’t fight city hall (or the provincial or federal government) and win? Hear stories about how groups of engaged citizens in Ontario have fought and won environmental victories and changed governments. Learn how to advocate effectively from someone who has been leading successful citizen advocacy groups for 18 years. Continue reading →

It is not acceptable to shrug our shoulders and say there’s nothing more we can do.

“Doug Ford is only making things hard for those who made the responsible decision to get vaccinated and our most vulnerable.”

A Statement from Ontario Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca

Posted September 13^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO – Ontario Liberal Leader, Steven Del Duca issued the following statement:

Ontario Liberal Leaader Steven Del Duca

“Enough is enough.

“People have no right to block patients from their treatment, harass health care workers as they try and save lives or to intimidate business owners who are trying to make a living in one of the toughest economic periods imaginable.

“It is not acceptable to shrug our shoulders and say there’s nothing more we can do. Not while infections are on the rise. Not while our hospitals are filling up and our doctors and nurses are being threatened and abused. Not while anti-vax propaganda continues to flood our computers and our streets. Continue reading →

“We are dealing with a virus that is well-managed with a vaccine. I strongly urge those who are unvaccinated to do so as soon as possible. Vaccination is the key to getting out of this pandemic. ”                                                                                                   – Dr. Johan Viljoen, Niagara Health’s Chief of Staff, Executive Vice President of Medical Affairs

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

Posted September 13^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

This pandemic is the most significant healthcare crisis of our time. As a hospital, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect our teams and those in our care.

We continue to learn more about the Delta variant. Based on modelling from the Ontario COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, we expect to see another surge in cases in hospitals in our province over the next several months, impacting all age groups and all hospital services.

Full vaccination of our teams is critical to maintain a safe environment for everyone in the hospital – it will reduce the spread of the virus, decrease the risk of outbreaks and ensure healthcare services are delivered as safely as possible. Continue reading →

On Friday, September 24th in St. Catharines, Ontario (See Details Below)

A Call-Out to All of Us from Extinction Rebellion Niagara

Posted September 13th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

As you may be aware, people around the globe are planning a Global Climate Strike on Friday, September 24th. To show our global solidarity and get back in the streets, we will be marching downtown St. Catharines on the 24th!

Here are the details of the day:

Continue reading →

·   Free, interactive speaker series discusses the importance of environmental stewardship in the Niagara region and Ontario

·   Three unique sessions will feature fascinating keynote speakers

An Invite from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission and Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted September 13th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – As part of the ongoing partnership between Niagara Parks and Brock University, the two organizations will be hosting a free, online speaker series held over three sessions on September 23, October 28 and November 25, discussing various topics related to environmental stewardship.

Environmental stewardship in Niagara, September 23, 7 p.m.

Join Niagara Parks’ Ellen Savoia, Senior Manager of Environmental Planning, and Corey Burant, Project Manager of Forest Health, as they discuss environmental stewardship in the Niagara Parks with Ryan Plummer, Professor and Director of the Environmental Sustainability Research Centre at Brock University. Continue reading →

“Capping class sizes would ensure kids are socially distanced. It would lower the risk of exposures and outbreaks. And it would give students more one-on-one attention from teachers and education workers to help them recover from a very difficult year, both academically and emotionally.”

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party

Posted September 13^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

QUEEN’S PARK —Andrea Horwath, Leader of the Official Opposition New Democrats, said the Ford government must urgently reduce class sizes to prevent further school disruptions and closures, amid reports of classrooms in Ontario packed with 30 or 40 kids.

“Parents and kids are desperate for an in-person school year free of disruptions and closures. But parents and education workers are telling me that their classes can be as big as 30 or even 40 kids. Doug Ford is taking a risk our kids can’t afford,” Horwath said. “We’re seeing images of desks just inches apart, and hearing from teachers who are anxious and parents who are really fearful. Continue reading →

The Deadliest Attack by Foreign Terrorists, To Date, On North American Soil

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper, Niagara At Large, on the 20^th Anniversary of the 9/11 Terrorist

Posted September 9^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Possibly no one now over the age of 30 or 40 will forget where they were when they first learned that commercial jets, hijacked by foreign terrorists (the majority of them Saudi nationals), slammed into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre in New York, the Pentagon outside of Washington, D.C, and into the verdant fields of rural Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

More balls of flames as a second jet slams into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre that, before the morning of September 11, 2001 was over, would come pancaking down, killing everyone still inside.

The jet that went down in Pennsylvania, we later learned, was reportedly heading for the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C., where it would crash like a bomb there. It was brave passengers aboard that jet, who stormed the cockpit where terrorists were at the controls, who ultimately sacrificed their lives short-circuiting that deadly mission. Continue reading →

Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says urgency is growing to act on her proposed legislation to create Safety Zones.

“No one should have to walk a gauntlet of harassment and intimidation to get to a hospital. Not people who are sick. Not their families. And not the very health care workers who have been working tirelessly to save people from COVID-19.”                 – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea  Horwath.

News from Ontario’s New Democratic Party

Posted September 10^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

HAMILTON, Ontario  — Official Opposition NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says urgency is growing to act on her proposed legislation to create Safety Zones around places like hospitals and small businesses to protect people from anti-public health harassment.

“No one should have to walk a gauntlet of harassment and intimidation to get to a hospital. Not people who are sick. Not their families. And not the very health care workers who have been working tirelessly to save people from COVID-19,” said Horwath. Continue reading →

None of Canada’s Federal Leader Candidates Come Close to Matching U.S. President Joe Biden on Urging the World to Action

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

Posted September 10^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

I don’t know how many of you watched the leader’s debates for Canada’s federal election this September 8^th and 9^th, but I came away not feeling inspired by any of them – especially on one of the most serious issues threatening our present and future.

Canada’s Party leaders. Where is the passion and fire on climate change compared to what we are hearing from Joe Biden?

The issue is I am talking about is climate change and none of the leaders for the parties we can vote for in ridings in Ontario – not the Liberals, Conservatives, NDP or Greens – addressed it with the urgency that U.S. President Joe Biden did when he visited flood-ravaged neighbourhoods in New York City earlier on during this first full week of September. Continue reading →

Here is An Important Message from One of Niagara’s Leading Citizen Groups that Niagara At Large Urges You to Listen To

Liz Benneian

“It’s critical that our regional councillors choose the best option now because with increasing development that Niagara is under, there will be no second chance. What is not saved now will be lost forever.”                               – Liz Benneian, Niagara resident and leading member of the Biodiversity and Climate Action Committee

A Message from Niagara resident and a leading voice in our region for environmental protection, Liz Benneian

Posted September 9^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Will Niagara Region’s Council preserve Niagara’s natural environment for future generations?

The decision will be made soon (possibly soon as the next Regional Council meeting scheduled for Thursday, September 23^rd at 6:30 p.m.). Continue reading →

Decision on Bill 197 legal Challenge Reaffirms Citizens’ Right To Participate In Environmental Decision-Making

A News Release from Ontario Nature, one of the province’s major advocates for protecting and preserving our natural heritage

Posted September 8^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s Conservative government loses another battle to gut environmental protection safeguards on behalf of Ford’s friends and supporters in the development and house building industry.

Toronto, Ontario – The Ontario Divisional Court has determined that the Government of Ontario broke the law when it failed to comply with the public consultation requirements of Ontario’s Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR).

Specifically, in a decision released on September 3, 2021, it declared that the (Ontario) Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing acted “unreasonably and unlawfully” in failing to consult with the public on changes to the Planning Act regarding Minister’s Zoning Orders (MZOs). Continue reading →

Throwing Gravel at one of our Political Leaders Should be Responded to With Arrests and Criminal Charges

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

Posted September 7^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

What in hell is going on in our Canada now?

I feel depressed even writing this, knowing that it will be read by many Niagara At Large readers living on the American side of the border who have told me in the past that they think better of us.

They want to view Canada and Canadians as a place and people that have avoided the kind of ugly rhetoric and violence they have suffered through the past decade or two of radical-right Tea Party politics and Donald Trump and his cult.

Canada’s Liberal leader and Prime Minister, being pelted with gravel, as he leaves a campaign stop in London, Ontario this September 6th. Radical anti-vaxxers in Canada have also lobbed abuse at our frontline health workers.

Yet here we had an incident as recently as this past Monday, September 6^th with a mob of radical right anti vaxxers in London, Ontario throwing gravel and other items at Canada’s Prime Minister and federal Liberal Party candidate Justin Trudeau and his entourage, which included children, at a campaign stop there. Continue reading →

Call From More than 230 Leading Medical Journals for Emergency Action to Limit Global Temperature Increases, Restore Biodiversity, and Protect Health

“Higher temperatures have brought increased dehydration and renal function loss, dermatological malignancies, tropical infections, adverse mental health outcomes, pregnancy complications, allergies, and cardiovascular and pulmonary morbidity and mortality. Harms disproportionately affect the most vulnerable, including children, older populations, ethnic minorities, poorer communities, and those with underlying health problems.”

A Report Authored by Medical Doctors re presenting

Posted September 9th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

The United Nations General Assembly in September 2021 will bring countries together at a critical time for marshalling collective action to tackle the global environmental crisis. They will meet again at the biodiversity summit in Kunming, China, and at the climate conference (COP26) in Glasgow, United Kingdom.

Ahead of these pivotal meetings, we — the editors of health journals worldwide — call for urgent action to keep average global temperature increases below 1.5° C, halt the destruction of nature, and protect health.

Health is already being harmed by global temperature increases and the destruction of the natural world, a state of affairs health professionals have been bringing attention to for decades. Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce

Posted September 7^th, 2021 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – For the sake of our young people in Ontario, and their parents, friends and everyone else in our communities, let’s hope that nothing in the statement issued by Ontario’s Education Minister and the Ford government he is part of come back to haunt them.)

Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce welcomes Ontario’s young people back to “safter schools”

TORONTO, Ontario — Today (this Monday, September 2021), Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following statement as students head back to class:

“I am proud of all Ontario students heading back to class, be it in-person or online. In keeping with the expert advice of Ontario’s pediatric hospitals and the Chief Medical Officer of Health, we have invested heavily in ventilation improvements to support safer schools.

We have deployed standalone HEPA units into every kindergarten class, into every learning space without mechanical ventilation, and some school boards have gone even further by placing HEPA units in every classroom. Continue reading →