Niagara At Large

Those who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 can contact Public Health at 905-688-8248 ext. 7019 or toll free at 1-888-505-6074 for an initial screening. Based on that assessment, patients may be referred to the Assessment Centre.’

News from Niagara Health, Niagara, Ontario’s amalgamated hospital system

Posted March 30th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Health’s second dedicated COVID-19 Assessment Centre is now open at the St. Catharines site. The Assessment Centres in St. Catharines and Niagara Falls are available by referral only. 

Those who believe they have been exposed to COVID-19 can contact Public Health at 905-688-8248 ext. 7019 or toll free at 1-888-505-6074 for an initial screening. Based on that assessment, patients may be referred to the Assessment Centre. Staff at the centre will contact referred patients directly to arrange an appointment.  Continue reading →

“Given the uncertainty and financial impact of this evolving pandemic, we want to provide assurance to our community that we understand their concerns. No additional late fees will be applied during the grace period and we will not disconnect customers who are in arrears.”                                                                – City of St. Catharines CAO Shelley Chemnitz.

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

Posted March 20th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Downtown St. Catharines where the city has temporarily waived parking charges

Niagara, Ontario – The City of St. Catharines is introducing a payment grace period to support residents and businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. The City has also suspended payment for parking on street, and in municipal lots.

The grace period for payment – which runs until June 30 – means late fees and interest penalties will not be applied to water and tax payments, as well as accounts receivables. Water bills continue to be issued across the City as scheduled.

The City has also suspended all water disconnections due to non-payment. Continue reading →

All Thumbs Up  to Everyone from our Health Care and other Public Service Workers, to the those Stocking the Shelves and Manning the Cash Registers at the Grocery Store

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

Posted March 19th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

The sign this man was holding up in downtown St. Catharines in Niagara, Ontario this March 18th hit the spot during these troubling times. Drivers waved and honked horns of approval as they passed. Photo by Doug Draper

Following a special session this March 18^th of Niagara’s Regional Council– one in which the Region’s Chair Jim Bradley rightfully took time to thank thousands of municipal staff across Niagara for keeping essential services working during these very troubling times – I decided to take a brief drive around Thorold and St. Catharines.

For whatever reason, I wanted to take that ride just to see what, if anything may have changed in in a Niagara that is now counting up its own confirmed cases of people who have tested positively for the COVID-19 coronavirus.

It was a little after 5 p.m. and as I drove north on Glenridge Avenue toward St. Catharines’ downtown, I was struck by how little traffic was on the road during a time of day when the streets would normally be busy with people driving home from work.

I passed no more than a half a dozen or so pedestrians as I drove the whole  length of Glenridge Avenue from the Niagara Escarpment to Westchester Crescent before turning left to St. Paul Street. Continue reading →

Regional Chair Jim Bradley Shares Hope Niagara Will Emerge from Coronavirus Crisis a ‘Stronger, More Resilient Community’

Niagara Mayors and Regional Chair join together to form Niagara Economic Rapid Response Team

A Brief Report by Doug Draper, following by a News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted March 18th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley .

Niagara, Ontario – Members of Niagara’s Regional Council held a special meeting this March 18th to address some of the concerns and challenges Niagara is facing in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak.

Niagara’s Regional Chair Jim Bradley began the meeting by noting that a few regional councillors from across Niagara were not in attendance because they were in “self-isolation”’ at home “after travelling outside of the country,” and those who were there were seated further apart from one and another – following the recommendations of health experts around the world that people should practice “social distancing” to prevent spread of what appears to be a highly infectious virus.

Bradley went on to thank the Region’s staff for the work they are doing, despite what is a “rapidly evolving situation” that could grow worse before it gets better , to keep services working. Continue reading →

Province’s NDP Will Support Ford’s ‘Emergency Legislation’ this March 19^th, But Says It Falls Well Short

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

“The NDP has been pushing for leave from work to be paid, not unpaid, along with other measures. … We won’t give up on getting people the help they need.”                                                                – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

A Statement from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted March 18^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — Andrea Horwath, Leader of the Official Opposition New Democrats, released the following statement on Wednesday:

“Thursday afternoon, the Legislative Assembly will reconvene to deal with emergency legislation for workers who need to miss work as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Continue reading →

Both countries have shut down all cross-border travellers to visitors, vacationers and for anyone or anything over than essential commercial reasons.

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted March 18th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

(A Note from Doug Draper – Since I posted this commentary earlier this March 18th, I have heard mixed reports about 9/11 and whether or not the land crossings between the U.S. and Canada may have been closed to at least some traffic for a matter of days after the attacks. If anyone out there has more definitive information on that, please share it in the comment area below this post.)

The Peace Bridge in Fort Erie/Buffalo and other Canada/U.S. border crossings have been shut down to all but commerical trucks and other “essential” traffic.. File photo by Doug Draper

Canadians and Americans have collectively called it “the largest undefended border in the world.”

In normal times, countless hundreds of thousands of people from both countries cross it each day.

But as has been sinking in for all of us in recent weeks, we are no longer living in anything resembling normal times.

So one of the many restrictions that at least some of us may have been anticipating in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak has now come into effect, and it is as follows.

This March 18^th, 2020, in consultation with the U.S. federal government, our Canadian government has announced that it has now “temporarily,” and for an unknown period of time, has shut down cross-border travel to all but those transporting commercial goods back and forth. Continue reading →

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

“No Canadian should have to worry about paying their rent or buying groceries during this difficult time. That is why we are taking the strong action needed to stabilize our economy and help those impacted by the COVID-19 virus. Together, we will get through this difficult time.”                                                                      – Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

News from the Office of Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau

Posted March 18^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large – Finally, after several weeks of calls from health care workers and other parties speaking on behalf of low-income workers with few or not benefits, Canada’s Prime Minister and his Liberal government have announced the following measures. Ontario’s Premier, Doug Ford, and his Tories  and their so-called ‘Government for the People’ are so far another story.)

Ottawa, Ontario – The Government of Canada is taking strong and quick action to protect our economy, and the health, safety, and jobs of all Canadians during the global COVID-19 outbreak.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced a new set of economic measures to help stabilize the economy and help Canadians affected by the impacts of this challenging period.

These measures, delivered as part of the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, will provide up to $27 billion in direct support to Canadian workers and businesses, plus $55 billion to meet liquidity needs of Canadian businesses and households through tax deferrals to help stabilize the economy.  Continue reading →

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott

“Our government is breaking down siloes within the health care sector as part of our plan to end hallway health care and build a modern, sustainable and connected health care system for current and future generations.” – Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott

A News Release from the Ontario Ministry of Health

Posted March 18^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper at NAL – Sorry to sound so jaded about anything this Ford government in Ontario does to our essential services, but I am posting this news release from Ford’s health minister, wondering what gremlins might be hiding behind Doors # 1,2 and 3. So Niagara At Large will have reaction to this announcement, and there will almost surely be some, as it comes in.)

Measures said by Ford government to help end ‘hallway medicine’ and overcrowding in province’s hospitals

Ontario is building healthier and safer communities by taking further steps to end hallway health care and build an integrated, connected health care system.

Today (this March 18^th), Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, issued a transfer order under the Connecting Care Act, 2019 to transfer the Ontario Telemedicine Network (OTN) to Ontario Health, the province’s new health agency.

The transfer will take effect on April 1, 2020. Continue reading →

Katrina Miller, Broadbent Institute

“This pandemic has made life more difficult than ever for low-income and precarious workers. Too many people are currently unable to access Employment Insurance and worry about how they will make ends meet during this crisis.”                                       – Katrina Miller, Program Director, Broadbent Institute

A Call-Out to All of Us  from the Broadbent Institute, an independent voice for the progressive principles of its name-sake, former leader of Canada’s New Democratic Party, Ed Broadbent

Posted March 18^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Another day of the COVID-19 pandemic and I know you are doing everything you can to protect the health and well-being of yourself and your fellow community members.

Right now, we need you to help us <https://www.broadbentinstitute.ca/covid> make sure no one goes to work sick because they are worried about paying for rent or buying groceries. Continue reading →

A deer in Waverly Woods in Fort Erie/Niagara, an area now targeted for urban development. This has got to be stopped.

Join the Fight by Signing in the Post the Petition Below

Nothing Less Than Our Region’s Rich Natural Heritage is at Stake!

A Call-Out from Marcie Jacklin, for Community Voices of Fort Erie, a citizens group working to save Waverly Woods along the shores of Lake Erie in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 17th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Government is once again planning on environmental deregulation, this time with Conservation Authorities.

Inside Waverly Woods, near the shores of Lake Erie in Fort Erie, Ontario. The citizens fight continues to save it.

For many of us in Niagara we have seen what happens when bad politicians had too much influence in the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

It cost the tax payers a lot of money and resulted in the Auditor General doing an investigation. Yet this is the direction the Ontario Government wants to head. 

The NPCA manages the impact of human activities, urban growth, and rural activities on the Niagara Peninsula watershed with programs and services that help keep people and their property safe from flooding and erosion, while retaining the safety of our drinking water.

I can assure you that the current Board of NPCA and the CAO are very much improved over the previous regime. Please help them by taking part in the survey below.  (A March 13th deadline has passed for this but don’t let that stop you from lending your name and voice to this urgent matter.)

Survey link: https://www.ontario.ca/form/survey-ontario-conservation-authorities Continue reading →

Will the onging Coronavirus Crisis Bring Out the Best or the Worst in Us?

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

Posted March 16^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Every once in a while you might find someone else, or perhaps even yourself, observing other humans engaging in ugly or ill-tempered behaviour, then respond by saying; “Look at that. They are behaving like animals.”

And to that, I find myself saying; “How unfair is that? What an insult to animals.”

Now if you think I am being unfair to humans, I ask you to consider reviewing the following two videos. Continue reading →

“These are very difficult decisions, as we understand the impact a postponed procedure will have on everyone from patients to members of our care team.”                                                                      – Derek McNally, Niagara Health’s Executive Vice President, Clinical Services & Chief Nursing Executive

News from Niagara Health, Niagara, Ontario’s amalgamated hospital system

Posted March 16^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Health’s St. Catharines hospital site

Niagara, Ontario – Beginning Tuesday, March 17, we are postponing elective surgeries and non-urgent ambulatory procedures as part of our COVID-19 response. 

The Ontario Government has asked that all hospitals ramp down elective surgeries and other nonemergent clinical activity to protect patient safety and increase capacity for healthcare workers to respond to COVID-19. 

We are taking a carefully planned approach to accomplish this goal responsibly and with the best interests of our patients’ and team’s health and well-being in mind.  Continue reading →

Latest Niagara case involves “a 47-year-old male with a travel history to Europe.”

More News on the Coronavirus Outbreak from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted March 16^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services is investigating a confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in a 47-year-old male with a travel history to Europe.

This is Niagara region’s third case of COVID-19.

The patient is recovering at home in self-isolation. The patient has interacted only with his immediate family during the time he may have been contagious, and  has not exposed anyone in the community. All protocols were followed by health care providers resulting in no exposure of themselves nor other patients. Continue reading →

Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niagara Region’s Medical Officer of Health (acting)

“As we continue to see growing COVID-19 cases around the world, we expect to continue to see travel-related cases in Niagara.”                                      -Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niagara Region’s acting Medical Officer of Health

More News on the Coronavirus Outbreak from Niagara, Ontario’s Regional Government

Posted March 15th, 2020 on Niaggara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services is investigating a confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in a 55-year-old female with a travel history to Egypt. This is Niagara region’s second case of COVID-19.

The patient is recovering at home in self-isolation. The patient has interacted only with a family member during the time she may have been contagious, and has not exposed anyone in the community. All protocols were followed by health care providers resulting in no exposure of themselves nor other patients.

“As we continue to see growing COVID-19 cases around the world, we expect to continue to see travel-related cases in Niagara,” said Dr. Mustafa Hirji, medical officer of health (acting), Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services.

“However, we are not seeing any local circulation of the virus, and so our risk remains low. Everyone should feel comfortable continuing with their daily activities.”

Continue reading →

Both Post-Secondary Schools Now Working on Alternative Forms of Class and Exam Delivery for Students

Statements from Brock University and Niagara College in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 13th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

First, a Statement from Brock University –

Brock suspending face-to-face classes and moving toward alternative forms of delivery

Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Niagara, Ontario – Brock University is suspending face-to-face classes and exams for the rest of this academic term and is working on a plan to move to alternative forms of class and exam delivery, including online. The academic term is not at risk.

In-person classes will be suspended at the end of classes Friday, March 13.

Faculty members will be asked for alternatives for course delivery, and the goal will be to resume virtual classes the week of Monday, March 23 for those instructors who are able to mount their classes in a virtual environment.

The University will encourage faculty members to consider re-distributing the assessment for a course based on the material and work already completed. Continue reading →

Dr. Karim Ali, director, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Emergency

Investigation into the source for this person’s infection is currently underway. The person does not have any recent travel history

“The patient is currently in an isolation room undergoing treatment by our  infectious diseases team to manage his symptoms and is in stable condition.”                                                          – Dr. Karim Ali, director, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Emergency

News from Niagara’s Regional Government in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 13,2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Ontario – Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services is investigating a confirmed case of Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) in an 84-year-old male. This is  Niagara region’s first case of COVID-19.

The patient was transferred to the hospital by EMS for another medical problem on March 10 and subsequently tested positive for COVID-19 on March 12.

Health care providers and paramedics who interacted with the patient prior to developing symptoms will self-isolate out of an abundance of caution.

“The patient is currently in an isolation room undergoing treatment by our  infectious diseases team to manage his symptoms and is in stable condition,” said Dr. Karim Ali, director, Division of Infectious Diseases, and Emergency Preparedness Lead. “We will continue to take every possible step to ensure the safety of our staff, physicians, patients and families.” Continue reading →

Closings Effective at 4:30 p.m. today (March 13, 2020), until April 5

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

Posted March 13^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines’s downtown Central Libary among many city venues closing due to coronavirus outbreak

Niagara, Ontario – While Niagara Region Public Health has reported the risks surrounding COVID-19 remain low to residents, the City is exercising an abundance of caution, moving forward with closures of all recreational and community facilities to limit spread of the virus.

On Thursday afternoon the City partially activated its Emergency Operations Centre in response to the spread of the virus, moving forward on the best measures to protect the health of the public and staff. As of right now it appears the virus is not circulating locally in the community.  Continue reading →

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

Posted March 13^th, 2020 in Niagara At Large

This March 12^th, as part of continued close monitoring of the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, the City of St. Catharines partially activated its Emergency Operations Centre (EOC), and continues to be activated this morning.

While Niagara Region Public Health continues to advise that the risk of contracting the virus is still low, the City is focused on efforts to protect staff, their families, and the public from potential exposure to COVID-19. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre  MPP Jeff Burch

“Health workers are working around the clock to contain COVID-19, and (the Ford government’s current, ongoing  review of the province’s health services) amid a global outbreak creates unnecessary confusion in trying times.”                                              – Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

A Statement from Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

Posted March 12, 2020 on Niagara At Large

LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO, Thursday, March 12, 2020

Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch – “People in my community of Niagara are concerned about COVID-19, also known as Corona Virus.

“Niagara Region Public health has been working with the province and the federal government on identifying travellers who might be carrying COVID-19. Locally they have developed multiple scenarios for what may happen and plans for those scenarios are continually being revisited as we learn more from other countries.

“I would join the Association of Local Public Health agencies in imploring this government to put their modernization review of public health and emergency health services on the back-turner. Continue reading →

Partnership will help Niagara Parks sustainably grow its extensive trail network while respecting shared commitment to the environment

Provost and Vice-President, Brock University, and Sandie Bellows, Niagara Parks Chair, sign the additional collaboration agreement between Brock and Niagara Parks. Garrett Hutson, Associate Professor of Recreation and Leisure Studies, Brock University (left) and David Adames, Niagara Parks CEO (right), look on.

News from Brock University and Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted March 12th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – A partnership built on the mutual goal of environmental stewardship is taking another step forward.

Two years after signing an initial Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), the Niagara Parks Commission and Brock University signed an additional collaboration agreement on Thursday, March 12 at Niagara Parks’ public Commission Meeting that will help the Parks assess and sustainably grow its extensive trail network.

To be known as the Trails Assets and Tourism Initiative, the new partnership involves Brock and Niagara Parks, along with the Ontario Trails Council. Continue reading →

“Our message to Canadians is clear: to every worker and business, in every province and territory, we have your back and we will get through this together.” – The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

A News Release from the Office of Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

Posted March 11, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – COVID-19 is a rapidly evolving global challenge. The Government of Canada is working closely with local, provincial, territorial, and international partners to minimize its health, economic, and social impacts in Canada and around the world.

We have worked closely with Canada’s trained public health and medical professionals to put in place the plans, infrastructure, and resources needed to protect the health and safety of all Canadians.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today outlined Canada’s whole-of-government response to COVID-19, by establishing a more than $1 billion COVID-19 Response Fund. This comprehensive approach includes measures already underway to respond to the outbreak, as well as new investments to limit the spread of the virus in Canada and prepare for its possible broader impacts on our people, our economy, and our small businesses. Continue reading →

“Canada is a significant contributor to the world’s plastic pollution problem. Every year, 4.5 million tonnes of plastic are introduced to the Canadian market. Only nine per cent of it is recycled.”                                                                                                        – from a new, must-read  Environmental Defence report, ‘No Time to Waste; Six Ways Canada Can Proress to Zero Plastic by 2025

New report provides the first comprehensive roadmap for solving the problem of plastic pollution in Canada

A News Release from the Canada-wide activist group Environmental Defence

Posted March 11^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ont. — A new report provides the first overarching blueprint forCanada’s federal, provincial, and municipal governments on how they can reduce plastic pollution.

The report, No Time to Waste: Six Ways Canada Can Progress to Zero Plastic Waste by 2025 , released today by Environmental Defence, outlines six immediate steps that governments can take to drastically decrease waste caused by single-use plastics.

“Single-use plastics continue to be a massive contributor to the world’s plastic pollution crisis,” said Vito Buonsante, Plastics Program Manager with Environmental Defence. “Canada can be a world leader in turning the tide on this problem, but it’s not simply a matter of better recycling or banning certain plastic items. We need a comprehensive reduction strategy to make plastic waste a thing of the past.” Continue reading →

New York State’s Ban on Single-Use Plastic Bags       Now in Effect

As of this past March 1^st, 2020, single-use plastic bags are gone at retail stores

News from the Sierra Club, one of the oldest and most respected environmental groups in the world

Posted March 11^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper – While Ontario and other provinces across Canada continue to fiddle while plastic waste continues to pile, right across the border in New York State, single-use plastic bags are banned, beginning this past March 1^st.

Plastic bags don’t belong here

Going back to my years as a full-time environment reporter at newspapers in the 1980s and 90s, I can remember when governments in Canada were leaders in taking measures like this. But that hasn’t been the case for much of the past 20 or so years.

Now here is some news from the Sierra Club about the New York State ban on single-use plastic bags.)

Starting  Sunday, March 1^st, shoppers in New York State said goodbye to single-use thin film plastic bags at the checkout lines.

Continue reading →

The Constituency Youth Council Invites All                Young Canadians to Apply

From the Constituencey Office of Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Posted March 11^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Centre. Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for the riding of Niagara Centre, invites all young Canadians from the ages of 15-26 to apply to his 2019-2020 Constituency Youth Council.  

What? The Constituency Youth Council is an opportunity for youth to learn about Canada’s political process, discuss their viewpoints on issues, and most importantly, get involved in their communities. Projects undertaken by past Constituency Youth Councils have ranged from food drives to multimedia projects. Continue reading →

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres

“We will not fight climate change with a virus,” said United Nations chief António Guterres, underlining the importance of not allowing the fight against the coronavirus distract us from the need to defeat climate change.

While the disease is expected to be temporary, climate change, added the Secretary-General, has been a phenomenon for many years, and and will “remain with us for decades and require constant action.”

News of Concern about our Climate from the United Nations

Posted March 10^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

A wide-ranging UN climate report, released on Tuesday March 10th), shows that climate change is having a major effect on all aspects of the environment, as well as on the health and wellbeing of the global population.

The report, The WMO Statement on the State of the Global Climate in 2019, which is led by the UN weather agency (World Meteorological Organization), contains data from an extensive network of partners.

It documents physical signs of climate change – such as increasing land and ocean heat, accelerating sea level rise and melting ice – and the knock-on effects on socio-economic development, human health, migration and displacement, food security, and land and marine ecosystems. Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Party Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted March 10th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

QUEEN’S PARK – NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath has issued the following statement on the urgent need for an Ontario-wide COVID-19 emergency response plan:

“Ontario’s public health units and frontline medical teams are doing an exceptional job containing the COVID-19 virus, and I’m grateful for their tireless work. I am hopeful this outbreak is not going to get worse, and patients with the virus today will make swift recoveries. Continue reading →

A Commentary from Linda McKellar, a Fort Erie, Ontario resident and regular reader of Niagara At Large

Posted March 9^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

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

Linda McKellar’s comment is a reply to a commentary I wrote and posted on Niagara At Large this March 8^th on International Women’s Day.

My commentary, which I admit was laced with anger, was sparked by watching live coverage this past March 5^th of Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren announcing her decision end her campaign for the U.S. presidency.

After making her announcement, Warren, who was the last the last serious female candidate running in the 2020 presidential race, was almost moved to tears when she was asked what message her departure from the race sent to other women in the U.S., and she responded by saying; “One of the hardest parts of this is all those little girls (she met on the campaign trail) who are going to have to wait four more years.” Continue reading →

Strategy Outlines Next Steps to Reduce Flooding Risk and Increase Preparedness

For two of the past three years, the Lakeside Park and harbour area along the Lake Ontario shores of Port Dalhousie in Niagara, Ontario  have been swamped like this, causing costly damage and loss of use of the area for the spring and early summer.    file photo by Doug Draper

News from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Posted March 9, 2020 on Niagara At Large

City of St. Catharines built walls of sandbags in spring of 2019 to hold back rising lake water at Lakeside Beach. File photo by Doug Draper

The Ontario government is taking action to protect people and communities from the effects of flooding by reducing flood risk and helping Ontarians to be better prepared for flooding events.

“We know that we can’t prevent flooding in Ontario – we can only become more resilient to it,” said John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. “Our strategy is designed to increase public awareness and help us to be better prepared and equipped to respond to the devasting effects of flooding.” Continue reading →

Dedicated Website Will Now Include Twice Daily Updates on New Cases

News from Ontario’s Ministry of Health

Posted March 9^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO —As COVID-19 evolves, Ontario is taking further steps to inform the public on the status of the virus across the province.

Ontario has been monitoring and reporting on the development of COVID-19 since initial cases of a viral pneumonia were reported in China in late December 2019. Every weekday at 10:30 a.m.

Ontario has been updating its dedicated web page with the most up-to-date information on the status of cases in Ontario, including: the number of cases currently under investigation; and the number of confirmed positive, negative and resolved cases. Continue reading →

Ford Plans To Discontinue Popular ‘Discounted Double Fare Program’ used by Commuters Riding to and from Niagara and Toronto

“We should be making it easier for commuters in the 905 to leave their cars at home, not making it harder to take transit by piling on new expenses.” – Ontario NDP Transit critic Jessica Bell

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition New Democratric Party

Posted March 9th, 2020 on Niagara At Large 

QUEEN’S PARK, Ontario — Today (this March 9th), NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath will debate a motion to make transit more affordable for Ontarians who commute between the 905 and Toronto for work.

Horwath’s motion calls on the Doug Ford government to reverse its cancelation of the Discounted Double Fare Program, and restore the 50 per cent operating subsidy for municipal transit agencies to help make transit fares more affordable.

Next month, the Ford government is planning to scrap the Discounted Double Fare Program, which would stick commuters who use both GO transit and the TTC with an extra $720 in costs every year. Continue reading →

Come Meet ‘Evolve Our Prison Farm’ co-founder Calvin Neufeld on Saturday, March 14^th at 7 p.m. at 7 Gale Crescent in                St. Catharines, Ontario 

An Invite to All from the Niagara, Ontario-based citizen advocacy group Niagara Action for Animals

Posted March 9^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Dear Friends of Animals,

Please mark your calendars now for Saturday March 14th – 7 p.m. and we will be hosting speaker Calvin Neufeld from Evolve Our Prison Farms (EOPF).

The talk  will take place at 7 Gale Crescent (opposite the Rex Stimers Arena). We warmly  invite you to attend. Question time and light refreshments will follow the talk.

EOPF was founded in 2016 by Calvin Neufeld and his mother Franceen Neufeld. EOPF  is a grassroots social justice campaign advocating an ethical and  environmentally responsible approach to Canada’s restored prison farm program, and opposing any exploitation of prisoners and animals. Continue reading →

“You could see there was blood coming out of her eyes, blood coming out of her wherever.” – what then U.S. presidential candidate Donald Trump said about then Fox News Channel anchor Megyn Kelly after she asked him about a number of highly insulting comments he has made about other women

“Nobody respects women more than I do. Nobody!”        – Donald Trump

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher           Doug Draper

Elizabeth Warren, announcing her decision this March 5th to end her run for the U.S. presidency

Posted March 8th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

“One of the hardest parts of this is all those little girls who are going to have to wait four more years.” – U.S. Senator for Massachusetts Elizabeth Warren, on March 5th, the day she ended her candidacy for whatever now passes as the U.S. presidency, on all of the “little girls” she met on the campaign trail who hoped she might be their country’s first woman President.

Then Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump follows then Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton around debate stage in 2016, invading her space like a creepy stalker

“I moved on her like a bitch. … “I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. … Grab them by the p—y. You can do anything.”  – Donald Trump, from the infamous 2005 Access Hollywood tape of him bragging about what he can do to women, released weeks before the 2016 presidential election where millions of Americans went out and elected him President of the United States.

This Sunday, March 8, 2020 is or was, depending on when you read this post, International Women’s Day – a day placed on the calendar more than 40 years ago by the United Nations to celebrate women and to raise public awareness about the ongoing struggle to end gender abuse and discrimination.

As the sun rose on this International Women’s Day, one of the first things that came to mind for me was the was the well-attended and very highly moving of women’s struggles and achievements that the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce hosted in Niagara Falls, New York a few days earlier, on Friday, March 6^th. Continue reading →

“I encourage all Canadians to celebrate women’s achievements, and to keep pushing for progress so we can all reach our full potential.” – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Statement by Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Posted  March 8th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement on International Women’s Day:

Ottawa, Canada – “Today (this March 8th), on International Women’s Day, we celebrate the accomplishments and leadership of women in Canada and around the world, and recommit ourselves to moving forward to a future in which everyone has an equal chance to succeed.

“We all have women in our lives who inspire us every day. This year’s theme, Because Of You, honours those who have paved the way. In particular, we celebrate Canadian women leaders who challenge norms, lift up other women and girls, and change our country for the better.   Continue reading →

15-Year-Old Global  Water Champion  Delivers Keynote Address to more than 700 at Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce International Women’s Day Event

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted March 7th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

15-year-old water activist Autumn Peltier, a global Children’s Peace Prize nominee three years in a row,  was keynote speaker at International Women’s Day event in Niagara Falls, Ontario

If women are looking for up and coming leaders that can inspire, there sure was one in Niagara for this March 6th’s International Women’s Day.

She is a 15-year-old Indigenous water activist and chief water commissioner of the Anishinabek Nation in Canada and the Great Lakes region, and her name is Autumn Peltier.

Within the past year, she has addressed the United Nations General Assembly and United Nations Climate Summit, and this past January, she participated on a panel with the 17-year-old, world-renown Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg at the World Economic Summit in Davos-Klosters, Switzerland.

And then here she was this March 6th, in front of an audience of more than 700 mostly women in Niagara Falls, Ontario, at an International Women’s Day event hosted the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce. Continue reading →

“While the NDP welcomes news of more resources to fight human trafficking, a lot of questions remain about whether Ontario’s 42 rape crisis centres will get additional funding this year to provide services to survivors of rape and sexual assault.”                               – Ontario NDP MPPs Jill Andrew and Suze Morrison

A Brief Statement from the Ontario New Democratic Party,s Women’s Issue Critic Jill Andrew and NDP MPP Suze Morrison

Posted March 6^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park – Jill Andrew, Ontario NDP Women’s Issues critic, and Suze Morrison, Ontario NDP critic for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Response, released the following statement in response to the government’s announcement regarding human trafficking:

“While the NDP welcomes news of more resources to fight human trafficking, a lot of questions remain about whether Ontario’s 42 rape crisis centres will get additional funding this year to provide services to survivors of rape and sexual assault. We should be giving rape crisis centres the $14 million dollars the Liberals waited 15 years to promise, and then failed to deliver. Continue reading →

$307 million invested to protect children and youth, crack down on offenders

News from the Office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Posted March 6^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Ontario — The Government of Ontario is taking strong action to protect children and youth, support survivors, raise awareness and hold offenders accountable by releasing Ontario’s new anti-human trafficking strategy today.

Premier Doug Ford, Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women’s Issues, and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones released today a new, comprehensive five-year strategy to combat human trafficking and end child sexual exploitation across the province.

The new strategy is the largest total investment in dedicated anti-human trafficking supports and services in the country and is a major step forward in Ontario’s fight against human trafficking.  Continue reading →

From Niagara Region’s Public Health and Emergency Services

Posted March 6th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region Public Health and Emergency Services is closely monitoring an outbreak caused by a novel (new) coronavirus first identified in Hubei Province, China (including Wuhan).

We’re also collaborating with local hospitals, primary care, emergency services, the Ministry of Health, Public Health Ontario, and other provincial and federal partners to protect Niagara residents. Continue reading →

‘The Ontario Fire Code requires working smoke alarms on every storey of a home and outside all sleeping areas.’

An Important Message to All from the City of St. Catharines Fire Services in Niagara, Ontario

Posted March 6, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario — With clocks rolling forward one hour at 3 a.m. on Sunday, March 8, residents may lose an hour’s sleep, but they don’t need to lose peace of mind when it comes to home fire safety.

St. Catharines Fire Services are reminding residents that with the changing of the clocks they should be taking time to test the smoke and carbon monoxide (CO) alarms in their homes. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

“Instead of providing the necessary funding to fix Ontario’s emergency services, the Ford government is busy looking for ways (of) plowing ahead with cutting and merging Ontario’s emergency services.”                                                                                  – Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

A News Release from Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff  Burch and Ottawa-Centre NDP MPP Joel Harden

Posted March 5^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP MPPs Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre), the Official Opposition’s Municipal Affairs critic, and Joel Harden (Ottawa Centre) warned Doug Ford (this March 4rth) that he risks putting lives in danger with his government’s cuts to critical emergency services.

Apparently members of Ontario’s Ford government and their supporters don’t need services like this given their continued record of cutting funding or under-funding them.

A new report published today by CUPE Ontario reveals that pressure on frontline paramedics is reaching a breaking point with more ‘code zero’ events where Ontarians call 911 in need of urgent medical care only to be left waiting with no ambulances available to help. Continue reading →

A New Release  from Niagara Health, Niagara, Ontario’s amalgamated hospital system

Posted March 5^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – A new program at Niagara Health is enhancing care and access to services for palliative patients and their families. Niagara Health’s Palliative Care Consultation Service, which launched on March 2, provides patient care services, including managing symptoms, organizing home or hospice care, and social and emotional support.

Niagara Health Palliative Care Consultation Service team, from left to right: General Internists Dr. Lorraine Jensen, Dr. Manon Tougas and Dr. Andre Maddison (Project Lead) and Nurse Practitioner Andrea Lehal. Photo courtesy of Niagara Health

The team consists of a group of physicians and nurse practitioners who offer in-person and phone consultations on a referral basis. The team works across Niagara Health’s Greater Niagara General, Welland and St. Catharines sites and is dedicated to meeting the needs of patients and their families. Continue reading →

From the Office of Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce

Posted March 5th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Stephen Lecce (PC Candidate, King-Vaughan) addresses media at the Hilton Toronto hotel in downtownToronto, Ont. on Sunday May 27, 2018. Ernest Doroszuk/Toronto Sun/Postmedia

TORONTO — Today (this March 5th), Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education, issued the following  statement in response to continued strike action by OSSTF, OECTA, and AEFO:

“I have offered all teachers’ union federations a fair and reasonable plan, which should pave the way to reaching a good deal that keeps students in class.

The government has consistently made reasonable moves – effectively freezing class room sizes, a parental opt out for online learning, a commitment to  full-day kindergarten, and one hundred per cent investment in special education.

The time for a deal is now, I urge the unions to stop this disruptive escalation  and return to the table to get a deal that is fair for parents, students, and  educators.” Continue reading →

“We need to fund scientific research that can quickly diagnose and provide therapies to prevent and treat the virus. … And we need to all look after each other.” U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins, a Democrat representing the Buffalo, New York area

News from the Buffalo, New York area Office of U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted March 5^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note from Niagara At Large – With a virus that has been spreading around the globe like this, it certainly matters what our neighbours are doing about it right across such a heavily trafficked  border. In that spirit, we  post this news.)

Buffalo, New York – Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) announced House passage of H.R. 6074, the Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2020.

The bill provides $8.3 billion for a robust response to COVID-19, the “Coronavirus,” including vaccine development, support for state and local governments, and assistance for affected small business.

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a respiratory illness that was first identified as a result of an outbreak in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Symptoms of COVID-19 are similar to those of other respiratory illnesses, and include fever, cough, and shortness of breath. Continue reading →

Ontario Official Opposition and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

“The chaotic rollout of these new plates will certainly have costs associated. However, the Government has not revealed the costs.” – from Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath’s March 4^th, 2020 letter to the province’s Auditor General, Bonnie Lysyk

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

Posted March 4^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

The license plate Ontario vehicle owners have had for decades, on top, and the new one below. They also just happen to feature the Ford government’s Tory Party colours.

QUEEN’S PARK – Ontario Official Opposition and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath has formally requested Ontario’s Auditor General review all costs associated with the production and replacement of the Ford government’s defective license plates, and review the non-disclosure agreement signed between the Ford government and manufacturer 3M.

Replacing the new, faulty license plates with even newer ones will, as Horwath notes in her letter, “certainly have costs associated,” including those related to materials, shipping and redesign –  but Doug Ford and his government are attempting to hide those costs with the non-disclosure agreement. Continue reading →

“It’s time to face facts. Based on its weak Environment Plan, the lack of action to reduce carbon pollution, and its commitment to fight well established climate solutions like carbon pricing, it seems the province (of Ontario) has no intention to fight climate change.”

A Commentary by Keith Brooks, Programs Director, Environmental Defence Canada

Posted March 4th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Ontario’s Environment Minister Jeff Yurek, with Premier Doug Ford to the right, waging a post-truth war on climate change

Since gaining office a year and a half ago, the Ontario government has taken a post-truth approach to climate change: they say what they want you to believe, rather than what experts agree to be true.

Specifically, the government claims to have a real plan to fight climate change that proves you can fight it without a price on carbon.

However, experts agree:

• the plan is not based on sound evidence.
• the plan will not meet Ontario’s weak targets to reduce carbon pollution;
• the plan actually does contain an element of carbon pricing (for large polluters).

But so far, none of that seems to matter to the provincial government. They carry on with the post-truth politics on climate change. Continue reading →

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

“We are supporting businesses that are making investments today to help protect our environment for future generations.”     – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

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

Posted March 3rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Just as Canada’s Trudeau government did a year ago, when it moved to make up for the funding Ontario’s Ford Government cut from a province-wide program for planting millions of trees, it is now offering more in the way of financial rebates or incentives to encourage businesses to purchase zero-emission vehicles and other technologies.

One of the many environmental protecting-gutting moves that the Ontario government of Doug Ford made to please its corporate masters in the carbon fuel industry after coming to power two years ago was to quite literally pull the plug on rebates the previous government had put in to stimulate the sale of electric trucks and cars.

For Ontario’s Premier Doug Ford, it has been all about selling more carbon-based fuels, cheaper.

After the rebate was cancelled, sales of electric vehicles in Ontario plunged by more than 50 per cent, which appears to have had little impact on the thinking of a Ford government that is spinning its wheels  in the middle half of the last century when it comes to transportation and to carbon-based  fuels that are contributing to an escalating climate crisis. Continue reading →

“People in Niagara are dying. We lose one Niagara resident to suicide every seven days.” Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

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

Posted March 3^rd, 2020 in Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Niagara Falls, Ontario  — NDP MPP Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) has responded to the Ministry of Health’s mental health and addictions strategy that fails to include any new funding for the crisis facing Niagara.

“People in Niagara are dying. We lose one Niagaran to suicide every seven days. Over 70 percent of calls to first responders in the region are related to a mental health crisis,” says Gates.

Preventative care and supports to family members helping their loved ones are already inadequate. Even worse, after 9 o’clock at night, there’s almost nowhere for people to go who are in crisis, except our already overstretched hospital. Continue reading →

“The way to stop the spread of the coronavirus is to make sure anyone who might have been exposed can stay home, to avoid spreading it. There are serious concerns about Ontarians who can’t afford to take a day off work if they’re showing symptoms.”                                        – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

News from Ontario’s Official Opposition New Democratic Party

Posted March 3^rd, 2020 on Niagara At large

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Queen’s Park, Ontario  – NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath is calling on Doug Ford to help prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, by immediately introducing and passing an emergency bill to ensure employees can stay home from work when they’re sick.

Horwath is asking the provincial government to take two specific measures: prevent employers from requiring people to go to a doctor’s office to get a sick note, and make sure employees have access to paid sick days in order to avoid spreading any illness or virus they’ve contracted, and to self-quarantine if they have any symptoms. Continue reading →

News from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

Posted March 3rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

A red-tailed hawk soaring above the Beamer Memorial Conservation Area and Niagara Escarpment in Niagara, Ontario. File photo courtesy of NPCA

Niagara, Ontario – Monitoring of the 2020 spring hawk migration will once again take place from March 1 to May 15, as members of the Niagara Peninsula Hawkwatch (NPH) will be on site counting the number of sightings daily.

“Beamer Memorial Conservation Area is known as the best vantage point in the Niagara Peninsula, with sightings of more than 15,000 hawks, eagles, falcons and vultures on average each spring,” says Kim Frohlich, Ecologist at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

“At this site, members of the public can see a variety of birds of prey, as they migrate from South and Central America, the Caribbean and the United States to their nesting territories in Canada.” Continue reading →

News from the Niagara Centre Constituency Office of Federal Liberal MP Vance Badawey

Posted March 3rd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre Liberal government MP Vance Badawey

Ottawa, Ontario – MP Vance Badawey was selected as Vice-Chair of the Canada-United States Inter-Parliamentary Group. This Group is tasked with providing federal legislators in Canada and the United States the opportunity to discuss issues of importance to both countries.

“Canada and United States have a longstanding and productive bi-national relationship that benefits both nations greatly. We continue to work collaboratively on such issues as NAFTA (CUSMA), the Great Lakes, resource management, binational transportation and integrating distribution and logistics, including strategic bi-national infrastructure investments that promotes fluidity.

By working with our U.S Colleagues at the State and Federal levels, we have seen consistent and positive developments emerge on a range of files relating to our shared social, economic, and environmental stewardship,” stated Badawey. Continue reading →

This Is Our First Chance in 12 Years to Press Our Regional Government to set Stronger Tree Protection Laws in Niagara

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted March 2nd, 2020 on Niagara At Large

First, here is a Foreword on the importance of all this by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper –

In all of my years as a journalist covering environmental issues in this region, few have drawn an angrier response from members of the public than the cutting down of mature, healthy trees.

Over and over again, and right up to as recently as the past few months, I’ve continued to receive messages from Niagara citizens who are upset up to a point, in some cases of being, white hot angry over incidents of buzz saws and bulldozers knocking down trees.

Tree cutting on the property of the Randwood Estate in Niagara-on-the-Lake more than a year ago triggered a public uproar in the community. File Photo courtesy of members of the citizens group SORE (Save Our Randwood Estate)

And in some cases, where citizens called the appropriate public authorities to report the felling of trees, they were told that there were few if any punitive measures that could be pursued because of the way the Region’s current Tree and Forest Conservation By-law is written.

That is why the process that Niagara’s regional government is embarking on this month – to receive public input to update this by-law for the first time in 12 years – is so important for those of us who care about protecting and preserving trees, and for the over-all health of Niagara’s environment. Continue reading →

ACTION ALERT – Ontario’s Conservation Authorities Act – Rules that Help Protect Our Wetlands, Woodlands and Natural Heritage as a whole from Urban Planning that is Destructive and Environmentally Unsustainable – Is At Risk

Ontario’s Conservation Authorities Act Is Under Review (Again) – Please Participate in Support of Maintaining Strong Watershed Protection

An Alert to All of Us from the Canadian Environmental Law Association, one of our country’s oldest and most repsected non-profit organization for protecting our natural hertiage

Posted March 1st, 2020 on Niagara At Large

February 27, 2020 – Urgent action is needed in Ontario to reverse biodiversity loss and ensure our communities are climate resilient. Now is the time for increased public investment in the province’s conservation authorities.

The Ontario government has recently released an online survey <https://www.ontario.ca/page/consultation-ontario-conservation-authorities> seeking input on the role of Conservation Authorities with a response deadline of March 13, 2020. Now is the time to make your voice heard.

Ontario’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks (MECP) is seeking limited input on further changes to the Conservation Authorities Act, despite multiple recent modernization actions.  Continue reading →

“Conservation Authorities (like the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority {NPCA} here in the Niagara/Hamilton/Haldimand area) play a key role in protecting Ontarians from the impacts of climate change. We must resist the trend towards environmental deregulation in Ontario.” – Ontario Nature

An Urgent Call-Out from Ontario Nature, a time-honoured, not –for-profit  advocacy group for the protection and preservation of our natural heritage in Ontario

Posted February 28^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

The province’s Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks is consulting on the mandate of conservation authorities and has posted a survey.

This follows public sessions where developers and others have been urging the government to remove conservation authorities from the planning process, and to limit their mandate and scope.

We must resist this trend towards environmental deregulation in Ontario. Continue reading →

Doug Ford’s American contractor for Employment Ontario has a Disastrous Track Record

“People complain that they are required to engage in activities that are unrealistic given their circumstances, or the health conditions of their children. If they fail to comply they are “sanctioned” meaning that they lose their cash assistance and opportunities for education and training services.”                           – Christine Hastedt, Senior Public Policy Advisor, Maine Equal Justice, in the State of Maine where this firm Ford wants to enlist in Ontario has been operating.

News from the Constituency Offices of Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch and Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Posted February 28^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP MPPs Jeff Burch (Niagara Centre) and Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) took Doug Ford to task Thursday at the Ontario legislature for his reckless decision to sell off employment services in Hamilton and Niagara to a US-based multinational corporation which, the NDP revealed, has a disastrous track record.

The Ford government signed a deal with American firm FedCap Inc. to take away Employment Ontario’s work — helping Ontario Disability Support Program and Ontario Works program recipients find jobs. A recent review by the Maine Department of Health revealed that FedCap Inc. has comprehensively failed to deliver results for people in the State of Maine, and according to their report “lacks the capacity to fulfill its contractual obligations.”

“In Maine only 10 per cent of participants were ever placed in any real skills training program and nearly half of all participants referred to FedCap lost their assistance without securing a job. Based on this disastrous evidence from Maine will the Premier cancel the pilot program and admit this was a mistake?” asked Burch during question period on Thursday, after his office uncovered the disastrous record of FedCap Inc. in Maine.

Niagara Falls NDP MPP Wayne Gates

Forty-eight per cent of people that were referred to FedCap Inc. lost their assistance without securing a job. A review conducted by the Maine Department of Health found that people were deeply unhappy with the employment programs offered by FedCap Inc. that were not individualized or responsive to people’s needs, had poor levels of customer service and professionalism, and failed to safeguard confidential data.

“FedCap has a track record and it’s not good. If the State of Maine’s experience is any indicator, then people in our community have a high risk of losing their jobs, and if we include all of the service providers and front-line workers we may be looking at a lot of good paying jobs lost,” said Gates.

“We must stand up for these workers and their employment and say no to selling their livelihoods to an American company with no roots in Niagara,” added NDP MPP Jennie Stevens (St. Catharines).

All 65 of the good-paying jobs administering employment services in the State of Maine were lost once FedCap Inc. took over and the community agency contracts to administer the programs were terminated by the company.

Background

  *   Fedcap Inc. is a U.S. based multinational non-profit social service provider, with operations in the U.K., Australia, and the United States. In February 2020 it was announced that FedCap was chosen by the Ford government to run Employment Ontario services for the combined service area of Hamilton, Haldimand and Niagara region in one of three pilot areas.

  *   FedCap Inc. received the contract to administer job placement services for welfare recipients for the State of Maine in October 2016. In 2019, the Maine Department of Health and Human Services wrote to the company with a long list of serious concerns, including:

•   *   a lack of capacity to fulfill its contractual obligations
•  *   poor performance
• *   poor record keeping of client’s personal information
• *   a lack of responsiveness to the needs of program participants
• *   48 per cent of people that were referred to them lost their assistance without securing a job (FedCap Monthly Report, Nov. 2019, pg 7)
•  *   65 unionized state employees lost their jobs after FedCap assumed the contract.

Watch Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch raise this issue in the Ontario legislature by clicking on the screen below – 

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

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

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

Posted February 27th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

For more details, view the poster below –

A Footnote by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper –

The Niagara River is a major connecting channel in our Great Lakes and one of the most iconic, scenic and ecologically significant watersheds in the world.

Over the past 100 years it has faced its share of environmental threats from toxic chemical pollution to loss of wildlife habitat, including wetlands and woodlands, to poorly planned urban development. And often government bodies in Canada have been the first to step up to the plate with measures for protecting this precious watershed we share with our American neighbours.

But on this matter – that of getting what is known as a RAMSAR designation for wetlands in the Niagara River watershed – it is parties on the American side of the river, including local municipalities, citizen groups and private landowners, who got the job of ddesignattng this watershed as a globally significant wetland area done first.

Our American neighbours hosted a celebration last year as a wetland designation for their side of the Niagara River became official while Canadians were left watching. Continue reading →

Help the Nature Conservancy of Canada Improve Habitat for Brook Trout in Niagara’s Lathrop Nature Preserve in the Headwaters of Twelve Mile Creek

A painted turtle, one of a host of wildlife that make wetlands, watersheds and other natural areas in Niagara, Ontario their home. A photo by Cameron Curran for the Nature Conservancy of Canada

News from the Nature Conservancy of Canada

Posted February 27^th, 2020 on Niagara At Large

The Lathrop Nature Preserve-ON-NCC_thumb

Niagara, Ontario – When you think of the Niagara region, you probably think about the Falls, wine or maybe the War of 1812.

But did you know that this popular tourist spot is actually one of the most biologically rich areas in Canada?

Surrounded by Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the Niagara Escarpment, the region’s unique climate and ecosystems support a vast variety of species — many at the very northern edge of their ranges. Continue reading →