Niagara At Large

And What’s With Ford’s Incessant Use of this Totalitarian Trope “Government for the People”

Doug Ford unveiling another ‘Open for Business’ billboard at Ontario’s borders

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher  Doug Draper

Posted April 16^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Unless you have been living somewhere far away from the province over the past 10 months, it probably comes as as no news  to you that Doug Ford wants to make Ontario “Open for Business”.

That apparently means that Ontario’s premier and his self-described “Government for the People” are bent on making the province a more friendly place for private companies to do business in.

As of the release of his ‘Government for the People’s first budget this April 14th, Ford may want to amend that “open for business” call-out to say that Ontario is open for business just so long as your business is willing to stick whatever propaganda his government wants on or near a product you are selling, or face a steep fine!

A copy of one of the possible stickers the Ford government will force gas stations to display on their pumps.

As much as that is what you might expect from a government in a totalitarian state, Ford and his army of MPPs are now looking at making it mandatory for private companies that sell gasoline in their oh-so “open for business” Ontario to place a sticker on their gas pumps, telling customers that they are paying an extra four to five cents per litre for a federal “tax” on climate polluting carbon.

If owners of gas stations don’t put these stickers on their pumps where prospective customers can see them, they could face a $10,000 fine.

What Ford and his minions choose to call a “carbon tax,” by the way, which is more realistically a price the federal government is trying to impose on highly damaging carbon pollution in an effort to address climate change by reducing our country’s carbon footprint, is a hell of a lot less than the 25 or so cents slapped on to a litre of gas through provincial taxes. Continue reading →

The Association of Municipalities of Ontario shocked by Ford’s eliminating 42 of 52 land ambulance services

A News Release from Ontario’s NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted April 16^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

Queen’s Park — NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath was deeply troubled to learn Tuesday that Doug Ford’s cuts to frontline healthcare will include axing 42 of the province’s 52 land ambulance services in a massive cut to essential emergency services, according to an internal memo from the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO).

“With each passing day, it’s clearer that the Ford Government’s reckless and dangerous cuts to frontline health care are going to hurt families across Ontario,” said Horwath. Continue reading →

Funds raised will support play therapy for children who have experienced trauma 

News from Niagara College 

Posted April 16th, 2019 

Niagara, Ontario – As a result of this year’s Many Hands Project, $40,800 was donated to Pathstone Mental Health<https://www.pathstonementalhealth.ca/> – a community-based organization that provides innovative and effective treatment for all children in Niagara diagnosed with mental health issues.

Students in NC’s Event Management program present the cheque for $40,858 to Pathstone Mental Health, the grand total raised from their fundraising efforts as part of NC’s 2019 Many Hands Project.

 The funds were announced at a Many Hands Project reveal ceremony held at Branscombe Mental Health Centre in St. Catharines on April 15. The donation included $35,858 raised by NC student fundraisers and $5,000 from Canadian Tire Bank, a sponsor and long-time supporter of NC’s Many Hands Project. Continue reading →

How Much Will Ford’s Court Crusade for Carbon Polluters Cost Ontario Tax Payers? How Much Will It Cost Our Future?

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

Posted April 14^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Well, of course. Why not?

Less than two weeks after the release of an alarming report by scientists for Environment and Climate Change Canada, concluding that Canada’s climate is warming twice as fast as the world average, and just a few months after a team of the world’s climate experts warned that we only have about a dozen years to prevent what could be an unbearable future for generations to come, what does Ontario’s premier, Doug Ford, and his government decide to do?

They decide to go to court this week to fight a federal government move to slap an extra four to five cents on a litre of gasoline as a way of putting a price on climate-altering carbon pollution on the grounds that it is “unconstitutional.”

Unconstitutional?

That argument is coming from the same Ford government that is now threatening to force owners of private gas stations to put a sticker on their pumps warning of this so-called “carbon tax” or face a heavy fine.

How constitutional is that?

Hopefully, the courts will give the Ford government’s case (launched at Ontario taxpayers’ expense) the thumbs’ down it deserves. And hopefully enough people across the province will come to the conclusion that doing whatever we can do to avert a climate catastrophe not too many years down the line is worth more than four or five cents extra for a litre of gasoline. Continue reading →

“Walking at random through the streets, we came by chance upon the Cathedral of Notre Dame. I shall long remember my first impression of the scene within. The lofty gothic ceiling arched far above my head and through the stained windows the light came but dimly – it was all still, solemn and religious.”          – Bayard Taylor, an American journalist from thew 1800s

A Brief One from Doug Draper 

Posted April 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

You don’t need to be Catholic or religious in any way to feel terrible about this one.

As I post this, the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris France – a masterpiece of gothic architecture and one of the most iconic heritage buildings in the world – is engulfed in flames and parts of its out structure, including its towers, are reported to be crumbling.

It you care anything at all about heritage or cultural history, the scenes of this grand place burning on cable news channels are devastating to watch. Continue reading →

Executive Director and Advisor for the Ontario Urban Forest Council Speak in Thorold – Wednesday April 17th at 7:00 p.m.

An Invite to All from the Thorold Garden Club 

Posted April 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Peter Wynnyczuk, executive director of Ontario Urban Forest Council, to speak at Thorold meeting. If you care about protecting and preserving trees in our region, don’t miss this meeting

This Wednesday, April 17^th.  the Thorold Garden Club is holding a free meeting for the public on a topic that is very timely, given all the recent concern and controversy over the cutting down of trees in Niagara Falls, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Fort Erie and other municipalities in the region. 

The meeting, to begin at 7 p.m. in the Holy Rosary Hall, 35 Queen Street S., in Thorold will feature two guest speakers who are both respected representatives of the Ontario Urban Forest Council.   Continue reading →

Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins warns against Trump possibly removing personnel from vital border crossings like the Peace Bridge. Trump wants to shift resources to Mexican border to address what he calls an “infestation.”

U.S. President is Looking at Stripping Away Resources at Buffalo/Niagara and other Border Crossings to Address Mess he has Made at Mexican Border

A Call-Out from Buffalo-Area Congressman Brian with a Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted April 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A Foreword  from Doug Draper –

The border crossings overt the Niagara River, between Niagara Ontario and Western New York – particularly the Peace Bridge – are among the busiest border crossings in North America, accommodating millions of people and tens-of-billions of dollars of goods transported back and forth each year.

So good for U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins from the Buffalo, New York area for speaking out and working to avert a very costly crisis for people and businesses on both sides of the border if the U.S. Trump administration pulls away border officers and other resources from the Canada/U.S. border to seemingly address his self-made border crisis with Mexico. Continue reading →

“The gutting of Ontario’s climate action plan in combination with the taxpayer-financed partisan campaign against federal climate action expose a government that is deeply in denial on the urgency of the climate crisis.” – Keith Stewart, Senior Energy Strategist with Greenpeace Canada

A News Release from the environmtal group Greenpeace Canada

Posted April 15th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — Keith Stewart, Senior Energy Strategist with Greenpeace Canada, said the following in response to the 2019 Ontario budget:

“The 35 per cent cut to the Ministry of Environment and promised attacks on environmental protections make this the most anti-environmental budget in Ontario since the deadly tainted-water disaster in Walkerton (that killed six people and made more than 2,000 people sick in May of 2000). The gutting of Ontario’s climate action plan in combination with the taxpayer-financed partisan campaign against federal climate action expose a government that is deeply in denial on the urgency of the climate crisis.” Continue reading →

“This is a new low, even for Doug Ford. It’s bad enough that he’s wasting public money on partisan promotion, but now he’s threatening private business owners with massive fines for failing to post Conservative Party advertisement. So much for free speech.”                                                                                                           – Peter Tabuns, the NDP’s Energy and Climate Change critic

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition (NDP) Party

Posted April 12^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

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

Doug Ford. Is he Ontario’s premier or is he BIG BROTHER!

This is the kind of rule you would expect to see a government force on private businesses in a fascist state!

Gas station owners should tell Premier Doug Ford to go  take his propaganda stickers to hell with him.

Our American neighbours put up with a lot, but  would never put up with this kind of strong-arm crap. They would be up in arms with government spending their tax money for totalitarian B.S. like this, and so should we!

QUEEN’S PARK – The Ford Government isn’t just spending thousands of public dollars on gas pump stickers promoting a partisan campaign against carbon pricing – yesterday’s budget bill revealed that Ford plans to fine gas stations $10,000 a day if the businesses fail or refuse to post the stickers. Continue reading →

Lend Your Name to the Fight to Protect What Are Left of our Red-headed Woodpeckers and Natural Heritage

A Petition posted by Marcie Jacklin and Community Voices of Fort Erie, a citizens group in Fort Erie, Ontario

Posted April 12th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

As some of you may already know, Waverly Woods (an area now being targeted for urban development) is a strong-hold for Red-headed Woodpeckers.

The Red-headed Woodpecker is now listed as Threatened under the Species at Risk Act for Canada and as Special Concern under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act.

The population is declining.

You can help by responding to Environment and Climate Change Canada’s request for input for their proposed recovery strategy. Continue reading →

A News Release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Posted April 12^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The new Government of Ontario released its first budget yesterday afternoon.

Although a budget is a closely-guarded secret until its release, some measures were expected: tax cuts aimed at stimulating business growth, dental care for seniors in poverty, childcare subsidies, a transit plan for the GTA, some service cuts and/or efficiencies, a virtually-unavoidable deficit, and an omnibus of legislation, some unrelated to the budget, in a move which has become routine for Canadian governments of all parties.

As in 2018<https://gncc.ca/gncc-welcomes-business-investment-and-municipal-supports-but-urges-deficit-caution-in-ontario-budget/> and 2017<https://gncc.ca/gncc-offers-comments-2017-ontario-budget/>, the GNCC urged caution on deficit spending. Continue reading →

Cool Beat Music and Books in Cheektowaga, New York and Niagara Records in St. Catharines, Ontario

“There is nothing as glamorous to me as a record store.”                – Paul McCartney

A Brief Call-Out for Record Stores  from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Re-posted April 12^th, 2019

This coming Saturday, April 13^th is a very special day for those of us who love music and, most importantly, for what are left of the marvellous and magical places in our regions that bring that great music too us.

This Saturday, April 13^th marks the 11^th annual ‘Record Store Day’ across North America and other parts of the world – a day when those of us who love music and the very special sense of community music inspires when we experience it together can do that coming together at favourite brick and mortar record stores, to support and celebrate t what Paul McCartney rightly calls the glamour and the joy they can bring to our lives.

Cool Beat Music and Books, one of the great stores for records in the greater Niagara region – this one in nearby Cheektowaga, New York

Those of you who regularly visit  Niagara At Large may already know that I like to advocate for supporting what are left of some of the great  independently owned stores in our region, and recently I highlighted three of the best used book stores, including Hannelore Headley Old and Fine Books and The Write Bookshop in St. Catharines, Ontario and  Rust Belt Books  in Buffalo, New Year.

This time, on the eve of this year’s Record Store Day, I want to mention at least a couple of the  coolest record stores on either side of the Niagara River.

And I’ll start with one called Cool Beat Music and Books that you can find on the American side of the border, less than a 10 minute drive from downtown Buffalo, New York on 2445 William Street in neighbouring Cheektowaga.

Inside the Cool Beat store with owner Wayne Zaganiaczyk, a veteran record and book seller in the region.

If you are wondering how you are going to find this very cool store, I will include a link for a map you can click on near the bottom of this post. For now, all you need to know is that Cool Beat is a store well worth finding. Continue reading →

News from the Office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Posted April 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford tables his government’s first budget

Building a sustainable future while protecting frontline services In its first /Budget/, Ontario’s Government for the People has introduced a comprehensive and sustainable plan that sets out a five-year path to a balanced budget to protect critical public services such as health care and education.

“We are restoring sustainability to government finances in order to protect what matters most,” said Minister of Finance Vic Fedeli.

“The previous government was spending about $40 million a day more than it was collecting in revenue. Our plan will make every dollar count so we can continue to invest in the critical programs like health care, education, and other services that the people of Ontario rely upon each and every day while protecting frontline workers.” Continue reading →

Among other things, the U.S. Trump Administration is “systematically dismantling” the Clean Water Act – legislation that has had a positive impact on protecting Great Lakes waters for decades. 

A Message from Joel Brammeier , President & CEO Alliance for the Great Lakes, a U.S.-based citizens group in the Great Lakes basin

Posted April 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Like many people around the Great Lakes, I was astonished by President Trump’s recent comments at a rally in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

At the rally, the president declared his love for the lakes and announced that he would fully fund the Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI).

This cornerstone of Great Lakes protection and restoration efforts has funded more than 4,700 on-the-ground projects in all eight Great Lakes states. His (Trump’s) comments raised eyebrows around our office because the program he pledged to support is the same one he has cut in his budget every year since he took office. Continue reading →

Sample cricket flour cookies, take a guided hike or snap a selfie with a reptile – there are many ways to connect with nature at this rain-or-shine event

News from Niagara College in Niagara, Ontario

Posted April 11^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

Staff, students and community residents are welcome to participate in Niagara College’s fourth annual Spring BioBlitz. 

Organized by NC’s Office of Sustainability, the event will be held on Saturday, April 13 from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the College’s Niagara-on-the-Lake Campus. A BioBlitz is a community approach to identifying plant and animal species on a property, over a specified period of time.

The goal is to collect species information to better understand all of the organisms living on campus and to monitor how biodiversity is changing over time.  Continue reading →

News from the Niagara Dental Health Coalition

Posted April 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Dental Health Coalition is very pleased to see a commitment in today’s provincial budget for access to dental care for low income seniors. The Coalition has been part of an advocacy movement for several years across Ontario calling for expanded access to dental care for the two to three million Ontario residents who cannot afford care.

“We regularly receive calls and emails from Niagara residents who need dental care and can’t afford to pay, including many seniors,” says Lori Kleinsmith, Chair of the Niagara Dental Health Coalition. “In many cases, we are not able to suggest where to go for help, so this new funding for low income seniors will start to make a difference.” Continue reading →

The GNCC has convened a panel of experts who will explore questions such as what the opportunities and pitfalls of the various options (for municipal government restructuring in Niagara) are, what it will mean to citizens, taxpayers, businesses and organizations, what the likely outcomes might be, and more.

News Release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Posted April 11^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

How different will this municipal map look in the years ahead and what will it mean for the people who live and work in Niagara?

Niagara, Ontario – On April 26th, at Lookout Point Country Club, the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce will hold its AGM and Annual Business Luncheon. At this event, the GNCC will host a forum on governance reform.

The Government of Ontario has announced its intention to review and potentially change the governance structure of Niagara and other regions of Ontario. Niagara needs to know what those changes might be, and how they will affect us. Continue reading →

This year provides important opportunities for every resident around the Great Lakes  to learn more about issues affecting the Great Lakes, express why they care about them and share what actions they are taking – large and small – to restore and protect the ecosystem.

News from Sally Cole-Misch at the Canada/U.S. International Joint Commission

Posted April 9th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Across the Great Lakes region, residents overwhelmingly value the lakes and everything they provide – recreationally, economically and aesthetically.

In binational polls taken by an IJC board, in person, and in letters and emails, citizens have expressed a deep caring for and desire to protect the Great Lakes. People also want the lakes restored to their full potential for themselves, for everything in the lakes and for future generations. Continue reading →

“Transphobia and homophobia are real. To stop discrimination, hate and violence against LGBTQ people, we need to call it out. We cannot confront homophobic and transphobic bullying if the government won’t acknowledge that those things are very real.”  – Terence Kernaghan, Ontario’s Official Opposition NDP Critic for LGBTQ Issues

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

Posted April 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

NDP critic for LGBTQ Issues responds to minister’s refusal to acknowledge homophobia and transphobia – 

Ontario’s Education Minister Lisa Thompson

QUEEN’S PARK — Terence Kernaghan, Official Opposition NDP Critic for LGBTQ Issues, released the following statement regarding Education Minister Lisa Thompson’s outright refusal to acknowledge the reality of homophobia and transphobia:

“Today during question period, Minister of Education Lisa Thompson categorically refused to say the words homophobia and transphobia – refusing to acknowledge that members of the LGBTQ community and students in Ontario face hate, discrimination and violence that must be called out, and stamped out. Continue reading →

Lincoln County Humane Society Executive Director Kevin Strooband Receives Award for Leadership, Cooperation and Innovation

Kevin Strooband, the Lincoln County Humane Society’s executive direct, with a friend

“Kevin is a true example of what can be achieved when we work collaboratively in the animal welfare sector”    – Barbara Cartwright, CEO of Humane Canada

News from Humane Canada, the federation of SPCAs and humane societies across Canada

Posted April 10th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa – Humane Canada is pleased to announce that Kevin Strooband, Executive Director of the Lincoln County Humane Society will receive an award recognizing his leadership in the animal welfare movement and innovation in programming.

Kevin Strooband with the Lincoln County Humane Society’s Mobile Adoption Unit, which made its debut in the summer of 2018

“Kevin is a true example of what can be achieved when we work collaboratively in the animal welfare sector” says Barbara Cartwright, CEO of Humane Canada. Continue reading →

Ontario Announces $28.5 Billion to Get Ontario Moving

“In just nine months, Ontario has delivered the long asked for expansion of GO Train service to Niagara Falls and           St. Catharines, years ahead of schedule.”

News from the Office of Ontario Premier Doug Ford

Posted April 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

TORONTO — Transit users and commuters across Ontario can look forward to transportation improvements as part of the Government of Ontario’s historic new transportation vision, Premier Doug Ford announced today.

Joined by Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation, and Monte McNaughton, Minister of Infrastructure, Ford announced a $28.5 billion expansion to Ontario’s transit network. This is the most money ever invested to get shovels in the ground and get new subways built.

“Our government is investing in transportation to bring relief and new opportunities to transit users and commuters,” said Ford. Continue reading →

‘The Ford government has not done its part to protect St. Catharines residents struggling with mental health challenges, as it has failed to provide mental health and addictions services and failed to fund a suicide prevention barrier on Burgoyne Bridge.’ – St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

A Message from the Constituency Office of St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

Posted April 9^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

QUEEN’S PARK — Today in the legislature, the NDP MPP for St. Catharines, Jennie Stevens, said the Ford government has not done its part to protect St. Catharines residents struggling with mental health challenges, as it has failed to provide mental health and addictions services and failed to fund a suicide prevention barrier on Burgoyne Bridge.

For over a year, the city of St. Catharines and the Niagara region have been advocating for a suicide prevention barrier to be installed on the Burgoyne Bridge. Since October, six people lost their lives to suicide at the bridge. Continue reading →

“A living wage reflects what earners need to be paid based on the actual costs of living and being included in the community.”          – Glen Walker, Chair of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

“It is my belief that our employees should not have to choose between something they love and affording the costs associated with living in our community. “                                                                – Spirit Athletics owner Rhys Ottaway.

News from the Niagara poverty Reduction Network

Posted April 9^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Spirit Athletics has become a certified living wage employer.

Rhys Ottaway Owner Spirit Athletics, left and Melenie Neamtz Vice Chair Niagara Poverty Reduction Network with living wage certificate

Spirit Athletics opened in 2018 and is owned by Rhys Ottaway. They are an athletic and character development program based out of St. Catharines that offers cheerleading, tumbling, and other fitness activities. They currently employ six part time staff. Continue reading →

Ontario NDP and Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath

“Women in Ontario deserve to receive equal pay for work of equal value, and the NDP will keep fighting until that becomes a reality in this province.”                     – from  Official Opposition Party and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Andrea Horwath releases Statement on Equal Pay Day

Posted April 9^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP Official Opposition Leader Andrea Horwath released the following statement on Equal Pay Day:

“Women’s work is not worth less than the work of the men working beside them, yet they continue to be paid less.

In Ontario, women are paid 71 cents on the dollar for their work compared to their male counterparts. That gap grows for Indigenous women, racialized women and women living with disabilities. Continue reading →

Ontaro’s Ford government’s cuts to medicine programs leave the most vulnerable to fall through the cracks

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

Posted April 8^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP MPP for Niagara Falls Wayne Gates said the Ford government needs to reverse its cuts to government prescription drug programs for children. Gates shared the story of a family being hurt by these cuts in the Legislature on Monday.

“This week I spoke to a new mother with a six-month-old son who requires prescription formula. The formula was covered by a government program, until Doug Ford’s cuts ensured this family would no longer receive coverage,” said Gates.

“Now it will cost this young family $600 a month, because their private insurance does not cover the formula.” Continue reading →

Just When Some of Us Thought Our Long, Dark Journey with a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority in Chaos Might Finally be Over

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

Posted April 5^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Opening Ontario’s Conservation Authorities up for reform. What does this man have in mind for our Conservation Authority?

Just as some of us thought we have turned a corner for the better at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority NPCA) with the appointment of a new acting CAO many have respect for, we have the following to look forward to.

Ontario’s Ford government, which isn’t exactly proving to be a friend of environmental conservation, has circulated a news release this April 5^th that it is now going to work on plans to reform the legislation governing the NPCA and more than 30 other Conservation Authorities across the province.

So what on earth is that going to mean for Conservation Authorities we need to restore, protect and restore our region’s precious watershed?

The NPCA’s recently appointed interim CAO Gayle Wood, a respected conservationist, has given many Niagara citizens hope that the Conservation Authority will get back to playing a real role in  protecting and preserving our region’s natural heritage.

All I advise at the moment is that those of us in this region and others who care about environmental conservation and who have fought so hard in recent years to rescue our dysfunctional NPCA from a group of hijackers and get it back on track, had better get engaged and be ready to raise our voices loudly if the Ford government does anything to further weaken or damage these bodies. Continue reading →

Natalie Moore, a Listowel, Ontario high school student whose message of concern triggered a province-wide walkout for quality education

“We do understand that balancing the books is important, but it should never come at the cost of our world-class education system we’ve built in Ontario-” – Natalie Moore, an 18-year-old high school student from Listowel, Ontario who sparked the province-wide, April .4^th student walkout with a message of concern she shared on social media.

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

Posted April 5th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

More than 200 students at Holy Cross Secondary School in St. Catharines join this April 4th’s province-wide walkout to protest the Ford government’s cuts to education.

Niagara, Ontario – If there was any doubt that young people should have a voice in the decisions the Ford government is making that that are affecting their lives, this past Thursday, April 4th they used it.

More than 200 students at Holy Cross Secondary School in St. Catharines joined countless tens of thousands of others at high schools across Niagara and the rest of the province in an afternoon walkout to protest recent moves by the Ontario government of Doug Ford to, among other things, increase class sizes, cut teachers jobs, kill a recently updated sex education curriculum and force students to take at least four mandatory online courses in place of having a real teacher in the classroom.  Continue reading →

Niagara Region’s new Chair, Jim Bradley

“Niagara is more than the sum of its parts, and it is because of our spirit of cooperation and team work that we will always find a way to move beyond our limits. … We should all believe that Niagara’s future is bright and has no limits.” – from Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley’s ‘State of the Region’ address, delivered this April 3^rd, 2019 at a luncheon gala hosted by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted April 4^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A year ago this spring, when the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce hosted the annual “State of the Region” address in a sprawling banquet room of the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls where the event, the person who was Niagara’s Regional Chair at the time entered the room wearing the chain of office – one of those gaudy metal livery collars often worn by royals and autocrats as a mark of fealty.

The audience in the big room at the Scotiabank Convention Centre in Niagara Falls this April 3rd, listening to Niagara Regional Chair Jim Bradley deliver his first State of the Region address. The even was hosted by the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce.

He burst in to the room to the noise of some ‘We Are the Champions’-like or Rocky-like theme music blaring from loud speakers, sprinting through the audience on his way to the podium as if he was Bruce Springsteen taking the stage for a big show.

But this was certainly not ‘The Boss’ about the break in to a rousing performance of ‘Born To Run’ or ‘Thunder Road’. Not even close. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

“We need to ask ourselves: Why is it that in this period of heightened awareness, … we cannot ensure that help (for sexual assault victims) is available? We have a social responsibility to all victims and survivors to make sure they can access properly funded services.” – Niagara Centre NDP MPP Jeff Burch

A Share from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Posted April 4^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A Statement delivered by Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch this past Wednesday, April 3^rd in the LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY OF ONTARIO

Mr. Jeff Burch: “Recently, I had the privilege of meeting with Lisa Berketo, the administrative coordinator with the Niagara Region Sexual Assault Centre. She described the dire straits they find themselves in due to a lack of proper sustainable funding. Continue reading →

“Elder Abuse Ontario envisions an Ontario where seniors are free from abuse, have a strong voice and are safe and respected.” from the Vision statement of Elder Abuse Ontario, a province-wide not-for-profit body with a budget that the province’s premier, Doug Ford, and his Tories are now looking at cutting.

‘Ford must stop cut to Elder Abuse Ontario.’                         – Ontario NDP Seniors’ Affairs critic Joel Harden

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

Posted April 3^rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — NDP MPP Joel Harden, critic for Accessibility, Persons with Disabilities and Seniors’ Affairs, today asked the Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, Raymond Cho, to fight Finance Minister Vic Fedeli and Doug Ford on their plan for Elder Abuse Ontario — which a new document shows could see a funding cut of up to 15 per cent.

Harden’s office obtained the document via a freedom of information request. Elder Abuse Ontario protects seniors across the province by training thousands of frontline workers in identifying and preventing elder abuse. It also runs a free safety hotline as a resource for older adults who are victims, or at risk of, abuse. Continue reading →

The Slogan “Yours To Discover” May Go. How about one of Ford’s favourites – “Open For Business” – as a Replacement?

Some Brief Commentary from Niagara At Large reporter and publisher  Doug Draper, with a News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposition and New Democratic Party

Posted April 2nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

An Ontario licence plate with the time-honoured ‘Yours To Discover’ logo on it.

I posted the following media release from the Ontario NDP, along with a little commentary from me this April 1^st, underneath a  fictional story that I spun as an April Fool’s joke, and I think this news, about a possible significant change to what appears on the licence plates the province issues to vehicle owners after 35 years of the plate reading “Ontario – Yours To Discover” may have got lost in the joke.

The fact is that the news that Ontario’s Ford Government may be looking at changing the slogan on the plate from “Yours To Discover” to possibly “Open For Business” began circulating this past Friday, March 29^th and is no April Fool’s joke. Continue reading →

Dispatch is the first full-service restaurant in Ontario to become a certified living wage employer.

“We are delighted to see the growing number of employers in Niagara who see the benefits of offering a living wage and we hope this group continues to grow,”                                                       – Glen Walker, Chair of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network.

News from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted April 2nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Dispatch has become a certified living wage employer. Opened in March 2019 by Chef Adam Hynam-Smith and Tamara Jensen, Dispatch is a 40-seat fine dining restaurant located in downtown St. Catharines.

The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network’s Glen Walker, left, with the Dispatch restaurant’s Adam Hynam-Smith and Tamara Jensen

They currently employ six full time and four part time staff.  Dispatch is part of a growing movement to empower hospitality teams to succeed in their careers while enjoying the professional respect they deserve. Continue reading →

Encouraging Job Creation, Investment and Trade in Ontario

“Our government is delivering on our commitment to be open for business.”  – Jeff Yurek, Ontario Minister of Transportation

News from Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s “Government for the People”

Posted April 2^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Ontario government is putting people first by investing $1.3 billion to rebuild and restore highways across the province.

Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation announced funding for projects that will help create jobs for Ontario’s construction industry and keep our highways safe and reliable so that Ontario has a transportation network that encourages job creation, investment and trade in every region across the province. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

“We have been working with our partners to reduce chronic homelessness across the region.  We are taking immediate action to help reduce homelessness by investing $5.2-million in Niagara over the next five years.” – Niagara Centre Liberal MP Vance Badawey

News from the Constituency Offices of Niagara Centre MP Vance badawey and St. Catharines MP Chris Bittle

Posted April 1^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Every Canadian deserves a safe and affordable place to call home.

Yet every day, vulnerable Canadians experience or are at risk of becoming homeless. The Government of Canada is taking action to help those in need, and make a real impact to reduce homelessness across Canada.

Jean-Yves Duclos, Canada’s Minister of Families, Children and Social Development

Today (this Monday, April 1^st), the Honourable Jean-Yves Duclos, Minister of Families, Children and Social Development, launched the Reaching Home: Canada’s Homelessness Strategy. Reaching Home will continue to support communities’ efforts to prevent and reduce homelessness in Canada.

It will also support the goals of the National Housing Strategy, specifically the reduction of chronic homelessness nationally by 50 percent by 2027–2028.

Through Reaching Home, the Government of Canada is reinforcing its community-based approach by delivering funding directly to municipalities and local service providers. Continue reading →

Canada’s NDP Leader  Jagmeet Singh

“Trudeau’s Liberal government wants a patchwork plan that works for their friends at the big pharmaceutical and insurance companies – but leaves too many people out. And with Canadians paying some of the highest drug prices in the world, we need to have the courage to fight for a solution that actually helps everyday people.”

– Jagmeet Singh, Leader, Canada’s NDP

A Statement From Canada’s NDP Leader  Jagmeet Singh

Posted April 1st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Across Canada, people are having to make impossible choices every day – seniors are cutting their pills in half in order to make them last, and families are being forced to choose between paying rent on time or filling their prescriptions. Continue reading →

After 25 Years, Ontario No Longer Has an Official Environmental Watchdog

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

Posted April 1^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Here we are on the first day of April – just 21 days away from celebrating the 49^th anniversary of the first Earth Day – and what I am about to mention is not an April Fool’s joke.

Dianne Saxe, Ontario’s  last Environmental Commissioner, worked as an independent watchdog for the public. The Ford government claims that chopping Saxe’s office is about saving money, yet the Office cost the province a mere 30 cents per person in Ontario, per year.

This past Friday afternoon (March 29^th), Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner, Dianne Saxe, and her staff turned off the lights in the Environmental Commissioner’s Office (ECO) for the last time because as of this April 1^st, thanks to Premier Doug Ford’s self-described “Government for the People,” that office is officially closed.

The Ford government announced it would be closing the ECO, which has served as an official, independent watchdog on provincial government affairs when it comes to environmental protection, in November of last year.

The announcement came shortly after the Office released a major report titled; Climate Action in Ontario – What’s Next, which included the following summary remarks on the challenge the province faces now –

“Although climate disruption is already starting to hammer Ontario,” states the report, “we continue to emit high levels of greenhouse gas pollution. It is no longer possible for us to have what we all want: both a safe, predictable climate that sustains our lives and economy, and unlimited fossil fuel use.” Continue reading →

New Requirement Follows in the Wake of Ongoing Crackdowns at the U.S./Mexico Border

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

Posted April 1^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Starting this May, Canadians crossing into the United States by truck or car will be issued bumper stickers by homeland security officers, stamped with a red maple leaf and reading; “Canadians for Donald Trump.”

The issuance of the bumper sticker, according to a news release from the U.S. government, will come with a warning to everyone who owns a vehicle bearing a Canadian licence plate that if the stickers are not displayed where they can be clearly viewed on the back bumpers of their truck or car by July 4^th of this year, they may be turned around at the border and not allowed to enter the United States. Continue reading →

“Last October, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released (a) special report (that) was a screaming alarm for immediate action. … And yet, months later, governments continue to act as though it is business as usual.”    – Elizabeth May, Leader of Canada’s Green Party

A Call-Out Elizabeth May and the Green Party of Canada

Post April 1st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Dear Friend,

Canadian Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

Last October, the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) released its special report on why the world must reach the Paris target of no more than a 1.5 degree C global average temperature increase – or face the most dire of consequences. It was a screaming alarm for immediate action.

And yet, months later, governments continue to act as though it is business as usual. The report has been massively misinterpreted. Media and politicians keep saying “We have 12 years.” This is not true.

Rather than measure our actions in years, we must adjust our level of urgency to measure the time before the window of opportunity on 1.5 degrees is closed forever. 

We don’t have years; we have months. Continue reading →

Join People Around the World for Earth Hour 2019 this Saturday, March 30^th from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

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

Posted March 30^th, 2019

Earth Hour.

I know what some of you may be thinking. What good is turning off your lights for one hour going to do for the planet.

Well, probably not much, but at least it is a start. It is a chance to at sit around with friends and relatives for an hour and thinks about what you can do as an individual and what all of us can do in our communities to take the action we need to take collectively to spare our future from ever more destructive impacts of climate change. Continue reading →

Announcement Follows Outcry from Province’s New Democratic Party and Others as Deadline Approaches for Re-Funding Treatment Sites

Sites for continued funding include one at Positive Living Niagara on Queenston Street in St. Catharines and at the Hamilton Urban Core Community Health Centre on Rebecca Street in Hamilton

“Our government takes the opioids crisis very seriously,”               – Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health and Long-Term Care, March 29^th, 2019.

Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott

A News Release from the Ontario Government

Posted March 29^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario’s Government for the People is putting patients at the centre of our integrated health care system. As part of this commitment the Government of Ontario is ensuring those struggling with drug addiction can connect with full wrap-round supports for treatment and rehabilitation services, by approving 15 Consumption and Treatment Services sites in communities with high need and will continue to accept applications from interested organizations. Continue reading →

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted March 29^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Former Thorold regional councillor Henry D’Angela has been appointed by Niagara Region’s council to service as citizen member on f the Niagara Police Services Board

Niagara, Ontario – Henry D’Angela, a former Niagara regional councillor for Thorold, has been appointed by the Region’s Council to serve for the rest of the 2018 to 2022 council term as a citizen member on the Niagara Police Services Board.

D’Angela (whose last name ends with an ‘a’ and should certainly not be mistaken for the Region’s now former and very controversial CAO Carmen D’Angelo) served on the Police Services Board prior to 2014, when he was on the Region’s council and Gary Burroughs, who also sat on the board, serviced as the council’s Chair.

D’Angela ran and lost in last October’s municipal election to a strong-showing Terry Ugulini in a bid to serve as Thorold’s mayor for a second time during his time in municipal politics that goes back two decades. Continue reading →

“For people struggling with opioid addiction, their loved ones, and for St. Catharines as a community, this safe consumption site has been a literal lifeline. The Ford government needs to stop delaying and make sure it stays open and funded, immediately.” – St. Catharines NDP MPP Jennie Stevens

St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

A News Release from Ontario’s New Democratic Party

Posted March 28th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines, Ontario  – NDP MPP for St. Catharines Jennie Stevens is calling on the Ford government to confirm that the St. Catharines overdose prevention site will be permitted to stay open. With a deadline set for March 31, only a few days away — frontline health care providers are worried that their life-saving operations will be interrupted.

“The safe consumption site on Queenston Street in St. Catharines has seen hundreds of people using it on a regular basis,” said Stevens in a letter to Doug Ford’s Minister of Health and Long Term Care. “The site has recently reversed more than fifty overdoses since December.” Continue reading →

Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton

“We could be on the hook for an enormous amount of money, into the billions as a city. …. I am a firm believer in the notion that polluters should pay.”                                                                                – Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton, who is tabling a motion at Toronto’s council to go after fossil fuel (oil and gas) industries for the costs of dealing with climate change.

A Commentary from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

Posted March 27th, 2019

If our provincial and federal governments aren’t going to act aggressively enough to address climate change, municipalities will have to do it.

And one step they can take is to sue the industry’s most responsible for dumping climate-changing carbon into the atmosphere for the costs of the damage caused by the resulting severe weather.

That is a strategy the City of Toronto is reportedly now reviewing and debating in a motion which, if passed, would do just that – leave open the option of targeting oil corporations with lawsuits aimed at recovering the costs of damage caused by the severe weather outcomes of climate change. Continue reading →

There Is No Real Substitute for People Power, After All

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted March 26^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

“Oh, we’re off to see the Wizard

The wonderful Wizard of Oz.

We hear he is a whiz of a Wiz

If ever a Wiz there was….”

– From the 1939 movie classic, ‘The Wizard of Oz’

An awful lot of references to scenes from ‘The Godfather’ – a trilogy of movies first released between 1972 and 1990 about an American crime family – have been used by political pundits over the past three or four years to comment on Donald Trump’s campaign for the U.S. presidency and his subsequent two years in the Oval Office.

Given all of the shady and sleazy behaviour of Trump and his entourage, including members of his own family, references to Godfather movies make a lot of sense. But for all the news right now (this March 24^th and 25^th) around the report that U.S. special counsel Robert Mueller has finally completed on Trump, the life lessons I have so often found in another classic movie, ‘The Wizard of Oz’, seem more fitting now, with Mueller playing the role of the “great and powerful Oz.”

I’m putting Robert Mueller in the role of the Wizard because so many of my friends in the U.S. have been hoping that Mueller – a Vietnam War hero and long-time federal prosecutor – would be the one who would finally uncover enough skulduggery committed by Trump and his clan to run him out of office and possibly even put him in jail. Continue reading →

Niagara Centre MPP Reminds Ontario Government of its responsibility ‘to keep province’s teenagers and children safe

A Statement from Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Posted March 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

(Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch delivered the following statement about alleged abuses committed in Ontario’s training schools for children and teenagers, against two of his constituents and others, and about the continued pursuit of the alleged victims for justice from the Province of Ontario.

The statement was delivered this March 25^th in the Ontario legislature.)

Mr. Jeff Burch: “I rise today (March 25^th) to speak for my constituents John Parisee and Rick Brown, who are here with us today, and for countless others like them, who survived their time in Ontario’s training schools for children and teenagers. Continue reading →

Kingston is only other Ontario municipality that has so far joined hundreds of other cities and towns around the world in joining the declaration

News from the Hamilton-based citizens watchdog group, Citizens At City Hall

Posted March 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

City of Hamilton Mayor Fred Eisenberger authored the motion “that the City of Hamilton declare a climate emergency that threatens our city, region, province, nation, civilization, humanity and the natural world.”

At the urging of the Environment Hamilton citizens group, city councillors have declared a climate emergency joining hundreds of municipal governments in Europe and North America including Vancouver, Halifax and Kingston.

The local action was approved (Monday, March 18th), just days after the worst weather disaster in the southern hemisphere devastated a city almost exactly the same size as Hamilton.

At least hundreds and perhaps thousands are dead in Mozambique, Zimbabwe and Malawi in the wake of Typhoon Idai that created a new lake 125 km long and 25 km wide just west of the city of Biera. At least 600,000 people were displaced and a week later vast areas were still underwater.

The typhoon hit just before the global student climate strike on March 15 of 1.6 million including 150,000 who marched in Montreal. However both the strike and the typhoon got limited media attention because of the white supremacist mass murder in New Zealand. Continue reading →

Bill Helmeczi, Pathstone Director of Strategic Planning, Standards and Practices

“By bringing clinical staff (at Pathstone’s Mental Health Centre in St. Catharines) together with researchers (at Brock University), I think we can build a dynamic research program that fosters a great deal of benefit as researchers become more aware of the specific challenges we face in dealing with children’s mental health in the region.” – Bill Helmeczi, Pathstone Director of Strategic Planning, Standards and Practices

News from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted March 25^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A new partnership between two Niagara organizations will mean a direct connection between the people conducting leading-edge research on child mental health and the caregivers who work with families dealing with related issues.

Pathstone Mental Health and Brock University signed a Memorandum of Understanding Friday, March 22. Pictured front row from left: Bill Helmeczi, Pathstone Director of Strategic Planning, Standards, and Practices, Pathstone CEO Shaun Baylis, Brock President Gervan Fearon and Brock Professor Sid Segalowitz. Back row are Pathstone Board Chair Elco Drost, left, and Brock Board Chair Gary Comerford.

Pathstone Mental Health and Brock University signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Friday, March 22 that solidifies a collaboration that will positively impact children suffering with mental health in Niagara and beyond. Continue reading →

“A living wage reflects what earners need to be paid based on the actual costs of living and being included in the community.” – Glen Walker, Chair of the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

A News Release from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted March 25th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Beechwood Doughnuts has become a certified living wage employer.

Tayler Book, President, Beechwood Doughnuts and Glen Walker, Chair, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network with certificate

Beechwood Doughnuts is Niagara’s first and only 100% vegan doughnut shop. Located in the heart of Downtown St. Catharines, Beechwood Doughnuts has proven that plant-based foods can be just as delicious as they are compassionate. They currently employ 10 full time staff and 11 part time staff.

“Ever since we came to the realization that our little doughnut shop was becoming something much larger than we could have ever anticipated, becoming a certified living wage employer was at the forefront of our minds. No matter the industry, all working people deserve a liveable wage. Continue reading →

Jimmy Carter has made  a great  mark of his own on our region of the Great Lakes

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

“There must never in this country be another Love Canal.”   – U.S. President Jimmy Carter, in the spring of 1980, after signing a second federal emergency declaration to assist hundreds of families leave their homes around the leaking Love Canal toxic waste dump in Niagara Falls, New York.

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

Posted March 22nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

This Friday, March 22^nd, Jimmy Carter, marked a milestone in the history of the U.S. presidency by becoming the longest living person, at age 94 and a half, and after the recently deceased George H. Bush, to have ever held the office.

Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter has left a very positive legacy in our Niagara region.

Maybe all of the good people don’t die young, after all.

Jimmy Carter, a former Georgia government who served as the 39^th president of the United States from 1977 to 1981, certainly made his mark on Niagara and on this bi-national region of our Great Lakes during his all-to-short tenure in his nation’s highest office.

In August of 1978, Carter signed the first of two documents, declaring a federal emergency at a neighbourhood in Niagara Falls, New York called Love Canal where, decades earlier, a local chemical industry buried close to 20,000 tonnes of some of the most toxic chemicals known to science – chemicals that were leaking out of the dump and into the yards of surrounding homes, and were also reaching creeks draining to the Niagara River. Continue reading →

Calling it a critically important moment for animal welfare in Ontario, a Brock University professor released her latest findings Wednesday, March 20 that offer unique insight and perspective on the issue.

News from Brock University in St. Catharines

Posted March 22nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Brock University  expert on anti-animal cruelty enforcement Kendra Coulter

Niagara, Ontario – Kendra Coulter, Chair of Brock’s Labour Studies Department and Canada’s foremost academic expert on anti-cruelty enforcement, has released a much-anticipated public report entitled: A More Humane and Safer Ontario: The Future of Animal Cruelty Investigations.

For nearly a century, anti-cruelty investigations in Ontario have been handled by charitable organizations.

However, earlier this month, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) announced it would cease its law enforcement work at the end of March.

 “Crimes against animals have been sidelined and de-prioritized by successive governments, and charities have filled in the gap,” says Coulter. “But the era of private enforcement is over and Ontario will finally have public animal cruelty investigations.” Continue reading →

David Adames is Appointed 12^th CEO in Niagara Parks 129-Year History

A News Release from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted March 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Parks new CEO, David Adames

Niagara Falls, Ontaio – David Adames, currently the Acting Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of The Niagara Parks Commission, was today appointed as the 12th CEO to serve the Commission since its inception in 1885, reporting to Niagara Parks Chair, Sandie Bellows.

David brings with him a wealth of business and tourism experience to this most important role. Joining Niagara Parks in 2013, David first served as Senior Director of Business Development, before transitioning into the roles of Chief Operating Officer in 2016 and Acting CEO in October 2018.

David’s background includes time spent as the President and CEO of the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, and as the Executive Director at Tourism Hamilton. He currently serves on several tourism boards, including Niagara Falls Tourism, the Tourism Partnership of Niagara and he currently serves as the Chair of the Winter Festival of Lights Board. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted March 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern

Less than a week after a terrorist and white supremacist who found inspiration in Donald Trump’s words of hate shot to death 50 of New Zealand’s Muslim residents in their places of worship, the Prime Minister of New Zealand has done something Trump and none of his predecessors have had the moral fortitude or courage to do.

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern stood at a podium this March 21^st and announced a total ban on assault-style guns, high-capacity ammunition clips and other assorted killing equipment.

Click on the screen below and witness a profile in courage –

Now watch Mr. Tough-GuyTrump and his and flaunting Christian vice president Mike Pence grovelling and soaking up the applause at a National Rifle Association conference last year – just a few months after the slaughter of young people at the Parkland high school in Florida, and less than six years after five and six year old children were bullet-drilled to death at the Sandy Hook elementary school in Connecticut –

 And Trump claims he cares so much about homeland security and law and order, and originally said he would never take any money from a lobby group like the NRA. Not a drip of shame in this man, and what a coward at the end of the day.

Come to think of it, we have never had a Prime Minister in Canada that has had the courage to do what the PM of New Zealand has done, without compromise, in such a short period of time. Stephen Harper couldn’t even support a gun registry.

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

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

For more news and commentary from Niagara At Large – an independent, alternative voice for our greater bi-national Niagara region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at www.niagaraatlarge.com .

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

“Why aren’t we seeing major investments in expanding renewable energy resources?”

From Elizabeth May, Leader of the Green Party of Canada

Posted March 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Canadian Green Party Leader Elizabeth May

Ottawa – Although the Trudeau government continues to insist that it’s committed to decisive action on the climate crisis, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s 2019 federal budget tells a very different story.

“It just doesn’t add up,” said Green Party Leader Elizabeth May (MP, Saanich-Gulf Islands). “The budget’s total commitment to a suite of energy efficiency and clean economy initiatives is less than $1.5 billion over five years — $300 million a year. Under a year ago, this government spent $4.5 billion to buy a leaky 65-year-old oil pipeline and wants to spend another $10 billion to expand it.” Continue reading →

“Our budget works for Canadians at every stage of their lives.”    – Vance Badawey, Niagara Centre MP

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Posted March 21st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Niagara, Ontario – Our government today delivered a budget to build on our goal, since 2015, to strengthen and grow the middle class, and we want to restore confidence for all Canadians that we’re still on point to build an economy that works for everyone.

“Our budget works for Canadians at every stage of their lives,” said Vance Badawey, Niagara Centre MP.

“I’m especially pleased to see one of my recommendations come through: Budget 2019 proposes a one-time transfer of $2.2 billion to the gas tax fund. This results in additional gas tax money coming directly to Niagara Centre, bypassing red tape from the province, to help bolster direct investment in roads, bridges, and public transit right here in our local towns and cities, starting this summer.” Continue reading →

“Niagara, like many regions across Canada, has fallen into an affordable housing crisis. … While this (federal) government has invested significantly in affordable housing, a multi-pronged approach to the lack of housing stock is needed, including reducing red tape for developers and incentivizing the construction of more affordable units.”

A Budget Analysis from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Posted March 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Government of Canada released (this past March 19^th) the fourth and final budget for this term of office. While not a complete reaction, the GNCC has shared these preliminary thoughts on some key areas of the 2019 budget.

Debt and Deficit

While the 2018-2019 deficit projection has been reduced slightly, deficits are projected at $14.9-billion for 2018-2019 and $19.8-billion for 2019-2020, with a debt of $685.6-billion projected to rise to $761.7-billion by 2023-24. However, debt-to-GDP ratios will fall from 30.8% to 28.6% in the same time period. Continue reading →

Celebrating a Time of Hope and Renewal for our Lives and for our Communities

A Brief One from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large

“Though I do not believe that a plant will spring up where no seed has been, I have great faith in a seed… Convince me that you have a seed there, and I am prepared to expect wonders.”
– Henry David Thoreau

We’ve been through a long, cold winter, often full of news in this Niagara region and elsewhere that has disheartened and angered us.

I don’t mind telling you that, more than a few times, what I was witnessing of some of the scoundrels, in this region alone, that had their grubby hands on the levers of power and were so abusing the trust we place in public agencies and institutions, had me feeling so depressed and discouraged, that I almost felt like giving up.

But we can’t give up or we lose everything about a civil society that matters.

And now spring is here – a time for renewal. Let’s all get engaged. Together, we can make better days for our lives and communities happen.

Here is one of my favourite spring time songs from one of my all-time favourite groups, The Rascals – “A Beautiful Morning” from the spring of 1968. To hear it, click on the screen below.  … Enjoy and join  together with your friends and neighbours in a campaign for positive, progressive renewal . 

And keep visiting and supporting alternative news and commentary sites like Niagara At Large.

By the way, we have beautiful green places like this in Niagara. Let’s fight against the stupidity and short-sighted greed of a few out there to save what is left of them. – Doug Draper

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

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

For more news and commentary from Niagara At Large – an independent, alternative voice for our greater bi-national Niagara region – become a regular visitor and subscriber to NAL at www.niagaraatlarge.com .

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