Niagara At Large

This Event is Free and Open to the Public

An Invite from Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

Posted January 21^st, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – After inclement weather put Demystifying Dementia on hold last fall, the much-anticipated Brock event has been rescheduled for later this month.

The much-anticipated Brock panel has been rescheduled for Thursday, Jan. 31 at 6:30 p.m. in Sean O’Sullivan Theatre.

Co-hosted by Brock University’s Centre for Lifespan Development Research and the Faculty of Applied Health Sciences, Demystifying Dementia will help raise awareness about the increasing prevalence of dementia in Niagara and the many agencies and partners across the region that have taken on the roles of education, prevention, intervention and research targeting memory-related issues.

The event will see Lynn McCleary, Associate Professor of Nursing, explain what dementia is, why we shouldn’t assume that it is a normal part of aging, and how, through education, stigmas may be broken down.

“I hope this panel will become a platform for people to be able to talk with each other about their symptoms and how to have a good life with dementia,” McCleary says. “Unfortunately, many are afraid to tell someone they are having difficulty. We hope to shift this perspective.”

McCleary and Recreation and Leisure Studies Associate Professor Colleen Whyte will join a panel of representatives from the community to provide an overview of recent and ongoing Brock research as well as resources available in Niagara.

Topics will include the prevalence of dementia and how the likelihood of it developing increases with age, diagnosis and transitions in care. Findings from research will also highlight how friendships are sustained for people living with dementia, as well as the role of music among older adults with dementia.

Panel members will also include: Melanie Elliott (MA ’17), Research Associate with Methologica Inc.; Naomi O’Brien, Respite Services Manager with Niagara Region’s Community Programs for Seniors; and Jessica Pace, Education Co-ordinator with the Alzheimer Society of Niagara Region.

The event is free and open to the public, but online RSVP through brockdementiapanel2019.eventbrite.ca is required as space is limited. Free parking is available in Lot D.

What: Demystifying Dementia — Lessons from research and community programming
Who: The event is open to anyone interested in learning more about dementia, including the general public, policy-makers, organizations, educators and practitioners
When: Thursday, Jan. 31 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.
Where: Brock University, Sean O’Sullivan Theatre, 1812 Sir Isaac Brock Way, St. Catharines.

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

 “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.” – Martin Luther King

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted January 19^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

This Monday, January 21^st is Martin Luther King Day across the United States – a day set aside to mark the all-too-short life of one of the most passion voice of the past hundreds years for social justice and peace around the world.

One can only wonder what great civil rights leader, who would have turned 90 this January had he not been cut down 50 years ago this past spring by an American-born white man who no doubt would have voted for Trump had he been alive today, would think about his country today.

What would Martin Luther King have to say about all of the yelling and screaming for wall to keep people out by millions of Americans who feel emboldened by the character now occupying the highest office of the land to say the most vile and vulgar things they want about people of colour or about women or about members of the LGBQ community, or about Canadians and their prime minister?

 “Brick by brick they built them but it seems to me
Brick by brick they built them where they shouldn’t be
We should be building bridges to a better day
Where no walls would stand in the way.”

• Lyrics from a song called ‘Walls’ from a great new Barbra Streisand album by the same name – an album that is a call out for truth and justice in the age of Trump.

To hear and watch, Martin Luthuer King’s iconic ‘I Have A Dream’ speech from 1962, click on the screen below.

.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

A Brief Note from Doug Draper at Niagara At Large

Posted January 19th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Do you notice yet how Doug Ford – – Ontario’s college drop-out, buck-a-beer guzzling premier – and his self-described “Government for the People” don’t seem to my pandering to aging baby boomers and other more senior supporters out there, all while they  relentlessly go on cutting and gutting  programs for younger people and for whatever may be left of a quality future for young people on on this plane.

Cheaper gas and beer sure seem to hit the spot for Ford’s aging supporters across the province – far more so than an affordable education and a clean environment for young people.

Ford is all for cutting taxes on carbon fuels that are wreaking havoc on our atmosphere, oceans and climate – all so that Bob and Bonnie Baby Boomer, who seemed to forget about saving for their retirement while they were buying plastic toys all their adult lives, can save a few pennies on a litre of gas while they driving their four-wheel monster mobile to the shopping mall.

But to hell with younger people and any opportunity they have for an affordable education, secure jobs with a living wage, and a planet that is liveable, long after Bob and Bonnie are no longer over-burdening our health care system and have made their final exit. Continue reading →

“Thorold has moved from an industrial city to one where families want to live and visit. We have a new downtown – a busy one. There is much building going on and now we have this latest decision (by Thorold’s City Council to say ‘yes’ to Cannabis stores) which does not quite fit in.”

A Commentary by Pamela Minns, a Thorold resident and award-winning heritage advocate

Posted January 18th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

In 2017, the revitalization of downtown Thorold  has begun to receive national attention. It  has been a project done in partnership with local heritage advocates like Pamela Minns, local businesses, Thorold’s city council and the provincial and federal governments.

Niagara, Ontario – I am disappointed, but not surprised, that our new Thorold Council voted unanimously this past January 15th to have Cannabis stores in Thorold/Niagara.

I noted there were only two “letters to the editor” on this subject in the local newspaper.

I would have thought, with the keen interest in sports in Thorold, that we have families with children, and that members of our community would express their thoughts on this important subject offering some objection to Council, but as I understand it, only 1,600 responded to the City (with a total population of more than 18,000) on this subject, and a decision was made on that very low response where 65% “opted in” – that is 1,040 residents said “yes.” Continue reading →

“This plan would further fragment and worsen home care, having the private companies themselves take over all of home care is akin to having the fox guard the chicken coop. It is unacceptable and we will fight it with all our strength if it comes to that.”  – Natalie Mehra, Executive Director of the   Ontario Health Coalition

A Message from the Ontario Health Coalition, a province-wide citizens network advocating for quality public health care for all

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra

Following the story that broke on CBC news this January 17, revealing rumours that Ontario’s fourteen local health integration networks (LHINs) will be restructured into five, the Ontario Health Coalition has raised questions about the Ford government’s intentions regarding this restructuring rumour.

The Coalition had heard similar rumours last week.

“When Tim Hudak was PC party leader their plan was to shut down the LHINs entirely. Today the rumoured plans is to keep the LHINs but make the regions ginormous. The question is what part of the existing LHINs does Ford intend to keep,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition. Continue reading →

An Extreme Cold Weather Alert will go into effect on on Sunday, Jan. 20, 2019, as temperatures are expected to drop below -15 C

A Heads Up from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Temperature Gauge in the Snow

Niagara, Ontario – The Extreme Cold Weather Alert is intended to mobilize outreach workers and community agencies, recommend precautions for the general public during extreme cold weather, and offer information on the location of shelters and additional resources.

During extreme cold, those most at risk include: infants under one year of age, individuals 65 years of age or older, the homeless, outdoor workers, sport enthusiasts (skiers, ice skaters), people living in homes that are poorly insulated or without heat, and people living in homes without power (usually due to other weather-related events such as a winter storm). Continue reading →

A Call-Out for Ideas from the Niagara Prosperity Initiative

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Prosperity Initiative’s 2019 Request for Proposals (RFP)will be open February 4 – March 1, 2019. An information session will be held at 1pm on Monday, February 4, 2019 at Four Points by Sheraton, Thorold.  Registration is not required. 

NPI is open to funding projects that focus on specific areas within housing, health, employment and neighbourhood/community empowerment.

The questions and instructions for the 2019 RFP are attached and available under the resources menu at www.niagaraprosperityinitiative.ca.

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

Support Will Help Enhance and Expand Transit Systems

News from the Constituency Office of Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted January 18^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff .

Niagara, Ontario – Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West has announced that the municipalities of St. Catharines and Pelham will be receiving $2,632,909 and $51,334 respectively in provincial funding. Ontario’s Government for the People is helping 107 municipalities across the province expand or improve their public transit systems with Ontario’s gas tax program.

“St. Catherines and Pelham can use this funding to upgrade transit service, purchase new vehicles, add routes, and improve accessibility,” said Oosterhoff. “The goal is to keep commuters moving, and prevent gridlock.”

“We are investing in public transit to make it a more convenient travel option and attract more riders,” said Jeff Yurek, Minister of Transportation. Continue reading →

Free tuition for low-income students cancelled

“The Ford government is going after low-income and middle-income students by cutting grants, making loan support harder to get, and cranking up the amount of interest they’ll pay.”             – NDP Colleges and Universities critic Chris Glover

News from Ontario’s New Democratic and Official Opposition Party

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park — Students who need grants and loans to help pay for post-secondary education are going to get less help and pay more interest, following changes by the Doug Ford government.

“The Ford government is going after low-income and middle-income students by cutting grants, making loan support harder to get, and cranking up the amount of interest they’ll pay,” said NDP Colleges and Universities critic Chris Glover. “This is going to mean more debt, holding back young people already desperate for relief from debt.” Continue reading →

“The Doug Ford government has attempted to spin this announcement as a 10 per cent reduction in tuition fees when in reality Ford’s plan will increase out-of-pocket costs for students, diminish the quality of education students receive and undermine crucial student supports on campus,” said Nour Alideeb, Chairperson of the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario

A Response to Ford’s 10-Per-Cent Tuition Fee Cut Announcement from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario

Posted January 17, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Toronto, Ontario – On January 17, 2019, the Ontario Progressive Conservative (PC) government launched a reckless plan for post-secondary education in the province, leaving students in Ontario worse off. Continue reading →

“Instead of using OSAP (the Ontario Student Assistance Program) to indirectly subsidize future rounds of tuition hikes, we will focus our resources on the families in greatest need while challenging our partners in the post-secondary sector to deliver better value for the high tuitions they already charge.” – Merrilee Fullerton, Ontario’s Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities

News from the Ontario Government

Posted January 17th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

(A Note from Niagara At Large – We urge are readers to also click on the link and read the following response to this Ford announcment from the Canadian Federation of Students-Ontario at – http://cfsontario.ca/2019/01/17/ford-sets-pse-on-disastrous-path/ . NAL has also posted this response from the Students Federation as a separate story.)

The first ever province-wide tuition reduction will make college and university more affordable and accessible for students and families, while empowering students to choose how fees are spent

For the first time in Ontario, students at every publicly-assisted college and university will see their tuition rates go down by 10 per cent thanks to a province-wide tuition rate reduction introduced by Ontario’s Government for the People. The tuition rate reduction is the latest step in the Ford Government’s plan to keep more money in the pockets of Ontario students and families. Continue reading →

The Class, called “Grow Yer Own Stone,” will be held at t Hannelore Headley Books on Sunday, February 10^th                      in St. Catharines, Ontario

News from the Proprietors of Hannelore Headley Books in St. Catharines

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

On Feb 10, 2019, Hannelore Headley Books will be offering their first  “Cannabis 101” class that we are calling “Grow Yer Own Stone.”

With legalization in Ontario, we have been asked by our customers to offer some basic courses so that they all can grow their recreational cannabis indoors and out!

The class runs from 1-4 p.m.(or a bit longer depending on discussions) on Sunday Feb 10.  You must be pre-registered and can pay at the bookstore or by etransfer . 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

News from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Glen Walker, Chair, Niagara Poverty Reduction Network presenting certificate to Alyshia Meredith, Owner/Founder. Person Centred Care Inc., Fort Erie.

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Person Centered Care (PCC) has become Niagara’s tenth certified Living Wage Employer.

Person Centered Care is a private agency that was founded in 2016 by Alyshia Meredith. Their Life Skills Coaches are trained to support people of all ages with vulnerabilities such as developmental disabilities, mental health, dual diagnosis, and the elderly. Supports include goal setting, outreach and day services, person-directed programs and activities, and respite care. Continue reading →

Blue Monday is a myth, but the winter blues are very real

From Niagara Health Psychiatrist Dr. Amin Muhammad

Posted January 17^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

It’s about this time of year you might hear the term Blue Monday. Typically the third Monday of January, it has been described as the most depressing day of the year.

In fact, Blue Monday – created by a travel company in the early 2000s – is actually a myth because there is no scientific basis to call a day the most depressing of the year, says Niagara Health Psychiatrist Dr. Amin Muhammad.

While Blue Monday is a myth, the winter blues are all too real for many people. “Winter can bring a lot of depression,” says Dr. Muhammad, pointing to fewer daylight hours as one of the reasons. Continue reading →

“Our Niagara’s Greenbelt tender fruit and grape lands and other prime farm lands should not be “open for business”    other than that of tender fruit and grape, cash crops and other farming, and farm-related uses.” – from Gracia Janes and Doug Woodard of the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society

A Call-Out from the Niagara-based Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS)

Posted January 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Gracia Janes, a Niagara resident and veteran citizen activist, has joined with her group, the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) in calling on Niagara’s municipal politicians to oppose the Ontario Ford government’s Bill 66.

As the oldest farmland preservation group in Canada, and credited in the Provincial Legislature for being the impetus behind the establishment of the Greenbelt land use protections, the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS) strongly opposes Bill 66 the Open For Business Act.

This week,  as the January 20^th  deadline for comment on  the proposed  Legislation closed in ,  PALS  is sending letters to the Regional  Council  and all 12 lower-tier municipalities, asking them to let the Government of Ontario  know that our  Niagara’s  Greenbelt tender fruit and grape lands and  other prime farm lands  should not be  “open for business”    other than that of  tender fruit and grape , cash crops and other farming, and farm-related uses.

 PALS also urges Niagara’s 12 lower- tier municipalities to officially   go on record, that   they will not use these re-zoning powers should Bill #66 be approved.

According to PALS Board member Gracia Janes,  “ We know that Bill 66  refers to commercial development , but this will bring with it  sewer, water,  and road  extensions,  which in turn use  good farmland and put pressure on nearby farmlands and farming. Continue reading →

Review Will Also Include Numerous Other Local Municipalities Across the Province

Ford’s Ontario Conservatives “have announced a plan Tuesday to comprehensively review the province’s regional governments. …

Are 12 local municipalities in Niagara, Ontario too many? What do you think?

The review includes all eight regional municipalities — Halton, York, Durham, Waterloo, Niagara, Peel, Muskoka District, Oxford County, and the County of Simcoe — and their lower-tier municipalities … and the province hasn’t ruled out the possibility that some could be amalgamated in the future.” – an excerpt from a January 15th, 2019 CBC News report

A  News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted January 15th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The day Doug Ford’s Conservatives won enough seats in last June’s Ontario election to form a majority government, you had to know that the infamous “A” word – for amalgamation of municipalities in the province – would be back on the agenda again.

Ontario’s Doug Ford (right) picks up where his Tory predecessor Mike Harris left off with the municipal amalgamation bandwagon

And you also had to know – if you have been paying any real attention to the politics around municipalities in Ontario over the past 20 or 30 years, that Niagara, with its 12 local municipalities and more than 130 mayors and councillors for a population of less than 500,000 – would surely be one of the regions on the list for review.

So here we are, less than seven month in to the four year term of Ford’s self-described “Government for the People,” and municipal amalgamation is back on the table for the first time since the former Ontario Conservative government of Mike Harris began pushing it in a big way more than 20 years ago. Continue reading →

Still Looking Like ‘the Same Old, Same Old’ at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 15^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

There’s an oft-repeated lyric in song by the rock band The Who that goes like this; “Meet the new boss, same as the old boss.”

The lyric is from a song  called Won’t Get Fooled Again’ and the 12 members Niagara’s Regional Council appointed to the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) might do well to keep the title of that song in mind.

The new board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority spent most of its first meeting this past January 7th behind closed doors

They might do well to remember it because citizens across Niagara spent the past four years fighting for openness and accountability, and for an NPCA that puts conservation first – a Conservation Authority that is a strong, unwavering voice for our natural heritage – and they are not about to be fooled by a new board that behaves like the old one. Continue reading →

“The darkest hour is always just before the dawn.”           – from a song by Crosby, Stills and Nash

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper

Posted January 11th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

If you don’t think elections matter, you are wrong. They do.

Members of Niagara’s new Regional Council take the oath of office at their inaugural meeting this past December 6th.

All that it takes to remind myself of that is a visit to Niagara’s regional government headquarters where the comparison between the way things are in that building now and the way they were a year ago at this time, or even four or five months ago, when Al Caslin and his so-called “cabal” were still running the show, could not be more stark.

Among my nightmare images of the last Regional Council at work was this one, with poor Toto representing just about any member of the council or public who had the audacity to confront or question what certain others on the council were doing. Thanks to Niagara’s voters, most, if not all of the flying monkeys are gone.

You go in that regional headquarters now and the people workers there look happier and the atmosphere is so much warmer than it was over the past four years when what I took to calling the flying monkeys were around, squawking and barking at whoever they didn’t want around while they were doing their business.

No one who dared to question or raise concerns about what they were up to seemed immune from their bullying and insults. In my nightmares, it wasn’t hard to imagine them dragging poor Toto away.

Then came last October’s municipal elections and like the Good Witch in Oz Land who came to shoo the bad one and her monkey army away, the voters of Niagara had the presence of mind to throw a good number, if not all, of the bad actors out. Continue reading →

This legislation could also spell the end for Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls and other green areas across our region and province

A Brief News Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher Doug Draper, followed by a statement from the Canadian citizen’s group, Environmental Defence

Posted January 10th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Believe it or not, there was a time in the history of Ontario that the province’s Conservative Party demonstrated a real interest in protecting the environment for present and future generations.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford and his so-called “Government for the People” have declared all-out war on environmental protection – all in the name of making Ontario more “open for business.”

It was an Ontario Progressive Conservative government under the leadership of then Premier Bill Davis – way back in 1972, when the word “progressive” in the party’s name meant something – that created the Ontario Ministry of Environment and set the prototypes for so many of the environmental protection rules that would follow.

Then in the mid-to-late 1990s, with the Ontario Conservatives taking a hard swing to the right under the leadership of Mike Harris, and now with Doug Ford, who has recast the once-proud party of Bill Davis with the deceptive brand “your (supposedly meaning ‘our’) Government for the People,” a war on environmental protection, cheered on by the most backward and self-serving members of the business, development and farming industries, has reached its shock and awe moment. Continue reading →

One and All are Invited to this First Community Meeting on Sunday, January 13^th from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at Civic Square,           60 Main Street, East in Welland

A Public Notice from A Better Niagara

Posted January 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large –

A Better Niagara is a network of citizens from across our Niagara region that organized before last October’s municipal elections to encourage their fellow citizens to get engaged and vote in those elections for positive change for our future.

Debbie Zimmerman, a former Niagara regional chair and municipal councilor, fielding questions from  area citizens in St. Catharines a year ago this January as a guest speaker at a Better Niagara session on getting engaged in the coming October 2018 municipal elections. File Photo courtesy of Emily Beth Spanton

This veteran Niagara reporter would join many others across the region in arguing that voters in those October elections certainly delivered by casting out a good number of bad actors, particularly at the regional government level where the conduct, over the past four years, of far too many on the Region’s council was disturbing, to say the least. Continue reading →

“We hope in doing so (becoming a certified Living Wage employer) that we will be able to retain employees and attract higher caliber candidates who will aid in our growth.” – Daryl Crowder, Operations Manager at Niagara Pallet

New from the Niagara Poverty Reduction Network

Posted January 10^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Poverty Reduction Network is pleased to announce that Niagara Pallet has become Niagara’s 9th certified Living Wage Employer.

The Niagara Pallet team receives Living Wage Employer certification

Niagara Pallet started in 1993 and is owned by the Vrugteveen family. They are a leading manufacturer, seller and recycler of pallets and shipping materials. Their Smithville-based operations are housed in a 23,000 square foot building with an 18,000 square foot addition opening soon. This is the first phase of a significant expansion plan scheduled over the next five years. Continue reading →

Admission to this Free Event will be on a first come, first served basis – Tuesday, January 15^th, 2019 at 7 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.) at Brock University’s Ian D. Beddis Gymnasium

News from Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted January 9^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – We are very excited to invite alumni, friends and the community to embrace this unique opportunity.

Admission to the free event will be on a first come, first served basis. Those wishing to attend will enter a queue in front of the Ian D. Beddis Gymnasium upon arrival.

While there are approximately 2000 seats available for the town hall, organizers expect the event to reach capacity and some visitors in the queue may be turned away. Brock will be unable to reserve seats. Continue reading →

How Much Are  Justin Trudeau’s Words On Reconciliation With First Nations and Fighting Climate Change Really Worth?

A Brief Foreword Note from Doug Draper, Niagara At Large –

Posted January 9^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Police moving in to arrest Indigenous protesters during protests this past Decembers over plans to build tar pipeline across First Nations lands in British Columbia.

While Canada’s Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was preparing a statement this January 8th about strengthening relationships with Indigenous communities across the country, federal police forces in British Columbia were busy arresting Indigenous people protesting plans to build pipelines for transporting climate-disrupting toxins from Alberta’s tar sands across First Nations lands.

Something is terribly wrong with this picture, and all of the platitudes from this Prime Minister about closer relations with Indigenous people and about fighting climate change are growing quite thin while arrests like this are being made and while the PM’s own government invests more than $5 billion on buying and building pipelines that major bank investors in other parts of the world will no longer support of Indigenous people

Now here is a Statement released this January 8th, 2019 from the Office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau –

Ottawa, Ontario – The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement today(this January 8th)  after meeting with Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations:

“Today, I had the honour to meet with leaders of Modern Treaty and Self-Governing First Nations for a second time to strengthen our unique and enduring relationship. Continue reading →

Service reaching Niagara Falls and St. Catharines arrives four years early

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 9th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

​Niagara, Ontario – This past Monday on January 7^th at at 5:19 a.m., Niagara residents got their first chance to take advantage of daily commuter GO Train service between and Toronto and Niagara Falls.

Two-way daily GO Train service has significant economic potential for our region. As GO Train service continues to develop in Niagara, residents can benefit from access to GTHA employment opportunities and an easier commute each morning. Continue reading →

Not Necessarily the Best Way to Begin a New Era of “Openness and Accountability”

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted January 8^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The new board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority was finally able to hold its first meeting this January 7^th – less than an hour of it in public, and close to three and a half hours behind closed doors.

The open session of the new NPCA board looked like this –

The glass doors to the meeting room, papered over as they  often were when the NPCA’s old board was in session, were papered over again, as shown here this January 7th, while the new council was in closed session for more than three hours – 

Welcome to another week of what has  be touted as a new term and a new era of openness and accountability in municipal governance in Niagara where so far, at the NPCA and at the Niagara Regional Council level, our elected representatives have chalked up more time behind closed doors than they have with a gallery of citizens looking on.

Continue reading →

This Jan. 7, 2019 route and schedule improvements will begin and provide increased service capacity and additional transfer opportunities to give more options to transit riders

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 8^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

This winter Niagara residents will experience the benefits of Niagara Region Transit service enhancements involving extended hours, a new express route and the addition of a new stop.

On Jan. 7, 2019 route and schedule improvements will begin and provide increased service capacity and additional transfer opportunities to give more options to transit riders. Continue reading →

“Property owners have a responsibility to make sure their buildings and rental units meet the fire code prior to occupancy so their tenants have the peace of mind they are safe at home.”     – Jeff McCormick, Acting Fire Chief for St. Catharines

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

Posted January 8^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Downtown St. Catharines

St. Catharines/Niagara – Landlords must make sure their rental properties are up to code and safe for their tenants to live in, Acting Fire Chief Jeff McCormick said after the Ontario Court of Justice levied fines in provincial court against two St. Catharines property owners on Dec. 14, 2018.

“Every resident deserves to feel safe in their own home,” said the acting fire chief. “It is an owner’s responsibility to ensure that their buildings are in full compliance with the Ontario Fire Code, including ensuring that homes or rental units are protected with working smoke alarms and carbon monoxide alarms, as required.” Continue reading →

“We can only hope that with a clean slate of board members the days of the NPCA trying to muzzle opposition by suing individuals who dare question its operation, management, hiring and firing practices is finally over.” – Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch

Posted January 6th, 2019 on Niagara At Large 

An Open Letter from Niagara Centre MPP Jeff Burch to Board Members of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority 

Dear NPCA Board Members:

Former NPCA employee Jocelyn Baker still has a costly lawsuit hanging over her head after speaking out about alleged cases of workplace harassment inside the NPCA

I am sending this letter on behalf of constituent Jocelyn Baker, a former employee of Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, who is the defendant in a lawsuit brought against her by the NPCA stemming from comments made public by Former MPP Cindy Forster in the Ontario Legislature. 

I commend Niagara Regional Council for taking immediate action in replacing the former NPCA Board, which spearheaded the lawsuit against Ms. Baker.

She was mentioned in the recent Auditor General’s report covering staffing changes and harassment in the workplace and the unsuccessful lawsuit against taxpayer Ed Smith. That lawsuit cost the NPCA and taxpayers of Niagara over $130,000 dollars to settle with a total legal bill in excess of $260,000. Continue reading →

Wednesday, January 9^th at 8 p.m. at the City of St. Catharines Central Library in downtown St. Catharines/Niagara

Hosted by the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted January 6^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Come listen to a panel of experts discuss what we can do to address an issue that is affecting the welfare of countless thousands of residents across Niagara and the province.

Here are the details for this free and oh so very important event –

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

People of Niagara Deserve Far Better from an Agency that has a Vital Role to Play in Environmental Stewardship

A Commentary by Niagara At Large reporter and publisher          Doug  Draper

Posted January 4^th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Margaret Mead

To quote the late, great American anthropologist Margaret Mead; “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”

Those inspiring words crossed my mind a number of times over the past few weeks after A Better Niagara, a group of thoughtful, committed citizens in our Niagara region, took a lead in doing what no other group or government body would do before it did – file an action in the Ontario courts to settle questions and concerns over how many representatives from our Niagara region can sit on the board of directors of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA), and when those member can finally hold a first meeting.

This past December 21^st, and again this January 2^nd – thanks in large part to a an application filed in the courts  by members of A Better Niagara and their lawyer Erin Pleet – Ontario Superior Court Justice James Ramsey issued the following orders:

• That the 12 Niagara regional councillors that the Region’s new council appointed to the board last at its December 6^th inaugural meeting are Niagara’s board members on the board, and that the old board members are out, and;
• That the new board of the NPCA hold its first meeting this January 7^th.

Grimsby Regional Councillor Wayne Fertich stands to thank the citizens group, A Better Niagara, for intervening in the Ontario courts to help resolve NPCA issues.

To its credit, Niagara’s regional government agreed to join A Better Niagara in the court action. But it was A Better Niagara that led the way, and one member of the Region’s new council, Wayne Fertich from Grimsby, was good enough to stand up at a December 28^th special meeting of the council and give the group the credit it deserves.

“I would just like to thank the Better Niagara group for putting a fire under our backsides and everyone else’s,” said Fertich as A Better Niagara’s directors, Ed Smith and Liz Benneian, and other members of the group sat in the gallery of the Region’s council chambers listening. “I think they did a fabulous job.”

After those kind words, the Region’s council voted to move into a closed session that lasted for more than two hours to discuss ongoing problems at the NPCA and other matters. Then, following that closed session and another session in the court with Judge Ramsey this January 2^nd, the Region circulated a brief statement to the public, outlining the “purposes” of the January 7^th board meeting. Continue reading →

Wednesday, January 9th at 8 p.m. at the St. Catharines Central Library

An Invite to All from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted January 4th, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The Niagara District Council of Women will be hosting a Public Forum Panel, “Precarious Work” on Wednesday, January 9 at 8:00 pm in the Mills Room at the St. Catharines Central Library (54 Church Street in the city’s downtown). 

Our guest speakers will be: Dr. Jeff Boggs of Brock University, co-author of Uncertain Jobs, Certain Impacts: Employment Precarity in Niagara; Lori Kleinsmith, Health Promoter at Bridges Community Health Centre and co-author of Uncertain Jobs, Certain Impacts: Employment Precarity in Niagara; and Karrie Porter, Coordinator of Start Me Up Niagara and St. Catharines City Councillor. Continue reading →

Presented annually to a current resident of Niagara who best exemplifies Roy’s values and dedication to community service

News from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted January 3rd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Award named after the late st, Catharines regional councillor and mayor for St. Catharines, Roy Adams

The award honours the memory of the late Councillor T. Roy Adams and is presented annually to a current resident of Niagara who best exemplifies Roy’s values and dedication to community service; a person who sees volunteerism as an integral part of their life.

Last year’s winner was James Rennie (recognized for his many efforts to improve the lives of people with disabilities).

For details on nominating individuals for this award, click on the link immediately below – 

View the criteria for the award and submit a nomination online.​

Nominations are open until March 31, 2019.

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.

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

Judge’s Order Hopefully Means No More Road Blocks For New Board to Meet A.S.A.P.

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted January 2^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

David Barrick, who was recently apparently appointed “acting CAO” of the NPCA, was in court this January 2nd to hear Ontario Superior Court Justice James Ramsey issue an order for a new board of the Conservation Authority to meet on January 7th.

This time David Barrick, who is allegedly serving as the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s “acting CAO,” has heard the call for a long overdue meeting of the new NPCA board in the form of a clear and simple order from an Ontario Superior Court judge.

Justice James Ramsey, who added the word “allegedly” after Barrick identified himself as the NPCA’s acting CAO in a Welland court room this past December, served the order this January 2^nd that there will be a first meeting of the Conservation Authority’s new board this coming Monday, January 7^th.

The January 7^th meeting, now scheduled to take place at 2;30 p.m. at the NPCA’s Centre for Conservation at the Balls Falls Conservation Area in Lincoln, received a green light from a majority of Niagara regional councillors at a special meeting the Region’s council held at the end of December. Continue reading →

The Good They Have Done More Than Makes Up for the Bad Actors Out There

Doug Draper, reporter and publisher of Niagara At Large

Posted January 2nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

The year 2018 may very well go down in the record books when it comes to the sheer number of bad acts and actors in public affairs in Niagara.

So much so that I often found friends and neighbours wondering where are the good people doing good things?

Certainly, Niagara had a bumper crop of what (for the purposes of keeping it clean) took to calling creeps doing some pretty damn creepy things in the name of whatever special interest they served. But as I hope Niagara At Large did it’s best to remind, there were – and still are – some very good people in politics and actively involved in our communities too.

In that spirit and before the time to post reviews on the people and events of the past year expires, I don’t want to leave 2018 behind before paying tribute to two women in particular, who exemplify, in this veteran news reporter’s view, some of the best of what a life in politics and community activism can do.

Those two women, in alphabetical order, are –

Cindy Forster

Cindy Forster, who retired from politics this past spring after serving seven years as MPP for Niagara Centre (formerly the Riding of Welland and after, years earlier, serving as  mayor then a regional councillor for Welland, and who did as much, if not more than any other single politician at any level of government over the past year to champion the cause for openness and accountability in Niagara regional governance and at a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) that went rogue with millions of dollars of our tax money. Continue reading →

“There will no longer be public reporting on how (Ontario) ministries implement and comply with the Environmental Bill of Rights.”

News from CATCH (Citizens at City Hall), a citizen’s watchdog group in Hamilton, Ontario

Posted January  2^nd, 2019 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced plans to kill the Office of the Ontario Environmental Commissioner shortly after the Office issued this report, urging the Ontario government to do more to fight climate change

The Ford government’s forced silencing of the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (ECO) will have major impacts in Hamilton as well as across the province. It appears likely to also seriously undermine environmental rights that Ontarians have had for a quarter century.

As part of an omnibus bill, the Progressive Conservative government is eliminating the commissioner as well as two other independent watchdogs who also report directly to the legislature, one that advocates for children and the other that protects French language services.

The Environmental Commissioner Dianne Saxe critiques government activities related to climate change, energy and a broad range of environmental matters. Continue reading →

“We are all linked in a joined human enterprise; we are bound to a planet we all must share.” Bill Anders, a former NASA astronaut who took the first iconic photographs of our Earth from a space craft orbiting the moon, 50 years ago this December, 2018

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 31^st, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Before we say goodbye to this month of December and this year of 2018, it might do us well to remember something remarkable and never before experienced in human history that happened 50 years ago this just past Christmas Eve.

On December 24^th, 1968, while countless hundreds of millions of people watched the grainy images beaming in over their television screens, three American astronauts circled the moon for the very first time during an Apollo 8 space mission.

One of the astronauts, Bill Anders, took out a camera as our Earth was rising above the moon’s hemisphere, and took the first ever photos of our planet taken from so far away, with the surface of another celestial body in the foreground.

Those iconic photographs of our blue and green planet, floating in the darkness of space, sent a stirring message home then, as they should still now, that this ‘third stone from the sun’ remains our only oasis for life in the universe. Continue reading →

Meeting Date follows recent Ontario Court’s ruling that continued chaos at Conservation Authority cannot be tolerated

By Doug Draper

Posted December 28^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara’s new Regional Council has directed 12 council members it appointed to the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to hold a special meeting as soon as possible to get going with the business of addressing what has been described as the “chaos” at the Conservation Authority.

Area residents protest outside of a meeting of the old NPCA board two years ago. A new board, now scheduled to hold its first meeting on January 7th, offers hope that demonstrations like this will not be necessary. File photo by Doug Draper

“While Council recognizes the need for prompt action, the earliest possible date a Special Meeting could be held allowing for proper public notice required under NPCA by-laws and to ensure transparency is Jan. 7, 2019,” reads a statement released by the Regional Council following a closed-door session this December 28^th. Continue reading →

A Brief Foreword to the following appeal to you from the wildlife advocacy group Zoocheck to help stop this destructive hunt from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper –

Posted December 27th, 2018 

When are we humans going to stop playing God with the web of life on this planet?

Just look at the lengthening  lists of extinct and endangers species of life that we have  racked up already – even as we recklessly work our way to making one of the two lists ourselves. 

How much more playing around with nature are we going to do? Haven’t we done enough?!

Apparently not according  to Doug Ford, who is Ontario’s answer to Donald Trump and arguably the most block headed excuse for a premier this province has ever had.

Just as there are still some out there in the tin-foil hat crowd who believe that it was “the commies” who put fluoride in our drinking water to undermine the health and well-being of God-fearing North Americans, Ford is reviving the old saw that we have to declare a shooting war on double-crested cormorants because they are stealing too many fish out of our rivers and lakes. Continue reading →

Coroner’s jury inquest into the death of Bradley Chapman recommended declaring public health emergency

A Call-Out from Ontario’s Official Opposition/NDP

Posted December 27^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park — A coroner’s jury has recommended that the Ford government declare the opioid overdose epidemic a public health emergency following an examination into the death of Bradley Chapman.

The Ontario NDP’sOfficial Opposition Mental Health and Addictions critic Bhutila Karpoche released the following statement in support:

“The findings of the inquest into Bradley Chapman’s death have underscored what health care experts, frontline workers and we in the NDP have been saying for quite some time now. The opioid crisis is real, it is relentless, and one of the critical things the province has to do in addressing it is declaring a state of emergency. Continue reading →

From Doug Draper

Posted December 24^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

There are reports out there that people are not participating as excessively as they once did in the insane level of consumption that has come to dominate the Holiday Season over the past 50 or so years.

Growing numbers of people – especially younger people who are being screwed by greed anyway, and are not granted the opportunities past generations were to a livable wage or affordable home – are saying humbug to the kind of pushing and shoving in feeder lines at the box store, and the trampling over of old people with walkers and shopping clerks for discounts on smart phones or flat TV screens.

Growing numbers of people are saying NO to  those sneakers with the lights in them that one of my favourite cultural critics, George Carlin, often pointed to as a metaphor for mindless consumption, and for the possible downfall of humanity and intelligence on this planet.

I believe that this is a good thing if we use some of the time we might have spent standing in cash-out lines talking to one another, trying understand one another, and thinking about what we might do to work together to make a better world for all of us.

I will leave you with that and with one of my favourite songs for this time of year by one of Canada’s greatest gift to the world of music – singer/songwriter Joni Mitchell, who turned 75 live past fall .

The song is called River and you can warm up a few more moments of the Holiday Season by clicking on the screen below to hear it –

Finally, and just to show, once again, that there is some sanity south of Canada’s border – embodied in a good many good people in America who are resisting the dangerous and destructive poison that is Trump and the greed and hate machine that has become the modern-day Republican Party – there is a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma that has surrounded a nativity scene with a chain-link cage and posted a sign out front that says; “The Holy Family was a Migrant Family.”

The nativity scene at a church in Tulsa, Oklahoma

That is just one beacon of hope among many, if we take the time to go looking for them and create some of our own.

(By the way, we could use more of that sanity up here in Fort Nation these days.)

Here is a gift idea for the Holiday Season. How about working together to pass on the gift of a peaceful, healthy planet to future generations?

With Hope for a Brighter Future, 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

“This ruling is a victory for our democracy and for the people of this region.” – Ed Smith , executive director of A Better Niagara, a citizen’s watchdog group that brought a case for at least 12 NPCA board members for Niagara to court

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

Posted December 21^st, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Saying that the “chaos” at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority has got to end, an Ontario Superior Court Justice rule in a Welland courtroom this December 21^st that the 12 new members Niagara’s Regional Council appointed to the NPCA’s board earlier this month “are members of the board” and the old members “are not.”

Ontario Superior Court Justice rules that  the members of the NPCA’s old board, shown here in 2017, are NPCA board members no more, and that Niagara Region’s appointment earlier this December of 12 new members is valid.

“I think that the court has to make some sort of order immediately. The present situation is intolerable,” said Justice James Ramsey in answer to a claim A Better Niagara, a region-wide citizen’s group, filed with court this December 18^th, supporting the Regional Council’s appointment of 12 members to the NPCA board and opposing a claim by some members of the past board that Niagara can only have five members.

“The constitutional order”needs to be restored,” added the judge of the questions and concerns swirling around who is responsible for decision-making at the NPCA.  “The governance of the Conservation Authority cannot remain in chaos.”

“Niagara Region has 12 constituent lower municipalities (and) it can appoint at least 12 members to the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority,” ruled Justice Ramsay before ending this way – Continue reading →

EMERGENCY ALERT: GOVERNMENT’S CORMORANT “ERADICATION” PLAN DANGEROUS, WASTEFUL AND REGRESSIVE Ontario government proposal is not a wildlife management

PLEASE SPEND 10 MINUTES OF YOUR TIME PROVIDING INPUT

A Call-Out to All from Zoocheck, a Canada-based international wildlife protection organization

Posted December 21, 2018 on Niagara At Large

The Government of Ontario is proposing a “hunt” of double-crested cormorants that could easily eradicate this important, ecologically beneficial native waterbird from most of the province.

The Government is proposing to:

• designate double-crested cormorants as a “game” species,
• create a province-wide annual hunting season from March 15 until Dec 31,
• allow anyone holding a valid Ontario Outdoors Card and small game hunting license to kill up to 50 cormorants per day (1,500 per month or more than 14,000 per season),
• including nesting parents and,
  allow the carcasses to spoil (i.e., rot),
• designate double-crested cormorants as a “game” species,
• create a province-wide annual hunting season from March 15 until Dec 31,
• allow anyone holding a valid Ontario Outdoors Card and small game hunting license to kill up to 50 cormorants per day (1,500 per month or more than 14,000 per season),
• including nesting parents and,allow the carcasses to spoil (i.e., rot).
• 

Continue reading →

First phase of construction includes lower level retail and concourse areas, and Elements on the Falls restaurant

Table Rock will remain open during construction with temporary closures taking place of the north retail store and Elements

News from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted December 21^st, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Niagara Parks is investing in its flagship Table Rock Centre through a multi-million-dollar redevelopment project to fully renew its retail, culinary and attraction offerings and better enhance the true sense of arrival and experience for the millions of guests who begin their travel journeys at Table Rock each year.

One of Niagara Parks’ most famous and well-known sites, the historic Table Rock Centre is perched atop the Canadian Horseshoe Falls, acting as an important gathering point and hub of activity for visitors from throughout the world. Continue reading →

Niagara’s 12 New NPCA Board Members Must Be Allowed To Get To Work – ASAP!

“We believe recent actions taken by the NPCA are not only interfering with a timely and orderly appointment of new Board members to the NPCA, but are undermining our democracy and are further jeopardizing Niagara’s green heritage,” – Ed Smith, a St. Catharines resident and executive director of the region-wide citizen’s group, A Better Niagara .

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

Posted December 20^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

A whole week has gone by since Niagara’s recently sworn-in Regional Council directed 12 regional councillors it appointed to the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) to hold a special meeting of the board no later than this Thursday, December 20^th – all with an aim to addressing, as soon as possible, the many problems besieging and bogging down this agency in the very important role it is supposed to play in protecting and conserving what is left of our region’s natural heritage.

This doctored image of the building in Welland where the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority has its headquarters seems fitting at a time when at least some of the old guard at the NPCA seem unwilling to make way for a new board of directors. The image was originally posted on a Facebook page by Peter gill, a retired Niagara Regional Police officer who regularly comments on municipal politics in Niagara.

Now here we are. It’s December 20^th at the time of this posting and as at least some of you who have been following the sad saga of the NPCA already know, what some have taken to calling an “emergency meeting” of Niagara’s 12 new board members has not taken, and possibly won’t through what remains of this holiday season.

Why no meeting when so many citizens across this region have been hoping and praying for such a thing to bring the NPCA back on track? Continue reading →

“If Doug Ford won’t do the right thing, when will someone in his government stand up to him and tell him that providing off-the-books perks to the premier is not the job of the Ontario Provincial Police?”

A News Release from Ontario’s Official Opposiion and NDP

Posted December 19th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

QUEEN’S PARK — This past Tuesday (December 18th), Doug Ford confirmed that he, in fact, demanded the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) buy him a custom camper van, from his preferred source, built to his specifications, and hide the expense from Ontarians.

This Wednesday (December 19th), NDP MPP for Essex, Taras Natyshak, said Ford’s excuse — that a “used” camper would have been acceptable — does not make Ford’s secret order ok.

“Yesterday Doug Ford defended his office’s order that the OPP buy a custom camper van for him, and keep the costs of this vehicle off the books,” said Natyshak. “According to Mr. Ford, the OPP could have easily acquired a used recreational camper van, probably off of Kijiji or something. Continue reading →

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

Posted December 19^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines MPP Jennie Stevens

QUEEN’S PARK — The NDP MPP for St. Catharines, Jennie Stevens, has asked the Conservative Minister of Transportation for a response to her urgent request to fund a suicide prevention barrier on the Burgoyne Bridge, in her riding of St. Catharines.

“In October, two people died after jumping from the Burgoyne Bridge in St. Catharines. Today (this December 18th), we are mourning the loss of another life in our community,” wrote Stevens in an open letter to Minister Jeff Yurek. Continue reading →

How About As Many As 27 Board Members for Niagara and the same old Two for Hamilton and One for Halidmand?

City of Hamilton Representatives Are Now Claiming It Should Have Four Members, Haldimand Should Have Two, and Niagara Should Have As Few As Five

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 18^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Hamilton’s city council is perched to give final approval to a motion this coming Wednesday that would double the number of members it has on the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) from two to four, while allowing two members for Haldimand County, and only five for Niagara.

How many board members from Niagara, Hamilton and Haldimand will now get to sit around this table.

That would give members representing the eastern, rural areas of Hamilton and Haldimand a majority on the board if they chose to vote as a block of six, even though close to 80 per cent of the watershed that falls under the NPCA’s jurisdiction is located within the urban boundaries of Niagara.

It would also make for a major change in the makeup of an NPCA board that for more than two decades now has had two members from Hamilton, one from Haldimand, and 12 from each one of the local municipalities in Niagara where – again – most of the watershed the Conservation Authority is responsible for looking after is located. Continue reading →

“Funds raised at the Rankin Cancer Run are integral to the work being done here at Niagara Health. Over the years, critical patient care equipment like Vital Signs Monitors, Ultrasounds,  Beds, Treatment Chairs and upgrades to vital technology have been funded through the Rankin Cancer Run. The impact of the event on local healthcare through the years has been truly awe-inspiring.”                                                                                                     – Niagara Health Foundation President & CEO Roger Ali

News from Niagara Health (formerly known as the Niagara Health System)

Posted December 18th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – On May 26, 2018, more than 14,000 people participated in the 13th Annual Rankin Cancer Run, raising an extraordinary $1.15 million for cancer care in Niagara. Today, Niagara Health Foundation was presented with a remarkable $800,000 of those funds, which will be used to support cancer care at Niagara Health. Continue reading →

News from Ontario’s Ministry of Labour

Posted December 18th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Welland, Ontario – Convicted: Welded Tube of Canada Limited, 111 Rayette Road, Concord, Ontario (registered office), a multi-faceted cold formed carbon steel and high strength low alloy steel tubular producer.

Location: The company’s facility at 191 Ridge Road in Welland, Ontario.

Description of Offence: A worker was injured after a one-ton steel pipe came into contact with a worker. The injury was a result of the injured worker being unable to communicate with another worker due to the poor quality of the two-way radios being used. Continue reading →

“Effective immediately Chris Carter, General Manager; Peter Wadsworth, Director of Human Resources; Jason Tamming Director of Strategic Communications and Public Affairs and Domenic Ursini, Director of Economic Development, are no longer with Niagara Region.” – a statement released late this December 17^th by Niagara Region

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

Posted December 17^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

If it was change Niagara voters went to the polls for in this past October’s municipal elections, they are getting it – fast.

St. Catharines Standard reporter Bill Sawchuk, right) being ordered out of Niagara regional headequarters a year ago this December after his computer was wrongfully seized. Ontario’s Ombudsman Office eventually ruled the actions against the reporter to be unlawfully. The Region’s then general manager, Chris Carter, second from right, was one of five individuals who were let go at the Region this December 17th.  File photo by Emily Beth Spanton.

In a statement Niagara At Large received form the Region shortly before 5 p.m. this December 7^th, it was confirmed that earlier in the day five key staff members at Niagara’s regional headquarters saw their jobs disappear, “effective immediately,” while others have been appointed, in the interim, to serve in their place.

All five of the individuals let go were hired over the past four years and during a term of Niagara Regional Council, led by then chair Al Caslin, that became increasing controversial. Continue reading →

Niagara At Large Will Report More Details On This When We Receive Official Confirmation from the Region

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

Posted December 17^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Regional Headquarters

Less than two weeks after the swearing in of Niagara’s new Regional Chair Jim Bradley and Council, there are reports on social media this December 17^th that individuals in key senior positions in the regional government have been  let go.

At least five individuals have apparently been shown the door this December 17^th in what appears to be a major shake-up at the senior level. Due to the seriousness of an action  like this for peoples’ reputation and lives, Niagara At Large will not be identifying anyone who has reportedly been let go until we have received official confirmation from the Region. Continue reading →

“Enough is enough. … We need to get in there as soon as possible and start cleaning house.” – St. Catharines regional councillor and recently appointed NPCA board member Brian Heit

News by Doug Draper

Posted December 14^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Reports of former Port Colborne regional councillor and NPCA operations manager David Barrick suddenly being hire to serve as the next CAO of the Conservation Authority has triggered yet another wave of public outrage.

Niagara’s new Regional Council has approved steps to move as quickly as possible to end the turmoil at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

In a motion the council passed following a closed session this December 13^th, Niagara’s 12 recently appointed interim members of the NPCA’s boar have been directly to call on the board’s current co-chair, James Kaspersetz (a board member representing the City of Hamilton) to hold a special meeting no later than Thursday, December 20^th.

The Region’s Clerk has also been directed to send a letter to all of Niagara’s outgoing NPCA board members, including former regional councillors Sandy Annunziata of Fort Erie, Bruce Timms of St. Catharines, Brian Baty of Pelham, Tony Quirk of Grimsby and others, “that their term on the board is complete.”

Many hope that change will come to the NPCA, making protest rallies like this, outside one of the Conservation Authority’s monthly board meetings, far less common in the future. File photo by Doug Draper

Those steps and others approved by the Region’s council this December 13^th follow in the wake of news that David Barrick, a former Port Colborne regional councillor has reportedly been fired from his job as the NPCA’s operations administrator, then rehired as its chief administrative officer (CAO) by an outgoing board that may no longer have any legal authority to make such decisions. Continue reading →

Kelly Edgar is finally sworn in to serve another term on Niagara Region’s council

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

Posted December 14^th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines Regional Councillor Kelly Edgar is back.

Here, in my view anyway, is one of the best pieces of news on the municipal scene in Niagara since the new Regional Council appointed Jim Bradley Chair this past December 6^th.

This December 13^th, at the first full meeting of Niagara Regional Council, Kelly Edgar was finally sworn in to serve a second term as a regional councillor for St. Catharines.

Kelly Edgar was one of a handful of regional councillors who had the backbone to stand up against what became commonly known as Al Caslin’s cabal during the last term of regional council. Continue reading →