Niagara At Large

Hike For The Trees To Protect Old Growth Forest

An Invite to You from the Sierra Club of Canada, Niagara Wetlands Theater, Food Not Bombs

Posted October 24th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara conservationist John Bacher in on of region’s forested areas in Niagara Escarpment corridor with fellow conservationist. Photo courtesy of Thaia Jones

Niagara, Ontario – Recently the Ontario government extended the Greenbelt to protect the valley of the Twelve Mile Creek and lands adjacent to Lake Gibson.  This will protect critical wildlife habitat for magnificent species such as the Great Blue Heron and safeguard’s Niagara’s drinking water.

Not yet protected by the Greenbelt however, is a 16 acre stretch of predominately old Growth Forest on Lockhart Drive in St. Catharines, immediately below the Niagara Escarpment. It is home to giant old growth hickory, oak and walnut trees, and has vernal pools, which provide breeding habitat to frogs and the Blue-Spotted Salamander.

Come out on Saturday, October 28^th at 2pm to celebrate and strengthen Ontario’s Greenbelt. There will be exciting activities such as hiking, tree measuring, and eating a cake prepared for the occasion. Activities are will start at the Brock University Research and Innovation Center, 130 Lockhart Drive.

Event sponsored by Sierra Club of Canada, Niagara Wetlands Theater, Food Not Bombs

Join the tour. Photo courtesy of Thaia Jones

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

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 binational 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

Commentary from Ynonne Siew Chung Ho and John Bacher, Sierra Club Ontario

Posted October 23rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Conservation Authorities since 1946 have played a major role in protecting Ontario’s landscape from deforestation and consequently, rescuing the province from the blights of desertification and flooding…

Since changes in 1996 which made municipal councils responsible for the appointment of conservation authority boards, they have been weakened to the threats caused by urban sprawl over critical wildlife habitat.”

A look inside Thundering Waters Forest and its provincially significant wetlands in Niagara Falls, Ontario – now a target for urban development

The struggle to rescue two of Ontario’s great wetlands shows the need to restore provincial oversight over our conservation authority boards.

This removal previously ensured by the appointment of the chair and four other members to conservation authority boards was one of the worst excesses of the “common sense” revolution of Premier Mike Harris. Continue reading →

Open Letter from NDP MPPs Peggy Sattler and Cindy Forster to Premier Kathleen Wynne on college labour dispute

Posted October 23rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

College faculty across Ontario on strike. More than half a million students out of class.

Queen’s Park, Ontario — This past Friday, October 20th,   ND P critic for Advanced Education and Skills Development Peggy Sattler and NDP Labour critic Cindy Forster released the following open letter to Premier Katheen Wynne regarding the labour dispute at colleges throughout Ontari

To Premier Kathleen Wynne, Legislative Building, Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario

Dear Premier:

College faculty and over 500,000 Ontario students are disappointed by your inaction as we approach the second week of the labour dispute at colleges throughout the province. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Rochester People’s Climate Coalition, ACE NY, New Yorkers for Clean Power, Mothers Out Front, Frack Action, Alliance for a Green Economy and The Harley School, sponsors of the New York Climate Solutions Summit 

Posted October 23rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

You don’t want to miss this.

A Climate March this past spring in Buffalo, New York. File photo by Doug Draper

We are pleased to announce and support the NY Climate Solutions Summit on Saturday, October 28th in Rochester, NY!

The NY Climate Solutions Summit invites both new and experienced clean energy and climate organizers from across the state to gather and learn about case studies, experiences, projects, resources, and skills that will help their communities implement climate change solutions.

Presenters will share case studies on solar, wind, geothermal heating and cooling, energy efficiency, transportation, environmental justice, and land use, in addition to workshops on movement building and technical skills. More details on the full program can be found here.

Former Sierra Club President Aaron Mair and Acclaimed Author and Ecologist Sandra Steingraber will be our Keynote Speakers Continue reading →

“It’s time for our government to get real about cutting electricity costs. It’s time to make a deal with Quebec, which has guaranteed power available year-round at an incredibly attractive price.” – Ontario Clean Air Alliance

A Call-Out from Angela Bischoff, Outreach Director for the Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Posted October 23rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

How to actually cut electricity costs

Ontario’s Auditor General is slamming the Wynne government for its use of creative accounting to hide the real cost of bloated nuclear projects.

Instead of using accounting tricks, the government could actually cut costs by simply taking Quebec up on its offer to supply the province with low-cost wawouter power.

If Ontario signed on to the deal offered by Quebec this summer and scaled back the already over budget Darlington rebuild project, it would save Ontario ratepayers more than $12 billion over the next 20 years. And we could save even more if we made a deal with Quebec to supply enough power to replace Darlington entirely. Continue reading →

“We had heard from our membership that the initial plan would have greatly hurt business growth and prosperity, especially for our small businesses. … We are glad that the government acknowledged our voice and that it is flexible enough to revise policy in accordance with new information.” – Mishka Balsom, President & CEO of the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

A Commentary from the Greater Niagara and Canadian Chambers of Commerce

Posted October 23^rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce CEO Mishka Balsom

Niagara, Ontario — The GNCC and the Canadian Chamber of Commerce welcome the government’s plans to revise its proposed tax reforms and to reduce the small business tax rate as a result of the comments and concerns expressed through the national #ProtectGrowth campaign and in consultations.

“We are pleased to see that the Government of Canada has responded positively to the outpouring of feedback from the business community,” said Mishka Balsom, President & CEO of the GNCC. “We had heard from our membership that the initial plan would have greatly hurt business growth and prosperity, especially for our small businesses. Together with Chambers of Commerce across the country, our voice was loud and strong. We are glad that the government acknowledged our voice and that it is flexible enough to revise policy in accordance with new information.” Continue reading →

Let’s Have The Fate of Regional Government in Niagara put to a ballot in the 2018 Municipal Elections

A Commentary by Doug Draper, journalist/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted October 30^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Let me ask you something.

How many of you – and I’m  putting this to all of you who are living and doing business  in one of the 12 local municipalities across Niagara, Ontario right now –would like to get rid of Niagara’s regional council?

How many out there would join in possibly the largest street party this region has ever seen if that happened?

The current edition of Niagara regional council with some senior regional staff in the mix here, holding signs urging us to ‘stop bullying’.

If somehow a question could be put on next year’s municipal election ballots, asking if you would be in favour of completely scrapping the regional level of government in Niagara and keeping the 12 local councils and run Niagara-wide services like policing, waste management, water and wastewater treatment, roads, transit, public health, long-term care and affordable housing – all as public utilities with the mayors or an alternate from  each of the 12 councils sitting on public utility boards – would you support that? Continue reading →

 A Brief Commentary by  Niagara West-Glanbrook Conservative MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted October 20^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Queen’s Park, Toronto  – Explosive new documents in the civil lawsuit against the Government revealed that the Liberals deliberately planned for the “collapse” of the horse-racing industry, which they knew would lead to “23,000 job losses and 27,000 dead horses.”

 Reports also indicate that breeders were forced to sell off horses to livestock exchanges.

“The horse-racing industry has had a long and important history in Niagara and across the province and deserves to be treated with respect,” stated Oosterhoff. Horses have been racing at Fort Erie since 1897. The celebrated Fort Erie race track is one of the biggest employers in southern Niagara.  Continue reading →

A News Commentary by Jacob Falardeau, a Welland, Ontario native, college student and member of the Council of Canadians, a nation-wide citizens advocacy group

Posted October 19^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

We are living in a golden age of post-secondary education; this September marked the first time in history the poorest youth in our society finally have access to post-secondary education thanks to a revamped OSAP that includes “free” tuition.

At least, that’s what the provincial government would have you believe.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne recently applauds her government’s efforts to offer ‘free tuition’ to large numbers of province’s college and university students

As a matter of fact, the so-called “free tuition” is anything but. The revamped OSAP program has many flaws that are seldom mentioned by the government. Continue reading →

Environmental Restoration Efforts Continue on American side of Niagara River

News from Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper and the Office of Brian Higgins, U.S. Congressman for Buffalo area.

Posted October 19th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York – Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper, Congressman Brian Higgins and state and federal partners provided an up close look this past Monday, October 16th on the quickly progressing habitat restoration at the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation’s (NYSDEC) Ohio Street Boat Launch.

Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins (right) speaks this past October 16th, as Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper reps and other partners look on as ongoing efforts to restore habtitat on American side of Niagara River watershed are outlined.

Through the investment of Great Lakes Restoration Initiative (GLRI) funding, this popular park is being enhanced to include improved wildlife habitat and public access to the Buffalo River along the Ohio Street Corridor.

“Remediation of the Buffalo River has been active for nearly a decade, however we are finally at the stage of this effort where the restoration work is becoming more visible”, said Jill Jedlicka, executive director of Buffalo Niagara Waterkeeper. Continue reading →

Join the Broadbent Institute – October 29th, 2017 – as the U.S. Senator former. presidential candidate e shares his views on ‘Medicare for All’

News from the  Broadbent Institute

Posted October 19^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Last month (this past September 2017) Bernie Sanders was all over the news when he unveiled his “Medicare for All” bill.

We’re pleased to announce that he will be bringing his vision for healthcare to Toronto. Continue reading →

Here’s hoping that the biggest winner of the NPCA games is the environment

A Commentary by Carolyn Ioannoni, a member of Niagara Falls, Ontario’s city council

Posted October 18th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

This past Monday, October 16th, I attended a St. Catharines city council meeting.

Niagara Falls city councillor Carolynn Ioannoni

Council meetings around the Niagara Region have begun to feel like episodes of Survivor. They are being viewed, not for what they are positively accomplishing for the communities they serve, but to see who, in a manner of speaking, will be kicked off the island.

I must say in all honesty, I rather enjoyed being on the viewing side of the audience for a change. The view was so much clearer as a spectator as opposed to a player in the blood bath game of politics that has become the norm in Niagara.

The topic of the evening that brought out environmental activists and union protestors alike was a motion tabled by St. Catharines Councillor Bruce Williamson that would call on the Premier of Ontario to “immediately appoint a supervisor to take over the operations of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority”. Continue reading →

‘All nations need to stand up to Trump and his minions and go forth together without him. Trump needs to be made an international pariah.’

A Commentary by Linda McKellar, a Niagara resident and frequent contributor of commentary to Niagara At Large

Posted October 18^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Dump Trump!

Canada has great relationships with MANY more countries than the United States does so no big effort should be required to form new alliances with China, India, the EU, Japan and dozens of countries – all of whom would be more fair and are becoming much more progressive in technology and environmental concerns.

It’s as if we are addicted to the U.S.  as our only source of economic stability. No addiction is a good addiction. It must end. Continue reading →

News from the Office of Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted October 18^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Fort Erie/Niagara – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath was in Fort Erie this past Tuesday, October 17th to watch the final race of the season at the Fort Erie Racetrack; and to join Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop, track officials and Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates to discuss the long-term financial security of the horseracing industry in the Niagara region.

“The track is vital to Fort Erie’s economy,” said Horwath.  “We need to make sure that there are enough race days to keep the industry healthy. The Wynne Liberals allowed problematic new stabling policies to hurt Fort Erie – and it’s incumbent on them to fix that before this track is devastated, jobs are lost and the local economy suffers.” Continue reading →

Up to $5 Million Available to Bring Ideas to Life

An Invitation for Public Input from the Ontario Government

Posted October 18th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario launched Budget Talks today, an online consultation that allows the public to help shape policies and programs that will be part of Ontario’s future.

“Ideas brought to life through Budget Talks have shaped policies that are delivering results for people in communities across the province.” – Ontario Finance Minister Charles Sousa

The government will provide up to $5 million to fund up to five proposals identified and voted on by the public as part of the 2018 Budget. 

Charles Sousa, Minister of Finance, and Yvan Baker, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Finance, made the announcement today in Toronto.

This is the fourth year in a row the government has engaged the public in the development of the Ontario budget through Budget Talks, and the second year that funding will be allocated directly to citizen-led proposals. Continue reading →

St. Catharines ranks Number 16 out of 25 on list in Canada Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) report

“Women in St. Catharines are more likely than men to have completed high school, college or university.’ – from CCPA report

“St. Catharines ranks near the bottom of the list when it comes to women’s access to leadership positions.” – from CCPA report

News  from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Posted October 17^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario —A new study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA) uncovers the best and worst cities to be a woman in Canada. Victoria ranks highest, while big gaps in income and employment leave Windsor in last place for the second year in a row.

The report, by CCPA Senior Researcher Kate McInturff, gives an annual snapshot of the gaps between men’s and women’s access to economic and personal security, education, health, and positions of leadership in Canada’s largest 25 metropolitan areas. It captures inequalities that can be attributed, at least in part, to discrimination based on gender. Continue reading →

‘Even though we are facing climate calamity, environmental and conservation groups don’t put themselves on the line.            They’re too Canadian-polite.’

A Commentary by veteran Canadian journalist Nick Fillmore

Posted October 6^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Introduction:
This article is for the many thousands of individual Canadians who give $-millions each year to environmental and conservation groups.

When it comes to fighting climate change*, you’re not getting your money’s worth. I’ve monitored the environmental movement for five years and draw the conclusion that the biggest and wealthiest groups are seriously letting down the Canadian public with weak and disjointed campaigns.

One of many climate marches held across Canada in recent years

Unfortunately, groups are never held accountable by institutional donors or media. It’s now up to concerned Canadians to see if you can influence them to do a better job.

See the bottom of this article to find out how you can help.

Note: * I’ve decided that the term “climate change” no longer describes the devastation the earth is experiencing. From now on I will use the term “ecological collapse.” Continue reading →

“This is wonderful news for Niagara, a region with over 12,000 small businesses which employee thousands of local, hard-working, employees.”                                                                                – Niagara Centre Riding MP Vance Badawey

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

Posted  October 17^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Government Responds to Tax Fairness Consultations

Niagara Centre (Ontario) MP Vance Badawey

Niagara Centre, Ontario – This October 16th, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Finance Minsister, Bill Morneau, announced upcoming changes to the small business tax rate.  Already the lowest small business tax rate in the G7, the Government of Canada will be lowering the small business tax rate to 9 per cent from its current rate of 11 per cent. The small business tax rate applies to the first $500,000 of active business income.     

The Government continues to work on building the economy by helping families and businesses prosper. Continue reading →

City Councillors decide at October 16th meeting to wait for staff report on issue

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted October 16, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – City councillors in St. Catharines have deferred a motion calling on the Ontario government to appoint a special supervisor to take over the management of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

One of many public demonstrations fueled by concerns and questions over the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority does business with millions of our municipal tax dollars – this one last year in front of the NPCA offices in Welland.

The motion, introduced at the council’s October 16^th meeting by veteran city councillor Bruce Williamson, charges that a special supervisor is needed because, among other things, the current NPCA managers and board members “continue to demonstrate an inability to operate an effective Conservation Authority that respects its mandate and operates in a transparent and accountable way.”

Williamson’s motion went on to talk about the recent laying off of front-line staff needed to perform its role as a protector and preserver of environmental lands. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Doug Draper followed by Statements from Niagara College and Union representing College Faculty

Posted October 16, 2017 on Niagara At Large

When Ontario’s colleges or universities are shut down due to a strike, it is almost always the students, stuck in the middle, who pay the highest cost, regardless of what side, faculty or administration, is right or wrong.

As of this Monday, October 16^th and for who knows how long, more than 10,000 students at Niagara College in Niagara, Ontario, along with about half a million college students across the province, are now out of class thanks to a strike called by the union representing faculty following a breakdown in negotiations with Ontario’s college administrators.

From some of the reports I have read in newspapers and heard on radio this October 16^th, at least some students support their teachers on this strike call and some – possibly the same students expressing that support – are also insisting that at least some of their tuition be paid back for any lost academic time the strike causes. Continue reading →

Concerns Arise Over Ontario Tory Leader’s New Proposals To Roll Back The Clock On Environmental Protection

From the Office of Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted October 16th,  2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto  – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath is demanding to know when Kathleen Wynne learned about the unending series of toxic chemical leaks in Sarnia’s Chemical Valley, and why she and the Liberals took no action when a plume of toxic benzene was released into a residential neighborhood.

Demonstrators take a toxic tour through Sarnia, Ontario’s ‘Chemical Valley’

“The premier must explain why the people of Sarnia were not warned by the Ministry of the Environment about a cancer-causing chemical wafting toward their front doors and why they didn’t send an investigator in after the spill to figure out what went wrong,” Horwath said Monday during the legislature’s question period. Continue reading →

Motion – to be tabled at Monday, October 16th council meeting – calls on Premier to “immediately appoint a supervisor to take over the operations of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority”

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted October 14th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Veteran St. Catharines city councilor Bruce Williamson will table motion calling on Ontario Premier to appoint special supervisor to take over management of NPCA

Niagara, Ontario – St. Catharines’ city council could be the first local in Niagara to call on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government to use whatever powers it has to appoint a special supervisor to come in and sweep out the senior managers and board of directors at a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority man across the region feel has gone rogue.

If the motion – to be introduced for a vote this coming Monday, October 16^th by veteran St. Catharines councillor Bruce Williamson – is passed, the city’s council would join a growing number of private citizens across the region, provincial representatives like Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster and the Ontario Public Services Employees Union (OPSEU), a union representing some of the NPCA’s front-line employees, in calling on the Ontario government for a complete change of management at the Conservation Authority. Continue reading →

The Next Municipal Elections are now only One Year Away and      the NPCA 10 Have Got to Go

At Long Last, It’s Time For We the People to Vote Out this Wrecking Crew!

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

Posted October 14t^h, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Who are the NPCA 10?

They are the 10 municipally elected politicians appointed by a Niagara regional council chaired by Al Caslin to sit on the 15-member Board of Directors of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA).

The Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s board of directors in session at one of their monthly meetings earlier this year.

And according to the NPCA’s recently anointed CAO Mark Brickell and Sandy Annunziata, one of the NPCA 10 and a Fort Erie regional councillor who serves as the Board’s chair, at news conference they participated in this October 4^th, the NPCA is doing a great job. Continue reading →

Province’s NDP Leader Andrea Horwath  calling for standalone Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions

Posted October 13^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

St. Catharines/Niagara —This October 13th, Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath met with the Pathstone Mental Health team at the Branscombe Mental Health Centre in St. Catharines, and renewed her commitment fix Ontario’s fractured mental health system after hearing about alarmingly long wait times for children in need of mental health care.

“The administrators and staff I met with today see too many people requiring urgent mental health services left languishing on waiting lists,” said Horwath. “Niagara families feel abandoned by a government that forces their kids to wait nearly a year for the services they need to thrive. And Pathstone staff are run off their feet as they cope with a Liberal government that hasn’t increased their base funding in a decade, even as needs continue to rise.”  Continue reading →

Free and Open to All Wednesday, October 18, 2017 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Doors open at 5:00 p.m.   United Way of Buffalo & Erie County 742 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY 14209

A Call-Out from Citizens for Regional Transit in Buffalo, New York

Posted October 14th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Metro rail transit cars gliding through downtown Buffalo, New York

Buffalo, New York  –  On Wednesday, October 18, 2017 at 5:30 p.m., Citizens for Regional Transit (CRT) hosts a quarterly meeting featuring speakers from the NFTA, Buffalo Niagara Partnership, and Lyft to discuss the future of transportation in our community and the role that ridesharing could play in supplementing public transit.

When ridesharing became legal in Upstate New York this past summer, many Western New Yorkers were relieved to finally have access to the popular transportation option available in cities across the U.S. Continue reading →

A News Release from Niagara’s Regional Government

Posted October 14^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

​Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region is holding a series of Open Houses to give residents the opportunity to review and ask questions about land use plans (Secondary Plans) that will guide development for the areas surrounding Niagara’s four proposed GO Train station sites.

The draft Secondary Plans were developed with resident input and provide a planning framework to guide future transit-oriented development and redevelopment in and around GO Station areas. The plans provide policy direction on land use, scale of development, and improvements to infrastructure required to accommodate future growth within the station areas. Continue reading →

“Milkweed plants are key to the future survival of the monarch butterfly,” says Robert McLeman, associate professor in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Laurier University in Ontario. “Milkweed is becoming increasingly scarce (and) we need the public’s help in tracking and preserving milkweed wherever it is found, and MilkweedWatch provides a simple way of doing so.”

News from Ontario Nature, a charitable organization representing more than 30,000 members and supporters, and more than 150 member groups from across Ontario

Posted October 12^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Waterloo, Ontario  – MilkweedWatch, an online platform to track the presence of milkweed throughout Canada, launched Monday Oct. 9 by a team of researchers at Wilfrid Laurier University and the University of Ottawa.

The citizen science program will help Canadian scientists track milkweed, a plant that provides critical habitat for the endangered monarch butterfly. Laurier researchers are asking Canadians to enter their observations of milkweed plants using the mobile friendly website milkweedwatch.ca. Continue reading →

Trouble is, that nut bar named Trump is still there

A Commentary by Doug Draper, followed with a News Release from the Office of Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Posted October 12th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“There is no relationship in the world quite like the Canada-U.S. relationship,” said Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in a statement following his two-day visit to Washington, D.C. this October 10th and 11th.

Canada’s Prime Minister back in Washington

That’s for sure.

It is a relationship that, from the Canadian perspective at least, has had more than a few bad moments, including the War of 1812 and the Fenian Raids, including one crossing in to Niagara, Ontario that saw two battles in the Fort Erie and Ridgeway areas between British sponsored militia defenders and veterans gone rogue from the U.S. army at the end of the American Civil War. Continue reading →

Great Lakes Citizens Alliance calls on all of us to press our provincial/state governments for action

A Message from the Alliance for the Great Lakes

Posted October 12th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

This past Tuesday, October 10th, we released our new report, Rescuing Lake Erie: An Assessment of Progress.

What is washing up along some of the shores of Lake Erie

We asked the question: what is being done to clean up Lake Erie? I just presented our findings in a national webinar, and it’s not good. The governments of Ohio, Michigan, and Ontario have been slow to address the toxic algae problem plaguing Lake Erie. This is unacceptable.

With a thick, slimy layer of bright green algae covering the shores of western Lake Erie and putting people’s health at risk, we need you to tell your governor: the Lake Erie crisis is an urgent problem, and it requires urgent action. Continue reading →

“Sewage system overflows are typically not black in colour.” … but overflows from this plant certainly are, and they are        highly odorous too. When are they going to stop?

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted October 11^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

An aerial view of the massive July 29th discharge that darkened the waters of the Niagara River just downstream from the Horseshoe and American Falls.

Niagara Falls, Ontario/New York – A Niagara Falls, New York wastewater treatment plant – the source of a massive discharge waste that made international news this past summer when countless thousands of tourists watched the waters below the Falls turn inky black – has allowed let another discharge of waste reach the Niagara River, according to a recent report in The Buffalo News.

According to The Buffalo News  report, the latest discharge from the city’s aging wastewater plant occurred this past Monday, October 9^th when heavy rains hitting the region caused an overflow of pollution to enter the Niagara River immediately downstream from the Horseshoe and American Falls, and darken the waters for any residents and visitors in the area to see. Continue reading →

From the Niagara Folk Arts and Multi-Cultural Centre

Posted October 11th, 2017 on Niagara At LargeNIAGARA AT LARGE encourages you to join the conversation by sharing your views on this post in the space below the Bernie quote.

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 binational 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 Call-Out from Doug Draper, journalist/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted October 11, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Anyone living in Niagara, Ontario or any other region of Canada who believes that what Trump is doing to environmental programs in his country is no concern of ours is nursing a very wrong and dangerous assumption.

I have had some Niagara At Large readers say to me since the Trump presidency began last January with, among other things, promises by the orange hair monster to gut environmental programs and rip up the 2015 Paris climate summit accord, that this news and commentary site should not busy itself with any of that stuff because it is of little or no relevance to people living here.

To the contrary, the threat made by Trump and the God-awful choice of the person he picked to head up the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)– Oklahoma lawyer and Republican climate denying, neo-con Scott Pruitt – to virtually cancel federal funding for restoration projects for the Great Lakes could have a profound, negative impact on literally tens-of-millions of Americans and Canadians, including people in this region, who have a direct stake in the these fresh waters for their health and economic survival. Continue reading →

Unveiling to take place Sunday, November 12th at 2 p.m.

 News from the City of St. Catharines and the Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force

Niagara, Ontario  – After years of research, planning and fundraising, a memorial to honour 137 workers who lost their lives during construction of the Welland Canal will finally be unveiled on Sunday, Nov. 12, 2017.

The Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force invites family members and descendants of the fallen workers and the entire Niagara community to be a part of the special unveiling ceremony at the site of the memorial, which is located just north of the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre. Continue reading →

 “I’m going to tell (students at the October 13th Convocation ceremonies) that they have to get more involved today in politics. They can’t just sit back and leave it to others.” – Tom Rankin, owner of Rankin Construction

News from Brock University

Posted October 11th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Brock University honours Tom Rankin

Niagara, Ontario – Take a drive around Niagara and it’s easy to see the impact Tom Rankin has had on the region.

From parking lots to bridges, from the Meridian Centre to components of the Welland Canal, Rankin’s construction company has built much of the infrastructure Niagara residents rely on.

But as much as Rankin Construction is synonymous with major civil projects, the man behind the brand has had just as much of an impact on the community. The annual cancer run bearing his name, for example, draws around 13,000 people each year and has raised $7.5 million for local cancer care facilities.  Continue reading →

National and international stakeholders call for immediate interim action given Canada’s failure to act

Please Find Out At The Bottom of this News Advisory about how you can send an email to Canada’s Minister of Environment and Climate Change and demand action on this

A News Advisory from Ontario Nature

Posted October 11th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

This past October, 5th, 2017, Canadian provinces failed to meet a key deadline for protecting threatened boreal caribou habitat. Provinces had five years to develop habitat protection plans under Canada’s Species At Risk Act, and no plan has been published at the time of this release.

In response, a broad array of stakeholders including an Indigenous voice, a conservation biologist, a former northern Ontario MP and caribou biologist, and national and international environmental groups called today for immediate interim steps to ensure the boreal caribou’s long-term survival. Continue reading →

“The dramatic sit-in at Thundering Waters this summer was an urgent plea that the remaining wildlife refuge at Thundering Waters be saved.”

By John Bacher

Niagara, Ontario – The current struggle to rescue the threatened Thundering Waters Forest is one that stretches back to 1968.

It was then – almost 50 years ago – that the Niagara Escarpment Commission (NEC) was founded with a mandate to develop a plan to protect the landscape stretching from Lake Ontario in our region to the northern shores of the Welland River.

A weeklong, sit-in, organized by Niagara citizens, sought to raise public awareness about the need to save Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario from urban development. File photo courtesy of Owen Bjorgan

It took a decade of work for the NEC to prepare a preliminary proposal for public discussion. Then on February 14, 1978, its Preliminary Proposals were put forward. One of its most important recommendations was to protect the large area of forest and savannah, which has recently become known as Thundering Waters. Continue reading →

“I’m so pleased to see additional funding to ensure we can deliver quality healthcare to people in our community.”  – Wayne Gates, MPP for the Niagara, Ontario riding of Niagara Falls

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

Posted October 10^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

Niagara, Ontario — After passing a Private Member’s Motion in the Ontario legislature last year, MPP Wayne Gates is pleased to announce, alongside Suzanne Johnston President of Niagara Health, additional funding for MRI services in Niagara for the second year.

“Our motion called on the government to take action—to address the horrendous wait times for MRIs in Niagara and we’re happy that last year we saw increased funding,” said Gates. “Now this year, it is great to see additional funding from the LHIN so that MRI wait times can remain closer to the provincial average.” Continue reading →

Bring your stories and your ideas to Public Consultation sessions in Welland and St. Catharines – October 14th, 2017

A Call-Out from the Niagara Health Coalition, a regional chapter of the Ontario Health Coalition

Posted October 10^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Support the citizens campaign to keep quality health services at the Welland hospital in south Niagara

What are the positives in your local hospitals?

Positive practices, experiences and observations about hospital care, planning, governance and management.

Your experiences accessing care or providing care.

What services are needed in your hospitals? What services have been cut? Have you tried to access care and had problems?  Continue reading →

With the Alliance for the Great Lakes – Tuesday, October 10th at 11 a.m. EST, 12 p.m CST

A Call-Out from the Alliance for the Great Lakes, a citizens network across the Great Lakes Basin

Posted October 10^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Lake Erie is in crisis. Green slime is covering the shores of western Lake Erie, miles of algae span the lake and waters in downtown Toledo are under an official recreational public health advisory. This problem is not new, but it is preventable.

Remember, when you read the above image, that the Webinar is at 11 a.m., Eastern Standard Time.

Runoff pollution, primarily from agriculture, combined with warm temperatures causes these massive, harmful algal blooms. Continue reading →

I Won’t Be Buying A Ticket To It – Not This Year. I’m Not Giving This Bunch a Penny More of My Money!

A Commentary by Doug Draper, journalist/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted October 6^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

It is bad enough that the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority – or the ‘Niagara Peninsula Development Authority’,  or whatever others have taken to calling this rogue body now – is getting some of the money I pay in property taxes each year .

It fills me with even more anger to note that we have laws on the book in Ontario that forces some of my municipal and provincial tax dollars to go to this rancid excuse for a Conservation Authority, yet our provincial government won’t do one damn thing  – it won’t do an audit or take any other action – to address concerns expressed by every day citizens, by area MPPs and by local municipalities representing some one million people across Niagara and Hamilton about how these dollars are being spent.

One of many public protests held earlier this year, at the same Ball’s Falls conservation area where the Thanksgiving Festival is taking place. File photo by Doug Draper

So to that extent, and thanks to an Ontario government that claims they have no say over how Conservation Authorities across the province are run, except to make damn sure some of my municipal and provincial tax dollars go to them, there is not much I can do to keep the NPCA in our region away from the money trough – except for one thing. Continue reading →

A  News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted October 6^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara’s regional councillors have ok’d a plan  put forward by Pelham’s town council to have a third party audit done on all  documentation to do with the development of a new community centre and arena just east of Pelham’s Fonthill downtown.

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

The audit was first called for by David Barrick, Port Colborne regional councillor and chairman of the regional government’s corporate services committee, in a blistering motion he tabled earlier this year that accused Pelham’s mayor, Dave Augustyn and his council of operating in such a reckless way that they are imperilling their town town’s financial health and placing the regional government’s credit rating at risk.

Augustyn repeated at a regional council meeting this October 5^th, what he has said before – that he and the town council welcome such an audit if it will clear the air and convince at least  some critics that his council has invested tax dollars responsibly. Continue reading →

“For all of our sakes, Kinder Morgan, Line 3, Line 10 and Keystone XL (tar sand pipelines) must face the same fate.” – Maude Barlow, Honorary Chairperson, Council of Canadians

Posted October 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Council of Canadians is celebrating the cancellation of the Energy East pipeline project and is available for comment.

“The end of Energy East shows that extreme energy projects are part of our past not our future,” says Maude Barlow, Honorary Chairperson with the Council of Canadians. “For all of our sakes, Kinder Morgan, Line 3, Line 10 and Keystone XL must face the same fate.” Continue reading →

Wednesday, October 11th in St. Catharines/Niagara

An Invite from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted October 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines/Niagara – Join the Niagara District Council of Women for an evening of discussion on the following topic – The Indian Act -“the intent, its role in the settlement process of Canada, and how and why we must collectively as Indigenous and Allied peoples work toward a vision of equity, justice and fairness in Canada.”

Darren Thomas

Guest Speaker – DARREN THOMAS, Lecturer on Indigenous  Studies Sir Wilfred Laurier University

Darren Thomas is a member of the Seneca Nation; he is a Bear Clan, currently residing at the Grand River Territory of the Haudenosaunee. His research has focused on First Nations community development, Indigenous research methodologies, suicide prevention and colonial trauma. Continue reading →

‘Betsy DeVos serves as Education Secretary under U.S. President Donald Trump and is unapologetic in her advocacy for “school choice” voucher programs that take public dollars away from public schools.’

A Message from Ontario’s New Deomcratic Party

Posted October 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Devos shares a warm moment with Trump at an event in Washington, D.C. last spring

Queen’s Park, Ontario —Amid mounting pressure, a plan to have U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos visit Ontario schools was cancelled this October 4th, but Ontario New Democrats say that the Wynne government’s plan to welcome her to visit at a more convenient time is not sending the appropriate message.

“We don’t know why this trip was cancelled at the last minute,” said Ontario NDP Education critic Peggy Sattler. “But for a government spokesperson to say she’ll be invited back when it suits her is not sending our kids the right message.”

“Families need their government to take a decisive stance against trans exclusion and gender-based violence and make it clear that’s not welcome in our schools. They need to hear that anyone seeking to divert public education dollars to private schools won’t get an audience with decision makers in this province.”

DeVos serves as Education Secretary under U.S. President Donald Trump and is unapologetic in her advocacy for “school choice” voucher programs that take public dollars away from public schools and give them to private schools, instead.”

“Since her appointment as education secretary, DeVos has repealed Obama-era guidelines allowing gender-neutral washrooms in schools and gutted policies on handling sexual assault cases at colleges.

“New Democrats will continue to stand with families and education advocates in speaking out against anyone who threatens strong publicly-funded education,” added Sattler.

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

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 binational 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

News from Niagara’s Regional Governmenst

Posted October 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario’s regional government headquarters in Thorold

Niagara, Ontario – This week, Niagara Region is plea​sed to be recognized as the top upper-tier municipality in Canada on Public Sector Digest’s 2017 Open City Index.

The Index, now in its third year, is Canada’s first study to benchmark the open data initiatives of Canadian municipalities, and examines the readiness, implementation, and impact of municipal data sets that Canadian municipalities make public and easily accessible to residents, businesses and community organizations. Continue reading →

“You might think you have deep pockets,” OPSEU President Warren ‘Smokey’ Thomas warns Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority managers, “but I am telling you right now that we have deeper pockets than you and we will not let up until justice is served.”

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted Ocober 4^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – If those now managing the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority think they can continue getting away with laying off front-line employees and “destroying” the NPCA as an environmental protection body in the Niagara-Hamilton region, they have more than met their match, said Warren ‘Smokey’ Thomas, President of the Ontario Public Services Employees Union, during a news conference in St. Catharines this Wednesday, October 4th.

OPSEU President Warren ‘Smokey’ Thomas

“I have dealt with some bad bosses across this province and this one ranks right up there,” said the OPSEU president during the news conference.

“You might think you have deep pockets,” Thomas added in a message aimed directly at the NPCA’s top administrators and a board of directors made up mostly of municipal politicians appointed an Al Caslin administration now running Niagara’s regional government. “But I am telling you right now that we have deeper pockets than you and we will not let up until justice is served.”

Thomas said his union , which represents a number of the NPCA’s employees, including ones from the Conservation Authority’s watershed management program who were recently let go, and which is one of the largest unions for public sector workers in the province and country, “did not pick this fight (with the NPCA). … But we will finish it,” he vowed. Continue reading →

NPCA Board Decision Shocks Environmental Group

“We are shocked by this action considering we had recently been in contact with (NPCA) Chair (Sandy) Annunziata who assured us of the importance of eco restoration to NPCA.” – Dennis Edell, Chair of Trout Unlimited Canada, Niagara Chapter

 A News Release from the Niagara Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada

 Posted October 2nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Niagara Chapter of Trout Unlimited Canada was blindsided by the uexpected decision by the NPCA (Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority) Board to close down its eco restoration program. At the time of this announcement, both organizations were working as partners on implementing a five year plan to protect and restore Niagara’s primary watershed: Twelve Mile Creek. 

“Since the formation of the Chapter, we have had a productive partnership with the eco restoration group at NPCA,” says Dennis Edell Chair of TUC Niagara Chapter. “We are shocked by this action considering we had recently been in contact with Chair Annunziata who assured us of the importance of eco restoration to NPCA.” Continue reading →

NPCA board’s decision not to reappoint Alberta Garofalo to community liaison committee comes in same week  more front-line environmental staffers being fired out the door                       by NPCA’s management

“Now the NPCA is moving further away from what should be its mandate of environmental protection.  Those in Niagara who love natural spaces and want to preserve habitat for our wildlife species are left without a voice.  The NPCA board could have learned a great deal from Albert Garofalo if only it had listened.” – Joyce Sankey, conservation director, Niagara Falls Nature Club

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

Albert Garofalo

The purge of individuals, including more front-line staff and others, continues at a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority that has, for all intents and purposes, gone rogue with millions of dollars of our tax money.

Albert Garofalo, a well-known and respected citizen conservation and the kind of person walking in the spirit of the late Doug Elliott and Mel Swart, people who helped found a Conservation Authority in this region more than five decades ago, learned on the last week of this past September that he will not be re-appointed to a committee that is supposed to offer some input and advice from the larger community to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. Continue reading →

Sounds kind of like that fantasy of a wall Donald Trump keeps yammering about

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted October 2nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

An earlier computer rendering of a high-rise condo plan for Port Dalhousie

What if yet another development firm floats yet  another proposal  to build a high-rise condo tower in the Niagara, Ontario lakeside community of Port Dalhousie, and few Niagara residents outside of those living in Port Dalhousie itself,  pay much attention to it.

That pretty much sums up the way this Niagara residents, who got swept up some 13 or 14 years ago in the first proposal for a condo tower condo in Port Dalhousie,  feels about the latest condo proposal that was the subject of a recent public meeting I chose not to attend  in the Port town.

I mean, let’s face it. For people like me and for many heritage buffs across the Niagara region who were concerned about the fate of an officially designated ‘Heritage District’ in Port Dalhousie if a huge condo complex – assaulting a previous height restriction bylaw of about two and a half storeys by rising more than 20 storeys in the air – was constructed inside it, the horses left the barn on this issue. Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath On Terrorist Attacks

Posted October 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Queen’s Park, Ontario  – “This morning (Monday, October 2^nd), Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament will observe(d) a moment of silence for victims of terrorism. I’m heading into the Assembly with a heavy heart, and my mind on those in Edmonton and Las Vegas who came under attack while they were simply going about their lives.

Hate, violence and prejudice have no place in Canada, or anywhere in the world. I hope we commit, together, not to allow our communities to be torn apart by these attacks.

As Ontarians, Canadians, and citizens of the world, we must stand united against hate. Ontario’s New Democrats extend our deepest sympathies to the victims, families and communities that have been rocked by these vicious acts of terrorism.”

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

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 binational 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

NPCA costs taxpayers millions, while falling further and further away from serving as a voice for conservation and environmental protection

Time to close the doors – For Good – on the NPCA!

A Commentary by Niagara At Larger reporter/publisher Doug Draper

Posted September 29^{th, 2017} on Niagara At Large

Warren ‘Smokey’ Thomson, president of the 180,000-member Ontario Public Service Employees Union, summed it up well after learning this last week of September that the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority let go more of its front-line workers – this time eight employees, most, if not all of whom were involved in the NPCA’s watershed protection programs.

“This organization is putting itself out of existence,” said Thomson after the latest firings or layoffs, or whatever, the flying monkeys now running this organization want to call the culling of ever more of the employees that, at least those of us in the public that want a Conservation Authority firmly dedicated to conservation and environmental protection, had a good deal of respect for.

One of many public demonstrations fueled by concerns and questions over the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority does business with millions of our municipal tax dollars – this one last year in front of the NPCA offices in Welland.

“We are not an environmental protection agency,” Sandy Annunziata, a Fort Erie regional councillor and chair of the NPCA’s board of directors, declared himself this past June during a presentation he made on behalf of the body to the Town of Lincoln’s local council. Continue reading →

Keep our water safe

An Action Alert from the Alliance for the Great Lakes

Posted September 29^th,  2017 on Niagara At Large

The images are striking.

Right now, green slime is covering the shores of western Lake Erie. The harmful algal bloom plaguing Toledo and the western basin of the lake is avoidable ― but we need to act now.

Three years ago, the Governors of Ohio and Michigan and the Premier of Ontario pledged action to cut back runoff pollution that feeds the toxic algae. But progress has been painfully slow. Continue reading →

 Final analysis of Bill 148 reveals $12 billion economic problem that the Ontario Government must resolve

A News Release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Posted September 29^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – This September 28^th, , the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce, in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) and the Keep Ontario Working (KOW) Coalition released two major reports that broadly capture the challenges associated with Bill 148 and the concerns of the employer community.

The first report is the final economic impact analysis of Bill 148 by the Canadian Centre for Economic Analysis’ (CANCEA), which was peer-reviewed by Professor Morley Gunderson of the University of Toronto.

CANCEA’s analysis reveals that if Government were to do nothing other than implement the minimum wage increase over five years instead of in the next 15 months, jobs at risk would decrease by 74 per cent in the first two years.   Continue reading →

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted September 29th, 2017 in Niagara At Large

Ontario is increasing the general minimum wage for the fourth consecutive year, which will bring the wage up to $11.60 on October 1, 2017.

As a part of Ontario’s plan for Fair Workplaces and Better Jobs, the general minimum wage would again increase to $14 on January 1, 2018, and to $15 on January 1, 2019, which would be followed by annual increases at the rate of inflation. Continue reading →

Be There for a Peaceful Gathering – Saturday, September 30th , 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. – at the Niagara Falls, Ontario end of the Rainbow Bridge

A Call-Out from the citizen-based Niagara Antiracism Coalition

Posted September 29th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The people of Niagara continue to welcome refugees and celebrate diversity in the face of hate.

The Niagara Antiracism Coalition (N-ARC) has organized a celebration of diversity and welcome to counter an anti-immigration demonstration planned by a hate group this weekend.

More than 500 people are expected at the celebration that will take place at the end of the Rainbow Bridge between 10AM and 2PM on Saturday, 30 September. 

The event is supported by the Unitarian Congregation of Niagara, The Niagara Regional Native Centre, Quakers in Niagara and OPIRG-Brock. It has the full endorsement of The Niagara Regional Labour Council that represents thousands of unionized workers across Niagara including Unifor, CUPE, OPSEU, CUPW, OSSTF, OECTA, Teamsters, ATU, BUFA, PSAC, and ETFO. Continue reading →