Niagara At Large

A Word to our Politicians Today – Wearing a Poppy at a Council Meeting every Remembrance Day doesn’t cut it if you don’t behave as though you know what that poppy means!

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted June 6th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

It was 73 years ago today – June 6th, 1944 – that thousands of young Canadians, Americans and English soldiers stormed the beaches of Normandy, France in the greatest invasion of a heavily armed coastline ever launched.

During my years working for newspapers in this Niagara region, I had the opportunity to interview a number of veterans of that epic invasion for Remembrance Day stories. I was always amazed at how modest they were about doing something many of us who have  had the fortune to never have had to fight in a war and would, therefore, find incomprehensible – rush up beaches against German machine guns that ripped so many of their comrades and friends to pieces. Continue reading →

 “When you have families across Ontario choosing to heat or eat, you’d think it would be a wake-up call for the Liberal government to come clean.” Ontario Progressive Conservative Party energy critic Todd Smith

A News Release from Ontario’s Progressive Conservative Party

Posted June 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Seven years ago, signs like this were popping up on residential lawns in Oakville and Mississauga, causing the then Ontario Liberal government of Dalton McGuinty to pull the plug on construction of gas fired power plants in those two municipalities just prior to a provincial election. The pull-out ended up costing Ontario taxpayers mega bucks.

It turns out the $1.2 billion price tag revealed by the Auditor General in 2015 for the Liberal gas plant scandal is just the beginning. Now ratepayers will be on the hook for an additional $1.56 billion to pay for the replacement gas plants in Sarnia and Napanee, according to reports. 

“The Liberals covered up the true cost of their desperate re-election ploy in 2011, leading to a court trial this fall. But it turns out the true cost of this scandal is far higher,” said Ontario PC Energy Critic Todd Smith. “This only means one thing and one thing only: when you get your bill, you’ll see that this reckless Liberal scandal is costing you more.”

The news (came this May, 2017) on the heels of a cabinet document leaked by the Ontario PCs revealing that hydro rates will skyrocket under Kathleen Wynne’s unfair hydro scheme.   Continue reading →

News from the Sierra Club chapter in Buffalo/Western New York

Posted June 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Buffalo, New York – We’re involved with an exciting campaign to eliminate greenhouse gases and other pollutants from public transportation by working with the NFTA to bring electric buses to WNY. 

It’s the wave of the future and we invite you to ride it with us!

As part of this initiative we’ve arranged for an electric bus to be in town at the Allentown Art Festival and the Elmwood Farmers’ Market on Saturday, June 10th. 

This month’s Writers Group Session will focus on this effort and will feature electric bus expert Judah Aber – see below and please join us on Thursday, June 8th.  We can use help with the Saturday events and with ongoing petitioning – to volunteer contact Rick Steinberg at 881-3585.

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

Statement by the Prime Minister on World Environment Day

Posted June 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, issued the following statement (this Monday, June 5^th) on World Environment Day:

“Today (June 5^th), we join the global community to celebrate World Environment Day – an opportunity to connect with nature and to recommit ourselves to build a cleaner, more sustainable world for generations to come. This year, Canada will host the official global celebrations for the first time. We are proud to celebrate our shared environment, and to work with our partners around the world to leave a cleaner, healthier planet for all our children. Continue reading →

Bike to Work Week – Monday, June 5th thru Friday, June 9th

A Call-Out from the City of St. Catharines

Posted June 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Better sleep. Lower blood pressure. Save money. Reduce stress. Discover the many benefits of active transportation by taking part in Bike to Work Week in St. Catharines.

The City of St. Catharines is encouraging residents to turn their daily commute into a healthy activity by cycling to and from work. This month is Bike to Work month in Ontario and the City is marking Bike to Work Week here in St. Catharines June 5-9. Continue reading →

A Study in Statesmanship versus the Raving Tweets of a Reckless Clown

Posted by Doug Draper on Niagara At Large, June 5th, 2017

Let’s begin with an example of statesmanship in the wake of another horrific attack on people who are long-time friends and allies of ours in in the international community –

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada on the terrorist attack in London

June 4, 2017, Ottawa, Ontario

Streets of London cordoned off and patrolled by armed police following attack

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement after last night’s terrorist attack in the United Kingdom:

“Canada strongly condemns the senseless attack that took place last night in London, United Kingdom, which killed and injured many innocent people. I am heartbroken that a Canadian is among those killed. Continue reading →

News from the Constituency Office of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

Posted June 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Welland, Ontario – Two women and three girls from the Welland riding were honoured today during a ceremony at Holy Trinity United Church in Welland as recipients of the Leading Women, Leading Girls Building Communities award.

from left to right: Allison Pillwein, Brenda Martin-French, Garyn Burns, Mary Petriw and Emma Mete, with Welland MPP Cindy Forster, third from right

Cindy Forster, MPP for Welland Riding, hosted a celebration this afternoon and presented the awards for this year’s winners: Garyn Burns, Emma Mete, Mary Petriw, Allison Pillwien, and Brenda Martin-French.

“I am pleased to recognize each of these recipients who have made such an impact on our community,” said Forster. Continue reading →

A Call-Out Message from Sue Hotte and the citizens-based Niagara Health Coalition

Posted June 4th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Our May 31st media day was very successful.  Both Ontario opposition parties support keeping the Welland Hospital open.

A File Photo from one of a number of past rallies for saving Niagara’s hospitals

  The Minister of Health, Eric Hoskins , was under a lot of pressure during Question Period.  I’ve attached a copy of the dialogue and you can see that he stated that he was committed to doing everything that he can to keep the Welland hospital open. He also stated that there was no commitment in the near future to close the hospital. We all know that it is impossible to close the hospital prior to the new Niagara falls hospital opening.

WE do need to keep the pressure on the Minister and the Liberals. Working together we can make it happen. Continue reading →

It’s Time  the Rest of the World Community to Flip the Bird back And Move On

A Commentary by Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted June 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Pope Francis addresses climate change concerns at UN in 2015

“Because we human beings are part of the environment. … We live in communion with it, since the environment itself entails ethical limits which human activity must acknowledge and respect. Man, for all his remarkable gifts, which are signs of a uniqueness which transcends the spheres of physics and biology, is at the same time a part of these spheres (and) any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity. … The adoption of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development at the World Summit, which opens today, is an important sign of hope. I am similarly confident that the Paris Conference on Climatic Change will secure fundamental and effective agreements.”  –  Pope Francis, speaking to the United Nations General Assembly in September of 2015

“The debate is over. The vast majority of the scientific community has spoken. Climate change is real, it is caused by human activity, and it is already causing devastating harm here in the United States and all around the globe. It is absolutely imperative that we boldly transform our energy system away from fossil fuel to energy efficiency and sustainable energy. The future of the planet is at stake.” –  The U.S. Senator who should be President, Bernie Sanders

Trump versus Planet Earth. a cover of the German news magazine, Der Speigal

“Obama’s talk about all of this with global warming and a lot of it is a hoax. It’s a hoax. I mean, it’s a money-making industry, OK? It’s a hoax, a lot of it.”  –         The blowhard billionaire and Reality TV huckster who would be and now is president at a 2015 campaign rally, Donald Trump

“We don’t want other leaders and other countries laughing at us anymore,” said Donald Trump this June 1^st as he stood in the Rose Garden of the White House and announced what many of us around the world dreaded he was going to do – withdraw the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement signed by former U.S. President Barack Obama, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and just about every other leader of note around the world except the butcher boss of Syria, Bashar al-Assad. Continue reading →

From the Constituency Office of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

Posted June 2nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Ontario  – This May 31st, Welland MPP Cindy Forster was joined by the Ontario Health Coalition and the Niagara Health Coalition to demand that Premier Kathleen Wynne and her Liberals stop their plan to close five hospitals in the Niagara region.

A File Photo from one of a number of past rallies for saving Niagara’s hospitals

The group brought more than 2,500 letters from community members urging the government to immediately stop the planned hospital shut-downs. Continue reading →

A News Release from the Constituency Office of Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted June 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park – Ontario’s Health Minister gave Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff a commitment in the Legislature that he would do everything he can to keep Welland County General Hospital open.

The Welland Hospital site in Welland, Ontario is the largest remaining hospital facility of its kind still operating in south Niagara. How long will that last? File photo by Doug Draper

During Question Period, Oosterhoff raised the issue of elderly and ill residents in remote, rural communities having to travel almost an hour to reach an emergency room if the hospital were to close.

 “One elderly family is very concerned because they have no public transit and do not know how they will be able to receive the care they need and visit their loved ones in hospital,” Oosterhoff said during his exchange with Health Minister Eric Hoskins. “My question is simple and it’s to the minister: Why must you make seniors and families pay for the waste and mismanagement of this Liberal government?” Continue reading →

–         So Send in the Clowns

A Brief One from NAL publisher Doug Draper

Posted June 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

So where I was before I was so suddenly interrupted some 13 or 14 days ago by little gremlins wreaking havoc inside my hard drive?

Oh yes, I think I had just finished posting a commentary on Niagara’s regional council and how no code of conduct is going to cure that scary clown show.

In all fairness to the dozen or so good members on that council who are at least trying to focus on issues that truly matter to people across this Niagara region, next year’s municipal elections cannot come soon enough to sweep out the rest. Continue reading →

Joint Statement by Niagara  NDP MPPs Cindy Forster (Welland) and Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls)

Posted June 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

Queen’s Park, Ontario – NDP MPPs Cindy Forster (Welland) and Wayne Gates (Niagara Falls) issued the following statement –

“We are deeply disturbed to hear news reports about Karla Homolka volunteering at a Montreal area school. We share the concerns of parents who believe that their children should never have been put in this position.

Karla Homolka and Paul Bernardo were convicted of committing horrific crimes against innocent school children in our region.  Continue reading →

“We are all custodians of this world, and that is why Canada will continue to work with the U.S. at the state level, and with other U.S. stakeholders, to address climate change and promote clean growth.” – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

Statement by the Prime Minister of Canada in response to the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement

Posted June 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today issued the following statement in response to the United States’ decision to withdraw from the Paris Agreement:

Canada’s Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, speaking at Paris Climate Summit two years ago.

“We are deeply disappointed that the United States federal government has decided to withdraw from the Paris Agreement. Canada is unwavering in our commitment to fight climate change and support clean economic growth. Canadians know we need to take decisive and collective action to tackle the many harsh realities of our changing climate.

“While the U.S. decision is disheartening, we remain inspired by the growing momentum around the world to combat climate change and transition to clean growth economies. We are proud that Canada stands united with all the other parties that support the Agreement. We will continue to work with our domestic and international partners to drive progress on one of the greatest challenges we face as a world. Continue reading →

From the Office of Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted June 1^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

A Statement by Congressman Brian Higgins on President Trump’s Withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord –

Buffalo, New York area Congressman Brian Higgins

“For decades, the United States set the world’s public policy standard on critical environmental issues. Unfortunately, that tradition ends today. 

“Today’s (June 1^st) decision to back away from the Paris Climate Accord — a pledge joined by more than 190 countries to reduce emissions toward the goal of cleaner air and a healthy planet — does not demonstrate the leadership that is characteristic of America, nor does it protect the health and safety of people today, or those for generations to come. Continue reading →

 ‘The Horror. The Horror’

A Brief News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted May 19th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Something’s going on here, and you don’t know what it is, do you Mr. Jones?” – a lyric from the Bob Dylan song,                        Ballad of a Thin Man

Niagara, Ontario – Siting there, watching the regional council dong whatever they were doing during this past May 18th, meeting of council was like taking another trip to ‘Joseph Conrad’s Heart of Darkness,’ and listening to that character whispering in your ear at the end; “the horror, the horror.’

The irony of this photo of the reginal council, taken a couple of years ago with council meeting holding up signs saying; “Bulliying – Just Stop it!”, speaks for itself

There was a point earlier on in the meeting, that droned on for more than four hours with code of conduct stuff, when Sandra Eaton, the mayor for the Town of Lincoln and one of the more decent people sitting on the council, got up with what looked like a bewildered, searching look on her face and asked the Region’s recently re-assigned integrity commissioner, John Mascarin, what might be done and what he might be able to do about whatever is going on there. Continue reading →

Ontario to Overhaul Land Use Planning Appeals System

A News Release from the Ontario Government

Posted May 8, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario is taking action to overhaul the province’s land use planning appeals system to give communities a stronger voice and ensure people have access to faster, fairer and more affordable hearings.

The old Port Mansion in an Ontario designiated “heritage district” in the St. Catharines/Niagara community of Port Dalhousie became a proposed site for a high-rise condo, theatre and other development a decade ago, and finally went before the Ontario Municipal Board where local heritage activists opposed the condo plan

In the coming weeks, legislation will be introduced to create the Local Planning Appeal Tribunal, which would, if passed, replace the Ontario Municipal Board. The new tribunal would be mandated to give greater weight to the decisions of local communities, while ensuring that development and growth occurs in a way that is good for Ontario and its future.

This would be achieved by eliminating lengthy and costly “de novo” hearings for the majority of planning appeals. The term “de novo” has been used to describe how the Ontario Municipal Board deals with appeals of municipal land use planning decisions, by considering the same issue that was before the municipality as though no previous decision had been made. Continue reading →

A News Statement from the U.S.-based citizens group,  Alliance for the Great Lakes

Posted May 18th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Canada and America’s shaired Great Lakes from outer space. The world’s larges source of fresh water is here. Let’s all do our part to protect and preserve it!

A Brief Foreword Note from NAL publisher Doug Draper – The new Trump administration in the United States is moving to virtually gut out of existence rules and programs that have been in place for decades for working in tandem with Canadian efforts to protect and preserve Great Lakes waters and environments for some 40 million U.S. and Canadians citizens who need them for the healthy survival of our communities.

Citizens on both sides of the Canada- U.S. border should press our federal, provincial and state representatives to do everything possible to stop Trump from taking actions that jeopardize the security of the entire Great Lakes region.

Now here is the statement from the good citizens working for the Alliance for the Great Lakes –

Zebra mussels, an invasive species, transported to the Great Lakes in the ballast of ocean-going ships, have done untolled damage to municipal and private sector water lines and other infrastructure, and to other domestic species in the lakes. There are ways of controlling their numbers. Will Trump gut them? He’s trying.

This May 18th, the U.S. Senate’s Commerce Committee voted to move the U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act out of committee and to a full vote in the Senate.

The bill includes a provision, the Vessel Incidental Discharge Act (VIDA), that would eliminate U.S. EPA’s authority over ballast water pollution and roll back rules that protect the Great Lakes from invasive species. In response, the Alliance for the Great Lakes issued the following statement.

“Invasive species, like zebra mussels and round gobies, have wreaked havoc on the Great Lakes. Brought in via ballast water tanks on ocean-going ships, invasive species out-compete native species and destroy habitat. They also cost people in Great Lakes communities hundreds of millions of dollars a year.

Unfortunately, the shipping industry has convinced some Senators to try to roll back the rules that protect the lakes from these harmful critters.

Despite knowing of the threat posed by invasive species since the early 1980s, it has taken two acts of Congress, a lawsuit, and states passing their own rules to get federal requirements for actual ballast water treatment systems onboard ships in place in 2008.

But even after the U.S. EPA and Coast Guard started that process, excessively long timelines for phasing in the regulations mean most ships on the Great Lakes still do not have ballast water treatment installed.     Why has it taken so long for Congress and federal agencies to act?

Shippers have asked  for special treatment and exemptions from U.S. law over and over. And it is happening again.   New invasions are all too real. In 2016 a new species of zooplankton was found in Lake Erie.

Given that this critter is from the other side of the planet, researchers say that ballast water is a likely way it entered the lakes.  Yet rather than installing treatment technology to stop these invasions as quickly as possible, shippers are staying busy convincing Senators to roll back existing rules.

Several members of the Great Lakes Congressional delegation aren’t buying it, and are working hard to fight off this bad ballast bill. But we need all of them. We urge the Senate to remove these harmful provisions from the U.S. Coast Guard Authorization Act.

We heartily applaud the efforts of Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Gary Peters (D-MI), and Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), all members of the Senate’s Commerce Committee who voted no on this bill because of VIDA.”  -Jennifer J. Caddick | Vice President, Communications and Engagement

For more information on and from the Alliance for the Great Lakes, click on – | www.greatlakes.org  or call 312-445-9760,  mailing address –  150 N. Michigan Ave., Suite 700 | Chicago, IL 60601

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

Updated Land Use Plans to Protect Quality of Life for Generations to Come

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted May 18, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Greater Golden Horseshoe in green

Ontario has released four updated land use plans that will help grow the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH) in a way that protects the environment, while creating vibrant communities that are healthy and sustainable.

The changes to the Growth Plan for the Greater Golden Horseshoe, the Greenbelt Plan, the Oak Ridges Moraine Conservation Plan and the Niagara Escarpment Plan are the latest step in the government’s reform of Ontario’s land use planning system. The plans work together to: Continue reading →

A Column by Town of Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Posted May 18th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Since Statistics Canada recently released additional information from the 2016 Census, I thought I would write here about the demographics of Pelham. And, since they also provide information for communities from the 2011, 2006, 2001 and 1996 Census, one can compare the make-up and changes of our population over a twenty-year period.

As you may know, Pelham is among the fastest growing communities in the Niagara Peninsula. Since our formation in 1970, we have grown from 9,855 to 17,110 in 2016. That’s a 74% increase!

Other large population increases include Grimsby at 80%, West Lincoln at 76%, and Lincoln also at 74%; compare this with the entire Region’s population which grew by only 33% during that period. Continue reading →

‘The environment at the NPCA has been very difficult on myself and my family, and I have to think of my family and my health.” – Lincoln Regional Councillor and now former NPCA board member Bill Hodgson

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted May 17th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Bill Hodgson, Lincoln regional councilor, off to one of his last NPCA board meeting this spring before resigning this May 17th. File photo by Doug Draper

Well now they won’t have Bill Hodgson to kick around anymore.

For those of you who have not been following the scary clown show, the “they” I am referring to are the honchoes running the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and Bill Hodgson is Lincoln regional councillor and now a former member of the NPCA’s board of directors.

This May 17th, before the this month’s morning meeting of the NPCA’s board got underway, Hodgson tendered his immediate resignation from the board – just two weeks after a majority on the board, including a number of other regional councillors and mayors of local municipalities in Niagara, angered citizens across the region with news that they had decided to censure him for conduct related to his months long call for a third-party, independent audit of the NPCA’s operations. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Doug Draper, publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted May 16th, 2017

Late this April, I walked in to the Niagara regional council chambers shortly after another meeting of the council started, and the ill-tempered, back-and-forth spitting on the council floor had already begun.

There was one regional councilor, then another taking their verbal jabs, then the chair up their with his gavel doing his usual; ‘That’s enough!” “You’re out of order!”, “Sit down. I don’t want to hear any more of this!”, or whatever.

Niagara regional chair Al Caslin with, to his right, Carmen D’Angelo, the recently hired CAO for the Region who was CAO at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. D’Angelo and the NPCA are parties to a lawsuit they launched a few months back against t. Catharines resident and retired Canadian Armed Force officer Ed Smith who they charge has defamed them with some of what they regard as baseless question and concern he has raised about NPCA operations. File photo by Doug Draper

Then I found myself doing something I have never done in all of the more than 35 years I’ve covered public meetings as a professional journalist. I found myself saying; “Jesus Christ,” as I sat watching this garbage, just loud enough so that people  sitting near me could hear. Continue reading →

Changes would discourage investment, eliminate jobs and diminish economic opportunities in Ontario, especially among small business owners

A News Release from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce iin Niagara, Ontario

Posted May 15th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce (GNCC), in partnership with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) has sent a letter to Premier Kathleen Wynne warning against potential changes to Ontario’s Labour Relations Act (LRA) and the Employment Standards Act (ESA), including the introduction of a $15 minimum wage.

The letter is cautioning that these reforms may have unintended consequences impacting job creation and competitiveness, as well discouraging investment in the province.

More Niagarans work in retail than in any other single industry, and retail will be hugely impacted by these changes. They will not only result in downsizing and layoffs in Niagara’s retail workforce, but the costs will be passed on to consumers, resulting in higher prices. Continue reading →

 NDP Leader Andrea Horwath wants to deny Ontarians                 up to 40-50% off bills

A News Release from the Ontario Liberal Government Caucus

Posted May 15th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – This May 15th,  NDP Leader Andrea Horwath announced her party would not support taking up to 40-50% off your electricity bills. 

Despite Ontario’s Fair Hydro Plan helping families, businesses, and farms across the province – including in Niagara and surrounding communities– Horwath said the “NDP can’t and won’t vote in favour of this” during a press conference this morning.

This stunning admission should come as a shock to every Ontarian. Continue reading →

 “This is a $40-billion attempt to buy an election,”                  –  Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

A News Release from the Office of Ontario NPD Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted May 15th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Queen’s Park, Toronto  – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne’s new hydro deal will cause hydro bills to soar – which is why the NDP will vote against the Liberal borrowing bill.

Last week, leaked secret documents from Wynne’s cabinet showed that the Liberal government’s plan to borrow billions of dollars will cause electricity bills to shoot up sharply after the election, as ratepayers will be forced to pay back billions, plus interest. Continue reading →

–         Tuesday, May 23rd, 4-6 p.m., Welland Civic Square

A Call-Out to All from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Posted May 15th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Welland, Ontario – Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre, is hosting a consultation on ‘Poverty Reduction’.

The Poverty Reduction Consultation will be on May 23rd from 4-6pm at the Welland Civic Square, Community Room. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Niagara Falls, Ontario resident Derek Jones

Posted May 14th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

I would like to take this opportunity to say Happy Mother’s Day to all of the Moms out there -but especially to Mother Earth who, in these troubling times, needs all of  the respect, love and support that she can get.

Since my own wonderful Mother passed away only a few short years ago, Mother’s Day has taken on a deeper, more profound meaning on a personal level.

As we celebrate Mother’s Day, let’s all remember that we have more than one Mother to celebrate, and cherish. For without our Mother Earth, we have nothing. I Love you Mother, with all my heart.

Here – in the photo above – is the moon rising over Thundering Waters Forest last night (Saturday, May 13th, 2017). Peace and Happy Mother’s Day.

Derek Jones is a Niagara Falls, Ontario resident and one of many Niagara area residents fighting to save 500 acres of woodlands, wetlands and savannah meadows in the Niagara River watershed known as the Thundering Waters Forest for sprawling urban development.

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

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted May 12th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

No wonder Andy Petrowski tried so hard to keep those code of conduct rulings from being released because, from what us now being reported of them, they are about as damning of him as they can be.

St. Catharines regional councillor Andy Petrowski

For those of you who have not been following the follies at Niagara Region – and it’s hard to blame you if you don’t – I’m talking about St. Catharines regional councillor Andy Petrowski, and rulings prepared by the regional government’s integrity commission, John Mascarin, on three ‘code of conduct’ complaints filed against Petrowski over the past number of  months.

After a recent attempt at a meeting of the Region’s corporate services committee to have the rulings held in abeyance while awaiting a legal opinion on the conditionality of the regional government’s current ‘code of conduct’ rules, then a failed bid this May 10th to stop there release with a court injunction, Petrowski suddenly handed them over this May 11th to a reporter at the St. Catharines Standard – a newspaper that only days ago, he shot back at in an email with a Trump-like slam; “fake news Standard.” Continue reading →

 News from the Canada/U.S. International Joint Commission

Posted May 12^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

By Jennifer Boehme, IJC

Chemical pollution of Great Lakes waters was subject of great interest at IJC’s recent public meetings, especially discussion in Sarnia, Ontario, of actions by Canada and the United States on Chemicals of Mutual Concern (CMCs).

Canada and America’s shaired Great Lakes from outer space. The world’s larges source of fresh water is here. Let’s all do our part to protect and preserve it!

Chemical contaminants in the Great Lakes basin have historically posed risks to human health and wildlife over many years. The latest 2012 Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement between Canada and the United States seeks to address these risks and “… restore and maintain the chemical, physical, and biological integrity of the Waters of the Great Lakes.” Continue reading →

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted May 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Falls city council has made a multi-million-dollar bet that the provincial government will, indeed, follow through on a now four and a half-year old pledge to build a new ‘south Niagara hospital in the southwest end of the city.

This billboard sign, on a green site in south Niagara Falls, has been up now for close to half a decade. File photo by Doug Draper

This May 9th, all but one of the city’s  councillors approved paying $11 million to purchase an additional 20 acres of land from what Niagara’s mainstream media identifies as ‘a Toronto area business family’ that already donated 30 acres of land off Montrose Road near the QEW for what was promised in 2013 by Niagara Health (then called the Niagara Health System or NHS, for short)) and provincial government as a new hospital for populations of people living in Niagara Falls, Fort Erie, Welland, Port Colborne and Wainfleet. Continue reading →

Province Providing Clarity and Protection for Patients and Health Care Providers

“It is critical that end-of-life care, including medical assistance in dying, is provided safely and compassionately. This legislation will help ensure that patients, health care providers and health care institutions have more clarity and effective legal protection when medical assistance in dying takes place. “  — Dr. Eric Hoskins, Minister of Health and Long-Term Care

Ontario Health Minister Eric Hoskins

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted May 9th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – Ontario passed legislation today that will support the implementation of medical assistance in dying in the province by providing more protection and greater clarity for patients, their families, health care providers and health care institutions.

Federal legislation, which came into force in June 2016, sets out the parameters for how medical assistance in dying can be provided. Ontario’s Medical Assistance in Dying Statute Law Amendment Act aligns with the federal legislation and will address areas that fall under provincial jurisdiction. Continue reading →

 “I encourage students interested in learning first-hand how this province is run to apply.”                                                                          – Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff.

News from Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Posted May 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff

Queen’s Park, Toronto –MPP Sam Oosterhoff is inviting Grade 7 and 8 students in the provincial riding of Niagara West-Glanbrook to apply to the legislative page program.

“The prestigious program is ideal for ambitious, responsible and community-driven youth,” said Oosterhoff. “It is a wonderful and unique learning experience.”

Selected students will have the chance to work at Queen’s Park during sittings, serving as messengers, and delivering documents to MPPs, among other important duties. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted May 9^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

The Peace Bridge crossing the upper Niagara River between Fort Erie in Niagara, Ontario and Buffalo, New York is one of North America’s busiest border crossings for people and goods, serving as a conduit for hundreds of billions of dollars in benefits to the economies of communities on both sides.. File photo by Doug Draper

Niagara, Ontario – While America’s for-now president Donald Trump says and tweets things that have people in Ottawa, Washington and other places hyperventilating over what havoc he may wreak on the cross-border flow of people and goods, and on key sectors of Canada’s economy like the auto, dairy and softwood lumber industries, provinces and business leaders at regional levels are taking steps of their own to counter any damage. Continue reading →

–         We sure could use Mark Twain around now!

A Brief One for you from NAL publisher Doug Draper

Posted May 8th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

I saw this quote by Mark Twain recently while walking by the window of one of my favourites stores, ‘Antique Man’ on Allen Street in Buffalo, New York. Continue reading →

A Statement from Ontario NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns

Posted May 8th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

 Queen’s Park, Toronto  – Ontario NDP Energy Critic Peter Tabuns issued the following statement about the further privatization of Hydro One.

 “By giving up the province’s majority stake in Hydro One , Kathleen Wynne is doing even more damage to our hydro system. Her short-sighted sell off of Hydro One will drive up electricity bills for the residents, businesses and municipalities of our province. Continue reading →

“With the completion of this transaction, the government will have surpassed our financial targets and raised billions for transit, transportation and other priority infrastructure projects.” — Glenn Thibeault, Minister of Energy

A News Release from Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her Liberal Government

Posted May 8th, 2018 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – Ontario is concluding its initiative to broaden the ownership of Hydro One, and will dedicate the net proceeds towards the largest investment in public infrastructure in the province’s history.

The Province offered 120,000,000 common shares at $23.25 per share for total gross proceeds of approximately $2.8 billion, in this offering. The Province also granted an over-allotment option to the underwriters to purchase up to an additional 12,000,000 common shares, which if exercised in full, would result in total gross proceeds of approximately $3.1 billion. Continue reading →

A News Release from the Ontario New Democratic Party

Posted May 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario – Wages are down and Ontario had 13,800 fewer full-time jobs in April compared to just one month earlier, according to the newest labour force survey data from Statistics Canada.

With about 12,000 less secure, part-time jobs created, the numbers paint a picture of Ontario being driven into a lower-wage economy at the same time as the cost of living is skyrocketing.

 “The cost of living – from hydro to housing and child care – is way up, but the number of good, stable jobs are down,” said the NDP’s critic for employment, Catherine Fife. “For young people trying to break into their career, the search is getting harder and harder. As a result, too many young people are struggling to move out on their own. Couples are even putting off starting their family. People are really reaching their tipping point with Premier Kathleen Wynne continuing to do damage.” Continue reading →

A News Release from the Ontario Progressive Conservative Party

Posted May 5^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto, Ontario – This morning, Statistics Canada released the monthly Labour Force Survey which contained Ontario’s job numbers for April. PC Economic Development, Employment and Growth Critic Monte McNaughton issued comments about the numbers.

 “Last month, Ontario lost 13,800 full-time jobs while adding just 12,300 part-time jobs. At the same time, the public sector continues to grow, this month adding 11,400 jobs while our vital private sector took another big hit, losing 25,500 good, well-paying jobs,” said McNaughton. “April also saw Ontario’s important manufacturing sector suffer further losses, dropping 4,100 key manufacturing jobs.” Continue reading →

Posted May 4th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

When the rain comes with flood warnings – again and again and again

Joint Statement on Heavy Rainfall, Potential for Flooding

From Bill Mauro, Minister of Municipal Affairs, and Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services

“As communities across the province prepare for heavy rainfall and potential flooding over the next 24 hours, with some reports of flooding having started already, our government is working hard to prepare for any situation, and standing by ready to help. Continue reading →

(An NAL note – The following commentary was submitted to Niagara At Large in the wake of recent news that the Ontario government’s recent budget may contain funding for moving forward with plans to build a new, so-called ‘South Niagara’ hospital in the  southwest end of Niagara Falls – a location many south Niagara residents say is not accessible as it should be for south end residents, and certainly not as accessible as the existing Welland Hospital which they are determined to see kept open as a full-service hospital.)

A Commentary by Fiona McMurran

Posted May 4th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

How much longer are we going to be played for fools, people?

The Welland Hospital site in Welland, Ontario is the largest remaining hospital facility of its kind still operating in south Niagara. How long will that last? File photo by Doug Draper

The future of hospital services in south and east Niagara was an election issue last time we went to the polls provincially, and it looks like the same scenario for 2018. Why are we no further ahead?

The Niagara Health System’s HIP (Hospital Improvement Plan) was published in 2008. Many of us here in the REAL south Niagara have been fighting to keep hospital services in our municipalities.

Kevin Smith, sent in as NHS Superintendent, far from addressing our concerns, presented a report calling for far more drastic cuts, including the closure of the Welland General. That was in 2012. Continue reading →

“Flowers are better than bullets.” – Allison Krause, one of the students who was shot dead during anti-war protests at             Kent Statue U. on May 4th, 1970.

Posted May 4th, 2017 on Niagara At Large by NAL publisher Doug Draper

“Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, We’re finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, Four dead in Ohio,” from the song ‘Ohio, written by Neil Young and performed by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. The song was banned on many stations across the United States in the spring and summer of 1970.

Memorial for students shot at Kent State University, May 4th, 2017 near the spot on campus where the students fell. File photo taken by Doug Draper during a 30th anniversary gathering at the university.

Watch ‘Soundracks – Songs that made History; Kent State and Vietnam’ on CNN this Thursday, May 4th at 10 p.m.

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

A Column by Sam Oosterhoff, MPP for Niagara West-Glanbrook Riding

Posted May 4th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

In March, I attended hearings for Bill 84, the Medical Assistance in Dying legislation put forward by the provincial Liberals.

Niagara West-Glanbrook MPP Sam Oosterhoff

I listened to doctors, nurses, ethicists, religious leaders and human rights advocates who had travelled from across Ontario to bring forward their concerns about this law. After the federal Liberal government legalized physician assisted suicide last year, they wanted to ensure there was adequate consultation in the provincial implementation.

Faced with the situation of legal physician assisted suicide, health professionals need clear and explicit conscience protection so that they will not be forced to take part and contradict their deeply held personal convictions. Continue reading →

Watch the Video of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster making her May 3rd Statement in the Ontario Legislature then contact your Niagara area mayor and regional councillors and urge them to stop  the bullying at the municipal government level NOW!

Posted by Doug Draper on Niagara At Large, May 3^rd, 2017

Click on the following to watch Welland Riding MPP deliver her statement in the Ontario legislature this May 3^rd about the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority – a publicly paid for body with a board of directors dominated by Niagara area mayors and regional councillors – and the move by that body to censure a highly respected veteran elected representative in Niagara, Lincoln regional councillor Bill Hodgson.  –

As posted in an earlier Niagara At Large piece on this site, here again, is a full transcript of Forster’s May 3^rd statement –

Ms. Cindy Forster: Today (Wednesday, May 3rd) I rise in support of Bill Hodgson, a member of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board who is being censured by the board because he dared to express legitimate and valid concerns about a questionable RFP they recently issued.

Our community has raised serious concerns about the board’s lack of operational accountability and financial transparency. The Auditor General intervened, offering an impartial audit, one the board declined.

Perhaps fearful of what the AG may uncover, the board issued its own RFP, except it reported back to the very people it was supposed to be auditing.

The public called foul, we wrote letters; Councillor Hodgson did what was right: He questioned it. The NPCA retracted the RFP and decided to go back to the AG.

It’s clear that the NPCA board chair, Sandy Annunziata, in an attempt to cover up his and some of his board members’ own actions, will stop at no end to silence anyone who seemed to disagree.

The majority of elected municipal officials and our communities are fed up. It’s time for the government to appoint a supervisor to oversee the NPCA.

Today I stand alongside local Councillor Hodgson to send a strong message to the NPCA board chair, Sandy Annunziata, and his cohorts: We will not tolerate bullying and we will always stand up for transparency and accountability.”

For names and contact information for the mayor and directly regional councillors representing your municipality on Niagara’s regional council, click on – https://niagararegion.ca/government/council/profiles/default.aspx .

Tell them it is time to stop the bullying in regional government!

 For other recent Niagara At Large postings on this issue, click on – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2017/05/03/niagara-mpp-cindy-forster-declares-support-in-ontario-legislature-for-embattled-lincoln-regional-councillor-bill-hodgson/ . 

And a May 2^nd News Commentary by  Niagara at Large publisher at – https://niagaraatlarge.com/2017/05/03/npca-board-takes-aim-at-one-of-its-own-members-lincoln-regional-councillor-bill-hodgson-with-move-to-censure-him/ .

NOW IT IS YOUR TURN TO COMMENT.

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.

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

“Today, I stand alongside local Councillor Hodgson to send a strong message to the NPCA (Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority) board chair, Sandy Annunziata, and his cohorts: We will not tolerate bullying and we will always stand up for transparency and accountability.”                                                         – Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

A Statement from Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster to the Legislative Assemply of Ontario

Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

Posted May 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ms. Cindy Forster: “Today (Wednesday, May 3rd) I rise in support of Bill Hodgson, a member of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board who is being censured by the board because he dared to express legitimate and valid concerns about a questionable RFP they recently issued.

Our community has raised serious concerns about the board’s lack of operational accountability and financial transparency. The Auditor General intervened, offering an impartial audit, one the board declined.

Perhaps fearful of what the AG may uncover, the board issued its own RFP, except it reported back to the very people it was supposed to be auditing. Continue reading →

A Statement by  Bernie Sanders from his Facebook Page

Posted May 3rd,  2017 on Niagara At Large

Hundreds from Buffalo, New York area joined tens of thousands across North America this past April 29th in marches for action on climate change. Photo by Doug Draper

The fossil fuel industry, today, in many respects is like the tobacco industry of the 1950s. They lie, lie and lie – trying to deny or obfuscate the damage their product causes.

Unlike the tobacco industry, however, which kills people one at a time by selling a product which causes cancer, heart disease and a host of other ailments, the fossil fuel industry is threatening the lives of billions of people throughout the world – all at the same time.

Trump’s belief that climate change is a “hoax” is not just embarrassingly stupid, it is a threat to our entire planet.

Over the weekend, millions of people throughout the globe marched for sane environmental policies and for the need to transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy.

The momentum is with us, not the fossil fuel industry. If we stand tall and keep fighting, we will win this struggle. Congratulations to all those who marched for the planet.

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

New OHIP+ Will Make Prescription Drugs Free For Everyone    24 and Under

A News Release from the Office of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

Posted May 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Premier Kathleen Wynne met with students at the University of Waterloo today to discuss how Ontario’s new OHIP+: Children and Youth Pharmacare Program will benefit them and their families.

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne. File photo

Last week, Ontario announced that as part of the 2017 Budget, it is moving to make prescription medications free for all children and youth 24 years of age and younger, regardless of family income. Coverage will be automatic, with no upfront costs.

Beginning January 1, 2018, the proposed program will improve access to prescription medications for more than four million children and young people, including students and young professionals who may not have access to comprehensive drug benefit plans as they pursue postsecondary education or begin their careers. Continue reading →

“The NPCA Board of Directors has a duty to demand from its members integrity and honesty at all times when conducting the important business of the Authority. We will continue to observe and uphold our legislative and fiduciary responsibility.” – NPCA board chair and Fort Erie regional councillor Sandy Annunziata in a May 1^st letter to Niagara regional chair Al Caslin, relaying board’s decision to censure Bill Hodgson.

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted May 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

I got the information I’m about to post earlier this May 2^nd and I have to admit, dear readers, I had to stop and take some deep breaths before I began writing this.

The doors that greeted Niagara area citizens when they first arrived at a meeting of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority this April 26th.

So let me start with a few words that may help put the crap that is coming down on Bill Hodgson in context.

Lincoln regional councillor and NPCA board member Bill Hodgson arriving at the April 26th board meeting – one that would not go well for him. Photo by Doug Draper

Along with 30 or so other citizens from across this Niagara region, I travelled to Ball’s Falls in Lincoln this past April 26^th for a monthly board meeting of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, only to find – for the second month in a row – the doors shut tight for a “closed session” of a board meeting the NPCA had listed on its website for a starting time of 9:30 a.m.

It is bad enough that we had to wait for more than an hour outside doors with broadsheets of paper taped over them so we couldn’t see in before we – the people who pay the taxes that fund this body – were finally let in. On other doors leading in to the building where the meeting was held, signs were taped up with the NPCA’s name and logo on them that read; “Aggressive or intimidating behaviour, harassment or course language will not be tolerated.” Continue reading →

“With anti-black police violence and Black Lives Matter in the news, … now was the time to revisit the events of May 4, 1992. – Simon Black, Assistant Professor in the Centre for Labour Studies at Brock University

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted May 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Feeling marginalized and targeted, a part of the population reaches its breaking point and takes to the streets in protest.

.

It sounds like something that could have taken place today, but Thursday, May 4 marks 25 years since the Yonge Street Riot took place in downtown Toronto. Continue reading →

 A Column y by Town of Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Posted May 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn

Town of Pelham in Niagara, Ontario – An odd thing happened at Regional Council last week. On a vote of 14 in favour and 11 against, Council nearly did not approve the agenda for our Thursday, April   28th  meeting.

What does that mean, and why?

The first order of business for any municipal council is to approve the agenda – that is agree on what to discuss and consider during the meeting. It’s usually approved without fanfare and the meeting begins.

But last week, after some other Councillors and I outlined our concern that the Chair neglected to include three Integrity Commissioner’s reports, 11 Councillors spontaneously voted against the incomplete agenda. Continue reading →

 “Getting access to life-saving medications isn’t going to get easier unless Ontario does something. … The NDP is ready to act on Pharmacare.”

A Statement from Ontario’s New Democratic Party

Posted May 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park in Toronto, Ontario – The Wynne Liberal government refuses to commit to a universal Pharmacare program in Ontario – and NDP MPP Catherine Fife (Kitchener-Waterloo) asked the premier this past April 26th  why families like the Thurleys should have to stretch their finances to the breaking point to protect their health.

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath, this April 24th, announces pharmacare plan for all in province

 “Families that are getting sick are being forced to make decisions that no Ontarian should have to make,” said Fife. “New Democrats have a bold plan to fix this for everyone – and it’s shameful that the Wynne Liberals and the Conservatives won’t get on board.”

Kitchener resident Peter Thurley had a series of surgeries that saved his life in 2015. But he’s now paying between $700 and $1,000 every month out of pocket for the medications he needs to continue his recovery. Peter cannot work while he’s recovering, and he’s run out of drug coverage. Continue reading →

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted May 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharings – Industrial agriculture might seem good on paper, but the trend of reducing biodiversity in the name of profits is harmful to communities.

Ripe tomatoes growing on the branches – cultivated in the garden

Liette Vasseur, a Brock University Professor of Biology, says many species of vegetable and fruit plants that have fed communities around the world for generations are being phased out to make room for large commercial crops such as coffee, tea, wheat and canola because of the strong international market demands. Continue reading →