Niagara At Large

An Invite to All from Ontario’s Niagara Parks Commission

Posted August 3rd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario – The Niagara Parks Commission will be hosting a diverse lineup of activities and promotions for all visitors to enjoy while spending the Civic Holiday weekend in Niagara Parks:

Simcoe Days at Mackenzie Printery
Celebrate the Civic Holiday, also known as ‘Simcoe Day’, or ‘Emancipation Day’ in the African Canadian community, which honours the first Lieutenant Governor of this province. Join us during the holiday weekend from August 4 to 7, as the Mackenzie Printery will be featuring the works of Upper Canada’s first Lieutenant Governor, John Graves Simcoe and his contributions to shaping the future of Ontario. Admission is $6.25 for adults and $4.05 for children six to 12 years of age. Children five years and under are admitted free at all Niagara Parks attractions. The Mackenzie Printery is open daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with free parking available. Continue reading →

By Doug Draper, environment reporter/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted August 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario  MPP Wayne Gates told Niagara At Large this August 2^nd that he is disturbed by the way the Ontario Ministry of Environment has responded in the wake of a discharge the past July 29^th of dark, foul-smelling waste to the Niagara River.

An sky high view of the Saturday, July 29th discharge incident, with the inky pollution surrounding a Maid of Mist boat along the American side of the Niagara River, just downstream from the American and Horseshoe Falls.

“I thought the response from the Ministry of Environment was very irresponsible,” said Gates of reports he read that a media relations officer for the ministry responded to the discharge from a waste water treatment plant in Niagara Falls, New York with an email message that read; “The ministry does not have any involvement as the incident occurred in the U.S.A.”

What is the ministry thinking,” said Gates. “There is no wall in the middle of that river” to keep pollution from drifting to the Ontario side. Continue reading →

Ontario Ministry of Environment’s  Response?  – “It’s Not Our Place To Get Involved.”

“The discharge clearly violated water quality standards, which prohibit discharges that adversely affect colour, cause odour or cause a substantial visible contrast to natural conditions,” said a New York State Department of Environmental Conservation  official of the massive ‘blob’ of waste discharged immediately downstream from the Horseshoe and American Falls this past Saturday, July 29th

A News commentary by Doug Draper

Posted August 2nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Now there is a profile of leadership we see all too rarely in a government representative these days.

For a governor of a state that almost always has a mind-boggling mountain of issues on the plate, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo has wasted no time calling on his state’s Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) to carry out a thorough investigation of a discharge from a Niagara Falls, New York wastewater treatment that put a scare into countless thousands of visitors to Falls this past weekend.

A message to Ontario – When pollution is dumped in to boundary waters shared by all of us then, without question, it involves all of us!

The discharge occurred on the late afternoon of July 29^th and lingered as what was described as a dark, stench-ridden ‘blob’ that lingered immediately downstream from the world-famous Falls into the night before disappearing by sunrise the following day. Continue reading →

‘If fossil fuel companies get their way, this could be world’s worst nature reserve — but we can give Canada’s federal government the backing they need to protect our waters.’

A Call-Out from the international online activist group Avaaz

Posted August 2^nd, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Oil and gas exploration in the middle of a Newfoundland marine reserve that protects endangered whales? It’s as ridiculous as it sounds.

Canada wants to create a massive new marine reserve, but they could also open it to oil and gas exploration threatening endangered whales. Now they’re asking Canadians to weigh in — Click to add your voice to the below petition with one click, and help protect this precious place.

So Dear friends across Canada,

Seven endangered whales were just found dead in the Gulf of the Saint Lawrence. The government proposed a massive marine reserve along a critical migration route for the whales, but — and this is crazy — they could open it up to big oil. Continue reading →

“We will continue to push for Justice Gillese to consider the systemic issues in the long-term care sector that have contributed to conditions in which there have been more than twenty-five homicides in addition to the most recent murders.”  -Natalie Mehra

A Statement from Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra

Posted August 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Health Coalition executive director Natalie Mehra

Toronto, Ontario  – The Ontario government appointed Justice Eileen Gillese from the Ontario Court of Appeal to head a Public Inquiry into the murders of eight long-term care residents by Elizabeth Wettlaufer.

The Ontario Health Coalition responded by raising concerns about the duration and the narrow mandate of the inquiry, noting that in addition to the tragic murders committed by Ms. Wettlaufer there have been at least an additional 25 homicides in Ontario’s long-term care homes in the last four years.

These are resident-on-resident homicides and they point to wider systemic issues that have resulted in an unacceptable level of violence in long-term care. 

The priority complaint of staff and consumer groups in long-term care is that the homes are severely understaffed, while the acuity (complexity of the care needs of residents) is increasing with population aging and the closure of thousands of hospital beds, including psychogeriatric cuts. The evidence shows that Ontario’s long-term care homes have care levels that do not meet safety standards. The high-acuity and chronic under-staffing in the homes compromises safety of residents and staff alike.

The coalition also raised concerns about the Inquiry’s timelines. The government’s mandate for the Inquiry gives it 2- years to conduct its work, pushing the final report and recommendations until well after the next election and media interest has died down. This is too long. It means that recommendations will not be forged and acted upon for years. The families who have lost loved ones as a result of the Wettlaufer murders deserve to have answers to their questions and actions more quickly. 

“We will continue to push for Justice Gillese to consider the systemic issues in the long-term care sector that have contributed to conditions in which there have been more than twenty-five homicides in addition to the most recent murders,” said Natalie Mehra, executive director of the Ontario Health Coalition.

“Our hearts go out to the families and staff impacted by the Wettlaufer murders and all of the families of those impacted by the additional 25 or more homicides in long-term care in the last four years,” she added.

“All the families have the right to a fulsome investigation of the issues. But this should not preclude immediate action. Most importantly, we need urgent action to improve the levels of daily hands-on care for residents in the homes now.”

​Natalie Mehra -Executive Director, Ontario Health Coalition

~ Protecting Public Medicare for All ~

For more information on the Ontario Health Coalition and its advocacy work, click on – www.ontariohealthcoalition.ca

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 Message from Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted August 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Queen’s Park, Toronto – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath issued the following statement.

“New Democrats, seniors groups, health care advocates, and concerned families across the province have spoken out clearly on the urgent need for a broad based public inquiry into the systemic problems in long-term care.

We are concerned that today’s (August 1st) announcement from Premier Wynne and her Liberal government fails to specify key issues that must be included in the inquiry’s mandate such as: Continue reading →

Join a Public Webinar with citizens around the Great Lakes – This Wed., August 2nd at 1 p.m. on a Webinar friendly computer near you

A Call-Out from the Alliance for the Great Lakes – a citizens’ advocacy group for our shared bin-national waters

Posted August 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Algae robs Great Lakes waters of oxygen and wreaks havoc on one of the world’s great freshwater fisheries.

Three years ago, on August 2nd, the unthinkable happened. Toledo, a major Great Lakes city, had to ban drinking the water supply it draws from the lakes.

For two and a half days, Toledo area residents could not drink the water flowing from the taps in their homes. Businesses, from restaurants to hair salons to grocery stores, had to shut down or severely curtail operations. Residents waited in long lines for clean water or drove several hours to stock up on bottled water. A few weeks later residents of Pelee Island, Ontario faced a similar ban that lasted nearly two weeks. Continue reading →

Given the source of the inky pollution, quite possibly so

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted August 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

On the last full weekend of this July, countless thousands of visitors who had come to cast eyes on one of the world’s ‘natural wonders’, were treated to a sight that was far from wonderful.

This isn’t the black “blob” that made an appearance in the Niagara River below the Horseshoe Falls this past Saturday, July 29th, but it is filthy scum that can too often be seen floating on the waters there. Here is that scum with the Rainbow Bridge in the background. Does anyone out there know the origin of this stuff and what exactly it is composed of, and why we continue to see it there? File photo by Doug Draper

This past Saturday, July 29th, on what would otherwise have been a nice warm, sunny afternoon to view the American and Horseshoe Falls from either side of the Ontario/New York border, what The Buffalo News later described as a “foul-smelling, black discharge cam billowing out into the Niagara River within sight of the base of the American Falls, alarming city businesses and tourists as it engulfed the shoreline from the Rainbow Bridge to the Maid of the Mist boat dock” along the American side. Continue reading →

An Update from Vermont Senator and 2016 presidential candidate Bernie Sanders

Posted August 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Let me take this opportunity to give you an update as to what’s been happening in recent weeks.

U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders, one of America’s most heroic and steadfast progressives in politics. He should be president.

As you all know, the disastrous Republican “health care” proposals have, for the moment at least, been defeated. They were defeated because millions of Americans stood up and fought back. They made phone calls and sent emails, letting members of Congress know how they felt. They got their friends involved in the struggle by utilizing social media. They attended town hall meetings. They went to rallies, including some that I attended in Michigan, Maine, Nevada, Arizona, West Virginia, Ohio, Utah, Pennsylvania and Kentucky.

And in poll after poll, an overwhelming majority of the American people were absolutely clear about their opposition to these destructive plans: Continue reading →

No Hot Dogs, Just Cool Cats

A Message from Ontario’s Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services

Posted August 1st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from NAL publisher Doug Draper – As one who has the privilege of sharing a home with two wonderful cats, I find it sad that there is a need to circulate a message like the one below, but there is.

Too of the coolest cats I know. My home mates, Dylan, sitting behind, and Dexter in the foreground. Photo taken by one of their humans.

Everyone summer, we hear horrific stories about dogs and cats roasting to death in cars or other confined places, while those entrusted to care for them are in the mall buying socks or losing their week’s earnings in a slot machine.

Some people, clearly, should not be allowed anywhere near another animal. But unfortunately for the animal, we often find out who those people are when it is too late.)

Summer is here, and for some people in Ontario that means road trips and exploring the outdoors with family and friends – including furry companions.

If your pet is travelling with you in your car, keep their needs in mind as you plan your trip. Do not leave pets unattended in your vehicle. The temperature inside your vehicle will quickly become much hotter than the temperature outside, and it can be fatal.

If your pet can’t go with you, leave them at home where they will be safe, cool, and comfortable. Here are some other things to keep in mind as you plan your summer road trips:

• Ensure your pet is properly secured in your vehicle at all times
• Always have fresh water available in the car for your pet
• Take frequent breaks so both you and your pet have an opportunity to stretch your legs.

If you come across an unattended vehicle with an animal inside that appears to be in distress, act quickly and report it to the OSPCA at 310-SPCA (7722). You can also contact your local police service, your local Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, or your local Humane Society.

QUICK FACTS

• Every summer, the Ontario Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (OSPCA) runs the #NoHotPets campaign to keep pets out of hot cars. Consider signing the pledge and spreading the word to keep pets safe across Ontario.
• Dogs in particular have very limited ability to sweat. Even a short period in a hot environment can cause suffering and distress and could result in brain damage or death.
• Excessive panting, drooling, and listlessness are signs of heatstroke in animals. If you witness these signs in your pet, seek veterinary attention immediately, move the animal to a cool area and offer it drinking water.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

Read more about the OSCPA’s #NoHotPets campaign

QUOTES

“Pets are treasured family members and loyal friends. Don’t leave them in your hot car – let them join in on your summer adventures, or let them stay home where they will be cool and safe.”  — Marie-France Lalonde, Minister of Community Safety and Correctional Services

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 Call-Out from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Posted July 31^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Give this a read and consider signing the petition below

Hydro One’s decision to invest in a U.S. utility that is part owner of one of the country’s largest coal plants certainly won’t do anything for the people of Ontario.

In fact, this investment will just contribute to the growing climate crisis and flies in the face of the extraordinary efforts Ontario made to end the dirty coal era here.

Instead of spending its money on dirty coal, Hydro One could actually help the people of Ontario by investing in energy efficiency and improving its ability to trade power with Quebec. Continue reading →

“Ontario is proud to be part of North America’s first national, cross border test drive in our Automated Vehicle Pilot Program.” – Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del Duca

Province and Michigan Testing New Technologies to Drive Innovation in Auto Sector

News from the Office  of Ontario’s Ministry of Transportation

Posted July 31st. 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario and Michigan are completing North America’s first national, cross-border automated vehicle test drive through Southern Ontario and Michigan, promoting innovation in the auto sector and driving economic growth.

Ontario Transportation Minister Steven Del-Duca

Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca and federal Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development, Navdeep Bains, were in Windsor this morning to mark the milestone.

The test drive began in Detroit and will continue from Windsor to Sarnia before crossing back over the border. The drive will conclude in Traverse City, Michigan later today with the signing of a new agreement between Ontario and Michigan to continue collaboration in testing, developing and marketing automated and connected vehicle technology. Continue reading →

Congressman Higgins Wants Algal Bloom Coordinator to Have Adequate Resources To Protect the Fresh Water Supply

News from the Buffalo, N.Y. office of U.S. Congressman Brian Higgins

Posted July 28^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Waves laced with toxic forms of algae slime shores of Lake Erie

Congressman Brian Higgins (NY-26) is pushing for more to be done to address toxic algal blooms that threaten the health of Lake Erie and is writing to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Administrator requesting the Harmful Algal Bloom Coordinator be provided with the resources to combat the problem.  Continue reading →

A Message from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Posted July 28th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Across the country, more and more Canadians are tuning in to follow developments in the fast-moving arena of international trade.

As Canada’s leading voice on fairer trade policy, that means we’ve been busier than ever. From new research, to federal consultations, to media appearances—we’re hard at work making the case for a radical transformation of Canada’s trade agenda, which is far too lopsided in the interests of big business.

With looming NAFTA renegotiations, and a potential new Canada-China trade agreement, the stakes are high. But the time has come for Canada to take a stand against the uninspiring status quo, and push for a truly just, sustainable and equitable international trade agenda that improves the welfare of all citizens and workers. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Draper, veteran environment writer/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted July 27^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region – Are local environmental groups and members of Niagara’s Indigenous communities responsible for stalling a $1.5 billion development project some of the region’s municipal politicians say could draw millions of visitors and thousands of jobs to the Niagara area?

Are scientists working for Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry doing anything that could place the future for this big ticket project proposed for a 484 acre tract of land known to many as the Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls in jeopardy?

To read a story about the Thundering Waters issue in the July 26^th edition of Canada’s national newspaper – The Globe and Mail – one might come to that conclusion.

And it is a conclusion that would not only be wrong, but would also do  a disservice to the many Indigenous and non-Indigenous citizens in the region who are raising concerns about the fate of the forest and the provincial significant wetlands (PSWs) beneath its canopy.

Members of Niagara’s Indigenous communities gather to save Thundering Waters from urban development.

It also does a disservice to the ministry scientists who are only doing their job according to the rules on the books for reviewing development proposals in this province. Continue reading →

“More than 26,000 Canadians – some only teenagers, others veterans of the Second World War – crossed the Pacific Ocean to fight under the flag of the United Nations. Over 500 Canadian soldiers, sailors, and air personnel made the ultimate sacrifice, and the lives of countless others were forever changed.” – Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

A Statement from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Korean War Veterans Day

Posted July 27th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Canadian soldier during Korean War

“Today, we remember the brave members of the army, navy and air forces who fought so valiantly, and sacrificed so greatly, during the Korean War.

“Sixty-four years ago today, a ceasefire put an end to active fighting in the Korean War. After the Communist North’s invasion of South Korea in 1950, the brutal war lasted more than three years and cost hundreds of thousands of military and civilian lives. More than 26,000 Canadians – some only teenagers, others veterans of the Second World War – crossed the Pacific Ocean to fight under the flag of the United Nations. Over 500 Canadian soldiers, sailors, and air personnel made the ultimate sacrifice, and the lives of countless others were forever changed. Continue reading →

‘A home to a teeming array of marine wildlife, including the endangered leatherback turtle and blue whale’

A Message from Daniel Green, Deputy Leader of Canada’s Green Party

Posted July 26^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

My patience with Prime Minister Trudeau is starting to wear thin. His cabinet recently proposed that the Laurentian Channel in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence — home to a teeming array of marine wildlife, including the endangered leatherback turtle and blue whale — be designated as a Marine Protection Area (MPA).

Endangered blue whales just below the surface of a Gulf of Saint Lawrence that should be more of a marine sanctuary than an offshore oil drilling field

That sounds great. But there’s a catch.

The Liberals’ proposed regulations allow for oil and gas exploration in 80% of this area. Continue reading →

Engaging with Economic Leaders Will Expand Partnerships and Trade Opportunities

“This business mission will build on our productive partnerships with China”    – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

News from the Office of Premier Kathleen Wynne

Posted July 26^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne heading to China – again

Premier Kathleen Wynne will lead a delegation to China and Vietnam this fall to strengthen trade partnerships and promote Ontario as a key centre for investment and innovation. Premier Wynne made the announcement in Toronto at the headquarters of green technology company Nanoleaf.

This is the first-ever Ontario Premier’s mission to Vietnam, and Premier Wynne’s third mission to China. Continue reading →

Trump and his anti-EPA lap dog – Scott Pruitt – would gut a ‘Superfund’ program that helped bring the Niagara River and Lake Ontario back from the brink

An Introductory Message from NAL publisher Doug Draper, followed by a Call to Action from veteran U.S. environmentalist Lois Gibbs

Posted July 24th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

To fully understand the outrage of Trump and his anti-Environmental Protection Agency administrator Scott Pruitt moving to gut programs key to keeping hazardous chemicals out of our Great Lakes, it is important to recall a little history from the not-to-distant past.

Lois Gibbs during a Christmas at Love Canal during the late 1970s, where buried chemicals destroyed her Niagara Falls, N.Y. nieghbourhood and spread onward to the waters of the Niagara River and Lake Ontario.

That history stretches back to the late 1970s and early 1980s, when citizens on both sides of the Niagara River learned, to their horror, that some of the most lethal chemicals created by modern science – chemicals like dioxin (an ingredient in the Vietnam War-era defoliant Agent Orange), mirex and a witch’s brew of cancer-causing chlorinated benzenes – were bleeding their way into the waters of the river and Lake Ontario from industrial waste dumps dotting the American side of the river.

 Most of the attention focused, and quite understandably given the monster size of the dumps and the lethality of the tens of thousands of chemicals buried in them, on four sites in Niagara County, New York – Love Canal, Hyde Park, S-Area and the 102^nd Street dumps, all sitting on highly fractured bedrock and located within a short walking of the Niagara River or creeks flowing into it. Continue reading →

 The Trudeau government is under no requirement under Canadian law to make public its negotiating objectives on trade agreement. This is both wrong and unacceptable.

A Column from Brent Patterson, Council of Canadians

Posted July 25^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

This past July 17th , the Trump administration released its objectives for the upcoming renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA),

It did so because under the so-called ‘fast-track’ legislation in the U.S., it must give 30-days notice of its negotiating objectives to give Congress time to provide feedback. Fast-track also means that Congress will only be able to vote on the whole NAFTA text once negotiations are completed, it won’t be able to reopen or vote down specific provisions. Continue reading →

A Feature Story on how Canada is falling behind other nations on protecting biodiversity

A Brief One from Doug Draper, environment writer/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted July 24th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

For those of us fighting to keep developers and their political allies in Niagara from moving forward with an urban development plan in Niagara Falls’ Thundering Waters Forest and from gutting ever more of what little we have left of our natural heritage in this region, Canada’s national newspaper, The Globe and Mail has a front-page story this July 24th that is a must read.

A look at just a piece of the provincially significant wetlands under the canopy of the Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario

The story, headlined; ‘Canada Lags on Biodiversity Pledges – The country ranks far behind g7 counterparts and other industrialized nations in meeting commitments to protect its lands and fresh waters’, notes that “Canada has 20 per cent of the Earth’s forests and 24 per cent of its wetlands, but has done far less than many other countries when it comes to putting areas beyond the reach of development,” says the Globe story. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre

Posted July 24^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

 Niagara, Ontario – The Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial Task Force is hosting guided cemetery tours on the civic holiday long weekend to share stories of the fallen workers who died during construction of the Welland Ship Canal.

The tours are free, however participants are encouraged to make a donation towards the Welland Canal Fallen Workers Memorial which will be unveiled later this year beside the Welland Canal at Lock 3. Donations can be made online at www.stcatharines.ca/donate or at the start of the tours. Continue reading →

–         At Welland City Hall on Thursday, August 3rd

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

A Call-Out from the Ontario Health Coalition

Posted July 24^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Join us at our next Save Our Hospital regular monthly planning meeting, Thursday August 3, 6:30 pm. In Committee Room of the Welland City Hall, First St. in downtown Welland in Niagara, Ontario.

All are welcome! Continue reading →

Haven’t we had enough of the NPCA’s ‘Chamber of Horrors’!

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 21^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“Aggressive or intimidating behavior, aggressive or course language will not be tolerated.”

Those were the words on one of the signs, greeting any and all members of the public who took the trouble to show up at one of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authorities monthly board of director meetings this past April.

“Look at that,” said one member of the public reading one of these signs, taped on a door to the NPCA’s Balls Falls meeting room. “That’s kind of insulting”

A sign that greeted members of the public, taped this spring on the outside doors of a room where the was holding its monthly board of directors meeting. File photo by Doug Draper

Kind of insulting, indeed!

I have taken to calling it the “behave yourselves, you unruly animals” sign. Continue reading →

The Ontario Liberal government’s proposed labour bill “has more loopholes and exemptions than actual protections. It does not provide stability to the growing number of workers in unstable jobs.”                                                                                                          – NDP Labour critic and Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

A Message from the Ontario New Democratic Party

Posted July 21^st, 2017 on Niagara At Large

NDP Labour critic and Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

Niagara, Ontario – After two weeks of public hearings on Ontario’s new proposed labour legislation, Ontario NDP Labour critic Cindy Forster says the NDP will be tabling a package of amendments to strengthen the Wynne government’s weak labour bill – a bill Forster says misses the mark.

“We’ve spent the last two weeks hearing from workers, unions, community members and business owners on the government’s proposed legislation, and the message we’re hearing on all sides is clear: this bill has more loopholes and exemptions than actual protections,” said Forster. “It does not provide stability to the growing number of workers in unstable jobs.” Continue reading →

–  Protecting Diverse Habitats Across Ontario

News from Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry

Posted July 20^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ontario is strengthening the protection and increasing the rate of wetland recovery across the province.

Wetlands are an essential component of Ontario’s biodiversity and are vital in mitigating the impacts of climate change by lowering the risk of flooding and drought, preventing erosion and moderating climate extremes. These diverse and productive habitats have many economic and health benefits, including improving water quality and offering excellent recreation and tourism destinations.

The Ontario government would do well to start by protecting the provincial significant wetlands, like this on, in the Thundering Water Forest in Niagara Falls – a place now targeted for urban development.

Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, Kathryn McGarry met with wetland conservation partners today to speak about Ontario’s Wetland Conservation Strategy. Continue reading →

Niagara town council offers not a word of support for one of Lincoln’s gold star citizens

A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 19^th, 2-17 on Niagara At Large

Silence becomes cowardice when occasion demands speaking out the whole truth and acting accordingly. – Mahatma Gandhi

Niagara, Ontario – Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton and her town council had at least two opportunities to publicly speak out in support of one of their town’s most respected and dedicated public servants and citizens. And both times, they did not.

Town of Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton.

That public servant and citizen is Bill Hodgson, a Lincoln regional councillor a mayor and school board trustee for the municipality who, until recently, also served as one of 15 appointed members on the board of directors for the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

This spring, a majority of the other 14 NPCA board members – a majority of them elected Niagara mayors and councillors appointed by Niagara’s regional council – went behind closed doors like the snivelling cowards and creeps most of them are and voted to “censure” Bill Hodgson – as in slam the guy with a formal expression of disapproval tantamount to a pillorying or shaming – for reasons many of the rest of us do not understand. Continue reading →

 “This announcement is great news for Fort Erie and Niagara. A new seniors’ facility at this site changes the entire dynamic for the neighbourhood.”  Fort Erie Mayor and regional councillor Wayne Redekop

From a Niagara regional government  news release

Fort Erie Mayor and Niagara regional coouncillor Wayne Redekop

Posted July 20^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Niagara Region has purchased a property in Fort Erie that will serve as the future home of Gilmore Lodge long-term care home. 

The 11-acre site, located at 200 Garrison Road, is ideally suited to accommodate a campus of facilities and services to better support Fort Erie’s aging population. It will accommodate a new long-term care home and additional residential and mixed-use facilities.  Continue reading →

A News Release from the Ontario New Democratic Party and Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

Posted July 20th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario  – In response to Ontario auto insurance rates rising for the second quarter in a row, Ontario NDP Transportation critic and Niagara Falls MPPWayne Gates issued the following statement.

Niagara Falls MPP Wayne Gates

“After dismissing her promise to Ontarians to reduce auto insurance rates as a ‘stretch goal,’ Premier Kathleen Wynne is now siding with insurance companies.

Instead of helping Ontario drivers and their families who are already paying the highest auto insurance bills in the country, Wynne is allowing insurance companies to continue raising the rates.

Under Premier Wynne, Ontarians pay more than 55 per cent more than anyone else in the country, while being among the safest drivers in Canada. Continue reading →

“By paying my staff a living wage, it encouraged them to take ownership of their positions, build confidence, and find value in their work. This increased overall productivity, boosted company morale and virtually eliminated turnover.”                                         – Damin Starr, Owner, Pre-Line Processing, Niagara, Ontario

A News Release from Ontario’s Liberal Caucus Service Bureau

Posted July 19th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

‘Workers, small businesses and academics agree new legislation helps Ontarians’

Niagara Falls, Ontario – Today (this June 19th), Liberal MPPs were in Niagara Falls to hear about the importance of making sure everyone is sharing in the benefits of our growing economy. Here’s what local workers, small businesses and academics are saying about the new Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs legislation:

Simon Black, Professor, Centre for Labour Studies, Brock University –

“As those with lower income spend more of what they earn then those with higher incomes, raising the minimum wage will improve macroeconomic conditions overall.”  Continue reading →

Can we develop a more just system?

“We see corporate greed all around us. Four out of 10 Canadians – many of them earning around $11 an hour – can’t pay their bills but Canadian corporations are sitting on at least $630-billion in cash they’re refusing to invest in the economy.”               – Nick Fillmore

A Commentary by veteran Canadian journalist Nick Fillmore

Posted July 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Aggressive capitalism is kicking the crap out of us, so we should see if we can start a public conversation about the need for an alternative political and social system.

It’s shocking that capitalist businesses have become so dominant. They literally rule the world.  In Canada, the low-profile Canadian Council of Chief Executives is all powerful when it comes to influencing government. Continue reading →

GNCC Advocates for Evidence-Based Policy, Warns of Dangers in Bill 148 Standing Committee Hearing

A Message from the Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce

Posted July 19^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Falls, Ontario– This July 19th, the Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs convened a public hearing in Niagara Falls to gather community input on Bill 148, the Fair Workplaces, Better Jobs Act (2017). The GNCC represented the interests of Niagara’s employers.

The Act includes a large number of changes to Ontario’s labour law, but most importantly, raises the minimum wage to $15/hr over 18 months, starting with an increase to $14/hr on January 1st, 2018.

The GNCC noted that the pace of this change was unprecedented, and while Seattle, New York, and California have opted to phase a similar increase in over four to six years, Ontario will complete the bulk of the increase within only seven months. Continue reading →

A Brief Call-Out from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted July 19th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“I was brought up to believe that there is no virtue in conforming meekly to the dominant opinion of the moment. I was encouraged to believe that simple conformity results in stagnation for a society.” – Jane Jacobs

For all of us across this greater Niagara region who all too often find ourselves wondering if there is anything citizens can do to stop moneyed developers and their political friends from forcing bad planning on our communities, ‘Citizen Jane – Battle for the City’ is a documentary film that should inspire us all to lock arms as citizens in our communities and fight on because it is possible to win!

I saw this great documentary when it was screening at the Amherst Theatre in Buffalo this spring and tonight – this Wednesday, July 19^th at 7 p.m. at the Film House at the First Ontario Performing Arts Centre in downtown St. Catharines off St. Paul Street – it is screening again.

Sorry I missed getting this post on earlier, but if you are interested and can still catch this July 19^th screening of Citizen Jane, I know you will love it.

Here is a trailer for the film that you can click on followed by a brief write-up

Read a Buffalo News review of Citizen Jane – http://buffalonews.com/2017/05/11/citizen-jane-hero-time/ .

Back to NAL publisher Doug Draper again – Continue reading →

”Two-thirds of NPCA employees indicated they have experienced workplace bullying, while 70 per cent say they have witnessed “offensive behaviours”.’

 A News Release from the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU)

Posted July 19^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

OPSEU president Smokey Thomas (right) and David Barrick, NPCA corporate services director and Port Colborne regional councilor, exchange a few words before an NPCA board meeting at Balls Falls this past spring. Photo by Doug Draper

Niagara, Ontario  – More than 85 per cent of Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority (NPCA) workers say their workplace is harmful to mental health, according to a stress survey conducted by the Ontario Public Service Employees Union (OPSEU), in co-operation with the Occupational Health Clinics for Ontario Workers (OHCOW).

Almost 90 per cent of NPCA employees completed the survey, which asked them to evaluate the psychological climate in their workplace. Two-thirds of NPCA employees indicated they have experienced workplace bullying, while 70 per cent say they have witnessed “offensive behaviours.” Continue reading →

We, the people, along with our municipal councils can begin the process of dissolving the NPCA now

A Brief One by Doug Draper, environment writer/publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted April 18th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Lincoln regional councilor heading in to what would be his last NPCA board meeting this spring before being censured by the board and tendering his resignation

Over the past couple of years there has been much to do about the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority and the concerns growing numbers of Niagara area residents and municipal councils have that all is not well with this body and the way it is going about business with millions of our tax dollars.

In the last year alone, we have witnessed the NPCA’s board of directors – a board stacked not with conservationists, but with regional councillors and mayors who may not see protecting and preserving what is left of our natural heritage as any more of a priority than sacrificing ever more of it to sprawling development – use some of the tax dollars the NPCA receives from local municipalities to sue a private citizen who has been lobbying for an independent audit of its operations.

We have witnessed some members of this board insult and smear Cindy Forster, a provincial member of parliament representing the Niagara riding of Welland, who has been among those leading the charge for more transparency and accountability from this board. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper, environment writer, publisher, Niagara At Large

Posted July 8^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“There’s been no pause,” Kimberley Nemrava, vice-president for the British Columbia and Yukon division of the Canadian Red Cross was quoted saying of the wildfires destroying homes, communities and vast tracts of wilderness around them in the heart of B.C. this July. “We’ve moved right from floods into fires.”

No pause, indeed!

 As the late, great writer and civil rights activist James Baldwin put it in one of his most searing essays on the follies of humankind – “God gave Noah the rainbow sign. No more water, the fire next time.”

For those who are taking the trouble to pay attention to what is going down in the world around us, it’s as clear as the hell we are collectively creating for ourselves that the floods and the wildfires, and droughts and wind storms are becoming ever more frequent and severe, costing lives and costing our economies escalating billions and trillions of dollars in property destructing, insurance and health costs, and on and on. Continue reading →

A Public Advisory from the Constituency Office of Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Posted July 18^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario –Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre would like to alert the public about renewed Canada Revenue Agency scams going on in the region.

Mr. Badawey would like to remind the public to be vigilant when dealing with callers or emails claiming to be from CRA officials. The scam claims to be about a tax audit performed on past tax filing years, the result of which is that you are owed a refund. They state that your refund cannot be processed until you provide your credit card information. Continue reading →

Premier Kathleen Wynne’s State on U.S. Release of NAFTA Negotiating Objectives

Posted July 18th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Premier Kathleen Wynne released the following statement this July 17th  on the U.S. federal administration’s release of its negotiating objectives in advance of NAFTA renegotiations:

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

“As Premier, I am committed to standing up for Ontario workers and businesses. I see this as the next step in defending Ontario’s interests and strengthening our trading relationships across North America.

While the renegotiation of NAFTA will be a complex undertaking, it is a chance to bring the agreement into the 21st century so that it better reflects the way we do business today. Continue reading →

Help save Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario from developers’ buzz saws! Sign the Petition below.

Posted July 17th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

An Introductory Message from Doug Draper, environment writer, publisher, Niagara At Large

Niagara At Large is pleased to post the necessary links to a very important petition now being circulated far and wide in social media circles, urging Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his government and other political leaders to save some 500 acres of forested lands, provincially significant wetlands, and savannah grasses in our Niagara River watershed before it is too late. Continue reading →

From Tuesday, July 18th to Thursday, July 20th, 2017  at the Welland International Flatwater Centre

News from the Office of Niagara Centre MP Vance Badawey

Posted July 17^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Welland, Ontario – Vance Badawey, Member of Parliament for Niagara Centre is preparing for a busy week ahead as the canoe and kayak portions of the North American Indigenous Games (NAIG) come to the City of Welland. Badawey, one of ten members of the Liberal Indigenous Caucus, is proud to be showcasing Niagara Centre to indigenous athletes and their families from all across Canada and the United States.

From July 18 to July 20, indigenous athletes will be competing in canoe and kayaking competitions at the Welland International Flatwater Centre.  The events will be open to the public free of charge. Continue reading →

I’d be happy to see him thrown in the slammer for the wildlife he’s blown away, alone!

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 15^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“The children asked him if to kill was not a sin
‘Not when he looked so fierce’, his mummy butted in
If looks could kill it would have been us instead of him
All the children sing

Hey, Bungalow Bill
What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?
Hey, Bungalow Bill
What did you kill, Bungalow Bill?”

–      from The Beatles’ song ‘Bungalow Bill’

Check out the following two disgusting photos from about seven years ago – the first one of Donald Jr. (left) and his idiot brother Eric doing a grip and grin with a wild cat they shot on safari, and the second of Donald Jr. – he’s a “good boy,” his old man insists – posing cheerfully with an African buffalo he apparently bullet-drilled down.

If these two rich, white boys like stalking around in the fields and woods so much, all suited up in camouflage, gum boots and totting a gun, why don’t they do what tens of thousands of other young Americans do and volunteer to serve in the armed forces for the nation their daddy claims he wants to put so first and make so great again? Continue reading →

News from the Office of Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

Posted July 15th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Premier Kathleen Wynne released the following statement this past Friday, July 14th regarding her participation in the National Governors Association (NGA) Summer Meeting in Rhode Island:

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

“We are at a critical point in our North American trade relationships. Now more than ever, we must reinforce the need for free trade and cross-border partnerships to grow our economies and create good jobs.

I was pleased to join Prime Minister Trudeau at the National Governors Association Summer Meeting to do just that. Over two days, I have connected with U.S. governors to discuss our common interests and the need to continue working together to advance our shared prosperity. Continue reading →

A Brief Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 14^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

I can’t help it, Niagara At Large readers, and I hope you will indulge me on this one for a few moments.

Former U.S. Preisdent Jimmy Carter as he looked during his years in office

In what so often seem to be these scoundrel times we live in, it is important to remember that there are good people among us, devoted to making our world a little better.

With that in mind, here is to one of my favourite people and one of the most decent people ever elected to the to the U.S. presidency – Jimmy Carter, who at the age of 92, is still out there volunteering his time to Habitat for Humanity, a not-for-profit organization dedicated to building affordable housing for people in the United States, Canada and other parts of the world.

This July 13^th, while working on a building project for the organization in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Jimmy Carter collapsed from dehydration and ended up spending the night in hospital. Continue reading →

What’s the point of holding a nomination meeting in Niagara?

A Commentary from the Ontario Liberal Party

Posted July 14th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Amid accusations from PC Party Members and former executive members that Patrick Brown’s PC Party is stuffing ballot boxes and fixing nomination meetings, Rick Dykstra, the President of the PC Party, submitted sworn testimony to a court highlighting the contempt Brown’s PC Party has for their own party members and their nomination process.

Ontario PC Party president and former St. Catharines Harper/Conservative MP Rick Dykstra

In an affidavit obtained and reported on by the CBC, Mr. Dykstra (a former federal Conservative MP for St. Catharines) admitted that Conservative nominations don’t actually matter, with PC Leader Patrick Brown hand-picking his party’s nominees and bypassing hard-working nomination candidates, like Mike Strange, Dan Sadler, and Nick Lauwers.

“The nomination meeting is not determinative of who will ultimately be listed on the ballot as a PC party candidate in the general election… There is no requirement in the Election Act, the Constitution or the rules that the party leader must endorse, or can only endorse the nomination contestant who is successful at the nomination meeting.” – Rick Dykstra, CBC News, July 10, 2017.  Continue reading →

Sanders speaks up for ‘people power’ and grassroots democracy on cable news program

A Brief One from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted July 14^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

I travel across the Ontario/New York State border quite often to visit some of my American friends, and they are repeatedly telling me how depressed they are with Trump and his stupid tweets and temperament scorching their land.

“I can barely stand to turn on the news,” one of them told me recently. “It leaves you feeling hopeless, depressed.”

I dig it. There are many here, on the Canadian border, who worry about the impact the Trump rampage will have on our health and welfare too. Continue reading →

“Our thoughts are with all British Columbians dealing with the devastating impacts of these wildfires. ” – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau

A News Release from the Prime Minister’s Office

Posted July 14^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – The Government of Canada will do its utmost to help the people of British Columbia facing the immediate and long-term impacts of destructive wildfires.

That is why the Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, today announced the creation of a new ad hoc Cabinet committee to coordinate federal efforts to help the many communities affected by the wildfires raging through British Columbia. Continue reading →

 A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted July 13^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

“It seems in the silly season of an election year this government’s coming up with new promises every single week,” said Ontario Conservative Party leader Patrick Brown during an interview earlier this July on a southern Ontario radio program. You know – policies like the overnight increase in the minimum wage.”

Brown’s “silly season” missive was aimed at promise made by Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her Liberals this spring to raise the minimum wage in the province from the current $11.40 to $15 an hour by2019.

It’s “too much, too soon,” Brown insisted.

You know, Mr. Brown, a lot of things have gone up ‘too much, too soon’ over the past two or three decades, like the price of groceries, tuition fees for college and university, home and car insurance, just to name a fuel. All while, wages for many have hardly gone up at all, and while for the better part of 10 years while your Tory buddy Mike Harris was premier of Ontario, the minimum wage did not go up one penny. Continue reading →

A Commentary by Desmond Sequeira, Multi-Faith Chaplain (Rtd.), Government of Ontario, and a resident of St. Catharines, Ontario

Posted July 13^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Along with millions of other Canadians, I fully support the Government decision to apologize to and compensate Omar Khadr for the callous injustices inflicted on him by successive governments of Canada, purportedly representing Canadians including me.

Omar Khadr, then and now

Persons seeking the truth would do well to visit the details of the “firefight” that started all this ( https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/07/10/omar-khadr-fact-check-paints-a-clearer-picture-of-the-case-and-the-incident-underlying-it.html ) Just don’t ask Jason Kenney for the facts of that firefight!

The subsequent events are now well known. Most significantly, none other than the Supreme Court of Canada has  pretty much declared the whole U.S. Guantanamo Bay judicial process in which Canadian investigative agencies were fully complicit to be nothing short of a kangaroo process. Continue reading →

News from the Office of Welland Riding MPP and NDP labour critic Cindy Forster

Posted July 13th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Welland MPP and Ontario NDP labour critic Cindy Forster on her feet in the provincial legislature. File photo

An all-party committee of MPPs is touring the province to hear feedback regarding proposed changes to labour laws – but Wednesday night, Wynne’s Liberals and the Conservatives refused to support a move from NDP MPP and Labour critic Cindy Forster meant to extend the committee’s hearings.

The proposal was aimed at accommodating a young worker who wanted a chance to speak. Conservative and Liberal MPPs joined together to cut the proceedings  and send him, and anyone else that wanted to speak away.  Continue reading →

A Call-Out from Niagara Action for Animals

Posted July 12^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Dear friends of Animals 

The Calgary Stampede is in full progress now.

One of many protest demonstration over the years at the Calgary Stampede

Rodeo is a spectacle of trauma and violence, causing immense animal suffering.

Chuckwagon races, calf-roping, bronco riding, and steer wrestling events subject animals to physical pain and psychological torment. Sensitive horses, cows, and calves are lassoed, wrestled, or roped to the ground. Continue reading →

An Invite to all smokers from Niagara Region’s Public Health Department

Posted June 12th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

​Niagara, Ontario – Free quit smoking patches are available to Niagara residents for a limited time. The STOP (Smoking Treatment for Ontario Patients) Program offers eligible participants in Niagara five weeks of cost-free nicotine replacement therapy and smoking cessation information to help them in their quit attempt.

• WHAT: Free patches for adults in Niagara to quit smoking
• WHERE: STOP workshops will be held in Thorold, Welland and Port Colborne
• WHEN: July 19, August 17 and September 28, 2017

Registration is necessary. To find out if you are eligible and to register for a workshop, call 905-688-8248 ext. 7240, or 1-888-505-6074. Continue reading →

A Message from Niagara’s regional government

Posted July 11th, 2017 on Niagara at Large

Niagara, Ontario – Thanks in large part to the feedback and continued support of Niagara’s growing number of transit users, Niagara is set to begin making service improvements and governance changes to prepare for a new region-wide transit system.

The Niagara Region Transit pilot service has been in operation for the past six years.

During that time customer feedback has helped to shape a number of service improvements, such as the enhancement of Routes 40/45 to service the Niagara Outlet Collections in Niagara-on-the-Lake, later hours servicing Brock University and Niagara College, and the realignment of several routes to better integrate with local systems. Ridership has also risen during that time as more and more residents rely on the inter-municipal connections the service provides.   Continue reading →

“This report demonstrates that the costs of pollution amount to tens of billions of dollars a year. These costs are real and will be borne by Canadian families, businesses and governments into the future unless we take action to minimize pollution.”                          – Scott Vaughan, president-CEO, International Institute for Sustainable Development

News from the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a non-profit organization of experts in economics, law, environmental sciences and a host of other fields, with offices in Canada, the United States and Switzerland

Posted July 10^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

A  from Niagara At Large journalist and publisher Doug Draper –

One of many  fish kills in the Great Lakes over my more than 35 years of following Great Lakes environmental issues

This report, released this spring by a team of researchers for the International Institute for Sustainable development, speaks to a very costly reality that, in my more than three and a half decades of covering environmental issues, flies in the face of those in government and industry who repeatedly argue that environmental protection regulations are a burden to the economy.

This rap against “burdensome environmental regulations” has almost always come from politicians on the right end of the spectrum – members of federal and provincial Conservative parties in Canada and Republicans in the United States – who represent the interest of corporation and other entities pushing to advance narrow, short-term interests and gains over long-term consequences that can often prove very costly, and even deadly, for a great many people. Continue reading →

 City now inviting public feedback on plan

News from the City of St. Catharines

Posted July 10^th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The last time the City of St. Catharines created a transportation master plan Brock University had just opened its doors, the population was around 85,000 and St. Catharines Transit had been in operation for less than five years.

A City of St. Catharines transit bus. File photo by Doug Draper

The transportation needs of residents have expanded considerably since 1965, which is why City staff are embarking on a new Transportation Master Plan to shape the future of walking, driving, cycling and commuting in St. Catharines.

“Transportation is about more than just cars and streets,” said Brian Applebee, manager of transportation services for the City. “It’s about providing alternative and sustainable ways to connect residents to the places they need to go, both within the city and beyond our borders.” Continue reading →

A Call-Out from the Niagara Activist Network

Posted July 10th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

Hello Niagara Activists,

This is 10 Men in a Tent. A movie about how the Niagara community rallied together to save the local food bank, Project Share.

In 2009, 10 community leaders spent 5 days and 5 nights in a tent, eating only food provided by the food bank and with nothing but a tent and a sleeping bag. The event raised $302,000 in food and donations. Continue reading →