U.S. Senator and Former Presidential Candidate Bernie Sanders Joins New York State Governor in Announcing Proposal for Tuition-Free College and University

News from the Office of New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo

Posted December 5th, 2017 on Niagara At large

Bernie Sanders joins New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo in announcing plan for tuition-free college and university

(A Brief Foreword Note from NAL publisher Doug Draper – We are posting this ground-breaking proposal by New York’s governor because if it is approved his state’s legislature, it one day be as good for students in Ontario and other jurisdictions across North America, as it would be for those seeking a college or university education in New York State.

After all, New York State, like California, is one of those regions on the continent that is enough of an economic powerhouse that if it does something, it can pave the way for other regions – provinces in Canada, as well as other U.S. states – to follow suit.

Indeed, the Ontario government and some post-secondary schools in the province, including Brock University, have recently outlined plans to go tuition-free for students from families in lower income brackets, and a link to a Brock news report on such a plan is included below. Continue reading →

An Invite to All from the Niagara District Council of Women

Posted January 5th, 2017 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines/Niagara, Ontario – In anticipation of a land-mark decision by Canada’s federal government decision on , if or how, it will keep its promise that 2019 will   see the end of “ first-past-the post” election system, on Wednesday January 11^th, the Niagara District Council of Women is hosting a public meeting on Wednesday January 11^th at 7:30 p.m. on  electoral reform.

The public meeting – free of charge and open to all – will feature guest speakers  Brock Political Science Professor David Siegel and community activist, and “proportional representation” advocate, Linda Babb. Continue reading →

From Avaaz, an  online global citizen activist team

Posted New Year’s Day, January 1st, 2017on Niagara At Large

In 2016, hate was given hope — but now we take it back!

From terrorism to Trump to Syria, it was a rough year. But hidden by all the darkness filling our screens, there’s a simple, beautiful, truth:

The world has never been in a better place.

From poverty to literacy, the rise of women and fall of deadly disease — on virtually every metric — the world is better off than it’s ever been. It’s a powerful reason for us all to have hope, and rise to 2017.

So to kick off the new year, here’s a video of 10 beautiful reasons to have hope — let’s share them, add our own, and together give the world a million reasons to hope in 2017:

Share this on facebook

Share this on facebook

Even on the environment, we’re winning epic progress on everything from historic ocean conservation to an unstoppable revolution in clean energy! Continue reading →

Posted December 31^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“Happy New Year to all, including to my many enemies and those who have fought me and lost so badly they just don’t know what to do. Love!”  – Donald Trump, President-Elect, U.S.A.

An Afterword from NAL publisher Doug Draper – Now doesn’t that just warm you right up like a mug full of egg nog and rum?

Hurry up, barkeep. Pour me another before he tweets again.

And P-L-E-A-S-E make it a stiff one!

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 Statement by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau  to mark the New Year

Posted December 31st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“Happy New Year, everyone!

“Tonight is 150 years in the making, and a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to ring in the New Year together. From coast to coast to coast, spectacular events are planned to usher in Canada’s 150^th birthday.

“Before we leave 2016 behind, I want to thank you. Over the last year, we have accomplished a great deal together to strengthen the middle class and those working hard to join it. Continue reading →

A Few Parting Words for the Year from Doug Draper

Posted December 30^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

What can one say about this 16^th or 17^th year (depending on where you start the counting) of the 21^st century as it draws to a close.

We have lost Leonard Cohen at a time when we need the wisdom and insights of people like him the most.

I could start by saying that my wife Mary and I had a very nice trip through New England to the coast along Cape Cod this past spring, and our oldest great cat, Dylan, is still here and able to jump up and down from the bed and window sills in his 18^th year.

We saw two of our favourite music people  – former Guess Who lead vocalist and front man Burton Cummings and Canadian folk icon Buffy Sainte-Marie – at Art Park, and discovered two other great blues artists – Harrison Kennedy from nearby Hamilton, Ontario and Ruthie Foster from Texas – when they were performing together at a concert in the region.

But I’m not here to bore you with any more of that. Continue reading →

Then There Are The Scary Clowns, But Here Is The Good News  – The Next Municipal Elections In Niagara Are Now Less Than Two Years Away!

(A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – I have rarely ever done this, but this December 31st, 2016 as an ugly year – the second bad one in a row – of Niagara regional council draws to a close, it is important to remember that there are some good members of our council who need and deserve our support because the numbers on that council, as it is currently constituted, are stacked against them.

Niagara Regional Chair Al Caslin (left) welcomes new regional CAO Carmen D’Angelo to his chair in the council chambers this past fall. File photo by Doug Draper

Continue reading →

Is Wynne Government Telling The Truth When Its MNR Minister Claims It Can’t Audit the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority?

“The ministry does not have the legislative ability to order a forensic audit.” –Kathryn McGarry, Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry

“MNR (the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry) reserves the right to audit CAs (Conservation Authorities) for adherence to these policies and procedures and to review the effectiveness of the policies and procedures with regard to implementation of provincial policies and protection of the provincial interest.” – from the ”final version” of Ontario government’s Polcy Book, dated May 2010, on policies and procedures governing Conservation Authorities across the province. 

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 30^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Wynee’s Ontario Natural Resources Minister, Kathryn McGarry, claims province can’t order forensic audit of NPCA operations. In a letter to municipal councils in region, she offers her regrets.

A letter Ontario Natural Resources and Forestry Minister Kathryn McGarry sent this Holiday Season to the locally elected councils for least six Niagara municipalities – and possibly to the council for the City of Hamilton – says the onus rests with them, and not the province, to get the board of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to order a full forensic and/or value for money audit of its operations.

In other words, McGarry told the councils in her letter, that ministry won’t order one because, according to her, the province does not have the authority to order one. Continue reading →

Significant Progress Made on Building Ontario Up for Everyone

“Many parts of Canada, North America and the world are ending 2016 with uncertainty. Not Ontario.”                                                    – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

An End-Of-Year Report from Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne & her Liberal Government

Posted December 30th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Note to NAL Readers – Another thing that at least some of us know is that this Ontario premier is ending the year with one of the lowest popularity ratings in recent memory for any political leader in this province. That said, NAL is posting this message from the Premier and leave it to our readers to draw their own conclusions, and post a comment at the end, if they care to.)

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne is calling 2016 a good year for the province

Queen’s Park, Toronto – he government has made substantial progress this year to build Ontario up in ways that help people in their everyday lives.

Premier Kathleen Wynne and her team are delivering on their commitments to create jobs, make economic growth more inclusive and ensure Ontario’s growing economy delivers real benefits in the lives of workers and families. As promised, the province is on course to present a balanced budget this coming spring and has put Ontario’s finances on solid ground without reducing public services that people rely on. Continue reading →

A Brief Message from NAL publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 24th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Wow, is the eve of the end-of-year Holiday Season. It seemed like only a few weeks ago that I was walking with my wife Mary and friends, watching the sun set on a beautiful spring evening off the shores of  Cape Cod Bay.

Our canine mascot Pinky joins us in wishing you a warm and peaceful Holiday Season

And now here we are with only a week left until the end of another year and all of those ghosts of old friends and relatives from Christmas past sitting a around the dining room table. There are more of them with every Christmas that goes by.

But they are mostly nice, warm memories that I savor as I am sure many of you do when you think of all the loved ones who have left us from Holiday Seasons gone by.

Enough of that though.

This Holiday Season, I wish to thank the growing numbers of people who are visiting Niagara At Large for news and commentary for doing just that, and for encouraging your friends to join us in trying to make sense of what is going on in our communities and around the world. Continue reading →

“The issues (dogging the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority) need to be addressed by the province in the most effective, efficient and credible way possible. The OPP in my mind would meet these criteria.” – Welland Mayor Frank Campion and NPCA board member Frank Campion

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 23^rd, 2016 on Niagara At Large 

City of Welland Mayor and NPCA board member Frank Campion

Welland/Niagara, Ontario – This December 20th, the council for the City of Welland joined councils for the Niagara municipalities of St. Catharines, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Port Colborne, Pelham and Thorold, and the council for the City of Hamilton in joining Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster and many citizens across the region in calling on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government to launch a forensic and/or value-for-money audit, and a full investigation of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s operations.

The Welland council motion, tabled by the city’s Mayor Frank Campion who also happens to be one of 11 municipal politicians in the region sitting on the 15-member NPCA board, goes a step further than those passed by other councils by asking the Wynne government to consider involving the Ontario Provincial Police in an investigation of the NPCA. Continue reading →

“Our governments have all failed to stop this war. Let’s demand that they unite to insist that Russia, Iran, and Syria allow the United Nations and the Red Cross to evacuate                                  all remaining civilians safely from Aleppo.”

A Call-Out from Avaaz, an international online public interest group

Posted December 19^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Dear friends,

The massacre of Aleppo has begun. Militias have reportedly gone house to house, executing civilians, women, and children, and an evacuation convoy was just attacked.

The deadly horror for Syrians fleeing their homes

Tens of thousands of civilians are left, crying out for help. Our governments have all failed to stop this war. Let’s demand that they unite to insist that Russia, Iran, and Syria allow the UN and the Red Cross to evacuate remaining civilians safely from Aleppo.

If these 3 governments hear urgently not just from the US and Western Europe, but from governments around the world, it CAN affect their thinking: Every moment takes a life – let’s stop the massacre of Aleppo Continue reading →

 A Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 23^rd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The recent death of long-time Cuban leader Fidel Castro was, among so many other things, a reminder of how close the world once came to brink of nuclear annihilation.

It was October, 1963, curing one of the darkest years of the Cold War and a nuclear arms race that had the fate of the world on a hair trigger, that the U.S. and former Soviet Union came as to launching an all-out nuclear war as almost anyone alive at that time could ever imagine as they played a dangerous game of brinkmanship over missile launch pads the Soviets were caught installing on the Cuban island.

For almost two weeks, the news pouring out of TV sets at home was so grim that our parents – I was barely 12 at the time and can still remember – had trouble keeping a brave face and some of the kids in my grade school class broke down in tears of fears. Continue reading →

“It boggles my mind. … I would think that you would want to do (a forensic audit)  and see how you can improve your business.”                                      – Thorold Regional Councillor Henry D’Angela

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 22^nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“This is your tax money at work,” said Thorold regional councillor Henry D’Angela as he held up a full-page ad the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority recently paid for in a weekly regional newspaper, Niagara This Week.

Thorold regional councilor Henry D’Angela joins call for full audit and investigation of Conservation Authority

Still holding up the ad, D’Angela noted that the Conservation Authority’s chair Bruce Timms, who is also a regional councillor for St. Catharines, claims that he would rather spend the money the NPCA receives from municipal taxpayers each year on planting trees and pollinator gardens.

“Well then what is the justification for spending money on this,” said  D’Angela, adding that “ironically” the paper the NPCA ad is printed on uses up trees.

D’Angela pointed to the ad, used by the NPCA to defend itself against growing legions of critics, as just one more of a number of reasons why members of Thorold’s council, who he spoke to this past December 20^th, should join councils for  other Niagara municipalities and Hamilton in calling on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government to launch a thorough forensic audit and investigation of the NPCA’s operations. Continue reading →

A Column from Town of Pelham/Niagara Mayor Dave Augustyn

Posted December 22^nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Town of Pelham in Niagara, Ontario – This past December 15th, we celebrated two very generous local family businesses for donating significant funds to support the new Pelham Community Centre.

New Pelham Community Centre, concept drawing

Thanks to the incredible generosity of Dr. Tim Nohara and his company, Accipiter Radar Technologies, “Arena A” will be named the “Accipiter Arena.” Accipiter donated $250,000 to the Community Centre’s capital fundraising campaign. The Accipiter Arena will feature an NHL-size ice surface with a 1,000-seat spectator area. This arena will be capable of hosting major sporting events, tradeshows, concerts, and other commercial affairs.

Dr. Nohara re-located Accipiter Radar Technologies from Waterloo to Pelham in 1995 and, through hard work and diligence, developed the company into a global leader in advanced avian and security radar technologies. Continue reading →

“We encourage all residents of Niagara to learn more about how to prevent, recognize and respond to an overdose.”

A News Alert from Niagara Region’s Emergency Medical Services – Niagara EMS

Posted December 21, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Region, Ontario  – Opioid misuse is a growing concern. Opioids are also called narcotics. Niagara EMS would like to ensure the public are aware of the signs and symptoms of an opioid overdose:

• Slow breathing and heart rate
• Severe drowsiness
• Cold, clammy skin which may appear blue in colour
• Very small pupils
• Not responsive to shouting or shaking

If you witness someone who shows the signs and symptoms above, or signs of distress, always call 9-1-1, as it is a medical emergency. Continue reading →

Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

 Deadline for Nominations is Friday, January 13^th, 2017

Posted December 22^nd, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Welland/Niagara, Ontario  – Cindy Forster, MPP for the Niagara riding of Welland, is encouraging local schools and community and volunteer organizations across the Niagara region to identify nominees for the Leading Women Leading Girls Building Communities Recognition Program now underway.

 This would include West St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland, Wainfleet, Port Colborne and everything in between. Nominations must be in by Friday, January 13, 2017. Continue reading →

A Lobbyist This Excuse for a Conservation Authority Paid For                  With OUR MONEY, By The Way!

By John Bacher

Posted December 21^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

For the past two years the provincial government has been engaged in a disturbing public consultation.

And while that  process of public consultation is now finished, there is internally at the cabinet table of Premier Kathleen Wynne’s Liberal government at Queen’s Park a major debate, which is expected to be resolved in the first few months of 2017.

The aged wetlands in Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, Ontario – home to a diversity of wildlife – have been a target for something called “biodiversity offsetting” – code for destruction – by the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. Will Ontario’s Wynne government give the green light for that destruction to happen?

The Cabinet debate reviewing Ontario’s wetland policy which has been in place since 1992. The current policy which has been respected under New Democratic, Liberal and Progressive Conservative governments for 24 years has as its cornerstone a very important principle. Continue reading →

A News Release from the Niagara Health System

Posted December 21^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Thomas Woodruff (left) with Niagara Health President Suzanne Johnston presenting the Holiday Card Contest grand prize certificate at the St. Catharines Site. Photo courtesy of Niagara Health System

Niagara, Ontario – A colourful drawing of a winter scene depicting Extraordinary Caring was selected as the grand prize winner of Niagara Health’s 10^th Annual Holiday Card Contest. The picture showing a person reaching out to a stranger in need with a helping hand is featured as the image on Niagara Health’s holiday card. 

 Eleven-year-old Thomas Woodruff of Niagara Falls is the talented artist and grand prize winner. The Grade 6 Orchard Park School student spent a great deal of time and attention making his entry a perfect fit for the Niagara Health holiday card. Continue reading →

“I wish I could give u better news. As bad as it seems, I’m sorry to tell you, it will be worse. We are a broken country at this point.”

By American activist and filmmaker Michael Moore, from his Facebook Page

Posted December 21^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

• Hello rest of the world! My fellow Americans are asleep right now so I thought we could talk privately and maybe I can explain what happened (this Monday, December 19^th).
• Hillary Clinton won the election on Nov 8 by 2.8 million votes over Donald Trump. Which is to say, she lost. You are correct, this is not a democracy.

Continue reading →

A Brief from Doug Draper

Posted December 20th,  016 on Niagara At Large

This just recently in.

This December 20th, the council for the Niagara municipality of Thorold joined St. Catharines, Pelham, Niagara-on-the-Lake, Port Colborne and the City of St. Catharines in calling on Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government to direct a full investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority. Continue reading →

“The provincial government’s Ontario Grant Program … is designed to pay most or all tuition costs for students from households earning less than $50,000 a year. … About 55,000 households in Niagara have an annual income of less than $50,000, according to Statistics Canada figures.”

News from Brock University in Niagara, Ontario

Posted December 20^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Brock University will become a reachable option for thousands more Niagara families next fall, when a new program covers undergraduate tuition costs for students from middle- or low-income homes.

A sceneon the campus of Brock University in St. Catharines/Niagara

The provincial government’s Ontario Grant Program, which takes effect in September 2017, is designed to pay most or all tuition costs for students from households earning less than $50,000 a year.

Last week, the government posted an online calculator where students can see if they qualify for free tuition or grants. For students about to graduate from high school, Jan. 11, 2017 is the application deadline to attend Brock next fall. Continue reading →

A Brief One from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 20^th, 2016

Pelham Mayor Dave Augustyn and his council join growing call to Ontario government for a full probe and audit of NPCA operations

Niagara, Ontario – This December 19^th, the Town of Pelham’s council  joined a growing call from Niagara municipalities, the City of Niagara Falls, Cindy Forster and other Niagara MPPs, and citizens at large for the Ontario government to initiate a full investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

This December 20^th, councils for the Niagara municipalities of Thorold and Welland will consider a similar call which comes in the wake of numerous concerns and questions over the NPCA’s board and management’s hiring and firing of staff, awarding of consultant contracts, land dealings and other matters many argue is compromising the body’s role as a guardian of the region’s natural heritage. Continue reading →

‘The current federal funding proposal is over $30 billion less than what the evidence shows is needed to maintain the sustainability of health care systems across Canada.’

A News Release from the Government of Ontario

Posted December 19^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Provincial-Territorial Ministers of Finance and Health today unanimously called on the federal government to negotiate a fair and long-term funding partnership for the health of Canadians. 

Health care is the number one priority of Canadians. Ministers agreed that the federal government’s unilateral approach to health funding puts the services Canadians rely on as well as the sustainability of provincial and territorial health services at risk. Continue reading →

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 19^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Three more municipal councils in Niagara – the council for Pelham this Monday, December 19^th, and the ones for Welland and Thorold this Tuesday, December 20^th – are expected to vote on motions calling on the Ontario government to launch a full investigation, including a forensic and/or value-for-dollar audit, of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s operations.

All of this continuing in the wake of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster publicly calling on the province to investigate and audit theNPCA this November, then four municipal councils, beginning with St. Catharines this past December 5^th, then Niagara-on-the-Lake, Port Colborne and the City of Hamilton’s council, calling on Premier Wynne and her government to thoroughly investigate and audit the NPCA’s operations.

Two other Niagara councils – in the Township of Wainfleet and City of Niagara Falls – also passed motions calling for a forensic audit of the NPCA, but those motions ask the NPCA’s board, rather than the province, to make arrangements to have an “independent” audit done of its operations. Continue reading →

A Call-Out from Niagara Action for Animals

Posted December 19th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara Action for Animals is a non-profit, all volunteer charity devoted to ending all forms of animal cruelty through education, direct action and legitimate protest.

For more information on Niagara Action for Animals and its efforts for all creatures great and small, click on its website at – http://www.niagaraactionforanimals.org/ .

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

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

For more news and commentary from Niagara At Large – an independent, alternative voice for our greater 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

Calling For Needed Funding And Proper Accountability

A Message from the Ontario Health Coalition, a not-for-profit citizens advocacy organization

Posted December 18^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario  – Ontarians have a lot to lose, or a lot to gain, in this Monday, December 19th’s Health Accord negotiations.

Finance and Health Ministers from across Canada are making their way to Ottawa Sunday to potentially complete negotiations for a new Health Accord for Canada. Leading into the meetings, the Ontario Health Coalition reported that Ontario’s Health Minister is showing great leadership in trying to forge a deal that will both provide a realistic level of funding for health care from the federal government and, in return, ensure that provinces are properly accountable. Both of these are in the public interest.

The devil is in the details. Continue reading →

“I thank Mayor April Jeffs for her leadership in recognizing the proper process to prompt action on this matter by bringing a request directly to the NPCA Board.” – from a letter from Bruce Timms, Chair of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, to Wainfleet Mayor April Jeffs

A News Commentary from Doug Draper followed by a ‘Letter of Thanks’ To Wainfleet’s Mayor from NPCA Chair Bruce Timms

Wainfleet Mayor and Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board member April Jeffs earns the thanks of NPCA board chair Bruce Timms for directing her township council to ask the NPCA to arrange a forensic audit of its operations rather than doing what St. Catharines, Hamilton, Port Colborne and Niagara-on-the-Lake councils have  done and other municipal councils are planning to do, and called on the provincial government to launch such an audit of a Conservation Authority that growing numbers of citizens across the region have expressed a loss of trust in.

This December has so far proven to be one of the rougher months for Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority board members and administrators who have been dogged all year with growing questions and concerns over the way they use millions of dollars of our tax money to manage their operations.

Since this past December 5^th alone, the elected members of councils in three Niagara municipalities, beginning with St. Catharines and continuing with Niagara-on-the-Lake and Port Colborne – overwhelming supported motions, urging the Ontario government to commence a full investigation and forensic and/or value-for-dollars audit of the NPCA’s operations.

Those motions were followed up this past December 15^th with one from the council for the City of Hamilton, which has areas of watershed within its municipal boundaries that the NPCA is supposed to show some care for, renewing a call it made to the Ontario government more than a year ago, not only for a full audit, but for a change of management at the Conservation Authority.

And word has it that at least a few more Niagara municipal councils will come forward with motions to the province before the end of this year for an NPCA investigation.

Yet it hasn’t been a completely bumpy ride the NPCA this December. Continue reading →

Provinces  Sign Historic Economic Partnership

“This agreement complements a range of initiatives already underway in Ontario to provide reliable and more affordable electricity.” – Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne

A News Release from the Governments of Ontario and Quebec

Posted December 15th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Montréal, Quebec — Premier Philippe Couillard of Québec and Premier Kathleen Wynne of Ontario today attended the official signing of the historic electricity trade agreement between Hydro-Québec and the Independent Electricity System Operator of Ontario (IESO).

For the occasion, the premiers were accompanied by the Minister of Energy of Ontario, Glenn Thibeault, and the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources, Minister Responsible for the Northern Plan of Québec, Pierre Arcand. Under this agreement, the IESO will purchase a total of 14 terawatt hours (TWh) of electricity from Hydro-Québec over a seven-year period from 2017 to 2023. Continue reading →

Here’s A Chance To Have Your Say

A Call-Out from the Ontario Clean Air Alliance

Posted December 15^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Where do you think Ontario’s energy should come from? Giant nuclear and gas-fired power plants or renewable sources like water, wind and solar?

You can have a say on Ontario’s future energy directions through the province’s Long Term Energy Plan review. The most important element of this review is that the government hear loudly and clearly that there remains strong support for renewable energy in Ontario.

While the world shifts to green sources, Ontario is doubling down on nuclear, rebuilding ten aging reactors, while pushing renewable energy to the fringe. This is a bad plan and an economically disastrous direction. Continue reading →

A Call-Out For Holiday Season Donations from Niagara Action for Animals

Posted December 14^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Dear Friends of Animals —

We are excited to launch our Hope for the Holidays fundraising campaign.

From now through the holidays we will be accepting donations to help support our foster program, our feral colonies/barn homes, and will also be stockpiling food and supplies for our Pet Food Assistance program for those in need over the holiday season.

This time of year is tough for many folks, including animals, so every little bit helps!! Continue reading →

“The case for public pharmacare has been made. Its one of those rare public policy initiatives in which there is no downside. … Politically it should be a no-brainer.” – Economist Hugh Mackenzie

From the Canadian Federation of Nurses Union

Posted December 14^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

All Canadians can get their illness diagnosed without any out-of-pocket costs under our public health care system. But millions of Canadians cannot afford needed medications to treat or cure their illnesses.

Canadian Federation of Nurses’ Unions President, Linda Silas, who spearheaded the new report

People with cancer or HIV/AIDs are faced with drug costs that amount to thousands of dollars per month. Their drugs are tragically unaffordable for anyone without a drug insurance plan, and often a huge problem even for those who think they would have coverage under their drug plans but find out that the drug they need is not covered, or there are increasing co-pays or other restrictions in their insurance plan.  

Earlier this December, as the Prime Minister (of Canada) and Premiers from the provinces and territories met over dinner to talk about health care funding, Canada’s nurses released an important new report on “pharmacare” (a national drug insurance program just like public health care for all). The report lays waste to any notion that we can’t afford a drug program that covers everyone. In fact, Canadians can’t afford not to. Continue reading →

The growing dissent “just shows that we were ahead of the curve.” – Hamilton City Councillor Sam Merulla of the number of citizens and municipal councils demanding a provincial investigation.

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 14, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The City Council for Hamilton is once again calling on the Ontario government to launch a forensic audit and investigation of a Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority that a growing numbers of Niagara and Hamilton area citizens have lost trust in.

A recent protest rally in front of the NPCA’s Niagara headquarters in Welland. File photo by Doug Draper

The Hamilton council’s vote for an investigation – the second it has made to Premier Kathleen Wynne and her government in the past two years – follows similar recent calls on the province to thoroughly probe the NPCA made by Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster and the councils for the Niagara municipalities of Port Colborne, Niagara-on-the-Lake and St. Catharines. Continue reading →

Province Should Step In With Special Supervisor NOW And Sweep Out Entire NPCA Board & Administration

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted just after Midnight on December 13^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

This just recently in.

The council for the City of Port Colborne – as of this evening of Monday, December 12^th  – has joined the City of St. Catharines and Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake in unanimously supporting a motion calling on the Ontario government to conduct a full investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority’s operations

Ed Smith at Niagara’s regional council this past spring, asking it to order an audit of the NPCA, and getting treated like human garbage in return by some of the council members. File photo by Doug Draper

..The Niagara-on-the-Lake council approved such a motion earlier on the same Monday evening, and now Port Colborne, with Niagara Falls city council scheduled to consider a similar motion this coming Tuesday, December 13^th, and other municipal councils in Niagara, Ontario expected to follow suit before the end of this year.

This unprecedented call by municipalities in Niagara for a forensic audit of a publicly funded body in the region follows in the wake of a call Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster made to the province this November for an audit of the NPCA, and in the wake of a growing lack of public confidence in those running this Conservation Authority. Continue reading →

This Tuesday, December 13, Public Eyes Turn To Niagara Falls City Council for A Vote on an NPCA Audit

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 12^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake has joined the City of St. Catharines in calling on the provincial government to launch a thorough investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

St. Catharines/Niagara resident Ed Smith nas been slapped with lawsuit threat from NPCA. This December 12th, he took his call for a full and independent forensic audit of the Conservation Authority to Niagara-on-the-Lake town council.  File photo by Doug Draper

The town council’s support for a motion calling for a full probe of the NPCA was requested at this December 12^th, by Michael Welsh who sits as chair of the town’s committee of adjustment, but told Niagara At Large in an interview earlier this December 12^th that he is making a case for passage of the motion as a private citizen.

“I am coming forward as a private citizen,” added Welsh, a Niagara-on-the-Lake resident,” because I was quite disturbed that the Conservation Authority is going after Mr. Ed Smith legally.” Continue reading →

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 12^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – The Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake may join the City of St. Catharines in calling on the provincial government to launch a thorough investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

The town council’s support for a motion calling for a full probe of the NPCA is being requested at today, at its Monday, December 12^th, by Michael Welsh who sits as chair of the town’s committee of adjustment, but told Niagara At Large in an interview earlier this December 12^th that he is making a case for passage of the motion as a private citizen.

“I am coming forward as a private citizen,” added Welsh, a Niagara-on-the-Lake resident,” because I was quite disturbed that the Conservation Authority is going after Mr. Ed Smith legally.”

Welsh was referring to the recent threat the NPCA’s board of directors, chaired by St. Catharines regional councillor, has made in a lawyer’s letter to threaten Smith, a St. Catharines/Niagara citizen for circulating a report raising concerns and questions about the NPCA’s operations, including its hiring, firing and contract tendering practices, in his quest for a full, independent audit of the body. Continue reading →

Council Votes To Re-Install Integrity Commissioner. Disciplinary Action Against Councillor Petrowski’s Conduct Deferred

A News Commentary by Doug Draper

Posted December 9^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“We have to put up with two more years of this,” said but one of a number of Niagara residents who wandered out of the regional council chambers this December 8^th while whatever passes as governance in that chambers was still in session.

St. Catharines regional councilor Andy Petrowski’s recent posting of anti-Semitic video on Twitter triggers council discussion on need for integrity commissioner/ stricter code of conduct. File photo from 2015

Well, it’s more like one more year and 10 months, to be precise until, if the electorate across Niagara wakes up and votes smart, all but about a dozen of these regional councillors – the good ones, as some residents have taken to calling them, who have at least been trying to stand up against the relentless tide of sludge that has rolled over the first two years of this term of council   – are swept out of office in the next municipal elections.

It has been a “dreadful” year, observed one regional councillor – Lincoln Mayor Sandra Easton – at the December 8^th regional council meeting as she considered the number of complaints about conduct involving councillors, staff and members of the public in 2016. She has never, in all her years, experienced anything to match it, she said.

But more about the dreadful year (or two years, others might say) later. Let’s get back to the dreadful night. Continue reading →

A Decade Before American Civil Rights Icon Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat in the bus, Canada’s Viola Desmond made a courageous stand for civil rights by refusing  to give up her seat in the theatre

“She represents courage, strength nd determination—qualities we should all aspire to every day.” – Canada’s Minister of Finance Bill Morneau

News from the Government of Canada & Bank of Canada

Posted December 8th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario – Governor Stephen S. Poloz, Minister of Finance Bill Morneau and Minister of Status of Women Patty Hajdu today announced that Viola Desmond will be featured on a new $10 bank note, expected in late 2018. This will mark the first time that a portrait of a Canadian woman will be featured on a regularly circulating Bank of Canada note.

Desmond, an icon of the human rights and freedoms movement in Canada, was selected from a short list of five iconic Canadian women by Minister Morneau, in accordance with the Bank of Canada Act. A successful Nova Scotia businesswoman, she is known for defiantly refusing to leave a whites-only area of a movie theatre in 1946. She was subsequently jailed, convicted and fined. Her court case was the first known legal challenge against racial segregation brought forth by a Black woman in Canada. Continue reading →

 “Zero G, and I feel fine,” John Glenn’s first words after going into Earth’s orbit on February 20th, 1962

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted December 8^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

There was a time when everyone who was over the age of 7 in 1962 knew exactly where they were and what they were doing when an American astronaut named John Glenn became the first human to orbit our Earth in space in a small capsule called ‘Friendship Seven’.

John Glenn went on to serve four terms as a U.S. senator and became the oldest person to return to space when he was in his 70s two decades ago.

Glenn died this December 8^th, 2016 at age 95 – one of the last of an older generation prototypes of the all-American hero. Continue reading →

“Nobody voted for a Premier who does more for Liberal insiders than she does for families. We need a government that puts people first.”                     – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

A Year-End Message from Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Posted December 8^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large 

Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath

Queen’s Park, Toronto – Ontario NDP Leader Andrea Horwath wrapped up the fall legislative session calling for bold change including: affordable hydro, repairing the serious damage the Liberal government has done to our health and education systems, opportunities for youth, and good jobs and decent benefits for every Ontarian

.“Ontario is at a tipping point. Families are struggling to pay their bills and are worrying about what the future holds,” said Horwath. “Ontarians deserve to have hope again and real opportunity for their kids right here at home.”  Continue reading →

CAMH Monitor survey also shows many Ontario adults report texting and driving, and increasing mental distress days

A Report from the Canada’s Centre for Addiction and Mental Health

Posted December 8^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Foreword Note from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper – I sincerely hope that people – particularly younger people who are more prone to be wired into online electronic devices so much of the time – read this report, if they haven’t already heard the very good CBC radio and television reports since its release this December 7^th. 2016.

Call me out of step with the times, an old, technically challenged fart or whatever, but it is disturbing to watch so many people so totally immersed in whatever they are texting, tweeting, firing off to so-called “friends” on Facebook, or watching or playing on a hand-held screen that they are almost totally oblivious to what is going on in the real, organic community around them. Continue reading →

 The bill, if passed, would require that at least half of the membership of conservation authority boards includes individuals with significant training, experience or employment history  in an                      environmental or natural resource field.

“What we’re seeing across the province are conservation authority boards that aren’t putting the protection of the environment first.” – Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

News from the Constituency Office of Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

Posted December 7^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Queen’s Park, Toronto – This December 7th, Welland NDP MPP, Cindy Forster, tabled legislation that would ensure greater transparency and accountability within conservation authority boards across the province.

Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster stands by her call for a full, forensic audit of the Conservation Authority.

The bill, if passed, would require that at least half of the membership of conservation authority boards includes individuals with significant training, experience or employment history in an environmental or natural resource field.

“I’ve been hearing about this from my constituents for years. I’ve received numerous complaints that conservation authorities aren’t properly conserving wetlands and natural heritage in the way they should be. Worse, I’m being told developers have more leeway than taxpayers. This goes against the very mandate of a conservation authority and this legislation would go a long way to fixing that,” said Forster.  Continue reading →

A Brief One from Doug Draper

Posted December 7^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

He was honoured at an Assembly of First Nations gathering in Quebec this December 7^th  as the “man who walks among the stars.”

Gord Downie is one of Canada’s and the world’s truly heroic ‘Persons of the Year’ this 2016

Gord Downie, the frontman of the iconic Canadian rock band Tragically Hip, wiped tears from his eyes as members of the Assembly paid tribute to him for his part in drawing awareness to the suffering inflicted on indigenous people victimized by residential school and for raising his voice for truth and reconciliation.

Forget about Trump being named Time magazine’s ‘Person of the Year’ for 2016. One of the people who deserves to be honoured as one of this year’s heroes is Gord Downie, who was diagnosed with incurable brain cancer early in this year, then took the band out of what may very well be a farewell, cross-country tour. Continue reading →

– That Ought To Sell A Few Magazines!

“It’s hard to measure the scale of his disruption. … Trump’s victory represents a long-overdue rebuke to an entrenched and arrogant governing class; for those who see it as for the worse, the destruction extends to cherished norms of civility and discourse, a politics poisoned by vile streams of racism, sexism, nativism.”

Posted December 7^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from Doug Draper, publisher, Niagara At Large – Last year, when Time Magazine announced its choice of German Chancellor Angela Merkel as its ‘Person of the Year’, Donald Trump reacted as follows in one of his infamous tweets – “I told you @TIME Magazine would never pick me as person of the year despite being the big favorite,” he wrote on the social media site to his over 5 million followers. “They picked person who is ruining Germany.”

“How sad,” the Donald added elsewhere of Time’s 2015 choice.

So this year, instead of choosing someone heroic like a Gord Downie of Tragically Hip, who is facing down a deadly cancer diagnosis with a world-class, record-breaking on Youtube concert tour while continuing his advocacy work for Indigenous peoples and the environement at the same time, or choosing the Indigenous people standing up against the giant petro-chemical corporations at Standing Rock, North Dakota, this “malignant narcissist,” as American doc filmmaker Michael Moore recently called him, who is now in a position to not only ruin his own country, but the entire world, wins the big prize.

How sad!

Now here is Time’s announcement, outling the the magazine’s reasons for choosing him. Then have your say on this in the space below.)

Annoucement from Time Magazine editor Nancy Gibbs

“This is the 90th time we have named the person who had the greatest influence, for better or worse, on the events of the year. So which is it this year: Better or worse? The challenge for Donald Trump is how profoundly the country disagrees about the answer. Continue reading →

An Invite from the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society in Niagara, Ontrio

Posted December 6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

For those who may feel blue in the face of scandals regarding untendered and unsolicited government contracts, a good recipe for some cheer is to come out to the Preservation of Agricultural Lands Society (PALS)  2016 Mennonite Quilt Draw Party for some fun and fellowship. This will take place between 2 and 4pm on Saturday, December 10^th, at a beautiful historic home at 38 Dalhousie Drive in St. Catharines.

The positive work of PALS in defending the environment has much to do with the counter scheming of others. Continue reading →

“The richest 10% pocket an average annual benefit of $15,000 per person from tax loopholes. By comparison, the poorest 10% receive on average $130 in tax loopholes.”

News from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives

Posted December 6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Ottawa, Ontario —Canada’s personal income tax expenditures disproportionately benefit the rich and cost the federal treasury nearly as much as it collects in personal income tax, says a study released today by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives (CCPA).

.

The study, by CCPA Senior Economist David Macdonald, examines the income distribution of benefit for the 64 personal income tax expenditures for which there is available data.

Out of the 64 tax expenditures, 59 of them provide more benefit to the top 50% of income earners than the bottom half, with the largest share going to the richest 10%. The cost of those 59 expenditures totalled $100.5 billion in 2011 alone. Continue reading →

‘It is just the right thing to do. …to demand more  transparency and accountability from this body.’  – Niagara Falls, Ontario city councillor Carolynn Ioannoni

By Doug Draper

Posted December 6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – A member of another municipal council in Niagara is planning to table a motion – passed unanimously by St. Catharines council this December 5^th – that calls on the Ontario government to get going on a full investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

Niagara Falls city councilor Carolynne Ioannoni hoping her council will join call to province for full audit of NPCA operations.

This week it was the council of St. Catharines that discussed and ultimately passed a motion demanding a thorough audit of the NPCA in the wake of growing public questions and concerns about how it spends millions of dollars annually of money it receives from municipalities across Niagara and the Hamilton and Haldimand regions.

Next week – on Tuesday, December 13^th – Niagara Falls city councillor Carolynn Ioannoni told Niagara At Large that she plans to table a motion similar to the one tabled this December 5^th by St. Catharines city councillor Bruce Williamson. Continue reading →

Short-Staffing At Canadian Border Causes Delays During the Height of Busy Travel Months And is Hurting Both Sides of the Border

News from the Office of U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer of New York

Posted December 6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer met with the new Canadian Consul General Phyllis Yaffe and Canadian Ambassador David McNaughton this December 1^st and urged them to immediately address staffing issues that are causing long wait times at all international border crossings between Buffalo and Canada including the Peace Bridge.

The Peace Bridge crossing at Niagara, Ontario and Buffalo, New York

Schumer said wait times this past summer got out of control because of a lack of available CBSA agents, and this lack of border agents could cause further delays during the upcoming busy holiday travel season, especially as construction begins on the Peace Bridge, reducing travel to one lane.

Over the summer, Schumer wrote to the President of the Canada Border Services Agency and urged Canada to bring more border agents to keep crossings open and moving. Continue reading →

News from Brock University

Posted December 6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

St. Catharines/Niagara, Ontario – On December 6, 1989, 14 women studying at the École Polytechnique in Montreal were killed. December 6 is now a solemn day for remembering victims, but also a day of action against violence. It’s a day to remember the women affected and killed, and to re-commit to working for change.

Brock University in Niagara community of St. Catharines, Ontario

A series of events around the Brock University campus this Tuesday, Dec. 6 will mark the National Day of Remembrance and Action on Violence Against Women. Two events have been organized by students in Brock Labour

Studies’ Women, Work and Unions class: Continue reading →

A Warning To Residents from the City of St. Catharines

Posted December 5th/6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword from Niagara At Large – NAL is posting the following advisory to St. Catharines resident with an eye to the possibility if this kind of door-to-door scheme is happening in that municipality, it may also be happening in other municipalities across the Niagara region. So beware of anyone who comes to your door on this one.)

St. Catharines/Niagara, Ontario –Residents should be on alert for door-to-door salespeople claiming to be authorized by the City to inspect water lines for lead.

The City of St. Catharines does not go door-to-door testing for lead, nor does the City authorize organizations to test for lead on its behalf.

“Residents should always ask to see ID when someone presents themselves as being from the City,” says Mark Green, manager, environmental services. “City employees are required to present photo identification before asking to enter your home.” Continue reading →

–         Make Sure You Have Your Say On The Future Role The OMB Should Play In Community Planning Decisions

By John Bacher

Posted December 6^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario – Between now and December 19^th, the province of Ontario is engaged in a review of the role of the Ontario Municipal Board. (OMB) Appealing to the OMB is the only way to reverse the decision of an elected municipal council on a land use planning matter. This over the years has  involved decisions on the protection of the unique Niagara Fruit Belt and threatened forests.

Many heritage activists and other citizens felt an Ontario Municipal Board hearing a decade ago over plans to build a multi-story condo in Port Dalhousie and rip down some of the old buildings in the area, including the now-gone Port Mansion pictured here, was stacked against them and in favour of the developer. File photo by Doug Draper

The most important training of my life, under the guidance of two thoughtful role models, Mel Swart and Robert Hoover, was to develop an appreciation of the role of the OMB in protecting the environment. Although cynics may dismiss its role as a haven for high priced lawyers and consultants, I can show you amazing orchards and forests which would not be here today had not it been used successfully to defend Mother Earth.

Shortly after their election victory, the Ontario Liberals made an important reform to the OMB. This is discussed on page 16 of the government’s discussion document, “Review of the Ontario Municipal Board.” ( this 35 page report can be downloaded from the website of the Ontario Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing) Continue reading →

By Doug Draper

Posted December 5^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The council for Niagara, Ontario’s largest municipality – St. Catharines – has given its unanimous approval to a motion calling on the provincial government to order a full investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.

St. Catharines City Hall

The motion was tabled at the December 5^th council meeting by St. Catharines city councillor and received full endorsement late into the evening following presentations by the Conservation Authority’s chair and St. Catharines regional councillor Bruce Timms, who argued against passage of it, and St. Catharines citizen activist Ed Smith and Welland MPP Cindy Forster, who argued for its passage. Continue reading →

From St. Catharines/Niagara resident and community activist Desmond Sequeira

Posted December 5^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

(A Brief Foreword Note – Niagara At Large is posting the following letter, dated December 3^rd and written to Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne, some of her key Cabinet Ministers and to Niagara area MPPs, with the permission of its author Desmond Squeira, just hours before St. Catharines councillors debate a motion this Monday (December 5^th) evening to make the same call on the province for a full investigation and audit of the NPCA.

Niagara residents rally in front of NPCA headquarters r in support of recent call by Welland MPP Cindy Forster for a forensic audit of the conservation  body. File photo by Doug Draper

NAL learned earlier this December 5^th that NPCA chair and St. Catharines regional councillor has been granted permission to speak to the council at the 6:30 p.m. meeting, presumably to speak against passage of the motion, drafted by St. Catharines city councillor Bruce Williamson, calling for the audit and investigation.

Niagara area residents have also been working to organize a rally in front of the St. Catharines City Hall in the city’s downtown, in favour of the motion.

More on this issue later. Now here is the letter to the Premier and company, composed by Desmond Sequeira.)

To Honourable Premier, Ministers and MPPs –

Continue reading →

Names And Contact Info. For St. Catharines Councillors Is Posted Here – Call Or Email Them Before This Monday, December 5^th Evening Council Meeting

A  Call-Out from Niagara At Large publisher Doug Draper

Posted December 4th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

“Those who have nothing to hide, hide nothing,” said St. Catharines/Niagara citizen Ed Smith at a press conference this past November 30^th about the lawsuit threat he is facing from the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority for raising questions about its operating practices and demanding a forensic audit to get to the bottom of how responsibly the NPCA is spending millions of dollars of tax money that comes from residents in Niagara, Hamilton and Haldimand County.

A recent citizens’ protest in front of the Niagara Peninsula Conservtion Authority headquarters in Welland/Niagara, Ontario. Protesters call for full audit of the body.

This past a spring, during what turned out to be a failed attempt by a delegation of area resident, including Smith, to convince enough Niagara regional councillors (a number of whom are allowed by the regional and provincial governments to sit on the NPCA board) to do a thorough audit of the Conservation Authority’s operations, Thorold regional councillor and former Thorold mayor Henry D’Angela (who has no ties with then NPCA CEO and now-Niagara regional CEO Carmen D’Angelo), insisted that the audit should be done “to make sure we’re (each and every tax paying citizen in the region) getting value for money from the NPCA.”

“Who wouldn’t want their internal controls reviewed to see if they can do it better,” asked D’Angela at the time.

Who indeed! Continue reading →

The NPCA “has operated as a closed shop (and) has shown no respect for the principle of serving the common good and protecting the unique natural environmental features we share in the Niagara Peninsula.”                                                                           – St. Catharines, Ontario City Councillor Bruce Williamson

By Doug Draper

Posted December 1^st & 2nd  2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario –A St. Catharines councillor is planning to put a motion before the city’s council this coming Monday, December 5^th, urging the Ontario government “to immediately initiate an appropriately thorough investigation and forensic audit of the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.”

St. Catharines, Ontario city councilor Bruce Williamson to table motion, calling on province for full, forensic audit of NPCA

The motion, drafted by veteran St. Catharines councillor Bruce Williamson, follows in the wake of a public call Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster made two weeks ago to Kathryn McGarry, Ontario’s Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, for a full and independent forensic audit of the NPCA.

A call for an audit of the same body was also made to Niagara’s regional council earlier this year by a delegation of area residents, led by St. Catharines citizen activist Ed Smith, who was recently threatened by the NPCA with a “defamation” lawsuit for circulating a report called “A Call for Accountability at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority,” detailing a long list of concerns and questions around the way the NPCA operates, including the firing and hiring of staff. Continue reading →

By John Bacher

Niagara, Ontario – Honchoes at Niagara’s Conservation Authority have mounted an offensives against forest defenders through their response to the bravely circulated document, “A Call For Accountability at the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority.”

A threatening salvo was fired off on behalf of the Conservation Authority in the form of a letter by Robert Burns, solicitor with a Niagara Falls-based law firm, Broderick and Partners. It alleges that the authors of “the Call” are “motivated by malice” in their “false and defamatory” attacks.

Following that missive, another barrage was fired off by way of “A Special Statement” from NPCA board chair and St. Catharines regional councillor Bruce Timms.

The “Special Statement”, posted on the Conservation Authority’s website and featured as a full-page ad in Metroland weekly newspapers across Niagara this December 1^st, condemns citizen conservationists in the Niagara community for not focusing on “valid concerns.”

This “Special Statement” claims that the authentic debate shaping up over the future of the 500 acre Thundering Waters Forest in Niagara Falls, now targeted for urban development, “has shifted to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB), the City of Niagara Falls, and the province.”  Continue reading →

“Everyone wins when we design better planned, healthier urban and rural communities, while also creating an environment for farming and the agri-food economy to remain prosperous.”

News from the Ontario Farmland Trust

Posted December 1^st, 2016 on Niagara At Large

low density sprawl closing in on what’s left of our food-growing lands

Guelph, Ontario – For the first time, all of Ontario’s major farm organizations, representing some 52,000 farms and 78,000 farmers, have come together to present a strong, united message to the province: freeze urban boundaries now to stop urban sprawl and protect farming in the Greater Golden Horseshoe (GGH).

“The province needs to impose real boundaries on urban expansion, not more restrictions on farming,” says Keith Currie, President of the Ontario Federation of Agriculture (OFA). “Hard municipal growth boundaries must be part of the solution to supporting agriculture in the GGH so we don’t pave over the region’s farmland and displace more farm families and farming communities.” Continue reading →

NPCA’s Legal Threat Is “Nothing Less Than A Full Frontal Assault On Our Democracy, And On Our Rights As Canadians”    – Niagara citizen and retired Canadian Armed Forces officer    Ed Smith

By Doug Draper

Posted November 30^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

The answer is ‘NO’!

Ed Smith tells reporters this November 30th that he won’t let the threat of a lawsuit stop him from asking questions about how the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority spends our tax dollars, Photo by Doug Draper

With a December 1^st deadline in a lawyer’s letter aimed squarely and menacingly  at him, Ed Smith – a retired, 25-year member of the Canadian Armed Forces and a Niagara, Ontario citizens who has spent the better part of the last year seeking information on how the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority is spending public money – said at a press conference this November 30^th that he would rather fight any litigation that may be brought against him in court than comply with demands being made to him in a recent letter from an NPCA-hired lawyer.

The November 14^th letter, signed by lawyer Robert B. Burns of the Niagara Falls-based law firm of Broderick & Partners and mailed to Smith’s St. Catharines home, is a response to a detailed report Smith distributed to Niagara reginal councillors and others earlier this November. Continue reading →

News from the Welland Riding Constituency Office of Cindy Forster

Posted November 30^th, 2016 on Niagara At Large

Niagara, Ontario  – Cindy Forster, MPP is encouraging local schools and community and volunteer organizations to identify nominees for the Leading Women Leading Girls Building Communities Recognition Program now underway.

Welland Riding MPP Cindy Forster

This would include West St. Catharines, Thorold, Welland, Wainfleet, Port Colborne and everything in between. Nominations must be in by Friday, January 13, 2016.

Do you know of a woman or girl who is making a difference in your community?

Since the program was introduced in 2006, more than 650 women and girls across Ontario have been recognized for their leadership qualities. Continue reading →