At the Tuesday, January 11 meeting of the Public Health and Social Services Committee, we heard from a delegate who – at least based on their social media presence and previous delegations to committee/council – appears (at minimum) to be anti-vax, anti-mask, and anti-lockdown.

The delegate was on the agenda to present at the December meeting of the same committee, but the committee voted to not hear the presentation. I was not present at the meeting, having sent my regrets, and I have not watched the video, so I’m not entirely sure how this came to pass, except that there was an e-mail from the Niagara Health System that drew attention to various points of misinformation (about Niagara Health System) in the delegate’s presentation.

Continue reading “We have a responsibility” →

Last night, a small group of anti-vax, anti-mask, anti-lockdown, anti-science people doxxed Dr. Hirji, Niagara’s Medical Officer of Health, and protested in front of his home.

This morning, we woke to learn that, overnight, the home of St. Catharines City Councillor Karrie Porter had been hit with juvenile, vulgar graffiti.

Continue reading “STATEMENT: Abuse and harassment of local public officials and politicians must end” →

At last evening’s Council meeting, Niagara Regional Council passed three motions that take steps (small, though they may be) toward Truth and Reconciliation with our Indigenous friends, neighbours, relatives, and communities.

I am pleased that this Council passed the following three items/motions unanimously (the full text of which are below the video):

Corporate Services Committee Minute Item No. 5.5
CSC-C 27-2021 – Motion Respecting National Day for Truth and Reconciliation

CL-C 71-2021
Niagara Region’s Corporate Day for Learning and Reflection on September 30, 2021

CAO 15-2021
Updated Land Acknowledgement Statements

You can watch the video of the meeting here. The discussion (from my changes to the order of the agenda and the Chair’s remarks to the passing of the items/motions) about the first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and the two items related to it begins at: 00:11:45 and ends at 00:38:45.

https://youtube.com/watch?v=NDM4qkI_Mm8%3Frel%3D0%26autoplay%3D1

Continue reading “Truth and Reconciliation” →

I would like very much for this to be the last time that I have to speak about this issue at all, because I would like very much for this behaviour to end. But we do have to have these conversations, because we know that allowing it to continue whilst we are quiet about it often leads to much worse, including physical violence. Continue reading “Open Letter regarding Abuse and Harassment” →

This was a WILD ride at this morning’s Corporate Services Committee meeting. Continue reading “No direct election of the Regional Chair and no governance review for and by Niagara” →