Opinion

I want to say thank you. Thank you to this incredible community for giving me the honour of representing you over the last seven years. I want to give a special thank you to Burd Sisler. Burd is 106 years old, he is a Second World War veteran and a resident in our riding. Burd was also my nominator at my nomination meeting last Thursday. As someone whose advice I always … [Read more...] about Representing NOTL has been an honour – let’s continue that work

Frequently, I refer to a Tuesday, May 18, 2021 quote in my journal, and am in awe at what’s transpired since: “It’s a horrible feeling to be stuck in a dark, murky pond of past painful experiences; living them day to day, not knowing when the sun will shine into the pond and bring a measure of relief. I am searching to understand what is going on inside my brain, before I rush … [Read more...] about Local VOICES: ‘Defining event’ tipping point for PTSD

In 2019, a distinguished expert named Dr. Paul Demers was asked by the Ministry of Labour to investigate Ontario’s system of providing coverage for workers who attempt to receive compensation for occupational diseases and workplace cancers. His results were shocking. Dr. Demers discovered that every year around 3,000 Ontarians are diagnosed with cancers due to their work, of … [Read more...] about Local VOICES: Workplace cancers must be compensated

There has been a flurry of articles in the NOTL press in the past few weeks concerning short-term rentals (STRs). The negative bias and misinformation in some of these articles is very concerning, especially the casting of STRs as a blight on the town, and the calls for their elimination. As president of the Niagara-on-the-Lake Bed & Breakfast Association (BBA), and a … [Read more...] about Worth seeking solutions to legitimate concerns

In 2019, the second week of September was declared Canadian Mennonite Heritage week. This event celebrates our 150 years of contributions to Canada. But who are the Mennonites, and why is this recognition important? Mennonites are a diversified sect practising varying degrees of social and religious conservativeness, and ethnic traditions. Some hold to heritage alone. Since … [Read more...] about Russian Mennonites, intergenerational trauma, cultural sensitivity