PROVINCE HANDING DIODATI, SISCOE "STRONG MAYOR POWERS": This is a major bombshell in Niagara municipal politics. To bolster the #ontpoli premier's promise to build 1.5 million homes by 2031, Queen's Park is partially overturning the democratic order on local councils. There is no other way to say it. As of July 1, the sweeping powers granted to the mayors of 26 cities, including @St_Catharines (Siscoe) and @NiagaraFalls (Diodati), allow them to propose housing-related bylaws and pass them with the support of "one-third of councillors."

VACCINES: It's never been more important to listen to people who know what they are talking about given the rampant misinformation circulating on social media. Research is not poking around on Facebook for some crackpot that confirms your bias. Research is done in a lab and directed by people who have advanced degrees. It's done in survey studies where different projects on the same subject are collated, methods are scrutinized, endnotes and footnotes are checked and verified. Assumptions are challenged.