Media releases

• Brock University offering free London shuttle to Open House

  Friday, March 29, 2019 | By Brock University

  MEDIA RELEASE: 29 March 2019 

  As Brock’s annual Spring Open House nears, the Niagara region University is hoping to make travel to campus easier for potential students in Southwestern Ontario.

  This area is well represented and an important part of the Brock student community. More than 89 per cent of applicants from the region already have their Offers of Admission in hand. As a result, Brock is providing a free shuttle to and from London and St. Thomas for Open House on Sunday, April 7.

  Prospective students may bring up to two guests along for the ride. The free shuttle will pick-up and drop-off at Parkside Collegiate Institute in St. Thomas and Oakridge Secondary School in London. Registration for the bus is mandatory and can be done at: discover.brocku.ca/openhouse/bus/

  Running from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Open House aims to provide a taste of all that Brock has to offer. In addition to a comprehensive information fair, visitors will have the chance to tour campus, meet students, senior administrators, faculty and staff, attend presentations related to programs of interest, learn about student services and research opportunities, and even take in a first-year lecture.

  Tours of residences, research labs, athletic facilities and the Marilyn I. Walker School of Fine and Performing Arts downtown will also be available, in addition to welcome sessions to help visitors make the most of their time on campus.

  “The day will be action-packed, allowing for a ‘choose your own adventure’ style experience that meets students’ personal interests and passions,” said Beth Natale, Director, Recruitment for Brock University. “Open House is one of the best ways to solidify that Brock is the right choice for your future.”

  Online registration and a full schedule of the day’s events can be found at discover.brocku.ca/openhouse/

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews: 

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

  – 30 –

  Categories: Media releases

• Brock policy brief explores governance options for Niagara municipalities

  Thursday, March 28, 2019 | By Brock University

  Media Release: 28 March 2019 – R00056

  To merge or not to merge? That is one of the many questions Niagara and eight other Ontario regions will be grappling with as the province studies how to make municipalities more efficient.

  Two advisors appointed by the Ontario government are addressing nine questions related to how decisions are being made, and services being delivered, in two-tier systems. Residents have been asked to provide feedback by April 23, and the advisors’ report is expected to be submitted early this summer.

  To help Niagara navigate the issues, Brock University’s Niagara Community Observatory (NCO) has released its policy brief, Under the Knife & Under the Gun: An Overview of Regional Government in Niagara.

  “The purpose of the brief is to provide factual information to inform the discussion on this important issue,” says David Siegel, Professor of Political Science and author of the policy brief.

  Niagara’s 13 municipalities elect 126 councillors, a number that many have criticized as being too high. Although the brief doesn’t endorse a particular system or number of representatives, it warns “too many councillors frustrate meaningful discussion around the council table; too few councillors weaken citizen access to councillors.”

  It also cautions against making councils too small, as that would reduce diversity of gender, race, ethnic background and other characteristics.

  On the issue of service delivery, the brief says service duplication isn’t generally a problem in Niagara, as most key services such as police, social services, fire and recreation are clearly distributed between Niagara Region and area municipalities.

  Areas that are shared between the two jurisdictions include economic development, planning, public transit and roads.

  The policy brief wraps up with the ‘elephant in the room,’ amalgamation. The brief argues that past amalgamations have not saved costs or reduced taxes, but there are reasons other than cost savings why area municipalities might wish to merge.

  “Ultimately, this policy brief and the discussions following from it are aimed at positioning the Niagara community to potentially influence the direction of governance reforms,” says NCO Director Charles Conteh.

  “We hope to provide a platform for separating facts from fiction in envisioning a governance reform that is tailored to the needs of the region,” he says.

  Siegel and others from the NCO will be holding a workshop at Brock University April 16 to discuss the brief and possible ways forward for Niagara.

  For more information or for assistance arranging interviews:

  * Dan Dakin, Manager Communications and Media Relations, Brock University ddakin@brocku.ca, 905-688-5550 x5353 or 905-347-1970

  – 30 –

  Categories: Media releases