The Niagara Regional Labour Council is holding the 10 day WHSC Instructor Training July 13-17 and July 20-24, 2026 at the Best Western St. Catharines Hotel & Conference Centre, 2 North Service Rd, St. Catharines.

The WHDSC Instructor Training Program provides an important base of knowledge and helps sharpen the skills important to the adult education process. Graduates of this program can go on to deliver Works Health & Safety Centre programs.

Benefits to becoming a WHSC-qualified instructor are many:

Claim the status of a trainer for Ontario’s official government-designated health and safety training centre, plus the knowledge, skills, and confidence that come with it.

Help co-workers, supervisors, employers, joint health & safety committees, worker health & safety reps, and/or worker trades committees, to understand and fulfill their health & safety rights and responsibilities.

Support organizational prevention efforts to achieve safer, healthier work.

Ability to instruct health & safety courses in your workplace or your organization and beyond…

*Registrants will be contacted by a WHSC training representatives to discuss logistics and overview of what to expect with instructor training and possible future pre-requisite.

Registration is $1200 per participant
(lunches and a celebration graduation dinner included)

Cheques payable to:
Niagara Regional Labour Council, PO Box 42, Thorold, Ontario, L2V 3Y7

**We do not accept e-transfer or credit card**

For registration details, including group discount code for booking rooms at the Best Western, please email us at NRLC.CLC@gmail.com

FIRM DEADLINE FOR REGISTRATION IS JUNE 12, 2026

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We are looking for 15 volunteers to help us with the NRLC’s day to fill backpacks. It would be great to have a variety of locals come out and support the kids who need our help.

1200 backpacks await us, and if you would like to help out, please fill out the attached form. The first 15 volunteers will be selected, and anyone signing up after will be an alternate in case we need extra help.

Thank you, and hope to see you there!

To sign up please fill out this form.

Date: Tuesday, August 26th

Time: 1:30-5:00 pm

Location: Beatties Warehouse

399 Vansickle Road, St Catharines

Spots are first come, first served.

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Get your voice heard in the 2025 Ontario election and vote for the Ontario you need.

The Ontario Federation of Labour (OFL) has made it simple for you to build a vote plan. Use their tool below to get all the information you need. Once you submit the form, you will be redirected to the OFL’s Power of Many website with your vote plan.

When to vote

There are three easy ways to vote:

1. In advance
   • Vote at any advance voting location in your electoral district from 10 AM to 8 PM (ET) from February 20 to 22, CLICK HERE to learn more. Remember to bring your ID.
   • Vote in person at your local election office from January 30 until 6 PM (ET) on February 26. Remember to bring your ID.
2. By mail
   • Apply to vote by mail before February 21 at 6 PM (ET), CLICK HERE to learn more.
3. In person on February 27th
   • Find your voting station by using the tool above or by visiting elections.on.ca. Remember to bring your ID.

Who can vote

To be eligible to vote, you must be:

• 18 years of age or older;
• a Canadian citizen; and
• a resident of Ontario

How to vote

When you go to vote, bring your voter identification card and a piece of ID that confirms your name. If you do not have a voter identification card, bring a piece of ID that shows your home address.

• You must provide ID to receive a ballot. You may use an electronic copy of your ID, which may be printed or displayed on a mobile device.
• Photo ID is not required. If you choose to show photo ID, your appearance does not need to match the photo.
• You do not need to provide any information about your sex or gender expression.
• International ID or permanent resident cards are not accepted.

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Right-wing populism is on the rise around the world. In Canada and the U.S., right-wing populist politicians have made direct appeals to workers, including union members and organized labour. This has even yielded some high-profile union endorsements, particularly in the building trades. Donald Trump is the most famous example, but Pierre Poilievre and the Conservative Party have adapted right-wing populism to a Canadian context.

Why has right-wing populism gained support among some workers and union members? How can the labour movement combat the appeals of right-wing populists? What roles do racism, xenophobia, and anti-feminist politics play in right-wing populist efforts to win over working-class voters?

In this free, virtual discussion, David Moscrop and Bill Fletcher Jr. will speak about how organized labour and the left in Canada and the U.S. can respond effectively to right-wing populism.

Join us on Thursday, March 7th from 7-8:30PM

You can register for the event here:

https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/labours-right-turn-right-wing-populism-and-the-working-class-tickets-836318931437

David Moscrop is a Canadian political theorist and the author of Too Dumb for Democracy? Why We Make Bad Political Decisions and How We Can Make Better Ones. He has written recently about right-wing populism in The Tyee.

Bill Fletcher Jr. is an American scholar, labour activist, and co-author of Solidarity Divided: The Crisis in Organized Labor and a New Path Toward Social Justice. His recent writing on right-wing populism has been featured in Convergence Magazine and the Socialist Register.

This event is sponsored by Brock University’s Department of Labour Studies.

The post Labour’s Right Turn? Right-Wing Populism and the Working Class appeared first on Niagara Regional Labour Council.

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Key Dates

July 4 | 2 – 5 PM – Zine-specific Open Studio August 2 | 3 – 6 PM – Zine-specific Open Studio + Contributors Community Potluck August 4 | 8 PM – Submission DeadlineSeptember & October – Printing & Zine Distribution!

The open studios and Contributors’ Community Potluck will take place at the Willow Arts Studio at Silver Spire United Church (366 St Paul St, St. Catharines). 
All of the details about the types of submissions, the project timeline, and opportunities to connect and work on your pieces are included in the attached document. From Willow Arts, the team is Shauna MacLeod and Kerry Duncan and from the NRNC, Liz Sault is the main project contact. 

The submission deadline is August 4th at 8pm. If you have any questions or need more information, please email us at zines.thewillowcommunity@gmail.com or message Shauna at Willow Arts to set up a call.

The post Hearing Voices: Chatter from the Willow zine appeared first on Niagara Regional Labour Council.

It was an incredible demonstration of our strength and solidarity. It was also only the beginning.

Here’s one easy step you can take to help us build on the June 3 momentum: invite 5 friends to sign the campaign pledge at WeSayEnough.ca. By signing the pledge, you’ll the first to know about upcoming events and solidarity actions.

Let’s keep building!

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Please fill out the following survey. We are asking that you choose three priorities for the labour council to focus on in the upcoming year. At the Strategic Planning session, we will use these responses to bring delegates together for the purposes of not only determining the direction of the next year, but to determine both the priorities and ensure that there are individuals, committees, and locals dedicated to ensuring that your priorities are carried out.

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