Broken River is an investigative docu-series examining one of Niagara’s most controversial properties. Through investigative journalism, public records, aerial cinematography, and community voices, the series explores environmental stewardship, government transparency, corporate accountability, and the lasting consequences of industrial neglect.
I am still in production for Part 2, but here is a sneak peak.
As thousands of St. Catharines residents continue demanding action on the abandoned GM site, this episode explores how some of the city’s most politically powerful figures are using every trick in the book to keep the city’s hands tied and deny citizens the opportunity to debate or even discuss the toxic brownfield site. While calls for accountability continue to grow, the mayor and deputy mayor are using procedural rules and municipal bylaws to shut down discussion of the GM plant and its current owners.
After years of inaction, the City of St. Catharines finally issued a repair or demolition order for the former GM site amid mounting public pressure and an approaching municipal election. When the order was appealed on the final day by lawyers representing the lenders to the property’s owners, the dispute moved to a public hearing. In this Broken River Extra, I attend the hearing, deliver a delegation, and share my thoughts on what happened next.
During a public hearing on the former GM site, a committee member, the chairperson, and the secretary-treasurer repeatedly attempted to prevent me from filming the proceedings. Knowing my rights as a journalist and filmmaker, I challenged their efforts to restrict public recording and pushed back against what I viewed as an attempt to limit media coverage. In this unedited exchange, the discussion ultimately culminates with the secretary-treasurer acknowledging that the issue was about “controlling the narrative.“
Part 2 is still in the works. If you support my environmental justice advocacy and want to see this series expanded, help out my YouTube channel by liking, commenting, sharing, and subscribing. It helps others see what’s happening in St. Catharines and makes it harder for Mat Siscoe, Bill Phillips, Bayshore, and others to cover up this story.
SECRECY, SURVEILLANCE, AND THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW: Inside the NRPS’s Secret $534,000 Technology Purchase
When Niagara Regional Police disclosed the purchase, remarkably little information accompanied the announcement. The public was informed that the expenditure had been approved and that the cost exceeded half a million dollars. Beyond that, almost nothing was provided.
On My Fight with the NRPS
Until now, I have carried this case largely on my own. I authored the original complaint. I survived the first major procedural hurdle. I researched and drafted a comprehensive response to the NRPS “defence”—a document prepared by a team of taxpayer-funded lawyers with decades of combined experience. I met the system where it stood, with…
JUSTICE ENDS WHERE POLICING BEGINS: The Shameful History of Policing The Gay and Trans Community in Canada
Policing reform is routinely framed as a matter of training, oversight, or inclusive language. None of this resolves the central contradiction exposed by decades of violence against trans people: policing is a system built on discretion, not equality. It decides who belongs, who is suspect, and whose suffering is credible.
ALONE AGAINST THE SYSTEM: Fighting Police Misconduct in Ontario Means Surviving It
In Ontario, holding police accountable isn’t a matter of justice — it’s an act of endurance.
ROT AT THE CORE: How Transphobia Persists in Niagara’s Policing Culture
The former president of the Niagara Regional Police Association exemplifies systemic transphobia and homophobia in policing, perpetuating a culture of distrust. This issue highlights accountability failures, emphasizing the need for broader community responsibility in ensuring respect and equality for marginalized groups.
- WHEN A PRIDE FLAG BECOMES A TARGET: The Crown V Chandler C. Robinson
- SECRECY, SURVEILLANCE, AND THE PUBLIC’S RIGHT TO KNOW: Inside the NRPS’s Secret $534,000 Technology Purchase
- On the Failure of Escape
- The Belief Machine: PART 3-On The Hypocrisy of Belief
- The Belief Machine: PART 2-On The Business of Belief
Sabrina Constance 