I started this in 2008, all alone, when I felt that certain items and information the Niagara Parks Commission should have shared with me were being suppressed and kept from me as a commissioner. I blew the whistle.
It took more than three years to win the battle, and I'm getting a lot of credit, but there were a lot of people looking and working for the truth to be revealed.
It took more than me to finally achieve the fairness in the Maid of the Mist or Niagara Falls boat tour tender in Ont., Canada.
Among those who helped achieve fairness in Ontario was, of all things, a New York state weekly newspaper -- the Niagara Falls Reporter.
Never in my life have I been more proud of the press, realizing that without them, government can and will run amok.
Ironically,although this was a Canadian issue, it took both the Canadian press and one American weekly to accomplish fairness.
It was the Reporter's articles being sent to Toronto and government officials that helped sway opinion-makers and government leaders, and attracted interest in the mainstream Canadian press.
It was not until after the Reporter started working on this story that the big newspapers started to cover it. Once the big guys -- like the Toronto Globe & Mail -- woke up to it, Canada started waking up to it.
Thank goodness for your articles. Without you covering it, nothing would have happened.
It was a David and Goliath battle. It was nice to see we can win.
So, just a quick note of thanks for your help in saving/making the Province of Ontario an extra $300 million (minimum) by helping to force this tender on the Maid of the Mist. As long as you have the facts, you win.
Finally, we made $300 million at least for the Ontario taxpayer. Now it's time for the people of New York to look out for their own taxpayers.
Hope to learn you have an open and fair bidding process for the boat tours in Niagara Falls, N.Y., as well.
| Niagara Falls Reporter | www.niagarafallsreporter.com | Feb. 28 2012 |