Local News from Across the Rainy River District
TORONTO – Ontario’s long-term care operators welcomed provincial funding announced Wednesday to hire more than 4,000 staff within a year but advocates and employees said more must be done to improve working conditions in the sector. Long-Term Care Minister Rod Phillips said the province would put aside $270 million to […]
TORONTO – Ontario is willing to discuss optometrists’ operating costs, but won’t write them a “blank cheque,” the health minister said Wednesday ahead of a rally by the eye care professionals. Optometrists across the province withdrew provincially insured eye services, including eye exams for children and seniors, more than a […]
TORONTO – Premier Doug Ford says he won’t get involved in people’s personal medical records. He made the comments in question period Wednesday, responding to the NDP urging that the premier review the two medical exemptions from COVID-19 vaccines among his caucus members. Ontario’s chief medical officer of health has […]
TORONTO – Ontario is rolling out a rapid COVID-19 testing program for schools in areas of the province with high transmission. The chief medical officer of health said it can help identify cases and prevent transmission in schools and licensed child-care centres. The tests will only be used for unvaccinated, […]
The Ambassador Bridge border crossing was fully reopened late Monday afternoon following a police investigation into an “isolated incident” of possible explosives found in a vehicle. Police said they detained one person in connection with the probe that significantly hampered traffic across the bridge linking Windsor, Ont., with Detroit, Mich. […]
TORONTO – It’s “statistically curious” that two of Ontario’s 70 Progressive Conservative members of the legislature have medical exemptions for COVID-19 vaccines when those are supposed to be rare, NDP Leader Andrea Horwath said Monday. The government announced late Friday that Lindsey Park, one of Premier Doug Ford’s caucus members, […]
TORONTO – Ontario’s education minister says about 80 per cent of school staff have attested to being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. That is roughly the percentage of vaccination seen in the eligible population provincewide. The government has said employers in settings considered high-risk for COVID-19, including schools and hospitals, need […]
THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Police in Thunder Bay, Ont., are investigating after they say someone was found dead inside a burning home. Investigators say officers and firefighters were called to a home in the Westfort area on Sunday evening for reports of a structural fire. They say a person was […]
OTTAWA – Convincing dubious countries to allow Canadians with mixed vaccines to travel across their borders may be tricky, but Canada has a responsibility to try, according to a director with the Association of Canadian Travel Agencies (ACTA). The federal government is expected to release more details about a standardized […]
TORONTO – Avoiding future lockdowns is Ontario’s “ultimate goal,” as laid out Monday in a throne speech emphasizing recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic as it enters a new phase. Lt.-Gov. Elizabeth Dowdeswell delivered Premier Doug Ford’s throne speech, marking the start of a new legislative session and the opportunity to […]
EDMONTON – A military contingent is expected to be in position today to decide where to deploy eight critical care nurses who will help Alberta fight COVID-19. Public Safety Canada says the Canadian Red Cross is also planning to send up to 20 medical professionals, some with intensive care experience, […]
Toronto is preparing to ask the federal government to decriminalize the possession of illicit drugs for personal use in the city, saying the move is needed as drug-related deaths reach record highs. A public consultation on the matter wrapped up this week and the city’s top doctor said Toronto expects […]
