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cc_multi_2021-1_en

like 0

[ "Liam Casey" ]

"2021-01-21T01:25:30"

"2021-01-20T18:52:00"

"2021-01-20T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A pilot project that aimed to vaccinate homeless people in Toronto's shelters has been put on hold due to a vaccine shortage, local officials said Wednesday.\nThe rollout of the vaccine to the city's 100 shelters was paused because of a shortage of the vaccine from Pfizer-BioNTech, which announced last week it would delay the delivery of the COVID-19 vaccines to Canada due to production issues.\nDr. Stephen Hwang of St. Michael's Hospital, which is helping run the project with the city and several other organizations, said 55 residents and 30 staff at Scarborough Village Residence, a city-run shelter in the east end, got their first dose on Friday.\n\"It was, overall, a resounding success,\" said Hwang, a physician and research scientist who works with the homeless.\n\"We're pleased that it's actually rolling out because it really should be a high priority to get people who are experiencing homelessness vaccinated.\"\nHe said a small number of residents refused the vaccine.\n\"It's something that we do have to work on and certainly for people experiencing homelessness a degree of skepticism or mistrust of the health-care system is probably a bit higher than in the general population,\" Hwang said.\nVaccinations at a shelter for Indigenous men was also paused as was the plan to vaccinate those living at the downtown Strathcona Hotel, where many of the city's homeless moved to after living in encampments much of the year.\nHwang said he was hopeful the vaccines would only be delayed by\na few weeks.\nHe said the team, which includes the Inner City Health Associates, a group of 100 physicians who work at shelters and drop-ins across the city, would analyze the progress of the pilot and fine-tune it before it's rolled out to the rest of the shelters.\n\"The goal is to develop a playbook so that we can have a plan that we can go out to immunize people in shelters across the city,\" he said.\nMary-Anne Bedard, the city's general manager of shelter, support and housing administration, said tracking people in shelters will be key to ensure residents receive their second dose of the vaccine.\nWhile there may be some hesitancy toward the vaccine among the homeless, Bedard said early results show it's not a pervasive problem.\n\"From all the discussions we've had, there's a very eager population in shelters, both staff and clients, who are interested in getting the vaccine,\" Bedard said.\nShe said the city is also working on a plan with St. Michael's Hospital and the Inner City Health Associates to vaccinate the hundreds who've left shelters for the streets and the encampments that have sprouted up across Toronto since the pandemic began last year.\nHwang said the encampments have proven rather safe in terms of contracting COVID-19.\n\"Given what we know, data suggests that the highest risk is in shelters rather than encampments, so it actually makes it very reasonable to try to get well underway in the shelters,\" he said.\nThere are currently 40 people who have tested positive for COVID-19 in shelters, according to the city's data. Of the 20,000 people who used the system last year, 711 contracted the disease - and 60 died of the virus.\nThe city has set up a recovery centre for those with COVID-19. Bedard said 130 staffers working there have been recently vaccinated against the disease.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021.", "Homeless in Toronto shelters begin receiving COVID-19 vaccines, but program put on hold", "A pilot project that aimed to vaccinate homeless people in Toronto's shelters has been put on hold due to a vaccine shortage, local officials said Wednesday." ]

[]

"2021-01-18T20:07:39"

"2021-01-18T14:41:00"

"2021-01-18T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Premier Doug Ford says that there is “no reason” for the province to “jump in” and introduce its own paid sick leave program, even amid mounting criticism from advocates who say that an existing federal program doesn’t do enough to protect workers.\nFord made the comment to reporters during a news conference in Vaughan on Monday afternoon, just hours after Toronto’s board of health voted unanimously in favour of a motion asking his government to step in and ensure workers have access to 10 paid sick days during the COVID-19 pandemic.\n“If the system is not working and that's what I'm hearing from the media, we're having conversations as we speak and over the last little while (with the federal government). If people don’t feel they are getting it quick enough than we need to change the program and if they need to top it up a little more because $500 a week isn’t feasible then we change it” Ford said. “But let's be very, very clear there's no reason for the province to jump in there when less than 27 per cent of the overall program hasn't been taken up.”\nThe federal government introduced a recovery sickness benefit earlier in the pandemic, which provides people with $500 per week for up to two weeks if they are unable to attend work due to illness.\nSome advocates have, however, said that the program is insufficient because payments can sometimes take weeks to process and the benefit does not provide any job security to those who elect to apply for it.\nLast week, Ontario’s Associate Medical Officer of Health Dr. Barbara Yaffe even added her voice to the cause, telling reporters that paid sick leave could be an important factor in reducing community spread.\nSpeaking with reporters on Monday, Ford seemed to acknowledge that there are some problems with the federal paid sick leave program but he said that the Ontario government should not be responsible for introducing its own program.\n“Sure, it needs to be changed and we're working with the federal government but there's no reason for us to duplicate the $1.1 billion (that the federal government has allotted to the program) and I know the federal government is going to be reviewing it and hopefully we'll have an answer in a very short time here,” he said.\nThe report considered by Toronto’s Board of Health today stated that only 42 per cent of working Canadians currently have access to paid sick leave, and among low-wage and front-line workers that number is about 10 per cent.", "Doug Ford says there is 'no reason' for Ontario to offer paid sick leave program despite criticsim", "Premier Doug Ford says that there is “no reason” for the province to “jump in” and introduce its own paid sick leave program, even amid mounting criticism from advocates who say that an existing federal program doesn’t do enough to protect workers." ]

[]

"2021-01-07T02:49:46"

"2021-01-06T17:51:00"

"2021-01-06T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- One person is dead after a fire broke out at a residence in North York on Wednesday evening.\nToronto Fire said they received a call about the blaze near Norfinch Drive and Steeles Avenue West at approximately 5 p.m. When emergency crews arrived on scene, they said they observed smoke coming from inside the front and the side of the house.\nFirefighters told CP24 that the fire appears to have originated in the basement of the property.\nCrews were able to force their way through the front door and found one person in the basement without vital signs, according to Toronto police.\nToronto Fire Platoon Chief Wayne Patterson told reporters at the scene that life-saving measures were performed on an “elderly gentleman” by Toronto Paramedic Services but he later died at the scene.\nPatterson said it’s unclear if the man died as a direct result of the fire and that an autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.\nHe added that the home, which houses multiple tenants, was not equipped with working fire alarms.\n“We’d like to remind people to make sure their smoke detectors are working, especially at this time of year,” he said.\nNo other information regarding the deceased person has been released by officials.\nThe fire has since been extinguished and no other residents were present at the time of the fire, according to Patterson. A fire investigator has been dispatched to the scene to determine how the fire started.", "Fire at North York residence leaves man dead, officials say smoke detectors were not working", "One person is dead after a fire broke out at a residence in North York on Wednesday evening." ]

[]

"2021-01-14T16:24:55"

"2021-01-14T10:16:00"

"2021-01-14T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario is recording more than 3,300 new cases of COVID-19 following two days in which the daily number of infections dipped back into the 2,000s.\nHealth officials confirmed another 3,326 cases of the novel coronavirus on Thursday, marking a jump from the 2,961 infections on Wednesday and the 2,903 on Tuesday.\nThe province also recorded 62 more deaths related to the disease, bringing Ontario’s death toll related to COVID-19 up to 5,189.\nAt least 29 of the deaths reported were residents in long-term care.\nOf the more than 5,000 people who have died after contracting COVID-19, at least 3,577 of them were over the age of 80.\nThere were 1,388 people between the ages of 60 and 79 who have died and 202 people between the ages of 40 and 60 who died.\nTwenty of the deaths were in people between the ages of 20 and 39.\nWhile most of the deaths appear to be occurring in seniors, those in the 20 to 39 age group continue to make up the largest number of COVID-19 cases.\nAccording to the province’s epidemiology report, at least 1,240 of Thursday’s 3,326 cases were in people within that demographic.\nThere were 977 cases in people between the ages of 40 and 59 and 468 infections in people between the ages of 60 and 79.\nOnly 219 cases were found in people over the age of 80.\nThere are at least 1,657 people being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario’s hospitals. According to the government, 388 of those patients are in the intensive care unit, with at least 280 needing a ventilator to breath.\nThe total number of lab-confirmed positive cases of COVID-19 in Ontario now stands at 228,310, including deaths and recoveries.\nWhere are the COVID-19 cases?\nMost of Thursday’s COVID-19 cases were found in Ontario’s hot spots.\nThere were 968 infections in Toronto, 572 in Peel Region, 357 in York Region, and 268 in Windsor-Essex.\nOther public health units reporting more than 50 new COVID-19 infections include Ottawa (144), Simcoe-Muskoka (80), Middlesex-London (102), Hamilton (107), Halton Region (85), Niagara Region (165), Waterloo (100), and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (57).\nMore than 71,000 COVID-19 tests were processed in the last 24 hours, bringing the province’s positivity rate to about 5.1 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health.\nThe new cases come as Ontario’s stay-at-home order goes into effect. Under this directive, residents must not leave their homes except for essential reasons.\nGood morning, Ontario. Stay home. — Doug Ford (@fordnation) January 14, 2021\nThe order will remain in effect for at least 28 days.", "Ontario records more than 3,300 new COVID-19 cases after two-day dip", "Ontario is recording more than 3,300 new cases of COVID-19 following two days in which the daily number of infections dipped back into the 2,000s." ]

[]

"2021-01-23T13:39:10"

"2021-01-23T07:53:00"

"2021-01-23T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A man has serious injuries after being stabbed during a home invasion in Scarborough overnight.\nShortly before 2:40 a.m., police responded to reports of a stabbing on Bridlegrove Drive, near Eglinton Avenue and McCowan Road.\nA 32-year-old man was located inside a home with a stab wound to his leg, Toronto Police Duty Insp. Michael Williams said at the scene.\nThe man was transported to a trauma centre in serious but non-life threatening condition, according to Toronto Paramedics.\n“At this time we’re treating this as a home invasion. Members of the Toronto Police hold up squad will be investigating,” Williams said.\nA suspect vehicle was heard speeding away from the scene.\nPolice are searching for three male suspects, Williams said.\nThe suspects are described as in their 20s or 30s, with a dark complexion.\n“One male suspect was armed with a firearm so please do not approach anyone if you see a vehicle or people that you believed were involved in this, and one was also armed with a knife,” Williams said.\nPolice are asking anyone with information or dash camera video of the area to contact them.", "Man stabbed after home invasion in Toronto", "A man has serious injuries after being stabbed during a home invasion in Scarborough overnight." ]

[]

"2021-01-20T14:29:02"

"2021-01-20T07:36:00"

"2021-01-20T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Students and parents in Durham and Halton Region, along with much of southern Ontario will learn today when schools will be able to return to in-person learning.\nChief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams will announce the return date on Wednesday, two and a half weeks into southern Ontario’s latest foray into the world of virtual instruction for elementary and secondary students.\nKids in five other public health regions – Toronto, Peel, York, Windsor-Essex and Hamilton – will be learning from home until at least Feb. 10.\nStudents in northern Ontario went back to class in-person on Jan. 11.\nThe online learning regime has forced parents to make sometimes uncomfortable and maddening adjustments, balancing work inside or outside the home with the needs of their kids, along with making sure everyone has space and sufficient internet bandwidth to access class.\nThroughout the fall term, the subject of transmission of COVID-19 in schools challenged officials, with medical experts and Minister of Education Stephen Lecce saying spread in schools was caused by prevalence of infection in the wider community.\nDuring the term, more than 7,000 students and staff tested positive for the virus and at least one education worker died.\nIn December, health units in Windsor and Toronto began voluntarily testing entire schools full of asymptomatic pupils for the virus and found dozens of positive cases, prompting a rethink about existing safeguards.\nWhen students return this term, more of them will be wearing masks in class.\nOntario will mandate that students in grades 1-3 will wear masks at all times, previously masking began in grade 4.\nIn Toronto, all students from Kindergarten up wore masks indoors at all times.\nSince the summer, the Ford government allocated about $840 million to reduce class sizes, increase ventilation, hire more custodians and set up a network of 600 public health nurses to assist schools.\nThey also accepted $381 million in help from the federal government and allowed school boards to dip into $500 million in existing reserve funds to help schools prepare for the impact of the virus.", "Students, parents in parts of Ontario to learn when kids will return to school", "Students and parents in Durham and Halton Region, along with much of southern Ontario will learn today when schools will be able to return to in-person learning." ]

[ "Colin Perkel" ]

"2021-01-29T20:13:01"

"2021-01-29T13:40:00"

"2021-01-29T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The Ontario government has yet to recover the more than $11 million in COVID-19 relief money a senior provincial employee is alleged to have embezzled, a judge heard on Friday.\nIn comments to Superior Court, government lawyer Christopher Wayland said it was wrong to say the money was back in the province's hands.\n\"There has been some discussion, not among counsel but elsewhere, to the effect that all of the money that we say has been taken pursuant to the fraud has been 'repaid into the provincial coffers',\" Wayland told Justice Peter Cavanagh.\n\"What has happened here is that there's some significant account of money that has been frozen and paid into the court. The money being paid into court is not the same thing as paid into the provincial coffers.\"\nThe government alleges in an unproven civil action that Sanjay Madan, his wife and two adult children defrauded the province of at least $11 million. Madan, who had a senior IT role and helped develop a computer application related to a COVID-19 relief benefit, was fired in November. His wife and two sons all worked for the province in information technology.\nThe civil claim accuses them and others of illegally issuing and banking cheques under the program that aimed to defray the cost of children learning at home.\nMadan's lawyer, Christopher Du Vernet, has previously said the money had been repaid.\n\"The province has recovered in excess of the funds it presently alleges Mr. Madan took from the Families Support Program,\" Du Vernet has told The Canadian Press.\nDu Vernet has also said his client deeply regretted his actions.\nAccording to the lawsuit, Madan, who also goes by Sadanand Madan, and his family opened more than 400 accounts at the Bank of Montreal between April and May. They then deposited around 10,000 cheques made out to fictitious applicants with thousands of non-existent children under the support program.\nMadan's wife and children have said in sworn affidavits they knew nothing of his purported wrongdoing, saying they were victims and that his alleged actions were totally out of character.\nWayland said the courts will eventually have to decide if the money goes into the provincial coffers -- as the government argues it should -- or if it potentially goes back to the Madans.\n\"We will be arguing at that time that we've made out a case of fraud and the money should go into the provincial coffers,\" Wayland said.\nFriday's hearing was to extend a previous freeze on the family's known assets and to now freeze all assets worldwide -- with allowances for their legal and living expenses. Court documents indicate Madan has millions of dollars worth of cash and property.\nCourt heard the Crown was still actively investigating and was not aware of exactly how much money might have been taken.\n\"We are certainly not in a position to represent to the court that we can take anyone at their word when they tell us, 'Dont worry, everything has been recovered',\" Wayland said.\nNo criminal charges have been laid in the case.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 29, 2021.", "$11M senior Ontario employee allegedly took in COVID-19 fraud not recovered, Crown says", "The Ontario government has yet to recover the more than $11 million in COVID-19 relief money a senior provincial employee is alleged to have embezzled, a judge heard on Friday." ]

[]

"2021-01-13T22:56:04"

"2021-01-13T16:36:00"

"2021-01-13T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Halton police say three men have been charged with theft for allegedly stealing over $300,000 worth of personal protective equipment.\nPolice say the three men are employees of a business in Burlington, Ont., that sells safety and cleaning products.\nInvestigators allege that the men stole large quantities of latex gloves and cleaning chemicals.\nThe cleaning materials allegedly started to go missing in September.\nAll three men have been charged with theft over $5,000, with two of them facing four counts of the same charge.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2021.", "Three men charged after $300,000 worth of personal protective equipment stolen", "Halton police say three men have been charged with theft for allegedly stealing over $300,000 worth of personal protective equipment." ]

[ "Joshua Clipperton" ]

"2021-01-14T03:39:28"

"2021-01-13T22:12:00"

"2021-01-13T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Morgan Rielly scored at 3:24 of overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 to raise the curtain on the NHL's abbreviated 56-game season Wednesday night.\nThe defenceman took a feed from Toronto captain John Tavares on a 2-on-1 to beat Montreal goalie Carey Price and end a chaotic extra period where both teams had glorious chances to grab the extra point.\nWilliam Nylander had two goals and an assist for Toronto, while Tavares added a goal and two assists. Jimmy Vesey chipped in with his first goal for the Leafs, who got 28 saves from Frederik Andersen.\nJosh Anderson replied with two in his debut for Montreal, while Nick Suzuki, with a goal and an assist, and Tomas Tatar provided the rest of the offence for the visitors. Jonathan Drouin and Jeff Petry each added two assists inside an empty Scotiabank Arena because of COVID-19 restrictions.\nPrice made 29 stops in the first of 10 meetings between the clubs in 2021.\nAfter the Leafs erased a two-goal deficit late in the second period, Anderson registered his second of the night 1:03 into the third by cutting around Tavares and firing a shot that beat the Leafs netminder under his right arm to make it 4-3.\nToronto's Andersen then denied Montreal's Anderson of his first-career hat trick on the doorstep a few minutes later after Suzuki stepped past Rielly.\nOne of the Leafs' lesser-known off-season additions, Vesey took advantage of a fortuitous bounce with 10:33 left in regulation when Drouin's clearing attempt hit one of the referees in the corner. Nylander jumped on the loose puck and quickly fed Vesey, who beat a surprised Price.\nAuston Matthews, who scored in his four previous openers, followed that up by ripping a shot off the post behind the Montreal goalie that stayed to set the stage for overtime.\nToronto, Montreal and Canada's five other NHL franchises are playing in the one-season-only North Division necessitated by border regulations related to non-essential travel.\nHockey was back, but it didn't look like any regular-season opener in history with the pandemic looming large.\nThe teams hit the ice in front of more than 19,000 empty seats - Canadian fans, and those in most NHL cities, aren't allowed into arenas at least to start - tarps mostly adorned with corporate sponsors covered the first six rows, and coaches wore league-mandated mask behind the benches.\nBut if you closed your eyes, at times it felt like a normal game night inside Scotiabank Arena.\nMusic blared pre-game, the public address announcer went over the usual safety precautions for spectators, and Leafs winger Mitch Marner even flipped a puck into the stands as if there were fans waiting a souvenir at the conclusion of warmups.\nThe 48th Highlanders, who have performed at every Toronto home opener since Maple Leaf Gardens opened in 1931, kept the tradition alive - albeit virtually.\nFront-line workers, including doctors, nurses, police officers, firefighters and teachers, introduced Toronto's starting lineup, anthem singer Martina Ortiz Luis performed “O Canada” from the empty stands instead of at ice level, and pumped-in crowd noise contributed to the atmosphere once the action got underway.\nBoth teams took part in the league's summer restart after the pandemic forced the NHL to suspend the 2019-20 schedule back in March, but exited the Toronto bubble with vastly different experiences and feelings.\nThe Leafs came in with high hopes only to be knocked out by Columbus in the five-game qualifiers, while the Canadiens - handed a lifeline as the 24th of 24 teams included in the format - upset Pittsburgh before going toe-to-toe with Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs.\nEach roster underwent significant off-season renovations, with Toronto looking to alter its culture, and Montreal keen to make a push up the standings after its group, especially some of the team's younger players like Suzuki and fellow centre Jesperi Kotkaniemi, showed they were ready for the bright lights.\nThe Leafs added veteran forward Joe Thornton - the 41-year-old is in his 23rd NHL season - gritty winger Wayne Simmonds, top-4 defenceman T.J. Brodie and bruising blue-liner Zach Bogosian. The Canadiens' new faces include Anderson and Tyler Toffoli, defenceman Joel Edmundson and backup goalie Jake Allen.\nAfter some nice saves from Andersen and Price, Montreal opened the scoring at 12:49 on its second power play when Suzuki scored from a tight angle after Jonathan Drouin tipped Petry's point shot off the post.\nToronto replied 3:07 later when Nylander worked a give-and-go with Justin Holl and wired a one-timer past Price through a screen.\nBut the Canadiens retook the lead late in the period when Anderson, acquired from Columbus in the Max Domi trade before signing a seven-year extension, opened his account with his new team from the slot off a feed from Drouin.\nSimmonds had a great chance to get Toronto level early in the second, but hacked a loose puck wide of an empty cage.\nMontreal went back on the man advantage and after Andersen stopped Drouin in alone, Tatar got another breakaway and beat the Leafs netminder between the pads off a feed from rookie defenceman Alexander Romanov at 7:20.\nThe tough-as-nails Simmonds dropped the gloves with Montreal blue-liner Ben Chiarot later in the period, scoring a victory in his first fight with his hometown club.\nThe Leafs made it 3-2 with two minutes left in the period on a man advantage when he roofed another shot on Price after Edmundson broke his stick.\nToronto went right back on the power play when Suzuki went off for hold before Montreal captain Shea Weber fired a clearing attempt off the ensuing faceoff over the glass for a delay-of-game penalty.\nAfter the Leafs looked a little disjointed up two skaters, Marner fed Tavares in front and he deflected the pass through his legs to tie things with 38.7 seconds remaining.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2021.", "Rielly scores winner, Leafs beat Habs 5-4 in OT", "Morgan Rielly scored at 3:24 of overtime as the Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Montreal Canadiens 5-4 to raise the curtain on the NHL's abbreviated 56-game season Wednesday night." ]

[]

"2021-01-04T18:35:54"

"2021-01-04T11:01:00"

"2021-01-04T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Toronto officials will be announcing new measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces during a briefing Monday afternoon, Mayor John Tory confirms.\nWorkplaces currently account for the second highest number of known outbreaks outside of healthcare institutions.\nThere have been 302 community and workplace outbreaks in Toronto, including six new ones since Dec. 30.\nIn an interview with CP24 on Monday morning Tory said that the measures being announced today will be aimed at imposing additional safety requirements for essential workplaces as well as additional reporting requirements.\nCurrently, workplaces are under no obligation to report COVID-19 outbreaks publicly and the statistics provided by the province only lump outbreaks into larger categories.\n“There will be more public reporting and transparency and this is on the theory that information is power,” Tory said. “Information is power for the public but more importantly for the workers themselves to ensure they are kept safe.”\nToronto’s Board of Health did ask Medical Officer of Health Dr. Eileen de Villa to begin publicly releasing information about workplace outbreaks back in September.\nAt the time, de Villa said that she would be “exploring” the proposal, though she also said that it was important to balance the need to release as much information as possible with privacy concerns.\n“At the end of the day the fundamental goal of public health is to improve the health status of the population and to reduce any inequities in that health status and in so far as the sharing of relevant information supports that, that is what we seek to do every day,” she said.\nToday’s briefing is scheduled for 2 p.m. You can watch it live on CTVNewsToronto.ca.", "New measures aimed at curbing spread of COVID-19 in Toronto workplaces being announced", "Toronto officials will be announcing new measures aimed at curbing the spread of COVID-19 in workplaces during a briefing Monday afternoon, Mayor John Tory confirms." ]

[]

"2021-01-06T16:52:48"

"2021-01-06T11:30:00"

"2021-01-06T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Nearly one year into the pandemic, Brampton plans to open the city’s first COVID-19 isolation centres “very soon,” the city's mayor Patrick Brown confirmed Wednesday.\nDuring a weekly news conference, Brown thanked the provincial government for stepping up to provide funding for three isolation centres in Brampton, which will provide residents a safe place to self-isolate if they contract COVID-19.\n\"I had previously expressed frustration that the federal government had funded isolation centres in Mississauga and Toronto, and Brampton, being one of the hardest hit regions in the country, hadn't had our request for an isolation centre (approved),\" he said.\n\"It was great news when I got a note in late December that the provincial government was going to come to the table and fund isolation centres in Brampton.\"\nThe province has earmarked $42 million to establish isolation centres in some municipalities that have the highest rates of transmission, including Peel Region.\nBrown said the centres, which will be located in Bramalea and northeast Brampton, should be opening shortly.\n\"Why that is so important is if you look in Brampton, we have crowded living conditions, and if someone lives with two or three people, it might not be hard to isolate in a different part of the house, but if you live with 10 people, it is virtually impossible,\" he said.\n\"So having this tool, having this option of a location to safely isolate, is critical.\"\nHe noted that many residents do not have the means to pay for separate accommodations if they are infected.\n\"In many cases, people in precarious employment or who work for temp agencies in an essential setting can't afford a hotel room for 14 days, don't have an option for a safe place to isolate,\" Brown said.\nPeel Region is one of the areas of the province that has consistently seen high rates of infection. On Wednesday, the province reported 523 new COVID-19 cases in the region over the past 24 hours.\nPeel Region's Medical Officer of Health Dr. Lawrence Loh said Wednesday that he is \"deeply concerned\" with the number of cases that have been reported in the region over the past week.\n\"We must continue to take action to save lives to prevent our hospitals from seeing disaster and allow us to bring COVID-19 to a more controllable level to guarantee the success of our immunization programs,\" he said.\n\"Only then, will we be able to reopen with confidence and minimize broader social and economic impacts that this disaster continues to have on our community.\"", "COVID-19 isolation centres opening in Brampton 'very soon,' mayor says", "Nearly one year into the pandemic, Brampton plans to open the city’s first COVID-19 isolation centres “very soon,” the city's mayor Patrick Brown confirmed Wednesday." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-13T17:20:45"

"2021-01-13T11:57:00"

"2021-01-13T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Since the start of 2021, more than 30 international flights have landed in Toronto with a passenger who later tested positive for COVID-19.\nAccording to data publicly released by the federal government, the flights touched down between Jan. 1 and Jan 9.\nThey arrived from various destinations around the world, some of which include the United States, Pakistan, Germany, Ireland, Brazil and Mexico.\nDespite some airlines and travel companies still promoting international travel, the federal government is strongly advising Canadians against leaving the country.\nFor those who do, it is mandatory to self-isolate for 14 days, regardless of whether or not they are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. International travellers also now require a negative COVID-19 test before arriving in Canada.\nEarlier this month, Premier Doug Ford announced a free and voluntary testing program for international travellers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport.\n\"This is a critical step,\" Ford said at the airport on Jan. 6. \"Travellers coming into Pearson will be able to take a free and voluntary test.\"\nTravellers who receive a negative COVID-19 test will still be required to self-isolate for 14 days, but Ford said he is \"actively working to further enhance the program.\"\nOntario's Minister of Health Christine Elliott said the next stage of the program would be modifying the 14-day quarantine period for people who test negative.\nEligible travellers are able pre-register for the program or proceed to get tested when they arrive at the airport. Those who choose to participate in the program will be given a test that will be self-administered with the guidance of a health-care provider.\nThe test results will be reported within 48 hours and local public health units will follow up with each person who tested positive.\nAccording to the provincial government, more than 60,000 international travellers are arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport each week despite the ongoing pandemic.\nFord has previously slammed the federal government for not testing international travellers when they arrive back in Canada.\nIn late December, he vowed to begin testing people at Toronto Pearson International Airport with or without the federal government's support.\nThe premier said at the time that more than 64,000 people are going \"basically unchecked\" through the airport every week. He claimed that almost no travellers coming into the country are following the 14-day quarantine rules.\nThe international flights since Jan. 1 with someone who later tested positive for COVID-19 include:", "More than 30 international flights land in Toronto since start of 2021 with passengers who later tested positive for COVID-19", "Since the start of 2021, more than 30 international flights have landed in Toronto with a passenger who later tested positive for COVID-19." ]

[]

"2021-01-21T13:38:23"

"2021-01-21T07:26:00"

"2021-01-21T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Police are investigating a possible link between two separate shootings involving tow trucks on Highway 401 in Toronto overnight.\nPolice were first called to the area of Highway 401 and Avenue Road at around midnight after a tow truck parked on the shoulder of the road was shot at by a passing car. The driver of the truck, police say, was not injured.\nThe suspect vehicle, according to police, is a dark blue Mercedes, which may be missing its rear licence plate. The vehicle was last seen heading westbound on the 401.\nA second shooting was reported a short time later about six kilometres away, near Highway 401 and Leslie Street.\nPolice say once again the driver of a dark-coloured sedan pulled up and began firing at a tow truck that was pulled over on the side of the road.\nToronto police say officers found several shell cases in the area but no one was injured.\nPolice have not been able to confirm if the same suspect is responsible for both shootings.\nOntario Provincial Police and the Toronto Police Service are investigating to see if the two incidents are connected.", "Tow truck drivers shot at in two separate incidents on Highway 401 in Toronto", "Police are investigating a possible link between two separate shootings involving tow trucks on Highway 401 in Toronto overnight." ]

[]

"2021-01-20T21:09:46"

"2021-01-20T13:21:00"

"2021-01-20T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Toronto police are laying a negligence charge against a convicted gun smuggler after a handgun he brought to Canada was allegedly found next to a man killed by a gunshot two years ago.\nIn July 2019, police in Ontario and the United States embarked on Project 93, an investigation targeting a man who smuggling handguns from sellers in Florida to buyers in Canada.\nThey captured 44-year-old Toronto man Jeffrey Gilmour driving into Canada with three handguns in his car.\nThey took Gilmour into custody and found a fourth handgun following a search of his home.\nAll four guns were traced to sellers in Florida.\nGilmour was convicted and sentenced to three and a half years in prison.\nSince his conviction, police have located four other handguns allegedly smuggled into Canada by Gilmour.\nOne of them, a revolver, was found next to a 19-year-old who had died of a gunshot wound.\nAs a result, Gilmour is now being charged with criminal negligence causing death, among other firearms offences.\nToronto police said it is the first instance where they are laying negligence charges in a gun smuggling investigation.\n“Not only should they be held accountable for the offence of trafficking the firearm, but they should bear some responsibility for the crimes in which that firearm is used,” Det. Sgt. Robert DiDanieli said in a news release issued Wednesday.\nDiDanieli told CP24 the 19-year-old man’s death tied to the revolver was not a homicide.\nAlong with the negligence causing death charge, Gilmour is facing charges of knowingly transferring a firearm, possession of a firearm for transfer and importing a firearm knowing no authority\nHe is expected to appear in court at 2201 Finch Avenue West, at 10 a.m., on Wednesday, February 3, 2021 in room 202.", "Toronto police charge gun smuggler with criminal negligence for first time", "Toronto police are laying a negligence charge against a convicted gun smuggler after a handgun he brought to Canada was allegedly found next to a man killed by a gunshot two years ago." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-17T16:37:14"

"2021-01-17T10:14:00"

"2021-01-17T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario is reporting a single-day increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases, reporting more than 3,400 new infections and 69 additional deaths.\nHealth officials confirmed 3,422 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday, bringing the total number of infections in the province to 237,786.\nDespite a decrease in testing in the previous 24-hour period, Ontario confirmed nearly 400 more new infections than on Saturday when 3,056 cases were logged.\nOntario completed 60,183 tests in the previous 24-hour time period. According to the government, the test positivity rate is 5.2 per cent.\nThe 69 new COVID-19-related deaths bring the total number of fatalities to 5,409. There are 3,078 additional cases in the province that are considered resolved.\nOfficials have said that when more than 300 COVID-19 patients are in intensive care, medical care in hospitals not related to the disease becomes nearly impossible to handle.\nWhere were Ontario's new COVID-19 cases found?\nOf the 3,422 cases reported on Sunday, health officials said that 1,035 were in Toronto, 585 were in Peel Region, and 246 were in York Region.\nSeveral other regions in Ontario reported COVID-19 cases numbers in the triple digits, including Waterloo (132), Niagara Region (186), Ottawa (144), Middlesex-London (166), and Windsor-Essex (254).\nIn an effort to help curb the spread of the disease, the provincial government ordered a 28-day Ontario-wide lockdown on Dec. 26.\nEarlier this week, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared a second state of emergency and issued a stay-at-home order for the province, which started on Thursday. The order will remain in effect for at least 28 days.\nAs of Sunday morning, Ontario has administered more than 200,000 intial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.", "Ontario reports single-day increase in new COVID-19 cases, records more than 3,400 infections", "Ontario is reporting a single-day increase in the number of new COVID-19 cases, reporting more than 3,400 new infections and 69 additional deaths." ]

[]

"2021-01-02T00:40:57"

"2021-01-01T18:38:00"

"2021-01-01T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A suspect was arrested on Friday in connection with a shooting in Burlington that seriously injured a woman.\nHalton Regional Police were called to the parking lot of Appleby GO Station just before 1 p.m.\nPolice say officers located a woman in a vehicle suffering from head trauma that appeared to be the result of a gunshot.\nShe was transported to a hospital with serious injuries.\nPolice say a male suspect was arrested at the scene, and a weapon was recovered.\nThe suspect and the victim are known to each other, police say, adding that the suspect will not be named at this time to protect the privacy of the victim.\nThere are no outstanding suspects, police say, and there is no threat to public safety.\nPolice are appealing for any witnesses who may have observed any suspicious activity at the Appleby GO station between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. to contact them or Crime Stoppers anonymously.", "Arrest made after woman found shot in vehicle at Appleby GO station parking lot", "A suspect was arrested on Friday in connection with a shooting in Burlington that seriously injured a woman." ]

[]

"2021-01-28T13:35:19"

"2021-01-28T07:16:00"

"2021-01-28T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario will provide an update on COVID-19 modelling projections today.\nThe province says Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, the co-chairman of Ontario's COVID-19 Science Advisory Table, will present the update this afternoon.\nThe new data comes two weeks after the province invoked a stay-at-home order in a bid to halt surging case spread.\nThe province's chief medical officer of health says a provincewide lockdown, which started in late December, has contributed to a reduction in daily cases.\nThe last modelling update provided by the province earlier this month warned that rising virus case rates threatened to overwhelm the health care system.\nOn Wednesday, Ontario reported 1,670 new cases of COVID-19 and 49 more deaths linked to the virus.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 28, 2021.", "Ontario to provide pandemic modelling update as daily case counts decline", "Ontario will provide an update on COVID-19 modelling projections today." ]

[]

"2021-01-17T23:41:10"

"2021-01-17T18:36:00"

"2021-01-17T00:00:00"

[ "One person has died after a shooting in North York Sunday evening.\nPolice were called to the area of Duncanwoods Drive and Finch Avenue West, east of Islington Avenue.\nA male victim was located suffering from gunshot wounds. Despite life-saving measures, he was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.\nThe homicide unit has taken over the investigation.\nPolice said they are looking for one suspect who ran into a ravine in the area.\nThis is a breaking news story. More to come.", "Shooting in North York leaves one person dead", "One person has died after a shooting in North York Sunday evening." ]

[]

"2021-01-23T15:43:07"

"2021-01-23T10:17:00"

"2021-01-23T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Health officials in Ontario are reporting fewer than 2,400 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday.\nThe 2,359 infections mark a drop over Friday’s report when 2,662 cases were added and bring the province’s COVID-19 case total to 252,585, including deaths and recoveries.\nFifty-two of those deaths occurred in the previous day, 25 of which were residents in a long-term care home.\nThe Ministry of Health now considers 3,025 more cases to be resolved, a number than has been outpacing new infections in Ontario in recent days. Since the beginning of the pandemic, 222,287 people previously diagnosed with COVID-19 have recovered.\nThis is a breaking news story. More to come.", "Fewer than 2,400 new COVID-19 cases reported in Ontario, another 52 deaths logged", "Health officials in Ontario are reporting fewer than 2,400 new cases of COVID-19 Saturday." ]

[]

"2021-01-27T02:33:39"

"2021-01-26T20:36:00"

"2021-01-26T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- There are now more than 200 positive cases of COVID-19 associated with a Canada Post facility in Mississauga and the Crown corporation says that customers “should expect delays with their parcels” as a result of the outbreak.\nIn a statement released on Tuesday afternoon, Canada Post said that they are aware of 224 positive cases at their Gateway facility since Jan. 1, including a dozen that have come to light over the last 24 hours.\nCanada Post says that it completed the testing of an entire shift of workers at the facility last week following a recommendation by Peel Public Health and is now proceeding with the “proactive testing” of other employees at an on-site clinic that has been set up within the facility.\nIn the meantime, they say that they are “moving and redirecting some product to other processing plants in our national network” in order to reduce delays.\n“The Gateway facility is a major hub in our national network. We have implemented contingency plans and continue to review the situation to minimize the impact on customers,” the statement reads. “Gateway will continue to operate, but commercial customers and Canadians should expect delays with their parcels.”\nThere were 121 cases at the Gateway facility as of Jan. 20 but since then dozens more workers have tested positive.\nLast week, some Canadian Border Service Agency workers were also moved to the upstairs mezzanine area of the facility amid concerns over the outbreak.\nMore than 4,500 employees work in mail processing, technical services, transportation, casual and administration at the Gateway facility.", "Canada Post warns of mail delays as positive COVID-19 cases at Gateway facility hits 224", "There are now more than 200 positive cases of COVID-19 associated with a Canada Post facility in Mississauga and the Crown corporation says that customers “should expect delays with their parcels” as a result of the outbreak." ]

[]

"2021-01-23T01:41:47"

"2021-01-22T20:31:00"

"2021-01-22T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Canadians have been told to stay in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the Prime Minister wants you to stay in your province too.\n“No one should be taking a vacation right now. If you've got one planned, cancel it\" Justin Trudeau said, adding that, \"if you are thinking of traveling across the country for spring break - now is not the time.\"\nAs the government urges Canadians to stay home to try and contain the spread of COVID-19, it is also urging anyone who has booked non-essential travel to cancel it.\nFederal Health Minister Patty Hajdu said “50,000 cancellations (for international travel) demonstrates that people are understanding that this is a delicate situation that Canada finds itself in at the moment.\"\nWhile a travel ban is not in effect, there are now so many rules when it comes to traveling that taking a trip would be extremely difficult.\nU.S. President Joe Biden has also brought in new travel rules. Now, to enter the United States you need a negative COVID test result and must quarantine 14 days.\nWhen you return to Canada you also need a negative test result and must also quarantine for 14 days. Martin Firestone with Travel Secure believes if it becomes increasingly difficult to travel, people will just stay home.\n“They are putting all these layers in place for only one reason and that is to deter you or de-incentivize you from traveling,\" Firestone said.\nAs the vaccine rolls out against the virus, having the shot won’t change the rules when it comes to travelling.\n“From an insurance perspective they don't care if you have had the vaccine. From a government perspective they don't care if you have had the vaccine. All the rules are the same whether you have had it or not,\" Firestone said.\nLegally, the government cannot force Canadians not to travel, however the Prime Minister said stronger restrictions could be implemented if necessary.\nTrudeau said the federal government is also considering a mandatory quarantine in hotels for returning travelers.\nThe government has secured hotel rooms around Canada’s largest airports and has already spent millions of dollars on hotel rooms for people who said they had nowhere else to quarantine.", "Canadians told to stay in their home province and cancel all travel plans", "Canadians have been told to stay in the country due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but now the Prime Minister wants you to stay in your province too." ]

[]

"2021-01-10T20:44:11"

"2021-01-10T13:37:00"

"2021-01-10T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- People working with victims of abuse say there has been a steep increase in violence against women during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and refer to it as the \"shadow pandemic.\"\n\"Isolation is almost like a gift for an abuser,” Nina Gorka, a director with YWCA Toronto, said. “When you remove accessibility to resources, to supports, to transportation, to childcare, all of those pieces become a very insular experience for people who are experiencing violence in the home.”\nGorka told CTV News Toronto that it is more difficult to reach out for help when someone is being monitored by their abuser. Additionally, some women are reluctant to enter shelters due to COVID-19 fears.\n“People are being forced to make really impossible decisions about whether or not they potentially expose themselves, or their family, or their children to a pandemic, or the risk of getting sick,” she said.\nAccording to Women's Shelters Canada, which released results of a survey of 266 Canadian shelters, 16 per cent of women admitted to shelters reported experiencing \"much more severe\" violence. Thirty-six per cent spoke of dealing with \"somewhat more severe\" abuse.\n\"There has actually been increased rates of violence in the home, and increased frequency of violence in the home, and actually, in many cases, increased severity of violence in the home,” Gorka said.\nMeanwhile, the pandemic is limiting shelters' ability to provide services to clients. In fact, 28 per cent of violence against women shelters reported their ability to provide services was impacted \"to a great extent.\"\nThirty-nine per cent of these organizations reported they were impacted to a \"moderate extent.\" Seventy-one per cent of the shelters that Women's Shelters Canada surveyed had to reduce capacity to meet public health regulations.\n“We live in a society of plenty, and I think we all can do more to help those who are less fortunate,\" Michael Cheung, an owner-operator of a Shoppers Drug Mart at Yonge and St. Clair, said.\nCheung owns one of 39 Toronto stores that raised almost $60,000 for the YWCA during a fall fundraising campaign. Overall, across Canada, Shoppers Drug Mart raised $2.4 million for 300 shelters across Canada.\n“I didn’t realize that, you know, it’s happening to such a great degree. But it’s good that attention is being brought to it because I think we need to have public awareness about it,” he said.\nThe YWCA says that support is very appreciated, because it enables staff to buy necessities, like warm clothing, for shelter residents.\nGorka said the needs of Toronto's shelters have not been met yet. Shelters across the nation are reporting staffing challenges and an inability to accept certain volunteers.\nMeanwhile, fundraising ability has dropped significantly. In fact, 38 per cent of shelters surveyed reported they had raised \"significantly less\" than the previous year.\n\"We know that finances are scarce, and yet we also know and recognize that everyone deserves dignity in their workplace or in their home, and that’s what we’re trying to provide,\" Gorka said.", "'Like a pandemic within a pandemic': Shelters call for support as violence against women rises amid COVID-19", "People working with victims of abuse say there has been a steep increase in violence against women during the COVID-19 lockdowns, and refer to it as the 'shadow pandemic.'" ]

[]

"2021-01-27T19:12:00"

"2021-01-27T12:52:00"

"2021-01-27T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A new public park featuring a beach and a 360-degree viewing platform is coming to Toronto’s industrial waterfront.\nOn Wednesday, city officials announced that the concept and design for Leslie Slip Lookout Park, which will be located on the Martin Goodman Trail in Toronto’s industrial Port Lands, had been chosen.\nThe nearly two-acre park will feature a public beach that will “create a new multi-use community destination” in the city, officials said, and will also include a 360-degree viewing platform that overlooks the city’s skyline and Toronto’s ship channel.\nToronto Mayor John Tory said that he hopes to have shovels in the ground in March, but it may be a couple of years before the park is open to the public.\n“It’s going to be a wonderful park,” he said. “It’s going to have big dunes that have a great view of both the lake and the city itself.”\nIn addition to providing a space for residents to gather, officials say the park will also host year-round programing, including concerts, art exhibits and pop-up events.\nThe contract for the park was awarded to Claude Cormier + Associés (CC+A), the same company responsible for Toronto’s Berczy Park and Sugar Beach.\n“The park will aim to deliver an unfamiliar vantage of being immersed in a landscape that is oversized, brutal, and surreal,” Claude Cormier, landscape architect and founding partner of CC+A, said in a statement issued Wednesday.\n“Leslie Slip Lookout Park embraces the look and feel of its industrial context, re-identifying the landscape of labour and work into one of play and recreation.”\nPublic consultations for the park design will begin in February.", "Toronto is getting a new park along the waterfront with a beach and viewing platform", "A new public park featuring a beach and a 360-degree viewing platform is coming to Toronto’s industrial waterfront." ]

[ "Shawn Jeffords" ]

"2021-01-14T03:39:18"

"2021-01-13T07:07:00"

"2021-01-13T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario's premier defended his government's new stay-at-home order on Wednesday as critics called it unclear and officials in the province's largest city said they were still seeking details on the rules.\nA day after plunging the province into its second state of emergency since the start of the pandemic, Premier Doug Ford attempted to clarify the order that asks residents to stay home except for essential outings.\n\"If you're not sure if a trip is absolutely essential, it probably isn't,\" Ford said. \"So please, you must stay home.\"\nThe premier added that residents should \"use their best judgment\" when determining if they need to leave home.\n\"It's very simple,\" he said. \"Stay home. Stay home. That's it.\"\nUnder the order that takes effect Thursday, Ontario residents will be required to stay at home except for essential activities such as accessing health care, shopping for groceries, or outdoor exercise.\nThe province has said there's no set definition for what is \"essential,\" because everyone has their own unique circumstances and regional considerations. There's no limit on how many times people can leave their homes per day, or on how long they can be out.\nThe province released further parameters surrounding the order Wednesday night, spelling out activities that people are allowed to leave home for.\nThe regulation says attending school or dropping off a child at daycare is permitted. Obtaining food, beverages, or personal care items is allowed.\nObtaining services for your vehicle or home, financial services, or government services is also permissible.\nIt says individuals who live alone can gather with members of a single household. Leaving home to seek mental health or addictions support is OK.\nAttending a wedding, funeral, or religious service is permitted under the regulation provided the gathering complies with public health rules.\nLeaving home to buy food, supplies, services or obtain veterinary care for a pet is also permitted.\nTravel to airports, train stations and bus stations for the purpose of travelling to a destination outside of the province is also allowed.\nThe regulation does not apply to anyone who is homeless.\nThe order is part of Ontario's latest attempt to combat skyrocketing rates of COVID-19 that officials have warned are on track to overwhelm the health system.\nCritics have said the lack of a definition for what's essential, as well as a dearth of details on how the order will be enforced, have led to confusion.\nOfficials with the City of Toronto said they were still awaiting clarification on how to enforce the order and were seeking details on what it will mean for outdoor recreation areas.\nToronto Mayor John Tory said city officials will review the guidelines carefully when they receive them but urged people to follow the basic principle of the order.\n\"If people would just opt in default always, not just today when it's not yet clear, but tomorrow, and the day after that, and the day after that, to stay home ... that will help deal with the COVID situation,\" he said.\nThomas Tenkate, a professor of occupational and public health at Ryerson University, said the government did not clearly communicate the order when it was announced and needed to clarify it.\n\"People are worried if they misinterpret things will they get a fine by the police?\" he said. \"'It's easy to say 'use common sense' or 'use your best judgment,' but we know common sense isn't that common.\"\nTenkate said the government should also clarify what it deems to be essential work.\n\"For someone who needs to pay the bills, their work is essential,\" he said.\nOpposition politicians continued their call Wednesday for the Ford government to implement paid sick days to help workers self-isolate as virus rates increase.\nNDP Legislator Jamie West said by providing paid sick days the government could save lives.\n\"Doug Ford needs to act today to end the horrible choice he's forcing workers to make between financial worry, or risk catching the virus and spreading it to their family,\" West said in a statement.\nGreen party Leader Mike Schreiner called on Ford to restore the two paid sick days his government cut when it took office in 2018.\n\"If people are going to be able to stay home, they shouldn't have to worry about putting food on the table when they're sick,\" Schreiner said in a statement.\nOntario reported 2,961 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday and 74 more deaths linked to the virus.\nThe government also said Wednesday it plans to administer the COVID-19 vaccine in all nursing and high-risk retirement homes by Feb. 15.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 13, 2021.\nHere is the full stay-at-home order:", "Ontario releases full stay-at-home order, which comes into effect at midnight", "Ontario's premier defended his government's new stay-at-home order on Wednesday as critics called it unclear and officials in the province's largest city said they were still seeking details on the rules." ]

[]

"2021-01-14T23:28:15"

"2021-01-14T17:56:00"

"2021-01-14T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Vehicle prices in Canada have hit an all-time high with the average vehicle selling for more than $40,000.\nIf you're looking to buy a new or used vehicle you may have thought prices would be lower due to the COVID-19 pandemic but there are several factors that are making them cost more.\nIt’s due to a lack of supply, incentives being held back and because Canadians want to drive more expensive vehicles.\n“Vehicle pricing is rising in Canada. We have actually hit record pricing this year,” Robert Karwel, automotive senior manger with J.D. Power, said.\nThere has been an ongoing trend with Canadians trading in their passenger cars to buy SUVs, crossovers and pick-up trucks, which are generally more expensive.\nAs vehicles cost more Canadians are taking out longer loans to pay for them. According to J.D. Power the most popular loan term in Canada is now 84 months.\nThat’s 7 years to pay off a car loan.\n“The rate over which people take the 84-month financing has accelerated under the pandemic situation right now,” Karwel said.\nJ.D. Power found that in Canada last year 80 per cent of vehicles purchased were SUVs, crossovers and pick-up trucks while only 20 per cent were passenger cars.\nThis year the number of cars sold is expected to shrink to just 16 per cent.\nBrian Murphy with Canadian Black Book said “there is actually a shortage of cars right now on the new side and the used side.\"\nMurphy said the supply of vehicles has been impacted by the pandemic as some factories had to shut down or wait for parts and it may not be until later this year that supply catches up with demand.\n“All around the world there are different interruptions with factories being closed either for short or long periods of time. So they are just not making as many vehicles right now,” Murphy said.\nPrices are also higher because with fewer vehicles on lots for sale manufacturers have scaled back cash incentives and financing offers.\nThere may still be deals to be found, but you might have to search harder to find them.", "Vehicle prices in Canada hit all-time high with average topping $40,000", "Vehicle prices in Canada have hit an all-time high with the average vehicle selling for more than $40,000." ]

[]

"2021-01-20T03:32:17"

"2021-01-19T19:45:00"

"2021-01-19T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Some Canadian snowbirds who have traveled south of the border this winter considered themselves lucky to able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the sunshine state, but locals are voicing frustration that foreigners area allowed to lineup for the shot.\nIn Florida, anyone over the age of 65 is eligible to receive the vaccine along with health-care workers during the first phase of the vaccine rollout. State officials continue to discourage people from travelling to the state for the sole purpose of getting the shot, but there are no policies preventing seasonal residents from booking an appointment.\n“I never thought of the vaccine until three or four weeks ago when it was released,” said Oakville, Ont. resident Steve MacDonald who has rented a condo with his wife Janet in Key Largo.\nThe MacDonalds are staying in Munroe County, where the state of Florida has just announced it’s expanding the vaccine rollout to residents 65 years old and older. The couple are in their 70s and are now trying to book an appointment to get the shot instead of waiting until it’s available to them in Canada.\n“The earliest we could get (the vaccine) is May – so if I can get it two or three months earlier then why not,” MacDonald said.\nThe Canadian government and public health officials continue to advise against all non-essential travel.\nMartin Firestone is an insurance broker in Toronto and says most of his clients who travel to Florida in the winter initially decided not to go this year because of the pandemic, but recently he’s been fielding dozens of phone calls from those same clients who are opting to go south.\n“With the advent of the vaccine or the possibility to get the vaccine in Florida they have now inquired about purchasing travel insurance to head down and many of them are and having their first vaccination right now,” Firestone said.\nFederal regulations and guidance from emergency managers agree that there cannot be residency requirements for receiving the vaccine.\nAccording to the Florida Department of Health, the COVID-19 vaccine has been administered to more than 1 million people, however it’s not clear how many are Canadians or non-residents.\nThe vaccine is in short supply and some locals argue that only Floridians should be able eligible first.\n\"We're first. Get to the end of the line if they want to come,\" Judy Allen told an NBC reporter at vaccine clinic near Orlando.\nMiami Mayor Francis Suarez is calling for the vaccine rules to be revised only for those who live inside the city limits.\nFlorida Senator Rick Scott also recently took to Twitter stating the vaccines must go to Floridians first, including health-care and front-line workers along with the most vulnerable.\nMacDonald, who is planning to stay in Florida until April, doesn’t see the issue.\n“Seasonal residents can transmit the disease the same as permanent residents, we’re all in the same boat with this thing.”\nWith files from the Associated Press", "Canadian snowbirds travelling south of the border getting COVID-19 vaccine", "Some Canadian snowbirds who have traveled south of the border this winter considered themselves lucky to able to receive the COVID-19 vaccine in the sunshine state, but locals are voicing frustration that foreigners area allowed to lineup for the shot." ]

[]

"2021-01-20T03:32:27"

"2021-01-19T20:38:00"

"2021-01-19T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The Toronto Raptors waived seldom-used centre Alex Len on Tuesday.\nThe Raptors signed the seven-foot, 250-pound Len on Nov. 25, but he appeared in just seven games for Toronto, averaging 2.3 points, 1.6 rebounds and 10.8 minutes.\nLen signed with Toronto after playing 55 games last season with Atlanta and Sacramento. The Ukrainian-born player was selected No. 5 overall by Phoenix in the 2013 NBA draft.\nThe centre position has been a weak spot for Toronto since Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka departed during free agency.\nAron Baynes, who also joined the Raptors during free agency, has struggled at the position. Canadian Chris Boucher, however, has been excellent coming off the bench.\nBoucher isaveraging career highs of 16.1 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.5. He had 21 points and 10 rebounds in Monday's 116-93 victory over Dallas.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 19, 2021.", "Toronto Raptors waive centre Alex Len after just seven appearances", "The Toronto Raptors waived seldom-used centre Alex Len on Tuesday." ]

[]

"2021-01-25T22:08:04"

"2021-01-25T14:53:00"

"2021-01-25T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants anyone who lands at Toronto Pearson International Airport to take a COVID-19 test as more than 100 travellers tested positive for the disease after arriving into the country within a two-week time frame.\nThe premier made the comments at a news conference held Monday afternoon.\n“I can't stress this enough,” he said. “We have to test every person that comes in to Pearson, and any other land crossing. It’s absolutely critical. We need to put barriers up every which way we can.”\n“Every time I look up in the sky I'm thinking how many cases are coming in. This has to stop.”\nAccording to the federal government, at least 156 flights have landed in Canada between Jan. 10 and Jan. 23 that had passengers who tested positive for COVID-19 after arriving in the country.\nThe majority of the flights landed in Toronto (76), Montreal (40), and Calgary (24).\nThere were also 70 domestic flights that had a passenger later test positive for the novel coronavirus.\nThe Canada-U.S. border has been closed to non-essential travel since March, with the latest extension set to expire on Feb. 21. Travellers must show a negative COVID-19 test taken within 72 hours of their travel date, and must self-quarantine for 14 days upon arrival.\nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau recently urged Canadians to cancel all non-essential trips abroad.\n“No one should be taking a vacation right now. If you've got one planned, cancel it,\" Trudeau said last week. \"If you are thinking of traveling across the country for spring break - now is not the time.\"\nThe Ontario government also announced a pilot program earlier this month offering voluntary COVID-19 testing for anyone landing at Pearson Airport. It’s not yet clear how many people have used the program.\nDespite the regulations and the availability of testing, it appears that COVID-19-positive cases are still being traced back to travel, causing concern by local politicians trying to curb the spread of the disease.\nOn Monday, the mayors and chairs of the 11 largest municipal governments across the Greater Toronto and Hamilton area released a statement calling for stricter travel measures.\n“The federal government is urged to adopt increased quarantine enforcement mechanisms including technology which do not rely on local officials who are already hard pressed,” the news release said.\n“In addition to the recently instituted three-day advance testing requirement for travellers arriving in Canada, the mayors and chairs urged the federal government to consider additional testing measures at the airports to detect the presence of viral variants.\"\nFord renewed that same call for more COVID-19 testing and stricter regulations, adding that he will be going to Pearson Airport on Tuesday.\n“Let's make sure that we test every single person that comes into our country, rather than having 750 people flying into Pearson that are positive.”\n“It just doesn't make sense whatsoever.”\nNo further details were provided about the reason for the premier’s visit to Pearson Airport.", "Ontario premier wants more COVID-19 tests at Pearson Airport as hundreds of travellers test positive", "Ontario Premier Doug Ford wants anyone who lands at Toronto Pearson International Airport to take a COVID-19 test as more than 100 travellers tested positive for the disease after arriving into the country within a two-week time frame." ]

[]

"2021-01-27T00:18:19"

"2021-01-26T19:10:00"

"2021-01-26T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A Winnipeg man is furious with Air Canada after the airline lost his three-year-old cat during a layover in Toronto.\nRiley McCann has been living in Montreal for the past five years but earlier this month decided to move back to his hometown of Winnipeg to be with his mother who is dealing with health issues.\nHe originally booked a direct flight from Montreal to Winnipeg but ended up having his route switched by Air Canada, which included a layover in Toronto.\nMcCann travelled with one of his cats, Vida, in the cabin of the plane and paid $105 to have his other cat, Dewy, placed in the cargo area of the aircraft.\nEverything seemed to be going well until about one hour into his layover in Toronto when he got a call from an Air Canada employee saying they needed to \"rely some information.\"\n\"They told me that my cat Dewy had escaped his carrier and is now missing in their baggage room,\" McCann told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday. \"She told me that the employee that walked the crate off the plane set it down for a moment and when they turned around it was open and he was gone.\"\n\"They had no idea where he is.\"\nMcCann said he asked the employee if he could come search the baggage room himself but was told that wasn't allowed due to security reasons.\n\"I begged and begged to be able to do that, so that I could call out for him but I was told that was not going to happen.\"\nMcCann said Air Canada offered to put him on a later flight to Winnipeg while staff searched for Dewy but he declined because he didn’t feel it was fair for his other cat to remain in its cage for an extended period of time.\nHe flew back to Winnipeg without Dewy.\nWhen he arrived, McCann tried to call Air Canada but he said no one from Toronto got back to him for more than 48 hours.\nHe said he finally received a call on Jan. 18 from an Air Canada employee saying that they were searching for Dewy and hoping for the best. Over the next few days he received a few more notifications from the airline saying that they could not locate Dewy.\nHe said at one point last week, Air Canada even offered to fly him back to Toronto so he could search through the baggage room at night when it was quiet.\n\"Initially, I was told this was impossible,\" McCann said. \"Now, suddenly they're willing to fly me there. Normally, I would have got on a plane immediately but we’re in the middle of a global pandemic. I'm in self-isolation so to offer this seemed really reckless.\"\nAir Canada has since offered to refund his flight and provide him with a $500 flight credit. While he accepted the offer, he also vowed to launch legal action.\nMcCann said he hasn’t been doing well since he lost Dewy and is struggling to cope with the loss.\n\"For the first week, I was so upset and so stressed that I wasn’t sleeping, I wasn't eating. It’s been very tough,” he said.\n\"I'm just sitting here stressed and sad but also scared for my animal’s wellbeing.\"\nCTV News Toronto contacted Air Canada for comment, who said they have been in frequent communication with McCann.\n\"We have been in frequent communication with the customer over this unfortunate situation and we continue to search for Dewy, including retaining outside specialists to assist,\" the airline said. \"Air Canada safely transports thousands of pets each year and occurrences such as this are extremely rare.\"\nThe Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) told CTV News Toronto on Tuesday it is aware of Dewy's disappearance\n\"Airlines and their baggage handlers are responsible for all checked bags and cargo on their flights, which includes pets in transport,\" the GTAA said in a statement. \"We are supporting the airline in their efforts to find Dewy and reunite him with his owner as quickly as possible.\"", "Man furious with Air Canada after airline loses his cat during layover in Toronto", "A Winnipeg man is furious with Air Canada after the airline lost his three-year-old cat during a layover in Toronto." ]

[]

"2021-01-22T03:54:00"

"2021-01-21T20:46:00"

"2021-01-21T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Police are investigating an altercation between tow truck drivers in North York less than 24 hours after two tow trucks were shot at in the city.\nPolice were called to the area of Highway 401 and Keele Street around 7:30 p.m. on Thursday.\nDuring the altercation, police said one of the drivers was seen with a gun. The suspect fled the area but police later took one man into custody.\nThere were no injuries reported.\nThe incident comes after two separate shootings involving tow trucks were reported in the city overnight. The first one occurred around midnight in the area of Highway 401 and Avenue, while the other shooting took place a short time later near Highway 401 and Leslie Street.\nPolice have not been able to confirm if the same suspect is responsible for both shootings.", "Police investigating third incident involving tow trucks in Toronto in 24 hours", "Police are investigating an altercation between tow truck drivers in North York less than 24 hours after two tow trucks were shot at in the city." ]

[]

"2021-01-05T02:43:34"

"2021-01-04T20:22:00"

"2021-01-04T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- At training camp, the Toronto Maple Leafs top line has an interesting look, with veteran Joe Thornton joining Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner.\n\"They're two special guys and really fun to be around and obviously really talented players so to start with these guys is pretty special,” Thorton says of his new line mates.\nThe gap in age between Thornton and his teammates, is remarkable.\nWhen Thornton was taken first overall in the 1997 NHL entry draft, Mitch Marner, was just six weeks old. His other new line mate, Auston Matthews, wouldn't be born until September of that year.\nThornton says, \"Just being around this youthful energy, I think it's gets me excited and they got a lot of it here.\"\nThornton has already had a great chance to get to know some of his new teammates, recently in quarantine for 14 days with line mate Auston Matthews, also Rasmus Sandin, Mac Hollowell, and William Nylander.\nNylander relished the chance to get to know his new teammate, saying \"he was unbelievable. I mean you can tell why, spending two weeks with a hall of famer is pretty special.\"\nThrough his career, 41-year-old Thornton has been one of the best in the game. He has been the league’s leading scorer and MVP, winning the World Cup and Olympic gold. Leaf teammates say they are excited to have that experience.\nWinger Zach Hyman says, \"He’s definitely a larger than life figure I think in the room, you can, you know when he's in a room and he brings a great presence.\"\nThe one thing that has alluded Thornton is the Stanley Cup - and joining a team that has is desperate for playoff success, pressure could be heavy, but that doesn’t seem to be phasing the veteran centre.\nThornton says, \"I got no stress man honestly. You know I feel good, I feel comfortable but you know I tend to play with no stress, smile on my face, stay hungry.\"\nBridging a gap in age, for a common goal.", "Joe Thornton talks Toronto Maple Leafs' 'youthful energy' as training camp begins", "At training camp, the Toronto Maple Leafs top line has an interesting look, with veteran Joe Thornton joining Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner." ]

[ "Michael Wagaman" ]

"2021-01-09T16:57:48"

"2021-01-09T09:29:00"

"2021-01-09T00:00:00"

[ "SACRAMENTO, CALIF. -- Pascal Siakam had 17 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, Toronto made 20 3-pointers and the Raptors set a franchise record for scoring while winning for the second time this season, 144-123 over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night.\nFred VanVleet scored 34 points to help the Raptors (2-6) snap a three-game losing streak. Toronto's only other win came on Dec. 31 against the New York Knicks.\nNick Nurse's team won its seventh straight against the Kings despite being without point guard Kyle Lowry (personal reasons).\nThat, and the poise the Raptors showed after falling behind by 19 points in the first half, had Nurse beaming afterward.\n“When there's a whole bunch of guys hitting the floor with that level of fight, it kind of snowballs a little bit. It's contagious,” Nurse said. “There wasn't a whole lot to hang our heads about other than the start, and we didn't then.”\nChris Boucher added 23 points and 10 rebounds for Toronto. Norman Powell scored 22 points and Terence Davis had 18.\n“We did a great job of playing with energy throughout the game, even at the start,” said Powell, who made four 3s. “We clawed our way back into the game and the guys showed a lot of heart, toughness and togetherness to give us a chance going into that second half.”\nDe'Aaron Fox scored 23 points and rookie Tyrese Haliburton had 15 points and eight assists for Sacramento.\nToronto outscored Sacramento 33-20 in the fourth quarter.\n“They manhandled us, especially in that second half,” Kings coach Luke Walton said. “We built up a nice, big lead, and you see it all the time in the NBA ... they got hot. It didn't matter who they put in the game, they weren't missing. We relaxed, and as soon as we relaxed they found a nice smooth rhythm.”\nThe Raptors' previous record for scoring in the regular season was 140 points, last done against the New Orleans Pelicans on Oct. 22, 2019. Toronto scored 150 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Aug. 23 in the first round of the Eastern Conference playoffs.\nTIP-INS\nRaptors: Toronto had six players in double figures.The Raptors dominated on the boards 44-26.\nKings: Sacramento shot 81% (17 of 21) with six 3s and scored a season-high 43 points in the first quarter. The Kings had a season-high 36 assists. Haliburton had a 3-pointer taken away upon review in the first quarter when it was ruled he stepped out of bounds before shooting. Richaun Holmes picked up his fourth foul with 3:46 left in the second.\nBEATS STANDING IN LINE\nFans have not been allowed inside Golden1 Center all season but that hasn't stopped some from getting as close a look as possible. Two elderly women in wheelchairs peered through the glass doors encircling the arena and were able to see the game being shown on the giant scoreboard above the court, a ritual they have taken on for every home game this season. They were joined Friday night by a small group of people wearing Kings jerseys who were socially distanced nearby.\nUP NEXT\nRaptors: Visit Golden State on Sunday. Toronto has won three straight in the series, most recently beating the Warriors to clinch a playoff berth in March of last year.\nKings: Host the Trail Blazers on Saturday night. The two teams play again at Golden1 Center next Wednesday.", "Raptors set franchise scoring record, win 144-123 over Kings", "Pascal Siakam had 17 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds, Toronto made 20 3-pointers and the Raptors set a franchise record for scoring while winning for the second time this season, 144-123 over the Sacramento Kings on Friday night." ]

[]

"2021-01-25T18:17:13"

"2021-01-25T07:21:00"

"2021-01-25T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A date and plan for reopening schools for in-person instruction in more urban areas of Ontario outside of the province’s COVID-19 hotspots – such as Durham, Halton, Waterloo and Ottawa ­– could come in the next week.\nAs about 100,000 students in rural areas including Grey-Bruce, Kingston and Peterborough returned to class on Monday, Ontario Education Minister Stephen Lecce told CP24 on Monday that a decision for areas outside of Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton and Windsor-Essex could be imminent.\n“We are going to communicate over the coming week where and when schools can reopen but the decision is made on advice of chief medical officer of health,” Lecce said.\nBut he cautioned developments with the presence of the UK coronavirus variant B.1.1.7 and general progress in reducing community spread of the virus through the state of emergency measures could change the timeline.\n“We have to be nimble, but the commitment is to get them back with enhanced safety measures to keep them safe,” he said.\nThe province has ordered that schools in Toronto, Peel, York, Hamilton and Windsor-Essex not reopen for in-class instruction before Feb. 10.\nSchools in the north resumed in-class operation on Jan. 11, while schools throughout the province conducted class for special needs students throughout the month in all areas.\nThis leaves school boards (and parents) in a number of major urban centres including London, Guelph, Ottawa, Simcoe-Muskoka and Niagara without a clear idea of when schools will resume.\n“The Chief Medical Officer of Health is going to make that determination as soon as is humanly possible,” Lecce said.\n“As soon as we get it at the cabinet table – parents will know our decision.”\nWhen schools do resume, more students will be required to wear masks at all times.\nIn addition, Lecce said a surveillance testing program will see “thousands” of pupils and staff members receive tests each week.\nSurveillance testing was promised by the Ford government in the summer of 2020 but did not get underway until December, where it quickly revealed some schools in Toronto and Windsor were showing sustained asymptomatic transmission of coronavirus.\nFor this school year, the Ford government spent more than $460 million bolstering schools in preparation for COVID-19, also accepting $381 million in help from Ottawa and allowing school boards to dip into $500 million in existing reserve funds to help schools with the impact of the virus.\nThey also plan to use an additional $381 million in funds from the federal government earmarked for next school year to help school boards improve ventilation in classrooms.\nIn the meantime, the Ministry of Education has expanded eligibility for free childcare to include truckers, farmers, grocery and pharmacy workers and additional education staff required to be in schools.\nLecce said the move impacts approximately 500,000 working parents in the province.", "Ontario could announce date for reopening more schools outside COVID-19 hot spots this week", "A date and plan for reopening schools for in-person instruction in more urban areas of Ontario outside of the province’s COVID-19 hotspots – such as Durham, Halton, Waterloo and Ottawa ­– could come in the next week." ]

[]

"2021-01-18T21:27:05"

"2021-01-18T07:28:00"

"2021-01-18T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg says a pilot COVID-19 vaccination clinic that just opened today at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre will have to pause vaccinations on Friday because of a shortage of vaccine supply in the province.\nThe proof-of-concept clinic opened Monday and is meant to help develop a blueprint for how shots should be administered in non-medical settings as soon as this spring. So far, COVID-19 vaccines have only been administered at long-term care homes and at 19 hospital sites across Ontario.\nPegg said last week the facility would be “scale-able” and capable of increasing output with little notice, with an initial target of 250 doses per day.\nBut at the city’s media briefing on Monday, he said the province has now asked the city to pause vaccinations at the new clinic by the end of Friday.\n“We were all disappointed to learn that the delivery of Pfizer vaccine to Canada is expected to be delayed as a result of manufacturing delays in Europe. As a result, we have now been advised by the province that we will only be able to operate this proof of concept clinic for an initial five days due to the lack of availability of COVID-19 vaccine,” Pegg said.\nHe said anyone with an appointment at the clinic from Jan. 23 on should expect that their appointment will be cancelled.\nPeg said those who receive their first dose at the clinic this week will still be able to get their second dose within the proper timeframe.\nThe clinic will resume vaccinations once it gets word from the province that it may do so. In the meantime, Pegg said the city is continuing to plan for a quick rollout of the vaccine when more doses become available.\n“We are continuing to explore all options to accelerate our ability to administer vaccines to Toronto residents once larger quantities of vaccine are available,” he said. “This will include planning for extended hours of clinic operations, expanded clinic capacity targets and implementing innovative delivery methods that meet the needs of our city, including mobile vaccine clinics, priority neighborhood response, hospital-led clinic operations and widespread public access via pharmacies and primary care physicians.”\nThe site had been expected to run for at least six weeks in order to gather data about how best to host vaccination drives in larger settings.\nOntario Premier Doug Ford and Tory toured the site at MTCC’s North Building just on Sunday.\nWhile the clinic was meant to use the Moderna vaccine, the Pfizer delays mean that some of that supply will now be redistributed to other parts of the province.", "Ontario's first major COVID-19 vaccination site will pause after just 5 days due to supply shortage", "Toronto Fire Chief Matthew Pegg says a pilot COVID-19 vaccination clinic that just opened today at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre will have to pause vaccinations on Friday because of a shortage of vaccine supply in the province." ]

[]

"2021-01-08T15:34:30"

"2021-01-08T09:47:00"

"2021-01-08T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force says the University Health Network in Toronto will not be receiving more vaccines in the next few days as it's expected to run out of doses on Friday.\nHillier spoke to CP24 Friday morning and said the province is in need of more COVID-19 vaccines as vaccination sites ramp up efforts to administer the shots to as many people as possible.\nHe acknowledged that the province’s vaccine rollout plan had a slow start but is now picking up speed.\nHowever, the 19 vaccination sites across the province are facing supply shortages as shipments of the vaccine are not coming in fast enough from the federal government, Hillier said.\n“Now we're at a capacity, even with the few sites that we have running...we’re already at a capacity to put [shots] to far more people than we have vaccines coming in,” he said.\nHillier's remarks echo comments he made earlier this week where he disputed claims that vaccines are sitting in freezers across the province.\nToronto’s University Health Network is one of those sites facing limited supply as it’s expected to run out of doses by the end of today.\n“We’re out of vaccine @UHN on Friday and have 3000 people booked per day Sat, Sun, Monday. Urgently need vaccine,” UHN President and CEO Dr. Kevin Smith tweeted Thursday night.\nWe’re out of vaccine @UHN on Friday and have 3000 people booked per day Sat, Sun, Monday. Urgently need vaccine. https://t.co/lqS6GA0eE8 — Dr. Kevin Smith (@KevinSmithUHN) January 8, 2021\nHillier said UHN will not receive more doses of the vaccine ‘today or tomorrow’ unless vaccines are reallocated from other sites.\n“We're looking around to see if we can reallocate any more from any other place, but those other vaccine sites are equally efficient. They're really focused on getting those vaccines into long-term care homes and essential workers and health-care workers and residents who are trapped there, so to speak,” he said.\nHillier said UHN and other sites will have to back up on their efforts until more shots become available.\n“We'll slow that capacity down until the next vaccine allocation arrives, that’s sometime next week, we're not sure of exactly which day yet. And then we'll pick it up again, do them as quickly as possible, and we're going to be stopping-start for a few weeks because the vaccine allocations are still very small,” he said.\nInfectious diseases specialist Dr. Issac Bogoch said he sees the supply shortage as a \"good problem to have.\"\n\"Obviously we want more vaccines, we don't want to cancel anybody getting a vaccine, but this tells me that the vaccines are being deployed,\" Bogoch told CP24 on Friday.\n\"We've been talking for probably about a week and a half saying you have to do this faster, you have to ramp up [vaccinations], you have to scale up. So, if you're running out, that's a good place to be in my books,\" he added.\nOver the Christmas holidays, the government came under fire for pausing inoculations despite record-high COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations.\nHillier acknowledged that the government made a mistake and will not take any more days off from administering the shots.\nEarlier this week, the provincial government announced its goal of inoculating all long-term care home residents and staff by Jan. 21 in the hardest hit areas of the province: Toronto, Peel Region, York Region and Windsor-Essex.\nBut as inoculations are picking up pace, Hillier said he is not satisfied with the status of the rollout plan.\n“I would have liked to move much faster. I'd like to have more vaccines to allow us to go more quickly around the rest of the province, not just the four regions that we're focusing right now with the long-term care homes and retirement homes.”\nAs of 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, more than 72,600 doses of the vaccine have been administered in the province, according to government data. To date, 2,173 people have received the required two doses of the vaccine for full immunization.\nThe province began administering its first shipment of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 vaccine on Dec. 14 to health-care workers at UHN and The Ottawa Hospital, as part of a pilot project.\nTo date, the province has received roughly 95,000 doses of the Pfizer BioNTech vaccine and are expecting 50,000 more doses this week, followed by 80,000 doses every week for the rest of January.\nMeanwhile, 53,000 doses of Moderna’s vaccine arrived in the province during the week of Dec, 28 and another 56,000 were expected to arrive this week.\nSo far, only Pfizer and Moderna’s vaccines have been approved by Health Canada but Hillier said he’s asking for “a little push” on approving AstaZeneca’s vaccine as well.\n“Is Health Canada going to approve that or not? Please do. And if you’re not going to approve it, tell us. And if you then approve it… get AstraZeneca to us also so we can get more people protected from that horrible, terrible tragedy called COVID,” he said.", "Toronto hospital network won't receive more COVID-19 vaccines this weekend as it runs out of shots: Hillier", "Chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force says the University Health Network in Toronto will not be receiving more vaccines in the next few days as it's expected to run out of doses on Friday." ]

[]

"2021-01-25T18:17:08"

"2021-01-25T08:28:00"

"2021-01-25T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A 63-year-old man is dead after a snowmobile crash occurred east of Oshawa over the weekend.\nAt around 8:30 p.m. on Saturday, officers from Durham Regional Police’s East Division responded to a call regarding a serious collision on a private property in Clarington, near Newtonville.\nThe crash involved a single snowmobile, police said in a news release issued on Monday.\nA man, who was operating the snowmobile on a laneway, was ejected from the vehicle and transported to a local hospital. He was later transported to a Toronto-area trauma centre to treat his life-threatening injuries.\nHe was pronounced dead on Sunday, officers said. His identity has not been released.\nMembers of the police service’s collision investigation unit attended the scene to conduct an investigation into the fatal crash.\nAnyone with further information is asked to contact officers at 1-888-579-1520, ext. 5216.", "63-year-old man killed in snowmobile crash east of Oshawa", "A 63-year-old man is dead after a snowmobile crash occurred east of Oshawa over the weekend." ]

[]

"2021-01-24T20:20:47"

"2021-01-24T10:39:00"

"2021-01-24T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- George Armstrong, who captained the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the '60s and wore the blue and white his entire career, has died.\nHe was 90.\nThe Maple Leafs confirmed the death Sunday on Twitter.\nArmstrong played a record 1,187 games with 296 goals and 417 assists over 21 seasons for the Leafs, including 13 seasons as team captain. The right-winger added another 26 goals and 34 assists in 110 playoff games.\nKnown as the Chief, Armstrong was one of the first players of Indigenous descent to play professional hockey.\nArmstrong was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1975. Some 41 years later, Armstrong was voted No. 12 on the franchise's list of 100 greatest Maple Leafs in its centennial season.\nThe Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the passing of George Armstrong, a member of our Maple Leafs family for 75 years.\nWe extend our condolences to George’s wife Betty, their children, grandchildren and the entire Armstrong family.\nFull Statement: https://t.co/xCNHNn1Zcg pic.twitter.com/F9e9M0ZfSk — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 24, 2021\n\"George is part of the very fabric of the Toronto Maple Leaf organization and will be deeply missed,\" Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan said in a statement. \"A proud yet humble man, he loved being a Maple Leaf but never sought the spotlight even though no player played more games for Toronto or captained the team longer. Always one to celebrate his teammates rather than himself, George couldn't even bring himself to deliver his speech the day he was immortalized on Legends Row.\"\nA young Armstrong met Syl Apps when the Maple Leafs star came to his bantam team's annual banquet. Armstrong would go on to wear No. 10, the first Leaf to do so after the retirement of talismanic Cup-winning captain Apps.\nArmstrong would also become one of a select number of Leafs honoured with a banner at Scotiabank Arena and his number was officially retired in October 2016 at the team's centennial anniversary home opener.\nIn 2015, Armstrong and Apps were added to the Leafs' Legends Row.\nThe Leafs released a statement on Sunday with the words from Armstrong's unread speech that night.\n\"Hockey is a great game and I love it. I am part of a fading generation that you will never have again. Every one of us is one of a kind, that will never be repeated. To all of my friends and acquaintances, thank you for your advice and direction, that helped make me who I am today ΓǪ a very, very happy person.\"\nNHL commissioner Gary Bettman also paid tribute Sunday to the former Leafs' captain.\n\"The National Hockey League family is saddened to learn of the passing of George Armstrong,\" Bettman said in a statement. \"For 70 years, he represented his beloved Maple Leafs and the entire NHL with class and distinction as a player, coach, executive and ambassador.\n\"A humble man and revered leader, Armstrong captained the Leafs for 12 seasons -- including to three straight Stanley Cups in 1962, 1963 and 1964 and the stunning 1967 title -- and scored the final goal of the Original Six Era in Game Six of the '67 Final.\n\"Our game will miss him dearly. The NHL extends its deepest sympathies to George's wife Betty, their children, grandchildren and the entire Armstrong family.\"\nAfter hanging up his skates in 1971, Armstrong coached the Toronto Marlboros to Memorial Cup victories in 1972-73 and 1974-75 before accepting a scouting position with the Quebec Nordiques in 1978.\nHe spent nine years with Quebec before returning to the Toronto fold as assistant general manager and scout in 1988. Armstrong served as interim coach for the final 47 games of the 1988-89 season after John Brophy was fired after an 11-20-2 start.\nThe next year, Armstrong returned to his role as a scout for the Leafs.\nArmstrong scored 20 goals four times during his career but was better known for his leadership and work ethic, helping restore the franchise's winning touch. A smart player and talented backchecker, he worked the angles to get the best shot at his opponent and formed a formidable penalty-killing tandem with Dave Keon.\nA humble man, Armstrong was quick to deflect praise. He credited his players for his Memorial Cup wins as coach.\nPart of the very fabric of the Toronto Maple Leaf organization.\nRest In Peace, George. You will be deeply missed. pic.twitter.com/xzLl8CwX4D — Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) January 24, 2021\n\"It wasn't because I was a great coach, it was because I had some great players,\" he said in a 1989 interview, listing off the likes of the Howe brothers, John Tonelli, Mark Napier and Mike Palmateer.\nAnd he offered a typical response when inducted into the Leaside Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.\n\"I don't know whether I deserve it or not but I sure am happy to get it,\" said Armstrong, who lived in several areas of the city before making Leaside his Toronto home.\nBorn in Bowland's Bay, Ont., to an Irish father and an Iroquois mother, a young Armstrong honed his hockey skills in Falconbridge near the Sudbury nickel mines where his father worked.\nThe Boston Bruins were interested but Armstrong waited until the Leafs put him on their protected list while he was playing with the Copper Cliff Jr. Redmen of the NOHA in 1946-47. After winning the Eddie Powers Memorial Trophy as the OHA's leading scorer with Stratford next season, the Leafs sent him to their main junior affiliate, the Toronto Marlboros.\nHe was elevated to the senior Marlies for the 1949 Allan Cup playoffs and helped the team win the title over Calgary the next year.\nIt was during the Allan Cup tournament, specifically a visit to the Stoney Indian Reserve in Alberta, that he got his nickname. When the band heard of Armstrong's ancestral background, they made him an honorary member with the name \"Chief Shoot-the-Puck\" and presented him with a ceremonial headdress.\nIt was a different era and \"The Chief\" nickname stuck. Armstrong, who was proud of his mother's heritage, would become the first player of Indigenous descent to score in the NHL.\nHe spent most of two seasons in Pittsburgh with the Leafs' American Hockey League farm team before making the big league. He made his NHL debut in December 1949 and became a full-time member of the Leafs in time for the start of the 1952-53 season.\n\"It looks as if he's going to be here for quite a long time the way he handled that puck,\" legendary broadcaster Foster Hewitt said after Armstrong scored his first NHL goal in a 3-2 win over Montreal.\nTaking a pass from future Hall of Famer Max Bentley, Armstrong beat defenceman Butch Bouchard and beat goaltender Gerry McNeil.\n\"I did a little war dance that night and I think everybody in Maple Leaf Gardens was pretty happy about it as well,\" Armstrong recalled 15 years later.\nToronto owner and GM Conn Smythe named Armstrong his captain before the 1957-58 season. Smythe would later call Armstrong \"the best captain, as a captain, the Leafs have ever had.\"\nThe Leafs won the Stanley Cup in 1962, the first of three straight championships.\nArmstrong was 36 when the veteran Leafs won the franchise's last championship in 1967. His insurance empty-net goal with 47 seconds remaining in the clinching 3-1 Game 6 win proved to be the final goal of the Original Six era.\nThe six-foot-one, 204-pounder played a few more seasons, but suffered a knee injury during the 1969-70 campaign that forced him to retire. Armstrong was convinced to come back for the 1970-71 season before quitting for good at age 40.\nAt the time, Armstrong had played more seasons and more games as a Maple Leaf than any other player, and was second in career points.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 24, 2021.", "Former Maple Leafs captain George Armstrong dead at 90", "George Armstrong, who captained the Toronto Maple Leafs to four Stanley Cups in the '60s and wore the blue and white his entire career, has died." ]

[]

"2021-01-04T12:33:20"

"2021-01-04T07:18:00"

"2021-01-04T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Students across Ontario will return to the virtual classroom today as part of a provincewide lockdown.\nThe measure ends for all students in northern Ontario and elementary students in southern Ontario after the first week back from winter break.\nHigh schoolers in southern Ontario will continue online learning until Jan. 25.\nThe move is part of a provincial lockdown that began on Boxing Day and is set to last until Jan. 9 in northern Ontario and Jan. 23 in southern Ontario.\nIt comes after a long weekend that saw record-breaking COVID-19 case counts.\nThe province logged 3,363 new cases on Saturday, up from Thursday's record of 3,328.", "Ontario students return to virtual school as part of COVID-19 lockdown measures", "Students across Ontario will return to the virtual classroom today as part of a provincewide lockdown." ]

[]

"2021-01-08T22:50:07"

"2021-01-08T17:23:00"

"2021-01-08T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Hundreds of marchers walked silently through Toronto's downtown core Friday, on the one-year anniversary of the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752.\nThey carried larger-than-life signs with the faces of their loved ones; the pictures of the dead, marked by the words “truth” and “justice,” speaking loudly for them.\n“We will never forgive, we will never forget,” said Meisam Salahi.\nSalahi’s younger brother Mohsen, and his sister-in-law Masa Amirliravi, died aboard the doomed flight.\n“I always tell everyone, I wish it was me, because my brother was very kind.”\nMeanwhile, Binafsha Rassoli marched for her best friend, Mehraban Badiel, who was just 18-years-old when her plane was shot down, minutes after taking off from Tehran, Iran.\n“The pain is still the same that it was the first day we heard about this tragic event.”\nThe Ukrainian airliner was struck by surface-to-air missiles just hours after Iran attacked two U.S. airbases in Iraq. Iran said the crash was due to “human error,” but the families say they don’t buy that explanation.\n“I think every family member deserves an answer,” said Rassoli.\nAt various ceremonies today, all three levels of government spoke out against Iran’s lack of transparency and accountability.\n“We will continue to work with you to get the justice that is so richly deserved — and needed — in order to just start to bring a degree of closure,” Toronto Mayor John Tory said,\nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau went on to proclaim Jan. 8th a “national day to commemorate the victims of air disasters” in a pre-recorded speech aired over the noon-hour.\n“Canada will not stand for anything less than a comprehensive and honest explanation from the Iranian government of what exactly happened. And we will continue to push for access to all the relevant evidence, and to insist on full accountability, to make sure we never forget the loss.”\nAmirali Alavi, who lost his 50-year-old mother, Neda Sadighi, in the crash says Canada has been supportive. Still, he believes international governments need to take stronger action to force Iran to be accountable.\n“We can’t let such a huge crime slide by. We need to stand up to the bully, and stand up for justice, and stand up for Canada, to be honest.”\nThe marchers carried 176 signs, one for each of the people who died aboard the downed Ukrainian plane. 55 Canadian citizens and 40 permanent residents were among those who died.", "‘We will never forgive, we will never forget': Families mark anniversary of downed flight PS752", "Hundreds of marchers walked silently through Toronto's downtown core Friday, on the one-year anniversary of the downing of Ukraine International Airlines Flight 752." ]

[]

"2021-01-14T17:21:07"

"2021-01-14T09:09:00"

"2021-01-14T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Less than five hours before it was to take effect at midnight Thursday, the Ford government released its legal parameters around a new stay-at-home order enacted for at least the next 28 days meant to keep people home to stop the spread of COVID-19.\nThe order says people cannot leave home, except for about 33 essential reasons:\nYou must not leave home, except:\nTo go to work or volunteer. The work role must be considered “essential.” Per the terms of the order, employers get to decide if a job is essential or not.\nTo go to school. (Elementary schools, secondary schools and post-secondary institutions are largely closed for in-person learning in southern Ontario).\n“Attending, obtaining or providing child care. (Child care facilities are closed, except those that provide care to children not old enough to be enrolled in school.)\n“Receiving or providing training or educational services.”\nTo buy things:\nPurchasing “food, beverage and personal care items.”\nObtaining healthcare items and medication\nBuying goods or services that are “necessary for the safe operation, maintenance or sanitation of households, businesses, means of transportation or other places.”\nBuying or attending an appointment at any business allowed to be open, including for curbside pickup.\nAttending a financial institution.\nReceiving any government service including healthcare or mental health assistance.\nHelping others:\nDelivering goods or providing care to anyone in a congregate care setting, or receiving goods or support.\nAccompanying someone else outside who requires assistance to travel.\nTransporting a child to their parent or guardian’s home.\nTransporting a member of one’s household “to any place the member of the household is permitted to go under this Order.”\nTo protect oneself:\nFrom domestic violence\nAssisting someone living in unsafe conditions\nSeeking help in an emergency situation\nAttending a court or other location for the administration of justice\nTo exercise:\nAs defined as “walking or moving around outdoors” using “an assistive mobility device,” or an outdoor amenity permitted to be open during Stage 1 of Ontario’s reopening rules. There is no word on what an individual would have to show a peace officer to prove they are exercising. Playgrounds and play structures were closed during Ontario’s Stage 1. So far, most outdoor amenities are permitted to be open, save for ski hills. But the question of permitted outdoor amenities has sparked confusion.\nIndigenous rights:\nAll activities protected under Aboriginal treaty as defined by the Constitution Act of 1982.\nMoving and travelling:\nTravelling is permitted to another location if the person intends to stay there less than 24 hours and is doing so for one of the other purposes set out in the order.\nOtherwise, travelling to another residence is only allowed if an individual intends to stay there for at least 14 days.\nTravelling between homes of parents, guardians or caregivers in order to safeguard someone under their care.\n“Making arrangements to buy or sell a residence or to begin or end a residential lease.”\nMoving\nGoing to the airport, train or bus station, “for the purpose of travelling to a destination that is outside of the Province. (The latest orders suggest a voluntary self-isolation period of 14 days when returning to Ontario, even from another province.)\nGathering:\nIf one lives alone, with the members of one additional household.\nFor a wedding, funeral or religious service. (With no more than 10 people indoors or outdoors.)\nCaring for animals:\nBuying food or veterinary services for an animal\nWalking an animal\nPreventing or avoiding an imminent risk to an animal’s health or safety, including preventing animal abuse.\nNothing in these orders apply to the homeless, a source of concern for rights groups and advocates who pointed out many homeless Ontarians were targeted and ticketed during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.", "What is considered essential under Ontario's COVID-19 stay-at-home order?", "Here's a list of what is considered essential under Ontario's COVID-19 stay-at-home order." ]

[]

"2021-01-22T14:43:27"

"2021-01-21T20:03:00"

"2021-01-21T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- An Ontario doctor and her husband, who contracted the U.K. COVID-19 variant, have been charged after they allegedly mislead contact tracers.\nDr. Martina Weir, a physician with privileges at Lakeridge Health, the Fairview Lodge and the Hillsdale Terraces long-term care homes, has been charged with provincial offences under the Health Protection and Promotion Act. Her husband Brian Weir, who works for Toronto Paramedic Service in a non-patient facing role, has also been charged.\nThe couple each face two counts of \"failing to provide accurate information on all persons that the defendant may have had contact with during their period of communicability for COVID-19” and one count of obstruction “by providing false information to the Durham Region Associate Medical Officer of Health in relation to contact tracing involving the U.K. variant strain of COVID-19.”\nThe Weirs were diagnosed with Ontario’s first two cases of the highly-contagious U.K. variant in December, and provincial officials originally said the couple had no known exposure to the virus. However, they later learned that the Weirs had been in close contact with someone who had recently arrived in Canada from the U.K.—and alleged the couple had withheld that information during contact tracing interviews.\nMartina Weir was on site at the Whitby’s Fairview Lodge long-term care home as recently as Wednesday, but the Regional Municipality of Durham, which operates the facility, said she had not worked there between Dec. 11 and Jan. 17, which included her self-isolation period. Dr. Weir was also absent from Oshawa’s Hillsdale Terraces site during that time, and the operator said there was no risk to patients.\nLakeridge Health said that Dr. Weir did not provide patient care during the month of December. Every physician undergoes a screening process upon entry, said a spokesperson, which involves confirming whether they had had contact with anyone who had travelled outside the country.\nThe College of Physicians and Surgeons told CTV News Toronto in a statement that “countering public health best practices at anytime–including during a pandemic–represents a risk to the public and is not acceptable behaviour.”\nThe Regional Muncipality of Durham said that Dr. Weir would not be working at any of its long-term care homes until its internal review was complete.\nNone of the allegations has been proven in court. The Weirs are expected to appear in court Mar. 10.", "Ontario couple who contracted U.K. COVID-19 variant charged after allegedly misleading contact tracers", "An Ontario doctor and her husband, who contracted the U.K. COVID-19 variant, have been charged after they allegedly mislead contact tracers." ]

[]

"2021-01-26T21:57:38"

"2021-01-26T16:33:00"

"2021-01-26T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- More than 300 doctors and advocates have signed a letter calling on the Ford government to act now to address deadly COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care homes across the province.\nThe letter, organized by Doctors for Justice in LTC, states that the group has “grave concerns” for the well-being of Ontarians in LTC homes.\nThe group is calling for the provincial government “to end the violations of people’s human rights” and control the spread of COVID-19 in these homes.\n“We now have over 1,500 people that have died in long-term care from COVID-19 in the second wave alone. This week we’ve had about 171 deaths and we’re losing basically about one person per hour. One person per hour is dying of COVID-19 in our long-term care facilities in Ontario so if this is not an emergency, what is?,” Dr. Amit Arya, palliative care physician specializing in long-term care, and co-founder of Doctors for Justice in LTC, told CP24.\nArya warned that LTC homes are in a “crisis situation” and that the government’s current response to the pandemic is “reactionary” at best.\nHe argued that “proactive implementation of policies to prevent the spread of COVID-19 are desperately needed.”\nIn the letter, the group outlined actions that the government should implement “immediately” to address COVID-19 outbreaks in long-term care.\nThe nine objectives are:\nEnding for-profit LTC homes\nHiring more qualified staff\nA minimum pay standard for frontline LTC staff consistent with the hospital sector\nEnsure 70 per cent of staff at each LTC home are full-time\nAllow essential caregivers unrestricted entry into LTC homes with proper personal protective equipment\nEstablish partnerships between hospitals, primary care teams and all LTC homes\nKeep hospital teams on standby\nCall upon the military if required\nAccelerate vaccination rollout to LTC homes\nArya stressed that for-profit LTC homes have a higher risk of people dying from the disease caused by the novel coronavirus due, in part, to staffing.\n“One big problem that is associated with private ownership is staffing. So how these companies generate profit is by keeping their health workers poor. They’re more likely to have part-time casual workers, more likely to employ agency workers who are moving from home to home which absolutely should not be allowed at this stage of the pandemic,” he said.\nOne of the objectives outlined by the group is to bring in the military to assist LTC homes dealing with a significant outbreak.\nHowever, Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said the military is not needed right now as there is a system in place to support these homes.\n“We have now an association between hospitals and long-term care homes and hospitals are standing forward and helping the long-term care homes that are having problems both in terms of supplying staff as well as supplying PPE and whatever else they need,” Elliott said on Tuesday to reporters at Pearson airport.\n“In certain circumstances, the Red Cross has also been involved. If we need to ask for the armed forces’ assistance we will do so but right now we have a system in place where the hospitals are supporting those long-term care homes,” she said.\nNDP leader Andrea Horwath issued a statement on Tuesday saying her party supports the objectives laid out by Doctors for Justice in LTC.\nShe said “it’s time for an overhaul” of the LTC system to stop “terrible living conditions and preventable deaths.”\n“The Ford government has dragged its heels and taken half-measures in long-term care. There are billions of dollars available to the government that are not being spent because Mr. Ford doesn’t want to spend it. He is refusing offers of military aid in long-term care homes struggling with horrible COVID-19 outbreaks. And he’s protected for-profit corporations — allowing them to put their bottom line ahead of the care and quality of life of seniors,” Horwath said.\nOn Tuesday, 35 more long-term care residents died from COVID-19, according to provincial health officials.\nSince the pandemic began last March, 3,462 long-term care home residents have died from COVID-19, representing about 59 per cent of all virus-related deaths in Ontario.\nThere are currently 253 long-term care homes and 153 retirement homes with an active outbreak of the virus in the province.\nThe province has said that they plan to provide a first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine to all residents and staff at Ontario long-term care homes by February 5, 10 days earlier than initially planned.", "Hundreds of doctors, advocates ask Ontario government to better support long-term care homes battling COVID-19", "More than 300 doctors and advocates have signed a letter calling on the Ford government to act now to address deadly COVID-19 outbreaks at long-term care homes across the province." ]

[]

"2021-01-25T13:51:33"

"2021-01-25T07:45:00"

"2021-01-25T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford is expected to provide an update on the province’s COVID-19 vaccination plan this afternoon.\nAt his Queen’s Park news conference, the premier will be joined by Deputy Premier and Minister of Health Christine Elliott, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones and retired General Rick Hillier, the chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force.\nThe news conference is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. CTVNewsToronto.ca will stream it live as soon as it begins.\nDuring an interview with AM 800 in Windsor on Friday, Ford offered to drive an ultra-cold refrigerated truck to Kalamazoo, Mich. in an effort to secure thousands of doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine – an offer that the premier said was turned down by the drug manufacturer.\nPfizer declines to comment on the premier’s specific comments of frustration, but the company said they listened to Ford’s concerns and underlined the temporary nature of the disruption of vaccine.\nEarlier last week, the vaccine shortage caused by a production issue in Belgium forced a pilot COVID-19 immunization site in downtown Toronto to shutter. The proof-of-concept clinic at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre opened on Jan. 18 with the goal of administering about 250 doses a day but had to shut down due to a lack of supply as of Jan. 20. It is not clear when the clinic will be able to reopen.\nThe federal government has said Canada will not be receiving any shipments of the Pfizer vaccine this week amid the production issue.\nOver the next month, according to the province, Ontario’s weekly deliveries of the Pfizer vaccine will be cut by as much as 80 per cent.\nThus far, 280,573 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to Ontarians. The vaccine requires two doses. The number of total vaccinations completed in Ontario currently stands at 62,881.", "Ontario Premier Doug Ford to provide update on COVID-19 vaccination plan this afternoon", "Ontario Premier Doug Ford is expected to provide an update on the province’s COVID-19 vaccination plan this afternoon." ]

[]

"2021-01-28T05:56:12"

"2021-01-27T20:37:00"

"2021-01-27T00:00:00"

[ "TAMPA, FLA -- Kyle Lowry scored a milestone basket early and made things interesting for the Raptors late with a 14-point fourth quarter.\nBut the Milwaukee Bucks answered every Raptor run in a 115-108 victory Wednesday.\nGiannis Antetokounmpo was one assist from a triple-double with 24 points, 18 rebounds and nine assists for Milwaukee (11-6). Khris Middleton had 24 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists while Brook Lopez added 20 points and seven rebounds.\nFour straight baskets, including three three-pointers, by Lowry helped Toronto (7-11) cut the lead to 106-102 with under two minutes remaining. Milwaukee held firm, however.\nEarlier Lowry became the third player to reach the 10,000-point milestone as a Raptor, scoring on Toronto's second shot attempt at Amalie Arena.\nThe 34-year-old guard sank a three-pointer from 24 feet just 51 seconds into the game after a steal by Fred VanVleet. DeMar DeRozan (13,296) and Chris Bosh (10,275) are the only others to score 10,000 in Raptors colours.\nNorm Powell had a season-high 26 points for Toronto, his fourth consecutive 20-plus outing. Six Raptors finished in double figures with Lowry finishing at 21. VanVleet had 10 points and 10 assists.\n“I think there was a lot of good to take from the game, there's a lot of positives to take from the game,” said Toronto coach Nick Nurse.\nBut he rued some missed offensive play executions.\n“If you're going to beat a high-level team, those things have got to get cleaned up,” he said.\nToronto made 22-of-55 three-point attempts with Aron Baynes 1-of-7, Pascal Siakam 1-of-4 and VanVleet 2-of-11. Lowry was good on 6-of-8 attempts, making all four from distance in the fourth.\nMilwaukee outscored Toronto 40-26 in the paint.\nSiakam (11 points) returned to the Raptors lineup after a two-game absence due to left knee swelling. But OG Anunoby (calf) was unable to go due to a calf issue.\nThe game marked the one-quarter mark of the 72-game season for Toronto. The Raptors were 14-4 and riding a six-game win streak at the same stage last season.\nLowry actually came into the game with 13,730 points, having scored 1,217 in two-plus seasons with Memphis and 2,515 in three-plus campaigns with Houston.\nGolden State's Steph Curry and Klay Thompson, Portland's Damian Lillard, Washington's Bradley Beal and Milwaukee's Antetokounmpo are the only active players with 10,000 points with their current team.\nVanVleet played provider in the first quarter with seven assists, helping centre Baynes - who came into the game averaging 4.7 points this season - collect seven points early. Powell led all scorers with 10 points in the quarter.\nA 10-3 Toronto run at the end of the first quarter tied the score at 33-33.\nThe Raptors led by five in the second quarter before they went cold and the Bucks reeled off a 21-7 run to lead 63-54 at the half.\nAntetokounmpo had 14 points, nine rebounds and five assists in the half.\nToronto opened the third quarter with an 8-1 run to cut the lead to two. But Milwaukee answered with an 10-2 run of its own to make it a double-digit lead. The Raptors kept chipping away and only trailed 83-82 going into the fourth on the back of a 9-0 run.\nThe Raptors pulled ahead 84-83 on a Yuta Watanabe two-pointer but Milwaukee scored the next nine points.\nAfter Toronto cut the lead to 100-94, Milwaukee challenged an offensive foul call against Antetokounmpo with 4:48 remaining. The Bucks won the challenge and the Bucks star buried two free throws to make it an eight-point game.\nToronto, coming off a 129-114 loss in Indiana on Monday, had won five of its last seven following a 2-8 start to the season.\nThe Bucks, who downed visiting Atlanta 129-115 on Sunday, were well-rested. The Hawks game was their first since a loss to the Lakers last Thursday, given Friday's contest against Washington was postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak among the Wizards.\nToronto hosts the Sacramento Kings on Friday in Tampa. Milwaukee continues its road trip with games in New Orleans on Friday and Charlotte on Saturday.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2021", "Lowry reaches 10,000-point plateau as a Raptor in 115-108 loss to Milwaukee", "Kyle Lowry scored a milestone basket early and made things interesting for the Raptors late with a 14-point fourth quarter." ]

[]

"2021-01-11T23:59:57"

"2021-01-11T17:16:00"

"2021-01-11T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Oakville Mayor Rob Burton has resigned from the Halton Police Board after telling Police Chief Steve Tanner that it would be OK for him to travel to Florida over the holidays.\nBurton, who was the chair of the board, made the announcement in a statement issued late Monday afternoon.\nIn it, he said that he is now “deeply regretful for my response to the chief's proposed trip.”\n“I regret sincerely that I focussed at the time on the ways the chief's trip qualified as essential travel,” he said. “I should have recommended against it because it could generate public concern about me not setting a higher example than the rules and guidelines actually called for.”\nTanner released a statement last week confirming that he did travel south “to address some personal business matters” but did so with “with the knowledge and support” of Burton.\nTanner, however, conceded that making the trip despite advice from public health officials against non-essential travel was a “poor decision” that he now “deeply regrets.”\nNews of the trip surfaced in the wake of several other officials, including former Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips and the president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System, being forced to resign after their own decisions to travel outside the country during a global pandemic became public.\nThe trip also coincided with the death of a Halton police officer who suffered a medical episode while on duty, leaving Tanner unable to support his grieving officers in person.\n“Chief Steve Tanner informed me in advance of his travel to tend to a property matter. I had no objection. Chief Tanner continues to have my full confidence,” Burton told CP24 after the trip became public. “The chief leads our police service in an exemplary manner and will continue to do so.”\nIn a statement provided to CP24 earlier on Monday, the Halton Police Board said that it will be holding a special meeting on Friday “to obtain legal advice” in response to “concerns regarding Chief Tanner’s recent travel.”\nThe board says that it will then deal with the matter at its next public meeting on Jan. 28th.", "Oakville mayor resigns from Halton Police Board after telling Chief Steve Tanner he could travel to Florida over holidays", "Oakville Mayor Rob Burton has resigned from the Halton Police Board after telling Police Chief Steve Tanner that it would be OK for him to travel to Florida over the holidays." ]

[]

"2021-01-21T21:43:02"

"2021-01-21T11:12:00"

"2021-01-21T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The Halton police board will not take any disciplinary action against Chief Steve Tanner over his decision to travel to Florida over the holidays.\nTanner had said that he sought the approval of Oakville mayor and police board chair Rob Burton before travelling south to attend to a “property matter” on Boxing Day.\nBut Burton resigned as chair of the board on Jan. 11 as criticism of the trip grew, noting that he was “deeply regretful” for his decision to authorize it.\nThe board met for a total of 15 hours over the course of Friday and Saturday to discuss the matter further but were unable to come to a resolution. They then reconvened on Thursday for what was their third special meeting in the last week.\nIn a statement issued in the wake of that closed-door meeting, the board expressed its “full and unequivocal confidence” in Tanner and confirmed that they will not be taking “any further action.”\n“The board expresses its disappointment in both the former Chair, Mayor Rob Burton, for granting permission to Chief Tanner to travel to the United States, for not obtaining the consent of, nor notifying, the board and in Chief Tanner for his decision to ask for permission and for travelling to the United States during the COVID-19 pandemic notwithstanding his property-related issues in Florida,” the statement reads. “The board accepts Chief Tanner’s apology for his decision to travel and will take no further action.”\nTanner has previously said that travelling in light of the ongoing COVID-19 situation was a “poor decision” but he told CP24 earlier this month that he took the trip “for essential reasons” and vowed to remain on the job.\nIn a statement issued after the board’s decision was announced, Tanner said that he continues to regret his decision to travel and has already apologized to both the public and members of the Halton Regional Police Service.\n“Regardless of the personal property related reasons for which I travelled recently, or the permission that I sought and obtained for that travel, I am remorseful for that decision,” he said. “I also regret the impact this has had on Mayor Burton who has stepped down from the Halton Police Board as a result of his decision to support my travel.\nSeveral politicians and public officials, including former Ontario finance minister Rod Phillips and the president and CEO of St. Joseph’s Health System, have already been forced to resign after it came to light that they travelled outside the country amid a global pandemic.\nThe Halton Regional Police Association did not call for Tanner’s resignation, though president Clay Gillis had said that some members told him that they believed it was necessary.\nIn its statement, the board said that it has committed to reviewing its policies related to “vacations, leave, continuity of leadership and the pandemic, and international travel guidelines” in the wake of the controversy.", "Halton police board won't take disciplinary action against chief over trip to Florida", "The Halton police board will not take any disciplinary action against Chief Steve Tanner over his decision to travel to Florida over the holidays." ]

[]

"2021-01-03T16:09:12"

"2021-01-03T10:11:00"

"2021-01-03T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario is reporting a slight dip in daily COVID-19 cases after logging more than 5,800 infections in the last two days.\nHealth officials recorded 2,964 new cases of the novel coronavirus on Sunday, marking a decrease from the record-breaking 3,363 infections a day earlier, but a slight increase from the 2,476 cases reported on Friday.\nThere were 3,328 cases reported on Thursday and 2,923 cases added on Wednesday.\nThe new cases push Ontario’s rolling seven-day average of infections to 2,792.\nOn Sunday, the province also recorded an additional 25 deaths, bringing the total death toll related to the disease to 4,650.\nAt least 15 of those new deaths were residents in long-term care homes.\nAccording to Sunday’s epidemiology report, two of the other 10 deceased were between the ages of 20 and 39. Only 20 people within that demographic have died after contracting COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.\nAt least 3,215 of the 4,650 COVID-19 deaths have been in people over the age of 80. There have been 177 people who have died between the ages of 40 and 59 and 1,236 deaths in people between the ages of 60 and 79.\nThere are currently 228 ongoing outbreaks of COVID-19 in Ontario long-term care homes and 129 in the province’s retirement homes.\nSixty hospitals are also experiencing an outbreak of the novel coronavirus.\nAs of Sunday, at least 998 people are being treated in Ontario hospitals for COVID-19, with 329 of them getting care in intensive care units (ICU). Of the ICU patients, 228 are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.\nProvincial officials say those numbers may be an underrepresentation as more than 10 per cent of hospitals did not submit data.\n“We anticipate the number of hospitalized patients may increase when reporting compliance increases,” they said.\nThe total number of lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Ontario has now surpassed 190,000, including deaths and recoveries.\nWhere are the new COVID-19 cases?\nThe majority of new infections were reported in the Greater Toronto Area.\nThere were 786 cases in Toronto, 346 in Peel Region, 308 in York Region, 197 in Durham Region, 172 in Hamilton and 100 in Halton Region.\nOther public health units reporting more than 50 COVD-19 cases include Ottawa (100), Simcoe-Muskoka (58), Windsor-Essex (187), Middlesex-London (79), Lambton (55), Niagara Region (113), Waterloo (157) and Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph (53).\nAfter setting a new testing record of more than 70,000 swabs processed on Friday, the number of COVID-19 tests processed appears to have dropped. On Saturday officials completed over 61,400 tests and on Sunday, that number dipped to 49,800.\nThe Ministry of Health says the testing brings the province’s positivity rate to about 5.6 per cent.", "Ontario reports more than 2,900 new COVID-19 cases, 25 more deaths related to disease", "Ontario is reporting a dip in daily COVID-19 cases after logging more than 5,800 infections in the last two days." ]

[]

"2021-01-30T00:35:05"

"2021-01-29T19:22:00"

"2021-01-29T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Hospitals networks across the Greater Toronto Area are adjusting the rollout of the vaccine and some are temporary closing immunization clinics due to a supply shortage.\nThe vaccine clinic at Trillium Health Partners hospital (THP) in Mississauga will close at the end of Friday. The hospital network says it is implementing direction from Ontario’s chief medical officer of health to expand the second dose interval for the Pfizer-BioNTech from 21 to 35 days.\n“Long-term care and retirement home health care workers and THP staff, who have not already received their second dose, will be rescheduled from a 21-day to a 35-day interval,” Trillium Health said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.\nTrillium Health Partners started administering the vaccine on Dec. 21 and by the end of Friday, more than 13,500 doses have been administered.\n“I was bit teary when I heard I was going to be able to come under the wire, many of my colleagues don’t have that same opportunity,” registered nurse Samantha MacNeil said before receiving her second dose. “Definitely, I’m feeling much more protected and safer to come home to my family as well.”\nThe clinic is expected to reopen on Feb. 13, coinciding with the 35-day interval between doses.\nThe delays are due to Pfizer-BioNTech pausing production at a plant in Belgium in order to expand its manufacturing capacity.\nThe vaccine shortage has forced the province to refocus it’s distribution plan.\nOther GTA hospital adjust rollout\nWilliam Osler’s vaccine clinic will temporarily close staring on Saturday and will reopen on Feb. 13 to administer second doses for health care workers to align with the new interval.\n“As per the ministry's most recent directive to extend the second dose interval from 21 to 35 days, all second dose appointments pre-scheduled at Osler from Jan. 30 onwards will be shifted to a 35-day interval,” William Osler Health System spokesperson Donna Harris said.\nSince opening the clinic in December, Osler has administered more than 10,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine.\nSunnybrook Hospital has been offering only second doses since Monday.\n“As of tomorrow, we will be offering only second doses to residents in long-term care and high risk retirement homes,” said Criag DuHamel, vice president of communications and stakeholder relations.\nDuHamel told CTV News Toronto the hospital has enough vaccine to get into next week, but the main challenge is having second doses for health care workers.\n“We're not sure yet when we're going to be back online with those doses.”\nMacKenize Health in York Region, paused first doses for the vaccine a week ago as per the provinces direction.\n“Beginning Saturday, all patient-facing staff, physicians and active volunteers who have already received their first dose of the vaccine will have their second dose appointments rescheduled to adhere to the 35-day schedule as directed by the ministry of health,” Christina Cindric, Senior Communications consultant said in a statement.\nFor residents of long-term care, high-risk retirement and First Nations elder care homes, the dosing interval is maintained at 21 to 27 days.\nAccording to the ministry of health, 327, 455 total doses have been administered and 61,679 people have been fully vaccinated.", "COVID-19 vaccine clinics closing temporarily in GTA amid shortage", "Hospitals networks across the Greater Toronto area are adjusting the rollout of the vaccine and some are temporary closing immunization clinics due to a supply shortage." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-16T20:09:48"

"2021-01-16T11:49:00"

"2021-01-16T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The Ontario government has updated its recommendation for when some people should receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine after it was announced that there will likely be a shortage.\nThe new recommendation comes after the federal government announced earlier there will be a \"temporary\" delay of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine shipments due to expansions of the company's European manufacturing facility. It could result in a 50 per cent cut in shipments in January.\nOntario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams said in a statement on Saturday morning that long-term care and high-risk retirement home residents – and their essential caregivers – who received the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine will receive their second dose in 21 to 27 days.\nStaff who were vaccinated within the homes will also receive their second dose within this time period.\nThe government said that for all other people who received the Pfizer-BioNtech vaccine they will now receive their second dose between 21 and 42 days.\nPeople who received the Moderna vaccine will receive their second dose after the scheduled 28 days.\nThe vaccine adjustments align with the recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), the government said.\nOntario was expecting to receive more than 160,000 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine in the final two weeks of January, a delivery schedule that's now in doubt.\nHealth Minister Christine Elliott told CTV News Toronto on Friday the province is awaiting further details on the \"the exact allocations\" and the \"timing of those allocations\" but said the province is once again reserving vials of the vaccine to ensure second doses are administered.\n\"We have some in reserve to make sure that we are going to be able to do the second doses in the appropriate period of time. So no one needs to worry about whether they will get their second dose or not,” Elliott said.\nAs of 8 p.m. on Friday, 189,090 initial doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario.\nWith files from CTV News Toronto's Colin D'Mello", "Ontario allows second dose of COVID-19 vaccine to be delayed amid shortage", "The Ontario government has updated its recommendation for when some people should receive the second dose of the COVID-19 vaccine after it was announced that there will likely be a shortage." ]

[]

"2021-01-20T00:36:19"

"2021-01-19T19:17:00"

"2021-01-19T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A member of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination distribution task force is out of her role following the revelation that she travelled out of the country in December.\nIn a statement released Tuesday evening, Premier Doug Ford's office said that automotive executive Linda Hasenfratz is no longer on the team.\n“Today, Premier Ford accepted the resignation of Linda Hasenfratz as a member of Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccination Distribution Task Force after it was brought to his attention that she travelled outside the country in December,” the statement read.\nThe statement said Hasenfratz, who is the CEO of Guelph-based auto parts manufacturer Linamar, has apologized for travelling.\nThe statement from the premier’s office did not say why she travelled in December or to where.\nFederal and provincial health officials have been advising against nonessential travel outside of the country for months because of the pandemic.\nThe statement from Ford’s office noted that the province is seeing “early signs of progress in bending the curve” and added that “now is not the time to let up.\n“We continue to urge everyone to stay home.”\nHasenfratz is the latest of a number of public figures who have found themselves in hot water after ignoring public health advice against travel.\nIn December, MPP Rod Phillips was ousted from his role as finance minister after it was revealed that he took a secret holiday to the Caribbean island of St. Barts over the Christmas break, despite social media posts suggesting he was in the country.\nA number of hospital officials have also been caught travelling, some of them while the hospitals they administer were in the midst of outbreaks.\nHasenfratz was appointed to the task force on a part-time basis in December and was meant to serve through the end of August. The province did not immediately say who might replace her.", "Member of Ontario COVID-19 vaccine task force no longer on team after travelling out of the country", "A member of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccination distribution task force is out of her role following the revelation that she travelled out of the country in December." ]

[ "Nicole Thompson" ]

"2021-01-22T14:47:52"

"2021-01-22T07:32:00"

"2021-01-22T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Several southern Ontario school boards that straddle public health units are gearing up to reopen only a portion of their schools to in-person learning next week, adding another layer of complexity to an academic year that's been defined by quick pivots.\nThe government order allowing schools in seven public health units to reopen physical classrooms as of Monday means nine boards now have to create different plans for different towns in their jurisdiction.\n\"It's definitely more difficult to have one board be going in two different directions,\" said Diane Lloyd, chair of the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board, which oversees schools in Clarington, Ont., that will remain closed and ones in Northumberland and Peterborough that will reopen.\nShe said the board began reaching out to parents immediately after receiving word of the plan from the Ministry of Education in an effort to prevent any confusion.\n\"The challenge is being ready to pivot all the time on short notice,\" Lloyd said.\nThat's nobody's fault, she said, as these decisions are made based on the rates of COVID-19 in a community in the interest of public safety, but the \"constant change and constant new directives\" are still presenting an issue.\nShe said it will always be hard to work when you're being told to change course before you can make any progress.\nStephen Sliwa, director of the Upper Canada District School Board, said teachers and school staff have gotten used to those sorts of shifts but that doesn't necessarily make it easy.\n\"They're seeing it as another change in a series of changes that comes with working during a period of extreme uncertainty,\" he said. \"I think all organizations are getting accustomed to adjusting quickly to respond to the changes.\"\nRoughly 40 per cent of schools in his district are in the Eastern Ontario Health Unit, which covers Stormont, Glengarry and Dundas, Prescott-Russell and Cornwall, and will remain closed, he said. The other 60 per cent are located in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit, and can reopen Monday.\nSliwa said his board's efforts have been focused on educating parents of those students about what the return to class will look like, as the province has instituted new public health measures.\nStudents in grades 1 through 3 will have to wear masks now, whereas before it was optional, he noted. And the province is also introducing \"provincewide targeted asymptomatic testing\" and enhanced screening, the Ministry of Education said.\nHe said some parents have also contacted the board to figure out whether their kids will be returning to class on Monday.\nOntario's associate chief medical officer of health, Dr. Barbara Yaffe, defended the province's plan to reopen only some schools at a news conference on Thursday, saying it's in the best interest of students.\n\"We definitely want kids to be in school. That is the best thing for them for a whole lot of reasons,\" she said, but the number of students testing positive for COVID-19 has made it impossible to send everyone back to class.\n\"There was so much transmission that we felt at that point, going into a lockdown, it would be safer to keep keep them at home,\" Yaffe said.\nShe said the government continues to monitor the situation in each region closely so it can reopen schools safely.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 21, 2021.", "Ontario boards prepare to reopen some schools quickly as province issues directive", "Several southern Ontario school boards that straddle public health units are gearing up to reopen only a portion of their schools to in-person learning next week, adding another layer of complexity to an academic year that's been defined by quick pivots." ]

[]

"2021-01-27T02:33:49"

"2021-01-26T20:27:00"

"2021-01-26T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Matt Morris’ creations have become an annual winter tradition in his Waterloo, Ont., neighbourhood.\n“For the last nine years or so on my bank I’ve been building these structures,” he told CTV News Toronto. “They’re eight or 10 feet high, and seem to create some fun for the community.”\nHis sculptures have ranged from Olaf the Snowman to Baby Yoda. This year, Morris decided he wanted to encourage others to play in the snow, too.\n“I was sitting around like everyone in the pandemic and just you know concerned about kids and the level of activity,” he explained. “I said, man I’d love to get the word out to give kids another option for this coming winter. So I decided to create a snow sculpting club.”\nAfter the first snowfall of the season, Morris began creating instructional videos to teach kids how to build sculptures in their own front or backyards. He shows them how to pound, sinter and carve the snow using items most already have at home. In the fall, he also built more than 80 “pounders” and distributed them in his local community.\n“I came up with eight badges that kids could earn while learning snow sculpting skills,” Morris said. “I have parents sending me pictures of their kids colouring their little badges before they cut them out and put them on their little certificate that they printed off my website.”\nThe snow sculpting club is free to join, and kids have participating from across Canada and in parts of the United States.\n“I really like it,” 11-year-old club member Stella said. “It’s kind of still a way to connect to the community, even though you’re not like talking and seeing people.”\n“[Matt] provided something for people to do in the time when they don’t really have stuff to do,” 13-year-old Wesley, another club member, said. “Most people would be sitting at home doing nothing, but they can do the snow sculpting club now.”\nMorris said most people think that you need packing snow to make sculptures, but that his magic trick is using non-packing snow.\n“Any snow is good snow, non-packing snow is better,” he laughed. “It’s been so much fun to watch people get out there and try my new technique with non-packing snow.”\nOn snowy days, Morris said it makes him happy that families will be able to use his resources to have some fun and try something new.\n“If I can do my little part by giving some people another option for winter, then maybe that’ll help us get through this,” he said. “Because it’s a tough time, and it’s going to be a tough winter.”\nMorris adds that it’s not just about building snow creations, it’s about building connections – even while apart.\n“Just getting the pictures of some of the things people are making, and the connections people are making with this whole idea, it’s just really satisfying,” he said. “It’s just a great way to have a little bit of fun, at a distance of course.", "Ontario man creates virtual snow sculpting club to help kids enjoy winter amid pandemic", "Matt Morris’ creations have become an annual winter tradition in his Waterloo, Ont., neighbourhood." ]

[]

"2021-01-05T16:11:36"

"2021-01-05T10:14:00"

"2021-01-05T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario recorded more than 3,100 new COVID-19 cases for the fourth time this week and confirmed 51 more deaths linked to the disease as hospitalizations hit a record high.\nOn Tuesday, provincial health officials logged 3,128 new infections of the novel coronavirus.\nThe only other times the province’s daily COVID-19 case count climbed above the 3,000 mark was when 3,270 cases were recorded on Monday, a record-breaking 3,363 cases were recorded on Saturday and 3,328 cases were recorded on Thursday.\nThe province’s seven-day average for number of cases recorded is now 2,646, up from 2,236 one week ago.\nThere were 35,152 COVID-19 tests completed in the province in the last-recorded 24-hour period.\nThe province’s test positivity rate now stands at about 9.4 per cent, according to the Ministry of Health, which is the second highest test positivity rate ever reported in Ontario. A test positivity rate of 9.7 per cent was seen on Monday and one week ago.\nOf the new patients logged on Tuesday, 778 are in Toronto, 614 are in Peel Region, 213 are in York Region, 172 are in Durham Region, 151 are in Middlesex-London, 126 are in Ottawa, 142 are in Windsor-Essex, 128 are in Halton Region, 101 are in Niagara Region, 129 are in Waterloo Region, and 151 are in Hamilton.\nOther areas that recorded more than 50 cases of the disease on Tuesday include Simcoe Muskoka (72) and Lambton (62).\nTuesday’s case count brings the total number of lab-confirmed cases in Ontario to 197,360, including deaths and recoveries.\nWith the 51 new deaths confirmed by health officials on Tuesday, the province’s death toll is now 4,730. Of the deaths confirmed Tuesday, 22 were residents of long-term care homes.\nHealth officials deemed 2,015 more cases of the disease to be resolved as of Tuesday, bringing Ontario’s number of recovered patients up to 166,790.\nThere are currently 25,840 active cases of the novel coronavirus in Ontario.\nAccording to the province, there are at least 1,347 patients infected with COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals, which is the highest occupancy recorded since the pandemic began.\nOf those patients, 352 are in the intensive care unit (ICU) and 245 of those 352 patients are breathing with the assistance of a ventilator.\nAt this time last week there were at least 864 COVID-19 patients in Ontario hospitals, the province said. Of those patients, 304 were in the ICU and 207 of those 304 patients were on a ventilator.\nThe province has said that when more than 300 COVID-19 patients are in the ICU, medical care not related to the disease becomes nearly impossible to handle.\nIn an effort to help curb the spread of the disease, the provincial government ordered an Ontario-wide lockdown on Dec. 26. The lockdown measures are scheduled to last until Jan. 23 in the southern parts of the province (south of Sudbury) and until Jan. 9 in the northern parts.\nThus far, 50,030 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario, including 7,607 doses administered in the previous day. The vaccine requires two doses. In Ontario, 117 total vaccinations have been completed as of Tuesday.", "COVID-19 Ontario: Province logs more than 3,100 novel coronavirus cases on Tuesday", "Ontario recorded more than 3,100 new COVID-19 cases for the fourth time this week and confirmed 51 more deaths linked to the disease as hospitalizations hit a record high." ]

[]

"2021-01-07T03:13:55"

"2021-01-06T21:47:00"

"2021-01-06T00:00:00"

[ "PHOENIX -- The Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns linked arms in a centre-court circle for the national anthems ahead of Wednesday night's game.\nThe show of solidarity came hours after a violent mob of U.S. President Donald Trump supporters stormed the U.S. Capitol and a day after news that no charges would be laid in the shooting of Black man Jacob Blake.\nWednesday's scene from the Capitol, where a mob delayed Congress from certifying the results of November's election, was discussed around the NBA before games tipped off.\nRaptors coach Nick Nurse called the events of the past two days: \"Disturbing, disgusting, incredulous, sad.\n\"This just seems to be not-stop, and it seems to not improve.\"\nNurse said veteran guard Kyle Lowry met with Suns guard Chris Paul before tip-off to discuss possible actions. He said his team would take the floor with conflicted feelings.\n\"I'm personally conflicted, and then I always really try to feel where I should fit in, in this picture of things,\" the coach said. \"Certainly, I talked to the leaders of our team. Always want to give them a platform and open line of communication and then try to evaluate from there what is going on. I support them either way, and if they decide they're gonna play, then I gotta decide I'm gonna coach 'em to the best of my ability.\"\nThe Heat and Celtics also discussed their options before tip-off, and there was some doubt the game would actually happen.\nThe teams' statement said, in part: \"2021 is a new year, but some things have not changed. We play tonight's game with a heavy heart after yesterday's decision in Kenosha, and knowing that protesters in our nation's capital are treated differently by political leaders depending on what side of certain issues they are on.\"\nEarlier in the day, Raptors guard Norman Powell voiced his frustration over the lack of charges in the Blake shooting.\nBlake was shot seven times and by a Kenosha, Wisc., police officer on Aug. 23, which prompted NBA players to shut down play for three days, with the WNBA and Major League Baseball also postponing days. Blake was left paralyzed.\n\"Man, I'm frustrated,\" Powell said after the morning shootaround. \"It makes you feel like the work that you're doing is not enough. The outcries from everybody around the world coming together over these issues and topics aren't being heard. When the officers that are in charge of protecting us and keeping us safe aren't held for the responsibilities of physical abuse or aggressive aggression when it's not needed, it's tough. Who keeps them in check when they cross the line?\n\"It's disgusting that no charges are being brought. It's very frustrating for me to see that.\"\nWednesday's riot at the Capitol interrupted the ceremonial counting of the electoral votes that will confirm President-elect Joe Biden's win.\nBiden will be inaugurated exactly two weeks from Wednesday, on Jan. 20.\nWith files from The Associated Press\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 6, 2021.", "Toronto Raptors link arms with Phoenix Suns in solidarity hours after storming of U.S. Capitol", "The Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns linked arms in a centre-court circle for the national anthems ahead of Wednesday night's game." ]

[]

"2021-01-26T01:25:33"

"2021-01-25T19:40:00"

"2021-01-25T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Public health officials continue to investigate whether a COVID-19 outbreak at a Bradford West Gwillimbury long-term care home is connected to a variant of the virus detected in the United Kingdom.\nThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit confirmed on Sunday that an individual who tested positive for the U.K. variant had close contact with someone connected to the outbreak at Bradford Valley Care Community.\nAccording to the health unit, six of 230 residents and three of 260 staff members have tested positive for the virus.\n“It is worrisome,” said Sandy Kerr, who’s 84-year-old mother Barbara Dawson is one of the six residents who tested positive for COVID-19.\nKerr says her mother is in isolation after testing positive a week ago , but news that U.K. variant may be a factor in the outbreak is concerning after health officials confirmed its connection to the deadly outbreak at Roberta Place in Barrie.\n“Based on what I’ve heard about Roberta Place, it’s horrifying,” Kerr said.\nAccording to the health unit, the deaths of 44 residents and one caregiver at Roberta Place have been linked to the outbreak.\nThe health unit in Simcoe-Muskoka has confirmed seven cases of the U.K. variant in the region including, six cases of the strain at Roberta Place.\n“This variant is much more transmissible, its highly contagious and estimates range anywhere from 30 to 70 per cent more contagious than the originally circulating strain and that’s obviously tremendously worrisome when you talk about congregated living facilities like nursing homes,” Infectious Disease Specialist Dr. Abdu Sharkawy said.\n“What we’re now seeing is more evidence that it is potentially more serious.”\nThe outbreak at Bradford Valley was declared on Jan. 14, but health officials say it’s under control.\n“We are being extremely vigilant in our monitoring for signs and symptoms of Covid-19 and are taking the necessary steps to protect the safety of our residents and team members,” Dr. Andrea Moser, chief medical officer for Sienna Senior Living, said in a statement.\nMoser said approximately 60 per cent of team members and 96 per cent of the residents have received the first dose of the Pfizer vaccine.\nThe Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit announced Monday its strategy to mitigate the spread that include more frequent testing for residents, visitors and staff at long-term care homes dealing with outbreaks where the variant is suspected.\nLocal health officials say they are investigating all contacts with the individual who tested positive for variant.\n“The most important thing everyone can do to help protect our long-term care homes is to stay home, especially as we find new variants in our communities,” Krystal Caputo, spokesperson for the Ontario Minister of Long-Term Care.\n“What we all must demand now is that the federal government deliver more vaccines to Ontario so that we can continue to vaccinate long-term care home residents as quickly as possible.”\nKerr says her mother was lethargic when she first tested positive, but her condition is improving. However, she is on edge until the U.K. variant is confirmed.\n“We were told one resident had the U.K. variant and I’m not sure if the other five including my mom have it.”\nLab tests to confirm if the U.K. variant is connected to the outbreak are expected to take several days.\n-- With files from from The Canadian Press", "Health officials investigate outbreak at Ontario long-term care home to detect possible U.K. COVID-19 variant", "Public health officials continue to investigate whether a COVID-19 outbreak at a Bradford West Gwillimbury long-term care home is connected to a variant of the virus detected in the United Kingdom." ]

[]

"2021-01-01T22:18:33"

"2021-01-01T12:42:00"

"2021-01-01T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The province’s police watchdog has invoked its mandate following a three-vehicle crash in the city’s Downsview area Friday morning that left six people injured, including one critically.\nToronto police were called to the intersection of Keele Street and Sheppard Avenue West around 11:30 a.m.\nThe collision resulted in one of the cars rolling onto its roof and another catching fire.\nWhen emergency crews arrived, they located several people injured, Insp. Katherine Stephenson said.\nParamedics said a man in his 30s was taken to a trauma centre, where he remains in life-threatening condition.\nA woman in her 60s was also transported to a hospital trauma centre with serious injuries.\nStephenson said the injuries of the other people are considered non-life-threatening.\nThe Special Investigations Unit (SIU) has been called in because police attempted to stop one of the vehicles involved for allegedly speeding before the crash, Stephenson said.\n“There’s limited information I can give, but what I can say is that we are cooperating and support the SIU investigation,” she said.\nThe SIU is called in to investigate incidents involving police officers where there has been death, serious injury or allegations of sexual assault.", "Ontario's police watchdog investigating Toronto crash that left 6 people injured", "The province’s police watchdog has invoked its mandate following a three-vehicle crash in the city’s Downsview area Friday morning that left six people injured, including one critically." ]

[ "Liam Casey" ]

"2021-01-09T22:28:50"

"2021-01-09T17:06:00"

"2021-01-09T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Derek Francique's mind races all the time with thoughts of his son, who was shot dead by police a year ago.\nHe doesn't know why police tried to arrest the young man as he sat in a car in Mississauga, Ont., nor does he know the name of the officer who fired the fatal shot at Jamal Francique.\nAll he knows is that the last year has been a struggle as he holds out for answers on what happened.\n\"The only thing I know is that my son left his home, went to a car that he was helping to get fixed and my son ended up dead,\" Derek Francique said.\n\"That's it and we don't know which police officer did it. Nothing.\"\nFrancique struggles to get out of bed most days, but also struggles to sleep, saying he's caught in a netherworld he doesn't wish upon anyone.\n\"The depression is real,\" he said.\n\"But at the same time, you have to be as strong as you can be for your children and that's what I'm trying to do.\"\nAround 7:45 p.m. on Jan. 7, 2020, Peel Regional Police officers confronted Jamal Francique while he was in a car, according to the Special Investigations Unit, which is probing the death.\nThere was an \"interaction\" as police moved to arrest him and one officer shot at the 28-year-old multiple times, lodging one bullet into his head, the SIU said.\nThe young man lived for two days in hospital before dying.\nThe SIU said the investigation is now with the unit's director for review.\nOn that January day last year, Derek Francique said he and his son were set to go see an ailing relative, but the young man did not show up.\nHe then got a call from Jamal Francique's mother who said she couldn't get a hold of their son. At the same time, a local news channel reported a shooting by police in Mississauga.\nDerek Francique said he went to the scene with a friend, but only learned that the person who was shot was sent to St. Michael's Hospital in downtown Toronto.\nHe found out his son was the one shot shortly after walking through the emergency department's doors.\nThe details of the next two days are difficult for him to discuss.\n\"It's a very, very, very, sad, sad, sad, situation,\" he says.\nJamal Francique, a Black father of a seven-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy, loved playing basketball, working on cars and riding his motorcycle, his father said.\nHe described his son as an animal activist who was ready to return to school to learn how to operate heavy machinery.\n\"His kids aren't doing very well,\" Derek Francique said.\nHe's also survived by three sisters and one brother.\nThe pain of the past year was further compounded by the fact that nine other members of Derek Francique's extended family have died since his son was shot.\nThe day after burying his son on Feb. 2, his father passed away. His stepfather also died in the past year and his nephew was stabbed to death in August, he said.\n\"I haven't got the chance to grieve past my son, let alone grieving for my father or stepfather,\" he said.\nLast spring, widespread protests began after the police killing of George Floyd in Minnesota and the death of Regis Korchinski-Paquet in Toronto while police were in her home.\nJamal Francique's family began speaking out at the rallies, but it took a toll.\n\"I have to lie down in my bed for at least a week to have the strength to be able to stand up and have the courage and the ability and the power to do all that,\" Derek Francique said.\nAt a Dec. 11 rally protesting police shootings, Peel police headquarters was defaced.\nIn late December, police charged Francique with mischief over $5,000 along with two others. He and his lawyer, Knia Singh, say the allegations are false and plan to fight the charges in court.\nJamal Francique was one of 55 people who were shot by police in Canada between Jan. 1 and Nov. 30. Of those, 34 were killed.\nThe Canadian Press tracked each shooting using information from police, independent investigative units and independent reporting.\nPeel police had six shootings in 2020 or a rate of 0.44 per 100,000 people, which ranks second per capita for local forces, excluding the RCMP and provincial forces.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 9, 2021.", "Father struggles, seeks answers, one year after son's death in police shooting", "Derek Francique's mind races all the time with thoughts of his son, who was shot dead by police a year ago." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-14T20:54:54"

"2021-01-14T14:00:00"

"2021-01-14T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- While there is no doubt some Ontarians have been left confused over the exact rules of the new stay-at-home order, people are being urged to stop calling 911 for answers.\nPeel Regional Police said their communicators are \"being overwhelmed with 911 calls asking about the stay-at-home orders\" and are reminding the public that the emergency line shouldn’t be used for COVID-19-related questions.\nThey are reminding the public that 911 should only be used for situations like a crime in progress, shooting, fire or medical emergency.\nOther concerns, including questions about rules surrounding COVID-19, should be directed to 311, which is the regions non-emergency line.\nOntario’s stay-at-home order came into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday. The order restricts people from leaving their homes unless the trip is deemed essential.\nThe Ford government issued an emergency alert to all cellphones, televisions and radios Thursday morning to remind them of the order.\nThe province has said there's no set definition for what is essential because everyone has their own unique circumstances and regional considerations.\nThere's no limit on how many times people can leave their homes per day, or on how long they can be out. Premier Doug Ford has urged people to use their \"best judgment\" in deciding whether to go out.\nConfusion surrounding what Ontarians are allowed to do during the stay-at-home order prompted the provincial government on Wednesday to release a list of answers to the most-asked questions they have received since the measure was announced.", "People being urged to stop calling 911 to ask questions about stay-at-home order", "While there is no doubt some Ontarians have been left confused over the exact rules of the new stay-at-home order, people are being urged to stop calling 911 for answers." ]

[]

"2021-01-15T14:22:31"

"2021-01-14T19:00:00"

"2021-01-14T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Every few weeks, Daniel Muljarahardja and his wife Saraswati bring their baby Marcellinus to Toronto’s Hospital for Sick Children for a painful spinal injection of a drug called Spinraza.\n“This is the fourth one that he’s been receiving from SickKids Hospital,” the Brantford father of two said.\nBut Spinraza can only slow down, not halt, the physical deterioration caused by Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), a genetic disease which will eventually cause Marcellinus’s mobility, feeding and even breathing to decline. Many babies with SMA die before the age of three.\nThe family has started a GoFundMe campaign called Cure for Marcel to raise almost $3 million for a drug called Zolgensma. The one-time injection can replace the missing gene that causes SMA and allow the body to produce a necessary protein for proper muscular development.\nBut it’s not only expensive, it must be given early — before a child hits the 21-kilogram mark in Canada. In the USA, eligibility is only until the child’s second birthday.\nZolgensma was given Health Canada approval in December but there are still several stages of negotiations before it can be funded provincially. And the Muljarahardjas know they have a tough road ahead in their own fundraising, which stands at about $45,000, as of Thursday evening.\nDaniel was laid off from his job and has only found temporary work, although he’s grateful his employer is trying to give him more hours.\nCOVID-19 has halted the usual social events that used to boost charity fundraising efforts and their Indonesian community in Ontario, while supportive, is very small.\nThat’s why they’re looking to the Ministry of Health and drug manufacturer Novartis for help on compassionate grounds.\nTonight, Health Minister Christine Elliott sent CTV News Toronto a statement saying “We know SMA can be devastating for Ontario families. We welcome the news that Zolgensma has been approved by Health Canada.”\nShe said that the Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance has been working with Novartis, adding the Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance “has also requested that Novartis provide additional compassionate coverage for those patients unable to access the drug until these processes are complete.”\nMeanwhile, the Muljarahardjas are grateful Marcel, as they call him, is nearing three months of age with no symptoms showing. And they hope Spinraza can keep him healthy until Zolgensma becomes available to them, through whatever avenue they can find.", "Ontario family looks to raise $3 million to buy life-saving drug for baby", "Every few weeks, Daniel Muljarahardja and his wife Saraswati bring their baby Marcellinus to Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children for a painful spinal injection of a drug called Spinraza. But Spinraza can only slowdown, not halt, the physical deterioration caused by Spinal Muscular Atrophy." ]

[]

"2021-01-07T18:48:08"

"2021-01-07T12:54:00"

"2021-01-07T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- After closing most of their locations last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a popular Toronto bakery has announced they will be shutting down permanently after 10 years in business.\nPrairie Girl Bakery, located near King and Victoria streets in the Financial District, opened in April 2011.\n“Since then we have been able to put a smile on thousands of faces with our cupcakes,” the business’ Facebook page said.\nThere were five Prairie Girl Bakery locations across the city, but four closed in 2020.\n“Unfortunately due to the hardships that have come with COVID-19 we have had to scale back location-wise to just our flagship store at Victoria Street,” the Facebook page said.\nBut soon after, the business announced that it would be closing permanently.\n“We are sorry to be sharing the news that Prairie Girl Bakery has permanently closed as of today, January 5, 2021,” they said in a social media post. “Thank you to our wonderful customers for the past 10 years of support.”\nHundreds of people have taken to social media to say they are sad and disappointed in the closure.\n“This is such sad news,” one user said. “Your cupcakes were delicious and your staff was so lovely.”\nI am one sad prairie girl. Let this be a lesson: eat more cupcakes. pic.twitter.com/OJxGGUYaje — dawna dingwall (@d2thepowerof2) January 6, 2021\n“For every event we had at the office, your team was there for us,” another person said. “You celebrated every event right along with us in the most stylish way. I really hope to see your business come back, in whatever form, so your loyal loving fans can still support you.”", "Popular Toronto bakery closes its doors after 10 years in business", "After closing most of their locations last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a popular Toronto bakery has announced they will be shutting down permanently after 10 years in business." ]

[]

"2021-01-02T00:41:02"

"2021-01-01T19:01:00"

"2021-01-01T00:00:00"

[ "Police have released images of two vehicles that they believe left the scene of a collision in Scarborough on Wednesday that killed a pedestrian.\nEmergency crews were called to the area of Kennedy Road and Sheppard Avenue East around 5:20 p.m.\nPolice say a 56-year-old man was crossing from the northeast corner to the northwest section of the intersection.\nAn unknown driver of a dark-coloured sedan travelling east on Sheppard Avenue East turned left to Kennedy Road and struck the man in the crosswalk.\nHe was pronounced dead on the scene.\nIn a news release Friday, police say the vehicle is believed to be a Chrysler 300 described as a 2005 to 2010 model and silver or teal in colour. Its driver-side mirror is missing.\nA second vehicle had also struck the pedestrian and left the scene, police say. It is described as a white or silver crossover or SUV.\nBoth vehicles were last seen northbound on Kennedy Road, police say.\nAnyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.", "Police release images of two vehicles wanted in fatal hit-and-run in Scarborough", "Police have released images of two vehicles that they believe left the scene of a collision in Scarborough on Wednesday that killed a pedestrian." ]

[]

"2021-01-20T00:36:14"

"2021-01-19T09:00:00"

"2021-01-19T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A 52-year-old man is dead after he was struck by a dump truck at a work site in Toronto’s Humber Summit neighbourhood on Tuesday morning.\nThe incident occurred at around 8:15 a.m. at Millwick Triple Waste Management, which is in the area of Milvan and Millwick drives.\nThe victim was rushed to a trauma centre in critical condition but later succumbed to his injuries.\nThe Ministry of Labour has been notified.", "Man dies after industrial accident in Toronto's Humber Summit neighbourhood", "A 52-year-old man is dead after he was struck by a dump truck at a work site in Toronto’s Humber Summit neighbourhood on Tuesday morning." ]

[]

"2021-01-06T22:19:05"

"2021-01-06T16:51:00"

"2021-01-06T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Popular Canadian airlines are continuing to push incentives and vacation packages despite public health officials calling for people to not travel for non-essential purposes amid the COVID-19 pandemic.\nThe airline industry has been hit hard financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but the latest blow has yet to hit. Starting on Thursday, people taking non-essential trips will be required to show a negative test for the disease before being able to return to Canada.\nIn an effort to keep afloat, some airlines are now frantically offering heavily discounted vacations and flights, as well as free COVID-19 coverage for quarantine costs in case someone tests positive on their trip.\nAir Canada and WestJet now offer free travel insurance with a $100,000 coverage limit on flights to Mexico, the Caribbean and, in WestJet's case, Europe. Air Canada has also collaborated with Manulife to provide “aeroplan members” COVID-19 insurance of up to $200,000.\nExperts are warning that those who do decide to vacation and take advantage of the flight and insurance incentives need to think twice before signing on.\nMartin Firestone, a travel insurance broker in Toronto, told CTV News Toronto that the incentives are “wrong on so many fronts.”\n“$100,000 or $200,000, that is not even close to enough if you ended up in a hospital in the U.S. on a ventilator,” Firestone said Wednesday. “So who would be responsible for the difference? You the consumer.”\n“It's incentivizing travel at a time when our Canadian government has asked for no travel [that is] not essential.”\nWith increasing restrictions and requirements, Firestone stressed that consumers should ensure they read the fine print of vacation incentives if they decide to travel amid the pandemic.\nThe National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents airlines like Air Canada, Air Transat, and WestJet, has said the testing requirement by the federal government was made without prior coordination with the industry.\n“While industry will do all it can to implement the new requirements, and ensure passengers are aware of their obligations, given the lack of detail and prior consultation this is going to be a very challenging exercise,” the organization stated.", "'Wrong on so many fronts': Airlines continue to incentivise holiday travel despite COVID-19 pandemic", "Popular Canadian airlines are continuing to push incentives and vacation packages despite public health officials calling for people to not travel for non-essential purposes amid the COVID-19 pandemic." ]

[]

"2021-01-26T12:50:55"

"2021-01-26T07:27:00"

"2021-01-26T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The province’s police watchdog has been called to probe an incident where a person was injured after they were Tasered overnight in Toronto, police said.\nSometime before 3 a.m. Tuesday, police were called to Caledonia Road, south of Lawrence Avenue West for a person with a knife.\nThey confronted the individual and at some point fired a stun gun at them in order to subdue them.\nThe person fell and hit their head when they were hit by the Taser, police said.\nThey were transported to hospital but their exact condition is not known.\nAs a result, the Special Investigation Unit (SIU) was called to the scene.\nThe SIU is called to any incident involving an Ontario police officer and a member of the public that results in death, serious injury or an allegation of sexual assault.", "Ontario's police watchdog investigating after person injured during takedown by Toronto cops", "The province's police watchdog has been called to probe an incident where a person was injured after they were Tasered overnight in Toronto, police said." ]

[]

"2021-01-23T20:11:01"

"2021-01-21T14:13:00"

"2021-01-21T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- An Ontario cabinet minister is acknowledging that the government's pandemic pleas are \"falling on deaf ears\" due to COVID-19 fatigue and cautioned that the length of the lockdown will depend on adherence to the public health protocols.\nMichael Tibollo, the minister responsible for mental health, said that despite the challenges, the current second wave lockdown is a \"necessary\" step in trying to reduce transmission rates.\nDespite several regions of the province being in lockdown since late-November, Tibollo says Ontario is only \"at the very beginning of seeing a change\" and conceded that the province's stay-at-home orders may not be having maximum effect.\n\"Our attempt to tell people stay at home, keep your hands sanitized, wear a mask, it's falling on deaf ears in a lot of cases and we were trying our best with that,\" Tibollo told reporters during a news conference on Thursday.\nDespite the lackluster results, Tibollo said it would be \"irresponsible\" of the government to not respond to the growing health-care crisis associated with lockdowns and added that finding a middle ground is needed.\n\"The lockdown is necessary,\" Tibollo said. \"It's not a question of whether we should or not, it's a question of how long does a lockdown have to be.\"\nOntario's Chief Medical Officer Of Health said earlier this week the province's daily case count would have to fall to 1,000 per day in order for the lockdown to be lifted. Ontario's seven day average of new cases currently stands at 2,751 down from 3,452 one week ago.\nTibollo says in order to reduce rates even further, the province has to focus on the horrible realities of the pandemic, including the death caused by contracting the virus.\n\"I lost a family member, an aunt to my wife, who went to buy a loaf of bread, and that's all it took and she died,\" Tibollo said.\n\"We have to start appealing more to people's instinct of survival.\"\nMental health issues amid the pandemic concerning, Tibollo says\nTibollo also expressed concern with the rise in mental health and addiction issues related to the pandemic which, he said, is \"overarching the waves of COVID-19.\"\nTibollo said his ministry has tracked increased cases of substance abuse, alcohol dependency, anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation – making mental health a top consideration when deciding further restrictions.\n\"It's a very complicated and difficult circumstance that we're in, but the government has to weigh the health and safety of individuals, physically, with the opening of the economy and permitting more of the social activities and things that people need to have in their lives,\" Tibollo said.\n\"In cabinet, the discussions are always trying to balance ... the impact of the lockdown on individuals. How can we alleviate some of the stress that we're seeing more and more anxiety?\"\nPremier Doug Ford says the province is putting $3.8 billion dollars over 10 years into mental health and addictions and said the government has to get the money flowing to people in the province during the pandemic.", "Ontario minister says COVID-19 pandemic messaging to stay home is 'falling on deaf ears'", "An Ontario cabinet minister is acknowledging that the government's pandemic pleas are \"falling on deaf ears\" due to COVID-19 fatigue and cautioned that the length of the lockdown will depend on adherence to the public health protocols." ]

[]

"2021-01-23T17:17:40"

"2021-01-22T11:53:00"

"2021-01-22T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Premier Doug Ford offered to drive an ultra-cold refrigerated truck to Kalamazoo, Mich. in an effort to secure thousands of doses of the Pfizer vaccine for Ontario – an offer that the premier said was turned down by the drug manufacturer.\nDuring an interview with AM 800 in Windsor on Friday, Ford expressed his frustration with Pfizer over the COVID-19 vaccine shortage as a result of upgrades to their European manufacturing plant, during what the premier described as a \"tough conversation\" with the company's Canadian CEO.\n\"I told him it's unacceptable. We have all the infrastructure set up, and he's let us down. And every day that we lose, it could be possibly someone's life,\" Ford said.\nDuring that conversation earlier this week Ford also offered to drive across the border – which remains closed for non-essential travel until Feb 21 – and personally accept doses of the vaccine.\n\"I told the CEO, I'll help them [with] one of those freezer trucks. I'll drive down there. I've been through Kalamazoo 100 times and, and we'll pick them up,\" Ford told the radio station.\nUltimately, Ford said, the vaccines being manufactured in at the Kalamazoo facility will fulfill orders made by the United States.\n\"They're holding them for just the Americans.\"\nWhile Pfizer declined to comment on the premier's specific comments, the company said they listened to Ford's concerns and underlined the temporary nature of the disruption of vaccines.\n\"We recognized that it has made it more difficult to smoothly advance the scale up of the immunization program in Ontario and throughout Canada. We reiterated this is a short-term situation and our focus is on meeting quarterly commitments.,\" the company said in a statement to CTV News Toronto.\nThe premier also repeated his plea to newly-inaugurated U.S. President Joe Biden to spare a million vaccines for Ontario residents and expressed confidence that the message had been heard by the new administration.\n\"I'm pretty sure he heard my voice, as President Trump heard my voice about the personal protective equipment. Matter of fact, I know he heard me because I heard back from governors and senators down there.\"\nFord said that CNN played a clip of his recent comments on the COVID-19 vaccine, leading to his belief that Ontario's message was heard.\n\"I know [Biden] team watches CNN and so I can assure you they know Doug Ford down at the White House.\"", "Ontario premier offers to drive to U.S. himself to pick up more COVID-19 vaccines", "Premier Doug Ford offered to drive an ultra-cold refrigerated truck to Kalamazoo, Mich., in an effort to secure thousands of doses of the Pfizer vaccine for Ontario – an offer that the premier said was turned down by the drug manufacturer." ]

[]

"2021-01-12T16:33:11"

"2021-01-12T07:16:00"

"2021-01-12T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario health officials are expected to release new modelling data on Tuesday as the province grapples with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.\nPremier Doug Ford hinted at the modelling last week, saying the data will make people “fall off their chair.”\nThe last time modelling data was released to the public was in mid-December ahead of the holiday season. At the time, officials predicted that if cases increased by an average of three per cent per day, the province would generate around 5,000 cases per day by the end of the month.\nOfficials said that “daily mortality is increasing and based on forecasting will continue to increase,” adding that under the “maximum likelihood estimate” the province would see a little under 50 deaths a day by February.\nIt also predicted that under any scenario, Ontario would surpass the 300 benchmark of COVID-19 patients in intensive care, making it nearly impossible to provide care not related to the disease.\nThe modelling is being presented hours before the premier is expected to announce new measures in an effort to curb the spread of the disease.\nMultiple sources confirmed to CTV News that invoking a state of emergency is under active consideration.\nThe modelling data is expected to be released publicly around 11:30 a.m.", "Ontario releases new modelling data amid rising COVID-19 cases", "Ontario health officials are expected to release new modelling data on Tuesday as the province grapples with the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-16T15:52:55"

"2021-01-16T09:40:00"

"2021-01-16T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario has announced it is extending nearly all emergency orders under the Reopening Ontario Act (ROA) for an additional 30 days.\nThe government made the announcement on Saturday morning, saying the extension of most orders under the ROA will help to \"preserve our health care capacity and protect Ontarians until everyone can be vaccinated.\"\nThe orders under the ROA, which were set to expire on Jan. 20, have been extended until Feb. 19.\n\"Extending these orders ensures the necessary tools remain in place to help respond to the disturbing increase in COVID-19 cases and deaths, and provide safeguards for Ontarians, especially our vulnerable populations,\" Solicitor General Sylvia Jones said in a statement.\nOrders under the ROA include the province's ability to implement rules on public gatherings, business closures and managing outbreaks in hospitals or long-term care homes.\nThe extension of the emergency orders does not change the length of the stay-at-home order or lockdown, which went into effect on Thursday at 12:01 a.m. Ontario also declared a state of emergency on Tuesday.\nThe stay-at-home order requires people by law to stay home unless an outing is deemed essential. Individuals who are caught ignoring the stay-at-home order could face a fine and potentially up to a year in jail.\nThe full list of orders being extended by the Ontario government can be found here.", "Ontario extends nearly all emergency orders another 30 days", "Ontario has announced it is extending nearly all emergency orders under the Reopening Ontario Act for an additional 30 days." ]

[]

"2021-01-08T15:44:52"

"2021-01-07T15:36:00"

"2021-01-07T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A long-term care home in Toronto hit 73 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday after two more residents succumbed to the virus.\nTendercare Living Centre in the city's east end now has one of the worst records in the province.\nNevertheless, the provincial government says it is confident North York General Hospital can manage the outbreak.\n\"They have assured us that the care needs of Tendercare residents are being met,\" said the Ministry of Long-Term Care.\nIn December, the province announced that the hospital would be taking over management of Tendercare amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the home.\nThe province said the arrangement will help stabilize the situation and return it to normal operations.\n\"Our government is doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable population, our long-term care residents,\" said Minister Merrilee Fullerton in a statement at the time.\nMore than 20 residents and more than 30 staff members are still fighting the disease.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2021.", "73 people have now died of COVID-19 at one Toronto long-term care home", "A long-term care home in Toronto hit 73 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday after two more residents succumbed to the virus." ]

[]

"2021-01-28T16:51:07"

"2021-01-28T11:26:00"

"2021-01-28T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Schools in four other Ontario regions will be returning to in-person learning next week, the government confirms.\nIn a statement released Thursday morning, Education Minister Stephen Lecce said that kids within Ottawa, Middlesex-London, and Southwestern and Eastern Ontario’s public health units will return to the classroom on Monday.\n\"On the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, with the support of the local Medical Officers of Health, and with the introduction of additional layers of protection, 280,000 students in four public health regions will return to class on Monday, February 1,” Lecce said.\nAccording to the province, this means that 520,000 students are now able to continue their education in class.\nParents in the regions of Toronto, Peel, York, Windsor-Essex and Hamilton were previously told their children would not be returning to the classroom until at least Feb. 10, while schools in northern Ontario reopened for in-person instruction on Jan. 11.\nHere is a list of the school boards now open in southern Ontario:\n• Algonquin and Lakeshore Catholic District School Board\n• Bluewater District School Board\n• Bruce-Grey Catholic District School Board\n• Hastings and Prince Edward District School Board\n• Limestone District School Board\n• Renfrew County Catholic District School Board\n• Renfrew County District School Board\nHere is a list of school boards scheduled to reopen on Feb. 1:\n• Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario\n• Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario\n• Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l'Est ontarien\n• Conseil scolaire de district catholique du Centre-Est de l'Ontario\n• London District Catholic School Board\n• Ottawa Catholic District School Board\n• Ottawa-Carleton District School Board\n• Thames Valley District School Board\n• Upper Canada District School Board\nAccording to the province, parents with children in the following school boards should double check with their local public health units about their status:\n• Conseil scolaire catholique Providence\n• Conseil scolaire Viamonde", "Schools in four more Ontario regions return to in-class learning Monday. Here’s a list of which ones are open", "Schools in four other Ontario regions will be returning to in-person learning next week, the government confirms." ]

[]

"2021-01-19T17:24:24"

"2021-01-19T08:04:00"

"2021-01-19T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A suspect wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing in Scarborough last week has now been arrested, Toronto police confirmed Tuesday.\nPolice say 25-year-old Mohamed Jeylani, of Minnesota, died after he was stabbed in the neck and back in the area of Eglinton Avenue East and Midland Avenue on the evening of Jan. 13.\nPolice previously said they believe Jeylani was the victim of a targeted attack.\nA warrant was later issued for the arrest of a suspect, identified by investigators as 24-year-old Guled Mohamad.\nOn Tuesday morning, police confirmed Guled has now been arrested and charged with second-degree murder.\nHe is scheduled to appear in court later today.", "Toronto police arrest suspect wanted in fatal Scarborough stabbing", "A suspect wanted in connection with a fatal stabbing in Scarborough last week has now been arrested, Toronto police confirmed Tuesday." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-11T17:34:57"

"2021-01-11T12:04:00"

"2021-01-11T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A former church that has been converted into a \"one-of-kind\" five-bedroom home north of Toronto has hit the market for less than $800,000.\nThe fully-finished property, located at 10 Mill Street in Amaranth, near Orangeville, has an open-concept main-floor layout with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.\nIt's currently on the market for $799,900.\nAccording to the property's listing, the four-bedroom home also has a finished basement with a separate entrance and a detached garage.\nThe home, which is located less than 100 km from Toronto, also has a large back deck with views over the nearby Grand River.\nProperty taxes for the home will set you back about $3,640 per year.\nThe $799,900 price tag for the home might entice people who are frustrated by Toronto’s soaring real estate market and are ready to move out of the city.\nThe Toronto Real Estate Board said last week the average price of a home sold last year hit a new record.\nThe board said the average selling price in Greater Toronto was $929,699 in 2020, up 13.5 per cent from $819,279 compared with 2019.\nThe number of homes sold in 2020 in the Greater Toronto Area totalled 95,151, up from 87,751 in 2019, and the third-best year on record, according to the board.\nThe board says after a steep drop in the spring due to the pandemic, the market took off in the second half of the year.\nThe results for the full year came as the Toronto board reported home sales in December soared to 7,180 compared with 4,364 in the final month of 2019.\nThe average price of a home sold in December was $932,222, up from $838,662.\nWith files from The Canadian Press.", "This 'one-of-a-kind' restored church north of Toronto hits the market for less than $800,000", "A former church that has been converted into a \"one-of-kind\" five-bedroom home north of Toronto has hit the market for less than $800,000." ]

[]

"2021-01-22T00:57:51"

"2021-01-21T18:31:00"

"2021-01-21T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A hospitalized Instagram-famous Toronto pug has received a little help from her loyal fans – more than $30,000 to help cover her hefty medical bills.\nPickles, better known as Lil Pickles Da Pug to her nearly 300,000 social media followers, suffered a status epilepticus event on Sunday, her owner Sarah Mitchell told CTV News Toronto.\nExperiencing one seizure that lasts five minutes or having more than one seizure over the span of five minutes without returning to a normal level of consciousness is called status epilepticus.\nAfter the five-year-old pug went into “uncontrollable and constant grand mal seizure\" on Sunday, Mitchell said, she was rushed to her local emergency veterinary hospital where efforts were made to stabilize her.\nPickles spent nearly two days in a medically-induced coma and intubated.\nThen, on Tuesday, Pickles was transferred to a different hospital’s intensive care unit (ICU) for further treatment, including care for a pneumonia she developed from her seizures.\nAs of Thursday, she remains in the ICU in critical condition, Mitchell said, adding Pickles continues to require 24-hour care from a lung specialist and neurologist.\n“She is way less sedate, but is too weak to move on her own,” Mitchell said Thursday evening. “She currently has a disconnect between her eyes and brain, which can happen with such intense seizures, but should gradually return to normal vision if all goes well.”\n“Overall, she is comfortable and stabilized, but critical. She is beginning to show some signs of improvement, but no anywhere near out of the woods yet.”\nPickles has been with her owners since she was a puppy and was first diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy in 2018. Mitchell said her pug had been “very well controlled since then.”\nMitchell posts photographs of Pickles to her social media account to brighten people’s days and spread awareness of dogs suffering from epilepsy.\n“Pickles’ social media originally started as a designated place just to share her pictures to family and friends,” Mitchel said. “Her personality really started to shine through and she began to have viral posts.”\nPickles has been featured on a New York Times Square billboard and had one of her videos featured in a Milkbone commercial.\n“Her personality is very mischievous and bossy. Everyone is amused by her ongoing joke fueds with the neighbours. We love being able to spread joy and laughs with her friends and fans.”\nAmidst all the uncertainty surrounding Pickles’ health, Mitchell set up a GoFundMe campaign to help pay the costs of Pickles’ pricey medical bills and her loyal fans rose to the occasion.\nIn just two days, more than $30,000 was raised, doubling Mitchell’s goal of $15,000.\n“We are overwhelmed by all of the love and support for Pickles and us as a family,” Mitchell said. “We have met so many amazing friends and fellow pug-lovers over the years on social media.”\n“We have all become such a strong and wonderful community. Everyone wants to see her come home safely.”\nMitchell said she is very thankful the donations have surpassed her expectations because Pickles’ bill are “continuing to increase by the day.”\n“The pug community online has made this high level of care accessible and possible for us when it otherwise wouldn’t have been with the current financial climate of COVID-19,” Mitchell said.\n“I am forever grateful and touched by everyone’s generosity and willingness to help save my pug’s life.”\nPickles has not been given a release date from the ICU thus far and once she is allowed to go home, Mitchell said, additional money will be needed for her aftercare, including follow up appointments and future diagnostics.", "Hospitalized Instagram-famous Toronto pug receives more than $30,000 in donations", "A hospitalized Instagram-famous Toronto pug has received a little help from her loyal fans – more than $30,000 to help cover her hefty medical bills." ]

[]

"2021-01-19T23:18:28"

"2021-01-19T17:08:00"

"2021-01-19T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Some front-line health-care workers in Ontario say they aren’t being paid while self-isolating following exposure to a positive case of COVID-19.\nPresident of the Ontario Nurses Association Vicki McKenna says that she has heard the complaint from a number of members across the province who have been ordered to stay home by a local public health unit.\n“If they have no symptoms, they have no access to sick benefits,” she said while speaking to CTV news Toronto on Tuesday.\nShe says that although front-line workers have been celebrated for their sacrifices throughout the pandemic, the absence of a province-wide policy on the matter has them feeling “not really important” and that “it's really all talk.”\n“What nurses and health professionals have told me is it makes them feel disposable,” she said.\nInstead, McKenna says it’s up to individual employers to decide whether or not they will cover an employee’s pay during the 14-day quarantine.\nAnd the problem is not unique to hospital workers.\nAccording to paramedic Jason Fraser, who happens to be chair of the CUPE Ambulance Committee of Ontario, EMS workers might also be feeling the pinch.\n“They may pay, up and to the point that they have a negative COVID result, but if public health is still requiring them to further isolate, the employer won't continue to pay that,” he said.\nBoth Fraser and McKenna say that employers were more likely to pay front-line staff who were forced to self-isolate in the first wave of the pandemic, but that in the second wave, things changed.\n“It is not uniform,” McKenna said. “We need it to be uniform across the province.”\nFor the government’s part, they said in a statement issued to CTV News Toronto that the $19 billion Safe Restart Agreement, which was negotiated between the province and the feds, dedicated more than $1 billion to the funding and implementation of paid sick days, which the affected workers \"should\" qualify for.\nHowever, McKenna argues that a health-care worker’s eligibility shouldn’t be in question.\n“We're in a pandemic, the first in a century, lets look after the people who are caring for Ontarians,” she said.\nWith files from CTV News Toronto's Sean Leathong.", "Front-line workers in parts of Ontario aren't getting paid while self-isolating following COVID-19 exposure", "Some front-line health-care workers in Ontario say they aren’t being paid while self-isolating following exposure to a positive case of COVID-19." ]

[]

"2021-01-07T00:06:49"

"2021-01-06T17:58:00"

"2021-01-06T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- York Region's medical officer of health has ordered the closure of a Newmarket business after it openly flouted public health rules prohibiting stores from offering in-person shopping.\nThe order, issued under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act, alleges that Point of Light, Body, Mind, Spirit Store and Centre on Yonge Street south of Mulock Drive allowed shoppers inside the business on at least three separate occasions in recent weeks and that in each of those instances the operators were found to not be wearing masks or face coverings while serving customers.\nMedical Officer of Health Dr. Karim Kurji said in the order that the operators of the business were first charged with violating the Reopening Ontario Act on Dec. 23, at which time they vowed to remain open for in-person shopping in direct contravention of public health restrictions.\nHe said that a follow up inspection was then conducted on Dec. 24 and that customers were again found shopping inside the store. The business, however, closed for an extended period of time over the holidays.\nThe latest inspection occurred on Jan. 5 and Kurji said that in-person shopping had resumed at the store with neither the operators or any of the patrons wearing masks.\nHis order requires the store to immediately suspend in-person shopping, though it does allow them to continue offering curbside pickup.\nIt also requires that the store follow all applicable guidance related to COVID-19.\nThe fine for violating Section 22 orders is up to $5,000 a day for individuals and $25,000 a day for corporations.", "Newmarket, Ont. store ordered to close after openly flouting rules prohibiting in-person shopping", "York Region's medical officer of health has ordered the closure of a Newmarket business after it openly flouted public health rules prohibiting stores from offering in-person shopping." ]

[]

"2021-01-22T18:55:12"

"2021-01-22T12:21:00"

"2021-01-22T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The federal government will deploy two mobile hospital units to the Greater Toronto Area in order to help free up space in a healthcare system that is struggling to handle an influx of COVID-19 patients.\nPrime Minister Justin Trudeau made the announcement during a news conference in Ottawa on Friday morning.\nHe said that the mobile hospital units will provide up to 200 additional beds, effectively freeing up space in some of the region’s hardest hit hospitals “for those who need ICU care.”\nHe also said that each of the units will be able to provide “vital medical equipment and supplies.”\n“The increase in cases this month has put a real strain on hospitals and for Ontario in particular the situation is extremely serious,” he said. “When we spoke last week I told Premier Ford that we would be there to support Ontario with any assistance they need. Keeping you and your families safe is our top priority.”\nA Critical Care Services Ontario report obtained by CP24 earlier this week revealed that there were more than 400 COVID-19 patients in critical care in Ontario hospitals as of Monday. But at some hospitals in the GTA the numbers were even more stark.\nFor example, at Humber River Hospital in Toronto’s west end there were 25 COVID-19 patients in the ICU and all 46 beds in the unit were filled as of Monday. Meanwhile, at Birchmount Hospital in Scarborough all 15 ICU beds were filled and all but four of them were taken up by COVID-19 patients.\nThe federal government first established contracts with Weatherhaven Global Resources Ltd. and SNC-Lavalin PAE Inc. to manufacture mobile hospital units during the first wave of pandemic in April but they have not been deployed until new.\nIn a news release issued following the announcement, the Trudeau government said that the units will be deployed to the GTA “as rapidly as possible” and will remain in the region until May 1.\nThe release says that the units will “facilitate the transfer of non-critical care patients out of critical care to ensure those specialized resources are available for those who need it most.”\nTheir deployment is just the latest effort to provide additional capacity to respond to the increasing hospitalization numbers.\nEarlier this week, the Ford government also announced that it would invest $125 million in creating 500 new “surge” beds in Toronto, Durham Region, Windsor, Ottawa, and Kingston. Thirty-five of those critical care beds are set to open at Cortellucci Vaughan Hospital when it officially opens on Feb. 7, though it is unclear when the remaining beds will come online.\n“Our government is using every tool at our disposal to support our hospitals as they respond to COVID-19,” Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said in the release. “As Ontario continues to add more hospital beds and build capacity in our health care system, these new mobile health units will further help us alleviate the strain on our hospitals and intensive care units. We will continue to work with the federal government and our health care partners to support our hospitals and care for patients affected by this deadly virus.”", "Two mobile hospital units will be deployed to the Greater Toronto Area, Trudeau says", "The federal government will deploy two mobile hospital units to the Greater Toronto Area in order to help free up space in a healthcare system that is struggling to handle an influx of COVID-19 patients." ]

[]

"2021-01-07T23:53:29"

"2021-01-07T15:36:00"

"2021-01-07T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A long-term care home in Toronto hit 73 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday after two more residents succumbed to the virus.\nTendercare Living Centre in the city's east end now has one of the worst records in the province.\nNevertheless, the provincial government says it is confident North York General Hospital can manage the outbreak.\n\"They have assured us that the care needs of Tendercare residents are being met,\" said the Ministry of Long-Term Care.\nIn December, the province announced that the hospital would be taking over management of Tendercare amid the COVID-19 outbreak in the home.\nThe province said the arrangement will help stabilize the situation and return it to normal operations.\n\"Our government is doing everything we can to protect our most vulnerable population, our long-term care residents,\" said Minister Merrilee Fullerton in a statement at the time.\nMore than 20 residents and more than 30 staff members are still fighting the disease.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2021.", "COVID-19 deaths at Toronto long-term care home in hit 73", "A long-term care home in Toronto hit 73 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday after two more residents succumbed to the virus." ]

[]

"2021-01-19T17:24:14"

"2021-01-18T18:26:00"

"2021-01-18T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- An Ontario personal support worker says she feels “devalued” after receiving easily torn medical gowns that feel like “tissue paper” to wear while seeing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic.\nMargo Frey, a community PSW in the Peterborough, Ont. area, told CTV News Toronto on Monday that she recently received a new shipment of personal protective equipment and that the quality of the medical gowns is “really poor.”\n“This new gown that we got is so thin that I think if somebody spit on me it would go through,” she said. “We're not going to be properly protected. It's like a false sense of security.”\nFrey said she and her coworkers have noticed that the gowns tear easily and are itchy. She said she has been told to assume every patient she helps has COVID-19 and to change her PPE after seeing each person.\n“It's scary. We feel devalued because we're doing what we think is an important job, but obviously, the government doesn't think that we're important enough to have made any moves over the past year,” she said.\n“These feel more like a tissue, a thin, thin tissue or tissue paper almost. Every gown that I've worn has ripped. If you pull on it, or you try to put it on, it rips on the arms.”\nThe Ontario government says it has spent nearly $1.1 billion on PPE including masks, gloves, medical gowns and face shields.\n“All PPE distributed from the pandemic stockpile is medical grade and compliant with appropriate standards,” Ontario’s Ministry of Health said in a statement. “Public hospitals and long-term care homes must assess the available supply of PPE on an ongoing basis and continue to make appropriate PPE available to front-line staff.”\nAccording to the Government of Canada website, there are four different levels of approved medical gowns, each with different material integrity.\nInfectious disease expert Dr. Anna Benerjee said that while there are different grades of medical gowns, their main purpose is to prevent body secretions from falling on a person or a person’s clothing, and that the quality should be the same across the board during a pandemic.\n“If someone’s coughing or vomiting, that gown is supposed to keep a barrier between the individual and the clothes they’re wearing,” she told CTV News Toronto.\n“If there are tears in the gown and someone doesn’t recognize it, then the virus can get onto someone’s clothing or on their skin, and then someone’s more likely to self-contaminate themselves and get infected.”\nSharleen Stewart, president of SEIU Healthcare, a union representing more than 60,000 workers in Ontario, said she is now asking all of its health-care units to start looking at their PPE to determine if the medical gowns were a bad batch or if the quality has simply dropped.\n“We cannot fight COVID on the cheap. We cannot cut corners anywhere, we have to ensure that they are protected,” Stewart said.\nFrey has said she has made a formal complaint with her company and is awaiting a response.\nWith files from CTV News Toronto's Rahim Ladhani", "Personal support worker shocked at thin and easily torn medical gowns", "An Ontario personal support worker says she feels “devalued” after receiving easily torn medical gowns that feel like “tissue paper” to wear while seeing patients during the COVID-19 pandemic." ]

[]

"2021-01-28T04:38:58"

"2021-01-27T20:31:00"

"2021-01-27T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- An Ontario doctor alleged he was removed as the interim medical director of critical care at William Osler Health System this month because of his comments regarding the province's pandemic response.\nDr. Brooks Fallis said in a statement to CP24 that he was disappointed with the decision of William Osler to terminate his contract.\n\"When I met with some of the members of the senior leadership team about this, I was told I was being let go as Interim Medical Director - not because of my performance as a physician or as a hospital leader - but because of my outspoken, public statements regarding Ontario's pandemic response,\" Fallis said.\n\"As a result of my actions, the hospital was under pressure from the provincial government, leading to concern about the possible loss of funding for the hospital.\"\nFallis also said his termination came as a surprise as he only received positive feedback about his performance over the past year. In fact, the doctor said he had received a contract extension.\nRecently, Fallis has called on the province to focus on containing the UK coronavirus variant. He tweeted that officials should be “laser focused on containing B.1.1.7.”\n“If we wait for more data to act we will be unable to regain control & sustained reopening of the economy & schools may become impossible,” Fallis tweeted on Jan. 23 after the variant was detected at a Barrie long-term care home dealing with an outbreak.\nDespite being fired, Fallis said he does not regret speaking out.\n\"As a physician, my greatest responsibility is to care for people. In these times of uncertainty, my only goal in speaking out is to advocate for informed decision making and a better more transparent response to the COVID crisis,\" he said.\nWilliam Osler said they can't comment on human resources matter but refuted Fallis' allegation that the provincial government pressured the hospital.\n\"Any suggestion otherwise is absolutely false,\" the hospital said.\n\"Currently, the medical director of Critical Care role at Osler is an interim one, and we have recently announced the launch of a comprehensive, open process to recruit a physician for this position permanently.\"\nThe hospital said Fallis will continue to be a critical part of their COVID-19 response efforts.\nTwenty-three ICU doctors at William Osler sent a letter to senior management, expressing concern about their decision.\n\"The ICU physician group is shocked and saddened by this news. Over the past year, Dr. Fallis has been an exemplary leader, not only for the ICU but for Osler as a whole,\" the group wrote in the letter.\n\"The ICU physician group is shocked and saddened by this news. Over the past year, Dr. Fallis has been an exemplary leader, not only for the ICU but for Osler as a whole,\" the group wrote in the letter.\n\"He has taken a leading role in shaping our institutional response to the pandemic and has been a constant source of support for the ICU physicians and staff.\"\nFurthermore, the group wrote that it does not understand and does not support the decision.\n\"We feel strongly that this decision does not serve the best interests of our patients, staff, or the institution. We urgently request the opportunity to discuss this with you, by videoconference, given the limitations imposed by the pandemic.\"\nCP24 has reached out to the province for comment.", "Ontario doctor claims he was fired because he was critical of province's pandemic response", "An Ontario doctor alleged he was removed as the interim medical director of critical care at William Osler Health System this month because of his comments regarding the province's pandemic response." ]

[]

"2021-01-19T13:06:03"

"2021-01-19T07:26:00"

"2021-01-19T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Homicide detectives are set to update an investigation into the shooting death of a 33-year-old man in Toronto’s Lawrence Manor neighbourhood last year.\nOn the night of Oct. 7, 2020, Shane Shannon Stanford was found behind the wheel of a vehicle suffering from a single gunshot wound in the area of Khedive and Regina avenues, near Bathurst Street and Ranee Avenue.\nHe was pronounced dead at the scene.\nPolice said he lived near where he was located that night.\nStanford was a well-liked personal trainer at the Central YMCA in downtown Toronto.\nOrganizers of a GoFundMe set up to raise funds for his family said he worked there for a decade.\nInvestigators had earlier announced two arrests in the case.\nDet. Michael McGinn will speak to reporters about the case at 10:30 a.m. on Tuesday.", "Toronto police to update investigation into man shot to death in Lawrence Manor", "Homicide detectives are set to update an investigation into the shooting death of a 33-year-old man in Toronto’s Lawrence Manor neighbourhood last year." ]

[]

"2021-01-28T00:52:19"

"2021-01-27T15:34:00"

"2021-01-27T00:00:00"

[ "CALEDON -- Police in Caledon, Ont., say a vehicle using emergency red and blue lighting roared by a patrolling cruiser on Highway 410.\nThe officer pulled the vehicle over and, after investigating, seized two emergency light bars.\nA 20-year-old from Mississauga is now charged with use of unauthorized red and blue lights and having cannabis readily available.\nThe driver also allegedly failed to surrender a licence, vehicle permit or insurance card.\nPolice also say his licence plate was obstructed.\nThe accused is to appear in court at a later date.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 27, 2021.", "Motorist charged after allegedly driving by police cruiser with emergency red and blue lights", "Police in Caledon, Ont., say a vehicle using emergency red and blue lighting roared by a patrolling cruiser on Highway 410." ]

[]

"2021-01-18T14:52:02"

"2021-01-18T08:04:00"

"2021-01-18T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford will make an announcement in York Region on Monday amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the province.\nThe premier’s announcement will take place in Vaughan, Ont., and it comes after the province implemented a series of new restrictions last week to curb the spread of the disease.\nThe provincial government’s new outdoor gathering limit and stay-at-home order went into effect across the province on Thursday.\nThe number of new COVID-19 cases per day went over the 3,000 mark once again this past weekend after infection numbers below that were reported on Friday.\nHealth officials reports 3,056 new COVID-19 cases on Saturday and 3,422 new COVID-19 cases on Sunday.\nThe province is also continuing to build on its COVID-19 vaccination efforts.\nThe first COVID-19 vaccination site not hosted in an Ontario hospital or long-term care home opened today at Toronto’s Metro Toronto Convention Centre.\nThe news conference today will be streamed live on CTVNewsToronto.ca at 1 p.m.", "Ontario premier to make announcement in York Region amid rising COVID-19 case numbers", "Ontario Premier Doug Ford will make an announcement in York Region on Monday amid a rising number of COVID-19 cases in the province." ]

[]

"2021-01-28T13:51:11"

"2021-01-28T07:32:00"

"2021-01-28T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Peel police are at the scene of a Mississauga home where a man has barricaded inside with a weapon Thursday morning.\nShortly before 7 a.m., police responded to reports of a disturbance at Lundene Drive and Cramer Street.\nA man has barricaded inside a home with an unknown weapon, police said.\nIt is unknown if there are other people inside the home.\nPolice said the situation has been contained to the residence and that a negotiator is attending the scene.\nThere is significant police presence in the area.\nThis is a developing news story.", "Man barricades himself inside Mississauga, Ont. home with weapon", "Peel police are at the scene of a Mississauga home where a man has barricaded inside with a weapon Thursday morning." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-11T20:29:15"

"2021-01-11T12:04:00"

"2021-01-11T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A former church that has been converted into a \"one-of-kind\" five-bedroom home north of Toronto has hit the market for less than $800,000.\nThe fully-finished property, located at 10 Mill Street in Amaranth, near Orangeville, has an open-concept main-floor layout with a floor-to-ceiling stone fireplace.\nIt's currently on the market for $799,900.\nAccording to the property's listing, the four-bathroom home also has a finished basement with a separate entrance and a detached garage.\nThe home, which is located less than 100 km from Toronto, also has a large back deck with views over the nearby Grand River.\nProperty taxes for the home will set you back about $3,640 per year.\nThe $799,900 price tag for the home might entice people who are frustrated by Toronto’s soaring real estate market and are ready to move out of the city.\nThe Toronto Real Estate Board said last week the average price of a home sold last year hit a new record.\nThe board said the average selling price in Greater Toronto was $929,699 in 2020, up 13.5 per cent from $819,279 compared with 2019.\nThe number of homes sold in 2020 in the Greater Toronto Area totalled 95,151, up from 87,751 in 2019, and the third-best year on record, according to the board.\nThe board says after a steep drop in the spring due to the pandemic, the market took off in the second half of the year.\nThe results for the full year came as the Toronto board reported home sales in December soared to 7,180 compared with 4,364 in the final month of 2019.\nThe average price of a home sold in December was $932,222, up from $838,662.\nWith files from The Canadian Press.", "Old church converted into unique five-bedroom home north of Toronto hits the market for $800,000", "A former church that has been converted into a \"one-of-kind\" five-bedroom home north of Toronto has hit the market for less than $800,000." ]

[]

"2021-01-15T14:22:26"

"2021-01-15T08:09:00"

"2021-01-15T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- More than 53,000 tickets have been issued to drivers caught speeding by Toronto’s newly installed speed cameras during the first round of enforcement, according to new data.\nLast summer, 50 automated speed enforcement (ASE) devices were scattered across the city in an effort to increase road safety, reduce speeding and raise public awareness about obeying posted speed limits.\nIn the first round of enforcement, 53,090 tickets were issued by the devices from July 6 to Nov. 30, 2020, the city said in a press release on Friday.\n“...I think that it’s working,” Mayor John Tory told CP24 on Friday. “I always said that my objective would be to have these photo radar automated speed enforcement machines issuing no tickets because that would mean people weren’t speeding.”\nDuring the first full month of enforcement, 22,301 tickets were issued, followed by 15,175 in the second month, and 9,719 in the third month.\nFrom Oct. 7 to 31- the last day before the devices started rotating to new locations- 5,174 tickets were issued. From Nov. 1 to 30, the devices were being rotated in stages during this time and only 721 tickets were issued.\nThe speed camera on Renforth Drive near Lafferty Street (Etobicoke Centre) issued the most tickets with 5,404, which represents 10 per cent of all tickets issued during the first round.\nThe highest fine of $718 was issued to a driver travelling at 89 km/h in a 40 k/m speed limit zone by the same device on Renforth Drive.\nThe number of repeat offenders in the first round of locations was 5,822, according to the city. The most frequent repeat offender received 17 tickets for speeding near Crow Trail and Bradstone Square (Scarborough North).\nThe devices are placed on local, collector and arterial roads in community safety zones near schools.\nEach ward will receive two devices during each round of enforcement. Signage has been installed in advance of all ASE locations to make motorists aware of their presence, according to the city.\nAll of the devices are expected to rotate to new locations again in the spring.\n“They’re going to move every three or four months so that we can sort of draw to the attention of people in other parts of the city,” Tory said.\nThe city said site selection is primarily based on data that shows where speed and collision challenges exist near schools in community safety zones.\nBelow is a breakdown of the number of tickets issued for each of the 50 ASE devices:\n• Royalcrest Road near Cabernet Circle (Etobicoke North): 2,544\n• Harefield Drive near Barford Road (Etobicoke North): 90\n• Renforth Drive near Lafferty Street (Etobicoke Centre): 5,404\n• Trehorne Drive near Duffield Road (Etobicoke Centre): 1,677\n• Horner Avenue near Orianna Drive (Etobicoke-Lakeshore): 1,358\n• Chartwell Road south of Larstone Avenue (Etobicoke-Lakeshore): 46\n• Jameson Avenue south of Laxton Avenue (Parkdale-High Park): 2,216\n• Close Avenue south of Queen Street West (Parkdale-High Park): 167\n• Bicknell Avenue south of Avon Drive (York South-Weston): 4,010\n• Brookhaven Drive north of Nordale Crescent (York South-Weston): 925\n• Faywood Boulevard near Laurelcrest Avenue (York Centre): 861\n• Wilmington Avenue north of Purdon Drive (York Centre): 2,920\n• Derrydown Road north of Catford Road (Humber River-Black Creek): 393\n• Grandravine Drive east of Jane Street (Humber River-Black Creek): 605\n• Corona Street south of Claver Avenue (Eglinton-Lawrence): 622\n• Ridge Hill Drive west of Old Park Road (Eglinton-Lawrence): 1469\n• Caledonia Road north of Rogers Road (Davenport): 4,267\n• Gladstone Avenue south of Cross Street (Davenport): 1,271\n• Manning Avenue north of Robinson Street (Spadina-Fort York): 66\n• Givins Street south of Argyle Street (Spadina-Fort York): 100\n• Lippincott Street south of Vankoughnet Street (University-Rosedale): 135\n• Huron Street south of Bernard Avenue (University-Rosedale): 658\n• Atlas Avenue south of Ava Road (Toronto-St. Paul’s): 116\n• Brownlow Avenue south of Eglinton Avenue East (Toronto-St. Paul’s): 413\n• Prospect Street east of Ontario Street (Toronto Centre): 10\n• Spruce Street near Gifford Street (Toronto Centre): 13\n• Chatham Avenue east of Jones Avenue (Toronto-Danforth): 1,634\n• Morse Street south of Queen Street East (Toronto-Danforth): 118\n• Bessborough Drive north of Field Avenue (Don Valley West): 817\n• Ranleigh Avenue east of Yonge Street (Don Valley West): 874\n• Gateway Boulevard near 10 Gateway Boulevard (Don Valley East): 3,273\n• Ness Drive north of York Mills Road (Don Valley East): 32\n• Elkhorn Drive west of Red Maple Court (Don Valley North): 305\n• Cherokee Boulevard south of Pinto Drive (Don Valley North): 636\n• Patricia Avenue west of Homewood Avenue (Willowdale): 941\n• Lillian Street south of Abitibi Avenue (Willowdale): 756\n• Main Street south of Swanwick Avenue (Beaches-East York): 1,294\n• Barrington Avenue north of Secord Avenue (Beaches-East York): 1,547\n• Falmouth Avenue south of Brussels Road (Scarborough Southwest): 362\n• Birchmount Road north of Kingston Road (Scarborough Southwest): 2,514\n• Brimorton Drive east of Hathway Drive (Scarborough Centre): 1,558\n• Marcos Boulevard near Cicerella Crescent (Scarborough Centre): 27\n• Beverly Glen Boulevard west of Stonebridge Boulevard (Scarborough-Agincourt): 31\n• Silver Springs Boulevard near Revlis Crescent (Scarborough-Agincourt): 485\n• Crow Trail near Bradstone Square (Scarborough North): 411\n• Alton Towers Circle near 295 Alton Towers Circle (Scarborough North): 332\n• Galloway Road north of Lawrence Avenue East (Scarborough-Guildwood): 35\n• Military Trail east of Cindy Nicholas Drive (Scarborough-Guildwood): 1993\n• Hupfield Trail near Glanvil Crescent (Scarborough-Rouge Park): 455\n• Murison Boulevard near Curtis Crescent (Scarborough-Rouge Park): 304", "More than 53,000 tickets were issued by Toronto's new speed cameras in 5 months", "More than 53,000 tickets have been issued to drivers caught speeding by Toronto’s newly installed speed cameras during the first round of enforcement, according to new data." ]

[]

"2021-01-24T03:06:48"

"2021-01-23T20:01:00"

"2021-01-23T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ten people were arrested following anti-lockdown protests in downtown Toronto on Saturday.\nFor the second weekend in a row, Toronto police responded to large gatherings at Nathan Phillips Square, Yonge-Dundas Square, and Queen’s Park to enforce provincial emergency orders.\nAs part of a new series of public health measures implemented by the province, Ontarians have been told to only go out for essential purposes. Outdoor gatherings of more than five people are also prohibited.\nPolice said seven of the 10 people were charged. One of them is 38-year-old Christopher Saccoccia, who has spoken out against public health measures during the pandemic.\nIn September, he was charged with breaking federal quarantine rules for allegedly attending a rally in Toronto less than two weeks after returning to the country.\nOn Saturday, Saccoccia was charged with four counts of public mischief and common nuisance. A 57-year-old was also charged with common nuisance.\nMeanwhile, four others were charged with obstructing a peace officer. A 72-year-old man was also charged with obstructing a peace officer and assaulting police.\nPolice said nine charges were laid against attendees for failing to comply with emergency orders. Three others were charged under the Highway Traffic Act.\nLast week, police also broke up anti-lockdown gatherings downtown. Three people were charged, and 18 fail to comply with the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act charges were laid.\nPolice said they will continue to attend large gatherings, disperse attendees, and issue tickets and summonses.", "Police arrest 10 people after anti-lockdown protests in downtown Toronto", "Ten people were arrested following anti-lockdown protests in downtown Toronto on Saturday." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-28T21:28:49"

"2021-01-28T07:16:00"

"2021-01-28T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- New modelling data released by Ontario health officials suggests that while COVID-19 cases are declining, the new high-contagious U.K. variant poses a significant threat and will likely be the dominate strain of the disease in the province by March.\nOfficials released updated modelling on Thursday that suggested while testing for COVID-19 is down slightly, cases and positivity rates across the province are on the decline.\nAccording to the government, hospitalizations have also decreased across Ontario but the number of patients in the province's strained intensive care units (ICU) has not fallen yet.\nHealth officials expect that ICU capacity will decrease to between 150 and 300 patients by the end of February.\nThe government has previously said that when there are more than 300 patients being treated for COVID-19 in the ICU it becomes nearly impossible to treat the needs of non-COVID-19 patients.\nThere are currently 358 patients in Ontario's ICU being treated for COVID-19.\nAccording to the data, \"modelling and international examples\" suggest that despite the U.K variant of COVID-19 spreading in Ontario, if the province maintains public health interventions it should see a continued reduction in cases, even with a return to school.\n\"The new mutated SARS-CoV-2 are clearly spreading in the community and will likely be the dominate version of the virus by March,\" Dr. Adalsteinn Brown, co-chair of the province's COVID-19 science table, said on Thursday. \"The new variants give us less room to relax and less room for error.\"\n“The variant will be the dominate source of infection by March.”\nThe modelling data also found that Ontario's stay-at-home order, which came into effect on Jan. 12, has resulted in only a small reduction in overall mobility in the province.\nAccording to the modelling, if cases fall at a daily rate of one per cent, Ontario would report about 1,700 new cases per day by the end of February.\nIf it were to drop three per cent, cases would drop under 1,000 per day by then.\nChief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams has previously said Ontario would need to see less than 1,000 COVID-19 cases per day before lifting the lockdown.\nBrown said that COVID-19 vaccines are likely still effective against the U.K. strain of the disease.\n\"I think it’s important to note that these are not the only variants that will emerge as the disease continues to spread.\"\nCOVID-19 cases are also declining across long-term care homes but deaths continue to rise, the province said. There have been 215 long-term care deaths associated with COVID-19 in the previous seven days.\nAccording to the data, Ontario is likely surpass the total number of deaths from the first wave during the second wave.\nOntario surpassed 6,000 COVID-19 deaths on Thursday, with more than 1,400 of those deaths were logged since the beginning of January.", "Highly-contagious U.K. COVID-19 variant will likely be dominate strain in Ontario by March, modelling suggests", "New modelling data released by Ontario health officials suggests that while COVID-19 cases are declining, the new high-contagious U.K. variant poses a significant threat and will likely be the dominate strain of the disease in the province by March." ]

[]

"2021-01-25T18:04:59"

"2021-01-25T07:45:00"

"2021-01-25T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Provincial officials say they plan to administer first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to all long-term care home residents in Ontario 10 days sooner than planned as at least one facility in outbreak has reported multiple cases of the U.K. variant.\nThe province provided an update this morning on their plan to administer COVID-19 vaccines in Ontario as health officials have been forced to change gears amid delivery delays from Pfizer.\nThe province received no new doses from Pfizer this week and Ontario will receive approximately 26,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine on the week of Feb. 1, a significant reduction in the number of doses than was previously expected.\nThe federal government has not yet provided the province with Ontario’s allocation of Pfizer doses for the weeks of Feb. 8 or Feb. 15 but officials said shipments are expected in Canada for those weeks.\nOn Monday morning, officials said in light of the supply slowdown, the province needs to take a strategic approach to administering the vaccine, focusing exclusively on accelerating the vaccination of long-term care home residents as well as high-risk retirement and First Nation elder care home residents.\nOntario has pressed pause on providing first doses of the vaccine to all other groups, including health-care workers and essential caregivers in those settings.\nInitially the province’s vaccine task force said its goal was to provide first doses of the vaccine to those vulnerable groups by Feb. 15 but officials now say they are working to do that 10 days sooner than planned.\nThe new Feb. 5th deadline is dependent on there being no further delays for deliveries, officials said Monday.\nAbout 47,000 residents of Ontario long-term care homes have already received the first dose of the vaccine with another 17,000 or 18,000 who still have not received the vaccine.\nApproximately 3,000 residents have refused the first dose, the province said on Monday.\nTo date, a COVID-19 vaccine has been made available to 50,000 long-term care workers and another 50,000 workers have yet to receive their first doses. Once more vaccines become available, the province said, the vaccination of workers and essential caregivers in those vulnerable settings will resume.\nWith the exception of long-term care and retirement home residents, second doses of the Pfizer vaccine could be pushed back 42 days to deal with the supply shortage, the province confirmed on Monday.\nAnother 80,000 doses of the Moderna vaccine are expected to arrive in the province on Feb. 1 and provincial health officials confirmed a similar shipment is expected on Feb. 22. Second doses of the Moderna vaccine will still be administered within a 28-day window.\nThe province also said it is also trying to reallocate vaccines to provide doses to 14 of the 34 public health units that have not yet receive any doses to date.\nPfizer, the larger of two suppliers of two approved COVID-19 vaccines to Canada, said last week it would drastically reduce deliveries to the EU and Canada in February as it retools a manufacturing plant in order to boost its annual output by 700 million doses.\nPremier Doug Ford, Ret. Gen. Rick Hillier, Health Minister Christine Elliott and Solicitor General Sylvia Jones are expected to speak at Queen’s Park this afternoon to address the shift in the province's vaccination plan.\nFord has taken to assorted insults and threats to vent his frustration over the Pfizer delivery slowdown, calling the company’s official excuse about retooling a Belgian manufacturing plant “crap.”\nWhen speaking about the delays last week, Ford, in reference to an unnamed Pfizer executive, said that he’d be “up that guy’s ying-yang so far with a firecracker he wouldn’t know what hit him.”\nHe has repeatedly publicly appealed to U.S. President Joe Biden to send Ontario one million of its Pfizer doses as a stop gap measure.\nCTVNewsToronto.ca will stream Ford's announcement live at 1 p.m.", "Ontario Premier Doug Ford provides COVID-19 vaccine update", "Provincial officials say they plan to administer first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to all long-term care home residents in Ontario 10 days sooner than planned as at least one facility in outbreak has reported multiple cases of the UK variant." ]

[]

"2021-01-12T04:35:52"

"2021-01-09T21:35:00"

"2021-01-09T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A woman is dead, and a man is in hospital after a single-vehicle collision in Mississauga Saturday evening.\nEmergency crews were called to Erin Centre Boulevard near Glen Erin Drive shortly before 9 p.m.\nActing Insp. David De Angelis said a vehicle was travelling east on Erin Centre when it left the roadway for unknown reasons and struck a light pole.\nWhen officers arrived, the female driver was pronounced dead on the scene, while the male passenger was transported to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.\nPeel police’s Major Collision Bureau is investigating the cause of the crash.\nAnyone with information is being asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.", "Woman dead, man in hospital following collision in Mississauga", "A woman is dead, and a man is in hospital after a single-vehicle collision in Mississauga Saturday evening." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-08T21:44:58"

"2021-01-08T15:48:00"

"2021-01-08T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been slammed by the opposition for \"game show tactics\" in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.\nFord addressed the province on Friday morning from Queen's Park, saying that new COVID-19 modelling will be released next week that will make people \"fall off their chair.\"\nDespite teasing that grim figures would be released in the modelling data, he didn't provide any specifics.\n\"Yet again the premier is teasing big announcements regarding the pandemic,\" Green Party leader Mike Schreiner said in a statement on Friday afternoon. \"I'd like to remind the premier to not treat the pandemic like a game show.\"\nSchreiner called the \"building of suspense before announcements unacceptable and dangerous\" and is asking for full transparency.\nFord said during his COVID-19 update on Friday that if basic public health measures \"continue to be ignored\" in the province, the consequences \"will be dire.\"\n\"Everything is on the table right now. There will be further measures, because this is getting out of control and we have to do whatever it takes,\" Ford said. \"We are in a crisis. It is scary. And we need to work together.\"\nFord stopped short of saying which public health restrictions his government is considering, but has said that a curfew, similar to the one imposed in Quebec earlier this week, is an option.\nNDP Leader Andrea Horwath also released a statement Friday on Twitter, saying that Ford is \"choosing to drag his feet\" in regards to new restrictions.\n\"If your house is on fire on Friday the fire department doesn't wait until Monday before they try to put it out,\" Horwath said. \"Disturbed that Ford and his cabinet refuse to limit the COVID-19 spread with tougher public health measures and financial supports for Ontarians.\"\nHorwath also called for the Ford government to release the COVID-19 modelling data to be released immediately.\n\"Doug Ford says the COVID-19 Ontario modelling data is shocking – but we'll have to wait until next week to actually see it,\" Horwath said. \"Mr. Ford, show us the modelling today. And by the end of the day, tell us what you’re going to do about it without delay.\"\nDoug Ford says the #COVID19Ontario modelling data is shocking – but we’ll have to wait until next week to actually see it.\nMr. Ford, show us the modelling today. And by the end of the day, tell us what you’re going to do about it without delay. — Andrea Horwath (@AndreaHorwath) January 8, 2021\nCTV News Toronto contacted Ford's office on Friday about why the modelling data was not being released immediately.\nA spokesperson for Ford said that health officials needed to collect a few more days of data to get an \"accurate and complete picture of the situation before releasing the projections.\"\nOntario shattered its COVID-19 record Friday as more than 4,200 cases were logged, citing a data backlog that accounts for about 450 of the new infections. However, even if those 450 cases were removed from Friday’s total there would still be a record 3,799 new infections logged.", "Ford slammed for 'game show tactics' in response to escalating COVID-19 crisis", "Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been slammed by the opposition for \"game show tactics\" in response to the COVID-19 pandemic." ]

[]

"2021-01-26T16:28:06"

"2021-01-26T09:18:00"

"2021-01-26T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Even with sightings down 20 per cent over last year, Canada’s largest pest control company says that Toronto has topped the list of top bed bug cities in the country two years running.\nIn a news release, Orkin Canada says that while Toronto holds the top spot, five other areas in Ontario also made the top 10.\nSudbury ranked second, Oshawa third, Scarborough seventh, Whitby placed eighth and Ottawa came in 10th.\nVancouver, Winnipeg, St. John’s and Edmonton also made the list.\nThe findings are based on the number of commercial and residential bed bug treatments carried out by Orkin from Jan. 1 to Dec. 31, 2020.\n(Source: Orkin LLC)\nAnd while it may be unsettling to see your city’s name on the list, the company says that bed bug sightings are actually down year over year, which they credit to the public health measures in place to fight COVID-19.\n“Travel bans, stay-at-home orders, and a general shift to working remotely have resulted in less opportunities for these hitchhikers to move around, for the first time since Orkin Canada released its annual survey five years ago,” the news release reads.\nHowever, the company says that when the economy reopens, bed bugs will also be back in business.\n“Due to their ability to double in population about every 16 days, it should not be difficult for bed bugs to regain their grip on the Canadian market.”\nIn the meantime, Canadians concerned about a possible infection are encouraged to carefully examine bags and clothing, inspect all second-hand or returning office furniture, and dry potentially infested bed linens or clothing on the highest heat setting.", "Toronto tops list of worst cities for bed bugs in 2020", "Even with sightings down 20 per cent over last year, Canada’s largest pest control company says that Toronto has topped the list of top bed bug cities in the country two years running." ]

[ "Sean Davidson" ]

"2021-01-13T16:47:43"

"2021-01-12T07:40:00"

"2021-01-12T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The Ontario government has issued a stay-at-home order for the province beginning on Jan. 14 and has immediately declared a second state of emergency.\nPremier Doug Ford announced on Tuesday at Queen's Park that the new stay-at-home order, which will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Thursday, will require everyone to remain at home, with the exception of essential purposes, such as going to the grocery store, pharmacy, accessing health-care services, exercising, or essential work.\nThe stay-at-home order will remain in effect for at least 28 days. Unless an outing is considered essential, Ontario residents are being ordered to stay home at all hours.\nUnder the declaration of a provincial emergency, the government is allowing all enforcement and provincial offence officers, including the Ontario Provincial Police, local police forces, bylaw officers, and provincial workplace inspectors, to issue tickets to those who do not comply with the stay-at-home order.\nOntarians caught violating the stay-at-home order could face a fine and prosecution under the Reopening Ontario Act and the Emergency Management and Civil Emergency Management (EMPCA).\nPenalties for breaking the stay-at-home order could include up to a year in jail, according to Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.\n\"Let me be clear, if people are found not complying with these orders, they will be subject to fines and prosecution,\" Jones said. \"We are taking the current situation very seriously and we ask that all Ontarians do the same.\"\nAs part of the new restrictions, non-essential employees who are currently working in-person will be required to work from home.\nSchools staying closed in hot spots until Feb. 10\nSchools in Toronto, York Region, Hamilton, Peel Region and Windsor-Essex will also not return to in-person learning until Feb. 10.\nThe government said that by Jan. 20, Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams will advise the Ministry of Education on which regions will be permitted to resume in-person instruction, based on the most up-to-date data and modelling.\nSchools in northern Ontario will remain open to in-person learning.\nStudents as young as Grade 1 will now be required to wear masks when attending in-person learning.\nAs part of the new rules, all non-essential retail stores, including hardware stores, alcohol retailers, and those offering curbside pickup or delivery must open no earlier than 7 a.m. and close no later than 8 p.m.\nThe restricted hours of operation do not apply to stores that primarily sell food, pharmacies, gas stations, convenience stores, and restaurants for takeout or delivery.\nOutdoor organized public gatherings and social gatherings are further restricted to a limit of five people.\nNon-essential construction is also further restricted, including below-grade construction.\nOntarians with secondary properties are being asked to avoid visiting them, unless the trip is considered necessary. Emergency maintenance of the property would be deemed essential, the government said.\n\"When we have stay-at-home order, that’s pretty serious,\" Ford said. \"Last week I stood here and I told you our province is in crisis. The facts are clear: cases and deaths are the highest since the start of the pandemic and community spread continues to escalate.\"\nFord said he knows everyone \"wants to return to normal,\" but stressed the health-care system is \"on the brink of collapse.\"\n\"I know the actions we've announced today are difficult but they're absolutely necessary.\"\nFord announced the restrictions shortly after the province released new projections that show COVID-19 is on track to overwhelm Ontario's health-care system.\nIn modelling data released late Tuesday morning, officials said they expect the daily COVID-19 mortality rate in the province to double from 50 deaths per day to about 100 deaths per day between mid-January and the end of February.\nThe predictions represent an increase from the previous data released in December, which suggested that under the \"maximum likelihood estimate\" Ontario would see a little under 50 deaths daily by next month.\nContinued: My statement on the province's State of Emergency declaration and additional public health measures. (2/2) pic.twitter.com/yi7hFfJqNE — John Tory (@JohnTory) January 12, 2021\nThe province confirmed 2,903 cases of the novel coronavirus on Tuesday after eight consecutive days of case numbers over the 3,000 mark. Health officials logged 3,338 new infections on Monday, and a record-breaking number of 3,945 on Sunday.\nWhile the province reported a drop in cases Tuesday, with just over 40,000 COVID-19 tests completed, the positivity rate of 7.8 is higher than what it was on the previous five days.\nThe province's seven-day average for number of infections recorded is now 3,523, up from 2,646 one week ago.\nQuick facts about Ontario's stay-at-home order\nWhen does the order take effect?\nIt comes into effect at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.\nDoes it mean no one can leave their home?\nThe province says it is allowing people to go out for essential purposes, such as shopping for groceries, going to the pharmacy, or exercise, as well as for work for those who can't work from home. Employers must allow staff to work from home if possible.\nPeople who live alone and single parents can also consider having exclusive, close contact with one other household in an effort to offset the effects of isolation.\nWhat about children?\nSchools in five southern Ontario hot spots will stay closed to in-person learning until Feb. 10, though the province says that could be extended further. Emergency child care for elementary students will continue for eligible families in regions with no in-person classes.\nAs for children who aren't of school age, daycares and child care centres will remain open.\nWill the order be enforced?\nThe government says one of the key changes included in Tuesday's announcement is that it allows provincial offences officers and other law enforcement to issue tickets to those who breach the order and disperse crowds larger than five people, if they're not part of the same household.\nHow will enforcement officers know who is out for legitimate reasons and who isn't?\nThe province hasn't specified how officers will check why people are outside their homes. But it said that people will have a duty to identify themselves when a police officer has \"reasonable and probable grounds\" that there has been a breach of the orders made under the Emergency Management and Civil Protection Act.\nHow is this different from a curfew, which the province said it wouldn't impose?\nFord said that unlike a curfew, people will still be allowed to go outside regardless of the time for essential purposes, including if they need to walk their dog or \"walk around the block\" for exercise.\nWith files from The Canadian Press", "Ontario issues stay-at-home order, immediately declares second state of emergency", "The Ontario government has issued a stay-at-home order for the province beginning on Jan. 14 and has declared a second state of emergency for the province." ]

[]

"2021-01-09T02:51:18"

"2021-01-08T21:24:00"

"2021-01-08T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- A 28-year-old man has been seriously injured after being stabbed multiple times in a laundromat in Etobicoke Friday evening.\nToronto police were called to a plaza in the area of Finch Avenue West and Albion Road just after 7 p.m.\nPolice said an altercation between two men led to one of them being stabbed.\nWhen officers arrived, they located the victim suffering from stab wounds to his abdomen and arms, Duty Insp. Michael Williams said.\nToronto paramedics rushed him to a trauma centre with serious but non-life-threatening injuries.\nWilliams said the suspect, a 24-year-old man, fled but was shortly located and was taken into custody.\nIt is unclear at this time if the suspect and the victim are known to each other.\nWilliams said they have already spoken to several witnesses, adding that they are also canvassing for videos in the area.\nAnyone with information is asked to contact police or Crime Stoppers anonymously.", "Man stabbed multiple times in Etobicoke laundromat, police say", "A 28-year-old man has been seriously injured after being stabbed multiple times in a laundromat in Etobicoke Friday evening." ]

[]

"2021-01-22T23:39:32"

"2021-01-22T18:13:00"

"2021-01-22T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- An Ontario doctor who is facing charges for allegedly misleading health officials about how she contracted the highly contagious U.K. variant of the coronavirus has been removed from the medical team at a Whitby long-term care home.\nA spokesperson for the Region of Durham confirmed Friday that Dr. Martina Weir is no longer an attending physician at Fairview Lodge.\n“Please be assured that your medical care will continue uninterrupted,” the home’s administrator said in a memo obtained by CTV News Toronto. “We look forward to introducing you to a new attending physician once we have one on board.”\nWeir and her husband Brian were each charged with two counts of “failing to provide accurate information on all persons that the defendant may have had contact with during their period of communicability for COVID-19” and one count of obstruction “by providing false information to the Durham Region Associate Medical Officer of Health in relation to contact tracing involving the U.K. variant strain of COVID-19.”\nBrian works in a non-patient-facing role for the Toronto Paramedic Services.\nOn Dec. 26, provincial health officials confirmed that a Durham Region couple contracted the U.K. variant, also known as the B.1.1.7. It was initially reported that the couple did not travel outside the country and had no known exposure or high-risk contacts.\nHowever, it was later revealed that the two had been in contact with a traveller from the U.K. Officials said that information was not provided in earlier interviews.\nThe lawyers representing the couple said in a statement that the two will be pleading not guilty and “will vigorously defend the case.”\nNone of the allegations has been tested in court.\nOn Thursday, a spokesperson for Durham Region confirmed that Weir went back to work on Monday and Tuesday as “there are no concerns about risk to residents related to this matter as per public health guidance.”\nThey noted that she was not at the facility between Dec. 11 and Jan. 17.\nWeir also works at Lakeridge Health Centre. The hospital said on Thursday that she did not work at any of their facilities during December and did not provide patient care, adding that all staff and visitors at their hospitals go through an active screening process before entering their facilities.", "Ont. doctor accused of failing to disclose contact with U.K. traveller removed from LTC home medical team", "An Ontario doctor who is facing charges for allegedly misleading health officials about how she contracted the highly contagious U.K. variant of the coronavirus has been removed from the medical team at a Whitby long-term care home." ]

[]

"2021-01-07T22:16:21"

"2021-01-07T16:41:00"

"2021-01-07T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- The Ontario government has announced that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be allowed to host other teams across Canada for homes games this upcoming NHL season.\nMinister of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa MacLeod made the announcement in a statement published to Twitter Thursday, saying the decision was made following “close scrutiny of the rigorous health and safety protocols that will be adopted to keep players, staff, and our communities safe from the spread of COVID-19.”\nMacLeod said this means that the Ottawa Senators will also be clear to host Canadian teams in their arena.\nThe news comes after months of negotiations between the respective franchises and the Ontario government, as well as members of the Ministry of Health.\nThe Leafs are set to host the Montreal Canadiens on Jan. 13 for their home opener. The buds will then make their way to Ottawa on Jan. 15 for the Senators home opener.\nIt’s unclear if the Leafs or the Senators will be able to compete against teams in the United States this upcoming season as the Canada-U.S. land border remains closed until at least Jan. 21.\nInstead, the 2020-2021 season will feature a new North Division that will see the seven Canadian franchises only play one another instead of crossing into the United States for games.\nIn the Spring, the remainder of the suspended 2019-20 NHL season was played out in two hub cities, Toronto and Edmonton, in an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19.\nManitoba is now the only province not to grant final approval. However, acting deputy chief public health officer Dr. Jazz Atwal said Wednesday that the province is \"confident things will move ahead as planned\" during the COVID-19 pandemic.\nQuebec, B.C. and Alberta have already given their respective teams approval to play at home.\nIt’s worth noting that moments before MacLeod made the announcement Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. David Williams, said at a news conference that he and his team were still determining whether or not to approve the NHL’s proposal.\n“We are assessing that, at this time, we have not made a final decision,” he said.\nLast month, the league said it believed it was free to play in Canada after discussions with health authorities, but that the provinces with NHL franchises needed to give their approval.", "Toronto Maple Leafs cleared to host home games against other Canadian teams, Ontario government says", "The Ontario government has announced that the Toronto Maple Leafs will be allowed to host other teams across Canada for homes games this upcoming NHL season." ]

[]

"2021-01-28T22:21:17"

"2021-01-28T17:02:00"

"2021-01-28T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Five people have been taken to hospital, four of them with serious injuries, following a collision on Highway 401 in Toronto.\nThe collision happened in the eastbound collector lanes at Jane Street Thursday afternoon.\nOntario Provincial Police said a Volkswagen Jetta collided with a pick-up truck.\nFour males were transported to a trauma centre in serious but non-life-threatening condition while another male was transported to a trauma centre with minor injuries, Toronto Paramedic Services said.\nIt's not yet clear what caused the crash.\nSeveral lanes were blocked, but have since cleared.", "Five people taken to hospital after vehicles collide on Highway 401", "Five people have been taken to hospital, four of them with serious injuries, following a collision on Highway 401 in Toronto." ]

[ "Mia Rabson" ]

"2021-01-05T23:21:01"

"2021-01-05T17:38:00"

"2021-01-05T00:00:00"

[ "OTTAWA -- OTTAWA - The head of the Ontario Medical Association says the risk COVID-19 poses to pregnant and breastfeeding women is higher than the risk of taking a vaccine against the virus that causes it.\nDr. Samantha Hill, a cardiac surgeon in Toronto, says because pregnant and breastfeeding women haven't been included in clinical trials yet she is worried the message many pregnant women are getting is to not get vaccinated.\nShe echoes concerns raised last month by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada, and reiterated in a statement from the Ontario Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Tuesday.\nAll say women who are pregnant or breastfeeding might be at higher risk of serious illness if they get COVID-19 and that particularly for women at high risk of exposure to the virus, the risks of not getting the vaccine outweigh the unknown risks of getting vaccinated.\nHill says she is still breastfeeding her youngest child and won't hesitate to get a vaccine when her turn comes, and also would get the vaccine if she were pregnant.\nShe says pregnancy already puts stress on the body's immune system and vascular system, and COVID-19 could pose great risk to a pregnant woman or her fetus.\n“We don't have the choice of living in a COVID-free society,” Hill said, in an interview with The Canadian Press. “We have the choice of accepting the risk of the vaccine, or accepting the risk of COVID and the risk of the vaccine certainly seems a lot lower to me than the risk of COVID.”\nStatistics suggest between eight and 11 per cent of pregnant women who contracted COVID-19 ended up in hospital, and between two and four per cent needed intensive care. That compares to about eight per cent of all COVID patients who have needed hospitalization and about 1.5 per cent who needed intensive care.\nThe national society of obstetricians says pregnant women with COVID-19 have an increased risk of needing to be placed on ventilators compared to other women of the same age, and that the risk of severe illness are greater for pregnant women who have other risk factors including asthma, obesity, non-pregnancy related diabetes, high blood pressure or heart disease.\nWomen are overrepresented in many of the occupations at highest risk of COVID-19 exposure including in health care.\nThe National Advisory Committee on Immunization in December recommended against giving the vaccine to populations who were not included in clinical trials unless the benefits of being vaccinated are deemed to outweigh the potential risk of the vaccine.\nHill says pregnant and breastfeeding women are never included in the clinical trials of new drugs or vaccines until the risks to non-pregnant individuals are known.\nBut she notes that 12 women who received the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine during its large Phase 3 trial reported pregnancies during the trial and had no adverse outcomes from taking the vaccine.\nThe national society says the overall evidence for the vaccine and pregnancy is scant.\n“What is known, however, is that an unvaccinated pregnant individual remains at risk of COVID-19 infection and remains at heightened risk of severe morbidity if infected compared to non-pregnant counterparts,” the statement says. “Severe infection with COVID-19 carries risks to both maternal and fetal health”\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 5, 2021.", "Ontario doctors urge high-risk pregnant, breastfeeding women to get access to COVID vaccines", "The head of the Ontario Medical Association says the risk COVID-19 poses to pregnant and breastfeeding women is higher than the risk of taking a vaccine against the virus that causes it." ]

[]

"2021-01-07T20:32:10"

"2021-01-07T14:04:00"

"2021-01-07T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- William Osler Health System is temporarily redirecting paediatric inpatients requiring hospital admission to SickKids as their facilities are facing overwhelming COVID-19 hospitalizations.\nAny children requiring hospitalization at Etobicoke General and Brampton Civic hospitals will be transferred to Toronto’s SickKids Hospital, according to a memorandum obtained by CTV News Toronto on Thursday.\nThe GTA Hospital Incident Management System first issued an order for the temporary redirection of paediatric inpatients at Etobicoke General on Dec. 23, and then another order at Brampton Civic on Jan. 5, due to “Osler’s growing and urgent capacity needs.”\n“Osler continues to serve paediatric patients at both sites through our various programs (e.g. children’s mental health, outpatient clinics, etc.). If a child needs to be admitted, they will be referred under the usual process, seen by a paediatrician, and transferred to SickKids,” the memo read.\nThe hospital network said the orders will be reassessed in four weeks.\nCTV News Toronto has reached out to SickKids for a comment.\nSimilar to what occurred at Etobicoke General late last month, the paediatric unit at Brampton Civic will be repurposed “exclusively for medicine capacity.”\nOsler said it is working to prepare staff for redeployment to other areas across its health system in an effort to support its COVID-19 response.\n“We are partnering with Professional Practice to ensure there is a safe mixed model of nurses with appropriate training and upskilling to care for adult medicine patients,” according to the memo.\nOsler also noted that the orders will not affect the birthing unit at either hospital and that the urgent paediatric assessment clinic will remain open at both sites.\nThe temporary changes come as the province logged a record 3,518 new COVID-19 cases and a single-day high of 89 deaths on Thursday.\nOf those new cases, Toronto recorded 891 new infections and Peel Region reported 586, according to provincial health officials.\nThe latest provincial data, which lags behind more up-to-date numbers reported by local public health units, said 1,472 people were hospitalized with the virus as of Thursday, up from 1,235 one week ago. Of those hospitalizations, 363 are in intensive care units, up from 337 last Thursday.", "Some GTA hospitals temporarily redirecting hospitalized children to SickKids due to COVID-19 capacity needs", "William Osler Health System is temporarily redirecting paediatric inpatients requiring hospital admission to SickKids as their facilities are facing overwhelming COVID-19 hospitalizations." ]

[ "Paola Loriggio" ]

"2021-01-07T20:32:05"

"2021-01-07T14:23:00"

"2021-01-07T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Ontario faced a shortage of personal protective equipment at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in part because it did not replenish its stockpiles over the previous years, an independent commission examining the impact of the health crisis on long-term care has heard.\nOntario's former deputy minister of health and long-term care, Bob Bell, told the independent commission that the province's supply of personal protective equipment should have been refilled around 2017 or 2018, under the previous and current provincial regimes.\nBell, who served as deputy minister for four years until mid-2018 and now chairs an advisory panel for the Revera chain of nursing homes, said there was no conscious decision to let the stockpiles dwindle. The issue simply fell through the cracks, he said.\n\"In the midst of everything else that goes on in government, the decision to replenish stockpiles was not undertaken as an affirmative action kind of thing that should have been done,\" he said in his Dec. 21 testimony that was posted online recently.\nHe also said the move to destroy expired N95 masks was, in hindsight, \"not a smart decision\" because only the elastic posed a potential problem and the masks still had \"ventilatory capacity.\"\nAs a result, he said, there was not enough personal protective equipment in the provincial health system when the COVID-19 pandemic hit early last year, and skyrocketing demand made it difficult to obtain once the crisis began.\nWhat's more, the personal protective equipment that was available was largely earmarked for hospitals rather than long-term care, he said.\n\"We also focused the stocks distributed to the hospital sector thinking that, should a pandemic arise ... the response will be led by hospitals,\" he said.\n\"That's what happened in 2003 (with SARS). That's what would have happened with Ebola, and that's where we focused our stocks of PPE.\"\nDr. Samir K. Sinha, director of geriatrics for the Sinai Health System and the University Health Network, told the commission that other jurisdictions, such as British Columbia, were able to deploy their supply of personal protective equipment more efficiently than Ontario and get it to the long-term care system faster.\nSinha, who is also on the Revera advisory panel, said the B.C. government took control of the province's entire supply of personal protective equipment and distributed it with a science-based approach, preventing any \"unnecessary hoarding.\"\n\"As they had prioritized long-term care and congregated care settings early on, they were able to actually get PPE very quickly to those settings, including to primary care practices, much earlier on than we were able to get in Ontario,\" he said.\nA spokesperson for the minister of health did not immediately respond to a request for comment Thursday.\nThe independent commission, led by the Superior Court's associate chief justice Frank Marrocco, isn't open to the public, but transcripts of testimony are later posted online.\nThis report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 7, 2021.", "Ontario government didn't replenish PPE stockpiles before COVID-19: LTC commission", "Ontario faced a shortage of personal protective equipment at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in part because it did not replenish its stockpiles over the previous years, an independent commission examining the impact of the health crisis on long-term care has heard." ]

[]

"2021-01-03T22:33:06"

"2021-01-03T17:09:00"

"2021-01-03T00:00:00"

[ "TORONTO -- Brampton-West MP Kamal Khera will step aside from her position as parliamentary secretary after travelling abroad over the holidays in order to attend a memorial for deceased family members.\nIn a statement posted to social media, Khera said that she was faced with the loss of her father in September, followed by the death of her uncle a few weeks later. A small memorial attended by less than 10 people was held in Seattle, Wash. was held for those who could not be there at the funerals, she said.\nKhera returned to Canada on Dec. 31.\n“Although the purpose of my travel is deemed essential under the circumstances, I have decided to step aside from my duties as parliamentary secretary to the minister of international development in an effort to ensure my choices do not distract from the important work of our government to continue battling the pandemic,” her statement read.\nThe Liberal MP was the first federal politician in Canada to test positive for COVID-19 back in March.\nAt the time, Khera, a registered nurse, said that she had signed up to help provide virtual medical care to patients after the Registered Nurses’ Association of Ontario.\nIn the statement issued Sunday, Khera said that she also volunteered at a long-term care home hard hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.\n“My decision to run as a member of parliament was ultimately born from my desire to serve my community,” her statement said. “I am therefore choosing to focus my efforts on the most pressing concern in our fight against COVID-19; to ensure we are able to vaccinate as many people as possible, as fast as possible.”\n“I hope to be able to do my part in the vaccine rollout where there may be nursing shortages, and will do this in addition to my role as member of parliament from Brampton-West.\"\nPlease see my statement below. pic.twitter.com/lUHLsewipD — Kamal Khera (@KamalKheraLib) January 3, 2021\nKhera was first elected as an MP in 2015.", "Brampton West MP to step aside from parliamentary role after travelling to U.S. for memorial", "Brampton-West MP Kamal Khera will step aside from her position as parliamentary secretary after travelling abroad over the holidays in order to attend a memorial for deceased family members." ]