Playing hide and seek with a 1,600-pound steer
November 30, 2020, 9:05 a.m.
Oliver the Watusi is such a gentle giant, he loves to play hide and seek with his owner. How cool is that?! @oliverwatusi
Labour minister says 25 tickets issued in big-box store blitz, 242 stores inspected
TORONTO — Ontario's labour minister says 25 tickets were issued during a weekend inspection blitz of big-box stores that found the majority were following public health rules. Monte McNaughton says the province ticketed stores for failing to enforce physical distancing and masking rules, and also for failing to have installed some plexi-glass barriers. He says 242 stores were inspected over the weekend throughout the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area. McNaughton says a team of 50 inspectors, with the help of local bylaw officers, conducted the blitz. The team found 76 contraventions of the rules, the majority of which were dealt with by issuing orders to improve. McNaughton says the province will ramp up inspections of other workplaces in the coming weeks to ensure pandemic health measures are being followed. He said that starting today, approximately 300 inspectors will begin to visit restaurants providing take-out meals, essential service businesses like gas stations, and farming operations to ensure rules are being followed. McNaughton says overall, the inspections revealed that nearly 70 per cent of big-box stores were following the rules. But the minister said after months of life in the pandemic, the compliance rates should be higher. "This is truly disappointing," he said. "These corporations must do better. Shareholders have the responsibility to keep their workers and customers safe. I want businesses to know if they won't operate safely in this emergency, you won't operate at all." Under the provincial rules, corporations can face $1,000 fines and workers can face fines of $750 for not following public health measures. Meanwhile, York Region shared a list of retailers fined over the last week for violations of Ontario's Reopening Ontario Act, among them major pharmacy and grocery locations. Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sobeys and Costco locations are among those ticketed. Ontario recently ordered people to only leave their homes for groceries, medical appointments, exercise and work that can't be completed remotely. Stores selling non-essential goods have been forced to temporarily close and operate solely through e-commerce and curbside pickups. The Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development said it has conducted more than 34,000 COVID-19 related workplace inspections and halted unsafe work 55 times throughout the pandemic. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021. Shawn Jeffords, The Canadian Press
Illicit drug combo found in B.C.'s north, officials say it could impede naloxone
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C. — Illicit drug overdoses are rising in northern British Columbia and health officials warn a new mix of street drugs can make a key life-saving medication less effective. Northern Health and the First Nations Health Authority have issued an overdose alert, warning that benzodiazepines, or benzos, have been found in illicit drugs circulating in the region. The alert says users of drugs contaminated with benzos might be difficult to rouse and could also be slow to respond to naloxone, the drug that reverses opioid overdoses. Health officials say benzos impede brain activity and raise the potential for overdose when mixed with street drugs laced with opioids such as fentanyl, which slow breathing and heart rate. The health authorities say street drugs have become increasingly toxic and unpredictable during the COVID-19 pandemic and they urge area drug users not to use alone. Data from BC Emergency Health Services shows overdoses spiked in northern B.C. between 2019 and last year, with calls in Fort St. John rising from 77 to 125, while paramedics in Prince George answered 999 overdose calls in 2020, an jump of 375 cases in one year. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 20, 2021. The Canadian Press
Train almost takes out drone with water canon
Looks like this conductor isn't crazy about a drone getting some up-close footage of his train. Watch out for the water canon!
Hilliard receives "crucial" funding to repair damaged road
By Jamie Mountain Local Journalism Initiative Reporter HILLIARD TOWNSHIP – The Ontario government has announced that it is providing financial support through the Municipal Disaster Recovery Assistance (MDRA) program to help Hilliard Township recover from a landslide. Heavy snowfall back on October 29, 2019, coupled with sudden snowmelt, resulted in a landslide on Veley Road. The road is a major access route for the township's residents, farmers, and emergency service providers. The government says the township may be eligible for as much as $500,000 in provincial disaster recovery assistance funding, which could be used to help rebuild and repair the road. "It's very crucial," said Hilliard Reeve Laurie Bolesworth of the funding. "We have quite a few residents back there that could potentially be shut off and we wouldn't be able to supply access just due to that landslide," she said in a telephone interview. "So this funding is coming in a crucial time to get the road fixed." Bolesworth said that when the landslide happened, the damage continued to grow and spread to the edge of Veley Road, with the potential to take out the entire roadway. "We were worried it was going to take out the road, the potential is there for it to collapse into the river as well," she noted. She said in the spring of 2020 "we used up the road allowance we could to widen up the road to ensure that access was available at all times. The funding gives us a means to repair that landslide and secure it so that the future access for those people back there on that dead-end road will be available at all times." Bolesworth said in order for the township to forge ahead with the repairs it would have to get an engineer's report first. She was hopeful the report would be secured and the work would be able to commence "as soon as possible." Ontario's MDRA program helps municipalities address extraordinary emergency response costs and damage to essential property or infrastructure - like bridges, roads and public buildings - as a result of a natural disaster. Steve Clark, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing, said that as partners with municipalities, the government "must ensure that everyone in the province has access to the necessary infrastructure and services they need to maintain their quality of life." "By accessing this funding, Hilliard will be able to make essential repairs to local infrastructure that was damaged by the landslide," he said in a news release. Jamie Mountain, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Temiskaming Speaker
$250,000 in damages in Bayham workshop fire
Both Bayham fire departments responded to a report of a structure fire of a separated garage/hobby shop located at 53834 Vienna Line in Bayham on Friday, January 15. The owner was busy working in the shop when the fire began. A family member came outside, noticed smoke pouring out of the building, and immediately called emergency services at about 1:10 p.m. Upon fire department arrival, the metal-clad structure engulfed in flames said Bayham Fire Chief Harry Baranik. Firefighters worked to contain the blaze, as there were two buildings nearby and wind drove the fire around in the building. The garage and its contents were completely lost. The separate buildings received heat damage to their exterior. Damage to the structures is estimated at $50,000 with approximately $200,000 in contents. There were no injuries. Firefighters remained on the scene for about three hours. An excavator was brought in to pull the metal apart to ensure the fire was fully extinguished. Both Bayham fire stations responded with a total of 25 firefighters. The cause of the fire is not considered suspicious, and has been listed as "undetermined." Veronica Reiner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Aylmer Express
Hastings County Historical Society launches new Memories program
The Hastings County Historical Society is excited to announce a new Memories program that invites residents to share stories and memories of older times within the county. Residents of Hastings County are encouraged to share life experiences or events from the past to capture memories of the county and turn them into short stories to share memories of past decades with future generations. As part of the Hastings County Historical Society's ongoing efforts to gather, preserve and share local history, the Memories program encourages residents to send in 250–400-word short stories of recollections and memories to the Society. Hastings County Historical Society director Jim Kennelly explained that while the organization has been affected by COVID-19, it has not been idle. "While activities such as our Public Presentations, Historic Bus Tour and Annual Banquet have been cancelled for the year, the Society has been very busy with new programs," said Kennelly. "One of those being this project to gather the colourful stories of life as it was some years ago." Continuing throughout the year of 2021, memories can be submitted by mail or email to 254 Pinnacle St., Belleville, ON, K8N 3B1 or info@hastingshistory.ca. The stories will be kept for the benefit of future generations in the Community Archives of Belleville and Hastings County and a selection of them will be published in the Society's newsletter, Outlook, for members and friends across the region to enjoy. "We are living in such a fast-changing world and many of the younger people today have no idea what life was like even back in, say, the 1950s," said Kennelly. "It is so important to have the older generations share their knowledge of our history before this treasure chest of information is lost forever." Residents looking for further information are encouraged to contact Dan Atkinson at dan.b.atkinson@gmail.com. Virginia Clinton, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Intelligencer
Music stars slam UK's 'shameful' failure on EU touring rules
LONDON — Dozens of U.K. music stars including Elton John, Ed Sheeran and conductor Simon Rattle say musicians have been "shamefully failed" by the British government, which has left them facing post-Brexit restrictions on touring in the European Union. In a letter published Wednesday in the Times of London, more than 100 musicians including Sting, Pink Floyd's Roger Waters and Roger Daltrey of The Who, along with the heads of major arts institutions, said the new U.K.-EU trade deal that took effect Jan. 1 has "a gaping hole where the promised free movement for musicians should be." Britain's departure from the EU means that U.K. citizens can no longer live and work freely in the 27-nation bloc. Tourists do not need visas for stays of up to 90 days, and some short business trips are also allowed. But artists and musicians have not been included in the deal. Britain and the EU disagree about who is to blame for the omission, each accusing the other of rejecting a deal for touring artists. The new rules mean U.K. performers have to comply with differing rules in the 27 EU nations, negotiating visas for musicians and permits for their equipment. Many say the costs and red tape will make it impossible for British artists to perform on the continent, endangering the country's status as a cultural powerhouse. The musicians' letter said the new expense and bureaucracy will make "many tours unviable, especially for young emerging musicians who are already struggling to keep their heads above water owing to the COVID ban on live music." Scottish National Party lawmaker Pete Wishart, a former member of rock band Runrig, said Tuesday in the House of Commons that musicians and artists were "mere collateral in this government's obsession in ending freedom of movement" and controlling immigration once it left the EU. Culture Minister Caroline Dinenage acknowledged the situation was "incredibly disappointing," but said "the door is open" to talks with the EU on a deal for musicians. She resisted calls from the opposition to publish details of the proposals made by the U.K. during negotiations that the bloc allegedly rejected. ___ Follow all AP stories about Brexit developments at https://apnews.com/Brexit. Jill Lawless, The Associated Press
Ontario sees 2,655 new COVID-19 cases as more workplace enforcement set to begin
Ontario reported another 2,655 cases of COVID-19 and 89 more deaths of people with the illness on Wednesday, as the government said it is expanding its workplace enforcement effort to include farming operations and essential businesses in the service sector. The new cases include 925 in Toronto, 473 in Peel Region, 226 in York Region and 179 in Windsor-Essex County, which continues to see a huge strain on its intensive care units. Other public health units that saw double- or triple-digit increases were: Niagara Region: 129 Waterloo Region: 101 Ottawa: 86 Hamilton: 75 Simcoe Muskoka: 71 Durham Region: 70 Middlesex-London: 65 Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 56 Halton Region: 51 Southwestern: 20 Thunder Bay: 17 Eastern Ontario: 16 Haldimand-Norfolk: 16 Porcupine: 14 Chatham-Kent: 13 Lambton: 12 Huron-Perth: 11 (Note: All of the figures used in this story are found on the Ministry of Health's COVID-19 dashboard or in its Daily Epidemiologic Summary. The number of cases for any region may differ from what is reported by the local public health unit, because local units report figures at different times.) The infections come as Ontario's network of labs processed 54,307 test samples for the novel coronavirus — a third straight day well below the system's capacity of more than 70,000 — and logged a test positivity rate of 4.9 per cent. The seven-day average of new daily cases fell to 2,850, marking 10 consecutive days of decreases from a high of 3,555. Notably, another 3,714 cases were marked resolved in today's update. There were 26,467 confirmed, active cases of COVID-19 provincewide as of yesterday evening, a figure that has trended downward since the pandemic peak of 30,632 on Jan. 11. The 89 additional deaths match the previous single-day record, which came on Jan. 7. (Public health units recorded 100 deaths on Jan. 15, however 46 of those deaths occurred "earlier in the pandemic," the Ministry of Health said at the time, and were included in that day's total due to data clean-up in the Middlesex-London Health Unit.) There were 1,598 people with COVID-19 in hospitals. Of those, 395 were being treated in intensive care, while 296 required a ventilator to breathe. Enforcement campaign to ramp up, province says Meanwhile, the province said in a news release up to 300 inspectors will be involved in a new COVID-19 enforcement blitz, that will include inspections at farming operations that rely on temporary foreign workers. The first campaign is to be held in Hastings and Prince Edward Counties, with 10 others planned so far in Toronto, Durham, Niagara, Halton, Huron Perth, Peterborough and Leeds Grenville Lanark. The announcement comes after Ministry of Labour inspectors targeted 240 big-box stores in the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area over the weekend and found about 69 per cent of locations were in compliance with public health guidelines to limit the spread of COVID-19. Minister of Labour Monte McNaughton said groups found 76 contraventions of the rules, the majority of which were dealt with by issuing orders to improve. Twenty-five tickets were issued, including to Walmart, Shoppers Drug Mart, Sobeys and Costco locations. Similar actions last December found about 67 per cent compliance. The most common infractions were not wearing masks, not having a safety plan and not screening people in the workplace, the province said. But the minister said after months of life in the pandemic, the compliance rates should be higher. "This is truly disappointing," he said. "These corporations must do better. Shareholders have the responsibility to keep their workers and customers safe. I want businesses to know if they won't operate safely in this emergency, you won't operate at all." Under the provincial rules, corporations can face $1,000 fines and workers can face fines of $750 for not following public health measures. Meanwhile, York Region shared a list of retailers fined over the last week for violations of Ontario's Reopening Ontario Act, among them major pharmacy and grocery locations. Ontario recently ordered people to only leave their homes for groceries, medical appointments, exercise and work that can't be completed remotely. Stores selling non-essential goods have been forced to temporarily close and operate solely through e-commerce and curbside pickups.