Walter Gretzky, the ultimate farewell
In Brantford, Ontario, Canada’s proudest hockey dad, Walter Gretzky, was laid to rest on Saturday, March 6th. “The Hockey Theme” from “Hockey Night In Canada” played while the casket was led out of the church. As the hearse passed by, hundreds of individuals, young and old, slapped their sticks on the road, as a hockey tribute and hymn.
His son, Wayne Gretzky, spoke heartfelt words about his father, for his heart of gold, guidance, protection, inspiration, and more.
Many individuals proudly wore their Brantford minor league team jerseys, while others stopped by the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, visiting statues that honoured both Wayne Gretzky himself, and him with his parents, united. Some also put hockey sticks and flowers in snow piles in front of Walter Gretzky’s reserved parking spot in the Sports Centre parking lot, and messages on hockey blades including “RIP Wally – The original Great One,” and “Rest in Peace. Canada’s Hockey Dad.”
He is a legend that will forever be remembered for his loving relationship with his family, and his love for Canada, and the game. He was humble, and kind, and an overall national treasure that will be deeply missed by many.
Cartoon by Malcolm Mayes
Long lasting legacy for Niagara from Canada Summer Games
The Canada Games Niagara 2022 will leave an enduring legacy on the Region. Around Niagara construction continues on facilities which will cost about $100 million between the federal and provincial government, the Canada Games Council, as well as local contributions from both the Region and Niagara municipalities.
These facilities include a new rowing centre on Henley Island for off-water training and support facilities on the Royal Canadian Henley course. The Canada Games Park at Brock University will include a health and wellness centre, a four-court gymnasium, a 200-metre track, and twin ice pads. There will also be several smaller buildings included in the development.
The Canada Games Council ensures the host provides a legacy from the Games. The new facilities must have a further purpose besides solely hosting the Canada Games. A key aspect to legacy is sports capacity, including hosting more events in the future and ensuring that those who wish to play, have a place provided along with proper leadership and organization.
More than $11.75 million has been generated in legacy funding for support of community and sports organizations from the past six Games.
Brock University’s newly expanded sports facility is now open
The new design at the Brock University Zone Fitness Centre is more than three times the original design from 2002, increasing by a significant 15,500 square feet. The complex construction process began in August 2019, yet due to a pause because of the COVID-19 pandemic and a challenge with accessing the site, completion was delayed.
The sports facility includes an integrated cycling studio, private yoga and fitness studio, flexible training space, about 50 stationary resistance training stations, power and Olympic lifting technique space, an upper-level cardio deck, and more.
The Brock University Students’ Union (BUSU) and the Graduate Students’ Association (GSA) members voted in favour of funding this new project and were the leadership and driving forces behind this incredible new addition.
Niagara College now offers tuition free six-month Personal Support Worker course
Niagara College, like 24 other Colleges across Ontario, is offering a tuition-free Accelerated PSW Training Program that is only expected to take six months, rather than eight months. The six months include three months of coursework, then three months of paid experiential learning in a clinical setting, either a long-term care home, or a home and community care environment.
As soon as this tuition-free program was announced by the Ford Government, demand greatly increased, as 120 students will be trained at Niagara College from April to December, with waitlists for spring and summer cohorts.
The Ontario Government has invested a total of $115 million to train 8,200 new PSWs to support the high demand for jobs in Ontario’s health sectors and primarily long-term care homes.
The individuals who began the PSW course in January 2021, are eligible for a $2,000 tuition grant to assist in the payment of their studies, as well as compensation for their clinical placement.
Niagara receives additional funds from Ontario Government for support during COVID-19
In order to ensure the delivery of critical services and to keep capital projects on track during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Ontario government is providing the province’s 444 municipalities with an additional $500 million. This funding is being prioritized based on the needs of each community and the effects COVID-19 has had. Niagara will be receiving $16,486,587 to provide both stability and security for municipalities during these financially challenging times.
The Regional Municipality of Niagara will be provided with the greatest amount at $6,594,635, with the City of St. Catharines following ($2,941,748), then the City of Niagara Falls ($1,887,048), and the City of Welland ($1,147,788).
This money is in addition to an earlier $28 million bailout the province sent to the Region and Niagara’s 12 municipalities in August.
The majority of the funds being provided will go toward alleviating some of the pressures that have been placed on 2021 municipal budgets and also be allocated to vaccination clinics throughout Niagara.
The disbursements are listed below;
| Municipality | Amount |
| Town of Fort Erie | $774,113 |
| Town of Grimsby | $553,771 |
| Town of Lincoln | $458,968 |
| City of Niagara Falls | $1,887,048 |
| Regional Municipality of Niagara | $6,594,635 |
| Town of Niagara-on-the-Lake | $427,007 |
| Town of Pelham | $347,890 |
| City of Port Colborne | $505,536 |
| City of St. Catharines | $2,941,748 |
| City of Thorold | $421,958 |
| Township of Wainfleet | $158,381 |
| City of Welland | $1,147,788 |
| Township of West Lincoln | $267,744 |
| Total: | $16,486,587 |
Vaccination period between first and second doses to be extended starting March 10th
The Province of Ontario has confirmed an extension in the time period between the first and second COVID-19 vaccine doses starting March 10th, from 21-27 days to four months (16 weeks).
This new schedule applies to those who received their first dose before March 10th at the Seymour Hannah Sports & Entertainment Centre in St. Catharines, however, long-term care, retirement, and First Nations elder care home residents will still receive their second dose in the 21-27 day interval.
This decision was made based on recommendations from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) because of the limited supply of the vaccinations. As well, based on increased research, the first dose of both Pfizer and Moderna has great effectiveness. This suggests that more individuals can receive the first dosage, and as supplies increase, second dosages can be administered and time between doses can gradually be reduced once again.
Niagara Region looking to prioritize migrant workers in vaccine roll out
The Region’s public health and social services committee will consider a motion brought forth, advocating for migrant workers to be added to the priority group for vaccinations.
Migrant workers are essential for our food system, and they are eager to come here and work in order to provide opportunities for their families back home. Last year, case numbers greatly increased due to large groups of agricultural workers who live and work in close quarters, becoming infected.
This motion also includes items such as continued subsidies for farms employing migrant workers, financial relief for those improving these workers living conditions, as well as overseeing these workers quarantine and providing them with financial assistance and internet access.
COVID-19 Weekly Report
As of March 10th, Niagara Public Health has reported 224 active COVID-19 cases, with 23 new cases, and 14 newly resolved cases.
Active case counts by municipality show St. Catharines and Niagara Falls at 45 and Welland at 42. Wainfleet is on the low end with just 2 active cases.
Active confirmed cases per 10,000 population have West Lincoln with 12.0, Lincoln with 8.2, and Welland at 7.5. On the low end, Grimsby has 2.0 active cases per 10,000 population.
There have only been 4 confirmed cases of the UK variant.
When comparing the first 10 days of February to the first 10 days of March, the statistics prove to be promising. The average new cases in the first 10 days of February were 36.9 per day, or 369 overall, while the first 10 days of March show 23.3 cases per day, or 233 overall.
