Big opening day for Fort Erie Racetrack
Fort Erie Racetrack kicked off the 2021 season with two big cup races on Tuesday. The opening card saw a healthy $1.2 million in wagering.
There are 39 more racing days in the season. Races take place Mondays at 1 p.m. and Tuesdays at 4 p.m. until Labour Day, thereafter both days shift to 1 p.m.
Brock University sees a large incoming cohort for fall 2021
Brock University will see a large incoming cohort for fall 2021. The provincial average of first-year confirmations is up 1.9 per cent, while Brock has seen an increase of 6.5 per cent. Due to the uptick, the university is expected to welcome more than 4,000 new students in September, with total enrolment of nearly 19,000 students.
While vaccinations are strongly encouraged, those returning/coming to campus in the fall need not be vaccinated, even those living in residence (in contrast to many other universities around Canada).
Niagara Parks continues phased reopening on June 18
As part of its phased reopening, Niagara Parks will once again welcome visitors to a number of its most iconic attractions starting June 18. Some of the sites to open this weekend include Table Rock Centre, Journey Behind the Falls, White Water Walk, and Whirlpool Aero Car.
All Niagara Parks’ green spaces are already open for public access along with its golf courses.
Additional phased openings will occur through the summer in accordance with the provincial Roadmap to Reopening.
Though Ontario restrictions are being lifted, Hirji doubles down in Niagara
While new cases of COVID-19 have once again fallen and the reproductive rate of the virus has also decreased, Dr. Mustafa Hirji said it will take a few weeks until his orders made under Section 22 of the Health Protection and Promotion Act will be quashed in the Niagara Region. Under Section 22 only members of the same household can be seated together at restaurants, with the exception of someone deemed essential to maintaining physical and mental health.
Further, Hirji is calling for an increased enforcement blitz at all businesses in the region, ensuring restrictions are being followed.
Ontario’s interprovincial border restrictions finally lifted
After nearly two full months of restricted access to Quebec and Manitoba at both the land and water borders, Ontario’s interprovincial boarders were fully reopened on Wednesday.
Ontario releases plan for safe return to sport
Ontario announced its ‘return-to-play’ framework for professional and elite amateur sport leagues and events. Per the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries: “A small number of professional and elite-amateur sport leagues and events will be able to return to play under stringent public health and safety protocols developed in consultation with the Office of the Chief Medical Officer of Health. This is in advance of the broader return to play for amateur and recreational sport that will be enabled through the Roadmap to Reopen, which will allow sport and recreation to resume in incremental steps throughout summer.”
Based on the leagues that qualify to return-to-play this phase of reopening, the following Niagara teams will be allowed to restart their programs: 1. Niagara River Lions (Canadian Elite Basketball League), 2. Niagara IceDogs (Ontario/Canadian Hockey League), 3. Niagara Falls 18U Team (Elite Baseball League of Ontario), 4. St. Catharines Roma Wolves (League1 Ontario), 5. St. Catharines Athletics (Ontario Junior ‘A’ Lacrosse League and Ontario Women’s Field Lacrosse U19 “A” League), and 6. Ridley College Men’s and Niagara Prep Women’s (Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association).
Canada ranks second in the world in terms of ‘bubbliest’ housing market
With the combination of low interest rates and lockdown-induced demand for homes over the past year and a half due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the constrained supply of housing made bidding wars and price appreciation in Canada astronomical, as it was ranked the second in the world, behind New Zealand, for the largest global bubble ranking.
Now, with a price-to-income ratio of 153.2, stretched valuations, increased mortgage rates, adjustments to mortgage qualification rules, and the easing of lockdown measures in many jurisdictions with rising vaccination rates, Canadian home sales have dropped for the second-straight month as buyers have been fatigued, frustrated, and forced out of the market.
COVID-19 weekly update
As of June 16, there were 12 new cases of COVID-19, 293 active cases, and 30 new resolved cases in the Niagara Region.
Niagara Falls and St Catharines have 87 and 81 active case, while Welland has 31. All other municipalities have 17 cases or less, with Wainfleet having the lowest number with 1 case.
366,796 vaccinations have been administered in total, with 64.2 per cent of Niagara residents having their first dose, and 12.3 per cent having a complete series.
