Eager children file into the Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre’s school house. The museum recently received joint funding from the provincial and federal governments to design and build a new indoor/outdoor educational children’s gallery. Photo credit: Facebook/Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre
Niagara College joins Brock in mandating vaccination for all on-campus staff, students
On Monday, Niagara College announced that all students, employees, and contractors studying or working on campus must have had at least one dose of an approved COVID-19 vaccine by September 7, with a second dose booked no later October 18. Even visitors on campus for college business will be required to show proof of vaccination.
The move comes just days after Brock University instituted a similar mandate for all those looking to access its campus in the fall.
A statement released by the college said, “the vaccine requirement policy is intended to add an additional layer of protection to the comprehensive health and safety measures that are already in place – including screening, physical distancing, mask requirements and enhanced cleaning.”
Lincoln museum receives joint funding to build children’s gallery
The Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre will receive just shy of $200,000 from the federal and provincial governments to design, fabricate and install an indoor and outdoor children’s gallery at the museum. The indoor exhibit will provide children with features facilitating play-based learning, and the outdoor exhibit will provide educational and physical activities for children of all ages.
“The provincial investment in the Children’s Educational Gallery at the Lincoln Museum and Cultural Centre is great news for residents in the Town of Lincoln. The Gallery will provide important educational resources as well as free space for local children and families, while highlighting the rich history of Lincoln,” said Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff.
OMA releases interim survey results, reducing wait times top priority locally
The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) recently released some preliminary results from its ongoing province-wide public consultation.
In a survey that is central to the OMA’s consultation, 39 per cent of Niagara respondents said that, outside of dealing with COVID-19, reducing wait times in the health care sector is their number one priority.
When asked “what is the single most important thing that can be done to improve health-care services in your community today?”, 46 per cent of residents chose “invest in new hospitals, clinics and medical facilities to improve access,” 21 per cent chose “make it easier to get an appointment with my doctor”, while 20 per cent chose “improve the delivery of long-term care.”
The survey remains open until Labour Day Weekend. Have your say at betterhealthcare.ca
Province pauses further reopening and mandates vaccines for vulnerable sector staff
Reportedly in response to the transmissibility of the Delta variant and rising case numbers, the Ontario government has instituted a number pandemic-related policy changes. These include making COVID-19 vaccination policies mandatory in high-risk settings, pausing the province’s exit from the Roadmap to Reopen and providing third doses of the COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable populations. The government is also expanding eligibility for the Pfizer vaccine to children born in 2009 or earlier.
High risk settings include hospitals, schools, long-term care facilities, and shelters.
“Keeping a low rate of infection in our communities and protecting our most vulnerable is how we can keep our schools, our businesses and our social settings as safe as possible while minimizing disruption,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario.
Trudeau addresses Liberal position on Taliban
Earlier this week, Justin Trudeau’s minister responsible for foreign affairs Marc Garneau appeared to consider the possibility of recognizing the Taliban as a legitimate government in Afghanistan.
When asked by a CBC reporter if a Liberal government would recognize the terrorist organization as legitimate, Garneau said, “It’s early days. Right now, we want to see what happens…we’re going to wait and see.” When pressed further, the minister doubled down and said, “we have to see how they behave, since they have taken over the country.”
Following a day of intense criticism from all sides of the political spectrum, Trudeau had to clarify that the Liberals have “no plans” at present to recognize the Taliban.
O’Toole voices concern after Canada’s inflation hits 3.7 per cent
On Wednesday, Statistics Canada released a report saying that inflation hit 3.7 per cent in July, the highest year-over-year increase since May 2011.
Conservative Party leader Erin O’Toole called the situation “a cost-of-living crisis” and said that it’s been triggered, in part, by the Trudeau Liberals’ approach to the economy.
“The numbers released today make it clear that under Justin Trudeau, Canadians are experiencing a cost-of-living crisis,” O’Toole said. “It’s troubling that Justin Trudeau seems to not care about the skyrocketing cost of living that is being imposed on Canadians through inflation.”
This Weekend Around the Region
Lions BBQ
Bring the family out to Grantham Lions Club for burgers, hotdogs, fresh cut fries and cold drinks this Friday night. Outdoor seating available. All proceeds go to helping the Lions continue to support the community.
Where: Grantham Lions Club, St. Catharines
When: Friday, August 20. Starts at 4:00pm.
For more information and prices, go to the Lions’ Facebook page here.
Nostalgia Night
Merrittville Speedway is hosting a nostalgia night in celebration of its 70th year of racing this weekend. The event will feature live racing, vintage cars, and a wall of fame induction ceremony.
Where: Merrittville Speedway, Fonthill
When: Saturday, August 21, 5:30pm-11:00pm
For more details, check out the speedway’s website here.
Spencer Rice at Camp Cataract
Spencer Rice from the Canadian cult-classic show Kenny vs. Spenny will be performing a mix of comedy and music at Niagara Falls’ Camp Cataract this Saturday. The show will feature guest appearances from Bonez Poley and Joel Van Vliet. General admission is $25 and tickets are limited.
Where: Camp Cataract Bar, Niagara Falls
When: Saturday, August 21, 8:00pm-11:00pm
To purchase tickets, go to Livestock Niagara’s website
