Book your COVID test on-line
Niagara Health launched an on-line COVID-19 test booking system Wednesday. The platform is intended to make the process of booking an appointment quicker for those meeting the provincial eligibility criteria for testing at a COVID-19 Assessment Centre. The online booking platform is available at niagarahealth.on.ca/centres. Patients will fill out their information and choose from a list of available appointment times at the centre they wish to be tested at. Upon completion, those with an appointment will receive instructions on how to access the centres and other important reminders.
Numbers not good
Ontario-wide the month of October was not good for coronavirus infections. While daily testing averaged around 40,000 per day the percentage of those testing positive jumped to an average of around 2%. These levels had been below 1% throughout July, August and much of September. Only in May and part of June were they at higher levels than they were in October. But the second wave is so far seeing substantially fewer people hospitalized, in ICU and on ventilators than in the spring months.
Niagara holds steady
In Niagara, while COVID-19 cases also jumped in October, Niagara has not yet experienced the explosion in cases that Toronto, Peel, York and Ottawa have. As of October 28, Niagara Region had 95 active cases. St. Catharines continued to lead the way with approximately 31 active cases followed by Niagara Falls with 23 and Fort Erie with 14. Port Colborne was the only Niagara municipality with 0 cases.
Mask mistakes
Public mask shaming continued in Ontario. Federal Liberal Health Minister Patty Hajdu was caught in the Pearson Airport talking to people and making phone calls in a public space without a mask causing social media to light up. Niagara West MPP Sam Oosterhoff was without a mask in a picture with about 40 other individuals at a private party. Social media and then mainstream media lit up with condemnation despite Oosterhoff’s quick apology.
It’s a date!
The Canada Games Council and Niagara Host Society announced that the Canada Summer Games in Niagara has been officially rescheduled for August 6-21, 2022. The new dates mean Niagara 2022’s Opening Ceremony will now take place on Saturday, August 6th, 2022 at Meridian Centre in St. Catharines, while the Games’ Closing Ceremony will fall on Sunday, August 21st, 2022 at Queen Victoria Park in Niagara Falls.
Mind your business
Haldimand mayor Ken Hewitt didn’t take too kindly to St. Catharines mayor Walter Sendzik and his council sticking their noses into Haldminand’s ongoing issue with protestors blocking access to a housing development in Caledonia. The protest turned even more violent earlier this week when two males with lacrosse sticks viscously beat on an OPP car smashing its windows while the officer was inside. The attack prompted OPP Commissioner Thomas Carrrique to state, “Protestors falsely blamed OPP for escalation in Caledonia. Extremely proud of my officers for their professional and measured response to keep the peace and preserve life while under attack. Arrests continue as members take responsible and sustained enforcement approach.”
Remediation and redevelopment in Welland
Welland has established a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Empire Communities for a proposed development at the former John Deere site and Dain East Lands. In addition, the MOU agreement will assist with developing new municipal assets in Dain City and adjacent lands. The MOU establishes agreements of support through a variety of Community Improvement Plans (CIP) and Financial Incentives. The city—in accordance with its existing CIP Financial Incentive Programs—has agreed to offer Empire Communities several incentives as part of the remediation and redevelopment of the proposed eligible lands.
Time for transparency
Niagara Falls regional councillor Bob Gale introduced a Notice of Motion at the region’s most recent council meeting calling for answers to questions surrounding the ongoing biosolids contract. Gale’s motion requires staff to provide tender details by the next council meeting. He’s asking staff to provide a public report to Council listing the procurement results (actual scores and prices) from the biosolids procurement process and a confidential appendix with the actual scoring sheets completed by staff. In addition he requests that an external legal firm be retained to provide Council advice on the legal aspects of the current contract and the current challenge of the award by one of the vendors.
Will Miller’s Creek be up the creek?
Fort Erie Mayor Wayne Redekop moved a motion last Thursday at Niagara Regional council to ask regional council to work with the Niagara Parks Commission to expedite the expansion, enhancement and development of a resort at the Miller’s Creek Marina in Fort Erie; a project that has dragged on since 2005. The motion included asking the region to support the development, a parkway road realignment and possible transfer of NPC owned lands to the private sector for the development. Council did not vote on the motion, instead, they referred it to their staff for a report.
NDP wins B.C. election
In B.C. NDP Premier John Horgan called an early election taking advantage of his party’s popularity over their handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. He turned his minority into a strong majority. The NDP won 45% of the popular vote and 55 seats to the Liberal’s 35% of the popular vote and 29 seats. The Green Party took 15% of the popular vote and 3 seats.
Not a rough ride for Saskatchewan Party
In Saskatchewan, conservative leader of the Saskatchewan Party Scott Moe entered into a regularly scheduled election and maintained his party’s majority for the third consecutive election. The Saskatchewan Party won 63% of the popular vote and 51 seats while the NDP won 29% of the popular vote and 11 seats.
Turmoil in oil sector
Distress and turmoil in Canada’s oil and gas sector caused by the pandemic’s negative impact on worldwide commodity prices and the Trudeau Liberals disdain for the sector, forced more change to Canadian companies. Integrated giants Cenovus Energy and Husky Energy, whose bottom lines and stock prices have been punished in the last 12 months, announced a transaction to create a new merged Canadian oil and natural gas company. The companies have entered into an all-stock transaction valued at $23.6 billion. The combined company will operate as Cenovus Energy Inc. and will remain headquartered in Calgary. The transaction has been unanimously approved by both Boards and is expected to close in the first quarter of 2021.
Dodgers are world champs
The Los Angeles Dodgers won the World Series this week defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1, in Game 6. The Dodgers, who have been one of the best teams in baseball for the past several years, only to fall short in the playoffs time and time again, finally got to lift the championship trophy Tuesday night. The game will be remembered for Rays’ manger Kevin Cash removing his starter Blake Snell in the fifth inning after Snell was dominating Dodgers’ hitters and appeared to show no signs of slowing down.
