“I wish I could shut up, but I can’t, and I won’t.” – Bishop Desmond Tutu (1931-2021) About this event The Urban Alliance on Race Relations, the Toronto and York Region Labour Council and Labour Community Services have teamed up to host an event to mark the International Day of the Elimination of Racial Discrimination….
Category: Community News
Florida recommends no COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children, breaking with CDC
Florida’s top health official said on Monday the state would recommend against the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children, breaking with guidance from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In announcing the move during press briefing convened by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, the state’s surgeon general Dr. Joseph Lapado cited studies that showed few COVID fatalities…
Toronto Zoo is gearing up to vaccinate 146 animals against COVID-19
The Toronto Zoo is set to receive 320 COVID-19 vaccine doses, according to a press release Tuesday. The zoo plans to give 146 animals two doses each of a COVID-19 vaccine for animals. Doses will be administered two to three weeks apart and animals have been trained to voluntarily participate in vaccination. “The health and…
What masking rules will you find at the office? Some companies are enforcing the rules more strictly than others
Some workplaces are allowing workers to take masks off at their desks, when eating lunch, even in meetings — while others require a mask almost all of the time. March 1 marked a big day in Ontario, with proof of vaccination no longer required for workplaces, and capacity limits for indoor public settings being lifted….
Ontario Government Workers Will No Longer Need To Be Vaccinated Starting April 4
They will also be expected to be in the office three days per week. Ontario government workers will no longer need to provide proof of vaccination or undergo regular testing to go to work as of April 4. Richard Mullin, spokesperson for the president of the Treasury Board, told Narcity in an emailed statement that…
It’s a pain, it’s politicized and it works. How the N95 mask became a crucial COVID accessory
Mask mandates are likely to be gone this month, but a recent fundamental shift in masking has made N95s much more prominent, and unlikely to disappear. A look at how we got here. Lori Huggins sells cloth masks on Etsy: “Calm down I’m wearing my muzzle,” one says. “I tested positive for refusing to live…
Business leaders hope provinces’ return-to-office plans will propel other industries to follow suit
With COVID-19 restrictions easing, there’s renewed hope across the country that workers will soon be returning to offices that have been sitting mostly vacant for nearly two years. Governments have led the way in many jurisdictions by announcing return-to-office plans for public-service workers, which business leaders hope will propel other industries to follow suit. In…
Pandemic life has taken away the much-needed element of surprise
On a mild day late last year, my husband and I were walking through High Park – Toronto’s 160-hectare urban oasis complete with a zoo, walking trails and its famous Grenadier Pond – when we stopped to look at a squirrel sitting on the trunk of a tree. It was making eye contact with us,…
Ottawa announces COVID-19 rules for the return of cruise ships to Canadian ports
Strict COVID-19 measures will be enforced when cruise ships return to Canada’s ports next month after a nearly two-year hiatus, federal Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced on Monday. Ottawa lifted its pandemic-induced prohibition on cruise ships in Canadian waters on Nov. 1, on condition that operators fully comply with public health requirements. “The industry will…
Ontario offering nurses up to $5,000 as job retention incentive
Ontario is offering all nurses incentive pay of up to $5,000 per person to encourage job retention. The government says it will spend $763 million on the incentive. Payments will come from employers in two instalments, in a lump sum for full-time nurses and as a prorated payment for part-time and casual nursing staff. Health…