As part of series of week-long announcements about re-opening the province, the Government of Ontario revealed Wednesday how they will approach the re-opening of post-secondary education. Starting in July, in-person classes will begin again in a limited fashion after consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, but what that looks like in practice will be another matter altogether. Continue reading “Ontario Government Announces Safe Re-Opening Plans for Post-Secondary”
In parts of Ontario, there’s a certain anxiousness about the second stage of the Ontario government’s re-opening of the economy, but things are not going to totally get back to normal in at least two parts of Guelph society. In separate press announcements today, one Guelph institution said that they’re keeping the status quo, and the other is actually taking away service effective immediately. Continue reading “Library Keeping to Curbside, GRCA Shutting Parks Again”
Stage 2 of the re-opening of Ontario’s economy begins this coming Friday, and with more people going back to work, it means there are going to be more parents looking for childcare. Along with other new initiatives announced this week with Stage 2, the Government of Ontario has revealed new guidelines to oversee the safe re-opening of childcare centres across the province. Continue reading “Ontario Government Announces Plans to Re-open Childcare Centres”
If it’s the middle Wednesday of the month, then it’s time for the new regular monthly council meeting. Staff will present an update on all the effects and costs of the pandemic, but we’ll have to wait an extra couple of days to find out the full measure of those details. Continue reading “City Council Preview – What’s on the Agenda for the June 17 Meeting?”
Since March, Guelph Transit has gone to extraordinary measures to help mitigate the spread of COVID-19 by having people board and exit the bus at the rear door, blocking off seats for physical distancing, making the bus free, and limiting riders to 10 at a time. Starting Monday though one of those conditions will change. As the economy continues to re-open, and more people will depend on the bus again, more than 10 people will soon be able to ride at a time again. Continue reading “More People Get to Ride Transit, But Please Wear a Mask”
On Wednesday afternoon, the local Board of Health met for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic began, and while the general message was that the pandemic response has been good, it’s not come without cost. Many of the regular programs at Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph have been interrupted due to the pandemic, and the literal price tag to protect us from COVID might be close to $1 million. Continue reading “Public Health Board Told COVID Costs Have Topped $1 Million (So Far)”
In a vote that sends the message to Ontarians that the pandemic is far from over, the Ontario Legislature voted to extend the provincial state of emergency until the end of June. According to the Government of Ontario, this action comes as a recommendation of the medical officer of health, and it will allow them to continue to respond to the pandemic in a “measured and responsible way.” Continue reading “Provincial State of Emergency Extended Until June 30”
Since last week’s incendiary report on the state of five long term care homes in Ontario as observed by the Canadian Forces, the Province has taken over management of six long-term care homes, and now they’ve added a seventh. This new home is up the road in Kitchener where St. Mary’s Hospital is taking over Forest Heights Long Term Care, where over 200 cases of COVID-19 have been diagnosed. Continue reading “Province Orders Change in Management for 7th Long Term Care Home”
In his daily press briefing from Rideau Cottage Monday morning, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced that Canada’s municipalities will be getting $2.2 billion in infrastructure money this month in a one-time payment. Cities, and the organizations that represent them, have been begging the Federal government for financial help, but this is probably not what they were thinking of exactly. Continue reading “Federal Government Offers Cities Money They Were Going to Get Anyway”
City council got back to some kind of business as usual in May with the announcement of a new schedule for a slate of meetings to carry us through to September. Will we be allowed to attend these meetings in person by then? Who can say? But for this month we got our COVID update, plus a planning meeting, and a regular meeting of city council. Here’s the recap from May. Continue reading “The Month at Council: COVID Continued and Back to Regular Order”
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