Just over two weeks from the second anniversary of the first COVID-19 lockdown, the Government of Ontario will take its next, great leap back to normalcy with the lifting of COVID-19 proof of vaccination mandates. While some places will have to decide for themselves whether they’re ready to roll without mandates, our different levels of government are now looking to the light at the end of tunnel. Continue reading “ICYMI: Proof of Vaccine Mandates Lift Tomorrow”
It’s been said before, but the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we work in more ways than one, and while many people probably enjoy the freedom of being able to work from home, how and when you’re working, as well as what else you’re doing on a work computer, could be being monitored by the boss. Ontario Labour Minister Monte McNaughton apparently doesn’t like the sound of that, and wants to take steps to protect workers. Continue reading “Ontario Government to Add Work Protections from Employer Surveillance”
Members of Provincial Parliament and their staffs returned to Queen’s Park on Tuesday for the commencement of another legislative session, the last one before the Provincial Election, which is presently expected on June 2. For opposition parties and interest groups, it was a chance to talk about the challenges and issues still being caused by the pandemic, and for the Premier, it was a chance to just play politics. Continue reading “Busy First Morning Back at Queen’s Park Begins With More Sticker Drama”
Family Day is supposed to be a day of rest, and an occasion to spend time with the family, but that doesn’t mean that there can’t be a little time for politics. Some of Ontario’s political leaders were thinking the same thing. The Ontario’s Members of Provincial Parliament return to Queen’s Park on Tuesday for the last legislative session before the election, but before that, they want to talk about their agendas. Continue reading “Opposition Gets Ready for New Session (and the Election)”
The Ontario Legislature returns to work after the Family Day weekend, and it returns for the final time before the spring election. Premier Doug Ford and his ministers will likely have some ideas about what they want to do during last few months of the session, but Guelph MPP Mike Schreiner has some ideas of his own. If you’ve been carefully following provincial politics, the three goals should not be terribly surprising. Continue reading “Schreiner Has Three Goals for Last Legislative Session Before the Election”
Capacity limits are mostly being lifted by the end of the week, and proof of vaccination will be over by the end of the month even though masking rules are likely to remain for some time. This was the latest update from Premier Doug Ford and his team on Monday morning. After another weekend struggling to deal with the people who oppose all mandates, Ford tried to take back the narrative with some good news. Continue reading “Ford Accelerates Re-Opening: Vax Proof Done March 1, Masks to Stay For a While”
Nearly two weeks after the so-called “Freedom Convoy” set up residency in Ottawa, and almost a week after a solidarity blockade began at the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Premier Doug Ford announced action against the protest in the form of the third state of emergency he’s declared during his premiership. Protest is fine, Ford said, but the events in Ottawa and Windsor no longer fit that definition. Continue reading “Ford Declares State of Emergency to Deal with Convoy Protests”
Although they were not the changes most people wanted to hear, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health announced Thursday that he was authorizing a couple of positive tweaks, and promised that there would be more to come. For now, extra-curricular activities are back on in Ontario schools, and non-urgent and non-emergency surgeries and procedures should be recommencing soon at hospitals. Continue reading “Moore Says Signs are Good, But Mandates Stay For Now”
Nearly two weeks after the original Freedom Convoy pulled into downtown Ottawa, all levels of government are still trying to cope with the disruption, and now there’s a growing blockade on the Ambassador Bridge to worry about. Ontario’s opposition parties are now united in one point of view on these protests: the Ontario government is missing in action, and they’re each making some demands of the Premier and his ministers. Continue reading “Opposition Leaders Push Ontario Government to Act on Convoy Distruptions”
Starting Wednesday, getting a rapid test in Ontario will be (theoretically) as easy as visiting your local grocery store or pharmacy. At a Kitchener Walmart this morning, Health Minister Christine Elliott announced that the Province will be making five million free rapid tests available each week for the next eight weeks at over 2,300 participating outlets including 30 right here in Guelph. Continue reading “Elliott: Rapid Tests Coming Soon to a Grocery Store Near You”
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