Schreiner Has Three Goals for Last Legislative Session Before 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”

Ford Accelerates Re-Opening: Vax Proof Done March 1, Masks to Stay For a While

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”

Ford Declares State of Emergency to Deal with Convoy Protests

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”

Moore Says Signs are Good, But Mandates Stay For Now

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”

Opposition Leaders Push Ontario Government to Act on Convoy Distruptions

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”

Elliott: Rapid Tests Coming Soon to a Grocery Store Near You

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”

GUELPH POLITICAST #309 – Healthcare for Trans People Doesn’t Just Happen

This month, there are Winter Pride events in Guelph, and Pride events are all about promoting visibility and acceptance for the LGBTQ+ community. But while the Pride movement’s come a long way, there’s still a long way to go for complete equality. Consider healthcare. We like to think our healthcare system in Canada is barrier-free here, but the barriers for trans people can be immense. Continue reading “GUELPH POLITICAST #309 – Healthcare for Trans People Doesn’t Just Happen”

Last Minute Details Before Monday’s Re-Opening Announced

The anticipated re-opening of the Ontario economy is Monday, and there have been some last-minute details released from both the Provincial government and the local public health unit. Locally, a public health order issued in December will be rescinded on Monday, and there have been some adjustments to the re-opening protocols from the Province while all levels are sending out a message that COVID is something we have to get used to. Continue reading “Last Minute Details Before Monday’s Re-Opening Announced”

New Framework Alert: Ontario Starts Re-Opening on January 31

After being teased through several media sources of Wednesday night, Premier Doug Ford announced (on time) on Thursday morning that the re-emergence from lockdown will begin on January 31. The phased approach will see three-weeks between the initiation of each part of the plan, which Ford and company believes will give Ontario the best strategy to manage both the virus and the economy. Continue reading “New Framework Alert: Ontario Starts Re-Opening on January 31”

Elliott and Moore Say There’s Reason for Hope (Not a Guarantee)

Will Ontario businesses be allowed to open again exactly one week from now? That was not a question firmly answered by the Minister of Health and the Chief Medical Officer of Health on Wednesday at a media conference. One day after Premier Doug Ford told an Ottawa radio station that there will be good news about the lockdown conditions later this week, Christine Elliott and Dr. Kieran Moore seemed to signal that’s still TBD. Continue reading “Elliott and Moore Say There’s Reason for Hope (Not a Guarantee)”