Many Canadians have been taking advantage of warmer weather to venture outside after spending weeks in lockdown because of COVID-19, but the easing of restrictions has sparked a backlash in Toronto.
A statement from the city said thousands of people packed Trinity Bellwoods Park in the downtown area on Saturday and some were flouting physical distancing regulations.
The city called the crowds “unacceptable” and that they threatened to undo the work done over the last 10 weeks to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus. Mayor John Tory said bylaw officers and police would be out in force Sunday to ensure the rules on distancing are followed.
The city has made it illegal to come within two metres of someone from a different household in parks and public squares. Those who break the bylaw could be handed a $1,000 ticket on the spot, though officers can also issue higher tickets — subject to the court system — in which fines go up to $5,000 on conviction.
Thousands gathered in Trinity Bellwoods Park on Saturday, sparking a wave of anger online. City officials say the gathering is unacceptable. 4:57
Toronto began reopening park amenities on May 20 for the first time in more than two months. At the same time, people are now being allowed to shop inside stores with street entrances.
The city’s chief medical officer of health, Dr. Eileen de Villa, condemned the “selfish and dangerous behaviour” of people flocking to parks.
She noted the city has seen an uptick in cases of COVID-19, reporting 258 new cases on Friday alone.
“I think people need to at some point go on with their lives. We just have to find a way to do it in a safe fashion,” said Dr. David Carr, an emergency physician with the University Health Network in Toronto.
Police officers and special constables patrol Trinity Bellwoods Park in Toronto on Sunday. (Carlos Osorio/Reuters)
Ontario’s rolling five-day average of new COVID-19 cases has been trending steadily upward since May 12.
Carr said Ontario started reporting more than 400 new cases in one day, after dipping below 300, about 10 to 12 days after Mother’s Day.
Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Sunday said he was “absolutely shocked” to see images from Trinity Bellwoods of “just too many people, too close.”
He said the virus could “spread like wildfire” without precautions and urged people to get tested at one of the 129 assessment centres in the province if they are worried about exposure, even if they are not showing symptoms.
Ford said his government would be releasing a detailed testing strategy next week “targeting various sectors and hotspots across the province.”
A Toronto infectious disease expert took to Twitter to share his dismay at those scenes from the crowded park. Dr. Abdu Sharkawy’s message was emotional, but also practical. He said doesn’t want the people gathering in Trinity Bellwoods Park to become his patients down the line.
This isn’t right. Respect and compassion is a 2 way street. <a href=”https://t.co/xtecDTB3x5″>pic.twitter.com/xtecDTB3x5</a>
For Muslims across Canada, Eid al-Fitr, marking the end of Ramadan and a month of fasting during daylight hours, began Saturday at sunset.
Physical distancing and social gathering restrictions mean the some of the usual events have been cancelled or modified.
Chair of the Manitoba Islamic Association Idris Elbakri said the three-day festival of feasting and praying together will be “very different” for at least 25,000 Muslims living across the province who are breaking the fast.
Islamic Society of North America Mosque community members hand out candy to children in a drive-thru Eid al-Fitr celebration in Mississauga, Ont., on Sunday. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press)
Elbakri is encouraging people to join the Winnipeg Grand Mosque’s live streaming of Sunday’s sermon on the Islamic group’s Facebook and YouTube channels.
Upcoming summer powwows across Canada are being cancelled or forced to go online due to restrictions on public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this worries Josee Bourgeois, an Algonquin dancer from Pikwakanagan First Nation outside of Ottawa.
She says many people in First Nations communities use powwows to kick off their summer and that being outside and reuniting with friends and family is good for their mental health.
People wearing face masks are seen in Montreal on Sunday. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
As of 7 p.m. ET on Sunday, Canada had 84,699 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases, with 43,995 of those considered resolved or recovered. A CBC News tally of deaths attributed to coronavirus based on provincial data, regional health information and CBC’s journalism stood at 6,515.
Federal public health officials have been encouraging people to stick with frequent handwashing, cough etiquette, physical distancing and staying home when sick. On Wednesday, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Theresa Tam added another recommendation, saying people should wear non-medical face masks in public when they aren’t sure they will be able to physically distance.
Here’s what’s happening in the provinces and territories
British Columbia’s top doctor says she strongly encourages the federal government to use its resources to monitor international travellers entering the province. Dr. Bonnie Henry says public servants from various provincial ministries have been working to ensure about 18,000 people who returned to B.C. during the COVID-19 pandemic are self-isolating.
Henry says “meticulous follow-up” is needed if and when the border between the United States and Canada is reopened to ensure anyone with COVID-19 isn’t passing the illness on to others. She says discussions are expected to be held with her federal counterparts on how that could be done with help from Ottawa.
Henry says the province is beefing up public health teams this summer to keep up with COVID-19 testing, contact tracing and tracking because more cases are probable in the fall with the arrival of seasonal respiratory illnesses. Read more about what’s happening in B.C.
A vendor serves mini doughnuts to a driver at a drive-thru event in Vancouver on Sunday. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press)
In Alberta, Calgary and Brooks will join the rest of the province by allowing bars, restaurants, hair salons and barbershops to open on Monday, while more restrictions will be lifted across the province on June 1.
Premier Jason Kenney said Friday that the decision comes on the advice of the chief medical officer of health, though he warned that the virus is still a threat.
Saskatchewan said it will move to the next phase in its reopening on June 8. Bars and restaurants are among the businesses that will be allowed to reopen in Phase 3, though they will have to operate at reduced capacity and with physical distancing measures in place. Read more about what’s happening in Saskatchewan.
“Boeing previously announced we would adjust the size of our company to reflect new market realities through a combination of voluntary layoffs, natural turnover and involuntary layoffs,” spokesperson Jessica Kowal said in a statement emailed to CBC News. Read more about what’s happening in Manitoba.
As Manitoba continues to ease restrictions and plan for the next phase of its reopening plan, here’s what some people dream of doing once life gets back to a “new” normal. 1:38
Ontario reported 460 new cases of COVID-19 on Sunday, up from the 412 new cases recorded the previous day. The increases bring the province’s total for cases to 25,500 since the pandemic began.
Meanwhile, new testing regulations took effect on Saturday, with asymptomatic front-line health-care workers being tested across the province.
A worker disenfects a surface at a store in Montreal on Sunday. Stores with a street entrance are allowed to reopen in Montreal on Monday. (Graham Hughes/The Canadian Press)
New Brunswick reported no new coronavirus cases on Sunday. The total number of cases is 121 with 120 of those patients listed as recovered. No one with COVID-19 is in hospital. Read more about what’s happening in N.B.
Nova Scotia reported one new case on Sunday. There are now 19 active cases in the province.
“It is still important to follow public health advice, practise good hygiene and limit large gatherings,” Dr. Robert Strang, the chief medical officer of health, said in a press release sent out Sunday. “Doing all of these things will help ensure our case numbers continue to stay low.” Read more about what’s happening in N.S.
Gov. Gen. Julie Payette, left, and Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan wear masks as they attend the homecoming ceremony of Captain Jennifer Casey, who was killed in the crash of a Royal Canadian Air Force Snowbirds exhibition team aircraft, in Halifax on Sunday. (Darren Calabrese/Reuters)
Prince Edward Island moved into Phase 2 of reopening on Friday,and is now allowing retail stores to open their doors to the public with physical distancing measures. Read more about what’s happening on P.E.I.
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
