TORONTO —
The Ontario government started administering its first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine today, one day ahead of schedule.
Anita Quidangen, a personal support worker, got the shot first at the University Health Network in Toronto along with four of her colleagues from the Rekai Centre, a long-term care facility in the city.
“Thank you very much,” Quidangen said to a room of applauding onlookers following the vaccination. “I’m excited, because I’’m the first one to get the vaccine.”
This marks the beginning of the first phase of the Ontario government’s immunization plan which will see health-care workers like Quidangen, as well as residents of long-term care homes and their caregivers, vaccinated first.
Half of the 6,000 doses received over the weekend will be administered this week in Toronto and Ottawa. The other half will be intentionally held back to give the same individuals a required second dose 21 days later.
From there, adults in Indigenous communities, residents of retirement homes and recipients of chronic home health-care will get doses of the vaccine next.
The province previously said it expected to begin inoculations on Tuesday. However, retired Gen. Rick Hillier, chair of Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine distribution task force, said Friday that if the shipments arrived early, they would begin vaccinating earlier as a result.
The first shipment of vaccines touched down in Hamilton, Ont. on Sunday night. Premier Doug Ford was on hand for the arrival and watched as the first batch of vaccines were unloaded off the plane.
At a news conference Monday, Ford said the vaccines administered in Toronto were the first for the country, though it’s unclear when Quebec, who also received some doses today, started administering their shots.
“We were the first in Canada, and one of the first in North America, to administer this vaccine,” he said.
“Make no mistake, there’s a long road ahead of us. But what this represents is hope, and proof that this pandemic will come to an end.”
An additional 90,000 doses of the Pfizer vaccine are expected to arrive in Ontario later this month, according to Hillier. The province expects to receive 2.4 million doses — allowing it to vaccinate 1.2 million people — during the first three months of 2021.
The vaccine is expected to be more broadly available to the general public in April, the government has said previously, and will take six to nine months to inoculate the entire province.
TORONTO – Cineplex Inc. reported a loss in its latest quarter compared with a profit a year ago as it was hit by a fine for deceptive marketing practices imposed by the Competition Tribunal.
The movie theatre company says it lost $24.7 million or 39 cents per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with a profit of $29.7 million or 40 cents per diluted share a year earlier.
The results in the most recent quarter included a $39.2-million provision related to the Competition Tribunal decision, which Cineplex is appealing.
The Competition Bureau accused the company of misleading theatregoers by not immediately presenting them with the full price of a movie ticket when they purchased seats online, a view the company has rejected.
Revenue for the quarter totalled $395.6 million, down from $414.5 million in the same quarter last year, while theatre attendance totalled 13.3 million for the quarter compared with nearly 15.7 million a year earlier.
Box office revenue per patron in the quarter climbed to $13.19 compared with $12 in the same quarter last year, while concession revenue per patron amounted to $9.85, up from $8.44 a year ago.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 6, 2024.
TORONTO – Restaurant Brands International Inc. reported net income of US$357 million for its third quarter, down from US$364 million in the same quarter last year.
The company, which keeps its books in U.S. dollars, says its profit amounted to 79 cents US per diluted share for the quarter ended Sept. 30 compared with 79 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
Revenue for the parent company of Tim Hortons, Burger King, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs, totalled US$2.29 billion, up from US$1.84 billion in the same quarter last year.
Consolidated comparable sales were up 0.3 per cent.
On an adjusted basis, Restaurant Brands says it earned 93 cents US per diluted share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 90 cents US per diluted share a year earlier.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 95 cents US per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
ST. JOHN’S, N.L. – Fortis Inc. reported a third-quarter profit of $420 million, up from $394 million in the same quarter last year.
The electric and gas utility says the profit amounted to 85 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 30, up from 81 cents per share a year earlier.
Fortis says the increase was driven by rate base growth across its utilities, and strong earnings in Arizona largely reflecting new customer rates at Tucson Electric Power.
Revenue in the quarter totalled $2.77 billion, up from $2.72 billion in the same quarter last year.
On an adjusted basis, Fortis says it earned 85 cents per share in its latest quarter, up from an adjusted profit of 84 cents per share in the third quarter of 2023.
The average analyst estimate had been for a profit of 82 cents per share, according to LSEG Data & Analytics.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 5, 2024.
