TORONTO —
The advice has been clear. To help flatten the curve and keep Canadian hospitals from being overwhelmed by COVID-19, everyone should stay home.
For some Canadians, though, it raises a question: Which home?
As the novel coronavirus has spread across the country, infecting thousands, some have decided that quiet, rural communities might make for a better place to hang their hats than bustling, population-dense cities.
These decisions to relocate to seasonal homes come with the risk of creating tension in the small communities set up to handle large populations in the summer and small ones at this time of year, as well as real health risks. The Federation of Ontario Cottagers’ Association (FOCA) said earlier this month that it had been contacted by a number of cottagers concerned that travelling could further the spread of the virus.
Additionally, should an out-of-town visitor contract the virus, they may find that they can’t access treatment as easily as they would have been able to had they stayed in a larger city.
In some rural towns, expected patient influxes and staff absences are affecting local health-care sectors in severe ways. Emergency rooms in the Ontario communities of Clinton and Chesley are no longer open overnight because of demands during the daytime.
Bracebridge, Ont. Mayor Graydon Smith told CTV News Barrie on March 21 that his town was “seeing an influx of a lot of people,” potentially putting a strain on its health-care system.
“We’ve got a limited number of ICU beds, and if we’re suddenly dealing with double the population … we could see a real shortage of needed health-care facilities,” he said.
Canada’s chief public health officer weighed in on the subject Sunday, making it clear in no uncertain terms that this is not the time to head for a cottage, cabin or camp.
“Urban dwellers should avoid heading to rural properties, as these places have less capacity to manage COVID-19,” Dr. Theresa Tam said at a press conference in Ottawa.
There are also supply-chain issues to consider. Retailers across the country have found it difficult to keep food, cleaning supplies and other highly-demanded products on their shelves. For stores in remote areas that are used to serving small populations at this time of year, a sudden influx of cottagers can make it even more difficult to meet the needs of their year-round customers.
Even FOCA, which largely represents owners of seasonal properties, is urging cottagers to consider the strain they could put on these communities.
“FOCA reminds members that our rural communities have reduced capacity to accommodate sudden changes in supply demands,” the organization said in its bulletin.
“This is not the time for our usual credo to ‘buy local’ in cottage country.”
Tourism is a major big business in many cottage communities, where populations often more than double during the summer months – bringing in the economic stimulant needed to keep the permanent residents afloat through the winter. That’s certainly true of Saugeen Shores, Ont., where Luke Charbonneau has started repeating an anti-tourism mantra that he never expected he’d have to give.
“Don’t travel out of Saugeen Shores; don’t travel out of Saugeen Shores,” he told CTV News London on March 26.
On top of all that, there is no evidence to suggest rural areas are inherently better protected from the virus. Based on the numbers available Sunday morning, sparsely populated Yukon was reporting roughly one confirmed case for every 9,000 residents, while Ontario – Canada’s most population-dense province – had approximately one case for every 12,000 residents. There have been three deaths in Ontario’s Simcoe-Muskoka health region and three more in the Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge health region, both of which include large swaths of the province’s cottage country.
Factor in the likelihood that the vast majority of COVID-19 cases in Canada have yet to be detected, and it appears there is no reason to believe in the idea of rural sanctuaries.
“Even if you have not heard of cases in your community, that does not mean that there are no cases or no exposures waiting to happen,” Tam said.
As of Sunday, there have been more than 6,200 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Canada out of more than 205,000 tests conducted. More than six per cent of known cases have ended up in hospital. Sixty-three people have died of the virus in Canada.
With files from CTV News London’s Scott Miller and CTV News Barrie’s Craig Momney
EDMONTON – Ontario country artist Jade Eagleson has won album of the year at the 2024 Canadian Country Music Association Awards in Edmonton.
The singer from Bailieboro, Ont., was up for six awards alongside Alberta’s MacKenzie Porter.
Eagleson took home album of the year for “Do It Anyway” and says he’s thankful to his wife and management team for helping him reach the level he’s at.
The James Barker Band from Woodville, Ont., also won fans’ choice and group of the year at the award show, held in Edmonton.
During their acceptance speech, frontman Barker hinted at new music and a possible tour in 2025.
Another Ontario crooner, Josh Ross, has taken home a trio of awards, receiving entertainer of the year, male artist of the year and single of the year.
He says he and his band play roughly 150 shows every year and are never home, but says taking home entertainer of the year makes the hard work worth it.
Porter took home female artist of the year, ending the five-year streak of Tenille Townes being awarded the coveted hardware.
Porter had been nominated seven times previously for the award in the past decade but hadn’t won until tonight.
The artist from Medicine Hat, Alta., says it takes a lot of hard work and hustle to succeed as a female in the country music industry and gave a shout out to her fellow singers and her newborn daughter.
Joining the two artists in the winners’ circle was Ontario singer-songwriter Owen Riegling, who won for breakthrough artist of the year.
The show began with American artist and co-host Thomas Rhett being dubbed an honorary Canadian by Edmonton Oilers players Corey Perry and Leon Draisaitl.
Rhett donned an Oilers jersey that was gifted to him by the pair.
The return of k.d. lang and the Reclines was expected to be a highlight of the show.
The appearance will mark the first time the Alberta songstress has teamed up with the band in 35 years and is tied to lang’s induction into the Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame.
The awards show is back in Alberta’s capital for the first time since 2014. It was held in Hamilton last year and in Calgary in 2022.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024.
VANDERHOOF, B.C. – British Columbia Conservatives are promising changes they say will bring more stability to the province’s struggling forest industry.
Leader John Rustad announced his plan for the sector a week before the official launch of the provincial election campaign, saying a Conservative government would do away with stumpage fees paid when timber is harvested and instead put a tax on the final products that are produced.
Rustad said Saturday that under a provincial Conservative government, a small fee may be charged upfront, but the bulk would come at the end of the process, depending on what type of product is created.
He also promised to review how wildfires are managed, as well as streamline the permit process and review what he calls the province’s “uncompetitive cost structure.”
“British Columbia is by far the highest cost producers of any jurisdiction in North America. We need to be able to drive down those costs, so that our forest sector can actually be able to do the reinvestment, to be able to create the jobs and make sure that they’re still there to be able to support our communities,” he said.
The governing New Democrats meanwhile, say eliminating stumpage fees would inflame the softwood lumber dispute with the United States and hurt forestry workers.
In a statement issued by the NDP, Andrew Mercier, the party’s candidate in Langley-Willowbrook, said Rustad failed to support the industry when he was in government under the former BC Liberals.
“Not only will Rustad’s old thinking and recycled ideas fail to deliver, his proposal to eliminate stumpage would inflame the softwood lumber dispute — punishing forestry workers and communities,” Mercier said, accusing Rustad of ignoring the complexity of the challenges facing the industry.
The softwood lumber dispute between the U.S. and Canada stretches back decades. In August, the U.S. Department of Commerce nearly doubled duties on softwood lumber.
International Trade Minister Mary Ng has said Canada has taken steps to launch two legal challenges under the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement.
Rustad said a provincial Conservative government would push hard to get a deal with the United States over the ongoing dispute “whether it’s with the rest of Canada or by itself.”
He said his party’s proposed changes are in the name of bringing “stability” and “hope” to the industry that has seen multiple closures of mills in rural communities over the last several years.
Most recently, Canfor Corp. decided to shutter two northern British Columbia sawmills earlier this month, leaving hundreds of workers unemployed by the end of the year.
According to the United Steelworkers union, Canfor has closed 10 mills in the province since November 2011, including nine in northern B.C.
Jeff Bromley, chair of the United Steelworkers wood council, said Saturday the idea of changes in favour of taxing the final product has been floated in the past.
He said the finer details of the Conservative plan will be important, but that the system needs to be improved and “new ideas are certainly something I’d be willing to entertain.”
“Something needs to happen, or the industry is just going to bleed and wither away and be a shadow of its former self,” Bromley said.
“Politics aside, if (Rustad) can come up with a policy that enables my members to work, then I would be supportive of that. But then I’m supportive of any government that would come up with policies and fibre for our mills to run. Period.”
When Canfor announced its latest closures, Forests Minister Bruce Ralston said the sector was a “foundational part” of the province and the current NDP government would work to support both local jobs and wood manufacturing operations.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 14, 2024
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — The San Francisco 49ers placed All-Pro running back Christian McCaffrey on injured reserve because of his lingering calf and Achilles tendon injuries.
The move made Saturday means McCaffrey will miss at least four more games after already sitting out the season opener. He is eligible to return for a Thursday night game in Seattle on Oct. 10.
McCaffrey got hurt early in training camp and missed four weeks of practice before returning to the field on a limited basis last week. He was a late scratch for the opener on Monday night against the Jets and now is sidelined again after experiencing pain following practice on Thursday.
McCaffrey led the NFL last season with 2,023 yards from scrimmage and was tied for the league lead with 21 touchdowns, winning AP Offensive Player of the Year.
The Niners made up for McCaffrey’s absence thanks to a strong performance from backup Jordan Mason, who had 28 carries for 147 yards and a touchdown in San Francisco’s 32-19 victory over the New York Jets. Mason is set to start again Sunday at Minnesota.
After missing 23 games because of injuries in his final two full seasons with Carolina, McCaffrey had been healthy the past two seasons.
He missed only one game combined in 2022-23 — a meaningless Week 18 game last season for San Francisco when he had a sore calf. His 798 combined touches from scrimmage in the regular season and playoffs were the third most for any player in a two-year span in the past 10 years.
Now San Francisco will likely rely heavily on Mason, a former undrafted free agent out of Georgia Tech who had 83 carries his first two seasons. He had at least 10 touches just twice before the season opener, when his 28 carries were the most by a 49ers player in a regular-season game since Frank Gore had 31 against Seattle on Oct. 30, 2011.
The Niners also have fourth-round rookie Isaac Guerendo and Patrick Taylor Jr. on the active roster. Guerendo played three offensive snaps with no touches in the opener. Taylor had 65 carries for Green Bay from 2021-23.
San Francisco also elevated safety Tracy Walker III from the practice squad for Sunday’s game against Minnesota.
