Ontario Premier Doug Ford faced a string of questions about his government’s plan to reopen schools in September, with many asking why, despite a recent report by SickKids emphasizing the importance of small class sizes.
At a news conference Wednesday, Ford was asked about the possibility of capping class sizes as students return to the classroom.
Ford would not commit to doing that, saying the province has some of the lowest student to instructor ratios in the country, especially up to Grade 3. In kindergarten for example though, that still means potentially 30 children in a single class, Ford acknowledged.
“Is it going to be perfect? No,” Ford said.
Parents who aren’t comfortable sending their children to school have the option of keeping them at home in September, Ford added.
“I personally feel we have the best plan in the entire country,” Ford said. “We have two options here. We bring the kids to school, which I’m hearing the vast majority of parents want to get back to normal … or keep your kids at home and you do online courses.
NDP slams Ford’s decision to ‘dig in his heels’
“I get it, not all parents are going to be 100 per cent comfortable. I wish I had the magical wand to say everyone is going to be perfectly fine. Let’s see. We’re relying on the best health minds in the country.”
NDP Opposition leader Andrea Horwath said in a statement following the news conference she was “horrified today to hear Doug Ford dig in his heels and refuse to reconsider his plan.”
“Thirty or more kids crammed into one small classroom wasn’t okay before the pandemic when Mr. Ford was cutting teachers and education workers and hiking class sizes. Now, it’s downright dangerous,” Horwath said.
The premier also told reporters he expects 38 per cent of any vaccines procured in Canada to be allocated to Ontario. On Wednesday, the federal government announced it has entered two agreements to secure millions of doses of potential COVID-19 vaccines.
Also on Wednesday, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries Lisa Macleod was asked why certain attractions, such as Canada’s Wonderland, have not yet been allowed to reopen.
Water parks, theme parks still pose risks, province says
Macleod responded that the province’s command table, including Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. David Williams, has advised that theme parks and waterparks still pose a threat amid COVID-19 and that the province is continuing to assess the situation.
In a statement to CBC News, a spokesperson for Canada’s Wonderland said the theme park is “disappointed” it still hasn’t received approval, saying it has submitted plans to the province that include physical distancing, capacity control and hygiene protocols that meet or exceed Ontario’s requirements for reopening.
“We will continue to work with the Ontario government and hope to welcome guests back soon to a fun and safe environment,” said spokesperson Grace Peacock.
Ontario reported 86 additional cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, marking the third consecutive day with fewer than 100 newly-confirmed infections of the novel coronavirus in the province.
Toronto, Ottawa, Peel, York and Chatham-Kent were the only public health units with 10 or more new cases. Twenty-two of the province’s 34 health units reported no new cases at all.
All of the figures used in this story are found in the Ministry of Health’s daily update, which includes data from up until 4 p.m. the previous day. The number of cases for any particular region on a given day may differ from what is reported by the local public health unit, which often avoid the lag times in the provincial system.
No additional deaths reported today
Ontario has now seen a total of 39,714 confirmed instances of COVID-19 since the outbreak began in late January. Provincial public health officials consider a full 90 per cent of those cases resolved.
Another 146 were marked resolved in today’s update, meaning there are now fewer than 1,200 active infections of the novel coronavirus provincewide.
Meanwhile, the number of patients in Ontario hospitals with confirmed cases of the illness fell to 66 from 78. That figure has fallen more than 90 per cent from its peak in May. Thirty patients are being treated in intensive care units, while 15 are on ventilators.
The Ministry of Health’s official COVID-19 death toll stayed steady at 2,782, with no additional deaths reported today. A CBC News count based on more timely data from public health units puts the real toll at 2,818 as of yesterday evening.
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.
