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OTTAWA – Thousands of Ottawa students could face suspensions for out-of-date vaccination records as the local health unit resumes enforcement after a two-year pause.

Ottawa Public Health says students born in 2007 and 2017 whose immunization records are out-of-date could face up to 20 days suspension.

A report presented to the Ottawa Board of Health on Monday says about 14,500 students in that cohort, or just under two-thirds, are behind on their immunization records.

The health unit says it will first send out notices to families in December with information on how to get their child vaccinated and update their records, before issuing suspension notices in the new year if they are still out-of-date.

Before the pandemic, the report says about 17 per cent of students started the year with overdue records, coming down to five per cent by the end of the year, once the health unit sent out notices and immunization information.

But last year, 66 per cent of 7- and 17-year-old students who had their records checked were overdue for vaccines to start the year, only coming down to 38 per cent once the health unit had completed its surveillance efforts.

Medical Officer of Health Dr. Vera Etches told the board Monday the health unit needs immunization records information to determine what children may be at-risk in the event of an outbreak.

“The goal with this immunization surveillance is to promote population level immunization coverage rates that protect individuals and school populations,” she said.

Students in Ontario must be vaccinated against several diseases, including polio, measles, whooping cough and tetanus.

Studies have noted how COVID-19 related disruptions to routine immunization programs, such as school-based clinics, have contributed to a drop in student vaccination rates.

Others have also pointed to how the pandemic drove an increase in vaccine hesitancy fuelled by misinformation circulating on social media.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

MAYERTHORPE, Alta. – RCMP say they have not been able to find two armed robbery suspects last seen west of Edmonton.

They say it’s believed the men are no longer in the Mayerthorpe area and that there is not an imminent risk to the community.

An emergency alert was issued earlier in the day after Mounties responded to a report of a stolen vehicle.

They say the vehicle was found abandoned and officers received information that the occupants had fled on foot with weapons.

RCMP say the public should remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity to police.

One suspect is described as white, about 30 years old, five feet 11 inches tall, 205 pounds with dark hair and dark eyes, who was last seen wearing a cowboy hat and black sweater.

The other man is six feet tall, about 220 pounds, with brown hair and blue eyes, wearing a black flat brim hat with red letters.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

WINNIPEG – Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew is standing by his government’s decision to turf backbencher and defence lawyer Mark Wasyliw from caucus because a partner at the firm he works at represented convicted sex offender Peter Nygard.

The NDP removed Wasyliw on Monday saying the legislature member for Fort Garry failed to demonstrate “good judgment” by continuing to work at the law firm.

Kinew said that in the days leading up to the dismissal, caucus told Wasyliw he would have to give up his job as a lawyer if he wanted to stay with caucus.

Wasyliw declined, said Kinew.

“You can be affiliated with the NDP or you can be affiliated with Peter Nygard. But you can’t do both,” Kinew told reporters Tuesday.

“The caucus leadership made the decision to ask him to leave, and I support that decision 100 per cent.”

Kinew wouldn’t say whether caucus voted on the decision.

“We don’t talk about family business in public,” the premier said.

Following his dismissal, Wasyliw accused Kinew of being a micromanaging bully and called him a “toxic and dysfunctional leader.”

Wasyliw said he believes he was turfed because he has butted heads with the premier on some issues. He alleged the premier ignores caucus and cabinet concerns.

Kinew denied the allegations and said he has never bullied anyone on the job, yelled at any of his staff or dismissed opposing views.

“I’m more than comfortable to entertain opinions, because I think the consensus is stronger at the end of the day,” said Kinew.

Wasyliw has said he will continue to sit in the legislature as an Independent and speak for constituents who feel the NDP has strayed from its traditional values.

The Criminal Defence Lawyer Association of Manitoba has condemned the rational for Wasyliw’s ouster, arguing it sends a message that defence lawyers can be punished for having unpopular clients.

Nygard, who founded his fashion empire in Winnipeg, was sentenced earlier this month to 11 years in prison for sexually assaulting four women at his company’s headquarters in Toronto. The 83-year-old continues to face charges in Manitoba, Quebec and the United States.

The NDP defended Wasyliw in 2019, when the Progressive Conservatives criticized him for representing impaired drivers. At the time, the NDP caucus said defence lawyers play an important role in ensuring the constitutional rights of Canadians to a fair trial.

Kinew said individuals have the right to be defended, but a sitting MLA shouldn’t be the one to do that.

“I have a huge amount of respect for the independence of the judiciary and respect for the administration of justice in Manitoba,” the premier said.

“But there is no correlation between the role of government and the political decision makers who sit around the government table. It’s completely separate.”

The Opposition Progressive Conservatives have called for a third-party investigation into the bullying allegation.

“This isn’t about politics and the fallout between Wab Kinew and Mark Wasyliw,” said Tory Leader Wayne Ewasko.

“This is about civil servants and staff at the legislative assembly. Protecting the respectful workplace they deserve and ensuring that people feel safe coming forward to report any misconduct by the premier and his senior staff.”

Wasyliw was first elected in 2019. Before the NDP formed government in 2023, he served as the party’s finance critic.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.