The Tilbury Times

Year: 2021

  • Halton Region Looking for Input on Solid Waste Management Strategy

    By: Laura Steiner
    Halton Region is looking for community input on a proposed Solid Waste Management Strategy. The plan includes diversion  initiatives to extend the Halton Waste Management site for 4-11 years.
    “Our proposed Solid Waste Management Strategy builds on our community’s ongoing efforts and outlines how we can continue to work together to improve our waste management programs and services for you,” Halton Chair Gary Carr said.
    Residents have two options to participate.  The first is an online survey due by December 10, 2021 .  Or they can participate in one of three Virtual Public Information Centres (PIC) via Zoom from 6-8 p.m on: Tuesday November 23, 2021, Wednesday November 24 and Tuesday November 30.  Sessions will include a presentation on proposed strategies, with a question and answer session afterwards.
    The feedback will go into creating the final strategy, which will be presented to Council in the Spring.  The survey, and information materials are available in alternate formats by calling 311 or emailing: accesshalton@halton.ca

  • Omar El Akkad wins $100K Scotiabank Giller Prize for novel What Strange Paradise

    Omar El Akkad has won the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize for his novel What Strange Paradise.
    The $100,000 prize is the richest in Canadian literature.
    El Akkad is a Canadian journalist and author who currently lives in Portland. He is also the author of the novel American War, which was defended on Canada Reads  2018 by actor Tahmoh Penikett.
    I didn’t think I had a chance in hell of winning this … this is by far the greatest honour in my career, said El Akkad in his acceptance speech. I’ve had the incredible honour of being mentioned in the same breath as four outstanding authors, any of whom could be standing up here right now.
    What Strange Paradise  is a novel that tells the story of a global refugee crisis through the eyes of a child. Nine-year-old Amir is the only survivor from a ship full of refugees coming to a small island nation. He ends up with a teenage girl named Vanna, who lives on the island. Even though they don’t share a common language or culture, Vanna becomes determined to keep Amir safe. What Strange Paradise  tells both their stories and how they each reached this moment, while asking the questions, How did we get here? and What are we going to do about it?
    “It’s a repurposed fable. It’s the story of Peter Pan inverted and recast as the story of a contemporary child refugee,” El Akkad said in an interview with CBC Books (new window).
    El Akkad’s fellow finalists included Miriam Toews for Fight Night , Angélique Lalonde for Glorious Frazzled Beings, Cheluchi Onyemelukwe-Onuobia for The Son of the House,  and Jordan Tannahill for The Listeners .
    “Tonight, there will be very little celebrating [right now] because I still don’t believe any of this happened. These were exceptional writers on the shortlist. Just to be in their company is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Maybe tomorrow, [I’ll do] a little bit of celebrating, but it’s still very surreal right now,” El Akkad told CBC Books (new window).
    “For the past two months, I’ve been mentioned in the same sentence as these authors whose work has meant so much to me over the years — authors who are going to be back up on that stage many, many times in their careers — and authors who have inspired me and continue to inspire me. That’s the long lasting legacy of this for me. I’m thrilled to be in this position, but to be anywhere in the same circle as these folks, this is a privilege.”
    The 2021 five-person jury was chaired by Canadian writer Zalika Reid-Benta (new window) and also included Canadian writers Megan Gail Coles (new window) and Joshua Whitehead (new window), Malaysian writer Tash Aw and American writer Joshua Ferris.
    The jury read 132 books, narrowed it down to a longlist of 12 and then a shortlist of five.
    “Amid all the anger and confusion surrounding the global refugee crisis, Omar El Akkad’s What Strange Paradise paints a portrait of displacement and belonging that is at once unflinching and tender,” the jury said in a statement.
    In examining the confluence of war, migration and a sense of settlement, it raises questions of indifference and powerlessness and, ultimately, offers clues as to how we might reach out empathetically in a divided world.”
    This year’s televised gala in Toronto, co-hosted by poet Rupi Kaur and actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, featured a musical performance by Measha Brueggergosman Lee and the Denzal Sinclaire Quartet. The 2021 event returned to its usual in-person festivities — with attendees having been asked to show proof of vaccination and photo ID upon entry — after hosting a online livestreamed event in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
    El Akkad was presented with the $100,000 award by Elana Rabinovitch, the daughter of Jack Rabinovitch, and Scotiabank’s executive vice president and chief marketing officer John Doig.
    Jack Rabinovitch founded the prize in honour of his late wife Doris Giller in 1994. Rabinovitch died in 2017 at the age of 87 .
    Past Giller Prize winners include Souvankham Thammavongsa for How to Pronounce Knife ,Esi Edugyan for Washington Black  and Half-Blood Blues , Margaret Atwood for Alias Grace , Ian Williams for Reproduction  and Alice Munro  for Runaway .
    CBC Books 
  • Milton Film Festival Heads for Halton Hills

    Milton Film Festival Heads for Halton Hills

    By: Laura Steiner
    Milton Film Festival is heading for the hills.  Halton Hills that is.  The ninth annual event will host in-person screenings at Georgetown’s John Elliott Theatre (JET).
    The festival begins January 29 with a full week of virtual screenings.  In-person screens will be at JET from February 4-7.  The program will include the short films, as well as live Q&A.  Feature film announcements will be made later this month/ early December.
    The move was necessitated by the  ongoing closure of the FirstOntario Arts Centre- Milton due to COVID-19.  The John Elliott Theatre is located at 9 Church St. Georgetown Ontario.  Passes, and individual tickets will go on-sale soon.  For more information visit their website.
    Update: 5/01/2022- COVID-19 Restrictions Forces Festival Online
    The Milton Film Festival moves completely online.  The decision corresponds to the latest COVID-19 restrictions.  They made the announcement earlier today on their Twitter account:
     


    Ontario entered a three-week modified lockdown beginning this morning at 12:01 a.m.  Restrictions include closures of restaurants, and movie theatres.  Gatherings are limited to 5 people indoors, and 10 people outdoors.

  • Del Duca Promises Two-Way GO Service for Milton Line

    By: Laura Steiner, Local Journalism Initiative
    Milton could be close to two-way all-day GO Service if the Ontario Liberals are elected in June, 2022. Leader Steven Del Duca is promising his party will make two-way full day Go service a reality.
    The proposed project will see service expanded to allowing trains every 15 minutes along the Milton line during rush hour, and every half hour during off-peak hours.  “The people of Milton and Mississauga deserve a real plan for more frequent, less congested public transit,” Del Duca said.  Halton is projected to see 10 million residents by 2041 according to Metrolinx
    It follows a similar commitment from federal Transport Minister Omar Alghababra in early August.  The cost is approximately $1 billion.   The federal Liberals ran on the idea they would use a portion of the National Trade Corridors  fund to cover 50% of the cost to bring in all-day GO service.  Del Duca is committed to following through on his promise, even if the Ford government announces funding. “This one to me checks all the boxes, and it’s something that we need to do urgently,” he said.  Transit along the Milton line has been a problem the last decade.
    The Milton line is currently projected to have the two-way all day Go service by 2051.  Del Duca sees the urgency of getting this done sooner.  “We’ve seen explosive growth in Milton, around Milton, and here in Mississauga.  We need to make sure we are building this,” he said.  The provincial election will be held June 2, 2022.

  • Petition to honour Robinson Huron Treaty delivered to Vic Fedeli

    By: David Briggs, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter,  BayToday.ca
    Friday afternoon at 4:00, representatives of the Robinson Huron Treaty Litigation Fund and the authors of a petition demanding the provincial government honour the treaty, met outside of MPP Vic Fedeli’s office in downtown North Bay to present him with the document.
    About 40 people were in attendance, including Amanda Deforge, who drafted the petition last October, and since then, has garnered over 5,000 signatures.
    Others were involved as well in creating the petition, she said, noting the idea was inspired by “a school project, essentially” while taking a class taught by Elizabeth Carlson-Manathara at Sudbury’s Laurentian University.
    “Obviously it gained a lot of traction,” Deforge said, “and I’m really proud as to what it became.”
    The petition asks the government “to honour the Robinson Huron Treaty,” she said, adding “the Indigenous populations in our communities deserve what they deserve.”
    “Our oppressive governments took everything away from them, so they need to start treating them properly.”
    “It is calling on the government of Ontario to stop fighting the First Nations in court,” Carlson-Manathara added, speaking of the petition’s aim.
    “And to stop their approach of litigating and appealing decisions that have been made in favour of the First Nations,” Carlson-Manathara said.
    The goal being “to stop government from spending tax-payer money to fight First Nations in court.”
    When Carlson-Manathara “and her students at Laurentian, heard about how this treaty was being broken, they wanted to do something about it,” said Catherine Murton Stoehr, a history professor at Nipissing University.
    “So that’s why we’re here,” Murton Stoehr told the crowd, “they’re going to deliver that petition to Mr. Fedeli.”
    Fedeli was not available to receive the petition, although one of his staff members was there to accept the document.
    Nipissing First Nation’s chief, Scott McLeod, “was pleased to share the news issued by the Ontario Court of Appeal earlier today.”
    The court’s decision “rejects many of the issues raised by [the government of] Ontario, and the judgment states we unanimously reject the majority of arguments raised on appeal.”
    “We dismiss Ontario’s appeal from stage two proceedings in its entirety,” he continued, speaking of the court’s decision.
    He mentioned the court’s decision is 300 pages, and now “the legal team is doing a thorough review to understand the nuances and implications for the future.”
    A press conference is scheduled for next Tuesday “to provide further information about the decision and the next steps.”
    The Robinson Huron Treaty representatives will be able to provide more information about the court’s judgment at that time, Chief McLeod said.
    “We believe today’s decision is a step towards justice,” he said, adding that the “quickest path to justice and reconciliation is for the government of Ontario to negotiate with the Robinson Huron Treaty Nations and Canada to achieve a settlement.”
    “And if I was able to stand today beside my friend, Vic, who is unable to be here, I would tell him that relationships are fostered through honour, not through litigation.”

  • Kingston approves COVID-19 vaccination policy for staff and council members

    By: Zoha Khalid, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, YGK News
    After a lengthy discussion on a COVID-19 vaccination policy on Tuesday night, Kingston City Council moved in favour of a vote to implement the policy. All staff and council members have to declare their vaccination status by Jan. 3, 2022.
    If the staff fail to show proof of vaccination, they will not be terminated or put on unpaid leave as other institutions have done in the past.
    Staff who would not show their proof of vaccination will have to attend training sessions to get necessary education about the benefits and importance of vaccination. Additionally, those who are not vaccinated by the stated date would have to undergo the rapid antigen test at this point every week but would not lose their jobs because of that.
    The council members recognize that education and awareness are the core to deal with any matter. However, the severity of the COVID-19 virus has compelled everyone to take measures that ensure the most safety for everyone.
    The motion moved by Councillor Simon Chapelle and seconded by Councillor Ryan Boehme stated to amend the policy and address including council members and city staff in the same approach.
    “My concern is that it has a dangerous precedent of mixing staff and council in one motion. A particular topic, specifically my concern, is a council. I don’t believe that we should be mixing staff and councilors,” Councilor Chapelle said.
    Councilor Boehme said, “it is important that we keep our individuality as state elected officials.”
    In response to the Councilors’ remarks, Councilor Stroud, opposing the motion, said that “council members should lead by example.
    Lanie Hurdle, Chief Administrative Officer at City of Kingston, explained that the vaccination policy is unique in the sense that it is not just an administrative policy for the city employees. Otherwise, it would not have come forward to the council. Because it includes everyone, the decision thus requires attention from members of the council.
    After a long debate over the matter, the motion was denied, with nine out of 13 votes favoring the policy, including staff and council members alike.
    As of October, around 90 percent of city workers are fully vaccinated.

  • Why doctors are so worried about pregnant people getting COVID-19

    anadians who are pregnant are at higher risk for severe illness if they get COVID-19, yet many are still hesitating to get vaccinated, experts say.
    It’s terribly concerning, said Dr. Deborah Money, an obstetrics and gynecology professor who specializes in reproductive infectious diseases at the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.
    Pregnant women are undervaccinated compared to the rest of the population for sure, said Money, who works with CanCOVID-Preg, which tracks COVID-19 in pregnancies across the country.
    Early in the pandemic, data on the potential effects of COVID-19 on pregnant people and fetuses was limited — and pregnant people weren’t included in clinical vaccine trials. Even the World Health Organization failed to provide clear advice on vaccination for pregnant people in the early days, which contributed to uncertainty among both pregnant people and the primary care providers trying to give them the best medical advice on vaccination.
    But during the last several months, there has been growing consensus among experts that not only are COVID-19 vaccines safe for pregnant people, but also that pregnant people are among the groups at highest risk of serious illness if they are infected with the virus — and there can be consequences for their babies too.
    CBC News talked to obstetrician-gynecologists, immunologists and an infectious disease expert to get the most up-to-date facts. Here’s what we know.

    Why are pregnant people a high-risk group?

    Pregnant people who become infected with COVID-19 are more likely than non-pregnant people in their age group to become critically ill, said Dr. Alexander Wong, an infectious diseases expert in Regina. Saskatchewan is battling such high rates of COVID-19 hospitalization that it has had to fly critically ill patients to hospitals in other provinces.
    Being fully vaccinated dramatically reduces that risk, Wong said.
    Evidence from around the world continues to back that up, and Money said her team is in the midst of publishing a study showing substantially higher rates of hospitalization, ICU admission and higher rates of pre-term birth among pregnant women in Canada who weren’t vaccinated.
    One key reason pregnant people are so vulnerable to infections like COVID-19, immunology experts say, is that their immune systems have lowered defences.
    When a person is pregnant, they’re somewhat immunosuppressed because from the immune system’s perspective, the developing fetus is actually a foreign invader, said Angela Rasmussen, a virologist at the University of Saskatchewan’s Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) in Saskatoon.
    There are substantial rearrangements of the immune system during pregnancy so it doesn’t start attacking the developing fetus, she said.
    But vaccination triggers an effective immune response against specific threats like COVID-19, she said, so pregnant people should definitely get vaccinated.

    What about effects on the baby?

    More research is showing that not only is getting vaccinated safe for both parent and fetus — it likely has protective benefits after the baby is born, obstetrician-gynecologists and immunology experts told CBC News.
    Although pregnant people weren’t included in clinical trials before COVID-19 vaccines were authorized, real-world data collected after pregnant people have received the COVID-19 vaccine around the world have not raised any safety flags, they say.
    In the U.S. alone, more than 160,000 pregnant women have been vaccinated and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) did not find any safety concerns, Money said. That is looking extraordinarily reassuring in terms of no worse outcomes and, in fact, actually a trend toward better outcomes in pregnant women versus not [vaccinated], she said.
    Vaccinating pregnant people to protect them, as well as their babies, from viruses is not a new idea, said Dr. Kathryn Gray, an attending physician in maternal fetal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.
    Influenza and Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria, pertussis) vaccines are already recommended in pregnancy as a way to ensure babies  have some antibodies against flu and whooping cough when they’re born, she said.
    Gray, who is also an assistant professor at Harvard medical school in Boston, has been researching COVID-19 in pregnancy and has found antibodies against the virus that causes COVID-19 cross the placenta when the the parent is vaccinated, adding to increasing evidence that immunity benefits likely extend to the baby.
    Babies are born with the antibodies that mom has during the pregnancy, said Money.
    Antibodies from the vaccine have also been found in breast milk, Money said.
    The vaccine is [an] excellent way to protect against infection and serious illness and to give the baby some protection in the first few months of life before vaccination [for them] is possible, Money said.
    Not getting vaccinated puts the fetus at higher risk because people who get sick with COVID-19 are more likely to deliver prematurely, Money said.

    Does the COVID-19 vaccine affect fertility?

    No, experts say. And the spread of misinformation suggesting otherwise has been linked to many people of child-bearing age to delay getting vaccinated, they say.
    It’s a complete myth, said Gray. There is no effect on fertility of vaccination.
    Not only is there no evidence of any cases that would link the vaccine to fertility, there’s also no theoretical reason that could happen, said Dr. Jennifer Blake, CEO of the Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada (SOGC) based in Ottawa.
    There is no plausible way in which this vaccine could interfere with fertility, Blake said. It has nothing to do with our ovaries and with our eggs or with sperm production.
    One reason people may think the vaccine could affect their fertility is a study that suggested some people who had received it may have had temporary changes in their menstrual cycle for a month or two. However it’s not clear if there was a direct link, said Money.
    Even if there was, that doesn’t translate to infertility by any stretch, she said.
    It’s really worrisome because all this mythology about fertility and all this misinformation has meant that pregnant women are some of the lowest vaccinated even though they should be the most vaccinated, said Dawn Bowdish, an immunology professor at Hamilton’s McMaster University who is conducting a study on pregnant people and COVID-19.

    What about miscarriages?

    There is no evidence of any link between vaccines and miscarriages, all three obstetrician-gynecologists interviewed said.

    When is the best time for a pregnant person to get vaccinated?

    The COVID-19 vaccine is safe before and during any point in the pregnancy, as well as while breastfeeding, the experts said, noting that the best time to get vaccinated is as soon as possible.

    If pregnant people are a high-risk group, should they get booster shots?

    In the U.S., the CDC says people who are pregnant may receive a booster because of their risk of severe infection.  The timing of an mRNA vaccine booster is at least six months after the second dose of vaccine.
    In Canada, the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) has not yet recommended boosters for pregnant people.

    What are the COVID-19 vaccination rates among pregnant people?

    According to the CDC, about 35 per cent of pregnant people in the U.S. are fully vaccinated, compared to about 68 per cent of the general population.
    It’s difficult to get national data on vaccination rates among pregnant people in Canada, Money said, and there’s a lot of variability between the provinces and territories.  The most readily available data is in Ontario.  According to ICES (formerly known as the Institute for Clinical Evaluative Sciences), about 60 per cent of pregnant people in Ontario  are fully vaccinated, compared to around 80 per cent of the eligible population in the province.
    Nicole Ireland  · CBC News

  • Pasta prices rising after Alberta durum wheat crops hurt by summer drought

    The price of pasta is expected to rise at the grocery store and on restaurant menus because of a summer drought that affected durum wheat drops in Alberta and elsewhere.
    In August the price of Alberta durum wheat hit nearly $500 per tonne. That’s 70 per cent higher than it was in August of 2020.
    If you got $12 to $14 [per] bushel once in a while, in the past you were doing exceptionally [well], but when it got up to over $20 [per] bushel, I mean, that’s basically been unheard of in our industry up until now, said Lynn Jacobson, president of the Alberta Federation of Agriculture.
    Milled durum wheat, known as semolina, is the main ingredient in pasta.
    But not many Alberta durum wheat producers, the majority of whom are in the south, are expected to be able to capitalize on those prices, as southern Alberta and the Prairies were hit with heat waves and drought this summer.
    There are some people excited, some people disappointed. It’s all over the board and it’s all everybody’s individual situations, Jacobson said.
    Some people got a crop and got a fairly decent crop or even half of a crop of what they expected on normal yields. With the prices, they’re going to do OK.

    Low inventory pushing up prices

    The drought experienced in Canada, the U.S. and in Russia is expected to have an impact on pasta prices for consumers.
    Inventories are very low, which is really pushing prices much higher right now, and so for  processors, they’re certainly forced to revisit their terms. They have to renegotiate prices, said Sylvain Charlebois, director of the Agri-Foods Analytics Lab at Dalhousie University in Halifax.
    That’s why we are expecting some food categories to be impacted by what’s happening with the wheat market, Charlebois said.
    The Italian Centre Shop, with locations in the Edmonton area and one in Calgary, sells a lot of pasta imported from Italy.
    Company president Teresa Spinelli said it’s experienced a 20 per cent increase in the cost of pasta.
    That’s very, very significant because usually when price goes up a little bit, we try our best to not pass that on to our consumers. We try to eat that up, she said.
    But again, as the business world is getting really crazy and very global at this point, we have no choice when it’s 20 per cent and more. We’re going to have to pass it on to our consumers.
    Charlebois doesn’t expect a rise in pasta prices to impact consumer demand at the grocery store, as pasta is not typically an item cut out when consumers are budgeting.
    He does expect more of a ripple effect at local restaurants that make their own pasta in-house.
    Low-scale pasta makers will likely be hit harder, obviously, because they can’t buy in bulk, they can’t buy volume, so they’ll be hard hit by their suppliers. Will they adjust menu prices? Probably, he said.
    CBC News spoke with numerous owners of Edmonton restaurants. None said they had experienced hikes in prices for semolina at this point, but they’re keeping an eye on it along with a potential impact on menu prices.
    Travis McEwan · CBC News

  • Halton Region Opens Availability for Third COVID-19 shot

    Effective Saturday November 6, Halton Region is opening more appointments for residents to get their third dose of COVID-19 vaccine.  The move follows a directive from the Province of Ontario.
    “Thank you to everyone who has rolled up their sleeves or helped someone get to their appointment.  Our clinics, online booking system and friendly 311 staff are ready to support those now eligible to receive a third dose,” Halton Region Chair Gary Carr said.  Eligible residents are able to book appointments through the Region’s booking system here 
    Eligibility will follow the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI) guidelines, and will be limited to the following:

    • 70 years of age or older (born in 1951 or earlier)
    • Healthcare workers and designated essential caregivers in congregate settings
    • Those who have received 2 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine or a single dose of the Janssen vaccine
    • First Nation, Inuit and Metis adults as well as their non-indigenous household members

    Third doses are also available through 100 pharmacies and primary care providers by appointment.

    • Milton: FirstOntario Arts Centre- 1010 Main St, Milton
    • Burlington: Gary Allan Learning Centre-3250 New St
    • Halton Hills: Gellert Community Centre- 10241 8th Line
    • Oakville- YMCA: 410 Rebecca St

    Walk-in appointments will no longer be offered after November 5, 2021 at the community clinics.  The GOVAXX buses are however offering appointments.  For more information visit their website

  • Ford to Protect Hospital Workers from Vaccine Requirements

    By: Laura Steiner
    Ontario Premier Doug Ford will not force Ontario’s hospital workers to be vaccinated.  He made the decision in a statement released late yesterday afternoon.
    “The reality is that because of high vaccination rates among hospital workers and robust prevention and control (IPAC) measures, including frequent testing of any hospital worker who isn’t vaccinated, only six out for 141 public hospital systems or less than 5% currently have an COVID-19 outbreak,” Ford said in a lengthy statement.
    The Ontario Hospital Association questioned the Ford Government ‘s leadership on the file.  “The Public Hospitals Act already requires hospitals to have communicable disease policies in place requiring proof of vaccination/immunity for 17 conditions including measles, rubella, varicella, and tuberculosis.  COVID-19 should be treated no differently,” OHA President and CEO Anthony Dale said in a statement released to the group’s website.
    “This is a confusing decision,” Ontario NDP Andrea Horwath said as part of her response.  She was concerned about vulnerable populations.  “Unvaccinated staff should not be allowed in the ICU, in pediatric wards with sick babies, in the homes of vulnerable home care patients, or anywhere at all in health care, or in our schools,” she told a press conference according to CTV News.
    Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca accused the Premier of pleasing the anti-vaccine community.  “He’s putting our most vulnerable patients in harm’s way because he’s scared that the Conservative anti-vax community won’t support his re-election otherwise,” he tweeted
    Ford fears that a COVID-19 vaccine mandate will trigger the departure of healthcare workers.  “Experience in other Canadian jurisdictions tells us that implementing a province-wide vaccine mandate for hospital workers can negatively impact the care patients receive,” Ford said.  An estimated 3,000 healthcare workers were fired following the introduction of a mandatory COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers.