The Tilbury Times

Year: 2021

  • van Koeverden Wins Second Term as MP

    By: Laura Steiner, Local Journalism Initiative
    Liberal candidate Adam van Koeverden has won his second term as Milton’s Member of Parliament.
    van Koeverden released a statement through his Facebook page thanking Milton voters for their support. “I don’t take your trust for granted.  I intend to continue earning it every day by listening, community organizing and working hard,” he said.  van Koeverden garnered 27,763 votes with 195 of 196 polls reporting.

    Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) candidate Nadeem Akbar came in second with 17,752 votes.  Akbar pledged to be ready in case of another election.  “Justin Trudeau said he may call another election in 18 months to try and get the majority he failed to achieve after this untimely $600 million election.  If that happens, the Conservative Party and I will be ready,” he said in a statement published to his Facebook page earlier today.  The threat of potential election in 18 months refers to remarks Trudeau made following the French language debate earlier this month.
    NDP candidate Muhammad Riaz Sahi came in third, with 4,925 votes.  People’s Party of Canada candidate (PPC) Shibli Haddad was fifth with 2,365  Green Party of Canada (GPC) candidate Chris Kowalchuk came fourth with 1,280 votes.  There were 88,998 electors registered to vote.  55,878 of them (61%) turned out to vote.  The Liberals ended up with 158 seats forming a minority government, and Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) 119 will sit as the opposition.  The NDP have 25 seats, and the Bloc Quebecois will sit with 34.   The People’s Party of Canada (PPC) will have 0 seats in the new Parliament.  For a full list of results click here
     

  • Ontario English Catholic Teachers Demand Safe Schools

    By Saeed Akhtar, Local Journalism Initiative
    The Ontario English Catholic Teachers’ Association (OECTA) has launched Safe Schools Now, a new campaign calling on the Ford government to invest in and implement safety measures recommended by the Ontario Science Table.
    “Despite having more than 18 months to develop a plan to address COVID-19 in our schools and make the investments necessary for a safe learning environment, the Ford government has refused to act, threatening in-person learning,” says OECTA President Barb Dobrowolski.  They are also calling for the implementation of recommendations from the Ontario Science Table and SickKids hospital.
    The Financial $12 billion in cuts forecast over the next decade according to the Financial Accountability Office (FAO).
    The group is asking for the following recommendations:

    • a mandatory vaccination program in schools;
    • mandatory masking for all teachers, education workers, students, and visitors in schools;
    • smaller class sizes to allow for proper physical distancing;
    • improved ventilation, with public air quality measurements and transparency, so we know if safety standards in schools are being met;
    • COVID-19 outbreak management, including robust testing and tracing;
    • investments to address student learning loss and mental health concerns; and
    • improved vaccination education, outreach, and accessibility.

    “Catholic teachers are inviting all educators, parents, and Ontarians to join us in calling on this government to act and invest in a safe and sustainable school year,” Dobrowolski said.
    To learn more about the campaign visit the Safe Schools website.
     

  • RESCON says Ontario vaccine passports crucial to raising COVID-19 vaccination rate

    By: Shazia Nazir, Local Journalism Initiative
    The Residential Construction Council of Ontario (RESCON) has issued a statement in support of Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s announcement enhanced vaccine passport program .
    The advocacy group feels it will boost the vaccination throughout the province and the industry. “We expect that vaccination passports will increase vaccination rates across both non-essential and essential industries, in turn keeping workers safe and the economy open.” RESCON President Richard Lyall
    90% of the province’s population will need to be fully vaccinated to end the pandemic within six to eight months according to Dr. Kieran Moore, Ontario’s chief medical officer.  Approximately 79% of all eligible Ontarians are fully vaccinated.
    As of today, Ontarians must show proof of identification of immunization against the pandemic virus to be granted entry to indoor settings including: restaurants, meeting spaces, and conferences.  Until October 22, the rollout of the new policy involves using the vaccine receipts issued by the government. A mobile app is scheduled to be launched on October 22, at which point  those who have been vaccinated will be able to use QR codes to access services.
    To download your receipt click here 
     

  • These new Canadians cast their first federal ballots. Here’s what they thought

    Tareq Hadhad never had a chance to vote in a free and democratic election in his birth country of Syria.
    That’s why the moment, earlier this week, when he cast a ballot in Canada will always be special to him.
    I am so honoured, he said in a Twitter video on Monday. I will cherish this memory forever and I will tell my grandkids that the 2021 election mattered, and I am proud to know that my vote makes a difference.
    Hadhad, who resides in Antoginish, N.S., came to Canada as a refugee in 2015, and is the founder of Peace by Chocolate, a local confectionery. He became a citizen in 2020 and is one of millions of Canadians who have cast an advance ballot (new window) in the federal election.
    I don’t take anything for granted since I arrived in Canada, and that was one of the reasons why I celebrated voting for the first time, Hadhad said in an interview. I will never forget that feeling of being able to create change by casting your vote.

  • Canadian Dream slipping out of reach for young families. as housing crisis looms

    This federal election is putting the spotlight on housing affordability in Canada.  Many millennials want to own homes and fulfill the Canadian dream, but are unable to afford to do so.
    “If the last election was about jobs, jobs, jobs, this election is about homes, homes, homes,” said Ontario Real Estate Association (OREA) President David Oikle. OREA  argues that will only happen if governments make it easier for first-time buyers to own a home.  The advocacy group went through the platforms of the three major parties and broke them down under four different headings.
    Increasing Housing Supply
    Canadians want to own homes, but the lack of supply is causing a crisis, with more buyers chasing fewer and fewer homes. Creating more supply is essential in addressing the affordability crisis:
    Liberals: Building, preserving, or repairing 1.4 million homes over four years; converting empty office spaces into housing with $300 million in new funding; creating the Multigenerational Home Renovation Tax Credit to support secondary suites in homes; creating a Housing Accelerator Fund worth $4 billion to help cities build homes faster.
    Conservatives: Build 1 million homes in the next three years; release 15 percent of federal real estate for housing; encourage developers to invest in rental housing by extending the ability to defer capital gains tax when selling a rental and reinvesting in rental housing.
    NDP: Set up a dedicated fast start fund to streamline the application process; mobilize federal resources for co-op, social and non-profit housing by repurposing unused and under-used properties; spur the construction of affordable homes by waiving the federal portion of the GST/HST on the construction of new affordable rental units.
    All three parties have promised to build more homes.  All three have a plan to repurpose underutilized federal properties, a move the group supports. Repurposing such properties will create thousands of new housing supply options and encourage further development. The Liberal multi-generational renovation tax credit could encourage provincial governments to continue creating policy that would reduce red tape on things related to the development of secondary suites and give more Ontarians access to this affordable form of housing.
    The CPC’s commitment to building homes alongside transit infrastructure aligns with OREA’s position on using zoning to encourage the development of transit-oriented communities and encourage density near transit hubs by removing barriers to housing construction.
    The NDP’s idea to waive the GST/HST on affordable rental housing addresses the need for a wide range of new housing for young families. A lack of housing supply causes a ripple effect: because first-time buyers can’t get into the market, they stay in rental units longer, which means people can’t move out of social housing and into apartments.
     
    Money Laundering in Real Estate
    All three parties have a plan to get dirty money out of the real estate industry.  Money laundering keeps hardworking families from accessing homes. OREA advocates getting dirty money out of a real estate. A public beneficial ownership registry would require purchasers to identify themselves to land title authorities, ensuring criminals who are laundering money through a real estate can no longer remain anonymous.
    Supporting First-Time Buyers
    It is not a surprise that first-time homebuyers are facing the most significant challenge when it comes to Ontario’s real estate market. Millennials and young families want to own homes, but it has never been tougher to achieve due to rising home prices pushing homeownership out of reach. OREA feels that new supports for first-time buyers are definitely needed.
    Liberals: Introduce a tax-free First Home Savings Account to allow Canadians under 40 to save up to $40,000 for a home; make the first-time homebuyer (FTHB) incentive more flexible to give Canadians the option of a deferred mortgage loan as an alternative to the current shared equity model; double the FTHB Tax Credit.
    Conservatives: Encourage a new market in seven- to ten-year mortgages to provide stability for first-time buyers and lenders; increase the limit on eligibility for mortgage insurance and index it to home price inflation to allow those in high-priced real estate markets with less than a 20% down-payment an opportunity at homeownership.
    NDP: Double the FTHB tax Credit; re-introduce 30-year terms on CMHC insured mortgages on entry-level homes for FTHB.
    Both the Liberals and NDP have promised to double the first-time homebuyer tax credit (taking it from $5,000 to $10,000), which will save the average buyer roughly $1,500 at closing.
    Housing Affordability
    Canadians want the government to take action to make homeownership more affordable.  The three political parties promise the following:
    Liberals: Reduce monthly mortgage costs by reducing the price charged by the CMHC on mortgage insurance by 25 percent.
    Conservatives: Fix the stress test to stop discriminating against small business owners, contractors, non-permanent employees, and casual workers; remove the stress test requirement on mortgage renewals.
    NDP: Provide resources to facilitate co-housing (co-ownership agreements) and ease access to financing by offering CMHC-backed co-ownership mortgages.
    The Liberal plan to lower mortgage insurance rates by 25 percent would result in an average of $6,100 in savings for an insured mortgage holder and broaden the pathway to homeownership.
    Government restrictions like the mortgage stress test are unfairly disadvantaging home buyers, especially millennials looking to enter the market for the first time or young families looking to move up.
    The Liberals and NDP both support co-ownership/share equity models as a solution to improving housing choice and making it easier for more people to enter the market, adding legitimacy to the rent-to-own model. “It’s clear our federal leaders are paying attention, and this election has brought Canada’s housing affordability crisis to the forefront of the political debate,” said Oikle. “The Liberals, Conservatives, and NDP all have their own plans on how to best address the crisis and have put their ideas on the table, leaving the decision with voters.”

  • Simcoe hospital contracts delivery ward due to nursing shortage

    By: J.P. Antonacci, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Hamilton Spectator
    With her delivery date mere weeks away, Jillian Adams had a plan.
    She intended to labour in her Simcoe home as long as possible, only making the short drive to Norfolk General Hospital at the last moment to give birth to her first child.
    “And that’s easy when the hospital is five minutes away,” Adams said.
    But her plan had to change after the news NGH’s delivery unit would be closing due to a lack of nurses.
    What was a five-minute drive will now be a 40-minute commute to Brantford General Hospital. Adams said she would not be surprised to end up making that trip a few times.
    “That’s really common with your first baby. You get sent home because you’re not far enough along,” she said.
    Having to switch hospitals so close to her Oct. 8 due date has Adams feeling some nerves.
    “I think I’ll be more anxious when I’m in labour to get to the hospital. It’s my first delivery and I don’t know what to expect,” she said.
    “If (the hospital) was five minutes away, I could be more patient with myself and my labour.”
    Norfolk General’s delivery ward closed on Monday, with obstetrical care transferred to the Brant County Healthcare System.
    Hospital spokesperson Aaron Gautreau said the closure is expected to last “between 12 to 18 months.”
    The move leaves Haldimand-Norfolk residents without a functioning local delivery ward for the first time since Norfolk General Hospital opened in 1925.
    The hospital delivered some 350 babies last year. Expectant parents now have to choose between hospitals in Brantford, Woodstock or Hamilton.
    Adams was told of the closure last Thursday by her obstetrician, but the news did not come as a surprise.
    “The rumours were going around so I was prepared to hear it,” she said.
    On top of sudden logistical complications, Adams said the news left her “saddened” that she would not be giving birth at her local hospital.
    “My grandpa was born there, my dad was born there, and I was looking forward to giving birth there,” she said.
    Hospital staff struggled with the decision to close the unit, said NGH obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. Brian Ferguson.
    “It’s something that none of us wanted to do. Our senior leadership team tried their very best to prevent this from happening,” he said.
    “Unfortunately, there is a nursing shortage crisis across Canada, including the province of Ontario. We can all agree that we have to put patient safety first.”
    The nursing shortage predates the pandemic, but the challenge of responding to COVID-19 drove more burned-out nurses out of the profession, Gautreau added.
    A $5,000 signing bonus offered by the hospital to attract applicants to the delivery unit was later raised to $10,000, but the shortage persisted, prompting Norfolk General to close its COVID-19 testing centre for a few weeks in August due to lack of staff.
    The hospital’s interim CEO, Kim Mullins, reassured expectant parents there is a “comprehensive transition plan” in place to ensure patients would “continue to have access to high-quality prenatal care” in Brantford.
    She said the hope is to reopen NGH’s delivery unit when the hospital’s staffing level “stabilizes.”
    “That is our goal, and we will continue to work towards that,” Mullins said.
    Norfolk Roots Midwives, a local midwifery organization whose members had recently taken shifts at NGH to help fill the gap, pledged to support their clients during the transition.
    “All of our midwives have privileges at Brantford General,” the group said in a Facebook post.
    “We maintain a positive working relationship with the obstetricians, nurses and midwives at BGH, which should help make those of you choosing a BGH birth feel more comfortable.”
    Ferguson is Adams’ obstetrician, and while he won’t be in the room when her son is born, he is still able to treat her in Simcoe before and after the birth through an agreement with the Brant Community Healthcare System.
    “That makes it easier, because I don’t have to drive out of town for my appointments,” Adams said.
    She counts herself fortunate to have a car and a partner with a flexible work schedule who can take her to Brantford at a moment’s notice.
    “But it’s true there are women who may not be in such a lucky position,” Adams said, noting many Haldimand-Norfolk residents already had to make a long drive to Simcoe to give birth and this closure has compounded that challenge.
    Adams said she remains “very excited” about her delivery, wherever it has to happen, and is looking forward to the day when she and her husband, Ryan Heffernan, can bring their new son home.
    “My first choice is Simcoe, but Brantford has a great reputation and a brand new labour and delivery ward, so there is a silver lining in the end,” she said.

  • Halton Elected Officials Endorse Calls for Safety Zones around hospitals

    By: Laura Steiner, Local Journalism Initiative
    Halton elected officials are endorsing calls for safety zones around hospitals in order to protect patients, visitors and staff.
    The support follows a protest September 8 at Joseph Brant in Burlington.  Protesters marched on the grounds at the Joseph Brant Museum spreading what community leaders describe as misinformation, as well as an anti-mask message.
    Halton elected officials released a statement partly addressing the protesters.  “We know they join in our respect for everyone’s right of peaceful protest.  We know they also believe protests must not take place in locations or in ways that could impede access to essential care,” they said.  The statement was signed by councilors in Milton, Oakville, Burlington, and Halton Hills.
    Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath has proposed to create safety zones around hospitals and businesses for protection against anti-vaccination protests.   “The growing number of scary anti-public health protests targeting hospitals should be enough to get Doug Ford to come back to work and jump into action,” she said.  Horwath’s proposed legislation includes making targeted harassment within safety zones punishable by a fine of up to $25,000.  The Legislature is on summer break until October 4, 2021.

  • New Canada-U.S. Agreement Will Only Assist Afghan Refugees Who Qualify

    By: Zahra Mahdi, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, New Canadian Media
    Canada and the United States have struck an agreement to allow U.S.-assisted Afghan evacuees currently living in a third country to enter Canada if they meet certain asylum requirements, Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada (IRCC) has announced.
    Canada will welcome up to 5,000 refugees whose evacuations were facilitated by the U.S. The agreement is part of Canada’s commitment to welcome 20,000 Afghan refugees in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of that country.
    According to IRCC’s announcement,  this collaboration will help reduce current pressures in the global resettlement system, facilitating and accelerating wider international efforts to support Afghan refugees and to welcome them to Canada.
    Refugees must meet all eligibility and admissibility requirements, including entering Canada from countries where they have been temporarily located after fleeing Afghanistan.
    The agreement comes amidst growing demands to make the plight of Afghan citizens an issue in the federal election campaign following the end of Canada’s evacuation mission.
    Many have criticized the federal government for its evacuation operation in Afghanistan starting too late, leaving many vulnerable Afghans behind.
    Waiting for a Visa
    The announcement is welcome news to Farzana, who’s asked to be only identified by her first name because she fears she could be in danger. She is a 21-year-old Afghan national who flew out of Afghanistan on U.S. flights.
    “My mother worked for a military family in Afghanistan. She asked them to take me out of Afghanistan with them. I flew to Qatar and then to Germany,” she told New Canadian Media.
    Farzana, who was studying Pharmacology in Afghanistan when the Taliban took over, explained her situation to the IRCC via email, hoping to receive refuge in Canada. She has not heard from the government as of the time of writing.
    Although Canada has announced this agreement which could potentially help people like Farzana, she has no hope of receiving a response because of what she describes as a deluge of emails from Afghan nationals in similar situations to IRCC.
    Farzana told NCM that upon arriving in Germany, the people who had helped her get out of Afghanistan could no longer accompany her.
    As of time of writing,  Farzana is on her own in Germany, waiting for a visa from the U.S. or Canada.
    “I want to be reunited with my parents and two younger sisters. I don’t want my mother to work in people’s houses anymore,” she said.
    Canada-U.S. Cooperation
    Canada and the U.S. have a long record of cooperation in border and immigration affairs.
    The Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement (STCA), for example, requires refugee claimants to seek refugee protection in the first safe country they arrive in unless they qualify for an exception.
    According to the federal government, the Agreement helps both countries better manage access to the refugee system in each country for people crossing the Canada–U.S. land border.
    But many migrant rights advocates have come out against it, arguing it gives Canadian and American governments too much control over the outcome of refugee applications, thus increasing the rate of denials and deportations.
    Generally, not all asylum seekers succeed in obtaining refugee status in the first country they enter — for various reasons including errors or unfairness that occur in a country’s assessment of the asylum claimant. As a result, they would pass through a few countries and make a claim in each of them.
    The Canadian and American governments have argued that is not an efficient way to receive and evaluate claims since both countries have very similar legal systems. The STCA therefore limits asylum seekers to making one claim in the first safe country in which they arrive.
    As a result, most people who come to Canada via the U.S. are prevented from claiming asylum in this country.
    There are some exceptions to this which includes unaccompanied minors, having family members like a spouse or parent who’s already a citizen or permanent resident, having a valid work or study permit, and  public interest reasons such as facing the possibility of a death sentence in the U.S.
    It should be noted that in July 2020, the Supreme Court of Canada found the STCA unconstitutional, following a claim by the Canadian Council for Refugees, noting that “asylum seekers whom Canada turns away because of the STCA are automatically imprisoned by U.S. authorities and treated in ways that cause both physical and psychological suffering,” according the Library of Parliament’s website.
    “The court decided that the STCA would cease to have effect in January 2021. However, this deadline was extended by the Federal Court of Appeal, pending an appeal by the federal government.”
    The Agreement between Canada and the U.S. for the Sharing of Visa and Immigration Information also lays out mutual obligations for the sharing of relevant biographic and biometric-based information through automated processes to assist in the effective administration and enforcement of each country’s respective immigration laws.
    Although Canada has promised to resettle some 20,000 Afghan refugees, it has transported or facilitated the transport of 3,700 so far, including Canadian citizens, their family members, citizens of allied countries, people with a lasting connection to Canada, and Afghan nationals at risk accepted for resettlement in Canada or by its allies.

  • Halton Resuming School-related immunizations

    By: Laura Steiner
    Halton Region is opening four community immunization clinics to help with school-related vaccines.  The clinics will open September 20, 2021.
    “With many local pharmacies and primary care providers now offering the COVID-19 vaccine, Halton Region will be able to transition some of our clinic locations to help Halton students catch-up on their important school-based immunizations, as well as continuing to operate COVID-19 vaccine clinics for those who haven’t gotten their COVID-19 vaccine yet,” Halton Region Chair Gary Carr said.  The COVID-19 pandemic forced the Region to pause the delivery of school-based immunizations.
    The eligibility will be as follows:

    Over 30,000 born between 2004, and 2009 require one of three school-based vaccines, while post-secondary students born in 2002-2003 may have missed their chances.
    “This program will leverage the successes from our COVID-19 clinics, including many of the clinic locations, resources, supplies and technology, to efficiently implement these mass clinics and begin catching up students as quickly as possible,” Halton Region Medical Officer of Health Dr. Hamidah Meghani said.   Residents are able to book appointments beginning September 16 for their shots.
    The Region will still operate two COVID-19 vaccination clinics.  One at the YMCA-Oakville, and the second at the FirstOntario Arts Centre.  Appointments are available only on a walk-in basis.  To learn more about alternate locations offering COVID-19 shots please visit the Region’s website
    Halton Region recorded an increase of 23 cases of COVID-19, six of which are from Milton. 81% of Halton residents have received both doses.
     

  • Inflation rate spikes to 4.1% in August, highest since 2003

    Canada’s consumer price index touched its highest level in almost two decades last month, as the price of just about everything is up sharply compared to the transitory lows of a year ago.
    Statistics Canada reported Wednesday that the inflation rate hit 4.1 per cent during the month. That’s up from 3.7 per cent in July, which was already the highest rate in a decade.
    Just about every type of good or service was a lot more expensive in August than it was a year earlier, including shelter (up 4.8 per cent), transportation (8.7 per cent) and food (2.7 per cent).
    The homeowner replacement cost index — a number the data agency tabulates that factors in all the costs associated with owning a home, including property taxes, maintenance, insurance and mortgage interest costs — rose by 14 per cent in the year up to August. That’s the sharpest jump in that metric since 1987.
    CBC News