COVID-19: Health Minister urges caution as B.C. enters Phase 3
By Eva Zhu — VANCOUVER — As B.C. officially entered Phase 3 Thursday, Health Minister Adrian Dix urged people planning to ramp up their outdoor activities to keep following COVID-19 safety protocols. Speaking at the daily COVID-19 briefing, Dix said it’s important people remain vigilant and conscious about social distancing,Continue Reading
‘I don’t feel safe’: calls for Ottawa police union head to resign and to defund the police
By Mira Williamson –– A long-time anti-racism activist is joining the call for the president of the Ottawa Police Association (OPA) to step down, saying the service’s response to his alleged misogynistic statement about a grieving Black woman has been inadequate. “I personally think it’s reflective of police culture,” saidContinue Reading
Ontario Teachers experience challenges of distance learning on last day of school
By: Adriana Vicic – The last days of June mark the end of the school in Ontario—normally a bittersweet time for teachers to say goodbye to the students they’ve seen all year while looking forward to the summer ahead. But after months of uncertainty and online-learning hurdles since the COVID-19Continue Reading
Virtual teach-in introduces abolition and police-free schools in Peel
Monika Sidhu — A Peel Region group focused on social justice held an online workshop this week to help people understand what abolition means when it comes to policing. Acknowledging that while there have been calls to “abolish” and “defund” the police, many people have difficulty wrapping their heads aroundContinue Reading
Ford says city park camps are not the answer to homelessness
Ontario Premier Doug Ford said people who are homeless can’t sleep in tents in the city because “it looks terrible.” The comment was made during Ford’s Wednesday COVID-19 briefing, after a reporter asked about the recent discovery of a body in an encampment underneath Toronto’s Gardiner Expressway. Ford acknowledged thatContinue Reading
Ottawa to increase COVID-19 domestic production, focus on Indigenous-led businesses
By Vicky Qiao — To prepare for a potential second-wave of COVID-19, Ottawa is committed to diversifying supply chains and increasing domestic production, said Public Services and Procurement Minister Anita Anand. The federal government has ordered 13.5 million non-medical masks with a focus on supporting Indigenous-led businesses, she said atContinue Reading
Ford excludes Windsor-Essex from the rest of Ontario’s Phase 2 reopening
By Adriana Vicic — Peel Region and Toronto will move into Phase 2 of reopening as of June 24, while Windsor-Essex remains in Phase 1, said Ontario Premier Doug Ford on Monday. The news makes Windsor-Essex the only region of Ontario to be excluded from Phase 2 allowances due to aContinue Reading
‘These are very important priorities’ – Ottawa’s new anti-racism liaison talks to Western Journalism Studio about city-building with an eye to equity
By Mira Williamson — The City of Ottawa has hired an anti-racism and ethnocultural liaison to lead its new anti-racism department. This newly formed department will help the nation’s capital look at all municipal policies—from active transportation, to roads, to public health through an equity lens, said the liaison, Coun.Continue Reading
Virtual celebrations aim to bring ‘health and wellness’ for National Indigenous Peoples Day
By Eva Zhu — Vancouver — It’s a celebration that usually draws thousands to Trout Lake, but with COVID-19 putting a halt to gatherings this year, organizers are hoping people tune into National Indigenous Peoples Day (NIPD) online. “We’ve had to downsize this annual event a fair bit because ofContinue Reading
Trudeau announces 500 green jobs in STEM to support students
By Monika Sidhu — There will be 500 new green jobs and internships available for young Canadians within the science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) fields, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday. The Prime Minister said the jobs will range from about six months to one year in length, andContinue Reading