Ontario will embark on a three-step reopening strategy when the province’s stay-at-home order ends on June 2.
Premier Doug Ford unveiled the plan on Thursday that will see public health measures gradually lifted based on provincewide vaccination rates and improvements in key public health and health care indicators. He also confirmed plans to reopen golf and other recreational facilities in time for the May 24 long weekend.
The first stage, which is expected to begin June 14, will see outdoor activities resume with smaller crowds where the risk of transmission is low, including outdoor gatherings of up to 10 people and outdoor dining with up to four people per table. Non-essential retail operations will be allowed to open at 15 per cent capacity. This will happen when 60 per cent of adults in the province have been vaccinated with one dose.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said Thursday that 58 percent of adults have received at least one dose, meaning the province is on track to moved into the first step by the middle of next month.
The second stage will see a further expansion of outdoor activities with gatherings of up to 25 people, outdoor sports and leagues, as well as personal care services – such as barbershops and nail salons – where face coverings can be worn with capacity limits of 15 per cent. This stage won’t kick in until 70 per cent of adults are vaccinated with one dose or 20 per cent of the population has received two doses.
The third stage will include easing restrictions on indoor sports and recreational fitness, indoor dining, museums, art galleries and libraries, larger indoor religious services, and casinos and bingo halls, with capacity limits. This stage will require 70 to 80 per cent of adults to be vaccinated with at least one dose and 25 per cent vaccinated with two doses.
The province will remain in each step for 21 days “to evaluate any impacts on key public health and health system indicators.”
The province plans to reopen outdoor recreational amenities, with restrictions, starting Saturday. Golf courses, soccer and other sports fields, tennis and basketball courts, and skate parks will be limited to five people, including members of different households. However, no outdoor sports or recreational classes will be permitted at this time.
Once the stay-at-home orders end on June 2, the province says it will employ the emergency brake restrictions until it is ready to embark on the first stage during the week of June 14.
Ontario’s hospitals asked Ford for a staged and cautious reopening of the province to avoid a fourth wave of the virus.
In a letter to the premier, the Ontario Hospital Association said several factors should be considered in plans to ease restrictions.
The association said vaccination coverage and supply, disease incidence, and an understanding of infection sources are such factors.
The letter said the reopening plan should be evidence based and focused on limiting the spread of COVID-19.
“We are all looking forward to re-opening the province, but the speed and scope must be carefully considered,” the group said.
“Ontarians must have confidence that the goal is to avoid a fourth wave and the subsequent need to re-impose province-wide restrictions, above all else.”
It also said reopening plans must include equitable access for marginalized communities.
On Wednesday, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones hinted reopening by region would not be in the plan because people tend to region-hop to where things are open. She also hinted that outdoor activities would not open before long weekend.
Ontario’s Science Advisory Table has repeatedly called for allowing residents to gather outdoors, safely, saying activities like golf, tennis and beach volleyball are low risk.
Dr. Peter Juni said recently that in some cases if physical distancing cannot be maintained during the activity, people should wear masks.
Files from The Canadian Press were used in this report
Multiple prominent international, national and local organizations have suspended their relationships with the University of Toronto over a hiring scandal in the Faculty of Law’s International Human Rights Program (IHRP).
The hiring of a preferred candidate, selected by a committee, was suddenly terminated.
The organizations that have suspended their relationships with U of T believe that the hire was terminated because a donor to the school raised concerns about the candidate’s academic work on human rights in Israel and Palestine.
The Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) Council imposed a rare censure against the school in April following an investigation, which concluded that the university administration had violated academic freedom and other principles that are fundamental to higher education.
CAUT called the decision not to proceed with the hiring was “politically motivated.”
The sanction means that the group’s 72,000 members across Canada are asked not to accept appointments or speaking engagements at the school.
“[What happened] is a violation of institutional autonomy but it’s also censorship for the conduct of academic research,” CAUT Executive Director David Robinson said.
This week, Amnesty International announced it was also pausing its partnership with the U of T, stating it is “greatly concerned about the sequence of events” that transpired.
In addition, Human Rights Watch has spoken out against the school, saying this case “speaks to the core of what academic freedom means and the principle that no country should be off limits for critique of its rights record. Human Rights Watch’s academic partnership with the University of Toronto law school needs to be based on upholding these values for it to continue.”
Controversy and review
The concerns arose last fall around the hiring process for a new director of the U of T’s International Human Rights Program.
A preferred candidate, Dr. Valentina Azarova, was unanimously chosen by the hiring committee as “strong, unanimous and enthusiastic first choice,” but the hiring process was suddenly terminated. An allegation was made that outside influence was the cause.
Dr. Azarova is an international lawyer and human rights scholar who has published extensively on international law in the context of Israel and Palestine.
In December, the school commissioned a review of the situation.
The report conducted by former Supreme Court Justice Thomas Albert Cromwell concluded that the decision not to hire Dr. Azarova was made due to immigration issues as the German national would not have been able to acquire a work permit on time and wouldn’t have been able to start on the timeline stipulated by university.
However, many aren’t buying it.
“It doesn’t pass the smell test,” Robinson said. “Suddenly in an hour or two it all comes off the rails and the only thing that’s changed in that period is an influential donor raised concerns with the university administration.”
“This case raises some really tricky and delicate questions about the role of outside influences in terms of what universities and colleges do. In this particular case, a donor intervened to stop the hiring of a faculty member because of her research into Israel and Palestine.”
In a statement, Amnesty International said “we are unable to take at face value the claim that the hire was frozen solely due to immigration issues, rather than external influence from a major university donor critical of Dr. Azarova’s academic work on Israel and Palestine.”
CityNews sent questions and requested an interview with the U of T.
A spokesperson declined, responding only with this statement: “We are aware of the letter from Amnesty International. We regret that they are pausing their relationship with the University. We have enjoyed a highly productive relationship with Amnesty International and very much hope to resume this relationship in the future.”
Further questions raised
Robinson notes though the report seemingly clears the university overall, it actually shines a light on many troubling issues.
“At the high level, it read exoneration but when you read the details you think, ‘He’s guilty’,” he said.
The report states that an inquiry was made by an alumnus on Sept. 4 to the Assistant Vice President (AVP) and “the Alumnus raised the appointment of the new Director of the IHRP.”
Justice Cromwell’s report said the alumnus had indicated to the Assistant Vice President that if the appointment of the preferred candidate was made, it would be “controversial and could cause reputational harm to the University.” The AVP also indicated the alumnus indicated that “as a judge, he could not become involved.”
The review also details that “Selection Committee Member 1 recalls that the Dean said ‘it [i.e. the Preferred Candidate’s work on Israel/Palestine] is an issue’”.
“It shows a dean that was completely uninterested in the hiring process,” Robinson said.
Robinson said the thing that changed was a donor calling. Once that happened, the dean “sprang into action and within 48 hours, the hiring process had been terminated.”
“A dean overrode the decision of a hiring committee based on dubious grounds,” said Robinson.
That selection committee member later resigned shortly after, citing the dean’s decision to “overrule the hiring committee’s decision” as the reason.
Cromwell’s report specifically detailed that “there were several instances in which the confidentiality of the search process was not respected” and “there is no formal policy speaking expressly to the question of if and to what extent alumni and donors may appropriately be involved in the University’s hiring decisions.”
The President of U of T put out a statement after the report was published.
“While those involved in the search acted in good faith, we can all agree that certain things should have been done differently,” Meric Gertler said. “At the same time, I would like to emphasize my confidence in the power of the community’s shared values and the goodwill.”
Fallout continues
The censure against the university has led to a slew of cancelled speaking engagements there, including one involving the former Governor General of Canada Michaëlle Jean.
As well, many firms have delisted the University of Toronto for clinical partnerships pending the resolution of this matter.
Lawyer Saron Gebresellassi tells CityNews, in the meantime, her Toronto firm is choosing to work with the University of Ottawa instead.
“I’m looking for leadership at the university… to know what is the vision here? The damage just accumulates day after day,” she said.
‘Black eye’ on the university
“University administration was hoping it would be business as usual but the reality is business is not as usual and the University of Toronto has a significant black eye here,” Robinson said.
He said the only course of action that could redeem the school’s reputation would be to reverse their decision and hire Dr. Azarova.
Currently, the role of director of the U of T’s International Human Rights Program remains vacant.
NDP Member of Provincial Parliament and Official Opposition Education Critic Marit Stiles, as well as 76 Parent Committee Chairs from public school boards across Ontario, are calling on Premier Ford’s government to halt plans for permanent online learning.
In a letter sent to Minister of Education Stephen Lecce, MPP Stiles and the chairs write their main concerns relate to a lack of transparency.
They write that making online learning a permanent option would include centralizing “control of online learning under the auspices of TVOntario…and removing control from school boards that currently have collaborative consortia to deliver online courses.”
They’re also worried about the possibility of the provincial government privatizing education.
With the reliance of TVOntario in the Ministry of Education’s proposal, they’re worried about the possibility of this approach leading to “further privatization, increasing commercially packaged programs for credits that do not have the necessary pedagogical rigor and alignment to the Ontario curriculum.”
Another main concern addressed in the letter is the mental wellbeing of Ontario students.
They write that the MOE’s proposal “may be promoting the online learning option to the detriment of student well-being and undermining the integrity of our education system.” They add that the Ontario Public School Boards’ Association found several instances of “feelings of isolation” and increases in mental health concerns among students since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In their letter, they offer three recommendations to the provincial government as to how to address their concerns. These include:
- that the Ministry of Education delay the proposed implementation of permanent online learning, and consult with education stakeholders on the best ways to offer this.
- that the Ministry of Education create a “working table” of school board members, parents, education experts, and TVOntario staff to create a “mutually beneficial” system.
- that the Ministry of Education create clearly defined terminology for online learning, which can lead to a clear distinction of roles and responsibilities for school boards and TVOntario staff.
The Minister of Education hasn’t responded.
Canada’s military police have referred their investigation into the general who oversaw Canada’s vaccination campaign to Quebec’s prosecution service, which has responsibility for laying charges in the province.
The move was announced in a statement from the military’s top police officer on Wednesday, which also confirmed for the first time that the investigation related to an allegation of sexual misconduct against Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin.
The Canadian Forces National Investigation Service “has conducted an investigation into an allegation of sexual misconduct involving Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin,” reads the statement from Provost Marshal Brig.-Gen. Simon Trudeau.
“It has referred the matter to the director of criminal and penal prosecutions, who is the charge laying authority for criminal and penal prosecutions in the province of Quebec.”
While the statement did not reveal when the case was sent to Quebec’s prosecutions, the referral would explain why acting chief of the defence staff Lt.-Gen. Wayne Eyre abruptly sidelined Fortin from the vaccination campaign on Friday.
A spokeswoman for the Quebec prosecution service confirmed receipt of the file “during the past week.”
“Consequently, as with any other file brought to our attention by the police, we will conduct a rigorous analysis of the evidence to determine whether charges will be laid,” said Audrey Roy Cloutier. “At this point, we cannot comment further on this matter.”
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has said that he first learned weeks ago that Fortin was under investigation, while Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan’s office has said the minister was briefed in mid-March.
Fortin nonetheless remained in charge of the vaccination campaign until Friday, when the Defence Department released a terse three-line email saying he was being removed from his position because of an unspecified “military investigation.”
The Defence Department and government have not revealed the specifics of the investigation, but CTV has reported it relates to an allegation Fortin exposed himself to a woman while studying at the Royal Military College in Saint-Jean, Que., in 1989.
Fortin’s lawyer has said his client was unaware of the details of the allegation until a reporter contacted him Sunday, and that the general, who was widely praised for overseeing the vaccination campaign since November, categorically denies any wrongdoing.
Experts and political opponents subsequently criticized the lack of information around his removal, saying it underscores existing frustration over a lack of transparency within the military, and raised concerns about Canada’s vaccination effort.
Brig.-Gen. Krista Brodie, who previously worked with Fortin on the vaccination campaign, has taken over in his stead.
Retired lieutenant-colonel Rory Fowler, now a lawyer specializing in military law in Kingston, Ont., said the fact investigators have referred the case to Quebec’s prosecution service suggests a possible jurisdictional issue in the case.
Notably, he said, the military did not have authority to prosecute cases dealing with sexual assault prior to 1998. There is also a previous three-year limitation on the prosecution of offences.
“So there’s at least two jurisdictional issues that could potentially be at play, depending upon the potential charges,” he said.
Fortin joins a growing list of generals and admirals who have been suspended or forced to step aside in recent weeks, many of them in response to allegations of inappropriate conduct.
A family in Vaughan has approved and launched a fundraiser in honour of their two children that were tragically struck and killed by a teenage driver while playing in their driveway last weekend.
The fundraiser, launched through the SickKids foundation, describes their two children – a boy and a girl aged 4 and 10 – as loving, free-spirited, and fearless.
“Our loving angel… was a confident athletic girl, who brightened up the world with her beautiful smile. She was an amazing big sister who took care of all those around her,” they wrote.
“Our free-spirited [son] was a vibrant energetic young boy who filled everyone’s hearts with so much love and joy. He was a fearless little boy who was always ready for his next adventure.”
The children both died after they were struck by a car that veered off the road on Athabasca Drive, just off Dufferin Street north of Teston Road on Sunday around noon.
A neighbour who was with the children was also hurt, but his injuries were not life-threatening.
On Tuesday, the family issued a statement through York Regional Police asking for privacy and requesting their children not be named in the media.
“We are extremely traumatized by the tragic loss of our daughter and son. The past days have been extremely difficult for our family. We appreciate the prayers and thoughts of all those grieving with us,” they said through the police force.
“The family is requesting privacy as they attempt to cope with what has occurred. They are asking that the names and photos of their children not be released. They are also asking members of the media to please not film or approach anyone coming or going from the home.”
In a news release Tuesday, York police added that a fake, separate GoFundMe page for the family was not authorized by them.
“The family has advised that this was not created by them and has not been discussed with them in any way.”
Police said a 16-year-old driver from Richmond Hill was taken into custody and is facing multiple charges as a result of the incident.
The teen, who cannot be named under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, was slated to appear in court today.
Toronto police have confirmed a man has been charged with assaulting a police officer after City of Toronto crews began dismantling a homeless encampment at Lamport Stadium near King Street West and Dufferin Street on Wednesday.
Reporters on scene described violent clashes between police and advocates who tried to stop the dismantling, with several people being thrown to the ground by police.
“I can confirm that several arrests have been made, with at least one relating to the assault of an officer, as well as trespassing offences,” Const. David Hopkinson told CityNews.
Police later said three officers suffered minor injuries.
None of the people detained or arrested were residents at the encampment according to police, but protesters at the site said one of the people arrested was a resident. Police have not confirmed that information.
Advocates gathered outside 14 Division to demand the arrested person’s release.
“An unhoused person was arrested trying to defend the encampment and we are here demanding his release because they have been arrested and criminalized for being unhoused,” said Charlotte Smith with Encampment Support Group.
Police confirmed the man charged was later released and is facing a charge of assaulting a peace officer.
The City said it moved into the area on Wednesday to enforce trespass notices that were issued last week.
“All residents are being offered safe, indoor space at a shelter or hotel program where people are provided with a number of supports, including a housing worker, meals, laundry, showers, harm reduction and medical assistance,” City spokesperson Brad Ross said in an email.
Ross added that Toronto’s streets-to-homes teams “have engaged with residents there 107 times encouraging them to come inside where it is safer.”
Mayor John Tory said that it was time to take some action at the encampment after outreach efforts failed.
“I understand that no one would seek to be homeless,” he said. “But I will say that the encampments are unsafe, they are unhealthy and they are illegal.”
Tory said there was a fire at the encampment at Lamport Stadium recently and a man was rescued from a tent that exploded moments later, thanks only to outreach workers who happened to be there at the time.
“We cannot have people living continuously in unsafe, unhealthy and illegal circumstances in our public parks,” he said.
Police said they were called to the scene at around 9:20 a.m. to “keep the peace.”
Tory said he found it “unacceptable” that people on the scene were assaulting and throwing bottles and rocks at police officers.
Last week the city cleared encampments under the Gardiner Expressway, leading to a standoff with advocates.
Encampments have popped up throughout Toronto during the COVID-19 pandemic as more shelter users take to the streets. The City had instituted a moratorium on clearing out encampments during the pandemic but began clearing them out a few weeks ago.
The City is also in the midst of a massive program to move as many people as it can out of congregate living situations such as shelters into hotel rooms and apartments.
It has recently bought or leased numerous hotels to give people their own room in an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19.
The City also recently signed an agreement with a developer to rent out 125 furnished rooms for those living in encampments, and has moved 97 people from tents into the apartment buildings in midtown Toronto.
Advocates have criticized the city’s actions on the homeless front, accusing it of moving too slowly and leaving those inside shelters vulnerable to COVID-19.
Mayor John Tory said he wants to send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated ahead of any possible future protests in Toronto surrounding the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
At least one incident of assault that occurred at a protest at Nathan Phillips Square is currently being investigated by Toronto police.
“I know there are many people in the city deeply concerned about the situation in the Middle East. The violence there is deeply upsetting to see and we all want to see a peaceful resolution reached as soon as possible,” said Tory.
He said hatred, threats, hateful language and imagery and physical violence has no place in Toronto. “All residents, with no exceptions, have the right to live and to worship in our city, free of fear.”
Tory said he has spoken with leaders in Muslim community “interested in the Palestinian cause” and leaders in the Jewish community to reiterate his position that “violence by anyone against anyone or any community cannot and will not ever be accepted.”
Thousands of people gathered Saturday for a vocal but relatively peaceful protest in response to the ongoing Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
However, social media videos circulating that show a person being assaulted by a group of people are currently being investigated by police.
“We avoid conflict and violence even when it rages in other parts of the world where we have many friends and loved ones,” added Tory.
The videos, which were released on Twitter on Saturday evening, appear to show a group of people attacking and chasing a person with sticks. In another scene, two groups appear to be attacking each other.
Car alarms and the sounds of people yelling and screaming can be heard in the video.
Tory said police will investigate any allegation of violence that comes to light during or around any protest to determine if it was hate-motivated.
He also added while residents are encouraged not to gather during the provincial stay-at-home order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens have the right to protest and must do so peacefully.
OTTAWA (NEWS 1130) – Deliveries of COVID-19 vaccines to Canada continue to ramp up, with 9 million doses expected from Pfizer-BioNTech in the month of July alone.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau confirmed the news on Tuesday.
“That means that between now and at least the end of July, we’ll continue to get over 2 million Pfizer doses a week,” he said.
Canada signed a deal with Pfizer in April to increase deliveries. As part of that agreement, Pfizer was expected to deliver 12 million doses in June.
These totals don’t include shipments from Moderna or AstraZeneca.
Tuesday’s update comes as Canada gets set to receive its largest weekly shipment of vaccines to date.
“This week, we’re receiving 4.5 million vaccine doses, including a shipment from Pfizer that has been moved up ahead of the holiday weekend,” Trudeau explained.
“It will help Canada keep within the top of the G20 on daily vaccinations, where we’ve been for over two weeks.”
The prime minister once again touted the idea of a one-dose summer and two-dose fall, telling Canadians things are set to look up in the months ahead.
“This summer, once cases are low and at least 75 per cent of people have had one dose, and 20 per cent have had a second, you can look forward to outdoor things like a small get-together in a backyard, going hiking, or sharing a meal on a patio,” he said. “This fall, once three quarters of eligible Canadians are fully vaccinated, we’ll be able to do more of the indoor things we miss.”
In the meantime, Canadians are being reminded to follow public health guidelines and to continue doing their part to slow the spread of COVID-19.
Trudeau also announced the federal government is investing almost $200 million in Resilience Biotechnologies in Ontario to help with domestic production of vaccines in the years to come.
Two pop-up clinics in Toronto began offering shots to children aged 12 and up on Tuesday, and for so many who lined up, the vaccine represented a shot of hope.
“It’s a big step. Now we are close to the end of all the bad stuff,” says 13-year-old James Lopreiato.
James and his older brother Philip lined up at the clinic located at the former Don Bosco Secondary School in Etobicoke today.
“I miss spending time with my family and friends. I didn’t get to see them, it was very sad,” says James. “It’s really been a tough year, but we fought through it and now we can keep going and soon it’s almost going to be back to normal.”
For many teens who were vaccinated Tuesday, it’s been a long 14 months full of worry, uncertainty and social isolation. Isabella, who is 13 years old, had to quarantine from her family four times due to close contact with people who tested positive while at school.
“It was really hard, I wasn’t able to see family, I was trapped in my room with not much to do,” she says.
With her son was vaccinated today, mom Shannon was brought to tears knowing her youngest child, 13-year-old TJ, is one step closer to a better life.
“For the last year and a half I’ve been worried about family and now for the first time it feels like we are going to keep on going and make it through,” she says. TJ adds that going to school in the fall will now be less stressful.
Teenagers were lined up around the building, enthusiastic that this shot will bring a better school year come September.
Sixteen-year-old Mason said he was getting vaccinated so he could do his part to get society open again. He called on others to participate in a “shot boy summer.”
The clinic at Don Bosco is only open to residents living in three area postal codes. It will be offering shots to the 12-17 age group once again tomorrow.
Toronto’s second clinic, at John Polanyi C.I in North York was also offering the Pfizer vaccines to students as young as 12 today. That location catering to four schools in the neighbourhood, where 900 students are eligible for the shot.
“The hope is people will feel comfortable coming back to in-person learning, which is what our community says it wants,” says Principal Margaret Greenberg.
“It’s hope,” says 17-year-old Alexa. “You know life is getting back to normal; you can see the finish line clearly now.”
The entire region of Peel has dropped its age limit to 16 years and older as of Tuesday, and province-wide – the age limit will drop to 12 years old as of May 31st.
Ontario Health Minister Christine Elliott said Tuesday that a plan to reopen the province will be released soon, noting that she’s been working with the chief medical officer of health and medical experts on a “safe and careful reopening of Ontario.”
Pressed more details by 680 NEWS on when the plan will be released, Elliott said, “I can’t give you anymore details on that but it will be very soon.”
“It will also be sector specific, looking at (when) different types of sectors could perhaps be reopened and what their specific needs and timelines are.”
Ontario won’t be returning to the colour-coded framework once the stay-at-home order ends, Premier Doug Ford’s office confirmed to 680 NEWS.
The province of Quebec is expected to announce its reopening plan later Tuesday which the province’s Premier has indicated will be loosely based on Saskatchewan’s reopening plan.
Saskatchewan intends to reopen almost all activities by mid-July.
In Ontario, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Williams, has previously said that he would like to see daily case counts “well below 1,000” before restrictions are lifted. Ontario reported 1,616 cases on Tuesday.
NDP leader Andrea Horwath expressed concern about the delay in releasing the reopening plan and concerns that the government won’t listen to the expert advice provided to them
“What I really want to make sure happens this time is that the government has learned its lesson and that it listens to the experts in developing that plan and listens to the experts in terms of the reopening,” she said. “We can’t make the same mistakes again.”
