School in-class shutdown extended for two more weeks for elementary students

Ford lockdown at Christmas

The Ford government has extended in-class school closures and the move to online learning only for elementary students until Jan 25. Students in the 27 Southern Ontario public health unit regions and extending the shutdown in Northern Ontario for another 14 days. The adjusment aligns schools with the shutdown period in Southern Ontario. “With the … Read more

Ontario government didn’t replenish PPE stockpiles before COVID-19: LTC commission

Ontario faced a shortage of personal protective equipment at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in part because it did not replenish its stockpiles over the previous years, an independent commission examining the impact of the health crisis on long-term care has heard. Ontario’s former deputy minister of health and long-term care, Bob Bell, told … Read more

Ontario physician out as hospital CEO after Dominican holiday travel

Dr. Tom Stewart

ST. CATHARINES, Ont. — A physician who travelled internationally over the holidays against public health advice was out of his CEO job at one Ontario hospital Thursday while another hospital board was reconsidering his executive position.  Niagara Health said Wednesday that it’s no longer purchasing CEO services from St. Joseph’s Health System, replacing Dr. Tom … Read more

Niagara farmers building online presence throughout pandemic

online order

From small local farms to major flower distributors, Niagara’s farm gates are going digital during the pandemic. With the help of up to $5,000 in funding from the provincial-federal  Agri-Food Open for E-Business initiative, the pricey burden of tapping into the online marketplace has been made a little lighter for area farmers forced online to … Read more

Armed robbers hit Grimsby pharmacy

Food Basics Grimsby

Police are investigating an armed robbery of the pharmacy adjacent to Food Basics in Grimsby. Niagara police say that two armed men entered the store at 63 Main Street West Wednesday at 9:15 a.m. They demanded a woman’s purse and narcotics from employees says the NRPS. Police reported it was the “Food Basics Pharmacy” but … Read more

Students in Niagara greeted with confusion and technical adversity after holiday break

student on laptop

The first week of online learning for Niagara students has been plagued with confusion and technical adversity for school boards, parents and students alike. On Tuesday, Cogeco, an Internet service provider, announced on social media it was investigating an issue impacting availability of its internet services. The investigation lasted for five hours. Cogeco confirmed on … Read more