The LCBO says they are “pausing” their partnership with food delivery provider Skip The Dishes.
“Following direction from the Ontario government, effective end of day today, LCBO’s partnership with SkipTheDishes is paused until further notice,” the LCBO said in a statement on Twitter Sunday.
Ontario Finance Minister Rod Phillips said on Sunday that due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the restaurant industry been “among the hardest hit” and needs support. Since the spring, licensed bars and restaurants have been allowed to sell alcohol via takeout and delivery to help keep their businesses going.
“Restaurants continue to need our support, which is why the Premier and I have asked the LCBO to pause their recently announced delivery plans with Skip the Dishes,” Phillips said.
The LCBO said they will continue to offer in-store shopping and expanded same-day pickup.
“[We] will continue to look for new ways to increase choice and convenience for our customers,” they said.
Toronto Mayor John Tory welcomed the move.
“Premier [Ford] and Finance Minister [Rod Phillips] got this one right. Modernized liquor laws are the way to go but not right now with restaurants locked down. Good call,” Tory said in a tweet Sunday afternoon.
Tighter public health restrictions come into effect in three Ontario regions today in a bid to stem the spread of COVID-19.
Middlesex-London and Thunder Bay will move into the “orange” zone of the province’s colour-coded, tiered pandemic response plan.
The Haliburton, Kawartha, Pine Ridge District Health Unit moves to the “yellow” category.
The change to orange includes restrictions on visitors to long-term care homes and beefed up testing in the facilities.
The change to yellow includes limiting events and social gatherings to 10 people indoors and 25 outdoors, while organized public events are limited to 50 people indoors and 100 outdoors.
The measures will remain in place for at least 28 days.
She moved to Canada on a work visa, met a charming man, fell in love and had a baby. What sounds like a beautiful story was anything but. Sarah (as she will be referred to here to protect her identity) knew that something was not right in her common-law relationship.
“This anger that was coming out… irrational decisions…it became lots of little, subtle things that became scarier”, she recalls about her partner. Sarah saw what she refers to as “red signs” with him, leading her to end the relationship, but being pregnant and told she could no longer work in her physically demanding job, she felt vulnerable. Sarah returned to her partner where he “promised everything that (she) wanted”, including counselling, getting his addictions under control and starting a new life.
However, Sarah says that promise was quickly broken and her partner’s aggressive behaviour escalated. He threatened to leave her at the side of the road in frigid temperatures and even kept an axe in the car, near the baby seat. She recalls a time when she feared for her life as he pulled over to the side of the road, waving the axe. Sarah was afraid that if she said anything, it would be turned on her.
The moment Sarah knew something had to change: while out for a walk with their newborn baby, her partner nearly flipped the stroller over. At the time, he was carrying what she thought was a bottle of water but learned it was filled with alcohol. She couldn’t trust him and feared for her and her son. Sarah waited until her partner was out of town before finding the courage to escape to a place where she could get the help she so desperately needed.
“I was nervous to take the step to go into a transition house … that was partly due to the stigma of what you would think of a transition house”, says Sarah. “Knowing that this is really the end of the road. You’re doing it.”
Although ‘doing it’ for Sarah was a complicated process and leaving her partner was just the first step. She wanted to leave Canada with her baby, but because she wasn’t a permanent resident, it wasn’t that simple. For two years, she navigated immigration and family court, all while raising her young son and fearing her partner would find them… and he did. They bounced around from transition house to transition house until finally, they ended up at one safe haven that she says changed her life.
“It’s such an empowering feeling because them taking me in was such a blessing….and them just actively listening….they really sit and listen to you…sometimes that’s just what you need when you’re doing this by yourself.”
Sarah’s advice to anyone experiencing what she went through and in need of help: “Believe in you. Just keep going step by step, even if it just means thinking of the next five minutes so you’re not so overwhelmed. This is a journey. Sometimes it might be tough and you might feel scared, but there is a community behind you. Be kind to yourself because you’re the one that’s going to push yourself to get through this.”
Oakville paramedics have confirmed a woman is dead after she was struck by a vehicle in Oakville on Thursday afternoon.
Halton police said Lakeshore Road is closed in both directions between Bel Air Drive and Chartwell Road, which is where the woman was hit.
It’s being reported that the woman was walking her dog, who also died, as a result of the collision. The Humane Society were observed at the scene as police investigated.
The Collision Reconstruction Unit remains on scene while officers continue to investigate.
It’s unclear what led to the collision or whether the driver remained on scene.
The 33-year-old man shot by police during an incident last week near Lindsay has died.
The province’s Special Investigations Unit says the man died in hospital Wednesday night from injuries sustained in the shooting.
The SIU says they were called to a residence in Trent Lakes about an alleged abduction of a boy by his father on the morning of November 26.
The OPP then located a vehicle of interest in the City of Kawartha Lakes and attempted to stop the pickup truck. The truck then became involved in a collision with a police cruiser and another vehicle on Pigeon Lake Road.
An officer who was standing outside the cruiser at the time of the crash sustained serious injuries. He remains in hospital in stable condition.
Three officers discharged their weapons, striking the 33-year-old driver who was airlifted to hospital in “grave condition.”
The one-year-old boy who was inside the pickup truck was fatally wounded by gunshot and pronounced dead at the scene.
It’s uncertain who may have fired the fatal bullet. The SIU says it is still waiting for the autopsy report, which was completed over the weekend.
Investigators seized the three firearms from police and say a fourth gun was found in the pickup truck where the one-year-old boy was shot dead.
The SIU says 10 of the 13 witness officers have been interviewed by investigators and the remaining three are expected to speak with them in the coming days.
Toronto Public Health has dismissed all classes at Thorncliffe Park Public School due to an ongoing COVID-19 outbreak.
In a letter sent to parents and guardians on Thursday, public health says the East York elementary school is being closed until December 10 and students and staff are to self-monitor for symptoms of coronavirus.
The decision comes after three of 30 staff members at the school refused to work on Thursday due to COVID-19 concerns.
Jennifer Brown, the president of the Elementary Teachers of Toronto, said the staff members were on site but remained in their cars. She said the teachers are “very concerned” for their safety.
Toronto District School Board spokesperson Ryan Bird said in a brief statement to CityNews that the classes were covered by “other non-core staff” at the school. He added that they were working with the Ministry of Labour to address their concerns.
The Ministry of Labour said health and safety inspectors visited the school and that their investigation is “ongoing.”
“The government’s top priority is ensuring the health and well being of students, teachers and support staff. The Ministry of Labour, Training Skills and Development’s neutral role is to ensure that workplaces are safe,” read a brief statement issued late Thursday afternoon.
There are currently 26 cases of COVID-19 among staff and students at the school.
Brown says 18 classes are in self-isolation including 27 teachers and 348 of the 750 students who are enrolled for in-person learning.
Brown wanted the school to be closed, calling on the provincial government and public health officials to be more proactive instead of reactive.
Education minister Stephen Lecce said the decision to close the school is in the hands of the local public health unit.
“That is the authority that should be making these decisions,” Lecce said. “In that case, Toronto Public Health, Dr. [Vinita] Dube, Dr. [Eileen] de Villa, have provided context for why the school remains open and they’re really best positioned to provide that scientific advice, not politicians.”
The education minister said he has full confidence in these public health officials to do what’s right.
Testing of asymptomatic students and staff at the school over two days last week led to the discovery of 19 positive cases of COVID-19 – 18 students and 1 staff member.
Principal Jeff Crane said 433 tests were conducted on a voluntary basis under a Ministry of Education pilot program to test students and staff without symptoms for COVID-19. Thorncliffe Park PS is the first school that is part of the program.
On Thursday, the province reported 122 new COVID-19 cases related to schools, including at least 94 among students.
That brings the number of schools with a reported case to 755 out of Ontario’s 4,828 publicly funded schools.
Premier Doug Ford is expected to unveil Ontario’s COVID-19 vaccine task force today.
Ford said yesterday the team is being finalized and the province will be ready to distribute the vaccine whenever it arrives.
The task force will include medical, information technology, and logistics experts.
Earlier this month, the province announced retired Gen. Rick Hillier will lead the task force.
Health Minister Christine Elliott says the team will also include a bioethicist who will make recommendations about who should receive access to the vaccine first.
The province’s chief medical officer of health has also said some regions of the province could be moved today into further restricted measures in the province’s pandemic response.
Small businesses are the cornerstone of our economy and our communities, but they have faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic.
Many have had to find creative ways to survive! As we head into the holiday season, it’s more important than ever to support small businesses, which is why we’ve launched operation support local in partnership with Scotiabank.
To showcase small businesses in our communities, we have compiled a list of businesses that you can support this holiday season.
CULINARY
Blackbird Baking Co.
635 Queen St E Unit 101, Toronto, ON M4M 1G4
https://blackbirdbakingco.com/
Bluebird Cafe
2072 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6R 1W9
https://bluebirdcafe.com/
Courage Cookies
28 Bathurst St #1-104, Toronto, ON M5V 0R4
https://www.couragecookies.ca/
Chocolat de Kat
881 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6C 1C4
http://chocolatdekat.com/
Craft Beer Market
1 Adelaide St E, Toronto, ON M5C 2V9
https://www.craftbeermarket.ca/toronto
Culinary Adventure Co.
92 Front St E, Toronto, ON M5E 1C3
http://www.culinaryadventureco.com/
Gaspar Cafe
10 Sousa Mendes St, Toronto, ON M6P 3Z5
https://gasparcafe.ca/
Golden Ears Cheesecrafters
22270 128 Ave, Maple Ridge, BC V4R 2R1
https://cheesecrafters.ca/
Great Canadia Pizza
278 Lakeshore Rd E, Mississauga, Ontario L5G 1H1, Canada
647 234 6145
905-274-1291
http://greatcanadianpizza.ca
HOOKED
MULTIPLE LOCATIONS ACROSS ONTARIO
hookedinc.ca
Hooked Inc.
888 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1J3
https://hookedinc.ca/
Hotmess Tex Mex
615 COLLEGE STREET
TORONTO, ONTARIO M6G 1B5
https://www.hotmesstexmex.com/
King Cole Ducks LTD.
15351 Warden Ave, Whitchurch-Stouffville, ON L3Y 2V5
http://www.kingcoleducks.com/
LoveChix
1588 Dupont St, Toronto, ON M6P 3S6
http://www.lovechix.ca/
Monastery Bakery
1133 Monastery Dr, Oakville, ON L6M 2A2
http://www.monasterybakery.com/
Old Firehall Confectionary
170 Main St Unionville, Markham, ON L3R 2G9
http://www.oldfirehallconfectionery.com/
Piadina By Monti
6 Markham St, Toronto, ON M6J 1E4
https://piadinabymonti.com/
Simone’s Carribean Restaurant
596 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1R1
https://www.simonescaribbeanrestaurant.ca/
Sugo
1281 Bloor St W, Toronto, ON M6H 1N7
http://www.sugotoronto.com/
Sweet ‘n Nice
28 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5V 0C6
https://www.sweetnnice.ca/
Tala Toronto
294 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5T 1G2
http://talatoronto.com/
The Simple Kitchen
73 Roncesvalles Ave, Toronto, ON M6R 2K6
http://simplekitchento.com/
Unionville Arms Pub & Grill
189 Main St Unionville, Unionville, ON L3R 2G8
http://www.unionvillearms.ca/
Venga Cucina
3076 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M6P 1Z8
http://www.vengacucina.ca/
SHOPPING
Aqua Essence Swim Academy
1416 Mathers Bay E, Winnipeg, MB R3M 2J9
http://www.aquaessence.ca/contact.php
Blackbird Vintage Finds
11 Trinity St, Toronto, ON M5A 3C4
http://blackbirdvintage.com/
BODYBLUE
199 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4K 1N2
bodyblue.ca
Cheekbone Beauty
http://www.cheekbonebeauty.ca/
The Christmas Tree Market
10801 McCowan Rd., Markham Fairgrounds, Markham, ON
https://thechristmastreemarket.com/
Deco Vero
https://www.decovero.ca/
Endless Pawzabilities
17 Lock St unit 108, St. Catharines, ON L3C 3G8
http://www.facebook.com/endlesspawzabilities
Fair in The Square
100 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N1
https://fairinthesquare.ca/
GoYoga Orangeville
169 Broadway, Orangeville, ON L9W 1K2
http://www.goyogaorangeville.com/
Green & Frugal
2432 Kingston Rd, Toronto, ON M1N 1V3
http://greenandfrugal.com/
Labour of Love
223 Carlton St, Toronto, ON M5A 2L2
http://www.thelabouroflove.ca/
L’il Monkeys Personalized Gifts Inc.
https://www.lilmonkeys.ca/
Little Otavalo
3 Byng Ave, Toronto, ON M1L 3A2
http://www.etsy.com/ca/shop/littleotavaloshop
Major League Socks / Babsocks
TORONTO, ON
majorleaguesocks.com
Miller Island
4 Caroline St W, Creemore, ON L0M 1G0
http://www.millerislandcompany.com/
Ms Fit For Life
871 Equestrian Ct Unit 4, Oakville, ON L6L 6L7
https://msfitforlife.ca/
Natural Mattress & Furniture
3503 62 Ave SE, Calgary, AB T2C 1P5
https://www.naturalmattress.ca/pages/about-natural-mattress-furniture
Over The Rainbow
55 Bloor St W Suite 123, Toronto, ON M4W 1A5
http://www.rainbowjeans.com/
Patrick Hunter Art and Design
https://www.patrickhunter.ca/
Pilot Pet Gear
https://pilotpetgear.com/
Playful Minds Toy Store
657 St Clair Ave W, Toronto, ON M6C 1A7
https://playfulmindstoys.ca/
Poppy & Olive
1595 Bedford Hwy, Bedford, NS B4A 3Y4
http://www.shoppoppyandolive.com/
Pretty Thingz
178 Main St, Unionville, ON L3R 2G9
http://www.prettythingz.ca/
Queenies Cards
1808 Danforth Ave, Toronto, ON M4C 1H8
https://queeniescards.com/
Shop Local Labels
https://www.shoplocallabels.com/
Sisters Sage
https://sisterssage.com/
Terrae Home
8550 Keele St Building B, Concord, ON L4K 2N2
http://www.terraehome.com/
The 6 Oceans Gallery
962 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G8
http://www.the6oceansgallery.com/
Thyme Studio
28 Bathurst St, Toronto, ON M5V 0C6
https://thymestudio.ca/
Valhalla Pure Outfitters
https://vpo.ca/
West Wind Gallery & Gifts
7 Bridge St W, Bancroft, ON K0L 1C0
http://www.westwindonline.ca/
Wuxly Coats
890 Queen St W, Toronto, ON M6J 1G3
https://wuxly.com/
PROFESSIONAL SERVICES
Central Hair Salon
1700 King Rd, King City, ON L7B 0N1
Grocery & Laundry Concierge
63 Colgate Ave, Toronto, ON M4M 0B1
https://www.laundry-concierge.com/
Presidential Gourmet Catering
7351 Victoria Park Ave #6, Markham, ON L3R 3A5
https://presidentialgourmet.ca/
Quince Flowers
660 Queen St E, Toronto, ON M4M 1G5
http://quinceflowers.com/
STEM Aces Vancouver
stemaces.com
The Canadian Armed Forces received formal orders last week to start planning for the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines, though the military’s top commander says preparations have been underway for longer — and that his force will be ready.
The order is contained in a planning directive issued last week by chief of the defence staff Gen. Jonathan Vance. It lays out in detail for the first time how the military expects to help with vaccine distribution.
It notes the possibility of having to pick up COVID-19 vaccine doses from the United States and Europe on short notice, and outlines concerns the military will be asked to help distribute the vaccine while also responding to floods and other emergencies.
The emergence of the directive comes ahead of an expected fight Thursday between the federal Liberal government and the Opposition Conservatives, who are set to introduce a motion in the House of Commons demanding details of Ottawa’s vaccine rollout.
The Conservatives say Canadians need, and deserve, to know when they can expect to be vaccinated against COVID-19, and who can expect to receive the shots first. That includes how the government is setting up a distribution network.
While that distribution plan is being led by the Public Health Agency of Canada, the Canadian Armed Forces is expected to play a significant role — as outlined by Vance’s order on Nov. 27 establishing what has been called Operation Vector.
The directive was obtained by The Canadian Press and confirmed to be authentic by multiple sources, including the defence chief.
Canada isn’t alone in turning to its military for help with vaccines. The U.S. military has been credited with having laid the groundwork in recent months for creating a distribution network that will get vaccines to Americans quickly once they are ready.
Despite having issued his directive on Operation Vector only last week, Vance said in an interview with The Canadian Press that Ottawa has been working for months on planning the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. Those plans are now “well advanced,” he said, adding Canada’s military will be ready when the first shipment of doses are ready.
“We are as well poised as any country,” he said. “And when the vaccines arrive, we’ll be able to support the federal-provincial-territorial rollout plans. ? The actual logistics of rolling it out, we are in the same position that our allies are in.”
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan also described the workaround Operation Vector as “ongoing planning,” saying in a statement that it will complement what “the Canadian Armed Forces has done and continues to do to help Canadians through COVID-19.”
Vance’s order lays out a series of tasks for different parts of the military, all aimed at ensuring the Forces are ready to respond when vaccines become available to Canada.
Those include flying doses “on short notice” from Spain, Germany, the U.S. and elsewhere “to designated points of distribution in Canada.” It also means providing personnel to help with distribution in remote, northern and coastal communities.
Military planners are also preparing to have troops work at vaccine-storage facilities, deliver freezers and other medical supplies to various regions _ all while standing ready to also respond to other emergencies.
“Track 1 vaccines are likely to be delivered to Canadians at the height of the second wave of the pandemic and in the midst of the spring 2021 thaw _ a period of heightened flooding risk for many communities,” Vance’s order reads.
It goes on to say that the “essential challenge” will be anticipating where to position troops and equipment “while preserving adequate capacity to surge in scale to respond to other unforeseen domestic emergencies.”
In the interview, Vance acknowledged the potential challenge posed by the spring flood season coinciding with a potential surge in COVID-19 cases and efforts to get vaccines to Canadians most at risk of the illness.
To that end, the defence chief said orders will start flowing to different parts of the military for Operation Vector in the coming weeks so individual troops know exactly what their specific jobs will be in a given situation.
Despite the advance planning, Vance said there remains a large number of unknowns, starting with the specific needs of individual provinces and territories when the actual delivery of a vaccine occurs and doses start flowing into communities.
“The details of the Armed Forces’ plan become firm when we understand what support will be required by the provinces and territories,” he said.
Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau named Maj.-Gen. Dany Fortin, a former NATO commander, to lead the Canadian military in its role co-ordinating logistics for distributing a COVID-19 vaccine.
Health Canada is in the final stages of reviewing vaccine candidates from pharmaceutical companies Pfizer and Moderna, with a decision expected by the end of the month. Federal officials expect vaccines to begin rolling out early next year.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 3, 2020.
Adam Skelly, the owner of Adamson Barbecue currently facing a bevvy of charges for defying Toronto’s indoor dining ban, is making news again.
It has been confirmed by city officials that Skelly has never operated under a business licence for his original Leaside restaurant, located at 176 Wicksteed Avenue in East York.
Toronto spokesperson Brad Ross revealed during Wednesday’s COVID-19 briefing that Skelly has received three summonses from the city regarding this matter. Carlton Grant, executive director of municipal licensing and standards, said that the Adamson Barbecue owner has been defying regulations for some time.
“It’s disappointing that he’s flouting the law like this,” Grant said through Zoom. “We have issued charges in the past. We are continuing to work with him to bring him in to compliance. There is a zoning issue in the Leaside location where it’s not permitted, where he would be required to get a change of use permit.”
Skelly tells the Toronto Star he tried to get a business licence at the Leaside location but was told the area was “not suitable” for a restaurant. Skelly blamed an old bylaw that disallows dining establishments despite a new, recently enforced city-wide bylaw that allows them.
Despite his attempts to rectify the situation in court, Skelly said the zoning “contradictions” have yet to be solved and getting a licence “is his preferred solution but has not been possible.”
The Star notes that Skelly has been fined $800 since 2016, which they say is much less than what an actual business licence would cost (just over $510 for the initial license and around $300 to renew annually over the last five years).
The town of Aurora, home to another Adamson Barbecue location, revealed that officials do not require physical restaurants to operate under similar laws.
“The Town of Aurora does not licence physical dining establishments. At this time, there are no requirements to operate these types of businesses in Aurora other than passing health inspections and any inspections related to the construction process,” a spokesperson told 680 NEWS in an email.
“Currently, our licensing bylaw only speaks to mobile food establishments such as food trucks, ice cream trucks, and hot dog cart type uses.”
According to York Region’s health inspection records, Adamson Barbecue in Aurora failed multiple health regulations during its last inspection on Aug. 20 of this year.
York Region’s latest health report says Adamson Barbecue “failed to provide adequate protection against the entrance of pests”, “failed to remove garbage/liquid waste when necessary to maintain sanitary condition”, and “failed to ensure floors are kept clean/in good repair.”
The records show that under the ‘handwashing’ compliance item, Adamson Barbecue initially failed to provide a handwashing station with adequate supplies, but was corrected during inspection of the restaurant.
Grant says with Skelly receiving multiple summonses, there remains an opportunity for him to be officially licenced under the city, disputing Skelly’s claim that he’s shown the willingness to do so.
“There is a vehicle to get licenced. We need to work with the proponent, but the proponent does not seem to want to work with the government,” Grant added.
“It’s something we’re going to have to press on.”
Skelly was arrested last week after he broke into his own restaurant, kicking down his drywall and breaking the locks that were changed by Toronto officers.
He is facing several charges including mischief and obstructing police after breaking health regulations imposed by the city and the province.
Skelly was released on $50,000 bail and under the conditions must stay at least 200 metres away from Adamson Barbecue and is forbidden from communicating on social media.
