By Jessica Bell
St. George Community Living, which is located in my riding of University-Rosedale, now has the largest COVID-19 outbreak in Ontario. As of January 5, 84 residents and 51 staff have COVID-19, and 6 residents have died. The staff and residents need help now, and we, as a society, need to change the laws of our province to stop these preventable tragedies from happening again.
There have been many outbreaks in long-term care homes across Ontario, including ones within the Gleaner’s distribution area. According to the province, Vermont Square, Kensington Gardens, O’Neill Centre and St. George Care Community have all experienced coronavirus outbreaks but have recovered since.
By Jessica Bell
Queen’s Park closed for the year on December 8. Here are the legislative highlights from the final few weeks:
The Ford government continued trampling on Ontario’s natural environment. Government Bill 229 stripped the power of local conservation authorities to protect water quality and floodplains from development.
By Jessica Bell
The cooler weather has arrived, but there is no respite from the coronavirus. The second wave has begun. The spread of the new coronavirus, the need for affordable housing and concerns about development along with developer and affordable housing pressures, are the key issues I’m hearing about this season.
By Jessica Bell
Since school closed in March, our family has been struggling with the impossible job of full-time work and full-time parenting our two school-aged children. I, along with the parents of Ontario’s other two million school-age children, have been waiting for the Ontario government to release its back-to-school plan. However, its release — just weeks before school is scheduled to begin and without any serious consultation with the community — brought feelings of relief, anxiety, hopelessness, and rage.
By Jessica Bell
As the pandemic drags on, the social and economic impacts of COVID-19 on the most vulnerable are getting worse. I want to draw attention to three communities that need our help.
By Jessica Bell
The COVID-19 pandemic is not only exposing how poorly our economy and society treat our most vulnerable, it’s making it worse.
The tavern that’s been serving the west-end community with drinks, dance parties, and DJ nights announced in mid-February it will close permanently.
In a post to social media pages, Clinton’s Tavern announced its sudden closure.
By Jessica Bell
We are in a new normal. The COVID-19 pandemic is impacting our country, our city, and our community. While our healthcare workers, public health staff, and others – including pharmacists, grocery store workers, and TTC staff – are working around the clock to keep us safe, we also need to do our part.
By Nicole Stoffman