Waiting for Stage 2: Toronto and Peel to move on, Windsor-Essex fails to meet reopening criteria
With Ottawa and other Ontario regions wrapping up their first week in Stage 2 of Ontario’s COVID-19 reopening plan, three regions in the province — as of Monday, June 22 — remained stuck in Stage 1 because of concerns about continued transmissions of the virus. The regions initially left out of the second stage were Toronto, Peel, and Windsor-Essex. That…
Councillor grilled over donut joke, gaping holes in report on ‘Scott’s Excellent Adventure to Tennessee’
City Coun. Scott Moffatt visited waste-processing plant in Tennessee and talked about Krispy Kreme donuts in his minimalist report.
Teachers, parents, health experts share mixed feelings about plans to reopen Ontario schools in September
As the talks about reopening schools in September are underway, teachers and parents try to figure out what’s best for students and society.
‘Do I pay the rent, do I take the internet?’ Protesters demand free online service
With the pandemic magnifying the need for internet access, ACORN Toronto rallies for Internet for All and the University of Toronto implements a new service to help students.
An unceremonious goodbye: graduating in a pandemic
For those of us graduating this June, so much feels uncertain. And alongside the practical concerns, there’s a sadness about the way school ended.
Watch: Bagpipers give seniors in the Glebe reason to dance
Bagpiping brothers are using their imagination and their music to help seniors cope with the isolation caused by the pandemic.
The Eyes That Bind: Non-verbal communication in the age of COVID-19
A woman who wears a Niqab, a man who’s deaf, an actor,a psychotherapist and a researcherweigh in on communicating with concealed faces. Have you ever heard of a Duchenne smile? While an ordinary smile might be bound to the mouth, the Duchenne goes beyond, incorporating other parts of the face to great effect. “It’s the difference between somebody who smiles,…
Ottawa Board of Health declares racism a public health issue, Black leader applauds ‘important gesture’
In the wake of the Ottawa Board of Health recognizing racism as a public health issue, community organizers who work at the intersection of race and health reflect on the way forward.
COVID-19 cycling surge leads to more riders — and potentially more accidents without safer infrastructure
Ottawa is seeing a surge of cyclists on the roads, with bike shops struggling to service them and city council struggling to keep them safe.
Get ready for more heatwaves, floods and ice storms, report on Ottawa’s changing climate says
Ottawa councillors looked beyond the pandemic this week to another looming crisis. They were combing through a massive, two-volume report presented to the city’s environment committee that revealed some worrisome projections about climate change in the national capital over the next 30 years. The key findings: Ottawa should expect a warmer, wetter and — on average — more disaster-filled future….
Nature’s baby season during COVID-19 leads to rekindled love of wildlife — and a spike in unnecessary ‘rescues’
With ‘baby season’ in full swing across Ontario, experts are sharing their advice for reconnecting with urban wildlife while dealing with the realities of COVID-19.
Angry Ottawa cyclists protest for safer streets after string of serious collisions
Following a dangerous week of serious car-bike collisions in Ottawa, cyclists are gearing up Thursday for a protest ride to the corner of Elgin and McLeod streets to demand greater safety on city roadways. The Bikes on Elgin protest ride was planned as a peaceful procession from City Hall and down Elgin Street to McLeod in response to a crash…