上海龙凤419,上海419论坛,夜上海论坛 – Powered By WeiFeng TV

Author: shlf

nskiorhji

‘The situation is very sad and painful.’ Relative of migrant worker who died of COVID-19 speaks of ‘overwhelming’ grief

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

It wasn’t until he met his uncle at Mexico City’s bustling airport in April that Amador Alcantara realized they shared the same destination: a sprawling Norfolk County farm called .

Alcantara was happy. He’d spent almost 20 years travelling back and forth to Canada as a migrant worker. This year, he’d have family by his side.

But in the months that followed, 200 of Alcantara’s co-workers would test positive for . His uncle, , 55, would not survive the massive outbreak — one of the largest in the entire province.

In an interview with the Star, the first since his uncle died in June, Alcantara described Chaparro as a respectful and friendly man whose death has overwhelmed his family.

“We shared a lot of moments together while we were working,” said Alcantara. “The situation is very sad and painful.”

On Tuesday, Alcantara also testified about his experiences with Scotlynn’s outbreak before the Ontario Labour Relations Board.

It forms part of a reprisal complaint filed last month by , who was Alcantara’s bunkmate. The claim alleges Flores was fired and threatened with deportation by Scotlynn after raising concerns about safety issues at the farm.

Scotlynn has denied the allegations — and in a hearing last month, the farm’s founder Robert Biddle said he could not have fired Flores because he was sailing to a “small island” on the date in question.

In testimony Tuesday, Alcantara said he was present when Flores was terminated.

“The boss said (to Flores), “I don’t want anyone who is causing conflict on this farm, you have to go back to Mexico,’” said Alcantara.

The reprisal complaint brings into focus migrant workers’ ability to effectively assert their rights amidst a pandemic that has led to an estimated 1,300 farm labourers testing positive for COVID-19 in Ontario alone.

“This case is emblematic of the deep structural problems in the Seasonal Agricultural Workers Program and the system of temporary migration in Canada,” said Karen Cocq of Migrant Workers Alliance for Change (MWAC).

Lack of permanent immigration status “effectively condemns” migrant workers to abuse because employers can send them back to their home countries for almost any reason, she added.

Separately on Tuesday, the provincial and federal governments jointly announced $26.6 million in funding for agricultural employers to improve health and safety on farms. Under the program, farmers can claim up to $15,000 for “preventative expenses” including workplace modifications, protective gear, and transportation. They can also apply for up to $100,000 to complete housing modifications and other larger investments in safety.

“Protecting the health and well-being of all farm workers who are helping ensure the food security for Canadians has been a top priority since the beginning of the pandemic,” said Marie-Claude Bibeau, federal Minister of Agriculture.

“This isn’t the kind of measure that responds fundamentally to the core problems built into the program,” said Cocq.

In his interview with the Star, Alcantara said his uncle was asked by the Mexican authorities to go to Scotlynn this year because high turnover at the farm was making it difficult to fulfil the required number of workers. The Star has previously on the history of complaints filed by migrant workers at Scotlynn, including long-standing reports of bedbug infestations, overcrowding, and unsafe working conditions.

Housing was amongst Alcantara’s concerns when he arrived in Canada in April, he told the labour board Tuesday.

“There wasn’t space to distance,” he said through a translator. “It was very close quarters.”

, who runs Scotlynn and is the son of founder Robert Biddle, has previously said he spent over $700,000 on quarantine measures and provides “climate-controlled” housing with lounge areas and soccer fields for leisure time.

After their mandatory two weeks quarantine in a hotel, Alcantara told the Star he and his uncle were placed in different apartments of the same housing complex. The bunkhouse was known colloquially as los quemados — the burned — after a small fire caused years ago by a worker who left a pot too long on the stove.

A few weeks into the season, Alcantara told the Star he noticed his uncle looking ill. Initially, Alcantara put it down to cold weather and lack of warm clothes. But soon, workers sharing an apartment with Chaparro said his condition had worsened.

On June 20, after several weeks battling the virus including hospitalization and intubation, Chaparro died. Scotlynn informed workers that night. Alcantara told the labour board he watched Flores tell supervisors they “should have done more for that man who died.”

“(The supervisor) said, ‘Who are you to say this to me? He’s not even one of your relatives. Why are you complaining?’” said Alcantara, who testified over Zoom from Mexico City in a maple leaf-emblazoned baseball cap.

The next day Flores was terminated, according to submissions made on his behalf by Parkdale Community Legal Services (PCLS). Flores subsequently took refuge in a safe house, the PCLS submissions said.

In closing arguments Tuesday, Scotlynn lawyer Paul Hosack said there was “simply no evidence” to support the claim’s allegations.

Hosack said Flores had spoken up about “something that happened in the past” and that the farm had reached out to Flores after he fled to tell him he could return to work.

“Our position is the claim should be dismissed,” said Hosack.

PCLS lawyer John No said the return-to-work offer was only made after Flores filed his complaint at the board. Noting that employers carry the burden of proof in reprisal cases, No said no evidence had been presented to provide an alternative explanation for Flores’s termination.

Flores is seeking $40,400 in lost future earnings and damages. He also hopes to see broader change to protect workers, he told the board Tuesday.

“I am just a farm worker tired of what is happening to us,” he said. “We have to leave our homes and families and cultures at home in Mexico to serve here in Canada and I think permanent residency is the least we are owed.”

With hearings concluded, labour board alternate chair Matthew Wilson will issue a written decision on the reprisal case in the coming months.

For Alcantara, who has now returned to Mexico, being back in the hometown he shared with his uncle is a source of comfort. But for Chaparro’s wife and four children, the grief is still paralyzing.

“It has taken a toll on them as a family,” Alcantara said. “But they feel there’s nothing they can do.”

Sara Mojtehedzadeh is a Toronto-based reporter covering work and wealth for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

lyljhfc dkqf

Toronto Catholic itinerant music teacher is charged by Ministry of Labour for failing to wear a mask

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

An itinerant music teacher who tested positive for COVID-19 — leading to the weeklong shutdown of a Toronto elementary school earlier this month — has been charged under the workplace health and safety act for failing to wear a mask.

Ontario’s Ministry of Labour confirmed a charge was laid after inspectors responded to a -related complaint about St. Charles school near Dufferin St. and Lawrence Ave. W., said Richard Sookraj, spokesperson for Labour Minister Monte McNaughton.

The “health and safety inspectors conducted a field visit on Oct. 23, 2020 at St. Charles Catholic School in the Toronto Catholic District School Board,” Sookraj said via email.

“No orders were issued to the employer. A certificate of offence, pursuant to part I of the Provincial Offences Act, was issued charging a worker with an offence under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.”

He said the “individual worker was charged with failing to comply with … failing to use or wear protective devices or clothing that the worker’s employer requires to be used or worn.”

The teacher will appear before a justice of the peace on Feb. 2, 2021. The maximum penalty is a $1,000 fine, plus any victim fine surcharges, Sookraj said.

Shazia Vlahos, a spokesperson for the Toronto Catholic board, said she could not comment on specifics. She said the board “takes seriously the safety and well-being of all students and staff. As the matter is part of a legal proceeding pursuant to the Occupational Health and Safety Act, we are unable to comment further.”

St. Charles for a week Oct. 5 after the teacher’s diagnosis, and Toronto Public Health set up an on-site assessment centre so that staff and students could access quick COVID-19 tests.

The school also received a deep cleaning before students and staff returned.

The music teacher is an itinerant — which requires travel from class to class or among schools — and had taught several classes before receiving the positive test.

Principal James Graham told the Star’s Kevin Jiang that “there just after we determined close contacts with this particular individual.” He also said the teacher’s “behaviours … maybe weren’t as safe as they could have been.”

The teacher had contact with three classes in the school of 250, and a source familiar with the situation said the individual is also accused of failing to self-screen before coming to work, coming to school while symptomatic and not self-isolating while ill.

The Catholic board has been looking at ways to limit itinerant teachers’ contacts, as some see up to 10 schools a week.

Some trustees have likened the situation to personal support workers in long-term-care homes, who the province limited to to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Kristin Rushowy is a Toronto-based reporter covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

zwigdjj

‘You do get worried about a shutdown’: Barrie fitness club fights on as COVID-19 restrictions continue

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Is Barrie fitness club owner Christy Toms worried Simcoe County may follow York Region and shutdown gyms as the second wave of COVID-19 takes hold?

The owner of in the city’s south end says she doesn’t dwell on the thought, but it does cross her mind.

“I’m thinking it won’t happen, but you don’t know,” Toms told Simcoe.com. “Last time, I never thought that would happen in my entire life. So, when it went from two weeks to four months, that was a long time. You do get worried about a shutdown.”

Toms, who opened HotBod more than six years ago, offered online classes during the shutdown and is taking advantage of Stage 3 openings announced in July. 

But there’s no guarantee her business would survive a second shutdown.

“I’ve planned ahead in case,” she said. “But would we survive it? I don’t know, but I’m hoping we would.”

HotBod was on a roll before provincewide COVID-19 restrictions closed gyms in the spring.

“Last year was the best year we ever had. We’re probably down about 50 per cent revenue from what I was pre-COVID-19, which is frustrating to say the least, but you just kind of keep moving forward.”

HotBod has gone from “cramming” 30 participants in a fitness class to limits of 15, and has put several COVID-19 safety measures in place.

Face masks are essential at all times, except when a member is working out in their own space and is two metres away from others. 

Toms said she decided to go even further by checking temperatures and asking symptom-screening questions before members enter.

“People want to be safe for the most part,” she said. “I think people are just happy to work out and be safe at the same time.”

Toms said she could take advantage of a new rent subsidy announced by the federal government and has accepted a $40,000 government loan.

But she is hoping she won’t have to dip into that safety net.

“At least that’s there if I have to use it. No one likes to use a loan when they’ve been in business for a while.”

sldfdfg

Bruce Arthur: Advice for Doug Ford: Sometimes the middle of the road is where you get run over

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

was explaining how the system works. You need a system, in this economy. The question was whether two more regions, , would be returned to the public health restrictions of Stage 2. Friday, the premier said both were under consideration. Monday, neither one was moved.

So how did that work, exactly? What are the thresholds for this incredibly important public health measure, and who makes that call?

“I had a phone call with Mayor (Rob) Burton from Oakville, we have a great relationship,” said Ford Monday. “He said, ‘hey, I don’t think we’re at that point,’ and in Halton, this is unique, because we have none of the mayors agreeing, we have the regional chair not agreeing, we have our MPPs not agreeing, so I suggested to write a letter. Write a letter, let your local chief medical officer of health be aware of how you feel and how other mayors feel and how our MPPs feel. I spoke to one of my great MPPs, Jane McKenna, saying I encourage you to write a letter.”

Uh, what? So the premier encouraged a letter arguing against further restrictions in Halton from two Ontario Progressive Conservative MPPs, McKenna of Burlington and Parm Gill of Milton? That was his strategy?

As it turned out, Ford misspoke on Friday about at all, because, while the region’s numbers had been rising, their case numbers had also started to flatten. Nobody seemed to communicate to the premier that he had made a mistake. And the whole dumbshow unfolded, which gave ammunition to Ontario’s goofy herd immunity anti-lockdown crowd, who reacted to something, to be clear, that wasn’t actually being proposed at all.

A hasty caucus meeting was called Monday night to discuss it, and it’s all definitely how you want a government to be handling the epidemic response to the second wave of a pandemic. Good stuff.

It was revelatory, if repetitively so, because Durham wasn’t Halton. In the past three weeks, Durham’s cases per 100,000 people per week have gone from 16.3 to 26.8 to 37.3, and now sit at an even 40, per the Star’s invaluable Ed Tubb. Their contact tracing seems to be in great shape, and hospital capacity too, though waiting for your hospitals to fill up is one of the losing strategies of this pandemic. On cases alone, Durham is roughly where York was a week before it hit Stage 2, or Toronto two weeks before, or Ottawa and Peel three weeks before. Positivity rates had been increasing in both Durham and Halton.

“It very much looks reactive, and not proactive,” says Dr. Gerald Evans, the chair of the division of infectious diseases at Queen’s University, and a volunteer member of the province’s science table. “If you look around the world, you can very nicely see groups where, that was the time you should have started it, not the time they did do it. So some of us are saying, be proactive, do something, don’t wait!”

The province doesn’t get ahead of the virus, ever. It’s clear the bar for the province actually imposing restrictions is quite high. How high? They won’t tell us, which means the anti- and pro-lockdown factions are both left to guess. When Dr. Eileen de Villa and the Toronto Board of Health asked Ford to place Toronto into a modified Stage 2 on Oct. 2, it took a solid week — not just of waiting, but of acrimony and negotiation — before the province acceded, and put Ottawa and Peel in as well. They waited until Toronto was at 69.9 cases per 100,000 residents per week, and 3.1 per cent positivity. Two weeks later the city’s test positivity is 4.4. Which is a bad number.

“Three per cent is kind of interesting, right around 3 or 4 per cent,” says Dr. Evans. “If you look around the planet, right around 3 or 4 per cent test positivity rates in many larger cities and jurisdictions, that’s the inflection point. After that point it begins to rise exponentially.”

That number will wrestle with restrictions now, and it all should have happened sooner. Ottawa has seen a hopeful dip in reported cases; Peel, Toronto and York, unfortunately, have not. And other jurisdictions may yet meet the same problems, because listen to the premier. When he lists who he calls before making these decisions, Ford says he calls local politicians first, then local businesses.

“I always say I gotta listen to the docs, I always will, and the science, but in saying that, I have to listen to the small business owners,” said Ford.

Never mind that public health officials and infectious disease specialists and epidemiologists will tell you that you control the virus first, and that is the best way to preserve the economy. Never mind that this pandemic is a marshmallow test, and the strongest measures to slow spread are the early aggressive ones. Ford compromises, you see. There is a balance.

“Can I justify if a region is hitting super-high numbers, be it Peel or Toronto?” said Ford. “No, I can’t justify. Can I fight all day long for Halton and other regions and cheering them on and really pushing back at the health table? I do it all the time. I do it all the time. But we have to have a balance there.

“We have caucus members, cabinet members on both sides. We have some cabinet and caucus members who think, don’t worry, everything’s fine. We have other ones that may feel, OK, shut everything down. But we’re going right down the middle of the road. We have to have a happy balance.”

Ford does sometimes listen to certain scientific advice. He doesn’t say how or why, or make their advice public, but he does.

Still, it’s clearer and clearer that this province doesn’t understand or believe in truly preventative public health measures, much less powerful enough epidemic response, to preserve the economy. And the result is we have case counts and hospitalizations and long-term care outbreaks rising in a data-poor system with bad public health communication and a gaffe-prone premier, and we’ll see where that goes. Everyone wants to save the economy; the smart people say, deal with your public health first. Because sometimes the middle of the road is where you get run over.

Bruce Arthur is a Toronto-based columnist for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

ultafcc

‘Be prepared for the changes you might see’: Social isolation impacts care home residents in Barrie

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Donald Carty has definitely noticed a difference in his mother since she’s been isolated in a Barrie long-term care home.

Carty’s mom Viola lives with dementia and although he has visited her in-person before, he’s now been able to spend time with her in her room.

But he was surprised with his experience.

“I was elated when I was first able to see my mom (during an outdoor visit in the summer). I didn’t have that same feeling when I went to her room,” Carty said.

The first thing he noticed is she’s lost weight.

And the general vibe in the home wasn’t the same.

“When I went to the home, it was very quiet, it doesn’t seem to have the same energy it would have normally,” he said. “They seem to be more depressed. That was how I felt when I first walked on the floor.”

There might still be entertainment at most long-term care homes, Carty said, but not the same amount of one-on-one stimulation that helps someone with dementia.

“For example, I’m now able to touch my mom. That’s a therapeutic touch. I’m able to rub her hands, arms, legs and feet, or comb her hair. And my mom responded immediately.”

He’s also going to be bringing in puzzles for her to do to maintain cognitive function.

But not everyone has that option.

Collingwood’s Wilhelmina De Groot was nervous for her first visit in the same room as her husband Pieter Oct. 20.

He moved into a long-term care home last November and De Groot used to visit three or four times a week prior to the pandemic. The couple just celebrated their 59th wedding anniversary June 14, and that was done outdoors.

“For me, (this in-person visit) was very emotional, I didn’t realize how emotional it would be,” De Groot said. “I was so nervous and I’m not that kind of person. It lasted through the night as well. I felt sad and tense.”

Wearing gloves and a mask, all she was able to do was sit across the table from her husband for the half-hour visit.

“You cannot touch. I came in the door and Piet came in the other side and said hi.”

They talked and sang Dutch songs together, like they usually do.

“We had a Zoom meeting for his birthday Oct. 15 and I asked him if he remembered it,” De Groot said. “I could see on his face he didn’t. It was almost like he was going to cry.”

According to a 2014 report by the , social isolation affects the psychological and cognitive health of seniors, and is associated with higher levels of depression and suicide.

It found 44 per cent of seniors in residential care were diagnosed with depression or showed symptoms of depression.

And half of the people over the age of 80 reported feeling lonely, with men over the age of 80 having the highest suicide rate of all age groups.

And that’s not even during a pandemic.

“I think it is a complicated issue,” Alzheimer Society of Simcoe County manager of education and support programs Laura-Lynn Bourassa said. “When we talk about confinement, that’s an extreme.

“But as a result of COVID and the restrictions on visiting, that does impact what activities long-term care residents can do.”

Social interaction is usually a part of treatment for dementia, because it does play a role in overall brain health, she said.

“There is an impact in the changes family members are seeing with their loved ones, but you have to marry it with the progression of the disease,” she said.

A long-term care home contacted Bourassa this month for ways to prepare families for the decline they may see in their loved ones.

“Be forewarned when you’re going for a visit again, the person might not be functioning as they were.”

There could be more challenges with comprehension and what they see.

She said some families are distraught at having limited access to their loved one, especially when wearing protective equipment.

“The key is to help families prepare for this and adjust, so it’s not so much of a shock. Just be prepared for the changes you might see.”

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: After speaking with someone who works at a long-term care home, reporter Janis Ramsay dug further to see if seniors with dementia are progressing further into cognitive complications as a result of the pandemic isolation.

ptlsugd

Southern Georgian Bay OPP moves to electronic ticketing system

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Local Ontario Provincial Police officers will no longer be writing tickets out by hand.

Officers recently switched over to an e-ticketing system in order to save time, reduce paperwork, simplify the submission of documents and eliminate tickets being tossed out of court because of errors or illegible handwriting.

“It’s a great system. On average, it cuts the ticket-writing time in half,” said Const. Joe Villeneuve of the Southern Georgian Bay OPP. 

The Southern Georgian Bay OPP switched over to the new system in early October. All local officers have been trained and are now using the new method.

The simplified ticketing process starts by swiping a driver’s licence through a card reader installed in the police cruiser. This accesses a driver’s information and automatically enters all pertinent details into the e-ticket. The officer then enters in the vehicle’s licence plate, and information is pulled from the Ministry of Transportation database and also entered into the e-ticket.

“It improves the accuracy and legibility of our tickets,” said Villeneuve. “Some officers have terrible handwriting, and some officers will make mistakes. This system will not allow you to print out a ticket if there is a mistake on it.”

The electronic ticketing process also improves police record keeping. Officers now have easy access to call logs and can quickly look to see if a driver has any previous tickets or warnings.

“Everything is done electronically,” said Villeneuve, who noted that officers now have the ability to issue official warnings.

In the past, if an officer let a driver off with a warning, no paperwork would be filed. The incident wasn’t officially noted.

“(Warnings) are now recorded, and an occurrence is created in our system,” said Villeneuve.

When giving a warning, a driver will receive an piece of paper outlining the occurrence and information on the punishment that would have come had an actual ticket been issued.

All OPP vehicles have printers in the glovebox. Once the officer is done creating the ticket or warning, they print it out and give it to the driver.

Once a ticket has been printed, the officer can immediately file an electronic copy with the courts.

nskiorhji

‘Raising the alarm for weeks now’: Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority concerned about looming decision

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) Board chair Wayne Emmerson isn’t mincing words when it comes to what he sees as a threat to the environment.

He released a statement Dec. 5 sharing his disappointment as the province steps closer to amending the Conservation Authorities Act.

“LSRCA has been raising the alarm for weeks now,” Emmerson said in a press release.

A month ago, the province introduced Bill 229 — the .

In particular, Schedule 6 of the bill is proposing changes that limit the power of conservation authorities.

It would limit their ability to enter land for surveying, expropriate land as required and study the watershed for ways it can be restored, developed and managed.

After seeing the proposal, several municipalities, MPPs and environmental organizations spoke out in opposition.

Conservation Ontario also made a .

So the province amended some of its changes, making the announcement Dec. 4.

But the changes don’t go far enough, Emmerson said.

“In fact, we understand that new changes have now been introduced that will force conservation authorities to contravene our mandate to protect people, infrastructure and the environment,” Emmerson wrote.

“If the province proceeds, LSRCA will be forced to issue permits to allow for development to proceed, through Ministers Zoning Orders, regardless of the impacts to the environment and our communities,” he wrote. “This action will dismantle the very system put in place since Hurricane Hazel in 1954, to keep our communities healthy and out of harm’s way from flooding and other hazards created by poor land-use planning.”

Nottawasaga Valley Conservation Authority (NVCA) chair Keith White agreed the new changes don’t go far enough to prevent flooding and erosion in his watershed area.

“With the new changes, conservation authorities are basically the only landowners in Ontario who cannot appeal most planning decisions, which affect their lands,” White wrote in his press release. “We are the second-largest landowners in Ontario, and this is in conflict with one of the proposed mandatory programs for conservation authorities, which is to manage their own lands to protect sensitive ecosystems.

Schedule 6 is set to go to third and final reading in the legislature Dec. 7.

aaqqt lnwu

More Barrie GO train disruptions starting this weekend

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

After construction along the Barrie GO rail line shut down train service for one weekend last month, GO Transit is announcing further interruptions in service Dec. 5 to 18.

Construction crews are completing infrastructure upgrades along the track, taking advantage of weekends and late evenings to minimize disruption to customers.

On Dec. 5 and 6, riders leaving at the Allandale Waterfront and Barrie South GO stops in the morning will have to take a bus to the Bradford station, where a train will take you the rest of the trip.

Riders leaving Barrie in the afternoon will take a bus to stops along the way to the Aurora GO station, where train service resumes.

All riders heading northbound to Barrie will have to take a bus from the Aurora GO station.

From Dec. 8 to 18, the 10:53 p.m. train from Union Station to the Allandale Waterfront GO station will be cancelled. Riders can get on a bus to connect with stops at the Rutherford, Maple, King City and Aurora stations.

More detailed information about the service change schedule can be found at .


zwigdjj

New developments in the works for downtown Orillia

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Four projects in the city’s core collectively benefitted from more than $81,000 in grants through a program aimed at driving downtown development.

Among the latest beneficiaries of Orillia’s Downtown Tomorrow Community Improvement Plan grant program was Henneveld Holdings Inc., owner of 17-19 Mississaga St. W.

The company scored $52,500 toward a project involving the updating of two commercial units on the main floor to accommodate a refreshed salon and retail store.

In addition, the building’s second storey will be converted from office space into two residential units.

“My partner grew up in this town and loves the history and potential of Orillia,” said Jesse Henneveld. “I’ve lived here for a little over three years and have grown to love this small city as well.”

Henneveld said they purchased the property both as an investment opportunity and in the hope of building their small businesses.

“We were so excited about the announcement of the grant, as we knew it would help us improve our project that much more,” Henneveld added.

The grant program includes financial incentives designed to stimulate development in the city’s core, with funds awarded through the latest intake going to support façade improvements, building improvements for new commercial spaces, and grants to create two new residential units in downtown Orillia.

“Despite the impacts that COVID-19 has had on our economy, we’ve held a record number of pre-consultations for development in the downtown,” said Laura Thompson, Orillia’s senior manager of business development.

Under the latest round of grants, My Moon Collective received approximately $7,330 for new signage, doors and windows to improve visibility for the store, accessibility for customers and overall visitor experience.

Jeff Pitcher benefitted from two grants – roughly $14,400 toward development of two new office spaces at 73 Mississaga St. E., and $7,225 for façade improvements at 75 Mississaga St. E. 

“These four projects are a great representation of the development that this program can incentivize, featuring everything from renovations to accommodate a new entrepreneur to the complete restoration of an existing building to house new apartments and commercial units,” Thompson added.

The grant program’s third and final intake for 2020 closed Oct. 30.

whrscnfxv

Government-issued iPhone wiped in wake of alleged theft of $11M in COVID-19 funds, court documents claim

Aug 4, 2021 , , , , by shlf

An Ontario government computer specialist — fired after allegations that $11 million in COVID-19 funds was stolen — allegedly erased his ministry-issued iPhone before surrendering it.

The province that “some or all of” Sanjay Madan, Shalini Madan, their sons Chinmaya Madan and Ujjawal Madan, and associate Vidhan Singh perpetrated “a massive fraud” to funnel pandemic relief cash payments to hundreds of TD and Bank of Montreal accounts.

Ontario Superior Court documents allege “damages for fraud, theft, conversion, and conspiracy in an amount estimated to be at least $11 million,” from the Support for Families program that helps parents with in-home learning expenses.

The Madans all worked in information technology at Queen’s Park.

Sanjay Madan was a $176,608-a-year director in the Ministry of Education’s iAccess Solutions Branch before being fired with cause last month.

Through both his civil and criminal lawyers, he has not commented on the allegations, which have not been proven in court.

“I can confirm that I am representing him, but I cannot comment further. I’ll make my comment in court,” criminal lawyer Stephen Hebscher said Tuesday.

A team of seven detectives from Ontario Provincial Police Anti-Rackets Branch is investigating but no criminal charges have been laid.

In the government’s court action to freeze any sale of the family’s assets — including seven Toronto properties and more than $1 million in profit from selling an eighth home in September — it’s alleged he “used his in-depth knowledge” as the computer application’s IT leader “to direct an unauthorized rule change to allow for fraudulent … payments.”

The province also alleged when it “collected its government-issued phones from Sanjay and Chinmaya, the phones had been reset by these defendants to their factory settings and/or had their government profiles removed, which may permanently delete all the data from their phones.”

“They took these steps in order to conceal and profit from their wrongful conduct and injure the (government),” the court documents allege.

“The defendants’ misconduct, including their efforts to conceal it, demonstrates high handed, wanton and callous disregard for the rights and interests of the (government), which has, as a result, suffered significant losses, both from a financial and reputational perspective,” the documents allege.

Under Ontario law, such records are supposed to be preserved.

The province is seeking from the Madans and Singh “an award of punitive damages in the amount of $2 million.”

Chinmaya Madan, Sanjay and Shalini Madan’s elder son, was technical product manager at the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services for three years before resigning in August. Now working for Microsoft in Seattle, he made his personal website private in recent days.

Lawyer Louie Genova, who is representing Chinmaya Madan, said Tuesday he could not comment.

Shalini Madan is the $132,513-a-year manager of E-Ministries Support at the Ministry of Government and Consumer Services. She was suspended with pay on Aug. 11. It is not known if she still has her government-issued iPhone.

She has not responded to repeated calls or emails seeking comment.

But in an interview last week, Ujjawal Madan, who worked as a government contract employee on his father’s information technology team, said he was aware of the allegations involving the family.

“I cannot comment at this time,” Ujjawal Madan said from Atlanta, where he is a master’s student at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

“It’s not a good time.”

Singh, a Madan associate who is alleged to have received 170 support payments worth $42,500 to 30 new Bank of Montreal accounts opened in June, has not been available for comment through his lawyer, Christoph Pike.

In the legislature Tuesday, NDP MPP Tom Rakocevic (Humber River-Black Creek) demanded to know how the Progressive Conservative government “could lose track of so much taxpayer money and what they’re doing to get it back?”

“Thanks to reporting by the Toronto Star, we’re learning of the alleged theft of at least $11 million meant to help needy Ontarians during the pandemic,” said Rakocevic.

Government house leader Paul Calandra acknowledged the situation “is very, very serious.”

“That is something that is before the courts and, as such, we cannot comment,” said Calandra.

On Monday, announced a revamped plan for families, now known as the Support for Learners program.

“We’ve introduced stronger security measures on these payments to ensure this never ever happens again … including spot audits, introducing additional qualification rules, (and) implementing stronger bank validations,” the premier said.

To offset pandemic-related expenses, the government is giving parents $200 for each child up to age 12 and $250 for each special needs child and youth up to age 21.

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter: