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Yes, the mask stays on after you get vaccinated. Here’s why

Aug 3, 2021 , , , , by shlf

While the will alleviate much of the need for physical distancing and masking long-term, it won’t immediately end public health measures, epidemiologists say.

Herd immunity, which refers to a large proportion of the community being immune to contracting the virus via vaccination, has to hit about 70 per cent in order for COVID-19 to be manageable, said Dr. Robyn Lee, an infectious disease expert and adjunct professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health.

Until we reach that threshold, public health measures need to continue.

“It’s going to take some time. And as the vaccine becomes available, we obviously have priority groups that need to be vaccinated first,” Lee said. “It’s going to be a number of months before the whole Canadian population has received a vaccine.”

The vaccine protects against symptomatic COVID-19, she said. Still unknown, however, is whether the vaccine will stop transmission entirely. At this point, it’s unclear if vaccinated people could be asymptomatic and still spread the virus to others.

“We don’t actually know whether (the vaccines) prevent somebody from becoming infected and then spreading it forward,” Lee said. What that means is that if there is a large amount of the population that isn’t yet vaccinated, they’re still at risk of potentially contracting the virus from vaccinated people.

“The key issue is that if people are vaccinated, and they can still spread it, then that’s a risk to the people who aren’t vaccinated,” she said.

While masking and physical distancing are necessary while the community builds herd immunity, this won’t last forever. As more people are vaccinated, restrictions can be reduced as potential outbreaks become easier to manage, Lee said.

Jean-Paul Soucy, a PhD student in epidemiology at Dalla Lana, agrees that once we reach the point where a majority of the population is vaccinated then governments can relax restrictions. “The ability for the virus to spread will be … much less.”

“Herd immunity is going to have a huge effect,” Soucy said. While we won’t be able to completely forget about the virus, “its control of our lives will be much less at that point.”

Soucy said he believes that by the end of summer, “we should be in an excellent position to start moving past (heightened public health measures).”

Lee says she hoped that by the end of 2021, we could be back to some semblance of pre-COVID normalcy. However, she cautions that we don’t yet know how long the vaccine will offer immunity from the virus.

“We don’t know how frequently, for example, we may need to be revaccinated,” she said. “I think we will still be looking at maintaining some distancing and masking for some time ahead.”

Jenna Moon is a breaking news reporter for the Star and is based in Toronto. Follow her on Twitter:

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‘I feel like I’m in a dark tunnel’: Small business owners are increasingly feeling the mental health impact of lockdown 2.0

Aug 3, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Kozeta Izeti was looking forward to a busy December — until she learned Toronto businesses would be going back into lockdown.

“I had tears in my eyes,” the exhausted owner of Kozeta Salon & Spa on Eglinton Avenue West said. Her first thought was: “Now what?”

The holiday shopping season is normally one of her busiest times of year and Izeti was hoping to recoup some of the profits she lost this year, especially during the initial COVID-19 lockdown in the spring.

Now she shares feelings of frustration with other small business owners told they are not essential while the big box stores are allowed to stay open.

“It’s essential to us,” she said. “I need a roof over my head.”

And she is burned out from months of uncertainty and financial stress.

“I’ve never been so exhausted in my life,” said Izeti, who immigrated from Albania in 2000 and opened her spa 11 years ago. “I feel like I’m in a dark tunnel and I don’t know … when I’m going to see the light to get out of it.”

Many of her staff are newcomers to Canada and she’s worried for them, too.

A new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) found that almost half of small business owners surveyed have suffered from mental health issues because of the pandemic.

Fewer than 30 per cent of small businesses are making their usual sales, said Laura Jones, executive vice-president of the CFIB, and the uncertainty of the pandemic is causing a lot of stress.

“It’s particularly stressful for business owners because their livelihoods are impacted,” she said.

Steve Joordens, a professor of psychology with the University of Toronto Scarborough, said business owners have two levels of stress going on: the health threat, which everyone is facing, and the economic threat to the business that likely supports them and their family.

Not only does this cause sustained anxiety, the helplessness many feel in the face of the pandemic can lead to depression, said Joordens. Both anxiety and depression are health risks in and of themselves: by keeping your body in fight-or-flight mode, anxiety can compromise your immune system over time, and depression can become a suicide risk, he said.

“That feeling of helplessness can kind of sneak people toward more of a depressive mindset, which is even more scary than anxiety,” he said.

Joordens said it’s important that business owners, and anyone experiencing high levels of anxiety due to the pandemic, find a way to take a break from the day-to-day.

Of course, that’s easier said than done.

Forty-three per cent of small business owners surveyed by the CFIB said they are working significantly longer hours than usual. Jones said this is for a variety of reasons: some may be filling in for staff who are sick, or can’t afford the level of staffing they need. Many have been working extra hours to launch and maintain e-commerce, and are also taking more time to clean thanks to pandemic protocols.

The end of the pandemic “can’t come fast enough,” said Jones — business owners are just trying to hold on long enough to make it out the other side.

While there are several programs in place to help small business owners weather the financial difficulties caused by the pandemic, including federal subsidies and support from the province, there are still gaps that need to be addressed, said Jones.

A coalition of around 50 retailers, including large companies such as Ikea and Hudson’s Bay, has asked the province in an open letter to let retailers reopen, arguing that the current restrictions are just pushing shoppers to other stores instead of lowering risk.

On Tuesday in response to the letter, Toronto Mayor John Tory acknowledged the frustration of small business owners watching as big box stores have largely been able to stay open if they carry essential items.

“We know it has a horrific impact on the small independent retailers,” he said. “I’m meeting today with some of the small business people to listen to them.”

He said any change to the lockdown “won’t be a political decision, it will be a public health decision.”

With files from The Canadian Press

Rosa Saba is a Calgary-based business reporter for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

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A new phase at marina-based resort Friday Harbour in Innisfil

Aug 2, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Builder Jim De Gasperis remembers being a young fan of TV’s The Mickey Mouse Club. But what really fascinated him were the commercials featuring show founder Walt Disney as he described his plans to transform a vast expanse of land in Orlando, Fla. into a dazzling resort and theme park: Walt Disney World.

“In a small scale, this is the Walt Disney story,” said De Gasperis during a patio lunch this fall at Friday Harbour, a 600-acre, $1-billion waterfront resort at Lake Simcoe’s Big Bay Point. Minutes from Barrie, the four-season resort’s centrepiece is a 1,000-boat slip, state-of-the-art marina — at about 35 acres, it’s the largest in-land marina in Canada. De Gasperis is a managing partner of Friday Harbour Resort, as well as president and CEO of Con-Drain Group, one of the largest infrastructure companies in North America.

man being interviewed

“We wanted to redefine Old Ontario,” explained Boaz Feiner, president of Geranium’s home-building division and a partner in Friday Harbour. Marc Muzzo, of Pemberton Group is also a partner in the development. “We didn’t want people’s secondary residence to emulate their primary residence.”

Feiner said buyers at Friday Harbour are not traditional cottagers; they are mainly urbanites who enjoy a resort-like, waterfront escape and want activities and conveniences such as restaurants, coffee shops and stores.

And, on this sunny day, people of all ages — socially distant and most wearing masks due to COVID-19 — stroll along the boardwalk in the European-style pedestrian village. They have a range of destinations: a coffee at Starbucks, a bite at FH Fine Foods. Some headed to the Outdoor Adventure Centre to swim in the pool, play basketball, or paddleboard or kayak on Lake Simcoe. As well, walking and biking trails thread through the 200-acre Nature Preserve. And The Nest is an 18-hole golf course designed by Doug Carrick to meet with Audubon International environment standards, and shaped from 1.8 million cubic metres of dirt taken from the marina basin .

So far, 1,000 housing units have been built at Friday Harbour, including luxury townhouses that sit on “islands” in the marina and midrise condominiums in the pedestrian village. When complete, the community will have 3,000 units, including hotel rooms.

“This is not like any other project. It’s a unique proposition to Ontario, a marina-based resort,” said De Gasperis. “Friday Harbour is an urban cottage lifestyle,” he added about the modern design of the community where most buyers — like him — have never owned a traditional cottage.

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Nearly 20 years since first envisioned, Friday Harbour has been designed with respect for its lakeside environment. Runoff that could affect water quality and fish habitat is collected and treated before it’s released into the marina basin, where healthy populations of fish have been monitored. Village runoff is pumped to a pond on the golf course and used to irrigate the greens. Wildlife habitats have been restored and new ones created. An extensive planting and monitoring of endangered butternut trees was undertaken.

Feiner and De Gasperis are more than partners in the resort. They both own homes at Friday Harbour and on this day, one of Feiner’s four kids whizzes past on inline skates. “We are also users here so we can pay more direct attention and we have a willingness to pivot, based on the demands of the community,” he said.

The resort’s vision was conceived by Geranium Corporation principal Earl Rumm from a sketch he saw in the boat shop of the old Big Bay Point Marina. The project really gained traction when De Gasperis and Muzzo joined as partners six years ago.

De Gasperis has been hands-on from the start; Con-Drain built the marina and he was on-site constantly during construction. He pays attention to details — such as the design of the streetlights and drain covers. After seeing a marina boardwalk built of Ipe wood in Florida, he wanted the same for Friday Harbour’s 4.5-kilometre boardwalk and sourced it directly from Brazil. He handpicks the retailers for the resort to reflect homeowners’ needs: FH Fine Foods was created specifically for the resort and De Gasperis insisted that Friday Harbour own the on-site Starbucks — normally, the company doesn’t franchise its shops. There’s a Crockadoodle pottery studio where kids and families can create. Restaurants include Avenue Cibi e Vini Italian restaurant, there is Mediterranean-inspired Fishbone Kitchen and Bar, the waterfront Beach Club and Beavertails; Zaza Italian coffee bar will be opening soon. As most homeowners have dogs, a pet food store will be coming, as well as a salon/spa, pharmacy and walk-in clinic.

View of development from the sky

“There are 4,500 cottages on the lake and Friday Harbour is becoming the hub and meeting point for Lake Simcoe,” said Feiner. “Some people come just for the LCBO or Starbucks, some come to play golf or to eat at one of the restaurants. What is most exciting is seeing people’s reaction the first time they come here.”

Some homeowners use their condos or townhouses as vacation homes; others live most of the year there. What they can’t find on the resort is minutes away in Barrie, including a GO train station.

Currently, there are townhomes and condo suites available from the high $300,000s to more than $2 million. The available townhomes are on the water and have 10-foot ceilings. They include private boat slip, elevator and hot tub. The newest residential offering is High Point, a four-storey condo under construction in the Village with more than 200 suites, starting from the high $300,000s.

Also under construction is the Lake Club, a stunning glass and wood amenity building that will include indoor and outdoor restaurants, full-service bar, private boardroom and dining room, fitness centre, outdoor pool and hot tub, and indoor and outdoor Kids Zone.

The Lake Club reflects the partners’ goal that the resort be a place where people of all ages can enjoy themselves. “It’s a legacy for us and our kids and grandkids,” says De Gasperis.

FRIDAY HARBOUR

Developer: Friday Harbour

High Point: A four-storey condominium now under construction with 200-plus suites; 520-2,220 sq. ft., one- to four-bedroom units with one parking spot. Priced from the high $300,000s to $2 million plus. Monthly homeowner fees. Occupancy fall 2022.

Features: Stainless steel appliances, quartz countertops, 12-by- 24-inch porcelain tile in kitchen and bath, stacked washer/dryer, laminate engineered flooring, patio or balcony (as per plan)

Amenities: Landscaped interior courtyard, swimming pool, party room and pet wash stations plus access to all Friday Harbour amenities

Info: Website . Email , ext. 5, or toll free ext. 5. General information:

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Ottawa will roll out COVID-19 vaccine to provinces on basis of population, Alberta says

Aug 2, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Dosages of Canada’s vaccines will be handed out to provinces based on population, an Alberta Health spokesperson says.

That would mean how many doses each province gets will be decided by how many people it has — not how many health-care workers, how many cases it’s facing, or how many seniors live there.

“Provinces and territories did not place orders, allocations are being provided by the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) on a per-capita basis,” spokesperson Tom McMillan said.

“Per Alberta’s perspective, we’re following the same approach we’ve taken to all vaccines which is that all the provinces work with the federal government to come together.”

The distribution model could become complicated if dosages of the vaccine are available in waves — and not all at once — forcing government officials to prioritize who first gets the vaccine.

Dr. Howard Njoo, Canada’s deputy chief public health officer, said on Tuesday it’s likely the first phase of the vaccine rollout won’t see enough doses for everyone “all at once” and instead will come in “batches.”

Raywat Deonandan, an epidemiologist and professor at the University of Ottawa, said per capita distribution is not the right plan — particularly if there’s a limited amount of the vaccine.

Imagine a Canada that doesn’t have provinces, he said. “You would send it to where it is needed without having to consider the ancient Canadian curse of the federal-provincial divide.”

“If you have a limited resource, you apply that resource strategically, not politically, not equitably,” said Deonandan.

“It’s just not the time for equity, strangely enough. This is a time for strategic application,” he said.

“Maybe you should distribute it based upon, not the per capita, but the actual cases per capita. If not that, then maybe the deaths per capita. If not that, then maybe who is closest to health-care capacity overrun,” he said.

When asked about per-capita distribution, PHAC did not offer a direct answer and said final plans were still being worked out.

“Final key populations for early COVID-19 immunization will be determined by (the National Advisory Committee on Immunization), once more is known about the vaccines for Canada and their delivery schedule,” the agency said in a statement.

“Allocations of vaccines and rollout will be determined by (federal, provincial and territorial) governments, informed by NACI advice.”

The Alberta government spokesperson said it’s using the recommendations provided by NACI as a starting point for distribution.

Those guidelines say vaccines should first be distributed to vulnerable populations like seniors, those with underlying medical conditions and front-line health-care workers.

Just how the COVID-19 vaccine will be distributed and to who has become a hot topic after two drug companies announced successful early results.

Last week, Pfizer Inc. and BioNTech announced their vaccine candidate showed signs of being 90 per cent effective. Canada has signed on to purchase 20 million doses of that vaccine.

Then on Monday, Massachusetts-based Moderna said early results showed its vaccine candidate was 94.5 per cent effective. Canada has inked a deal with Moderna for 56 million doses of its vaccine.

Njoo said the current goal is to vaccinate the vast majority of Canadians by the end of 2021. The government is hopeful that January could mark the beginning stages of a national rollout of vaccines.

While there’s no law that states the public health agency must do it that way, per capita makes the most sense given the complexity of trying to decide who gets the vaccine first, said Katherine Fierlbeck, a professor political science at Dalhousie University. Provinces could also choose to redistribute vaccines between each other, she said.

“(PHAC) had guidelines (during H1N1) but it was up to the provinces to put the guidelines into action,” Fierlbeck said. “Different provinces did things differently, as they do, and there was a lot of confusion.

“The distribution of anything is political.”

Just getting the vaccine to the provinces will not be easy. The Pfizer vaccine requires ultracold storage of minus 80C. The Moderna vaccine would only require temperatures that a standard household refrigerator could provide.

With files from Tonda MacCharles

Kieran Leavitt is an Edmonton-based reporter covering provincial affairs for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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The Raptors want to spend the season in Toronto, but is there time to convince three levels of government?

Aug 2, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The search for a home, or at least a place to temporarily call home, continues for the but at least they have a firm timeline.

The NBA’s decision to go full throttle on an accelerated path to the 2020-21 season is now official, putting added pressure on Toronto to find some place to play the home portion of a 72-game regular season that will begin Dec. 22.

Whether that’s in the Scotiabank Arena or one of several possible American sites remains unclear but Raptors officials are pressing to get approval to play in their usual spot.

Any plan to play in Toronto would take approval of three levels of government, along with the NBA and the NBA Players Association, no easy feat. But it is a fight worth fighting, the franchise believes, because the overwhelming desire is to be somewhere where they control everything from housing to practice facilities to medical facilities to transportation to and from airports and arenas.

They have that in Toronto; they wouldn’t necessarily have it in any other city.

There have been back channel discussions with the various governments — they were sympathetically received, according to sources who have been involved — but there is no imminent resolution.

The current COVID-19 situation in Toronto and Ontario is hardly conducive to more openings or exemptions and the United States is also in the throes of rampant escalation, none of it a good harbinger. The most significant thing the Raptors can do is present a well-thought-out plan. They and the NBA do have some history in being able to protect the general public and themselves during rampant growth of positive tests — they succeeded in Florida when the state was a coronavirus petri dish, it seemed — and that is a point they have made, according to people briefed on the discussions.

The Raptors have done some due diligence on American cities in case they are forced to find a temporary home. But there are so many things at play in finding a place where they can be comfortable, perhaps for months. It is far harder than simply picking a city with a legitimate NBA arena.

They need first-class accommodations they have some control over for testing, off-day activities, families, a full team staff and visiting teams. They need a city that has the infrastructure for their training needs, which are extensive: a practice gym with multiple baskets, fitness facilities, suitable medical and treatment facilities. And with the schedule likely to be heavily weighted for conference play, a temporary home needs to be in the East for ease of travel.

Most of the logical assumptions and reported possibilities — Newark, N.J., Nashville, Buffalo and presumably others that haven’t leaked out in the media yet — have most of the prerequisites but finding one with all of them could be troublesome. The Raptors have had to pack up once, moving operations to Naples, Fla., before entering the league’s Orlando-area bubble for the conclusion to the 2019-20 season.

Toronto, of course, has all the prerequisites but the issues with the Canada-U.S. border and the exploding COVID-19 numbers in Ontario are issues.

Dealing with visiting teams would seem to be the least of the problems. With rapid testing, it’s entirely possible for visiting teams to be tested before it leaves its home base and to be sequestered in a five-star area hotel near Scotiabank Arena with all the catering and personal needs taken care of. The teams would be tested again on the day of a game and could fly out right after. And scheduling something like a series of six-game homestands would allow teams to get in and out with little local disruption.

The major issue could be how to handle the Raptors themselves when they take road trips to the U.S. and have to return to Canada, where they could be required to isolate for up to two weeks, an impossibility for a workable NBA schedule. But the Raptors could propose a modified isolation plan to satisfy the medical needs of the various levels of government that would have to approve any return to play in Toronto.

The league would insist on daily testing for its players, coaches and staff members. Would that, plus a bubble-like setup where the players would be tested daily and travel only between their homes and the team’s practice and game facilities, be enough to appease the city, the province and the federal government?

The biggest problem may be time. The accelerated start to the 2020-21 season announced Monday — the draft is Nov. 18, free agency signings start Nov. 22, and training camps open Dec. 1 — leaves little flexibility.

Doug Smith is a sports reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter:

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‘Modest’ tax hike needed despite tough times: Severn mayor

Aug 2, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Severn Township is raising taxes while also acknowledging the financial hardships some residents are facing during the coronavirus pandemic.

Mayor Mike Burkett said it would be irresponsible for the township to dip into its savings to shield residents from the impact of what he said was a relatively small increase to the tax levy.

“Council believes that drawing from capital reserves to avoid a tax increase is not a responsible way to protect municipal infrastructure, now and in the future, requiring us to make the difficult decision of imposing a modest tax increase,” Burkett said.

Township council, in approving its 2021 budget, has supported an estimated total tax rate increase of 2.45 per cent.

That amounts to an additional $69 in property taxes next year for the owner of an average single-family home.

Resident Bill Tasker isn’t opposed to paying the additional freight so long as it is reflected in improved services.

Policing in particular is one area in which Tasker supports investment.

“I think that is something that is really lacking in the area,” he told Simcoe.com.

Included in the budget are plans for significant reinvestment in core infrastructure, including more than $4 million for road upgrades.

While stressing the need to invest in infrastructure and maintain services, Burkett acknowledged the pandemic has impacted community members financially.

“We understand that our residents may be struggling through the financial impacts of COVID-19,” he added.

Other investments approved in the budget include more than $1.28 million for water and wastewater utilities — $800,000 of which is dedicated to the continued production of safe drinking water.

The municipality will also invest in outdoor recreation facilities with the support of federal and provincial grants.

Funds are earmarked for new universal washrooms in parks and an outdoor sports field.

The budget reflects the funding needed to maintain current service levels for the township and its shared service partners, including the township’s library, Orillia and Lake Country Tourism, Severn Sound Environmental Association, the OPP and the county.

In addition to infrastructure works, Severn’s budget includes funds to modernize the township’s financial systems and improve communication with residents.

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‘WARNING’: Meat product sold at Sobeys and FreshCo and other grocery stores recalled over Listeria fears

Jul 30, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has ordered a product recall due to possible Listeria monocytogenes contamination.

The CFIA said in its “food that Levitts Foods (Canada) Inc. is recalling Compliments brand Smoked Beef Pastrami, sold widely in Sobeys and FreshCo grocery stores across Ontario, according to the

“This recall was triggered by Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) test results. The CFIA is conducting a food safety investigation, which may lead to the recall of other products. If other high-risk products are recalled, the CFIA will notify the public through updated Food Recall Warnings,” the Agency said.

The Agency is telling shoppers to check and see if they have bought the recalled product or if it’s in their home.

“Recalled products should be thrown out or returned to the store where they were purchased,” the Agency said.

Food contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes may not look or smell spoiled but can still make you sick, the Agency writes, adding that symptoms can include vomiting, nausea, persistent fever, muscle aches, severe headache and neck stiffness.

“Pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems are particularly at risk. Although infected pregnant women may experience only mild, flu-like symptoms, the infection can lead to premature delivery, infection of the newborn or even stillbirth. In severe cases of illness, people may die,” the Agency writes.

The CFIA is verifying that the industry is removing the recalled product from the marketplace and said there have been no reported illnesses associated with the consumption of this product.

Here are photos of the recalled product:

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Ontario court denies appeal by killer of Barrie’s Alexandra Flanagan

Jul 30, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The man convicted of killing Barrie’s Alexandra Flanagan won’t be getting out of jail anytime soon.

Earlier this summer, Andrew Keene appealed both his conviction and his sentence, based on the fact a police sting known as a Mr. Big operation was used to find him guilty.

But in Ontario Court of Appeal , released Oct. 8, he concludes the trial judge made the right call in sentencing Keene to life in prison with no eligibility of parole for 17 years.

Keene was sentenced July 2, 2015, after confessing to the murder and dismemberment of Flanagan, who had gone missing in July 2007.

Keene’s lawyer said the the only reason Keene confessed to the crime is because he believed he was a liability for the Mr. Big criminal organization.

Strathy said the question is “whether the police induced a confession from him by using coercion, threats of coercion, or conduct approximating coercion to overcome his will,” he wrote in his report.

He noted there was no physical violence or threat of physical violence against Keene.

“Ultimately, (Keene) was carrying a terrible burden and felt the police closing in on him. He willingly and gratefully accepted Mr. Big’s offer of assistance, not because he was pressured or coerced into doing so, or because he thought he would be ‘put in a hole’ if he did not.”

Strathy dismissed the conviction appeal based on that information.

As for the parole ineligibility period, Strathy said he should only “interfere with a sentence if it is demonstrably unfit, or if it reflects an error in principle.”

The length of a sentence is to denounce unlawful conduct and deter others from similar conduct, he wrote.

“The dismemberment of Ms. Flanagan’s body and the disposal of her remains about Barrie, coupled with the victim impact statements from her family (parents, sisters and aunt), speak to the horrific nature of the appellant’s crimes,” Strathy wrote. “The circumstances of Ms. Flanagan’s murder and the events after it warrant a period of parole ineligibility at the upper end of the range.”

Correction — Oct. 13, 2020: This article has been edited from a previous version that misstated Justice Strathy’s name.

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Media organizations still waiting for rollout of key federal government support program

Jul 30, 2021 , , , , by shlf

As the second of wave of COVID-19 , questions remain as to when a key federal government support for journalism will be rolled out.

The refundable journalism labour tax credit for media outlets was part of an aid package first unveiled by the Liberals in 2018, as the media landscape was getting smaller, newspaper editions were being cut and financially struggling outlets were shutting down for good.

The credit is calculated at a rate of 25 per cent of a newsroom employee’s salary, for a maximum credit of $13,750 per employee per tax year. Outlets eligible for the credit must first be designated a “qualified Canadian journalism organization” (QCJO) by an independent panel. The credit is retroactive to Jan. 1, 2019.

Despite being announced almost two years ago, it would appear the program has yet to start issuing payments for the credit for 2019.

Canadian Heritage Minister Steven Guilbeault had said in May that the first eligible news organizations would learn if they qualify for the credit this past spring, and that payments would follow in the summer.

However, media advocacy organizations say they’re unaware of any outlet having yet received a payment. The groups also say it’s unclear just how many outlets have received the QCJO designation.

Criteria that an outlet must meet for the designation includes being a corporation, partnership or trust operating in Canada, engaged in the production of original news content and which employs at least two journalists.

Guilbeault’s office referred questions about the tax credit this week to the Canada Revenue Agency, which told the Star in a statement that QCJO designations are now being issued, but that provisions in the Income Tax Act prevent the agency from disclosing who has applied for, received, or been denied a designation.

The agency did not respond to questions as to when the panel actually started approving QCJO designations, or when payments would be issued.

“While we’re seeing things being cut to the bone — and there’s very much a sword of Damocles hanging over the industry right now — we’re trying to figure out what the best course of action is, because we don’t have a lot of details at this point, from the government, and from others,” said Brent Jolly, president of the Canadian Association of Journalists.

“Sometimes I worry that it’s paralysis by analysis…That at the end of the day, it’s ultimately journalists and the public’s right to know that are the ones most compromised by the lack of action.”

The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the problems of an industry, particularly newspapers, that has struggled for years with declining advertising revenues, while at the same time media outlets are being relied on more than ever by the public.

Since the first wave of the pandemic hit in March, 24 community newspapers have ceased publication, while about two dozen more are temporarily closed, said April Lindgren, a journalism professor at Ryerson University. Two private radio stations have stopped operating and 11 daily newspapers have cut one or more of their print editions, she said.

Lindgren is the principal investigator with the Local News Research Project, which collects data for the COVID-19 Media Impact Map for Canada, along with online trade publication J-Source and the Canadian Association of Journalists.

“Yet again we’re seeing local media in particular being in trouble at a time when never before has their role in informing the public about what are essentially life-and-death situations been so important,” she said.

“That’s why it’s so disturbing because you won’t find out about what’s happening in the intensive care unit of your local hospital by watching a national news report. You need local media to make those calls and ask those questions.

“To give people that information so they can make informed decisions about whether they want to send their kids to in-person classes or study online, or whether their elderly relatives are going to be OK in local nursing homes.”

At least for this year, media organizations, along with many other businesses across the country, have been able to tap into the federal government’s emergency wage subsidy, brought in due to COVID-19 to help cover a portion of workers’ wages.

(Torstar, the parent company of the Toronto Star, is among the recipients of the subsidy.)

“It’s been the lifeline for many newspapers across the country this year,” said Bob Cox, chair of the Canadian News Media Association.

Guilbeault’s office highlighted in a statement to the Star on Friday that the government had also brought in a one-time $45-million special measures program due to COVID-19 to help digital, small circulation and free magazines and community newspapers.

While grateful for the wage subsidy and other one-time supports, Cox said media organizations would like clear timelines from the government regarding the journalism labour tax credit.

“Here is our biggest fear: It’s that next year we are going to go forward and we’re not going to have wage subsidies, and we’re not going to have special measures, and the kind of support we got this year for COVID,” he said. “And we need (the tax credit) working by then so that we can go back to something approaching normal.”

Guilbeault is also continuing to monitor work in Australia and France around possible measures to make digital giants like Facebook and Google pay media outlets for using their content, his office said Friday. The minister discussed the issue with his French and Australian counterparts this week, and is considering options for a made-in-Canada framework.

Jacques Gallant is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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LIVE VIDEO: Ontario Premier Doug Ford provides daily update on COVID-19 October 26

Jul 30, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Watch Premier Doug Ford’s daily COVID-19 update now.

In a news conference at Queen’s Park, Ontario Premier Doug Ford and provincial cabinet ministers Christine Elliott (health) and Rod Phillips (finance) provide an update on their government’s response to the ongoing COVID-19 (coronavirus disease) pandemic.