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

Month: September 2021

lyljhfc dkqf

Ten good news stories from Toronto Star headlines this week

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

We’ve got the goods for you.

From Halloween hijinks to Toronto dedicating a day to one of her native sons, we have compiled some of this week’s best good-news stories from thestar.com.

1.

We asked and you delivered! The Star put out a call for your photos of your creative costumes as you got ready to do your best to celebrate Halloween in 2020. And, boy, did you send us a pillowcase of fun!

2.

Dropping candy down a chute for little costumed Baby Sharks, Mulans and Black Panthers. Flinging full-size candybars to them via mini-catapults, “Game of Thrones” style, or with decorated slingshots. A favourite North American festivity is being tested by COVID-19. And people rose to the challenge for trick-or-treating that’s both safe and fun during a pandemic.

3.

An email from the Queen Mother Cafe proprietor Andre Rosenbaum, not sharing news of an impending closure, but instead its 42nd anniversary on Oct. 26, was comforting. At least for now one of the iconic spots that shaped people’s memories of Queen West is staying put.

4.

With more than a decade of screenwriting experience under his belt, the Canadian filmmaker behind comedies “This Is the End” and “Pineapple Express” is trying to expose youth from under-represented communities to the industry through Reel Start.

5.

Olufunke Asemota and her daughter lived in a shelter after arriving in Canada in December 2018. The single mother, originally from Nigeria, said she was a refugee claimant who didn’t know anyone in Canada and had no family to turn to for help.

But amid the “trauma (and) confusion,” she said, she met a friend who would introduce her to a training program that would turn her life around.

6.

It’s going to be a long winter, so we’re doing whatever it takes to add an extra dose of joy into daily life. Here are more things to make you happy. Hopefully they will bring you some joy too as we head into a week marking the start of daylight saving and the 2020 U.S. presidential election.

7.

After five years out of the TV spotlight, Jon Stewart will have his own show again.

Stewart, the former anchor of “The Daily Show,” has reached a deal to host a current-affairs series for Apple TV+, the company announced Tuesday.

8.

With love and pranks, Ian Paget and Chris Olsen are among millions of U.S. newbies looking to soak up social media stardom on TikTok. While they aren’t breakout stars like Nathan Apodaca (the guy with the cranberry juice and long board), they symbolize something else on TikTok. Their care for each other shines through for a range of supporters, from middle-age moms to LGBTQ youth struggling to come out.

9.

Mayor John Tory declared Saturday as “John Candy Day” to mark what would’ve been the actor’s 70th birthday. The mayor made the announcement on social media, saying, “It’s our way of remembering a beloved actor and comedian with roots in Toronto.”

10.

White rhinos are the second-largest land mammal and are an endangered species with a near-threatened status. The newborn’s birth on Sunday was a successful product of the Species Survival Plans overseen by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums to ensure the responsible breeding of endangered species.

ultafcc

Police seize cocaine, loaded handgun during early morning raid at Springwater home

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Police seized $75,000 in drugs and a loaded handgun after officers searched a Springwater home Oct. 29.

Huronia West OPP officers executed an early morning search warrant in connection with an ongoing investigation.

About 500 grams of cocaine and 7,000 Percocet pills were found in the house along with a “large” amount of cash.

Three Springwater Township men and two Barrie women, all in their 20s, are charged with numerous firearm and drug trafficking offences. 

The three male suspects were held for bail court in Barrie.  

wbqxg itihe

Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser urges Ontario’s gyms to switch to cohorts

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Researchers behind a for containing workplace COVID-19 outbreaks say fitness facilities can use the same methods to avoid the fate of , a superspreader event that saw 54 primary cases of the virus last month. 

“We have been watching the situation unfold in Toronto around gyms and believe that the use of bubbles … would help the situation,” said Tyler Williamson, one of the nine authors of the Sept. 30 report,

Williams and his co-researchers argue in the report that the use of cohorts or “bubbles” in a workplace can limit potential outbreaks to a small number of employees as long as employees only interact with the people in their given cohort. 

If one member of a cohort becomes sick, everyone exposed within that cohort self-isolates while the rest of the workforce continues to work.

Hayley Wickenheiser, who earned four Olympic gold medals as a member of the Canadian women’s hockey team, is currently attending medical school in Toronto and co-authored the Sept. 30 study. She believes that fitness facilities in regions of Ontario not under red zone restrictions can apply the same cohorting principles in two ways: separation in space and separation in time. 

While cohorting in space – partitioning one gym into multiple separate facilities and dividing customers and staff between them – might only be feasible for large, open-concept gyms, she said virtually any fitness facility can implement some degree of cohorting in time.

“If you sequester people into time slots, and if you can get people into a more regular schedule without going across times, then you can kind of contain the number of interactions that are taking place between people and reduce the chance that a spreader event will take place over different groups,” she said.

Wickenheiser said gyms where people complete self-guided workouts could accomplish this by dividing operating hours into time slots and having clients sign up for a dedicated, unchangeable time slot each week, so that the same clients are reliably at the gym at the same time.

Facilities that offer pre-scheduled group classes could create more airtight cohorts by having clients commit to a specific class at the same time each week with the same instructor, without the ability to attend a different class. Instructors could be limited to teaching the same one or two classes each week. So if a client in one class tests positive for COVID-19, only that instructor’s one or two classes are potentially impacted, rather than the entire studio.

While this strategy would limit flexibility for staff and clients, Wickenheiser believes it’s worth it to provide the ability to prevent a facility-wide closure.

“We all have to be able to give up a little and sacrifice and if that’s what it takes to keep gyms going,” she said.

Chelsi Rodrigues owns and operates Whole Health Strength and Fitness, a small fitness centre in Cambridge. She believes the system Wickenheiser and her co-authors recommend should be workable for most gyms the size of hers.

“It’s not unrealistic, what they’re proposing,” she said. “At the end of the day, I don’t think anyone wants to get the virus.”

Rodrigues already offers scheduled fitness classes for up to 10 participants and uses a software application to keep track of everyone who enters the facility. None of her staff or clients have tested positive for COVID-19.

Her biggest challenge would be in staffing. Most of her trainers teach two classes per week, while her own class schedule is full. In order to further limit her contact with clients, she would need to hire additional staff.

“It would be more of a challenge for me because I’d have to step back and have them come in more,” she said.

Brian Fehst sits on the board of directors of the Ontario Society for Health and Fitness. He also believes sole-proprietor fitness centres might find it financially challenging to separate staff into cohorts, but said most would be willing to adopt the new strategy if it were ever mandated by public health.

“I think we’re already seeing a lot of acceptance of what the guidelines are and the facilities are really buying into it,” he said. “They’re saying, ‘This is important to protect our community health, so we’re going to be compliant.’”

For more information about the province’s COVID-19 guidelines for fitness facilities, visit .

nskiorhji

OPP investigating mysterious explosion sound in Victoria Harbour

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Southern Georgian Bay OPP and Tay Township fire department are investigating what sounded like a loud explosion in Victoria Harbour, at about 12:30 a.m. on Nov. 6.

Residents around Maple Street, Park Street and George Street reported hearing an explosion, along with a bright, bluish light in the area of the Community Centre and Industrial Park. 

Responding officers patrolled the area without locating a scene or cause of the sound. 

Investigators were contacted after a building on the corner of Maple Street and Park Street was found to have incurred damage to its roof overnight.

Officers from the Office of the Ontario Fire Marshall are attending the scene to assist police with the ongoing investigation.

Anyone with knowledge or video footage of the incident is asked to contact the OPP at , or call Crime Stoppers at . 

zwigdjj

Stayner’s Etched by Taylor creates personalized gifts

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

If you need an idea for that hard-to-shop-for someone, try gifting them something that’s personalized with their name.

Taylor Halliday from  can put your friend or family member’s name on almost anything — cheese board, casserole dish, coffee mug or ornament.

For $50, she’s offering a 2×8 personalized slate cheese board, three cheese knives and a cheese fork.

She can also personalize baby’s first Christmas ornament for you, at the cost of $25.

Halliday lives in Stayner and is able to work with you on perfecting your Christmas order.

Visit to see more ideas, or email .


zwigdjj

How to prepare for a winter day outdoors during COVID-19

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

There are plenty of amid COVID-19.

But if you are planning a day out in nature with the family, there are a few things to consider and a few items you may want to pack before you head out. 

Heather Wilson-Forbes, of The Child & Nature Alliance of Canada, has the following tips for families:

Start small

For families who don’t usually spend much time out in nature, there’s no reason to pack up the car and head for an hours-long drive to a specific location, Wilson-Forbes said. Instead, you may want to test out places closer to home, especially considering the fact that due to COVID-19 restrictions, some washrooms or warming centres in certain locations may be closed. 

“Often in Canada we can have the ideal vision of what outdoor time looks like, but if you’re not used to it, perhaps some extended walks around your neighbourhood, or an extended trip to a green space might be good so you can kind of learn what you feel is useful and what’s not useful closer to your home base,” they said.

“There’s nature all around us and children are really happy exploring that wherever they are.”

Bring a change of clothes

Your little ones will be playing outdoors, which means much of their outdoor gear will get wet and possibly muddy. It’s always good to have a change of clothes in your vehicle, as well as an extra hat, scarf and pair of mittens on hand, Wilson-Forbes said, adding that buying these extra items doesn’t have to break the bank.

A local dollar store should carry just what you need, including hand and foot warmers, which may also be useful during these outings.

Invest in a flask for hot beverages

You may be visiting an area that doesn’t have many stores or restaurants nearby. Or perhaps these locations are closed due to COVID-19 restrictions. 

Either way, it may be a good idea to bring along an insulated container with a hot beverage to help you and your family keep warm, Wilson-Forbes said.

They added that families may want to steer clear of caffeine however, if there will not be an accessible washroom close by. 

Keep moving 

While on these outings, some families may be tempted to push their children in a sled or a stroller, but if your little ones can walk, letting them be out and about not only helps them to discover more, but also keeps them warm, Wilson-Forbes explained. 

Let your kids guide the adventure, where possible

If being out in nature is not new for your family, it may be beneficial to let your children lead the adventure this time. The philosophy at The Child & Nature Alliance of Canada is all about child-led outdoor play and exploration.

Letting your child’s interests guide the experience and being ready to answer their questions along the way, can create a more fulsome, immersive experience for the whole family, Wilson-Forbes said. 

ultafcc

Erin O’Toole dodges questions about Tory MP who supports anti-vaxxers

Sep 21, 2021 , , , , by shlf

OTTAWA—Conservative Leaderblamed government “secrecy” for fuelling concern about a future Thursday as he dodged questions about one of his MPs flirting with vaccine skeptics.

Responding to questions at a morning press conference, O’Toole declined to denounce Conservative MP Derek Sloan, who sponsored a in Parliament that questions the safety of COVID vaccines and likens their speedy rollout to “human experimentation.”

Instead, O’Toole called on the government to lift the veil on its planned vaccination campaign, including by releasing details for how it intends to roll out doses to the Canadian Armed Forces, veterans and Indigenous communities that fall under federal health jurisdiction. That would “help bring certainty” to people about the pandemic response and “the efficacy of the vaccine,” O’Toole said.

“More important than petitions sent in from Canadians across the country is a plan for the 38 million Canadians seeing a government with no information heading into Christmas,” O’Toole said.

“You wonder why Canadians are worried? It’s the secrecy and incompetence of the Trudeau government.”

Sloan, an Ontario MP who lost to O’Toole in the Conservative leadership race this year, told reporters Wednesday that he typically tables all petitions signed by his constituents unless he is “adamantly opposed” to what they contain. The petition was written by a director of a group called that argues for “informed consent” about vaccines and their risks, benefits and alternatives.

“I’m not an expert on this subject matter so I can’t say one way or other whether certain protocols are being followed. But I believe, you know, these people seem to have concerns and I have no problem allowing them to raise those through a petition in the House of Commons,” Sloan said.

Responding to questions from Conservatives about the vaccine plan in the House on Thursday, Health Minister Patty Hajdu accused the opposition of doubting health officials. “Unlike the opposition party, we have confidence in public health officials, we have confidence in public health guidance and we certainly have confidence in vaccination,” she said.

Prof. Timothy Caulfield, who holds the Canada Research Chair in health law and policy at the University of Alberta, said everyone should be concerned about petitions like the one Sloan is sponsoring, which he said “seems to be more about fear-mongering than rational oversight.”

“These claims are frustrating and do nothing to help Canadians get through the pandemic,” he said.

“These vaccines have been studied. There have been clinical trials involving thousands of individuals.” Of course, the science must be reviewed by regulators “who independently assess the available evidence,” he said, adding post-market surveillance will “help identify rare adverse events.”

But Caulfield said research shows the anti-vaccine community, including Vaccine Choice Canada, uses “ideologically or intuitively appealing concepts like choice, freedom, liberty, consent … to sidestep the scientifically implausible nature of the myths and the misinformation they push.”

It fuels mistrust.

Caulfield said research shows that anywhere from 20 to 40 per cent of people — depending on the survey — are worried and are “taking a wait-and-see perspective.”

What’s driving the hesitancy, Caulfield said, is a “breakdown in trust in the process” due to misinformation generally about vaccines, and more specifically about the speed of the COVID-19 vaccine development process.

“You’re seeing individuals that aren’t the hardcore anti-vaxxers but rather those sort of hesitant groups — that group in the middle — and they’re worried about the speed, they’re worried about political interference and I think that’s largely emanating from the United States.”

Conservative health critic Michelle Rempel told the Star’s Kieran Leavitt that Sloan’s petition does not represent the party’s position, and said Canada “has one of the most rigorous review processes for health products, including vaccines, in the world.”

“I mean, seriously. So, there’s no question within our party of the need to have a COVID vaccine that has been approved by health regulators widely available to the Canadian public to combat the spread of COVID-19.”

“I do think that it’s incumbent upon the government, however, in collaboration with the provinces, to give Canadians information on where they can receive it, what it means in terms of potential immunity and efficacy.”

For Jason Lietaer, president of the strategic communications firm Enterprise and a former adviser to prime minister Stephen Harper, all political leaders should make it clear that a vaccine is expected to be a key tool to get out of the pandemic.

“You should be tough on the issue, not on the person. Mr. O’Toole and all political leaders should send a very quick and very clear message that our vaccines are safe,” he said.

Tonda MacCharles is an Ottawa-based reporter covering federal politics for the Star. Follow her on Twitter:

Alex Ballingall is an Ottawa-based reporter covering national politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

dnfyu cproc

How COVID stranded new Canadian residents and stalled immigration

Sep 20, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Going into 2020, thousands of people around the world had high hopes for a new life in Canada after getting their permanent resident visas. They sold their homes, quit their jobs and got ready to move to a new country that had invited them to come to live.

But then slammed the door in their faces.

Since mid-March, Ottawa has imposed strict travel restrictions against foreign nationals, including holders of permanent resident visas. Meanwhile the clock is ticking for many whose permanent visas have expired or are near expiry.

The federal government is working to restart the immigration system that faltered badly during this pandemic but the process has been slow and frustrating. Canada is falling far short of its immigration goals.

In today’s episode of This Matters, the Star’s immigration reporter explains what is going on. Fatima Camara, a teacher from Belarus, also joins to share her family’s story of being stuck in limbo after getting their permanent resident visas and packing up their old lives only to go nowhere.

Listen to this episode and more at or subscribe at , , or wherever you listen to your favourite podcasts

nskiorhji

Southern Ontario police see surge in carjackings, chases and more

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Police and residents from Hamilton to Peel Region, Toronto and as far north as Wasaga Beach have been raising concerns about a recent uptick in armed carjackings, high-speed chases through city streets, stunt driving and general disregard of some modified-vehicle enthusiasts for restrictions on gathering sizes, forcing Ontario’s premier to threaten throwing the book at rule breakers in recent weeks.

Peel Regional Police, York Regional Police, Toronto Police Service and the OPP are joining forces to address the disconcerting trend. During Friday’s Peel police board meeting, Chief Nishan Duraiappah said recent driving fatalities, speeding and street racing “is a significant problem.”

The joint operation was announced just two days after a 20-year-old man from Brampton was charged with allegedly stealing a luxury vehicle and taking police on a high-speed chase through Vaughan and Peel Region.

“On top of that are these violent robberies (organized carjackings) and theft of vehicles that we’ve seen,” Duraiappah said at Friday’s meeting. “There has been a significant increase, particularly during the pandemic, right across the GTA, for these types of thefts.”

According to Peel police, since March there has been a large increase of high-end vehicle thefts, with suspects often using weapons and threatening violence.

Jotvinder Sodhi and other members of the Homeowners Welfare Association and Concerned Residents of Brampton raised concerns about armed carjackings, deadly collisions, speeding and stunt driving in a deputation to the Peel board.

“People are being killed and injured every day on our roads,” Sodhi told the Star Monday. “This is a problem for the entire GTA.”

Sodhi said public concern has been elevated since the horrific death of elementary teacher and her three young daughters.

“We need better response and police presence on the roads,” Sodhi said. “Youth engagement is also something that we have to work on.”

Brady Robertson, 20, of Caledon, has since been charged with four counts of dangerous driving causing death and impaired driving causing death in connection with the collision that killed Ciasullo.

Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown said Sodhi raised some legitimate concerns, adding that whether it’s street racing or brazen car thefts, “we have to stem that.”

As of Sept. 14, Toronto police have laid 714 charges for stunt driving, which includes excessive speeding.

Nicole Saltz, a 34-year-old writer, has lived on the third floor of a highrise overlooking the Don Valley Parkway at Broadview and Danforth Aves. for eight years has never had a problem with traffic noise from the DVP before. However, this year there have been loud motorcycles and cars speeding by every night into the early morning.

“If they stop at 4 a.m., that’s a good night,” she said.

Saltz has tracked down people involved in racing events on social media and says the late-night DVP speeding is organized. She and her neighbours have started a Facebook group to track the incidents and have complained to the police, but she said the force told her officers have limited ability to catch the offenders in part because police are prohibited from engaging in high-speed chases for safety reasons.

“Someone’s not doing their job. And it’s to the detriment” of law-abiding residents, she said. “Not to be a drama queen, but it really is ruining my life in a lot of ways. It’s horrible.”

Ontario Provincial Police were on the scene on the weekend in Wasaga Beach where hundreds of modified cars descended this weekend for stunt driving, racing and more at an unsanctioned car rally. Dangerous driving, lack of physical distancing and disregard for public-gathering limits led the OPP to start turning motorists away from the beach town on Saturday night.

The OPP said in a statement Monday that “all available resources” were needed to maintain public safety during what the police service called “an unsanctioned car take-over event.” In all, police issued 172 provincial offence notices and laid charged including stunt and careless driving and speeding.

Some vehicles were seized and 11 tickets were issued the Reopening Ontario Act, which limits outdoor gathering sizes.

The event follows on the heels of a car rally in Ancaster drawing hundreds of people, who had to be dispersed with the help of police forces from across the GTA.

With files from the Star’s Ben Spurr and Wendy Gillis, and Shane MacDonald, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Barrie Advance.

Jason Miller is a Toronto-based reporter for the Star covering crime and justice in the Peel Region. His reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative. Reach him on email: or follow him on Twitter:

ecvcw hjlapp

A glitch in the system meant the switch from CERB to EI wasn’t seamless for everyone

Sep 17, 2021 , , , , by shlf

When Mollie Jacques signed onto the Service Canada website to check if her Employment Insurance (EI) had come through last week, her heart sank.

The veteran chef got a notice that she’d need to reapply, and that it might take 28 days to start collecting money again.

Two days later, she checked again, and breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her original application, made in March, had been approved.

“Those were the worst two days of this entire pandemic for me. Not knowing if I’d have any money coming in for a month was just awful,” said Jacques.

Adding insult to injury, Jacques’ final CERB payment was just $500, not the $1,000 she’d been expecting and believed she was entitled to.

Like many in the restaurant industry, Jacques had been collecting the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB) since it was introduced in late March. When CERB ended Oct. 3, it was supposed to be a seamless transition to EI for anyone who had been receiving CERB through Service Canada, which administers EI. (Millions of other workers, who wouldn’t ordinarily be able to qualify for EI, were collecting CERB through the Canada Revenue Agency, and were only allowed to apply for the new Canada Replacement Benefit on Oct. 12).

Instead, many workers say they got similar notices when they logged in.

Having eaten through any savings they had, and facing another series of COVID-related restrictions , those notices added an extra level of anxiety when they least needed it.

For sommelier Teressa M. Stone, it was several demoralizing days before the message on her Service Canada account changed.

“At first it said ‘your benefits are done’ and didn’t even give me the option of reapplying. It took well over a week to update to ‘your claim has been approved’ and I still don’t know exactly when the money will come,” said Stone, who is worried about paying her rent.

“It’s been pretty stressful,” Stone said.

A spokesperson for federal social development minister Ahmed Hussen, who’s responsible for Service Canada, said the government is confident the EI program is helping people it’s designed to assist, but acknowledged it might not have been a perfect transition from CERB.

“Our priority is in ensuring Canadians have access to high-quality programs and services they need and expect during these difficult times. We have taken important measures to ensure a seamless transition from the CERB to EI, and are working hard so that every worker who is entitled to benefits can receive them. We sympathize with Canadians who had issues reapplying, and remain committed to providing them with the benefits they are entitled to,” said Hussen spokesperson Jessica Eritou.

It wasn’t immediately clear how many people were affected by the apparent glitch.

Simao Pires, a cook at the InterContinental Hotel on Bloor Street, had been collecting CERB since being laid off in March. While the transition from CERB to enhanced EI was supposed to be automatic, that didn’t go according to plan for Pires.

“They emailed and said they needed to reconfirm my province of residence. I called to ask them why and they said I needed to reapply. If I hadn’t called and sat on hold for two and a half hours, I wouldn’t have known,” said Pires. Despite the added stress, Pires reapplied and got his first EI payment Wednesday.

Some workers, including waitress Emily Feist, also worries about another change: Under CERB, people could earn up to $1,000 a month while still collecting the benefit. Now, though, it’s back to the EI rule: 50 cents of every dollar earned will be clawed back from the benefit payments.

“Are they going to be clawing back half of anything that I make? Really? That’s the scariest part of this,” said Feist, who took a part-time, minimum wage job while collecting CERB. “I feel like I’m looking off the edge of a cliff and one of these days I’m going to jump off.”

The Canada Replacement Benefit, which is only open to people ineligible to collect EI doesn’t start clawing back earnings until someone makes at least $38,000 per year.

Josh Rubin is a Toronto-based business reporter. Follow him on Twitter: