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‘Do we have to wait for someone to die?’ Clearview traffic study aims to tackle ‘significant’ speeding issues

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‘Do we have to wait for someone to die?’ Clearview traffic study aims to tackle ‘significant’ speeding issues

Oct 7, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Clearview Township has embarked on a traffic study in hopes of tackling a major issue across the municipality.

Speeding.

Petra Currie lives on 36/37 Side Road East off County Road 124. The speed limit on the first portion of the road is 50 km/h before it turns into an 80-km/h zone. 

She said the higher limit may have been appropriate decades ago, but, with more homes, she believes 50 km/h is appropriate.

“Even at 80, people are doing at least 100,” she said. “Sometimes I couldn’t tell you the colour of the car that just blew past.”

She said a group of neighbours petitioned the township to get the limit reduced.

“I have children and they are not safe to walk the dog or ride their bikes,” she said. “Do we have to wait for someone to die before it’s addressed?”

Henry Centen of Burnside and Associates made a presentation to council Nov. 9 outlining the scope of the study. It will look at 44 locations around Clearview, and will include data collected in June.

“(The) data that’s been collected would indicate you have a significant volume of speeders,” he said.

Heather McEachern lives on Sunnidale Concession 9, near Stayner, and said the road near her house turns into a “racetrack” on weekends.

“Definitely concerning for young children playing,” she said, adding a few of her chickens have been hit. “Quite a few times, I have witnessed dangerous driving racing past farm equipment.”

Mayor Doug Measures said council has heard the concerns from residents.

“I’m very hopeful we will have some changes to mitigate some of the excessive speeding around our community,” he said. 

The study plans to review and recommend posted speeds, and identify and recommend preferred traffic-calming methods.

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Heather Scoffield: COVID-19 statistics don’t reflect the reality for Indigenous people living in Canadian cities

Oct 7, 2021 , , , , by shlf

By now, we know quite a few things about the relationship between COVID-19 and vulnerable people in our midst.

We know it spreads insidiously in crowded homes, in low-income neighbourhoods and among people with underlying conditions. Poverty, precarious housing, multi-generational households and poor health are the breeding grounds for the virus.

So the quiet back-patting that’s been going on among government officials for the slow spread of COVID-19 to Indigenous communities is jarring to Dr. Janet Smylie.

The — that the percentage of COVID-19 cases on reserves is half the rate of that in the general population, and that the fatality rate is one-fifth of that in the general population — do not reflect her reality.

She is on the front lines of Indigenous health care in Toronto, watching and confronting the spread of COVID-19, and researching contagion and its effects among urban Indigenous populations more generally.

Smylie is a researcher at St. Michael’s Hospital, and research chair in Indigenous health knowledge and information. And she is convinced that the virus is drastically under-reported among Indigenous people living in cities.

According to , well over half of Indigenous people live in Canada’s cities. They are not included in the federal government’s efforts to monitor the spread of coronavirus nor are they included in new initiatives to collect statistics on a disaggregated basis to take into account minorities. And while many of them are healthy and prosperous, as a demographic, they check off every single box for being at high risk of catching and suffering deeply from COVID-19.

From what Smylie can see, they are indeed catching the virus, and spreading it to their tight-knit networks, both in the cities and on reserves, at an alarming pace.

“The reports that we’re hearing underestimate the impacts,” Smylie said in a recent interview. “There is an undercount.”

But there’s no way of knowing that for sure. Indigenous Services Canada and Statistics Canada are both looking at ways to measure COVID-19 contagion off reserves, and the Public Health Agency of Canada did not respond to multiple requests for information.

Instead, the federal authorities point to the provinces, who are responsible for delivering health care to Indigenous people off reserve. And not all provinces separate out that information in a transparent way, experts say. It’s “fragmented,” as Smylie says, and the result of decades of entrenched jurisdictional conflict and passing the buck.

“It’s like ignoring a blazing fire.”

In Manitoba, however, we do have some numbers — and they’re devastating. The virus is far more prevalent among First Nations there than among the province’s population in general, and it’s even worse among off-reserve First Nations people. Hospitalization and intensive-care rates are sky-high for off-reserve populations, and testing is low. Both on and off reserves, .

In other words, COVID-19 is spreading faster among off-reserve Indigenous people in Manitoba — and hitting them harder.

“It’s staggering, and it’s going to start impacting that older group,” says Grand Chief Arlen Dumas.

If those trends hold in other provinces, it’s important to know now — and not just after the fact through studies and research projects. Not just out of respect for basic human rights to health care but also because resources could then be allocated to a fragile segment of the population in a way that is both effective and meaningful.

Jocelyn Formsma is at the forefront of those delivering help to Indigenous people living in cities. As the head of the National Association of Friendship Centres, a network serving about 1.4 million people in towns big and small, Formsma is alarmed — not just about COVID-19 spreading through those communities, but also the toll it’s taking on vulnerable people living in isolation.

As communal kitchens have shut down, some friendship centres have staff cooking and putting together food hampers at home, adding sweetgrass and cedar, and hand-delivering them to people in need. Other centres have set up computer terminals at windows so that people without fixed addresses can come apply for government benefits without coming inside. Staff at the centres are constantly scrambling for extra space, resources and personal protective equipment to handle the safety demands of the virus.

“They’re just exhausted,” Formsma says.

In Manitoba, the grand chief and the province’s leading Indigenous health experts have taken to having weekly direct conversations with anyone at all over Facebook, fielding questions on everything from how to find a shelter space that safe from COVID-19 on short notice to whether there are microchips hidden in upcoming vaccines (No, for the record).

“There is a true desire to keep everyone safe,” says Dumas.

There’s no doubt that desire exists across all levels of government. Imagine what we could do if goodwill could be accompanied by good data.

Heather Scoffield is the Star’s Ottawa bureau chief and an economics columnist. Follow her on Twitter:

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‘We have been able to address concerns’: Alcona flood relief project study complete

Oct 7, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Plans to alleviate flooding in south Alcona are closer to becoming a reality now that an environmental assessment study has been completed.

Chronic seasonal flooding affects residents in Belle Ewart every year, when the Belle Aire and Cedar Creeks overflow.

“The chronic flooding issues have plagued residents of these communities for over a decade and now that we’ve completed the environmental assessment process, we have been able to address concerns about public safety and the costs to repair annual damages, which totalled nearly $2 million,” said Mike Walters, Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority (LSRCA) Chief Administrative Officer.

The preferred solution to the flooding identified in the study includes channel improvements in the residential section of the Belle Aire Creek, as well as redirecting flows away from the Belle Aire Creek to the local Little Cedar Creek wetland.

Making improvements to the wetland aims to slow water down, store it and absorb it, which is considered an effective and sustainable solution to reduce flooding damage. This solution was chosen based on the environmental benefit, effectiveness, cost, and future resiliency to climate change that it creates, the LSCRA said.

The next step is implementation, which involves producing engineering and landscape architecture plans with post-construction performance monitoring and maintenance strategies.

The Alcona Flood Relief Project is a partnership between the LSRCA, Town of Innisfil, and engineering consultant, Greenland International. The partners contributed both financially and in-kind services. The Government of Canada also provided funds for 50 per cent of the study.

For more information, visit


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‘There’s a lot of people in need’: Collingwood furniture bank raising cash to replace moving truck

Oct 7, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Georgian Bay Furniture Bank provides free furniture to those in need across south Georgian Bay.

Whether a family has lost everything in a fire or an individual is escaping homelessness, they accept and distribute donated furniture.

Elizabeth Gordaneer, one of the volunteers for the organization, said they’ve filled their four storage units and “cleaned them out” four times since August.

“There’s a lot of people in need,” she said.

She said people who can find an affordable place to live are “moving in with little or no furniture.”

However, the furniture bank is in need itself. The truck it uses to pull a moving trailer recently broke down, and more than $5,000 must be raised to replace it.

A page sits at about $4,700, which will cover the purchase and repair cost of the vehicle. Any additional money will help pay for storage fees.

“I’m actually in awe that we’re already at $4,700,” she said. “Without that truck, we can’t move anything. It’s been amazing.”

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MaRS Impact Week offers a vision for a sustainable recovery from COVID-19

Oct 7, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The first-ever MaRS Impact Week — five days of virtual talks, workshops and panels — will focus on technological solutions to climate change, as well as the pandemic’s impact on work and the tech sector, and the role of venture capital investment in positive change.

Yung Wu, CEO of the tech incubator, said that in the years leading up to 2020, has seen exponential growth in the revenue, capital raised and employee footprint of the ventures and entrepreneurs it represents.

“There’s absolutely an inflection point going on in the innovation economy,” he said.

Though the seeds for Impact Week were planted before the pandemic, Wu believes the topics up for discussion are more important than ever as the recovery from the recession looms.

“We believe, especially in a post-COVID world, the new economy is actually being built on the back of the innovation economy,” he said.

“Post-pandemic, I would say the connection between the innovation economy and the new economy has become even stronger than ever.”

Many of the problems that existed before the pandemic, such as climate change, as well as issues created or exacerbated by the pandemic, can be solved using technology, Wu said.

He pointed to health and the climate as two areas where he believes Canadian companies are already seeing momentum. For example, technology has been key to mitigating the pandemic in terms of contact tracing and rapid testing.

Wu believes health technology will continue to grow post-pandemic, as will technology focused on solutions to the climate crisis.

Canadian companies leading the way in the area of climate solutions include CarbonCure, a company that recycles carbon from the concrete manufacturing process back into the concrete itself; and Ranovus, which is working on reducing the heat footprints of data centres, he said.

“Canada has ruled the energy space, but we should be and could be the future of energy as well,” said Wu.

The conference will have three virtual stages, each with a theme: impact, cleantech and social finance.

Torstar is a media sponsor for the event, which runs Nov. 30 to Dec. 4. It includes speakers from companies such as OpenText, Mitacs and Lane, as well as experts such as Roger Martin of the Rotman School of Management at University of Toronto, political commentator David Frum and political scientist and author Thomas Homer-Dixon.

One such expert addressing the event is Margaret O’Mara, a professor of history at the University of Washington and author of “The Code: Silicon Valley and the Remaking of America,” which delves into the history of Silicon Valley.

She’ll discuss whether Silicon Valley is a model that can — or should — be duplicated, and about the role of venture capital funding in positive change and the post-COVID recovery.

Venture capital funding will be a big part of tackling the post-COVID recovery, as well as lasting problems such as climate change, she said, adding government needs to be involved to incentivize the right kind of growth.

“If there are government pools of money that are creating market opportunity, the private money will follow,” she said.

Unlike during the last recession, O’Mara said investment needs to be made in all sectors of the economy to ensure a more equitable recovery.

However, the pandemic has also shown that “software can only do so much,” she said.

“I think the answer is recognizing where the limitations (are).”

O’Mara said COVID has been a big disruption, but added it has also created opportunities — such as the increased flexibility of working from home — that she hopes will create lasting change.

“I think COVID has provided this strange rupture that creates space for change,” she said.

“Change is going to happen. The question is, what is it going to look like?”

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

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Heather Scoffield: Hey Ottawa, there’s a pandemic. No one cares about your silly political games right now

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Polemic politics are getting the best of us.

The personalized hatred between the and on Parliament Hill that was briefly, and helpfully, contained by the pandemic last spring has now burst into the open, driving the country repeatedly to the brink of an election despite the onset of a second wave of in many key ridings.

The Conservatives are taking any opportunity to call the Liberals corrupt. They threaten to demand personal information from family. Their leader, , accuses the prime minister of “playing a game with people’s lives.”

The Liberals, meanwhile, tie Parliament in knots with filibustering, prorogation, confidence votes and accusations of their own.

It’s almost as if there weren’t hospitals under strain in parts of the country, panicking families waiting days and days for test results, with COVID-19 digging its claws into big cities in Ontario and Quebec, prompting warnings from public health officers that we are heading in the devastating direction of Europe.

Of course, talented politicians can walk and chew gum at the same time, dealing with the pandemic even while hurling insults at each other.

The thing is, the standoff, the bitter words and the constant exaggeration seem to be the opposite of what many in the electorate need to hear right now.

Abacus Data did on-the-spot polling this week as the House of Commons brinksmanship played out, and found that and had low levels of engagement with the back-and-forth on the Hill.

“I don’t think the public is there,” said CEO David Coletto in an interview.

Instead, what he’s seen in his recent polling is that Canadians are preoccupied with dealing with the pandemic and its fallout, and have a thirst for collaboration.

“Right now, the anxiety is driven by this fear that we’re not working together enough,” he said.

In other words, the deep and impatient anger that the politicians are showing towards each other is just not reflected in society at large.

It might provide some comfort that at least our politics is less broken than that of our neighbours. Across the border, in that divided country and its dysfunctional government, we see a cautionary tale of the dangers of hyperpartisanship, particularly amid a pandemic. But in light of our own reckless game-playing this week, neither should we be smug. In the U.S., perhaps more than here, some are stepping up to show us that there are political dividends to embracing civility.

Joe Biden is campaigning hard as . If the public opinion polls are any indication, his approach has struck a chord.

And then there’s Utah, which has seized the attention of social media this week because to show voters all the subjects on which they agree.

“I think people are hungry for civility,” Democratic candidate Chris Peterson said in an interview. “I think it’s good politics as well as the right thing to do.”

By telling the public where the two opponents agree, they give voters a chance to better assess the areas where they differ, Peterson explains. And by taking the animosity out of the race, participation the political process becomes a more positive experience for the politicians and the voters alike.

There’s been some push back, he says, from partisans who thrive on personal attacks and insults. But most of the reaction has been akin to a sigh of relief.

It explains why, even as O’Toole brands all Liberals as corrupt and accuses Trudeau of gambling with people’s lives, he reminds us repeatedly that he is “reasonable” and “serious.”

And it may explain why there was some less-hateful, more-modest discourse in the air on Thursday in the aftermath of the near miss on tumbling into a bitter election campaign.

Instead of an anti-corruption inquiry targeting Trudeau’s family, the Conservatives are now proposing a broad investigation of how the federal government handled the public health aspects of the pandemic. Yes, it would mean a lot of paperwork and research, and lots of time and effort from a range of top officials and experts.

But the Liberals have agreed to negotiate a timeline and a framework, and the government is not about to fall over the title given to a parliamentary procedure.

Amid a profound health and economic crisis, Canadians want seriousness from their leaders; they want aid and guidance. After decades of declining trust and growing disinterest in government, politicians have a chance to prove their worth. Or they can play games, score inside-the-political-bubble points and confirm Canadians’ worst suspicions.

Peterson, for his part, was thrilled to be talking to Canadian media about the politics of civility, but he also sent us a gentle reminder of who we are when we’re not copying them.

“I enjoy your decency.”

Heather Scoffield is the Star’s Ottawa bureau chief and an economics columnist. Follow her on Twitter:

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Don’t close gyms, make them safer, says woman who caught COVID at Hamilton’s SpinCo

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Julia Smith has had difficulty breathing, body aches and “unbelievable” sinus pain ever since she caught at two weeks ago.

Despite all that, she says she has no regrets.

It’s important to keep gyms open for people’s mental health, she says.

But with fitness centres already in Toronto, Ottawa and Peel — Ontario’s COVID “hot spots” — and the province reviewing guidelines for gyms, the threat of broader closures looms large.

Some gyms are already taking action, hoping to pre-empt possible outbreaks like the one at SpinCo — which hit — and stay open as long as possible throughout the pandemic’s second wave.

Locally, the YMCA is making such moves.

Come Friday, all members will be required to wear masks at all times in their Hamilton, Flamborough and Burlington facilities — no exceptions allowed, said spokesperson Kyla Kumar.

Instead, Kumar said the facility will point those hoping to exercise without a mask to alternative options including swimming in their pools — where masks aren’t required — or participating in their online YMCA options.

“We know this is a challenging time and it’s really difficult for some people that have diagnosed medical conditions,” she said.

Kumar said the change in policy was spurred by the in cases in both Halton and Hamilton, as well as comments from Dr. Elizabeth Richardson, Hamilton’s medical officer of health, regarding the SpinCo outbreak.

In the city’s Tuesday COVID-19 update, Richardson suggested wearing masks as for SpinCo once they reopen. The studio was following all existing guidelines, she has said numerous times.

Smith isn’t sure mandating masks is the answer; SpinCo’s classes are so intense people might pass out if fabric is covering their mouth and nose, and she questions if a mask soaked in sweat effectively limits COVID spread.

But she would be in favour of additional safety measures, such as Plexiglas barriers between riders and around the instructor or, really, anything that would help keep the studio open.

Despite falling so ill she’s spent most of the past two weeks in bed, Smith, 53, is a huge proponent of SpinCo. She credits the studio with keeping her physically and mentally fit after a long and difficult two years that included a marital split, a move and, of course, a lockdown and pandemic.

She worries about how people who struggles with mental health will fare if gyms close this winter.

“It’s only going to get worse (for them),” she said.

As of Thursday, there are 196 active cases of COVID-19 in Hamilton and another 233 in Halton, according to the respective health units.

Kumar said the YMCA “landed” on the mask policy as a good next step.

“We came together and said, ‘We have a responsibility as a neighbour given the work we do and our mission at the Y to support healthy communities,’” she said.

“We’re trying to make the most responsible decisions that are really guided by the recommendations of our public health officials. We lean on that expertise,” she said.

When asked about the YMCA’s rule change Thursday, Ontario associate medical officer of health Dr. Barbara Yaffe said she thinks it’s “probably a good idea,” but facilities may want to consult with the province “on the details.”

Nonetheless, Yaffe echoed that she would support gyms changing their rules ahead of expected to be announced by the province.

“If a gym decides to go ahead on their own, I would support that,” said Yaffe, adding that she hopes to announce the new measures “shortly.”

The YMCA isn’t the only gym with a “no mask, no entry” rule; Crunch Fitness put one in place in on Sept. 1, according to their COVID-19 reopening plan.

If concerns do arise about the mask rules, Kumar said the organization would consider creating schedules that allow folks who cannot wear masks to work out mask-free in their facilities.

Ontario’s mandatory-mask order and Hamilton’s mask bylaw include exemptions for people with certain medical conditions. Both also allow people to strip off masks while working out.

In a statement, Hamilton’s manager of licensing, Monica Ciriello, said businesses can take the bylaw one step further “including refusal that is an establishment policy/practice and beyond the scope of the city’s involvement.”

As for Smith, Wednesday marked a turning point in her COVID-19 battle — she’s finally feeling better, despite a persistent cough.

Would she return to SpinCo?

“In a heartbeat,” she said.

Katrina Clarke is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email:

Fallon Hewitt is a Hamilton-based reporter at The Spectator. Reach her via email:

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Modernized shopping experience: Check out the newly-renovated Tottenham Foodland

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Residents will notice some big changes the next time they go grocery shopping at the Tottenham Foodland.

A major renovation project, that franchise owner Johanne Leduc began earlier this year to give customers a refreshed and modernized shopping experience, was completed Nov. 12.

Some of the new additions to the store include a juice and smoothie bar, a self-checkout area and a new pharmacy clinic and consulting area.

The produce section, along with the deli and bakery departments, were also revamped and given new features, like the sushi corner with live sushi making. The home meal replacement department was also tripled in size.

To mark the re-opening, the store donated $1,000 to the Our Town Food Bank.

The store has operated in the community for more than 30 years.

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Ontario government lockdown: What does it look like for affected regions?

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Ontario government has announced that starting Nov. 23, Toronto and Peel regions will be moving into COVID-19 lockdown. 

Earlier this month, the province launched a new to assess the status of its health units, based on case numbers and trends, with lockdown being the final tier holding the tightest restrictions for regions. 

Here’s what lockdown will look like

Beginning at 12:01 a.m. on Nov. 23, the two regions in lockdown will be required to adhere to the following restrictions: 

• Indoor gatherings will not be permitted, except with members of one’s own household (those who live alone can chose to have contact with one other person).

• Outdoor gatherings will be restricted to a maximum of 10 people.

• Weddings, funerals, and other religious services will be restricted to 10 people indoors or 10 people outdoors (with physical distancing).

• Non-essential retail will remain open for curbside pick-up or delivery only. However, supermarkets, grocery stores, pharmacies, hardware stores, liquor stores, safety supply stores and convenience stores will be able to operate at 50 per cent capacity.

• Dining establishments and bars will be open for takeout, drive-through and delivery only.

• Personal care services will be closed.

• Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments will be closed.

• Indoor sports and recreational facilities will be closed (some exceptions may be made).

• Schools and daycares will remain open.

• Manufacturing, agriculture, supply chain and most construction will continue.

“Lockdowns are a difficult but necessary step to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and bend the curve in the number of new cases based on the recent data, and to protect the health and well-being of people and families in these communities,” Health Minister Christine Elliott said.

As Toronto and Peel are moving into lockdown, a number of other health units across the province will also be switching tiers on Monday. View our to see statuses for all regions. 

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COVID-19 vaccines pose new transportation challenges. Canadian innovators are stepping up

Oct 6, 2021 , , , , by shlf

OTTAWA —One week. Two vaccines heralding promise. Maybe three more months before COVID-19 vaccine jabs could start being delivered to somewhere in Canada.

Canada took another step toward that milestone Monday when the federal government announced the names of four main bidders who have been selected to compete for the contracts to deliver a vaccine or vaccines — once approved by Health Canada — to Canadians.

On Monday, the Canadian military also flagged that it is now on standby to help.

And meanwhile, just as happened in the spring, Canadian companies and innovators with outside-the-box solutions are stepping up to offer to help in Ottawa’s looming dilemma of how to store, transport and distribute potentially more than 70 million vaccine doses that have unique cold storage requirements.

The two front-runner vaccine candidates that have reported promising early results are developed by Pfizer and Moderna.

Pfizer’s potential vaccine needs “ultracold” storage at -80C. Moderna’s requires -20 C for long-term shipping and storage but remains stable at 2 C to 8 C, the temperature of a standard home or medical refrigerator, for up to 30 days. Moderna says that allows for storage at most pharmacies, hospitals or physicians’ offices. Once the vaccine is removed from the refrigerator for administration, the company says it can be kept at room temperature conditions for up to 12 hours.

Flavio Volpe, head of Canada’s auto supply manufacturers association, quietly cast around last week for creative solutions to the “ultracold” freezer puzzle. Then he went public, posting on Twitter that he was trying to crowdsource ideas for Ottawa’s decision-makers. He’d done the same thing last spring when a shortage of personal protective equipment and ventilators became apparent in the first wave.

“In the end, we may not be able to help here, but if we can help people get a vaccine within a month, two months, 10 months or more before things would happen naturally, why wouldn’t we?” Volpe said in an interview. “We all have a stake in getting things back to normal.”

Almost immediately, his call was answered.

Texts and emails landed from a range of companies: auto suppliers that make specialized Styrofoam that could be used for dry-ice containers; companies that already make high-grade Styrofoam containers for the delicate shipping of organs for transplant; companies that manage the shipping and transport of frozen agricultural products like bull semen; and companies that make compressors and condensers, and are investigating whether they can be upgraded and adapted.

Jim Estill of Danby Appliances tweeted back his company is making -80 C freezers. “How many do you want?” he asked.

Reached Monday, Estill said his company is about to roll out a new ultracold freezer, developed in the past 90 days, that will cost an estimated $10,000 apiece.

Estill is talking to the companies aiming to lead the distribution effort. “None of them make freezers. We make freezers. So they need freezers — that’s the bottom line.

“What we don’t know yet is how they’re planning on distributing it,” said Estill. “Are they going to put everything in Toronto and then shoot it out to London from there or are they going to put one in every hospital, one in every pharmacy?

“The logistics of getting everything around, this is going to be the next crisis, to get this done.”

In Victoria, Peter Evans heads up CryoLogistics Refrigeration Technologies Ltd. which has developed a large vacuum-insulated freezer container that runs on liquid carbon dioxide, can hold a pallet-full of product, and keep it frozen or chilled without having to be plugged in to a power supply or generator. His company is also in the running to subcontract as a supplier to the companies seeking to distribute the vaccine.

The technology for the “SnowShip Sytem” has been in development for about four years, and the company is about to begin commercial production. Evans believes it can provide a solution for some of the delivery challenges COVID-19 vaccines pose.

The container operates by converting liquid carbon dioxide to a solid within the container, generating dry ice. It can do the conversion at a steady, predictable rate, and can be programmed to reach the temperature required by whatever product is stored inside, temperatures from the 2 C to 8 C degree range down to -70 C or -80 C. “We were not thinking COVID when we developed our product,” he said. Now they are.

Evans said the federal and provincial governments and the companies vying to provide the logistics for the operation are looking to scale quickly.

“Nobody really knows what this is going to look like,” he said. “We’re looking to scale the production of these things rapidly if the need arises, and if there’s contracts, obviously we’re going to make it work.”

“We’ve got a few weeks to map this out.”

With files from Kieran Leavitt

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