Morning News – December 17

Weather:

A few flurries ending near noon then cloudy with 40 percent chance of flurries. Local amount 2 cm. Wind up to 15 km/h. High minus 5. Wind chill minus 16 this morning and minus 7 this afternoon.
Tonight Partly cloudy. 40 percent chance of flurries this evening. Wind up to 15 km/h. Low minus 13. Wind chill minus 9 this evening and minus 18 overnight.

Status of COVID-19 cases in the Algoma District (from Algoma Public Health):

 

• • • These data sets are preliminary and subject to change, pending further review.
    • Confirmed positives will be reported as soon as publicly available.

 

News Tidbits:

Municipal Council will be meeting tonight to discuss the Capital Budget for 2021.

From the Safe Restart Support for Municipal Operating Budgets, Dubreuilville, Wawa, White River – $20,000.00; Chapleau will receive $36,000.00, and Marathon will receive $43,000.00. This is from the Ontario government’s $695 million allocation to provide financial relief for municipalities to help ensure they do not carry operating deficits into 2021.

The Ontario government is investing $4.8 million through the Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) grant program to help police services across the province keep impaired drivers off streets and highways with year-round road safety initiatives such as education campaigns and roadside spot checks.

The Ontario government is providing $1.4 million to help Science North develop a series of regionally-tailored events that will stimulate economic activity and tourism in the North. The science centre will also be developing promotional materials along with a province-wide marketing strategy to promote the tourist industry in Northern Ontario. Starting in the second half of 2021, Science North will launch The Great Northern Ontario Roadshow that will travel to more than 50 communities to highlight some of the tremendous tourist attractions and natural wonders located throughout the north.

A new working group is being created to help implement changes to conservation authorities. Hassaan Basit, President and CEO of Conservation Halton will chair the new group which will provide input on the development of proposed regulations under the Conservation Authorities Act, and on how conservation authorities are governed. In addition to the input provided by Hassaan Basit and the working group, Ontario will also be seeking the public’s feedback on regulatory and governance proposals through the Environmental Registry. Public consultation on these proposals is also expected to begin early in the new year.

Monte McNaughton, Minister of Labour, Training and Skills Development, will make an announcement about employment training support for laid-off workers and jobseekers at 9 a.m.

Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, will be joined by Michael Tibollo, Associate Minister of Mental Health and Addictions, to make an announcement at 9:30 a.m.

Premier Doug Ford will join Governor Hogan of Maryland, Secretary of the Maryland Department of Commerce, Kelly M. Schultz, and Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, Vic Fedeli, for a virtual signing ceremony of the new, historic strategic investment and procurement agreement (SIPA) between Ontario and Maryland at 9:30 this morning.

Premier Doug Ford will be joined by Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care, to make an announcement at 1 p.m.