The LocalSKIM for Thursday, June 24

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  • Three people alleged to have defrauded District School Board of Niagara of more than $2.1 million have been arrested after Niagara Regional Police concluded an investigation into financial activities at the school board related to false invoicing, diverted revenue and other related events. (St. Catharines Standard)
  • Now that Ontario has entered Step 2 of the recovery plan, the Shaw Festival in Niagara-on-the-Lake will host a series of concerts and events from July 10 to October 9. (610 CKTB)
  • A Niagara-on-the-Lake farm worker was recently attacked by a coyote, marking the fourth time that a coyote bite has been reported in Virgil this year. (Niagara this Week)
Photo: Niagara Parks

Niagara weekend GO train service resumes June 26th

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  • Niagara Parks has once again partnered with GO Transit to offer a convenient transportation option between Toronto and Niagara Falls, with four return trips running daily from Union Station on Saturdays, Sundays and holiday Mondays this summer.
  • Ticket packages are just $25 for adults and includes round-trip GO Train fare with hop-on, hop-off access to the Niagara Falls WEGO bus service.
  • Children accompanied by an adult will ride for free on the GO Train and families can buy WEGO children’s tickets separately.
  • Additional scheduling details and tickets are available at niagaraparks.com/go
Photo: Vantage Point - Freerange Stock

Visitors permitted at Niagara Health hospitals

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  • With lower COVID-19 transmission rates in the community, Niagara Health is allowing visitors in their inpatient units starting today.
  • Inpatient visitation will be allowed daily from 11am to 8pm and inpatients can only have one person at their bedside at a time.
  • Essential Care Partners (ECPs) can be present 24/7 but need to ensure only one person is with the patient at a time.
  • Niagara Health will also be expanding the guidelines for a Support Person to accompany select patients, such as those 80 years of age and older, in the emergency departments and urgent care centres.
Photo: Google Maps

Winners of inaugural Niagara Impact Awards announced

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  • Regional Chair Jim Bradley announced the names of the eight winners of the inaugural Niagara Impact Awards.
  • Tom Rankin won the Community Leader Award while Justin Preston, Natasha Bell and Amanda Cote were all awarded Individual Awards.
  • The Royal Canadian Legion Branch 613 and The Valhalla Project Niagara both won Non-profit Awards.
  • Anisha O’Brien (Youth Award) and Dillons Small Batch Distillers (Business Award) were also honoured.
  • The Niagara Impact Awards were created to recognize individuals, non-profit organizations and private sector businesses who have gone above and beyond to improve the quality of life of those living in the Niagara region.
Photo: John McFetridge - Unsplash

Household-only dining restriction now lifted in Niagara

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  • The restriction on dining with household members only as part of section 22 orders in Niagara has been lifted for parties dining outdoors.
  • Local restaurants and bars will still be required to follow other restrictions in the section 22 order.
  • These include asking if diners have any symptoms of illness and recording contact information.
  • As well, Ontario Step 1 restrictions that limit dining to outdoors and only four people per table are still in effect.
  • However, the 4 people per table can be exceeded if all patrons are from the same household or if one person lives alone or is a caregiver.

Watch Dr. Hirji present the latest updates on COVID-19

Topics include case & hospitalization trends, getting tested, variants of concern & vaccination progress
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Over 400,000 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered

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The LocalSKIM for Wednesday, June 23

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  • Some Niagara Falls tourist attractions have been forced to shut down after provincial inspectors found that some parts of their operations were not in compliance with Ontario’s Step 1 COVID-19 regulations. (St. Catharines Standard)
  • Premier Doug Ford said Ontario may move into the second phase of its reopening plan earlier than the scheduled July 2 target date as the province has already met its COVID-19 first dose and second dose vaccination targets for entering Step 2. (Global News)
  • A Ministerial Task Force has released a report that provides 10 key recommendations, including reducing red tape for tourism businesses, to help the Ontario tourism industry recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. (610 CKTB)
Photo: Jack Moreh - Freerange Stock

Niagara Health patients can now access diagnostic scans

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  • Patients at Niagara Health can now view and manage their diagnostic records, such as an x-ray, CT scan, MRI, or ultrasound, from their mobile device through Ontario trusted account..
  • The diagnostic record can also be shared with family member and doctors.
  • This service is powered by PocketHealth, a company that stores digital diagnostic records and allows patients to access the records at a small fee.
  • Niagara residents can sign up for an Ontario trusted account and access their diagnostic records through the Niagara Health Navigator mobile app on the App Store or Google Play, or through the PocketHealth website.
Photo: Geoffrey Whiteway - Free Range Stock

Niagara Catholic Trustees Approve 2021-2022 Budget

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  • Niagara Catholic’s Board of Trustees approved the Board’s $268-million 2021-2022 budget yesterday.
  • The approved budget represents a slight increase over the $266.6-million 2020-2021 budget.
  • The upcoming budget focuses on mental health supports, support to help students with reading and mathematics, students with special education needs and Indigenous education.
  • COVID recovery costs also contributed to the increased budget.