The LocalSKIM for Thursday, September 3
- Niagara Health is currently treating seven people with COVID-19 in hospital, with six of those people being unvaccinated. (610 CKTB)
- A new 18-storey residential building is being constructed in downtown St. Catharines on Carlisle Street. The building’s main floor will be for commercial use with 17 additional stories being used for residential units. (Niagara this Week)
- Beginning Sept. 3, Niagara Parks’ newest attraction, the Niagara Parks Power Station, will host a nightly sound and light experience that brings the historic power station back to life with captivating visuals and a breathtaking musical score. (Thorold Today)
- Dr. Mustafa Hirji said getting exemptions to avoid being vaccinated likely won’t be easy as medical conditions that prevent individuals from taking at least one of Health Canada’s four approved vaccines are rare. (St. Catharines Standard)
Photo: Jack Moreh - Freerange StockNiagara Health vaccination clinic to be closed Labour Day
- Niagara Health’s vaccination clinic at the St. Catharines Site will be closed on Labour Day (Monday, Sept. 6) due to low bookings.
- Regular operations, including booked and walk-in appointments, will resume Tuesday, Sept. 7.
The LocalSKIM for Wednesday, September 1
- Ontario residents will have until Feb. 28, 2022 to renew driver’s licences, ID cards, licence plate stickers, health cards and accessible parking permit that were due to expire during the pandemic. The province had previously delayed renewal requirements during the COVID-19 pandemic. (CBC News)
- The City of St. Catharines and the Overdose Prevention and Education Network of Niagara have formed a task force that will target young people with opioid overdose prevention education. (610 CKTB)
- Delta Bingo and Gaming, which operates bingo halls in Fort Erie, Niagara Falls and St. Catharines, has partnered with an online gaming company that will eventually bring some of the bingo games that take place in their halls online. (Niagara this Week)
- Former Niagara Falls resident and Saint Paul Catholic High School grad Erika Casupanan will compete on the reality T.V. show Survivor. The two-hour premiere of season 41 will air on Wednesday, September 22. (Niagara Falls Review)
- Niagara acting medical officer of health Dr. Mustafa Hirji said the new proof of vaccination requirements announced by the Ontario government today is a new method to impose pandemic restrictions instead of implementing a province wide lockdown. (St. Catharines Standard)
Niagara municipalities seek operator to support growth of airport
- The Niagara District Airport Commission (NDAC) has released a Request for Proposal to officially begin the process of finding a third party to operate the Niagara District Airport.
- The RFP invites proposals for a partner to enter into a long-term lease for the operations of the airport, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
- The NDAC hopes to identify a third-partner operator who can support the capital investments necessary to ensure the long-term success of the airport, continue to establish a niche in the air sector across Ontario, and further enhance the value of the airport to the economic development of business in Niagara.
The LocalSKIM for Tuesday, August 31
- The owner of the former Welland House property is developing an environmental assessment and a salvage plan for the remaining heritage pieces after the original demolition permit submitted by the owner was deemed deficient. (610 CKTB)
- The United States is asking Americans to reconsider travel to Canada after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued a Level 3 Travel Health Notice for Canada due to high levels of COVID-19 in Canada. (USA Today)
- Plans are underway to renovate and modernize the downtown St. Catharines Public Library, which was built in 1976. A request for proposals for an architecture firm to create a conceptual design has been issued with the hope that renovations will be complete in 3-5 years. (St. Catharines Standard)
- Niagara Region could soon have a new CAO after regional councillors were given an update on the candidates and a proposed offer of employment on Tuesday. (St. Catharines Standard)