Long weekend

Saturday May 22, 2021

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 22, 2021

Ontario to provide 2nd dose of AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine after temporary suspension

Ontario’s top doctor says the province will now allow second doses of Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine to be administered.

May 20, 2021

Dr. David Williams, Ontario’s chief medical officer of health, said the second dose administration will begin with those who received their first dose between March 10 and 19.

“Nothing is more important than the health of Ontarians, and for the best protection against COVID-19 it is vital that everyone who received the AstraZeneca vaccine for their first dose receives a second dose of a COVID-19 vaccine,” said Williams.

Shots will begin to the week of May 24, with informed consent. Williams said those who are eligible should contact the provider who administered their first dose to book their appointment.

The announcement immediately applies to those who received their first dose during Ontario’s initial pharmacy rollout at locations in Toronto, Windsor and Kingston.

Williams was joined at Friday’s update by Dr. Dirk Huyer, the co-ordinator of the provincial outbreak response.

For those who received their first dose after March 19, they will be able to get their second shot within the recommended interval of 12 weeks. Williams said more info will be made available soon.

March 25, 2021

“The province is working with primary care providers and pharmacies to ensure second dose appointments are scheduled in advance of the 12-week interval,” Williams said.

Several provinces have stopped giving the shot because of concerns about rare, fatal blood clots. However, Williams said the health risks posed by the vaccine are low.

He said new data indicated the benefits far outweigh the risk with second doses.

“Data from the UK strongly suggests a much-reduced risk of VITT in second doses of AstraZeneca — one in 600,000,” a release said Friday.

Ontario had paused the use of the vaccine but still had tens of thousands of doses in storage. Huyer said there are 55,000 doses set to expire by May 31.

Nearly one million Ontario residents got the AstraZeneca vaccine as their first shot between March 10 and May 11.

Health authorities were trying to decide whether to resume using the AstraZeneca shot or if a different vaccine should be substituted for second doses.

Ontario said it is still waiting on a recommendation on mixing doses from the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI).

More than 7.5 million doses of a COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Ontario, with formulations from Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna, and AstraZeneca. (Global News) 

 

Saturday August 1, 2020

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday August 1, 2020

Beaches, masks, and bulges during a mid-Summer weekend in a pandemic

July 18, 2020

With weddings postponed and offices shut, business was bleak at Woodside Tailor Shop in Queens during the long months of pandemic lockdown. There was no need for party dress alterations, or any pressure for slacks to be hemmed.

But about three months in, things started picking back up in June, with one particular service in sudden demand: People needed a bit more breathing room in their clothing. 

In a city where gyms are still closed, and Netflix and couch the safest evening entertainment, the phenomenon of stay-at-home weight gain — playfully called the Quarantine 15 by some — has brought an unexpected windfall for some tailors. Some say they have seen business rise by as much as 80 percent, with customers asking for buttons to be moved, waistbands lengthened and jackets made more roomy.

“Everybody got fat!” said Porfirio Arias, 66, a tailor at Woodside. “It’s not only in New York. It’s all over the world that people got fat.” (New York Times) 

August 1, 2013

Meanwhile, Goderich Ontario’s mayor isn’t pulling any punches this weekend.

He fully expects to have to close the beach to visitors at some point on Saturday.

“I caution people because in all likelihood we’re probably going to close the beach very, very early on Saturday. It could be 11 o’clock in the morning that we close,” says John Grace.

Twice this summer, Goderich has turned people away from their beaches due to overcrowding. With the long weekend upon us, Grace anticipates closing it for a third time.

Life in a Pandemic

“We will be very strict this weekend as we’re expecting a lot of people. We will not allow any groups over 10,” says Grace, who joins OPP officers, staff, and bylaw officers in monitoring the beach on weekends.

In Sauble Beach, where they could see as many as 80,000 visitors this weekend, they’re closing Main Street to vehicles, to allow greater social distancing.

Near Grand Bend, officials are closing Waterworks Road to try and stop people from sneaking down to Port Blake beach. And in Grand Bend, they’re asking rule-breakers to stay home. (CTV) 

Saturday May 20, 2017

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday May 20, 2017

Americans are camping in record numbers, but they still want Wi-Fi

According to a report released by Kampgrounds of America (KOA), a group of privately held campgrounds, more and more Americans are now spending their leisure time camping.

July 2, 2008

Since 2014, the percentage of campers of who say that they take three or more camping trips a year has increased by more than 36 percent. Infrequent campers (those who go just once a year) have simultaneously dropped by 10 percent. In 2017 half of all campers surveyed said that they’re planning to spend even more time camping this year.

More than half of millennials surveyed (51 percent) said that they planned to go camping more often in 2017. Millennials also mark the age range to most enjoy the activity in large groups–10 or more travelers.

But neither millennials – nor campers in general – are completely cutting the cord. According to the study, 95 percent of people who go camping bring some sort of technology with them while 37 percent of campers said that some sort of tech was actually required for their trip in order to spend more time outdoors. About half of survey respondents indicated that least free Wi-Fi was a big factor when deciding where to stay.

And when it comes to sleeping, conventional tents were the most popular, according to the study. But the number of campers electing to use RVs or cabins is also increasing. (Source: Fox News) http://www.foxnews.com/travel/2017/03/21/americans-are-camping-in-record-numbers-but-still-want-wi-fi.html

long weekend, holiday, camping, family, campground, gadgets, devices, social media, Internet, technology, tradition, vacation, media, laptops, addiction (Source: Fox News)

The Western Star, Corner Brook, Nfld., May 23, 2017

Saturday, August 2, 2014

Saturday, August 2, 2014By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday, August 2, 2014

How to celebrate the first Monday in August

The first Monday in August is known by several different names across the province.

In Niagara Falls, it’s officially referred to as Civic Day.

In Toronto, the holiday has been known as Simcoe Day since 1969 in honour of John Graves Simcoe, the first Lieutenant-Governor of Upper Canada who supported legislation to ban slavery.

The John Simcoe Foundation requested in 1970 that Niagara Falls council change the name to Simcoe Day but the council at that time did not approve the name change.

Simcoe St., one of the oldest streets in Niagara Falls, was named in honour of Simcoe.

Janice Thomson, chairwoman of the Niagara Parks Commission, would like to see the holiday Monday known as Simcoe Day.

The NPC will celebrate the holiday this weekend at the Mackenzie Printery where some of the first government documents produced in Upper Canada were printed.
The First Emancipation Act was passed in 1793 and the printed act came from the press. The first Monday in August is also referred to as Emancipation Day.

“The event at the printery is a good example of what may be needed to raise awareness for Lord Simcoe and the role he played in the province, as the first Lt . Gov. To Niagara-on-the-Lake, he is an important figure, as he named the town Newark and established Niagara-on-the-Lake as the first capital of Upper Canada,” Thomson said.

There is a statue in his honour at Simcoe Park on King St. in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
The problem is, however, with all the visitor traffic through the historic town, it was hard to find someone who knew of Simcoe.

“I have no idea who he is or what he did,” said Karl Weber, from Germany.
“But, he must be important if there’s a statue in his memory.”

City historian Sherman Zavitz favours naming the holiday Champlain Day in honour of French explorer Samuel Champlain.

“He was great explorer and I would support that,” he said. “He was a man with great vision.”

Zavitz would also support naming the holiday Macdonald Day, after Canada’s first prime minister John A. Macdonald.

In Ottawa, the first Monday in August is Colonel By Day, George Hamilton Day in Hamilton and Joseph Brant Day in Burlington.

In British Columbia, it’s British Columbia Day, Heritage Day in Alberta, Natal Day in Nova Scotia and Saskatchewan Day in Saskatchewan. (Source: Fort Erie Times)

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