July 29th Newsletter

Government of Canada announces measures to reduce airport congestion, ArriveCAN remains in force

Since April, more than 1,600 CATSA screening officers have been hired across Canada, the government announced today. The number of screening officers at Toronto Pearson International Airport and Vancouver International Airport are now over 100 percent of summer target levels. Efforts to increase screening officer staff levels at all airports continue.

The Greater Toronto Airports Authority and the CBSA are also adding 10 new eGates and 30 more primary inspection kiosks at Toronto Pearson International Airport by the end of this week.

Travellers arriving at Toronto Pearson International Airport or Vancouver International Airport, and later this month at Montréal-Trudeau International Airport, will be able to use the Advance CBSA Declaration optional feature in ArriveCAN to submit their customs and immigration declaration in advance of arrival.

Click here to read more.

Disclosure: The GNCC is currently lobbying for the lifting of all COVID-19-related border restrictions and the abolition of the ArriveCAN app.

Pope apologizes for ‘deplorable evil’ of Canadian indigenous schools

Pope Francis apologized on Monday to Canada’s native people on their land for the Church’s role in schools where indigenous children were abused, branding forced cultural assimilation a “deplorable evil” and “disastrous error.”

Speaking near the site of two former schools in Maskwacis, in Alberta, Francis went even further, apologising for Christian support of the overall “colonizing mentality” of the times and calling for a “serious investigation” of the schools to assist survivors and descendants in healing.

“With shame and unambiguously, I humbly beg forgiveness for the evil committed by so many Christians against the indigenous peoples,” Francis said in the town, whose name means “hills of the bear” in the Cree language.

Click here to read the text of the Pope’s apology.

Public Health hosting monkeypox vaccination clinics

Niagara Region Public Health (NRPH) is hosting monkeypox vaccination clinics for high-risk community members from Aug. 2 to Aug.4, 2022. Clinics will operate by appointment only at Niagara Region Sexual Health centers.

Click here to read more.

Gates issues “early warning” about local health care

Niagara MPP Wayne Gates is calling for immediate action to meet Niagara’s health needs.

In 2021, during the last COVID-19 wave, Douglas Memorial Urgent Care was ordered closed leaving 32,000 residents in Fort Erie without health care service.

Gates says given the “alarming closure of emergency rooms across Ontario” he doesn’t want to see that situation happen again.

In a letter to the premier and health minister he’s calling on the Ministry of Health to assess the staffing situation in Niagara and take preventative measures now.

Click here to read more.