Apr 3 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — As known COVID-19 cases rose nationally and almost all construction in the country's economic heartland was idled on Friday, health authorities in Ontario said the death toll in that province alone could be kept below a still-staggering 15,000 — if stringent isolation measures prove effective in curbing the pandemic. In a sobering presentation, […]
Apr 3 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — An already grim employment toll looked set to worsen Thursday as authorities pondered further tightening restrictions on people and businesses to slow the spread of COVID-19 and keep the pandemic from suffocating the health-care system. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said too many Canadians were still going out needlessly, potentially spreading the coronavirus and putting health-care […]
Mar 27 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The COVID-19 death toll in Quebec more than doubled on Friday as the growing case load of infections in Canada surpassed 4,000 amid questions about how pandemic fatalities are counted and gloomy economic predictions. Quebec saw 10 more people succumb to the virus in 24 hours, bringing the total number of reported deaths to 18. The […]
Mar 27 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — It's as if the COVID-19 epidemic had tripped a circuit breaker, shutting off all power to a city the size of Ottawa. Virus-induced restrictions that have shut down large swaths of normal commercial life across Canada has led to a noticeable drop in demand for power in Ontario, insiders said on Friday. Terry […]
Mar 26 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The unrelenting climb in COVID-19 cases in Canada continued Thursday amid tightening restrictions aimed at curbing the pandemic as experts warned against prescribing or using unproven cures for the disease that has killed 39 people and infected close to 4,000 others. Despite the surge, Canada's chief public health officer, Dr. Theresa Tam, said the health system had been […]
Mar 26 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canada's highest court agreed on Thursday to hear Toronto's challenge to a unilateral decision by Ontario Premier Doug Ford that slashed the size of city council midway through the last municipal election. The legislation nearly two years ago cut the number of council seats to 25 from 47 and sparked widespread anger from critics […]
Mar 25 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canadians struggling to make ends meet amid the COVID-19 pandemic waited anxiously for promised federal help on Wednesday as the countrywide case toll soared through the 3,000 mark and authorities began going after people violating public health orders. Hundreds of new cases were reported, with a total of 30 now dead nationally. Quebec alone had […]
Mar 24 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The two-pronged battle to contain the spread of COVID-19 while inoculating the economy against the worst side effects saw governments on Tuesday rush to ease financial hardship amid massive job losses, even as they tightened restrictions that could last weeks. With large swaths of normal life grinding to a halt and the health system under increased […]
Mar 24 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The two-pronged battle to contain the spread of COVID-19 while inoculating the economy against the worst side effects saw governments on Tuesday rush to ease financial hardship amid massive job losses, even as they tightened restrictions that could last weeks. With large swaths of normal life grinding to a halt and the health system under increased […]
Mar 22 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Joyce Milgaard, who spent decades fighting tirelessly for the exoneration of her wrongfully convicted son, David Milgaard, has died after a lengthy illness, his brother said on Sunday. Milgaard, 89, a mother of four, died in a care home in Winnipeg on Saturday, Chris Milgaard told The Canadian Press from Regina. "My mom […]
Mar 19 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Canadians and their governments scrambled on Thursday to come to grips with the COVID-19 pandemic as case numbers rose, social distancing ramped up, and everyday life morphed into an abnormal new normal that could last months. Amid growing and widespread economic turmoil, isolation measures that have shuttered bars, restaurants and entertainment venues have idled a […]
Mar 19 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Hundreds of doctors, nurses and activists are calling on provincial governments to ensure immediate access to free health care for new arrivals in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. In an open letter to Ontario Premier Doug Ford and Health Minister Christine Elliott this week, the group OHIP For All says urgent action is […]
Mar 18 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The COVID-19 outbreak coupled with fears about more restrictive gun legislation has fuelled a spike in firearm and ammunition sales, several dealers said this week. Buyers, they say, are stocking up while they can — a development that has alarmed gun-control advocates. "We are seeing a surge in sales," said Ross Faulkner, owner of The […]
Mar 16 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — TORONTO — Crisis lines and mental health professionals are seeing a jump in calls as Canadians come to grips with the unprecedented disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the increasingly drastic measures aimed at containing the novel coronavirus. While some level of concern is both normal and healthy, experts say the risk of overreacting can […]
Mar 13 2020 — Colin Perkel, The Canadian Press — The Canadian Press — TORONTO — The suspension of Parliament, billions of dollars in extra federal spending, and recommendations against leaving the country were among extraordinary steps public and private sector organizations were taking Friday to try to curb a pandemic that has sparked concerns Canada is headed for a recession. The all-party decision to stop sitting in the House of […]