Today Oakville received the greatest investment in transit in the town's history. Joint federal, provincial, and municipal funding through the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Plan will support 14 public transit projects in the Town of Oakville. These investments will support a healthier, sustainable, and accessible community.

The Government of Canada is investing more than $26.5 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS). The Government of Ontario is contributing more than $22.1 million, while the Town of Oakville is contributing more than $17.6 million.

This means we're going green with electric buses now through 2026. The funding will also support o nboard WiFi and Automated Video Surveillance Systems, scheduling systems and programming that will allow users to track their bus from their mobile device.

Today's announcement is welcome news for my Council Colleagues and I as we've been active in implementing policies and programs that address climate change since 2006. 

We had the foresight, in 2011, to build this transit facility, which features a heightened roof and crane necessary for servicing electric buses. 

The funding from the Investing in Canada Infrastructure Program will enable us to leverage new technology and work to reduce our environmental footprint while enhancing transit infrastructure and meet the needs of customers.

The inclusion of electric buses in Oakville Transit’s fleet is a milestone and would not have been possible without Team Oakville, which includes the advocacy of our Council, MPs and MPPs.

And this collaboration is what I know residents expect of government, particularly during the COVID-19 pandemic. I appreciate the way all levels of government have worked to support each other and Canadians during this time.

Read more about this announcement in the Federal Government announcement below.

The second announcement made in Oakville today was from the Provincial Government, which announced funding for a new public secondary school at Dundas and Neyagawa in Ward 7. This is welcome news for the many families living north of Dundas.

Scroll to the end of this email for the updated timeline.

Items in this update:

Oakville Town Council represents seven wards with a Town and Regional and Town Councillor in each riding.

Find and connect with your Councillor by clicking the link below.

There are no new cases in Halton today so the total remains at 827 with 0 new cases in Oakville, total remains at 270 .

 

There are currently 2 COVID-19 patient being cared for at OTMH and 9 active cases in Oakville.

 

There were 0 reported recoveries in Oakville, total remains at 286 and +4 recoveries in Halton Region, from 855 to 859 . 

In Ontario there are 76 news cases today, bringing the total to 38,986, 34,741 of which are resolved. There have been 2,769 deaths in the province. Currently there are 91 COVID patients in Ontario hospitals, 28 of whom are in ICU with 17 of those on a ventilator.

As of today, Canada had 115,246 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases. Provinces and territories listed 100,307 of the cases as recovered or resolved. 

Visit https://art-bd.shinyapps.io/covid19canada/ for the U of T COVID-19 data aggregation map

Today, Education Minister Stephen Lecce visited Garth Webb Secondary School to announce funding for a new high school at Dundas and Neyagawa in Oakville.

The new secondary school will accommodate 1,200 students and marks a more than $33 million investment.

Learn more

Celebrate Emancipation Day from home this year with the Canadian Caribbean Association of Halton's free Emancipation Day BBQ.

Register now for a free lunchbox and play pack, and pick up your mouthwatering meal at Queen Elizabeth Park Community and Cultural Centre on Aug. 1, 2020. 

Take it all home and tune into the CCAH YouTube channel for the premiere of their documentary, Legacy Voices.

Additional businesses and public spaces will be reopening as the Ontario government allows the City of Toronto and Peel Region to move into Stage 3 of reopening the province on Friday, July 31 at 12:01 a.m. This decision was made in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and local medical officers of health. It is based on positive local trends of key public health indicators, including lower transmission of COVID-19, ongoing hospital capacity, public health capacity to conduct rapid case and contact management, and a significant increase in testing.

Toronto Public Health and Peel Public Health regions will join the 31 public health regions that entered into Stage 3 on July 17 and 24, 2020.

"While more restaurants, theatres and businesses can hang up their Open for Business sign, we're asking everyone to follow public health advice and act responsibly," said Premier Doug Ford. "We have made tremendous progress that allows us to return to something a little closer to our normal lives this summer, but we are not out of the woods yet. This virus is still among us and we have to be extra cautious to avoid sparking a surge or an outbreak. I strongly urge everyone to continue following public health protocols."

Windsor-Essex County Health Unit region will remain in Stage 2. Ontario will continue to monitor local trends of key public health indicators in the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit region and move it into Stage 3 when it is safe to do so. In the interim, the government continues to address the needs of the region, in partnership with other levels of government, through measures such as on-farm testing, the deployment of mobile testing units and the adoption of new public health guidance for positive asymptomatic workers for all workplaces.

"More businesses and services are able to reopen thanks to the collective efforts of all Ontarians to limit the spread of the virus," said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. "While public health trends across the province are positive, we continue to closely monitor Windsor-Essex so that we can move the community into Stage 3 when the time is right. No matter which stage a region is in, everyone needs to continue to follow public health advice to protect themselves, their families and community."

Ontario is also supportive of proposals made by the City of Toronto and Toronto Public Health relating to restaurants, bars and other food and drink establishments that are permitted to be open. For more information on the restrictions that will remain in place during Stage 3, as well as the public health and workplace safety restrictions necessary to keep people safe, visit Ontario.ca/reopen.

Businesses that are unable to open or resume full activities due to Stage 3 restrictions, or businesses that have ideas to safely amend Stage 3 restrictions or requirements, can visit Ontario.ca/reopen  to submit a reopening proposal for consideration. Government and public health officials will review proposals and contact businesses for feedback or clarification and provide an initial response within 10 days.

The Chief Medical Officer of Health and public health experts also continue to closely monitor the evolving situation to advise when public health restrictions can be further loosened or if they need to be tightened.



It remains critically important for everyone to continue following public health advice as more businesses and services reopen in Stage 3. This includes practising physical distancing with those outside your household or social circle, wearing a face covering when physical distancing is a challenge or where it is mandatory to do so, staying home when ill, and washing your hands frequently and thoroughly.

The Ontario government launched an independent commission into COVID-19 and long-term care. Three commissioners will investigate how COVID-19 spread within long-term care homes, how residents, staff, and families were impacted, and the adequacy of measures taken by the province and other parties to prevent, isolate and contain the virus. The commission will also provide the government with guidance on how to better protect long-term care home residents and staff from any future outbreaks.

Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford and Dr. Merrilee Fullerton, Minister of Long-Term Care.

"As Premier, I made a commitment to our long-term care residents and their families that there would be accountability and justice in the broken system we inherited," said Premier Ford. "Today, we are delivering on that promise by moving forward with a transparent, independent review of our long-term care system. We will do whatever it takes to ensure every senior in the province has a safe and comfortable place to call home."

Three commissioners have been appointed for the expertise and experience they bring to addressing the commission's mandate:

This independent commission has the power to conduct an investigation, including compelling persons to give or produce evidence, issuing summons, and holding public meetings. The commission's findings are delivered within the timeframes set out by the Minister of Long-Term Care in the Terms of Reference, allowing investigations to be completed in months, rather than years. The commissioners are expected to deliver their final report by April 2021.



"The people of Ontario deserve a timely, transparent and non-partisan investigation," said Minister Fullerton. "That is why our government is launching this independent commission to help us identify ways to prevent the future spread of disease in Ontario's long-term care homes. I look forward to receiving their report and recommendations to make Ontario's long-term care homes a better place for our most vulnerable seniors to live and receive the care they deserve."

The Ontario government released its plan today to modernize the child welfare system. The strategy focuses on strengthening families and communities through prevention, early intervention and seeking more permanent homes for children and youth in care when they cannot stay in their own homes or communities.

“Children and youth in care experience significantly worse outcomes than those in a family setting, such as lower graduation rates, a higher risk of homelessness and more involvement with the justice system,” said Jill Dunlop, Associate Minister of Children and Women's Issues. “That is why we are transforming the child welfare system, to ensure more families stay together and children and youth in care have the supports they need to be safe, succeed and thrive as they transition from care to adulthood.”

The strategy to redesign the child welfare system has five pillars that focus on:

“This redesign reveals a holistic vision to work better across government ministries and sectors to support the safety, well-being, and prosperity of children and families across Ontario,” said Dr. Jeff Schiffer, executive director of the Native Child & Family Services of Toronto. “I'm particularly heartened by the distinct approach to co-develop services with First Nations, Inuit, Metis and urban Indigenous partners to make this vision a reality and reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous children in the child welfare system.”

The new child welfare strategy was developed with input from youth, families, caregivers, First Nations, Inuit and Métis partners, lawyers, community organizations, frontline workers and child welfare sector leaders. They participated in over 100 engagement sessions over the past year and provided over 3,000 responses to an online survey.



“Redesigning the child welfare system is a significant undertaking. It will take time and continued partnership with the child welfare sector, Indigenous communities and other health and social services partners to be successful,” said Minister Dunlop. “We are committed to taking the time to get this right and keep children and youth at the heart of everything we do. Their safety, well-being and future success is of utmost importance.” 

OECTA President Liz Stuart says restarting classes ‘is arguably the most sensitive and significant aspect of Ontario’s reopening plan’.

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SickKids has released new proposed guidelines for reopening schools in Ontario come September, including recommendations like staggered lunch times, no large assemblies, and mandatory masks for older students.

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The safety and well-being of Canadians are top priorities of the governments of Canada and Ontario. But the COVID-19 pandemic has affected more than Canadians’ personal health, it is also having a profound impact on the economy.

That is why governments have been taking decisive action to support families, businesses and communities, and continue to look ahead to see what more can be done.

Ontarians need help getting safely to work and home, getting out to appointments, to shop and to conduct business. Strategic investments in sustainable public transportation infrastructure play a key role.

The Honourable Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities; the Honourable Anita Anand, Minister of Public Services and Procurement, and Member of Parliament for Oakville; Pam Damoff, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for Oakville North–Burlington; Stephen Crawford, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Infrastructure and Member of Provincial Parliament for Oakville, on behalf of the Honourable Laurie Scott, Ontario’s Minister of Infrastructure; Effie Triantafilopoulos, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Long Term Care and Member of Provincial Parliament for Oakville North–Burlington; and Rob Burton, Mayor of the Town of Oakville, announced funding for 14 projects today that will modernize Oakville’s transit system and create a more sustainable community.

Projects include the replacement of 57 diesel buses over the next six years with zero-emission battery-electric buses, plus 16 new electric buses to expand the fleet. In addition, 32 charging stations will be installed to support battery charging for the electric buses. These investments will lower Oakville Transit’s operation and maintenance costs, and reduce the fleet’s impact on the environment.

Several projects will modernize the transit experience for users. Wi-Fi will be installed on 107 conventional and 20 para-transit buses so riders can easily connect to the Internet from their mobile devices. Users will be able to track their bus location and arrival times with a new Internet and smart phone application, while a new real-time trip management mobile app will also be available for para-transit users. All of these improvements will make the system more reliable and convenient for riders.

In addition, approximately 249 bus stops in Oakville will be upgraded to ensure full accessibility for riders, with landing pads, walkways, ramps, and curbs. These upgrades will improve safety and comfort for all transit users.

The Government of Canada is investing over $26.5 million in these projects through the Public Transit Infrastructure Stream (PTIS) of the  Investing in Canada  infrastructure plan. The Government of Ontario is contributing more than $22.1 million, while the Town of Oakville is contributing over $17.6 million.

Learn more

Today, the Honourable Maryam Monsef, Minister for Women and Gender Equality and Rural Economic Development, along with the Honourable Bill Blair, Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness announced funds to support victims and survivors of human trafficking. The $19 million will be administered by two federal departments responsible for the implementation of the Government’s five-year  National Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking , a whole-of-government approach to eradicating human trafficking and supporting those impacted.

Human trafficking is a vile, harmful crime that disproportionately impacts women and girls. The Government of Canada is working with domestic and international partners to combat human trafficking in all its forms. The pandemic has made it more difficult to keep vulnerable populations safe, and help victims escape situations of human trafficking and access the supports they need. Starting today, the Government is accepting applications for projects that work to prevent and address human trafficking and support survivors.

$14 million will be distributed by Women and Gender Equality Canada (WAGE) and $5 million through Public Safety Canada. WAGE’s  call for proposals  will support organizations that work to prevent and address human trafficking to develop and implement promising practices to enhance empowerment supports for at-risk populations and survivors of human trafficking. The call will remain open until September 4, 2020.

The funding available through Public Safety Canada will support two initiatives.  The first  is for projects that seek to empower victims and survivors of human trafficking through the provision of supports and services that are trauma-informed and culturally relevant.  The second  is for pilot projects to establish and test best practices to raise awareness of human trafficking among at-risk youth. The call will remain open until September 4, 2020.



Eligible organizations for the funds include not-for-profits, Indigenous governments (including band councils, tribal councils and self-government entities) and their agencies, Indigenous not-for-profit organizations (that represent First Nations, Inuit and/or Métis interests, and that are controlled by members of the population they serve) and municipalities and their agencies. 

Give unused rent relief money to the businesses that still need it, Canadian Federation of Independent Business tells government.

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Officials would not confirm the student's age or gender.

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The B.C. government has still not released a timeline on kids returning to play competitive sports, as the COVID-19 pandemic continues.

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The Miami Marlins' coronavirus outbreak could endanger the Major League Baseball season, Dr. Anthony Fauci said, as the number of their players testing positive rose to 15.

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Canada’s economy won’t recover unless marginalized groups, women helped too: report

In the midst of the pandemic, the employment rate declined twice as much for Canadian women in the 25 to 54 age range compared with men.

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How public libraries play a vital role in restoring the economy

Public library buildings are safe shelters and economic drivers that quietly operate within every community. They live in the bricks-and-mortar space as well as the virtual, assisting patrons with such life basics as finding employment, starting their own businesses and teaching their kids to read.

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Most Scotiabank employees get green light to work remotely until 2021

Bank of Nova Scotia says it will allow most of its workforce to work remotely until next year.

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Coronavirus: Expert says weddings remain ‘high-risk’ events as restrictions loosen

"All it takes is one (infected) person there," said Dr. Anna Banerji, an associate professor at the Dalla Lana School of Public Health in Toronto.

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Dogs might be able to sniff out COVID-19, study suggests

The dogs were able to accurately identify the virus with a 94 per cent success rate.

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Halton Environmental Network is launching Pop-up Clean-ups! The socially distanced clean-ups are a safe and fun way to enjoy the outdoors while making a difference in your community. Not only will you be cleaning up litter, but you’ll be tracking the waste you find. The collected data will empower our community to make informed decisions on how to protect our environment.

 

You can either lead a clean-up or take part in one! Students also have the opportunity to gain volunteer hours for school credit with each clean-up they do. If you are interested, please register   here .  

This e-Petition is a collaborative effort between Milton RAIL, Milton Says No and Halton Region, to serve as the response from Halton residents during this last, vital public consultation period in the environmental assessment process.

The Review Panel Report states that the Project (CN intermodal terminal AKA Milton Logistics Hub) is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects on human health caused by air quality.

The Federal Government can still determine that the environmental effects to human health - 1,600 transport trucks on the roads every day plus the operation of a dangerous industrial facility - are justified. This would be set a devastating precedent for Canadian municipalities.

This petition is meant to ensure the Federal Government understands that significant adverse effects to human health cannot be justified.

Instructions:

1. Sign the petition

2. Watch for an email from the House of Commons! You must verify and confirm your signature, it will not count unless you complete this step.

Sign the petition

Oakville Meals on Wheels continues to operate

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakville Meals on Wheels continues to operate under increased safety measures.

More information