August 12 Office of the Mayor and Council Update
Your voice matters on proposed CN truck-rail hub
The final decision on CN’s proposed truck-rail hub in Milton is expected from the Minister of Environment and Climate Change by Wednesday, Sept. 23. As part of the Federal Review process, the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada is in the final stages of public consultation regarding their environmental assessment of the proposed truck-rail hub and is asking the public and Indigenous groups to submit comments on the potential environmental assessment conditions for the project until Friday, Aug. 21.

Your comments are needed.
Click to watch the Region's video about the proposed CN truck-rail hub in Milton.
The Region and Halton municipalities are calling on the community to join us in urging the Federal Government to refuse approval of the proposed truck-rail hub.

You can make your voice heard before the Minister announces a decision by:
  • Calling or emailing your Member of Parliament and telling them that the health of your family and neighbours matter;
  • Submitting comments directly to the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada before Friday, Aug. 21;
  • Signing the online petition posted by Milton Says No and Milton R.A.I.L and join others in the community in the fight against CN’s proposal by Sunday, Aug. 16;
  • Being a part of the conversation on social media by using the hashtag #sayNO2CNhub

Learn more about CN’s proposal and the Halton Municipalities’ position on the project by visiting halton.ca/cn.
Items in this update:

  • COVID case counts
  • Safety won't be compromised for vaccine, Canada's top doctors say
  • School outbreaks of COVID-19 will happen. Doctors offer tips to keep in check
  • HRPS now equipped with ClearMasks
  • Provincial Government announcements
  • Ontario providing municipalities with up to $1.6 billion in first round of emergency funding
  • Halton amounts
  • Ontario releases 2020-21 first quarter finances
  • Ontario's projected deficit will grow to a record $38.5 billion this year
  • Nurse explains what public health nurses will do in schools
  • Government of Canada announcements
  • Government of Canada is providing assistance to help Indigenous Peoples living in urban centers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
  • Government of Canada announces funding for Indigenous communities and organizations to support community-based responses to COVID-19
  • School year start date to be pushed back for B.C. students
  • More than 900 in Georgia district quarantine as high school shut
  • Britain reports 20 per cent economic slump amid coronavirus
  • Australia reports deadliest day of coronavirus pandemic as cases escalate
  • In related news
  • ‘Tsunami’ of parents interested in homeschooling amid COVID-19 pandemic
  • Virus moved through Ontario’s densely-populated communities first and most aggressively, Star data shows
  • WHO suggests avoiding dental visits until more is known about COVID-19 risk
  • Toronto Chinese community's efforts to contain coronavirus overshadowed by stigma: research
  • 'It's a no-win situation': These parents won't be sending their kids back to school
  • Coronavirus symptoms: Patients report losing hair months after illness
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Ward News
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.
COVID case counts
Confirmed cases in Halton saw 0 increases, total remains at 847 with 0 new confirmed cases in Oakville, total remains at 280.

There are currently 0 COVID-19 patients being cared for at OTMH and 11 active cases in Halton.

There was +1 reported recovery in Oakville, from 293 to 294 and +1 recoveries in Halton Region, from 880 to 881. 
Ontario reported 95 new cases of COVID-19 today,. That brings the total to 40,289 with 36,590 of those resolved and 2,787 deaths. Currently there are 49 patients being treated for COVID-19 in Ontario hospitals, with 20 of those in ICU and 10 on ventilators.

As of today, Canada had 120,521 confirmed and presumptive coronavirus cases. Provinces and territories listed 106,880 of those as recovered or resolved. A tall of deaths stands at 9,030.
Visit https://art-bd.shinyapps.io/covid19canada/ for the U of T COVID-19 data aggregation map
COVID-19 deaths per million
Safety won’t be compromised for vaccine, Canada’s top doctors say
The chief public health officer says Canada will not cut corners to get a vaccine for COVID-19 approved.

Dr. Theresa Tam says she has full confidence in Health Canada’s process to approve a vaccine.
School outbreaks of COVID-19 will happen.
Doctors offer tips to keep them in check
Familiar public health advice needs to be adapted as people form new routines for back to school.
Oakville and Halton
Halton Regional Police Service now equipped with ClearMasks™
The wearing of face coverings/masks is known to pose a significant barrier to the Deaf community, as masks make it harder to lip read and understand sign language.

To better serve the demographics of our community, while continuing to mitigate the transmission of COVID-19, Halton Regional Police Service officers are now equipped with ClearMasks™.

"Our ability to communicate with the members of our community is absolutely essential," says Halton Regional Police Service Deputy Chief Roger Wilkie. "With guidance and input from the Bob Rumball Centre of Excellence for the Deaf, we have now removed a significant communications barrier."

"By introducing ClearMasksTM within Halton Regional Police Service, anyone from the Deaf community can now have more accessible dialogue with police officers," says Jayne Leang, Director of Business Relations at the Bob Rumball Canadian Centre of Excellence for the Deaf. "In an emergency situation, allowing a person who is Deaf or hard-of-hearing the opportunity to see the officer's facial expression or attempt to read their lips, helps in the exchange of potentially life-saving information."

These Health Canada-approved masks feature a transparent window, allowing the mouth to be fully protected, while fully visible, for those who use speech reading, lip reading or who are profoundly deaf and use American Sign Language, which is heavily dependent on facial expressions
Ontario
Provincial Government announcements
The Ontario government, in partnership with the federal government, is delivering on its commitment to provide up to $4 billion in urgently needed one-time assistance to Ontario's 444 municipalities.

Municipalities will be provided with up to $1.6 billion as part of the first round of emergency funding under the Safe Restart Agreement. This funding will help municipalities protect the health and well-being of the people of Ontario, while continuing to deliver critical public services, such as public transit and shelters, as the province continues down the path of renewal, growth and economic recovery.

Through the Safe Restart Agreement with the federal government, $695 million will help municipalities address operating pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic through the first round of emergency funding, and over $660 million will support transit systems. The province is also providing an additional $212 million through the Social Services Relief Fund to help vulnerable people find shelter.

The details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance, Kinga Surma, Associate Minister of Transportation (GTA), and Jim McDonell, Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

"Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have had the backs of our municipalities, which is why we are announcing up to $1.6 billion in critical funding today to help strengthen our communities and safely restart our economy," said Premier Ford. "This first round of funding will address the most urgent needs of our communities, ensuring critical services like transit and shelters are there when people need them most."

"Municipalities are on the front lines of a safe restart to our economy. That's why we're working with Ontario, and all the provinces and territories, to ensure communities have the support they need to help Canadians through the next phase of this crisis," said Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. "Here in Ontario, this funding will allow municipalities to offer critical public services, like public transportation and shelters, while they help protect against potential future waves of the virus. Building a stronger and more resilient economy that works for everyone starts with keeping Canadians safe and healthy. Together, we will build on the progress we've made, and put Canadians first as we gradually and safely restart our economy."

In Fall 2020, Ontario's 444 municipalities will receive $695 million in Phase 1 funding to help address municipal operating pressures related to the COVID-19 pandemic. This funding will be allocated on a per household basis and would be shared 50/50 between upper- and lower-tier municipalities. Up to $695 million in additional funding will be available through Phase 2 to eligible municipalities after municipalities have provided the province with information on their estimated COVID-19 related financial pressures.

"The success of Ontario's municipalities is vital to our province's economic recovery," said Parliamentary Assistant Jim McDonell. "We've been working in partnership with municipalities from day one to understand the financial impacts of COVID-19, and this historic agreement will ensure they have the funding needed to address their most urgent local priorities."
In addition to the support for municipalities, the government is providing over $660 million in the first phase of transit funding to the 110 municipalities with transit systems. The funding can be used to provide immediate relief from transit pressures, such as lower ridership, as well as for new costs due to COVID-19, such as enhanced cleaning and masks for staff. In the second phase, additional allocations will be provided based on expenses incurred to ensure the funding meets the needs of municipalities. As part of the Safe Restart Agreement with the federal government, up to $2 billion is being provided to support public transit in Ontario.

"Ontario's public transit systems are critical to supporting the economy and getting people where they need to go as the province gradually reopens," said Associate Minister Surma. "This historic agreement will help ensure that municipalities can continue to provide safe and reliable transit for the people of Ontario."

Ontario is also providing municipal service managers and Indigenous housing partners with an additional $212 million under the Social Services Relief Fund to help protect vulnerable people from COVID-19. This investment can help them protect homeless shelter staff and residents, expand rent support programming and create longer-term housing solutions. This brings the government's total Social Services Relief Fund investment provided to service managers and Indigenous program administrators to $510 million, and builds on the government's COVID-19 Action Plan to Protect Vulnerable Ontarians.
Halton amounts
For Phase 1 of the emergency funding, The Town of Oakville will receive $2,447,884 to support Oakville Transit and $4,460,300 to help COVID-19 operating costs. Current projections show that Oakville is facing $10 million budget gap including a projected revenue shortfall of $4.3 million for Oakville Transit.
 
Phase 1 funding for Ontario’s 444 municipalities will be allocated on a per household basis. Phase 2 of funding will include up to $595 million for eligible municipalities after they have provided the province with an outline of their COVID-19 related financial pressures.
The Ontario government is continuing to support the province's recovery from COVID-19 over the long-term while delivering on its commitment to transparency and accountability with the release of 2020-21 First Quarter Finances and an update to Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19. To protect the health and economic well-being of the people of Ontario, the government continues to invest and budget for further contingencies in the fight against the COVID-19 outbreak, including providing support to families, businesses, workers, municipalities, long-term care homes and those on the front-lines of the pandemic. These investments bring the government's COVID-19 response action plan to a projected $30 billion, up from $17 billion announced in Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 on March 25, 2020.

"Dealing with COVID-19 wasn't a choice for any of us, but how we responded was," said Rod Phillips, Minister of Finance. "From the very beginning, we chose to do whatever was necessary to protect the people of Ontario from this pandemic and support them as they deal with the unprecedented impact on their lives."

Since announcing the first steps in the government's response to the global pandemic, the government is making additional investments in the fight against COVID-19, including:
  • An increase of $4.4 billion for a total of $7.7 billion to provide ongoing support for health care to build hospital capacity, prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19 in long-term care homes, ramp up testing and purchase personal protective equipment and critical medical supplies.
  • An increase of $7.3 billion for a total of $11.0 billion to support people and jobs, which supports investments in a temporary pandemic pay for more than 375,000 eligible frontline workers totaling over $1.5 billion, $4 billion in targeted funding to help municipal partners and transit agencies to continue to deliver critical services, and temporary immediate relief for residential, farm, small business, industrial and commercial electricity consumers.

The government is now projecting a deficit of $38.5 billion in 2020-21, which incorporates the most up to date economic information and additional supports for the pandemic recovery period and the safe restart framework. Private-sector forecasts, on average, project that Ontario's real GDP will decline by 6.6 per cent in 2020, down significantly from when the March 2020 Economic and Fiscal Update was finalized. Total revenue is projected to be $150.6 billion in 2020-21, $5.7 billion lower and program expenses are projected to be $13.1 billion higher than forecast in the March 2020 Economic and Fiscal Update.

When announced in March, Ontario's Action Plan: Responding to COVID-19 contained historic levels of prudence and flexibility, including a dedicated $1 billion COVID-19 Health Contingency Fund, a $2 billion Support for People and Jobs Fund, a standard Contingency Fund of $1.3 billion and an unprecedented reserve of $2.5 billion, the largest in Ontario's history. Given the continued economic and health uncertainty, the government has included additional prudence totalling almost $9.6 billion to ensure the Province is prepared for future scenarios stemming from the ongoing uncertainty of COVID-19.

While no economic downturn is the same as the last, it took between 24 and 88 months to return to pre-recession peak employment across the last three recessions. However, as Ontario gradually reopens, following the plan outlined in A Framework to Reopen Our Province, there have been recent signs of economic recovery. In June and July, Ontario's employment increased by 528,600 net jobs and the unemployment rate decreased to 11.3 per cent. Home resales in the province rose 56.6 per cent in May and 67.0 per cent in June, after declining for two consecutive months. Ontario manufacturing sales increased 17.5 per cent in May, while retail sales rose 14.2 per cent, after both declined for two consecutive months.

"From the outset, our government determined that putting public health first not only would save lives, but was the smartest economic policy," said Phillips. "The faster and steadier the progress to contain the outbreak, the sooner restrictions can be lifted so customers can return to businesses and employees can get back to work. While we still have a long road to recovery, defeating the virus is essential to getting our economy growing again and to ensure the long-term sustainability of the public's finances."

The Province's next fiscal update will be a multi-year provincial Budget, to be delivered no later than November 15, 2020. Ontario was the first in Canada to release a fiscal outlook that reflected the impacts of the COVID-19 crisis. This was a responsible approach that allows the Province to continue assessing the economic situation and provide transparency and accountability based on the most recent and reliable data available at the time.
Ontario's projected deficit will grow to a record $38.5 billion this year, as the province takes a significant financial hit from the effects of COVID-19, forcing the government to increase its pandemic rescue package to $30 billion in 2020-2021.
Five hundred public health nurses will help keep schools safe: This nurse explains what they'll do
It is unclear what education will really look like in the COVID-19 era — and what happens if an outbreak occurs in a school. The province has pledged to hire up to 500 extra school nurses to help prevent and deal with possible infections.
Canada
Government of Canada announcements
Government of Canada announces funding for Indigenous communities and organizations to support community-based responses to COVID-19
The Government of Canada recognizes that First Nation, Inuit and Métis are among the most at risk and face unique challenges in addressing COVID-19. It also recognizes that Indigenous leadership, governments and organizations are best placed to determine the needs of Indigenous Peoples and to develop community-based solutions that respond to these challenges.

Today, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, announced an additional $305 million to support Indigenous Peoples during the COVID-19 pandemic, through the Indigenous Community Support Fund.

This fund can be used for a wide variety of measures such as supporting Elders and vulnerable community members, addressing food insecurity, educational and other supports for children, mental health assistance and emergency response services, preparedness measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, and more. It will be distributed through a combination of allocations directly to First Nations, Inuit and Métis leadership, and needs-based funding, which will be application driven. This approach aligns with our commitment to support Indigenous leaders’ approaches to community wellness while providing the flexibility to respond to emerging needs, for example in response to an outbreak of COVID-19.

This funding will be available to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities, as well as Indigenous communities and organizations serving Indigenous peoples, including First Nations living off-reserve as well as Inuit and Métis living in urban centres, on an application basis. Further details will be forthcoming.

As the pandemic continues to evolve, the Government of Canada is committed to ensuring that Indigenous leaders have the tools and support they need to implement the various aspects of their pandemic plans.

The health and well-being of First Nations, Inuit and Métis remains the priority of the Department. The Indigenous Community Support Fund was first announced on March 18, and to date has allocated $380 million in funding to Indigenous communities and organizations. The funding in today’s announcement is in addition to what has already been committed through the fund and brings the total investments to date in the Indigenous Community Support Fund to $685 million. First Nations, Inuit and Métis also have access to all other measures provided through the Government of Canada’s COVID-19 Economic Response Plan, and are encouraged to review financial supports that may be available to them.
Government of Canada is providing assistance to help Indigenous Peoples living in urban centers in response to the COVID-19 pandemic
Yesterday, the Honourable Marc Miller, Minister of Indigenous Services, highlighted the national organizations who received critical funding to ensure the safety and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples living in urban centres across Canada. The Government of Canada has allocated $24.6 million in funding to the National Association of Friendship Centres, the 2 Spirits in Motion Society, and the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples.

From the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government of Canada has worked in collaboration with organizations and communities that provide services to First Nations off-reserve and Indigenous Peoples living in urban areas. 

This funding supports national projects that address the critical needs of Indigenous populations during this crisis, including food security, mental health support services, housing needs and required emergency supplies, as well as the development of a COVID-19 Pandemic Response for 2 Spirited People in Canada. In addition, the funding could also help with other important needs, such as support for Elders, transportation, and educational materials for Indigenous children and youth.

Between mid-March and May 2020, the Government of Canada committed a total of $90 million in funding, through the Indigenous Community Support Fund, to help Indigenous organizations and communities provide support to First Nations living off reserve and urban Indigenous Peoples during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Approximately 260 Indigenous organizations and communities across the country have been supported to date by the Indigenous Community Support Fund, to help address the critical needs of First Nations people living off reserve, and Indigenous Peoples in urban centers during this pandemic.
School year start date to be pushed back for B.C. students
Education Minister Rob Fleming says the start of the school year will be pushed back from Sept. 8 for students but work is still being done to determine when kids will be in class.

International news
More than 900 in Georgia district quarantine as high school shut
A Georgia school district has quarantines more than 900 students and staff members because of possible exposure to the coronavirus since classes resumed last week and will temporarily shut down a hard-hit high school in which a widely shared photo showed dozens of maskless students posing together.
Britain reports 20% economic slump amid coronavirus, worst yet for major power
The data also showed the world's sixth-biggest economy entered a recession as it shrank for a second quarter in a row.
Australia reports deadliest day of coronavirus pandemic as cases escalate
Victoria reported 21 deaths - two more than the previous deadliest days earlier this week - and 410 new cases in the past 24 hours, ending a run of three consecutive days with new infections below 400.
In other COVID-related news:
‘Tsunami’ of parents interested in homeschooling amid COVID-19 pandemic
Some Canadian parents are choosing homeschooling over virtual learning or in-person classes amid the coronavirus pandemic.

Virus moved through Ontario’s densely-populated communities first and most aggressively, Star data shows
Ontario’s southern urban centres were the first and hardest hit by the COVID-19 pandemic, while some rural regions managed to stave off the virus for nearly 10 weeks before cases were reported, data collected by the Star shows.

WHO suggests avoiding dental visits until more is known about COVID-19 risk
Dental facilities must have adequate ventilation to reduce the risk of the virus spreading in closed settings, it said on Tuesday.
 
Toronto Chinese community's efforts to contain coronavirus overshadowed by stigma: research
The early efforts by the Chinese community in Toronto to quell the spread of coronavirus at the beginning of the year were largely overshadowed by stigma and Sinophobia at the time, according to new research.

'It's a no-win situation': These parents won't be sending their kids back to school
From concerns about class sizes to contracting COVID-19, some parents across Canada will not be sending their children back to school this fall.

Coronavirus symptoms: Patients report losing hair months after illness
An increasing number of COVID-19 patients are reporting dramatic hair loss months after their initial illness.
Upcoming events:
Registration now open for Beyond Boundaries program 
Beyond Boundaries is a Haltech Innovation Centre accelerator program in the Halton Region aimed to advance women’s economic empowerment. The objective is to support women entrepreneurs to grow, scale-up their business and reach global markets. The program is part of the Government of Canada Women Entrepreneurship Strategy (WES).

With the recent success of the first cohort, Haltech Innovation Centre is thrilled to be launching both the second and third cohort this coming Fall and in early 2021. Through the program, Haltech looks to connect participants to opportunities and help increase the economic impact of women-owned businesses in Halton as well as globally. Beyond Boundaries will help participants adopt new technologies, grow their network and further their learnings in sales and financial literacy.

Application Deadline: August 31st, 2020
Hope in High Heels goes virtual
Halton Women's Place's signature event has been reimagined so you can participate from home.

Registration is now open for this week-long event.
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.  
Sign the CN intermodal e-Petition now
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
  • There is no minimum age to sign
  • Every signature, however, must have a unique email address (an email address may only be used once on 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.
Food Banks experiencing record demand
Oakville's food banks are in record-breaking demand. If you can donate anything, please do. Your help is needed.

Fareshare Food Bank Oakville: 905-847-3988 or email [email protected]

Kerr Street Mission: 905-845-7485 or donate online at kerrstreet.com

The Salvation Army Oakville: Donate online https://salvationarmy.ca/
Oakville Meals on Wheels continues to operate

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Oakville Meals on Wheels continues to operate under increased safety measures.
Testing in Oakville
Call the COVID-19 hotline
For the duration of the pandemic, if a member of the public wishes to report an incident of non-compliance with the emergency orders, they may contact the Halton Regional Police Service COVID-19 Hotline: 905-825-4722

It is critical that our residents use 911 for emergencies only.
Coronavirus timeline