Fort Erie Urgent Care Centre temporarily closed
Effective Thursday, January 6, at 11 p.m., Niagara Health is temporarily closing the Urgent Care Centre at their Fort Erie Site in order to redeploy emergency-trained physicians and nurses to Emergency Departments (ED) where they are most needed.
Visits to Urgent Care Centres are not life-threatening and can usually be attended to in primary care settings. Members of the community seeking healthcare should first contact their primary care provider. The Urgent Care Centre in Port Colborne remains open, and people can also access virtual urgent care services at www.UrgentCareOntario.ca. In an emergency, call 9-1-1 or go to the nearest Emergency Department. For more information, please visit the Niagara Health website at www.niagarahealth.on.ca/KnowYourOptions.
The Town of Fort Erie has expressed concern over the temporary closure, stating that it does not support the decision to temporarily close Fort Erie’s Urgent Care Centre (UCC) due to staff shortages without consulting Town representatives first.
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St. Catharines launches Design District and website
The City of St. Catharines is partnering with home design, construction, retail and manufacturing businesses to launch the Design District, a one-stop destination for design, building and renovation needs in the city. Conveniently located next to the QEW, the Design District encompasses a cluster of businesses spanning the area between Welland Avenue, Cushman Road, Dieppe Road and Eastchester Avenue. The well-established area of the city is known for its home and design-related businesses.
The website can be viewed at www.designdistrictstc.ca, where businesses wanting to be listed or with questions can also submit their inquiries.
Click here for more information.
NPCA issues flood warning for Lake Erie shoreline
A Wind Warning issued by Environment Canada forecasts strong southwest winds with potential gusts approaching 90km/hr, beginning this afternoon. These strong southwest winds will increase water levels and waves along the Lake Erie Shoreline.
The Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry predict that Lake Erie water levels will increase by 90cm (2.9 feet) above current levels to an elevation of approximately 175.7m at Port Colborne and Fort Erie. Moderate wave heights of 1.6m (5.3 feet) are also forecast to occur during this time. The water level is expected to peak around 7:00pm tonight.
Residents and businesses along Lake Erie should pay close attention to water levels and waves in their area and are urged stay away from the shoreline of Lake Erie during this event. Increased erosion and flooding due to the storm surge and strong waves is likely.
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Niagara College extends online course delivery until February 25
Prior to the break, Niagara College announced the temporary shift of some program elements to online delivery until January 28. Given the latest data and projections provided by government, and to ensure students and employees have as much certainty as possible for the start of term, this change in delivery has been extended to February 25, which is the last day of classes before the mid-term break. While the College remains hopeful that the second half of the term will allow for an increase in on-campus learning, that decision will depend on the available data and government and public health guidance and direction at the time.
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Reading Recommendations
From airlines and restaurants to slaughterhouses, Canada’s worker shortage is spreading rapidly
CBC News
An intensifying labour shortage is rippling through the economy, forcing businesses to curtail operations, reduce hours and in some cases, euthanize livestock.
The situation is a result of a chronic worker shortage worsened by the crush of new COVID-19 cases forcing many into isolation. School closures have also left some workers scrambling for child care and unable to go into work.
The result is rising absenteeism, prompting airlines to cancel flights, drugstores to close early and restaurants to move to takeout only.
Canada urged to create surtax on $1-million homes to reign in prices, fund affordable housing
CTV News
A new report on housing affordability is calling for a surtax on homes worth more than $1 million as a way to reign in skyrocketing home prices and fund affordable housing projects.
The report was published by Vancouver-based non-profit Generation Squeeze and received funding from the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) as part of the federal government’s National Housing Strategy, which allocates money for housing policy researchers.
The proposal would establish an annual surtax starting at 0.2 per cent for houses worth more than $1 million and then increasing to 0.5 per cent and one per cent for more expensive homes.
Niagara COVID-19 statistics tracker
Niagara COVID vaccination tracker
Free rapid COVID-19 testing kits are now available to businesses. Visit gncc.ca/workplace-self-screening-kits to learn more and reserve kits for your organization.
For information on rapid testing kits for individuals, click here.
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Through the Daily Updates, the GNCC aims to deliver important business news in a timely manner. We disseminate all news and information we feel will be important to businesses. Inclusion in the Daily Update is not an endorsement by the GNCC.
