In this edition:
Land Care Niagara receives grant to plant 40,000 trees
GO-VAXX to visit Pelham in spring
Cars and car parts led retail sales jump in January
Niagara College will keep mask and vaccination policies, drop daily health screening
Land Care Niagara receives grant to plant 40,000 trees
As part of a $900,000 investment in 17 projects across the province, the Government of Ontario has awarded $36,906.87 to plant 40,000 native tree species and install a variety of wildlife habitat structures on private and public lands throughout the Niagara Region to Land Care Niagara.
In partnership with Forests Ontario, the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority, Ontario Power Generation, the City of Niagara Falls, and local community groups and volunteers, this project will increase native biodiversity and forest canopy cover while building resilience to climate change.
Under the province-wide programs, a total of 255,000 trees will be planted, as well as 247 acres of land or wetland restored and 410 species protected.
GO-VAXX to visit Pelham in spring
The GO-VAXX Mobile Vaccination Clinic is returning to the Meridian Community Centre in the Town of Pelham over the next three months to host regular vaccination clinics.
First and second dose Vaccines for aged five and up and boosters for those aged 12 and up will be offered at the mobile unit. GO-VAXX mobile buses accept scheduled appointments through Ontario’s booking portal, and walk-in appointments are also available on the bus.
The fully accessible GO-VAXX bus will be at the Meridian Community Centre parking lot from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m on the following dates:
- Thursday April 7, 2022
- Thursday April 28, 2022
- Thursday May 12, 2022
- Thursday May 26, 2022
- Thursday June 9, 2022
- Thursday June 23, 2022
Cars and car parts led retail sales jump in January
Retail sales increased 3.2% to $58.9 billion in January. The increase was led by higher sales at motor vehicle and parts dealers (+5.3%), as sales at new car dealers (+5.5%) rebounded in January following a decline in December 2021.
Sales were up in 9 of 11 subsectors, representing 85.5% of retail trade.
Core retail sales—which exclude gasoline stations and motor vehicle and parts dealers—increased 2.9%.
Based on respondent feedback, 2.6% of Canadian retailers were closed at some point in January compared with 13.9% of retailers reporting closures one year prior.
Niagara College will keep mask and vaccination policies, drop daily health screening after March 21
While the province lifts many remaining COVID-19 health measures such as masking on Monday, March 21, Niagara College will continue with the following health and safety measures until at least the end of the Winter Term:
- Mandatory masking (medical grade masks);
- Mandatory vaccination policy;
- Controlled access to our campuses.
Effective Tuesday, March 22, students and employees will no longer be required to submit the daily health screening in order to access campus. Students and employees will continue to be required to tap-in at a designated access point to verify proof of vaccination.
Reading Recommendations
Update on Ukraine
Russia and Canada in Twitter spat over UN letter post
Reuters
In a spat on Twitter, Canada’s UN mission added multiple remarks to the March 16 missive from Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia.
The U.N. Security Council will no longer vote on Friday on the draft resolution.
Diplomats said it would have failed with most of the 15-member council likely to abstain from a vote on it because it did not address accountability or acknowledge Russia’s invasion of Ukraine or push for an end to the fighting or a withdrawal of Russian troops.
In the spat on Twitter, Canada’s UN mission annotated one part of the Russian letter that read: “Like other members of the international community, we are gravely concerned about its deterioration.”
Canada’s UN mission crossed out the first few words and changed the rest to read: “We are not gravely concerned about its deterioration,” and inserted at the end “because we are the primary cause.”
In a later section, Canada asked: “Do you think the UN membership actually believes this?” On the final page Canada suggested part of an alternative end: “We want you to know just how little we care about the human life we have destroyed.”
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