Savage Arms Creating 49 New Jobs With $500,000 From Government of Ontario; Part of $3.3 Million Investment For Production of Two Rifles

As part of a $3,364,206 investment, the Ontario Government is funding $504,361 to Savage Arms for the development of 49 jobs through two product lines, announced in Lakefield on Tuesday afternoon.

(left to right) Dave Smith, Peterborough-Kawartha MPP; Terry McCullough, Savage Arms Canada vice-president and general manage, David Myles, Director of Manufacturing and Sherry Senis, Selwyn Mayor, put on display the prototypes of the new lever action rimfire rifles as part of the $3.3 million investment. Photo by dAVID tUAN bUI.

The funding is through the Regional Development Program of Eastern Ontario’s Development Fund. Along with the provincial government’s funding, Savage Arms is also investing over $2.5 million to introduce two new rifles with takedown/disassembly features such as their new level action rimfire rifle and centrefire hunting rifle.

“Our government is building a strong Ontario and strengthening the economy by supporting key investments in communities in Selwyn Township,” Said Dave Smith, Peterborugh'-Kawartha MPP. “This investment from Savage Arms, supported by the provincial government will grow local manufacturing and create more jobs for workers and families in Petebrorough County.”

The development is of the rifles are ongoing as part of a three-year timeline to complete the process. Full-time positions can range from salaries in the $20 an hour range with upwards to around $80,000 a year with the manufacturer hiring now of people with a wide array of skill levels according to Terry McCullough, Savage Arms vice president and general manager.

“We have positions like general machine operator, quality engineer, CNC technician positions, design engineers, product manager and human resources,” he said. “We employ all levels of people from a general machine operator to a technical programmer.”

Majority of rifles made are shipped to a facility in the United States that redistributes them globally. Local consumers can obtain the rifles (and already finished products) upon completion at stores such as Canadian Tire, Accuracy Plus, Bass Pro Shop and Cabela's.

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Alcohol To Be Available At Convenience, Grocery and Big Box Stores In Ontario Start No Later Than Jan. 1, 2026

Alcohol will be available to purchase at all participating convenience, grocery, and big box stores throughout the province beginning no later than Jan. 1, 2026, as announced by the Ontario Government in Etobicoke on Thursday morning.

Doug Ford, Ontario Premier (left) and Peter Bethlenfalvy, Ontario Minister of Finance (right) making the announcement at a convenience store in Etobicoke. Screenshot.

Alcohol such as beer, wine, cider, coolers, seltzers and other low-alcohol ready-to-drink beverages are at all participating conveniences, grocery stores and big box stores across the province. Spirits such as vodka, whiskey, gin, etc., will continue to be sold at the LCBO, according to Premier Doug Ford.

“We made a promise to the people of Ontario to deliver more choice and convenience,” he said. “Today, we’re delivering on that promise. There’s no reason why Ontario consumers shouldn’t enjoy the same convenient shopping experience as Canadians in every other province when buying some wine for their holiday party or a case of beer or seltzers on their way to the cottage.”

Roughly 8,500 participating stores are participating in the expansion of alcohol being sold in new outlets.

The provincial government has informed Brewers Retail Inc. (The Beer Store) that the Master Framework Agreement (MFA), signed and extended for a decade by the previous government in 2015, limited the number of retail stores that could be authorized to sell alcohol, will not be renewed after it expires on Dec. 31, 2025 according to a press release. However, The Beer Store and LCBO is continuing their retail operations in Ontario’s new marketplace.

“The people of Ontario will soon have more choice and convenience on where they can buy alcohol,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance. “As we move towards implementing this expansion, our government will be taking a responsible, measured approach so we can ensure our transition to a new marketplace is smooth, safe and stable.”

The government’s approach also includes the following initiatives as stated in a press release:

• Competitive pricing: Ontario will introduce competitive pricing to all private retailers to promote competition and a better deal for consumers. LCBO retail stores will maintain consistent pricing across the province to help ensure consumers do not pay more based on where they live, including in rural and northern Ontario. As they do in other provinces, retailers can set promotional prices consistent with relevant regulations. Minimum pricing policies will remain in effect to preserve standards for responsible consumption.

• Pack sizes: Ontario is removing restrictions and exclusivities on pack sizes. Consumers will be able to purchase any pack size, including 12-packs, 24-packs or even 30-packs, as is popular in Quebec of beer, cider and ready-to-drink alcohol beverages at convenience, grocery and big box stores, in addition to the LCBO and The Beer Store.

• Recycling program: The Beer Store has agreed to continue to run the provincewide recycling program for alcoholic beverage containers until at least 2031 as part of a transition period in the new marketplace. This program, which is well-liked and convenient for consumers with hundreds of locations across the province, helps keep costs down for producers and consumers while helping to protect the environment by diverting significant amounts of waste from landfills. The government will consult with retailers and industry stakeholders on the future of recycling and deposit returns to ensure this important feature is maintained beyond 2031.

• Support for local beverage alcohol producers: Ontario will provide a range of transitional and time-limited supports to Ontario-based producers to help with the transition to a more open marketplace, including:

  • Extending dedicated shelf space requirements across all new retailers for craft producers to provide opportunities for small producers to compete

  • Immediately enhancing the Vintners Quality Alliance (VQA) Wine Support Program beginning in 2024-25 for up to five years to 2028-29 to support the growth and sale of Ontario-grown VQA wines

  • Extending the Wine Marketing Fund and the Small Cidery and Small Distillery Support Program for up to five years

  • Supporting local economic development by directing the LCBO to promote and prioritize Ontario-made products, producers and workers by providing more and enhanced programs, promotions and strategies to help local producers grow Ontario product sales

  • Establishing a wine and grape industry sector table between government and industry partners

  • Introducing legislation that will, if passed, eliminate the 6.1 per cent wine basic tax at on-site winery retail stores, making Ontario’s tax regime competitive with other provinces, including British Columbia

• Social responsibility: The government is providing an additional $10 million over five years in funding to the Ministry of Health to support social responsibility and public health efforts to ensure alcohol continues to be sold and consumed safely in the expanded marketplace. Existing requirements related to staff training, minimum pricing, hours of sale and warning signs will be maintained and applied to all new retail outlets.

• Wholesale: The LCBO will be the exclusive wholesaler for all retail, bars and restaurants selling alcohol and will offer consumers an extensive array of choices, including domestic and imported products. This structure will continue to offer the benefits of the LCBO’s world-leading purchasing power and economies of scale and ensures sector stability, including maintaining an important employment footprint across Ontario and a significant revenue stream for government so that it can continue to invest in critical frontline services like health care and education. The province is proud of its LCBO workforce and will continue to support them through this transition.

• Distribution: The LCBO will continue to work with producers and retailers to distribute wine and spirits in an expanded marketplace, including retail stores, bars and restaurants. The Beer Store has agreed to maintain its primary role in the distribution of beer to retailers, bars and restaurants until at least 2031 as part of the transition period, helping to provide stability to the sector and frontline workers. The province will also permit more flexible distribution models for small producers.

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Ontario Government Provides $250,000 to YMCA in Peterborough and Quinte to Offset COVID-19 Expenses

The Ontario Government and Ontario Trillium Foundation have provided the YMCA of Central East Ontario a $250,000 Community Building Fund grant to help offset any costs incurred from the COVID-19 pandemic, announced on Friday afternoon.

(from left to right) MaryAnne Wooldridge, General Manager Balsillie Family Branch; MPP Dave Smith and David Allen, President and CEO of YMCA of Central East Ontario. Photo by Samantha Bianco.

The money was split between the Balsillie Family Branch location in Peterborough and the Belleville branch and the John Williams branch in Quinte West. The former got the lion’s share with around $200,000 of the grant according to MPP Dave Smith.

“Today’s funding announcement has been a tremendous help to the Peterborough YMCA in continuing to provide services within our community,” said Dave Smith, MPP for Peterborough-Kawartha. “This allows them to continue focusing on the important work they do best, which is helping to support the health and wellness of children, families and individuals right here in our region.”

In addition to paying off the upkeep of operation expenses, the grant helped it purchase software with web and virtual costs.

“Like so many other organizations, the past few years have been a really challenging time for our YMCA,” explained David Allen, YMCA of Central East Ontario president and CEO. “This grant allowed our YMCA to cover software and operational expenses at a time when membership revenue was limited.”

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Ontario Government to Modernize Computer Studies and Tech-Ed Curriculum For Future Careers

The Ontario Government is updating high school courses in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to prepare students for jobs of the future announced at Magellan Aerospace in Mississauga on Monday.

(From left to right) Patrice Barnes, Ajax MPP; Hon. Victor Videli, Minister of economic development, job creation and trade; Hon. Stephen Leece, Minister of Education and Arti Javeri, Vice president, firSt partnerships at FIRST Robotics Canada at Magellan Aerospace in Mississauga. Screenshot.

The changes to the Computer Studies and the Technological Education curriculum also support the government’s plan to align curriculum changes with the province’s economic needs and place an emphasis on critical life and job skills, needed in the fast-growing skilled trades according to a press release.

“This change will provide students with hands-on experience with technology, expose them to real-life problem solving and enhance learning that focuses on giving young people the skills to think critically, dream boldly and chart new pathways forward for our economy,” said Stephen Lecce, Minister of Education. “Our focus is to ensure our students have the most up-to-date curriculum that strengthens life and job skills leading to rewarding careers in technology and innovation, including in the skilled trades.”

The two new curriculum changes to better prepare students for the jobs of tomorrow are:

• A new Computer Studies curriculum, beginning with a new Grade 10 course to be implemented in September 2023.

• A new Technological Education curriculum, beginning with revised Grade 9 and Grade 10 courses to be offered in September 2024.

The Digital Technology and Innovations in the Changing World course will replace the current Grade 10 Introduction to Computer Studies course which was last updated in 2008. Since then, there has been an emergence of significant technological innovations such as the advancement of smartphones and wearable technologies, connected and automated vehicles and the rise of social media.

The revised Technological Education curriculum — which has not been updated since 2009 — will reflect the advancements in automation across sectors such as agriculture, manufacturing and construction. The sectors have increased the need for a highly skilled workforce. The Ontario Government assumes these revisions will help prepare students for high paying and rewarding careers in communications, the construction industry as electricians, plumbers and the manufacturing sector.

“Our government continues to foster innovation by growing Ontario’s world-class workforce,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of economic development, job creation and trade. “Every year, more than 65,000 students graduate from STEM related programs. By modernizing STEM and skilled trade-related courses, we’re ensuring our talent pool continues to grow and that Ontario businesses continue to innovate and thrive.”

These changes boost the Skilled Trades Strategy with a $4.8 million investment over two years to expand the Dual Credit program.

The revisions are also part of the next steps in Ontario’s Plan to Catch Up to further expose STEM to children as potential future careers. Other recent curriculum updates include:

• Ontario’s revised Science and Technology curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 implemented in September 2022.

• Ontario’s new de-streamed Grade 9 Science course implemented in September 2022.

• Ontario’s new de-streamed Grade 9 Mathematics course implemented in September 2021.

• Ontario’s new Mathematics curriculum for Grades 1 to 8 implemented in September 2020.

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Ontario Expanding 911 Models Of Care In Peterborough and the County

The Ontario Government is expanding 9-1-1 models of care in the County and City of Peterborough to give paramedics more flexibility to provide better treatment for patients away from emergency departments.

WARDEN J. MURRAY JONES (LEFT), CHIEF RANDY MELLOW (MIDDLE) AND MPP DAVE SMITH (RIGHT) DURING JONES’S FINAL DAYS AS WARDEN BEFORE RETIRING FROM A 24-YEAR POLITICAL TENURE. PHOTO BY DAVID TUAN BUI.

This model builds on the first phase of the program which focused on “Alternate Destination” and “Treat and Refer” models for mental health and addictions and palliative care patients, this expansion will now include a new model type: “Treat and Release” according to a press release.

Patients can be treated on-scene by paramedics and released with recommendations for appropriate follow-up care in the comfort of their preferred home or community health setting. This help savoid unnecessary trips to emergency departments and preserve beds for those that need them most.

“This model works. It means people can be treated at home or onsite, without having to go to the emergency room for service. This reduces the pressure on our emergency room at Peterborough Regional Health Centre so that those who need services can receive better, faster care,” MPP Dave Smith said. “This is an innovative way for us to address hospital wait times and hallway health care.”

Patients diverted from emergency departments through these models received the care they needed up to 17 times faster with 94 per cent of patients avoiding the emergency department in the days following treatment as stated in the press release.

“Peterborough County is pleased that the Province has embraced the implementation of the 911 Models of Care and is expanding this program,” said Warden J. Murray Jones.

This expansion will also see more patients become eligible for all three model types. In addition to mental health and addictions and palliative care patients that are currently eligible for the “Alternate Destination” and “Treat and Refer” models, patients with injuries such as minor falls or illnesses that are not life-threatening, patients with managed chronic conditions such as diabetes or epilepsy and patients with other select conditions will also be considered.

“Peterborough County-City Paramedics were pleased to implement the Palliative Care protocols in Peterborough under the first phase of new models of care and we look forward to expanding the models under phase two that will allow the clinical expertise of our paramedics to provide treatment on scene with appropriate patients in a safe and patient centered way that will assist in avoiding unnecessary burden on the health care system,” said Chief Randy Mellow.

This work is on top of the efforts the government has done to date with the March 2022 Plan to Stay Open. Some highlights include:

• Ontario has processed over 25 million lab-based COVID-19 PCR tests and distributed close to 240 million free rapid antigen tests to date.

• Ontario has administered over 34.5 million COVID-19 vaccinations to date.

• Over 36,000 doses of Paxlovid have been prescribed to protect Ontarians against the worst effects of COVID-19, helping to reduce hospital admissions.

• Ontario has invested $880 million in surgical recovery investments over the last three fiscal years, including increasing surgical capacity through funding for innovative hospital projects.

• To strengthen long-term care and alternate levels of care, Ontario has invested $175.2 million to expand home care services and $117 million for the sustainability of home care services, and $1 million for the inter-facility transfer of medically stable patients in Northern Ontario.

• The government has invested $764 million to provide Ontario’s nurses with a retention incentive of up to $5,000 per person.

• Over 10,900 healthcare professionals (including over 7,800 nurses and externs) have been added to the health system since Winter of 2020.

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Ontario Government Announces Ontario’s Clean Home Heating Initiative

The Ontario Government is providing up to $4.5 million to bring hybrid heating to as many as 1,000 households in the community, said Peterborough-Kawartha MPP Dave Smith on Thursday.

Photo courtesy of the City of Peterborough.

Through the Clean Home Heating Initiative, funding will support the installation of electric heat pumps with smart controls by providing local homeowners in Peterborough, St. Catharines, Sault Ste. Marie and London with incentives of up to $4,500 to pair with their existing natural gas furnaces.

This initiative, in collaboration with Enbridge, will allow households to leverage Ontario’s world-class clean electricity grid which is more than 90 per cent emissions free.

Electric heat pumps replace existing air conditioners in the summer and can operate in reverse in cooler seasons to provide home heating. With the addition of smart controls, a hybrid heating system automatically switches to a home's existing natural gas furnace depending on weather and which source is least expensive.

“Switching to hybrid heating could save homeowners up to $80 dollars every year on energy bills – an annual savings that would increase over time - and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by as much as 30 per cent,” said Todd Smith, minister of energy. “Investing in these types of transformative energy models is how we are building a pathway to a clean energy future that will protect the environment and keep costs down, all while creating new high-quality jobs across the province.”

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Canada Declares September 19 As Federal Holiday To Mark Queens Funeral Ontario To Recognize It With Day Of Mourning

Justin Trudeau has announced a federal holiday to mark the Queen’s funeral on Sept. 19.

file photo.

In his address to the public, Trudeau noted that he is talking with provinces and territories about joining the holiday.

On Tuesday afternoon Doug Ford announced that Ontario will recognize the day as a ‘Provincial Day of Mourning’ rather than a provincial holiday. This means that in Ontario only federal government employees will get that day off.

BREAKING: Premier Doug Ford says that Ontario will mark Sept. 19 “as a provincial Day of Mourning in lieu of a provincial holiday.”

— CP24 (@CP24) September 13, 2022

If other provinces and territories join, that means Monday will be declared a statutory (paid) holiday.

It is unknown when other provinces and territories will make announcements.

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Ontario Expands Access to COVID-19 Antivirals As Canada's Top Doctor 'Strongly Recommends" Masking Indoors

Ontario's chief medical officer of health, Dr. Kieran Moore, updated the public on Monday about how the province is managing COVID-19 and the expanding access to antivirals at announced Queen’s Park on Monday afternoon.

This was Dr. Kieran Moore’s first media appearance in five weeks. Screenshot.

Moore thanked the public for continuing to adopt the public health measures in place and strongly recommended to continue wearing a mask indoors. He stated the province will not be reintroducing a mask mandate at this time but to be prepared for those measures to return if a new variant of concern emerges or if the healthcare system is threatened due to rising cases.

“I ask everyone across Ontario to continue doing their part to keep their communities and loved ones safe by staying up to date on vaccinations and wearing masks,” said Moore. “I am pleased that we will be able to offer more accessible antiviral treatment options to more people across Ontario.”

Effective immediately, the following higher-risk groups are eligible to be tested and assessed for antiviral treatments such as Paxlovid, in Ontario:

• Individuals aged 18 and over who are immunocompromised (have an immune system that is weakened by a health condition or medications);

• Individuals aged 70 and over;

• Individuals aged 60 and over with fewer than three vaccine doses; and

• Individuals aged 18 and over with fewer than three vaccine doses and at least one risk condition (e.g., a chronic medical condition)

Anyone eligible for an assessment is also eligible for a PCR test at any testing centre in Ontario.

In most cases, treatment for antivirals must be started within five days of symptoms. A list of pharmacies dispensing Paxlovid will be available at Ontario.ca/antivirals as of Wed. 13 at 8:00 a.m. and will be updated as the list of participating pharmacies expands.

“Thanks to the millions of Ontarians who were vaccinated, we have been able to cautiously and safely reopen our province,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “By expanding access to antivirals and PCR testing, in addition to recently expanding eligibility for fourth doses, we are using every tool available to us to ensure Ontarians have the best protection available while we adapt to managing and living with COVID-19.”

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Ontario to Ease Restrictions Every Three Weeks Starting on January 31

The Ontario Government has outlined steps to ease public health measures and restrictions starting at the end of the month announced Thursday.

Doug Ford (pictured) had to reconsider lifting the mask mandate plan for the end of March due to the rise of the Omicron variant. Screenshot.

“The evidence tells us that the measures we put in place to blunt transmission of Omicron are working,” said Premier Doug Ford. “We can be confident that the worst is behind us and that we are now in a position to cautiously and gradually ease public health measures. While February will continue to present its own challenges, given current trends these are challenges we are confident we can manage.”

As a result of the additional public health measures enacted on Jan. 5, the province is beginning to see signs of stabilization in key public health and health system indicators.

Per cent positivity has fallen and new admissions to hospitals have started to stabilize with the length of stay shortening considerably according to the Ontario Government.

In the absence of concerning trends in public health and health care indicators, Ontario will follow a cautious and phased approach to lifting public health measures with 21 days between each step.

Jan. 31

Effective Jan. 31 at 12:01 a.m., Ontario will begin the process of gradually easing restrictions, while maintaining protective measures, including but not limited to:

• Increasing social gathering limits to 10 people indoors and 25 people outdoors.

• Increasing or maintaining capacity limits at 50 per cent in indoor public settings, including but not limited to:

• Restaurants, bars and other food or drink establishments without dance facilities;

• Retailers (including grocery stores and pharmacies)

• Shopping malls;

• Non-spectator areas of sports and recreational fitness facilities, including gyms;

• Cinemas;

• Meeting and event spaces;

• Recreational amenities and amusement parks, including water parks;

• Museums, galleries, aquariums, zoos and similar attractions; and

• Casinos, bingo halls and other gaming establishments

• Religious services, rites, or ceremonies.

• Allowing spectator areas of facilities such as sporting events, concert venues and theatres to operate at 50 per cent seated capacity or 500 people, whichever is less.

Enhanced proof of vaccination, and other requirements would continue to apply in existing settings.

Feb. 21

Effective Feb. 21, Ontario will lift public health measures, including:

• Increasing social gathering limits to 25 people indoors and 100 people outdoors.

• Removing capacity limits in indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is required, including but not limited to restaurants, indoor sports and recreational facilities, cinemas, as well as other settings that choose to opt-in to proof of vaccination requirements.

• Permitting spectator capacity at sporting events, concert venues and theatres at 50 per cent capacity.

• Limiting capacity in most remaining indoor public settings where proof of vaccination is not required to the number of people that can maintain two metres of physical distance.

• Indoor religious services, rites or ceremonies limited to the number that can maintain two metres of physical distance, with no limit if proof of vaccination is required.

• Increasing indoor capacity limits to 25 per cent in the remaining higher-risk settings where proof of vaccination is required including nightclubs, wedding receptions in meeting or event spaces where there is dancing, as well as bathhouses and sex clubs.

Enhanced proof of vaccination and other requirements would continue to apply in existing settings.

Mar. 14

Effective Mar. 14, 2022, Ontario will take additional steps to ease public health measures, including:

• Lifting capacity limits in all indoor public settings. Proof of vaccination will be maintained in existing settings in addition to other regular measures.

• Lifting remaining capacity limits on religious services, rites, or ceremonies.

• Increase social gathering limits to 50 people indoors with no limits for outdoor gatherings.

To manage COVID-19 over the long-term, local and regional responses by public health units may be deployed based on local context and conditions.

“Thanks to the sacrifices of Ontarians we are starting to see glimmers of hope. However we know the coming weeks will continue to pose challenges, especially for our hospital partners,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “As we continue to chart our path forward, we will continue to take a gradual and cautious approach to lifting public health measures to protect our hospital capacity and ensure patients can continue to access the care they need.”

“Thanks to the efforts of Ontarians going out to get their booster dose and adhering to current public health and workplace safety measures, we are in a position where we can begin planning to gradually and cautiously ease restrictions,” said Dr. Kieran Moore, Chief Medical Officer of Health. “The months ahead will require continued vigilance, as we don’t want to cause any further disruption to people’s everyday lives. We must continue to prevent the transmission of COVID-19 in our communities by following the measures in place and by vaccinating those who have not yet received their doses.”

To support businesses required to close or reduce capacity due to the public health measures put in place to blunt the spread of the Omicron variant, the government has launched the Ontario Business Costs Rebate Program.

Through the new program, the government will provide eligible businesses with a rebate payment of up to 100 per cent for property tax and energy costs they incur while subject to these restrictions. Applications for the program opened on Jan. 18. Learn more about the program and apply here.

The government is also introducing a new COVID-19 Small Business Relief Grant that will give businesses subject to closure under the modified Step Two of the Roadmap to Reopen a $10,000 grant.

The money will flow to eligible businesses in February. In addition, the government is also improving cash flows for Ontario businesses by making up to $7.5 billion available through a six-month interest- and penalty-free period for Ontario businesses to make payments for most provincially administered taxes.

This penalty and interest-free period started on Jan. 1. This supports businesses now and provides the flexibility they will need for long-term planning.

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Local Schools Receive Over $15 Million For Student, Family and Staff Safety

Two local school boards have received $15,489,750 by the Ontario Government to increase safety for students, school and staff in a media conference held on Thursday.

MPP Dave Smith (right) address the media with board officials from the Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board. Photo By David Tuan Bui.

The funds as part of the school boards’ cumulative funding Will go towards projects designed to improve ventilation, air quality, Internet connectivity, hands-free water bottle stations and other public health infrastructure for the upcoming school year.

The Kawartha Pine Ridge District School Board (KPRDSB) is receiving $11,884,400 while the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland Clarington Catholic District School Board (PVNCCDSB) is getting $3,605,350.

The media conference was held at Chemong Public School in Bridgenorth and was held by KPRDSB board officials and MPP Dave Smith.

”Our educators and staff, school board leader ship and families have made tremendous strides to keep our school safe from COVID-19, while continuing to deliver world-class education despite the pivots we have had to make,“ said Smith. “This $15 million has supported projects to install touchless features, Wi-Fi/Internet connectivity, HEPA filter unit, state-of-the-art HVAC systems and upgrades to plumbing fixtures to support a safe return to school in September. Critical infrastructure upgrades will add another layer of protection as we enter this new school year.”

Diane Lloyd (pictured) addressing the media in a Grade 2 classroom at Chemong Public School. The Ontario Government is providing $1.6 billion in resources dedicated to protecting schools against COVID-19. Photo By David Tuan Bui.

“Student and staff well-being is a highest priority and improving ventilation and filtration in classrooms and learning environment supports healthy and safe learning environment for all,” said Diane Lloyd, board chairperson.

The province is making over $1.6 billion in resources to school boards in Ontario for the upcoming year to keep kids as safe as possible according to Smith.

This funding will add support for student mental health, additional staff, school nurses, asymptomatic testing, remote learning technology and supporting health and safety measures in student transportation.

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