Tag Archives: Westport

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0% tax levy increase for westport in 2021

Westport Council approved a 0% increase in the tax levy at its February 2, 2021 Special Budget Committee of the Whole meeting and expect it to be passed as a bylaw at the next meeting of Council on March 2, 2021.

Careful considerations were given to the economic impacts of COVID-19 by Council during this year’s General Operations and Capital budget deliberations and several capital projects are being deferred until 2022.  The Village’s tax levy for 2021 will be the same as 2020.  The assessment growth determined by MPAC for 2021 is negligible.  The result to the property owner and tax payer is that the Village’s portion of the tax bill will be about the same as 2020.

Staff are commended for working with Mayor and Council over many hours to deliver a budget with a 0% increase in the tax levy in this challenging time

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REMINDER – TONIGHT @ 7:00 SCIENCE BEHIND IMPLICIT BIAS

Ms Anna LASZLO will be delivering this workshop on the Village You Tube channel tonight. She will provide the science to help us understand how people develop implicit bias, how it impacts our relationships – both personal and business and how it seeps into public policy. Anna also delivers several suggestions, based on scientific research, of what can be done to minimize implicit bias in ourselves, colleagues and our organizations.

Ms LASZLO delivered this workshop at the ROMA conference on Tuesday this week and really hit it out of the park. I believe you will find her inspiring and her workshop riveting.

How to watch the workshop. Search You Tube on the web – you can use your computer, tablet or smart phone. Once you open the You Tube page, type Village of Westport into its search bar. The Village of Westport’s page should be the first one on the list, but it is clearly marked with out crest. Click on it and the village page will open. There will be several council meeting videos on our page (I encourage you to watch them when you have time) however you will have no difficulty finding the Science Behind Implicit Bias.

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In-person learning return dates for WESTPORT (UCDSB) Students

MEDIA RELEASE

January 20, 2021 (Brockville, ON) – This school year has been about balancing our students’ academic needs and the obligation to keep them, and our staff, safe while at school. 

Schools in the Leeds, Grenville and Lanark District Health Unit (LGL) will reopen to all students for in-person learning on January 25.   . 

  • Elementary schools served by the Leeds, Grenville, and Lanark Health Unit will welcome students back to in-person learning on January 25. Your school principal will be sending out a welcome back letter and informing you of any changes in health practices that will be taking place at your school for the return. If a student lives in EOHU but attends school in LGL, then they can attend.    
      
  • Grade 9-12 students in the LGL health unit area will continue with remote learning until the end of Quadmester 2 (Friday, Jan. 29). This delayed re-start will allow Grades 9-12 students the opportunity to start with a new cohort of students at the beginning of Quadmester 3 on Tuesday, Feb. 2 and limit their number of contacts.    

Further items of note:  

  • As announced earlier this month, it is required that all students in Grades 1-12 will need to wear non-medical or cloth masks indoors at school, including in hallways and during class times, on school transportation and outdoors during recess where students cannot maintain physical distancing. Masking in Kindergarten is optional but encouraged. 
      
  • For Grade 9-12 students currently using non-digital resources, new packages need to be picked up on Thursday, Jan. 21 and completed packages returned. The final package for the quadmester will need to be returned to your teacher no later than Thursday, Jan. 28 for evaluation. Please contact your teacher if you have any questions.    

While we want to see all students back in our schools, we understand the government’s decision to remain vigilant to slow the spread of COVID-19 and to keep our students and staff safe. We need to ensure that we continue with daily screening for symptoms and follow public health protocols that are in place.   

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Applications Now Open for Ontario’s Small Business Support Grant

PROVINCE PROVIDING UP TO $20,000 FOR ELIGIBLE BUSINESSES IMPACTED BY PROVINCEWIDE SHUTDOWN

NEWS RELEASE – JANUARY 15, 2021

TORONTO — The Ontario government has opened  applications for the new Ontario Small Business Support Grant. The grant, first announced in December, provides a minimum of $10,000 to a maximum of $20,000 to eligible small businesses who have had to restrict their operations due to the Provincewide Shutdown. The tightened restrictions were put in place to help stop the alarming rise of COVID-19 cases in Ontario.

As Ontario’s employers do their part to defeat COVID-19, they are facing unprecedented challenges as a result of this global pandemic,” said Peter Bethlenfalvy, Minister of Finance and President of the Treasury Board. “I encourage every eligible small business owner in Ontario to visit Ontario.ca/COVIDSupport to access the support our government has made available. While we still have a lot of work ahead of us, we can all look confidently to the future as we resolve to do our parts and put COVID-19 behind us.” 

Small businesses required to close or significantly restrict services under the Provincewide Shutdown will be able to apply for a one-time grant and use this funding in whatever way makes the most sense for their individual business needs. For example, some businesses could need support paying employee wages, while others could need support with their rent.Eligible small businesses include those that:
– Were required to close or significantly restrict services due to the Provincewide Shutdown being imposed across the province effective 12:01 a.m. on December 26.
– Have fewer than 100 employees at the enterprise level.
– Have experienced a minimum of 20 per cent revenue decline in April 2020 compared to April 2019. New businesses established since April 2019 will also be eligible if they meet the other eligibility criteria.

“Small businesses are the heart of Ontario’s economy,” said Vic Fedeli, Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade. “The Ontario Small Business Support Grant will help thousands of small businesses get through this difficult time, while strengthening our province’s economic recovery.”

“As the son of two small business owners, I understand what small businesses mean to the families, employees, and local communities they support,” said Prabmeet Sarkaria, Associate Minister of Small Business and Red Tape Reduction. “Our hardworking businesses can be encouraged that the government’s new Ontario Small Business Support Grant offers yet another helping hand that will give them the boost they need to meet the challenges of today and prepare for a brighter tomorrow.”

Businesses impacted by the Provincewide Shutdown are also eligible for additional supports, including the government’s program to provide rebates to offset fixed costs such as property tax and energy bills. These rebates will continue to be available for businesses impacted by the Provincewide Shutdown and earlier restrictions.More information about the Ontario Small Business Support Grant and other rebates is available on Ontario.ca/COVIDsupport.
 
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Ontario to Vaccinate up to 8.5 Million People in Phase Two

PROVINCE TO EXPAND COVID-19 IMMUNIZATION PROGRAM TO SENIORS, FRONTLINE ESSENTIAL WORKERS IN NEXT PHASE OF ROLLOUT PLAN

JANUARY 13, 2021 – NEWS RELEASE

TORONTO — The Ontario government is preparing to immunize up to 8.5 million people before the end of Phase Two of the government’s vaccine implementation plan, which aims to receive, store and administer COVID-19 vaccines to Ontarians as soon as supply is available.

Details were provided today by Premier Doug Ford, Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health, Solicitor General Sylvia Jones, and General Rick Hillier (retired), Chair of the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force.   

“With Phase One of our plan well underway, we’re getting ready to expand our vaccine rollout and get more needles into arms as soon as the supply is available,” said Premier Ford. “We now have a well-oiled machine, led by General Hillier, and we are making tremendous progress. We know this second phase will be an even larger logistical undertaking than the first. That’s why we’re ramping up our capacity on the ground to ensure these vaccines are administered quickly, beginning with the people who need them most.”

As recommended by the COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Task Force and aligned with the National Advisory Committee on Immunization, the province has mapped out the next steps for transitioning into Phase Two and has adopted an approach for identifying the next groups to receive the vaccination as early as March 2021. In order to vaccinate Ontarians as safely and quickly as possible, the government is expanding the list of health care providers who can administer COVID-19 vaccines.

Phase One of the vaccine implementation program is expected to see approximately 1.5 million eligible people vaccinated. Vaccination of residents, staff and essential caregivers of long-term care homes has begun in many parts of the province, with the goal of having the first dose administered in all homes no later than February 15, 2021. The vaccination of all staff and residents in long-term care homes in four areas with the highest rates of transmission, Toronto, Peel, York and Windsor Essex, is expected to be completed by January 21, 2021.

Groups eligible to receive vaccines as part of Phase Two of the Ontario immunization program will include:
– Older adults, beginning with those 80 years of age and older and decreasing in five-year increments over the course of the vaccine rollout;
– Individuals living and working in high-risk congregate settings;
– Frontline essential workers (e.g., first responders, teachers, food processing industry); and
– Individuals with high-risk chronic conditions and their caregivers.

Phase Two is expected to be completed by end of July 2021 and Phase Three for the general population could begin as early as August 2021, pending availability of vaccines. Vaccination of populations in Phase One will continue until all vaccinations are complete.

“We are prepared for the next phase in our vaccine distribution plan, but with limited supplies, our focus will be on vaccinating our seniors and frontline essential workers,” said Christine Elliott, Deputy Premier and Minister of Health. “When Ontario receives sufficient doses of vaccines, we will ensure that every person who wants to be vaccinated will receive it. Until then, everyone must continue to follow the public health guidelines and stay home, stay safe and save lives.”

In preparation for Phase Two of the vaccination distribution plan, more vaccination sites will be added. Over the coming months, those sites will include municipally run vaccination sites, hospital sites, mobile vaccination sites, pharmacies, clinics, primary care settings and community locations such as community health centres and aboriginal health access centres. The first municipally run vaccination site will be opening on January 18 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. The site will be administering vaccines to Phase One priority populations, including select frontline health care workers. It will be an initial proof-of-concept for municipally run vaccination centres, with a small number of doses to start with, from which learnings will be used to inform other locations across the province.”

Ontario’s immunization program is a monumental mission, and we have laid the foundations to ensure it remains successful as more vaccines become available and as we scale our rollout to reach more people across our province,” said Solicitor General Sylvia Jones. “By expanding the immunization program to more seniors and a broader list of frontline essential workers we are ensuring Ontario is ready to protect those who need it most as we receive the vaccines.”

“As you can see, we are consumed with delivering and administering our vaccines as quickly, efficiently and equitably as possible. This is great news for the people of Ontario,” said General (Ret’d) Rick Hillier. “Despite the difficult times we find ourselves in, this proves that there is light at the end of the tunnel and, with that in mind, I’m asking everyone to stay strong, stay safe and follow the public health guidelines.”

As the vaccine supply increases, and guided by the Ethical Framework for COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Ontario is also enabling more health care providers to administer the vaccine as quickly and safely as possible. This will help meet the unprecedented demand in the number of people who will be getting vaccinated. It will also increase access to the vaccine for all Ontarians, whether they reside in a remote fly-in community or a large urban centre. Health care professionals who are able to administer the vaccine can register and apply through Ontario’s Matching Portal. This could include nurse practitioners, registered nurses and registered practical nurses, along with pharmacists, pharmacy students, interns and pharmacy technicians.

Individuals interested in supporting the broader COVID-19 vaccination plan in roles such as data entry and scheduling, can also express their interest through Ontario’s Matching Portal.

As the vaccination rollout continues, it remains critically important that all Ontarians continue following public health advice to protect our communities and most vulnerable populations, and to stop the spread of COVID-19.