Today is World Health Day. It comes at a time where we realize how unpredictable health can be. World Health Day provides us with a chance to celebrate and honour medical workers worldwide who are working tirelessly to protect others. A heartfelt thank you to Ottawa’s frontline workers for putting yourself at risk to keep us safe.
Kanata North Update:
- This beautiful spring weather is inviting us to get outdoors. I know many of you have been enjoying the Kanata golf course lands, and I encourage you to continue to use them for your enjoyment. However, please stay off the greens as they can be easily damaged.
- Join MP McCrimmon and me this Thursday, April 9th at 12 p.m. as we discuss COVID-19 and ways the municipal and federal government are here to support you. Please post your questions, we will do our best to answer all of them. Tune in here.
- #KickCovidtotheCurb tonight and enjoy the biggest supermoon of 2020. April’s full moon, also known as the pink moon, will be the biggest of the entire year. Sounds like a great opportunity to check it out with the kids!
- COVID Compassion: How we treat the most vulnerable during times like these is a testament to the kind of city we are. And, hands-down, the response of our city staff, community partners and residents since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic makes me very proud. You are caring and compassionate, Ottawa. Read about what the city is doing to assist those who need it most here.
- Last week, I shared information regarding local grocery and pharmacy store hours for our community’s most vulnerable. I have added details about stores providing delivery, online ordering and curbside pickup. Please note that store hours and services provided are subject to change. You can download the table here.
** Please note hours of operation are subject to change,Store Address Hours for Most Vulnerable Online Ordering Delivery Curbside Pickup Metro Grocery 4048 Carling Ave. 7 – 8 a.m. No No No Loblaws Grocery 200 Earl Grey Dr. 7 – 8 a.m. Yes Instacart.ca Yes Loblaws Pharmacy 200 Earl Grey Dr. Yes Instacart.ca Yes Sobeys Grocery 840 March Rd. 7 – 8 a.m. No No No Sobeys Pharmacy 840 March Rd. Weekdays: 7 – 8 a.m.
No No No Farm Boy 499 Terry Fox Dr. Mon – Sat: 7 – 8 a.m.
Sun: 8 – 9 a.m.
No No No Shoppers Drug Mart 499 Terry Fox Dr. Pharmacy Only Contact Store
613-271-9790No Shoppers Drug Mart 1102 Klondike Rd. Pharmacy Only Contact Store
613-592-6010No Rexall 832 March Rd. Pharmacy Only Call Head office at 1-844-382-4021 provide store # 8186 and prescription # No Rexall 4048 Carling Ave. Pharmacy Only Call Head office at 1-844-382-4021 provide store # 8186 and prescription # No Kanata Mews Pharmacy 329 March Rd. Contact Store
613-435-7730Walmart Grocery 500 Earl Grey Dr. Weekdays:
7 – 8 a.m.
(starting April 6)
Yes No Yes Walmart Pharmacy 500 Earl Grey Dr. Weekdays:
7 – 8 a.m.
(starting April 6)
No Contact store
613-599-6765No Kanata Kash N Karry 60 Colchester Sq. No Contact store
613-435-5355No Shirin Market 700 March Rd. No Contact store
613-591-7000No Kardish Health Food Centre 499 Terry Fox Dr. Yes Yes Yes
City Hall/Ottawa Public Health
- Ottawa Public Health has confirmed 33 new cases since their last report. To date, there have been 403 laboratory-confirmed cases, including six deaths. Cumulatively, 13 per cent of cases have been hospitalized, including five per cent in intensive care.
- Easter weekend is a great opportunity to make lasting memories. I encourage you to create new ones this year, however, be sure to follow the guidelines provided by the provincial government:
- Do not gather with others in person to celebrate.
- Use technology to connect with others.
- Spend more time with your own family who live with you.
- Create new traditions at home, cook your favourite food together, decorate together, and play games together.
- Stay up to date with what’s happening at city hall from the comfort of your home. Tomorrow, I will join my colleagues for another virtual city council at 10 a.m. You can follow along at home on the City’s YouTube Channel.
- On Thursday, April 9th at 2 p.m. Mayor Watson will host a virtual town hall to update residents on the city’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic. You can watch these broadcasts online on the city’s social platforms or on Rogers Television.
- Today, Dr. Vera Etches shared this important video update. I encourage you to take a few minutes to watch it:
Provincial Update:
Today, the Ontario Government shared the following updates:
- Good news! Premier Ford announced today that the Easter Bunny is deemed an essential service. The Easter Bunny will be allowed to provide treats to children over the weekend as long as the bunny adheres to the emergency order restrictions.
- The Ontario Government has announced that they are actively recruiting health care workers to increase the frontline capacity of hospitals, clinics, and assessment centres. A new online tool that will help match skilled frontline workers with employers was launched today. The new Health Workforce Matching Portal will enable health care providers with a range of experience to join the province’s response to COVID-19, including retired or non-active health care professionals, internationally educated health care professionals, students, and volunteers with health care experience. The portal will efficiently match the availability and skillsets of frontline health care workers to the employers in need of assistance to perform a variety of public health functions, such as case and contact management.
- The Ontario Government is investing over $37 million to support outbreak planning, prevention, and mitigation efforts to ensure the health and well-being of Indigenous people and communities. The funding will respond to the unique needs of Indigenous people and families across the province. The total of $37.8 million includes:
- $16.4 million from the Ministry of Indigenous Affairs to provide emergency funds for food, household goods, critical supplies, transportation, and support and care, responsive services and supports for urban Indigenous people, self-isolation facilities in remote and northern communities, prevention and awareness efforts, and pandemic planning;
- $10 million from the Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services to support Indigenous communities and agencies in responding to the needs of vulnerable children, families and elders during the outbreak;
- $7.4 million from the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing to help social service providers, charities and non-profits delivering critical housing services to Indigenous people living off-reserve; and
- $4 million from the Ministry of Transportation to ensure continued service to remote and northern airports, enabling essential goods and services to continue reaching isolated communities.
Federal Update:
Earlier today, the Canadian Government provided the following updates:
- Tomorrow, Canada is expected to receive 500,000 masks from 3M. The government will be working hard to distribute them to front line workers who need them most.
- Today, the Canadian government announced that they will be partnering with Canadian businesses to manufacture additional medical supplies and equipment. Nearly 5,000 Canadian companies have offered their expertise and capacity as we work together on projects that include:
- Purchasing made-in-Canada ventilators. The Government of Canada is working with these companies to produce up to 30,000 ventilators. These purchases will help secure increased domestic capacity in producing these life-saving machines.
- Working with a Canadian Nobel Prize-winning researcher, Dr. Art McDonald, who is leading a team of scientists at national laboratories to develop an easy-to-produce ventilator using off-the-shelf, easily accessible parts. The goal is to develop a ventilator model to meet current needs that can be constructed quickly and reliably in Canada.
- Using innovative alternative materials, which have been authorized through Health Canada’s expedited regulatory process, to augment the supply of medical gowns.
- Establishing and securing new supply chains to produce medical gowns from new Canadian sources.
- Purchasing and producing masks to protect our health care workers. The Government of Canada has placed orders for millions of surgical masks. The government is also supporting work to increase capacity to produce tens of millions more surgical and N95 masks per year.
- Purchasing hand sanitizer from Canadian companies. The Government of Canada is also supporting the Hand Sanitizer Manufacturing Exchange established by Cosmetics Alliance Canada, the Canadian Consumer Specialty Products Association, and Spirits Canada. In addition, the government is working to increase hand sanitizer supply by matchmaking companies, and by identifying and guiding new producers through the licencing and procurement process. In the last three weeks, Health Canada has expedited the authorization of more than 400 new hand sanitizer products to help limit the spread of COVID‑19.
As always Kanata North, please continue to reach out with your questions, concerns and suggestions. Please know that your community is here to help in these difficult times. If you need assistance with your groceries, errands, dog walking, etc., please reach out.
Stay home. Stay healthy.
Take care.