Latest news with #AllInADay
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Communities along the Ottawa River brace for spring flooding
People living near the Ottawa River are being cautioned about higher water levels this weekend, with several conservation authorities issuing flood warnings. Authorities that monitor the river say they're not expecting anything close to the record-breaking floods of previous years. But the latest warnings have some who lived through those floods bracing for the worst. "In Constance Bay, we're all very concerned because most of us on the water have flooded," said Gerry Blyth, whose house flooded in both 2017 and 2019. Blyth said he spent his retirement savings to raise his house, and feels certain that the area will see flooding again. "If current patterns continue, we are heading into spring with little to no remaining flood safety margin," he also wrote in an email to CBC. The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and South Nation Conservation have all issued warnings that water levels could rise between 25 and 30 centimetres in some places by the weekend. Flows and levels on the main stem of the Ottawa River are rising due to increased runoff from rainfall combined with snow melt, according to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board's website. Minor flood levels have already been reached in the most at-risk spots from Mattawa, Ont., all the way down to the Fitzroy Harbour and Britannia areas of Ottawa, the board said. That stretch of the river could hit major flood levels "depending on the speed of snowmelt and precipitation" coming early next week, the board said. Water levels from Gatineau to Hawkesbury, Ont., however, are expected to remain below that threshold — but still above minor flood levels. Some flooding is normally expected this time of year, but the weekend forecasts suggest water levels won't be record-breaking, said Laura Reinsborough, CEO of the non-profit Ottawa Riverkeeper. "It's not currently forecasted to be close to what we remember for 2019 or 2017 — those extreme, beyond historic levels of flooding," she told CBC. Thousands of sandbags handed out West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly said Blyth's experience is "indicative of the frustration in the community." However, Clarke said he's been "extraordinarily impressed" with the city's response this year. Sandbagging stations have been ready since last weekend, with more than 20,000 bags already distributed. "The city's annual freshet task force has done a great job of making sure that supplies are there for people should they need them," he told CBC Radio's All In A Day on Friday. "And we continue to monitor the situation and hope that they don't need them," Reinsborough says people living in flood-prone areas should adjust their plans this weekend and watch for alerts from the city or planning board in case forecasts change. "Municipalities are generally on top of this. They will be issuing any alerts or any evacuations if that is needed," she said. "And I think that the lessons we've learned in 2017 and 2019 have helped us mobilize so that we can be ready in case."
CBC
03-05-2025
- Climate
- CBC
Communities along the Ottawa River brace for spring flooding
People living near the Ottawa River are being cautioned about higher water levels this weekend, with several conservation authorities issuing flood warnings. Authorities that monitor the river say they're not expecting anything close to the record-breaking floods of previous years. But the latest warnings have some who lived through those floods bracing for the worst. "In Constance Bay, we're all very concerned because most of us on the water have flooded," said Gerry Blyth, whose house flooded in both 2017 and 2019. Blyth said he spent his retirement savings to raise his house, and feels certain that the area will see flooding again. "If current patterns continue, we are heading into spring with little to no remaining flood safety margin," he also wrote in an email to CBC. 25 to 30 cm expected The Rideau Valley Conservation Authority, the Mississippi Valley Conservation Authority and South Nation Conservation have all issued warnings that water levels could rise between 25 and 30 centimetres in some places by the weekend. Flows and levels on the main stem of the Ottawa River are rising due to increased runoff from rainfall combined with snow melt, according to the Ottawa River Regulation Planning Board's website. Minor flood levels have already been reached in the most at-risk spots from Mattawa, Ont., all the way down to the Fitzroy Harbour and Britannia areas of Ottawa, the board said. That stretch of the river could hit major flood levels "depending on the speed of snowmelt and precipitation" coming early next week, the board said. Water levels from Gatineau to Hawkesbury, Ont., however, are expected to remain below that threshold — but still above minor flood levels. Some flooding is normally expected this time of year, but the weekend forecasts suggest water levels won't be record-breaking, said Laura Reinsborough, CEO of the non-profit Ottawa Riverkeeper. "It's not currently forecasted to be close to what we remember for 2019 or 2017 — those extreme, beyond historic levels of flooding," she told CBC. Thousands of sandbags handed out West Carleton-March Coun. Clarke Kelly said Blyth's experience is "indicative of the frustration in the community." However, Clarke said he's been "extraordinarily impressed" with the city's response this year. Sandbagging stations have been ready since last weekend, with more than 20,000 bags already distributed. "The city's annual freshet task force has done a great job of making sure that supplies are there for people should they need them," he told CBC Radio's All In A Day on Friday. "And we continue to monitor the situation and hope that they don't need them," Reinsborough says people living in flood-prone areas should adjust their plans this weekend and watch for alerts from the city or planning board in case forecasts change. "Municipalities are generally on top of this. They will be issuing any alerts or any evacuations if that is needed," she said. "And I think that the lessons we've learned in 2017 and 2019 have helped us mobilize so that we can be ready in case."
CBC
24-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Ministry of Education launches investigation into OCDSB finances
Social Sharing The province is launching a financial investigation into the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB), which may lead to the ministry taking control of its budget. Ontario Education Minister Paul Calandra announced Wednesday the provincial government was launching an investigation into three boards and taking control of another over financial mismanagement. The OCDSB has run a deficit for the last four years and is projecting a possible $20-million shortfall in its upcoming budget — if it can't cut costs. "I'm disappointed that they haven't given us a little more time to address this," OCDSB chair Lynn Scott told CBC Radio's All In A Day. The board has already reduced its transportation costs and announced in March it plans to cut 150 full-time jobs, Scott said. But on Wednesday, Calandra said he would take "relentless" action to ensure "hard-earned tax dollars" reach school classrooms. The OCDSB was one of five school boards Calandra singled out for financial mismanagement, which he said was becoming a "troubling trend in the education sector." The investigator's report, due on May 30, will recommend whether the OCDSB should hand over control of its finances to the Ministry of Education. Two stories The ministry is also taking control of a London school board, launching financial investigations into two Toronto school boards and ordering a Brantford school board to pay back public money spent on a trip to Italy. "We're providing record levels of funding," Calandra said. "We expect that to be made available to teachers so that they [can] give our students the ultimate ability to succeed." But Scott said the school board needs more funding from the province to cover shortfalls. She noted the need for more staff, especially for students in special education. The share of Ontario's budget spent on education has steadily declined from 24.8 per cent in 1990-91 to 18.8 per cent in 2023-24, according to a report released earlier this month by the Financial Accountability Office of Ontario, an independent watchdog. When adjusted for factors like inflation, it found that the total sum spent on education grew by around 0.7 per cent per child in that time. Funding from the province to repair schools and address capacity issues fell short by $12.7 billion over ten years, the agency reported in December. Decision not surprising, education director says OCDSB director of education Pino Buffone said the school board is on a quest to address its financial troubles. He said Wednesday's news wasn't really a surprise, nor does it interfere with the board's ongoing restructuring of elementary schools. This doesn't disrupt out plan. This explains our plan. - Pino Buffone, OCDSB director of education "This doesn't disrupt our plan," Buffone said. "This explains our plan. "For quite a while now as an organization, we've realized that we do need to address some structural issues. The program review at the elementary level, again, is a fine example of that." Buffone said he sees a difference between ongoing structural deficits and questionable spending decisions made by other boards. The OCDSB came close to landing in the black last year, he said, but retroactive settlements related to Bill 124 and an increase in overall costs — whether for a classroom resource or a roll of toilet paper — prevented that. The director said changes in demand for mental health and well-being are also pressures faced by the board. "That's why I think it's very difficult to simply compare an absolute dollar amount of one year to the next when you don't consider those underlying factors of change," he said. On Thursday, Calandra said if cost-of-living increases really are the sole cause of the board's financial woes, then it has nothing to fear. "That's what the investigator will find when they go into the board and look at the finances," he told CBC Radio's Ottawa Morning. The minister said the recent Bill 124 settlements exceed inflation. An estimated 85 per cent of all board spending is in the form of staffing costs, he said, adding that the ministry has put record levels of funding into mental health. The financial investigator's report is due a little more than a week after the board is supposed to review a restructuring of its elementary schools and just four days after staff are scheduled to present budget recommendations. In its report, the financial investigator can recommend that the OCDSB give control of its finances over to the ministry of education. That last happened in 2002 and was met with community pushback after cuts were announced.
CBC
13-03-2025
- Health
- CBC
Measles cases in Hastings County triple in a week amid largest outbreak in 30 years
Social Sharing The number of measles cases in Hastings County has risen to 32, more than triple the number reported by local health officials just one week ago when they first confirmed an outbreak of the highly contagious disease. In an update on Thursday, the South East Health Unit (SEHU) urged residents to make sure their immunizations are up to date amid the largest measles outbreak in Ontario in 30 years. All of the Hastings County cases involve people who had never been vaccinated against the disease, according to the health unit. SEHU previously said the first positive case in the region was an unvaccinated adult who travelled within the province. As of Thursday, Ontario had reported a total of 372 confirmed and probable cases provincewide, the SEHU stated, including outbreaks declared by 11 public health units. "Measles is incredibly infectious," said Dr. Ethan Toumishey, medical officer of health for Hastings Prince Edward Public Health (HPEPH), in an March 6 interview with CBC's All In A Day. He said the virus can linger in the air for up to two hours after an infected person leaves the room, adding the disease "can have very serious health consequences." Measles symptoms can appear between one and three weeks after exposure and include fever, coughing and a runny nose, along with red, watery eyesr. That's followed by a "very dramatic" and characteristic blotchy rash starting on the face and spreading down the body, according to Toumishey. In its update Thursday, SEHU provided the following advice to anyone planning to visit the Grand Erie or Southwestern Public Health Regions: Infants between six and 11 months should receive one dose of the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine, with two additional doses after they turn one. Children between the ages of one and four who have received their first dose are encouraged to received a second as soon as possible. A second does of MMR vaccine is also recommended for adults born on or after 1970. The media release included a quote from Dr. Piotr Oglaza, the SEHU's medical officer of health, describing the vaccine as a safe and effective way to reduce the spread and prevent "severe outcomes."
CBC
08-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
YMCA to keep 180 Argyle Ave., 2 years after listing for sale
The YMCA announced this week that it will remain in its flagship building in Ottawa at 180 Argyle Ave. for the next five years, more than two years after announcing it was selling the property. Community services are more important than ever, and now is not the time to sell commercial property, according to Trevor McAlmont, president and CEO of the YMCA for the National Capital Region. "Our plan is to stay here, stay focusing on the community in downtown and start to focus on this asset which means so much to stakeholders," McAlmont told CBC Radio's All In A Day this week. The YMCA put the Taggart building up for sale in October 2022, saying that fixing up the aging structure would cost $38 million. "This building has come to the end of its life cycle and can no longer meet the needs of our community without significant infrastructure upgrades," then president Bob Gallagher said at the time. But Community groups immediately raised concerns that the sale of the building would mean the loss of hard-to-replicate and valuable services. 'Backlash' "We really did see a kind of a backlash," Eric Oikle, supervisor of the transitional housing program at the YMCA, told CBC this week. "This is a staple in this community. Everybody wants the YMCA to stay here, and I think that even us as staff, we're very happy to be staying here." The YMCA's Argyle Avenue location provides wraparound social supports including subsidized recreation programs and employment help. It also provides transitional housing for about 250 people. This was previously for families, but the YMCA recently switched its housing program to support people facing homelessness, newcomers to Canada and those with physical, mental or health challenges related to substance use. 'I call the Y a home' Joy Oare moved into the YMCA in January after previously living in a shelter. Oare, who is originally from Nigeria, said the transitional housing program has been life-changing. "It has been so wonderful. I have this comfort, I have this sense of freedom," she told CBC. "My mental health is stable now." Oare, who is a personal support worker, said she appreciates the ability to cook in her accommodation and the other services available, including Zumba classes at the gym. "When I'm exhausted at work, I have the mindset that I'm coming home," she said. "I call the Y a home."
