Latest news with #GrandEriePublicHealth
Hamilton Spectator
3 days ago
- Health
- Hamilton Spectator
Province's former top doc joins Grand Erie health unit amid measles outbreak
As Grand Erie's health unit searches for a new medical officer of health, Ontario's former top doc has stepped in to help the region manage a measles outbreak. Dr. David Williams, who was Ontario's chief medical officer of health from 2015 to 2021, has joined Grand Erie Public Health 'to provide additional temporary support,' the health unit announced in a news release on Thursday. Williams led the province's response to the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic. Since he retired in 2021, he has advised various Ontario health units. His move to Grand Erie comes as Dr. Rebecca Comley returns to the role of acting medical officer of health for GEPH, which covers Haldimand-Norfolk and Brantford-Brant. Comley had been top doc for the former Brant County Health Unit, which merged with Haldimand-Norfolk's health unit in January. She started in the same role with Grand Erie, but went on leave almost immediately after the merger. Comley's replacement, Dr. Malcolm Lock, died suddenly in late February, prompting Waterloo's associate medical officer, Dr. Adelle Chang On, to temporarily transfer to Grand Erie. 'Dr. Comley and Dr. Williams will ensure continuity in coverage during the ongoing recruitment for a permanent medical officer of health,' the release stated. Norfolk Mayor Amy Martin, who chairs Grand Erie's board of health, welcomed Comley's return. 'We're pleased to welcome Dr. Comley back from leave as she resumes the role of acting medical officer of health, supporting continuity while we continue our search for a permanent appointment,' Martin said in the release. 'We expect to share further updates on this recruitment in the near future.' It is unclear whether Comley, who has a master's of public health and spent 10 years in the emergency department at Brantford General Hospital, has applied for the permanent job. According to provincial law, medical officer candidates must have completed at least a year-long postgraduate study in epidemiology, disease prevention and health promotion, while any licensed physician in Ontario can be an acting medical officer of health (MOH). As there is no time limit on how long an acting MOH can stay in the role, Comley could keep the job indefinitely. The health unit is also in search of a new chief executive officer after former CEO Brent Richardson departed the organization without explanation in April. Richardson had been CEO of the Brant County Health Unit and held the same job at Grand Erie after the merger. He did not respond to an interview request at the time of his departure. Comley will have help from Williams in managing an ongoing measles outbreak in Grand Erie. The region — and Norfolk County in particular — has been a hot spot for measles cases during a provincewide outbreak that started last October. As of June 3, Grand Erie has reported 273 measles cases since the end of October, including 25 new cases in the past week, according to Public Health Ontario. That case count is second only to Southwestern Public Health, which borders western Norfolk and has reported 725 total measles cases. The vast majority of cases are in unvaccinated children and youth, the province says. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
CTV News
5 days ago
- Health
- CTV News
Thousands of abandoned oil wells could pose danger to Ontario landowners, including Brant County
A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. CTV's Alexandra Holyk reports. A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. The province and Brant County confirmed there are around 27,000 wells left behind, with a potential for more being undocumented. A majority of these wells are on private land and in homeowners backyards. These wells were abandoned without following modern safety protocols. Rebecca Comley, the acting medical officer of health for Grand Erie Public Health told CTV News this can cause concern for health and safety. 'Legacy wells can be a source of potentially dangerous gases such as hydrogen sulfide,' said Comley. 'Leaking hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere, into the air, especially in contained spaces can cause a very dangerous health risk.' Comley said these gases can smell like rotten eggs. 'Our noses can detect it at a very low level; less than one part per million,' said Comley. 'It's important to remember though the smell doesn't correlate with the concentration in the air… we can often lose the sense of smell at higher concentrations.' The wells also pose a threat to contaminating groundwater, possibly affecting the health of plants, animals and people. The province said it's spending nearly $20 million to tackle challenges related to these wells. They said so far they have spent around $33 million to plug 440 wells across Ontario. What should landowners look out for? Brant County officials have asked residents to take a deeper look at their properties. 'Ignoring [oil and gas wells] and having something tragic happen is not the way to go. It's putting themselves, their neighbours or their families at risk,' said Kent Pottruff, the community of emergency management coordinator for Brant County. 'So, the [Ministry of Natural Resources] stated they want to work with [landowners], there's resources available to assist them.' At Wednesday's meeting, the ministry said oil and gas wells on private property that meet criteria may be eligible to be partially or fully covered financially. Deputy Chief Brant Cain with the Brant County Fire Department said identifying an oil and gas well is simple. 'If it smells funny, it probably is funny. If it looks funny, it probably is funny,' said Cain. 'If you're seeing liquids or funny smells coming from something you've struck while excavating on your property, that's a good sign to call 911.' Officials said the best way for a landowner to see if their property is impacted by a documented legacy oil and gas well is to use a well map.
CTV News
5 days ago
- Business
- CTV News
‘If you're seeing liquids or funny smells… call 911': Thousands of abandoned oil wells pose danger to landowners in Brant County and across Ontario
A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. CTV's Alexandra Holyk reports. A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. CTV's Alexandra Holyk reports. Thousands of abandoned oil wells pose danger to landowners in Brant County and across Ontario A public meeting in Brant County raised concerns on tens-of-thousands of abandoned oil and gas wells across Ontario Wednesday. The province and Brant County confirmed there are around 27,000 wells left behind, with a potential for more being undocumented. A majority of these wells are on private land and in homeowners backyards. These wells were abandoned without following modern safety protocols. Rebecca Comley, the acting medical officer of health for Grand Erie Public Health told CTV News this can cause concern for health and safety. 'Legacy wells can be a source of potentially dangerous gases such as hydrogen sulfide,' said Comley. 'Leaking hydrogen sulfide into the atmosphere, into the air, especially in contained spaces can cause a very dangerous health risk.' Comley said these gases can smell like rotten eggs. 'Our noses can detect it at a very low level; less than one part per million,' said Comley. 'It's important to remember though the smell doesn't correlate with the concentration in the air… we can often lose the sense of smell at higher concentrations.' The wells also pose a threat to contaminating groundwater, possibly affecting the health of plants, animals and people. The province said it's spending nearly $20 million to tackle challenges related to these wells. They said so far they have spent around $33 million to plug 440 wells across Ontario. What should landowners look out for? Brant County officials have asked residents to take a deeper look at their properties. 'Ignoring [oil and gas wells] and having something tragic happen is not the way to go. It's putting themselves, their neighbours or their families at risk,' said Kent Pottruff, the community of emergency management coordinator for Brant County. 'So, the [Ministry of Natural Resources] stated they want to work with [landowners], there's resources available to assist them.' At Wednesday's meeting, the ministry said oil and gas wells on private property that meet criteria may be eligible to be partially or fully covered financially. Deputy Chief Brant Cain with the Brant County Fire Department said identifying an oil and gas well is simple. 'If it smells funny, it probably is funny. If it looks funny, it probably is funny,' said Cain. 'If you're seeing liquids or funny smells coming from something you've struck while excavating on your property, that's a good sign to call 911.' Officials said the best way for a landowner to see if their property is impacted by a documented legacy oil and gas well is to use a well map.
CTV News
22-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
Dentist office in Brantford and business in Harley identified as potential measles exposure sites
Grand Erie Public Health has added two more locations to their ongoing list of potential measles exposure sites. In an update on Thursday, the health unit said people who were at Clarence Street Dental in Brantford on May 8, between 9:45 a.m. and 12:40 p.m., may have been exposed to the highly contagious virus. Meanwhile, people who were at Stubbe's Precast on Muir Line in Harley may have also been exposed to the illness on May 5 and May 6 between 8 a.m. and 7 p.m. Public Health Ontario releases updated case counts every Thursday. In the May 22 summary, Public Health Ontario said at least 236 cases of measles were reported within Grand Erie Public Health's jurisdiction as of May 20. That represents an increase of 14 cases from the previous week. The neighbouring Southwestern Public Health is also struggling to contain the spread of measles, with 672 cases reported as of May 20, an increase of 98 cases. What to know about measles Measles is a highly contagious virus. The disease can spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes. Even brief exposure to measles can result in illness. Symptoms include a fever, runny nose, cough, red watery eyes, small white spots inside the mouth and a red blotchy rash. Other signs of measles include diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia. In severe cases, measles can cause brain inflammation and death. It usually takes between seven and 21 days for symptoms to show up. Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to measles is asked to stay at home and avoid contact with others. If medical treatment is needed, people are urged to contact their health provider ahead of time to prevent the illness from spreading to other patients.
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Health
- CTV News
More potential measles exposure locations in Paris, Ont. and Brantford
The entrance to Brantford General Hospital is seen in a file photo. (CTV Kitchener) In addition to Thursday's potential exposure locations, Grand Erie Public Health (GEPH) alerted the communities of Brantford and Paris, Ont. to two new locations and one reoccurring location with a possible measles exposure. On Friday, GEPH added the following locations as areas of concern: Willett Urgent Care Centre, 238 Grand River Street North in Paris, Ont. - May 11 from 2:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Thrive AbleLiving (The Willett), 238 Grand River Street North in Paris, Ont., - May 11 from 2:50 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. Brantford General Hospital A Wing Tim Hortons, 200 Terrace Hill Street., Brantford - May 11 from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. According to a report released by Public Health Ontario, Grand Erie Public Health reported 222 confirmed or probable cases of measles since Oct. 28, 2024. The latest data represents an increase of 21 cases since May 6. What to look out for with the measles virus Measles is highly contagious. The disease can spread through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes or breathes. Even brief exposure to measles can result in illness. Symptoms include a fever, runny nose, cough, red watery eyes, small white spots inside the mouth and a red blotchy rash. Other signs of measles include diarrhea, ear infections and pneumonia. In severe cases, measles can cause brain inflammation and death. It usually takes between seven and 21 days for symptoms to show up. Anyone who believes they may have been exposed to the illness is asked to stay at home and avoid contact with others. If medical treatment is needed, people are urged to contact their health provider ahead of time to prevent measles from spreading to other patients.
