EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE ROADMAP TO REOPENING
The Ontario government just announced a 3-step roadmap to reopening, with each phase gated by vaccination rate targets.
Health Minister Christine Elliott stated that the government is hoping to put all of Ontario into the first phase of the plan “around the week of June 14th”. It’s a little unclear, however, what our status will be between June 2 (end of stay at home order) and June 14. It seems we will be in a more restricted state than Phase One but no longer under an official stay at home order, but we might well as be!
Roadmap – Step One
Step One begins once 60 per cent of Ontario’s adults have at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine and if public health indicators, such as hospitalizations, ICU occupancy and new admissions and case rates indicate the province can safely move to this step of the roadmap.
Roadmap – Step Two
We remain in Step One for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 per cent of adults with one dose and 20 per cent of adults with two doses and there are positive trends in public health and health system indicators, we move to Step Two.
Roadmap – Step Three
We remain in Step Two for at least 21 days. If at the end of those 21 days the province has vaccinated 70 to 80 per cent of adults with one dose and 25 per cent of adults with two doses and positive trends in public health and health system indicators continue, Ontario will move to Step Three.
The Government of Ontario has provided a complete and detailed view of what we can and can’t do at each of these stages, assuming these milestones are met.
If that’s all a bit detailed for you, here are some round-ups of the plans from local news outlets:
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NEW RESTAURANT LJS KHASOS OPENS AT PEARTREE LOCATION
Now open at 507 Parliament, LJS Khasos specializes in Italian and American dishes with a particular focus on pasta and pizza…two things you just can’t go wrong with!
Opening a new restaurant is a big challenge at the best of times, let alone in the midst of a pandemic, so let’s give them a big Cabbagetown welcome with some takeout orders!
(Thanks to Cabbagetown BIA for this content)
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OWNERS OF HERITAGE HOMES GET AN INSURANCE SURPRISE
In recent months, some residents of Toronto’s historic Cabbagetown neighbourhood have been told by their insurer that, for reasons not entirely clear to them, their home is no longer insurable. For Bruce Thomas, the change was inexplicable. The former physician’s house on Amelia Street is in the Cabbagetown Heritage Conservation District but has no specific heritage designation. Report by Shane Dingman at the Globe and Mail.
(Note: this article may not be accessible by all due to Globe & Mail paywall restrictions)
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FREE SEEDS FROM ‘FOOD UP FRONT’
Food Up Front, a Transition Toronto project, believes that growing local food is one way to mitigate the climate crisis by reducing food miles and our dependence on international agribusiness.
They deliver seeds to people at no cost around the GTA. They are currently taking orders and looking for volunteers to deliver them.
Visit their website to find out more about them and complete the relevant forms to either volunteer and/or order seeds. Orders can be made up to May 31.
ActiveTO BAYVIEW AVE. PHASE 2 ENHANCEMENTS – SPRING 2021
In 2020, temporary cycle tracks and a multi-use trail were installed on Bayview Avenue/River Street between Gerrard Street and Rosedale Valley Road to provide more direct and accessible access to the Don Trails, Evergreen Brickworks and Rosedale Valley Road Trail.
In 2021, the City is set to begin construction of Phase 2 Lower Don Trail Improvements including trail widening and surface improvements between Riverdale Park and Queen Street. This will result in temporary closure of the Lower Down Trail from Pottery Road to Corktown Commons.
To reduce the impact of this closure, the city will enhance the temporary multi-use trail on Bayview Avenue between River Street and Mill Street to provide a safe, direct, and comfortable detour route. Bayview Avenue in this section will be converted to one-way southbound to accommodate a multi-use trail on the east side of the street.
You can find out more about these improvement in the City’s ActiveTO Bayview Avenue Phase 2 brochure.
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CPA ANNOUNCES VIRTUAL AGM AND HISTORICAL TALK
The Cabbagetown Preservation Association’s annual meeting is scheduled for Monday May 31 at 7 pm. The business meeting will be followed by two special events. First, a Cabbagetown home will receive the Peggy Kurtin Award for Excellence in Restoration. Then Gilles Huot will present Cabbagetown through Time, a 30-minute talk with photos and maps. Visit the CPA about us page for more info.
(Thanks to Doug Fisher at the Cabbagetown neighbourhood review for this content)
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CITY REPORT ON SINGLE USE/TAKEAWAY ITEM REDUCTION STRATEGY
This week Toronto released the Single-Use and Takeaway Items Reduction Strategy – Stage 1 staff report that will be considered by the Infrastructure and Environment Committee on Tuesday, May 25, 2021.
Plans to present a more comprehensive Reduction Strategy to City Council in 2020 were delayed as the City focused its efforts on the emergency response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The City is not recommending mandatory measures such as fees, bans or bylaws at this time. Instead, the report recommends a Voluntary Measures Program (VMP) as the first stage of a Reduction Strategy to help reduce single-use and takeaway items.
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10 WAYS TO UP YOUR GARDENING GAME THIS SPRING/SUMMER
Growing things in your backyard garden or on your condo balcony may end up being one of the few guaranteed pleasures during a long 2021 pandemic summer. For both long-time gardeners and new Covid-era hobbyists, D’Loraine Miranda at Toronto Life has curated a fun list of insider tips, cool new gizmos and and shops devoted to backyard/balcony gardens this summer.
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TPL SETS WORLD RECORD WITH 8 MILLION DIGITAL DOWNLOADS
Shawn Mitchell with Toronto Public Library’s Membership Services said the online library set a new record of 8 million digital downloads of e-books and audiobooks in 2020, making TPL the largest consumer of e-content in the world, for the 8th year in a row system,” Mitchell said. Report from Pat Foran, CTV News.
Want to add to the numbers? Here’s where you can sign up for a digital access card.
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AND IN WINTER NEWS…..
For a city that should be extremely well-equipped to deal with snow and ice, Toronto’s sidewalks can be a hazard for residents come winter time. But, all that is changing this year, with a new plan to tackle winter precipitation across Toronto that will include hitting every sidewalk in every neighbourhood, reports Mira Miller at BlogTO.
Read the news release from the City.
IMPORTANT: In her latest newsletter, Councillor Wong-Tam stated:
“I encourage you to write in your support for the trial project results and to call upon City Council to permanently expand sidewalk snow clearing for the entire downtown this year and to make sure that it is fully funded in future budgets going forward.”. Such communications should be directed to the Secretariat Contact Matthew Green, at: iec@toronto.ca, cc kristyn@kristynwongtam.ca.
You could also include all other IEC members:
- Jennifer McKelvie (Chair) councillor_mckelvie@toronto.ca
- James Pasternak (Vice Chair) councillor_pasternak@toronto.ca
- Mike Colle councillor_colle8@toronto.ca
- Mike Layton councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca
- Denzil Minnan-Wong councillor_minnan-wong@toronto.ca
- Anthony Perruzza councillor_perruzza@toronto.ca
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VACCINE UPDATES:
Ontario Proceeding With 2nd Dose of Astra Zeneca in May/June
The Ontario government, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health and other public health experts, is proceeding with second dose administration of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine, beginning with those who received their first dose of the vaccine between March 10 and March 19, 2021. Read full details in the Provincial News Release.
Canada Ordered Over 400 Million Vaccines. What’s The Status?
Six months into vaccination campaign, some companies have delivered while others are a work in progress, reports John Paul Tasker at CBC News.
How Do You Know Your Covid-19 Vaccine is Working?
Whether you feel crappy afterwards, or feel nothing at all, the shot is working to protect you from the virus, reports Nick Beare at the National Post.
Why Some People May Stay Home After COVID Ends
With warm weather approaching and the promise of a “one-dose summer” on the horizon, many Canadians are eager for life to get back to pre-pandemic “normal.” But not all Canadians are happy to see the end of lockdown life brought about by COVID-19, reports Brooke Taylor at CTV News.