OTTAWA -- An Ontario doctor suggests cancelling March Break, an Ottawa teen fined for breaking Quebec's curfew just minutes after 8 p.m., and photo radar catches thousands of speeders.
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Ont. doctor suggests cancelling March Break to prevent another COVID-19 spike
As students prepared to return to school for in-person learning for the first time since the Christmas break, eastern Ontario's top doctor is recommending that March Break should be cancelled.
Eastern Ontario Medical Officer of Health Dr. Paul Roumeliotis said this week that March Break should be cancelled to avoid a repeat of the post-Christmas spike in COVID-19 cases.
"I think if kids stay in school it's not going to be a problem," says Roumeliotis, who adds that schools can be effective at controlling spread. "Unless kids stay home and parents keep them home during spring break and don't mix with others then that's not going to be a problem but what we saw during Christmas break was really the opposite. The numbers really went up four fold in terms of positivity for the age group between 11 and 13 for example."
Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation President Harvey Bischof said that educators, students and parents need a break.
Ottawa teen fined for breaking Quebec curfew while trying to return to Ontario
An Ottawa teen is facing a $561 fine for breaking Quebec's overnight curfew during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Lukas visited his father Jason Laverty in Aylmer, Que. last weekend for a day of ice-fishing.
While driving home, Lukas was stopped by Gatineau police at 8:12 p.m., just one light before the Ontario-Quebec boundary.
Quebec has imposed an overnight curfew from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. to limit the spread of COVID-19.
“He asks for my driver's licence. Tells me how I’m not allowed to be here past eight. And I’m like, I know, I’m just coming back from my dad's,” says Lukas. “I’m just trying to get home. I’m sorry. It’s like 12 minutes after eight.”
Lukas, who is 17, said he was taking his time and driving slowly due to icy conditions.
Gatineau police tell CTV News Ottawa officers have the discretion to evaluate each situation to see if it deserves a fine or a warning.
Schools in Ottawa and eastern Ontario to reopen Monday
Students in Ottawa and eastern Ontario will be returning to class for in-person learning on Monday for the first time since the Christmas break.
On Thursday, the Ontario government announced all elementary and secondary schools in the Ottawa Public Health and the Eastern Ontario Health Unit regions will reopen on Feb. 1.
Students in the following school boards will resume in-person learning on Monday:
- Ottawa Carleton District School Board
- Ottawa Catholic School Board
- Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario
- Upper Canada District School Board
- Conseil des ecoles catholiques du Centre-Est
- Conseil des ecoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario
- Conseil scolaire de district catholique de l'Est Ontarien
The Ontario government says before and after school child care programs may also resume on Feb. 1. Emergency child care in Ottawa ended on Friday, Jan. 29
Here’s how many speeding tickets each photo radar camera in Ottawa issued last year
The new photo radar camera on Bayshore Drive issued $551,000 in fines in the first five-and-a-half months it was installed.
Data provided by the city to CTV News Ottawa shows that the automated speed enforcement camera near 50 Bayshore Dr. caught 12,665 drivers speeding between mid-July and December.
During his state of the city address on Wednesday, Mayor Jim Watson told council that about 47,000 tickets were issued through the automated speed enforcement program between mid-July and the end of December, resulting in $2.5 million in revenue.
The city launched the automated speed enforcement pilot-project on July 13, designating eight Community Safety Zones for photo radar cameras.
The city initially purchased four photo radars cameras, with one set up at fixed locations on Bayshore Drive and another on Innes Road near Ecole secondaire catholique Beatrice-Desloges. The other two cameras were rotating between six locations across the city.
The city has purchased four more cameras, meaning all eight Community Safety Zones will have permanent photo radar cameras starting in February.
Residents of Ottawa's Trump Avenue call for name change after ex-president's tumultuous time in office
Residents in Ottawa's Central Park neighbourhood no longer want to live on Trump Avenue.
Residents have asked Coun. Riley Brockington to help them change the name, looking to distance themselves from the controversy of former U.S. President Donald Trump. Last weekend, Brockington delivered flyers to each house, asking homeowners whether or not they want to change the name.
"Certainly there's an appetite for change," says Brockington. "We have to formally apply to the city, that goes through a process, and council will have to approve the new street name."
This isn't the first time people have wanted to remove Trump's name from Ottawa's road map. Neighbours called for a name change in 2016, as well.
