Ottawa residents enjoy 'perfect' holiday Monday amid fourth wave warnings
After missing out last summer, a yearly tradition was revived on a Westboro beach Monday afternoon.
“It’s the first long weekend where you feel kind of normal, but it also makes you appreciate what we took for granted,” Stephen McDermott says.
The grandfather was able to take his two grandchildren swimming, something they had been doing every year until the pandemic. Since then, holidays were spent gathering virtually.
“We come here every year to swim and make sand castles, and just play around,” Jayden, McDermott’s nine-year-old grandson explained.
For the foursome, the Civic holiday was a chance to get back to rituals.
“I hardly saw them for the last 16-18 months, so it’s great to have them out here,” McDermott says.
Across Ottawa, residents made the most of the holiday, gathering at the city’s parks and beaches.
“The weather is absolutely perfect for a nice lazy August holiday, what a way to celebrate the Civic holiday,” Rob Collier says.
The reprieve comes as cases of COVID-19 continue to slowly trend upward across the province.
“There’s still millions of Canadians that aren’t vaccinated,” says Dr. Isaac Bogoch, a member of Ontario’s Vaccination Task Force.
“This is a very transmissible virus, especially the Delta variant. It should come to no one’s surprise that we’re going to see a rise in cases as we give this virus an opportunity to be transmitted.”
Despite warnings of a potential looming fourth wave from the country’s top doctor, Ontario is edging closer to moving past Step Three of the reopening and dropping a number of pandemic restrictions.
On Sunday, Quebec further eased restrictions, allowing bars to closer later and arenas and large venues to host up to 15,000 people.
“I love that. There was so many months we were stuck inside and now that it’s loosening up I can come in person to work here,” Rani Ganuluri, who works in Gatineau, says.
Elsewhere, the Delta variant is rampaging across the United Kingdom and the United States. America’s top doctor, Dr. Anthony Fauci warning that more “pain and suffering” are ahead.
Bogoch says Canada shouldn’t expect to be spared the same concerns.
“We’re watching that happen in just about every jurisdiction in the world that’s opening up, Canada’s going to be no different,” he notes.
One reason for hope: Canada’s strong vaccination effort. The country is now leading Israel, the UK and the USA in percentage of people fully vaccinated.
Some Ottawa residents say it’s due to those numbers that they’re not overly concerned.
“[We should] just be mindful of the fact that we’re not quite there yet, in terms of being fully free of the pandemic,” Jack Wilson says.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Western University researchers unlock potential 'cure' for ALS
New research out of London, Ont.'s Western University is shedding light on a potential cure for ALS, in which the targeting of the interaction between two proteins can halt or fully reverse the disease's progression.
Police release 3D images of young child found in an Ontario river two years ago
Police have released a three-dimensional image of a young child whose remains were discovered in the Grand River in Dunnville, Ont. almost two years ago.
B.C. brings in law on name changes on day that child killer's new identity revealed
The BC NDP have tabled legislation aimed at stopping people who have committed certain heinous acts from changing their names.
Kamala Harris drops F-bomb during White House live-stream
U.S. Vice-President Kamala Harris used a profanity on Monday while offering advice to young Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders about how to break through barriers.
B.C. man fighting for refund after finding someone living at Whistler vacation rental
Edwin Mostered spent thousands of dollars booking a vacation home in Whistler, B.C., for a group skiing trip earlier this year – or so he thought.
Avs forward Valeri Nichushkin suspended at least six months
Colorado Avalanche forward Valeri Nichushkin was suspended for at least six months without pay and placed in Stage 3 of the league's player assistance program.
Collapsed Baltimore bridge span comes down with a boom after crews set off chain of explosives
Crews conducted a controlled demolition Monday to break down the largest remaining span of the collapsed Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore.
Security video caught admitted serial killer disposing of bodies in Winnipeg garbage bins
Security video caught admitted serial killer Jeremy Skibicki on multiple late-night outings, disposing of body parts in nearby garbage bins and dumpsters in the middle of the night.
Mortgage companies could intensify the next recession, U.S. officials warn
U.S. officials worry the next recession could be intensified by a cascading series of failures in the mortgage industry caused by crashing home prices, frozen financial markets and soaring delinquencies.