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
Breast cancer screening should start at age 40, Canadian Cancer Society says
The Canadian Cancer Society says all provinces and territories should lower the starting age for breast cancer screening to 40.
DEVELOPING Live updates as Stormy Daniels testifies at Trump hush money trial
Adult film star Stormy Daniels is on the stand a second time Thursday as former U.S. president Donald Trump’s hush money case continues in Manhattan. Follow live updates here.
Ontario family receives massive hospital bill as part of LTC law, refuses to pay
A southwestern Ontario woman has received an $8,400 bill from a hospital in Windsor, Ont., after she refused to put her mother in a nursing home she hated -- and she says she has no intention of paying it.
Canadian-Israeli man shot dead in Egypt; claim links killing to Gaza
A Canadian man 'of Jewish Israeli descent' has been shot dead in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in a suspected criminal case, a security source said, while a previously unknown militant group said it carried out the attack in reaction to the war in Gaza.
Here are the ultraprocessed foods you most need to avoid, according to a 30-year study
Studies have shown that ultraprocessed foods can have a detrimental impact on health. But 30 years of research show they don’t all have the same impact.
Ontario man frustrated after $3,500 paving job leaves driveway in shambles
An Ontario man considering having his driveway paved received a quote from a company for $7,000, but then, another paver in the neighbourhood knocked on his door and offered half that rate.
Why these immigrants to Canada say they're thinking about leaving, or have already moved on
For some immigrants, their dreams of permanently settling in Canada have taken an unexpected twist.
Bank of Canada says financial system is stable, but risks remain
The Bank of Canada says the Canadian financial system is stable, but risks remain due to debt servicing costs among households and businesses and stretched valuations of financial assets.
BREAKING Sheldon Keefe out as head coach of Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Sheldon Keefe. The team made the announcement Thursday after the Original Six franchise lost to the Boston Bruins in seven games in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs.