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A group of major Canadian long-term care operators will require all staff be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 this fall, with those who don’t take the shots being asked to go on unpaid leave.
Chartwell Retirement Residences, Extendicare, Responsive Group Inc., Revera Inc., and Sienna Senior Living announced the plan in a joint statement on Thursday.
They said the stronger policy is necessary as a fourth wave of infections driven by more contagious variants of the virus is spreading in the country.
Employees who aren’t fully vaccinated as of Oct. 12 will be placed on unpaid leave of absence.
Vaccination will also be required for new hires, students and other personnel working with the companies.
The group said they don’t expect the new policy to impact staffing levels, noting that the companies now offer staff access to education about vaccination, help with booking appointments and paid time off to get vaccinated.

Plans are underway to create a permanent memorial for victims of Canada’s residential schools to replace a fire-damaged one that includes hundreds of children’s shoes on the steps of Calgary City Hall.
The temporary memorial, which also has stuffed animals and a child’s bicycle, was blessed by Indigenous elders in a pipe ceremony Thursday.
The city and Calgary’s Indigenous and Metis communities have committed to work toward building a permanent marker to remember the children who died in the schools.
The site has been the target of recent vandalism. Ashes can be seen in one area where someone tried to burn a teddy bear and some shoes.

Ryerson University in downtown Toronto will be changing its name.
The school’s board of governors approved a motion today to accept all 22 recommendations from a special task force, including one to rename the university.
The task force was formed to address the legacy of Egerton Ryerson, an architect of Canada’s residential school system and the namesake of the university.
More than 1,300 unmarked graves of Indigenous children have been found on the former sites of residential schools this summer.
Other recommendations put forward by the task force include sharing materials to recognize the legacy of Egerton Ryerson, and providing more opportunities to learn about Indigenous history.
Mohamed Lachemi, Ryerson University’s president, says the task force has shown how the school “can move forward and write the next chapter in our history.”

Four people are facing drug trafficking charges after a traffic stop by Six Nations Police.
Officers say a black vehicle left an address on Pine Crescent in Ohsweken and was seen by police to engaged in a suspected drug deal.
Police say they arrested the four people involved without incident and found fentanyl in the vehicle. Police then returned to search the home on Pine Crescent and seized $9,000 worth of Fentanyl and non-prescription methadone
28 year old Raven Joseph of Ohsweken, 28 year old Ashley Wilson of Brantford, 33 year old Andrew Coaster of Mississaugas of the Credit and 28 year old Sienna Maracle-Sault of Mississaugas of the Credit are all facing drug charges.