by: dan kellar
Waterloo – Nearly 7,000 secondary school students in Waterloo Region have been told they will be suspended on May 1st for having out-of-date vaccination records. The order, from Region of Waterloo public health was announced on April 8th and follows the suspension of 2969 elementary school students on March 27th for the same issue.
The suspensions are allowed under the Immunization of School Pupils Act which, as the Waterloo Region District School Board told CKMS News “requires families and caregivers to ensure that their children receive specific vaccinations.” Students without a medical or ideological exemption must be up to date on up to 9 vaccines. COVID Immunization is not on the required vaccine list.
David Aoki, the Director of Infectious Disease and Chief Nursing Officer for Region of Waterloo Public Health spoke with CKMS News about the seemingly high number of suspensions, and how students and families can get suspensions lifted.
Food inflation cheques from the federal government arrive in local mailboxesMonths after Parliament passed the one-time benefit first unveiled as part of the 2023 federal budget, the payment was distributed on Wednesday.The food-inflation focused affordability measure is set to roll out to approximately 11 million low- and modest-income Canadians, and over 100,000 people in Kitchener. The Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Revenue Peter Fragiskatos came to Kitchener to explain the rebate and answer questionsFor more information on the grocery rebate, you can contact the CRA or go to their website at: https://www.canada.ca/en/revenue-agency/services/child-family-benefits/goods-services-tax-harmonized-sales-tax-gst-hst-credit/grocery-rebate.html
Also in headlines for July 11, 2023:
Queen Victoria statue in Kitchener’s Willow River Park vandalized for sixth time in three years
Two new WRDSB trustees appointed, including son of late trustee
Council approves construction of over 5000 residential units and more are on the way
Laura Mae Lindo, outgoing MPP for Kitchener Centre, endorses Debbie Chapman in the race for MPP.
The music on today’s show is called “Reggae Music Upbeat Chilled Happy Island | EASY JAM” and it’s by We Have A Tripod. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License.
This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
1 – Waterloo’s Trinity Bible Chapel at the forefront of christian fundamentalist anti-LGBTQ movement.
Waterloo based pastor Jacob Reaume of the Trinity Bible Chapel again brings national attention to Waterloo through his anti-LGBTQ sermons and involvement in nationwide network Christian fundamentalist churches who have been supporting anti-LGBTQ candidates in municipal and school board elections across the country.
2 – Former teacher has her day in court over book censorship presentation “censorship”.
Former teacher Carolyn Burjoski’s has taken the Waterloo Region District School Board to court demanding she be allowed to continue her presentation which was arguing that some books available to students with LGBTQ themes were not appropriate and could mislead those who read the books about sexuality and gender.
3 – WRDSB trustee Mike Ramsay takes the school board to court over “free expression” suspension.
Represented by the the Justice Centre for Constitutional Freedoms, WRDSB trustee Mike Ramsay was in Ontario Superior Court on June 6th as he tries to have a suspension struck from his record and for the court to declare that the School Board violated his charter right to free expression. The school board still holds that the suspension was based on an accurate assessment of the situation, and that freedom of expression does not mean freedom from consequences.
4 – ACORN launches in Waterloo Region to support tenants’ rights.
On May 25th, 2023 a chapter of the Canada-wide social and economic justice organisation ACORN launched in Waterloo Region in an effort to support tenants and form strategies to combat “High Rents, Renovictions, and Slumlords.”
This program is a part of the “Local Journalism Initiative” and is funded by the Community Radio Fund of Canada, Heritage Canada, and the CKMS Newsroom.
