Wallaceburg Retirement Residence – Morning Coffee

Weather forecast for Thursday, January 3, 2019

Today – Cloudy. Becoming a mix of sun and cloud this morning. Wind west 30 km/h gusting to 50. High plus 1. UV index 2 or low.

Tonight – Clearing this evening. Wind southwest 20 km/h gusting to 40 becoming light this evening. Low minus 1. Wind chill near minus 7.

Recreational fishing now free for Canadian Service Members

Ontario’s provincial government has delivered on its promise and is giving back to those men and women who have sacrificed so much.

As of January 1, 2019, all veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces members residing in Ontario can enjoy recreational fishing across the province without having to purchase a fishing licence.

“Our government is working to show appreciation for veterans and Canadian Armed Forces members, helping make it easier and more affordable to enjoy recreational fishing,” stated John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, in a press release.

Recreational fishing is a $2.2 billion industry in Ontario and an important tradition in the lives of many, government officials say.

With this regulatory change, all Canadian Armed Forces members – retired or still serving – can maximize their time on the water, and ice, by fishing all year round at no cost.

“Today, and everyday, we should salute the sacrifice and bravery of our service members who have defended and continue to defend the rights and freedoms we enjoy,” Yakabuski added.

“By allowing veterans and active Canadian Armed Forces members to fish for free in Ontario’s beautiful waters and encourage more time outdoors, we are offering a token of recognition to these heroes who deserve our respect and gratitude. Thank you for your service.”

Ontario’s government continues to take steps to show Ontario’s appreciation for veterans, Canadian Armed Forces and their families.

For more information, call the Natural Resources Information and Support Centre at 1-800-667-1940 .

More details:

– Ontario is supporting veterans, Canadian Armed Forces members and their families.

– They are consulting on a new hotline for military families moving to the province

– Ensuring Legion halls occupied by Ontario branches of the Royal Canadian Legion are exempt from paying property tax

– Planning to build a memorial that honours heroes of the war in Afghanistan on the grounds of the Ontario Legislature

School consultation across Ontario

Ontario’s provincial government has concluded the largest public consultation on education in the province’s history, government officials say.

This comprehensive education consultation had participation from parents, students, educators, employers and organizations from across Ontario.

The consultation included more than 72,000 engagements across three different consultation channels, which included an open submission form, online survey and telephone town halls held in every region of the province.

There were eleven times more engagements in these consultations than in the previous 2014 Health and Physical Education curriculum consultations.

Feedback received from the consultation will help inform policy and program decisions in the following areas:

– Improving student performance in Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM);

– Preparing students with needed job skills, such as skilled trades and coding;

– Improving provincial standardized testing;

– Ensuring students graduate with important life skills, including financial literacy;

– Managing the use of technology in classrooms, such as cell phones;

– Building a new age-appropriate Health and Physical Education curriculum that includes subjects like mental health, sexual health education and the legalization of cannabis;

– Developing the first-ever Ministry of Education Parents’ Bill of Rights.

“I am encouraged by the level and quality of engagement in these consultations,” stated Lisa Thompson, Minister of Education, in a media release.

“I want to sincerely thank the people of Ontario who provided such thoughtful and meaningful feedback.”

The ministry is currently analyzing the feedback received and an update on the findings will be provided in winter 2019.