The Maple Leaf Lounge

[Avro Arrow]

Only 59% of 7 year olds in Ottawa are vaccinated against measles (both doses of MMR vaccine) & public health believes that number is probably an over estimate.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/loca...ses-surge-around-the-world#Echobox=1707425689

Wait, what?! Aren't measles immunizations still mandatory in Ontario?

 

[wayoung]

Wait, what?! Aren't measles immunizations still mandatory in Ontario?

You can opt out for religious or "conscience".

In the article the main reason is because of Covid. The kids got the first shot but the second was due during the pandemic and just never happened.

But the increase in vaccine hesitancy is also an increasing factor.

 

[Timewalker]

I honestly get the impression that a lot of people opting out for "conscience" reasons are just scared of a momentary little bit of pain when the needle goes in.

They need to grow the hell up. Honestly, most pharmacists are much better at giving vaccinations than public health nurses are. It's practically painless. And when it comes to needles, they should try being diabetic. Needles are an everyday thing for me. If I can do it hundreds of times/year, they can do it twice.

 

[Marc]

You can opt out for religious or "conscience".

In the article the main reason is because of Covid. The kids got the first shot but the second was due during the pandemic and just never happened.

But the increase in vaccine hesitancy is also an increasing factor.

families in the school district for my neck of the woods have been receiving letters that the school doesn't get updated vaccination records/kids get vaccinated, little johnny/jane will be suspended.

 

[wayoung]

families in the school district for my neck of the woods have been receiving letters that the school doesn't get updated vaccination records/kids get vaccinated, little johnny/jane will be suspended.

It depends on the health unit and school board. The law gives them the ability to suspend, but each local unit/board enforces as it seems best for the community. A lot have been waiting until this year to start sending the warnings because Covid messed everything up. The parents can still get an exemption from the requirement for religion or conscience. I think the process is something like they have to watch a movie on the risks and then get an affidavit notarized.

 

[Timewalker]

I don't complain when it snows

I sure as hell do.

This is why I don't complain when it snows. This winter has been too dry and we desperately need the snow to help mitigate these fires and the ones that will come in a few months from now:

Alberta has dozens of wildfires still burning this winter. Here's why.
Carryover fires are igniting after smouldering for months underground


A helicopter hovering high above the ground canvasses a portion of snow-covered terrain near Fox Lake, east of High Level, Alta.

On the ground, about 20 provincial firefighters, fully dressed in bunker gear, scout the area to map out wildfire hotspots and dig up ground fires.

"Our firefighters are always monitoring fires in the winter, so we're taking flights and checking out some of our carryover fires," said Victoria Ostendorf, a wildfire information officer for the High Level Forest area.

"But it's not as common to see as many carryover fires as we have this winter."

Alberta Wildfire has been responding to an increased number of winter wildfires in the area due to drought-like weather conditions this season. About 16 fires have carried over from the 2023 season in the High Level area alone.

Carryover wildfires refer to fires that begin in previous seasons and smoulder underground for months before reigniting in the spring once the snow melts.

While carryover fires are common, and the organization has carried out winter wildfire operations before, Ostendorf said it hasn't ever reached this scale.

"A lot of this area is smouldering," she said.

The High Level forest area experienced around 175 wildfires last year, burning around 800,000 hectares of land. Many of the fires affected communities like Fox Lake, home to 2,543 people, according to the provincial government's regional dashboard.

Once crews map out the area where hotspots pop up, Ostendorf said they work out a plan to identify the ones of concern and use tools to expose the earth and dig up that heat.

Alberta Wildfire's main priority is to work in areas close to communities to mitigate fire risk for residents, but also work on remote areas where trees have a bigger tendency to catch fire or burn hotter.

"This area is adjacent to the community, [so] it's really important for us to take care of this area by exposing the heat in the ground, or lessening the hazards to the community, as well as the smoke impacts," she said.

The province's 2023 wildfire season, which burned a record 2.2 million hectares across Alberta, ended with drought-like conditions. Alberta Wildfire is hiring more firefighters and expects to be fully staffed by April 15, earlier than usual.

According to provincial information officer Melissa Story, 57 wildfires were burning across Alberta as of Tuesday. There have been 12 new wildfires since the start of 2024, as well as more than 60 that carried over from last year.

"Our five-year average is around six, so we're sitting at about 10 times as many as we usually see," Story said.

Once the snow melts and exposes dead, dry grass on the landscape, Story said wildfires could start easily and travel quickly. Alberta Wildfire is hoping to leverage some of its successes from last year, including extended firefighting in the spring and fall months.

"The wildfire season legislatively starts on March 1; however, we do have the opportunity … to start things earlier should we need to," she said.

Ostendorf said this summer is expected to be warmer and drier, but it's too early to tell how the 2024 fire season will shape up. Officials still need to see how much rain will fall in the area this spring.

It's one of the reasons why winter operations, along with tree trimming, are important, she said.

"Fire can dig deep into the ground, especially in this area … but it can travel as well and reemerge as a wildfire," Ostendorf said.

"So this work is to get ahead of that and prevent that from happening."

Source.

It depends on the health unit and school board. The law gives them the ability to suspend, but each local unit/board enforces as it seems best for the community. A lot have been waiting until this year to start sending the warnings because Covid messed everything up. The parents can still get an exemption from the requirement for religion or conscience. I think the process is something like they have to watch a movie on the risks and then get an affidavit notarized.

There should be an end to this religion or "conscience" exemption. If it's a medical reason, fine. That makes sense. But "I don't wanna" is not a valid reason.

Besides, being vaccinated garnered me some brownie points with the pizza place I order from. Normally they'd have made me go to the lobby to pick up my orders, and that would have been a challenge for me, as I'm mobility impaired and I do tend to have large orders (I keep one pizza out to eat and freeze the rest so it's easy to just have a slice or two when I want it).

However, I phoned the restaurant and explained that I'm mobility-disabled, I've had multiple covid shots, I rarely go anywhere and never have company. So I'm probably one of the safest people in the city to be around, and for these reasons, would they please allow deliveries at my suite door?

They said yes, and to mention my disability in the delivery instructions so the drivers wouldn't question it and refuse. I've had no problems, other than one driver complaining about having to deliver pop with my order. I told him that it was cheaper for me to have the restaurant deliver a bottle of pop than it would be to book the handibus to go to Walmart and buy it there. He managed to talk himself right out of a tip.

 

[Ovation]

one driver complaining about having to deliver pop with my order.

All the local pizza joints in these parts aggressively push sales of soft drinks, especially if you order online (couple of sites won’t let you check out until you’ve declined drinks twice). Hmm.

 

[Timewalker]

All the local pizza joints in these parts aggressively push sales of soft drinks, especially if you order online (couple of sites won’t let you check out until you’ve declined drinks twice). Hmm.

Mine's a bit pushy, but I just stick to my plans. Of course they try to upsell you. The drivers still get annoyed at having to carry it, though.

And yes, I order online.

 

[Ovation]

Mine's a bit pushy, but I just stick to my plans. Of course they try to upsell you. The drivers still get annoyed at having to carry it, though.

And yes, I order online.

Guess our delivery people are friendlier (or I’ve been lucky—entirely possible). Oh well. Hope it doesn’t happen to you too often.

 

[Timewalker]

It's only been one driver who complained. The others either don't complain or they complain where I can't hear them.

 

[Fantasy Lover]

My friend still pays cash when ordering pizza, it happened a few times that the driver had no change and complained about it

 

[Timewalker]

I've paid cash a couple of times in the past couple of months. I just made sure the order would come out to a sum that would include a tip so there would be no reason to worry about change.

Drivers are supposed to carry change, though.

 

[DEWLine]

Poilievre went full in with Danielle Smith on the anti-trans nonsense:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-ban-trans-women-sports-bathrooms-1.7120972

Oh, and about a certain infamous segment of his supporters:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/violations-police-bylaw-freedom-convoy-2024-ottawa-1.7121513

 

[Timewalker]

Poilievre went full in with Danielle Smith on the anti-trans nonsense:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/poilievre-ban-trans-women-sports-bathrooms-1.7120972

Oh, and about a certain infamous segment of his supporters:

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/violations-police-bylaw-freedom-convoy-2024-ottawa-1.7121513

Smith's sweeping changes will also require students aged 15 and under to get permission from their parents before they can use a name or pronoun at school other than the one they were given at birth.

On several FB groups, Danielle Smith is now being referred to as "Marlaina" - that's her actual first name. "Danielle" is her middle name.

Gosh, I wonder if her parents wrote a note to Elections Alberta giving permission for her to use a different name...

She made a speech on TV yesterday, and holy crap. She smirked all the way through it.

 

[Avro Arrow]

Poilievre went full in with Danielle Smith on the anti-trans nonsense

Well, of course he did. Is anyone really surprised?

The surprising thing is that so many people apparently want him to be the next prime minister.

Oh, and about a certain infamous segment of his supporters

Has it been two years already? Time flies…

 

[Marc]

Well, of course he did. Is anyone really surprised?

The surprising thing is that so many people apparently want him to be the next prime minister.

Well part of that is being up against at 3rd trudeau.

any other time and he be stinking in the polls.

he's an opportunistic little shit (okay so he's politician but still). He claimed that he didn't seek the leadership after the 2019 election because he wanted to spend more time with the family. I think it's more the research told him, the voters didn't want him.

So after a 3rd liberal win which was very narrow he saw it as chance. Doesn't matter which side is in power, after 3 terms they're all on the nose.

buyers remorse is going to settle in real quick when that a little fascist becomes PM.

 

[DEWLine]

It's already settled in re: Danielle Smith (AB), Blaine Higgs (NB), Scott Moe (SK) and Doug Ford(SK)...

 

[Marc]

It's already settled in re: Danielle Smith (AB), Blaine Higgs (NB), Scott Moe (SK) and Doug Ford(SK)...

compared to the other ford is a bleeding heart liberal.

The sort of people pushing the anti-trans agenda were the same ones pushing the anti agenda and they were booted from the party.

 

[Avro Arrow]

It's already settled in re: Danielle Smith (AB), Blaine Higgs (NB), Scott Moe (SK) and Doug Ford(SK)...

I'm no fan of Doug Ford, but credit where it's due: he refused to hop on the Higgs-Moe-Smith anti-trans train, and quickly shut it down by saying emphatically that we wouldn't be doing that here.

Now if only we could get him off the health care privatization train...

 

[wayoung]

So, anyone else use CBC Gem? I noticed yesterday that it now prominently says it's brought to you by Amazon....