Ontario reversed course on sweeping new police powers Saturday, just one day after Premier Doug Ford announced the measures that triggered a swift and furious backlash. Officers will no longer have the right to stop any pedestrian or driver to.
Ford government faces heat at Queen s Park amidst calls for Premier to resign
by Richard Southern, Lucas Casaletto
Posted Apr 19, 2021 2:00 pm EDT
Last Updated Apr 19, 2021 at 6:34 pm EDT
Ontario Premier Doug Ford arrives for a press conference during the COVID-19 pandemic in Toronto, Friday, November 20, 2020. Ontario is moving the COVID-19 hot spots of Toronto and Peel Region into lockdown starting Monday. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette
The Ford government is under fire like never before after its stunning weekend backtracks as Ontario’s Liberal Leader calls on the Premier to resign as soon as possible.
After a politically disastrous weekend for the provincial government, house leader Paul Calandra came as about as close as you can get to issuing an apology at Queen’s Park.
A new initiative from Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare and the Windsor Police Service launched Monday that will assist Windsor residents in a mental health and addiction-related crisis.
The Mobile Crisis Rapid Respond Team, or MCRRT, pairs a trained HDGH mental health social worker with a frontline police officer to provide a health response to a health problem in real-time. The MCRRT will be at the forefront of responding to mental health related calls from persons in crisis diverting from hospitals, primarily emergency departments as well as the justice system.
“The Mobile Crisis Rapid Response Team will bring a compassionate response through an important partnership within two systems – healthcare and the justice system. When responding to a call, the focus will be on de-escalation, stabilization, providing counselling and then hopefully an ongoing connection to further community supports should the individual be willing,” said Dr. Sonja Grbevski, HDGH Vice President of Mental
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Police still need reason to stop you, province walks back extra enforcement Written by Ryan Forbes Monday, Apr 19 2021, 2:04 PM Despite what Premier Doug Ford announced on Friday, police officers will still need a valid reason to pull you over. Photo courtesy of the RCMP.
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Ontario has taken away extra powers given to police services on Friday after backlash from members of the community, civil liberty groups, lawyers and front-line officers.
During Friday’s announcement that Ontario’s stay-at-home orders will remain in place until May 20 at the earliest, Premier Doug Ford noted police and by-law officers would be given ‘special authorities’ to further enforce the ongoing provincial public health orders.
Author of the article: Ronald Zajac
Publishing date: Apr 19, 2021 • 1 week ago • 3 minute read • PLAYGROUNDS ARE OPEN Sarah Birrell prepares to give her one-year-old son Lucas a push on the swings at Hardy Park on Monday afternoon. Play structures are now open again, but subject to strict COVID-19 precautions for being outdoors. (RONALD ZAJAC/The Recorder and Times) jpg, BT
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After a weekend of controversy and course-correction on police powers, Brockville’s police chief said officers will seek to educate before they enforce tougher COVID-19 restrictions.
“Enforcement is the last key and we hope we don’t need to do it,” Scott Fraser said Monday.