Ont.'s COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan could impact Waterloo Region's supply

Ontario's revised COVID-19 vaccine distribution plan is impacting supply in Waterloo Region. The updated plan, which was announced on Wednesday, focuses on hot spots in the GTA. Many local pharmacies also reported a shortage of AstraZeneca doses and some have already run out of vaccine.

On Sunday, the Ontario government announced it’s expanding its pharmacy vaccine rollout by bringing Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna into dozens of pharmacies heavily impacted by COVID-19 for people 18 years of age and older. This comes after it was announced on Monday that adults 18 or older in a high-priority neighbourhood could pre-register for a vaccine.

COVID-19 by the numbers (as of May 9):

  • Waterloo Region: 14,807 confirmed cases, 254 deaths, 14,046 resolved
  • Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph: 7,301 cases, 109 deaths, 6,821 resolved
  • Brant County: 2,907 cases, 20 deaths, 2,729 resolved
  • Haldimand-Norfolk: 2,440 cases, 46 deaths, 2,148 recovered
  • Huron Perth: 1,622 cases, 53 deaths, 1,521 recovered

'Absolute insanity': Arthur, Ont. family able to move into N.B. home 

An Arthur, Ont. family who moved to New Brunswick last week are now isolating in their new home. Gwendolen Bultena and Matt Potts arrived in New Brunswick on Friday, but said the journey to their new home was anything but smooth

“Absolute insanity,” Bultena said. “This whole process has just been a rollercoaster of emotions”

The family was worried they would be denied entry into the province after New Brunswick implemented new mandatory hotel quarantine rules. They did not have a reservation booked at a government-approved hotel or approved travel registration forms before hitting the road last Wednesday. Fortunately, they were able to sort that before they got to the border on Friday.

Kitchener, Ont., boxer Mandy Bujold denied Olympic berth, vows to fight to compete

Coming off maternity leave and a returning to international competition, Kitchener, Ont., boxer Mandy Bujold, is in the biggest fight of her career. She hopes to represent Canada at the summer Olympics in Tokyo, but because of the pandemic, the International Boxing Task Force (BTF) decided to use the 2018 rankings to determine eligibility – a year Bujold was off on maternity leave.

“When they're creating criteria, especially at the highest level, thinking about pregnancy and post-partum for women should be a given,” said Bujold.

Tuesday night, she learned the International Olympic Committee (IOC) denied her appeal of the qualifying rules.

“For the IOC, whose supposed to be running this and being the face of this organization, to not address an issue like this is heartbreaking,” said Bujold. “I don't know how else to describe it.”

Mandy Bujold 4

'There's a whole lot of history': Commercial Tavern owners ride off into the sunset, close bar's doors

The owners of the Commercial Tavern in Maryhill, a staple in Ontario’s country music scene, are riding off into the sunset and closing the saloon’s doors for good after decades in business. They chalk the closure up to declining business along with the double-whammy of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions shuttering bars, restaurants and music venues for most of the past year.

Prior to the pandemic, chances are if you walked through the doors at the Commercial Tavern, you would have heard that familiar country twang. The building has been a pillar in Maryhill since 1854, and this fall turns 167 years old.

“There’s a whole lot of history. To think that it was a tavern before Canada was a country, it's pretty amazing,” said owner Paul Weber.

Commercial Tavern 1

'I was scared': Kitchener woman finds dead bat in furniture delivery

A Kitchener woman said she was shocked to find a dead bat in the packaging of a furniture delivery. Laura Malek said she found the bat when her dining room set was delivered to her home on Wednesday.

“We opened and started building and unfortunately didn't notice the bat until we were building our third chair,” said Malek.

Malek and her husband didn't know what it was, and then realized it was a dead animal. She said they were filled with panic and disgust.

“I was scared," she said. "It took me about a minute to get the words out to my husband about why I was so freaked out.”

Bat found in furniture delivery