Premier makes campaign-style visit to Waterloo Region
A crowd of employees gathered on the shop floor of a stainless steel equipment maker in Elmira Friday afternoon to greet and shake hands with Premier Doug Ford.
The only evidence of the pandemic were the masks everyone was wearing.
During his visit at Tri-Mach, the premier briefly spoke with the media about issues in Waterloo Region.
REVIEW AT A WCDSB
Last week, Education Minister Stephen Lecce ordered a review of an incident at the Waterloo Catholic District School Board after a principal called the police on a four-year-old child.
Ford weighed in Friday, calling it "unbelievable."
"We have to find out all the details," said Ford. "No matter what the details are, you don't call the police on a four-year-old simple as that. It's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard."
Lecce ordered the review to be conducted by a third-party representative from the Ministry of Education who would have a mandate to recommend actions to the board.
The board's director of education, Loretta Notten, has previously said the actions taken in this situation follow the province's policies and procedures, and said the WCDSB welcomes "the opportunity to learn how the provincial practice can be refined and improved to better serve all our students."
Local NDP MPP Laura-Mae Lindo has called for a system-wide audit.
HOUSING COSTS
This week the Kitchener-Waterloo Association of Realtors issued its monthly update, with the average price of any home hitting the $1 million mark in February.
Many local home buyers now feeling priced out of their own market.
The premier acknowledged today this is a major supply and demand issue.
"We’ve got this housing plan that we've put forward. We're working with municipalities to make sure we cut the red tape," said Ford.
Ford noted he will work with the municipalities to reduce permit wait times to 90 days.
The premier did not have any formal announcements Friday afternoon.
His other visits in Waterloo Region included a Kitchener restaurant called Dosa-Twist, the Grand River Transit Facility, and Conestoga College.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Child under 5 dies of measles in Ontario: PHO
A young child has died of measles in Ontario, marking the first death in the province from the highly contagious virus in more than 10 years, a Public Health Ontario report confirms.
NEW Pack the macaroni necklace: Lessons on evacuations from a woman who fled one of Canada's worst wildfires
Carol Christian had 15 minutes to evacuate her home during the Fort McMurray wildfires in 2016. She ended up losing the house and everything inside. Now, she wants to share the lessons she learned.
Think twice before sharing 'heartbreaking' social media posts, RCMP warn
Mounties in B.C. are urging people to think twice before sharing "heartbreaking posts" on social media.
French police fatally shoot a man suspected of setting fire to a synagogue
French police shot and killed a man armed with a knife and a metal bar who is suspected of having set fire to a synagogue in the Normandy city of Rouen early on Friday, the latest apparent act in a storm of antisemitism roiling France amid the Israel-Hamas war.
'Ugly produce': One way Canadians are shrinking rising grocery bills
As the cost of food in Canada has risen, grocery shoppers are looking at ways to reduce their grocery bill, and more are choosing price over beauty, turning to companies that deliver so-called 'misfit' produce at a fraction of the cost.
5 secrets to moving better and preventing avoidable injury
Countless people seek emergency care for back pain, muscle strains and similar injuries resulting from “moving wrong” during mundane, everyday tasks such as bending over to tie shoes, lifting objects or doing household chores.
Trudeau calls New Brunswick's Conservative government a 'disgrace' on women's rights
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau assailed New Brunswick's premier and other conservative leaders on Thursday, calling out the provincial government's position on abortion, LGBTQ youth and climate change.
Wildfires burning across Canada: Communities threatened as flames creep closer
Thousands of residents fled Fort McMurray this week, fearing a repeat of the 2016 wildfire that forced out the entire community and torched more than 2,400 homes.
Father charged with second-degree murder in daughter's stabbing death
A father has been charged with second-degree murder in the stabbing death of his 34-year-old daughter in southern Quebec.