Learn how The Big Let Go can change your life page 11 notllocal.com MARCH 31, 2021 Volume 3 • Issue 13 Supporting local businesses is important, and fun Penny Coles summer and fall last year, The Local he says. Bus traffic, U.S. and overseas tourists just weren’t Joe Pillitteri, local busi- there for them, after invest- nessman, stand-up comic ments many had made to and community supporter, accommodate larger groups is finding innovative ways of people. to help local restaurants and Like all businesses, they wineries. found ways to supplement And in doing so, he is what they were losing by encouraging his many social marketing to locals, with media followers to do the curbside pickup orders and same. free deliveries, trying to do The two industries, both whatever they could to bol- so important to the local ster their sales. Although it economy, and employers of helps, it doesn’t make up for many Niagara area people, what they’ve lost, he says. are struggling, he says, and So Pillitteri picked up need local support. on #openlocalwine, an ini- Pillitteri, known for his tiative of two friends of his, comedy routines, couldn’t “great wine industry peeps be more serious when he in Michigan who were kind asks for help for these lo- enough to include their Ca- Newark Neighbours gears up for Easter cal businesses. Recovery is nadian friends in the fun.” on its way, he says, but they This is the second year Newark Neighbours volunteers Cindy Grant, Pat Fryer and Susan need cash flow to hang in for the U.S. initiative, the Sparrow-Mace are set to dig in to mountains of food and begin packing until then, to ensure they’re first here in Niagara, thanks Easter hampers for clients who require help over the holiday. The ham- still in business when it to Pillitteri. pers will be delivered Thursday. (David Gilchrist) comes. It’s just one day, Satur- Wineries missed out on the tourist traffic of spring, Continued on page 3 More Niagara vaccination clinics being scheduled to book vaccination appoint- but with the region having to local telling her she was able lic Health is planning more Booking glitches have ments had trouble Monday, shoulder the responsibility to to get an appointment Mon- clinics for April 11 and 12 in but the rest were able to get fix them. day for the same day, and oth- Niagara Falls, at the MacBain a time and date for their first Although there were ers struggling to find any time Community Centre; April been frustrating shot. “thousands” of available ap- slots available. 13 and 14 in Port Colborne; Penny Coles It seemed hit-and-miss, He asked people not to pointments Monday morn- Although there are no April 15 and 16 in Grims- The Local with some people reporting call public health, explaining ing, Hirji said, by 3 p.m. new dates for NOTL clinics by; and April 17 and 18 in getting through and booking it’s the provincial system that Monday public health sent an at this time, she was hoping Welland. As the portal to book- appointments, and others be- is experiencing issues. email saying all appointments there will be in the next few More dates and locations ing vaccinations opened to ing told early in the day there Although some munici- for all Niagara clinics were weeks. will be added, but probably the 70-year-old age group was no availability. palities have developed their booked. There were expected to be not until the latter half of Monday, residents in Niag- Dr. Mustafa Hirji, Niaga- own online registration sys- Lord Mayor Betty Disero 8,500 new appointments for April, Hirji said. ara-on-the-Lake reported ra’s acting chief medical offi- tems, Hirji said he didn’t think said she was hearing “mixed Niagara clinics in the booking difficulties getting appoint- cer of health, estimated about that would help in Niagara — reviews” from those trying to system early this week, and ments. five per cent of seniors trying there would still be problems, book appointments, with one more later this week. Pub- Continued on page 2 2 March 31, 2021 THE NOTLLocal notllocal.com Lesson from long-term care homes: vaccinations work Continued from page 1 There will be enough ap- pointments for all residents He suggested residents 70 years of age (27,000 more keep trying the provincial people) and up once Niaga- portal Ontario.ca/bookvac- ra Health and Public Health cine for availability, or if they both get their clinic schedules are having trouble finding a online, Hirji said. location, to call a booking op- During Monday’s weekly erator at 1-888-999-6488. meeting with reporters, he By Monday afternoon, spoke of “night and day” with residents were finding new the number of cases seen ear- dates and availability for lier this year in long-term care those 70 and over at the Sey- homes, and what happens if mour-Hannah clinic, from there is an infection now. April 5 to 11. A couple of months ago, an infection would spread quickly through long-term care and retirement homes, whereas, thanks to vaccina- tions, that isn’t happening now. “I hope this is a message everybody else in society takes, that these vaccines are really working, and we should all be taking them, so we can make sure we get out of this pandem- Bryon Dowd, town staff member at the community centre, finishes up Tuesday afternoon in preparation for the 500 people expect- Dr. Kevin Clark and ic,” he said. ing to be vaccinated by Public Health staff Wednesday. (Mike Balsom) Dr. Rebecca Zabek-Clark Dentists No job too small and their registered ($100 minimum) More restrictions will be Dental Hygiene Team Trimming, pruning and removal of all small 369 MARY STREET to medium sized trees. needed to stop variant spread NIAGARA-ON-THE-LAKE MICHAEL GRAY'S This includes clean up, ARBORICULTURE planting of trees and It is social activity which is We already know people travel www.niagaradental.ca assessments. Penny Coles The Local causing the current spike of in- from Hamilton to Niagara, says Michael Gray fection, he says. Hirji, and he fears the number NEW PATIENTS WELCOME ISA Certified Arborist EVENING HOURS AVAILABLE As cases of COVID-19 and With the numbers of cases of visitors might increase and [email protected] variants continue their upward caused by community spread, bring more cases of COVID 905-468-3009 trajectory, the region’s top med- rather than by outbreaks in with them. 905 964 3682 ical officer says he’s not opti- long-term care homes as they As cases increase, so does mistic that current restrictions were earlier in the pandemic, the number of people in hospi- will be enough to prevent hos- there are fewer people in the tal and in intensive care units. pitals and intensive care units 80-plus group becoming ill. Hamilton may begin sending from being overwhelmed. When there is a case in patients to Niagara hospitals, Dr. Mustafa Hirji, the re- long-term care, it tends to just if its system becomes over- gion’s acting medical officer “fizzle,” he says, due to the high whelmed, said Hirji. of health, says any further re- number of residents who are Toronto hospitals are al- strictions should be for the vaccinated. ready sending patients to hos- entire Golden Horseshoe. He While the majority of vari- pitals as far aways as Kingston, indicated with the “very sharp ant cases are the U.K. strain, and Toronto’s Sunnybrook upwards trend,” especially of Hirji says he’s concerned about Health Sciences Centre is in variants, which reproduce the P1 variant from Brazil, the process of setting up a mo- quickly, that may be necessary which seems to transmit the bile field hospital in its parking for the next couple of months, quickest, cause the most seri- lot, a process that began early April is diamond month and to buy time for more people to ous illnesses, and against which in March. The tents, which will be vaccinated. vaccines are the least effective. be able to handle up to 100 pa- “If we stay our course, the It has increased 30 per cent in tients, are expected to be ready diamonds are our specialty .... sharp increase will continue. cases across the province in just to receive patients in early The only hope of flattening it is two days. April. reducing social interaction,” he There were 132 new The sight of the hospital says, adding that “that current COVID-19 cases reported tents across the parking lot re- government decisions that are over the weekend in Niagara, flects the level of fear over what being made by the province,” are and Hamilton was placed in the third wave could bring, says not enough to reverse the trend. grey-lockdown zone Monday. Hirji. Province providing grants to help small businesses Penny Coles ic, tourism generated more parks, hunting and fishing The Local than $36 billion in econom- camps, and recreational and ic activity, and supported vacation camps. Businesses The Ontario government 400,000 jobs in Ontario. As a must demonstrate they have is providing $100 million to direct result of the pandem- experienced a minimum help small tourism business- ic, the tourism sector has 20 per cent revenue decline, es, and $100 million for a new lost more than $18 billion in and have less than 100 em- one-time recovery program. revenue alone and more than ployees to qualify.