The Times Star
401 Main Street P0T 1M0 Geraldton, ON, Canada

Announcement: With respect to the cases of COVID-19 in the Greenstone area, the Ginoogaming First Nation Band Council and community members met with staff from ...Marjorie Mills Public School, Geraldton Composite High School, and Our Lady of Fatima on Sunday, January 10. At the meeting, it was decided that Ginoogaming First Nation would not be sending their students to school this week. The band will be meeting on Friday, January 15 to make a decision about the following week. Each school will be in contact with their families about continuing the learning for their respective students. If you have any questions please call or email: Sheri Taylor [email protected] Cell 807-853-1475 Victor Chapais [email protected] Cell 807-853-2492 Tom Rivers [email protected] 854-0130 ext. 224 Carlo Porretta [email protected] 854-0130 ext. 225

Thank you to those who had inquiries about self-isolating at work. For clarifications, please read the article below from the Geraldton District Hospital.

Positive COVID-19 Test Result at the Geraldton District Hospital

Ontario, in consultation with the Chief Medical Officer of Health, is extending the shutdown of the seven public health unit regions in Northern Ontario until a...t least January 23, 2021, aligning with the shutdown period in Southern Ontario. In the nearly two weeks since Ontario moved into a Provincewide Shutdown, the COVID-19 trends in key public health indicators have continued to worsen in both Northern and Southern Ontario. With the increased risk of transmissions due to the confirmed presence of the COVID-19 UK variant in the province, Ontario is taking measures to ensure the safety of all Ontarians and the ability for the health system to provide care for patients. The impacts of these time-limited measures will be evaluated after 14 days to determine if it is safe to lift any restrictions or if they need to be extended. news.ontario.ca//ontario-extends-teacher-led-online-learni Northwestern Health Unit Timiskaming Health Unit North Bay Parry Sound District Health Unit Algoma Public Health Public Health Sudbury & Districts Porcupine Health Unit Thunder Bay District Health Unit

As everyone has likely learned by now, beginning July 24,2020 the Thunder Bay health unit has mandated the use of mask to be worn by everyone who enters or rema...ins in an enclosed public space. Daneff’s is no exception. The use of mask or face coverings will be required by everyone who enters or remains in our store until further notice.There is a list of exemptions to the requirement which can be found on the Thunder Bay District health unit web site. If any of these exemptions apply to you ,our staff will not turn you away, please just advise a staff member upon entering that one of the listed exemptions apply to you. We continue to offer alcohol based hand sanitizer and we remain diligent with sanitizing carts,baskets and door handles at regular intervals throughout the day. We also continue to offer home delivery to anyone in Geraldton and Nakina by emailing to [email protected] or by fax 854-1583. Our staff has been instructed to remind anyone who enters not wearing a mask or face covering of the rules imposed by the District health unit. Please remember that is not imposed by our staff so we ask everyone who enters the store to be kind to our staff and each other in order for us to navigate through these difficult times and finish better then when we started. Thank-you and stay safe. See more

On behalf of the GEDC...

Hydro One has announced an unplanned power outage for the Greenstone area on Tuesday July 21 beginning at 8:00 a.m. to perform required repairs.

As mandated by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, as of next Friday, (July 24) everyone will have to wear masks or face coverings inside the store! Thank you!

Effective next Friday, July 24, masks or face coverings will be required inside our store, as mandated by the Thunder Bay District Health Unit.

Big news: Masks or Face Coverings will now be required for indoor public spaces effective July 24, 2020. Read the full media release: https://www.tbdhu.com//ma...sks-or-face-coverings-required-fo (Note: more supportive documents will be coming shortly - we just wanted to get this important message out quickly!)

Do you support the idea of a small service fee for tourists/travelers who come to our community and area? The service fee is 100% only paid by travelers. No re...sidents of the area will pay any service fee at all. The fee proceeds are 100% devoted to tourist-related infrastructure upgrades and promotion of the community/area. (roads, trails, beautification, parks, etc.) ONLY in our community/area. There is no out of pocket expense for any business or resident of the area. This service fee is also charged by most communities and areas, including all those around us right now.

Due to a personal health concern that has been resolved, we had a brief interruption with order packing/delivery. Thank you for everyone’s understanding and pra...yers. Please be aware that due to high demand, especially during the current pandemic, it may take some time to fill all orders when we get backlogged. Thanks for your patience during these challenging times. Please share our post. See more

Starting Monday, June 8, our store hours will be changing to 8am to 9pm, 7 days a week. As a result of this banner wide initiative, we will no longer be opening at 7am on Tuesdays & Wednesdays. Thank you for your understanding.

News Release Backcountry Camping available at Ontario Parks and on Crown Lands Starting June 1 May 30, 2020 Province providing more activities to help people ge...t outside and enjoy nature while physical distancing TORONTO The Ontario government is gradually reintroducing camping in Ontario Parks and recreational camping on Crown land, starting June 1, 2020, to give people more opportunities to enjoy the outdoors, while staying safe and practicing physical distancing. As of June 1, backcountry camping will be available at Ontario Parks, including access points, paddle and portage routes and hiking trails. Ontario Parks will also be expanding day-use activities to include picnicking and off-leash pet areas. "We are all eager to get outside this time of year, and backcountry camping will give people a low-risk way to enjoy the benefits of being outdoors while following physical distancing rules," said Jeff Yurek, Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks. "We're counting on people to be responsible when enjoying our parks and continue to follow all of the public health measures to help stop the spread of COVID-19." Following current provincial restrictions, no more than five people will be allowed to occupy a backcountry campsite during their stay, unless they live in the same household. The closure of all other overnight camping and some day-use activities at provincial parks and conservation reserves has been extended to June 14 and will continue to be reassessed. All buildings and facilities including campgrounds, roofed accommodations, visitor centers, park stores, playgrounds, and beaches remain closed. Some washroom facilities may be available. In addition, Ontario is reopening recreational camping on Crown land while reminding visitors to continue to adhere to public health advice as the best defense against COVID-19, such as practicing physical distancing, wearing a face covering when physical distancing is a challenge, and frequent hand washing. Camping on Crown land does not include the use of shared facilities and is a low-risk way for people to enjoy the outdoors. "Even as we begin to reopen camping so that Ontarians can enjoy our beautiful outdoors, people's health and well-being remain our top priority," said John Yakabuski, Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry. "We have to work together to ensure we open our province in a responsible, cautious manner. We are starting to contain the virus, but we cannot risk undoing all of the progress that we have made by reopening the province too quickly." Ontario Parks will begin collecting fees for day-use and backcountry camping access as of June 1. Please visit Ontario parks and click on the "Fees" tab to find out more. Advanced reservations or registrations will be required at most of the 20 operating provincial parks that are offering backcountry camping. Ontario Parks has been conducting critical maintenance and other park start-up procedures and ensuring operational and safety protocols are in place so that more recreational activities and facilities can open when it is safe to do so.

UPDATE APRIL 27th, 2020