#StarExclusive: Canadians’ self-reported anxiety and depression are nearing levels not seen since May 2020, signalling the Omicron wave has taken a significant toll on the mental health and wellbeing of many as we enter the third year of the pandemic. torstar.co/HXWj50HClia
The data comes from the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health’s ninth national survey with technology company Delvinia on COVID-19 and the mental health of Canadians, conducted Jan. 7-11 — the final planned survey of its kind. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
The survey found a quarter of respondents felt moderate to severe anxiety levels, and 22 per cent reported feeling depressed occasionally or most of the time in the previous week.
For Dr. Hayley Hamilton, a senior scientist at CAMH’s Institute for Mental Health Policy Research, the hospital’s findings closely mimic results from May 2020, when CAMH conducted its first survey measuring COVID’s impact on Canadians’ mental health. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
“In May 2020, we were very worried about what’s to come, we were very uncertain about the virus and what it actually meant,” Hamilton said. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
“We now still see that high level of anxiety, but in this case, it might be more frustration, more of a feeling of being tired of this and wanting to get out.”
“People are wondering, when is this going to end?”
#StarInvestigation: Ontario government will investigate controversial contracts Metrolinx gave to a consulting firm whose director was a VP at the transit agency thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
Meanwhile, the NDP says the public deserves answers about the “bizarre and disturbing arrangement” between Metrolinx and consultant Brian Guest. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
A Star investigation revealed details of two contracts consultant firm Boxfish Infrastructure Group won from Metrolinx in 2019 and 2020. At the time, Brian Guest, a director at Boxfish, was assigned to vice president roles at the publicly funded agency. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
The Williams Lake First Nation says its investigation uncovered stories of torture, rape, forcible confinement and exposure to extreme conditions, among other abuses. thestar.com/news/canada/20…
Chief Willie Sellars said religious officials, the federal government and RCMP misled the public about what was happening at the school. He accused authorities of engaging in the destruction of documents to cover up what was happening. thestar.com/news/canada/20…
1) Neither the trucker convoy nor the vaccine mandates are solely responsible for food disruptions; the sidelining of drivers isn't widespread enough to be primarily responsible. Still, some experts say the mandate could exacerbate an existing problem. thestar.com/business/2022/…
2) A wide range of factors have contributed to food disruptions. Canadian grocery stores were facing supply constraints well before the trucker mandate, largely attributable to a mix of extreme weather, labour issues, COVID outbreaks and logistics. thestar.com/business/2022/…
Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young accused Spotify of spreading fake information about vaccines, citing the immensely popular “Joe Rogan Experience” podcast. thestar.com/entertainment/…
In a now-deleted letter sent to his manager and the co-chairman and chief operating officer of Warner Bros. Records, Young threatened to pull his extensive catalog from Spotify in protest of the spread of COVID-19 misinformation on the platform. thestar.com/entertainment/…
"I am doing this because Spotify is spreading fake information about vaccines — potentially causing death to those who believe the disinformation being spread by them," Young wrote. thestar.com/entertainment/…
The hole Canada's Denis Shapovalov dug for himself with early erratic play in #AustralianOpen quarterfinal was too deep as he fell to Rafael Nadal seeking a record 21st major title.
At the start, Shapovalov looked to be a thoroughly beaten player after losing the first two sets of the match against Spanish superstar Rafael Nadal.
He seemed out-of-sorts, serving poorly, volleying awkwardly, arguing with the chair umpire. thestar.com/sports/tennis/…
At one point, after more arguing between Shapovalov and the umpire, Nadal approached the net for a brief chat with Shapovalov, and seemed to be trying to calm the irritated Canadian.
Across Ontario, uncountable Whatsapp and Facebook groups sprouted in recent days, collections of parents contact-tracing on their own, as Ontario had given up on reporting COVID-19 outbreaks in schools to families this month. torstar.co/mIyj50HClHI
Efforts from these parent groups range from simple messages informing each other of their kids’ symptoms, to spreadsheets with rapid-test results, to full-on data visualizations. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…
“I feel like, as parents, any steps we can take to make school safer for kids, we want to take,” said Laura McIninch, who now runs a “makeshift” contact-tracing Whatsapp group. thestar.com/news/gta/2022/…