Province cuts OHIP eye coverage

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Hope everyone had a restful weekend.

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Weather Report

Monday: +4 🌡️ -8 | 🌤

Tuesday: +2 🌡️ -9 | ☁️

Wednesday: +6 🌡️ -11 | 🌦/❄️

WEEKLY LOOKOUT

🏟️ Commissioner meeting: Today Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will sit down with NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman to talk about the upcoming sale of the Senators. Bidders for the team will be in town to look at the team’s current facilities and also check out the city. [CityNews]

HEALTHCARE

OHIP coverage for seniors being cut back

What happened: Seniors over 65 will no longer be able to get an eye exam covered every year. A new deal between the province and optometrists means most seniors will only have OHIP cover an eye exam every 18 months, The Canadian Press reported.

• Seniors with a condition that affects their vision like macular degeneration, diabetes, or glaucoma will not be affected by the changes.

New agreement: This agreement will be in force for four years. Last year, optometrists withheld OHIP services for nearly three months over a dispute with the province over how much they were paid. This agreement increases payments for some OHIP coverage to eye doctors.

Other changes: 

• Unlimited follow-up appointments will no longer be covered by OHIP for seniors, with only two visits covered under the new deal.

• Cataracts will only be covered if a surgery referral is made or the condition is serious.

• People between the ages of 20 to 64 will no longer have automatic coverage for amblyopia or strabismus, unless their illness is progressing quickly.

Other provincial news

Fullerton resigns: The minister of children, community and social services, Kanata-Carleton MP Merrilee Fullerton abruptly resigned Friday afternoon, CBC reported. She didn’t give a reason for her resignation.

Fullerton was the minister for long-term care for two years during the pandemic, and was moved into her now-former role in 2021.

• “I am grateful to the constituents of Kanata and West Carleton who have supported me in my efforts to improve the lives of others. It has been an honour to represent Katanta-Carleton in the Ontario legislature,” Fullerton said in a statement posted to Twitter.

Affected by Fullerton: Parents of kids with autism said Fullerton did little to support them as minister, according to the Ottawa Citizen. The parents described feeling “ghosted” by her while she was in charge of autism care in the province. The Ontario Autism Coalition said the minister hadn’t held a press conference about the province’s autism program since she became minister.

Coverage ends: The government will no longer provide funding to treat patients who don’t have insurance, CTV reported. The program was started during the pandemic to cover people who needed treatment, and will end April 1.

• Uninsured people can still seek care at community centres and hospitals.

OTTAWA BY THE NUMBERS

📚 21: The number of jobs the Ottawa Carleton District School Board is looking to cut. The board is looking at a deficit of $15 million to $20 million. [CTV]

🚍 $7.48 million: The provincial government will give OC Transpo this much to cover its budget shortfall. [CTV]

🔌 7,000: The number of Hydro One customers who were out of power this weekend because of a windstorm. The outages stretched from Hamilton all the way to the Ottawa Valley. [CityNews]

LONG-TERM CARE

Some residents of care home stay despite fire system danger

What happened: Several people have decided to stay in a care home in Cornwall that was closed by fire officials for safety reasons. Two residents and four members of the building’s ownership group are staying behind despite the danger, CBC reported.

• One of the residents said he wouldn’t leave unless he was provided with a two-bedroom apartment for himself and his wife and pets, plus a mover to rehome them.

The problems: The building was closed for having an outdated fire detection system. CBC said the main floor fire panel is too old to repair, the third-floor panel won’t communicate with the main panel, and overall the system is not “being maintained in operating condition.”

The building housed 40 people in a former hospital before it was ordered closed. The home provided housing and food, but no medical care. The home has appealed the decision to shut it down. It has also appealed an order to install a sprinkler system, which it does not have in most of the building.

NEW LOCAL JOBS

Check out the new open positions in Ottawa.

1. Senior data and analytics specialist at the Bank of Canada

2. Office manager at Social Research and Demonstration Corporation

3. Business development representative at XMA Solutions Technologuiques

4. Real estate advisor II at the City of Ottawa

5. Program manager, child care and early years information, training and engagement at the City of Ottawa

THE AGENDA

📖 Education workers at Carleton University could go on strike today. If teaching assistants, research assistants, service assistants and contract instructors strike, the school said it will remain open but classes could be disrupted. [CTV]

💊 Pharmacists will soon be able to prescribe more medications. In the fall they’ll be able to give medicine for acne, canker sores, diaper rash, yeast infections, pin and threadworms, and nausea in pregnancy. [CBC]

📽️ The Landmark Cinemas in Kanata had to be evacuated for a “chemical like” smell. The source wasn’t found. [CBC]

💐 A woman in Hull died in a fire Sunday. The five-unit apartment building didn’t have smoke alarms or carbon monoxide detectors. [CTV]

🔥 The Gatineau restaurant Les 2 petits cochons was seriously damaged by a fire that caused nearly $200,000 in damage. No one was injured. [CTV]

🪧 An online petition that targeted Ottawa Carleton School Board trustee Dr. Nili Kaplan-Myrth was taken down for violating the site’s guidelines against hate speech. [Ottawa Citizen]

COMMUNITY HIGHLIGHTS

• The under-13 Cornwall Typhoons won the Good Deeds Cup and $100,000 to donate to the charity of their choice for their work in the community. [CTV]

• The New Jersey Devils clinched a playoff spot against the Sens, as Ottawa’s hopes to make the postseason faded. [The Associated Press]

• A spotted owl was, ahem, spotted downtown. [Reddit]

• A half-dozen restaurants across town have expanded their hours for Ramadan, including Phynicia Restaurant in Barrhaven and Ariana Kabab House on Rideau. [Ottawa Citizen]

• Roy the rooster was saved from frostbite by a bird sanctuary and now lives indoors as an “organic alarm clock” after he had to have his legs amputated. [CBC]

• Check out these great murals of animals at Bronson and Christie by artist Haklan Aslan. [Reddit]

• Want to have your announcement featured? Contact our partnership team for more info.

EVENTS

What to do this week

Arts

🎨 Art Battle Ottawa, Thursday 7 pm: Local artists compete in 20-minute rounds to paint a landscape live. Watch the process as it unfolds and vote for the winner. At Overflow Brewing Company 2477 Kaladar Ave. Tickets $24.

Food

🍽️ Dining in the Dark, a Sensory Experience, Thursday 5:30 pm: A fundraiser for Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind, that starts with a cocktail hour with puppies, followed by a blindfolded dining experience. At Restaurant International 1385 Woodroffe Ave. Tickets $85.

General

💰The Walrus Talks Economic Reconciliation, Tuesday 7 pm: How can corporations move reconciliation forward with economic partnerships? This panel discussion examines a 2022 partnership between Enbridge and 23 First Nations and Métis communities. At the National Gallery. In-person tickets $23.

⚖️ Conference on the Rouleau Commission, Wednesday 9 am: Hosted by uOttawa, this conference will dig deep into the Rouleau Commission convoy inquiry report. Experts from many disciplines, from law, to health, to political science and more will look at the report and what it means. Registration is free.

👾 The Salt Arcade, Drag Show at House of Targ, Thursday 8 pm: Headlined by Saltina Shaker, Sunshine Glitterchild, Axel Lightning, and Mya Foxx. A drag show with two 30-minute sets, a meet and greet, and more. At House of TARG, 1077 Bank St. Tickets $23.

Market

🇮🇳 Indian Night Market, Tuesday 5 pm: A night of Indian food and live entertainment to raise money for the Dave Smith Centre. There’s a silent auction, spice sale and more. At Masakali Indian Cuisine, 5507 Hazeldean Rd. Tickets $12.

TOP PHOTO

Today’s photo comes from Irenka Farmilo who took it at Watts Creek earlier this winter. “Those leaves that look to be fallen are a perfect reflection on the water — a rare winter sight!”

Do you have a photo you’d like to share with the Lookout community? Send it in!

OTTAWA GAMES

Congrats to everyone who got last week’s Ottawa Wordle correct. The answer was BIDEN, as in the president who was in town.

For today’s quiz, we want to know how many months seniors will need to wait between OHIP-covered eye exams. The first five people to write in with the correct answer will get their names mentioned in the next issue.

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