New innovative program addresses significant shortage of educational staff
The Catholic school board in Simcoe Muskoka is the first in the province to offer an innovative program to address the overwhelming shortage of educational assistants (EA).
The Simcoe Muskoka Catholic District School Board (SMCDSB), in partnership with the Ministry of Labour, offers the Educational Assistant Apprenticeship program, allowing EA supply staff to work in schools while becoming fully qualified EAs.
Sarah Hoggarth is one of roughly 30 applicants through the school board.
"For 15 years, I've wanted to go to school, but I just haven't been able to afford school and not working," she says. "I could apply for a full-time job or long-term occasional spots, and without this program, I just wouldn't have been able to do that."
"Educational assistant is a huge supportive role for our highest needs students in the school, and there has been a shortage over COVID, and we have a hard time some days filling positions," says Brad Shoreman, Adult Continuing and Community Education SMCDSB principal.
The apprenticeship program offers on-the-job training and in-class technical instruction.
Those interested in applying can do so at any time. The program can take two to three years to complete to become an EA anywhere in Ontario.
Shoreman adds that other school boards are working to implement the same program with hopes of recruiting more staff to fill the need.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Nordstrom Canada liquidation sales expected to begin today as store prepares for exit
Nordstrom is expected to begin liquidating its stores across Canada today.
Statistics Canada set to release its latest inflation reading this morning
Statistics Canada is set to release its latest report this morning on how much the cost of living is rising.
Gwyneth Paltrow to stand trial for Deer Valley ski crash
Gwyneth Paltrow is scheduled to stand trial on Tuesday in a lawsuit filed by a retired optometrist who said that the actress-turned-lifestyle influencer violently crashed into him in 2016 while skiing in Utah at one of the most upscale ski resorts in the United States.
'Everyone's devastated': Friends say neuroscientist, 31, missing in Old Montreal fire
A 31-year-old neuroscientist is believed to be among the six people missing after a massive fire in Old Montreal last week. An Wu was staying at the heritage building on Place d'Youville to attend a conference, according to friends and family.
1 dead after triple shooting at Fairview Mall parking lot in Toronto
One person is dead and two others are injured following a daylight shooting in the parking lot of Fairview Mall on Monday afternoon.
Carson Briere, son of Flyers GM Danny, charged for pushing wheelchair down stairs
Three misdemeanour charges were filed Monday against the son of Philadelphia Flyers interim general manager Danny Briere after a video posted on social media showed him and another Mercyhurst University athlete pushing an unoccupied wheelchair down a staircase.
Ottawa board of health member sees outpouring of support after body-shaming message
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.
5 things to know for Tuesday, March 21, 2023
Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland says "targeted inflation relief" is coming in the 2023 federal budget, an Ottawa board of health member feels the love following a body-shaming message, and a former NHL player's son is charged for pushing a wheelchair down a flight of stairs. Here's what you need to know to start your day.
The USMCA's self-destruct button: Review clause conjures fears of 2018 all over again
It's been less than three years since the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Agreement replaced NAFTA as the law of the land in continental trade, and there are already hints of the existential anxiety that preceded it.
Atlantic
-
2 staff members, student suspect injured in stabbing at Halifax-area high school
Two staff members and a student -- who is also the suspect -- have been injured in a stabbing at a high school in Bedford, N.S., according to the Halifax Regional Centre for Education (HRCE).
-
New Brunswick government to table budget Tuesday as province sees surge in population
New Brunswick's finance minister is scheduled to table a provincial budget Tuesday as the government grapples with problems in health care and housing and the effects of a population surge.
-
N.S. government offering nurses $10,000 bonuses to keep them in public health system
Front-line nurses who are working for publicly-funded employers in Nova Scotia will receive a bonus of up to $10,000, Nova Scotia Premier Tim Houston announced Monday.
Montreal
-
6 missing after Old Montreal fire 'probably still in the rubble': Police
Officials are still looking for victims after a fire ripped through a building in Old Montreal last week, killing at least one person. At a press conference Monday morning, spokespersons for the Montreal police and Montreal fire department said six people are still missing. They come from various locations in Quebec, Ontario and the U.S.
-
Income tax cuts expected as Quebec finance minister to table budget today
Quebec Finance Minister Eric Girard is scheduled to table the first budget of the Coalition Avenir Québec's second mandate this afternoon. Girard broke with tradition on Monday — instead of buying new shoes ahead of the budget, he announced a $5,000 donation to a Quebec City community centre.
-
Unanswered questions: Montreal mayor calls for meeting with Airbnb after fatal fire
Mayor Valerie Plante said Monday she requested a meeting with an Airbnb executive after a building in Old Montreal — a short-term rental hot spot — was destroyed by a fire that has left six people missing.
Ottawa
-
Ottawa board of health member sees outpouring of support after body-shaming message
A member of the city of Ottawa's board of health is speaking out about body shaming after receiving a letter that said she shouldn't serve on the board because of her weight.
-
Kingston police say nine people charged in bus station assault caught on camera
Kingston police say nine people are facing charges after a serious assault in the city's west end earlier this month.
-
Nordstrom Canada to begin liquidation Tuesday after receiving court's permission
The liquidation sales at Nordstrom stores across Canada will begin Tuesday.
Toronto
-
BREAKING
BREAKING | Josh Matlow announces Toronto mayoral run
Councillor Josh Matlow will enter the race for mayor of Toronto, a spokesperson for his campaign announced Tuesday.
-
Premier Doug Ford to make announcement in Vaughan, Ont.
Doug Ford will be in Vaughan, Ont. on Tuesday to make what the premier’s office is calling a 'pre-budget announcement.'
-
1 dead after triple shooting at Fairview Mall parking lot in Toronto
One person is dead and two others are injured following a daylight shooting in the parking lot of Fairview Mall on Monday afternoon.
Kitchener
-
Inquest into death of Kitchener man shot and killed by police begins
Nearly eight years after 20-year-old Beau Baker was shot and killed by a Waterloo regional police officer, an inquest into the Kitchener man’s death is now getting underway.
-
'BORGs' abound at Waterloo St. Patrick’s Day, but what are they?
A new youth binge-drinking trend was on display in the streets of Waterloo’s university district Friday.
-
Parents question eBook checkout system that allows for inappropriate material to be accessed by students
Several parents are questioning the filtering process of eBooks available to students at the Waterloo Regional District School Board (WRDSB) after they say their children were able to access eBooks that are not age appropriate.
London
-
Aylmer fire burns long into the night
Emergency crews remain on scene Tuesday morning following a massive fire that broke out on Monday. Crews were first called to the scene around 9 p.m.
-
Neighbourhood group slams city for lack of transparency in recommending closure of Thames Pool
The Old South Community Organization (OSCO) is expressing concern about city staff’s failure to consult with stakeholders before recommending that Thames Pool be decommissioned.
-
Investigation on hold: Cause of blaze at former LPH still undetermined
The City of London, Ont. and fire officials said it will be some time before they know whether a building that burned down on the grounds of the former London Psychiatric Hospital over the weekend can be saved.
Northern Ontario
-
Another southern Ont. snowmobiler dies in crash on a northern trail
Another southern Ontario resident in their 30s has died following a snowmobile crash in the northern region.
-
Elliot Lake cancels drag race event, cites lack of interest, economic losses
Elliot Lake has cancelled the Northern Shore Drag Race, which has been going on for the past two decades and typically draws hundreds of vehicles and a thousand people.
-
Sudbury police say vehicle was travelling 170 km/h in 80 km/h zone
A young driver from Espanola has been charged with stunt driving following a recent incident in the early morning hours in Sudbury.
Windsor
-
Double-digit temperatures in Windsor-Essex
A beautiful spring day is on the way in Windsor-Essex. The temperature is forecast to reach double digits for the next few days, starting Tuesday.
-
'The plan needs to be urgent': Windsor council wants feds to act on emergency commission recommendations
It’s been a little more than a year since the week-long protests that blocked the Ambassador Bridge in Windsor, Ont. A special report was presented to council Monday night by Jennifer King, the lawyer who represented the city and police at the commission.
-
Man arrested for arson after 'deliberate' Forest Glade house explosion
Windsor police say they have arrested a 24-year-old Toronto man after a “deliberate” house explosion in Forest Glade.
Calgary
-
No sanctuary here: Animal rescue operation faces threat of closure after permit denied
A Wheatland County sanctuary that cares for abandoned and surrendered farm animals faces an uncertain future after having a permit application to keep operating denied.
-
Neighbour recalls night two Edmonton police officers were killed outside her door
A woman who lives across from the apartment where a 16-year-old shot and killed two Edmonton police constables has multiple bullet holes in her door, with a couple piercing her doorframe.
-
Child in life-threatening condition after being struck by vehicle in northwest Calgary
An 11-year-old boy was taken to hospital in life-threatening condition after being struck by a vehicle in the northwest Calgary neighbourhood of Royal Oak.
Saskatoon
-
Saskatoon fans spent over $200,000 at sold-out Blades game concession
SaskTel Centre staff are still recuperating from Sunday’s sold-out game between the Regina Pats and Saskatoon Blades.
-
Prince Albert police seize 31 kilograms of cocaine and $55,000 in record drug bust
Prince Albert police say the largest-ever drug bust in the city occurred after a major investigation.
-
Top-selling Sask. realtors faked paperwork to get mortgages approved for clients, police say
A fraud scheme involving fake documents used to qualify for a mortgage has been linked to two Saskatoon real estate agents.
Edmonton
-
Neighbour recalls night two Edmonton police officers were killed outside her door
A woman who lives across from the apartment where a 16-year-old shot and killed two Edmonton police constables has multiple bullet holes in her door, with a couple piercing her doorframe.
-
Regimental funeral for fallen Edmonton police officers scheduled for next Monday
The Edmonton police officers killed in the line of duty last week will be laid to rest next Monday.
-
5 killed, boy seriously injured, in northern Alberta crash
Five people were killed in a crash in northern Alberta Sunday evening. One person – a five-year-old boy – survived and was airlifted to hospital in life-threatening condition, RCMP say.
Vancouver
-
Vancouver’s fire chief 'extremely frustrated' with daily fires on Downtown Eastside
After a large fire spread from tents to a shuttered theatre on the city’s Downtown Eastside, Vancouver’s fire chief told reporters she was “incredibly frustrated” that more isn’t being done to prevent daily fires breaking out in the area.
-
'1 step forward, 3 steps back: Vancouver city council to vote on 'pace-of-change' policy
Vancouver council will soon vote on a policy that could slow development in the Broadway Plan, one of the most significant long-term projects underway in the city.
-
Police cleared in off-duty officer's death at Langley, B.C., business
Weeks after an off-duty officer died at a Langley, B.C., business, a watchdog has cleared police at the scene of wrongdoing.