2021 - THE YEAR IN REVIEW - APRIL

Premier applies ‘emergency brake’ as lockdown looms

It was no April Fools joke, as Ontario Premier Doug Ford imposed a province-wide emergency brake on April 1. The emergency brake took effect Saturday morning, April 3. It will be in place for at least four weeks.

Loss of iconic landmark prompts memories, sadness

This area lost one of its most recognizable landmarks last week in an April 1 morning fire that destroyed the former Paula’s Fish Place Restaurant.

Fire crews got the call shortly after 6 am on Thursday and found the building fully engulfed in flames when they arrived.

Crews were on site all morning and when the smoke settled, all that was left was a shell of the building.

The former restaurant was not inhabited and had not been open for several months.

The property was sold a few weeks ago.

Local soccer groups hopeful for a 2021 season

With the weather warming and grass growing greener, it would normally be time for local minor soccer groups to be ready to hit the fields.

Last year, the soccer seasons didn’t get off the ground and local minor soccer groups scrambled to get refunds or fee deferments to their members.

This year, there was renewed hope — until this week’s emergency brake shutdown — and there is still some hope that the kids will get to play. Leamington Minor Soccer spokesman, Bob Rumble, told the Sun last week, that they are in a holding pattern.

Ford declares state of emergency again

With the Emergency Brake Shutdown announced April 1 still fresh in the minds of Ontarians, Premier Doug Ford doubled down and issued a new State of Emergency for the province, accompanied by a stay-at-home order, which took effect Thursday, April 8 at 12:01 am.

The order is expected to last for 28 days, at which time it will be re-evaluated.

Kingsville’s Ortaliza has good things growing

Good things are growing in Kingsville, as Ortaliza Urban Indoor Vertical Farm opened their doors recently in the heart of downtown.

Owners Carina Biacchi and Alvaro Fernandes, have found a niche market that has locals buzzing about the taste and freshness of their product.

Age of eligibility lowered to 40-plus for AstraZeneca vaccine

The province of Ontario has now lowered the age of eligibility to receive the AstraZeneca COVID vaccine to anyone 40 or older.

Effective yesterday (Tuesday), anyone 40 or over in Ontario can now call a local participating pharmacy and book an appointment for the shot.

The news comes as a welcome relief to many who have been patiently waiting to receive any of the vaccines.

Minor ball groups still hope to hit the diamonds

Young baseball players in this area who are anxious to play some ball, may have to wait a little longer, but the hope is that they will get to play some baseball this summer.

The last weekend in May was the target start-up for Leamington District Minor Baseball to launch their house league team bubbles, but the announcement last week by the province to restrict unnecessary travel has put a damper on the plans.

Once the restrictions lift, local organizations hope to be ready to go.

According to Leamington Minor Baseball president, Kevin Gale, there will be some subtle changes to the usual schedules.

Vaccine rollout trying to stay ahead of variants

The Windsor-Essex Medical Doctor of Health says that the region is in a ‘holding pattern’ currently, when it comes to new daily cases of COVID-19.

Dr. Wajid Ahmed said Monday that now is not the time to let our guard down, as Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent have made great strides in battling the spread of the virus, but variants of concern (VOC) are now making up the majority of newly diagnosed cases.

Those variants are known to spread more rapidly, with a possible higher severity, than the original version of COVID-19.

Of the 482 active cases in Windsor-Essex, Dr. Ahmed says that 34 per cent of them are a variant strand, making the race to get everyone vaccinated all that more urgent.

A real estate career that lasted 55 years

When Helen Featherstone entered the real estate business in 1966, she didn’t imagine that she’d still be selling real estate into 2021, but she fell in love with a business that she made her whole life.

She and her husband Gary Sr., were operating the Featherstone Shell station in downtown Wheatley, with three young children in tow, when Helen got the idea to go into real estate.

She joined A.M. Wolbers Real Estate in Leamington and began learning the craft of buying and selling homes.