Clinton News Record, 2015-02-18, Page 22 News Record • Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Bruce, Grey, Huron and Perth counties lose 1,000 jobs
Marco Vigliotti
QM! Agency
It was an underwhelming
start to the year for the econ-
omy of rural midwestern
Ontario, with Bruce, Grey,
Huron and Perth counties
shedding 1,000 jobs in Janu-
ary, according to new statis-
tics from the Four County
Labour Market Planning
Board.
The job losses pushed the
regional unemployment rate
to 5.1 per cent from 4.3 per
cent. Of the jobs lost, 200
were full-time positions,
while 600 were part-time
jobs, the labour market
monitoring body said in a
press release distributed
recently.
The monthly decline,
however, obscures a rela-
tively robust year for
employment in the Four
County area, which has
gained roughly 4,000 jobs
between January 2014 and
January 2015, according to
the board.
"Over the 12 months to
January, Stratford -Bruce
Peninsula mirrored the
labour market behaviour of
the province with a declining
unemployment rate," read a
statement from the group,
using an alternative name
for the Four County region.
"However, the local unem-
ployment rate has continued
to be lower than that of
Ontario."
The labour market partici-
pation rate in the Four
County area increased over
the past year, rising from
64.4 per cent in 2014 to 65.5
per cent in the first month of
2015, the board said.
The participation rate in
Ontario decreased by a simi-
lar margin, falling from 65.4
per cent in 2014 to 64.7 per
Stomach -related illness in Huron County
The Huron County
Health Unit continues to
see stomach -related illness
in schools and daycares
across the county. Resi-
dents can stop the spread
of infection by staying
home when sick.
Public Health Inspector
Roxana Nassiri says the
current illness is likely
caused by Norovirus. Noro-
viruses cause sudden onset
of nausea, vomiting and
diarrhea. Symptoms can
also include low-grade
fever, chills, headache,
tiredness and muscle
aches. Illness lasts 24 to 48
hours.
Norovirus spreads easily,
usually through person-to-
person contact. The virus
enters a person's mouth
through contaminated
food, water or hands.
Hands can become con-
taminated by close per-
sonal contact, sharing
objects or touching the
same surfaces as someone
who has the virus.
"You can avoid spread-
ing Norovirus by staying
home when sick," says
Nassiri. "If your children
are sick, keep them home
from school or daycare
until they have been
symptom-free for at least
48 hours."
Healthcare workers,
foodhandlers and caregiv-
ers, including daycare
staff, should not return to
work until at least 48
hours after symptoms
have resolved. If you feel
ill, do not visit elderly res-
idents in long-term care
facilities.
You can also stop the
spread of infection by
cleaning and disinfecting
commonly touched sur-
faces such as counters,
doorknobs and remote
controls.
Frequent handwashing
with warm running water
and soap for at least 20
seconds is also important.
Hands should be cleaned
after using the washroom,
after changing diapers,
after shaking hands and
before preparing and eat-
ing food.
You can be reinfected
with Norovirus even after
you have recovered. There
is no specific treatment,
but it is important to get
plenty of fluids to prevent
dehydration.
cent in January.
The labour market
increase should prove bene-
ficial for area businesses,
who now have a deeper tal-
ent pool of candidates to hire
from, said Gemme Mendez -
Smith with the Planning
Board.
"As people participate in
the labour market our
unemployment rate has
increased. In recent surveys
and local conversation with
Employment Ontario service
providers employers have
indicated their need for
workers," she said in a pre-
pared statement. "With an
increased participation rate
employers have more poten-
tial candidates to fill
positions:'
According to board fig-
ures, the Four County region
has seen a net increase of
476 businesses between June
2013 and June 2014.
Finding qualified candi-
dates, however, remains a
major issue for local
employers, the board said
in a release, referencing a
study it conducted in
March 2014 that found
roughly 50 per cent of area
businesses had to go out-
side the region to find
skilled workers.
Mendez -Smith pointed
to the new joint Canada -
Ontario Job Grant as an ini-
tiative that could bolster
the number of skilled work-
ers in the area.
The program provides
funds for employers to train
existing staff and new hires
in hopes of bolstering the
skill level of the workforce
and lessen some of the hir-
ing challenges currently
experienced by employers.
Applications are being
accepted for the program,
which also requires a con-
tribution from employers.
Former prime minister the Rt. Hon.
Paul Martin to speak in Goderich
Special to the Signal Star
The Rt. Hon. Paul Martin,
who served as Canada's prime
minister from 2003 to 2006,
will campaign in Huron -
Bruce on Wednesday, Feb. 25
with Liberal candidate Allan
Thompson, ending the day
with a major rally in
Goderich.
In a relatively rare move for
a former prime minister, Mar-
tin will travel with Thompson
to stops in Port Elgin and Kin-
cardine before attending the
evening event at the Royal
Canadian Legion branch 109
in Goderich, which begins at
6:30 p.m.
W 407
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"It's a great privilege to be
joined by someone of Mr.
Martin's stature and to have
him throw his support behind
my bid to win back Huron -
Bruce for the Liberal party;"
Thompson said in a press
release. "I have known Mr.
Martin since my days as a
political reporter on Parlia-
ment Hill for the Toronto Star
so it is a great pleasure to be
able to spend time with him
here at home:'
Martin was involved in a
project on media in the devel-
oping world that was led by
Thompson, who is a journal-
ism professor at Carleton
University.
The Goderich event, billed
as An Evening With the Rt.
Hon. Paul Martin and Huron -
Bruce Federal Liberal Candi-
date Allan Thompson;' begins
at 6:30 p.m. with a meet and
greet, followed by formal
speeches at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets, $25 for adults and
$10 for youths, are available
online at http://events.liberal.
ca/Event/an-evening-with-
hon-paul-martin-and-allan-
thompson. aspx?Lang=en#.
VM_MnsROHgY or by calling
519-440-9940.
Before his tenure as Prime
Minister, Martin was Minis-
ter of Finance from 1993 to
2002.
51.,NOK5!
1)
Beat the temptation.
sn ker rHELPLII' E
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