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The
THIS WEEK • Editorials • Obituaries • Agriculture • Throwback
Citizen
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Thursday, March 25, 2021
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Volume 37 No. 12
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12,000 get jab in H-P By Denny Scott The Citizen
Marking the break Normally students would have returned to school from March Break as of Monday, however, due to the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on the school year, the March Break has become the April Break and will happen the week of April 12. To honour the “March Break That Wasn’t”, Hullett Central Public School’s student leadership team held a full week of spirit days. The days included a Gratitude and Gum Day on Monday, March 15, Hat Day on March 16, Green
Day on March 17 to help celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, Class Colour Day on March 18 and Crazy Sock Day on March 19 in recognition of World Down Syndrome Day which fell on Sunday. Above, Mrs. Ireland’s class marked Crazy Sock Day in fine fashion, Clockwise from top-centre are Lauralei Shortreed, Lauren Wharton, Mrs. Ireland, Clara Storey, Lainey Stryker, Elektra Kalos Venardatos, Addison Hoekmeijer, Lilly West, Scott Hubbard and Liam Fraser. (Denny Scott photo)
2020 ‘Sunshine List’ tops 8,200 names By Denny Scott The Citizen The Province of Ontario released its “Sunshine List” for 2020, or the Public Sector Salary Disclosure document, last week including 8,225 entries. The document lists all public sector employees making more than $100,000 last year, and hundreds of locals have made the list. The top three earners across the province this year all work for Ontario Power Generation (OPG). The list is topped by Kenneth Hartwick, President and Chief Executive Officer for OPG, who earned a salary of $1,228,517.00 and taxable benefits of $7,539.84. His $1.2 million salary is just shy of a $300,000 raise from 2019, when he was second on the list with a salary of $929,763.51. The province’s second-highest earner is Dominique Miniere, outgoing Nuclear President of OPG,
who earned a salary of $1,131,767.04 for nine months of service. In 2019, Miniere earned $563,968.29, less than half of his 2020 salary, for 10 months of service in the same position. Sean Granville, Chief Operations Officer and Chief Nuclear Officer for OPG, was the province’s thirdhighest earner, with a salary of $901,606.32. Last year, he made the list as Deputy-Chief Nuclear Officer with a salary of $792,195.96. Locally, a number of organizations have seen significant increases in the number of employees on the list. Up 250 per cent from 2019, there are 161 individuals in the Huron Perth Healthcare Alliance on the list. Last year, there were 64. In previous years, the list has contained 66 employees from the organization in 2018, 44 in 2017 and 36 in 2016. Associate Pathologists Barry Sawka and Sharyn Smith topped the
list with each earning a salary of $342,261.02. Technically, President and Chief Executive Officer Andrew Williams made less than the two pathologists at $336,052.54 salary paid, however he had $14,543.04 in benefits, putting his total above those of Smith and Sawka. The Board of Health for the Huron Perth Health Unit has 21 entries on the list, topped by Medical Officer of Health and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Miriam Klassen, who earned a $387,936.83 salary last year. Director of Corporate Services Julie Pauli was the second-highest earner with $173,048.40 in salary and $605.91 in benefits. Director Christina Taylor was third with $156,938.58 in salary. The Alexandra Marine and General Hospital had 19 people on the list, up from 12 in both 2019 and 2018. Topping the list for the hospital was CEO and President Bruce Quigley at $175,594.15 in salary.
The second-highest earner was Jimmy Trieu, Acting President and Chief Executive Officer, and Vice-President of Corporate Services and Chief Information Officer, who earned $129,657.47. Samantha Marsh was the thirdhighest earner with a salary of $126,613.68. The Wingham and District Hospital had 13 individuals on the list, nearly double the seven that were on the 2019 disclosure. The highest earner was Registered Nurse Deborah Ritchie, who earned $148,239.35. Registered Nurse Madelaine Deitner was the secondhighest earner with $141,431.95 in salary. Chief Financial Officer Barb Major-McEwan was the thirdhighest earner on the list with a salary of $135,208.75. The Listowel Memorial Hospital had 22 entries on the list, significantly up from the 13 entries it had in 2019 and 2018. The Continued on page 15
Over the past week, Huron Perth Public Health hit a milestone having administered over 10,000 COVID19 vaccines. As of Monday, HPPH had administered 11,987 doses, including first and second doses. According to the organization’s website, that number includes both Huron and Perth County residents immunized outside of the area as well as doses given at HPPH clinics, which can include both residents and non-residents. HPPH has also administered 114,807 tests. As of Monday, vaccine eligibility in Huron and Perth Counties had been extended to those who will turn 75 this year to those who are 79 years old. All healthcare workers are also eligible as of Monday morning. Similar to when vaccine appointments first opened for residents 80 years or older, the booking system wasn’t available for long. During a teleconference on Monday, Huron Perth Medical Officer of Health Dr. Miriam Klassen said there was a spike in usage due to the new eligibility, which resulted in some technical issues. To “make sure everyone gets the smoothest experience” the system was taken down and relaunched Tuesday morning. HPPH announced that residents may continue to register for vaccines once the booking system is reopened through the Huron Perth Public Health website at www.hpph.ca/vaccinebooking or by calling 1-833-753-2098. During a teleconference last Thursday, Klassen reported that the prophesized third wave had not hit Huron and Perth Counties, but that it could arrive soon. “Everything doesn’t happen at the same time,” she said. “Huron and Perth aren’t in the third wave. In other regions, however, case counts have gone up and hospitalizations and ICU hospitalizations have gone up. I think a third wave has probably started. How big it will be and how far it will spread depends on many factors.” During that press conference last week, Klassen also addressed the possibility of nearby areas entering lockdowns, focusing on areas around Toronto and Niagara. “We’ll continue to watch case counts and the pressures in our hospitals and ICUs,” she said. “There truly are no walls. When another region is struggling with Continued on page 2