Health: 1)Mosquitoes collected in Barrie test positive for West Nile virus: SMDHU; 2)Federal government invests $24 million for cannabis and brain health research; 3)Central Ontario hospitals unite to expand research opportunities closer to home

1)Mosquitoes collected in Barrie test positive for West Nile virus: SMDHU

Source Barrie 360, August 11, 2026

By Ian MacLennan,

The Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit (SMDHU) says the virus was also recently detected in a bird and a horse in Simcoe Muskoka.

“Currently, no human cases have been confirmed in Simcoe Muskoka in 2026,” the health unit said in a news release on Tuesday.

The health unit is reminding residents to take precautions, especially as the risk is highest in late summer.

These measures are recommended to take precautions against West Nile virus:

Use an insect repellent approved for use in Canada and follow the label instructions.

Wear light-coloured clothing and cover exposed skin with long sleeves, long pants, socks and a hat when mosquitoes are present.

Remove standing water around your home to reduce mosquito breeding.

Make sure window and door screens are in good condition to keep mosquitoes out.

Most people infected with West Nile virus don’t develop symptoms, but health officials say some can become seriously ill. Symptoms can include fever, severe headache, muscle weakness, stiff neck, confusion and sensitivity to light.

The health unit continues to monitor mosquitoes across Simcoe Muskoka through trapping and testing.

For more information about West Nile virus, visit smdhu.org/WNv.

2)Federal government invests $24 million for cannabis and brain health research

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Nicole Ireland, August 12, 2026

Federal Minister of Health Marjorie Michel has announced $24 million to create the Canadian Cannabis and Brain Health Consortium.

Funded through the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, the group of 10 research teams from across Canada will work together to study how cannabis affects the brain in people of various ages.

The consortium, announced Wednesday, aims to establish scientific evidence about both potential benefits and harms of cannabis, including its effects on epilepsy, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, sleep, mental health and brain development in youth and during pregnancy.

Dr. Patricia Conrod, scientific director at CIHR’s Institute of Neurosciences, Mental Health and Addiction, says the researchers will also recruit more than 3,000 people of all ages and collect data about brain function, mental health and substance use across the lifespan.

She says that data will be open for other Canadian researchers to use in their own studies about cannabis.

Conrod says Canadian research on cannabis and its health effects geared up after the drug was legalized in 2018, but there are still many gaps in knowledge the researchers will address.

“It’s bringing together Canada’s top brain health and cannabis researchers in order to really bring us to another place in terms of understanding the potential benefits and the potential harms of cannabis use for our population,” she said.

The 10 research team leaders for the consortium are from Université de Sherbrooke, Université de Montréal, McGill University, Dalhousie University, McMaster University, University of Waterloo and the University of Calgary.

Canadian Press health coverage receives support through a partnership with the Canadian Medical Association. CP is solely responsible for this content.

3)Central Ontario hospitals unite to expand research opportunities closer to home

Courtesy Barrie360.com and News Release

By Staff, August 11, 2026

Patients in Central Ontario could soon have greater access to clinical research and innovative healthcare studies thanks to a new partnership among hospitals across Simcoe-Muskoka and Grey-Bruce.

The Central Ontario Research Ethics Board (CO-REB) brings together several hospitals under a shared system for reviewing and approving research involving human participants.

The initiative is designed to help community hospitals participate more efficiently in clinical trials, frontline healthcare research and innovative care projects, while maintaining strict ethical and safety standards for patients.

Participating hospitals include Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH), Brightshores Health System, Collingwood General and Marine Hospital, Georgian Bay General Hospital and Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare.

Research Ethics Boards provide oversight for studies involving people, ensuring research is conducted safely and ethically while protecting participants’ rights, dignity and well-being. Under the new model, hospitals will be able to use a single ethics review process for studies taking place across participating sites.

Hospital leaders say the shared approach will reduce duplication, lower costs and speed up the launch of research projects throughout the region.

“This is an exciting step forward for hospitals, researchers, and communities across our region,” said Dr. Nancy Trimble, retired family doctor and CO-REB Chair. “When hospitals work together, we can create sustainable pathways for patients to access research opportunities closer to where they receive care.”

The regional board builds on RVH’s existing Research Ethics Board, expanding it into a shared governance model that can support multiple healthcare organizations.

According to organizers, the initiative addresses a long-standing challenge facing community hospitals. While more than 65 per cent of Ontario’s hospitalized patients receive care in community hospitals, access to formal research infrastructure has traditionally been concentrated in larger academic centres.

Susan Marlin, President of Clinical Trials Ontario, said the partnership will strengthen research capacity across the region.

“Community hospitals are essential to expanding Ontario’s clinical trials ecosystem, but they need practical infrastructure that helps them participate efficiently and consistently,” Marlin said. “By supporting shared ethics review across community hospitals, CO-REB helps make more sites trial-ready, reduces duplication, improves study start-up, and maintains strong protections for research participants.”

Organizers say the framework has been designed to expand over time, allowing additional hospitals and healthcare teams to join the network. They hope the model will help create a more connected research environment and ensure patients in rural and smaller communities have a greater role in shaping healthcare research that reflects local needs.

The launch of CO-REB marks a significant step toward bringing more research opportunities, clinical trials and healthcare innovation closer to home for residents across Central Ontario.