Ontario declares measles outbreak over after more than 2,300 infections

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Nicole Ireland, October 9, 2025

A weekly Public Health Ontario epidemiology report says the measles outbreak that began in the province almost a year ago is over. 

The report says Ontario declared the end of the outbreakon Monday using national guidance that says an outbreak is complete 46 days after the onset of a rash in the last case.

It says the last person to get measles linked to the outbreak got the rash on Aug. 21.

The report says 2,375 people had been infected in the outbreak, spanning 26 public health units.

The spread started on Oct. 18 last year after exposure to someone who got measles in New Brunswick.    

One baby died in southwestern Ontario after the mother was infected with measles and gave birth prematurely.  

Another baby died in Alberta’s ongoing outbreak.

Ontario’s report cautions that measles still continues to circulate in Canada, so public health officials continue to be on alert.  

2) Ontario to speed up access to select cancer drugs by up to one year in new pilot

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Hannah Alberga, October 7 2025

Ontario says it will speed up the lengthy approval process for select cancer drugs by up to one year as part of a new pilot project.

Ontario Health Minister Sylvia Jones announced the three-year fast-track program at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre in Toronto.

Jones says seven to 10 high-priority cancer drugs that are approved by Health Canada through Project Orbis will be expedited in each year of the pilot.

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The federal government joined Project Orbis, an international initiative launched in 2019, to get patients promising cancer treatments sooner.

The Ontario Ministry of Health says it takes about two years in Canada for a newly approved drug to reach a patient, a year longer than in other developed countries.

Jones says the province will start the process of publicly funding select new drugs while pan-Canadian pricing negotiations are still underway with drug manufacturers.

Typically, public drug program funding doesn’t begin until after the negotiations.

The pan-Canadian Pharmaceutical Alliance said last week it was seeking input on an early negotiation process that would speed up public drug coverage for Canadian patients.

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

3) How to talk to your parents about home care (and get them to listen)

Courtesy Barrie360.com

By Marie Gagne, October 8, 2025, This Barrie 360 article is brought to by Woodslake Home Care.

You know your parents need more support at home … but how do you talk to them about getting extra care and support? That’s the tricky part.

The topic of home care can feel sensitive … even loaded. For many older adults, accepting help is tied to independence, pride, and even fear of change.

So how do you start the conversation without making it feel like a lecture?

Let’s walk through the steps that can make it easier for both you and your parents.

1. Acknowledge your own emotional load

When you talk to your parents about home care, it isn’t just hard on them. It’s hard on you, too.

It’s common to feel guilt, frustration, or even burnout when you’re trying to support aging parents while balancing your own responsibilities.

Recognize that these emotions are normal. Feeling tired or resentful doesn’t mean you don’t care … it means you’re human. What matters is how you manage those feelings.

Approaching the conversation from a calmer, more compassionate place will make it easier for your parents to hear you. And it will make it easier for you to communicate with patience instead of pressure.

2. Choose the right moment

Timing matters. Don’t try to force the discussion when your parents are stressed, tired, distracted or in a crowd. A calm, private setting (maybe over tea at the kitchen table) creates the space for an honest exchange.

If the conversation starts to feel heated, take a break and revisit it later. Remember, this isn’t a one-time talk. Resistance usually doesn’t melt away in a single conversation and pushing too hard in one sitting can shut things down fast.

3. Recognize resistance as more than “no”

When your parents push back on home care, it’s rarely just stubbornness. Resistance usually comes from deeper fears such as losing privacy, feeling dependent, or worrying their personal values and routines won’t be respected.

Instead of arguing, validate the concern: “I understand why you’d feel that way.” Then look for small steps that give them a sense of control.

This might be a short trial period. Or consider starting with help in non-personal areas like errands or meal prep. This can reduce pressure and make the idea easier to accept.

4. Start with empathy, not instructions

No one likes being told what to do, especially when it involves their own life and routines. Instead of opening with “You need home care,” begin with how they’re feeling. Ask gentle questions like:

“How are things going around the house lately?”

“What’s been hardest for you to manage, day to day?”

“What parts of living here feel more tiring than before?”

“Are there tasks you’d rather not spend energy on anymore?”

By focusing on their perspective, you show that you’re listening … not just swooping in with a solution.

5. Frame it around independence

One of the biggest fears parents have about home care is “losing control.” Flip the narrative: instead of presenting it as giving up independence, position it as the very thing that helps them keep it.

For example:

“Having an assistant come in a few times a week could actually help you stay in this house longer.”

“This way, you’ll have support with the tougher tasks but still make your own choices.”

And remember to emphasize choice. Let your parents decide what tasks to keep doing and what they’d like help with. When home care is seen as a tool for independence, it feels empowering, not restrictive.

6. Share specific benefits

Vague suggestions like “home care will help” don’t stick. Instead, connect the dots between their daily challenges and what support can offer.

For instance:

“Having someone cook a few meals could give you more time and energy for your hobbies.”

“If you had help with laundry and cleaning, you wouldn’t have to be so worried about falling.”

“A companion visit each week might make the days feel less lonely.”

If you can frame these benefits around actual problems and concerns they have shared, this will be even more effective. Concrete examples that relate back to their pain points can make the idea feel practical and relevant, not abstract.

7. Involve them in the decision

The more your parents feel ownership over the choice, the more likely they are to accept it. Present home care as a menu of options, not a mandate. Ask:

“Would you feel more comfortable with someone coming once or twice a week at first?”

“What kinds of tasks would you want help with, and which do you want to keep doing yourself?”

Even small choices, like what time visits happen or which tasks get tackled, can help them feel in charge.This shifts the dynamic from you deciding for them to making the plan together.

8. Suggest a gentle first step

For many seniors, the hardest part isn’t the idea of help … it’s letting a “stranger” into their home. Suggest help with non-personal tasks first. This could include light housekeeping, grocery shopping, meal prep, or rides to appointments.

This approach makes the transition less intimidating and helps build comfort and trust. Once they’ve had a positive experience, they may be more open to expanding support later.

9. Build comfort and trust

If the idea of home care still feels overwhelming for your parents, ease into it.

Start with short trial visits so they can get to know someone new.

Try to ensure consistency, so the same caregiver visits each time.

Stay present for the first few interactions until trust builds.

These small steps can transform the experience from intimidating to reassuring.

10. Be patient and persistent

Acceptance rarely happens in one conversation. Plant the seed, give it time, and revisit the topic gradually. Each talk can chip away at hesitation, especially if you frame it with compassion and respect.

11. Bring in a neutral voice

Sometimes, hearing it from you isn’t enough. Parents may be more receptive if the suggestion comes from a doctor, trusted family friend, or even a care professional. If you sense resistance, ask someone close to them to help them see why home care can be a good thing.

Helping parents see home care as support, not surrender

It can be hard to talk to your parents about home care. But this isn’t about convincing your parents they “need” help. It’s about showing them that help can actually give them more freedom, safety, and peace of mind. By approaching the conversation with empathy, patience, and collaboration, you’ll make it far more likely that they’ll not only hear you out but agree to try it.

British Columbia has tabled historic legislation to smoke out vaping advertising

Courtesy Barrie360.com and Canadian Press

By Wolfgang Depner, October 9, 2025

The British Columbia government has tabled what it says is the first law in Canada to recover health care costs from companies that use “deceptive practices” to sell vaping products.

Attorney General Niki Sharma said Wednesday in Victoria that the legislation is modelled after similar laws the government used to sue tobacco companies and opioid manufacturers.

She said some vaping companies have “engaged in deceptive practices to boost their profits” by marketing their products as safe and sometimes even beneficial, often targeting impressionable youth despite “knowing full well how untrue their claims are.”

“It’s always better when companies don’t do these kinds of things, when they don’t target people with deceptive practices about their products,” Sharma said.

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B.C. was the first province to sue the tobacco companies, and it is “getting better at these lawsuits,” she said.

A recent settlement of $32.5 billion by tobacco companies for Canada will give B.C. $3.6 billion over the next 18 years.

“We are getting better, and we are winning,” Sharma said. “So, this sets us up for being able to take on these companies in court.”

Sharma could not cite a specific figure, when asked whether B.C.’s expected revenue from the future lawsuit would compare with the tobacco settlement.

She said the money from any future litigation would flow into general revenue rather than toward health care.

“It’s all one pot of money that we use to provide services to British Columbia, and our health care has been growing over time,” she said.

Sharma said vaping has been gaining traction in Canada, especially among young people, and its popularity threatens to reverse declining tobacco use, “one of the most important public health achievements of the recent past.”

She says B.C. risks losing a “whole new generation to nicotine addiction.”

Sharma could not attach a specific figure to the costs of vaping to the health care system, but said it costs everybody.

“We know that vaping has been … linked to an increase in respiratory illnesses, increases in long-term addictions, increase in other things like mental health issues and different impacts, especially on young people,” Sharma said.

Education Minister Lisa Beare says the legislation complements measures by the province to help young people understand the risks of vaping and to make educated choices.

The Canadian Vaping Association, which describes itself as “the voice for the burgeoning Canadian vaping industry,” did not immediately reply to a request for comment on the proposed legislation.

The association has said it is “advocating for sensible regulations that balance adult harm reduction with youth protection and education.”

The association said in an online press release dated May 30 that “vaping remains one of the most effective harm reduction tools available,” saying that 1.9 million adults are vaping in Canada.

Sam Tam, president of the Canadian Vaping Association, said it shares Health Canada’s goal of reducing smoking rates to less than five per cent by 2035.

Health Canada says vaping products can help people quit smoking, and switching completely to vaping is less harmful than continuing to smoke.

But it also says that no vaping products have been approved as cessation aids and vaping is “not harmless and not intended for young people.”

It says children and teens are “especially susceptible” to the harmful effects of nicotine, because brain development continues through adolescence and into early adulthood.

The legal age for British Columbians to buy vaping products is 19.

B.C retailers are only allowed to sell vapour products that contain nicotine, nicotine salts or cannabis. It’s illegal to sell vapour products that only contain flavours.