Local
CTV Ottawa: Staffing shortages saw two classes at Ottawa’s Roberta Bondar Public School sit empty on Thursday.
The lack of teachers left working parents scrambling for child care.
A letter from the school states, “Despite our best efforts, we have not been able to secure enough replacement staff to cover all classes.”
Since early November the Ottawa Carleton District School board has closed 173 classes due to a shortage of staff.
In an effort to mitigate the issue, Ontario’s Ministry of Education has changed the rules to allow retired teachers to spend more time in the classroom. They may now work up to 95 days a year without violating pension rules, rather than the previous 50 days.
National
CTV News: The final report into the 2020 mass shooting that killed 22 people in Nova Scotia will be released today.
The federal-provincial inquiry examined the 13-hour rampage in the community of Portapique, N.S. which ended in the suspect’s death, 55 km south.
The report will be released in Truro, N.S., and hopes to make recommendations as to how to improve community safety nationwide.
International
Global News: The Vatican formally renounced the Doctrine of Discovery on Thursday.
A statement from the Vatican’s development and education offices said the 15th-century decrees, “Did not adequately reflect the equal dignity and rights of Indigenous peoples.”
The Vatican admits the documents had been manipulated for political purposes to justify immoral acts against Indigenous people and seizure of Indigenous lands, and still forms the basis of some property laws today.
They recognize these errors and effects of the colonial-era assimilation policies and ask Indigenous peoples for forgiveness.