Toronto District School Board will host fewer than half the number of polling stations this election
The Toronto District School Board (TDSB) is hosting fewer than half the number of polling stations for the federal election on Sept. 20, compared to the 2019 federal election, a spokesperson confirmed to CTV News Toronto.
The TDSB is supplying approximately 120 polling stations this election, said Ryan Bird, the school board’s spokesperson. By comparison, last election they hosted 308 polling stations.
"There were some [locations] that were declined as they didn’t meet the requirements set out by Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health," Bird said.
An Elections Canada spokesperson confirmed to CTV News Toronto that fewer schools would be used as polling stations this election.
“Where we will be using schools, they were all carefully chosen to be able to follow COVID-19 protocols. We worked with the Ontario Ministry of Education to follow their criteria for whether a school was suitable for a polling place,” Nathalie de Montigny, an Elections Canada media relations representative, said.
She said the schools chosen must have “a direct path to polling stations, separate entrances and exits and [Election Canada’s] own COVID protocols.”
In addition, de Montigny said many locations used in the past were not available because of the pandemic. This year, Elections Canada is seeking bigger polling locations that offer physical distancing options.
“Some schools were not available and some schools might not have offered the physical distancing required,” she said.
However, Elections Canada said it would not be possible to provide a list of schools that will be hosting polling stations this year because they “do not differentiate,” whether a site is at a school, hotel, community centre, or any other location.
The cutback in TDSB polling stations aligns with an overall drop in locations to vote in the Toronto area this year. In the GTA, eight ridings will have half the number of polling sites this election. Elections Canada said on Friday that the reason for fewer polling stations is partly due to an effort to find larger locations to allow for physical distancing.
The TDSB’s reduced polling sites follows the Toronto Catholic District School Board’s (TCDSB) decision not to supply the around 100 locations that were being considered this election.
“When we have thousands of people coming in and out of the building. Some are vaccinated. Some are not. Who knows,” TCDSB Chair Joseph Martino told CTV News Toronto on Sept. 1.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Foreign meddling 'did not affect' overall federal election results: inquiry report
Foreign interference by China did not affect the overall results of the 2019 and 2021 general elections won by Justin Trudeau's Liberals, a federal commission of inquiry has found.
BREAKING Police arrest 3 in killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar
Three people have been arrested and charged in the killing of B.C. Sikh activist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Why your airfare may be getting more expensive
Skyrocketing airfare prices are linked to heightened competition and rising food and fuel, according to the CAA.
WATCH LIVE Funeral today for broadcasting legend and voice of 'Hockey Night in Canada' Bob Cole
A funeral is being held today for hockey broadcasting legend Bob Cole in his hometown of St. John's, N.L.
Police officer hit by driver of fleeing vehicle in Toronto incident caught on video
York Regional Police say they are continuing to search for a suspect in an auto theft investigation who was captured on video running over a police officer in Toronto last month.
Who is Hope Hicks, longtime Trump aide who is testifying in N.Y. hush money case?
Hope Hicks, once a longtime trusted aide in Donald Trump’s inner circle, is testifying Friday in the New York hush money trial after being subpoenaed.
TD worst-case scenario more likely after drug money laundering allegations: analyst
TD Bank Group could be hit with more severe penalties than previously expected, says a banking analyst after a report that the investigation it faces in the U.S. is tied to laundering illicit fentanyl profits.
Magnitude 4.8 earthquake recorded west of Vancouver Island
A 4.8-magnitude earthquake was reported west of Vancouver Island Thursday evening.
How falling for a stranger she met on a beach led this woman to ditch the U.S. for the French Riviera
Niki Benjamin, from the U.S., had travelled to a paradise island to do some soul searching, and her life ended up going in a very different direction when her dog ran up to a stranger.