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Shopping for medical grade masks? Here’s how to avoid the counterfeit trap

Aug 1, 2022 , , , , by shlf

Most Canadian consumers have fallen prey to those who hawk knockoff or counterfeit goods. Fortunately, the repercussions of buying a fake Rolex are minor.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) and respirators are another story, and since demand for these items spiked at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, dubious suppliers have taken advantage of scarcity and consumers’ desperation by selling counterfeit versions. Consumers unfamiliar with the world of medical device regulation can be easy prey.

“I think for Canadians, and for consumers around the world, we haven’t had to think about medical devices and PPE,” said Carmen Francis, a lawyer who specializes in international trade law with Toronto-based McCarthy Tétrault LLP, “so there’s a general lack of familiarity with the spectrum of regulations.”

Ontarians are encouraged by the provincial and federal governments to use non-medical masks in public indoor spaces and when physical distancing is hard to achieve, but for those facing situations where N95 masks are recommended, using an authentic product could mean the difference between health and sickness, or worse.

Here is some advice for avoiding counterfeit N95 and KN95 masks.

Know what you’re looking for

N95 masks filter out at least 95 per cent of airborne particles; that’s where the “95” comes from. KN95 filters are supposed to do the same. The difference is that while N95 filters are the U.S. and Canadian standard for respirator masks, KN95 are the Chinese standard.

All legitimate N95 masks — and some counterfeit ones — will bear the stamp of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). KN95 masks do not.

“PPE” Personal protective equipment, including N95 masks and latex gloves, have been in high demand since the pandemic was declared. – Richard Lautens/Torstar file photo

While Health Canada has approved KN95 masks for use as respirators here, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warns they may not be as effective as N95 masks because most use an ear loop design that makes it harder to achieve a proper fit required for a mask to be effective than the headband design used by authentic N95 masks.

Look for supplier red flags

When shopping for a mask online, Francis said for legal reasons, consumers should stick to dealing with authorized third-party suppliers, rather than trying to import masks directly from an overseas manufacturer.

“As a consumer it’s a licensed activity, importing medical devices,” she said.

Shopping for masks in an online marketplace such as eBay or Amazon can work, Francis said, but presents a greater risk of fraud.

In June, 3M corporation filed a lawsuit against a third-party Amazon seller called KMJ Trading for allegedly selling marked-up, counterfeit N95 masks.

Francis said consumers shopping for masks in an online marketplace should look at the seller’s reviews and sale history to look for red flags and establish how long they’ve been selling PPE and respirators for.

“If they’ve only been selling masks for a couple months or had no prior history selling PPE before the pandemic that is a bit of a red flag,” she said, adding that consumers should buy from sellers who were squarely situated within the PPE market before the onset of the pandemic. She also advised against purchasing PPE and respirators from suppliers who also sell goods that are not at all related to PPE.

Visually inspect masks

Whether shopping for masks online or in person, consumers should do their best to look for signs of authenticity — or fraudulence — on masks and packaging before making a purchase.

Francis said one of the first things to look for on an N95 mask is the NIOSH logo.

“If the packaging bears NIOSH approval markings that’s a helpful sign,” she said. “We have seen instances where counterfeit goods are also using those same NIOSH claims, so you have to do some digging beyond that.”

Health Canada says genuine N95 respirators should also contain a testing and certification (TC) approval number, which is set by NIOSH, a model number and the name of the manufacturer. The government agency advises consumers to look at product markings such as the name of the manufacturer for obvious signs the product is counterfeit, such as spelling mistakes.

If a mask or mask packing is also stamped with a medical device establishment number (MDEL) or a licence number, you should be able to search for it in a NIOSH or Health Canada database to confirm that the product is genuine.

Search official databases

Because some fraudulent suppliers have been accused of selling counterfeit masks with falsified approval markings, like the NIOSH stamp of approval, Francis said consumers should ensure respirators are the real deal by cross referencing them with official databases in Canada and the U.S.

“There are some diligence steps we would recommend,” she said. “The U.S. NIOSH does maintain a database … likewise Health Canada maintains a daily list of authorized medical devices that can be used for COVID-approved purposes.”

Consumers can search for approved N95 and KN95 masks in Health Canada’s using the manufacturer name.

Health Canada also keeps a because they are either counterfeit or do not meet the 95 per cent filtration rate requirement.

Although KN95 and other internationally equivalent masks are not approved by NIOSH and won’t bear a NIOSH stamp, the U.S. National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL) has assessed the filtration rates of nearly 400 KN95 masks.

You can see which masks achieved the minimum 95 per cent filtration rate and which didn’t on the . The same page also includes a table of KN95 masks manufacturers that are known to have been counterfeited.

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Second lockdown ‘not what we want to see’: Anxiety runs high for Alliston business owners as second wave begins

Apr 26, 2022 , , , , by shlf

COVID-19 cases are rapidly re-surging across the province, causing anxiety among many business owners who struggled to make it through the first wave of the pandemic.

So far, the hot spots have been limited to Toronto, Peel Region and Ottawa, but it’s possible Simcoe County could join that list if the virus continues to spread.

In an effort to reduce the cases, these areas were rolled back to a modified version of the Stage 2 restrictions, resulting in the closure of indoor dining at restaurants, gyms and movie theatres.

Gina Facca, chief operating officer of Imagine Cinemas, which operates 10 locations across the province, including one in Alliston, said moviegoers returned this summer to see films like Tenet and Unhinged.

With many new movies having been delayed to next year, the theatre started showing older films, but they didn’t bring in enough people in to cover costs.

The theatre also started offering bubble screenings for small groups or families, but business has still been slow.

“We have a wonderful little cinema in Alliston and we really hope that folks will come out to support us now, when we really need it,” she said.

With Hollywood moving many of the blockbusters to 2021, and the prospect of another lockdown becoming a possibility, she expects it will be very difficult for all cinemas to make it to next year.

Christine Molenaar, owner of the Circle Theatre, called the province’s decision to close theatres in the hot spots “frustrating and disappointing,” noting there have been no known transmissions of the virus in theatres.

She said the theatre will continue to operate until ordered otherwise. Currently, the large auditorium has a capacity limit of 50 people, leaving lots of room to physically distance.

“The Circle Theatre is a beloved landmark to our community and we believe with creative business ideas and community support, we will get through whatever the next months to years have in store for us, but there are definitely challenging times ahead,” she said.

Lori Matthews, manager of Home Decor and More, said the owners decided to close the furniture showroom to the public at the start of the pandemic and focus on online sales.

She said the company was fortunate to have a big online presence before the pandemic started.

“We are just riding it out, and it’s working,” she said.

Dan Barker, operations manager for Anytime Fitness in Alliston, said the gym has been busy since reopening this summer and the business is making a slow, but steady recovery.

“While a second lockdown of all gyms across the province is not what we want to see, we will respect the direction and be ready to welcome back our members again when given the clearance,” he said.

Sandra Lambie, owner of Williams and The Coop Public House and Foodiary, said diners were slow to return to the restaurants since indoor dining was permitted, and sales have dipped again now that the case counts are rising again.

She will have a heated and covered patio at Williams this fall and winter, but there won’t be any outdoor dining at The Coop.

She has been encouraged by the more targeted approach the province is taking, and how Premier Doug Ford has acknowledged the impact these decisions have on business owners and people’s mental health.

“The uncertainty for me is what causes the most anxiety, and having somebody else dictate how you should be running your business,” she said.

Story behind the story: With the province having moved some areas back into Stage 2, Simcoe.com wanted to check in with local businesses to see how they would handle another lockdown in the event Simcoe County becomes a COVID-19 hot spot.

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What will the homeless do? As temperature drops during COVID-19 pandemic, Barrie shelters prepare for influx

Oct 29, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The weather is turning and many of Barrie’s homeless residents will soon be seeking shelter from the cold, if they haven’t already.

While many of the organizations that assist Barrie’s most vulnerable people are well-established, they’ve never had to adapt their services to the unique circumstances of a deadly pandemic over an entire winter season. So what challenges are they facing?

“We are absolutely seeing an increase in demand at our Barrie shelters as a result of COVID-19,” said Jennifer van Gennip, Simcoe County Alliance to End Homelessness Barrie chapter chair. “This can be attributed to increased releases from corrections and health-care facilities, and an increase of ‘visible homelessness’ from ‘hidden homelessness’ — folks who were couch surfing or staying with friends or family before the pandemic hit, but were forced out due to distancing requirements and concerns.”

She said several local shelters are already reaching their capacity limits. About 50-60 people who sleep outside are being supported by outreach teams right now.

Some local shelters, like Youth Haven, have moved emergency programs into local motels or hotels in an effort to adapt to COVID-19 distancing restrictions.

The County of Simcoe has responded to the needs of many of these organizations by providing funding to support this adapted shelter model.

“Winter is going to be a challenging time for all of us,” Youth Haven executive director Lucy Gowers said. “Are we prepared? I’d like to think that we are. But we’re learning now to expect the unexpected. We’re going to do whatever we have to do in order to keep youth from having to sleep in the cold in the dead of winter. I don’t think we’re going to turn anyone away.”

Prior to COVID-19, Youth Haven had 25 beds available; that number dropped slightly due to pandemic restrictions, though the organization has focused on moving youths quickly into more permanent housing solutions, which is steadily freeing up shelter capacity.

Salvation Army Bayside Mission is putting extra effort into finding permanent housing for its men’s shelter clients, as well, and collaborating with local governments to open more warming centres.

“We’re really working as a community to find solutions,” executive director Capt. Stephanie Watkinson said. “The cold-weather months are usually our higher months; we’re trying to prepare.”

The shelter has gone from 46 on-site beds to 31 since the start of the pandemic.

Bayside serves roughly 400 meals per day, Watkinson said, and staff are looking at ways to better insulate take-away containers to keep that food warm.

There have been no COVID-19 cases in the county linked to the shelter system, van Gennip said.

However, shelters are often understaffed and limited in the number of volunteers they can accept. Meanwhile, employees are “exhausted” and “traumatized” by elements of their jobs these days, she said.

“Many of the people coming to the shelter have much higher medical, addictions and mental-health needs than shelter staff are trained and equipped to address,” van Gennip said. “They are being asked to carry too much of the weight of the COVID-19 impact on our city’s homeless community; it is not sustainable.”

So how can you help?

Amid uncertainty around just how successful the annual kettle drive can be this year, the Salvation Army is appealing for monetary contributions. Youth Haven, the Barrie area’s only emergency shelter for youths experiencing homelessness, wants bus passes, grocery-store gift cards and clothing donations for its clients.

“We’re probably spending at least ($50,000) a month just on food,” Watkinson said. “It doesn’t take long to use up funds. The best way to help is the financial support so we can continue to provide food and other necessities.”

Long term, the key to solving the city’s homeless issue lies in building affordable housing.

“Our shelters are warehousing a number of people who should just be housed,” van Gennip said. “It’s an easy trap to look at the full shelters and say, ‘We need more shelter beds.’ In my opinion, Barrie doesn’t need a 130-bed shelter this winter; we need a 10 (to) 20 bed shelter and 120 (to) 130 new units of deeply affordable housing with supports — small units that rent for $390 (per) month, because that is how much a single person on Ontario Works receives each month as a shelter allowance.” 

For more information, or to offer support, visit , or .

STORY BEHIND THE STORY: This will be the first full winter in which the Barrie area deals with the COVID-19 pandemic. Simcoe.com wanted to see how local shelters and organizations that assist the homeless are preparing for the unique challenges that lie ahead.

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Booze industry sends Doug Ford a message in a bottle with an SOS

Oct 27, 2021 , , , , by shlf

It’s not the first time a message in a bottle has been used to send out an SOS.

But in this case, SOS stands for spirits on shelves.

As Premier Doug Ford’s Progressive Conservatives liberalize liquor licensing laws in Ontario, distillers want Queen’s Park to level the playing field for them.

Spirits Canada has delivered bottles to MPPs containing more than 2,000 letters urging the province to allow the sale of whisky, brandy, gin, vodka, and rum on supermarket shelves.

“While the world would be a better place if each of these bottles were filled with world-class Ontario spirits, we have an important message to deliver from not only consumers, but also distillers and grain farmers in our province,” Spirits Canada president and CEO Jan Westcott said.

“It’s only fair Ontario distillers and grain farmers are afforded the same opportunity as vintners and brewers to showcase their work,” said Westcott. 

“The stakes are high for the spirits industry,” he said, noting the sector supports 6,000 jobs in the province and more than 225,000 tons of Ontario-grown grain is used by distillers.

“Our province needs to treat spirits as fairly as it treats beer and wine for the continued vitality of everyone deeply ingrained in the industry.”

Under former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne, the province allowed 450 grocery stores to sell beer and wine, but spirits remained the exclusive purview of the 666-outlet Liquor Control Board of Ontario monopoly.

But because of the COVID-19 pandemic, which has devastated the hospitality industry, Ford’s government has allowed restaurants and bars to sell beer, wine, and spirits to go.

Initially a temporary measure that would have expired at the end of the year, the Tories .

A Campaign Research survey for the Star in June found nearly three-quarters of Ontarians — 73 per cent — backed allowing restaurants and bars to offer takeout alcohol.

Only 16 per cent opposed the off-licence sales, which took effect March 26, while 12 per cent had no opinion.

Thousands of struggling restaurants and bars across the province have embraced the change, which has transformed many of them into boutique bottle shops.

Because the LCBO continues to control all wine and spirits distribution, the treasury’s bottom line does not appear to be adversely affected.

Most bars get their suds from the privately owned Beer Store.

In May, Ford, himself a teetotaller, signalled that the pandemic has forced a rethink of many businesses.

“There’s going to be a lot of things, as we say, the new way of business — and not only in government, but in the private sector, too,” he said at the time.

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter:

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Barrie council holds moment of silence in honour of slain OPP Const. Marc Hovingh

Oct 25, 2021 , , , , by shlf

It was a small, solemn token of gratitude for an officer’s ultimate sacrifice.

Barrie council members paid tribute to OPP Const. Marc Hovingh with a moment of silence at the start of their meeting Nov. 23. Hovingh, who grew up in the city, died in the line of duty following a shootout on a property in Gore Bay on Manitoulin Island last week.

“I’d like to express our deepest condolences to the friends, family and colleagues of the fallen officer,” Mayor Jeff Lehman said. “He was a very active member within his community and his church.”

Hovingh attended Timothy Christian School, but his family moved away from Barrie before he finished high school, Lehman said.

Earlier in the day, , including members of the city’s police and fire departments, lined bridges over Hwy. 400 to honour Hovingh, whose body had been brought to Toronto for an autopsy and was being taken back to Manitoulin Island in a hearse accompanied by two police cruisers.

Hovingh, a 28-year veteran of the OPP, is survived by his wife and four children.

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Martin Regg Cohn: Money is distorting Ontario’s democracy. Here’s how Doug Ford can fix that

Oct 22, 2021 , , , , by shlf

Pandemics are bad for politics.

Fundraising dinners are suspended and ordinary donors are upended. That leaves the major parties desperate for fat-cat developers to make up the difference.

Money politics is the ugly underside of democracy — outstretched hands and greasing of palms. But .

Yes, the crisis is straining campaign financing. But it is also constraining campaign spending.

Quite apart from the sudden shortfalls in fundraising, it’s the sharp limitations of physical distancing that have redrawn the map for politicians, who can no longer roam far and wide to reach voters, let alone hit up donors. Which is why the pandemic is, paradoxically, a prescription to cleanse our politics of accumulated toxins.

We tried once before. Back in 2016, after a the wild west of Ontario fundraising, the previous Liberal government abuses — so that politicians from all parties could cater to voter interests, not .

But Doug Ford’s Tories unilaterally after they took power two years later, revoking public financing of political parties (modest “per-vote” subsidies based on most recent election results). Now, COVID-19 has changed the equation.

Fundraising is falling on deaf ears because ordinary Ontarians are out of pocket. Which leaves deep-pocketed developers whispering in the ears of desperate politicians.

With the benefit of hindsight, the premier has every reason to restore the “per-vote” allocations that he unilaterally phased out (scheduled to end next year). And with a little foresight, Ford could go even further in leading a cleanup of dirty money.

The perfect storm of a pandemic is the ideal time for the premier to curb excessive campaign spending, better reflecting the virtual world of COVID-19. Why allow parties to spend (and therefore raise) as much as $10 million for a provincial election campaign that amounts to overkill?

Amid COVID-19, we are entering a new world of political outreach and campaign marketing that is more digital than ever before. The premier could make the best of a pandemic by forcing all politicians to collectively clean up their act — with sharp new limits on how much they spend to grease their lumbering campaign machines.

The major parties already spend too much money to raise money. All those sumptuous fundraising dinners are obscenely inefficient ways to attract donors — with big sums (and fine wine) poured down the drain to keep the cash flowing, while politicians waste time prostituting themselves.

As for those costly and clunky whistle-stop campaigns, they are whistling past the political graveyard. Just ask Ford, who ditched the traditional “leader’s tour” in the 2018 election, forsaking the customary chartered aircraft and customized bus, while eschewing the companion “media bus” laid on (for a hefty fee) for travelling reporters. The leader’s tour tends to be a “loss leader” for parties keen to get “earned media” (coverage), but most cash-starved outlets dropped anyway (the Star was often one of the few organizations to tag along).

Prohibitively expensive television advertising is fading as rival parties opt for more targeted social media channels and other digital vectors. Today’s technology allows campaigns to harvest hundreds of thousands of cellphone numbers for a song, identifying potential voters with a simple text message.

Large election rallies are today populated mostly by weary campaign volunteers trying to create the illusion of support (those Donald Trump rallies are an anomaly and anachronism). Spared the expense of renting large halls, chartering transportation, and spending on big media buys, provincial campaigns are overdue for downsizing — while rightsizing “per-vote subsidies” to shore up the gap.

The 2016 campaign finance reforms belatedly and wisely banned corporate and union donations, but compensated the parties for the funding gap with a “per-vote” public subsidy of $2.71 per ballot cast. Based on the results of the 2018 election, the victorious Tories were in line to receive $6.3 million annually while the NDP would get $5.2 million, the Liberals about $3 million, and the Greens around $700,000 — until Ford overruled his own party by phasing them out.

Oh, and let’s stop calling them subsidies — an outdated misnomer — and refer to them more accurately as voter “allocations.” In fact, we already heavily subsidize contributions from the most affluent Ontarians thanks to generous tax credits (starting at 75 per cent of the donation), so why not level the playing field by letting every taxpayer’s vote count with a “per-vote subsidy” rather than a “rich voter subsidy?”

The premier should restore those public funding allocations (even if it means dialing down the old “subsidies” that enrich the most affluent donors), while also reducing campaign spending limits. A true populist would ensure that all political parties wasted less money at campaign time — and wasted less time on raising money at other times.

Just as COVID-19 is upturning the economics of business, it is changing the business of politics. Ontario needs to finish what it started in 2016, responding to the recent strain on private fundraising with a new constraint on party spending — and a matching increase in public funding.

The virus of dirty money can distort democracy in the best of times. Now, in the worst of times, the deadly COVID-19 virus can disrupt our democracy for the better.

Martin Regg Cohn is a Toronto-based columnist covering Ontario politics for the Star. Follow him on Twitter:

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Cutting-edge foot care: New business aims to keep nails and feet healthy in Collingwood

Oct 8, 2021 , , , , by shlf

A new business in Collingwood is hoping to fill the need for advanced nail and foot care services in the area.

is now open at ., Suite 203 in the Rexall building, as part of the McNabb Health Care Centre.

Owners Cindy Boyd and Marjanna Palmer are looking to offer cutting-edge foot care.

In addition to pampering pedicures, basic toenail trims and files and sports pedicures, they also have knowledge in lower limb diseases and disorders, and provide services for diabetic and immune-compromised clients. 

They also offer mobile in-home foot-care service.

The company sells a variety of related products, such as compression garments, footwear, diabetic socks and shoes.

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‘There’s a lot of people in need’: Collingwood furniture bank raising cash to replace moving truck

Oct 7, 2021 , , , , by shlf

The Georgian Bay Furniture Bank provides free furniture to those in need across south Georgian Bay.

Whether a family has lost everything in a fire or an individual is escaping homelessness, they accept and distribute donated furniture.

Elizabeth Gordaneer, one of the volunteers for the organization, said they’ve filled their four storage units and “cleaned them out” four times since August.

“There’s a lot of people in need,” she said.

She said people who can find an affordable place to live are “moving in with little or no furniture.”

However, the furniture bank is in need itself. The truck it uses to pull a moving trailer recently broke down, and more than $5,000 must be raised to replace it.

A page sits at about $4,700, which will cover the purchase and repair cost of the vehicle. Any additional money will help pay for storage fees.

“I’m actually in awe that we’re already at $4,700,” she said. “Without that truck, we can’t move anything. It’s been amazing.”

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‘There is no Team Blue, Orange, Red or Green’: Premier Doug Ford discusses COVID-19 response with party leaders

Oct 7, 2021 , , , , by shlf

It’s a sign of the times.

As Ontario’sinfections soar, Premier Doug Ford invited political rivals to huddle in his Queen’s Park office Wednesday to discuss the pandemic response.

“We have the best plan in the country and we are ready to respond as the situation on the ground changes,” Ford told reporters before the meeting with Liberal Leader Steven Del Duca, Green Leader Mike Schreiner, and NDP MPP John Vanthof, standing in for leader Andrea Horwath.

“We have the best and the brightest minds working together on this. We have an army of front-line heroes helping to deliver this plan. But we’ll need everyone pulling in the same direction,” the premier said.

After the closed-door 45-minute meeting, Ford’s office called it a “productive discussion” that underscored “the importance of putting partisanship aside during this extremely difficult and unprecedented situation.”

“As the premier has said before, there is no Team Blue, Orange, Red or Green when it comes to the health and well-being of the people of Ontario. He pressed that a Team Ontario approach is crucial in our fight against the spread of COVID-19.”

Del Duca said he was encouraged that Ford agreed with his suggestion that “these Team Ontario meetings between the opposition leaders, premier and senior cabinet ministers should occur on a regular basis moving forward.”

Health Minister Christine Elliot, Finance Minister Rod Phillips, and Dr. David Williams, the chief medical officer of health, were also at the meeting.

The Liberal leader implored the premier “to focus on expanding lab capacity for testing (and) boost … pay for front-line workers in our nursing homes.”

Del Duca’s office said he and Ford “agreed that the pandemic should be the number one priority of all political parties and that more needs to be done to boost Ontario’s economic recovery.”

Vanthof (Timiskaming-Cochrane) pinch hit for Horwath, who had a long-scheduled medical appointment.

“I have a lot of respect for the premier’s office and for the premier,” said the NDP’s deputy chief.

“But he was the one who brought up politics after insisting he doesn’t want to be partisan. He said he likes NDP supporters because they vote for him,” the MPP said.

“I didn’t mention a political party — he did,” said Vanthof.

On Twitter, Schreiner said he “voiced concerns from constituents about the delay in delivering a second wave plan.”

“I urged the premier to meet with the opposition again so we can work through ‪COVID-19 together.”

Robert Benzie is the Star’s Queen’s Park bureau chief and a reporter covering Ontario politics. Follow him on Twitter:

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Stouffville man charged with dangerous operation causing death in connection with fatal Blue Mountains crash

Sep 29, 2021 , , , , by shlf

A Whitchurch-Stouffville man is facing a series of charges in connection with a fatal collision in September.

The crash occurred on Sept. 3 on Grey Road 19 near the Blue Mountain Inn.

Police told Simcoe.com, an Audi sedan collided with a tree. The driver lost control on the road, the vehicle flipped several times and landed on its roof.

Two of the passengers in the vehicle died and the driver of the car was transported to an area hospital and later airlifted to a Toronto area hospital with serious injuries.

A 24-year-old Whitchurch-Stouffville man has been charged with two counts of dangerous operation causing death, two counts of impaired driving causing death and two counts of over 80 causing death as well as driving while under suspension.

He is slated to appear in Owen Sound court on Jan. 14.