Western University announced Monday it had dropped its mandatory mask policy due to the Ontario Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH) issuing a “promising update” on respiratory illnesses including COVID. In a Feb. 6 website statement, the university said, “Effective today, Western will move from mandating masks in instructional spaces to strongly encouraging masks in crowded indoor…

Western University in London, Ont., has revoked its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy as of Nov. 29. “Based on the latest consultation with our medical experts and local public health, we are revoking our vaccination policy and will no longer require students, employees, and visitors to be vaccinated to come to campus,” Western said in a release…

Former Bank of Canada governor Stephen Poloz says the effect of interest rate hikes will be larger than people anticipate. Speaking at a conference in Ottawa hosted by Western University’s Ivey Business School, the former governor warns today’s economy is more sensitive to interest rates than it was 10 years ago. Poloz estimates annual inflation…

Commentary The decision came as a shock, in spite of it being a near certainty. On Sept. 23, an application challenging Western University’s COVID-19 vaccine booster policy was dismissed by the Ontario Superior Court of Justice. The lawyers for the applicants (five Western students) argued that the booster itself was not a “lawfully authorized activity,”…

The University of Western Ontario Staff Association (UWOSA) has filed a policy grievance to challenge Western University’s COVID-19 vaccination policy, saying that the mandatory three-dose requirement is both a violation of the collective agreement and the province’s human rights law. “UWOSA acknowledges that the current policy is unreasonable for our members and is a breach of…

Jason Falbo said he has made the difficult decision to withdraw from his doctorate program at Western University after nearly seven years of study after the university announced a COVID-19 vaccine policy that mandates three shots for all staff and students. On Aug. 22, the London, Ontario, university released its latest COVID-19 vaccine policy, requiring…

Hundreds of students marched across the campus of Western University on Aug. 27 in protest against its COVID-19 vaccine policy that makes it the only university in Canada to mandate three shots for all staff and students. Students leading the march were seen carrying a banner reading “Enough Is Enough” while chanting those words. The…