Staff writer
kkellar@fortfrances.com
Those who rely on provincially covered eye care could soon find themselves left out in the cold the next time they need an eye exam.
A problem 30 years in the making is coming to a head on September 1, 2021, when optometrists across the province will stop administering any eye exams covered by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan (OHIP). Currently, OHIP covers exams for those 19 and younger, 65 and older and any adults in the province with specific medical problems.
According to the Ontario Association of Optometrists (OAO), after years of the government failing to increase OHIP payments for insurance-covered eye exams – the OAO currently lists the OHIP covered portion at 55 per cent, leaving the other 45 per cent to be covered by the individual optometrist – the majority of optometrists in the province voted to withdraw OHIP covered services in an attempt to bring the government to the bargaining table to increase the OHIP covered portio
Fort Frances, ON, Canada / 93.1 The Border
Feb 24, 2021 6:49 AM
Top Festival performers from 2019 Festival of the Performing Arts (Photo courtesy Rainy River Festival of the Performing Arts/Facebook)
There will be no Festival of the Performing Arts this year in Fort Frances because of public health restrictions.
So, organizers are putting together the Spirit of the Festival Showcase.
Board member Bruce Lidkea says they are asking performers to videotape themselves and sent it to the Committee for online viewing at a later date.
Lidkea says to keep your video simple.
“We are not looking for a high production video. We, in fact, discourage that. We want it to be raw and genuine. Anything that is auto-tuned or overproduced we will not accept,” says Lidkea.