Canada is shipping 800 doses of its new and experimental Ebola vaccine to the World Health Organization in Geneva for testing. The vaccine was developed at the government laboratory in Winnipeg and has shown promising results in animals. To be clear, the vaccine, if it were approved for humans, will not help those who are already ill with Ebola. And it would have to be produced in huge amounts to inoculate a vast population. It is a program that might that might take years. And this has raised some criticism. It is said that greater emphasis should be placed on an experimental diagnostic test from Britain. This, they say, has the promise to identify Ebola victims faster and thus isolate them faster. The value of this in stopping further infection is obvious. The debate goes on. Wall Street Journal

There is a recommendation coming from a  government panel saying the Beer Store, which is owned by large brewing companies, should not get a “monopoly for free.”  Globe and Mail

The Coast Guard vessel Gordon Reid is towing disabled Russian container ship carrying hundreds of tons of fuel away from British Columbia’s northern coast on Saturday. The move significantly lessened the threat of the ship running aground, hitting the rocks and causing a spill. The Canadian Forces’ joint rescue coordination center said the Russian carrier Simushir lost power off Haida Gwaii, also known as the Queen Charlotte Islands, as it made its way from Everett in Washington state to Russia. The Reid is backed up by a flotilla of Canadian and U.S cutters if it needs help. 

Health Minister Eric Hoskins, an MD and the member for St. Paul’s, says the government has designated ten Ontario hospitals as referral hospitals for potential Ebola cases.  Dr, Hoskins appeared this morning (Friday, October 17, 2014) at Toronto Western Hospital to make the announcement. He also said he has established a Minister’s Advisory Table for Ebola Prevention. It is intended to bring together experts who can assess the best information for executive action to prevent an Ebola outbreak. Testing for Ebola will begin in Ontario labs on October 20, he said.  The ten hospitals are Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Hamilton Health Sciences, Health Sciences North, Hospital for Sick Children, Kingston General Hospital, London Health Sciences Centre, The Ottawa Hospital, St. Michael’s Hospital, Sunnybrook Hospital, and Toronto Western Hospital.

Take a moment to plot your route this weekend if you are heading downtown. Canada’s Walk of Fame ceremony and the Scotiabank Toronto Waterfront Marathon will both cause road closures. CP24