Thursday Morning Links

This and that for your Thursday reading.

- Tori Cowger et al. study how the presence or absence of mandatory masking policies affects the number of COVID-19 cases among students and school staff. The Canadian Press reports on the plea from Ontario doctors for parents and public health officials alike to avoid COVID spread as a priority. And Bob Ferguson reports on a leaked report showing that Ontario's emergency rooms are in an even more desperate state than previously known. 

- Meanwhile, Steven Staples rightly questions why so many provincial premiers expect to be handed gobs of money from the federal government in the name of health funding without providing any assurance it will actually be used on health care. 

- Paul Cowley writes that Alberta (like other jurisdictions) shouldn't be handing free money to the oil industry to clean up its own messes, while Climate Action Tracker calls out opportunistic polluters for planning to send fossil fuel production soaring for decades in response to temporary geopolitical conditions. And Sabaa Khan points out how a just transition needs to take into account the "invisible" informal workforce. 

- The Star's editorial board writes that there's no excuse for paving over Ontario's greenbelt in the name of new development which is designed primarily to funnel money to Doug Ford's supporters rather than to actually improve housing supply. And Gregor Craigie interviews Michael Andersen about Portland's experience in allowing for multi-unit zoning. 

- Finally, Phil Tank discusses the lessons Scott Moe could learn from Danielle Smith's attempts to chase an anti-reality fringe if he was interested in anything of the sort. And Nigel Bankes, Andrew Leach and Martin Olszynski point out that Moe's own anti-Ottawa legislation is matter of playing games rather than responsible governance.