Letters & Op-Ed, January 26 2022

Here I go again, complaining about observations I encounter.

To exit the Sobeys parking lot heading west onto Highway 20 you encounter a traffic light. The other day I was doing just that at about 3:30 in the afternoon. I couldn’t turn left in the parking lot to line up in the traffic waiting for the traffic lights to let people out of the parking lot. There were at least five to seven cars in front of me waiting for an exceptionally long traffic light to exit the parking lot.

By the time my turn came to make the left to approach the traffic light, a considerate driver who knew I was waiting ahead of him, but couldn’t move, kindly let me in. I thanked him for that because cars were lined up behind him and myself. As it turned out, I didn’t even get a chance to reach the traffic light, since it had turned red three cars in front of me. So here we go again waiting for that exceptionally long traffic light to let people exit the parking lot.

My thought is either adjust the timing on the lights or build a road behind Sobeys, like Food Basics has, to alleviate the mayhem in trying to exit that parking lot.

Things can only get worse with the amount of housing that is building up in the area.

Mark Barnard Fonthill

Last week there was a flurry of controversy surrounding Niagara’s back to school plan, largely due to a “leaked” letter from the Province’s Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Moore, to our Regional Acting Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Hirji. The letter was critical of enhanced measures taking place in Niagara’s schools. These include the use of masks, improved air filtration, and virus-related dismissals. It’s important to note that these measures are in addition to provincial direction.

Dr. Hirji, speaking to Niagara Regional Council on Thursday night, explained that Niagara’s plan takes a regional approach to mitigating viral spread in our schools. It was developed, and subsequently revised, in consultation with Niagara’s school boards. The measures are intended to enhance provincial direction with an extra layer of protection for Niagara’s teachers and students, to prevent further spread not only in our classrooms, but at home as well. These measures are similar to extra measures implemented by the Section 22 order last summer. All Medical Officers of Health across Ontario can adopt measures beyond provincial direction. Some have chosen to exercise this authority. Some have not.

Different regions have been impacted by Covid differently depending on a variety of factors like population density, housing ratios (single dwellings, apartments, and retirement homes), employment (i.e., in-person or remote work), healthcare resourcing, vaccinations rates, emerging variants and their subsequent spread, and so on. Over the past year, the province had relied on a regional approach in managing the pandemic so it’s curious as to why it now takes issue and not before.

Niagara’s healthcare system has very recently been overwhelmed by Covid cases. The Urgent Care clinic in Fort Erie was closed due to a medical staffing shortage. For a time, kidney transplants were put on hold (thankfully now resumed) and we’ve had to transfer patients to other hospitals to maintain the capacity to handle medical emergencies. So, a cautious reopening of our schools seems reasonable.

However, the more alarming effect of the “leaked letter” was the latest escalation of anti-vaccine, anti-Dr. Hirji, hate-induced rhetoric that has circulated online and also landed in my inbox. I frequently receive emails denying science, personally attacking individuals, or containing misinformation. More recently I received an anonymous letter that wished that I “die alone and in the greatest pain possible,” in response to policy changes impacting visitors at long-term care homes (which was not even a Regional decision but provincial!). I’m not sure what drives people to spread this kind of hate.

People don’t deserve to be singled out and attacked publicly for doing their job, either online or at their home. You don’t have a constitutional right to lie or spread misinformation. While you don’t have to agree with the way things are handled or the decisions that are being made, you do have a choice in how you respond. We’re all human beings just trying to navigate what has been a very difficult two years, but the challenges we face now are temporary.

Everyone deserves to be treated with respect and human dignity. We all have fatigue. We’ve all faced difficulty. Instead of lashing out and dragging others down, choose to respond with patience, kindness and empathy. ◆

Lesson learned—never call Mother Nature predictable! In last week’s column I mentioned how this winter had been relatively snow and ice free for the Town’s pedestrians and drivers. This statement prompted Mother Nature, who I hear is a regular reader of this column, to show us mere humans just who is in control, and proceed to cover the Town with 50 cm of the dazzling beauty, however irksome it is to dig out from.

This was the largest one-day snow storm in decades for this area, and it definitely gave our road crew a challenging two days. However, with long hours and a “get’er done” attitude, by shortly after noon on the following day, all streets and roads in the Town had been plowed at least once. On behalf of all of the citizens I would like to give a heartfelt “Thanks, guys” to this crew and their supervisors.

Great news from the provincial government late last week—all municipalities are on track to re-open their community centres! On Monday, January 31, the MCC will be back open for our residents’ enjoyment. Restrictions that were in place before the shutdown remain in place. Anyone entering must be fully vaccinated, and must have downloaded the QR health code. Anyone who needs help with this downloading process, can simply ask staff at the MCC and they will be more than happy to lend their assistance. No food or drink will be allowed to be brought into the building, and capacity limits will be in effect, such as only 60 skaters on the ice during public skate times. No reservations are needed for the walking track or use of the gyms for Town-run events. The Director of Wellness and Recreation, Vickie van Ravenswaay, tells me that it is full steam ahead with the planning of upcoming events in the Town, such as the Farmers Market, supper market and Summerfest. As Omicron numbers flatten out and decrease we can and must look forward to an end to these restrictions and get back to living.

The one event that will encompass the whole Region is the Niagara 2022 Canada Summer Games, set to take place from August 6 to 21. The road cycling event will be held in Pelham, along with at least one games-related social event tentatively scheduled to be held under the yet- to-be-resurrected Pelham Town Square arches. (Frank Adamson assures me that he almost has the welding completed.) I also have been informed that all Regional mayors are expected to carry the games’ torch for a certain, to be determined, distance.

Hmm. Where did I put those track shoes from my previous life, known as youth? ◆