Hurrah for our health-care system
This letter is to express my unequivocal gratitude for the B.C. health-care system.
I recently was diagnosed with a “malignant melanoma” and had to navigate my way through the medical system to receive diagnosis and care for this daunting diagnosis.
This happened in early March, in the beginning stages of the COVID-19 pandemic and I was very apprehensive about receiving the care I required.
I had to see my family doctor, get chest x-rays and blood work, do an ECG, and consult with a plastic surgeon and a surgical oncologist. This was a scary and complex series of steps, made much more difficult because of COVID-19 precautions.
I eventually received a “wide excision surgery” and a “sentinel node biopsy” under general anesthetic at Royal Jubilee Hospital. To my great relief, I am finished this medical journey and have been declared cancer-free.
Throughout, I was impressed by the kind, caring, competent professionals who guided me through the medical steps. Every health-care worker that I dealt with was both compassionate and highly skilled. I feel so grateful for our health-care system which I believe, is one of the best in the world.
Huge thanks to all of the health-care workers who go above and beyond to take great care of us. I will never take my personal health or the extraordinary system we are blessed with for granted.
Steve Hamilton
Nanaimo
March 15 trip to U.S. doesn’t make sense
Re: “Canada’s handling of epidemic doesn’t make sense,” commentary, May 27.
The writer laments the various problems he experienced after he crossed into the United States for a recreational tour on March 15. This is after the World Health Organization had declared that COVID-19 was an international pandemic and many countries were in full-blown crisis mode.
What actually “doesn’t make sense,” to use his phrase, is why he would cross into the United States from Vancouver Island during a pandemic, and spend two months there, driving across the country in his camper/trailer, before returning to New Brunswick on May 12, when he was informed that he would be required by law to spend two weeks in quarantine.
I guess the “stay at home” messaging that most people have tried to respect, doesn’t apply to him. It’s one thing to act irresponsibly, but it’s another to complain about it afterward.
Eric Nielsen
Victoria
Sweden’s death rate not so low
Re: “Canada’s handling of epidemic doesn’t make sense,” commentary, May 27.
The writer claims that Sweden’s COVID-19 death rate is low.
With 418 deaths per million, Sweden’s rate is 13 times that of B.C. (32) and more than double that of Canada (178). It is closer to that of Italy (547). Significantly, Sweden has done much worse than its Scandinavian peers: It has about 10 times the death rate of Norway (43) and more than four times that of Denmark.
Is this really the model we wished we had followed?
Dave Conway
Victoria
Caledonia’s rental homes urgently needed
Re: “Caledonia project not affordable enough,” letter, May 21.
From young families to seniors, people have struggled to find homes in their community close to their friends, family and the services they rely on, such as schools and health care.
That is why we are working with our partners to build housing like the project at 1211 Gladstone Ave. (between Gladstone Avenue and Grant Street), which will provide 158 urgently needed rental homes for people with low-to-moderate incomes.
This mixed-income project is being delivered through the Community Housing Fund, which requires that 20 per cent of the homes will be for households with very low incomes, 50 per cent will be for households with incomes up to $64,000 and 30 per cent will be for households with incomes up to $74,000.
For this project, that will mean 32 new homes for people with very low incomes, including people on disability assistance and seniors, and 78 homes for working families, like retail workers and single parents, where tenants will not pay more than 30 per cent of their income towards rent.
We are working with our partners to build more than 720 homes in Victoria and close to 3,330 homes across the Capital Regional District, including affordable rental homes for families, individuals, and seniors, housing for Indigenous peoples, supportive homes for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness, transition homes for women and children leaving violence, and rental homes for middle-income families like teachers and small business owners.
Affordable housing is the foundation of healthy and strong communities, and new homes like the ones proposed for 1211 Gladstone keep our neighbourhoods diverse, vibrant, and sustainable.
For too long, too many people have had to worry about having a good place to call home; it’s our shared responsibility to look after one another, and that is what this housing is about.
Selina Robinson
Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing
End Beacon Hill Park camping now
We are playing whack-a-mole with the homeless. We allow, indeed invite, them to take over a particular park or street or boulevard.
Once they’ve destroyed the area and worn out their welcome, we move in, clear them out and restore the neighbourhood. At the same time, we let them take over some other street, park or public space.
The latest destination for this deplorable cycle is Beacon Hill Park, the jewel of Victoria. And the victims are all of us, the everyday users of the park, who no longer feel comfortable to visit. Several weeks from now, after their numbers have increased and become unmanageable, the homeless will be moved on and the “strategy” will play out all over again.
For the sake of Beacon Hill Park, we can’t wait several more weeks. Clear it out now and move the homeless back to Topaz Park or Pandora Avenue or into the empty beds in the arena.
Brian Mason
Victoria
Restart economy in virus-free regions
At the start of the pandemic, Premier John Horgan and Dr. Bonnie Henry said that all decisions will be based on science. Here are some scientific facts: There have been no new COVID-19 cases within Island Health for more than two weeks; 80 per cent of the cases have been in the Lower Mainland; 98 per cent of the cases outside of the Lower Mainland have been resolved.
When asked about having restrictions or guidelines based on regions, Henry said that will not happen as we are all in this together. That is a decision based on a philosophy, not science.
The economy needs to start rolling at a faster pace in parts of B.C. When is the Opposition going to start speaking up for businesses and the working population as it appears that the premier is not willing to do so?
Debbie Sutcliffe
Qualicum Beach
Take patios over parking any day
Re: “Sidney council to look at replacing parking stalls with patios,” May 25.
We should go even further with this idea. Designate a single traffic lane for each direction, lower the speed limit to a “COVID crawl” and all wheel-based traffic use the lane with the exception of mobility scooters, which would have exclusive use of bike lanes.
This would create more physical distance for pedestrians and give restaurants, pubs and wineries extra patio room.
Vehicles can park outside the downtown core or in parkades and, if the walk is too far, call an Uber-style pedicab for transport.
We would be tourists in our own town supporting a fleet of pedicab drivers and local businesses while enjoying the improved air quality on patios.
Charmaine Van Tine
Brentwood Bay
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