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Letters Nov. 7: Free parking; psychiatric care; an uplifting experience

Let veterans park for free, year-round It is indeed commendable to offer free bus rides to veterans on Remembrance Day. It is great to remember for one day those that put themselves in harm’s way for Canada.
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Parked cars and a bicycle lane along Fort Street in downtown Victoria: The City of Victoria has started to charge for Sunday parking.

Let veterans park for free, year-round

It is indeed commendable to offer free bus rides to veterans on Remembrance Day. It is great to remember for one day those that put themselves in harm’s way for Canada.

But what about the rest of the year? Does their sacrifice deserve more than just one day when we lest we forget, and forget them for the rest of the year? Those that served were not doing so because it was something to do for amusement.

They served out of a sense of duty and service to Canada. They should receive the recognition they have earned and so richly deserve.

Many cities across Canada recognize veterans throughout the year and offer free parking on their city streets and parkades.

A quick look on the internet reveals many cities do show this respect for veterans; to name a few, Vancouver, Surrey, White Rock, Red Deer, Regina, Guelph, London, Lethbridge, Kitchener, Saskatoon, Sudbury, Hamilton. I apologize if I missed some.

Every city in Canada should offer free street parking for veterans, out of respect for those who put their lives on the line for Canada. When will Victoria follow the lead of these caring cities and offer free parking for veterans?

Roger Cyr
Victoria

B.C. needs proper psychiatric care

My 39-year-old daughter has suffered from severe, complicated and persistent mental illnesses for 18 years, during which time she has basically needed to be institutionalized.

Island Health has washed their hands of her because “personality disorders combined with other issues are extremely difficult to treat and go beyond the resources that exist in our current system.”

Since 2016 she has been in and out of the forensic system, jail being the only institution capable of keeping her.

I was going to say “capable of treating her illness” but jail is not a psychiatric facility. She is held, assessed, found criminally responsible, released on to the street with nothing but the prison clothes she wears, only to re-offend, be re-arrested and returned to jail any time from 18 to 72 hours later over and over again.

This is human cruelty. People get fined and jailed for animal cruelty.

Local and provincial mental health authorities are well aware that my daughter needs to be placed in a long-term closed psychiatric facility where she can be treated and supported as her health allows.

There is no such facility in B.C. Why not?

Sally Clarkson
Brentwood Bay

Prompt attention from city workers

I’m so impressed and thankful to City of Victoria workers. I called Monday around noon and left a message concerning low hanging branches along the 1100 block of Pembroke Street. They got back to me by 4 p.m. that day, and were there at 9 a.m. Tuesday to assess, then did the job Wednesday. Ever so grateful for their prompt attention.

Colleen Rhymer
Victoria

Not all homeless have the same needs

Our issue is not only about affordable housing!

Create the vision, move forward and assess all those living on the street and hotels.

It is crucial to recognize all needs are not the same.

For addicted and/or mentally ill individuals, there is no question, that we need to work towards housing in long-term treatment centres modeling the person-centred facilities opening in Vancouver in 2021.

For those who are otherwise healthy and needing a “hand up,” what about creating a fostering program?

What about a process that includes a family housing or billeting and mentoring an individual until they are back on their feet?

Similar to assisting some of our ­refugees.

As parents of adopted children we recognize the eligibility process is rigorous, however this could be a possibility for some.

Please address the bigger picture and look into other options

As we have experienced, the common Band-Aid theme is repetitive, costly and not often helpful.

Mokie Burnham
James Bay

No to free bus passes for homeless people

Victoria city council has come up with another foolish idea: giving homeless people free bus passes!

B.C. Transit is suffering large losses already from many people avoiding buses because of fear of catching COVID-19. The presence of the homeless will further discourage people from taking public transit.

Currently, almost everyone is following the public health order to wear a mask on transit.

Does council expect bus drivers to enforce this order on the homeless when they enter the bus, seeing how well they obey city bylaws and fire department orders?

Kenneth Mintz
Victoria

Tourists not welcome in these COVID times

I am concerned about news report concerning an influx of “snowbirds” from eastern Canada to B.C and Vancouver Island to visit for the winter.

This news is being embraced in a positive tone perhaps because it supports our tourism industry.

What safeguards are being implemented by our provincial government and what recommendations are being put forth by Dr. Bonnie Henry to prevent transmission of infection?

I have great respect for her and she has worked so hard to keep our numbers down in British Columbia.

We are well aware that COVID-19 cases are mushrooming in Quebec and Ontario and their premiers are struggling to curve that upwards trajectory.

Dr. Henry has praised the people of British Columbia for working hard to keep the incidence of infection down. Why are we positively embracing the influx of residents from highly infected areas to our local communities?

We keep hearing the words “it may be a dark winter” and we need to be extra vigilant to keep this infection under control. Hopefully those that we trust in authority in our beautiful province are planning safeguards to prevent an increase in disease transmission.

Michele Atchison
Sooke

COVID test was an uplifting experience

I took my son to the Saanich Peninsula Hospital’s COVID-19 testing site on a Saturday. He had some concerning symptoms, and so we made an appointment.

We drove into the parking area at the assigned time, were directed where to go by security, entered a large drive-through tent, and encountered a nurse named Danelle, who was so ridiculously pleasant that she made me want to have several COVID tests in a row.

She patiently explained to my 18-year-old son that because of his age, he had the option of a nasal swab or a gargle test. For reasons that I will never understand, because he is 18 and appears to make decisions based on wind direction, he chose the nasal swab, and only grimaced slightly while Danelle cheerfully reamed out the farthest reaches of his pituitary gland.

She then carefully explained how he was to follow-up for results, and gave us a printed instruction sheet that answered all questions.

Instead of tired, sullen health care workers churning people through, we encountered a smoothly running system that took an unpleasant and potentially scary situation and made it a pleasant, and — dare I say — uplifting experience.

I was so impressed that I phoned the Peninsula Health Unit, and spoke to Trinda, who is the clinical lead for the SPH/PHU Covid Collection Site.

As far as I could tell, she and Danelle were cloned from the same incredibly upbeat and irrepressibly positive stem cell line.

She seemed genuinely excited about her job, telling me about their morning team meetings, encouraging everyone to do and be their best, sharing success stories, and striving for the most positive patient experience. She noted soberly that the real test was likely yet to come, as COVID numbers are increasing across the country.

With COVID, and isolation, and uncertainty, and winter coming, it’s good to know that people like Danelle and Trinda are out there, making things as good – and even pleasant – as they can be. It makes me think that if they can do it so well, I can try a little harder too. Maybe we all can.

Bruce Campana
MD, FACEP, FRCPC
Clinical professor, UBC

Support your local businesses

Re: “Amazon again posts record sales and profit amid rising pandemic costs,” Oct. 31.

While the pandemic marches on, things are going well at Amazon, which is showing profits of $6.3 billion.

Meanwhile, local businesses are reducing hours, laying off staff, restricting the number of customers in their stores or the length of time customers can spend in their stores, or both. Many owners of those businesses wonder how long they can survive.

Before we lay out any cash in the upcoming year-end spending spree, I suggest we ask ourselves, “Who needs our money more, Amazon or local businesses?”

Mary Carlisle
Victoria

The right to vote is never a burden

What a difference. Just over a week ago we voted for our representatives in B.C.’s government and, astonishingly, some people were outraged that we had an election to choose our government.

Meanwhile, just south of the border, an election is being held where people are standing in lines for hours and even suffering harassment from radicals in order to exercise their right to vote.

Too many have sacrificed too much to protect that right for me to ever dismiss it as being a burden, and I will never complain about the opportunity to choose my government and express my views.

Raymond Fischer
Victoria

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