The first step toward reconciliation
What I learned on our first National Day for Truth and Reconciliation; truth comes before reconciliation.
Jamie Alley
Victoria
Clarifying terminology about infectious cases
It will be an interesting statistic knowing the number of B.C. non-infectious COVID-19 patients hospitalized. This will help us to understand the long-term effects of this disease.
It is, however, important to comprehend the difference between the number of infectious “cases” and bed-utilization statistics. During an epidemic, public health needs to know the relative risk of spread or the “case count” of those confirmed as infectious.
This number is used to monitor the progress of the epidemic and has nothing to do with Dr. Bonnie Henry or public health “hiding” statistics, as has been stated.
Henry should not have to defend established practice and terminology.
Fern Davey
Retired infection control practitioner
North Saanich
Opioid crisis claims a close family member
Maybe now, with the number of opioid deaths front and centre in the provincial news, this letter needs and deserves a spot in the newspaper.
After all, we’ve read letters about the election, the anti-vaxxers and dog parks. The election is over, the anti-vaxxers are still delusional and dog parks are minor.
The opioid crisis is only getting worse and our family is still grieving, as are thousands of others.
Gloria Tweed
Nanaimo
Carrots, not sticks, in treating anti-vaxxers
Recent calls by some letter-writers for anti-vaxxers to be penalized in some fashion for refusing to be vaccinated against COVID-19 are understandable, but may be misconceived.
A better idea might be to offer anti-vaxxers subsidized will-preparation and funeral costs.
After all, chances are they — or, rather their families — will need it.
Jonathan Stoppi
Saanich
Those senior workers are just not wanted
Where did all the workers in the hospitality industry go? Well, they are still here, but they have gotten a little older since the start of the pandemic.
Having lost their long-term tourism positions due to shutdowns and job eliminations, many older workers (55-plus) are hitting brick walls in their job search. The reason is ageism.
This is not a new problem in the workplace or, for that matter, in society itself. The worst aspect is that not all older workers are the same stereotype as portrayed on television, and bawdy jokes. Ageism is a form of bullying as well.
My friends fit in this category, but unfortunately all they are hearing is that they categorically would not fit in with the other staff. With more than 25 years’ fine-dining experience in the restaurant industry, they are mystified at the businesses that have openly complained about lack of serving staff.
If the restaurant industry continues to only look for younger workers to work in their business, then the newly introduced robots will also eventually replace them.
Mur Meadows
Victoria
Canada should end relations with China
I cannot say when I have been more upset. Nor with whom upsets me more: the American or the Chinese government.
After years of legal costs, paid for by Canadian taxpayers, Meng Wanzhou went “home” (that is, from her multimillion-dollar home in Vancouver to her whatever-is-the-value-of-her home in China) having made a deal with the U.S., while the two Michaels are home after being released by China in return.
And everyone claims a victory.
Why didn’t the Yanks give up on this three years ago? And how can the Chinese so easily admit that keeping two men locked up for three years was just a ploy?
I know we won’t, but we should cut off relations with both of them.
Ian Cameron
Brentwood Bay
Let’s put the blame where it belongs
Re: “When ministers focus on shiny baubles, basic services pay the price,” Lawrie McFarlane, Sept. 26.
McFarlane writes persuasively when he blames the failures of our health-care system on the expansion of services since 1966, as one would expect a former senior manager to do.
He blames politicians for promising “shiny baubles” like dental and prescription coverage, insisting that this is the reason our understaffed ambulance service has failed to deliver perfect service, failing to recognize that ambulances themselves are one of the “shiny baubles” he refers to.
Someone who ran the entire system at one point should know better.
This former health-care worker and union negotiator read carefully and found nothing to address the actual cause of most service failures, which is the underfunding of the entire system.
Our public health services were based on the system of transfer payments from the federal government, which were reneged on by the Brian Mulroney regime and never fully restored.
If McFarlane wants to blame the failures of front-line workers on politicians, he should start with the tax cuts provided to wealthy donors at the expense of those who have died while waiting for care. Failure to include this renders his opinion moot, and the kindest way to describe the omission is disingenuous.
We are all getting older. Maybe he just forgot.
David Lowther
Mesachie Lake
Anniversary tea with thanks to a stranger
My husband and I were recently in your beautiful city to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary and we thoroughly enjoyed our stay.
On Sept. 24 we decided to splurge and enjoy the fancy tea at The Empress to celebrate. It was an amazing treat and when we went to pay at the end we were told that our bill had been taken care of and the person paying wished to remain anonymous.
We were deeply touched and immediately assumed it was our children, but after calling them we learned this wasn’t so.
We had been sitting next to a young man and his sister, who was celebrating her birthday. We chatted a bit and they congratulated us and took a photo for us, and we later realized it was this young man that paid for us.
His kindness and generosity to complete strangers warmed our hearts and was the finishing touch to a wonderful anniversary. We only wish we could have thanked him in person for his thoughtfulness, so we hope he reads this. We plan on paying this kindness forward when we can.
Thank you very much!
Joy and Terry Barnes
Chilliwack
Honesty delivers a purse to its owner
A big thank-you to the lady who handed in my purse after I left it in the bathroom at the Petro-Canada gas station in Nanoose Bay.
She didn’t leave her name with the store clerk, but I hope she sees this note of thanks.
Maureen Mackian
Brentwood Bay
Want an income? Here’s an old idea
Regarding the recent protest at the legislature, demanding a guaranteed income for all Canadians, just a heads-up to the protesters.
All able-bodied people in Canada have had a guaranteed income that has been around for quite a while. It’s called holding down a job.
Maybe not as popular as it used to be, but it has served many people and families well throughout the years.
Bob Beckwith
Victoria
Don’t blame restrictions on the 1923 regulations
The latest argument in what has been a very prolonged campaign to ban unleashed dogs from all Victoria-area beaches is that the restriction is required by the Migratory Bird Sanctuary Regulations of 1923.
This isn’t accurate. The regulations state that dogs cannot “run at large” within a migratory bird sanctuary. What this means is not defined, but a very common interpretation of the phrase finds that an unleashed dog under “effective control” by other means, including the owner’s voice, would not be “at large.”
The dog would be, as the term clearly states, under control that is effective — that is, not chasing birds, not in violation of the federal regulations. This kind of behaviour would characterize the overwhelming majority of unleashed dogs I’ve seen during my morning walks on Gyro Beach with my obedient little companion, Bodhi.
The Victoria, Oak Bay and Saanich councils can of course decide to interpret the 1923 regulations in a more draconian fashion and outright ban unleashed dogs from beaches.
If so, they do so on their own, not because of a federal mandate that ties their hands. Voters might want to take notice.
Stephen Slemon
Victoria
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