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Letters: week of July 16

Virus still here: no time to let down our guard Sir: Thanks to The Sarnia Journal for the honest update on July 9, “Community’s response to coronavirus truly remarkable.” The majority of the community has listened and reacted responsibly.
Letters to the editor

Virus still here: no time to let down our guard

Sir: Thanks to The Sarnia Journal for the honest update on July 9, “Community’s response to coronavirus truly remarkable.”

The majority of the community has listened and reacted responsibly. Everyone’s lifestyle has been disrupted, but it’s for our own safety, health and future.

If we let our guard down now cases will soar and we’ll be a hot spot again.

I’ve people say, “It’s gone.” It hasn’t gone anywhere. We’re just lucky right now. We can be proud of our current effort and success, and hopefully as a community we can continue to follow the precautions as advised, not putting anyone in danger.

I’m looking forward to the day a ‘somewhat normal’ returns, when families, loved ones and friends can celebrate together.

We have done so well. We can’t backslide now. We owe it to the front-line workers and leaders to succeed.

And we need to continue to believe that much better days are ahead.

Marie Cebulski

Sarnia


 

A question that cannot be answered

Sir: I wonder what kind of mentality it takes to destroy my sign supporting frontline health care workers?

Randy Grant

Sarnia


 

Downtown neglected

Sir: Well, when I left Sarnia in 1973 it had the same population number and the same attitude.

Last week my husband and I did a few errands (yes with masks) and were appalled by the lack of concern for Sarnia’s downtown.

No flowers, weeds growing in flowerpots that should have had flowers, and basically not many people there.

We then went to Point Edward. Its small, lovely downtown had beautiful flower baskets, flags on antique light poles, and the patios were booming.

Sarnia council and Mayor Bradley need to get their stuff together, with no more discussions. Just clean up the downtown, with youth getting in their 40 volunteer hours. Clean the sidewalks, and teach them how to do it.

Yes, we know Sarnia is not hiring youth for the summer but maybe they would step up. If you want, I can teach them how to weed!

What happened to the hanging plants and all the other stuff? The downtown is being sucked dry. People can go to Point Edward and London Road and the Golden Mile.

What is council doing to keep businesses and people in downtown Sarnia?

From a concerned resident who wants to get it all going.

Margaret Banovsky Holmes

Sarnia


 

Province forgot health care heroes

Sir: Nurses are on the front line of an ongoing global pandemic but are being met with devaluation by government and health-care organizations.

Pandemic pay hasn’t been paid to nurses, despite being promised by Premier Doug Ford in April, while grocery store clerks, dollar store clerks, PSW’s and seniors are being paid, or have already been paid.

This is typical of the nursing profession’s long history of fighting for autonomy. Nurses have always operated under funding cuts and below-inflation wage increases, despite being at the core of holding the system together.

They are heroes, even when the world does not notice, and they deserve better. Pandemic pay was announced in April and it’s now July. It’s time to step up!

Thank you.

C. Lester

Sarnia


 

Consider sharing your COVID senior supplement with others

Sir: Any Canadian senior eligible for Old Age Security will be receiving a one-time, automatic, $300 supplement from the federal government to help deal with the stresses of COVID-19.

Some will dearly need this generous offering, while others may in fact be getting along well, within their current resources.

What a genuine act of kindness it would be if those who are able to function without this one-time payment were to donate it to any number of local organizations assisting the vulnerable in our community.

Offering what we might, to those truly in need, would exemplify the true spirit of being Canadian, and lift the spirits of so many among us who could feel sincerely respected and supported by fellow citizens in such stressful times.

Bob Sutton

Camlachie


 

So Canada failed to win seat at U.N.? Yawn

Sir: Canada went knocking on the door of the United Nations looking for a set on its Security Council. Today it remains outside, the door firmly closed.

The nations that did get in had waited longer and worked harder building their resumes. And though Canada came third, it was a three-way contest.

We might conclude the U.N. voting members liked Canada well enough. There was nothing to dislike about the bid. You know, diversity, the environment, multilateralism, etc.

One U.N. bureaucrat suggested unofficially Canada should have done more – made a bigger financial contribution, accepted more refugees, putting more military feet on the ground.

So what have we lost? It’s difficult to know because the government never seemed able to explain, even to Canadians, why a Security Council seat was so important. There were only vague comments about Canada having greater “influence” at the UN, and exercising greater “leadership.”

Those who cling to the myth of Canada as peacekeeper and honest broker among nations will be deeply disappointed. Others, who see the UN as blundering, meddlesome, and dysfunctional, will be confirmed in their disrespect.

Most will probably shrug and say, “Too bad, but really who cares?”

The one who really seemed to cares was the Prime Minister, who invested political capital and a few million dollars of public money in a bid that was too little and too late.

The Prime Minister did say that winning a Security Council seat would prove that, in terms of international respect and recognition, his Liberal government was vastly superior to the Conservative government of Stephen Harper, whose bid for a seat also ended in a third-place failure.

Canada is indeed back – back where it was in 2010.

Away from New York and Ottawa, down here in Sarnia-Lambton, is anyone feeling disappointed or lost international prestige?

Does anyone yearn for a Canadian seat at the U.N. Security Council?

No? Thought not.

Bryan Trothen

Sarnia


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