Welcome home, despite the plates
Re: 鈥淐ar from California tells us about us,鈥� letter, May 27.
I own the car with California plate and signs in the windows. I had been warned before I got here that emotions were fairly high against people with U.S. plates.
I peeked out into public after my 14-day quarantine and drove to the grocery store.
I was concerned about people鈥檚 reactions to my California plates. But no! In your usual sa国际传媒/Canadian graciousness, the responses I鈥檝e received have ranged from a sweet smile to a kind 鈥済ood morning鈥� to two people saying, 鈥渨elcome home.鈥� Gratefully, your humanity is very much intact. Thank you for welcoming me home!
Pandora Karner
North Saanich
Please be patient, we聽are home
Re: 鈥淐ar from California tells us about us,鈥� letter, May 27.
We are Canadian citizens with a residence (and vehicle registered) in California. We are also fully vaccinated and, on our return to Victoria, followed all restrictions and guidelines, including spending 14 days in quarantine.
We had several negative COVID tests prior to release into open Victoria society, and mask when outdoors. We celebrated our freedom with a visit to Butchart Gardens. Upon departing we noticed a message on our car鈥檚 dusty back window: 鈥淕o home, please!鈥�
We were gratified that the unnamed scribbler was, in stereotypical Canadian fashion, both non-violent and polite in expressing their displeasure. But we would like to answer the anonymous protester: 鈥淲e ARE home, thank you!鈥�
Alan McHughen
Victoria
Sharply rebuking strangers among us
Re: 鈥淐ar from California tells us about us,鈥� letter, May 27.
Xenophobic Car Number Plate COVID Disorder.
You won鈥檛 find this in a medical dictionary, but the letter writer鈥檚 observations do confirm that some of our humanity is being reduced due to the pandemic.
Scratch a super-righteous number plate informer and you might find one of those woke specimens.
COVID correctness has spread them far and wide. Their flocks have a pecking order that permits them to sharply rebuke any stranger who does not behave.
Even our universities are breeding flocks of mini-inquisitors searching for systemic cultural offenders, barring any who are suspected of non-compliance.
Can we expect to go beyond masks and vaccine passports to having to show papers of correctness suitability. Proof of sensitivity?
The writer had every right to be concerned at the windshield sign that begged for redemption from the self-appointed COVID cops that roam Canadian streets.
There is a definite whiff of systemic correctness percolating from our COVID fears; some justified, and some that just reeks of piety.
A good airing is much overdue. Open all the doors and windows as soon as possible.
Russell Thompson.
Victoria
Retired nurses ready, but not asked to help
I am a retired critical care RN with a bachelor of science degree and 40 years of clinical experience, including 15 years as a health-care educator.
As nurses, our natural instinct historically is to help when asked. So that is exactly what myself and several of my former colleagues did once we heard the call for retired nurses to apply to assist with the provincial vaccine rollout.
But the convoluted unclear, frustrating application process led us to dead ends.
I, like many, have completed the required online education courses to be ready to get to work to help when notified.
There has been little to no response for many of us to our applications.
We then learn that recruiters have hired and trained (by nurses) firefighters in Fraser Health, paying overtime salaries to that end 鈥� it鈥檚 maddening.
Absolutely no disrespect to our firefighters for answering the call to help, but instead to the recruitment process. Retired RNs sit on the sidelines who are ready to assist, who have the skillsets to assess, triage, inform and educate the public from their years of experience.
It鈥檚 pure lunacy and difficult to understand this process and action.
Retired nurses鈥� salaries would be substantially less to taxpayers than the overtime pay of our helpful firefighters. Where is the common sense in this scenario?
Laurie Pettinger
Retired RN
Oak Bay
No moon rover, we have issues here
There are more important projects than putting a rover on the moon.
For instance, make the Trans-sa国际传媒 Highway four lanes from sea to sea, to start.
Develop potable water for northern and Indigenous communities, and build land-based salmon farms to replace ocean farms.
The list is endless. Nevertheless, we鈥檝e got to keep up with the neighbours so to the moon we鈥檒l go. Shame and waste in the same sentence.
Steve Hoffman
Victoria
Many, many thanks after apartment fire
I would like to send out a huge 鈥渢hank you鈥� to all that came to our rescue at the Cubbon Apartments because of the fire in the wee hours of May 26.
Fire, police, ambulance, thank you for saving us. It was frightening what was happening, there were more rescues than reported. Our fire department was amazing in how they plucked people from balconies, four on the Balmoral side alone.
A big 鈥渢hank you鈥� to Patisserie Daniel Bakery on Cook Street for gallons of coffee and cookies, Jones Bar-B-Que for the use of tables, sa国际传媒 Transit for the buses to keep us warm, and the Red Cross for helping displaced tenants.
Special thanks to the Circle K at Cook and Pandora, who provided us with water and coffee and let us use the bathroom. Some of us were outside for a long time
Our first responders are nothing short of extraordinary.
The firefighters escorted us back in small groups and made sure we were safe when the lucky ones got to go home.
We are so lucky to have these brave people in our community.
We will miss our friend who did not make it out.
Wendy Soles
Victoria
Hey, Italy, we want an聽apology
Since Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has apologized to the Italian people for the way that were wronged by sa国际传媒 during the Second World War, I think it reasonable to expect an apology from Italy for its shameful invasion and occupation of Great Britain some two millennia earlier.
Alan Newell
Chemainus
Travel restrictions are a disappointment
To say I am disappointed in the announcement of continued travel restrictions is an understatement.
We are a retired couple with first vaccinations, who had long-standing reservations to go fishing in the Interior for four days.
Given Premier John Horgan鈥檚 statement on May 20 that 鈥渉ealth restrictions on travelling around the province and dining inside restaurants will end at midnight May 25,鈥� we were hopeful our plans would go ahead.
The statement from Dr. Bonnie Henry gave no explanation for why travel needs to continue to be restricted. What has happened to following the science?
In the meantime, we continue to have international flights, and border crossings both from the U.S. and other provinces.
I am mystified as to how I, with a first vaccination and following all COVID protocols, would affect the health of anyone else while travelling to a self-contained cabin for a much-needed holiday.
Brigitte Peter-Cherneff
Duncan
Be careful what聽 you wish for
All the people who demanded no cruise ships stop at Victoria (previously a legal requirement) just got their wish. Cruise ships bound for Alaska no longer have to stop at a foreign port.
Great news! For everybody except those who depend on the $130 million the cruise-ship industry brings to Victoria.
Such as all the kids who work for Butchart Gardens, all the tourism businesses along Government Street, the local restaurants, gift shops, whale watching, horse-drawn carriages, even the buskers 鈥� we didn鈥檛 need them anyway, did we?
Now we can just go back to sleepy old Victoria and cash our pension cheques.
We鈥檙e OK, Jack.
Peter M. Clarke
Victoria
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