Life taken away
Dear Editor:
Hi, my name is Charlie Simmons. I am a [pervasive] developmentally-delayed non-verbal autistic individual with obsessive compulsive behaviour.
I have attended Community Living in Harriston for 13 years. It has been the best time of my life.
I am a 34-year-old man and have lived with my mom and siblings all my life. I got to watch my sisters and brother have friends come visit. I have never had any friends until I started attending the centre.
My life had meaning while attending the centre; a reason to get up in the morning. Now, my life has no meaning. I am not able to leave the house by myself and my mom works a lot to keep a roof over our heads, food in our bellies, and clothes on our backs.
She does not have a lot of time for other stuff like taking me places or for walks around town. There is not much else to do in Harriston. Since the shut down in March, I have gone through depression and anxiety and I am lonely and missing my friends.
They say we are segregated when we are together at the centre. But really we are a group of people that love being with each other and doing things together like swimming, dancing, bowling, playing pool, scrapbooking, and much more (Christmas parties, Halloween parties).
I have had my birthday party every year for the last 13 years at the centre with my friends. I do not understand why we are not allowed to be together. I don’t want one-on-one service. I have had that my whole young life. I want to be one of the group. It’s much more fun to be with people and peers. We accept each other the way we are.
Seems to me no one cares how I feel about the company changing things on us. Where do my rights come into these decisions that are being made for me? I have a voice – it’s my mom’s voice. At the centre, they know me so well and understand me, and yes, really like me too.
My days now consist of laying in my bed, watching TV or watching out the window while the world goes by. I am sad a lot of days and very lonely. I would really like for the centre to please give me back my life that they have taken away from me and my friends.
It’s not fair to us at all.
Charlie Simmons,
Harriston
‘Attempt for sympathy’
Dear Editor:
RE: Maple Leaf acres: Snowbirds can’t stay here, Nov. 12.
First, I find it deeply offensive that Mr. Dykstra states that people are “attempting to intimidate the vulnerable.” To suggest so is disgusting and nothing more than a deliberate attempt for sympathy and is simply not the case.
The board must comply with various regulatory agencies and government offices in good faith on behalf of all members and must not jeopardize the whole park for the needs of a few.
I believe their decision is both legal and rational and, as a year-round resident, I stand with the board. In the past many members have requested and been denied to overstay their lease based on compassionate grounds, whether they suffered from cancer or were the victim of an accident that left them unable to travel.
The parties noted in the article are portraying themselves as victims, yet they have always known that the seasonal lease is just that, a seasonal lease, and they must have a permanent address/residence outside of the park.
If the sewage issues were to be exacerbated as outlined in the article, is it fair to close the park to other seasonal members in the spring and summer if these problems are not corrected in a timely fashion?
These so-called victims have had the luxury – yes, the luxury – of having a vacation/permanent home in Florida, Costa Rica or other tropical locales and can travel to those locations if they desire.
Alternatively, in the new world of COVID-19, I would suggest they sell their seasonal units and vacation homes and purchase a year round residence in Canada or the country of their choice to ensure they can always have a roof over their head.
I just wanted to note that there are always two sides to every story and those with the loudest voice are not the only ones that need to be heard.
Heather Fitzner,
Centre Wellington
No sounds of silence
Dear Editor:
As the daughter of a veteran who served Canada in the Second World War, I attended the Remembrance Day Service in Elora. The crowd was small and most wore masks and all social distanced. It was a nice ceremony.
Unfortunately, the sounds and even the silence were disrupted by cars and trucks driving between the cenotaph and the people. Seems strange that we could close the roads every weekend to allow visitors from out of town to fill our streets, but we did not stop the flow of traffic for a half hour to honour our own hometown heroes.
Even if the road was not closed, where is the respect that is due them? Really people? You are so busy with your lives that you couldn’t drive a block out of your way? I find that disrespectful!
Kudos to the cement truck who stopped and then backed up (actually rolled back so that he didn’t make any noise) to take an alternative route.
Lest we forget. Rest in peace, Bobby.
Rose Parkinson,
Elora
Home heating tax
Dear Editor:
An open letter to Premier Doug Ford.
Another provincial budget, but I don’t see any mention of my favourite topic: home heating.
Our groceries do not attract tax. Medical procedures do not attract tax. Our town water does not attract tax. Our car insurance doesn’t attract tax. But our home heating does!
I’m not picking on just you, Mr. Premier. I picked on your Liberal ancestors as well.
If you can find a way to raise another $400 million (to replace what it would cost to give up the revenue from the tax on home heating), you would have a lot of happy campers – certainly two at our house, anyway.
It’s well known that taxpayers will seek out ways to cheat the government especially if they feel that they have been cheated by an unfair tax system. Your government has the opportunity to make the Ontario tax system a lot more fair by getting rid of the tax on home heating.
I know finding that other $400 million will be quite difficult, but a 25 cent tax on every online purchase would go a long way to collecting it.
John McVicar,
Harriston
Wants photo radar
Dear Editor:
Our stretch of roads, from Fife Road to Whitelaw Road, has become a race track in recent times.
Though there has been less traffic since the pandemic, letters to the county and phone calls to the OPP have resulted in nothing.
Mayor Chris White gave us some hope of speed sensors, but nothing has come about and with this speeding being an issue all over and obviously the fines don’t stop these fools. I think it’s time to put up photo radar and increase fines and vehicle confiscations from seven days to a month, at least for the racers.
And it’s not only speed, but noise from modified exhausts, even on trucks.
I don’t think reducing the police funding will help any and the OPP are thinly spread, so use the photo radar and make some money, as they have been doing in Europe for over 40 years.
Stephen Knight,
Guelph-Eramosa
Authorities undermined
Dear Editor:
The Ford government seems to see potential development where others see trees, wetlands, and recreation.
The green space in the GTA was first in his sights. Conservation authorities were told that they basically existed to control water and little else. A recent municipal zoning order permits development in a Don Valley wetland.
The budget contains legislation that removes conservation authorities’ say in development in their jurisdictions.
What’s next?
Chris Woode,
Fergus
Ode to women
Dear Editor:
You printed a missive of mine extolling the virtues of our beloved men. Now I want to include women.
My favourite tribute is the following by Victor Hugo.
“She broke the bread into two fragments and gave them to her children, who ate them with eagerness.
“‘She hath kept none for herself,’ grumbled the sergeant.
“‘Because she is not hungry,” said a soldier.
“‘No,’ said the sergeant, ‘because she is a mother.’”
Also, God bless John McCrae, author of my favourite Remembrance Day poem.
Dori Steele,
Fergus
Protect the vulnerable
Dear Editor:
Ian Rice’s important observation – Elder care a priority?, Nov. 12 – that casual site assistants at waste disposal facilities are paid 25 per cent more than contract nursing assistants at Wellington Terrace demonstrates how badly we are missing the mark in terms of responding and adapting to the current pandemic.
As of Nov. 9, 10,564 Canadians have died from the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Every one of these deaths has been tragic. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, 80% of these deaths occurred in long term care (LTC) facilities.
To put this into perspective, out of a population of about 38 million people, excluding LTCs, 2,000 Canadians have died from the virus. Clearly, the elderly are being affected disproportionately, and our present program needs to be better. If we introduce specific, targeted health measures for seniors, it does not mean seniors are getting preferential treatment or have more rights; it means that, under the current program, more of them are dying. Equity shouldn’t be confused with equality.
In the context of targeted measures, our health authorities could learn something from the private sector. Some of the grocery stores provide seniors’ hours (sadly, others have abandoned this critically important practice.)
I thank the staff and management at the Zehrs store in Listowel every time I shop there in the early morning. It is likely that the store makes less profit when there are only a few seniors in the store, and so it is good to see a corporation act so responsibly.
It’s fair to ask why, in the midst of all the sometimes draconian measures imposed on us by Health Authorities, they wouldn’t require commercial establishments such as grocery stores, restaurants and retail stores to institute seniors hours across the board.
This would provide some protection for the most vulnerable (as would increasing the comparative wages, benefits and job security for nursing assistants at LTCs.)
Terence Rothwell
Wellington North