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Province seeking input from Manitobans on safely reopening services, activities

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Submitted by the Province of Manitoba

The Manitoba government is seeking feedback from Manitobans on its plan to move forward to safely restore services and activities, while balancing the needs of the health care system, Premier Brian Pallister and Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer announced Jan. 15.

“The current public health orders – which have been in place for over two months – were put in place to halt the spread of this deadly virus and save lives,” said Pallister. “These orders are working, thanks to the willingness of Manitobans to follow them.   At the advice of Dr. Roussin and our health care leaders, we are now in a position to consider reducing some restrictions and safely restoring our services and activities that so many Manitobans have sacrificed throughout this pandemic in order to protect themselves, their loved ones, and their community.”

The province has launched a survey on EngageMB.ca and invites Manitobans to share feedback on their priorities for potential easing of the current COVID-19 restrictions. The survey asks questions about people’s perspectives on the risk of the virus, COVID-19 vaccines and their comfort levels with different activities.

The survey also asks about priorities to safely restore services, including possible changes to gradually expand retail shopping, re-open barbershops and salons, gyms and fitness centres, non-regulated health professions, restaurants, faith-based and ceremonial gatherings and organized recreation and sport and possible increases to indoor, outdoor and household gathering sizes.

For more details on each option and to provide your feedback, visit EngageMB.ca/restartmb-pandemic-response-system.

This survey builds on prior steps taken to connect with Manitobans throughout the pandemic on public health orders, pandemic planning and more.

“While our test positivity rates, case numbers and hospitalizations are starting to come down and Manitobans are starting to get vaccinated, it is crucial that Manitobans continue to follow the fundamentals so we do not lose sight of the gains we have made these past few months,” said Dr. Brent Roussin, chief provincial public health officer. “While we consider ways to carefully re-open Manitoba, we must always consider the needs of our health care system and limit the activities which we know cause the greatest risk.”

Since April 2020, more than 304,000 participants have engaged with the Manitoba government on COVID-19 issues through telephone town halls, online surveys, public opinion research and other engagement opportunities on EngageMB.

“From the very beginning of this pandemic, our government has endeavoured to reach out directly to Manitobans and ask for their input, ideas and feedback on a variety of measures designed to keep Manitobans safe, while balancing the needs of our health care system and economy,” Pallister added. “Our goal right now is to move forward, not backward. We want to create a sustainable path forward where our businesses and communities can reopen safely, and stay open. I look forward to hearing from Manitobans as we work together to build a heathier, safer, more prosperous future.”

For more information on Manitoba’s current pandemic response, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID-19.

Provincial public heath orders extended for two week, minor adjustments

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Submitted by the Province of Manitoba

Test Positivity Rates, Hospitalizations Still High; Staying Safe at Home Still Needed
To Protect Vulnerable Manitobans, Health-Care System: Roussin

The Manitoba government has extended public health orders from Jan. 8 until Jan. 22, to continue to protect Manitobans and reduce case numbers, test positivity rates and hospitalizations, Premier Brian Pallister and Dr. Brent Roussin, Manitoba’s chief provincial public health officer, announced Jan. 8.
 
“While we are starting to bend our COVID curve in the right direction, now is not the time to let up,” said Pallister. “These public health orders are necessary to halt the spread of this deadly virus and protect our most vulnerable Manitobans. While we recognize these restrictions are difficult, they require the co-operation and commitment by all Manitobans to make them work. I continue to urge all Manitobans to follow the fundamentals, stay safe at home and limit your close contacts as much as possible.”

The existing Critical (red) level restrictions have been extended by public health order with a minor modification to allow exemptions for professional hockey. 

Current orders permit Winnipeg-based teams to train in Manitoba, and allow athletes and affiliated officials an exemption to the self-isolation rules. The updated orders will extend current exemptions to all professional hockey teams and to allow games as well as training. Clarifications have been made to ensure all elements of game play (administrative officials, broadcasters, scouts, etc.) are covered in the order. The teams will be required to follow strict protocols to ensure the safety of league members as well as limit the risk to the public.

These changes will be in effect for two weeks while officials monitor possible increases to case numbers as a result of the holidays. Beginning next week, the Manitoba government will be consulting with Manitobans for feedback on potential future changes to the orders, should case numbers allow.

“Already, public health officials have seen more than 355 cases and nearly 1,900 contacts linked to holiday gatherings, and we expect to see higher numbers in the coming days,” said Roussin. “That is why we’re extending the public health orders with a minor adjustment. We need to continue to protect our families and friends by staying home as much as possible.”

The updated orders are posted on the province’s Pandemic Response System website at https://manitoba.ca/covid19/restartmb/prs/orders/index.html#current. 

Manitoba has announced the Safe at Home Manitoba program to provide support to Manitobans staying home during this critical time. Organizations, businesses and artists can visit www.safeathomemb.ca for more information.
 
Manitobans can report compliance and enforcement issues by visiting www.manitoba.ca/COVID19   and completing the reporting form, or by calling 204-945-3744 or 1-866-626-4862 (toll-free) and pressing option three on the call menu.
 
For up-to-date information on COVID-19 in Manitoba, visit www.manitoba.ca/COVID19.  

Lieutenant Governor’s Award for Advancement of Interreligious Understanding to be presented mid February

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Submitted by the Office of the Lieutenant Governor.

John Longhurst will receive the Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Advancement of Interreligious Understanding in a virtual ceremony on Feb. 16 at 7 p.m. Advance registration is required. To register for the event, please visit https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAqdOurpjMvHNfoH_J9cQ8v52Argt9-Sf7a.

“In this province where we so proudly embrace multiculturalism, Mr. Longhurst’s vision, passion and commitment to bring voices from our diverse religious and cultural communities together, truly exemplifies the spirit of this award,” said Lt.-Gov. Janice C. Filmon. “It will be my pleasure to formally recognize Mr. Longhurst for his work in building harmony and understanding in our province, our country, our world.”

For decades, Longhurst has served as an advocate and chronicler in the fields of Christian ecumenism, and interreligious dialogue and understanding. Most of his engagement over the course of his career has been avocational: a labour of love. The breadth of vision attained through his international work has opened his heart and mind to diversity in such a way as to make him a champion for the interfaith enterprise in Manitoba and across Canada. He is committed to a ‘level playing field’ for religious expression and religious freedom.

He has been a Faith Page columnist with the Winnipeg Free Press since 2003 and his continued work gives him the unique position of being able to document, on a weekly basis, the impact of COVID-19 on the faith community, along with the response of people of faith to it.

The Lieutenant Governor’s Award for the Advancement of Interreligious Understanding is traditionally presented each year at a ceremony at Government House, most often to an individual, who best embodies understanding between all religious groups.

Past recipients include:

• Sensei Fredrich Ulrich – A trusted leader and voice in the Buddhist community in Manitoba who continues to build bridges of understanding with other faith communities.

• Michel Aziza – the driving force behind the Operation Ezra project to rescue, sponsor and resettle Yazidi refugees since its very inception;

• Manju Lohda and Ray Dirks – collaborators on numerous educational multi-faith initiatives, including the In the Spirit of Humanity project, and Leap of Faith DVD;

• Devon Clunis – former chief of police for the City of Winnipeg;

• Rev. Karen Toole – former provincial spiritual care co-ordinator, radio host and newspaper columnist;

• Rabbi Doctor Neal and Carol Rose– professor of religion at the University of Manitoba for more than 30 years and Carol is a writer, poet and spiritual teacher;

• the Honourable Lloyd Axworthy – former minister of foreign affairs and president of the University of Winnipeg and life-long active lay member of the United Church of Canada; 

• the late Dr. Redwan Moqbel – former head of immunology, faculty of medicine at the University of Manitoba and a member of the Bahai Faith; 

• Dr. Atish Chandra Maniar – a Hindu priest; 

• Mae Louise Campbell – an Ojibway Métis elder; and

• Zane Zalis – a composer and musician.

For further information on this award and others given to exemplary citizens by the lieutenant governor of Manitoba, visit the lieutenant governor’s website at www.manitobalg.ca.

Selkirk becoming more climate resilient with Sophia Street sewer separation

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Submitted by the City of Selkirk

To build great things, you have to start from the ground up. But to build toward a more climate resilient city, the construction is starting below the ground.

The city will be separating the combined sewers, a critical objective of the city’s award-winning Climate Change Adaption Strategy, down Sophia Street between Centennial and Selkirk Avenues. With help from the Province of Manitoba’s Disaster Prevention and Climate Resiliency program, the city is able to do some of that work in 2021.

Mayor Larry Johannson said the separation of the sewer system is a perfect example of the city’s Capital Asset Management Program in action.

“Our CAMP team identified this stretch of Sophia St. as a priority because of the condition the sewer was in and because as a combined sewer it needed to be separated.,” Johannson said.

“We appreciate the funding received by the Province of Manitoba to help us with our climate change work. I thank them for partnering with us to make Selkirk a more resilient and sustainable community. We have a strong vision for Selkirk and we have the plans to get us there. This investment helps. We look forward to more opportunities to partner with them in making Selkirk, and therefore Manitoba, more climate resilient” said Johannson.

Following site preparation and pre-construction completed by the city, construction will begin on Jan. 18. The remaining costs are projected to be $371,000 and will covered by the Province’s aforementioned Disaster Prevention and Climate Resiliency program.

 “We didn’t just throw our name in a hat and hope for this best for this grant. It was years of hard work creating and following our CCAS and our asset management program. Our CAMP team identified this project, which we already had planned, because it fit the parameters of the grant which allows us to cover some of the overall costs,” said the city’s Director of Operations Dan McDermid.

“Sewer separation is a priority we outlined in our CCAS. Coupled with the fact that we’ve identified the quality of the current sewer pipes to ‘poor,’ we gave the Province a situation that would make it difficult for them to say no.”

Combined sewers are an old system where both stormwater and sewer systems are merged into one pipe. While this tactic is cheaper for developers, they have a limited capacity during high rainfall events, and can be harmful to the environment.

The city’s Chief Administrative Officer Duane Nicol says that overall, the city has 21,400 metres of combined sewers which represents about 35% of the city’s wastewater network. This project will separate almost 500 metres of combined sewers.

“Its an expensive endeavour, but a critical one. Achieving full separation will takes tens of millions of dollars over the coming years. But by using our asset management program we’re creating opportunities to link this work with other projects and therefore do it way more cost-effectively, “ said Nicol.

“The most recent and notable example was down Manchester Ave. over the last 3 years. We were not only able to do the essential combined sewer separation work, we also identified that the road needed to be completely redone and the water main needed to renewed,”

Over the last 3 years, around 520 metres of combined sewers were separated down Manchester Ave., as well as the re-lining of the water mains and the full reconstruction of the road.

McDermid says separating the sewers is a no-brainer, given the short and long-term benefits for both citizens and the city.

“Because of climate change we’re seeing more severe storms, that’s a fact backed by science and statistics. This brings more rain at once, which our current system has trouble handling at times, and can result in sewage backup or basement flooding in your home. Having a dedicated stormwater system greatly decreases the chances of this happening,” said McDermid.

“With a combined sewer, the unfortunate side effect is that there can be some overflow into the stormwater system which means diluted, but untreated, sewage flows into the Red River. Separating these systems makes sure there is no overflow and each gets directed to their proper ending points. Every metre of sewer we separate reduces the risk to citizens and our environment.”

Nicol says that the city’s climate change adaptation work and its asset management program are aligned well with both provincial and national priorities. As a result, the city is better able to make use of grant programs because there are shovel-ready projects to apply with.

“Our team has developed two leading-practice programs that are getting attention nationally. Selkirk’s commitment to good infrastructure planning and environmental stewardship is making our community more sustainable,” said Nicol.

“When the federal or provincial governments have money – we have projects. In the long-run that means more work in Selkirk with less property tax burden on our citizens”.

Mayor Johannson weighs in on Mayor Bowman’s concerns regarding Winnipeg Metro Region, Plan 20-50

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Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson. (Brook Jones/Selkirk Settler Times)

Submitted by the City of Selkirk

Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson thanked Winnipeg Mayor Brian Bowman for raising his concerns and his recommendations for a more transparent and democratic process for the approval of the Winnipeg Metro Region’s Plan 20-50.

“As Mayor Bowman rightly points out, with the dramatic changes proposed by the Province of Manitoba in Bill 37, this document will have significant impact on all property owners, businesses, citizens and living within the Winnipeg Metro Region boundaries,” Johannson stated in a prepared statement shared with the Selkirk Settler Times. “If approved, the policies it imposes will likely have significant impacts on the value of property and will bind elected councils, and therefore communities, to a new set of principles and standards that may or may not reflect the values and needs of our citizens. In short it, combined with Bill 37, will remake the governance structure of the capital region.”

Johannson explained Selkirk council passed a resolution unanimously endorsing Bowman’s recommendations on Jan. 11.

“They in fact, mirror the suggestions Selkirk has made to the Winnipeg Metro Region Board in the past,” Johannson said.

Specifically, Johannson and Selkirk council believe that before the WMR submits this proposed plan to the province, they must:

• make the full plan public, for citizens and stakeholders to review and understand; and

• submit the plan to all WMR member municipalities for review, debate, and formal approval.

“Mayor Bowman is the fourth mayor in recent weeks to formally raise questions over the process being followed by the WMR,” Johannson noted. “He joins Mayor Cheryl Christian from West St. Paul, Mayor John Mauseth from the RM of Headingly and myself. Given that Mayor Bowman represents the vast majority of the citizens impacted by this proposed remaking of the governance structure in the capital region, I call upon the WMR board to accept his recommendations and make this process more open, transparent, and most critically, democratic.”

According to Johannson, without these steps being taken, Plan 20-50 cannot be seen as a plan supported by the municipalities in the region.

“Its adoption could then only be seen as a top-down imposition by the Province of Manitoba,” Johannson added.

Feds, province providing support to small businesses

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Submitted by the Government of Canada and the Province of Manitoba

The governments of Canada and Manitoba will be providing support to agri-processors and industry service providers to expand their market presence, federal Agriculture and Agri-Food Minister Marie-Claude Bibeau and Manitoba Agriculture and Resource Development Minister Blaine Pedersen announced Jan. 7.

Through the Canadian Agricultural Partnership Market Development stream, the governments of Canada and Manitoba will be providing up to $149,215 for 11 projects to improve their marketing activities that increase innovation and business capacity to expand or maintain existing market presence.

“Through this investment, we are supporting a range of agriculture and agri-food projects to grow farm and food-processing businesses,” said Bibeau. “We continue to support farmers and food processors as they take advantage of new market opportunities here and around the world and respond to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic.” 

“Manitoba’s small businesses have made many sacrifices to protect the health and safety of their employees and all Manitobans throughout the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Pedersen. “This funding will help these businesses to be innovative and increase their market presence helping our economy recover.”
 
Danny’s Whole Hog, one of the funding recipients, began more than 25 years ago with the designing and building of its whole hog barbeques. Funding from the Market Development stream will help Danny’s Whole Hog Inc. create frozen, ready-to-eat meats and meals that can be purchased through its website at www.dannyswholehog.ca.

“By working together with the province and our local community we were able to think outside the box to come up with new initiatives such as our frozen meals and direct delivery service,” said Danny Kleinsasser, owner of Danny’s Whole Hog Inc. “The COVID-19 pandemic has been hard on small businesses in Manitoba, so we appreciate the support.”

Other approved recipients include:
• The Little Red Barn Inc.;
• Elman’s Food Products Ltd. ;
• 10210077 Saskatchewan Ltd.;
• Buffalo Creek Mills (2017) Inc.;  
• HealthiStraw Sales Corp;
• Little Brown Jug Brewing Company Ltd. ;
• Wolseley Kombucha Inc.;
• Hylife Foods;
• Hey, Ma!; and
• River Valley Specialty Farms, Inc.

The five-year, $3-billion Canadian Agricultural Partnership includes $2 billion for cost-shared strategic initiatives delivered by the provinces and territories and $1 billion for federal programs and services. For more information, visit www.canada.ca/Agri-Partnership.

For more information on the Market Development program, visit:
www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/food-and-ag-processing/ag-action-manitoba-market-development.html.

Why are Christians so judgmental?

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Henry Ozirney
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Henry Ozirney was the founding pastor of New Life Church in Stonewall Man.,, where he served from 1970 until he retired in 2014. Ozirney is currently the Interim Pastor at New Life Church in Teulon, Man. He writes a weekly column for the Selkirk Settler Times. (Brook Jones/Selkirk Settler Times)

One of the most common accusations against Christians and Christianity is that they are too judgmental.

Recently, Hillary Clinton said, “ A lot of young people are leaving the Church, in part because the way they understand what Christianity has become is so judgmental, so alienating, that they think to themselves, ‘Well, I don’t need that. I don’t want to be part of that.’”

You hear this accusation all the time. Yet I find it very interesting that when people like Hillary say that “Christianity is too judgmental”, they themselves are guilty of being judgmental by the fact they are judging us as Christians by saying we’re judgmental. So when Hillary said, “Christianity has become is so judgmental, so alienating”, she was doing exactly the same thing herself: being judgmental and alienating of Christians.

 I also find it interesting that she herself, as a politician, does nothing to avoid judgmentalism. In one campaign speech Hillary stated, “You could put half of Trump’s supporters into what I call the ‘basket of deplorables’.” If that’s not “judgmental and alienating”, I don’t know what is…

 And so by saying that of her, I must admit that I too am being, by this definition, “judgmental”. So, how do we work our way out of this quandary, this conundrum?

In His famous Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke about this topic and this is what He said: “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” So, what did Jesus mean when He said, “Do not judge”?

First of all when He went on to say,“For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” He was reminding us that one day we’ll be judged by God by the very same standards we expect of others.

Then He next asked, “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?” In this humorous illustration, Jesus likened us to a guy trying to take a speck of sawdust out of another guy’s eye, when all the while, he himself has a plank in his own eye.

Jesus continued, “How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye.”  What He meant is that when I am tempted to pass judgment on someone else, I should first check myself out to see if I am guilty of the same thing myself. The impulse to judge within ourselves is oftentimes a signal to us that we “do the same thing”.   The traits we are so quick to observe in others are often the ones we have ourselves.  As they say, “It takes one to know one.”

If I don’t first check myself out and deal with it in my own life, then Jesus said that I am a hypocrite.  Why is it hypocrisy? Because when we go around and see all the problems in other people’s lives and totally ignore our own sin, we are hypocrites because we say we care about righteousness but we really don’t. Because if we did care about righteousness, we’d check out our own eyes first.

Note what Jesus said next: “and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” After we’ve removed the plank out of our own eye, dealt with that same issue in our own life, we are then to go, with compassion, to that brother and help him with his speck.

This is clearly what the Bible teaches elsewhere:  “Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted” Galatians 6:1.

Thus we end up ministering to those who have a need in their life and in so doing, are truly fulfilling Jesus’ command to “Judge Not” and His reason for drawing our attention to it.

Be a plank remover out of your own eye first and then become a speck remover out of other people’s eyes.

Seniors in personal care homes begin to receive COVID-19 vaccine

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Submitted by the Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority

On Jan. 11, the Interlake-Eastern RHA announced residents in personal care homes (or nursing homes) in the Interlake-Eastern region will begin receiving the COVID-19 vaccine this week.

Tudor House personal care home residents will be the first to receive their immunization. Manitoba’s vaccine implementation task force prioritized Tudor House based, in part, on the size of the personal care home and the number of shared rooms. Shared rooms present additional infection prevention and control concerns and targeting larger facilities first ensures more residents are vaccinated sooner.

Interlake-Eastern RHA’s public health Focused Immunization Team will be at Tudor House this week to provide the first dose to residents. A second dose will follow 28 days later, completing the best protection Manitoba can provide at this point against the COVID-19 virus.

Ninety-one per cent of Tudor House residents/families have already consented to the vaccine, including 90-year-old Mary Cartlidge, a former teacher’s aide who counts riding bicycles, riding horseback, and playing tennis amongst her life’s most treasured activities.

“I only have my brain and X amount of time left,” says Cartlidge.“Being stuck in lockdown is hard. So is not being able to see my family and my cat. I am hoping that this vaccine will help to get us out into the world sooner.

”According to Tudor House CEO, John Martyniw, COVID-19 has brought with it a wealth of concerns, so the arrival of the vaccine is more than welcome.

“Our residents, families and staff have spent the last ten months with anxiety and stress worrying about what they have seen and heard about this awful virus in Canada’s nursing homes,” said Martyniw.“Going into outbreak status on Dec. 30, 2020, due to one positive case, has increased the stress and pressure further on everyone. We have all had many sleepless nights and we are all tired of the long hours and additional hard work. We have great dedicated staff but hearing the vaccine is coming has really put smiles on residents’, families’ and staff faces and has done a lot to pick up the morale and confidence that we can get through this. The residents’ mood has improved immensely in the past few days. Residents are laughing and talking like I have not seen in ages.”

Don’t wait, just do it

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Brook Jones
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Brook Jones a columnist and also the editor of The Selkirk Settler Times.

Throughout the year there are many reminders of just how fast time passes us by. Take for example, birthdays, dates of when loved ones have died, Christmas and New Year’s.

January 10 marked 30 years since my papa Smith died. Sometimes it seems like yesterday and other times it seems like a life time ago.

I wrote a column a few years ago for The Selkirk Journal, around the time my uncle Garry died. The column focused on urging people not to wait to let those you love just how much they mean to you. I feel this an important message no matter when and sometimes we need a gentle reminder.

I am blessed with a loving family and many wonderful friends. To all those in my life, I say thank you for enriching my life.

Brook Jones is the editor of the Selkirk Settler Times.

Travel prolonging pandemic

By
Brook Jones
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The media reports continue to roar in regarding not only politicians, but also leaders in our communities across Canada, who continue to travel not only across Canada, but also abroad.

I have always admired those, who serve in public office, as I believe many of them truly want to better the communities where we live, work and play. Leaders, such as Selkirk Mayor Larry Johannson. The long time mayor takes pride in being active as he regularly takes advantage of many local parks in Selkirk where he goes for walks with his wife and family. It’s also a great way for him to get some added fitness. There are many wonderful amenities right here in Manitoba, therefore, there is no reason for anyone to travel outside our province, especially for recreational purposes and pleasure trips.

We are taught at a young age to look up to our community leaders for guidance. Our politicians and community leaders are suppose to lead by example. That is why it is extremely disappointing for me to hear so many reports of politicians and community leaders going against health guidelines and health orders by travelling between provinces and also between countries.

The only way the COVID-19 virus will continue to enter not only our province, but also our country is by people travelling. It sounds like common sense, but perhaps the adage is true that common sense is not always too common.

I have also been shocked and surprised to see people posting their travel photos on social media platforms, especially when Manitoba has been in Level Red since Nov. 12. The message from our provincial health officials dating to last March has been to stay home and not travel.

Like so many, I would love to be able to travel to visit family, who live in other parts of Canada, but I decided last March that want to do my part to be part of the solution and contribute to the defeat of the pandemic, not prolong it.

I am very proud to say that since the restrictions came into effect back in March 2020, I have only travelled throughout my home city and when I left the boundaries of Winnipeg, I didn’t go very far as I only travelled to Selkirk and the RMs of St. Andrews, Winnipeg Beach, Gimli, St. Clements, East St. Paul, West St. Paul and Springfield. That’s it, for an entire year and I can same thing so far for 2021. When health officials stay close to home I took it literally – stay close to home.

Should I be surprised or shouldn’t I be surprised so many in Canada are putting their individuals needs ahead of what is best for our communities. The ability to delay gratification is truly a sign of maturity. There is absolutely no reason for anyone to travel, unless is absolutely essential, but I am hard pressed to find many reasons which would qualify, especially those who are travelling for pleasure.

My nana Jones died last April. My family was unable to have a funeral for my 98-year-old nana. Her burial was only attended by myself, my dad and one of my aunts as we all live in the same city. No other family members or friends travelled to attend, not because they didn’t want to, but because they did the right thing and followed provincial guidelines, which stated do not travel between provinces.

I hope citizens across our wonderful country will now step up to the plate and decided to do what is right and not travel. When you travel, you put all of us at risk. Not only the risk of getting COVID-19, but also the risk of spreading the virus to others and as we all know to well, people are dying from the virus. With so many people being infected with the virus and also dying, it’s awful to see how anyone would go against health orders and health guidelines.

Defeating the pandemic is more about what you can do to protect not only your family and friends. I beg anyone who is considering a trip outside your home community and your home province to do the right thing. Don’t travel and look out for your neighbours and fellow citizens.

Brook Jones is the editor of the Selkirk Settler Times

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