Thanks to those who helped us through
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 25/03/2021 (799 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
On March 9, almost a year after the first case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Manitoba, I put forward a resolution in the Manitoba Legislature expressing thanks and gratitude to all those who have carried us through the COVID-19 pandemic.
It passed unanimously with all-party support. Below are excerpts from my speech.
“It is time to say thanks to all who have helped in our efforts to survive and to do well–as well as we can – during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Many of those we thank are unsung heroes, people who, for example, kept our food supply moving so that we were not short of food. This includes everyone from farmers to those involved in food processing, to truckers who deliver the food to stores and to those who work in retail outlets.
“We thank the police, firefighters, security personnel and many others. Thanks also to teachers, who have managed under conditions which often changed quickly, from virtual to in-class – and sometimes both at the same time.
“Health-care workers across a wide spectrum have pitched in to do their best. Doctors, registered nurses, licensed practical nurses, psychiatric nurses and health-care aides have stepped up again and again and often worked more overtime than they wanted. We thank, as well, the allied health workers and the cleaning staff who work hard to keep us all safe in these spaces.
“We thank those who have collected the garbage, never missing a day, all through the pandemic.
“We thank the poets and the artists and the performers, many of whom who have tried to entertain us in new ways, singing on balconies on YouTube, for example.
“Thanks to those who understood the mental stresses and strains happening during the pandemic and stepped forward to help others.
“We have learned of the struggles of those with disabilities and those who are experiencing homelessness. We thank you for helping us understand the realities of life in COVID. We also thank those who have given time and effort to help, whether looking after a brother with Larsen syndrome or with cerebral palsy, or a parent with dementia. These tasks of love are so appreciated.
“Families, from great-grandparents to grandparents to parents to children to brothers to cousins and so many more, have connected and pulled together in new ways.
“We remember the many who have passed away. Personally, we lost my brother-in-law. It has been a difficult time. We thank those who have reached out to console and help those who have lost loved ones.
“From the heroic to the mundane, people around the province have chipped in to help, often in new ways, sometimes just by staying home and not visiting others in person, all in efforts to reduce the spread of the mutating SARS CoV 2 virus which caused this devilish pandemic.
“It has been a year we will always remember. Now as the days are getting longer and warmer, as the bitter cold of winter -and its severe impact on those who are homeless – is fading; as the number of infections are significantly less, we breathe eagerly the spring air and hope that with several vaccines now available to us we are reaching a time for optimism.”
Jon Gerrard
River Heights constituency report
Jon Gerrard is Liberal MLA for River Heights.