Rebecca Dingwell on keeping the economy afloat during the pandemic: It’s the people in power, such as politicians and landlords, who have the real ability to help in these situations. They’re just choosing not to. Instead, we’re left with corny slogans like “Stay the blazes home” and marketing campaigns like “take your winter back.”
Toni MacAfee: “As this pandemic drags on, our use of Canada Post continues to rise to meet the needs of folks who no longer go out and purchase items in stores. Sadly, what also continues to rise is the violence and harassment directed at postal workers.”
Martha Paynter: “For the most part, the people in prison in Canada have now gone 11 months without a visit from family. Visits in most federal prisons are currently banned. The organization I volunteer with has not been inside a correctional facility to facilitate programming since March 2020.”
Lily Barraclough: During the pandemic stories depicting frontline workers as heroes have been numerous, but educators of all kinds and including homeschooling parents, have been somewhat forgotten.
Wayne Desmond reflects on harsh and expensive lockdown rules for foreign students entering Nova Scotia. “It becomes apparent that universities have a lot more work to do engaging with their international students and understanding their needs, vulnerabilities and desire to be treated with the same consideration, respect and dignity as Canadian students,” he writes.
Press release: Nova Scotia Parents for Public Education is expressing disappointment with the lack of leadership and accountability from Education Minister Zach Churchill regarding health and safety in Nova Scotia Schools.
A small ACORN Nova Scotia rally and press conference in downtown Halifax served to remind the three Liberal MLAs running to become the new premier of Nova Scotia that as far as low income Nova Scotians are concerned the current premier left the province in a terrible mess.
When income assistance recipients ask how soon they can expect to receive the COVID vaccine, the answer they get is, “Oh, maybe by July, August, or September. Income assistance recipients are saying that they have been isolated from their social contacts long enough, but if we have to prepare for these extra few months then we got no choice.
Danny Cavanagh: “This shutting down of the house of assembly by the Liberals gave them essentially paid sick leave or a holiday in the pandemic’s name. Meanwhile, since March of last year, front line workers have been continually told to stay home if you’re sick, all without any offer of paid sick days provincially.”
Since the pandemic began, there have been numerous news headlines and social media posts disparaging youth as reckless and irresponsible about COVID-19. While this may be true for some, it is not the case for the majority of youth, writes Sabrina Guzman Skotnitsky.