The beginning of a new year. I have always enjoyed the beginning of something new. A new job position when I was working, a new golf season, opening the cottage for a new summer. The beginning of this year hasn't started at all like I expected or how I had hoped. After a year that seemed to be trending slightly back toward something more normal, the COVID-19 Omicron variant has created a pandemic wave like nothing we have seen so far (and I am sure you, like me, thought you had seen everything). So COVID drags on. Is this the last and final wave? I don't think anyone knows and given I have not seen anyone that has consistently been right about this terrible disease (that includes me) I think we will all have to wait and see. So before I move on to what was good about 2021 and some thoughts for 2022 let me (briefly) finish off on COVID.
We are all tired of this pandemic. It has dragged on too long. I said to Teresa today I am even getting tired of politicians and public officials telling me they know I am tired of this dragging on. I am becoming concerned however about a few disturbing trends I see emerging.
I think many of us are forgetting or getting used to the death and devastation this pandemic has caused - I totally recognize that we all cannot get directly emotionally involved in every illness and death caused by this disease. However, I think we all have to remember (at some frequency or interval) the people who have died. The people that have not recovered from their illness. The workers (all workers) that have been impacted. The mental health issues that have been caused to people in all walks of life, in all age groups. The life moments that have been missed or disrupted. Birthdays and anniversaries missed or not celebrated. Weddings, funerals missed, postponed, gone ahead without friends and family. I think all of us while being sensitive to our own mental health and emotions need to remember the terrible events this pandemic has caused and be empathetic and sensitive to those around us.
I feel that as the pandemic drags on the overall level of frustration with people is going (way) up - Some of this relates directly to the pandemic. Clearly many people are frustrated when they see individuals not following the "rules" and are becoming increasingly vocal about telling people they are out of line. We are seeing this on planes, in restaurants, theatres, lining up more and more. We of course are also seeing people who aren't following the rules whether that be on a plane, in a store, in a theatre react badly (and sometimes violently) to being told to follow the rules. But I feel as if the pandemic has caused everyone's level of frustration to go up. I am also seeing people lash out in frustration about things that are seemingly unrelated to the pandemic. I have had a couple of incidents on my bike where peoples' frustration seemed out of place for the incident involved. I hear more and more incidents that while not relating to anything directly about COVID it seems to me are being caused by a higher than normal level of frustration. I think people are tired of being told what not to do (or what to do). I understand this, as I have said I think we are all tired of how long this has dragged on. However, now as much as ever I think we need to remember what Bonnie Henry normally says at the end of her updates ... BE KIND!
The pandemic is causing strain amongst family and friends where it may not have existed before - There is clearly frustration between those of us who believe in the vaccine and have been vaccinated and those who don't. The anti-vaxxers that spill into not believing in the disease and encourage wild conspiracy theories are way out there. My sense is that more and more people are beginning to feel less and less empathy and patience with this minority. The support for more restrictions and exclusions for those not vaccinated seems to be growing. I even sense a lack of empathy or concern for individuals who get seriously ill that have not been vaccinated. This is a problem in society overall but is becoming more and more common in families, extended families and groups of friends. This can cause a lot of pain and hurt and in some cases divisions that will be difficult to heal.
Ok, let's move on from COVID. Here are some things that are updated on the thethirdperiod.ca website.
I read 89 books last year. You can see them all on my - What to read, 2021 edition. This post includes my rating for the book along with some brief comments. If you just want to look at the best of the best then take a look at my - Books of the month post. You will find my 12 favourite fiction and non-fiction books from 2021.
Looking for a great bottle of wine. Check out my - Great Wines under $20 post. You will find the wine, country of origin, LCBO number and price at the time of posting along with some brief comments. I don't rate the wines. If they made the list they are recommended. Again, like the book list if you want to just look at my favourites check out - My Favourite wines. You will find the 12 wines I enjoyed the most in 2021. All these wines are delicious and are a great value. There are even a few wines under $10 that are amazing. How can you go wrong? Enjoy!
My blog site is totally up to date so you can look for wine, books, travel tips for Japan, California and Hawaii as well as the general interest articles I posted during the year.
A few things I am going to be watching for in 2022.
Will the federal government put actions in place to actually make progress on climate change? - During Stephen Harper's time in government little or no progress was made on climate change as his government seemed to have very little interest in the topic. After the Liberals gained power they certainly talked much more about climate change and expressed concern and interest. However, like so much of the Trudeau government, it was all talk and very little action. Targets were put in place, deadlines came and went and very little progress was actually made. You could argue that the Liberal government has now put in place a program and set of targets as ambitious as any in the world. They have appointed an Environment Minister that based on his past is more aggressive than any previous minister. Will we make progress? We will see, but let's hope so!
Will the federal government make real progress with Canada's First Nations? - After 15 years of resisting, the Canadian government finally settled the case with regards to child services for Indigenous children. While the settlement seems to be fairly well-received to say that it is long overdue is an understatement. $40 billion is a huge number, half of which is for compensation to individuals. The other half is meant to change the child services system over the next five years. We can only hope the Trudeau government reverses their trend of not actually doing anything and makes progress on this subject with the $20B over the next five years. If not, we are going to be right back to compensation again. Will the Trudeau government make real progress on the 94 calls to action of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? It is important to remember that this commission was founded in 2008 and dissolved in 2015 after making its final recommendations. Six years later the Trudeau government has completed 14 of the 94 calls to action. This is a government that says it is focused and sensitive to indigenous issues (it is also a government whose Prime Minister ignored Indigenous requests and flew to the west coast on vacation on the 1st National Day for Truth and Reconciliation). This is an area I hope to focus on through my volunteer work with Amnesty International. And finally, will 2022 be the year that all drinking advisories are finally eliminated on First Nations reserves and First Nations people can all have the basic right to clean water? There is a lot to be done with regards to Canadian First Nations.
Will we see real change in the Canadian Military as it relates to sexual harassment? - Will Anita Anand be able to put changes in place? Ms. Anand is certainly one of the few federal cabinet ministers that I have been impressed with (Mark Miller and Jean-Yves Duclos being the only others). I thought she did a good job as the Minister of Procurement both in terms of acquiring the critical supplies we needed during the pandemic but also in explaining to Canadians the status of procurement. Her background is in management organization and processes. It seems to me that this is exactly what the Canadian military needs. We have had enough royal commissions and enquiries. We need action and zero tolerance for any form of harassment in the military. I hope Ms. Anand can make the required changes. And if she does, how about Anita Anand as the next leader of the Liberal party (anyone by Chrystia Freeland!).
Will we see changes in the RCMP that are still urgently required? - I feel as if the pandemic has sucked the oxygen out of almost any other important topic. When something else does pop up it is only for a brief period of time - military sexual harassment, indigenous issues, Montrealers partying on a plane to Mexico, Erin O'Toole's leadership issues. I think the combination of Brenda Lucki and Bill Blair is deadly and will never lead to the change that is required within the RCMP. You will remember it was Brenda Lucki who indicated she didn't know what systemic racism was and did not think it applied to the RCMP. Really? Of course, she quickly reversed herself after the immediate outrage she caused. She still refuses to sign off on inquiries into the RCMP, prolonging a deliberate strategy of trying to bury the issues that arise. The RCMP continues to have a terrible relationship with indigenous communities (and an even worst past). I don't think things will change until new leadership is in place both within the RCMP and at the ministerial level. This subject definitely needs more attention in 2022.
What will the outcome of the Ontario provincial election be? - I have said since the very beginning of the current term that Doug Ford has made a serious error in his conclusion from the last election. Ford (I think) believes that the people of Ontario voted for him because they wanted him as premier and the Conservatives as the government. I believe this conclusion is completely wrong. If you remember back to the last provincial election you have to remember just how terribly unpopular Kathlynne Wynn and the Liberals had become (you may remember that Wynn basically resigned to losing even before the vote). Ontarians clearly did not want an NDP government, either because of their leader or memory hangover from the last provincial NDP government in Ontario. So Doug Ford and the Conservatives won. I can't see any reason why the Conservatives should continue in power after the next election. Ford has made a mess of managing the pandemic (we are now 3 years into this and you can't get a PCR test? a vaccine? we are told schools will open and then 2 days later we are told they won't open for two weeks? really?). He is terrible for the environment and manages the province by the seat of his pants (a dated expression that means he is a terrible leader). The only reason I can see that Ford will retain control of the government (likely in a minority) is because of the lack of alternatives. Andrea Horvath is not going to be the Premier of Ontario in my view. This will likely be the last election she enters as the leader of the NDP. Steven Del Duca? A dull former liberal cabinet minister that participated in all the waste and corruption of the former Wynn government. Ugh, I hate to say this but maybe Doug Ford does have a chance.
What further restrictions will be put in place for the unvaccinated in 2022? - It seems to me that society, in general, is getting less and less patient and more and more frustrated with unvaccinated people. The phrase, this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated seems to be getting more and more common. If it is true that while the unvaccinated make up less than 15% of the population but more than 50% of the COVID hospitalizations I think it is legitimate to ask if different actions are required. There is a huge backlog of surgeries and treatments in Canada. Is it fair to ask why people should be waiting for required treatments, some urgent and important including cancer treatments because hospitals are treating people who chose not to be vaccinated with COVID? In Greece, if you are over 60 and choose not to be vaccinated you are invoiced a health surcharge (I understand approximately $140 per month which seems fairly significant). The Quebec government is now requiring proof of vaccination to enter provincial liquor and cannabis stores and has indicated further restrictions are coming. The president of France has stated (apparently in crude language) that he wants to "piss off" the unvaccinated and make it more and more difficult for them. I certainly understand this frustration and the direction it is taking. I personally believe everyone should be vaccinated (legitimate medical exemptions would be accommodated) and we would all be better off if this were the case. Like many things, however, this is complicated. I don't think any of us would be comfortable just letting unvaccinated people die of COVID (I don't however want to see non-COVID cancer patients die either). I also feel like this harder stance against the unvaccinated is going to cause many of these individuals to dig in harder to their positions. Sigh, it is so much easier to just complain about something than to actually come up with a solution. It will be interesting however to see how this evolves in 2022.
Despite how 2022 has started, the uncertainty that is still in front of us I should say again how fortunate I feel I am. I have an amazing partner (and best friend), a great family and set of friends. Even with the ongoing pandemic 2021 seemed a little more normal than 2020. We saw family and friends more. Celebrated more birthdays and holidays together. Went out to restaurants and even travelled in the fall to California and Hawaii. Our health is good, we are planning an exciting trip in the summer of 2022 (more on that later).
So on to 2022. Let me know any comments on the blog (you can email at thethirdperiod.ca@gmail.com) and look for more updates as we go through the year.
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