Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - April 13, 2020, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE A6 Grieving in isolation Last week, my brother died from the coronavi- rus. He was a resident of an assisted-living facil- ity in Ontario. No one could see him when he was sick, and no one was there when he died. There will be no memorial service. The next day, he was just a statistic from Ontario. I am glad that the government is supporting people who have lost their jobs, but how do you support people who've lost a loved one and have no way to process the grief? Most of us have been in self-imposed isola- tion for a month now. We cannot go to see a dear friend and get a hug or hold hands and go for a walk in the woods. While technology is great, it does not give you the intimacy that we all need. I can only hope that we see the end of this soon and that we all survive the loneliness, the grief and the sadness and hold on tight to one another. BEVERLY SUEK Winnipeg Worth the cost Re: The price of civilization? and Politics and PST (Letters, April 8) We most certainly must help Canada and Mani- toba recover the enormous costs of the COVID-19 pandemic and be better prepared for the next one. I'm sure not to be alone in fully expecting, and welcoming, increases to the GST and the PST in order to ensure that we remain a civilized country. I often think these taxes should never have remained stagnant for so many years in the first place. MAUREEN HUGHES Winnipeg Invoke Emergencies Act Re: Trudeau rejects stay-home order (April 3) Where has common sense gone? The prime minister and premiers don't think the situation is serious enough to invoke the Emergencies Act. As of April 9, nearly 20,000 Canadians were in- fected and 460 had died; the prime minister him- self stated too many Canadians are still going out needlessly and potentially spreading the virus. Just look at B.C., where there were hundreds of people wandering around in parks and at beaches - how many more people have to become ill and die before this Act is invoked? Medical experts say physical distancing and staying at home are the two best things to prevent the spread of the virus. Canada has been lucky so far, but you can count on it becoming much worse. The Emergencies Act should be put into effect immediately in order to try and lessen the spread of this pandemic. IRENE DUPRAS Winnipeg Patient pays The Canadian Pharmacists Association has decided we should now only get a 30-day supply of medications, and Manitoba's chief public health officer Dr. Brent Roussin concurred, saying it's to avoid people stockpiling meds. You could only ever get a three-month supply, which has worked fine for years and could hardly be considered stockpiling. At a time when we're being told to stay home, I now have to go to the pharmacy three times instead of once? Only being allowed meds one month at a time will cost me $71 more over a three-month period, and I know there are many people who will pay much more. Many years ago, our private insur- ance company suggested filling prescriptions for three months at a time to keep costs down. Now their costs will rise, thanks to the CPA and Dr. Roussin, and since premiums are based on the prior year's expenses, premiums will surely rise in 2021, so once again the patient pays. I am retired and on a fixed income - can some- one explain how any of this helps me? The way I see it, the pharmacies are the only ones to benefit. KAREN ALEXANDER Winnipeg It's in the cards Many companies and businesses are sacrific- ing to make it easier for us in this time of crisis. It would be nice if credit-card companies were to give us a break by lowering fees as most of us are asked to use debit or credit cards. THOMAS LENIO Winnipeg Pressing concerns Now that we've been instructed on how to do a controlled panic, maybe the chief public health of- ficer could answer some questions, or offer some advice on the following: How do I negotiate with the bank or landlord after I've lost my job? How will we take care of the most vulnerable when a large number of medical facilities are closed? Who's keeping stats on stress-related deaths and serious health problems that have nothing directly to do with the virus? What do we do about people getting depressed, stressed and violent, at home or elsewhere, be- cause of the panic? If we're staying at home as much as possible, what do we do about our muscles failing us - walking problems, etc.? What's the protocol when we run out of toilet paper? I await his reply. DAVE HARDY Winnipeg Getting out and about Re: Vehicle restrictions to remain in place until start of May (April 7) I give the city of Winnipeg operations de- partment a big congratulations for acting with intelligence and leadership in helping us all stay healthy during the coronavirus crisis. It makes perfect sense to facilitate public outdoor activities by blocking daily vehicular traffic on recognized recreational routes. In Canada, and especially Manitoba, we have among the largest green spaces in the world and the lowest population density. Our governments need to help us all enjoy these spaces safely dur- ing these challenging times and this was a good example of the right thing to do. If distances are maintained as recommended, there is no risk of contracting the virus while cycling, walking, skateboarding etc. Any person or institution that suggests otherwise is perpetu- ating an absurd myth. If it happens to come to the point where Canadians are locked down to only leave for an essential grocery trip, this will only serve to worsen the public's health. Surely, heart disease, cancer, weight gain and arthritis curves will all climb exponentially as the months go on, if people lead an extra-sedentary life at home. I also suggest the authorities don't close cottage country and various parks this year and follow the principles that led to the City of Winnipeg's decision. It would be a fear-driven decision with no basis in reality or science. Let us all stay healthy and enjoy the outdoors safely. KELLY MILAN, PHYSIOTHERAPIST Winnipeg Lessons of gratitude Thanks to all the staff at the Free Press who have kept the news coming to our front doors, which is a very cheerful start to the morning. I am wondering what will be the after-effects of the pandemic. I see some people are good at gratitude in hard times, and I think resiliency results when people can put a positive spin on challenging events. Some people are good at this. Others not so much. It is easy to be judgmental about other people's actions, especially if they are not following medi- cal advice and self-isolating. However, it appears the messages of medical and political leaders are adhered to by the majority. Getting outside to walk gives me a new appreci- ation for nature and the coming signs of spring. I also miss old friends, family and others who I saw on a regular basis, but did not know their names or phone numbers. Hope they are all doing well. I hope we will remember these gratitude les- sons when life gets back to "normal." I hope we will continue to appreciate all the health-care workers and essential workers who kept things running. We appreciate your work! RUTH SWAN Winnipeg LETTERS AND FP COMMENTS WHAT'S YOUR TAKE? THE FREE PRESS WANTS TO HEAR FROM YOU. The Free Press is committed to publishing a diverse selection of letters from a broad cross-section of our audience. The Free Press will also consider longer submissions for inclusion on our Think Tank page, which is a platform man- dated to present a wide range of perspectives on issues of current interest. We welcome our readers' feedback on articles and letters on these pages and in other sections of the Free Press ? Email: Letters: letters@freepress.mb.ca Think Tank submissions: opinion@freepress.mb.ca ? Post: Letters to the Editor, 1355 Mountain Ave., Winnipeg, R2X 3B6 Please include your name, address and daytime phone number. ? Follow us on Twitter @WFPEditorials OUR VIEW YOUR SAY PERSPECTIVES EDITOR: BRAD OSWALD 204-697-7269 ? BRAD.OSWALD@FREEPRESS.MB.CA ? WINNIPEGFREEPRESS.COM A6 MONDAY APRIL 13, 2020 Reduced vehicle traffic creates opportunity T HE city has extended seasonal limitations of motor-vehicle traffic on certain streets, including Wolseley Avenue, Wellington Cres- cent, Lyndale Drive and Scotia Street. Motorists will be limited to one block from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays, allowing the streets to be used by cyclists and pedestrians. It's a good idea, with vehicle traffic down due to business and school closures and many people staying in place and working from their homes rather than commuting. The decrease has had an effect: Manitoba Public Insurance processed 4,108 fewer claims last month than in the same period in 2019, a direct result of fewer vehicles being on the road. That's a lot of damage and injury being avoided. Now, with vehicle traffic reduced and more people out for walks or bike rides as other enter- tainment and exercise options are shuttered, it raises an interesting question: what do we want to use our streets for? In the neighbourhoods where the newly-extended traffic limitations have opened up long stretches for safe walking and cycling, Winnipeggers are being given an op- portunity to find out. Maintaining safe social distancing on sidewalks can be a challenge when one of the few options still available to people during this period of restricted activity is going for a walk or a run. Crowded sidewalks don't allow for two metres of distance when passing whether one is walking, jogging or using a wheelchair. Some pedestrians take advantage of additional space on the less- traveled streets. But safe distances must be maintained, even when cyclists are added to the mix. Cars take up the greatest amount of space, and in Win- nipeg's traffic flow, the vast majority of motor vehicles in motion have only one occupant. If we could trade some of those single-occupant cars and trucks for bicycles, we would suddenly find there is a whole lot more space for everyone. In addition to the reduction in injuries from motor-vehicle collisions, there are also obvious exercise-related health benefits to having more space for walking, riding and other non-motorized pursuits. Skeptics may point out that once physical- distancing and self-isolation requirements are relaxed, all those cars will be back on the road. The likelihood of that is high, since our city is largely designed with motor-vehicle traffic in mind, and other factors such as winter snow and ice can make cycling a challenge for some. But why not consider this brief respite from rat-race traffic a trial run? With fewer cars on the streets, we might learn some unexpected lessons about using them in different ways. In addition to the obvious appeal of a reduction in motor-vehicle accidents, there's also the benefit of getting to know our neighbourhoods better, in- cluding where our local businesses are and what they have to offer. It's easier to stop and look in the window when you're not zooming past at the motor-vehicle speed limit or looking for parking. Such benefits extend beyond the specific streets where vehicle traffic is being temporarily restricted, which might prompt one to wonder why we aren't using more of our infrastructure in dif- ferent ways. Perhaps it's time to consider adding protected bike lanes to more of Winnipeg's streets. As we experience new options for walking and biking, some might be inclined to conclude that motor vehicle traffic doesn't have to return to what it was pre-pandemic. We've been given a chance to try out a healthier, greener approach to getting around, and many of us just might prefer it. EDITORIAL JOHN WOODS / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS FILES Reduced vehicle traffic creates more room for cyclists. Published since 1872 on Treaty 1 territory and the homeland of the M�tis A_06_Apr-13-20_FP_01.indd A6 2020-04-12 5:08 PM ;