LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

We must invest in care economy

The pandemic exposes the alarming state of private long-term care in Canada, the tragic lack of safe places for those assaulted by intimate partners, and the lack of high-quality, publicly funded childcare spaces. Simultaneously, we continue to face alarming evidence of our planet's climate emergency.

The care economy is key to recovery, both from the pandemic and from harms produced by fossil fuels.

The majority of COVID-19 deaths in Canada have been connected to long-term care businesses.

The second COVID wave is upon us. Long-term care must be brought under the Canada Health Act, as a public service with appropriate funding. Similarly, the care economy must invest in high-quality, publicly funded childcare, and publicly funded safe places for those assaulted by intimate partners.

The federal government spent tens of billions of dollars to buy the Trans Mountain pipeline, which might create a few hundred long-term jobs in a dying industry. Funding industries that produce and distribute fossil fuels must cease. In particular, it must defund the Trans Mountain pipeline. Instead, our taxes should be invested in long-term care within the Canada Health Act, safe homes for victims of spousal assault, an affordable, high-quality childcare system, and renewable energy and energy efficiency.

The care economy can create many thousands of well-paid, long-term jobs.

It's time for governments to spend our tax dollars on the things we care about — good jobs that support people's health and safety, and a healthy planet.

Manitoba provides COVID-19 warning

On Sept. 28, the Manitoba government mandated the use of masks in all indoor spaces in Winnipeg. A little over two weeks later on Oct. 16, Manitoba further restricted private gatherings to five people and many businesses to 50 per cent capacity. Exactly two weeks later on Oct. 30, Manitoba reported over 400 new COVID-19 cases. On Nov. 12, Manitoba entered a circuit breaker lockdown that has been in effect since. To date Manitoba is reporting 13,304 cases and 217 deaths total.

Does this trajectory look familiar to the people of Saskatchewan? It should, because we are following it almost to a T. On Oct. 30, when Manitoba first reported over 400 new cases of COVID-19, it also had approximately 2,500 active cases. On Nov. 21, Saskatchewan reported over 400 new cases of COVID-19 and 2,537 active cases.

Manitoba was unable to contain things, and at last resorted to a circuit-breaker lockdown two weeks later. It is hubris to assume Saskatchewan will do any better than Manitoba in this regard. Our government was far too slow implementing public health policies to prevent us from reaching this point, and now there is no controlling it.

Saskatchewan should accept the reality and implement a lockdown immediately. Maybe then, we will have things under control in time to celebrate Christmas. More importantly, maybe we can avoid the deaths that Manitoba has suffered.

Eric Schalm, Saskatoon