HOCKEY A NECESSITY?

The NHL is planning to start the 2021 season within a couple of weeks. A separate Canadian division has been established so that teams in Canada will play only in Canada and will not have to cross the U.S. border to play games there.

However, subject to approval by the relevant provinces’ health authorities, the Canadian teams will be flying back and forth between cities to play. At this point, the Alberta government has allowed teams to play in Calgary and Edmonton, and presumably other provinces will be announcing their position shortly.

The federal government has now given permission to players who are currently outside of Canada to travel here without the normal 14-day quarantine!

So, while many Canadians are unable to visit their relatives in long-term care homes and while other Canadians must isolate and quarantine for 14 days if they step across the U.S. border for a day, or if they wish to visit relatives in the Atlantic provinces, Ottawa has decided that it is the “national interest” to allow NHL players to arrive here before the season begins without having to quarantine for 14 days.

Sports may be a welcome diversion for us while dealing with the effects of the pandemic over the past nine months, but it is discouraging to see the federal government (and some of the provincial governments) submit to the NHL and its wealthy owners in this manner. It is especially galling that this is happening while some provinces are experiencing their highest daily COVID-19 cases to date.

David Knowles, Bedford