Cheers Jeers
JEERS: To P.E.I. drivers who still don’t know (or don’t care) what to do when an emergency vehicle is approaching them with lights flashing and sirens blaring on the province’s roads. The RCMP was prompted to issue a press release last week to remind motorists to pull over as soon as possible when an ambulance, police cruiser or fire truck approaches. Drivers must also slow down to half speed if they see such a vehicle parked on the side of a highway, no matter what side of the road it’s on. We’ve all presumably taken a driving course before obtaining our licences — let’s remember those lessons instead of putting everyone else at risk.
CHEERS: To all those who participated in Saturday’s Pride parade in Charlottetown, both those who marched and spectators who came out to support it. The small town of Victoria by the Sea is holding its firstever Pride parade today, and it must have been encouraging to see the support received by all those who attended the Charlottetown event. Given some negativity in recent weeks, let’s hope the more places that organize Pride events will lead to all of us becoming more accepting of one another.
CHEERS: To Islanders and visitors alike who participated in Burger Love 2017, resulting in donations of more than $60,000 to the United Way of P.E.I. The popular burger promotion offers a voluntary program where participating restaurants can contribute $1 per burger sold to the provincial United Way. The money is earmarked to help fund programs that increase local food security. But also, JEERS: To any participating restaurants that chose not to donate $1 of their sales to the campaign. With Burger Love bringing so many people through the doors, and the sales figures to match, let’s hope every restaurant that takes part in 2018 can sacrifice this small portion of their profits.
CHEERS: To the City of Charlottetown and the provincial government for collaborating on a new off-leash dog park in the Hillsborough Park area. The 12,000 square feet of open green space for dogs to enjoy is on land owned by the province just off Acadian Drive. Dog owners have been asking for an off-leash area within city limits for some time now, and this park should serve as a testing ground for similar areas in the future — perhaps a park that’s even more convenient for those living in the downtown core.
CHEERS: To all P.E.I. athletes competing at the Canada Games in Winnipeg this week. In particular, the men’s basketball team made a big splash by defeating Newfoundland and Labrador on Saturday. The team has been fine-tuning its training to peak at the right time, but win or lose, it’s always a win for the province when our athletes can shine on the national stage.