Calgary Herald

Let’s pay tribute to the lives lived by virus victims

- CHRIS NELSON Chris Nelson is a regular columnist for the Calgary Herald.

The average age of Albertans claimed by this pandemic is higher than the life expectancy of a newborn in our province.

Yes, the average of those 143 people who’ve succumbed to the virus is 83 years. The expected lifespan of an infant born today is 81 years; females do better than males, but that’s the combined number.

Back in 1937, the averaged-out year when these pandemic victims were born, they were expected to live 62 years.

So most of them — only five folk under 60 have died — handily beat the odds nature handed them, emerging into this world.

Understand­ably, treating the deceased as stats will offend. I apologize for the insensitiv­ity.

But today, with the economic and social threat to this province rivalled only by the Dirty ’30s, we can’t afford good manners.

Life was difficult before COVID-19 arrived, thanks to Ottawa’s weak and contradict­ory policies and the naiveties of the previous provincial NDP government, plus the ferocious internatio­nal campaign to shutter our energy industry.

So sentimenta­lity is too expensive, especially on behalf of those who’d likely never have asked it for themselves.

Remember that average birth year of 1937? It was no bed of roses back then, living hand to mouth, high on this northern plain and discoverin­g yet another mouth to feed.

Actually, such hardy history is why I feel especially sad for the Covid-induced passing of those folks, most of them spending their final days in care homes across Alberta.

Many no doubt survived the ups and downs of this strange yet wonderful province for a lifetime.

They deserve our respect, which is more than can be said for those who’d use their passing for petty political purposes.

I was fearful our provincial government would succumb to the “every life is sacred” crowd (many happily picking up full salary and benefits while sitting at home) and be spooked into condemning Alberta to a future poor house, by refusing to return to some form of normality.

So, it was refreshing hearing Premier Jason Kenney announce it’s time to move on, that we need to open, as this health threat remains overwhelmi­ngly centred in those long-term care homes.

For that, he’s called cold-blooded? Realistic perhaps.

Alberta’s done a fine job in preparing and responding to this health emergency. The level of testing and openness has been exemplary.

However, its initial modelling was way off. (We’re hardly alone in that.) By now we should be well on our way to 800,000 people infected and 3,100 dead — in a best-case scenario. Thankfully, we got it wrong, the usual outcome of such prediction­s. Just because it’s a scientist making a guess does not make it science.

The real danger is in allowing pride to prevent decision-makers from admitting they didn’t really know what was happening. That leads to the same overreacti­on being redone, forever.

Kenney resisted that urge. We should be grateful.

So let’s move on to higher ground, beyond the trough of politics.

Let’s pay tribute to those seniors who’ll forever be marked as victims of COVID-19, particular­ly the handful more than a century old.

They are far detached from victimhood. To be so described was once an insult. A character flaw, no matter how many holes in the shoe.

Instead, let’s imagine the things they saw, the lives they led and the people they met.

Because, when you pass that 100-year marker, you’ve won the race. Any time following is simply respite, before that next, perhaps greatest, journey.

So let’s honour them instead by calling them survivors. Why? Because they lived through the greatest pandemic our world has ever known.

A hundred years ago the Spanish flu ravaged the planet with a ferocity far outstrippi­ng what we face today. These folk were born into it and lived through it. Not only that, they kicked it to the curb, grabbing a century’s worth of living to spite its ugly face.

They did so with hope in their hearts. Not fear. We should honour them and do the same.

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