Cheers & Jeers
CHEERS to the students who took part in the inaugural Girls and Gender Diverse Youth Parliament held recently at the P.E.I. legislature. The event saw students from across the province fill the legislative chamber to debate issues in a mock parliament as they faced off on the government and opposition sides. Some of the motions debated included calling for equitable access to menstrual hygiene supplies, shelter supports, redirecting food waste, better health care and better supports for students. If these are some of P.E.I.’S future leaders, then the province will be in good hands.
JEERS
to the impaired drivers who continue to plague P.E.I. roads. This week, The Guardian featured a special project highlighting issues related to impaired driving in the province. Even as the stories were being produced, police around the province sent out news release after news release about impaired driving arrests. While drunk driving is a perpetual concern, the rising number of people getting caught for driving while impaired by drugs is alarming. As the message displayed on the Zamboni at Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown clearly says, impaired is impaired.
JEERS
to the P.E.I. Marathon for not changing the race route to take its starting point out of Charlottetown in 2024. Prior to post-tropical Fiona in 2022, the route started in Prince Edward Island National Park and ended in Charlottetown. The scenic route outside of the city was part of the race’s charm and appeal. Given the damage Fiona caused, it made sense to move the race into the city where runners ran a loop in that first year. Last year saw the race stay in the city where the same route will be used in 2024. Yes, there are logistical challenges to starting the race at Brackley Beach. There are also challenges to running the entire race in Charlottetown, not the least of which are the blocked streets and traffic tie-ups. Many marathoners don’t like running loops and the city course was less than ideal for the relay teams as they tried to navigate Charlottetown’s streets. The city course takes away much of what was special about the P.E.I. Marathon.
CHEERS
to the P.E.I. civil servants who came forward to make workplace harassment complaints in recent years. The legislature heard this week that there were 44 such complaints between April 2019 and March 2023. That is a little more than 10 per cent of the provincial workforce. Making the decision to come forward is a difficult one and, too many times, ends with the person being harassed leaving their position instead of the bully losing their job. We hope that might be starting to change since the #Metoo movement and more of these kinds of incidents being made public.