Sanitation collection workers deserve respect, courtesy
A great, huge salute to first responders is warranted without a doubt … health-care providers, firemen, police, paramedics, correctional officers, retail clerks, truckers and pharmaceutical staff — all those who keep us going. But without the tireless, hard-working efforts of the sanitation collection people, we would have an even greater problem.
Without their incredible effort to keep our neighbourhoods free of trash and disease, we would be in a state of plague. Huge salute, gratitude and thanks to those guys!
Again, this illustrates that we are all in this together, so please give them the courtesy and respect that they deserve.
Rick Cregg, Chilliwack
Creating wonderful moments
As I was reading letters to the editor in the April 6 edition of The Province, I was sorry to read of one writer’s frustration. I looked up from the paper and from our family-room window saw some neighbours, a mom pushing her son on a trike and her daughter riding a bike. They brought a smile to my face as they were having such fun.
I stepped out of our house onto our driveway to say ‘Hi’ and share how their obvious happiness brought a smile to my face.
As we chatted, I learned something new about our neighbour. She is an opera singer. From the street she sang, and sang beautifully, I Could Have Danced All Night as my husband and I danced in our driveway.
This is one more wonderful moment my husband and I have enjoyed as seniors staying home for the last three weeks.
Other wonderful moments are the smiles, waves and “Stay well” greetings we share with the folks walking and cycling by our yard. Our 7 p.m. daily neighbourhood celebration of those working on behalf of so many of us, followed by the waves and greetings shared from our yards to neighbours up and down our cul-de-sac. Neighbours coming from even two blocks away to ask, at a safe six-foot distance, if there is anything they can help with. Our daughter and her husband coming from Vancouver to our Burnaby home to “drop” groceries and prescriptions on our front step, our five-year-old granddaughter drawing hearts and rainbows for us to put in our windows to cheer any who might see them and sharing her new motto: “Share love, not germs.”
When I formed our neighbourhood association 16 years ago, I “made up” a saying:
“From every challenge, you can create opportunities.” As that has proven true in our neighbourhood, so are we finding it true at this unprecedented time.
Diane Gillis, Burnaby
Surrey Costco doing it right
I read the letter to the editor about the senior frustrated with Langley Costco. But our experience with Surrey Costco was much different. We got to Costco at 7:20 a.m. and there was lots of parking.
Yes, we ended up in line at the back of the building, but by 8:05 a.m., we were inside.
Staff were handing out Lysol wipes, toilet paper, Kleenex, paper towels. We lined up again for these items, but staff would ask what we needed and put the items in our buggies. The shelves were all stocked, meat coolers were full. Staff were amazing at keeping aisles one-way, making sure we were all practising social distancing, and guiding each of us to cashiers when it was our turn. We were back in our car and on our way home by 8:30 a.m.
Thank you, Surrey Costco and all the wonderful staff that keep working so we can shop.
Donna Brydges, White Rock