Cheers & Jeers
CHEERS: to tourists. As you make your way across the province, from the Torngat Mountains to the Southern Shore, and every place in between, may you find warm welcomes, fair weather, great food, breathtaking scenery and new friends wherever you go. You contribute greatly to our economy and we hope that the experiences you have here and the memories you make are priceless.
CHEERS: to going wild. Parks Canada announced last week that three foxes on Signal Hill have been successfully relocated to Terra Nova National Park. The animals were trapped and moved for their safety, since they were frequently being fed by visitors to the hill. Not only did the animals run the risk of being fed inappropriate foods or being overfed, but they were jeopardized by being in close proximity to humans. It was only earlier in July that Parks Canada reported a fox and kit were killed by a vehicle in Gros Morne National Park, where people had been feeding them regularly. Animals can be killed with kindness. Feeding wild animals impairs their hunting and survival skills. Sending them back to the wild was the right thing to do. Let’s just hope people don’t start feeding them in Terra Nova. The kindest thing to do is let them fend for themselves.
CHEERS: to firefighters. Kudos to all those brave souls fighting the forest fires that have been raging across the province. Their daily work involves intense heat and smoke and real risks to themselves, communities and properties. In the case of the forest fire which caused the temporary closure of the Bay d’espoir Highway last week, firefighters and waterbomber crews were not just battling flames, but fighting to keep a road open which is vital for people needing to access health care. Thanks for being willing to put yourselves in harm’s way for the greater good. We appreciate what you do — and that goes for every firefighter in Newfoundland and Labrador.
JEERS: to health care in jeopardy. Seeing the number of announced temporary emergency room closures in the province in recent weeks, it’s worrying to think some might have to close long-term due to staffing shortages. We are grateful to the medical staff who are working in overdrive to continue to provide health-care services in this province. Let’s hope the provincial government’s attempts to recruit new medical personnel bear fruit soon.
JEERS: to impaired drivers. Every day there’s at least one news release from police about people driving drunk or under the influence of drugs. Men, women, young and old, early morning, late at night, city drivers or rural ones — what they have in common is a selfish lack of responsibility and a willingness to put other people’s lives at risk with their reckless behaviour. In a couple of recent incidents on the west coast, not only were drivers showing signs of impairment, but they had open alcohol in their vehicles.