Cheers & Jeers
Cheers: to Labrador-born lawyer John Groves, who tested his knowledge base on Jeopardy! May 18. You’d be hard-pressed to find a TV set in Newfoundland and Labrador that wasn’t tuned to the long-running game show. Unfortunately, Groves finished second after coming up against another player on a hot streak with multiple wins under his belt, but he still did the province proud!
Jeers: to paying high insurance fees, and expecting your insurance agency to be there for you – only to be left holding the bag in the end. We’ve seen cases like this far too much in the last few years, first for people in Port aux Basques whose homes were destroyed by the hurricane last September, and now here in metro, where St. John’s homeowner Nikki Healey has forked out almost $20,000 dealing with her insurance company and one of its contractors since her home was destroyed by fire in November 2021. Healey points out that insurance’s very “existence is meant to be our safety net,” but that hasn’t been her experience as she’s had to fight to have her home restored to its previous condition and repeatedly prove that work wasn’t done. This should infuriate anyone who has home insurance and expects a smooth, painless process when having their property restored whole. Time to do better.
Cheers: to signs of summer. After a long, cold spring – which followed a cold, snowy winter – we’re finally seeing hope that good weather is on the horizon. Ice cream stores in the metro area opened their doors on the May long weekend as people flocked to cabins and campgrounds to enjoy what’s unofficially considered the start of the summer season. Here’s hoping the temperature will start climbing rapidly and we’ll have bright skies ahead.
Jeers: to the provincial government’s decision to keep mum over whether it paid a ransom to cybercriminals after our healthcare system was attacked by ransomware in 2021. The total cost – $16 million – and the fact the government is refusing to answer questions on it leads some experts to believe the province did, in fact, pony up taxpayer dollars to regain control, which saw personal information potentially leaked and countless appointments and procedures cancelled in the days following the attack that brought our health system to a standstill. Ultimately, even if the province was advised not to comment, it’s still our taxpayer dollars that either paid for the ransom or paid to upgrade systems that the government had plenty of advanced warning were at risk. The province owes the taxpayers some answers.
Cheers: to survivors who have been brave enough to step forward and share their stories with police investigators.
In a story last week, Const. James Cadigan told Saltwire that each time a story was run about St. John’s men Tony Humby, 62, and Bruce Escott, 80 – who are accused of sexual violence against youth – more people have come forward. They’re now facing a combined total of 19 offences against at least three youths between 2007 and 2021. But there’s some indication the offences could date back much further. “We’ve received, since the start of this investigation, complaints dating back to the ’90s,” Cadigan said. “The information we’ve received to this stage suggests that there are more survivors in connection with this.” It’s important to recognize the strength it takes for any survivor to break their silence and recognize the trauma coming forward can cause. Recognition, too, must go to the RNC, who says anyone who comes forward in this investigation will be “treated fairly and with respect,” and has committed to not moving forward until the survivor is in a “comfortable position.”