Let’s take care of our own first

Re Worst storm in a decade hits southern B.C. coast, Dec. 22 The ferocious windstorm that decimated B.C.’s coastal regions on Dec. 20 claimed the life of a woman in Duncan. The tent that she and others were living in was flattened by a tree brought down in the hurricane-force winds.

Yes, you read that correctly, they were living in a tent in hurricane-force winds a few days before Christmas in Canada.

A couple of days after this tragic death, all Canadian media focused on a visit by our prime minister to Canadian Forces participating in a year-long peacekeeping mission in the West African country of Mali. Of course, it’s important for peacekeepers to have support from the government who sends them into harm’s way, but taxpayers have to wonder how money can always be found for such missions to far-flung corners of the globe.

Then there’s the many months or years of ongoing financial support for many thousands of non-documented asylum-seekers entering Canada at illegal border crossings. Yet, we still have Canadians living in tents in the middle of winter. They may be homeless due to mental health and addiction issues, or simply the inability to find affordable rental accommodation.

It’s high time that all levels of government in Canada become familiar with a simple dictum that has biblical roots, and can be traced back to John Wycliffe in 1382: Charity begins at home. Bernie Smith, Parksville, B.C.