CHEERS: To Charlottetown city council and the Indigenous community on P.E.I. for deciding to move forward together on issues of reconciliation following the controversy surrounding the bench statue of Sir John A. Macdonald. Pouring red paint all over the statue isn’t going to solve issues that have festered for years. Neither would removing it altogether. History isn’t perfect; it never will be; but if statues like this are going to exist, the whole story should be told. We can learn from our history, but not if we seek to hide from it.
JEERS: To those on P.E.I. who have sunk to the lowest of lows when it comes to the situation around off-Island license plates. One woman, a pastor at that, had a note left on her windshield basically telling her she was not welcome here, while others have had their cars purposely scratched. Really, folks, is this what we have sunk too? Harming others based on assumptions? There are many reasons why a vehicle displays an off-Island plate. The vehicle could belong to a student who has been here long before the pandemic began and travel restrictions were put in place. And the reasons go on and on. But, that’s not even the point. It shouldn’t matter what province is displayed on the license plate and no one should have to justify why they are here. If they are here it is because they were allowed to come in.
CHEERS: To Kim Gallant for celebrating her 40th and final year as a teacher at Westwood Primary School in Cornwall. Enjoy your retirement, Kim!
CHEERS: To the ‘Atlantic Bubble’. The move between the four Atlantic provinces to ease travel restrictions between them could not have come soon enough. It’s true, we here at The Guardian have been critical in the past about the suggestion of opening up our relatively COVID-19-free province to others, but as the cases of the disease have dropped in our neighbouring provinces, so too have the risks. Our economy needs the boost as does our mental well-being. And if we see a sudden spike in new cases, we can always re-implement stricter regulations. But we can’t hide from the rest of the world forever.
JEERS: To the person responsible for vandalism along Summerside’s popular boardwalk. The spray-painting of signs and a bridge on the ‘Baywalk’ is another example of a senseless crime. Police have charged a 17-year-old following the incident. Let’s hope that if this person is found guilty, they are ordered to remove and pay for the damages as part of their sentence. The cost to repair the damage is estimated at more than $3,000, and taxpayers are burdened enough without having to cover this senseless action.
