Because of age and a worn out body from cancer and a massive heart attack, I am no longer able to do the things I loved doing, hunting, gardening, fishing berry picking, etc. I have always believed that a person must stay active in order to live. Last year I moved to the beautiful town of Conception Bay South, where you can enjoy all the benefits of a city and has most of the things that rural N.L. enjoys.
But the most important reason, I can be active eight to 10 times a week, I am able to enjoy card games and darts at the many social clubs, both in C.B.S. and Paradise.
On Friday, March 13, I get a phone call that the towns of Paradise and C.B.S. have closed all recreation facilities that they own.
Was I ever pissed off! No one in the province had the virus. What were we seniors going to do now? Stay home and watch TV all day and become a couch potato? As we all know potatoes rot after a while.
After a while I cooled off and came to my senses and knew it had to be done.
COVID-19 started in China and because of people travelling back and forth the disease was spreading quickly world-wide.
Newfoundland is an island out in the Atlantic Ocean and there are five points of entry: the Straits of Belle Isle ferry, the Port aux Basques ferry, Deer Lake airport, Gander airport and St. John’s airport.
Several people on VOCM Open Line were expressing what I am about to say and, as usual, our leaders paid no attention. We missed the ball. This province had a chance to be a leader, instead we are following the leader, as usual.
If our leaders had been smart and quick-thinking they would have said how can we protect this province. As this can only be passed from person to person the only thing to do would be stop and check all people entering this island at the five entry points and make sure that anyone entering the island with any possibility of this disease would be quarantined right away.
Instead of that everyone was allowed to enter freely and go where they like. It took the government of this province 13 days to come up with a plan like the council of C.B.S. and Paradise did.
While I am calmed down somewhat, I am still pissed because it will take a long time to clear this mess up.
Our economy is ruined; many small business will not survive; people are scared to death, can’t even visit their families; seniors have nowhere to go and many like myself cannot go for walks because of leg problems and now our parks are closed.
While the island of Newfoundland was the easiest to defend, at the time of this letter we have the second highest number of people infected per capita than any province in Canada — all because our leaders did not do the right thing at the right time.
To the many seniors I have met while in C.B.S. keep well and don’t fear — we will get through this somehow. Looking forward to a game of cards soon.
Capt. Wilfred Bartlett (Ret'd.)
C.B.S.
