CHEERS: To the member of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police who came to the aid, early Monday morning, Feb. 8, of an elderly man trapped in his car during a snowstorm. The man had spent about four hours in his vehicle while he waited for a tow truck, but thanks to the Mountie, the man today is home safe and sound with his family. As the snowstorm raged on around him, the man's car show tilted into a snowbank toward the driver’s side, several feet from the road and surrounded by drifts. The officer shovelled out the buried driver’s side door to free the driver and took him home. The incident is a perfect reminder for Islanders to ensure they have proper safety equipment when travelling in poor conditions, including a working cellphone, a shovel and appropriate clothing for the elements.
CHEERS: To the Prince County Hospital Foundation and its supporters for a successful 2020 Vital Signs Appeal. Because of the hard work of this group and the people who support it, the Prince County Hospital received new medical equipment for nearly every department in 2020. The Foundation was able to meet its nearly $1.5-million goal, despite the challenges created by the COVID-19 pandemic. The campaign was set to begin in March, though it was put on hold due to the pandemic. It wasn’t until June, after restrictions eased a little more, that the PCH Foundation was ready to resume. The PCH Foundation’s 2021 appeal is set to launch this spring so let's hope for an equally successful fundraising event in 2021.
JEERS: To yet more delays in proclaiming Prince Edward Island's Water Act. The province's outgoing environment minister, Natalie Jameson, is laying the blame for the latest delay in proclaiming the long-awaited Water Act at the feet of a legislative standing committee. When asked recently why the Water Act had not been proclaimed during her tenure as minister, Jameson replied: "Short answer? The committee." She said it sat with them for a year and a half. We don't know why governments continue to drag their collective feet on such an important issue, but the time to pass the act is long overdue; so get on with it and enough with excuses and blame. The new provincial Environment Minister is Steven Myers. Let's hope he can move the act, which was passed by the legislature in the fall of 2017 during the previous Liberal government’s tenure but never proclaimed, through its final hurdles.
CHEERS: To Elizabeth Ezekiel and her daughter, Clara, for their efforts to create Valentine's Day cards for the residents of Lady Slipper Villa in O’Leary. After hearing a call to action from the West Prince seniors' facility, the pair set to work to do their part - probably more than their part. Clara, 11, enjoys making crafts, like sewing and working with clay.
She wanted to bring some cheer to the residents in O’Leary and created a stack of cards, joining the efforts of many others to bring a little Valentine's joy to the residents of the home. According to officials at the home, the campaign has been a success. It was a job well done by Clara and her mother and the dozens of others from all over Canada and the U.S. who took part.
