Editor:
Well it’s sadly official – cases are rising and we have now had our first death on the Coast. My prayers, heart and thoughts go out to the family suffering the loss of their loved one and to all who are now sick with COVID. I have seen some wish to point blame at why this is happening and some who still think this is some sort of hoax or conspiracy theory. It is not; it is very real and very sad.
Now is a great time to turn the tables and give a shout out and praise for the many that I know of who are working so hard to keep us safe and well through these difficult times. These are the people in my direct world I’d like to salute:
Rao and all staff at Pharmasave, for your kindness, dedication and hard work to keep our community and your store safe; without you my family would be lost. To the wonderful couple who own McDonald’s, thank you for your dedication right from the start to keep your staff and all members of our community safe and well. To Heather, management and all staff at Independent for not only working so hard to keep us safe but also to ensure we have food on our tables. To Neil Clayton and the Clayton family for working so hard to keep us all safe and ensuring we have food on our tables. To all the wonderful, dedicated and experienced doctors on our COVID Task Force, thank you for sharing the truth of how things are evolving here on the Coast; from knowledge comes power and when the people are empowered great things can and will be done. To Gerry, Michelle Stanton and all the truly amazing doctors, nurses and staff at Sechelt Hospital, thank you for your constant hard work and dedication to keep all vulnerable people safe and our health-care system up and running. To the doctors, nurses, receptionists and staff at the Gibsons Clinic for all their amazing work and help you have given not only my family but our community at large.
These are just a few of the outstanding and amazing people we have in our community and who have greatly impacted my life in this last year, but I know there are many more and I hope others will write to show their appreciation for those who have touched their world in this last year. We can use these troubled times to create a unity in our community that is much needed. We are all truly in this together and together we can emerge from this stronger and more caring. Thank you from the bottom of my heart to all those who I’ve mentioned. We will always remember and be forever grateful to you.
Sheri Marino, Halfmoon Bay
