BarrieToday welcomes letters to the editor at [email protected]. Please include your daytime phone number and address (for verification of authorship, not publication). The following letter is from Barrie resident and former NDP candidate Peter Bursztyn.
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We have been getting regularly scheduled deliveries of vaccine from Pfizer and Moderna for two to three weeks now. Moreover, both companies are gradually increasing the size of their shipments.
On Thursday, a half million doses of Astra-Zeneca’s vaccine arrived, and Ontario will receive 200,000 of these. In fact, it is likely they are already in the province’s hands. Moreover, Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine has just been approved, and one hour later, Pfizer announced it would increase Canadian vaccine shipments.
However, when I recently tried to book a place in the queue to be vaccinated, I found it impossible to do so! I am not looking for a firm date; I understand this is not yet possible, but I would like some idea where my wife and I stand in the line-up to get our 1 st dose of vaccine.
The news media tell me that the provincial website will only become active in another 10 days. What’s the problem? Didn’t we know that vaccines were on their way 6 months ago? We certainly knew they were dribbling in three months ago. You would think that would have given the Province ample time to design a website, test it, and have it ready to roll at the flip of a switch!
At this time I do not expect to be given a firm date, but placing us in the queue would at least reassure me that we will not be overlooked. Once the math has been done, we can be given a firm date – something to look forward to after a year of semi-isolation!
I have been watching with distaste while the Doug Ford administration weakens environmental protection, politicizes the appointment of judges, promotes an obscure bible college to a university, and plans to build a major highway across some of Ontario’s most productive farm land.
I watched the production of new blue licence plates – and have “seen” them as impossible to read at night. I am waiting for a landmark decision to allow 7-Eleven shops the right to serve beer...
Meanwhile, really important work like the Scarborough transit plan or “Smart Track” appear to be stalled. Regulating and inspecting long-term care homes was sidelined long enough to shame us all! We have heard hints that the minister in charge of that file may have warned the premier that this should be a priority, but she now seems reluctant to say anything which might embarrass the Mr. Ford...
And where is the plan to replace Ontario’s aging nuclear power plants? They currently supply 60 per cent of our electricity, but are now reaching the end of their lifespan. Since it typically takes a decade to build a major power project (environmental assessment, engineering, and finally actual construction), now is the time to begin dealing with this important matter.
In sum, I am watching this government waste time and treasure pushing a political agenda while going slowly on urgent decisions!
And why am I, just 15 months shy of my 80th birthday, so concerned about Ontario’s future – a future I will not live to see?
It’s simple. I have children and grandchildren!
Peter Bursztyn
Barrie
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