CHEERS: To the Chief Public Health Office for its role in giving parents a plan for school reopening in the fall. The plan for a full return appears to be a sound decision, and the protocols for mask use for students strikes a balance between prudency and flexibility. Pick-up and drop-off protocols for parents are clear as are screening protocols for students and staff. However...
JEERS: To the P.E.I. Education Department for releasing another incomplete plan for reopening schools. Unlike the New Brunswick plan, P.E.I's plan includes few details on the range of cohort size. Unlike Nova Scotia's plan, there are few details about contingency plans in case of a partial shutdown due to COVID-19 cases. Unlike Newfoundland's heavy emphasis on mental health supports for students, the term “mental health” does not appear in P.E.I.'s plan at all. Most school-specific operational plans will not be released until next week. Another week with more details could have provided parents with more peace of mind.
CHEERS: To Charlottetown resident Barbara Dylla for her recent presentation on Japanese knotweed. It was eye-opening to hear her talk about how big a pest this plant is. While it’s a nice plant to look at, its spread is vicious to try and control. It's amazing to think that it was actually sold in nurseries up until 10 to 15 years ago before being declared an invasive species.
JEERS: To Charlottetown council for voting recently to spend more money on the floating dock at Victoria Park. We’re not arguing that the structure was a bad idea to begin with, but the city has now spent more than $100,000 on the dock in one year. The recent council vote was 4-3 in favour of spending $15,000 to expand the end of the dock. Now, this wasn’t new money. It was already in the parks and recreation budget, but council transfers money from one department to the other all the time. Surely, this $15,000 could have been better spent elsewhere.
CHEERS: To the P.E.I. Transportation Department for getting started on a long-needed roundabout at the intersection of Routes 24 and 315 in Caledonia. This intersection has been the scene of dozens of fatalities over the years, as recently as late last year. The work includes grading Route 315 (Wood Islands Road) to improve sightlines and the roundabout itself will slow down traffic.
CHEERS: To the community of Tyne Valley, which has lost its rink to a fire, its signature international oyster-shucking championship to a pandemic and, like everywhere else, has suffered lower tourism numbers this summer. What Tyne Valley has not lost is spirit, which is evident in the recent news the community is one of four vying for the Hockeyville title. Voting begins Friday at 10 a.m. AST at krafthockeyville.ca.
