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Commentary: Remarkable effort deserves high praise

Area seniors' facilities COVID response a success
opinion

With the COVID-19 pandemic continuing to cause major disruptions to the health, social and economic life of rural Albertans and their fellow Canadians, it is perhaps hard to find silver linings in the tragedy.

With hundreds of Albertans, many of them seniors, having already died from the virus, and thousands of other sickened, the cost in terms of human suffering has been the worst part of the pandemic.

And of course the impacts on the mental health of many people, on the financial viability of small and large businesses, and on the wellbeing of families has also been widespread and deeply felt.

Yet this district has seen one of the few bright spots in all the darkness – the tireless and selfless efforts of staff, families and residents in Mountain View Seniors' Housing (MVSH) facilities that have so far managed to keep COVID out of the region's lodges.

Where many seniors lodges elsewhere have seen residents killed and sickened by the virus, the facilities in this region have met with success.

Bruce Beattie, the past chairman of Mountain View Seniors' Housing, says the work of all those involved represents a remarkable example of community effort. 

“We still haven’t had a case of COVID,” said Beattie, who is Mountain View County’s reeve. “The staff, the residents and the families have done a great job and they need to be recognized.

“When you look around and see the number of deaths in some of these homes, everybody here deserves appreciation for how they have dealt with the situation.”

Heather Ryan, the new chair of MVSH, also commended everyone for their efforts.

When this pandemic is over there will be many, many questions asked about how things were handled. Did elected officials do all they could to protect lives? Did political considerations play any part in the response? Will those who failed to put lives first face consequences?

What won’t be questioned is the remarkable effort made by the many good people who have done so much to help keep this region’s seniors safe.

Dan Singleton is an editor with The Albertan.


Dan Singleton

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