Some of you may be contemplating the upcoming long weekend with less excitement than usual. It can be very disappointing to have to cancel your plans to travel, or to get together with family and friends.
April 9, 2020
Dear Coquitlam residents,
Some of you may be contemplating the upcoming long weekend with less excitement than usual. It can be very disappointing to have to cancel your plans to travel, or to get together with family and friends.
As well, with sun in the forecast, it’s going to be more challenging than ever to do what Dr. Bonnie Henry tells us to do – but it’s critical that we do.
We need to stay in lock-step with the direction we’re getting from our Provincial Health Officer and the experts. Right now we’re being told to limit unnecessary outings, to wash our hands, to avoid touching our face, and to stay two metres away from anyone we don’t live with.
If we follow those precautions, Dr. Henry says we can continue to visit parks and trails for our physical and mental health. That may be small solace for everything else you are giving up this weekend, but at least we’re fortunate to have so many wonderful options to choose from in Coquitlam.
So take a mental break and enjoy our parks and trails, while following the rules. Focus on taking care of yourself, and getting through this crisis healthy and safe. And try not to get stressed out by assuming the worst of others – that group you see laughing on the trail up ahead may all live in the same household.
Most of all, listen to the experts, because the more we do that, the faster we will all get through this.
_________
It goes without saying that we all owe a debt of gratitude to health care workers and anyone providing essential services right now.
But I’d like to give a few shout-outs to the many others who are stepping up during this challenging time.
My first shout-out goes to Novo Textiles, which retooled its factory in Coquitlam and will soon be the first producer of N95 respirators in Canada.
Another shout-out goes to the teams at our seniors’ centres who are out delivering meals to isolated seniors every week. Since its launch last week, the program has delivered almost 200 meals to Coquitlam seniors.
I’d also like to acknowledge those who are helping to raise our spirits. That includes the people cheering and making noise at 7 o’clock each night, and the girls I saw standing along the roadside with signs to encourage our health care and other essential workers.
And for those of you who are keeping your distance when you’re out in public – you deserve a shout-out too.
All of these acts of selflessness, community spirit and Canadian ingenuity are making a difference.
It’s been said that the measure of a person is how they react to adversity, and I believe the same is true of a community. By continuing to take care of ourselves and others, Coquitlam will get through this, stronger and closer than ever.
Richard Stewart
Mayor
For More Information
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