Message to the citizens
of Westmount-Saint-Louis
After a year of change, let’s not give up, we are almost there
Dear fellow citizens,
Exactly one year ago, on March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared a pandemic, the coronavirus epidemic. Since then the whole world has been shaken, including Québec.
It’s been nearly a year since the coronavirus forced the province to stay at home with the slogan “ça va bien aller,” all while emptying streets, clearing office buildings, and eviscerating toilet paper shelves at our grocery stores.
We were very far from suspecting at that time that our daily lives would be turned upside down for so long.
Little did we know that we would have to adapt to the reality of working from home and distance learning, or that words like Zoom and Teams would be part of our regular vocabulary. Little did we know that we would not see our loved ones for months on end, or that our economy would be so damaged.
Little did we know that women, minorities, and the vulnerable would suffer so disproportionately, as the pandemic exposed and exacerbated pre-existing gaps in health, economic security, and well-being.
Caught between questions like “How did we get here?” and “When can we get back to normal?” we faced a lot of challenges together, some more difficult that others. I know it hasn’t been easy. But we’ve persevered and we’ve developed a resilience and solidarity that allows us to continue to fight against COVID-19.
The past year has been filled with undeniable and omnipresent reminders that life is short and unpredictable. Virtually no one has been left untouched after 12 months of such dramatic disruption. The past 12 months have also highlighted the increasingly important role of our healthcare workers, and employees in all essential services, who for a year have been at the front lines fighting against COVID-19. I would like to thank them for their dedication and for their invaluable contribution to our society in the face of this health crisis.
I would also like to thank all our citizens of Westmount–Saint-Louis for doing your part by respecting public health measures and standing together as we weather this storm. You are truly inspiring.
Finally, I would like to extend my deepest condolences to those who have lost a loved one to COVID-19.
A generous dose of empathy and understanding will make us all stronger as we rebuild and remake our world in the year ahead. After a year of change, let’s not give up.
Jennifer Maccarone
MNA for Westmount–Saint-Louis
Other articles from Jennifer Maccarone
Jennifer Maccarone is the Official Opposition Critic for Diversity and Inclusion, LGBTQ2 and for People Living with Handicaps or Autism Spectrum Disorder.
There are no comments
Add yours