'Can you hear me now?': Montrealers share their pandemic memories, 5 years later
For others, it was tuning into the daily news briefings.
For others still, it was the voice of a patient saying goodbye to loved ones who couldn't be with them in their final hour.
Five years after Quebec declared a public health emergency over COVID-19, five Montrealers reflect on what they remember most about the early days of the pandemic and how their lives have changed since. LISTEN | Can you hear me now? For some it was the choppy sound of a video call. For others, it was tuning into the daily news briefings. For others still, it was the voice of a patient saying goodbye to loved ones who couldn't be with them in their final hour. Five years after Quebec declared a public health emergency over COVID-19, five Montrealers reflect on what they remember most about the early days of the pandemic and how their lives have changed since.
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Winnipeg Free Press
an hour ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Can't fix health care if leaders refuse to protect nurses
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That's the most troubling part of all this: Shared Health doesn't appear interested in being proactive when it comes to nurse safety. They respond only when they have no other choice. Take the recent move by the Manitoba Nurses Union to 'grey list' HSC. Grey listing is a serious move. It's a public statement to nurses across Canada that HSC is not a safe place to work, making it harder to recruit staff at a time when Manitoba is desperate for them. The fact that the union felt compelled to take such a drastic step (nurses voted 94 per cent in favour of the move earlier this month) is itself a damning indictment of Shared Health's leadership. Instead of recognizing that reality and making major, visible improvements to safety, Shared Health has consistently dragged its feet, downplayed the risks and pointed to half-measures. The consequences of this inaction are not abstract. Nurses are being attacked. They're being groped, punched and verbally abused by patients and visitors. They're questioning whether they want to stay in a profession they once loved. And in a health-care system already stretched to the breaking point, every nurse who walks away makes the crisis that much worse. Recruitment and retention are already massive challenges in Manitoba. The NDP government has promised to fix health care, but it cannot do so without nurses. And nurses will not stay if they don't feel safe. Safety is not optional. It's not an add-on. It's not something to be 'balanced' against budgets and bureaucratic convenience. It's fundamental. If you can't keep your workforce safe, you can't run a hospital. It's that simple. The question Manitobans should be asking is: where is the accountability for Shared Health and HSC leadership? Why does Shared Health get away with dragging its heels, ignoring front-line concerns, and often making changes only when legally compelled? Why aren't health-care executives being held responsible for their failures to provide a safe work environment? It's a cultural problem. At the top of Shared Health and HSC, there doesn't seem to be a deep, genuine commitment to protecting nurses. There are lots of statements, lots of reassurances, lots of promises but little evidence of action unless someone else forces it. Weekday Mornings A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day. That has to change. Safety cannot be left to arbitration rulings and piecemeal fixes. Manitoba needs a proactive, system-wide strategy to make hospitals safe. That means listening to nurses first, not last. It means anticipating risks instead of reacting to crises. It means holding senior managers accountable when they fail to act. If the culture at Shared Health is too entrenched to change, then perhaps it's time for the provincial government to step in more directly. After all, HSC is Manitoba's flagship hospital. It's where the sickest patients go. It's where the most complex care is provided. If Manitoba is serious about fixing health care, it has to start here. Because without safe workplaces, there are no nurses. And without nurses, there is no health care. Tom BrodbeckColumnist Tom Brodbeck is an award-winning author and columnist with over 30 years experience in print media. He joined the Free Press in 2019. Born and raised in Montreal, Tom graduated from the University of Manitoba in 1993 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and commerce. Read more about Tom. Tom provides commentary and analysis on political and related issues at the municipal, provincial and federal level. His columns are built on research and coverage of local events. The Free Press's editing team reviews Tom's columns before they are posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Edmonton Journal
Opinion: Where have all Alberta's COVID vaccines gone?
This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Alberta Health Services opened a drop-in first dose COVID-19 vaccination clinic at the Edmonton Expo Centre, Wednesday June 9, 2021. Photo by David Bloom / David Bloom/Postmedia We are travelling in September and October and in preparation I checked my vaccine status. My last COVID shot was August 2024, and as someone over age 65 travelling by planes and trains, it seemed prudent to update this. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors I thought I was in luck when the provincial government announced a new system for getting a COVID-19 vaccine. This is what I have learned. My pharmacy tells me their entire vaccine supply was withdrawn by Alberta Health Services (AHS) as of July 31, and that I need to go to an AHS immunization clinic. After registering on the AHS interface, I'm told I need to make an appointment but an online appointment interface is not available. Global News cites AHS in saying 'that Albertans who place an order through the Alberta vaccine-booking system will be sent a reminder in early October to book an appointment to get it.' Too little, too late for our travel needs. I called 811, our tax-dollar supported health information line. While professional, I was told the vaccine is not available and won't be until sometime in October, well after we need it. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again Then I remembered we have private travel clinics in Alberta for immunizations. Sorry, they say, COVID vaccines are not on their list. My family doctor has checked their resources which match the information above — they have no access or discretion and are required to send patients to AHS clinics. British Columbia restricts vaccines to B.C. residents so a quick trip there is not an option. The Saskatchewan immunization program for fall 2025 has not been announced. The Public Health Agency of Canada says COVID vaccines are available to everyone in Canada. They tell me to call the Alberta government. The Alberta government office of Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services Adriana LaGrange requires email contact. I've been thanked for writing. So what's going on? Is this just an Alberta issue? Is it too much to ask that a new policy allow for physician discretion? Have anti-vaxxers in Alberta indirectly encroached on my personal health choices? Has RFK Jr. so disrupted the U.S. pipeline for vaccines that Canada cannot move forward on its own? Below is what I understand. This new Alberta policy seems to be in response to the federal government ending payment for all COVID-19 vaccines in Canada. Pharmacies and unions have pushed back against this policy. Infectious disease experts argue that Alberta is not following Government of Canada guidelines. Dr. James Talbot, a former provincial chief medical officer of health, is quoted, 'This (new policy) is saying if you want to prevent yourself from getting a serious illness and the serious consequences that go with it, if you have money you're fine. If you're a member of the working poor or a single-parent family, you're out of luck.' I have discovered that for now, even when you can pay, you are out of luck. This advertisement has not loaded yet. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. This may not just be an Alberta issue. The U.S. is behind on COVID vaccine approvals and production this year so that vaccine recommendations and campaigns are stalled while rates are modestly increasing. This should give us all pause. It seems impossible that we should be in this position — five generations of our family have had good health care in an Alberta system that encouraged individuals to be proactive about prevention. After all, prevention saves health resources for others who need it. I'm not just worried for myself but for family, friends, neighbours and fellow Alberta citizens. Will the availability of COVID-19 vaccines be more than an exercise in luck for those who can and cannot pay? Why are physicians not allowed discretion when it comes to immunizations? Where have all the COVID-19 vaccines gone? Faith G. Davis, PhD, epidemiology, emeritus professor and retired vice-dean, Public Health, University of Alberta and fellow of the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences. We invite you to write letters to the editor. A maximum of 150 words is preferred. Letters must carry a first and last name, or two initials and a last name, and include an address and daytime telephone number. All letters are subject to editing. We don't publish letters addressed to others or sent to other publications. Email: letters@ Bookmark our website and support our journalism: Don't miss the news you need to know — add and to your bookmarks and sign up for our newsletters here. You can also support our journalism by becoming a digital subscriber. Subscribers gain unlimited access to The Edmonton Journal, Edmonton Sun, National Post and 13 other Canadian news sites. Support us by subscribing today: The Edmonton Journal |The Edmonton Sun.
Edmonton Journal
a day ago
- Edmonton Journal
Alberta government to cover COVID-19 shots for health-care workers in policy reversal
A union representing 30,000 health-care workers in Alberta is calling on Premier Danielle Smith's government to reverse course and provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all front-line workers and any other Albertan who wants the shot. Postmedia file photo EDMONTON — In a partial policy reversal, Alberta's government said Tuesday it will cover the cost of COVID-19 vaccinations for health-care workers. THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles by David Staples, Keith Gerein and others, Oilers news from Cult of Hockey, Ask EJ Anything features, the Noon News Roundup and Under the Dome newsletters. Unlimited online access to Edmonton Journal and 15 news sites with one account. Edmonton Journal ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Maddison McKee, spokesperson to Primary and Preventative Health Services Minister Adriana LaGrange, said in an email that COVID-19 vaccine coverage will be extended to all health-care workers this fall under the first phase of the province's vaccination rollout. 'Immunization will remain voluntary,' said McKee. Get the latest headlines, breaking news and columns. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. Please try again It comes two months after the government said most Albertans, including health workers, would have to pay for COVID-19 shots this season. Public health experts and health-care unions called it irresponsible to force front-line workers to pay for protection in the workplace. Premier Danielle Smith has said the aim of the new policy is to prevent wastage, after some $135 million was spent on unused doses. She's also pointed out that other vaccinations come with an out-of-pocket fee. The government did not immediately respond to questions about what prompted the shift. The Health Sciences Association of Alberta is one of several unions representing health-care workers that have been publicly pressing the government for months. President Mike Parker said his members demanded the change at the bargaining table, but the government decided to make it a blanket policy instead. The union reached a new tentative agreement last week with employers on wages and benefits, but it is yet to be ratified. 'This is both in the interest of our members and the public to make sure that these folks stay healthy and on the job,' Parker said. 'I'm pleased to see that it's now going to be inclusive of all health-care workers from the work that we did.' Parker said the government's next step should be allowing everyone to get vaccinated, if they want, free of charge. The government hasn't finalized how much other Albertans will need to pay, but an estimated cost to buy each shot is $110. The province said in June those who have compromised immune systems, people on social programs and seniors in congregate settings will be covered. Alberta Opposition NDP Leader Naheed Nenshi called on the United Conservative Party government to give the shot to all seniors at no cost.
