By Paul Lefebvre
Today, the world is unrecognisable from a few short weeks ago.
On TV, we have been inundated with so many horrific scenes from the very places from which many Sudburians and Canadians can trace our origins -- Italy, India, China, UK, etc.
I’m sure I join all Sudburians in offering the deepest condolences for the loss of so many lives around the world, and profound sadness for the lives we know will be lost before this is over.
Our Government of Canada continues to roll out measures designed to help Canadian families, workers and businesses weather this storm. At every step, we are working with public health experts and local and provincial officials to design policies and programs to help every Canadian.
Visit my website at www.paullefebvre.ca for more on the steps we are taking to protect Canadians.
One of the themes we hear often these days is that times of extraordinary stress such as we face right now tends to bring out the best in people. This is absolutely true.
Over the past few weeks, my office has been flooded with offers from citizens and businesses who want to help. From a local seamstress who asked if she could make masks for medical professionals, to a local distiller now producing medical grade hand sanitizer, to the large mining supply company offering to retool to produce medical equipment.
And we have all heard stories of the selfless volunteers who continue to provide essential services to our most vulnerable, whether they be people on the streets or seniors confined to their homes.
Extraordinary people doing extraordinary things in extraordinary times!
This is the Sudbury I know. Resilient, resourceful, determined. And united.
But we also hear stories selfishness … stories of people who chose to ignore public health advice and socialize anyway. Or people returning from abroad and choosing not to self-isolate.
To these, I reiterate the simple message from Prime Minister Justin Trudeau - act like you have Covid-19 and stay at home. Remember, breaking the rules could kill someone close to you.
Need to go to the store? Need to get out of the house for a walk? That’s natural, and it’s OK. But whatever you do, act like you have Covid-19, and let that guide your actions.
In Sudbury, thousands of people continue to work in health care, social services, retail, deliveries and other occupations to ensure the rest of us can carry on in these difficult times.
They risk their health to go to work for us every day. All they ask is that we stay home to protect them. And small things like washing our hands frequently, disinfecting our environments and sneezing or coughing into our elbows.
Little things that can make a big difference. We will emerge from this crisis months from now stronger and wiser because we are taking these small steps today.
In this time of uncertainty, there is only one thing that is certain: we must count on each other to do the right things and to help those who need help. My team is ready. We do our best to assist our community.
We are all in this together. Stay safe. Stay isolated. Stay informed.
Paul Lefebvre is Member of Parliament for Sudbury and Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources.
For more, visit paullefebvre.ca.
