A Runaway Train

Ontario faces ‘runaway train’ of COVID-19 cases if families don’t scrap Thanksgiving gatherings. So read a recent headline from this CBC article. Our prime minister told us that it is up to Canadians throughout the country to do their part, to wear their mask, to maintain physical distancing:

“Unfortunately, to not get together with their families and friends for Thanksgiving so that we can take control of this second wave, so that we can all celebrate at Christmas.”

Government officials at all levels have provided inconsistent messaging about the long weekend leading many to wonder whether they could gather with family this Thanksgiving.

The premier of our province was under pressure to clarify the new COVID-19 rules and he issued the following statement:

As we approach the Thanksgiving weekend, we have an opportunity to take time and reflect on what matters most as we all live through these unprecedented times in our province.

I know Thanksgiving is normally a time when people get together with family and friends to give thanks and reconnect, but these aren’t normal times. This year, we will have to make adjustments in order to ensure everyone remains healthy and safe.

On the advice of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, it’s not enough to limit the size of Thanksgiving gatherings to 10 people or less. We must all do our part to keep gathering sizes small by sticking to our immediate households.

If you live alone, you may join one other household to ensure no one is alone or isolated this holiday season, but please take the necessary precautions to keep gatherings small.

We are also encouraging everyone to please stay home and limit trips outside the home, except to go to work or school, pick up groceries or medicines, keep a medical appointment, or to exercise.

The family section of our park was jammed with households that clearly missed the premier’s memo. I suspect a fair segment of the population in Ontario ignored the government’s request to limit gatherings to immediate households. The roads leading out of Toronto were just as busy this weekend as they have been all summer. This will change soon as the Thanksgiving weekend is usually the last big weekend for cottagers and campers in our area. COVID or no COVID.

The park closes today. We are able to stay on our site until October 24th. After that we will spend a week at our dealership before putting the coach into storage and moving into the house for the winter.

We did gather with family this weekend. But only with our youngest son. He is still in college and he lives alone. According to the government, he was able to join one other household to ensure that he was not alone or isolated over Thanksgiving. That household was our household.

I was so happy to see him and to spend time with him.

We went on a photoshoot in Copeland Forest to capture the beautiful colours of fall. Despite the doom and gloom of COVID-19, there is much to be thankful. A walk in the forest was just what the doctor ordered. A few images from our hike yesterday.