Needs

Home. I have a renewed appreciation for the beauty and tranquility of Prince Edward County after spending a month on the road. I know, I’ve said the West Coast is like my second home, but this time, there was a claustrophobic clamminess about the city of Vancouver that, after a few days, overwhelmed me. Vancouverites believe theirs is the greenest city in Canada, but I beg to differ. Perhaps, by greenest city, they mean the most moss and mould growing in ther windows and on the roofs of their houses. They seem to be paralyzed when it comes to actually recycling things. Balconies, porches and laneways around the city were filled with stuff. Obviously stuff that’s too good to send to a landfill, but stuff unlikely to ever be repurposed, reused or recycled. In sharp contrast, the last week of our trip was spent at CFB Shiloh and- Brandon, Manitoba. In November, Shiloh and Brandon look vast, dull, grey, flat and empty. Since our girls were posted to CFB Shiloh, Manitoba has become our second second home. As a province, Manitoba could use a little talking to—they could use a word or two from my friend, Dan the development man. Would it hurt to plant a tree next to the TransCanada Highway to brighten things up a bit? Would it hurt to put a turn or twist in a road—here and there? Remarkably, there is a forest near CFB Shiloh, but it was planned. If you like your trees to line as though they’re on parade and all be the same species, as if in uniform, then CFB Shiloh is the place to be. After a couple of hikes in the spruce woods it was a thrill to see a birch tree in the birch woods. I’m now at home, where the forests are interesting and the fields aren’t beige. Where there’s still a bit of autumn colour on the trees, and the roads are winding.

Although I tried to keep up with friends and family while I was away, it was difficult to get online in some of the more remote places we visited. Once home, I had time to read the local postings on Facebook, and sadly noticed that some folks are still all het up about those in our community who are receiving social assistance benefits. Like Vancouver and Brandon, Prince Edward County has an employment problem. High rates of unemployment isn’t a new problem here. Yeah, yeah, there are job openings in the County, but most of them are seasonal and many don’t pay enough to cover the rent, keep the lights on and put food on the table. But sometimes, folks spend foolishly.

This isn’t just a social assistance recipient thing. We all do it. We buy stuff we can’t afford. We hit the slots because we think we deserve to. When all is said and done, we worry about how we’re going to make it to the end of the pay period. Our kids end up eating crap, we don’t have the money for dental check-ups, yet there we are, drooling over upgrades to our cellphones. Been there. Done that. And so, too, have many of you.

As I read some of the angry comments about social assistance recipients, I wanted to comment that we could move every one of them into a block of sparsely furnished buildings on the outskirts of town, confiscate their possessions, make them cheap food in mess halls and only allow them out to go to school, doctor’s appointments or job interviews. I didn’t comment that way. But I really wanted to.

There must be a better way to identify life needs and support the truly unfortunate, without creating a system of generational dependency. The beauty of the County is it’s a small, closely-knit community. We see a lot. We know everyone’s business. We care about our friends, family and neighbours. Unfortunately, when those of us who aren’t recipients are feeling the pinch, as we do at this time of the year, we strike out at people who might be less fortunate.

Home is supposed to be where the heart is. I’m working on having a more generous heart. I am happy to be home.

theresa@wellingtontimes.ca