The Bridge with Peter Mansbridge - The Thanksgiving Weekend Special (#30)

Episode Date: October 9, 2020

Enjoy your holiday weekend and stay healthy.

and hello there peter mansbridge here the latest episode of the bridge daily it's friday of week 30 as another week passes into the history books. The Bridge Daily covering on a pretty much daily basis, Monday to Friday, the COVID-19 story, and also, as you know, the race next door. We've been following that with Bruce Anderson at least once a week for the last couple of months. Well, Fridays is normally the weekend special. Your letters, your thoughts,

your questions, your comments. But hey, I guess we've been just so good this week that there's been nothing left for you to talk about. Because I gotta tell you, the number of letters this week has

been down. I guess you're all excited about the Thanksgiving weekend. Anyway, I'll still read a couple, and I have a couple of other things to talk about as well, so we'll still have lots of time here in the podcast, in the Bridge Daily, for a variety of different comments. Let me talk a little bit about Thanksgiving. I mean, this weekend is one we all have cherished memories of, of being with friends and family in different places, you know,

our homes, our cottages, if we're lucky enough to have one, in parks, at the lake, watching the leaves change, being out there with friends and family. That's Thanksgiving. We've got lots to be thankful for. But this year, it's not that kind of Thanksgiving. It's been a tough year, and it's a tough weekend right now because in most parts of the country,

certainly the most populous parts of the country, things have been heading south in terms of the number of new cases of COVID-19. It hasn't been good, especially, as I said, Ontario, Quebec, Alberta, BC. Not so much in Manitoba and Saskatchewan. Not so much in the north. And not so much in Atlanta, Canada.

Although a little bit of a spike. Was it in New Brunswick yesterday? But still, the numbers are very low in those other areas. But it is going to cramp our style this weekend. But, you know, patience is the key here, folks. We have handled this at different times this year in ways that have made the situation better, and we're going to have to do that again now. And, you know, I don't need to lecture anyone here,

you know, the basics, masks and washing hands and socially distanced and staying away from big crowds. All of that is important. And unfortunately, in some parts of the country, it also means this weekend is not going to be one for gathering with friends and family. So, you know, a month ago, this podcast and others kind of started waving the flag, the red flag, saying, hey, we got to do something here.

Numbers are starting to move upwards. A month ago, they were in double digits here in Ontario and not much higher in Quebec. Good numbers in BC and Alberta. But in those, in that four or five weeks since, they've gone up in all four of those provinces. Nowhere greater than in Quebec and Ontario.

And in spite of calls for, hey, we got to back up here. You got to put back in some of those restrictions that you eased. And one of the hobby horses for this podcast has always been in-restaurant dining and bars. But in Ontario, they seem to go the other way. In the last week, they opened up casinos for the first time, which just seemed like nuts, facing with these increasing numbers. So what happened today?

As the new case number in Ontario reached almost 1,000. Well, Ontario finally joined us in waving the flag. Premier Doug Ford and his government putting back in some restrictions that they'd lifted some time ago. So what's going to happen? And they're not waiting. They're not giving like the traditional two or three or four day warning. It's bingo now.

Now is the time. So at one minute after 12 tonight, midnight plus a minute, the new measures go into effect, and they are indoor dining restriction applies to restaurants, bars, and other food and drink establishments, including nightclubs and food courts and malls. Finally, indoor gyms and fitness centers, including yoga studios and dance studios,

will also be closed in these regions. This is for four weeks, for 28 days. Cinemas, casinos, which have just opened, bingo halls and other gaming establishments are also required to close. As of next Tuesday, they're giving a couple of days grace here, which I think is probably only fair on this issue.

Weddings in Ontario will be forced to comply with updated public health measures which limit 10 people indoors, 25 people outdoors. So small weddings. It's stunning, in fact, how many cases of weddings and funerals have resulted in new clusters of COVID-19. So they're going at that. There are a bunch of other things as well that they're going to do, but those are the main things.

Performing arts centers and venues, they're going to close. Spectator areas and racing venues are going to close. Anyway, I won't go through them all, but they really have moved now, finally, after realizing there were problems. There were similar new moves made in Quebec, which is showing numbers even higher than Ontario. BC moved quickly, I guess it was two weeks ago now, three weeks ago now, when they made some moves.

And they seem to have leveled off the new caseload. They're down around 100, 120 a day. What Ontario would give for numbers like that right now. As they've watched their numbers, as I said, go up from like 60, 70, to today was almost 1,000. So none of that is any good at all. What a way to celebrate Thanksgiving, realizing that we are back in it,

and it's going to be tough slogging. But we've been there before, and that's crucial, because we know that it works when we take those restrictions. It has shown that it works. Does it hurt the economy? Does it hurt working people? Absolutely. It has shown that it works. Does it hurt the economy? Does it hurt working people? Absolutely. It does.

But if you want to stop this without dying, then some people are going to be hurt in the pocketbook. Governments are putting lots of money back out in line, and they're ensuring that some of these support programs are there to help people. And they added another today, is it $100 million, the federal government, for food banks in different parts of the country? They're going to need to do that a few times more, we can be sure. Now, let me read a couple of letters, and then I'll get to a special thing I want to do for tonight, for this weekend weekend special podcast.

Barb Demaree writes from Vancouver. One thing the pandemic has had me pondering is the fundamental differences between the United States and Canada. The differences seem to be underscored more than ever right now. Living close to the U.S. border, taking quick trips to Bellingham or Seattle is something I and my family do regularly from Vancouver pre-COVID. Without a doubt, as soon as you cross the border, you know you're no longer in Canada. Our response to the pandemic is vastly different. Yes, we have our anti-maskers and people who subscribe to conspiracy theories, but generally I think we're a law-abiding nation. At least that's what I observe. We trust our

public health experts and epidemiologists and follow their guidelines. No one yet has challenged me or anyone I know for wearing a mask. We believe in universal health care, but a huge segment of the U.S. population is vehemently opposed to it. I can't see us ever being governed by a Donald Trump. Hey, 10 years ago, I'm sure a lot of Americans never thought they'd be governed by a Donald Trump. Things change. Things happen. Things can happen.

They happen there. Things can happen. They happen there. They can happen anywhere. So Barb's final question, what do you think are the main factors that separate us from our American neighbors? There are lots. And I don't want to oversimplify things, but hey, we are a different country.

We have a different history. We have a different constitution. Our form of government is different. Our values are different. That's not to say theirs are bad, ours are good, or ours are bad, theirs are good. It's just they're different. That's okay.

We play hockey better. There are lots of things about us that are different than the Americans, and vive la difference. I mean, I'm sure the Americans would say the same thing. They're going through a very difficult stretch right now because of the mishandling of their pandemic situation. We're going through a difficult stretch, less difficult than they're going through,

but nevertheless a difficult stretch, and there will be questions asked, as there should be, about our handling of this pandemic when we finally get through it all and the time is right for those kind of discussions. But there are differences and lots of them and that's okay. That's why we're Canada and not the 51st state.

And I think it's okay when you cross the border to realize that you're in a different country. Just like when you fly across the ocean, east or west, and when you land you realize, hey, this is different. So let's celebrate the difference and be proud of what we have and protect what we have. So I think that's the simple answer to your question without getting into a lecture on the other things

that differentiate our countries. You know, a couple of weeks ago, or was it last week, we had a letter from what I called Puslinch, which is east of Stratford, west of Toronto, roughly in the Guelph area. Anyway, Richard Sooner, who's written many times before, wants me to know, you know what, it's actually not Puss Lynch. The proper local pronunciation, says Richard, as is in puss, as in puss and boots, as opposed to the stuff that oozes from a wound.

So, Puslinch. It's located, says Richard, on Puslinch Lake, a small kettle lake left by the retreating glaciers. Beautiful lakeside. Right next door is the McClintock Water Ski School and home of their own world champion water skis. In the summer, you can watch the students practice their skiing. And across the lake is the massive cottage.

I did not know this. The massive cottage of the Biebs. I understand he did some COVID virtual concerts there early in the pandemic. The Biebs, Justin Bieber from Stratford, Ontario, has been concerned about his neighbors and friends in this area since this started and has donated more than a few times to local food banks.

And where did I just read the other day? He sent over 200 sandwiches or something, I think it was sandwiches, to one of the frontline operations that are dealing with those who are faced with issues surrounding COVID-19. So the Beeb's a good guy. I know he's had an interesting career so far. He's a good man here locally. Bill and Jill Lease. Hi, Peter. I watched the presidential

debate last week, and tonight I'm watching the VP debate, just wondering who picks the moderators. There's a debate commission. We've got one here in Canada, too. I don't think they operate exactly the same, but basically they determine through consultation with the various parties, the two main parties, how many debates there'll be, where the debates will be, what the basic format is going to be, and they get agreement from the parties, and you've seen how well that works out in terms of whether or not you answer the questions,

whether or not you let the other people talk. All that's worked out beforehand. And the debate commission picks the moderators. The parties don't pick the moderators. And you've heard Trump whining and moaning about the moderators so far, as he often does anyway. So that's the basic answer there. Okay, we had a number of letters about masks,

and last week, remember, I read a letter from a woman who was concerned that in the hospital her son had been in, after he'd had surgery, they told those with her son in the room, including her son, that he didn't need to wear a mask. This was after the surgery, and we all found that a little odd. Crystal Steers has written from St. Catharines, Ontario, suggesting that that actually does happen in more places than just the one from the letter that we read last week.

I live in the Niagara region in southern Ontario, and I had surgery on September 2nd in Hamilton. I had a similar experience. Going into surgery, I had to wear a mask, but as I was moved into the ward upstairs after the surgery, I was told I didn't need to wear a mask. Only my visitors needed to wear one. This not only alarmed me, but actually made me worry

about how fast the number would spread, as, of course, people walk around the ward, both visitors and nurses and doctors, so anyone who came to see me would be exposed to my germs and carry that with them as they moved around the hospital or our community. As we all know now, even if I'm tested the day I enter the hospital, it could come back as a negative result and a couple days later I could test positive. So I actually tried to put my mask

back on and it was removed and taken away by the nursing staff. Having just had major surgery and being on a lot of drugs, it took about 24 hours after this for me to be able to get out of bed and be able to get my mask and get it back on my face. I asked my doctor to leave the hospital as soon as possible because I don't feel safe being on the ward knowing that everyone being treated there was being told not to wear a mask. I don't know who's making these choices at the hospital, but I can tell you that unless it was 100% life or death, I won't be going to any hospital in Ontario anytime soon for any reason because I, like Janice,

now know firsthand that they are not all doing the same or doing the one simple thing that we all need to do in order to stop the spread. This is a problem in a lot of places, not just a one-off instance. But listen, mask wearing is not the one thing that's going to stop the spread. There are a number of things, mask wearing being one of them. And, you know, so just keep that in mind. But I hear your point, and I guess we'll, that's a couple letters,

so maybe next week we'll try and figure out what the answer to that is. If you know the answer, send it along. If not, I'll check with one of the hospitals and try and find out. Okay, I told you we're going to close with one little thing I found because I think it connects with a lot of the weekend special final letters over the last 30 weeks. They've often dealt with the struggles people have had at home and especially on the part of mothers, young mothers with kids,

and the struggles they've faced. And so what I'm going to read a part of here is a column I found the other day in the Huffington Post. And it's titled, Women Are Not Okay. It's written by Emily Peck of HuffPost US. The sub-headline is, The pressures of parenting in a pandemic are pushing hundreds of thousands of women

around the country out of work or into burnout. And the sub-sub headline from that is women across the country are burning out and no one is coming to the rescue. So this is a fairly lengthy article, and you can find it by going to the Huffington Post website. But I'm going to read a little bit of it, because as I said, it kind of fits in with some of the letters we've received over the last few months. And it's worth underlining this fact.

Now, the examples that Emily Peck uses are American, but I think that's why I say it kind of connects with some of the letters we've had. This week, millions of women struggled to manage their paying jobs while also doing the unpaid work of homeschooling. About half of the nation's children did not go to school in person. Meanwhile, President Donald Trump, fresh from a hospital stay for COVID-19 and back in his government-funded, well-staffed home, killed any plans for more pandemic relief ahead of the election. I cried on the phone with my dad recently just talking about how impossible this is. Marissa Maciel, a mother of two living in Northern California,

told the Huffington Post in a lengthy email this week. I have a partner at least and a remote, mostly, job and I am so stressed. Like millions of other women across the country, Maciel said she is exhausted, struggling to work from home, while helping her children, one in elementary school and one in middle school, with remote learning. We've basically become assistant teachers, she said. She's an administrator in higher education. If I'm not helping with school or working on work, I'm doing chores.

There is somehow more laundry than ever before, she noted. If I'm not helping with school or working on work, I'm doing chores. There is somehow more laundry than ever before, she noted. From the start, the economic fallout of the pandemic has hit women harder than men. Women lost more jobs than men because industries dominated by women were the ones most impacted by the downturn. Think about that, because you don't normally think of it that way. Think about that. Think hotels, restaurants, the travel sector, hair salons. One in five childcare workers, almost all women, lost their jobs.

Black and Latina women have suffered from the economic downturn the most. Then came the school closures, and many caretakers, primarily women, could not leave home to work or even look for new jobs because they had kids at home from school. I expected it to be really bad, said Michael Matowitz, an economist at the Progressive Center for American Progress, who has been tracking women's struggles in the workforce since the start of the pandemic.

It's worse than I was ready for. Unlike in previous recessions, the unemployment rate for women is higher than it is for men. In September, 865,000 women left the labor force compared to 216,000 men. That's according to the U.S. Labor Department figures. That's the highest number in history, with the exception of March when lockdowns forced millions of men and women out of work.

The percentage of women in the workforce, 55.6%, is as low now as it was in 1986. Just one last piece from this article. It's a very good one. And it's one of those articles that makes you think, right? So here's it in, the last couple of sentences that I'm going to read from this. Meanwhile, women still clinging to their paying jobs

while taking on the overwhelming task of homeschooling their children are on the edge of burnout. One in four professional women are considering leaving their jobs or downshifting their careers, according to a report released last week by McKinsey & Company and LeanIn.org, the women's advocacy group. And women are facing the same old gender bias that's hurt mothers in the workforce for decades.

Twice as many mothers say they're afraid they'll be penalized at work for having to handle childcare issues at home, according to the survey care issues at home, according to the survey, which pulled 40,000 employees from 47 different companies and also conducted deeper conversations with 49 women. You hear the same things over and over, said one of those doing the study. They report feeling exhausted, like they're failing at everything, she said. Women are being pushed to the brink, and it's not just because of increased responsibilities at home,

but because of a long-standing bias. Women are typically judged more harshly at work, perceived as less committed, and held to higher standards, she said. It's not business as usual, and so a lot of the biases or pressures that women experience in the workplace are heightened right now, and women are feeling it. All right, I wanted to share that with you because I think we've felt that in a lot of the letters

that have been received here at the Bridge Daily over the last 30 weeks. You know, we've received them from men and women, from young adults, and from teenagers. And from some grandparents talking about their kids and their grandkids. And some of what I just read is reflected in those letters. So I think there's a takeaway for all of us in this. What I just read is reflected in those letters. So I think there's a takeaway for all of us in this.

And I think perhaps we all need to be a little more understanding. And this weekend in particular, there are people that you would normally sit with and stand with and dine with and have a glass of wine with on this weekend. Normally they'd be there with you, but they're not. They're in their homes now. Could be on the other side of the city, the other side of the province, or on the other side of the world. Thanksgiving, we normally all get together. Not so this year. But we should be with our closest, those who we share households with,

and maybe we can try to develop a whole new understanding about what we're all going through on this weekend. So with that, let me close out with a couple of housekeeping notes. You can always find past episodes of The Bridge on my website at thepetermansbridge.com. You can write, if you so desire, to themansbridgepodcast at gmail.com. And as I said the other day,

we'd really like you to rate the podcast. As you know, I haven't asked for that before over 30 weeks, but I'm told that you're actually supposed to do that every once in a while and you can do that on your podcast provider. Say it's Apple Podcasts. There'll be a section there

where you can rate the bridge daily. And, you know, it's a five-star thing, and that's where we'd like you to consider starting, at the five-star level. But whatever you do, it's available

there for you, and it has an impact, apparently, on something. I don't know what. Thank you for your support and your loyalty to the Bridge Daily over these past 30 weeks. We move into the 30s next week in the sense of week 31. But we probably won't start until Tuesday. This is a holiday weekend. Let's try and enjoy it as best we can, knowing all the things that we have

to consider. So we'll be back on Tuesday. If something big happens over the weekend, obviously, we'll leap on with a special edition. But if not, the Bridge Daily will return on Tuesday, which is whatever, 72 hours away, something like that.

Look forward to doing it. Look forward to talking to you again. Once again, thanks for listening. I'm Peter Mansbridge. This has been the Bridge Daily. We'll talk to you again next week.