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A Bubble off plumb?
May. 3rd, 2020 02:09 pmIf the sudden lockdown due to covid 19 was traumatic for everyone, the gradual reinstallation of The World We Once Knew may prove even more challenging and confusing!
In Canada, of course, a lot of this is down to federalism - divided, and sometimes contradictory jurisdictions for a lot of matters that are important in our day-to-day lives.
Most provinces are now looking at the next phase of the pandemic, the process of gradually re-opening our outside world.
In Quebec, retail establishments not located in shopping malls will be allowed to re-open tomorrow. Schools and day cares for younger children will be re-opening May 11 except in the hard-hit Montreal area, where the re-opening is scheduled for May 19. Meanwhile here in Ontario, elementary schools will remain closed at least till the end of May. The interprovincial differences in re-opening schedules obviously pose problems for cities whose populations, economies and cultures are closely interwoven, particularly when that interwovenness involves a national capital region like Ottawa/Gatineau.
Beyond Ontario and Quebec, in whatever direction, the individual provinces and territories all have quite different matters to consider with regard to re-opening, depending on their position on the curve as well as their particular cultural makeup.
With regard to New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province (at least if we're talking English and French) in the country, I thought their idea of a two-household "bubble" was rather creative. At least extended family or long-time friends will now be able to get together to some extent, without being branded as common criminals and slapped with $880 fines!
But sadly most other jurisdictions seem to view the idea as a bubble off plumb:
https://wordcrafters.org/a-bubble-off-plumb/
By the way, although the above link comes out of the state of Oregon, my first introduction to the expression came from Mary Cook, a Carleton Place resident who has written extensively about her experiences of growing up in the Valley.
Anyway, as provincial governments start to outline their next steps, it seems we're starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.
In Canada, of course, a lot of this is down to federalism - divided, and sometimes contradictory jurisdictions for a lot of matters that are important in our day-to-day lives.
Most provinces are now looking at the next phase of the pandemic, the process of gradually re-opening our outside world.
In Quebec, retail establishments not located in shopping malls will be allowed to re-open tomorrow. Schools and day cares for younger children will be re-opening May 11 except in the hard-hit Montreal area, where the re-opening is scheduled for May 19. Meanwhile here in Ontario, elementary schools will remain closed at least till the end of May. The interprovincial differences in re-opening schedules obviously pose problems for cities whose populations, economies and cultures are closely interwoven, particularly when that interwovenness involves a national capital region like Ottawa/Gatineau.
Beyond Ontario and Quebec, in whatever direction, the individual provinces and territories all have quite different matters to consider with regard to re-opening, depending on their position on the curve as well as their particular cultural makeup.
With regard to New Brunswick, the only officially bilingual province (at least if we're talking English and French) in the country, I thought their idea of a two-household "bubble" was rather creative. At least extended family or long-time friends will now be able to get together to some extent, without being branded as common criminals and slapped with $880 fines!
But sadly most other jurisdictions seem to view the idea as a bubble off plumb:
https://wordcrafters.org/a-bubble-off-plumb/
By the way, although the above link comes out of the state of Oregon, my first introduction to the expression came from Mary Cook, a Carleton Place resident who has written extensively about her experiences of growing up in the Valley.
Anyway, as provincial governments start to outline their next steps, it seems we're starting to see a glimmer of light at the end of the pandemic tunnel.
