To the Editor,
Forty years ago I paid $5.00 to camp at a provincial campground and could do so spontaneously. There was plenty of space and all the amenities there. You could even make a fire in the pit most years, climate change was unheard of. Today, if I could reserve a spot at the same campground it would cost $32 plus $6 reservation fee, more than seven times more.
My salary in 1981 was $6 an hour and I was able to afford the campground. Today I would have to earn seven times more or $42 an hour to maintain the same purchasing power! The fact is, I am retired now and my OAS and pension do not even cover minimum wage. On top, the seniors discount is not applicable during high season.
Today we count the people getting sick with COVID-19 to make news. I wish officials would count those tested healthy instead. At Aldi, a grocery store chain in Germany, you can buy five rapid tests for four euros. In Switzerland rapid tests are available for free. Where are all these rapid tests here in Canada?
Furthermore, COVID-19 vaccines don’t seem to protect anyone 100 percent. Wouldn’t it still be better to at least test all school kids once every week, for example? And what about essential workers?
Nothing will change for the better if politicians don’t listen, and more so, act.
Werner Gysi,
Port Alberni
