A Moment with the Mayor: Different perspectives

Over the past two months, I have come to appreciate more and more the different points of view and the ways we see and hear details from our sources of information.

It is easy to understand how if you are standing next to someone and experience an event together that you may have a similar observation of what has happened.

A friend shared a story about the Second World War and D-Day. The first view we heard was that of a marine on the beach. The marine was in the middle of the fighting; people were dying all around him as he started to feel despair. The second recollection of events came from a member of the air force. Filled with hope, he was encouraged to see the penetration gained by ground forces. Perspective changes information and interpretation.

As you may appreciate, there are numerous pieces involved in dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic that each and every one of us is facing. The challenge is we are dealing with stress and worry, concerns about the future, and sometimes we are in the middle of the struggle. Other times we can stand back and look at things from 10,000 feet above. As we watch and listen to the news, information and stories from around the world, we continue to formulate our beliefs, thoughts and ideas. We look to the health professionals for answers and preventative measures. The struggle is that various opinions and data are being presented. We need to seek factual information and not live in fear.  

The City relies on the provincial chief medical officers and health authorities for direction, advice and information on COVID-19. This information is used to determine a course of action. With the declaration of a local state of emergency on March 19, the city team has worked hard to communicate daily to the community.

As you have heard by now, we were hoping to reopen with Saskatchewan on May 4. However, considering recent news by the Saskatchewan government, we’ve had to put the reopen plan on hold.

In the meantime, we’ll continue to share information with you to promote well-being and how to co-operate with provincial recommendations.

As you all know, our bi-provincial status continues to make life interesting. Still, we will continue to do what we can to provide seamless delivery and equitable opportunities for all our residents.

Anyone seeking information on the City’s response to COVID-19 is encouraged to visit lloydminster.ca/covid-19.

Mayor Gerald S. Aalbers
City of Lloydminster