Tower and Town, November 2020 (view the full edition)Colour Supplement: In VancouverVancouver is seeing an increase in COVID cases as we approach fall. However, so far, with government regulations the numbers are controlled. As you may have read in the papers, the wild fires from California and Portland have deteriorated air quality to "worst in the world" at this point. British Columbians are weathering all these problems in thoughtful, caring ways. Children went back to elementary schools full time with many precautions. High schools are operating part time with different pods attending at different times. It is interesting to realize how people are coping with this COVID situation. Some people refuse to leave their homes, some people meet friends in the park six feet apart, thus making our loud voices stronger. Masks definitely make people fear that they need hearing tests! Community centres have been closed so the enthusiastic seniors have been holding exercise, yoga, tai chi and Zumba classes in the open......noooo flies on seniors! Working people, of whom I am not one, have quite happily settled into working from home. In fact many of them are hoping to work from home most of the time even post-Covid. It seems many people have had time to reflect and slow down. I see many families go for walks everywhere together during lunch break or pre-dinner time and many of our side streets have been blocked to cars and host benches and tables for people to take a pew. Many young people buy a coffee and sit outside working on their computers. Most restaurants around us have opened using the outside patios which fill up quite quickly. I think nature is making it pretty clear: nature can do without us but we can not do without nature so we had better smarten up and take care of our environment.  Almas Godfrey |