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Acknowledge your 2020 while continuing COVID-19 safety measures

By Coun. Linda McPhail

Published 12:38 PST, Mon November 9, 2020

Last Updated: 4:49 PST, Mon November 9, 2020

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It is that season when many cultural festivals occur to express gratitude for “the harvest,” family, freedom and victory.

The Mid-Autumn Festival/Moon Festival, Thanksgiving and Diwali, the “festival of lights,” are among those celebrations.

As I write this, Remembrance Day and National Indigenous Veterans Day are just a few days away, and Canada’s Veterans’ Week takes place November 5 to 11. May we all take time to remember and honour those who died in armed conflicts for our freedom.

Even though this year we are celebrating occasions differently, especially with the stringent and needed two-week public health orders announced on November 7, the spirit of these occasions is just as important, or even more so this year.

It’s a great time for us to reflect on this extraordinary past year, and I urge you to do an inventory and acknowledge the positive things you’ve experienced, goals you reached or are working on, observations and lessons learned during this unprecedented pandemic.

Some things I’ve noted in my inventory:

The importance of checking in with people
Relationships with family and friends, always considered most important, have become even more so
New ways to socialize like Zoom and virtual hangouts is allowing me to “eat and be together” on special occasions or just “check in”
I always enjoyed gardening and I started making succulent arrangements

Safety and health should continue to be the priority for us all. I’m happy to be living and serving in Richmond, where the cases of COVID-19 have been among the lowest in the region. This is the time for all of us to continue following the important directions of the public health orders and guidelines. For that, I thank you.

Since the onset on COVID-19, Council’s commitment to a safe and resilient city has placed a priority on future-proofing city services and property to keep the community and employees safe. Our latest measure, mandatory masks in all indoor City-operated facilities, began November 1.

Wearing a mask in public spaces is not a replacement to physical distancing, frequently washing hands, staying home when sick, and other health and safety orders and guidelines.

We have safety plans in place for each facility to address COVID-19 protocols such as physical distancing markers and rules, regular disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, installation of physical barriers at customer service areas, hand disinfecting stations, and, of course, clear and constant employee communications For more information, visit Richmond.ca/covid-19.

Please follow the latest two-week public health orders and restrict gatherings, adhere to the suspension of indoor group classes and sports games, among other things.

As more City programs and services become available at opening facilities, our safety plans will be strictly followed to ensure you enjoy them safely.

Although our holiday season won’t be the same as we’re used to, please take this time to count your small blessings. Many of us may experienced additional hardships in 2020. Please try to find the silver linings, lessons learned and reflections. I wish you all peaceful, fulfilling holiday season.