next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects
Index of Subjects This is a multipart message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0001_01D61BCB.9A7BBD40 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="utf-8" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable You're raising good points, as usual, Bev. =20 RE: " Yet I've heard from a few that the public is not to be permitted = into Crown Land forests due to Covid. Can anyone confirm that for me?" That's the first I've heard, and not that I know if. Thought it was = just parks that were closed off, but stand to be corrected. =20 Seems to me, the issue is the risk of overly crowded conditions (large = numbers of folks not observing appropriate distancing) that led to the = ban, and yes, they have understandably erred on the side of caution. It = may be a good time to introduce more flexibility into that ruling. It's = too bad, because the main targets, seems to me, should be public spaces = near major population centres. Out in the sticks, risk of crowding is = much smaller. Taking the car for a drive is a similar situation. I've heard that = it=E2=80=99s good for the car to give it a bit of a run once a week. = With due respect for the advice not to go joyriding, I also take my = 93-year-old mother out for the drive. We keep it short, to minimize = risk of exposure, but a change of scene is good for the mental health, = particularly at that age, so is it a necessity or not? Given the risk = of exposure to the bug (vanishingly small) and the plusses, well ... it = hasn=E2=80=99t been outlawed and under the circumstances, makes enormous = sense. There are disadvantages to living in cities =E2=80=A6 -----Original Message----- From: naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca = [mailto:naturens-owner@chebucto.ns.ca] On Behalf Of Bev Wigney Sent: April 26, 2020 11:02 AM To: naturens@chebucto.ns.ca Subject: Re: [NatureNS] RE: Common sense and caution All, I've been reading all of these back and forth and tried to restrain myself from commenting, but find myself compelled to speak up. Surely these must indeed be "end times" when I find myself in almost mutual agreement with David W. on a certain topic. (ha!) I do have serious concerns if this ban on outdoor walking along public trails or other suitable public spaces continues for very long. Some of these decisions are being made at the provincial and others at the municipal level. While I can well understand closing provincial or certain other parks where people were congregating or using shared facilities such as picnic tables, park benches or washrooms, or where they were traveling to, and/or mobbing certain popular locations, I think things have probably gone too far. Before I continue, I should mention that I'm one of the "lucky ones" who has a couple of acres of wooded property with river frontage and have only left my place twice in all of 6 weeks -- so I'm not actually much effected by all of these closures. However, I do have serious concerns about how all of these closures will effect many people. I belong to a "caremongers" group and know that a number of people are having a really difficult time handling the stress - some having stressful family situations such as caring for elderly parents, etc... and wanting to go for a walk along the French Basin Trail to relax (it's now closed). There has been some tension over restrictions against walking on public trails in my area and while I haven't joined in on the protests, I certainly understand how many people are feeling. I believe there are plenty of ways in which certain areas could have been kept open for use - those that people can walk or bike to access. The one-way direction is certainly the easiest solution. Limiting access will not be good for many people -- their bodies or their minds - if this continues for very long. I have only to think back to 3 years ago when I spent an entire year in urban Ottawa caring for my mother through her terminal illness. I was pretty much limited to walking my dogs on the roadside within sight of her house - largely due to having no relief caregiver, but also due to lack of any green space close by. Between the incredible stress of caring for her through treatments and hospitalizations, combined with the inability to spend even a half hour in some open place with some greenery in which to stretch my legs and eyes, I was just about ready to go out of my mind after even 4 weeks -- but it went on and on for over a year and certainly took its toll on my physical and emotional health. Let's hope that the powers that be have some workable plan in place for "what happens next" if people can't start spending some time outdoors very soon - and I don't mean just walking a loop on the streets of towns and cities. Quite frankly, closing the Harvest Moon Trail to walkers (at least along large stretches if not entirety), strikes me as unnecessary. It's a very wide trail where physical distancing is easy. So, now we have no walkers, but the ATVs are still blasting back and forth along it as though all is well with the world. I should know -- the trail goes right along the back of my property and the engine noise hasn't abated whatsoever. Further, as we have recently learned, almost all biology field work has been shut down for this year, even when physical distancing is possible. This will eliminate all kinds of data collection and also valuable work experience for university students. Again, there is little danger in such situations if precautions are being taken. Why shut down such worthwhile programs while, at the same time, it appears that forestry work is going ahead the same as usual judging by all of the heavy road-building equipment and forestry machinery that went roaring along Hwy 201 yesterday. I just checked and the spring road weight restrictions will be off as of tonight in most NS counties, so no doubt, everyone is getting prepared to tear into the forests tomorrow. Yet I've heard from a few that the public is not to be permitted into Crown Land forests due to Covid. Can anyone confirm that for me? We are told that many of these restrictions are in place in the event that we have an accident and require medical assistance or rescue. Truly, how many walkers are in need of rescue? It is far more likely that it will be ATVs and forestry crews who would be in need of rescue or medical assistance than someone walking on a quiet trail. Bev Round Hill
next message in archive
next message in thread
previous message in archive
previous message in thread
Index of Subjects