Saturday’s Letter: The Underappreciated Importance of the Downtown Christmas Tree

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Charlie Brown’s Call to Edmonton: Bring Your Christmas Tree. Apparently, I live in the state capital, whose land is 60% boreal forest, but whose wretched municipality’s The Downtown Business Association (partly funded by taxes) downplays the importance of a single large ornamental evergreen. Even if only once a year, to illuminate the “heart” of the public square, which is otherwise a soulless concrete wasteland.

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Adding to this embarrassment is the incumbent mayor’s pitiful support for the DBA’s decision, which years ago saw his predecessor do away with a nativity scene that had been on display seasonally outside City Hall for decades. Abandoning this 20-year-old tradition that eerily reminds us.

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Thousands of disappointments aside, there is one more thing about the city that welcomes the people of Edmont with a magical holiday spirit. Peanuts, right Charlie Brown?

James Halikki, Edmonton

Many Albertans have no choice in masks

It is disingenuous to say that the government does not and will not impose mask requirements on Albertans.

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All employees in Continuing Care facilities must wear masks at all times. Masks are mandatory in the homes of thousands of individuals receiving home care, as well as private suites and rooms in government-funded assisted living or long-term care support residences.

Home care, assisted living, or long-term care facility staff and residents have no choice. These same staff and residents may choose to go to Rogers Place unmasked, but staff will not be permitted to enter private rooms of unmasked residents, even with the resident’s permission.

What are the relative risks to individuals and the public? Residents or resident health care personnel are incapable of determining the relative risk of staff not wearing masks in their rooms and the damage that masks do to the quality of care provided. Masks definitely affect a resident’s ability to hear, understand, build trust and respect caregivers.

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The government has called on some Albertans to make their own decisions about masks, but has unilaterally disenfranchised thousands of others from making the same healthcare decisions.

Janet Franklin, Edmonton

No Christmas tree?No downtown visit

I was planning to buy tickets to an Oilers game at Rogers Place downtown this holiday season, but the Edmonton Downtown Business Association decided not to put up the beloved big Christmas tree this year, so my money was gone. decided not to go see the Oilers downtown. play. Watch the game from the sofa on the south side next to a small Christmas tree. If a Christmas tree isn’t welcome downtown, I won’t go there.

Garth Ukrainez, Edmonton

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