The following text may have been generated by Optical Character Recognition, with varying degrees of accuracy. Reader beware!

w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ju ne 3, 20 21 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 70 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar hdunbar@starmetrolandmedia.com Advertising Representatives Fran Hendry, Katrina Anderson, Jan Bodanka, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Zaid Shahabuddin, Cassandra Dellow Managing Editor Robyn Wilkinson Online Editor Adam Jackson Reporters Bill Jackson CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 475 Thompson Dr., Units 1-4 Cambridge, ON N1T 2K7 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-623-9155 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519- 894-3000 OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA EDITORIAL MORE PUBLIC FUNDS NEEDED SO SENIORS CAN AGE AT HOME RE: 'Reimagining' LTC infrastructure in post-pan- demic world (see waterloo- chronicle.ca, May 4): It has only been a couple of weeks since the release of one of the most impor- tant commission reports of our time, and sadly, there are already signs that some of its key recommenda- tions will be ignored by those in charge. For the sake of seniors and their families, that cannot happen. Ontario's Long-Term Care Commission rightly recognized that seniors want to age at home. In fact, it called home care cost-effective, desir- able, feasible and safe. In Waterloo Region and throughout Ontario, how- ever, access to home care services is under threat. Chronic underfunding has led to an exodus of home care workers, as higher wages draw its nurses and personal support workers into long-term care facili- ties, leading to less care for people at home. We are sounding the alarm. Without an immedi- ate investment of $600 mil- lion, Ontario's home care system will fail. Queen's Park seems more focused on institu- tional care, having an- nounced billions for hospi- tals in its spring budget. This is missing the mark: Seniors want the govern- ment to help them age with independence, in their own homes. It's imperative that the Ford government fix this mistake and heed the com- mission's recommendation to invest in our home care system. Our seniors deserve nothing less. SUE VANDERBENT, CEO, HOME CARE ONTARIO, HAMILTON INSTEAD OF HOLDING THE BIBLE AT RALLY, WHY NOT READ IT? RE: Anti-lockdown rally in Waterloo draws hun- dreds (see waterloochroni- cle.ca, May 9): In this story, pastor Ja- cob Reaume of Trinity Bi- ble Chapel was reportedly holding a Bible as he spoke at the anti-lock- down rally. Maybe he should have opened the book instead of preaching over it. In my Sunday school we were taught to be patient and tolerant, love our neighbours, forgive others, tell the truth and be a good community member. We were taught not to take the Lord's name in vain, and reminded of the words: "Let he who is without sin cast the first stone." I am glad I did not go to his Sunday school. That gentleman could have learned something from that book if only he would have stopped clench- ing it, and opened it up and read it. PAUL KEKANOVICH, KITCHENER LETTERS & COMMENTARY Many of us will never see the inside of a hospital intensive care unit, thankfully. All through the COVID-19 pandemic, we've heard statistics and seen snapshots of crammed hallways and gowned-up, masked-up nurses and doctors gathered over patients' beds. Sometimes they step outside the ICU to tell us how busy it is, that it's the worst they have ever seen. They beg us, please, keep wearing masks and avoid close con- tact with people outside our own homes. It's dramatic. But it's also possible that 15 months into this pandemic the message isn't quite as dramatic. We're familiar with COVID-19; we're tired of being locked down and a lot of us are either still working from home or haven't gone back to work. We've got our own problems. But for a few minutes, really try to imagine what life has been like for every person who works in the inten- sive care unit. Not just the doctors and nurses, but also the thera- pists, personal support workers and cleaners. Every day, every single one, they walk in knowing it will be extra busy, extra demanding, extra stressful and that for a few more weeks at least every day to come will be the same. Safety protocols are such that it takes nearly five minutes just to gear up and wash before entering a CO- VID-19 patient's room, and nearly as long before they can safely leave. It's like that every time they enter a room. And still, there is a chance they will contract COVID-19 and bring it home to their family. Every patient in intensive care is in a life-or-death situation. But caring for a COVID-19 patient is extra demanding. By the time they get to ICU, most are on life-support. Machines breathe for them, machines feed them. They are heavily medicated, many fully sedated so they don't fight the tube in their throat. It takes a high degree of expertise to run all that. And a great deal of caring to provide the compassion the high-tech gadgets cannot. ICU staff have held computer tablets so patients could speak with their family members before the ventilator was inserted. Staff have talked about holding the hand of a dying patient, stroking their hair and telling them their fami- lies love them. How many of us could hold up under conditions like that? The strain of anxiety, overwork -- and trying not to bring any of that home with you -- must be hard to bear. And then there are the people who call the threat of COVID-19 exaggerated, some going so far as to lead maskless protests in defiance of public health orders or to try to film inside hospitals to prove it's all a hoax. If we remember COVID-19 for the lives it took from us, we need to also remember it for the heroic efforts some made to finally bring the coronavirus down. REMEMBER THE HEROIC EFFORTS OF OUR HEALTH-CARE WORKERS