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Friday, November 24, 2023 3 Brooklin Town Crier a park overflowed with garbage bags, take-out containers, cans, dog poo bags and the other detritus of life. The grounds were covered with the disgusting mess till some local residents raked it up. I made three trips to the waste drop-off centres at IPSC and McKinney. Staff were pleasant, helpful and organized. It was mostly fast moving. No one I met sneered at the strikers. In fact, the people who checked my address were giving away candy. Not enough chocolate though. Then came the day at McKinney when strikers blocked the parking lot entrance, allowing only one car every 7 to 8 minutes. I happened to be fourth in line so my wait wasn't long. But it was certainly annoying. By the time I left, vehicles were backed onto Robert Attersley Drive. It was the moment when the workers lost my support. There was no need to further disrupt the public to make a point. Everyone saw them picketing and we all knew, roughly anyway, what was going on. It was a completely unnecessary and extraneous tactic that served no positive purpose. I won't hold the irritating blockade against the strikers because they were following someone's misguided directive, whoever it was. A pack mentality can set in before anyone realizes its potential destructiveness. Suffice to say it was a terrible look. With the strike over, we can return to the mundanity of traffic and other local issues. But let that last stunt be a cautionary tale for those who thought it clever to make peoples' lives more difficult. Three years isn't long enough to fog memories. by Rhonda Mulcahy, Regional Councillor There are days when I wonder what has become of the world. I was at a friend's for dinner last week and we pondered this together. It appears that, in a few short years, society has changed. It seems like the simplest of things can set some people off while more complex issues can cause a near riot. Consider the recent meetings about the homeless shelter. It hasn't been pleasant. It is now cold out and people are scrambling for shelter. We cannot afford to wait to house people. In the last week three people have been found dead on the streets in Eastern Ontario. Whitby's shelter is slated to open December 15th and I hope and pray it is soon enough. We can all do our part by understanding the complexities of homelessness and supporting people doing good work. When hope for humanity appears lost, there is always someone waiting to share the light. We see it now across small communities in which restaurants have bulletin boards of meal receipts for the hungry paid for by anonymous benefactors. The hungry can choose a meal and it's covered. Such a meaningful and simple act. Community Please share with me a Whitby or Brooklin restaurant which steps up with a bulletin board of its own. I want to thank them - and buy a meal or two. We also can't forget that there are members of the community who have always been there to assist those in need. The Brooklin United Church and St. Thomas Anglican Church are both celebrating 30 years preparing Christmas Hampers. 30 YEARS! Gifts of non-perishable food, gift cards, socks and cash are accepted. Drop-offs are at 10:30 a.m. Sunday. Or Monday to Friday 9:15 a.m. -1:00 p.m. at Brooklin United Church. You can also drop your food at Home Hardware. I was sent this reminder with a photo of my late father-in-law from a previous fundraiser. It served as a great reminder for me to focus on what the good people of the community can do when working together, something he always believed in. Finally, I want to highlight another group of people who pulled together to share the light. Literally, in this case. When it became clear that Grass Park would be out of commission due to needed renovations and that Christmas in the Village wouldn't happen this year, a group of people decided they would find a solution. Neighbours from across Brooklin have pulled together a different tree lighting ceremony in downtown that will be smaller in scale but big in spirit. This group of residents reminds me of the first Christmas in the Village years ago. It was put on by a similar group who were mostly the downtown business owners. When it comes to community spirit, some things don't change. The tree lighting team is still working out details, so please be patient with them. Follow the Facebook page in the above ad for more info. It will be December 9, starting at 5:30 pm in a downtown location. Santa will of course attend. Carollers will share their voices to join in. Tim's will provide hot chocolate and you can donate an extra buck or two to Cohen Lane to fancy them up with proceeds to Sick Kids. Hope restored. Thanks to the community. Bless you. continued from page 2