The text above was the beginning of my first article on this subject. I published it here two months ago, exactly on April 2. Later, I wrote two more articles on this subject. It makes this one a fourth one.  I knew that I was going to continue this particular series, but I also hoped that by now I would be writing how the provinces and premiers assumed their responsibility and culpability. What instant steps they have taken and when will they start a serious process of assessment and formal inquires not only of what happened, but first of all why it was such a tragically spectacular failure. And how will they proceed with serious overhaul of Long Term Care Centres for Seniors (LTC). None of it happen. Even after the calls for inquires and commissions grew louder.  After they were forced by the sheer examples of  tragic deaths in their own provinces, under their own responsibility and charge. No.  They couldn’t even utter: I am, as premier of this province, very sorry that I have failed you in this matter.

Being premier of province doesn’t mean that you can only play the role of a solemn hero, of a stern father, who reminds the residents of their responsibility in difficult times. A father, who is even forced at times to chastised the residents, who don’t play by the rules. Out of care. It is a role they do have to play. But that’s not the only one. A pandemic and good governance is a very long play. There are many stories to be told in that play. One of them is called fortitude and solemnity in accepting, on behalf of the province, a responsibility of the mistakes. Even if there were many previous fathers of such mistakes.  But you are the “father’ now, you are the premier and you have to take the blame. And bow. That’s how a leader acts. What all the premiers did, was paying the role of consoler and politician. Not the leader. Not on this file. This tragically avoidable file. One that will haunt as for years to come.

It was the leadership of the Armed Forces to force the issue to the front. To make sure that it couldn’t be dressed in nuances, shadows and colours that would hide the obvious fact: the failure of the system. They have planted that ticking bomb called Army Report and made sure that the existence of the Report was leaked to the media in advance. That now no one, in any government provincial or federal , would dare to call it ‘stories’, ‘situations’, perhaps a hearsay of some witnesses. No. Now these are official facts. Prepared by trusted and respected by the nation institution of our Army. Trusted much higher than any political government of any political stripe. The same army the premiers of Quebec and Ontario called to help them run the awful places being called LTC. The same Army that went and did the dirty job.   As they would in any other , military battle. And, as in a traditional battle, they did risked their lives. Many of them got infected and are sick now. O hope  they will fully recover. In their cases I wouldn’t call it even ,infected soldiers’. I would call it ‘wounded soldier’. Wounded, because political masters sent them to fight a war, that was badly planned, with bad strategy. But good officers, while accepting the order and doing the fighting are sometime also very smart. And they outsmarted the masters. They outsmarted them with the Military Report on LTC. What every single one government Agency and government leaders failed to do – they did.  Now the milk is spilled. And the governments, the leaders have to clean it up.  Or resign. No, this is not too strong a wording or demand. We are taking about thousands of lives lost. Not only because Covid and coronavirus.  We will never know how many would have died (some – certainly) if the Centres were run properly, properly prepared for this and many other epidemics.  If there was proper, stringent oversight.  If the owners cared.  And if the governments wanted to see.

I write these words shaken to the core. I knew these people. Walked with them, chatted with them, consoled them, danced with some of them, sung old songs with them.  For many years, because they were friends of my Mom, who spent years in such a Home. They were wonderful.  Sometime like children. Sometime like the wisest of the wise.  People, who lived and huge majority of them wanted to live. Who knew, when bad things were happening to them. Who fiercely tried to protect their limited independence and protested even stronger, when their dignity was being assaulted.  Each and every one of them had their story. Unique. Often amazing.

For their memory and memory of my Dear Friend, my Mom, who has showed an amazing heroism in her fierce battle and sometime difficult acceptance of  dementia and Alzheimer. I promise you, that you all were important to us. And I will do my utmost to not let this story to die, to be forgotten.  And will not let any premier or prime minister to forget it, either.