Layoffs as theatres closed in Ontario

With Omicron numbers surging, Canada's largest movie chain, Cineplex, has temporarily laid off nearly 5,000 part-time employees. The closure of its Ontario movie theatres was mandated by the provincial government in response to the surge of the Omicron variant. The provincial restrictions also require restaurants and bars to halt indoor dining

With the theatres operating at reduced capacity, unable to offer food, drinks and popcorn, it is hard to imagine that the theatres were pulling in anywhere near the mone they were in pre COVID days. Food, dring and popcorn are big money maker for theatre chains.

When it reopens its theatres, movie goers will almost certainly have to present proof of vaccination papers, wear a mandatory mask while in the theatre complex and all seats in each auditorium will most likely be by reservation only.

COVID-19 is becoming the gift that keeps on giving.

Salvation Army Village is but a ghost of itself

The Salvation Army Village in the eastern part of the city is but a ghostly reminder of what was once there. A small grouping of duplexes surrounding a small park with a gazebo provided housing to youths seeking a sheltering home, a friendly place.

The youths are long gone but the buildings remain. Each unit is occupied by a different tenant, many of the units have been converted into offices uses by local charities. The village atmosphere left with the kids. The village has a somewhat forlorn feel today.

Many believe the village is living on borrowed time. The land is too valuable for such a low density use.

Affordable health care is important

Canada has a single-payer health care system. The promise of the Canadian system is access. With COVID-19 filling the ERs, elective surgery has become the prisoner of the triage hierarchy. But, there is a magic words that more often than not will get one quickly into the hospital for surgery: cancer.

There were some nasty things going on and in my cheek. Concerned I saw my skin doctor. Yes, I have a skin doctor. To tell the truth, even I'm en surprised that our system can cover such an ongoing cost. My doctor agreed my cheek was suspicious. He took a small plug from my cheek and sent it to the lab to be biopsied. It was cancerous. Today I was in surgery having the cancer removed.

A plastic surgeon did the work. My regular skin doctor prefers to let plastic surgeons tackle jobs like my cheek.If it heals as well as my arm, a cancer was removed from my arm some months ago, the incision will leave hardly a mark.

Years ago I had racing heart incident in Sonoma, California. I was whacked with a defibrillator and given a raft of tests and then released from hospital. The doctors were unable to diagnose the exact cause of my life-threatening incident. The bill? Something north of $35,000 U.S.

My insurance company refused, at first, to cover the cost. I was hounded for almost a year by collection agencies. I had to supply all, and I mean all, my health care records to the insurance company as they scrambled to get out of paying for my treatment. In the end, the insurance company paid. 

My experience with the American system is that it is one of the finest health care systems in the world. The hospital in California was like a hospital right out of the movies. The amount and quality of the equipment was incredible. But my American doctors and nurses made it very clear that one needs excellent insurance or very deep pockets to access the top-of-the-line health care they supplied.

I have had my mitral valve repaired by a da Vinci medical robot. I had a heart problem solved thanks to the use of a T7 MRI. I've had my life saved thanks to emergency minimally-invasive surgery. Everyday I say a quiet thank you for the Canadian health care system because I am only here thanks to it and the pacemaker/ICD it supplied. I'm now on my second.

The funny thing is that almost a hundred years ago, the Rockefeller Foundation wanted to bankroll a health care experiment providing universal access. It found no takers in the United States. Eventually, it gave the funds to a city in Ontario, Canada: Windsor. The Rockefeller money was used to start a  program known as Windsor Medical. 

As a boy living in the days before the Canada-wide single-payer system was born, I never paid a medical bill directly and this was thanks to Windsor Medical and the generosity and imagination of the Rockefeller Foundation.

I still think that that older system may have bested both the present U.S. and present Canadian health care systems.

First snowfall of the new year

 

Kids were out in droves today, scouring the city for any snow-covered slopes, no matter how small, to be found in the city. With COVID-19 restrictions putting the kibosh on so many activities, sliding about in the snow looked awfully good.

My personal Picture of the Year

As a senior, I keep young and fit by dancing, I don't dance for that long as I get winded. Watching this grey-bearded chap on roller blades made my day. I was, and still am, jealous.

First, the old image

 

When factories were located in working class neighbourhoods, often the buildings, especially those facing a highly travelled local street, were given an attractive facade. These building were a plus to the neighbourhood.

A local Facebook page posts old images of London. This one ran recently.  The Kelvinator of Canada building was one handsome building. Tomorrow I'll try and run an image showing it today. The McCormick's Biscuits plant was also quite grand, although one cannot tell this from the above image. The biscuit factory was faced with white glazed terra cotta tiles.

No fireworks but we do have lemon meringue pie

 

For the second year in a row the New Year's Eve fireworks have been cancelled. The city cancelled the fireworks at Victoria Park in the core of the city and the local ski hill cancelled its fireworks as well. We may have no fireworks but we still have lemon meringue pie. I believe all is right in the world as we greet the new year.

Does champagne go with lemon meringue pie?