Most people today will recognize that the COVID-19 pandemic came at a heavy cost. More than 50,000 Canadians died because of it and for hundreds of thousands of others, if not millions, it was life-altering.
Financially, government spending during the pandemic went through the roof—$576 billion at the federal level and more than $14 billion by the Ontario provincial government. It will take generations to recover that.
As for the so-called Freedom Convoy, it wasn’t free. It cost Canadian taxpayers $44.8 million in extra policing costs, and convoy blockades at border crossings cost our economy more than $3.84 billion.
As we seem to be pretty well out of the pandemic stage of COVID-19 and its variants, although it certainly has not gone away, I wonder if the frustration, the anger, the inconvenience, and the restrictions on our lives have inexorably changed our society. Has the pandemic changed the way that we think and behave? I tend to believe that it has.
I can’t help but wonder if the pandemic created, if not accelerated, much of the wokeness and populism that we are experiencing today, fostering tolerance and normalcy for issues and policies we might have previously rejected. There seems to be a certain hypocrisy in what is okay these days and what is not.
For example, individual rights have become paramount, and yet many turn a blind eye to government attempts to legislate censorship or limit the human rights of minority groups. We also tend to be more accepting of misinformation and cancel culture. There seems to be a different weight given today to the importance of truth, and indeed, the rule of law.
There is also more anger and nastiness in our politics than I can remember prior to the pandemic. There has always been a level of combativeness between political parties in Canada and that is how it should be. But that used to be done with a certain amount of class and mutual respect that allowed dialogue and some compromise, leading to good government. Not anymore.
Nastiness in politics appears to be the order of the day. It almost seems like a contest to determine who can be the most alarming, the most degrading, and the best at character assassination. Watching Pierre Poilievre online, appearing to be looking through glass with a demented smile on his face saying something like “here I am again Justin”. To me, that was Peeping Tom creepy. And Trudeau’s feigned outrage and evasiveness on critical national issues through personal attacks, denigration, and mud-slinging is no better.
I also wonder if prior to the pandemic we would have been tolerant of even debating such issues as whether Medically Assisted Dying (MAID) should be extended to people who are mentally ill and even to young children under certain circumstances. Whatever has happened to our belief in the sanctity of life?
I agree with a person, for whom I have the highest respect, who posted in part, this online: “But the conversation (about Maid) is getting truly horrifying. I value preserving life. I value walking alongside people who are struggling. I reject a culture of death.”
It is hard for me to believe that any consideration at all is being given to ending an individual’s life who is not capable of giving informed consent. Who would make those decisions? Who SHOULD make those decisions? Would a parent whose child was born with a condition that they did not want to deal with, simply be able to end her or his life? Should others be deciding what mental capacity someone should have in order to stay alive?
To call this a slippery slope is an understatement. To me, it smacks of societal purism that has been abhorrent in the past, resulting in horrifying circumstances, and even the thought of which should be abhorrent now.
While there is much to respect about a populist movement, there is also much to be wary of. Respecting human life, respecting the right of others to express opinions, and respecting diversity is still very important.
I read with interest a decision by a Quebec Judge recently that it is okay for someone to give another individual the finger if they felt so inclined. I happen to agree with that. Not particularly polite perhaps, but surely we haven’t come to the point where we need to adjudicate every gesture of humankind to decide whether it is politically correct or not.
I also believe, however, that there are times, in this new society we live in when we bend over backward on issues in a manner that may be unfair to others. At the risk of being called homophobic, let me first say that I believe we generally do not choose our sexuality. We come the way we are wired and are fully entitled in our society to express ourselves accordingly.
That does not mean carte blanche, and however sensitive it is to speak about it, in my view, there must be some balance and some common sense applied to genuine concerns. For example, I have trouble with public washroom facilities that can be used by both women and people with male genitalia who identify as female. It just does not seem right and does seem potentially dangerous to me. As well, I also question the fairness of people genetically male, who identify as female, competing in athletic events with people who are genetically female.
Clearly, in my view, the world we live in has changed. Ideas and concepts that would not have been considered a decade ago are seriously on the table now. Populism is now a fixture in our public discourse and this may well be a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
In my view, however, we must be careful not to throw out the baby with the bathwater. Change of course is inevitable. But change without balance, without regard to humanity, without regard to fundamental principles of justice, fairness, and integrity, and centered primarily on self-advantage is dangerous.
It inevitably leads to chaos.
Hugh Mackenzie
Hugh Mackenzie has held elected office as a trustee on the Muskoka Board of Education, a Huntsville councillor, a District councillor, and mayor of Huntsville. He has also served as chairman of the District of Muskoka and as chief of staff to former premier of Ontario, Frank Miller.
Hugh has also served on a number of provincial, federal and local boards, including chair of the Ontario Health Disciplines Board, vice-chair of the Ontario Family Health Network, vice-chair of the Ontario Election Finance Commission, and board member of Roy Thomson Hall, the National Theatre School of Canada, and the Anglican Church of Canada. Locally, he has served as president of the Huntsville Rotary Club, chair of Huntsville District Memorial Hospital, chair of the Huntsville Hospital Foundation, president of Huntsville Festival of the Arts, and board member of Community Living Huntsville.
In business, Hugh Mackenzie has a background in radio and newspaper publishing. He was also a founding partner and CEO of Enterprise Canada, a national public affairs and strategic communications firm established in 1986.
Currently, Hugh is president of C3 Digital Media Inc., the parent company of Doppler Online, and he enjoys writing commentary for Huntsville Doppler.
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMrfUxwS7pM
The above link is an interesting comment on “woke, wokism, wokeness”.
For anyone interested in trying to pin down a definition from anybody at all.
When used as a political dog whistle, it is inane. Hence when someone uses this in their writing, my impression is that it is used thoughtlessly.
I remain open to some definition or description to this coined human/social phenomenon, anyone?
A credited, cited source would be useful.
Just a fact check on the lyrics “ Kick ‘em when they’re up, Kick em when they’re down”, Don Henley wrote them, not Queen.
Jim Logaignes: I would like to point out a few things from your Mar. 14 comment’ where we don’t see things in the same light.
Firstly: the children, the bouncy castle and the police watching. Good on the cops; somebody needed to be watching it all. I find the presence of children in such a situation, very irresponsible! What were the parents thinking?
There is always a financial slant to everything and the freezing of assets would certainly be inconvenient. But, might you believe, that there were likely a few ‘freedom fighters’ in Ottawa, who were drawing government CERB checks while they were struggling to gain me freedoms? Yeah. Me too.
PM (Post Millennial) ran a story and comments on the protesters seeking meals from the ‘Shepherds of Good Hope’ soup kitchens. Members of the convoy said that the people, who had harassed the ‘Shepherds”, were not actually convoy members. The convoy then set up its own food distribution point. So here I will concede a draw.
You say, “They kept the whole area clean.” The National Post reports that, to clean the area, 40 truckloads of litter and garbage were removed. Maybe a few hot tubs and ‘bouncy castles’ I admit, but how can people just casually abandon their possessions?
I watched the news as someone stood atop the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and hung a sign on the cenotaph! I hope you wouldn’t claim that was a ‘Freedom Fighter’. I’m not even sure I like to share being ‘Canadian’ with that person.
The crowd displayed the Confederate battle flag and the swastika along with our Maple Leaf! I have no respect for those who did that. There may be a certain tinge of romantic notion attached to the Confederacy, but ‘freedom’ was not the aim of either of those standards. I find it odious that there were those who flew those flags with ours, and find it despicable that some of our politicians stood and preened where they flew!
There is no question that, what may have started out as a group with legitimate questions, was hijacked by rabble. But they all, including some of our politicians, ended up misrepresenting themselves, our country and our flag.
You may have been in Ottawa while all this was going on, and I hope that, if you were, you behaved yourself better than what was shown on the evening news. I never went, but my grand-daughter lives there, and she didn’t report the goings-on in the glowing terms that you do.
As for Queen; loved the band. Will point out that they also gave us “I Want to Ride My Bicycle”. But they never parked their bikes in the middle of Ottawa nor hijacked a city.
I agree with the wokeness bit ..
Mr. Mackenzie; please give your definition and description of “wokeness”. A cited source would also be helpful.
Mr. Jim Logagianes.
You said, “Where they [the police] basically stood around all day and watched kids play on bouncy castles and listen to speeches. Or watch people dancing in the streets.
Those protesters offered humanitarian aid during their time in Ottawa.”
Since when did blaring truck horns all night, depriving thousands of people of sleep, physically and verbally abusing people on the street, etc.., constitute ‘humanitarian aid’?
Perhaps you were watching different news clips from the rest of us?
It is sad that the words ‘Respect and Responsibility’ were omitted from the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.
Mr Mackenzie
I did not refer to it as the so called Freedom Convey you did sir. My apologies if I misunderstood your intent when stating it so. You have made your position on the matter rather obvious in previous articles.
Mr. Logagianes: Nowhere in my article did I say, eloquently or otherwise that the so called Freedom Convoy was a waste of money. I simply said it was not free and recorded the amount of money it cost taxpayers. People can make their own judgement as to whether or not it was a waste of money. But please don’t put words in my mouth. That is the problem with misinformation.
Dear Mr Mackenzie
The so called freedom convoy that you so eloquently referred to wasted millions on law enforcement to oversee a peaceful protest. Where are the howls of indignation about the colossal waste of taxpayers money paying for a significant police presence? Where they basically stood around all day and watched kids play on bouncy castles and listen to speeches. Or watch people dancing in the streets.
Those protesters offered humanitarian aid during their time in Ottawa. And they kept the whole area clean. Which to me shows how compassionate and responsible all those protesters were despite the fact that their rights were being violated. Would racist and misogynists act in such a manner?
Maybe a-lot of you who do not share the opinion of the protesters are better off financially than most of them, And you look down upon them as being insignificant and foolish by fighting for their freedom in Canada.
Seizing bank accounts under the pretence of public safety was the largest violation of our rights and everyone knows it despite how they feel.
If everything you need to survive increases in cost when you can barely make ends meet, a protest is warranted.
And we all no that the price of everything has increased thanks to are new carbon tax that puts more money in your pocket. (B.S)
Canada’s tax system is a convoluted form of modern day slavery designed by heartless souls who care not for every day Canadians.
The band Queen said it best.
Kick ‘em when they’re up. Kick ‘em when they’re down.Kick ‘em when they’re up. Kick ‘em all around.
I believe that people know, within themselves, what is right and what is wrong. A social conscience and a quivering moral compass is our burden in this life.
But it seems that many today, find it convenient to submerse these characteristics in illusory truth. In misinformation with a hook; it is what they may want to believe and generally doesn’t require anything from them but acceptance. It seems not to matter if it is wrong.
I look around today and am confronted by so much that is alien to my upbringing. The importance of truth and the rule of law carry much less weight now days.
Disrespecting my parents and elders came with reaction and consequence. My upbringing left me with regard for people. They were due that from the beginning, but to keep it, they had to prove they were worthy of it.
Have attitudes been altered by the pandemic? Maybe. Or perhaps we just had a stressful 3 years to give the changes around us a more in depth study.
But, having said that, no matter how long and hard I study, there are some societal ‘modifications’ being advanced, that I wont even try to understand.
Morals and conscience may not burden some.
They do me.
Fun fact.
Fewer people died during the Covid years than in typical years.
Death from flu almost disappeared. Protocols including masks works on any virus.
Death from accidents massively dropped. We got a car insurance rebate.
The covid vaccines are extremely effective.
Developed in record time.
Impressive.
Paxlovid is also extremely effective at keeping you out of hospital.
Works just as well for those afraid of needles.
Thoughtful Stuff .