Message from the Mayor of Brandon, Rick Chrest

RESILIENCE!

At the time of writing, the calendar has just clicked past Labour Day, school is heading back, and a proverbial switch is toggled in our mindset from summer mode to back to business.

As we surpass a full 18 months of enduring the global pandemic, the word “resilience” stands out as a hallmark for businesses, organizations, and individuals. At no time in modern memory has our entire globe been forced to endure such a universal threat causing practically every human being to change the way we do things. From my chair, while the municipality like everyone else has had to learn to carry on in the face of COVID19, what I’ve witnessed the most is the incredible display of the human spirit and the resulting innovation and resilience coming from every corner of society. Most businesses and organizations had to pivot on a dime and invent new ways to deliver their goods and services, navigating successive waves of changing orders and restrictions. With health and safety at the top of mind, a plethora of new practices and measures were created practically overnight, whether it be plexiglass barriers, physical distancing markers, hand sanitizers, mask requirements, and so on. Many businesses reinvented themselves adding new lines of product, creating new online ecommerce systems, take out, delivery, and curbside pickup options, and of course the wide barrage of online meeting platforms. When survival is at stake, humans once again proved they will not throw in the towel and found new ways to persevere. For many businesses and organizations, survival measures they were forced to implement have turned out to be sound improvements that enhance efficiency and improve the bottom line that most claim they will maintain long after COVID is put under control.

What lies ahead? As I write this, Manitoba stands at 78 per cent of people 12 and over having been fully vaccinated. The vaccines are becoming a game changer in our ability to live with this virus. Science is being proven out in real time; whereby COVID admissions to Manitoba intensive care units currently show that zero are fully vaccinated patients, highlighting medical professionals’ pronouncement that it is now primarily a pandemic of the unvaccinated. I’m not intending to be on a provaccine soapbox here, but I am steadfastly advocating for sound measures to keep us safe and healthy while getting our lives and businesses back to a greater status of normalcy. So far, the vaccines are the strongest strategy available to combat COVID19, and happily the vast majority of the population has come on board with more citizens deciding each day to accept this protection for themselves and their community.

The past year and a half have been a tumultuous time for almost everyone and while the pandemic is not yet over, I believe there is light at the end of the tunnel. I’m quite optimistic and encouraged for what lies ahead. The innovation and cando attitude demonstrated by so many will make us stronger, more efficient, and very ready to do business in the months and years ahead. I would like to congratulate and thank all of those who did so much to hold our economy and our community together through all of this. I’m saddened that we have experienced many losses; lives have been lost, businesses forced to close, and many are still unemployed. But I’m certain we will recover and gradually but surely our lives will come back to – do I dare say it – our new normal.

Carry on being so resilient. Best wishes to one and all. ¢