Clip the Wings off Covid-19

Clip the Wings off Covid-19

Michelle Pinon - News Advertiser

A Mannville automotive repair business has launched an innovative “support local” public awareness campaign which has garnered attention in the community of roughly 830 residents.

This is one of the unique and special units in the yard of Studebaker Industries.

(Michelle Pinon/Photo)

Ryan and Joanna Baker, owners of Studebaker Industries, began the ‘Clip the Wings off Covid-19’ campaign on Dec. 17 by staging the fake plane crash into one of their gravel trucks on the site of their business which is located just north of Highway 16.

“You know if you’re going to stage a plane crash it’s the perfect place to do it,” stated Ryan, as the business is located on a large parcel of land in the village.

Back in the spring of 2020, Ryan said a buddy emailed him a picture of a Cessna that was up for sale. “I really didn’t even know what I was going to do with it until I brought it in here, (shop). I painted Covid-19 on the tailfin of it there and the next day took it out and staged a plane crash into the old truck. And I said this Covid-19 has got to come to a stop. So that kind of spun off of the catchphrase of ‘Clip the Wings off Covid-19’.”

He went on to say that part of the idea behind the support local campaign is to bring the Covid-19 “fear pandemic” back down to what it actually is. As far as public reaction? Ryan added, “Everybody appreciates it. Not everybody understands the message behind it, but you know even if someone isn’t politically minded or looks at things the same way, they appreciate it.”

While he considers Covid-19 to be a health risk for some people that it doesn’t actually meet the specification to be a pandemic and science has proven that. “So it’s just a message to say let’s bring it back down, and let’s not get on the fear train, accept it for what it is. You do have to respect that there are some things you have to be careful about, but you know let’s just everyone relax, shop local.”

As for the end goal of the campaign? “It’s just to bring awareness that this “Covid scam-demic” should not have as much control over everybody’s lives as we’re letting it…You know this whole Covid scare thing is flying high, let’s bring it

back down to actually where it should be so that we are not closing down local businesses; so, we’re not squeezing-off people’s livelihoods.

He said government regulations have to be realistic and consistent. “There’s no consistency. And the decisions that they (provincial government officials) are making are fearbased. So, when anybody makes a fear-based decision a lot of times it doesn’t make a lot of sense. So, we need to have realistic measures put in place. So, we need to go back a step, I feel, to where we are being allowed to have businesses open, but with measures in place. Consistency is by far the biggest thing. You can’t tell one industry that they are not important enough to remain open when that’s somebody’s livelihood. That’s somebody’s family.”

Ryan said business owners are feeling deflated right now and some don’t know what to do or how long they can hold on. He feels the “powers that be” are completely out of touch with the grassroots, especially given the fact several MLAs travelled abroad against public health regulations during the Christmas season.

Whether or not elected officials get the message, Ryan said the campaign will continue to shine a light on the current issue in its own unique way.