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Sunday
Long-haul truckers say pandemic has left them out in the cold again
Truck drivers moving goods during the pandemic say promises to recognize them as essential workers have fallen flat as restaurants and washrooms remain closed, and rule relaxations have ended.
Alberta truck driver Terry Dunn has been driving trucks all his adult life. Since the COVID-19 pandemic started, he said “finding porcelain” has become a major issue.
“When COVID hit, it was just like they shut the door,” said Dunn. “They said, ‘Oh by the way, follow all these protocols and wash your hands and make sure you’re sanitary,’ but they don’t give you any place to go.”
He said many times, he’s been forced to do his business on the side of the road.
“It became easier to pretend you were camping than to try to find a bathroom,” said Dunn. “Some places put porta-potties out, but these porta-potties aren’t clean. They’re not sanitary.”
Sunday
Calgary senior has donated 3,500 homemade masks this year
What started as a pastime at the beginning of the pandemic has resulted in the donation of nearly 3,500 homemade masks that 80-year-old Jobien Vandermeer has sewn from her retirement home in northeast Calgary.
Since April, Vandermeer has made 3,540 masks and counting according to her notebook, which she updates daily. She watches her favourite TV shows or listens to music from her desk while making an average of 20 masks per day.
“There’s not so much you can do right now, with the limited possibilities we have,” said Vandermeer in an interview on Dec. 29.