Why does it always seem like the bad news hits all at once?
With staff shortages at the local hospital putting lives in jeopardy, to layoffs at local businesses threatening family’s livelihoods with less than a week to go before the holidays, there was no . . .
shortage of awful things to report on these past few days. Add to that the first real storm this winter has bestowed upon us, with the resulting power outages and accidents that go along with it, and it would seem that a black cloud is hanging over the region.
Like the adage says, it is always darkest before the dawn, meaning in our case that the situation is likely to get a whole lot more bleak before it improves in any noticeable way. There are too many factors at play in the myriad of problems that assail our county, too many institutions and power-brokers for a population of less than 15,000 people to ever hope to overcome.
Health care is an issue, not only across Quebec, but the nation as well. Federal health transfers have stagnated in the past decade, and penny-pinching provincial schemes have left patients and staff feeling the burn. Add to that the squeeze being put on other aspects of rural living, and you have an idea of why our population is declining steadily. Replacing the guy at the top of the local health authority may have felt cathartic to some, but the real issue is a lot larger than a single bureaucrat.
The decline in rural services corresponds directly with the decline in rural employment. Where there were dozens of firms offering competitive salaries, now there are only a handful of businesses scraping by. Those few left over are hamstrung by ever increasing regulation and competition from bigger players in the province and across the globe.
This world has no place for the little guy, the traditional lifestyle or values that were once held sacrosanct. In fact, it appears pretty cold and unforgiving most of the time. If there was ever a time to search for silver linings, it’s now.
While it’s true that health care services are stretched to the limit, it should be astonishing that we’ve had such top notch service for so long. The staff, volunteers and donors to this Community Hospital are what have kept it operational, in spite of the changes brought about by the province. The response from local citizens to the decrees from Gatineau has been fierce and commendable, and needs to be sustained until we get real results.
It’s a struggle to live in an economically depressed area, especially one that’s been hit with both natural disasters like the spring floods and man-made disasters like the decline of local industry. This Christmas should be a reminder to think of the reasons why residents are so adamant about staying in Pontiac County. What makes this place so great? It sure as hell isn’t the internet or cell service.
Broadly speaking, it’s the people. The fact that people can leave their doors unlocked at night or their cars running and unattended when they visit the depanneur.
Community like this doesn’t come about in a vacuum, it’s something that’s worked at, day in and day out. While it may be easy to focus on the negatives, having gratitude for what this region has to offer is something far more in line with the spirit of the season.
Have a safe and happy holidays toute le monde, see you in the New Year.
Caleb Nickerson
