Madam Speaker, in this pandemic, strong public health measures have helped to save lives, but they have also isolated us, including many of our seniors. To combat that isolation, our local constituency office, and I send a big thanks to Marietta and Hanna from my team, worked with 26 teachers from 14 local schools and Community Centre 55 to deliver over 700 letters of love written by elementary students to local seniors, both at home and in nursing homes. The idea was simply to help our seniors feel more connected and give students a platform to express empathy and to share life as we know it through their eyes.
Van, a grade six student at Adam Beck school wrote, “Even if it feels lonely, just remember you are not alone.” Decklan, a grade six student at Cosburn Middle School wrote, “I want you to know that you're a very special person and you are loved. All through life you've made others happy and now it's my turn to make you happy.”
This has been an impossibly difficult year for too many seniors across our country. I want to recognize the efforts of our local teachers and especially of these young students in bringing some joy to these otherwise difficult times.