Letters to the editor, July 23, 2015

Social safety no

I was born in Halifax as a child of a military person. I was shunned and discriminated against by teachers and peers. As time went on, my family moved to Ontario, where I was part of the Brat Club (military children). Once my dad took sick, he wanted to move back to a province that he loved, and married a lady from Halifax.

I left Nova Scotia to be close to my son in British Columbia, but when he was deployed I chose to move back here to be close to family and friends. I am a single mom who had a job and benefits, and then I lost it all. Now I am fighting an illness, and having trouble getting disability payments. I paid for the Canada Pension Plan for over 20 years—my children only knew mom for two days a week—and now am facing this. I’m wondering who else is in my boat here in Nova Scotia.

Why is it when you get placed on CPP you are now below what social service disability will help you with? You’ve got to pay for Pharmacare of $300 to $1,000 before you get the rest covered. You’ve got no dental, no eyeglasses, no food in your cupboard. Getting a place to live when you’re on the low-income list will take two years for you to get into a place that will not hurt you. And Blue Cross wants $300 a month for basic things like dental and eyeglasses or even special equipment, but you cannot have an already documented condition. So I ask why is Nova Scotia the only province that will not work with you, and instead tries putting you on the streets with a minor?

Part of the problem must be that Nova Scotia receives less money from the federal government. That is typical. Prime minister Harper, you stink. When children go out west, it’s not because they want to—it’s because they have to. And once they do, you make it so hard for them to move back here because EI is a joke and CPP is a joke. You just want to take anything Nova Scotia has. You take our fishermen and screw with them. Our farmers get screwed. Why do you do this to the wonderful home I love?

Maybe people who work and go on CPP should be able to have more benefits than people who hate to work or find no sense in working. All I want is my benefits for people who worked years, while their children were brought up with other families. I missed Christmas concerts, birthdays, plays—things as a single parent I had to do. I don’t regret my decision, but I do regret that I put into CPP and now have to go without things like room and board and health care. Nova Scotia really needs some help for workers who need help. —Leigh, Kentville

Slip slidin’ away

I read your story about Slide the City getting “delayed indefinitely” (“You can probably forget about that giant waterslide, Halifax,” Reality Bites by Jacob Boon, posted at thecoast.ca, July 19). I wonder who was the insurer on this event? Was it the city on the hook, or the event promoter? To operate such an event would require a big insurance premium to be paid by someone, and I am certain the Department of Labour would have to inspect and approve as well. Cool idea, but regulations and liability concerns probably defeated this in reality. —posted at thecoast.ca by Buc Wheat

I am in disbelief that they were willing to take money, mine in fact, only hours before they cancelled the event for this weekend. Particularly for an area that they had no permission to use! False advertising. —posted by Kim Connolly

Any business that uses the word “bummed” in a press release can probably be referred to as “sketchy.” —posted by Cranky

Parental advisory

After reading “Scenes from growing up gay in small-town Nova Scotia” (Voice of the City by Sherwood Hines, posted at thecoast.ca, July 16), I have just one thing to say to all the parents out there: Having a child is a privilege, the greatest gift you can ever get. Honour that privilege. Love unconditionally. Protect them with all your might. A child should never, ever come to harm at the hand of their parents. —posted by Denise MacDonell

This article appears in Jul 23-29, 2015.