Story of the Year, Canada, 2021 - What's Your Pick?

 

I think a poll would find the persistent Covid-19 pandemic would win as Canadian Story of the Year for 2021. It's been the most constantly disruptive event and it affects everyone, all genders, all ages. We've seen our governments tackle it head on and we've seen them stupidly sound the "all clear" only to have those assurances blow up in our faces.

On Parliament Hill, the prime minister tried to score a majority win and flopped. If it wasn't for the weakness in the Opposition party, Mr. Trudeau might be in trouble.

To my mind, the big story of 2021 is the climate emergency.  From atmospheric rivers to catastrophic flooding, record heatwaves, heat domes and wildfires, smoke blanketing Canada from BC to the Maritimes, persistent Prairie drought slashing agricultural production, we've all been impacted even if it's not as obvious as Covid-19. And these are "early onset" impacts. 

Climate change is with us, not for five years, not for a decade, but for generations. Covid may put you in the ground but when your great grandkids come to pay their respects what they'll associate you with isn't a plague but the destruction of their environment. We're not leaving them a virus. We're leaving them something far worse, far deadlier, potentially existential.

Comments

  1. TrailblazerDecember 22, 2021 at 5:40 PM

    After driving the Fraser Canyon and seeing both the destruction of the Lillooete fire and some kilometres down the road a landslide due to a heat related snow melt , I have to say climate change comes top of my list.
    To be sure Covid is a big deal but it's affect has been exasperated by our personal selfishness
    and consumer market demands.
    It would seem that there is never a good time to pay the piper.

    TB

    TB

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. The Disaffected LibDecember 22, 2021 at 6:27 PM

      I used to make a day of it on my bike beginning in West Van, up to Pemberton, Lytton, down to Hope and back to town. I always stopped in Lytton for lunch and a couple of frosty ice teas. Even back then that place was an inferno come late July. I wouldn't go back now. I don't want to see that.

      Delete

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