Warden McNamara welcomed the members of County Council, Administration and members of the public and delivered the following greeting:
Good evening.
This is Mental Health Week. We on County Council recognize the last 14 months have been tough on our residents and our County of Essex employees.
It is OK to be sad, angry, frustrated, stressed out and exhausted.
The Canadian Mental Health Association is reminding us not to ignore those feelings. Acknowledge them and take time to take care of yourselves.
Tonight, I want to recognize a group of people who have had to face all these emotions while under intense pressure. It hasn’t, for a moment, stopped them from doing their jobs with dignity and compassion.
They are our long-term care workers. They faced the worst of this pandemic when it first hit. Now, given a bit more protection by vaccines, they are continuing to care for our vulnerable seniors.
We on County Council are especially proud of the staff at Sun Parlor Home in Leamington. No matter how difficult and scary it was over the past 14 months, they have been there for the residents.
This week, on the County of Essex website, we are sharing letters of thanks family members of residents wrote to the staff. I encourage you to read them. Their heartfelt words of gratitude are a reminder of the important job done by long-term care workers.
Their praise for the Sun Parlor staff says so eloquently what we don’t say enough. And that is: Thank you Sun Parlor Home staff. You are amazing.
I also want to take a moment to thank the paramedics and other staff of Essex-Windsor EMS.
May 1 was First Responders Day, a day to honour those who rush to the scenes of emergencies and risk their lives to save others. Our first responders are doing their jobs with dedication and professionalism, despite the added strains and dangers posed by the pandemic.
In the last couple of weeks, they have been assisting in the fight against COVID-19 by transporting patients from hard-hit hospitals in the Toronto area to our region. Thank you, Essex-Windsor EMS staff, for being on the front lines, especially in these difficult times and extending our help to our neighbours to the East.