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12 Mar, 5 tweets, 1 min read
There has been so much (quite legitimate) griping about airlocks in Alberta's Covid testing and vaccine booking systems, that today I wanted to share two more hopeful anecdotes, by way of happy balance.
Monday, my nephew was sent home from his high school, after one of his schoolmates tested positive for Covid. He went for his own test Thursday afternoon. There were no lines at all - he was in and out of the Expo Centre in less than 30 minutes.
AHS texted his test results at 3:20 this morning - negative, thank goodness. That was about 12 hours after he was swabbed. I was impressed with the turn-around. (Especially since I wasn't the one awakened by that 3 AM text.)
Meantime, my husband was eligible to register for an AstraZeneca shot this morning. I signed in to the website at 8 AM - and had his appointment booked and confirmed by 8:08. So. As rough as things were at the beginning, I'm happy to see how much better they are today. Chapeau.
I know the plural of anecdotes is not data. But - the vaccine booking was so much better than I had feared, I just wanted to share my relief.

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More from @Paulatics

Paula Simons Profile picture
12 Mar
This afternoon, the Other Place passed Bill C-7, with changes as suggested by the Senate, including a 24 month sunset clause on the prohibition of MAID for those suffering solely from a psychiatric condition. Here is my own Senate speech on this point:
Let us be crystal clear. This would not mean that people suffering from suicidal ideation or transient depression would be offered medical aid in dying. Nor would MAID be available to anyone who was delusional or lacked capacity to consent.
There are all kinds of psychiatric conditions that are not depression. And you can be “mentally ill” and still have clear legal capacity to make your own medical decisions. Each patient would need to be accessed individually and with great clinical care.
Read 6 tweets
Paula Simons Profile picture
9 Mar
A lot of people have asked why I haven't spoken out more publicly about the plight of the beautiful & historic Ring Houses on the University of Alberta campus. After all, as a newspaper columnist, I was a very public advocate of heritage preservation. But now - I'm a senator.
And that's a differnt role. As a columnist, it was my job to be a frank and outspoken catalyst for community debate. And I raised a stink about all kinds of heritage buildings that I fought to save. Some stories had happy endings. No column of mine saved a building. But...
Often times, conversations I provoked inspired others to step in. When I travel #yeg and see buildings such as the old Molson Brewery, or the old Bay Building (Enterprise Square) or the old McDougall United Church, I rejoice to see the splendid buildings we came together to save.
Read 13 tweets
Paula Simons Profile picture
8 Mar
I first saw @KimsConvenience on stage at Edmonton's @citadeltheatre. It was a sweet little show, but I didn't fall head over heels. I remember saying to my husband as we left, "You know, that could be the basis of a pretty good sitcom."
Thank goodness smarter people that me thought so too - and turned a stage play into some of the greatest Canadian television. Don't get me wrong. I love @SchittsCreek too. But I loved the way Kim's Convenience was grounded in the Toronto that I knew.
Maybe it idealized Canadian multiculturalism. But I was OK with that. I loved its full-throated celebration of multiculturalism. I only lived into Toronto for a couple of years, in the mid 90s. But the show made me nostalgic for the polyglot energy of the city.
Read 7 tweets
Paula Simons Profile picture
8 Mar
Very proud to be part of this amazing group of women. #InternationalWomensDay @ISGSenate #SenCA
Not all are active on Twitter, but some have great accounts to follow - including @KPateontheHill, @ratnaomi, @CPetitclerc @mivillej @DonnaDasko @SenMarilou @SenJaffer @SenatorBoyer @SenMartyDeacon - and who did I miss? With a list, I fear I always miss someone! @ISGSenate
Oh! Of course! I missed @SenRosaGalvez, @SenCoyle @SenatorHartling! @ISGSenate
Read 5 tweets
Paula Simons Profile picture
21 Feb
When a rather small and motley group of angry, frightened Albertans decides to march on the #ableg, carrying and wearing symbols of Trumpist racism, how should we react? Especially if what they are really seeking is attention and martyrdom?
Rather than giving oxygen to a tiny rump of misguided would-be martyrs, rather than letting them define Alberta, this morning I want to turn the conversation to how we shape, sustain and celebrate the courageous, welcoming multicultural Alberta the rest of us know & love.
Listen to the words of Indigenous Grande Prairie physician @AlikaMD, as he talks about ways to reach out to Albertans who reject masks & vaccines & discusses ways to build trust and community. senatorpaulasimons.podbean.com/e/s2-episode-1…
Read 13 tweets
Paula Simons Profile picture
19 Feb
Some context, perhaps. About 10 years ago, maybe longer, folks noticed that @edmontonjournal reporter @keithgerein made a habit of wearing purple shirts on Thursday. And thus, with affectionate humour, we all began wearing purple on Thursday.
It was our newsroom inside joke. The purple didn’t stand for any cause. It wasn’t a political statement. It was a way of gently teasing and honouring Keith, and of showing newsroom solidarity in stressful testing times.
It went on for years. And as people were laid off, or left for other gigs, some of us went on wearing purple on Thursdays as a memory of our time in the newsroom together. (Watch any time I speak in the Senate on a Thursday. I’m almost always wearing purple.)
Read 6 tweets

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