{"id":36174,"date":"2020-08-31T08:24:09","date_gmt":"2020-08-31T12:24:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/?p=36174"},"modified":"2020-08-31T08:24:09","modified_gmt":"2020-08-31T12:24:09","slug":"news-from-the-park-some-lessons-take-a-lifetime-to-learn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wawa-news.com\/index.php\/2020\/08\/31\/news-from-the-park-some-lessons-take-a-lifetime-to-learn\/","title":{"rendered":"News from the Park – Some Lessons take a Lifetime to learn"},"content":{"rendered":"

There are so many ways to learn and to teach some of life\u2019s most important lessons.\u00a0 There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that the most effective of these is personal experience.\u00a0 This is not to say, however, that such learning is always pleasant or quick.\u00a0 Some lessons take a lifetime to learn.<\/p>\n

Aside from personal experience, one of the effective ways to learn or teach life\u2019s lessons is through stories and parables; a method practiced the world over by virtually every culture and society.\u00a0 Parables are a short, simple way to help people understand a moral or spiritual truth.\u00a0 Stories capture the attention of people of any age, stimulate thinking, help us to internalize concepts and help us to recall lessons easily because of the short story format. \u00a0In the Christian religion, it is said that the Bible contains over 40 parables told by Jesus Christ.<\/p>\n

I\u2019m certain that many readers are well acquainted with the parable of the wise and foolish builders who built their homes on rock or sand.\u00a0 In a nutshell, the builder who erected the home on the sand did not have a strong firm foundation for the structure. When the winds, rains and waves came, the entire structure collapsed because it was not a solid foundation to build upon.\u00a0 But the builder who chose to build on the steady, reliable rock, had a harder go at erecting the structure at first, but it was able to withstand the same challenges that brought the other structure tumbling down.<\/p>\n

I mention this parable because, in addition to religious meaning, we can also find important secular lessons; lessons that I wonder whether Doug Ford understands as they have bearing on the COVID-19 pandemic we are fighting.<\/p>\n

Ontario\u2019s economy has taken a terrible hit.\u00a0 So many families, workers, employers and business owners are really struggling to stay afloat until things get better.\u00a0 While we will undoubtedly recover eventually, the rate and growth of economic recovery very much depends on what we as a society do and what our government leaders do. We must count on our government leaders to build an economic recovery plan that is build upon solid rock; not sand which is not stable or reliable to withstand outside forces.<\/p>\n

First, consider the state of the small business community at this time.\u00a0 Small business is a major driving force to Ontario\u2019s economic recovery. Many small businesses \u2013 right here in Algoma-Manitoulin – are facing the peril of a slow recovery and, as a result, are not bringing in enough revenue to pay all of their expenses, including rent<\/em><\/strong>.\u00a0 Initially Doug Ford wisely protected business owners from eviction because of the pandemic.\u00a0 But that protection ends August 31st<\/sup>.\u00a0 Struggling businesses will be at the mercy of their landlords.<\/p>\n

It makes no economic sense to make small businesses vulnerable to eviction right now.\u00a0 Instead the Ford government should be offering more direct support, including rent relief, to save Main Street and protect jobs.\u00a0 Suddenly small business could have their foundation washed out from under them because Doug Ford refuses to stand by them.\u00a0 This is why the NDP has proposed the Save Main Street Plan<\/em><\/strong> which provides a series of measures to support small businesses, charities and community-based non-profits, including:<\/p>\n