York Region residents, business owners express grief, despair over ‘nightmare’ COVID-19 restrictions

Councillors heard deputations during April 22 meeting calling for them to give up their salaries; current lockdown called ‘communism’

Newmarkettoday.ca
April 23, 2021

A figurative COVID-19 Facebook comment thread spilled over into a York Region council meeting on Thursday.

Councillors heard four verbal deputations and received five items of correspondence from residents during their meeting on April 22 objecting to the province’s COVID-19 lockdown measures. Deputations hit a variety of topics, including a lack of support for small businesses, anti-vaccine and anti-mask sentiment, and a call for the entire council to give up their salaries for mismanagement of the pandemic in York Region.

“I think every member of this council has had conversations like this already,” said Newmarket Mayor John Taylor. “I’ve certainly had people call my office and yell at me, cry with me and share their frustrations with me throughout this experience. It’s heartbreaking to witness that.”

Resident Joan Parsons provided a deputation expressing her concerns about the provincial shutdown, calling it an “imposition on our civil liberties.”

She asked councillors to surrender their salaries due to what she called “a lack of leadership.”

Ariana Scarcello owns Flesh Tattoos in Woodbridge, and spoke about the issues her shop has faced throughout COVID-19.

“My business has been disproportionately damaged due to a lack of resources,” she said. Scarcello said her business has been closed for 208 days as of April 22.

“More advocacy for small business relief is needed,” she said.

Dayna Gerrard spoke about her personal experiences, saying the No. 1 concern she hears from her neighbours and friends is government overreach and censorship.

“The nightmare we are living in just keeps getting worse,” she said. “We need you to push back to the higher ups and ignore their measures.”

Deputant Barb Everatt broke down in tears, stating she’s lost 50 per cent of her personal business due to the provincial lockdowns.

“We’re in tyranny right now. This is communism!” said Everatt.

There were also five items of correspondence received by councillors from residents expressing similar concerns to the verbal deputants.

Chairman Wayne Emmerson said the region had received more, but many were not included on the agenda due to “language.”

Taylor referenced the idea of having public servants giving up pay.

“I understand where the emotion is coming from, but I don’t think it achieves anything. It would mean thousands of more people who would need to rely on government subsidy,” said Taylor. “I assume the implication is that by doing so, we would feel it enough to shift to that position and support opening everything wide up and not supporting vaccines or masks. I don’t think that would be the case.”

Taylor expressed disappointment that some of the talking points mentioned during deputations wouldn’t meet community standards on many social media platforms.

“We all understand and know where they’re coming from. The sad part is, many of us agree with them. There’s little we can do. York Region has fought for the rights of our residents,” said Vaughan Regional Councillor Linda Jackson.

Jackson referenced Scarcelo’s comments concerning small businesses.

“We have talked for months about how there is so much great funding available for small business. Have any of you tried applying for it?” asked Jackson. “If you get (approved for funding), it’s like winning the LottoMax. There is funding out there but it’s not as easy as we think to get.”