Each city has its own issues, but I am proud to live in Port Coquitlam and one of the reasons is the way our Mayor and Council are responding to this crisis. Just a simple comparison between what Vancouver just did and what Port Coquitlam just did is indicative of the two different approaches. The City of Vancouver asked the provincial government on Wednesday for $200 million in emergency funding to help maintain essential services and continue to support vulnerable residents during the pandemic. Vancouver Mayor Kennedy Stewart said the city is losing millions of dollars a week due to a lack of revenue. While Port Coquitlam is cancelling its 2020 property tax increase and deferring payments to help residents cope through the COVID-19 pandemic. Port Coquitlam council also voted Tuesday to defer tax and utility payments until Sept. 2, Mayor Brad West said in a video tweet. “When you’re in a position to help people, I believe it’s important you do so,” West said. “We got our residents and businesses back, will get through this and come back stronger.”
To stay strong here are some ideas to help you not go stir crazy, here is a list of things you can do:
ü Email and video calls to family and friends
ü Going through closets to put together give-away items
ü Reviewing photo albums, rearranging, re-organizing and reminding of better times
ü Puzzles, board games, crokinole,
ü Shredding documents that are no longer needed
ü Netflix, Crave, Apple TV – binge-watching
ü Cooking – creating and trying new recipes
ü Home improvement projects
ü Reading
ü Eldercare
ü Spring Cleaning
ü Listening to music
ü Yoga
ü Dance – Line Dance, “Dancing as no one is watching” – because no one is!
ü YouTube videos
ü Write, draw, paint, photography
ü Play an instrument, sing, dance, act
ü Take a shower or a bath
ü Watch cute kitten videos on YouTube
ü Play a game
ü Write a note to someone you care about
ü Care for or play with a pet
ü Make a list of inspirational quotes
ü Make a gratitude list
ü Write a list of goals
ü Take a webinar class
ü Write a list of strengths
ü Exercise
ü Laugh at least once per day
ü Get enough sleep
ü Eat healthy foods
ü Create a good routine
ü Eat a little chocolate
ü Limit caffeine
ü Practice deep/slow breathing
ü Pray or meditate
ü Enjoy nature via video, movies or magazines
ü Prioritize important tasks