Community Matters: The light at the end of the tunnel

A phrase heard more and more these days is, "The light at the end of the tunnel,” which spells the end of what has been for many of us the most devastating public health crisis in our lifetime.

While our workers continue to be ultra-diligent in taking the necessary precautions against COVID-19 (Coronavirus), with the major emphasis on washing hands, wearing masks, and social-distancing, we are committed to supporting our public health officials and all levels of government in the distribution of the vaccines that will truly end this pandemic.

From the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, we’ve worked closely with Grey Bruce medical officer of health Dr. Ian Arra and the staff at the Grey Bruce Health Unit, to make sure people in our communities have the correct information to protect themselves, their families, their neighbours and their co-workers. Bruce Power hosted the most recent COVID-19 Virtual Town Hall with Arra last month (you can watch a replay at www.brucepower.com/events).

To assist the health unit in the delivery and distribution of the vaccine throughout Bruce and Grey counties, we’ve been working closely with the health unit, Chapman’s Ice Cream, and our supply chain partners. Bruce Power has secured special freezers for storing the Pfizer vaccine (at minus-80 Celsius) for Grey-Bruce and Huron-Perth.

The Retooling and Economic Recovery Council, which was created by Bruce Power and our partners in Ontario’s nuclear supply chain, was quick to offer support and assistance to Ontario’s COVID-19 Vaccination Task Force chaired by General (Retired) Rick Hillier, and we remain ready to assist whenever and wherever needed.

We also worked with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce to establish the Ontario Vaccination Support Council which includes roughly 100 businesses, organizations, and the Ontario Chamber Network. This council will leverage the businesses and organizations involved, representing hundreds of thousands of employees from across the province, to provide support for Ontario’s historic COVID-19 vaccination effort with the ultimate goal of ending the pandemic.

I’m humbled and honoured to co-chair this group along with Garrick Tiplady, the managing director of Facebook.

Now, more than ever, we need an ‘all-hands-on-deck’ approach to engage and support Ontario’s historic vaccination program, with the ultimate goal of ending the pandemic. While there will be challenges ahead in such a large and critical effort, the vaccination support council will bring together Ontario’s business community, leveraging its agility, capability, innovation, and engagement, to ensure we face this challenge together.

The faster we get people vaccinated, the faster we can safely re-open and work together on economic recovery. Bruce Power stands ready with the business community and our supply chain partners to assist in the fight against COVID-19 and help drive our economic recovery.

Please, let’s keep doubling down on what’s needed to keep our communities safe. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and this pandemic will end.

As always, please contact me at james.scongack@brucepower.com if you have any questions. You can also follow me on Twitter @jscongack.