Christmas has arrived in Dufferin-Caledon. It’s a time to slow down and appreciate the smaller things that we often take for granted with our hectic, fast-paced lives – family, friends, and most importantly, our health. It’s the season of goodwill, acts of kindness, spreading joy to those around us, and finding peace. This season, we’re extra grateful for our extraordinary essential workers, doctors, nurses, hospital staff, community champions, small businesses, and organizations who stepped up to keep us all safe.
COVID-19 has presented enormous challenges for families and organizations in Dufferin-Caledon. However, it’s also reminded us of the resourceful spirit we possess, as small businesses pivoted their operations to still deliver products and services while being closed. Many small businesses and individuals also quietly came forward to provide support to those who needed an extra hand during an immensely difficult time. Whether it was providing grocery gift cards to families in need to delivering free meals to families and frontline healthcare workers, Dufferin-Caledon rose to the task.
We’re extremely grateful for the unsung heroes, who even at the height of the pandemic, continued and continue to work hard to ensure our grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, post offices, restaurants, convenience stores, and all other essential services remained open. Their tremendous efforts have allowed us to remain comfortable at home. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their work and commitment to keeping our community safe and secure.
Lastly, we can’t thank our frontline healthcare workers enough for continuing to deliver phenomenal care to us throughout the pandemic. Each day, they take great risk and put themselves in danger to care for us and our loved ones. We can only begin to imagine the fear, stress, and exhaustion they’ve experienced over the last nine months while still providing exceptional healthcare services. They are our heroes and this Christmas we hold them near and dear to our hearts for their remarkable efforts to keep all of us safe and healthy.
I’m incredibly proud of how we’ve come together to support each other this year in Dufferin-Caledon. We’ve seen how strong and united our community is and exactly why it’s the best place to live, work, and play. This holiday season will undoubtedly be different for all of us; however, it’s also given us a renewed sense of community spirit and appreciation for the smaller, most important things in life, which is what Christmas is all about. From my family to yours, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!