Image Credit: BC Govt. / File

By Mel Rothenburger

Armchair Mayor

ROTHENBURGER: A failure to communicate as Henry throws in the towel on gyms

Jan 19, 2022 | 4:21 AM

CONFUSION REIGNS SUPREME in B.C.’s COVID-fighting strategy.
Dr. Bonnie Henry threw in the towel yesterday on trying to get gyms and fitness facilities to toe the line on shutdowns, announcing they can re-open tomorrow with certain limitations.

Some of them, of course (including a few in Kamloops) ignored her pre-holiday order to close anyway. Enforcement of the order was so lax and ineffectual that it had become obvious it was pointless.

Though Henry claimed her turn-about had nothing to do with pressure from the gyms and from the gym-going public, that insistence is suspect since she was unable to provide a clear explanation of what’s different now compared to the situation a couple of days before Christmas.

The failure to communicate was illustrated by the fact this was yet another last-minute announcement on the very day the last set of announcements expired.

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Fitness enthusiasts who flaunted the last order were wrong to do so but they were right to demand a detailed explanation of that decision, one they never got. Even the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce weighed in last week, saying inconsistences in the applications of restrictions needed to be better explained.

Dr. Henry has seen her popularity plummet in recent months. A recent poll showed her approval rating has dropped to an all-time low at 62 per cent, and that of Health Minister Adrian Dix has fallen to 55 per cent. Those are still remarkable numbers considering the difficult issues they’ve been dealing with but they do indicate a growing dissatisfaction.

Green party leader Sonia Furstenau issued a media release after Henry’s news conference blasting the lack of clarity and transparency on the COVID file from “this government” — she meant, of course, Dr. Henry.

In order to restore public confidence, Furstenau said, an independent science table should be established “that can provide clear, evidence-based communication” backed up with evidence.

That’s sounding like a pretty good idea right now.

I’m Mel Rothenburger, the Armchair Mayor.

Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.

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Editor’s Note: This opinion piece reflects the views of its author, and does not necessarily represent the views of CFJC Today or Pattison Media.