Tumbler Ridge

A great and irredeemable loss has visited Tumbler Ridge.
Canada and the world mourn and are bewildered.

As Canada's Prime Minister has said, “This morning, parents, grandparents, sisters, brothers in Tumbler Ridge will wake up without someone they love.”

Streetwalk stands in sorrow with the victims, their families, their friends.

Many of us have worked in settings which violence can visit with catastrophic effects: health care , education, social services, first response, transportation, police....
These, our public services, rest on the assumption of collaboration and mutual support.

That assumption is challenged all too often.
That our hospitals display appeals and warnings about respect and safety for their staff is an indication of the prevalence of violence.

I am most familiar with education.
Yesterday's violence has unfortunate resonance for educators.
I have lost count of the "Hold and Secures" and "Lockdowns" I have called as an educator.
Our protocols were strong and we were, in the main, successful in preventing the loss of life.
In the main.

As the newsfeed rolls past us over the next several days, let us keep in mind the people who daily attend to the physical, emotional and social wounds of our neighbours (yes, neighbours in that forgotten, radical and original Christian sense) and to our own. And the wounded.
Let us stand with Tumbler Ridge.

I am of two minds about publishing this. So much is being said by so many.
Our channels are replete with images and words.

I am going to "push the button" for a couple of reasons:
While my thoughts are focussed on our neighbours in Tumbler Ridge, two groups are calling for attention in my mind.

-Front line workers (I am including educators and support staff) carry the loss of their charges with them. They carry their pain and the weight of failure when they are unable to help.

-And the victims and their loved ones, who suffer the violence.

In memory of Andrew Bowden and Zaid Youssef.

I am always interested in your thoughts. Please leave a comment or send me a message at photosmm@pm.me.

One last thing. There are those who will focus on the transition the suspect in the killings underwent to score culture war or political points. Let us hope decency prevails.