Vol. 7, Issue 40
Free of Charge
Thursday, December 17, 2020
100-year-old veteran honoured with birthday tribute
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SARNIA VETERAN BRUCE MURRAY wipes away a tear during an outdoor birthday parade celebrating his 100th birthday. The event at Landmark Village included drive-bys from first responders, friends, and a special bagpipe performance. He is seen here with daughter Jan Charrette. TROY SHANTZ The Journal
TARA JEFFREY THE JOURNAL
ruce Murray is a survivor. The 100-year-old Sarnia veteran has withstood the horrors of war, endured the grief of losing his wife of nearly 70 years, and recovered from the ills of an unprecedented pandemic. “You’ve got to have faith in yourself, that’s all,” said Murray, a resident at Landmark Village who celebrated his 100th birthday recently. “When things get tough, you've got to get going.” Murray tested positive for COVID-19 back in the spring, as the deadly virus ripped through the Sarnia retirement home. It killed six residents, including his beloved Helen. “We had a good life together,” said Murray. “She was a fine girl; she looked after me.” Murray remained largely asymptomatic with the virus and was never admitted to hospital. After a hard few months — including weeks without seeing any family, and living in isolation — Murray’s loved ones wanted to surprise him with a 100th birthday parade. Continued on 3
Sarnia Police are seeing sharp rise in pandemic stress
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CATHY DOBSON THE JOURNAL
he emotional toll the pandemic has taken on Sarnia residents is reflected in the latest police statistics. Increased calls for family
disputes, unwanted persons, well-being checks, and disturbances of the peace show a need for more collaboration between police and mental health professionals, says Sarnia Police Chief Norm Hansen. “Our numbers are up noticeably. This year has been
difficult, obviously, because of COVID-19. We always see increases but this is a lot.” The new statistics cover the six-month period from March to September. Police calls for unwanted persons rose 37% from the previous year, to 705 calls. “That’s a huge jump,” said
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Hansen. “It’s often trespassing or when there’s unwanted behaviour and the police need to be called to remove someone. I think it’s because people are cooped up and reacting to that stress.” Domestic dispute calls are up 26%, to 667 this year. Police officers were called out
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for family disputes 269 times, a 30% increase over the same time period last year. The new report also shows officers performed 27% more well-being checks. Often, that’s a worried family member unable to reach a loved one. Continued on 7