We’ve all been told, repeatedly, about the various public health and safety measures we can follow to try and reduce the risk of catching COVID-19. Up to now, it has been physical distancing – staying two metres apart – plus masks, hand sanitizing, and staying at home as often as possible.

Some folks say these steps are causing other problems, particularly the idea of isolation.

Writing in the Toronto Sun, columnist Sue-Ann Levy asks “if Ontario residents are distressed and frustrated by the latest lockdown, think of what a living hell it must be for seniors confined to their rooms in long-term care and retirement homes for now what is going into our 11th month of pandemic restrictions.”

The article notes that isolation is particularly harmful for the mental health of seniors. It’s not great for the rest of us, warns an article in the Sarnia-Lambton (Ontario) Journal. Public health officials in the Southwestern Ontario city say they are seeing a rise in domestic abuse there.

“Social isolation, financial instability and reduced access to friends and family has increased both the level of violence and its intensity,” the article reports, quoting Ange Marks, executive director of the Women’s Interval Home in the area.

Similarly, an opinion article in the Chicago Sun-Times warns that remote learning also has downsides for the kids.

“Evidence from the first year of the pandemic in the United States suggests that the social isolation created by school closures has exacerbated an ongoing childhood mental health crisis,” warn five doctors from the Chicago area.

Even the masks themselves are getting into the headlines. Is one sufficient, a report in the National Post, or should we wear two?

“If you have a physical covering with one layer, you put another layer on, it just makes common sense that it likely would be more effective,” states Dr. Anthony Fauci in the Post article.

That’s a lot to take in. Are there other approaches we can take that might be a little easier to handle?

Well, yes, people are hard at work on new approaches.

In Malaysia, reports Bernama, researchers are working on a new method to detect the virus using DNA and fibre optic sensors.

In Nova Scotia, reports Global News contract tracing will soon be much easier thanks to a new app that tracks restaurant patrons all over the province.

Up to now, the work of contract tracing has been done with dozens of different methods, but mostly pen and paper. “It is our hope that contact tracing will assist in preventing the spread of COVID-19 and help get us one step closer to a pandemic-free future,” states Gordon Stewart of the province’s Restaurant Association in the Global article.

Other research is being carried out on whether air purifiers might have a role to play in lessening the risk of COVID-19 infections, according to a second Global News report. The kinks of this approach are still being worked out, but it is believed that an air purifier with a HEPA filter, if correctly positioned, can help “remove viruses and germs from the atmosphere.”

We’ve all read about the various (and numerous) vaccines that are being rolled out, and administered across Canada.

Putting all this together, yes, the distancing and masking and isolation are tough medicine. But humans are an innovative bunch, and the same innovation that led to the rapid development of new vaccines is helping with new treatment approaches. That allows all of us to take a moment, now and then, to think of life after the pandemic.

The post-pandemic world, for many of us, will represent the run-up to retirement. If you don’t have a plan for retirement, the Saskatchewan Pension Plan could be a plan for you. Once you’ve joined up, you can contribute at any rate you choose, up to $6,600 per year (subject to available RRSP room). The SPP will invest that money (they’ve averaged an annual return of eight per cent since the plan’s inception 35 years ago) and, when work is done, can turn your invested cash into a lifetime income stream. Why not check them out today!

Join the Wealthcare Revolution – follow SPP on Facebook!

By Sheryl Smolkin

Editor’s note: If you came here looking for “10 things you need to know about enhanced CPP benefits” post follow this link: http://wp.me/p7Idrl-1ir.

An article I read in the Globe & Mail this week noted that the Canadian tourism industry is grappling with a demographic problem that could threaten its future. Apparently millennials are spending far more of their travel dollars outside the country than at home. One reason cited is that it is so expensive to fly within Canada, it makes sense to go further afield.

I can understand that most of us would love to be able to jet off somewhere warm to get away from our frigid winters. But in spite of seasonal mosquitoes and black flies in some parts of the country, Canadian spring and summers at their best are not to be missed.  So in the hope of persuading more of you to spend at least a couple of vacation weeks a year exploring closer to home, here are eight reasons in no particular order why I think you should consider some domestic travel along with the international adventures on your bucket list.

1. Mobility rights
   You don’t need a passport or a visa to travel from one end of our vast country to the other. With the exception of arcane laws forbidding the import of alcohol between provinces, you can buy anything you want and take it home without worrying about declaring your goods or paying duty. Medicare insurance coverage varies from one province to another, but your health card will generally be accepted across the country. Nevertheless, travel insurance is still a good idea to fill in any coverage gaps like air ambulance in the case of illness or an accident.
2. See Canada first
   Tourists come from all over the world to see our country, but many of us are looking for “exotic experiences” elsewhere. The fact is that every region in Canada has its own unique attractions. Unless you have seen the snow-capped Rockies, skated on the canal in Ottawa or visited Peggy’s Cove you cannot fully appreciate the beauty of this diverse country and how well it compares with foreign destinations.
3. They speak your language(s)
   Travelling in Canada can be so much less complicated than going to Europe or Asia because you don’t have to worry about making yourself understood. Even if you decide to visit Quebec, most of us studied some French in school and can get by. And if Air Canada loses your luggage or you need to see a doctor for an unexpected ailment, you will be able to explain the problem without the benefit of an interpreter.
4. Spend Canadian dollars
   In January of this year, the Canadian dollar sunk to new lows. It has bounced up and down since then, but the fact is if you have to exchange it for U.S. dollars or euros to pay for a trip, it’s going to cost you a lot more than a few years ago. It’s a great time to see your country and support our economy.
5. Meet great people
   Whether they live north, south, east or west, your Canadian neighbours are great people. They will go out of their way to show you around, invite you into their homes and make sure you have a terrific visit. With few exceptions, you can feel confident that whether you travel alone, with a companion or as part of a family you are vacationing in a safe, welcoming place.
6. Festivals and special events
   Theatre, music, comedy, film and literary festivals abound. Whatever you are interested in, you can time your visit to catch concerts and live performances. Here is a listing of the top ten summer music festivals in Saskatchewan, but from the Symphony Splash in Victoria B.C. to the Stratford Shakespearean Festival in Ontario to the Shelbourne County Lobster Festival in Nova Scotia there are hundreds of local events across the country you can plan your vacation around.
7. The great outdoors
   Frequently whether we travel at home or overseas, we just fly from one city to the next. But there are about 2.6 million lakes and 5 mountainous ecozones in Canada. To really see the country, get into your car and drive in any direction. Whether in a tent, yurt, airstream, pod, igloo, hut, villa, cabin, cube, teepee or treehouse, camping or glamping (upscale camping) are excellent ways to experience the great outdoors.
8. Multi-cultural cites
   Canada recently welcomed over 25,000 Syrian refugees. That is in addition to the thousands and thousands of immigrants and refugees from all over the world who have found a home here over the last 149 years. As a result, you can sample the cuisine and experience the culture of their homeland right around the block or down the street. Within walking distance of my house in Toronto I can eat Chinese, Indian, Iranian, Japanese, Hungarian, Korean, and Greek cuisine and then head over to a Jewish delicatessen.

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Do you have a Canadian vacation planned this summer? Send us your favourite pictures with a short paragraph telling us where you went and describing the high points. With your permission, we’d love to share your images and your story.