Jeers to people who put students’ lives at risk by passing school buses that are stopped to let children on or off. Photo by Brice McVicar/Brunswick News /File

Jeers to people who put students’ lives at risk by passing school buses that are stopped to let children on or off. Despite the efforts of government, education officials and various police services, some drivers in P.E.I. continue to pass buses that are stopped with their red lights flashing. Summerside police issued one of the latest reminders after ticketing a driver for that offence. The penalty for failing to stop for a bus is steep, including a mandatory licence suspension and a hefty fine. Every school day thousands of students travel to and from school and they should be able to do so safely. Even if the penalties don’t deter some drivers, the chance that someone might hurt or kill a child should be more than enough.

Jeers to people who take advantage of vulnerable seniors. Summerside Police Services were recently able to recover $5,000 that a victim was sending by courier after being scammed by a caller claiming to be a police officer seeking a bond to release their grandson. Police will not contact someone to secure a bond and will never ask you to send them cash. In another recent court case, a P.E.I. home care worker was convicted of defrauding an elderly, vulnerable client out of $155,000 over a two-year period. The crime badly affected the victim, who died while the matter was before the courts. A family member said in her victim impact statement that the ordeal eroded the victim’s confidence, sense of security and the way he felt about himself. Grandparent scams and other frauds cause much more damage than the monetary value of the funds stolen.

Cheers to firefighters around the province who have responded to multiple blazes in recent weeks. When firefighters answer a call, they often don’t know what to expect, including the possibility that someone needs rescuing or has already lost their life. Despite the stressful and dangerous nature of the job, they continue to put themselves at risk to help others. In P.E.I., the majority of them are volunteers who never know when an emergency will interrupt their lives. Whether they are professionals or volunteers, firefighters across P.E.I. provide a valuable service nobody wants to use, but everyone is glad is there when it’s needed.

A house fire gutted the front of this structure on Parkdale Crescent in Charlottetown during the early morning hours of Nov. 4. Everyone made it out of the house unharmed, including a dog. Photo by Dave Stewart /The Guardian

Cheers to Easter Seals P.E.I. for 70 years of raising awareness, fundraising and showing children around the province what people with disabilities can achieve. The organization recently celebrated its impressive milestone with a ceremony at Fanningbank and included many past Easter Seals ambassadors as guests. Every year a new ambassador completes a whirlwind tour of Island schools, sharing inspiring stories and spreading their message about the importance of inclusion. It’s an annual tradition that will hopefully continue for many years to come.

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