By: Peggy-Anne MacInnis
The Nova Scotia government’s ban on any human activity in the woods is outrageous and likely unconstitutional. It infringes on our god given right to enjoy the beauty of Canada’s majestic scenery. And worst of all, it has totally ruined my little Timmy’s favourite pastime: setting small fires in the woods and watching them become raging infernos.
For years now Timmy has spent many happy days in the woods upwind of Halifax, hiking, playing with our dog Rex and building small piles of dried leaves and twigs next to trees, then using a magnifying glass to ignite a spark before moving on. But now he can’t do this anymore. And why? Because there is a tiny chance he could start a fire. That’s ridiculous.
We’ve seen huge government overreach in recent years. I still remember how the province’s mask mandate destroyed Timmy’s previous favourite game of coughing in stranger’s mouths on the bus. But Houston has gone too far this time. He has shown how little he knows about this province. We Nova Scotians love 3 things: complaining about Ontario; donair sauce; and leaving our children unattended to burn piles of dead brush without a permit.
If we declare every little risk, from a slightly worse cough to the towering walls of fire that displaced thousands of people in 2023, a defcon level emergency then people will stop taking real threats seriously. I remember everyone trying to scare me into vaccinating Timmy for measles by telling me he would die if he got the disease, but I didn’t. And sure he got Measles but he was fine! Unlike the immuno compromised kid in his class.
Like all kids, Timmy deserves to play. He deserves to run around and get dirty and jump in the lake. Then dry off and light some tires on fire and roll them down a hill towards a big pile of dry lumber.
Instead he’s had his summer absolutely ruined. And I’m forced to watch as he loses a bit of his youthful innocence to government run amok. How much of this precious childhood time will he be denied? After all, he’s 23. He won’t be a kid forever.
