Hug A Tree

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Don’t forget to hug a tree tomorrow. It is just as important as the last minute shopping for Canada Day.

Hug a tree? Yes, but shopping first. It will be very unique this year, so head to the grocery early today, to avoid the six feet apart lines and wait for grocery trolleys/carts. Someone fetches them from the car park and wipes them down to kill any devious COVID-19, before releasing them to new masked customers.

Holidays like Canada Day and 4th of July revolve around food at a table, on the grass, beach or - for rich folks - on a boat. The table might be hard to find this year, if families decide to go to the public park for picnics. Why? 

The six feet or two meters apart rule, for one. Parks like The Forks in Winnipeg are well-organized. They have tables spaced out two meters already. 

Hug a tree? If you plan to take your chances and still go to a public park, you better get there early to hug a tree. Someone in your family must be responsible for securing one. This will be a difficult task for tree coordinators because it means leaving home early to secure a spot.

They should take other things into consideration. Where are the washrooms, a priority if kids are around? COVID-19 is tough on everybody, but how do you tell kids to play two meters apart, in a public park? 

Tree coordinators will also lay down blankets, BBQ grills (if parks will allow them) re-usable cups, plates, napkins etc. to stake a claim on the tree.

Sounds simplistic, right? Not in 2020. Tempers will be very high in public parks as the same number of people who enjoyed Canada Day last year, fight for space reduced by COVID-19 restrictions.

In this city, Winnipeg, they can’t even take long walks along the river. It is closed to the public because of recent rains.

By: Nonqaba waka Msimang.

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