Cheers & Jeers
CHEERS: To P.E.I.’s Paralympic heroes Mark Arendz of Hartsville and Billy Bridges of Summerside who will be honoured by the province at a pubic celebration Tuesday night, April 3. Islanders are invited to welcome home the two athletes who starred at the recent Para Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. The two will be at Rodd Royalty Inn in Charlottetown to celebrate their victories with family, friends and hometown fans. Mark won six medals at the Games, including a biathlon gold. Bridges and Canada’s Para Hockey Team took home the silver after a close competition. Everyone is encouraged to come for 6 p.m. with the official ceremony to begin at 6:30 p.m.
JEERS: To the province for its poor timing in reminding Islanders about the help to seniors to enable them to live at home. In a release last Thursday, government announced it continues to accept applications for the Seniors Independence Initiative and reminds Island seniors that help is available to make it easier for them to remain in their own homes and communities. Family and Human Services Minister Tina Mundy said, “As a government we want to do all we can to ensure seniors have the assistance they need to remain independent, comfortable and safe in their own homes for as long as they can.” The announcement was released several days after the Barbara and Jim Munves case became public and caused widespread comment and criticism of Health P.E.I. for refusing to allow Barbara to leave a nursing home and return to her home and husband.
JEERS: To the four on-ice officials (two referees and two linesmen) who all missed a puck being gloved-ahead call in the dying seconds of Wednesday’s playoff game between the Charlottetown Islanders and Quebec Remparts. With some 25 seconds remaining in the third period and the Islanders pressing for the tying goal — and just after hitting the crossbar — a Quebec player gloved the puck ahead to a teammate who went alone on the empty net to score. The Isles appealed, the play was reviewed and ruled no-goal. While attempting to determine the time to be put back on the clock, officials in the press box read the rules and saw the play couldn’t be reviewed, so the goal stood. Some 2,500 fans in the stands saw the puck gloved ahead. So, if the play isn’t whistled down immediately, and the infraction results in a goal, the play stands? It’s ridiculous. There should be a review alright — of the four on-ice officials who all missed the call — right in front of them.
CHEERS: To P.E.I. Burger Love which is going tip-to-tip this year as it returns for its 8th annual celebration of Island beef. There are 85 different burgers to choose from, with one of those burgers to be crowned the ‘Most Loved Burger’ at the end of April when the special month-long promotion wraps up. This year sees the highest number of communities to feature a participating restaurant since the launch of the campaign.