Fooled Ya!

I must confess that, with a surname like Bruce, I have some Scots DNA, though it comes from a single great-grandfather who seems to have been an unpleasant guy who died young. Generally I don't take to that side of the family. But I once knew a Scots-Canadian professor who was extremely fond of a story about a Scotsman who would persuade himself to eat his oatmeal by promising himself that if he did, he could have shot of whiskey when he finished it. But once he finished the oatmeal, he'd tell himself, "Ha! I fooled ya!"

He told this story so frequently, and with such loving attention to detail and accent, that I was convinced it reflected some deep part of his character, maybe Scots, maybe Canadian, maybe both.

Anyhow, a Canadian visitor sent me a link to the Archdiocese of Vancouver, BC website that seems to reflect this side of what may be the Canadian character:

As of March 29, all indoor worship has been suspended again.

B.C. health officials had introduced a one-time variance on health restrictions to allow limited indoor gatherings for religious holidays between March 28 and May 13, but they have since withdrawn that variance.

With the short notice and a flurry of communication, it can be confusing to discern exactly what is happening.

However, the provimcoal authorites have graciously permitted the following, notwithstanding:

A variance introduced March 23 allows for outdoor religious services to be held with 50 cars and their passengers and another 50 people. Those in cars must remain in them during the whole Mass.

This is a continuing problem with the whole red light-green light system of pandemic management. The short notice and confusing communication that the archdiocese noted contribute to it and enable it.

The US has been much more successful in pushing back at this sort of thing.