Brooks Mounties and first responders take part in one of Tuesday's parades in the city. (CHAT News photo).

By Alex McCuaig

City needs compassion and understanding

Brooks taking COVID-19 crisis one day at a time

May 5, 2020 | 4:45 PM

BROOKS, AB – The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the city of Brooks has been disproportionate in the extreme compared to just about anywhere else in the province or country.

But so too is the local response to what is likely the biggest challenge the city has ever faced.

That was evident Tuesday afternoon as Mounties in their red serge, firefighters in dress uniforms and members of the Royal Canadian Legion with medals pinned on their chests marched down the street to the Newbrook Lodge accompanied by a bagpiper to mark the centennial birthday of resident Fred Seefeldt.

Seefeldt’s secret to longevity was simple and one appropriate for a city inundated with more than a thousand cases of COVID-19.

“Just one day at a time,” said Seefeldt.

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Aside from public health advice to stay home when sick, maintain physical distancing and wash your hands frequently, Seefeldt’s message can be seen as one of necessity in times of great crisis.

To put the scope of the challenges facing the city in perspective, one only needs to compare the impact of COVID-19 on Brooks to that of Calgary, 90 minutes to the west.

Despite a population one-hundredth the size of Alberta’s largest city, Brooks has more than half as many active cases, one small hospital and a handful of doctors and first responders.

Many of those who have been hit hardest have been newcomers to Canada from numerous countries – many of them war-torn areas of the world – drawn to Brooks by the opportunity to work at the JBS beef processing plant and to establish a better life for their children.

Mohammed Idriss helped start the Brooks and County Immigration Services (BCIS) where he continues to assist newcomers in the community.

And what the city needs now is the compassion and understanding Alberta’s chief medical officer of health Dr. Deena Hinshaw is calling for, he said.

“That is the right message to send,” said Idriss. “This is a crisis. This is a crisis that is coming to all of us. We are all in this together so we need compassion and we need a lot of humility to support each other.”

Idriss called those blaming the immigrant community for the spread of the coronavirus “fringe elements” and says those reaching out to assist are a far larger majority.

“We have seen people recognizing the essential work people at JBS are doing,” said Idriss. “We have seen people support them – even when there were messages on Facebook and other social media that goes towards the negative, we have seen people come forward and say that is not right … they are doing the job nobody else is wanting to do.”

But the fact many of those who work at JBS or are impacted by COVID-19 also come from countries that have been affected by war or repressive regimes is one of the complex factors in reaching those needing help from authorities.

“Most of our newcomers come from trauma-based situations,” said Idriss. “COVID-19 is a trauma situation. So for many of our newcomers, that triggers things for them. That makes them anxious, that makes them nervous. It’s important to provide services that are trauma-informed.”

Brooks Mayor Barry Morishita said he admonishes anyone critical of an ethnic or cultural group which provides direct care for seniors, gives financial support to local or overseas relatives or comes from large, social family networks.

“I don’t think that’s a reason for discrimination,” said Morishita, adding that such groups, “support our community in a lot of great ways. Culturally, they add to the colour and fabric of our community a great deal. Anybody that is criticizing or going after a certain group of people, I think they should look at themselves and say, ‘what are you doing to help with the situation besides complain about it.’”

For the most part though, Morishita says the city is full of kindness and empathy.

But he says what the city needs now is redoubling of efforts to physically distance, cut back on non-essential travel and provide help to those who may need assistance in caring for a family member.

“We’re making sacrifices,” said Morishita. “Is it hard? Yes. But is it worth it? Yes.”

As of Tuesday afternoon, Brooks has recorded 1,005 cases of COVID-19 – 704 of them active – and five deaths.

In addition to the multitude of cases linked to the JBS plant, two seniors’ homes – Sunrise and Orchard Park – as well as the McDonald’s are officially listed as having outbreaks.