Wellness Centre 1, Veterans Wing 0

To the Editor:
This will be my final letter of appeal to keep the status quo for meals prepared for the Veterans Wing in Pictou.
On Tuesday Jan. 31, I attended the “Taste Test” for the menu of off site prepared meals that will soon be served to our veterans.
I stand by my opinion that while mass produced food may be suitable to provide meals for short hospital stays, eating them for a lifetime is simply cruel and possibly unhealthy. It was good to learn that fresh cooked meals will continue to be provided to clients of Addiction Services, I only wish our veterans could be given the same consideration.
The figure given to those of us who attended the “tasting” on Tuesday evening was that the Pictou County Health Authority estimates a potential saving of $70,000 annually. The estimate was based on a full compliment of 20 vets and 15 full beds in the restorative care section of the Sutherland Harris Hospital, a cost of less than $6 per person per day.
It seems that as a society we have somehow changed our priorities in Pictou County. Currently, municipalities, corporations and private donors are lining up offering millions of dollars to build a Wellness Centre, a facility for our leisure and entertainment. Have I got it wrong here? Do we need a public campaign to raise money to give our veterans decent home cooked meals?
I ask for the last time, please reverse this decision. Whether it is the provincial government, The Department of Veterans Affairs, The Pictou County Health Authority and its board members – please look into your hearts and do the right thing for our aged veterans. I hope this short note is enough to at least give you “food” for thought in this matter.
Bernie Currie
Pictou