BEAVER BANK/FALL RIVER: COVID-19 has meant changing routines for the two local councillors in the Beaver Bank and Fall River areas.
Councillors Lisa Blackburn, who represents Upper/Middle Sackville-Lucasville-Beaver Bank, and Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley representative Cathy Deagle Gammon both spoke of the impact the pandemic has had on their and how they do their job as councillors during the past two years.
“I have an office in my home now and never had one of those before, almost had to set one up out of a default,” chuckled Blackburn in her answer. “It certainly adds a layer of just things, other things that you have to do.
“It just sort of makes things that little bit more difficult. But you know other than that we’re surviving.”
But it does have its positives—one doesn’t have to worry about driving and getting to meetings, especially in the stormy winter.
“It’s not necessarily a bad thing, so I don’t really mind staying at home,” she said.
She does expect a rude awakening when things return to normal, and councillors go back into city hall full time.
“The going back to work will be tough on my dogs. I know that much,” said Blackburn. “They’re used to having me at home all the time now, so it’ll be tough.”
Blackburn said just because she’s working from home doesn’t mean she’s not reachable.
“People are used to knowing that they can find me at the other end of the telephone or at the other end of the email. It doesn’t matter where I’m actually physically doing the work, just as long as I’m there to help support them. That’s the main thing.”
Deagle Gammon said she married her husband Percy years ago because he went away for a living, and they didn’t have to be together 24/7.
“With COVID-19 meaning we had to be together 24/7, it was a little bit of a hardship for me,” she said jokingly with a chuckle as Charlie her pet dog snuggled close by.
She loves getting up, going to city hall, the energy from working as part of a team so the pandemic has really impacted all that for her.
“I’ll be honest, the first part of the pandemic was a bit of a struggle for me,” she said. “But you know we’ve accommodated, have a nice office set up upstairs.
“I know that I have it better than a lot in that I can do that. But I’ll be extremely glad to get back to normal.”
