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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, Ja nu ar y 30 ,2 02 0 | 6 ABOUT US This newspaper, published every Thursday, is a division of the Metroland Media Group Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of Torstar Corporation. The Metroland family of newspapers is comprised of more than 80 community publications across Ontario. This newspaper is a member of the National NewsMedia Council. Complainants are urged to bring their concerns to the attention of the news- paper and, if not satisfied, write The National NewsMedia Council, Suite 200, 890 Yonge St., Toronto, ON M4W 2H2. Phone: 416-340-1981 Web: www.mediacouncil.ca editorial@waterloochronicle.ca facebook.com/waterloochronicle @wlchronicle WHO WE ARE VP, Regional Publisher Kelly Montague Regional General Manager Nelson Parreira nparreira@metroland.com Regional Director of Media Heather Dunbar hdunbar@starmetrolandmedia.com Advertising Representatives Cassandra Dellow, Jan Bodanka, Rebecca Butler, Matt Miller, Lisa Humphreys, Sheri-Lyn Blair, Chris Rego Managing Editor Doug Coxson Online Editor Adam Jackson Reporters Bill Jackson Namish Modi CONTACT US Waterloo Chronicle 475 Thompson Dr. Cambridge, ON N1T 2K8 Phone: 519-886-2830 Fax: 519-623-9155 Web: www.waterloochronicle.ca Letters to the editor All letters must be fewer than 320 words and include your name and telephone number for verification purposes. We reserve the right to edit, condense or reject letters. Published letters will appear in print and/or online at waterloochronicle.ca Delivery For all delivery inquiries, e-mail customerservice@metroland.com or call 519-894-3000 OPINION TO LEARN HOW TO SUBMIT YOUR OWN CONTENT VISIT WATERLOOCHRONICLE.CA EDITORIAL LETTERS & COMMENTARY An epidemic of fear is spreading around the world today as people anxiously watch China battling the spread of a deadly viral epidemic within its borders. While a very concerned World Health Organization has not yet declared a global emergency, countries ev- erywhere are bracing for the first cases of this virus to appear. Canadians who remember how hard the 2003 out- break of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) hit this country may feel especially helpless. They should not. To be sure, SARS claimed 44 lives in Canada, made nearly 400 others ill, overstressed our health care sys- tem and cost the economy an estimated $4 billion. But the hard lessons learned from SARS, and that includes from the many mistakes made responding to it, are guid- ing us now. Whatever happens, Canada is better prepared in every way than it was in 2003. As it was in the SARS epidemic, today's enemy is a novel coronavirus. It's called 2019-nCoV and while it's not identical to the one 17 years ago it's dangerous none- theless. And as it was in the SARS epidemic, the epicentre of it all lies in China, this time in Wuhan region. sThere is some comfort in knowing that China, too, learned from SARS and has taken extraordinary measures to control the outbreak. The world has never seen the likes of the lockdown of 14 Chinese cities with 35 million residents that is now going on. The strategy for Canadian officials is clear if chal- lenging: Prevent the virus from entering the country and spreading in the general population; identify it if or when it appears; and treat those who become ill while protecting health-care workers. Already, the Public Health Agency of Canada - creat- ed post-SARS - has put up signs at airports in Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal instructing travellers from Chi- na's Wuhan region to report to border agents if they have flu-like symptoms. Hospitals across the country are preparing for the virus to appear. Hospitals in British Columbia have stocked supplies and told workers to be on the lookout for signs of the virus, as well as how to respond to it. Canadians have reasons to be thankful to the Nation- al Advisory Committee on SARS and Public Health that looked into the deadly epidemic of 2003 and brought about change. We are not invulnerable to another epidemic. We are better prepared - and better protected. LESSONS FROM SARS GUIDE CANADA NOW E-COURSE LEARNING A WIN-WIN SITUATION E-course learning is the way of future. It is used in many countries around the world. E-learning will en- hance education quality, preparing students for uni- versity/college and educa- tion quality for students with challenges adapting to a computerized world. E- learning will make stu- dents more comfortable and confident when enter- ing a higher level of educa- tion or employment. It means having access to on- line programs anytime/ anywhere while still hav- ing interaction with class- mates and teachers. E-courses do NOT elim- inate classroom teachers (unlike distance learning where a student has no teacher interaction). It benefits teachers by free- ing up time planning and grading. Students don't al- ways fail because they don't understand their learning material, but be- cause they are bored and disinterested. E-learning will pique and hold their interest, be interactive and hopefully keep students in school. The world is moving for- ward and so should the ed- ucation system. E-course learning is a win-win situa- tion for everyone - teach- ers, students, parents/ guardians. It's a helpful tool into the future. JOAN COLLINS, WATERLOO BREAK THE STIGMA AROUND ADDICTION #BellLet'sTalk day is this week (Jan. 29). The well-intended day of mental illness aware- ness always leaves me with mixed feelings of frustra- tion and conviction. My contempt is joined by many others who voice their disapproval, claiming that the campaign aggra- vates mental illness symp- toms, that the narrow con- versation excludes many voices, and that the cam- paign is well, "the simplest form [of] a capitalist mar- keting campaign." I stand in solidarity with all these critiques, and I table one more- that addiction is absent from the conversation. Addiction and substance abuse disorders are heavily stigmatized mental illness- es - yet they are rife within our region. The Waterloo Region Substance Use Study published in 2017 re- veals that addiction touches all age groups- including children - and income-lev- els. Cannabis and metham- phetamines, followed by al- cohol and opiates, are the drugs consumed in highest frequency among users. Addiction's impact on our community is harrow- ing. I am filled with sadness when I think of the families that are left behind. And filled with shame when I recognize a simple truth - that the stigma we all hold is to blame. I saw a brilliant quote the other day that read: "People have a lot to say about lives they never lived." I can think of no mental illness where this rings truer than addiction. Let's raise our voices and break the stigma around addiction so we can see it for what it really is - a mental illness, not a choice. SHERIDAN PARKER, WATERLOO