Strike One.

I've mentioned the strike in a somewhat irritated manner previously to this, however I thought I'd try a different approach.

I am a stay at home mom.

This summer, my daughter will be two. She's recently learned to ask for the things that she wants. And she, like most children, loves to be outside. So far this week, she has asked to go to the park 8 times, swimming at least twice daily, and 4 times she just wanted to go outside and walk.

Within 3 blocks from my home, granted they are rather large blocks, I have two temporary dumps set up. One directly south, and one directly west of the only playground in the neighborhood. My first reaction was to be grateful that they spared the playground, so that my daughter would have somewhere to play this summer. After walking in the general direction of the playground, the stench from the trash drove me to walk away from it. I haven't even looked at that playground since the beginning of this strike.

My family and I live in a decent sized 2 bedroom apartment, with no balcony, and certainly no yard. Though the apartment is fair in size, there is hardly enough room for a toddler to run around. Seeing as I chose to stay at home and raise my daughter instead of having her live with two working parents, it's no body's fault but my own that I don't have a back, or front yard, a car, or the means to leave the city in search for summer fun, except for the fact that if I were to pursue a career, or if I had already had one, I wouldn't have child care at the moment, also thanks to the strike, so working isn't an option any more either.

It kills me that I can't provide my daughter with the things that she's managed to ask me for, especially when it's something as simple as "Mommy, park?" I suppose I could take her to the park, but it would most likely result in me vomiting. Is that enough of a health hazard to force back to work legislation? Projectile vomiting caused by going outside? I didn't think so. Even after the strike is over, it will take weeks, if not longer for the parks to be rid of the trash, not to mention the waste that's seeped into the ground, or the smell.

I have such wonderful memories of my childhood, especially during the summer. I just wanted to provide my daughter with the same. Thank you CUPE 416, CUPE 79, and the powers that run our once beautiful city, for making that near impossible.

Great job also, our beaches finally get swimming passes, and you've screwed that up too.

I hope you all get what you want. I clearly won't be getting the one thing I wanted from this summer. A summer.