I would like to respond to the letter to the editor from the staff at St. Mary's Villa (Humboldt Journal, February 29).
My mother was one of the seniors who was evicted (yes, evicted) from the enriched housing part of the Villa.
Why the workers want to shoulder the responsibility for this situation, which was none of their doing, is a mystery to me.
We are from about 70 miles from Humboldt, so the unexpected move was especially difficult for us.
As for me and my family, we bear no animosity towards Humboldt, the Villa and especially not towards the Villa staff. We felt that the media was also very fair in their coverage and deflected the blame for this unfortunate situation towards Saskatoon Health Region (SHR), as we do, not towards the Villa or the staff there.
By law, evicted does mean finding and paying the first month's rent for a tenant when they are not given their mandatory 30 days notice, as was the case in Humboldt.
Paying the first month's rent at their new location is not a gift, but a legal requirement under the circumstances.
The workers do seem very cold-hearted - they even begrudge these bullied seniors the few small cash incentives that SHR did offer them.
Money is a very poor substitute for a comfortable home where everything is familiar, but it is better than nothing. More money really means nothing to most 80- and 90-year-olds, as they can't get out to spend it anyway!
Security is all they crave.
I truly hope that these workers never get a call from Saskatoon, Prince Albert, Regina, North Battleford, etc., where their aged loved one may reside, giving them one week to get there and drag their aged parents kicking and screaming out of a secure environment into the complete unknown.
Believe me, it was no fun.
