Summertime, and the living was crazy

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Summer of 2021, we hardly knew ye. But as we push forward into the next winter of our discontent, let’s recall some high (and low) lights of what made this season memorable.

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Drivers were angels. Back in June, Matthew Van De Riet saw a sad-eyed basset hound by the side of a remote stretch of highway in Nova Scotia “ between Bible Hill and New Glasgow.” His concern led him to keep searching, and he found a white sports car flipped on its roof, a couple trapped inside. After putting the hound to safety in his own truck, he grabbed his first aid kit to start rendering assistance to the couple. Joined by others who called 911, he “started opening ‘every Band-Aid and piece of gauze’ in his kit” to stop the bleeding. Soon joined by a nurse, Van De Riet turned his attention to the hound and another dog who had also been thrown in the collision. They were pets of the couple who were new to the area.

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“When the driver of the crashed vehicle learned he could not travel with his girlfriend by air ambulance, Van De Riet loaded both dogs into his truck — alongside the camping gear, dog beds, leashes and toys from the ruined car — and then offered the driver a ride to the Halifax hospital.” Van De Riet took the pups to a vet and then took them home until their owners were recovered. All are fine, and Kipper and Merlin have two new friends in Van De Riet’s miniature pinschers. 

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Drivers were assholes. Out in Nanaimo B.C. in July,   a black car full of cowards attacked a 45-year-old homeless man who was pushing a shopping cart full of his possessions. “ Witnesses said the victim and the people in the car spoke to each other before the driver of the suspect vehicle allegedly sped up and drove over the man and knocked him to the ground. Police say the victim was then allegedly pepper-sprayed by an occupant of the suspect vehicle as he lay on the ground. The vehicle then drove off,” according to this report . The victim was still in hospital three weeks later, and the RCMP continues to search for this blurry car.

Drivers were confused. It was 2:30 in the morning one June night when police were called to the scene in Mississauga at Lakeshore East and Front Street for a Maserati submerged in Lake Ontario. Completely submerged. While police declined to say if charges would be laid at the time, it took multiple cops, the dive team, and the marine unit as well as a tow truck to haul the thing out. I’m thinking Mr. or Ms. Masterati should at least get a bill for the bath. If you find a Maserati for sale cheap on Kijiji, give it a miss.

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Drivers were lucky. Watch this video, captured by a dashcam in early July in Newfoundland. An oncoming pickup truck traveling in the wrong lane forced the car ahead to hit the other lane. Chantal Cheeseman, one vehicle behind, had a windshield full of trouble. “As soon as I seen the truck in front of me swerve I looked ahead and the truck was coming at me and I just swerved off the road,” Cheeseman told CBC News. Did she ever. The move was as graceful as a gazelle and likely saved her life. What a test for a driver. The one behind, who captured the footage, ended up clipped by the rogue pickup driver and headed for the ditch. As Cheeseman checked on the other driver and called police, the pickup driver stopped and came back and gave them his father’s information. Police caught up with him shortly afterward. No word on what Dad had to say.

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Drivers were the reason new laws were passed. May 2-4, doncha know. The Mayor of Pickering was perplexed when that city found itself involuntarily hosting a huge event by local clubs that drew 300 cars and hundreds of more onlookers. During a pandemic. “ Videos from the scene emerged on social media, showing cars with engines revving as they passed through a large crowd. The driver of at least one car performed stunts, doing doughnuts with the front doors open as a cluster of onlookers cheered.” It was hosted at the Wal-Mart parking lot on Brock Road; we now have new laws that tell you can’t do this stupid nonsense in Wal-Mart parking lots. 

Drivers were bad guessers. A few days outside of official summer, but still worth a look. If you’ve ever driven in B.C., you’ve seen the giant logging trucks that crisscross that province. For a driver who ventured into Kamloops, it appears he’s probably more comfortable on the open road. Misjudging an overpass resulted in his rig stuck like a cork in a bottle, massive traffic tie-ups but luckily no injuries. 

Drivers found summer. Too much summer. As global temperatures set records everywhere, Western Canada and the U.S. saw the impact not just on citizens, but on the infrastructure. In Edmonton, more famous for dealing with harsh climate due to cold, instead, “ at least 57 city sidewalks were found to have buckled or heaved due to the heat.” Further west in Washington state, entire roads buckled and heaved in the intense June heat, forcing their closure. Even Vancouver Island wasn’t spared, as sidewalks there, too, tapped out against the extreme heat.

Can hardly wait to see what winter delivers.