January 12, 2006

Dear Sir,

What a shame that Smelling a rat (January 9, 2006) did not check first to see if the Bondarenko family actually has permission to enter Canada. They do. I happen to be a Bermudian living part-time in Nova Scotia and the story of their situation has been in the media here for months. Nova Scotians are very sympathetic to their plight, and they received temporary residency status last October but postponed sailing from Bermuda to Canada in the middle of the worst hurricane season in recorded history.

As for Mrs. Bondarenko being afraid of flying in a plane despite being able to sail across the ocean, surely, that is what is referred to as a phobia. Human beings have all manner of phobias and fear of flying is not at all uncommon. I have no trouble whatever flying to and from Canada, but there is no way anyone could ever persuade me to make the same journey in any sized ship, let alone the Bondarenko?s 27-foot sail boat. I guess that would be a phobia to me.

Our Government has to make sure people do not take advantage of the system. However, the Bondarenkos were always most appreciative of Bermuda?s hospitality and were simply requesting permission to stay until the weather is safer to make what is presently a very hazardous ocean crossing, particularly with young children. They were not employed in Bermuda and were not causing any problems to anyone. The Bondarenkos would also clearly know that they have no long term future in Bermuda, while on the other hand they do have legal permission to come to Nova Scotia.

Far from smelling a rat, I feel rather saddened that we could not have extended permission for this family to stay until the warmer weather in such an exceptional case where Bermuda would stand to lose nothing, and would more than likely have received very positive publicity here in Canada for a humanitarian gesture. Like it or not, Bermuda will be subject to severe condemnation if, heaven forbid, there is a tragic conclusion to this story.