By Herb Zurkowsky • Montreal Gazette
As someone who played 14 seasons of professional football — and spent time in hospitals recovering from knee surgeries — Peter Dalla Riva is used to long days and isolation.
“A couple of times when I got hurt, tore up my knee and was in the hospital, they were long. And depressing and frustrating,” Dalla Riva remembered during a phone interview on Friday.
Alouettes legend Dalla Riva pines for exercise after two-week lockdown
So being in self-quarantine — along with Carol, his wife of nearly 50 years — at their Pointe-Claire condominium is nothing new for the former Alouettes star tight end.
That’s where the couple has been, 24/7, since returning March 21 — weeks early — from their annual retreat in Naples, Fla., where they own a condo. They had been there since mid-November, but quickly packed up and returned to Canada when they heard Prime Minister Justin Trudeau advise all snowbirds to return home because of the coronavirus pandemic.
“You have to take the initiative and do what you’ve got to do,” Dalla Riva said. “Everybody has different circumstances and situations. Decide what’s best for you and pay attention to what’s going on. This is pretty serious.
“As soon as we heard about this and they told Canadians to come home, we packed up and took off. You don’t want to get sick there. At the end, everybody (down there) started scrambling.”
Although Dalla Riva usually drives to northern Virginia, where he boards a train and has his car shipped to Orlando, he and his wife decided to drive home, wanting no part of a potentially crowded rail car. They made the 2,658-kilometre trip over three days and two nights, crossing the border in Lansdowne, Ont.
Their period of self-isolation ends Sunday. Dalla Riva, 74, and his wife are asymptomatic although he realizes they’re in the high-risk age bracket for COVID-19.
Although he’s retired, Dalla Riva remains active. He plays golf regularly during the summer months, is a staple at a West Island gym and serves as an Als ambassador. He said it has been a strain being unable to work out or go for a walk, but otherwise has adapted well to the circumstances.
“It’s frustrating,” he said. “I’m active and like to work out. That part has been tough. But it’s been okay. We’re still not out of it yet and we have to be careful. When we go outside, we’ll have to pay attention to what’s around you.”
Dalla Riva has spent the days doing chores, catching up on paperwork, preparing his taxes and checking in on family members. Dalla Riva has a brother and sister in Hamilton, Ont., and a son in nearby Grimsby. He also has cousins in northern Italy, an area that has been ravaged by the pandemic. All his family members are safe.
Dalla Riva said he hasn’t felt claustrophobic through his ordeal. His 1,750-square-foot condo, situated on the fourth, and top, floor has three bedrooms, is open and surrounded by windows looking out onto Lake St. Francis. Located across the street from the Beaconsfield Golf Club, the unit came equipped with a washer and dryer. Dalla Riva and his wife have lived there since 2008.
The couple’s daughter, Lisa, who lives in Montreal, has been doing the shopping and dropping off groceries at their door when necessary.
“I’m looking forward to getting out of quarantine, although the time has gone by quickly,” Carol said. “When you come back after five months, there’s a lot to do. The key is to remain busy. When I see weather like this, I’ll be happy to get outside and go for a walk, once this clears up, just to get some fresh air.
“It’ll be a sigh of relief that we got through the 14 days, but it’s not over yet. Other than going to the grocery store or the drugstore, we really can’t go anywhere, except for a walk.”
Dalla Riva, a three-time Canadian Football League all-star, played in six Grey Cup games, winning three, between 1968-81 and was considered an excellent blocker with sure hands. He caught 450 passes for 6,413 yards while scoring 55 touchdowns. He was voted into the Canadian Football Hall of Fame in 1993 and saw his jersey (74) retired by the Als. He’s a regular at Molson Stadium during the team’s games.
The league already has postponed the start of training camps, which were scheduled to begin May 17.
“The games mean nothing. Life’s more important,” said Dalla Riva, who has no special plans Sunday, once he escapes from captivity. “Celebrate what? It’s just another day.”
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