It is hard to think about much other than the COVID-19 crisis, and all those who have been so devastatingly affected, either through the disappearance of an income and livelihood or the loss of a loved one, without the possibility of reaching out for one another in this time of social distancing. It was especially hard this past week as we were forced to look inward as a society in the face of horrifying revelations about conditions in some seniors’ residences and the chronic staff shortages and wage disparities that precipitated this heightened crisis as the virus continues to ravage our elderly population.
So much of the messaging from our provincial government through this pandemic has been trying to ignite a sense of calling and duty. It has also involved the steady beating of the fiercely proud Québécois drum to first save our vulnerable and now to protect our food security, to support our businesses and to return to our way of life. Doctors and nurses took heed of this call as large numbers took up positions well below their paygrade in our seniors’ residences. The government has now incentivized farming to encourage those with spare time and little income to find in themselves their agricultural heritage. We are seeing our politicians (most, anyway) defending health and safety over the economy. I, for one, and perhaps very naively, believe we may be witnessing a global shift away from unfettered growth, greed and consumption to embrace our humanity.
This week also marks Earth Day. And as the images of cleaner skies, clearer waters and wild animals reclaiming territory in our cities keep flashing in social media feeds, we are reminded of our planet’s well-being and of our devastating impact on it. Let’s hope that as we slowly emerge from this period of quarantine that we are able to answer another call, one that involves putting in place a new breed of health and safety measures aimed at protecting our planet. COVID-19 has brought us to our knees together as a people, and hopefully we will come out of this having learned that when we stand together, even from a well-marked distance of two metres, we can create positive change.
Sarah Rennie