Friday, July 10, 2020

A Time to Remember

There is no way to candy-coat or ignore the loss, disruption, and despair that has been lived these last months. But when we think back on the pandemic of 2020, we’ll also be able to recall demonstrations of bravery, shared hospitality, and how a sense of community developed in places we’d never thought to look before

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By Ian DeWaard, Ontario Director

The thermometer in Ontario, after factoring for humidity, topped 40 degrees this week. This heatwave brought to mind a similar one in 2003, which along with several other factors on August 14, caused a cascading electricity outage throughout Ontario and several states south of the border that affected 55 million people.

That was a night to remember. Much of Ontario was affected and during that afternoon’s rush hour, intersections everywhere went black. Thousands of people had to exit trains and subway cars by walking along the tracks back to the nearest station. Radio stations went dead, at least initially, and even cellular phone networks were down.

As the geographic reach of the blackout became clear, worry, anxiety, and rumour abounded. Keep in mind that this was a mere 23 months following the events of 9/11, and so memories of that tragedy were animating our imaginations. Ontario’s then Premier Ernie Eves was quick to declare a state of emergency.

The state of emergency caused by the current global pandemic offers many parallels, albeit on a much grander and longer scale. Of course the devastation and the consequences of COVID-19 are exponentially more significant.

But, just like that summer night in 2003, a natural disaster has forced a pause to our regular activity and hurried plans. Not just for one single dark night but, here in Canada, these last four months.

In this moment, it’s hard not to be overrun by exhaustion, and for some, fear. We’re not through this yet, and the continued threat looms because there is still so much that is not understood about this virus as it ravages and takes the lives of young and old.

We can see financial and economic consequences on the horizon. Yet again, we are confronted by how our market economy leaves low wage and precarious workers, as well as small business owners, particularly susceptible to financial ruin and hardship.

This virus has shone a light on how we’ve cared for the elderly and disabled in our midst, and it’s clearly a societal and collective responsibility that we share. We must do better.

Simultaneously, and perhaps as a result, we’re again confronted with the economic and social imbalance that nonwhite communities experience. To make matters worse, oppressive regimes and megalomaniac authoritarians (pick your continent) seem to have used this moment of global distraction to further their lust for power and to deprive those in their domain of fair and just government.

There is no way to candy-coat or ignore the loss, disruption, and despair that has been lived these last months. But we can look for silver linings in these grey clouds.

What I recall most vividly from that hot, lightless summer night 17 years ago are the stories that emerged afterward. Some people experienced stars for the first time ever and were amazed. Without the noise of city lights, the night sky was presented in all its wondrous and humbling glory. The world presented a side of itself that many had rarely experienced.

For that one strange night, we were also introduced to our neighbours in a wonderful way. At the time, no one knew how long the blackout might last, so people emptied their freezers and fridges to throw impromptu backyard barbecues.

People checked in on each other. Many spoke about a night of laughter and camaraderie with people next door, who until then they only ever nodded or waved at.

When the world emerges from the pandemic of 2020, we will be able to reflect on these dark days and remember that there was a shared and common experience that established new bonds among neighbours. We’ll have occasion to remember fondly the slowed pace, perhaps forced upon us, but that allowed reprieve from hectic travel and relentless busyness.

We’ll also be able to recall demonstrations of bravery, shared hospitality, and how a sense of community developed in places we’d never thought to look before.

As you endure these coming weeks and months, be on the lookout for the opportunities and experiences that you’ll be able to look back on fondly for the day when we do emerge from the pandemic of 2020. It might not seem like it at the moment, but just like in 2003, the lights will eventually come back on.

A Time to Remember

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