Items
Creator is exactly
Hope Gresser
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08/04/2020
Lee Foster Oral History, 2020/08/04
Oral History in which Lee Foster discusses how one teaches shop (Industrial Arts) through online learning, what it is like teaching your students at the same time as your own children, and having a spouse working in a hospital during the pandemic. He also discusses the changes, or lack thereof, in family dynamics during a pandemic all with his easy-going positivity and sense of gratitude for his situation. -
07/29/2020
Gwendolyn Way Oral History, 2020/07/29
An interview with Gwendolyn "Gwen" Way regarding her experience living in a retirement home during the pandemic. Gwen discusses the changes made by the residence where she lives to prevent an introduction or spread of the virus, as outbreaks in Long Term Care facilities have been common in Canada, and how it has effected her life within the home and her relationship with the world outside it. She compares and contrasts this lockdown and pandemic with the 19 months she spend in a sanatorium being treated for tuberculosis (TB) many years ago. The fear of the unknown and desperation at the lack of a firm end date are ideas which Gwen returns to repeatedly. -
07/27/2020
Jason Zackowski Oral History, 2020/07/27
Jason Zackowski describes what science education has been like during a global pandemic both in schools and on the internet. He discusses the transition to online learning in schools as he is head of the science department and a teacher at a high school in Red Deer, Alberta. He also shares his concerns for the planned return to school. Jason runs a science podcast as well as a popular twitter account for his dog "Bunsen Berner" which he uses to share scientific facts, research, and methods in a fun way. As such he discusses the "blowback" by members of the public on social media to scientists when it shares information regarding the virus and pandemic. -
07/26/2020
Alexandra Phan Oral History, 2020/07/26
Alexandra "Alex" Phan shares her experience of the pandemic. Alex is a Master's student at the University of Ottawa studying Virology and working in a lab which focuses on emerging viruses- most recently SARS-COV-2 (Covid-19). She describes her activities during the pandemic and the sense that she and other researchers are somewhat removed from the collective trauma the rest of the world is experiencing, as their routines have not changed drastically. She also discusses the changes in student life and what it is like moving out of your parents house/living on your own for the first time in the midst of a tiered lock-down. -
2020-07-07
Demster's Bread Packaging Says Thank-You to Frontline Workers
For the first time since coming home to live with my parents for the summer/the pandemic my mom bought the brand of bread and thickness of slice I like (she prefers thin slice Wonderbread.) Demster's is a well known and established Canadian brand. It was only when about 3/4 of the way through the loaf that I noticed the message on the bag for grocery and food chain workers. In red font to match the Canadian Maple Leaf which if part of the company's logo and reflect the patriotic nature of the message it reads: "OUR FRONTLINE SHOWS STRENGTH. / OUR FRONTLINE FEEDS FAMILIES. / OUR FRONTLINE SERVES COMMUNITIES. / TO OUR BAKERS, FRANCHISEES, DISTRIBUTORS, AND GROCERS HELPING TO KEEP CANADA GOING / THANK YOU. -
2020-06-15
Filling empty space and empty time
Our formal front room is usually reserved for family gatherings or avoiding the noise if someone has the tv on too loud in the living room. While it has long also been a place where my dad drops his notebooks, newspapers, and articles he has printed off to read, in quarantine it has become his space even more than before. While I have taken up embroidery, my mom has been sewing masks for those in need, and my brother has retreated once more to his room to watch YouTube videos, my dad has turned back to reading. Most of my life he has only really read nonfiction: books on history, economics, and political biographies. But he has been retired for over 2 years now, and I think all the work-related reading has cleared his system, so he has begun to bring fiction back into circulation. His consumption of literature has also been increased by the fact that shipping fees have been waved on books for the last three months. I have never seen him read this much or enjoy it this much. He is keeping his books in a place of pride and easy access too, instead of gathering dust in the shelves in our basement office or under the coffee table. Usually the bay window in the front room holds only the wooden candlesticks my uncle made us, and maybe a seasonal decoration or two, but now they display his growing library as well. He’s had the time before now; being retired, but he had other options to occupy his time, like going out for coffee nearly daily or pursuing the hardware store. The pandemic kickstarted the habit which I think will be entertaining him going forward into a post pandemic world with spy novels and literature added to his biographies and political economy texts. -
2020-05-28
Boarded up Bars in the Byward Market: Kinki
Many establishments in the popular shopping, dining, and bar area of the Byward Market have boarded up their front windows with plywood to reduce the chance of robbery while they remain closed due to the pandemic and restrictions of gatherings. The Kinki restaurant did not board up its windows but did place a sign informing any would-be robbers that "ALL CASH, BEER + BOOZE HAS BEEN REMOVED FROM THIS PREMISES." Many of the shops and restaurants which did not board up its windows has similar signs. -
2020-05-27
Boarded up Bars in the Byward Market: Heart and Crown Posters - Keep Calm
Boarded up Bars in the Byward Market: Heart and Crown Posters Many establishments in the popular shopping, dining, and bar area of the Byward Market have boarded up their front windows with plywood to reduce the chance of robbery while they remain closed due to the pandemic and restrictions of gatherings. While some remain plain, or are painted black, other establishments chose to hire muralists to liven up the natural wood with images related to vibe of each bar. Some also plastered the wood with posters. One such poster display is on one of the boarded windows of the Heart and Crown pub not taken up by murals. Riffing off the popular Second World War posters in Britain which read "Keep Calm and Carry On" they read "Keep Calm and Shop Local" as well as "Keep Calm and Support Local Artists" in an attempt to create a sense of solidarity and duty when facing this crisis. They were created by the Byward Market itself. -
2020-05-27
Boarded up Bars in the Byward Market: The Heart and Crown Murals
Many establishments in the popular shopping, dining, and bar area of the Byward Market have boarded up their front windows with plywood to reduce the chance of robbery while they remain closed due to the pandemic and restrictions of gatherings. While some remain plain, or are painted black, other establishments chose to hire muralists to liven up the natural wood with images related to vibe of each bar. The well known Heart and Crown Irish pub in the Market has some of its windows covered with murals depicting small items of significance for the pub in addition to plastered posters explaining the shut down. Text on the murals reads "28 YEARS" (a reference to the pub's time in business) "HEART + CROWN" and "BACK SOON" followed by a small black heart. -
2020-04-23
Park and Playground Closure
A photograph of a bilingual sign from the City of Ottawa zip tied to a play structure at Calzavara Family Park declaring the park closed and you are only allowed to walk through it. -
2020-03-17
Accessing Healthcare and Preparing for the Worst
The attached image is a screenshot from an Instagram story I posted on March 17, making light at the end of a few days of attempting to access medicine and joke about my growing confidence in my ability to handle the pandemic situation, even if I did end up ill. Directly following the declaration of a state of emergency in Ontario, in March, I realized I was running low on a maintenance prescription I take and had no refills left on it. To have my family doctor back home, in Ottawa, fax it to a pharmacy in the London, where I was attending the University of Western Ontario at the time, it usually costs $30 out of pocket, so I wanted to see if I could get an appointment before I tried that. I checked the student health website to see if they were restricting appointments and all seemed normal so I called. Plus, with my asthma and history of respiratory infections, I thought it would be a good idea to have a Flovent (steroid) puffer (inhaler) on hand in case I do get sick. I was on hold for 40 mins only to have the receptionist get exceptionally snarky with me and eventually tell me they were not taking regular appointments at that time. So, I called my family physician's office and they/she not only faxed the prescription I was low on but also the puffer and waved the renewal fee. The receptionist said many doctors are doing this to avoid people requesting in person appointments to have prescriptions done, as those are covered in socialized health care. Having the puffer available to me if I began having difficulty breathing is greatly reassuring both in that I would be less likely to require other medical intervention with it at my disposal, but also that I would not be taking up resources from someone who might have the disease worse or be at a higher risk than me, an otherwise health young woman. -
2020-05-08
Physically Distanced Line-up outside LCBO (Liquor Control Board of Ontario)
A line of people queue using tape lines on the sidewalk 2 meters apart in front of the LCBO location at the Ottawa Trainyards. Those retail spaces allowed to open are limited in the number of people they can hold at one time to permit physical distancing, meaning any additional shoppers must wait outside for other customers to leave. Despite some backlash liquor stores were listed as essential businesses by the province of Ontario from the beginning of the state of emergency in late March. This was in acknowledgement of that fact that there are those within Ontario society with a physical dependency on alcohol and if their access was restricted it might result in an unnecessary strain on the health care system. Not only would time and resources be used if an individual required medical assistance due to withdrawal, they might also be unnecessarily exposed to the virus while seeking treatment. Some industry services have been limited, however; the Beer Store, the only store which buys back empty bottles, is no longer doing so. This is a blow to those who collect bottles on the street or from recycling bins as an income. -
2020-05-04
Schoolyard Closure and Basketball Players Ignoring It
Attached to the permanent, metal private property sign at the edge of the yard of St. Thomas More Catholic School, is depicted a plasticized sign announcing that “Due to COVID-19 these school grounds are CLOSED except for walk through” by authority of the Ottawa Catholic School Board. In the background, across the grounds, at the basketball hoops attached to the school, three young men can be seen flouting the signs posted at several entrances in order to shoot hoops. Provincial restrictions have been relaxed since this photograph was taken, allowing for sunbathing and distant sports, such as tennis, in public spaces, however, the school grounds are private property and the signs remain. There has been an increase in activity around the basketball hoops since this announcement. -
04/28/2020
Ontario Electronic Road Signs 3
Photographs taken along the 401, through the Toronto corridor and into Eastern Ontario. Road signs usually used to indicate road closures and promote road safety are used to promote remaining inside. As this route is also that which is taken by many "snow birds" (people who winter in the south and return to Canada in the summer) as they returned by car the signs remind them they are obligated to quarantine for 14 days. Other flashed messages on these signs said as much explicitly. These photographs were taken while driving in a moving van after travelling from London in the southwest off the province to Ottawa in the East after collecting my (Hope Gresser's) belongings which had been previously been left behind when returning home from university due to threads and rumours of a full lock-down which would have stranded me there after my lease was up. -
04/28/2020
Ontario Electronic Road Signs 2
Photographs taken along the 401, through the Toronto corridor and into Eastern Ontario. Road signs usually used to indicate road closures and promote road safety are used to promote remaining inside. As this route is also that which is taken by many "snow birds" (people who winter in the south and return to Canada in the summer) as they returned by car the signs remind them they are obligated to quarantine for 14 days. Other flashed messages on these signs said as much explicitly. These photographs were taken while driving in a moving van after travelling from London in the southwest off the province to Ottawa in the East after collecting my (Hope Gresser's) belongings which had been previously been left behind when returning home from university due to threads and rumours of a full lock-down which would have stranded me there after my lease was up. -
04/28/2020
Ontario Electronic Road Signs Urging Motorists to Stay Home 1
Photographs taken along the 401, through the Toronto corridor and into Eastern Ontario. Road signs usually used to indicate road closures and promote road safety are used to promote remaining inside. As this route is also that which is taken by many "snow birds" (people who winter in the south and return to Canada in the summer) as they returned by car, the signs remind them they are obligated to quarantine for 14 days. Other flashed messages on these signs said as much explicitly. These photographs were taken while driving in a moving van after travelling from London in the southwest off the province to Ottawa in the East after collecting my (Hope Gresser's) belongings which had been previously been left behind when returning home from university due to threads and rumours of a full lock-down which would have stranded me there after my lease was up. -
03/15/2020
Different Considerations When Stocking Up
A text conversation between a group who play Dungeons and Dragons together, in mid March 2020, discussing a rumour that the province of Ontario was going to go into full lockdown, preventing local travel and shopping, perhaps even for groceries. The lockdown did not occur, but this interaction serves to illustrate the differing priorities people had when preparing themselves for an extended stay in their own homes, in a somewhat silly and joking manner. The first friend ended up buying a “flat” (low cardboard box used for staking) of Diet Coke, as he drinks it daily and did not want to be without it. The second was concerned with becoming bored and wanted to ensure she had enough activities (crafts) to keep her busy, as well as enough orange juice to take her with which to take medication as instructed. Additionally, as part of the fear of infection simply by being in public, she feared having to go to the store to fulfill those needs. The third friend was also concerned with having a supply of her favourite drink and with products to ensure safe sex in the long term. In the initial phases of the pandemic, when protocols for interaction were still being developed, rumours abounded but additionally, priorities varied greatly due to values but also due to perspective on how long restrictions would last and how much the pandemic would affect us. -
2020-04-23
Yard Sign and Nova Scotia Flag in Condolence for Mass Shooting
While in many respects the world has come to a halt in the midst of the pandemic, there are some events of significance which are only tangentially related to the virus. On April 18th and 19th, 2020, the worst mass shooting in Canadian history was committed across several locations in the province of Nova Scotia. As all provinces remained in some degree of lockdown or a state of emergency, the normal mass gatherings, protests, and expressions of grief which would normal follow such a tragedy were impossible. Indeed, the victims could not even have the funerals well attended by the community and media which would previously have occurred. Instead, the outpouring of national grief was largely restricted to digital communication and small physical memorials. Local schools and government buildings lowered their flags to half mast for a week. Several houses in my neighbourhood put printed-out Nova Scotia flags in their windows as an acknowledge. This larger flag was attached to an existing poster-board and wood sign urging others to “Be Kind” and “Stay Safe” took on a whole new meaning. No longer was it just espousing patience and understanding in a time where blame is leveled against individuals and groups, and to stay healthy. Now it promotes the added message of peace (kindness) following violence, and safety when that is not true. The communal grieving process which would follow violence on the scale of that which occurred in Nova Scotia still occurred, but it looked very different. -
2020-05-08
"Wash Yer Mitts, Lads" Sign
This photograph was taken while driving through the intersection of Carp Rd. and March Rd. in the National Capital Region. It shows a roadside advertising board, in front of the town sign for the village of Carp, which reads "Wash Yer Mitts Lads" referring to the medical advise to wash your hands often to prevent the spread of the covid-19 virus. While other signs exist with similar sentiments, this sign is unique in that it is not visually associated with a business or public entity. Its lack of context gives the impression that it is a message from the community to its members rather than an advertisement or a public health announcement. What is more, the phrasing and spelling of the word "yer" emulates the slang and accent of the Ottawa Valley, further connecting it to the community in which it is situated and making it more lighthearted. While still a warning or admonishment to prevent the spread of the disease, this sign also pokes fun at the current situation in a very local manner.