Items

• 
  2023-03-15

  Kit Heintzman Oral History, 2023/03/15

  Kit Heintzman is a recovering academic currently residing in Lenapehoking, who was trained in the medical humanities with a special interest in queer theory, animals, and the history of nationalism. Kit has developed a singular collection of oral histories of the pandemic for A Journal of the Plague Year, collected from a range of individuals with widely diverse experiences. That collection addresses significant silences surrounding the pandemic broadly and within JOTPY more narrowly. In this item Kit is interviewed by Angelica and Erin, both with Arizona State University, about Kits collection process.
• 
  2022-09-21

  ArriveCan application and Canada's COVID-19 vaccine border requirements

  This news article reports Canada's plan to drop its COVID-19 vaccine border requirements, make the ArriveCan application optional, and possibly end COVID-19 testing for travelers by the end of September 2022. This news shows how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted travel and border relations between countries (Canada and US).
• 
  2022-07-06

  Canada extends COVID border restrictions to Sept. 30

  This is a news story from Freight Waves by Noi Mahoney. Canada's vaccine mandate for border-crossing truck drivers will remain in place until September 30. Americans crossing the Canadian border must be fully vaccinated and are subject to random testing. About 30,000 trucks cross the Canadian border each day.
• 
  2022-05-04

  Erika Groudle Oral History, 2022/05/04

  Erika Groudle is a resident of Monroe, Washington. She lives in a tiny house with her partner on her mother’s property. In this oral history interview Erika discusses working with kids during the pandemic and her opinion on how they handle mask wearing. Additionally, Erika discusses her “pandemic garden,” caring for her grandfather, staying connected to friends and family during the pandemic, how she first realized the pandemic was close to home, and the realities of living in a state that not only had the first case and death of COVID-19 in the United States of America, but also highly publicized protests in Seattle. Interviewer: Jason Inskeep Interviewee: Erika Groudle
• 
  2022-05-04

  Jason Inskeep Oral History, 2022/05/04

  Jason Inskeep lives in Chandler, Arizona with his wife and daughter. In this oral history Jason discusses the way that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected his work and personal life, as well as the way that it impacted his wife’s career and his daughter schooling. He reflects on the polarization of the United States of Americas politics through the lens of Covid-19 with the impacts of mask wearing and vaccinations. As well as his feelings of worry and the USA’s 24/7 media cycle.
• 
  2021-12

  The “Vaccine Passport” Agenda

  This is information on vaccine passports by Swiss Policy Research. The overall message is that there is a correlation between totalitarianism and panic over the virus. This panic, in turn, has translated into governments around the world bringing up the possibility of vaccine passports. The vaccine passports may be used for more than vaccines, as they would be a way for the government to identify movement of individuals easier. The groups uses a number of ways to sway the audience, using information on what different organizations have funded, in addition to bringing up what other governments have said about the vaccine passports. Vaccine passports, according to this publication, really got traction from the digital identity lobby group ID2020 in February 2021, which has funding from both the Gates Foundation and the Rockefeller Foundation. The research foundation cites pushback against the vaccine passports too. Places like Ontario, Canada have had to take away the vaccine mandate for healthcare workers, as they would potentially lose many workers in the process. In Spain, they have been called "ineffective and unconstitutional." The publication ends by calling the pandemic a "plandemic," saying that it was likely lab-created for the purpose of controlling the populations more. I think given the information available, this is persuasive. There are links to where the claims come from, such as what Bill Gates says himself, as well as information on the Good Health Pass, which is a collaboration between many different organizations and their implementation of vaccine passports. In my own opinion, I find vaccine passports unconstitutional and an invasion of privacy. A vaccine passport makes it so you are forced to disclose personal health information to strangers in order to do things like grocery shopping, which I consider to be a potential HIPAA violation. It is also breech of the Fourth Amendment in the Constitution. If people feel inclined to get vaccinated, they should, but forcing people to do so through vaccine passports creates more overall distrust in the government. I have known people that would have otherwise have gotten the vaccine if it wasn't so forced. Even though vaccine passports were never mandated where I live, there have been people that have lost their livelihoods over not wanting to get vaccinated. I myself was very hesitant to get the vaccine for a while due to the way the government was handling it. Trying to implement vaccine passports and mandates has made it so society becomes more segregated, where unvaccinated would be forced to shop at different places, work at different places, and many other things. I am glad that the overall effort to actually do this has failed, but that is only because of many groups of people throughout the United States exercising their rights. I am pro-choice too, and I extend that reasoning to vaccine passports. People need bodily autonomy and vaccine mandates remove some of that.
• 
  2022-04-07

  Corrupt Vaccines

  This is an Instagram post by dswlaura1. This post shows a TikTok video, with hashtags as a description. The tags refer to things like the Ottawa Freedom Convoy, which has been a massive ongoing protest against vaccine mandates in Canada. Other tags include references to "The Great Reset", which is a conspiracy theory that the pandemic was created in order to make people more subservient to elites in power, while losing both their money and freedoms in the process. "Agenda 2030" is another conspiracy theory where it was established that 2030 will be the official "end" to the virus, along with other things.
• 
  2022-04-06

  Please Wear Your Mask

  This is an Instagram post by cathyk88. This user is posting on behalf of everyone that has followed the rules regarding masking these past two years. This user says that while new cases are not being reported by the media, this user is still keeping up with them. They say at the end that it is a personal choice of whether to wear a mask or not, there are a lot of people that cannot afford to get sick. At the end, they conclude that COVID is making a comeback and that people should mask up more.
• 
  2022-03-30

  Trudeau warns of 'difficult time,' food shortages due to Covid-19

  This is a news story from the Business Standard. This is about the after effects of COVID on the Canadian population. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau warns that it will be a difficult time with food shortages due to COVID. Some of the blame for the food shortages is also placed on Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Similar tactics of blaming President Vladimir Putin for the rising prices of goods has also been used by President Joe Biden. The global disruption of supply chains results in higher prices of necessities. Earlier in March, the Canadian government announced that the economy fell short of its anticipated growth for that month. In February, inflation in Canada rose by 5.7%, the highest increase since August 1991.
• 
  05/26/2020

  Judy Cherniak Oral History, 2020/05/26

  Judy Cherniak discusses how the COVID pandemic changed life for her during the opening months of the pandemic in Toronto, Canada in 2020. She touches on family life, her job loss, the local economy, news media, fake news, isolation, mental health, homelessness, and how she filled her time at home in isolation.
• 
  05/27/2020

  Celia White Oral History, 2020/05/27

  Celia White is a law student at a university in Toronto, B.C. She recounts how her life has been affected by COVID-19 and her thoughts on of how the world as reacted to it. Additionally, she talks how COVID-19 has affect her family, where she gets her news, and what conspiracy theories she’s seen floating around.
• 
  2021-09-20

  Town of Cochrane commits to Truth and Reconciliation, declares Sept. 30 a stat holiday

  This is a newspaper from Cochrane Today, a subsidiary of the Cochrane Eagle on the adoption of the National day of Truth and Reconciliation in the town of Cochrane. The document talks about how other municipalities and even the provincial government have chosen not to participate in the first day of this incredibly important national holiday.
• 
  2021-09-26

  ‘See us, hear us’: Residential school survivor on how to mark Sept. 30 holiday

  This is a news article documenting Geraldine Shingoose’s comments on how the new national holiday of Truth and Reconciliation must be observed; the article contains a video and conversations regarding how to teach children about Residential Schools in classrooms.
• 
  2021-10-08

  Rules for you, suggestions for me

  A meme referencing either how members of the UCP of Alberta going on vacation during the worst months of the pandemic, or our Premier's vacation during the onslaught of the 4th wave. I guess it's even funnier based on the fact that this can represent multiple instances.
• 
  2021-09-24

  Best Summer Ever

  This is a news article detailing the result of Alberta’s “Best Summer Ever” which saw almost all pandemic restrictions relaxed with only the begrudging exception of a required quarantine if you were to test positive – yes they seriously tried to get rid of that. ‘They’ being the UCP (United Conservative Party) of Alberta, which has exacerbated the pandemic through prioritizing corporate needs by pushing to continually open the economy at the expense of public health. Ontop of this, the continual gutting of our healthcare system, as a means to ‘legitimize’ the need for a private healthcare system coincided with this, and had devastating results on the lives of Albertans. Jason Kenny, the premier, went to our ‘greatest outdoor show on earth’ the Stampede; and flipped pancakes for all attendees with a smile. They sold ‘Best Summer Ever’ hats, while slowly our hospitals were filling up. As I am writing this, there is a humanitarian mission currently in my province, the army has been deployed to assist, and we are flying people to Ontario for medical treatment because our hospitals are at capacity. The cannibalistic nature of this party and overall of Capitalism has resulted in immense suffering for my province, people are dying in waiting rooms. The last portion which I wrote there really bothers me, I can’t comprehend that experience, you’re in somewhere where they can take care of you, or help you in anyway – but there’s nowhere to lay down, dying in a liminal space. I have Conservative, and Liberal friends who have stated that “it isn’t that bad” or that it’s “just the unvaccinated,” (yes this is a real comment a Conservative ‘friend’ told me in response to my anger with the situation) I cannot comprehend what they mean by either of these, the situation is clearly unacceptable. People have been willfully sacrificed so corporate executives can make their regular paycheques, why is that not infuriating people, why is it just this fixation on ‘getting back to normal.’ Normal is killing people, and having strong men like Jason Kenny smile and flip pancakes only adds onto the absurdity of the situation, I can’t help but be reduced to a boiling rage whenever I read anything relating to our province and the pandemic, I don’t want to live here anymore if this insanity is perceived as somehow normal, or at the most extreme, ‘tolerated’.
• 
  2021-10-06

  Sharing Experience, Cochrane Times, October 6th 2021.

  2.) This is another photo within the Cochrane Times dedicated to documenting Canada’s first Orange Shirt Day; this was an article from the October 6th paper. The text underneath the photo reads: “Sharing Experience, Residential school survivor Jenny Clark shares her story with those gathered near the McDougall Stoney Memorial Church ahead of a ceremonial walk to Morley on the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation, September 30.
• 
  2021-10-06

  Cochrane Times October 6th, 2021 (1)

  1.) This is the FrontPage paper for the Cochrane Times newspaper on October 6th, 2021. The front page’s photo content is as follows: “Members of the Stoney Nakoda First Nations and guests on the land make their way down Highway 1A from the McDougall church to Morley in a somber ceremonial walk on National Day for Truth and Reconciliation/Orange Shirt Day, September 30”
• 
  2021-10-07

  NBA and Quarantine

  this is a social media post that describes how NBA players that are unvaccinated cannot travel outside of their hotel when playing in Toronto Canada unless it is related to team activities. If they break quarantine they face criminal charges.
• 
  2021-09-27

  Garima Sehgal Oral History, 2021/09/27

  Two Northeastern students discuss how the pandemic affected their lives, including the impacts of the pandemic on their communities
• 
  2021-05-06

  Lian McMillan Oral History, 2021/05/06

  Self Description: “I’m a 21-year-old musician. I just recently graduated from U[niversity] of T[oronto] a week ago, and I graduated with a classical percussion degree. I play for a band called cutsleeve. We’re a group of east Asian, queer sound musicians. I’m a mixed race woman, my father is white, and my mother is Chinese. I’ve lived in Canada, the [United] States, and I lived in Shanghai for a few years. I’m a dog owner.”
• 
  2020-10-26

  Ontario dog first in Canada to test positive for COVID-19, but researcher says there are likely more

  An Ontario dog living with four human COVID-19 patients is the first dog in Canada to test positive for the virus. But researchers say the discovery doesn't mean pet owners need to worry. The animal is from the Niagara Region and lived in a home where four out of six people had the virus, according to Dr. Scott Weese, chief of infection control at the University of Guelph's Ontario Veterinary College. "At last check, both dogs were fine, everyone in household sounds like they're doing well," he said. Weese described COVID-19 as a "human virus." There is some risk of animal-to-human transmission when it comes to mink, and experiments have shown infected cats can pass the virus to other cats, but that has not been shown in dogs, he said. "If your dogs has COVID or is infected with this virus, it got it from you or someone else in the household."
• 
  2020-10-07

  Pandemic gardening: More than half of Canadians were growing their own food at home this year, study shows

  Gardening and growing one's own food became more widespread during the pandemic, led by worries about food shortages and prices along with the desire to engage in new hobbies during the pandemic. This article discusses a study done by Dalhousie University regarding Canadians' growing their own food during the pandemic and compares the current gardening trend with the victory gardens prevalent during World War II.
• 
  2021-03-10

  #KeepOurLanguagesStrong: Indigenous Language Revitalization on Social Media during the Early COVID-19 Pandemic

  This is a paper by Kari A. B. Chew at the University of Oklahoma that reviews language revitalization efforts during the early part of the COVID-19 pandemic. The paper focuses on revitalization efforts among Indigenous groups in the United States and Canada.
• 
  2021-05-28

  Yukon Social distancing graphic

  Found in entrance of remote camp on the Yukon river in Alaska.
• 
  2020-09-30

  "Staying Strong During COVID-19" New Acquisitions Exhibit

  This exhibit was installed by the Medical Artifact Collection at Western University. It features several COVID-19 related artifacts that were recently donated to the collection in 2020. The exhibit was curated and installed by the collection's research assistant Kat Bezaire.
• 
  2021-03-03

  Bodies Needed

  This is an image of a protest blockade in support of a jailed Indigenous elder, who was arrested for protesting at the Trans Mountain pipeline construction sites in Burnaby, BC. The elder, Stacy Gallagher was arrested while preforming a smudging ceremony. This blockade was organized by the Braided Warriors, calls on their social media platforms brought more bodies to help maintain the barracade against the agents of the Canadian state and the Crown. The post's description stated, "BODIES NEEDED AT CLARK AND HASTINGS: 6:22AM, MARCH 3RD. Bodies needed ASAP to protect our Indigenous youth, elders, mothers, and children. We saw what happens when youth put a call out for support and nobody showed up - Indigenous youth, mothers, and elders were violently attacked - left with concussions and lasting injuries we are still recovering from. Numbers are low and early morning is typically when police move in. People have been holding it down here all night, and need bodies down here immediately. When our numbers dwindle, we are in danger. The Crown will not hesitate to criminalize Indigenous peoples. Your inaction is complacency, and complacency is violence. Put your body on the line. PROTECT OUR INDIGENOUS CHILDREN, YOUTH, MOTHERS, AND ELDERS. PROTECT THE SACRED FIRE." The comments of this post have messages of solidarity, people organizing for food and water, and those stating they would be arriving on the scene to help.
• 
  2021-04-12

  Solidarity with Tiny House Warriors

  An image of land defenders and their blockade on Secwepemc territory. These land defenders are calling for a cessation of the construction on the Trans Mountain Pipeline, which runs through unceded Secwepemculecw and Wet'suwet'en territories. While these piplines represent a threat to the ecology of the region, the construction represents the continuation of Canada's colonial reality into the years of pandemic. Furthermore, the construction of this pipeline has resulted in the creation of several work camps for transient labourers which have been called 'man camps.' These camps have been identified as a threat to indigenous communities, with particular threat of violence against First Nations women in the areas surrounding these camps, they have also been linked to the perpetuation of one of Canada's greatest crimes, MMIW (Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women). As identified by the supplementary report on the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women in 2019, the perpetuation of this crisis and the lack of action on behalf of the Canadian state is a genocide, according to the U.N.'s definition of genocide. In truth, it is continuation of the genocidal campaigns against First Nations peoples across North America, the pursuit and extraction of capital by exploiting the land and the peoples who walked upon it first. These Tiny House Warriors in the comments call for land back, and a general campaign to shut down Canada. As of now, construction on the TMX continues unabated, the government of Canada shows no sign of upholding the call to Truth and Reconciliation.
• 
  2021-04-24

  Racist attack in Edmonton

  On April 16th 2020, a 14 year old 8th grade student named Pazo was brutally attacked by seven white students. This attack was entirely racially motivated, they screamed slurs at him, beat him mercilessly, taunted him. They dragged him, choked him, and recorded their actions which they posted on social media. They attacked Pazo because of the colour of his skin, Pazo has stated after the attack that this assault has "made me afraid to wear my own skin." This is more than unacceptable, this is disgusting. As the post stated, these 'kids' gave Pazo a concussion, memory loss and a blood clot in his chest; he could of easily have been killed. What's worse, is there was no action taken by the school, which called this brutal hate crime a "altercation" by the school board. Ontop of this, the post states that the Edmonton Police also refused to investigate this assault, turning away the boy's family twice. This assault would of likely been swept under the rug if it were not for the pushback of the community, and the outrage generated by the presence of the video online. With the growing pressure from the public, the Edmonton police service are being demanded to investigate this assault, which again is only made possible through the pressure of the people. Furthermore, the lack of action and attempts to nullify the significance of this assault by the principal and the school board has resulted in students and teachers pushing for the forced resignation of those accountable, such as the principal and superintendent. Other social media platforms have stated that this is not the first time the principal of the school has played down similar incidents; which has left students feeling vulnerable. This cannot continue, these students must be held accountable - Albertans need to understand that white supremacism is a very real problem, and it is not going anywhere by ignoring it. As we have seen throughout the pandemic, events such as this are a rarity - we only know of the severity of the attack and the response of our education institutions because this attack was recorded and circulated online.
• 
  2021-04-25

  Padraic Cohen Internship Portfolio

  This is my portfolio for my internship experience with the JOTPY, thank you so much for this; I really enjoyed working with each and every one of you - thank you for everything.
• 
  2021-04-01

  #JOTPYFuture from Jake Breadman Tangerine

  Hybridized in-person/virtual graduate programs so I can go to any university in the world while living in Canada to save money. #JOTPYFuture
• 
  2021-04-01

  #JOTPYFuture from MacKenzie Brash

  I am really hoping that at least my older relatives are vaccinated by summer (though I have little hope for myself). I'd love to be able to travel outside Canada by Christmas. #JOTPYFuture
• 
  2021-04-12

  Vancouver Island's Food Service Industry

  In this podcast, Philip Wolf discusses how COVID-19 has impacted the food service industry with restaurant owners Oura and Kymon Giakoumakis. Their restaurant resides at a golf course, so during the winter they saw a drop in patronage and are hoping to start patio service soon so business can pick up again. They did adapt to take-out service and a "parking lot patio" in order to provide service in safe ways, but they still struggled with the requirements and monetary challenges that the pandemic has caused. In this podcast they also discuss other local restaurants, layoffs, and closures, giving a clear view of how Vancouver Island, and specifically the district of Saanich, has adapted during this time.
• 
  2020-07

  The Calgary Stampede challenge coin, 2020

  This is a small story from my dad, a CBSA officer in Calgary Alberta. He collects and commissions challenge coins for his workplace, which has quickly become his main hobby over the pandemic, trading these coins with officers across Canada and America. The PDF document is his own description of what this coin is, what it represents and why it is so important to understanding how the COVID-19 pandemic impacted the city of Calgary, cancelling for the first time in it's history, the 'greatest outdoor show on Earth,' the Calgary Stampede. This event is intrinsic to Calgary's identity, a show which celebrates the ranching and agricultural roots of this city and ultimately this province. The Calgary stampede boasts chuckwagon races, agricultural expos, overpriced yet famous mini-doughnuts and provincial art exhibits and much, much more - it's one of the few times a year where it's socially acceptable to dress up like a cowboy or cowgirl.
• 
  2021-04-17

  RIP Dr. Wayne John Edwards

  This is a screenshot from the Black Alberta Instagram page about the passing of Dr. Wayne John Edwards to COVID-19, as the description stated: "Dr. Wayne John Edwards is the seventh Albertan health-care worker - and the second doctor to die from COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic, according to Alberta Health. Edwards died at the Chinook Regional Hospital in Lethbridge on Tuesday at the age of 66. #BlackAlberta #YEG #YYC #edmonton #calgary #alberta #albertacanada #calgaryalberta #edmontonalberta #albertacanada🇨🇦" According to the comments of the post, Dr. Edwards was a respected and beloved family psychiatrist, the comments were full of love and respect for Dr. Edwards, he will surely be missed.
• 
  2020-04-13

  My first mask

  This is a photo of the first mask I bought/used when the pandemic began. I bought this mask a few months into the pandemic however, as I didn't feel comfortable leaving my house in the early days, I think I bought this around April 2020 if I'm not mistaken. I remember I was at Wal-Mart as my dad told me that they were selling masks there, at the time there was a shortage of masks and people were panic buying. I remember stores were packed, and people were almost exclusively buying toilet paper - I seriously think that's probably the weirdest part of the pandemic, people were also scalping toilet paper on Facebook marketplace, it was like a secondary currency (Not really but it was a precious resource apparently). They were selling masks at the register, in plastic bags for $1.49 I think; in all honesty I think I would of been better off not buying the mask but the atmosphere of panic kind of made me feel like an idiot for not having a mask. When I opened it up in my car I realized it was literally just a cut up black T-shirt; it was transparent, it didn't wrap around your face, it just hung there. Me being an idiot, I used it for a good solid month, it's a miracle I didn't catch COVID-19. I can't believe that they would sell that to people in Wal-Mart, I mean I think I was one of the only people who bought one so I can't be too upset; but still, people were desperate for any semblance of protection, and such a mega-corp like Wal-Mart felt fine profiting off of those anxieties. I'm not trying to insinuate that they should care, because they didn't get rich by being ethical.
• 
  2021-04-10

  Gargle Test Provided to Vancouver Schools, Easy & Accessible Testing at Home

  In order to relieve some stress for COVID-19 testing, the BC Children's hospital in Vancouver, Canada is supplying 1,200 testing kits to 1,000 schools. It's supposed to be replenished as needed. However, the main purpose is to make testing more accessible (without medical facility visitations). Those who show symptoms, or simply get a runny nose, may be sent home.
• 
  2021-03-31

  Trans Day of Visibility, Alberta

  This is a post from a popular Instagram page, mrfactsalberta on Trans Day of Visibility on March 31st, 2021. This message of solidarity and love towards Trans Albertans, stating that together we have the potential to challenge the discrimination in our province, which is known as one of the most socially conservative provinces in Canada which has a dark history of oppression and discrimination towards members of the LGBTQ+ community. The description of the post reads, “We all know the truth. This province is notorious for keeping Trans People on the fringes of society. But it’s important that we work to make it better and easier to live here because nobody should feel like an outsider in their own province.” Albertans must be able to call out discrimination towards Transgender people on a daily basis, this day alone represents the urgent need for Alberta to work together to defend Albertans against bigotry and discrimination, to protect Trans people and Trans rights for now and forever. The call to work however is more than just a call to visibility; it is a call for liberation.
• 
  2021-04-07

  Covid-19 Alberta Data

  This website is the official COVID-19 data tracker for the province of Alberta, this one in particular covers the increase of cases in Alberta on April the 7th, the increase in cases mirrored Ontario’s own massive outbreak of 3,000 new cases. Because of this, it is becoming more and more apparent that Alberta will be forced into another lockdown or at least a return to ‘step 1’ reopening restrictions. More and more Albertans are suffering from lockdown fatigue, and there is blatant unrest as many are becoming fed up with the constant opening and reopening, returning to step one – there has not been a decisive ‘win’ over the pandemic and many would point the government’s inaction to prove this. In regards to my small town of Cochrane Alberta, some businesses are stating that they will not shut-down with the return to step 1 or a renewed lockdown. Largely, they are stating that a lockdown would further gut small businesses which have suffered immensely from these restrictions – stating that smaller businesses have been largely left out to dry without provincial aid, while larger corporations continue to operate. Many of these larger businesses have operated throughout the pandemic while smaller businesses have been forced to shut their doors. On top of this, the same penalties apply to these larger stores, there have been large congested crowds lining up outside of such stores such as Ikea, or Wal-Mart; a condition which would result in a deathly fine if it were given to smaller businesses; but for these international corporations, these fines are nothing. While I’m personally in favor of lockdowns, it is hard to ignore the leniency given to these major corporations and the harm to these smaller businesses. Fore mostly we must protect human life by preventing the spread of COVID-19, yet we must also provide sufficient financial aid to these businesses; while also adjusting penalties to actually hurt these mega-corps when they break pandemic restrictions. However under a government which prides itself on austerity and corporate tax cuts, this will not happen. The attached image is the spike in cases on the 7th.
• 
  2020-07-19

  Queen Charlotte Lodge Shows Complete Disregard to Haida Indigenous Peoples

  QQueen Charlotte Lodge boats are filmed by Haida People racing through their waters and endangering traditional Haida fishing practices. When confronted by a Haida man, a QCL fishing boat captain informs them that these Indigenous People do not hold sovereignty over Haida Gwaii and further, accuses them of not managing their island properly. This is quite the irony considering the Haida have lived on this island for at least 6,000 years.
• 
  2020-07-17

  Haida Woman Tells Queen Charlotte Lodge They Do Not Have Consent to Continue Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic

  Haida woman Leeann Brown, reminds Queen Charlotte Lodge that they are not welcome on Haida Gwaii island during the pandemic. Many of the lodge’s boats are venturing too close to Haida fishing nets and traps which threatens their food supply. With such disregard to health of the Indigenous on the island, Brown explains how the Haida show their disagreement with lodge operations and reminds them that this land is sovereign to Haida Gwaii.
• 
  2021-04-03

  Big business, bigger crowds.

  This is a tweet from Toronto Ontario which depicts an absolutely massive group of people crowding outside of an Ikea in North York. Just this week, Ontario has seen a massive spike in coronavirus cases, which has prompted the province into another shock lockdown. However, it is apparent that these restrictions are somehow not applicable to big business. Rather, this Tweet touches upon another important feature of the pandemic and the Canadian ‘lockdown.’ Smaller businesses have been forced to pay out of pocket for the adequate infrastructure to remain open during a pandemic, and in many cases have been forced to shut down when ordered to by the province. However, with each passing lockdown it becomes more apparent that these rules, restrictions, and realities do not apply to the larger corporations and super-stores such as Ikea and Wal-Mart. Larger companies can afford to take the fines, they can afford the infrastructure, PPE and much more – smaller businesses simply cannot operate in these conditions, and there has been insufficient aid to make sure that these smaller businesses, their owners and employees are properly protected. And while cases continue to rise, and smaller businesses are forced to close; it makes little sense to give a free pass to these large transnational multi-million dollar companies.
• 
  2021-03-31

  Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations rejects the Alberta K-6 curriculum

  This is a tweet of a statement sent out from the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations, rejecting the proposed Alberta K-6 curriculum which has become vastly unpopular for its blatant racist and white supremacist undertones. For example, one component of the curriculum would have students learning the slogan of the KKK; to be applied with learning “why some people would support” such a slogan. As I type this, this sounds unreal, or some kind of sick joke but I assure you this is real. Interestingly, when the initial flak was received for the nature of this curriculum, the Alberta government was quick to claim that there was First Nations oversight on the development of this document – this statement from the Confederacy of Treaty Six First Nations says otherwise. The curriculum itself has a very Anglo-centric programming, focusing on the history of Anglo-Saxons, the British Empire and the role of the Dominion of Canada in the empire. On top of this, there is little to no reference to residential schools; rather it has been removed in early grades, which goes against the call to education by the Truth and Reconciliation Committee. The Confederacy of Treaty Six Nations is writing in direct response to this, stating that a proper Alberta curriculum should be able to express the diverse nature of Alberta. It should account for the horrors of colonialism, a word which the current curriculum doesn’t mention once.
• 
  2021-04-03

  My dad’s COVID-19 vaccine story

  “As a frontline essential worker the COVID-19 journey has brought on a mix of experiences, emotions and impacts. The rollout of vaccines has been a welcome scenario as it brings some optimism to an otherwise bleak two years. If nothing else it signals a move towards turning the tide in the pandemic and enabling us to chart a course to recovery and reopening returning some sense of normalcy to our lives. Having been vaccinated certainly gives me more confidence in being able to fulfill my duties without constantly worrying about the possibility of infection from others and worrying about bringing the virus home. It by no means makes me think I don’t have to still be vigilant in employing proper personal protective measures, but does allow me to move forward.” My dad currently is working as a CBSA (Canada Border Services Agency) officer in Calgary, I recently asked him to write down his experience of being vaccinated and ultimately how he feels about the whole ordeal. I’ve chosen this article for the archive as it represents the reality of being vaccinated. That while you may no longer be susceptible to the virus, you can still carry and transmit it. Meaning while a small amount of anxiety certainly disappeared, the threat of infection, and the practices used to mitigate it did not disappear with the rollout of the vaccine in Canada.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Queen Charlotte Lodge Endangering Indigenous Peoples of Haida Gwaii

  The Haida are at risk for Covid-19 exposure by Queen Charlotte Lodge and West Coast Fishing Club, both of which reopened without Haida consent.
• 
  2020-07-10

  Haida Matriarchs Occupy Ancient Villages to Protect Against Covid-19

  Eight to 95 percent of the Haida people were wiped out by the smallpox epidemic purposely introduced to Haida Gwaii to destroy our people. We plan to survive this pandemic at all cost.
• 
  2020-05-11

  The Masked (Alphenhorn) Man

  The Alpenhorn Man statue, affectionately known as "Alpine Al", has welcomed visitors to Smithers, British Columbia since 1979. The statue sits at the intersection of Highway 16 and Main Street, the entry point to the heart of downtown Smithers. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic in March 2020, the statue has been "masked" several times by anonymous local residents, in the hope of generating a smile or two - a rare case of Covid humour?
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  2021-03-26

  Premier François Legault of Quebec has received a Covid-19 Vaccine

  He has received his first dose of the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine at the Olympic stadium in Montreal.
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  2020-05-28

  Covid-19 highlights lack of connectivity in first nations communities

  This article speak about the ‘digital divide’ in Canada; a reality in Canada where rural and First Nations communities don’t have access to the sufficient technology or infrastructure to use online platforms, or just the internet in general. This particular article tackles how the pandemic has exacerbated this divide, and has shown the need to give these communities access to high-speed internet. These communities often are left to ask private enterprises to provide these services, and these corporations which are profit oriented as all telecommunications giants often ignores these calls, as they would not see a financial return. Essentially, profits are being placed over people, which in turn breaks apart the social solidarity of these communities and complicates communication between First Nations communities and the Canadian state, as well as community organization at large. However, this article states that the government will be actively attempting to incentivize these private corporations to build telecommunications infrastructure as a means to abide by the UN’s declaration of Rights of Indigenous Peoples. While progress is being made, this article nevertheless identifies the material and logistical disparities between First Nations communities throughout the nation; which have been highlighted by the pandemic.
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  2021-03-27

  No Coal Mines on Niitsitapi Land

  This is a YouTube video of a speech given in Calgary Alberta on March 27th, 2021 during a protest against the UCP’s (United Conservative Party) attempt to create coal mines on Niitsitapi land, threatening Indigenous sovereignty and ecological stability. The description is as follows, “A protest rally was held March 27th, 2021, to show support and solidarity with the water protectors who defend Treaty Territories. Titled, No Coal Mines on Niitsitapi Land. It is all our responsibility, Settlers and Indigenous to defend what the nature gives to us. Water creates and sustains life.” This speech in particular resonated with me as it spoke about the reality of living on this land, that we are a treaty person – both First Nations and settlers. We must work together to uphold the treaty (in this particular situation it would be treaty 7), to protect the water and land which came before us and sustained us throughout history. The pandemic has shown that there is a fundamental need for social and environmental change to allow future generations to have access to the water, a basic human right. We live on this land together, we will fight for this land together and we will build a new future together.
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  2021-03-22

  Alberta and Bigfoot

  This article tackles a plethora of issues facing Albertans today, one of the most prominent being a lackluster b-tier animated series on Netflix which seriously threatens our economic and social stability. Jokes aside, I’ve chosen to add this document to the archive as it truly does represent the embarrassing state of affairs that Alberta finds itself in today; as a result of this conservative government’s primacy of privatization and a tax-payer fed propaganda machine which has mythologized the idea of conservative fiscal responsibility. Furthermore, this document sheds light on the attempt to revitalize an oil extraction method from the 1950s which involves detonating a nuclear device underground as a means to boil bitumen. Needless to say, these campaigns to ‘protect’ Albertan economic interests through propaganda have done the absolute opposite, furthermore this draws attention to the very real threat the UCP poses to the environmental stability of Alberta. More so, this news article touches upon the monopolization of both the oil and gas industry and telecommunications networks underneath the UCP regime, resulting in job losses and the flight of several companies from the province – companies which have undoubtedly received tax breaks and corporate donations of tax payer dollars from Kenny’s government. Another point, I feel like this is a very poignant topic currently within the political sphere of not just Alberta, but on a more general sense. Essentially, ‘culture’ wars are given primacy over real tangible material crises. Issues such as housing, food insecurity, job security all which was fundamentally ignored during the pandemic, and subsequently the apparent quest to preserve a failing single resource based economy is to blame. These pursuits which result in effectively no change to the material conditions of Albertans are somehow entertained by the media and popular culture at large. It is this document which highlights the ways in which culture wars largely serve to preserve the legitimacy of the current state of economic affairs, effectively creating a scapegoat to real tangible systemic change which is more than overdue. That is precisely where I see the value in uploading this document to the archive, in that it highlights the absolute ignorance of our current crises within this province. Politicians are more willing to discuss a cartoon Bigfoot rather than the material conditions of the citizens they are meant to represent, and furthermore are ignorant to their survival in the midst of a pandemic.