Items
Contributor is exactly
Hope Gresser
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2020-03-18
Stay Home: Home is Where the Pups are Anyways Comic
A single panel comic (along with a second identical panel with spanish text which can be found in the accompanying link) promoting staying home early in the outbreak using the internet obsession with pets as motivation. Those with pets have found they have a lot more time to spend with their cats and dogs while working from home or otherwise restricted to their houses. In the case of this specific comic, it is part of an ongoing series about the artist, Gemma, her husband Peli, and their three dogs, Mochi, and the "twinchis" Huey and Duey. The comics focus mainly around Gemma's relationship with Mochi. As such, the comic also shows how the pandemic has made its way into everyday life and ongoing business and artistic pursuits, creating a wealth of new experiences around which artists may base their work. https://www.instagram.com/p/B9rVO77lV7M/?igshid=xk89mgy0mkr2*Gemma Gené, @157ofgemma on instagram*screenshot/ instagram post/ comic -
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. -
05/14/2020
Conflict between Business and Social Distancing: Mayor's intervention blocks plan to open Bank Street to pedestrians
News article relaying that, after initial local support, city council and the mayor vetoed a plan to close some lanes of Bank Street, a major road, to traffic, to allow those walking on the sidewalk, especially when crossing the Bank Street Bridge over the Rideau Canal. would be able to maintain a 2 meter distance from one another. Local businesses were concerned with the reduction in traffic and roadside parking spaces this would cause, further reducing their business in an already difficult time. Joanne Chianello, CBC News Ottawa -
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. -
2020-05-19
City seeking donations of non-medical masks for vulnerable residents
Public appeal published on the City of Ottawa website requesting non-medical grade masks which it intends to distribute to residents at risk. The appeal specifies the type of mask and materials to be used in their construction as well as a contact to arrange their donation. -
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. -
05/20/2020
Ineffective Face Mask Bingo
Following the popular meme/comic format of bingo cards, this comic illustrates the numerous ineffective/wrong ways people are wearing face masks in public. The original caption on instagram reads "For all my retail worker friends, what we see on a daily basis... I long for the day I dont hit a blackout card before lunch. Wear it right or stay home x.x" It demonstrates the lack of information or care taken by members of the public even when they do wear face covers. It also demonstrates the frustration and fear felt by workers forced to interact with these individuals and feel they are put at risk as a result. *Christine Ridgway, @skidarstudios on instagram *comic/instagram post -
2020-05-14
Mohawk hunter supplies Mother's Day meal of traditional goose meat to Cree patients in Montreal
Mohawk hunters from the community of Kahnawake take up the traditional Cree goose hunting season to provide a taste of home for Covid patients and other Cree individuals unable to leave Montreal due to the outbreak -
05/18/2020
Victoria Day during Covid19: Tweet by Ottawa Public Health
The image is a tweet from Ottawa Public Health promoting maintaining a safe distance and observing safety measures during the Victoria Day holiday which usually features outdoor activities. Additionally, it shows the responses to this message by some members of the public, expressing their frustration with others for not following guidelines *screenshot, tweet -
04/09/2020
Refugee advocates beseech bylaw to 'warn and inform' after man handed $880 fine
Article from CBC News Ottawa relaying an incident in which a young man allowed his siblings to play in a playground not knowing it was out of bounds and received a fine as a result. The article goes on to discuss how misinformation communicated to refugees, and language barriers make them more likely to break covid19 restrictions and be issued fines when they have no malicious intent or are simply ill informed. *Hillary Johnstone, CBC News Ottawa -
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.