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.

This racist meme, posted on the Facebook page "French Canadian Memes," highlights the prejudice displayed by many Canadians at the beginning of the pandemic

Manitoba government banned the sale of non-essential items in large superstores in conjunction with further restrictions on large gatherings

A meme depicting Alberta Health Minister Tyler Shandro thinking of the amount of money he can make from kicking people off health care and signing them up for Vital Partners

A socially distanced classroom at Caulfield Elementary School in British Columbia, where in-person classes are allowed to take place in a modified fashion

Local advocates lobby for vaccine priority be given to those with high risk developmental disorders, such as Down Syndrome

Sign outside a Chilliwack business stating that masks must be work upon entry

Sophie Gregoire Trudeau announced via social media that she was given the all clear to cease her self isolation following her COVID-19 diagnosis

Artistic representation of a COVID-19 proof of immunization QR code on phones, meant to allow for greater freedom of movement as more vaccines are distributed

This picture, posted by Twitter user "Canadian Dollaz," shows Conservative Party leader Andrew Scheer and Manitoba premier Brian Pallister sitting maskless in Pearson Airport on 7 July 2020.

Photograph of a sign on a fence to convey positive message in spite of COVID-19.

In this tweet, Quebec Premier François Legault stated that dire measures were necessary to stop the spread of COVID-19.

Canadian Members of Parliament practicing physical distancing while the House of Commons is in session.

In his first address of the New Year on Wednesday, Quebec Premier François Legault announced a tightening of lockdown measures aimed at bringing the second wave of the novel coronavirus in the province under control.

With coronavirus vaccinations now underway in Quebec, the province’s health minister is floating the idea of a so-called “COVID-19 passport” — digital proof that people have gotten the jab in order to access venues or activities.

Research suggests people with Down syndrome are more vulnerable to the coronavirus.

A mural painted in Vancouver, British Columbia, that was meant to maintain a sense of morale during the early months of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This hopeful message from Canada's Finance Minister, Chrystia Freeland, says that Canadians have a plan to get through the winter, and then will move on to economic recovery.

This is a collection of photographs for the anniversary of the first COVID-19 case in Canada. The photographs depict the changes the country underwent in the last 12 months.

A photo showing a carton of Timbits: donut holes sold by Tim Hortons, a popular Canadian fast food chain. Beside it is another photo of a sticker telling Tim Hortons patrons to stay 46 Timbits apart.

Funeral home in Newfoundland was linked to a superspreader event

A group gathers to protest against social isolation rules of the COVID-19 pandemic in Edmonton, Alberta.

Image from Macleans Magazine of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau addressing the nation at the beginning of the pandemic.

This is a collage of the various BLM protests across Canada from the summer of 2020. The images are (top row, left to right): Toronto, Chatham, Vancouver, Calgary and (bottom row, left to right): Montreal, Ottawa, Halifax

Video created by the Government of Canada urging the public to wear a mask so "one day we can go back to" travelling, getting together with friends and family, and eating at restaurants.

Image from an article in the McGill Reporter titled "COVID-19 pandemic uniting Canadians like no other event in decades".

Logo created for the COVID-19 Canada exhibit from students at the University of Western Ontario.

This is a map of Canada that shows the regions of the country.

This is a map of Canada that details the provinces and territories.

A pub in downtown London Ontario, Canada has been making its opinion of the pandemic restrictions heard through their ever changing sign out front.

Evaluating the financial impact of the pandemic on the country, House representatives are asking the government to remember and acknowledge those working on the frontlines and their families. The Bloc Québécois demands the government "significantly and sustainably increase Canada health transfers before the end of 2020."

Due to inadequate medical supplies, lack of vaccines, and inability to slow down the spread of the virus, the pandemic rages on. To make matters worse, over half of Canadian workers lack sufficient sick leaves, which contribute to more outbreaks and the dangers of contracting COVID-19.

Canadian Shield is a company that makes face shields. They released this video showing the process.

A photograph of the soiled PPE at St Paul's Hospital in Vancouver.

Université du Québec à Montréal donated PPE to hospitals at the beginning of the pandemic.

What started with one positive wedding guest, led to 50 infected guests, 10 infected households, and a deadly outbreak in a long-term care home which resulted in 81 cases. In total, this large outbreak triggered three hospitalizations and one COVID-19 death.

Government of Canada encourages the public to get active this Canada day. With the help of Canadian athletes to take up the fitness challenge and use the hashtag #ActiveTogether to share their experience.

French comedian Pierre-Yves Roy-Desmarais sings about the difficulties of quarantine and encourages the public to seek help.

The workers at Centre universitaire de santé McGill celebrate the 92nd birthday of a patient in quarantine.

Post from Strathcona Spirits about specialized hand sanitizer.

A post from Yukon Brewing in August 2020 about their hand sanitizer.

This is a photograph from March 2020 showing the hand sanitizer made by Dillons Distillery.

This article details one of the numerous ‘freedom marches’ which took place in Calgary Alberta, Canada. These people were protesting in response to the government lockdowns, mask mandates and regulations to help limit the spread of Covid-19. However, what is interesting in this particular article is the reference to the multiplicity of causes behind each protestor; that protestors had different causes, and reasons for showing up. People marched for the obvious ‘anti-mask’ causes, yet others would protest for the ‘Wexit’ movement, which is the desire to establish either an independent Albertan ‘republic’ or join the U.S. as the 51st state. This item is important as it demonstrates how the pandemic sceptic movements of Calgary Alberta were viewed in a negative light; more importantly how these movements often co-opted other fringe movements such as the Albertan separatist movement. Similarly, the vitriol of these protestors is on display, as the Calgary freedom marchers have been notable for their behaviour of spitting, coughing and screaming at passersby, police and local businesses as evident in this particular story. Similarly, many believe these mask-less movements are super spreader events which are contributing to the spread of the virus in several urban centers throughout the province of Alberta, such as Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer. This article provides substance to the pandemic sceptics of Alberta, Canada as no different to the anti-maskers of the United States; as uploading this, many of the organizations who attended and organized these events are currently organizing a massive march throughout the province which has been marketed to appear alike the tiki-torch rally of the far right in Charlottesville in 2017. I believe this article would fit best in the social justice collection to demonstrate the public/media response to the pandemic sceptics marching in the streets of Albertan cities.

This is a photo I took during one of Calgary’s Black Lives Matter marches in the Summer of 2020. In the wake of the murder of George Floyd, people took to the streets all over the world, not just America – In Calgary Alberta in particular, the death of George Floyd forced Canadians to critically look at our own law enforcement and state institutions, which were borne out of Canada’s colonial past. Not pictured in this photo would be the flags of numerous Indigenous nations, in particular the Mohawk nation – as in Canada and in America, the Black Lives Matter Movement synthesized itself with the cause of Indigenous sovereignty, as a means to combat white supremacy. During these marches, people who were antagonistic of the BLM movement stated that these marches were a threat to ‘public health’ as they believed protestors were marching mask less, this is not the case as evident in this photo. Organizers and random protestors were handing out masks, hand sanitization stations were set up with food, water and wipes. Signs were provided from the organizers to each marcher, if one did not bring their own. During this event, there was limited police presence as they maintained their distance from the large body of protestors which covered several streets. From what I recall what happened, I went with my friend Quinn, we showed up and found a place in the large crowd and listened to several speakers in the center of body of protestors (You can’t see it in this photo but it is directly center, behind the foliage). After the several speeches which took place, the organizers lead the people through a march downtown, to city hall. To my knowledge, there weren’t any instances of violence or confrontations with police – however I do remember there would be some agitators who would appear every now and then to yell at the protestors, or carry racist signs – I didn’t see this in particular, but saw photos of people doing so. This photograph would be beneficial to the social justice collection as it depicts the black lives matter movement of Calgary Alberta, Canada as fore mostly a window into the unique Canadian experience and similarly to how protests were conducted during a pandemic.

This article was made in response to comments made by the premier of Alberta, Jason Kenny towards the South Asian community of Calgary. In particular, Kenny had attributed the social gatherings and “tradition” of the South Asian community being the cause for a spike in Covid cases throughout the province. His comments were viewed as an extension of rising anti-Asian racism throughout the province, which can largely be attributed to the rhetoric of U.S. president Donald Trump as a means to escape liability for mismanaging the pandemic response. The community he blamed in particular is traditionally working class, who are employed in much of the city’s service and logistical jobs which are essential to the province as a whole. From food vendors, taxi drivers, cleaners, city employees – the frontline workers, those who are exposed most to the virus. Even more so, Jason Kenny’s comments caused further anger as he was somehow unable to assign the same blame to the swaths of mask-less protestors who marched in large groups throughout the province in defiance of government mandates in the following week. I believe this artifact would prove useful to the collection of Social Justice, mainly it is another Canadian experience based in the growing racialization/politicization of the covid-19 pandemic, and the ways in which conservative governments have attempted to scape-goat their own failings onto vulnerable communities. As throughout the pandemic, especially in the Western World, there has been an unnerving attempt to racialize the pandemic. Such as placing the blame on Chinese people, then Asian people as a whole; similarly this extends to working-class communities who man the frontlines to keep society functioning as normal. These communities (in regards to Calgary) are primarily composed of new immigrants who were not born in Canada, by Jason Kenny blaming these people for the upsurge in cases, he is exemplifying a racist generalization towards the entirety of the South Asian community of Calgary. In regards to Canada, this item matters to display that our pandemic experience was no different in that it illustrated the stark racial divides throughout the province, once compared to the primarily white ‘freedom’ marchers (who were also in the company of fascist/white-supremacist organizations such as the Proud Boys, Sons of Odin) walked proudly through our cities mask-less with little to no government comments as similar to Kenny’s on the SA community. I want to add these to the collection of Social Justice, as articles like these were first spurned on by anti-racist activists who initially heard Kenny’s remarks. What followed shortly after was a provincial outcry directed towards the premier for his questionable history in regards to racism. Situations like these prove that there is systemic racism at work within the government of Alberta, as the government racialized the issue of Covid-19, while looking away from the predominantly white mask less marchers.

Two downtown bars in Windsor, Ontario, are offering live music alongside food delivery. Customers can choose from multiple "Gravy Train" packages which offer food and performance from a local musician.

The author of this tweet provides a critique of the government's response to COVID-19.

Kevin Kent expresses his opinion that CERB saved Canada, rather than ruined it, as many Conservative commentators posited.

Twitter user Bill Sullivan expresses his opinion that Scheer wanted to amplify the sufferings of Canadians during the pandemic.

This brief article details the impact of COVID-19 on reconciliation with Indigenous people in Canada.