COVID-19 changed every part of Canadian life, from the unknown medical technology that became common and the economic predicament of multiple lockdowns, to the social changes that came with isolation and political unrest. Curating this exhibit while COVID-19 still plagued Canada and the world, we tried to capture the stress and wariness of living during the pandemic, but also the strength and the joys we found in human connection.

The pandemic altered our lives, but Canadians kept moving forward. Medical professionals worked tirelessly on the frontlines against COVID-19. People celebrated milestones while keeping 46 Timbits apart. Politicians sought ways to help vulnerable communities and made difficult decisions about flattening the curve, saving lives at the cost of the Canadian economy. The way we work has fundamentally changed and we have no way of knowing how those changes will play out in the future. 

As of March 5, 2021, the Canadian Government secured and purchased 84 million doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna vaccines. They anticipate immunizing everyone eligible for a vaccine by September 2021.

This exhibit was curated by people personally experiencing the pandemic. The long term impacts of COVID-19 are still unknown. We are hoping for the best, but some of us are prepared for the worst. All we know for certain is that 2020 and 2021 challenged us in ways for which we were largely unprepared, but through community support we found new ways to come together while staying apart.