If you haven’t realized it yet, you should know that living with the pandemic is our new normal — for the next couple of years at least.
There will always be the frisson of concern that flashes across your body when you hear the public health team announce a new case.
There will always be the frustration that people aren't following the rules, or that there are too many people in one place without the separation of physical distance, or that they are letting too many people come in or not come in, as the case may be.
I see and hear from people who are experiencing pandemic fatigue, the burnout many people are feeling with the constant vigilance. It’s hard. We wash our hands, we wipe down surfaces, we keep our distance, we wear a mask and we stay in our bubble.
I was talking with a friend recently and we both mentioned that we had started thinking about the holidays and the winter to come. We both figure there will be ebbs and flows to the requirements, and we both have come to realize that work and home and school will adapt to those circumstances.
I like planning. After the first month of the pandemic lockdown, we developed new routines in our family. Shopping was not quite a combat sport but it came close to being executed with military precision. We set up social activities via Zoom, and when summer came cautiously organized physically distanced outside chats.
As the rules changed on movement, gatherings and health practices, we adjusted our activities. I’m grateful we have had a beautiful summer to try new things, explore familiar vacation spots on the island, and see people.
I especially liked the fact that the city came on board with the pedestrian mall for downtown. It was a success socially — the few times I went down in the evenings, the place was clearly hopping.
While restaurants and bars are able to keep their patios open until Nov. 1, the pedestrian component has ended. There’s been lots of discussion about why the city didn't leave the mall open until Christmas.
As much as I enjoyed the experience, I’m glad the city ended the mall when it did. My hope is that the planners now look at this concept in greater detail and across more locations.
Downtown has a lot to offer, but who’s to say this is the only place where such innovation can be replicated? Why can’t pop up markets and food trucks be co-ordinated to move to different zones in the city?
And speaking of food trucks, would it be possible to create a food truck map? During Snowmageddon, some enterprising individuals created a map of buried hydrants so volunteer digging crews could target their efforts effectively and efficiently.
I’d like to see a co-ordinated approach for next summer, one encompassing the whole of the city, starting from May 24th weekend through to Thanksgiving, taking into account disability accessibility and transportation options, and showcasing city neighbourhoods and zones outside of the downtown.
While downtown is a key economic centre, it is not the only one in the city; Churchill Square, Elizabeth Avenue West, Wedgewood Park, Ropewalk Lane and Freshwater Road/Kenmount Road come to mind.
I’m hoping community groups take this on over the fall and winter and I expect we citizens to be included in the discussion and planning that will ensue.
Martha Muzychka is a writer and consultant living in St. John’s. Email [email protected]
