It's time to talk about what COVID did to Toronto, and to us
Here is the thing about trauma: You can try to forget it. You can pretend it isn't there. You can do everything in your power to bury it. Just don't expect it to stay underground.
On Saturday, the Star published an essay by former city councillor John Filion on the four municipal leaders who took this city through COVID-19. We know their faces, all of them: John Tory, Joe Cressy, Eileen de Villa and Matthew Pegg. During the pandemic, we watched them, day after day, answering questions, laying out scenarios, shutting things down and opening them up again.
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a day ago
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When Lendyll Soriano got a job working with First Nations during the COVID-19 pandemic, he was warmly embraced by the Indigenous community. Now, he wants to give back. The Filipino immigrant, who co-owns Dream Barbers with two partners, has launched a free haircut initiative for Manitoba wildfire evacuees. 'We already had a couple of people come in (Tuesday),' said Soriano, who owns the Portage Avenue shop with Mark Antonio and Albert Amante. Aviva Tabac photo Kavod Thrift Store volunteer Harriet Zimmer with load of donated items for Manitoba wildfire evacuees. In his day job as communications liaison with the First Nations Health and Social Secretariat of Manitoba, Soriano said his Indigenous colleagues have shown him the value of family and helping each other during times of need. 'I wasn't even First Nations, so that's what I appreciated about them,' he said. 'I was learning, and as an immigrant here in Canada, we really didn't have any history of what First Nations history is. 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B'nai Brith Canada's Winnipeg chapter is accepting donations of toiletries, diapers, infant formula and other essentials at its Kavod Thrift Store. 'The response has been unbelievable,' said Aviva Tabac, community engagement manager for B'nai Brith Canada. 'It's overwhelming. It's a real feel-good moment.' The donations have included 1,500 toothbrushes given from a local orthodontist. 'Now we want to see if we can get the same number of tubes of toothpaste donated,' Tabac said. Items given to Kavod are checked and sorted before being delivered to groups that are distributing them to evacuees. The executive director of Mennonite Disaster Service said there was an 'overwhelming, fabulous' response to a call for volunteers to help at the Leila Avenue sports centre, where evacuees are registered. The organization has provided between 20-25 volunteers per day at the centre in three shifts, including from midnight to 7 a.m. 'Clearly, people were anxious to help,' said Ross Penner. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. Volunteers provide evacuees with essential items and help set up cots for overnight stays. The stream of evacuees at the site has slowed in recent days, Penner said. 'But that can always change if a number of buses suddenly show up.' For more information about donating to Kavod, call 204-487-9623. To volunteer with Mennonite Disaster Service, call 204-261-1274. — with files from Malak Abas and John Longhurst Scott BilleckReporter Scott Billeck is a general assignment reporter for the Free Press. A Creative Communications graduate from Red River College, Scott has more than a decade's worth of experience covering hockey, football and global pandemics. He joined the Free Press in 2024. Read more about Scott. Every piece of reporting Scott produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Toronto Star
2 days ago
- Toronto Star
It's time to talk about what COVID did to Toronto, and to us
Here is the thing about trauma: You can try to forget it. You can pretend it isn't there. You can do everything in your power to bury it. Just don't expect it to stay underground. On Saturday, the Star published an essay by former city councillor John Filion on the four municipal leaders who took this city through COVID-19. We know their faces, all of them: John Tory, Joe Cressy, Eileen de Villa and Matthew Pegg. During the pandemic, we watched them, day after day, answering questions, laying out scenarios, shutting things down and opening them up again.
