The magnitude of COVID-19's impact on Canadians' lives is difficult to fathom. Canada has already lost more than 20,000 people to the pandemic, with the number ticking steadily upwards; each of those losses has cascaded through families and communities, leaving many more thousands bereaved. Public health guidance around social distancing has resulted in restrictions around traditional mourning customs and rituals—heart-wrenchingly, many were unable even to say goodbye.
They Were Loved is an obituary project to commemorate thousands of coronavirus victims, as well as to mark this historic moment in Canadian history. Our goal: to pay tribute to everyone who has died of COVID-19 in Canada, and every Canadian who has died of the disease abroad. In partnership with Carleton University's Future of Journalism Initiative and journalism schools across Canada, Maclean's is striving to capture the richness of each life lost in elegant obituaries.
Read some of the stories I've written by clicking each photo below:
Dorritt Paul, 102
Measured age in spirit, not numbers
Frank Vink, 84
Mr. Dressup, for his glasses and his kindness
Mervon Vahey, 87
A handyman at heart
Ron Holliday, 60
Dedicated to the core
Jeannette Olah, 84
Ran off to join the circus
Dionisio Riolino, 94
Determined, in love, work and life
Aileen Manuk, 96
Brought light into the world through art
Stephanie Hombert, 37
"Her smile lit up a room"
Ian March, 60
"He was the centre of my universe"
Iris McCracken, 94
A travelling trailblazer
Bill Marentette,
Douglas Mast,
Connie Cerdan, 66
