TORONTO —
The single biggest way Canadians are coping with COVID-19 is by getting outside, according to a new national mental heath survey, but a frigid winter forecast could put that strategy on ice.
A new poll released Wednesday by Mental Health Research Canada (MHRC) surveyed more than 2,000 Canadians and found that 39 per cent of respondents reported spending time outside had a positive effect on their mental health.
The next most helpful activity was reading, with 29 per cent of respondents finding it beneficial, followed by entertainment such as watching television or listening to music (21 per cent) and physical exercise (17 per cent).
The reason getting outdoors tops the list may be because it gives people the opportunity to safely connect with friends or family in a physically distanced environment, said Dr. David Dozois, a clinical psychologist and psychology professor at Western University who helped design the survey.
The simple act of getting up and doing something, rather than sitting on the couch, could also provide a boost, Dozois said.
“We need to have a certain amount of activity in our day of things that give us pleasure. That’s so much easier to do when you can go outside,” he said.
Psychologists have long worried about the effects of COVID-19 on mental health, particularly as the days get colder and Canadians who are already isolated — particularly the elderly — spend more time alone. Even in normal years, winter can negatively impact an individual’s mental wellbeing and in some cases lead to seasonal affective disorder.
This winter could be even colder and wetter than normal thanks to the arrival of La Nina, which is characterized by cooler-than-average sea temperatures in the eastern and central Pacific Ocean. Forecasters say La Nina will likely affect British Columbia, the Prairies, Ontario, and Quebec by causing heavy snow and chillier temperatures.
But staying cooped inside isn’t going to help, Dozois said. He compared going outside to eating healthy: you may not crave it, but you’ll feel better after you do it.
“Winter will be cold and dark, but there are ways to embrace that,” said Dozois, who bought cross-country skis over the summer in anticipation of the winter.
One possible solution is to adopt the Norwegian practice of friluftsliv — pronounced “free-loofts-liv” — a cultural philosophy that rejects the idea of “bad weather” and embraces winter. Friluftsliv translates to “open-air living” and proponents recommend dressing for the cold and heading outdoors to connect with nature, be it through skiing, skating or a casual walk.
Dozois endorsed the idea.
“It’s about recognizing that, if I push myself to go outside, I’m going to feel better,” he said.
Already, Canadians appear to be investing in outdoor activities. Sales of outdoor heaters, skis, snowboards, hot tubs and snowshoes have spiked, and ski resorts have reported higher than normal sales for season passes.
The survey also found that the positive impacts of Canadians’ coping strategies have dwindled since the beginning of the pandemic, suggesting that some Canadians are finding it harder to manage stress. For instance, while 39 per cent of Canadians found watching TV or movies helpful at the start of the pandemic, that number was cut in half in the most recent survey, conducted in late October.
“Sometimes distractions in the short-term can be helpful, but in the long term it’s not a helpful thing,” Dozois said.
ANXIETY LEVELS STABILIZING
The new survey offered a broader look at how Canadians’ mental health has evolved since the pandemic was declared in March. Self-reported anxiety and depression rose dramatically at the start of the pandemic, but researchers say the rapid rise in cases during the second wave has not led to a change in mental health concerns, which remain steady.
Even so, levels of anxiety are four times higher than pre-pandemic levels, and Canadians are reporting depression at twice the previous rate.
Canadians who are not adhering to COVID-19 regulations appear to have a higher degree of negative mental health connected to economic consequences of COVID-19, such as the loss of wages or a job. Fifty-six per cent of those individuals reported a worse mental health status, compared with the overall response of 44 per cent.
Similar reports on mental health have raised alarm bells. A report published this week by the Quebec-based Early Childhood Observatory surveyed 501 Quebecers and found that 68 per cent of parents found parenting more stressful during the pandemic, with 51 per cent of respondents reporting higher stress levels.
Lower income levels were also linked to stress, with high stress levels reaching 69 per cent among parents whose household income before taxes was under $40,000.
Dozois said one helpful way to cope with the pandemic is by adjusting our language. Rather than reiterating “the new normal” of life under COVID-19, he suggested calling it “the temporary normal,” a term he borrowed from his fiancee, also a psychologist.
And while the pandemic has led to an alarming spike in anxiety and depression, he said it’s promising to see Canadians actively seeking out ways to manage.
“We are resilient, that’s what this poll showed. The vast majority of Canadians are coping and pivoting. You think of how many people are parenting and doing their jobs. It’s incredible what people can adapt to,” he said.
VANCOUVER – Contract negotiations resume today in Vancouver in a labour dispute that has paralyzed container cargo shipping at British Columbia’s ports since Monday.
The BC Maritime Employers Association and International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 514 are scheduled to meet for the next three days in mediated talks to try to break a deadlock in negotiations.
The union, which represents more than 700 longshore supervisors at ports, including Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Nanaimo, has been without a contract since March last year.
The latest talks come after employers locked out workers in response to what it said was “strike activity” by union members.
The start of the lockout was then followed by several days of no engagement between the two parties, prompting federal Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon to speak with leaders on both sides, asking them to restart talks.
MacKinnon had said that the talks were “progressing at an insufficient pace, indicating a concerning absence of urgency from the parties involved” — a sentiment echoed by several business groups across Canada.
In a joint letter, more than 100 organizations, including the Canadian Chamber of Commerce, Business Council of Canada and associations representing industries from automotive and fertilizer to retail and mining, urged the government to do whatever it takes to end the work stoppage.
“While we acknowledge efforts to continue with mediation, parties have not been able to come to a negotiated agreement,” the letter says. “So, the federal government must take decisive action, using every tool at its disposal to resolve this dispute and limit the damage caused by this disruption.
“We simply cannot afford to once again put Canadian businesses at risk, which in turn puts Canadian livelihoods at risk.”
In the meantime, the union says it has filed a complaint to the Canada Industrial Relations Board against the employers, alleging the association threatened to pull existing conditions out of the last contract in direct contact with its members.
“The BCMEA is trying to undermine the union by attempting to turn members against its democratically elected leadership and bargaining committee — despite the fact that the BCMEA knows full well we received a 96 per cent mandate to take job action if needed,” union president Frank Morena said in a statement.
The employers have responded by calling the complaint “another meritless claim,” adding the final offer to the union that includes a 19.2 per cent wage increase over a four-year term remains on the table.
“The final offer has been on the table for over a week and represents a fair and balanced proposal for employees, and if accepted would end this dispute,” the employers’ statement says. “The offer does not require any concessions from the union.”
The union says the offer does not address the key issue of staffing requirement at the terminals as the port introduces more automation to cargo loading and unloading, which could potentially require fewer workers to operate than older systems.
The Port of Vancouver is the largest in Canada and has seen a number of labour disruptions, including two instances involving the rail and grain storage sectors earlier this year.
A 13-day strike by another group of workers at the port last year resulted in the disruption of a significant amount of shipping and trade.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
The Royal Canadian Legion says a new partnership with e-commerce giant Amazon is helping boost its veterans’ fund, and will hopefully expand its donor base in the digital world.
Since the Oct. 25 launch of its Amazon.ca storefront, the legion says it has received nearly 10,000 orders for poppies.
Online shoppers can order lapel poppies on Amazon in exchange for donations or buy items such as “We Remember” lawn signs, Remembrance Day pins and other accessories, with all proceeds going to the legion’s Poppy Trust Fund for Canadian veterans and their families.
Nujma Bond, the legion’s national spokesperson, said the organization sees this move as keeping up with modern purchasing habits.
“As the world around us evolves we have been looking at different ways to distribute poppies and to make it easier for people to access them,” she said in an interview.
“This is definitely a way to reach a wider number of Canadians of all ages. And certainly younger Canadians are much more active on the web, on social media in general, so we’re also engaging in that way.”
Al Plume, a member of a legion branch in Trenton, Ont., said the online store can also help with outreach to veterans who are far from home.
“For veterans that are overseas and are away, (or) can’t get to a store they can order them online, it’s Amazon.” Plume said.
Plume spent 35 years in the military with the Royal Engineers, and retired eight years ago. He said making sure veterans are looked after is his passion.
“I’ve seen the struggles that our veterans have had with Veterans Affairs … and that’s why I got involved, with making sure that the people get to them and help the veterans with their paperwork.”
But the message about the Amazon storefront didn’t appear to reach all of the legion’s locations, with volunteers at Branch 179 on Vancouver’s Commercial Drive saying they hadn’t heard about the online push.
Holly Paddon, the branch’s poppy campaign co-ordinator and bartender, said the Amazon partnership never came up in meetings with other legion volunteers and officials.
“I work at the legion, I work with the Vancouver poppy office and I go to the meetings for the Vancouver poppy campaign — which includes all the legions in Vancouver — and not once has this been mentioned,” she said.
Paddon said the initiative is a great idea, but she would like to have known more about it.
The legion also sells a larger collection of items at poppystore.ca.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 9, 2024.
