Covid-19 compliance ennui has settled in ! While most of us take the Coronavirus very seriously, I think that almost everyone is probably guilty of at least some minor transgressions of the mash-mash of the many confusing rules, regulations and recommendations that are being issued by national, provincial, and municipal authorities. I get an average of five weekly e-mails from each of two different law firms giving updates on new and ever tightening rules.
Winter is coming and the number of daylight hours is down to about nine in Montreal and most of southern Canada. The time between sunrise and sunset will be down to about eight hours and forty minutes by December 22. In the meantime we have allowed our communities to get grey and dowdy . I am fed up counting the number of discarded face masks in the streets and in the parks, in the centre of the city and in the suburbs, just everywhere. This can’t be good for controlling the spread of Covid-19. These masks should be treated as bio-hazards. Summer time pedestrian street configurations that proved popular for many have been dismantled for the winter. The snow will come and with it, car-friendly snow-removal protocols that will change streets into rivers of grey slush. Restaurants and bars have been forced to close for indoor dining and outdoor dining. Restaurant closures have a triple-whammy effect on high street traffic. There is nowhere to take a break from shopping; because of the paucity of public washrooms in most of our cities, nowhere to pee; and, retailers are suffering from the loss of traffic these good neighbours generate. The festive holiday season that many look forward to all year will not be the same. This could well be The Winter of Our Discontent .
The time has come for a collective effort to focus on hope and happiness. My thoughts:
I was in Austria last December and on many days the temperatures hovered around 0c and on a couple of days, it was much cooler in the evening. We were surprised how many Christmas parties were being held outdoors in sheltered passageways and open courtyards. The streets were full of holiday revellers and shoppers and they could easily find outdoor terraces to eat and enjoy a warm drink. New York City has increased its number of outdoor terraces from 1000 to 10,000, many of them winterized. The photo array on the left is an installation in the NYC Flatiron districting was designed by the New York office of Australian architecture firm BVN. Mayor Bill Di Blasio has declared that NYC outdoor dining will be permanent and year-round. Oslo’s average temperature December through February is 0c to -5c. It does get colder with all kinds of mixed precipitation and Oslovian’s enjoy dining outdoors all year long. There is year-long outdoor dining in all of the Scandinavian countries.
People are social animals and will congregate. Winter is already difficult but if we don’t make an effort to improve the outdoors, people will meet indoors. Canadians in general and Montrealers in particular pride themselves on their hardiness . It is time to put our fabled hardiness to good use.
And as always, shop local, support local businesses, buy from local farms, and support local artisans and manufacturers. As always, wear face masks as required, wash your hands, practice social distancing, hydrate, and exercise.
Notes:
One Issue 23 reader reminded me that there are opportunities to support favourite restaurants and pubs during these difficult times. Check the web sites of your favourite haunts and find out if they are preparing pick-up meals, supplying pantry essentials, or selling wine and beer. He specifically mentioned L’Expresse, the Benelux brew pubs, and La Boite du Chef.
As I was writing this e-mail, I received an invitation to a private sale at my favourite men’s wear store, Le Clusier . It was a plea more than an invitation. It is located at 432 rue McGill and it is just about the only retail location opened in that area. Almost all of their neighbours that attract traffic are restaurants. You may not need anything but if you can afford it, maybe you could donate some of your existing wardrobe to a homeless shelter and buy a new winter coat with accessories. Dress the homeless and support your favourite retailer.
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