For Catiyana, her third year of university is when she started to feel like graduation was a near to impossible idea and it began to grow more daunting everyday. Nevertheless, she persisted – and now she can say she is a McMaster graduate! While she may have felt lost at times, she eventually found her people and the things she enjoyed. Looking back, she is happy she trusted in the process, and more importantly herself. For Catiyana’s full article visit: https://medium.com/mcmaster-alumni/lifeaftermac/home
The Life After Mac series is run by the McMaster Alumni Association and provides career and life hacks from the McMaster alumni community.
C/O Georgia Kirkos
McMaster experts share insights about the updated guidelines and their effects on the spread of Omicron
After relatively steady COVID-19 case counts throughout the fall, the highly contagious Omicron variant was identified in Ontario at the end of November. Since then, case counts have skyrocketed, surpassing 10,000 cases for the first time on Dec. 25.
In response to the increase in COVID-19 cases, the Ontario government has updated public health guidelines, putting in place more restrictions for Ontario residents. This includes stricter gathering limits, closure of events and businesses, shortened quarantine times for individuals tested positive and limits on who can access a PCR test.
The gathering limits in Ontario have been reduced to five people indoors or ten people outdoors. Weddings, funerals and religious services, when held indoors, are limited to 50 per cent capacity of the spaces they are held in. When held outdoors, they must allow for full social distancing between all attendees. Further, businesses and employers must ensure that their employees are working remotely, assuming that this is feasible.
In terms of business closures, indoor dining, theatres, gyms and other similar spaces are required to close completely. Other spaces such as retail settings and public libraries can remain open at 50 per cent capacity.
Zain Chagla, Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University, emphasized the importance of these closures for Ontario. According to Chagla, the highly contagious Omicron variant will likely infect a large portion of the population, regardless of public health measures; however, the public health guidelines should slow the spread of Omicron to prevent placing a strain on the healthcare system.
“The hope is [that] public health measures might delay or slow down some of that spread, so [that the Omicron variant spreads] over two to three months, as compared to one month, where hospitals [could] easily become overwhelmed,” said Chagla.
“The hope is [that] public health measures might delay or slow down some of that spread, so [that the Omicron variant spreads] over two to three months, as compared to one month, where hospitals [could] easily become overwhelmed.”
Zain Chagla, Associate Professor of Medicine at McMaster University
Chagla also noted that slowing the spread of Omicron should ensure that essential services still have enough people to operate them in the meantime.
“People, even if they are mild with COVID, still need to isolate and that has downstream impacts on the ability to staff hospitals, police, fire stations, grocery stores, etc. Again, spreading that out a little bit would at least allow some of those essential industries and essential care services to stay open,” explained Chagla.
In addition to stricter COVID-19 related restrictions, Ontario has also made changes to their rules surrounding testing and isolation.
Publicly funded PCR tests, previously available to anyone with symptoms of COVID-19, are now only accessible to symptomatic individuals deemed high-risk by the province. As well, most people who test positive for COVID-19 using a rapid antigen test will no longer be expected to confirm their test result with a PCR test; instead, the province has instructed those people to assume that they have COVID-19 and to isolate for the recommended period.
The recommended isolation period, which was previously ten days since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, has been shortened to five days since the onset of COVID-19 symptoms, for vaccinated individuals and children under twelve. Ontario was not the only province to implement this change; British Columbia, Manitoba, Alberta, Saskatchewan and New Brunswick have announced shorter isolation periods as well.
Chief Medical Officers and Health Ministers of various provinces have given a range of reasons for the shortened isolation time, such as a far lower risk of transmission after five days, greater incentive to self-test when the quarantine time is shorter and prevention of unmanageable disruptions to the workforce.
In terms of what the changing restrictions will mean for students at McMaster, Chagla pointed out that McMaster’s decision to delay the full return to campus to Feb. 7 will allow students extra time to obtain their third vaccine doses.
“I really want to reassure people, especially young individuals attending Mac, that [if] you get your booster [and] get your two doses, yes, there's a good shot that you would still get COVID in the next few months, but the outcomes are going to be really, really benign,” said Chagla.
According to Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster, obtaining a booster shot is one of the most effective ways to combat the Omicron wave.
According to Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster, obtaining a booster shot is one of the most effective ways to combat the Omicron wave.
Burrows emphasized the importance of being careful in the meantime because, while Omicron is generally less severe for vaccinated individuals, it is still dangerous.
“The natural course of evolution for any virus or pathogen is to become less pathogenic over time because if you're a virus, your goal is to infect as many hosts as possible. If you kill your host, that's a bad strategy from an evolutionary standpoint. So, most pathogens become less pathogenic over time, but better at transmitting,” explained Burrows.
Burrows added that, while this seems to be the direction that Omicron is heading in, it isn’t there yet.
“It's still killing people, so we have got to keep that in mind and we still have to be careful,” said Burrows.
“It's still killing people, so we have got to keep that in mind and we still have to be careful.”
Lori Burrows, Professor of Pathology and Molecular Medicine at McMaster
Despite this, Burrows emphasized that some level of optimism is important because we have made significant progress in fighting COVID-19 over the last two years. As Burrows explained, we did not have vaccines, medications or any understanding of COVID-19 when the pandemic first began. Now, two years later, we are far better equipped to handle the pandemic.
“We are in a better place than we were two years ago,” said Burrows.
Travis Nguyen/Photo Editor
How the newly imposed restrictions have negatively affected university athletes.
As athletes begin to return after three weeks off for the winter break, they will quickly have to adjust, as the Ontario University Athletics have seen major changes. As of Dec. 17, the OUA has halted all university sports amid the Omicron variant resurgence.
After the tightened restrictions were imposed on Jan. 3 by the Ford Government, all amateur leagues during this lockdown stage must halt all activities until Jan. 27. Additionally, the OUA has been labelled an amateur league, rather than an elite sports league, which sparked a large wave of reactions from the association and its athletes.
“The notion that the hard-working student-athletes who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the post-secondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love aren’t considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis,” explained the OUA in their recent statement regarding the decision.
“The notion that the hard-working student-athletes who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the post-secondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love aren’t considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis.”
Recent statement by the OUA
The OUA strongly stands behind their statement, labelling themselves as elite, and explaining this amatuer label does not do them justice. The sports association has not been the only one that voiced their concerns. McMaster students who may be following any of the Marauders athletes are extremely likely to have seen several postings regarding the decision, as athletes from all sports have united to make their message loud and clear.
So far there has been no word on whether a formal appeal will be placed by the sports league to change the type of league that they’re being labelled as. Additionally, this “amateur league” pause is scheduled to last until at least Jan. 27, which currently interferes with hockey, basketball and volleyball schedules that were meant to take place this month.
Although the main focus of the lockdowns is currently on the OUA league, there are other concerns that individuals will have moving forwards and the effects that they could have on all parties involved.
What does this mean for all the athletes that were scheduled to have their games? What does this mean for all athletes in general? Will their training and season preparation routines change due to the restrictions?
While none of those questions have a concrete answer that could be provided, it is clear that it will not be easy to prepare for games as it was at the beginning of the school year, when the province was not under any tight restrictions due to COVID-19. The road ahead features a lot of uncertainty.
With the province backtracking to step 2 of the lockdown measures, amenities such as gyms and pools are closing effective Jan. 5. Although the restrictions are meant to last only three weeks to combat the rise in cases of COVID-19, it is uncertain whether this period will be extended beyond that.
For athletes around Ontario, the closure of their main preparatory amenities will most definitely hinder their performances and readiness for the new season in some way. For indoor sports such as volleyball and basketball, whose season is still in progress, the lockdowns could also affect the actual game results for the rest of the season.
Currently the mens and womens basketball teams have had four of their games postponed in the January period, against Waterloo Warriors and Windsor Lancers.
As for the mens and womens volleyball team, two of their games have been postponed so far against Windsor Lancers and Brock Badgers. Not only have two of these games been postponed, but the men's team had their highly anticipated exhibition game against the Long Beach State University cancelled as well.
With so much uncertainty for university athletes heading into Ontario's third lockdown, only time will tell what will happen to university sports from February onwards.
C/O Wikimedia
As social restrictions tighten due to the rise in COVID-19 cases, so do sports league restrictions.
As of Jan. 6, the number of COVID-19 cases in Ontario is rising, prompting the Ontario government to release an updated return-to-play framework for both professional and elite amateur sport leagues and events. Included in this framework is a list of elite amateur leagues and events; however, just as they were excluded in June of 2021, both Ontario University Athletics and USPORTS were not included.
What does it mean to be an elite amateur and why isn’t the OUA an elite amateur league? The framework given by the Government of Ontario did not explain what qualifications are required to be considered elite amateur. One of the leagues included in this list is the Ontario Scholastic Basketball Association. This insinuates that OUA basketball athletes who would have been able to practice and play in high school are now no longer able to play as they are not considered elite.
As such, the OUA immediately responded with the hashtag, #OUAisELITE. Coaches and players alike took to social media and began posting using this hashtag.
USPORTS, the national sport governing body of university sport in Canada, supported the OUA in a social media post.
“University sport in Canada is ELITE. It’s time for [governments] to understand our collective benefit to Canada. @USPORTSca stands with all of our conferences and members to say #OUAisELITE and student-athletes deserve to be recognized as being as such!” stated USPORTS Canada.
“University sport in Canada is ELITE. It’s time for [governments] to understand our collective benefit to Canada. @USPORTSca stands with all of our conferences and members to say #OUAisELITE and student-athletes deserve to be recognized as being as such!”
USPORTS Canada
Elite by definition refers to something being a choice part or the best of a class. The OUA claims to be deserving of the title of elite by explaining their athletes’ efforts academically, in the community and historically as many of their athletes graduate and move on to compete in the Olympics and many other national and international competitions.
“The notion that the hard-working student-athletes, who have long strived toward the goal of competing at the post-secondary level and proudly representing one of the OUA’s 20 member institutions in the sport they love, aren’t considered elite by the Government of Ontario is a disservice to the dedication, commitment and talent that they continue to show on a day-to-day basis,” said the OUA in a statement made on Jan. 4.
In support of this argument, nearly two dozen players decided to leave the OUA and sign professional contracts knowing they would not be able to play.
Before these new restrictions were put into play, the OUA had previously decided to delay all games including league play, exhibitions and scrimmages from Jan. 6 to Jan. 24. Since gyms were still open, the athletes could continue practicing during these weeks and launch straight into league play on Jan 24. However, since teams are unable to practice until Jan. 27, official league play cannot resume until the second week of February, after the athletes have had two weeks of practice. This will effectively cut many teams’ seasons short.
Championship dates for basketball are to be decided on or around Mar. 5, with volleyball following in two weeks.
C/O Sasha Freemind, Unsplash
How to navigate societal norms as a woman and embrace the person you are
There have been many points in my life where I questioned my capabilities simply for being a woman. I remember as a kid life’s possibilities felt endless and I was not the cookie-cutter version of society's eight-year-old girl. I loved getting aggressive on the field with the boys while playing Manhunt, I chose Pokemon cards over jump-rope at recess and I simply did not care about looks or my poise.
It wasn’t until I slowly started realizing I was not fitting society's mold and if I didn’t change myself to fit into it, I would be seen as less worthy. I began sitting on the sidelines watching the boys play Manhunt, I traded the Pokemon cards for the jump-rope and I started focusing on my looks and mannerisms. I started becoming more fragile and shy and avoided raising my voice.
In a period of time when I faced so much confusion, my second grade teacher was the only one who gave me clarity. He loved to read and write, specifically poems, and showed me that anyone could do what they wanted if they tried. He taught me that nothing can hold you back.
I was still intimidated by the notion of using my own voice and creating something with my mind, but I still pushed myself. Years later in high school, the pressure of being a woman — as depicted by society — grew in intensity. From navigating relationships, adjusting to cliques and figuring out what to do after high school, the only thing keeping me grounded was writing.
Writing helped me use my voice. I had the freedom to write about anything I wanted to. While writing, I did not feel what I felt as a result of society’s influence and messaging about women — small.
While writing, I did not feel what I felt as a result of society’s influence and messaging about women — small.
ANA MAMULA, OPINIONS STAFF WRITER
Through growing up in a society that believes women should be viewed as fragile, nurturing and sensitive, it becomes hard to believe in yourself and find your own independence. We feel as though we have to turn down our true selves or tie our identities to something else to simply fit in.
For example, Canadian women gained the right to vote in 1960. In fact, the pandemic has rolled back women’s employment rates in Ontario to the same levels as 1944. Today, for every 100 men promoted and hired to a manager position, only 72 women are promoted and hired for the same role and for women of colour, that number is even lower, with 68 latina women and 58 black women being promoted in comparison.
It is hard to feel powerful and independent when society tells you to be the complete opposite, yet praises men for their bravery and boldness.
It is hard to feel powerful and independent when society tells you to be the complete opposite, yet praises men for their bravery and boldness.
ana mamula, opinions staff writer
My advice to any woman who feels belittled or smaller than they are is to believe in themselves. As cheesy as it may sound, every woman will be knocked down plenty of times in their life. People will question their skills and strength but as long as you have your own back, that's all that matters.
Moving with confidence and truly investing in yourself is what makes a strong independent woman. Be there for other women, work hard and the only person you truly have to prove anything to is you and no one else.
If not for my second grade teacher showing me everything I could gain from writing and teaching me the importance of valuing what I want to do, I would not be as confident in myself as I am today.
It is important to have inspirational women around you and to do what you love, take time for yourself, learn what gives you that feeling of freedom and run with it. Anyone is capable of doing whatever they please; it is all about confidence and believing in yourself.
C/O Vitolda Klein, Unsplash
Chasing perfection is a societal ideal that rarely benefits the one chasing
Recently, I have noticed how often the term "perfectionism" is thrown around. Nowadays, it seems as if everyone is a proud perfectionist who refuses to accept any standard short of perfection.
Their sense of perfectionism will appear in their work ethic, study habits and even personal relationships. In spite of the rise of perfectionism in the last decade, I have had a difficult time understanding the glorification of this phenomenon.
To be clear, I don’t believe that individuals willingly fall into the trap of perfectionism. It's often society that pushes us towards perfectionist behaviours as we are incessantly told from a young age to improve and polish every aspect of our life that might be slightly blemished.
From our parents to our schools, to our mentors, we are told how the “real world” holds high standards that we have to live up to. Time after time, we have been told how achieving greatness stems from perfect work ethics, perfect grades and a perfect attitude.
Because of these harsh statements, many of us have been conditioned to only judge ourselves and our accomplishments on a zero to perfect scale — meaning if our work is not performed perfectly, it might as well deserve a zero.
For example, we often don’t feel proud if we score a 90% since our immediate thought is how we could have potentially achieved a 100%, but failed to do so. We slowly start losing happiness and joy because accomplishments are no longer satisfying if they are not “perfect.”
In fact, over 60% of McMaster students reported feeling higher than average levels of stress in a 2017 survey, leading to concerns about the effects of chronic stress in university students.
In fact, over 60% of McMaster students reported feeling higher than average levels of stress in a 2017 survey, leading to concerns about the effects of chronic stress in university students.
KIMIA TAHAEI, OPINIONS STAFF WRITER
However, I must say that I don’t believe that perfectionism is entirely devoid of value. In fact, science has proven that “healthy perfectionism” exists. Studies have stated how in some cases perfectionism can often be a driving source to perform your absolute best and achieve the highest of accomplishments.
However, I must question, how thin is the line between “healthy perfectionism” and obsessive perfectionism? Can individuals who fall into the trap of perfectionism in their work life keep it detached from their personal lives? Wouldn’t relationships, hobbies and activities done for the sheer joy of it deteriorate if perfection is the only given option?
“The most evil trick about perfectionism is that it disguises itself as a virtue,” stated author Rebecca Solnit.
“The most evil trick about perfectionism is that it disguises itself as a virtue,” stated author Rebecca Solnit.
KIMIA TAHAEI, OPINIONS STAFF WRITER
This quote excellently explains why so many individuals fall into the trap of perfectionism. They do so as they believe that this could increase their quality of work and they could reach perfection. However, the unfortunate truth is that the concept of anything ‘perfect’ is erroneous. Often, because individuals cannot define ‘perfect’, they assume they aren't reaching it, making perfectionism a never-ending cycle.
Candidly, we must take a step and ask ourselves, how are we defining a ‘perfect job’ or a ‘perfect relationship’? Or whether a ‘perfect grade’ is truly worth it, if it comes at the cost of our mental health?
We cannot let the false and outdated definition of perfectionism gain control over our decisions. In a world that is so cruel and chaotic at times, it’s foolish to rob ourselves from experiencing the simple joys of life.
C/O Nick Fewings, Unsplash
YWCA Hamilton workshops address unique mental health experiences among 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers
Just a few months ago, Canada was experiencing a steady decline in COVID-19 cases and life was finally beginning to feel normal again. More Canadians were becoming fully vaccinated against the virus, further restrictions were loosening and McMaster University students were expecting an in-person start of the winter semester.
However, case counts, reopening plans and holiday trips all took a sharp turn with the emergence of the new SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant and concerns around mental health in the pandemic were again exacerbated.
In response to the ongoing mental health challenges, YWCA Hamilton’s Join program, Speqtrum and the RISE Collective hosted a three-part workshop with guest speaker Abrar Mechmechia, a mental health counsellor based in Hamilton, on navigating mental health for 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers from November to January.
The Join program is a settlement program for women, youth and 2SLGBTQIA+ immigrants; Speqtrum is a skill-sharing and community building program for 2SLGBTQIA+ youths; and the RISE Collective is a youth-led collective for women, non-binary and gender fluid youths.
The first workshop of the series on Nov. 17 discussed pandemic exhaustion and its impact on mental health.
“[We] talked about noticing our bodies and . . . skills and reflections we could be doing to better understand our inner self,” said Noura Afify, 2SLGBTQIA+ Newcomer Youth Support Worker.
“[We] talked about noticing our bodies and . . . skills and reflections we could be doing to better understand our inner self,”
Noura Afify, 2SLGBTQIA+ Newcomer Youth Support Worker
The second workshop on Dec. 1 addressed the effects of trauma and triggers on mental health. For many 2SLGBTQIA+ newcomers and other marginalized folks, pandemic fatigue compounded with pre-existing trauma results in unique mental health challenges.
The third workshop on Jan. 5 focused on self-coping tools and how to navigate the mental health system.
At the workshops, Mechmechia also shared some of her findings from a survey of youths between the ages 15-29 in Canada to measure the impact of COVID-19 pandemic on mental health and well-being of marginalized youth and identify accessibility barriers to mental health services.
The preliminary findings from the survey highlighted key issues in accessibility of mental health services, financial barriers, lack of cultural competency, ineffective treatment, stigma and academic support.
For instance, 98% of respondents reported receiving long-term affordable care was a challenge. Cultural incompetency also led to folks being unable to access or not seeking help again. Those in school or post-secondary education reported increases in workload and the need for peer support programs.
The survey was a part of Mechmechia’s In This Together campaign, which launched in February 2021, to call on the federal and provincial governments to establish a post-pandemic mental health recovery plan for youths, especially for those who identify as Black, Indigenous, people of colour, newcomers, disabled or 2SLGBTQIA+.
Based on the research, Mechmechia and team highlighted the importance of increasing affordability and accessibility of mental health services, investing in ethnocultural services and providers and offering holistic support. They have also written an open letter to the government outlining recommendations to improve the current mental health support for youth, including the implementation of the post-pandemic mental health recovery plan. The letter has been endorsed by over 300 folks.
Despite the low turnout to the newcomer workshop series which took place on Zoom and challenges using interpreters for group sessions, Afify says it was well-received by the folks who participated.
“Folks were sharing and opening up. They were also understanding each other and compassionate towards each other sharing. I really enjoyed that part and that to me is a success in itself — that folks felt safe enough in this space to share and explore ideas and exchange information about how we cope differently and accept,” said Afify.
"I really enjoyed that part and that to me is a success in itself — that folks felt safe enough in this space to share and explore ideas and exchange information about how we cope differently and accept,"
Noura Afify, 2SLGBTQIA+ Newcomer Youth Support Worker
The impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on people’s mental health are leading to a global mental health crisis. Particularly for marginalized folks who are already healing from or dealing with existing traumas, the added stress and complexity of the pandemic has created further burden and barriers. The past workshops are one of the many programs and services offered by the YWCA, Speqtrum, RISE Collective and the In This Together campaign to address this challenge.
There are workshops and events lined up for newcomers, youth, women and folks in marginalized communities every day at the YMCA. Speqtrum will also have a session on navigating gender affirming healthcare with live interpretations for newcomers and an at-home treasure hunt coming up.
C/O Lianhao Qu
The Silhouette: Please introduce yourself.
Lianhao Qu: My name is Lianhao. I'm in my second year of [the health sciences program] and specializing in child health. My pronouns are he/him.
What drew you to photography?
I think it was when my dad bought me my first [digital single-lens reflex camera] for Christmas in my second year of high school. I think my dad mainly wanted it for family photos since I'm the designated family photographer. But then I got distracted because we go in nature a lot. I took fewer photos of my parents and my sister and just started shooting nature. This eventually progressed to the city, architecture and it evolved from there.
What subjects inspire you?
I usually lean towards landscape photography. I’m mostly in the city so it usually ends up being a lot of city architecture. I've also tried to get into shooting candid photos of strangers. I just basically go into the city, [with] no plan whatsoever, and take a photo of whatever catches my eye. But really, it's just shooting anything in the streets. Whether it's the buildings around you, the way the light reflects off the water or the water reflecting buildings. Small things like that.
How long have you been interested in photography?
I only really got into it in my later years of high school. I really enjoyed photography as a hobby and sometimes as a side hustle too. There was one summer where I was a freelance photographer. I worked with a union at one point and I was the photographer for this unit who was a part of the parade for the Caribana Festival. I got to go early in the morning and see all the dancers prep and everything. It was a fun experience — definitely out of my comfort zone — but it was a nice change.
Out of your own photos, do you have any favourites?
I think this one's the most pleasant for me to look at. It's just very calm and is a nice background to look at. This was in North Bay at Lake Nipissing right after dinner. I had to leave dinner, actually, run to my hotel to grab my stuff and then I ran back to the lake just to make it in time. I set the tripod up in the water and I looked ridiculous. The hotel owner saw me suddenly running around the street. But the photo is nice.
And then there's this photo. The style is different from what I usually do. This is when quarantine happened. I just searched around for ideas so I could take photos at home. I had the knife already pre-stabbed into the cutting board and one of the apple halves hanging from above. There was a flashlight above too and the lighting is very botched because you have to take this at a very high shutter speed. My mom had to splash water and drop the apple and then I just had to go to take the photo at the right moment.
This is my most viewed photo. As popular as this photo is, I'm not a big fan of it. I think the main reason is this was one of the first photos that kind of blew up. This is when I first got into editing as well. So, to me, the colours here are so saturated and if you look in the far distance, you can see the colours are off.
What is the hardest aspect of photography for you?
Sometimes you go to extreme lengths just to get the right angle for a photo so you look kind of weird. On the first day, it can be frightening when you're in public and you're holding this huge camera and you just stop in the middle of the road. But you have to get rid of that scary thought of how you look in public. I stopped caring what people think of me and I stop in the middle of the road. I don't recommend doing exactly that but the thrill of the photo also makes it fun. Another thing is not forcing yourself to find that perfect angle or photo. Most of my photos I find nice are complete accidents. Usually I'm planning how to get there and how to set up my stuff to take that photo but sometimes it just doesn't turn out the way you want. The photos you take some other day tend to be a lot better and they tend to be complete accidents. Let it come naturally. Don't force it.
C/O Strathcona Market
Strathcona Market opens up following Mustard Seed Co+op closure
As convenient as Fortino’s and Food Basics may be for your Tuesday grocery run, the big-box grocery stores aren’t the only available options when it comes to stocking your fridge. The newly opened Strathcona Market, located on York Blvd., is a new one-stop-shop for local food and produce just a bus ride away from Mac campus.
MRKTBOX, the company behind Strathcona Market, opened their first physical space at Dundurn Market in West Hamilton in 2018. Only six months ago, they opened Ottawa Market on Ottawa Street, now followed by the new opening of Strathcona Market.
After the closing of The Mustard Seed Co+op in August 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Strathcona Market emerged in its spot at 460 York Blvd. to carry on the Mustard Seed’s legacy of ethically sourced local foods. Given the existing infrastructure and functionality of the space, the transition was a natural step to fill the gap left in the Hamilton community.
“It was very disappointing to hear that the Mustard Seed was closing because they were a pioneer in the local food community, creating a space for properly curated goods . . . There was clearly a loss in terms of the community and their feedback on social media, so it was an opportunity we were given that we also couldn’t pass up,” said Mackenzie Brown, Head of Produce and Communications Manager at Strathcona Market.
The new space at Strathcona Market has allowed MRKTBOX to expand their operations through much needed square footage, a new shipping and receiving center and a parking lot at the market.
Brown described the Strathcona Market as similar to a farmer’s market, operating every day, year-round. The new space functions as both a grocery store and cafe space — a hub for local produce and food.
“Strathcona Market is a multidimensional business that aims to support and uplift the local community by being a central point for local vendors, farmers and otherwise known creators in the city. We want to highlight and celebrate the sort of local food industry and almost create more food security within Hamilton and the greater area. It's hard to actually create a local food stable community unless you have businesses like ours,” explained Brown.
"Strathcona Market is a multidimensional business that aims to support and uplift the local community by being a central point for local vendors, farmers and otherwise known creators in the city."
Mackenzie Brown, Head of Produce and Communications Manager at Strathcona Market
The foods sold at Strathcona Market are sourced with an attention to local, organic and ethically produced products. All local foods come from farmers and businesses within 100 kilometers of the Hamilton area, though sourcing can be variable depending on the in-season produce available.
In the market, the kitchen team can be found manning the in-house cafe to create fresh salads, sandwiches, coffee and more using a selection of local produce.
“You can also see a lot of Hamilton all in one spot. We have butchers from Ottawa Street, which is all the way on the East End. We have local farmers growing in the Hamilton area that sell their goods here in the summer. You can buy fresh bread from three local bakeries that are all in Hamilton. Just coming to Strathcona Market, you're getting your morning coffee and getting all the groceries that you need for the week. You're actually supporting half a dozen to over a dozen local businesses with one purchase,” said Brown.
"Just coming to Strathcona Market, you're getting your morning coffee and getting all the groceries that you need for the week. You're actually supporting half a dozen to over a dozen local businesses with one purchase."
Mackenzie Brown, Head of Produce and Communications Manager at Strathcona Market
For those unable to visit Strathcona Market’s physical space, MRKTBOX has grocery delivery services available, delivered to your doorstep. Market Boxes can be customized weekly with a new assortment of local and organic produce and artisan items for a convenient way to shop local.
For students, a visit to Strathcona Market means not only a way to get out and explore Hamilton, but also to support and give back to the local community.
C/O Uta Scholl, Unsplash
With the rising COVID-19 cases in Ontario, many spent their holidays differently than expected
Prior to the outbreak of the Omicron variant, which began in Ontario at the end of November, the COVID-19 case count had remained relatively stable for most of fall. The lower case counts allowed the province to keep services such as gyms, theatres and indoor dining spaces open. They also allowed individuals to gather in larger groups and travel outside of the country.
The Omicron outbreak sparked a change in these public health guidelines, meaning that many Ontario residents were left spending their holidays in ways that they did not expect to.
Emily Osborne, a second-year student at McMaster University, described how COVID-19 impacted her ability to work over the holidays. Osborne works as a bartender in Hamilton and was planning on remaining in Hamilton to work for much of the winter break; however, she was unable to do so, due to the closure of indoor dining in Ontario.
“I was going to work 70 to 80 hours over the three weeks [of the winter break], but I ended up just working 25 or 30, I think, in the first week. And then we had the first set of restrictions that moved our close time to ten instead of 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. and then we had the new set of restrictions that completely closed indoor dining,” explained Osborne.
Despite feeling disappointed at not being able to work as much as planned, Osborne expressed that her situation over the winter break could have been worse.
“I didn't need those shifts and I feel bad for people who were actually really depending on the break [as a] source of income,” said Osborne.
“I didn't need those shifts and I feel bad for people who were actually really depending on the break [as a] source of income.”
Emily Osborne, second-year student at McMaster University
Maia Poon, another second-year student at McMaster, explained that COVID-19 changed her original winter break plans, which were to explore the city of Toronto. Originally from Vancouver, Poon spent the winter break with her grandparents in Scarborough and was looking forward to experiencing an Ontario winter.
“Because I was living with my grandparents [and] with the new COVID numbers, we ended up staying at home and walking outside in our neighborhood, rather than going out to places. So yeah, it was definitely pretty different than we'd imagined,” said Poon.
“Because I was living with my grandparents [and] with the new COVID numbers, we ended up staying at home and walking outside in our neighborhood, rather than going out to places. So yeah, it was definitely pretty different than we'd imagined.”
Maia Poon, second-year student at McMaster University
For Poon, her changing winter break plans were mostly a result of her desire to be cautious, rather than it being a reaction to public health guidelines. Since Poon was living with her grandparents, who she explained are immunocompromised, she was especially concerned about COVID-19 over the winter break.
After a winter break that, for many McMaster students, did not go as planned, the return to school this semester will be different as well, with many classes online until Feb. 7.
Poon said that she would still be returning to Hamilton at the end of the winter break; however, due to the increasing COVID-19 case count, Poon said that she would be getting a ride from a family member, rather than taking public transit.
Osborne, who is located in Oakville, said that she would likely remain at home for a few more weeks following the start of school on Jan. 10.
For Kimia Tahaei, a second-year McMaster student living in Iran, the Omicron variant has complicated her return to McMaster even more.
“I was about to come [to Canada]. My ticket was actually for Dec. 24, so about two weeks ago. And then, when they announced that because of the Omicron variant they're going to delay the school being in person for a week, I just assumed they [would] keep on doing that. So, I just canceled my ticket,” said Tahaei.
Tahaei explained that since she began attending McMaster in fall of 2020, she has had to pay fees to move and cancel flights numerous times, in response to changing statements about a return to in-person learning. Due to this, she opted to cancel her flight rather than push it back.
“The Omicron variant obviously made [planning to come to Hamilton] a lot tougher, because I know it's not the university's fault and it's not the government's fault. Everyone is uncertain. No one knows what to do, but that just puts extra pressure on people who are living abroad,” said Tahaei.
“The Omicron variant obviously made [planning to come to Hamilton] a lot tougher, because I know it's not the university's fault and it's not the government's fault. Everyone is uncertain. No one knows what to do, but that just puts extra pressure on people who are living abroad.”
Kimia Tahaei, Second-year Student At McMaster University
Whether it’s students who live near or far from McMaster, this winter, the Omicron outbreak has placed additional hurdles to many plans. With public health officials predicting that the outbreak has yet to reach its peak, McMaster’s plan for return is still up for changes as the university continues to follow public health guidelines.
