C/O David Menidrey, Unsplash
As fall holidays approach, the Ontario government releases guidelines for Thanksgiving, Remembrance Day and Halloween events
Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, last year’s Halloween looked very different than a regular year’s, as was the case for other fall holidays such as Thanksgiving.
In 2020, traditional door-to-door trick or treating was not recommended for York, Peel, Toronto and Ottawa public health regions. Although some other regions were allowed to celebrate Halloween trick or treating, the Ontario government asked that extra precautions be taken.
This #Halloween, traditional door-to-door trick or treating is not recommended for @YorkRegionGovt, @cityoftoronto, @regionofpeel & @ottawacity #PublicHealth regions due to high transmission of #COVID19. Stay safe & follow public health advice. https://t.co/eXAwIUuTz6 pic.twitter.com/rzXCHffTBc
— Ontario Ministry of Health (@ONThealth) October 19, 2020
This year, due to vaccinations and lower case counts, individuals of all age groups should find themselves able to celebrate Halloween this year. These precautions are important for McMaster University students to consider, whether they go trick or treating alone or with friends and family.
For children in Ontario, this means that trick or treating will be able to go ahead, but with some precautions.
These precautions include remaining outdoors as much as possible, wearing masks, avoiding crowds, maintaining physical distancing when possible, interacting with others for only brief periods of time and using hand sanitizer.
“Be creative; fashion a face covering into your costume design, but remember a costume mask is no substitute for a proper face covering,” said Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer, in his address to the province.
“Be creative; fashion a face covering into your costume design, but remember a costume mask is no substitute for a proper face covering.”
Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer
Disinfecting pre-packaged candies is not among the precautions necessary for those going trick or treating this year.
Along with Halloween-related guidelines, the province also released similar sets of guidelines for Thanksgiving and Remembrance day. These guidelines emphasize minimizing the number of people attending events, using outdoor spaces and sanitizing regularly.
Hosting #Thanksgiving dinner at your house this year?
— Ontario Ministry of Health (@ONThealth) October 9, 2021
Remember that knowing someone does not reduce the risk of transmitting #COVID19. Keep following good #PublicHealth practices: https://t.co/391DaQMi5I
#CelebrateSafely pic.twitter.com/3w2GkrpJN1
People should also adhere to the current provincial gathering limits set at 100 people outdoors and 25 people indoors.
If a gathering includes vaccinated and unvaccinated people, Moore advises that masks stay on even indoors. This is especially important for older people and those with chronic medical conditions.
For all three holidays, the province emphasized the importance of staying home and engaging in a virtual celebration for individuals showing any symptoms of COVID-19.
Moore noted that this applies to all individuals, regardless of the severity of symptoms.
“If you are sick, even with mild symptoms, you should not be participating in social events like Halloween,” said Moore.
“If you are sick, even with mild symptoms, you should not be participating in social events like Halloween."
Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer
As well, the province emphasized that, especially for those individuals who are unvaccinated or at an elevated risk for COVID-19, the safest way to gather continues to be on virtual platforms.
“We know from experience [that] it is exactly these kinds of events that can lead to spikes in transmission. But, provided we do our best to follow the guidelines in place, we can enjoy some well-deserved time with friends and family while also keeping our community transmission low,” explained Moore.
“We know from experience [that] it is exactly these kinds of events that can lead to spikes in transmission. But, provided we do our best to follow the guidelines in place, we can enjoy some well-deserved time with friends and family while also keeping our community transmission low.”
Kieran Moore, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer
As of Oct. 8, the Ontario government has now administered 22 million doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. Those who are not vaccinated can book their vaccination on the Ontario website at: https://covid-19.ontario.ca/covid-19-vaccines-ontario.
It is important for McMaster students to consider all necessary precautions as they plan their fall festivities. By remaining aware of government recommendations and regulations, students can ensure that they are protecting themselves and those around them.
By: Jamie Hillman
Dear Neighbours,
As a retired trick-or-treater, I have experienced many a Halloween throughout the years. And through this, I've managed to develop a route in my neighbourhood that only includes the 'good houses.'
By that, I'm referring to those awesome neighbours that give out cans of pop, and the full size chocolate bars. Score. And I am confident I can speak on behalf of all the candy-hunting witches, ghosts, and vampires when I say that there is absolutely nothing worse than eagerly knocking on a door, full of hope and a need for sugar, only to discover a bowl full of apples greeting you on the other side. We can all share in that sensation of disappointment as we put on a fake smile, and mutter a monotone, “thank you,” before running off to the next house.
We know you have the best intentions, but Halloween is the one night of the year that we are allowed to indulge in sweet treats without punishment from our parents. Apples just weigh down our bag, and I hate to break it to you, but they always end up as puréed mush on the side of the road once we're out of sight. It's not just fruit that can ruin our Halloween haul though; I know I always dreaded getting those McDonalds coupons that expired within a week, and those awful brown, chewy candies that get stuck in your teeth. Also, we could really live without a ballpoint pen obnoxiously advertising your company, or even worse - a toothbrush.
There are so many great options being thrown in your face as you walk into the grocery store, so there really is no reason why unsuspecting children should end up with a handful of loose peanuts and scotch mints at the bottom of their bag at the end of the evening.
Even though you might be the sweetest old lady on the block, we've been programmed since our very first Halloween not to accept any homemade goods as they've obviously been poisoned. It may seem ungrateful to complain about free candy, but let's face it, there are just certain products that merit more when making trades at the end of the night. So, when debating what to hand out at the door this year, don't rummage through your cupboards for some old boxes of raisins - just stick to the basics, and hopefully you'll make it on to the 'good house' list for next year.
Sincerely,
Ex trick-or-treater
Halloween has always been a fun and festive time of the year where it is finally socially acceptable to put on a ridiculous outfit and demand free candy from your neighbours. And although many a student these days refrains from the routine knocking on doors and sugar seeking, All Hallows Eve can still merit a good time via costumes and the handing out of candy, rather than the gathering of it.
By taking on the task of giving instead of receiving, trick-or-treating receives a breath of new life and a positive spin for students, as Engineers Without Borders (EWB) puts on their costumes and struts the streets with a determination to promote fair trade goods in and around the McMaster neighborhood.
After multiple years of travelling around Hamilton, “Reverse Trick-or-Treating” returns on Wednesday Oct. 31, as EWB commits to their fair trade initiative by handing out Camino brand, fairly-traded chocolate and information packages to homes neighboring Mac’s campus.
“We try to change our route every year to cover more ground and spread the message farther into the community,” explains Dany Mejia, Fair Trade Director of the EWB McMaster Chapter. “We’ll hand out chocolates to students during the day on campus, but we mainly try to target family homes while reverse trick-or-treating.”
EWB is set-up with a variety of different teams catering to the different goals of the organization, including a specific branch for fair trade initiatives. For this particular activity, not only will the FT group be setting out into the community, but the entire Mac chapter will be sporting creative fair trade costumes and helping with the cause.
“A few of our team members will be dressed in banana costumes with giant fair trade logo stickers,” states Mejia. “The costumes help develop the theme of the evening and encourages discussion about what we’re promoting.”
This activity is just one of the many events EWB hopes to present this year in order to help achieve a Fair Trade Campus status for McMaster. Mejia, who is currently spearheading the initiative for a Fair Trade Campus, explains that last year brought about discussion with the Sustainability Office, the Dean, and Hospitality Services while looking into the promotion of this ideology. Mejia along with her team are currently looking into further developing these conversations and continuing the campaign to promote fair trade goods and services on campus.
Run through Fairtrade Canada, the Fair Trade Campus status was first achieved by the University of British Columbia in January of 2011. To achieve this status, a series of standards must be met that fall under the categories of Availability, Visibility and Committee.
In terms of Availability, EWB is working to have on-campus restaurants provide fair trade options. For instance, the MSU’s Union Market has already adopted the sale of fair trade tea, coffee and chocolate.
Working towards the goals of Visibility, EWB’s ventures, such as the reverse trick-or-treating along with their other events, like the fair trade candy grams that were handed out last year at Valentine’s Day, are used to promote information about the cause and make their efforts visible to the Mac community.
And for the Committee aspect, EWB, specifically their fair trade team, is working hard to keep up their game and continue to have a community representing their goals and aspirations for the cause.
As Engineers Without Borders continues to work towards the promotion of fair trade, look forward to hearing more about new product offerings and information on upcoming events and activities. And next Wednesday, remember to also keep your eyes peeled for do-gooder bananas handing out chocolates in a neighborhood near you.
