Tona Aboaba is managing on a small budget after being laid-off. | Photo by Dan Walton
As nearly everybody in the country adjusts to social distancing, and isolation continues to interfere with careers, relationships and spiritual communities, newer Canadians and non-citizens face an extra layer of challenges.
In response to the COVID-19 outbreak, those arriving in Canada are under mandatory 14-day quarantine, private gatherings are under heavy restrictions, and borders have been closed to non-essential travel. However, many exemptions exist.
“’Essential’ is a vague and arbitrary term,” notes Seth Abrutyn, associate professor of sociology at the University of British Columbia (UBC). “When Canada initially closed the border to the United States, exceptions and exclusions were made, with more exceptions for family and essential travel.”
Among the exceptions are temporary foreign workers. Abrutyn suspects representatives for the agricultural industry may have lobbied in hopes of this outcome. “The industry itself collapsing would be a huge economic dent,” he says.
Workers vulnerable to health challenges
Other industries are also at risk. “Those working in the service industry, doing domestic labour, working as nannies and housekeepers – folks like that often tend to be immigrants who come from more impoverished backgrounds,” explains Abrutyn.
Seth Abrutyn, associate professor
of sociology at UBC. | Photo courtesy of UBC
In many cases, foreign workers can be at greater risk of contracting the virus, as they are often required to travel to many different job sites and housed in densely populated areas.
While such workers may face a greater risk of exposure to the virus at their workplaces, employment opportunities of any kind have become scarce. Layoffs due to the virus have caused a considerable portion of job opportunities to dry up, with over one million Canadians applying for employment insurance last month.
Abrutyn’s career has been largely focused on mental health and suicide prevention. While it may be too early to identify the effects mass isolation is having on any population, he suspects the circumstances will be challenging for those already experiencing feelings of loneliness and hopelessness. “This is not gonna be good, it’s likely to exacerbate underlying feelings.”
After just a few weeks into isolation, Abrutyn doesn’t see the virus resulting in many extra suicides. However, he predicts that “in a month or two, people who are already struggling may be more prone to considering it.”
Finding community in isolation
While measures implemented to slow the spread of the virus are forcing friends and neighbours to remain physically apart, isolation has caused many people to connect with their community in new ways.
Abrutyn’s family lives in a home with four units, and while the neighbours all knew each other before the outbreak, they now text each other more often and help where they can.
With several major religious holidays approaching in April, many spiritual traditions will probably not take place at places of worship. Jewish people begin Passover on April 8, Christians celebrate Easter on April 12, and Muslims observe the start of Ramadan on April 23.
“A significant number of synagogues and churches are offering more online services and pastoral care,” Abrutyn says. “People will have to be separated, and it’ll be what it is. But it will make for some memorable stories because it’s going to create some unique experiences.”
Coping as an ethnic Canadian
For Tona Aboaba, a 32-year-old Nigerian immigrant who moved to Canada in 2010, the recent popularity of online pastoral services has allowed him to reconnect with his former church community in the city of Lagos. Since he can no longer attend local services in Vancouver, and despite being eight time zones behind, he is able to reminisce with his old community by connecting to a church in Africa from his bedroom.
“Lagos is the Toronto of Nigeria – crazy busy,” he explains. “Everything in Nigeria is larger than life. You would see people dancing till their clothes are almost falling off, sweating, all overjoyed. It was loud, it was like a mini concert but dedicated to God.”
Due to the virus, Aboaba was laid off from his full-time sales job in March. He has applied for employment insurance and is managing a tight budget in the meantime. Since being stuck at home in isolation, he passes the time at home by reading or watching movies, going for runs, and driving to stretch and get fresh air. “It helps balance things out so I’m not staring at grey walls all day,” he says.
Aboaba tries to stay informed about the virus, but to ease his anxiety over the situation he limits the amount of news he consumes. And although he is ready for things to go back to normal, he is focused on building and strengthening connections as much as possible from home – locally and internationally.
