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Canadians share personal stories of how they're coping during the pandemic

Canadians share personal stories of how they're coping during the pandemic

The COVID-19 pandemic has severely disrupted lives across the country — affecting work, school, family and the economy.

Several provinces are now in the midst of the pandemic's second wave, which is breaking records for case counts and straining health-care systems. Over 12,000 Canadians have died since the pandemic began.

CBC's The Nationalhosted a special broadcast on Tuesday evening, to address some of the issues people, and the country, are facing.

Canadians shared their stories about how they're coping with the pandemic, and their concerns for what's ahead. They included:

Mom worried about her kids' mental health

Leah Gibbons is a school bus driver and mother of six who lives in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut. She's currently not working because schools are closed and is concerned about how her kids will cope with being stuck indoors during a long winter. Both Gibbons and her husband are trying to make ends meet as the bills continue to pile up.

Restaurant manger concerned if industry will survive

Toronto restaurant manager Meaghan Murray has worked in the hospitality industry for over two decades and has seen her hours drastically reduced due to the pandemic. She's started a few side hustles, including a soup business, but it's not enough to cover her expenses. Murray says she's uncertain about what will be next for her career, and the industry overall.

Realtors worried what 2nd wave means for work, home life

Beth and Ryan Waller moved to Guelph, Ont., to raise their family and launch a real estate company in 2008. Helping guide their three daughters through homeschooling and missing their friends has been challenging, as is working from home. But they are also anticipating the uncertainty of the real estate market, as infections continue to rise in Ontario.

Gym owner trying to stay profitable

Jennifer Lau opened her small business, a boutique gym in Toronto, in the summer of 2019. They were only open for a few months before the first lockdown happened in March. Lau worries she's not receiving enough financial support to keep the gym from shutting down permanently and wonders if the business will survive the second lockdown.

Nurse hopes pandemic has shown importance of community

Verena Rizg, a nurse practitioner with the Canadian Armed Forces, says she interacts with people suffering every day. But she's also seen communities working hard to support one another. She hopes that behaviour remains when the crisis is over.

Logistics co-ordinator faces challenges of living alone in Nunavut

Randy Miller has lived in Nunavut for 35 years and works as a logistics co-ordinator for Nunavut Canada. But while he'd usually visit friends and family in the South several times a year, his visits have been cut due to the pandemic. He says living alone without a reprieve has been difficult.