As we pass the one-year mark of the COVID-19 pandemic, a lot of changes have occurred in our city. Our schools, homes, businesses, and workplaces – all have been subject to incredible stresses. But at the same time, Calgarians have shown incredible resilience to this global health crisis.
The students in the photojournalism major program at the Southern Alberta Institute of Technology were tasked with chronicling Calgary’s response to COVID-19 in visuals. This “Day in the Life” project (as it is known) is a photographic exploration of our city in a 24-hour period. All the photographs you see here were collected on March 11, 2021 from 12:00 a.m. to 11:59 p.m.
Maintaining strict safety measures throughout the project, our students safely painted an overall picture of what everyday Calgarians are going through as they grapple with the pandemic. Our students have learned how each of these smaller stories can build upon the larger narrative of a much larger story – some even chronicling their very own struggles. I hope you can take a moment to enjoy the great work our students have done on this important story.
Holly Sypher poses for a portrait in the early morning at Black Sheep Bakery in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Sypher begins her morning at 4 am, getting croissants and baguettes ready for the customers of the day. Sypher is an apprentice baker, and will finish her final year at SAIT in March. (Photo by Christopher Landry/The Press) 04Holly Sypher shapes baguettes for baking in the early morning at Black Sheep Bakery in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Sypher is an apprentice baker, and will finish her final year at SAIT in March. (Photo by Christopher Landry/The Press) 04Majrlo Atis prepares to play a game on his computer on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. Video games have become a significant past time activity as COVID-19 restrictions prevent people from many other activities. (Photo by Rouland Majrlo Atis/SAIT)Kieran Sanfranfitsgeorge sharpens a pair of skates in Cochrane on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Sanfranfitsgeorge is the head tech at Sportchek in Cochrane, and works on bikes, skis, snowboards and skates. (Photo by Blake Speers/SAIT)The sun sets over the cold Calgary cityscape as the steam rises from the buildings on February 11, 2021. (Photo by Jacquelyn Burchell/SAIT)City transit stations had low volume on February 11, 2021. Getting around town requires lots of layers during a polar vortex. (Photo by Jacquelyn Burchell/SAIT)Equipped with walking poles and warm winter clothing, a dog walker strolls up a hill at Nose Hill Park on February 11, 2021. Hanging out at the dog park requires lots of layers during a polar vortex. (Photo by Jacquelyn Burchell/SAIT)University of Calgary student, Sarah Elphick attends online class from her Calgary home on February 11, 2021. Elphick’s fourth year of her communications degree looks a little bit different because of Covid-19. Establishing an appropriate at-home workspace has been the biggest challenge as she and her roommate both attend school full time in their small apartment. (Photo by Jacquelyn Burchell/SAIT)Executive director of the Kensington Business Revitalization Zone, Annie MacInnis and her dog Lucy take the to the streets of Kensington on February 11, 2021. MacInnis has dedicated 18 years to improving the Kensington area and has spearheaded a great number of projects and initiatives to promote the businesses in the community. (Photo by Jacquelyn Burchell/SAIT)Calgary sunrise on February 11, 2021. In spite of the city’s polar vortex, the morning sun brings warm light across the city skyline. (Photo by Jacquelyn Burchell/SAIT)Capone, the official greeter dog for Greenhawk Equestrian Sport in Calgary, sits patiently as he waits for a staff member to feed him a treat. Capone has been at the store for many years and often hangs out behind the front desk during the day. (Photo by Jessica Dezall/The Press)Caitlin Johnson works the front desk at the Greenhawk Equestrian Sport store in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Johnson has been working at Greenhawk for about three months. The hardest part about COVID-19 was taking the first semester of her science degree at university online. “That was probably one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.” (Photo by Jessica Dezall/The Press) Image shot at 14Myk Huang, one of the owners of Thé Moon, poses for a portrait in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Thé Moon opened in 2020 just before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and the business has had to adapt to the challenges of shipping delays and pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Dre Kwong/The Press)Myk Huang, one of the owners of Thé Moon, takes an order in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Thé Moon opened in 2020 just before COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, and the business has had to adapt to the challenges of shipping delays and pandemic restrictions. (Photo by Dre Kwong/The Press)The sun rises over Calgary’s downtown during a cold morning in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Today is the coldest day of the recent cold snap that Calgarians have been experiencing since the middle of last week. At the time of shooting, the temperature was -30ºC with windchill making it feel like -40ºC to -45ºC. (Photo by Dre Kwong/The Press)Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, public transport ridership has decreased in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Peak hour on public transport used to be a little more claustrophobic. The CTrain was perhaps even more quiet than usual (in our new normal) because schools in the area were not in session today. (Photo by Dre Kwong/The Press)Prior to the pandemic, Park and Ride locations would be completely full during peak hours in Calgary. Peak hour on a weekday used to run from 6:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. (Photo by Dre Kwong/The Press)Daren Hinton stands inside Lakeview Bakery in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. The family run business has been serving Calgarians for 31 years, this year. Hinton’s father started the business because he was a baker, and now, Hinton manages the daily operations of the bakery. He also has a location on 90th St. called Lakeview on 90th Gluten-Free. (Photo by Dre Kwong/The Press)A woman walks along a walking path in Crescent Heights in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. The province has been under an extreme cold warning this week, and Environment Canada issues cold warnings when cold temperatures creates an elevated risk to health. (Photo by Paula Angel/The Press)A man enjoys the sunny day walking along Valley Ridge in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. The province has been under an extreme cold warning this week, and Environment Canada issues cold warnings when cold temperatures creates an elevated risk to health. (Photo by Paula Angel/The Press)Matthew Hayhurst enjoys his break from morning work zoom meetings on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021 in Calgary. Hayhurst is a search engine optimization specialist who has been working from home since last March after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions closed businesses. (Photo by Chelsea Blyth/The Press)Day home provider Maria Lastimosa and her kids watch a movie together on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Lastimosa has been a day home provider since 1997. The pandemic has dramatically reduced the number of kids Lastimosa can take in at her day home. (Photo by Rouland Majrlo Atis/SAIT)Jonathan Pulyk stands in front of his place of work at Save on Foods in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Pulyk has worked for the grocery chain for four years now, and claims the last year has been one of the most challenging . (Photo by Christopher Anderson/SAIT)A student sits alone on the University of Calgary campus on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. During the lunch hour, trying to find a place to study is usually an impossible task. As the pandemic reaches the one-year mark, students now have their pick of any place in any building. (Photo by Christopher Anderson/SAIT)Flower shop owner Kim Edwards fixes a bouquet of flowers in her business in the Deer Valley mall in SE Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Edwards is the third owner of the Deer Valley Florist, which has been around since the 1980s. (Photo by Katharyn Sotvedt/The Press)Photographer Katharyn Sotvedt demonstrates the frost that accumulated on her after only 30 minutes in the extreme cold while shooting around Fish Creek Park in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. (Photo by Katharyn Sotvedt/The Press)A man crosses the Peace Bridge on a cold morning in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. A cold weather warning was put in place, with temperatures hitting a low of -30 degrees celsius. (Photo by Christopher Landry/The Press)Melodiya records owner Eddie Dalrymple talks to a customer about available records in Calgary on Feb, 11th 2021. Dalrymple said that business has been unusually high lately due to people wanting to expand their record collection due to being in their homes a lot. (Photo by Eric Severtson/SAIT)Calgary Police Service member, and high school resource officer, Paul Carter gets some paperwork done in his Forest Lawn High School office in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Although the school was largely empty, due to a teachers conference, a police presence is still required to deter possible incidents. Just one week prior, shots had been fired at the school, setting off a school-wide lockdown. (Photo by Jack Carter/The Press)Calgary Police Service member, and high school resource officer, Paul Carter patrols the hallways at Forest Lawn High School in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Although the school was largely empty, due to a teachers conference, a police presence is still required to deter possible incidents. Just one week prior, shots had been fired at the school, setting off a school-wide lockdown. (Photo by Jack Carter/The Press)Jeff Nechka inspects a piece of jewellery at his office on 17 avenue SW in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Nechka is often quite busy in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day working with polished precious and semi-precious gemstones. (Photo by Paula Angel/The Press)Stacey Selley poses for a portrait at Bamboo Ballroom Boutique on 17th Avenue SW in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. The fashion store traditionally sees plenty of walk-in traffic as people come to try on new outfits. Since the pandemic began, this part of her business has been non-existent. (Photo by Paula Angel/The Press)Leni stands behind the counter at Pizza Bob’s, where she has worked for over a decade, in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Pizza Bob’s was founded almost 50 years ago and has been a hub for the Parkdale community. Before the pandemic, customers could come to the restaurant and expect to see music, comedy and other live entertainment while enjoying pizza and draft beer. (Photo by Sarah B Groot/The Press) Kamil Krulis poses on the stage at Pizza Bob’s in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Pizza Bob’s was founded almost 50 years ago and has been a hub for the Parkdale community. Before the pandemic, customers could come to the restaurant and expect to see music, comedy and other live entertainment while enjoying pizza and draft beer. (Photo by Sarah B Groot/The Press) Leni peers through the kitchen window at Pizza Bob’s, where she has worked for over a decade, in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Pizza Bob’s was founded almost 50 years ago and has been a hub for the Parkdale community. Before the pandemic, customers could come to the restaurant and expect to see music, comedy and other live entertainment while enjoying pizza and draft beer. (Photo by Sarah B Groot/The Press) Tash Lee, a server at Limericks Traditional Public House in Calgary, poses for a portrait behind the bar on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. While Calgarians grapple with freezing temperatures and a pandemic, the easing of restrictions for pubs and restaurants like Limerick’s has been a welcome respite. (Photo by Sarah B Groot/The Press)A security guard looks around the Devonian Gardens in The Core shopping centre in downtown Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Before the pandemic, the gardens were a popular lunch spot for downtown office workers. Now, with most downtown employees working from home, the gardens are a quiet place for people to seek refuge from the frigid temperatures outside. (Photo by Sarah B Groot/The Press)Steam rises from the Bow River in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Today is the coldest day so far this year in the city with a low of -32. (Photo by Sarah B Groot/The Press)The sun rises on a cold morning in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. A cold weather warning was put in place, with temperatures hitting a low of -30 degrees celsius. (Photo by Christopher Landry/The Press)
