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. She started her position in July, after being laid off from the Fairmont Hotel due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Sypher is an apprentice baker, and will finish her final year at SAIT in March. (Photo by Christopher Landry/The Press)Holly Sypher shapes baguettes for baking 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. She started her position in July, after being laid off from the Fairmont Hotel due to the COVID 19 pandemic. Sypher is an apprentice baker, and will finish her final year at SAIT in March. (Photo by Christopher Landry/The Press)Majrlo Atis prepares to play a game on his computer on Sunday, Feb. 14, 2021. Atis has been playing games since he was a young child. Starting with a Super Nintendo back in the 90s Atis has grown his gaming passion. Though, he is unable to play as much as he used to, he often enjoys playing games with his friends on his computer. (Photo by Rouland Majrlo Atis/SAIT)Kieran Sanfranfitsgeorge grinding skates in Cochrane on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Kieran is the head tech at Sport Chek in Cochrane, he works on bikes, skis/snowboards and skates. (Photo by Blake Speers/SAIT)Calgary sunset on February 11, 2021. The blue skies fade too dark as the cold accentuates the steam coming from the city trying to stay warm. (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)Dog walkers bundled up 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. Making an at home workspace has been the biggest challenge as her 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; she has spearheaded a great number of projects and initiatives to promote the businesses in the community. #kensingtonlove is an example of one of these projects, it consists of art instalments set up across the neighbourhood in order to encourage community involvement. (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, Greenhawk’s store dog, sits patiently waiting for staff member Stephanie Lofgren 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. She has been riding horses for six years. 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)Myk 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 hour in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. 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 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)After lunch the Maria Lastimosa and the kids sit in the living room to watch a movie on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Lastimosa has been a day home provider since 1997. Back in the day she was the most renowned babysitter in her community, and now due to the pandemic her work has changed. She has been only able to take a hand full of kids. (Photo by Rouland Majrlo Atis/SAIT)Jonathan Pulyk stands in front of his place of shelves at Save on Fodos in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Pulyk has worked for Save On Foods for four years now, and claims the last year has been the most challenging . (Photo by Christopher Anderson/SAIT)A University of Calgary student sits alone in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. During lunch time trying to find a place to study is usually an impossible task, now student’s have their pick of any place in any building. (Photo by Christopher Anderson/SAIT)Owner Kim Edwards fixes a bouquet of flowers in her florist shop in Deer Valley, Edwards is the third owner of the shop in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Deer Valley Florist has been around since the 1980s and in known in the community as having the best flowers around. (Photo by Katharyn Sotvedt/The Press)Fish Creek Park is one of the biggest parks in Calgary that wraps around the Bow River in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. During a cold winter with the temperature at -28c, photographer Katharyn Sotvedt shows the frost on her face showing how cold it was after only a half and hour outside. (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)Paul Carter works on some paperwork in his Forest Lawn office in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. A day where there are no students present, means Carter can catch up on work and watch over security footage from prior days. On this day, the schools were largely empty due to a teachers conference, however a police presence is still required at the school to deter possible incidents. Only one week prior had shots been fired at the school, setting off a school wide lockdown. (Photo by Jack Carter/The Press)Paul Carter patrols the hallway of the empty school in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Despite it not being a normal school day, Carter still patrols the halls to ensure there are no trespassers or people loitering on the property. On this day, the schools were largely empty due to a teachers conference, however a police presence is still required at the school to deter possible incidents. Only one week prior had shots been fired at the school, setting off a school wide lockdown. (Photo by Jack Carter/The Press)Jeff Nechka poses for a portrait at his office in 17 avenue in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Nechka works with polished precious and semi-precious gemstones for Valentine’s Day, one of the most important holidays of the year for his Premier Gems business. (Photo by Paula Angel/The Press)Stacey Selley poses for a portrait at Bamboo Ballroom Boutique near to 17 avenue in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Selley is owner of a fashion store where people searching for a new look can experience the old fashioned joy of trying on clothing. (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 Pizza Bob’s 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 Pizza Bob’s 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 window from the kitchen 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, you could come to Pizza Bob’s and expect to see music, comedy and other live entertainment while enjoying pizza and draft beer. (Photo by Sarah B Groot/The Press)A small business retail worker sits behind the bar inside his workplace in Calgary on Feb, 11th 2021. The store was a marijuana dispensary since the federal government legalized marijuana a number of years ago. (Photo by Eric Severtson/SAIT)With restaurant closure restrictions lifted three days ago, Tash Lee, a server at Limericks Traditional Public House, stands behind the bar in Calgary on Thursday, Feb. 11, 2021. Limericks provides a warm place for people to gather while Calgary remains under a deep freeze with extreme cold warnings and chance of frostbite in minutes. (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)
