Connecting with community through a Pandemic

By Alex Cote-O’Brien (They/Them), 1st year MDP student

I finished up my placement with KaniKanichihk at the end of July! It was definitely a bittersweet moment! After living in Winnipeg for almost a year I was never fully able to embrace the community and all the opportunities that Winnipeg had to offer due to the hands of the pandemic. Even though the majority of my placement was online and in a way removed from most parts of the community, I was able to connect with amazing young people, Elders, and peers who are change makers within their community.

This exchange of learning, friendship, and challenges, definitely left me with a lot of self-reflection and personal growth. At certain times in my placement I was gifted with the opportunity to go into the community to deliver program baskets, and got to interact with the family of the youth who were receiving them (at a safe and covid friendly distance though!). These interactions definitely kept my flame lit through hybrid working. Even though I didn't get to fully interact with the community like I hoped to, this placement gave me the opportunity to plant my feet into the ground, and meet various different community members to hopefully aid in my journey of community connection when the time is right and safe to do so!