How some Fort Smith families are coping with extended COVID-19 restrictions

Getting the kids out to carve and shred on Fort Smith's snowboarding hill has become a coping strategy for Dvonne Paulette's family this week, as the town deals with extended COVID-19 restrictions.

Last week, the Office of the Chief Public Health Officer (OCPHO) announced the N.W.T community, and the town of Inuvik, were still seeing an increase in COVID-19 cases.  

While most of the rest of the territory's students went back to school January 24, Fort Smith and Inuvik were delayed until at least Jan. 28 to give the two communities a chance to slow the momentum of the current outbreak. 

There are currently 35 active cases of COVID in Fort Smith, and recreational activities such as hockey, figure skating and swimming are also on hold.

"We'll go snowboarding or skidooing or just trying to spend time outside when it's not -45," Paulette said.

"I mean, obviously, we do miss hockey, we miss being able to go to the rec centre and to go swimming and doing activities indoors. But I mean, we just make it work." 

Paulette's daughters are nine and two and enjoy getting out into the fresh air when not focusing on their school work. 

Backyard hockey

Beverly Chepelsky anticipated the switch to learning from home once it became clear community transmission was increasing.

She has three children, aged 13, 10, and seven.  

"The kids were supposed to start on the 10th, but I kept my kids home anyway in anticipation of our current situation." Her kids are also outside on snowmobiles and playing hockey in the backyard.

So far the experience has been fairly positive, according to Chepelsky. 

"I feel the teachers are making it work. And so I applaud them because I feel like they were very prepared. So the transition was somewhat easy, it was pick up the Chromebook, and the kids already knew how to log in and where to go."

Beverly's daughter Yevah is in Grade 2. For her, working from home has been an easy transition. 

 "When I first got my Chromebook, they taught me how to log in, they showed us how to play learning games," she said.  "I feel good about it [but] it's different, I don't really see my friends."

No soccer, no badminton

Not all parents are keen on education from home. 

Rob Laviolette has three sons, two of whom are still in school, He believes that kids need to be in the classroom to learn.

"From my standpoint, they're only going to get a good quality of education by first person teaching and you just don't get that over Zoom," he said. 

Laviolette is also concerned about extracurricular activities and said his children are missing out on valuable opportunities. His middle son, Kole, was hoping to join the Arctic Winter Games team.

"Those hopes were dashed when everything was cancelled. He loves playing soccer. My youngest boy also, I'm sure he would have been right in there in soccer. He's in Grade 9, badminton is another big one for the kids."

There is support for those isolating due to exposure or COVID infection. 

In an emailed statement COVID Secretariat spokesperson Richard Makohoniuk wrote that they are in regular contact with the town leadership. 

"The health and social services system is providing access to testing, health services and providing regular updates to community services as well as regular service," the statement read. 

Kaeser's Stores is offering email-ordering and grocery delivery and the Fort Smith Food Bank will deliver hampers — just for people who are isolating.