Yellowknifers cancel, postpone and alter summer family visits amid pandemic

Colleen Hilman's father got a new diagnosis this year, and her parents moved into a new retirement home. As their only daughter, her first instinct was to plan a trip to Kelowna to see them, as she's done many times during her 20 years living in the North. 

"But it's just not going to happen," Hilman said. 

Hilman could fly south for a visit, but COVID-19 protocols at the retirement home mean she wouldn't be allowed to stay with her parents. 

Coming home, she'd have to self-isolate for two weeks, as ordered by the chief public health officer. She could likely make arrangements to work from home — she works part-time for Statistics Canada — but she'd have to stay away from her husband, who's an essential worker, something she doesn't want to do.

After 20 years in Yellowknife, Hilman is one of many northerners suddenly feeling far away from family. 

"At a time when I would really want to be with my parents, and give support to my mom, I'm unable to."

Sue Fitzky is in a similar boat. 

"I go to P.E.I. every summer," she said. "I grew up there and have never really missed a P.E.I. summer."

The annual trip is a chance to spend time with her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews at their family compound near the beach. 

"As soon as things started with COVID[-19] it was off the table for us," she said. "My parents are seniors and there's a couple of kids who are immunocompromised so it's not worth the risks." 

Though there were tears at the dinner table when she broke the news to her kids, ages five and seven, Fitzky says it's a small price to pay to keep everyone safe. 

"We're doing it for the good of everybody."

Rachel Marin usually goes to visit her grown children in Alberta and B.C. in the summertime. 

"I would love to see my children," she said. 

But self-isolating at home for two weeks afterward won't work. She lives 17 kilometres outside of Yellowknife with no internet, and cell service that's too poor for her to even consider making a hot spot. That means she won't be able to work from home. 

Fortunately, Marin also makes regular family visits to her home town of Rankin Inlet. This year, she'll be taking advantage of the travel bubble.

"I wasn't expecting it, and when it did happen, I was like, 'Wow, this is so awesome!'" 

August and September are berry picking and mussel picking season, she said. 

"There's also this famous thing in Rankin called 'up the road,' which is just leaving town on this road about seven miles out of Rankin and they go for a picnic wherever ... You'd have to be from there to understand it." 

The bottom line is she'll get to spend time with friends and family, just like any other year. 

"It's pretty neat to have this COVID-[19-]free zone that you can travel in."