How one London street is coming together, in the age of COVID-19
Liny Lamberink | CBC News | Posted: May 25, 2020 10:00 AM | Last Updated: May 25, 2020
An annual backyard party on Gerrard Street looked a little different this year
Residents living on Gerrard Street in London's Old South neighbourhood didn't let COVID-19 stand in the way of an annual Victoria Day street party on Sunday.
But instead of the usual potluck in Helen and Paul Spence's backyard, the tightly knit community got creative with a physically distanced obstacle course for kids, dinner outside on respective driveways and live music instead.
"We knew we couldn't have 50, 60 people in the backyard safely," explained Helen. "So we thought ... most of us have porches or good driveways ... we can bring our own meals, we can barbecue, whatever we want."
The Spences have lived on Gerrard Street since the 1973, and began throwing an annual Victoria Day street party in 2004 – with some long standing traditions.
"Everybody at some point today will stand and sing Happy Birthday to Queen Victoria," explained Paul, pointing to a large framed portrait propped up on the front lawn.
The familiar song was also incorporated into the obstacle course – which included a lot of kicking, jumping and running.
"It's really fun," said 15-year-old Lily Ryan. "We have a crab walk, a bear crawl, we have a little work out spot that's like five squats and five jumping jacks, or there's a balance beam."
Ryan said she and her friend used to build obstacle courses for themselves when they were younger, which was the inspiration for Sunday's event.
"It's tiring, by the end you're sweating," she said. "For me it's really important to spend time, even if it's far apart, with people not part of my family, because sometimes you can get a little stir crazy if you're only talking to the same three or four people all day."
The festivities were scheduled for the long weekend, but were pushed back a week because of the forecast.
It isn't the first time neighbours on Gerrard Street have found a way to enjoy spending time together amid the pandemic. Lily's mom, Julie Ryan, said they've done a bingo game and Old South themed trivia too.
"I notice, even when I go and walk around, if I see somebody that I even vaguely know, both of us are like clamouring to have a conversation because you can stand 10 feet apart and have a nice conversation and move on," she explained.
"I think that feeling of wanting to be with other people is very strong, and we're just trying to find a way to do that safely so that we can have some fun and lighten our mood and continue to enjoy this beautiful day."