What will your Thanksgiving look like this year? We asked, you told us
Sara Jabakhanji | CBC News | Posted: October 11, 2020 9:00 AM | Last Updated: October 11, 2020
1 Londoner says their annual 60-person feast will be scaled down to feed six
With Thanksgiving fast approaching and provincial daily COVID-19 case counts reaching record highs, Londoners are finding themselves having to celebrate the holiday in a different way this year.
Eilish Bloye said she hasn't seen some of her family in a few years and was really looking forward to Thanksgiving.
Around 60 of Bloye's extended family get together for holidays every year, and she says with their continually growing family, they have had to start renting banquet halls to accommodate everyone. The families have gathered at a hall every Christmas for over 30 years and for Easter and Christmas, for the past 15 years.
But this year, that's not happening.
Now with stricter rules around social gatherings to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus, Bloye says she is disappointed but saw it coming.
"I was really looking forward to it this year," Bloye said. "It's our first thanksgiving [together] in a while."
On Wednesday, Premier Doug Ford urged Ontarians to limit gatherings this holiday to only those in your household. If a person lives alone, Ford said they are permitted to mix with one household.
Bloye will be celebrating Thanksgiving this year with her husband, two children and her mother and grandfather, who are part of the family's bubble.
She says her family has not seen their relatives in a few years, as they have recently moved back to London and were living in Lloydminster, Alberta.
"We're really disappointed that has to change for us, but we understand in just doing our part to keep everyone space," Bloye said.
'We cannot afford to get this wrong'
London Mayor Ed Holder told CBC London this is the first Thanksgiving that he and his wife will spend without their daughter, her husband and grandchildren.
Holder admits it will be "heartbreaking" as they will especially miss seeing their granddaughters give thanks around the table, as they hold hands.
"My granddaughters will not miss me, but they will miss their grandmother terribly," Holder joked.
He urged all Londoners to follow provincial guidelines and stay within their household limits for the weekend.
"Stay home, don't travel, stick to members of your household only," he said. "The stakes this weekend are as high as they've ever been."
"We cannot afford to get this wrong."
For students living in residence away from home, Holder said his advice is the same as it is for all Londoners.
"As tough as that is, there's a greater good with all of this and it requires all of us, not just some of us, to do the right thing," he said.
Meals for those in need
For Alexandra Kane, lead organizer of Black Lives Matter London, despite not celebrating this holiday, she embarked on a mission to ensure those who may not have a hot meal at this time of year could get one.
Kane began reaching out to restaurants to see if they would be interested in providing meals for those who need them.
Rather than delivering meals directly to each person, Kane said in effort to minimize contact, they will be providing gift cards for those who reach out to BLM London throughout the weekend.
"Black lives matter understands, knows and completely despises the colonial histories of Thanksgiving," Kane said. "But we understand also, too, that given this time of year, given this whole year, it's really interesting to sort of pause and reflect on all that we've been through."
Kane said she wanted to help those who needed it and offering hot delicious meals was something important to her, especially this time around.
"I think feeding people is a great way to say, 'We see you', 'We appreciate you', we're still doing the work but here is a hot meal," she said.
'This is what we've got to do'
"I think we're all starting to feel tired as the pandemic unfolds, we're feeling fatigued and wanting this to be over and in so many ways, we're over the pandemic." said Dr. Alex Summers, London's associate medical officer of health. "But the pandemic isn't over us and so this is what we've got to do."
This Thanksgiving will be a much smaller one for Summers, who will only get together with his parents.
But he says despite not being able to see relatives this weekend, he still has a lot to be thankful for this time of year.
"I'm really thankful for my health and I'm really thankful for my community that has stepped up to the plate to help protect me and my loved ones by staying at home when it's important to stay home."