The crisis of the Covid-19 challenges Canadians to retain their legendary optimism. In spite of everything.

Canadians are optimistic people, we know and it is (among other things) that we like. For their positive outlook which is good when we, French, would prefer to shove the critical stance. In Canada, we enthusiasm for your projects, we celebrate any kind of success, you rarely say no and it knows that spring always comes after winter, regardless of the length of the winter…

Then, of course, the pandemic is now raging in the country is a serious challenge to this optimism is usually unshakable. Even if Canada remains relatively less affected than others by the coronavirus : the threshold of the 3000 dead, was passed on the 30th of April, to 52 000 cases in a population of over 35 million inhabitants. More than half of these deaths occurred in the single province of Quebec.

Since 12 march, when his daily press briefings, François Legault, the Prime minister of the French-speaking province, says the same sentence : “together, if we do what it takes, we will get through it”. He never fails to give “thanks of the day” : to caregivers, to contractors, to his ministers, to the parliamentary opposition, Quebec for their discipline in the containment. During this time, we have seen blooming in the windows and on the social networks with the slogan “it is good to go”, inspired from the Italian “andrà tutto bene”, accompanied by a drawing of a rainbow.

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But the bad news accumulated. The explosion of deaths in care Centers and long-term accommodation of Quebec has shocked the population. The health crisis has revealed a dramatic shortage of staff in these facilities for many elderly people, in conditions that are sometimes unworthy.

The pause of the economy has then caused an increase in historical unemployment in all provinces of canada, to reach the record level of 15%, while Canada boasted to approach the full-employment and opened its doors wide to the immigration professional.

And then, there are all these “small” frustrations that undermine morale. The high school students will not return to the course and will therefore be deprived of the prom, this time essential to the education of every young Canadian, the one where we put on a sequined gown or a tuxedo for the first time ! Barbecues with friends in the garden or between neighbors in the streets of Montreal will not be able to keep up, weekends at the cottage are heavily compromised unless you leave fish alone on his boat in the middle of the lake… in Montreal, librairie-bistro Olivieri, a true spot is the cultural neighborhood of Côte-des-Neiges, do not re-open after the confinement, a victim of the economic crisis caused by the health crisis. I admit, it was one of my favorite places to discover the latest literary novelties of the Belle province.

Fortunately, Canadians have reason to remain optimistic. Objective reasons first. The federal government will inject more than $ 200 billion in aid to workers, families, students and businesses. In Quebec, the provincial government, which benefits from a generous budget surplus, will generate between 10 and 15 billion to deal with the consequences of the crisis. Canada, like the United States, has a labour market very flexible, that responds quickly to the fall of activity in the sack very quickly employees, while being able to re-employ as quickly in the event of recovery. Unlike the United States, the country to the maple leaf offers of social safety nets to its citizens as evidenced by the various support plans are announced.

And then there are the subjective reasons to rejoice in, those small surprises that brighten the daily life : the unexpected color of the tie of the day displayed by dr. Horacio Arruda, national director of the public health in Québec, without which the press daily of the government would not have the same flavor (one wonders whether his impressive collection of neckties will let him go at the end of the crisis…).

The clip of the group Blue Blue Jeans, which has reclaimed its title as “The king of line dance” to a medley of videos of swaying “house” (thanks to the loyal reader of Attache ta tuque that we sent it), a concentrate of good humor, a joyful response to the advice of the famous dr. Arruda to support containment : “You can do “line dance”. Just do something that makes you happy !”. The initiatives of solidarity such as those of the association La Boussole in Vancouver, which helps French-speaking and vulnerable and who adapted quickly to continue its actions in favour of vulnerable people by the Covid-19 (the association is currently conducting a crowdfunding campaign, you can help them here).

And finally, the buds of spring, which, defying the virus, have pointed to their nose. Because in Canada, after the winter, regardless of its length, always comes the spring…

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is this not the best reason to stay optimistic ?