#They Were Loved: Honouring Canada’s COVID-19 victims

The magnitude of COVID-19’s impact on Canadians’ lives is difficult to fathom. Canada has already lost more than 9,000 people to the pandemic, with the number ticking steadily upwards; each of those losses has cascaded through families and communities, leaving many thousands more bereaved. Public health guidance around social distancing has resulted in restrictions around traditional mourning customs and rituals—heart-wrenchingly, many were unable even to say goodbye.
They Were Loved is an obituary project to commemorate thousands of coronavirus victims, as well as to mark this historic moment in Canadian history. Our goal: to pay tribute to every Canadian who has died of COVID-19. In partnership with Carleton University’s Future of Journalism Initiative and journalism schools across Canada, Maclean’s is striving to capture the richness of each life lost in elegant obituaries.
Tell us about your loved one.