June 16, 2020 – Mid-March… that’s roughly when our entire world got turned upside-down. Industry events began cancelling/postponing like a long row of dominoes. (For my part, I was very nearly in Edmonton for an IEEE workshop, but I never made it. My tradeshow booth graphics did, however, make it to Edmonton. They’re still there… somewhere.)

My province went into lockdown around that time, and so my colleagues and I were told to work from home. That was two months ago (even longer by the time you read this), but I was feeling profoundly disconnected from our electrical community by the end of the first week. It was lonely.

And I imagine many of you were feeling the same way; all of our usual routines were completely obsolete, and everyone was busily sorting themselves out. There was much confusion, not to mention anxiety (if not outright panic), feelings of helplessness… and everyone was wondering “What’s next?”.

It was against this backdrop that I conceived the video series Canadians Standing Up to COVID. Essentially, COVID-19 is the schoolyard bully, and we’ve decided—both as individuals and as a collective—not to be pushed around.

My aim was to connect with our electrical community and share stories of how its members—through actions both great and small—are doing what they can to get us through our coronavirus struggle. I wanted to share stories of giving, of inspiration, of hope… and of defiance in the face of Goliath.

I invite you to learn more about these short videos on page 12, and let me know if I hit the mark. (I like to think they got better over time.)

Meantime, I close out each video with the same question “Have you got a story to share?”. If you do, don’t be shy: call me at 416-510-5216 or email acapkun@ebmag.com.

I love sharing these stories, and I want to hear from all corners of Canada.

That said, I eagerly await the day when this video series becomes unnecessary and obsolete.

Until then, be patient. Stay safe. We will overcome.

This article—along with other great content—appears in the June 2020 edition of Electrical Business Magazine.