Life during a state of emergency. I have been around for almost half a century and have lived through many recessions, and experienced different times. I have also learned that in business we are often faced with challenges, sometimes due to self infliction, and other times due to outside influences. My theory on life has always been to not focus on the negative, but on the beauty that remains.
In the residential real estate business for example, at the same time we may be experiencing some tenants not paying rent, or asking for deferrals, interest rates keep dropping and for me on my variable rate mortgages this has increased monthly cash flow.
My good friend and lawyer Garnet Brooks – (partner @ Burchell’s law firm) wrote a piece on April 1 about what it is like living during these uncertain times, some notes to reflect on in the future.
Just so I NEVER forget….. April 1, 2020
Gas prices at a record low 64.1 in Halifax today
School cancelled till May 4th. (maybe longer)
Self-distancing measures on the rise.
Tape on the floors at grocery stores and others to help distance shoppers 2m (6ft) from each other.
Limited number of people inside stores, therefore, lineups outside the store doors.
Non-essential stores and businesses mandated closed.
Parks, trails, entire cities locked up.
Entire sports seasons cancelled.
Concerts, tours, festivals, entertainment events – cancelled.
Weddings, family celebrations, holiday gatherings – cancelled.
No masses, churches are closed.
No gatherings of 50 or more, then 20 or more, now 5 or more.
Don’t socialize with anyone outside of your home.
Children’s outdoor play parks are closed.
We are to distance from each other.
Shortage of masks, gowns, gloves for our front-line workers.
Shortage of ventilators for the critically ill.
Panic buying sets in and we have no toilet paper, no disinfecting supplies, no paper towel no laundry soap, no hand sanitizer.
Shelves are bare.
Manufacturers, distilleries and other businesses switch their lines to help make visors, masks, hand sanitizer and PPE.
Government closes the border to all non-essential travel, calls Canadians home and makes it mandatory to self isolate for 14 days.
Fines are established for breaking the rules.
Stadiums and recreation facilities open up for the overflow of Covid-19 patients.
Press conferences daily from Prime Minister Trudeau.
Chief Medical Officer Dr Strang gives daily updates on NS’s new cases, recoveries, and deaths.
Government incentives to stay home.
Barely anyone in the street or on the roads.
People wearing masks and gloves outside.
Essential service workers are terrified to go to work.
Medical field workers are afraid to go home to their families.
1,000,000 applications for Employment Insurance as people go without.
This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020.
Why, you ask, do I write this status?
One day it will be a reminder that life is precious, and not take the things we dearly love for granted.
We have so much!
Be thankful. Be grateful.
Be kind to each other – love one another – support everyone. We are all one! – Garnet Brooks – entrepreneurlaw.ca
️That sums it up quite nicely, the situation keeps changing, so I may have to add to this article in the coming week. The other thing I will note is that there are three main websites, and of course graphs that the world seem obsessed with.
Here are the links to those sites:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The world will inevitably change in the coming weeks, the end may be near or far, the recovery could take a long time or a short time, all I ask is to stay safe, and stay positive. We are all in this together and we will get through it.
Until next time,
Design your landlord experience,
Michael P Currie
Landlord by Design
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