Year in review: Closing the book on 2020

Not long after the initial coronavirus lockdown began in March, one of my columnists reached out and said COVID-19 may just be the topic of the year.

At the time, I was prepared to return to the Annex Business Media offices in Toronto following an impromptu two-week stint of working from home.

Boy, was I was wrong. We are now into December and the pandemic is still raging across Canada.

While the vast majority of schools were able to reopen in September, it’s been a tentative few months for all of us, watching governments do their best to balance economic interests with health and safety.

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In October, I visited our Toronto office for the first time in seven months. It was eerie walking past the rows of empty cubicles, only to reach mine and find my calendar still reading March 2020.

Most-read OHS Canada stories of 2020

It’s been a wild year.

Nearly 14,000 deaths due to COVID-19 have been recorded across Canada, and the worldwide fatality total has ticked past 1.6 million.

Lockdown measures continue, including border closures, travel restrictions and mandatory mask wearing in many parts of the country.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau summed it up recently, saying the situation we’re dealing with “really sucks.”

As we continue to get through this collectively, let’s do our best to focus on the positives — increased resiliency, embracing new ways of working, more time with household members, and more.

I’ve said it before, but health and safety is firmly No. 1 through these days. For many who are reading this, that in itself is a positive.

Thanks, from OHS Canada

Speaking of positives, a thank you is due to you, our readers. Your support of this magazine and our website through this topsy-turvy year has been nothing short of incredible.

Despite the lockdown and restriction measures, OHS Canada had a banner year, more than doubling our annual website traffic — closing in on 850,000 pageviews — and tripling the amount of newcomers accessing our content.

And beginning with our November/December issue, we are pleased to unveil a redesigned print magazine that builds on the past successes of our 36-year-old publication, but with eyes firmly focused on the future.

We hope you enjoy the increased visuals throughout the magazine, as well as the new “Hot Items” section, showcasing PPE and safety products available in North America.

We have some exciting partnerships and initiatives planned for 2021, and we look forward to continuing to provide you with the most up-do-date health and safety information in the nation.

That said, I’m more than ready to leave 2020 behind.

From all of us at OHS Canada, we wish you peace and joy through the upcoming holiday season, and best wishes on a Happy New Year!

Marcel Vander Wier is the editor of OHS Canada.