New downtown exhibit compares Winnipeg’s COVID-19 response to the Spanish Flu – Winnipeg | 24CA News
A brand new exhibit in downtown Winnipeg is evaluating the town’s response to the COVID-19 virus in 2020 to the Spanish Flu that unfold internationally in 1918.
It’s within the Millennium centre and run by Heritage Winnipeg each day till March 31. It is drawing parallels between the 2 viruses. “There are comparisons, and maybe we learn something for the future,” stated Jim Smith, president & historian, of North East Winnipeg Historical Society, Inc.
Smith labored on the mission and turned to outdated Winnipeg papers for clues again at a time when the primary world battle, not the pandemic, was the highest story.
“So at the top, you’d have ‘allies advance 200 yards.’ And below that you’d have ’24 people die in Winnipeg, 200-something new cases’ type of thing, so it was really downplayed.”
The Spanish Flu contaminated an estimated 750 million folks worldwide. The multimedia exhibit particulars Winnipeg’s response to each, from lockdowns to misinformation to well being care.
“I’d heard stories from my grandfather, he had told me that he was 11 years old when Spanish influenza started,” stated Smith.
“As a Boy Scout, he helped deliver food to people’s houses. People put place cards on people’s houses or at least some people that if one person had it, you couldn’t leave the house.”
It paints an image of how a lot was unknown earlier than viruses have been understood, based on Cindy Tugwell with Heritage Winnipeg.
“No vaccine, no modern conveniences, their health care was still stretched, their hospitals were overcrowded. Things we still experience, but not near the level they did.”
This portion of the exhibit immerses viewers within the information of different pandemics all through historical past and designer Jeremy Choy stated the concept is to actually carry the knowledge to life.
“Understanding the content and figuring out the best way to prototype and develop the best user experience, for the visitors to be educated and entertained at the same time. The goal in mind was to get them to perhaps change their viewpoint or their original opinions on what they had by gaining more knowledge through it from history.”
For Tugwell, it was necessary to proceed the dialog that pandemics are inevitable and look into how folks will be higher ready.
“Not just physically, but mentally, because social connectivity and the reason we’re here today is to say that is critical to our overall health is that social connectivity and our connection to our history and our city. The takeaway is in the good times, don’t stop planning. Don’t stop talking about things so that you’re ready when the bad times hit.”
— With information from Global’s Iris Dyck
© 2023 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
