The weather in Winnipeg has really warmed up over the last few days. Today, the temperature hit 30˚C, and it looks like similar temperatures will prevail for several days. Today, phase 2 of Manitoba's re-opening plan was initiated, which meant more businesses could re-open. It still looked pretty dead in downtown Winnipeg, when I walked there this morning to pick up some cloth face masks, but I imagine there will be more activity when people ease into the new way of doing things during the pandemic. 

Racial tensions in the US have surged over the last week in response to yet another horrible incidence of violent racism against a black American perpetrated by a law enforcement officer. The murder of George Floyd by a police officer in Minneapolis was caught on video for the world to see, and the global response has been immediate and massive. Unfortunately, peaceful protests have been marred by acts of violence, but this is not surprising given the incredible frustration that must be felt by black Americans who deal with systemic racism daily, in 2020! To quote Martin Luther King Jr, “A riot is the language of the unheard.”  There is racism targeting minorities and indigenous groups in Canada too, and this needs to stop! My hope is that the chaos brought about by COVID-19 and the current anti-racism protests will serve as a catalyst to build a better world going forward. We need to develop strategies that will help strengthen our planet and its inhabitants; all of us are in this together.

The slow re-opening of Manitoba (and Canada) has occurred simultaneously with the gradual onset of spring. As I've been walking and cycling around Winnipeg, I've captured a few pics of some of the signs of spring that are a wonderful reminder of the earth's ability to renew itself with beautiful lifeforms of all types. The resilience of nature gives me hope.