STRENGTH IN NUMBERS

Hi, OC editor Gary here...if you happen to recognize those opening words, you must be among the 15,000 or so readers who follow my weekly post on the Our Canada Facebook page every Wednesday and that of my editorial colleague, Maryanne, on Mondays.

For those of you who are not familiar with the venue, it’s a place where Maryanne and I keep folks up to date with the happenings of the magazine, and share tidbits and memories from our own lives, in much the same manner as so many of you do when you submit a story for possible publication in an upcoming issue. All in all, it’s a great community forum, especially these days—it’s a welcoming place to rally together and spread some joy or find some respite during these troubling times.

In recent weeks, I’ve been posting about the ongoing exchanges I’ve been having with some of the many artists and musicians within the Our Canada fold as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. Most have been more than willing to share their story in print and include a “selfie” performance video clip or links to a relevant music video that will either soothe your soul or just help you escape everything for a time. Dee Long, a founding member of the reclusive and at times quite mysterious 1970s Canadian rock band, Klaatu, is one of our recent participants. Dee’s story leads off our special COVID-19 feature for July (page 16), and he has quite the story to tell. And please check out https://www.youtube.com/user/deelong to sample his music.

During these days of self-isolation and social distancing, there is, oddly enough, strength to be found in numbers, so please tune-in to OC Facebook if you are not already doing so! Thank you all for being part of the OC community, online and in print! Stay safe, be well.