Pandemic-era family life, before, during and after lockdown

Thirteen Torontonians on how the pandemic has changed their lives

Photographer Ian Brown survived cancer at the age of 19 and a heart attack at 32. He has worked with HIV-AIDS patients in Malawi and dodged bullets during the civil war in Colombia. His daughter, Miya, underwent emergency surgery in utero at just 20 weeks gestation. So he knows better than most people that crisis can strike at any time. When the pandemic hit in March, it was just another holy shit moment in a life already full of them. Brown became curious about how his city was managing under lockdown, so he put out a call on social media for subjects, with a simple question: what does the pandemic mean to you? He was soon inundated with answers. Next, he did what has come naturally to him since he was in his 20s. He picked up his camera, then criss-crossed the city, meeting subjects wherever they chose: a front stoop, a basketball court, a dog park. They were by turns scared, courageous, grateful, angry, sad and various points in between. Eventually, Brown’s project spanned the city, with subjects of all ages, ethnicities and income levels. Single people, large families, empty-nesters, each with something interesting to say about their neighbourhood, their city, their lives in an age of turmoil. The result is a snapshot of a generation-defining moment in Toronto’s history, at once broad in scope and intimate in detail. For an extended version of the photo essay, visit torontolife.com