The provincial government in interested in knowing how much I have drunk through the pandemic. It’s complicated, because it actually went to zero, which might be interpreted as a sign that I’m flourishing, healthwise, as opposed to a recognition that I was floundering and had to make some changes.

Surveys are hard. For that reason. Sometimes, there isn’t space for the answer that articulates your experience. But I felt that being heard in some way, even if slightly misconstrued, was probably better than not being heard, so I answered all the questions as best I could.

I read a wonderful book called Research is Ceremony, (thanks for the recco, Erin), that challenged the way researchers/experts/authorities do surveys, collect research, slurp up our data and information, and forget that by asking us to share, they initiated a relationship with us, the responders, and that the courteous thing to do is to circle back. (There’s a lot more to the book than that, but I was left with the impression that there is a lot of brilliant thinking being done by Indigenous academics, trying to meet (colonial) academic expectations and also integrate traditional ways of knowing and their own deep authenticity into the process.)

So, that’s a preface slash caveat for this announcement/invitation: the province would like to hear how your pandemic has been.

By sharing your experiences with the pandemic by participating in the BC COVID-19 SPEAK Round 2 Survey, this is your chance to inform the recovery. You can elect to take the survey in a range of languages.

We’re over a year into the pandemic and once again we are asking you to tell us how you are doing. It’s been a tough year and everyone has been impacted in different ways. With COVID-19 vaccinations underway, it is time to think about our recovery and how we can support you through this next phase.  

The survey will address four key areas:

1. Life during the pandemic: How your behaviours and experiences have changed over the course of the pandemic
2. Vaccines: What barriers exist to accessing vaccines
3. Innovation and adaptation: How have things changed around you and how have these changes impacted you?
4. Recovery: What supports are needed to help you through our recovery from the pandemic?

Please use the latest web browsers for optimal experience. The survey closes May 9, 2021.