We Are Living in Historic Times

The Oxford County Archives is actively collecting community records related to your experience during the COVID-19 pandemic.

By Megan Lockhart, Archives Technician

I often wonder, when people live through an historic event, do they realize the full significance of the time they are living in? We tend to think of history as an event that took place a long time ago, but really, yesterday is today’s history. We are certainly living in an historic time now. As people are sharing photos, videos and stories on social media about their life during the COVID-19 pandemic, they are adding to the historical records of this global event. However, these digital records are fleeting and many may be lost to time.

Years from now, students in schools, colleges and universities will be learning about COVID-19 and an essential part of educating about the past is having students interact with and learn from primary sources. Historians also rely on these sources for their own research. This is why the Oxford County Archives, in partnership with the Woodstock Museum National Historic Site, are actively collecting stories and records from the Oxford County community related to life during COVID-19. We want to hear from you. How has your life changed during the pandemic? How have you been shopping during this time? What challenges have you faced and how are your interactions with family and friends different than they were a year ago? How did you cope with children learning from home? How have you kept yourself entertained during quarantine? Can you tell us about your experience as an essential worker? These are just some of the questions we would like to hear your answers to. Everyone has an important story to tell.

We are collecting written text, artwork, photographs, videos, oral histories, social media and digital content from community members. Help us record your history and our collective COVID-19 community experience. These records will be significant resources to future generations of historians. If you have material to share with us, contact us at: archives@oxfordcounty.ca.

We are also encouraging local students to write short journal entries about their own personal experience studying and living through COVID-19 while quarantined at home. If you are a student, have a student at home, or are a teacher with students who would be interested in participating please contact us at: archives@oxfordcounty.ca.