b'family and community is to adhere toa result of restrictions and the inability the public health guidelinesphysicalto travel safely. Because of the restric-distancing, minimizing travel, mini- tions, community members have had mizing contact with others outside ofto find other ways to cope. Ogimaa your home and washing your hands.Peltier explains that members arent While the biggest concern amidstalways using good ways to cope, and the pandemic for Ogimaa Peltier is thethis has led to heightened addictions in health and safety for all of his citizens, hethe community. is also concerned about the inability forBut on the positive side of things, the community members to interact socially.pandemic has helped to boost the local Wiikwemkoong had to get creativeeconomy as people are more inclined on how to allow social interactions into shop closer to home. Community spite of the health recommendations.members are realizing that they dont They did allow for some special eventsnecessarily have to travel to get their that were controlled with health andessential goods and services. safety at the forefront, including a large community event for Halloween. WeAdditionally, a manufacturing plant set up a haunted trail. Everyone whofor FN95 masks opened in November attended was screened and they wereat Wiikwemkoongs industrial park. provided health information. It wasThe business, Dent-X Canada, rents controlled in the sense that access wasone of their buildings, hiring a number provided to a limited number of peopleof community members on a full-time, at a given time, explains Ogimaa Peltier.ongoing basis. A lot of families did come out even withOgimaa Peltier wants to share the the safety measures in place. They werefollowing message for everyone: We all very appreciative of the fact that we didhave an individual responsibility to keep it with safety in mind. our families and communities safe. We A negative impact of the pandemicneed to applaud all of the efforts of the on community members is that theirhealth-care professionals in our commun-mental well-being has been impacted asities for stepping up during this time.Photos courtesy of WBE Communications.Improving Health & Wellness with First Nations-Designed Digital Health ToolsI ssue2 2020/21C hIefs ofo ntarIoA dvocAte magazIne l 17'