By Alex McCuaig

Coping with COVID

Physically distant but social close, Hatters make it work

Apr 30, 2020 | 5:05 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – It’s a phenomenon that is as unique as the times as small groups of friends and family gather in pockets of the city to socialize while maintaining physical distancing.

The Saamis Tepee, Strathcona boat launch, mall parking lots and city parks are just some of the locations where Hatters are setting up to have a coffee and just talk to each other during a time when such actions are difficult.

Difficult, but far from impossible.

For resident Pat Patience, the closure of his regular hangout at the Station Coffee Company to all but takeout service left a gap in socialization with his friends who were regulars at the cafe.

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At least until Thursday that is, when three of them had a chance to get together outside Station for the first time since February.

“Talking on the phone isn’t good enough,” said Patience. “There is usually five or six of us down here so you miss that group discussion. And I’m not really into the Internet stuff too much.”

Patience says what he is really hoping for is the next meeting is able to take place on the golf course.

For Glyn Yuhas who was enjoying the blue skies and warm temperatures of Kin Coulee Park with his friend, maintaining physical distancing is important but so too is interacting with friends.

“We just miss that friendship, of course, that has accrued over the years,” said Yuhas. “It’s been difficult with this pandemic – well here we are trying to make the best that we can from what we have.”

One of the city’s hotspots for physical distancing socialization is the parking lot next to Tim Hortons on 13th Avenue which saw numerous small gatherings of people sitting in their cars or setting up lawn chairs a safe distance apart from one another.

Sitting in his car talking to friends in their’s, Wayne Schmidt said the pandemic has put a large value on small interactions.

“I guess one of the favorite things about it is knowing who you’re good friends are and keeping in contact with the people who matter and the little things that matter now,” said Schmidt. “Little things that didn’t seem to matter before – little things matter. And I think that’s good.”

Such gatherings will likely diminish over the next few weeks as the province moves to reopen much of the province.