Lessons From Crisis: Provincial Responses to the COVID-19 Pandemic

How do provincial governments discuss COVID-19 in relation to personal responsibility, intergovernmental co-operation or “doing the right thing”? What, and who, is cited to justify provincial COVID-19 policy decisions such as school closures? And why have the provinces differed so starkly in some policy decisions when these differences were not driven by epidemiological conditions? Stemming from her work with the Lessons from Crisis research team at McMaster University, Katelynn will explore the nuances of policy-making and public communications in times of crisis, and the evidence mobilized by government officials to legitimize these decisions to the public.

Katelynn Kowalchuk is a PhD student in Political Science at UBC. Her research is broadly based in Canadian politics and includes work on healthcare policy, urban politics, ideological conflict and intergovernmental relations.