Kaitlyn Sloan, left, ties her shoes with teammate Avery Marshall prior to a 5km cross-country race put on by the Superior Secondary Schools Athletic Association, in Thunder Bay, Ont., on Oct. 20, 2020.A global pandemic will almost certainly deprive Abbie Houlding of both her prom and her high school graduation ceremony, but it could not stop her from being outside on a brisk Tuesday evening in Thunder Bay, participating in a school activity unheard of during these times.
“In a year where so much was taken from students, at least we can find something that we can offer as hope.”Racers Alissa Sillen, front left, and Nur Hasan, front right, are followed down a snowy trail by Cedric Martel and Jasmine Klassen during a race. Joanna Henderson, director of the Margaret and Wallace McCain Centre for Child, Youth and Family Mental Health, worries young people face significant mental health challenges during the pandemic. High school is more than academics for many teenagers, and she is concerned about what the loss of extracurriulars could mean.