TORONTO -- DJ Daddy Mack just wanted to bring some “happy music” to the people.
The wedding DJ otherwise known as Rod Mack was mostly a hit on his Victoria, B.C., block where he set up sound equipment on his front lawn and pumped out tunes for the neighbourhood.
He was even taking requests from physically distanced neighbours. One nearby couple was a fan of his country selections. Another neighbour wanted to hear Cyndi Lauper's “Girls Just Want To Have Fun.”
Everyone just wanted to have fun, Mack thought, at least from a safe distance during the COVID-19 pandemic as officials continue to advise Canadians to stay home to help flatten the curve. With playgrounds, concert venues, restaurant patios and beaches closed, front yards — and condo balconies — are being transformed into entertainment spaces.
“We’ve got to lift up the spirits,” Mack told CTV News. “We can’t make the streets sound like a cemetery.”
But Mack’s makeshift club was swiftly shut down after complaints sent bylaw officers to his home.
“So 10 families can not hear happy music anymore!!!! The Death of DJ Daddy Mack,” he wrote on Twitter, with an image of the Grim Reaper.
While Mack’s happy music efforts have come to an end, other Canadians have found ways to continue spreading other forms of happiness around while so many are confined to their homes.
In Courtney, B.C., Kris Hopping found a quiet pay tribute to those who aren’t able to stay home, like health care workers, mail couriers and grocery store clerks. She pinned a large piece of poster paper to the fence in her yard, reading “THANK YOU!!!” and encouraged passersby out for exercise or to walk their dogs to write messages.
“I just wanted to be able to contribute in some way, show my appreciation for all the things that the front-line people are doing,” said Hopping. “I’m glad it’s getting a lot of response.”
Yards have become oases for homeowners, or in the case of one man in England, a marathon route. Earlier this month, a former professional javelin thrower spent his birthday running 6-metre loops in his small backyard.
James Campbell completed so many loops that he ran a full marathon in just over five hours, a feat he filmed and shared on social media.
Some people in the U.S. and Canada weren’t satisfied to keep the joy of Christmas confined to winter months and brought out their holiday decorations again. They shared images of lights strung up on their homes and trees in their yards.
A Facebook group called Lights of Hope has amassed more than 2,000 members to share similar images.
Even gardening, which has long been therapeutic for many a green thumb, has taken on new significance for many during the pandemic.
A German couple told the Associated Press earlier this month that they are lucky to have a plot at a community garden, which remains exempt from physical distancing measures. The garden is more important than ever.
“We'll be able to see other people, too,” said Heidi Schaletzky. “As long as they stay on their side of the fence.”
The positivity isn’t just confined to front yards and gardens. Condo dwellers around the world have taken to balconies to serenade neighbours on nearby balconies and pedestrians below. Cheering and clanging of pots and pans has become a daily ritual in many cities as a collective thank-you to front-line workers.
