Alberta’s leadership messaging of Covid-19 fails to foster collective sensemaking
“The very essence of leadership is that you have to have a vision. It's got to be a vision you articulate clearly and forcefully on every occasion. You can't blow an uncertain trumpet.”
— Reverend Theodore Hesburgh
When the Covid-19 pandemic hit one year ago, Albertans anxiously watched their top doc’s daily afternoon media briefings. Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw, quickly became a hero to anxious Albertans looking for information, and for reassurance. They looked to their provincial leaders to understand how the government was responding, how it would manage this crisis, and how their own lives would be impacted. Hinshaw T-Shirts sold like hotcakes. Or, perhaps, like Covid vaccines in a seniors’ home. Today, however, pandemic-related announcements on the MOH’s Twitter feed are rife with angry, frustrated responses that depict Alberta’s distrust in the public health and economic responses of Alberta’s leadership. How did the tide of public opinion amid a global pandemic turn from Hinshaw hero worship to a sense of distrust in government and disbelief in Covid-19? The failure of the Alberta government to effectively persuade its public to get on board with Covid-19 is due to inconsistent and inadequate messaging, the results of which are manifestly seen with the refusal of one Edmonton area church to comply with safety restrictions.
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared Covid-19 a pandemic on March 11, 2020, six days after Alberta identified its first presumptive case of the virus, and four days before Alberta closed schools and businesses in response to the pandemic on March 15. Gatherings of more than 250 people were banned. On April 6, the MOH recommended medical face masks be worn when physical distancing is difficult. In the following months, some municipalities, including Edmonton and Calgary passed bylaws requiring masks. It’s been a year-long rollercoaster of a ride, punctuated with a plethora of ups and downs, with services opening to varying extents, then closing again in response to rising numbers of positive cases and hospitalizations. People began working at home. Many lost their jobs. Many lost their homes. Mental illnesses and domestic violence increased. People died. And, we all began to recognize the essentiality of both toilet paper and the humble grocery clerk. Most recently, the province again began “cautiously” opening in businesses and services. Our leaders cited a need to balancing the virus’ potential to spread and overwhelm public health with that of needed economic recovery and people’s mental health. Last week, on March 18, as case numbers and the threat from more infectious variants began to rise, both Dr. Hinshaw and Premier Kenney urged the public to maintain their vigilance; to refrain from gathering, to use masks, to maintain physical distance. Hinshaw used the City of Lethbridge as an example for emphasis, where case numbers rose substantially due to increased socialization among families and friends, and a lack mandated precautions, such as masks, at faith gatherings. Also on March 18, Gracelife Pastor James Coates was released from police custody after all but one of the charges against him for violating public health orders were dropped.
In a democracy, of which we belong, we have rights that include freedom of expression, the right to gather, and the right to worship. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms guarantees certain freedoms, including the right to worship. According to some, God is above all, and our leaders are only in their places of power because of God. On Feb. 7, Gracelife Church Pastor James Coates was charged with breaching distancing and capacity restrictions imposed by Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Deena Hinshaw. He was released on a promise to appear with a condition that he comply with public health orders. A week later, authorities attended the church and saw continued violations. Coates was arrested and bail, this time, denied because he refused to stop holding services. He was released last week and still maintains his rights to hold services. He, and Gracelife, maintain the civil rights of parishioners to gather as they worship, are guaranteed under the charter. His church’s leadership and community cite Kenney’s own messaging as reinforcing their belief that the Covid-19 virus is not a pandemic but a mere influenza. After the initial pandemic closure and Alberta began to open for business again, Kenney repeatedly referred to Covid-19 as an “influenza,” which supported the framing that the pandemic is far less severe than initially anticipated. The group also questions the validity of science that proposes lockdowns are an effective way to manage Covid-19. They insist such selective and suspect claims are not only erroneous, but conspire to permanently remove civil liberties from our society. They contend the negative economic effects of such institutional lockdowns outweigh the public health benefits. Public health data, they say, is erroneous and weighted to claim invalid results that perpetuate the pandemic lockdowns. They contend Albertans are complying with lockdowns due to misinformation and fearmongering. They call on Albertans to consider mass media’s ideological bias in reporting, and to regain their civil liberties by ending the pandemic. Gracelife has continued to hold services for the past eight months.
The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms does specify we have the right to gather and to worship. It does not preclude our rights for our legally and democratically elected governments, those leaders who are definitely not placed in power by God, to implement measures in a crisis that attempt to safeguard the safety of citizens and of critical infrastructure such as public health care. The rights of people to go to church do not supersede those of people to be safe. The refusal of Gracelife church leaders and members to comply with public health orders, and the perpetuation of their messages contending lockdowns are not only a violation of Canadian’s rights based on erroneous science, but also an institutional attempt to permanently remove those rights, are an echo of Albertan’s voices that indicate distrust, frustration and anger after a year of crisis. Alberta’s leaders have failed to provide strategic or consistent communication which would foster necessary trust in their ability to manage this crisis. Alberta’s premier instead chose to repeatedly refer to Covid-19 as an influenza, undermining it’s gravity, and minimizing the need for measures that would reduce community transmission. “Alohagate” is another example of how the premier’s failed leadership led to actions by high ranking members of his staff and cabinet ministers, which further indicated a lack of vision and substantiated the claims of groups such as Gracelife. When cabinet ministers and staff took tropical vacations at Christmas, and Albertans who were complying with public health orders stayed home, self-isolated, and denied themselves the comfort of family and friends for the greater good of society, it sent a clear message: Alberta’s leaders don’t believe lockdowns are necessary. When Kenney declared ignorance in the face of these vacations, there was a considerable and collective expression of disbelief from Albertans. What message is now being sent by the withdrawal of charges against Coates and his release last week, despite admonitions that neither he nor his flock would abide by health orders? Or by the charges brought against the church, and the inaction of RCMP every Sunday as they watch, but do not act? Dr. Hinshaw stated lack of masking and physical distancing by Lethbridge faith groups has contributed to the recent significant rise in case numbers in that municipality, but again, there doesn’t appear to be any concrete action being taken. Kenney had many opportunities over the past year to communicate positive optimism through his messaging on federal-provincial measures such as Covid relief funding or vaccinations, but has instead frequently chosen to focus those messages on criticism of the federal government, on re-election instead of community cohesion. Economic on criticism of the federal government; on re-election instead of community cohesion. Fallout from the pandemic has resulted in Alberta seeing record unemployment, paralleled by a concurrent crisis to the energy sector.
Framing and content of strategic communication from Alberta’s premier and other provincial leaders has potential to alleviate Albertan’s feelings of distrust and animosity, mobilize collective action, and foster desirable behaviours to minimize the pandemic’s societal consequences. Contrary and confusing messaging has been consistent, however. In a crisis, government communication has the potential to influence the collective behaviours of the public; to shape individual’s emotional and cognitive responses. Alberta’s leaders have done so, but with framing that has elicited negative responses, and is being used as the foundation for civil unrest propagated by those such as Gracelife Church. The trumpet being blown by Premier Kenney is one of uncertainty. In a time of crisis, when the vision of leadership needs to be articulated clearly and implicitly, Albertans have been left floundering in anxiety and fear, without the critical communication or strategies that would enable them to make sense of the pandemic response and the future beyond Covid. The premier may be able to pull off some cohesive notes to knit together a fragmented and frayed public, but time is running out as the province now faces the possibility of a third wave.
References
Alberta Health Services. (2021, March 19). Coronavirus Information For Albertans. https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx
Gracelife Church. (2021, March 19). Public Statement. https://gracelife.ca/
Boothby, L. (2021, March 14). GraceLife: Church charged as entity for COVID-19 violations is still drawing crowds. Edmonton Journal. https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/gracelife-church-covid-19-crowds
Herring, J. (2021, March 5). Twelve months of COVID-19: A timeline of the pandemic in Alberta. Calgary Herald. https://calgaryherald.com/news/local-news/covid-19-at-one-year-a-timeline-of-the-pandemic-in-alberta
Dr. Deena Hinshaw. (2021, March 19). Twitter. https://twitter.com/CMOH_Alberta/status/1372669958144987144