Here’s a rundown of some of the main issues of the year that passed as we enter 2022. Pandemic, Policies, and Division The low severity of the Omicron variant despite its high transmissibility gave cause for optimism on the cusp of turning the year after the initial scare of its discovery in South Africa in November. Nevertheless, when considering the year as a whole, the more than 15,000 COVID-19 deaths in 2020 almost doubled in 2021, with Canada closing the year with over 30,000 deaths. Vaccinations, which began to arrive in early December 2020, became more widely available as criticism of the federal government in its pace of obtaining vaccine supply and of the provinces in their progress on vaccine distribution continued. By mid-year, there was enough to administer full doses for all who wanted them. In tandem with the public health crisis, pandemic policies dominated every aspect of life. …