The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted significant vulnerabilities in long-term care (LTC) homes, severely impacting residents and care partners. This study investigates how care partners of older adults living in Ontario LTC homes perceived residents’ experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, and how those perceptions shaped their own caregiving experiences. Using critical ethnography, we identified four key themes: (a) masks and miscommunication, (b) loneliness and loss, (c) from interaction to isolation, and (d) loss of the advocacy role. Supportive actions included transparent masks, increased allied health professionals, and enriching daily programs. These findings emphasize the need for policies that balance infection control with the emotional and social needs of LTC residents, addressing power imbalances, ageism, and systemic inequities.

The notarial profession in Québec is currently facing several challenges, including that of the financial situation of many of its members. A study conducted among notaries in the Outaouais region reveals that although, in general, notaries recognize that there is a price war happening, they do not necessarily agree on its causes, their capacity to address it, or the most effective ways to do so. While the traditional image of the notary as a professional and public official remains prominent, it now competes with another, more entrepreneurial view of the notary as a service provider in a competitive market. This implies that the notarial profession is currently going through a transition period that could involve a shift towards new business models.