Some Newmarket teenagers have found a way to hang out with friends, while respecting the physical distancing required to help stem the spread of COVID-19 in their community.
It has become a common sight to see circles of parked cars in the lots at some of the town's closed recreation and community centres, tailgates up, as the teenagers talk to each other from the safe distance of their cars.
Practising the "new normal" brought about by the pandemic, Newmarket High School Grade 12 students Corson Haywood, Graham MacDonald, Kyra Scheps, Alex Partridge, Talia Rocca, Amanda Copeland, Olivia Vissers and Eden Duffy caught up at the parking lot at the Magna Centre last weekend.
The closure of their high school, and the impact that will have on their plans to head off to university next year, are just one of the concerns on their minds.
They're not alone in wishing to meet up with friends, safely, as the parking lot gatherings appear to be trending across the country. Thousands of teens whose lives have been disrupted by the pandemic are posting on social media about parking lot meet-ups, with cars parked at least six feet away from each, as they sit in their trunks and talk about how they are coping with all the changes in their lives.
During this time of concern and disruption, it's important to maintain connections, mental health experts advise, and teenagers are finding a way to be together, but separate.
