This summer, we were supposed to come together and celebrate the 75th anniversary of the creation of the Canadian Mathematical Society in Ottawa. The early enrolments and proposed sessions clearly indicated that it would have been the largest gathering of Canadian mathematicians in history. We were proud and ready to narrate the accomplishments of our society from the time of the founding fathers to the present day. Many gifts and prizes were prepared to award a wide spectrum of Canadian mathematicians for their scientific, educational and administrative achievements in the Society. And then, all of a sudden, the whole world was faced with a new reality. We were hit by an unknown virus, COVID-19, and our regular daily life came to a halt!  Quarantine, a word which until then we probably had to look up in dictionaries to grasp its full meaning, became our regular civil duty. In fact, we are still grappling with the aftermaths of the global pandemic.

In its 75 years of activity, the CMS has been through many ups and downs. However, it seems that it is facing its most difficult challenge at a mature age. Like many other organizations and institutions, the CMS had to adapt to the new reality, the first of which was the postponement of the 75th anniversary meeting. This was a very difficult decision to make since the chief scientific directors as well as session organizers and the CMS staff had put a lot of time and energy into creating a memorable meeting. Nevertheless, we went forward and we are enthusiastically prepared and expect to celebrate the 75+1 anniversary of CMS in summer 2021. COVID-19 has also had an impact on CMS publication revenues. There are several important issues under discussion at the Publication Committee. The development of an online, open-access publication, creation of a new journal, and the publication of CMS journals in house are among our major goals in coming years. In particular, the CMS is inviting members with a knowledge of the publication industry, its infrastructure, and necessary hardware and software to provide us with feedback and recommendations.

Despite the hard times, there are numerous positive and encouraging news. The CMS turned the undesirable situation into an opportunity to reach out to educators and students, listen to them and expand its education programs. With the lockdown in place, students were confined to the walls of their rooms and most of their communications with their peers and educators were drastically reduced, if not completely disrupted. Parents, who already wear many hats, had to add homeschooling to their daily duties. Among the subjects that most parents were struggling with or felt intimidated to teach was mathematics. Equally, mathematics educators, both at K-12 and university level, were now faced with the new reality of online teaching and mentoring and the myriad of uncertainties that it entailed. The CMS came forward and posted more math problems, education material and pedagogical strategies on social media and worked hard behind the scenes to organise two major events. While material on teaching abound on the internet, educators were looking for ways to connect, discuss and find a way to come up with a strategy that worked for them. The Society, and its members, many of whom were in the same boat and were experiencing the same anxiety, organized the CMS first ever virtual meeting focusing on education and research. Moreover, while online mathematics education was as uncertain as ever, mathematical graphs were dictating our daily activities and all of a sudden math had become important for the mainstream media and had to concern itself with messaging. Mathematicians gathered to discuss all this and much more during a 4-day online meeting which to many felt like a breath of fresh air after months of isolation. It was equally rewarding for the staff and organisers who had been looking for ways to better serve the community during these challenging times. The second education event put together by the CMS during the lockdown was the launch of the Society’s first ever competition for elementary school students, the Canadian Mathematical Gray Jay Competition, in an amusing and engaging format and on a friendly online platform. Although the competition itself will take place in October, its conception and preparation has taken a colossal effort by staff and Competitions Committee. Thus, while many of our programs had to be cancelled due to a global pandemic, much to our disappointment, we have found new ways to serve the community. This would not have been possible without the help of our partners and sponsors.