WINNIPEG -- Life in Manitoba is starting to shift to a new normal as many businesses are reopening after being shut down for several months due to COVID-19.
A new survey conducted by Probe Research looks at how life has changed for people in the province.
The research found that 65 per cent of people surveyed used the extra time on their hands to get things done that they wouldn't normally have time to do.
"The majority of people say that they were taking the time to get a lot more things done that were not only leisure activities, like you know, getting a chance to exercise or read more, but also certainly to clean their homes, bake, start new hobbies, all that sorts of thing," said Curtis Brown, principal with Probe Research.
Some of the activities that Manitobans did included cleaning, reading more books, baking, starting new hobbies, exercising, and starting repairs or renovations.
The survey showed that 50 per cent of people cleaned their homes during the pandemic. Of that number, 54 per cent of the people cleaning were women and 54 per cent were between the ages of 18 and 34. They were followed closely by those over the age of 55 at 53 per cent.
Lots of television has been consumed during COVID-19, as 71 per cent of people said they have watched a movie or television series on a streaming service.
Starting a new hobby or returning to an old one was a popular choice for Manitobans, as 39 per cent of people said they started a hobby. Thirty-eight per cent of people doing hobbies were men, while 40 per cent were women.
One of the new hobbies that could have been started was baking. Of those surveyed, 40 per cent of people said they have baked bread or other pastries. The age group doing the most baking were those between the ages of 18 and 34, with 44 per cent.
Reading was a popular activity in Manitoba with 41 per cent of people picking up a book and flipping through the pages. More women were reading compared to men, 46 per cent to 35 per cent, respectively. Those over the age of 55 were most likely to read at 52 per cent.
A total of 33 per cent felt this was the perfect time to exercise and get in shape. Of those, 29 per cent were men and 38 per cent were women.
As more people have stayed home over the last couple of months, repairs and renovations have been on the list for some, as 29 per cent of Manitobans said they have ventured into this work. Thirty-seven per cent of those people are men and 32 per cent are over the age of 55.
The survey also found that 62 per cent of people are now more comfortable with video conferencing and 41 per cent have reached out to people that they don't normally talk to.
Probe Research did the survey online asking 803 adults in Manitoba about their experiences and perspectives on the COVID-19 virus.
They were asked between April 24 and April 28.
Probe said there is no margin-of-error because an online survey is a matter of convenience, but said that a random and representative non-convenience sample of 803 adults would have a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.
