For Stephanie Fortin, the Canada Emergency Response Benefit was not just a way to cover her bills during the early pandemic, when finding work would have been an uphill battle — it also gave her the time to reflect on herself and plan out her next educational and career steps. Fortin, a recent graduate of a dental assistant program, is one of millions of Canadians that received the benefit, one of several pandemic trends that skew 2021 census data.