TORONTO -- On the day when Canada marks the one-year anniversary of the countries first COVID-19 death, a young singer stands in front of a long-term care home in downtown Toronto belting out a beautiful rendition of Hallelujah by Leonard Cohen.

"I wanted to stand here, especially in front of this care home and let them know that I am here for you," singer Rachelle Show told CTV News Toronto on Monday.

Canada's first death from COVID-19 was a resident at a long term care home in Vancouver. Now, one year later, more than 22,000 Canadians have died and nowhere have these deaths been more prevalent than in long-term care homes.

“I don't think anyone could have foreseen how terrible it was, and keep in mind it was also disproportionately terrible in some provinces,” Vivian Stamatopoulos, a long-term care advocate and associate professor at Ontario Tech University, said on Monday.

As of today, there have been 3,876 long-term care deaths in Ontario, which account for more than half of all deaths in the province. Stamatopoulos said that in Ontario failed to learn lessons from the first wave and it costed lives.

"I think it's easy to make the argument that Ontario was really the worst hit, and particularity in the second wave," she said.

Since vaccinations began in January, infection and death rates in long-term care homes have been on a steep decline, but one year after Canada recorded it's first death, many scars remain.

At St. George Care Community, where Rachelle Show was singing on Monday morning, 19 residents died during the pandemic.

Outside Orchard Villa Long Term care in Pickering, Ont., one of the hardest hit long-term care homes, workers from the Service Employees International Union were protesting today. They are demanding more respect, protection, and pay.

"Workers are feeling burnt out. Workers are feeling very drained," SEIU spokesperson, Jackie Walker, said.

During the first wave, 70 residents of Orchard Villa died. It was one of the first homes to accept help from the military.