Photography Courtesy of Paul Smith, Photohouse Studio. www.photohousestudio.

ca

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

Funded by Status of Women Canada.

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

Chemotherapy treatment is particularly shattering as you

now find yourself stripped of your hair. Your eyebrows and
your eyelashes go away. You are stripped of your food
comforts. Those guilty pleasures you treat yourself to are
now replaced with healthy options. All healthy, all the time.
Date nights with wine and cheese are no longer. In my case,
chemotherapy affected my ability to eat sweets. So I was
forced to give up my after-dinner nosh of dessert too.

Surgery strips you of feeling

human. You feel carved up and
examined in places never meant to
see the light of day. You are sent
back home with drains hanging out
of your body - like some kind of
science fiction character.
You give up your dignity completely when, because of pain
or chemotherapy (or both), you must allow your partner do
things for you and with you that you would have never even
considered before. Embarrassed but weak, you give yourself
up to the help, no matter how degrading the process is may
seem. This is part of the fight, weakness becomes the high
card to beat, and you must accept it. The changes that have
been made to every single part of your life become quite
heavy. Emotionally draining, I was one of those where the
psychological effects from the chemotherapy were incredibly
challenging. Did I take my pills? Am I really awake? How
did I get home from the clinic? I lost my independence
and I was frightened.

This April will be the one year anniversary of my nightmare.

In April of 2013 I found a lump in my breast. It would later
be confirmed as cancer. So began almost a year of being
poked and prodded. Biopsies, surgeries, chemotherapy,
radiation, and mental healthcare followed. The year was
mentally and physically exhausting. The cure was the stuff
that we usually dont think about too hard since there is no
way of fully understanding the horribleness of the disease
or what it entails. Not unless you go through it.
When you learn you have cancer you are given a lot of
things. You are given an avalanche of advice from your
healthcare professionals. You are given choices on how to
further deal with your diagnosis and various treatment
options. You get to see professional after professional in
many healthcare settings. It seems like a lot of getting
when in fact the moment you get the diagnosis is the
moment you start to give. You immediately give up knowing
your place in this world. Stripped of confidence. Stripped
of your security.
The reality of it all starts slowly. It begins with the
ultrasounds, mammograms, and biopsies. You find yourself
relying on all these strangers for medical diagnosis and
treatment. They hold your world in their hands. God bless
them, they quite often have the answers you need, but you
will never know what is about to happen before they do.
Surgery strips you of feeling human. You feel carved up and
examined in places never meant to see the light of day. You
are sent back home with drains hanging out of your body like some kind of science fiction character. There are
strangers that come into your home to monitor that hardware
until you get the permission to have it removed. And, when
chemotherapy is on the horizon, the original hardware is
replaced by a better mousetrap; new hardware that directs
all that helpful poison straight to your heart.
Photography Courtesy of
Paul Smith, Photohouse Studio.
www.photohousestudio.ca

Then, at the moment I felt the lowest I have ever been

in my life, I realized something spectacular: although
cancer made me give up so very much, unless I let it,
cancer could not take away the most important thing
my spirit. Suddenly, I felt that I did have some control.
That I was doing the right things to stay alive and I did
indeed have power over that. Cancer demands that you
to bow to it. But believe me when I tell you this:
although I have had to bow, I would not, WILL NOT
break. My journey and my treatments have done
many things to my body, but I started taking back
what cancer tried so hard to take away from me.
I, with unequivocal and ferocious might, chose
to take back my life.
Right now, having completed my treatments,
I am so happy to say I am cancer free. I look
forward to growing my hair back, sharing a
bottle of Veuve Cliquot with my close
friends, and not feeling so much like a Borg
anymore. I will be treating myself to very
un-environmentally-friendly two-hour
showers on a regular basis. I look
forward to a celebratory trip abroad, to
riding my bike like a crazy fiend
through Gilkinson Flats. But mostly,
I look forward to watching my family
grow, and being there to see
members of my pack have families
of their own.
Never forget that when all seems
lost, your spirit is your greatest
weapon. Cancer knows this and
it works very hard to take that
from you. You just cant let it.
Just dont let it. Remember
what is yours and fight.
Never give up.

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

The Too Often Forgotten - Addictions, Drugs and Mental Health

by Marc Laferriere, Twitter: @MarcLaferriere
The issues I am addressing in this article have a devastating
impact on this community. As a clinical social worker in
Brantford, I have dealt with the victims of drugs, addiction,
and abuse daily, and I have seen the damage these cause
in our community.
According to the Canadian Centre for Substance Abuse,
illicit drug use costs Canadian society an estimated $8.2
billion a year. Sixty per cent of those users fall between
the ages of 15-24, and in some high-risk communities, kids
as young as 11 are trying illicit drugs. Those disturbing
statistics show the true reasons why we need a smarter and
more effective strategy for treating drug-related offences,
as well as issues surrounding addiction. Serious drug use
and abuse is more and more
becoming an issue with the
youth of our community, and we
need to focus our efforts on
making sure that kids dont fall
victim to drugs.

mental or sexual trauma and the tales of what is lost from

years of drug abuse are quite the reality check for those
who are unfamiliar with the subject.
Part of our strategy for creating a tough and effective
justice system here in Canada includes our approach to
treating addictions. With treatment programming in place
that all Canadians can access, we can rehabilitate those
who are ready and help create positive stories of achievement
and hope. Having to wait 9 months for 28 day treatment
(if you are lucky) isnt helping. Being shipped across the
province isnt as helpful as being able to be served in your
community with your family by your side. We need more
beds, and not just for adult addicts, but for youth. Youth
are often caught between the
programs for children and the
programs for adults. Again, we
are very much looking forward
to what the incoming detox
centre will bring to our
community and how it can
create a positive ripple effect
here. I'm also hoping the work
being done for SHARC (SelfHelp Addictions Resource
Centre) will eventually be a
great resource for recovery in
our community.

We put a hold on building

addiction treatment centres,
and cut funding to mental
health services and facilities,
but build private prisons
for unreported crime
when the crime rate has
been falling.

We need to re-invest in
programs that keep our kids
from criminal activity, not
eliminate the funding and the
opportunities for redirection. We
have to have effective programs
in place that make sure our kids
know the dangers of drugs and
addiction at a young age. Many
local agencies do great things in
this regard and there is a lot of
hope in our community regarding
programs on the horizon. National Addictions Awareness
Week is a great project to be involved in for this very reason.
Its a first step that I believe will lead to quite the path if it
continues to be supported by the community. The sheer
number of people who come out for events like this is
astounding. This problem is big in Brantford, Brant, Six
Nations and New Credit and the stories of addicts and their
families are often gut-wrenching. Falling in with the
wrong crowd, leaning towards drugs to cope with physical,

Our current justice system

places too much emphasis on
punishing drug users and drug
offenders, and not enough on
addiction treatment. Yes, we do believe that criminals
should be punished for breaking the law. However, we
must continue to be sensitive to the fact that drugs can
quickly become addictive, addiction is a disease and we
need to do what we can to support the rehabilitation and
reintegration of people in our community.

I have had occasion to talk with Howard Sapers office

during some planning for a previous years

Brantford/Brant Mental Health Week. Mr. Sapers is the

Federal Ombudsman for prisons. He highlights often how
we are criminalizing mental health issues and incarcerating
mental health clients instead of treating them. Its an
expensive and backwards solution. We put a hold on building
addiction treatment centres, and cut funding to mental
health services and facilities, but build private prisons for
unreported crime when the crime rate has been falling.
"Criminalizing and then warehousing the mentally ill
burdens our justice system and does nothing to improve
public safety," Sapers wrote in a very well researched
annual report. We cant let prisons become the dumping
ground for the mentally ill. Its immoral, its ineffective,
its dangerous and its bloody expensive.
Mental health and addictions services are not just less
expensive to run, but also save us money because they
prevent future issues from occurring. Get an addict clean
and working and s/he isnt breaking into your house to
steal your jewellery. S/he isnt costing the taxpayer prison
costs either. You do better and so does s/he. We all win
with safer communities and less victims of crime and less
victims of the system. We need to continue to work on a
system of justice in this country that is both tough and
effective on crime. That means punishing those who
commit crime, working to prevent crime, rehabilitating
those addicted to the perils of crime, and protecting those
people who fall victim to crime. I hope you have found
this series of articles enlightening. I have enjoyed hearing
your comments on these issues and look forward to more
discussion on it.
Crime isnt going away, but we have a responsibility to
treat complex issues like crime with critical thought. We
have a moral obligation to push for better, more effective
services. A fairer country and a safer country requires the
input of many viewpoints. Ive been happy to share views
on this issue, please continue to share yours so that we can
move forward together towards a safer country built from
safer communities.

When You Dont Know Where to Turn to, Turn to 211

by Kristin Pass, Twitter: @KristinPass
Someone once told me, You dont know, what you dont
know. That simple statement has stuck with me and I
think about it a lot in many different contexts. It relates to
the story I want to share with you. Its about a well-kept
secret called 211.
In my position, with Brant United Way, I have the opportunity
to learn about a lot of great programs that are offered in
our community. We support many of them and others I
learn about from connecting with agencies and individuals
through my work. One of the things I hear a lot from agencies
and residents alike, is they didnt know a service existed.
Dont get me wrong, there are gaps in services and there
are needs that arent being addressed. But, in a lot of cases,

there are great programs and services running, and people

just dont know about them!
This is where 211 comes in. 211 is an information referral
service connecting people to local social services. Their
tagline is, When you don't know where to turn, turn to
211. 211 is a helpline (2-1-1- on your phone) and a
website (211ontario.ca) that provides information on community, social, non-clinical health and government services.
Sometimes it can be challenging to navigate the systems,
and 211 is working to break down barriers. It is available
24 hours a day, 7 days a week, in over 100 languages. 211
connects people to the right information and services
directly from the 211 website.

One of my colleagues had a positive experience calling

211. Her aunts house had burnt down and the family
helped where they could, but they needed more support.
She called 211 and they helped her by providing a list of
local services to call and sent a follow-up e-mail listing
everything. My colleague was so pleased with the help that
she wrote back to say thank you and is now sharing this
experience with others.
211 is a great resource of information. I encourage you to
share this information and think to use it yourself. Lets
not keep 211 a well-kept secret; lets share this information
and connect people in our community with the services
they need.

VISION
VISIONEXPERIENCE

Authorized by the CFO for the Brant PC Association.

YOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

Walking in Floodwaters
by Adam King, Blog: www.b.aking.ca
I think I must have been eleven, and my entire family
Dad, Mom, three little sisters and one little brother were
cramped and sweating in our beat up blue Toyota minivan,
tan vinyl seats and panels, and blue painted steel everywhere
the vinyl wasnt. We were on the 8-10 hour drive from
Bangladeshs capital city, Dhaka, to its main port (and our
home), Chittagong. The highway was a single lane of pock-marked
pavement with a yard or two of dirt shoulder on either side,
and then a deep, swift drop-off to the water-logged
rice-paddies that filled the floodplains ten feet below.
I sat in the front seat, next to my dad, and could see the
rising water through a small hole in the blue metal floor.
This was monsoon season, when every year about twothirds of the country are submerged in water. Today, that
two-thirds included the stretch of highway ahead of us. It
was hard to tell whether the highway had eroded down to
meet the water, or the water had risen to meet the highway,
but either way, for the few hundred metres in front of us,
there was nothing but the muddy calm of floodwaters.
There was no way to tell where the roadways steep edges
were, but we had to cross and get home. Since there wasnt
much current, other cars were crossing, with passengers
getting out to walk ahead and around the cars to test the
road as they went.
Since I was the eldest son, my dad did something Ill
always thank him for. He asked me to get out and walk. As
my knobby little lily-white knees waded out through the
thick brown slurry, feeling out the edges of the road, I was
filled with exhilaration by the unknown dangers in front of
me, and proud of the responsibility Id been given to guide
my entire family to safety.

My parents showed a lot of

bravery dragging their five
young kids off to live in a country
with a military dictatorship and
Guinness-record poverty and
corruption rates.
My parents showed a lot of bravery dragging their five
young kids off to live in a country with a military dictatorship
and Guinness-record poverty and corruption rates. I
admired the guts it must have taken to stay there through a
war where foreigners were targeted, and for not losing their
cool when a house across the street was torched by a mob.
I admired them for taking their five kids trekking in the
foothills of the Himalayas for New Years, and to the Taj
Mahal for Christmas, instead of sitting at home on a couch
by the TV. Sometimes all we had to eat was rice and lentils
(which I hated), and sometimes I couldnt go outside
because I was too much a target for kidnappers or lynch
mobs. But though I might have complained about things at
the time, looking back, it was worth it.
In 2008, I walked out into the hills and jungle forests of
northern Nicaragua with friends, talking to coffee farmers,
to workers in the fields, to coffee mill executives in the
towns. AK-47s guarded plantation gates while corralled
farm-workers slept stacked in tiny stalls like so many KFC
chickens. Since coming back from there, Ive slowly been

working toward a goal to build a better way for people to

buy coffee and understand the story and the real people
behind their beans. Where, as a teen, I used to hack with
ResEdit and Macromedia Director in the evenings building
software for fun, Im now hacking international trade systems.
My project at Ethical Coffee may never amount to
anything, but at least Im still plunging forward. Many
days I dont leave my desk, but Im risking more and
reaching further than I would have in 10 trips to a resort in
the Caribbean.
Looking at the best-seller lists on Amazon (or, preferably,
the shelves your local bookstore, if it still exists), theres a
world of self-help out there for people struggling to make
their lives better. Its often said, both in and out of those
books, that travel is a wonderful way to refresh yourself,
to reset your habits, to rekindle energy and interest once
youre called back to the demands of regular life.
Though physically moving your body to another part of the
world is a wonderful experience, not all of us can do it very
much. Something around 95% of this planets population
have never taken an airplane ride, so if you cant globe-trot,
youre in good company. (Some first worlders purposefully
do this, in environmental and social solidarity with the large
majority of the world.) But, having travelled frequently for
large portions of my life, and then having not travelled

much through the years following high-school, I can tell

you, its not the distance that makes the experience.
Ive chosen to start thinking of travelling as more than seeing
the world and encompassing much more than vacation.
Travel can be a mindset. The transformative effect of travel
is mostly that it makes it easy for you to look outward and
forward, exploring and welcoming the unknown
whether its on the other side of the ocean or someplace
closer to home.The benefits of travel might be found in hitting
up that place in that corner of your hometown you always
felt a bit leery of buying a drink in. Or maybe its in getting
out of your comfortable habits/places and learning to code.
It could be in corners of Wikipedia you never thought to
look, or on Tor, or in random conversations with strangers
on IRC. Its in the little details of experiences and knowledge,
both fantastic and mundane.
Travel is moving beyond yourself. In it, you can stop
constantly worrying about what happened to you, or where
you are headed in life, or who said what, and instead look
into anywhere youre not. What you do once your head is
out of your habit bubble is your choice. My advice: look
for your muddy floodwaters, and walk out into them, trusting
that whether you lose your footing or not, youll still have
gone, and given, and just maybe, youll find the other side
wasnt as far away as it seemed

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

Ways of Escape
by Brennen Reid, Twitter: @Brennen_Reid or @PopcornCornerRL

I never watched many Philip Seymour Hoffman movies.

I had seen the big blockbusters, the Mission Impossible:
3s, but I had never actually sat and watched a film where
Hoffman could show his true skill. I always assumed he
was a great actor, without actually experiencing his acting.
I changed that. Through the course of my life, with dealing
with struggles and hardship and heartbreak, I always turn
to movies. Always. They are my escape I get lost in the
world of the film as I watch. Everything about me disappears.
And Philip Seymour Hoffman, like other great actors,
absolutely convinces us of his characters and makes that
escape even more possible. He is not an actor on screen;
he is Truman Capote; he is Gust Avrakatos and he is Jacob
Elinsky (25th Hour).
In Charlie Wilsons War, he plays Gust Avrakatos, a CIA
agent in charge of gathering intelligence in Afghanistan.
Charlie Wilsons War stars Tom Hanks as well, playing the
titular character, and Hoffman performs perfectly with a
great actor like Hanks. Hanks is a scene stealer in every
film he is in except this one. Hoffman, playing a gruff,
angry, sarcastic character, never allows Hank to
completely run off with a scene to himself. Hoffman is
the character you want to watch in this film. He, in my

opinion, is the best part about it.

Philip Seymour Hoffman won the Best Actor Oscar award
in 2005 for his portrayal of Truman Capote. He is able, in
Capote, to convey every single tiny emotion. Capote is
envious, flamboyant, boastful, and an incredible storyteller. He grows close to people, the subjects of his true
crime novel In Cold Blood, and creates emotional bonds
with murderers. He is manipulative as well as genuine.
Hoffman navigates this complicated character with ease.
Hes not playing Truman Capote - he is Truman Capote.
With his spot-on voice (I watched some old interviews
with the real Capote, it really is astounding how well Hoffman managed to get it right) and mannerisms, Capote
comes to life on the screen. While not my favourite movie
ever, Hoffman is brilliant. Those two characters are
completely different. The rough crudeness of Gust is the
polar opposite to the emotional Capote. Hoffman is able
to pull them off equally well, and to disappear into each
character. He is not one to collapse into a formulaic stereotype,
to be bit-casted in the same role over and over like so
many of his peers. His abilities were definitely the stuff of
legend, and the response from the film industry as a whole
is testament to his skill and achievements.

However, the tragic story behind the death of Philip

Seymour Hoffman isnt the loss of such a great talent, its
the drugs behind the scenes and the struggles that he went
through personally that should be brought to the spotlight.
Addiction and drugs have taken so many when help should
have been there. Drugs seem like a normal thing in Hollywood, at least to us outsiders looking in. Theres always a
new story about rehab, about some actor who fell off the
wagon, about some celebrity who trashed a hotel room in
a, to quote Rob Ford, drunken stupor. It gives off an aura
of glamour, of luxury, that drugs and alcohol is what you
do when you hit the big time. However, these are all just
people, with people problems. Hoffman, I suspect, didnt
shoot up heroin to give off an aura of glamour. There is no
glamour to it. Just addiction, pain and loneliness.
Philip Seymour Hoffman was an actor that set the bar
high. He was someone who made every movie he was in
good. He took his characters to another level past figures
on a screen and into real life. Explore some of his more
looked over works. Pirate Radio, 25th Hour and Synecdoche,
New York. I know Im going to. And if you know someone
who is struggling with addiction, let him or her know
youre there. Help them get help. You might save a life.

Oh, City of Brantford

by Tina Draycott, Facebook: Tina Draycott
Oh, City of Brantford...I love you so. Except for when
there is change, of any kind, and then you become flat-out
unruly. I realize that implementing new things can be hard,
but make no mistake Brantford: when changes are made,
concern and/or criticism will follow. You know that. You
are, after all, 137 years old and have been around the block
a few times. But, the good people that call you home can
sometimes be very polarizing when it comes to new or
replacing the old. Some people look for answers;
inevitably others will look for blame.

the community just doesnt like. That is fair. Although we

must support our officials, we are not forced to always like
the outcome. And if it so happens we have questions, we
should also feel that we can have our concerns answered
respectfully, and sometimes repeatedly, until the right
information gets through. Open, respectful dialogue is the
best way to gauge your success as an official in this City
and beyond. But its not just of our elected officials we
should demand this, but our committee members, our
neighbours, and our friends as well.

Often I will hear someone ask 'how did this issue happen?'
The easy reply is that it's been happening, and if this issue
wasnt something you were interested in before, why the
heck is it something you are so passionate about now? The
cold bare facts are that we elect people to speak and make
decisions on our behalf. We require leadership as a
community and, knowing this, we look for the best leaders
that we can for our Council, and various Trustee Boards.
THIS IS WHAT WE DO WHEN WE VOTE.

Furthermore, we citizens have to realize that until we get

involved, the politicians cannot fully comprehend what is
on the hot list of importance for our community. They will
make the choices and move in the direction they believe
is right for the City unless they hear otherwise, and that
voice cannot be left until an election. Integrate yourself
now, with the things you find important. Major upsets will
plop down firmly on each of our individual doorsteps
unless we make the conscious decision to have our voice
heard - during the process and not just after.

In a perfect world those officials would seek our (community)

input on decisions that will affect us in our backyards.
Sometimes City matters roll out in a way we likeand
sometimes they do not. We live in a democracy and that
is just the way it works.
There will be times that the City will do something that

Questioning does not always imply wrongnessit simply

means there is a call for dialogue. Open dialogue most
often will clear up misconceptions or confusion and
provides additional data for us all to process further. If the
citizens of this City feel they will be heard then our
community on the whole will benefit. So a respectful,

open dialogue must be retained, and returned in kind,

without exception. It is the life blood of any community.
It keeps everything active. If you arent willing to have
your comment or decision explored, then never, ever, sign
your name on the dotted line. Additionally, to those who
use pseudonyms or anonymous internet names in the
comment sections of the local online newspapers, emails,
Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram; if you cannot stand by
your own words, if you must hide behind a nom de plume,
then your comments are worth nothing. You do the
community no favours. You are no friend of either your
neighbour or your elected official when you spew vitriol
indiscriminately. All you do is bring negativity where none
is warranted. Be proud of your words. If your words do
not give you pride, then perhaps they are words you should
not be using.
Living in an amazing City such as this we must work
together. We have to be involved. We must put ourselves
out there and we cannot be afraid to be bullied by anyone,
whether we are in a position of power, or the lady who has
simply chosen to live here most of her life. Brantford will
never be fixed because a healthy community is always a
work in progress - and good process is almost always good
progress. Real, constructive, open dialogue by all involved
is a big part of a healthy community. And frankly, any 137
year old should know that by now.

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

What Women Want

by Dave Carrol, Facebook: Dave Carrol
Like most men, understanding women has always been an
elusive skill for me. I was always someone caught between
being a guy guy, and the guy who girls just wanted to
be friends with. That wound up meaning that I didn't have
many dates growing up. In fact, I couldn't tell you of an
outing with a girl that I could substantially quantify as a
date until the end of my time in high school. I blame this
on two people: My Dad and Dana Carvey.
When I was in Grade 6, my Dad and I would play chess
nearly every night while watching sports. For weeks I had
been biding my time, looking for the right way to request
his permission to ask out a girl in my class that I'd had a
crush on for years. At that time McDonald's was running
Mac Tonight Big Mac ads on TV to the tune of Mac
the Knife. Fred Astaire types in hats and tails danced
around fry boxes as the Grace Kellys gave them those "oh
you" gooey smiles in a Happy Meal induced haze. It all
seemed like a wonderful evening to me, and quite doable
too. Big Macs and babes. At five bucks a combo, I was in.
But how to get from the chess game to the golden arches
was my dilemma. I couldn't ask her and come back the
next day and tell her that, My Dad wouldn't let me.
So one night during the first intermission of the Toronto
Maple Leaf hockey game between having my queen taken
and my nightly "Spassky Bishop Block" joke,
I sputtered what must have been the lamest case for 6th
Grade dating of all time. As a 6th Grade teacher himself,
my Dad knew all-too-well the train wrecks that are 6th
Grade relationships. He wisely told me, No. It was a
funny era of life. Because both my Dad and I (as guys)
knew that I wanted girls. He knew it because he's a guy
and knew what my man-brain was thinking about. What
it came down to was that I had no idea how to get girls. I
just knew that I couldn't eat Big Macs with them yet.
Dana Carvey's role in my dateless life kicked in soon after.
Long before I was allowed to stay up to watch Saturday
Night Live, I would listen to it on the radio as everyone
slept. Once I knew that I wouldn't be able to take anyone
ballroom dancing at fast food restaurants, I played the only
card I figured I had in my hand: making people laugh. If I
could make a 6th Grade girl in a training bra pee her
pants... she'd surely mop up and go out with me. Or so I
figured, using all the circumstantial data I could muster at
the time. So I'd listen to Dana Carvey doing impressions
of people I'd never heard of before. I'd show up at school
doing Johnny Carson bits and full American political satire
routines. I barely knew what I was talking about (my
audience knew even less) but I was killing out there. My
Dad was a classic comedy and vaudeville fanatic so we'd
rent Laurel and Hardy films from the library and analyze
why they were so funny. The laughs were great, but let's
face it, I was doing it for the reason guys do most things.
To get girls.
As it turns out, every list in every woman's magazine ever
published says that what girls are most looking for is a
sense of humour... apparently those magazines are
published by people like me hoping that doing George
Bush wouldn't be prudent impressions is going to get
them dates. I saw evidence of no such beast. Things went
on this way until my sixth (yes sixth) year of high school
when one day, in history class, I felt a mountain of Im

going nowhere fast fall squarely onto my shoulders. She

could read it on my face. She was wearing blue sweat
pants and a big woolly sweater. In fact, she always wore
big woolly sweaters. She looked silently at me with a bit
of a pregnant pause, as if deciding whether or not to jump
off a tall cliff into unknown waters. Then she asked me
something that I didn't recall anyone ever asking me. She
whispered the words, "Do you wanna talk?" I had no good
reason to say yes. But, that day in history class, I didn't
think about that. I did need to talk. So I said yes.
So we talked. For nearly a month, this very patient girl
who seemingly had a new wool sweater every day, let me
spew every sort of destructive thought that rolled through
my mind (and a few extras just to see how she'd react). It
was messy, but she didn't stop letting me talk. We had gone
to school together for 5 years and had never noticed each
other. We were from very different social circles and had
very little in common, but the more we talked, the more

we noticed the sparks flying. Something was up. One

Saturday night I picked up Miss Wooly Sweater in my
bus-like Ford Econoline Van and brought her over my
house to watch Field of Dreams. Understand this: to guys
who are now almost 40, Field of Dreams is not just a
movie. It's THE movie. It's got big dreams, fantasy
baseball, playing catch with your Dad. Field of Dreams...
hallowed be thy name. When the line of cars, coming
to Iowa for reasons they can't even fathom, faded to black
and James Horner's haunting score cued... she leaned in
and kissed me. It lasted the whole credits long until the
final oboe had played. This was not the first time my lips
had touched another's, but this was my first... KISS. Three
years later we stood at the altar. Eighteen years later we
have three kids.
What do women want? Its never been about fancy dinners
or being entertained. They just want the real, true, honest you.

Laurier Brantford Celebrates Social Work Week

Poverty & Inequality & Why You Should Care.
March 6th, 2014 Odeon Building, 2nd Floor, 50 Market St, Brantford Doors Open at 6pm Free to the public
Featuring Trish Hennessy (Ontario Director of Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives)
Rev. Barry Pridham (Sydenham St. United Church) Sherry Lewis (Brant Native Housing)
and from Laurier Brantford Dr. Janet McLaughlin, Dr. Robert Basso and Marc Laferriere MSW.

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

Down on Skid Row

by Steve Straza, strazilla.blogspot.ca
In October 2012, I got to take a trip with a team of volunteers
from Freedom House to the Dream Centre in Los Angeles.
What is the Dream Centre? It's a Christian mission in the
Echo Park neighbourhood of L.A., California. It's actually
an old hospital that has been renovated to house over 100
different types of outreach to the surrounding community.
The list is too long to share, but included are housing for
victims of sex trafficking, an addiction recovery unit and a
program to help families that are at risk of losing their
children to state intervention. I stood in amazement at the
facility. I actually thought to myself as I looked upon the
facility, Who has the guts to dream this big?
The Dream Centre is the work of Pastors Tommy, Matthew
and Caroline Barnett. Each month the Centre touches the
lives of over 50,000 people and
offers housing to over 500. I can't
even begin to tell you the amount
of food that is given away each
week by this amazing group.
Pastor Tommy's line is, Find a
need and fill it, find a hurt and
heal it. He isn't just talking. He
means it. Since building the original
Dream Centre, over 100 similar
projects have popped up all over
the world. Truly inspiring. The
Dream Centre is one of the
concepts that Freedom House
was built on. Each day we were
given the chance to participate in
two different ministries that the
Centre ran. While there are many stories I could share, I
don't think anything could have prepared this upper middle
class Canuck for what I encountered on our trip to Skid
Row.

or want. I have always had more than I needed and still

whined that I wanted more. I felt an odd sense of shame as
I entered the area. I didn't belong here. Not because I was
better than anyone else. I felt on some level that trying to
help here would be perceived as condescending. It was seen
that way by a few to be sure. The other reason I didn't
belong here was my colour. In all the crowds of humanity I
saw that day, there was rarely a white face to be seen. I'm
not sure what this says about American culture. I saw at least
one homeless man wearing an Obama shirt. I chuckled to
myself at the time. How had a black president made his life
any better? Clearly, nothing had changed for him. My guess
is that to him, it was purely a symbol of hope. A black man
held an office that many thought would never be held by a
black man.
We entered one of the many
shelters in the area and began to
distribute food. People were
asleep on the concrete floor of
the outdoor shelter. No pillows,
no blankets. Face down on the
hard pavement that everyone
else walked on. I must confess
to a sense of despair as we
began our work. So much need.
We were a drop in the ocean.
We feed maybe over 100
people. There were thousands
more all around us. Serving
food meets the immediate needs
of some, but doesn't solve the
underlying issues. How do we solve this problem? I asked
myself again and again, knowing that greater minds than
mine have wrestled with this problem for ages and come up
short. However, two things were perfectly clear to me: the
problems of addiction and mental health. The streets were
lined with people who had fallen through the cracks in the
system. I spoke to many people who were clearly not well
mentally. I spoke to many others who were desperately
trying to escape through the use of drugs. I can't say I blame
them.

Try to imagine 6 to 8 city blocks

just lined with people. They are
mostly sitting on the sidewalk.
This is where they live. This is
where they sleep and eat.I don't
mean to sound overly dramatic,
but there is a sense of hopelessness
that permeates the area.

Try to imagine 6 to 8 city blocks just lined with people.

They are mostly sitting on the sidewalk. This is where they
live. This is where they sleep and eat. I don't mean to sound
overly dramatic, but there is a sense of hopelessness that
permeates the area. In my life I have never known hunger

Like animals locked in a cage, we saw numerous eruptions

of anger and frustration. Police arrested two men on the
street and had to use force to apprehend them. For a
moment, I thought we were on the cusp of a riot. Crowds
of angry street people gathered around and yelled as police
cuffed and took away two of their own. We were actually
locked down in the shelter during the arrests. One of the
police men I talked to later in the day looked like he was
straight off of the cover of Muscle and Fitness magazine. A
very large and muscular African man. Good choice. He'd
have to have the heart of a lion as well. As we climbed back
into our van to head home, a woman on the street dropped
her pants and began to defecate in the garbage bin beside
her bed on the street. When she finished, she crawled into
her bed and pulled the blankets over herself. That corner of
the street is her whole world. As we drove away, I was
reminded of why we try so desperately to avoid these issues
in our daily lives. It's because they require us to both think
and feel. I don't want to feel the pain of this issue, so I just
won't think about it.
We had our evening free that day and the ladies in our group
really wanted to go visit Hollywood, not more than an hour
away. A short drive from where we stood with people who
didn't know where their next meal was coming from was a
mecca of consumerism. BMWs, overpriced fashions and
five dollar coffees. How could it be, that these two worlds
existed so close together? How could it be that there was so
much for some and so little for others? Honestly, being in
Hollywood that night made me feel even worse about what
I had seen that day. I was thankful to be a Canadian. Our
social safety net is much better than that of our American
cousins. The problem is not as pronounced as what I
witnessed in L.A., but it exists here, all the same. I have no
pictures of my time on the street. We were warned by
volunteers at the Centre that street folk did not want their
pictures taken. For me, there were none needed. The images
I saw that day are in my head to stay. My daughter Haley
came with me on the trip. The desire to feed those who can't
afford to eat still burns within her. That alone was worth the
price of the trip.

You Can Do It
by Laurie Ann March, Twitter: @innerpossible
Im writing today with the purpose of inspiring those of
you who have considered running, but are in that place
where you feel as if going from walking to running isnt
something you could possibly do. You may think it is too
hard or that you arent strong enough. Im here to tell you
that you do have what it takes.

I used a free website to track my progress and I could see

that I was getting better when I looked at my training summary.
I was getting faster and running further even though at
times it didnt feel like it. I proceeded with the attitude that
I could not fail. Even if I had to walk half the race, I would
still finish. I was not going to quit!

I was there once and not so long ago. In fact, there was a
time in my life where I was so morbidly obese that I was
unable to even walk to get the mail without difficulty. In
late November 2011 I took up running. After a few months
of running on a treadmill several times a week I was still
barely able to run 3K and I had committed to running a
5K race. At first it did seem daunting but that was my mind
playing games. I would cry because I felt like I was going
to fail. I told myself that I had signed up for an event that
I didnt have the physical capacity to complete. Im not
generally negative and I am utterly stubborn so I
decided to quit listening to that voice in my head that kept
screaming cant. I put my running shoes on and went to
work. A dear friend reminded me that we all have to start
somewhere and that every runner has had their challenges.
I listened.

March 2012 came and nearer the end of the month, I ran
5K for the first time after months of gently increasing my
endurance. I did it! I really did it! I cant express the sense
of achievement that I felt that day on a local trail near the
river. It was amazing. I ran the distance two more times
before my first race and that gave me confidence. Sure, I
was slow and I had to have walk breaks, but it didnt matter. What mattered was that I knew I could cross that finish
line and prove that I could do what at one time I thought
would be impossible. Thats what counts and still does.

I started to be more consistent with running. I wasnt fast

and I wasnt particularly graceful. It would take me more
than 30 minutes to run 3K, however, a few months before
I could barely run a full minute without it being difficult.

One night, when we got home from the indoor track at the
Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre, my husband Bryan and I
were chatting about my progress. It was about a year after
I first started running and I was whining that the run
wasnt one of my better times for 5K. Then he said
something that was amazing to me. Laurie, do you realize
that 5K is now your standard distance for fitness runs? You
couldnt do that a year ago. Hes right. (Hes going to
love that I said that publicly!) That distance, which seemed

so horribly difficult to achieve, is one that I run several

times a week. On Saturdays I often run more than 10K.
Go figure! On May 4, 2013 I went on to finish my first
half marathon (21.1K) and if everything works out I will
go on to run my first full marathon in October of this year.
Im not speedy by any means, but I am determined to push
my perceived limits.
I hope that you look at my progress and that it gives you
the courage to quit thinking about it and give running your
best shot (please be sure to check with your doctor first,
buy appropriate footwear, and find a good training plan).
You might even consider booking a race, allowing yourself
ample time to train for it, of course. That will keep you
motivated, especially if it is a charity run and you are
collecting donations. Then you are giving yourself a great
gift while doing something wonderful for someone else.
Training can be tough at times, especially with the longer
distances, but I promise you the rewards are worth it. You
can do it you just have to lace up your shoes and try.
Currently, I am one of the Digital Champions for Canada
Running Series Toronto Yonge Street 10K where my role
is to inspire others to run. If you need some inspiration or
want to see where I am at in my training feel free to follow
me on twitter @innerpossible or check out
www.innerpossible.com.

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

A Girl With a Camera

Layne Beckner Grime
www.jonoandlaynie.com
www.jonoandlaynie.wordpress.com
www.facebook.com/JonoandLaynie

My love affair with photography began two decades ago

when I was gifted a purple 35mm camera. I think it was from
Avon. My sister received a matching one. I loved it more
than anything.
I'd line up my Cabbage Patch dolls-all 18 of them-along the
perimeters of my hallway and snap away at their school
portraits. I found my dogs and cats made excellent subjects
too.
It wasnt until a few years later, however, as I was reading a
fiction series about a photographer that I knew the direction
of my destiny. I was 11 or 12 at the time. It was yet another
few years later, when I took my first photo class in university,
that my life course was irrevocably altered. I couldnt run
away from this big scary dream any longer. I changed my
degree program from business (yes, that was a laughable
phase of my life) to photojournalism and havent looked
back since.
In the last ten years Ive documented county fairs, births,
political rallies. Ive shot weddings and a few too many
tragedies along the way. Ive done stories on small towns,
big families and biological sisters who joined a convent in
their teenage years. At 98 and 101, Sisters Agnes Catherine
and Joseph Mary were still loving Jesus and each other well.
I love telling stories with photos and capturing moments,
small snippets of eternity that will not be forgotten, images
documented for all time. Chronicling life with people from
all races, ages and walks of life has been an incredibly
fulfilling experience.
To be honest, photography was the first thing in my life that
I was terrible at, yet didnt give up on. I have a list the length
of my arm of things I walked away from in my younger
years because I didnt immediately excel at them. I love
being Great at what I do; there is no other option, really. I
loved photography far more than it loved me though. During
my first years of university, Id go see my professor each
week after completing my assignment and during every single
visit he said something like, Wellll (ahem), this is good,
BUT, see this and this. This is how you could do this a bit
better. Why dont you go out and try again before class on
Tuesday.
I lost weeks of sleep and probably years of my life in those
wonderful and eye-opening years.
I remember hearing my classmates talking about only ever
marrying another photographer. At the time I just shrugged.
I knew Id have a camera in my hands, documenting my life,
no matter what. But years later, I did fall in love with a fellow
photographer and feel excessively blessed to be able to challenge
each other in our chosen field every single day.
In our business (Jono &Laynie {Photo + Film}) we shoot
everything (weddings, charity events, babies, families,
houses, you name it; weve probably shot it). I am so grateful
to work and grow with the love of my life. But one of my
very favourite things to shoot is boudoir - and almost all my
personal work involves girls just dressing up. Ive done several
personal shoots (some featured here) in the past year from
my ongoing project called Of Wood Nymphs and Pixie
Dust to shoots involving a Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland,
the colour red and Princess & the Pea.
Perhaps part of this vision has come from years of playing
dress-up with my beloved sister. Some things never change,
and maybe a teensy piece of me will never grow up.
But I also have a passion for making women feel beautiful.
There are so many voices out there, telling us we need to
look and act a certain way. Be thinner, or This is the standard
for pretty.
However, I look at women everywhere and see value, worth
and beauty. I want these women to see themselves as they
truly are. One of my favourite responses ever from a boudoir
client went something like this: Holy $#!+...I had NO idea
I could look like that! THANK YOU! My husband's jaw will
need lifting.
I want girls and women to see how stunning they are, no
matter what the media says, no matter what they think the
mirror and scale are telling them. They are seen, they are
valued, they are loved - just because. And I understand the
nuances of this heartbreaking journey of finding self-worth
because I, too, am just a girl. Just a girl with a camera, sharing
life as I see it.

10

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

School Done Right: Interview with a Teacher

by Erika Moyer, Blog: www.themoyerlife.com, Facebook: www.facebook.com/themoyerlife
ing to their needs, meeting them where they are at, and individualizing feedback. I dont base everything on a test
or a product.
Q: Are you still giving tests?
A: Not in the traditional sense. I triangulate data based on
student product, student voice and observation. All of
those things should be the assessment, not just a test or a
project. It isnt all about the product. It is about their learning. For the most part parents are supportive, but there are
still a few that see tests as an important skill that their kids
will need in the future. I address that by saying that instead
of covering content, I want them to learn the content, and
a test doesnt tell me if theyve learned it or just remembered it for that test. A lot of kids, including myself, forget
it afterwards so it isnt really learned. They need to learn
what to do with information and how to think critically,
how to make meaning out of it, how to apply it to their
own lives and how to reflect on it. I think that a lot of the
things that I am doing cant be tested, like character building, collaborating, analyzing. Those are not things that can
be assessed in a test.

They dont do one project and

get a mark and then its done the learning is over. No. The
learning goes on the whole year.
I give them feedback, they take
the feedback and they do
something with it.

Many of you know that I homeschool my son. There are

several reasons why Mr. Right and I decided on that path
for the time being. Not liking or respecting teachers is
NOT one of them. I would actually say that I have really
liked and highly regarded most of the ones Ive known.
Some of the things I dont like about the school system
are completely beyond teacher control, and I believe that
they would choose differently were it up to them. For instance, I have never met a teacher who would choose to
have 35 kids in his/her class instead of, say, 10. I am quite
certain that if they were not tied by the constraints of a
mandatory curriculum, among other things, and had the
freedom to teach what they wanted and how they wanted,
far more individualized and holistic education would
occur.
Whenever I think of the possibilities in mainstream, traditional education, my good friend Erin Esposito (5th
grade teacher), comes to mind. She is a revolutionary in
todays broken (and hopefully changing) system. She is
the teacher I would want my kids to have should they ever
return to public school. She does it all with the support of
the board, her principal, the students in her class, and their
parents. I wanted to know how she came to the place she
is at now. How do 5th grade students direct their own
learning and plan out their own days? What does a day in
her classroom really look like? What is she doing to create
this classroom environment that is full of children who
love to learn and cant wait to go to school every day?
Lets find out.
Q: What inspired you to change the way that you teach?
A: It was a slow process that began with my Child and
Youth studies and learning about the Montessori model
and constructivist theory, which is about students constructing and building on their own knowledge based on
their interests. I watched the Sir Ken Robinson TED talk

which had me question why we put kids in packages and

act like its still the industrial revolution. I furthered it with
my own son going into Montessori and seeing the benefits
of that. I had a ministry worker come into my classroom
and look at student learning. After collaborating and working with her, the number one concern was student engagement. Students were not achieving because they werent
engaged. Student engagement is one of the huge contributing factors to their success, so I needed to figure out how
to make that happen to facilitate true learning. They call
part of what I am doing inquiry-based learning, but Im
finding that term is kind of getting a bad rap. Some think
that inquiry is research, but there is so much more to it.
Its about students driving their education and back-mapping the curriculum based on their interests and questioning.
Q: Would you call that a teaching philosophy that you
adhere to?
A: I would say its a mind-set. Its a shift in the way you
think about teaching, not necessarily a technique or a way
of doing things. I am not the sole bringer of knowledge to
the table any more. I am no longer giving my students information and expecting them to regurgitate it back to me.
Its a change in that we co-construct our learning together,
meeting kids where they are at, allowing them to go off
into their own little adventures and guiding them in what
they want to learn about. For me, knowing your students
is the number one thing. Knowing your learner. Instead of
having the teacher instructing, the kids work on implementing a big idea or task theyve come up with and you
teach based on where theyve shown you they are at in that
task.
What I do is incorporate several different philosophies,
like Reggio, Montessori, and constructivist. I am melding
many beliefs into a few core ideas such as knowing your
students, putting the students in the drivers seat, respond-

I also give them multiple opportunities. They dont do one

project and get a mark and then its done - the learning is
over. No. The learning goes on the whole year. I give them
feedback, they take the feedback and they do something
with it. They show me that they have understood what Ive
said. In previous years, I found that I would give a lot of
feedback, but then nothing would get done with it. Once I
put a mark on something they felt like it was over and
there was no point. Now I give them the opportunity to
use that feedback and come back again. It has gotten to
the point where now students in the class are giving each
other feedback because they now know what the expectations are.
Q: Can you give us a precise example of how that works?
A: Sure. Right now, they have their dream homes built.
First they did it on a computer, actually using a program
that they found. I was going to have them use another program but they said it was too confusing and they didnt
like. The one they found on their own turned out to be way
better. They took their computer plans and turned them
into a model using a scale to show true size. I embedded
my geometry expectations with questioning about shapes
and symmetry. I also have to do a science unit on structure
so we started talking about what the external and internal
forces are. I had an architect come in and talk about all of
the forces and structural things that he has to think about,
and he looked at their structures and gave them feedback.
I pushed it even further into a measurement unit where we
were doing area and perimeter with our homes. Then I
pushed it even further for another science unit on conservation of energy. They researched how to make their home
energy efficient and what products they would use and
then presented it. As they are doing all of this, I am questioning them and pushing their thinking. To make sure to
consolidate it all and hold them accountable for their time,
we are doing a home show. We are going to invite the other
grades and our parent community to come in and look at
our homes and talk to us about our plans, process and energy conservation. At that time, I will listen to the conversations they are having and what they are teaching the
other kids. That will show me what they have learned that
they can speak of from their head. I also take pictures and
videos throughout the year to prompt my memory.
(continued on page 11)

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

11

A: Yes. They deemed it as centre time because they

are all doing something different. Its led us into lessons
about prioritizing and time management and not always
doing what you want, but doing what you have to do
first. Afterwards I would ask them if they had made the
most of their time and they would have to self-evaluate
and say yes or no and tell me why. We would then figure out how to get them interested in something. The
morning meetings and personal sharing have really
built community in the classroom and they now feel accountable to each other, not just to the teacher.

Q: You still have to teach the curriculum set out by the

Ministry of Education. How do you do that now that
your perspective has changed?

Q: Are you worried that they will continue on after this

year into someone elses classroom that may not have
the same mind-set?

A: The Ministry of Education sets out curriculum documents that have expectations in them. Those are the
things that you are responsible for having your students
learn. I still adhere to that. Its just the way Im going
about it is different. Just in that dream home example I
had four different strands of the curriculum that Im responsible for, but they naturally came up and then I
took it in that direction. Instead of standing up and giving a lesson and having them fill out a worksheet, I let
it come up naturally with whatever we are working on
and then steer it in the direction I need. You really have
to know your curriculum to be able to do it. You need
to know what it is that they need to know in order to be
able to make use of those teachable moments. The kids
are teaching each other as well. Its not just me. I am
co-learning with them. Sometimes I dont know the answers to things and we use that as a learning opportunity.

A: It is slowly changing. The most recent curriculum

document put out by the Ministry is inquiry-based
learning. They stress that we dont teach the curriculum,
we teach kids. It is shifting to skills as opposed to content. They are turning the expectation towards this way
of teaching. It is even trickling into high schools. I have
actually gone into in-services with high school teachers
about project-based learning and how to do it. It is
changing. It is just taking some people longer. With my
background, experiences and research, it was something
that I was very passionate about so I jumped into it a
bit more quickly than other people.

A: Love it. It is the way that the world is now and it can
bring the world right into your classroom. The kids are
engaged using it.

A: I still have to use A, B, C, D and I do the observations. I basically take qualitative data and turn it into a
quantitative mark using my professional judgment. I
meet them where they are at and base it on the growth
that I have seen. There havent been many bad marks.
They are all achieving and they are all moving, which
is the goal. And, they are all loving learning.

Q: I imagine this way of teaching has required a lot

more from you.

Q: What does an average day in your classroom look

like, and how does that differ from the norm?

Q: What is the greatest benefit that you have witnessed

in the children you have used these new methods with?

A: Absolutely. I am totally spent at the end of the day.

It requires a lot more thinking on the students part too.
Ive noticed that the kids that excelled in the past, the
ones who learned to play the game of school, think this
is crazy in the beginning. On the other hand, the kids
who have struggled with school, the ones who were
considered low learners have the most amazing ideas
and just think about things in the most amazing ways,
but we never gave them those opportunities before. So
for a while my classroom was basically turned upside
down. Now the high-achieving students have come
around. It just took them a bit longer because the game
that they had played for so long had changed. It all just
shows me that I am giving them all what they need.
They are thinking now instead of memorizing.

A: I begin every day with a morning meeting to share

ideas. We talk about anything mission related (having
to do with Grade 5 Can, a foundation the class started),
anything personal they want to share, and they tell me
what they are going to do in the next block of time for
their learning. They do a centre or inquiry-type time.
Then we work on our big idea, such as the dream home
project. At the end of the day, they present what theyve
done to the class. So they are responsible at the morning
meeting to tell me what their day plan is and they are
accountable at the end of the day for what they have
done. I also have a daily leader, secretary and safety
monitor. The students drive it all.

A: Student engagement and student achievement. Totally.

Q: How do you feel about technology in the classroom?

Q: They decide what they are doing throughout their day?

Q: How do you base your report card grades?

END INTERVIEW
Wow. In the homeschooling world we call this unschooling or interest-led learning. I am so happy that
traditional schools and some of todays educators are
finally wrapping their minds around the fact that kids
only learn what they are interested in learning, when
they are interested in learning it. I feel proud that these
methods are being implemented in my community, and
I feel so hopeful about the future of mainstream education. Cheers to you, innovative teachers everywhere.

No More
by Diana Boal, Facebook: Diana Boal
Most people have heard about domestic violence.
However, domestic violence is only a part of an overarching
violence towards women and girls: Physical, sexual and
psychological violence that occurs in the family, including
battering, sexual abuse of female children in the household,
dowry-related violence, marital rape, female genital mutilation
and other traditional practices harmful to women,
non-spousal violence and violence related to exploitation;
Physical, sexual and psychological violence that occurs
within the general community, including rape, sexual abuse,
sexual harassment and intimidation at work, in educational
institutions and elsewhere; trafficking in women, and forced
prostitution; Physical, sexual and psychological violence
perpetrated or condoned by the State, wherever it occurs.
I think people dont like to look at, or think about violence
against women and girls because its uncomfortable to
acknowledge that our nice western society is actually not
so nice for half the population, simply because theyre not
men. Its about power and privilege, not brains and ability.
When I tell people what I do and a discussion ensues,
invariably I hear: why doesnt she just leave him? or, she
must have done something, or, well, its none of my
business. I cant think of anything that is further from the
truth.
Let me be clear: interpersonal violence doesnt always involve
a man abusing a woman. It happens in same-sex couples, it
happens when an adult child abuses an aging parent and it
also happens when a woman abuses her male partner. However,
an overwhelming number of cases involve a man abusing a

woman. Furthermore, both the extent of injuries suffered and

the occurrence of homicide are also much greater
with the female partner being the victim.
I have learned
more than I ever
wanted to know
about the horrible
things people who
say they love each other
can do to one another. Im not
a social worker, Im a project
manager and I can honestly
say that I was one of those
people who thought that
this kind of violence
was something that
happened somewhere else, to
someone else--that it wasnt
any of my business. Instead I
have seen that it happens
everywhere and can and does
happen to anyone. In fact, it happens so
frequently that we as a society dont really pay attention to it at all. And thats a BIG problem,
but its not a problem we are unable to solve.
Here in Brantford and Brant County, we are incredibly
fortunate to have so many agencies and individuals whose
purpose is to end violence against women and girls, and to

help those affected by family and gender

based violence. Its not just the people
who work at the agencies either, but also
great private individuals who understand
that violence against women and girls is
the communitys business. My name is
Diana Boal, and I was hired five years
ago to work for these agencies
collectively under the umbrella of the
B.R.A.V.E. Committee Brants
Response Against Violence Everywhere.
The knowledge and expertise around the
B.R.A.V.E. table is extensive and impressive,
yet still this terrible problem exists, and
the most frightening factor is that dating
violence against girls and young women
from 16-24 years of age have the fastest
rising reported occurrence of interpersonal
violence. With this is mind, B.R.A.V.E applied for
and was given a grant from the office of Status of
Women Canada in order to engage young men and
boys in ending violence against women. I firmly
believe that this is the best approach because society
(community) does very little to engage men and
youth in ending the problem. Too many men and
boys feel like theyre always being blamed and not
being asked to help solve the problem. Its not men
against women; it is men and women against violence.
Its a community that is saying NO MORE.

12

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

Carpe Diem, Guys, Carpe Diem

by Markus McDaniel, Blog: www.schnippits.wordpress.com

Imagine This...
You're at work one day and you start to feel a shooting pain in your
shoulder. You think nothing of it because you're used to "old age"
pains from time to time. A week later the pain is still there and it's
not getting any worse. You start going to a massage therapist for
relief. After a few weeks of daily massage treatment you start having
neck pains, daily routines are becoming much more difficult to
perform. You have told your family about the pains, but you haven't
told anyone about the blurred vision you've been experiencing for
the past few weeks. "WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME" takes over
your mind. You finally book an appointment with the doctor who
gets you an immediate appointment with a specialist. After a few
weeks and many tests you get hit with some of most terrifying news
you have ever heard...."You have cancer"
YOUR WORLD STOPS.
Your daily routines are no longer, going to work is no longer your
job, your only job is to "beat this thing and get better". Life which
now seems so precious is coming at you a mile minute. You're
getting treatments at one hospital and driving back to town to see
another doctor. You're getting visits from people you haven't seen
in awhile. The whole time you don't want to eat. The medication
has you constantly feeling sick and tired. But you can't sleep. You
should be completely focused on getting better but your focus is
on the financial burden this illness is putting on your family. You
aren't earning any money. Your spouse is not working as many
hours as they normally would while they help tend to you. How
are you going to pay the bills.....?
Critical Illness insurance was developed in 1983 by Dr. Marius
Bernard. Dr. Bernard was a cardiac surgeon who was motivated to
develop the product while watching the financial hardship his
patients were suffering after he had treated them. Critical Illness
insurance is designed to pay you if you are diagnosed with a major
illness. It provides a tax free lump sum that you can use to pay the
bills, get special treatment in another country, or even scratch some
items off the bucket list.
Think of somebody you know who has been effected by a critical
illness. How much would a lump sum of money have helped them
and their family?
Alford and Associates is locally owned and family operated insurance
and investment practice. For over twenty five years we have helped
our clients secure their retirement goals. First and foremost we help
you secure your greatest asset...Your Family.

ALFORD & ASSOCIATES INC

Insurance & Investment Advisors, 254 Brant Ave., Brantford,
ON N3T-3J5 Ph: (519) 751-0901 Fx: (519)751-0522
Cell: (519) 758-4224
Email: mike@alfordandassociates.ca
Website: www.alfordandassociates.ca
LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/mikeeh

It means Seize the Day, and thats what you need to do.
Take charge, make a decision for yourself, stand up for
someone, kick back and relax, invent something, find a
new job, go back to school, eat an ice cream, watch a
movie, read a book, go bowling with friends, get out and
see the world, or clean your room.
Its up to you.
Yup, Im going to be semi-motivational today. So lets
start it off with a famous quote: Noah was an amateur.
The Titanic was built by professionals. We all know what
happened to the Titanic; its now available to watch in
re-mastered 3D. And you dont have to be religious to
entertain the idea of some
600-year-old man building
an arc from scratch.
The point is, you dont need
to be a professional or an expert to go and do the things
you want to do. If you dont
know where your niche
might be in this world, try a
bunch of different things!
Theres bound to be something thatll spark your fire,
and make you happy that
youre doing it.

get picked up by a publisher. Am I good enough? I start

to think. When I get like that, I end up putting a block on
my creative flow, and then I let dust settle on my projects.
Why? Why do I do that? I shouldnt. I should just write
what I feel like writing, and create stories that I feel like
creating. Because, lets face it, theres some really shitty
stuff out there that has been officially published. I used
to work at Chapters, and let me tell you, Ive seen some
really bad books and wondered, How could someone
wait many someones, approve this book and let it reach
the shelves? Its a joke. So I need to stop being afraid of
what some people might say about my stories. If it
happens to touch someone in a positive way, somewhere
out there, then thatll be an accomplishment on its own.
If I continue to be too
judgmental of my own
work, then I wont end up
publishing anything in my
lifetime. Next thing you
know, Ill be on my
deathbed, wondering,

The point is, you dont need to

be a professional or an expert to
go and do the things you want to
do. If you dont know where
your niche might be in this
world, try a bunch of
different things!

Theres too much criticism mainly from your own self

and too much overanalyzing these days that end up
limiting people. Whats worse than being too scared to do
something? Doing nothing and realizing that youre now
seventy. Why be afraid of trying something based on other
peoples thoughts? You only have one life, believe it or
not. Reincarnation isnt a for sure thing, so make this
life how you want it. We all want to believe we will live
forever somehow, but the reality is we cant. We have
mortality. We wont last forever on Earth. So why not do
what you love while youre still kicking?
For example, I want to write. I want to become a published
and, hopefully, an established author one day. I have so
many thoughts running through my head that I want to
turn into magical stories for others to read. I have the
images, I have the ideas, I have the creativity, but then
when I sit down to write to write something I consider
being official I start to criticize every sentence. I start
to criticize my syntax as if I were the editor. I start to wonder if what Im writing is going to be good enough to

What if I wrote that

book?

Just look at your idols. Did

they get there by being too
afraid of doing what they
wanted? More than likely
they had to take many
risks; they had to put themselves out there for rejection.
And rejection happens. Its how you take that and form it
into something positive to fuel yourself to move onto the
next project.

So take this day and make a decision to do something. It

could be as simple as picking water to drink over soda
pop, or as life-changing as deciding to move to Tokyo for
a job promotion. Either way, I urge you to start living your
life how you want to. You only get one chance, and as I
can see it, time isnt going to slow down anytime soon.
You have so many capabilities to make an impact and big
changes around you; youd be surprised what you can do.
Dont be discouraged if things dont happen over night;
it took Noah a few decades to build the arc, although
being like six hundred years old could have slowed him
down.
Seize the day and chase after your dreams. No one else
can do it for you.
Xoxo

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

13

The Story of Gabriel

Nathaneal Lewis, Blog: Nathaneal Lewis Written Rambles
Growing up, I never knew the experience of being an
only child. When I was born in 1994, I was the third
child born to my house. By 1996, I was one of four; and
by 1998, one of five. Quite frankly, the number just kept
growing and growing. Finally in 2002, my mother gave
birth to her final child, making me one of six children:
four girls, two boys. Being one of six was fun, hectic
and just plain normal in my mind. Now, jump to 2007.
I bet you think my parents were quite busy and comfortable in the situation they were in. After all, my
father was busy being the VP at his company and my
mother was a full-fledged home-schooling stay-at-home
mom. I can definitely tell you that their six children
were quite comfortable with our situation. Then the
bomb dropped.
Now, by bomb, I mean child; and by child, I mean a foster
child. Thats right. My parents were no longer satisfied
with just the six children they had they wanted more!
And so it was that in 2007 my siblings and I found
ourselves in a Childrens Aid Society building in an
Ontario region with our mother looking to talk to a
representative about the possibilities. I didnt want to
be there. We were already at six children in my family.
I had finally got my own room. I did not want to change
my situation. But, someone else had different plans. I
still remember the lady sitting in a chair, asking my
mother questions about our financial situation and what
type of child we were looking to help. This was not my
idea of fun.

I feel like a jerk in

retrospect, but when my
parents told us they were
taking in a child who was so
sick that he would probably
never walk, talk or eat
properly I wasnt happy.
Finally, the social worker got around to asking my
mother her maiden name. During this conversation we
learned that my aunt and uncle had also been looking
into the prospect of foster care. Before many weeks,
they were looking after a majorly ill child at one of the
local hospitals. Well, without boring you with all the
details, two weeks later we were in the hospital taking
care of that same little child. He was the smallest child
I could remember, and he was really sick.

us they were taking in a child who was so sick that he

would probably never walk, talk or eat properly I
wasnt happy. It wasnt until my mom dragged me to
the hospital that my heart was changed. I entered the
room, and there was this little child only a couple of
months old being fed an N-G tube. N-G stands for
Nasogastric, meaning the tube passes through his nose,
down his throat, and into his stomach. If you remember,
I mentioned earlier that this little boy had something
called vocal-cord paralysis, which sometimes can mean
that making noise and swallowing is impossible. He
was flustered. They had just hooked him up to the
machine again for another feeding and changed his
diaper. He couldnt cry, he just made a screeching
sound. I broke down. I couldnt let this poor child not
have the chance for a better life with my family. I held
him for hours and didnt want to let go.

To sum everything up, his mom had been on some

major drugs while she was pregnant with him. He was
almost dying when born, with a grade 4 degree brain
bleed (the worst possible), retinal hemorrhaging, cysts
on his kidneys, a pulmonary artery stenosis, a rare
chromosomal disorder only documented in 6 other
children around the globe, vocal cord paralysis, and
clubbed feet. These were all this little boy was met with
when he entered this world.

Eventually, we were able to take the little boy home

with us once he had an operation where they implanted
a G-tube into his stomach for easier feedings. G just
sands for Gastrostomy, meaning the tube now passed
through his abdomen, straight into his stomach. According
to the nurses and doctors, this little boy would be deaf,
would never talk, he would never walk, he would never
eat by himself, he would probably never see and he
would not live very long. Gladly, all those doctors and
nurses were wrong.

I feel like a jerk in retrospect, but when my parents told

Id like to tell you about my brother Gabriel. Gabriel

joined our family when he was 2 years old, after years

of us fighting to adopt him. This coming April, Gabriel
will turn 7. Gabriel has a small scar right under his rib
cage from an operation when he was little. He is well
known at Sick Kids hospital in Toronto because of his
many, many visits and, since moving to Brantford to
attend school, he has been getting more familiar with
the doctors at McMaster Childrens Hospital. He is
there often because his vocal cords, ears and eyes do
not work as well as they should. Gabriel is also one of
7 documented children in the world with a rare
chromosomal disorder where he is missing part of his
first chromosome.
Gabriel attends a school for the deaf and blind. He is
one of the fastest runners I know. He always wants to
talk to new people, asking them who they are and about
their day. He has a good appetite, and his favourite
drink is du lait (which means milk in French). Hes
not the best coordinated, usually spilling something
during a meal, but he eats well. He wears dark blue
glasses that have a stretchy strap that goes around the
back of his head. Gabriel also loves singing. He
especially loves the songs Jesus Loves Me and the
song by Michael Bubl, Feeling Good, which shows
his attitude toward life perfectly. You see, Gabriel was
sick. But when we adopted him, he had hope. He was
loved to bits by my family and we welcomed him in as
one of us. Gabriel has come a long way, and so have
we.

90 Morton Ave East Brantford 519.757.1800 www.handcraftedwood.ca

14

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

Michael Sam
by Jesse Ferguson, Facebook: Jesse Ferguson

I have written a lot of articles about the role of the Plaintiff personal injury lawyer
in the context of personal injuries, in particular motor vehicle law. Over time the
provisions of the Insurance Act have become increasingly complex and difficult
to understand. When the legislation is unclear both the insurers and the claimants
must look to and wait for the courts and the Financial Services Commission of
Ontario to interpret the legislation and to define the obligations of the insurers
and the reciprocal entitlements to claimants. Due to the cumbersome bureaucratic
dispute resolution process this results in a significant delay in the ability of
claimants to access benefits. Until a determinative ruling is made on how a particular benefit works the ability of a claimant to access a benefit is a matter of negotiation between the claimant and their own insurer.
Obviously there is an extreme power imbalance for a variety of reasons between
individuals and their insurers and this makes it extremely important that a
claimant have a knowledgeable advocate to assist them to accessing benefits
through their own insurer. A prime example is the Minor Injury Guideline which
went into effect September 1, 2010. No one really knows how it works, and over
time we have heard time and time again from clients that they are in the Minor
Injury Guideline and are frustrated because they cannot get the treatment they
need. Further, on numerous occasions they have been frustrated because they
were not told by anyone that if they were hurt in a car accident the insurer could
decide if they should be treated within the Minor Injury Guideline and until the
insurer decided to take them out they could not get any more treatment.
From September 1, 2010 until April 19, 2013 even the Financial Services Commission did not know if they had the authority to mediate whether the Minor Injury Guideline should apply to a particular case. This led to a situation where
applications for mediation were being rejected by the Financial Services Commission of Ontario so claimants were starting law suits as this was their only option. Ironically the SABS required that prior to filing an application for arbitration
with FSCO or starting a law suit that claimant and the insurer must participate in
a mandatory mediation. Filing a claim in the Superior Court for a declaration on
the applicability of the Minor Injury Guideline was the only recourse for
claimants. Insurers not surprisingly responded by saying the actions were statute
barred and should be dismissed as claimants had failed to participate in a "mandatory" FSCO mediation.
The important factor in this discussion is that this is all happening in the face of
insurance legislation being "consumer protection legislation". This concept is in
recognition of the fact that there is a power imbalance between consumers and
their insurers and is supposed to mean that any discrepancy are resolved in favour
of the consumer. In fact this was not what happened, in fact for a period of almost
3 years consumers were told your insurer has put you in the Minor Injury Guideline and there is no legal remedy.
In the background lawyers worked hard on behalf of individual plaintiffs moving
the claims to a determination either by FSCO or by the courts and attempting to
persuade insurers that their client's claims fell outside the Minor Injury Guideline
within the wording of the legislation. Over time as the legislative provisions move
closer to a judicial interpretation there has been more and more success in getting
insurers to voluntarily remove claimants from the Minor Injury Guideline so that
they can access treatment and make a better recovery.
The take away from this article is that at the end of the day it is very important to
have a lawyer who will take the time to explain in detail to you, as a person hurt
in an accident how the system works and what strategies they are using to navigate your claim through the current complicated bureaucratic legislative regime.

Lisa Morell Kelly

Morell Kelly Personal Injury Law
515 Park Road North
Brantford, Ontario N3R 7K8 (519) 720-0110

Everyone around sports in North America is talking about

Michael Sam. You would think it may lessen the storys
magnitude by dropping the disclosure of his sexual
orientation during the Olympics, but it has still made
waves, nonetheless. The NFL is North Americas number
one sport (of the four major sports by such a margin
that saying, large hardly does it justice) and stories of
importance in the cradle of Americas sporting jewel just
dont fly by with no one noticing.
Michael Sam is a beast of a player. He was voted with
All-American honours in his senior year at Missouri at
defensive end, recording 11.5 quarterback sacks and 19
tackles for a loss, leading the SEC in both categories.
Such collegiate achievements surely rank him high on
NFL draft boards. Many draft analysts had Sam going in
the third round of the upcoming NFL draft.
This is burying the lede, however (or lead, if you prefer).
The importance of this is that Sam would become the first
openly gay player in the NFL, and the first openly gay
player in these four major North American sports. All the
media outlets are jumping for joy and saying, Its about
time! but Im a bit more skeptical not that hes actually
gay (Ill take his word for it), or that its about time for an
athlete of a major sport to come out (no opinion), but Im
not so sure that the NFL will be so arms-wide-open towards a player being openly gay.
Because I am skeptical you may raise your eyebrows and
label me as a hater, but hear me out (and for the record,
I am not a hater. I couldn't care less about which side of
the plate you swing from, even if youre a switch-hitter).
I am skeptical of his acceptance because of a few like
recent sports-related items.
Item #1 - When Jason Collins came out of the closet as
an NBA player at the twilight of his career, he was a free
agent. Virtually all NBA analysts figured he had more to
give and he would be picked up and signed by a team
before the start of the season. He had five months before
training camps opened to get himself ready.
Collins was a serviceable NBA player, averaging 4 points
and 4 boards in just 20 minutes of play during his 11-year
career. You cant tell me that no one with a hole at centre
couldnt use his contributions as a backup. Nor could they
seem to use Collins as a leader for a younger team with a
younger centre for him to show the ropes to. If youre all
about the bottom-line, Collins would be a surefire cashgrab as attention on him would be immense meaning
attention on your team would be immense. Theres no
way you can tell me that cash-poor teams couldnt use the
extra flow. And yet, even with these benefits listed, 44
games into the season, Collins still finds himself as a free
agent. Puzzling? Maybe not so.

Michael Wilbon of the popular ESPN program, Pardon

the Interruption, said he figured the NBA to have an
athlete come out first, where the bravado is a notch down
from the NFL. Yet still, Collins is unsigned. So how will
Sam do in the NFL? Im not sure I like his chances.
Item #2 - If you want to use an NFL reference point, okay.
Jonathan Martin seems to be a valid place. Martin is not
gay though a particular persons texts seemed to doubt
this. Nevertheless, Martin, at the time of the Miami
Dolphins, deemed the hazing to be unmanageable and left
the team. If this was just hazing not of any specific
reason, then how will someone whos actually gay be
treated? By being out of the closet is to be different
from teammates. Why wouldnt Sam face the same
pressures that Martin did for that reason?
Its hard to say he wont, but maybe Sam being openly
gay will make that type of hazing out of bounds? There
are places that people will shy away from when hazing,
but not all. The point of hazing is to harass to get a reaction
from the hazed person, edging them on to fight back and
show they wont take any s___. In this case, Sams hazers
look to have an endless supply of ammo.
Lastly, another reason of skepticism for the NFLs real
taste for an openly gay player lays within the mock-draftboard. Remember that he was projected as third-round
pick in this years draft? Well, that was before the announcement that hes gay. Since, CBS Sports reports that
Sams chances of being drafted began to drop because
he announced he was gay.Sports Illustrated, talking to
NFL coaches and executives, said, In blunt terms, they
project a significant drop in Sams draft stock, since
NFL locker room culture is not prepared to deal with an
openly gay player.
Sam is about to test the waters of the NFL sports shining
armour, the big dog of masculinity. He may need your
wishes for good luck. The NFL is the big dog in North
American sports, and while Sam could set new parameters
across sports, he also very easily may not. While most
view this as a major step forward for progressive-behaviour in the NFL, Im suggesting the possibility that it may
be just the opposite. For the people applauding him now,
remember, he is not on a roster yet. To those who think
the hard parts over for Sam now with the announcement,
I wish you to proceed with caution and perhaps adjust
your anticipation accordingly. Sam is being praised now,
but so was Jason Collins when he came out. Where is
Collins now? He is somewhere that Michael Sam hopes
not to be floating in obscurity as a free agent.
In North Americas major sports, being free may have
costly repercussions.

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE

15

Reigning in the Cats of Brantford

by Graeme Gordon
The Brant County SPCAs executive director, Robin
Kuchma, assisted in running the Adopt-a-Thon at the PetSmart
at 211 Henry St., where rescued cats were given homes. This
was part of the SPCAs effort to make room in their facilities
for other cats from Brant Countys burgeoning stray/feral
population. This winters extreme weather most notably
the Polar Vortex has led to an influx of people bringing
in stray/abandoned cats to the SPCA.
People want to take these homeless cats to the SPCA. We
can only help them if we have cage space, said Kuchma.
She urges people to call first before bringing in these cats,
unless its an emergency, because the SPCA has limited
accommodations that are prioritized for animals most at
need. She also wants to avoid euthanizing animals whenever
possible.
The waiting list and cages at the SPCA are overflowing with
cats from a stray/feral population estimated at an astronomical
70,000 to 200,000 (figures calculated by an equation that
factors in food sources, land area and human population)
thats still growing. Although these numbers may sound
inflated at first, once one considers that a female cat and her
offspring can theoretically proliferate to a population of 420
000 cats within seven years, along with the reality that the
city of Brantford has no bylaws against wandering cats,
licensing and trap-neuter-release programs or low-cost
facilities, the numbers begin to look all too plausible. The
daily complaints the SPCA receives from residents regarding
stray/feral cats include howling, excrement, fighting during
mating seasons, and spraying of urine on their property
(bushes, doors). Kuchma points out that once
spayed/neutered the cats urine smell is lost, so you dont
have that foul or strong urine. The cats also lose their urge
to reproduce, removing most problematic behaviours.
As an SPCA we want to help as many animals out there as
we can, but we are a not-for-profit organization so our
resources are limited. [Feral/stray cats] is not part of the city
contract Everything that we do for cats comes from the
support of our donors. Only one per cent of the 2,200
feral/stray cats taken in by the SPCA last year were claimed
by owners opposed to 60 per cent of dogs which
further exacerbates the influx within its facilities.

With the problem obviously grown beyond the scope of the

SPCAs finite resources, Kuchma, Coun. Larry Kings, Rick
Levac (Manager of Licensing) and others in the community
formed the Task Force to Review the Regulation and
Control of Cats in the Municipalities. The task force already
conducted several meetings and Kuchma is in the midst of
deliberating on developing a first draft of recommendations
that the task force will eventually present to city council,
informing them on how best to move forward.
The task force believes strongly
in trap-neuter-release programs
and that their success will rely
on a joint effort by groups and
individuals in Brant County.
Were looking at a partnership
between veterinarians, SPCA,
three feral cat groups and others, said Kings. The vets
can't afford to [spay-neuter] for
free So we hope to get a vet
or clinic dedicated to [operating
on feral/stray] cats. We'll probably look at [a] city subsidy to get
the costs [lowered] Even
with city subsidies, at an average cost of $200 per cat, it would cost $14,000,000 to
spay/neuter just the conservative projection of 70,000
stray/feral cats in Brantford.

built make-shift kennels to house the 60 to 80 cats at this

location. So far, through the support of Beattie Animal
Hospital and other local clinics theyve managed to fix 42
cats. Suprun actively seeks to inform the community via
fundraisers and education seminars about cat overpopulation.
Suprun has become frustrated with the way the city and the
SPCA have handled the problem. We need the bylaw
changed to six-cats-per-household from three, that way people arent going to get fined for feeding stray and feral cats.
Suprun wants them to act sooner
rather than later.

Suprun believes overpopulation

has caused some people to deem
feral/stray cats as vermin or
disposable. Cultural sayings
like a cat has nine lives
exemplify this negative or
blas attitude.

However, the taskforce believes they can overcome this

financial obstacle: If you spay/neuter them and put them
back, new ones dont move in and takeover that space, said
Kuchma.
Other individuals of Brantford concerned and disturbed by
the problem are taking action and are invoking change.
Brantford North End Cat Rescue, Telephone City Feral Cat
Rescue, Havens Hope and Corkys Critters (sic) are some of
the local groups beginning to implement trap-neuter-release
programs.
At an industrial lot in Brantford, Telephone City Feral Cat
Rescues founder Sherry Suprun and her volunteers have

"Hopefully we'll have a recommendation before the summer

on exactly how we'll proceed,
said Kings. Recommendations
wont be enacted until 2015.

Marteleira and Suprun wont

disclose the locations of their cat
colonies because of fear of
animal abuse. "Some people
don't like stray or feral cats.
They've poisoned them or hurt
them, so we never disclose
where they are. In other cities, the whole colonies have been
wiped out by people who put poison in food, etc, said
Marteleira.

Suprun believes overpopulation has caused some people to

deem feral/stray cats as vermin or disposable. Cultural sayings
like a cat has nine livesexemplify this negative or blas
attitude. Overall, the Kings, Kuchma and cat rescuers all
agree that multiple actions need to be taken. Or in jarring
words: theres more than one way to skin a cat (yet another
terrible and derogatory expression). That begins with raising
awareness about the problem throughout the community
curiousity did not kill the cat, but saves it. I think that people
are more aware and realizing that there is a serious need.
They are willing to take responsibility. I think weve come
from a very bad place, but I think that we have a bright future
now that more people are aware and talking about it, said
Seguin.

Golden Girls
by Carrie Sinkowski, Twitter: @CSinkowski
We are all well aware that it has been a cold, long winter.
Even having an active physical and social life I still find this
winter seems to have more pockets of empty time. Golden
Girls has been filling those pockets for me. I can only knit
so many scarves, bead so many necklaces and read so many
books!! I watched it every week as kid with my mum, so I
started watching season one for nostalgic reasons. But, as I
progressed more and more into the series I became captivated by their forwardness in addressing marginalized topics.
There is a long list of social issues they tackled in their story
lines that are still largely ignored today in mainstream television.

the social and political causes of poverty such as inadequate

affordable housing, weak labour market, and a hands-off
government.

Half way through season three I began a list to track these

issues: tuna nets killing dolphins, homelessness, poverty, a
lesbian friend, a brother who is trans, a brother who is gay,
sexual harassment by a professor, artificial insemination, addiction to prescription medication and gambling, HIV/AIDS,
love at an older age.My list is two pages long.

As heavy as all those issues are, humour is threaded into

these scenarios, lightening the mood without minimization
of the human experience. It is a delicate balance in making
issues palpable for people. The challenge lies in making the
issue approachable and not overwhelming, while ensuring
you do not water it down to the point of invisibility. I struggle
with this all the time in my community education work at
the Sexual Assault Centre. No one wants to talk about sexual
violence but we need to in order to work towards prevention,
and also so that survivors know they are not alone. I do not
want to paralyze people with fear or cause them to feel powerless, but I do not want to reduce the issue and compromise
the intensity of the experiences of survivors. My Taylor the
Turtle works well even in adult groups as a soft launch into
a hard discussion.

There was a tremendous amount of sensitivity and critical

thinking with how they handled complex topics like sexual
assault and domestic violence. In their dialogue they give
real statistics and support that you would hear from agencies
in that field. I was extremely impressed by the reality of the
three episodes on violence against women. I was also
amazed by how they handled the social construction of
poverty. There were several episodes that involve issues of
poverty. The dialogue in these episodes does not simply reflect their compassion for people, but they delve deeper into

Golden Girls makes me ponder the subtle methods for politicalization. On the surface the show is about 4 older women
who love and support each other while withstanding conflicts. Bubbling under Dorothys curt sarcasm, Roses St
Olath stories, Sophias old world wisdom and Blanches escapades with men, there are deep issues about social justice,
equality and inclusion. These women were pioneers in bringing controversial issues to the mainstream. They are feisty,
vibrant women who are hilarious and you do not even realize
you are being educated while you are laughing.

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