BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HOLLAND COLLEGE JOURNALISM CLASS OF 2014

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. MAY 2014

CLASS OF 2014
Paper Lions & Two Hours Traffic

REGAINING LOVE FOR THE GAME

SPORTS, PAGE 12
THRONE SPEECH REACTIONS
PROVINCIAL ISSUES, PAGE 2

Another year ends, stories continue to live on

CANINE IN TRAINING
CRIME, PAGE 5

FAMILY REUNITED AFTER 45 YEARS

LIFESTYLE AND HEALTH, PAGE 6

The Class of 2014 ensemble created by

Holland College journalism students
each year has been brought back.
Featuring stories from fourteen writers coming from different walks of
life, the piece covers a wide range of
topics.
From politicians reacting to different
events in their community, to a family
being reunited after 45 years of separation.
Not only do the stories hold different
perspectives, so do the writers themselves. The youngest writer started at 17
years old, fresh out of high school,
while the oldest, 59, is retired from her
career and has children with children of

their own.
The journalism students profiled in
this piece entered their best stories and
photos over the last two years of their
education.
Though not every student who started
the program in September of 2012 completed the course, the ones who did
proved strong in their abilities.
Some students will continue their education at different post-secondary facilities across the country, others will be
diving right into the field and writing
for newspapers.
To read more stories created by these
writers you can visit:
surveyoronline.wordpress.com

BLAST FROM THE PAST

ART, PAGE 18

ELLEN PAGE OPENS UP CLOSET DOORS

CURRENT EVENTS, PAGE 24

Page 2

Class oF2014

MaY2014

P.E.I. party leaders react to throne speech

BY LUKE KENNY
A rendition of Bud the Spud by Stompin Tom
Connors wasnt what people present for the 2013
throne speech in P.E.I. expected, but it was a
highlight of an otherwise unexciting opening to
the fall sitting of the legislature Nov. 12.
Lt. Gov. Frank Lewis broke into song prior to
announcing the establishment of a Stompin Tom
Connors memorial in tribute to the songwriter
who passed away earlier this year.
Other announcements include previously
announced pension reforms continuing, the establishment of a new school of design engineering
for UPEI, and innovation for food product marketing.
Premier Robert Ghiz said the speech is about
growing a sustainable economy here in the
province while protecting social programs.
From our perspective, it is about continuing to
grow our economy, to create jobs, to look for new
markets, to protect our social programs and make
investments in health and education. To help out
the vulnerable people in our society and do our
best to protect our land and waterways of the
province.
Its going to be the same course in terms of trying
to grow our economy, but also making sure we
look for new markets around the world, he said.
We realize we are overly dependent on the
U.S. Even when you hear about our tourism marketing, you have to look around the world to
attract new tourists to the province.
When the pension plan was designed, there was
agreement the old plan was not working, Ghiz
said, noting the old plan wasnt going to be sustainable in the long run.
While this is not something that I want us to
tackle, its something that I have to tackle. Weve
met with our unions for 16 months. Weve
designed a program that we believe is going to
provide sustainability to our pensions as respectful of those working, of those retired and of the
taxpayers of the province.
PC opposition leader Steven Myers didnt think
there was a whole lot in the speech, saying there
was a lot of talking about things the government
already announced.
Im somewhat disappointed that there wasnt a
youth addictions facility in it. It was one of those

Premier Robert Ghiz speaks to reporters after Lt. Gov. Frank Lewis delivered the throne speech to open the fall siting of the legislature on P.E.I. Ghiz said the speech is about growing a sustainable economy in the province while
protecting social programs. Luke Kenny Photo
things we thought was very important and
thought the government got the message that
was important.
There is a huge fiscal problem in the province
and nothing to tackle it, Myers said.
This government is bankrupting us, they are
bankrupt in their morals, and they are bankrupt
of ideas because all they can come up with in
the speech from the throne is things that were
already done.
There are certainly things they could have
done to have a better agreement with the unions
over the pension issue.
Theyll have to negotiate with unions over
this and well see what happens when question
period starts.
The government doesnt understand what the
issues are in rural P.E.I., and they have failed
rural P.E.I. miserably, Myers said.
We need people to convince our youth that
there is opportunity for them in rural P.E.I., that
there is future there for them, and we need them
to know there is a future.
P.E.I. NDP leader Mike Redmond said the

government is trying to balance the budget on

the back of pensioners and they have done nothing in terms of moving the province forward.
They did not address food insecurity and they
did not address social determinants of health.
Once again, were really skeptical as a party that
the government is actually taking firm steps.
The government has done a poor job in health
and education, he said.
We talk about literacy rates and improvement,
but kids need to eat.
The government is not addressing the environment, Redmond said, noting the environment
minister has not addressed the fish kills that
have happened in this province.
Its a very, very sad commentary on this
provincethree months later and we still dont
know what has happened with these fish kills.
Myers suspects this session of legislature will
be fiery.
Im disappointed with the direction government is goingTheres a lot of things Im looking forward to get some answers from, and well
see how the days go.

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Page 3

MUNICIPALCOUNCIL
Fine on foxes relieves
UPEI student
BY JOCELYN CLAYBOURNE

Stratford mayor David Dunphy stands in front of the monument in front of the Stratford town hall. Names of
residents who have served wars have been added each year. The monument was placed in 2006. Eric McMurray photo

Stratfords Remembrance posters

Looking at Stratfords tributes to its veterans
BY ERIC MCMURRAY
STRATFORD Six columns of names are etched
onto a stone monument in front of the Stratford
town hall.
The names are also featured on heritage
posters now plastered around the town.
Each name is a Stratford citizen who served in
a war.
Stratford Mayor David Dunphy said its part of
the campaign to have the towns citizens history
preserved.
Its to recognize the history, the contributions
and sacrifices made.
Each poster features a citizen and the town
makes two new posters each year, said Dunphy.
We now have a total of 37 posters.
The posters have been displayed in the town
hall since 2010 before each Remembrance Day
and, since 2010.
Some of the posters have appeared at bus stops
around the town, he added.
One of the two new posters features Major
Vernon Gay.
He was born Nov. 11, 1918 in Charlottetown

as bells rang out to signal the end of the First

World War. He died in 1990.
While he was born in Charlottetown, Gay
grew up in Stratford with an older sister and two
younger siblings. He served in the Canadian
forces from 1933 to 1959 when he retired.
J. Gordon Bus Gay, Vernons younger brother, said hes proud to have his brother on the
memorial and on the poster.
Bus lives in Stratford and when the projects
were first announced, he lobbied to get his
brother recognized.
I wanted to get his picture on (one of) the bus
stops.
The 90-year-old said he had difficulty proving
his brother lived in Stratford, as the town questioned Vernons citizenship.
Verny was in the military, he was all around
the country.
His brother was very smart, he said.
Gay was close to his brother as the two boys
shared a room growing up.
He had a backup for everything.
After serving in the Canadian Forces, Vernon
Gay applied to the Department of Veterans
See Stratford Remembrance Page 7

Feeding foxes is illegal in National Parks and

could result in a fine of $220 or higher. This
is a policy the city of Charlottetown hopes to
follow.
Coun. David MacDonald, chair of protective
and emergency services,
said he frequently receives
complaints each week
about foxes in Charlottetown.
Its going to be hard to
deal with but weve had
enough complaints over
the years that we should
talk to the province to see
if we can do something, DAVID MACDONALD
he said.
For Kristine Martin, this fine means more
than just keeping foxes out of her back yard.
Shes a UPEI student doing her masters
degree on the relationship between foxes and
Charlottetown residents. She thinks instating
a fine for residents who feed foxes is a good
idea.
Eventually, youre going to get bit, she said.
Their appearance has a lot do to with why
people feed them, Martin said.
Theyre cute.
But theres also a misconception around
why foxes are in the city at all.
People think foxes cant find food because
theyre in the city, which is not true.
Foxes typically spend their time in the city
because humans are feeding them, and this
decreases their need to hunt. If humans feed
young foxes, they wont learn the skills they
need to survive.
Martin conducted a survey asking residents
in P.E.I. why they feed foxes or if they have
concerns about the issue.
She noticed residents ages 18 to 24 and over
61 are most likely to feed foxes.
Additionally, only four participants in the
survey mentioned concerns around diseases.
It was interesting because people in England are worried mainly about diseases, but
here no one seemed to even think about it.

Page 4

Class oF 2014

MaY2014

FEDERALISSUES

Audience energized following Martins speech:

aboriginals, confederation
BY LUKE KENNY
Jolene Jenkins could barely contain herself
while listening to former prime minister Paul
Martin talk.
Martin delivered the 11th annual Symons Lecture Oct. 10 at the Confederation Centre of the
Arts in Charlottetown.
His topic was Confederation Today and Aboriginal Canada. He spoke about the need to
improve social and economic conditions for aboriginals in Canada.
It struck a nerve with Jenkins.
A couple of times he almost brought tears to
my eyes.
An Inuit from Nain, Newfoundland and
Labrador, the northernmost community in the
province, Jenkins was happy to hear someone in
his position talk the way he did in front of so
many people.
Theres so much that could be done, and with
someone like him, he could help change it. With
all of his connections and his knowledge, he
could really be someone who could start a
change within the aboriginal population.
Aboriginals have a lot of resources that could
help them succeed, but its to have the desire to
do it, she said.
A lot of kids dont have the belief in themselveswe need more positivity in our communities.
I think if we were to somehow change how
the kids look at education, they will see more
worth in themselves and therefore our suicide
rates, which are really, really, high, could go
down.
Spencer Isaac, a second year Mt. Allison student, is a member of the Mikmaq community
from Listuguj, Quebec.
Isaac thought it was informative hearing different views about how the government was han-

John Joe Sark, right, blesses former prime minister Paul Martin with a sacred eagle feather from the Mikmaq Native
Council on P.E.I. Jocelyn Claybourne photo
dling aboriginal issues.
It showed what aboriginals can do to improve
their state. Its extremely importantIts what
we believe is right for us, he said.
Younger aboriginals should understand this
type of stuff, in order to really push for our
rights and our freedom.
Martin was instrumental in brokering what
became known as the Kelowna Accord, an historic agreement that pledged billions of dollars
to improve socioeconomic conditions for First
Nations communities.
The Harper government backed away from
those commitments after the Conservatives came
to power in 2006, cutting expenditures.
Robert Campbell is the president of Mount
Allison University. He travelled with a group of
students to Charlottetown from Sackville, N.B.
to hear Martin speak.
Martin making a commitment to this at 75
years old is amazing, he said. To have that
kind of passion and commitment is just inspirational, I think for students and old guys like
me, Campbell said.

The other message for students is nothing is

impossible, he noted. The aboriginal challenges
in Canada are enormous, but I think you just
have to plug away, plug away, plug away.
The moral character of Canada depends on
making aboriginal rights a mainstream issue,
Campbell said. Unless governments think this
is the number one issue they are just going to
play games around this. Unfortunately there are
just too many games played.
Jenkins doesnt know what the next step is
going to be.
We have so many issues. At what point can
you intervene and make changes? Theres so
many issues at home, if we could ever tackle
that, I dont know.
If high schools could offer courses in business
and management, then they would be something
to open childrens eyes and open the world up
for them, Jenkins said.
I dont know at what point are we really
going to get past it or through it. But there are
kids who just need somebody to show them the
way and they can do it themselves.

MaY 2014

Class oF 2014

Page 5

CRIME
High school drama Degrassi teaches
lesson: dont text and drive

A scene from the Canadian TV show Degrassi portrays Adam Torres in the hospital after crashing his car while texting and driving.
The episode received praise for its portrayl of the serious issue. PHOTO PROVIDED BY EPITOME PICTURES
BY JOCELYN CLAYBOURNE

Const. Marc Periard is the K-9 Mountie for

the Queens District RCMP in Cornwall. Periard and his German shepherd Dutch train
daily to maintain the dogs focus and effectiveness. Dutch has a reward toy called a
Kong, a rubber chew toy, given when he
completes a track or a search.
Mary Angela White photo

Adam Torres was camping in the woods, volunteering

as a counsellor for a summer camp program. Without
any Internet connection or phone signal for miles, he
began driving the camps van through the dark woods.
Holding his phone in his right hand, and the wheel in
his left, he heard a beep.
A text had finally gotten through to his phone, he
found a signal.
It was from his girlfriend Becky, Adam. Im sorry.
We should talk it read.
Yes! Stay with me bars, he said to himself, glancing up at the road every few seconds.
He began typing I <3 u Beck- Suddenly, a car horn
started blaring. Torres looked up to see bright lights
staring right at him.
He took a deep breath. His phone fell to the floor. He
turned the wheel. Instead of lights, he saw wood, a
tree. The car crashed, Adam was dead.
It was a scene straight out of a horror movie. Actually, it was a TV show.
The Canadian drama for teens, Degrassi, knew they
wanted to tackle the issue of texting and driving, said
executive producer Stephen Stohn.
"Distracted driving has become the number one
cause of teen deaths. No-one is immune and the
tragedy comes without any warning."

RCMP Officer Andrew Blackadar said hes glad to

see shows like Degrassi use their platform to show
their young audience the consequences of texting and
driving.
I think if people see it coming from their peer
groups itll help them understand.
Ruth Porter said Degrassi went too far with its portrayal of texting and driving.
I think there could have been a less grave way to
address it, this way it made youth feel detached
because we never think death could happen to us.
Porter was recently caught texting and driving and
given a warning for her actions.
I think Adam should have just gotten off with a fine
or something more common, she said.
Constable Dean Field from the Charlottetown City
Police said hed like to see more education on the subject, and applauds Degrassi for its hard efforts.
Every year to promote safe grad I see the senior
high schools have a wreck out front to show the
impact of drinking and driving, Id like to see that with
texting as the focus.
Looking down to create the characters in a text message takes more attention than most drivers think, he
said. But still, the problem persists.
Despite all the campaigns where we go out and tell
people were looking for them texting, it still happens.

Page 6

Class oF 2014

MaY 2014

LIFESTYLE&HEALTH
Adopted woman finds birth mother during night out for wings
BY BAILLIE SAUNDERS
It began with wings in a
pub. It ended with her
finding the woman she had
been seeking years for. Her
mother.
Lisa Braye has been living
in Halifax for the past 28
years. Last summer, the 45year-old from Newfoundland began a serious search
for her birth mother.
On Oct. 3, her life turned
upside down.
Braye and her roommate
went out one evening for
wings to a pub Braye had
never been to before in
Sackville, N.S. Her roommate put $20 into a gambling machine.
Braye pulled up a chair
beside her to watch. After
about five minutes of listening to an older couple talking next to them, Braye
realized they were from
Newfoundland.
Where are you guys
from? she asked.
St. Anthony, Shirley
and Jeff Taylor replied.
Oh very good, I was
born in St. Anthony but
grew up in Corner Brook
and was adopted out, said
Braye.
Do you know anything
about your birth parents?
asked Shirley.
Nothing about my father
whatsoever, but all I got
about my mother was my
name was Ivy and my last

name was either Grinham or

Greenham, but my mother
didnt know how to pronounce it.
Oh my God, the last
name is Grinham, Shirley
said. When is your birthday?
May, 16. 1968.
How old would your biological mother be if she was
living? Shirley asked.
A paper that I received
years ago from St. Johns
about my medical background said she had me
when she was 19, so that
would make her 64 today,
Braye said.
Oh my God, Shirley
said. I would say 100 per
cent, but Im not going to,
my love, but Im 90 per cent
sure my best friend is your
biological mother.
Braye was dumbfounded.
I was shocked, speechless
and went through every
emotion anyone could go
through, Braye said.
The women exchanged
numbers, then Braye and
her roommate went home.
The next day at 6:30 p.m,
Braye got a call. It was
Shirley saying she had just
got off the phone with Elizabeth Grinham. Elizabeth
was Brayes mother. Shirley
gave Braye her birth mothers number. An hour and a
half later, Braye picked up
the phone.
I just wanted to tell her,
yes that it is me and I dont

Biological mother Elizabeth Grinham, centre, and her daughter Lisa Braye, right, were reunited in October after 45 years apart. Loretta Grinham Noble, left, is Braye's sister.
hate her for giving me up
because I know a lot of parents tend to think that.
Braye was about to have
one of the most important
conversations in her life
since 1978.
That year, she was enjoying recess like any other
10-year-old at Humber
Elementary in Corner
Brook when she got into an
argument with a schoolmate.
Go home to your fake
parents, the boy said.
What do you mean my
fake parents?
My mom and dad told
me you were adopted. So
theyre not your real parents, the boy replied.
Braye walked to her

house, only five minutes

away, and found her mother
standing in the kitchen.
What does adoption
mean? Braye asked.
Why do you ask that?
her mother said.
Braye explained what happened. Her mother, Gae,
told her the little information she had on her adoption
although it pained her to do
it.
Every time I asked my
mom about it, it seemed like
it hurt her, so I swore I
would not do anything until
mom passed away, said
Braye.
When Brayes mother died
at age 79, she began her
search with the little information she had.

She didnt know Elizabeth

Grinham and her family had
been searching for her too,
since 1999.
It felt like a search that
began when Braye was born,
Grinham said.
When her phone rang on
Oct. 4. in St. Anthony, N.L.,
Grinham picked it up, finally able to hear the voice of
her lost daughter.
She said she thinks I am
her mother, I said I think so
too, said Grinham.
She was shaking in excitement and began to cry.
I couldnt take it in, she
said. I was shaking that
much that I said we will talk
tomorrow when Loretta gets
home from work.
See Adopted Page 6

MaY2014

... Adopted
Continued from Page 6
Loretta Noble is Grinhams daughter. Noble and
Grinham set up a three-way call with Braye.
Noble was thrilled to hear the voice of her half
sister for the first time.
There was no tension, it was very comfortable, like how I talk to any one of my girlfriends, said Noble.
Braye was nervous.
Now, I dont know what your expectations of
me are, she said.
Noble made a joke to ease the tension.
I want you to come down here, quit your job
and live with us. We will live off the land.
No, seriously now, laughed Braye.
Me and mom want to hop on a plane and
come visit you, Noble said.
Thats fine, I have no problem with that,
Braye replied.
The three decided on Halloween. Grinham
and Noble would fly in to meet Braye and
stay for the weekend at the Taylors, the
couple who spoke to Braye the night at the
pub.
On Oct. 31, Noble and Grinham waited for
Braye to arrive at the Taylors home.
It was nerve racking. I was sick to my stomach before I went there, said Braye.
When she walked through the door there were
tears and hugs.
I was of two minds when I saw her, I didnt
know if she wanted me to hug her or what. But
when she held out her arms to me, I went in
them, said Grinham.
Braye learned she had another brother and sister, Lorainne and Dwayne.
I couldnt let her go. The way I felt it was my
baby, I just wanted to get my baby in my arms,
said Grinham.
It was the first time she had done that since
May 16, 1968.

... Stratford Remembrance

Continued from Page 3
Affairs, but was turned down because he wasnt bilingual.

ClassoF2014

Page 7

the foster family, they said there wasnt much that

can be done until she finds us, Noble said.
Meanwhile, Braye filled out a form asking
St. Johns co-adoption agency to send her everything, the adoption and original birth registration
papers.
Grinham said Braye had no birth certificate.
When I put her up for adoption they said I just
had to put a name on her, that was it. I
didnt have nothing after that. I didnt know where
she went.
Noble said, It was discouraging because we didnt know if she was alive or dead. We were just
kind of waiting around hoping that she was going
to look for us at some point.
Braye was adopted 43 years ago by Gae and Rex
Braye.
He remembers it well, said Rex, 82.
We had Lisa for a year when my wife decided to
adopt her. My wife knew, but wanted to surprise
me. When I went to the courthouse I was surprised
and I was very happy, said Rex from Corner
Brook.
The Brayes cared for 85 foster kids, but Lisa really stood out.
Life was great, she was a good girl and always
was into sports and bowling.
Braye has two brothers, Robert and Gary, and a
sister named Diane.
papers.
When Noble and Grinham landed in Halifax in
Every time May 16 comes, I walk around
October, they brought along the baby photos of
thinking where is she, is she all right. I just
Braye given to them by the foster parents. The
wonder where she is at.
three spent the weekend learning about each other
Now, she knows.
and Braye found more information on her newHer family spent years hoping to find Braye,
found family.
Noble said.
I told Liz, not to hurt or anything, but I told her
I dont know how I got the number of Lisas
foster family, but after finding more information that she would never be my mother because my
from foster parents who had her, the family did- mom was my mom and my dad was my dad, said
nt know who adopted her but said I could keep Braye.
Im hoping a friendship will come out it, Well
some pictures they had of her.
All the family knew was the baby was adopted all be keeping in touch.
Grinham said, Miracles do happen and Im glad
from a woman who was a homemaker and a
this miracle happened,
man who was a labourer. Then the trail went
Braye hopes in the near future to find her
cold.
I contacted adoption services after talking to biological father.
That day, the nurses walked into Grinhams
hospital room in the St. Anthony hospital holding her newborn baby girl. At 19, Grinham had
told Brayes father she was pregnant. He denied
the baby was his.
Since the birth of Braye, Grinham hasnt seen
the father again.
I didnt know what to do, I was young. My
mom wouldnt take me in. I didnt have any other choice, but to put her up for adoption.
She made the difficult decision to sign the
papers for adoption.
As she held her baby girl for the last time
feeding her in the hospital bed, she knew it
would be the last time she would see her.
The next day I went back, after the papers
were signed, I went to the social worker and
asked for her back, said Grinham. They told
me no because I had already signed the

It was nerve racking. I

was sick to my stomach.

- Lisa Braye

His brother spent a lot of time in northern

Manitoba when the U.S. asked the Canadian
Forces to deploy intercepting missiles for fear
of Russia launching missiles over the North
America during the early 1960s, Gay said.
He was the one in command.

His brother turned down interviews about the

subject during that time, fearing Russia would read
Canadas papers and know of the plans, Gay said.
Vernon served as a staff officer in the Canadian Forces Headquarters in Ottawa until he
retired.

Page 8

Class oF 2014

MaY 2014

(Left to right) Michael Patterson, Gillian Moore, Peter Woo and Emily Pipes celebrate their accomplishments on the morning of graduation day. Thomas Becker photo

The life of a Syrian native

All I can do is pray says Norman Saada
BY SHYUN AGHDASY
Norman Saadas third cousin went
off to work one day, doing what
people do every day in Syria, when
he died.
It happened suddenly, Saada said.
He was walking in Damascus,
piece from a bomb came and hit his
head and killed him. He was going
to work.
Saada left Syria 20 years ago to
make a life in Canada, but he
follows the civil war there closely
because his parents are still there.
My parents, they would love to
go somewhere safe now, but they
have no money to move. Where
they want to go? They have to stay
at home or they die.
He had a good life in Syria, but he

wouldnt move back now because,

like his parents, and many other
Syrians, he too would be poor, Saada said.
Since two and half years, zero
income. Now most people dont
have nothing to eat, money to buy
food. Its terrible, he said.
Syrians want their country to go
back to normal, he said.
We pray every minute, every
minute to get it quiet and back to
normal, same we had before. Everything was happy, there was no problem there was no problem.
The cause of the fighting is simple, he said.
The fight there is about oil. They
find in Syria lots of oil lately, like
four to five years ago. They found a
lot of oil and before that there was

no fighting.
Religion is also an issue, Saada
said.
I like them (the government)
because they like all religions, thats
why I like them, like government in
Syria, like Bashar al-Assad, hes
fair for all religions. But [the rebels]
only love their religion.
Charlottetown MP Wayne Easter
says the fighting is due to a civil
war, not oil.
The worst kind of warfare now
has occurred there and thats the use
of chemical weapons and there is an
international ban on chemical
weapons.
The conflict is a very serious matter that affects peace in the whole
world, he said.
The international community has

a responsibility to intervene when

Syrias human rights violations are
taking place. So there is a role that
the international community needs
to portray here.
Canada should be assisting in
terms of humanitarian aid, Easter
said.
Theres a lot of refuges over
there. Theres over a hundred
thousand killed in Syria, so we
need to be assisting in that
regard.
When Saada was asked to sum up
his country of Syria at its current
state, he inhaled his cigarette,
looked out his car window, thought
about it and then with a sigh of disappointment said, Terrible. Terrible. Everything. All I can do is
pray.

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Love in a battlefield
BY BAILLIE SAUNDERS
TRURO During a time full of fear

and war in 1945 England, Jean and

Arthur Clissold found love and happiness. With war raging right outside
their doors, that didnt stop the
young lovers from tying the knot at
a simple country wedding.
I didnt have a wedding dress,
said Jean, 84, originally from Offenham, England.
I had a plain blue suit that was a
coat and skirt.
At 16, in her white buckskin shoes,
a nervous young bride-to-be walked
down the isle to her groom dressed
in a polished Canadian Air Force
uniform.
The brief ceremony in the historic
stone church would be a memory the
two would never forget during their
pledge of love.
It was in a beautiful 500- year-old
church on the 30th of August, she
said.
Around 30 family and friends
attended the wedding.
Everything was rationed, we
went through family and friends,
said Arthur, he added was supplied
by family and friends.
I didnt even have a wedding
cake, said Jean.
But we had a big barrel of beer,
she said with a laugh.
The two had met on a snowy April
evening , four months before at a
dance hall where the young lovers
crossed paths. They talked, laughed
and danced the night away.
It was love at first site said
Arthur (Bert), 89.
I was over the moon, I wasnt
going to lose her, He said. He had
been stationed in England during the
war.

A few weeks after that faithful

encounter at the dance, the young
couple were engaged.
I had helped her father harvest his
crops and after we were finished he
wanted to pay me. He said how
much and I said I dont want any
money, I want your daughter,
Arthur said with a laugh.
He said I would have her one day
but it didnt worry her, or me because
I was so much in love with her.
And so the couple married, with a
love still strong 68 years later.
I proposed over the river Avon, I
slipped a ring on her finger and I
said youre mine now, he said.
Were just an old married couple
now, Jean smiled at her long time
beau.
After the war, the couple moved to
Canada and stayed until 1947. They
moved back to England where they
stayed until 1994 when they moved
to their current residence in the
Truro area.
Jean said to keep a love strong the
key word is sorry.
You help each other out, if you
make a mistake just say sorry.
Thats a hard word to say but just
say it.
Arthur said with a chuckle, Shes
also a really good cook, thats the
secret.
Jean plans on making a roast dinner on Valentines Day.
We never took too much to
Valentines. But as youngsters we
bought cards and such, said
Arthur.
My love doesnt die off for her.
The couple will celebrate their
69th wedding anniversary in August.
He says every night I love you
and I will see you tomorrow, said
Jean.

Page 9

Eyesight lost, friend gained

BY JILLIAN TRAINOR
Oct. 28, 2002, changed the life of
Barb MacDonald forever.
She was getting ready for work,
reaching up to get her clothes,
when she dropped to the floor in
seizure that would leave her blind.
Im fine cognitively, I just cant
see because when I took my
stroke, my occipital lobe blew out,
so theres eight-tenths of my
vision left, which is not much.
MacDonald has optic nerve atrophy. Her eyes are fine, she could
donate them if need be, but her
optic nerves are gone, burned out
because the pressure inside her
head was too high.
She has no visual acuity. She
may not be able to see what a person looks like, but she knows
theyre there.
She had been working, but was
losing her sight because of an
arteriovenous malformation, or
AVM. One day, she went to the
eye doctor and was told she might
have a brain tumor.
I near died because, if you have
kids, and you have the Doppler on
your tummy and you hear the
chooka, chooka, chooka, chooka,
chooka. I heard that in my head
all of the time, for over a year,
she said.
Only because of being an LPN,
and the knowledge that I was given, doing what I did, that saved
my life.
MacDonald had another seizure
when she was on the operating
table and lost her sense of taste
and smell.
They went into the dura of my
brain, and it goes arteries, capillaries, and veins. The arterial
blood was bypassing the capillar-

ies and going into the venous that

caused the increased intracranial
pressure, she said.
I can still smell if an aura
comes on, like an aura for
seizures. I could smell burned
rubber. I went to Montreal and got
on the right medication and Im
alright now.
MacDonald had been using a
cane, but wanted a guide dog.
We work with people to help
them get a guide dog, said Peter
Parsons, manager of programs and
services at the Halifax branch of
the Canadian National Institute for
the Blind.
In order to get a guide dog, a
person has to have orientation and
mobility skills, including the use
of the white cane, before they can
be accepted to get a guide dog.
There are various guide dog
schools throughout North America, which CNIB clients will apply
to.
When a person comes back to
their community with a guide dog,
our orientation specialist will do
some follow-up training with
routes, helping someone learn
specific routes with their guide
dog, he said.
In April 2012, MacDonald met
Myrna, a purebred black Labrador
at the Seeing Eye School in Morristown, New Jersey. The two
have since been inseparable.
I might screw up sometimes,
but she doesnt, because she
knows what to do. Weve been on
planes, trains; we went on the
subway in New York. Charlottetown is peanuts to her.
Something people should note is
if a guide dog is wearing their harness, do not touch them.
See Eyesight lost Page 11

Page 10

Class oF 2014

MaY 2014

Second World War realities remembered, Angus MacLean honoured

BY MARY WHITE
He was alone.
His plane was lying wrecked on
the ground, behind enemy lines.
His crew was scattered, their parachutes strewn across the Holland
landscape.
He was dirty, dazed and wearing a
distinctive uniform.
And he was on an island where all
exits were barred by German
troops.
J. Angus MacLean, of Lewes,
P.E.I., was about to begin a 72-day
journey his son, Rob MacLean,
recalls with awe.
It was 10 weeks and there were a
lot of close calls, he said.
Many of Anguss experiences over
those 10 weeks served to shape his
future. When people young and old,
through country after country did
their best to help him escape, he in
turn dedicated his life to serve.
This year, on Saturday, Sept. 14, at
Lord Selkirk Park in Belfast, the
life of former P.E.I. premier J.
Angus MacLean was honoured. A
cairn and storyboard were unveiled
and dedicated to his memory.
When Rob was working on
installing the plaque on the granite
boulder, he recalled some of his war
stories.
Angus was an experienced pilot,
but on that day in Holland, he and
his crew had been shot down over
enemy territory.
Even escaping the plane was difficult. Each time he let go of the controls, the plane tipped to one side.
Angus had to remain at the controls
until all of his crew got out. By
then, they were dangerously close
to the ground, compromising
Anguss escape, his son said.
He was too close to the ground
when he jumped and wrenched his

A storyboard was unveiled Saturday at Lord Selkirk Park in Belfast honouring the life of J. Angus MacLean. His son Rob, left, and
Ian MacLean, a trustee for Clan MacLean Heritage Trust unveiled the sign. Looking on is George MacLean of Clan MacLean
Atlantic and seated is Anguss widow Gwen. Mary Angela White photo
back when he landed.
That first day, an old man supplied
him with clothes. He was blocked
by German soldiers at every bridge
exit. As he slowed to consider his
options, a boat approached on the
canal and the bridge was raised,
causing a waiting crowd. Noticing a
young woman with a baby in a carriage, he went over and, not saying
a word, paid attention to the baby.
When the bridge opened, Angus
took hold of the pram and walked
with them. They looked like a
young couple with a baby, so the
soldier didnt stop them.
When they got to the other side
of the bridge, he just touched his
hat and the lady went one way and
he went another. He never knew if
she realized what was going on.
Travelling mostly by train through
Holland, Belgium, France, Spain

and Italy to freedom in Gibraltar

there were close calls often.
Suspicious passengers bumped
into him, hoping to elicit automatic
and condemning English apology.
Once he chose an empty compartment, hoping to avoid confrontations. But the empty compartment
filled with German soldiers at the
next stop.
He was sitting there in an empty
compartment that holds six people
and it was jam packed full with
German soldiers, Rob said.
Luckily, they didnt ask him anything, they just ignored him.
Entering a train station in Paris,
the ticket taker began yelling at
him, in French, for having a day-old
ticket the French resistance had given him in error.
There was this long line-up of
people and this big kafuffle and

people were staring to look and hes

standing here with this ticket and
cant speak French and doesnt
know what to do.
Another resistance member was
shadowing him and rushed forward
to yell back. She verbally attacked
the worker about the long wait for
such a silly reason and the worker
waved Angus through the turnstile.
There were many, many close
shaves like that, Rob said.
Another event was straight out of
Monty Python. Angus was to follow a priest so he concentrated on
following the clerical collar. He
was not to talk to or approach the
priest. But when he got off the
train, the platform was crowded
with priests.
It was like a seminary or something, Rob said.
See Second World War Page 11

MaY 2014

... Second
World War
Continued from Page 10
Angus calmly waited, for several hours.
The priest continued on the train and
when it came back around to that stop,
got off. Angus then followed him.
That priest was later caught by the
Gestapo and killed, but not as a result of
this day, Rob said.
Presence of mind, luck and the help of
everyday people made possible his
fathers journey, Rob said.
He felt that the rest of his life was a
gift. He really owed it to the others that
didnt make it, to do his best. So thats
what he tried to do with his life in politics.
Angus was a P.E.I. MP for 25 years and
then became premier of P.E.I. in 1979 at
the age of 65.
The cairn in his honor is in a shaded
location, down a wee lane. Fallen logs,
split tree trunks, weedy growth, a chattering blue jay and one scurrying squirrel
add atmosphere.
He had a tremendous love of
naturethe woods, birds and living
things,
Rob said.
At the unveiling, family members took
center stage, supported by Scots from
Clan MacLean and others of Scottish
ancestry, friends and neighbours from
P.E.I., visitors from other Canadian
provinces and from the U.S.A.
Tartans were on display clan tartans,
provincial tartans and Maple Leaf tartans
in the form of kilts, tams, rosettes, ties,
pants, skirts and vests - throughout the
crowd of about 100.
The ceremony was led by George
MacLean from Lower Sackville, N.S. He
represented Clan MacLean Atlantic
Canada, one of four partner groups who
organized the event.
The result you see around you today

Class oF 2014

was the effort of a number of people, a

number of great volunteers, contributed
to make this day a reality, said George
MacLean.
Darlene Compton represented the
Belfast Historic Society. Ian MacLean
came as a trustee of the Clan MacLean
Heritage Trust, based in Scotland and
Wilbur MacDonald of the Caledonia
Club of P.E.I. was also there.
Sir Lachlan MacLean, the Clan Chief
from Scotland, was unable to attend due
to health issues.
The Clan MacLean Trust aims to honour MacLeans worldwide so the original
idea to honour Angus came from Scotland.
Clan MacLean likes to recognize a
mans whole life, like were recognizing
Anguss whole life. Not just a battle, not
just a castle, but our history and our heritage is people, and important people and
Angus MacLean is certainly one of
those, Ian MacLean said.
Wilbur MacDonald called himself an
old-time friend of Angus MacLean and
recounted political stories from their past.
He was loyal to the people, and he
understood what people wanted. I always
thought he was one of the greatest men I
ever met.
The granite stone dedicated to Angus
features a bronze plaque that describes
him simply as a good man who was
proud of his ancestry and embraced
change. He was a war hero, a politician,
a family man and a successful blueberry
farmer.
The storyboard excerpts were written
by Rob and include pictures of his dads
military unit, plane and Angus as a pilot,
a politician and a farmer.
Anguss widow, Gwen sat and listened
quietly while holding son Allens hand.
She smiled at the stories and chatted with
the visitors.
Its marvelous. And I cant imagine a
nicer memorial for Angus. Its better than
any building. If he could choose it, Im
sure hed say what a good job youve
done, she said.

Page 11

IN BRIEF
Six whooping cough cases found in P.E.I.
Six cases of whooping cough have been diagnosed in P.E.I.
in people between the ages of seven-weeks old and 20 years
old.
Dr. Lamont Sweet said the diagnoses were made
between Dec. 13, 2013 and Feb. 6, 2014.
"The majority are under six years of age, two were hospitalized and one is still in the hospital, but there have been
no deaths." he said.
Whooping cough is caused by bacteria which is spread by
coughing and breathing in.
It starts off similarly to a cold with a runny nose, a small
fever and cough.
But when the bacteria goes deeper into the longs, a more
serious and sever cough occurs, said Sweet.
"In young children this is more severe, children under one
have trouble with breathing while coughing, theyre typically the most severe cases."
Adults can go days or even weeks without realizing
theyre carrying the whooping cough disease.
Vaccines are provided starting at the age of two to six
months, said Sweet. But theyre not 100 per cent in preventing the virus, he said.
"It does prevent it and in most cases it does reduce the
severity of the condition."
Those who have had their vaccines are still suseptible to
catching the virus.
"When it is circulating in the community, those who have
had the vaccine can get it, just usually not as severe."
But once a person is treated with antibiotics, within five
days they will stop being contagious.
No other cases of whooping cough have arisen, but Sweet
suggests anyone with any concerns consult with their doctors.

... Eyesight
lost
Continued from Page 9
When they reach down
and touch her and I cant see
them touching her, and I
start moving, shes all over
the place. Its very dangerous.
Its the worst thing you can
do, she said.
When I start moving and
she starts moving, it can
endanger her, and it can
endanger my safety because

her concentration is taken

away.
Not only does Myrna help
with mobility, she helps if
MacDonald is about to go
into a seizure.
Shell slide underneath my
legs and pin me to the couch
if Im sitting down. She
wont move.
If MacDonald isnt sitting
down, Myrna will push her to
the couch.
She is grateful to have Myrna in her life.
Shes an amazing dog.
Shes a Godsend to me. A
Godsend.

Page 12

Class oF 2014

MaY

SPORTS

Regaining the love for the game

Frank McShane chips a shot on the green at the Amherst Golf Club. Thomas Becker photo

BY THOMAS BECKER
As a kid, Eric Locke was a multi-sport athlete
who played both hockey and baseball.
But a strong influence from his grandfather
introduced Locke to the sport of golf, and that
helped make him the man he is today.
I started golfing when I was 11. My grandfather wanted to show me a sport that taught me
patience and respect.
For the Digby, N.S., native, golf was something more than just a sport he could excel at, it
was a way for him to connect with his family.
My grandfather and I have always been close,
and golf was something that brought us closer
again. My grandfather was the one who took me
to tournaments as a kid, always took me to
wherever I needed to go and he and my grandmother paid for my membership fees each year
until I started working.
Locke excelled at all levels of his golfing
career, setting several varsity program records

during the Holland College qualifiers in each of

the past two seasons, all while leading the Hurricanes to a berth at the national golf championship in Quebec last season.
Erics the best and most accomplished player to ever play for the Hurricanes. His understanding of the game is unsurpassed by any
college player I have seen, said Jeff Donovan,
head coach of the Hurricanes varsity golf program.
But it wasn't all glamour for Locke. From 2010
to 2011, Locke's game was in a bad place.
"I hated golfing and would find any excuse I
could not to play or practise. It just wasn't fun
anymore."
Locke had just finished high school and was
presented with scholarship opportunities from
southern schools like Florida, Mississippi State
and UNF. Locke verbally agreed to UNF before
taking a year off to discover himself, and his
game.
During my year off after high school, I found

a new way to look at things and it all started to

click for me. I loved playing again and I knew I
wanted to be around the game.
Moving 700 miles to Jacksonville didnt interest him. Thats when his assistant professional
showed him the Holland College program. He
applied right away.
I feel comfortable with my surroundings here
at HC and in P.E.I., the courses are amazing and
my game is suited well here.
Now the second year golf management student
will lead a group of 15 players to compete for
their eighth consecutive ACAA title and a
chance to compete in nationals.
Still, despite all his success, his greatest
achievement isnt even one of his own, but one
he shares with family.
This summer my father and I played in the
NSGA Family Classic. We came second, one
behind the winner at three under. It was his first
tournament hed ever played and Ive never seen
him have more fun.

MaY 2014

Class oF 2014

Page 13

STUDENTPOLITICS
Student union cuts vice-president
STUDENT POLI POLL:
positions, adds campus representation What quality do you find
Hope to give student leaders more time to focus on campus
BY MATHIEU EVONG
The Holland College student union election was
around the corner, and first-year electronics engineering technology student Edward Zhakata was
drinking and eating pizza with his friends.
Yo, Eddie, why dont you just go and be president? one said to him.
Zhakata thought about his competition. Although
he was already the representative of his campus, his
spirit was dampened by the thought his competition
had lived on P.E.I. their whole lives.
My competition have similar interests as one
another, he thought. I can bring new ideas to the
student union.
When the election was over, Zhakata was the new
president of the student union. Shortly after, he was
involved in the introduction of new clothing for
Holland College sports teams and $100 draws at
college basketball games, he said in a recent interview.
It has changed from what it used to be I introduced some new stuff.
Meanwhile, the student union has discontinued
two positions: vice president of events and activities, and vice president of marketing and communications.

If youre going to be in an
election, pick a couple of people
you trust to help you out.

- Edward Zhakata
They were not very popular, said hired student
union general manager Greg Gairns.
In their place, the student union introduced two
new titles, vice president of the Georgetown campus and vice president of the West Prince campus.
We would like to have every campus represented, said Gairns.
Its too hard for a vice president of events and
activities to drive from their campus in Georgetown

to host an event at
Charlottetown centre,
he said.
I actually think its a
good idea, said vice
president of events and
activities Haley Myatt.
She has been interested in event management since her freshman year in high
school. After managing
several high school
events, she decided to
Edward Zhakata
take an events management course at Holland
College, then ran for vice president of events and
activities in last years election.
I just always wanted to, she said.
But as much as she enjoys her duties with the student union, planned events happen on too broad of
a spectrum for a full-time student to be in charge
of them, she said.
Even without event management responsibilities, students in these two new positions might
miss more school time than they would have
hoped. Its not unusual for responsibilities with
the student union to cut into personal time, said
Myatt.
Sometimes, actually, it gets busy but I dont
mind.
Zhakata said his position did cut into his class
time, but some seasons are busier than others.
One of the major things is orientation.
During last years election, Zhakata was expected
to go to Newfoundland as a P.E.I. representative for
a Global Vision conference. There was a difficulty
in having to miss four days of school to be there.
One day, he met with his friend Andrew Mackenzie around campus.
Mackenzie helped Zhakata by making promotional posters and advertising on Facebook, to
make up for the time Zhakata would lose from
campaigning.
If youre going to be in an election, pick a couple
of people you trust to help you out, said Zhakata.

most important
in a student union
president?

YOU SAID:

Experience in taking responsibility, so they wont be

overwhelmed when theyre
elected.
Commitment to the job
and to the issues.
Accountability is going to
get my vote!
Its all about the attitude. Id
rather vote for a positive,
upbeat president.
Who cares, the most popular kid is going to get voted
in anyway!
The ability to throw a good
party or plan an awesome
event will keep me
involved.

Page 14

Class oF 2014

MaY 2014

BUSINESS
Twisting, knotting and weaving: a jewelers way to a profit
BY KAYLA WOODSIDE
Twisting, knotting and
weaving string into
bracelets has been a hobby
for a UPEI student, but she
never dreamt her hobby
would make her money.
Brittany Altass,23, has
been making friendship
bracelets and necklaces
since she was five years old.
My friend and I used to
sit on our couch and safety
pin it to the pillow and just
pound out four necklaces a
day, she said
Recently, Altass has
gained more interest in her
homemade bracelets from
friends.
A couple months ago I
started making more and I
was like I could probably
sell these.
Altass saw that one of her
followers on Instagram sold

IN BRIEF
Kijiji takes step to
prevent illegal pet trading
Users of the trading website kijiji will find it a little
more difficult to buy pets.
But its for the best, says
Community Relations Manager Shawn McIntyre.
We work with animal
welfare agencies and our
wonderful online community to prevent, detect and discourage illegal pet vendors.
The site is now charging
users to post ads about dogs
which can be paid by credit

painted cellphone cases

through a website and
decided to try it out for her
own products.
I checked out the website
and it was super easy to use
and doesnt cost anything to
start up so I thought I might
as well try it, she said.
Altass also follows an
Instagramer who writes her
own beauty and fashion
blog from the U.K.. The
blogger contacted Altass to
review her work.
I was like what is this?
Some girl is contacting me
from the UK, this is crazy.
The blogger gave Altass
another bloggers contact
information, who also wanted to do a review. Altass
sent the two bloggers a
chunky chain bracelet, a
peace friendship set and a
made with love friendship
set.
She says theyre not hard

card or pay pal.

This gives us additional
information that helps us
take action against illegal
pet vendors, McIntyre said
in a recent release.
Canadian animal welfare
agencies will receive a portion of the money collected
by this new fee and wont
be asked to pay it themselves either.
Were doing this to keep
pets safer, McIntyre said.
Three-day snowmobiling event covers Island
from tip-to-tip
The P.E.I. Snowmobile
Association received

UPEI student Brittany Altass, 23, makes a small profit on what was once a hobby and way to relive stress.
Kayla Woodside photo
to make but taking her time
helps.
The chain one I struggle
with all the time and I dont
know why but I drop it so
many times and I get so
frustrated. But when Im
doing it I dont realize how
long its taking
me, she said.

Altass has thought about

expanding her product line
with different material, earrings, necklaces and mens
fashion bracelets.
I had a friend that messaged me, he asked if I
could make him (a bracelet).
So I think it would be cool
to do that and target

$25,000 in funding from

PEI 2014 to help kick off
the year-long celebrations
by taking enthusiasts, who
come from all across the
country and the U.S.,
through a tour of P.E.I. by
snowmobile. From one tip
of the Island to the other.
Dale Hickox, president
of the Association, said
over 125 snowmobilers
have arrived on P.E.I. for
the unique three-day event
which spans over 900 kilometers.
"The excitements been
generating now for well
over a year, weve got
every province in Canada

represented. Its a pretty

big event for snowmobiling
here on P.E.I."
Layoffs at Cavendish
Farms creates unimpressed
workers
Rising costs and increasing competition lead to job
cuts at Cavendish Farms.
We identified some
areas that demonstrated a
clear and present need to
improve efficiencies and
reduce costs. This has
meant some tough decisions, said vice-president
Ron Clow.
An additional 33 employees over 60 years old were

everyone, she said.

Since the review, Altass
has gotten more interest and
attention on her bracelets
but wants to contact more
bloggers to help spread the
word.

You can find Altass

jewelry online justbritt.bigcartel.com.

offered an early retirement

plan and other employees
were reassigned based on
superiority.
David MacLeod was one
employee who wasnt
affected by the changes, but
he wasnt impressed with
having to wait five days to
find out.
They told us Sunday
these meetings were going
to happen. I wish theyd
have just done it right off
the bat, avoid all the speculation, he said.
Not going to be too bad,
were still sticking around,
MacLeod texted his
coworkers after the meeting.

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Page 15

Entrepreneur talks shop with students

BY MATHIEU EVONG
There was a round of applause as culinary entrepreneur Mark Brand stepped on stage.
Students and guests were gathered at round
tables at the Culinary institute of Canada on
Nov. 7.
"It's a long hike around this room," Brand said.
It wasn't a typical lecture. Brand's restaurant
Save on Meats is noted for its support and
employment of Vancouver's poor population,
many of them disabled or drug addicted.
The lecture was organized by the Holland College student union. It was the follow up to last
year's Kevin O'Leary lecture.
"I wanted to make it a more intimate process,"
said student union events and activities coordinator Josh Vessey, on why he booked Brand.
Vessey approached Speakers' Spotlight an
agency that helps organizations book speakers.
Right away they gave him a name.
"Mark Brand."
Speakers' Spotlight sent Vessey a video of one
of Brand's speeches. Vessey watched one to two
minutes of video.
Brand brought an electricity to his performance.
"He's our guy, Vessey thought.
Shortly after, student union president A. J.
MacIntyre was shown Brands lecture on the
popular internet series TED Talks.
Hes captivating. Hes really raw and to the
point, said MacIntyre.
He remembered OLearys lecture last year.
It was a success, he said. Kevin was appropriate for business.
This year he wanted someone who could help
students in different fields.
Hes also really involved with the community, said MacIntyre.
During the lecture, Brand said he wanted the
audience to think about questions.
"I will answer any and all questions," he said.
"I think it's important to have conversations,
period."
Brand was born in Scotland and traveled with
his father who was in the oil industry. When his

father was stationed in Dartmouth N.S., Brand

lived there too, until he was 15.
"Let's call it 24 months, become a Maritimer,"
he said.
The Maritimes has a
"like-mindedness" and
sense of community, said
Brand.
"There's not a lot of
money," he said. "People
do much with little."
Being in the Maritimes
helped him with his lecMARK BRAND
ture, he said.
"I feel a lot more comfortable here than anywhere."
The day before, MacIntyre said Brand seemed
honest and authentic.
He seems like a genuinely good person... I
dont think he ever forgot his roots.
MacIntyre thought of his own future.
I hope, some day, if Im as successful as him,
I wont forget that I come from a small town in
Prince Edward Island.
In the lecture, Brand said his father was transferred to Nigeria in the 1990s. Brand went with
him and saw many people die.
"It was really, really awful."
His father was later stationed in Australia. The
two-week stay they had planned turned into nine
years.
Then, after spending some time as a dishwasher in Asia, he was diagnosed with polycystic
kidney disease before returning to Canada.
He went back to Dartmouth, then spent time in
Toronto before moving to Vancouver - where he
was hired as a bar manager. He was fired a few
years later.
"I started to battle a lot with addiction," he said.
A love of culinary helped him to start his first
restaurant - Boneta, named after his mother.
"I find two friends crazy enough to do it with
me," he said. "We really cared about food and
drink."
After the lecture, Brand said food is the root of
human beings.

"Everyone has to eat.

He remembers gathering around a table for
Christmas and Thanksgiving dinners.
"I grew up in a family about food, and everything happened around food."
In his talk, Brand compared businesses to
sponges absorbing resources from communities. He wanted to give back.
Brand was a customer at Save on Meats. He
respected the former owner who often loaned
money and kept his costs low. The store shut
down in 2008.
Brand wanted to train people with drug addictions and those who are disabled to be the
employees, so he found investors to help buy the
store. The people would get their money back, he
promised.
"Nobody got their money back yet, but we
opened it."
Still, he expects to make the money back
because Save on Meats has been a large success,
he said.
I'm a capitalist, 100 per cent.
Capitalism helps his employees make what
they work for, said Brand.
"I have the most dependable person in the
world because they have a disability and they
love their job," he said. "Why would they not
come to work?"
After the lecture, Brand said he thinks about
very little when he's on stage.
"I'm just up telling stories and hoping to have a
discussion.
His focus is making sure the message is clear
and honest, he said.
He noted the habits of some politicians and television correspondents.
"They always want to tell people what they
want to hear," said Brand. Thats not real life.
Vessey said he hoped the people who saw the
lecture took something meaningful away from it.
"I know I did," he said. "It was awesome."
As an entrepreneur in the culinary industry,
Brand was a good lecturer to choose, said
Vessey.
"I thought he would really resonate with our
students. He's a great speaker."

Page 16

Class oF 2014

MaY 2014

COMMUNITYAGENCIES
Salvation Army feeds families through community donations
BY STEPHEN MACDONALD
Chris Moore and Patricia Macqueen know what
its like to be a young family who struggles at
times. But the Salvation Army helps them overcome some of the obstacles.
Initially Moore and Macqueen went to church
at the Salvation Army before finding out about
the food bank and breakfast program. They have
now been using the programs for the past year.
They were introduced to community and family
service worker Beth Cruwys, who helped them
navigate the programs.
There is a blend of responsibilities managing
volunteers and client intake as well, said
Cruwys.
Im responsible for and selecting families for
programs like Toys for Tots, and Coats for Kids.
Also, I facilitate the food bank and the breakfast
program, but I have volunteers I supervise that
help with these programs.
The food bank helps so much, said Moore.
They have the food bank that has a good
selection with can goods, different salads and
vegetables. They also always have bread that we
can use to make our sons lunch for school.
Being able to help people like Moore and Macqueen with food, along with establishing connections with donors to make their programs possible, is what makes the job appealing, said captain Jaime Locke, who has been with the Salvation Army in Charlottetown for 10 years.
Its the blend of doing our best to meet human
need while developing resources. I can be
involved in fund raising or having a heart to
heart with a client within the same afternoon. I
enjoy being part of a broad spectrum of work
and community outreach.
The Salvation Army offers those in need coffee
and donuts each morning, and a pancake breakfast each month.
The breakfast is key for some, Moore said.
It supplements a breakfast club. A lot of people wouldnt eat breakfast if not for here because
the soup kitchen doesnt have breakfast.
The Salvation Army is the largest non-govern-

Salvation Army Captain Jaime Locke stacks food on shelves in the storage room. Stephen Macdonald photo
ment organization that provides assistance to
people in need, but it works with smaller organizations like the soup kitchen, said Locke.
We work closely with the Upper Room ministry that has a food bank and facilitates the soup
kitchen. We compliment each other because we
have our food bank on different days, and serve
breakfast when they take care of lunch and supper.
Volunteers are an intricate part of the breakfast
program and the food bank, said Cruwys.
The volunteers work in the kitchen preparing
breakfast and doing dishes. They also assist with
the food bank two times a week, packing bags
and distributing food to clients. It would be near
impossible to do it without them.
Their other programs help as well, Moore said.
We have a seven-year-old, so their programs
like Toys for Tots, and the Coats for Kids really
help. They really are one of the more community
orientated organizations that really helps.
The Salvation Armys programs serve the community in high numbers, said Locke.
The breakfast program serves 200 people a

day, and the food bank helps 400 families a

month. Also, our Coats for Kids program seen
1,500 coats donated, and the Christmas food and
toy drive will meet the needs of 1,000 families.
The Salvation Army is lucky to have local business on board with programs like Toys for Tots,
said Cruwys.
The Toys for Tots program is presented by
Marks Work Wearhouse and promoted on Ocean
100.3. All donations come to us, and we decide
which families are in need of the support.
Supporting these families is very fulfilling, said
Cruwys.
I dont think the community realizes how hard
it is for people on income support or EI. People
have kids and its a relief to know they can get a
turkey and toys for their kids. The most rewarding part is knowing you are making a difference
at Christmas.
Meeting the need can be hard at times with limited resources.
The organization receives some government
funding to help these families,
See Salvation Army Page 19

MaY 2014

Class oF 2014

Heart and Stroke month means more than

adding years to life add life to years
Foundation website says about one in 100 born with form of defect
BY SHYUN AGHDASY
She was told to hold her breath to control the
beating of her heart. It didnt work.
She was only seven, in second grade, worried
for her life, scared out of her mind.
Haley Nelsens parents tried other ways to stop
her irregular heart beats. Theyd get her to lie on
her left side, even going as far as putting her face
in ice water.
But the most effective way to control it for the
time was to be held upside down by her ankles.
My heart would have episodes where it would
beat really, really fast and it got harder and harder
to stop, which is scary when you're seven, she
said.
Three years later she was scheduled for an ablation, a surgery to fix the rhythm of her heartbeat.
Four long hours later, the surgery was successful.
The doctors made four small incisions into her
heart and inserted wires up to her heart that would
fix the rhythm.
During my ablation they discovered I had a
hole in my heart and this was beneficial, though,
because they fed the wires through the hole
instead of inserting another set in my neck to get
to where they wanted.
Nelsens story, and many others are stories that
the Heart and Stroke foundation take to heart.
The Foundation website notes about one of
every 100 babies born have some form of heart
defect, representing one per cent of births. These
heart defects range from a tiny hole that will never require treatment, to a life-threatening heart
defect in which blood-carrying oxygen and nutrients are pumped throughout the body.
Every seven minutes in Canada, a life is taken
by heart disease or stroke. The Heart foundations
goal is to shine light on these serious diseases to
help victims and try to prevent it from happening
again.
Sharon Hollingsworth, communications manager
of the Heart and Stroke Foundation said the foundations mission is eliminating heart disease and
stroke, and to reduce their impact through the

advancement of research.
February is the time when they look to raise a
major percentage of their annual revenues, she
said.
During the Heart Month Person-to-Person
Campaign, hundreds of volunteers canvass their
neighbourhoods collecting donations for our work
on behalf of Islanders.
The foundation also increases its efforts during
Heart Month to educate Islanders and all Canadians on how to reduce their risk for heart disease
and stroke.
Jeremy MacFadyen knows all too well about
work of the foundation. He has lost family members due to heart-related issues.
The money raised during heart month funds
research and marketing so we can not only add
years to our life, but life to our years.
MacFadyen said he has since volunteered for the
foundation for its Ride for Heart that raises money and awareness for the foundation.
Sarah Ellen, another all too familiar with loss in
her family due to heart related-issues, has joined
the fight in donating money for the foundation in
hopes of raising awareness.
Raising awareness is an important thing for me
and my family, and I hope to continue that to my
kids. Losing a loved one to a heart attack or a
stroke or any kind of heart-related issue, ironically
affects our hearts too.
Hollingsworth says one in three are more prone
to heart-related issues if theyre smoking or
overweight, or if they have high blood pressure,
high blood cholesterol, diabetes and unmanaged
stress.
The foundation needs more volunteers to help
with the Heart Month person-to-person campaign
as well other events. You can find all that by
going to the Heart and Stroke website, under volunteer, she said.
The Heart and Stroke Foundation urges
Islanders to open their doors and their hearts and
give as generously as they can when our volunteer
canvasser calls during Heart Month's P2P campaign in February.

Page 17

Animal Fostering:
What is it?
BY JILLIAN TRAINOR
Peter Murphy is a foster
parent.
Hes currently fostering
Murphy, the pit bull.
It fills a hole in your
life. I didnt realize how
empty my life was until
this big lummox wandered
in and took up residence
PETER MURPHY
in my life.
Peter has been fostering
Murphy for a few weeks.
Hell come in and check on us, like
two oclock in the morning. Hell come, like,
click, click, click in, and check to make sure
were OK, and then hell come back out here
and crash on the couch. Around four oclock
hell try to climb into the bed, and thats a bit
of a wrestling match, because hes no small
dog.
When animals come to a shelter, sometimes
they need a little extra care before they can be
adopted. In cases like these, animals will be
fostered.
Lesa Donnelly of the P.E.I. Humane Society
explains how their fostering program came
about.
A number of years ago, we had some pets
that were coming into the shelter that either
needed further rehabilitation at home, or they
were younger pets, but healthy, that we could
not vaccinate. So we thought Other shelters
do it, so lets try a fostering program.
The Humane Society currently has about 70
volunteers, and Donnelly stresses the importance of these volunteers.
Theyre important because if animals come
in to the shelter, they could be healthy, but
might be a little underweight. Kittens have to
be at least two pounds in order to be spayed or
neutered, she said.
If theyre under the two pounds, but otherwise healthy, theres no reason why they cant
go into foster care and get some love
See Animal Fostering Page 19

Page 18

Class oF 2014

MaY 2014

ARTONTHEISLAND
Stepping into the past, a look at Bedeque and Area Historical Society Museum
the spring season with chicken or
eggs. William Callbeck first
opened the store Afflecks grandBEDEQUE It was shortly after the
mother shopped at in 1899, and is
Second World War that Percy
the same building the museum is
Afflecks father got the familys
located in.
first car, a 1939 Chevrolet.
One of the new displays shows a
Soon after, the family got their
workbench with tools from the
first tractor, a 1947 Pony Massey
early 1900s.
Harris.
The tools, some of which
Families worked hard on their
include wrenches that would still
farms to supply their food, said
fit a lug nut today, hold up as they
Affleck.
were built to last, Affleck said.
The vegetables and potatoes
If I can find a tool that was
were in the basement and we
made between 1950 and 1970, its
slaughtered our own beef and
usually way better quality than
hogs. The garden was a part of our
anything you can buy today at the
lifestyle.
box store.
While that lifestyle has changed
Percy
Affleck
shows
off
some
of
the
old
workbench
tools
once
used.
The
tools
are
part
of
a
Tools interest the self-proclaimed
drastically for Affleck, it can still
new display on the second floor of the Bedeque and Area Historical Society Museum, which
handy
man, and serve as a link
be seen at the Bedeque and Area
is currently being renovated as new displays are being set up. Eric McMurray photo
between generations.
Historical Society Museum.
Thomas Sherry, the current viceThe museum, which was opened
back into earlier eras of P.E.I. history, dating
chair
of
the
society,
said the difference between
to the public in 2013, received a new floor on
back to the 1700s when Loyalists first settled
generations is shown in the museum displays.
its first floor last year.
Bedeque.
(The generation today) needs to go into a
This year, the society is adding new items to a
Some of the displays remind Affleck of his
second floor of the building, which is currently
youth, and show his life has changed since days museum to see what their parents and grandparents grew up with, and experience it.
being renovated.
without electricity on P.E.I.
Museums have difficulties getting new display
Affleck was the previous vice chair of the
He recalled a story of his grandmother shopitems due to younger generations throwing stuff
Bedeque and Area Historical Society and sees
ping and not having the money to pay for a
out, without realizing what they may have had,
the value of preserving the past, he is thrilled to spool of thread.
Sherry said.
see the society partner with Skills P.E.I. to help
Its hard to imagine anyone today not having
He urged people who may have items of hisrenovate the museum, which Affleck said
enough money to buy something like a spool of
torical
significance to call a local museum to
wouldnt be possible without their support.
thread. But a spool of thread was critical to (my
learn more about how donating items can help
The museum is currently closed while the dis- grandmothers) life. She made her own clothpreserve the history.
plays are being set up, though private appointing.
I hope museums all across P.E.I. will be open
ments to see the museum can be arranged.
Afflecks grandmother would get be permitted
and preserve artifacts for future generations.
The second floor displays will take visitors
to open a credit account to the store and pay in
BY ERIC MCMURRAY

Bringing P.E.I. closer

through art
BY THOMAS BECKER
Art is in the eye of the beholder.

This is especially the case with a new piece of

art thats been on display since Sept. 27 attached
to the side of the Guild.
Its called Before I die
Simplistic on the outside, but deep on the
inside, this giant chalkboard with the phrase,
Before I die I want to ____ stenciled over it
several times in rows and columns, has caught

the attention of people worldwide. Its art of

the mind, anyone walking by can pick up a
piece of chalk, reflect on their lives, and share
their personal hopes and dreams in a public
space.
Id say its a global public art project that
invites people to reflect on their lives and share
See Bringing P.E.I. Page 20

MaY 2014

Class oF 2014

Page 19

... Animal fostering

Continued from Page 17

and attention and gain some weight. We

could have dogs come in or cats come in
that are pregnant. We do need them to be
nursed, and we have some great foster
parents that are willing to take them on
for eight, 10, 12 weeks.
Sometimes, animals are fostered
because they were in an abusive home.
Theres been a lot of abuse heaped on
this poor animal in his six years in life.
Hes been chained to things, hes been
left alone. Hes been beat, said Murphy.

Members of Paper Lions and Two Hours Traffic hug it out in celebration, at the end of Nudies House of Rock Show for
Music P.E.I. Week. Shyun Aghdasy photo

They tried to make him into a fighting

dog. Hes got scars on his face, everything
that could happen and still, he answers back
with is love and a lick on the face. We could
all learn from that.

Donnelly said occasionally, foster parents wind up adopting the animal they
agreed to foster.
Usually my running joke is Well,
you can adopt, but youve got to continue fostering for me. Some will continue
fostering. Other ones though, their lives
are not set up to have a pet full-time.
Donnelly herself has adopted animals
shes fostered.
Im not sure totally how many Ive fostered, but Ive ended up keeping three that
Ive fostered. Two cats and a dog.

Street performer Ryan Gallant, left beats out a rhythm using his guitar while friends hang around to watch.
Jillian Trainor photo

... Salvation Army

Continued from Page 16
but relies heavily on donations to make a difference, Locke said.
We do apply for some government grants,
but are highly dependent upon donations, especially at Christmas when there is a higher
need.

They have ways of reaching out for assistance

with helping families in need at Christmas, and
always receive a positive response, Locke said.
We have Christmas letters mailed out to
every resident on P.E.I. to ask for donations
before Christmas. And Islanders have proven to
be a generous people who are aware of the
issues facing their province, and want to be
part of the solution. We are always grateful for
their support.

Murphy, the person, says he would

love to adopt Murphy, the dog, but at
the moment, its an impossibility.
I would love to give this monster a
home. He would eat me out of house
and home, but I would have to be working in order to feed him.
One thing is for sure- when he goes,
Murphy the dog will be missed.
Hes going to take a piece of my
heart with him. I believe that your heart
has plenty of rooms in it, and some of
them are empty because theyre not
filled up yet. So theres a room with a
messy couch and a big dog in it. So
when he goes, it will just be a messy
couch.

Page 20

Class oF 2014

MaY 2014

... Bringing P.E.I.

Continued from Page 18
with people of the community, said executive
director Alanna Jankov.
The idea originated in New Orleans in 2011 by
Candy Chang, an artist with a background in
design and urban planning. Shortly after the loss
of a loved one, Chang needed clarification and
perspective in her own life. She also wondered
if others felt the same way. With the help of
friends, she painted the side of an abandoned
house in her neighborhood with chalkboard
paint and stenciled it with a grid of the sentence
Before I die I want to _______.
The project has since spread worldwide. There
are 350 of these boards across the world, in 50
different countries, in 30 different languages, but
only one in Atlantic Canada.
During a casual meeting at a local caf in Iceland, Guild chairwoman Hannah Bell and
Rachel Peters shared ideas and visions for a better P.E.I. Peters heard about the project through
videos called Ted Talks, and asked why the
same couldnt be done on P.E.I.
I just wanted P.E.I. to have some more positivity and for people to start thinking about their
lives and start having some dreams, Peters said.
Bell acted immediately and got permission
from the city for the projects go ahead. A portion of which was funded through Culture P.E.I.

Alanna Jankov left, Hannah Bell and Rachel Peters finally had their vision realized on Sept. 27 when the Before I
die project was displayed. Thomas Becker photo
After three months, the vision became reality.
For Bell, its a way for people to share their
stories with others.
I love stories. You come along and you get to
share somebody elses story. You see people
sharing things that maybe they wouldnt tell
somebody else. People actually share some quite
profound stuff.
The simple concept of a board and chalk has
Islanders buzzing and it has the women very
excited about it.

People are talking about it. On Friday when we

had it installed, it was just wall-to-wall of people,
lined up to take a turn. As people come across the
crosswalk, theres not a single person so far that Ive
talked to that has not stopped to read it or picked up
a piece of chalk, Jankov said.

At the end of the day, these three women have

one hope, that they can make a difference one
piece of chalk at a time.
I think everybody needs to take a minute in
their day to think. We dont give ourselves
enough time, Bell said.

Lawrence to take the stage

Music P.E.I. Week is shaping up to be an exciting
week. The host alone is even something to talk about.
Canadian radio personality Grant Lawrence will take
the stage at the Homburg Theatre in Charlottetown on
Saturday, Feb. 2 at the 12th annual Music P.E.I. Awards
Gala. Twelve award presentations and 13 musical performances will bring the week full circle, showcasing
the talented musicians of Prince Edward Island.
Rob Oakie, executive director of Music P.E.I., said
P.E.I. Music Week is and will
continue to be the largest celebration of Island music
each year.
Our goal is for music week to become one of the
biggest events of the year on the P.E.I. music scene,
Grant Lawrence of CBC Radio 3 strikes, after hosting the P.E.I. Gala Awards in Charlottetown at the Conhe said.
federation Centre Feb. 2. Shyun Aghdasy photo

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Page 21

MUSICONTHEISLAND
It must have been the beat
After Freedom Writer came
that made the song take off
out they all got respect for the
with social media because there
first time, said D.9.K.
It was basically the first time were other songs, like Mixed
Emotions, that were also very
anybody got any respect. It
introspective tracks that they
gave everyone shine, and peohad high expectations for, but
ple started wondering what we
were doing because of the asso- in the end they flopped, he
said.
ciation with Cavy and the
Mixed Emotions was such a
song.
dark track that didnt have one
Because of the buzz from the
positive lyric. We had high
song, theyve had networking
expectations, but in the end it
opportunities, but they have to
flopped to our standards only
make the most of those opporreaching 1,000 views.
tunities, said D.9.K.
Cavy flashes the Illusions crew sign (a group he has collaborated with musically). Stephen MacDonald photo
While age is a limitation in
When networking you gotta
some ways as far as doing
make them think you are worshows at venues like bars,
thy of their help, or other networking opportunities they can where performers would have
to be legal drinking age, it also
provide.
The final production for Free- helps them because they found
their fans at a young age. Now
dom Writer, as well as several
they just have to keep it movother songs they have on their
It could attract a younger audience
BY STEPHEN MACDONALD
ing, said Dunn.
channel on YouTube, were
who didnt really listen to lyrics, but
We are better than most, and
mixed
and
mastered
in
his
paid attention to the beat, he said.
A 16-year-old rapper from Charlottehave a bigger following than
home, Dunn said.
Younger fans mostly listen to a song
town has filmed a video to promote his
anyone on the Island because
I
had
done
the
final
producfor the beat.
mix tape and gained 5,000 views on
Unlike most people his age, he appre- tion for Freedom Writer, one of we found our crew at a young
YouTube.
our most recognized tracks, but age. Now were networking and
ciates old school lyrical artists, Cavy
Cavy, a P.E.I. hip-hop artist based out
trying to plan a tour of the MarI also made the beat and prosaid.
of Cornwall, has been recording music
itime Provinces. Thats the next
duced other tracks on our
Some of the artists I have been
for the last two years. But he began to
goal to create a fan base outside
YouTube
channel
such
as
Dear
inspired by are Tupac Shakur, Nas and
create a real buzz this past summer
of P.E.I.
God and Side Lines.
New School.
when he recorded the song Freedom
He also has love for Maritime artists
Writer and posted the video on
opening doors for him, he said.
YouTube.
Some of the artists, particularly from
Five-thousand was the goal they set.
Halifax that Ive met and am really
Once that happened, he and his group
B.F.R.G. (Baby Faced Rebel Gang) just inspired by would be Ghetto Child,
said well whats the next goal, he said. Quake, and RS Smooth.
With the buzz created by Freedom
We instantly thought how can we make it
Writer,
B.F.R.G. have gained some
to 10,000. We hit our goal so now whats
recognition. The group includes Cavy
next, thats the mentality.
The song had the right elements to pull and two other male rappers who go by
the stage names of D.9.k. and B.T. Flow.
people in with a combination of introSinger Angelina McKinnon performs
spective lyrics along with a hype beat,
the
chorus in some of the groups songs
he said.
and John Dunn works on production for
It was a catchy song with old school
A still from Cavys youtube video Freedom Writer where the artist raps
the group.
lyrics over a popish beat.
around the Holland College campus. Provided by BFRGTv

P.E.I. rapper gets 5,000 views

for song on YouTube

Page 22

Class oF 2014

MaY2014

Inspired by the love of music

BY KAYLA WOODSIDE
Hobbies are defined as an activity
or interest pursued for pleasure or
relaxation.
But what if you could turn what
you enjoy most in life into your
career? Build a business of your
personal desire from the ground up?
Adam Marsh Johnston did just
that.
He is the owner of AMJ Guitars, a
small guitar shop on University
Avenue in downtown Charlottetown.
I guess my hobby originated in
my late teens. Im left handed and
would go shopping for guitars and
Id find one instrument maybe per
shop if that. It wouldnt be something I was interested in, but Id
buy it anyways and try to make it
into what I wanted, he said.
Luckily, woodworking has always
been in the family his dad, his
grandfather and his great grandfather.
I didnt think I wanted to do anything my dad did until I got interest-

ed in music. Thats when I had that

desire to have that really awesome
custom-made instrument for myself.
Then I had to face that kind of trade
and get into woodworking.
Johnston toyed around with guitars for a long time, taking them
apart and tweaking their appearances before going to school in
2002.
I went to Vancouver Island and
enrolled in a program at the Summit
School of Guitar Building and Repair
where I did a one-year Masters.
Then he traveled to Sweden before
coming back to school for another
three years then coming to Georgetown, P.E.I.
Its been better than I could have
ever expected. Georgetown was
always meant to be a temporary
destination, but Ive been overwhelmed with the amount of interest this province is able to give a
small entrepreneur like myself.
P.E.I. may be small but the love
for music is strong.
Kyle Sherren is a 21-year-old
musician. He has been playing for

The owner of AMJ Guitars, Adam Marsh Johnston, working on a Gibson Guitar. Kayla Woodside photo
as long as he can remember,
whether it be an open-mic at school
or just at home.
Ive heard of AMJ, but never
been there before, he said.
Johnston wouldnt be surprised to
hear that. His shop was actually the
back half of another shop you
have to travel down an alley before
finding it.
People who are looking for me
find me, Johnston said.
Sherren says he wish hed known
more about the shop, he only goes
to one in particular run by Denis
Laroque.
Hes honestly the best, Sherran
said.
Laroque is another small, local

business that deals with repair and

maintenance in Charlottetown.
Its not like a job to him, its more
like his life, Sherran said.

I chose Denis before hes in his

50s, near 60s and his tons of wisdom and experience but Adam
sounds like he does too.
Johnston offers everything from
basic set ups of guitars to full
restoration and custom building
being the bulk of his work.
The repair work keeps me
inspired, Johnston said.
One of his favorite repairs was a
1930 Gibson he rebuilt from inside
out, he said.
It sounded like gold when it was
put back together.

Comic book group meets to brainstorm ideas

BY JOCELYN CLAYBOURNE
Warren was a sad, small, little boy
riding the bus to school. A group
of bullies sat at the back of the
bus, screaming at him. When hed
play on the jungle gym at recess,
theyd push him off. The next day,
Warren entered the bus with a broken arm.
Howd you get the cast, man?
the bullies would taunt him.
Warren couldnt take any more,
he went up to the bus driver,
grabbed the wheel, and drove the
bus off a cliff.

Matthew MacDonald, right, shares his ideas with the organizers of this years student comic book. Jocelyn Claybourne photo.
He kills everybody? Michelle
MacCallum screamed.

She was listening to Matthew

MacDonald pitch his story idea to
a group of students for a collabora-

tive comic book.

You have some good ideas ready to
go, said Tiffany MacMillan, co-creator of the group.

It teaches people not to bully,

MacCallum added.
MacDonald is struggling on
whether to call the comic Are You
Afraid of Heights? or Warren. He
doesnt want the name to ring
closely too Are You Afraid of the
Dark.
Today, the group met to share
their ideas and confirm their position in the group or decide it wasnt for them.
They have one week to complete
their first draft of their comic. Each
student is at a different stage in
their creations, with most still
brainstorming like MacDonald.

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Page 23

Young artists tear it up on stage with blues band Ripped Paper

BY MARY WHITE
The aged timbers of the little
white church in Belle River
rocked with the sounds of the
band Ripped Paper on this Friday night as they brought a
bluesy sound to some old
rockin tunes.
The owner of the church,
Wendy Jones, opened what is
now her home to the band, family members and general public
as encouragement for a beginning band.
The setting was intimate. The
old church had been made over
into Jones home and the dark
stained rafters have reflected a
lot of music. But not like this.
They started with an original
blues piece called Im Not
Lying followed by some Hendrix Red House. Jimis tune
gave lead guitarist Logan
Richard a chance to show his
pickin fingers and his vocals
then into some well aged Fleetwood Mac Black Magic
Woman.
Richard plays acoustic and
electric guitar, harmonica and
vocals. He grew up with music,
as his parents and older brother
are all talented. He started the
guitar at age 10. And, oh yeah,
his cousin is Tim Chaisson.
So its kind of in my blood,
he said.
Richard and his aunt, Donna
Richard, wrote the bands next
selection, Young Mans Blues
about being 13 years old and
too young to drive or date.
Then we got the old Walkin
Blues, an Eric Clapton tune
originally recorded by Robert
Johnson in 1937 and livened up

Ripped Paper eased the winter blues with blues of their own Friday night in Belle River. The foursome brought youthful new life to old songs by Fleetwood Mac, Stevie Ray Vaughn, Eric Clapton
to Bill Withers. Their talent completely submerged their tender young age of 14.
Mary Angela White photo
by Richards harmonica.
house, said Nabuurs. From then we
The other band members are Stephan
asked him to play at our first gig ever,
LeClair, bassist, Connor Nabuurs, drums official gig, the QEH telethon.
and Tanuj Fernando on keyboard.
Sharon Richard is Logans mother. Her
Their talent and smooth delivery
concern tonight was how tired the boys
smudges one important detail. All four
were, just returning from a class trip to
of them are 14 years old, in Grade 9 and Ottawa. Seventeen long hours on a bus
only started
and they still
They
are
not
a
boy
band.
playing
turned up to
together a
play, showing
They play old soul music like
year ago. But
the depth of
Stevie
Ray
Vaughn
and
B.B.
King,

the longer
their dedication.
you listen to
- Sharon Richard, singers mother They are not a
their music,
boy band. They
the more their
play old soul
ages retreat.
music like Stevie Ray Vaughn and B.B.
Logan, LeClair and Nabuurs have been King, she said.
Walkin Blues gave bassist LeClair a
friends since elementary school when
their trio was part of Stop Rock N Roll. chance to shine with the deep tones of
his bass setting off Logans harmonica
We went together and did a song in
and vocals.
the talent show. I didnt sing yet, said
LeClairs dad started in a band when
Logan.
he was just a bit older than Stephan and
We played Wipe Out, said Nabuis currently in the band Muddy Buddy.
urs. That was back in Grade 6.
He played gigs when I was growing
They met Fernando in Grade 7 when
up, too. So I learned a lot of stuff from
they were all in the same class.
him, he said.
He came over to jam one day at my

The music continued with

Pride and Joy from Stevie Ray
Vaughn and then some Bill
Withers, Aint No Sunshine.
The aged rafters of the old
church reflected back the sound
of the smooth fingering of keyboard artist Tanuj Fernando. He
came to Stratford by way of
Charlottetown, Toronto and Sri
Lanka. His piano skills are
Royal Conservatory approved.
Not the kind of rock or anything like that. They introduced
me to most of that music, Fernando said.
The evening drew to an early
close with the Weight (The
Band), Rocket to the Moon
(Colin James) and a final medley courtesy of Chameleon.
Nabuurs drum solo came at
the end of the evening but his
presence was apparent through
each selection.
I have a lot of influence from
my brother who plays upright
and electric bass. He introduced
me to a lot of different stuff,
like the Beatles and all the old
stuff, and a lot of jazz and
things like that, Nabuurs said.
His uncle is a band teacher,
his grandfather plays guitar and
sings, and his parents both sing.
Ripped Paper has recorded a
demo of three original songs
Today, Im Not Lying, and
Someone To Lean On.
They dont play mainstream
pop, said Sharon. And
because they are so young and
play the style of music they
play thats why theyre unique.
As for current music, Logan
and Nabuurs really like Cold
Play but LeClair likes such a
See Ripped Paper Page 25

Page 24

Class oF 2014

MaY2014

It was perfect timing: Close friend of Ellen Page

proud actress has announced shes gay
BY DESERIE MURPHY
Lil MacPherson has been close
friends with Ellen Page for close
to a decade and was proud and
tearful while watching the Halifax actress announce she was
gay.
A Hollywood star, known for
her work in Juno, X-Men and
other blockbusters, announced
her sexuality during a speech at
the Time to Thrive conference on
Valentines Day in Los Vegas.
It was perfect timing, said
MacPherson, owner of the
Wooden Monkey, a restaurant in
downtown Halifax. They
encouraged her. To stand
amongst people that have gone
through the same struggles, they
understand her and she understands them.
MacPherson said Page is an
incredible actress who has earned
her wings. She also said that
Page coming out will hopefully
only impact her positivity.
Its more important for her to
be who she is, instead of living a
lie. She said she couldnt do it
anymore, said MacPherson.
Nova Scotia should be proud,
thats our little gem.
Page said she was gay by the
end of her eight minuet speech
saying she feels a personal obli-

"This world
would be a whole
lot better if we just
made an effort to
be less horrible to
one another."
- Ellen Page

Canadian actress Ellen Page stands on stage at the Time to Thrive conference after coming out as
a lesbian on Feb. 14. Though the news didnt shock friends and family. the reveal sparked reaction on social media. Love love LOVE @EllenPage & the message she sent out today! What a perfect way to end Valentines Day tweeted Modern Family star Tyler Ferguson.
gation and a social responsibility
to make a difference and help
others have an easier and more
hopeful time.
I am tired of hiding and I am
tired of lying by omission, She
told the crowd. I suffered for
years because I was scared to be
out. My spirit suffered, my mental health suffered and my rela-

Sexting on the rise

BY JAN WILDEROM
Charlottetown police officer
Gary McGuigan is welcoming
new legislation that will make
it a crime to distribute intimate
images without the consent of
the person in those photos.
It gives us another tool
which helps us with those types
of crimes, or deal with those

kinds of people who are doing

that, McGuigan said.
More students are using social
media says Kensington intermediate senior high school
guidance councillor Stephanie
Borden.
Ive been at K.I.S.H for eight
years now, and its been more
noticeable perhaps in the last
five years, where more students

tionships suffered. And Im standing here today,

with all of you, on the other side of all that, said
Page.
Social media has been rife with reaction towards
Pages announcement, including from her friend
and Raising Hope actress, Shannon Woodward,
who tweeted I have never been more proud of a
human than I am of @EllenPage right now.
Other Hollywood celebrities, including Kate
Mara, Anna Kendrick and Jesse Tyler Ferguson
have cellphones. When I started eight
years ago, not all junior. high students had
cellphones and now pretty much all do.
McGuigan said social media is growing,
and along with it, so is cyberbullying.
We probably deal with anywhere
between five to 10 calls a week from
people who are being harassed or bullied.
It seems to be a certain age demographic that causes most of the trouble,
said McGuigan.
We see it more with youths that are
into what we call sexting.

also offered their support for

Page, with the latter tweeting,
Love love LOVE @EllenPage
& the message she sent out
today! What a perfect way to end
Valentines Day! (sic).
MacPherson wouldnt disclose
how long shes known Page was
gay but she wasnt shocked by
the announcement, which she
hopes will create conversations
in homes, where kids can find
their courage and speak out, said
MacPherson.
Its really important for parents to understand this is not a
phase, not a fad, its a time for
our society to realize this is just
who they are.

Borden says it affects students grades

and school life.
If theyre coming to student services
they are missing school time. They are
upset and it can affect their mental
health as well in terms of depression,
anxiety and increased stress.
Charges can range from distributing
pornographic material to harassment, but
McGuigan says this can all be avoided.
Theres a common sense approach,
just dont put up nude pictures or pictures of yourself you dont want anyone
else to see.

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Page 25

Fishnet tights, trophy bruises and roller skates:

Island Roller Derby women bringing the heat
BY DESERIE MURPHY
Bright-coloured mouth guards, tank tops,
kneepads, elbow pads, helmets and fishnets fly
around the large circle mapped out with pylons
on an old gymnasium floor that feels like glue
in comparison to a competition rink.
The floor meets gliding wheels and women
show off their bruises, checking teammates with
a smile.
A cheer comes from a girl knocked on the
floor.
The Red Rock N Roller derby girls circling
resemble a graceful, gliding, football team, only
in eye-catching uniforms of sparkly short-shorts
and bright red tights.
Welcome to roller derby on P.E.I. where each
game is called a bout.
Its fast pace and aggression on a circular track.
Hits, speed and tricks make the benches shout in

Island Cartoonist
releases second book
BY ZACH RAYNER
Wayne Wright was hired by the Conservative
Party in 1978 to draw cartoons satirizing the Liberal administration.
But the Conservative Party
was nervous about using the
drawings, so Wright decided to
sell them to the Guardian newspaper in Charlottetown.
My little career was off and
running at $5 a cartoon.
WAYNE WRIGHT
He moved back to his hometown of Summerside where he
has since worked as a daily cartoonist for the
Journal Pioneer. It may not be a lucrative job,
but it has other rewards, he said
I get to meet nice people and meet a lot of
Islanders and have a lot of fun.

admiration.
Jammers have stars on their helmets. There is
one on each team and they are the only ones able
to score. They score by passing opponents on the
track.
Blockers try to hold the opposing teams pointers back.
The pivot is often the last line of defence in the
attempt to stop the opposing jammer from escaping the pack and usually is positioned ahead of
the crowd.
Roller derby has two 30-minute halves. Whatever team has the most points at the end wins.
It takes seven referees to track the action,
counting points and handing out penalties.
Roxane Gillespie used to skate all the time at
Skate Country, an old roller rink, and she was
disappointed when it closed down.
If I ever get a chance to put skates on again, I
will be there, said Roxane at the time.

Then she heard about Red Rock N Roller derby from her friend Diana Carver, who said she
was going.
I then ordered all of my gear before checking
it out and just showed up, said Roxane.
Roxanes roller derby name is Rox N Rolls.
She choose it from the old song Roxy Roller
because her real name is Roxane.
Playing the game has built so many new friendships, said Roxane.
Its like a big family.
Playing the game as best she can and feeling
she played a great game is the best experience,
said Roxane.
When I play its such a high, when I can go
and play a game that is fulfilling.
Players meet people from all over the Maritimes and after each game, they have no issues
with each other, said Roxane.
What happens on the track stays on the track.

And many of these Islanders will be in

Wrights new book Whos who on P.E.I.
The book will be published by Island Studies
Press of UPEI and will feature a collection of
Islanders he has drawn over the years.
Unlike his first book, Still Crazy After All
These Years this one not feature the biting satire
typical of his cartoons, said Wright.
Its kind of a sweet book, as opposed to the
other book in which I could be kind of sarcastic
or satirical, even derogatory.
The publications coordinator of Island Studies
Institute, Joan Sinclair, said Wright wanted to
include pictures that tell the stories of everyday
people.
He has a lot of fun with politicians, senators,
premiers and mayors, but his favourite people, as
he refers to them, are people who live by the side
of the road and are just common folk.
She and the director of the Island Studies Institute, Irene Novaczek, sorted through hundreds of
pictures to help decide what would go in the
book, said Sinclair.
I was working with a couple of boxes that
probably totalled five or 600 photos.

....Ripped paper
Continued from Page 23
variety of music he cant pick a favorite. Stevie
Ray Vaughn is Logans favourite guitar player.
We try to write more tunes but its difficult at
this young of an age, said Nabuurs. We
havent gone through a whole lot yet.
Summertime is their busiest time and they have
some performances already lined up.
The P.E.I. music community has been very supportive of Ripped Paper from Jones, opening her
home to the public to the blues jam sessions on
Saturdays at the Factory. Encouragement takes
many forms from saying the right things, helping
them get gigs, getting them up on stage to showing up at performances. And its support for them
to see family in the audience.
My family says its great to watch them
play, said Sharon. But they say its even better
to watch me watching them!
And Jones made us all tea.
Now, Im CFA and it seems to me that the
Island is seeped in musictea and music.

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Page 26

Meet the reporters: Class of 2014

Baillie Saunders, 19, Tatamagouche, N.S.
She enrolled in journalism because she wanted to
get out of her comfort zone and follow her passion of writing.
Another passion Saunders has is fashion.
Im a fashion freak.
She interned at the Truro Daily News and the
The Globe and Mail, you can find more of her
stories at bailliesaunders402.wordpress.com
Deserie Murphy, 19, P.E.I.
She enrolled in journalism because of her love of
writing, talking to people and experiencing new
things everyday.
Journalism offers discovery and adventure as a
lifestyle.
Her interests in adventure will take her to traveling the world. She hopes to document her experiences for years to come.
She interned at The Halifax Metro and The
Charlottetown Guardian you can find more of her
work at deseriemetrointernship.wordpress.com.

Jillian Trainor, 25, Charlottetown

Hoping to further herself in
with print, Trainor enrolled in
the Holland College program.
She finished an internship
with The Bugle-Observer in
Woodstock, N.B. and was
always a bundle of laughs.
I can do a cartoon type voice
which friends have described as
'a chipmunk on helium'.
You can find more of Trainors work on The Surveyor.

Jan Wilderom is a second-year

Holland College journalism student. Spending a lot of his time
in British Columbia, Wilderom
brought a unique perspective to
the small Island.

Eric McMurray, 23, Stratford, P.E.I.

He enrolled in journalism because he enjoys
meeting new people and hearing their stories.
His most recent internship was with The Journal Pioneer in Summerside. But his most interesting experience came from his internship in
Corner Book, N.L.
I got officially screeched in, he said.
You can find more of his work on The Surveyor.
Jocelyn Claybourne, 20, Charlottetown, P.E.I.
Enrolling in journalism because of the opportunities that come with meeting new people and the
ability to push the boundaries on her comfort
zone. Her most recent internship was doing layout with The Guardian, where she interned in
2012 as a reporter. But she spent most of her
time interning with CBC. Though her reporting
life is exciting, she prefers to talk about her
appearance as an extra on Degrassi.
You can hardly tell Im there, but to me Im
the only one I see.
You can find more of her work at
jclaybourne.tumblr.com

Kayla Woodside,22,
Charlottetown, P.E.I. enrolled
in journalism because of her
never-ending streak of curiosity
and interest in English.
Although shes extremely shy,
she hides it well to get her
work done. You can find more
of her articles at kannewoodside.wordpress.com.

MaY2014

Class oF 2014

Page 27

Meet the reporters: Class of 2014

Luke Kenny, 24, Charlottetown,
He joined journalism because
of his interest in the field.
Previously interning at the
Chronicle Herald, his experience landed him a job in
Bridgewater before the end of
the school year.
You can read more of his stories at southshorenow.ca
Mathieu Evong, 21, P.E.I.
He enrolled in journalism
because he wanted to learn
writing and thinks journalism is
a very important job.
His most recent internship
was at The Guardian, you can
read more of his stories on
The Surveyor.

Mary White, 59, Amherst, N.S.

Wanting to write back lacking
the discipline to get words onto
paper, White enrolled in the
journalism program at Holland
College.
Finishing an internship at the
Eastern Graphic, she now plans
to freelance, writing magazine
articles from home.
You can read more of her
stories at:
maryangelawhite.wordpress.com
Shyun Aghdasy, 23, P.E.I.
He enrolled in journalism
because hes always had a
desire to write, taking the Holland College course helped him
hone his skills.
Doing his most recent internship with radio showed him
writing was more for him.
Live and learn.
You can find more of his stories
on The Surveyor.

Stephen Macdonald is a second-year Holland

College journalism student.
Keeping his attention on the arts and entertainment beat, particuarly music.
Macdonald could always be found listening to
music in the classroom and sharing his appreciation for the lyrics and beats.
You can find more of his stories on The Surveyor

Thomas Becker, 24, Sackville, N.B.

Enrolling in journalism because of course of my
love for sports, and hopes to become a sports
writer.
His most recent internship was a the TelegraphJournal in Sant John, N.B.
You can read more of his stories on
The Surveyor.

Zach Rayner is a second-year Holland College

journalism student. You can read more of his
stories online at The Surveyor.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY THE HOLLAND COLLEGE JOURNALISM CLASS OF 2014

CHARLOTTETOWN, P.E.I. MAY 2014

CLASS OF 2014
WHATS CURRENT IN 2014
Ellens Oscar selfie breaks Twitter
and new retweet record

Atlantic storm shuts

down Island
THOUSANDS GO WITHOUT POWER

Ellen Degeneres Oscar Selfie with the caption If only Bradley's arm was longer. Best photo ever. #oscars breaks
most retweeted photo record, surpassing Obamas photo where he hugs his wife after 2012 presidential election.
In 2014, Twitter was one of the
biggest social media websites
in the world. Ellen Degeneres
was one of the most recognizable talk-show hosts and comedians.
Selfies were the latest craze
and the Oscars was the most
viewed awards show in history.
Put all of this together and
you can one of the most iconic
moments in entertainment his-

tory.
Ellen Degeneres posted a
selfie on Twitter during the
Oscars with celebrities such as
Brad Pitt, Jennifer Lawrence,
Bradley Cooper and Meryl
Streep.
The tweet reached over one
million retweets before the
night was even over. Which
caused the website to crash for
over 20 minutes.

With this, she broke the

record of the most retweeted
photo on Twitter. Surpassing
Barrack Obamas photo of
hugging his wife after the 2012
election, which gained roughly
800,000 retweets.
She doubled the record, generating two million retweets.
And currently, the photo
stands at over three million
retweets.

March was the month

of storms for the 2014
calendar year.
Called White Juan
2.0 after the similar
massive winter storm
10 years ago, a storm
hit Prince Edward
Island that left over
15,000 residents without power.
The Confederation
Bridge was closed to
all traffic, photos of
store shelves with not
a sight of bread or
water flooded twitter,
and the RCMP advised
no one to leave their
homes unless it was an
absolute emergency.

Even snow plows

were kept off the road
for most of the storm,
especially after the
province already went
over its $15 million
snow removal budget
in February by over
$700,000.
Over 25 cm of snow
was measured once the
storm finished.
And the conditions
didnt stop there, from
March 27 to April 1
most of the Island
stayed in doors with
schools having closed
their doors and businesses seeing the lack
of potential in sales.

Class of 14
is a learning tool for students in the Journalism
program at Holland College. Opinions expressed in
this publication do not necessarily reflect
those of the college administration.