reader’s digest

CONTENTS

Features 32 42
environment knowledge
PHOTO THIS PAGE: HILARY SWIFT/THE NEW YORK TIMES

24
health
The Landfill of
the Future?
Wacky Birthday
Traditions!
Preparing for Takeoff An innovative company From Brazil to Germany
If you’re over 60 and in Newfoundland is to Australia, here’s a fun
love to travel, here’s transforming waste look at how people cel-
some advice from a from fishing, farming ebrate their big day.
doctor for what to pack. and forestry into every- BY STÉPHANIE VERGE

BY DR. JEAN MARMOREO day products.

FROM CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC BY ANDREA MCGUIRE
FROM HAKAI MAGAZINE

on the cover:
photo by jaime hogge

50
reader’s digest

50
drama in real life
60
health
74
heart
A Flood of Emotions Team Player They Welcome the
Trapped by a hurricane Why you should con- World’s Displaced
and rising waters, a sider volunteering for a Three stories of people
devoted sister struggles clinical trial. who took a giant, gen-
to save her disabled BY SYDNEY LONEY erous leap of faith.
FROM CHATELAINE
brothers. BY LISA FITTERMAN
BY CORINA KNOLL
FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES
66 86
classic health
58 Locked in the A Second Life
smile Lion’s Jaws For these parents,
I Forgot to Remember As the enormous cat bit donating their child’s
How on earth am I down, Tony Fitzjohn felt organs so others could
supposed to recall my sure he was about to die. live was a way of accept-
passwords?! BY ARNOLD SAPIRO
ing the unacceptable.
BY RICHARD GLOVER
BY HAROLD GAGNÉ

94
heart
Bedtime Stories at
the Hunting Camp
Even grown men love
to be read to after dark.
BY L.W. OAKLEY
FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL

98
bonus read
My Starter Dog
Adopting a dog in my
60s was never part of
CRISTIAN FOWLIE

the plan. But Casey

changed everything.
BY RONA MAYNARD
FROM STARTER DOG: A VIRTUAL
INTRODUCTION

94
 Departments
5 Letters
14 Finish This
Sentence
12
16 Points to Ponder
good news
8 From Around
the World
BY TINA KNEZEVIC

birds
12 Song of Spring
It’s not every day
that a yellow war-
bler visits your
backyard.
BY HEIDI BINNS
(BIRD) HEIDI BINNS; (SHOES) WATTANAPHOB KAPPAGO/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

body & mind

18 Cold-Water Cure
A chilly practice
has promising
health benefits.
BY MELISSA GREER

health reader’s digest

book club
20 News From the
World of Medicine
Humour 112 Birnam Wood
A thrilling climate
BY SAMANTHA RIDEOUT
11 drama set in
Life’s Like That New Zealand.
BY EMILY LANDAU
40
As Kids See It 114 Brainteasers
84 116 Trivia
Laughter, the Best 117 Word Power
Medicine 119 Sudoku
120 Crossword

rd.ca 3
 P U B L I S H E D B Y T H E R E A D E R ’ S D I G E S T M A G A Z I N E S C A N A D A L I M I T E D, M O N T R E A L , C A N A D A

Christopher Dornan chairman of the board

Lora Gier executive vice president, media sales
Barbara Robins vice president and legal counsel
Bonnie Munday editor-in-chief
deputy editor Stéphanie Verge senior art director John Montgomery
executive editor, deputy art director Danielle Sayer
digital Brett Walther
graphic designer Pierre Loranger
senior editor Melissa Greer content operations
associate editor Erica Ngao manager Lisa Pigeon
contributing editors Rosie Long Decter, Peter circulation director Edward Birkett
Dockrill, Samantha Rideout
proofreader Jonathan Furze contributors: Marley Allen-Ash, Diane Baher,
Louis-Luc Beaudoin, Heidi Binns, Derek Bowman,
senior researcher Lucy Uprichard
Lisa Fitterman, Cristian Fowlie, Richard Glover, Jaime
researchers Charlotte Genest, Sara Hogge, Sam Island, Tina Knezevic, Corina Knoll,
Hashemi, Madeline Lines, Susan Camilleri Konar, Jeff Kulak, Emily Landau,
Leila El Shennawy, Ann Sydney Loney, Rob Lutes, Jean Marmoreo, Hayden
Walter, David Warner Maynard, Rona Maynard, Andrea McGuire, Larry
copy editors Chad Fraser, Oakley, Darren Rigby, Paul Robert, Graham Roumieu,
Amy Harkness, Julie Saindon, Beth Shillibeer, Fraser Simpson, Leslie
Richard Johnson Sponder, Ron Starr, Christie Vuong, Jeff Widderich

THE READER’S DIGEST ASSOCIATION (CANADA) ULC

Corinne Hazan financial director
Mirella Liberatore product manager, magazine marketing

national account executives Mark Di Cio, Melissa Silverberg

director, research and insights lab Kelly Hobson
head of marketing solutions and new product development Melissa Williams
graphic designer, marketing solutions Kelly Stinziano
project manager, marketing solutions Angele Asube
production manager Lisa Snow

TRUSTED MEDIA BRANDS

Bonnie Kintzer president and chief executive officer

VOL. 202, NO. 1,198 Copyright © 2023 by Reader’s Digest Magazines
Canada Limited. Reproduction in any manner in whole or in part in English or
other languages prohibited. All rights reserved throughout the world. Protection
secured under International and Pan-American copyright conventions.
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Reader’s Digest publishes 10 issues per year and may
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4 april 2023

LETTERS
RUDE RUMOURS
I have enjoyed Reader’s Digest and its
diverse opinions for years. I disagree
strongly with the idea that some gossip
may be considered good (“Dishing
Dirt,” November 2022). The article
said: “Criticizing those who have trans-
PUBLISHED LETTERS ARE EDITED FOR LENGTH AND CLARITY
gressed social norms...encourages
good conduct and serves as a deterrent
to bad behaviour.” Who decides what
social norms are acceptable? The best
kind of gossip is saying good things
about someone.
— SANDRA POLLARD, Cowichan Valley, B.C.
A SOBERING READ
Thank you for publishing “Buzz Kill”
(November 2022). I was an occasional
drinker, but I found myself drinking
more frequently during the Covid-19
pandemic as the days rolled into
reader’s digest
months. Your story brought tears to my
eyes as I read about the toll that alco-
hol takes on the body. I got the mes-
sage, loud and clear! I’m happy to say
that I haven’t touched a drop since I
read your article.
— NANCY DILLON, Laval, Que.
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
I was disappointed by “The True Mean-
ing of Christmas” (December 2022). The
stories failed to portray Christmas as
primarily a celebration of Christ’s birth.
Santa, trees and gifts can, and should,
all be part of it, but the true meaning
of Christmas is God’s love for human-
kind through the giving of his son.
— DOMINIQUE PAQUET, Toronto
I have been reading your publication
for years and for the most part find it
interesting, informative and honest.
Your December issue’s holiday stories
truly warmed the heart, and I don’t
mean to take anything away from that.
But the title “The True Meaning of
Christmas” made absolutely no refer-
ence to the true meaning of Christ-
mas—the birth of Jesus Christ.
— FRED LUKIANOW, London, Ont.
WILD HORSES
The feral horses on Sable Island are an
introduced species and are in no way
indigenous to the island (“Wild At
Heart,” January/February 2023). The
horses may be cute, but their life
expectancy in that ecosystem is less
rd.ca 5
reader’s digest
than it is in more suitable environ-
ments. And the herd is no doubt hav-
ing a significant impact on the island,
which I believe will be shown by the
experiment with the enclosures.
No matter how cute they are, the
horses need to go.
— GERALD L. ANDERSON, Lethbridge, Alta.
LIFELONG FANS
From the first time I picked up Reader’s
Digest, in my teens, your magazine
showed me that everything is possible,
that we can change, transform,
improve. Thanks for your beautiful
real-life stories and their positive mes-
sages about people who triumph.
— CLAUDINE JOUNIER, France
When I was growing up, my parents and
I read every new issue of Reader’s Digest.
Each of us could hardly wait until it was
our turn. They were never thrown away;
we had stacks of the issues so we could
always go back to a good story.
— CAROL PROFIT, Ajax, Ont.
When I was a 12-year-old growing up
in Cuba, I opened an old box that had
belonged to my grandparents and
found several copies of Reader’s Digest
magazine. My father proudly told me,
“These are precious treasures to me. It’s
a pity this country no longer allows it to
be published here. When you are a little
older, I’ll give these to you to read, and
you will see how interesting they are.”
When I did finally read them, I fell in
6 april 2023
love with those magazines. Their pages
are now yellowed with time, but for
years they have had immense literary
value for my father and for me. When
I emigrated to Tenerife, Spain, 25 years
ago, my father requested that I send to
him the Spanish edition of RD, and so
began a monthly ritual.
My father passed away last Septem-
ber, just a week after I’d sent him the
latest issue. When I hold the magazine
in my hands today, it makes me feel as
if I am sitting in the old armchair in our
house in Cuba, next to that person who
was so loyal to “his” magazine.
— MILAGROS RIVERA, Spain
As a long-time reader of Reader’s Digest,
I can tell you that you have contributed
to my love of books and literature.
— CORINNE DESCHAMPS, via Facebook
NOT-SO-GOOD NEWS
I enjoyed reading the cover story “Only
Good News” (November 2022) but took
exception to the inclusion of a rally
resulting in a John A. Macdonald statue
being pulled down. In a society, there’s
a right way and a wrong way to achieve
your goals. The toppling of this public
monument was an act of vandalism.
— BOB SCHOENHALS, St. Catharines, Ont.
MINDFUL HEADLINES
The headline on the cover of the Octo-
ber 2022 issue of Reader’s Digest was
“How to Beat Diabetes.” This may have
prompted more sales of the magazine at
 the checkout, but its message was some-
what misleading. Not until reading the Duke the
article does one learn that the subject schnoodle.
matter addresses only Type 2 diabetes.
Patients with Type 1 diabetes have
long gotten their hopes up when hear-
ing that a cure is near, only to be disap-
pointed once again when it does not
materialize. In the future, please be
more considerate and mindful when
writing your headlines.
— ERIK WARNERS, Nanaimo, B.C.
as much as I did not want to let him
TREASURING MEMORIES go, the veterinarian assured me the
“Letting Go” (December 2022), about time was right.
end-of-life care for your pet, brought — COLIN MACKENZIE, Peterborough, Ont.
back memories of our beloved 15-year-
old schnoodle, Duke, who passed away I read “Letting Go” and want to share
in my arms at a veterinary clinic a year something that helped me when it
ago. Duke was loved by everyone, came time to say goodbye to my cat.
including the kids at the local school After my 17-and-a-half-year-old tabby,
where I took him for visits as part of a Samantha, was euthanized, it meant a
pet therapy program. He chased squir- lot to be able to look at videos taken
rels and chipmunks and loved to swim over the years. Whenever I watch her
in our pool. drink from the tap, meow, purr when I
Up until the last day, he was eating pet her and even help me make the bed,
well but he could no longer stand. it brings a smile to my face.
His quality of life had diminished, and — LINDA WARD, Kelowna, B.C.

CONTRIBUTE
Send us your funny jokes and anecdotes, and if we publish one in a print FOR SERVICE TO SUBSCRIBERS Pay your bill, view your account
COURTESY OF COLIN MACKENZIE

edition of Reader’s Digest, we’ll send you $50. To submit, visit rd.ca/joke.
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Receipt of your submission cannot be acknowledged.
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rd.ca 7
 GOOD NEWS
from around the world
BY Tina Knezevic
ACCESSIBLE VISION CARE FOR ALL
health care In many parts of the world,
access to glasses, let alone an optom-
etrist, is severely limited. This is some-
thing that Kevin White, a now-retired
marine, noticed in 2005 while observ-
ing a humanitarian mission in Morocco.
The United States Air Force had set
up an optometry clinic, which included
giving away donated eyeglasses. White
watched as one woman was prescribed
a pair, only to decline to wear them
based on the style.
“I thought, there needs to be a bet-
ter way for us to get people wearing
glasses,” he says.
But at that time, there were no pro-
grams that embraced the idea that
8 april 2023
The low-cost vision
kit helps deliver
corrective glasses.
glasses were both a medical necessity
and a fashion accessory. A style that
the user likes makes it more probable
that they will wear them.
So White launched Global Vision
2020, collaborating with experts at
Johns Hopkins University and the New
England College of Optometry to cre-
ate the USee Vision Kit, an easy-to-use
COURTESY OF GLOBAL VISION 2020
diagnostic kit.
It works like this: using a simple eye
chart, aid workers help children and
adults determine whether they need
glasses. If they do, they then put on the
USee device—which looks like a pair
of glasses—and turn the dials until
they see clearly out of both eyes. The

numbers on the dials indicate their
prescription and corresponding lens.
All that’s left to do is pick a frame
colour and snap in the correct lenses.
White says that while they currently
offer Wayfarer-style frames that suit
the majority of faces, they’re hoping to
offer more frame styles in the future.
To date, more than 200,000 people
in 65 countries have benefited from
the program, and eventually White
wants to see that “everybody, regard-
less of geography, can get screened for
a pair of glasses.”
People With Disabilities Can
Use This Skate Park
inclusivity Alley-Oops indoor skate
park in Birtinya, north of Brisbane,
Australia, is helping people of all ages
and abilities experience the thrill of
skateboarding and scootering.
The park is open to everyone but
there’s also an accessible option. Skat-
STOCKBYTE/GETTY IMAGES
ers are strapped into a harness attached
to a custom-built frame on wheels.
With this, they get to try rails, jumps
and pipes with help from someone
who pushes the frame through the dif-
ferent elements in the park.
reader’s digest
Former owner David King says that
he often saw youths with physical lim-
itations sitting on the sidelines of other
skate parks. He wanted to create some-
thing more inclusive.
The park’s new owners, Lauren and
Chris Hignett, continue to find ways
to improve the frames. They also offer
“quiet sessions” for people with autism
spectrum disorder or sensory disor-
ders who might find the usual sounds
of a skate park too loud.
A Captive Dolphin Swims Free
wildlife After 17 years of living in an
aquarium on South Korea’s Jeju Island,
Bibong, an Indo-Pacific bottlenose
dolphin, was released into the wild in
October last year.
He had lived in captivity, where he
performed for visitors, since 2005.
Bibong was the last of eight dolphins
from different Korean aquariums to
be freed; the others were released
between 2013 and 2017. Dolphins
don’t thrive in captivity—the smart
and social animals can get anxious,
depressed and bored when they’re kept
in enclosures.
To make sure he would be prepared
for life in the wild, Bibong spent 70 days
learning to swim in the ocean, inter-
acting with other wild dolphins and
dealing with strong currents. Before
his release, Bibong was fitted with a
tracking device to allow government
staff to check on him.
rd.ca 9
reader’s digest
Underrepresented Scientists
Given More Recognition
equality There are more than 6.5 mil-
lion English entries in Wikipedia, and
up to 20 percent of them are about sci-
entific topics.
However, London-based British phys-
icist Jess Wade noticed something that
she found troubling: a lack of entries
about women scientists. In fact, fewer
than one in five biographies about
HEROES
Seniors’ Dogs Get a Helping Hand
Carie Broecker, a lifelong animal
lover, had already worked on the
board of an animal rescue organiza-
tion in Pacific Grove, California, for
12 years when she found herself
taking care of a dog for an elderly
woman who had emphysema.
The woman had been worried
about what would happen to her
dog, Savannah, and was comforted
whenever Broecker brought the
pup over to visit. After the wom-
an’s death, Broecker ended up
adopting Savannah.
This experience inspired
Broecker. She decided to
open a dog rescue non-
profit dedicated to tak-
ing care of dogs
belonging to people
who were dying or
going into assisted living
10 april 2023
scientists listed on English language
Wikipedia—one of the most visited
sites in the world—are about women.
So Wade decided to help reduce bias
on the platform.
Since 2017, she’s written more than
1,750 entries to highlight their contri-
butions, prioritizing non-white, trans
and non-binary people. Wade now
teaches others how to do the same by
holding “edit-a-thons” at conferences
and schools.
facilities. The organization would
offer both short-term foster
arrangements and full adoptions.
She asked a former colleague,
Monica Rua, to work with her. Rua
agreed to help and suggested they
also take in senior dogs from shel-
ters, who are often bypassed.
To date, Peace of Mind Dog Res-
cue has helped thousands of dogs
and seniors with everything
from temporary fostering
during medical procedures
to financial assistance for
pet care and rehoming dogs
COURTESY OF CARIE BROECKER
whose owners have died.
“Sometimes a person’s
only source of love is their
pet,” says Rua. “So any-
thing we can do to keep
an owner and their dog
together is meaningful.”
 pick this out.” So
LIFE’S LIKE THAT apparently my father-
in-law thinks I stink.
— @XPLODINGUNICORN

Last summer we went

to the Okanagan area
of B.C. for a holiday.
It’s a wonderful place
with vineyards and
orchards. We got back
home and started
unpacking the camper.
As I walked past one of
our bags, I heard a
hissing sound coming
from it.
We had heard stories
of snakes in the
orchards. Terrified, I
ran to find my husband.
He came and noticed
“I’m from the future. You left the toaster on.” the hissing was
steady—no snake could
Having forgotten my that.” Her friend hiss that long. He
costume, I led my explained, “That’s why started rummaging
CHRISTOPHER WEYANT/CARTOONSTOCK.COM

Grade 3 class on a it’s a good costume.” through the bag and

drizzly Halloween — LENA DESJARDINS, found a sandal pressed
parade around the Oakville, Ont. against an aerosol can.
schoolyard in my — DAWN FARBER, Prince
trench coat and black My in-laws gave me George, B.C.
rain boots. body wash for Christ-
“What are you?” mas. I wouldn’t have
Send us your funny
asked a student. thought anything of it, stories! You could earn
“A spy,” I joked. except my mother-in- $50 and be featured in the
Surprised, she said, law attached a note magazine. See page 7 or
“People won’t know that said, “I did NOT rd.ca/joke for details.

rd.ca 11
reader’s digest
BIRDS
Song of Spring
It’s not every day that
a yellow warbler visits
your backyard
BY Heidi Binns
O
NE OF MY favourite things about
spring is the arrival of different
species of birds. My grandfather
was a bird lover, and I picked up the
birdwatching hobby at a young age,
thanks to his influence. My husband,
John, and I find it a relaxing way to enjoy
nature; we like birdwatching when we
go camping or hiking. Plus, I have a
great love of nature photography, so
when we sit out in the backyard of our
home in Barrie, Ontario, I always have
my Canon digital camera with me.
John is an artist, and he often paints
the birds I photograph.
Usually when the yellow warblers
come back from the south in spring-
time, they pass us by; we don’t typically
see them hanging around our home.
But not on this particular sunny day in
spring. As soon as I finished my work-
day, I put on a light jacket and went
out to the backyard to unwind in my
12 april 2023
favourite way: by watching the birds.
While taking some pictures of cardi-
nals and chickadees at one of our feed-
ers, I looked up and noticed this yellow
warbler in our maple tree. The tree had
recently begun to bud, and the bird’s
yellow feathers looked striking against
the yellow blooms, so I took this photo.
Our backyard has a variety of trees,
and between my husband and me, we’ve
documented almost 40 different spe-
cies of birds. I’ve photographed most of
them, but some can be a bit camera shy,
so I also keep a written list of what we
see. Our more common visitors are car-
dinals, blue jays, chickadees, humming-
birds, various finches and sparrows.
I watched as the yellow warbler
hopped from branch to branch that day.
I could tell he was a male because of
the reddish-chestnut streaking on his
chest; females have more of a solid
yellow underpart. I like to say he was
doing the “warbler dance” because war-
blers don’t ever seem to sit still, which
makes them tricky to photograph.
As I watched, I listened closely. The
yellow warbler’s whistled song sounds
like it’s saying “Sweet, sweet, sweet, I’m
so sweet,” but this one was strangely
quiet; I’m guessing he was too busy
looking for caterpillars and other
COURTESY OF HEIDI BINNS
insects to eat. After a long migration
from Central or South America, he must
have been hungry.
Soon, I’m sure, he’ll continue his path
north to find a wet, wooded area where
his sweet whistle will attract a mate.
reader’s digest

He went
FINISH THIS SENTENCE higher than
his highest
mountain.
What I would like paul van wouw
Belgium
as my epitaph: I told you
I wasn’t
feeling well.
helen
United Kingdom

If you came
to see this,
you know Here lies
I loved you. Carlos Mota,
jeff against his
Canada will.
carlos mota
Portugal
I’m not
coming back,
and this time
I mean it! What a
montserrat tena great time
Mexico
we had!
I’d love rosa barrio
to come Spain
back.
ada chavez
Nicaragua
(MAP) SHUTTERSTOCK

I’m up I gave
there, not it all, and
down here! more.
lizelly muñante javier sauma
Peru
Bolivia
14 april 2023
 I did what
I could. Now
terttu sulanne I know!
Finland
ad goltstein
Netherlands

Life
is a long
This place song.
is empty. aidan quinzon
Philippines
karin
Germany Well,
that was
interesting.
“Death sangkara bin gana
Malaysia
may be big.
But Vienna
is also big.” I hope
(quote from the
writer Wolf Haas) there are
jürgen no taxes
Austria
up there.
hans jergen
New Zealand

Here she
Life is lies, finally
worth resting.
living. But if you listen closely
enough, she’s probably
sylvie conter still talking.
France sophie austin
Australia
rd.ca 15
reader’s digest

POINTS TO PONDER

PHOTOS: (FRASER) RICH GOLD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; (PALCY) ZUMA PRESS, INC./ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; (TURNER) CANADIAN PARALYMPIC COMMITTEE
My mother didn’t PASSION
REQUIRES
raise a hypocrite. You A DEEP
EXCAVATION TO
can call me a lot of FIND OUT WHAT
things, but not that. MOTIVATES YOU.
–Actor Brendan Fraser, ON BOYCOTTING –Media producer
THE GOLDEN GLOBES IN JANUARY Vanessa Ford

With my camera I don’t shoot, I heal.

–Euzhan Palcy, THE FIRST BLACK WOMAN TO DIRECT
A FILM FOR A MAJOR HOLLYWOOD STUDIO, WHO RECENTLY RECEIVED
AN HONOURARY OSCAR FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

To know that my being here is dependent on someone having made

a life out of an impossible situation makes me feel like I too can
survive the things that are thrown at me.
–Poet Franny Choi, ON DRAWING STRENGTH FROM HER ANCESTORS’ PERSEVERANCE

KIDS ARE REALLY Life is one hell of a ride, and

SMART. AND I
THINK THEY’RE despite the curveballs I’d pay
UNDERESTIMATED the price of admission again,
ALL THE TIME.
–R.L. Stine, NOVELIST just to continue to feel alive.
AND CREATOR OF THE –Canadian Paralympic snowboard
GOOSEBUMPS SERIES gold medallist Tyler Turner

16 april 2023
 When people ask whether I’d like to be called a
singer, songwriter, artist or poet, I say: if you call
me a worker, you’ll encompass everything I do.
–Patti Smith

WE NEED TO PEEL WHETHER IT’S

BACK THE PROFESSIONALLY OR
STEREOTYPES AND PERSONALLY, CONTINUOUSLY
PUTTING MYSELF AT THE
GENERALIZATIONS EDGE OF WHAT’S
TO GET TO THE UNCOMFORTABLE HAS
CORE OF WHO WE MADE MY CIRCLE OF
REALLY ARE. COMFORT EXPAND.
–Actor Simu Liu, ON ENCOURAGING –Endocrinologist and entrepreneur
ASIAN COMMUNITIES TO SHARE Dan Nayot
THEIR STORIES
PHOTOS: (SMITH) WENN RIGHTS LTD/ALAMY STOCK PHOTO; (LIU) COURTESY OF CBC

People can be like, “Oh, it makes me

feel small,” but I think for a lot of
people it actually makes you feel
unified, connected, part of something
that’s so grand and so beautiful.
–Joe DePasquale, a science visuals
developer, WHO CREATES IMAGES FROM NASA’S
JAMES WEBB SPACE TELESCOPE

There’s so much adrenaline, and

you enter into this fantastical world
of whatever ballet you’re
performing, whatever character
you’re portraying—and it’s like
you’re no longer human.
–Ballet dancer Misty Copeland

rd.ca 17
reader’s digest

S
UBMERGING YOUR BODY into icy
depths may not sound appeal-
ing, but for devotees of cold-
BODY & MIND water therapy, the benefits greatly
outweigh any short-term discomfort.
Participants claim the practice—which
involves plunging into or swimming
in water no warmer than 15 degrees
Celsius (roughly 10 degrees colder
than the average pool)—leaves them
invigorated, clear-headed and even
alleviates pain.
Cold-water therapy has become
more mainstream in recent years, in
part due to the influence of Wim Hof,
a Dutch extreme athlete who devel-
oped his own method of cold therapy
coupled with conscious-breathing
techniques, but it’s not a new trend. In
fact, cold water has been used to pro-
mote health for more than 2,000 years:
ancient Greeks used water therapy to
relieve fatigue and treat fever.
In Scandinavian countries, a tradi-
tional sauna session is sometimes fol-
lowed by a cold plunge. Alternating
between hot and cold temperatures

Cold-Water increases blood flow in the skin and

Cure
A chilly practice has some
promising health benefits
BY Melissa Greer
illustration by marley allen-ash
boosts circulation. High-performance
athletes also use ice baths or cold show-
ers to help mitigate the delayed-onset
muscle soreness that follows intense
exercise. And recent research suggests
impressive benefits for mental health
and stress management.
“Getting into cold water creates stress
on the body,” says Dr. Mark Harper, an
anesthesiologist based in the U.K. and

18 april 2023
Norway and the author of 2022’s Chill:
The Cold Water Swim Cure. “The body
reacts like it would to any stress: adren-
alin and noradrenalin are released,
your blood pressure and heart rate
increase and your breath quickens.”
Unlike the detrimental effects of
chronic stress, however, this type
of wilful and controlled stress can be
beneficial, according to a 2019 U.S.
study published in Neuroscience and
Biobehavioral Reviews.
Apparently, combining physiological
stressors, such as cold-water therapy,
with focused meditation can train the
brain to deal with the stress. Each time
a person conquers the cold and emerges
feeling invigorated, it reinforces the
expectation of a positive outcome. The
researchers believe that these brain
changes extend beyond cold tolerance
and could be applied in everyday life.
Positivity also played a part in
research conducted in the U.K. and
published in a 2020 issue of Lifestyle
Medicine. The small study followed
61 people as they took a weekly cold-
water swimming course over 10 weeks.
At the end of the study, participants
reported greater improvements in
mood and well-being than the control
group on shore.
Cold exposure increases “feel-good”
hormones, such as serotonin and
dopamine, says Harper, one of the
study’s authors. Swimming is also
good exercise and often a social activ-
ity, which helps to offset anxiety and
allows the body to feel both pleasure
and motivation.
Harper has been cold-water swim-
ming for nearly two decades and com-
pares the stress of cold-water therapy to
that of intense exercise. “Done safely,
it’s a pretty effective way to train the
body,” he says. “But if you’ve got a heart
condition, you’ve got to be careful.”
EASE INTO IT WITH
SHORT EXPOSURE
TIMES—JUST LONG
ENOUGH TO GET PAST
THE INITIAL SHOCK.
If open water isn’t your thing, you
could try cold showers. One 2016
Dutch study published in the journal
PLOS One found them to have a posi-
tive impact on immunity: subjects who
took a cold shower every day were 29
percent less likely to take time off work
for illness.
For those wanting to try cold-water
swimming in a lake or ocean, ease into
it with short exposure times—just long
enough for your body to get past the
initial shock. Never start by plunging
your entire body in at once, and always
swim with a friend. Gradually increase
the time you spend in cold water to
three or four minutes, at least once a
week. “That’s all you need to get the
benefits,” says Harper.
rd.ca 19
reader’s digest

A Potentially
Dangerous
BY Samantha Drug Combo
Rideout
Ibuprofen and codeine
are commonplace pain-
killers, so people might
assume there’s no harm
in taking both at the
same time. Even doc-
tors may recommend
that patients combine
them for chronic-pain
management or post-
surgical recovery.
However, the Euro-
pean Medicines Agency
now requires a warning
on any packages that
contain both of these
medicines: it turns out
that combining them at
FERMENTED FOODS high doses or for a pro-

PHOTOGRAPH BY ADAM VOORHES; PROP STYLIST: ROBIN FINLAY

longed period of time
MAY REDUCE STRESS could lead to kidney or
The trillions of bacteria that live in your gut influ- gastrointestinal damage.
ence how your digestive system communicates For example, there
with your brain—a fact that prompted Irish scien- have been several cases
tists to investigate whether our eating habits could of renal, gastrointestinal
influence our mental health. and metabolic toxicities
In their recent 45-person study, half the partici- across Europe, some of
pants received healthy-eating advice. The other half which were fatal. Most
adopted a diet high in fibre, grains and legumes, and were from countries in
featuring two to three daily servings of fermented which this combination
foods such as sauerkraut or kefir. After four weeks, is available without a
the latter group felt less stressed. They also showed prescription, suggesting
lower levels of chemicals that are produced by gut that medical supervi-
microbes and have been linked to mental health. sion can lower its risks.

20 april 2023
 Take Control of Preventing
Blood-Pressure Post-Surgery
Monitoring Delirium
Fit Friends
Make You Fitter Fewer than half of peo- Before you undergo
ple between ages 50 surgery, your medical
True fitness buffs— and 80 who have hyper- team will evaluate your
the marathon-runner tension (or other condi- risk of complications.
kind—spend their spare tions that require keep- Brain health isn’t often
time very differently ing blood pressure part of this assessment,
than sedentary people, under control) are but it should be if the
and these two groups monitoring it between patient is older than 65,
(SHOES) WATTANAPHOB KAPPAGO/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES; (WOMAN) PIOTR MARCINSKI/EYEEM/GETTY IMAGES

don’t tend to influence medical appointments. states an article pub-

each other. The same To be fair, only 62 per- lished in September
can’t be said about the cent have been asked 2022 in the Journal of
sedentary folks and to do so by their doctors, the American Geriat-
people who exercise reports the National rics Society.
moderately (150 to Poll on Healthy Aging Why? Because pre-
300 minutes a week). from the University existing cognitive issues
According to a mathe- of Michigan. greatly increase the like-
matical model incorpo- Past research shows lihood of post-operative
rating data from the U.S. that regularly monitor- delirium. This sudden
Military Academy, inter- ing blood pressure at state of confusion is
actions between those home makes it easier to brought on by factors
two friend groups could control, which, in turn, such as anesthesia, the
make the sedentary per- reduces the likelihood unfamiliar hospital envi-
son active—or turn the of a heart attack, a ronment, dehydration
moderate exerciser into stroke or dementia. and painkillers, and can
a couch potato. not only cause distress
To help make sure but also lead to lasting
your social interactions cognitive decline.
lead to health benefits, If you’re at high risk,
include moderate exer- your doctor could
cise in your shared advise that you opt out
activities, perhaps by of elective surgery or
enjoying a casual game avoid taking certain
of badminton or taking medications around the
a walk while you chat. time of the procedure.

rd.ca 21
reader’s digest

Kidney Dialysis Improves Quality of Life Air Pollution:

Let’s Go for Low
In Europe, close to 100 million people are living
with chronic kidney disease, many of them requir- Even when the air seems
ing dialysis. In North America alone, more than clean, there’s a good
half a million people are getting dialysis for kidney chance it contains some
failure. It’s a treatment that can add years to your fine particulate matter
life, but it’s not always easy. (PM2.5), a term that refers
For example, a patient may need to hook their arm to tiny particles from
up to a blood-filtering machine for four hours, three sources like car exhaust,
times a week. If they’ve opted for the other common forest fires, fuel burning
kind of dialysis, they may have to attach a bag of fluid and power plants.
to a catheter in their stomach four times a day. PM2.5 is a health haz-
Given the challenges associated with the treat- ard because it’s micro-
ment, some people may simply opt out. That’s why scopic enough to travel
researchers from Leiden Uni- deep into the respiratory
versity Medical Center in the tract, contributing to
Netherlands decided to respiratory and cardio-
examine the quality of life—in vascular problems. In
terms of mental and physical 2021, the WHO halved
health—of older adults pre- its recommended level
and post-dialysis. of annual PM2.5 emis-
They asked 457 seniors from sions in outdoor air that
six European countries to rate had been set in 2005.
how they felt during the year Now, scientists from
before starting dialysis and for Montreal’s McGill Uni-
another year afterward. On versity have concluded
average, the subjects reported that concentrations of
that their well-being stabi- PM2.5 even lower than
lized or improved, despite the WHO recommen-
the downsides of dialysis. dations are responsible
The explanation: kidney for more than a million
COURTESY OF FRESENIUS

failure itself can cause ail- deaths each year. The

ments ranging from pain to finding means that
low vitality to physical dis- meeting the WHO’s
ability. Starting dialysis often new guideline is even
stopped the participants’ more critical than pre-
rapid decline in these areas. viously realized.

22 april 2023


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reader’s digest
 HEALTH

ROAM IF YOU
WANT TO—BUT
DON’T FORGET
THESE ITEMS
IF YOU’RE OVER
60 OR HAVE
MEDICAL ISSUES

PREPARING
FOR

T A K E O FF
BY Dr. Jean Marmoreo
FROM C ANADIAN GEO GRAPHIC
illustrations by hayden maynard

rd.ca 25
reader’s digest
“Is there a doctor aboard?”
No physician wants to hear these
words while flying, but this time I was
already primed by the frantic sounds of
a female passenger in distress. We were
over the North Atlantic, and my hus-
band and I were on our way home from
a European holiday. The cabin was
darkened for the inflight movies when
pleas of “Wake up! Oh, help!” rang out.
I was out of my seat, fast. The flight
attendant and I arrived together to
see a frightened elderly woman clutch-
ing the hand of her husband, who
wasn’t responding to her pleas. His
head was back, his mouth open. He
could have been asleep, except that
he couldn’t be roused.
I did a quick examination: irregular
but steady pulse, colour good, no evi-
dent pain, breathing regularly without
effort. I sat on the arm of the seat across
the aisle, still monitoring his pulse, and
asked the woman about her husband. At
80 years old, he had a clean medical his-
tory and took no medications. The cou-
ple had travelled to Scotland to celebrate
26 april 2023
their 60th wedding anniversary, and
they were on their way home. It had
been a good holiday, she said, but tiring.
Suddenly her husband opened his
eyes, looked at me, smiled and said,
“Hello. What’s happened?”
“Well, you lost consciousness for a
few minutes,” I said. “Your heartbeat
isn’t quite right, and that may have
caused this.”
Soon after, looking down on the
expanse of snow over Greenland from
the cockpit, I reported to the pilot that
there was no other plausible explana-
tion for the man’s episode.
“We can put the plane down in 20
minutes in Gander,” he told me, “or carry
on for two hours and land in Toronto.
What do you want me to do, doc?”
“Put it down,” I said. It wasn’t worth
taking any chances, and the safest thing
was to get him hospital care quickly.
Three weeks later, I received a lovely
thank you note from this kind gentle-
man, who will hopefully remain in good
health for years to come.
i don’t know for certain what caused
the man’s troubles that day on the plane.
Maybe he overexerted himself in Scot-
land; maybe he didn’t rest enough;
maybe he was dehydrated. The truth
is, travel for seniors can be daunting
and stressful, and there’s enormous
potential for medical complications,
especially for people with pre-existing
health issues. But it can also be very
exciting and fulfilling.
At 80 years old myself, I love to
travel and want to continue for as long
as I can. My husband and I recently
took walking trips in the Shetland and
Orkney islands in northern Scotland
and finished in the wind-blown Faroes,
east of Iceland. We loved the ancient
history and the warm and lively local
hosts. Spending time in other parts of
the world with people from other cul-
tures adds interest and value to my life.
Though Covid-19 is likely to be part of
our lives for the foreseeable future, peo-
ple are travelling again, and the key to
things going smoothly—beyond get-
ting travel insurance—is preparation.
Here are steps you can take to enjoy
your vacation with minimal stress.
CREATE A PORTABLE
MEDICAL HISTORY
Thanks to mobile phones and tablets,
it’s easy to bring your medical his-
tory—consultations, test results, imag-
ing reports—with you on your travels.
You can take advantage of the available
phone apps and digital tools, which
vary according to your jurisdiction,
that allow you to access your health
records. That means you will have this
vital information with you no matter
where you are.
Even with these details on your
mobile device, you should still create
a written record of your medical his-
tory. Include any surgeries you’ve
had and the medications you take (by
name, dosage and the time of day
you take them).
Put it in your wallet along with your
boarding pass, vaccination record and
credit cards. Knowing it’s all there is very
reassuring. Why? Phones can fail or run
out of power. If something goes wrong
during your travels and you can’t speak
for yourself, your medical summary
will provide caregivers with the infor-
mation they need.
rd.ca 27
reader’s digest
And if you end up receiving medical
care while travelling, make sure you get
printouts of all the tests you were given
so you can show them to your doctors
back home. They will be a key compo-
nent of your follow-up care and will
help you avoid retaking tests.
SHARE YOUR
TRAVEL ITINERARY
Send your itinerary to close family or
friends, and be sure to include addresses
and phone numbers for each destina-
tion. This allows your loved ones to
keep in touch if you do experience med-
ical problems while you’re away.
And if you, the traveller, are leaving
elderly parents at home, make sure
whoever is caring for them can reach
28 april 2023
you if there is a health crisis. Many of
my patients in their 60s are raring to go
on a trip but worry about leaving a par-
ent for whom they are a caregiver. I
never discourage someone from trav-
elling unless the elderly parent has a
sudden critical illness.
What if a loved one passes away at
home while you’re travelling? Frankly,
unless you belong to a religion that
requires a quick burial, I believe there
is no need for you to race home. This
advice assumes that funeral arrange-
ments have already been made for
your loved ones, which is simply smart
planning. The pandemic has taught us
that in the absence of a bedside vigil,
it’s the celebration of life that matters.
STAY COMFORTABLE
ON THE FLIGHT
Flights are physically demanding. The
combination of being sedentary and
enduring high cabin pressure at alti-
tude can take a toll on our bodies.
So, in addition to donning masks
as a precaution against airborne ill-
nesses like Covid-19, my husband and
I wear knee-high compression socks
on lengthy flights. They reduce or even
prevent uncomfortable foot swelling
caused by sitting for hours crammed
into a small seat. As well, we never take
off our footwear while flying. We know
that if we do, we’ll be struggling to stuff
our swollen feet back into our shoes or
boots at the end of the flight.
 Compression socks support your
legs’ veins and allow better blood flow.
This helps prevent swelling and the
pooling of blood in the veins, reducing
your risk of deep-vein thrombosis,
when clots form that can cause a pul-
monary embolism.
It’s also very important to get up and
walk the aisle during the flight. I rec-
ommend taking a stroll every two to
three hours. Even if you have to crawl
over fellow passengers and risk block-
ing the food cart in the aisle, it’s worth
it for your health’s sake.

BRING ALONG around two litres per day in total.

THE BASICS
Pack a reusable water bottle. Parents
today send their kids off to school with
water bottles, but rarely do we see elders
carrying them—and they should.
If you’re part of a tour group, some
excursions at your destination may
offer fixed lunch times and rest peri-
ods, but many travellers find them-
selves out all day, often inadequately
fuelled and watered.
Be sure to drink regularly throughout
the day—staying hydrated can reduce
headaches and body aches, which helps
you stay focused and, crucially, reduces
your chances of falling. I like collaps-
ible lightweight bottles because they’re
easy to tuck into small bags; one that
holds 750 millilitres of water is enough
for a day’s outing but won’t make you
desperate for the toilet. Aim to drink
When you do head out for the day,
don’t carry too much. It’s well known
that the “asymmetrical loading” of
shoulder bags stresses the neck and
upper body. A small backpack, squarely
set on both shoulders, will make all
your outings more comfortable.
Put only the necessities into your
daypack: water, medications, your med-
ical-history document, sunscreen, hat,
credit card and cash. Depending on
the weather, you may want to add a
sweater, raincoat or compact umbrella.
And wearing a mask, especially in
crowded places, just makes sense.
DON’T BE SHY
ABOUT BRINGING
A CANE OR WALKER
My patients who travel tell me that
they struggle navigating the cobble-

rd.ca 29
reader’s digest
stone paths, steep roads and narrow
stairs they encounter at some destina-
tions. Overseas vacations often include
visits to museums, gardens and ancient
sites, and that can add up to a lot of
walking—often more than 10 kilome-
tres, or about 12,000 steps, a day. It can
take a toll on tricky knees, stiff hips or
a cranky back.
Many tourist attractions that cater to
older travellers offer canes for walking
tours and poles for hikes. Some may
even provide straps for your ankles
and braces for your knees, but it’s bet-
ter to have your own equipment that
you’ve already tried. Consider packing
a knee guard (a neoprene sleeve with
the kneecap area exposed) or a soft
ankle brace. Either could be invaluable,
as mild pressure on a tender joint can
reduce swelling.
Recently, some friends of mine took
their 90-year-old parents on a trip to
France. They had to bring along two
walkers and a folding wheelchair, all
packed in the airplane’s cabin, along
with other passengers’ baby strollers.
These items allow trips with elderly
travellers to be enjoyed, or even to hap-
pen in the first place.
Consider borrowing a wheelchair
from the airline for use when in transit.
They’re not only for the oldest, frailest
people—anyone who might have diffi-
culty carrying bags through the airport
and standing in lengthy customs and
immigration lines will appreciate them.
To avoid over-exerting your body
before you even reach your destination,
it’s perfectly okay to ask your doctor for
a letter requesting the use of a wheel-
chair for transiting through airports
(though airlines wouldn’t typically
require a doctor’s note). Some airports
even provide large golf carts in lieu of
wheelchairs. Ask your airline in advance
about the options for your journey.
DON’T FORGET
OTHER ESSENTIALS
You’ve got your passport, reading
glasses, sunglasses, money, contact
details, medical information, itinerary,
phone, power adapters and small bot-
tles of your preferred toiletries. Other
all-important basics are sunscreen
with an SPF of 50 or higher and a hat
to protect your scalp, ears and the back
of your neck (areas that never seem to
get enough sunscreen).
Don’t forget antibacterial wipes;
we’re all now accustomed to hand
sanitizer, and the wipes are handy for
cleaning surfaces around you, in planes
and on buses, for example. And if you
want to be super prepared, add an anti-
histamine to your luggage.
Always pack prescription meds in
your carry-on bag, not your checked
luggage; replacing them could be dif-
ficult if your bags are lost or delayed.
And if you are travelling with prescrip-
tion opiates for chronic pain, bring a
letter from your doctor that declares
exactly what you’re carrying.
Likewise, if you have diabetes, put
your glucometer (to measure your
blood sugar) in your carry-on bag. If
you are on blood thinners, don’t forget
to bring your INR testing kit (which
monitors the risk of blood clotting).
Anyone planning to hike in North
America or Europe should pack twee-
zers for removing ticks; you don’t want
to get Lyme disease. It’s a serious ill-
ness that can dramatically affect the
quality of your life. If you’re going to be
in the woods or in tall grass, wear a
long-sleeved shirt and trousers tucked
into your socks. Later, as you get ready
for bed, check your entire body for ticks.
THE WORLD IS WAITING
Don’t forget that no matter where you
go, you can often rely on the kindness
of strangers. I am forever impressed at
the trips my elderly patients under-
take, and they tell me that part of their
confidence comes from knowing that
if they need help they can ask for it
from the people who live there. People
are generally good.
I’ve just returned from an extended
stay in Yellowknife, in Canada’s north.
When it started snowing heavily, I
reached out to locals for advice on how
to navigate the sidewalks and roads in
the darkness. I was rewarded with assis-
tance, stories and the kind of essential
homegrown savvy you would never
find in guidebooks.
I find that travel is good medicine for
my soul, and it may be good for yours,
too. With the world opening up again,
don’t shy away from seeing the world.
Embrace it.
© 2022, DR. JEAN MARMOREO. FROM “TRAVEL WITH DR.
JEAN: PREPARING FOR TAKEOFF,” CANADIAN GEOGRAPHIC
(AUGUST 16, 2022), WITH ADDITIONS FROM THE
AUTHOR. CANADIANGEOGRAPHIC.CA

The Fountain of Youth

The secret to staying young is to live honestly,
eat slowly and lie about your age.
LUCILLE BALL

rd.ca 31
 ENVIRONMENT

A company in rural Canada is

taking waste from fishing,
farming and forestry
and transforming it into
everyday products

THE LANDFILL
OF THE FUTURE?

BY Andrea McGuire
FROM HAKAI MAGAZINE

32 april 2023
reader’s digest

3F’s production
space in Bay Roberts,
on the island of
Newfoundland.
reader’s digest
W
aste management as
imagined by Neal Ste-
phenson, an American
science-fiction author,
in his 1995 novel The Diamond Age: Or,
A Young Lady’s Illustrated Primer, works
like this: polluted air and water move
through a series of tanks, slowly being
purified along the way.
Between the tanks, hidden from
view, grids of submicroscopic, burr-
like wheels snag molecules of nitro-
gen, water, carbon, phosphorus and
other useful elements. Once caught,
these elements are sent into the next
reservoir, and pollutants stay behind
as residue. Finally, once all the grit and
grime have been stripped away, the
perfectly clean water, nitrogen gas and
other valuable molecules are ready to
be reconstituted using matter compil-
ers—essentially 3-D printers.
In this way, the waste of the world,
transformed molecule by molecule,
can provide a boundless supply of food,
clothing and practical goods.
While real-world initiatives exist to
extract nutrients from wastewater, Ste-
phenson’s vision is largely fictional. But
science fiction does have a history of
predicting actual inventions. Stephen-
son himself coined the concept of the
metaverse, a virtual-reality iteration of
the internet that is now being pursued
by the likes of Mark Zuckerberg.
Feminist Mary E. Bradley Lane wrote
about lab-grown meat in 1880, and
author H.G. Wells foresaw the atomic
34 april 2023
bomb. Time and time again, inventors
have looked to science fiction as a
source of inspiration. And on the island
of Newfoundland’s Northern Penin-
sula, a man named Ben Wiper is eyeing
Stephenson’s molecular-disassembly
line as a kind of blueprint—at least
philosophically speaking—for his own
waste-management company.
To be clear, Wiper isn’t exactly an
inventor. Originally from Ontario, the
self-described “finance man” arrived
in Main Brook, a coastal community of
about 240 people on the Northern Pen-
insula, to co-manage a fish plant in
2017. Ultimately, that partnership didn’t
last, but Wiper liked the sweeping iso-
lation of his new home, which felt rem-
iniscent of the Wild West to him.
And so he thought back to Stephen-
son’s novel as he plotted his next move,
while drawing on all he’d learned about
the waste he’d witnessed on the fish-
processing line. He reflected on what
this abundance of waste could mean in
a region with limited economic activ-
ity. The result? An ambitious, wide-
ranging waste-management company
PHOTOS COURTESY OF 3F WASTE RECOVERY
Wiper dubbed 3F Waste Recovery.
the scope of wiper’s operation folds
neatly inside its name: 3F Waste Recov-
ery repurposes waste from the fishing,
farming and forestry sectors to create
consumer products. “3F is founded on
the principle that we want to have an
application for every molecule that
comes through our door,” explains
Wiper, the company’s COO. “My vision
is the landfill of the future—where pro-
ducers can take anything they haven’t
processed and break it down into a
form that has a function.”
For the most part, 3F is at the grant-
funded stage, focusing mainly on
research, development and expanding
its existing operations. Wiper’s team of
scientists, fish-plant processors and
farm and forestry labourers is primar-
ily scattered across the Northern Pen-
insula and elsewhere on the island.
Wiper has production facilities in
Main Brook and Bay Roberts (about an
hour’s drive from St. John’s) and may
even establish one in Iceland if a deal
he’s working on goes through—but he
says that none of his 14 full-time staff
members will need to permanently
relocate if it does.
While only a few of the company’s
wares have hit stores so far, 3F has been
diligently planning, researching and
building momentum for a wide array of
products. Cod waste, the company’s
main focus, is being repurposed as cod-
skin pet treats. There are plans down
the line for marine-collagen health sup-
plements, protein powder and even
cosmetics; the bones of farmed sheep
(and, if legislation allows it, of hunted
moose) will either become pet treats
or be boiled for their tallow, which can
then be used to make candles and soap.
On the forestry side, 3F is already
sourcing sawdust from local sawmills
and cardboard from businesses in the
region to form pellets for pet-bed fill-
ing and kitty litter. Any remaining res-
idue, from any of these processes, winds
up in the company’s compost.
Ben Wiper handling a
recently caught cod.
rd.ca 35
reader’s digest
It might seem like a lot to take on. In
the company’s early days, Wiper says,
investors told him to focus—on pet
treats, perhaps. But to Wiper, special-
izing would undermine the operation.
At the end of the day, his suppliers don’t
want to be sorting through waste.
“They want to put it in a truck and
have it disappear,” he says. “If they’re a
fish supplier and they do cod, I have to
take the heads. I have to take the back-
bone. I have to take the skins. If they
have the viscera, I’ve got to take that.
Otherwise I’m not as convenient as a
landfill.” And because he doesn’t want
any waste leaving 3F, every scrap of
by-product must have a purpose.
THE OFFICE STAFF AT
3F DON’T HESITATE TO
RUN LUMPFISH AND
COD BITS THROUGH
THE WOOD CHIPPER.
Wiper has honed his message for
investors, inviting them to buy into spe-
cialized facets of the operation—gar-
dening products, pharmaceuticals or
pet treats, for example—though his big
vision remains a total paradigm shift
in waste management.
Beyond the practicalities of waste
diversion, Wiper believes his holistic
approach shows leadership in the cir-
cular economy. A global framework
36 april 2023
that’s gaining traction, the circular-
economy model is aimed at keeping
materials in circulation, improving the
health of ecosystems and reimagining
waste as a resource rather than an
unwanted endpoint.
Wiper says 3F had been in motion
for two years before he first heard the
term “circular economy” used at a con-
ference. He thinks the framework fits
3F perfectly.
janice saunders, 3F’s national sales
manager and interim CEO, is shuffling
through air fresheners at the Main
Brook gas station when we meet in May
2021. She settles on as many berry-
flavoured scents as she can carry. “I
have 27 kilograms of cod skins in my
basement,” Saunders explains. Part of
her job involves distributing orders of
3F’s cod-skin pet treats to more than
70 stores across Canada, and at that
scale, the products can be stinky.
Saunders has worked with 3F for
nearly three years. Originally from a
small community at the northeastern
tip of the island, she left the province
after graduating from high school.
Saunders spent 18 years in Ontario
and Alberta before coming home with
her kids about seven years ago. Before
joining 3F, she was working for mini-
mum wage at a restaurant. Now she
and everyone else at the company earn
at least $20 an hour.
Saunders and I meet up with Hailee
Keats, 3F’s office administrator, and
Wiper and drive a couple of hours to
Zero Waste Farms in Hawke’s Bay,
halfway down the peninsula. 3F rents
the site from farmer Mike Offrey, who
co-manages the waste farm with
Wiper. Though Offrey grows vegeta-
bles here on his own, 3F’s purpose at
this site is mainly gathering and reus-
ing by-products.
Today’s mission is packaging 3F’s
new seafood compost, which lies before
us in tall, heaping mounds. Together,
Wiper, Saunders and Keats brainstorm
ideas for how to do this efficiently. They
need to get the compost into plastic
bags and then weigh it. “I’ve never done
this before,” Wiper explains. Should
they hang up a hollowed-out bucket as
a hopper (a kind of funnel), in hopes
of streamlining the flow of the com-
post? Or should they just scoop it directly
into the bags?
Wiper is curiously nervous about this
process, which will be livestreamed on
3F’s Facebook page. “I’m a perfection-
ist. And when I’ve never done some-
thing before, the odds of failure are
extremely high.”
The team opts to try out the hopper
setup. In the meantime, some of us
start digging at the compost, which has
been maturing for a few months, with
trowels and shovels. Saunders and Keats
may be office staff at 3F, but they have
zero hesitation when it comes to han-
dling compost or, say, running lump-
fish and cod bits through the compa-
ny’s wood chipper.
CIRCLE GAINS
SUSTAINABLE BUSINESSES
AROUND THE WORLD
The Plastic Flamingo, Philippines
To address plastic waste in water-
ways in the Philippines, François
and Charlotte Lesage of France are
giving discarded bottles and pack-
aging a new purpose. The Plastic
Flamingo social enterprise trans-
forms the waste into a kind of
eco-lumber that can be used to
build furniture and shelter.
Infinited Fiber, Finland
This Finnish solution to the global
scourge of fast fashion takes cellu-
lose-rich waste—including old
jeans, T-shirts, cardboard and farm-
ing by-products like wheat straw—
and turns it into a soft, cotton-like
fibre that’s biodegradable. Brands
like H&M and Patagonia have already
made multi-year sales deals with
the company.
InsectiPro, Kenya
With the help of the hungry larvae of
black soldier flies, InsectiPro is cut-
ting down on organic waste in Nai-
robi. The company’s larvae feast on
scraps from market stalls and facto-
ries, and are then dried and sold to
feed livestock. For the human mar-
ket, InsectiPro also transforms
crickets into snacks.
–Andrea McGuire
rd.ca 37
reader’s digest
Every so often, someone comes
across a fish that hasn’t yet decom-
posed, filling the air with a terrible
scent. Saunders says it’s nothing com-
pared to the face of steam she once got
from a batch of boiling sheep’s wool.
That smelled like “a thousand million
barns, all put into one little pot.”
It soon becomes clear that the
hollowed-out bucket isn’t working well.
Still, Wiper powers through and records
the result for the company’s social
media feeds. He’d rather be transpar-
ent when plans go awry; he explains
that while perfectionism used to inhibit
him, he now accepts failure as a neces-
sity on the path to success.
nicholas lynch, a geography professor
at Memorial University in St. John’s,
says circular-economy ideology is gain-
ing traction around the world. And while
his own research champions many of
the possibilities of the circular econ-
omy, Lynch bristles at the notion that
this model is anything new. “It’s talked
about as this brand-new idea, and it’s
not,” Lynch says.
He adds: “Like with any coastal peo-
ple, salvaging and reusing is, and was,
just part of life, done out of necessity.
So the circular economy, if you call it
that, has been going on forever.”
Rebecca LeDrew, a former graduate
student of Lynch’s, has researched cir-
cular economies in the Netherlands
and Scotland. When it comes to waste
recovery, LeDrew says, there’s a recent
38 april 2023
tendency to focus on new technolo-
gies, but much can be gleaned from
older traditions of reuse, such as com-
posting and repurposing building mate-
rials. “Everything doesn’t have to be
new and shiny and highly innovative,”
she says. “You can find solutions in
older practices.”
LeDrew commends 3F for connect-
ing with fishers, foresters and farmers
in the area. “They’re not trying to recy-
cle electronics or something like that
out in the middle of rural Newfound-
land. They’re looking at what’s there
and what can be done with it. That’s a
really intelligent and feasible approach
to circularity,” she says.
THEIR REMOTENESS
FORCES THE 3F
TEAM TO FIGURE OUT
INNOVATIVE WAYS TO
USE EVERYTHING.
According to Lynch, this potential
for building relationships with primary
industries along the coast could prove
key for other coastal waste-recovery
initiatives, too—especially as pressure
mounts for various industries to
become better environmental stew-
ards. The oil and gas industry, for exam-
ple, is looking to recover useful miner-
als like lithium and magnesium from
its wastewater. Really, the sci-fi catalyst
for 3F could become less and less fic-
tional with every passing day.
for wiper, the sparsely populated
Northern Peninsula is the best place to
nurture his utopic ideals. Here, he and
his team are less constrained than they
would be in a denser, more centralized
region, and they have a lot more space
to experiment, he says. In addition, the
location of their operation helps ful-
fill the ideals of circularity because its
remoteness and the subsequent lack
of services forces the 3F team to fig-
ure out innovative ways to try and use
absolutely everything.
3F’s experimental vision is, increas-
ingly, gaining the attention of movers
and shakers in the circular-economy
sphere. A collaborative report led by the
Smart Prosperity Institute—a research
network and policy think tank at the
University of Ottawa—included 3F in
its scan of almost 200 notable circular-
economy agri-food solutions across
the country. Of those operations,
research associate Sonia Patel says 3F
was identified as one of the more
innovative ones.
3F’s commercial prospects seem
promising, too. Several international,
multimillion-dollar deals for pet treats
are looming and could add 60 more
rural, full-time jobs per new facility to
3F’s ranks. As we drove along the high-
way together, Wiper, Keats and Saun-
ders fielded a flurry of calls and emails
from potential buyers.
Still, Wiper says 3F will soon have to
start turning more of a profit. While
grants and a Covid-19 emergency-wage
subsidy have fuelled the company’s
research over the past couple of years,
Wiper says they’ll need to start gener-
ating more revenue through sales or
investments. But he remains “very opti-
mistic” about 3F’s future.
And like the novelist who first
inspired him, Wiper brings a sense of
creativity and inventive problem solv-
ing to his daily work. His latest endeav-
our is creating a new fish-processing
model. Under this system, a single
plant devoted to cod, for example,
would fulfill each possible aspect of
processing—including everything from
packaging fillets, tongues, cheeks and
fish sticks to producing cod collagen,
protein powder and pet treats.
To enhance the freshness of all these
products, he’d like to use helicopters
to pop portable processing plants
directly onto fishing vessels.
If Wiper succeeds in bringing this big
idea to life with cod, he says it could
serve as a model for other community-
based fisheries. He welcomes compe-
tition and actively hopes others will
replicate his work. The more momen-
tum there is to recognize the value of
waste, the better it will be for everyone.
Because 3F can’t do it all, he says, and
for now, the world has far more than
enough waste to go around.
© 2022, ANDREA MCGUIRE. FROM “THE LANDFILL OF
THE FUTURE,” HAKAI MAGAZINE (MARCH 29, 2022),
HAKAIMAGAZINE.COM
rd.ca 39
reader’s digest

AS KIDS SEE IT

“C’mon, you must know—where did the Easter Bunny hide all the best eggs?”

My six-year-old said that When my four-year-old uncharged today. I used

when she grows up she came out of school all my energy playing.
SUSAN CAMILLERI KONAR

wants to be a “chainsaw today his teacher said Can I charge some

guy.” Not sure if she he’d been a bit quiet more tonight?”
means a professional and not like his usual — REDDIT.COM
tree trimmer or a serial self. I asked my son
killer in a hockey mask. what was the matter. On my 12-year-old’s list
— @XPLODINGUNICORN He said, “I’m just of things to be thankful

40 april 2023
for, she wrote, “People My toddler is pretending to cook a meal and
who like me, not just it involves a lot of screaming and throwing
the idea of me.” I’m
sorry, but that’s genius. food in a pot. Which means she gets it.
— BUSY PHILIPPS, actor — @MOMMAJESSIEC

My daughter told me a through massive sobs, My twins learned some

boy in school asked said, “No, I can’t right new adjectives at
her out. now, dinosaur,” and school today and are
Me: What did you say? continued screaming. currently arguing about
My eight-year-old: I — LUCY HUBER, writer whether the dinner I
said I can speak three cooked is abominable
languages and was the My seven-year-old, or diabolical.
lead in my camp’s play, sweetly: Can we have — @MUMINBITS
and what could he offer? peace and quiet?
— @PANAGIS21 My five-year-old, One of my students
furiously: No! I want asked me, “Why do you
My seven-year-old: peace and loud! have a bald spot that
Dad, why don’t you — @LIZERREAL goes right down the
grow a beard? middle of your head?” I
My husband: Your I tripped over my kid’s have no baldness. It was
mom wouldn’t like it if shoes in the middle of my hair part.
I did. the floor, and she said — REDDIT.COM
My seven-year-old: it was my fault because
Oh, would she be jeal- I should have known While at the aquarium,
ous because she can’t they are always there. my kid asked me, “The
grow one? — @MCDADSTUFF sharks aren’t allowed to
— @WORDESSE eat the other fish,
After I tucked my three- right?” So if anyone
The funniest thing that year-old into bed, he asks, aquarium sharks
ever happened to me handed me his water are vegetarian.
as a parent was when cup and said, “You can — @NOTMYTHIRDRODEO
my two-year-old had a freshen this on your
meltdown and acciden- way out.” I’ve since
Send us your funny
tally kicked an elec- updated my résumé to stories! You could earn
tronic toy dinosaur. reflect my experience $50 and be featured in the
It said, “Can you feed running a hotel. magazine. See page 7 or
me?” and my son, — @FULLOFMOMSENSE rd.ca/joke for details.

rd.ca 41
 KNOWLEDGE

Birthday
Trad itions
Around the world, it’s not always
about cakes and candles
a rousing rendition of the “Happy Birthday”
BY Stéphanie Verge song, the blowing out of candles on a cake and
illustrations by graham roumieu the giving of gifts are common in many places
across the globe—from the United States to Spain
and from France to Australia. But some countries
go above and beyond to celebrate their loved ones
in unique ways. Here, the editors of our interna-
tional editions share some unique traditions
reserved for counting yourself one year older.

42 april 2023
reader’s digest
reader’s digest
MEXICO
An emblematic Mexican birthday-party
tradition—one that has spread across
the globe—is the smashing of a piñata.
Blindfolded, stick-wielding celebrants
whack a brightly coloured container
hanging from a string until it bursts
open, raining down candy. Though now
often made from papier mâché and in
a range of forms that includes animals
and celebrities, piñatas are traditionally
composed of clay and spherical in
shape (with protruding spikes).
In lieu of “Happy Birthday,” Mexi-
cans belt out “Las Mañanitas” (“Little
Mornings”), a song believed to have
originated in Spain in the 16th or 17th
century. “It is sometimes sung in the
morning to wake up the person whose
birthday it is,” says Carlos Díaz, who is
44 april 2023
the editor of the Mexican edition of
Reader’s Digest, “but mostly we sing it
around the cake before the candles are
blown out.”
AUSTRALIA AND
NEW ZEALAND
Down Under, birthdays usually involve
firing up your barbecue and having
family and friends over for celebratory
food and drink.
“A child’s first birthday is often cele-
brated with what we call ‘fairy bread’—
slices of white bread spread with but-
ter and adorned with coloured candy
sprinkles—and balloons,” says editor
Diane Godley.
That fairy bread is replaced with
beer and bubbly on a person’s 18th
birthday, when they are allowed to
drink legally for the first time. Because
people used to officially become adults
at the age of 21, some families in New
Zealand and Australia mark that birth-
day with a keepsake “key to the door,”
representing the child’s privilege to
come and go from the family home as
they please.
THE CHINESE
DIASPORA
Birthday traditions vary quite a bit
across the regions and countries with
significant Chinese populations. In
China’s southern Fujian province and
in parts of Taiwan, for example, a
person’s 16th birthday marks their
passage into adulthood. This belief
hearkens back to the Qing Dynasty and
the age at which a labourer went from
having a half-wage to a full one.
In Singapore, younger people in the
Chinese community celebrate their big
day according to the Western calendar,
and the older generation opts to mark
it according to the lunar calendar.
There is one thing everyone can agree
on, however: a bowl of “longevity noo-
dles.” Sometimes made as a single
strand, this is a common birthday food
in Chinese communities, says editor
Simon Li.
“Noodles are supposed to bring
health and a long life, which is why it’s
wise to keep them as intact as possible
on your birthday,” Li explains. “Care
should be taken not to break them
while eating with chopsticks.”
There are other taboos to keep in
mind. For example, don’t even think
about splitting the cake in half. Chi-
nese culture values connection and
harmony, says Li, so it’s best to avoid
slicing all the way through to the oppo-
site side of the cake when dividing it
into pieces for guests. Instead, the des-
sert is cut one piece at a time.
NETHERLANDS
The “circle party” is a typical birthday
gathering in the Netherlands. The
extended family gets together and sits
in a circle to talk and eat cake, followed
by drinks and a buffet-style dinner. It
can be a lengthy process for anyone
entering the room at these gatherings,
says editor Paul Robert.
“People congratulate not only the
person whose birthday it is but also
everyone else in attendance by going
around the circle and shaking each
person’s hand,” he says. “The fastest
method is to walk in, wave at the whole
circle and shout, ‘Congratulations, all!’
But that’s not considered very polite.”
When someone turns 50, friends or
relatives will place a large doll in the
birthday person’s garden or by their
front door; men have an “Abraham”
doll, women a “Sarah.” The dolls refer
to a Bible passage from the Book of
John in which Jesus is asked how he
could have seen Abraham when he’s
not yet 50 years old; it also refers to the
advanced age at which Sarah, Abra-
ham’s wife, had their child Isaac.
rd.ca 45
reader’s digest
JAPAN
Celebrating a person’s birthday on the
anniversary of the day they were actu-
ally born became a tradition only in
the last century; in the past, everyone
celebrated on the new year. In Japan,
regardless of when birthdays took
place, there have long been milestone
celebrations, ranging from a first birth-
day to a 60th.
When a child turns one in Japan,
they take part in a ritual called erabi-
tori, where the birthday child chooses
from a selection of items spread out
around them that represent their
potential future. If a baby opts for a
calculator, they could succeed in busi-
ness; if they grab a pen, they might
become a prolific writer.
On November 15th of the year chil-
dren turn three, five and seven, their
46 april 2023
parents dress them in traditional cloth-
ing and take them to a shrine. This cel-
ebration is shichi-go-san, which liter-
ally means 7-5-3—all lucky numbers
in Japanese culture. Parents often wish
for their children’s continued health
and longevity by offering them a long
string of soft chitose ame (“thousand-
year candy”) in a bag adorned with
images of a turtle, a crane and bam-
boo—all harbingers of good luck.
While a Japanese person officially
becomes an adult when they turn 20
(with a coming-of-age celebration held
on the second Monday in January),
pivotal birthdays don’t end there. A
60th birthday marks the completion of
the zodiac cycle (which restarts every
60 years) and is a powerful symbol of
rebirth. Known as the kanreki, this fes-
tive celebration is hosted by the family;
a special cushion, red sleeveless vest
and fan may be part of the birthday
guest’s attire.
BRAZIL
In South America’s biggest country,
after blowing out the candles and mak-
ing a wish, the guest of honour slices off
a piece of cake and offers it to someone
who is important to them—for children,
that’s often a parent. But for adults, this
time-honoured tradition can rate high
on the awkward scale. Says editor
Raquel Zampil, “It’s often uncomfort-
able, since you have to choose one
person and disappoint others.”
If the birthday person is single,
another funny—or, depending on who
you’re asking, uncomfortable—tradi-
tion takes place. Before the candles are
blown out, the guests will sing a song
speculating on the guest of honour’s
future marital status. “Who will Maria
marry?” they first sing, followed by,
“It will depend on whether [name of
Maria’s crush] wants to.”
CANADA
Depending on how vindictive a Cana-
dian’s family and friends are, the “birth-
day bumps” can be a dreaded ritual or
a gentle joke. Here’s how the tradition
works: The guest of honour lies on
their back, and partygoers grab them
by the arms and legs. The guests lift
and then lower the birthday person to
the ground until their bum lightly
“bumps” against it.
Alternatively, a guest grabs the
birthday person by the shoulders and
“bumps” them on the backside with
one knee, up to the number corre-
sponding with the person’s age…plus
an extra bump for good luck. (There is
a reason this tradition is usually car-
ried out on children—40 bumps would
be exhausting for all concerned.)
There are regional particularities
when it comes to celebrating some-
one’s birthday, as well. In parts of the
country’s east coast, kids get surprised
by someone dabbing butter or grease
on their nose, a tradition reputed to
help them “slip away” from bad luck.
And in French-speaking Quebec,
says editor Hervé Juste, guests sing the
chorus from “Gens du Pays” (which
translates as “people of the country”),
a song that legendary folk singer and
poet Gilles Vigneault created as an
alternative to “Happy Birthday.” It was
also adopted by Quebec’s sovereignty
movement and has become the prov-
ince’s unofficial anthem.
MALAYSIA
Approximately 60 percent of Malay-
sians are adherents of Islam, a religion
within which birthdays aren’t gener-
ally celebrated. However, some Malay-
sians do mark their birthdays with a
family gathering over lunch or dinner
the night before the big day and wrap
up the celebration by taking stock of
their blessings and thanking Allah for
giving them life and good health.
rd.ca 47
reader’s digest
UNITED KINGDOM
Birthday parties are very popular in
Britain and when children are involved
there is almost always a game of “pass
the parcel.” The rules: A birthday pres-
ent that has been wrapped multiple
times is passed in a circle from child to
child until the music stops. When that
happens, whoever is holding the par-
cel must unwrap a layer and complete
whatever “forfeit,” or request, has been
written on a piece of paper inside
the wrapping.
“Forfeits can range from ‘show off
your best dance move’ to ‘do your best
impression of the birthday kid,’” says
former editor Anna Walker. The child
who reaches the final layer of the par-
cel, which is usually sweets or a toy,
gets to keep the gift.
Much older Brits receive their own
special present: When they hit 100, the
ruling monarch sends along a letter
of congratulations.
LITHUANIA
“In my native country, it is customary
for the person whose birthday it is to
sit in a decorated chair that is then
lifted up by the party guests,” says edi-
tor Eva Mackevic. “How many times
the chair is raised will correspond
with the age of the guest of honour.”
Another frequently observed tradi-
tion: The person whose birthday it is
will be responsible for paying for their
guests, whether that means footing the
bill for drinks, dinner or a big party.
48 april 2023
FINLAND
“When a Finn turns 18, they can get
their driver’s license and go to restau-
rants unaccompanied,” says editor
Ilkka Virtanen. It is therefore common
for 18-year-olds to mark their entry
into adulthood by heading to a restau-
rant with friends or having a big, boozy
party at home. This is the one birthday
where attendees are expected to pay
their own way; on other birthdays, the
guest of honour takes on the cost.
Fifty is another big milestone in
Finland, with the birthday person
typically hosting a reception featuring
coffee, cake and sparkling wine, and
guests offering the celebrant gift cards
for a spa, a restaurant or, for the more
intrepid, a parachute jump.
PHILIPPINES
For Filipinos, a birthday isn’t just a cel-
ebration of the day—it’s an occasion to
spend time with family. Traditionally,
anyone living within a day’s travel must
be invited, or involved in the planning,
and each guest is assigned a dish to
bring. Central to the celebration are
“longevity noodles” (symbolizing a
long, healthy life), a cake ideally made
from taro or purple yam, and karaoke.
Pivotal birthdays in the Philippines
include ages one, seven, 18 and 21. A
child’s seventh birthday marks the year
the child can be held more accountable
for their actions, while a person’s com-
ing of age is celebrated on their 18th (for
women) or 21st (for men).
INDIA
For many Indians, the majority of
whom are Hindu, birthdays involve
religious rituals. The day usually starts
with a visit to the temple, where prayers
are offered and blessings are received.
The person celebrating also seeks the
blessings of their family’s elders by
bowing down and touching their feet.
“Some people also perform charita-
ble acts or make donations to help
those less fortunate than themselves,”
says editor Ishani Nandi.
A birthday is also an occasion to
wear new clothes and to enjoy one’s
favourite dishes, prepared by family
members. In return, the guest of hon-
our gives the first piece of their cake
to the oldest person in their family.
Schoolchildren, for their part, will
often distribute sweets or candies to
their classmates.
GERMANY
According to editor Michael Kallinger,
the country’s most notable birthday
tradition involves sweeping stairs. “In
Bremen, when unmarried men turn
30, it is customary for them to sweep
the stairs of the local church or town
hall,” he says. “Women have to clean
the door handle.” This public act of
sanitation is meant to embarrass the
person and motivate them to marry.
In other northern regions, if a man is
still single on his 25th birthday, his front
door gets decorated with a garland
made of socks, labelling him as an “old
sock.” An unmarried woman turning 25
gets a garland of boxes, because she is
now considered an “old box” (like “old
sock,” it’s an ironic term for the elderly).
Germans who actually are elderly
receive a message from the country’s
president on their 100th birthday.
rd.ca 49
 DRAMA IN REAL LIFE

Trapped by a hurricane and

rising waters, a devoted sister
struggles to save her disabled brothers

50 april 2023
 reader’s digest

BY Corina Knoll FROM THE NEW YORK TIMES

reader’s digest
hen the water slipped in
under the door of their
home in Naples, Florida,
it was just a glimmer on
the floor, a sign that it was time to go.
It was around noon on Wednesday,
September 28 last year, and Darcy
Bishop roused her two brothers who
had been resting after lunch. She pulled
the wheelchair up to the oldest, Rus-
sell Rochow, 66, and heaved him into
it before slipping his feet into black
Velcro shoes.
Her other brother, Todd Rochow, 63,
was in his room, changing out of pyja-
mas. He could manage with a walker.
Both men had been born with cere-
bral palsy, and their mental develop-
ment was like that of a young child.
About 10 years ago, they started showing
52 april 2023
signs of Parkinson’s disease. But they
found joy in their surroundings. Rus-
sell loved riding the bus and going to
parks. Todd liked collecting cans at the
beach and waiting for the mail carrier.
And both had girlfriends. Bishop, 61,
was their lifeline, their little sister who
(PREVIOUS SPREAD) HILARY SWIFT/THE NEW YORK TIMES
had long felt an obligation to keep
them safe.
“We’ve got to get going!” she shouted
to Todd. She went to open the front
door. It would not budge. The weight
of the water on the other side had
cemented it shut.
She rushed to try the door to the
garage, where Todd’s walker was stored.
It, too, was stuck.
That’s when the house the three sib-
lings shared with their parents began
to flood.
 “It went from ankle-deep to knee-deep
in less than five minutes,” Bishop said.
“I just knew that there was no way out.”
As Hurricane Ian bore down on Flor-
ida, many residents who decided to
(ALL PHOTOS, THIS SPREAD) JASON ANDREW/THE NEW YORK TIMES
stay found themselves unable to leave
if they tried. For hours they were forced
to fight heavy winds and attempt to
escape flooding inside long-loved
homes that had become frightening,
deadly traps. Within days, around 100
deaths in the state would be attributed
to the hurricane, many of them older
residents who drowned.
(From far left) Only days earlier, the
spot where Darcy Bishop stands was
underwater; a flood-damaged bedroom
in Bishop’s house; a childhood photo of
Bishop and her brothers.
Bishop had watched over her brothers
since she was a child, while her par-
ents ran a leather and fur cleaning ser-
vice. As an adult, she had always lived
near or with Russell and Todd, over-
seeing their medications and appoint-
ments at great cost to her personal life.
“I’ve been married a couple times;
nobody wanted to deal with all of the
drama, so none of that lasted,” she said.
“I just committed my life to them.”
They had not evacuated the area ear-
lier in the week because reports about
the hurricane’s path seemed inconsis-
tent and confusing. On Tuesday, Bishop
had planned to leave with her brothers
for her daughter’s home 25 kilometres
inland. But by then, there were so
many warnings to stay put. Her parents
were already safe in Wisconsin.
reader’s digest
Now Bishop and her brothers were
trapped. She texted her daughter at
12:34 p.m. “Water’s coming in.” Around
her, she could hear the dining room
hutch tipping and crashing, the china
breaking, the refrigerator toppling over.
The only way to go was up. Bishop’s
parents had bought the tan home with
the wintergreen metal roof around
1981, settling in the southwestern Flor-
ida city that would come to be known
for its pristine beaches and wealth. The
home, located on a main inlet to the
Gulf of Mexico, was not in great condi-
tion. Her parents, both in their 80s, had
put their savings into their sons, even
cashing in their life insurance policies.
But they had, about three decades
earlier, added a second level.
Bishop guided Todd to the stairs, and
he gripped the banister. She helped
54 april 2023
him pull himself slowly up to the top
where he waited in a chair. Her Pomer-
anian, Destiny, also headed up.
But stairs were impossible for Rus-
JOHNNY MILANO/THE NEW YORK TIMES, HILARY SWIFT/THE NEW YORK TIMES
sell, who could neither walk nor bend
his stiff legs.
“I’m trying to pull him up the stairs,
and he’s yelling, ‘I can’t, I can’t,’ and
he’s slipping and sliding,” Bishop said.
She had undergone knee replace-
ment surgery in August because of a
torn meniscus suffered while pushing
Russell in his wheelchair up a hill. The
stitches had just been taken out, and
she had been warned to keep her scar
dry. It was now submerged in brown
and brackish water.
Bishop yanked on the belt around
Russell’s waist, but he was nearly 77
kilograms. She tried every position
possible, switching from pushing to
 (From far left) Neighbours helping
neighbours on Sanibel Island, Florida;
devastation in nearby Fort Myers Beach;
a rescuer searching for survivors.
pulling, and managed to get him up a
few carpeted steps.
But the water followed.
“Russ, try to get on your butt and put
your hands up on the stairs—try to help
me,” she pleaded. He didn’t understand.
Bishop called 911 and was told some-
JASON ANDREW/THE NEW YORK TIMES
one would come soon. But out the win-
dow she could already see patio furni-
ture, boats and cars floating by.
It would be a while before anyone
could get to them. Her daughter,
Heather Noel, had gotten her text and
was trying to call, but reception was bad.
“I kept thinking that even if rescuers
got to her, if they couldn’t get to Russell,
too, I knew she wouldn’t leave, because
she wouldn’t leave them,” said Noel, 39.
One of Noel’s neighbours offered to
pick up her mother and uncles, but a
police officer had forced him to turn
back because it was unsafe.
Meanwhile, Bishop was frantic. She
would pull Russell up one step, only
to see the water rise with them. And
then her brother would ask to rest. “I’m
sorry, Darcy. I’m tired.”
At one point, he slipped back down
a few steps, and they had to start over.
Bishop called Russell’s physical thera-
pist, who managed to coax him to move
a bit. But her phone battery was dwin-
dling, and she had to hang up.
Her frustration was tempered by
Russell’s innocence. He counted the
pictures on the wall. “Look, Darcy: one,
two, three, four.”
rd.ca 55
 “That’s very good, Russ,” Bishop said
as tears slid down her cheeks.
it took them a good hour, but they
finally made it up eight steps to the
first small landing, then three steps
to the second, and then a handful of
steps more.
But they stopped where the angle of
the final landing required Russell’s body
to twist. It simply would not.
Bishop grabbed one of her father’s
belts and tried to tie her and Russell
together, but it broke. His feet dangled
in the water.
“I was just aggravated. I had to walk
away,” Bishop said. “And then I came
back and said, ‘Okay, Russ, come on,’
and he kept pointing to the pictures
on the wall.”
56 april 2023
They had climbed as far as they could.
And still the water swelled.
Bishop picked up her phone. Five
percent battery left.
She took a breath and walked to
(ALL PHOTOS, THIS SPREAD) JASON ANDREW/THE NEW YORK TIMES
her parents’ bedroom on the second
floor so her brothers would not hear
her. Then she called her mother to
say goodbye.
“I’m sorry,” she said, crying, “but I
don’t think we’re going to make it. I love
you guys. I did all I could. I just wanted
to call and tell you.”
Her mother tried to reassure her.
Then the phone went dead.
Bishop returned to Russell on the
stairs and placed sofa cushions and
pillows around him to make him
comfortable. She sat down beside
him. And waited.

But after a while, she noticed the
water start to recede. Hours passed as
she stared, watching its slow retreat.
At around 6:30 p.m., Russell said,
“Somebody’s downstairs.”
Bishop called out, “Hello?! Hello?!
Who’s there?”
It was her granddaughter’s cousin,
Hance Walters. He lived nearby and had
heard she was in trouble.
Walters, 28, standing in waist-deep
water, instructed two of his friends to
go to his house and fetch canoes.
Bishop waded to her back porch and
snatched inner tubes and rafts to help
bring her brothers outside. There, they
were hoisted into the canoes.
Russell’s floating wheelchair was
tossed in as well, although parts were
missing. Bishop grabbed a laundry
reader’s digest
(From far left) Darcy Bishop looking
for anything in her home that could be
salvaged; Bishop with brothers Russell
and Todd at her daughter’s home.
basket and loaded it with medication,
birth certificates, health records. She
put her dog in a raft and tied the house
door shut with an extension cord before
pushing herself away. Outside, the wind
kept knocking her over. She saw that
water had nearly reached the top of the
garage, the cars submerged inside. It
seemed to take forever to get to a dry
patch of road, to finally be driven to
her anxious daughter.
when bishop tells the story of her
escape, she sobs at the part where she
could not leave her brothers. She is
exhausted and her legs are bruised.
She also fractured her hand while help-
ing Russell into the bathroom two days
after being rescued and had to be taken
to urgent care.
She is not sure about the future they
face. The house will need to be demol-
ished. “How am I going to take care of
my brothers?” she wonders.
But for now, Bishop and her brothers
are welcome to stay at her daughter’s
home. Todd and Russell are safe. They
have not said much about the ordeal
they survived, only that they want things
to return to normal. “I don’t want no
more hurricane,” they both repeat.
THE NEW YORK TIMES (OCTOBER 2, 2022), COPYRIGHT
© 2022 THE NEW YORK TIMES COMPANY
rd.ca 57
 SMILE
I Forgot to
Remember
BY Richard Glover
illustration by sam island
T
HEY TALK ABOUT the straw that
broke the camel’s back, but
really it should be the password
that wiped out my memory bank. My
world is now in ashes. Let this be a
warning to others.
I was going along fine—with instant
recall of my bank PIN, my mobile phone
number, my Facebook log-in and the
58 april 2023
date of my cousin’s birthday. Then I
joined a gas station rewards scheme.
The sign-up form on the company’s
website asked me to create a password.
When I typed in “gas1,” it was rejected
for not being complex enough. I needed
to add at least one upper case letter
and one symbol.
I tried again: “IHateHeartlessOil-
Companies@#$%PricesNeverStop-
GoingUp.” But that was too long and
didn’t include “at least one numeral.”
It may also have been defamatory.
Following my usual custom, I utilized
an obscure fact about my favourite
singer, Elvis Presley: “Garon1935”—a
reference to the middle name of Elvis’s
sadly stillborn twin brother.

This was accepted by the heartless
people at the oil company, though I
was drawing on a tragedy in a way that
should make us all feel uncomfortable.
My excuse: I’d used up all other Elvis
references, including but not limited
to GladysPresley1912, Priscilla1945
and TomHanks2022.
But here is the thing: as soon as I
inserted this fresh password into my
memory, I instantly forgot all the others.
My brain had hit its limit for passwords.
I now know nothing. I cannot com-
plete the simplest of transactions: no
banking, no streaming service sub-
scriptions, no idea about the date of
my cousin’s birthday.
Facebook? They no longer trust me.
Ditto, my frequent flyer account. It was
the same story with The Dubai Journal
of Home Economics (we all have strange
online preferences).
I had entered some passwords in my
Book for When I Die, a notebook in
which I’ve recorded vital information
for my wife and kids after my demise.
Of course, I didn’t write down the
actual passwords, in case the Book for
When I Die falls into the wrong hands.
Instead, I disguised them in a way that
only a family member could figure out.
For example, I combine my banking
PIN with our postal code, then add it
to a list of phone numbers alongside
the name Johnny Cash. It’s a stratagem
that would fool even Albert Einstein.
The book also contains three pass-
words that cryptically relate to events
reader’s digest
in history but are described in such a
complex fashion I’ve forgotten myself
what was intended.
Memory is such a weird thing. Mar-
cel Proust called it a “game of hide and
seek.” You might have no idea where a
memory lies—it seems impossible to
locate—then suddenly it’s there in
front of you. As Proust said, “We see
nothing, then suddenly the name
appears in its exact form.”
That’s fine for Proust; all he had to
remember were the names of Parisian
socialites. He didn’t need a password
for every human action.
Maybe we need a system like the one
we use to remember people’s names.
You know, when you form an associa-
tion between a person’s attributes and
their name by chanting the mnemonic
“Skinny George, Skinny George” after
meeting them. The risk is that, upon
seeing him, you’ll blurt out the phrase.
“Skinny George” might not mind, but
it’s possible “Boring Beatrice” will.
As for remembering passwords as you
change them, you could go through the
books of the Bible or military ranks,
although I can never remember whether
a colonel is above or below a lieutenant.
Or you could simply use the first and last
letters of Elvis’s greatest hits, together
with the year of their release.
Maybe I’ll try that one out—but only
after cryptically describing the system
in the Book for When I Die. Then I’ll
hide the book in a place so obscure
I’ll never remember where it is.
rd.ca 59
 HEALTH

Why you
should consider
volunteering for
a clinical trial
BY Sydney Loney FROM CHATEL AINE
illustration by jeff kulak

i’m not sure how many tubes of blood

I donated in the end—not being fond of
needles, I fixed my gaze over the nurse’s
left shoulder throughout the proceedings.
But it felt like a lot. And yet it also felt like
it was the least I could do to give back.

60 april 2023
reader’s digest
reader’s digest
I’m now one year into a five-year
clinical trial studying my emotional
response to the results of genomic
sequencing, a relatively new type of test
that digs into nearly every letter of your
DNA code (unlike traditional genetic
testing, which looks at only a few genes
at a time).
One of the goals of the trial is to
determine how useful genomic
sequencing is for both doctors and
patients. In addition to the bloodlet-
ting, all that’s required of me are peri-
odic 30- to 60-minute Zoom interviews
with the researchers for the first year
and a half, after which the team will
continue to study my health data qui-
etly in the background.
As someone who has been success-
fully treated for two different types of
cancer, I know just how important
clinical trials are when it comes to
finding new ways to detect, diagnose
and treat disease. Quite frankly,
I wouldn’t be here otherwise. And it
was thanks to the trial of a new drug
that a cousin of mine, who had been
diagnosed with a rare, and terminal,
form of lung cancer, was able to spend
an extra year with his young family.
In my case, scientists were looking
for cancer patients who had been
given a negative genetic test result
and were open to receiving genomic
sequencing in hopes of discovering a
gene related to their disease. Maybe it
would help identify a new genetic link
to cancer. Maybe it would offer my
62 april 2023
family answers about our seemingly
genetic susceptibility to wayward cell
mutations. And, just maybe, it would
help lead to new treatments for future
generations of cancer patients. To me,
it’s humbling to be even a small part of
that possibility.
Not All Research Is
Created Equal
If you’ve ever shut down a case of the
sniffles with cold medicine or hiked
up your sleeve for a vaccine, it’s only
because that treatment endured a long,
thorough research process. No new
treatment will be approved before it’s
been through rigorous clinical trials.
According to Dr. Jonathon Maguire,
a pediatric scientist at the Li Ka Shing
Knowledge Institute of St. Michael’s
Hospital in Toronto, clinical trials are
the gold standard for determining the
benefits and harms of any health inter-
vention: “We want health care to be as
strong as it can be and for the risks to
be as low as possible. For that, we need
clinical trials,” he says.
There are three main types of health
research: population research (cor-
relational studies that look for relation-
ships between two or more variables,
say), laboratory studies with con-
trolled experiments (think beakers and
Bunsen burners) and clinical trials.
“A clinical trial assigns human par-
ticipants to one or more treatments or
interventions to study their effects,” says
Alison Orth, the unit director of Clinical
Trials BC at Michael Smith Health
Research in Vancouver, and a former
clinical-trial participant herself. (Orth
was part of a study involving a new
whooping cough vaccine that showed
fewer side effects than its predecessor.)
FOR SOME PEOPLE,
ENROLLING IN A
TRIAL IS ALTRUISTIC.
FOR ME, IT WAS OUT
OF GRATITUDE.
When the trial begins, Phase 1 is all
about safety and side effects and
involves small numbers of partici-
pants—maybe 20 to 80 at most. “Once
the intervention has demonstrated its
safety, researchers then focus on how
well it works in different populations
with an increasing number of partic-
ipants, often in multiple countries,”
says Orth.
Phase 2, which can involve up to 300
people, studies whether the treatment
works as expected, while Phase 3 looks
at groups of 1,000 to 3,000 people to
determine how the treatment compares
to other options or a placebo.
Finally, once the treatment has
proven itself, Phase 4 looks at its long-
term effects over time. All of this can
take up to 10 years.
While requirements for clinical trials
and the standard of care differ slightly
from country to country, trials gener-
ally follow this format worldwide, mir-
roring the World Health Organization’s
definition of a clinical trial and each of
its three to five phases.
The speedy introduction of Covid-19
vaccines occurred because of an
unprecedented collaboration between
scientists, politicians and manufactur-
ers on their combined quest for a safe
medical solution to the pandemic.
Countries shared information and
research findings, extra funding mate-
rialized while red tape vanished and a
lot of non-Covid research was put on
hold. What would normally have taken
years took months instead.
“It’s essential to understand that
the Covid-19 vaccines were developed
based on science, technology and pre-
paredness protocols that had been
under clinical development and test-
ing for some time before the pan-
demic,” says Orth. But in addition to
saving countless lives, the Covid-19
vaccines may point the way toward
faster clinical trials in the future.
More Awareness,
More Participation
For these trials, researchers need par-
ticipants. Unfortunately, not everyone
is keen to play guinea pig. In 2019,
Canadian researchers (Orth among
them) published a survey of 1,602 peo-
ple in the provinces of Ontario and
British Columbia. They found that
49 percent were “somewhat willing” to
rd.ca 63
reader’s digest
How to Find a Clinical Trial
Every year, Health Canada autho-
rizes about 900 clinical trials, and
its clinical-trial database is a good
place to start. And despite its
name, Clinical Trials Ontario also
gives you access to studies across
the country.
If you’re interested in participat-
ing in a cancer trial in Canada, you
can search by cancer type, prov-
ince, drug or keyword at Canadian
Cancer Trials, which is currently
recruiting for more than a thou-
sand studies. As a perk, you can
sometimes get paid for your time or,
at the very least, have expenses like
parking reimbursed.
As of November 2022, there were
6,633 active trials taking place
across the country. For example,
there are trials for Canadian-made
Covid-19 vaccines (including a
DNA-based vaccine that can be
refrigerated for more than a year,
now in Phase 2) to a cross-country
study on the use of acetylsalicylic
acid (Aspirin, for example) in ovari-
an-cancer prevention; it is currently
recruiting volunteers for Phase 2.
For clinical trials outside Canada,
the World Health Organization
offers a search portal for both
ongoing and completed ones, so
you can track any interesting new
64 april 2023
treatments on the horizon. For its
part, the U.S. National Institutes of
Health has set up a comprehensive
database of more than 400,000
clinical studies in 150 countries.
Another option is to ask your
health-care provider about clinical
trials that might be a good fit for
you. While you don’t necessarily
need a doctor’s referral, it can be
helpful to have an expert take you
through the risks and benefits of
participating. Local university-
affiliated hospitals, medical centres
and patient-support groups are
also excellent places to learn about
clinical trials in your area.
For people who still aren’t quite
sure they want to be part of an
experiment, pediatric scientist
Dr. Jonathon Maguire recommends
checking out the People’s Trial.
The website, created by a
health-research board in Ireland,
asks people from around the world
what questions they’d like
answered. It then sets up trials to
find those answers.
One submission: whether read-
ing a book in bed makes a differ-
ence to sleep. Turns out, 42 percent
of people felt their sleep improved
after they read a book in bed.
Thank you, science.
participate in a clinical trial. On the
other hand, 43 percent said they didn’t
feel well informed about the trial pro-
cess and 37 percent didn’t have any
opinion whatsoever.
While many people have no prob-
lem volunteering their time to other
worthy causes, Maguire has seen first-
hand a reluctance to volunteer for sci-
ence. He says that can stem from a fear
of the potential risks (even though, he
says, “The risks are very low—clinical
trials are regulated by research-ethics
boards and they just don’t happen if
they’re risky”) and a general sense of
“What’s in it for me?”
It’s a fair question. For some, enroll-
ing in a trial comes from pure altruism.
Others, like me, enrol out of a sense of
gratitude. As one of Orth’s survey par-
ticipants said, “Without previous clini-
cal trials, I would not have received the
excellent care and treatment plan. I feel
it is paying it forward to be included
and I hope that, when the trial is over, it
will help other women in the future.”
For a long time, women weren’t
explicitly required to be included in
clinical trials. In Canada, for example,
it wasn’t until 1997 that Health Canada
decided they needed to be. In 2022 in
Europe, the EU clinical trial regulation
came into effect stating that trial par-
ticipants should represent the people
likely to use the product, indicating an
expectation of inclusion.
“Historically, clinical trials have
lacked demographic diversity in their
study populations,” says Orth. But
everyone gets sick—and not everyone
gets better the same way. “People may
react differently to the same treatment
based on their age, sex, weight, race or
ethnicity,” she continues. “It’s essential
to include people in trials who closely
reflect the population for whom the
treatment is intended.”
Orth adds that there is finally a
global recognition that we need to
ensure better access and support for
all communities to participate in clin-
ical trials. However, it’s not always easy
to get people to sign up.
“There’s still a degree of skepticism
about science and the medical system
as a whole,” says Maguire. He adds that
we also don’t celebrate the people who
participate in clinical trials enough,
citing the Covid-19 vaccine trials as an
example. “Every one of those people
saved a lot of lives,” Maguire says.
“They’re heroes.”
© 2021, SYDNEY LONEY. FROM “TEAM PLAYER,”
CHATELAINE (DECEMBER 2021), CHATELAINE.COM

Seasonal Trends
I enjoy the spring more than the autumn now.
One does, I think, as one gets older.
VIRGINIA WOOLF

rd.ca 65
reader’s digest
 RD CLASSIC

IN THE
LION’S
BY Arnold Sapiro

rd.ca 67
reader’s digest

The 18-month-old lion cub, already bigger than a

Great Dane, leaped out of the thick underbrush, put
his furry front paws up on Tony Fitzjohn’s broad
shoulders and rubbed heads joyously with his
friend. It was Thursday, June 12, 1975, and in lion
fashion Freddie was welcoming Tony back to Kora
Camp after a two-day supply trip.
Kora, an isolated huddle of tents pro- One of his regular jobs was a monthly
tected by a high wire fence in northern trip by Land Rover to buy supplies at
Kenya, was where 70-year-old naturalist the tiny outpost of Garissa. This morn-
George Adamson rehabilitated lions in a ing, before his return, he had stopped
unique conservation project. Orphaned to see the district game warden and
cubs or young zoo lions—animals that thank him for evicting a gang of armed
would otherwise remain in captivity— poachers who had been leaving poison
grew up, reproduced and lived free in traps for rhinos inside the reserve.
an area the Kenyan government had The warden had asked about Freddie,
designated as a national game reserve. the abandoned lion cub he had found
Conditions at the camp were rugged: in the bush some 17 months earlier and
intense heat and biting tse-tse flies, no turned over to Tony. It was the first cub
electricity or plumbing and a six-hour Tony had known. He’d taken the frail,
(PREVIOUS SPREAD) GETTY IMAGES

drive to the nearest settlement. But
English-born Fitzjohn, 31, had read the
Born Free books as a teenager and been
captivated by the story of Joy and George
Adamson raising the orphaned lioness,
Elsa. Living in Africa and working with
Adamson for the last three years had
been a dream come true for Tony.
fluffy animal in his arms, driven him
home to Kora and named him Freddie.
Later, three more cubs were brought
from zoos. But Freddie always held a
special place with Tony. Freddie was
not only good-natured, but also the
bravest of the cubs, scrappier and
more inclined to take liberties with the

68 april 2023
 fully grown wild lions that prowled and clawing—sharp bites to the neck
around the fence. He and Tony had and head, deep bites to both shoul-
slept in the same bed until Freddie ders, slashing claws to back and legs.
outgrew it. Tony’s girlfriend, Lindsay To Tony this horror was a series of
Bell, who was living in Nairobi, had jerky slides punctuated by blackouts.
noticed that he was completely relaxed His glasses were smashed and he saw
only when he was with his lions. flashes of the camp he had thought
close; it seemed to be moving farther
after two days of rough driving, Tony and farther away, getting smaller and
was exhausted and glad to be back at smaller. Which lion was attacking him?
Kora. He was dressed only in shorts and One of George’s? He only knew that the
sandals, his tan skin glistening with per- beast was fully grown and powerful.
spiration in the 36-degree heat. It
was 5:10 p.m., time to gather the Tony Fitzjohn
cubs—the other three had joined had raised
Freddie now in welcoming Freddie from
Tony—and take them inside the the time he
fence for the night. To settle the was a cub.
frisky Freddie, Tony sat down, his
back to the underbrush a few
metres away, and began talking
quietly. Though a rule in the
bush is never to sit on the ground
outside camp—because of the
possibility of unexpected con-
tact with animals—Tony felt safe
just 50 metres from camp.
Without warning, he felt a giant
creature pounce on him from
behind. He crashed forward to
the ground and momentarily lost
consciousness. When he came
to, it was to the terrifying aware-
ness that his head was locked in
the jaws of an enormous lion.
GETTY IMAGES

The attacker clamped down

hard, then released the headlock
and began a barrage of biting

rd.ca 69
reader’s digest
Tony covered his genitals and closed
his eyes. More blows from mighty paws
struck his head; more deep gashes
from razor-sharp claws opened his
face. Because of shock and concus-
sion, he felt no pain and heard no
sounds. Paralyzed by injuries and
bewilderment, he was experiencing his
own death as a silent movie.
Now the lion grabbed Tony’s neck
and bit down. Tony remembered that
lions often kill by strangulation, hold-
ing their vise-like grip until the prey
AS THE LION STOOD OVER TONY’S TORSO,
FREDDIE SNARLED AND BIT AT ITS FLANKS.
TONY LAY IN A POOL OF BLOOD.
stops breathing. It takes no more than
a minute.
Then he realized that there were two
lions in the battle. As he forced his
bloody eyelids open, he saw Freddie
charging toward him. Oh, no, not Fred-
die, too! he thought.
But Freddie wasn’t attacking Tony;
he was after the mighty lion, four times
as big as he. Proper juvenile behaviour
is to submit to adult lions. To attack an
enraged adult was suicide.
Freddie, however, snarled and bit at
the flanks of the lion that stood astride
Tony’s torso. For an instant it worked.
The lion released his grip on Tony’s
neck and charged after Freddie, who
70 april 2023
ran for his life. Tony lay in a pool of
blood, gasping for air.
The attacker could have torn Freddie
apart on the spot, but he stopped his
pursuit and ran back to the victim.
Again, he clamped down on Tony’s
neck. God, I’m dying! I can feel it, Tony
thought, then lost consciousness again.
But Freddie returned to the fray and
bit the surprised beast’s rear, then cir-
cled while making snarls and yelps,
bold charges and nips. Freddie with-
drew only when the bigger animal
swiped at him with his powerful paw.
Throughout the attack, Tony was a
silent victim and the lion a silent killer.
The only sounds were Freddie’s unre-
lenting growls and piercing yelps that
Tony could not hear.
freddie’s shrill cries were heard by
Erigumsa, the compound’s cook. At first,
he thought two cubs were fighting, but
Freddie’s distant voice sounded too
desperate. The cook ran to the gate and
saw Tony being mauled. Erigumsa
raced to the dining tent, 25 metres
away, where Adamson was having tea.
“Simba ame kamata Tony inje! Ana-
taka kuua yeye!” he cried in Swahili.

(“The lion has caught Tony outside!
He’s trying to kill him!”)
George assumed the cubs’ playful-
ness had gotten too rough. So when he
ran from the tent he took only a walk-
ing stick, bypassing a loaded rifle.
But outside the gate, George saw
Tony’s neck locked between the jaws
of a full-grown lion. There was no time
to return for the rifle. Without a second
thought, he charged the lion, yelling
and waving the walking stick.
Now George was vulnerable to
GETTY IMAGES
attack. The beast released Tony and
retreated, staring at George. The lion
prepared to spring, but George kept
The savanna around Kora
Camp gave plenty of
cover to prowling lions.
moving forward, shouting and bran-
dishing the stick. It worked! The lion
hesitated, then slunk off into the bush,
splotched with Tony’s blood.
the next thing tony knew, he was
stumbling back to camp, supported by
George. “George, I think I’m dying.
Whatever you do,” he pleaded, “don’t
shoot the lion. My fault … Caught
unaware … Shouldn’t have happened.”
The minute he got Tony into his tent,
George rushed to the shortwave radio
to call the Flying Doctor Service in Nai-
robi. It was too late—the 210-kilometre
flight would take an hour and a quar-
rd.ca 71
reader’s digest
George Adamson and Tony
Fitzjohn at Kora in 1979,
four years after the attack.
ter, and regulations firmly prohibit
landing on a bush strip after dark, even
for a critical emergency.
The nurse assured George that the
plane would come first thing in the
morning and advised him on first-aid
treatment for Tony’s many deep wounds.
George signed off, staring at the set-
ting sun. Could Tony make it through
the long night ahead without a sur-
geon and blood transfusions?
Drifting in and out of consciousness,
Tony fought for breath—and life. I’ve
got to live—for Lindsay, George and the
lions. I know if I just think about living,
I’ll make it.
At dawn, George and Erigumsa
managed smiles; 13 hours after his
72 april 2023
mauling, Tony was still alive.
Lindsay was the first one out
of the Flying Doctor aircraft
when it touched down—George
had radioed her the night before.
“I was expecting bad wounds,
but not all over his head,” she
recalls. “He could hardly breathe.
The right side of his neck was
open and his wounds were ooz-
ing. It was horrible.”
During the flight back to Nai-
robi with Tony, Lindsay broke
down and wept. “I knew how
much he loved his work,” she
says. “If he lived, would he ever
want to return to the lions?”
Tony spent two hours in sur-
gery when they got him to the
hospital. There were three dozen
wounds—some so deep and dangerous
they couldn’t be stitched at that time.
His trachea had been squeezed but not
broken. Miraculously, the lion’s teeth
had not severed any nerve, artery or
vein. Tony would be one of the few
people ever to survive a lion-mauling. THE FINCHER FILES/POPPERFOTO/GETTY IMAGES
the day after the attack, a large lion
appeared outside Kora with dried
blood on his chest and muzzle. It was
a 30-month-old wild animal George
had known since infancy, a creature so
placid that he’d been named Shyman.
Now Shyman was growling menac-
ingly at the cubs. George drove outside
the compound and positioned the
Land Rover between Shyman and the
frightened cubs. Then he observed
Shyman carefully. His movements were
erratic, unusual.
The once-gentle lion had probably
eaten from a poisoned carcass left by the
rhino poachers. Since he had attacked
once, he could do it again. The lives of
humans and other lions were in jeop-
ardy. After an hour of watching Shy-
man, George sadly raised his rifle and
shot the lion dead.
Such a mauling as Tony had received
would make even the bravest soul
re-evaluate the risks of work in the
bush. The scars on his face and neck
would be with him always. But Tony
remembered how a lion cub whom he
loved had tried to save him.
Two months after the accident, Tony
returned to Kora, wondering what kind
of greeting he’d receive after his absence.
When the cubs saw Tony, they rushed
toward him, Freddie in the lead, mak-
ing woofing sounds all the way. Typical
lion greetings last less than a minute;
this one lasted close to 10 minutes as
the excited cubs leaped all over Tony.
“I never had any thoughts about not
going back,” Tony said later. “We’re
creating an animal reserve. People
from all over the world can eventually
come and see our lions, and the lions
can live free and unmolested in nature.
I belong here.”
Tony Fitzjohn continued to work at
Kora until 1989, when he moved to
Tanzania to lead efforts to rehabilitate
a national park that had been deci-
mated by farmers and poachers. Ele-
phants are once again flourishing in
the area, and Fitzjohn also helped
bring rhinos back to Tanzania. In 2006
he was awarded the Order of the Brit-
ish Empire for his conservation work.
In 2020, he returned to Kenya with
his son Alexander to restore Kora,
which had fallen into neglect after
George Adamson’s death in 1989.
“Everything that I am today, I owe to
Kora,” Tony told Gentleman’s Jour-
nal in 2021.
Tony Fitzjohn died in May 2022 of
a brain tumor at the age of 76.
ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED IN THE MAY 1977 ISSUE OF
READER’S DIGEST.

Building Blocks
Architecture is the learned game, correct and magnificent,
of forms assembled in the light.
LE CORBUSIER

Architecture should speak of its time and place,

but yearn for timelessness.
FRANK GEHRY

rd.ca 73
 HEART

People who invite

refugees into their homes

They
take a giant, generous
leap of faith. Here are
three of their stories.

the
World’s
BY Lisa Fitterman
photograph by christie vuong

74 april 2023
 reader’s digest

Rukhshana Ahmadi
and Fiona Harrower.
reader’s digest
THEY COME FROM AFRICA, Central Asia,
the Middle East and Ukraine. Accord-
ing to the United Nations High Com-
missioner for Refugees, in 2022 more
than 100 million people were forcibly
displaced from their homes by war, fam-
ine, natural disasters or persecution.
They flee with the few possessions
they are able to carry, their lives sud-
denly in limbo.
What happens to them? Some 4.5 mil-
lion find sanctuary in United Nations–
sanctioned refugee camps; at least two
million are in “self-settled” camps; and
countless others shelter in foreign cit-
ies—rooms in hotels and community
centres, or basic apartments from where
they try to launch new lives.
A lucky few are welcomed into pri-
vate homes, sharing space with peo-
ple who want to help, often for a few
months. Refugees receive government
stipends, to be used for food and other
necessities until they can find jobs and
become self-supporting; some hosts
also receive monthly payments (or
sometimes money for rent and expenses
from the refugees) to help defray the
cost of having guests.
76 april 2023
Hosting has its challenges, such as
navigating cultural differences and the
stresses of daily life that come from
living with strangers. But the rewards
can be profound.
“She Is Just Like a Mom”
On a cloudy Saturday in September
2021, the temporary clothing-donation
centre in a parking lot near Toronto’s
Pearson International Airport was bus-
tling with Afghan refugees staying at
nearby hotels, all of them wearing face
masks because of the pandemic. Fiona
Harrower, a volunteer for Canadian
Connections, the aid group sponsoring
the event, was folding clothes that had
not yet been given away.
“Did you see the young woman
with the beautiful eyebrows?” Fiona’s
co-volunteer asked. “Her name is
Rukhshana. She asked if we had any
books to give out.”
Fiona was intrigued. A retired teacher,
she considered books as necessary to
one’s well-being as three balanced meals
a day. She wanted to learn more about
this young stranger who loved reading.
So a few days later, she and some col-
leagues met with the woman in a café in
downtown Toronto. Fiona, 62, listened
as Rukhshana Ahmadi, a member of
the Hazaras—an ethnic and religious
minority that has faced violent discrim-
ination in Afghanistan—told her story.
She had worked as an English trans-
lator after studying at university. But
 following the Taliban takeover, she
and her mother, aunt and three
siblings headed to Kabul’s Hamid
Karzai International Airport to try
to leave. It was August 22, 2021.
Inside the airport compound they
became separated, but finally,
Rukhshana saw them at a distance.
“I had all of our papers in my
hand and began waving at them.
Then a suicide bomb went off. The
world went black.”
She regained consciousness in
the arms of a female U.S. soldier.
The soldier was speaking to her, but
Rukhshana couldn’t hear. Around
them was a scene of horror. An
anguished mother clutching her
dead infant. A father collapsed over
his daughter’s lifeless body. American Rukhshana told the women in Toronto.
soldiers everywhere, running and ges- “I need to read.”
turing as they tried to secure the area. At that moment, Fiona was startled
“What happened?” Rukhshana asked, by a sunbeam that cut through the
her voice croaking from the dust and clouds, illuminating the young refu-
debris. On a piece of paper the soldier gee’s face. It’s a message from Mom, she
wrote one word: “bomb.” thought, recalling a grey day a few years
“What happened to my family?” she earlier when she had wandered through
cried. “Where is my backpack?” It held a local cemetery, looking for the per-
her cellphone and passport. fect plot to bury her recently deceased
She later learned that her family mother. She found it when a sunbeam
COURTESY OF FIONA HARROWER

had been rushed from the airport
and had made it home. Somehow, her
torn backpack was recovered, but every-
thing else, including a laptop and a book
of stories her grandfather had given
her years earlier, the pages turned so
often they were shiny, was gone.
“That is why I asked for a book,”
landed on a green hillock with a view,
as if she were being instructed from
beyond: Here.
Resolved, she turned to Canadian
Connections co-founder Marcella
Tomàs, seated beside her, and said,
“I think I’m supposed to have this girl
come live with me.”

rd.ca 77
reader’s digest
RUKHSHANA’S MOVE FROM her hotel
did not happen quickly. First there was
paperwork. The six-month contract
the women signed seemed more like a
landlord-tenant agreement than any-
thing else, with Rukhshana expected
to pay Fiona from the stipend she got
from the government Resettlement
Assistance Program, about $800 a
month. But in January 2022, Rukhshana
moved into the back-split home in Mis-
sissauga, Ont., where Fiona lived alone.
It did not take long for the two women
to forge a friendship, and a frank rec-
ognition of their cultural differences.
“WE WERE ONCE
STRANGERS. NOW
WE ARE CREATING
MEANINGFUL LIVES
TOGETHER.”
At times, Rukhshana, now 24, has
been teary and uncommunicative, wor-
rying over the fate of her family, who
made it to Pakistan last fall. (She has
applied for them to join her in Can-
ada.) Fiona had a hard time under-
standing Rukhshana’s moods at first.
Now she simply accepts that she doesn’t
have to relate to her on that level—
and, frankly, can’t.
“I didn’t leave my family behind,
and I wasn’t in a bombing,” she says
softly, fiercely protective of the young
78 april 2023
woman she now considers family. Adds
Rukhshana, “Humanity is when you
respect and accept each other.”
The two women are very much at ease
around each other. “Talking is the main
thing we do together,” says Rukhshana.
“That, and watching programs on TV.
One of our favourites is Survivor.”
Although their diets differ—Rukhsha-
na’s is halal—the two have meals
together when Rukhshana’s schedule
allows it: she has begun an undergrad-
uate degree in journalism. Indeed, the
challenge these days is to make sure
she catches the train to get to classes on
time. “I’ve threatened to throw a bucket
of cold water over her if she doesn’t get
up,” Fiona says with a laugh. “I haven’t
had to resort to that—yet.”
“Fiona is like a mom,” Rukhshana
says, smiling shyly. “She does the same
things my mom did for me to make
sure I felt safe and loved. We may not
have the same religion or skin colour,
but we have kind hearts. We were once
strangers on different sides of the world,
and now we are creating meaningful
lives together.”
Fiona knows that Rukhshana will
probably go to live with her family when
they make it to Canada, and she is sup-
portive of that. However, both women
know that when that time comes, it
will be bittersweet. They are determined
to remain close even when they no
longer live together.
For now, Rukhshana tells Fiona
with a smile, “I’m not moving. You’re
 stuck with me.” They laugh together,
like old friends.
When Faith and
Patience Truly Pay Off
Rainer and Maren Koch waited in the
municipal government’s meeting room
in Schaumburg, near Hanover, Ger-
many, on a drizzly morning in January
2016. A small group of youth workers
and parents were there, mostly silent,
raincoats unbuttoned, hats clutched in
their hands. They had come to meet
young refugee boys, seven from Morocco
and Algeria—and one from Eritrea:
14-year-old Samuel*, who would be
going home with the Kochs.
After more than three months of
waiting with no word—after talking with
their own four children (then aged 11
COURTESY OF RAINER AND MAREN KOCH
Maren and
Rainer Koch
with Samuel.
to 18) about their desire to host a ref-
ugee, after a visit from a youth wel-
fare worker who told them they were
expected to provide shelter to some-
one for six months and should be will-
ing to pull the plug earlier if it was not
working out—it had come down to
these last few minutes.
“What if he has experienced violence
that has made him hard?” Maren, a
technical assistant in a pharmacy who
also works in a residential program for
disabled adults, had earlier asked her
husband. “Can we cope with that? Can
the kids cope?”
“Remember Hebrews 13:2,” replied
Rainer, who works in church develop-
*Samuel is a pseudonym; he fears the
Eritrean military would target family
members there.
rd.ca 79
reader’s digest
ment and counselling. He reminded her
that by being hospitable, “Some have
taken in angels without knowing it.”
As the young refugees filed into the
hall, Rainer, now 52, tried to read their
expressions, the stubborn set of shoul-
ders and feet that were barely picked
up off the ground. “They must feel so
alone,” he whispered to Maren. “Is this
what it means to have lost everything?”
BIT BY BIT, AS HIS
GERMAN IMPROVED,
SAMUEL SHARED THE
STORY OF HIS ESCAPE
FROM ERITREA.
Then suddenly, as Samuel appeared
before them, an idea that had once
seemed nebulous took on the shape of
a boy they knew nothing about, except
for his name and that he belonged to the
Eritrean Orthodox Tewahedo Church.
The couple spent 30 minutes with
Samuel and an interpreter of Tigrinya,
the language widely spoken in Eritrea.
Rainer and Maren tried to communi-
cate with the closed-off teen through
hand gestures, pictures and smiles. But
he barely looked at them and later, in
the car, sat silently in the back seat, his
eyes betraying no emotion.
Glancing at him in the rear-view mir-
ror, Rainer thought, Something unex-
pected is beginning, a new phase of life
80 april 2023
for this family. He knew they were in it
for better or worse, with no road map.
AT FIRST THERE WAS TENSION. Samuel
spent a lot of time alone in his room,
sullen. He was trying to make sense of
his surroundings, of his new school,
of a language he didn’t understand.
Rainer and Maren did not know if his
attitude was because of cultural differ-
ences, puberty or plain stubbornness.
Although a translator came once a
week to help the family learn how to
communicate with the youth, if there
was progress, it was hard to see. Sam-
uel sat at the family dinner table but
didn’t eat a lot.
“If only he could see that we only
want what is best for him,” Maren told
her husband.
The six-month deadline for the end of
his stay came and went—there was no
way Rainer and Maren were going to
let him go—and bit by bit, as Samuel’s
German improved, he shared his story.
Without telling his parents, he said,
at age 13 he fled Eritrea for Ethiopia
and then Sudan, because the Eritrean
military was conscripting boys. He had
heard stories about child soldiers being
physically abused, given meagre rations
and paid little or nothing.
Once he reached Sudan, he called
home to ask his parents for money
because he needed to pay human traf-
fickers to move him out of the country.
Transported in open trucks through the
Sahara desert toward Libya, after which
 he hoped to make it to Europe, he
watched as other refugees fell off Maxim Artamonov.
and were left behind to die.
His story finally out, and with a
sense of security in his new home,
Samuel began to change. He was
more relaxed, and he laughed.
Rainer and Maren’s children now
considered him a brother, and they
always had his back.
Today, Samuel is 21. All of his
hard work to make a new life and
to accept help from his German
host family has paid off. Still liv-
ing with the Kochs, he’s now a
permanent resident of Germany,
a high school graduate with a
driver’s license and a job as an
apprentice automotive mecha-
tronics technician; he is learning
to install components and maintain business association was both ashamed
and repair cars. and angry. Putin’s “special military
Looking back, the Kochs attribute operation” was clearly a brutal, base-
the positive outcome to having the less war. More than one million Ukrai-
confidence that unconditional love and nians had already fled for their lives.
openness would show the way. I have to do something, he told him-
self. I have to help.
A New Home, It didn’t seem fair to Maxim that he
had a four-bedroom, two-bathroom
a Second Family home all to himself. His wife, Kemlin
COURTESY OF MAXIM ARTAMONOV

It was early March 2022, and in Gex, a Furley, a representative for the UN High
picturesque French town near the Swiss Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR),
border, Maxim Artamonov was watch- was stationed 4,000 kilometres away
ing with growing horror the news of the in Tbilisi, Georgia, and their two sons
Russian invasion of Ukraine. were living in London.
Raised in Moscow but a citizen of His thoughts drifted to Tatiana Hal-
Switzerland since 1992, the 52-year- chanskya, a gentle 60-year-old Ukrai-
old secretary general of a not-for-profit nian with a wide smile who had cared

rd.ca 81
reader’s digest
Tatiana (left) and Liidia.
Right: Yunna and Herman.
for their boys back in 2010, when Kem-
lin’s work for the UNHCR took them
to Moscow. The family had kept in
touch with Tatiana over the years, and
Maxim knew she was now back in
Ukraine—and that she was terrified.
Her life with her husband in their house
with a beautiful flower garden had been
upended by the war.
Tatiana’s sister, Liidia Cherkasova,
was still in Russia but was trying to
get back into Ukraine to be with her
husband and son. Their home was in
the southeast, near the Zaporizhzhia
nuclear power plant (later to be com-
mandeered by Russia).
After talking it over with Kemlin,
Maxim decided he’d give the sisters a
safe place to stay, if they wanted it.
So that first week in March, Maxim
82 april 2023
used WhatsApp to message Tatiana
and Liidia. “I am so sorry,” he wrote.
“I feel so ashamed to be Russian. And
I want to offer you shelter.”
Maxim first needed to get Liidia, 58,
plane tickets so she could flee Russia.
Because of sanctions against the coun-
try, she had to fly from Moscow to
Casablanca, then to Geneva. Maxim
met her at the airport on March 14 and
(LEFT) COURTESY OF TATIANA HALCHANSKYA;
(RIGHT) COURTESY OF YUNNA HALCHANSKYA
drove her the 18 kilometres to Gex.
“You’re home now, for as long as you
need it,” he said. Her demeanour as
gentle as her sister’s, Liidia was grate-
ful but worried about her husband, who
has only one lung, and their son.
Around the same time, Tatiana’s
husband was driving her on a white-
knuckle 600-kilometre trip from their
home in Kupiansk in eastern Ukraine
to Kyiv, where they reunited with their
son’s wife, Yunna Halchanskya, 32, and
their toddler grandson, Herman.
Together, they continued to the Pol-
ish border, where the women and little
boy said goodbye to Tatiana’s husband;
he would stay behind with his son to
fight. The trio then embarked on a series
of train journeys totalling more than
1,900 kilometres, arriving in Gex one
day after Liidia, exhausted and relieved
to have found sanctuary.
For Maxim, there was no second-
guessing his decision. These families
gave a face to the war, and he could not
look away. He set the sisters up with
rooms in the main house, while Yunna
and Herman moved into the apartment
over the garage.
Herman turned four a few weeks after
the family arrived in Gex and began
attending preschool—in a new lan-
guage, French. The three women took
jobs painting and cleaning houses
and gardening in order to send money
home and give back to their host. Says
Tatiana, “Work helps take our minds
off of what is happening in our coun-
try, and to our men, to our homes.”
When the women weren’t working,
they tended Maxim’s garden. In the
surrounding area, they picked cher-
ries, apples and walnuts, which they
turned into jams, strudels and bread.
At mealtimes, they would talk about
their fears and tell Maxim what they
missed about home.
Maxim gave them a credit card to
use for food and everyday necessities
while they waited for the French author-
ities to process their refugee claims. He
taught Yunna how to drive a stick shift
so she could borrow the car for the
women to work their odd jobs.
Says Tatiana, “Maxim is our guard-
ian angel.”
“We have become a family cobbled
together because of war,” says Maxim.
“And a family we will remain, no matter
where we are.”
He says that for others who are con-
sidering welcoming refugees, it’s import-
ant that the decision be rooted in gen-
erosity rather than a sense of duty.
“Simply put, you need an open heart.
And I also benefit a lot from their pres-
ence, from their help and friendship.”
IN JUNE, YUNNA’S HUSBAND got per-
mission from the Ukrainian govern-
ment to visit Gex for three weeks. At
summer’s end, after nearly five months
abroad, Yunna and Herman prepared
to return to Kyiv, hoping the worst of
the war was over.
“It’s hard leaving our little bubble,”
she told Maxim as she and Herman
hugged him at the airport. Her mother
and her aunt were staying, their towns
still too dangerous to go back to. “We
have been so privileged,” Yunna said.
“It is not a given for refugees to find
such generous hosts.”
Maxim smiled. “You can always come
back,” he said. “You have a home and
family here, too.”
rd.ca 83
reader’s digest

Siblings are important

LAUGHTER
the Best Medicine
Opposites Attract
I love the difference
between people’s sto-
ries of rescue dogs and
rescue cats. Dog own-
ers will be like, “I
prepped for months,
applied, had a home
check, did a foster-to-
adopt trial period—and
then the rescue chose
me!” And cat owners
are like, “I found him
near the trash.”
— @DANIELLEWEISBER
because they’re like
external hard drives for
your memories and
personality.
Bumpy Lift — @JZUX
Elevator workers make
decent money but the I would be in the Guin-
job itself has its ups ness World Records
and downs. book for procrastina-
— REDDIT.COM tion but I haven’t got-
ten around to telling
Path to Enlightenment them.
A spiritual guidance — @COOKIE_MUMBLES
teacher playing hide-
and-seek with kids says:
Send us your original
“All right, well, you jokes! You could earn $50
guys go hide. And then and be featured in the
find yourselves.” magazine. See page 7 or
— ERYN TETT, comedian rd.ca/joke for details.

THE BEST JOKE I EVER TOLD

By Dave Hemstad

It took me a long time to realize that a golfer is

just a dog who’s learned how to throw his own
ball. That’s all golf is when you look at it.
“Where’s your ball? Go get your ball!” That’s
why we keep score, so that when you’re shown
our scorecard, you’ll say, “Good boy!”

Dave Hemstad is a three-time Canadian

Comedy Award nominee. Find more of
his work at davehemstad.com and on
TIM LEYES

Twitter @davehemstad.

84 april 2023
 April Fools! lives when a large “ice-
berg” appeared in the
harbour overnight.
A timeline of some of the world’s most Entrepreneur Dick
Smith claimed to have
famous hoaxes towed it in from Antarc-
tica, but his deception
1400s The Haunted had viewers calling in was uncovered when it
Apple to inquire how they began to rain, washing
Thomas Betson, a could grow their own away the “ice”—shaving
librarian of Syon Abbey spaghetti trees. cream and firefighting
in Middlesex, England, foam hiding a structure
moonlighted as a prac- 1962 Washed Ashore of plastic sheets.
tical joker. He once A man strolling on a
trapped a beetle inside beach near Zandvoort, 2001 Shark Attack
a hollowed-out apple, Netherlands, spotted a In this terrifying image,
giving his fellow monks mysterious statue, later a shark lunges toward a
a fright when they identified by experts— man climbing up the
believed that the mov- who were also in on the ladder of a hovering
ing fruit was possessed. joke—as an authentic helicopter. The creator’s
moai statue that some- identity remains a mys-
1957 Pasta Crops how made its way from tery, but it was widely
The BBC’s current affairs the South Pacific. Dutch circulated in chain
program Panorama sculptor Edo van Tet- emails claiming to be a
filmed a spoof docu- terode confessed to National Geographic
mentary about an planting the “artifact,” photo contest nominee.
annual spaghetti harvest and would go on to cre- It’s considered one of
in Switzerland, com- ate the National April 1 the first major internet
plete with actors pluck- Society, which awarded hoaxes. Many, many
ing strands seemingly small bronze replicas of more have come since.
sprouting from trees. the statue to those who
Cameraman Charles pulled off the best jokes.
de Jaeger roped in
respected reporter Rich- 1978 Cold Front
ard Dimbleby for the On April 1, residents of
prank, which was appar- Sydney, Australia, had
ently very convincing: it the surprise of their

rd.ca 85
 HEALTH

For these parents,

donating their child’s
organs so others
could live was a way

A of accepting the
unacceptable

SECOND
LIFE BY Harold Gagné
illustration by myriam wares

86 april 2023
reader’s digest
reader’s digest
It’s March 29, 2016, and to
Josée Scantland and
Patrick Grondin, the sunlight
pouring into the CHU
Sainte-Justine pediatric
hospital centre in Montreal
feels brighter than ever.
Their five-year-old daughter, Élissa, is
about to be brought out of the operat-
ing room after receiving a new heart.
Outside the OR, the couple is bursting
with joy as a TV camera zooms in. “Our
daughter is going to live again!” Josée
exclaims. “Thank you to the donor’s
family,” adds Patrick. “We don’t know
you, but you can be proud. You saved
our child’s life.”
Some 200 kilometres away in Gatin-
eau, just across the Ottawa River from
the nation’s capital, Michel Carpentier
and Danielle Lafrance are glued to the
88 april 2023
screen, moved to tears by the story.
Just a few days earlier, they made the
decision to donate the organs of their
23-year-old daughter, Emmanuelle,
who died by suicide; they had found
her lifeless body in the garage of their
family home. “She was so sensitive and
wanted to save the world,” her mother
recalls. And so they chose to offer eight
of her organs for transplantation.
Now, seeing Élissa’s parents so
happy allayed some of their grief: In
death, Emmanuelle had saved the lives
of whoever had received her organs.
What they didn’t know was that the
heart beating in Élissa’s chest was
actually their daughter’s.
the year she was born, Élissa Grondin
underwent two open heart surgeries to
correct congenital anomalies. She’d
led a normal life until the age of four,
when she was struck by a virus that
damaged her heart. Confined to the
intensive care unit of the CHU Sainte-
Justine hospital, she spent seven night-
marish months waiting for a donor.
In the five weeks leading up to the
transplant, she was kept alive by a
mechanical heart and couldn’t leave
her hospital bed. “The blood clots that
formed in the tubes of the machines
could have killed her at any moment,”
says Josée. Convinced only a miracle
could save their daughter, Élissa’s par-
ents spent their days by her side and
retreated to the nearby Ronald McDon-
ald House to rest when they could.
Then, on March 28, 2016, just as it
seemed all hope was gone, a doctor
summoned them to a small lounge
area next to their daughter’s room.
Their prayers had been answered: A
donor heart had finally been found.
Élissa would be getting it the very next
morning. Following whoops of elation,
Josée and Patrick spent the hours
before Élissa was taken into the oper-
ating room gripped with anxiety. “It
was her last chance,” says Patrick.
Eight hours later, the transplant was
deemed a success.
in 2021, 409 patients of all ages in Que-
bec received a transplant—thanks to
144 individuals, only four of whom
were pediatric donors (those under
the age of 18). Each year, the names of
roughly 15 kids are added to the trans-
plant waitlist, and around the same
number get a new lease on life, since
one deceased patient can donate up to
eight organs.
“ABOUT HALF THE
PARENTS OF DECEASED
CHILDREN DECLINE TO
DONATE THE ORGANS,”
SAYS DR. WEISS.
“On average, children under five
have to wait more than a year for a heart
transplant, as their condition grows
increasingly critical,” says Dr. Marie-
Josée Raboisson, cardiologist at the
CHU Sainte-Justine. Often the only way
to keep them alive is to temporarily
implant a Berlin Heart ventricular assist
device (VAD), but there are risks
involved, and it isn’t always an option
for patients with malformations.
“About half the parents of deceased
children decline to donate the organs,
often because they don’t want the body
to be cut up,” says Dr. Matthew Weiss,
medical director of organ donation at
Transplant Québec and a pediatric
intensive care physician at the CHU de
rd.ca 89
reader’s digest

Québec. “The reality is that the surgery

is performed very respectfully.”
All pediatric hospitals have trained
nurses whose role is to reassure fami-
lies and provide them with informa-
tion about the circumstances (brain
death and cardiac death) that made
the donation possible, and about the
retrieval of organs. They explain to
consenting parents that the child’s
body will remain on artificial support
in the intensive care unit for a few days
while compatible recipients are found.
“In some cases, the wait can become
unbearable, and the parents change
their minds,” adds Weiss. “They are
devastated, and they need time to agree. Their four-year-old daughter,
think,” acknowledges Dr. Saleem Raphaëlle, passed away from a respi-
Razack, director of pediatric critical ratory infection at the CHU de Sher-
care medicine at the Montreal Chil- brooke on February 23, 2019. When
dren’s Hospital. “Others refuse owing she was declared brain dead, a nurse
to their religion or beliefs.” suggested they might want to speak
with Marie-Pier Savaria and her hus-
band Benoît Lefebvre.
SPAIN IS A WORLD After Marie-Pier and Benoît’s eight-
LEADER: IN 30 YEARS, year-old son, Justin, drowned in a
ITS REFUSAL RATE Sherbrooke pool on June 17, 2017, the
couple went on to create a foundation
DROPPED AND THE that encourages organ donation. “It
DONOR RATE DOUBLED. doesn’t solve everything, but organ
donation does give the death mean-
ing,” says Marie-Pier.
Still, those who consent are unani- On the days when Maxime is over-
mous in their conviction that helping whelmed with sadness, he clings to
another child heal while experiencing words Marie-Pier shared with him:
such a profound loss is the most mean- “Instead of five families mourning the
ingful choice they could have made. loss of their child, it’s only ours. That’s
Maxime Lapointe Bélair and his wife why organ donation is worth it.”

90 april 2023
 Left: Élissa Grondin and her mother, Josée Scantland, in the hospital.
Right: Élissa (right) and her family after the transplant.
School awareness campaigns are
one way to increase the number of
pediatric transplants, says Raboisson.
The hope is that young people then
discuss it at home with their parents.
For Dr. Pierre Marsolais, intensive
care physician at Sacré-Coeur hospital
in Montreal, identifying those poten-
tial donors is key. He looks to Spain, a
world leader in organ donation since
1992, when it created an agency to
COURTESY OF PATRICK GRONDIN
oversee the teams that retrieve organs
and support families across all Spanish
hospitals. In three decades, the nation
doubled its donor rate, and the family
refusal rate dropped to 14 percent.
young organ donors have often died
accidentally, leaving their parents
unprepared, at the worst moment in
their lives, to make a decision about
donation. In September 2021, an
impaired driver violently rear-ended a
car stopped at a red light in Quebec City,
instantly killing a grandfather and a
mother. Her two children—half-siblings
Emma, 10, and Jackson, 14—were trans-
ported to a trauma centre where they
were both declared brain dead. Without
thinking twice, Emma’s father, Jean-
Dominic Lemieux, agreed to donate
his daughter’s organs—five in all.
“Before she passed, I recorded her
heartbeat with my cellphone and said,
‘Goodbye, my love. Go save lives!’” he
says. Jackson’s father, Daniel Fortin,
also donated his son’s organs. He
doesn’t feel the need to know who
rd.ca 91
reader’s digest

Emmanuelle Carpentier
(top) and her parents
Danielle Lafrance and
Michel Carpentier
(bottom left).
Bottom right: Marie-
Pier Savaria and Benoît
Lefebvre, who donated
their son’s organs after
he drowned in 2017.

received them, he says. “Maybe one
day I’ll want to know more about them,
but not right now.” Others do, though.
In fall 2018, two years after their
daughter’s suicide, Danielle Lafrance
and Michel Carpentier were surprised
to get a letter relayed to them by
Transplant Québec (as required to pro-
tect the organ recipient’s identity). It
was from the family of the little girl who
received Emmanuelle’s heart. It read:
(EMMANUELLE CARPENTIER ; DANIELLE LAFRANCE AND MICHEL CARPENTIER) COURTESY OF DANIELLE LAFRANCE ;
(SAVARIA AND LEFEBVRE) COURTESY OF MARIE-PIER SAVARIA
“We are thinking of you. You held out
your hand and led us out of our hell.”
That’s how Danielle and Michel
learned that their daughter’s heart was
beating in the chest of a little girl born
with a heart defect who’d undergone
two surgeries.
Later, to their astonishment, they
realized that the details matched those
shared on the Facebook page created
for Élissa Grondin, which they’d been

92 april 2023
following since seeing her story on the
news. “We didn’t think it could be
Élissa’s heart, because she was five
years old,” says Danielle. Emmanuelle
was 23 but slight: four feet eight inches
and around 100 pounds. Her parents
dug deeper and discovered it was
indeed possible. “In some cases, the
donor may be up to four times heavier
than the recipient,” says Raboisson.
JOSÉE WANTED
EMMANUELLE’S
PARENTS TO HEAR
THEIR DAUGHTER’S
HEART IN HER CHILD.
A few weeks later, when Danielle
was on a retreat in the Gatineau region,
she found out that the woman leading
her retreat was the aunt of Josée Scant-
land, Élissa’s mother. Danielle shared
her story with the woman, who then
promised to pass Danielle’s telephone
number on to her niece.
“We were stunned to hear that the
donor was 23 years old,” says Josée. In
May 2019, the two sets of parents met
for the first time in a restaurant not far
from Sherbrooke. “We were a little bit
apprehensive and a little bit curious,”
says Patrick. “Mainly because we
didn’t know why they wanted to get to
know us.”
“My only concern was that telling
them Emmanuelle had committed sui-
cide could hurt them,” says Danielle.
The families got together again in
August 2019, this time with Élissa.
Josée brought a stethoscope so
Emmanuelle’s parents could hear their
daughter’s heart in her child’s chest. “It
feels like part of Emmanuelle is still
alive,” says Danielle with tears in her
eyes. Of course, Emmanuelle will live
on, in a way, in Élissa, now a healthy
11-year-old.
Élissa keeps a photo of Emmanuelle,
given to her by the young woman’s
parents, tucked away in her wardrobe.
From time to time, she glances at it—
so she never forgets the person who
saved her.

Mothering Nature
What is a weed? A plant whose virtues have
not yet been discovered.
RALPH WALDO EMERSON

We must obey nature, let it take its course.

We gain well-being and wisdom.
JEAN-PAUL FUGÈRE

rd.ca 93
reader’s digest
 HEART

Bedtime Stories
at the

HUNTING
CAMP
AT NIGHT AFTER everyone climbs into
Even grown men in
their bunks and the lights are turned
the wilderness love to off, something unusual occurs at our
hunting camp—something that I
be read to when the believe never happens in any other
lights go out hunting camp anywhere: I read a bed-
time story by flashlight to grown men
until everyone falls asleep.
BY L.W. Oakley
This ritual began about five years
FROM THE GLOBE AND MAIL ago on a moose-hunting trip. One night
illustration by cristian fowlie while we lay on our army cots in the

rd.ca 95
reader’s digest
tent that we used back then and talked
quietly in the dark, I raised my voice
slightly and asked, “Does anyone want
to hear a bedtime story?”
To this day, whether we’re there to
hunt, fish, work or just relax, I tell a
story every night we’re at our camp
at Mitten Lake, about 60 kilometres
northwest of Kingston, Ont. The ritual
is always the same: everyone must be
in bed and all lights must be off except
my flashlight.
MY FIRST BEDTIME
STORY WAS ONE
OF THE GREATEST
SURVIVAL TALES
OF ALL TIME.
I tell one story per night in a small
room with three sets of double bunks.
I read from one of the top bunks in the
corner while resting my back on a pil-
low propped up against the wall. These
days, I use a headlamp, which I put on
before I climb up my ladder in the
dark. The light allows me to hold my
book with both hands while reading.
But when I started out, there was no
book. My first bedtime story was one
of the greatest survival tales of all time:
Ernest Shackleton’s 1914–16 expedition
to Antarctica. When his ship, Endur-
ance, was destroyed after becoming
trapped in the ice, the British explorer
96 april 2023
led his crew of 27 men to Elephant
Island. Facing imminent starvation,
Shackleton and a smaller group sailed
a tiny whaling boat across the open
ocean in search of help. Eventually,
everyone was rescued.
Another night I asked everyone if
they wanted to hear the story of how
Satan ended up in Hell. Then I told
the tale of Paradise Lost, the epic
poem written by the English poet
John Milton. It’s the story of man’s first
disobedience, the battle for Heaven,
the creation of Hell, the temptation of
Adam and Eve, the eating of the fruit
from the Tree of Knowledge and, of
course, the loss of paradise.
Sometimes while telling a story like
Paradise Lost I can’t remember exactly
what happened, what was said or who
said it. So like any good storyteller, I
make it up as I go along.
On yet another night I started by
saying, “I’m going to tell what may be
the greatest story ever told, because
storytellers have been sharing this one
for more than 3,000 years.”
Then I recounted the ancient Greek
myth of Helen of Troy, the woman with
a face that launched a thousand ships.
It begins with a golden apple and ends
with a wooden horse, and includes
great warriors like Ajax, Achilles and
Hector, who join the fight after Helen
is carried away by a Trojan prince.
Eventually, I ran out of stories. So
one night I asked if I could read the
next bedtime story from a book. I
asked because you don’t just bring a
book to a hunting camp and start read-
ing it out loud.
I knew the first story from a book had
to be a good one, so I chose the short
story “To Build a Fire” by Jack London,
an adventure that pits a man against the
wilderness. They liked it so much that I
later read from two of London’s novels,
The Call of the Wild and White Fang.
Each night, I read for five-minute
intervals. Then I stop and ask the
same question every time: “Is anyone
still awake?”
ALL GOOD STORIES
LIVE ON FOREVER.
THEY BECOME A PART
OF THE PEOPLE WHO
HEAR THEM.
By then some people are snoring, but
usually at least one person answers:
“I’m still listening.”
I’ve read stories like “The Short
Happy Life of Francis Macomber” by
Ernest Hemingway and “The Bear”
by  William Faulkner. Not because
both men won the Nobel Prize in liter-
ature, but because they wrote about
hunting and wild animals.
We usually discuss the story the next
morning while preparing and eating
breakfast. People recount what they
remember and what they liked.
Someone usually recalls at what part
of the story he fell asleep. A person
who stayed awake longer may say
something like, “You missed the good
part about how he panicked and froze
to death after he couldn’t start the fire.”
Today, storytelling for adults is grad-
ually disappearing, like the wild animals
that inspired early hunters to tell stories
around the warmth of open fires. Sadly,
screens have replaced the storyteller.
I shouldn’t have been surprised the
bedtime stories were so well-liked by
my hunting friends, now all in their
60s. Maybe the tales reminded them of
the stories their mothers and fathers
read to them when they were children.
All good stories, like the ones I read
at our hunting camp, will live on for-
ever because they become a part of the
people who hear them. They remain in
your memory because as you listen
you use your imagination to bring the
tales to life. You feel the emotions and
experience the adventures like the
characters in the stories. From time
to time, you retell them to others and
even to yourself. They become real to
you; it’s as if you were in the stories too.
On those storytelling nights, sitting
upright in the dark in my bunk, I keep
reading until no one answers when I
ask if anyone is still awake. Then I mark
the page, put away my book, turn off
my headlamp and go to sleep.
© 2022, LARRY OAKLEY. FROM “EVEN GROWN MEN ON A
HUNTING TRIP LOVE A BEDTIME STORY WHEN THE LIGHTS
GO OUT,” THE GLOBE AND MAIL (NOVEMBER 3, 2022),
THEGLOBEANDMAIL.COM
rd.ca 97
reader’s digest

Adopting a dog
in my 60s was
never part of
the plan. But
Casey changed
everything.
BY Rona Maynard FROM
STARTER D O G: A VIRT UAL INTRODUCTION
photograph by jaime hogge

98 april 2023
BONUS READ

rd.ca 99
reader’s digest
When my husband talked me into res-
cuing a dog a few years ago, I worried
about the downside: fur all over every-
thing, arguments over walk duty. The
time for a dog was decades ago, when
we had a son at home to play fetch. At
65, we should be planning our next trip
overseas, but Paul had always wanted
a dog. For love of my husband, I said
yes. But I doubted I could love any dog,
much less the only condo-friendly dog
on offer, a ragged-eared mutt.
He had a great story, I’d grant him
that. Born unwanted in Ohio, taught to
sit and stay in a prison where incarcer-
ated people train pups for adoption,
then sent to a shelter where he waited
for a home until he was spirited away
to Toronto by a band of volunteers ded-
icated to saving dogs from death.
We named him Casey. The first thing
he did after galloping into our home was
drench a chair with pee. He sniffed every
corner and finally came to rest with
his warm muzzle on my thigh. Maybe I
could love him after all.
ON CASEY’S FIRST MORNING I briefly
forgot we had a dog. I padded out of
bed, fuzzy with sleep, to find another
creature sprawled on the TV couch.
This had happened a good many times
before, but in the past that creature
was my husband, sleeping in the very
spot where I meant to lounge with my
second cup of coffee and the obituar-
ies section of The New York Times. Paul
100 april 2023
sleeps best anywhere but the bed, and
the TV tends to get him nodding in the
small hours. The presence of a dog—our
dog—was a marvel. Oh, yes. It’s you.
Casey seemed to have expanded
since the three of us had curled up
with Grey’s Anatomy, two to watch and
one to snore. In his languor, he pretty
much filled the space, limbs every which
way. His torn ear pointed straight up;
the other flopped off the couch. I
perched on the ribbon of space he’d
left me and stroked his flank. Up went
all four paws, his way of wishing me
good morning. And a fine morning it
was, with Casey in it.
My ideal morning involved lei-
surely online perambulations in my
bathrobe. At least it had until this day.
But Casey needed his morning walk,
which fell to me as the resident morn-
ing person. I couldn’t be late, or he’d
have an accident.
Everything we knew about Casey
we’d learned from his foster mom, Liz,
who handed him over to us. She said I
should take him out right after breakfast.
Liz had a fenced backyard; all she had
to do was open the door. Then she could
hang out in her pyjamas if she chose.
Maybe make some muffins, do a cross-
word, call her mother. But Paul and I
lived on the eighth floor of a downtown
Toronto condo building. For me, Casey’s
morning routine required lipstick, eye-
brow pencil and presentable attire.
I’d laid everything out the night
before—jeans and sweater for me, poop
 bags and liver treats for Casey. His
crimson leash hung on the coat stand.
I remembered Paul’s first attempt at
walking Casey, the circular stagger out-
side Liz’s house. I was in for a challenge
with this bruiser. Whoever trained him
knew something Paul and I didn’t.
In my days working in publishing,
I used to pull creative people into
line. No, you can’t leave work when
we’re in crisis mode, summer hours be
damned. You want to misspell a head-
line “because it looks better that way”?
Go back to fourth grade.
After all the humans I’d tamed, how
hard could it be to walk a dog? People
did it while texting, hauling groceries
and easing strollers over snowy curbs.
The bolder ones did it on skateboards
He’s a master of the art of sleeping.
COURTESY OF RONA MAYNARD
and bikes, and my neighbourhood’s
fastest canine, a shepherd mix in an
orange vest, scurried alongside a man
on a scooter. Clearly, anyone could
walk a dog—you didn’t even have to
be ambulatory.
This morning, we’d barely set out
when a call rang out from behind,
followed by a burst of laughter: “Who’s
walking who?” Good question. We
couldn’t seem to find our rhythm. Every
few paces, a standoff ensued. My will
against Casey’s nose.
That nose. Low to the ground, sweep-
ing the air, pulling us forward on a full-
tilt quest for anything that smelled
edible. Down in one running bite went
the soggy pizza crust, the nub of chicken
in the gritty remains of its batter. Casey
rd.ca 101
reader’s digest
dragged me where the nose com-
manded, shoulders pumping. The
exquisite precision of his nose recalled
a hummingbird skimming a flower, yet
the prize it sought might be the bloody
feathers of a crushed pigeon or vomit
from someone’s drunken spree. No
relic of a living or once-living creature
was unpalatable to Casey.
PEDESTRIANS SWERVED
TO AVOID US; HAZARDS
LOOMED ON EVERY
BLOCK. AND CASEY
TRIED TO CHASE CARS.
When not engaged in the quest for
food, the nose evaluated spots for a pee.
Casey zipped across the sidewalk like a
daredevil driver cutting through three
lanes of traffic, and came to a lurching
stop at the hydrant summoning his
nose. There he checked the accretion
of canine pee that proclaimed to the
neighbourhood dogs, I was here! He
took his sweet time while a yellow riv-
ulet spilled over the sidewalk and into
the street. No matter how lavish the
spray, he always had pee in reserve for
the ritual known as marking.
I thought I knew what it meant to
walk my downtown neighbourhood.
Check out the movies playing at the
local theatre. Take note of a shoe sale,
a new wood-oven pizzeria. Eavesdrop
102 april 2023
on conversations. All the while setting
a pace, getting my exercise while my
mind floated free. Walking was my gate-
way to an inner world in which I chose
where to direct my attention.
Not with Casey. I veered between
meandering, waiting and a fair approx-
imation of a drunken shuffle, both
hands gripping the supposedly hands-
free leash that looped around my waist
(the dog walker’s equivalent of train-
ing wheels). Paul and I had a plan for
Casey’s walking, an hour a day from
each of us. Why had I worried about
Paul holding up his end, when I was
the slight one trying to stay on my feet?
Pedestrians swerved to avoid us;
hazards loomed on every block. Casey
tried to chase cars that looked wrong
for unfathomable reasons (just when I
thought it was only orange cabs that set
him off, he’d charge a black minivan).
And that was the easy part. Squirrels
sent him into warrior mode, with head-
turning ululations and acrobatic leaps
that nearly knocked me to the ground.
Before Casey, squirrels reminded me
adorably of Beatrix Potter’s Nutkin. Now
they seemed more like battle-hardened
ruffians on Game of Thrones, a tribe of
them always ready to burst from the
nearest sapling.
While flying at a squirrel I hadn’t seen
in time, Casey ran smack into a couple
of pedestrians. The woman flashed a
tolerant smile; the man scowled at me
over his shoulder. At the rate we were
going, someone might get hurt. Come
to think of it, my shoulder was hurting
already. I’d heard of strength training
for golf and skiing, but dog walking?
I checked my watch. Five more min-
utes and we’d finish the hour. We. The
right word for Casey and me on the
couch, gazing into each other’s eyes.
Out on the street there wasn’t any we.
Intellect against instinct, that’s what
there was, intellect being the loser. We
couldn’t make it home fast enough.
Just as I let my guard down, Casey
had a set-to in the lobby with a neigh-
bour’s Lab, Betsy, infamous for roving
the halls at night. Her owner looked us
both up and down, lip curled. “Rescue
dog?” To lighten the mood, I mentioned
Casey had spent his puppyhood in
prison. “You’re brave,” he said, pulling
Betsy away from my jailbird.
The elevator seemed to crawl to the
eighth floor. Casey ran to Paul’s arms
for some vigorous rubbing and the
question that cannot be asked less than
twice, with escalating volume: “Who’s
a good boy? Who’s a good boy?”
WE HAD A GOOD BOY, alright, but it soon
became clear that we’d both have to up
our walking game.
Paul got into trouble at St. James Park,
beloved for its gazebo and landscaped
gardens, when Casey had a noisy melt-
down over a squirrel. A tweedy codger
shook his finger at Paul. “That dog of
yours is a nuisance. Don’t you realize
some of us come here for a little peace
and quiet?” He pointed to a wisp of a
dog perched on its owner’s lap like a
stuffed toy on a satin pillow. “That’s
how a dog should behave. And until
your dog gets the message, I suggest
you keep him out of this park.”
The night after Casey was exiled from
the park, he lay on what we already
called “Casey’s couch,” twitching as he
snored. I ran my fingers along the cleft
in his skull, where his ginger fur dark-
ened to rust. I’d never know for sure
what Casey dreamed, but I figured a
squirrel was involved. Go, Casey, go.
Run the varmint down.
I TOLD THE DOG
TRAINER TO EXPECT
A SQUIRREL-CRAZED,
TRASH-CHOMPING
RESCUE MUTT.
A dog trainer, Laurie, soon paid us a
house call. She looked younger than
our daughter would be if we’d gotten
around to having one, but dog people
on Yelp said she knew her stuff. I’d
told her to expect a squirrel-crazed,
trash-chomping rescue mutt, billed
as a Lab/pug mix, although who could
say for sure?
Laurie was sure. “He’s all hound.”
With that pointy snout, he couldn’t be
anything else. And this explained a lot
about our would-be squirrel assassin.
Like every hound who ever chased prey,
rd.ca 103
The unlikeliness of
our comfort together
magnifies the joy of it.

Casey was designed for the task, with
a nose that ranks among the wonders
of the animal kingdom. His “squirrel
attacks,” as we called them, expressed
his greatest gift. Some dogs were born to
bark at strangers; ours was born to hunt
rodents. I figured we had the better deal.
I WASN’T GETTING
THROUGH TO CASEY,
THE TRAINER TOLD ME.
MY ENTREATIES WERE
MEANINGLESS NOISE.
Laurie put Casey through a few paces.
He sat, stayed, lay down as he had been
taught in prison—and as he’d do for us
if we learned to speak his language.
“You lucked out with this guy,” Laurie
said. “He wants to please.” He could
have fooled me, but Laurie was the pro.
The three of us took Casey to a free-
and-easy park where teens shoot hoops
and no one would get fussed about a
ruckus. The idea was for Laurie to watch
Casey do his worst, and as we neared
the first squirrel-inhabited tree he
rose—no, soared—to the occasion with
his full repertoire of sound effects while
I, the clueless human at the end of the
leash, stood and bleated, “Casey, stop!”
I half-hoped Laurie would exclaim
JAIME HOGGE
at his antics. If Casey had to raise hell,
let him be the loudest, most epically
acrobatic hellraiser she had yet seen.
reader’s digest
How many squirrel-chasing dogs do
back flips, then jump up to try again?
For him the leash did not exist, nor did
failure. Every squirrel was a promise
of victory. Casey was my Don Quixote
charging at windmills, my pratfalling
Buster Keaton.
Laurie watched the show with her
hands in the pockets of her hoodie;
she’d seen every move before. “Like I
said, all hound. You want his attention
on you, not the squirrel. That’s going to
be your challenge. So let’s get to work.”
The Lauries of this world don’t really
train dogs. They teach perplexed humans
to stop doing what doesn’t work and
acquire more constructive habits. Lau-
rie reminded me a little of Annette, our
couples’ counsellor back in the striving
years. Whatever long-forgotten muddle
we were in, she’d seen it all before.
How hard we’d worked with Annette
in her basement office with the pine-
panelled walls. How thoroughly we’d
prepped for every session. If she’d given
marks, we’d have aced her course.
“You’re remarkably well-matched,” she
once told us, peering through the enor-
mous glasses women wore in the days
of shoulder pads. “It’s a miracle that
you found each other.” Her version of
Laurie’s “You lucked out.”
With Annette, Paul and I tuned in to
the sometimes mystifying but basically
well-intentioned people we were at
heart. We were about to begin the cor-
responding process with a dog, who
had never forgotten a birthday, stormed
rd.ca 105
reader’s digest
out in a huff or blamed either of us for
a thing. Compared to making a mar-
riage, training a dog should be a snap.
I wasn’t getting through to Casey,
Laurie said. My entreaties were mean-
ingless noise, a sound soup of his name
and half-hearted marching orders.
Nature gave Casey a mission: slaugh-
tering creatures who, in his mind, had
no right to exist. To interrupt him, I’d
have to make some noise.
ANGER COULD
CONSUME HIM, BUT
UNLIKE ANY HUMAN
I’D KNOWN, CASEY
DIDN’T HOLD GRUDGES.
I had three options: whistling, shout-
ing or a vigorous hand clap. I never
learned to whistle, and clapping is no
good with gloves on. That left shouting.
As squirrel after squirrel romped by, I
tried to summon a respectable shout:
“Casey! Casey!” How could it be that
the name I loved to murmur was so
hard to shout with conviction?
Paul shook his head (in our class
of two he was the star). Shouting had
always come easily to him—too easily
for my liking, but with dogs it served
a purpose. “More authority,” he said.
“More volume.”
The authority part I could nail. At 65
I’d damned well earned the right to be
106 april 2023
a feisty old dame. I demanded refunds
with aplomb (and got them). I told wait
staff not to call me “dear” and sham-
bling 20-somethings to make room for
me on the sidewalk. I complained and
corrected with ease.
But nobody loves a woman who
shouts. In my childhood home it was
well understood that only my father
had the right to shout—and he could
erupt without warning. Sober, he
quoted Yeats to my sister and me at
bedtime. When we modelled new out-
fits, he would bow to us and ask, like
a gentleman from an old movie, “May
I have your telephone number?” (Tele-
phone: an old-fashioned word, even
circa 1960.)
But when he was drunk or hung-
over, the smallest thing could get him
going, like the double boiler for his
oatmeal. “What’s become of the
blasted thing? Is this any way to orga-
nize the kitchen cabinets?” The rest of
us would wake to a percussion band
of clatter. And I’d know in the pit of my
stomach that the day ahead was going
to be a stinker.
Fear had a sound: shouting. What I
feared was not so much my father’s
anger as my own. Because he was a
man—the man of the house, in the
language of those times—he got to
blow off steam. Because I was a girl, I
didn’t. I should keep my head down,
stay out of Daddy’s way, do my best
to placate this overgrown baby in the
guise of a man.
 Now I had Laurie’s permission to
shout. More than that, I had marching
orders. For Casey’s sake, I would learn
to let it rip.
AFTER OUR FIRST SESSION with Laurie,
I walked Casey with her voice in my
head. I practised shouting, “Hey!” when
Casey jumped into predator mode. The
pavement didn’t split and swallow me
up. I sounded loud and proud. Better
yet, Casey started to get it—not every
time or even half the time, but often
enough, especially if I followed “Hey!
Ca-a-a-SEY!” with a sharp tug on the
leash. Then the treat, then the neck
rub. “Good boy,” I would say, as Laurie
had taught me.
I was asking a lot of Casey. In the
presence of a squirrel, he was anger
incarnate. His eyes blazed; his hackles
rose. I thought hackles were only an
idiom until I saw the band of rage
down Casey’s back, where his fur is
darker and coarser. When they stiffen,
he looks bigger, more threatening, as
nature intended. He was an officer of
the laws of nature, determined to wipe
lesser creatures from the earth. One
squirrel affronted him; a bobble-headed
flock undid him.
Anger consumed him quickly but
vanished with the squirrel. Casey’s anger
had an urgent purity. Unlike any human
I’d known, he didn’t hold grudges. He
wouldn’t ruminate on what he could
have done to that squirrel if not for me,
the spoilsport clutching the leash.
Casey and I walked together as a
biped and a quadruped, an aging
woman and a young dog, a second-
guesser and a creature of impulse. One
who cleaned up, one who drooled on
the floor. One who compared recipes
for roasted Brussels sprouts, one who
had to be restrained from licking barf
off the sidewalk.
I WAS BEGINNING
TO UNDERSTAND
WHO WE WOULD BE
TO EACH OTHER:
WE WERE “US” NOW.
It was our differences that held my
attention, rather than the shared
pleasure of the outing. Casey had his
world, I had mine, and therefore I
didn’t think of him and me as “us.” But
before long I found myself speaking
of the places I shared with Casey—
our places, mine and his. The mural
where I posed him for a shot, the
park where we made friends with a
juggler practising his moves.
I was beginning to understand who
we would be to each other. We were Us
now, and it was enough. The unlikeli-
ness of our comfort together magnified
the joy of it. As long as squirrels roamed
the streets and parks of Toronto, there
would be passing bursts of anger that
didn’t change a thing. What we had, as
rd.ca 107
reader’s digest
a woman and a dog, underscored the
miracle of any two fallible beings, com-
mitted to opposing points of view, plant-
ing the stake in the ground that is Us.
Paul will be Paul, Rona will be Rona.
In the beginning came a you, a me. One
who slept late, and one who equated
purpose with rising early. One who left
the marriage when our son, Ben, was
a toddler, saying, “I never loved you”
(me, exhausted by my young marriage
and younger child), and one who said,
“It’s not over. Let’s try again.” One who
knew what things should be, and one
who didn’t get it (actually, that would
be both of us). From differences and
disappointments, we created Us. And
as Us, we brought Casey home.
IF I DIDN’T PICK HIS
FAVOURITE WALKING
ROUTE, IT WAS NO BIG
DEAL FOR A SIMPATICO
PAIR LIKE US.
Us-ness, once you’ve found it, can
accommodate a fair bit of tension. Some
days I couldn’t stop Casey from charging
at squirrels number one through 17, but
he calmed down by squirrel 99. With a
multitude of squirrels about, we always
had another chance. I arrived at a grudg-
ing respect for the squirrels, who would
stare Casey down with what looked to
my human eyes like amusement.
108 april 2023
Squirrel by squirrel, day by day, we
started to find our groove. We some-
times walked entire blocks without
incident, Casey’s tags clinking in time
with my steps and his leash vibrating
gently in my hand, now that I’d learned
not to grip it. He knew every variation
on our route. If I didn’t pick his favou-
rite, he would tug, as if to ask, “You’re
sure about this?” I was sure. A slight
disagreement on the route was no big
deal for a simpatico pair like us.
WE WERE RIPPING THROUGH our value
pack of poop bags. Casey was remark-
ably productive, often filling several
bags in a single walk. I didn’t mind,
though. Scooping gave me a chance
to do one thing right every day. And
the humble task literally grounded me.
It forced me to tend the cracked and
mottled sidewalk, the sodden leaves
at the edge of a walking trail. It was a
bondage I shared with all dog folk who
care enough to do the right thing. The
woman bending from her wheelchair
with practised caution, the elderly
walker favouring a bad knee. The young
parents exclaiming, as their toddler
scooped for the family dachshund,
“That’s it! Good girl!”
When I started walking Casey it was
early spring, when receding snow
exposed a winter’s worth of black-
ened excrement in every park. It
clumped at the rims of hedges and dot-
ted the sidewalks, a desiccated record
of human can’t-be-botheredness. So
 Paul and I agreed that we
would each walk Casey
for one hour a day.
many scofflaws about, making me a
target for those who hold dogs in
contempt. Some people hate dogs for
jumping, others for disturbing the peace
with their barking. What unites them
all is their loathing of poop.
I’d just disposed of Casey’s first of
the day when someone approached
us with an open Clive Cussler novel
in his hand and headphones blasting
cacophony into his ears. As he passed,
COURTESY OF RONA MAYNARD
he yelled over his shoulder, “I hope it’s
not your dog who just left his business
on the sidewalk! It’s a pox on the city!”
The last time I’d heard the word “pox”
used in the Shakespearean sense, I was
trying to ace an English course. Full
points to Mr. Multi-task for literary
flair, but his logic stung. He didn’t turn
his head when I called, “Not us!”
Us. Any scorn directed at Casey is
really directed at me. When you get
down to basics, I was scooping because
I loved him. I hoped my fellow humans
would look benevolently on him, or at
least not disdain him. Every time I bent
for Casey, I proved that Yeats was right:
“Love has pitched his mansion in/ The
place of excrement.”
I no longer missed walking with Paul.
Walking with a dog had distinct advan-
tages. If Casey took any notice of my
mood after a rough night’s sleep, he
showed no interest in what this meant
for him or when I might snap out of
it. He still sauntered beside me, ears
rd.ca 109
reader’s digest
sliding back to catch a rustle in the
grass no human could detect.
I didn’t have to earn the good cheer
enveloping us. Its engine was Casey’s
zest for the minutiae of his day—the
stained wall that must be peed upon
because no other wall compares, the
postal clerk who must be greeted for a
biscuit from her tin behind the coun-
ter. On Casey’s map of pleasures, I was
like the earth and the sky, reassuringly
present but not the focal point.
I KNEW WE HAD MET
A MILESTONE WHEN
I STOPPED CASEY’S
FULL-THROTTLED
SQUIRREL ATTACK.
As Laurie had taught me, I crossed
the street to dodge cats, darting tod-
dlers, unpredictable puppies—anything
that might flip Casey’s anger switch.
He took exception to dogs off-leash
(they made him feel insecure), dogs
with enormous furry heads (not dogs,
as far as he could tell) and a good many
large black dogs (who knows why?).
Meanwhile other dogs took exception
to him for similarly unfathomable rea-
sons. When I couldn’t remove Casey,
I’d distract him by throwing a handful
of treats about.
I knew we’d met a milestone when
Casey had a full-throttle squirrel attack
110 april 2023
close to where we’d first walked with
Laurie. Loud, proud and fast, I exe-
cuted my three-step routine: the shout,
the tug, the “Good boy.” Someone
waved, a professional dog walker whose
three charges were all sniffing the same
patch of grass. “Nice work!” she called.
How long had it been since I was asked,
“Who’s walking who?”
One day I had a brainwave: Us-ness
might serve a practical purpose. Casey
has the enviable canine gift for sleeping
anyplace he happens to be, from the
back seat of the car to a friend’s yard. I
have the human gift for rolling worries
around in my brain when all I crave
is sleep.
In the middle of a restless night, I
went looking for a soporific book and
found Casey zonked out on the TV
couch. He didn’t stir when I sat down
beside him to stroke the soft fur on his
neck. He exhaled, sinking deeper into
his rest. He sounded almost human,
but then every human sigh is mamma-
lian. Hey, Casey. Take me with you.
He’d left me just enough room to
curl up and make his firm, warm chest
my pillow. Unlike all other pillows
in my life, Casey’s chest expands with
his breath. His fur smells pungently of
himself. No matter what he’s kicked up
on our rambles or where he’s pushed
his snout, he smells exactly as he does.
My headful of niggles rose and fell
with Casey’s breath like a boat on a
calm sea. I didn’t yet know I was taking
liberties: a five-kilogram human head
is a not-inconsiderable burden for the
chest of a 14-kilogram dog, and any
dog hates to be confined. But Casey
was too far gone to throw me off right
away. He supported me for about five
breaths, enough to remind me how
deep and slow a breath can be.
I’ll never paint like Matisse or write
a poem like Emily Dickinson, but Casey
let me believe that I could sleep like
him, my personal master of the art.
For the sleep of my dreams, I’d gone
to extraordinary lengths. Bought a king-
sized mattress that adapts to my weight
and body temperature, its materials
developed by NASA. Followed a regi-
men of pre-bedtime baths and stretches.
Taken heavy-duty sleeping pills. Con-
sulted a sleep psychiatrist to help me
kick the pill habit and learn the rules
of “more efficient sleep.”
On a night of broken sleep not long
after Casey joined us, I found him
dead to the world on the couch. What
he knew about sleep no human could
teach me. Falling asleep, like falling in
love, is about letting go of expectations,
loosening your grip on control. I learned
this watching Casey.
Sprawled or curled nose to tail, eyes
shut or half open, he got the average
dog’s 12 to 14 hours a day. All I asked
was seven. With a little help from my
canine coach, I had become a whole
new sleeper.
It didn’t occur to me then that he
could coach me better if he were in the
bed, at my side. Roughly half of dog
people sleep with their animals, but
I’d made a rule—no dirty paws on our
300-thread-count sheets—and I was
sticking to it.
I returned to the bedroom, where
the sheets had cooled while I had been
hanging out with Casey. My side of the
bed looked like the shipwreck of my
night so far—a tangle of sheets, eye-
shades and layers of clothing added,
then subtracted, in my search for the
right body temperature. Paul’s side lay
untouched while he slept in his favou-
rite armchair.
I positioned myself on the neck-
cradling pillow I need to take with me
everywhere. The white-noise machine
whirred. I replayed the moment Casey
and I had just shared—his fur against
my cheek, his breath lifting me—until
I slipped into a dream of Us.
FROM THE BOOK STARTER DOG: A VIRTUAL INTRODUCTION,
BY RONA MAYNARD. COPYRIGHT © 2023, RONA MAYNARD.
PUBLISHED BY ECW PRESS. REPRODUCED BY ARRANGE-
MENT WITH THE PUBLISHER. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Welcome, Spring?
“Snow in April is abominable,”
said Anne. “Like a slap in the face when you
expected a kiss.”
L. M. MONTGOMERY IN ANNE OF INGLESIDE

rd.ca 111
reader’s digest

reader’s digest

BOOK CLUB

move over sci-fi—here comes cli-fi, or

climate fiction. Where the glory days
of mid-century science fiction were
fuelled by fears of nuclear war and
robot overlords, cli-fi focuses on the
havoc wrought by the very real threat
of climate change. And the pulse-
racing Birnam Wood, from Canada-
born, New Zealand–based author Elea-
nor Catton, is creepy cli-fi at its best.
The book takes place in 2017, as cli-
mate terror and predatory capitalism
converge in a web of conspiracy and
murder (the title fittingly comes from
an ominous prophecy in Macbeth). At
first blush, though, its premise doesn’t
sound much like a thriller.
Friends Mira and Shelley are the
founders of Birnam Wood, a guerilla
gardening collective in New Zealand
that surreptitiously plants crops next
to highways and on abandoned land.
A climate drama set in By chance, Mira meets Robert Lemoine,
New Zealand an American tech billionaire who tells
them he put down a deposit on a farm
in their country, where he plans to
BY Emily Landau build a luxury bunker for the apoca-
lypse, and offers them funding.

112 april 2023

 Of course, as these things tend to go,
the generous act is too good to be true.
To the Birnam Wood gardeners, Lem-
oine represents the possibility of trans-
forming their small-scale operation into
something that can change the way
society looks at land use. To Lemoine,
Birnam Wood is nothing but an exper-
iment in human behaviour. He’s the cat,
and the women are the toys on strings.
CATTON HAS PACKED
AN ERUDITE NOVEL
OF IDEAS INTO
A ROLLICKING
ECO-ESCAPADE.
A major inspiration for the novel is
the real-life controversy that arose a
few years back when Peter Thiel, the
American billionaire and co-founder
of PayPal, bought a large tract of land
on Lake Wanaka, an isolated region in
southern New Zealand. Shielded from
the elements and, presumably, the
apocalypse, the country has become
popular with doomsday-prepping plu-
tocrats seeking an escape at the end of
the world.
Thiel, for example, gained New Zea-
land citizenship—arguably to avoid
going through the real estate red
tape—and planned to build a mansion
into the hillside with a meditation pod
and a spa. (The proposal was officially
quashed in 2022, after a lengthy pro-
cess and public outcry.)
In her work, Catton is visibly wary of
wealthy foreigners coming to New Zea-
land and tapping its resources: her last
novel, 2013’s The Luminaries, was an
850-page Dickensian murder mystery
set during the country’s 19th-century
gold rush. At 28, Catton became the
youngest-ever winner of the prestigious
Booker Prize and later adapted The
Luminaries into an award-winning
miniseries for the BBC.
A decade after The Luminaries, she’s
packing an erudite novel of ideas into
a rollicking eco-escapade. The charac-
ters populating the book are amateur
philosophers who spout blistering
tirades and banter with the speed and
confidence of Aaron Sorkin creations.
They quarrel about whether capitalism
can be used for good, the respective
virtues of libertarianism and collectiv-
ism, and that ever-pressing question of
what it means to sell out.
The genius of Catton’s latest novel is
in its pacing. The first half builds delib-
erately, almost excruciatingly slowly,
as she sets up her characters and plots
like chess pieces. Then, suddenly, every-
thing happens at once, and it becomes
impossible to stop turning the pages.
Disparate stories collide in deliciously
surprising ways; endless talk gives way
to galloping action; and the tension
between Mira, Shelley and Lemoine
festers its way to a conclusion you
could never have expected.
rd.ca 113
reader’s digest
Labyrinth
Easy Which path do
you have to take to get
to the centre of the

labyrinth?
Student Scramble
Easy Sumi, Ada, Christa
and Bruno are new
students at the school
and their schedules have
gotten mixed up. They
remember some details
of their first class, but not
all and they’re running
late. Can you help by
listing each student’s
class and room number?
114 april 2023
BRAINTEASERS
LABYRINTH BY LOUIS-LUC BEAUDOIN; STUDENT SCRAMBLE BY BETH SHILLIBEER
1. The big windows in Room 201 make it
perfect for art class.
2. Biology and history are large classes, so they
are never held in smaller spaces like Room 110.
3. Ada remembers that her math classroom
number is higher than 106 but is not on the
second floor.
4. Sumi doesn’t remember her subject, but
definitely remembers it’s held in Room 115.
5. Christa can’t stand the smell of paint.
6. Bruno already knows Room 106 is not the
right one, because the biology teacher is there.
 Pic-a-Pix: Peeking
Medium Shade in groups of cells in
the grid below to reveal a picture. The
numbers to the left of each row and at 3 6 2 2 6 3
the top of each column tell you how
1 3 8 2 3 2 8 3 1 0
many cells in that row or
column to shade in, and 1 1
multiple numbers indi-
2 2
cate multiple sets. (For
example, “3” means 3 3
there will be three adja-
3 3
cent shaded cells, while
“4 2” indicates a group of 2 2
PIC-A-PIX: PEEKING BY DIANE BAHER; RABBIT RUN, REDUX BY DARREN RIGBY; GIMME FIVE BY FRASER SIMPSON

four followed by a group

3 3
of two.) The numbers
read in the same hori- 5
zontal or vertical order as
2 1 2
the groups appear, and
there must be at least 7
one empty cell between
4 4
each group.

Gimme Five
Difficult A pentomino is a tile made
Rabbit Run, Redux of five squares joined edge to edge.
Easy In a one kilometre race, the Divide this grid into five pentominoes,
tortoise moved at a steady one metre each containing the five letters A, B,
per minute the whole way. The hare C, D and E. The regions will not all
woke up late; started 26 minutes after have the same shape.
the tortoise; moved at 12 metres per
minute for 120 metres; called a cab A C A E B
and waited five minutes for it to arrive; C B D A C
was driven at 30 km/h to a point 180
metres from the finish line; took one A D E D B
minute to pay the driver; then B A B E C
resumed moving at his previous speed
to the finish line. Who won the race?
E D E C D

For answers, turn to PAGE 119

rd.ca 115
reader’s digest

11. What was the name

TRIVIA of John Lennon and Yoko
Ono’s fictional micro-
nation, which had a
BY Beth Shillibeer moment of silence as its
national anthem?

1. What skill did Tenoch
Huerta Mejía have to
learn for his role as ruler
of the underwater king-
dom in Black Panther:
Wakanda Forever?
2. A Flemish Giant
thumps through your
garden. What kind of
creature is it?
3. What 17th-century
book is often estimated
to be the bestselling
novel of all time?
4. What civic-observance
day, held every April,
attracts about one billion
participants in more than
190 countries?
5. Which Latin American
6. Which North American
city has a 42-year history
of supporting jazz music
with its annual interna-
tional festival?
7. Along which myelin-
covered infrastructure
does information travel
up to a speed of 430
kilometres per hour?
8. What flower grows up
to one metre in diameter
and is one of the official
state flowers of Indonesia?
9. Fog netting and harps
are useful for collecting
what resource in some
arid areas?
10. Dwarf star Lucy is
approximately 90 percent
12. What fake news inci-
dent of 1835 entailed
publishing “scientific
discoveries” of unicorns
and bipedal beavers
living in space?
13. Which 17th-century
French writer of maxims
wrote, “He who lives
without folly is not so
wise as he thinks”?
14. What running event,
typically held in April,
has raised more than a
billion pounds for charity
since its inception in
1981?
15. We share 99.9
percent of our DNA with
ISTOCK.COM/NECHAEV-KON

city is sinking faster than crystallized carbon, other humans. What

Venice, at 50 centimetres making it the largest percentage do we share
per year? known what? with bananas?

Moon Hoax. 13. François de La Rochefoucauld. 14. London Marathon. 15. About 60 percent.
7. The human nervous system. 8. Rafflesia. 9. Water. 10. Diamond. 11. Nutopia. 12. The Great
Answers: 1. Swimming. 2. A rabbit. 3. Don Quixote. 4. Earth Day. 5. Mexico City. 6. Montreal.

116 april 2023

 WORD POWER
9. prolix—
A: interested in lan-
guages. B: expressed
using too many words.
Our command of language has a profound C: poetic.
effect on how we live. Express yourself with
this month’s quiz featuring words related to 10. polemic—
A: clever rejoinder.
writing and speech.
B: verbal or written
attack. C: high praise.
BY Rob Lutes
11. palaver—
A: idle talk.
1. billingsgate— 5. dactyl— B: mumbled speech.
A: profane, abusive talk. A: metrical foot consist- C: flattering words.
B: administrative lan- ing of one stressed and
guage. C: controversial two unstressed syllables. 12. epistolary—relating
commentary. B: curved punctuation to: A: the writing of letters.
mark indicating some- B: scholarly writing.
2. folio— thing incorrect. C: religious writing.
A: cover page. B: sheet of C: spelling test.
paper folded once to form 13. turgid—
two leaves. C: dust jacket. 6. brogue— A: incisive. B: incoherent.
A: slang. B: bluster. C: tediously pompous.
3. bowdlerize— C: Irish or Scottish accent
A: embellish the truth. when speaking English. 14. epigrammatic—
B: remove text thought to A: concise and amusing.
be improper. 7. sententious— B: educational.
C: mischaracterize. A: preachy. B: traitorous. C: incomprehensible.
C: blasphemous.
4. idiomatic— 15. cant—
A: dull. B: devoid of 8. rostrum— A: self-deprecating talk.
emotion. C: expressing A: rude remark. B: dismissive talk.
things in a way that B: platform for a speech. C: insincere and sancti-
sounds natural. C: encyclopedia. monious talk.

rd.ca 117
reader’s digest

used the word “tenderly” 12. epistolary—A: relat-

WORD POWER to demonstrate a dactyl. ing to the writing of let-
ANSWERS ters; as, The couple had
6. brogue—C: Irish or an epistolary exchange
Scottish accent when over many years before
1. billingsgate—A: pro- speaking English; as, meeting in person.
fane, abusive talk; as, A Roslyn spoke with a
stream of billingsgate was charming brogue. 13. turgid—C: tediously
audible from the hall pompous; as, The young
during the fight. 7. sententious— student had trouble
A: preachy; as, The prin- understanding the turgid
2. folio—B: sheet of cipal’s sententious speech academic essay.
paper folded once to about child-rearing led
form two leaves; as, The many parents to leave the 14. epigrammatic—
16th-century songbook auditorium. A: concise and amusing;
contained 228 folios and as, Asako’s writing was
985 lyrics. 8. rostrum—B: platform rich in epigrammatic
for a speech; as, From the turns of phrase.
3. bowdlerize— rostrum, Audrey could see
B: remove text thought Samir in the crowd. 15. cant—C: insincere
to be improper; as, Jaime and sanctimonious talk;
bowdlerized his essay 9. prolix—B: expressed as, Tracy dreaded Mauro’s
before submitting it for using too many words; unending cant.
grading. as, Mr. Brenley’s lecture
was prolix and put some
4. idiomatic— of the kids to sleep. CROSSWORD
C: expressing things in a
way that sounds natural; 10. polemic—B: verbal or
ANSWERS
as, Jesper’s English was written attack; as, David
fluent and idiomatic, lead- published a polemic FROM PAGE 120

ing many to think it was against the mayor ahead A S C O T M A T T E

his first language. of election day. M O R P H I M H O T
E M O T E L I E T O
N E W S I D D E N
5. dactyl—A: metrical 11. palaver—A: idle talk; N O U V E A U
foot consisting of one as, Rather than a coher- B R U N S W I C K
A L O T R H Y S
stressed and two ent speech, the minister M A Y B E S M E L L
unstressed syllables; as, filled the hour with pala- F R A I L C A S I O
Professor Chigwidden ver about his vacation. M E L D S I N S E T

118 april 2023

BRAINTEASERS ANSWERS
SUDOKU
FROM PAGE 114
BY Jeff Widderich
Labyrinth

7 8 2 1 6
4
6 2 3
8 5
6 3 4 7
Student Scramble
Sumi has history in Room 115; 9 5
Ada has math in Room 110;
Christa has biology in Room 106; 9 8 1
and Bruno has art in Room 201.
2
Pic-a-Pix: Peeking 3 9 7 2 5
To Solve This Puzzle

Put a number from 1 to 9 in each

empty square so that:
Rabbit Run, Redux )every horizontal
The hare finished first, in 58.4
minutes—but was disqualified
row and vertical SOLUTION
column contains all
for taking a cab. nine numbers (1-9)
8 5 6 2 7 9 1 3 4
7 9 1 3 8 4 2 5 6
without repeating any 4 3 2 5 6 1 7 8 9
Gimme Five of them; 5 4 9 8 1 6 3 2 7
A C A E B 2 8 7 4 5 3 6 9 1
C B D A C )each of the out- 6 1 3 7 9 2 5 4 8
A D E D B lined 3 x 3 boxes has
3 2 8 6 4 7 9 1 5
B A B E C all nine numbers,
1 7 4 9 3 5 8 6 2
9 6 5 1 2 8 4 7 3
E D E C D none repeated.

rd.ca 119
reader’s digest

CROSSWORD

En français, s’il vous plaît

BY Derek Bowman

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 DOWN
1 “You said it!”
11 12 2 Just a few
3 Whisky produced in
13 14 Gimli, Manitoba
4 ___ out (decline)
15 16 17 18 5 Tarot card that’s said to
reflect happiness
19 20 21 6 Mr. Clean target
7 “Who ___ kidding?”
22 23 8 2008 film with an English
aristocrat
24 25 26
9 Trade show giveaway,
often
27 28 29
10 Prince Harry’s old school
30 31 17 ER hookups
20 Win at an auction
32 33 21 Male aviator
22 Loud, harsh sound
23 Media personality Jenner
or singer Minogue
ACROSS bilingual province 24 ___ radio (dash feature)
1 Fancy neckwear 22 See 19-Across 26 Space on a schedule
6 Photo finish 24 Bunches and bunches 28 Rapid transit in Chicago
11 Change (into) 25 The Tudors star Jonathan 29 Discovery Channel subj.
12 “Could someone crack ___ Meyers
open a window?” 27 “Possibly”
13 Be overly dramatic 29 Odour
14 Intentionally mislead 30 Brittle, flimsy
15 Shiny, perhaps 31 Calculator brand
16 NHL’s Crosby 32 Fuses
18 Lion’s lair 33 Map detail
19 With 22-Across, officially For answers, turn to PAGE 118

120 april 2023

“I know there’s
I can go anywhere and

“
no leakage
-Dolores

Boutique underwear. 8 oz of liquid.

The bladder leak underwear we deserve