Our Pink Thoughts

Mrs. Melvina Sullivan, Everyday Hero

2013-01-31T09:57:00.000-05:00

This is a portrait of my mother. She was not a famous person, not well known even, and fairly typical of her time and place. For the most part, she did what was expected of her, sometimes a little less. She was a baker of bread, cookies, and pies. She was a canner of berries, pickles, and jelly. She cleaned, cooked, gardened, tended livestock, and raised children. You might wonder, "Where is the heroism in all of that?" I would argue that my mother, like most rural women of her day, lived her ordinary life with great courage and strength.

Melvina "Vina" Sullivan was born Helena Melvina Phelan on February 12, 1925 in Morell, Prince Edward Island, the second youngest of twelve children. Her father Ambrose, a farmer, was the son of Irish Catholics. Her mother Melvina Stewart came from a long line of Scottish Protestants, a North American lineage that stretched back to some of the earliest settlers in New England, specifically to the Society of Friends (Quakers) in Nantucket.

Vina's early years would have been difficult. She was just 2 years old when her mother died from childbirth, leaving 8 boys and 3 girls in the care of their father, the youngest child having died along with his mother. Despite the sadness of her mother's absence and the grinding poverty of the 1930's, my mother talked about her childhood as if it were an adventure. She went barefoot all summer. She picked buckets full of blueberries along the railway tracks and sold them for a penny. She attended a one-room school where they used lead pencils and slates. She travelled for miles on foot, by horse and buggy, or by horse and sleigh.

By the time World War II began in 1939, my mother Vina was 14 years old. Most of her elder siblings were already grown and gone, and she had recently left school to look after her father's household. At age 16, Vina travelled to Charlottetown for the first time, a journey of 25 miles. She ate her very first orange. From there, she travelled on to Montreal to work as a nanny. She must have felt very lonely and out of place in this rich urban household. She did not remember the experience fondly.

Happier days awaited her in Toronto, where she joined her elder sisters Mary and Evelyn. It was 1942. Mary had a young and growing family, and Evelyn was newly-wed with a husband at war overseas. Vina settled in amongst her extended family and got a job in a factory.

By the time WWII ended in 1945, Vina was back in Prince Edward Island rooming with a girlfriend in Charlottetown. Now age 20, Vina was an apprentice hair dresser. Her early 20s appear to have been happy, filled with friends, dates, and dances.

In 1950, Vina met and married a farmer from Glenfinnan, Prince Edward Island, a rural community 10 miles from Charlottetown. My father, JD MacDonald, was part of a large extended family, whose ancestors had emigrated from

Scotland

's west coast in the late 1700's. They were proud Scots, and proud Catholics. The young couple set up house about 50 yards from JD's parent's home. Together they tended a large farm with about 20 dairy cattle, 15 beef cattle, and over 1000 poultry. Vina worked very hard. After 15 years had passed, their 2 bedroom household was bursting with 5 children (4 girls and 1 boy), one farmhand, and one married couple approaching middle-age.

Vina was 40 years old in June of 1965 when her husband JD was killed in an automobile accident. He died instantly. At the time, Vina's 5 children ranged in age from 14 years to 1 year. Everyone would have understood if she had fallen apart from shock and grief, but she didn’t. Vina spoke of how she had been able to accept her husband’s death as if this acceptance were a gift, a gift that allowed her to get on with the business of living. She had the support of an incredible rural community. Both she and JD had been very active in community affairs: Vina in the Catholic Women’s League and Home and School and JD in the School Board, Farmers’ Cooperative and Knights of Columbus. Family, friends, and neighbours rallied around Vina and her children. They were very generous with their time and effort in the months and years that followed.

Vina was a single mother from 1965 to 1970. She moved her young family off the farm. They settled 3 miles away in Johnson’s River. Vina established a hairdressing business in their basement. There was a Clover Farm across the road, a Catholic Church next door, and lots of neighbours within walking distance. Vina didn’t drive so all of this was much more than convenience. (Eventually Vina got her driver’s license, in 1970 at age 45.)

New Year’s Eve of 1969 marked the beginning of a new chapter in Vina’s life. She agreed to let her friends arrange a date for her that evening with Peter Sullivan, a well respected widower with 7 young children of his own (4 boys and 3 girls). Peter had a good job with the federal government in Charlottetown, and lived about 4 miles away in the community of Southport. Vina and Peter began a courtship in the early days of 1970. Six months later they were married in a quiet early morning ceremony. All 12 of their children were in attendance.

Wedding Breakfast, July 1970. Mr. and Mrs. Peter Sullivan and their 12 children.

At this point in Vina’s story, it’s difficult to separate her life from Peter’s. They were quite a team! All 12 children lived at home during the first year of their marriage. Vina delegated household chores like washing dishes, cleaning bathrooms, vacuuming, baking biscuits, and peeling vegetables among the children. There was even a schedule on the fridge. Peter did the grocery shopping; dollars were stretched, but meals were nutritious and filling. By the end of 1982, all of their children had graduated from high school. Five had already earned a university degree or technical diploma. Three were married. Vina and Peter were now 57 and 58 years old. They had 4 grandchildren. In another 3 or 4 years, their “nest” would be officially empty.

For the most part, Vina thoroughly enjoyed life in her 60s and 70s. She returned to hairdressing for a time as a hospital volunteer. She completed her grade 11 GED. She travelled on holiday with a friend to the UK and then to Florida. She also travelled to visit her siblings, her children, and her grandchildren. Day-to-day life with Peter was quiet and pleasant. Church was central to them, as were visits with their children and grandchildren, now 19 in number.

Vina and Peter had been married for 32 years when Peter died from illness at the age of 78 (November 2001). By this time, Vina was in the early stages of dementia. Her mental condition would deteriorate significantly over the next 3 years until her sudden death – from natural causes unrelated to dementia– at the age of 79 (November 2004).

Mrs. Melvina Sullivan was an everyday hero who dealt with life as best she could. She raised her children well. She supported her community. Many of us owe what we are today to rural women like my mother, courageous and enduring. Thanks Mom.

Written by by Rosemary MacDonald
Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Shooting for the Moon - One Production at a Time

2012-06-25T00:05:00.000-04:00

When Andrie Nel first became involved with theatre in high school, she knew she had found her passion in life. She dove in head first, scoring a role in every play her high school offered. Once graduated, the job market was calling and Andrie did not continue in theatre until her mid to late twenties. This time, her love of theatre blossomed even more and she became very passionately involved with several drama groups. In one year, she was doing up to nine plays, sometimes rehearsing three at one time.

She knew when she left the stage to raise a family that many years later she would come back to it. “I had plateaued and I didn’t mind stopping at that point. I said I would return, but I would return in a way that encourages kids [to learn drama]. “I only discovered in high school that I loved this,” she says. What might have happened if I discovered it earlier?”

With a family in the works, Andrie pursued her MBA and opened a business consulting firm that worked with the high tech sector. Andrie and her husband, who she met in theatre, took turns playing the role of the stay-at-home parent. “I knew I could be successful at the job and I enjoyed it for many years, but I also realized the assumed goal of being a president was not what I wanted to do,” she says. “I was not going to go where I was programmed to go.”

Out in the country, where Andrie was born and raised, there was not a lot in the way of formal drama training. In schools, children were limited to sports as an after-school activity and there were not many businesses nearby offering alternatives. While she pulled back work-wise, she quickly became involved with the school council and the community. It was there Andrie realized that the arts were severely underrepresented.

As the mother of two children with learning disabilities, it became obvious to her that there was no place for her kids – and others like them – to shine. Her notion of returning to the stage slowly turned into a reality, and in the capacity she had always dreamed. Andrie formed a drama club and put on several plays in the next year. The program grew too large for the school and Andrie’s hunger to have a drama program for kids from all across their rural town made moving into the Old Metcalfe Town Hall a logical choice.

Just Kiddin’ Theatre was born December 2006, out of Andrie’s fervent passion for theatre and the drive to deliver a quality dramatic arts program to kids of Ottawa’s rural south. It continues to thrive thanks to her dedication and the support of volunteers, parents and the children. Andrie does it all – runs the non-profit organization, writes, directs and produces the plays, and raises a family with three teenage daughters. “I have modeled to them that regular people can do this and nothing is out of reach for them.”

Andrie has always lived by the motto “Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you’ll land among the stars.” Andrie is living proof that those who pursue their dreams wholeheartedly will one day live them out. “It comes down to passion. If you’re passionate about it, listen to that passion and let it lead you there,” she says. “If you’re not passionate, then think twice, because then it is work.”

Keeping all of the balls in the air to run Just Kiddin’ may seem like grueling work. If you asked Andrie on any given day, she would agree, but with that comes many rewards. “It’s always the kids that keep me going – cliché but it is true. There are days when I am exhausted, but the enthusiasm and the innocence of the kids absorbing and doing their stuff energizes me,” she says. “It is self-sustainable because they bring as much energy back every time.”

Most days, Andrie feels she is living an ordinary life complete with its ups and downs but also feels like she has had a bit of an eccentric life. “I went against the grain. My husband and I traded traditional roles and I didn’t feel boxed in by mainstream thought,” she says. “If I only had the option to pass down one value to my kids it would be that. Just because other people do it doesn’t mean you have to. Don’t be afraid to take risks, challenge the norm and try new things. Nothing is a waste of time if you believe in it.”

Written by Daria Locke

Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Joanne Farley - "Never Turn Anyone Away"

2012-06-18T00:00:00.000-04:00

With a $5,000 donation and a dream, West Island Citizen was born in 1976 with the idea that a community takes care of its disadvantaged residents with no other reward than the good feeling of a job well done.

Thirty-five years later, the philosophy hasn’t changed but the organization sure has.

Funding has ballooned from the initial $5,000 to more than $500,000 annually and the number of protégés has jumped from 15 matches in its first year to approximately 400 today.

Citizen Advocacy’s conception can be attributed to a Winnipeg conference founder Joanne Farley attended in 1976 where she was inspired by Dr. W. Wolfensberger and his “people helping people” philosophy.

As the parent of an autistic and intellectually challenged son, Joanne had already spent more than 20 years championing the causes of people with intellectual and physical challenges in the West Island of Montreal when she decided to open the first Citizen Advocacy office in Quebec.

“She was strong, determined and nothing stood in the way of what she wanted,” said Mary Clare Tanguay, Joanne’s daughter and current Director of Citizen Advocacy.

When Paul was born in 1950 and later diagnosed with autism, a term unfamiliar at that time, it pushed her to spend the next four decades creating educational, recreational, and housing programs for the handicapped.

In addition to helping establish the first special education program in Quebec with the Baldwin Cartier School Board, Joanne sat on the board of the West Island Association for the Intellectually Handicapped and helped raise funds to get the Gary Taylor Centre built.

If that weren’t enough, she helped establish a summer camp for the intellectually handicapped at Camp Kinkora and she was involved in the development of the Lakeshore Vocational Project which provided jobs with local employers for the intellectually handicapped.

In 1985 WICA launched a housing project called the Church Apartment Program designed to provide supervised housing for people experiencing mental health problems. CAP provides shelter for 42 residents in the community as well as in two apartment complexes called Heron House and Farley House.

The primary mandate is to recruit, screen, match and follow up volunteers with disadvantaged people in the community. It could include the intellectually and physically challenged, people experiencing mental health problems, and seniors.

Mrs. Farley’s philanthropic efforts have not gone unnoticed. She was awarded the Order of Canada in 2004, which was hand-delivered to her Pointe-Claire residence by then-Governor General Adrienne Clarkson.

“It was her philosophy to never turn anyone away,” said Mary Clare.

That philosophy has carried Citizen Advocacy into the year 2011 and counts almost 400 active matches, 350 volunteer advocates and almost 500 protégés.

Written by Marla Newhook
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Stand in Your Power

2012-06-11T11:14:00.000-04:00

If there’s one piece of advice that Louise Pitre can offer Canadian women, it is “Stand in your power.”

The phrase may seem short and simple, but its message hardly lacks impact. As the Executive Director at Sexual Assault Centre London in London, Ontario, Louise has spent more than six years heading the organization, which provides a safe place for all victims of sexual violence and harassment. Offering a multitude of services, including a 24-hour crisis and support line, individual and group counselling, and public education and training, the women who make up SACL envision a world without sexual violence.

Fifty-one percent of all Canadian women have experienced at least one incident of sexual or physical violence. This sobering fact is what moves SACL’s staff and volunteers to change the stories of the men, women and children in the community.

“The work we do is important because when you have been sexually assaulted, you have been violated at your core,” says Louise. “It harms your spirit, your body, your soul. The healing journey becomes important because we want women and girls to be able to live to their full potential. If you carry that trauma forever and do not address it, there isn't that opportunity, and it can shatter lives."

SACL serves close to three thousand clients every year through their many services. This includes accompanying clients to the hospital or police, counselling, or offering assistance through the crisis phone line.

SACL has two full-time counsellors who provide free, confidential, non-judgmental counselling services. Heather Fredin started as a volunteer seventeen years ago and now dedicates her professional life to helping victims on their healing journey as a counsellor. Heather explains that a lot of women who come to SACL are coming for trauma they have experienced as a child.

“I hear women come in, and they say that their friends or their family will say to them 'just get over it'. It is really minimizing the impact of that abuse,” she says. “I don't know why we still get stuck around this issue of why it’s wrong to take care of yourself if you notice things are surfacing from your past.”

Heather believes that allowing yourself to get help is a huge step.

“Physical and sexual abuse is a really traumatic experience, and if you don't get support, it can hang around. Any time is a good time to get support.”

Louise stresses that her beliefs in feminism are in line with what SACL does, and that those ideals are essential to the message of the organization.

"I think feminism is a way of seeing the world that allows us to recognize that the way in which women, men, girls and boys have been socialized are different,” says Louise. “Because they're different, our gender impacts the levels of power, the access to privilege we may have. It also contributes to the vulnerability. We need to change attitudes in our society about women, about sexism in working towards equality.”

Although Louise feels women have made progress, she feels a lot more work has to be done.

“I tell my 18-year-old daughter and 15-year-old son, especially my daughter that just so you know, if what’s happening in our home with allowance were applied to the real world, you would get 70% of what your brother gets."

Louise also thinks there has to be support in other areas in order for these issues to be properly addressed.

“There has to be a lot of goodwill from the governments. We have made progress, and we will continue to make progress, but there is a lot of hard work to get there.” Although SACL does primarily see more women coming through their doors, they also provide a safe place for men to share their stories of trauma. Heather Fredin believes that it is essential to recognize that sexual violence can happen to men and boys as well. “There are different pressures on men and boys regarding being silent around that issue. I'm glad we're talking about it happening to boys,” she says. “I would like to see us do more work with men and boys. I think that’s an important piece of it.”

Louise says that a big part of getting people involved in the issues and raising awareness is through youth engagement. She has created and been a part of several initiatives which help youth become more involved with the organization.

“Our youth mobilization group engages youth. We are also launching a website very soon called ‘Be the Revolution’, and we just completed a participatory action research project called ‘Girls Helping Girls,’” she explains. “We had over thirty young women involved in that initiative about building leadership capacity.”

Louise believes that there is a lot of negative stigma about youth involvement in our society, and she takes pride in providing a place for youth to let their voices be heard. She thinks that an important part of being the leader of an agency means that opportunities for youth must be optimized in order to spread the message.

“We often hear comments that youth are not engaged,” she explains. “I don't believe that to be true. I believe youth care deeply about their community, and they care deeply about these issues, and they want an opportunity to be involved.”

SACL believes that there are little things everyone can do to stop sexual violence, and that recognizing the role everyone has is essential to ending that sexual violence.

“People need to recognize that sexual violence exists. When they are in a situation where it’s happening, they need to find safe ways to stop it, or they need to find ways to refer that person to the help that they might need,” she says. “When a survivor discloses to us, we can believe that person. Just doing that creates safety. We can tell our friend at the bar trying to take a woman home who's drunk that that’s not cool. We can stop downloading music full of sexism that hurts women. We can stop watching TV shows that are full of sexism.”

The women of SACL also shed light on the fact that the people who are affected by sexual violence are not the only ones who suffer as a result.

“This issue affects all of us. It is not limited to the women who walk through this door. It’s our sisters. It’s our daughters, our brothers, sons, grandmothers, aunts.”

As for Louise’s advice, she believes that motivating a woman to stand in her power is a message that relates to all women. She promotes the idea that women are resilient, and encourages people on a daily basis to be everything they can and fulfill their potential. The messages of positivity that the women of SACL provide are meant to empower their clients, and the community.

“The women we work with are fantastic,” says Heather.

Louise is proud of the work she does and the response from the community, feeling support from a number of sectors. She appreciates that support and feels it adds to the success of SACL. She believes that the work that has been done at SACL has saved lives, and if SACL did not exist, there would be a large void and a longer journey for people to obtain the help that they need in order to survive.

“As one client said to me – ‘If SACL were not here, I may not be here’,” Louise recalls.

Perhaps the most inspiring thing Louise adds is the reason why she dedicates her life to helping people.

“I do this every day because I want a better world for my daughter and for my son. Creating a world without sexual violence is about creating a world free of violence, a world of peace,” she says. “My daughter deserves not to be raped, and not to be made into a sexual object. My son deserves that as well. He deserves to be a sweet, kind man without being ridiculed. That matters to me.”

Written by Cassie Dowse
Edited by KristineScarrow

Published by Catherine Brindey

A Year of Achievements

2012-06-04T00:00:00.000-04:00

Her name, Iniskimaki, given by Elder Tom Crane Bear of the Blackfoot Siksika Nation, means Sacred Buffalo Stone Woman.

Iniskimaki, better known to the Durham College community as Janice Tanton, graduated from the Graphic Design program in 1985 and went on to become an entrepreneur. Tanton has had her artwork displayed with more than 800 galleries and retailers and has licensed her work for collector plates and clothing for Northern Reflections. At first she found it difficult for her art to be pure creation and still appeal to the demands of the market.

“That raw sensibility and passion of the soul finds its way through a work to a viewer and moves him or her,” says Tanton. “If you are creating for any other reason, you’re in the wrong line of work.”

In addition to being an artist, Tanton also works as program manager for Aboriginal Leadership and Management Development at The Banff Centre. It’s been a busy year for her. She designed Buffalo Lodge, a teepee, for the centre’s 75th anniversary. Governor General Michaëlle Jean attended the traditional transfer ceremony. Tanton also received her Blackfoot name and was part of the Indigenous Deep Listening Project, performing and exhibiting her artwork with her son at the World Indigenous Peoples’ Conference on Education in Melbourne, Australia. She also received an Alumna of Distinction award from Durham College.

When not busy at work or in the studio, she spends considerable time mentoring artists of all experience levels, just as acclaimed wildlife painter Glen Loates mentored her. Tanton also spends time with her children ages four to 16, is involved with their sports, and helps with community organizations.

“I look forward to what exciting opportunities might come in the next few years to allow me to use my gifts for the benefit of mankind. I find that very rewarding.”

http://www.janicetanton.ca/

Written by Alyscia Sutch

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

What Inspires You?

2012-05-28T00:00:00.000-04:00

Imagine a leader. In your head. Or draw it out on paper. Describe them. Is this person a man? Or is this person a woman?

For me, that person is a woman. A woman who is extremely knowledgeable in her field. One who leads by example, and one who makes a difference in people’s lives. I would like to celebrate the success of one of my professors who has shown us what it means to be a leader, and what a good leader is capable of.

Marilyn Laiken, PhD, has accumulated numerous accomplishments throughout her career. She has been serving consulting clients since 1975, and is a Professor Emeritus at the University of Toronto’s Ontario Institute for Studies in Education (OISE). In fact, she was the Chair of the Department of Adult Education and Counselling Psychology at OISE, and is still the Director of the Certificate Programs in Adult Training and Development, and Leadership Coaching for the Workplace. Marilyn has published numerous journal papers and authored several books, including “The Anatomy of High Performing Teams: A Leader’s Handbook”.

Despite all her success and accomplishments, many of which are not listed here, she is an ordinary woman who is not so ordinary in her own ways. She showed all of us that women can be great leaders. I can say that of all the teachers I have had throughout the years, she has had the greatest impact on me.

I had the fortunate experience of being in one of her classes last year, and it was an extremely memorable experience. Each and every single one of us in her class learned a lot about ourselves and each other. With Marilyn’s help we learned how to work through problems together. We also learned how to make ourselves become a better leader.

Marilyn was so calm and so patient with everything and everyone. She would always make sure each of us was comfortable, right down to the tiniest detail, such as food preferences. She led by example the entire time and taught us the gracious way to handle problems and find solutions. “Seek first to understand, then to be understood.”

Every person’s picture of a leader is different. To me, the greatest quality of a leader is being able to inspire others. Inspiring is defined as “to prompt or instigate by influence, without avowal of responsibility”. And Marilyn does exactly that. She naturally fills her students with a feeling of trust and confidence.

I know this because I’m not the only one who thought so. As one of my classmates, Sharon, said, “Marilyn Laiken is an inspirational role model: she encouraged her students to be open, patient and respectful with each other, and she exhibited those very qualities in every class and in all correspondences. She is a teacher who practices what she preaches, someone who truly exemplifies what a good leader and role model should be.”

There are a lot of things Marilyn can be called: a great mother, a great Department Chair, and a great Director. The list goes on. But to me, and many of us, she is a great teacher, and most of all, a great leader.

Thank you, Marilyn, for making our classroom a peaceful and growth enhancing place.

Written by Queenie Cheung
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Love Koduah - Fueled by Passion

2012-05-21T00:00:00.000-04:00

In 1976 Love Koduah left her native country of Ghana for a better life in Canada. Life was not easy when she first arrived. Her degree in psychology and years of teaching elementary school back home did not lead to many career options in Canada. Having to support herself and her daughter, Love took up factory jobs making as little as $2.35 an hour at times.

Ten years after she first arrived and fueled by her passion to help people, Love went back to school. Love attended George Brown College and earned both a Community Service Worker and Human Services Counsellor Diploma. She graduated with honours in both programs. “My past experience and maturity really helped me to excel,” she says. Yet it wasn’t easy getting a job after graduation. “Peers that looked to me for help during school were getting jobs before I was.”

Refusing to be discouraged, Love volunteered and took contract work wherever she could find it. Love became Chairperson of the Firgrove Resident Association in Toronto. The Organization worked in conjunction with the Jane and Finch Community Ministry to help community members get in touch with needed resources. The operation was funded by the United Church of Canada. Love’s hard work and perseverance paid off when she started to land several jobs in her field. One of her first jobs was at the Black Creek Community Health Centre where she was contracted to co-ordinate parenting workshops.

In 1996 Love joined the Rexdale Women’s Centre as a Multicultural Settlement Worker. As a settlement worker, Love aids newcomers and immigrants in getting in touch with needed resources such as employment information, housing, child care, English and legal services. Her work has also enabled her to aid in community workshops such as ‘Eating for two’ that provides prenatal care and nutritional information to expectant mothers.

Love Koduah has been recognized with several awards throughout her career. In 1995 she won the New Pioneers. The honour is given out by the city of Toronto in celebration of the achievements of immigrants and refugees. Love has also received the Black History Award from the City of Toronto for community services and was most recently honoured with the Ghanaian Women’s Courage Award in 2010. Love Koduah still works at the Rexdale Women’s Centre and says the best part of her job is helping people become independent. “Sometimes just listening to people and what they have to say helps a lot,” she says.

The hardest part of her job she says is getting people to release personal information. “In order to keep getting government funding for our programs and workshops we have to collect private information which people are usually afraid or hesitant to give out.”

And how did being a Black female immigrant affect her Canadian experience? “It didn’t make it easier and I don’t think it made it harder. I’m just glad that I can help people no matter if they’re a newcomer or have lived in Canada all their lives. No one is ever turned away.” Love’s other accomplishments include residing as the Queen of the Ashanti Multicultural Association in Toronto (1994-2001) as well as co-founder of the High Society Ghanaian Women’s Group.

Written by Natalie Frimpong
Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Babies Naturally

2012-05-14T00:00:00.000-04:00

Carol Peat knows the strength of a woman. She has witnessed it many times during the past 20 years. With Carol’s gentle guidance and support, hundreds of women have discovered the strength within themselves to become mothers, giving birth unmedicated and listening to their own bodies and babies.

As a labour support provider and lactation counsellor based in London, Ontario, Carol provides care for mothers, babies and families through pregnancy, birth and beyond. In hospital or at home, from the moment she gets the call, Carol is there for every contraction and is ready with encouraging words, tips for positioning, a gentle touch, or suggestions for how the mother’s support person can be the best support possible.

“It is an honour to witness a mom’s strength, because most of my clients go completely unmedicated. To see the strength of the mom and her continuous connection with her baby is an absolute honour that never gets old,” says Carol.

Carol herself is a mother of three, ages 16, 18 and 21. When her first daughter was born, the birth experience was not what Carol hoped for, so she decided that she wanted to provide support to other women so they would have a wonderful and rewarding birth experience. Carol wishes to restore old traditions to empower families and allow them to have the best birth possible. To that end, Carol directs Babies Naturally with a team of practitioners specializing in childbirth education, labour support, lactation support and parenting classes.

One family paid tribute to Carol on the Babies Naturally website:

Carol helped me welcome all three of my children into the world. I cannot imagine how different (and probably not as pleasant) my birth stories would be without her. She has cried with me, laughed with me, and jumped for joy with me. I have leaned on her, stared at her, yelled at her, chatted endlessly on the phone with her. She has given me a foot massage, helped me handle castor oil, introduced me to babywearing (my best parenting decision by far), kept me in shape, and helped me figure out nursing, bundling, diapering, bathing and endless other baby details. She is a birth and baby goddess.

My husband is one of her biggest advocates as well and tells every co-worker or friend to head her way. He believes that hiring Carol was the best decision we made concerning any birth/baby purchase or choice.

Even though they are now 11, 8 and 6 years old, I still call Carol a friend, and I am grateful to her husband and her children for sharing her with my family. I am forever indebted to her for her time, her energy, her enthusiasm and the sharing of her soul.

By having a positive birth experience, women and their partners can focus their energy on caring for and bonding with their baby, rather than on healing from the trauma of their birth. To have the best birth possible, Carol advises women to know their bodies, their birthing options and to advocate for their baby. “One woman at a time, one family at a time” is her motto.

Of the hundreds of births Carol has attended, just a small fraction of them have resulted in a c-section, and most of the women have opted for a natural birth, without medication. “Education is the key, since most women do not have a sense of how their bodies work, starting as girls through to womanhood,” says Carol, who often speaks to high school girls about the importance of knowing their bodies so, amongst other things, they may have a positive birth experience in the future.

For thousands of years, women have given birth outside of a hospital with the support of other women, and women around the world still birth this way. Carol encourages women to move beyond the fear of childbirth and realize that it is a natural process. “Our bodies were designed to give birth,” Carol points out. “We’ve fallen into an obstetrical belief system where everything needs to be managed. There is no vitality to being hooked up to a machine. The vitality comes from a hand on your shoulder or a hug. Or being able to feed off of someone else’s energy when you need it, rather than sitting and staring at a monitor.”

Carol and her team have lobbied the government to setup stand alone midwifery-led birth centres. Birth centres would allow women to have safe, normal deliveries within their communities and outside of hospitals, away from infectious diseases with a decreased need for interventions, such as c-sections.

According to the Ontario Midwives website, the c-section rate is at an all-time high, with nearly 1 in 3 women in Ontario delivering this way. The World Health Organization recommends the rate be 15%. By providing major surgery such as c-sections at such a high rate, it is costing the Ontario health care system $100 million per year. In contrast, the rate of c-sections for women in midwifery care is half the provincial average, according to the site.

With Carol and her team lending their support to mothers through pregnancy, childbirth and into parenthood, it is clear the babies within their care are getting the best start in life. “To welcome these new souls into the world, and to be one of the first people to meet them and witness a miracle is such an honour,” says Carol.

Babies Naturally can be found at http://www.babiesnaturally.ca/ or you can “like” them on Facebook.

To find out about the “Ontario Needs Birth Centres” campaign, please visit the Ontario Midwives website at http://www.ontariomidwives.ca/support/centres.

Written by Elayne Linn

Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

You Haven’t Been Forgotten

2012-05-07T00:02:00.000-04:00

On May eighteenth of this year, the Serbian children of Orahovac and Brestovik, two small towns in Kosovo and Metohija, received an unimaginable gift: a playground equipped with swings, slides, and teeter-totters. The playground in Orahovac hides behind a concrete-wired wall erected to protect the Serbian minority that refuses to leave a town embroiled in ethnic conflict.

Radmila Micic, a Serbian-Canadian, has been visiting Orahovac and other communities in Kosovo and Metohija for several years now, bringing financial aid and assistance to Serbian families. Installing playground equipment in impoverished and war-ravaged areas was an entirely new project for Radmila. The project, she explains, was inspired by a conversation she had with Ljiljana Radic, a schoolteacher in Orahovac, who said “my children do not know what a slide is.” It was saddening for Radmila to think that the children could not conceive of the idea of a playground. She says, “Children need to feel like children. I could not see the fun and joy of childhood in a place surrounded with walls and wires.” Initially hoping to install a playground only in Orahovac, with the assistance of the Saint Sava Serbian Language School and many other generous sponsors, enough money was raised for a playground in Brestovik as well.

Radmila’s humanitarian efforts stretch back almost twenty years. Shortly after arriving to Canada in 1989, Radmila began fundraising for Serbian people in 1992 during the Yugoslav Wars. For the past eight years, her efforts have been concentrated on the children of Kosovo and Metohija, a group that she recognizes as in most need of assistance. “I believe that if children feel that they are loved by someone other than their parents, they will be better people because they know that love and goodness exist. They will in turn learn to give and help others.”

In 2006, twenty disadvantaged Serbian youth from Kosovo were able to come on an eleven-day trip to Canada. They received dental care and visited some of Canada’s most notable landmarks and attractions: the CN Tower, Niagara Falls, and Canada’s Wonderland. Radmila and many other volunteers channeled their creative energy into theatrical performances in order to raise the money needed to sponsor the trip. The volunteer group of actors created and acted in short plays depicting the many struggles of Serbian families in Kosovo and Metohija. The shows continue to run twice a year, raising awareness and alerting others about the financial needs of Serbian families.

At least once a year, financial aid is delivered to families and children in Kosovo and Metohija. Radmila herself takes the journey to ensure that the funds are distributed to the proper recipients. She stays at the homes of Serbian families and partakes in their daily activities. For her, “It’s an opportunity to live their lives…to share their fears.” It is these direct experiences that motivate her to continue fundraising for victims of ethnic and international wars in Kosovo and Metohija. “These children need so little for a better tomorrow. I believe we can all contribute a little for that benefit.”

Written by Nikolina Postic
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

End-of-Life Sherpa

2012-04-30T00:00:00.000-04:00

An under-the-radar Canadian woman: a brief profile of Catherine (Kit) Martin, RN CHPCN(C)

Her hair was tied into a thick braid, draped over the front of her left shoulder and reaching her waist. The silver colour of it contrasted against her black turtleneck. She had a PowerPoint presentation; the projector aimed at the wall.

None of us expected that a collection of slides and a few hours would forever change us.

“Will someone let me know when we get to our break time?” she asked. “I tend to go over the time that’s given me,” she explained. Several said yes. They didn’t.

Her name is Kit (Catherine) Martin, a Palliative Care Nurse Consultant and Educator. She was there to talk about family dynamics around palliative, end-of-life care.

When she left the room two hours later, many of us wrestled with new concepts she slipped into the folds of our brain: a comfortable death; that there is no such thing as closure; and the strange, sad and wonderful things that families do when one of their own is dying.

She told us of a woman who demanded that her mother be allowed out of bed to sit in the lobby for a while. Although moving the mother from a bed to a wheelchair risked breaking bones, Kit supported the woman’s desire. “How can we do this?” she asked the woman. Tension. It seemed there wasn’t a solution. Then came the idea to move the bed with the mother in it. A happy moment.

During the break many of us, feeling moved and somehow changed, shared our impressions about the impact of Kit’s session. If you ask her, she’ll deflect, saying she didn’t do anything special, that she was just teaching people what they need to know.

Palliative care is all about “living a good life until your very last breath, allowing you to live fully until you die,” says Kit. Her entire career has been a mix of caring for the dying and teaching others how to think about and care for them as well.

Kit graduated from Toronto’s Women’s College Hospital nursing school in 1963, back when it was illegal to sit with a patient, back when she was threatened with disciplinary action for ‘conduct unbecoming’ for giving a dying patient a hug. The patient, about Kit’s age, had just been told there was nothing more to be done and he should go home to put his affairs in order. Kit was in the room. Her first mistake was to sit on the bed. Her second was to open her arms to hold him. Conduct unbecoming: she beat the charge.

As a student, she witnessed a physician at Women’s College Hospital model end-of-life care: “She was the only doctor I saw who sat with the patient, asking: What can I do for you today? What do you want? What’s most important to you today? That has stayed with me. I just adored her. Years later, I looked her up and took her to lunch to tell her how important she was to me. She just smiled and said, “People are important, aren’t they?”

Kit’s teaching about palliative and end-of-life care started one evening at dinner. “I grumbled that the health care system didn’t know how to care for people who were dying and what needed to be done. My son said, so do something about it.”

And she did. She developed a course and program for health professionals and care providers and delivered it to staff in long-term care facilities where it’s keenly needed. People tell her, “I was in your class” or “I attended your talk and I’ve tried a few of the things you suggested. I want you to know that it’s helping.”

Along the way, she launched the Palliative Care unit at Toronto’s Baycrest Centre and helped create the designation exam for Certified Hospice Palliative Care Nurse in Canada.

Kit says “Patients have told me, taught me what they need so that I can teach others. That’s the gift they give: a greater understanding of living until we die and of ourself along the way.”

Written by Frances Share

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Please support those in need.

Visit Hill House Hospice, York Region's only residential hospice. To make a donation Click here

My Journey

2012-04-23T01:40:00.001-04:00

As part of our new Survivor column and in honour of National Organ and Tissue Donor Awareness Week (April 22^nd to 28^th) we are pleased to publish an inspiring story written by Jessica Penman 30, of Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. Jessica is currently waiting for a life saving organ transplant.

When I was sixteen, I like everyone else my age, was excited to get my driver’s license. When it finally arrived in the mail I remember feeling like an "adult". I opened the envelope and there it was, my new license and an organ donation consent card. I signed the organ donation consent card immediately knowing it was the right thing to do, and the first real important decision I would make as a young adult. I had no idea that fifteen years later I would be put on an organ transplant waiting list, waiting for a transplant to save my life.

My story is not meant to entertain and certainly not for the sake of anyone’s pity. It about a journey that I have begun, without asking to participate in, one that I hope to finish. This journey is also about helping to inform and educate as many people along the way as I can about the importance of registering to be an organ donor.

17 months ago I was working for my family in Niagara on the Lake, Ontario. I was a typical 29 year old, or so I thought. I worked, I went out, and I spent time with friends. I started to notice that I wasn’t like everyone else. I liked to work as little as possible, go out as much as possible and consequently I began burning the candle at both ends of the stick.

Now, this part of my journey is truly tragic: a smart, charming, talented young women hits rock bottom! Why? Because I never thought that I was any of those things. All I saw was ugliness, failure and disappointment. I thought that was all that I was destined to be. People labeled me as a party girl, so that’s what I became. But like I said, I’m not looking for sympathy or pity. My past is what brought me to where I am now.

On Aug. 17, 2010 I was admitted to the St. Catharine’s Intensive Care Unit with End Stage Liver Failure. I was immediately given three blood transfusions as my body had ceased making its own. I was jaundiced and could no longer walk from muscle mass deterioration. I lost so much weight, 60 pounds. My body could no longer support itself. I had nerve damage in my feet, legs, hands and my arms up to my elbows - I had no feeling in the limbs of my body. My family was told I had less than two weeks to live. They started to put my final affairs in order and they waited - waited for me to die.

Miraculously ten days later I started to improve. Just a little, but enough. I spent the next 3 months in the hospital. I couldn’t walk, feed myself, go to the washroom, write or even dial the phone. When I was finally released I was told I needed a liver transplant and would be put on a waiting list. I was also informed that every three days someone dies waiting for the organs they so desperately need to survive simply because they just aren’t available. I was devastated and I was terrified. That’s when I made my decision. I would not give up without a fight!

When I got home I was determined to turn my life around, make the most of it. I forced myself daily to learn how to walk again. I practiced writing the alphabet over and over again until I could hold a pen and finally sign my own name. It was a daily battle to become independent again, but I refused to give up.

Today, I am happy and grateful to be alive. I am still waiting for a life saving transplant. I carry a pager with me everywhere I go in case a liver becomes available. This journey has taught me so much but most of all this journey has let me become the woman I never thought I could be.

I am so blessed to have been given a second chance whether I get my transplant or not. I have learned how wonderful life can be. I see the good in people, I witness the love and compassion this world has to offer. I live life to the fullest; as much as my doctors will allow. I also count my blessings everyday that I am well enough to speak on behalf of the many people waiting for transplants that are unable to speak. I use my voice to help raise awareness on the importance of registering online to be an organ donor. I help put a face to the numbers we all “hear” about.

One organ donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of 75 others through organ and tissue donation. I wouldn’t be alive today if someone in Ontario hadn’t taken the time to donate blood for my transfusions. Through educating, I inform Canadians that people like myself don’t need to wait for someone to pass away to receive a liver transplant. Only a portion of a matching living donor’s liver is needed for a successful transplant. (My dad was the match in my family, he died of liver failure). People with an “O” blood type, like myself can wait up to seven times longer than people with other blood types needing a transplant. My hope is to raise awareness so that no one dies waiting for a transplant.

I never in a million years thought I would be thirty and waiting for a life saving transplant. This journey has shown me what a blessing it is to be alive. I am a sister, a daughter and a friend. Today I know that I am a smart, charming, beautiful talented woman who is happy to be who I am. I am happy even with all the scars of my past, and hopefully a “new” scar in the near future.

This story isn’t for me; it’s for all of us waiting for transplants. The young, the old, the mothers, the fathers, the daughters, the sons, the sisters and the brothers. For all the friends I’ve met along the way who, just as I much as I do, want a chance to live.

Written by Jessica Penman

Please help Jessica reach her goal of receiving 1000 registered consent forms, as part of the Gift of 8 Movement, by registering your own organ donation consent at:

Beadonor.ca/jessica-penman

www.giftoflife.on.ca

www.beadonor.ca
www.lifedonationawareness.com

Francesca Imbrogno: Small Acts with a Big Heart

2012-04-16T00:00:00.000-04:00

“I have met amazing people, and feel blessed to have been able to share my passions while helping others”

Few women can say that they belong to a team called “The Sisterhood of the Pink Crusaders” – but Francesca Imbrogno can, proudly. In fact, she created it. The all-female team that Francesca formed six years ago for the Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay for Life is just one of myriad examples of her ceaseless benevolence.

A strong advocate for female leadership, Francesca has been an instrumental leader in student government at the University of Toronto for the duration of her undergraduate career. She has served on the St. Michael’s College Student Union and as a participant in numerous other endeavours. In her final year, she became the first female President of SMCSU in five years.

Throughout her time at U of T, Francesca successfully rallied students to raise thousands of dollars for notable causes such as Play for a Cause, ShareLife, the Canadian Cancer Society, Out of the Cold, and the Haiti Relief Fund.

As Social Events Co-ordinator, she organized a party that drew over 1,000 attendees and raised $6,000 for PlayPumps International, a non-profit organization that provides easy access to clean drinking water for millions across Africa.

In 2002, when Francesca’s father was diagnosed with colorectal cancer, she began proactively researching opportunities to get involved and raise awareness.

This led to the eventual formation of Cuts for Christmas, an annual event recognized by the Canadian Cancer Society.

Each December, Francesca—along with the many courageous men and women whom she persuades—chops off her long locks and donates them to make wigs for those who have lost their hair during cancer treatments.

The event, now in its third year, has raised over $3000 and donated over 25 participants’ hair to Pantene Pro-V Beautiful Lengths and Locks of Love. In gratitude, Francesca received an unbelievable outpouring of love and support from the U of T community, as well as the community at large.

Francesca is vivacious, inspiring, and consistently generous; she has a heart of gold (and a dance that can put Justin Timberlake to shame). In her 22 years, she has already become a role model for those around her and has done what often takes others a lifetime to achieve.

In her own words, “I have met amazing people, and feel blessed to have been able to share my passions while helping others”.

Her long list of achievements and accomplishments hardly compares to the long list of lives that she has changed along the way. A beautiful person inside and out, Francesca Imbrogno is impossible to define as anything but amazing – she is truly an example of an outstanding Canadian woman.

Written by Cristina Rizzuto

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Tribute to an Author & Pioneer of the African Arts In Canada

2012-04-09T00:00:00.000-04:00

Fresh off the plane from a two-week tour in Tunisia last November, the energy emanating from 80 year old author Esther Dagan was so infectious it inspired me. Aside from her amazing stories about worldwide travels and the famous individuals she has met, I am intrigued by the creativity preoccupying this amazing lady’s mind. Esther’s ability to paint a complex and abstract literary portrait is demonstrated in one of her recent poems, Three Mothers, in which she weaves the historical, philosophical and maternal interconnections of three mothers encountering each other in an ambiguous online chat room. What will her vivid imagination, merged with a unique talent to expound on the rich treasure box of memories from her Jewish heritage, create next?

Seeing all that Esther has accomplished so far as a mother, author, poet, teacher, art historian and African art specialist is a truly inspiring example of what one individual is capable of doing. Born in Jerusalem, Esther graduated from Scola Cantorum Dance Academy in Paris, and later received her BA and MA in Theatre and Drama from Tel Aviv University where she taught the History of African Arts for ten years. Esther traveled the African continent extensively, collecting art and documenting her work in an impressive collection of photos, sketches, films, maps, stamps, journals and 13 published books on the African Arts.

In 1978, Esther immigrated to Montreal to further pursue her dreams and promote the African Arts in Canada. She opened Galerie Amrad African Arts in 1981, taught at Concordia University and was invited as guest lecturer to many institutions. Besides publishing a total of 17 books, hundreds of her articles and essays have been in print. Within the last two decades, Esther’s writing has shifted to fictional short stories, plays, screenplays and poems.

In 2009, Esther generously donated 400 selected pieces of her outstanding African Art Collection to the Royal Ontario Museum, along with her extensive archives and library. In January, as a continuation of celebration for a Season of Africa, the ROM displayed about 40 pieces featuring puppets, masks and musical instruments from The Amrad Collection. “The purpose of my donation is to promote the African Arts and educate Canadians”, Esther responds passionately when asked about her priceless collection of a lifetime.

Today, it is hard to visit Esther’s Westmount home without noticing the African art sculptures and paintings amongst an array of other personal collections; cacti, orchids, blue glass and seeds. If you are lucky, you may even get a personal guided tour. “I love these photos!” she adds warmly, stepping back to admire a collection of framed black and white photos of Africa, hanging a few feet away from one of her own remarkable paintings.

While Esther has forged many international friendships including prime ministers, artists, curators and African tribe chiefs alike, it is clear that she has made her way into the hearts of many in Montreal. She is endeared to a collection of devoted friends who joined her in celebrating her 80th birthday in March.

Written by Esther Briner

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

“Open your hearts and love everyone”

2012-03-26T00:00:00.000-04:00

Barb Todd’s advice to Canadian women is “open your hearts and love everyone” – not so hard to follow as it relates to your neighbours or colleagues, but what about loving the marginalized and stigmatized members of Canadian society? What about loving sex trade workers?

Barb Todd moved back to her hometown of Toronto a few years ago, stepped into All Saints Church and immediately felt a strong connection. All Saints Church is located at the corner of Dundas and Sherbourne, a notoriously dangerous area of downtown Toronto. In 2009, a study by the Toronto Star reported Dundas and Sherbourne as the most dangerous area of Toronto, topping the list in street robberies, assault-related offences, shootings, stabbings and sex attacks.

Because of its location or maybe in response to it, All Saints Church has a drop-in centre four days a week. People from off the street are welcome to come in, sit, talk, use the internet, have a coffee, and be surrounded by extraordinary volunteers.

However, as Todd pointed out to me, as we sat in All Saints Church, 90% of the people that come in off the street are male, a statistic that is true for most services in the Toronto downtown core. The few women that do attend the drop-in are by and large sex-trade workers, ranging in age from 20-55. According to Todd, “these women are in the low track sex-trade meaning that they are not [working] in a massage parlour. They are not in an escort service – they are in the sex trade in order to feed their drug addiction”.

The women that Todd saw at the drop-in were in downward free fall – oftentimes coming in battered and bruised. And while Todd estimates that 100% of women in the sex-trade have experienced abuse, only approximately 2% of them report it to the police. A police officer once told Todd that even if a sex trade worker does report violence, they really have nowhere to take her other than jail or the ER. What makes the situation even more unfortunate for these women is that it is illegal in Canada to rent living spaces to women in the sex trade. All of the women that Todd sees live in stairwells or “couch surf” because there are not enough safe beds for women in Toronto.

Todd remarked that “these women are the ones that broke my heart…so I decided to do this measly little thing. I opened the doors [of All Saints Church] one Friday afternoon [for sex-trade workers]”. While Todd may modestly call this act “measly”, it certainly was anything but. Todd visited every agency in Toronto that dealt with women in the sex trade and when she told them about her idea of having a drop-in centre just for women in the sex trade she was “flabbergasted” at the response. “I would go meet with people at different agencies and they would say this idea was amazing! They were all jumping on board. Now we have too many volunteers that we need to make a schedule!”

However, as one might imagine, not everyone was pleased with the sex-trade worker drop-in concept. As Todd noted, “Society has a violent attitude towards these women. We have neighbours in the area who will say, “how dare you harbor those maggots, they’re garbage”.

When it comes to women in the sex-trade, an overwhelming consensus from society is to blame these women – as if they are somehow responsible for their situation. Most of the time, these women have drug addictions coupled with mental health issues. Because they are stigmatized, they tend to fall through every crack and don’t receive the help that they need. Todd refers to them as the “invisible population – all the issues are thrown in and then people say, ‘we don’t know what to do with them’”.

Despite the complaints from their neighbours, the drop-in has become the successful product of a collective of women. Every Friday morning, Todd and other volunteers do outreach in the neighbourhood stairwells providing crack kits and inviting women who would not normally think about entering a church to join them for a hot breakfast, crafts, and a safe space.

“There is something about bringing a group of women together. I’ve seen it in the different places I’ve lived, like the Arctic and Nova Scotia – women get together, the elders and moms – well, so do women in the sex trade”.

Another important aspect of the all-women drop-in is to provide women with services that they might not be as willing to receive at other drop-ins. For example, there is a nurse at the All Saints drop-in centre every Tuesday; however, Todd noted that in her five years at All Saints, no women in the sex trade have come in to be seen by the nurse. Todd acknowledges that the lack of privacy at the Tuesday drop-ins may be a deterring factor for these women. So Todd has arranged for a nurse to come in on Fridays and “even if they aren’t doing any nursing, I just want them to be there so the women can be like, ‘oh yeah, I know so-and-so, she’s cool and I can ask her something’”. Todd is also doing the same thing with police. Once a month she arranges for a policewoman from the Special Victims Unit to attend the drop-in, because if a woman wants to report abuse, she might feel more comfortable with someone she has already met.

Todd recognizes that this is only the first step in helping sex-trade workers in Toronto. She is working on bringing together agencies all around Toronto that work with sex-trade workers and facilitate communication between these agencies to provide support for the women.

Todd also acknowledges that while four hours a week may offer the women a temporary escape, it is certainly not enough to keep them healthy and safe the other 164 hours. The WISH Drop-In Centre in Vancouver (http://www.wish-vancouver.net/) is a drop-in centre for female sex workers that is open from 6:00 pm until 11:00 pm, 7 days a week. WISH provides meals, hot showers and other services. Using the WISH model, Todd would like to start a 24/7 drop-in in Toronto.

Todd emphasized that the biggest part of the drop-in is just getting to know the names of the women and sit with them and chat and show them that someone cares. “We all just want to be loved; no matter who we are”. And so, Barb Todd’s advice to me and my fellow girls and women is to open our hearts and love everyone.

Written by Jaclyn Cappell

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

There's So Many Things That She's Going To Do...

2012-03-19T01:23:00.000-04:00

Chelsea won't be the one to tell you she's an accomplished woman. "I just do what I have to do" she says to me over the phone while sitting on a curb in Toronto. Upon first speaking with Chelsea, one thing is clear; this woman is motivated, focused and ambitious. I'm quite sure that in five lifetimes one could not do all she has done.

At just sixteen years of age, Chelsea became the Chairperson of the Mayor’s Student Advisory Committee in Mississauga. The committee advocated for health, environmental, transportation, and political issues that affect youth. She spearheaded a program that reached out to schools in Mississauga, designating student liaisons who identified youth issues, and worked toward developing and implementing solutions.

When she became a student at the University of Waterloo, she decided to continue her outreach work by founding and leading a student mayoral advisory council in her new home, Waterloo. Not only did she provide a voice for students at the University of Waterloo, but she also organized events and committees with the goal of bonding post-secondary students within the Kitchener and Waterloo area.

As part of her master’s program, through her work with the Centre of Advancement for Female Entrepreneurship, she was a mentor to a student from Al Ain University in Abu, Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She also contributed to the curriculum for a business certification course to empower women in Abu Dhabi.

Since her university days, Chelsea has worked in marketing, film production, civic and youth engagement, business management and event planning. She's worked with youth in the Jane-Finch community of Toronto through the Youth Unlimited Blueprints program, which empowers youth through life skill and entrepreneurial training and mentorship.

Chelsea’s extensive work demonstrates her biggest passions: building community and allowing that community to have a voice. She explains, "I believe I have been tasked with the mission to help individuals and communities develop their gifts and voice as well as establish forums in which they can be heard.”

Her work with youth is extremely important to her because she believes that children are more in tune with the gifts they are born with. It is important for parents and teachers to recognize and foster these gifts at a young age, through mentorship and support. She is in tune with her own gifts because she has been blessed with great mentors in her community and family, in Mississauga as well as at the University of Waterloo.

The future is wide open for Chelsea. She looks forward to continuing her current work which includes being a Talent Wrangler on CBC's hit show Battle of the Blades, and developing The Adva Effect, a company that produces informative and inspirational documentaries. The Adva Effect creates media content that educates, engages and empowers audiences. They are launching a music video in November that was produced for a rap artist, Freddy Will from Sierra Leone. As if that didn’t keep her busy enough, Chelsea will also be speaking at TED X UW in November at the University of Waterloo.

Although I wasn't fortunate enough to meet Chelsea face to face, I enjoyed a lovely conversation in which we discussed our goals and challenges. I was inspired by her eagerness to learn from and reach out to others. She is genuinely interested in the passions and journeys of others.

Written by Christine Seguin
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Dancing with Horses by the Sea - Kim Levy

2012-03-12T00:08:00.000-04:00

Tucked away in Lockeport, Nova Scotia, in an area where people haven’t forgotten how to be human, lives a woman and her destiny.

Although she was unaware of it at the time, Kim Levy’s destiny began in Ottawa, on her Grandmother’s farm, where she was born and raised.

Kim had an innate curiosity about animals and their behaviour. Some things can be tamed; a child’s curiosity cannot. Kim recalls that no sooner could she walk than she was on the back of a horse. She continues to hone her skills with horses.

Kim is a Classical Dressage Horse Trainer, Animal Behaviourist, and creator of Dancing with Horses by the Sea, a powerful therapeutic program that helps people through the orchestrated combination of horse riding and music.

This therapy was designed for all ages: children as young as 6; teens struggling with the stresses of modern adolescence; adults trying to find their way, and the elderly who may have lost their zest for life. For children who have been bullied, the program can help restore their confidence that has been stripped away. For everyone, the program is designed to help access their own power and essence.

Kim was first introduced to riding lessons at Dwyer Hill Horse Farm. She won the Ontario Equestrian Federation President’s Award in 2008. In 2010, after a process that took many years, Kim completed the Josh Lyons Accreditation Program, earning her buckle. Kim also plays polo, and had the distinct opportunity of training with Memo Gracida, a Mexican polo player, who has 16 US Open victories to his credit.

Kim’s passion for horsemanship led to the development of a horse ranch in Ontario. It was here, Kim says, that her destiny literally called her on the phone. An individual from the Lanark Therapeutic Riding Program, a program developed to safely allow children who are physically or mentally handicapped to experience the healing power of riding a horse, called Kim and asked if the program could continue in an arena on her ranch.

In her heart, Kim was committed, but she wanted to ask her husband if he would agree to the program being held at their arena. Still emotional over that pivotal moment, Kim recalls her husband’s reply, “Of course,” he said, “you’re not going to charge them are you,” he asked?

Kim would go to the arena and watch the young riders, with a volunteer at the reins and two others flanked at the horse’s side to ensure the child’s safety. Horse training aims for perfection. To Kim Levy, watching this program unfold was perfection.

The second year the program ran, she got a call from an organization committed to drug rehabilitation, who wanted to use her arena for one week. Her first thought was No, but she changed her mind and agreed to rent the arena. To her surprise the program was comprised of youth who were no longer on drugs and who were on a step by step program. The therapeutic riding was one of the last stages before the youth returned to the real world and to their families.

Being able to understand a horse’s personality based on its roughly 15 natural instincts requires a competence that comes with intense learning; learning that can only be spurred by an individual’s true passion for horsemanship. The capability to manipulate those behaviours to human advantage makes for an excellent horse trainer. During the programs at her arena, Kim used her aptitude to pair the right horse with the right youth for optimum riding therapy.

Kim and her husband made the decision to sell their farm in Ontario and look for a location to build their dream. After careful consideration, the couple purchased a 100 year old saltwater farm in Lockport, Nova Scotia. Where once there was pasture, the land was now scrubby and wild again.

The challenges, there were many. They had cedar logs trucked in from Ontario for the fences. They used native hemlock when they could because it has natural protection against rot. They even purchased a lumber mill to mill the pine for the horse barns. Despite the challenges, “We went for it,” Kim says.

At Dancing with Horses by the Sea, you’ll find Kim, her husband David, and their incredible son Jacob, who Kim contends is her greatest achievement. At 10, Jacob, who is home schooled by Kim, is being considered for the University of PEI’s Summer Vet Camp.

Come witness for yourself the power of horse therapy at Dancing with the Horses by the Sea, where it is clear, some destinies are not chosen, they just are.

Written by Joy Goodwin
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Guest Celebrity Writer - Stephanie Hooker

2012-03-05T00:00:00.000-05:00

Hannah Taylor - 15 Year Old Hero

Winnipeg native Hannah Taylor, 15, is an extraordinary young hero who proves that age doesn’t matter when the heart is set on making change. After seeing a man eating from a dumpster when she was five, Hannah was moved to action by her mother’s inspiring words: “If you do something to change the problem, your heart won’t be so sad.” In no short order, a young social rights activist was born and she has been “doing” ever since. She has received numerous awards, accolades and recognition for her hard work and dedication to raising awareness about poverty across Canada and the United States.

Hannah founded The Ladybug Foundation – a charitable organization that shines light on homelessness – when she was just eight. Since its humble beginnings collecting loose change in painted ladybug jars, The Ladybug Foundation has raised over $2 million dollars for organizations across Canada.

In 2008, Hannah was invited to launch National Red Scarf Day on January 24 to increase awareness and funds for the homeless; it’s now in its 4th year. History was made in Ottawa on the day when all the Senate and Members of Parliament gave a standing ovation in support of the same cause on the same day. Together Ottawa and Canada showed their support by wearing Ladybug Foundation Red Scarves on January 31^st, National Red Scarf Day.

She is also part of an international program called the World’s Children Prize for the Rights of the Child. Nelson Mandela is the patron. Hannah sits on a jury that recognizes international candidates each year for their child advocacy work.

If you ask her what makes her so special, don’t be surprised by an awkward pause and a change of topic. “I am so lucky to have such powerful women in my family – amazing, amazing strong women.” She is adamant that they have as much to do with her can-do attitude as she does. More important, she says “they taught me not to be scared. They believe in me and that makes anything possible.”

Hannah proves that we have much to learn from our young people. In fact, it is precisely this infectious combination of innocence and resolve that both captivates and mobilizes people at the same time. Her vision that “no one should have to eat out of a garbage can” is shockingly simple. And in this simplicity there is pure beauty.

Recently Hannah, along with The Ladybug Foundation, took another step in educating the public when they started a sister charity called MakeChange™, The Ladybug Foundation Education Program. Hannah admits she cannot speak at every school, so MakeChange™ bridges the gap by bringing ideas to the classroom. Developed by a team of experienced teachers, the program has one purpose: to empower young people to get involved and make change in their own community.

“It doesn’t have to be homelessness.” she adds. “It could be the environment, or human rights; whatever they’re interested in. You should never dismiss what children say when they’re passionate. Children already feel small, but they can make change in their own way and when that light goes off in their head, it’s amazing what they can do.” She would know. Hannah estimates the curriculum based programming is already in around 7000 classrooms across the country and is currently being translated into French.

Although, she seems unnaturally fearless in the presence of diplomats, politicians and rock star activists, she does worry about whether the homeless will approve of her work. “I just want to make sure I represent them well.” As for actually conducting public speaking engagements, attending meetings with VIPs, or taking on enormous responsibilities and meeting the tall expectations people may have of her – no problem. “I don’t feel pressure because it’s not about me going far. It’s about them.”

If she retired now, Hannah could rest well on her laurels. There are many: prestigious awards, over 200 speaking engagements including a nod as the youngest speaker ever at the Empire Club in Toronto, Ontario and author of a best-selling children’s book “Ruby’s Hope,” (2006). She has an ongoing mentorship with President of the CanWest Global Foundation, Gail Asper, a renowned community activist is her own right, and - well, you get the picture – an impressive portfolio for one so young. But frankly, I don’t think there is much resting for Hannah, on laurels or anything else.

She isn’t sure what her future holds. “I will always dedicate time to the homeless and other causes,” she says. But in the same breath she admits she has her eyes on other targets. “National Geographic… writing… photography. Who knows? I’m a normal teenager”, she says. “I have a great group of friends, three dogs, a cat and horses. I do my best at school and worry about normal teenage things.”

Sure, most teenagers can’t claim Gail Asper as their mentor, or that Nelson Mandela invited them to his house for a visit. And of course, most teenagers haven’t authored and published a children’s book, or typically speak in front of groups of up to 200 two or three times a month. But you see, that’s the real inspiration of Hannah Taylor – she thinks all of us can do what she does. And in her reflection, we feel compelled to shine a little brighter.

Written by Stephanie Hooker
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Click here to help support The Ladybug Foundation

Strong On and Off the Field

2012-02-27T00:00:00.001-05:00

For three years in a row, the all-female Grand River Attack lacrosse team has won the Women’s Senior Ontario Lacrosse Championship. While a large part of that definitely has to do with the team working together to score goals against their opponents, another important key to winning is in the strength of their goalie, Kristen McCulligh, who prevented the opponents from producing more points against them.

Born in Kitchener, ON and raised in Guelph, ON, 26-year-old Kristen grew up in a lacrosse family. Her father taught her brother as he coached the team he played for. After attending games, a year later Kristen decided she wanted to take a shot at participating in the sport. Her father taught her the skills that she now uses today on the field. “I was 8 years old when I first joined a lacrosse team,” says McCulligh.

Of course being a female in a generally male dominated sport does not come without its difficulties. Kristen faced many issues with being the only girl on otherwise all-male teams growing up. “I was the first girl on my team. In those days they didn’t have separate change rooms, so I would have to change with the boys,” explains McCulligh. That was until they got older and started showering.

“I could no longer be in the change room. I would end up having to change in an old school two stall bathroom,” says McCulligh. “It was difficult because I needed a bench to put my pads on and didn’t have one. There was never a place for me. Once I even had to change outside.”

Not having an appropriate place for changing was not the only issue Kristen had to deal with. She explains that when she first started playing she would hide her hair so that the opponents would not know that she was actually a girl. Being a goalie she would fear coming out of her goalie cress, as there was always a problem with guys coming up and hitting hard. She remembers one time when the opposing team realized she was a girl.

“I remember we had a match in Owensound where we won,” says McCulligh. “It was after the match, when we went to shake hands and I remember one of the members of the other team punched me in the chest. I remember crying and asking my dad why he did that. He explained to me that it was because I am a girl and that he probably hated the fact that he lost to one.”

When Kristen was 18 years old, she found her first all-female team, the KW Thunderbirds. While on that team, she was often an opponent to her current team, the Grand River Attacks, who tried to lure her over during her time with the Thunderbirds. It was not until the Thunderbirds folded that Kristen went over to Grand River, the team she has now been with for four years.

Kristen sums up their success as a team being based on “dedication, hard work and great communication.” In 2010, Grand River Attack won their 3^rd straight Provincial title. At the time, they were the only team to win the title due to their dominating performance in all aspects of the game, including having a strong goalie in Kristen. “We’re all friends. We have lots of respect for each other,” explains Kristen, about her Grand River Attack teamwork.

Lacrosse is not the only thing that Kristen is focused on. After attending Conestoga College in Kitchener, ON, Kristen is now working toward her university degree at Wilfrid Laurier University. Luckily, with the lacrosse season starting in April for the summer months, there is little conflict between her dedication to school and the sport she loves.

“Having to drive an hour to practice which usually starts at 5 P.M. and goes until midnight, it would be hard to have school and play,” says Kristen. “I do start my season when we are going into exam time at school though. There was even a time where I had to leave practice at 9, because I needed to get a paper in that was due at midnight. School comes first though. Education is way more important.”

So what advice would Kristen give young girls wanting to get involved in sports? “You will face obstacles, but you need to turn those negatives into positives. Just because you’re a girl and we are told we can’t do certain sports doesn’t mean that’s so. You can do it. Do what you want. People will eventually respect you if you keep at it. It gets better.”

Written by Lauren Ward

Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Denise Doyle: Purpose through Passion

2012-02-20T00:00:00.000-05:00

It is the early 1970’s. You can hear women’s voices chanting in unity; you can feel the sisterhood. This is Denise Doyle’s earliest memory – attending her first women’s rights protest with her mother by her side. This fond memory ignited Denise’s passion: women’s rights and advocacy.

Denise is the current CEO of the YWCA Hamilton, which is a women-led service organization that provides health and wellness programs for women, families, seniors and people with special needs. The YWCA Hamilton advocates for the improved status of women locally and through affiliation with YWCA Canada. With 33 member organizations operating in more than 400 districts and communities across the country, the YWCA Canada is the country’s oldest and largest women's multi-service organization. These programs reach out to 1 million women and girls across the country.

Denise’s passion and dedication to the quest of women’s rights fits perfectly with the mission, vision and values of the YWCA. Her work at the YWCA challenges her to be innovative in finding community resources, empowering the staff of the organization and mobilizing her community.

Denise studied Textile Engineering at Mohawk College in 1982 and fifteen years later, went on to study Occupational Health and Safety and Safety Systems in Law at Ryerson University. She pursued further professional development through courses in human resources, anti-racism change work, and governance training. In 2010, Denise was awarded the Agnes Macphail Award for her contributions to the advancement of women and women’s issues. In the same year, she was also awarded the Hamilton-Wentworth Elementary Teachers Award for her tireless work as a community and labour activist. Her passion is contagious, as her efforts continue to inspire others around her.

Denise has volunteered with a number of organizations such as the Hamilton Chamber of Commerce, the Status of Women Committee (City of Hamilton), Immigrant Women’s Centre Facilitating Inclusion Program, and Elect More Women. Despite committing so much of her time to various community initiatives, Denise was still able to play a pivotal role in the Elect More Women campaign, a campaign which she helped develop. She is the current co-chair of the Elect More Women campaign and explains that her goal is to see more women participate in politics not only as candidates, but as volunteers on campaigns as well.

Elect More Women provides women with the necessary education, skills and tools required to be active in politics. Denise has a vision to see more women in this arena “at any decision-making table you can make an impact. You just need the skills, resources and awareness to get involved. Women bring a different point of view around the table and it is important that a woman’s perspective is heard from all political parties.” Denise believes that in order to have a healthy democracy, everyone must have an equal voice that will impact the community and country. She emphasizes the importance of encouraging young women, a demographic that is important in making this process successful. To date, Elect More Women has trained over one thousand women.

In thinking about the women of tomorrow, Denise shared a story that truly touched her. It was of a young girl from the YWCA’s Girls Space program, which provides young females with opportunities to participate in group activities focusing on self-esteem, body image and self expression. The program provides a place for these girls to have a voice and become leaders in their own communities. Denise remembers one young girl who joined the program. She was extremely shy and quiet. She was new to Canada and Hamilton. This young girl had come with her family from Pakistan to begin their new lives here. Denise recalls that this young girl did not engage with any young people in the city and was having trouble making friends. The girl’s mother decided to encourage her daughter to join the YWCA Girls Space program. After completing the program, this young girl began to show more confidence and even joined her school council to engage with her classmates and make new friends. This transformation made her mother very proud and she wrote a personal letter to Denise thanking her for helping her daughter which included the wonderful line “Thank you for helping my daughter to finally feel included in Canada.” It is this inclusion, support and friendship that Denise fosters in all of her relationships.

In every role that Denise embraces, her passion is obvious. She focuses on trying to provide young women with a chance to lead and excel in their lives. She believes that her contribution is anything that she can do to assist young women, “They will be there for me when I’m old, so if I can inspire passion – if I can do this, I feel like I’ve done my job.”

Denise has done her job. I have been fortunate enough to be one of the young women that Denise has worked with. She is a true mentor, leader and most of all, a friend. She has provided me with the confidence, knowledge and skills that I will need to continue my journey in advocating for women’s rights.

Denise left with me some words of wisdom which I will always cherish, “Always remember that when a woman’s voice is heard, she can transform her life and those around her. Find your passion and create a wave of change in your own community and empower others to do the same. When someone tells you that all women are equal – acknowledge your privilege and continue to work for women's equity and equality around the globe. We still have a long way to go.”

Although we have a long way to go, these are timeless words for all women, as we are inspired by leaders like Denise to find our purpose through passion.

Written by Priya Verma

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

The Life of Sue Rodriguez: Strength in Hard Times

2012-02-13T01:54:00.000-05:00

The end of Sue Rodriguez's life may have been filled with controversy, but when reflecting upon her actions one can only admire the strength of her character and the perseverance of her will. Regardless of the personal trials and tribulations that she went through in the last couple years of her life, she tirelessly fought for what she believed; the right to die with dignity.

To backtrack, on August 22, 1991 Sue Rodriguez was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease), which would eventually cause her to lose the ability to control her own bodily movement, while her mind would continue to function effectively. Sue understood the progression of her condition as one where she would be consciously trapped inside her own body, unable to move or even talk, until the disease would slowly and painfully take her life. Instead of accepting this as her fate and being denied her freedom to live out her remaining days as she saw fit, Sue challenged the courts on the constitutionality of the right to die. Specifically she championed the cause concerning the right to physician-assisted suicide in Canada.

While fighting for her right to die through physician-assisted suicide Sue Rodriquez asked a House of Commons Subcommittee a simple question that extended far beyond the issue of euthanasia. She simply asked “If I cannot give consent to my own death, then whose body is this? Who owns my life?” Her struggle to take ownership of her body and her life is one that can resonate with women throughout history, regardless of where one stands on the issue of assisted suicide. Though this may be taking her questions out of context, they are questions that can be universally applied and reflected upon.

Despite her deteriorating condition and dealing with the emotional issues related to knowing how one was going to die and being unable to prevent it, Sue exemplified her convictions by taking her cause to the Supreme Court of Canada. Sue argued that the illegality of assisted suicide violated her constitutional rights, such as her right of equality despite a mental or physical disability, her right to life, liberty and security of the person, and finally her right not to be subjected to any cruel and unusual treatment or punishment. While the Supreme Court ultimately upheld assisted suicide as illegal in a 5-4 decision, Sue Rodriguez singlehandedly initiated a national debate on this issue. She not only showcased how one woman, despite her situation, could captivate a nation, but she demonstrated how one's spirit can far outreach their physical being.

Furthermore, Sue accomplished this feat while going through unbelievable personal hardships. Regardless of where one stands on the issue of assisted suicide or the various types of euthanasia, it is hard to deny the strength, courage and conviction that Sue Rodriguez embodied. She not only battled through the insufferable amount of pain associated with her personal condition, but she simultaneously dealt with the responsibilities and worries associated with having a young child, the stress related to being involved in legal matters and the constant hounding of the Canadian media, as well as the public, many of which openly and vigorously opposed her stance. She opened her life to investigation and scrutiny, while preserving the dignity she feared her condition would take from her.

Even though Sue Rodriguez lost her court battles, she refused to lose her dignity to her deteriorating condition. On February 12, 1994 at the age of 43, with the help of an anonymous physician, Sue ended her own life through the injection of a lethal substance. Through her fighting spirit, Sue not only won the hearts and minds of many Canadians, but she also forced a nation to reflect on the laws that govern this land.

Her choice and her actions expressed a powerful message. By deciding to end her own life, Sue Rodriguez answered the question that she originally asked the House of Commons. She may have silently slipped from this world, but by taking ownership of her own fate she loudly proclaimed that it was her body, it was her life and that she would live and die in complete adherence to this principle.

Written by Harry Malhi

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Beth Sukha-Barker - Yoga for Hope

2012-02-06T00:00:00.000-05:00

When you first meet Beth Sukha-Barker, you can’t help but notice an enormous wave of enthusiasm that comes right at you. It makes you wonder if maybe Ghandi is standing directly behind you and he’s the reason she’s so excited, but meet her a second time and you realize this is just how she is. She lives her life with genuine enthusiasm for everyone she encounters.

Beth has spent the majority of her life looking after people. Not everyone has the capacity or patience for that role in life, but in Beth’s case, it is simply who she is. When she graduated from high school she entered the nursing program at Conestoga College. After graduating in 1976, she spent nearly 15 years working at Grand River Hospital in Kitchener.

Like many in the health care field, Beth knew there was more to solving health-related issues than what Western medicine offered. Her curiosity led her to yoga and she began her practice at home in the 1970’s through a daily television program. She soon recognized the massive health gains yoga offered. Western medicine rarely spoke of things such as mental calmness, stress reduction and deeper breathing as ways to improve our health. As her love of yoga deepened, Beth decided to become a certified yoga instructor and studied at the Kripalu Centre for Yoga and Health in Lennox, MA in 1998.

Back in Waterloo and eager to begin teaching, she found herself teaching two classes per week at HopeSpring Cancer Support Centre in downtown Waterloo, Ontario. (http://www.hopespring.ca) HopeSpring’s name says it all. It is truly a local gem of resources, inspiration and knowledge for those living with cancer in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. HopeSpring provides much needed relief all the while relying on the community’s generosity to fund their programs, since they receive no government assistance or help from the Canadian Cancer Society.

It was during her weekly yoga class at Hopespring where Beth met a young man named J.R. Despite having recurring brain cancer, JR was, in Beth’s own words, “a ray of sunshine.”

J.R. was defiantly optimistic, despite a worrying prognosis. He returned week after week to Beth’s class and the more they got to know one another, they realized they had common ground in running, a sport they were both passionate about. Running got J.R. through some tough cancer-related battles. He could leave the world of treatment and medications at home when he headed outside for a run.

With their friendship cemented, J.R. and Beth decided to enter the 1999 Waterloo Classic, a popular local 10 km road race held every year in June. It was after this race that they started talking about how they could take the format of a road race and apply it to yoga, starting a “Yogathon” of sorts. Back then, there was nothing like their idea in the K-W community and while the concept seemed like a good one, it didn’t happen right away. Three years later, in 2002, JR passed away. His conversations with Beth, however, would soon gain ground and provide a fitting legacy for J.R.

It was September 2004 when, as Beth tells it, she had one too many cups of coffee and that extra caffeine provided the catalyst she needed to pick up the phone and start rallying local yoga instructors, telling them of her idea: a day of yoga with each hour led by a different instructor showcasing a different style of yoga.

Every instructor Beth called that day signed on to the idea with enthusiasm. Five months later, in February 2005, the first Yoga for Hope took place in downtown Waterloo. Everyone gathered together waiting to see what the day would bring. In keeping with the practice itself, Yoga for Hope offers a flexible schedule. Some devotees sign on for the entire day wanting to take part in all eight classes and some people prefer to only to attend one or two classes. The first year was a success! One hundred and twenty people came out to help raise money and bond over poses. Many of the attendees at the first Yoga for Hope had never heard of HopeSpring but the idea of helping out a much needed local institution in such a relaxing and energizing way struck a chord.

And, as with all good ideas, people start to emulate you. The idea caught the attention of a few yoga instructors from neighbouring Cambridge, Ontario. Five years after the first Yoga for Hope, the event has spread to now include Cambridge. In 2012, Beth believes the next chapter of Yoga for Hope will begin in Vancouver. She remains committed to continuing to see Yoga for Hope grow.

“Yoga for Hope is a win-win event. It is teachers coming together with a common goal to promote the healing powers of the practice they believe in. Every year, it's an introduction to yoga for some new participants and a comfortable ‘old shoe’ for those who are already converts to the practice. While we as individuals have opportunities (and some obligation) to help our fellow man, this event provides the participant with a first hand experience of yoga, AND the funds raised by all of these individuals then support HopeSpring, which in turn offers the healing power of yoga to those with cancer. It's a perfect circle. And speaking of circles, the wrap up of each Yoga for Hope event honours by name, those who are dealing with cancer and others in remembrance, in a Circle of Hope ritual. As Starhawk said in a poem entitled ‘Community’: ‘A circle of healings, a circle of friends. Someplace where we can be free.’”

Written by Michelle Lewis
Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Catherine Brindley

Victoria Moreno - "They Are Our Future"

2012-01-30T00:30:00.000-05:00

In 1973, the Toronto Women’s Bookstore first opened in the heart of downtown Toronto. The store began during a time when feminist movements were geared towards ending gender inequality and how women are depicted in the media. Since then the independent bookstore has been an information provider and community resource, and continues to offer a wide range of writings on feminist theory and anti-oppression politics.

Photo courtesy of the Toronto Women’s Bookstore, reprinted by the Torontoist

The Toronto Women’s Bookstore sells books and magazines that are both written by women and directly to women. The store also offers local art, postcards, crafts and music, but it’s more than a place to buy unique books and magazines. It also captures the principle of the importance of literacy in teaching equality, making your own opinion and applying it to the world around you and ending ignorance of any kind.

One of the most striking aspects of the Toronto Women’s Bookstore is its individuality and importance to the community. There are multiple ways to get involved. The store offers volunteer opportunities, book launches and readings, and with much more to come. Authors frequently visit the store to do book readings and to speak about their works while interacting with anyone who wishes to participate. The store is also known for its welcoming atmosphere and is used as a meeting place for groups and clubs. The store thoroughly advocates for local events, music, businesses, arts and different pieces of writing.

The current store manager, Victoria Moreno, sat down with me for an interview about the store and the impact it has on the community.

Victoria began volunteering at the Bookstore, which eventually led to her becoming a part time employee. She went on to various other jobs before returning to the store as manager, a position she has held for about a year.

Throughout the interview, issues varying from the closure of libraries in Toronto to the impact literacy has on social change were brought up.

Ms. Moreno strongly believes that education is power and is extremely important to social change. While discussing the closure of public libraries in Toronto, Victoria said “If you’re not reading, you’re just following the clan.” This astute statement summarizes the message the store sends to its customers.

When asked about the importance of getting young girls involved, Victoria said that the store is open and encouraging to girls who will be able to come in and learn about feminist politics. The store also sells publications such as Shameless, a great feminist magazine directed at girls. The bookstore also offers books for young adults which provide female role models.

“It’s really important to focus on the younger generation because they are our future,” she added.

The Toronto Women’s Bookstore has stayed steady for thirty eight years and continues to grow with new and improved plans in the works. When I asked what’s next for the store, I learned that there is a lot planned. One project is opening a multi-purpose room above the store, which will be used for family programs including storytelling, theatre, visual arts and music. The bookstore is also working on creating an online store to increase their online presence and allow for easy access to materials.

On a closing note Victoria said, “We have a lot planned for the future of the store. We of course encourage people to keep coming in and hearing authors speak, coming to events the store offers and using the bookstore as a community resource.”

If you’re interested in finding out more, the website of the Toronto Women’s Bookstore is: www.womensbookstore.com

Written by Jaclyn Mlotek

Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Naomi Klein - A Canadian Role Model

2012-01-16T00:01:00.002-05:00

Countless Canadian women have captivated audiences all over the world with their writing. From Margaret Atwood to L.M Montgomery, skilled storytelling from Canadian women is the standard.

Canadian author Naomi Klein is no exception. Naomi was born in Montreal and went on to attend the University of Toronto. She received a Doctor of Civil Laws at the University of King’s College in Nova Scotia.

Naomi is first and foremost an award-winning contemporary writer who contributes to many publications such as Rolling Stone, The Nation, The Guardian and The Globe and Mail. Along with being a frequent writer for periodical newspapers and magazines, she has written three groundbreaking books: No Logo, Fences and Windows and The Shock Doctrine. No Logo and The Shock Doctrine have both become international best selling books.

Naomi Klein clearly and efficiently shares her observations on how big companies affect people. Her first book, No Logo, strongly questioned the ethics of how major corporations use advertising and globalization to their own benefit.

Along with her three solo books, Naomi has contributed to countless other books on topics such as activism against corporations, current events, and politics. She has co-produced documentaries, written for myriad newspapers and magazines, participates in interviews and radio shows, and has a Twitter account. She is currently on a book tour throughout Canada and the United States.

Naomi Klein has pushed boundaries, asked questions and given answers to her countless fans. She is an inspiration as an extremely talented and intelligent writer and communicator. She has her official career as an author and journalist, but she is also a dedicated activist for her beliefs, which is refreshing to see in an often apathetic world.

Naomi has said, “The truly powerful feed ideology to the masses like fast food while they dine on the most rarefied delicacy of all: impunity.” This quote strongly demonstrates her beliefs and her ability to ask questions of her readers and viewers. She makes you think about the world around you.

Naomi Klein is a role model as a Canadian, a skilled writer and as an extremely intelligent woman. We can all take something from her insight and apply it in our own lives.

To learn more about Naomi Klein, please visit her website at http://www.naomiklein.org/main

Her books No Logo, Fences and Windows and The Shock Doctrine can be found at leading bookstores near you.

Written by Jaclyn Mlotek
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Principal Natalie Hagerty

2012-01-09T00:02:00.000-05:00

The Government of Nova Scotia’s projected budget will cut $200 million from the education system over the next 3 years, with a 22% reduction in funds for the school board. It is reassuring to meet a Principal in Nova Scotia who is rising to the challenges presented by these deep cuts to the education system.

Natalie Hagerty is the Principal at Harrietsfield Elementary School in the Halifax Regional Municipality of Nova Scotia. Budget cuts have certainly met their match in Principal Natalie Hagerty.

Born in Gambo, Natalie was not particularly inspired to become a teacher but it seemed a natural choice given the influence of her parents, both educators themselves.

Natalie came to Nova Scotia at the age of 17, to study at Acadia University. She went on to complete both her Bachelor of Education and her Master’s Degree in Curriculum at Mount Saint Vincent University in the Maritimes. She is presently working toward a second Master’s Degree in Leadership.

Once she completed her initial Master’s, Natalie went on to become a substitute teacher, which eventually led to a term position. Before becoming the Vice Principal at Beechville Lakeside Timberlea she served for 7 years as a Language Arts & Social Studies teacher for grades 7 & 9 at Caledonia Junior High School.

The 2010-2011 school year was Natalie’s first in her role as Principal. The changes to the school with her at the helm are many, varied, and evident. The internal building at Harrietsfield is spotless and the staff is on task; due in large part to the direction and leadership of Principal Hagerty. She directs with enthusiasm and leads by example.

When you arrive at Harrietsfield each morning, Natalie is there to greet the children amidst the quaint newly landscaped school yard. Natalie says that she thinks of her children when she presents herself to her students. She says, “these are somebody’s children; they need to know they are valued and important.” She sees the value in everyone, believing, “that teachers are everywhere.”

Natalie encouraged members of the Home & School Committee at Harrietsfield to begin writing proposals for grants, which would help pay for improvements such as landscaping and making the playground wheelchair accessible.

The world needs more Natalie Hagertys who effortlessly inspire others and create positive change by doing what feels natural to them. It seems only natural that the words she lives by are Mahatma Ghandi’s infamous, “be the change you want to see in the world.”

Written by Joy Goodwin
Edited by Lucinda Atwood

Published by Catherine Brindley

Perseverance Changed the Face of Canada

2012-01-02T00:00:00.000-05:00

The ability to bring forth change is neither out of one’s control nor out of one’s reach. It is not limited to virtue or vice, to socioeconomic status, to social reputability, to money, or to any other seemingly valued attainment. It is unfortunate that society regards the above falsities as truth, forgetting that those who do not particularly possess these qualities are the ones who have spearheaded many of the most significant milestones in our Canadian history.

Imagine being part of an existence that regarded you as second-grade to the opposite gender. One that did not care for your voices, opinions, concerns or your fears so that with every attempt you made at expressing discontent, you were ridiculed or ignored. Imagine being part of an existence that went so far as to fail to acknowledge you as a person unless you were male so that at the moment of your birth, your position in society was decided.

Whether this scenario is feasible for you or not, prior to 1929, this was the unfortunate reality for all women in

Canada

. Naturally, there was a shared resentment among all those affected throughout the many years that this was the lamentable truth, but on March 14^th of 1868, a girl was born who would grow up to change my life, your life, and the face of Canada forever.

Born to Isaac Ferguson and Emily Gowan and named after her mother, Emily Gowan Ferguson lived a life much like yours or mine and just like you or I, she was taken aback when her eyes were opened to the harsh reality that so many women succumbed to. Upon this realization, she began her efforts to make a positive impact on the lives of women and children and those affected by poverty and drugs. Over her lifetime, Emily’s contributions took the form of books, speeches, and other methods of spreading awareness of her causes; she was also the first woman magistrate in the entire British Empire.

Despite her accomplishments and contributions to society, she remained second-grade due to the simple fact that she was a woman. As a result, Emily, along with four other Canadian women, fought The Persons Case for twelve long years in attempts at achieving status for women in Canada, ignoring the ridicule and lack of optimism of others only to have the Supreme Court rule against them in their case. Led by Emily, these five brave women full of perseverance carried their case to Privy Council in Britain and on October 18^th of 1929, women officially became recognized as persons on the British North America Act.

This inspiring woman, born as Emily Gowan Ferguson, is Emily Murphy and it is her efforts and drive that made this milestone possible. It is her perseverance that changed the face of Canada so far as to make it impossible for any woman today to even comprehend the injustices that were occurring prior to the passing of The Persons Case. It is her courage that allowed her to keep trying when her first attempt was unsuccessful and finally, it is her spirit that began this whirlwind of change that granted a voice for the women of her time and all women to follow.

Emily Murphy did not possess power, riches, or connections to assist her in her battles. It was not privilege or advantage that aided her in her achievements and although these things may help, they are completely irrelevant to success. What Emily Murphy did have, however, is ambition and this is all that is required to spark the flame that can ignite clarity through darkness. All of us have ambition. All of us have the ability to make a change. Think of something in your life that you wish could be better and do something to make it better. Today is brighter than yesterday but it is up to us to make tomorrow brighter than today.

“I believe that never was a country better adapted to produce a great race of women than this Canada of ours, nor a race of women better adapted to make a great country”

- Emily Murphy

Written by Nadine Elmasri
Edited by Kristine Scarrow

Published by Cathrine Brindley