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Featuring:
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Encourages Us to Keep Supporting Local.
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MASTHEAD EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS is the only monthly magazine that’s focused on life in South Etobicoke. It is mailed to houses in Long Branch, New Toronto & Mimico by Canada Post. Additional copies are available for pick-up at local businesses.
MIKE WIXSON Producer of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Podcast & Owner of The Pod Plant
We capture life in South Etobicoke by highlighting the many positive contributions to our community by local business owners, elected officials, and residents.
AMANDA KIRKLAND Long Branch Resident and Personal Development Coach
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
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JUNE MACDONALD-JENKINS Sr. Dean of Faculty of Social and Community Services, Humber College JONATHAN NHAN Pharmacist, Hypnotist & Certified Diabetes Educator JAMES MALONEY Member of Parliamen for the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore JEFF WILSON Priceville Resident and Accomplished Cartoonist, Blogtoonist & Illustrator
TABLE OF CONTENTS FEBRUARY 2022 PUBLISHER’S NOTE...p8
Roger Tumminieri encourages readers to not only Support Local, but Support Small.
EXPERIENCE
QUALITY CARE AT
HUMBER COLLEGE UPDATE...p10 Read this month’s Community Update from June MacDonald-Jenkins.
LONG BRANCH CHRONICLES...p13
Bill Zufelt sheds some light on what it cost to Support Local a century ago.
THE COUNTY LIFE...p14
An amusing (we hope) tale about the story behind this month’s Cartoon by Jeff Wilson.
HELLO COUNTRY...p16
Thinking of getting out of Dodge? Read what country life is really like.
WELLNESS...p22
Jonathan Nhan helps us understand our Mindset to make real change.
COVER STORY...p24
James Maloney, MP is the subject of this month’s Cover Story.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT...p28
Amanda Kirkland talks about how gratitude has changed her life, and how it can help yours.
Scholars is accepting new students for the summer break! Don’t procrastinate get ahead of the game.
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE SUPPORT LOCAL EDITION
Giant personalized
colouring sheets for kids! The perfect gift, or rainy day activity
ROGER TUMMINIERI
Publisher, Etobicoke Lakeshore Press etobicokelakeshorepress@gmail.com www.EtobicokeLakeshorePress.com @etobicokelakeshorepress Welcome edition.
to
February’s
“Support
Local”
One positive takeaway from this pandemic, in my opinion, is our appreciation for the importance of supporting local. Obviously, the downside has been the inability to just that, given the various restrictions we’ve had to endure - some far more than others. As Ontario begins to lifts some of its COVID restrictions and we start to open up again, please consider doing more to support your local business community. The big guys don’t need it as much as the little guys. In fact, the big guys are having trouble stocking shelves, while the little guys likely source their products locally and have the inventory in stock that you may otherwise struggle to find elsewhere.
@doodlers.ca www.doodlers.ca
Another point to consider is that Omicron has made many, myself included, fearful of crowds. You know where you won’t find a bunch of people in the same place at the same time?
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You guessed it. Your local businesses. Support Small. Support Local. Ok...enough preaching from me. Before I bid you adieu, on behalf of my wife and our boys I’d like to wish everyone a happy Family Day and, as always, thank you for reading!
Roger Tumminieri
(416) 788-0716
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FINANCE HOW CREDIT UNIONS CAN AID A MEMBER’S ECONOMIC RECOVERY When you belong to a credit union, you’re always more than just another customer. Like most credit unions, Moya Financial puts the financial well-being of their members ahead of corporate profits. They’re not in business to make money for shareholders. Rather, they’re a financial co-operative, one whose members have a voice on the issues that impact their financial lives, and the success of their community. Customer care is an important aspect of credit union membership. Thanks to the combination of smaller customer bases and a bigger local focus, credit unions are better equipped to form strong, meaningful bonds with their members, providing a more personalized level of service and support that’s tailored to individual needs and concerns. This customer-first focus also makes credit unions an appealing and welcoming place to overcome professional financial hurdles or recover from personal economic distress. Whether it’s no fees, competitive rates, easier access to credit, and flexible repayment plans, credit unions can typically do more than larger financial institutions to help solve problems for members.
Rates that save you more If you’re saving or investing money, you can expect to earn higher rates of interest at a credit union, because the institution’s overall profits don’t go towards paying shareholders. Instead, members reap the dual rewards of better returns on their investments and annual dividends, helping their savings grow more quickly. Easier access to credit, especially for small borrowers Driven by their focus on putting people first, credit unions tend to take a broader, more generous view of loan applicants than most larger financial institutions. Credit unions are also often more willing to lend smaller sums that may be meaningful to the recipient, but not necessarily big enough for other banks to bother with. By looking at a loan applicant’s individual situation, credit unions can often provide a more welcoming environment for borrowers who may struggle to meet the impersonal, unforgiving standards of other lenders.
Here’s a closer look at some of the different ways credit unions can help members recover from financial difficulties.
Finally, not all borrowers need huge loans to pay for massive projects. Some just need small sums to help them through tough times, tackle smallMore friendly with fees scale jobs, or achieve personal goals. Compared to other financial institutions, a key Whatever the need, they’re likely to credit union differentiator is the absence of find a friendly and willing lender at fees for many services. Where fees do exist, their local credit union. they are typically far lower than those charged for the same services at big banks. The result: This article is not intended to provide more money in your account at the end of financial or financial planning advice, please each month, and regular savings that add up to call or email Moya Financial and they will be more than happy to chat with you! meaningful sums over time. Willing to work with you Credit unions tend to be far more flexible than bigger banks when it comes to helping customers who are experiencing hard times, whether it’s through a willingness to offer penalty-free skipped payment opportunities, or extensions to monthly payment dates. Instead of further penalizing members who miss payments or struggle to maintain a balance by charging additional fees, a credit union is likely to seek a solution that suits the individual in need.
MOYA FINANCIAL 747 Brown’s Line, Toronto, ON M8W 3V7 Call: 416.255.1742 Email: main@moyafinancial.ca
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HUMBER COLLEGE COMMUNITY UPDATE
Social innovation is always top of mind at the Humber College Lakeshore Campus. At its core, social innovation is about finding new solutions to complex challenges, making our communities more resilient. At Humber, we focus on multidisciplinary ideas, new technologies and entrepreneurial thinking to tackle these challenges head-on. We are taking the next step in this journey by developing the Centre for Social Innovation, a part of one Humber’s network of Centres of Innovation (COIs), which bring together faculty, students and partners to strengthen our communities and industries. In addition to the Centre for Social Innovation, Humber’s COIs include The Centre for Innovation in Health & Wellness, The Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation, The Centre for Creative Business Innovation and The Centre for Entrepreneurship. The latter two are housed right here at the Lakeshore campus. The Centre for Creative Business Innovation (CCBI) will be part of the new Humber Cultural Hub, currently under construction. CCBI encourages collaboration, applied research and project-based learning. The Centre is a resource for companies and the wider community, bringing together students, faculty and industry or community partners to solve real-world problems. The COIs are supported by several Humber resources, including six faculties. The Faculty of Social and Community Services (FSCS) leads The Centre for Social Innovation. FSCS provides leadership in many social innovation activities, collaborating with academic and industry partners and the community, including our Etobicoke Lakeshore neighbours. 10
Now the faculty is seeking public feedback for the development of the Centre for Social Innovation. Last month, FSCS circulated a survey to internal and external stakeholders, including Lakeshore community members. “I will provide an update on the results and tell you about more ways to engage in the development of The Centre for Social Innovation in the coming months” FSCS is already engaged in creating new, locally driven solutions. Our areas of interest include: • Cannabis education for young adults • Affordable housing • Healthy communities • Delivery of services to better serve and support our neighbours. Late last year, Professor Daniel Bear, who teaches in FSCS’ Bachelor of Criminal Justice program, led an event called Legal Cannabis Three Years In: Harm Reduction, Impact, and Moving Forward. The discussion event included descriptions of policy implications and approaches to harm reduction. Many in our community have unanswered questions or aren’t sure where to find up-to-date information, and this kind of initiative helps bridge the gap. Some of our social innovation projects are a little less traditional than live discussion events and include an exciting new audio drama on Child and Youth Care. FSCS instructor Wolfgang Vachon and faculty member Shaheen Ariefdien created a research-based fiction podcast to explore the experiences of CYC practitioners (CYPCs) who have lived in residential placement as young people before becoming CYCPs. It
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uses a method called Audio Drama Inquiry, Student Welcome Resource Centre when it combining research findings with an is safe to do so. engaging fictional narrative. This month, I invite you to explore the You can find the audio dramas at www. social innovation happening at Humber ReFiled.ca, where you can listen for free. Lakeshore by visiting communityservices. humber.ca. I’m pleased to introduce another communitybased project at the Lakeshore Grounds I look forward to providing more updates Interpretive Centre, Scene and Unseen: on the development of our Humber’s Exploring Stories Through Postcards. COIs and exploring opportunities for social innovation with you, our Etobicoke The exhibition is now live on the Interpretive Lakeshore Community. Centre’s website, LakeshoreGrounds.ca, and includes recently acquired artefacts that are JUNE MACDONALD-JENKINS Sr. Dean Faculty of Social being displayed in public for the first time. Scene and Unseen invites you to consider what historical images reveal, and what they conceal. The power of postcards is that they can capture memories of a place, but they can also obscure or erase the lived realities of the people whose stories are connected to the image. There is more to these images than meets the eye.
and Community Services Principal, Lakeshore Campus
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COMMUNITY LAYLA
LAYLA - Delivering mental health care to the people who waited until things were Etobicoke Lakeshore community at a breaking point”, highlights Saretta Herman, the Clinical Director at Layla. Mental health is complex, but finding the right care doesn’t have to be. Many people feel stigma Layla is a service that facilitates towards accessing therapy and often struggle personalized individual, couples, in silence. 75% of Layla clients report that they family, and group therapy. Layla helps waited longer than a year before reaching out for work with clients to find a therapist help. that suits their goals and needs. ”People want and need support but they don’t know how to find it. They want someone good who is experienced with what they’re facing. Our hope at Layla is for people to connect to the right support sooner and prevent a lot of pain for
Oak Le Learners
Layla offers group therapy to make going to therapy a little less frightening. “We want individuals to feel that sense of community, like they would in yoga class, or the motivation you feel in a group fitness class”, expressed Emily McIntyre, the Community Manager at Layla. Layla offers group therapy to support individuals living with diabetes, disordered eating and for individuals who are struggling to manage intense emotions or are having trouble getting through distressing situations. In a time when young Canadian’s mental health is declining, and COVID-19 continues to take another turn to adversely affect the health and wellness of Canadians,Layla is a confidential, secure and warm space to connect about this .
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HISTORY LONG BRANCH CHRONICLES
Strange creatures we are. Walk into a room of whispering colleagues and our primal curiosities either pick up conversations of juicy gossip or financial bravados. The tabloids exploit our human weaknesses to a finely twined thread of literary pulp. Romance and money have been bedfellows since our beginning of time. To be fair though, this edition of the Long Branch Chronicles is more about ‘local green backs’ than cuddly credenzas . Imagine a hundred years ago in Long Branch lining up at the bank tellers in one of the two Dominion Banks. Ears perked, eyes sharpened, stories seeded the talk of the village. The who’s who of banking patrons, The Eastwoods, The Wrights, The Allens, The Robins, The Orpens interlaced with residents, shop keepers, and tourists painted the economic landscape. To put this in perspective, the 1920’s was the time to forget the horrors of WWI and the astounding global loss of life to the Spanish Flu (500,000,000 infected world wide). Our COVID soup is bland in comparison. The roaring Twenties were celebrant, extravagant, carefree, fun, and most of all pushed the world to financial collapse in 1929. Spend, spend, spend, buy stock investments, learn new dances like the Charleston and the Collegiate, buy or build a new house, go to the movies, buy new appliances like washing machines, radios, phonographs and vinyl records, sewing machines, bet at the Long Branch racetrack, buy a new motorcar and host a gin party. Money and easy credit fuelled the flames of the roaring Twenties even in Long Branch. The Long Branch Dominion Banks were
busy, alright, notwithstanding industrial and commercial expansions. The first bank in Long Branch was a wooden structure on the southeast corner of Long Branch Avenue and Lake Shore Blvd. Today the same location houses the Toronto Dominion Bank in the Watermark Clock Building (The Toronto and Dominion Banks amalgamated in 1955). To handle the growing demand for financial support and tendering, a second Dominion Bank was built on the southeast corner of 40th St. and Lake Shore Blvd . It was a brick structure complete with a walk-in vault. Today the former Dominion Bank is the Fair Grounds Organic Cafe. It also was home to the Long Branch Meat market for decades. The history of the Dominion Bank goes back to 1871, launched under the leadership of James Austin. For those of you who are familiar with the Davenport area of Toronto, James Austin’s Mansion is Spadina House on Spadina Road. Just to the south, Sir Henry Pellet’s Casa Loma is built on Austin Terrace in Austin’s namesake. Before the Bank of Canada became the sole issuer of legal Canadian currency in 1944 the Dominion Bank bank note was the face of money in Long Branch for decades. (see illustration). The buying power of a Five Dollar Note in the 1920’s was impressive but the inflation rate was 15.6%! Movie ticket: 15 cents. Gallon of Gasoline: 33 cents. Dozen Eggs: 47 cents. Bread: 12 cents. Postage First Class: 2 cents. Sugar 5 lbs: 35 cents. Bacon 1 lb: 47 cents. Cup of home brewed coffee: 2 cents. Entrance to the Long Branch Race Track: 1 dollar. So the next time you are sipping java at Fair Grounds in Long Branch, the walls are talking and not just about “bean counting”.
BILL ZUFELT
Long Branch Resident and Chair of the History and Culture Committee Long Branch Neighbourhood Association bill.zufelt@lbna.ca
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flip through a few pages but, for some reason, leaves out some key words, making it seem like I don’t know how to rite :) So when I decided I’d like to leap into the world of editorial cartoons, I enlisted the help of a professional, Jeff Wilson; a cartoonist from Priceville who most definitely does not suck at drawing!
I SUCK AT DRAWING
I had an idea to publish a politically savvy cartoon about the Omicron variant, entitled By: Roger Tumminieri Herd Immunity. I sketched out my idea on a scrap piece of paper I found in my shirt I’ve always wanted to write children’s books. pocket, took a photo of it and sent it to Jeff I’m not sure why. Maybe because kids see with a few words of direction. the world differently than adults and their innocence is appealing - something I’d He graciously replied with some constructive like to foster and encourage and somehow ideas to improve the nature of the toon. That is tap into. The problem is, I suck at drawing. to say my original idea was less than sensitive. Reference the 3 children’s books I wrote and The result was, in my opinion, a clever, well‘illustrated’ last June when I must have had a drawn take on whether we should head back lot more energy. I called it the “Sleepy Time to school and work after a brief ‘lockdown’ or Shapes” series. With clever titles like The lay low a little while longer. Black Rectangle, The Blue Square, and The Yellow Circle, I thought I was sure to blow You can see it page 15. the doors off Amazon’s Kindle sales :) Thank you to Jeff and I look forward to I was wrong. creating more thought-provoking cartoons with his help. Although, I think the books are cute and reading them to kids is a fun and sneaky way Check back for more stories from The County for parents to get their littles to sleep, their Life by visiting www.thecountylife.ca downfall was most likely the cover art (see above re: sucking at drawing). Unfortunately, Read more stories from The County Life at the ‘look inside’ sample option allows you to www.thecountylife.ca
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HELLO COUNTRY OUR JOURNEY IN GREY COUNTY
Loving our new Grey County Life The irony of penning the following piece in a “Support Local” edition for South Etobicoke isn’t lost on me, but if you’ve ever dreamt of saying ‘goodbye city...Hello Country!’ you’ll want to read on. You may or may not know this about me, but Jessica and I made the decision to leave Long Branch at the end of 2019. Suffice it to say, it was not an easy choice. We loved our little bungalow on Thirty Ninth Street just off Lake Prom. We loved our neighbourhood and we miss our friends. But when we weighed the pros and cons of selling our city home and buying a country property, we realized that it made a lot of sense; both financially and spiritually. We certainly lucked out having made the move prior to the pandemic. It’s not news that folks are moving to the country in droves now, partly to escape the confines of Covid city life. Single people, couples, families - all looking to embark on a new adventure in search of a simpler, more peaceful life. As I write this, I hear snowmobiles zipping past our house as they drive along our snow-covered road passing the odd horse and buggy, no doubt. It’s Sunday and our Mennonite neighbours are on their way home from church. I’m wearing overalls and kneehigh camo boots because I just came in from mucking out the goat stall. Yes, we have goats! And horses, too. By the grace of God, we’ve managed to do a complete 180 with our lives, and we’re not alone. One of our new friends, Susan Moffat - a local
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Realtor who lives in Grey Highlands, a municipality in the heart of Grey County, has helped quite a few families make the move from the city to the country. Her area of expertise extends to properties in Bruce and Grey Counties, a large swath of land along the southern shore of Georgian Bay, that includes the north end of the Niagara Escarpment, and down along part of the shoreline of Lake Huron. This area includes familiar destinations such as Collingwood,
Tobermory, and Sauble Beach, but is mainly comprised of small, rural towns that fewer people seem to be familiar with (at least I hadn’t heard of them before). Towns like Meaford, Thornbury, Tara, Paisley, Durham, Flesherton, and Markdale to name a few.
“The appeal of country life is taking hold,” says Moffat, “especially among young professionals, families, and those looking to retire outside the city who might have otherwise chosen to go south to the States.” Moffat and her family didn’t always live in the country. They did what we did, just 15 years earlier. “We know what it’s like to leave everything behind,” she says. “We always wanted to have more space, to be surrounded by nature, and to be more self-sufficient. I understand what it’s like to be new in the country,” Moffat continues. “That’s why I make it a point to be helpful to my clients long after they’ve moved in.” I know when we moved to Grey Highlands, we didn’t know a soul. Well, just one...our Realtor. He was our only friend for a while until we started to get out and meet people in the community. The concept of being friends with the person who helped you purchase your new home may seem foreign, but it’s common place up here in the country. Moffat can attest. “I always help connect my clients with local contractors when they need work done on their place or even to plough snow,” she explains. “I love to recommend great local shops and restaurants, and also to just be a friend. We’re all part of a tightly-knit, but
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HELLO COUNTRY CONTINUED
Yes, we have goats!
And horses, too.
spread-out community here and everyone attachment. helps everyone.” Not bad for a guy who told his Kindergarten Based on my experience so far, that comment teacher that he wanted to be a Farmer when he couldn’t be closer to the truth. grew up. I’ll never forget our first winter in Grey County. The snow was up to my waist with drifts upwards of 12 to 14 feet high. It was more snow than Jessica or I had ever seen. One day, while trying our hardest to dig out our vehicles with the snow shovels that we brought with us from Long Branch, two of our neighbours rolled up in their tractors, complete with a loader bucket on the front and a snowblower on the back (the likes of which I’d never seen before - we didn’t have tractors in Scarborough), and asked very graciously if we needed help.
So, what do you do if you’re thinking about getting out of Dodge? For starters, check out some properties for sale in Grey or Bruce County. ‘Grey-Bruce’, as it’s affectionately known up here, is kind of like one big County. I call it God’s Country. Obviously, it’s all but covered in snow right now; which may also be the case for South Etobicoke, but you should come check it out in the springtime. The green pastures and rolling hills. The hay bales laying out in farmers’ fields, the proximity to lakes, ski hills and the absence of traffic (unless you’re stuck behind a horse and buggy) make this place a great spot for a second “Heck ya!” I said as I gave them a big thumbs- property or your primary residence. Given the up and then watched in awe as they went to cost to rent or buy in the city these days, Greywork blowing out our tree-lined driveway back Bruce gets more appealing by the second. toward what would become our stable. “I’m working on a few listings right now that are Can you guess what I bought the following perfect for people thinking of laying down new spring? Yep, a tractor with a snowblower roots,” says Moffat. “I haven’t met anyone who’s regretted moving up here!” You’re not alone if you’re seriously considering a new life in the country. I had the pleasure of meeting several families this past year at events in Grey County who read about them in the Etobicoke Lakeshore Press. One family in particular told me at a Christmas Market last December that they’d sold their home in New Toronto and bought a property in West Grey. They’d had enough of the city and wanted to start anew in the country. Take it from me. It’s a different world up here.
Our new friend, Susan Moffat 18
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HELPING OTHERS HOPE HAVEN THERAPEUTIC
“Today is 780+ days since Alexandra Richardson’s last chemotherapy treatment. Our daughter has spent the last 2+ years dealing with the side-effects from her cancer-treatments and learning to do things from “baby-steps” all over again. Lots of her post-chemo rehab was cancelled or delayed by COVID-19... but the folks at Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding Centre have been able to help her regain so much self-confidence via their recreational, occupational & physical therapy programs. After many months of “baby-steps” TODAY is the first day she has been able to ride outside of the ring.” - Proud father, Mark Richardson Located at the top of the Beaver Valley, Hope Haven Therapeutic Riding Centre empowers individuals of all ages with (dis)abilities or unique needs by building self-esteem, confidence and lifetime skills through equestrian sport, recreation, and therapeutic programs. Our Hope Haven team consists of specially trained human 20
and equine professionals and a robust, dedicated community of volunteers. Together we harness the power of adaptive techniques, equipment, and teaching methods to enable individuals with (dis) abilities or unique needs to explore the world of equestrian, including Ontario’s first Special Olympics equestrian team. We welcome your interest! For programs visit: www.hopehavencentre. org/programs To volunteer visit: www.hopehavencentre. org/volunteer To donate visit: www.hopehavencentre. org/donate HOPE HAVEN THERAPUTIC RIDING CENTRE 545747 Sideroad 4A, Markdale 519-986-1247 partnerships@hopehavencentre.org www.hopehavencentre.org
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WELLNESS DIABETES AND MINDSET As a pharmacist and Certified Diabetes Educator, I could share with you all sorts of stats, guidelines, studies, and other information that is generally meaningless on the individual level of eliciting change. In my practice, I’ve seen varied causes, attitudes, and mindsets towards diabetes and it’s management. Today, I’m going to take a different approach and start at the beginning of it all: MINDSET. There’s no argument that there are psychosocial factors that contribute to diabetes. These are factors that lump in your mood, mindset, approach, environment, and support that contribute to your health in diabetes. In my opinion, this is where it all begins. While there are foods that are low in sugar, and drugs that lower your blood sugar, the most effective way of managing the symptoms of diabetes is to change your mindset and habits. At a high level, Type 2 Diabetes is caused by the body’s inability to process sugar due to being overloaded with sugar over a long period of time. Your body’s sugar processing system gets overloaded and becomes less effective over time. So to truly prevent, reduce the occurence of, and help to manage or control diabetes, it all comes down to the same thing: controlling your sugar intake. Here is where the mindset comes in. Reading the above paragraph, many people may first jump to the thought of “I can’t live without X” or “It’s too hard to make those changes” or “I can’t do diets”. And yet, there are many people that do all those things that you’re thinking of. And because you said you can’t, you’ll be right. So these are all limiting beliefs. They are limiting you from achieving the health that you want (assuming that we all want to be “healthy”). Our brains and bodies are complex systems that are often broken apart by science and sectioned off into components. This division is great for helping understand 22
JONATHAN NHAN the different workings of the individual parts of the body. In the case of diabetes, the function of the pancreas and how it processes sugar has been well mapped out. Medications target different parts of this system and we can hack the body into lowering blood sugar levels. That would be amazing if we were just a floating pancreas. In reality, as people, we come as one whole complex and intertwined system. Our mindset and moods affect our actions that then have effects on our health. There is definitely a place for all the advances of modern medical science, and it can only be made more effective if we begin to listen to our bodies and start considering real change. The biggest shift here is to understand that things can either happen to you, or you can make things happen. A diagnosis of diabetes could be looked at as your body is failing to process the sugar that you are taking in. What about looking at this “failure” as feedback. If your body were telling you something about how it’s processing sugars, what would that message be? Maybe there are better food choices that you could make based on this feedback from your body. Coming to a conscious understanding of this could help you begin to bring awareness to what changes could benefit you. Building in this unconscious understanding, and using that unconscious power to drive your actions is building new habits. Find Jon at jnthn.ca
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Jonathan Nhan Co-Founder, Curate and Upgrade
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COVER STORY Q&A WITH JAMES MALONEY, MP
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By: Roger Tumminieri As Parliament returns, I thought I would sit down with our MP for Etobicoke-Lakeshore to hear what is on his mind as he takes his seat in the Chamber. What are the priorities for you this session in Parliament? It is going to be a busy time in Ottawa. We are in the midst of crafting the budget and the Minister of Finance, the Honourable Chrystia Freeland is doing a great job at juggling all the priorities. Our Speech from the Throne outlined the priorities and they include a plan that will finish the fight against COVID-19, take strong climate action, make life more affordable, walk the shared path of reconciliation, put home ownership back in reach and create jobs. I am encouraged by the statistics that show our job market has bounced back and in fact surpassed our original goals. As for me personally, my roles in Ottawa have changed a bit. I am now Chair of the full Ontario Caucus and in January, the Prime Minister appointed me to the National Security and Intelligence Committee of Parliamentarians, which is a great honour. The Committee uses a non-partisan approach to review national security and intelligence activities carried out across government to ensure that the legislative, regulatory, policy, administrative, and financial framework for national security and intelligence is sound. This includes activities undertaken by the Canada Border Services Agency, the Communications Security Establishment, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces, Global Affairs Canada, and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, among many others. My most important role, of course, is to serve the people of Etobicoke-Lakeshore.
JAMES MALONEY Member of Parliament Etobicoke-Lakeshore
How have you been reaching out to your constituents during the pandemic? That is a great question because I was thinking about how much more difficult Continued on page 26
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COVER STORY CONTINUED the pandemic would have been without technology. Thanks to online fireside chats on all kinds of topics, I have been able to reach more constituents at one time than ever before. While these online platforms are not the same as doing things in-person, they have been invaluable tools to keep us connected.
Women’s Day Breakfast, which will stay online for another year. Stay tuned for those events.
Thanks to local media such as yourself, that job has also been easier.
As we all adapt and move forward, I encourage everyone to support our local businesses to help them on their path to economic recovery.
Even as we come out of the pandemic, I will continue online discussions because they are an effective tool.
As we enter mid-winter – and hopefully the winter chill will ease, we are entering a phase of partial opening, with the hope that life will slowly resume to a new normal.
Stay safe.
Do you have any upcoming online events? I will be having our mental health event online again this year as well as a chat with the Etobicoke Historical Society, which I am excited about. My calendar this year (which was late in getting out this year sadly for a number of reasons) is finally out and it is chockfull of historical information on our incredible community thanks to the Society’s incredible work. Speaking of history, as we mark the 26 th anniversary of Black History Month, we honour and recognize the legacy of Black Canadians, both past and present, and reflect on the many contributions they have made to our country. I think of the Hon. Jean Augustine and other trailblazers of the past, and Black History Month allows us to acknowledge the stories and dreams of diverse Black Canadian communities across the country. That’s why this year’s theme is February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day. I will be hosting an online event for Black History Month as well as International
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JAMES MALONEY
Member of Parliament Etobicoke-Lakeshore james.maloney@parl.gc.ca
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PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT MY GRATITUDE
AMANDA KIRKLAND “For my part, I am almost contented just now, and very thankful. Gratitude is a divine emotion: it fills the heart, but not to bursting; it warms it, but not to fever.” - Charlotte Bronte 28
My gratitude rock is a small, smooth, painted stone I discovered in the soil of a fig tree I inherited from a yoga teacher of mine before she fled to a warmer climate. I used to carry it in my bag, or pocket, or
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ROCK placed it somewhere in my home where it was always visible. When I felt or saw my “pet” rock, it was a signal for to me to hold the rock in the palm of my hand, pause and think about things I was grateful for. When I first started this practice, it felt unnatural and forced. Nothing would come to mind other than the obvious, I am grateful for: my home, my health, my dog, to/for my friends, always the same four things. Today, just listening to the daily news, opening email after email which somehow always alludes to the pandemic - well, it’s depressing. The dialogue is so focused on the negative. Why not get yourself a gratitude rock? I was going to suggest picking one up by the lake or in a park, however, as I’m writing this, we’ve had about 25cm of snow overnight and double that coming by 5pm today. Yeah, I love the white stuff, actually. I should say I’m grateful for the white, clean, fluffy snow. If we are going to have winter, let there be snow. While writing this article I decided to give the use of the rock a little twist. I sat quietly in front of my MacBook as my fingers spat out a list of things, I am grateful for that came to mind in the moment. I am grateful for my bed. I am grateful I can see trees and birds from my townhome windows. I am grateful for my body that allows me to move. I am grateful for my yoga practice. I am grateful for my sight that allows me to see and watch everything around me. I am grateful for the challenges and hurdles I have had to navigate for they have brought me to the place I am in today. I am grateful for Lululemon leggings. I am grateful for my sister. I am grateful for my strength and tenacity. I am grateful I learned I had a purpose. I am grateful I am now a coach helping others. … and look at that, none of the above items
are on the “old” list of four. Now I’m on a roll. I could go on, but those were the first things that came out of my typing fingers just now I’m going to keep adding to this list and when I think I am emptied, I am going to print out a couple of copies – one to keep on my person, and one to put somewhere visible at home. When I’m having a moment and stressing out, I am going to read this list and remember all that I’m grateful for; all the good in my life. Oh, and before I forget, I am grateful I moved to the Long Branch community two years ago and was given the opportunity to be a monthly editorial contributor to the Etobicoke Lakeshore Press, where every month I get to talk to my neighbours. For now, signing off from a place of calm, joy, and love. AMANDA KIRKLAND Personal Development Coach www.amandakirkland.com If you are interested in making positive changes in your life, let’s book an initial consultation call. Tell me your story and we can identify what’s blocking you from achieving the results you desire. My coaching programs use specific ENLP tools that uncover the root cause of surface level problems. We will clear these blocks at the unconscious and cellular levels, allowing you to see effective results over a short time. I am passionate about my work, because I’ve experienced first-hand the life- changing results and shifts possible while working with the unconscious mind. Email me at amanda@amandakirkland.com or visit www.amandakirkland.com.
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ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
PROMOTE YOUR BUSINESS IN SOUTH ETOBICOKE! Contact Roger Tumminieri, Publisher etobicokelakeshorepress@gmail.com (416) 788-0716 w w30w . e t o b i c o k ewww.fiatluxmedia.com lakeshorepress.com
