SEPTEMBER 2021
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS Shining a Light on Local Businesses Since 2015
JAMES MALONEY
with his trusty pup, Walnut, on the campaign trail in Etobicoke-Lakeshore. page 16
Photo: Jennifer Hartley
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT: BACK TO SCHOOL WITH KELLY FARRELL
Read our Back To School Edition Cover Story featuring Long Branch's Kelly Farrell, Director at Oak Learner's in Mimico and listen to her talk about what Back To School might look like this year on the Etobicoke Lakeshore Podcast.
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MASTHEAD EDITORIAL CONTRIBUTORS KELLY FARRELL Founder and Director at Oak Learners; Private Alternative School in Mimico
MIKE WIXSON Producer of the Etobicoke Lakeshore Podcast & Owner of The Pod Plant
KAM SARAN BRAD JONES South Etobicoke Resident & Business President & Owner of Ridley Funeral Development Manager at Office146. Home in New Toronto DEREK STOCKLEY HILIARY BREADNER Principal, Lakeshore Campus; Dean, Production Manager & Graphic Design; Faculty of Social & Community Services Owner of Hiliary Breadner Graphics AMANDA KIRKLAND Long Branch Resident and Personal Development Coach
BILL ZUFELT Long Branch Resident and Chair of the History & Culture Committee, LBNA
JONATHAN NHAN Pharmacist, Hypnotist & Certified Diabetes Educator
JAMES MALONEY Member of Parliamen for the riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore
DR. TIMOTHY KODSI Etobicoke Resident & Medical Lead at Mimico Medical
LIZ MARTINO-DURBANO Teacher, Certified Fitness Instructor & Wellness Guide
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PUBLISHER’S NOTE FAMILY EDITION
ROGER TUMMINIERI
Publisher, Etobicoke Lakeshore Press
etobicokelakeshorepress@gmail.com www.EtobicokeLakeshorePress.com @etobicokelakeshorepress Hello and welcome to our Family edition. What is Family to you? That’s a good question and it’s one that’s been raised by Dr. Mike Katarynych of Mimico Medical in a wonderful article on page 26 that I recommend you read. It encapsulates the spirit of this edition. Another great read this month (as always) is Brad Jones’ feature; Life’s Undertakings, in which Brad explains why he’s the “Grin Reaper”. Thank you to all of our Editorial Contributors and Ad Partners. I just realized as I write this, that it’s been exactly 6 years since I first published the Etobicoke Lakeshore Press back in September of 2015. Thanks to everyone who has supported the magazine in all its forms along the way and to you, our loyal Readers. Among those who have been great supporters of this publication, one stands out more than most; James Maloney. He has gone out of his way to help me and my family throughout this pandemic and now he’s up for re-election as Member of Parliament for Etobicoke-Lakeshore. If there’s one thing I could say to describe him, it would be as someone who truly cares for his community. Despite your thoughts on Canada’s political parties and their respective leaders, James Maloney has always been there to support the constituents of Etobicoke-Lakeshore and, moreso, during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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With that said, you can read our cover story this month featuring James Maloney on page 16. Thank you so much and I hope you enjoy this edition!
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TABLE OF CONTENTS SEPTEMBER 2021 PUBLISHER’S NOTE...p6
Roger Tumminieri recommends a few good reads in this month’s Family edition.
HISTORY...p10 Bill Zufelt is back and his History feature is sure to strike a chord with readers.
COMMUNITY...p12 See how this Office146 member pivoted in response to the pandemic.
FOOD & DRINK...p14
Welcome to Dr. Mike Katarynych from Mimico Medical. Read his amazing article about Family.
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT...p27 Amanda Kirkland’s honest depiction of Family is a must-read. Note her disclaimer.
HUMBER COLLEGE...p28
Derek Stockley is still with us! Read his monthly update about some of the great things happening at Humber.
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS is the only
Get a glimpse at what’s happening at these local hotspots.
COVER STORY...p16 James Maloney is running for re-election. Read about his accomplishments and his platform in this month’s cover story.
9th LINE KITE FESTIVAL...p18 Feel like a road trip? Take a leisurely country drive to Grey Highlands for this breathtaking event.
LIFE’S UNDERTAKINGS...p22 Why did the Undertaker have a good sense of humour? Find out why they call Brad Jones the “Grin Reaper”.
Published By
WELLNESS...p26
free, 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 Shoppers Drug Mart in Long Branch and Espresso Bar Namaste in Alderwood. We capture life in South Etobicoke by highlighting the many positive contributions to our community by local business owners, elected officials, and residents. No part of this publication in any of its forms may be reproduced without written consent of the publisher. 146 Thirtieth St, Suite 100, Unit 25, Etobicoke, ON M8W 3C4 Follow Us on Instagram #I EL @etobicokelakeshorepress www.etobicokelakeshorepress.com
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HISTORY “THE MUSIC MAN”
“The Music Man” Barry Gosse 1937-1988
Liona Boyd (Gosse’s student) with the Queen Elizabeth & HRH Prince Philip at Windsor Castle
Years before ‘Professor Harold Hill’ with his instrument emporium travelling show marched on the giant screens of Southern Etobicoke Movie Houses, there was an untiring young man alive and well infusing youth with the timeless wealth of music. Aptly referred to as ‘The Music Man’ (aka Mr. Music) by his colleagues and students, Barry Gosse at age 13 was already composing, arranging conducting, and directing with his natural bounty of musical genius. All the while being an EATON’S junior and executive councillor at his graduating high school; New Toronto Secondary School! During the post-WWII periods, the Gosses were no strangers to the Long Branch community. The son of The Reverend Gosse of Saint Paul’s United Church 31st, and with brothers who would pursue their own illustrious medical, ministry and music careers, the Gosse family was a prodigious household. Mr. Gosse studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music and the University of Toronto, as well as the Eastman School of Music in Rochester. His many remarkable accomplishments throughout his career include the founding of the Etobicoke Youth Orchestra as well as being its stalwart conductor for seventeen years. He prepared hundreds of young performers for the Kiwanis Music Festival and was a Festival adjudicator. For twenty eight years, Gosse was the Coordinator of Music for the Etobicoke Board of Education and for twenty years as the Director for the Etobicoke Centennial Choir. In the Ministry of Music, Gosse was organist and director of both junior and senior choirs at Saint Paul’s United Church. Later he assumed the Director of Music post for the Islington United Church for two decades until his far too early passing in 1988.
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My introduction to Mr. Gosse was not through music but rather by numerous recollections and jokes from my Best Man, Alan L. on Mr. Gosse’s inseparable and contagious sense of humor teaching Geography (carried over to music classes) at Kipling Collegiate Institute during the sixties. One of Mr. Gosse’s grade nine students was a reticent and self-conscious British young lady. Unknowingly to him (and herself, too) this young lady would spellbound his immersive stories and the magnificent works of the great composers such as Beethoven, Gershwin and Copland into global stardom; “Canada’s Lady of the Guitar” and multiple JUNO recipient, Liona Boyd. In Liona’s Boyd’s autobiography “In my Own Key’ she credits and thanks Barry Gosse for his unparalleled inspiration to ‘kindly put her clarinet down’ and pursue her insatiable love of the classical guitar. Mr. Gosse composed over a hundred original songs including ETOBICOKE’s official theme song and a piece written for one thousand voices which was performed during Queen Elizabeth’s visit to Toronto in 1977. In 1987, Mr. Music, Barry Gosse, was inducted into the Etobicoke Hall Fame. Today, his musical legacy is honored by the prestigious Barry Gosse Award for music composition which is administered and annually awarded at the Toronto Kiwanis Music Festival.
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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COMMUNITY DELICIOUS NEW IDEAS
How This Company Pivoted During COVID-19
Choco-Let’s Chocolates office is based out of the South Etobicoke community. They have been chocolatiers since the early 2000s. They are the only chocolate studio that offers programs such as birthday parties and summer camps exclusively for children. Some of the hardest hit businesses by COVID-19 have been children’s programs. Some parts of their camp programs are now done outdoors: such as drama, arts and crafts. However, their team had to change their focus from studio chocolate parties to sales and production. They’ve even created a line of hand-dipped, yummy chocolate cookies and strawberries. Choco-Let’s Chocolates have also developed a new division that makes personalized chocolate names called ChocolateMyName.ca. These changes came with the challenge of buying new equipment, product development and branding. This made them look into grants and subsidies from the government. COVID-19 has pushed them to pivot their business to new horizons and they have definitely risen to the challenge.
Now that restrictions have eased up and many things have opened back up, this is a great time for families to book a children’s party (that’s COVID-friendly). Also, personalizing a loved one’s name in chocolate would make great family gifts as well!
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It's the end of the line. And when you get to Tobermory it's time for a beer. Enter Tobermory Brewing Company. @tobermorybrewingco Get off the beaten path. Explore Bruce's Caves Conservation Area - a great place to make new memories!
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Pick yer own... There's nothin' like freshly picked fruit to enjoy while you explore beautiful county roads. Make a stop at Keyzer's Fruit Farm and stock up for the trip!
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COVER STORY JAMES MALONEY; FORWARD Healthcare, housing affordability, the environment, seniors, families, small businesses and most recently COVID-19 supports have been some of the priorities that have marked us as a government and will continue to be our guiding light for the future.
Standard to achieve 100 percent net-zero emitting electricity system by 2035, make sure the oil and gas sector reduces emissions at a pace and scale needed to achieve net-zero by 2050, with 5-year targets to stay on track to achieving the goal.
Home affordability for all Canadians, especially those wanting to buy their first home, has been an issue in our communities in EtobicokeLakeshore. I have heard it over and over again and we are taking action. We will temporarily ban new foreign ownership in Canadian housing to ensure Canadians have more access to purchasing homes, unless this purchase is confirmed to be for future employment or immigration in the next two years.
For seniors, we will continue to make life affordable by increasing the Guaranteed Income Supplement ($500 for single seniors and $750 for senior couples.)
This will also allow us to work with provinces and municipalities to develop a framework to better regulate the role of foreign buyers in the Canadian housing market. January 1, 2022 we will also begin the implementation of Canada’s first-ever national tax on non-resident, non-Canadian owners of vacant, underused housing and we will extend this to include foreign-owned vacant land within large urban areas. A re-elected Liberal government will move forward with a three-part housing plan. A Home For Everyone will: • Unlock Home Ownership: Liberals will help a family buying their first home to save up to $30,000 in a tax-free account. • Build More Homes: Liberals will build, preserve, or repair an additional 1.4 million homes in four years. • Protect Your Rights: Liberals will create a Home Buyers’ Bill of Rights to make the process of buying a home fairer and more transparent.
As we move forward, we will continue to work on reconciliation with Indigenous communities to address the wrongs of the past. As the campaign rolls out, you will hear more about the Liberal plan. As always, we have been the party that cares and we will continue to be there to support all Canadians. Voting in this election includes new options, such as a mail-in ballot. You can securely apply for a special ballot at elections.ca and it needs to be mailed at your earliest convenience as the ballots need to be in the hands of Elections Canada by Election Day. Please visit elections.ca for all the details. It has been an honour to serve as your Member of Parliament and I hope I can count on your support to continue working for you in Ottawa and in our community. If you would like to reach my re-election campaign office, please call (416) 251-5920 or email me at contact@jamesmaloney.ca
JAMES MALONEY, MP 416.251.5920 contact@jamesmaloney.ca
Health care is another priority for all of us. The pandemic underlined the importance of taking care of Canadians. A re-elected Liberal government will continue to work with provinces and territories to build a stronger health care system for everyone. We will: • Invest $10B to eliminate waitlists — that’s $6B in new funding on top of $4B already committed in budget 2021; • Invest $3B to hire 7,500 family doctors, nurses, and nurse practitioners over four years; and • Expand virtual health care services to give you flexibility. Climate action is a major priority for everyone and our climate action plan is focused on solutions that cut pollution, protect our environment, spur world-leading clean innovation, create jobs and grow the middle class. We will implement 100 percent zero emissions car sales by 2035, we will deploy $5 billion to advance clean power generation and will introduce a Clean Electricity
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ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
Pho
FOR EVERYONE
oto: Jennifer Hartley
JAMES MALONEY Liberal Candidate for Etobicoke-Lakeshore
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FEATURE 9th LINE KITE FESTIVAL
9t
Septemb
Photos of the 2011 Toronto Windfest Courtesy of Event organizer Dave Meslin 18
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
Are you looking for something to do this September? Are you feeling the itch to head out of the city and head to a truly unique event out in the country? The 9th Line Kite Festival is happening on September 18th & 19th in the heart of beautiful Grey County. This magical event will include kites of all shapes, sizes and colours, including some of the largest kites in the country! You can bring your own kite, or just come to watch, either way this event is completely FREE to attend. The event is from noon until 5pm both days.
th LINE KITE FESTIVAL
ber 18th & 19th from Noon -5pm Just outside of Markdale, ON www.9thline.ca
A scenic 2-hour country drive from Long Branch. Don't forget to check out the quaint towns of Flesherton, Markdale, Kimberley & Eugenia along the way! For more information check out their website 9thline.ca
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FINANCE WHY YOU SHOULD OPEN AN RESP
Planning for your children’s future? Get a head start with a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP). RESP’s are designed to help you plan early and invest in your child’s education tax-free. Here are just some of the ways setting up an RESP account when your child is young can benefit you and your family: The government also contributes Trying to save for your child’s post-secondary education can be daunting, especially as tuition rates in Canada continue to rise. When you open an RESP, you are immediately given a boost on your investment through the Canada Education Savings Grant. This federal government program will automatically contribute a grant of 20% — which is an extra $500 on your maximum contribution of $2,500 per year. Lower-income households are given an additional grant through the Canada Learning Bond, which contributes up to $2,000 per eligible child. Your savings are tax-free RESP is considered a tax-advance account, which allows Canadians to receive tax breaks while saving for higher education. RESP savings allow for tax-free growth of your investment earnings for however long you decide to stay within the savings plan, allowing your savings to grow faster. However, an RESP becomes taxable once the money is withdrawn and used. Once your child enrolls in a post-secondary institution, the money accrued from the RESP will be processed through educational assistance payments (EAP). This program allows the RESP to be shifted from the contributor to the beneficiary. Taxes will then be based on the student’s income, rather than the parents’, which can result in them paying very little if nothing at all.
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It offers flexibility You can choose a variety of investment options in an RESP depending on your risk level, including mutual funds and GICs. RESP accounts can remain open for up to 36 years, should your child choose to delay their post-secondary education. Family plans also allow contributors to designate several children as beneficiaries and the ability to reallocate funds to another account like an RRSP (Registered Retirement Savings Plan). It is important to note that should your RESP be withdrawn to another account, it will be considered taxable and may face additional penalties. A Registered Education Savings Plan is a practical way to contribute to your child’s education and positively impact their financial future. At Moya Financial, our RESP accounts are designed to maximize your savings and help you achieve your financial goals. To learn more about starting an RESP, contact us today! This article is not intended to provide financial or financial planning advice, please call or email Moya Financial and they will be more than happy to chat with you!
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
MOYA FINANCIAL
747 Brown’s Line, Toronto, ON M8W 3V7 Call: 416.255.1742 Email: main@moyafinancial.ca
JUST THE FACTS:
HOW ITEX BARTER CAN HELP YOUR BUSINESS & YOUR LIFE Yes, it’s true. The concept of bartering has never been more valuable and the trend is growing. The largest barter company in Canada, ITEX, has its head office in Etobicoke. What is a well-known, 1-on-1 practice in theory now operates within a modern, sophisticated network of people who use barter credits known as ITEX dollars as a means to conduct transactions without the use of traditional currency, but instead leverage idle stock, capacity in schedules, empty tables and hotel rooms, and more. Let’s answers some questions so we can see if it’s good for your business. Q: HOW DOES THE ITEX MARKETPLACE WORK? A: Member businesses buy and sell products and services with one another utilizing the unique medium of the ITEX dollar, instead of cash. You can buy from, and sell to, any of our thousands of member businesses here in Toronto, Ontario, across Canada and even across the US. The top ITEX office in North America is the head office for Canada, here in Etobicoke.
Q: HOW DO I REGISTER WITH ITEX? A: Simply “Sign Up” on itex.com. There are association fees and a nominal transaction fee of 6%. A local ITEX broker will contact you to get you started. As part of the online registration process, you will be prompted to enter contact information and a description of your business.
Q: HOW WILL ITEX BARTER EXCHANGE HELP MY BUSINESS? A: ITEX members enjoy many benefits, but here are the 3 primary benefits: 1. New business/sales opportunities to new customers that otherwise don’t currently exist. 2. Conservation of valuable cash flow by using ITEX dollars instead of cash to buy products and services needed from other members of the ITEX Marketplace. 3. Increased buying power, trade against the cost of your goods and services buy buying other goods and services at a tremendously discounted rate with ITEX dollars.
Q: WHAT BUSINESSES IN THE ETOBICOKE AREA ARE ON ITEX NOW? Here are just a few examples: Branding Centres, Office146, Classic Tan, Dariva Jewellery, FP Dry Cleaning, Ford Performance Centre, Para-Mass, Osmow’s Restaurant, Total Tint, Mottacom, The Pod Plant, Evanov Radio Group, and many more!
VISIT ITEX.COM TO SIGN UP NOW
OR REQUEST INFORMATION AT BARTER.INFO@ITEXCANADA.NET OR CALL
416.898.5604.
LIFE’S UNDERTAKINGS THE GRIN REAPER I love to laugh. I have been known to snort, spray food or drinks out of my nose when ridiculousness shows up unexpectedly. Nothing shifts a mood more quickly than a belly laugh. Even the tightest hug can’t top laughter’s medicinal powers. But every clown has a season.
and celebrate life while simultaneously mourning its passing. With 30 years of undertaking under my everwidening belt, I regularly watch the gap between birth, life and death exquisitely bridged. How? By the telling of stories.
There are times when my popularity plummets at home and at the funeral home. Happily, those times are rare. For the most part.
Some of the kindest, most generous, strongest, fierce and comical people I have ever heard about are souls I have never met – and will never meet.
My tanking in the polls always correlates with how many practical jokes I am playing on my wife, six kids and staff.
They’re the dead who pass through our funeral home but their legacy remains in the stories their loved ones share and cherish.
I am a sucker for jumping out of closets and inspiring screams. I’ve been known to leave strange anonymous phone messages.
Every day I am blessed, as are my staff, to hear the stories of people’s lives. Their triumphs. Headaches. Quirks. Heartbreaks.
Yes, sometimes I’m laughing harder – way harder – than the person I’ve shocked, stunned or startled with my shenanigans.
As a funeral director, I don’t only listen to these stories from the pulpit or at the centre of a room to a large crowd. (In the olden days, of course.)
You simply can’t feel sad, nervous, angry or afraid when you’re laughing, whether you’re giggling alone or belly-laughing with others.
I am blessed to hear stories told to me privately, heartbreakingly, sometimes ashamedly.
For people like me who see death up close every single day, you need to laugh. No, not at Death and surely not at the dead and grieving. (We’re not ghouls, people!) The reason I choose to be the “grin reaper” among the people dearest and closest to me is because I realize that as we embrace the reality of death professionally and personally, we’re rejuvenated and healed by laughter; funeral directors need regular reminding that there’s great joy in being alive. In fact, I believe “normal folk” such as yourself benefit from life-laughter reminders, too, especially these days. Yes, the world can look like it’s falling apart, descending into darkness, burning down, splitting wide open, going viral. But just like tears can signify joy or pain, life is fuelled by more than what’s featured on the daily news or from the political campaign trail. So often people expect me to have a doom-andgloom attitude and outlook on life. Why? Because I’m a funeral director. Supposedly I see the “worst of the worst.” I don’t. I see the very best in people. And I define “best” as whenever men, women and children gather
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One of the reasons I let go of petty slights easily is that I know first-hand that people filled with regret and remorse – usually about their acts of anger and non-forgiveness – are tortured souls who tell the saddest stories about the people they’ve loved and lost. Once someone is dead, all bets are off. There are no more chances to be kinder, wiser, more patient. But stories, confessed privately or shared publicly, are magical in their ability to transform wounds into wisdom. To convert regret into redemption. Eulogies are as old as the hills because we’re a species hardwired to mourn and to grieve. Speaking the last public words about someone who’s died is both a blessing and a burden. If there was ever a “favourite” part of a funeral, most people, including funeral directors, would agree that eulogies are the most powerful and sacred, and sometimes the funniest, part of the service. (Funeral sandwiches are a distant second, as they should be.) Whether we’re speaking at a funeral or listening to grieving storytellers, stories bring everything, and everyone, back to life. The shadow cast by the beloved’s death is held off for just a bit longer. The “new normal” has not yet breached the gate.
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
BRAD JONES
Owner, Ridley Funeral Home Stories about dead people keep us in sunshine a touch longer before the new narrative, the story of our own lives minus those we love, launches us into a dark and dismal shadowland that’s as painful as it is ever-changing. My mother died 23 years ago and my father in 2019. I will tell you without a shadow of a doubt that my love for them has never ended, has never stopped flowing in their direction. Family does not end when death comes to your door. My parents remain a part of our family because they taught me and my sister the redemptive power of storytelling. The majority of my children never met their grandmother yet they know both my parents and they know and, more importantly, they feel that they’re connected to a larger although invisible family. There are few words that comfort a broken heart. But as a funeral director and as a son I do know that stories offer light and comfort when we’re missing our beloved so much we can barely take a breath, stand up straight or fake a smile. If there were ever a vaccine to protect us from grief, a shot of story would be inside that jab, not to the arm but into the tenderness of a broken heart.
expresses a timeless sentiment about people like me, called to care for the living by taking care of the dead: “Cold-Blooded,” you’ll hear them say/Trained to the shock and chill of death/With a heart that’s cold and grey.” (Read the entire poem on page 30) How can people so intimately involved with our humanity and our demise balance their own humanity and faith? In other words, how do I do what I do? – a question I am asked constantly. And the answer is sweetly simple, like most big truths are: I’m a funeral director because I believe in families. I believe in eternal love. And I know that we shape our lives, and we shape our legacy, by the stories we tell and leave behind. Brad Jones is president of locally-owned, commission-free Ridley Funeral Home (3080 Lakeshore Boulevard West) in Etobicoke. Brad’s top five family traditions are eating dinner together, talking before and after a meal, taking family vacations, cutting down Christmas trees (plural!), and telling stories about the past, present and hopes for the future. You’re always welcome to reach out to Brad by calling 416-259-3705 or emailing him at bradjones@ridleyfuneralhome.com
There’s a poem hanging in my office that’s popular with funeral directors. Although written in the early 20th century, “The Undertaker” poem
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WELLNESS STORIES YOU TELL understanding of different viewpoints. This applies in just the same way to the stories that we tell ourselves. We often have predefined narratives for ourselves. We make up stories and repeat them to ourselves like they’re facts, when in actual fact, we can change the story at any time. Consider the collection of stories that you tell yourself. Which stories do you like? Which stories do you want to change?
JONATHAN NHAN
Curate and Upgrade www.curateandupgrade.ca Can you remember the last time you had a conversation with someone that turned out to be a complete misunderstanding? It was almost as if you were having two different conversations. It’s funny because it happens more often than we think, and it illustrates how we often put our own meanings onto the words of other people. Think about thoughts and ideas that run through your head. How accurately do you think you can describe those thoughts into words? Simple descriptions about concrete objects may be easy. How about describing bigger concepts, like friendship, or love? These ideas may not be easily described, but we may turn to metaphors to more easily express our ideas. Stories have themes. Stories can be used to express things that a simple phrase cannot express. We are naturally hardwired to express our thoughts and feelings through metaphor. In the book Clean Language by Judy Rees, she details the work of David Grove and describes a set of questions used to explore the metaphors of other people and elicit the meanings of those metaphors, without putting our own meanings onto the words of others. We enter into every moment of communication with our own perceptual filters and this can colour our understanding of another person. This can lead to many misunderstandings. We often hear the words of others, but place our own meaning onto those words. If we can take a moment to understand that language is an imperfect way of expressing our thoughts and feelings, we can begin to understand that there is room within listening to another person so that their meaning may not be the meaning you first assign to their words.
One major story in all of our lives is the story of our worklife. So often, we define ourselves by the jobs we have or the career path that we find ourselves on. This story becomes a major part of our identity, to the point where changing it seems like an impossibility. And when someone does change their story with respect to their career, it can seem like a shock. I recently made a change in jobs and while it was a shock to many people, I think the shock of it all is still landing for myself. Setting one book down and opening up a brand new story seems almost surreal in the early stages. It’s like starting a new book, and not knowing how it’s going to turn out. You might even ask yourself, “Why are you starting a brand new book when you don’t know how it’s going to end? You could just keep reading the same book that you’re familiar with”. Sometimes the book you’re reading gets boring. Sometimes you don’t realize how bad the book you’re reading now is until you start reading a new book and find out how much better stories can be. If you look back, you might realize how I’ve used metaphors about stories and books to describe a fraction of the feelings surrounding leaving one job to look for a new career. Consider the stories you are telling yourself. Be curious about how you can change the story. You can find Jon at thecuratorium.ca/learnmore
Jonathan Nhan Co-Founder, Curate and Upgrade Jon is a pharmacist, hypnotist, and Certified Diabetes Educator. He is passionate about making a tangible, positive impact in the world and has seen the power that changing mindset can have. Jon works with people like you, to find the perfect blueprint for healthy in your life and make that change effortless.
Having an understanding of this can help you broaden your perspectives in your communication with others. When you begin to look at things from a perspective outside your own, it can help to grow
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ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
WELLNESS TRAINING TOGETHER AS A FAMILY there are unique individuals, each on their unique life journey. When one is down (or less motivated) the other brings them up. Last month, I spoke about how staying active can help with youth mental health (and our own), and how doing activities together, as a family is a great place to start. It is important to listen to each other and understand each other’s likes and dislikes. So when putting together a Family Commitment to Being Active Action Plan, consider each other’s wants and goals. Take turns, allowing one family member to choose the (active) activity for that day and complete it together.
LIZ MARTINO-DURBANO, M.Ed. Teacher, Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor & Wellness Guide www.align-fitness.ca
And just like that, here we are in September! Over these last months, I hope that you were able to enjoy time with family, making memories that remain vivid in your heart and in your mind. The summer months tend to be those unique times of the year where being active comes naturally. As the days become shorter, we tend to spend more time indoors and less time being active. The word family is representative of togetherness and support. Within a family,
Are you looking for some fun activities to do with your family? Align Soul Fitness offers Private Family Training sessions custom designed to cater to your family. You can pair up with another family, too! During the session, I will guide you through fun challenges that will have you and your loved ones laughing (and sweating!) I hope to inspire you to continue these challenges on your own (or join me again!) You can reach out to me at info@align-fitness.ca or visit www.align-fitness.ca for more information . Liz Martino-Durbano, M.Ed. Teacher, Certified Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor & Wellness Guide Founder of Align Fitness 647.224.9559
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WELLNESS FAMILY MEDICINE
DR. MIKE KATARYNYCH Mimico Medical www.mimicomedical.com
Family means different things to different people. In truth, my furry, four-legged friend is a testament to this. Although a drooling, rambunctious, welcomehome party may not be for everyone, it adds a certain sense of belonging to my life. And yet, the idea of “family” is ubiquitous in our society in all of its shapes and forms. Interestingly, the root of the matter can be hard to pin down – what is family to you? You will see the many forms of “family” throughout our society; mother and daughter, longtime friends, neighbours looking out for each other, or simply a hand to hold in a difficult time. Yes, a family can find itself in the home, but it would be a mistake to assume it is somehow confined there. Family transcends distance and boundaries. There is a certain kinship within your community, and the formation of this bond seems inevitable with time.
all the difference to someone you hold dear. Author David Whyte writes in his poem titled “Friendship,” and I offer a piece of this to you as a description of family: “the ultimate touchstone is witness, the privilege of having been seen by someone and the equal privilege of being granted the sight of the essence of another, to have walked with them and to have believed in them, and sometimes just to have accompanied them for however brief a span, on a journey impossible to accomplish alone.” I look forward to welcoming you and yours to my Family Practice. As always, with kind regards,
The significance of family is undeniable. I pursued Family Medicine specifically because I appreciate and have seen the power of relationships to us as human beings. In my experience, family often presents itself in the simplest of forms – relationships. Although there is utility in X-rays, blood tests, and medicine – the power of relationships is truly remarkable. No matter the health afflictions we face as human beings, the healing properties of strong relationships are incredible. We see this in the scientific literature, and I see this every day in my practice. And so I propose to you to embrace whatever form of “family” you have in your life, especially after such a challenging year where we had no choice but to separate ourselves from our families and experienced the repercussions of doing so. As the world trends towards normalcy, and always with safety in mind, I encourage you to remind your friends and family of their importance. A simple act of kindness is often underestimated and may make
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ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
DR.MIKE KATARYNYCH Mimico Medical 416.201.0836 www.mimicomedical.com
PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT “FRAMILY” “Framily” and Happiness “Family does not necessarily mean blood relatives but often a description of a community, organization or nation.” – Queen Elizabeth II **This article contains sensitive content about Family Estrangement. The opinions expressed within are solely mine and do not reflect the opinions and beliefs of the magazine or its affiliates.** When I read the email from Roger (our beloved Publisher), telling us the theme of the next issue of the ELP was “Family” my first reaction was….Ugh! How am I going to write about that? And then I gave it some more thought. Family isn’t defined only by last names or by blood; it’s defined by commitment and by love from the people standing beside you when no one else will. Family is anyone who loves you unconditionally. I came across a term called “framily”. The term is a portmanteau (blend – I had to look that up) of friends and family, thus signifying when the two became one in the same. After many years of living amidst a dysfunctional family dynamic, I eventually estranged myself from my parents and one of my younger siblings. I could not go on ignoring my consciousness of our intolerable situation. I lived in an unhealthy family for more than 40 years. Most people cannot understand why anyone would choose to stop all contact with their parents. The people who provided food, clothes, and shelter, school and university tuition, or volunteered at school don’t deserve to be abandoned in their old age just because they made some parenting mistakes, right? I am one of those people who recognized slowly what was happening to me. I didn’t make the choice to “break up” with my parents overnight, and I’m not happy I have no relationship with them. I’m sad my family is broken. I wish it was different, but it isn’t. If my parents had been willing to really listen to what their adult child had to say, to respect and consider it, the outcome would have been entirely different. Yet as I’ve learned in my journey to understand and heal, I am not alone. Thread after thread of internet discussions are filled with the stories of people who’ve made multiple attempts to repair unhealthy relations and have eventually disowned or gone nocontact with the people who raised them. I tried discussing the matter, I tried many ways to rectify the situation, but every time I was met with anger and resistance. Walking away is often the only way to make sure the cycle doesn’t continue. That said, people don’t just walk away from families that are healthy. All families have their issues, but functional families talk about them, try to understand one another’s perspectives, apologize for any hurt they’ve caused or wrong they’ve done, and truly
move forward, beyond all that suppressed anger and resentment. Contrary to what they think, I didn’t estrange from them to punish them, I did so to protect myself. I know I made the right decision. I’m not happy about it but I’m relieved it’s over. It is what I had to do to survive; it was self-preservation. I had to begin a new life – one designed for healthy living. I was determined to create a happier life for myself. People who know me struggled to understand how I could do something like this. So selfish. It’s family, you can’t do that. But at the end of the day, I have found peace, and happiness, and continue to build a new family! I understand and believe this to be the truth: the vast majority of parents do try their best to be good parents. For the minority, they may well have been disinterested or incapable, and other factors could have impacted on their capacity to be a parent. Furthermore, most parenting comes as a product of generational conditions. Their own upbringing will always have an influence. That is another article entirely. They do the best they can with the resources they have. My intention isn’t to condemn my parents. They did the best they could and I won’t ever deny the good they did. They loved me and used the skills they had, but they also made choices. Some of those choices involved getting their own way or fulfilling their own desires, regardless of how much I “fought” them. It’s not relationships, but healthy relationships, that are the vital ingredient for happiness. We often fall into the trap of hanging on to unhealthy relationships because they are familiar. Take responsibility for your life and you’ll be taking responsibility for your happiness. Know when to walk away: - Your wellbeing is suffering - You can’t see a possible solution by continuing - You’re staying with it more through fear, obligation and duty Walking away is never easy, but if it’s affecting your long-term happiness, then the decision may have been made for you. Friends are the family you choose. How fortunate I am to have found happiness. For now, signing off from a place of calm, joy, and love.
AMANDA KIRKLAND
Personal Development Coach www.amandakirkland.com If any of this resonated with you, know you are NOT alone. If you are interested in making positive changes in your life, to move forward and live a whole and complete life, let’s book an initial consultation call. Tell me about your story and we can assess your goals and what’s blocking you from living the life you were meant to. Change is really possible.
HUMBER COLLEGE COMMUNITY UPDATE
Welcome back! At Humber Lakeshore, September always brings a sense of excitement and renewal. I look forward to seeing more students and staff on campus this term. This fall is one of transition and it feels different than last year. The world has learned how to better cope with COVID-19 and vaccination rates are on the rise. This is uncharted territory and we’re navigating it together. The campus is changing, too. One of my favourite art installations has moved on, but not before leaving a lasting impression on our community. Since November 2019, Cover Up (The Reveal) has been an important part of our campus culture. You have probably seen it – a 9-ft bronze statue of a man reaching for his hood in front of C Cottage. It was created by British artist Thomas J Price, whose work explores social identity and challenges the underrepresentation and misconception of Black people. Cover Up was part of a larger exhibit curated by the Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery that highlights Price’s art, on loan from the Rennie Collection in Vancouver. When Price visited at the launch, he went to Humber’s Lakeshore campus and learned about its history. Then, he chose Cover Up’s exact location.
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Photo:Chiara Filicetti The piece was deinstalled and transported back to Vancouver last month. Humber College is fortunate to have partnered with the Power Plant to bring this thoughtprovoking piece to Lakeshore. Cover Up inspired many people to pause, reflect and engage in meaningful conversations about race, equity and privilege. Cover Up was part of Humber’s Campus as a Canvas initiative. Humber Galleries is extending
ETOBICOKE LAKESHORE PRESS
Photo: Courtesy of Humber Galleries its reach beyond the walls of our buildings and offering accessible and enriching art all over our campus in creative ways. Humber Galleries and the Faculty of Media & Creative Arts thought outside the box when they asked Krystal Moodie, a Humber graduate and current employee, to display her photography on the construction fence at the Humber Cultural Hub (HCH) site. HCH is in the first phase of construction which includes a 250,200 sq. ft. building featuring a recital hall, specialty teaching spaces and a student residence addition. Moodie is a self-taught photographer, originally from Jamaica. When she moved to Canada in 2014, she enrolled in Humber’s Photography program and found a passion for food photography. Now, her Cone Series has been scaled up for the entire community to see. The photo shows a series of waffle cones painted various colours, filled with and surrounded by foods of the same colour. Our faculty members are taking her art even further by incorporating it into the curriculum. Students are set to use Cone Series to practice their augmented reality (AR) skills. A work-study student is currently making 3D versions of Moodie’s work, which classes will use to create a new interpretation of the image.
will be teaching private lessons. The classes are delivered fully online and open to all ages and experience levels. The school is building on its existing expertise in jazz education and aims to reach youth who may not have access to music programming in school. There are even more art installations and initiatives coming throughout 2021. We’ll keep you updated. In the meantime, let me know your thoughts on how we are bringing our campus as canvas to life, and ideas you might have to keep these connections to community thriving.
Sincerely, Derek Stockley
Principal, Lakeshore Campus Associate Vice President, Academic
One example of AR would allow community members to interact with the art, too. You could potentially hold up your phone to Cone Series at Lakeshore campus and see it animate with our phone to Cone Series at the Lakeshore campus and see blueberries flying out of a waffle cone, or watch it move around the screen. Humber is also adding to its musical offerings. For the first time in 41 years, Humber’s Community Music School is offering vocal lessons for children and youth. Jazz singer and longtime voice teacher Laura Anglade
DEREK STOCKLEY
Principal, Lakeshore Campus Senior Dean, Faculty of Social and Community Services Follow on Twitter: @derek_stockley
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“The Undertaker” by Bennett Chapple (1903) The midnight hour, the darkest hour That human grief may know, Sends forth it’s hurried summonsAsk me to come—I go! I know not when the bell may toll, I know not where the blow may fall, I only know that I must go In answer to the call. Perhaps a friend—perhaps unknown‘Tis fate that turns the wheelThe tangled skein of human life Winds slowly on the reel. And I? – I’m the undertaker, “Cold-Blooded,” you’ll hear them say, “Trained to the shock and chill of death, With a heart that’s cold and grey.” Trained—that’s what they call it How little they know the restI’m human, and know the sorrow That throbs in the aching breast. Courtesy of Brad Jones, Funeral Director Ridley Funeral Home
