Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Also this month stories from Jan Vanderstelt, Ryan Van Dijk, Holly McDonald, John Bradford, Rev. Jonathon Massimi, Elizabeth Doxtater, Dave Carrol, Dr. Peter Farrugia, Steve Straza & more.
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P U B L I C H O U S E
HARMONY GRILL
GOURMET BURGERS, CURRY, DRAUGHT BEER & LIVE MUSIC DINE IN, TAKE OUT & CATERING
WWW.HAWKANDBELL.COM / 519-304-8229
75 DALHOUSIE ST., HARMONY SQUARE, DOWNTOWN BRANTFORD
Humble Beginnings
by Lucas Duguid, Twitter: @sophiasbakery
We talk a lot about humble beginnings. Ill never forget Marc, Andrew and I discussing the Advocate over dinner for the first time in May of 2011. We didnt even have a name at that point. We just referred to it as the paper. Without any idea of how to proceed we did just that. Proceed. Looking back I think what made it so exciting was the uncertainty. Nothing like this has been done before. A newspaper thats not a newspaper. A vehicle whos focus rests squarely not on the what, where and when of traditional newsprint but rather the who and the why. Who are you? Why do you do what you do? Why are you passionate about what you do in this community? Or, who or what would you like to advocate for? Who would you like to shine a light on in this community? Maybe its a person or maybe its an organization. The overall goal was and continues to be simple... introduce the great and wonderful people of this community to this community. I believe there is a mountain of star power right here in Brantford and surrounding area and its us who need to be reminded of this. The Advocate does not have a staff of writers. The task of writing your story falls to you. It is our belief that no one can tell your story better than you. No one can capture the essence and passion of who you are and why you do what you do better than you. From the humble beginnings of three friends delivering 10,000 papers from the trunks of their cars two years ago - to partnerships with The Brant News, The Sputnik, Rogers Television, digital content, events and podcasts that are enjoyed by thousands each month... you, the readers and the contributors are responsible for all this. We are a world class community filled with extraordinary people doing amazing things and it has been an honour to help shine a light on your stories.
VISION VISIONEXPERIENCE
We are told to be happy, work hard, buy more and think positively and everything will work out in the end.
Secondary Trauma
by Holly McDonald, M Ed., MSW, RSW
At first I thought writing an article on Secondary Trauma (ST) would be limited to social workers and first responders like police, firefighters, ambulance and hospital attendants. However, I realized many people are vulnerable to experiencing ST, which is also known as Compassion Fatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burn-out. Symptoms include: sleeplessness, constant worry, a sense of doom, negativity, inability to focus, self-doubt, confusion. It occurs as a result of helping or wanting to help a suffering person. This cuts a wide swath and could apply to social workers and first responders, but also to politicians, bar tenders, wait staff, your favourite barista, hairdressers and many more. ST is the accumulative effect of working with survivors of traumatic events and its negative effects can creep up on you. One minute you are functioning well and the other you are feeling helpless and lost. Another time you are driving to work on a sunny day then suddenly a sense of doom comes over you that something terrible is going to happen to you or a loved one. A sense of helplessness and imminent danger is most pronounced in trauma workers but can also occur with anyone hearing repeated stories of abuse. As a probation and parole officer I not only read victim impact statements but also see evidence of harm and abuse when my clients come to see me. It can be difficult to see men and women who have sores on their arms from using needles to inject drugs or to see bruises on sex workers faces after being assaulted. Most difficult is when you have been meeting with someone for two years on a regular basis and they die from complications due to their drug use. Trauma looms large with many clients who find themselves involved in the criminal justice system. Past trauma takes many forms including generational abuse in Aboriginal communities stemming from mistreatment endured at Residential schools. The good news is that ST does not have to take its toll. It is very important to notice and then monitor when you are feeling out of sorts. It is also very important to listen to colleagues and loved ones when they tell you something is different about you, as they know and care about you. Self-care is vital in taking care of ones mental health and well-being. The most important form of self-care is connecting with others; studies have shown people who are prayed for after heart surgery or those who attend support groups during cancer treatment have the best outcomes. Talking to your supervisor, co-worker, or loved one about how you are feeling is a huge stress-buster. Conversely, taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with someone who needs to talk is equally important as long as your empathy tank is not drained. Other good ways to avoid or minimize ST is to exercise, have proper nutrition, and engage in interests and hobbies outside of work. Do whatever makes your soul sing and time fly by. Yoga, tai chi, meditation, journaling and being in nature all help to quiet ones mind enough for internal guidance and knowledge to come through. Listen to your body. If you experience symptoms of ST as mentioned above, or fatigue, withdrawing from others, and/or an increase in addictive behaviour, reach out as soon as possible. Speaking with friends, colleagues and professionals helps to off-set and minimize the effects of ST. Socrates sage advice of, A life unexamined is a life not worth living is extremely important. Self-awareness and conscious living allows ones mental health to stay at the forefront. Positive selftalk and acknowledgment of the important and meaningful work we do is key.
Secondary Trauma is the accumulative effect of working with survivors of traumatic events and its negative effects can creep up on you. One minute you are functioning well and the other you are feeling helpless and lost.
Take the ProQol on-line test at http://ProQol.org Mental well-being is an on-going task.
gether and are a tight knit community. This sentiment is supported by other people from Eagle Place as well. In initial conversations with neighborhood residents Jen says, I am hearing people say they strongly feel connected to their neighborhood and the people in it. They care about their neighbors and feel like their neighbors care about them. This environment, one in which people are invested in other peoples safety and well-being, makes Eagle Place an excellent location for an after school program that would help more children and youth succeed at school. If there was a program that would help even a handful of kids to study, to have a safe place to go to, or even to find people to help with day to day skills, it will be useful. A program like this will brighten the future for children, serve many youth in the community, and change peoples lives. If you would like to become involved as a volunteer, or if you have any questions or comments please contact Jen Vasic, GRCHCs Community-Based Researcher at
These words were delicious, mouth-watering morsels of empowerment. Before being exposed to this language (academia) many of the concepts had only existed as gut-feelings, or soft-spots.
We can now take their words, and repurpose them to help our upcoming generations, the unborn, and the faces yet to come. The same European language(s) that were often violently forced upon our people will now aid in neutralizing their effect and become part of the cure, a type of verbal anti-venom. Definiate (de/fin/i/ate) could replace the word assimilate, and mean: the ability for an individual from an Indigenous society to maintain their identity despite colonialism while participating in mainstream society. Inter-generational survival represents the resilience demonstrated by Native/Indigenous people despite centuries of perpetual (man-made) manifest-destiny being imposed and replaces intergenerational trauma. Intergenerational survival could also create the opportunity for our young people to celebrate that same resilience and become empowered as a result. Inter-generational healing symbolizes the expectation that we are able to celebrate the many and diverse gifts and contributions from our people to (both) our communities and the world. Although struggles still exist, we can celebrate the strides that our people have made despite the historic human in form only labels that were once imposed on us by Canadians and Americans. Indigecide (In/di/ge/cide) would replace genocide: and would mean: with the endurance and survival of Indigenous peoples beliefs, culture, land base, language, and traditional governments despite sanctioned attempts to eradicate.
WWW.SOPHIASBAKERY.CA
Here is a little secret and a few little facts 1. Everyone can sing. It is your birthright as a human being. I am constantly amazed by the amount of people who believe they cannot sing. Often they were told so as a child and simply ended up believing it. 2. Did you know that the health benefits of singing in a choir are equal to that of practicing yoga? 3. Did you further know that within the time it takes to sing a few songs together the hearts of an entire choir will beat in sync with one another? 4. Also, performing improvised music is the only activity known to us that uses every area of the brain simultaneously. There is nothing else that engages and unifies the body, mind and spirit more than group singing. I have never met a person who felt worse leaving a choir practice than when they arrived. Its free medicine for the masses. Yet, we are living in a highly commercialized culture that teaches us that if we are not good enough to make it past Simon Cowell on American Idol, then we should simply be quiet and leave it to the Professionals. A culture that cuts funding to music and arts in our schools. A culture that reduces music to a spectator sport that only the elite and trained
can take part in. Little by little I feel like something is slowly, subconsciously being taken away from us that has been elemental in our physical and spiritual group history since the dawn of time. Whether working or playing, worshiping or cursing, lamenting or rejoicing, singing gives us language to express alone, or in a group, the mysteries within us that otherwise can find no voice. This is an invitation to singers and non-singers alike. Family, friends and neighbours both young and wise: beginning Tuesday, September 17th at 7pm in the beautiful historic Grace Church in downtown Brantford, join us for this community choir project for amateurs, led by amateurs. Where we tinker not with musical excellence, but foster participation, growth and community through group singing. I am less concerned with the outcome of our efforts than I am with that which we create together, and that it be true, honest and life giving. If any still small voice within you is saying that this would be something you would like to try, then I challenge you to come out, bring a friend, bring your children and dare to raise your voice. Let us create a space where not only our children can find their voice, but where adults receive a second chance to claim that which is rightfully theirs as well. If you or your children, or you and your children, would like more information concerning the choir please contact Ryan Van Dijk at worship.arts@counterpointchurch.ca
brantalex.ca
If you want to learn rock, pop or classical we have the right program for you. Beginners are welcome. Call today to begin your musical journey.
eadership L rn e d o M g n o tr S lsky
Twitter: @alexfe x om/brantndpale www.facebook.c
I believe that every voice is valid and deserves to be heard. No one should be made to suffer as a result of neglect, abuse, or long standing conflict; however, many suffer all the same. I believe in the power of people. Together, we can bring change and safety to this city when we speak with one voice. I believe in the ultimate goal of solution and resolution, and the power of the electorate to make that happen. My passion for resolution however, is based in the hope for healing in the community at large. I do not believe that isolation, exclusion, and powerlessness help. My passion for creating safety and respect for all people in our region including the city, the county, and Six Nations comes from a unique place in my personal history. My passions are based on a story of time and healing, listening and patience, honesty and vision, but most of all, hope.
The beatings, rapes, and hospital visits never seemed to stop, and I thought it was normal.
This is my journey. Growing up during the early 70s at 98 Paris Road was like death. The beatings, rapes, and hospital visits never seemed to stop, and I thought it was normal. It took 11 operations to repair the profound deafness that would isolate me during the change of every season. The experience of being neglected, drugged, abducted, and repeatedly raped in my early childhood years has left the smell of wine and the texture of a cheap plastic yellow cup deeply embedded in my psyche. I was not safe. And worse yet, I did not know that I wasnt safe. I had no voice but I felt a presence that has never left me. So the abuse continued. I would run away, away from pain and into the worlds uncertain safety within the reach of a 6 year old child. I ran from the back shed beatings that would occur as a punishment for physically running away from pain. The people who exercised their power and control over me helped me settle into a routine: raped if I stayed, beaten if I ran, and left alone to bleed in my mute deafness. By the age of seven, I scratched out a suicide note on a piece of paneling and cut my wrists only to bind them alone and clean up the mess I had made in the garage. Alone. I was running from pain. I was a silent victim. I had no voice. The secrets remained with me throughout the dark moments of living with 6 different families before the age of 14 while trying to hide all the dissociation, out of body experiences, cutting, self-torture, drug use and suicide attempts. By 17, I was running from the fear of pain itself and suffering from the effects of abuse 10 years after it had stopped. Abuse in all forms is full of nothing but lies. By the age of 23, I was suffering through depression, anxiety, and what is currently understood to be post traumatic stress disorder. It was, at that same age, and after thorough investigation, I learned all of the facts that you just read about. Knowing what had happened, and how it happened, gave me the vision for how to move forward with a life not controlled by abuses of the past. Thank God for good people! I have been blessed over the past three decades with the wisdom borrowed from a wide variety of people who have helped me define the strength of that undying presence. The compassion, understanding, and selfless devotion of others toward my healing process has been the most rewarding experience of my life and have eliminated the paralyzing fear of my past. I do not own the healing, however. I just borrow it and share it when invited to. There is no greater honour in my life than to witness and nurture the strength of human nature while it struggles for healing in a broken world. People find their voice when they heal from the effects of abuse and begin to gain a sense of safety within their world and the world at large. They become survivors and strong advocates for the silent ones. Healing comes with great responsibility, however. It demands awareness, prevention, action, and repetition. Whether its private or corporate, I cannot remain silent when witnessing the abuse of power and control. As a matter of fact, I will not remain silent. I will continue to speak out in favour of protecting tomorrows victims from todays lack of foresight. I am no longer a victim or a survivor of abuse. I thrive. I am alive with an inextinguishable hope and a clear vision for a safe future in my neighbourhood, my city, and in the government offices I frequent. I am charged with the legislative power of providing safety and, more importantly, removing the causes of discord and discontent. I refuse to live in silence and fear of more abuse of power and control. I will advocate for those who are too weak to speak for themselves regardless of race, age, or stature. I will share my hope when the situation seems hopeless. I will strive for solutions to the problems of our day in the hope that it may prevent tomorrows abuse. I will not be silent.
By Jan Vanderstelt
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An ongoing series to promote peace through story sharing by Elizabeth Doxtater Skywoman lived on Turtle Island. She was able to provide for herself and soon adapted to her new home. After a length of time she gave birth to the daughter whom she carried in her womb from the Skyworld. The daughter and her mother lived on Turtle Island for many years. The daughter grew into a young woman. One night she had a dream. In her dream she was visited by a being; some say he was a Thunder Being, others say he was the spirit of one of the winds. Her visitor left two arrows on her chest. When she awoke she showed her mother the arrows: one straight and sharp, one crooked and blunt. The Skywoman explained this message; her daughter would be giving birth to twins. Throughout her pregnancy the twins quarrelled, even though they were still inside of their mother. Their behavior led to much discomfort for their mother. After the normal length of time passed, the daughter gave birth to the twin boys. The first son was born the natural way. The second boy was impatient and forced himself out through his mothers armpit. This caused their mothers death. The Skywoman buried her daughters body in the soil. Some say that because she was the mother of the twins she would now be known as Mother Earth and would continue to provide life for the people. From her grave grew the three plants which became sustenance for the people. The women would be known as the sisters to these plants: corn, beans and squash. The plants from the Skyworld also grew from the grave of the Sky womans daughter: the strawberry, which is shaped like a heart, and tobacco, used to communicate with the Creator. The twins grew into strong men; however, their quarreling continued. They often argued and fought and the Skywoman, who was their Grandmother, would step in to mediate. She named them Holder of the Heavens and Mischievous One. She favored the better natured of the twins. She believed that the better natured was the twin who was born the natural way, and that his brother caused her daughters death. She mistakenly named them the opposite of their behaviour. Some storytellers say that during a dream, the twins actually transformed into each other, which caused more confusion. It is also told that we are to remember this and remember to not judge others too harshly, as we do not know how our lives will change in the future. If we judge others differences, we could become just like those whom we criticize most. Grandmother Moon The boys continued to grow and quarrel and the Grandmother continued to try to be fair to both boys. When they were full-grown they engaged in a very heated debate. The Grandmother stepped in between the boys while they were in their rage. Their emotional state was beyond any type of intervention. Their rage was escalated to the point that any reasoning was completely beyond their (then) current state of mind. In their rage they accidentally killed her, ripping her head from her body. Her head was thrown and travelled far, returning into the sky to remain among the stars, even to this day. It is understood that the twins grandmother is now the moon and will forever be the grandmother to all. She guides us at night. Grandmother moon controls the waters on the earth, from the tides of the ocean to the water that protects an unborn baby, deciding when babies are born and visiting women to ensure new life. The twins, left without any guidance, continued to live on Turtle Island. They were given many jobs. First they were given the job of creating and naming the plants and animals. The twins made different plants. The better natured twin would make a plant or bush full with berries or fruit that would be beneficial to the people. His brother would put thorns on it or place other plants in the way that would be harmful to the people. Whatever the good natured twin would do, his brother would scheme some way of altering it. The better natured twin created the deer, a life source for the people, especially helpful during the cold months when your body needs heavier foods that take longer to digest. His brother created the natural predators of the deer so that the humans would need to compete for their food to feed their families and villages. The better natured twin retaliated by giving the deer antlers as a form of protection. The antlers would help the deer to perfect his skills at maneuvering through the woods in order to navigate through difficult terrain, especially during the winter when weather conditions are unpredictable. Later in history the significance of the deer antlers and the selflessness that was to be the temperament of the deer became important symbols for the people
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Soul Food
by Steve Straza, strazilla.blogspot.ca
Just over a year ago, I started to read about a new trend that was coming out of the United States. Community Cafes started to pop up across the country. I instantly fell in love with the idea. What is a community cafe? It's a place where anyone can go to get a healthy meal served in a restaurant setting, regardless of means. Most cafes are only open for one meal a day. The meals will have a suggested donation price. You can pay the suggested price, or more or less depending on your situation. If you can't afford a meal, you can help around the restaurant for an hour and earn yourself a meal. So everybody eats, but nobody eats for free.
What is a community cafe? It's a place where anyone can go to get a healthy meal served in a restaurant setting, regardless of means.
Knowing that the bug of this idea was making his way through me, Brian Beattie, our senior minister at Freedom House, took me on a road trip to see how one of these cafes operates. We hit the JBJ Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, New Jersey. It is, without a doubt, the most famous of the cafes out there because it was started and is in part funded by rock star Jon Bon Jovi. John has often been sighted helping out in the kitchen when he has the time. I'm sure that more than a few of the patrons who walk in the door are hoping for a chance to meet their idol. In one of the rougher parts of town, surrounded by old broken down factories and signs of decay, sits a little restaurant with an herb garden growing out in front. It looks totally out of place. With the exception of the chefs, and the manager almost everyone else is a volunteer. I asked our server where she was from. Her answer surprised me. Germany, she said. I asked her if she had just arrived and she answered, Yes. Having come with little to no money with her, she asked a local agency where she could get an inexpensive meal. They directed her to the Soul Kitchen and she volunteered to earn her meal there. Ryan, the manager, sat down to talk with us about the vision and what he's seen. When you look around the room, you can't really tell the difference between who is "in need" and who isn't. That's exactly what they're shooting for. It's an attempt to create a place where lines of income level are erased and we're all just people. The real purpose of the cafe is to act as a hub for needs. As patrons frequent the place again and again, Ryan gets
to know them and find out their stories. He recently helped a middle aged man get back on his feet. After living a very normal life with a wife and kids and a job, everything went wrong. Shortly after a nasty divorce, this poor fellow found himself out of a job. Within months, he had literally lost everything and was living in a shelter. The Soul Kitchen works with more community based groups than you can imagine. This is completely intentional. Not only can other groups point those who need the Kitchen in the right direction, but they in turn can do the same. Ryan had connections with a number of local employers. He made a few phone calls, and got this man a job and got him back in the game. Everybody has a story. The restaurant is the place to draw that story out. It's a place for people in transition. I asked if they had problems with "street people" showing up. His answer was no. The reason? The meal wasn't free and almost all of those who were asked to work for their meal refused. Draw your own conclusions on that one. This is about a hand up, not a hand out. It's a place for people who are trying. The kitchen offers courses in food handling and
prep work so locals who are uneducated can find jobs with over a dozen local restaurants they work hand in hand with. A local grocery store has given the Soul Kitchen a line of credit for $100 000 annually to buy the food and supplies they need to make the meals. The location was built with volunteers and free labor from a local contractor. Sit down and eat and get to know us. What do you need? If you have an addiction issue, we can help direct you to the right people. Do you need clothes or a place to stay? Do you need training for a new job? The list is endless. This place is really a community need bank and I'm absolutely enthralled with the way it works. Many people who need nothing and have lots of money come to eat here. They are what keep the place alive and operating. You wouldn't think they would come, but they do. They love the idea and support what is being done here...not to mention that the food is great. They come to pay it forward to someone who really needs it. I could go on about this concept for days. I'll write about it again I'm sure. It is my vision to see something similar happen right here in Brantford.
Why Not City Missions / Youth Centres has been actively reaching the at-risk youth, the disadvantaged and the homeless population since 2002. Founded by Charlie and Sue Kopczyk, the Mission is still providing food and clothing for those in need.
519.759.2221
whynotyouthcentres.com
101-96 Nelson St. Brantford, ON N3T 2N1 Phone 519-759-0361 Fax 519-759-6439 TTY 519-759-4953 dlevac.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org www.davelevac.on.ca
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"I just don't sleep enough. But I have never met someone very successful who, at the end of their life, says 'I wish I slept more.' Nothing of any consequence was ever achieved without enormous passion and total dedication." ~Robert Herjavec There are moments where I wish I didn't want out of life what I want out of it. Those moments sometimes creep in during times where I have 2 weeks of evenings booked solid, 4 project deadlines looming, and a growing collection of flagged emails to return, none of which even pertain to my paid profession. I look and think, "I've voluntarily done this to myself..?" But those moments melt away as quick as an ice cube in summers 40 degree sun... because of the reason why. More and more, I think that WHAT we do, doesnt mean nearly as much as WHY we do it. Whats will come and go seasonally. But discovering your why will make each what meaningful, even when times get tough. Recently someone actually asked me the question, "How's your soul?" simply because of how much I seemingly am doing. I was a little taken aback, honestly. My answer is THRIVING. My body gets tired. My brain gets frazzled. But my soul is rockin'. A few weeks ago I cancelled a baseball trip that I wanted to go on... for a meeting. The guys I was planning on going with were aghast saying, "Just ditch it!" But the truth is that I would rather take the meeting because it feeds the ravenous beast inside me that wants something tastier than a few innings and crappy nachos. In 2003 I spent two weeks in the Philippines, in and around Manila. During that time I met a man named Pastor Nonoy who was our local escort from engagement to engagement. He was one of the most incredible people I'd ever met. His ministry position within a denomination was to be the "troubleshooting" pastor for churches that were going through tough times. Essentially Nonoy was leading about 25 churches at once. He would go and go and go and go and go some more AND be a good husband AND be a good father AND be a community leader AND make time to guide Canadian missionaries around. He genuinely cared about all of it, and gave ALL of himself to ALL of it. It's likely the one common character trait I've seen in all of the men I truly respect. One night I was preaching at a youth service in
Valenzuela City which is just outside of Manilla. I was bothered that night by the "What am I really doing here?" question. My trip to Asia wasnt something that I was planning on doing. We had JUST opened the doors of Freedom House, my newborn first son was about to crawl for the first time and we had no money! But I got on a plane and went anyway... because somehow I just knew I had to go. Pastor Nonoy looked at my agitation before the service and said, "David... I need to ask you a question. What do you really want to see happen with your life?" It was kind of out of the blue but I EXPLODED the answer back on him. I said, "I want to see a city transformed. A whole city. Transformed by people acting out Gods love in tangible ways. I want to see businesses revived. Churches full. Streets paved. Schools prospering. Economies re-dreamed. The sick healed. Poverty ended. A FULL city transformed. THAT'S what I want!"
There are moments where I wish I didnt want out of life what I want out of it. Those moments sometimes creep in during times where I have 2 weeks of evenings booked solid, 4 project deadlines looming, and a growing collection of flagged emails to return.
I'd known this in my head for a few years, but that day... it EXPLODED into life. Pastor Nonoy wept and prayed with me at the evident breakthrough that had just happened. I preached my guts out that night. The beast was loosed. I don't think we get to pick what our beast is SUPPOSED to be. We are, however, the gatekeepers of the beast. We are the final word on what GETS to be our beast. We can decide whether it's a good beast or a bad beast. We can stoke the fire of whatever beast we choose... BUT what we were ideally designed to have inside us... is not ours to decide. Callings are God's doing. It's our job to dig until we find it, unearth it, unleash it and then LIVE it. If Nonoy wasnt going and going and going, being driven by his beast, Im not sure if I would be fuelled to do the same today. You have something special in you that your community, neighbours, family and friends NEED. I want to encourage you to dig up your beast and be relentless with it. Find out what you really care about and go HARD at it. Realize that it can, and likely will, cost you everything. All the best dreams do. BUT in doing that, you'll find the full and fruitful life that too many willingly forgo... because we like sleeping too much. "Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life will preserve it." Luke 17:33
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worth every second for the spectacular view when the fog lifts. And finally we met the ferry at North Sydney. Our destination: Port Aux Basques, Newfoundland (pronounced NewfunLAN). For those bikers unfamiliar with ocean crossings, motorcycles get special consideration and preferred loading order because the pointy end of the vessel can be crammed with bikes stored at funny angles. We found ourselves below decks: me, my 13 year old daughter, my Honda and 25-30 Hells Angels on Harleys with monkey bars and straight through pipes. We thought we were going deaf. The crossing was fun but the exit became a statement of differing cultures. The guys in colours were less than thrilled about a Japanese bike in their parking spot and each ceremoniously kicked at our wheels in passing, and the ships crew quietly righted us each time. So began one of the most glorious bike tours ever experienced heading north, up the treacherous natural terrain of the west coast. At one landmark, pointedly called Wreck House, the wind swirled through two mountains on the coast switching directions to blow back across the highway towards the open sea and ominous fiords 50 feet below to our left. There was no choice; lean far right at 45 degrees into the relentless wind and keep your head down or risk the invitation of the oceans lure. The two of us white-knuckled together and bore ahead for what seemed like infinity, 15 minutes maybe, the mountain rush ending as suddenly as it began and the bike seeking its natural centre of balance. It was exhilarating. From that point on we had fallen in love with the Province. Everywhere we travelled, we were welcomed and granted instant family from away status. Crossing a bridge onto the island of Twillingate we approached a lighthouse. We could see the northern sea and flocks of icebergs serenely cruising south to meet the melting currents. We stopped at the lighthouse and were offered tea. The man there explained in a broad accent that he wasnt a lighthouse-keeper; that just meant dusting and vacuuming. Indeed he kept the light as solace for desperate sailors seeking land. He had a mission and he was proud to serve. We travelled in the northern circle and eventually back towards St. John where the Irish tin whistles and skin drums, (Bodhrans), kept traditions in place. I have intractable bonds with my girls that began with two wheels. Ah, and then theres the grandchildren OK GRAMPS..ROAD TRIP!
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Brownfield sites exist in a city's industrial section on locations with abandoned factories or commercial buildings or other previously polluting operations. ~ Wikipedia
As we walk around Brantford, let us open ourselves to the ways of nature around us. Many living things make a stand, and live or die in a relationship with their environment. They do not have the luxury to move away: they feed us, clothe us, and provide us with fuel and shelter. Plants and living organisms in the soil reach out for their sustenance to the soil, the sun, the rain, the air, and everything they can draw from these four elements that surround them. From the sun they take energy in abundance, and with an efficiency that we would love to copy. From the rain they take their main ingredient, H2O. From the air they take nitrogen, carbon dioxide, and sometimes pure oxygen, to build their cells. From the soil they vacuum water, and everything in the water, at a molecular level. Osmosis allows all of this to pass through a plant's root's semipermeable membrane by diffusion. Plants do not discriminate much about what they take on board. To a degree they regulate the uptake of electrically charged (ionized) atoms to protect against excessive potassium ion uptake. That is all. Still they uptake all ions, just in a more regulated way. Chelating agents can be added to the soil, if wanted, to aid in the uptake by plants of heavy metal ions faster. These chelators are not poisonous. They cost about fifty cents a pound. The chelator agent product, EDTA, is made of only the main three elements in air: hydrogen, nitrogen and oxygen. It is harmless. As water transpires from the upper part of a plant in the heat of the sun, the water keeps flowing upwards from the roots, and with it, the molecules and atoms that entered the root system with the water. These molecules could be fertilizer or calcium or other minerals, or they could be cutting oil thrown out the back door of Massey's every Friday afternoon on the ground. These molecules can be diesel fuel, PCB's, heavy metals, and any other of over one hundred contaminants that might be found on our brown-
fields in Brantford. Scientists call this process phytoextraction. Usually plants degrade these contaminant molecules into harmless constituents by breaking covalent and divalent bonds to provide energy and building materials for the plant. Scientists call this process phytodegradation. Phyto is Greek for plant. What a plant cannot use, including heavy metal, gets sequestered in nodes and vacuoles in the green part of the plant. Scientists call this phytosequestration. We can call it Fixing Brantford. Sunflowers were famously used after the Chernobyl nuclear incident to successfully pull radioactive isotopes out of the ground. People are living there now. Scientists have now identified over 400 species of plants that will thrive in contaminated soil and pull up the contaminants, including PCBs, and heavy metal like lead, arsenic, mercury, cadmium, and all the rest of these nasty chemicals. Scientists call these plants hyperaccumulators. Phytoremediation comes highly recommended by Environment Canada, the Environmental Protection Agency, the USDA, the United Nations, and all kinds of other organizations and professors. Plants can harmlessly sequester the lead and mercury from the battery and ammunition companies of Greenwich-Mohawk brownfields. Heavy metal is corrosive. It sticks to the Myelin sheath of their brain and nerve cells. It corrodes a hole and the electrical impulses leak out to the side and do not make it to the next cell. This causes brain and central nervous system damage that is permanent and accumulative. It is also carcinogenic. White Farm has been down for 23 years now, yet all the ground is sealed up with cement. Sternson's has been down for about 10 years now. Most of that ground remains sealed in cement. The rainwater goes through the cracks and under the cement and pushes the pollution plumes along, underground, under the cement. Scientists call using plants to stabilize pollution plumes, by reducing water flow,
phytostabilization. Some people say that natural soil remediation would take too long. It would take 8 -10 years to do a great job with chelating agents to speed up the uptake of metal ions. Professor Greenberg of the University of Waterloo has documented cases where it has taken 6 years. It would be thorough, effective, and cheap. Where plants did not thrive, a small city backhoe could excavate and the hot spot could be dispersed to lower concentrations, so plants could work. Artificial soil remediation is well over one hundred times more expensive then practicing natural soil remediation for 8 10 years with chelation. Nature works for free, but we have to have a little patience. I want to see a solution for the GreenwichMohawk that is safe for future generations, and is also cost- effective. If we practice natural soil remediation at Greenwich-Mohawk brownfield the resulting development will be better, less dense and less contaminated then it would otherwise be. After we have taken down the buildings, I hope we finally take up all the cement and asphalt and let in the air and the sun. This decision is ours to make. I believe that we should take it upon ourselves to raise our own awareness, and our friends awareness, of the choice ahead of us. No one can take this decision away from us. We have to give it away or keep it. I believe that if we give this decision away to other people then the people who make this decision for us, will make it based on other factors then we would use, in our thoughts on the subject. I believe in the benefits of natural soil remediation, to the soil, to our own bank accounts, to house values, to the future development there, to our carbon footprint for Global Warming and most importantly, to the lives of the children who will live there.
Sunflowers were famously used after the Chernobyl nuclear incident to successfully pull radioactive isotopes out of the ground. People are living there now.
15
September?
LAURIER BRANTFORD MOVE-IN
September 2nd There will be lane closures on Colborne Street to accommodate students moving into residences Downtown.
As part of the 6th Annual Brantford International Jazz Festival: Manhattan Transfer Sanderson Centre, Saturday, September 14th at 8:00PM
Being a landlord in lower income neighbourhoods is not for the faint of heart. I don't screen my tenants (which some landlords would scoff at). I believe in respecting their privacy even though I could stand to lose some pretty good prospects from bad credit histories.
Advertising rental property these days takes place mostly on Kijiji with the remainder being pitched by the Brant News and a few by the Expositor. Successful ads are often listed in more than one venue. Clients on disability, welfare or even C.A.S. clients should not be overlooked when they apply for an apartment. Often they are among my best and longest staying tenants. As mentioned previously, opportunities to purchase income properties have become more limited in Brantford during the past few years. To get around this we have purchased three properties in Niagara Falls, New York. Real estate in the USA is still extremely cheap, particularly so in Niagara Fall, NY. Starting with the 1970s Love Canal fiasco, where a whole neighbourhood was found to be built on top of a toxic waste dump, this city's population has been quickly reduced from 100,000 to 50,000 people. Though its been previously said that Brantford had the "worst downtown in Canada", the problems in Niagara Falls, NY have run deeper. Still, I have hope for the town across the Rainbow Bridge. Recent changes in New York laws may bring more investment to the American side of Niagara. Like Brantford once did, Niagara Falls NY has a long road to recovery; however, we came back and I believe they can come back as well. It's only a matter of time and goodwill.
Visit these Downtown Brantford venues for more events and programs:
SANDERSON CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS Visit www.sandersoncentre.ca for an events listing