March 2012 Please Take One

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5,200 cities and towns in 135 countries around the world switched off their lights for Earth Hour last year including ours. In support of Earth Hour 2012, the Advocate has switched off the lights on the front cover. Each of us has the power to make a difference.

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March 2012

Operation Street Lamp

Editorial by Lucas Duguid
In last months edition of the Advocate we asked our readers what will you do with an extra twenty four hours? I want to share what I did with mine. I live near the corner of Sandra and Buckingham. For those of you not familiar with the area, Sandra is just off Fairview Drive near the Gretzky Centre in Ward 3. We have lived in this neighbourhood for almost eight years. Each night when we drive by Sandra and Buckingham, it's so dark that I slow down to idling speed with my high beams on to avoid unseen pedestrians. I finally thought to myself, this corner needs a street lamp and it's time I do something about it. But where do I start? Who do I call? What's the process? I got the ball rolling with a Facebook message to one of my ward councillors, Dan McCreary. In my message to Dan I identified the area, the issue at hand and my questions regarding the process. At this point Dan made contact with Geoff Rae, General Manager of the city's Engineering and Operational Services Department. Geoff responded with the following details surrounding the process: When we receive these requests, staff conduct field investigation to verify the lighting level and if improvements are required. The options for improvement could be: 1. Work with existing street lighting (improve luminare wattage or aim, remove vegetation) 2. Install new light on existing pole 3. Install new pole with new light With options 2 and 3 it is also necessary to contact Brantford Power to discuss how the street light will be powered. We also discuss with the resident adjacent to the location where the change in lighting will take place. In this particular case, we have determined that the lighting levels should be improved and we are currently discussing with Brantford Power regarding possible pole locations and how the light can be serviced. We will then be in touch with the resident where the new pole will be placed. Across the few weeks that followed, I watched as a position for the street light

As citizens, constituents, voters and taxpayers it's our responsibility to have at least a basic working knowledge of how the government in our city functions.
was scouted, marked, dug out, and installed. I drove by each day to see the progress that had been made, catching glimpses of the work with my phone as I passed. It was incredible to watch just how quickly a phone call turned into a positive change in my own neighbourhood. I cant imagine it would always be this easy but here I was watching the benefits of knowing the right person to ask the right questions to. After some very informal polling I was quite surprised to learn that the majority of the people I spoke to didnt know their ward councillors or, in some cases, even what ward they lived in. This is a major problem. How can we expect to fix the things that are broken and make this a better place to live if we don't even know where we live? As citizens, constituents, voters and taxpayers it's our responsibility to have at least a basic working knowledge of how the government in our city functions. Ward councillors are your representatives on city council and they speak on your behalf every Monday night during public meetings, and throughout the week at City Hall. These men and women are elected to help you. Get to know them. Ask questions. Get involved. In a fit of cynicism and apathy someone once asked me: "Why do you care? What's the point? Nothing ever changes." Not True. I got a street lamp. Now it's your turn. What will you do with an extra twenty four hours? I'd like to thank Geoff Rae and the staff of the City Engineering and Operational Services Department for their time and hard work, and my ward councillor Dan McCreary for working with me to make our neighbourhood a little safer.

Councilor Dan McCreary Left. Lucas Duguid Right. Photo courtesy of Paul Smith / Photohouse Studio.

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I left Canada in July of 2011 with my twin sister Amber. We planned to travel Europe for two and a half months and then move to Vietnam to live for awhile. Plans quickly changed when we arrived in Europe and found it SUPER expensive and could only afford to stay for a little over a month. We decided the best choice was to head to Asia a little earlier than planned. After a very long three weeks somewhat trapped in Bangkok (we love that city but one person can only eat so much street pad thai and look at the same dresses every day before it loses the allure) we were finally able to enter Vietnam. Why Vietnam? Amber and I came three years ago to volunteer in an orphanage and we fell in love with the stunning children, the beautiful country and the delicious food. We rarely ever stick to travel plans, and after meeting the kids, the one month we had planned to stay quickly turned into two months plus a little tour of South East Asia. Amber returned the following year and volunteered for nine months, though she had only planned on staying five. While she was here she became such a part of the community and almost couldnt bear to leave. I was jealous of her getting to see the kids every day, so we decided that we had to return again this year.

We had a lot of plans for what we would do while here we needed to work if we were going to stay and volunteer with the kids long term. We had thought about opening a yogurt shop, working in a coffee shop, or selling pancakes all our business plans involved comfy chairs and guitars lying around so we thought they were basically fool proof. Instead, we went for the easiest sounding option opening a daycare center. Our business was extremely short-lived because we failed to consider how exhausting twoyear-olds are, and how often they cry and pee their pants and throw up (disgusting!). We changed our plan and have found success over the past few months running three English classes a day. We do a class for little kids, one for children and teenagers, and one for adults. We are two of just a handful of foreigners in the city, and we run the only center with foreign teachers, so it is fair to say we are a pretty big deal here. People love the opportunity to learn English from anyone who speaks it as a first language. Though I never thought I would be teaching at a school I opened in rural Vietnam with my twin sister, I must say, I love this life. We have a blog for the school you can check out at: http://iwanttobeateacher.tumblr.com/ (we are looking for English teachers to come and help out you can find more information on the site). The reason we are in Vietnam is the kids at the orphanage. They are as amazing as ever. There are 70 kids at the orphanage, ranging from newborn to 14-years-old. They are such happy and charming little children. Every time Amber and I go to see them they scream our names and run over to give us lots of hugs and kisses before we can even

get inside the doors. They lovingly call us Auntie when they tell us all sorts of stories about their day, their school and the latest orphanage gossip. At some point every single time I visit, the kids will stroke my cheek and ask me why I cant speak Vietnamese yet. Fail! (Just so you know it is super difficult like super difficult!) I have loved spending the past six months with the kids and getting to be there for birthdays, Christmas, Tet, babies first steps, dance classes, little kids meltdowns and their happy days. Its awesome! So whats it like living here? We are in such a rural area that a good majority of the people we meet have never seen a foreigner before, and because of this, we are treated like celebrities every single time we step out of our door. People yell at us all the time to ask us where we are from. Weve also gotten more dinner invites, and even marriage proposals, than we can count. We constantly have our skin and hair stroked by random strangers, and I also have my slightly large nose pulled and pushed all over the place because it is so different then the tiny Asian nose. Like the majority of Vietnamese people, we dont have a fridge or a washing machine; we have to hand wash our clothes in a bucket. Yes, it sucks, but we got used to it really quickly. Vietnamese people love Justin Bieber. I cant even tell you how often I hear his song Baby in a day. Water buffalos walk down the main road at all times and cows graze on the grass in the median in front of our house, which will never stop being awesome. I love Vietnam so much, and for the rest of my life I will constantly be returning. I have been to twelve countries so far but my favourite place in the world will always be Brantford. No other place in the world comes close to feeling as much like home. Brantford is such a friendly community with a family feel. It is full of people and places I love, mainly the Grand River, Harmony Square, Why Not City Missions, and just walking downtown. One of my favourite things is being able to say hello to everyone I pass because we all know each other. Brantford rocks and I am so excited to eventually come back and be immersed in all the wonderful parts of the city again.

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March 2012

Power Talk - Fit For Life

By Mark Gaylard
The one thing we all have is the power of choice. Equally so is our ability to make decisions. The result of our choices and decisions will directly affect the quality of lives we lead. The quality of our lives is an exact reflection of our mental, emotional, and physical state. As a Peak Development Coach and Life Strategist, it is not only my job, but my passion, to focus on all three of these elements, both individually and collectively when working with my clients. For the purposes of this article, I'd like to focus on your physical state; the body that houses you mental and emotional states at all times. You have nothing without your health Those are the most powerful six words you will ever hear. Prosperity, family and good fortune can only be realized to the fullest if you are in excellent physical condition. The clock is ticking for every one of us. The question remains: how effectively will you use this time? We have all experienced the feeling of success at varying levels in our life. Success and fulfillment in your personal life and professional life is determined by the quality of the three elements I have touched on: your physical, mental and emotional health. Where your physical body is concerned, this question may arise. When is it time to get into shape, and is it ever too late? The short answers are now and never. The human body, like our brain, is just a glorified filing system. It believes what you tell it and it reacts to how you treat it. If you have been feeding this filing system with great information, proper food, and regular exercise, the results will speak for themselves. Contrary, if this filing system has been consistently contaminated with disempowering thoughts and physical neglect, the outcome will definitely be a grim one. If you are not currently following a structured exercise program, the first step is to just get up and move. Your body is quite happy to remain sedentary. But that demon will catch up with you sooner or later. Movement is the key to all physiological shifts in the body. If your weight is an issue, step on the scale once, then throw it away. The mirror, unlike a spouse or best friend, never lies. Success with your physical body takes the same commitment, as does anything else you have worked hard to achieve in life. Adding 30 to 6o minutes of movement per day, walking, stationary bike, treadmill or swimming, will instantly cause your body to react. You don't get fit by doing something once in a while. You get fit by doing it consistently. Repetition when done correctly is the formula for mastering everything. To be fit for life, you have to indulge yourself daily to get the result you want. The first step is always the hardest. Like the first time you tried to tie your shoes, strap on a pair of skies or drove a car. It was repeating these tasks that created excellence. The same repetition holds true for you physical body. Ask and you shall receive, demand it from your body and it will deliver. Depending on how old you are, there maybe years of negative momentum to overcome. I have worked with countless men and women struggling to overcome the curse of old patterns and destructive behaviours. My goal as a coach is to interrupt those patterns and change the belief system. Bob, for the sake of anonymity, was a client of mine who had to make a tremendous shift in his behaviour in order to survive. As much as I agreed to coach him through his physical transformation, it would be more important for me to shift his mental state to achieve the ultimate outcome. Bob was a successful business owner in the eyes of his peers. In the eyes of his friends and family, Bob was doing very well, actually better than most. He had a beautiful home on a corner lot. The house was situated in a great neighbourhood. Typically, Bob and his wife had two vehicles, and one he cherished driving on perfect sunny days during the summer. Bob's wife worked part time in his business as the office manager. She was a striking lady in her mid-50's who kept fit by playing tennis, walking, and taking classes at the gym. Bob had three children, a daughter who was following in her father's professional footsteps and two strapping sons in their last years of high school. On paper, Bob's life looked pretty darn good until he received a paper, which shattered all that immediately. The paper came in the form of a Doctor's report. Bob, who was already overweight had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and was borderline diabetic. Bob was not that much different than a large section of today's population. His eating habits had deteriorated over the years. Many times, he was reduced to a drive-thru coffee accompanied by a fast food breakfast in the morning. Bob would more often than not run on a tight schedule all day, seeing clients without a break until the end of the business. Having dinner out three or four times a week was more a matter of convenience than anything else. There was a time in his life when he made an effort to go to the gym, and he actually enjoyed it. But that had all changed over the last ten years. Bob no longer made time for himself or his personal health. That time had become over-shadowed by a growing family and a business that seemed to occupy the rest of the clock. The thought of being on high blood pressure medication, then adding daily injections of insulin, frightened the hell out of this middle-aged professional. He was forced to take a long hard look at himself the mirror. What he saw was not only the here and now, but the what-ifs of the future. What if he didn't change these habits? What if he continued to eat poorly and neglect his health? What if he died as a result ?! And worse, what if he lived but suffered a stroke or a heart attack that disabled him to a point where he was still alive inside his body, but the body didn't function and he needed full-time help from his wife or a nurse? What if he didn't die but worse, survived in a debilitated state where he could no longer contribute and enjoy life, and had to rely on those around him to take care of him. What If That Happened to You???? The light bulb of choice went off in his head. Bob could choose to continue to live like this, or he could choose to do something about it. I am happy to say Bob made the right choice. It was not an easy road and it was definitely not a quick fix. It was a lifestyle make-over. I worked with Bob for almost six months, and partnered with him until he lost over 50 pounds. He continues to exercise to this day and has maintained the weight loss. As a result of his commitment to be fit for the rest of his life, Bob is not taking high blood pressure medication. He has avoided any chance of getting diabetes through exercise and proper nutrition. And more importantly, he is present: present for his kids, present for his wife, and present to succeed in his business. As simple as it sounds, it all started when I told Bob, that step one was to just move. So, if after three weeks of exercise you feel you are not seeing results, remind yourself of the years of neglect you have to surpass. Remind yourself that there is a Bob out there in all of us, who was in your shoes determined to succeed, and did! The results will come, and when they do, celebrate all the small victories. Stay true to your goal. This is not about dieting. Your goal is to create a lifestyle change, a change that consists of a combination of lean foods, staying hydrated, and increasing your cardiovascular fitness. For change to happen it has to be lasting and consistent. So commit to being consistent! You have one body, one life, two choices. The alternative to being fit, lean, healthy and rejuvenated, maybe the life you are living now. The question is how long are you willing to continue this behaviour, and how long will your body hold out? Don't wait like Bob to get a report from the doctor to make the right decision. Don't wait till New Years to make a resolution that 95% of the time never holds true. Don't wait until it's too late. Make that commitment to yourself now, a commitment that will not only affect you, but the people who are most important to you in your life. A physical transformation, from fat to fit, flawed to flawless is a journey worth traveling. Commit to be fit for life.

I Dont Know My Months

By Becca Vandekemp
I dont know my months. If a 5-year-old had said it, it wouldnt have been a big deal. My friend isnt 5, though. Hes 24. When he said it, it was so matter-of-fact. It started with one of my dorky reversepsychology tricks to get people who I know dropped out of school to say positive things about education so that maybe theyll eventually go back and finish up. Dude, Im so sick of school right now. I want to just go home, sleep, and not do any work. Ill be done in April. Tell me to smarten up I said. Whens April? I dont know my months. Not even kidding. Simple question: when are kids supposed to learn their months? According to the Ontario curriculum, kids are supposed to know their months in Kindergarten, or the latest by the end of Grade 1. So what happened? Yes, the answer could be that hes just not the brightest crayon in the box, but Ill tell you right now that is not the case. He doesnt remember meeting me because he was drunk the first dozen times we chatted. His sister has beat up a few of my friends, and even followed me home a few times. Ive watched his dad hit on high school girls on the bus. When we meet up, our conversations revolve around how long it has been since he was last in jail. A lot of people reading this would say, Wow, what a screw up. Some might ask why I would hang out with people like him, but I know there are a few of you who get the point of all this. What was happening in the life of this guy that when he was just 5 years old that he couldnt manage to learn a list of twelve months? The learning disability argument only goes so far. What was distracting him? What was going on at school? What was going on after school? What was going on at home? What else doesnt he know? I couldnt get his statement out of my mind. I dont know my months. It broke my heart the more I thought about it. What implications does not knowing your months have on your future? How can you possibly make long-term plans when you dont even know when April happens? How could you get excited for your birthday as a kid? How could you measure your summer vacation? How could you actually make a court date? How could you know when you would be let out of jail during your sixth incarceration? In January, I wrote about overcoming barriers to the choices we want to make for ourselves. I meant every word, but faced with this simple statement, I dont know what to say. While there is almost always an intricate inter-weaving of factors both within a person and surrounding a person, how much credit do we give the surrounding factors in these situations? I dont know. All I know is that my friend doesnt even know his months. Its not okay.

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Page 5

Beyond Earth Hour

By Ryan Jamula
On March 31, 2012 people all around the globe will come together to take action on one unified cause by turning out the lights from 8:30pm-9:30pm to raise awareness about climate change. What started in one city only 6 years ago has evolved into 135 countries in 5,200 cities in 2011, and a global movement to raise awareness on the issue of climate change. This year the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth Association and the Brant Young New Democrats are joining together to spearhead Brantfords Earth Hour awareness campaign. We are challenging the community of Brantford - businesses, schools, community organizations and every individual - to pledge their support of Earth Hour by turning off all non-essential lighting. Our goal is to reduce the citys energy usage by 6% on March 31st. We also challenge the community to go beyond the hour, reducing their ecological footprint and to be conscious of how our daily activities affect the globe. We have the ability to join together as a community, and create not only a greener city to live, but a healthier province, country and world. We all know that one person switching off the lights for one hour cannot reverse the damage that has been done to the environment. But through simple, cost-efficient actions we can reduce energy consumption, water consumption, and waste disposal. When an entire global community joins together to raise awareness on one issue, it becomes a catalyst for action and change. Unfortunately Canadians have become a society of mass consumption. The amount of water we waste is incredible. According to Environment Canada, each Canadian uses about 329 litres of water per day - 30% of which is flushed down the toilet. Through small easy steps, we can all reduce the amount of water we use. Here are a few suggestions. Fix leaks and turn taps off tightly (a leak of one drop per second wastes 10,000 litres of water per year), use a low flow shower head to save an average of 1000 litres of water per week, and make sure your dishwasher is full before running. The average Canadian family of four produces 2000 kilograms of garbage per year. The solution to cut down on this waste: reduce, reuse, and recycle. Try not to buy a lot of items with large amounts of unnecessary packaging that ends up in landfills. Purchase reusable coffee mugs, water bottles, and grocery bags instead of using their disposable counterparts. Donate gently used clothing to charity instead of throwing it out. Everyday countless recyclable items (plastics, aluminum, and paper) are needlessly thrown into the garbage. Simply put these items into your recycling bin and help stop the pile up in landfills. Remember to never throw out any household hazardous waste items (paints, batteries, oils, pool chemicals, etc.) or electronic items (phones, computers, televisions, etc.) in the regular garbage as it can be extremely harmful to the environment. Instead dispose hazardous items and recycle your electronics on Household Hazardous Waste days. For a complete list of which items can be recycled, what is considered hazardous waste, and the dates of Household Hazardous Waste days in 2012, visit the City of Brantford website. Of course, I cannot leave out the issue of energy reduction. Beyond turning the lights out for one hour on March 31st, here are some other tips to reduce energy consumption. Unplug appliances that are rarely used and cell phone chargers when they are not in use can save you about $10 per month on your utility bill. Turn off the lights! It may seem like an obvious one, but it is surprising how often we forget to flick the switch. Replace standard light bulbs with energy saving compact fluorescent light bulbs and properly maintain your air conditioning and heating systems by changing air filters. When it is time purchase new appliances look for the Energy Star label, as these products use 20-40% less energy than other new models. If climate change is not enough to motivate you to make a few small changes in your habits, than the savings on your utilities should. If everyone could commit themselves to just one, two, or multiple of these suggestions to reduce their environmental impact, the strain on our environment can be lessened. Together we can come together and send the message that it is time to take action and make small changes that truly make a world of difference. It starts with you. On March 31st make your commitment to the Earth and turn out the lights.

The faculty and staff of the Advocate would like to thank all of the businesses and organizations across Brantford, Brant and Six Nations that generously support us by distributing our publication every month. At the request of our readers, and as a thank you to those who support us, here is a list of all of the locations where you can pick up a copy of the Advocate each and every month. WEST BRANT Mac's Milk, Goo's, Sammy's Rec Room, Kingswood Diner, Mr. Chips , Doug's Donuts, West Brant Coin Laundry, Happy Variety, Duey's, Maria's Pizza, Pet Crazy Express, Pita Pit, Pizzaville, Twighlight Tanning Salon, Cathy's Nails, Starbucks PARIS / TOLLGATE Happy Days Mini-Mart, Sonia's Variety, Happy Nails, Tito's Pizza, Girls Den, Olde School House CHARING CROSS / ST. PAUL Euro Convenience, Pizza Roma, Don Warrener's Martial Arts, St. George & Grand Mart, Empirical Photo, Nova Vita, Metro, My Thai, Shaks Shwarma, Jammit Music, Meatsauce Pizza, McGonagall's EAGLE PLACE Stan's Confectionary, Emilie's Mini Mart, Crystal's Hair Care, Sun Milk Convenience, Used Appliances, Used Clothing, Wingmaster, Eagle Place Laundry, Dozer's, Over Easy, The Hair Salon - Salon 81, Joe's Variety, Bain's Max Mart, In Season Living, Woodland Cultural Centre, Carolyn's Home Baking, Simply Soy Candles, Unique Peace Home Furn., Hill's Computer Service, Mac's Convenience, Family Pizza, Big Top Submarine, Eagle Place Variety, Eagle Place Video and Con., Doug Snooks Community Centre, Petro Canada, Clarence St. Dental, Workforce Planning Board GE ECHO PLACE / COLBORNE EAST Kreative Khaos, Tip Top Health Shoppe, Palace Submarine, La Bella Donna Hair Stylists, Grand River CHC, Why Not, Maple Convenience, Mohawk College, Liberty Cleaning Services, Brantford Music Centre, Maria`s Pizza, Bouncing Buddah Tattoo, H and S Discount, Pet Valu, The Dutch Shop, Army, Navy, Air Force , Sital Hairstyling , Natural Nail Care , Bismillah Daily Basket , Mario's Pizza, Mohawk Convenience , Addison's, Quality Inn & Suites, Rock Universe , Medichair Cowell, Just Friends, Big Bear Food Mart, Echo Place Coin Laundry, Telly's Convenience, Echo Place Family Rest., Seniors Resource Centre, Mario and Sam's Auto Service, Maple Convenience 2000, Pizza Spot, Sherwood Motel, Sherwood Restaurant, Nicol Florist, Colborne Auto Detailling, Bell City Motel, Scott Veterinary Clinic, Shanghai Restaurant, H&H Tackle, Husky, Pencar, Mrs. Fries, Crossroads Flea Market, Toki Loft, Brooks Signs FAIRVIEW / WEST Skin Care Essentials, Station Coffee House, Rogers TV, Fairview Drive Pet Hospital, Dundas Variety, Enterprise Brant, Dorsey Group, Strodes DOWNTOWN Tropical Paradise Tanning, Harry's , Admiral's Submarine, Brant Communications, Crazy Bill`s, City Taxi, Al's Shoes, Brant Art Shoe, The Habit, King Laundry, The Queen's Closet, Dr. Vic Schacher, Dolphin Variety, Contact Brant, Imperial Submarine, Cesars Barber Shop, Custom Colour T Shirts, Manifest Yoga, Sanderson Centre, Piston Broke, Williams Downtown, Business Resource Centre, Pita Plus, Cobby`s, University Pharmacy, Hamachi Sushi, Grand River Employment, Urban Hookup/Wright's, Tait Quartermain Optical, Caesar's Place, Brostock, SACAP, Brant Ass. Comm. Treat, Cdn. Mental Health, Stylo Family Hair, Brantford Public Library, City of Brantford, Beckett Adult Leisure Centre, Just Like New, Inity Fashions, Essential Physiotherapy, MP Dave Levac's Office, Aboriginal Health Centre, Warmington's Bistro, Tooun Salon, Children's Aid Society, Laurier Brantford, The Ring, Brant Native Housing, Jebbo's Computer, Pasquale`s Meat & Deli, Bob`s Tobacco and Magazine, Brant Stereo, Lonnie`s Restaurant, Market St. Dental, Brando's, Two Doors Down, Express Submarine, Oriental Restaurant, Alexanders Tavern, Stormy`s Variety, Mario's Pizza, Brant Mini Mart, The Mixdown, Harmony Grill, Coffee Culture, Brantford Arts Block, Strodes Express, Freedom House, Dr. Sokoloski STANLEY / GREY Lucky's Coin Laundry, Lucky's Variety, BYO Breweries, Super Cycle Coin Laundromat, Daisy Mart, Goodfellas, Mr. Paws, Kneaded Care, Rawdon Automotive, Cormier's Confectinery, Steelworkers Action Centre, Brant Taxi, Rossini Lodge, Marconi's Diner, Alternate Icons CASINO / FARMER'S MARKET Just 4 You Nails, Jumbo Dragon, First Choice, Action Medical Home Health, Subway, Ontario March of Dimes, Legal Clinic, Brantford and District Labour Centre, Brantford Food Bank, Community Resource Services, Swan's Produce, Brantford Farmer's Market, Brantford and District Civic Centre HOLMEDALE / BRANT AVE. Daisy Mart, Vic's Variety, Holmedale Coin Laundry, Holmedale Mini-Mart, The Brantford Bookworm, Serenity Country Candles, Indecks Skateboards & Clothing, Total Convenience, Viet Thai Basil, Brantford Collegiate, Blue Dog Coffee Roasters, Sexual Assault Centre, Hair Dresser on Fire, Arthur's By The Grand KING GEORGE ROAD Stan's Variety, Toppers Pizza, Casey's Bar and Grill, Blessings Eatery, Pita Pit, Microplay, Global Pet Foods, Williams Caf , S & H Health Foods , Williams Caf , Al Dente, Lexton's Tap and Grill, Shawarma King NORTH END Digital Duck Inc., Culligan Water, Brantford Tourism Centre, Big Ben's Family Diner, The Sugar House, Woodview Childrens Centre, Broasters Chicken, Tito's Pizza, Duey's, Carmen's Homestyle Pizza, The Perch and Wing Eatery, Frankie's, Luciani's Pizza, New City Church, The Print Shoppe, Silver Dragon PARIS Sobey's, Pharma Plus, Paris Library, Divalicious, County of Brant Office, Paris Realty, Remax Heritage, Chocolate Sensations, Three Blind Mice Cheese Shop, Wendy's General Store, Jade's of Paris, 2 Rivers Restaurant, Green Heron Book Shop, Brown Dog Coffee, Paris Bakery, Steve's Place, The Cedar House, The Canadian House, Paris Variety, Camp 31 Bar-B-Q, Paris By The Grand, Home Hardware, Caf Europa, Amelia Biscuit Company, Friendly Untied Discount Variety, Cobblestone's Public House BURFORD Burford Bakery, Godfather's Pizza, Burford Market, Foodland, Esso ST. GEORGE Richi Milk, The Rustic Mug, Brown Dog Coffee Shop, St. George Arms, Foodland SIX NATIONS Grand River Enterprises, Iroqcrafts, IC Supercomputers, Lone Wolf Pit Stop, Lee's Variety, KT's, Route 54 Variety and Gas, Riverbend Restaurant, Porter E Law Office, Oasis Gas and Variety, Village Caf, Six Nations Tourism, Red Indian Gas Bar, Bright Feather Coin Laundry, T 'n' T Pizza, Erlind's Restaurant, CKRZ, Al's Variety, Little Buffalo, Grand River Employment Training, 6 Nations Trading Post

Made in Brantford
By Rob Michalchuk
Traveling around when I perform live I often get asked what the scene is like where I come from. When I talk to people in larger cities, and tell them I grew up in a small farming community of a couple thousand called Burford, I get some odd glances. Then, when I explain that I spent most of the other part of my life in a small blue-collar city called Brantford, I get more odd glances. The folks I have talked to find it odd that I perform the type of music I do from where I come from; the music I play leans more towards the experimental side of things, but not limited exclusively to. I am also regularly asked about how I found out about music and styles. I like to think that I grew up in a time that was near the end of when you could truly still be isolated from the majority of the information in the world. Of course, Im talking about the popularity of the Internet and the phenomenon of being online and finding information instantaneously that you would have a real hard lengthy time finding without the use of it. Sure in the past you could mail people and bands you read about in some magazines to find out more, but the instant gratification of the Internet makes things so much easier to find these days. For me growing up with an independent record store called Second Wave in downtown Brantford had a lot to do with how I found out about different forms of music. If it wasnt for the owner Paul Evans telling me that some of my pops and clicks on my alto saxophone reminded him of John Zorn, I dont know where I would be today. It is awesome to see that atmosphere happening again in downtown Brantford with Mixdown Records and Tapes. Some really great conversation had come out about my hometown when I brought copies of the Advocate with me on a small tour into the eastern United States. Spreading the opinions and thoughts of Brantford around to cities like Brooklyn, Boston, Philadelphia, and so on, I found more people really wanted to talk to me about where I come from. The long drives between cities really made me think and ponder writing this opinion on what it is like to be an artist in Brant County. Are there unique hurdles with being in this area? Are there unique sounds, venues and anything else music related that is Brantford, aside from someone singing about their own hometown? My background to think of such questions comes from performing live locally and abroad consistently since 1994, never really in any group that is too popular. An early bout in a band called Cartoon Khaki during the 1990s taught me that punk rock isnt about leather jackets, mohawk haircuts and listening to hardcore. Our bands form of punk always seemed to be on the outside of things during the time it existed. All the time spent in that band gave me thoughts and experiences that I would find very inspirational later in life with my current musical and visual arts projects. I find keeping an open mind to sight and sound beneficial, but enough about me. Performing music and art in Brant can be a lonely thing. You could bring the world to Brantford, but does the world really want to listen? You could be a proud citizen, but you have to be honest and realize that this community just isnt New York City. So how does Brantfords little foot print make it interesting? We have a unique position of being isolated, which I feel makes me want to persevere creatively. It makes me want to get out and explore and propel. Is the drive stronger with isolation? Brantford is a cut your teeth kind of town. That phrase was alluded to a couple times in music interviews I did with people on complete opposite sides of the musical spectrum. Over the years, I have seen a lot of talent give up completely or never grow, and be contained like a bonsai tree in Brant. Isolation can create some unique artists and opinions about the area; geography shouldnt be a boundary for them though. Lately Ive been proud of where Ive come from, and it wasnt until I left the city to perform that Ive felt this way. Sure you could go into a larger city and be overwhelmed by the flash and pizzazz, but personally I feel a little swamped by it. Majorly inspired, but swamped. Im glad that Ive had the chance to grow as an artist in Brantford. I talk about Brantford to the people I meet near and abroad, and it seems reassuring to know that your geography has no bounds on your creativity. Wherever I go there is a piece of this town available to someone, literally or fugitively in some historical rant or theory, and yes, the art and culture too. I write this to pose theories and conversation about what it is to be from Brantford or any other small city like it. I also write to say from my own experience, coming from Brantford isnt all that bad. I found it nurturing.

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March 2012

Showcasing Local Talent

By Lucas Duguid

Serene Porter is from Six Nations. She is a visual artist that works with photography, graphic design, animation, painting, beadwork and new media to name a few. A graduate from York University with a B.A. in Fine Arts, Serene is currently in her last semester at Mohawk College in the Graphic Design program. Serene has many accomplishments in her young career already. Among them is one aspiration shared by many first nation artists, and that is to have shown and sold her art work at the First Nations Art Exhibitions, which she has done in 2008, 2009 and 2010. In addition to creation, Serene is also a mentor, and has shared many ideas in numerous visual art based workshops that she has helped to create and facilitated. Of particular admiration for Serene is the success of an elder-student based workshop that fuses verbal traditions of the past with contemporary media arts. From its inception as a legacy-based pilot project, this elder-student workshop has been a great success, and continues to generate new interest, both with in the first nations communities and beyond.
Serene can be contacted at: reni_po@hotmail.com or check out her blog at http://serenegrafiks.blogspot.com/

Brantford Station Gallery 519.309.0008 Brantford Train Station Wed March 21st 6pm / 9pm $15 advance tickets available online: craigcardiff.com

March 2012

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Page 7

Showcasing Local Talent

On the subject of Tia Robinson By Evan Champagne

New to the Telephone City, Tia Robinson draws on years of photography experience at Sheridan College and her photographic exploration during her formative years in downtown Toronto. While working toward a traditional education in Art and Design, she learned to reach for perfection with her work. Curious by nature, she finds inspiration in Brantford's friendly residents, preserved nature landscapes, and thriving artistic community. Here, an image of Brantford's own enduring singer/songwriter Evan Champagne, is presented from a photographic series Tia calls Seeing through the Smoke. "After 10 years and over 1,200 performances, I thought Evan was a prime candidate for the gritty yet musical texture I was after for this shoot. Although not a smoker, the guitar Evan used was celebrating its 30th birthday the night of the session, so he felt a cigar was in order. As I began experimenting with the interactions between smoke and light, the theme Seeing through the Smoke emerged. In an artistic journey, albeit musical or photographic, smoke and mirrors became a normative landmark. Seeing through illusions that lead an artist away from their true passions in their art is often the challenge.

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Page 8

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March 2012

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By Lisa Wood
idyllic imaginary paintings that little girls suckle themselves to sleep with. (the Advocate. Volume 1, Issue 5. January 2012. Ridiculous Love.) I dont know about you, but as a girl I dreamed about being a librarian and a spy, not a wife. So what happens if you or your child does not slip comfortably into a girly tiara or boyish Darth Vader mask? How do you feel if the culture around youat school, in the media, on the playground, at workdoesnt give you a single image of your own reality, brands you as deviant and abnormal, and tells you that who you are is unacceptable, wrong, even immoral? Thats where a book like Are You a Boy or a Girl? comes in. The book ends on a tender note, with the girls mother telling her: ever since there were girls and boys, there have been girls who like to do boy things and boys who like to do girl things. And when you know that and youre all grown up, youll know you can do anything you want to. Dont get me wrong. Theres nothing wrong with girly girls or boyish boys. But we need to make room in our society, our schools, and our hearts for the children who dont fit into those categories, who are charting a brave and difficult course in their search to become who they are meant to be. Im advocating for these courageous people and for a future where diversity is normal. Other recommended childrens books on gender diversity: My Princess Boy, by Cheryl Kilodavis And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson

Sugar & Spice & Puppy Dog Tails

Its Diversity Week at Laurier Brantford, and Im sitting in a lecture hall with faculty, staff, students, and community members, listening to Karleen Pendleton Jimnez talk about gender diversity in the classroom, and in society at large. Karleen is a childrens book author and educator who works to bring a deeper understanding of gender diversity to teachers, professors, and students. Her picture book, Are You a Boy or a Girl?, was made into an animated short film, Tomboy, which won several awards at international film festivals. (Check outTomboy for free at http://vimeo.com/10654889) Are You a Boy or a Girl? is a sweet story that follows a young girl through a difficult day at school, and ends with her in her mothers arms. Its illustrated with photos, because, as Karleen tells us jokingly, I cant draw. The challenges that the girl faces in her class and peer group are expressed poignantly when she tells her mother: every day they want to know if Im a boy or a girl and they look at me like Im a rat or some hairy animal and they point and make jokes. In retrospect, I can hardly blame my child self. I grew up in a world where girls wore pink and boys wore blue, and the first question anyone asked of a new parent was is it a boy or a girl? Advertisements showed women in the home, tending to the needs of their man. A pamphlet on dating in my doctors office told me never to let a boy know I was smarter than him. Thank goodness we live in a different world, where women work outside the home, fathers are comfortable with child care, and girls and boys are encouraged to follow their dreams into a future career of their own choosing. Everythings changed, right? Uh, no. When I look at the world around me, little has changed, at least in terms of gender stereotypes. Friends, relatives, and bare acquaintances ask pregnant women if they know if its a boy or a girl, and toy stores are organized into pink sections for girls, and blue sections for boys. Disney Princesses reign over the world of girls, encouraging them to place their self-worth on their appearance and their ability to attract a man. Toy stores offer girls play kitchens, Easy-Bake ovens, and fake make-up kits. Boys are expected and encouraged to be competitive, aggressive, and strong. Theyre offered toys like action figures that smash through everything in their path or have the blaster to take on all comers. Dont believe me? Spend Saturday morning watching cartoons. The real danger is that the media messages that bombard us and our kids from all sides make us think that these stereotypes are, in fact, real and normal. These ideas about gender have become so normalized in fact, that an article in this very cool publication felt comfortable saying: Marriage bears little resemblance to the gooey-eyed

I dont know about you, but as a girl I dreamed about being a librarian and a spy, not a wife.

Part of the reason Karleens story is important to me is that I asked that question. I was at a new school, and there was a boy in the grade ahead who confused me. He was so perfectly androgynous that I felt compelled to ask the question. As soon as he answered, defiantly, that he was a boy, I knew I had crossed a line, that I had done something wrong. I didnt know why. Whats important is not that I asked the question, but WHY I asked the question. Ten-year-old me fretted over hurting someones feelings, but never considered how it was that I felt it was an appropriate question to ask in the first place.

Williams Doll, by Charlotte Zolotow

Gray Power: The Brant Dilemna

By Michael St. Amant
Recently I had the privilege of being invited to join the Board of Directors of the Brantford Seniors Resource Centre, a not-for-profit organization that offers services to senior in our community. For me this has turned out to be a wake-up call. Life for most seniors is not the Freedom 55 promised to us in the 1980s. As my generation moves towards what is supposed to be our golden years, we find that we are entering an environment that is totally unprepared for us. I remember when demographer David Foot in his Canada's Population Outlook: Demographic Futures and Economic Challenges (Toronto: 1982) warned us about the onslaught of people moving towards retirement. Insurance companies were telling us to invest for our future. The future to most of us was a distant time and many thought that it would somehow take care of itself. The more nave of us expected that governments of all levels would have a plan in place to ensure that we would live comfortably, and with dignity, when we retired. In retrospect, this was not a great strategy! One economic crisis after another has depleted government treasuries and eroded personal savings. Poor planning, and the need to respond immediate problems, did not improve the situation. So here we are today hearing that the Harper Government proposes to extend the age of retirement to sixty-seven and the McGuinty Government tries to deal with the issue through band-aid programs. While I can appreciate their dilemma, the challenge is only going to get worse as the aging baby-boomers reach retirement age. We need not look outside of our community to measure the scope of the problem that awaits us. The Alzheimer Society of Brant says that 1 in 11 Canadians over the age of 65 will contract one form of dementia or another. The number rises to 1 in 3 for those over 85. Dementia affects the brain and compromises our ability to interpret the world around us. It ultimately impacts our ability to live independently and places a heavy burden on families and institutional resources. It also affects women more than men. Here in Brant, we have 17,000 individuals over 65. If 1 in 11 fall victim to dementia, that is 1,600 individuals. There are another 3,000 over 85. If 1 in 3 develops dementia, we add another 1,000. Currently in Brant, we have 890 long term care beds. More than half of the individuals suffering with dementia require long term care beds. Our current requirement is about 1,000 beds for dementia patients let alone people needing institutional care for other reasons. This number is expected to double by 2026. doctors, waiting times and access to services. Governments at all levels have been working towards a strategy that will enable seniors to remain in their homes as long as possible. Organizations such as CARP strive to bring senior issues to the attention of governments. The problem is that the numbers may well overwhelm us. At the Brantford Seniors Resource Centre the current demand for services places an already heavy burden on the volunteers. As more babyboomers reach retirement age, the demand for services will increase. Planning for that day is a challenge. Virtual services may represent one type of solution, but it does not replace direct contact. Nor does it resolve the issue that we are being left to ourselves to develop solutions. Family and community groups are going to be integral to meeting the needs of an aging population. The reality is that there will be fewer young people supporting the tax base that finances government services and pensions. It is true that many retirees have good pensions from their workplace. There is, however, a far larger number that do not. These are the people who will be living on fixed incomes, working as long as they can meet the rising cost of living. We failed to heed the message in the past, but gray power is truly on its way. Seniors will be demanding the services they need to live in dignity as the strength in their numbers grow. What form that power will take on depends very much on what we do now, though it may already be too late. As we look at our aging parents, friends and colleagues, we should be thinking about the type of society we want for them and ourselves. Will it be a kinder, gentler society? Or will it be a society in which the majority of the aged struggle to survive? What about the cost to families? Today, Canadians spend 231 million unpaid hours caring for family members suffering from dementia. This will rise to 756 million unpaid hours within a generation. This includes attendant care, shopping, book keeping, transportation, meetings and dealing with medical practitioners. Some 40% of caregivers suffer from mental stress. They experience higher rates of depression, suicide, physical illness and premature death. While there is some financial relief through Caregiver Tax Credits and Disability Tax Credits, 93% of patients, caregivers and professional service providers feel that the range and care of support services in Ontario needs to be improved. There not only needs to be more dialogue between healthcare practitioners and specialists, but als between the professionals and family caregivers who face their own set of problems. The emotional impact of dementia is described in Nancy Pooles The Bitter Journey of Alzheimers: One wifes daily log (2010). The book describes the life of Lloyd and Nancy Wilson as they struggled through his battle with Alzheimers. The case of dementia represents only one aspect of the challenges that lie ahead as the number of seniors explodes over the next decade. Seniors will also live longer. The impact on our healthcare system has been well documented from the perspective of cost, shortage of

Seniors will be demanding the services they need to live in dignity as the strength in their numbers grow.

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Blessings Eatery

March 2012

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Page 9

Re-thinking The Electoral Divide

By Steph Paige
Growing up as the daughter of a former City Councillor, I was determined to stay as far away from municipal politics as possible. I didnt like it, I didnt value it, and I didnt want a thing to do with it. However, it would seem my definition of as far away as possible meant venturing in to the field of international politics and governance. I went on to study political science at the University of Waterloo and then worked for three years at an international think tank, The Centre for International Governance Innovation. I had big dreams of working in Ottawa and joining the bureaucracy and really wanting to make a difference for Canadians as a whole. Upon returning to Brantford after seven years being away, I swore I would not be drawn in to the issues faced here. The reality, however, is that as soon as one begins to make connections in the community and care about the people who live here, its inevitable that one starts to care about the services and opportunities available to them. It was the debacle surrounding the Wayne Gretzky Sports Complex which brought the opinionated side of me out. Admittedly, I have not delved in to the details of the situation, but experience tells me most issues of this nature come down to a lack of communication, by various parties, at various points in the process. What disappointed me in the reaction to the situation was the emphasis on the people, rather than the process. Once something like this has happened, the analysis should consist of something like this: was the process followed, does the process need an evaluation, and what can be done moving forward to ensure this does not happen again. Personal attacks only serve to poison the future working environment. As I read about the situation, one particular comment caught my eye. It referenced how there was no more oversight on signage than there was on the buildings fireproofing, concrete, etc. Having working in the communications field while at CIGI, I fully understood the importance of the branding and signage to an organization or venue. As Ive been heavily involved in signage requirements both in my previous and current role, there is much that goes into this which requires ownership and significant involvement. Rather than attacking the lack of oversight, a number of issues jumped out at me. Does our council who, to me, do represent the city brand, understand branding and its importance? Do we have branding and signage guidelines, as many of the government levels Ive worked with do? If not, to avoid a similar situation moving forward, these kind of issues can now be sorted out, having discovered an area for improvement. It is this thinking which led me to think further on the role of a Councillor here in Brantford. I was ecstatic to hear of the debate brewing about part-time versus full-time councillors. This is a conversation I feel is long overdue and it is my hope that this look at the role of a Councillor will be a holistic one, beyond just full/part time. Another conversation meriting discussion would be the value of ward-based councillors vs. at-large councillors. To me, the logic is simple. If we want a full-time commitment from our Councillors, they need to be recognized as such. When a Councillor is part-time, with another full-time job, it means only 1/3 of their efforts are focused on progressing the town forward. I find it insulting both to the individual and the integrity of the town to expect a Councillor to put in a full-time effort for anything less than a formalized full-time position. Quite simply, part-time means status quo, full-time means progression. Furthermore, I strongly believe there is value in re-evaluating the scope of the role of a Councillor. During the last municipal election, something I found fascinating was the platform of so many candidates focusing on issues entirely outside of the ward in which they were running. Im not saying this is neither good nor bad, as everyones ultimate goal is to make Brantford a better place. But our current 100% ward-based system potentially hinders improvement, rather than promoting it. I believe there is much value in both the ward-based and at-large based positions. With 10 councillors, 5 could be ward-based, focusing solely on the issues of their residents, and another 5 holding at-large positions. This would help make the races more competitive, consistently encourage participation of qualified candidates and have broader city-wide appeal. This set-up would allow us to elect Councillors with expertise in issuespecific items which face the town, which their platforms could be based solely on. I am fully aware many people will have different opinions on the best system for the town, some similar and some different to mine. It is my hope this is a discussion to be had while looking at the role of a Councillor.

We Were Here
Wednesday, March 28th, 7:30 PM
Research & Academic Centre, Wilfred Laurier University RCW002, 150 Dalhousie Street, Brantford Presented by The AIDS Network | Co-sponsors: The Bridge, Laurier Rainbow Alliance, HIV/AIDS Coalition serving Brant, Haldimand, Norfolk and Six Nations of the Grand River
A Feature Length Documentary by David Weissman Free event, doors open 7 PM
RSVP required: dgunton@aidsnetwork.ca or 866-563-0563
Panel Discussion To Follow Film

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March 2012

The Birth of a Doula

I am a Doula in Brantford. Though we are growing in popularity, most people here have no idea what we do, which is probably why it isnt a full time business for me yet. I could give them the text book definition: Doula comes from Ancient Greek (doul) meaning "female slave." A Doula provides non-medical support to women and families during labour, childbirth and the postpartum period Then their eyes would glaze over and theyd be no closer to understanding. Being a Doula is extraordinary work. It is the kind of work that makes me sleep better at night. I come from a background of travel, photography and teaching. I made great money and I had nice things, but I felt a nagging emptiness. I always believed I could do more. When I became pregnant, I started to re-evaluate what I wanted from life. My husband and I moved back to Brantford to be closer to family during maternity leave, leaving Toronto and my career in advertising behind. I thought it was temporary. Little did I know, my world was about to turn upside down. Giving birth to my son was like being pushed onto the worlds craziest roller coaster with a blindfold over my eyes, and then being told to enjoy the ride. My labour was induced early and I had no idea what was going to happen. I had purchased a great stroller and the nursery was decorated, but I was not prepared for childbirth, and it didnt go so well. My husband and sister were there and they surrounded me with love, but I think they felt as lost as I did. At the end of it all, I had my son who I instantly adored, but my life as a mother began with trauma, confusion and regret. In the next 18 months, everything changed. I continued to be dealt some crazy blows (breastfeeding challenges, post-partum depression, relationship problems, and financial difficulties) and it took some time before I was ready to get up off the mat and face the world again. But when I did, I was fuelled by a new passion. I didnt believe that birth was supposed to happen the way I experienced it. Everything in me wanted to make sure that other women didnt have to go through what I went through. I began to research and dream, and I stumbled upon this wonderful thing... Doula support. After a lot of discussion, my husband and I decided not to go back to life in Toronto. We took a huge financial risk and changed our lifestyle completely. I worked part-time, spent time with my baby, studied hard, gained experience and earned my certification as a Doula. What exactly do I do? Its easier to start with what I dont do. Unlike a midwife, doctor or obstetrician, Doulas do not provide medical care, deliver babies or suggest procedures. We dont assist doctors, nurses or midwives either. Doulas work solely for the expecting parent(s). My job starts prenatally with a few meetings where we get to know each other, and make sure the comfort level is just right. The natural flow of labour can be seriously disrupted if the people in the room arent connecting properly.

By Vicki File

quite often the longest haul. Occasionally a client will want to try something Ive never done before, like Hypnobirthing, and then I get to study up and learn something new. Regardless of the situation, I feel honoured to be included. Throughout labour, I offer a variety of techniques and suggestions for positioning to keep a woman's labour progressing. Her partner and I work together, trying different movements to make her more comfortable. And if none of these things are working, we try something else. When things feel overwhelming, I look into her eyes and remind her not only that she CAN do it, but that she IS doing it! It is no secret to most who know me that I am an advocate for natural, drug-free birth. I believe in the many long term benefits that come from such an experience, and I am happy to talk about it at length when asked. But I do not project my beliefs onto my clients, and I do not judge their choices. I believe that everyone should be able to try for the birth experience they choose. I have been involved in a variety of different births, and Ill never take the miracle for granted. Each babys first cry sounds a little different than the last, and each one brings tears to my eyes. Whether I have been up for days, am soaked from being splashed with amniotic fluid, or have massaged until my arms were numb, I walk out of there floating on air. The first thing I always say when I get home is that I cant wait to do that again. March 22-28 is World Doula Week. Chances are when you started reading this story you didnt really know what this whole Doula thing was about. Now that you do, maybe youll tell someone else. I firmly believe that every pregnant woman should have access to Doula support. Not because I am one, but because I have experienced birth without one, and I know now that there is a better way. Written by Vicki File www.vickifiledoula.com

Some people put together a birth plan I always refer to it as birth preferences with my clients. Plans are too rigid and dont allow room for things to go off course, which they almost always do. Flexibility is very important. When it comes time for the big day, I meet the client(s) at their home or the hospital. I am a constant presence for them, whether offering hands-on support or waiting quietly in another room while a couple enjoys the intimacy of the experience on their own for awhile. Some women choose to go drug-free. Those labours are the most physically demanding for me, with a lot of massage and hands-on support. Some women choose epidurals. Those births are

The Kindness Equation

By Dave Carrol
I babble incessantly, both publicly and privately, about how kindness can change Brantford BY good INTO good. Sometimes when people hear the message that falls of my mouth, like Im compulsively pulling my own Chatty Cathy string, they often prematurely swoon without much critical-analysis or introspection. Other times folks doubt seriously that a tiny token from a stranger has legitimate post-modern transformational powers. One question that is important to answer is the issue of what kindness ACTUALLY is. Is it something you DO or something that you ARE? Let's hit the kindness Home Button and dissect what this elusive word means. Believe it or not, it's a somewhat tricky word to get to the bottom of. The most common definition is: Kindness = "Showing benevolence" Bah... a big word. I hate it when you go digging and find a big word. Lets go further. What does benevolence mean? Benevolence = "The disposition to do good" Drat. Onward ho. So what does disposition mean? Disposition = "The predominant tendency of one's spirits; natural mental and emotional outlook or mood" Quite a rabbit trail to figure out a term we all know but struggle to understand. Lets go back up the word-ladder and piece the puzzle together. Your disposition is more or less the state of your spirit. The way you ARE on the inside. Its your lifes default setting. This is a key to understanding how everyday kindness can be sustained and transformational. The truth is that if we're honest, our disposition is not always the greatest. DOING an act of kindness here and there is not that difficult, but dealing with the deeper issues that go into creating one's disposition is a tougher nut. There well find a concoction of our issues that will either propel us towards authenticity and sustenance, or impede us from pursuing a life fuelled by OTHERS instead of ourselves. Now were peeling back some onion layers Shrek. The good news is that we CAN control our disposition. We need to recognize what it is and allow it to be transformed. As the book of Romans says, renewing of your mind to be in a GOOD place. It takes some work sometimes. You have to choose to begin acting how you wish you acted and get ready to feel a dispositional change. That brings us back to benevolence. Changing our disposition, so that our motivational default setting is on GOOD, enables us to be genuinely benevolent. Disposition either opens or closes the Benevolence-gate. Kindness however, real kindness, is in the DOING. Dave's Kindness Equation: Kindness is an act of goodness out of a heart motivated by goodness. The answer to the question of "Is kindness something you 'Do' or something that you 'Are" is thats its something you do BASED on what you are. Take note that both our disposition AND the acting on it BOTH require discipline and intention. The 18th Century Philosopher Edmund Burke said "All that is necessary for evil to triumph is for good men to do nothing." But how does this equation change a city? A nation? The world? Drew Dudley of Nuance Leadership Development Services, and former Leadership Development Coordinator at the University of Toronto, believes leadership is not a characteristic reserved for the extraordinary. He also believes that kindness plays a role in freeing others onto an end of macro-transformation. He said recently that its almost frightening to some when they come to realize the degree of impact that we can have on people. He believes that if we make leadership about changing the world, we give ourselves an excuse not to expect it every day from ourselves. How can one act of kindness today change the world? Dudley says: There is no world. Theres only 6 billion understandings of it. If you change one persons understanding of how powerful an agent of change they can be... youve changed the whole thing Weve habitually lulled ourselves into believing that answers to our citys large issues only come through political grappling and crippling amounts of resource used on second-best solutions. You and I hold the optimal plan for the transformation mankind deeply desires in our own two hands if were willing to open them.

March 2012

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Page 11

Laferriere Outs Himself

I have a deep dark secret. Im a huge wrestling fan. This may not be a big surprise to anyone who has become my friend on Facebook or Twitter. Its not unusual to see me tweet with an almost-embarrassing giddiness about the latest Royal Rumble or Wrestlemania. Im a genuine fan and have been lucky enough to have been able to be a special guest ring announcer for some of CWIWrestling.coms shows in Brantford and Caledonia. It was incredibly fun to be involved with the first Brawl at the Bush event they did and Im excited to take to the Brantford Civic Centre to do more of the same on May 12th. The Civic Centre in Brantford is a well-known historical hot spot for wrestling. It was the arena where many of the WWE (then WWFs) television tapings originated from in the 80s. The CWI shows there are becoming in their own right a great local annual tradition. But I have a deeper, darker secret too. I went to wrestling school for about 2 years. Its not something Ive exactly hidden but its not something Ive talked a lot about either. I still have my tights and boots in the basement but havent put them on in years. It was a long time ago but it took up a large part of my life when I was involved. I know this because I still get e-mails from non-fans I knew back then that say things like I heard Mickey Rourke is wrestling, or is it true Snooki had a match? Old friends often tell me they immediately think of me when they see something wrestling related on TV. Heres the funny thing about wrestling school its really, really hard. I broke a rib and worked through it, suffered a severe ankle sprain, busted up my nose and hurt my back from the constant falls you take. Wrestling may be pre-determined and choreographed, but its also legitimately very rough. Here is the other funny thing about my time at wrestling school - I learned a lot from it that is still incredibly useful. The business of pro wrestling has a great deal of psychology, politics, promotion, and strong personalities. It can be cutthroat, but you also learn a lot about trust. You have to have a lot of trust when you give control of your body to someone else. Its easy to get hurt or to hurt someone in the ring. Trust is paramount and, like in the rest of life, its something you earn. I also learned that you can be a serious person, but that doesnt mean you have to take yourself too seriously. Truth is you have to have fun. Wrestling was fun. I got to have a battle rap with John Cena (he won), produce a segment where Abdullah the Butcher literally ate a microphone and scared a Quebec beauty queen who was interviewing him out of the room. One of my favourite memories was my first opportunity to interview a wrestling personality. It was with Mr. Perfect Curt Henning. In that interview I was nervous and I think he recognized that. His solution? He kept playing jokes on me on and off camera. He was hilarious. Hed be beaming his trademark smile and then hed act mad or offended by a question Id ask. Not just a little mad, but very mad. Then when he saw the genuine fear in my eyes that Id offended him hed start laughing. Hed

By Marc Laferriere

ask me to cut and when wed start again hed grab the mic and start interviewing me. He pulled me aside and was very encouraging, telling me to relax and have fun with it. I had a blast. He had a blast and we both left laughing. Lessons like that can serve you well. Wrestling has been something that has stuck with me since I was a kid. Even though I dont do it anymore, its followed me via the magic of television on all my travels and it has always been there as a place I can go weekly to just enjoy myself. I have a lot of young ones in my life who are starting to like it too and it is fun to see their excitement.

Sometimes smart people bug me about my love of wrestling. I remind them tongue-firmly-in-cheek that technically Im one of those smart people too. I let slip that I have a few degrees including one in English Literature, and a Masters. Then I tell them as difficult as it was to get those, wrestling school, for me, was more difficult. When I feel like getting huffy and puffy about it, I dont. Im lucky enough to have learned from someone once that its better to just relax and have fun with it. ;)

Send in the Clown

The first thing I see when I arrive at Marc Proulx's apartment is him in full make-up and a bright red nose, despite his every day clothes. The next thing I see is balloons, in their pre-blown up state on the floor, on the chair, in bags by the door, hundreds of them. He apologizes for the clutter, stating that he is preparing for a gig he had that night. Marc is hardly your average clown however. At 27, he has been completely blind since the age of 12 and clowning is a way to support him. "I have tried time and time again to get jobs in our society. I'd give my application, I get an interview date and when the interview came around, people saw I was blind and I was turned away right away. You go and point that [discrimination] out to them and they don't really admit that they are doing that. So instead of arguing it, I just picked up on a talent that I have and went with it." He's worked with other organizations to try and find work, but it has always been temporary, and he has expressed a great interest in becoming financially self-sufficient, no longer relying on ODSP for support. Proulx has not let his disability slow him down at all, or affect his attitude. He happily chatted to me, and explained what he aims to do. "I'm out there to create smiles; I'm out there to show people that you have a disability and that nothing stops you. I am totally blind, but I do some balloons and just basically humour with the kids. A lot of clowns will get to the birthday party and they're quite quiet, many of them do not communicate with the kids. When I'm with the kids, I'll say what's your name, how old are you? I'll say when I was five we were the same age. I inform them that they'll be seven in two years and six next year and last year they were four, and they're like what's your point? I ask them if they're married or engaged, do they own a car and they yell back NO! Parents like it because I get the kids involved." Proulx first became interested in being a clown when his mother got him involved with Lansdowne Children's Centre after he lost his sight, and Jim Walsh was assigned to him as a respite worker. Walsh is now retired from that work, and is struggling with cancer. Walsh raised half a million dollars on his own for kids with cancer from the age of 40; now he's 72. Walsh was also a Hobo clown, so when Marc started out, he began as a Hobo clown because that was all he knew. "It really helped me deal with the whole losing my sight thing. There was no drugs, no alcohol, and really not too much depression. I mean, it obviously concerned me and it worried me, it scared me a little bit but... at first I had enough sight that I had all kinds of cool toys and when I lost my sight I ended up having to sell everything and started relying on walking and I didn't want to use my cane. I had a white cane and it took me the longest time to accept the fact that I was going to need to use it. I did use it eventually; going to W. Ross was quite influential. I don't know how it happened but I started using my cane, and I took great admiration in clowning obviously and I picked up on it and Jim Walsh did a lot of work for Help a Child Smile, which is for kids with cancer and families who struggle with children who are very ill. I have since done a lot of work with Help a Child Smile. I volunteer every year at different events for that, so I've changed my slogan, and my slogan is kind of tribute to Jim Walsh. He said the most important thing to him was to create smiles and seeing the smiles on

By Kristen Kaye
children's' faces, and so my slogan that I go with is creating smiles for all occasions. Marco certainly has been keeping busy creating those smiles. Before Christmas he performed three to four gigs a day each weekend from Paris to Newmarket. He is booked for the CNE as well as Montana's for March Break. When asked what his favourite part about being a clown is, his response is simple. "There's only really one thing, it's knowing those kids are really happy, and it's the smile on that child's face and I say that from the bottom of my heart, it's the smiles on the kids. A lot of them, everywhere in the community, see me and I get it all the time: Mommy that's Marco! That's the clown that came to my birthday!" I joke with everybody that I go around leaving a Marc in people's lives. I always thank my Mother for giving me the name she gave me." When he is not performing, he's a part of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Brantford, sits on the Dangerous Dogs committee, volunteers at the BGH visiting patients, enjoys playing cards with friends and sings Karaoke on Friday nights. Proulx shared his advice to others who might find themselves losing their sight, be it slowly or suddenly. "Keep a positive attitude and look at the motto of W Ross: The impossible is only the untried. I live by that every day." The bright smile on his face certainly brought one to mine. For more information, call Marc at 519-304-2277. Photo Cutline: The two faces of Marc Proulx "Marco the Clown" holds a photo of every day Marc and his loyal guide dog Felix. As you can see, every day Marc still strives to get laughs. Photo by KRISTIN KAYE

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