the brant advocate, issue 25, september 2013

7/30/2019 The Brant Advocate, Issue 25, September 2013

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BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE | WWW.BRANTADVOCATE.COM | FREE | SEPTEMBER 2013

PRINT | TELEVISION | PODCAST | FACEBOOK | TWITTER

HAWK BELL&P U B L I C H O U S E HARMONY GRILL

WWW.HAWKANDBELL.COM / 519-304-822975 DALHOUSIE ST., HARMONY SQUARE, DOWNTOWN BRANTFORD

GOURMET BURGERS, CURRY, DRAUGHT BEER & LIVE MUSIC

DINE IN, TAKE OUT & CATERING

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.

PhotocourtesyofPaulSm

ith/PhotohouseStudio/www.p

hotohouse.ca


2/16

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE2

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 aname at that poin t. 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 un-

certainty. Nothing like this has been done before. A news-

paper 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 ormaybe 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.

Humble Beginningsby Lucas Duguid, Twitter: @sophiasbakery

This month marks our 24th edition. When we started we

said that The Brant Advocate was going to be a voice for

the stories of Brant. And in the last 2 years weve kept our

promise. Weve been able to showcase over 500

pieces of local content in the paper, on our website

and social media and with our podcast. Thats 500

local stories that weve been able to help find an

audience. Its been wonderful for us with our

contributors, advertisers and readers - to help

provide a stage for some great stories.

Our community is wonderful. It truly is and yes there

are always going to be challenges but we as a community

shine brightest when we face those challenges together. If

The Brant Advocate is about anything it is about team-

work. Recently I was asked to speak at a strategic planning

meeting for Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publica-

tions. They wanted me to talk about building community

using media. I started to speak about how The Brant

Advocate came together.

When talking about it I realized something it shouldnt

have worked. Creating a successful and independent print

publication in an era where many say print is dying

shouldnt have worked. Relying on crowd

sourcing for the content shouldnt

have worked. Black and white

shouldnt have worked. Partner-

ships with other local media likethe Brant News and Sputnik

shouldnt have worked. Doing

it in a midsized area like Brant

shouldnt have worked. But it

did and we have you to thank.

So thank you . Truly.

So what do we have on tap

for year 3? The edition you

hold in your hand is in our

new format. Everything has

to change over time and we

think this new format will

help with readability and

portabil ity. Youll no longer

have to open The Brant

Advocate like you would aroad map, We will miss the old-

time feel of our previous broadsheet format

but were really excited about the design

possibilities our new format allows for.

Were growing our circulation as well in

order to have more editions in homes across the region and

in many local businesses. Increasing our monthly print

numbers is a huge milestone for us and we are confident

this is the beginning of a trend.

On the digital front our website, social media and podcast

are all growing each and every week thanks to your

support. People want to engage with their media and with

local stories and were happy many of you are choosing

to spend your online time with The Brant Advocate.

And of course there is the big announcement from our

cover. Advocate Television is coming this fall on Rogers

TV. Were excited to work with the folks at Rogers who

have had us on numerous times over the last 2 years to

promote the stories of The Brant Advocate. Now with the

television show we can explore these stories in another

medium and shine on light on some people you know,some people you dont and some people you thought you

knew.

As someone who originally started a relationship with

Rogers TV during a highschool co-op many moons ago

and has been a part of many of their shows in the inter-

vening years Im happy to say the courtship has finally

turned into a marriage. Its just another way to put a spot-

light on some of the fascinating stories of our community.

We couldnt be more excited and look forward to your reaction.

And that leaves me with one last note for you. Be heard.

This project wouldnt have happened without people in

Brantford, Brant and Six Nations putting pen-to-paper or

fingers-to-keyboards to share the things that make this

community tick. Please keep it up. We want to hear from

you and we want to publish your work so that we can con-

tinue this big community conversation weve been havingfor the last 2 years.

Send us an e-mail at [email protected] with

your work or to be directed to our publishing guidelines.

Until next time...keep on advocating.

Everything Two Years Old is New Againby Marc Laferriere, Twitter: @MarcLaferriere

YOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANTOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANTVISIONISIONYOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANTOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANTVISIONISIONEXPERIENCE

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tPCAssociation.


3/16

BRANTFORD | SIX NATIONS | PARIS | ST. GEORGE 3

32ndBattery.

PhotocomplimentsofGeoffreyMoyer

We Will Remember ThemBy Dr. Peter FarrugiaAssociate Professor, History & Contemporary StudiesBrantford Academic Centre West

Have you ever been to Vimy? Perhaps you have travelled thereand seen the two pale hands of stone thrust heavenward from

the ridge that dominates the surrounding French countryside.

Or maybe you are fond of wordplay. In that case, you could

well know that the term chatting was coined by Indian troops

observing their British colleagues discussing matters high and

low during grooming sessions when the quarry was lice. Cer-

tainly, more than one person has wondered perhaps while

poring over a byzantine tax return what evil genius devised

the temporary expedient of personal income tax and under

what circumstances this unfortunate measure was undertaken.

If you answered Yes! to any of these questions then you will

likely be interested in the Great War Centenary Association of

Brantford, Brant Co. and Six Nations. The GWCA was

founded in 2012 and its primary purpose is to preserve and

make available to the public, a permanent and evolving record

of our communitys involvement during the First World War.

Brantford has a strong connection to the Great War. It had one

of Canadas highest participation rates with a steady flow of

volunteers signing up to serve in various capacities (from nurs-

ing sisters, to engineers to infantrymen). Support for the war

remained strong, even after the imposition of income tax in

August 1917. The Bell Monument inaugurated October 24,

that same year was designed by the young architect Walter

Allward, who later designed the monument commemorating

Canadas most famous victory at Vimy Ridge. And as the war

progressed, people on the home front sought to keep abreast

of trends from France and Belgium. How else to explain the

popularity of a song thought to be a favourite of soldiers but

which had little to do with the conflict directly (A Long Way

to Tipperary)? In the same way, words and phrases like No

Mans Land, blighty and chatting crept into popular usage

in Brantford as well as across the Empire at this time.

As 2014 and the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of this ter-

rible conflict approaches, the GWCA is preparing a series ofinitiatives designed to raise awareness of Brantfords role in

the First World War. The cornerstone of our effort will be an

interactive website containing information on all the men and

women from Brantford, Brant County and Six Nations who

served. This selfless group includes Katherine Maud MacDon-

ald. She was the first Canadian nursing sister killed in the War

and efforts are underway to pay tribute to her sacrifice through

the commissioning of a special stamp featuring her image. In

addition to the website, the GWCA has been active in the com-

munity in other ways. Beginning this past February, it spon-

sored a lecture series held at Laurier Brantford that featured

seven lectures on topics ranging from the submarine threat to

sport in wartime.

Looking forward, in partnership with the Brantford Public Li-

brary, the GWCA will be organizing a WWI film series. Be-

tween November 11 and 13, 2013 three famous Great War

Films Lewis Milestones All Quiet on the Western Front,

Stanley Kubricks Paths of Glory and Richard Attenbor-

oughs Oh What a Lovely War! will be screened and dis-

cussed. Other events in the offing include an antiques roadshow

type event, a possible theater festival and musical concerts. Fi-

nally, we will be working in partnership with many dedicated

local teachers to raise awareness of Brantfords war experience

among students. Through oral history, walking tours, special

workshops, web based assignments and other methods we will

seek to broaden and deepen students understanding of critical

matters such as conscription, war production, internment of

foreign nationals and commemoration.

Victory in the Great War took an alliance of many nations, as

well as a coalition of forces within Canada. So too, success in

this task we have set ourselves will only result from a concerted

collective effort. If you are interested in assisting the GWCA

in any way or would simply like information about future

events, please contact us at [email protected]. You might

also want to check out our Facebook page: Doing Our Bit -Great War Centenary Association.


4/16


90 Morton Ave East Brantford 519.757.1800 www.handcraftedwood.ca

Today I met with a friend. The first thing I asked was,How are you? He responded, Im Ok. As we contin-

ued to talk, cracks began to show in the Im OK veneer.The fact was everything wasnt OK: an accident, loss ofjob, a possible issue with his unborn child. As my friend

shared these things I could see that

he was coming undone. He began toassure me that things would be OK.

Then the topic of conversation

shifted to our friends. My friendcommented, It seems like everyone

I talk to is dealing with major things

in their lives; I guess its just thatstage in life. I responded by saying,

The unfortunate thing is that our so-

ciety doesnt provide the frameworkor the language for us to make sense of, or help deal with,

these experiences. We are told to be happy, work hard,

buy more and think positively and everything will work

out in the end. Religious people have also bought into thislanguage when they say, God will not give you more than

you can handle. This last one gets under my skin. For me,this is the Oprah-fication of the Faith. We present peoplewith a do good, God wants you to be happy, think posi-

tively and good things will happen type of faith. This,

when Jesus calls his followers to abandon everything and

to take up their cross. This, when he calls them to followhim even to the point of death. Death! What more is there

to handle? Happy is not the only emotion that we arewired to have. Anger, fear and sadness, I believe, are alsoemotional blessings. My anger at injustice causes me to

act. Fear helps me to assess and

challenge my limits. Sadness allowsfor introspection and a reordering of

ones life and priorities. In my mo-

ments of sadness, a season Ive beengoing through for the past couple of

weeks, I have been able to look at

life through a new set of lenses. Imbeginning to value that which

should be valued, like my relation-

ships with my family and friends.My faith has deepened in this time where Ive come to see

the vulnerability and brokenness in my existence. Ive also

come to accept that others are just as vulnerable and as

broken as I am. Yet in this I give thanks. Although we areall dealing with major things, moments where our vul-

nerability comes to the fore; like shattered glass our bro-ken pieces can still reflect the light of God. In my hurt Iwas able to have compassion, to suffer with my friend. I

was able to offer prayer. In his brokenness he was also able

to reflect light into my life with a hug. In addition to this,

in those moments of darkness I personally find an over-whelming sense of Gods presence. As I write Im re-

minded of the first half of Psalm 23 which reads: The Lordis my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down ingreen pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he re-

freshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for

his names sake. Even though I walk through the darkestvalley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod

and your staff, they comfort me. A good part of our lives

are spent on the brim of the darkest valley and whenlifes circumstances lead us to descend into the darkness,

be assured, you are not alone. To my friend, and I hope

you read this, I offer you this prayer:

Dear God,

I thank you for my friend. I know that you see all that heis going through at this moment. I pray that in this season,

as it appears that he is walking in the darkest valley, that

he may have an overwhelming sense of your presence.

Comfort and sustain him. Calm his fears and anxiety. I alsopray for his unborn child. May the baby be healthy as it is

received into the hands of loving parents. I also ask thatthrough their love, this child may come to know and havean understanding of your love and care. Lord, I ask that

you bless my friends family and continue to surround him

with people that love, care for and support him. Amen

My Prayer for a Friendby Reverend Jonathan Massimi, Twitter: @RevMass

We are told to be happy,work hard, buy more and

think positively andeverything will work out

in the end.

At first I thought writing an article on Secondary Trauma(ST) would be limited to social workers and first respon-

ders like police, firefighters, ambulance and hospital at-

tendants. However, I realized many people are vulnerable

to experiencing ST, which is also known as CompassionFatigue, Vicarious Trauma and Burn-out. Symptoms in-

clude: sleeplessness, constant worry, a sense of doom,negativity, inability to focus, self-doubt, confusion. It oc-

curs as a result of helping or wanting to help a suffering

person. This cuts a wide swath and could apply to socialworkers 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 otheryou 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 tohappen 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 readvictim impact statements but also see evidence of harm

and abuse when my clients come to see me. It can be dif-ficult 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 iswhen you have been meeting with someone for two years

on a regular basis and they die from complications due totheir 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 com-munities stemming from

mistreatment endured atResidential schools.

The good news is that ST

does not have to take itstoll. It is very important to

notice and then monitor

when you are feeling out of

sorts. It is also very impor-tant to listen to colleagues

and loved ones when they

tell you something is differ-ent about you, as they

know and care about you.

Self-care is vital in takingcare 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 sup-port groups during cancer treatment have the best out-

comes. Talking to your supervisor, co-worker, or loved oneabout how you are feeling is a huge stress-buster. Con-

versely, taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with

someone who needs to talk is equally important as long asyour 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 quietones mind enough for in-

ternal guidance andknowledge to come

through. Listen to your

body. If you experiencesymptoms of ST as men-

tioned above, or fatigue,

withdrawing from others,

and/or an increase in ad-dictive behaviour, reach

out as soon as possible.

Speaking with friends, col-leagues and professionals

helps to off-set and mini-

mize 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 self-talk and acknowledgment of the important and meaningful

work we do is key.

Take the ProQol on-line test at http://ProQol.org

Mental well-being is an on-going task.

Secondary Traumaby Holly McDonald, M Ed., MSW, RSW

Secondary Trauma is theaccumulative effect ofworking

with survivors of traumatic eventsand its negative effects can creepup on you. One minute you are

functioning well and the other youare feeling helpless and lost.


5/16


Grand River Community Health Center (GRCHC), inpartnership with the Workforce Planning Board of Grand

Erie, has a research project funded by The Ontario Tril-lium Foundation, which is dedicated to researching waysto improve educational outcomes and graduation rates in

Eagle Place. The goal of th is project is to create an after-

school program that would raise high school graduationrates and increase enrollment into college, university and

the trades for youth living in the neighborhood. This pro-

gram would help future educational success rates by pro-viding more opportunities and helpful resources to

residents of Eagle Place.

This project is guided by a small group of teens, calling

themselves EPAC, which stands for Eagle Place Action

Crew who act as a Youth Advisory Group. I happen to bea part of this group. I have been there since the beginning

and am still involved today. When I first joined it hap-

pened by just pure chance - an opportunity that I could not

pass up. It started as a simple interview conducted in orderto hear my thoughts about the community of Eagle Place

and the opportunities it could hold. I was, in fact, the firstone to join. Then there would be days that I would partnerup with Jen Vasic to walk around Eagle Place and inform

people of our project. As time progressed, it turned into a

growing group with other youth from Eagle Place givingtheir input and thoughts. One thing that has made this

group successful has been the sense of home. I never felt

in danger there. We all come from the same area and chal-lenges. I no longer live in Eagle Place, but that feeling of

belonging with the neighbourhood has not changed.

The youth in EPAC have thoughts, knowledge and full un-

derstanding of the challenges in Eagle Place, including

low income, costly house maintenance that is needed moreoften on the many older homes in the neighbourhood,

drugs, and even something as simple as lack of motivation.

These challenges may also serve as a reason as to whysome youth dont see the point of getting their Grade 12

diploma. In addition to acting as an advisory group, what

else is EPAC doing in our community?

The group is currently working with a local graphic

designer to create a logo.

We are organizing an event during Lifelong Learning

Week on September 21, 2013 from 1-4 p.m. in the Eagle

Place neighbourhood with food and activities. More de-tails will be announced in early September.

We will be organizing an event at the end of the project.

The purpose of this event will be to share findings from

this project and future plans for an after-school program.In addition to EPAC providing insights, the Community

Based Researcher, Jen Vasic, who is coordinating this proj-

ect, is engaging and consulting with many other youth,ages varying from 12 to as old as 21. Jen is also currently

speaking to several parents/guardians who live in the

neighbourhood. Both youth and parents/guardians have

important insights. More help means more minds, moreknowledge, and more solutions.

Stereotypes exist everywhere, from what clothing brandspeople wear, to what they are interested in, to categorizing

communities. Half the talk saying Eagle Place is a bad part

of town is mostly just talk. This reputation becomes partof the neighbourhood identity and regularly enters small

talk. However, residents of Eagle Place seem to stay to-

gether and are a tight knit community. This sentiment is

supported by other people from Eagle Place as well. In ini-tial 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 abouttheir 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 Placean 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 ofkids 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 contactJen Vasic, GRCHCs Community-Based Researcher at

Ten years ago, two staff members of the Woodland CulturalCentre discovered four quilts behind the walls of the Mohawk

Institute. Their location: the third floor wing on the 'boy's side.

Who made them? Whose are they? How long did this hiding

spot exist? We don't know. What we do know is these hand-

made quilts were considered contraband to the survivors at

this Residential School.

The Mohawk Chapel (1785) and consequently the Mohawk

Institute (1831) was erected through the efforts of Anglican

Mohawks, displaced veterans from the American Revolu-

tion. The first children who attended the school would

have been the direct descendants of Six Nations veterans of

the war of 1812, who served as faithful allies to the crown.

The current structure of what was once the Mohawk Institute

was erected in 1904, prior to that the site and building have

gone through major structural changes, due to intentional fires

set by students.

With such a traumatic subject as Residential Schools even inour contemporary society, it is often a struggle in how we pres-

ent any issues associated with this topic. Many victims still

live in our community with vivid memories of the horrors theyendured here.

What we have been able to research and through oral history

of quilters, and Residential School survivors is that the pattern

is one of the oldest quilt patterns known. The pattern of the

square is a variation of the Dresden design. The fabric appears

to be remnant pieces datable to about the 1950's. There is

some suspicion that this quilt may have been made by a for-

mer student(s), the girls sewing work was often sold to local

businesses, unpaid child labour, without which the school

could not have functioned. The hiding spot: a place of re-

prieve from the oppressive and abusive treatment at one of the

oldest and longest running Indian Residential Schools in

Canada.

The decision to reproduce this quilt as part of the Barn Trail

was not made in haste. Our hope in presenting this quilt is to

offer a prominent place to honour and pay tribute to the legacy

of survivors, and their families. Your experience(s) at the 'MushHole' were not in vain. We dedicate the Hidden Quilt to all

those who walked these halls before us.

Youth Take Chargeby Jayde Johns, [email protected]

The Hidden Quiltby Paula Whitlow, Woodland Cultural Centre

Woodland Cultural Centre


6/16


I remember there was a TV show years ago called ThatsIncredible. Every week new scientific discoveries would

be showcased. They covered a story about how venomfrom poisonous snakes became the key ingredient in theremedy to cure the (same-species) snake bites. This

became a metaphor to me which helped me understand

how we could use the English language, which was oftenviolently forced upon our people, as part of the cure.

With apologies to the ancestors, I will try to the best of myability to explain and decipher in a foreign language the

gems that I have come to understand using a strategy

called syncretism: the combination of different systemsor beliefs.

When I went back to school years ago, I was exposed towords belonging to the language that I was first taught

(English) which finally defined many of the things our

people have experienced. I was impressed with how

eloquent everything sounded. Their language describedour history, post European-colonizer contact. They were

so academic sounding, so official. The short list includedwords like: assimilation, exploitation, genocide, inter-generational-trauma, manifest-destiny, oppression, subjugation.

These words were delicious, mouth-watering morsels ofempowerment. Before being exposed to this language

(academia) many of the concepts had only existed as gut-

feelings, or soft-spots. They (the words) filled a gap, themissing piece. But: These words!? From that language!?

These words put into perspective the historic imbalancethat had been imposed on many Indigenous people since

the late 1400s. Their own words made our experience

crystal clear. Our ancestors were victims! We are victims!

We continue to live under their oppressive regime! Their

rule of manifest destiny continues to exploit our people!The subjugation of Native America(s) and many other

Indigenous people has held unrecoverable consequences!

Within all of this eloquence, something was still missing.

Despite the high volume of traumatic events that occur in

our collective (Native) communities, there is another tiny

piece of truth that often gets lost in the pile of stories andstatistics offered daily (by the media) that overwhelms

anyone who might be listening. That piece of truth is this:

were okay!

Somehow we have been gifted with a spirit that emanates

resilience. After centuries of a history that was detrimentalto our people and determined by European-colonizers and

their leaders, then conveniently denied and/or down-

played or somehow evaporated, we are not just still here,not just dejectedly existing, but rather our resilience

demonstrates something more.

History Lesson

The Doctrine of Discovery is one example of how the conceptof manifest-destiny has impacted our people. Learningthe details of the perpetual and calculated subjugation of

a race of people can truly be paralyzing especially if that

is the race that you represent. The sub-human treatment ofanyone (historically and currently) neither was, nor is, acceptable.

We might be at a time in history where we need to find a

manner to address the imbalance, without creating a newimbalance. We may need to, armed with the power that

comes with Peace, become empowered, continue to strivefor and maintain equality, without the main-stream becomingthe new human in form only.

Expressions of Hope

It may be important to take the same words and phrases

that describe the equal but opposite legacy inflicted bythem and reconfigure these same words to express our

collective Indigenous experience from the perspective of

empowerment, reclaiming/reinventing them for our people.We will continue to deal with and heal from the inter-

generational trauma that impacts our lives, families and

communities as well as an overwhelming high number ofrelated issues. However, it might be just as important to

take the next step and understand the positive ramifications,

start developing a language that expresses our collective

successes as we strive to heal or to just live our lives.

These words were delicious,mouth-watering morsels of

empowerment. Before beingexposed to this language(academia) many of the

concepts had only existed asgut-feelings, or soft-spots.

We can now take their words, and repurpose them to help

our upcoming generations, the unborn, and the faces yetto come. The same European language(s) that were often

violently forced upon our people will now aid in neutral-

izing their effect and become part of the cure, a type ofverbal anti-venom.

Definiate (de/fin/i/ate) could replace the word assimilate,

and mean: the ability for an individual from an Indigenoussociety 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 beingimposed and replaces intergenerational trauma. Inter-

generational survival could also create the opportunity for

our young people to celebrate that same resilience andbecome empowered as a result.

Inter-generational healing symbolizes the expectation thatwe 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 cele-brate the strides that our people have made despite the

historic human in form only labels that were once im-

posed 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, andtrad itional governments despite sanctioned attempts to

eradicate.

Revillagize will become the next step after decolonize.After Indigenous people become strong, have clear

understandings of traditional values and the ways andmeans to express such (within the modern world), nolonger living in fear of outdated genocidal policies and

legislation, we will then start the process of psychological

revillagization. The people will have the frame of mindour ancestors did while they were living in the villages.

Peace, power, righteousness will be an expectation of each

member of this group. This will counter the currentoppressed peoples survival tactics associated with lateral

violence.

Survival-IndigenousResilience-(SIR) replaces Manifest-

destiny and celebrates the survival spirit of Indigenous

people, globally.

Indigenous Peoples Existence (IPE) replaces Whitemans

burden and represents the understanding that Indigenous

people need patience as the colonizers and their descendantsunderstand and heal from the atrocities inflicted by their

ancestors.

Reverse Colonialism

Their language has been used to describe and dictate ourexperience to us and to the world. It has been used in their

courts, their media and their education system(s) to

explain our historic and current circumstances. We cannow respond in at least two ways. First, we can invent

words that do not directly correlate to existing words.

These words can define concepts that we understand, ifonly as gut feelings, and that we can explore in order to

open a discussion regarding how we can use their

lan guage to describe and articulate our worldview. We canalso start to incorporate words from our Native languages,

introducing them as current social norms.

It has been an apparent oversight that we do not have a

word to encapsulate the magnitude of our struggle. I have

often understood the lack of a word similar to being anillness without a diagnosis. I do wonder if we actuallyneed a word, our word, the one that is supposed to

encompass the enormity of our collective, historic and

on-going struggles.

It is possibly still to be determined, waiting until the

appropriate time to present itself to us and the world. Ormaybe we dont really need one after all. Perhaps our

endurance, our survival, our resilience and our on-going

existence says it all. Or just maybe in this instance we doneed to return to our language(s) to find that word. We

dont need anyone from outside to describe or define our

destiny. We will always be here to embrace our own andit can be found in our language(s).

A few years back I was in Tyendinaga. An elder wasspeaking at the microphone explaining some of the local

history. He was a fluent speaker whom I had known

through my parents for many years. He talked about theimportance of language. He also talked about many thingsthat our people have overcome. I remember that he trans-

lated one word. The word: Onkwehonwe, it means real

people. Maybe it is a good thing to know that on this partof the planet, we are validated as real. Onkwehonwe:

Good word!

The Last Wordby Elizabeth Doxtater

WWW.SOPHIASBAKERY.CWW.SOPHIASBAKERY.CA


7/16


StrongModernLeadership

Twitter:@alexfelsky

www.facebook.com/brantndp

alex

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.

Anyone who knows me knows I love to sing. EverywhereI go throughout my day I unashamedly hum, sing, whistle

and chant. Yes, Im that person. As music director forCounterpoint Church in downtown Brantford, and BellMaster for Grace Anglican, music is a part of my every

day. Yet it hasnt always been that way. Although I come

from a musical family on a whole, neither of my parentsplayed an instrument. Nor did I take music lessons as a

kid. I never participated in music class at school and I

thought the piano was for girls. It wasnt until I wasabout thirteen or fourteen (long after the prime age to

begin learning music passed, apparently) that I found my-

self on a piano bench at my grandmothers house seatedbeside my incredibly gifted Uncle Andre. Watching his

fingers run up and down the keys like dancing devils per-

forming pirouettes of prestidigitation that day, at that timedid something magical to me. He was there, a self-taught

musician himself, at a teachable moment in my life. What

I saw and heard him do had put everything else in life into

perspective. I thought if I could do that I would have avoice, a friend and a purpose to set my mind to that made

sense to me. I remember that as the hour the fire of musicwas lit in my soul. There we were: just me, Andre andBach. I wanted my fingers to do that dance. I was in love,

and everything else in life moved into the periphery and

music reigned supreme.

Almost twenty years later I am now moving into the sec-

ond year of a childrens choir I began last winter with thehelp of some talented friends. This is no Kings College

Choir; these are kids having fun singing (sometimes

screaming) sea shanties, Pink Floyd, medieval music, sa-cred music, popular music, etc. The trick to learning music

is to learn music you love, music that makes you excited

and want to be a part of it. I was amazed at how fast theseyoung people learned a tune. Within a few weeks they

were singing in two parts with basic harmonies. There is

nothing more enchanting under the sun than hearing chil-dren sing in a beautiful setting such as where we hold prac-

tice in the bell tower of Grace Church. This is something

I never once believed I would be able to do in my life, yetit is being done because someone at the right time andplace was there to introduce me to music and unlock a pas-

sion within me many moons ago.

We need people along our way to take an interest in us, to

challenge and encourage us, to tell us we did a good job.

Most especially, when we are children, though even stillwhen we are adults. I have even bigger dreams for this

year and I thank my stars I have mentors around me that

believe I can achieve them. I dream that not only childrenwill come to the choir, but that their parents will come as

well. I dream of a folk choir in Downtown Brantford made

of family and friends. One where we replace traditionalsoprano\alto\tenor\bass sections with mother\father\chil-

dren sections. An hour and a half of laughter, singing and

community engagement every week with no need for ababysitter. An amateur choir made of ordinary people who

may or may not believe they can sing, but are learning that

it doesnt matter.

Here is a little secret and a few little facts

1. Everyone can sing. It is your birthright as a humanbeing. 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 simultane-ously.

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 areliving 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 quietand leave it to the Professionals. A culture that cuts fund-

ing 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 hasbeen elemental in our physical and spiritual group hi story

since the dawn of time. Whether working or playing, wor-

shiping or cursing, lamenting or rejoicing, singing givesus 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. Fam-

ily, friends and neighbours both young and wise: begin-ning Tuesday, September 17th at 7pm in the beautifulhistoric Grace Church in downtown Brantford, join us for

this community choir project for amateurs, led by ama-

teurs. Where we tinker not with musical excellence, butfoster participation, growth and community through group

singing. I am less concerned with the outcome of our ef-

forts than I am with that which we create together, and thatit 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 choi r please contactRyan Van Dijk at [email protected]

Me, Uncle Andre and Bachby Ryan Van Dijk, [email protected]

C

ounterpointChildrensChoir


8/16


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, o r 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 hospitalvisits 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 pro-

found 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 tex-ture 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 physical ly run-

ning 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 andsuffering 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 in-

vestigation, 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 compas-

sion, understanding, and selfless devotion of others toward my healing

process has been the most rewarding experience of my life and have elim-

inated 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 safetywithin 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 neigh-

bourhood, my city, and in the government offices I frequent. I am charged

with the legislative power of providing safety and, more importantly, re-

moving 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 regard-

less 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 hopethat it may prevent tomorrows abuse.

I will not be silent.By Jan Vanderstelt

PhotocourtesyofEmpiricalPhotographicArts/www.empiricalphotographicarts.com

Originally Printed September 2011.


9/16


ShowcasingLocal Talentby Lucas Duguid, Publisher.Twitter: @sophiasbakery

The bio of digital artist Steve Mcghee includes a rather unique

disclaimer: My work is in no way intended to glorify or

condone acts of terrorism or celebrate the loss of millions of

souls who have perished in past events, rather it is a commentary

on the frailty of human existence and to honour the families,

friends and loved ones left behind to deal with their unbearable

loss.

The work of Steve McGhee was once described as DisasterPorn by a representative of the Vatican. In many cases this is a

fitting description. Steve Mcghee is a world- renowned, multi-

award-winning digital artist. Steve has contributed to Photoshop

UK and is widely considered to be one of the best Photoshop users

in the world. His specialty; fabricating natural disasters.

Why create disasters? Steves online bio sheds some light: Ive

been able to find creative freedom and hope within the images

I create. And that in itself has allowed me to cope with some of

the issues I face. If you meet your fears head on, and blast right

through them, you can never be controlled by them.

I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with Steve for

several years. When hes not wreaking havoc on large cities, he

is a mild-mannered husband and father of two, and graphic

designer at Ricter Web Printing in Brantford. If you would like

to get to know Steve, you can visit his website at

www.stevemcghee.com


10/16


Skywoman lived on Turtle Island. She wasable to provide for herself and soon adaptedto her new home. After a length of time shegave birth to the daughter whom she carriedin her womb from the Skyworld. Thedaughter and her mother lived on TurtleIsland for many years.

The daughter grew into a young woman.One night she had a dream. In her dreamshe was visited by a being; some say he wasa Thunder Being, others say he was thespirit of one of the winds. Her visitor lefttwo arrows on her chest. When she awokeshe showed her mother the arrows: one

straight and sharp, one crooked and blunt.The Skywoman explained this message; herdaughter would be giving birth to twins.

Throughout her pregnancy the twinsquarrelled, even though they were stillinside of their mother. Their behavior led tomuch discomfort for their mother. After thenormal length of time passed, the daughter

gave birth to the twin boys. The first sonwas born the natural way. The second boywas impatient and forced himself outthrough his mothers armpit. This causedtheir mothers death.

The Skywoman buried her daughters bodyin the soil. Some say that because she wasthe 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 whichbecame sustenance for the people. Thewomen would be known as the sisters tothese plants: corn, beans and squash. Theplants from the Skyworld also grew fromthe grave of the Sky womans daughter: the

strawberry, which is shaped like a heart,and tobacco, used to communicate with theCreator.

The twins grew into strong men; however,their quarreling continued. They oftenargued and fought and the Skywoman, whowas their Grandmother, would step in to

mediate.

She named them Holder of the Heavensand Mischievous One. She favored the

better natured of the twins. She believedthat the better natured was the twin whowas born the natural way, and that hisbrother caused her daughters death. Shemistakenly named them the opposite of

their behaviour. Some storytellers say thatduring a dream, the twins actuallytransformed into each other, which causedmore confusion. It is also told that we areto remember this and remember to not

judge others too harshly, as we do not know

how our lives will change in the future. Ifwe judge others differences, we couldbecome just like those whom we criticizemost.

Grandmother Moon

The boys continued to grow and quarrel andthe Grandmother continued to try to be fairto both boys. When they were full-grownthey engaged in a very heated debate. TheGrandmother stepped in between the boyswhile they were in their rage. Theiremotional state was beyond any type ofintervention. Their rage was escalated to

the point that any reasoning was completelybeyond their (then) current state of mind. Intheir rage they accidentally killed her,ripping her head from her body. Her headwas thrown and travelled far, returning intothe sky to remain among the stars, even tothis day.

It is understood that the twins grandmother

is now the moon and will forever be thegrandmother to all. She guides us at night.Grandmother moon controls the waters onthe earth, from the tides of the ocean to thewater that protects an unborn baby, decidingwhen babies are born and visiting womento ensure new life.

The twins, left without any guidance, con-tinued to live on Turtle Island. They were

given many jobs. First they were given thejob of creating and naming the plants andanimals. The twins made different plants.The better natured twin would make a plantor bush full with berries or fruit that wouldbe beneficial to the people. His brotherwould put thorns on it or place other plants

in the way that would be harmful to thepeople. Whatever the good natured twinwould do, his brother would scheme someway of altering it.

The better natured twin created the deer, alife source for the people, especially helpfulduring the cold months when your body

needs heavier foods that take longer todigest. His brother created the natural predatorsof the deer so that the humans would needto compete for their food to feed their families

and villages. The better natured twinretaliated by giving the deer antlers as aform of protection. The antlers would helpthe deer to perfect his skills at maneuvering

through the woods in order to navigatethrough difficult terrain, especially duringthe winter when weather conditions areunpredictable. Later in history the significanceof the deer antlers and the selflessness thatwas to be the temperament of the deerbecame important symbols for the people

An ongoing series to promote

peace through story sharingby Elizabeth Doxtater

Because Im a lifelong cartoon geek and as-

piring animator, Im going to start this arti-

cle off with some wisdom fromsomewhere, I believe, no other Advocate

writer has ever taken inspiration.

Chickens arent very brave, but theyre

too smart to do something stupid just be-

cause somebody calls them Chicken.

Sheep, on the other hand, dont think for

themselves and are always following the

leader. Sheep are like that; they follow a

leader anywhere. And some folks are like

that too; they follow a

leader wherever he goes:

across a highway, over a

cliff, into a watermelon

patch

Let me put this into con-

text for you. This is from

an old Berenstain Bears

episode I saw as a kid in

which Brother is repeat-

edly lured by the neigh-

borhood bullies, Too

Tall, Smirk and Scuzz, into doing

foolish things such as going through dark

caves, taking dangerous shortcuts and steal-

ing watermelon from the local farmer by

daring him to. But this isnt about the weird

things people name their kids; this is about

me being a sheep.

In my last article, I talked about how I was-

nt the most popular kid. Nevertheless, I

had friends. There was this one particular

kid that I kind of clung to. I just decided

one day that he was the coolest kid Id ever

met, that he was going to be my best friendand that I wanted to be just like him. It was

a weird relationship for the first year or so,

but I guess I grew on him. Our families did

dinner a lot together and the friendship

lasted a good few years. There were a num-

ber of things I got into because he was into

them, the most predominant being Pok-

mon, a nerd fandom of which Im going on

15 years. Yeah, Im cool like that. He also

got me into soccer. He was a kid who

played pretty much every sport you could

imagine. For some reason, soccer is what

got me. I played two seasons, and I was

good. That is, if you define spending field

time repeatedly giving my teammates time-

bulletins with the childhood thrill of using

my first watch, (before the coach came

along and confiscated it) and spending goal

time dangling from the overhead bar facing

inside the net while not paying attention to

the game, as good. After two seasons, I was

big enough to admit that I was not good at

soccer and it was time to stop, even if Tim

Hortons was giving me free drinks after

each time I had played. I was a sheep. A

sheep who played Timbits Soccer.

As the unpopular kid, I had a constant want

to belong. I always tried to get involved

with what my classmates were doing.

Sometimes these things were fun, like

when my friends were organizing the con-

struction of human pyramids. I grew up to

do this with my camp kids, which actually

went pretty well, until we put the final kid

on top. Some things were not so good, like

soccer. But we covered that.

As I look back though, I realize just how

strongly these guys impacted me. Having

wanted to pursue animation since I was a

kid, Pokmon was probably the thing I

drew more than anything, and occasionallystill do. My art was one of the few things

that even the kids who didnt like me very

much were willing to admit was something

I had going for me. And, along with what I

do as a comedian, my art is still the thing

that really catches peoples eye about me.

For some reason, one of the things people

always ask of me is to draw to them (and at

one point even my friends baby) as a su-

perhero. Im pretty sure this came about

from one original request

for a superhero drawing,

and for some reason it

caught on.

Do our childhood friends

really impact us more

than we think? I admit

that I maintain little or no

contact with most of my

childhood classmates.

Somehow most of them

have faded from my Face-

book over the years. I

dont know if I stopped being interesting at

some point but thats just how it happened.

With the ones that do remain, I maintain lit-

tle or no communication. Being a part of

two churches with few people my age

means most of my friends are adults in their

20s and 30s. Its been nearly a decade and

a half since I started kindergarten and now,

being almost 20, my peers and I are at that

age where were all going off to college,

heading in different directions, developing

careers and stuff, and its just kind of weird

for me to realize that its pretty much com-

pletely over, and that from now on wellhave virtually nothing to do with one an-

other.

Its not to say Im not happy where I am

now, but youve got to give me credit for

noticing that theres just something odd

about remaining where youve always

been, yet none of it feeling quite the same.

I truly believe, however, that the people I

know, and the places I find myself in now,

are gifts intended by God and that theres

nothing but good ahead of me.

I cant wait to see who Im supposed to be

a sheep to next.

by Alex Bouman, Facebook: Alex Bouman

Sheep are like that; theyfollow a leader anywhere.And some folks are likethat too; they follow a

leader wherever he goes:across a highway,over a cliff, into a

watermelon patch

The Sheep Plays Timbits Soccer


11/16


Just over a year ago, I started to read about a new trendthat was coming out of the United States. Community

Cafes started to pop up across the country. I instantly fellin love with the idea. What is a community cafe? It's aplace 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 asuggested 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 anhour and earn yourself a meal. So everybody eats, but

nobody eats for free.

Knowing that the bug of this idea was making his waythrough 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 sightedhelping 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 therougher 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 ofplace.

With the exception of the chefs, and the manager almosteveryone else is a volunteer. I asked our server where shewas 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 askeda 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 talkwith 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 exactlywhat 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 helpeda 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 literallylost 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 onlycan 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 madea 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 wasbuilt 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.

Soul Foodby Steve Straza, strazilla.blogspot.ca

101-96 Nelson St. Brantford, ON N3T 2N101-96 Nelson St. Brantford, ON N3T 2N1Phone 519-759-0361 Fax 519-759-6439hone 519-759-0361 Fax 519-759-6439TTY 519-759-4953 [email protected] 519-759-4953 [email protected]

www.davelevac.on.caww.davelevac.on.ca

Dave Levac, MPP Brant.ave Levac, MPP Brant.Brantford Paris Burford St. Georgewhynotyouthcentres.com

519.759.2221

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.

What is a communitycafe? It's a place whereanyone can go to get a

healthy meal served in a

restaurant setting,regardless of means.


12/16


Creditor Protecting Your Future

I had a client call me today and the tone of her voice was that of worry anddespair. Anytime someone starts a conversation with Weve had a terribleincident occur at the house, its generally not good news from my clients.

After a lengthy conversation with my client, she had let me know that shehad been served with papers and notified she was being sued by creditors.These creditors were, for lack of a better work Unleashed, as a result ofher husbands company and his non-payment of goods & services rendered.

Why is she being sued then, you ask? Well its quite simple. Unbeknownstto her, all of her assets we listed on his initial credit application with the goods& services company. Even though she didnt sign and was unaware of herhusbands mis-doings and fraudulent claims, her assets were put at risk.

From a personal property standpoint, they were ever so careful in setting herup with sole ownership of their home. This is a common mistake as the houseis subject to creditors. The point to remember here is no matter how well youtry to hide assets; the creditors will get their money Except in one circum-stance.

An attractive feature of life insurance policies is that they may be able to pro-vide protection from the owners creditors if the proper beneficiary designa-tions are made, and are made well prior to any insolvency on the part of theowner, or collection action by the creditors.

In my clients case we made the switch to segregated funds over four yearsago because of the fact that her husband was a self-employed business ownerand potentially at risk to creditors. When we set the contract up, all benefici-aries named were family members or in the preferred class. Bottom line, thismeans that every hard earned RRSP dollar she has saved CAN NOT betouched by the creditors. Her tone turned from despair and started to showsigns of relief. The knowledge that her hard earned retirement is not in jeop-ardy eased her mind.

Is she in the clear? Yes & No. Her RRSP assets were all protected as were alllife, critical illness and disability insurance policies. However any Bank, Se-curity or non-Life Insurance assets are subject to creditor claim. This includesa Registered Education Savings Plan that was to ensure that their childrenreceive the best education possible.

To sum up, heres a couple points to remember;

1) Creditor Protection applies only to Life Insurance contracts only. MutualFund assets are not protected. In any scenario where our client or our clientsspouse is a business owner we highly recommend they consider protectingtheir assets from Creditors.

2) Assets in Life Insurance contracts are only considered creditor protectedif the beneficiaries you name are in the preferred class (spouse, children,mother, father, grandparent). Anyone named outside of this class may subjectthe assets to creditors.

This article is a brief synopsis of how using life insurance products can cred-itor protect your assets. For more information please view your provincial &federal Life Insurance act. We also feel very strongly that savings and goalplanning are areas where professional advice is a necessity. If you wish totalk about your financial goals and how to creditor protect your assets giveus a call, were here to help.

Alford & Associates is a family owned and operated financial practice inBrantford. For over 25 years we have helped our clients secure their financial

goals. First and foremost we help you secure your greatest asset Your Family

ALFORD & ASSOCIATES INCInsurance & Investment Advisors, 254 Brant Ave., Brantford,

ON N3T-3J5 Ph: (519) 751-0901 Fx: (519)751-0522Cell: (519) 758-4224

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.alfordandassociates.ca

LinkedIn: http://ca.linkedin.com/in/mikeeh

"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 con-sequence was ever achieved without enormous pas-

sion 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 some-times creep in during times where I have 2 weeks

of evenings booked solid, 4 project deadlines loom-

ing, and a growing collection of flagged emails to

return, none of which even pertain to my paid pro-fession. I look

and think, "I've

voluntarily donethis to myself..?"

But those mo-

ments melt awayas quick as an ice

cube in summers

40 degree sun...because of the

reason why.

More and more, Ithink that WHAT

we do, doesnt

mean nearly asmuch as WHY we

do it. Whats

will come and go seasonally. But discovering yourwhy 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, hon-

estly. My answer is THRIVING. My bodygets 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 Iwas planning on going with were aghast saying,

"Just ditch it!" But the truth is that I would rathertake the meeting because it feeds the ravenous beastinside 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 en-gagement to engagement. He was one of the most

incredible people I'd ever met. His ministry position

within a denomination was to be the "troubleshoot-

ing" pastor for churches that were going throughtough 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 husbandAND 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 gaveALL of himself to ALL of it. It's likely the one com-

mon character trait I've seen in all of the men I trulyrespect.

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 wasntsomething 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 firsttime 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 ques-

tion. What do you really want to see happen withyour life?" It was

kind of out of the

blue but I EX-PLODED the an-

swer back on

him. I said, "Iwant to see a city

transformed. A

whole city.Transformed by

people acting out

Gods love intangible ways. I

want to see busi-

nesses revived.Churches full.

Streets paved.

Schools prospering. Economies re-dreamed. Thesick healed. Poverty ended. A FULL city trans-

formed. THAT'S what I want!"

I'd known this in my head for a few years, but thatday... it EXPLODED into life. Pastor Nonoy wept

and prayed with me at the evident breakthrough that

had just happened. I preached my guts out thatnight. 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 thefinal word on what GETS to be our beast. We can

decide whether it's a good beast o r a bad beast. Wecan 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, unleashit and then LIVE it.

If Nonoy wasnt going and going and going, beingdriven by his beast, Im not sure if I would be fu-

elled to do the same today. You have something

special in you that your community, neighbours,

family and friends NEED. I want to encourage youto 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 every-thing. 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 toomuch.

"Whoever tries to keep their life will lose it, andwhoever loses their life will preserve it."

Luke 17:33

Go and Go and GO Some Moreby Dave Carrol, Facebook: Dave Carrol

There are moments where I wish Ididnt want out of life what I

want out ofit. Those momentssometimes creep in during timeswhere I have 2 weeks of evenings

booked solid, 4 project deadlineslooming, and a growing collection

offlagged emails to return.


13/16


Ive been a biker for 50 years. My first little sweetie was

a beat up Ariel Square Four, 1000c.c. kick start, 20 bucks.

Of course back then you were allowed to ride with alearners permit at 15. So, off to school I went, listening

to the pieces rattling and littering the road behind me all

the way to grade nine. However, there was the one incident

I recall, when the fuel line had a leak and ignited on the

engine between my legs in the driveway. That was

the last I drove her and the fastest drop in my biking career.

Many bikes and stories later, married with three daughters,

the call of the road was tempered with softer suspensions,

touring bikes and long distance explorations.

So this is when the grand deal with my daughters was

struck.

When each turned 13 it was their choice: a one-on-one

with Dad; anywhere in continental North America, two

weeks, and had to include a celebration of Canada Day

and a trip to the U.S.A. for July 4th.

The eldest, Chandra, chose the Gold Wing as transportation

and Washington D.C. as the destination. The ride was full

of twisty back roads, glorious sunsets like muzzle flashes

passing in the fir trees, the scent of pine stands and the

sparkling lakes of the Adirondack Mountains. We wheeled

to the former Olympic site at Lake Placid to sing God

Bless America on July 4th and quickly continued to

Massachusetts in search of a lobster feast. Stopping in

Plymouth we asked for a free room at the William

Bradford Hotel, since my ancestor was the second

Governor of Plymouth and the only scribe from the

Mayflower. That didnt work out so well, as the Innkeeper

explained he didnt live there anymore. Coming into

Washington was a little problematic, remembering this

was long before GPS technology. My daughter was the

navigator with a map unfolded in her lap as she leaned into

the comfortable back rest. As the map, ripped by the wind,

lofted in slow motion towards the sky we knew wed be

winging it (pun intended) and entered the core of

Washington. Soon we were in front of the Lincoln Memorial

and the Reflecting Pool. As we stared over our fairing

there were thousands of people, a stage where The First

Lady, Nancy Reagan, was hosting a live concert, and John

Denver serenading on acoustic guitar as only he could.

Surely, they knew we were coming.

The second daughter, Piper-Lee, saw her opportunity arise

just 2 years later. But, she had no interest in bugs in her

teeth or the smell of wet leather and fertilizer day after day.

She just wanted to go shopping by car. So, we did: at the

West Edmonton Mall. We did a helicopter tour over the

Bad Lands in North Dakota, Yellowstone National Park

and Old Faithful Geyser. July 4th brought us through the

forest to the face of Mount Rushmore. Our American

neighbours had gathered the remaining workers who had

actually carved this world wonder, most in their 90s, tocelebrate their achievement. It was a torrential storm, a

heartfelt moment, everyone in tears and we had to practically

scream God Bless America into the wind as these men

stood proudly for their nation. In a way, though the trip

through the mid-west was breathtaking and would have

been a memorable bike tour, the return trip along the Trans

Canada was somewhat less inspirational. I tried to explain

that to the officer as he wrote the speeding ticket.

My youngest daughter, Miranda, was in for a bike trip

to an island. She wanted to go to Newfoundland on the

fully decked Honda Aspencade. We front loaded this trip

in Canada so that we could get back from the rock before

July 4th. We boarded the HMCS Bluenose II, of Canadian

dime fame, in Lunenburg and watched the water go the

wrong way at the Reversing Falls near the Bay of Fundy

in St. John New Brunswick. We sent cards from the

Peggys Cove Lighthouse Postal Station and marvelled

that by looking due South, through the tumultuous break-

ers, we could see the unobstructed path to Barbados. The

Cabot Trail seems to get wet a lot, (doesnt it?), but its

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 considera-

tion 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 naturalcentre 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 sol-

ace 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!

Ok Dad! Road Trip!by John Bradford, Facebook: John Bradford


14/16


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 semi-

permeable 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 everyFriday 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 phytoseques-

tration. 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 ce

the brant advocate, issue 25, september 2013

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