the brant advocate, issue 7, march 2012

7/28/2019 The Brant Advocate, Issue 7, March 2012

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www.brantadvocate.comfacebook: The Brant Advocate

twitter: @BrantAdvocateMarch 2012 Please Take One

5,200 cities and towns in 135countries around the world switchedoff their lights for Earth Hour last year

including ours.

In support of Earth Hour 2012, theAdvocate has switched off the

lights on the front cover.

Each of us has the power tomake a difference.


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In last months edition of the Advocate we asked our readers what will youdo 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 notfamiliar with the area, Sandra is just off Fairview Drive near the Gretzky Centre inWard 3. We have lived in this neighbourhood for almost eight years. Each nightwhen we drive by Sandra and Buckingham, it's so dark that I slow down to idlingspeed with my high beams on to avoid unseen pedestrians. I finally thought tomyself, 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 wardcouncillors, Dan McCreary. In my message to Dan I identified the area,the issue at hand and my questions regarding the process. At this pointDan made contact with Geoff Rae, General Manager of the city'sEngineering and Operational Services Department. Geoff respondedwith 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 wherethe new pole will be placed.

Across the fewweeks that followed, Iwatched as a positionfor the street light

was scouted, marked, dug out, and installed. I drove byeach day to see the progress that had been made, catchingglimpses of the work with my phone as I passed. It wasincredible to watch just how quickly a phone call turnedinto a positive change in my own neighbourhood. I cantimagine it would always be this easy but here I was watchingthe benefits of knowing the right person to ask the rightquestions to.

After some very informal polling I was quitesurprised to learn that the majority of the people I spoketo 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 andmake this a better place to live if we don't even knowwhere we live?

As citizens, constituents, voters and taxpayers it'sour responsibility to have at least a basic working knowledgeof how the government in our city functions. Ward

councillors are your representatives on city council andthey speak on your behalf every Monday night duringpublic meetings, and throughout the week at City Hall.These men and women are elected to help you. Get toknow them. Ask questions. Get involved.

In a fit of cynicism and apathy someone onceasked 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 extratwenty four hours?

I'd like to thank Geoff Rae and the staff of the CityEngineering and Operational Services Departmentfor their time and hard work, and my ward councillorDan McCreary for working with me to make ourneighbourhood a little safer.

OUR FEATURE MENU INCLUDES OUR HOME BAKED BREAD A CHOICE OF CAESAR, MIXED GREEN OR SOUP DE JOUR AND YOUR CHOICEOF COCONUT CREAM PIE CHEESECAKE OR TRIPLE CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CHEESECAKE FOR DESSERT.

CHICKEN PARMESAN

A PANKO ENCRUSTED CHICKEN BREAST OVEN BAKEDWITH OUR ZESTY TOMATO SAUCE AND MOZZARELLA CHEESE.SERVED WITH OUR SEASONAL VEGETABLES AND SPAGHETTI.

SHRIMP PRIMAVERA ON ANGEL HAIR PASTA

SHRIMP SAUTED WITH JULIENNE VEGETABLES IN OURWHITE WINE AND HERB GARLIC BUTTER TOSSED WITHANGEL HAIR PASTA AND TOPPED WITH PARMESAN CHEESE

MARGHERITA PIZZA

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GRILLED ALL BEEF PATTI TOPPED WITH SLICED ROMA TOMATOES,LETTUCE, FRESH MOZZARELLA, DOUBLE SMOKED APPLE WOODBACON, SUN-DRIED TOMATO AIOLI WITH ALDENTE MAC & CHEESE

:

March 2012www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocatePage 2

As citizens, constituents,voters and taxpayers it'sour responsibility to haveat least a basic workingknowledge of how thegovernment in our cityfunctions.

Operation Street LampEditorial by Lucas Duguid

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


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March 2012 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate Page 3

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I left Canada in July of 2011 with my twin sisterAmber. We planned to travel Europe for two and a halfmonths and then move to Vietnam to live for awhile. Plans

quickly changed when we arrived in Europe and found itSUPER expensive and could only afford to stay for a littleover a month. We decided the best choice was to head toAsia a little earlier than planned. After a very long threeweeks somewhat trapped in Bangkok (we love that city butone person can only eat so much street pad thai and look atthe same dresses every day before it loses the allure) wewere finally able to enter Vietnam.

Why Vietnam? Amber and I came three years ago tovolunteer in an orphanage and we fell in love with the stunningchildren, the beautiful country and the delicious food. Werarely ever stick to travel plans, and after meeting the kids,the one month we had planned to stay quickly turned intotwo months plus a little tour of South East Asia. Amberreturned the following year and volunteered for nine months,though she had only planned on staying five. While she washere she became such a part of the community and almostcouldnt bear to leave. I was jealous of her getting to see the

kids every day, so we decided that we had to return againthis year.

We had a lot of plans for what we would do while here weneeded to work if we were going to stay and volunteer with

the kids long term. We had thought aboutopening a yogurt shop, working in acoffee shop, or selling pancakes all

our business plans involved comfychairs and guitars lying around so

we thought they were basicallyfool proof. Instead, we went for

the easiest sounding option openinga daycare center. Our business was

extremely short-lived because we failedto consider how exhausting two-

year-olds are, and howoften they cry andpee their pants andthrow up (disgusting!).

We changed ourplan and havefound successover the past few

months runningthree Englishclasses a day. Wedo a class for little

kids, one for children

and teenagers, and one for adults. We are two ofjust a handful of foreigners in the city, and we run the onlycenter with foreign teachers, so it is fair to say we are apretty big deal here. People love the opportunity to learnEnglish from anyone who speaks it as a first language.Though I never thought I would be teaching at a school Iopened in rural Vietnam with my twin sister, I must say, Ilove this life. We have a blog for the school you can checkout at: http://iwanttobeateacher.tumblr.com/ (we are lookingfor English teachers to come and help out you can findmore information on the site).

The reason we are in Vietnam is the kids at the or-phanage. They are as amazing as ever. There are 70 kids atthe orphanage, ranging from newborn to 14-years-old. Theyare such happy and charming little children. Every timeAmber and I go to see them they scream our names and runover to give us lots of hugs and kisses before we can even

get inside the doors. They lovingly call us Auntie when theytell us all sorts of stories about their day, their school and thelatest orphanage gossip. At some point every single time Ivisit, the kids will stroke my cheek and ask me why I cantspeak Vietnamese yet. Fail! (Just so you know it is superdifficult like super difficult!) I have loved spending thepast 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 ruralarea that a good majority of the people we meet have neverseen a foreigner before, and because of this, we are treatedlike 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 marriageproposals, than we can count. We constantly have our skinand hair stroked by random strangers, and I also have myslightly large nose pulled and pushed all over the placebecause it is so different then the tiny Asian nose. Like themajority of Vietnamese people, we dont have a fridge or awashing machine; we have to hand wash our clothes in abucket. Yes, it sucks, but we got used to it really quickly.Vietnamese people love Justin Bieber. I cant even tell youhow often I hear his song Baby in a day. Water buffalos walkdown the main road at all times and cows graze on the grass

in the median in front of our house, which will never stopbeing awesome.

I love Vietnam so much, and for the rest of my life Iwill constantly be returning. I have been to twelve countriesso far but my favourite place in the world will always beBrantford. No other place in the world comes close to feelingas much like home. Brantford is such a friendly communitywith a family feel. It is full of people and places I love,mainly the Grand River, Harmony Square, Why Not CityMissions, and just walking downtown. One of my favouritethings is being able to say hello to everyone I pass becausewe all know each other. Brantford rocks and I am so excitedto eventually come back and be immersed in all the wonderfulparts of the city again.


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Power Talk - Fit For LifeThe one thing we all have is the power of choice. Equally

so is our ability to make decisions. The result of our choices anddecisions will directly affect the quality of lives we lead. The qualityof our lives is an exact reflection of our mental, emotional, andphysical state.

As a Peak Development Coach and Life Strategist, it is notonly 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 yourphysical state; the body that houses you mental and emotional statesat all times. You have nothing without your health Those are themost powerful six words you will ever hear. Prosperity, family andgood fortune can only be realized to the fullest if you are in excellentphysical condition. The clock is ticking for every one of us. Thequestion remains: how effectively will you use this time?

We have all experienced the feeling of success at varyinglevels in our life. Success and fulfillment in your personal life andprofessional life is determined by the quality of the three elements Ihave touched on: your physical, mental and emotional health.

Where your physical body is concerned, this question mayarise. When is it time to get into shape, and is it ever too late? Theshort answers are now and never. The human body, like our brain, isjust a glorified filing system. It believes what you tell it and it reactsto how you treat it. If you have been feeding this filing system withgreat information, proper food, and regular exercise, the results willspeak for themselves. Contrary, if this filing system has beenconsistently contaminated with disempowering thoughts and physicalneglect, the outcome will definitely be a grim one.

If you are not currently following a structured exerciseprogram, the first step is to just get up and move. Your body is quitehappy to remain sedentary. But that demon will catch up with yousooner or later. Movement is the key to all physiological shifts inthe body. If your weight is an issue, step on the scale once, thenthrow it away. The mirror, unlike a spouse or best friend, never lies.Success with your physical body takes the same commitment, asdoes anything else you have worked hard to achieve in life. Adding30 to 6o minutes of movement per day, walking, stationary bike,treadmill or swimming, will instantly cause your body to react. Youdon't get fit by doing something once in a while. You get fit by

doing it consistently. Repetition when done correctly is the formulafor mastering everything.

To be fit for life, you have to indulge yourself daily to getthe result you want. The first step is always the hardest. Like thefirst time you tried to tie your shoes, strap on a pair of skies ordrove 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 negativemomentum to overcome. I have worked with countless men andwomen struggling to overcome the curse of old patterns anddestructive behaviours. My goal as a coach is to interrupt thosepatterns and change the belief system.

Bob, for the sake of anonymity, was a client of mine whohad 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 toachieve the ultimate outcome. Bob was a successful business ownerin the eyes of his peers. In the eyes of his friends and family, Bobwas doing very well, actually better than most. He had a beautifulhome on a corner lot. The house was situated in a great neighbourhood.Typically, Bob and his wife had two vehicles, and one he cherisheddriving on perfect sunny days during the summer.

Bob's wife worked part time in his business as the officemanager. She was a striking lady in her mid-50's who kept fit byplaying tennis, walking, and taking classes at the gym. Bob hadthree children, a daughter who was following in her father's professionalfootsteps and two strapping sons in their last years of high school.

On paper, Bob's life looked pretty darn good until hereceived a paper, which shattered all that immediately. The papercame in the form of a Doctor's report. Bob, who was alreadyoverweight had been diagnosed with high blood pressure and wasborderline diabetic.

Bob was not that much different than a large section oftoday's population. His eating habits had deteriorated over the years.Many times, he was reduced to a drive-thru coffee accompanied by afast food breakfast in the morning. Bob would more often than notrun on a tight schedule all day, seeing clients without a break untilthe end of the business. Having dinner out three or four times aweek was more a matter of convenience than anything else.

There was a time in his life when he made an effort to go tothe gym, and he actually enjoyed it. But that had all changed overthe last ten years. Bob no longer made time for himself or hispersonal health. That time had become over-shadowed by a growingfamily 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 thismiddle-aged professional. He was forced to take a long hard look athimself the mirror. What he saw was not only the here and now, butthe 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 ifhe died as a result ?! And worse, what if he lived but suffered astroke 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 diebut worse, survived in a debilitated state where he could no longercontribute and enjoy life, and had to rely on those around him totake care of him.

What If That Happened to You????

The light bulb of choice went off in his head. Bob couldchoose to continue to live like this, or he could choose to do somethingabout it. I am happy to say Bob made the right choice. It was not aneasy road and it was definitely not a quick fix. It was a lifestylemake-over.

I worked with Bob for almost six months, and partneredwith him until he lost over 50 pounds. He continues to exercise tothis day and has maintained the weight loss. As a result of hiscommitment to be fit for the rest of his life, Bob is not taking highblood pressure medication. He has avoided any chance of gettingdiabetes through exercise and proper nutrition. And more importantly,he is present: present for his kids, present for his wife, and presentto succeed in his business.

As simple as it sounds, it all started when I told Bob, thatstep one was to just move. So, if after three weeks of exercise youfeel you are not seeing results, remind yourself of the years ofneglect you have to surpass. Remind yourself that there is a Bob outthere in all of us, who was in your shoes determined to succeed, anddid! The results will come, and when they do, celebrate all the smallvictories. Stay true to your goal. This is not about dieting. Your goalis to create a lifestyle change, a change that consists of a combinationof lean foods, staying hydrated, and increasing your cardiovascularfitness. For change to happen it has to be lasting and consistent. Socommit to being consistent!

You have one body, one life, two choices. The alternative tobeing fit, lean, healthy and rejuvenated, maybe the life you areliving now. The question is how long are you willing to continuethis behaviour, and how long will your body hold out? Don't waitlike 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 timenever 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 toyou in your life.

A physical transformation, from fat to fit, flawed to flawlessis a journey worth traveling.

Commit to be fit for life.

By Mark Gaylard

I Dont Know My MonthsI 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 reverse-psychology tricks to get people who I knowdropped out of school to say positive things abouteducation so that maybe theyll eventually goback and finish up.

Dude, Im so sick of school right now. Iwant to just go home, sleep, and not do any work.Ill be done in April. Tell me to smarten up Isaid.

Whens April? I dont know my months.

Not even kidding.

Simple question: when are kids supposedto learn their months? According to the Ontariocurriculum, kids are supposed to know their

months in Kindergarten, or the latest by the end ofGrade 1. So what happened?

Yes, the answer could be that hes just notthe brightest crayon in the box, but Ill tell youright now that is not the case. He doesnt remembermeeting me because he was drunk the first dozentimes we chatted. His sister has beat up a few ofmy friends, and even followed me home a fewtimes. Ive watched his dad hit on high schoolgirls on the bus. When we meet up, our conversationsrevolve around how long it has been since he waslast in jail.

A lot of people reading this would say,Wow, what a screw up. Some might ask why Iwould hang out with people like him, but I know

there are a few of you who get the point of allthis.

What was happening in the life of thisguy that when he was just 5 years old that hecouldnt manage to learn a list of twelve months?The learning disability argument only goes so far.What was distracting him? What was going on atschool? What was going on after school? Whatwas going on at home?

What else doesnt he know?

I couldnt get his statement out of mymind. I dont know my months. It broke myheart the more I thought about it. What implicationsdoes not knowing your months have on yourfuture? How can you possibly make long-termplans when you dont even know when April hap-pens? How could you get excited for your birthdayas a kid? How could you measure your summer

vacation? How could you actually make a courtdate? How could you know when you would belet out of jail during your sixth incarceration?

In January, I wrote about overcomingbarriers to the choices we want to make forourselves. I meant every word, but faced with thissimple statement, I dont know what to say. Whilethere is almost always an int ricate inter-weavingof factors both within a person and surrounding aperson, how much credit do we give the surroundingfactors in these situations?

I dont know. All I know is t hat my frienddoesnt even know his months. Its not okay.

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Beyond Earth HourOn 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. Whatstarted in one city only 6 years ago has evolved into 135 countries in5,200 cities in 2011, and a global movement to raise awareness on theissue of climate change.

This year the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth Association andthe Brant Young New Democrats are joining together to spearheadBrantfords Earth Hour awareness campaign. We are challenging thecommunity of Brantford - businesses, schools, community organizationsand every individual - to pledge their support of Earth Hour by turningoff all non-essential lighting. Our goal is to reduce the citys energyusage 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 ourdaily activities affect the globe. We have the ability to join together asa community, and create not only a greener city to live, but a healthierprovince, country and world. We all know that one person switchingoff the lights for one hour cannot reverse the damage that has beendone to the environment. But through simple, cost-efficient actionswe can reduce energy consumption, water consumption, and wastedisposal. 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 massconsumption. T he amount of water we waste is incredible. Accordingto Environment Canada, each Canadian uses about 329 litres of waterper day - 30% of which is flushed down the toilet. Through smalleasy steps, we can all reduce the amount of water we use. Here are afew suggestions. Fix leaks and turn taps off tightly (a leak of one dropper second wastes 10,000 litres of water per year), use a low flowshower head to save an average of 1000 litres of water per week, andmake sure your dishwasher is full before running.

The average Canadian family of four produces 2000 kilogramsof 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 reusablecoffee mugs, water bottles, and grocery bags instead of using their

disposable counterparts. Donate gently used clothing to charityinstead of throwing it out. Everyday countless recyclable items (plastics,aluminum, and paper) are needlessly thrown into the garbage. Simplyput these items into your recycling bin and help stop the pile up inlandfills. Remember to never throw out any household hazardouswaste items (paints, batteries, oils, pool chemicals, etc.) or electronicitems (phones, computers, televisions, etc.) in the regular garbage asit can be extremely harmful to the environment. Instead disposehazardous items and recycle your electronics on Household HazardousWaste days. For a complete list of which items can be recycled, whatis considered hazardous waste, and the dates of Household HazardousWaste 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 aresome other tips to reduce energy consumption. Unplug appliancesthat are rarely used and cell phone chargers when they are not in usecan save you about $10 per month on your utility bill. Turn off thelights! It may seem like an obvious one, but it is surprising how oftenwe forget to flick the switch. Replace standard light bulbs with energysaving compact fluorescent light bulbs and properly maintain your airconditioning and heating systems by changing air filters. When it is

time purchase new appliances look for the Energy Star label, as theseproducts use 20-40% less energy than other new models.

If climate change is not enough to motivate you to make afew small changes in your habits, than the savings on your utilitiesshould. If everyone could commit themselves to just one, two, ormultiple of these suggestions to reduce their environmental impact,the strain on our environment can be lessened. Together we can cometogether and send the message that it is time to take action and makesmall changes that truly make a world of difference.It starts with you.

On March 31st make your commitment to the Earth and turnout the lights.

By Ryan Jamula

Made in BrantfordTraveling around when I perform live I often get asked whatthe 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, Iget some odd glances. Then, when I explain that I spent most of theother part of my life in a small blue-collar city called Brantford, I getmore odd glances. The folks I have talked to find it odd that I performthe type of music I do fr om where I come from; the music I play leansmore towards the experimental side of things, but not limitedexclusively to.

I am also regularly asked about how I found out about musicand styles. I like to think that I grew up in a time that was near theend of when you could truly still be isolated from the majority of theinformation in the world. Of course, Im talking about the popularityof the Internet and the phenomenon of being online and finding informationinstantaneously that you would have a real hard lengthy time findingwithout 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 theinstant gratification of the Internet makes things so much easier tofind these days.

For me growing up with an independent record store calledSecond Wave in downtown Brantford had a lot to do with how Ifound out about different forms of music. If it wasnt f or the ownerPaul Evans telling me that some of my pops and clicks on my altosaxophone reminded him of John Zorn, I dont know where I wouldbe today. It is awesome to see that atmosphere happening again indowntown Brantford with Mixdown Records and Tapes.

Some really great conversation had come out about myhometown when I brought copies of the Advocate with me on a smalltour into the eastern United States. Spreading the opinions andthoughts of Brantford around to cities like Brooklyn, Boston,Philadelphia, and so on, I found more people really wanted to talk tome about where I come from. The long drives between cities reallymade me think and ponder writing this opinion on what it is like to bean artist in Brant County. Are there unique hurdles with being in thisarea? Are there unique sounds, venues and anything else musicrelated that is Brantford, aside from someone singing about their own

hometown?

My background to think of such questions comes fromperforming live locally and abroad consistently since 1994, neverreally in any group that is too popular. An early bout in a band calledCartoon Khaki during the 1990s taught me that punk rock isnt aboutleather jackets, mohawk haircuts and listening to hardcore. Ourbands form of punk always seemed to be on the outside of thingsduring the time it existed. All the time spent in that band gave methoughts and experiences that I would find very inspirational later inlife with my current musical and visual arts projects. I find keeping anopen mind to sight and sound beneficial, but enough about me.

Performing music and art in Brant can be a lonely thing. Youcould bring the world to Brantford, but does the world really want tolisten? You could be a proud citizen, but you have to be honest andrealize that this community just isnt New York City. So how doesBrantfords little foot print make it interesting? We have a uniqueposition of being isolated, which I feel makes me want to perseverecreatively. It makes me want to get out and explore and propel.

Is the drive stronger with isolation? Brantford is a cut yourteeth kind of town. That phrase was alluded to a couple times inmusic interviews I did with people on complete opposite sides of themusical spectrum. Over the years, I have seen a lot of talent give upcompletely or never grow, and be contained like a bonsai tree inBrant. Isolation can create some unique artists and opinions about thearea; geography shouldnt be a boundary for them though.

Lately Ive been proud of where Ive come from, and itwasnt until I left the city to perform that Ive felt this way. Sure youcould go into a larger city and be overwhelmed by the flash andpizzazz, 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 inBrantford. I talk about Brantford to the people I meet near andabroad, and it seems reassuring to know that your geography has nobounds on your creativity. Wherever I go there is a piece of this townavailable to someone, literally or fugitively in some historical rant ortheory, and yes, the art and culture too.

I write this to pose theories and conversation about what it isto be from Brantford or any other small city like it. I also write to sayfrom my own experience, coming from Brantford isnt all that bad. I

found it nurturing.

By Rob Michalchuk

The faculty and staff of the Advocate would like to thank all ofthe businesses and organizations across Brantford, Brant and Six Nationsthat generously support us by distributing our publication every month.

At the request of our readers, and as a thank you to those whosupport us, here is a list of all of the locations where you can pick up acopy 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, PetCrazy 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 SeasonLiving, Woodland Cultural Centre, Carolyn's Home Baking, Simply Soy Candles,Unique Peace Home Furn., Hill's Computer Service, Mac's Convenience, FamilyPizza, Big Top Submarine, Eagle Place Variety, Eagle Place Video and Con.,Doug Snooks Community Centre, Petro Canada, Clarence St. Dental, WorkforcePlanning Board GE

ECHO PLACE / COLBORNE EAST

Kreative Khaos, Tip Top Health Shoppe, Palace Submarine, La Bella DonnaHair 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, AirForce , Sital Hairstyling , Natural Nail Care , Bismillah Daily Basket , Mario'sPizza, 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, Marioand Sam's Auto Service, Maple Convenience 2000, Pizza Spot, SherwoodMotel, Sherwood Restaurant, Nicol Florist, Colborne Auto Detailling, Bell CityMotel, 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 PetHospital, 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, TheQueen's Closet, Dr. Vic Schacher, Dolphin Variety, Contact Brant, Imperial Submarin e,Cesars Barber Shop, Custom Colour T Shirts, Manifest Yoga, Sanderson Cen-tre, 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, BrantfordPublic Library, City of Brantford, Beckett Adult Leisure Centre, Just Like New,Inity Fashions, Essential Physiotherapy, MP Dave Levac's Office, AboriginalHealth Centre, Warmington's Bistro, Tooun Salon, Children's Aid Society, LaurierBrantford, The Ring, Brant Native Housing, Jebbo's Computer, Pasquale`s Meat& Deli, Bob`s Tobacco and Magazine, Brant Stereo, Lonnie`s Restaurant, MarketSt. 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, FreedomHouse, 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 LabourCentre, 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, TheBrantford Bookworm, Serenity Country Candles, Indecks Skateboards & Clothing,Total Convenience, Viet Thai Basil, Brantford Collegiate, Blue Dog CoffeeRoasters, 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 , WilliamsCaf , Al Dente, Lexton's Tap and Grill, Shawarma King

NORTH END

Digital Duck Inc., Culligan Water, Brantford Tourism Centre, Big Ben's FamilyDiner, The Sugar House, Woodview Childrens Centre, Broasters Chicken, Tito'sPizza, 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, ParisRealty, Remax Heritage, Chocolate Sensations, Three Blind Mice CheeseShop, Wendy's General Store, Jade's of Paris, 2 Rivers Restaurant, GreenHeron Book Shop, Brown Dog Coffee, Paris Bakery, Steve's Place, The CedarHouse, The Canadian House, Paris Variety, Camp 31 Bar-B-Q, Paris By TheGrand, Home Hardware, Caf Europa, Amelia Biscuit Company, Friendly UntiedDiscount 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 ELaw Office, Oasis Gas and Variety, Village Caf, Six Nations Tourism, RedIndian Gas Bar, Bright Feather Coin Laundry, T 'n' T Pizza, Erlind's Restaurant,

CKRZ, Al's Variety, Little Buffalo, Grand River Employment Training, 6 NationsTrading Post

Enjoy the communication, not the radiation.The GIA Cell Guard is an effective way to reinforce your bodies natural resilience to the effects of electropollution

exposure. The Cell Guard can be used effectively on cell phones, smart phones and Bluetooth devices.

The Cell Guard is available exclusively at Skin Care Essentials starting at $35.00

Call today for more information 519.753.9335


6/12


Brantford Station Gallery519.309.0008 Brantford Train StationWed March 21st 6pm / 9pm $15 advancetickets available online: craigcardiff.com

Showcasing

Local TalentSerene Porter is from Six Nations. She is a

visual artist that works with photography, graphicdesign, animation, painting, beadwork and newmedia to name a few. A graduate from York Universitywith a B.A. in Fine Arts, Serene is currently in herlast semester at Mohawk College in the GraphicDesign program.

Serene has many accomplishments in heryoung career already. Among them is one aspirationshared by many first nation artists, and that is tohave shown and sold her art work at the FirstNations Art Exhibitions, which she has done in2008, 2009 and 2010. In addition to creation,Serene is also a mentor, and has shared many ideasin numerous visual art based workshops that she hashelped to create and facilitated.

Of particular admiration for Serene is thesuccess of an elder-student based workshop thatfuses verbal traditions of the past with contemporarymedia arts. From its inception as a legacy-basedpilot project, this elder-student workshop has been agreat success, and continues to generate new interest,both with in the first nations communities and beyond.

Serene can be contacted at: [email protected] orcheck out her blog at http://serenegrafiks.blogspot.com/

By Lucas Duguid


7/12


If you, or someone you know has been diagnosed with Celiacdisease or a sensitivity to Gluten we can help. Always fresh.

From our table to yours. 100% Gluten-Free.

Sophias Bakery & Caf. Coming soon tothe corner of King & Colborne, downtown Brantford.

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www.sophiaglutenfree.comfacebook: Sophia Gluten Free Foods

Showcasing Local TalentNew to the Telephone City, Tia Robinson draws on years of photography experience

at Sheridan College and her photographic exploration during her formative years in downtownToronto. 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'sfriendly 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 grittyyet 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 Ibegan 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 becamea normative landmark. Seeing through illusions that lead an artist away from their true

passions in their art is often the challenge.

On the subject of Tia Robinson By Evan Champagne


8/12


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Sugar & Spice & Puppy Dog TailsIts 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 inthe classroom, and in s ociety at large.

Karleen is a childrens book author and educator who works tobring a deeper understanding of gender diversity to teachers, professors,

and students. Her picture book, Are You a Boy or a Girl?, was madeinto an animated short film, Tomboy, which won several awards atinternational film festivals. (Check outTomboy for free athttp://vimeo.com/10654889)

Are You a Boy or a Girl? is asweet story that follows a young girlthrough a difficult day at school, and endswith her in her mothers arms. Itsillustrated with photos, because, as Karleentells us jokingly, I cant draw. Thechallenges that the girl faces in her classand peer group are expressed poignantlywhen she tells her mother: every day theywant to know if Im a boy or a girl andthey look at me like Im a rat or some hairyanimal and they point and make jokes.

Part of the reason Karleens story is important to me is that Iasked that question. I was at a new school, and there was a boy in thegrade ahead who confused me. He was so perfectly androgynous that Ifelt 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 some-thing wrong. I didnt know why.

Whats important is not that I asked the question, but WHY Iasked the question. Ten-year-old me fretted over hurting someonesfeelings, but never considered how it was that I felt it was anappropriate question to ask in the first place.

In retrospect, I can hardly blame my child self. I grew up in aworld where girls wore pink and boys wore blue, and the first questionanyone asked of a new parent was is it a boy or a girl? Advertisementsshowed women in the home, tending to the needs of their man. Apamphlet on dating in my doctors office told me never to let a boyknow I was smarter than him.

Thank goodness we live in a different world, where womenwork outside the home, fathers are comfortable with child care, andgirls and boys are encouraged to follow their dreams into a futurecareer of their own choosing.

Everythings changed, right? Uh, no.When I look at the world around me,little has changed, at least in terms ofgender stereotypes. Friends, relatives,and bare acquaintances ask pregnantwomen if they know if its a boy or agirl, and toy stores are organized intopink sections for girls, and bluesections for boys.

Disney Princesses reign over theworld of girls, encouraging them toplace 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 andencouraged to be competitive, aggressive, and strong. Theyre offeredtoys like action figures that smash through everything in their path orhave the blaster to take on all comers. Dont believe me? Spend Saturdaymorning 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, infact, real and normal. These ideas about gender have become sonormalized in fact, that an article in this very cool publication feltcomfortable saying: Marriage bears little resemblance to the gooey-eyed

idyllic imaginary paintings that little girls suckle themselves to sleepwith. (the Advocate. Volume 1, Issue 5. January 2012. RidiculousLove.) I dont know about you, but as a girl I dreamed about being alibrarian and a spy, not a wife.

So what happens if you or your child does not slip comfortablyinto a girly tiara or boyish Darth Vader mask? How do you feel if the

culture around youat school, in the media, on the playground, atworkdoesnt give you a single image of your own reality, brands youas 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: eversince there were girls and boys, there have been girls who like to doboy things and boys who like to do girl things. And when you knowthat and youre all grown up, youll know you can do anything youwant to.

Dont get me wrong. Theres nothing wrong with girly girls orboyish boys. But we need to make room in our society, our schools, andour hearts for the children who dont fit into those categories, who arecharting a brave and difficult course in their search to become who theyare meant to be. Im advocating for these courageous people and for afuture where diversity is normal.

Other recommended childrens books on gender diversity:

My Princess Boy, by Cheryl Kilodavis

And Tango Makes Three, by Justin Richardson

Williams Doll, by Charlotte Zolotow

By Lisa Wood

I dont know about you,but as a girl I dreamedabout being a librarianand a spy, not a wife .

Gray Power: The Brant DilemnaRecently I had the privilege of being invited to join the Board

of Directors of the Brantford Seniors Resource Centre, a not-for-profitorganization that offers services to senior in our community. For methis has turned out to be a wake-up call. Life for most seniors is not theFreedom 55 promised to us in the 1980s. As my generation movestowards what is supposed to be our golden years, we find that we areentering an environment that is totally unprepared for us.

I remember when demographer David Foot in his Canada'sPopulation Outlook: Demographic Futures and Economic Challenges

(Toronto: 1982) warned us about the onslaught of people movingtowards retirement. Insurance companies were telling us to invest forour future. The future to most of us was a distant time and manythought that it would somehow take care of itself. The more nave of usexpected that governments of all levels would have a plan in place toensure that we would live comfortably, and with dignity, when weretired. In retrospect, this was not a great strategy!

One economic crisis after another has depleted governmenttreasuries and eroded personal savings. Poor planning, and the need torespond immediate problems, did not improve the situation. So here weare today hearing that the Harper Government proposes to extend theage of retirement to sixty-seven and the McGuinty Government tries todeal with the issue through band-aid programs. While I can appreciatetheir dilemma, the challenge is only going to get worse as the agingbaby-boomers reach retirement age.

We need not look outside of our community to measure thescope of the problem that awaits us.

The Alzheimer Society of Brant says that 1 in 11 Canadiansover the age of 65 will contract one form of dementia or another. Thenumber rises to 1 in 3 for those over 85. Dementia affects the brain andcompromises our ability to interpret the world around us. It ultimatelyimpacts our ability to live independently and places a heavy burden on

families and institutional resources. It also affects women more thanmen. 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 3,000over 85. If 1 in 3 develops dementia, we add another 1,000.

Currently in Brant, we have 890 long term care beds. Morethan half of the individuals sufferingwith dementia require long term carebeds. Our current requirement is about1,000 beds for dementia patients letalone people needing institutional carefor other reasons. This number is ex-

pected to double by 2026.

What about the cost to families?Today, Canadians spend 231 millionunpaid hours caring for family memberssuffering from dementia. This will riseto 756 million unpaid hours within ageneration. This includes attendantcare, shopping, book keeping,transportation, meetings and dealing with medical practitioners. Some40% of caregivers suffer from mental stress. They experience higherrates of depression, suicide, physical illness and premature death.While there is some financial relief through Caregiver Tax Credits andDisability Tax Credits, 93% of patients, caregivers and professionalservice providers feel that the range and care of support services inOntario needs to be improved. There not only needs to be moredialogue between healthcare practitioners and specialists, but alsbetween the professionals and family caregivers who face their own setof problems. The emotional impact of dementia is described in NancyPooles The Bitter Journey of Alzheimers: One wifes daily log (2010).The book describes the life of Lloyd and Nancy Wilson as they strug-gled through his battle with Alzheimers.

The case of dementia represents only one aspect of the challengesthat lie ahead as the number of seniors explodes over the next decade.Seniors will also live longer. The impact on our healthcare system hasbeen well documented from the perspective of cost, shortage of

doctors, waiting times and access to services. Governments at all levelshave been working towards a strategy that will enable seniors to remainin their homes as long as possible. Organizations such as CARP striveto bring senior issues to the attention of governments.

The problem is that thenumbers may well overwhelmus. At the Brantford SeniorsResource Centre the currentdemand for services places an

already heavy burden on thevolunteers. As more baby-boomers reach retirement age,the demand for services willincrease. Planning for that day isa challenge. Virtual services mayrepresent one type of solution,but it does not replace directcontact. Nor does it resolve the

issue that we are being left to ourselves to develop solutions. Familyand community groups are going to be integral to meeting the needs ofan aging population. The reality is that there will be fewer youngpeople supporting the tax base that finances government services andpensions.

It is true that many retirees have good pensions from theirworkplace. There is, however, a far larger number that do not. Theseare the people who will be living on fixed incomes, working as long asthey can meet the rising cost of living. We failed to heed the message inthe past, but gray power is truly on its way. Seniors will be demandingthe services they need to live in dignity as the strength in their numbersgrow. What form that power will take on depends very much on whatwe do now, though it may already be too late. As we look at our agingparents, friends and colleagues, we should be thinking about the type ofsociety we want for them and ourselves. Will it be a kinder, gentlersociety? Or will it be a society in which the majority of the agedstruggle to survive?

By Michael St. Amant

Seniors will be demanding

the services they need to livein dignity as the strength intheir numbers grow.


9/12


Growing up as the daughter of a former City Coun-cillor, I was determined to stay as far away from municipalpolitics as possible. I didnt like it, I didnt value it, and Ididnt want a thing to do with it. However, it would seemmy definition of as far away as possible meant venturing into the field of international politics and governance. I wenton to study political science at the University of Waterlooand then worked for three years at an international thinktank, The Centre for International Governance Innovation. I

had big dreams of working in Ottawa and joining thebureaucracy and really wanting to make a difference forCanadians as a whole. Upon returning to Brantford afterseven years being away, I swore I would not be drawn in tothe issues faced here. The reality, however, is that as soonas one begins to make connections in the community andcare about the people who live here, its inevitable that onestarts to care about the services and opportunities availableto them.

It was the debacle surrounding the Wayne GretzkySports Complex which brought the opinionated side of meout. Admittedly, I have not delved in to the details of thesituation, but experience tells me most issues of this naturecome down to a lack of communication, by various parties,at various points in the process. What disappointed me inthe 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 likethis: was the process followed, does the process need anevaluation, and what can be done moving forward to ensurethis does not happen again. Personal attacks only serve topoison the future working environment.

As I read about the situation, one particular commentcaught my eye. It referenced how there was no more oversighton signage than there was on the buildings fireproofing,concrete, etc. Having working in the communications fieldwhile at CIGI, I fully understood the importance of thebranding and signage to an organization or venue. As Ivebeen heavily involved in signage requirements both in my

previous and current role, there is much that goes into thiswhich requires ownership and significant involvement.Rather than attacking the lack of oversight, a number ofissues jumped out at me. Does our council who, to me, dorepresent the city brand, understand branding and its importance?Do we have branding and signage guidelines, as many ofthe government levels Ive worked with do? If not, to avoida similar situation moving forward, these kind of issues cannow be sorted out, having discovered an area for improvement.

It is this thinking which led me to think further onthe role of a Councillor here in Brantford. I was ecstatic tohear of the debate brewing about part-time versus full-timecouncillors. This is a conversation I feel is long overdueand it is my hope that this look at the role of a Councillorwill be a holistic one, beyond just full/part time. Anotherconversation meriting discussion would be the value ofward-based councillors vs. at-large councillors.

To me, the logic is simple. If we want a full-timecommitment from our Councillors, they need to be recognizedas such. When a Councillor is part-time, with another full-time

job, it means only 1/3 of their efforts are focused onprogressing the town forward. I find it insulting both to theindividual and the integrity of the town to expect a Councillorto put in a full-time effort for anything less than a formalizedfull-time position. Quite simply, part-time means statusquo, full-time means progression.

Furthermore, I strongly believe there is value inre-evaluating the scope of the role of a Councillor. Duringthe last municipal election, something I found fascinatingwas the platform of so many candidates focusing on issuesentirely outside of the ward in which they were running.

Im not saying this is neither good nor bad, as everyonesultimate goal is to make Brantford a better place. But ourcurrent 100% ward-based system potentially hindersimprovement, rather than promoting it. I believe there ismuch value in both the ward-based and at-large based positions.With 10 councillors, 5 could be ward-based, focusingsolely on the issues of their residents, and another 5 holdingat-large positions. This would help make the races morecompetitive, consistently encourage participation of qualifiedcandidates and have broader city-wide appeal. This set-upwould allow us to elect Councillors with expertise in issue-specific items which face the town, which their platformscould be based solely on.

I am fully aware many people will have differentopinions on the best system for the town, some similar andsome different to mine. It is my hope this is a discussion tobe had while looking at the role of a Councillor.

Re-thinking

The Electoral DivideBy Steph Paige

Wednesday, March 28th, 7:30 PMResearch & Academic Centre, Wilfred Laurier UniversityRCW002, 150 Dalhousie Street, BrantfordPresented 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

We Were Here

A Feature Length Documentary by David WeissmanRSVP required: [email protected] or 866-563-0563

Free event, doors open 7 PM

Panel Discussion To Follow Film


10/12


The Birth of a DoulaI am a Doula in Brantford.

Though we are growing in popularity, most people herehave no idea what we do, which is probably why it isnt a full timebusiness for me yet.

I could give them the text book definition: Doulacomes from Ancient Greek (doul) meaning"female slave." A Doula provides non-medical support towomen and families during labour, childbirth and thepostpartum period Then their eyes would glaze over andtheyd be no closer to understanding.

Being a Doula is extraordinary work. It is thekind of work that makes me sleep better at night.

I come from a background of travel, photographyand teaching. I made great money and I had nice things,but I felt a nagging emptiness. I always believed I coulddo more. When I became pregnant, I started tore-evaluate what I wanted from life. My husband and Imoved back to Brantford to be closer to family duringmaternity leave, leaving Toronto and my career in

advertising behind. I thought it was temporary. Little didI know, my world was about to turn upside down.

Giving birth to my son was like being pushedonto the worlds craziest roller coaster with a blindfoldover my eyes, and then being told to enjoy the ride. Mylabour was induced early and I had no idea what wasgoing to happen. I had purchased a great stroller and thenursery was decorated, but I was not prepared for childbirth,and it didnt go so well. My husband and sister werethere and they surrounded me with love, but I think theyfelt as lost as I did. At the end of it all, I had my son whoI instantly adored, but my life as a mother began with trauma,confusion and regret.

In the next 18 months, everything changed. I continued tobe dealt some crazy blows (breastfeeding challenges, post-partumdepression, relationship problems, and financial difficulties) and ittook some time before I was ready to get up off the mat and face theworld again. But when I did, I was fuelled by a new passion. I didntbelieve that birth was supposed to happen the way I experienced it.Everything in me wanted to make sure that other women didnthave to go through what I went through. I began to research anddream, and I stumbled upon this wonderful thing... Doula support.

After a lot of discussion, my husband and I decided not togo back to life in Toronto. We took a huge financial risk andchanged 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 orsuggest procedures. We dontassist doctors, nurses ormidwives either.

Doulas work solely for theexpecting parent(s). My jobstarts prenatally with a fewmeetings where we get toknow each other, and makesure the comfort level is justright. The natural flow oflabour can be seriouslydisrupted if the people in theroom arent connectingproperly.

Some people puttogether a birthplan I alwaysrefer to it as birthpreferences with my clients. Plans are too rigid and dont allowroom for things to go off course, which they almost always do.Flexibility is very important. When it comes time for the big day, Imeet the client(s) at their home or the hospital. I am a constant presencefor them, whether offering hands-on support or waiting quietly inanother room while a couple enjoys the intimacy of the experienceon their own for awhile.

Some women choose to go drug-free. Those labours are themost physically demanding for me, with a lot of massage andhands-on support. Some women choose epidurals. Those births are

quite often the longest haul. Occasionally a client will want to try

something Ive never done before, like Hypnobirthing, and then Iget 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 andsuggestions for positioning to keep a woman's labour progressing.Her partner and I work together, trying different movements tomake her more comfortable. And if none of these things are working,we try something else. When things feel overwhelming, I look intoher eyes and remind her not only that she CAN do it, but that she ISdoing it!

It is no secret to most who know me that I am an advocatefor natural, drug-free birth. I believe in the many long term benefitsthat come from such an experience, and I am happy to talk about itat length when asked. But I do not project my beliefs onto myclients, and I do not judge their choices. I believe that everyoneshould be able to try for the birth experience they choose.

I have been involved in a variety of different births, and Illnever 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 fordays, am soaked from being splashed with amnioticfluid, or have massaged until my arms werenumb, I walk out of there floating on air. Thefirst thing I always say when I get home is that Icant wait to do that again.

March 22-28 is World Doula Week.Chances are when you started reading this storyyou didnt really know what this whole Doulathing was about. Now that you do, maybe youlltell someone else. I firmly believe that everypregnant woman should have access to Doulasupport. Not because I am one, but because I haveexperienced birth without one, and I know nowthat there is a better way.

Written by Vicki Filewww.vickifiledoula.com

By Vicki File

The Kindness EquationI babble incessantly, both publicly and privately, about how

kindness can change Brantford BY good INTO good. Sometimeswhen people hear the message that falls of my mouth, like Imcompulsively pulling my own Chatty Cathy string, they oftenprematurely 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 ofwhat kindness ACTUALLY is. Is it something you DO or somethingthat you ARE? Let's hit the kindness Home Button and dissect whatthis elusive word means. Believe it or not, it's a somewhat trickyword 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 bigword. 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 butstruggle 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. Theway you ARE on the inside. Its your lifes default setting. This is akey to understanding how everyday kindness can be sustained andtransformational. The truth is that if we're honest, our disposition isnot always the greatest. DOING an act of kindness here and there is

not that difficult, but dealing with the deeper issues that go intocreating one's disposition is a tougher nut. There well find aconcoction of our issues that will either propel us towards authenticityand sustenance, or impede us from pursuing a life fuelled byOTHERS instead of ourselves. Now were peeling back some onionlayers Shrek.

The good news is that we CAN control our disposition. Weneed to recognize what it is and allow it to be transformed. As thebook of Romans says, renewing of your mind to be in a GOODplace. It takes some work sometimes. You have to choose to beginacting how you wish you acted and get ready to feel a dispositionalchange.

That brings us back to benevolence. Changing our disposition,so that our motivational default setting is on GOOD, enables us tobe genuinely benevolent. Disposition either opens or closes theBenevolence-gate. Kindness however, real kindness, is in theDOING.

Dave's Kindness Equation: Kindness is an act of goodness out of aheart motivated by goodness.

The answer to the question of "Is kindness something you'Do' or something that you 'Are" is thats its something you doBASED on what you are. Take note that both our disposition ANDthe acting on it BOTH require discipline and intention. The 18thCentury Philosopher Edmund Burke said "All that is necessary forevil 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 Universityof Toronto, believes leadership is not a characteristic reserved forthe extraordinary. He also believes that kindness plays a role in freeingothers onto an end of macro-transformation. He said recently thatits almost frightening to some when they come to realize the degreeof impact that we can have on people. He believes that if we makeleadership about changing the world, we give ourselves an excusenot to expect it every day from ourselves. How can one act of kindnesstoday change the world? Dudley says:

There is no world. Theres only 6 bill ion understandingsof it. If you change one persons understanding of how powerful anagent of change they can be... youve changed the whole thing

Weve habitually lulled ourselves into believing thatanswers to our citys large issues only come through politicalgrappling and crippling amounts of resource used on second-bestsolutions. You and I hold the optimal pl an for the transformationmankind deeply desires in our own two hands if were willing toopen them.

By Dave Carrol


11/12


44 MARKETSTREETwww.brantstereo.com

NO HST til March 31st www.sacredlotusyoga.netMulti Level & Prenatal Classes

Laferriere Outs HimselfI have a deep dark secret. Im a huge wrestling fan.

This may not be a big surprise to anyone who hasbecome my friend on Facebook or Twitter. Its not unusual to seeme tweet with an almost-embarrassing giddiness about the latestRoyal Rumble or Wrestlemania.

Im a genuine fan and have been lucky enough to havebeen able to be a special guest ring announcer for some ofCWIWrestling.coms shows in Brantford and Caledonia. It wasincredibly fun to be involved with the first Brawl at the Bushevent they did and Im excited to take to the Brantford CivicCentre to do more of the same on May 12th. The Civic Centre inBrantford is a well-known historical hot spot for wrestling. Itwas the arena where many of the WWE (then WWFs) televisiontapings originated from in the 80s. The CWI shows there arebecoming in their own right a great local annual tradition.

But I have a deeper, darker secret too. I went to wrestling schoolfor about 2 years. Its not something Ive exactly hidden but itsnot something Ive talked a lot about either. I still have my tightsand 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 Iwas involved. I know this because I still get e-mails from non-fansI knew back then that say things like I heard Mickey Rourke iswrestling, or is it true Snooki had a match? Old friends oftentell me they immediately think of me when they see somethingwrestling related on TV.

Heres the funny thing about wrestling school itsreally, really hard. I broke a rib and worked through it, suffered asevere ankle sprain, busted up my nose and hurt my back fromthe constant falls you take. Wrestling may be pre-determined andchoreographed, but its also legitimately very rough.

Here is the other funny thing about my time at wrestlingschool - 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 canbe cutthroat, but you also learn a lot about trust. You have tohave a lot of trust when you give control of your body to someoneelse. Its easy to get hurt or to hurt someone in the ring. Trust isparamount and, likein the rest of life, itssomething you earn.

I also learnedthat you can be aserious person, butthat doesnt meanyou have to takeyourself tooseriously. Truth isyou have to have fun.Wrestling was fun. Igot to have a battlerap with John Cena(he won), produce a

segment whereAbdullah the Butcherliterally ate a micro-phone and scared aQuebec beauty queenwho was interviewinghim out of the room.

One of my favourite memories was my first opportunityto interview a wrestling personality. It was with Mr. PerfectCurt Henning. In that interview I was nervous and I thinkhe recognized that. His solution? He kept playing jokes on me onand off camera. He was hilarious. Hed be beaming his trademarksmile 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 genuinefear in my eyes that Id offended him hed start laughing. Hed

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 ablast and we both left laughing.

Lessons like that can serve

you well.

Wrestling has beensomething that has stuckwith me since I was a kid.Even though I dont do itanymore, its followed mevia the magic of television onall my travels and it hasalways been there as a placeI can go weekly to just enjoymyself. I have a lot of youngones in my life who are startingto like it too and it is fun tosee their excitement.

Sometimes smartpeople bug me about mylove of wrestling. I remindthem tongue-firmly-in-cheek

that technically Im one of those smart people too. I let slip thatI have a few degrees including one in English Literature, and aMasters. Then I tell them as difficult as it was to get those,wrestling school, for me, was more difficult. When I feel likegetting huffy and puffy about it, I dont. Im lucky enough tohave learned from someone once that its better to just relax andhave fun with it. ;)

By Marc Laferriere

Send in the ClownThe first thing I see when I arrive at Marc Proulx's apartmentis him in full make-up and a bright red nose, despite his every dayclothes. 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, statingthat he is preparing for a gig he hadthat night.

Marc is hardly your averageclown however. At 27, he has beencompletely blind since the age of 12and clowning is a way to support him."I have tried time and time again toget jobs in our society. I'd give myapplication, I get an interview dateand when the interview came around,people saw I was blind and I was

turned away right away. You go andpoint that [discrimination] out to themand they don't really admit that theyare doing that. So instead of arguingit, I just picked up on a talent that Ihave and went with it."

He's worked with otherorganizations to try and find work, butit has always been temporary, and hehas expressed a great interest inbecoming financially self-sufficient,no longer relying on ODSP for support.Proulx has not let his disability slow him down at all, or affect hisattitude. 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 peoplethat you have a disability and that nothing stops you. I am totallyblind, but I do some balloons and just basically humour with thekids. A lot of clowns will get to the birthday party and they're quitequiet, many of them do not communicate with the kids. When I'mwith 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 beseven 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 orengaged, do they own a car and they yell back NO! Parents like itbecause I get the kids involved."

Proulx first became interested inbeing a clown when his mother gothim involved with Lansdowne Children'sCentre after he lost his sight, and JimWalsh was assigned to him as arespite worker. Walsh is now retiredfrom that work, and is struggling withcancer. Walsh raised half a milliondollars on his own for kids with cancerfrom the age of 40; now he's 72.Walsh was also a Hobo clown, so whenMarc started out, he began as a Hoboclown because that was all he knew.

"It really helped me deal with thewhole losing my sight thing. Therewas no drugs, no alcohol, and reallynot too much depression. I mean, itobviously concerned me and itworried me, it scared me a little bitbut... at first I had enough sight that Ihad all kinds of cool toys and when Ilost my sight I ended up having to selleverything and started relying onwalking and I didn't want to use mycane. I had a white cane and it took

me the longest time to accept the fact that I was going to need to useit. I did use it eventually; going to W. Ross was quite influential. Idon't know how it happened but I started using my cane, and I tookgreat admiration in clowning obviously and I picked up on it andJim Walsh did a lot of work for Help a Child Smile, which is for kidswith 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 volunteerevery 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

children's' faces, and so my slogan that I go with is creating smilesfor all occasions.

Marco certainly has been keeping busy creating thosesmiles. Before Christmas he performed three to four gigs a day eachweekend from Paris to Newmarket. He is booked for the CNE aswell 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 arereally happy, and it's the smile on that child's face and I say thatfrom the bottom of my heart, it's the smiles on the kids. A lot ofthem, everywhere in the community, see me and I get it all the t ime: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 gaveme."

When he is not performing, he's a part of Big Brothers BigSisters of Brantford, sits on the Dangerous Dogs committee, volunteersat the BGH visiting patients, enjoys playing cards with friends andsings Karaoke on Friday nights. Proulx shared his advice toothers who might find themselves losing their sight, be it slowly orsuddenly.

"Keep a positive attitude and look at the motto of W Ross:The impossible is only the untried. I live by that every day." Thebright 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. Asyou can see, every day Marc still strives to get laughs.

Photo by KRISTIN KAYE

By Kristen Kaye


12/12

The Advocate presentshe Advocate presents2012 Juno Award Nominee012 Juno Award Nominee

with Special Guest Ryan McMahonith Special Guest Ryan McMahon

Brantford Station Gallery519.309.0008 Brantford Train StationWed March 21st 6pm / 9pm $15 advance

tickets available online: craigcardiff.com

the brant advocate, issue 7, march 2012

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