The Community Edition: January 2020

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 4 • JANUARY 2020

SWINGING INTO THE 20S

PAGE 5

AUTHOR GRACE IBRAHIMA’S NEW BOOK

BATTLE OF THE SPIN CLASSES

THE DIGITAL ART PORTFOLIO OF ILIJA MALES

PAGES 6

PAGE 7

PAGES 8 - 9

JANUARY 2020 // @THECOMMUNITYED

IN THIS

ISSUE

VOLUME 8, ISSUE 4

JANUARY 2020

2

FEATURE 8

THE DIGITAL ART PORTFOLIO OF ILIJA MALES

6

AUTHOR GRACE IBRAHIMA’S NEW BOOK

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IN BRIEF AND LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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MENTAL MATTERS: WINTER BLUES

4

TOP COLLISION HOTSPOTS

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100 YEARS LATER, WE STILL GOT THAT SWING

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LOCAL BUSINESS: HENRY’S TEMPEH

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BATTLE OF THE SPIN CLASSES

EDITOR’S PICK INSIDE

10 REGIONAL RECIPE: VEGETARIAN BAHN MI 10 NEW TUNE REVIEW: “MIGHT” BY PAPER HATS THIS ISSUE OF TCE WAS FUELED BY THE HOT BEATS OF: LIZZO, LADY GAGA AND ROBYN. THANK YOU FOR THE HELP AND GOODTIMES COPY EDITORS JESSIE AND KURTIS.

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WHAT IS A FOREST SCHOOL?

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EASY BEING GREEN: SMALL CHANGES

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THE SIDE HUSTLE: NIGHT OWL GEMSTONES

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HYPERLOCAL TRAVEL: EXPLORE EVERY DAY

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519 SCHMECKS: PSYCHEDELIC FUNK IN THE KITCHEN

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LOOKING BACK: NAMING OF THE ION

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MIDWIVES IN ONTARIO NEED MORE FUNDING

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HARU NOON // EVENT LISTINGS

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PETER AND SYDNEY WITH THE GOOD HAIR CO.

COVER BY JESSE DERRY AND LAKYN BARTON Volume 8, Issue 4 Next issue: February 5th, 2020 75 University Ave. W. Waterloo, ON N2L 3C5 519-884-0710 x3564 THE COMMUNITY EDITION TEAM Editor in Chief Melissa Embury melissa@communityedition.ca Community Engagement Kristina Lalatovic kristina@communityedition.ca Publisher Lakyn Barton lakyn.barton@wlusp.com Social Media Coordinators Brit Kovacs Ramona Leitao Staff Writers Rachael MacIntosh Racheal Walser Staff Photographers Nick Stanley Jesse Derry General Inquiries info@communityedition.ca

CONTRIBUTORS All advertising inquiries should be directed to Kurtis Rideout at 519-884-0710 x3560 kurtis.rideout@wlusp.com

WLUSP ADMINISTRATION President Aaron Waitson Executive Director Lakyn Barton Advertising Manager Kurtis Rideout Directors Alyssa Di Sabatino Arshy Mann Emily Crump Kashyap Patel Rosalind Horne

Alanna Fairey Beth Bowles Brit Kovacs Elise Pipia Erin Applebee Fitsum Areguy Jackelyn Gill Jessie Skinner Matt Smith Nirupam Singh Ruth Cameron Stephanie Truong Stephen Trim COLUMNISTS Breen Split Cara Vandermey Jenna Aquino John Roche Juanita Metzger Kurtis Rideout Nick Benninger Stacey Danckert

The Community Edition is an alternative monthly intended to engage and inform the community.

Started in 2012, the Community Edition is an editorially independent newspaper published by Wilfrid Laurier University Student Publications, Waterloo, a corporation without share capital. WLUSP is governed by its board of directors.

Opinions expressed within the Community Edition are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the editorial board, the Community Edition, WLUSP, WLU or Centra Web. All content appearing in the Community Edition bears the copyright expressly of their creator(s) and may not be used without written consent.

The Community Edition is a member of the Ontario Press Council, which is an independent ethical organization established to deal with editorial concerns.

For additional information or to file a complaint, contact info@ontpress.com or call 416-340-1981.

Preamble to the Community Edition Constitution The Community Edition will keep faith with its readers by presenting news and expressions of opinions comprehensively, accurately and fairly. The Community Edition believes in a balanced and impartial presentation of all relevant facts in a news report, and of all substantial opinions in a

matter of controversy.

The staff of the Community Edition shall uphold all commonly held ethical conventions of journalism. When an error of omission or of commission has occurred, that error shall be acknowledged promptly.

When statements are made that are critical of an individual, or an organization, we shall give those affected the opportunity to reply at the earliest time possible. Ethical journalism requires impartiality, and consequently conflicts of interest and the appearance of conflicts of interest will be avoided by all staff. The only limits of any newspaper are those of the world around it, and so the Community Edition will attempt to cover its world with a special focus on the community of Waterloo Region.

Ultimately, the Community Edition will be bound by neither philosophy nor geography in its mandate.

The Community Edition has an obligation to foster freedom of the press and freedom of speech. This obligation is best fulfilled when debate and dissent are encouraged, both in the internal workings of the paper, and through the Community Edition’s contact with the community. The Community Edition will always attempt to do what is right, with fear of neither repercussions, nor retaliation. The purpose of community press is to act as an agent of social awareness, and so shall conduct the affairs of our magazine.

JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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NEWS IN BRIEF

There’s a few new spin class spots around town. One of our writers checked out three of them to see if there are differences or if any of them reminded us of that scene from The Office with Dwight.

“No! The hill’s a trap! Let’s take the dirt road off to the side.”

Find out more on page 7.

By the way, we’re doing Office trivia on Jan. 23 at Chainsaw.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO

WATERLOO BREWING CIDER

MAN DEAD AFTER BEING HIT BY LRT

STUDENT HOUSING IN WATERLOO

Waterloo Brewing announced a new partnership with Carlsberg Canada. Waterloo Brewing will now be the exclusive Canadian producer of Somersby Cider, which includes apple, pear and blackberry ciders. The three-year $20 million deal was recently announced and the Waterlooproduced Somersby should hit shelves by this summer.

The first road fatality of 2020 in Waterloo Region happened Jan. 4. A 40-year-old man was pronounced deceased after being struck by the ION Light Rail near Columbia and Phillip Street. Waterloo Regional Police are still determining why the man was on the tracks and witnesses are asked to come forward.

According to CTV News, Waterloo hosts nearly half of all student housing in Canada, with over 17,000 beds for students. The Northdale neighbourhood is the most dense with student housing as the neighbourhood is closest to three post-secondary schools, University of Waterloo, Laurier and Conestoga College.

NO GO ON SNOW (MOBILING)

CARL ZERH SQUARE UPDATES

CHAPTER ONE PODCAST

Snowmobiling is not allowed on Grand River Conservation Authority (GRCA) lands this winter due to licensing disagreements between the GRCA and snowmobiling clubs.

During the license renewal process this year, the clubs realized their insurance policy did not cover some of the requirements in the agreements.

The City of Kitchener has budgeted $7.6 million over the next three years for repairs to City Hall’s outdoor spaces. A few of the updates include fixing a water leak in the underground parking garage, repairing pavement and redesigning the ice rink and water fountain.

A report is expected to go to Council in February.

Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region has partnered with the Kitchener Public Library and the KW Community Foundation to start a new podcast series created by the KPL’s Heffner Studio. The podcast has two episode so far and covers topics related to sexual violence in the region such as the court system and engaging male allies.

TWO PAINTBALL ATTACKS

INAPPROPRIATE SIGN AT THE DRINK

CARS STOLEN WHILE WARMING

According to Waterloo Regional Police, on Dec. 29 people in a white pickup truck repeatedly fired paintballs at a horse and buggy carrying a family of seven.

No one was injured. A week earlier, a pickup truck was seen in the Floradale Parochial School parking lot. Intruders broke into the empty school and sprayed a classroom using a paintball gun.

The Drink Uptown has released an apology following a video being released online showing several male employees holding a lightbox sign reading “I thought she was 18”. The club managers said the sign was requested by a VIP group and was not overseen by management and they will be providing safe space training.

Since November, 19 vehicles have been stolen in the region while they were left unattended as they warmed up. Police are reminding people to lock their doors or stay with their vehicles while the car is running. There were also five reported house burglaries in December where thieves accessed the houses through unlocked doors.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR WE WANT TO HEAR FROM YOU

Calling all readers and community members with something to say.

Send us your opinions, comments, hopes, dreams......

Reach out to me at melissa@communityedition.ca -Melissa Embury, Editor in Chief

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JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

ON RELATIONSHIP DYNAMICS AND WINTER BLUES

WE’VE ALL EXPEREINCED AN EMOTIONAL CLOUD IN THE DEAD OF WINTER. CONSIDER HOW YOUR CLOSE RELATIONSHIPS AFFECT YOUR MENTAL HEALTH

MENTAL MATTERS

JOHN ROCHE COLUMNIST Ushered in by a clusterfuck of financial stress and family obligations, winter leaves countless people feeling discouraged, defeated, and alone.

In the psychology/self-help realm, there are plenty of articles suggesting that the cure for the winter blues can be found in an increase of your vitamin D intake, regular trips to the gym, and visits with your friends. These are all excellent — and possibly even necessary — steps for how not to be a shell of a human being by the end of December, but they’re also pretty superficial.

For many of us, the true cause of our winter blues is not a lack of exercise, social engagements, or vitamin D, but a conflict between our needs for attachment and authenticity.

In his book When the Body Says No, physician Gabor Mate suggests that many of us grow up in homes where authentic self-expression is stifled by invalidation, abuse,

neglect, or unrealistic expectations.

In an insecure environment where parents struggle with their own mental health, a child’s anger, sadness, honest mistakes, or any other action deemed unacceptable are met not with validation and support, but with punishment and withdrawal of attachment.

Since we still have cave person brains, and a child homo sapien is utterly helpless, the withdrawal of attachment support literally signals to a child’s brain that it is alone in a hostile environment and about to die.

Since attachment is a survival requirement, children learn very quickly to stifle any feelings or behaviours that threaten it. Instead of crying, they put on a happy face. Instead of making mistakes, they hold themselves to a ruthless standard of perfection. Instead of expressing their own legitimate needs, they focus on the needs of their parents.

The cruel evolutionary twist of fate is that authenticity is also a survival requirement. Again, if we think of our cave brothers and sisters, listening to and acting on your gut feelings was necessary to survive.

Those who ignored their feelings would end up eaten by a lion, killed by a rival tribe, or without food for the day.

Just as it did with those early

attachment breaks, our body responds to our suppression of authenticity as if it were a threat to our survival. Anxiety skyrockets and depressive feelings of hopelessness and shutdown set in.

So what does this have to do with the holidays and winter? For adults who have left their family home, the holidays are the time when this conflict between attachment and authenticity is at its most extreme.

Adults are once again confronted with the dilemma of whether or not to be themselves or to put on a show to maintain attachment with dad or grandma.

Attachment disruptions lead to anxiety and depression. Suppressing your authentic feelings in order to maintain attachment leads to anxiety and depression. For many, the holidays are a no-win situation guaranteed to resurrect precisely the childhood wounds that lead to the symptoms that characterize “the winter blues,” which tend to remain for weeks or months afterwards.

So what’s the solution? Recognize this dynamic in your life, develop relationships where both attachment and authenticity are possible, and set limits on your exposure to people with whom this is not possible. By taking these steps, you can be fairly confident that you won’t have to deal with this shit again next year.

CREATIVE COMMONS

Look both ways before crossing the street — especially at these intersections! MATT SMITH PHOTO, 2017

DANGER ZONES: K-W TOP STREET COLLISION SPOTS

TIMES, THEY ARE A-CHANGING, AND SO ARE THE ROADS IN KITCHENER-WATERLOO. UPDATE YOUR KNOWLEDGE OF THE MOST DANGEROUS AREAS

ERIN APPLEBEE CONTRIBUTER The landscape of Waterloo Region is changing in support of more active transportation methods. The City of Kitchener’s transportation master plan “provide[s] direction on how we can improve our pedestrian, cycling, transit and roadway infrastructure” and the City of Waterloo’s Strategic Plan has an objective of “facilitate[ing] a modal shift, enable increased use of active transportation and public transit.”

Concrete examples of change include the addition of bike lanes on streets like Belmont Ave in Kitchener and Erb Street in Waterloo. In August, The Region of Waterloo

announced a five-kilometre separated bike lane pilot project along University Avenue, Columbia Street, King Street, Albert Street and Erb Street. Local municipalities have made gestures of support, but what about the safety of active transpiration users?

A recent report taken to Regional Council on Dec. 3, from The Department of Transportation and Environment Services highlights a decline in collisions between pedestrians, cyclists and motor vehicles on regional roads. Although the five-year trend shows a steady decline, collisions are still occurring on many regional roads and this recent report highlights some of the most common roads for cyclists and pedestrian collisions.

PEDESTRIAN COLLISION LOCATIONS FOR 2018

1. University Ave. at Albert St.,

Waterloo 2. Ainslie St. at Main St., Cambridge 3. King St. at Bishop St./Bishop St, Cambridge 4. Erb St. at Erbsville Rd. /Ira Needles Blvd., Waterloo 5. Kingsway Dr. (multi-resident driveway) at Wilson Ave., Kitchener 6. University Ave. at Phillip St., Waterloo Pedestrian collisions continue to fluctuate each year. Many low collision years are followed by years with higher rates, and while 2018 saw the lowest number of pedestrian collisions in the past five years, it is not showing a steady downward decline. High pedestrian areas like University Avenue showed up twice on the pedestrian collision location list. The lack of signalized crosswalks isn’t a determining factor for collisions either, 89 per cent of pedestrian collisions occur at signalized intersections, while 56 per

cent of pedestrian collisions occur when the pedestrians had the right of way.

Along with highlighting the roads with the highest rate of collisions the report also looks at collision trends over the past five to ten years. 2018 saw the lowest number of pedestrian and cyclist collisions over the past five years, and Cyclist collisions, unlike pedestrian collisions have seen a steady decline in the past 10 years. While bike lanes no doubt had a positive impact, 74 per cent of collisions still happen at intersections, suggesting a lack of knowledge regarding who has the right of way and visibility issues.

CYCLIST COLLISION LOCATIONS FOR 2018

1. Hespeler Rd. at Munch Ave./ Isherwood Ave., Cambridge 2. Hespeler Rd. at Bishop St. Cambridge

3. Courtland Ave. at Siebert Ave. Kitchener 4. Hespeler Rd. at Avenue Rd./Jaffray St., Cambridge 5. Water St. N. between Ainslie St. and Simcoe St., Cambridge 6. Weber St. E. between Fergus Ave. and Kinzie Ave., Kitchener It’s important to note this report for Regional Council looked at collisions in 2018. We have since seen many changes in support of active transportation; these changes will hopefully continue to be reflected in a decline of collisions with active transportation users.

The Region of Waterloo has an ongoing education initiative, the “Extra sec-check” to help bring awareness to road safety. Asking everyone to “take a look around for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.”

More information about the “Extrasec-check” can be found online.

JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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100 YEARS LATER, WE STILL GOT THAT SWING SWING DANCING IN WATERLOO REGION WORDS BY MELISSA EMBURY • PHOTOS BY JESSE DERRY There was a time when the weekend was less about Netflix and chill, and more about jumping, jiving and wailing — a.k.a going out to swing the night away to the jazz music of the 1920s big bands.

Born in Harlem, N.Y. in 1928, the Lindy Hop, in particular, took off across North America and Europe.

Later, defiantly cheering up a country beaten down by the depression.

Although its true origin is unknown, the Lindy Hop was danced by predominantly black dancers in the 1920s during the Harlem Renaissance.

It became synonymous with swing dancing and was appropriated into white Hollywood. As many dance fads do — swing dancing eventually disappeared.

And then a funny thing happened. It came back in the ‘90s.

Fast forward to today. The joint was jumpin’ at Hepcat Studios in uptown Waterloo on a recent Monday night as people twirled, spun, jitterbugged and did the Lindy Hop to the live jive band, Alex and her Alleycats. The dancers — who ranged in age from teenagers to retirees, many dancing with the same gender, switched partners as often as the band changed big band tunes — were breathless and exhilarated.

“Initially back in the early ‘00s we were just finding gyms and community spaces and dancing in bars,” says dancer Matthew Wieb.

The dancers reminisced of times past, back when Jeff Benoit and

Kristen O’Neill ran Addicted to Dance and Swing Riot and were the ring leaders of the Waterloo swing dance scene for many years before retiring.

They were the ones organizing the weekly dances at different bars in the Region: The Bomber, The Vault, Caesar Martini’s (which burned down), The Huether and The Jazz Room to name a few.

“The reason we dance on Monday nights is because that’s the slow night at bars,” said Wieb. “Swing dancers aren’t particularly good at drinking alcohol but we do look interesting.”

About 10 years ago when Jeff Benoit retired from the scene, the Hepcat Swing community came together. A few dancers created the not-for-profit organization, secured their space and started offering weekly social dances and classes with a focus on getting live music and local bands.

So why does swing draw in a crowd too young to remember the dance’s jazz beginnings from 100 years ago you may ask?

“Of all the social dances it’s the friendliest because it’s not stuck with one partner, in fact, the culture is that you switch partners almost every dance. So that makes it very open to people who are just looking for a place to meet people and socialize,” said Wieb.

“I love how I feel when I’m dancing. I love how it can relax me and just take away all my stress and worries in the world and it’s very good exercise and

you can’t beat the community. Some of my closest friends I met swing dancing. In fact, my husband — I met him through dancing,” Connie Walz said.

“It’s a lot of fun dancing to some really great music. You don’t have to have a partner to show up. You don’t have to know who you’re dancing with.

You don’t even have to dance with somebody of the opposite gender. You can dance with whoever you want, whenever you want and we are just here to have fun,” organizer Sarah Kate Chambers said.

Swing has always been about freedom and expression. With roots in West African culture, swing dancing originated in Harlem back in the jazzera of the 1920s alongside prohibition and it broke all the rules of traditional dance. The big swing bands led by Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman and Count Basie brought together black and white musicians in a new social amalgam that decisively changed North American culture.

Musically, swing offered rhythmic flexibility. Marked by a subtle swaying and a living pulse, which came from musicians playing just ahead of the beat enough to be syncopated, or dragging behind it enough to be bluesy. They referred to this as “swinging the beat” and hence the name was born.

For a long time, the dance itself had no special name. Then, in 1927, Charles Lindbergh crossed

(“hopped”) the Atlantic. A dancer, when asked what the dance was called, remembered the headline and replied impishly, “the Lindy Hop”. For whatever reason, the name stuck.

In the late ‘90s, partnered social dancing began to make a comeback, and dance classes became extremely popular, particularly on university campuses. Back in 2001, swing dancing re-emerged globally as a popular mainstream phenomenon thanks to bands like The Brian Setzer Orchestra and Big Bad Voodoo Daddy with the notorious GAP commercial marking the height of its repopularity.

Since then, the Waterloo Region swing scene has seen many changes over the years, but people keep coming back according to Hepcat — they’ve even made quite a name for themselves out there in the wider swing community: “We’re known across North America for our Waterloo style of dancing because Jeff [Benoit], who started it, had this very unique, very stretchy yummy style of swing and blues. All of our swing was very slow and very gooey,” Walz, who’s been dancing for over 15 years in the region, said.

Teachers at Hepcat Swing hold a beginner lesson every Monday to learn the basics of swing dancing an hour before each month’s dance. Dancers rotate around circles so that everyone gets a turn to dance with somebody else. All ages are welcome. They also

teach all levels Lindy Hop, blues, East and West Coast swing, Balboa and Charleston on other days. See their website for more info.

“We’re open to different genders and different orientations. We are trying to break down the lead/follow gender biases and really encourage people to dance with the same gender.

Or, if they have the chance, take the opposite from the traditional role, learn both roles — you’ll be a better dancer if you know both,” Wieb said.

Although dance is the main magnet for most people who come to Hepcat, music is what brings people together.

The same music from 100 years ago.

Local bands ranging from Jazz singer Alex Pangman and her eight-piece band the Alleycats, The Royal City Big Band, the Roberta Hunt Trio, to the grassroots string band the Ever-Lovin’ Jug Band. On nights they can’t get a live band, DJs play the swing-era jazz music that keeps the crowd on their feet.

“There’s so many people that just want to get out dance, especially in the winter because there’s not a lot to do,” Chambers said. “But we’re here to love the music and express the music and as long as you’re having fun and no one gets hurt you’re not doing it wrong.”

With a grin and a shrug, Wieb adds, “and the band swings.”

JANUARY 2020 // @THECOMMUNITYED

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RADICAL VULNERABILITY

WITH AUTHOR GRACE IBRAHIMA FITSUM ARGEUY CONTRIBUTOR RUTH CAMERON CO-CONTRIBUTOR Right before my interview with local author Grace Ibrahima, she folded her hands in contemplation and sighed. “As I was sitting here waiting for you,’’ she said, “a lot of things went through my mind.” She glanced outside the cafe we sat in, light illuminating her face. “Not all bad things, but it did bring tears to my eyes.”

Though small in stature, there is an abundance and vibrancy to her presence. Born in Trinidad, she shared that she was not brought up reading. Her parents took her out of school without her permission when she was “yea high” so they could set her to work in the rice paddy fields, a crop that is a legacy of the transAtlantic slave trade.

She recalled carrying lunches for older workers and being “seen but not heard.” She threw her hands up.

“Whatever parents said, you did.”

Still, she was a headstrong child.

When she was 21 she sailed across the pond to England. She married Issah Ibrahima, who she calls the love of her life, at 26. They had two

children and she began a profession as a nurse, a career she would continue after immigrating to Canada in 1988.

It was only after years of therapy and counselling that Ibrahima was willing and able to write about her struggles: the abuse at the hands of her father, being sexually assaulted during her time in England, and her subsequent battle with substance use.

She describes her first book, Mercy: One Life, Many Stories as her accounts of “trial and tribulation”, and her most recent novel, All Will Be Well, as her attempt to order and address the issues brought up in her first novel.

I have watched local news outlets’ support and coverage for her story with both excitement and trepidation. The nagging reality is that society expects, and has become numb to, Black people’s pain and abuse.

Though the most direct way to support her is to buy her books, I am concerned that Ibrahima’s lived experiences represent a commodity to some—that her trauma is something they should be able to dwell on and consume, without consideration for the historical context of her pain. My experience of unease led me to engage my colleagues in conversation with how stories of Blackness are taken outside of our communities.

The paradox of receiving

support from white people is that the alienation and isolation she experiences stems directly from the impacts of anti-Blackness and white supremacy. The violence that she speaks of didn’t stem from her family alone. They came from larger systems.

The truth interwoven in her books offers an amazing ethnographic account that contributes to the canon of Black women and femmes recordings and analysis of their embodied experiences. The violence and intergenerational trauma she writes of is connected to legacies of capitalism and African colonization.

The challenges she bravely depicts are deeply personal, yet also common to gendered experiences of anti-Blackness, and offer us tools to reflect on and resist ongoing harm within the diaspora.

Ibrahima’s honest sharing of her experiences and personal journey allows us to consider how we heal from lifetimes of harm. Black women have developed entire worldviews based on their lived experiences, exposing inequality through theorizing from their bodies for the last 500 years.

Though a wider context matters, her story is uniquely hers. Ibrahima’s novels elucidate relationships and therapeutic processes that have given her back her life. She characterizes her experiences with the healthcare system as overwhelmingly positive,

Grace Ibrahima’s new book All Will Be Well is available for purchase now.

NICK STANLEY PHOTO which has not been the reality for many other ACB-identified people in Canada.

She spoke about the impact her novels have had in the community thus far. “You know that #MeToo movement?” she asked. “There are a lot of people,” as she points up and down the street behind us, “who have a #MeToo experience. You know how I know that? They tell me. They read my book and want to talk about it.” This tracks with how the whole #MeToo movement started — with Tarana Burke, a Black civil rights activist from the Bronx.

There is a well of wisdom in both Ibrahima’s individual experiences and in the praxis of Black women.

Black women experience trauma and healing individually and collectively, in ways that are embodied and political.

Ultimately, Grace Ibrahima’s radical vulnerability is something we aspire to emulate through calling in African, Caribbean and Black communities. Her narrative provides a path forward to healing, one that we can consider to foster attachment and support each other communally.

OH HENRY’S TEMPEH

LOCAL TEMPEH KEEPS TRUE AND KEEPS GROWING

RACHEAL MACINTOSH STAFF WRITER Henry’s Tempeh has been producing tempeh in Kitchener-Waterloo since 2002. The company was started by, of course, Henry Schmidt, after he launched a similar facility with his daughter on Salt Spring Island located between Vancouver Island and mainland British Columbia.

Although the company still bears his name, Henry is no longer the owner — there are actually three now.

Paul Sauder, after working for Henry, bought the business in 2012 and was joined by his old friends Philip Dicenanu and Jason Jurchuk in 2016.

Today, the three co-owners aim to keep creating the same quality product while also upgrading facilities and expanding production.

Henry’s Tempeh’s process starts with organic locally grown raw soybeans.

The beans are then cooked and inoculated with a tempeh starter. Next, the tempeh is fermented overnight, pasteurized, and hand cut before being packaged.

“Our process came down from Henry, and it comes from a U.S. patent on how we make it, and we’ve developed it and perfected it. We can make tempeh quite fast that’s very high quality and has a long shelf life.

But the tempeh’s actually stayed the same throughout this, which is something we’re proud of — that we’ve improved this process while keeping the product the same,” said Diceanu.

That product is also pretty healthy and accommodates many food allergies and preferences.

“We’re ticking a lot of boxes

naturally, just by the sheer nature of being tempeh. We are gluten-free, we’re fermented, we’re high in protein, and it’s also a very clean food. There’s only three ingredients. The original tempeh has got three ingredients, and water is actually one,” said Cecile Wehrell, brand ambassador of Henry’s Tempeh.

The company has been delighted to find that the Canadian Food Guide recently gave Canadians more reasons to eat tempeh, and highlighted its nutritious value. “It’s saying that a quarter of your plate needs to be protein, and they actually told Canadians that it would be even better if they were plant-based proteins. So basically, the Canadian Food Guide said to people, ‘Hey. You gotta eat more legumes, you gotta eat more tofu, you gotta eat more tempeh.’ So it’s like, ‘Hey, thanks, guys, for the free marketing’,” said Wehrell.

As Henry’s Tempeh continues to make their product, they are also looking at restructuring to an workerowned co-operative model, with hopes to accomplish this in 2020.

“We wanted to start thinking about how we get anyone that works here involved in the ownership, and how is that going to play out for making better decisions for the company and for the community. We figure if there’s more stakeholders, then there’s more voices to [advocate] for pushing the business in the right direction beyond just making a profit,” said Diceanu.

Henry’s Tempeh products can be found at most local grocery stores and health stores from Full Circle to Food Basics. More information including recipes can be found on the company website.

And for Henry? Well, he’s still travelling a lot in his retirement, but he stops in for the occasional office party.

JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

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SPIN ME RIGHT ROUND FORMER EDITOR BETH BOWLES TOOK ONE FOR THE TEAM AND TRIED OUT THREE DIFFERENT SPIN STUDIOS SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO

When “Wellness Collective” Hustl + Flow opened in September 2018 in uptown Waterloo, everyone I knew seemed to be going, even people who weren’t Instagram fitness models. As a self-identified chubby girl who hates working out, I liked the idea of a scheduled spin class, with a clear start and end time, an instructor to encourage you, and a dark room that offered a sense of anonymity.

In the past, I went to gyms with women’sonly sections, and even then, I thought everyone was judging me. It took me a while

to encourage myself that I was capable of doing a group indoor spin class, but at the end of 2019, I did a few classes and enjoyed it.

Then, at the end of the year, two spin studios that offered similar services popped up in downtown Kitchener, providing Hustl + Flow with some competition. Freedom Cycle and Cyclone Studio seemingly came out of nowhere. I wanted to try them out and see which one was best suited for me — so I did just that.

Before I get into my cross comparison, let’s get a few things clear: I took one class at both

HUSTL + FLOW

CYCLONE STUDIO

120 King St. S., Waterloo

PRICE

Cyclone and Freedom; I’ve taken about six classes at Hustl + Flow, primarily because it’s been open longer. I don’t work out often, and I’m not thin (to be clear, these are not mutally exclusive), so I think I represent the average consumer who might be looking to get into group fitness. Like I said above, I literally loathe exercise. I’m also aware that my experiences and needs are completely different from yours, so I won’t be picking a “winner.” I’ll just give you the facts about my experience, so you can make the best decision for your wallet — and your body.

FREEDOM CYCLE

305 King St. W., Unit 103, Kitchener

PRICE

Each studio has basically the same goal and approach to inclusivity, positivity and encouragement, with a few minor differences.

After visiting each studio, I still really hate working out, but the group fitness model works for me, and clearly it works for other people, too.

If you’ve thought about trying a spin class at one of these three spots, I encourage you to do so. If this chubby, pessimistic girl can have fun at a class, you probably can, too!

283 Duke St. W., Suite 116, Kitchener

PRICE

$20 for one class, $170 for 10 classes (other packages available, “classes” include spin, boxing or yoga)

$18 for one class, $150 for 10 classes (other packages available, spin is the only offering)

$18 for one class, $120 for 10 classes (other packages available, spin is the only offering)

BOOKING

BOOKING

Like the others, you book online. Classes are posted roughly two weeks in advance. Freedom is currently scheduling about three classes a day, when Cyclone and Hustl + Flow are scheduling approximately six.

Therefore, time slots are a bit more limited. You also don’t reserve a bike in advance.

You book online through a fairly user-friendly website. Classes are posted online a week in advance. The class names can be a little confusing for first-timers.

I wish Hustl + Flow would clearly differentiate what classes are spin, yoga or boxing on their site.

The online booking system is really similar to the others. The main exception is that they have several weeks posted in advance, making it easier to book numerous classes at once.

THE SPACE

Cyclone’s location is prime. It’s easily accessible via public transit, and the front door was easy to find in such a large building. The design is bright, with an industrial feel.

The change room was huge. Complete with lockers, showers, Dyson hair dryers, complimentary toiletries and huge, well-lit mirrors, it’s a great change room to get ready in before work.

Because the space is smaller, there was only one employee when I was there (that I saw), but because Cyclone is only offering spin, it didn’t feel as busy as Hustl + Flow. I was able to get help with both my shoes and my bike. The staff were friendly and eager to help.

Hustl + Flow is one of those Instagrammable spaces, with a well-thought out design plan and murals from local artists like Trisha Abe and Stephanie Scott. It feels luxurious and expensive. It’s complete with saunas, a large lounge area and even a hair salon called Seint. Because Hustl + Flow also offers yoga and boxing, it’s the largest of the three studios, sitting two-storeys high.

I’ve found the change rooms to be small, so I usually come dressed to avoid being naked in front of people I don’t know in a cramped space.

They’re always heavily staffed, which makes it easy to ask questions, but the busyness of the place can be overwhelming.

THE CLASS

The spin studio is painted black with low light, achieving the sense of anonymity I was looking for. The lighting changes throughout the class, so sometimes you’re spinning in complete darkness.

To get this out of the way early, I found the class experience at all three studios really similar. The room is dark, the music is loud and the instructor is similar to a motivational speaker. As someone who feels self-conscious working out in public spaces, I felt that Hustl + Flow was encouraging. The instructors spoke more generally to the whole class, opposed to singling anyone out. I appreciate that.

If good music is a criteria for you, Hustl + Flow has really diverse programming in terms of playlists, some focusing on specific artists like Lizzo or Drake.

Hustl + Flow can feel like you’re working out in a nightclub — at some points you feel like you’re in a choreographed music video, not a spin class.

PRO-TIP: When booking online, book early. I’ve tried to book a class a day in advance, and they’ve been full. As the oldest of the three studios, Hustl + Flow is busy, I mean really busy. All of the classes I’ve taken have been fully booked.

THE SPACE

THE CLASS

As said before, Cyclone abided by the typical formula: dark room, loud music, motivational speaker-like instructor. The room has two walls of full windows with black-out curtains, so pitch-blackness wasn’t achieved, but it was close.

The class felt really similar to the classes at Hustl + Flow — it was encouraging and no one was singled out for not being able to keep up. Like Hustl + Flow, the class was “choreographed.” If you’ve never taken a spin class before, in choreographed classes, the instructor will encourage you to bob your head to the left and right with the beat of the music, among other easy-to-follow moves. At times I felt silly, so I just didn’t do it.

Cyclone also does music-themed classes, just not as regularly as Hustl + Flow.

PRO-TIP: Cyclone uses different bikes and shoes than both Hustl + Flow and Freedom (who use basically the same style bikes and shoes). So, if you’re used to Hustl + Flow or Freedom, but want to try Cyclone, maybe give yourself some extra time to figure out the shoes and how to adjust your bike.

BOOKING

THE SPACE

Freedom’s entrance can be a little tricky to find, but the confirmation email gives helpful instructions.

The space is nicely spread out, with a large lobby and small waiting area with lockers. It’s not as flashy or luxurious as Hustl + Flow, but that didn’t bother me. If anything, I felt more comfortable. Instead of gendered change rooms, Freedom has about four or five standalone change room stalls, separate from the bathroom.

When I got there, I was given a tour because it was my first class. This eased a lot of my anxieties and meant I didn’t have to ask any questions. The employee at the front desk was really friendly, and even introduced me to the instructor before class. I went on a Sunday morning and it wasn’t busy, making this more feasible — but I thought it was really good customer service. It felt personal and intentional.

THE CLASS

Once again, the classes were similar, but my class at Freedom didn’t have much choreo. Choreo has made me feel silly in the past, so I was thankful for this. The instructor said the focus was to achieve good form on the bike, which I think can be compromised by flashy choreo.

The room was pitch black with a low, red light. The wall you face when you ride is covered with a mirror.

I found myself distracted by this, but it wasn’t a deal breaker.

The class I took was definitely one of the more challenging spin classes I’ve taken. However, the instructor had such a genuinely encouraging and positive attitude it was easy to want to keep up. The class was nowhere near full, but the instructor knew everyone’s names — it was clear they were regulars.

She also took the time to teach me how to fit my bike, opposed to just doing it for me. I thought my lack of skill would stick out in a class with less people, but I didn’t feel judged for taking a break.

PRO-TIP: Bring your own lock — unlike Cyclone and Hustl + Flow, the locks aren’t supplied for you.

Also, go early. Because bikes are first-come, first served, you want to make sure you get the spot you want.

ONE PICTURE, HUNDREDS OF POSSIBILITIES:

THE ART OF ILIJA MALES

WORDS BY JACKELYN GILL • PHOTOS BY NIRUPAM SINGH With 53,000 pictures in his portfolio, it would take 73.6 hours or just over three days to view everything digital artist Ilija Males has created in his 20-plus years as an artist.

And though they’re different in colour, shape, composition and inspiration, each abstract image points back to the 71-year-old’s life as a math teacher, a bus driver, a war refugee, a father, a Kitchenerite, a fan of the arts and a lover of nature.

“I use my photos from my cell phone. I took flowers, sky, food, leaves, fruits and nature in different compositions and I do abstract photos in really rich colours,” Males said, describing his work as a combination of abstract geometric and biological.

For the most part, each piece starts with what he calls a “base,” a digital photo he snapped of a street corner, an electricity tower or a juicy tomato – whatever catches his eye.

From there, Males uses digital sketch programs and Adobe Photoshop to zoom in, flip elements around and adapt the colours. “I change the colour slowly,” he said, “and stop when I’m feeling good.”

The whole process is like driving a car, he says: once you go forward, you’re not moving back. Or, to put it another way, “you have three different sketches, and [with] each sketch you have 50 possibilities.”

Though Males always wanted to be an artist, he didn’t begin with digital art. His journey started as a child growing up in Bosnia, where he found inspiration in the greats – from da Vinci’s Mona Lisa to the paintings of

Picasso and Rembrandt.

“In middle school, I was taking art classes and the teacher said to my mom, ‘he has such talent,’” Males remembers. But to pursue that talent, he would have to move away from his family and attend a high school that focused on painting. “I didn’t go because my mother said I was too small to go so far away.”

So, Males became a math teacher instead. For 20 years, he taught high school math and computer science in the former Yugoslavia, and started a family of his own.

It was in a textbook where he found artistic inspiration again. “I looked at one book and inside was a graphic,” he said, describing it as black-and-white pop-art generated by a computer. “I said, ‘look at this. It’s beautiful.’ ” From that point on, Males wanted to explore digital art – but with war spreading through the region, he couldn’t purchase a computer. He spent his days teaching because he was the only math teacher in his school; he spent his nights digging trenches for soldiers, because he had to.

“Some took us underground,” he said, “even while the enemy was fighting with us.” He remembers hearing gunfire closeby and voices approaching through those tunnels, but never knowing which side they belonged to.

His wife and children fled to Austria, and the family who remained had to make do with very little. “The first day, my mom ate. The second day, my mom’s mom ate. And the third day,

I ate.”

Males didn’t meet his daughter, Duska, until she was four and a half years old and his family finally received the all-clear to migrate to Canada.

When they landed in Quebec City, Males found a job teaching math.

But when some friends who went to Conestoga College suggested Males and his family move to KitchenerWaterloo, he took the chance.

“It was an easier life in Kitchener than it was in Quebec City for an immigrant,” he said. And it wasn’t long until he landed a job as a math teacher – this time, in the French immersion system. “That gave us a home.”

It also allowed him to buy his first computer in 1998. It came with builtin sketching software that piqued his interest and opened the door for him to create his first series, Kitchener in the Night.

At first, he sold his work at Queen Street Commons. “I had nine photos and I sold three,” he remembers. He also sold prints at Kitchener Market until vendor restrictions made it difficult for him to spend entire mornings there.

Now retired from teaching, he drives a small six-seater van for Sharp Bus Lines. He’s also worked as a driver for City Hall, which means he’s traveled Kitchener well and snapped photos across the city. “There’s nothing that I missed,” he said with a laugh.

Most of his work is best displayed on-screen, he adds. Whether it’s digital frames or slideshows, he says the colours work best when they’re lit

up or projected. “Computers have over a million colours. If you want a blue, there are 2,500 blues,” he said.

So when Males had the opportunity to host an artist reception at the Kitchener Public Library last December, he jumped at the chance.

“About 40 photos got put on the wall and [there was] a book with 40 photos of Kitchener in the Night,” he said.

The lower level of the library had a slideshow of his work across six TV screens, too.

Though he received a lot of support and positive feedback from the exhibit, it was a strange feeling to see his work on display, he said. “I saw my photos on the wall, and then I got sad and I felt empty.” In fact, he didn’t watch his own slideshows, his daughter Duska added.

“He has seen them so many times and he wishes he could make changes or alterations,” she said. “Your first time seeing things, you don’t see those flaws.” He knows where every red, yellow, green and blue come from, something no one else will ever truly know.

But that won’t stop Males from putting more of his work out into the world, he says. He’d love to see his work anywhere where there are screens and people waiting – airports, medical offices, retirement homes, malls and more.

As for the future? “I’m hoping to display at Waterloo and Guelph libraries and appear on Google,” he said.

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GET READY FOR THIS TREAT:

GARLIC CAULIFLOWER BAHN MI REGIONAL RECIPE

BREEN SPLITT COLUMNIST After I had my first bite of a Wooden Boat Food Company ‘Banh Mi’ sandwich, I immediately fell in love with the bold yet delicate, fresh flavours.

After many Saturday afternoon visits to the shop and my fair share of chef Tran’s food, I was inspired to experiment with some of my favourite plant-based ingredients to create my own spin on this delicious Vietnamese staple. Cauliflower adds great texture and flavour, especially accompanied by this meaty paté, and super fresh quick-pickled veggies.

WHAT YOU’LL NEED Miso Walnut Paté 1 cup walnuts, preferably toasted for extra flavour 2/3 cup of water 2 TBSP corn starch 3 TBSP nutritional yeast 2 TSP lemon juice ½ TSP miso paste 1/3 tsp each of garlic, onion, and

paprika powder 2.5 TSP soy sauce 2 TBSP Olive oil Pepper to taste Roasted Chili Garlic Cauliflower 2.5-3 cups of cauliflower florets 2 TBSP maple syrup, honey or agave 2 TBSP lime juice 1/3 cup tamari (or soy) 3 TBSP chilli garlic paste Easy Pickled Veg ½ cup of rice vinegar 1 TBSP sugar 2 TSP salt 1 cup of finely chopped vegetable (carrot, jalapeno, daikon, red onion) + White French or Vietnamese sandwich baguettes, cut in half +Cilantro and fresh cucumber for garnish PREPARATION Miso Walnut Pate · Place all ingredients into a food processor, or blender. Pulse until a nearly-smooth consistency is reached. If desired, feel free to pulse longer for a smoother texture, or add water to reach a creamier texture.

· Mix all ingredients together in a large mixing bowl. Toss until cauliflower is evenly coated. · Place coated cauliflower in an even layer on a baking sheet. · Roast at 450 for 25-30 minutes.

Finish by broiling on high for 5-8 minutes, or until florets are crispy and caramelized.

Quick Pickled Veggies · Place vinegar, sugar and salt into a small saucepan, and warm ingredients. Wisk vinegar, sugar and salt together until sugar and salt are incorporated into vinegar. Add finely chopped veggies to a mason jar or bowl, and pour warm vinegar liquid over top. Place into your fridge, and allow to sit for 10-15 minutes minimum. These veggies can be kept for up to 3-4 days.

ASSEMBLE SANDWICH · Take your baguette halves, and smear a nice thick layer of paté on the lower half. · Add your cauliflower florets on top of the paté. Then add cilantro, cucumber, pickled vegetables.

Serve and enjoy!

Roasted Chili Garlic Cauliflower · Prehead oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with a silicone baking mat, or parchment paper.

Drooling and ready for lunch. BREEN SPLIT PHOTO

NEW TUNE REVIEW

A NERVOUS ENERGY TRACK: “Might” by Paper Hats LINK: https://splendidindustries.bandcamp.com/album/the-peanut-gallery-ayear-in-review-vol-1 Full disclosure: I’m traditionally a big fan of formulaic, bubble-gum music of any genre and my preferences have admittedly always reflected that. But as of late I have been gaining a more personal appreciation for music that prioritizes raw feeling and emotion over structure and melody. And for me there is no local group that embodies the former more than Paper Hats, a two-piece supergroup of sorts formed by the drummer from Toronto band Your Grandad and the guitarist/ backing vocalist from local band Karloff.

Their frenetic drumming is matched only by equally intricate guitar work and increasingly anxious vocals. The combination of all three elicits strong emotional response above all else. All at once the duo creates feelings of creeping dread mixed with explosive energy, resulting in an experience that is on one hand jarring and distant and

on the other intimate and elegant.

For your reference their 2019 EP Tearing is available on streaming platforms and Bandcamp.

Most recently they released a single “Might” on the Splendid Industries compilation Peanut Gallery vol. 1, which is available on Bandcamp.com.

- Kurtis Rideout, local musician, producer and ad manager for WLUSP

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WHAT IS A FOREST SCHOOL? STEPHEN TRIM CONTRIBUTOR The first forest school was opened in Denmark during the 1950s. In the years since, their popularity has grown substantially, including in the UK where there are now more than 130.

Forest schools made their way to Canada in 2007, when Carp Ridge Preschool opened just outside of Ottawa. In 2012, Forest School Canada, an educational initiative of the Child and Nature Alliance of Canada, began formally training and certifying educators across the country.

Wildflowers Forest School was founded in 2012 by Brandy Schell and is located in Waterloo’s Bechtel Park. It is one of several forest schools in the KW region supplementing traditional education.

Wildflowers offers immersive half and full-day programs, helping students between the ages of three and 12 build resilience, refine problem-solving skills, improve sensory development and test boundaries through the exploration of nature.

Children across North America are increasingly spending time indoors and in front of screens. According to the Child and Natural Alliance of Canada and the National Survey of Children’s Health, this is leading to increased health and developmental concerns.

Like most forest schools, Wildflowers teaches crosscurriculum. The school integrates science, mathematics, language, communication and physical activity into the every day, using the forest

as the classroom.

Sarah Michelle is a former elementary and Montessori school teacher. Today, she teaches at Wildflowers and she sees the benefits every day. “[The freedom of] being outside gives children the opportunity to learn and understand communication, self-regulation and the laws of nature. Seeing it with their own eyes is powerful the change of all four seasons and how they connect to that within themselves,” she said.

“Traditional learning tends to be top-down,” said Sarah Michelle. The current best practice for learning at traditional schools is a highlyregimented curriculum with little time for exploration. By contrast, almost all learning that occurs in forest schools is student-led.

Teachers will set the tone or theme for each class, but the students’ interests shape what the class will focus on for the day.

Teachers at Wildflowers focus on leveraging students’ curiosity to inform lessons. According to The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, studentled projects dramatically increase student engagement and learning outcomes.

“Asking, where does it come from? Who relies on it? What would happen if it wasn’t here? [Are important questions]” Michelle said. These questions not only drive student learning but increase their connection to the environment around them.

Michelle Purchase, a professor at the University of Guelph has been sending her daughter, now eight, to Wildflowers for the past five years — her nephew also recently started attending. She believed her kids weren’t getting everything they needed from traditional education and decided to give Wildflowers a try.

“My concern was that they don’t really get very much of an outdoor education and appreciation,” she said. That’s where Wildflowers helped out. “Connection with nature is the best way to develop a sense of stewardship and relationship with the environment.”

According to the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, there is a growing group of parents who feel traditional school systems are lacking.

The majority of students attending Wildflowers are enrolled in traditional schools four days a week. Both Brandy and Michelle Purchase believe that parents are frustrated with the lack of handson activities children undertake in traditional school systems — forest schools offer an alternative and a supplemental education.

Forest schools give children permission to explore, to get dirty, to take (moderate) risks. They equip students with the capacity and tools needed to be resilient and deal with stress later in life.

As Brandy Schell said, “I know one parent who was really worried about [the kids] being outside in the snow during winter. Over time she was so impressed with how her children were able to manage all those elements and build themselves up — just their confidence in themselves and seeing the changes.”

For some parents in Canada, forest schools may be too new to justify missing a day of school, but there is growing research showing the importance of outdoor exploration and learning outcomes — this includes improving sensory development and increasing adaptability.

According to the CBC, as forest schools continue to grow in popularity across Canada, traditional schools may be advised to adopt some of their best practices.

This kid doesn’t go to a forest school but she does love the outside.

JESSE DERRY PHOTO

How can we feel motivate to change our at-home habits when it feels so small? BRIT KOVACS PHOTO

SMALL CHANGES WHEN IT FEELS OVERWHELMING EASY BEING GREEN

STACEY DANCKERT COLUMNIST I have a confession to make.

Sometimes I’m not the ecowarrior I want to be — or think I should be.

Sometimes it’s all so overwhelming — the sheer gravity of what we face and the seemingly complete inaction of so many. So that’s when I decide it’s time to step back and reevaluate.

I try to start by reminding myself how far we have come.

I know it doesn’t always seem like we’ve moved the scale much at all, but it has moved — and

in significant ways. Just this year Conservative candidates and leaders acknowledged that climate breakdown is a real issue, a substantial proportion of Canadians voted for climate action and millions of people marched to push for more substantive action.

Although I don’t have the data, my sense is that the changes are not happening linearly but at an everincreasing rate.

I know there have also been huge disappointments, such as the failure to come to an agreement at the most recent international climate talks, but governments and corporations are continually moving up deadlines and increasing targets, which helps me maintain hope. If commitments continue to escalate at a growing rate then maybe, just maybe we can actually get on top of this in time.

As for my personal actions,

— I attempt to set goals and reevaluate what my family and I are doing frequently to minimize how overwhelmed I get by the colossal changes we need to make. This way we can continue to improve without having to make huge leaps at any one time.

I believe this approach works better with the natural fear of change. I often aim for one or two changes that I can feel positively about. For example, you could increase the frequency that you eat plant-based meals, decrease the number of grocery items you buy from outside of Ontario or buy more organic. You could also identify places you drive to regularly that you could walk or take public transit instead, or commit to wearing your clothes a bit longer before upgrading.

Once you’ve made these types of switches, it doesn’t take long before

they simply become part of your routine. One commitment I made years ago was to never buy a coffee or tea without a reusable cup. It was a small change, but once I made it, I never went back. Once you have adopted one change, it becomes easy to add more.

It may feel harder to make changes once you have got the low-hanging fruit, but if you struggle to make more shifts in your own life, take a break and think about the bigger picture and broader impact you could make.

There are many opportunities within local organizations helping to educate others and advocate for governmental action — creating momentum for our communities and making significant impacts.

Sometimes it may be good to take a break and evaluate what you’re doing.

Alternatively, consider making a competition with family or friends.

You could compete for who makes the least amount of waste, how often you get around without driving, or even take turns writing down reasons to continue to work and live more sustainably.

There is a fine balance between not becoming complacent while also maintaining positive mental health and not putting too much pressure on ourselves.

Just like our New Year’s resolutions to improve our physical health — every day is a new day to take action, and occasionally it really is ok to take a day off.

Stacey Danckert is co-director of Waterloo Region Environment Network (WREN)

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GROWING WITH GEMSTONES

REASONS WHY THE BEST IDEAS SOMETIMES COME TOGETHER IN YOUR DREAMS

THE SIDE HUSTLE

JENNA AQUINO COLUMNIST

Casey Schied, modeling a gemstone from his collection NICK STANLEY PHOTOS

Casey Schied, Manager of Kitchener’s Bead Boutique, has spent the last few years establishing his beloved side project, Night Owl Gemstones, an online shop that specializes in unique jewellery and raw gemstones.

After graduating from Conestoga College, Schied was working a fulltime job while hunting for a career in design and freelancing on the side.

“Eventually I didn’t enjoy the job I was in anymore and needed an out. I quit one day and ended up working for a couple of friends who owned a body jewellery business in Conestoga Mall. Their entrepreneurial spirit really began to fuel me to go into business for myself,” said Schied.

“That was my first experience with gemstones and I began learning more about them and the metaphysical properties associated with them.”

Later on, when Schied found himself working at the Bead Boutique in Belmont Village, his interest quickly grew.

“Gemstones have been used for healing and connecting to the universe for thousands of years and each gemstone has a variety of properties associated with it …

I believe that gems have materials within them that can aid in healing,” said Schied.

As his experiences and interests aligned, Schied developed a vision for what is now Night Owl Gemstones.

“I wanted to do something that I had more artistic control over – that is when I began cutting and polishing my own gemstones. I ended up taking my passion for design and incorporating it into my jewellery by creating pieces of art that are wearable,” said Schied.

“The idea [behind Night Owl Gemstones] came from many sleepless design nights in college.

The majority of my good ideas came to me in a dream or in the middle of the night when I couldn’t sleep. I called myself a night owl, which turned into the name for my freelance design business and evolved into what it is today.”

For nearly two years Schied has been selling his jewellery on Etsy, taking custom orders as well. Today, he also sells on consignment at The Purple Door in Galt and at The 9th Vibration in Guelph, as well as on Instagram and at surrounding markets such as the Sip and Shop markets in Stratford, Communitech’s Holiday Market and the Pinery Market in Grand Bend, to name a few.

Schied’s work is an intricate process, including the sourcing of the gemstones themselves which he collects from all over the world – primarily from Brazil, Madagascar and India. He has even

begun to mine his own materials near Bancroft, Ontario, in pursuit of minerals like Smokey Quartz, Rose Quartz, Apatite and Beryl.

“I really enjoy being able to stare into a piece of raw mineral that is millions of years old and has come from the earth and redefine the shape of it myself,” said Schied. “I love the entire process … it really lets me create from the heart and living in the moment. For me, it has become a stress release that I couldn’t live without.”

While working a nine-to-five-job and maintaining a side business does require a great deal of energy, Schied enjoys being kept busy and makes an effort to stay balanced with physical activity and meditation.

“Too many people work until they burn out and in turn create a negative emotion around what they are doing. It is more than acceptable to re-evaluate your schedule and take “me” time to enjoy your life,” he said.

“Whatever it is that you want to do, you can do it … sometimes you just have to go with the flow and see what happens. Take a risk, challenge yourself and don’t be afraid of failing because you will constantly find chances to learn and grow.”

HERE’S YOUR LOCAL TRAVEL LIST FOR 2020

NEED SUGGESTIONS FOR LOCAL PLACES AND THINGS TO EXPLORE? YOU’RE IN LUCK, WE HAVE A FEW SUGGESTIONS

HYPERLOCAL TRAVEL

JUANITA METZGER COLUMNIST I just picked up a copy of “Explore Every Day” at Words Worth Books in Waterloo. It’s a brand new publication from Lonely Planet, the company synonymous with wanderlust-y travel guides to far off destinations.

The author, Alex Leviton, describes this small volume as an “untravel” book. I can’t help feeling like Leviton has been reading this hyperlocal travel column over the past year.

Wishful thinking on my part, but I was thrilled to see themes from my columns echoed in a book prompting the reader to seek local community experiences and interactions to “awaken the sense of adventure or connection” we feel when we travel.

I’m in for that.

In 2019, I travelled every month of the year, which is a bit of a dream goal for me. But, if you followed this column throughout the past year, you know a lot of my travel involved walking, hiking, public transit and 30-minute drives to locations within Waterloo Region rather than air travel.

When I started this column one year ago, I was convinced that our community has everything you would expect to find when you travel to international cities. I was not wrong.

I visited our four rural townships for day trip adventures and attended events in Cambridge, Kitchener and Waterloo. This isn’t a huge stretch for me as I’m a locally-minded and engaged person, to begin with.

“

...I WAS CONVINCED THAT OUR COMMUNITY HAS EVERYTHING YOU WOULD EXPECT TO FINDWHEN YOU TRAVEL TO INTERNATIONAL CITIES.

”

I WAS NOT WRONG. But, most of the experiences I encountered were things I had never done before and had not even heard about.

I attended my first KW Titans basketball game, tubed on the Grand River, ate my way through the Wellesley Apple Butter and Cheese Festival, visited a dozen farm shops and road-side stands for locally grown produce, had lunch and fellowship at an Older Mennonite family farm and spent a day of learning at Six Nations of the Grand River.

I had countless conversations where I learned hilarious local history and obscure factoids and heard numerous passionate defences for why Waterloo Region makes a

great travel destination. If it hadn’t been for a casual chat with a friend, I wouldn’t have looked up the story of Black Horse Corner in North Dumfries Township or made a stop to visit Nith Valley Apiaries in Wilmot Township.

I loved hearing from readers who took a local trip because they read about it in this column. Most people also got lost on the unsigned GeoTime Trail in Waterloo. Others were inspired to go see a local sports team or check out the trippy Twilight Zoo in Elora.

In addition to highlighting more local gems and destinations in 2020, I will share some stories of other Waterloo Region people exploring our community as hyperlocal travellers.

I received suggestions for more places to see and things to do and some of these will make it into the column for 2020. People wanted to tell me about their favourite local place and I look forward to sharing these from the perspective of someone who knows it well.

I’m not the only one exploring ideas of hyperlocal travel, untravel, everyday travel, or whatever you want to call it. The common element is that we can find experiences, meet new people and have adventures in our own community that just like travelling around the world.

Let’s try it. Where shall we travel this year?

Wanderlust can be found right at home JUANITA METZGER PHOTO

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JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

What’s more appropriate for a mushroom recipe than psychedelicfunk? CONTRIBUTED IMAGE

PSYCHEDELIC FUNK: MY MUSIC AT WORK

ON HOW SELECTING THE RIGHT PLAYLIST IN THE KITCHEN CAN TRANSORM YOUR COOKING EXPERIENCE AND MEMORIES

519 SCHMECKS

NICK BENNINGER COLUMNIST Food and music are arguably the two most universally relatable art forms. Both can reach the highest of highs, yet at their core and in their most basic form, they are as easy to appreciate as apple pie or even boy bands.

In my life, music and food have intertwined like bread and butter or rhythm and blues. I won’t last 10 minutes in any kitchen before setting the tone with a good playlist — and I’m not alone. Almost every cook I have worked with has a passion for music, especially in the kitchen.

Although the paycheques never allowed for much frivolous

spending, some of the deepest record collections I’ve seen were in the basement apartment of a cook.

Need something for a last-minute stage setup? Ask the kitchen. I guarantee someone back there has played or still plays in a band.

It’s not always a harmonious affair and sometimes control of the playlist can be a heated debate.

Even in the small kitchen of my first restaurant with only three cooks working, we would argue relentlessly about the validity of Yacht Rock as a genre, or the fact that Ween is indeed one of the greatest bands of all time.

That kitchen was open — meaning during restaurant service we would be listening to the same music as the guests. What did that mean? For starters, we always had the rather large kitchen speaker cranked.

Secondly, the playlist would have to be something me and my cooks could work to. Norah Jones and the Gypsy Kings were the height of restaurant music at the time, but I

wasn’t gonna cook to that every day.

Playlists with artists ranging from The Grateful Dead to Gilberto Gil and Snoop Dog were made, volume corrected and changed regularly to keep us all happy. Music became a much bigger aspect to the preparation that went into each service than anyone would think.

I’ll never forget one moment that galvanized the role music plays in the kitchen when I was still learning my way as a head chef. Back then I ran a two-level restaurant with separate kitchens. The night was New Year’s Eve, and both kitchens were booked solid with complicated menus as I was still learning my way as a chef. As service began to wind down in one kitchen, a cook came from the other calling for help.

Shit was hitting the fan. I dug in and helped, delegating orders to my team while I told our youngest cook to put the Queens of the Stone Age CD on and crank it to “kitchen 11” level. As we collectively bailed ourselves out of the weeds, we

bobbed our heads to the melodic metal stoner riffs of Songs for the Deaf.

Distraction, concentration, rhythm, unity, air drumming, singing, dancing in movement, it’s all happening when the right song is playing at the right moment and things just seem to click into place.

Easily one of my fondest memories cooking professionally, and that record never ceases to bring me right back to that moment.

Next time you strap on an apron and hit the kitchen, put some thought into a music selection, pick something soulful and try to really connect to the moment, season to the beat and make the food sing.

Check out my recipe this month online. I’ve also included an album suggestion I never tire of cooking to. Get ready for some old school psychedelic funk!

Nick Benninger is a local chef and restaurant owner.

THE ALBUM: MAGGOT BRAIN BY FUNKADELIC This 1971 release cemented Funkadelic as the founders of the Psychedelic Funk genre. A collection of shorter, more singalong type funk tracks sandwiched between open and closing tracks that move slowly and hit hard.

These guitar based songs wander more than your average funk tracks and the blistering guitar solos on both are some of the most soulful examples in the genre. For me, this is the ultimate album to cook along to, sing along to, dance to and even just get lost and feel the creative energy.

This one is for a solo chef moment.

As I will truly lose myself in this album while cooking, it’s best I’m alone. My dance moves tend to be more like interpretive dance and for a large man that can be dangerous in a kitchen, not to mention embarrassing, so don’t expect to catch me at work with this as the soundtrack.

FROM THE ARCHIVES: NAMING OF THE ION

RELIVE THE PAST WITH THIS ARTICLE FROM 2013 — THE LIGHT RAIL WAS COMING, BUT WHAT WERE WE GOING TO CALL IT?

LOOKING BACK ALANNA FAIREY CCE CONTRIBUTOR Waterloo Region’s Light Rail Transit (LRT) is going to be named soon, with three potential names that will be determined by the public: Ion, Arc and Trio .

Back in November, Waterloo Region was accepting requests from developers to determine who will design the $818-million project.

Thomas Schmidt, the commissioner of transportation and environmental services, is currently overseeing the report along with the Region of Waterloo officials.

The report still requires time and a plethora of supplementary discussions by both the public and the regional officials, but Schmidt ensures that the negotiations between the Region and Bombardier, the developer chosen to produce the trains, are still underway and are going smoothly.

“The process in the report is still being followed and Region staff continue negotiations with Bombardier,” Schmidt said.

“Negotiations are going well and it is anticipated that an agreement will be reached shortly at which point a report will be presented to Regional Council for their approval.”

Now, the Region of Waterloo officials and Quarry Integrated Communications Inc. are working

together to propose three names for the rapid transit system.

The names are not arbitrary, as they all have significant representation.

According to Sarah Harwood, vice-president of Quarry Communications Inc., Ion symbolizes the electrical charge, playing on the notion that the transit is always on the move.

Arc is rounded like the proposed rapid transit route and represents a prolongation of transit in the region. Trio represents people working together with inventive and harmonious implications.

The name will be determined through a series of public consultations.

According to Darshpreet Bhatti, the director of rapid transit at the Region of Waterloo, this is significant since public involvement is essential to the program.

“We have a full public program that will be starting soon,” Bhatti said.

“We will be going to the public with the shortlist of the names, get their feedback and then we will go back to council with recommendations in terms of the preference from the public and then we will move forward with one.”

Three separate public conference sessions for the proposed names will be taking place before making a final decision, which is to be announced at the end of February.

Would a LRT ride by any other name be as smooth? STEPHANIE TRUONG GRAPHIC Once the public has selected a name, construction is intended to begin next summer.

According to Bhatti, the Region’s use of public consultations is on schedule and the expected changes will be made as soon as they are legitimized. “[The Waterloo Region officials] have always identified with this timeline,” Bhatti reassured.

“We have the public consultations coming up and we are on schedule for that, and I don’t see a reason why we wouldn’t implement this model in 2014.”

Harwood shared that the narrowing down of the three contending

names came with its own prolonged development.

Harwood explained that there were more than three names that were considered.

“We had a foundation of work to inspire our thinking and then we moved into a brainstorming,” Harwood shared.

“We heard from citizens and from those at the spine of the community, delving into the history and characteristics that the people told us about the community that were collaborative. We ended up generating over 300 names.”

Harwood shared that Quarry Communications Inc. were able to

narrow down the three names based on if the names were meaningful and able to work with the technology.

Though the process of elimination brought them to the top three names, there are still other factors that must be considered.

“The explorations around font and logo colours and how the name will look on the station stop are a part of the contract that is needed to be done with the region,” Harwood concluded.

Originally published in the fourth ever issue of the Community Edition — then called the Cord Community Edition — in January 2013.

JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

14

MIDWIVES GET THE FUNDING BAIT AND SWITCH

THESE TRAINED HEALTHCARE PROFESSIONALS NEED MORE ONTARIO GOVERNMENT FUNDING TO CONTINUE PROVIDING SPECIALIZED CARE IN THE REGION

RACHAEL MACINTOSH STAFF WRITER Midwives are trained healthcare professionals who work as the primary healthcare providers for pregnant people before, during, and after birth.

Before birth, midwives have regular appointments with patients where they conduct check-ups, along with providing education and helping plan for the birth and everything that comes after. The delivery may be conducted at a hospital, the client’s home, or a birthing centre. After the birth, midwives continue to support the parents and baby for up to six weeks.

One of the benefits of choosing a midwife as your primary healthcare provider for your pregnancy is that midwives have a lower client load than family doctors or obstetricians.

“As a midwife, I take care of maybe forty clients per year. I have a lot more time to talk to a client about not only physically what she’s doing during her pregnancy but, preparing her mentally... So you get a lot more personalized and specialized care,” said Heidi Johnston.

“Average family doctors take care

of anywhere upwards of two to three thousand patients per year. They might have two or three hundred pregnant people. They don’t have the time to spend talking about all sorts of things like breastfeeding and labour support. Their visit appointment times are maybe ten, fifteen minutes long.

Obstetricians, they’re even busier than that,” said Johnston.

Last July, the Ontario provincial government announced its pledge of 28 million to expand midwifery services in the province. However, the announcement has been criticized as being misleading.

When the Ontario midwives submitted their budgets back in 2017, three years ago, little did they know that they would be working with this funding until now. The recent announcement from the Liberal Government was simply referring to the budget they were granted back then according to Johnston, Head midwife at Grand River Hospital.

In addition, access to that funding may be more complicated than people realize. A lot of the funding cannot be accessed by many hospitals. The current contract with the Ministry of Health allocates different funding for general registrants or midwives practicing for more than one year and new graduates entering the field who have been practicing for less than a year. General registrants cannot access

new graduate funding and vice versa.

The issue, however, is that many hospitals cannot hire new midwives and are therefore not able to access funding allocated to new graduates.

“We’re capped at our number of 28 midwives that work there. So, this money, basically, at the end of the fiscal year, gets returned back to the government, and then they will look and say, ‘You didn’t use all your money. So when you’re asking for it next year, you’re not going to get it, because you didn’t use it.’ Whereas if they actually just gave us cheques for 1.2 million, there’s plenty of things we would’ve spent that money on,” said Johnston.

Increases in midwife hiring are complicated as they depend on other factors at a hospital. If the number of midwives at a hospital rises, so must the number of obstetricians. More obstetricians mean more demand for limited Operating Room space.

Therefore, hospital budgets in general affect midwife hiring and subsequent funding. It has been difficult for hospitals to hire new midwives already, but it has become even more difficult as there have been several cuts to other areas of healthcare.

These issues regarding funding strike a particularly sensitive nerve as midwives in Ontario have been known to be underpaid already. In 2018, the Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario

CREATIVE COMMONS found that midwives in Ontario were experiencing gender-based pay discrimination in their relationship with the Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care.

Although the tribunal ruled that midwives should be better compensated for their work, there has not been a reactionary increase in pay.

YOU COULD WIN A TINY DUNDIE...

“YOU MISS 100% OF THE SHOTS YOU DON’T TAKE.” -WAYNE GRETZKY

-MICHAEL SCOTT

-THE COMMUNITY EDITION

IT'S OUR 5YR APOLLOVERSARY! tell us "HAPPY BIRTHDAY" when you're at the apollo cinema this JANUARY 2020 and we'll treat you to a FREE small popcorn!

APOLLOCINEMA.CA

BEARS. BEETS. THE OFFICE TRIVIA. THURSDAY JAN 23 6:45PM AT CHAINSAW

JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

15

EVENT LISTINGS

WE’VE HAND SELECTED SOME COOL UPCOMING EVENTS AND WRITTEN SOME WITTY COMMENTARY. YOU’RE WELCOME.

MONDAY, JANUARY 13

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25

BEAR HUG PAINT NIGHT KW HUMANE SOCIETY

WINTER CARNIVAL SCHNIEDER HAUS

APOLLO CINEMA

Press pause on the endless reel of animal rescues on your Instagram’s discover page and head out to visit this local shelter. Twenty dollars from each seat will go directly to supporting our furry pals at the KWHS. You’ll leave with a full heart and new addition for your living room gallery wall. Arrive early.

If the idea of attempting to find numerous pairs of matching mittens isn’t daunting, head on out to this winter carnival. Between the snow sculpture competition, the winter games and snacking on taffy on snow, you’ll immediately forget you were just longing for the summer heat or your flip-flops.

Tired of reciting the lines of the Jurassic Park series in your flannel pyjamas on your couch? Us, too.

Apollo has transformed your favourite film into an interactive experience, so much so, you’ll feel as if you’re attending John Hammond’s wildlife park minus the panic attacks. Buy early to reserve a ticket.

Fundraiser • $45 • 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Fun • Free • 12 - 4pm

Film • $13-17 • 1:30 - 4pm

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14

SUNDAY, JANUARY 19

SUNDAY, JANUARY 26

KITCHENER PUBLIC LIBRARY

WOMEN IN POLITICS

PLANT MARKET ARABELLA PARK

WINTER WREATH EMBROIDERY

The WCT Waterloo Region Chapter presents a panel discussion on women in politics featuring Laura Mae Lindo, Karen Redman, Julie Garner and Stephanie MacKendrick.

The discussion will be moderated

by Dorothy McCabe, providing attendees ample opportunity to network and contribute.

If your goals for 2020 include being able to keep more than the succulents of the plant family alive then this night is built for you. There will be a list of botanical vendors, a panel discussion and even your very on plant to take home. Arabella Park has curated an exclusive brunch selection to make you drool.

Embroidery is essentially the millenial version of knitting, so try your turn at learning how to create unique patterns of winter florals, berries and evergreens in this beginner-friendly course. You’ll learn the basics and beyond while leaving with your own creation. Just think of all the money you’ll save on gifts.

Community • $5-25 • 6:30 - 8:30pm

Market • $15 • 11am - 2pm

Workshop • $50 • 1:30 - 4:30pm

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 15

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 22

THURSDAY, JANUARY 30

WINTER SOUPS & STEWS COOKING CLASS

INTERACTIVE! JURASSIC PARK

KW ART GALLERY

OVERDOSE PREVENTION & TRAINING

ZONING & NEW DEVELOPMENT INFO NIGHT

KITCHENER FARMERS MARKET

THE CAUSERIE

DOWNTOWN COMMUNITY CENTRE

I’ll take seventeen bowls of any restaurant’s heartiest of stews on any given winter afternoon. This event allows me to learn how to make my own soup, so I no longer have to swap my slippers for snow-pants to go out — fantastic! You’ll be making chicken dumplings, Thai curry and a classic beef stew with chef Nicole.

Hosted by Sanguen Health Centre, this overdose prevention training evening only takes an hour to complete. You’ll receive an easy-touse nasal Naloxone kit following the session. People will be admitted on a first come first serve basis until they reach space capacity. Your ticket doesn’t guarantee admission.

Knock on your neighbours door and skip along to this informational night about the new development(s) happening in our community.

They’ll discuss zoning, planning processes and where to find resources. And what are a few resources amongst neighbours? An informed community. Get to it.

Food • $52 • 6:30 - 8:30pm

Workshop • Free • 6:15 - 8:15pm

Information • Free • 7pm

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23

FRIDAY, JANUARY 31

MONTY’S DINING EXPERIENCE

SUSTAINABLE FISHERIES THE CAUSERIE

RETRO REPLAY: ‘80S DANCE PARTY

UNDISCLOSED LOCATION

This event is a social dining experience led by chef Jannell Lo, where you’ll be invited into her home and shares her culinary creations with diners. Your palate will be pleasantly surprised with flavours from various Asian Pacific countries as you work through the three course meal. The event is BYOB.

As part of their fourth installment in their Sustainability Series, they’ll be examining local initiatives on sustainability with opportunities for small group discussions. Spencer and Tara discuss their experience at conducting research with Indigenous communities in Arctic and impacts of climate change. Snacks provided.

If your ears have been screaming following six weeks of straight Christmas music then you desperately need to head out to this event. They’re bringing back all things retro and itching that scratch you’ve had since late November. Make sure to practice your cabbage patch and maybe even your moonwalk.

Food • $75 • 6:30 - 8:30pm

Climate • $15 • 6:30 - 8:30pm

Dance • $15 • 8pm - 2am

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16

THURSDAY, JANUARY 23

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 1-2

SPEAKING QUEERLY: BETTER ALLYSHIP

MARIT COLLECTIVE

BEARS. BEETS. OFFICE TRIVIA. CHAINSAW

BINGEMANS

Join this thorough and engaging workshop on queer allyship practices, where you’ll learn tangible allyship actions that you can incorporate into your daily life.

Learn how to make your spaces more supportive for queer folx and the needs of the community. Coffee, tea and light refreshments provided.

Important message from corporate: We’re back to bring you The Office trivia in 2020. We’ve shined our shelf of Dundies, organized a secret alliance and told our “Just For Fun” friends to meet us there. We won’t be competing in Flonkerton but we think Chainsaw’s hotdogs make up for that. Maximum six per team.

We hope you’ve been saving your pennies over the month of January because this event has hundreds of exhibitor spaces showcasing the latest products and services for all genders. You’ll hear speakers, watch demonstrations and even catch a fashion show. If that doesn’t pull you in, there will be wine. Lots of it.

Workshop • $15 • 6:30 - 9pm

Trivia • $5 • 6:45 - 9pm

Fun • $5-7 • 10am

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17

SATURDAY, JANUARY 25

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 5

KW FLOW & VARIETY SHOW

KW LITTLE THEATRE

LEGENDS ON THE LAKE OLD MARINA RESTAURANT

GUIDED MEDITATION AND QUARTZ FACIAL

Do you like like mesmerizing lights, dancers and hula hooping? Well then get yourself down to KW Little Theatre for this variety show.

Let Krysten, a full time hula hoop teacher and part time cat (yes, you heard that right,) and the Dragon Breath Troupe melt your winter blues away with their talents.

I don’t know if you’ve heard the news but the King himself, Elvis, has risen from his slumber and is swaying his hips to raise money for the Cambridge Humane Society. White leather doesn’t appeal to you? Well, Adele and Abba are there to lift your souls into the next dimension. There will be appetizers and a cash bar.

Does your skin retaliate against you following the merry months filled of stress? Ours does, too. This workshop will begin with a guided meditation by Reiki Master, Sairah Pettes, and will be followed by a Rose Quartz facial massage designed to improve blood circulation, skin tone and reduce puffiness. We need it.

Variety Show • $20-32 • 6:30 - 9pm

Fundraiser • $50 • 7:30 - 10:30pm

Beauty • $56 • 7 - 9pm

COMMUNITYEDITION.CA @THECOMMUNITYED

THE CAUSERIE

WOMEN’S EXPO

THE TRUTH BEAUTY COMPANY

JANUARY 2020 // COMMUNITYEDITION.CA

16

Peter Greaves and Sydney Laurie originally worked in industries different than hair. JESSE DERRY PHOTO

PETER AND SYDNEY WITH

THE GOOD HAIR CO.

ELISE PIPIA CONTRIBUTOR Owners and hair stylists of Good Hair Co. salon and barbershop, Peter Greaves and Sydney Laurie, have an undeniably warm-hearted approach to cutting hair and ensuring that everyone feels welcome and at home while they do.

On Nov. 29, 2019, located at 154 Victoria St. S. , Good Hair Co. celebrated their grand opening while sharing their space with local artists and other small businesses by hosting a night-time vendor market.

“We started thinking about all the awesome clients that we have that are [artists] and thought why not give them a space to showcase their work as well. It just seemed fitting,” said Laurie.

“It was about supporting the people that support us, and drawing all of our communities together,” Greaves added.

Good Hair Co. looks forward to hosting all kinds of events in the future and almost have a full line up of vendors for another market this upcoming spring.

Greaves and Laurie give high praise of their other stylist Kelsey Martin and barber Adam Zrebiec, and describe them as having “mind-blowing talent.”

“We’ve got this group of misfits together, and we are like a cute family,

we do everything together. It’s kind of disgusting,” said Laurie.

The husband and wife duo had previously pursued careers in the cafe industry and graphic design, but ultimately found their calling in the hair industry.

“I was really lonely working from home, and I didn’t want to stare at a computer screen all day. I needed something a little more interactive with the community and people,” Laurie said about working as a graphic designer.

Her mother who had been a hairstylist for 30 years, sparked her interest in the hair industry through a phone conversation.

“A light bulb just went off. Literally the next day I signed up for hair school and have not looked back since.

It is definitely what I am meant to do.

And I think Peter saw how much life satisfaction I was getting out of it, and saw that was something he wanted to do as well.”

“Peter and I wanted to create our own vibe, our own space, and we just wanted something we could show to the community that was ours,” said Laurie.

With that sentiment, the duo sought out to create a safe space that catered to everyone’s hair needs, which is what they felt was missing in the local hair community.

“Opening a space welcoming for everybody is an important part for us,” said Greaves.

“There are salons for women and barbershops for men, and if you don’t fit in anywhere in between then

there’s nowhere for you. Whereas we are a duo that can do both, so it seems like the most clear thing for me, if you have hair, we will cut it. And that’s kind of where it stops. I don’t know why we have to have these segregated places,” said Greaves.

“Not even just in a gender scenario, but also for people who aren’t comfortable in a salon or barbershop, because it’s an intimidating space to walk into, and we kind of wanted to just eliminate all of that,” Laurie added.

Good Hair Co.’s palm tree logo is meant to represent a little oasis or getaway for clients. The branding for the business comes across as bright, fresh and relaxing.

“I read a quote about how the best kind of branding is just being yourself and that has been a really core thing for us, that everything is very genuine and real, and it might not fit into a high-end luxury salon or a traditional barbershop; it’s kind of somewhere in the middle, but it’s just very us and that speaks for itself. We don’t need to try, that’s just what it is,” said Greaves.

Although Greaves and Laurie feel proud of their new space, they speak openly about the many trials and tribulations of opening a business.

“I commend entrepreneurs that do it on their own because it’s really hard,” said Laurie.

When asked what it is like to be partners in business and in life, Greaves said, “I couldn’t imagine doing it with anybody else.”