The DRIVE magazine // Winter I 2019 // Issue 125

The

DRIVE

ISSUE 125

VINCENT GEORGIE is ready for action

LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS

DESTINATION: HALLOWEEN

It’s not only about seeing their excited faces, it’s about making sure they come home safe and sound, with your new Rose City Ford.

THIS , HALLOWEEN T R LE A Y STA FOR AND WATCH ES N O OUR LITTLE ETS E TR S ON THE S LK A W E ID AN D S

WE’RE COMING WINDSOR! Less than 100 spots available at this price!

Reserve your spot now!

Visit our sales trailer today or register online at movatiathletic.com/fitness-clubs/windsor

GET READY FOR A BETTER FITNESS EXPERIENCE

160 CLASSES PER WEEK Yoga, hot yoga, cycle, dance, barre and more

THE BEST STUDIOS Studios that are built for specific classes

WOMEN’S ONLY Designated workout area, fitness studio, lounge and pool

2 POOLS Coed and Women’s only

650 Division Rd Windsor,ON

PREMIUM AMENITIES Hot tubs, steam rooms, cafe and supervised playroom

DRIVE

The

PAUL ST-PIERRE

Publisher

KEN STEWART

Managing director

DAVID HUNTER

Sales director

SABINE MAIN

Editorial and creative director

MEL MONCZAK

Sales

SHAWNA BEECROFT

Graphic designer

CONTRIBUTORS JEN HALE

Copy editor

SYX LANGEMANN

Lead photographer

ANTHONY SHEARDOWN

Photographer

MARNIE ROBILLARD

Graphic designer

ALLEY L. BINIARZ

Writer

MATTHEW DALEY

Writer

ANUSHREE DAVE

Writer

CHRIS EDWARDS

Writer

TITA KYRTSAKAS

Writer

MILLAR HILL

Writer

KIMBERLY LOVE

Writer

JESSE ZITER

Writer

The

DRIVE

ISSUE 125

VINCENT GEORGIE is ready for action

On the cover: Vincent Georgie opens up about his role with WIFF and what it takes to bring it all together.

LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS

THEDRIVE#125_TEXT.indd 1

2019-09-24 1:53 PM

Photo Credit: Syx Langemann

Follow and like us: Twitter @thedrivemag Instagram #thedrivemag Facebook @thedrivemagazine

The DRIVE magazine is delivered direct to nearly 50,000 select homes and businesses throughout Windsor-Essex exclusively through Canada Post. Mail subscriptions available on line at www.thedrivemagazine.com/signup or by emailing info@thedrivemagazine.com CANADA POST Delivery agreement no. 43497602. Printed in Canada.

Owned and operated by the Landscape Effects Group of Companies.

1125 County Road #42 RR#1, Belle River ON, N0R1A0, 519.727.4769 All advertisement content to appear are subject to approval of the publisher and the publication assumes no responsibility for content included. We do not necessarily share the opinion or views of such advertising and assume no liability of this content or messaging.

CONTENTS

FALL II 2019

30

PEOPLE DRIVE WIFF and Vincent Georgie go hand-in-hand. We sat with invincible Vincent to find out how it all comes together

42

BEER DRIVE Six of Windsor’s best craft breweries. Cheers!

WELCOME 6 Editor’s letter TREND DRIVE 8 Fall outdoor décor with Oh So Mona 10 Oh So Mona indulges our inner interior designer with home tidying tips SCHOOL DRIVE 14 NOMI+SIBS, a mom’s entrepreneurial spirit gets a label 16 Yoga for kids? Oh yes and they love it!

HISTORY DRIVE 19 A historical look at images in Windsor SOCIAL DRIVE 20 Christine Paris: Art and mindfulness 24 W.E. TRANS, one of a kind 26 Fast fashion days are numbered PEOPLE DRIVE 40 WILLA goes to WIFF ART DRIVE 57 Library collective: Detroit artist unite

SPORTS DRIVE St-Clair college students have built Ontario’s most popular collegiate intramural cricket program

52

FALL FROLIC

EDITOR’S LETTER

It’s officially the best time of the year in town: not only does October boast the Windsor Craft Beer Festival (October 18-19) and Halloween, but from November 1 to 10, Windsor will transform into Hollywood North for the Windsor International Film Festival.

Every year since 2005, our small city becomes a vibrant world of films, artistic expression, and ideas. From standing in the queue at the venues to coming out of the final film in awe of all of the talent, the WIFF days are exciting and full of magic.

This is our first year featuring a WIFF-related topic in The Drive, and who better to engage than Vincent Georgie himself, the executive director and chief programmer for WIFF. When I initially reached Vincent to get a sense of a story angle, I never expected to scribble so many diverse ideas from one person, but that’s Vincent.

When I hung up the phone, I was left with three clear messages: Vincent is invincible, Vincent is WIFF, and Vincent is an Energizer bunny.

We booked our photoshoot at the Capitol Theatre and at SoCA. As soon as the shutter was released, it was ready, set, action, and Vincent was in character—it clearly pays off to watch an average of 600 movies a year. We wrapped up our day exhausted, while Vincent got ready for his three upcoming meetings for the evening, and sure, he was somewhat tired, but he was mostly entertained. We hope you find this piece just as entertaining.

We curated the rest of this issue based on fall season key components. With kids back to school, we thought we’d share some tips for fall décor, home upkeep ideas, and cool lunch labels for kids.

Kick your feet up and happy reading. As always, thank you for your continued support.

If you haven’t already ‘Had your Say,’ please complete our 60-second survey at https://thedrivemagazine.com/ haveyoursay/ Sabine Main, Editorial + Creative Director

6

NEWS DRIVE custom content

East Windsor is now home to a new, upscale townhome development called Cierra Meadows. Located on Norman Street and Guy Street in Windsor, Cierra Meadows is living made easy with value, quality, craftsmanship, sustainable materials, and the superior design of Caster Custom Homes.

Cierra Meadows is the first home development in the greater Windsor area to invest in a state-of-the-art stormwater management system to prevent floods. All of the water in Cierra Meadows flows into a vast underground facility, where the water is stored until the existing city storm sewers have capacity. It is then released into the system. For more information, contact Tom Firman from Deerbrook Realty at 519.972.1000 or visit www.cierrameadows.com

AROUND TOWN

Welcome to our custom content page meant to highlight unique news from the Windsor-Essex region

Congratulations to Dr. Daniel Radin and Radin Skin Centre, who are celebrating their 15th anniversary. Dr. Radin, a board-certified dermatologist, specializes in Cosmetic and Laser Dermatology. Dr. Radin and his highly trained staff also offer cosmetic dermal fillers, laser hair removal, laser skin resurfacing, lip enhancement, body contouring, photo rejuvenation, and more. Their state-of-the-art centre is located at 13278 Tecumseh Rd. E in Tecumseh (inside the Tecumseh Medical Centre). For a free consultation, appointment, or for procedure information, contact 519.979.4569 (GLOW) or visit www.drradin.com

Carrots n’ Dates is a cozy cafÊ specializing in wholesome, gluten-free and 100 percent Plant-driven food made with the freshest and finest ingredients. All of our food is sourced locally and is GMO-free when possible. We believe that food is an essential source for health, energy, happiness, and well-being. Not only do we serve delicious food, drinks, and coffees but we offer organic wines, ciders, and mixed cocktails for that after-work beverage or evening stop. The atmosphere is relaxed and comfortable and very inviting. Please stop by one of our two locations in Tecumseh at 1125 Lesperance Road 519.735.0447, or in Walkerville at 2090 Wyandotte Street East 519.962.5115.

Visit www.carrotndates.com THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

7

TREND DRIVE

FALL DOOR WITH THE LEAVES QUICKLY CHANGING COLOUR AND THE UBIQUITOUSNESS OF PUMPKIN SPICE ANYTHING, I’M SHARING FIVE WAYS YOU CAN BRING THE COZY FALL VIBES ONTO YOUR DOORSTEP.

Décor

By Mona Elkadri | Photography: Vicky Bartel

3

5

2

1

4 8

TREND DRIVE

1

PUMPKINS Use an assortment of sizes, shapes, and colours, then line them along the sides of your steps.

If you’re like me and you don’t want to roast pumpkin seeds for the rest of your life, opt for using a mix of both real and fun artificial pumpkins. You can find these at most home décor and craft stores.

2

FLORAL Mums are great to place between your pumpkins to help add some additional colour and to keep your entrance décor looking full.

3

Patient Care2

Compliance Packaging Free Delivery Anticoagulation Management A1c Testing Blood Pressure And Cholesterol Testing Open 7 Days A Week

WALL ART Look for metal art prints that can withstand a little weather. This will create a fun and inviting touch outside your home.

4

MEDICA PHARMACY AND CLINIC

Francesco Vella Owner/Operator

519-255-7777

Dr. Tiffany Czilli Physician

www.rxmedica.ca

1210 Erie St. E. Windsor, ON (Corner of Erie and Pierre)

LAYER Spruce up your front door by placing a printed rug underneath an ordinary straw mat. This is a great way to add style and substance to an otherwise boring welcome mat. It also fills out your entrance space, adding to the “full feeling” design.

5

GET COZY Place a chair at the front door dressed up with a throw and a pillow. If you have the space, put a small end table next to it with a couple of fall scented candles on top. My favourite is apple cider. D.

Join today at www.GrowOnWindsor.com A LOCAL FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN IN SUPPORT OF CANCER AWARENESS, RESEARCH & TREATMENT FOR MEN LIVING IN WINDSOR/ESSEX OFFICIAL SPONSOR

Mona Elkadri is a lifestyle blogger with a fondness for everyday living and entertaining, from sweet recipes to home décor and DIY, and everything in between. ohsomona.com THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

9

TREND DRIVE

I’ve gotten the question a lot: “Aren’t you worried your kids are going to destroy that?” Whether we are talking about freshly painted white walls or a brand-new designer rug, here are some ways you can indulge your inner interior designer without the worry of how long it’s going to last.

Style and Sippy Cups CREATING A STYLISH SPACE WITH CHILDREN WITHOUT COMPROMISE

By Mona Elkadri | Photography: Vicky Bartel

WALLS Let’s start with white or light-coloured walls.

My tool: Mr. Clean Magic Erasers. These things are nothing short of amazing and can be used in areas besides just the wall. I love to use mine when tackling tough stains on white countertops and even to help keep white sneakers bright!

THE NEW RUG Taking the plunge on a new rug? Opt for designs with busy prints and/or a low pile.

Low pile is easy to maintain and vacuum vs. a high pile rug, which looks great but, let’s be honest, is a pain to clean. Busy prints are always a win because of their ability to hide spills and accidents.

eyesore child locks. However, real life kicked in and before I knew it I was on the hunt for the most discreet child locks I could find. I found magnetic locks that actually go on the inside of the cabinets! Search “magnetic child locks” on Amazon.

STORAGE Whether you have a play room or not, toys eventually make their way into the common areas of the home. Try adding large baskets (bonus if they have lids) to your room décor to hold the miscellaneous toys found around the home like spare Legos, stuffed animals, and game pieces. You can also take advantage of spare drawers you might have in pieces of furniture. We use the bottom drawer of our entertainment unit to stash away toys as well.

If you’re like me and you’ve fallen for a gorgeous white rug, try plan B: playmats like the Gathre Mat to protect your carpet during play or meal times.

I highly recommend investing in a small battery-powered vacuum and you can store it near high-traffic areas. We keep ours close to the kitchen and dining room, so we don’t have Prior to having children, I told myself I to worry when the kids make crumbs or spill wouldn’t drape my cupboards and doors with their dry snacks. D.

INVEST

CHILD LOCKS

Mona Elkadri is a lifestyle blogger with a fondness for everyday living and entertaining, from sweet recipes to home décor and DIY, and everything in between. ohsomona.com 10

76 Talbot St. S. I Essex, ON I 519.776.6316

www.essexappliance.com

Moving Windsor and Essex County in the Right Direction.

Buying or selling? Call Andrew today!

P: 519.979.9995 I C: 519.564.2639

andrewjsmithrealty.com

Come and Discover Leamington’s NEW RETIREMENT RESIDENCE “Moving into Seacliff Manor was not only an amazing decision but one that would allow us to be together and enjoy the amenities they offered. The food, the facility and the staff are absolutely wonderful. We knew the moment we moved in that this was meant for us. We would not want to be anywhere else.

Thank you Seacliff Manor.”

Bernice & Chuck Rawlings

For more information call today 519-326-2624 | 30 Seacliff Drive East | Leamington, ON | seacliffmanor.ca

Entrepreneur Courtney Stewart is helping new parents and the environment with her label

NOMI+SIBS

By Anushree Dave | Photography: Eryn Shea

Just three weeks after the birth of her second daughter, Courtney Stewart launched NOMI+SIBS, a company that makes personalized, reusable baby bottle and sippy cup labels. The solo-founder grew up in Amherstberg and worked in various marketing roles before starting her business. Stewart sat down with The Drive to discuss how she made it all happen.

What is your vision with NOMI+SIBS? The vision is simple: to responsibly manufacture safe, sustainable, toxin-free, adaptable labelling solutions for drinkware and snack containers. Traditional adhesive labels on the market last only a few months, tend to fade or tear in the dishwasher, and even rub off after regular use, resulting in repeat purchase over and over, again and again. NOMI Labels™ offer a one-time purchase solution and can be used from infancy through tween years and beyond.

Why did this business idea matter to you?

When I was preparing for Niaomi to go to preschool, I was getting “all the things labelled” as required by all preschools. After only a few weeks of washes, our labels on sippy cups were coming off in the dishwasher or when using just soap and water. I found myself relabelling all too often and I had to come up with another solution—we were only in preschool at this time and we have several years of schooling to go. And, thus, the NOMI Label™ was born.

Not only are they stylish and functional, but NOMI Labels are super practical and truly do make the lives of parents and caregivers easier and more efficient. As a parent, I know that every little bit of “easier” counts.

14

SCHOOL DRIVE Why was having a social mission (“reduce your impact”) important to you?

As a consumer, I feel good about supporting brands that are doing good things—it doesn’t have to be monumental but every bit counts; I really believe that. We are big recyclers in our home and the environment matters so much more to us now that we have kids who will be reaping the benefits of how our generation lives and consumes. A reusable product creates less consumption, absolutely, but this product has a secondary recycling component that also contributes to creating spaces that allow families and children to create lasting memories within. Now that is really cool!

Being both a parent and a founder isn’t easy, and a lot of people shy away from starting a company or taking a financial risk after becoming parents. How did you make this decision?

I completely understand why people would have these concerns, especially if you were the sole or primary financial contributor in your family. For me, after having Niaomi, I knew I wasn’t going back to work for another company and that I was going to have control over how our family life “looked.” Now, after being in business for almost two years and seeing how much less time I have for my family, I see that entrepreneurship is not what most people think it is—especially as a mom. I am still the head of our household—ensuring everything gets done, kids are fed, the house is clean, the laundry is done. I run my business and my house and it’s no joke.

Don’t get me wrong, my husband helps, but I may or may not be a bit controlling over how things go down in my home. My husband also has a very demanding job, working for a California-based start-up. Looking back, I’m not sure what we were thinking with him having his crazy job in the start-up world and me launching my own. There were nights when I thought I couldn’t do it anymore. I probably had a bit of a breakdown but I got through it. Now I have help at home and I have help with the business so I am able to be more strategic about where we are going. This is the part I love!

Visit www.thedrivemagazine.com for a FULL interview with Courtney Stewart and her increasingly popular brand, NOMI+SIBS. Hear about what she did before she started the company, her biggest challenges, and her future goals for the company. D. THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

15

SCHOOL DRIVE

Building a future of empathetic adults through mindfulness and yoga MISS KARLI IS A MODERN-DAY MR. ROGERS, WHO MAKES THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL TRANSITION A PURPOSEFUL ONE

By Alley L. Biniarz | Photography: Syx Langemann 16

“Put everything aside that anyone has ever told you about yoga,” Karli Kurzuk tells her students as soon as they enter the space. “That it’s for girls.

That it’s for adults.”

She asks them to open their minds, to give yoga an honest try. Her “Yellow Bus Yoga” program brings yoga right to schools and daycares, where practices—held both indoors and outdoors—vary from 15 minutes for toddlers, 30 minutes for preschoolers, upwards to an hour for older kids.

“Miss Karli” begins each session with a community circle, where she passes around a stuffed animal and everyone takes turns saying what they’re grateful for. The boys are typically the most hesitant to hold the toy, but Karli says by the third or fourth week, they’re hugging and kissing the stuffed animal.

“We’re breaking down gender stereotypes this early and telling them that there’s no such thing as a boy thing or girl thing. These are just fun things that we do together,” she says.

One boy in her class exclaimed that he would never do yoga, and he’s only five or six.

Karli says this resistance to yoga usually lasts only five minutes, and by the end of the class, he had picked a “thank-you” flower for her.

While validating the concerns of the children, Karli also explains that a “bully” is just a “love-seeker.” “One person is not a bully; they’re just someone who is showing those qualities right now. We’re not to label them, just like they’re not to label us,” she says.

“Every single person has the ability to be their best selves, and if we label them, they’re going to think that’s what they are, when they could be so much more.”

When Karli was first teaching yoga in a studio, she found that the students who came to class often came from families who were able to afford it, or ones who already taught yoga concepts at home. The goal was to find a way to reach the kids who weren’t able to The class learns to accept help, and that it’s access a class because of scheduling or finana sign of strength and not weakness. Having cial situations. them understand that they’re not alone—and “I shifted my vision to teach in schools, to that others have the same worries—opens up be able to connect to a more diverse crowd of the conversations that eventually blossom into students,” Karli explains. “There’s a miscon- friendships. Even at age three, the children can ception that yoga is only for those who can absorb the values and build them into their ‘afford it’—that this upper-class thing is out of foundation. By being presented with different your price range, and you don’t ‘deserve it.’” perspectives to situations, they will learn to Yellow Bus Yoga is for anyone, anywhere, adapt and listen to other opinions as adults. no matter what their living situation is—and Jenny Sprague, business manager at the no matter the age. Karli teaches children Delta Chi Early Childhood Centre, speaks to as young as two and a half, who now know Miss Karli’s yoga and deep breathing, and how sun salutations by heart, up to high school students, who come up asking for tips on how it has helped the children to self-regulate. to study more efficiently.

“Children can’t always communicate directly if they are stressed over being hungry “I make it my purpose to reach more or tired,” she explains. “The practice helps students each month, because I’ve seen what them with empathy development and focus, can happen when we empower our youth to take on the practice,” she says, adding that and they become more aware of what their there are many grants available for schools that bodies are doing.” allow them to combine social and emotional Delta Chi has included self-regulation learning into their curriculums. “Children’s in their programming for 10 years, and it’s yoga isn’t just about the physical poses but something that parents have taken on at home building a foundation of mindfulness and as well. gratitude in them.”

“Charlie and Ellie are always excited She explains the two sets of breathing to show me what they’ve learned with Miss exercises she incorporates. “Bunny breath” Karli,” says Delta Chi parent Erin Livingston. is a useful energizing breath for when the “Now, when redirecting them I have asked kids need to wake up for school: they can bring their bunny paws up and take in little them to use different breathing methods to staggered breaths. For a calming one, she reduce any anxiety.” teaches them “bear breath,” which is training Karli’s mindfulness program empowers the kids to breathe in deeply through their teachers and parents with learning materials belly before bed or in tough situations. to take on the practice even when she’s not Karli’s classes focus on four pillars: helping there. The consistency reinforces the kids to one another, community connection, caring, recognize when their minds are overwhelmed and listening generously. She keeps these four by expectations at home or test anxiety, and pillars at the forefront of every class so they how to ease through it. can be incorporated into the discussion. For A mantra she leaves them with is, “I feel example, when Karli asks her class where they good about myself even when my grades aren’t can use the calming exercises, a girl raises her where they’re supposed to be.” hand to say, “When you’re being bullied.”

By handing them the tools to help underUpon hearing this, Karli opens the class up to talk about how they feel when someone stand their emotions, Karli is building a future of strong and empathetic adults. bullies them.

THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

Want to help ease the transition into the school year? Here are some of Miss Karli’s Back to School Tips for helping your children and students adjust to their new classroom.

1. THE MAGIC OF KINDNESS (FILL YOUR BUCKET) The analogy is simple: everyone is born with an imaginary bucket. The way we fill each other’s buckets is by doing nice things for them.

This can include sharing, smiling, letting someone borrow your things, or even holding the door open for someone.

Teachers and parents can create a group bucket.

When a child does something nice, the buckets starts to fill up with kind tasks that you write on a piece of paper. (Example: Alice shared her toys with Peter.) When the bucket reaches a certain level, about 10 or 20 tasks, the class gets a reward!

2. WHAT DO I SEE, HEAR, AND FEEL? When you notice stress is becoming too overwhelming in your child/student, have them try this exercise.

1. C lose your eyes, take a deep breath. List three things you can hear.

2. O pen your eyes softly, take a deep breath.

List three colours you can see.

3. T ake one more deep breath. List three things you can touch around you. Are they soft, hard, coarse?

Not only does this exercise divert their attention from nearing panic attack or meltdown, it also helps to centre themselves into the present moment as a mini meditation.

3. TALK ABOUT IT Remind students that if they are feeling stressed and anxious at school, they are not alone. When kids fear something, they often feel as though they are the only ones who have this fear and won’t talk about it. Remind them that school is TOUGH! Especially during a transitional time like moving from a child’s home environment to daycare, preschool to elementary school, elementary school to high school, and so forth.

Creating an open channel of communication helps build community within the classroom and helps end the myth that mental health difficulties are a sign of weakness. Know that there is power in asking for help.

If you want to see Miss Karli in your class, you can reach her at: hello@yellowbusyoga.com or visit: www.yellowbusyoga.com D. 17

E V E RY K I TC H E N D E S E RV E S A

custom design

Actual Project

2 North Talbot Rd., Maidstone, ON I 519-723-4141 I www.wayneswoodcraft.com

HISTORY DRIVE

1890 2019

The Canadian Pacific Railway terminal (1890) was located on Riverside Drive near Caron Avenue. The CPR station featured a stylish stone turret and ramp east of the Windsor Salt Company, which housed its first offices. Abandoned in the 1920s when a new facility was built farther south near Wellington Ave., it was demolished in the 1930s. Walking along the riverfront path, you may notice its foundation below the overpass on Riverside Dr. near the CBC building.

From Windsor Before and After: a new book from Walkerville Publishing Inc. Release date: Fall 2019. WPI is owned by Chris Edwards and Elaine Weeks.

SOCIAL DRIVE

LEAVING THE STIGMA AT THE DOOR: HOW EDUCATOR CHRISTINE PARIS CHAMPIONS ART AND MINDFULNESS FOR MENTAL HEALTH

By Tita Kyrtsakas Photography: Syx Langemann

Christine Paris is an educator, a teacher’s coach, a mental health advocate. She’s a daughte r and a sister. She’s also grieving the loss of her younger brother, Raymond, who passed away February 22, 2019, after struggling with schizophrenia, addiction, and mental illness. Paris has spent the last seven months working, planning mental health events, and writing a children’s book.

“Instead of crumbling, I went into overdrive to deal with his death. Almost guiltily: I couldn’t save him, but how can I save someone else? I’ve got to do something.”

Mental health initiatives have increased drastically in the past 10 years, but Paris knows the stigma still thrives and her mission is to leave the stigma at the door, to offer safe spaces for people to speak openly about their struggles with their mental health. Her brother’s death has pushed her full force into her activism.

20

“Clearly we’re in a crisis. So many people are on our streets. Windsor didn’t previously have this problem and it’s related to mental health and addiction. We need to start talking about these things to help address them and improve them,” Paris explains.

Raymond couldn’t find the proper services to help him live with mental illness. He struggled with addiction for over a decade, and once he cleaned up, he suffered from schizophrenia for the last seven years, passing away at 41. The Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) encouraged Paris to bring Raymond to the ER, and they were there at least 15 times.

“You just sit there. Maybe there’s one psychologist, but they usually aren’t on staff.

For his delusions, they would drug him more, but that was not good for his addiction. CMHA has a place for those in crisis, but

SOCIAL DRIVE the funeral. For me, I went into action preparing this huge mental health wellness fair at my school with all these things to help other people because I couldn’t help my brother.”

they close at 10 p.m. and most mental health issues occur later in the evening.”

helped was for him and me to take a walk on a nature trail. He always heard voices so I would say I heard it too: birds, dog barking in the background. It was decompression for him. It As a teacher’s coach, Paris runs PD Day wasn’t crazy noises in his head, but beautiful workshops and goes into classrooms to nature sounds.” support teachers. She has worked for the The name Gaia means Mother Earth, and French Catholic School Board in the primary in her book, Gaia’s dream is to explore nature division for the past 20 years, and switched to and the excitement around her discoveries. coaching five years ago. She supports mental “The underlying lesson is that our kids health—including anxiety and stress—for don’t play outside anymore. We’ve lost this teachers, students, and families. connection that’s so important. It’s about “Often, I’ll take students in my office. It’s bringing that connection back. Play in the not my job, but we lack resources in the system.” yard. Connect.” For Paris, focusing on her mental health means practising yoga, creating Paris’s project to increase resources at her art, and walking in nature. Also knowing school was to run a school wellness fair, which when to attend events or stay home is an occurred June 6, and Let’s Talk Art, on June 13. important part of fostering positive mental As an artist, Paris encourages others to use art health practices. for mental health and wellness, and art creation “There’s a limit. You think, that doesn’t feel has also been integral to her grieving process. right, right now. I’m not going to do it. You need “The artist community is in touch in a way to act upon that without regret and obligation to express grief. Artists channel—not always and people giving you a hard time.” consciously, but it comes out in their creations.

Being able to talk about how you’re A lot of art can help through grieving. What feeling in a safe place is also integral. “In a can happen when you’re creating art is that school board setting, I can’t talk about my you’re in that present moment. The creative brother’s addiction. Never did I tell them at process envelops you. You aren’t thinking work, ‘I brought my brother to the hospital about anything; you’re just channelling your this weekend because he tried to OD for the fifteenth time.’ It’s not something that’s energy into that present moment of creation. discussed or I could ever share. So I found a It’s meditation to help you live each moment place with people I can share it with and that’s instead of being overwhelmed by past events,” the arts community.”

Paris believes.

In her art practice, Paris created a mural at For the Let’s Talk Art event, Paris called Street Help and had a BBQ for the homeless. upon artist friends—musicians, visual artists, They sang “All You Need Is Love” in front of writers—who wanted to share and speak about the love mural and they brought joy instead of the darkness people expect from a shelter. their mental health experiences.

While touring her book and planning “Bringing all these artists together to her next mental health event, Paris hasn’t raise funds for the cause was part of my had a moment to exhale… yet. Her next healing journey. All had personal experi- event is Let’s Chalk About It, “where people ences—someone they loved had addiction and take chalk and write/make art about how mental health issues or they had their own. they’re feeling in front of store fronts, streets, The night was so special. It was a safe space libraries. We need to have professionals availwhere everyone spoke openly as if we were old able, not just have people write how they’re friends. We all have this common experience feeling and nothing happens.”

Raymond would ask Paris not to share his struggles with their parents, who both experience illnesses of their own from cancer to different surgeries. He would say, “Don’t tell them because I don’t want them to worry.

They have enough to worry about.” Depending on the severity of the situation, Paris would have to decide whether or not to reach out to their parents. “It’s a fine line to decide when it’s essential and when to respect his wishes,” that is not openly discussed in society, but in Paris explains. that space we spoke openly.”

When Raymond passed away, Paris While curating the events, Paris also wrote believes she went into a “bubble of grace.” and released a book, called Gaia’s Journey, a Tragedy brought her to action. “Whether it’s story about our current disconnection with God’s grace or the universe—there’s something nature in today’s society. that happens when you go through a tragedy and you get into this bubble where you don’t “I tie it in to my brother because every time feel it completely. You go into action preparing he was having his paranoia, the one thing that THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

There is so much goodness to come from the work Paris is doing. In the meantime, she’s sold her house and moved closer to her parents to help them with their own physical health issues and will continue to fight the stigma with conversation and creation.

At the end of our interview, I call Paris “amazing.” “Amazing or broken?” she laughs.

Broken and amazing. Maybe we can be both. D. 21

TECH DRIVE

PARTNER with success

To advertise in our next issue, email or call us

uwindsor.ca

Ken Stewart kstewart@thedrivemagazine.com

519.259.8570 Dave Hunter dhunter@thedrivemagazine.com

I am a registered nurse, registered pharmacist and local business owner.

My journey to becoming a successful healthcare professional started at the University of Windsor’s Faculty of Nursing. The University provided me with a first-class education, stimulated a lifelong commitment to learning, and inspired me to pursue a career path that is focused on building a healthier and more compassionate community. I am proud to be part of theUniversity’s exceptional alumni. We are all Windsor Proud.”

519.567.0753 Mel Monczak mmonczak@thedrivemagazine.com

519.903.1353

Dorothy Leung, BScN 2008 Registered Nurse, Registered Pharmacist, Owner of Shoppers Drug Mart at Lauzon and Menard in Windsor

The

DRIV E

ISSUE 119

SPEAKING

FREELY TONY GARERI REINVENTS COMPANY CULTURE

The

DRIVE

ISSUE 120

DRIV E

The

ISSUE 124

BIG RISKS FOR BIG REWARDSis

LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS THEDRIVE#119_TEXT2019.indd 1

Gavin Booth a betting man

2019-01-24 11:32 AM

A SUPER MAN

IN DISGUISE

22

LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS

THEDRIVE#120_TEXT.indd 2

PEOPLE | TRENDS CULTURE | LIFESTYLE |

2019-02-26 5:52 PM

2019-08-14

EXT.indd 1

THEDRIVE#124_T

10:18 AM

THE RIGHT IMAGE TO FIT YOUR BUSINESS. Uniform Rental Services - Restroom Sanitation Facility Services - Hygiene Services - Local Production

9085 Twin Oaks Drive - 519.979.5913

www.cintas.ca

Sylvio Lesperance & Grant Higginbottom

3255 Odessa Dr I Tecumseh, ON I 519.979.2090 I www.syles.ca

SOCIAL DRIVE

A More Inclusive Windsor W.E. TRANS LAYS THE FOUNDATION FOR ONE OF CANADA’S FIRST TRANSSPECIFIC ORGANIZATIONS

By Millar Hill | Photography: Syx Langemann

24

SOCIAL DRIVE While the world is making strides towards a more inclusive planet, transgender individuals and those across the LGBTQIA2S+ spectrum are still facing hardships on a daily basis—like a trans woman facing discrimination while trying to find employment, or a young trans boy repeatedly being misgendered by his stepparent.

LGBTQIA2S+ is an acronym for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, intersexual, two-spirit, and the other affirmative ways individuals choose to self-identify.

Jayce Carver is a local trans woman who, like many trans individuals across Canada, needed the help of a trans-specific service but realized it didn’t exist. So Carver did what nobody else did: she created one herself.

Windsor-Essex is home to one of Canada’s first-ever trans-specific organizations. It’s called W.E. Trans Support, a charity-driven non-profit that provides transgender, non-binary, gender-nonconforming individuals and their families with services and programs that are trusted among the community.

“In September of 2017, I knew there needed to be a formal organization,” said Carver. “Nothing existed like it yet and we needed this for the visibility of the trans community. When you connect somebody to their community, they learn that they are not alone. There is a strength in numbers—when you see yourself in a position of leadership and have a mission, the isolation is no longer there and you pave the way for great things to happen.”

Shortly after W.E. Trans Support became a federally recognized organization, Carver found its home—a compact office inside the entrance of The Welcome Centre Shelter for Women on the west side of the city. The location created some barriers for the organization as some wouldn’t commute to this part of the city because they were not comfortable being out and visible to the public.

According to the Ontario Human Rights Code, two-spirit is a term used among indigenous people to describe from a cultural perspective people who are gay, lesbian, bisexual, trans, or intersex. For some, the term “two-spirit” describes a societal and spiritual role that people played within traditional societies, such as mediators, keepers of certain ceremonies, transcending accepted roles of men and women, and filling a role as an established middle gender.

Healing Circle is geared towards indig“We secured a contract with Hôtel-Dieu enous two-spirited individuals.

Grace Healthcare to do a full facility audit These are just a few of the programs now and apply staff training over the course of available to people living in Windsor. three years,” said Carver. “That afforded us an opportunity to secure our first space at 111 If this organization didn’t exist, Smith said Wyandotte St. W.” he would still be feeling like he was alone.

The program continued to grow—the “It’s a place where you can be yourself and not services, programs, and staff. Carver said worry about others judging you; I think that is it’s gone from a staff of one person to 10 very important for a community to have,” said employees. The LGBTQIA2S+ community Smith. “Often, there are these standards for represents a significant percentage of the who you have to be and I think that’s baloney.”

“I found it difficult as a transgender person in a blue-collar city to try to get access to health care that was not gendered or that would allow a space for me to not feel like I was being forced into a men’s program,” said population in Windsor, and in 2019, they are Carver, who is the W.E. Trans Support execu- more visible than ever—creating an opportutive director. “In 2016, I was able to get access nity for a further reach and overall impact. to services that were inclusive.”

“We have had over 3,720 visits since May Transitioning is not an easy process—it can 2018,” said Carver. “We have trained well over be lengthy, intimidating, costly, and unpredict- 1,800 individual people on trans-inclusive able. Carver says no trans person transitions health care.” the same way; it is different for every individual Fourteen-year-old Jake Smith is a part of and it is expected of trans people and those that statistic. alike to know where services are available and Smith is in the process of transitioning, a how to access them. Those services may be journey he began over a year ago. He said W.E. available, but it does not mean a person knows Trans offers him a safe space where he can go how to access them. through this process with supportive individBefore W.E. Trans Support was an organiuals by his side. “I found a lot of resources I zation, it was a 1-800 number. Carver created wouldn’t have found if I didn’t come here,” he the hotline and people began calling it. said. “I was able to get a chest binder through “I would meet with people who were the organization and that really helped with calling the number,” said Carver. “We would my body dysphoria.” begin by discussing their goals—socially, W.E. Trans has an extensive list of emotionally, and medically. I would help them get connected to the services they needed or I programs and services like Trans Spectrum, a would refer them to whatever services I could. peer-facilitated support group with the purpose For their first appointment, I would go with of creating a sense of community and a safe them so they were not alone.” space for socialization. The group enables This was done from the inside of her red trans individuals to support and assist others before, through, and after their transition.

Ford Fiesta.

THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

T2—Friends, Families and Allies is another support group for partners, family members, friends, and allies of the trans community.

This program focuses on educating others on how to support someone who is trans and living in their lives. W.E. Trans also has a partnership with the Can-Am Indian Friendship Centre. The program Two Spirited

Over the last year, Smith said he is more open-minded than he has ever been. He saw the world as a negative place, but that changed.

“We get to watch people who never thought they would have a chance to do anything like go to school or become employed,” said Carver. “Some are no longer afraid to walk down the street even though their differences are visible. Now they exude confidence.”

According to the Centre for Suicide Prevention study, 22 percent to 43 percent of transgender individuals in Canada have attempted suicide in their lifetime. Trans people are two times more likely to think about or attempt suicide than lesbian, gay, or bisexual individuals.

Transgender individuals and allies in Windsor-Essex have a space that educates, supports, and saves lives of individuals feeling isolated, unworthy, and lost. For years, this community has been relegated to the dark, but now their light is shining brighter than it ever has.

For a full list of programs and services, visit www.wetranssupport.ca D. 25

Our accumulation of “stuff” has reached its breaking point. Minimalism is back and the world of retail fashion is taking notes.

While personal fashion tastes vary, a quick appraisal of most people’s closets should reveal a common bond: Some of the clothes we own never see the light of day. They either don’t fit, our infatuation with the stitched and patterned articles of our desire has faded, or they’ve simply fallen out of fashion.

This reality is symptomatic of what economists call ‘fast fashion,’ a somewhat new phenomenon characterized by a steady marketplace influx of rapidly produced and inexpensive clothing tailored to current trends—trends that fuel the retail engine, generate enormous profits, and change at the drop of whatever hat is in style that season.

It’s a perverted display of consumerism at its most fickle. But in Windsor, as in many communities across Canada, small secondhand (sometimes branded as vintage) clothing stores, big-box entities like Value Village, and charitable groups like the St. Vincent de Paul Society are helping fashion-conscious Windsorites free up some space in their closets, satisfy their desire to help their neighbours, and keeping millions of kilograms of perfectly good clothing out of landfills.

It’s an altruistic sentiment, but for the owners and operators of stores selling goods that are second-hand—or “previously loved” if we want to use buzzworthy vernacular—it’s a lucrative business that delivers a real impact in our community.

Old Threads Fill Current Needs Windsor is home to two Value Village locations, four Goodwill donation centres, two Saint Vincent de Paul centres, dozens of donations bins for various charities, and a handful of locally owned second-hand and vintage clothing boutiques. It’s a somewhat unusual number given the size of the city, but there exists in the City of Roses a spirit of generosity that may stem from its blue-collar roots and an economically driven demand that makes second-hand clothing a commodity borne out of necessity.

We’re cleaning out our closets:

As recently as 2018, over 39 percent of Windsor kids were living below the poverty line, with Windsor ranking 15th on a recent list of cities with the highest child poverty rates in Canada. It’s a staggering number, to say the least. For the thousands of local families who represent these figures, second-hand clothing is

FAST FASHION’S DAYS ARE NUMBERED

By Matthew Daley 26

26

SOCIAL DRIVE their only option and can help bridge a social and economic gap that could otherwise seem impossible to overcome.

Minimalism and Millennials Thrift stores are minimalist by design. You won’t find any fancy point-of-purchase displays, eye-catching shelves, or salespeople poised to deliver a pitch. What you will find are clean, stylish, and affordable clothes that are old to one person but new to everyone else. Even more intriguing is the fact that many of the larger thrift sites donate a more than generous amount of their proceeds to charities, providing a financial fortification from fashion frivolity.

In recent years, the popularity of second-hand clothing stores has experienced a significant uptick as millennials and, to a growing degree, their Generation Z cohorts, have discovered the value, rare finds, and seas of self-expression inherent to the no-frills stores. The second-hand shopping dynamic plays perfectly into their limited budgets and social conscience as well.

At the same time the digital entrepreneurs, always eager to build upon brick-and-mortar foundations, are growing an online commercial ecosystem where closet doors are opened with the click of a button and memories of our style whims are bought, sold, traded, and exchanged at a record pace.

The growing digital trade has yet to make any real dent in the traditional thrift shop’s inventory, profits, or charitable initiatives. The real threat is from traditional fast fashion brands that are beginning to see how lucrative the used-fashion segment really is. Retailers like H&M have already seen a decline in sales, presumably due in part to used-fashion buyers and have been slow to respond to the trend. However, given the convincing evidence that used fashion could overtake fast fashion by 2028, the big brands are already vying for a seat at the banquet table with plans for branded second-hand online boutiques of their own.

EXCELLENCE AT EVERY LEVEL You deserve to be seen by the best, Dr. Daniel Radin is a board certified specialist. Trust your care to a skin expert who as a dermatologist understands the medical, surgical and cosmetic concerns of the skin.

To learn what Dr. Radin can do to reveal the skin and appearance you desire, contact Radin Skin Centre to book your Free consultation.

Botox • Fillers • Laser Hair Removal • Laser Skin Resurfacing Skin Care Products • Laser for Red and Brown Spots

Does this mean the end is near for places like Value Village and Goodwill? Will the St. Vincent de Paul Society and the Canadian Diabetes Association find it more difficult to fulfill their charitable mandates or research goals? Most likely, the answer is no. For now.

Until then, continue to explore the names you know. Clean out your closet from time to time. Donate the items that don’t suit your tastes anymore and support your community while you do it. D. THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

13278 Tecumseh Rd. E., Tecumseh ON I 519-979-GLOW (4569)

www.drradin.com

27

Where do business owners meet?

Being a business owner can be lonely. So how do you get support for your business and become the best leader you can be?

For nearly 30 years, TAB has helped business owners gain freedom, solve their challenges and surpass their goals. TAB Membership gives you a trusted, close-knit community of high performing leaders and CEOs who have faced similar situations.

TAB Members are people who: Speak honestly and openly in a confidential environment.

Ask tough questions and challenge you to stay accountable.

Encourage and push you to outperform your goals.

Offer diverse perspectives you won't get anywhere else.

If you are a business owner and want to know more about TAB, contact Peter Wares, President / Owner Phone: 226-773-3386 Email: peter@tabwindsoressex.com Web: tabwindsoressex.com

HAVE YOUR

SAY WHAT DO YOU WANT TO READ ABOUT?

thedrivemagazine.com/haveyoursay OR haveyoursay@thedrivemagazine.com 28

devonshiremall.com

WINDSOR’S PREMIER SHOPPING EXPERIENCE

A NEW MALL EXPERIENCE

IN THE PALM OF YOUR HAND COMING SOON! For complete details visit devonshiremall.com

Actual patient at The Denture Center

FREE CONSULTAT IO

N

Implant & D igital Dentures Emergencie s & Repairs

Smile

ANDREA’S FEARLESS NEW

At only 25 years of age, Andrea had suffered for several years from tooth loss, agonizing pain, and recurrent oral infections, leaving her unable to eat many of her favourite foods. She suffered with complications from fibromyalgia and a lifelong struggle with a rare genetic disorder.

For Andrea, even simple tasks like running errands became stressful. Andrea feared revealing her teeth or smiling while interacting in public. At times her anxiety and fear of judgment made her refuse to leave her home, negatively affecting The Denture herself and her young children.

Andrea’s dentist referred her to The Denture Center along with an oral surgeon, and everything began to change.

“

Center changed my life.

My confidence has returned.

I now know who I really am.

Today, Andrea has an entirely new smile and level of confidence. With the dramatic changes made in her oral health, Andrea is clearly happy, confident, motivated, and, best of all, pain-free! No longer fearful of how others will react when she reveals her teeth in public, Andrea is finally able to focus on her career, her children, and her own quality of life.

”

“The Denture Center team changed my life,” Andrea relates happily. “Everything is amazing now; my confidence has returned. I am becoming ‘me’ again. I just want to enjoy my life and find out who I really am—not the person who I was always scared of bringing out.”

you

It’s more than dentures, it’s a new

Crafting your smile

Andrea’s story is common: a new smile often leads to meaningful social and psychological breakthroughs for patients with significant oral health issues. The Denture Center cares; we work as a team with dentists and specialists alike to provide our patients with the best treatment outcomes. Every patient is part of our family.

Andrea before

Andrea after

thedenturecenter.ca LOCATIONS Windsor: 2601 Lauzon Parkway 519.969.6316 Leamington: 33 Princess St. Suite 320 519.326.7391

INCENT GEORGI

THE GUY WHO DID IT HE PUSHED WIFF FURTHER AND HIS AUDIENCE WASN’T AFRAID TO SAY YES TO A LITTLE RISK

By Alley L. Biniarz | Photography: Syx Langemann

Vincent Georgie is a yes person—all caps, risk-big-to-win-big, Y-E-S. If not for his fearless mentality, the Windsor International Film Festival (WIFF) wouldn’t be the same festival we know today. No, Vincent isn’t the founder of WIFF, but as a friend once described him, Vincent is like jumper cables—you could take something with no energy or animation, clip Vincent on, and it will come to life. The minute Vincent sets his mind to something, it’s going to be a wow.

Vincent joined the WIFF board of directors 10 years ago, when the organization was searching for someone with a marketing

PEOPLE DRIVE

THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

31

‘‘ PEOPLE DRIVE

We keep going back until we get to the point, look at it, and say, ‘YES! It’s got the flavours we want: diversity, countries, local, serious, political, challenging, whimsical, and terrifying.

background. Vincent has a doctorate in the business of film, so you could say he was perfectly qualified for the position. “I’ve always known that WIFF would be a big hit, no doubt about it. Did I ever think about the role WIFF would play in my life, or how long I would stay?

No, I just couldn’t have,” Vincent says, remembering a time when he didn’t know much about film festivals, which isn’t the case now. He jokes that his life from now on will be inextricably linked to the festival. As WIFF’s current executive director and chief programmer, Vincent can’t walk through Zehrs without people giving him film recommendations.

’’

“One time someone came up to me, knowing that I’m a film buff, and he said, ‘Well, let me tell you about our film festival.’

And I was fascinated with what he was about to tell me. I was so delighted, but I didn’t say anything because it was so authentic, and he was giving me the most genuine recommendations. At the end I just told him, ‘You’ve sold me. I can promise you that I’ll be there this year.’

“I think it’s marvellous that our audience is so engaged and cares about the festival and feels proud of it,” he adds.

Originally from Montreal, Vincent was an outsider to Windsor. He says that it actually helped that he came from out of town, because he didn’t fall into the old Windsor stereotypes or labels and wasn’t afraid to push the community further.

Back in his early days with WIFF, Vincent recalls working with distributors and asking the festival to acquire an edgy film. The response?

‘But Vincent, I’m not sure if this film will work in Windsor. It’s too serious. Sophisticated.

There are subtitles.’

This response triggered Vincent’s chief motivation for how he works: trying to shake people out of their comfort zones. Refusing to take no for an answer, he responded with, ‘We will decide what we like, and they’ll love it just fine!’ Lo and behold, today it’s a role-reversal for both him and WIFF. “Now our distributors marvel at how progressive our audience is,” he says. “For me, if you show people that it’s a good movie, they will go see it.”

Vincent brings a “more is more” flavour to the festival. Even in life, he is not at all attracted to moderate risk for moderate reward. “My family is a go-above-and-beyond one, and we reach the extraordinary. You have to be confident in your abilities and be

32

PEOPLE DRIVE realistic about it, but I’m fine with a high level of difficulty of execution. I have an appetite for high-wire acts that are difficult to pull off, because you know that if you do, it’ll be a wow,” he says.

The same goes for his taste in films. “I always lean in to a film that’s risking something, where the result could have been catastrophic, but instead, it nailed what it was trying to do.”

wasn’t de facto; this is just what Vincent has WIFF spreadsheet that he checks multiple always wanted to do. times a day. He says that they find some WIFF “When other kids were off playing sports, films up to a year and a half in advance, while he was reading Oscar almanacs,” says James keeping the programming cut-off date very Docker, a childhood friend of Vincent’s. “I close to the launch. They want the maximum knew from the day he went to Windsor for amount of time to go out and find that needlehis MBA that he’d move back to become a in-a-haystack film. It’s their goal to make sure professor. It’s not a surprise that he’ll never the festival contains something for everyone leave.” Windsor was an anchor point during in the community.

Vincent is naturally attracted to very heavy films, with his favourite being Zodiac.

For him, it’s impossible for a good film to be “depressing,” and he’s never understood the discourse around the idea that a film could look too heavy or depressing. “A depressing movie is when I walk out of the theatre and can’t remember what I saw,” he says. “Anything that leaves you with something can’t be depressing.”

the formative years of Vincent’s life, and even “We’re trying to paint a giant portrait of what though Vincent grew up in Mississauga, it just WIFF will look like, and we’ll keep adding films took him a little longer to realize that his true in brush strokes, look back, and think, this is too home is Windsor. grey, too Canadian, not local enough. We keep going “Vincent immerses himself in what he back until we get to the point, look at it, and believes in and truly loves what he does,” say, ‘YES! It’s got the flavours we want: diversity, James adds. “These things are synonymous countries, local, serious, political, challenging, with Vincent: he’s loyal to his friends, his whimsical, and terrifying.’”

Vincent remembers the day he fell in love with movies. “I was looking through the newspaper in our family home and found a beautiful poster ad for the film Dangerous Liaisons. I remember looking at that photo of Glenn Close, John Malkovich, and Michelle Pfeiffer and thinking, I want to know more about movies.”

Vincent watches around 600 movies a year—both related to WIFF and not—and says that as much as he’s watching them as a business-minded person, he is simultaneously enjoying the experience as an audience member. “When we found The Russian Five in Traverse City, which wound up winning People’s Choice awards, I was moved and teared up frequently. Even while teary-eyed over the content, I couldn’t help but think, ‘How are we going to market it?’ or ‘When are we going to schedule it?’” Because he’s a marketer first, he’s able to separate church and state, and there’s a clear understanding between his taste versus the market taste.

brands, and his passions.”

Vincent says these are the true pleasures of running an audience-focused festival. It’s the audience’s year-round feedback that has made WIFF the number-one volunteer-run festival in Canada for 2019, and on the same year as WIFF’s 15th anniversary.

The festival adds a quality of life to Windsor, as our downtown core buzzes with “WIFF Chaos,” as labelled by an ongoing festivalgoer. Part of WIFF’s charm is that it’s a collection of 45-second conversations with the entire city in between films. Vincent says that the actual film is often the third consideration for some viewers, with the first being a big crowd or that feeling of a group experience.

He began asking for Leonard Maltin’s annual film review books for Christmas, and since Vincent has a photographic memory, he could easily memorize statistics and facts about the Oscars and retain all of the information. The more he read about the industry, the more fascinated he became with knowing He researches film every day of his life, “For me there’s terrific satisfaction when everything. Going into the “business of arts” without fail. He and his team have an ongoing I’m outside the theatre and listening to people

PEOPLE DRIVE give feedback as they walk by. I stand off to the side, trying to catch what they say. It’s like giving someone a Christmas gift that you love, and thinking, oh my god, I bought that for you a year ago and I’m so happy you ended up liking it.”

Back when WIFF brought on the Chrysler Theatre as one of the locations, he caught someone say, ‘It’s so convenient, you just cut through WIFF Alley.’ He and the WIFF gang were blown away by their audience referring to the alleyway between University Avenue and Chatham in that way. Naturally, his marketing brain took action and this year they’ll be transforming “WIFF Alley” into an arts and culture hub filled with special guests.

Being open to the positive and negative feedback, and implementing the changes, is what takes WIFF above and beyond most film festivals.

“The audience said give us another weekend, so okay, we’re doing it. We’ll do 10 days, three venues, 40,000 tickets, and 170 films. A festival of this size should be in a city roughly the size of Ottawa. The fact that it’s here… wow,” Vincent compares today’s numbers to the 2,500 tickets sold in the early years.

Now that the festival is this size, Vincent and the WIFF team actually have to be less risk-averse because they have room to play. They can show a film that they really believe in, that was expensive to acquire, and have 27 people show up for it, because there will be another film that will sell 2,000 tickets. “The films can live together in the ecosystem and it will go well, compared to when we were smaller and had fewer spaces to make revenue,” he says.

Jennifer Willet, an associate professor at the School of Creative Arts (SoCA), says that Vincent has begun collaborating between her lab and WIFF. Jennifer’s “INCUBATOR” lab intersects biology with the contemporary arts, and this year she and Vincent are exploring how to heighten the movie-watching experience by engaging a hands-on experience of the biotech featured in one of the films.

Jennifer speaks to his ongoing efforts to enliven the city and festival, both professionally and creatively. “As director of SoCA, Vincent has been a great champion of the program. He is an optimist but also works towards these goals with an incredible internal momentum.”

There’s no rest on the lulls for the hardworking WIFF team, because they’re constantly looking for improvements to make to the festival.

In the month leading up to the festival, 34

‘‘

Vincent doesn’t do “medium”. It’s huge or it’s nothing. He’s up early, he’s up late, he’s taking to you on the phone but he’s also emailing you and somehow he’s also right beside you drinking his ninth coffee of the day.

—Pat Papadeas

’’

PEOPLE DRIVE WIFF meetings become seven to ten hours long. Vincent says they add in a little fun and comfort by conducting meetings at someone’s house and bringing food. “WIFF-planning becomes a full-contact sport, in the best way. They last forever and a day, and even when we do finish, a group of people will stand at the doorway with their coats on and have another two-hour meeting. It just continues to break up into smaller meetings on the porch, and then we’ll have the subcommittee throwing it down for 40 minutes in someone’s car.”

He adds it’s important for everyone involved to have supportive friends and family during this time, to understand the commitment and energy it takes to put this beast together. The long hours don’t bother him, because he’s always wanted a career over a job, and it all comes down to his relationship with time. It never occurs to him that he works on a Saturday, or that he t.

“When you have a job, you’re always counting down until it’s over,” he says. “Why wouldn’t I work on this? Last night I was in my office until midnight. University work? Love it. WIFF work? Love it. There’s no shortcut to getting the job done, you just do it. It’s not more magical than waking up early or going to bed late.” This is his life’s work, and he does it because he loves it.

Vincent has always valued knowledge and expertise, so it’s on brand for him to know the film industry inside and out. “Good or bad, I’m an expert in my industry. Back in the day I saw all of the Twilight films because I needed to know what this trend was in my industry. It’s like saying you’re a car expert but you’re not up to date with the new cars.

So… you’re not an expert then.”

Since so much of Vincent’s life tends to be grand, naturally people are drawn to the mundane facts about him. “I’m more introverted than people think. I have to recharge and be plugged back into the wall.

I’m very good at taking long road trips in silence,” Vincent tells me.

He doesn’t cook, he is an insomniac, he gets a lot of parking tickets, he has delayed motor skills, he can’t snap his fingers or whistle, he failed his driver’s test four times. “My mind gets things faster than my body. I’m the type that if my dishwasher broke, I’d sell my house.

It could be a quick fix with an eight-dollar part at Home Depot but I wouldn’t know what to do with it. Nope, it’s done.”

Vincent’s living requirements include needing to be within proximity to a Starbucks, because coffee is his go-to thinking beverage when watching a film. He also says that he approaches every meeting and every email assuming that he’s going to agree. “I say no about one out of ten times, when I know it will be problematic. But if I say yes, it’s because I know it will be generative and something good will come out of it.”

Enjoy the finest in Italian cuisine along the waterfront in beautiful historic Amherstburg.

Book your holiday party now! Gift cards available.

Proudly serving the landscape industry and home owners for over 60 years.

LANDSCAPE SUPPLIES Decorative Stone Construction Aggregate Top Soil Rockery Mulch

Most people overplay the consequences of an action, but when Vincent looks at a situation, he realizes the worst that could happen is it ends in “meh.”

“If the worst case is ‘meh,’ but the best case is that it’s wonderful and makes people happy, well then, why wouldn’t you try?”

By saying “yes,” he hopes that people will remember him as “the guy who did it.”

1894 Manning Rd., Tecumseh

Whatever it is, he’ll have done it.

South of The E.C. Row Expressway

WIFF 2019 runs from Friday, November 1 to Sunday, November 10th.

THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

D.

LANDSCAPE EFFECTS GROUP OF COMPANIES

519.735.7777 35

Quality Reliability Service Commercial | Industrial | Residential

Tear Offs and Repairs Asphalt Shingles Built Up Roof Systems Metal Roof Coating TPO and PVC Roof Systems Maintenance Commercial Siding Modified Roofs Roof System Analysis Single Ply Rubber Systems

CALL QUINN ROOFING TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE 519.256.8474 • quality@quinnsolutions.ca • www.quinnsolutions.ca

Ken and Sue Quinn

landscapefx.com

it’s your

TURN Plan your escape now

Our recent creation

PROFILE

BioPed Footcare Is foot pain holding you back from living your best life?

Sponsored by BioPed Footcare

Your feet carry you day after day, and they deserve the best care there is. BioPed Footcare (Windsor) strives to help their clients DO MORE of what they love to do—without experiencing that nagging pain and discomfort. Whether you’re an active athlete or simply standing for long hours at work, BioPed Footcare cushions them with a little TLC. For over 35 years, BioPed has been Canada’s leading orthotic insole provider, helping millions of Canadians achieve their goals and complete their daily tasks. Our goal is to enhance everyone’s ability to “do more,” because foot pain shouldn’t hold people back from doing the activities that they love to do.

What Does This Mean For You? Maybe it means training for that 5k, or just making it through the day without pain. Whatever your goals, BioPed Footcare wants to help you make it happen. Specializing in assessing and providing non-surgical treatments for conditions related to the functions of the feet and lower limbs, BioPed works to alleviate discomfort and helps people move through life with greater stability and peace of mind.

When you walk through their doors, you’ll see a true foot specialist who will monitor and note your walking movements, and will identify your needs immediately. By the end of the initial appointment, you’ll know everything from what’s causing your pain to what you need to feel relief.

The Canadian Certified Pedorthist or Foot Care Nurse will educate you so you’ll know exactly what’s happening with your body.

There is absolutely no obligation after your first appointment, but if you choose to work with the specialist, they’ll be able to offer you their stateof-the-art technology casting methods and 3D scan of your foot to fit you into your perfectly molded insole. Since orthotics are classed as a medical device, if they are made incorrectly, they can actually cause more injury, rather than offering relief. Working with BioPed Footcare means putting your feet in the right hands and receiving a true replica of your foot impression. Your custom orthotics are made accurately, in-house, taking into account every small angle and contour of your foot.

BioPed Footcare’s investment in their on-site lab allows the specialist to get the insoles under your feet within days, rather than weeks. This means they can also provide their clients with the added benefit of quick, on-the-spot adjustments for ongoing comfort.

Their highly trained and certified employees provide outstanding experience to their clients, and you’ll notice their expertise shine from the moment your bare foot touches the floor. They provide a standard of excellence in foot and life care because your comfort is their pride.

BioPed Footcare 1801 Walker Rd Windsor, ON 519.973.1770 windsor@bioped.com www.bioped.com/windsor

BioPed Footcare also offers bracing, both custom and non-custom, compression stockings in various sizes, colours, and compression grades, as well as an outstanding collection of fashionable, orthoticfriendly footwear, which can be customized if necessary for almost any foot irregularity.

BioPed Footcare’s outstanding service takes the previously challenging or painful and makes it attainable, giving you the freedom to ask, “Where will my feet take me today?”

PEOPLE DRIVE

BIG BIG DREAMS SCREEN BRINGING STEPHEN KING’S “WILLA” TO LIFE

By Tita Kyrtsakas Photography: Syx Langemann

40

‘‘

PEOPLE DRIVE

It was 2001 and time for the end-of-the-year film assignment in the grade 10 communications class at Holy Names High School. Corey Mayne, a student who was interested in film and animation, asked fellow students Barbara Szeman and Adrian Jaworski to group up with him to create a 20-minute horror film. What should have been a quick project ended up changing their lives.

do something together,” Barbara explains. She also joined the Directors Guild of Canada.

Before this class, Barbara and Adrian had known of each other, but when Corey cast them as love interests, their film relationship grew into a personal one. “After this class, we grew closer,” says Adrian. Much closer. Now, the two are married, expecting their first child, and have reunited with Corey to create their short film, Willa, which is currently moving through the film festival circuit.

When the two saw the market in Windsor pick up for housing, Adrian saw his opportunity to return to Windsor to complete his nursing degree, and drove back and forth every week between classes in Windsor and acting work in Toronto. “Acting was destroying me, so I was doing gigs on the side while in nursing school. One time I was driving to Windsor on the 401 and my agent called me and said I had an audition for Covert Affairs. I had gotten as far as London and I took the very next exit, turned around, and drove all the way back. I used the long drives to my advantage. I’d read the nursing manuals and scripts and record them to listen to while I was driving on the 401, memorizing lines going to Toronto, and studying the nursing notes while heading back to Windsor.” creative part, bringing out what we want from Meanwhile, Corey had moved back to the story. At least we know the story is there.

Toronto in 2010 to pursue work in TV and He makes frightening and compelling drama.” film. He has worked on shows such as Game King also has a program that allows of Thrones, Twilight, Vikings, and currently, The filmmakers to use the rights of his story for Handmaid’s Tale. Soon after moving back, $1. What came with a King story was an he and Barbara worked on the film Polter- automatic interest and established following geist together, and were inspired to work on among his fans. independent films again.

With all the professionals involved and the Barbara had worked on feature films like equipment they used, the film should have Suicide Squad and Downsizing and got to know cost at least $2 million—the team made it for the crew well, keeping close relationships 2 percent of that. with fellow colleagues. “The crew knew my “With filmmaking in general, I’ve learned passions of producing and writing, and I got a lot of the techniques and what they do almost the entire crew of Suicide Squad with on set day to day,” Barbara says. “Nothing professional equipment to be on the crew of went wrong.

We had the most experienced Willa,” Barbara explains. crew in the industry, everyone worked well When the time came for production to together. We couldn’t have made this without begin on the trio’s first film together in 17 the people who supported us in the Toronto years, Barbara had amassed a crew of 100 of film industry.”

Toronto’s finest filmmakers, who volunteered Willa had its premiere in L.A. last month their time for Willa. and is heading towards WIFF and other festi“We didn’t want to take a step back and vals. They even have investors interested in make something smaller,” she says. “We making a feature film. wanted this to be the same high level of the In 2018, five months after wrapping Willa, films we actually work on. Going the horror Barbara and Adrian married, and now they’re route, we are all diehard Stephen King fans. waiting for their next adventure due on Friday We saw an opportunity with Stephen King the 13th of December, nonetheless. because he’s an accomplished writer and the story is there. And then we can focus on the “I’m so grateful for all of it,” Barbara says. D.

So what happened over the past 18 years that led them to create one of the largest-scale short films in Canada?

“Corey at the time was ahead of his game in visual effects. After he finished his schooling at Sheridan he immediately got a job at Pixar in 2005,” Barbara explains. “That inspired my pursuit in film.” Corey ended up moving to Los Angeles to take the job.

In 2009, Barbara and Adrian were working in Windsor, and after watching their friend’s growing success in L.A., they moved to Toronto “on a whim” to follow their dreams of working in film: Barbara behind the scenes and Adrian as an actor.

Adrian laughs, “Barbara was like, ‘Let’s get into film!’ I packed up a TV and a small duffel bag, and was like, ‘Alright, we’re moving to Toronto!’ I quit nursing school. I knew if we’re going to be in, we’re going to be all in.

And we went in hard. We had no money, we were totally broke. I don’t know what we were thinking back then. With the Toronto rent, we had to grind it out.”

Barbara wanted to work behind the scenes.

When she got to Toronto, she sent out 100 emails and one response gave her the opportunity she needed. The two of them also worked with director Gavin Michael Booth, who was featured in last month’s The Drive magazine.

She volunteered on sets of music videos and got a job on The Score on the Sports Network.

“That experience led me to be a production assistant on RoboCop and from then on I worked on several feature films and eventually I got to be assistant director on them. I also wanted to make my own films. Corey and I kept in touch, saying one day we’re going to THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

While Barbara was finding her way behind the scenes, Adrian was acting, bartending, and finding other ways to make money. He bought couches on Kijiji and then sold them for four times the price after cleaning them and selling them. “That’s how hard we were hustling in Toronto,” he explains.

We wanted this to be the same high level of the films we actually work on. Going the horror route, we are all diehard Stephen King fans

’’

41

Excuse us while we brag about our 9 awards...

EXPLORE THE TOWN THAT WHISKY BUILT TASTE 2 DISTILLERIES & 10 CRAFT BREWERIES IN WINDSOR ESSEX FOR $25

The Westcott Cream Ale, Gold Medal at the 2019 ontario Brewing Awards (among others.)

Buy your Flight Log Tasting Passport now at flightlog.ca

Check us out at 12 Main St. E., Kingsville (next to The Grove Hotel).

All of our award-winning beers are available TO GO or SHOP ONLINE at

BrewEatSleepRepeat.com

visitwindsoressex.com

PARTNER with success

To advertise in our next issue, email or call us Ken Stewart kstewart@thedrivemagazine.com

519.259.8570 Dave Hunter dhunter@thedrivemagazine.com

519.567.0753 Tap Room & Shop hours

Mel Monczak mmonczak@thedrivemagazine.com

519.903.1353 The

DRIVE

ISSUE 120

Sun-wed: 11AM-6pm Thu & sat: 11AM-7pm Friday: 11AM-9pm

DRIV E

The

519-254-6067 525 Argyle rd. Windsor on. walkervillebrewery.com

ISSUE 124

BIG RISKS FOR BIG REWARDS

Gavin Booth is a betting man

A SUPER MAN

2019 PROUD WINNERs: 4 Gold & 2 Bronze Medals

IN DISGUISE

LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS

THEDRIVE#120_TEXT.indd 2

PEOPLE | TRENDS CULTURE | LIFESTYLE |

2019-02-26 5:52 PM

2019-08-14

.indd 1

THEDRIVE#124_TEXT

42

10:18 AM

BEER DRIVE

WINDSOR CRAFT BREWERIES A SIPPABLE MOMENT WITH EXPERTS

By Kimberly Love | Photography: Syx Langemann

Most of us have a nostalgic story from our youth about the first time we experienced the taste of beer.

I remember the sound of bottles clinking together as my best friend rolled them in a towel so we could sneak them out of the house. “Shhh, she’s going to hear you!” I hissed at her, thinking my mother was about to discover us at any moment. I can’t even remember the name of the beer because there was a time that I thought there was no difference from one beer to another. That certainly has changed over the years as craft breweries are changing the way we not only think about beer but how we are enjoying it as well.

Providing flavourful beer to customers seems to be a consistent theme when talking to brewery owners.

Beer lover and radio personality on the River Greg Gnyp says, “Windsor is beginning to find its way in the craft beer game. The city has some breweries making an interesting array of beers.”

WALKERVILLE BREWERY

1 THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

Mike Brkovich is the owner of Walkerville Brewery and his passion for the brewery comes in the form of keeping history alive in the community—history that dates back to the 1880s.

The brewery recently won six awards from the 2019 Ontario Brewing Awards, one being gold for its Purity Pilsner in the category of pale bitter European.

Brkovich has invested a lot in the community and believes that Walkerville Brewery is the “fabric of Walkerville.” He has watched families grow up at the brewery as they then began to bring their children and grandchildren into his establishment.

The brewery recently purchased a nanosystem small brewery that will allow Brkovich to experiment with small batches and bring new flavours to the brewery. walkervillebrewery.com 525 Argyle Rd, Windsor 519.254.6067 43

2 Richy Nix

44

CHAPTER TWO

BEER DRIVE

Chapter Two started out as a dream of a man cave by owners Tom Gelinas, Terry Dube, and Chris Holt. The men knew that they wanted to start the venture of creating a brewery that tells a story. “All our customers are our favourites,” Head Brewer and Operations Manager Michael Beaudoin says, likening the brewery to the bar on Cheers. Holt started things off by teaching his partners how to brew beer right in his driveway and that was where it all began.

They love to tell stories and if you swing in for a beer, start asking about the story behind the beer label, Three on a Leash—you won’t be disappointed. “One of my favourites is the Cantina Ale from Chapter Two Brewing Co. It’s only available at the Grand Cantina, so it’s an absolute delight whenever I'm at their restaurant grabbing tacos. I highly recommend it if you're looking for a truly special brew from our area,” says beer fan Dean Scott. www.chaptertwobrewing.com 2345 Edna Street, Windsor 519.980.7576

BEER DRIVE

WHITE BRONCO

This hazy, citrusy juice-bomb delivers a tropical hop explosion whilst putting the brakes on bitterness.

SANDWICH BREWERY

3232 Sandwich Street I 519-800-2019

3 THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

With a love of preserving heritage and old buildings, the owners— siblings Nicole, Jason, and Carrie Sekela—found a place in bad repair, revitalized it, and created Sandwich Brewery. It is a unique location that is open concept, which allows you to be part of the brewing experience. On the second floor, there is a viewing area that grants you access to the process of making beer, which would be fun for the whole family. “Sandwich Brewery has taken beer to another level and their White Bronco IPA is such a pretty beer,” states Greg Gnyp. www.facebook.com/sandwichbrewing 3232 Sandwich Street, Windsor 519.800.2019

45

FRANK BREWING CO.

BEER DRIVE

46

4

FRANK Brewing Company was another recipient of awards from the 2019 Ontario Brewing Awards. They won bronze with its Honey Habanero in the category for spiced beer and a bronze for its No-Nonsense in the category of pale bitter European. The brewery was started by brothers Shane and Steve Meloche, who have worked in the food industry for years. They added Chief Brewer Brad Wright and now the trio is making magic. Shane believes that brewery beer is not just a science but an art. He loves to bring excellent quality beer to his customers who want to invest in a local business. frankbeer.ca 12000 Tecumseh Rd., Tecumseh 519.956.9822

BEER DRIVE

The NEW

BANDED GOOSE BREWING CO.

Banded Goose

5

Brewery & Taproom

So Much To Tell You, But...

This Just About Says It All.

Cheers!

15 Main Street East | Kingsville, ON | 519-733-9700

bandedgoosebrewing.com

What started off as experimentation in the prep kitchen of Jack’s Gastropub turned into Banded Goose Brewing Co. It was discovered pretty quickly that they could produce small-batch, flavour-forward beers. The owner’s passion for the food and beverage industry dates back 30 years. “I think our main focus for the past 10 years has really been to help establish Kingsville and surrounding area as a destination tourism market,” says Operations Manager Trevor Loop. “We have known firsthand what an awesome area it is that we live and work, and hope to share this with many more people.” bandedgoosebrewing.com 15 Main St. E, Kingsville 519.733.9700

THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

47

CRAFTHEAD BREWERY

BEER DRIVE

6

Standing at the bar and sampling a delicious brew called Under the Sea Salted Caramel, I felt as if I had died and gone to salted caramel–covered heaven.

Walking into Craftheads Brewing Company, with its bar that includes 30 taps, you know you are going to have a large selection at your fingertips. As a small brewery, they are able to experiment with new flavours all the time. It started with two friends who wanted to knock something off their bucket list and who had a dream of building a community in downtown. Owners Bryan Datoc and Steve Fabischek are very much involved in the daily operations of the brewery and want the community to know that everyone is welcome at their bar. “Craftheads Brewery is pushing limits and ideas with their beers and flavour combinations. They are always a drink adventure,” says fan Greg Gnyp. www.craftheads.ca 89 University Ave. W, Windsor 226.246.3925 There are really good reasons to venture out and try some of the local brews being created right here in the Windsor region.

Cheers and please drink responsibly!

GET A TASTE OF CRAFT BREWERIES & DISTILLERIES WITH TOURISM WINDSOR ESSEX PELEE ISLAND Explore & pour the ten craft breweries & two distilleries in Windsor Essex that make up the Barrels Bottles & Brews trail!

Link to www.barrelsbottlesbrews.ca to check out the two programs – including the FREE Explore and Pour Passport to guide you across the region, or purchase your Flight Log today for $25 and get a tasting flight at all 12 partners on the Barrel Trail.

48

D.

Dedication Happens Here From preventative care to life-saving treatment, Erie Shores HealthCare is at the heart of our community’s health and well-being.

Through your support, we can continue to make all kinds of amazing things happen here.

Discover how you can make a difference at:

eshfoundation.ca

Proudly Supported by Erie Shores Health Foundation THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

49

NEW GAMES NEW THRILLS Breakaway & Paradise Gaming Centres

HAVE NEW WAYS TO PLAY! Introducing our new and exciting line up of cabinet machines with several different ways to play and win! All games offer bonus rounds and a chance at progressive jackpots.

519-256-0001

655 Crawford Avenue, Windsor, Ontario

www.breakawaygamingcentre.com

519-977-6100

2340 Dougall Avenue, Windsor, Ontario

www.paradisegamingcentre.com

Join our FREE Loyalty Program Must be 18 years of age or older to play. *Must be 19 years of age or older to be served alcohol.

4124 WALKER RD, WINDSOR | 519-972-3933

Cn o itr t ? W a.

CLIENT FOCUSED • Let us guide you through the Buying & Selling Process • Put our knowledge and experience to work for you • Let us make your dream a reality • Our greatest success is you recommending us to your friends & family NEW DEVELOPMENTS LASALLE/WINDSOR/LAKESHORE

519.903.0967 I 519.259.7352

www.teamarmitage.com

Custom Bathrooms At Their Finest From kitchens to bathrooms, or any other space in your home, master cabinetmaker Frank Cremasco and team can create truly distinctive cabinetry that’ll leave you pinching yourself. Start making your dreams a reality.

755 Morton Drive., Windsor | 519-734-8289 www.cremascocabinets.com

SPORTS DRIVE

BATTERS UP: A NEW ST. CLAIR COLLEGE STUDENT BODY GOES CRICKET CRAZY

52

Students have built Ontario’s most popular collegiate intramural cricket program, and a skyrocketing international student population has found a wellspring of camaraderie, community, and friendly competition thousands of kilometres from home.

SPORTS DRIVE

Ragad Badda announced his retirement Concisely, the demographic shift from his favourite sport the day before he left represents a deliberate response to increasing for Canada. He had no idea how wrong he was. financial pressures in the wake of provincial “I said ‘That’s it, Dad,’” recalls the St. Clair government directives and institutionally College International Business Management costly changes to Ontario’s Employment Standards Act. The question of whether this student. “This is my last day for cricket.’” represents a positive development for postIn his native India, Badda participated in secondary education in our region is complithe national pastime at a high level from the cated, but it’s undeniable that the face of St. age of 10, including a stint with a representaClair has changed meaningfully. tive team for Punjab, his home state. While he Kevin Corriveau coordinates the college’s had resigned himself to letting the game go to further his education abroad, today, much to Sport and Recreation Management Program. his surprise, Badda is part of an ever-growing He’s also head coach of the golf team, academic coterie of international athletes on a Canadian advisor to all varsity athletes, and essentially college campus where more students play St. Clair’s sports-fan-in-chief. intramural cricket than intramural hockey.

A few years ago, Corriveau became exposed “In our country, it’s a saying that cricket is to cricket through casual conversations in a religion,” says Kshitij Punj, a third-year Sport his business communication class, which and Recreation Management major at St. Clair attracts international students. “Our intrawho also hails from India. mural athletic programs are about including While this sort of proclamation is a all students,” he explains. “The population staple of the sport fans vernacular, it’s truer has changed a little bit on campus, and we in this case than most: the world’s second want to make sure that everybody is invited most popular game is a major monocultural to participate. I started making some general phenomenon in its second most populous inquiries and found out there is obviously a country. India’s 1.3 billion people share a significant amount of cricket being played in single major sport, and important cricket the community.” matches can fetch more than 300 million Something of a trailblazer, Punj is the first television viewers there alone. (The Super international president of St. Clair’s Student Bowl, as a point of comparison, reaches Athletic Association and the first Indianaround 100 million North Americans.) born student in his program. Back home, he Although the sport’s political, celebrity, was a recreational cricketer and a nationally and economic stakes are much lower on this competitive track star; he still holds the 400side of the Atlantic, plenty of people—particu- and 800-metre records for his state. After a larly members of the South Asian diaspora— brief flirtation with the Saints’ cross-country play and care about cricket here, too. It turns team, Punj turned his attention towards his out there are few communities in Canada studies and a burgeoning leadership role in where the game has caught on more than it campus athletics. has at St. Clair College.

Punj and Corriveau first discussed the Let’s set the stage: Over the last few years, possibility of inaugurating a formal cricket St. Clair has drastically expanded its interna- program in November 2017. With Corriveau’s tional enrollment. The institution’s projecguidance, Punj drafted a proposal. Conversations for the fall 2019 semester—just begintion across campus ignited quickly, sparked by ning at press time—suggest that more than Punj’s connections at the institution’s Interna4,700 international scholars currently call tional Development Office.

St. Clair’s Windsor or Chatham campuses The college held its first intramural match home. In other words, just shy of 40 percent of Saints are international citizens. A great many in February 2018 as part of a league involving come from India and other cricket-playing about 80 students. The second season saw that nations, including Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, number swell to 145. Most recently, there were and Pakistan.

197 participants, plus a waitlist comprising These numbers signal a serious sea change seven full teams of prospective players. for the college, which had fewer than 600 As Punj understands it, the previous international students as recently as 2016. record for the largest intramural program THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

53

SPORTS DRIVE

The St-Clair College Cricket club with Kevin Corriveau, Coordinator Sport and Recreation Management Program

on an Ontario Colleges Athletic Association and Optimist Memorial Parks and on 8th an annual invitational that brought 16 teams (OCAA)–associated campus was 184 players. Concession Road. from Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia to “Back home in India, it’s huge to reprePlans are underway for an official outdoor King City, Ontario (about 10 kilometres north sent your institution,” shares Punj. “When playing surface on campus grounds, ideally of Vaughan). The Saints would go on to finish we started the program here, people wanted as part of the college’s $21.5-million Sports first in their group but fall in the quarterfinals to go out for St. Clair. We saw all these varsity Park development, slated to open in April. to Algonquin College. athletes getting recognition, and we knew we Cricket balls are harder than baseballs, which Although it’s easy for ignorant Canadians could do that too, but in our sport!” necessitates certain safety considerations— to find cricket impenetrable (for me, it’s ranked You might be surprised to learn that cricket for students and the college’s new $500,000 somewhere between Quidditch and Calvinball at St. Clair began as an indoor program; it scoreboard alike—but the institution is open in intelligibility), the St. Clair campus cricket community has piqued the interest of Saints turns out much of the collegiate game played finding a solution. in Canada takes place in gyms.

While the OCAA has yet to recognize of all stripes.

“What fascinated me when I started to cricket as an official varsity sport, St. Clair has Punj notes that, as his program has grown, learn about the game,” says Corriveau, who begun to send representative teams of select domestic students, faculty, and college execucomes from a golf background, “was that crick- intramural players to “extramural” competi- tives have all stopped by to try their hand at eters are incredibly adept at altering the way tions at other Ontario colleges. the sport. “We’re not rigid in that you have they play the game based on the space that’s It also fields a championship-winning to know cricket already to play,” he stresses. available to them. You could go to downtown team in the Southwestern Ontario Cricket “We’re offering it for student life as a whole.

Windsor and find students playing in a League, a local 10-team men’s competition Perhaps predictably, baseball players have parking lot; it’s brilliant.” away from campus. been among the first to express enthusiasm.

“We could play cricket right here,” agrees This August, Punj and his mates attracted “People in North America are crazy about Punj, gesturing across a cramped meeting room national attention for founding a new interbaseball, and this involves a similar swing at used by the Student Athletic Association. campus competition called the St. Clair a different height,” Punj explains. “We’ve had “We were already playing in streets and Cricket Cup, a two-day, four-team tourna- a lot of players from our baseball team come parking lots,” adds Badda. “My Canadian ment involving representative squads from to our intramurals. When they come out to friends were curious about what we were the college’s South Windsor, downtown, play cricket, they don’t position the bat the way Chatham, and GTA campuses. doing!” they should, but they still swing it hard.

These days, the program has expanded out A week after our conversation, Punj, “If they make contact, it’s gone!” of doors. During the warm-weather season, St. Badda, and their mates participated for the Some things, it turns out, are universal. D. Clair uses City of Windsor pitches at Jackson first time in the Canadian College Nationals, 54

Actual Projects

1455 Matthew Brady Blvd | Windsor 519.944.5277 | bayviewglass.com

DECADES OF QUALITY

KID

Proof

We know how to dress your home.

We provide finely tailored, total service sales and installation solutions. Choosing Marquis means choosing distinctive, quality products and service.

At Marquis Tile we partner with companies that care about family. Torlys Smart Floors were created with your family in mind.

Come visit us to learn and see what we have to offer.

ALWAYS ON DISPLAY WWW.MARQUISTILE.COM 519-979-4200 1825 Manning Rd I Tecumseh, ON

Calling

Relax

all Authors and Writers

We take care of the details

Writing is an art and we’re looking for someone who is sharp, provocative and ambitious at it. We want you to dig deep and cover a wide range of topics that influence our community and speak to our audience.

Contact us at: Editorial@thedrivemagazine.com

TheDriveMagazine.com Twitter @thedrivemag Instagram #thedrivemag Facebook @thedrivemagazine

Actual project

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

CUSTOM HOME BUILDER

Well Appointed Single Family Homes

519.252.0419

Follow us

&

creative

ART DRIVE

Sam Friedman: Love Songs presented

by Library Street Collective (February 2017).

Courtesy of Library Street Collective

CONTEMPORARY

REIMAGINING DETROIT THROUGH THE EYES OF ARTISTS

By Kimberly Love | Photography: Sal Rodiguez

“Everyone has a story to tell.” We hear the words often enough, and who doesn’t love a good story? The art industry has given us many ways in which to tell a story, whether it’s through the written word, the silver screen, or on a piece of canvas. Those stories are told straight from the minds of people who spend their lives creating for the sole purpose of awakening another’s soul. Art can awaken us in many ways, disturb the way we think, and make us wonder if there is a whole world out there that we knew nothing about.

These stories of awakening are being told at the Library Street Collective—in the form of contemporary fine art—and they are something to behold. As you walk from piece to piece, absorbing the stories of each one, you can’t help but be taken into the story they are yearning to tell. Some are beautiful and breathtaking, while others teach you something and make you think about the world that you live in. Some will shake you to your core because of their beauty, while others will remind you of old lessons that were long forgotten.

meant to move you and possibly change the way you think. The artist wants you to see things through their eyes if only for a minute, and in that minute, if they have changed you in some way, then their work has served its purpose.

deep history and the renewal of the city has intrigued not only locals born and raised in the city but people from all over the world.

The gallery has given a home to incredible local artists, as well as some from abroad, to There is something really special about showcase their pieces and to find them a home the gallery that was started by JJ and Anthony with collectors.

Curis, a couple with a background in hospitality “The contemporary art world is changing and real estate. With a passion for contempo- dramatically, and there was an inkling that rary art, they were collectors themselves before Detroit might respond to something new and they opened the gallery in 2015. Located in the visual,” says Tara, who works at the Library heart of Detroit, the gallery was named such Street Collective. “Art has become a huge part because it sits right on Library Street. They are of showing what Detroit has to offer.” at the forefront of contemporary fine art and Library Street Collective first started off they showcase work from emerging and established artists who they believe have “pushed the as a space on Library Street but was eventuboundaries of traditional medium and exhibi- ally expanded into a converted garage that tion space.” They are always on the lookout for led into the back alley. This became known new artists to showcase, paying attention to as a drive-in art gallery where they showcase fairs, museums, and the works of graduating murals from all around the world. The students. Their goal is to not only present great alleyway known as the Belt is a magical place works but to present amazing work to collectors. to visit. You’re not sure what you are going to find down the alley and that’s all a part of the Opening up a gallery in Detroit was important to the owners because they believe magic of taking that walk.

The wonderful thing about art is that it is the city to be a special place. Detroit has a THEDRIVEMAGAZINE.COM

It becomes pretty obvious right away as 57

ART DRIVE you get into the alley that it is a favourite among photographers. They are seeing the art in a different light as the camera clicks and the model changes her pose. Women are perched along the murals as photographers seek to present their art among the artists on the wall. There are also the spectators who drink their coffee and peacefully walk from mural to mural, sometimes taking a glimpse at the models posing for the camera. It’s clear that this is a place where people of all ages will come to take a look at what’s new in the gallery. Families get their pictures taken among the art while others choose to just stand still and get lost in another world presented by the mural.

It’s hard to decide what area is better—the murals in the alleyway or the canvases on display inside. Whichever you chose, it’s a wonderful way to enjoy a cup of coffee as you stroll through the gallery and make your way out into the Belt to see what has been painted on the walls.

Library Street Collective is a breath of fresh air that is trying to carve out an interesting place to experience art and people in Detroit have welcomed them with open arms. D.

is Mention th ive ad and rece

15% OurForF der yo

With two locations in Windsor and Tecumseh Carrots n Dates is our cities unique plant driven eatery. Here you’ll find our talented team bring forth an inspiring array of Vegetarian and Vegan creations. Our Baristas and front of house will make sure your organic coffee, tea or latte is made to perfection. We are inspired by nature’s wholesome food and love. Our menu is perfect for every lifestyle and we are the alchemists of food. Both our locations are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner serving fresh juices, smoothies, warm bowls and unique desserts.

Tecumseh: 1125 Lesperance Rd. 519-735-0447 Windsor: 2090 Wyandotte St. E. 519-962-5115

www.carrotsndates.com

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

Ten strategies for paying less tax in retirement — Sechopoulos Valente Group of RBC Dominion Securities

Tuesday, November 19, 2019 Essex Golf & Country Club | 7555 Matchette Rd., Windsor ON Attendance is complimentary, but seating is limited. Please RSVP by October 21 to stella.dhono@rbc.com or 519-252-3178 and advise us of any dietary restrictions.

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. © 2019 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 19_90621_MT6_025