May 2018 | Urbanicity Hamilton

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VOTE FOR YOUR FAVOURITE TACO TODAY!

Q&A WITH FIT BARRE

FINDING THE RIGHT (ACTIVE) FIT WITH FOUNDER, SARAH JOHNSON

THE HAMILTEN

THE TOP TEN THINGS TO “TACO” BOUT THIS MONTH

HAMILTON ARTS WEEK

THIRD ANNUAL ARTS WEEK PROVES WE'RE MORE THAN STEEL

C O M P L I M E N TA R Y

TACO DE MAYO

TA C O D E M AY O . C A | U R B A N I C I T Y. C A

A MESSAGE FROM

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THE EDITOR IN CHIEF

PUBLISHER + EDITOR ANDREA FERNANDES andrea@urbanicity.ca L AYO UT & D E S I G N Tafari Anthony CO VER BY Tafar i Ant h o ny DISTRIBUTION urbanicity Magazine

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The urbanicity team could not be more excited to kick off the warmer weather with none other than our second annual #TacoDeMayo festival, a fundraiser for Food4Kids! This year, 15 restaurants (pg. 10 &11) have created a speciality taco for hungry Hamiltonians to enjoy. $1 of every taco sold will go directly to help Food4Kids provide nutritional packages to children aged 4-14. All you have to do is pick a restaurant, enjoy a taco and vote for your favourite at tacodemayo.ca.

To the participating restaurants, we could not be more grateful for your support. These scrumptious tacos are

truly delicious works of art and the passion and creativity that goes into creating them never ceases to amaze us. We hope that our fundraiser encourages people to visit your fabulous locations and that the competition to win best Taco De Mayo makes for a fun-filled month.

So, put on your eating pants, Hamilton. It's time to feast on some delicious tacos.

We hope you enjoy the issue, the tacos and, as always, we would love to hear from you.

ANDREA FERNANDES

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IDEAS

The HamilTEN The top ten things to “taco” bout this month 01

02

05

What’s the scuttlebutt?

The word on the street?

Living in a city like Hamilton that is both growing but still small enough to recognize several familiar faces as you walk down the street lends itself to lots of talkin’ around town. As you enjoy a #tacodemayo in one of the many amazing restaurants (pg. 10&11) that offer them, here are some of the things I’ve been hearing about lately.

01. S P R I N G L AU N C H May always seems like the kick-off of a busy event season in the city. With Sew Hungry on Ottawa Street (May 5), Bump, Baby & Toddler Marketplace (May 5-6), and the Christie Antique and Vintage Show (May 26) its time to put on those walking shoes and enjoy the much needed warmer weather.

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0 3. T H E D E S S E R T R O O M Every recent great party or dinner guest has featured amazing treats from the Dessert Room. This bakery in Westdale creates truly spectacular and (almost) too-pretty-to-eat desserts that are not only Instagram-worthy but uniquely delicious. Try the pomegranate macaron and try not to love it. Check out their Instagram @thedessertroom.

06. WAT E R F R O N T R E D E V E LO P M E N T 4 PROPOSALS The West Harbour Key Project - Pier 8 Development search is underway.

There are 4 proposals under review and I keep hearing a lot about them.

They all have exciting features and there’s nothing I love more than a beautiful artist’s rendering. Check them out at www.hamilton.ca and let’s throw our support behind the selected vision.

04. T H I N G S I A LWAY S TA CO B O U T

0 7 . TO M A R K E T, TO M A R K E T

The things I’m always talking about are nothing new, but I still can’t let them go. I still love pokeh, still can’t understand why people litter, still wish we had a great bagel place in town, still haven’t visited any waterfalls (ridiculous, I know!), and still love the Drive Thru sandwich at Saint James. Don’t ever change, Hamilton, except definitely the littering thing.

I have found that in my 30s, I talk a lot about real estate, property taxes and other topics that 20-year old me would have found crushingly dull. After last year’s insane market, I’ve heard things have slowed down, but really, it’s just a more balanced market between selling and buying, which evens things out a bit and gives people time to make rational real estate decisions. So really, a cooling off period is just a reasonable period, which is A-Ok with me.

02. G R I T T Y G R I D LO C K

05. B A D F O N T S

Downtown traffic is one of those bittersweet things – a sign of growth as the city becomes busier and more populated with people and businesses, but MAN is it annoying! Rush hour downtown now feels slightly like Toronto and meeting people is often preceded by a “Crazy traffic – running late!” text.

There are certainly worse things, but it’s a change I’ve noticed this past year in Hamilton.

Speaking of stuff I can’t get over, the prevalence of terrible fonts is so shocking to me. A strong font or even a notawful font is the easiest and cheapest way to make something look modern or fresh. And yet, so many businesses look like they put no thought into it at all. I’m not going to call any place out in particular, but look around, I’m sure you’ll see who I mean. #comicsans

09. B A R TO N S T R E E T – E M E R A L D / H E L LO B A K E D People are always talking about Barton Street and the growth, then wane, then more growth. The newest kids on the block are Hello Baked and Emerald Co. joining The Heather and Motel. I know gentrification in this area can be a hot topic, so there’s always lots to taco ‘bout. Whichever side you sit on, supporting Barton Street in any way you do, is a good thing.

1 0 . B U T T O N S H O R TA G E Speaking of Barton Street, 541 Eatery & Exchange, a truly good and helpful place in Hamilton is low on buttons.

The restaurant serves great food at super reasonable costs and encourages people to donate $1 per button to help out those less fortunate. Their button jar is low – go have a delicious breakfast there and help out. Or consider volunteering – it feels so good. Follow their incredible Instagram @541barton.

08. A R K E L L S Everyone and their brother is talking about the mega Arkells concert on June 23 at Tim Hortons Field. It’s a great way to kick off the summer and make use of the stadium. Plus, money from every ticket sold for the event will be donated to the Refuge Hamilton Centre for Newcomer Health.

BY MELISSA MCQUEEN

Born and raised in Hamilton, Melissa is happy to taco 'bout any of the following things: podcasts, New York, which donut place is best, to-do lists, Broadchurch, OJ Simpson, the best dog park, or pizza toppings. @ WinnieCooperMM

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EXPERIENCES

Hamilton's Hidden Gem - Atelier Vsaint Orologi Handmade watches and custom designs Recently, I spent few hours each day wandering the streets of Hamilton’s City Centre and discovered dozens of funky and quirky hidden gems – bookstores, fashion boutiques, cafes, a knife shop, live music venues and even an acoustic guitar shop that was more like an art gallery. But, the quirkiest hidden gem was at 91 John Street S, a modest two-storey building with a fire engine red door with the only signage being a poster in the window.

The poster said: Atelier Vsaint Orologi offering custom timepiece design and watch repairs. I am not sure what enticed me to go inside, but I am really glad I did.

ANYONE CAN BUY A ROLEX OR A BREITLING, BUT IF YOU WANT TO MAKE A UNIQUE TIMELESS FASHION STATEMENT CONSIDER A“MADE IN HAMILTON” VSAINT WATCH

As I opened the door, a bell connected to the door by a string tinkled to announce my arrival – charming and very old school. The interior was sparse with an antique safe located in the middle of the room. It immediately captured my interest. The welldressed man behind the counter said, “Hi! How can I help you?” I replied, “what can you tell me about the safe?”

One thing quickly lead to another.

Turns out the building was built in the 1820s and has been home to a watchmaker since the 1870s when Edwin K. Pass first leased the store and later bought the building. The Pass family operated their watchmaking business out of the building for 100+ years. And the safe is the original safe now used for over 100 years to store watches in at night.

Vincent Cino then introduced himself as the building’s new watchmaker and shared his story. He became interested in watchmaking in 1974 when visiting family in Turin, Italy. There he became intrigued with what his cousin was doing at his watchmaker’s bench.

Soon he was fascinated with the world of micro-mechanics and horology (the science of watchmaking). Upon returning home to Hamilton, Vincent signed up for the British Horological Institute’s online learning program and as they say, the rest is history.

Fast forward 40 years. Today, Vincent is an expert at building handmade custom watches. As he sources all materials for Vsaint timepieces from Switzerland, one could honestly say “there are Swiss watches made in Hamilton.” Each watch has Vincent’s unique logo on it – a “V” (for Vincent) next to the word saint, to create a wordplay Vincent/ Vsaint. Turns out

that “saint” was also a nickname given to him by his friends as a young boy – he can’t remember why.

While today’s smartphones have almost made wristwatches obsolete, there has been a definite resurgence in the watch as a fashion statement for men and women. Today, BIG watches are all the rage. Historically, men’s watches have been between 35 and 37mm wide, but in the mid-2000s they have grown to be more commonly 45-48mm - and in some cases even wider.

Vincent customizes his watches based on his clients’ (both men and women) tastes so you can get the size, colour and design you want. But all are “automatic,” i.e. a mechanical watch that is wound by the motion of the wearer’s wrist, rather than by twisting the crown. The motion of the wrist moves a counterweight (called a rotor) that then powers the mainspring, which turns the watch’s gears.

Custom timepieces start at $1500 and go up from there depending on materials chosen. What makes Vsaint

watches particularly cool is that you can see the inner workings, creating a very industrial, mechanical statement that is both strong and delicate at the same time. Exhibition backs (seethrough) is an option to traditionally closed backs. After looking at a couple of watches, I quickly noticed they are exquisite works of art.

Anyone can buy a Rolex or a Breitling, but if you want to make a unique timeless fashion statement consider a “made in Hamilton” Vsaint watch. I am currently selling my ten batterypowered watches to commission my Vsaint watch.

Vincent also fixes, cleans and replaces watch batteries. So, the next time you need a new battery or have a watch that needs cleaning or repair, head to Atelier Vsaint for a walk back in time.

Photos by Richard White

BY RICHARD WHITE

Richard White, aka the “Everyday Tourist” is a freelance writer, blogger and photographer born in Hamilton, but lives in Calgary. He is fascinated by what makes city streets, plazas, alleys and parks work and what doesn’t. He loves street photography and street art. He enjoys flaneuring and getting “off-the-beaten” path. He is the former Executive Director of the Calgary Downtown Association and was a member of the International Downtown Board of Directors for several years. @ everydaytourist

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IDEAS

Hamilton Arts Week Third annual arts week proves we’re more than steel I feel like I’ve said this a million times already, but it bears repeating. We’re so lucky in Hamilton!

Our gritty exterior holds something precious – a vibrant and engaging arts scene. From music to fine art, spoken and written word to dance, murals, theatre, sculptures, public art spaces, Hamilton is more than the sum of all its parts. With the third annual Arts Week, we’re invited to experience all of those parts.

What is Arts Week? It’s a city-wide civic celebration from June 2-9, 2018 of our arts community, the fine artists, musicians, dancers, theatre, and everything in between that gives Hamilton depth, richness and fun. It’s well documented that the economic impact of art and culture is overwhelmingly positive. 2017’s Supercrawl alone brought in $16.5 million. In 2016, film production in our city brought in a flashy $11 million and we got to boast that our town was featured in a number of high profile films and television shows (thanks, Guillermo del Toro!) When we hosted the JUNO Awards in 2015, the city pocketed $12 million. So yeah, I think we’re doing pretty good as art and culture town.

Despite this success, there are still some areas that don’t get as much attention, Arts Week can provide these areas (disciplines) a platform. says Annette Paiement, Executive Director of the Hamilton Arts Council. "It’s a great way to showcase the diversity of arts and culture and bring attention to the different types of art created in our Steel City. Now in its third year," says Annette, “we are focusing on increasing the footprint to include communities throughout the GHTA,” meaning there are more opportunities in more parts of the city to experience art.

Events planned for and around Arts Week range from workshops, to studio tours, an art supply swap, to book and

poetry readings. The centrepiece of Arts Week is the 2018 City of Hamilton Arts Awards held at Theatre Aquarius on Wednesday, June 6. Anything you fancy you can find while exploring Arts Week. The Casbah is hosting a Reggae dance party on Thursday, June 7 or check out the Together in Dance Symposium (3-6 pm) and Hip Hop Roundtable (4-7 pm) both held on Friday, June 8. The last two events are

an opportunity for members of their respective arts community to discuss and bring awareness to their respective disciplines. “It’s been interesting to see people come together and initiate two different panels and use this time as an opportunity for advocacy,” Annette says. Hamilton Arts Week provides artists with a new platform.”

Annette mentions that dance is in some ways “the last discipline which receives the attention it needs,” and one of the goals is to find a way to change that.

If fine art is more of your interest you’ll want to check out the Smokey Hollow Studio Tour or take the Art Bus from The Seedworks. The tour begins in downtown Waterdown and showcases 40+ artist studios in Waterdown, Flamborough, Kilbride and Carlyle who will open their doors to the public for the day. If you’ve ever been to a studio tour you know each artist’s studio space is unique to their personality. The Art Bus Tour starts at The Seedworks Urban Offices at 11 a.m. and returns at 5 p.m. You’ll be a tourist in your own backyard!

It ’s also not too late to add your event to Arts Week, either. You can list your event on the Hamilton Arts Council website. So long as it’s happening between June 2 – 9, it can be a part of the festivities. And if you’re just

Photo provided by HAMILTON ARTS COUNCIL

looking for an opportunity to celebrate the diversity of our arts scene, there’s no better way to do that than to attend the Arts Week Kick-Off Celebration at The Cotton Factory (270 Sherman Ave North) on Saturday, June 2. There will be a night market with over 30 artists, interactive art and live performances from the Hamilton Aerial Group, Bel Canto Strings, and TH&B Collective.

Jonny Blonde and Nellie James will be serving up food and a screening of Metric: Dreams So Real at 9 p.m. followed by more live music until 1 a.m. with Kojo "Easy" Dampty, Tiny Bill Cody and UK Cinema. Then spend the rest of the week checking out the 100+ events throughout the city and learn more about the richness and diversity of our arts and culture scene.

BY OLGA KWAK

OLGA KWAK is a Hamilton-based writer and marketer. Her work has appeared in She Does the City, Torontoist, Toronto Star, The Genteel, and PRODUCT Magazine. She builds websites and writes from her office on Barton Street East. Visit www.olgakwak.com for more advice on doing the right thing online.

@ olgakwak

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from May 1st – 31st.

The best part? $1 of every taco sold will go directly to Food4Kids. Let’s eat our way through the city of Hamilton and help provide healthy food to elementary school students.

Urbanicity is proud to present its second annual #TacoDeMayo fundraiser for Food4Kids! Get your taste buds ready because restaurants throughout the city of Hamilton have worked hard to create speciality tacos for hungry Hamiltonian’s to feast on

2 for

2 for

14

2 for

6

$ .75

10.99

$

Vote for your favourite taco at tacodemayo.ca

$

12

$

SMOKY MUSHROOM TACO Planted in Hamilton

THE NASHVILLE TACO The Coop Wicked Chicken

BANG BANG SHRIMP Mezcal Tacos & Tequila

THE MATCH POINT TACO Serve Ping Pong

Smoky marinated portobello mushrooms with red cabbage, pineapple salsa, creamy avocado dressing and cilantro.

Lettuce, cheddar, Nashville sauce, Coop dip, diced tomatoes, sliced pickles and jalapeños.

Beer battered shrimp, ginger soy aioli, serrano rojo, guacamole, daikon radish, and spicy sesame seeds.

Coleslaw, house braised pulled pork, deep-fried halloumi, onion rings, chimichurri, and green onion and radish garnish.

150 James St S, Hamilton, ON

107 King St E, Hamilton, ON

272 King St West Hamilton, ON 370 Brant St., Burlington, ON

225 John St S Unit 1, Hamilton, ON

3 for

3 for

6

$

15

$

3 for

10.50

13.50

$

$

THE POUTINE TACO Lou Dawg’s Southern BBQ Hamilton

SUPER CALAMARIO Uno Mas

CHEESE SHELL TACOS Rony’s Rotisserie

MUSHROOMS WITH SPRING CORN (VEGAN) Mexican Kitchen

Crispy hand-cut fries, coated in our signature dry rub seasoning on a warm corn tortilla, topped with cheese curds, smoked chicken gravy, bacon-cilantro-orange-jalapeño gremolata and pickled red onion.

Calamari marinated in milk and lemon zest, morcilla pate, lemon aioli, rojo, onion sprouts, sesame seeds.

Melted cheese shell topped with charcoal-fired chicken kabobs, choice of vegetable topping (spring mix, red onions, and tomatoes), and choice of spice.

Mushrooms with spring corn, spiced with the natural flavour of garlic and onion, topped with mexican cheese, with a side of your favourite homemade salsa.

312 Grays Rd, Hamilton, ON

35 York Blvd, Hamilton, ON

150 James St S, Hamilton, ON

116 George St, Hamilton, ON

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TA C O D E M AY O . C A | U R B A N I C I T Y. C A

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TA CO D E M AYO

3 for

2 for

16

12

$

3 for

3 for

15.99

$

17

$

$

JUAN IN A MILLION The Bean Bar

BEV’S MUY THAI TACOS The Beverly

FISH TACOS Ye Olde Squire

BLACKENED MAHI TACO Fsh & Chp

Pulled pork, guacamole, diced jalapeños, pickled carrots and red onions. Topped with chipotle sour cream and cilantro. Served in a corn tortilla shell.

Thai Steak, chili lime slaw with Peanut Sauce.

3 generous sized tacos filled with our famous battered haddock fried golden brown, served with garlic aioli sauce, our freshly made coleslaw, housemade pico de gallo and red cabbage.

Blackened line caught mahi-mahi, spiced avocado tartare, pineapple pico de gallo, red and white cabbage, pickled cilantro, and julienned radish.

254 Locke St S, Hamilton, ON

47 King William St, Hamilton, ON

1012 King St W, Hamilton, ON 1508 Upper James St, Hamilton, ON 550 Fennell Ave E, Hamilton, ON 875 Main St W, Hamilton, ON

3

5

$

CHIPOTLE CHOCOLATE MANGO SALSA TACO Doughboy Strawberry mango salsa with a vanilla custard and a chipotle chocolate ganache.

$

CREOLE CHICKEN TACO Maracaz Blackened chicken taco on a pan-seared flour (or corn) tortilla with sriracha slaw, queso fresco, sriracha aioli, diced tomato and green onion.

718 Greenhill Ave, Hamilton, ON 612 Upper James St., Hamilton, ON

2 for

11

$

CHIPOTLE CHICKEN TACOS Mesa Two tacos filled with grilled, chipotle-marinated chicken and complemented with chef’s fresh garnishes. Choose from soft flour tortillas or soft corn tortillas.

255 James St. North, Hamilton, ON

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IDEAS

Bike to Work Day SoBi Hamilton is ready for you to bike the hammer

Photo by City of Hamilton

As a year-round cyclist, I get most excited when I can finally stop wearing mitts and a hat under my helmet and am accompanied by more friendly faces on their bikes, enjoying the streets of Hamilton.

Previously, I’ve lived in the Netherlands and Denmark. Two of the most cycle-centric countries in the world.

So, when I moved to Hamilton, I kept biking. It was different in Hamilton, to say the least, but I quickly figured it out.

I’ve learned which routes to take, met other amazing people passionate about riding their bikes and inspired others to try leaving their cars at home and hop on their bikes. Hamilton is lucky to have many amazing areas to bike, whether mountain biking, road biking, commuting, cruising, or riding around with your kids or grandkids. This spring, I challenge you to ride a bike on a trail, through an alleyway, on a bike lane, or through your neighbourhood as you make your way to the dentist, pick up a few groceries, visit a friend, check out a new restaurant, volunteer, or on your way to/from school or work.

I hope you love it, I hope it reminds you of your childhood and I hope you do it again, and again and again.

If you’re not sure where to start or don’t have a bike that's no problem. Hamilton has a bikeshare! SoBi Hamilton offers blue and white bikes all over the city and they’re affordable! A monthly membership will only set you back $15 and let you ride for 90 minutes a day. I

use SoBi almost every day, I don’t have to worry about locking or maintaining my own bike, which I reserve for longer rides. Even if you don’t live in the SoBi area you can take a ride on the waterfront trail, try the new Bay Street bikes lanes or just cruise around with these basket-ed beauties. Ahead of Hamilton’s annual Bike to Work Day, we’ll be offering cycle training workshops and then group rides to get you to the main event at Hamilton City Hall. Mark your calendars for May 28th from 7:00 a.m.

- 9:00 a.m. This event celebrates and promotes cycling all across Hamilton and is open to all. I encourage everyone to join us for free food, entertainment, t-shirts, prizes, and much more. Wherever you’re headed on a Monday morning, make a stop at City Hall en route to show your support for cycling in Hamilton. Register starting May 1st at www. bikemonth.ca/biketoworkday

BY RACHEL JOHNSON

Rachel Johnson works in Sustainable Mobility at the City of Hamilton. She is passionate about cycling, transportation and getting outside.

After living all over the world, she's happy to call Hamilton home. @SoBiHamilton

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Hamilton Saturday, June 2, 2018 Confederation Park

Proceeds support women’s mental health programs at St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton.

Register at runforwomen.ca

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EXPERIENCES

Q&A With Fit Barre Finding the right (active) fit with founder, Sarah Johnson There are teachers, and then there are those who love to teach. Sarah Johnson is one of them. As the owner and head instructor of Fit Barre Fitness Studio in downtown Hamilton, Sarah uses her background in competitive sport, CrossFit, dance, and nursing to lead barre fitness classes. Using the ballet bar as a balancing aid, barre combines pilates, yoga, and of course, ballet-inspired poses to achieve a full body workout, isolating different muscles through small isometric movements.

BY STEFANI SOLIMAN

Stefani Soliman is a social media marketer and freelance editor. She's an avid supporter of local businesses, Canadian-made goods and fashion. Along with her love of dogs, punctuation, and the ‘90s, Stefani is a keen recycler and instrument collector. Tell her a corny joke and you’ll be friends for life. @ stefsoliman

Using a mixture of music like Beyonce, Chris Brown, and David Guetta, Sarah motivates her classes to reach their goals in strength, flexibility, or weight loss. Reminding participants “yes you can” during challenging parts of the program, she shares her passion for fitness and inspires clients to be the best version of themselves.

Q: Tell us a bit about how Fit Barre started and how its grown and evolved since.

Q: Any major success stories/ change stories of clients who have come to Fit Barre?

SJ: Fit Barre first opened in November 2016. I was teaching in Toronto and friends and coworkers kept asking when I would start teaching in Hamilton. At the time there really wasn’t anything like what I taught and I wanted Hamilton to experience what I taught first hand.

SJ: I think success and change are defined a little differently for each client at Fit Barre. Every client who walks through our door for the first time has never experienced a Fit Barre class before. So regardless of how “fit or unfit” someone is, everyone finds our workout challenging.

It was a huge leap of faith and I have my incredible support team of coworkers at the hospital where I still maintain work part-time as a nurse, my family, and social circles that I talked obsessively with about barre and how great it is.

Some clients are there to focus on strength and increased flexibility, others have weight loss goals in mind and want to tone up for their wedding day, while some are there to get back into shape after taking a break from physical activity.

In our first year, our business model and what we offered started to focus primarily on barre and that’s where we found the most success and popularity with attendance.

I see the changes in everyone- I see the clients who can now hold a plank for 90 seconds without dropping to their knees who couldn’t hold it past 30 seconds when they first started. I see clients strength form when they don’t come out of their thigh sprints and embrace the shake and uncomfort that comes with digging a little deeper.

I see success when shy clients expand their circle of friends and chat with other clients after class and hold a spot for them in the next class.

To start, I was teaching six days a week in the evenings and weekends, and soon realized in order to make a fair run at this and remain competitive we needed more staff and from there, our team started to grow. By the fall of 2017, we had another barre teacher.

Now, we have a staff of 4 and offer classes from early mornings to evenings, seven days a week.

Everyone’s fitness journey is different and unique and I think that’s what makes our studio so different. There are change and success in all aspects of what we deliver.

Q: For someone new to fitness or a healthier lifestyle, what advice do you have to help them be successful and maintain the habit?

SJ: Consistency is key in anything and knowing that where you start isn’t where you finish!

Fitness can be a hard routine to get accustomed to, especially in the winter when the days are shorter and the car requires a heat up before you can get to a class! Having a workout buddy is a great way to stay accountable and consistent in developing a new habit.

We love when clients bring in friends because they get to share in a positive workout together while spending time together.

When creating goals I think it’s important to create short-term vs long-term goals, and keeping them specific and measurable helps people stay directed in achieving them. Having short-term goals prevents the feeling of being overwhelmed by the long-term goal and puts a plan into place. Having a plan is a must in order to complete the end goal, it keeps you focused and on track.

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EXPERIENCES

Photos provided by Fit Barre Hamilton

Q: You're launching Barre Baby in April - what made you decide to start this program? Tell us a bit about it.

SJ: Barre fitness is such a great method of fitness for pregnant and postpartum women. During my teaching time, I’ve had the pleasure of teaching women all the way until their due date and truly believe remaining active in pregnancy can be done safely.

After speaking to some of our clients, there seemed to be lack of programming for women to participate in that cater to women specifically postpartum with the proper education and knowledge in this particular method of fitness.

It’s been so rewarding to learn more about the body postpartum, and I am so excited to be challenged to come up with new ways to teach this method of fitness to women who need modifications specifically in relation to core work as they heal. There’s a lot of misguided resources out there and I want

to be a reliable, safe option for women looking to re-enter fitness. The perks of this programming include the inclusivity of baby. Women are welcome to bring their little ones with them to class so that they don’t need to worry about child-care.

Q: What do you like about living/ working in Hamilton?

SJ: I love the sense of community and feeling I have that comes with owning a studio in the downtown core. The local business owners are so supportive and everyone I have had the opportunity to meet or work with has always been so great to be around. The best thing about owning a business downtown is the number of individuals that let you into their lives. I get to hear who recently got engaged or has wedding plans. I am usually one of the first people in a client’s life to hear they are pregnant. I’m privy to first date stories, bad breakups, job promotions, clients going on vacation, clients having too much fun on a weekend. I love that I get to be a part

of a routine and that when I’m out getting coffee I run into at least one client.

This studio has become such a social outlet for me. I have made amazing friendships through my clients and my staff. I am so lucky to be surrounded by such incredible people and to be a part of the downtown revitalization.

Q: Do you have anything special for those looking to tone up for summer?

SJ: We’d love to help Hamiltonians enhance their fitness this season and bring fresh faces into the studio. For new clients, we’re offering five weeks of unlimited classes for only $99. Hope to see you all there!

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ISSUES

Pulse Medical Valuing people over profits

I WAS AFFECTED, BUT I DIDN’T REALIZE HOW BADLY FOR A WHILE. YOU’RE JUST TAUGHT TO BELIEVE YOU’RE SO TOUGH. with PTSD and other disabilities experience when rejoining the workforce, and watched as veterans whose only professional experience was in the military struggled to find jobs.

Photo of Todd Griffiths

While many business owners talk about valuing people over profits, Todd Griffiths has made it his mission to do exactly that.

After surfacing, Griffiths found himself placed in a hyperbaric chamber and suffering from vertigo.

“I don’t know if I got the bends. I probably did, but I couldn’t tell them or else I’d get kicked off my course.”

Griffiths, 33, is the CEO of Pulse Medical, a Hamilton-based company that offers leading-edge medical alert products designed to help seniors live independently, knowing that help is just a button-press away. But it wasn’t an obvious path that led Griffiths to his career.

While Griffiths later graduated and was assigned to HMCS Fredericton in Halifax, he never shook that training experience.

Griffiths’ life was shaped by the seven years he spent in the military after bouncing through various sales jobs.

Despite being born in Burlington and having spent no time underwater, Griffiths followed in his older brother’s footsteps to become a diver with the Royal Canadian Navy. He reflected on how his time in the ferocious training regime affected his mindset.

The tough exterior would crack a couple years later.

“They instil in you that you want it so bad. They push you and push you and push you — I was willing to give up my life for this course,” he said.

During one training dive, Griffiths found himself low on air, debating what to do next.

“They teach you so much to not come up until the job is done. I just ran out of air underwater — I was more focused on the job than my air. Unfortunately, I was too deep to do any stops on the way up.”

“I was affected, but I didn’t realize how badly for a while,” he recalled. “You’re just taught to believe you’re so tough.”

“We were going on a dive in March, and it was gorgeous outside,” he said.

“I was thinking how warm it is — but the water is freezing. Instead of wearing my woollies under my wetsuit I wore a thin membrane and I forgot my headgear. I got in the water and it was so cold I can’t describe it. But I decided to dive. And I remember going through every stage of hypothermia. Shivering, muscle cramps, nausea, delirium. It was awful. When I got out of the water I don’t remember anything other than passing out.”

Griffiths looks back at that dive as a defining moment in his military career and his life.

“I didn’t know I had PTSD at that point — I realized later on when I couldn’t dive anymore. I was becoming a risk to my team. Nobody saw it, but I knew it.”

While Griffiths was in the process of being medically discharged from active service, his life was thrown onto a new path by the death of his grandfather in 2015. His grandfather was living at home by himself when he suffered a stroke.

“He laid there, unable to move, talk or eat. He died of starvation. We found him a few days later, but it was too late,” he said. “I just know that if he had a fall alert device, he’d be here today.”

Armed with his background in sales, and facing the prospect of finding a career outside of the military for the first time in years, Griffiths launched Pulse Medical in hopes of helping other families avoid the heartache that his endured. While Griffiths was familiar with many of the competing companies in Canada, he was determined to make the peace-of-mind of a medicalalert system accessible to everyone.

After having partnered with the City of Hamilton’s subsidized-housing department to offer the lifesaving service to residents, Griffiths was surprised at how many people truly needed the service but couldn’t absorb the cost.

In founding Pulse Medical, Griffiths made it the company’s mission to help tackle the issue, vowing that for every 200 medical-alert devices sold, Pulse Medical will hire one veteran to join the team.

“We’re more of a social enterprise than a for-profit company in that way,” he said. “My goal is to provide jobs for people who went through a similar experience as me. I want to provide a streamlined process for them and show that these guys can work just as well as anyone else.”

Now in its second year, Pulse Medical is coming off a frenetic period of growth that saw the company triple its business over six months, with clients from Manitoba to Newfoundland living safely and independently in their own homes. Griffiths is bullish about the company’s future but is keen to talk more about what that growth means for fellow former soldiers.

“In the U.S., people are so supportive of their veterans. I don’t know why that’s not a thing here, but it should be,” he said. “It’s something we can improve on. And it has to start somewhere.”

“I got to look over budgets of these residents, and they really just can’t afford it. So we made a model that everyone can afford at $29 per month.”

Griffiths’ military experience also laid the foundation for another pillar of Pulse Medical’s mission. After making the transition to civilian life, Griffiths recognized the obstacles that veterans

BY FRANK APPLEYARD

Frank Appleyard is a Hamilton-based communications professional and co-owner of Oh Sierra Creative & Branding. @ ohsierracreative

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Puzzle 1 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.53)

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