Windsor Life Magazine Autumn 2022

DELIVERED DIRECTLY TO BUSINESSES AND RESIDENTIAL MAILBOXES IN WINDSOR/ESSEX CHATHAM/KENT

DAVE MERHEJE

COMEDIAN RELEASES NEW SPECIAL ON CRAVE

IT HAPPENED IN WINDSOR HISTORICAL MOMENTS CAPTURED ON VIDEO

VISIT US AT

windsorlife.com AUTUMN 2022 www.windsorlife.com $ 2.95

ONEDAY DREAMS

MAKING DREAMS COME TRUE

COMPETITIVE SWIMMING

JULIA LANE ON TRACK TO RECLAIM WORLD RECORDS

Riverfront

Masterpiece A HOMEOWNER BRINGS HER VISION TO LIFE

Defining your legacy: A women’s perspective If you’re married, you may own many of your financial assets jointly with your spouse, which can help simplify things in the event you pass away. But what about assets that are in your name only? What if you’re single or widowed?

An Estate strategy gives you control.

Myth 1: I have a Will. That’s all I need.

A Will takes effect only upon your death. Wills don’t protect the legacy you’ve built if you become incapacitated.

Myth 2: Estate planning is for people with a lot of money.

A desire to make things easier for your loved ones has nothing to do with your net worth. Documenting and communicating your wishes reduces the burden on them and gives you control.

Reasons to establish an estate strategy • An estate strategy gives you control. At its most basic, an estate plan lets you decide how things will be handled rather than the government. You decide how you will take care of yourself and the people and causes you care about.

• An estate strategy may help you preserve the value of what you’ve worked so hard for. Without proper planning, a significant portion of your assets could go to taxes or unnecessary expenses.

• An estate strategy is designed to make things easier for your family because you can clearly spell out your wishes.

Start by educating yourself Here are some common tools you may wish to discuss with an estate-planning lawyer: • Health care directive, or living will – A living will allows you to specify your wishes around actions your decision maker would make regarding your health in the event you become unable to make decisions for yourself.

• Health care power of attorney – With a health care power of attorney, you can name someone to make medical decisions on your behalf, such as requesting or refusing medical treatment.

• Trust – A trust can be set up to address a variety of needs, from supporting charities to setting guidelines about how your assets are distributed to your heirs. Is setting up a trust right for you?

No one wants her loved ones to face burdens because she didn’t adequately prepare. While Edward Jones does not offer estate-planning services, we care about everything that’s important to you.

Edward Jones, its employees and financial advisors are not estate planners and cannot provide tax or legal advice. You should consult your estate-planning attorney or qualified tax advisor regarding your situation.

Don Harris

LaSalle Centre 519 969 3825

Chris Horovenko

Tecumseh Rd. at Norman 519 944 2971

Julie Charrette LaSalle 519 966 5046

John Atkinson Riverside East 519 944 9080

www.edwardjones.com

Steven Kidd

LaSalle 519 734 8599

Diane Santing

Tecumseh Centre 519 979 7334

Colin Duggan South Windsor 519 967 0084

Matthew Sears

Windsor St. Rose 519 945 6165

Dean Doster

St. Clair Beach 519 979 5555

Dave Freeman

Cabana Near Howard 519 967 0084

Theresa King

Belle River 519 727 1041

Jennifer Johnson South Windsor 519 969 1419

Mark Szarek

Leamington 519 324 0144

Sean Hunt

South Windsor 519 972 6389

Dennis McDonald Kingsville 519 733 6186

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INTRODUCING Diva De Benedictis

AUTUMN 2022 VOLUME 29, ISSUE 7

1 CONTRIBUTING1 Matthew St. Amand WRITERS1 Alley L. Biniarz

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Robert E. Robinson

doctor of audiology

1 Ryan Percy

Diva De Benedictis received both her

1 Karen Tinsley

1 1 PRODUCTION 1 George Sharpe PHOTOGRAPHERS1 John Liviero,

Doctor of Audiology (Au.D) degree and

CREATIVE DIRECTOR Carol Garant

ART DIRECTOR Michael Pietrangelo

her Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders at Wayne State University.

1 Sooter’s Photography 1 Joe Symchychyn 1 Matthew Manhire 1 Scotty Hughes 1 James Evans St. 1 Malcolm Campbell 1 Alex Leishman Photography

She is a registered member of the College of Audiologists and Speech-Language Pathologists of Ontario (CASLPO) and she is a registered provider with the

1 Brian Lane

Assistive Devices Program (ADP).

Throughout her education, she rotated through a variety of clinical settings, such as hospital systems, ENT practice, and private practice. Diva is committed to working with her patients to provide best practice and individualized care from diagnosis to treatment and thereafter. Her areas of interest include diagnostic testing, tinnitus, and advanced hearing aid technology. Diva became interested in audiology through her deep appreciation for language and communication, and helping others. She thrives on the invaluable reward of helping her patients connect with and become inspired by the sounds of the world.

1 Jessica Tanchioni 1 Photography 1 Jim Wilkerson 1 Subba Rao Chaganti 1

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www.windsorlife.com

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Justyna Lorenc

Diva De Benedictis

Donna Ellis

doctor of audiology

doctor of audiology

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patient coordinator

SOUND HEARING CARE 519.979.3300

13310 Lanoue St., Tecumseh / 962 Old Tecumseh Rd., Belle River / soundhearingcare.ca We have implemented and continue to maintain COVID-19 protocols in the office and are committed to ensuring everybody’s health and safety.

Windsor Life Magazine is published by Campbell McGregor Garant Publishing Incorporated. Articles and art may not be reprinted without written per­mission from the publishers.

The publishers assume no responsibility to return unsolicited editorial or graphic material. Windsor Life Magazine is a registered trademark of Campbell McGregor Garant Publishing Incorporated, Suite 318-5060 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor, Ontario N8T 1C1. Telephone (519) 979-5433, Fax (519) 979-9237. All rights reserved. ISSN 11955694.

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PLEASE RECYCLE THIS MAGAZINE

Fall Style Guide TAILORED TUFTING Décor-Rest has introduced a tufted tight back frame that in not only timeless but high on style. Available as a 90” Sofa and Loveseat this frame will elevate the elegance of your living room. With 6 distinctive wood finishes including antique grey, pewter, cream, black, fruitwood and espresso, these tones give the frame many different looks. Choose from hundreds of fabrics to personalize to suit your taste.

The photo shows some of the new fall colours highlighted in the Décor-Rest Gallery Wall of fabrics on showcase.

GET INTO THE GROOVE! The ever popular Groove collection has done so well in its bold blue tone that they have now introduced this collection in burnt orange. Available as a sofa and chair, this series makes a strong statement and does not miss the mark in comfort.

PAIR OF CHAIRS It has become more popular in room design to incorporate a pair of chairs or even 2 pairs in a conversation setting.

Stylus has an in stock import program of stationary chairs and recliners that fit the bill. Delivery on these items is usually 2-4 weeks with new collections being introduced into the EHF showroom this fall. The variety of styles continues to grow as these hot looks, available in married covers only, provide full scale frames at affordable pricing with quick delivery. Stylus hits a home run with these hot looks.

THE NATURAL LOOK It is featured in all the Home Furnishings hottest trends for 2022, but the natural look is in. These fashion forward looks combine earthy wood tones and natural fibers such as rattan and wicker accents to create a rich Bo Ho vibe. LH imports Canada has a great selection of these home décor specialties that are filled with character that bring warmth and help with the finishing touches to the room. EHF showcases these unique items from LH, Style in Form and Worldwide Home Furnishings.

SIMPLY SECTIONALS The Ciera is a new collection featured in the EHF showroom for fall. This sectional shown on elevated metal leg and featuring a sleek sloped arm has a variety of configurations to help to best fit your space.

Choose one of their durable Defender fabrics perfect for everyday family use or from a wide range of designer fabrics with a vast array of colour options. In addition to all of the sectional pieces available, Stylus also makes sofas and chairs for their sectional frames as well. The Made to Order collection is proudly constructed in British Columbia, Canada. Come see the Stylus difference.

TOO BLUE OR NOT TOO BLUE? THAT IS THE QUESTION. Winners Only has introduced this classic youth bedroom group in a striking blue colour that is available in both Twin and Double sizes.

The Tamarak series includes a student desk, 2 drawer nightstand, chest and dresser. Not a Blue fan, this collection also features white, grey and warm hazelnut finish options. These other colours are available also in Queen and King Sizes with larger case piece selection. This is a great new introduction to the EHF showroom.

SUPERB STOOLS AND CHAIRS This collection of chairs and stools are constructed with a welded metal base that is covered for 10 years in a residential setting. The unique faux wood finishes give the bases a timeless and rich look of wood but with superior durability. The baked powder coated painting process is environmentally friendly, safe and completely non-toxic. Leatherette and fabric covers are durable and long lasting with 50K to 100K double rub count. In a variety of looks with affordable price points, check out this new addition to the EHF showroom.

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Publisher’s Note With the warm days of Summer slowly coming to an end we head into Autumn with great expectations for the cool days ahead.

Fall festivals are here. There is still plenty of time to head to one of the many recreation areas in Windsor/Essex Chatham/Kent. Although we already feel a chill in the early morning air, the afternoons are beautiful for strolling through shopping areas, enjoying outdoor dining or walking the ever-expanding trails that wind through our neighbourhoods.

Autumn is my favourite time of the year.

This wasn’t always the case but as I get a little (nod nod, wink wink) older I appreciate the slowing pace as the trees begin to turn and the temperature becomes more tolerable.

Lately I have taken up walking. Not that I chose to. It is out of necessity. In a moment of weakness my wife Carol and I decided we needed a dog back in our lives. We had over a year without a fur baby running around.

It was the first year in the last 50 that it was just the two of us. A quick search yielded a puppy we named Cody who, although very young, needed rehoming. Instantly our quiet life turned into a lot of “Cody NO!” This is the reason I have taken up walking. I have to tire the little guy out.

In our walking adventures we have discovered the trails I referred to earlier. I think they touch nearly every neighbourhood. We get to see people walking or kids playing. I stopped to talk to a young father recently because his little children wanted to pet the dog. During the conversation I remarked that I was just trying to tire the dog out.

He quickly responded that he was doing the same thing with the kids.

Now that the weather is cooling it is a great time for all of us to get out and enjoy.

The closed in feeling of the last couple of years quickly dissipates when you are outside in the fresh air.

Windsor and Essex County have an abundance of walking and biking trails which have been generously donated and maintained by some of the area’s largest employers as well as communities.

The best things in life are free and we are lucky to live in an area with such great corporate donors and committed leaders who provide us with such great amenities.

Get out and take advantage of them while the weather still permits.

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76 Talbot St. S., Essex ph: 776-6316 • 776-8611 • 776-9788 essexappliance.com

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ON THE COVER A grouping of mirrors in the dining room of a local waterfront dream home.

DEPARTMENTS

Photography by Joe Symchychyn See page 18

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NEW & NOTICED BON APPETIT!

FEATURES 18

ANATOMY OF A DREAM HOME

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Homeowner Brings Her Fantasy Home To Reality 26

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FAMILY TIES

Windsor-Born Dave Merheje Releases Comedy Special On Crave

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A LONGER, HEALTHIER FUTURE

INSPIRATION EVERYWHERE

Mike O’Phee Makes A Musical Comeback

A TROVE OF THE EVERYDAY

A YouTube Channel Dedicated To Historical Moments in Windsor 56

One Teen’s Research May Lead To You Living a Longer, Better Life

Competitive Swimmer Sets Her Sites On Reclaiming Her World Records 32

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Making Dreams a Reality For People Nearing the End of Their Journey 42

JULIA LANE

NO AGE LIMIT ON DREAMS

THE PRINCIPAL CHRONICLES

Retired Educator Connects With Readers Through New Book 59

WINDSOR ROCKETRY TEAM

Windsor University Students Place 4th At International Competition

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TURNING A DREAM INTO REALITY Having the Right Help Makes All the Difference STORY BY MATTHEW ST. AMAND / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOE SYMCHYCHYN

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“We wanted a higher end home so we interviewed a few builders over the phone,” the homeowner explains. “Once I met Gino Piccioni from Timberland Homes, I knew he was the one. I need to trust somebody. It was a gut feeling for both my husband and I.” The waterfront lot was purchased, blueprints were created, and building began in May 2020.

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IN 2019, A RIVERSIDE RESIDENT saw an empty riverfront lot and had a vision: her dream home.

“We loved our former house,” the homeowner says, “but wanted to be on the water. One day, as my husband and I drove down the street, we noticed this empty lot and fell in love with the view.”

The first order of business was choosing a builder.

Clockwise from left: Jill Straky of Housewears assisted the homeowners in realizing their ideas for this lakefront home; a spacious great room with stunning coffered ceilings overlooks Lake St. Clair; the covered screened in porch just off the kitchen includes full barbecue and eating areas, as well as a cozy lounge space for boat watching; The backyard along Lake St. Clair. The homeowners enjoy relaxing in the sleek pool with waterfall, flanked by shaded lounge spaces.

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“It took one year to build,” the homeowner says. “We sold our home at just the right time, and ordered our materials before the pandemic complicated things. We built right through COVID.” While the builders worked, the homeowner picked out materials for the home. “Initially, thought I could do this.

‘This can’t be that difficult,’ I thought. But when I went into the plumbing supply store, I was overwhelmed by all of the choices. I went home and realized I needed some help.”

Friends recommended various designers, but it was not until the homeowner met Jillian Straky of Housewears, that she knew she found the right person.

“Jill has been with me from the very beginning,” the homeowner says.

Bringing a professional into the design process was a game-changer.

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This page top to bottom: An 800-bottle temperature controlled wine room was built on the main floor, perfect for wine tastings at dinner parties; a Cincinnati Bengals’ stadium mural was custom colourized and matches the pool table for a dramatic sports themed basement area.

This page clockwise from right: A classic master bathroom in white with freestanding tub features a double-side fireplace facing the bedroom for cozy evenings; great entertaining happens at this basement bar with waterfall countertop; a timeless all-white kitchen is a cook’s dream, with accents of gold and black. Cabinet doors on the right open to show the hidden coffee station; A grouping of mirrors in the dining room reflects the unique gold chandelier as well as the entry staircase.

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To convey her vision, the homeowner started with images that she liked from the internet.

It’s one thing to see photographs of beautiful furniture online but sometimes the images lack context. A beautiful chair or sofa in a photo may best suit that particular room but may not capture the same esthetic in another room. So the pair worked together to achieve the perfect balance.

“We went shopping together,” the homeowner continues. “We picked out all the flooring for the house in two hours.”

The design process was assembled in stages starting with selecting cabinetry, plumbing, lighting, flooring, paint, and counter tops.

“We equipped the kitchen with everything,” Jill says. “There is even a pocket coffee station, off to the side.”

“We like to entertain,” the homeowner says. “I really enjoy cooking, and I didn’t want to be off in a kitchen away from everyone, so the living room, dining area and kitchen are open to one another. We spend a lot of time in the living room. The windows look onto the water and bring in a lot of light. The TV above the fireplace displays artwork when it’s not being watched.”

Once the homeowner and her husband moved into the house in May 2021, the third stage involved finalizing the furniture for the home. “The pandemic caught up to us at that time,” the homeowner remembers. “I had to buy our mattress online.

Otherwise, we had no delays on materials to actually build the house.”

The end result is a dream home as individual as its residents.

The homeowner and her family also spend a considerable amount of time outside in the nice weather.

“Lakeshore Landscaping designed many different areas to sit outside,” she says.

“There is a natural firepit at the water. Our back porch is covered, with a kitchen and barbecue, and it has automatic screens from Seaton Sunrooms that come down. We heat the area in the winter and sit out there right up until Christmas time.”

The homeowner’s husband trusts her taste. He is a collector of fine wine and scotch, so a temperature-controlled wine cellar was installed on the main floor. There was room for a games area and bar downstairs which showcases his scotch.

“I didn’t want it to look like a man cave,” the homeowner said. “The wine cellar holds approximately eight hundred bottles of wine. It was built by a company out

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SUBARU | WINDSOR 1602 Sylvestre Dr, Tecumseh 519-956-0123 / subaruwindsor.ca

Business Law ~ Wills & Estates ~ Commercial Leasing ~ Real Property Employment & Labour Law ~ Civil Litigation ~ Education Law ~ Administrative Law ~ Human Rights Main: 519-969-9844 Toll Free: 1-866-422-7988 Web: www.shibleyrighton.com 2510 Ouellette Avenue, Suite 301, Windsor, Ontario N8X 1L4 * Andrea Thielk practising in association with Shibley Righton LLP and not as a partner, associate or employee of Shibley Righton LLP.

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of town. I designed it with them through email. They came and spent two days installing everything. It came together perfectly.”

The homeowner’s husband is also a fan of the Cincinnati Bengals, so she surprised him by having a wall-sized mural/photograph mounted of the Bengals’ home stadium in the basement behind the pool table.

The photo was originally colour, but Jill had the idea of converting it into black and white but making all the orange accents pop. Matching orange felt was put onto the pool table.

“The homeowner wanted a classic look that would have timeless style. Mirrors are used throughout the house to accentuate the space and reflect the water view,” Jill says. “There is a double-sided fireplace between master bedroom and bath, which keeps these large rooms feeling cozy. There is also a subtle botanical motif throughout the house, seen in the backsplash of the kitchen—as a lotus motif—and this leafy look continues to the chandelier in the dining room.”

Beautiful as the house is the work is not finished.

“It’s ongoing process,” Jill says. “There are still some areas we continue working on. was still bringing in small items even when the photographs were being taken for this article!”

The homeowner is happy, and for Jill, that is the best reward.

“It was a really great project,” Jill says.

They are a terrific couple, and it was a pleasure to work with them.”

She continues: “What’s wonderful about my job, is that I get to know people for years and years, and establish nice relationships.”

“This is the first summer we were really able to enjoy the home,” the homeowner says. “We feel like we’re on vacation every day.”

WLM Windsor Life Magazine is always searching for interesting homes, landscaping, gardens, patios and water features to show our readers what others in the community are doing with their living spaces. If you have a home that you feel would be interesting please email photos to publisher@windsorlife.com. Photos need to be for reference only. If your home is chosen we will arrange for a complete photo shwoot. If you wish, you may remain anonymous and the location of your home will not be disclosed.

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Custom Built Sunrooms • Year Round Additions • Motorized Screens Actual Projects

SENIORS | PROFESSIONALS | FAMILIES

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Above: front row (l-r) are Melanie Giroux, Lindsey Reimer, Julia Lane and Jade Harvey. Back row (l-r) are Darcy Irwin and Sallie Szanik. Photo by Brian Lane.

THE THRILL OF THE RACE Competitive Swimmer Julia Lane Set to Compete in the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships in Portugal STORY BY ALLEY L. BINIARZ PHOTOGRAPHY BY ALEX LEISHMAN PHOTOGRAPHY

JULIA LANE BEGAN collecting a list of achievements and awards in competitive swimming in 2014, and she’s not done striving for more yet.

Prior to the pandemic, Julia had achieved seven world records, which she plans to recapture this October at the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships in Albufeira, Portugal. Five of those records were beaten by other swimmers over the past two years, but Julia still holds two World and multiple Americas records.

“Julia loves to compete,” her mother Cynthia recounts that look in Julia’s eyes when she’s getting ready for a race. “She’s so focused on doing well and winning. It’s just in her; you can’t instill that.

Julia was inspired to begin swimming after seeing her sister in the pool. She had spent a large portion of her young life watching swimmers in the pool, and she didn’t want to sit on the sidelines anymore. Her parents and sister were involved with the local Special Olympics swim program and Julia was ready to join. She began swimming with one of the WAC (Windsor Aquatic Club) coaches in her backyard pool to develop some basic swim skills, allowing her to join the Special Olympics team. After that, Julia started swimming with the WAC as a para swimmer.

In those early years, Julia moved through various swim levels from beginner onward and started attending competitions including regional meets, provincial meets and even the Eastern Canadian championships.

She also began as the first member of the Westview Freedom Academy High School swim team and attended OFSAA (Ontario Federation of School Athletic Associations) for four consecutive years where she earned medals in the para division. She attended the Special Olympics Provincial Games for swimming in 2016. That same year, Julia’s parents learned about DSISO (Down Syndrome International Swimming Organization) and the Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships. This would provide Julia with another venue to compete with her peers. She was able to achieve the qualifying times and was off to Truro, Nova Scotia in 2018 for the 9th Down Syndrome World Swimming Championships. Here, Julia was

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part of the first Canadian female relay team made up of swimmers with Down syndrome. They’d finally had enough females to enter a relay team and it was incredible to meet and compete with her fellow team members from Saskatchewan, and Quebec.

These championships left a significant mark on Julia’s swimming journey and she’s been hooked ever since.

Julia draws her success from beyond the pool and she learned to do this after that first race in Truro. Even though her relay team came in 4th and personally she came in top 10’s and top 5’s, Julia’s coach said that if she wanted to get faster, she needed to become stronger and to do more than just swim. This is when Julia joined CrossFit. Right as Julia was returning from Truro, Matt and Stephanie Seguin from the Chasing Hazel Foundation along with John Mack from All Levels CrossFit launched their Adaptive Athlete Pilot Program in August of 2018. What started as a program of three athletes has now grown to eight individuals, including Julia. “CrossFit has made me stronger and the movements have helped my swimming,” Julia says. Many of the swim movements are similar to activities and exercises in CrossFit and these have helped to strengthen her core. This strength training helped to significantly improve Julia’s swim times, and she began breaking Women’s World Down Syndrome swimming records. This dedication to her sport led to her being awarded a WESPY (Windsor Essex Sports Person of the Year) award in the parasport division in early 2020.

CrossFit has become so much more than an addition to her swimming regiment, it’s become one of Julia’s passions. Since starting CrossFit four years ago, Julia achieved 1st place worldwide in the inaugural Women’s Adaptive Intellectual Division at the CrossFit open in 2021 and placed third in the same competition this year. She recently attended the Podium and medal ceremony in Madison, Wisconsin to recognize her achievements.

Julia says that the gym doesn’t just strengthen her body, it also gives her a sense of community; her favorite part of both swimming and CrossFit is being part of a team. “What motivates me now is racing, doing well, plus community and friendship,” Julia says. Her mother adds that even if Julia isn’t competing herself, she will watch her teammate’s races via livestream and she’ll hear Julia cheering them on.

Julia’s personal drive is reinforced by

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the community that she surrounds herself with. She has a private swim coach and a private CrossFit instructor to help her prepare for meets and competitions. She attends group CrossFit workouts three times a week and is in the pool practicing with the Windsor Aquatic Club team five to six times a week. She is also a member of CDSSA (the Canadian Down Syndrome Swimming Association) which is the National Team representing Canada at the Championships in Portugal.

Julia’s coaches help her to stay physically fit but also make sure that her health, nutrition, and hydration is on par for an athlete of her caliber. “My coaches help me focus on areas that I need to develop and help me to learn from my areas of improvement,” Julia says. They also help to keep Julia’s head in the game during a match and will tell her, “Don’t look at your competition.

Visualize the race and look towards yourself.” Along with the advice to always listen to her coach, to practice, practice, practice, she has adopted the slogan “to show up and put in the work”.

Putting in the work is exactly what Julia has done. Throughout the pandemic, Julia continued to attend meets when possible, swim with her club, and even maintained her CrossFit schedule by participating in online sessions while working out in her garage.

The DSISO (Down Syndrome International Swimming Organization) event normally occurs every two years however the 2020 championships were canceled at the start of the pandemic. Since things have opened up again, Julia has traveled across Ontario and Michigan competing to ensure that she could obtain the required sanctioned times to compete in Portugal.

Along with her career focus of regaining her world records in swimming and to place first again in the CrossFit games, her main personal goal is to change the stereotypes; that her success isn’t about her disability, it’s about her achievements.

“I feel happy with my accomplishments.

It’s exciting! And I’m trying to be a role model for other people; for everyone in the world, but especially for new swimmers or members of the gym,” Julia says.

Her journey in swimming is just beginning; competitors will continue to surpass each other’s records, but she says that’s all part of the fun. Julia will continue striving to do and be her best, all the while embracing her favorite parts of swimming: the thrill of the race and the friendships she’s WLM made.

Back to Contents

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NEWANDNOTICED

KAITLYN FRANCES

ST. CLAIR COLLEGE St. Clair College recently unveiled the Dr. Patti France Community Promenade (College entrance at Cabana Road in South Windsor) in honour of their president which features a decorative steel archway suspended between two stone pillars adorned with steel-fabricated light fixtures and mythical griffins. A garden surrounds the pillared archway with green shrubbery and gold flowers to honour the school’s colours. The promenade serves as the starting point of a pathway to connect the main campus from north to south through a walking trail leading to the St. Clair Sports Park. stclaircollege.ca

Local singer/song writer Kaitlyn Frances, who was featured in Windsor Life Magazine in March of this year, recently made it to the quarter finals in the Opening Act competition, which gives an independent artist the opportunity to open up for major artists at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles this October. It was a fantastic opportunity and an amazing way for a local artist to kick off their career. Last year’s Opening Act rocked the Hollywood Bowl, opening for the Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Doja Cat, Maroon 5, Saweetie, Shawn Mendes, and The Kid Laroi. linktr.ee/kaitlynfrances

BELLE RIVER STROLL THE STREET IN HONOUR OF THE ONES WE LOVE In Honour of the Ones We Love continues its legacy of giving by donating $75,000 for palliative patient care. On Wednesday August 8th the North Entrance of The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Inc. Administration Building was named the In Honour of the Ones We Love Frank Moceri Entrance. This was made possible through the generosity of the Moceri Family as well as sponsors and those who attended our golf tournaments.

Pictured from left are Nancy Brokenshire (Hospice), Rocco Moceri, Anita Imperioli (In Honour), Kathryn Moceri, Nina (Moceri) Dafre, Theresa (Moceri) Pare and Teresa Silvestri (In Honour). inhonour.ca

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Stroll the Street is an upbeat experience geared for all ages, bringing people and local businesses together safely for food, fun shopping and music. Notre Dame Street will be closed from 5pm to 9pm to allow for over 80 vendors to set up and show off their wares. Events will take place on Friday, October 14th and Friday, November 18th from 6pm to 8:30pm.

BelleRiverBIA.com

THE BEATLES & BEYOND TRIBUTE CHARITY CONCERT Partnering with Windsor Endowment for the Arts, internationally renowned visual artist Paul Murray is speed painting huge pop-art portraits of John, Paul, George and Ringo in just minutes. His unorthodox art routine will keep you guessing. The Music‘n Arts Aid Live show is an exciting night of never-ending music magically combined with the mystery and drama Murray invents as he creates live art (art will be auctioned during the show by texting). Murray and wife Kati-Jane have spearheaded this new program where 100% proceeds from ticket sales and the auctioned live art of the BEATLES will go to support area professional musicians and visual artists that were detrimentally impacted by the recent health and safety restrictions over the past few years. PaulMurray.com/music.

MARTY O’GORMAN Marty O’Gorman, 60, a retired teacher who taught at both St. Anne Catholic High School and at FJ Brennan Catholic High School recently completed a 15 day to ride of over 1,600 km from his home in Amherstburg to Rimouski, Quebec and raised over $14,000 for the Sick Kids Foundation.

Supported by his wife, Michelle, this was Marty’s third year doing this ride which was part of the Great Cycle Challenge. greatcyclechallenge.ca/Riders/MartinOGorman

RE/MAX PREFERRED REALTY CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY Broker of Record and Owner Glen Muir recently celebrated 30 years of RE/MAX Preferred Realty Ltd. with the majority of his team in attendance including Broker Angie Goulet (left) and Administrator Katherine Riccardo. The company has grown to over 150 employees with 4 locations and can boast being the #1 Real Estate Company in Windsor and Essex County for 28 of the past 30 years. remax-preferred-on.com

MCDONALD’S JASON TRUSSEL This summer, local McDonald’s franchisee Jason Trussell donated over $17,000 to the Big Brothers Big Sisters (BBBS) of Windsor Essex Summer Camp program. The donation helped to solely fund activity supplies, food, transportation, and outings to the aquatic centre, ropes, Colasanti’s, horse farm and more. This is Jason’s third year sponsoring the BBBS camp and has donated over $45K since 2020.

Across his 11 restaurants, Jason also has an ongoing scholarship program where crew members are awarded $1,000 scholarships each based on their contributions to not only their restaurant, but their community. Pictured from left are Aeden B (crew member), Ban B (Scholarship winner and crew member) and Jason Trussell. windsor.bigbrothersbigsisters.ca

OG PIZZA Josh Bluhm has opened the newest area location of OG Pizza – Original Guys - Pizza Pies at 3335 Banwell Rd. With 8 locations in the Windsor Essex County and Chatham areas, OG is made from locally grown tomatoes with a blend of spices, creating the perfect OG pizza sauce. All the toppings used are locally grown in Essex County soil.

The fresh dough is handcrafted at the Original Guys Pizza Pies base of operations in Harrow, ON along with the Dairy Farmers of Canada mozzarella cheese and signature shredded pepperoni. Their ’Windsor Style” thin crust pizza is skillfully rolled and hand tossed to create a perfect crust then cooked to perfection in a stone baked oven. ogpizza.ca Back to Contents A u t u m n

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BEHIND THE CURTAIN WINDSOR-BORN DAVE MERHEJE RELEASES CRAVE SPECIAL STORY BY MICHAEL SEGUIN PHOTOGRAPHY BY MATTHEW MANHIRE LIVE PHOTOS COURTESY JUST FOR LAUGHS HOWARD GORDON

A CAR ROCKETS under the neon-red glow of the Ambassador Bridge.

A voicemail chimes in, cutting through the silence: “Hi, Dave. Hello,” an older woman says. “I hope you’re doing okay. I think you’re on your way to a show. I hope you had something to eat. I love you habibi.”

It may not be the most conventional opening shot of a standup special. But for Windsor’s Dave Merheje and his unique comic journey, nothing could be more appropriate.

Dave Merheje: I Love You Habibi is streaming now on Crave. The material covers a range of topics, from being stranded on the side of the road when his Greyhound bus ran out of gas, proper hat etiquette, Uber drivers and their often poor boundaries, and the complexities of growing up with Arab parents.

The special is wild, fresh and above all, unbelievably funny. As Dave saunters across the Just For Laughs Festival stage in Montreal, you’d never know his path to these heights was a difficult climb. A bald, bespectacled man dressed in a black tee-shirt

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and blacker jeans, he exudes immense confidence. He seems like an extension of the venue itself. His gestures are loose, relaxed.

He engages with the audience, his white teeth gleaming in the stage lights.

But then, that’s the grand illusion of all art—never betraying the anxiety behind the curtain.

“This business is not safe at all,” Dave admits. “You’re gambling.

You’re tossing all your chips into the pile every day.”

Dave first began dipping his toe in the comedy world after graduating from St. Clair College with a diploma in Marketing.

“I would do open mic nights around the city,” Dave recalls. “I would never get paid, obviously. I still remember my first time on stage. People who’ve said I was right at home right away are wrong. I was super nervous! I tried to jam up all this material—I was talking way too fast.”

Despite these early stumbles, Dave was determined to find his footing. After connecting with some local comedians, Dave worked up the courage to move to Toronto where he spent years cutting his teeth in the comedy community. In 2011, he performed at the Just for Laughs Homegrown Comics competition.

A couple years later, he joined with other South Asian and Middle Eastern comedians in the We Aren’t Terrorists comedy show.

“I was trying to get into Yuk Yuks and other clubs in Toronto,” Dave states. “But I was having trouble finding stage time. So I thought, ‘You know, Middle Eastern people are stereotyped a certain way. What if I just created a show that mocked that? That way, I could show the world that we’re normal people. Well, I’m definitely not a normal person. But normal enough!’”

“

Comedy is hard at first.

Be very kind to yourself.

Be very understanding.

Have empathy for yourself.

This takes time.

“

s

As the years went by, Dave and his clout have only grown. He has performed at several well-known comedy circuits, including the Halifax Comedy Festival, the Winnipeg Comedy Festival and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival. From there, he was able to secure roles on shows like Mr. D and Ramy. He has also acted alongside Daisy Ridley in the feature film Sometimes, I Think About Dying. His previous comedy special, Good Friend Bad Grammar, which was shot in Toronto, won a Juno Award in 2019.

And despite all these accolades, perhaps the most meaningful came from a familiar critic: “My Mom had come to see me as I performed around Windsor,” Dave explains. “One day we were at home together and I was complaining about the industry. I don’t remember specifically what I said but I remember her turning to me and saying: ‘You’re a natural.’ I responded with, ‘You’re just saying that because you’re my Mom.’ She turned back to her laundry and said, ‘No. I wouldn’t.’”

To this day, Dave affirms that she was telling the truth.

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“She’s honest in ways only Moms can be,” Dave laughs. “Specifically Arab Moms!”

And now, years later, his latest special, Dave Merheje: I Love You Habibi, draws on these familial ties.

“I always wanted to film a special in Canada,” Dave states. “As I was putting together the material, I thought, ‘What if I had my family interviewed and intercut between me doing standup?’ I had taken inspiration from this show called Home Videos by comedian Jerrod Carmichael. I loved the concept behind it. I loved the way it was shot. I was already talking about my family a lot on stage, so I thought it would be funny if they could respond.”

Thus far, reception to the special has been overwhelmingly positive. But even now, as Dave continues to make waves, he keeps a steady gaze on his hometown.

“I think we should do a better job supporting our own artists,” Dave states.

“We, as Canadians, are much more prone to supporting American talent. And I’m not immune to that. We have a strange self-loathing when it comes to local artists.

You tell people, ‘Hey! I got a Netflix special!’ And they say, ‘That’s great!’ But then you tell them, ‘I’m doing a special here in Canada.’ Then the energy changes.”

This attitude is responsible for a creative brain drain, Dave stresses.

“It makes artists leave the country,” Dave explains. “But we have all this talent unique to Canada! The streamers and the networks should take more chances on us.

And the evidence is there. With my Crave special, they did make the effort to spotlight it. They put a lot of marketing effort into it. And look what happened! People received it well. There is a market for us here. I’ve always wanted to work with a Canadian network and streamer.”

And when it comes to young aspiring comics, Dave has this piece of advice: Be kind to yourself.

“Comedy is hard at first,” Dave admits.

“Be very kind to yourself. Be very understanding. Have empathy for yourself.

This takes time. Last month, a comedian in Montreal asked me when I started to make money. And I said, ‘That’s your first thought?’ You have to really love this stuff.

You have to really, really love this stuff. You have to love it more than anything.”

Dave Merheje: I Love You Habibi is streaming now on Crave.

Dave will also be performing at the Chrysler Theater on October 7th.

WLM Back to Contents

3051 DOUGALL AVE. CORNER UNIT windsorvac.com

519-972-5557

WHEN IT COMES TO BUSINESS, Windsor has always been a vibrant ecosystem.

However, few local businesses have withstood the tests of time quite like Windsor Vacuum.

Since opening their doors in 1939, Windsor Vacuum has gone on to service our community for over 85 years, providing Windsor and Essex County with top quality products and service.

Today, despite the way the company has grown and diversified, Windsor Vacuum’s commitment remains the same: truly unparalleled dedication to their valued clients.

“We strive to provide that knowledge, that education, to people looking to make a smart purchase,” Owner Jon Zakoor states.

“We’re always willing to provide knowledge on the products we have and the products that are out there. It’s always been a staple of ours. It’s all about building that trust and helping people find a quality product at an affordable price.”

Windsor Vacuum offers a wide selection of high quality machines for all types homes and commercial residences, such as central vacuums, potable canisters, uprights and cordless rechargeable stick vacs.

“Jon was very knowledgeable and helpful. He took the time to get to know me and my needs and then found me the perfect vacuum for my family. It has a 10 year guarantee on everything from the beater bar to the engine.

I will certain be back for all my cleaning needs!” – Andrea

“We have lots of different things!” Jon states. “We’ve started offering Hide-A-Hose Central Vacuum Systems with Newby Structured Wiring.

Through new home construction, pipes and fittings are installed to accommodate hoses that now retract inside walls throughout your house. We’ve

also begun offering other home auto“Windsor Vacuum, mation services through Newby, such always provides as ring alarm systems, doorbells, interiexemplary service. The or-exterior cameras and brilliant smart workmanship is quality and home switches.” goes above and beyond my Brand names of the highest quality like Miele, Sebo, Beam, Roidmi and expectations every time. The Cana Vac are readily available for purcustomer service is polite chase in our newly renovated store lotimely and informative. I cated at 3051 Dougall Ave. have been a customer for 10 And Windsor Vacuum’s impact speaks years plus now and plan to for itself. Countless satisfied customers stay that way.” have taken to the internet – Connie to express their appreciation for Jon and his team: “We were so happy with the service that we received,” Sara writes. “The owner is very knowledgeable and was able to help us determine the best vacuum for us. He went above and beyond, personally installing the unit and making sure that we picked the right hose length and motorized vacuum head. Would highly recommend, and will use again on the next house.”

“I’ve been a customer at Windsor Vac for over 10 years, and can honestly say that the customer service is outstanding!” Jennifer writes. “When we had an older vacuum, repairs were always done promptly and got our unit back into great working order.”

For Windsor Vacuum, it’s all about providing the easiest, most affordable shopping experience for his customers.

“We find a lot of customers want to do all their shopping at one location,” Jon states.

“From vacuum systems to ring doorbells to cable and internet networking, we have it all.

We’re aggressively working towards becoming that central resource for our valued clients.”

More information is available at windsorvac.com.

JON ZAKOOR OWNER

Canadian Condominium Institute Windsor Essex Chapter IT HAS NEVER BEEN A BETTER TIME to try the condo lifestyle. Why worry about lawn mowing, general house maintenance and other aspects of home ownership that dig into time and money when you can simply enjoy living in the moment?

It is obvious that Windsor-Essex is going through a housing crisis. The Canadian Real Estate Associations findings for June 2022 found prices had increased by almost 28.9% compared to the previous year. The rate of homes selling on the other hand was down 21.2% according to the Windsor-Essex County Association of REALTORS. While homes are being listed more often but slowing down in price, the rate of Condominium building is up.

“We have seen a substantial rise in condominium development in the past few years, which offers an excellent alternative to the single-family housing market shortage.

Condo living is an economical and convenient form of home ownership for both busy professionals and retirees,” says founding Windsor-Essex Canadian Condominium Institute Director and condominium lawyer, Andrea Thielk.

In this year alone major Condominium plans are already being developed.

Groups like BK Cornerstone are behind new high-rise condo options for residents of the city, the new ‘Hive’ building on Pelissier and Wyandotte is just one of many options being constructed to help further develop the residential capacity of the area.

“We have to build 30,000 new residences in the next 12 to 14 years, which is almost impossible,” says Vince Lapico, president of VLC Custom Homes and the Windsor-Essex Home Builder’s Association. “The only way to do that is going to be primarily through multifamily dwellings.”

Fortis Group is also planning the SOHO building on Howard Ave. and Cabana Rd. E. that will see 78 condo housing units nestle above commercial space inspired by Toronto and New York City with a Windsor flair.

The board members of the Windsor-Essex County branch of the Canadian Condominium Institute are opening the door to help clear the air of any confusion around the prospect of renting, buying, operating or building condominiums.

“This Condo Builder Meet and Greet hosted by CCI is an exciting opportunity for prospective condo purchasers to meet one-on-one with condo industry professionals.

If you are thinking about buying a condo, this is the event to attend!”, says Thielk.

The event is being held September 29th, 2022, at the Harbour House on Riverside Drive. The annual general meeting of the Windsor-Essex CCI will begin at 7:00 pm with the meet and greet networking event starting at 6 pm.

“We want to attract new people who are thinking about buying a condo and want to ask the experts about it in an informal way,” said Elizabeth Elias-Hernandez, a member of CCI’s board of directors. “We want people to feel they can ask professionals questions without feeling intimidated.”

Various members of the professional fields that go into constructing, running and maintaining condominiums will be present at the event to answer questions.

“We represent all facets of the condominium community,” Elias-Hernandez says.

“So we’re here to help bring all groups together towards one common goal, a viable condominium community.”

For more information about the event or how CCI benefits the community please visit www.cci-windsor.ca or call 519-978-3237.

519-978-3237 | CCIWINDSORESSEX@GMAIL.COM P.O. BOX 22015-11500 TECUMSEH ROAD EAST, WINDSOR, ON N8N 2l0

CCI MEMBERS

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Life has a way of coming full circle. Realtor John Bondy has been in the business for more than 32 years, and a member of Team Brad Bondy for over a year. When asked if he is related to Brad, John replies: “No, but I was Brad’s realtor before he got into the business.”

As it turns out, years before, when Brad Bondy was at a career crossroads, he turned to John for advice. “He was interested in real estate, but only wanted to do it part-time,” John recalls. “I told him: ‘Those who are committed get committed results. Don’t do it part-time.’”

John knew what advice to give because he had been in the same position earlier in his life. “Years earlier, I spoke to my first real estate manager, Joe, about getting into the business, but only part-time.”

Joe told John: “‘I’m looking for people who are full-time.’”

After making the leap, John recalls, “One of the best things Joe told me: ‘Hand out your business card to fifty people a day!’

He never gave me a single lead. Joe taught me how to get my own customers.”

Working with clients, understanding their needs, is what motivates John. “Honesty is the best policy,” he says. “People come back afterwards and say, ‘You gave me the honest truth to begin with.’ Sometimes hard decisions need to be made. There is a lot of sentimental value tied up in houses.”

John goes on, “I appreciate working with Brad and his team. We have a common ideal: do what’s right for the buyer and for the seller.”

Outside of work, John volunteers with Big Brothers Big Sisters of Canada.

For more information about how Team Brad Bondy can help with your real estate needs, find them online at www.bradbondy.com.

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bradbondy@remax.net

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THERE IS NO AGE LIMIT ON DREAMS Two Local Men Combined Their Experience In Hospice And The Entertainment Industry, To Make Dreams Come True STORY BY MATTHEW ST. AMAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN LIVIERO SOME GREAT IDEAS are just inevitable. That’s how it was with Oneday Dreams—there was no way it wouldn’t come into being.

In 2017, Windsor natives Jay Soulliere and Mike Bennett created Oneday Dreams, a non-profit organization that makes dreams come true for Canadian adults over the age of eighteen living with a terminal illness, and who have a prognosis of a year or less.

Jay Soulliere is a senior talent agent who represents an international roster of musical artists. Michael Bennett worked for ten years at The Hospice of Windsor and Essex County Inc. and is now a professor at the University of Texas.

How did two people from such different worlds connect?

“I met Mike when I first started in the music business,” Jay explains. “I was helping organize some shows in downtown Windsor around 2007, and Mike was the guitarist for Tragedy of Mariam, one of the local bands playing. We became friends after that.”

They continued working in their different spheres until one day, Mike had an idea and needed Jay’s help.

“I was working with a girl named Caroline,” Mike recalls. “She was a fan of the band Marianas Trench. During conversations, she told me how much she enjoyed their music, how it helped her through some very tough times, and even attended some of their shows with her sisters.”

He goes on: “Caroline was nearing the end of her life,

Oneday Dreams founders Michael Bennett and Jason Soulliere.

Above (l-r): Randy’s dream was to meet Toronto Maple Leafs legends; Gail dreamt of entertaining the whole family for a day. She received a new TV, gaming system for the grandkids, catered meal and a session with a professional photographer; Antonella’s dream was to connect with Johnny Reid. Along with gifts, Johnny sent a personal video. Photos courtesy Oneday Dreams.

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s

and I thought ‘What if I could connect her with Marianas Trench?’ Except, I had no idea how to do that.”

Mike contacted Jay and said: “You’re a big shot in Toronto! Do you have any connections with Marianas Trench?”

Although MT was represented by a different agency, Jay’s company had a relationship with them. He got to work and arranged for MT to do a private performance for Caroline via Skype. Caroline passed away before the performance occurred, but MT posted her picture on their website and social media, telling her story.

“Caroline’s family received a lot of love and support from fans around the world,” Mike continues. “They later told me that that helped them cope.”

A year or two later, Mike was working with a man named Michael.

“He was a massive Shania Twain fan,” Mike says. “She had an album set to be released in a few more months, but it was unlikely that Michael would live to hear it.

So, I called Jay.” Jay worked his magic, once again, and connected with Shania Twain’s team.

“They provided Michael with an advanced copy of Shania’s new album,” Mike says, “via a private hyperlink that gave Michael a seventy-two-hour window where he could listen to the new music as many times as he wanted. Shania even included a personal message to him. It was extraordinarily meaningful!”

It wasn’t until 2017, when Jay was in town putting on a show at The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor, that he and Mike spoke about how great it felt fulfilling those dreams for Caroline and Michael.

“Mike commented that it was too bad something like ‘Make a Wish’ didn’t exist for adults,” Jay remembers. The Make a Wish foundation works to fulfill the wishes of children with a critical illness between the ages of three and seventeen years. “We looked at each other and had the same thought: ‘We should do that!’”

Oneday Dreams incorporated, effective January 25, 2019, under the Canada Not-for-Profit Corporations Act. Although Oneday Dreams was founded in Windsor, it is registered across Canada and works with Canadians from every corner of the country.

From the day of its inception, Oneday Dreams has worked with some extraordinary people.

“We are so deeply indebted to our donors, to our early adopters,” Jay says.

Estate planning mistakes to avoid Advice for ensuring a smooth transfer of wealth.

Every year in Canada, billions of dollars in estate assets are transferred at death. Sometimes these transfers don’t go as smoothly as expected. There are, however, ways to minimize the risk of problems by keeping a few points in mind during the estate planning process. Careful planning and review of existing plans can help to ensure that the assets you’ve spent a lifetime accumulating go to the people you’ve selected, in the way you intend.

I’ve highlighted a few of the most important factors to consider when planning your estate. Of course, each highlighted factor requires significant explanation and understanding to ensure the smooth transition you are seeking.

Will planning

A basic and all too common mistake is not preparing a will. A will communicates your intentions and allows you – rather than the government – to determine how your assets will be distributed when you die. A will facilitates the administration of your estate and can help you avoid some taxes. It also allows you to choose the executor of your estate and the guardians of your children.

Tax implications

Often people intend to split their assets equally between beneficiaries – for example, between three children. However, if you fail to consider the tax consequences, the wealth transfer may not turn out equal at all!

Another example of failing to consider the tax implications often involves second marriages or separated and estranged spouses. Understanding these implications is extremely important.

Tax issues may feel complicated, I can help you to sort out appropriate solutions related to both investments, life insurance and retirement savings.

Beneficiaries

When a life event such as a birth, death, marriage, separation or divorce occurs, people often remember to review and update their will, but may forget to review their beneficiaries. This common oversight could greatly affect the realization of your final wishes. When naming a beneficiary, it’s also important to consider the age of the individual.

Joint ownership

Oft times, individuals choose joint ownership for “simplicity” yet fail to consider the implications of such a choice. I can explain.

After a lifetime of carefully saving, investing and planning, you want the peace of mind of knowing your assets will be distributed as you intended. As a well-established, trusted advisor, I can partner with you to make the best choices for your situation.

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL Barbara Allen, HBA, CFP Senior Financial Advisor Manulife Securities Incorporated Life Insurance Advisor Manulife Securities Insurance Inc. Direct Line 519-250-0515 Office: 519-250-5190, ext. 409 Barbara.Allen@manulifesecurities.ca 2255 Cadillac Street, Windsor Manulife, Manulife & Stylized M Design, Stylized M Design and Manulife Securities are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license.

The opinions expressed are those of the author and may not necessarily reflect those of Manulife Securities Incorporated Manulife Securities Insurance Inc.

Stocks, bonds and mutual funds are offered through Manulife Securities Incorporated. Insurance products and services are offered through Manulife Securities Insurance Inc. Banking products and services are offered by referral arrangements through our related company Manulife Bank of Canada. Please confirm with your Advisor which company you are dealing with for each of your products and services.

FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR ALL LIFE EVENTS SINCE 1995

www.ProtectMyFamilyWealth.ca

The requests Oneday Dreams receives are as varied and unique as each individual.

“That’s what makes it fun to do,” Jay continues. “Connecting people with celebrities is great but there are so many other, meaningful ways of making dreams come true for people. One way is bringing a family together. Or a hobby or an interest that was important to them—how can we do something with that?”

On February 24, 2022, a dream came true for Jody-Anne who wanted to have a private screening of her favourite movie, The Wizard of Oz, with her closest friends and family. She and her sister were driven to the Lakeshore Cinema in a limousine donated by Butterfield Limo. At the theatre, they entered the Land of Oz thanks to a beautiful balloon display provided by Balloon Ladies of Windsor. A yellow brick road welcomed them with some red-carpet flair provided by the stanchions from Festival Tent. There were even custom Wizard of Oz themed cupcakes from Sweet Revenge Bake Shop.

In other instances, Oneday Dreams has brought family members to a person’s bedside, aiding with travel arrangements and costs.

“Another person wanted a peaceful garden to spend time,” Mike says. “So we arranged for that to be done at their home, where they spent their remaining days.”

For another request, action film star The Rock, made a video for a local fan, taking her on a virtual tour of the set of his latest tv production.

Many people are involved in each request.

“We wouldn’t be where we are without our great board of directors,” Mike says.

“Jay and I do this on a volunteer basis and so does the board. We’re supported by a tremendous group of volunteers at events across the province. All donations go toward fulfilling dreams.”

“We do a lot of outreach with hospices, cancer centers and hospitals letting them know about our services,” Jay says. “We’ve had a great response locally. This was created in Windsor and backed by people in Windsor.”

Among their numerous donors, Oneday Dreams is especially grateful to 100 Women Who Care, Green Shield Canada, Unifor, Ground Effects, St. Clair College Alumni Association as well as the Stephanie and Barry Zekelman Foundation for their support.

For more information, visit their website at onedaydreams.ca.

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LIVING LONGER Tesko Chaganti on His Research and Work-life Balance as an Award Winning Teenage Scientist

BY RYAN PERCY / PHOTOGRAPHY SUBBA RAO CHAGANTI

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IT IS A LOT OF EFFORT to dedicate yourself to hours of research. To take an idea, a hope, a dream, and put in the time to see if what you think might be true, really is. Now imagine not being a scientist, not actually having any funding. Sounds difficult? Now do you think you would have been able to do all of that when you were a freshman in high school?

Meet Tesko Chaganti, who made waves during his Grade 9 year at Vincent Massey by running thousands of simulations to come to discoveries that may eventually lead to longer, healthier lives for everyone on the planet.

“I used to watch sci-fi videos as a kid,” Tesko says with a laugh at how he first got interested in doing this research, “There’s a channel on YouTube, Kurzgesagt, and they were talking about senescent cells and stem cells and I was like ‘whoa, what is this stuff?’ and started researching it.”

The videos Tesko watched, called Why Age? Should We End Aging Forever? and How to Cure Aging – During Your Lifetime?, have been viewed nearly 16 million times combined.

“It was really, really cool,” Tesko says about getting into researching senescent cells, “The cells were linked to aging and I wanted to know if they were bad, can I get rid of them?

Is it good for you? That was the spark.”

While Tesko is making headlines for his grade 9 science fair project that brought him all the way to the national stage, it was not the start of his interest in this aspect of research.

“The real beginning was in grade six,” Tesko says, sitting back on his chair surrounded by computers that help him do his research, “My topic was ‘Healthy in your Hundreds’ and what I explored was pretty basic. I was looking at how aging works and the main drivers behind it.”

During his grade six research he discovered the concept of senescent cells which eventually became the main focus of his research going forward.

Senescent cells are ones that have stopped dividing and eventually cause cells around them to do the same. This slowdown of cell replenishment leads to a buildup of more and more senescent cells as you age. The United States National Institute on Aging says the buildup of senescent cells ‘can affect a person’s ability to withstand stress or illness; recuperate from injuries; and learn new things, since senescent cells in the brain can degrade cognitive functions.’

“It’s essentially like a zombie,” Tesko explains how senescent cells are a root cause of aging in our bodies, “What it does is it irritates nearby cells and urges them to become a zombie also. Then altogether they release a phenotype into the local environment of your body that can cause cancer, arthritis and a bunch of other diseases.”

It is a heavy topic and with such mountains of information to sift through, but Tesko thankfully has at least one sturdy pillar to fall back on, his father and microbiologist, Subba Rao Chaganti.

“Most kids when they’re little want to be like their parents,” Tesko says with a smile about how his dad helped him get into science. “When I was a kid I was like ‘I want to be a microbiologist’ cause I saw how cool the stuff my dad was doing was. That got me on the science path and he helped me a lot.”

While many people might imagine Tesko spending long hours in a lab, goggles on, pouring chemicals in petri dishes to run his

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experiments but with the Pandemic raging between his Grade Six and Grade 9 years, his experimentation led him elsewhere.

“The problem during the Pandemic was if I wanted to do anything in a lab, I couldn’t,” Tesko says. “I went from physical analysis to computer simulations. But this meant I went from testing five or six things to testing a whole database of compounds and almost certainly getting a hit.”

But with all the work he has put into it so far, Tesko still aspires to push his research further.

“I went from ‘Healthy in Your Hundreds’ to ‘Unravelling the Secrets of Healthy Aging’,” Tesko says about moving forward, “In the future I’ll be doing actual lab work and testing these compounds in real life to see if they actually inhibit the proteins. From there we’d move from a simple enzymatic level study to cellular then animal studies and finally, if it gets that far, human trials.”

But with all this work Tesko is still a fourteen-year-old boy. While his passion is science and research, he still knows to keep a balance of high-level research and still maintain the life of a teenage boy, especially during the summer.

“I haven’t really been doing anything other than getting like one or two files ready,” Tesko says, finding that sweet spot of research and relaxation during his vacation, “I’ve just been playing outside with my friends, going for walks, biking, playing video games, that kind of stuff.”

Tesko’s passion has not dwindled over the summer months, there just became time to focus on keeping a balanced life. A happy life means less burn out.

But while you might be imagining him on a trajectory to working in the pharmaceutical industry, he has his mind set elsewhere.

“I actually want to become an immunologist,” he smiles as he talks about his goals, “I want to pursue a bachelor’s degree and head into medical school.”

With the amount of work he’s done already, Tesko has learned a thing or two about how to properly get into the research field and says if anyone wanted to do what he did there are some simple steps to improve your chances.

“Find a really good mentor, someone really engaged in the field and know what you’re trying to do but also have a passion for research,” Tesko says of how to make headway in life. “What you want to do is share yourself with people who are going to support you and run with you until the finish line.”

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BUILDING ON EDUCATION FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS, the Greater Essex County District School Board (GECDSB) has been aggressively replacing and updating some of the oldest school buildings in the province.

“The goal is to improve conditions for students and staff,” says Scott Scantlebury, Public Relations Officer at the GECDSB. “It is an ongoing process!”

This fall the GECDSB is opening two new schools. James L. Dunn Public School in Windsor and North Star High School in Amherstburg.

James L. Dunn Public School is located at Mercer Street and Giles, and was once a factory where playing cards were manufactured.

“The location was named a historical site, which means this unique building combines old and new architecture,” explains Brad Gyori, Coordinator – Capital Projects with the GECDSB, “The new school replaces the Giles Campus French Immersion school.”

The school has 645 pupil places and a four-room childcare center. A 23,710 square foot addition was built onto the existing building. The approximate budget for the project was $15.9 million.

North Star High School combines the General Amherst High School and Western Secondary School communities.

“This building includes a full culinary program that will also serve the school’s needs,” says Brad. “There are facilities for the manufacturing, construction, and transportation programs. The school has 819 pupil places, and the project budget was approximately $24.3 million.”

In Forest Glade, the Eastview Horizon Public School is under construction, and will combine the former Parkview and Eastwood elementary schools. This school will have 501 pupil places, including four-room childcare. Project value is $13.2 million.

A “mega school”—as yet unnamed—is being built in Kingsville, replacing Kingsville DHS, Jack Miner Public School, and Kingsville Public School. This is one of the largest projects in the province: 195,000 square feet accommodating 1,045 students for elementary, and 753 for secondary. The estimated cost of the project is $59 million.

Students at Legacy Oak Trail Public School in LaSalle can look forward to an addition being built that will accommodate another 167 students. The project cost is projected at $3.9 million. Another 73 pupil places will be added at Queen Elizabeth in Leamington at a cost of $8.4 million.

The old D.M. Eagle Public School in Tecumseh is being replaced by a new—as yet unnamed—school with 651 pupil places. The project value is estimated at $25 million.

Northwood Public School will also have an addition put on that will accommodate 184 pupils, budgeted at $4.8 million.

“This year alone we are in the process of completing approximately $41 million in school condition improvement, and renewal projects,” says Brad.

Millions of dollars in renewal funding are being spent on a variety of schools, including substantial projects at Walkerville Collegiate Institute and Kennedy Collegiate Institute.

“So, as you can tell our capital projects team is very busy!” says Scott. “Our great thanks to the provincial government and the Ministry of Education, which approved the funding for these projects!”

Challenges abound in projects of this size and scope. Supply chain issues affect every sector of the economy, and education is no different. The GECDSB is making sure they can get the materials they need for the construction and remain vigilant about meeting budgets and timelines.

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Cheesecake On A Stick - Dessert shop offering gourmet cheesecake dipped in chocolate and various toppings. Take out or delivery offered with Jubzi.com. Open Thurs-Sun 12-9 pm. Kingsville location open Sat-Sun 12-9 pm.

13300 Tecumseh Rd. E., Tecumseh 519-999-9116. cheesecakeonastick.ca 460 Main St. E, Kingsville 519-999-6024 Fourteen Restaurant & Skylounge - Experience dining with a panoramic riverfront view of the Detroit skyline from the 14th floor. For both casual and special occasions. Private and semi-private rooms available. Live music in our lounge most Saturday nights. Open for dinner Wednesday through Sunday at 5pm. Reserve online or call 226-526-7214.

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37 HD TVs, 15 beers on tap. Follow us on facebook. 13037 Tecumseh Rd. E. 519-735-7005 Neros Steakhouse - Indulge in the finer things in life at Neros where modern upscale dining meets traditional steakhouse fare. Fresh, local ingredients, an incredible wine selection and superb service. OpenTable.ca 1-800-991-7777 ext. 22481.

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519-974-7664. sonacanada.com Vito’s Pizzeria - Rustic Italian restaurant serving woodfired pizza, fresh pasta, veal, chicken, grilled steaks and seafood. Wonderful wine selection. Private party spaces. Food truck and portable pizza oven for offsite catering.

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For information on listings and advertising in Bon Appetit! please call 519-551-0072.

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PAINTING THE “COLORS” OF LIFE Mike O’Phee on His New Album and What Inspires Him STORY BY RYAN PERCY PHOTOGRAPHY BY JESSICA TANCHIONI PHOTOGRAPHY

what a song is. “In Colors every song is a different colour. Songs are moods, they’re feelings or stories. They’re undeniable and something a person made because they had to get it out. It’s like an artist with painting, sometimes you just start brushing and something emerges.”

What this leads to is O’Phee finding his music inspiration in any moment. While some artists may only use music as a catharsis tool to sing of sadness or a way to be upbeat and joyful, he finds a full experience is necessary to get his voice across.

“It’s really all over the place at times,” Mike says with a smile, “Moments of inspiration can come from anything. Experiences I go through or sometimes I even get inspired by talks I have with people and what they were going through.”

But while Colors might have been Mike’s first solo album it was not the first musical act he was a part of.

MicLordz & Sauce Funky was a hardcore band with a tone of rock meets rap meets punk, almost a mix of Red Hot Chili Peppers and Rage Against the Machine. They had been nearing the top of their own little corner of the world with tracks like Ready for War even being used in Hollywood films. But then it all started slowly unravelling due to circumstances out of their control.

“We hit a roadblock when a couple of the members in the band’s families started getting sick.” Mike sighs as he pulls up old memories. “One member had to move home, another had to go take care of their family. We had to put it all on pause and that pause kind of became permanent but we never actually broke up.”

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IT TAKES PLENTY OF SKILL to become an artist, hours upon hours of dedication and practice. For many they focus on one thing, finding a niche to become proficient and an expert in.

But sometimes you are pulled in many directions at once and find yourself having a great breadth of experience.

While many musicians find themselves sticking to just one singular genre, having found a singular specific voice they are most comfortable with, there are others who have multiple paths they enjoy. Mike O’Phee is one such, multi-genre artist.

With a new album on the way shortly, Colors Two, it felt right to listen to the first one.

Colors, released in 2015, is an album of a man finding his voices across genres while being able to tell the stories most important to him. It also found its funding through one of the humblest means.

“I used to drive pizza delivery for Arcata,” Mike says with a laugh, “I funded Colors and my second album, Clairvoyance, with pizza delivery tips.”

Listening to Colors is almost the experience of flicking through the radio station to station and yet somehow finding a strand of a story and voice flowing through it all.

Sometimes the genre shift is jarring, the somber almost Christian rock vibe of Believe leading into hardcore biker americana of Anarchy’s Son then into a R&B country rock mashup Hard Time. But this works to Mike’s advantage, able to show the breadth of his ability to perform and flow to whatever genre the message of the melody pulls him.

“For me, music is life,” Mike says as to

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It led to Mike nearly walking away from the mic for good.

“I had given absolutely everything to the band and I was just done,” Mike says. “I couldn’t put myself through that again. The heartbreak of getting so far and then just stopping.”

Thankfully around 2009 he met someone, a girl who his heart would open up to and who would help him find his voice again.

“We dated six years and broke up for two years right between Colors and Clairvoyance,” Mike laughs. “We got back together and in late 2021 she was the one who pushed me to pursue this all. Next thing you know I’m working on an album.”

Colors Two is a sequel of sorts to the original, another set of colours and moods given form through song to tell the stories Mike has had since the original.

“It’s an open book,” Mike says of what he wants people to take away from the new album, “Nothing on there is something I haven’t lived, experienced or felt strongly about. I hope somewhere on this album something grabs them and they understand there are people out there that care about you. Don’t take them for granted and appreciate every day.”

Several tracks are also sequels to tracks on the first album. Anarchy’s Son, a clear homage to the Sons of Anarchy show which even became Ring of Honor’s wrestler Michael Elgin’s theme song, is followed up in the second album with Anarchy’s Son 2. The new track now tells the story of a character in a different setting, inspiration shifting from biker gangs to the dramatic lives of ranchers from Yellowstone.

Some of the tracks are not as blatant as follow ups.

The first track of Colors, I Wanna Live, is a chilling, piano heavy cry for help. It sounds as if Mike is pleading on his knees after stumbling into a church in the black of night to try and make sense of it all. Then Better, Colors Two’s first single, throws the doors open in raucous joy and tells the listener that while you are down in the dumps from everything you can hit rock bottom and turn everything around for the better.

“It was just that feeling you get when something is real,” Mike says of how being a musician changed him for the better. “I was inspired. I was motivated. It’s 26 years on and I’m still chasing that dragon.”

Colors Two became available for streaming and purchase on September 5. To get your copy head over to mikeophee.com for more information.

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e v o b A t u C A WHEN THE STUDENT IS READY, the teacher will appear.

Award-winning hair stylist, Theresa Kelly’s teacher appeared in the late1990s—in of all places—a hair salon where Theresa was a customer.

“You’ve got to do this!” the stylist said to Theresa. “I just love what you do with your hair!”

The words of encouragement came at a transitional time for Theresa.

“I was unsure what I wanted to do in life,” she remembers. “I had travelled to Guatemala and taught English. I am fluent in French and learned to speak Spanish. Thought I wanted to be a teacher. Went to University for a year, but didn’t like it. But sometimes the answer is right in front of us. My mother had managed a big salon, and she said: ‘You’ve got to do this!”

Theresa went into business with her first mentor.

“We had invented a technique for doing highlights,” Theresa recalls.

“It was very popular in the Toronto area.” She laughs. “It still is.”

Although the usual training period for a new hair stylist is approximately ten months, Theresa spent five years learning her craft.

“In fact, I’ve never stopped learning,” she says. “I’ve been lucky. So many great people in the business have shared their knowledge with me.”

Among these mentors was Tim Hartley, who worked as creative director for the legendary Vidal Sassoon for twenty-five years.

Theresa’s career was marked by success and personal satisfaction.

“I have worked at the Toronto International Film Festival as a hair stylist,” she says. “In 2021, I was a finalist in the Beauty Envision Awards in Las Vegas.”

In 2011, Theresa opened the Academy adjacent to her Newmarket salon, where she and few select instructors train stylists.

“I have put through 220 students,” Theresa says. “These days, we only take a few students per year. That way, we develop them faster.”

It was during the COVID-19 global pandemic that Theresa ventured into the Chatham-Essex County area.

“I looked at the COVID map to see what areas in Ontario were still operating during the pandemic,” Theresa explains. “I saw that the map indicated that Chatham was open for business. I thought I would bring some of my team with me.”

As it turned out, Theresa shared her expertise with various salons in the area and found she liked this part of the province.

“It’s nicer, quieter here,” she says. “And warmer!”

Although she moves back and forth between here and Toronto every six weeks, Theresa works with clients in the Windsor area.

“I do complimentary consultations,” she says, “and really listen to what clients want.”

Theresa is a cut above because she has the ability to deliver what clients want.

“Some stylists just stick to their strengths, and do a variation of what a client is asking for,” she says. “I listen to the client, and then I deliver what the client wants. I’ve taken the time to learn my craft. I’ve lived this.”

Theresa is always willing to share her knowledge with aspiring stylists and/or salon owners who want to up their game. Those interested in learning from a seasoned professional should visit salonbiz.ca.

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IT HAPPENED IN WINDSOR Michael Evans is Archiving Images and Video of Life in Windsor STORY BY MATTHEW ST. AMAND / PHOTOGRAPHY BY SCOTTY HUGHES THERE WAS SOMETHING about the onset of the COVID-19 global pandemic that roused a deep streak of nostalgia in people. In his latest Netflix comedy concert, comedian Bill Burr, speaks of spending whole days watching TV shows from his youth online. The spirit certainly gripped this writer, turning YouTube into a refuge for reliving the less-complicated past, in the form of 1980s NBA games, vintage 1970s Movie of the Week TV movies and even retro commercials.

Long before the world heard of COVID-19, Windsor historian, filmmaker, and archivist, Michael Evans, took nostalgia to the next level with his YouTube channel “It Happened in Windsor.” There, Michael has compiled a dizzying and heart-warming array of old home movie footage of Windsor “back in the day.”

Do you remember when a British ship, the M.V. Montrose, sank beneath the Ambassador Bridge in 1962? Or when the Queen of England visited in 1959? Or when the largest neon sign in the world—the Canadian Club sign at the Hiram Walker distillery—was installed in 1966?

“It Happened in Windsor” has videos about these occurrences, and nearly 80 others, which range in length from two to twelve minutes. The eras and subject matter vary greatly.

After first discovering “It Happened in Windsor” and spending a few hours lost in its tantalizing library of the past, the question arose: Where did all of this irreplaceable footage come from?

“My interest in personal history comes from having a lot of old family photos,” Michael explains, “some going back a hundred years.”

He continues: “While working on a documentary Suede Productions was making about

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Opposite top to bottom: Mike Evans in his film screening room, holding up a 16mm film canister; the removal of the original Hiram Walker “Electric Spectacular Sign,” circa the early 1960s. Photo courtesy Mike Evans. This page clockwise from above: The “Loop UFO DJ Booth.” Photo was taken after the Loop Complex had been abandoned for several years.

Photo courtesy Mike Evans; a Windsor Police Officer displays recovered counterfeit U.S. money, discovered in the woods along the 401 highway, early 1980s. Photo by James Evans Sr.; photo taken outside of the CKLW Windsor building in the early 1960’s at “Water Follies” event. Photo courtesy Mike Evans; the Coronation Tavern on Riverside Drive West with “typo” on the exterior wall, late 1970s. Photo by Malcolm Campbell.

One person in particular who proved an invaluable resource was a man Michael never even met.

“A man named Charlie Fox, who passed away in the nineties while in his nineties, worked for Catholic School Board as AV guy,” Michael says. “He had piles of old film which he brought home with him. He apparently had no family when he died and all that film went to antique stores around Windsor.”

Among the local history Charlie Fox captured with his camera are shots of the first Art in the Park, from 1973.

Another video Michael made is titled “Breaking Into Jail,” where he displays numerous photos taken within the defunct Windsor Jail, while interviewing a man who had once been an inmate. For decades, the Windsor Jail was a locus of mystery and rumour, which continue to this day. The video is filled with interesting history about the old gaol. The accompanying images are haunting.

Even some of Michael’s personal history made it into the trove. His father, James Evans, was a Windsor Police constable beginning in 1974 until his retirement in 2006. The video tells the story of the day Michael’s father and his WPS partner found $100,000

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Willistead Manor, I went around to every old antique shop in Essex County, buying whatever old films they had. Often, the proprietors had no idea what was on the film reels. Their interest lay in the canisters.”

Along the way, Michael obtained two 16 mm, 8 mm and Super 8 mm film projectors.

It was while teaching a course “History of Windsor on Film” at ElderCollege, he was approached by a mature student who said: “I have old film of a war-time house being built in the 1940s.”

From that point, Michael was hooked, and the search was on for any and all old film footage and photographs of Windsor.

“I found old family films with Winston Churchill in them,” Michael continues.

“And just like today, people decades ago liked to film cats! For every gem that I find, there is half an hour of someone playing with a cat.”

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in counterfeit U.S. money on side of Highway 401, in the early 1980s.

“There was some guy who was arrested in Tennessee,” Michael explains. “The police there interviewed him and he said he wanted to offer information to the Windsor Police, thinking it might get him a lighter sentence.”

The man confessed to hiding the counterfeit money in a tree stump at one of the mile markers along Highway 401, heading into Chatham. An initial search by Windsor Police turned up nothing, but Michael’s father and partner went back to the area, on their own time one Saturday and located it. The video reveals photos from the time showing raw, printed, uncut sheets of counterfeit money stuffed into a hollow tree stump. There is no word if the man who stashed the money there benefited from his confession or where the counterfeit money ended up. Michael surmises in the video that it was probably burned in an incinerator behind Hôtel-Dieu Hospital.

Other videos have no narration, simply musical accompaniment. The old images, however, tell their own story, such as the video titled “Detroit River Parks (1970),” which shows the waterfront from the Ambassador Bridge to Dieppe Gardens. Or “Last Day of School, 1971,” which shows the final days at Holy Rosary school on Drouillard Road, students and teachers cleaning out their lockers and classrooms because the school was scheduled for demolition.

Every viewer will have their favourite videos, but two that really stood out to this writer. The first is “Meeting Nirvana Backstage,” recounting the story of two CJAM radio DJs hanging out with the Seattle band, Nirvana, one night in Detroit in 1991. The second tells the story of the Coronation Tavern at Curry Avenue and Riverside Drive, where the bar’s sign contained a typo: Coronation Tavens, after being painted by one of the tavern’s ardent patrons.

Another noteworthy video is “Windsor Sculpture Garden Mysteries,” which examines a few mysteries associated with the riverfront Sculpture Garden that most residents may not be aware of.

Michael Evans’ “It Happened in Windsor” is one of the few benign rabbit holes one will encounter on the Internet, but it is a rabbit hole, nonetheless. Find it on YouTube by entering “It Happened in Windsor” in the search box. Then get ready to do some time travel.

WLM Back to Contents

MOTOR CITY COMMUNITY CREDIT UNION

New Wealth Management Division Offers Accessible Financial Advice

Since the early 1940s, Motor City Community Credit Union has operated under simple philosophy: Banking with a conscience.

“We operate under a simple premise,” Motor City CEO Robert Griffith explains. “That when it’s raining, you need an umbrella. An umbrella when it’s sunny is of no value. But when it rains, you need an umbrella. It’s all part of our values: people helping people help themselves.”

The credit union system differs from traditional banks in that it maintains broader, community-based values. Rather than clients, a credit union serves “members.” Each is allowed a small percentage of company shares, which grants each member a voice.

“We have a saying at Motor City: We see what you see,” Motor City Vice President of Strategy Giorje Kaniouras states. “We live your experiences. We reside in the same communities. We share your values.”

Motor City has been a fixture of the community since 1938, providing exemplary financial solutions for their members. And now, as we head into 2023, Motor City has launched a new department: “We’ve launched a new Wealth Management Division,” Giorje explains. “We want to offer financial planning advice to all facets of our community. Our value, our mission for this new division is accessible advice done right.”

Motor City’s Wealth Advisors can provide financial advice and planning solutions through a personalized, practical approach.

These are some of the most qualified financial planners working

in the industry, operating with some of the best financial tools available.

“We have taken a patient approach,” Giorje states. “We’re here to listen to our members about their financial planning needs. Our advisors are here to serve you at your unique comfort level.”

The Wealth Management Division is driven by the needs of their members, regardless of what stage of life they’ve found themselves in. Whether it’s budgeting for retirement, a wedding, a child’s education, or even estate planning, Motor City’s Wealth Advisors can provide custom wealth solutions.

“Our advisors are salaried,” Giorje explains. “They don’t make commission. Their compensation is not influenced by the investment decision a member makes, ensuring they provide objective advice. Their job is to provide advice and a plan—for you.”

Motor City’s Wealth Management is open to everyone, regardless of their asset size or needs. When it comes to conventional banking, a client sometimes needs to have assets of up to a quarter million dollars before a wealth division will offer their services.

But no matter the size of your umbrella, Motor City Credit Union is here to keep you dry.

“We truly do live to serve our members, and our Wealth Management Division is the next iteration of that driving philosophy,” Giorje states. “We continue to be impressed by our community.

Over the last couple years, we’ve started using technology a lot more, offering members the ability to book a meeting with staff directly online. That option has grown exponentially. Our members continue to adapt to these changing times, and with our new Wealth Management Division, we are proud to help them on their individual journeys.”

More information about Motor City is available at mcccu.com.

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LOCAL MEMOIR A SURPRISE HIT A Retired Educator Has Written A Book That Has Really Connected With Readers STORY BY MATTHEW ST. AMAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN LIVIERO

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David attended teacher’s college at Queen’s University in Kingston.

“This is how old I am: I went to teachers’ college at a time when film projectors were a “thing,” he remembers. “It was a time long before VCRs, DVDs, and Blu-Rays!”

He completed two rounds of practice teaching in Ottawa, and two in Oshawa.

Much as school and teaching are portrayed in popular culture as being somehow not a part of the “real world”—the fallacy propagated by the saying “Those who can, do; those who can’t, teach” from George Bernard Shaw’s 1905 stage play Man and Superman—David’s stories prove that notion untrue.

For instance, before embarking on his second round of practice teaching, in Ottawa, the music teacher at the school where he was assigned had been fired after being caught in a “rather compromising situation with one of his students in a practice room.” Before David finished his stint at the school, he was approached by an attractive, nineteen-year-old female student who said: “A few of us are going out this evening to Jimmy’s Piano Lounge, and we’re wondering if you’d like to join us. If you don’t know where it is, I’d be happy to drive you.”

David had the wherewithal to decline the invitation.

After receiving his teaching certification, David returned to s

DAVID GARLICK’S MEMOIR, The Principal Chronicles, is more than the story of his years as a Windsor secondary school principal.

In the book’s introduction, he refers to it as “a semi-non-fictional memoir...” The “semi” aspect comes in because David has included a few fictional pieces. The rest of the book spans his own life from the time he began school, as a five-year-old entering kindergarten to his retirement as a high school principal.

The stories in the book are by turns humourous, engrossing, surprising, and even startling, at times. Each chapter has a unique illustration provided by David’s niece Lindsay Chasten.

Born and raised in Windsor, David attended Prince of Wales elementary school and John L. Forster high school. As a kid, David entertained the idea of becoming a dentist when he grew up. That did not last long and for a while, he didn’t know what path he might take. It was OK, though—he was just a kid.

“I had some wonderful teachers at Forster,” David recalls in a conversation with Windsor Life Magazine. “There was Donna Lanktree in the library. She took a suggestion I made once about adding a book to the collection. I’m sure she doesn’t remember the incident but it was a defining moment in my life…”

David even drew inspiration from a less-than-stellar history teacher who rapped a yardstick loudly on a desk as a method of communication when the class got out of control. After one instance of desk-rapping occurred on David’s desk, striking a red pen and causing it to explode all over his shirt, David came away from the experience thinking: “I could do this better than you.” He notes in the book “I was thirteen” when this realization occurred.

By the end of his high school years, David understood that people get out of experiences what they put into them.

“I really enjoyed high school,” he recalls. “I wasn’t the best student, but I was involved in band and drama. By the time I finished, I knew I wanted to come back and teach in high school.”

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Windsor and worked for the next thirty years, as a teacher, vice principal and principal, at Massey, Herman, Assumption, Directions, W.D. Lowe, Western, Forster, and Walkerville, from which he retired.

The Principal Diaries was one of the positive things to come out of the COVID-19 global pandemic.

“A lot of what is in the book came from notes I made over the years,” David explains. “Early on in my VP career, I came home at the end of the day and quickly jotted down a few of the things that had happened.” He laughs. “My wife got tired of hearing the stories, so I wrote them down.

By retirement I had collected two to three hundred of them. When COVID began, I looked through them and found that most were funny, positive experiences. That’s where the book came from.”

The Principal Diaries is David’s first book, so he had to develop a writing process for himself as he went along.

“Once I realized the structure the book would take—following me from before school into retirement—I then went through my memories and bare bone incidents and put them in the correct category: each era of life,” he says.

As he went, David had a few trusted readers on whom he relied, sending them pieces of the book about which they shared their thoughts and feedback.

“I thank my beta readers in the beginning of the book,” he says. “Nobody got the entire book until it was ready to be published.”

The memoir is augmented by a few pieces of fiction, that build upon David’s love and knowledge of the area.

“The Enid Wakely story,” he says, about one fictional piece, “took close to thirty years to write. I wrote a draft of it when I taught at Herman and read it to my class in the late 1980s. More recently, I asked my sister-in-law to read it and she thought it was good, but offered a few ideas on how to improve it.”

The book has been well-received throughout Essex County.

“Everyone who has read it so far, has enjoyed it,” David notes. “One local bookshop told me it was their best-selling consignment book.”

David has begun work on a second book.

At this point, he is unsure what form it will take. To stay on top of developments, check for updates at dsgarlick.ca. Visit voiced.ca/project/the-principal-chronicles/ to hear David reading portions of the book.

WLM Back to Contents

Left: Back row (l-r): Emilija Radevski, Connor Matton, Nina Mussio, Matthew Veselinovic, Christopher Francia, Hunter Batten, Jesse Potma. Front row (l-r): Jesse Davidson, Anthony Degirolamo. Below: The Windsoar Rocket blasts into the New Mexico sky to the screaming cheers of the team and onlookers. Photo by Jim Wilkerson.

SOARING TO NEW HEIGHTS The University of Windsor Rockery Team STORY BY RYAN PERCY / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY UNIVERSITY OF WINDSOR

s

MODEL ROCKETRY has been a fad that really began to take off in the 1950s and is credited with helping get generations of wide-eyed gleeful children into the science and engineering fields.

For some last year undergrad students in the University of Windsor’s mechanical engineering program, they were given the chance to become kids again and build something to reach for the stars.

“I’m a mechanical engineering student with an automotive specialty, so building a rocket isn’t in my field of specialty,” says Hunter Batten, one of the team members of the 2022 University of Windsor Rocketry Team, on how he came to choose it as his capstone, the required final project fourth year students take on. “But it was the only capstone project with a competition and that enticed me to choose it.”

What started as a way to get a final capstone project done for their undergrad lead to the team of nine standing at a launch site in New Mexico, the desert wind blowing across their rocket as they waited for it to finally launch.

“It was the nine of us and about 60 other people in the viewing area,” says Chris Francia, a graduate of the University of Windsor’s mechanical engineering program and rocketry team captain. “I remember the whole team was just so quiet. They saw it go up nice and straight and then everyone went crazy once the burn stopped.”

The Windsoar rocket was named as a pun by the previous year’s team and carried over since the 2021 team was not able to launch theirs. The Windsoar is not the kind of rocket you imagine building from a box you pick up at a craft and hobby store.

The hobby grade model rocket kits generally reach a height between 330 and 1,640 feet.

The ‘Windsoar’ rocket blasted up 33,649 feet into the New Mexico sky, an accomplishment which not only saw the team jumping for joy but also being awarded fourth place in their category.

“It was definitely a big surprise seeing fourth place,” Chris says. “Especially this being our first time competing as a team and no members had experience even building a rocket.

We were up against some big school names that had really impressive rockets so being able to compete around or above them was pretty surreal.”

But the impressive display of the Windsoar’s team seems like something almost out of a movie. Not only did all nine members not have any experience with rocketry, they had a fraction of the time of other teams, but there was one factor that makes their effort sound almost unbelievable.

“The competition was the first launch of the full rocket,” Chris says of them not being able to test the full system until they were there, “You’re not allowed to fly rockets of this magnitude in the Windsor area.”

The entire rocket had not been fully tested as one unit until the trial by fire of the actual international rocketry competition.

But not only were there issues with height regulation for testing but also the act of just getting the parts the team needed.

“We had to pick up the rocket motor in the United States,” says Hunter, who also specialized in building the avionics bay and electronic components, “We can’t cross the border with a rocket motor and when we went across to ensure the motor had all the components, it was missing a part. We had to scramble.”

This was not the end of their problems, rather just the beginning.

As Murphy’s Law dictates, anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.

The team had not gotten a chance to test everything together so on the morning, with the rocket set to a launch: something had to go wrong “I’m still shocked to this day that it happened,” Chris says of an issue they had on the first launch attempt. “The flight

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computer had an issue and the top of the rocket popped off while it was on the launch pad. It didn’t explode but it fell apart so we couldn’t launch that day.”

Thankfully Hunter and others on the team were able to get a new flight computer working and synched up to make sure it was all working for the real deal.

“I went to the launch pad for the second attempt because I had to listen for a specific sequence of beeping to make sure the flight computer was in launch mode,” Hunter says of getting the rocket’s electronics to work.

While they won accolades and a lot of applause from their peers, there were three things the group earned through their hard work and dedication: new skills, open doors and most importantly, lifelong friends.

“When we started out, I only knew three or four other people on the team,” Hunter says. “But when we built this rocket, the 9 of us had to come together and work together. We wouldn’t have been able to compete if we hadn’t. We spent many long days designing, building, problem solving and overcoming challenges. We definitely became a close group of friends.”

What started as just an opportunity for some mechanical engineering students to build something cool for their final year capstone project, evolved into nine best friends who helped each other through the struggles of learning and building something together.

Now it has even changed the outlook for some of them going into the future of their engineering careers.

“This is the first time I got an introduction to aerospace and rocketry,” Chris says of how this competition changed his outlook on where to go forward with future career opportunities. “This is a field I didn’t know Canadians had much access to. But I’m doing my master’s with Pratt and Whitney Canada, a huge aerospace company.

I don’t think I would have had the opportunity to explore this unless I joined this project.”

But most importantly is what Chris says he learned from the experience.

“Everyone has their self-doubts,” Chris says. “But having a project like this shows that if you just keep pushing forward and have a good group with you there is pretty much nothing you can’t accomplish.

We didn’t take no for an answer and I think that shows a lot about Windsor itself.

We’re a city that keeps coming back, we WLM persevere.”

Back to Contents

In our 29th year Windsor Life Magazine is delivered to every business and select residential addresses in Windsor/Essex, Chatham/Kent exclusively through Canada Post.

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A Most Innovative Décor Shopping Experience Windsor’s Hi! Neighbor Celebrates 1st Anniversary at 2610 Pillette Road HI! NEIGHBOR PROPRIETORS Erik Rorseth and Terry Darbyson can’t help but feel proud as they reflect on the past year.

September 1, 2021, marked the official opening of 2610 Pillette Road, the new home of Windsor’s historic Hi! Neighbor, once a West-of-Walkerville-on-Wyandotte-Street store with an iconic black, white and red sign (where both Erik and Terry worked as teenagers) to the brand new, custom-designed state-of-the-art store and showrooms.

With more than 25,000 square feet (almost double the space of the former store), 2610 Pillette also offers over an acre of visitor parking.

Erik and Terry believe that in addition to some favourable market conditions, the new location has also played a role in their store’s success. “We’re so much more conveniently located, 2 minutes off the EC Row expressway, right in the centre of it all,” Erik says.

These two business partners are bustling to ensure every Hi! Neighbor customer has the best possible experience, which is why they’re continuously improving their product offerings and showroom spaces.

“Our business has been bolstered by the new home build and home renovation booms, not to mention the real estate climate.

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We’ve expanded our delivery vehicle fleet and created a designated shipping area to efficiently oversee pickups, deliveries and make things much smoother for our customers,” Terry adds.

“We want to be the first in Windsor to offer designated spaces, showcasing all we have to help enhance both indoor and outdoor life. We’re aiming to create a whole new shopping experience with innovative displays and merchandising.”

One example is the Anatolia Tile showroom, the first of its kind in the world.

Hi! Neighbor partnered with Anatolia, a world class tile brand and supplier, to bring their superior stone tile products to North America. Headquartered in Toronto (with facilities across the globe), Anatolia provides its partnering distributors access to an extensive, stable inventory and superior customer service beyond the industry norm.

In addition to 1 million feet of flooring options in stock, the Hi! Neighbor showrooms also have hundreds of area rugs in stock… and they are the most beautiful rugs! The unique, easily accessible, easy to operate display presents each rug horizontally on sliding racks— “literally at your fingertips,” says Erik.

He continues, “Thanks to our more spacious location, we can

now stock considerably more flooring and we invest in as much inventory as we can. This helps us keep our prices a little more stable during these fuel and oil challenged times. We can offer a little more reliable pricing.”

Right now, Hi! Neighbor has hundreds of different mosaic and tile selections in stock.

At some point soon, Erik and Terry envision an Outdoor Pavilion, where customers can browse room vignette displays, check out various outdoor flooring ideas and options (including a selection of artificial turfs) and see the cutting-edge outdoor porcelain tiles that can be used to go around pools, Owners Erik Rorseth and Terry Darbyson made into patios and loose laid or cemented down.

Crafted with Essex County weather in mind, these tiles are both attractive and resilient.

It’s easy to see that Erik and Terry are genuinely enthusiastic about this juncture and enthusiastic in their journey as business partners.

Erik concludes, “We want to really dazzle people when they walk in our doors. We’ll take them wherever they want to go in our massive showrooms. We’ll answer all their questions. We want our customers to feel inspired. To be able to see, touch and discover a bit of a spark in their design vision.”

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