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August 2013 24th Edition Free BrantAdvocate.com
Local Content Locally Owned Locally Produced
August 2013 24th Edition Free BrantAdvocate.com
Local Content Locally Owned Locally Produced
A Candidate for a
Heart Attack
by Michael St. Amant
Coping with
Sexual Violence
by Carrie Sinkowski
The Creators Game
by Jenn Hill
In celebration of our second
anniversary well be taking a look
back on some of the many great
stories of the past two years.
A Wampum Gift
to The Six Nations
by Zig Misiak
Fighting Illiteracy
with iPads
by Patti Berardi
Finding the Balance
Between Highs
& Lows
by Ryan Jamula
John the Baptist
by Brian Beattie
Taking a Stand
Against Bullying
by Steph Paige
A Grander Vision of
Conservatism
by Dave Carrol
Conflict is Not Pretty
by Tina Draycott
Freddy: Painting,
Healing & Surviving
by L.M. Van Every
Jack Calbeck, 1972.
Grand Opening, Fairview Drive 1979.
West Brant Location, circa 1950.
Calbecks Delivery Truck circa 1940.
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 2
I cant say for sure if Ill have children in the future, but
I am pretty sure that if I do, they wont be of my own
flesh and blood. There are far too many children who are
parentless already, so why not adopt one of them and
raise them as my own?
If I become a dad, Id do my best to prepare them for the
fun times, the sad times, the great times, and the hard
times. Id like to impart my advice to them, and, well,
you too. So here goes:
As much as you wont like it, you will have chores to do
around the house. So many teenagers these days do not
know how to do their own laundry, or clean up after
themselves, or empty a garbage can when its full, or do
the dishes when theyre dirty. Believe me, youll thank
me when you go off to college or university and you have
to live with a bunch of other spoiled kids.
Dont worry about dating until youre sixteenbetter
yet, eighteen. I didnt have my first boyfriend until I was
nineteen, and I turned out okay, right? Well, when the
time comes, your boyfriend or girlfriend should better
you. They should be someone you can count on and look
forward to seeing. Yes, relationships require work but
they shouldnt become a daily stress, or worse, a constant
loathing. Dont become a possession to be controlled,
and never tolerate abuse. When you fight, argue cleanly.
Name-calling doesnt fix the problem and just shows your
immaturity. Did I mention your other half should better
you, not bring you down?
I will always have an ear for you, so approach me about
anything. Math problems, friend issues, drugs and
alcohol, food, dealing with taxes, sex, gossip, gift ideas
anything. Granted, you might not always want to talk
to me, so find a friend with whom you can. Sharing is a
necessary part of life. And dont be discouraged if you
dont have many friends. Remember, its the quality of the
friendships, not the quantity of friends.
Life is a game of balance. Although we are creatures of
habit, we also need the right amount of variation and
moderation. Allow yourself some spontaneity; no one
likes an uptight timekeeper. But also maintain some
structure in order to take on your ever-growing
responsibilities.
As a potential dad who is gay, I feel I shouldnt need to
say this, but I will. Your sexual orientation will never,
ever affect my love for you. You will be adored whether
youre gay, straight, bi or trans. What matters most is
your happiness!
Keep in mind that everyone has a unique way of
thinking. However, opinions arent facts, so be kind to
those who think differently than you.
I encourage you to take a world religions class in order
to learn about the different beliefs that circulate this
planet. I dont expect you to choose a religion to obey;
just be aware of them. You have the freedom to form
your own ideas. You might want to create a personal
belief system by taking pieces of each religion you like,
pray to your own goddess, become a Buddhist, or
disregard religion altogether.
Life is too short, so have some fun with it! Dont waste
it away by working constantly; you need to make time
for play. Take a night off and go out with your friends.
Better yet, take a vacation to one of your dream locations.
Work to live, dont live to work. Unless you love your
job, youre only there to pay the bills. And lets face it,
you cant take your money with you to heaven or your
next life.
It takes time to heal a cut, right? As such, it takes time
to heal an emotional wound. I know this because Ive
seen it happen, and Ive experienced it. Only I dont use
a Band-Aid to help with the pain. A tub of ice cream, a
series of chick flicks, and a healthy dose of supportive
friends is my recipe. Things dont heal overnight,
unfortunately. Sometimes it can take months, if not
years. But Ill be there to hold your hand and help you
through it.
And there will be times when your heart will be
broken, and there will be times when you will break
someone elses heart. Its never easy mending a
shattered heart, or feeling responsible for crushing
anothers. You are allowed to cry. Dont worry, no one
looks pretty when they cry. So let it all out. Let out all
the ugly, hurtful emotions youre feeling. You can always
get a hug from Dad.
Keep in mind that
everyone has a unique way
of thinking. However,
opinions arent facts, so be
kind to those who think
differently than you.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and I say you are
beautiful as you are. Never base your appearance on the
girls or guys in the magazines; they are photo-shopped
and therefore fake. Ill let you get a piercing or two, just
promise to think a moment before getting a tattoo on
your forehead, please.
Enjoy the moments you can, because I can guarantee it
wont last. Soak it in. Bask in life's delight. Dont mull
in the past. Dont constantly fret about the future. Get
off your phone during special occasions. The present is
right in front of you, so enjoy it sweetie. The saying,
This too shall pass, is applicable to any situation, both
good and bad.
Choose music as your drug of choice. You dont
necessarily have to play any music (I sure cant), but
listening to music and exploring different genres and
musicians can be rewarding. I used to be shy of my
music choices because I thought people would judge me,
but now I dont care. Its what makes your ears happy
that counts!
I cant emphasize this enough: communication is a key
element to happiness. As much as super powers are awesome,
no one can read your mind. So many friendships,
relationships, and various bonds have suffered or ended
due to lack of proper communication. I encourage you to
learn when to listen and when to considerately speak your
mind. Youll notice a difference!
You are your toughest critic. Its been said again and
again, but its true. You will critique yourself,
incessantly trying to make improvements either on your
school assignments, your art projects, your musical
pieces, your writing endeavors, your life goals I could
go on. Sometimes you have to just stop the critiquing
and let it go. Otherwise, youll inhibit yourself and nothing
willgetaccomplished. Imperfection is a part of life. Embrace it!
Im sure Ill find more advice to tell you as life goes on,
so Ill leave you with this final one for now. For the rest
of your life, there will be only one person youll have to
live with consistently and tolerate endlessly. Yourself.
Learn to love yourself and get comfortable in your own
skin; because youre gonna have it for a good while!
This may sound cheesy, but others cant love you
entirely until you love you.
Advice for my Unadopted Son
By Markus McDaniel, Blog: schnippits.wordpress.com
The Convocation Question
by Andrew Macklin, Twitter: @AMacklin
Back in June, I had the distinct pleasure of attending a
convocation ceremony for one of the graduating classes
of Laurier Brantford. The ceremony was full of excited
graduates, proud family and friends and members of the
Laurier faculty and staff eager to congratulate the former
students for their incredible accomplishment.
One of the practices I have always enjoyed with convocation
ceremonies is the awarding of an honourary degree, and
then having that person give a speech to inspire the
graduates to leave that day ready to tackle the challenges
of the world in front of them. This is a perfect opportunity
to give credit to someones academic contributions that
are long overdue, or introduce someone new to the uni-
versity who has done work for the greater good that has
noticeably trickled down to communities across the
province or country.
A perfect example of that second idea is the person who
was chosen as the recipient of the honourary degree on
the day I attended the convocation. Kim Pate has worked
as the executive director for the Elizabeth Fry Society
for the past 21 years. The Elizabeth Fry Society is
internationally known for its work on issues affecting
girls and women in the judicial system. Pate is an
internationally-acclaimed advocate for criminalized and
institutionalized women, and frequently is involved in
providing reports to parliamentary committees, and the
United Nations, on issues in this regard.
She is clearly someone who deserves the honourary
degree that was bestowed on her at the Convocation
ceremony.
Her involvement in the ceremony, as a recipient of the
degree, is NOT AT ALL in question in this article.
Dr. Pate started with an impassioned speech about the
work she has done helping girls and women in need of
the legal rights they so justly deserve. In the midst of her
speech, she began speaking about some of the atrocities
these women had faced while imprisoned. She spoke
about the absolute hell of sexual abuse, rape, and
physical beatings that had been suffered by some of the
women she has represented in her career.
While I appreciated the level of inspiration that she was
attempting to instill into the hearts and minds of the
graduates, two things felt out of place to me. First, I have
always seen a convocation as a time for celebration,
motivating through words of positive encouragement. Is
it also a time to show graduates the most horrific of
issues that their generation needs to combat? Second,
many families attending the ceremony brought younger
relatives to also celebrate the day. Was a discussion of
rape and sexual abuse really something that should fall
on their ears in this type of setting?
I was so torn by this that I posted these questions on
Facebook the next day seeking an alternative perspective
to my own in order to try and appreciate the other side
of the issue. Immediately another friend who also
graduated talked about the fact that she found the speech
very inspirational and did not have any issue with the
tone and subject matter used in the speech. Another
friend, one who often provides me with a very fair
opposing view, reminded me that the speaker was chosen
based on the field of those graduating, and one of the
classes that was part of the ceremony was Criminology.
So sure, maybe I just didnt like the subject matter and
didnt gain the inspiration that others did. Maybe that is
all that this needs to be summed up to. Maybe Im just
being picky.
But there is still one point that remains unanswered.
Whose responsibility is it to inform the audience of the
subject matter of the speech? Clearly the university was
well aware of the contents of the speech in advance of
the convocation ceremony, as I understand that it is
customary for the institution to know what will be said
in the speech. But knowing that a graduation ceremony
is a family affair, does it not then demand that the
university should have given some sort of fair warning
that sensitive content would be addressed. Or, perhaps,
even a recommendation to parents of the graduates that
young children are not an appropriate audience in this
instance?
Typically you are made aware of sensitive or adult language
before it is used. Movies use a ratings system, television
uses a verbal disclaimer, and some special events where
offensive language is possible will use age limitations.
But what about something like a convocation speech?
Where does this sort of a presentation fall under the
disclaimer/advisement spectrum?
Perhaps the conclusion is that we expect the parents to
bear the brunt of what his/her child might be offended
by under this circumstance? Maybe the university
needed to advise parents? Maybe the speaker should
have read the audience in front of her and not used such
vivid language?
Personally, I have not come up with a definitive answer
to any of these questions. This is why I am writing this
article. The decision to use such vivid and scary
examples of the kind of atrocities that Pate has dealt
with during her career, while completely appropriate
based on her work, was not appropriate with young
children in the room. That is the one point I am sure of.
But who bears the responsibility for its use?
90 Morton Ave East Brantford 519.757.1800 www.handcraftedwood.ca
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 3
YOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT
VISION
YOUR ONTARIO PC CANDIDATE FOR BRANT
VISIONEXPERIENCE
Authorized by the CFO for the Brant PC Association.

In July I turned 65, just one year short of the national
average age for men born during the baby-boom era.
Fate, however, was clearly undecided as to whether I
was going to reach this age or not.
While the scales obviously tipped towards keeping me
around for a while, it was not so clear on February 12th.
It was that day that I experienced a heart attack while
driving to review materials for a charity fundraiser that
I was involved in.
If someone had asked me earlier that morning if I was
a candidate for a heart attack, I would have thought they
were crazy. After all, I had had my annual physical a
few weeks before and my blood pressure and choles-
terol levels showed no cause for concern. Although I
had experienced some pain in my right arm, I attributed
that to muscle pain caused by shoveling snow during
most of the weekend. Like many people, I was ignorant
of the signs of a heart attack.
While I was
unconscious, my
Chrysler 300 drove
into the corner of
Benis Barber Shop
just off the corner of
Market & Grey
Street.
As I drove along Marlborough Street, I began to feel an
intense pain in my right arm, which was followed by an
equally intense pain in my left arm. By the time I
reached the Market Street intersection I was perspiring
large droplets from my forehead. As I turned the corner,
a sharp pain shot up my chest followed by extreme
pressure as if someone was sitting on me. By this time,
I realized that something was seriously wrong and I
tried to pull over to the side of the road. That was the
last thing I remembered. While I was unconscious, my
Chrysler 300 drove into the corner of Benis Barber
Shop just off the corner of Market and Grey Street.
Fortunately, no one was hurt though there was damage
to the building and my Chrysler 300 was totaled. While
I had a few inkling memories of my rescue, they were
limited to someone trying to cut my jacket, a doctor
telling the ambulance driver to take me to Hamilton,
someone shaving my groin then being told to hold my
arm because they didnt have time for that, and then
waking up in the Cardiac Ward at Hamilton General
Hospital.
In retrospect, I can see fate was wrestling with its deci-
sion over what to do with me much like some character
from a Thomas Hardy novel.
If my heart attack had occurred fifteen minutes earlier,
I would have been at home alone. My wife was out for
most of the day. It is unlikely I would have survived.
Had I stopped somewhere on the deserted Malborough
Street, I doubt that anyone would have found me in
time. Fortunately, I guess, there was so much snow piled
up at the side of the street that there was no place to
park. Twenty-four hours later, we would have been on
an American highway heading towards Hilton Head,
S.C.
The decision to pull over on Market Street, and
subsequent collision with the barbershop, probably
saved my life according to the cardiologist. When I hit
the building the airbag inflated, hitting my chest
abruptly, shocking my heart to start again. As one of
the cardiologists later said, It was an auto start!
What was interesting in perspective was the fact that I
did not realize that I had hit the building until the next
day when a picture of my Chrysler 300 was on the front
page of the Expositor.
My near death experience left me with four stents in my
right artery and another two were installed in the
l eft artery in March. I saw no white lights and all
I r emember in blankness. Nonetheless, it has had
an i mpact on my lifestyle. I quit smoking. I eat
healthier by trying to follow Dr. Barnards Power
Foods for the Brain. I walk more and bicycle weather
permitting.
I am not the first person to have had a heart attack and
survived, nor do I claim any special status in terms of
defining a meaning to the fact that I survived.
The larger question, of why did I not die at that partic-
ular time has not really played on my mind. Someone
said to me that it just wasnt my time, and I suppose
from a mechanical process, your heart either starts to
pump blood throughout your body, or it doesnt. Many
people would probably be satisfied with that explanation
as an answer and that the circumstances surrounding the
event that occurred are not relevant. In the light of day,
your body works or it doesnt!
While I dont believe that God was keeping around for
some special purpose, I am truly grateful that for the
time being, I am still around and that I am functional in
mind and body. The truth be known, I wasnt ready to
die theres too much to be done. There are things I
want to do with my family, places I want to see, and
missions I want to accomplish. Death would have
cheated me of all that, and though it may sound selfish,
I am glad that Fate moved in my favour.
So, as a survivor, I have been focused on getting my
house in order. I want to share my good fortune with
others.
Know the Signs of a
Heart Attack:
Chest Discomfort or Pain
This discomfort or pain can feel like a tight
ache, pressure, fullness or squeezing in the
center of your chest lasting more than a few
minutes. This discomfort may come and go.
Upper Body Pain
Pain or discomfort may spread beyond your
chest to your shoulders, arms, back, neck,
teeth or jaw. You may have upper body pain
with no chest discomfort.
Stomach Pain
Pain may extend downward into your
abdominal area and may feel like heartburn.
Shortness of Breath
You may pant for breath or try to take in deep
breaths. This often occurs before you
develop chest discomfort or you may not
experience any chest discomfort.
Anxiety
You may feel a sense of doom or feel as if
you're having a panic attack for no apparent
reason.
Lightheadedness
In addition to chest pressure, you may feel
dizzy or feel like you might pass out.
Sweating
You may suddenly break into a sweat with
cold, clammy skin.
Nausea and Vomiting
You may feel sick to your stomach or vomit.
By Michael St. Amant
I died when I was six.
It was 1951 and Freddy was taking one of his first car
rides out of his community of Curve Lake near Peter-
borough. The government people were driving him to
Brantford, the site of the Mohawk Institute Residential
School.
For the next ten years, Freddy would fight to survive,
stealing food from other students, sneaking out of the
school at night to pick through garbage at the city dump
so he could eat and enduring years of sexual abuse. He
never saw his parents again as long as he was at the res-
idential school.
Freddy describes his first hour at the school as nothing
short of horrible. His hair was cut and he was beaten for
speaking his traditional Ojibway language.
This was the day Freddy became residential school
number 39 and his identity became numerical.
Freddys shoes were numbered.39. His clothes were
all numbered39. Freddy was the 39th kid standing
in line for food. Everything was 39 for Freddy for the
next ten years.
It took Freddy one year to learn English. The more
English he learned, the more Ojibway he forgot. He
remembers hating the law by the time he turned seven
or eight. Freddy began to notice some of the boys being
summoned from their beds late at night. He figured they
hadnt completed their chores from that day and needed
to finish them. About two years into Freddys night-
mare, his turn came. The next day, he told the principal
thinking his abuser would be stopped. Freddy was made
to stand in a corner for over half an hour and then taken
to the playroom in the basement, stripped naked and tied
to a chair. He was beaten by the principal and his abuser.
Describing the whip they used in visual detail, Freddy
recalls this beating like it happened five minutes ago. It
was three inches wide with horse studs on the sides.
Freddys hatred and anger continued to grow inside his
eight year old body. Occasionally Freddy would see his
sister at the school. She was four years older. Hed wave
to her but if he got caught, he knew the consequences.
Sometimes shed leave him a sandwich in the tall grass
so he could eat.
Freddy never went home on weekends or holidays like
some students did. Soon, he forgot his parents names.
He learned how not to care about the things around him.
Freddy learned how to survive in a criminal way.
In 1961, Freddy was sixteen years old and was allowed
to leave the Mush Hole. The government people drove
him back to his community and dropped him off outside
of his house. This old woman came out on the step with a
bottle of whiskey in her hand. Oh theres my little baby.
Freddys family was having a party that day. The alcohol
was flowing. Freddy thought they were celebrating his
homecoming. This was the first time he drank alcohol.
It would take Freddy on a ride of destruction and
incarceration for the next 25 years of his life. If Freddy
didnt have a problem, hed make a problem.
Occasionally Freddy
would see his sister at
the school. She was
four years older. Hed
wave to her but if he
got caught, he
knew the conse-
quences.
Freddy left his community again not long after returning.
Too much had changed. He had changed. Too much was
gone out of him.
In 1986, Freddy landed in a hospital with a head injury
after falling down a flight of stairs, unable to see, calling
out for help. He received the help he desired in a
profoundly spiritual way. Freddy likened it to a miracle.
His sight was restored and his craving for alcohol was
taken away. Freddy immediately knew what he needed
to do to heal and he knew he was given the gift to do it.
Today, Freddy paints. He takes the pain and anger that
grew in him every day for ten years in residential school
and he buries it in each canvas. Through his art, Freddy
heals his soul.
When people tell Freddy to get over it and to forget it,
he doesnt understand. How can you forget that? Its
like it happened yesterday. Im 67 and I still cry at night.
If their good Lord came and sat right here and asked me
to forgive them, Id tell him to move on.
Even though Freddy cant forget or forgive yet, he
paints and he heals and he doesnt drink. Maybe thats
all we can ask of him right now.
Writers Note:
I met Freddy at a Truth and Reconciliation conference
sponsored by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission
(TRC). The TRC are halfway through their five-year
mandate of travelling the country acknowledging residential
school experiences, impacts and consequences.
Freddy: Painting, Healing & Surviving
by L.M. Van Every
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 4
A Wampum Gift to the Six Nations
by Zig Misiak, Facebook: Zig Misiak
Learning to Lead
by Sonia Hayer, Facebook: Sonia Hayer
The 200th Commemoration of the War of 1812
started last year and is very much alive and active
all through 2013 and 2014. Hundreds of local,
nat i onal and i nt er national act i vi t i es have
either taken place or are still to be announced.
The War of 1812 took place over nearly three years.
Therefore, the 200th anniversary events that correlate
to the past are coordinated to current dates.
Recently many of you saw the tall ships that were
in Hamilton Harbour. The Battle of Stoney Creek
and the Battle at Chryslers Farm also took place
this year and a very important First Nations victory
was celebrated at the Battle of Beaverdams. In
conjunction with the Battle of Beaverdams
Laura Secords famous walk was replicated by
1000s of people.
In 2012 Brantford, Brant County and the Grand
River Six Nations paid a tribute to General Brocks
interaction with the Six Nations at the Mohawk
Chapel. He was on his way to attack Fort Detroit
in 1812. There will be other announcements
made regarding commemorative sites to do with
the War of 1812 in our communities.
The Battle of the Thames re-enactment and
commemoration is on the weekend of October 5,
2013. Tecumseh was killed during an engagement
by the pursuing American forces. Fort Malden was
abandoned by the British, which led to the exodus
of thousands of Native people and loyalist
settlers. Many days later the survivors camped at
Burford then made their way crossing at Brants
Fording Place on their way to safety at Burlington
Heights.
The Mississauga, now located adjacent to the
Grand River Six Nations Territory, have already
erected a plaque near For t Yor k, Tor ont o,
commemor at i ng and r emember ing their
nations sacrifices and alliances to Britain fighting
against the common American foe. Outside our
community Stoney Creek and Queenston Heights
will be erecting monuments in tribute to
First/Native nations War of 1812 alliances. A new
Queenston Heights commemorative monument
was designed in part by a friend of mine living in
Brantford but of Haudenosaunee ancestry. This
si gnificant and highly visible national and
international addition to Brocks Monument will
be announced in due course.
There are all kinds of people living in Brantford
and Brant County that have roots going back many
generations in North America. Some of you are
aware of it and yet I have met many people that
know that their ancestry goes back quite a ways but
have not investigated actual facts. Others, such as
the United Empire Loyalists and the local
Genealogical Society members, are well aware of
their roots, which they gladly share with
others interested in tracing their own roots. These
committed family historians are heavily involved
with the War of 1812 200th commemoration on
many levels across this country, the United States
and Europe.
We, as Canadian and First Nations people, north of
the Great Lakes and rivers collectively have
celebrations and/or commemorations that are
relatively new compared to the rest of the world.
Our shared histories are only a few hundred years
old as witnessed by the 200 years commemoration
of the War of 1812. This year Canada is only 146
years old and Brantford was incorporated just ten
years later in 1877.
The United Empire Loyalists moved north of the
Great Lakes as a result of the American Revolution.
The Americans forced both them and the
Haudenosaunee/Six Nations into a mass exodus
due to their loyalty to England and their persecution.
The Loyalists were friends, neighbours and allies
with the various Six Nations people for many
decades in and around the Finger Lakes region in
what is now called New York State. The Grand
River Valley was only one area settled by the
Haudenosaunee.
This entire update and background information
leads us to this year's National United Empire
Loyalist Conference in Burlington Ontario. Don
Monture, an elder from the Grand River Six
Nations and I were invited to attend.
Ruth Nicholson, UEL event Chairperson, Don Monture, Grand River Six Nations and Zig Misiak.
She continued to fall from the Skyworld and kept heading toward earth.
On the planet far below lived many forms of the winged creatures. They were
busy with their everyday duties when they heard the cries coming from high
above where they were flying. Although some storytellers firmly believe they
were the winged brothers and sisters called the geese, others say the eagle or
the hawk, in any case, the birds that lived during the time of creation, quickly
agreed to help the being which was headed straight toward them. They flew
up to where the woman was falling. They offered to bring her to the earth on
their wings in order to save her life and break her fall.
When the birds arrived back on the earth with the strange guest on their backs,
they soon realized that there would be a different concern. The entire earth
would be an obstacle, as it was completely covered with water. If they let go
of the woman, she would surely drown. They paused not knowing what to
do. They asked all the other creatures for suggestions.
Turtle Island
It was then that a giant sea turtle rose up out of the water. The sea turtle was
majestic in form and presence. He sounded wise and his shell looked strong
and sturdy for the woman to rest. The sea turtle offered his back to the woman.
The turtle reminded them that he could stay afloat for a long period of time.
If the birds placed her on his back, she would be able to rest until they could
figure out another plan for her. All agreed and the woman was placed on the
turtles back.
Soon the small sea animals surrounded the turtle. They were curious about
the new being that was now on the earth. They decided that in order to make
her stay more comfortable that she would benefit from having soil to stand
on. They agreed to take turns diving into the sea to try to retrieve some soil.
One by one the small creatures dove deep into the ocean. One by one their
lifeless bodies rose to the surface. The muskrat was the last animal to try. He
had been gone for a long time. Skywoman found herself waiting once again.
When the muskrats lifeless body rose to the surface of the water the woman
saw that he had soil in his claws and his mouth. Because the muskrat and the
other small water creatures sacrificed their lives for the woman, she promised
to remember to honor them: those that worked so selflessly for the woman.
The woman took the soil from the lifeless muskrat. She placed the soil on
the back of the turtle. She started to walk in the direction that (now) greets
the sun. As she walked she started to sing and she started to dance. Her dance
was gentle. Her feet massaged the soil on the back of the great turtle. As she
danced the soil stretched. After many verses of her song, the soil covered an
area that was further than her eyes could see.
Sky woman took the plants that were ripped from near the roots of the great
tree. She planted them in the soil and saw two plants grow from them: straw-
berries and tobacco. They continue to remind the earth people of the Sky-
world.
Strawberry
Did you ever look at a strawberry?
And see that its shaped like a heart?
Theyre red and juicy and good for you
And theyre an important part...
Of the cycle of life that we honour
As they first bear fruit in the spring
They begin our thanksgiving cycle
As we give thanks for everything
The strawberry came from the Skyworld
When the entire world was sea
They were in the hand of the woman
Who fell through the hole near the tree
As she fell she called for help
And the birds answered her call
They brought her to the earth
To gently break her fall
They sat her on
The turtles giant shell
She planted the roots on the turtles back
With tobacco roots as well
She lived alone for awhile
But Skywoman soon gave birth
She loved and raised her daughter
Now there were two women living on the earth
When the daughter was fully grown
She too gave birth but to twins
And this is the start of the story of
How life on earth begins
This year when the white flowers have blossomed
And the berries all picked as well
Remember the Skywomans journey
From Skyworld to Turtle Islands shell
Where the Smoke Rises
An ongoing series to promote peace through story sharing
by Elizabeth Doxtater
David Hill Morrison, a Mohawk from Tyendinaga,
spoke t o t he as s embl y about t he bonds
bet ween t he Haudenosaunee and the Loyalists;
then and now. Following David, I was asked to speak
about the calamity at Burlington Heights and the
relationship between the First Nations, Britain and
l oyal i st dur i ng t he War of 1812. Fr ed
Hayward, the UEL President, directed everyones
at t ention to the highlight of the evening and
perhaps the entire conference: a wampum belt
presentation.
Ken Maracle, from the Grand River Six Nations,
made the belt and in his words this is what it
represents:
The belt has two boxes at each end representing the
two cultures or people. The diagonal lines
represent the agreement or alliance. In the middle
are the four directions of the great roots of the great
tree of the long leaves and the diagonal line
represents the three concepts of Peace Power and
Righteousness. The belt is put down so the
diagonal line slopes to the right. The first box
represents the presenter and the second is the
receiver.
So Don, who was the receiver, wearing his Six
Nations Veterans attire, stood and approached the
podium to accept this special wampum belt
reaffirming the United Empire Loyalists centurys
old good relationship with the Six Nations.
To be in attendance at that moment was very
touching and quite emotional. Don, who stands
over 6 3, spoke using a soft appreciative and a
reaffirming tone. He was visibly humbled and
touched by this reaching out by the United Empire
Loyalists to the Haudenosaunee. He was the
runner, the messenger, bringing home the wampum
belt to his community.
The UEL also gifted Janice Monture of the
Woodland Cultural Center with $5000.00 to go
towards educating the youth and supporting other
cul t ural programs bei ng devel oped by t he
rejuvenated Center.
Im 16 years old. So far, in my short life, I can say
I have done things that the average teenager, or
even a 30 year old, has never done. I have attended
and conducted board meetings, made presentations
to the council of Brantford, met MPPs and MPs,
and helped lead local youth initiatives such as
Earth Hour Brantford. I have also accustomed
myself to going up to new people, usually adults,
shaking their hands and introducing myself as The
President of the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth As-
sociation, and conferring with them as though
were on the same level. When Im in that role, Im
no longer a teenager going to high school and
barely thinking about my future Im a leader.
I cannot say I always was a leader or I was born
a leader. In a way, I was taught to be a leader in our
community.
I joined the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth
Association when I was 12 years old. It was not of
my own free will though. My father decided to
volunteer me to the group as he thought it was an
excellent extra-curricular activity to be involved in
and he was part of the Branlyn Neighbourhood
Association. At first, I was doubtful of the idea and
very leery about having to speak up and give my
opinion on things that we may be doing in the com-
munity. I was also one of the youngest members at
the time.
Soon, I learned that my opinion was actually
listened to and important in each of our discus-
sions. And I had a vote. It was the first time that I
felt that my opinion actually mattered, and I was
only a General Director at the time.
When it came to the actual reaching out to the
community part, I was still daunted by the thought
of actually having to call and meet with adults.
Thats when I learned the meaning of being
volun-told, which is something that I can almost
guarantee started in the B.N.Y.A.! It started like
this. We need to contact about 40 local businesses
and 4 out of our 10 members say, I cant talk to
people over the phone and ask them that! Then
our Youth Services Director or President would
say, Guess what? Sonia the job is yours then!
The 4 of us were stuck with making the phone calls
on our own. By the end of our second event, I was
able to call businesses and I had my lines down,
Hi, my name is Sonia Hayer and Im a member
of the Branlyn Neighbourhood Youth Association.
I would like to speak to a manager about a collab-
orating opportunity for one of our community proj-
ects. I began becoming less of the volun-told
kind of member and more of the volunteer kind. I
also began volun-telling along with the senior
members of the group.
Teenagers are usually considered the trouble-makers
of our community. Were the ones who write
graffiti on public property, hang out with friends at
ungodly hours, wear the latest and most outrageous
clothing, talk in slang, and are often associated
with drugs and alcohol. And our opinions are
usually overlooked as were young and still learning.
I can personally say that I have spent more week-
ends and evenings doing volunteer work either
with the B.N.Y.A. or in collaboration with other
groups, going to meetings or attending community
events, than I have doing any of the previously
mentioned activities. And I can honestly say that if
everyone of the older generations listened and ac-
tually cared about the opinion of the youth in our
community, then we would have more youth doing
more constructive things in their spare time, and
better leaders for our future.
Youth, in my opinion, are the best leaders. Even
though we are still learning, we are able to make
mistakes, own up and fix them. Thats something
that a lot of adults still have trouble doing, John
F. Kennedy once said. Leadership and learning are
indispensable to each other. Youth are always
learning, and if they are put into a leadership role
at a younger age, they will be prepared for when
they are older and will become leaders in their
everyday lives.
I am advocating for an increase in the number of
youth that are positively involved in the community
and for the value that our opinions actually give to
our community. Youth need to know that there are
opportunities such as the one that I took, no matter
where their interests lie. Sports, the arts, the
environment, and other interest-based initiatives
are all available in this community and should
become involved in all that they want to.
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 5

BLUES IN HARMONY
Friday, August 2nd, 7:00 - 9:00pm. A night
of sultry smooth music. Harmony Square.
VICtORIA PARK HERItAgE WALK
Brantford Museum August 3rd at 10:30am
Brant Museum and Archives -57 Charlotte
Street, call 519-752-2483 to reserve your
spot.
CAPtAIN CORBINS BOAtLOADS
OF FUN MAgIC SHOW
All Ages. Saturday August 10th, 2:00pm -
2:45pm, Brantford Library. Admission is
free.
A DESERt BEtWEEN US AND tHEM
Sanderson Centre, August 24th, 7:00pm
War of 1812 is a cinematic documentary.
Admission is free.
tUNES IN tHE PARK
Victoria Park each Friday, 12:00pm -
1:00pm
BRUNCH IN tHE SQUARE
August 17th, 10am - 2:00pm. Harmony
Square - Rain or Shine. Call 519-802-
2993 or visit www.jcibrantford.ca for more
information Kids 8 and under $6, Kids 9
and up/Adults $12
YOgA
Tuesday mornings, until August 20th, 7:15
- 8:15am. Harmony Square.
CHILDRENS PROgRAMMINg
Mondays 12pm, presented by Harmony
School. Harmony Square.
BRANtFORD'S LARgESt ZUMBA
CLASS
Presented by THINspiration & the Down-
town Brantford BIA. Saturday, August
24th 12:00pm - 4:00pm. Harmony Square
OPEN CHESS
Tuesdays & Thursdays,12:00pm -2:30pm
Tournament Dates: August 25th presented
by Brantford Chess Club. Harmony Square.
ZUMBA
Tuesday nights at 7:00pm Dont forget
your running shoes! Presented by
Thinsations. Harmony Square.
DANCE LESSONS
Wednesdays 6pm, presented by Academy
Of Dance. Harmony Square.
MUSIC IN tHE SQUARE
Friday nights, 7:30 - 9:30pm. Harmony
Square.
MOVIES IN tHE SQUARE
Thursday nights, at dusk. Harmony
Square.
twitter: @downtownbrantfd
Facebook: DowntownBrantford
Since you dont know me, Im gonna start with some sig-
nificant details about myself. Im an artist. Not the deep,
depressed, emotional what-does-it-mean kind either, just
a happy goofball who will draw you as a fairy or a super-
hero or whatever youre looking for free of charge. Im a
comedian. Not the mean kind that makes you wanna cry,
the rude kind that you wish would stop talking or the po-
litical kind you dont understand unless youre over 30.
Just a nice guy who likes to talk about cartoons, water
slides and toast, not necessarily in the same context.
I wasnt a cool kid. To put it bluntly, I was a dork. I realize
how shocking it must be to think about how an unsuc-
cessful class clown with Steve Urkels glasses and Draco
Malfoys hair who spent all his time obsessing over Pok-
mon and being bad at sports could ever be remotely un-
popular. Nevertheless, so it was. I was pulled out of
school to be homeschooled in the 6th grade after having
had it with bullying, lack of acceptance and all sorts of
emotional garbage. You ever see those messages on Face-
book that are like: Sometimes I wish I was a kid again.
No worries. No problems. We were all friends and no-
body judged each other? I dont think thats how any-
body remembers it. Im still getting over how awesome
adulthood is. I practically had brownies for breakfast this
morning. I didnt, but it was around 10:30 so you get my
point.
Delicious brownies aside, homeschooling put a lot more
time in my hands. Around age 12, I figured out how to
animate using MS Paint and Windows Movie Maker and
began uploading low-budget projects to Youtube starring
characters I had created two or three years before, as well
as some new series once a year give or take a few months.
In 2010-11, I began to grow weary of the effort it took to
produce my animation. So I took some to pursue other
hobbies. I kept seeking artistic and creative outlets be-
cause that was just me. I wrote some books, did some
cooking, and pursued stand-up comedy. None of them
were 100% successful, my literary inspiration dried up
and I got too lazy to cook, but for some reason comedy
really stuck with me. Something inside me really wanted
to keep at that. In May of 2012, after a long time of not
seeing the point, I gave in and joined Twitter with the in-
tention of following a few of my favourite celebrities and
getting a few jokes out of my system.
I was pulled out
of school to be
homeschooled in the
6th grade after having
had it with bullying,
lack of acceptance
and all sorts of
emotional garbage.
By now youre probably wondering how my community
relates to any of this. Lets get on that.
In August 2012, I attended a nutty luau put on by Free-
dom House for the purpose of raising finances for their
trip to the Los Angeles Dream Centre. Seemed like a wor-
thy cause. I hadnt been involved with Freedom House
since the time I won a large bottle of sunscreen in a game
of Thieving Secret Santa at Christmas party in 08, which
still resides in my closet. At that luau, I got laughed at,
called crazy, took a soccer ball to the groin, and remem-
bered by everyone, got in a large, plush-gloved fist fight
inside a large bouncy that my opponents kid continues
to remind me of as a method of letting me know that her
dad could kick my butt any day of the week and I should
be afraid. Nice guy, by the way. Nonetheless, I now hang
out with these guys twice a week and know full well it
was meant to be.
Things got all the more interesting two months later when
I dropped in on a Brantford Art Blocks event. We were
creating art for 24 hours straight for the purpose of auc-
tioning it all off. I grew very attached to my piece and es-
sentially defeated the purpose of the auction by hanging
on to it. As mentioned, I have a cartoony style to my art
and it was just that piece of fantasy-infused Strawberry
Shortcake that caught the attention of a spunky 21-year-
old examining the artists looking for someone to draw
comics for her new magazine. Today, not only am I the
well-received comics guy for Word on the Street, but the
magazine-proclaimed King of the Twitter. I was given
full-charge of the Twitter account after pitching the idea,
having been working as the comics guy only four
months. You cant say Im not going places.
I continued my involvement with Word on the Street and
involved myself more with Freedom House. Interestingly,
what really stuck out to Freedom House about my right
off the bat were my tweets, deemed witty by the guy who
beat me up that day in the bouncy castle and his family
and peeps. People I didnt know would tell me they had
heard of me because of my humor, it was a neat feeling.
While Freedom House encouraged my sense of humour,
Word on the Street encouraged this as well as my direc-
tionless artistic freedom. They trusted right off the bat
that I was the guy for the job and just let me do my thing.
As weird as it was, I began to realize I was actually con-
tributing to my community and people were embracing
it. I was funny, artistic, these people see so much potential
in what growing up I figured Id stow away until I had
my animation degree. Between both of the organizations,
I have drawn comics, cracked jokes, painted faces,
tweeted, busted dance moves and gotten in a bouncy cas-
tle fist fight. I know full well that God brought me these
people for a lot of reasons and I love it. What they dont
realize is Ive just been sitting around quietly for almost
20 years while Brantford has been off having fun without
me. I want in.
The Dork From Down the Lane
by Alex Bouman, Facebook: Alex Bouman
Apparently one of my nicknames around town is John the
Baptist. Every time I see Michael St. Amant, the first
thing he says is hey, how's John the Baptist today? I don't
know if he started it, but it has caught on. I must say, how-
ever, I came by it honestly. Last year our church, Freedom
House, did a large, public water baptism service in Har-
mony Square where nearly 100 people got baptized. It
was fantastic. The reactions were extreme and I got a new
name - John the Baptist (among others).
For those of you wondering, John the Baptist was a
colourful, biblical character who lived primarily in soli-
tude, existing on locusts and wild honey. His wardrobe
was primarily made from wild animal hides and, as his
name indicates, he became known for his famous public
baptisms.
One day, while John was baptizing others in the Jordan
River along came Jesus, requesting to be baptized. John
immediate response was: "I shouldn't be baptizing you,
you should be baptizing me. I'm not even worthy to lace
up your sandals." After a quick discussion and Jesus ex-
plaining to John why he should do it, John gave in and
baptized Jesus. What makes this story so fascinating to
me is that John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins. These
are remarkable words from one cousin about another.
The truth is, by his own admission, John's entire purpose
in his adult life was to draw people's attention away from
himself and onto Jesus. He declared the way of the Lord
preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. Again,
this is quite a message from one cousin about another.
Not long after Jesus' baptism, John's own disciples be-
came very concerned that others from his group were
leaving to become followers of Jesus. So they came to
John very upset with what was happening. Here is how
John the Baptist respond to this dilemma: You your-
selves know how plainly I told you, I am not the Messiah.
I am only here to prepare the way for him. It is the bride-
groom who marries the bride, and the best man is simply
glad to stand with him and hear his vows. Therefore, I
am filled with joy at his success. He must become greater
and greater, and I must become less and less. (John 3:28
- 30)
Now, back to my new nickname. Since Michael St.
Amant started calling me John the Baptist, I have taken
it all in stride, not giving it much thought at all. Michael
is a good friend and I knew his statements were made
with the best of intents - I don't think he's making a com-
ment about my clothing or food choices.
As we approached our second annual Baptism in the
Square event this year however, I decided to look a little
deeper at what the implications could be. The realization
that John brought to his disciples 2000 years ago is really
the same truth that any one of Jesus' followers should
have today. "He (Jesus) must become greater and greater
and I must become less and less."
This is a great reminder for any follower of Christ and
especially, for a wannabe John the Baptist, a few days
and weeks before we set up the inflatable pools in Har-
mony Square again this year.
- - -
So, in case you missed it, there's going to be a BIG, his-
toric baptism celebration in Harmony Square this month;
August 18th from 3pm to 5pm to be specific. This year,
Freedom House is happy to be joined by New Life
Church, Generations Church, Brantford Worship Centre
and Grand Valley Christian Centre to have the biggest
water baptism service in Brantford's history. We hope you
can make it...
John the Baptist
by Brian Beattie, Facebook: Brian Beattie
Ah July. I say this, for reasons other than you might think.
Sure, I have been loving the longer days, shorts and bare
feet, not having to bundle up my son as we head out for
daycare each morning (parents, you understand!), bike
rides, ice cream cones, and the beach. I could go on and
on with the delights of summer. But, what I truly meant
was, ah, how nice it is to have the time to think, to
breathe, to plan, to enjoy my colleagues, my family and
simply to BE. In that stillness I have been inspired, en-
couraged and reenergized to continue (dont worry, there
was no real fear I was stopping).
Often, we get busy with the busy. Family schedules, work
schedules, deadlines, appointments. We are so busy
doing. We become human doings, instead of human be-
ings. Enter July and an inspirational session I attended in
Kitchener Waterloo. It was a Gathering of Changemak-
ers facilitated by Hildy Gottlieb and Dimitri Petropolis
from Creating the Future, based on their work The
Pollyanna Principles (I encourage you to read about them
or watch Hildys TedTalk on YouTube).
To be honest, I didnt know what to expect when I signed
up for the session, or even when I walked in the room. I
agreed to go because two colleagues I respect encouraged
me to go. From the moment I arrived at the venue, I knew
this was going to be special and worth my time. The
venue rose up seemingly out of nowhere in this KW
neighbourhood; it was at Hacienda Sarria (I encourage
you to visit their website, or better yet check it out in per-
son). The venue and its story are inspiring. The meeting
room we were in was glorious and had great natural light.
It was a really wonderful space for this type of session,
and so very different from the typical all too familiar
boardroom. The eclectic gathering of folks in the room
was wonderful too. In attendance were folks from all
around this region, all doing really cool work and all
bringing different viewpoints, experience and passions.
This all added to the positive experience, and everything
about it was different.
Here are some of my takeaways from the meeting, in no
particular order. How we start meetings and how we do
our planning is not working, they might in fact even be
broken. We start meetings by introducing ourselves and
our titles. We become our titles and our organizations in-
stead of the human being and the passion we bring, and
there is no opportunity to connect or share with the people
around the room on a deeper level. So, at this meeting we
started by talking about the meandering path that brought
us to be passionate or care about the work we are engaged
in. Work could be paid or volunteer. Awesome right?
Breath of fresh air right? Already the room was a buzz
and participants were proud to share their story.
Then we talked about our vision for our community.
Community could be anywhere, anyplace, or any group
of people. Again, not what is holding us back, not what
the barriers are, just what would our dream be. And then
we worked back from there to talk about how to make
that possible. Again, this was awesome and was a positive
approach. What I took away from this and what I am
bringing back to my work and life are this: to bring back
the humanity, to invite the positive in, to NOT let the fear
in and to MAKE time for all of this.
I encourage you to find some space this summer to just
BE. It doesnt mean stopping, it could mean changing
your horizon and seeing the world differently, changing
the way you start a meeting, changing your mindset in
meetings, having different conversations, talking with
folks you havent talked with. I also encourage you to re-
member your passion, find your passion and put yourself
out there to give and receive help.
My wish is that everyone can use this summer for exactly
this and we all enter the fall truly energized and ready to
continue the important work we are doing in our commu-
nity and in our personal lives.
Kristin Pass
Proud Brantford resident, daughter, auntie, wife, mother,
friend, and community volunteer. I am also proud to
work for Brant United Way with an amazing team of staff
and volunteers!
Make Time
by Kristin Pass, Twitter @KristinPass
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 6
Jack Calbeck, 1972.
West Brant Location, 1975. West Brant Location, 1975.
West Brant Location, circa 1950.
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 7
West Brant Location, 1939.
West Brant Location, circa 1970.
DeliveryVehicle, circa 1940.
Two years ago we set out to create a different kind of publication.
Apublication that doesnt focus on the what, where and when but
on the who and the why. Apublication that explores the stories of
the people of this region in a way thats never been done before.
The goal, to help change the narrative of what it means to be from
Brantford and surrounding area.
There is no question that as a community we have taken some
pretty tough shots to the body and in a lot of ways our backs still
arent straight, and we dont stand as tall as we should - but were
getting there. Its time that each of us begin to re-write the narrative
of what it means to be from this community. No more cynicism.
No more apathy. This is our town and this is our time.
Over the last two years weve have received written and visual
content from more than 150 people in this community. From
printed stories, photographs, videos and podcasts we have
produced well over 500 pieces of original content. The nature of
this content runs the gammut of everyday life. Stories of faith,
politics, pain, hope and everything in between. With our ever-
expanding Facebook and Twitter presence were reaching many
thousands of additional readers each month with our unique brand
of local content. 21st century citizen journalism with feet firmly
planted in both the world of print and the online world. In this
edition, and future editions moving forward, well be taking a look
back on some of the amazing stories from past editions while
continuing to bring you new and unique content each month. In
the coming weeks we'll be announcing some exciting new developments
with the paper but before we do that we want to say a very special
thank you to Lance Calbeck.
Two years ago we walked into Lance's office with a crazy idea
about starting a paper and would he be interested in advertising
with us. I'll never forget thinking, "he's going to think we're nuts"
and maybe he did, but he said yes anyway :) This month we're
running an amazing collection of vintage Calbeck's photos as our
way of saying thank you to Lance and as a tribute to an amazing
family and their legacy in this community.
Afinal thank you goes to you. The people of this community. You
are why we continue to do this each month. From the staff of the
Brant Advocate and from our families, thank you for reading.
Who We
Are &Why
by Lucas Duguid, Publisher.
Twitter: @sophiasbakery
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 8
UNDERSTANDING INSURANCE
With thousands of Canadians finding out that their
home insurance policies do not cover losses caused
by overland flooding the importance of taking the
time to inform yourself as to the details of your au-
tomobile insurance cannot be overlooked - as cer-
tainly you are more likely to have your life
impacted by a motor vehicle collision than a flood.
While automobile insurance can certainly be pur-
chased on line I recommend finding an insurance
broker you can deal with directly. You should find
an individual who you feel comfortable talking to
and who will take the time to explain not only the
available coverages but should also be able to ex-
plain to you how the coverages work should you
have the misfortune of being involved in a motor
vehicle collision. For example it is a common oc-
currence for clients to come into our office believ-
ing that they have access to $50,000 in medical
rehabilitation benefits. Access to coverage through
an automobile policy works completely differently
than accessing collateral coverages through your
own group insurer.
The primary difference is that access to medical
rehabilitation through your automobile insurer is
subject to compliance with the provisions of the
Statutory Accident Benefit schedule which is a reg-
ulation enacted under the Insurance Act. Treatment
requests must be submitted by treatment providers
on prescribed forms and then they are subject to
the insurer approving them on the basis of the pre-
scribed treatment being reasonable and necessary.
In the event the insurer does not agree that the
treatment is reasonable and necessary there is a
complex dispute resolution procedure available
which starts with the insurer sending the claimant
for an Insurer Exam.
Accessing medical benefits through your group in-
surer is much easier and generally requires only a
receipt submitted with a claim form and the ex-
pense is then automatically reimbursed. Clients are
often surprised to learn that they in fact must ex-
haust their collateral coverages before the automo-
bile insurer is obligated to pay for medical
rehabilitation benefits. While this seems manifestly
unfair insomuch as this means the collateral cov-
erages will not be available should they be needed
in the future for treatment arising from an incident
unrelated to the automobile accident this is the
basis upon which the automobile insurance pre-
mium has been costed. This is only one of the
many concessions that the insurers have been able
to extract from the government under the ruse of
keeping insurance premiums low.
Another major misconception is that the term "no
fault" insurance means that persons injured in car
accidents can no longer sue for damages. No fault
insurance relates to coverages available to you
through your own automobile insurer. This cover-
age is available to you except in certain circum-
stances regardless of whether the accident which
caused your injuries was or was not your fault.
Your access to coverage may be limited if you are
convicted of impaired driving or driving with a
suspended licence. Remember to take time to
renew your licence on or before your birthday.
Don't forget to talk to your insurance broker about
additional coverages that may be available to you.
There are additional coverages available at a rea-
sonable cost but we are not seeing many clients
coming in with these coverages in place. There are
upgrades which include increasing access to med-
ical rehabilitation benefits from $50,000 to $1 mil-
lion, increasing the amount of your income
replacement benefit and purchasing additional
benefits such as housekeeping coverage.
Lisa Morell Kelly
Morell Kelly Personal Injury Law
515 Park Road North
Brantford, Ontario N3R 7K8 (519) 720-0110
Extreme fatigue. Weight loss. Thirst. I was falling asleep in
class, drinking huge amounts of water, and looking pretty
skinny. At first, I thought I was just run down and needed
some rest from my busy schedule, but when it didnt get any
better, I though something was wrong. After running one of
the most difficult 5km runs in my life, and having to sub-out
of a high school volleyball game, I knew something was
wrong.
On October 29, 2010 after having some tests done at the hos-
pital, I was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes. I was shocked
and I was scared. There was no family history and I was an
active 15-year-old with a pretty healthy lifestyle. Unfortu-
nately, Type 1 Diabetes is often unexplained. The doctors
best guess was that my pancreas was attacked by a virus, but
its still a bit of a mystery as to how I became diabetic. There
were so many thoughts running through my mind, so many
questions to be answered and a lot to be learned.
I will be the first to admit that the beginning wasnt easy. Get-
ting used to needles for insulin injections, finger pricking to
test my blood sugar levels, and playing around with insulin
dosages was difficult to become accustomed to. After spend-
ing a weekend in the Brantford General Hospital, I was be-
ginning to learn a lot about the disease. Diabetes was, and
still is, a huge learning curve. Diabetes hasnt drastically
changed my life, but I would be lying if I said it has not been
a challenge. I get asked so many questions about diabetes, so
I would like to clear some things up and answer some of the
questions I frequently get asked. Overall, diabetes is a disease
that many people lack a strong understanding of. I didnt
know much about it until after I was diagnosed, and I think
that is where a lot of the fear originated from. So here are
some answers to a few frequently asked questions.
How many times a day do you have to give yourself needles?
I normally take insulin 4 times a day. I take fast acting in-
sulin before each meal and long acting insulin before bed.
Does pricking your finger hurt?
No. You learn where to prick so that it doesnt hurt. It looks
a lot worse than it is. I am so used to it now that most often I
dont even feel it.
Do you have the type of diabetes where you cant have sugar
or do you have the type where you need sugar?
The answer to this question is neither. Diabetes is also
about a balancing act. In a healthy human body, the pancreas
releases insulin to break down sugar in the blood stream.
However, in a diabetic, the pancreas does not work properly
or does not produce insulin at all. This is why I am required
to take insulin injections when I eat. I must ensure that I take
the proper amount of insulin for the amount of carbohydrates
that I eat, or else my blood sugar can drop too low or go too
high. However, it is not as simple as a mathematical equa-
tion as many factors including stress, illness, and exercise af-
fect blood sugar levels. This is why it is important to find
a balance of insulin, carbohydrate intake, and exercise to
maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Why do you get shaky sometimes?
When I experience hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) I can
experience symptoms such as shakiness, sweating, confu-
sion, and dizziness. The effects of hypoglycemia are often
compared to being drunk. This is why it is important for me
to keep sugar on me at all times, especially during exercise
when I am at a high risk of experiencing low blood sugar. If
my sugar levels go too low, I can pass out.
What happens if your sugar goes high (hyperglycemia)?
The symptoms of high blood sugar are less obvious than
those of low blood sugar. However, hyperglycemia is also
dangerous. I experienced many of these systems right before
I was diagnosed with diabetes: excessive thirst, unusual
weight loss, feeling lethargic and blurred vision. However,
prolonged hyperglycemia can result in kidney failure, loss
of vision, cardiovascular damage and damage to other inter-
nal organs. This is why it is so important to stick to a healthy
diet and exercise regularly as a diabetic.
The highs and lows of diabetes occur both physically, men-
tally, and socially. It has been difficult to adjust. Pulling out
needles or pricking my finger in front of other people can
make me, and the people around me, uncomfortable. Trying
to balance my blood sugar and getting highs and lows is not
only frustrating, but distracting and inconvenient. Some-
times it is necessary to stop what Im doing to check my sugar
levels and have a snack. My pockets are usually full of sup-
plies and sugar tablets to make sure I am prepared for the
worst case scenario. My sugar has been as high as the 20s
and as low as 1.4 (6-10 is considered normal). I have had to
come off the basketball court and leave the classroom to deal
with sugar levels. Its a constant challenge that I have had to
be able to meet. There have been some bad days along the
way, and feeling like you do not have control over your life
is the worst part. Thankfully, I have a supportive family and
a great staff at the Diabetes Education Centre to assist me
with my diabetes management. Today is certainly a better
time to have diabetes, than in the past, as technology has
come a long way.
The next step in my diabetes management will be an insulin
pump. This will replace the insulin injections and will assist
me in having better control of my sugar levels. Diabetes has
presented itself as a daily challenge in my life. However,
it is a challenge that can be dealt with the medical technology
that exists today; it is a very liveable disease. At 17 years old,
I never thought I would be writing about my expe-
riences as a diabetic. The most important thing to remember
is that diabetes does not define your life; it is just something
that you live with. With the medical advancements being
made my next article may just be about the cure for diabetes.
But for now, Ill learn how to use my new pump.
Finding the Balance Between Highs & Lows
by Ryan Jamula, Twitter: @ryanjamula
As a woman, I have always known that I am vulnerable to ex-
periences of sexual violence. Fairy tales, warnings from my
parents, story lines in movies and news stories have fed me
that reality. Living with this reality is a perverse form of val-
idation for female survivors of sexual violence. They know
they are not alone. They still often feel alone in their feelings,
their coping methods, or the situation of their experience(s)
but they do not need to be told that other women are raped.
Society has reinforced that time and time again through so-
cializing and in media messages.
Men do not grow up with those same messages. In fairy tales
they are portrayed as brave knights or powerful villains.
There is no room for vulnerability or recovery from victim-
ization in either of these roles.
Many people would think that is a non-issue because men
are not at the same level of risk of sexual violence as women.
Speaking broadly this is true. The level of risk is not the same
in the adult context though that is not to say there is no risk.
But when it comes to level of risk for children, boys are at
risk of sexual violence, in numbers far greater than most have
ever imagined. And by not acknowledging this we create a
culture of silence. I have noticed over the years that when
men have disclosed their past experiences of sexual vi-
olence they frame it as an isolated incident. Their feelings
tend to be that what happened to them was unique and no
other man has ever experienced anything like it or if they
have the incidence must be very low. You can see feeling of
relief come over male survivors when I share with them the
statistic that one in six men is a survivor of sexual violence.
In addition, I have talked with many men who were reluctant
to disclose their experience because of what the media has
implied about male survivors. Many people have internal-
ized the myth that all male children who are sexually abused
become pedophiles as adults. The vast majority of male sur-
vivors know at a deep level that they would do anything
rather than risk passing on abuse that they suffered so the tacit
implication is more than they can stand. They are so desper-
ate not to be seen as perpetrators that many men bury their
experiences, emotions, and stories deep inside themselves. The
truth of the matter is that for every hundred boys who is sex-
ually abused as a child, only ten become pedophiles. Where
the misconception has come from is that for every hundred
pedophiles only ten were NOT abused as children. Society
has misrepresented the correlation between pedophilia and
childhood trauma forcing many men to deal with their trauma
privately and not seek help.
The Sexual Assault Centre of Brant provides a Male Sur-
vivors Program in partnership with Brantford Native Hous-
ing and Grand River Community Health Centre. We are so
happy to offer men a place to process their experiences and
feelings, and even more importantly to give them validation
that they are not alone and there are people in the community
who want to help them.
I do not know how possible this program would have been
ten to fifteen years ago.
I have noted recently when I do presentations, trainings, and
workshops that people seldom question me when I say men
can be survivors. Whereas 12 years ago, when I first started
working in Brantford, people did question the validity of my
statements and statistics in regards to men. There has been a
huge shift in the last decade of becoming a more welcoming,
supportive community for ALL survivors. It is not perfect,
obviously, because sexual violence still exists, but at least it
is not stagnant and there is movement forward. Like the par-
allel programs for women, the Centre provides supportive,
accessible services. All counselling is free and is confidential,
and paced as the survivor needs it to be. Some men accessing
the program were abused a long time ago, for others it was
a more recent experience. We like to remind the community
that it is important to remember that when someone dis-
closes to you that they have experienced sexual violence at
any point in their life that you listen, you acknowledge their
feelings and the courage it took to share, and that you do not
make promises or make them do something that they are not
comfortable with no matter how kind you mean it to be for
them. Pushing someone to report to police or to go to coun-
selling if they are not ready, though it is rooted in kindness,
takes away control from the survivor.
It is best to offer support and let them know that there are
places in the community that can help them when they are
ready. It could be the hardest thing you ever do, to resist the
urge to jump in and rescue them. If you want to be able to
support someone in that situation try saying: I am glad you
told me. What happened wasnt your fault. When you are
ready to get help, I know a number you can call. The Sexual
Assault Centre can be reached 24 hours a day at
519.751.3471
Coping with Sexual Violence
by Carrie Sinkowski
I love water.
I love playing in it at Long Point, paddling down the Grand
River, water fights in Lake Huron, looking out over Lake On-
tario from Cherry Beach, and sledding down a hill during the
winter.
I love looking out over the farm fields of Brant and Norfolk
Counties knowing Im going to have the chance to eat fresh
fruits and vegetables soon because of the water helping them
grow.
I love drinking fresh clean water from a spring or well and,
yes, even drinking Brantford water from the tap. The thought
that 70% of the Earths surface is covered in water is good
news to me. The bad news is that of the water covering Earth,
only 2.5% is fresh water, and of that 2.5%, less than half is ac-
cessible for direct human use.
According to Natural Resources Canada, Canada has about
9% of the worlds renewable water supply for only 0.5% of
the worlds population. Here in Southwestern Ontario, we are
fortunate that most of us have easy access to water we can
drink. According to water.org, 884 million people do not have
safe access to a safe water supply. Thats about 1 in 8 people
in the world. In Brantford, we draw water from the Grand
River, treat it, and then it makes its way to us in our homes be-
fore going to another water treatment plant and being returned
to the Grand for others to enjoy.
Here in Brant, our challenge is keeping the Grand clean and
safe. While the Grand River Conservation Authority has done
a fantastic job helping monitor and improve water quality, one
concern we face immediately is from our neighbors up river.
According to a recent article by Sean Allen in the Brant News,
there have been 134 spills and discharges over the past two
years that have threatened our water supply. This is an increase
from 2003 to 2008 when the largest number of incidents was
48 in one year. These spills come from industrial or municipal
operations as well as agriculture operations. Private sector op-
erations can be charged and/or fined while municipalities do
not get charged.
My first experience with these incidents was in the mid 90s.
I was kayaking along the Grand River with a friend at Big
Bloop, south of Paris. We were trying different stunts we had
seen others do when, after we both fell off our kayaks into the
Grand, we came up out of the River with burning eyes. We
quickly got on shore and back to the car where a call to the
City water department confirmed contaminants were just being
detected in the water. Acity up river had dumped overflow
into the Grand and not bothered to tell anyone.
Since then, a watershed notification agreement was established
to help communities prepare for incidents. While there had
been a decline in spills, there has been a serious spike in inci-
dents in the past two years. The City has asked the Ontario
Ministry of Environment (MOE) for more to be done in pre-
venting spills and the MOE is reportedly interested in meeting
to discuss the issue.
This is only one issue facing our watershed. There are many
issues just as there are many other watersheds but those are
also stories for another day.
Today in Brant, there are many groups that need your help in
some way to protect our water. Here are a few that you can
contact if you want to get involved:
Brant Childrens Water Festival at http://www.bbcwf.ca/
Brant Waterways Foundation at http://brantwaterways.ca/
Grand River Conservation Authority at
http://www.grandriver.ca/index/document.cfm?sec=34&sub1
=0&sub2=0
Waterkeepers Canada at http://www.waterkeepers.ca
I love the easy access to water we enjoy here in Canada and
especially here in my southwestern Ontario backyard. Thats
why Im an advocate for water.
I Love Water
by Stan Gorecki, Facebook: Stan Gorecki
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 9
Mind Readers Need Not Apply
Lets be frank; One really doesnt know when our time
on this beautiful planet is up. Its lifes one great mystery
and youre kidding yourself if you dont think about it
from time to time No matter what age you are!
Estate planning professionals such as Lawyers and
Insurance Advisors discuss mortality with their clients
and ask those tough questions to make you think about
what happens when. The key is to ensure that you
sleep at night knowing that should you not wake up in
the morning, financially your family will be able to survive.
Its equally important to understand that unfortunately
we are not mind readers. If you die without giving some
direction then how are we to know what you want? As
insurance advisors we frequently have situations with
clients where due to a lack of communication or ignored
recommendations, their final affairs are not in order and
their wishes cannot be fulfilled the way they may have
intended. Below are two very simple things you can
discuss to ensure that your affairs will be in order and
your wishes will be carried out;
1) Get a Will
This is the easiest and most effective way for you to
have a voice when you can no longer speak. Our
recommendation is to seek professional assistance in
these matters and to always use a lawyer and his/her
knowledge for this critical document. Home will kits can
be used however errors are highly likely and theres a
very good chance that your will not be accepted when
the time comes. If you do have a will, ensure to update
it every time you experience a life changing event such
as marriage, divorce, major purchases and for sure when
you have children. Failure to do so could mean the
difference between your Will fulfilling your wishes and
the courts making the decision for you.
2) Insurance Beneficiaries
In the event you pass away, your insurance benefit is
passed to who you have named as your beneficiary. This
could be a spouse, family member, friend etc.
If a beneficiary is not named then the insurance
proceeds will be dispersed per the directions of your will.
Probate is the process of checking the validity of your
will and this process takes time. Time may not be what
your family has, especially if theres a mortgage, bills
and a funeral to pay for. Also consider that probate, legal
and executor fees will all be incurred and will subtract
from the inheritance. Further to my point above regarding
will, if you have not updated or created a will then where
does this money go? Naming a beneficiary will simplify
the process and get the money where you intended it,
without hassle.
Finally when naming insurance beneficiaries is to be
sure name a secondary beneficiary. This way in the event
you and your primary beneficiary die, the inheritance
will pass directly to the secondary beneficiaries and not
through your estate. In many cases, our clients name their
children. It is recommendation that if a minor child under
the age of 18 is named that a trustee is named as well.
This trustee will handle your childrens financial affairs
surrounding the life insurance inheritance until they are
of age and able to handle large sums of money. As
always we feel very strongly that estate and insurance
planning are areas where professional advice is a necessity.
If you wish to talk about your financial goals and how
Life Insurance can help secure them please give us a call,
were here to help.
Alford & Associates is a family owned and operated
financial practice in Brantford. For over 25 years we
have helped our clients secure their financial goals. First
and foremost we help you secure your greatest asset
Your Family
ALFORD & ASSOCIAtES INC
Insurance & Investment Advisors
254 Brant Ave., Brantford, ON N3T-3J5
Ph: (519) 751-0901 Fx: (519)751-0522
Cell: (519) 758-4224
Email:
mike@alfordandassociates.ca
Website:
www.alfordandassociates.ca
LinkedIn:
http://ca.linkedin.com/in/mikeeh
At a high school in Ohio on February 27th, five people
are shot; 3 dead, 2 injured. At a university in California on
April 2nd, ten people are shot; 7 dead, 3 injured. This list
goes on it seems, each month with a new shooting mak-
ing the news, never mind all the school violence which
goes unreported or isnt considered drastic enough to
make international news. When the Columbine High
School tragedy happened, Americans and Canadians
alike were both in shock and awe this could happen. Now,
it seems while we are sad there is no longer an element
of surprise, just that there has been another school shoot-
ing. Whats scary is this has become the norm, with the
shock value only affecting those when it happens in their own
community. It hasnt happened here, we are fortunate, but
we must not forget how easily it could happen.
Our high schools are full of the elements which allow a
situation like this to occur. My own personal experience with
bullying reached the point where I switched schools to
try to get away from the worst of it. It started almost im-
mediately, by those whom I had been friends with my
whole life. The battle for popularity happens everywhere,
but was never something I sought after. While those
around me desperately sought the attention and accept-
ance of so many theyd just met, I paid the price as they
could no longer associate with me, given I would be
friends with anyone without prejudice. It was not enough
however for us to no longer be friends. Soon, the verbal
comments started when Id pass them in the hall; making
fun of my clothing, calling me names which were beyond
absurd for a quite innocent fourteen year old, or just mak-
ing rude noises or gestures. Eventually, when they
stopped getting the reaction they wanted from me, it
turned physical. Simple little things at first, like bumping
into me as they walked by, which would get more aggres-
sive each time it happened, to purposely knocking me out
of the way. It doesnt take long for this to go on until one
just stops walking around in the hall and only goes where
they need to be. Some of the tougher girls even liked to
try to pick fights with me. Now for anyone who knows
me, I am the furthest thing from a fighter. Sometimes I
would hang out with my friends as they smoked outside,
but when the physical provocations began, I felt forced
to stay inside except to come and leave for the day.
It didnt even take three months into high school for this
to carry over to the bus ride home. I went to St. Johns
College and lived up by the Brantford Mall. In stereotypi-
cal movie style, the cool boys at the back of the bus
seemed to live to make fun of me. Theyd call me fat, tell
me I need to go on a diet or I looked like a whale, all of
those lovely things a young girls self-esteem desperately
needs (sense the sarcasm, please). Looking back, the ab-
surdity of these comments is off the charts, given at the
time I was 115lbs. and was thinner than most of their
friends. Nonetheless, it had the effect I suppose they
wanted. Their comments got into my mind, created the inse-
curities no young girl should have, and as a result, I didnt
wear skirts, dresses or shorts for seven years. It wasnt
until I was in university, grown up and really learning
who I was as a person, that I realized how I couldnt let
grade nine taunting continue to define me.
At the time, I decided to escape their bullying by simply
taking a different bus home. While it dropped me off fur-
ther from my house, I was more than happy to walk a fur-
ther distance than have to deal with the other kids. When
the high school started enforcing bus assignments, allowing
only students who had the right bus card on to their cor-
rect bus, I was actually crushed inside. I started to walk
the almost five kilometre trek home, because it seemed like
the better alternative. I even remember one winter day, it
was a blizzard outside and my father had dropped me off
in the morning, and in the rush of getting to school on
time Id forgotten my coat. Five kilometres is not terribly
far, but walking that distance in a blizzard with no coat
is something that sticks out in your mind for a long time.
Theyd call me fat, tell
me I need to go on a
diet or I looked like a
whale, all of those
lovely things a young
girls self-esteem
desperately needs.
(sense the sarcasm
please).
Many say these are the kind of things all high school stu-
dents have to deal with and sort out, which unfortunately,
for the most part, I agree is a reality. But what I cant get
over when I look back at it all isnt what I had to deal
with from the students, but rather from the teachers. The
thing is, when youre picked on or bullied, at least in my
experience, you develop a smart mouth to talk back with,
which becomes your defence mechanism. Meanwhile,
the bullies are sweet as can be in class. While the teachers
were fully aware of who the bullies were and who was
picked on, they did not care. All that mattered was while
in class, if you were sweet and kept your mouth shut, you
could get away with anything. If you had the smart mouth,
to deal with the students secretly kicking you from behind
or writing you nasty notes, the teachers would come
down on you hard. The school allowed a system in which
the bullying not just occurred and continued, but was es-
sentially encouraged by the teachers.
As all of this continued to progress and get worse, by the
time I was halfway through my first term of grade 10, I
made the decision I was going to switch high schools. Its
a small town, yes, but to me it was still a fresh start in a
better environment. And to be honest, it worked. I still
experienced the ups and downs of high school and learn-
ing about the good and bad about other people through
experience, but overall, I had an amazing time. I had great
friends to hang out with, I went out on weekends to par-
ties and sports games and concerts and anything else you
can imagine, and when I look back on high school, unless
I focus on the bad, all I remember is the good.
A few years later, I ran across someone I didnt even
know while at St. Johns, and in the midst of friendly con-
versation, she asked me how my son was doing. Funny
that, it took years to learn that my switching of schools
led to rumours that it was because I was pregnant. The
fact that those people were able to bully me, even in my
absence, did not surprise me in the slightest. At the time,
it was the essence of who they were and who they con-
tinued to be even after I left.
What I am so thankful for is that everything else in my
life allowed being picked on to be, for the most part, a
peripheral part of my life. I always went home to a family
who would do anything to support me, loved me uncon-
ditionally and were on my side, even when I was
wrong. I always had the best of friends who I could talk
to for hours if needed and would be there in a second if I
asked them to be. And quite simply, I was always doing
things to keep me busy, so my mind never dwelled on the
bad things that happened. I try to imagine if I didnt have
the friends and family I did, and my heart actually hurts
thinking about how awful it would have been to feel so
alone. Yet the reality is there are people who feel like that
right now in our high schools who, as you read this, are
absolutely dreading going to school tomorrow or on Mon-
day.
In the aftermath of high school violence, everyone always
seems to be asking How did this happen? There are a mil-
lion different answers to that question, but to me, it hap-
pens when people simply dont care. They dont care to
say hi, they dont care to be nice, their peers dont care,
the system doesnt care, their family doesnt care, no
one truly cares until something irreversible has hap-
pened and they look to blame. Meanwhile the blame is
equally all around. The two shootings I specifically
mentioned are unique in that the shooter survived,
not taking their own life or shot on site at the eerie end of
the violence. It is my hope that beyond the need for jus-
tice, we will take advantage of their survival to take it
one step further and try to understand. While I cant pos-
sibly fathom what could push someone from violent
thoughts to committing indiscriminate violence, we can
now ask those who have done so. My fear is their answer
would be found all around us in our own community.
It seems there has been so much increasingly written
about bullying in the news the past two years, with
celebrity campaigns such as the It Gets Better one. But
bullying still seems to be an issue which people care most
about either while they themselves, or their children,
are experiencing it. We definitely need the campaigns to
change the culture within the school system, but we cant
neglect students external situation. Its the little things
which people remember. Since I can remember, nothing
warms my heart more than the hello or genuine smile
from a stranger as they pass me. The little, seemingly ir-
relevant gestures that someone may so desperately need that
day, and you could so easily give to them. Do it.
Taking a Stand Against Bullying
by Steph Paige, Twitter: @steph__paige
Problems are something I deal with every single day. In
my job, I treat all problems like obstacle courses. When
faced with a problem I go into warrior mode and try to
suss out a positive resolution as quickly as possible. Prob-
lems are the bumps in the road of life.
However, conflict is different. Conflict affects someone
when it creates an issue of personal misunderstanding or
moral unrest. For me, conflict is not pretty. In fact, if I
had to give it a face it would be that of Medusawith
the potential fall out of conflict being the snakes of her
slithery mane.
So how do we as a community, and I as a member in it,
face conflict? How do we re-align ourselves after dealing
with conflict and feeling that we have either lost, or had
to give up, something in order to make that conflict go
away? How does conflict handle ego and morality on a
level playing field?
Politics, religion, race, gender, and sex issues are all reg-
ular guests on the conflict talk-show of life. What is the
best way to deal with these issues without making ene-
mies?
However you look at it, having and dealing with conflict
is truly a fact of life. Handling conflict is also represen-
tative of the person you are, and the person you are deal-
ing with.
Case in point: disagreeing with the way an idea was ex-
ecuted does not mean that I hate the idea, nor its original
goal. Disagreeing with the way a situation was handled
simply means I would have handled it differently had I
been involved in the original implementation of the idea.
Many times conflicting situations hold no bearing on the
messenger or the message. We are all human and we all
have the right to freely, without fear of reprisal, express
our feelings. And sometimes I think that at its base level
conflict is simply passion run amok.
Going further, if conflict is passion, then it is not pretty
and certainly not fun. But it is interesting to watch how
one handles conflict, allowing the outside world to gauge
a persons morals, values, and respect for their fellow
man. People who show respect without jumping to con-
clusions probably deal very rarely with conflict. Those
who are the first to assume and attack probably deal with
conflict quite a bit.
I have personally tried the regular lines of abatement -
turning the other cheek, agreeing to disagree, and even
acquiescing on occasion in order to alleviate the tension
in the air of a particularly uncomfortable situation. But
even in doing things the situation still seemed upsetting.
Through this all I have learned a very valuable lesson.
Although we have our own views on how we run and
handle our lives, we have help in dealing with conflict
and it is this; conflict has enemies. We can use Grace in
the way we the execute resolution. Kindness in the way
we turn the other cheek. Patience in the way we try to
figure out different ways to say the same thing that will
better circumvent insult or threat to those with whom we
are having conflict. Conflict hates those things because
grace, kindness, and patience hold no room for conflict.
In fact, armed with those three virtues, conflict doesnt
stand much of a chance.
So tomorrow, be a warrior and practice using your anti-
conflict artillery. Show grace under pressure. Be patient
with those who disagree. Use kindness when asking
someone to further explain. All it will do is take a few
more minutes of your time in the now. I promise it will
make a world of difference in how you feel in the future.
Conflict is Not Pretty
by Tina Draycott, Facebook: Tina Draycott
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 10
Strong Modern Leadership
Strong Mode

Twitter: @alexfelsky
www.facebook.com/brantndpalex
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.
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Brantford Paris Burford St. George
whynotyouthcentres.com
519.759.2221
Why Not City Missions / Youth Centres has been
actively reaching the at-risk youth, the disadvantaged
and the homeless population since 2002. Founded
by Charlie and Sue Kopczyk, the Mission is still
providing food and clothing for those in need.
101-96 Nelson St. Brantford, ON N3T 2N1
Phone 519-759-0361 Fax 519-759-6439
TTY 519-759-4953 dlevac.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
www.davelevac.on.ca

Dave Levac, MPP Brant.
If you want to learn rock, pop or
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for you. Beginners are welcome.
Call today to begin your musical journey.
Time Magazine bestowed its annual Person of The Year title
for 2011 on The Protester. To some the protester is seen as a
motley crew of whiners and cry-babies. With the Occupy
Movement we almost literally had Archie Bunker types from
Toronto City Hall yelling get off my lawn. It would be com-
ical if it wasnt so serious.
To others still, like the editorial team at Time, in the past year
the protester has been more consequential partly because
do-it-yourself democratic politics became globalized.
Sure, there has been a lot of press about national and interna-
tional protests recently. Alot has been written about the use of
the internet (more specifically social media) as an organizing
tool. Ive seen that one in play myself and it is fairly effective.
Yet as connected as we all are we have to re-
member the internet doesnt create the
protest. Its just the newest tool to help those
who organize do what they do.
Canada has an incredible history of effective
public protests that in the fullness
of time most people would say
were useful. Some of these
sparked consequential change like
when our Veterans returned from
World War 2 and took to the
streets demanding investments in
public housing. Ive looked
through many photographs from
that time and Im always im-
pressed at the boldness of those
protesters. I couldnt help but
think about how witty their signs
were and how much more power-
ful the images were than any
tweet could ever be. From fox-
holes to shacks!! We had more
room in the foxholes, is just one
of the signs from the archives that
illustrate my point.
Putting the global and historical
context for protests aside, what about Brantford and the sur-
rounding areas history? How do we stack up to the national
and international protest scene? While we havent overthrown
any dictators or had sleeping bags dotting the horizon line on
the South Side of Colborne Id say the protest movement is
alive and well here.
Actually, protests and public gatherings are becoming a regular
feature of our local landscape. I see three types of protests that
have created conversation in our community.
Clockwork Protests
From the once-a-year, out-of-town crew that come in to protest
in their underwear about fur on Wayne Gretzky Parkway, to
the crew on the other side of the spectrum that sets up shop
each year on King George Rd. to protest abortion. These are
regular features of the local protest movement that happen
every year like clockwork and likely will for some time. These
happen in cities all over the country and are as similar in those
other cities as our Wal-Mart is to the one in Peterborough.
Get-on-the-bus Protests
This is when we lend our people power to national or provin-
cial movements. From religious leaders to young activists,
Brantford and area has been fairly well-represented at: the G8
protests, the No Prorogue movement, Parliament Hill protests
about First Nations taxation, the Anti-Usage Based Rally
(#UBB), Vote Mobs, the CPP sit-in in Oshawa, Occupy
Toronto and many others.
Our geography makes us one of the best places in the country
to live. Were so close to so much it makes sense that we can
and
d o
travel to
major cities
for protests and large public gatherings too. Im always im-
pressed when I see people I recognize from the area at these
events. I remember being the only person from outside of
Toronto to speak at the anti-UBB rally in Dundas Square. I had
gone up with one friend who was with me on stage. I was ab-
solutely taken aback by the cheers when I mentioned Brantford
in my opening. Alot of our local students were in attendance
as were former residents who now live in Toronto. Walter Gret-
zky is right; that Brantford really is the centre of the universe.
Local Focal Protests
What I find most interesting though is the local protest scene.
Over the last 3 years, the depth and breadth of protest we are
experiencing here is huge. Weve seen protests and public gath-
erings big and small over a wide range of local issues. The long
list includes: development along the Grand River, the demoli-
tion of the South Side of Colborne, the Postal Strike, the dispute
at ECP, the use of temporary work agencies, taking the HST
off home heating, land claims, poverty & homelessness, do-
mestic violence, peace festivals, rendering plants in St. George,
mental health and addiction, Earth Hour, and most recently, a
burgeoning LGBTQ rights movement. Despite all those Ive
just listed I know Im still missing some and I believe there are
many more to come in 2012.
We are an organized, passionate and compassionate commu-
nity, and the move toward protest and public gathering on is-
sues is very strong. Further, Ive been noticing a few things at
these gatherings. Theyre more frequent, theyre more family
friendly and theyre getting larger. Its not just the usual sus-
pects attending either. What I mean is that, as someone who
has participated in many of these, Im actually seeing less peo-
ple I recognize yet more people in general. Young, old and
everyone in between, from all different demographics and po-
litical persuasions, are beginning to appear at these community
gatherings.
After an Anti-Bullying/LGBTrally in late December I received
an e-mail from someone in attendance that said this: Im new
at all this standing up for what is right. I want to become more
involved.
I hear a version of this all the time and it is very
exciting when people learn to act and organize
around their passions. Whether you agree or dis-
agree with the points of view of those protesting
or gathering the fact that so many are doing this
shows we are a concerned and engaged commu-
nity.
So, while I dont expect the local
Canadian Tire will have a run on
protest tents this winter and I
dont think well be occupying
the rye grass on the South Side
hill any time soon, I do believe
that the option of protests, vigils
and public gatherings is occupy-
ing the headspace of more and
more of us and will continue to as
we look ahead at the rest of 2012.
Follow Marc on Twitter: @MarcLaferriere
Dedication
This column was written immediately following the funeral of
a friend taken by cancer at the very early age of 56. Aproud
family man, business man and community helper who strug-
gled for years coming to grips with his sexuality. With the sup-
port of his family and his strong faith he was able to live the
last several years of his life as his truest self. He found a great
deal of self-acceptance and acceptance from those who loved
and worked with him.
Id like to dedicate this months column to his memory. I spoke
about him at the December Anti Bullying / LGBTQ rally after
having just found out about his passing. I told a portion of his
story. I cried. Many in attendance who had never met him
shared their tears too. I was worried I may have stepped over
some line sharing that part of his story. Even though it meant
a lot to those gathered at the rally it may not have been my
story to tell. In the emotion of that day it just came out. I was
mentioning this to both his daughter and his partner as I left
the funeral service. Dad would have loved that, his daughter
replied. That was so him.
Thats what Steve wanted to do next, his partner told me.
Help others who had been in his shoes, especially youth.
Thats perfect.
Rockin The Suburbs: The Protest Movement in Brantford
by Marc Laferriere, Twitter: @MarcLaferriere
Brantfords Major Ballachey Public School has recog-
nized that many of their students are coming to kinder-
garten without early literacy skills. In Brant, 27 per cent
of our kids do not graduate from high school. A childs
literacy level at grade three is usually indicative of their
long term success in school and in adulthood.
The school has been working to improve their schools
literacy levels and was a pilot program site for the new
Ontario Full-Day Kindergarten program. The introduction
of full-day kindergarten has helped, but the school has rec-
ognized that more needs to be done. One way of improv-
ing reading, writing, and math skills, is through the use
of technology. Recent research is proving that students
using iPads in kindergarten showed improvements in lit-
eracy and numeracy. Specifically, kindergarten children
improved in handwriting, phonemic awareness, logical
problem solving, patterns and puzzles, and spatial rea-
soning. Based on the current research, the school began
a new fundraising project called the Major Ballachey
iPad Project.
In June, a few iPads were loaned to the kindergarten class-
room for a morning, to demonstrate how quickly the chil-
dren can navigate the technology. Older students were in
the classroom to assist the kindergarteners. Within
minutes, the children found the educational apps. One
little girl was spelling her name in a spelling program,
another child was learning her numbers by drawing a pic-
ture in Connect the Dots, while a little boy was learning
about what mammals and fish belong in the ocean
through a science app. The obvious benefit is the fact
that they were learning. The sidebar to it, is that they were
also working in groups and collaborating to get the an-
swers, and also taking turns.
Major Ballachey strives to meet the educational needs of
a diverse range of students. Some of the families whose
children attend Major Ballachey have limited resources
to support their childs education. The Grand Erie District
School Board ranks schools based on family income,
family education, and the number of single parent fami-
lies. The system identified Major Ballachey as serving
some of the neediest students in the board area.
There are already programs and supports to address the
exceptional needs of some students. Programs such as
the Daily Snack Program, the Boys and Girls Club of
Brantford, the Best Start Early Years and Parenting Cen-
tre, the Strong Start Early Literacy Program and many
extra supports provided through GEDSB Compensatory
Schools Designation, which helps make Major Bal-
lachey a supportive environment for students. In
spite of these programs some students fail to develop ef-
fective early literacy skills. This causes cumulative learn-
ing problems both in later grades and in adulthood.
Since May, the school has managed to secure a donation
from the Teachers Credit Union in Brantford, the Rotary
Club, and now has a City of Brantford grant. The school
has also fundraised for the project through chocolate bar
sales, and private donations have also come into the pro-
gram. The goal is to raise 36 thousand, which will allow
the school to buy two class sets of iPads. So far they
have reached the 10 thousand dollar mark.
The iPads will be used in the kindergarten and primary
classes to help the students improve their reading, writ-
ing, and math skills, but will also be available to improve
the education of all students at Major Ballachey for the
rest of the day. This program will give about 120 students
(over half the school) daily access to the most up to date
and effective methods of improving literacy skills that the
school is aware of. They are focusing on the kindergarten
and primary classes to maximize the long-term benefits
of the program. Students who develop better literacy skills at
a young age carry those skills, and the confidence gained
into higher grades. They stay in school longer, are more
likely to graduate high school, and become productive
members of society.
The school is calling on local businesses, service groups,
and community members to make this dream a reality
for Major Ballachey. Tax receipts will be issued for
all donations.
For more information or to make a donation to the Major
Ballachey iPad Project visit
www.majorballachey.com
You can also follow @friendsofmajorb on Twitter and the
school invites you to like their Facebook Page Friends
of Major Ballachey.
Fighting Illiteracy with iPads
by Patti Berardi, Twitter: @Patti_RogersTV
August 2013 www.brantadvocate.com Facebook: The Brant Advocate Twitter: @BrantAdvocate
Page 11
As I watch the clock count down the seconds, my heart is
in my throat and my eyes begin to tear the buzzer
sounds we did it! The Six Nations Junior B Rebels
lacrosse team are the back-to-back Founders Cup Cana-
dian Junior B National Champions. The win is bittersweet
even though we won in front of our hometown as we were
the hosts of the 2012 Founders Cup tournament. Its the
first time in the Rebels franchise history that we have
hosted this elite tournament. It was our chance to truly
show all of Canada what lacrosse is about.
My association with the Rebels lacrosse team began in the
summer of 2011 when my family was in the midst of a sad
time due to a family tragedy. We had been gathering as a
family to support one another through the difficult times.
As a result, I began to attend lacrosse games that my
cousin Ian played in. He was a member of the Rebels
lacrosse team. I was never a huge fan of watching lacrosse,
but it was something I could do with my family and to sup-
port my family.
I remember going on the lacrosse floor after we had won
the semi-final round of the Ontario Lacrosse Assoication
playoffs. I gave Ian a hug and told him how proud I was of
him and his efforts. He asked me then, Jenny (his pet
name for me) if we make it to Founders, are you gonna
come and watch me? Without hesitating, I said yes. The
annual Founders Cup tournament that year was in Saska-
toon. He was shocked that I would do that for him, but
family is family and we support one another. The Rebels
ended up winning and making it to the tournament, and I
ended up in Saskatoon for the Gold Medal game. Ian
scored a goal and when he did, he pointed at me. I knew in
my heart then, that I had made the right decision. As we
celebrated the win, there were a lot of tears. Another bit-
tersweet win: my familys past tragedy was now another
familys current tragedy. Aformer Rebels player and coach,
Keegan Hill, had recently passed away and the loss af-
fected our players and fans. There were plenty of happy
tears and plenty of sad tears that day, but we did it. We
overcame the adversity and won. At the year-end Annual
Rebels Lacrosse General Meeting, which was also the an-
nual awards banquet, I was nominated as Treasurer for the
team. I asked Ian if he was going to continue playing for
the Rebels. He said yes, so I accepted the nomination. I did
it for my family. I told Ian that I would continue to help
the team as long as he played for them. I soon learned what
a huge task it would be we were the hosts for the annual
Founders Cup tournament in August 2012! I was thrust into
a situation where we had to not only raise enough money
to run a Junior B lacrosse team for a season but to also host
a national level tournament!
As lacrosse is the Creators
game, one that was given to
my people as a form
of medicine
As lacrosse is the Creators game, one that was given to
my people as a form of medicine, I and my fellow Rebels
executives were determined to make this the most memo-
rable and unbeatable Founders Cup in history. Thanks to
the support and hard work of the executives and vast army
of volunteers, we did just that. The Road to the Founders
Cup was a long hard road, but we made it.
Along the way, my new found Rebels family suffered a
major and tragic loss. In the final round of the Ontario play-
offs, we lost a player who was the heart and soul of our
team, Carney Johnson. He was just 19-years-old when he
tragically passed away, very suddenly and unexpectedly.
Our team was in the midst of playoffs and gearing up
to host, and ultimately win the Founders Cup, when the
tragic event took place. The grief and sadness that
surrounded and consumed our team (players, coaches and
executives) was great. I can only imagine how difficult it
was for Carneys immediate family. We pulled together as
a team, supported one another and turned to local Faith-
keepers to help our boys work through the grief. The sad-
ness and grief is still there today, but the boys held it
together and moved forward and every win from that day
on, was a win for our fallen brother: #28 Carney Elijah
Johnson.
the buzzer sounds and the Rebels win, 8-7 over the Ak-
wesasne Indians. The Rebels are a history making team;
the second time in franchise history that they have been
back-to-back Founders Cup Champions and the first team
in Founders Cup history to have won the title five times. It
was also the first time in Junior B Lacrosse history that it
was an All-Native Final in the playoffs, and in the
Founders Cup, which saw the Rebels victorious over the
Akwesasne Indians both times. Again I am on the floor
searching for #9 Ian Martin. As we find each other and I
hug him close and tell him how proud I am of him, the tears
begin to fall, bittersweet again. It was then that I realized
what the team has given me and the other members of the
team it has given us family and pride. The Creator gave
us this game as a medicine and its because of this medicine
that we have been able to overcome our grief and carry
ourselves strong, tall and proud to continue to play for him.
We never forget where we came from, or what weve been
through and we let it guide us to the futureRebels Proud,
Rebels Strong, Rebels Nation. In loving memory of Kee-
gan Hill #8 and Carney Johnson #28. Once a Rebel, Al-
ways a Rebel, even those Rebels with wings.
The Creators Game
by Jenn Hill, Twitter: @SN_REBELSLAX
The camaraderie that exists in the mining world might not
be found in any other field of work. I know that sport teams
and army units may develop stronger ties among the mem-
bers, but neither of those roles is work. I have difficulty
saying my job is to play or my job includes getting shot at
or worse it may require that I be killed. Having said that,
though, mining is a lot like hiking in the mountains, at least
in the mine I worked in, or spelunking, there are caves
everywhere. It is also a lot like army units. I will explain.
At the mine I worked at, I am not sure if I can use its name,
so I will not. Like I was starting to say, in this mine there
were eleven levels in the track part of the mine. All levels
have different crews in size. From being the sole miner in
some remote and old part of the mine to the levels where
production is in full swing where more than one hundred
men can work, the similitude here is the crews and the
army units i.e. platoon, squads etc. they have a mission to
accomplish and they go do it.
My first real job in the mine after I finished my training
was as a helper to this top bonus maker. So I became a
miners helper. English was a barrier at first. The way it
works is that miners have to follow the ore vein. The geol-
ogists come around daily to indicate what the ore body is
doing, increasing, decreasing, moving up or down. They
are followed by the surveyors, who in turn, provide the
miners with the meaning to follow the ore properly. In ret-
rospective, from the surveyors I learned that you cannot
put a square peg in a round hole. This statement once it is
applied to life opens up a whole new world full of insights.
You see, the way it works: the surveyors get the miner to
drill two holes on the roof (or ceiling), the position of these
holes is determined by the surveyors. So, once the holes
are in place, the surveyors take their square pegs, shape
them to fit the holes, nail in special hooks from which a
line is hung with a weight on. The distance between the
holes is about five feet. Lining up the two lines determines
the right direction to where the raise or drift needs to go in
order to follow the ore.
This means to me that if one wants to find the right direc-
tion in ones life. One needs to make some adjustments.
Well, I started to talk about camaraderie and went into a
totally different direction. Part of my job was to help the
miner to find the centre line for the drilling pattern. I would
place myself behind the lines, the miner would shine his
light on the face (the wall to be drilled on) and I would say
right or left according to where the line needed to be
drawn. So when the light was at the proper place. I would
yell out. Right! He then would move the light to the right.
Then Id go. Left!. He would move the light to the left.
When he got to the proper place again, I would again yell
out. Right! And so on. After a few times back and forth like
that, he came down the raise to where I was standing. He
was fuming, and said to me. When the light is on the right
position, just say okay. Okay?
Camaraderie can mean different things to different people.
To me it means that if you are part of a group that works
together. You do what needs to be done to accomplish the
task being worked on. Once that interaction is done, I dont
feel the need to continue seeing or socializing further. One
day, I was assigned to work in an old area of the mine
where pockets of mineral could still be found. My partner
at the time was a very talkative fellow. So when he showed
up on Monday morning and did not say much, I asked him
what was wrong. He put his hand over his mouth and says
I tell you later. What happened was that he had had a lit-
tle mishap during the week end and had broken his den-
tures. He asked me to punch him on the mouth so that he
could say that he had an accident and have the insurance
pay for it. We were sitting by the face of the stop checking
the ground to make sure it was safe to work. Looking back
that scene, it seems funny. Two grown men, just sitting
there, every time I turned to look at him, he would bite his
lips; after a little while, I accompanied him to the cage sta-
tion. So that he could go back to the surface and report his
accident.
On another occasion, while I was training to be a cage ten-
der. The very first night I was on that job something hap-
pened that it is saved in the surreal memory bank of my
mind. You see, the night shift is in charge of bringing down
all the material that is requested by the miners and that is
required for the safe mining operation. This includes ma-
chines, timber, explosives, cement, and equipment to be
moved from one level to another, you name it. Now safety
procedure requires that when the cage is being used for
these purposes, the cage tender stays on the required level.
The workers on the surface load the cage and send it down.
Again, people always take short cuts and again my good
fortune protected me. When I was a kid and I was in a bus
going somewhere I would entertain myself by looking at
the light posts passing by. Well, I mention this because the
very first night I was being trained as a cage tender. We
loaded the cage decks with explosives, which were in a cart
that filled each cage deck; now, the carts go on a set of
tracks built in the cage and are secured with a chain in all
the wheels. As the cage goes down the shaft it creates a
rolling motion. We were standing at the edge of the cage.
The carts full of explosives would put pressure on our
back, sort of pushing us out of the cage. The cage goes up
and down the shaft on a wooden frame built out of twelve
by twelve inches and ten feet long. This frame is about a
foot away from your face. So, there I was looking as these
pieces of timber coming up really quick. I felt this urge to
look where they were coming from and I started to lean
forward to take a better look. I heard my partner yell out
Stop! What the f are you doing? Even though, he was
not very well liked due to his temper, I love the guy to this
day. Those are just two examples of what camaraderie
means in the mines.
Camaraderie like None Other
by Roberto Salazar
Politically, Im a Conservative. That word evokes all sorts
of different emotions in people. In some ways, it
philosophically resonates quite deeply in me, and in others
ways, those who know me know that Im the furthest thing
from being described as conservative. I find it to be a
misunderstood word because I believe there is a grander
vision that principally needs to be cast; PEOPLE taking
care of people.
On February 4th, Sun Medias Warren Kinsella wrote an
editorial about our need to put faith in Non-Governmental
Organizations when it comes to societal revival. He
made some excellent observations:
"Trust in banks and financial institutions has never been
lower and trust in government has gone into an
unprecedented decline. Meanwhile, for the fifth year in a
row, 'NGOs are the most trusted institution in the world.'"
I DO think government and Canadians need to spend some
time in relationship counseling to repair trust. AND I'm
thankful that we HAVE managed our banking system
prudently, thus preventing widespread national economic
hardship. And I think Kinsella is quite right about the high
value of NGO's. But then he said that Conservative
partisans don't want to hear this because it "challenges
their entire world view." That's where I take issue with
Kinsella regarding Conservatism. Let's break it down to
its bare bones and take away the pet issues of the day.
Conservatism is people taking care of people. Liberalism
is government taking money from people and taking care
of people for us. Both are well meaning. Both involve care
for others. But one resonates more completely for me.
Conservatism believes in government assuring the frame-
work is there for business to be strong, so business can
be generous. Conservatism believes in government
assuring the freedoms of the individual, so individuals
can be generous. Conservatism believes that people can
take care of people more effectively (and COST-effectively)
than government can. NGO's are simply groupings of
passionate people with a heart to take care of one another;
which is great!
That SHOULD be the ideal in any scenario! The political
left's strategy to paint Conservatives as uncaring is a
misleading one. Its simply a DIFFERENT plan of attack.
Actually, I believe it's worse than misleading because in
doing so, it undercuts the empowerment of people and
leads to a habitual lack of trust. It robs people of the gift of
onus, removing personal social responsibly that we all
NEED to be complete, effective members of a community.
It's this very responsibility that we seem to have abdicated
as a society because of our assumptions that it's the
government's job to do this and that FOR us. It does not
serve us well.
Conservatism believes in
government assuring the
framework is there for
business to be strong, so
business can be generous.
One of the most wonderful Conservative vision-casts called the
Ten Cannots has been long misattributed to Abraham
Lincoln. It was actually written by William John Henry
Boetcker, a leading Presbyterian minister, thinker and
speaker in 1916. His thoughts are incredibly important:
You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging
thrift. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening
the strong. You cannot help little men by tearing
down big men. You cannot lift the wage earner by
pulling down the wage payer. You cannot help the
poor by destroying the rich. You cannot establish
sound security on borrowed money. You cannot
further the brotherhood of man by inciting class
hatred. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending
more than you earn. You cannot build character
and courage by destroying men's initiative and
independence. And you cannot help men
permanently by doing for them what they can and
should do for themselves.
I look forward to seeing NGO's, churches, non-profits and
groups of empowered Canadians revolutionizing this
nation with kindness. You HAVE the tools you need to be
a superhero. This change in mindset could change our land
for the better. PEOPLE taking care of people. Think about
the ripples economically, socially; even spiritually. Our
Governor General David Johnston has some WONDERFUL
things to say about how everyday philanthropy of regular
Canadians time, talent and treasure is a key to growing this
nation.
"All thinking will be moonshine unless we realize
that nothing but the courage and unselfishness of
individuals is ever going to make any system work
properly... You cannot make men good by law: and
without good men you cannot have a good society."
~C.S. Lewis
I support the party(s) that best principally reflects how
I believe principally about life. I don't support it because
it, or anyone in it, is the savior. Neither do I find any party
to be a perfect
You cannot strengthen the
weak by weakening the
strong. You cannot help
little men by tearing
down big men.
paradigm fully reflecting the full scope of my beliefs. This
is why I reserve my hope for higher place than politics. But
I believe people get into politics because they DO care, not
because they don't. I have friends who represent the whole
political spectrum. I respect them for caring and I believe
the feeling to be mutual. But it's incredibly important to be
analytical and strategic about the best way to make sure
our anthem is upheld as a land glorious and free. Then, lets
be ready to work hard for it in every sphere that influences
our society.
"I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free
to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I
think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or
free to choose those who shall govern my country.
This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for
myself and all mankind."
~John Diefenbaker
A Grander Vision of Conservatism
by Dave Carrol, Facebook: Dave Carrol
















































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































































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