City Life Magazine July/Aug 2021

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PATRICIA JAGGERNAUTH: BEAUTIFUL LIFE TIPS NEVER QUESTION THE PROCESS / WEATHER!

NATASHA KOIFMAN ON INTENTIONAL LIVING, STYLE + HER SHOPNK

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LEIA FALLICO NEEDS YOU: BE HER HERO + SAVE A LIFE

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CANADIANS WEAR ORANGE & GATHER TO HEAL AS A COUNTRY

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REMINDS US THAT LOVE CAN REALLY CONQUER ALL! AS THE WOMAN, ACTOR AND PRODUCER IN THE MOVIE

MALCOLM & MARIE p. 46

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RISE TO THE TOP. THIS IS THE HILL. Step up to The Hill with an exclusive enclave of spacious two and three bedroom modern urban townhomes at Bayview and Elgin Mills. Elevate your experience with an expansive private terrace and designer interiors.

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VOLUME 19 ISSUE 3 | JULY/AUG 2021

CONTENTS 38

COVER STORY

46

MALCOLM & MARIE: Q&A with Zendaya and John David Washington, leading co-stars of the electrifying black-and-white romantic drama that emerged from the pandemic

52 28

22 RAIN OR SHINE: At home with CP24’s weather specialist, Patricia Jaggernauth, whose sunny personality and approach shines through everything she does

28 SAY CHEESE: Meet the cheese-loving host, Afrim Pristine, behind Food Network Canada’s new docu-series, Cheese: A Love Story

38 INTENTIONAL LIVING WITH NATASHA KOIFMAN: The PR powerhouse and philanthropist shares her latest collection from her e-commerce platform, ShopNK

52 LEIA FALLICO: How this little girl’s health journey could make you the superhero you didn’t know you could be

16

DESIGN NEWS

22 26 WORTH THE WEIGHT: The Men behind Hush Blanket, Canada’s most popular weighted blankets

and the unimaginable recent discoveries of the unmarked graves of Indigenous children

34 SARAH MILROY: Getting to know

61 BEHIND THE NEWS: Global

McMichael’s chief curator and why the gallery’s upcoming exhibition, Uninvited, is upholding the artistic accomplishments of women

News anchor Farah Nasser opens up about family life, the importance of asking questions and the work she’s most proud of

56 A DARK PERIOD IN CANADIAN

HISTORY: The devastating impacts of residential school experiences

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More stories inside …

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The perfect pairing, now in bloom.

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Available for a limited time only, while supplies last. Containers may vary. ©2021 Edible IP, LLC. Edible®, Edible Arrangements®, and the Fruit July/Aug 2021 CITY LIFE MAGAZINE 13 Basket Logo are registered trademarks of Edible IP, LLC. All rights reserved.

PUBLISHER’S NOTE

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Fernando Zerillo Co-Founder/Creative Director

CONNECTING THE DOTS “We all are so deeply interconnected; we have no option but to love all. Be NLQG DQG GR JRRG IRU DQ\ RQH DQG WKDW ZLOO EH UHÁ HFWHG 7KH ULSSOHV RI WKH kind heart are the highest blessings of the Universe.”

— Amit Ray

O

ver these past many months, we have all been asked to adhere to restrictions that are completely unfamiliar to us. We have been asked to stay away from friends and family because if we were unwitting carriers of COVID-19, we could do extreme harm to them. This universal disconnect is antithetical to the existence of humankind, which, since the beginning of time, has been defined by the gathering together in tribes as a means of survival.

What was once a survival skill and a tribal quest for sustenance could well have been a gateway towards a deeper need for connection, and the ongoing existence of humankind.

We have learned from studying people living in Blue Zones, often defined as longevity hot spots, that older people who live with younger people tend to live longer than the norm.

In fact, grandparents who live at home and take care of their grandkids actually live a healthier and longer existence.

Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zone and a National Geographic Fellow, as well as a New York Times Best Selling Author, discovered five places in the world that are dubbed Blue Zones — where people live the longest and the healthiest: Okinawa, Japan; Sardinia, Italy; Nicoya, Costa Rica; Ikaria, Greece, and Loma Linda, California. While Canada is not one of the Blue Zones, there are things we can do to try to live longer and more fulfilling lives.

Our cover star, Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman, actress, singer and producer of the Netflix movie Malcom & Marie (starring alongside John David Washington), shares what happens when two individuals explore the various levels of human connection by learning how to be patient and empathetic. Story on page 46.

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Throughout history, there have been times when the milk of human kindness has been interrupted, when women and men have been unwilling or have chosen to become disconnected from the convenance of compassion and the thoughtful attributes of kindness and empathy.

When this happens, the spirit of humankind is negatively impacted and transformed.

And so, in the spirit of reconciliation and making amends, on June 30th of this year, Canadians right across the country rallied around their radios to actively listen to the voices of our fellow Indigenous Canadians. We listened to their stories and felt the crushing impact that the discoveries of the thousand-plus remains of Indigenous children on the sites of many Indian residential school sites is having on all Canadians, of every race, colour and creed. We cannot change our past, but we can certainly do our utmost to shape both our own futures and those of our children. Story on page 56.

We at City Life hope that you enjoy this latest issue of our magazine and even though we may not live in a Blue Zone, we can all do our part to adopt the many traits and habits that can aid us in living both a longer life, and also a more fulfilling one.

Until next time, stay healthy, curious and connected!

Michelle Zerillo-Sosa Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

Fernando Zerillo Co-Founder/Creative Director

@citylifemag / @amorebagstoronto / @fernandozerillo

www.mycitylife.ca

PUBLISHER/EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Michelle Zerillo-Sosa • michelle@dolce.ca DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca ART D E PARTM E NT

LIVE WELL. A HEALTHIER LIFE STARTS HERE. NatCan is a dynamic medical centre that is driven by a team of 15+ practitioners passionate about health promotion and illness prevention.

We strive to provide a place where people come to gain an empowered perspective on health, and a proactive approach to living the best life.

We welcome the opportunity to work with you.

CO-FOUNDER / CREATIVE DIRECTOR Fernando Zerillo • fernando@dolce.ca SENIOR GRAPHIC DESIGNER Christina Ban SENIOR UI/UX DESIGNER Yena Yoo WEB DEVELOPER Jordan Carter JUNIOR UI/UX DESIGNER Maria Korolenko DIGITAL CONTENT DESIGNER Marco Schirripa

Naturopathic Medicine • Weight Loss • Osteopathy • Orthotics • Chiropractic Massage Therapy • Supplements • Vitamin Drip • Physiotherapy • Homeopathy Natural Fertility Support • Natural Skincare & Oxygeneo Facial and More!

E D ITO R IAL D E PARTM E NT FASHION & HOME DÉCOR EDITOR Michelle Zerillo-Sosa BEAUTY & WELLNESS EDITOR Angela Palmieri-Zerillo CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jan Janssen, Rick Muller, Donna Paris, Cece M. Scott, Myles Shane, Josh Walker, Estelle Zentil COPY EDITORS & PROOFREADERS Samantha Acker, Catharine Chen, Jennifer D. Foster, Rob Tilley

Dr. Sylvia Santos MBS, ND Doctor of Naturopathic Medicine Clinic Director & Owner

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jamie McCarthy, Jesse Milns, Carlos A. Pinto SOCIAL MEDIA MANAGER & CONTENT CREATOR Reut Malca PR & EDITORIAL ASSISTANT Estelle Zentil

416-400-NAT0 (6280) Book Online: www.natcanintegrative.com @natcanteam 3905 Major Mackenzie Dr. W, Unit 102, Vaughan, Ont.

VI D E O D E PARTM E NT VIDEOGRAPHERS Daniel Cooper, Carlos A. Pinto PUBLISHER

DIRECT BILLING AVAILABLE

ADVERTISING T: 905-264-6789 info@mycitylife.ca DIRECTOR OF MARKETING Angela Palmieri-Zerillo • angela@dolce.ca SENIOR ACCOUNT MANAGERS Mario Balaceanu, Christina Bono ADVERTISING/MARKETING BOUTIQUE AGENCY

FRONT COVER Photography by Jamie McCarthy

City Life Magazine • Volume 19 • Issue 3 • July/Aug 2021 City Life Magazine is published by Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont., L4H 3H9 T: 905-264-6789 • F: 905-264-3787 info@mycitylife.ca • www.dolcemedia.ca Subscribe online at www.mycitylife.ca or by calling 905-264-6789. City Life Magazine’s yearly subscription fee is $60.

We accept Visa, MC & AMEX. Send cheque or money order to Dolce Media Group, 111 Zenway Blvd., Suite 30, Vaughan, Ont., L4H 3H9 Publication Mail Agreement No. 40026675 All rights reserved. Any reproduction is strictly prohibited without written consent from the publishers.

DISTRIBUTION AND CIRCULATION City Life Magazine reaches 294,810 readers per issue through household distribution and event partnerships across Canada. City Life is also available to over 100 million digital consumers of Magzter Inc. and Issuu.

Inquiries about where City Life Magazine is available for sale should be directed to Dolce Media Group: info@dolce.ca or 905-264-6789.

ISSN 1206-1778 Next Issue: Sept/Oct 2021 The opinions expressed in City Life Magazine are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher or advertisers. Dolce Media Group does not assume liability for content. The material in this magazine is intended for information purposes only and is in no way intended to supersede professional advice. We are proud to be a Canadian company that has successfully published magazines for the past 26 years without any government funding or financial assistance of programs to cover editorial costs. It has all been possible thanks to the wonderful support of our readers and advertisers. ©2021 Dolce Media Group • www.dolcemedia.ca • Printed in Canada

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DESIGN NEWS

From a larger-than-life-sized chess piece to an octopusshaped bottle holder, we’ve brought you unexpected items that will serve as perfect conversation pieces as we slowly shift into a post-pandemic world WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

ANTIQUE CHIC Sometimes, the most beautiful things come from the most unexpected places. As a purveyor of antiques, Béazley discovers the most precious vintage finds that you didn’t even know you were looking for. www.thisisbeazley.com

CHECKMATE This larger-than-life-sized chess piece takes the art of chess to a whole new level. Hand-carved through the craft of woodturning, the rook carve-out masters the intersection between furniture and sculpture. www.kalou.ca

MIST OF TIMELESSNESS A timeless addition to a modern living room, office or bedroom, this Chanel artwork, painted by local artist Logan Zatzman, will leave a lasting impression in any space it lives in. @logan.z.art

OFFICE UPGRADE More of a showpiece than a desk, this mid-century modern solid acacia wood frame includes decorative and convenient accoutrements, such as brass iron hardware and four drawers, to provide ample space. zillihome.com

IN HONOUR OF PRIDE Inspired by the Pride flags of different 2SLGBTQ+ identities, IKEA Canada has teamed up with artists active in the 2SLGBTQ+ community to create a colourful collection of loveseats, encouraging people of all sexual orientations and gender identities to feel at home. www.ikea.com/ca

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For Those Who Value Rarity In Its Truest Form Imagine a work of exquisite artistry, crafted to your personal vision. The realization of your most refined expectations.

Only thirty custom homes in the sky. The rarest materials. The finest finishes. The most desired details. All standard. Or we can customize with no limits to your self expression. Explore the endless ways 89 Avenue outshines all others.

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Illustrations are artist’s concept. Prices and specifications subject to change without notice. Brokers protected. E.&O.E. 2021

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DESIGN NEWS

PENDANT PLAY With its scallop design and subtle organic form, this four-light Bremen pendant is incredibly versatile when it comes to the style of home it could illuminate — whether coastal, transitional or farmhouse. shop.primalighting.ca

MAKE YOUR BED A good night’s sleep starts with a beautiful bed, and that’s why the Wild Sage collection by Bed Bath & Beyond is a simple, yet powerful way to enhance your daily routine from morning to night. www.bedbathandbeyond.ca

OUT OF OFFICE With the help of Canaroma’s exclusive line of bath and tile products, including Versace’s classic ceramics, you’ll be able to transform your bathroom into an athome spa oasis for you and yours. www.canaroma.ca

DRUNK OCTOPUS A playful spin on the classic Tuscan pairing of red wine and polpo, this octopus-shaped bottle holder is a humorous and quirky dinner-table showpiece — ensuring everyone is in good spirits. www.kare-design.com

PILLOW POP Without having to fully commit to a home décor trend, there’s no better way to accent a space than adding pillows — proving that small details make a big difference. www.anthropologie.com

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LIGHTING |

FURNITURE | ACCESSORIES

| WALL

Shop now at primalighting.ca 255 Bass Pro Mills Drive l Vaughan, Ont. l 905 851 1188 www.mycitylife.ca

July/Aug 2021

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A DV E R TO R I A L

LIFE IN COLOUR

Steeles Paint stocks a family of black paints, ideal for adding either sophistication or striking detail to a project

For over 30 years, Steeles Paint has been Toronto’s one-stop shop for premier paint

Owner and founder Claudio Grisolia (left) has been joined in the family business by son Devon (right)

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With that in mind, the store has a decorating studio offering expert advice, a huge selection of paints and a dedicated Spray Centre that sells, rents and repairs paint equipment.

That attention to detail extends to products that are eco-friendly, eliminating or limiting toxic chemicals, as well as to custom stain-matching services. With a mantra that something can be coloured, no matter the size of the project, Steeles Paint is ready for your paint needs.

4190 Steeles Ave. W., Woodbridge, Ont. 905-850-4040 www.steelespaint.com

www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY OF BENJAMIN MOORE

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

A

s Canada’s largest independent paint store for both homeowners and industry professionals, with a staff with up to 30 years’ experience and the country’s biggest Benjamin Moore paint selection, Steeles Paint has a number of accolades under its belt.

Not only is Steeles Paint the largest store for paints in Canada, it’s also the best equipped, and has established a reputation for helping customers solve all manner of paint problems. “Whether it’s adding black accents to a bedroom wall in a way that works stylistically or choosing the right product for your outdoor decking and fences, our instore design specialists won’t just help you pick the right product, they’ll help you navigate the technicalities of using it,” says Claudio Grisolia, President at Steeles Paint.

A BACKYARD TO ESCAPE TO

T R A V E L

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G R E A T . . .

but your backyard is a place you can escape to every day.

No packing. No lineups. No boarding passes. Check out our 5-star backyards. And get away every day.

VISIT CEDARSPRINGS.CA/ESCAPE

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July/Aug 2021

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Entertainment

a i c i r t Pa

JAGGERNAUTH:

A SUNNY DISPOSITION As she approaches her 10th year at CP24, the weather specialist, reporter and TV personality talks creative hustles, activism and what it is about the weather that brings us all together

T

hough she’s worked as a model, actress and live reporter, it’s the process of telling stories that Patricia Jaggernauth lives for.

As she said to us when we spoke to her from her home in Toronto, “If I can tell a story, or my story, that inspires just one person, then I know my purpose is complete.”

As well as working on a number of personal projects, her career has seen her featured on CTV, Global TV and MTV. She’s been honoured with the Harry Jerome Award from the Black Business and Professional Association and was awarded the Media Tribute Award for her contributions to charity.

Since 2011, she’s been working as both a remote reporter for Toronto’s breaking news and a weather specialist at CP24.

“It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what you look like, your background, age, creed or descent, weather affects us all exactly the same,” she explains. “In a way, weather is this unspoken connector, 22

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even with two souls who haven’t met before.”

When she was younger, Jaggernauth described herself as “well-rounded,” exploring sports, music, athletics and trying all sorts of career choices to determine what she wanted to do in the future. At one point, she even dabbled in criminal and corporate law, getting experience in a law firm.

She was also fiercely independent, something for which she credits her mom by having her at the young age of 17. “We’re almost like sisters,” she continues. “I didn’t bring myself up, but I had to become independent quickly.”

Today, that’s come full circle, with her mom working as a social service worker and advocate for teenagers and young parents. “When you have the courage to believe things happen the way they’re meant and when you stop questioning the process and start living it, it’s beautiful,” Jaggernauth says.

But it wasn’t until Jaggernauth and her mom came across an advertisement about a pageant, and Jaggernauth thought the cash prize might help her

get through college, that she got her first taste of performance. “Something came alive on that stage,” she says.

“People I didn’t know were rooting for me. All I could feel was a positivity pouring from the crowd in front of me.” The more pageants she entered, the more comfortable she was in front of an audience. Eventually, she saw a broadcast journalism program offered at Seneca College and knew it was the direction she wanted to go.

During those studies, she landed a placement at a small digital broadcast channel focused on music and celebrities. After being hired, she was unexpectedly let go. The reason? The way she looked. “The owner said, ‘I don’t think you look like my viewers, so we don’t think it’s a fit anymore,’” she shared. “This was my moment where I thought, is this because of my skin colour and race?

That chapter was over. As Michelle Obama says, ‘When they go low, we go high.’”

And she did go high, going on to get a job as a host, writer and producer www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY JESSE MILNS

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

While Jaggernauth had a number of interests at school, her first experience in performance was at a pageant

www.mycitylife.ca

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at BITE TV, a network that beat Japan and the United States in 2007 in winning an Emmy Award.

“Imagine if I’d given up on myself because of one bad incident,” she reflects.

Now, especially, Jaggernauth is passionate about moving that conversation forward, not just oncamera, but also behind the scenes.

As someone who is half-Guyanese and half-Jamaican, she urges upper management to acknowledge the diversity problem and make a conscious effort to diversify their staff. “The problem growing up was that I saw no people like me,” she explains. “So, you look on TV and say, ‘If no one looks like me, how am I going to get there?’ We all looked up to Oprah, but she was the only one doing it. I unapologetically believe in who I am. I am a mixed-race woman who comes from a background that mashes two cultures.”

Though she states there’s still more work to be done, she does believe change is happening. “You can turn on the TV, and young ones watching

tuning in and, especially with the nature of the conversation and how depressing our current realities are, they look to me as a natural, non-medicinal boost.”

Even on social media, where she’s amassed a following of more than 260,000 people on Instagram alone, she uses her platforms to spread joy and positivity. “If I could take you into my DMs, whether it’s grandparents, parents, teenagers, I have messages from thousands of people saying, ‘Thank you for keeping my days sunny.’”

Alongside her industry work, Jaggernauth is also an activist and works with the arrive alive DRIVE SOBER charity, which is on a mission to eliminate impaired driving in Ontario. As well as providing programs to address impaired driving, the initiative provides a forum for people and communities to share relevant resources and information. “It’s a privilege to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, not a right,” Jaggernauth

When you have the courage to believe things happen the way they’re meant to and when you stop questioning the process and start living it, it’s beautiful

can sift through the channels and see someone they look like, which is so powerful.”

Whether she’s on our television screens or speaking in a more direct conversation like this, Jaggernauth is overflowing with positivity and aware of her role and responsibility in being a ray of sunshine amid the struggles the world currently faces. “People are

Alongside her broadcast work, Jaggernauth is a passionate advocate for the arrive alive DRIVE SOBER charity

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www.mycitylife.ca

Jaggernauth has a keen interest in fashion, launching her own fashion and accessories boutique

says. “Especially in the news, you hear about people who lose their lives. I want to take the power of what we do at CP24 to the next level.”

Her collaboration with the charity came to a creative peak when, in 2013, she wrote a song with her grandfather, someone she’s incredibly close to, on his porch about not drinking and driving.

“The words poured out of me, and together we came up with these lyrics and rhymes in 15 minutes.” Around the same time, the Rezza Brothers had approached her about a career in singing. After time in the studio with the pair, the song was born, and arrive alive began using it to spread awareness across its outreach channels.

Whether it’s using her social media as an opportunity to network and share her positive stance, or saying she’ll always remain freelance, because “it’s the only way to stay powerful in my role,” Jaggernauth is a creative hustler at heart. A result of that is PJ GLAMGIRL, an online fashion and accessories boutique, which stocks an assortment of dresses, tops, jumpsuits www.mycitylife.ca

and accessories. It was born from the frustrations she’d experienced preparing to go on camera.

“I never liked the way people did my makeup or didn’t know how to do my hair,” she shares. “I didn’t feel I was being understood from an artistic point of view, so I said, ‘I’m going to learn how to do this myself.’” And that’s what she did, learning how to prepare herself for the camera. Soon enough, those same feelings started to translate to the clothes she was wearing and the way she was styled. “I just felt that if I don’t do it myself, I’ll be suppressed creatively and won’t be able to shine in my true self.”

Pair that with the constant flurry of messages Jaggernauth receives on social media about what she’s wearing, and PJ GLAMGIRL was born. As well as sourcing the products, the brand actually started with Jaggernauth designing her own pieces, showing again the expanse of her creativity. “There are no limits, and I wanted it so my fans could have a piece of me with them. It was another way to deepen the connection with

those who support me. It’s that simple.”

When you look at the steps Jaggernauth has taken to get to where she is and the work she’s put into her different projects, it would be easy to call her a success. But, it’s something simpler and more authentic that defines what that exactly means for her. “[Success is] when you wake up every day with love in your heart, kindness for others and knowing you’ve woken up to do something you love. Where you’re not just going to a job, but also a space you occupy that feeds your soul,” she says. “Success cannot be measured, and it should not be compared. Everyone is on their own journey and has their own purpose to fulfill.”

And, even when she talks about overcoming the down days, her response is fitting. “You wake up with gratitude and knowing the sun will always come out,” she says. “Just because the clouds are heavy, the sun is always up there. It will always rise.” www.patriciajtv.com @patricia_j

July/Aug 2021

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Entrepreneurship

PHOTO BY CARLOS A. PINTO

WORTH THE WEIGHT

Lior Ohayon and Aaron Spivak brought their talents and business expertise together to create weightedblanket brand Hush

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www.mycitylife.ca

After a 2019 appearance on Dragon’s Den, Hush’s popularity went mainstream. Its co-founders discuss the impact of the show and what they’re doing now to give back INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

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hile both grew up in Thornhill, Ontario, Lior Ohayon and Aaron Spivak’s route to entrepreneurship was different. Where Spivak talks of starting a cold-press juice business with his brothers and mother, spurred by a shared interest in health, wellness and athletics, Ohayon describes himself as more of a bookworm, with his first taste of entrepreneurship coming from working with clients on digital marketing.

The two partnered in 2017, when they brought their talents and expertise together to launch Hush, a brand known today for selling Canada’s best weighted blankets. It’s a product that applies pressure over the whole body, acting as a hug or cocoon while you sleep. You may think they’re impractical for summer, but their Hush Iced uses technology that makes it stays cool, even in warm weather.

“I worked in a summer camp with special needs children in 2011, and they had a stimulation room, including things on the wall you could touch or sounds you could hear,” says Ohayon. “They had these blankets, and I remember wanting to go back to this room because I loved them so much. When I approached Aaron with the idea six years later, it was about making a version of these blankets that was premium, looks good on your bed, for anyone who has a sleeping disorder, sensory disorder, or is suffering from anxiety or stress.”

The science behind weighted blankets has been well documented, with research showing that Deep Touch Pressure Stimulation (DTPS) helps people fall into a deeper sleep faster so they feel better and more rested when they wake. Paired with the fact that 30 per cent of Canadians suffer from a sleeping disorder and, as of 2021, www.mycitylife.ca

particularly with the pandemic, one in five Canadians screened positive for symptoms of depression, anxiety or post-traumatic stress disorder, and you see the importance of something like Hush.

Though the Hush brand has moved from strength to strength since its launch, a defining moment was their appearance on Dragon’s Den in 2019, where they received an offer of investment from all six dragons. “It

We very much believe in profit with purpose.

We’re unwavering in our support for the community accelerated our growth in the same way you could say the pandemic accelerated our growth,” Ohayon says. “It took us to the next stage, quickly. It put us in front of millions of Canadians overnight, essentially doubling or even tripling our business. It’s not just being on the show.

It’s the social proof and being able to tell our customers, who now trust us more.”

It was also during this television appearance that they publicly announced their GiveBack Blanket Donation Program, during which the brand donates one out of every 10 adult blankets sold and one out of every five children’s blankets sold to different charities. “We target all kinds of issues, from youth centres and homelessness to similar camps that Lior donated his

time to when we found out about the blankets,” says Spivak. “In 2020, we donated close to a million dollars worth of blankets. We very much believe in profit with purpose. We’re unwavering in our support for the community.”

That support doesn’t just exist with donations, either. Spurred by the devastating impact of COVID-19 on small businesses, Hush launched an initiative to help them weather the storm. “We sent out an email and through our social media channels to say we want to work with a small business and use everything at our disposal to help support them, from website creation to video, logistics, packaging, sourcing and our database of customers,” Spivak continues.

After receiving thousands of applications, they decided to partner with Morning Glow, a brand making eco-friendly candles by hand in Toronto.

“We launched 400 candles, and it sold out over the weekend. She was able to kick-start her whole business, and now she’s got orders coming in left and right.”

Having opened a new warehouse in 2020, and with plans to expand into new products, the pair might not have a clear-cut plan of where the business will go, but it’s clear they’re moving in the right direction. “We make oneyear plans that don’t line up. We make quarterly plans that don’t line up,” says Spivak. “We knew where we’d be from the very first day. Maybe the speed or progression no one could predict, but the conversations we’re having, the team we have, the things we’re executing are exactly what we said we’d be doing two or three years ago. Those were our dreams, and we’re living through it.” hush.ca @hushblankets

July/Aug 2021

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food

AFRIM PRISTINE:

With his original docu-series, Cheese: A Love Story, playing on Food Network Canada, we spoke to its host and the world’s youngest Maître Fromager on travelling, tasting and what makes cheese so universally appealing INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS

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www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

AS PASSIONATE AS IT GETS

As well as hosting Cheese: A Love Story, Pristine is the owner of Toronto’s Cheese Boutique

O

n June 9, we got the chance to follow Afrim Pristine’s journey, meeting with the world’s finest farmers, cheesemakers, shop owners, affineurs and chefs. It started in Switzerland, where viewers learned about the art of aging and the Gruyère, raclette, and fondue that the region is known for. From there, the show will sweep us through France, Greece, Toronto, Quebec and British Columbia, with each episode taking a deep dive into the different approaches these regions take when it comes to cheese.

“I want people to look at cheese not as just food, but also as an art form,” says Pristine. “The people who make cheese don’t always have that voice to go out and talk to the public, like I do, or have an Instagram account. That’s my job … to honour the cheesemakers, those who age cheese and anyone involved in the cheese business. I try to be a voice for them.”

For Pristine, the love for cheese began when he was young. He’s the owner of Cheese Boutique, a family business and celebration of the product in Toronto that was founded when his family moved to Canada. “My family opened up a tiny shop with four employees: my grandfather, my grandmother, my father and my uncle,” he shares. “We had one little cheese counter. Fiftyone years later, we have over 100 staff, a lot of family members involved and a second location just opening up.”

It was in this environment that Pristine was introduced to what goes into making cheese. He learned about it in the same way as his father did, through a process he describes as “trial by fire.” Whether it’s learning to milk a cow or knowing how to properly age the product, each cheese has its own nuances to master. By working alongside

www.mycitylife.ca

some of the best cheesemakers on the planet, as well as on farms and in cheese factories, Pristine has been a part of many of those nuances.

“Butchers, winemakers, bakers and cheesemakers are very specific niches.

You get into that field to learn as much as you can and to be an expert in that one field,” he explains. “You talk about passion and work. That’s as passionate as it gets.”

Yet, even with a life spent around cheese, what made shooting Cheese: A Love Story so rewarding was that it delivered something new around every corner. Of the whole series, he says that 75 per cent to 80 per cent is material he’d never seen or heard about before.

He shares stories of making cheese from the sap of figs with a food historian in the outskirts of Athens. He also talks of cooking in Normandy with a Michelinstarred chef, pairing scallops with cheese, onions and white wine.

“I’ve travelled the world discovering cheese, even prior to the show. Every country I’ve visited is, [in] one way or another, consuming cheese. France and Italy are two cheese superpowers. But go to Japan, Vietnam, Peru — there might not be as much fanfare, but it’s an important ingredient to their diet and cuisine. Cheese is a food that’s loved all over the world. No matter where you go, the cheese culture is different. That’s the best part.” As Pristine shares, “You could do 200 episodes of this and go to every country in the world.”

When asked what it is about cheese in which we all find comfort and exploration, Pristine feels it comes down to our personal connection to it in the past. “I think it’s a nostalgic, comforting food,” he says. “The most famous foods in the world — pizza, pasta, cheeseburgers — cheese is the most important thing.”

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The show talks viewers through different cheeses in Switzerland, France, Greece, Quebec, Toronto and British Columbia

He also feels cheese has come into its own, particularly recently. “People are well-versed in food and cheese, more than ever,” he says. “They’re excited by really good cheese, which they want to be farmed sustainably and responsibly.

I love that, because it shows they care.”

Cheese is also something Pristine calls “smart,” for the fact that it’s evolved to feed everyone, including those who are lactose intolerant or vegan. “The plant-based cheese world is booming,” he says. “No question. The products being made now are very exciting.”

In his more than 25 years of experience in the field, Pristine has moved from strength to strength. In 2007, he was named the youngest Canadian recipient of Confrérie des Chevaliers du Taste Fromage de 30

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I want people to look at cheese not as just food, but also as an art form

France’s Chevalier. In 2010, that was upgraded to Officier du Fromage. In 2013, France’s Guilde Internationale des Fromagers, which represents more than 5,000 dairy professionals, named him the youngest and only Canadian Maître Fromager.

For all the milestones and successes Pristine has met, Cheese: A Love Story is a clear career highlight. “It’s been a dream to have a show like this. To have the opportunity to travel, visit colleagues of mine and meet new people I’ve never met, but loved from afar,” he says.

With his Cheese Boutique store as well, it’s grown to a point where he could start giving back to the community, something he’s passionate about. “We felt the need to help our community, because we’re in a capacity where we could, and many years ago the community helped us,” he says.

A particular focus of those efforts has been with St. Joseph’s Hospital, where he, his brother and niece were born, and where his grandparents passed away.

“Forty years after I was born there, they invited me to be on the board of directors for all of the philanthropic work we’ve done,” he shares. “Of anything that’s happened to me, that’s one of the best moments of my life.”

Along with joining the board at St. Joseph’s, Pristine’s business has established the Cheese Boutique Mental Health Promise Fund, which raises money that goes toward St. Joseph’s Health Centre Foundation.

To date, he says, it’s the second biggest mental-health program in Toronto, and has raised more than $1 million in the last 10 years.

Despite it all, it’s clear he hasn’t forgotten where it all began. “When you are part of something that’s bigger than you as an individual, it’s special,” he says, reflecting on the early part of his life. “Cheese provided for my family and put food on my table. And, to work alongside my dad, brothers, sisterin-law, niece, nephew — all with the same goal in mind to spread the joy of cheese … those are amazing memories.”

Cheese: A Love Story is on at 8 p.m.

ET on Food Network Canada. cheeseboutique.com @afrimpristine www.mycitylife.ca

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Deputy Mayor, Local and Regional Councillor MARIO FERRI

SUMMER 2021 NEWSLETTER

Dear Friends and Neighbours,

W

e are living in challenging times.

COVID-19 has fundamentally changed our way of life. We have all had to adapt. Many of us know a friend, a neighbour or a family member who sadly has been affected by COVID-19. To them, I extend my deepest condolences. I am thankful for the creativity and resiliency of our staff, who have made it possible for us to continue the work of the city and region. Together, with

other levels of government, public health, businesses and community, we are getting ready to move toward a new normal. This newsletter will outline some of the work done during this period, and the results achieved at the city and the at region levels. It’s a privilege and an honour to serve you. Please contact O[ QHƂ EG HQT CP[ KPSWKTKGU KPHQTOCVKQP QT assistance that you may need. Stay safe, stay well.

CITY OF VAUGHAN & YORK REGION HIGHLIGHTS & ACHIEVEMENTS &,7< 2) 9$8*+$1 <25. 5(*,21 +,*+/,*+76 $&+,(9(0(176 Battling COVID-19 and Moving towards a New Normal

• While COVID-19 has been dominating the work of the city and TGIKQP YG EQPVKPWG VQ HWNƂ N VJG QVJGT duties and responsibilities. r 9KVJ VJG Ƃ TUV XCEEKPCVKQP TCVG reaching 70% among adults and youth aged 12+ in York Region, we are getting ready for a gradual reopening of programs, starting in June.

• Visit york.ca/COVID19vaccine or call 1-877-464-9675 to book a vaccine appointment.

Keeping Property Taxes and Fees low Municipal property tax increases: five-year average (2016–2020)

r %QWPEKN XQVGF HQT C VCZ KPETGCUG HQT Vaughan in 2021 and 1.54 % for the region.

• Water and waste water were kept at 2.5% for the city and 0% for the region. r 0Q EWVU KP UGTXKEG QPN[ UGTXKEG CFLWUVOGPVU to help deal with COVID-19.

will be larger than New York City’s Central Park

$

late penalty charge on INTERIM PROPERTY TAX BILLS

Building and Expanding Roads to Ease Traffic Congestion

• Major Mackenzie Drive widening to six lanes, from Pine Valley to Highway 50 (2021). Major Mackenzie Drive from Keele Street to McNaughton Road adding a centre turn lane (2021).

• Rutherford Road from Jane Street to Barrhill Road widening to six lanes (2021).

• Teston Road from Weston Road to Pine Valley widening to four lanes (2021).

• Bathurst Street HTQO *KIJYC[ VQ /CLQT /CEMGP\KG &TKXG YKFGPKPI VQ UKZ lanes, starting 2023.

• Keele Street HTQO 5VGGNGU #XGPWG VQ YKFGPKPI VQ UKZ NCPGU

900- acre

NORTH MAPLE REGIONAL PARK

CITY WAIVED

CANCELLED MORE THAN

30,000

trees have been planted as part of the city’s treereplacement plan

2020 WATER AND WASTE WATER RATE INCREASES

DEFERRED ANNUAL STORMWATER CHARGE

135% INCREASE

in online library card registration

DEADLI N E D EXTE N DE FOR ELDERLY

HOMEOWNERS’ TAX ASSISTANCE

PROGRAM

CONTACT INFORMATION: /CLQT /CEMGP\KG &T 8CWIJCP 1PV . # 6 r GZV r OCTKQ HGTTK"XCWIJCP EC 32

CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

July/Aug 2021

www.mycitylife.ca

Deputy Mayor, Local and Regional Councillor MARIO FERRI

SUMMER 2021 NEWSLETTER

Roads and Transit Annual Capital Investment

REGIONAL ACCOMPLISHMENTS

• Fleet • Garages • Terminals • Technology

• Roads • Bridges • Signals • Illumination • Maintenance Facilities • Technology

Investing in Public Transit r 6JG ;QPIG 0QTVJ 5WDYC[ 'ZVGPUKQP YCU CRRTQXGF CPF HWPFGF CPF construction is scheduled for 2023. r 6JG )1 6TCPUKV UGTXKEG KU DGKPI GZRCPFGF VQ 4WVJGTHQTF 4QCF CPF McNaughton Road. r 6JG XKXC0GZV TCRKFYC[ RTQLGEV QP *KIJYC[ 9GUV KU PQY QRGP HQT UGTXKEG and complete.

Serving on Council, Committees and Boards to Address the Needs of our City and Region: r %JCKT 4GIKQPCN 'PXKTQPOGPV 5GTXKEG • Chair, City, Older Adult Task Force • Vice-Chair, City, Economic Prosperity Task Force • Director, York Region Rapid Transit Corporation • Director, Vaughan Public Library Broad oad Policy Pol d Finan and Finance Health

22,000

STREETLIGHTS CONVERTED TO LED

GREAT NEWS CORTELLUCCI VAUGHAN HOSPITAL OPENED ITS DOORS TO THE PUBLIC ON JUNE 6, 2021

Region’s role: balance the needs of seniors with all residents Region’s role: keep seniors healthier, longer

ng in Place Pl Aging

Region’s role: support age-friendly, complete communities

Staying aying Safe Sa Connec and Connected

Region’s role: connect seniors and caregivers to the right programs and services at the right times

DID YOU KNOW? • York Region is now home to more than 54,000 businesses and 650,000 jobs.

• The region saw a 2.2% increase in employment growth from 2018, continuing to outpace national and provincial employment rates for the fifth consecutive year.

• An estimated 654,650 jobs were added in York Region as of mid-2019.

• A total of 13,800 jobs were added between 2018 and 2019.

• A total of 78% of surveyed employment jobs are in the service-producing sector.

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July/Aug 2021

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Art

SARAH MILROY:

REBALANCING THE NARRATIVE

The McMichael’s chief curator on growing up in Vancouver, ignorance and why the gallery’s upcoming exhibition, Uninvited, is a behemoth for upholding the artistic accomplishments of women

G

rowing up, Sarah Milroy was never far from art.

Her mother, Elizabeth Nichol, started Vancouver’s Equinox Gallery with a vision to combine the best of contemporary Canadian and international art. Her house was home to pieces by Andy Warhol, David Hockney and Canadian artists, including Jack Bush and E. J. Hughes, as well as early memories of swimming at British Columbia’s Savary Island and bear cubs making their way into the garden.

It was in this atmosphere — where she had to explain to her friends why there was such thought-provoking work lining the walls — that Milroy savoured her first taste of talking about art. “My mother created this highly charged space where people could come together and would always have questions,” she says. “It was a lovely place to grow up.”

From there, Milroy studied English 34

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literature at McGill University and Cambridge University and then obtained a master’s in art history at Hunter College in New York City. Originally, she planned to be a teacher, but after an exhibition of Paraskeva Clark’s work in Halifax (who incidentally features on the cover of the book that the McMichael is about to publish), Milroy knew her future held a career in art. “She had a very special place in my life, because she was the ‘on’ switch,” Milroy says. “I saw this show, and her paintings were all about social issues and the city. They had portraits, and it was historical Canadian art, but not about landscape. I was struck by that.”

After writing about the exhibition for Canadian Forum, which is a literary, cultural and political publication, she moved to Toronto and started writing for Canadian Art magazine as assistant editor, then associate editor, and eventually became chief art critic at

The Globe and Mail. “I always thought my focus would be around writing and literature, but it’s turned out my career’s been about writing about art.” Milroy is driven by education and learning, and she believes that the more she learns, the more ignorant she feels. “There are so many stories and wonderful people to study, both living and long gone,” she says. “So many connections between historic artists. It makes me feel quite frantic.”

Today, Milroy is chief curator at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, a Kleinburg, Ont.-based gallery that began when Robert and Signe McMichael began collecting art in their home. As well as answering endless emails and researching artists and their work, Milroy and the museum are working diligently to widen the collection. “We’re working hard to diversify historical holdings, buy work from contemporary living women and bring BIPOC [black, Indigenous www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MCMICHAEL CANADIAN ART COLLECTION

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

and people of colour] voices into the collection,” she says. “We’re trying to rebalance the narrative that the McMichael can tell about what Canada is and where it comes from.”

Alongside her involvement in the industry, Milroy’s mother believed there’s no such thing as a stupid question and set out to create spaces that were welcoming, where artists and patrons could come together as equals.

It’s something that was inspirational for Milroy and drives the atmosphere for which the McMichael is known.

“There was a real feeling of solidarity with the artist at her gallery and a dignity and importance around what they did. She set a tone of respect and pleasure, where people could talk freely and be relaxed. That’s something I try to emulate,” she continues. “The McMichael is an informal place. It started as a home and then it grew, so it retains a lot of the feeling and hospitality of a home. We want to create a sense of homecoming and a safe space for people to explore different cultures and ways of looking at history and Canadian identity.”

The McMichael’s latest exhibition, Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment, is set to open on Sept. 9. Featuring more than 200 pieces of art by women painters, photographers, sculptors, architects and filmmakers, it’s described as “a monument to the talent of Canadian women artists in the interwar period.”

“What we’ve pulled together here is thunderous,” Milroy shares. “The catalogue has 40 essays in it. There are artists from all across Canada, including settlers and Indigenous women, and immigrants making careers in Canada in that 1920–45 period. That’s the period of Canadian art that’s dominated by the Group of Seven and landscape painting. This exhibition is a massive correction, showing the dark side of the moon.”

Milroy is also hoping it’s an exhibition that will prompt people to reach out and connect with the museum about pieces held in families that could eventually find a home at the McMichael. “We have 6,000 works in our collection,” she explains. “By museum standards, it’s small. It’s good www.mycitylife.ca

We’re trying to rebalance the narrative that the McMichael can tell about what Canada is and where it comes from but focused. Everything we bring in gets used. We really put our conscience on display. We rotate regularly. We lend liberally to colleagues, so nothing is wasted.”

The exhibition is set to be next in a number of successes in Milroy’s life.

In 2020, for her role in promoting Canadian art and artists, she was made a Member of the Order of Canada. She describes getting the call a “total shock,”

not just because it’s unusual for someone in her profession to get the award, but also because it spoke to the legacy of her father, John Nichol. As a Liberal politician and senator who served in the Second World War, Milroy saw the award connecting to the passion he had for his country. “He loved B.C., and he really loved his country,” she says. “I feel I get that part from my father, and the art part from my mum.”

But for all the successes that Milroy has experienced, her defining moment to date was the opening of the U.K.’s first exhibition dedicated to Canadian artist Emily Carr at London’s Dulwich Picture Gallery. “That show in London included historic work from the collections of the British Museum, National Museum of Scotland, Pitt Rivers Museum and other leading U.K. museums, as well as Carr’s paintings,” Milroy says. “There was an incredible sense of place. [Emily Carr’s] career reset the parameters of what women’s lives could be and the creative freedoms they could embrace.”

When you speak with Milroy, you quickly realize her job is more than just looking at art. It’s about rebalancing

Pegi Nicol MacLeod (1904–1949) Head of a Woman, c. 1930 oil on plywood 30.6 × 25 cm The Robert McLaughlin Gallery, Oshawa Purchase, 1981 1981MP34

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WITH PERMISSION OF THE ROYAL ONTARIO MUSEUM © ROM

© ESTATE OF YVONNE MCKAGUE HOUSSER

Yvonne McKague Housser (1898–1996) Marguerite Pilot of Deep River (Girl with Mulleins), c. 1932 oil on canvas 76.2 x 61 cm McMichael Canadian Art Collection Gift of the Founders, Robert and Signe McMichael

Elizabeth Katt Petrant (Anishinaabeg; Ojibwa) Cradleboard and moss bag, 1919–1938 wood, cotton cloth, glass beads, metal 65 × 27.5 × 25 cm Royal Ontario Museum Collection, Toronto Gift of Madeline Katt Theriault, 998.134.3.1

I do believe people’s homes and their collections are, in a sense, an autobiography Sarah Milroy

Uninvited

A monument to the talent of Canadian women artists in the interwar period, Uninvited: Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment provides a full and diverse, cross-country survey of the art made by women during this pivotal moment, incorporating the work of both settler and Indigenous visual artists in a stirring affirmation of female creative voice.

Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment

Uninvited Canadian Women Artists in the Modern Moment

The McMichael’s Uninvited exhibition features more than 200 pieces of art spanning painting, photography and sculpture

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narratives, exploring esthetics and both celebrating and exploring stories every piece has to tell. When curating a space, Milroy describes the process as having “a creative intuition and esthetic impulse behind how you bring the objects together and how you make the objects talk to each other in a way that the audience can overhear.” When you look at Milroy’s trajectory, hear her talk about those experiences and her upbringing surrounded by some of art’s greats, it makes sense that it all comes together so seamlessly.

Even in her own home, the objects she surrounds herself with tell a story. “I do believe people’s homes and their collections are, in a sense, an autobiography,” she says. “People choose the things they’re going to live with, because they tell a story in [a] space about who they are.”

From where she’s sitting, speaking with us, she mentions being able to see a small painting from an artist she mentored, currently studying at Goldsmiths in London (U.K.), as well

as a ceramic pot by her daughter, Nellie, who is also busy studying in London.

She talks of a painting by Gathie Falk, a gift to her from her mother as a wedding present. “It’s placed in the middle of the kitchen, where most of family life unravels,” she shares. “There’s meaning around not only what objects are in the house, but also where they’re placed.”

She continues to say that her living space isn’t curated, as you might expect.

“It’s piled with books, guitars, paintings, art my kids made,” she laughs. “It’s not a pristine, modernist house. It’s an arts and crafts pile.”

It’s this connection to people, whether they’re artists, patrons or family, which underpins everything. As she says, “Art brings you closer to how another human being experiences the world. There’s a tremendous intimacy with these strangers that you’ll never meet. A lot of pleasure in art is esthetic, but a lot is rooted in my curiosity about the human experience.”

It’s the moments that turn up in the most unexpected places, however, that

have the most impact. On the way to her interview, where she would take the position at the McMichael, Milroy tells us she started talking with her Uber driver. She learned she had moved to Canada from Somalia five years before, escaping an arranged marriage and making a life for herself. When she asked what Milroy was doing in a suit on a Sunday, she responded by telling her she was interviewing to be the chief curator of the McMichael Canadian Art Collection. She shared with Milroy how much she loved the place.

“She told me that, when she first arrived from Somalia, she went there with her children. Everyone made her feel so welcome, and it helped her understand where she’d landed,” Milroy says. “She said, ‘I looked at those paintings and felt that was my introduction to Canada.’ All sorts of people coming from all sorts of places can feel comfortable here, and that’s what it’s all about.” mcmichael.com @mcmichaelgallery

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CITY LIFE MAGAZINE

July/Aug 2021

PHOTO BY JESSE MILNS

Natasha Koifman has pioneered her own path in public relations, representing some of the world’s most notable brands. Now, she’s sharing her very own curated e-commerce platform that focuses on a hand-picked collection of her favourite home items

www.mycitylife.ca

Intentional Living

Natasha Koifman: “I’M VERY SPECIFIC ABOUT WHO AND WHAT I AM”

The PR powerhouse shares her latest collection on ShopNK, an array of elevated home must-haves designed for purposeful living WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

I

n life, timing is everything — and those who have an acute understanding of where things are, and a preternatural feeling for where things are going, are best positioned to capitalize on ever-shifting trends and styles.

Cue Natasha Koifman, president of NKPR, a leading North American PR, artist management and digital agency.

The PR powerhouse’s ability to keep her finger on the pulse of fashion and industry and anticipating consumer tastes, while also understanding the ins and outs of her clients’ businesses and strategic visions, has helped NKPR support some of the world’s most coveted brands, including Swarovski, Manolo Blahnik, Lightspeed, Lanterra, Nature’s Bounty and Flow Water.

None of Koifman’s many achievements and professional accomplishments come as a surprise to anyone who’s met her. Her signature look — which she describes as “black, edgy and timeless” — announces her presence in any room around the world. Her curated tastes extend to her two black Labradors, KoD and Poe, and even the Zoom background during our interview, which was a modern black interior, featuring two modern chrome-framed black and white pictures of Marilyn Monroe and www.mycitylife.ca

Audrey Hepburn. As NKPR advises its clients on every project, don’t just talk — say something.

Despite appearances, Koifman feels most comfortable at home with loved ones: “I live the life of an extrovert because of my career, but I’m definitely an introvert. For me, home is my sanctuary.

I recharge at home, and so the meaning of home just means so much more to me, because it’s just my quiet place, my happy place.” While statements of this nature from public figures can come across as disingenuous or affected, with Koifman it’s clear that she means it. As she explains, her life path wasn’t always the easy route: “You sort of look at my life. I was 18 years old when I had my son. The odds were kind of stacked against me, in a way. Then, you fast forward, and my son is a lawyer now. I run a successful business, and I get to do what I love every single day, surrounded by people that I love working with every single day, and finally have a partner that I love living with every single day.

And it’s not to say you don’t go through hiccups along the way, and it’s not to say that life is going to be perfect all the time, but you learn along the way. I do believe that purposeful and intentional living is going to get you to where you want to be.”

It’s perhaps for this reason that Koifman is committed to paying forward her life’s successes. As the chair of the board for Artists for Peace and Justice Canada, having helped raise more than $33 million for schools in Haiti over the past 12 years, Koifman is most proud of her philanthropic accomplishments. “I just feel like, for me charity and cause has always been such a huge part of what has been important to me and truly one of the most fulfilling parts of my life. To be able to know that I helped a child open up their mind and their world to be able to give them an education.”

Motivated in part by her philanthropic commitments, in September 2019, Koifman launched ShopNK, a homethemed e-commerce platform with a curated selection of some of her favourite items. With each purchase, a portion of the proceeds is directed to an established charity of the buyer’s choice — one of five local and international organizations that include Artists for Peace and Justice, Best Buddies, Black Women in Motion, G(irls)20, Save Our Scruff and St. Felix Centre. “My hope with this site, in particular, is find your charity — it might not be APJ, it might not be any of the five — but, if you find something that you’re really connected July/Aug 2021

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Pictured at her residence in Toronto, Koifman’s newest collection of highly curated picks for ShopNK reflect items that make her feel most at home

to and passionate about, do it, and don’t give up on it, and give up your time. It’s not always money that they need, time, whatever you can give, because I truly believe we’re put on this earth to leave it better than when we came into it, right?

And, so, what’s your part? What are you going to do?” says Koifman.

Koifman, who has a strong, specific vision of who she is and the brand she has developed, entered the homegoods space by listening, anticipating and adapting to disruptive changes that have come with the pandemic.

ShopNK merges both philanthropy and home goods, highlighting the heightened awareness of their home living space that the pandemic has brought to consumers, and an increase in the importance of having a social conscience. Each piece for sale through ShopNK is carefully selected by Koifman herself. “I just thought, what are the things that are truly giving me that sense of comfort during this time, but even beyond this time. The thinking behind ShopNK is how do we sell merchandise and products that people 40

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PHOTO BY JESSE MILNS

Instead of winding down with a post-work cocktail, Koifman prefers to make herself a cup of tea by wellness brand L’Artisan Muse

I do believe that purposeful and intentional living is going to get you to where you want to be are excited about, but also encourage them to be more philanthropic? …

I truly put so much heart into every single item that’s curated there. And home is where the heart is, and I want to make sure that I’m surrounded by things that I love, that I hand-picked, that aren’t there by accident, but by choice.”

With each piece of her curated home collection, she’s managed to

align ShopNK with storytelling and with where the trends are heading, cultivating an authentic relationship with consumers. “I think that what people have realized is that there’s a need to invest in your home. Whether you continue to spend more time in your home or not, I think people are realizing that your home is your space and so you want to invest in that.”

When asked about some of her favourite pieces from ShopNK, she points to the Kashwére Signature Shawl Collar robe that she takes everywhere, even while staying at the world’s most luxurious resorts while travelling with her husband (whom she recently married in early June), Eric Hendrikx, to places like the remote hideaway, Amangiri, in Utah. “It’s so cozy. It’s one of the first things that I put on when I’m at home, and I just want to feel that sense of comfort, and I actually travel with it, as well.”

As a true romantic, Koifman shares how each piece is truly a piece of happiness from her life. The Cire Trudon Solis Rex candle is an example of how she carries her happiest moments into the line, recalling a memory she shared with Hendrikx when they travelled to Paris. “Eric and I went to Paris in October and obviously fell in love with Cire Trudon — they’re one of the oldest candlemakers in France. One of www.mycitylife.ca

The Pick of the crop

martellifoods.com

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For the

of food

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With every purchase made on ShopNK, 10 per cent of every sale goes back to a charity of the consumer’s choice — bringing a humanitarian mindset to modern retail

our date nights was a digital tour of the Palace of Versailles because you’re able to do them virtually and what he did was light one of the candles, which is the scent of the actual wood floor of the Palace of Versailles.”

Another signature line are the Redline bracelets that she always wears on her left wrist. “I love the Redline bracelets because in the Jewish faith, you put a little red string on babies’ outfits to ward off anything negative, and so I’ve always worn a red string somewhere on my body, and I discovered them years and years ago somewhere in Paris.”

Koifman’s strong sense of spirituality can be seen throughout the whole collection. As an avid tea drinker, her collection features a tea assortment made by a female BIPOC founder of wellness brand L’Artisan Muse. “Some people come home after work or after their full day of Zooms — they’ll have a glass of wine. I just don’t do that.

My way of unwinding is having a cup of tea, and so I believe if someone is selling me tea that’s a love tea, or a Zen tea, I buy into that ... and I feel that sense of calm.”

Whether it’s a cup of tea, a cashmere robe, or a piece of jewelry, it all goes back to intentionally living for Koifman. “I just think if you don’t live your life with intention and purpose, then you’re not 42

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sure of the direction you’re going in ...

I function like that in business, and I function like that in my personal life.

And so I feel like living your life with intention and purpose — those are the key ingredients to be able to achieve the goals you want to achieve.”

Given its social imperative, in addition to its home collection, ShopNK offers a mentorship program that allows people to purchase oneon-one opportunities to speak with industry leaders. “For $250, you get to speak to someone like a Janet Zuccarini, who’s so brilliant, has launched some of the biggest restaurants in the world, or my friend Rajen Ruparell, who is the co-founder of Groupon and also Endy mattresses. And so, for $250, 100 per cent of that money goes back to a charity that you get to choose, and you get to spend some time with some of the most brilliant minds out there.”

While Koifman says that she feels every one of the mentors on the site have been her personal mentors, “I’m lucky that I can pick up the phone and call my friend Carrie Kirkman at any time and say, ‘What do you think about this?’ And, whom Koifman looks up to the most is extremely heartwarming and speaks to her role as a mother. “I look up to my son. I think that he’s done so well. I’m truly, truly so proud of the human he’s become. I look at how

he’s navigating his career. I think he’s very, very smart, very well-read. He has a very interesting and smart outlook on things, whether it’s politics or the cultural scene.”

Although the business of public relations necessarily requires a focus on what brands and people project outward, Koifman’s story suggests that this approach is not exclusive: “I think beauty from the inside out is feeling compassion for others. I think it’s about kindness, I think it’s about joy. It’s more about your connection to humanity more than anything.”

In other words, it’s about putting substance behind the sizzle. And, ever the consummate professional, Koifman doesn’t miss an opportunity to advocate for a client: “Take the Nature’s Bounty gummy vitamins — they’re good for you, and they help with skin, shine on your hair and nails … so, that’s a dual answer for you!”

Clearly, Koifman’s best days are ahead of her, and she has a few big things planned for the coming year: “If I can believe it, dream it and see it, I will get there.” Whatever comes next for Koifman, it’s sure to leave a mark — and, equally, it’s sure to say something. www.shopnk.ca nkpr.net @natashankpr www.mycitylife.ca

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Fill your summer with self-care by treating your body and mind with these fun finds that are bound to put a pep in your step WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

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EDITOR’S PICKS

Times reporters Sheera Frenkel and Cecilia Kang, the duo takes you behind-the-scenes of Facebook’s fall from grace. www.chapters.indigo.ca

www.sephora.com 6. GOOD READ Written by award-winning New York

cruelty-free ingredients, Goop’s purifying gel cleanser helps detoxify the skin from everyday environmental stress.

@deuxcosmetiques 5. CRAZY FOR GOOP Packed with natural, organic and

1. PERFECT PANT SET This matching luxe cable-knit wide-leg pant set seamlessly marries boho-chic with comfort, making it a perfect weekend look for grabbing brunch or running errands. www.anthropologie.com 2. TENSION RELIEF Help reduce tension in your body with Therabody’s portable smart vibrating roller that adds pressure in all the right places. @therabody 3. SICILIAN FLAVOURS Carefully curated by Sicilian Chef Costantino Guzzo, The Geppetto menu at Sud Forno is where you’ll be able to indulge in some delicious classic Italian dishes. @sudforno 4. MELON MOISTURIZER Made in Quebec with 100% natural fragrances, this honey-melon moisturizing bar will keep you smelling like summer all day long.

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7. MOZZARELLA MOMENT Made in Toronto with buffalo milk from Quebec, Bella Casara’s buffalo mozzarella is a soft-cheese-lover’s dream — fresh, sweet and rich in taste. www.qualitycheese.com 8. HAPPY FEET Designed to adapt to the wearer’s unique step, Birkenstock’s slip-on silver-cork-wedge Buckley clogs make foot health easy on the eyes. www.anthropologie.com 9. JOY RIDE Say hello to a new adventure from GOTRAX with its EBE4 electric folding bike, complete with all-terrain 20” fat tires, which can reach up to 50 miles with pedal assist, or up to 25 miles using throttle only. www.amazon.ca 10. CALL ME CHEF With a sharpness that lasts and an ergonomic grip allowing the handle to sit comfortably in your hand, Kilne’s six-piece knife set will bring out the chef in you. kilne.com 11. SUMMER SWIMWEAR Featuring cheeky waist cut-outs, the Estelle Ruffle Halter from Zimmermann’s Summer Swim 2021 Collection is the only swimsuit you’ll need this summer. www.zimmermannwear.com 12. FURNITURE FUN With their quirky shapes and hand-glazed finishes, these colourful stools add a playful touch to any patio, backyard or interior living space. www.anthropologie.com

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MALCOLM & MARIE, A MODERN LOVE STORY

Emerging out of the pandemic era as the first Hollywood feature to be written, financed and produced during COVID-19, Malcolm & Marie is an intense black-and-white romantic drama starring Zendaya Coleman and John David Washington, reminding us that even love conquers all WRITTEN BY JAN JANSSEN

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ne of the most daring films to emerge out of the pandemic era is MALCOLM & MARIE, an intense love story starring Zendaya and John David Washington. The Netflix production was born out of the forced shutdown of shooting last March on Euphoria, the sexually explicit HBO series that earned Zendaya a Best Actress Emmy Award in September.

With Hollywood at a virtual halt, she asked Euphoria creator Sam Levinson whether they could make a film during the lockdown. Feeling restless and anxious, Zendaya found a willing partner in Levinson.

“Malcolm & Marie is a movie that I essentially asked to be made while we were in quarantine,” Zendaya says. “I spoke to Sam about this and then he came up with this concept of Malcolm & Marie and began writing the script. He would be calling me every few days with another 10 pages that he would discuss with me . . .

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“He wrote the character of Marie for me and in a way he was perfectly suited to do that since he’s watched me evolve as a woman while we’ve been working on Euphoria together. So it was a wonderful and beautiful challenge for me to have played this very mature kind of role.”

The resulting film, shot in black and white and on location at Zendaya’s actual L.A. home, sees Washington play Malcolm, an arrogant filmmaker who suffers a public meltdown at the premiere of his latest movie where he goes on a rant over a negative review while also failing to thank his partner, Marie (Zendaya). His self-absorbed outburst triggers long-simmering feelings of resentment and frustration within her and sets in motion an allnight session of domestic trench warfare between the couple.

Washington, who starred in Christopher Nolan’s Tenet last year, delivers an equally electrifying performance opposite Zendaya and was particularly interested in exploring

the various levels of anger that inform the toxic exchanges between their characters.

“The intellectual aspect of the relationship is what I loved,” Washington explained. “It was messy, with some of the curse words . . . that are thrown out there because we’re different, we’re not just one thing. I loved how that was explored in both of these characters. That you could have an intelligent, passionate argument, that you can yell but be very clear about what you’re saying. And how you can be quiet and be the meanest.”

Over the course of the past three years, Zendaya has made the transition from Disney Channel princess on the K.C. Undercover series to rising young movie star. Having made her big screen breakthrough in 2019’s SPIDERMAN: FAR FROM HOME, Zendaya will soon be seen in the upcoming scifi blockbuster DUNE, the new screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s cult 1965 sci-fi novel set for worldwide release in September. www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER POLK

Having made the transition from Disney Channel princess to that of a rising young movie star, Zendaya made her big screen breakthrough in 2019’s Spider-Man: Far From Home, and will soon be seen in the upcoming sci-fi blockbuster Dune, to be released in September 2021

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PHOTO BY EVERETT COLLECTION INC

Produced and directed by Sam Levinson, Malcolm & Marie explores the nature of relationships and all of the deep intricacies that come with having a partner

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“Dune was incredible,” Zendaya said shortly after she saw the first trailer: “It’s fun to escape into another world . . . When I was watching the trailer, I was like, ‘Oh my gosh!’ I called Timothée [Chalamet, who co-stars in the film] and said, ‘Dude! You should be proud.’ It is a big deal to even be a small part of something with such a massive cast. And I love sci-fi stuff too.”

Tall (5-10) and lithe, Zendaya (full name Zendaya Maree Stoermer Coleman) is an extraordinarily striking young woman. She grew up in Oakland, California, where her African American father and mother of German/Irish ancestry work as schoolteachers. She is currently single after her relationship with Euphoria co-star Jacob Elordi ended last year.

Recently, Zendaya revealed that she has struggled to overcome her chronic shyness in order to handle the demands of a burgeoning career: “In this industry, I had to learn how to do small talk and stuff, because I guess I would kind of come off cold to people because I didn’t really know how to start a conversation.

I remember my stylist was like, ‘You come off kind of cold. People think you’re mean because you don’t talk,’ when really I just was too nervous.”

Q&A WITH ZENDAYA Q: Malcolm & Marie has attracted a lot of attention. Is this kind of indie project a major step forward for you given that you served as both actor and producer?

ZENDAYA: This will be the first time that audiences see me playing an adult.

Up till now, people have seen me playing teenagers and this is the next step where I can show that I’ve matured and I’m no longer that younger self . . . It was important for me to play someone my own age.

This movie has in a huge way helped me re-tap into myself and find myself again. “[It’s reminded me] that this is what I’m here for. This is what brings me joy, this is what fulfills me . . . and shown me what I’m able to accomplish and realize some of my goals.

Q: How would you describe Marie’s antagonism towards Malcolm?

ZENDAYA: The movie is about www.mycitylife.ca

‘‘ ’’

THIS MOVIE HAS IN A HUGE WAY HELPED ME RE-TAP INTO MYSELF AND FIND MYSELF AGAIN

acknowledgement of the people in our lives as creatives who make it possible for us to do what we do. All Marie wanted of Malcolm was a thank you — an appreciation and acknowledgement that this [movie he’s just shown at a premiere] came from somewhere.

Maybe if he was a different person she would have been appreciated and valued for what she brought. Not only to the relationship but to his work. Because at the end of the day, it is her story that his movie is telling. It might not be all her story, but Malcolm used a large portion of those moments between them and those things they shared together.

Q: Was there a particular goal or theme that you were anxious to dig into with this film?

ZENDAYA: We wanted to unpack the nature of a relationship and what it means to be responsible for your partner.

There’s always a deeper meaning to why these characters are who they are and that’s why we tried to approach our characters with empathy.

Marie is not just trying to control the situation to be manipulative, there’s a reason she has these insecurities and the same applies to Malcolm. The fear of not being loved, and all those similar

kinds of issues that people can connect to. We tried to explore those things.

Q: Did Malcolm & Marie represent a challenge for you in terms of the emotional intensity of that story?

ZENDAYA: Yes, but I had so much support from everyone on the set and especially from John David Washington who was such a beautiful scene partner to work with. He was so willing to be there and help make those very dark places we had to go to a safe space.

That was very important, because when you’re going into things that may seem very personal and sometimes wondering whether you’re crossing certain lines you need to feel that it’s safe to go there.

And I did. We all did.

Q: Malcolm & Marie was a project thatcame about very quickly and saw you collaborate with Euphoria creator Sam Levinson to get it off the ground?

ZENDAYA: We did it as a family.

We started approaching financiers as producers and it was our baby in that way. It was such a collaborative experience and it was the first time that I had been part of the creation of something in such an in-depth way.

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Both Zendaya and John David Washington, son of legendary screen actor Denzel Washington, acted as producers on the movie, which was filmed in secret in June and July 2020

and the discussions we had during the creative process contributed to the film and especially to developing the chemistry I was able to have with John David Washington.

Q: You won the Emmy last September for your work in Euphoria, becoming the youngest woman ever to win in the lead actress drama category and only the second Black actress [Viola Davis is the other - ED] ever to do so. How do you feel about that accomplishment?

ZENDAYA: It’s a great honour. But I really want dedicate it to all the cast and crew who work with me on Euphoria.

Winning while sitting together with my family and friends was a special moment 50

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PHOTO BY PICTURELUX / THE HOLLYWOOD ARCHIVE

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THE FEAR OF NOT BEING LOVED, AND ALL THOSE SIMILAR KINDS OF ISSUES THAT PEOPLE CAN CONNECT TO. WE TRIED TO EXPLORE THOSE THINGS

’’

although it was strange because of the pandemic and of course it wasn’t the usual kind of awards ceremony. But it was still beautiful to be surrounded by so many people I love and who love and support me. I also would like to believe that winning this award sends a message of solidarity to all the people who are helping young people on the streets and giving them hope.

into this new world of producing and figuring out how to make things that I would like to see. I’m hoping to be part of the process of change and make it easier for the next young woman who wants to be part of this industry. I’m very grateful for all the support I’ve been given and I hope to be able to make everybody proud and I would like to continue being able to do that.

Q: At 24, you’re fast becoming a major player in this industry. Do you feel a responsibility for laying the groundwork for other Black women?

ZENDAYA: Absolutely. Although a lot of progress has been made, but there’s a lot more work to do. I’m just coming

Q: How did you get started in show business?

ZENDAYA: I started going to auditions with my father. He quit his teaching job to accompany me to Los Angeles whenever necessary and that was a significant financial burden for my www.mycitylife.ca

family. As you know, teaching is one of the most important but least paid and least appreciated professions. My mama, who worked two jobs to keep us financially afloat, was very skilled in looking for low-cost hotels to spend the night before the audition.

And the next morning I would go back to school. Then, Dad and I found ourselves a small apartment in Los Angeles to make it easier. But it took quite some time before I became financially independent and could help my parents. I am so grateful and proud to have reached this point and I couldn’t have done it without the total support of my family.

Q: What was it like for you being raised by two teachers?

ZENDAYA: It was the best kind of upbringing that you can have. My parents educated me in a very open and honest way and I am convinced that this is the best way to raise children.

Whenever I asked them a question — no matter what subject — I was always given an honest answer.

If you mask reality too much, you prevent your children from knowing and understanding the real world that they have to live in. Being overprotective as parents is counterproductive, I believe, and inevitably it leads young people to be unable to deal with what the world throws at them.

Q: You’ve essentially been a star since you were 13 and working on Shake It Up for Disney. And you were instrumental in getting Disney to develop your K.C. Undercover series that turned out to be a massive hit with younger audiences?

ZENDAYA: I wanted to be able to be part of a series that represented a Black family and could speak to Black kids who need to be able to connect with characters who resemble them and reflect their reality in some way.

Young people need to be able to identify with characters on TV or film and my attitude was that if I was going to do another series [for Disney] it would be something that would speak to my community.

Q: You’re noted for appearing to be very self-assured and confident? www.mycitylife.ca

ZENDAYA: I don’t know where this comes from but I think I owe a lot of the credit to my parents. Their honesty and frankness has been a big help to me, especially earlier in my career.

I always heard those tragic stories of successful young actors whose lives fall apart later in life, but my parents gave me a very good education in life and everything else. From the beginning, they also involved me in all the decisions regarding my work and which roles I would be taking because they knew those decisions would affect my future life. But maybe I have an ancient soul guiding me . . . who knows?

The above comments by Zendaya were made during the course of a Jan. 25th Zoom chat where she was promoting her recent film, Malcolm & Marie. With additional quotes from a previous Zoom interview that took place on July 28th, 2020, while she was promoting Euphoria.

Q&A WITH JOHN DAVID WASHINGTON In addition to Malcolm & Marie, the 36-year-old John David Washington will be appearing in two other Netflix films this year: Monster, the adaptation of Walter Dean Myers’ award-winning book; and Beckett, a thriller set in Greece.

Next year he will be seen in the as yet untitled new film from David O. Russell.

Washington is the son of legendary screen actor Denzel Washington and his wife of 38 years, Pauletta. His father was recently named by the New York Times as the greatest actor of the 20th century.

“I think he is one of the greatest to ever do it, so it was a very proud moment for our entire family,” said John David.

At one point during the height of the lockdown in California last year, Washington briefly moved back into his parents’ home. With respect to his mother, a classically trained pianist as well as an actor, John David described her as the “most consistent person” in his life who “gives me inspiration.”

Q: What was it like playing opposite Zendaya and being part of this project despite all the nasty things her character says to you in the film?

WASHINGTON: It speaks to her

incredible God-given gift of performing that even though she’s such a beautiful person she was able to step so naturally into the role of Marie and saying hurtful things. That motivated me to say my lines in response and I was basically in the passenger seat where I was just watching her work.

On several occasions I caught myself watching her rather than participating in the scene — something that you shouldn’t do because that can break [interrupt] her performance — she was that good.

Q: How did COVID restrictions impact the making of the movie?

WASHINGTON: We were confined to our Carmel Valley estate where we were shooting. It was like being in a resort, a ranch, where we each had our own cabins. The only people there were the people working on the project. We were tested before we arrived at the property and basically never left the property for the two weeks it took us to finish the movie. It was pretty intense, but we all felt very close like a family so there was a lot of warmth and sense of common purpose.

Q: Did you ever find yourself crossing the line between the reactions and emotions of your character, Malcolm, and your own personal feelings from your own relationships? And was it cathartic in some way?

WASHINGTON: I’m very different from Malcolm in the way I handle situations. I almost never raise my voice and I really dislike getting into nasty arguments or being aggressive or confrontational. There were a few times though when I did find myself getting caught up in the moment in certain scenes where my own emotions were spilling over into my character’s feelings.

So it was cathartic at times . . .

I was surprised in a way when that happened and it was revealing in a way of things that I didn’t know were buried inside me. But I managed to harness that process and make it work for me and be true to what Malcolm was feeling. zendaya.com @zendaya @johndavidwashington @malcolmandmariefilm July/Aug 2021

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Helping Others

Leia Fallico is just a like any other three-year-old, but she’s suffering from a very rare disease, dyskeratosis congenita, a form of bone marrow failure

Leia Fallico is an adorable three-year-old who has been diagnosed with a super-rare disease. Now, her family is urgently reaching out to friends, family and, in fact, the whole world — to help their child get the treatment that she needs. And you can help. It’s simple: Get a test kit from the Canadian Blood Services (it’s an easy swab test) and see if maybe you’re the match that Leia or anyone else is desperately waiting for. Maybe you’re a superhero and you just don’t know it yet INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF JOUNREY WITH LEIA

HOW TO SAVE A LIFE

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eia Fallico is like any other toddler — she loves life, she loves to socialize and she likes to swim and dance. “She is so spunky and so strong!” says Lidia Fallico, her aunt. “Yes, she has some walking issues, but you think of a disease like this, and you picture a sick little girl.” But Leia isn’t like that at all: She laughs, she plays jokes, and she’s learning sign language because she’s not super verbal.

Leia has been diagnosed with a super-rare genetic disease called dyskeratosis congenita, which is a form of bone-marrow failure and happens when the person’s bone marrow is unable to make enough blood cells for the body. Recently, Leia needed a blood transfusion and the medical team talked to her parents, Shonna and Marco Fallico, about a life-saving treatment, a bone marrow transplant. The team looked into the Canadian Blood Services’ bone marrow registry to find a match for the little girl. Unfortunately, there is no match for Leia.

In fact, within one’s family, there is only about a 20 or 25 per cent chance of finding a match. So, for the other 75 per cent of people who don’t have a match within their own family, they’re reliant on an unrelated donor. The odds of Leia finding a match is even more difficult because she is of mixed ethnicity (Marco is of Italian descent, and Shonna is of Irish/Italian/Persian descent), and only 3.5 per cent of the registry is made up of people of mixed ethnicity. “So, the chances of you getting this procedure, if you’re of mixed ethnicity, is crazy low.

And it’s unbelievable because it’s such an easy process,” says Lidia. “It’s crazy because we live in Canada, and who is not mixed right now?”

That’s where Canadian Blood Services can help. “The thing is, too, when we’re searching for Leia, we’re not just searching Canadian donors, we’re searching donors from all around the world,” says Dr. Heidi Elmoazzen, Director of Stem Cells at Canadian Blood Services in Ottawa. “So we search our own registry in Canada, which has about 430,000 donors, but we’re also searching the worldwide www.mycitylife.ca

Top: Marco and Shonna Fallico, Leia’s parents, are desperate to find a match for their daughter Centre: Recently, Leia needed a blood transfusion because her hemoglobin dropped to a dangerously low level Bottom: Leia is a happy kid who likes swimming, dancing and playing jokes.

Her parents are urging anyone between the ages of 17 and 35, who are of mixed ethnicity, to register and become a potential life-saving donor for Leia

For the 75 per cent of people who don’t have a match for a bone marrow transplant within their own family, they’re reliant on an unrelated donor database — we’re part of a worldwide network called a World Marrow Donor Association (WMDA)” she adds.

“I just think that often people don’t know about the whole process. They don’t know what is entailed,” says Dr. Elmoazzen. “We’re just trying to spread the word so people understand what’s involved when you sign up to become a stem-cell donor.” Some people think that if they are a match, then they must go under general anesthesia to have their cells collected, but that is only true for about 10 per cent of the people, she adds. For the other 90 per cent, it is collected from stem cells that are

circulating in their blood. A medication pushes the stem cells out from your bone marrow into the bloodstream, she says, and then basically you sit on a machine, very similar to a blood donation machine, for about four to six hours. “It’s not a surgical procedure,” she says.

For Leia, the Fallicos and their families pulled together, and they have started a donation process. They went all in, using social media to set up a GoFundMe page and a Facebook page, and Instagramming Leia’s story to encourage people to become potential donors. They are so grateful that the July/Aug 2021

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GoFundMe page has achieved and surpassed their goal. The funds raised will be used directly to cover costs associated with Leia’s transplant surgery, therapy sessions, the cost to purchase swab kits from a private lab in the United States and additional costs for testing when a donor is matched. All excess funds will be donated to the Hospital for Sick Children, where Leia’s doctor, Dr. Yigal Dror, will use the donations to fund two key clinical-trial studies that will help treat and cure the condition.

“We don’t have a team behind us,” says Lidia. “So, we jumped to social media … we are so grateful that the GoFundMe page has reached our goal, and people are being so generous, and it is completely overwhelming.” But most of all, Lidia wants people to know that it is an awareness campaign, designed to make people aware of the fact that there’s such a low percentage of mixed ethnicities in the stem-cell registry and to get them to become potential donors.

Leia’s parents just want to give Leia a chance — and the only way forward is finding a match. “Leia is a fighter,” says her mom, Shonna

And if anyone has ever doubted the power of social media to do good in the world, listen to this. A few of the women in the family are involved in the dancing community, so they were

Instagramming the story, asking their connections to share. As it turns out, a friend, a backup dancer, Instagrammed Leia’s story, and one of her connections shared, and so on and so on and so on until Demi Lovato (yes, her, with more than 10 million followers) posted the story of the little girl, encouraging people to sign up to the registry to help find a match for Leia.

As for Dr. Elmoazzen, she gets a lot back from her work. “I love my job, and it’s very fulfilling to work in an area where you see there is a need,” she says. “We’re actually helping patients find a match … giving them a chance, a second chance, at life. So, it is quite rewarding.”

To register with Canadian Blood Services, visit blood.ca/stemcells. fizlink.com/journeywithleia www.blood.ca swabtheworld.com/en/become-a-donor @journeywithleia

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reconciliation Warning: This content includes intimate and personal stories of cruelty, hardship and abuse within the residential school system. It also speaks to the generational impacts of those residential school experiences.

Shrouded in a storm of tears, sorrow and hurt.

Is a path toward healing possible?

It is time for all Canadians to gather together in a spirit of tolerance and action. But, to open our hearts to healing and reconciliation, we must first take the time to understand this dark period in Canadian history WRITTEN BY CECE M. SCOTT

I

t is almost impossible to envision.

But, the discovery of the remains of 215 children on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in Kamloops, B.C., on May 27 of this year, demands that we do so.

Add to that the further discovery of 751 unmarked graves (most of which are thought to be the graves of Indigenous children) at the Marieval Indian Residential School in the small Cowessess First Nation community in southeastern Saskatchewan on June 24, 2021, and the demand becomes a resounding cry for priority exploration 56

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of all residential school sites, and a deep unflinching spotlight on humanity, honesty and apologies. (Criminally, in a 1960s dispute between a priest and the Cowessess chief at the time, many of the grave markers at the Marieval School were bulldozed to the ground by the priest.)

Added to these heartbreaking, psyche-shattering discoveries, is the certainty that more graves will be found on some of the land sites of the 130 residential schools that operated across Canada, including the Red Deer Industrial School in Red Deer, Alberta; the Muscowequan Indian

Residential School in Saskatchewan; the Mohawk Institute Residential School in Brantford, Ont.; and the Shubenacadie Indian Residential School, north of Halifax, Nova Scotia, to name but a few.

And so, imagine yourself as an Indigenous mother or father, aunt or uncle of a young child or of many children. You are sitting around the kitchen table as a family or standing at the stove, stirring homemade soup for dinner as someone sets down the dinner amid loud bouts of laughter. Quite possibly, you are working out back of the house, piling wood or digging a vegetable garden for the family’s sustenance, when www.mycitylife.ca

suddenly you hear an insistent pounding at the front door, a fist that is handwrapped around terrifying news.

In fact, for Aboriginal Canadians with young children, one of the things they feared and dreaded the most in the broad span of time between the 1870s and 1996 was that hard authoritative bang on the door announcing the presence of an RCMP officer and an Indian government agent, whose job it was to remove the children of these Indigenous families from their homes and take them to one of 130 residential schools across the country.

“I ask you to imagine what you would feel like if your children were literally ripped from your arms and forced into a school where they experienced every type of abuse: sexual, physical, mental and emotional. You are told you are stupid because you couldn’t speak their language (English) and that you were dirty because your skin was brown,” says Patricia Nolie, of Alert Bay, B.C. Her grandfather was a residential school Survivor.

Often, these children were placed hours from their homes, whisked away on boats and other means of transportation, while their parents keened and wept in their own doorways, terrified of the RCMP and what it might do to the rest of their family if they did not give up their offspring.

Since the announcement of the discovery of this unmarked mass grave at the largest school in the Indian Affairs residential school system, Kamloops Indian Residential School, which was run by the Roman Catholic order of nuns The Oblate Sisters of the Immaculate Mary, Canada, Canadians of all cultures and races have been alternately up in arms and in disbelief and at the same time devastated, sickened and united in their horror and grief for these abused and stolen children. Of equal pathos is the fact that, officially, only 54 deaths were recorded at Kamloops Indian Residential School through the years, which is representative of a mere 25 per cent of the 215 hidden remains that were found through ground-penetrating radar on that grim May day. www.mycitylife.ca

“I have been crying for days — ever since I heard the news about those children. Every time I turn on the TV, and they are talking about it, I just break down and I cry and I cry,” says Susie Alfred, 82, of Witset, B.C., who is a day school Survivor.

How did this happen in a country known for its gentle and passive spirit, a welcoming country known for its tolerance and acceptance of diverse nations and their cultures?

For those not familiar with the residential school project, it is important

I ask you to imagine what you would feel like if your children were literally ripped from your arms and forced into a school where they experienced every type of abuse: sexual, physical, mental and emotional — Patricia Nolie

Top: Alfred (centre) and her daughters, Dolly (left) and Marjorie, with Alfred’s great grandchildren Left: Alfred (Wil’aat) with Princess

to understand the reasons why the removing of Indigenous children from their parents happened in the first place and then why and how a school system that was run in tandem with the Canadian government and members of five high-profile churches — Roman Catholic, Anglican, Methodist, Presbyterian and the

Brown is horrified by the recent findings of the remains of the 215 children at the Kamloops Indian Residential School

United Church of Canada — could execute so many untold acts of abuse on a mental, physical and sexual basis, all while servicing their respective gods. (A total of 60 per cent of the residential schools were run by the Catholic Church.)

It is believed that close to 150,000 First Nations, Métis and Inuit children were taken to residential schools between the 1870s and 1996, when the doors were finally closed on this shameful travesty.

“This is such a dark time in our history,” says Marilyn Brown, a former nun who lives in Orillia, Ont., and no longer practises her faith. Like so many Canadians, she is horrified by the recent news. “In fact, at one time there was a saying, ‘Take the Indian out of the child,’ which was one of the end goals of the residential schools. There was little — if any — respect for the Indigenous culture. In fact, they were called ‘savages.’”

According to the Canadian Encyclopedia, “residential schools were created by Christian churches and the Canadian government as an attempt to both educate and convert Indigenous youth and to assimilate them into Canadian society.”

It appears that the educational curriculum for these Indigenous children was violently clear: no child was to speak their language or otherwise engage in any fraternizing with their siblings, who were commonly housed in the same schools. No child was to flourish under the kindness of the clergy who ran the schools, for, while there must have been some good and kind clergy and workers within the system, there were many who violated their religious vows. Too, children who were the targets of sexual abuse were ashamed to speak of the frightening and confusing things that happened to so many of them on a nightly basis.

Alfred is both a day school Survivor and a descendant: her mother, Margaret Williams, along with some of her siblings, had been taken by the RCMP and an Indian agent to a residential July/Aug 2021

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Top: Alfred James (Jack) Nolie as a little boy at residential school Right: Nolie at 87 years of age.

(PHOTO BY HAROLD ALFRED)

school hours away from their home.

“My grandparents were afraid that the RCMP would put them in jail, so they let them take their kids away,” Alfred says. “My mother told me that when they spoke their language, they were strapped with a thick, heavy rubber strap about half an inch thick and two feet long. My mother also told me about a time when her two brothers tried to sneak home by walking down along the CN Railway tracks. They got caught and were taken back to the school, where they were worked over before being put in the basement with no window — they were just left there.

My mother used to cry about it a lot.”

Children running away from the cruelty, fear and abuse is not a singular event. Famously, the late Gord Downie, former lead singer for the Tragically Hip, drew the public’s attention to the tragic death of 12-year-old boy Chanie (Charlie) Wenjack, an Ojibwe (Anishinaabe) First Nations child who ran away from Cecilia Jeffrey Indian Residential School in Kenora, Ont., in 1966, with his 10-song album, Secret Path, in 2016. Wenjack died of hunger and exposure as he tried to walk the 600 kilometres back home to his family on the Marten Falls Reserve.

Alfred’s memories of her own time at residential school all those decades ago came back in a painful rush when she heard the news of the recent finding of the 215 children’s remains.

When Alfred was in Grade 5 at the day school, she was abused by a priest.

“There was a wood stove in the 58

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basement, and the Sisters made us go down there to put wood in the stove.

A priest was hiding behind the stove, and he grabbed me and shoved me in a corner. He sexually abused me, and I thought it was my fault. I never told the Sisters or my mom and dad. I was traumatized so badly all of my life, but I never told anyone.

When you’re young, you think it’s your fault — that’s how I thought.”

Patricia Nolie is the granddaughter of Alfred James Nolie ( Jack), who, along with

The people who ran these schools — clergy and lay people — appear to have worked under the auspices of an angry Old Testament God, which they brought with them to teach the kids in the school — Rennie Nahanee Patricia’s grandmother, raised her.

Patricia’s mother was in the throes of addiction and not able to look after her children.

Jack was four years old when he was first brought to St. Michael’s Residential School (run by the Anglican Church), in Alert Bay, B.C. “When settlements were being offered to Survivors of Indian residential schools, I sat with my grandpa through that process to help him understand what the government was offering,” Patricia says, her voice a chasm of emotion.

In fact, our conversation is interspersed, often halted, as the tears of Patricia’s ancestors flowed.

“Throughout the years my grandfather was at the school, he watched his eight siblings come through — he tried his best to look after them,” Patricia says.

“My grandfather would get whipped for speaking his KwaN‫ي‬wala language, but he

didn’t know how to speak English. He told me, ‘I never knew what hate was until I was in that school.’”

Some of the heartbreaking experiences that Jack shared with his granddaughter include the fact that the children’s breakfasts — often oats — would be interspersed with maggots. Children who did not eat their breakfasts were often served it again at lunch. Bathrooms were padlocked at night, and children would wet their beds, which resulted in harsh punishment. In order to mitigate this, Jack showed the younger boys how to pee out the window, but he got caught. In retribution, Jack had to scrub the boys’ bathroom floor with a toothbrush and then use the same toothbrush to brush his teeth.

Often, older boys would situate themselves by their dormitory door, so that the younger ones wouldn’t be taken away at night by the priests, for sexual encounters.

One of Jack’s punishments in particular scarred him physically for the rest of his life.

“When my grandpa was 10 years old, he was starving, so he went to the garden at the back of the school and stole a turnip. He got caught and was dragged to the chicken coop, tied up and beaten with a twoby-four. He was in the infirmary for six months and couldn’t walk. It wasn’t until he was in his 40s and went to a back doctor, because he was in so much pain, that my grandpa found out that his back had been broken all those years ago.

This is only one account of his time in that school. After I heard his stories, I applied for trauma counselling, because it was too heavy for me to carry. I started drinking more and even attempted suicide,” Patricia recounts.

So, where do we as Canadians — mothers, fathers, clergy, government representatives and Indigenous communities — go from here?

First, it is worth looking at the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada (TRC), which was established in 2008 for the purpose of documenting the lasting impacts of the Canadian Indian residential schools on Indigenous students (which has proven to have had a generational and troubling impingement) and their families. It was www.mycitylife.ca

Nahanee is a deacon with the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver and a member of the Squamish Band

estimated that at least 6,000 children were reported to have died at the schools, which is believed to be a significantly low accounting. The commission, which provided residential school Survivors with an opportunity to share their stories, was centred on five pillars: Child Welfare; Education; Language and Culture; Health; and Justice.

The involuntary sending of Indigenous children to these residential schools with the intent of rooting out and destroying the Indigenous language and culture prompted a shocking and devastating statement by the TRC chair, Justice Murray Sinclair, in a May 29, 2015, CBC interview with John Paul Tasker: “I think as commissioners we have concluded that cultural genocide is probably the best description of what went on here.” (On June 9, 2021, Canada’s federal NDP Party called on Ottawa to recognize residential schools as genocide.)

Of the 94 recommendations made by the TRC in its report, as of 2020, only eight Calls to Action have been completed. Recommendations 71 through 76 in the report, included under the Missing Children and Burial Information, speak specifically to several accountabilities at the chief coroners’ and provincial vital statistics levels. Records on the deaths of Aboriginal children in the care of residential school authorities, federal government allocation of sufficient resources to develop and maintain the National Residential School Student Death Register, a call for the federal government to work with all parties involved to establish and maintain the National Residential School Student Death Register and a call on all levels of government, www.mycitylife.ca

churches, Aboriginal communities, residential school Survivors and current landowners to implement strategies for the ongoing documentation and commemoration of residential school cemeteries and sites where residential children were buried appear to have a much better chance of being actualized since the discovery of the children’s remains on the Kamloops residential school site.

“There are moments in the life of a country that determines how people go forward and, to me, this is one of those moments for Canada,” says Chief R. Stacey Laforme, the elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation (MNCFN). “This is a moment that can make us stronger and better, so that something good can come of this.”

As far as the recommendations from the TRC are concerned,

(Source: Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. “Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada: Calls to Action.” 2015. https://nctr.ca/records/ reports/.)

Chief R. Stacey Laforme is the elected Chief of the Mississaugas of the New Credit First Nation (MNCFN)

Rennie Nahanee, who is a deacon with the Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver, offers an insightful perspective on what happened and what actions can be taken toward healing.

“The first thing we have to understand is, who is doing the reconciling? Do the Indigenous people have to reconcile with the church, or does the church have to reconcile with the Indigenous people?” Nahanee posits. “The people who ran these schools — clergy and lay people — appear to have worked under the auspices of an angry Old Testament God, which they brought with them to teach the kids in the school. Those children never got to know the New Testament Jesus, who is a loving being.”

Interestingly, Nahanee, who is a member of the Squamish Nation, says his faith remains strong. “Maybe God put me here to learn the workings of the church on the one hand and to be a gateway to Indigenous culture on the other,” he says. “Because the church took away our language and culture, I’m trying to organize a right of liturgy for Indigenous people, where we would bring our language, our culture and our spirituality into the Sunday mass and funeral services.”

On June 2, 2021, the Archdiocese of Vancouver released an “Expression of Commitment,” apologizing profoundly to residential school Survivors and their families. The archdiocese promised to be fully transparent with its archives and records, and offered mental health support and counselling for family members and others whose “loved ones may be buried on the site of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School.”

RECONCILIATION I sit here crying I don’t know why I didn’t know the children I didn’t know the parents But I knew their spirit I knew their love I know their loss I know their potential And I am overwhelmed By the pain and the hurt The pain of the families and friends The pain of an entire people Unable to protect them, to help them To comfort them, to love them I did not know them But the pain is so real, so personal I feel it in my core, my heart, my spirit I sit here crying and I am not ashamed I will cry for them, and the many others like them I will cry for you, I will cry for me I’ll cry for the what could have been Then I will calm myself, smudge myself, offer prayers And know they are no longer in pain No longer do they hurt, they are at peace In time I will tell their story, I will educate society So their memory is not lost to this world And when I am asked what does reconciliation mean to me I will say I want their lives back I want them to live, to soar I want to hear their laughter See their smiles Give me that And I’ll grant you reconciliation R. Stacey Laforme

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Chief Laforme says it is not about words or recommendations; it is about strategies and action.

“Don’t tell me you’re going to do it; show me a strategy, with accountability markers attached,” he says. “There are good intentions, but without a strategy to go along with it, those ideas and visions can sit for a long time without being actualized. Building relationships and reconnecting the people of these lands are key. Let’s join together and figure out where we go next and how we can move this country forward in a good way, to not only better the lives of the Indigenous people, but [also]the lives of all marginalized people who suffer in the Children’s Aid system, the jail system, the policing system and through racism in general. There are so many people suffering; don’t separate the Native people.”

As Canadians show their concern over this recent tragic event, many are wearing a splash of orange, the colour chosen to recognize the spirit of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The actual day of observance is Sept. 30, the day Indigenous children were taken from

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their families to residential schools.

“It hasn’t been easy hearing this news, because my grandfather knew — we knew — that there were children buried on residential school sites. We have never been heard, never been understood — we have just been told to get over it. It took this proof — the finding of these 215 children’s remains — to prove that there was genocide. People tell us it was a long time ago. But it is a part of us. I am still living it,” Patricia says. “We are strong, but we are tired of fighting a system that was built to break us. I have cried so many times in the last few days thinking of those children and how scared they were in those last moments of their lives, their families and home far away from them.”

The remains of an additional 182 children were found on June 30th near the former St. Eugene’s Mission School for Indigenous children in the Aqam community.

On that same day, June 30, in recognition of the sorrow, shock and heartfelt pain that Canadians right across the country have been feeling about the abuse inflicted on the residential school

children and their eventual deaths, A Day to Listen, a partnership between the Gord Downie & Chanie Wenjack Fund (DWF) was held. On that day, Indigenous people from all walks of life, including elders, residential Survivors, educators and Indigenous leaders shared their stories with listeners. Over 500 radio stations across Canada participated in this poignant 12-hour day of listening, whose mission was to initiate and foster real and measurable change, so that as we try to heal as a country, we have the education and power to create the kinds of forward actions and solutions that will result in a resonant and tolerant future for all Canadian citizens.

If you are suffering pain or distress as the result of a residential school system experience — either yourself or a family member or a friend — the Indian Residential School Crisis Line is available 24 hours a day at 1-866-925-4419.

Additional resources include: TsowTun Le Lum Society: 1-888-403-3123 (seven days a week); and KUU-US Crisis Line: 1-800-588-8717 (24-7).

www.mycitylife.ca

Inspiration In high school, Nasser landed a co-op placement at a community TV station and never looked back.

She loved it

COMING UP:

PHOTO BY LEANN WESTON PHOTOGRAPHY

FARAH NASSER She’s one of Toronto’s most recognizable faces on TV. Farah Nasser, the motivational and thoughtprovoking anchor on Global News, has been providing viewers across the GTA with muchneeded clarity for nearly two decades. She’s not afraid to dig deep, either, creating social media buzz as the force behind #FirstTimeIWasCalled and #LivingInColour, two digital series exploring the experiences of marginalized people. And she’s received huge praise for her TEDx Talk, ‘The Power of Intellectual Humility.’ Stay tuned — this girl is on fire

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY DONNA PARIS

www.mycitylife.ca

July/Aug 2021

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W

hen she was in Grade 4, Farah Nasser clipped out a newspaper article and took it to school for show and tell. She wanted to explain the Meech Lake Accord, a failed attempt to amend the Canadian Constitution and declare Quebec “a distinct society,” to her classmates. “The class was, ‘What are you talking about?’ and the teacher was, ‘What is happening here?’” laughs Nasser. “It was such a nerdy thing to do.”

Maybe. But, it was also a foreshadowing.

Now Global Toronto’s news anchor, Nasser dispatches the 5:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. news Monday through Friday, helping viewers digest the events of the day. Anchoring a news show is not like sitting behind your computer, working in your pyjamas.

No matter what’s going on, you have to pull it all together. “Sure, there are days when I’m down or I am anxious or whatever, but I just have to put that aside,” says Nasser.

“In that moment, in that hour, I say, ‘Look, this is what is happening, and it’s going to be OK.’” It all started when she was a child. “We would watch the news together as a family, and it was a really important way for my parents, who were new immigrants, to learn about the world,” she says. “Both of my parents, especially my dad, were interested in current events, so we would watch things from election coverage here to civil unrest happening in other countries.” Her dad passed on his interest in current events and politics to his children (her brother is a journalist, too), and as for Nasser’s mom, “she was interested in people, and she had friends from every walk of life, friends who didn’t look like her — Jewish, Black, gay.” That was a big deal back in the ’80s, she adds.

At school, Nasser started to figure out that she was really good at oral presentations, debating and speech competitions. In high school, she landed a co-op placement at a community TV station and never looked back. Nasser’s parents, however, had the immigrant dream and they really wanted their kids to be doctors or lawyers or engineers, she says. So, it’s funny that her dad would sometimes show up at a news scrum that Nasser was attending. “He would

pass me a note and say, ‘You should ask this question,’” she says. “He was so interested.”

And who knows: Perhaps her dad’s curiosity for the news and her mom’s genuine interest in people mashed together to become Nasser’s superpower?

And maybe that’s why she tries so hard to get people to understand? Take the devastation in Aleppo, Syria, for instance.

Nasser made the conflict visually accessible by using a walk-on map of Toronto. “You think these conflicts are happening in a different world, but Aleppo was a city like Toronto,” she says.

“It had culture and amazing restaurants

I always said to myself then, ‘Don’t ever shut the door or don’t ever say no at a time where you can help guide someone,’ because nobody was there to guide me

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and beautiful buildings and architecture.”

The piece really resonated with people, getting millions of views, and schools started showing it in classrooms to help explain the situation to kids.

Nasser’s not afraid to ask questions, but, more important, she sticks around to listen to the answers. In 2019, she did a TEDx Talk about the power of intellectual humility. “I think we have to understand each other, and asking questions is the best way to do that,” she says. “People are a great learning resource, and learning from their experiences is an amazing tool.” The problem is that sometimes when we’re asking questions, we’re not listening to the answers, she says.

In fact, Nasser asserts that many of us are simply asking questions, then we’re just getting ready to ask our next question. That’s the problem, because we’re not really thinking about how we

feel when we’re asking that question, and we’re not thinking about how they feel when we’re asking a question. “I think the pandemic has also really taught us that, to be honest,” she says. “You don’t know what’s happening in someone else’s life; you don’t know all the background, all the things that are happening,” she says.

Nasser is also interested in helping kids with media literacy. “There’s so much misinformation out there,” she says. She points out that it’s a different way of consuming current events. Add to that the fact that everything is just so instant right now, that we’re not thinking critically. “They get their news from TikTok or Twitter or Instagram, and I don’t know if they’re taught the critical thinking skills that they need to navigate that,” she adds.

That’s not all. Nasser just generally likes to help others. She didn’t have a lot of mentors when she started out, and there weren’t a lot of people who looked like her, she says. “I always said to myself then, ‘Don’t ever shut the door or don’t ever say no at a time where you can help guide someone,’ because nobody was there to guide me.”

To look at Nasser’s life, one might say she is sitting on a bed of roses.

But she’s had her share of deep sorrow. This year, on Twitter, she shared a heartbreaking post: “8 years ago was the lowest point in my life as I carried life & death in my body. One twin who had passed, another about to be born. Grief and depression I didn’t know existed and still work through today.”

Nasser has two words for any woman going through anything like this: “get help.” She wants women to know they are not alone. “Just go talk to somebody, go see someone. If you have to get on meds, then get on meds. I was on meds for a while,” she says. “It is a horrible, terrible, unfair journey, especially losing a child at any stage — it’s not a natural, normal thing.” Even now, she still sees a therapist regularly and she’s not afraid to admit that she still has a lot of issues to work through. “I think there’s a lot of pain there,” she adds.

Ask Nasser what she’s most proud of, and she will tell you. In two digital series, #FirstTimeIWasCalled and www.mycitylife.ca

@farahnasserglobal www.mycitylife.ca

A Gentleman’s Summer

HIS ESSENTIAL

#LivingInColour, she explores the experiences of marginalized people pushing hard to bring uncomfortable conversations to light and to mainstream media. “The work that I’ve done recently in terms of race … I had a whole show and I still have it, called Living In Colour, based on the everyday experiences of racialized people, through their lens,” she says. “We were doing it before this reckoning that’s happened in mainstream media, and that had never been done before.” She asks simple, open-ended questions like, “What’s it like to be a Black physician in Canada?” — with complicated answers.

Nothing is off limits. “We talk about generational trauma and intersectionality, like what it’s like to be a member of the LGBTQ community and to be South Asian, too — imagine how that intersects and what family dynamics are like, and that kind of thing,” she says. “So, I just feel like it’s a proud moment, but also, it was such an education for me.” The series made for many sleepless nights for Nasser, as some people would just hate-watch, she says, and then make racist comments in the barrage of hate mail that she and her producer received.

“But, we kept going, and it was such a rewarding experience,” she says. “I’m really proud of that work and I’m proud of the organization that lets me run with all this stuff.”

Life moves pretty fast in Nasser’s world. How does she manage it all? “It’s a challenge,” she laughs. She and her husband have two kids, and both parents have demanding jobs, “so there’s a lot of balance and planning.” Nasser is grateful they have help with the kids, but, she points out, kids still want their parents’ attention. And she gets that. For Nasser, family is everything, and so one thing she does is to make sure she’s available to her kids, building in blocks of time, like weekends, when she actually turns off her phone. “I try really hard to not check email, not even answering messages or text messages with friends,” she says. “I have such a finite amount of time with my kids that I need to spend as much time with them as possible. I want to, because I enjoy it and I actually really like being around them.”

Take time to master the grill, wind down with some reading, and invest in some of summer’s latest fashion finds WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

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1. ON SICILIAN TIME: Sicily Watches offers high-quality Swiss-made timepieces that will fit into every watch lover’s world — whether an avid collector or first-time watch owner. www.sicilywatches.com 2. COMMUNICATION IS KEY: This is a must-have book, broaching topics that help us understand human behaviour and how to effectively communicate with one another in business, and beyond. www.amazon.ca 3. GRILL KIT FOR TWO: With each BlueBlood Steakhouse grill kit comes an uncooked steak with sides, sauces and salts ready for the grill. Now, you can get your grill on. www.bluebloodsteakhouse.com 4. SHADES, BUT NO SHADE: Designed with a modern, rimless construction and gradient effect, these aviator sunglasses will keep you looking cool this summer. www.holtrenfrew.com/en 5. GREAT SKIN FOR HIM: Aesop’s body balm will leave his skin feeling supple and hydrated thanks to its skin-softening ingredients like geranium leaf and bergamot rind. www.aesop.com/ca July/Aug 2021

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Community Hospice Vaughan’s new Islington Avenue location looks over scenic greenery donated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority

A HOSPICE

WITH HEART

For more than 25 years, the staff and volunteers at Hospice Vaughan have led with compassion. Having just opened a new 10-bed location, their work is more important than ever

I

t takes only one conversation with Belinda Marchese, executive director of Hospice Vaughan – The Mario & Nick Cortellucci Hospice Palliative Care Centre of Excellence, to get a sense of the impact the hospice and local community is having and the work they’ve been doing for more than two decades. She shares the story of the place, from its tiny office in the basement of a library and initial support from locals in Vaughan, to the opening of its stunning new location on Islington Avenue.

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ones in any way they choose, be it with art, music or something else, looking across stunning greenery donated by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, it’s a space for people to spend their closing moments in life, overflowing with compassion, care and understanding.

“The component of care within the philosophy of hospices is to embrace the whole person,” Marchese says.

“It’s not just focused on the medical components of care. It embraces their emotional well-being, psychological well-being, spiritual well-being and also anticipatory grief. The philosophy

of the hospice is to support the quality of life of the individual throughout the journey. You’re not defined by your illness or death. You’re defined by who you are.”

This idea of supporting people through the journey is important for Marchese and everyone at the hospice, and she notes how the etymology of the word shares meaning with hospitality.

“We’re here to help you early, through your diagnosis, illness, and then when it’s time for your final journey, either at home or here in this residence. We’re going to take care of you,” Marchese says. “You can hold their hand, pray www.mycitylife.ca

PHOTO COURTESY OF HOSPICE VAUGHAN

INTERVIEW BY ESTELLE ZENTIL | WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

PHOTOS BY CARLOS A. PINTO

with them, sing with them, be quiet with them. It’s up to you and the person.

We reduce the burden and help the transition with dignity and peace.”

It’s important to note that this isn’t care that starts and ends with the person in the hospice. Rather, it extends to the family and beyond. “We take care of the person who is ill, but also the family, friends and caregivers around that person,” Marchese continues.

“Formal research will show that most of the caregiving is done by that support system.”

Marchese explains that, while the hospice movement is fairly new, beginning in the 1970s, Hospice Vaughan wouldn’t be what it is today without the generous support of all the people who work there and the community that funds it.

Hospice Vaughan’s volunteers share their time; they have to undergo 40 hours of training to help with everything from physical care to mental support. While some of these volunteers have been with the hospice a year, others have been there since 1995. They vary in age and background, but are united by a singular belief that kindness and compassion is key.

“The volunteers regularly say, ‘I came here to help others,’ so they learn empathy, communication skills, cultural humility, diversity and family dynamics, which are all good life skills for anybody,” Marchese says. “But, all the volunteers say those in the hospice teach us more than we could ever imagine giving to them. I could tell you some of the most incredible people I’ve met are those the hospice has exposed me to.”

The local community has its part to play as well, with Marchese sharing that 88 per cent of the hospice funding for community program operations comes from the community. Without them, Vaughan Hospice wouldn’t be possible. She talks of the generosity of the province, the mayor and neighbourhoods in fuelling the growth the hospice has seen over the years. As she says, “between the professional staff, volunteers, family members, community friends and partners, it’s all part of the village. It simply takes a village.”

What’s perhaps missed and most misunderstood is that everything the www.mycitylife.ca

Belinda Marchese is executive director of Hospice Vaughan

The hospice wouldn’t be what it is without the generous support of the local community

All the volunteers say those in the hospice teach us more than we could ever imagine giving to them

hospice offers is available for free. While Marchese is the first to admit that there’s a disparity around that because the information isn’t always easily accessible, it’s what shapes her answer when asked where she sees Hospice Vaughan heading in the next decades.

“The community will tell us what they need,” she says, talking of building

more support around the program and more residences in different parts of Vaughan, but adds, “I don’t want to ever get a phone call or have a conversation saying, ‘if I only knew.’ You need to know that a hospice is part of your community.” www.hospicevaughan.com @hospicevaughan July/Aug 2021

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VARIETY OF LIFE

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LaSt WoRd

This summer is all about indulging in everything we’ve been dreaming of — including gin and chips WRITTEN BY ESTELLE ZENTIL

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1. COFFEE COUTURE: Italian style icon, Chiara Ferragni, has partnered with Nespresso to create a fashion and coffee lover’s dream — a pastel pink collection of eye-winking coffee accessories. www.nespresso.com/ca/en/chiara-ferragni 2. CITRUS SPIKE: With just a hint of citrus, Dixon’s award-winning Wicked Citrus Gin is a delightful pair to any tonic, juice or fresh fruit mix. @dixonsdistilledspirits 3. BRIGHT ON TREND: Reminiscent of this year’s Pantone Color of the Year, BOSS’s essential yellow T-shirt is an ideal addition to brighten up any athleisure lover’s wardrobe. www.harryrosen.com 4. DAZZLING ARRANGEMENTS: Lavender Grace’s team works closely with clients to make their whimsical floral dreams come to life, from Toronto all the way to Muskoka. @lavendergrace.ca 5. BEYOND JUST OIL: From the rose fields of Turkey to the jungles of Madagascar, every drop of Nest Fragrances’ perfume oils are infused with adventure. www.sephora.com | @nestfragrances 6. HEALTH IS WEALTH: FRESHOUSE’s “I am PURE” juice is packed with cucumber, kale, spinach, apple, lemon and ginger — potent ingredients that are known to provide incredible health benefits. www.freshouse.ca | @freshouse.juicebar 7. EAT YOUR VEGETABLES: Even if your daily greens come from a blend of exotic vegetable chips like yucca and parsnip, it’s OK when it comes to Terra’s irresistible assortment. www.terrachips.com www.mrcase.com

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