City Life Magazine July/August 2023

Our homes are built to the highest standard - the Rosehaven standard. We build with the aim of distinguishing ourselves from other builders, with a difference in our communities, in our homes, and in the overall home ownership experience.

A Modern Condo Coming to Our Next Food & Culture Capital

The Mayfield Collection is now selling luxurious single detached homes in a rare, desirable community just north of Brampton, where unspoiled nature is right in your backyard.

The Rebecca is the newest addition to Rosehaven’s award-winning portfolio of high-rise condos, coming soon to Hamilton. Cultured, connected, and crafted by leading architects and designers. The Rebecca is a world-class community built for this growing city.

COMPLIMENTARY CONSULTATIONS

Interested in how you, too, can have a Tasios smile? Schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more about our various orthodontic treatments.

CONVENIENT OFFICE HOURS

We offer appointments both before and after school hours to accommodate patients’ busy schedules. Appointments are also available on weekends, with times to best suit your needs. We have two convenient practices located near major highways in Vaughan and Toronto.

AMENITIES

3 DOCTORS ON-SITE

Our team of certified professionals offers only the best service, which results in the highest quality smiles. Equipped with three practicing doctors on-site, ensuring that each patient receives unparalleled orthodontic care.

AFFORDABLE INTEREST-FREE PAYMENT PLANS

We offer personalized interest-free payment plans with low monthly payments. Our team will assist patients in choosing the best route to suit their needs. Ensuring patient satisfaction is important to us, and we take the time to determine insurance benefits to maximize coverage.

Our office has been thoughtfully designed to welcome patients into a comfortable and modern space decorated with lush greenery, modern fixtures and flowing waterfalls to soothe any nerves. We also offer a variety of amenities, including coffee, ice cream, a candy station, a gaming area and a newly added outdoor mini-golf patio!

I NTRODUCING OUR NEW LIM ITED-TIME OFFER

NEW NASHVILLE HOT CRISPY CHICKEN POUTINE

$9 99 ONLY

Crispy fried chicken, paired with Nashville hot seasoning, which derives its avour from a blend of mild and hot peppers including red pepper, paprika and chili, and savoury garlic and onion. It’s the perfect meal for those who love a little kick!

A NEW TWI ST ON AN O LD C LASSIC OPEN LATE

DESIGN NEWS

Treat yourself by transforming your home into an oasis this season with these décor essentials

TEXT BY MARC CASTALDO AND MONICA MARANO

STYLISH FURNISHING

This wicker-accented egg chair is the ultimate oasis for relaxing, reading or listening to music.

www.rona.ca @rona.ca

INDUSTRIA FLORA

Inspired by Mediterranean ceramics, the textured floral patterns bring soft and sophisticated visual interest to any outdoor space.

www.techo-bloc.com @techobloc

FLEXIBLE FURNISHING

MILA MIRROR

Set in an intricately crafted frame, this antique-inflected piece displays age-old sophistication wherever it,s placed.

www.anthropologie.com @anthropologie

Everything happens here, from sleeping to entertaining friends, inspired by a practical design that makes the most of a small space.

www.ikea.com @ikeacanada

DESIGN NEWS

HEXAGONAL ICE CUBE MOULD

The ice tray ... reinvented! Made of flexible silicone, it can be used to make ice cubes, candies or chocolates.

www.simons.ca @maisonsimons

SKECHERS STREET X THE ROLLING STONES: UNOROLLING STONES SINGLE! This lace-up features The Rolling Stones’ “Lick” logo, a cushioned Skechers Air-Cooled Memory Foam® insole and a translucent Skech-Air® clear midsole airbag.

www.skechers.ca @skechers.canada

COCKTAIL LIE-ON FLOAT

Make the most of your summer with this spritz-bottle-shaped inflatable mattress. Perfect for relaxing ... or taking the best Instagram picture!

www.simons.ca @maisonsimons

LUNULA DRESSER

A visually arresting dresser with 3-dimensional cast-resin fronts and cast concrete legs offers a bold, contemporary style.

www.zillihome.com

@zillihome

THE PERFECT CANVAS FOR A DELICIOUS MEAL

Elle Design Planning caters to a specific vision, making each special occasion unique, creative and one to remember.

www.elledesignplanning.ca

@elle.design.planning

STYLISH AND SIMPLE HEMNES BOOKCASE

Beauty from sustainably sourced solid pine, a natural and renewable material that gets more beautiful with each passing year.

www.ikea.ca

@ikeacanada

STAY FOR THE SUMMER

Thanks to its restaurants, spa and other amenities, The Royal Hotel is an ideal pied-à-terre to explore Prince Edward County

Situated in the heart of Prince Edward County, e Royal Hotel is in a prime location. With a history that dates back to 1879, it’s a 33-room property surrounded by the district’s wineries and charming

WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

nature and has been restored by a local family. Its location — away from the city — and the nearby farms, which produce its local ingredients, adds to its charm.

e establishment has several eating options. e Counter Bar is open all day

for guests and passersby. e Garden is more intimate, hidden among the trees. e Parlour is described as a lobby lounge for drinks and small snacks, and the Dining Room and Terrace is where most of the culinary inspiration

comes to fruition.

At the time of writing, the menu includes pastas and pizzas, as well as mains such as rainbow trout, duck con t and kale salad. ere’s also a dedicated dessert menu as well as one for cocktails and wine. All promise a farm-to-table experience, an e ort to support both the community and the planet.

e ideas come from the mind of Executive Chef Albert Ponzo, who has

a passion for sustainable farming and has been working with food for more than two decades. e Royal Hotel’s website states how Ponzo’s love for food dates back to his childhood in Sardinia, spending countless hours in his nonna,s kitchen. Since then, he’s worked in kitchens across Toronto, including at Le Sélect Bistro for 11 years.

e hotel has earned a reputation as a calm retreat, and much of that is the result of more than just food.

Its rooms and suites, each named after a local apple or pear variety, reference the land around the property. Its rooms are split between two neighbouring buildings: e Hotel and e Annex. Where e Hotel leans more into warmth, e Annex, with its Scandinavia design, is meant for more extended stays. Farmers markets and wellness therapy

sessions take precedence on the hotel’s event calendar.

e Royal Hotel also features a spa and gym. Taking inspiration from traditions of 19th-century European health centres, it o ers personalized treatments focused on wellness and relaxation.

e Royal Hotel is located at 247 Picton Main St. in Picton, Ont.

www.theroyalhotel.ca

@theroyalhotelpicton

The hotel provides what the modern traveller expects while still honouring its own history and place in the local community

The hotel has several dining options, each promising a farm-to-table experience

Its rooms and suites are each named after a local apple or pear referencingvariety,the land around the property

DAY ROAD TRIPS

TEXT BY MARC CASTALDO

Purple Hill Lavender Farm

This family-run lavender farm is located in the beautiful rolling hills of Creemore, Ontario, where a collection of handmade, lavenderinfused products for the bath, body and home are made to bring the beauty of nature into your life. The family’s favourite part of the year is when the fields are in bloom and they get to see the smiling faces of their guests.

www.purplehilllavender.com

@purplehill_lavender

Angels Gate Winery

Located in Beamsville, Ontario, this winery has been crafting excellent award-winning wines for more than 20 years. The secret to its success lies in combining traditional winemaking techniques with new-world technologies to produce wines with delicate balance, finesse and structure. The winery’s grape varieties include Chardonnay, Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Merlot, Pinot Noir, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Malbec and Shiraz.

www.angelsgatewinery.com

@angelsgatewinery

CANADIAN WARPLANE HERITAGE MUSEUM

Founded in 1972 as a non-profit, this museum’s mandate is to acquire, document, preserve and maintain a complete collection of aircraft flown by Canadians and the Canadian military from the beginning of World War II to the present. Canadians of all ages are encouraged to visit to learn more about the history and preservation of these aircraft and artifacts.

www.warplane.com

@canadianwarplaneheritagemuseum

We travel not to escape life, but for life to not escape us. What are you waiting for?

THEHISTORYOFPIZZA

THE WORLD'S MOST BELOVED FOOD

The world’s most beloved food has ancient roots, but it was in 1889 that a Neapolitan pizzaiolo laid the foundation for the global obsession that it has become today

THE HISTORY OF PIZZA WRITTEN BY RUBA RAHIM CHEFS Q&A WRITTEN BY MARC CASTALDO PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISMERY LOYOLA

The history of pizza begins with the humble flatbread, which people made as far back as in prehistoric times by combining crushed grains and water to make a dough and then baking it on a hot stone. The end result would likely have been crispy but not very tasty. It is the ancient Egyptians who are credited with making flatbread more palatable. They discovered that a mixture of flour and water left out on a warm day allowed the wild yeasts in the grain to ferment the dough and produce a bread that was lighter, tastier and easier to digest.

Various flatbreads were consumed by other ancient peoples as well, including the Greeks and the Romans. Focaccia, often referred to as the “godfather of pizza,” is one of pizza’s most direct precursors. Many historians believe that focaccia originated with the Etruscans of central Italy, its name deriving from the Latin panis focacius, which means “hearth bread” and refers to the ancient method of baking bread over a hearth or fireplace in the centre of the home. Romans made a simple dough by combining flour, salt, olive oil, water and a small amount of yeast, and they likely seasoned it with herbs.

Focaccia’s popularity spread throughout Italy. In the 7th century, the Lombards in northern Italy produced a variant that they called “bizzo” or “pizzo,” related to the English word “bite.” At the end of the 10th century, official Italian documents with the terms “pizis” and “pissas” appeared, referring to certain types of baked products in Abruzzo and Molise that were noted as variants of bizzo and pizzo. The name became official when Neapolitan writer Benedetto Di Falco reported in his 1535 book, The Description of Ancient Places in Naples, that “focaccia in Neapolitan is called ‘pizza.’” At the time, the most pressing problem in Naples was the provision of food for the thousands of impoverished people who had flocked to the city from the countryside looking for work. Cheap and nutritious, pizza became known as the food of the poor. It was made with olive oil or lard, cheese and herbs, and sold by street vendors. Tomatoes, which by the mid-1500s had arrived in Europe from the Americas, began to appear on pizza as well.

Legend has it that the reputation of pizza as a peasant dish finally changed in 1889 because of a visit to Naples by King Umberto I and Queen Margherita. The story

goes that during their walk through the city, the royal couple were welcomed by Napoli’s most popular pizzaiolo, Raffaele Esposito, who prepared three pizzas for them: a pizza mastunicola made with pork, lard, sheep’s cheese and basil, a pizza marinara made with tomato sauce, olive oil, garlic and oregano, and a pizza with mozzarella, basil and tomatoes, ingredients intentionally chosen to recall the colours of the Italian flag. Claiming that the last was Queen Margherita’s favourite, Esposito christened it “Pizza Margherita” in her honour. Pizza was no longer only fit for the poor and Raffaele Esposito became known as the father of modern pizza.

While this origin story continues to be debated, aspects of it have been verified, including the fact that Esposito was indeed the owner of a pizzeria in Napoli that he had named “The Queen of Italy” six years earlier. And even if it’s true that he propagated the story for his own benefit, we can still thank him for the ensuing popularity of pizza: it spread throughout Italy and eventually the rest of the world as migrants carried their customs and traditions with them.

At the end of the 19th century, the millions of Italians that emigrated to America, mostly to New York, brought with them a little slice of home, and it wasn’t long before American pizza developed its own distinct flavours and styles. Italian-American celebrities like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin and Joe DiMaggio were famous pizza fans, and they helped explode its popularity in America. The rest of the world followed suit, wanting pizza like they wanted everything American, from blue jeans to rock ’n’ roll.

But there’s more to why people are crazy for the dish. Pizza has all the ingredients, from the dough to the melted cheese to the umami-rich tomatoes and the endless options of toppings, that make it the ultimate comfort food. Pizza is easily made-to-order to cater to personal tastes. Pizza is fun and easy to make; it’s also an easy takeout option. And whether it’s for lunch, dinner, a snack or as a leftover from the night before, it tastes great any time of the day.

Who doesn’t know and love Dean Martin’s famous 1953 lyric, “When the moon hits your eye / like a big pizza pie, that’s amore”? It keeps people singing — and eating pizza to this day!

“

WHEN THE MOON HITS YOUR EYE / LIKE A BIG PIZZA PIE , THAT ’ S AMORE ”

“A BIG DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A GOOD PIZZA CHEF AND A GREAT PIZZA CHEF IS THE CONSISTENCY”

GIRO D’ITALIA RISTORANTE

Born and raised in Australia, head pizza chef of Giro D’Italia Ristorante Paul Covino fell in love with cooking at 16 years old. But it was a family trip to Italy that sparked his desire to become a pizza chef. From that point on, he has proudly dedicated his life to the pizza-making process, using only the highest-quality ingredients and meticulous preparation.

Q: What is your favourite pizza?

A: My favourite pizza is the margherita. It’s the most traditional and I think if you want to judge the skills of a pizza chef, you must try their margherita because the ingredients are so simple.

Q: Why do you think everyone loves pizza?

A: Some people like their pizzas round, some people like them square and some people like them well done. Some people like them soft, some people like them loaded with ingredients and some people like them with not a lot of ingredients. So it’s hard to please everyone. It is definitely one of the most universal and opinionated foods that you can buy or make at home.

Q: What defines a great pizza chef?

A: A big difference between a good pizza chef and a great pizza chef is consistency. Can you make great pizzas not only for one day, but can you do it consistently every day, every week, every month for years? So, my goal is to maintain a consistent high-quality pizza.

At Giro D’Italia Ristorante, in addition to its exquisite menu, head pizza chef Paul Covino offers a regional pizza menu, changing month to month, that features classic Italian pizzas unique to the regions

CIBIAVENUE EVINI

Head pizza chef of Avenue Cibi e Vini

Robert Di Iorio’s passion for food flourished as a child at the kitchen table alongside his loving grandparents. His journey into the pizza-making world began at 23 years old when he was working in a restaurant that had a pizza oven and he said to the owner, “Put me behind the oven and I’ll figure it out.”

Q: What makes your pizza special?

A: I’m making it. That’s the secret ingredient. I do it with love and passion, and I always do my best to put out the best product possible.

Q: What personal rules do you follow?

A: Never cut any corners. There’s no quick way or cheating in the kitchen. I always strive to be the best by experimenting and keeping up with the different trends. It starts with love, but when you know what flavours work together, you can do some pretty magical stuff.

Q: If you were to make a pizza for anyone alive or passed on, who would it be?

A: I would say for my grandparents. I grew up on their pizza and I never got the chance to make them one. As far back as I can remember, maybe at four or five years old, I couldn’t wait to go to my grandparents’ house to eat. They had their own cooking style, and that’s a taste that I’ll never be able to taste again.

www.avenuecibievini.com

@avenuecibievini

DI IORIO

“WHEN YOU KNOW WHAT FLAVOURS WORK TOGETHER, YOU CAN DO SOME PRETTY MAGICAL STUFF”

Head pizza chef Robert Di Iorio’s passion for cooking has led to his greatest honour: serving his guests

PIZZAIOLOMARCOSCOGNAMIGLIO

PIZZERIAMORETTI

Head pizza chef of Pizzeria Moretti Marco Scognamiglio stumbled into the culinary world in the most unexpected way. He was 18 years old travelling back from Sardinia, Italy, when a friend of his asked him if he wanted to work at his restaurant for a summer job. One thing led to another, and now his culinary path has led him to one of the most beautiful restaurants in downtown Toronto.

Q: How did your family play a part in your cooking?

A: Growing up, my family always supported me and believed in what I could do no matter what I was doing, whether it was a new recipe or a new idea. I must give credit to them. My father never had the chance to see everything that I have accomplished. If he knew City Life was interviewing me, he would be very proud.

Q: How would you describe your culinary style?

A: I would describe my style as modern

and contemporary. I like to keep updated with what is going on in the kitchen and new chefs that are coming onto the scene. I try to experiment with different ingredients to try and get the best out of them.

Q: Is there any topping you would not add to a pizza?

A: For me, there isn’t one. I would put on everything possible to make a good pizza because if you know how to use a topping properly with other ingredients then you can get a great pizza.

Q: What sparks your inspiration and creativity in the kitchen?

A: It really depends on my mood. My inspiration can come from anywhere. There is always something new coming up in my head, and I try to make something special with it. It is almost spiritual, in a way, because I get in my comfort zone when I am behind the kitchen counter. I am exactly where I need to be.

www.pizzeriamoretti.com/toronto @moretti_toronto

“I GET IN MY COMFORT ZONE WHEN I AM BEHIND THE KITCHEN COUNTER. I AM EXACTLY WHERE I NEED TO BE”

For head pizza chef Marco Scognamiglio, his family and the kitchen always come first

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THE FUTURE OF HOUSING

Jackson Wyatt, CEO of CABN, is determined to set a new standard in the housing market with intuitively designed, sustainable, affordable and environmentally friendly homes

WRITTEN BY MARC CASTALDO

If environmental philosophy has taught us anything, it is that Mother Nature is a sentient being — how we treat her is how she treats us back.

Jackson Wyatt, CEO of CABN, understood this early on and has begun providing eco-friendly homes that challenge the conflict between doing what is convenient and doing what is better for yourself, your family and the future.

“The resistance comes down to people’s perceived cost in doing the right thing, and the perceived cost, either in time or money, of doing the

environmentally friendly thing. What people don’t recognize is that the technology that exists currently, right now, can bridge that gap,” says Wyatt. At CABN, it is all about intuitive design that can be easily manufactured, shipped and assembled.

CABN builds energy-efficient smart homes for unique locations worldwide, allowing residents to live anywhere. One of their homes can be constructed as an additional living space on your property in the city or as a new home in a rural area. Perhaps you are a retiree looking to downsize or a first-time homebuyer

CEO of CABN Jackson Wyatt

Founded on the belief that homes can be reimagined to be all-encompassing aesthetically beautiful, environmentally sustainable and financially attainable CABN is a true innovation in building design that delivers net-zero homes for the connected, conscientious consumer

who is preparing for your family to grow. Whatever your needs may be, CABN can provide the framework for a comfortable and energy-efficient lifestyle.

“Designing a home just to increase your profit is doing it the old, traditional way. Every part of CABN model homes has a purpose that increases the quality of life or the value of the product. Whether it’s reducing energy loads or increasing happiness in health, then you have a beautiful product,” says Wyatt.

At first, Wyatt admits that developing CABN was a “selfish endeavour” since it originated only after he’d scouted

Interiors in CABNs are just as sustainable and environmentally friendly as the building itself, featuring elements such as smart home technology, energy-efficient mechanical systems and renewable cork flooring

far-out remote areas to build a custom sustainable home for himself. But when he brought engineers and other experts in the field to assist him, he saw the potential for the world to experience something special, as well.

He saw an effective solution to the housing crisis that also serves the needs of the Earth. “Housing is a human right, and I think, for decades, there’s been a traditional linear approach to housing. That is, an ‘if-it’s-not-broke-don’t fixit’ mentality, because there’s money to be made. But now it’s universally understood that the current system is broken. We can’t keep up with the housing demand, and we can’t keep up with our climate-adjustment goals. So, we need an exponential approach,” says Wyatt.

The price of a CABN may be equal to or less than the down payment of a traditional house, with attainability and affordability being key components of CABN’s ethos. A portion of savings come from the fact that CABN models include an option that doesn’t include

energy utility costs. Every CABN model is optimized for solar energy generation and solar gain with the roofing structure playing a contributing role. The roof shades in the summer, keeping the building cool, and in the winter, the lower angle of the sun allows solar energy to enter through the windows and heat the unit. This results in significantly lower energy required to maintain a temperature of 21 degrees Celsius throughout the year. In fact, due to CABN’s high-quality insulation and systems, more energy is needed to cool the building than to heat it.

From the start, CABN’s mission is to make a measurable impact on the housing crisis and climate change by any means necessary because, for Wyatt, that is the only standard that matters. “I hope to show that there is a willingness of Canadians who want to live sustainably and live quality lives in homes that aren’t going to damage the Earth. I’m happy to be that kind of demonstration model.”

www.cabn.co @cabn.co

PHOTO BY ARASH MOALLEMI

RECRUITING & GROOMING TALENT

Team 2000 Realty Inc. Brokerage celebrates 25 years of success, but they are only rolling up their sleeves

Tony Bova, President and Broker of Record of Team 2000, has been around the block. After 35 years of experience in the real estate industry, he and his self-motivated team’s desire to serve communities across

the GTA and the Golden Horseshoe region remains strong and unmatched.

Bova and Sales & Marketing Director Stefanie Cooper graced City Life with an invitation to join them at their head office in Vaughan, where they shared their

plans for the next 25 years of success. Their mantra is simple it all starts with the team.

“Staff is a big part of our success. We’ve promoted internal employees who we’ve taken the time to groom.

Introducing Team 2000 Realty, dedicated to guiding you to where you want to successfully go

As the new-home industry evolves, Team 2000 recognizes the need to specialize in various newhome sales techniques along with helping its builder clients understand the power of marketing

We’re a dynamic and driven team with lots of experience behind us. But with the amount of work coming in, we want to acquire new salespeople,” says Bova.

Honesty, willingness to work hard, loyalty and motivation are the qualities that Team 2000 Realty looks for because those are the pillars on which the brokerage was built. They take great pride in cultivating honest and long-term relationships with their clientele.

“We make relationships. You buy a home from us. You’re going to come back and buy another home from us. You’re going to refer your friends and family to come talk to us. We will take care of you and guide you in the right direction,” says Bova.

How do they stand out from their competitors? Team 2000 is a boutique full-service real estate company that gets involved in every facet of the sales process. From scouting undeveloped land to working closely with builders and finalizing designs based on the community to packaging effective strategies with the marketing company, Team 2000 happily positions itself to serve you every step of the way.

Despite being in an industry where active business is measured by market conditions, Team 2000 Realty has remained one of the top five brokerages in Southern Ontario for the past 25 years. How? Because they love what they do.

“Dedication is what our staff has, and these are the people we’re looking for. Anyone who walks in the door, we will give them the opportunity. If they invest in us, we’re going to invest right back in them. We become this intertwined team where nobody is above or below anybody. We all have an important role to play,” says Cooper.

When the COVID pandemic struck, Team 2000 Realty adapted to new business practices to effectively provide its services, since the safety protocols

prevented salespeople from selling on site, i.e., in an office/sales centre. The team instilled confidence in their clients by walking them through every step of the process and delivering all the information for them to make an informed decision. “We were so successful that, just in the town of Erin, we sold 420 houses in eight days, all virtually,” says Bova.

They have helped their clients brand themselves by giving them dedicated sales professionals and administrators who adopt their vision and brand. As a result, they have been able to mould long-term relationships between their clientele and sales teams. Their clients never look for another option because they do not need to. In fact, Team 2000 has sales members that have represented the same clients for over 20 years.

With a track record of over 25,000 homes sold working with 30+ builders at more than 250 different new-home projects across Southern Ontario, their

team is simply effective. Young and seasoned salespeople can sell virtually or in person, and the mentorship and support supplied by the work environment nurtures the skills that both methods require. Their success is defined by their staggering sales performance, but it is also a reflection of the time and effort that they have dedicated to serving their many communities.

But do not judge them based on their wins judge them on their losses, because they have so few. Here at Team 2000 Realty careers are made, hard work is rewarded, and success is celebrated.

DEDICATION IS WHAT OUR STAFF HAS, AND THESE ARE THE PEOPLE WE’RE LOOKING FOR. ANYONE WHO WALKS IN THE DOOR, WE WILL GIVE THEM THE OPPORTUNITY. IF THEY INVEST IN US, WE’RE GOING TO INVEST RIGHT BACK IN THEM

HEALING A HOME FOR PROGRESS AND

Mai-Tran Nguyen, Head Clinician leading the programs at Clarity Learning and Therapy Clinic, says, “Many things are possible when you have the right people to support you.” After relocating to Canada from Australia, she was determined to bring over empowering treatment techniques she had learned back home and integrates them into Clarity’s programs. A uniquely tailored natural and holistic approach incorporating evidence-based learning and therapeutic techniques provides their patients with the opportunities to recognize their strengths, skills and potential.

individual’s mental health interacts with not only their body and mind but their environment and their world across all settings,” says Nguyen.

clinic, they engage in things that they like to do. So, if they like basketball, therapy is done while playing basketball together.”

At the clinic, individuals are taught and treated but sometimes certain exercises cannot be applied because they need to be practiced outside the clinic for instance, clients with social anxiety need to have exposure therapy to larger crowds of people. These individuals start at the clinic and are eventually encouraged to go to another environment to apply the techniques they have been taught, with Clarity’s therapists are alongside for the journey, supporting them every step of the way.

Whether it is at the clinic, at your home or on the playground, Clarity’s passionate, qualified and multidisciplinary team of therapists is more than happy to provide compassionate care. “We try to teach in a more fun way. What parents want for their children is for them to go into someplace they are happy and look forward to going into, but also that they come out progressing, with higher motivation,” says Nguyen.

Clarity is committed to providing services that are affordable and more accessible for the community. The process begins with a free consultation, during which the individual or family’s needs and goals are discussed. Then an initial assessment takes place to determine which services are best suited to those needs and goals. “After the initial assessment, they are provided with options that they can select from. It’s an empowering integrative process where the individual has the power to make their decision. There is nothing they are tied into. There are no prepayment plans. We are very transparent,” says Nguyen.

The moments that Nguyen cherishes the most are when parents arrive to pick up their kids and the kids don’t want to leave. They say, “Can we stay here forever?” These are the words that she holds dearly in her heart — not only the progress but the great friendships that are made here that are truly special.

LOYOLA

“Our approach recognizes that an PHOTO BY LISMERY

Clarity avoids outdated and rigid techniques and strives to obtain real results and nurture confidence. What separates Clarity from other clinics is that it can smoothly combine a scientific-based approach that addresses the biological and physiological aspects of depression, anxiety, etc. with another approach that addresses the cognitive and emotional aspects — both of which are essential for quality treatment. Nguyen adds, “We build a certain trust and rapport but also connect with the individual on a deeply personal level. When they come to the

Clarity’s multilingual and multidisciplinary team is here for you

Clarity Learning and Therapy Clinic is dedicated to providing services to individuals of all ages, backgrounds and abilities

Everyday Essentials Made For COMFORT

The four partners of the Montreal-based Manmade underwear firm display their products. From left to right: Robert Marzin, Anthony Ciavirella, Philip Santagata and Roberto “Berto” Rebelo

WRITTEN BY MONICA MARANO | INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO

Manmade is a new eco-friendly Canadian brand that produces underwear designed for comfort. These are not your grandfather’s underpants. These are quality essentials created to support men’s wellness and health.

Anthony Ciavirella, Roberto “Berto” Rebelo, Philip Santagata and Robert Marzin are lifelong friends who were tired of struggling with underwear that rode up, caused chafing and would lose its shape after a few washes. These four entrepreneurs, who had no experience or skills in apparel design or manufacturing, went on a 10-month journey to reinvent men’s underwear taking an unprecedented approach: creating a simple yet functional design with the highest quality materials at a reasonable price.

Cotton briefs feel good out of the dryer but sag as the day wears on. After dozens of trials and iterations, they created the most comfortable boxer brief, where function trumped fashion but they do look great. The briefs use a luxurious plant-derived fabric called Modal, a semisynthetic fabric made from beech tree pulp, which is not only an alternative to cotton that uses 10 to 20 times less water during production, but is also over three times softer and more comfortable, while still maintaining its shape throughout the day and in the laundry.

These entrepreneurs built their boxer brief with a mansack to create comfort … feeling like you are going commando, yet still supported.

During their product-development process they took great pride in their product, from conceptualization to production and everything in between, ensuring all aspects of the product are up

to the high-quality standards that they insist on.

Sticking to online sales and one simple design allowed them to discover it is not just about making underwear — or socks, which Manmade recently added to its collection. The brand is on a mission to educate men about wellness. There is a lack of awareness around men’s self-care, too. Through their blog, The Gentlemen’s Club, and active social media pages, the team is making men understand why they are wearing what they are wearing and what it does for them.

Another tenet of the Manmade philosophy is “No body shaming.” Most of the models that Manmade features are not the sort you would find with other brands. If they pick three models, they use three different body types. Manmade garments are made for all shapes and sizes.

These entrepreneurs were also able to secure an in-person audition for Dragons’ Den, which the team calls its “TSN

turning point.” The team was working to bring Manmade to a level where they were known nationally. The men went all out with their pitch, stripping down to their boxers to present their line of clothing essentials. This “exposure” led to a doubling of sales. Their attention to customer care, which includes repeated emails, calls, one-day delivery and a handwritten thank-you card with every order, has created a loyal fan base and repeat customers.

Their fun approach of employing social media to showcase their journey and of directly, personally talking to their audience are some of the many ways this fast-growing brand sets itself apart. They believe that underwear is part of selfcare and should feel good, and they have dedicated themselves to supporting men and the community. Manmade is the “guy brand” that men deserve … and makes the quality essentials men need.

www.manmadebrand.com

@manmade.official

We are best friends that share the same passion. We treat our business like our child and want the best for it. We are having tons of fun building this business and would not trade it for the world

Four best friends left the financial industry to solve a problem they all had: terrible underwear

PERFECTION IS THE STANDARD

Established in 1998, the Haute Couture Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design has been regarded as the premier school for sewing and design in the region. The Haute Couture Academy was the very first private art school in York Region to focus on university and college fashion-portfolio preparation. The Academy is unrivalled by other fashion programs, even at a university level, and Joanne Dice, owner, designer and creative director of the academy, takes pride in the fact that her curriculum is always evolving to keep pace with the growing fashion educational needs of today’s children, teens and adults.

Q: What separates the Haute Couture Academy from all other types of fashion education programs?

A: The first thing is how I hand-pick my teachers, and the second is our class size. Because of our small classes, we’re able to teach a better-quality course. We can

teach more in depth than a university program because they must divide their attention between 30 to 70 students. They must get through a lot of information in a short time with a lot more students, whereas we don’t need to do that. We take the time to teach our students custom clothing methods.

Q: How would you describe the Haute Couture Academy in one word?

A: I want to say “formidable,” because you can literally learn everything about design. But it’s also very personal because my students come to me and say, “These are my goals” or “I want to open this kind of store … what do I need to do?” I can tailor their portfolio to that. We nurture the students’ creative passions and skills but also educate them about the fashion business.

Q: Is there an admission process when enrolling?

A: No, because we start you at the very

beginning. The student has to be willing to put in the time. If they do that, follow the course curriculum and harness their skills and what they’ve learned, they will be successful.

Q: What are some of the things your students are being taught?

A: Just to put things into a better perspective, in a regular Grade 12 high school fashion class, most students would be lucky to be making pyjama bottoms and/or a hoodie. My Grade 12 students, however, are making wedding and evening gowns and leather collections.

Q: How has the experience been working alongside your daughter Nicole?

A: I absolutely love working with her because she brings a whole new perspective to everything. She has a hardworking mentality, but she is one of those rare designers who are equally talented in every facet of design. By that I mean, the technical skills of sewing and pattern-making, as well as the creative art skills.

Q: How would you define success?

A: Success to me is not about the money. For me, it is being able to run a business that is feeding back into the community and nurturing students of all ages. When you can nurture someone’s mind and soul through learning and being able to watch them improve class after class, that is my greatest joy.

Whether coming to us for post-secondary portfolios, or staying with us for a complete design education, that is where the Haute Couture Academy steps in by offering their students a vast course selection that most colleges and universities do not have. The curriculum is carefully designed to support each student in attaining all their design goals and becoming independent designers, fully prepared for the fashion industry with a professional portfolio to showcase.

The Haute Couture Academy of Fashion, Fine Arts & Design grooms its students in all aspects of design other programs just cannot compete

Joanne Dice and her daughter Nicole encourage their students to strive towards excellence in their work and to be artistic and creative

BEAUTY IS ENHANCING WHAT YOU HAVE

TEXT BY MARC CASTALDO

Halo Glow Setting Powder

This loose-setting powder has a light and silky texture that leaves your skin shine-free on the surface with natural luminosity from within. elfcosmetics.com

A fast-absorbing mini body cream with an addictive scent and a visibly tightening, smoothing formula that adds a hint of shimmer to skin. sephora.ca

Clean Bouncy Cream Eyeshadow Palette

A unique, clean palette of bouncy cream eyeshadows for an instant sheer wash of radiant pearl and shimmery colour that melts onto the eyelid. sephora.ca

ColorStay Full Cover™ Foundation

Full, matte coverage without any of the typical heaviness. This full-cover foundation legit feels lightweight — all day, and all night long. revlon.ca

C-Tango™ Vitamin C Eye Cream

A rich and restorative eye cream featuring eight peptides, five forms of vitamin C, and cucumber extract for firmer, brighterlooking skin. sephora.ca

Brazilian 4 Play Moisturizing Shower Cream-Gel

A creamy lathering body wash that gently nourishes and cleanses the skin. sephora.ca

An argan-oil-infused anti-frizz hairspray with a movable but firm hold. sephora.ca

DELICATE

Reem Halawi’s business, Just Floral by R, which creates edible custommade sugar and wafer paper flowers for wedding cakes, was born during the pandemic and is now thriving

WRITTEN BY RICK MULLER | INTERVIEW BY MARC CASTALDO

There is not much of an upside to a global health pandemic, but now that we may be able to look back, one of the silver linings may be that the lockdowns and the radical change in the work-fromhome dynamic allowed many people the time and space to unlock hidden talents or explore passions that the pre-

pandemic world had prevented in their frenetic lives. Many developed these passions into side hustles and small businesses that still thrive today.

One of these global “passionistas” is Reem Halawi. A pharmacist by training, she took advantage of the freedom that the lockdown’s quiet time afforded her to renew her passion for

baking artistry and began her company Just Floral by R, which specializes in creating handcrafted, custom-made edible sugar and wafer paper flowers as arrangements to beautifully adorn wedding cakes.

Baking was almost the perfect activity for a lockdown. You can do it from home and it is time-intensive

— remember early in the pandemic when it seemed the entire world had become sourdough bread bakers? Most importantly for Halawi, it ignited a passion.

“Finding passion in your life or passion for your lover or your children, whatever it is, whatever passion you have, is really important because if you

don’t find passion, you’re not living your life to the fullest,” said Halawi, in a recent interview with City Life “Passion is the most important thing for me. If you’re able to say you are passionate about something, that is really incredible.”

The edible art of handcrafted, custom-made and -designed sugar and wafer-paper flowers is a growing and popular trend in cake decorating. There was even a book about it, Wafer Paper Flowers, published in 2016 by Petya Shmarova, a sugar-crafter based in Sofia, Bulgaria, which was the first book discussing how to create realistic-looking flowers from wafer paper. During the past years, Shmarova has conducted demonstrations and classes in Europe, the Middle East, South America and Asia.

The trend is yet another example of the creativity that has always existed in the wedding industry. As Halawi explains, while the end result is an element of what she terms “delicate beauty,” the creative process with her clients, usually engaged couples or bakers, is arduous and can take up to 24 hours for a single arrangement.

“There is a lot of planning that goes on behind the flowers,” says Halawi. “I sit with my client so I understand their vision. After we decide on the colour scheme, the flower type and the size, this is when the actual work begins. There is the moulding and the intricate shaping of the petals so they look to be flowing and as natural as possible, and then assembling them. So it is a very long process, and the planning and discussions are extremely important.”

Halawi’s current marketing is through word of mouth and primarily her Instagram account, justfloralbyr, which contains a stunning collection of photos illustrating the creativity, imagination and beauty she brings to her custom-made arrangements.

“If I was to describe my creations, I would say delicate beauty,” she says. “I have a small butterfly in my logo

because I have always looked at the butterfly as this small creature that is very vibrant but has a delicate beauty about it. So in describing my work and my business, it is going to be something like the delicate beauty of a butterfly, because it is so beautiful and unique.”

Artistic beauty is at the heart of what Halawi’s imagination and talent create, and beauty is very much in her soul. “The way I would define beauty is that it is something that takes you to another place,” says Halawi. “Beauty is something that makes you disconnect from your present reality and allows you to be somewhere else.”

While her career and her newly discovered Just Floral by R enterprise may dominate her world just now, its centre has always been and always will be her young daughter, Jasmine.

“One of my biggest accomplishments is raising a happy daughter,” she says proudly. “She is extremely creative and artistic, and I’ve been so proud to be able to support her and nurture her talent. I feel art can bring a lot of happiness and joy to people, and I’m proud Jasmine can look at art as a channel to communicate her emotions. Jasmine already spends a lot of time with me doing the flowers, and I’m hoping that when she grows up she’ll work with me if she wants to and we’ll open our own business together — growing this business and taking it to the next level together. She’s a strong character with leadership skills, so I’ll probably end up working for her!”

Success is not financial for Halawi; it is something much deeper. “My business and my definition of success is being able to share my art and love of flowers with others, in actually making a difference for others by helping them bring their visions to life,” she says.

Just Floral by R was born out of a pretty miserable collective global experience, but Halawi is one of millions of people who found a niche, discovered an inner talent and joy and turned a negative into a positive — another example of the delicate beauty, strong will and strength of the human spirit.

Halawi’s creative process when designing her edible arrangements for which she consults with her clients, can take up to 24 hours

PHOTO BY GEOFF FITZGERALD

A RESIDENCE ON THE RIVER

Des Forges Residence is the latest project from Bourgeois / Lechasseur, bringing together modern design and the wonder of Quebec’s sweeping landscapes

WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

Known for its fascination with Quebec’s topography and how its nature can be incorporated into the architecture of public and private designs, Bourgeois / Lechasseur is an architectural firm founded on creativity and expertise.

Led by architects Olivier Bourgeois and Régis Lechasseur and named one of the world’s best emerging architectural firms by Wallpaper Magazine, it adapts each project not just to the client but to the world around it.

One of its latest projects, Des Forges Residence, continues that story of design.

Inspired by the tales and legends of the surrounding Saint-Maurice River, all of the property’s design choices are led by the environment. The upper floor follows the curves of the river on its elevated position above the cliff ’s erosion zone. Offering a view of the moving water,

Des Forges Residence takes inspiration from the SaintMaurice River and uses black spruce planks for the exterior to create visual neutrality

Olivier Bourgeois and Régis Lechasseur, the two founders of Bourgeois / Lechasseur PHOTO COURTESY OF BOURGEOIS LECHASSEUR ARCHITECTES

the house has been carefully sculpted to respond to the landscape.

The design firm is known for how it deals with exploration and the process of discovery. This residence is no different. The property is accessed via a long private driveway that spans more than 250 metres. The farther you move along that driveway, the more the details reveal themselves through the thick pines, like a story that slowly unpacks itself as you keep reading.

The original intention was to create a sense of mystery, with the house floating among the trees and the upper floors suspended in mid-air among an alive landscape, interacting with the sweeping river.

When you reach the entrance, which is sheltered from the elements and arched on all sides, you start to see the design traits at work. The arches, inspired by the

A defining feature of the property’s interior is the winding staircase, which sits below a series of cascading lights

All of the property’s rooms include works of art arranged to evoke the feeling of a gallery as you move from space to space

Forges-du-Saint-Maurice, a historical and archeological interpretation site, echo traditional natural stone masonry techniques. The front door, made of wood and glass, opens into the centre of the residence, with visiting areas, garages and utility rooms on the first floor and living areas and master suites on the second.

The house itself is split into three wings. Each is set on a natural stone foundation and is supported by a main structure of steel and exposed woodwork. It’s here you start to see the duality that runs through the property. Whether it’s the combination of wood and steel, the warm cedar flat against the black exterior or the mysterious tone against the thick pines, interesting combinations are constantly at play.

Within the house, there are several standout features. At the heart of the project sits a stunning staircase that winds itself to the upper floors below a series of pendant lights. Stone facing is

used to separate two open areas upstairs and covers a closed block that houses a pantry and bathroom, and can also accommodate an elevator in the future.

In the boudoir, a wood-burning fireplace has been integrated into a stone wall, continuing that pattern of duality against the raw materials of concrete, steel and glass.

Throughout its construction, the property’s owners made a point of working with local contractors, suppliers

and artisans to get the job done, and all of the windows, wood facings and steel railings were supplied by local companies. It’s proof that Des Forges Residence isn’t just a project built on the Saint-Maurice River, but is one that has been completed with respect and a deep connection and understanding of the environment that surrounds it.

www.bourgeoislechasseur.com

@bourgeoislechasseurarchitectes

Duality is an important part of the design, bringing together steel and wood, traditional and contemporary features

The property’s entrance is inspired by the Forges-du-Saint-Maurice and speaks to the traditional methods of natural stone masonry

UNITED REALTY GROUP: THE POWER COUPLE OF LUXURY REAL ESTATE

The dynamic duo, Alfredo and Carmela DiGenova of United Realty Group with Re/Max Premier Brokerage Inc., honoured CityLifeMagazine with an exclusive interview to discuss their passion, career and family.

Although Alfredo and Carmela have been happily married for over 30 years and have three wonderful kids, they are more than just husband and wife. They are business partners who have dominated the luxury real estate business for the past 15 years and have been bestowed with every possible real estate award year after year.

Before real estate, Carmela worked a traditional nine-to-five job, and one day she realized she wanted more out of life. Her passion for home and design is what initially inspired her to transition into real estate. but, ultimately, she knew she could offer more to herself and her family by pursuing her passion.

When asked to describe the business team chemistry between her and Alfredo, she said, “Our chemistry as a couple is based on mutual trust, open communication, shared goals and commitment to each other. We are bound to have our ups and downs, of course all couples do but our personalities

complement each other, and these are the factors that have helped us become a successful partnership.”

What is the source of their success? Their passion for people runs deep. They genuinely care about making a difference in their clients’ lives. They understand the financial and emotional impact that comes with buying or selling a home, and they are happy to help you along the way. “This isn’t Hollywood. This is real money, real people and real feelings. We are there to the end, and we want a successful story to tell. We’re all about transparency. Everything we say, we do, and everything we do, we say,” say Carmela and Alfredo.

“A few years back, we were involved in a multiple-offer situation, and when we presented our offer we ended up getting the home for our clients. But the next day, the price was posted and all the other agents complained. The reason why is that we represented our buyer in such a way to the seller that he refused everybody else’s offer, and ours was the lowest offer on the table. It goes to show money isn’t everything,” says Alfredo.

Providing their clients with the highest level of service is the only standard they aim for. From the moment you meet them right until when the keys are handed over

personalized approach, expert advice, communication, dedicated care and attention — they cater to every client.

The achievement they are most proud of? “We have three great kids chasing their passions in life, which is something to be proud of. They understand that if they want something bad enough, it could happen. You just need to work hard for it, and it’s yours. But one thing that we’re also proud of is our repeat and referral business. About 30 per cent of our yearly business is repeat and referral. That tells us that our clients have no problem sharing our contact [information] with their friends and family. They trust us,” says Alfredo.

What separates United Realty Group from other real estate brokers is that Alfredo and Carmela love what they do. For them, if you love what you do, you will never work another day in your life, and as far as they are concerned, every day is “Another Day in Paradise.”

www.unitedrealtygroup.ca @unitedrealtygroup_

The DiGenovas are proud to say their greatest passion is also their greatest privilege: serving you

The dynamic nature of the industry and the continuous learning and growth it offers fuel Alfredo and Carmela’s passion for serving their clientele

IT'S A BEAUTIFUL

life

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Whether it’s the sight of a mural celebrating the sunsoaked French Riviera, the welcoming warmth of an outdoor sauna or the feeling of being wrapped in a wool blanket woven in a historic mill, there’s a world of experiences waiting to be discovered. Here, we bring some of those worlds together in the hopes that you’ll stop awhile, look and, perhaps, take the plunge to enjoy experiencing them yourself.

Discover our selection of creative moves and moments that make life beautiful

Discover our selection of creative moves and that make life

WRITTEN BY JOSH WALKER

DEFUNC AUDIO

As a brand that champions Swedish design and state-of-the-art audio expertise, Defunc is dedicated to elevating your sonic experience. Its HOME range is a modern and wireless collection of multiform speakers that don’t just complement all music tastes and genres but look good on the shelf.

Defunc’s HOME range of speakers can be customized with a selection of colours

The speaker itself has been created in collaboration with audio engineer and acoustics expert Henrik Isaksson to bring together design, functionality and a deeper connection with sound.

www.defunc.com @defuncglobal

Johan Wahlbäck is the founder of Stockholmbased audio-product brand Defunc

GRANITE + SMOKE

With a name that symbolizes old and new, heavy and light, the difference between architecture and textiles and speaks to their home cities of Aberdeen and London, Granite + Smoke is a labour of love for friends and design professionals Lindsey Hesketh and Claire Canning. Based in the U.K., they’re known for creating cashmere throws, wool blankets, cushions and wall hangings that are kinder to the environment. Made in a historic mill situated in the North of England, the brand’s recycled wool blankets are woven on jacquard looms and finished by hand.

www.graniteandsmoke.com

@graniteandsmoke

Pear Pod is founded on the core values of curiosity, resilience, humour and open-mindedness. By bringing these values together, it offers a selection of handmade freestanding hanging nest chairs. The pods are carefully constructed to maximize comfort and relaxation by drawing on their cocoon shape. Each piece takes three to five weeks to make and is put together with traditional willow-weaving methods. Not only that, but each pod is sustainable, as well as produced with compostable willow, recyclable steel and repurposed waste cord.

www.pearpod.co.uk @pearpoduk

The bold designs feature graphic patterns inspired by London’s brutalist architecture

Granite + Smoke’s double-sided cashmere and lambswool blanket

Pear Pods are made with willow supplied by a U.K.-based family-run farm business

Ellen Mulcrone founded Pear Pod after falling victim to burnout

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5 COPPERWOOD TRAIL

Bringing humans and horses together, Copperwood Trail is a family farm that offers a variety of programs. Whether you’re looking for coffee in the country in the company of horses, Equine Assisted Learning sessions or introductory courses on the behaviour and body language of horses, there’s something for everyone. The farm is located in Whitchurch-Stouffville, Ont., and is committed to offering a safe and tranquil country escape.

www.copperwoodtrail.com

@copperwoodtrail

To mark the arrival of summer, Four Seasons Hotel Toronto has opened d|azur, its seasonal outdoor patio. With a new menu and annual mural installation, it pays homage to the French Riviera and Mediterranean coastline. The mural has been created by Victoria Sequeira, an artist based between Toronto and the Waterloo Region. She says she took inspiration from the “idyllic romance, charming colours and sun-drenched vignettes that characterize this cherished corner of the world. I wanted to spark a visual journey for guests — one full of warmth, tranquillity and a touch of Mediterranean magic.”

FOUR SEASONS HOTEL RIVER COTTAGE

www.fourseasons.com/toronto @fstoronto

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Since its debut on British television’s Channel 4 in 1999, River Cottage has had a positive influence on the country’s eating habits and on the welfare and sustainability of its animals

The d|azur mural, created by selftaught artist Victoria Sequeira

Copperwood Trail was set up to share its passion for horses and the simplicity of country life

River

and fish. Located on the border between Devon and Dorset, it’s currently home to a cookery school, dining experiences and a calendar of events. The quaint property also offers accommodation in its farmhouse as well as sweeping views of the surrounding Axe Valley.

www.rivercottage.net

@rivercottagehq

OUT OF THE VALLEY

Fully embracing the fact that in Finland there’s one sauna for every two people, Out of the Valley is a brand delivering stunning outdoor wooden saunas and cabins from Devon in the U.K. Each sauna is handmade from natural materials and can be heated either by wood or electricity. Obtaining a sauna from Out of the Valley requires the completion of three steps: first, the design process, when you select your heating method, internal timber type, cladding colour and any external bathing options; second, the build process, when the company constructs the sauna; and finally, when the sauna is installed. Out of the Valley saunas are available internationally.

www.outofthevalley.co.uk

@out.of.the.valley

OLIVER HEATH

Passionate about human-centred design and the power of nature in spaces, Oliver Heath is the founder of Oliver Heath Design and is an expert when it comes to biophilic and sustainable design. As well as speaking regularly at seminars, events and award ceremonies, he’s the author of four books. He also co-ordinates talks for Planted, a marketing platform, with a mission to “educate, inspire and promote environmental best practice in design, food production, architecture, events and land management.”

www.oliverheath.com

@oliverheathdesign

Cottage hosts a range of classes on subjects ranging from cookery and gardening to baking and beekeeping

Out of the Valley’s outdoor saunas have been designed to help people connect with nature

Oliver Heath is an industry-recognized design expert and the founder of Oliver Heath Design

IT ALL STARTS WITH AWARENESS

With over 100 years of collective experience in providing compassionate and comprehensive care, Edgewood Health Network (EHN) Canada continually reminds us of the prevalence of alcohol addiction in Canada

WRITTEN BY MARC CASTALDO

When we enter the month of April, we all rejoice knowing that it is the time of the year when the brutally cold weather comes to end and it is the beginning of longer and warmer days. The birds chirp and the spring flowers flourish. However, for many healthcare institutions April is Alcohol Awareness Month. According to recent statistics from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse, approximately 80% of Canadians

consume alcohol, with 15% of those individuals exceeding the recommended guidelines for low-risk drinking.

EHN Canada is the nation’s largest industry-leading mental health and addiction treatment centre network. As the network continues to expand its presence across the country, it stays true to its philosophy, core values and mission. With roughly over 3 million Canadians at risk of developing alcoholrelated health problems, EHN Canada dedicates itself to educating Canadians

about the prevalence and dangers of alcohol addiction and raising awareness about the resources available for those struggling with this disease.

Now, many of us have heard the slogans and warnings about substance abuse. We have also heard the common deflections such as “Well, everything in excess is bad for you!” The time has come to take the initiative and confront the harsh realities of one of the most pervasive issues in our country. We need to understand that:

Sobriety is a journey, not a destination

People should not start to use alcohol or increase their alcohol use for health benefits. Any reduction in alcohol use is beneficial. This applies even to those who are unable or unwilling to reduce their risk to low or moderate levels. Those consuming high levels of alcohol have even more to gain by reducing their consumption by as much as they are able.

• It is indisputable that above the upper limit of the moderate risk zone for alcohol consumption (more than 6 standard drinks per week), the health risks increase more steeply for females than for males. Biological factors, such as enzymes, genes, body weight and size, organ function and metabolism are important for processing alcohol and are affected by sex-related factors. These biological factors increase the impact of alcohol on females, causing higher blood alcohol levels, faster intoxication, more risk for disease, including breast cancer, and more long-term harm, such as liver damage and injury.

• Men are more likely than women to take other risks (e.g., use other substances or drive) that, when combined with alcohol, further increase their likelihood of experiencing and causing alcoholrelated harm. Overall, far more injuries, violence and deaths result from men’s alcohol use, especially in the case of peroccasion drinking.

• Cancer is the leading cause of death in Canada. The fact that alcohol is a carcinogen that can cause at least seven types of cancer is often unknown or overlooked. According to the Canadian Cancer Society, drinking less alcohol is among the top 10 behaviours that can reduce cancer risk.

• After cancer, heart disease is the second leading cause of death in Canada. For many years, it was commonly believed and widely accepted that drinking in moderation offered protection against coronary artery disease. However, in the last decade, research has indicated that drinking a small amount of alcohol neither decreases nor increases the risk of ischemic heart disease, it is a risk factor for most other types of cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, heart failure, high blood pressure, atrial fibrillation and hemorrhagic stroke.

* The above statistics are from the Canadian Centre on Substance Abuse and Addiction, Canada’s Guidance on

Alcohol and Health: Final Report (January 2023)

This is a pivotal moment for us to change the narrative about how we combat this disease. By working together, not just in April, but all year-round, we can help reduce the dangers associated with alcohol abuse and provide hope and healing to those who struggle every day. We owe it to future generations.

EHN Canada’s treatment programs are designed to address the physical, emotional and psychological aspects of alcohol addiction, and are delivered by experienced healthcare professionals dedicated to helping individuals achieve lasting recovery. If you think you need help or know someone in need of help –DO NOT WAIT. Reach out now.

Visit www.ccsa.ca for a comprehensive breakdown of the most recent statistics concerning alcohol abuse in Canada.

www.edgewoodhealthnetwork.com

@ehncanada

THE KING OF TILE

At King Tile, “We Take Pride in Your Design”

Known as the “Tile Freak,” Clint Watson’s passion for building and design started at the age of 12, when he and his father laid his first brick walkway. After developing his knowledge of the tile industry in the U.S., Clint moved to Toronto, where he combined his extensive experience of tile with entrepreneurship in 2015 to found King Tile. The premise of King Tile is to provide an exceptional experience for every client. “Each project is pursued with full commitment, sharp attention to detail and, most importantly, execution of our client’s vision,” says Watson. “We have a full team on hand, from administrative support to in-house design, accounting personnel and fully trained installation crews ready to serve our clients. Each member of our team is committed to providing our clients a one-of-a-kind, personalized experience.” King Tile was founded on the principle

of delivery. To do this, a systematic and methodical training program was developed and implemented to ensure that each member of the team values execution, quality and service delivery. With these standards, King Tile has quickly become one of North America’s premier tile and slab installation companies.

“We are not your average tile setters who show up in dirty work clothes and a beatup pickup truck. We are true professionals. Since we love what we do, we show up clean, prompt and eager to work. We are artisans, and that is something we take pride in,” says Watson. And with that, the birth of another brand was sparked, Tile Freak Inc. Inspired by the widely shared complaint that companies fall short of supporting quality craftsmanship, Tile Freak’s video and podcast content is made to share Watson’s industry experiences and set the industry standard. Whether you need custom slab work, additional

design assistance to execute your vision or on-site fabrication or installation, King Tile will be honoured to serve you with luxury custom finishes that will enhance any indoor and outdoor space.

“We are focused on the luxury aspect, and we are client-focused and service-focused, but we also support quality craftsmanship by focusing on our technicians. The technicians who come to work for King Tile are all trained properly, and I put them in an environment where they’re comfortable. They don’t worry about just getting the job done quickly and then running out. So that, in turn, has really been able to help us serve our clients much better,” says Watson. The company’s accomplished team of sales representatives, project coordinators and installation experts provide the highest quality training, tools and materials to deliver exceptional experiences to their clients.

Throughout his travels and while working in many different locations, Clint Watson noticed a common theme: not enough attention to installation practice, and a focus on getting the job done as quickly as possible to get paid. He recognized the industry needed to reset its focus. “We need the focus to be on the technical aspects of tile installation,” says Watson. What is most important to him is the ability to create something inspired by true passion that reflects a person’s desire to reach their full potential. “When meeting with my team, I want to listen to their perspectives. I want to acknowledge their ideas, as our company’s success is a cumulative and collaborative effort that includes everyone’s individual creativity. There’s opportunity for creativity in everything we do. When everyone around me feels like they are in a position to create something unique and individual to themselves, that is the ultimate level of success!” says Watson.

93 Healey Rd., Bolton, Ont. 905-951-1701

www.kingtile.ca

@kingtilecanada @tile.freak

PHOTO BY EMAD MOHAMMADI

From the company’s founder and president, Clint Watson, to his carefully selected apprentices, every member of the King Tile family is devoted to crafting excellence

PICKS

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PRODUCED BY MICHELLE ZERILLO-SOSA | WRITTEN BY MARC CASTALDO

This season’s picks will have you immersed in a peaceful, beautiful and comfortable lifestyle you never knew existed EDITOR’S

3. OUTDOOR COMFORT

@potterybarncanada

Treat yourself this summer season with wicker lounge chairs, an ultimate bar table, reversible pillows and 10-foot outdoor umbrellas. www.potterybarn.ca |

4. NATURAL & BOLD

@anthropologie

Designed with stretch styling; the mixed-stone stretch bracelet is made of beautiful, colourful gemstones ranging from lime to sky blue that will add a tasteful touch to any wardrobe style. www.anthropologie.com |

5. COFFEE-TABLE ADD-ONS Tuscany Marvel , a sumptuous hardcover book published by the luxury brand Assouline, features more than 200 photos of Tuscany’s rich culture, art history and authentic cuisine. www.anthropologie.com |

@anthropologie

@primalighting

@anthropologie

1. FUNCTIONAL STYLE The Wrenley Suspender-pant set is a semi-sheer, fun, beachy and lightweight summertime staple featuring two separate cotton pieces that can be worn individually or together. www.anthropologie.com |

2. DELIGHTFUL FRAGRANCES Nest Fragrances Eau de Parfum are inspired by Mary Delany’s fl oral-focused artwork and translated into a curated collection of scents including Golden Nectar, Citrine, Indigo, Wild Poppy and Sunkissed Hibiscus. www.anthropologie.com |

@anthropologie 3 5

4 2

7. HOUSE DECORATIVES

Braided hanging baskets made with seagrass, plastic raffi a and vegan leather are perfect for a mud room or entryway, to display decorative fl owers or store light accessories. www.anthropologie.com |

8. COMFORT ON WHEELS The Supercycle Pathway is an easy-riding comfortable bike that offers performance, value and style with a stepthru design, upright riding position and comfortable geometry. www.canadiantire.ca |

@anthropologie

@canadiantire

10. TRUE FLAVOUR

9. CLASSY The Wells tufted leather swivel recliner makes a statement in any space. The swivel design, classic leather wrap, and handsomely styled wingback silhouette make it a true conversation piece. www.potterybarn.ca |

Amarena Fabbri is semicandied and preserved in syrup. With over one hundred years of history, this versatile ingredient can be used for both sweet and savoury dishes, for garnishing drinks or simply to enjoy by the spoonful.

@potterybarncanada

|

@martellifoods 11. NOURISHMENT

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The Stila Complete Harmony Lip & Cheek Stick is a two-in-one lipstick and blush that nourishes your skin while blending beautifully onto your face. Stila is committed to inspiring everyone to celebrate their authenticity. www.anthropologie.com

www.martellifoods.com

@holtrenfrew 12. TRAVEL SMOOTHLY This four-piece travel set by Carta is the perfect gift for frequent fl iers. This set lets you keep your luggage organized and orderly for easier trips. Each handy zip pouch is made from seaweed-based vegan leather with a water-repellent lining. www.chapters.indigo.ca |

@indigo 10

@indigo 13.

DIGNIFIED STYLE This modern-fi t glen check grey suit by Orvieto is made from Italian fabric and is perfect for summer occasions and turning heads. www.ernest.ca |

13 14 55 CITY LIFE MAGAZINE July/Aug 2023 www.mycitylife.ca

@boutique_ernest 14.

WITH JULIA LEE Q&A

INTERVIEW BY MICHELLE ZERILLO-SOSA

Q: Can you share some childhood memories with our readers that have shaped you into the woman you are today?

A: I grew up outside of Philadelphia with immigrant parents, so I was firstgeneration American. My grandma raised my sisters and me until she passed when I was nine. Because both of my parents were working, there were times when they would have to go to work and I would have to wait at home by myself to take the bus to school. I think that was one small part of how

I learned to be independent at a young age. My family was also mostly female. I have two older sisters and we were raised by my parents and grandma.

Q: What would you like to see change in the modelling industry?

A: I would like to see more inclusivity that is genuine. After the BLM and Stop Asian Hate movements, I saw a lot more casting of models of colour, which was great, but sometimes I feel like it was done more as a performative activism trend at the time and not

something that is here to stay in the future.

I also see a lot of brands casting plussize right now, but to me it feels like they are checking off a box. It all feels like a bunch of boxes.

Nothing wrong with boxes, but I feel it’s indicative of meeting diversity criteria without truly embracing the core intent of diversity itself. Don’t use us to sell your products per se, include us IF we sell your products. Intent and impact are equally important, in my opinion. Otherwise we feel used, not included.

Q: What would be your advice to young women who would like to pursue a modelling career?

A: Take your time with it. Your career is not over once you hit 18 years old. Be yourself — that’s the best selling point you have, rather than trying to fit into what you think the industry wants you to be. The camera does not lie and picks up what’s real — like your emotion and imperfections — so it’s important to make sure you’re bringing your true self forward.

Q: What’s the favourite experience you cherish from your modelling career?

A: Shooting for the cover of Harper’s Bazaar Vietnam . I worked with an incredibly talented team, including stylist Kevin Parker, who heads Philly Fashion Week with Kerry Scott. Philly Fashion Week is where my modelling career started, so it was one of my full-circle moments. And Vietnam is where my father, who had passed not long before, was from. I may not have known it in the moment, but the kismet was undeniable. This whole journey of pursuing modelling as a career was not always smooth. My traditional upbringing did not lend itself to the

With her infectious personality and passion for pop culture and beauty, model Julia Lee strives to inspire self-love and perseverance

PHOTO BY KEZI BAN

Living life to the fullest with Julia Lee: model and content creator, hustling between LA and NYC, soaking up the sunshine and spreading selflove or dying trying

wanderlust career of modelling, and my parents unknowingly made sure I knew that. There were moments when I felt unsure if I was making the right decisions because it felt like everyone close to me wanted me to go on a different path. Getting this cover was an affirmation of my belief in myself and that chasing my dreams was worth the leap.

Q: What have you learned about yourself, or about people in general, because of your career as a model?

A: It’s not about you, and people are people regardless of what they wear, what they drive, what they brag about, or what they cry to you at night about when all of the above fades away.

Q: What is your biggest pet peeve?

A: Bad customer service, especially over the phone.

Q: What are you most grateful for?

Q: What is your definition of beauty?

A: Someone or something that is pure. That’s rare, so when I see it I’m in awe.

Q: Describe to us a typical day when you are not working.

A: I wake up without an alarm and have a moment to myself with a cup of coffee. I’ll warm up to the day by watching the news with my boyfriend and Frenchie pup. Later, I’ll hang out with friends to catch up or have a puppy date in the park. Then I’m relaxing at home. Because my life is very much on the go with work, it’s really important for me to have a solid home base that I can retreat to on my days off.

Q: What do you look for in a friendship or relationship?

Q: What is your favourite movie, book or song?

A: Birdman, the movie.

Q: What does your future look like?

A: Full! I am excited to focus on acting and dive deep into that craft. I also want to travel to Vietnam and connect with my Vietnamese heritage.

Q: What is a tough lesson you learned early in your career?

A: It’s one thing to be signed to a Top 10 agency just to say you did it. It’s another thing to be a working model who is booking jobs and making consistent income from it.

Q: Do you have any regrets from your past? If so, what would you do differently?

A: I regret not taking time to journal all the fun moments I’ve had. I have my camera roll to look back on, but I think journaling would make me sit with myself and take the proper time to reflect on my journey and how fortunate I am.

A: My parents trying their best to raise me with what they had and doing better than they could have ever imagined! @itsjulialee

A: Someone who is inspiring, supportive and secure. When it comes to a relationship, it’s important that I see a partnership with that person, that there is no jealousy, and he can understand the nature of my business. A cute Frenchie is a bonus!

Merchant helps her students to start thinking about looking at the world through a larger lens and reinforces the idea that their potential is often a lot greater than they expect

THE POWER OF CONNECTION

Brain Power’s dedicated educators and unwavering values consistently deliver a transformative teaching model that inspires and nurtures a profound love of learning. Through their playful senses of humour and a student-centred approach, Brain Power’s teachers help students thrive with newfound confidence.

City Life was honoured to sit down with Hannah Merchant (Dip. E.C.E., B.C.D., M.Ed.), an Associate Instructor & Admissions Ambassador, as she shared how Brain Power educators go beyond the enriched curriculum to encourage their students to improve their academic performance and cultivate a true love of higher education.

After earning a diploma in Early Childhood Education and an undergraduate degree in Child Development, Merchant continued on her academic path and completed her Master’s Degree in Education at York University (also obtaining a Graduate Diploma in Early Childhood Education).

students can build a strong network of like-minded and bright young people (and their families), and soon find that greatness is absolutely within reach!

“What separates us from other programs is our instructors. We are passionate and highly educated. We’re inquisitive and we genuinely care about our students’ success. Additionally, our curriculum is at such a high level that our students are being exposed to concepts and lines of inquiry that they wouldn’t encounter until much later in their regular school programs,” she says. Brain Power even goes as far as to connect the students to opportunities beyond their own curriculum by offering training and support for various math competitions, spelling bees, national essay contests, poetry competitions and so much more!

“What makes us who we are is our unique set of passions, idiosyncrasies and quirks and, along with that, our strengths and weaknesses.” For Merchant, a “strengthbased approach” is the teaching method that she believes enables her students to thrive. She says, “I’m a big believer in human connection, and I care about my students very much. If we’re not looking at a student as a ‘whole’ person, and only focusing on academia and what they are able to produce, how can we connect with the student and help them grow? So when I borrow the term ‘strengths-based approach,’ it’s really all about getting to know who they are, helping them to discover their strengths and challenges, and then playing between the two to find that fine balance of celebrating those strengths while working on and learning from the challenges.”

She has been a keynote speaker for the Association of Early Childhood Educators of Ontario on the topic of “practitioner selfimage and advocacy for the field.” She has also travelled to marginalized communities outside of Canada to provide professional development workshops for educators and caregivers. Most of all, Merchant takes great pride in working to become the teacher she always wanted when she was a student — approachable, compassionate and innovative.

What exactly are parents looking for in an after-school teaching program? Merchant believes parents’ primary concern is that their children are looking for more of a challenge! They also want their children to be inspired and motivated, attitudes that will enable them to strive for greatness and learn to think more critically. At Brain Power, each child’s knowledge, experience, strengths, and challenges are recognized, respected and celebrated within a grouplearning environment. Through the experiences provided at Brain Power,

In preparation for the future, Brain Power is determined to implement new technologies into its teaching methods, “staying grounded while riding the waves as they come,” and expanding its reach across the GTA. Brain Power is made up of passionate teaching professionals with graduate and PhD degrees who understand that it is a privilege to educate the young minds that will inevitably impact our future.

MOHAMMADI

905-303-5457

www.brainpower.ca

With more than 30 years of success, Brain Power Enrichment Programs Ltd. is regarded as one of the top educational institutions in the Greater Toronto Area. It provides a safe and dynamic space for students to reach their full academic and interpersonal potential PHOTO BY EMAD

@brain_power_enrichment

EVERYONE IS WELCOME

WRITTEN BY MONICA MARANO

The Toronto Jewish Film Foundation produces programming and projects offering the best feature films, documentaries and shorts from Canada and around the world, on themes of Jewish culture and identity. The foundation is dedicated to using films for their contemporary popular value and accessibility in order to reflect the diversity of the Jewish experience internationally.

Co-founded in 1993 by artistic director Helen Zukerman, the Toronto Jewish Film Festival (TJFF) was created to heighten awareness of Jewish cultural diversity in Toronto, which, at the time, was limited in the film industry, according to the organization’s website.

It began as the “downtown” festival and proved to be a creative, exciting way to introduce people in the city and surrounding areas to Jewish culture and how it fits with the multicultural kaleidoscope that is Toronto. The festival set out to be a showcase of the diversity of Jewish life and cultural experiences around the world.

Now in its 31st year, the TJFF features comedies, documentaries, dramas and even the occasional “I did not know they were Jewish” discovery. This year’s TJFF ran from June 1 to June 11 and screened movies and videos at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, Cineplex Cinemas Empress Walk and Innis Town Hall, with a selection of virtual screenings also available through tjff.com. The TJFF presents films in their original languages, with subtitles, in an effort to break down

racial, cultural and religious barriers and stereotypes.

This year’s program offered a diverse lineup including new, engaging Canadian films, dozens of moving international features and stories from all over the world, from Uganda to Ukraine — there was even a modern-day musical set in Toronto. This year, the festival screened 77 films from 20 countries, including 28 inperson and online Canadian premières. Their plots unfolded in settings around the world, affording viewers glimpses of other places and times, including a small Jewish community in rural Uganda and a Yiddish Ukrainian village on the Polish border.

Through the presentation of international and Canadian films, the festival aims to be both a window to and a mirror of Jewish culture, providing an opportunity to heighten awareness of Jewish and cultural diversity around the world to audiences of all cultures and backgrounds.

The festival strives to be inclusive, appealing to every member of the Toronto community regardless of age, social or religious affiliation or income. With a goal of exposing the non-Jewish community to the global multiculturalism and diversity of Jewish life, TJFF screens films that have contemporary, popular value and that address the subject of Jewish identity — that is, it strives to be a Jewish film festival but not a film festival solely for the Jewish community.

www.tjff.com

@tjffgrams

The Micki Moore Award celebrating the best narrative feature film directed by a woman went to Florence Miailhe’s The Crossing

The David A. Stein Memorial Award, which supports documentary filmmakers, went to Itamar Alcalay and Meital Zvieli’s The Camera of Doctor Morris

The new comedy-musical Less Than Kosher, which had a sold-out world premier at the festival, took home the title of The Chosen Film: People’s Choice Award

Demon Box, directed by Sean Wainsteim, took home the NextGen Award for Best Short Film

The Toronto Jewish Film Festival returns with 77 offerings from 20 countries

BEWARE of SCAMS

WRITTEN BY MARC CASTALDO

In the past several years, there has been a surge in scam attempts. Most of us have been on the receiving end by phone or email. It occurs so often that many of us have developed the foresight to identify it as a fraudulent encounter within the first moments.

Unfortunately, some have fallen victim to these scam attempts, which leave them financially hurt. York Regional Police have issued a warning to all communities across the GTA to stay alert for a new scam that generally targets elderly citizens.

This scam plays on the emotions of its victims, typically grandparents. Most often, a phone call is made from someone who claims to be their grandchild. They will state they are in trouble and in need of money immediately. To make the situation seem more legitimate and imminent, the perpetrators even go so far as to place a second call pretending

to be a lawyer or police officer who is overseeing the matter — a car accident, a medical episode, an arrest or a criminal charge — and demand that the senior provide money for alleged bail, legal fees, fines or other supposed bills.

Victims of the scam are often led to believe they are not allowed to discuss the situation with anyone due to a court-enforced gag order, causing the senior to trust only the scammer. Victims then rush to their local bank branches, in a state of panic and fear, to withdraw thousands of dollars in cash to be delivered for the welfare of their loved ones.

Raising awareness of the significant increase in emergency-grandparent scams targeting Canadian seniors is crucial to putting an end to this devastating and often overlooked crime. In 2022, more than $9.2 million was reported lost to emergency scams, according to the Canadian Anti-Fraud

Centre (CAFC).

York Regional Police and financial institutions have urged everyone to remain calm if they are confronted with a similar situation. They advise:

• Always verify the person’s identity by asking questions only family members would know

• Contact the family member in question. Although emotions are running high, please take the time to double-check

• Never send money to someone you do not know

• Do not give out any personal or financial information

Do not fall prey to this type of scam. If you have any questions or concerns, please visit your local police station, or contact York Regional Police, using their non-emergency toll-free number: 1-866-876-5423.

www.antifraudcentre-centreantifraude.ca

Thousands of people across the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) have fallen victim to a new financial scam that plays on their emotions

Do not take the bait. Protect yourself from financial scams by paying attention to the clues

HOW OUR PARTNERSHIP CAN SERVE YOU

with

and Mark

Who are we?

As part of CIBC Private Wealth, Mark Roccatani, Region Head of CIBC Private Banking for Ontario, works together with Senior Wealth Advisor Sugi Kumaresan’s team at CIBC Wood Gundy to provide clients with bespoke lending options that are tailored to their specific needs. We believe in the power of teamwork when it comes to managing finances. Our partnership offers financing solutions that help ensure a more financially secure future for our clients, their families and their businesses.

What is bespoke lending?

Bespoke lending is a ‘client-focused’ approach to lending that results in tailored structures that support both a client’s needs while balancing a client’s overall borrowing and their cash flow demands. This service is ideal for unique or complex projects like real estate development, construction and large-scale projects that don’t fit the parameters of traditional financing options. How does it work?

Unlike a generic loan-repayment plan, a bespoke lending plan is carefully structured around the client’s ability to repay the loan over time. This includes several flexible loan terms, such as repayment periods, interest rates and payment schedules. These terms also come with competitive interest rates that helps the client to save money over the life of the loan.

What are the benefits?

Clients have access to expert and personalized financial advice that helps them make informed decisions. In addition:

• Customized lending plans with financing solutions that are tailored to the client’s requirements, rather than being a one-sizefits-all approach.

• A faster approval process, with most loans approved within a few days. This allows clients to access their funds quickly and efficiently.

▲ Mark Roccatani, CFP, Region Head of CIBC Private Banking for

◀ Sugi Kumaresan, CFP, CIM, Senior Wealth Advisor with CIBC Wood Gundy

PHOTO BY FARZAM HD

Glow THE JOURNALUp

WRITTEN BY DANIELLE RICHARDSON

Everyday Design: Routines + Scheduling

The key to a lasting glow up is to have a solid foundation. In Chapter 1, you’re going to create just that! Your routines and schedules set the framework for your glowed up life because you can’t manifest your best and baddest self if there’s chaos under the hood. Glowing up doesn’t happen overnight; it happens little by little, building lasting change. So it’s time to roll up your sleeves and get to it! In this chapter, you’ll create the perfect schedules and daily routines that will help you glow up. You’ll be able to better understand your energy levels and at what times of day you are most productive. You’ll also focus on designing your days in ways that feel right for you. This is your life, so you get to make the rules for your glow up!

Take

the First Step to You 2.0

Let’s kick things off by getting clear about where you are right now. If you’ve picked up this journal, chances are you’re probably not satisfied with where things are at in your life. Instead of feeling stuck, use your current state of mind as a starting point! In this activity, you’ll take a quick assessment and use it as the start of creating the 2.0 glowed up version of yourself. No matter what brought you here, just know that you are capable of creating change and manifesting a better life! When you finish your Glow Up Journal, come back to this activity and compare where you were when you filled it out to where you are once your journal is all done. By committing to this glow up process, you’ll leave feeling empowered, inspired, and more fulfilled in your life!

Journal Activity: FULFILLMENT

Mark your current level of fulfillment in each area of life:

MENTALLY

•NOT FULFILLED

•WORK IN PROGRESS

•ALMOST THERE

•FULFILLED

PHYSICALLY

•NOT FULFILLED

•WORK IN PROGRESS

•ALMOST THERE

•FULFILLED

EMOTIONALLY

•NOT FULFILLED

•WORK IN PROGRESS

•ALMOST THERE

•FULFILLED

PHOTO BY MYAL AUTHONY

Dr. Danielle Richardson is a Los Angeles-based optometrist, yoga teacher, and the founder of Fierce Clarity. She takes a holistic approach to wellness in her own life and is passionate about sharing her tools and practices with others. She focuses on creating evidence-based wellness content to empower busy people to make healthier decisions

Everything You Need to Set Goals, Create Inspo—and Make It Happen!

SPIRITUALLY

• NOT FULFILLED

• WORK IN PROGRESS

• ALMOST THERE

• FULFILLED

[Journal prompts]

• Do you lean more toward Not Fulfilled or Fulfilled?

• Why do you think you lean in that direction?

• How would you like to feel in these areas of your life?

Channel Main Character Energy

Main Character Energy (n): The vibe you exude when you feel like your best self a.k.a. the most iconic — the baddest — version of yourself!

Life is a movie, and you aren’t in the supporting role — you’re the main character! The main character is the one whose story line viewers follow and who is most connected to the plot. Even if you don’t feel like the main character of your life, you are! No matter your circumstances, you can always choose to view them in a way that is beneficial. Today you’re going to choose to view yourself as the main character and get to know your main character energy.

Journal Activity:

MAIN CHARACTER ENERGY

For this activity you’re going to brainstorm and create the main character version of yourself. Let your imagination run wild and think of the most fabulous, confident, and amazing version of you! How does the main character version of you show up…(Think of how you feel, look, smell, etc.)

• At the library?

• At the office?

• At a party?

• At a workout class?

• With family?

• With friends?

• With a romantic partner?

• On vacation?

Main Character Inspo

• Who has this energy? (List either IRL or fictional characters you love.)

See It to Believe It: Visualizing + Preparing for Your Dream Life

If you can see it, you can be it! Your thoughts and imagination are a powerful force that give you the ability to create your dream glowed up life. The problem is that most of us are not using this power

wisely. Instead, we are often complaining about what’s going wrong (hey, it’s easy to focus on the bad and forget the good!) and feeling helpless and stuck instead of feeling empowered to make changes to get what we want.

In this chapter, you’re going to get unstuck from your current reality. It’s time to let go of limiting beliefs and start to dream big. What would your life look like if there were no limits? What would you do if you couldn’t fail? The activities here are going to help you expand your mindset and create a road map for your dream life. Get Creating (Instead of Complaining!) When we want to change something in our life, it’s often because we’re over it … our job, our money problems, our love

limits? What choices would you make if you could not fail? Imagine your fully glowed up self in the future and write all about what you see. For this particular glow up vision, centre your happiness: What will make you the happiest? The most important part of this activity is that you let yourself imagine a future as big and bright as you possibly can, and put that image down onto the page. Let go of limits and allow yourself to dream! This activity requires a timer. Set it for ten minutes to give yourself ample time to brainstorm answers to these questions. It may feel challenging, but commit to using the full amount of time. Feel free to bounce around between categories or move section by section with bullet points, full sentences, or even drawings. Set your timer and let’s go!

• Who I want to be

• What I want to do

• What I want to have

Imagine Your Life as a Movie

Imagination is what separates humans from all of earth’s other living creatures. We have the ability to bring our dreams into reality! But we tend to lose this spark as we grow up. We start to become more jaded and “realistic,” and limit ourselves to the world we can see in front of us.

The Glow Up Journal: Everything You

Let’s rediscover the power of your imagination by creating a movie of your life! If you were writing a movie starring the glowed up you, what would the movie be like? Whatever the mind can see and visualize can happen IRL.

Journal Activity: YOUR GLOWED UP MOVIE

life, and just about everything! And when we’re in this type of funk or rut, we tend to complain — a lot. But complaining is an energy drain. It sucks the life out of you. What if you shifted your energy from complaining to creating? What if, instead of thinking about everything that could go wrong, you could focus on what could go right? What if you let go of limiting beliefs and opened yourself up to limitless possibilities?

You have the power to flip your mindset and create the life of your dreams! For this activity, you’re going to let go of where things currently are and focus only on the awesome things that are to come.

Journal Activity: YOUR DREAM LIFE What would your life look like without

It’s time to start manifesting the glowed up life you want by using your imagination to create a vision for Future You.

• Where do you live?

• What do you do for fun?

• What do you do for work?

• How are you dressed?

There are no limits here! Use these questions as a guide and brainstorm the best version of your life at different time periods. Get detailed, so you can really see it playing out like a movie. Ready…action!

• My life in one year:

• My life in five years:

• My life in ten years:

• My life in twenty years:

www.drdaniellerichardson.com

@fierceclarity

Excerpted from THE GLOW UP JOURNAL by DANIELLE RICHARDSON. Copyright © 2023 by Simon & Schuster, Inc. Used by permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Need to Set Goals, Create Inspo — and Make It Happen! by Dr. Danielle Richardson contains fun prompts like Main Character Energy Daily, Mix n’ Match the Best Workout Routine, and more, that will have you enjoying the process of glowing up and getting excited about meeting all your goals.

THE SUMMER I DIED TWENTY TIMES

Fred Rutman's heart-stopping memoir, The Summer I Died Twenty Times: Because Sometimes Lightning Does Strike the Same Spot Twice (Black Rose Writing, 2023), has captured the world’s attention. This extraordinary memoir, in which Rutman fearlessly recounts his journey of dying and returning to life a staggering 20 times, has garnered nominations for prestigious accolades such as the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Canadian Jewish Literary Award, and the Writers’ Trust Award, cementing its status as a truly inspirational and courageous literary work and its author as the embodiment of resilience and wit.

As a young boy, Rutman's education centred around Winnipeg’s Talmud Torah, at the time that city’s only Hebrew school. “Talmud Torah was my educational haven until sixth grade,” he reminisces. However, his memories of those years are far from positive. Struggling with undiagnosed conditions, including attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), Rutman faced adversity in an era when schools were illequipped to comprehend such issues. “The teachers believed I only needed to apply myself to succeed,” he recalls with a tinge of bitterness. Unaware of his own learning disabilities and bearing the additional stigmas of being overweight and having red hair, Rutman endured the relentless screams of teachers who chastised him for his perceived inadequacies. Adding parochial schooling and instructors who had been moulded in the crucible

of military discipline to the equation that already included his special needs produced a result that suffocated the very essence of his spirit.

Rutman’s father toiled for London Life, while his mother shouldered the responsibility of payroll at the Seven Oaks School Division. “My mother battled depression throughout her life and my father endured the most severe case of rheumatoid arthritis I have ever witnessed,” he recalls. Their lives were marked by silent struggles, a sombre backdrop to Rutman’s own tribulations.

Not until his mid-30s did Rutman receive a diagnosis for his profound

physical and intellectual challenges. “I underwent testing, which revealed a severe dysfunction in the right hemisphere of my brain. Put simply, a significant portion of my right brain was malfunctioning,” he says. Yet, against all odds, he managed to graduate from high school and even pursued an MBA from the University of Winnipeg, along with a Certificate in Adult and Continuing Education (CACE) from the University of Manitoba’s Continuing Education program. “Becoming the valedictorian was never in the cards for me. Many individuals with brain trauma and learning disabilities persevere through sheer determination. Unconsciously compensating for my undiagnosed issues, I embarked on my journey without awareness until the diagnosis finally arrived. The human body possesses a remarkable ability to adapt within its limitations.”

In an excerpt from his book, he reflects on his medical conditions: “At birth, I suffered a stroke that caused extensive brain trauma, eluding detection. I have a severe full atrioventricular (AV) block, a heart condition of unknown origin. This condition disrupts the synchronization of electrical signals, causing my heart to cease its rhythm,” which it did 20 times in the summer of 2009. “I am entirely reliant on a pacemaker,” he states matterof-factly.

Rutman’s account of dying diverges from conventional narratives such as approaching a warm light, encountering deceased loved ones, or undergoing life

STORY WRITTEN BY MYLES SHANE

Fred Rutman presents his book to an audience at a Toronto book signing

PHOTO BY NAOMI HILTZ

A burning question has arisen repeatedly throughout human history: what lies beyond the threshold of death? Fred Rutman’s harrowing first-hand experiences have rendered him an expert on the matter

reviews in the presence of divine beings described in religious texts. Instead, he describes a detachment from his physical body, yet a lingering connection maintained through an ethereal cord. As his soul hovered above the lifeless vessel of his body, Rutman writes of encountering an indescribable force that relentlessly pushed him back into it, inflicting excruciating pain — a torment he endured with each subsequent death.

Perplexing indeed is the question of how someone can endure countless deaths without doctors intervening to halt this recurring outcome. “They failed me through repeated misdiagnoses, leading to my continual demise, coupled with the accompanying head trauma. They persisted in trying to prove I was suffering a heart attack,” he says. “Please understand, my intention is not to cast blame. It is simply an account of what unfolded. I do not wish to offend the doctors who may yet be needed to save my life.”

Another engrossing excerpt from Rutman’s memoir sheds light on his extraordinary journey. He recounts his first memory of what he now refers to as Fred’s 2009 Summer of Death Tour, a macabre, upbeat take reminiscent of a concert T-shirt. Initially unaware of his deaths, he only discovered the truth many weeks later, after experiencing the 17th of what would be 20 episodes. At first, he downplayed the severity of the situation, not fully comprehending the gravity of his predicament. It was only later that he realized the profound wrongness of it all.

Yet, there was no grand "Eureka!" moment that unveiled the truth. Instead, as his brain gradually healed and he recalled more details, Rutman found himself in his home office, grading economics term papers — an arduous task in itself. It was then that his mind produced a spectacle of awe-inspiring fireworks, in which competing thoughts and bewildering images exploded relentlessly, lasting what seemed like an eternity. The impacts of each explosion reverberated within him, as if an unseen force was viciously assaulting his very being. In retrospect, he’d say that the term “fireworks” was far too beautiful a description for the sheer horror he endured — he would come to call these episodes “brainquakes,” a more accurate description of the intense struggle he was undertaking to reclaim his life. They were experiences unlike any other, ones that would repeat themselves, leaving an indelible mark.

The release of Rutman’s book in March was the culmination of arduous years of writing. Initially hindered by the haunting effects of PTSD and concussion syndrome, Rutman struggled to recall moments from his own life. It was at the suggestion of a therapist that he began writing the book, using journaling as a means to recover his past. Over time, he discovered the therapeutic power of the process, especially during the isolation of the COVID era, which allowed him to consistently delve into his memories.

These days, Rutman is travelling throughout North America giving presentations about his book and medical history at colleges and Jewish organizations. In July he’ll be back in hospital, undergoing yet another heart surgery.

To buy Rutman’s thrilling book, The Summer I Died Twenty Times: Because Sometimes Lightning Does Strike the Same Spot Twice, in both Kindle and paperback formats, please go to https://www. amazon.ca/ or Fred-Rutman/e/B0BWFD62W1%3Fref=dbs_a_ mng_rwt_scns_share There are also plans for wider distribution through leading Canadian and American retailers.

PADDLING TOWARD A BRIGHTER FUTURE

In an incredible journey marking the close of an eight-year-long quest, three Michigan friends have successfully paddleboarded across the five Great Lakes

WRITTEN BY MASSIMO SOSA

Jeff Guy, Joe Lorenz and Kwin Morris are men on a mission to save our freshwater beauties.

In efforts to support the lakes’ ecosystems and bring awareness of these essential North American bodies of water, the group has paddled through thick and thin to help raise funds for numerous initiatives, including their own nonprofit organization, Stand Up for Great Lakes.

What started as a dream to venture across Lake Michigan, quickly became a reality in 2015 as the group successfully traversed the state’s waters. Soon after, Guy, Morris and Lorenz set out to conquer the remaining four lakes with their latest and final feat taking the team across Lake Ontario this past June.

This experience has given the group a newfound purpose as they continue on their path to not only protect the five Great Lakes but all rivers, lakes and streams in North America.

They are on a mission to educate, inspire and bring awareness to preserving the water’s ecosystem. Stand Up for Great Lakes helps implement ecological and environmentally friendly practices that aid in preserving the lakes’ inhabitants and plant life in an effort to secure a brighter and bluer future.

www.standupforgreatlakes.com

@standupforgreatlakes

From left to right: Jeff Guy, Kwin Morris and Joe Lorenz on the shores of Lake Ontario by Fort Niagara after the 35mile, 13-hour paddle from Toronto