December Issue of Community Now! Magazine by communitynowmagazine

published by ZX Media Corporation

COMMUNITY NOW! MAGAZINE

Volume 1 Issue 5 â&#x20AC;¢ Dec 2018

“It Takes a Village…” African Proverb

CONTENTS INNOVATION Our Creativity: A Lever To Improved Mental Health 6 The High Tech World of CANNABIS 10 Engage-Build-PlanPut To Action: The Rainforest Brings The Community Together To Create A Stronger Ecosystem 14

Martial Arts and Mental Health 44

Krista Malden

Community Connector

Paying It Forward46

Kenzie Webber

Master Creator

EDUCATION

Josh Clark

Ad Guru

What’s Your Food’s Story

CONTRIBUTORS 52

Banishing The Bullies 58

BUSINESS

Stacy Richter

Adette Lacerte

Scott Pickard

Zanika Malden

Deanna Burgart

Diane Swiatek

Jill Quirk

Les Mottosky

Sophia Fairweather

Peter Lafontaine

COMMUNITY

What’s Possible With Sophia 62

The Listening Project: Essence 22

Telling It Like It Is 63

Steven Archambault

Charlie Cheung

Marilyn Dyck

Heloise Lorimer

One Parent’s Story With Vanisha Breault Part 1 of 3 26

PROF-IT: Do You Have The Holiday Entrepreneurial Spirit? 64

Tracy Beairsto

STEAM Team

Community Inspiration: Brian Cymbaluk 30

OLYMPICS: What Did We Learn 65

Pause and Pivot 40

Building Community Now! 68

Mental Health Q & A With Steven Archambault 43

Credit to Errorist_Artist aka Zanika Malden

Our Mission: Promoting curiosity, communication and engagement in making Calgary a stronger and better place to live, to be educated, do business, promote innovation and community celebration.

Community Now! \\ 3

THANK YOU TO EVERY WHO MADE THIS EVENT POSSIBLE! Thank you to everyone who came out to raise money for the Canadian Mental Health Association - Calgary Region and Celebrate Community on Dec. 12 2018

Stacy Richter ORO Services (c)

Brian Cymbaluk 2018 YYC Music Industry Person of the Year

Deanna Burgart P.Eng CET; President Indigeneer

C UPE LO C AL 709 C alg ary Civic F o rema n Un i o n

Peter Lafonataine Business Advisor, Principal at WIN HELIX

Frank Donegan Local Cupe 709, Vice President

Kyle Patterson Youth Ambassador-Fund development Coordinator -CMHA - Calgary Region

Thank you to everyone who donated an auction item: Self Healing, Sunshine Village, Trico Center, Clothing Bar, Shakers, Spruce Meadows, Loose Moose, Canadian Tire, Calgary Flames, Spolumboâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Cardel Accounting, Tim Hortons(in Mckenzie Towne),Alberta School of Ballet, Jim Gibson, Empowering Minds, Yvonne Silver, Alex Groski, Side Arm Nation

Thank you to Sponsors: CUPE LO C AL 709 C a lga r y Civic Fo r e m a n U ni o n

WE MAKE

SCHOOL OF ROCK | Calgary, Alberta 2707 - 17th Ave SW Phone: 587-353-7625 calgary@schoolofrock.com

www.schoolofrock.com

Schedule A Free Trial: https://locations.schoolofrock.com/calgary

Turn mental illness into mental wellness

turni2we.com

cmha.calgary.ab.ca

@CMHACalgary

#105, 1040 - 7 Ave SW 403-297-1700

CMHA - Canadian Mental Health Association - Calgary Region

INNOVATION Our Creativity: A Lever To Improved

Mental Health

Les Mottosky

he concept of the tortured artist in our culture is cliche. From creative luminaries like Vincent Van Gogh to more contemporary cultural influencers, Alexander McQueen & Chris Cornell, the perceived connection between compromised mental health and barrier-shattering creativity is everywhere. It may also be more of a rare and romantic occurrence than we allow ourselves to believe. While there’s a societal awareness of the co-relation between angst and art, there’s still much to explore in the practice of our own self expression and it’s impact on our 6 // Community Now!

mental health. So what is the real relationship between despair and creativity? Particularly for those of us who aren’t artistic geniuses? We live in a time where, more and more, mental health is becoming the critical focus of wellness practitioners. The World Health Organization states that depression is the leading cause of ill health and disability world wide, with an increase of 18% between the years of 2005 and 2015 alone. According to WHO, more than 300 million people are living with depression and staying stuck there due to stigmas and a lack of resources to get the help they require.

There’s little wonder why this is so alarming; selfharm and suicide are the most dire associated health risks of depression. And while we are inundated by society and the news cycle with the fear of death by an external force, suicide far outpaces our most common nightmares. In fact, on an annual basis, terrorism, sharks, homicide, plane crashes and drunk drivers all together don’t add up to the lives lost to suicide. While this is frightening news, there is a counterbalance to the apparent bleak state of mental health. In fact, this article is a thesis that creativity can be part of the solution. A quote from Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s 2004 TED Talk points directly to this hope for creativity being a health enhancer: ”When we are involved in creativity, we feel that we are living more fully than during the rest of life.” As a psychologist, he has dedicated his career to the pursuit of understanding happiness. This in turn, lead him to becoming a researcher of creativity - and the Father of ‘Flow’. He describes flow as: “being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the

previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost.” His years of research have formed his opinion that “Even without success, creative persons find joy in a job well done.” But wait: isn’t “success” the means to happiness? Maybe not. And could it be possible that if creativity is a pathway to happiness, the opposite — creative stagnation— can be harmful to us? Evidence of specific mental health dangers of ignoring our creative impulses comes from author and shame researcher, Brene Brown, who has been quoted as saying: “Unused creativity is not benign – it metastasizes. It turns into grief, rage, judgement, sorrow, shame. We are creative beings. We are by nature creative.” Her research suggests that when we are in a psychological valley, it’s because we are somehow creating barriers to the creative force within us. We can go on psychological and emotional auto-pilot, keeping ourselves stuck to old patterns, beliefs and dysfunctional choices. Her work appears to prove out what Cognitive Behavioural Therapists have known for years: humans will select what is familiar to us, even when we know it’s not a best choice for our health. We’re adverse to change and the only way to break out of these patterns is by opening our mind to new possibilities and then acting on those possibilities. But what are the possibilities? Ultimately mental health comes back to one word: happiness. (continued on next page) Innovation \\ 7

“ Synthetic happiness creates the

opportunity to take our quality of life — at least a significant part of it — into our own hands.

(continued from page 7...) So how do we achieve it, predictably, consistently and with reliability? According to another academic happiness researcher, Dan Gilbert, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University, there exist two kinds of psychological happiness, ‘natural’ and ‘synthetic’. (You read that correctly; ‘synthetic happiness’). Gilbert distinguishes between them like this: “Natural happiness is what we get when we get what we wanted, and synthetic happiness is what we make when we don’t get what we wanted”. This is a largely disruptive and radical concept to most of us. As it turns out, the idea of creating our own happiness —synthetic happiness— is a reality. But perhaps best of all, according to Gilbert, this form of happiness is equally as meaningful as natural happiness. An example of this in modern-day parlance could look like this: rather than being consumed by FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out), we can embrace JOMO (Joy Of Missing Out). 8 // Community Now!

”

Practically speaking, instead of securing those concert tickets that we really, really, really want, and the concert sells out, what mental shift can we create? What type of courage and open-mindedness is required to generate contentment in a moment where we don’t get what we think we want? The concept of synthetic happiness provides us the opportunity to creatively shape our reality, rather than settling for the undesirable result. This is a remarkable insight, because synthetic happiness creates the opportunity to take our quality of life — at least a significant part of it — into our own hands. Once we learn to become responsible for our own happiness, how might we maintain that happiness if and when we’re in a partnership? The answer to that question, according to psychologists and couples therapists, Gay and Katie Hendricks, is to care for ourselves first. They claim that a vibrant partnership is best maintained by investing in our own creative

energy first and foremost. To maintain a state of intimacy, curiosity and fulfillment we must do one big thing first: take our efforts from fixing the “short-comings” of the other person and putting it on — not fixing ourselves, but — expressing our own creativity. According to the Hendricks’, even one hour a week of focus on our own creative expression produces meaningful, consistent and harmonious results. (They claim, from their experience with more than 40,000 clients, that more than an hour a week can produce miracles). Diving into the decades of the Hendricks’ work reveals that nothing robs us of our our vital energy faster than minimizing or ignoring our creativity. Couples will often muzzle their individual creativity in order to focus on fixing and changing their partner. However, since trying to fix another person seldom produces tangible results, the confused partner-changer will devote even more energy to their “wounded” or “ignorant” partner. In doing so, they neglect their own creative impulses, urges, plans and dreams and because they also fail to fix their partner, they begin to complain to others. Furthermore, as Gay & Katie warn us: complaining and criticism have addictive properties—the more one does it, the more things there are to complain about. This cycle works on a hormonal level also: when we’re criticizing somebody else, we’re doing so from a place of “being right”. This righteousness creates a mini — but impactful — dopamine hit. The complaint feels really great in the moment, but longer term, it leads to a dissipation of creative energy and a sense of inner desperation. We start heading the wrong direction - personally and within our partnership.

Conversely, those of us who take full responsibility for our creative expression, typically don’t have time for complaining. Better yet, getting creative and honouring this natural human impulse, improves our quality of life. Almost instantly. According to the Hendricks’ research — even if we’re not fully engaged in our creativity, we can see quantum improvements of vitality within ourselves and our relationships with every increase in creative self-expression that we take-on. So how do these creativity concepts help us navigate this anxiety inducing 21st Century? The deep penetration of technology in our lives continues to create a sense of an everincreasing pace to life. Emerging research indicates that technology may be one of the variables adding to the mental stress felt by so many of us. If we look a little closer at the aforementioned nearly 20% increase in depression between the years 2005 and 2015, that decade mirrors the explosion of social media and smart phones. Anecdotally, teens are reporting higher levels of stress, anxiety and loneliness, in part, as a result of spending excessive amounts of time on their phones and the seemingly addictive social media apps that populate them. The conditions for out-of-control stress and mental strain have perhaps never been more fertile. That said, it appears humans have a built-in antidote to not just maintain our happiness, but a unique ability to generate it. As the decades of psychological research on creativity seem to demonstrate, we’re innately designed to adapt to our changing environments. Adaptation for humans means more than just figuring out how to survive, we have the ability to thrive.

How are you choosing to express your own creativity? Innovation \\ 9

The High Tech World of

CANNABIS T

By Stacy Richter

he world of Cannabis has come a long way since the ‘pot-smoking’ stereotypes of Cheech & Chong or the popular character, Jeff Spicoli, from Fast Times at Ridgemont High. Cannabis has ‘grown’ from counter culture to mainstream and has taken decades to become an overnight sensation. Unless you have been living off the grid for the past 2 years, you have no doubt at least heard that cannabis and related products are now legal in Canada. Medicinal use has been legal for quite some time and it is recreational use (within certain limits) that has been legalized. The differences are subtle but the simplest way to explain it is that we no longer need to have a prescription to buy certain types of cannabis products AND they can be sold by retailers.

10 // Community Now!

To outsiders, the technology of growing cannabis has not changed much beyond moving from the basement to hydroponics. The truth is the science and technology of growing cannabis has changed a lot in the past 10 years. The reason for the exponential innovation throughout the industry varies with each person you ask. One of the biggest reasons that sparked the innovative changes are the supposed health benefits. This is a little tongue and cheek. There are many periodicals and professional opinions about the health benefits of cannabis based products. The difficulty is that cannabis long-term studies have yet to be published because it has been an illegal drug. Nonetheless, even those studies confirming its health benefits still seem to be contradictory. David Railton of Medical News Today

reported that a review published in Clinical Psychology Review found evidence that the use of Marijuana may relieve symptoms of depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)1. This summary is a stark contrast to the reports found on the Government of Canada website where they write that â&#x20AC;&#x153;frequent cannabis use has also been associated with an increased risk of suicide, depression, anxiety disorders.â&#x20AC;?2 So who are we supposed to believe? The debate continues to rage because neither side will discuss how much cannabis consumption is enough or too much. Nor do they get specific about which cannabis products help versus harm. It may be quite some time before we have a definitive answer if one even exists.

One trend that is undebatable is the growth of innovation in the industry. Innovators continue to push the limits on how cannabis is bred, cultivated, distributed and managed. This is one industry where the addition of regulatory control has fostered innovation. Where additional regulatory tends to stifle innovation in most industries because of the effort to monitor its behavior and protect the general public or consumers, regulatory in the cannabis industry (aka legalization) has attracted investors, businesses and consumers to the space. The result; a high growth industry anchored by technology and innovation. This is a very attractive business environment to many. (continued on next page)

1) Railton, D. (2018, August 02). What are the health benefits and risks of cannabis? Retrieved November 20, 2018, from https://www. medicalnewstoday.com/articles/320984.php 2) Health Canada (2018, March 06). Cannabis and mental health. Retrieved November 20, 2018, from https://www.canada.ca/en/healthcanada/services/drugs-medication/cannabis/health-effects/mental-health.html#a1

Innovation \\ 11

(continued from page 11...) In most industries, new technology is disruptive. It goes against the current way of doing things. In the cannabis industry, technology is enabling. TheraCann International Benchmark Corporation introduced their ETCH biotrace™ technology in conjunction with Applied DNA Sciences Inc. in August 20183. The ETCH biotrace™ uses molecular tags to trace the origin and quality of the ingredients in the cannabis supply chain4. In other words, imagine that when you bought a package of parsley, you could trace it all the way back to the seed that was planted to grow that parsley.

Every piece of information about: • Who provided the seed? • Who planted it? • Who harvested the parsley? • How it was harvested? • Who handled the shipping? • Where was it processed? • How was it packaged and by whom? • Who was the retailer who sold it?

3) TheraCann International Benchmark Corporation. (2018, August 1). TheraCann Launches ETCH Biotrace™ Technology[Press release]. Retrieved November 20, 2018, from https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/theracann-launches-etch-biotracetechnology-300690289.html 4) TheraCann International. (2018). Home. Retrieved November 20, 2018, from http://etchbio.com/

12 // Community Now!

This is one industry “where the addition of regulatory control has fostered innovation.

”

Tracking all of these steps might feel like overkill for buying a package of parsley. In the highly regulated cannabis industry, this is necessary. Ascent Industries Corp., a Vancouver based licensed producer and dealer of cannabis products, recently had their grower license suspended by Health Canada because they “did not meet record keeping and other compliance requirements”5. This is an industry that is under very strict rules and is closely monitored. The need for innovation around chain-of-custody is a matter of life or business.

The current systems used by licensed producers and other businesses in the industry typically rely on RadioFrequency Identification (RFID) tags for tracking. These are physical devices that need to be attached to the package to be tracked. RFID tags can be detached during shipping or when product is removed from packaging. The data from the RFID is typically stored in a centralized database and not shared with other participants in the supply chain.

Another disruption built in to an innovation like the ETCH biotrace™ technology is that the information attached to the molecular tags is recorded on the blockchain. According to TheraCann’s website, the molecular tags will survive conversion or extraction6. This means that the seed can be tracked all the way to the retailer, regardless if it is sold as a plant, oil or edible. Innovation is often made out to be a villain in most industries. It represents change that the incumbents want to prevent others from bringing about. Blockchain is often spoken about as the childish pest that annoys the big players from getting their business done. The cannabis industry is different. It disrupts in so many ways so why would technology be left alone? This is a special kind of space that is disrupting the health industry. It challenges the legal and regulatory industry on a daily basis and the industry innovators continue to push the boundaries of technology.

5) Cherney, M. A. (2018, November 21). Government suspends growing license of small Canadian marijuana producer. Retrieved November 23, 2018, from https://www.marketwatch.com/story/government-suspends-growing-license-of-small-canadian-marijuanaproducer-2018-11-21 6) TheraCann International. (2018, August 1). Blockchain Archives • TheraCann. Retrieved November 20, 2018, from https:// theracanncorp.com/tag/blockchain/

Innovation \\ 13

Engage - Build - Plan

Put to Action

The Rainforest brings the community together to create a stronger ecosystem.

Rainforest Alberta is setting an example all Albertans can follow “I invest in community to realize the great human potential in every citizen” Brad Zumwalt, Co-Founder of Rainforest Alberta. 14 // Community Now!

he Rainforest wants Albertans to know that they don’t have to move away to invent, prosper, and move their ideas forward. Their goal is grow the same invisible infrastructure that underlies successful tech communities like Silicon Valley, right here in Alberta.* On November 26 2018, the Rainforest Alberta, Calgary Chapter asked members to participate in a full day summit. Members with diverse backgrounds, but same passion and drive for innovation and community gathered together to spend a full day brainstorming & creating a plan of action to make a better innovation ecosystem for everyone.

Mackenzie Bedford, Community Engagement Manager for the Rainforest Alberta Calgary Chapter. Joe Sterling; General Manager for Rainforest Strategies.Peter Lafontaine; Business Advisor, Principal of WIN HELIX. Henry Doss; co-author of Rainforest Scorecard: A Practical Guide for Growing Innovation. Brad Zumwalt; Co-Founder of The Rainforest Alberta

When asked why it was important to have such a diverse group of people together for the Summit; Partner, of Thin Air Labs and Rainforest Co-Founder, Jim Gibson stated “Diversity is the first item in the Social Contract. Without it you cannot have innovation of thought.” Every 6 months the Rainforest hosts a Summit that helps them measure the quality of their ecosystem using a tried and true Rainforest Scorecard Assessment tool. *The Scorecard is available on the Rainforest website at https:// www.rainforestab.ca/summits Once the scorecard has been assessed they bring a group of innovators, doers, strategists, and thought leaders together to discuss the results and make improvements. Their goal is to increase the quality of the current ecosystem from 464/1000 to 800/1000 by 2020.

They started out the day with learning, reviewing the current scorecard and talking about the areas of focus: 1. Leadership 2. Frameworks, Infrastructure, and Policies 3. Resources 4. Role Models 5. Activities and Engagement 6. Culture Members of The Rainforest Alberta, Calgary Chapter had the chance to ask questions, clarify the next steps and prepare for their group sessions. (continued on next page)

“The end goal of the summit is to have 8 fleshed out projects that could hit the ground running with actionable next steps and to find people to lead and hold accountable” stated Mackenzie Bedford; Community Engagement Manager for The Rainforest Alberta Calgary Chapter. The Summit was led by Joe Sterling; General Manager for Rainforest Strategies and Henry Doss; co-author of Rainforest Scorecard: A Practical Guide for Growing Innovation.

Mckenzie Bedford and Jade Alberts; Rainforest Member.

Innovation \\ 15

(continued from page 15...) One member of The Rainforest asked, “What is the difference between Role Models and Leadership” ? Questions like this allow everyone to fully understand the vision of growth. The Rainforest is open, upfront and transparent to all members and community. “Leadership is formal,” stated Zumwalt. “Role Models are an informal power, someone with credibility, reliability, organizations and not for profits, role models come in all forms.” In an open space, members were placed into small groups to focus on one of the 6 core areas and to form a plan of action to engage community in that specific core area. Once they had time to get to know each other, brainstorm about their core area and come up

with ideas, they picked one person from each group to stay at the table and share it with others, they then spent some time moving from table to table to add to, learn about, give advice towards and engage in the various core areas of focus. When asked why she got involved with the Rainforest long time Rainforest Member Lori Farley; Co-Founder of Intonovus Canada simply answered “I made a commitment to make an impact.” People took the whole day off to engage with others, to create a strong foundation for projects they can implement within the innovation ecosystem and without realizing it most people didn’t consider giving up a day to brainstorm and build on their community as a form of giving. In fact, a low percentage of people who attended filled out a survey prior to the summit and they didn’t think (continued on next page)

Post-Halloween Masquerade Ball Benefiting IndigeSTEAM Post-Halloween Masquerade Ball Benefiting IndigeSTEAM Post-Halloween Masquerade Ball VISIT WEBSITE FOR DATES Masquara AprilNEW 12. Retreat info to come too. (April 11 and 12) Benefiting IndigeSTEAM For more details go to IndigeSTEAM.ca Tickets available at: https://bit.ly/2RRUVtS 16 // Community Now!

RAINFOREST SOCIAL CONTRACT I am joining the Alberta community of people sharing a common faith in continuously growing the CULTURE of innovation and entrepreneurship. We are an inclusive, silo-busting, sector-agnostic, all-industry, open-source, ego-shrinking, ecosystem-building, entrepreneur-focused, wide-open, social-barrier-smashing community. This agreement describes what it means to innovate together. It defines what we allow and pursue versus what we resist and avoid. It is a litmus test for the quality of our decisions, actions and ways of being together. By signing this agreement I agree to join the Rainforest community, to embrace and promote this explicit set of 10 values and principles:

DIVERSITY - I embrace diversity, strive to create equal opportunity for every person and I am open to meeting anyone in this community.

FREE HELP - I understand that I will receive valuable help from others for free.

TRUST - I will give trust to others before expecting to receive trust in return.

PAY IT FORWARD - I agree to “pay forward” whatever positive benefits I receive. • For every introduction I get, I will provide an introduction to another person. • For every hour of advice I receive, I will give an hour of advice to someone else. • For every risk someone takes with me, I will take a risk with a different person.

FAIRNESS - I will be nice and treat everyone fairly. I will take advantage of no one.

LISTENING - I will bring people together and listen, as none of us is as smart as all of us. I believe in the big tent. I believe we gain strength through diversity.

HONESTY - I will be truthful and frank. I will break rules and call out elephants in the room.

TEAM SPORT - I will create teams to play, dream, experiment, iterate, and persist. I understand mistakes happen. Failing quickly and cheaply are acceptable ways of testing new ideas.

SHARING - I will open myself to learning from others. I am eager to act to learn. I will share my knowledge in the spirit of the Creative Commons to help nurture learning in others.

10. ROLE MODEL - I will lead at times and follow at other times. Each person acts as a role model for everyone else. I will live these ideals and enforce them as a member of the Rainforest community.

I AM JOINING I agree to join the Rainforest community, to embrace and promote this explicit set of 10 values and principles. NAME (P L EASE P RINT )

SI GNATURE

DATE

#RainforestABcontract After you sign the social contract, post a photo of it on social media with the hashtag #RainforestABcontract to let everyone know that you've pledged your support. Want to see who else has signed and uploaded the social contract? Go to RainforestAB.ca to see the complete gallery.

RAINFOREST ALBERTA | COMMUNITY SOCIAL CONTRACT | SEPTEMBER 2016-2017

Innovation \\ 17

(continued from page 16...) they were very strong in the “giving first” areas of the Social Contact yet they were all taking a day out of their busy lives to build on one of their many passions. “We are all peers in The Rainforest, there is no hierarchy,” stated Zumwalt, “it’s very rewarding and remarkable.” When the day was over, The Rainforest opened the Summit to the public for a review of the day, introduction to The Rainforest and the Summit and each group presented the project they created and are ready to move forward to help bring the quality of the current ecosystem closer to 800. To learn about the various projects, the complete summit and the scorecards visit www.rainforest.ab.ca. Come introduce yourself at the next Lunch without a Lunch. Visit www.rainforest. ab.ca

STAY TUNED AS COMMUNITY NOW! MAGAZINE FOLLOWS EACH PROJECT AS IT LAUNCHES INTO THE RAINFOREST AND COMMUNITY.

18 // Community Now!

COMMUNITY

ZANIKA MALDEN

This Issue of Community Now! Magazine contains stories about, resources for, and information about Mental Illness and Mental Wellness. Please be advised that they may contain triggers, and in no way is any of this meant to offend of hurt anyone* READ at your own risk.

M E N T A L H E A L T H

Community \\ 19

Mental Mental illness illness does does NOT NOT discriminate discriminate … …

By ByKM KM

It does notcare carewhat what size wear It does not sizepants pantsyou you wear It does not care about the colour of your hair

ItMental does not care about the colour of your hair illness doesn’t care if you are rich or poor It doesn’t keep a score

Mental illness does not judge you by your age Mental doesn’t care if It is not aillness craze or the latest rage

you areillness rich or poor Mental is REAL

It’s something we all feel

It doesn’t keep a score Mental illness is everywhere And is in no way fair

Mental illness is here to stay

Mental illness does not judge you by age Unless we work together to find a way It is not a crazewe orcan thestand latest rage Together We need to listen and learn How to help those around Not in exchange or for a return

Mental illness is REAL

Mental Illness is in our homes, in our workplaces It’s something we all feel and in our schools It’s become a social media frenzy Mental illness is everywhere And it has no rules

And is in no way fair

But Together we can unite We can stand up to this and we can fight

is here by to moment stay OneMental day at aillness time, moment

Unless together to find illness a way Removewe thework stigma, survive mental Together we will build mental wellness.

... to be continued in issue 5

20 // Community Now!

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You can totally on us. public service todepend the people of You can totally on us. public service todepend the people of Calgary, andcontractor ensuring their We are a general Calgary, and ensuring their We are a general contractor wellbeing. Our members specializing in residential, wellbeing. Our members specializing in residential, commercial, and industrial understand many challenges commercial,the and industrial understand the many challenges construction management. We construction management. We faced by Calgarians struggling bring years of experience to clients faced by Calgarians struggling bring years of experience to clients and deliver quality projects on time with mental health issues and and deliver quality projects on time with mental health issues and and within budget. we arebudget. proud to support and within we are proud to support Community Now Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Community Now Magazineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s work to increase understanding work to increase understanding and support for mental health in and support for mental health in our city. our city. Join us on Dec. 12 at CraftBeer Join us on Dec. 12 at CraftBeer Market for tickets please go to Market for tickets please go to

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ESSENCE Marilyn Dyck, Executive Director of The Doorway

Having spent calendars of years, countless conversations, exploration with hundreds of books and thoughts of others, and the infinity of chunks of time engaged with young people … I am still challenged to summarize a response to the question of ‘how and why our children end up on our streets?’ What have we done? What have we not done? How do our most valued and vulnerable citizens become part of an unimaginably unsafe, violent, dark, sinister, predatory, desperate world? In terms of a ‘civil society’ … what actually does ‘civilization’ mean? A dictionary definition from Google offers that civilization is a noun, and is described as the stage of human social development and organization that is considered most advanced. Its’ synonyms include human development, advancement, progress, enlightenment, culture, refinement, sophistication as in: ‘a higher stage of civilization’. And perhaps we view the global world from North America and see identifiable evidence of ‘civilized’ and ‘not civilized’ places and spaces. And surely we readily assume that the 22 // Community Now!

risks for our children and young people will be experienced in ‘other’ societies but not our own. One of my early learnings that has been consistently reinforced over time has been that the essential social elements we have believed are in place and effective for the nurturing of our babies to adulthood are not what they seem. Our best efforts have created robust systems, generated and strategized with consistent new perspectives of learning, to give us our best shot at covering off gaps experienced by our children. Scores of good people commit their lives to carry out that role with diligence and urgency in the work they know is deeply critical. Our governments spend hours and then assign dollars to cover the necessary measures of the task.

What could go sideways? From 30 years of listening, we have witnessed that the essence of what is missing for our children and young people cannot possibly be delivered by systems. Good people, delivering strategies designed to be effective interventions, still cannot cover off the gaps that grow inside children over time. In our western world, the discourse assures us that all children are created equal, and so we can assume that a child born into a family in our society will thrive based on the structures we have in place. Our babies, the most vulnerable of any creature born into this earth, will be held safe, will learn how to relate to people and to navigate their environment, nurtured with all necessary physical requirements and surrounded by the assurance of being loved by the people who are taking care of them. As they grow toward participation in a wider community, there will be health and education systems and recreation opportunities, safety of their playgrounds and communities, and other children from other â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;familiesâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; with whom to learn, play and grow. Growing numbers of children in our society are asking the following questions:

What if the adults taking care of them cannot deliver their role? What if learning opportunities do not offer complete information? What if environments of care are not safe emotionally, economically, physically? What happens when the individual child needs to shift to defense to interact in his/her world? And further, what happens when the chain of consequences and feedback mandate a child to take responsibility for his/her own survival? Common understanding would lead us to speculate that the resulting scenario would be the creation of a different personal world with survival as its first goal. Without the economics to acquire food and shelter, what are the options? Without the credibility to acquire legal tenure in exchange for whatever the child is able to offer/produce, what are the possible responses to ensure survival? Into such a scenario, increasing numbers of our children enter. (continued on next page) Community \\ 23

(continued from page 23...) Abandoned by the brokenness of systems, institutions, measures promised to function for the purpose of their nurturance and development, children must look within themselves for solutions to their continued existence. The first and critical essence for any and all children is to build their personhood and belief in their value as a human being. Humanity functions by people learning from people. Babies learn love and trust from adults who show them. Children learn about life and meaning and purpose from adults who have gone before, lived their example and payed attention to encourage new learning in younger human beings. Humanity is key. Endorsement, belief, long term interest in their individual personhood are essence gaps for our children and youth. People and professionals who work in systems and initiatives are human beings, but their identity is as a paid expert. These parameters and strategies hold them relationally defined as distanced from the children they work with. Relationship is a personal connection. It can only happen in informal arrangements where all players are there by choice and ongoing participation is voluntary. A family qualifies! So do friends! So does community involvement. There is a growing body of knowledge and evidence in research that relationship is the key to the missing piece inside our young people that cannot be covered off by any program or strategy however excellently defined and delivered. Scores of young people experience volumes of programs, techniques, advice, strategies. Our society believes that these are adequate answers to the struggles of young people seeking a sense of belonging in our communities. Relationship is essence. It is a human experience and is within us. It is the place inside where young 24 // Community Now!

people find their value and worth endorsed and appreciated by the attention and care of another human being. It is the gold in the pot at the end of the rainbow of our social interactions. It is hearing the statement from another person: â&#x20AC;&#x153;I am not going anywhere.â&#x20AC;? Young people go to the street to seek this necessary piece for themselves. Among peers they find solidarity and attention. What will open a doorway for them back to the

larger community to participate as an adult is our ability to offer them opportunities to be accepted by our listening, smiles, attention, and interest. When trust is re-established, they learn with us how to build their choices into actions that will support their own goals to grow. Thank you to the hundreds of families who welcome children and young people into your homes with the offer of care and attention and listening. You are doing the most critical work of our communities, in growing strong adults who will shape our future. You are making change possible.

Relationship is the most powerful strategy of all. It builds the person you have welcomed toward believing in themselves and in their capability to be independent contributors to our shared world.

www.thedoorway.ca

www.thelisteningproject.ca

CRA 13140 1226 RR0001

listening to everyone

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One Parents Story

with Vanisha Breault Part 1 of 3

s parents we all have a belief of “that wouldn’t happen to my child” when it comes to addiction. And society has portrayed youth addiction as a result of “bad parenting” or “bad kids” WE NEED TO BREAK THE STIGMA! Youth addiction can happen to anyone at anytime and when it does happen “parents/ guardians” don’t know where to turn or what to do... so how do we make sure we have ALL the tools in our parent basket to help our children through the toughest times in their life? And how do we get through the toughest moments of parenting? Below is the story of one mom and her battle, the lack of help and the lack of resources available, along with the discrimination she ran into head on while trying to help her children. How many years has your daughter been clean/sober?

26 // Community Now!

Eddy has been clean/sober for 22 months. Her 2 year anniversary is in January. How would you define Youth Addiction? This is a broad description of how I would define Youth Substance Abuse. It can represent where the use of alcohol and/or mood-altering drugs begins to negatively interfere in the life of a young person. It will begin to show up in areas of their lives such as school, friend groups, work, family, social activities such as sports and also legally. It can also be seen in personal areas of physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual health and well being. What is one stigma you think we need to break about youth addiction? The shame and the silence. They go hand in hand. How old was your daughter when you knew she had an addiction to drugs?

I didn’t “label” my daughter with an addiction until we got to AARC. I don’t recall thinking omg she has an addiction until we were in long term treatment. I think honestly as a parent going through this there can be so much stress and chaos that you’re trying to manage as well as stay on top of other family members and a job... there really wasn’t the head space to try and diagnose her with anything. I just knew we needed help. Eden was 13 when she started to experiment with drugs. How did your daughter get involved in drugs? Curiosity. Like every other kid. Some kids were doing it, they offered it to her and she thought, “why not” and in trying it for her, it also filled some of that void, self esteem issues that youth generally all have and she liked how she felt when she was high. So she repeated the behaviour of what made her feel good. What was the first step you took? And where did that lead you too? I looked EVERYWHERE for help. At that time the help I found was little to no help at all. They said she was being a typical teenager and she’d grow out of it. Other supports said they didn’t think she had an issue. By this time Eden knew exactly how to protect her using and also learned how to manipulate anyone she spoke too. What resources were helpful? Truly, the only resource I found to be of any help was Alberta Adolescent Recovery Centre (AARC). They understood the disease of addiction and were not afraid to step right in front of it. They also supported the families. I put Eden through AARC 4 times. One complete program (9.5 months) and then 3 re-freshers

Sept 2014, after completing AARC’s program the first time. (9.5 months of treatment)

What problems did you run into? What fights/ battles did you have to go through to get her help? Every resource I connected with leading up to discovering AARC had been incredibly exhausting. Eden’s substance abuse during that time continued to escalate. Overall from start to “finish” this whole journey would take us five years to navigate through. Our system has so many gaps that most every attempt I made to support Eden in her recovery process, was met with programs that didn’t last long enough, or beds that were never available when she was ready. These are honestly just a couple of the issues I encountered. We also endured judgement, indifference, ridicule and then sometimes just a complete lack of knowledge concerning addiction and these would sometimes be the people that were “qualified” to help us. The worst part was when I began to access our court/police system (government system) to involuntarily get Eden off the street. She was intravenously using fentanyl & heroin, she was under 18 years of age and I had to fight to get her off the street to attempt to save (continued on next page) Community \\ 27

(continued from page 27...) her life, save her from herself and hope to God she would accept treatment once off the street. I had to plead with the court for an order called a The Protection of Children Abusing Drugs Act (PChAD) order. PChAD is an Alberta law that took effect on July 1, 2006 to help children under 18 years of age whose use of alcohol or drugs is likely to cause significant psychological or physical harm to themselves or physical harm to others. The PChAD program allows you, as a legal guardian, to ask the Court for a protection order. This order will mean your child can be taken to a protective safe house for up to 10 days, even if he/she does not want to go.

was traumatic for me as her mother. It felt like with every turn I was fighting a system to protect my child and that system had more rights than I did as her mother. Was funding an issue and was there help available? Funding is not available for families that are needing to access long term treatment. It’s been my experience that the short term programs and resources offered by Alberta Health, although they’re funded by the Government they’re not adequate when it comes to treating Youth Addiction. The long term treatment programs I required to support my daughter cost me personally to put her through.

During this time with Eden I accessed a PChAD 3 times to intervene in her drug addiction.

What kind of response did you get from the school system ? Peers? (Other parents?) Community?

Once you obtain the order the police help to physically apprehend your child and get them into a safe house for ten days.

I had one teacher in Eden’s school that fully supported us and that’s actually how I found out about AARC was through her. But our school system also doesn’t know what to do, so their obvious reaction is to suspend these kids. Going through this whole situation was incredibly shaming. I felt shamed, not heard or validated or understood, but shamed.

Sometimes I had good experiences with the police and sometimes I didn’t. After the ten days Eden would be released and eventually end up back out on the street and the cycle would repeat. This was heart wrenching, absolutely exhausting and the most stressful ordeal I think I’ve ever had to endure. It feels like with every second her life hung in the balance. It 28 // Community Now!

How did standing by her side help the two of you? Standing with Eden taught me some of the greatest life lessons I’ve ever learned. It taught me true, selfless pure love. It also taught me

about hope. When it seems all is lost, if they’re still breathing there is literally still a reason, and a good one to have hope. Going through this has given me the deepest feeling of gratitude that I’ve ever experienced. To truly be present in each moment. What kind of support was offered to you as a parent? I had THE BEST support hands down in AARC. AARC became a lifeline for me and became family. They understood like nobody else could. How has addiction changed you as a parent? Addiction has been the worst and the best thing that’s ever happened to me and my family. I’m grateful for the journey today and wouldn’t have wanted to miss a moment of it. It took me to the depths of myself and I found the true meaning of love, joy and peace in that place. What kind of message would you give to other parents dealing with addiction? You are not alone. There’s no shame in struggling with this disease, whether you’re a parent of a child or struggling yourselfor both. There is a solution, there is hope. The truth is you can recover. Dealing with addiction can also lead the way to something truly miraculous.

How can we make more parents and youth aware of addiction? By telling our stories. More than anything I think our stories have the most impact. Telling our stories to as many people who will listen. What can you tell parents who want to give up on their child ? (Or who need to take a step back....?) Every parent that has a child struggling with addiction feels this way. It’s normal to feel like giving up, to feel and wonder if they’ll ever recover, will they die or will it always be like “this” for the rest of their lives. No one knows the answer to that. The best thing parents can do for themselves is to get support for themselves. Addiction is a family disease, each member of the family is impacted. Take a baby’s mobile that sits above their crib, if you were to hit or knock just one part of that moving mobile all the rest of the mobile starts to move- it’s the same with addiction in a family. There are so many aspects to this question, it also depends on family dynamics and each family will have their own set of those dynamics. Getting support, learning healthy boundaries is a great place to start. Linking up with other parents that have walked the road.

The Terminator Foundation Why did you start The Terminator Foundation? I started Terminator because I wanted to make a difference, make an impact. I did the only thing I knew at the time to do...and that was run. So Terminator started with a run to raise awareness about youth addiction and offer supports for families. I wanted to do something to eliminate the shame, and to make a way for families to be seen.

Vanisha Breault Founder & Executive Director, Terminator Foundation 587-899-6800 | vanisha@terminatorfoundation.com www.terminatorfoundation.com www.vanisha.ca/ The Truth is You CAN Recover!

Community \\ 29

“The best way to predict the future, is to create it!!!” This quote is credited to both Abraham Lincoln and Peter Drucker, two people known for their words of wisdom and lessons to live by. “I’ve lived these eleven simple words for most of my adult life!” Brian Cymbaluk I have always believed that I am the C.E.O. of “MY LIFE”, and every morning… when I am gifted with the privilege of waking, putting my feet on the floor, taking a deep breathe and embarking on another day filled with the excitement of being able to change the world, well that is a very great day!!! In fact… I have always joked that my life “GOES TO ELEVEN”, part as an homage to Christopher Guest’s character Nigel Tufnel, in the movie Spinal Tap, but more because I believe in these eleven little words so passionately! 30 // Community Now!

Community Inspiration: Brian Cymbaluk “YES!!! I can PREDICT THE FUTURE, by CREATING IT! I always have! I always will!”

t’s a bird, no it’s a plane...wait wait…. it’s Superman...Meet Calgary’s 2018 Music Industry Person of the year Brian Cymbaluk: Musician, Speaker, Businessman, Community Inspirer and most importantly family man!

Education-Career-Music! What is your education background? And how did it influence you? School was easy for me... almost too easy; almost boring at times. I was always one of those overachievers, and the only way to curb my boredom was to temper it by creating more activities for myself. So I sailed through school… mostly as an honour student, and left after Grade 12, because I had the music bug. Playing almost every night during grade 12, and I simply couldn’t wait one more minute, to get out and change my world!!! I had ideas and ideals, aspirations and an undying thirst to take over the world, (in my own humble way), and so off I went! Why did you choose the music industry? I don’t know if I chose music... or if it chose me, right from the get go! Reportedly I had a passion for music since I came bounding out of the womb... and I can remember playing drums on ice cream pails way back when!?! 2? 3? Maybe even younger? That love for banging on things never died,

but it is an interesting story that actually led me into the world of playing music! Rocket back to grade eight... I had a strict dad who did not believe in me joining or playing “ANY” organized sports... even though I always did well in sports at the school level... so even though I was 13 years old, and had never played in an organized league... I accepted a peer pressure dare to go out and audition for our BANTAM AA Hardball team one spring! Now these guys were good… and I had not ever been on a team... so chances were slim… but lo and behold... somehow??? I made the team!!! All was well... I was playing baseball on a great team, having great fun... yet one night on the way home from practise... I heard loud music coming from a basement window... I crept up to the house to see what the “noise” was... only to see a band playing their hearts out to some Rolling Stones song I believe it was. From that moment on… I was hooked! The bug was inside of me... and I wanted to be a musician, and a drummer for real, not just on my ice cream pails! And as the world turns... just 2 weeks later... I severely fractured my collarbone in a biking accident... and guess what... BASEBALL WAS OUT… so MUSIC WAS IN! (continued on next page) Community \\ 31

(continued from page 31...) It really was that simple! I was 14, and I never looked back! From that moment on, I ate slept and breathed drums and music, and only 2 1/2 years later… even though I was underage, I was out playing in the bars of Edmonton, with guys all in their mid twenties, which allowed me to grow up over night; musically and personally… It never stopped! I have played everywhere across this great country of ours... from coast to coast, and my love of music has not ever dwindled!!! How many albums have you produced? Sadly, because FREE TIME has never existed with the busy schedule I have always kept... the only projects I ever produced have been my own! I have helped many artists... played on many projects... but production is something that has only graced my own material... something one can hear at https://www.reverbnation.com/briancymbaluk What was the best part about owning a music store? Being a lifetime “MUSE”ician, and self confessed gear junky... one of the best parts of owning a music store, was always having the ability to play in my own playground!!! I could always satisfy my thirst for new gear and the fun, joy and inspiration that these new pieces of equipment could deliver, without necessarily breaking the bank!!! The second and most probably the greatest part of owning the store... moving past the aforementioned privilege of positively shaping my staff and teammates lives... has to be that I was surrounded by great talent... great talent that I got to call friends. I had a wonderful life of motivating, inspiring and helping my “talented friends” do well in creating brilliance whenever possible!!! Just 32 // Community Now!

being able to deal with musicians and artists on a day to day basis throughout my life, was something I always found so rewarding... and to then play a role in helping that talent create positive change through the power of music, at the many hundreds of charity events were involved in over the years... well that was a dream come true, and where I found the greatest reward! This is what drove me... this is what filled me with passion, and this is what fuelled my desire for AXEcellence!!! What is your biggest career accomplishment? Such an easy question to answer!!! Aside from just being named “INDUSTRY PERSON of the YEAR” in the YYC MUSIC AWARDS 2018 here in Calgary, which was and is a very emotional gift for me… my biggest career accomplishment is the legacy of all the wonderful and talented people that came through the ranks of my employment!!! Even though I am the very proud bio-father of 3 beautiful boys... I feel I have hundreds of kids out there in the world! Those boys and girls, and men and women who worked with, and for me, over the last 40ish years... and are now creating great and positive change in their own lives! As I sit back and watch proudly from afar... especially with the help of Social Media... I am filled with joy when I see just how successful many of them have become... and how graciously they thank me for giving them the strength to shape their careers... and for helping them truly find themselves! Without a doubt, my greatest accomplishment has been helping others accomplish great things in their lives!!! What’s the next step in you journey? Next steps for me??? Well that’s a work in progress!!! Enjoying my family is number one!!! My three boys and my lovely and

talented wife are amazing... but they are becoming more independent with age, and so I’m now starting to explore just what inspirations I will find to drive me forward in the years to come! I know I will be throwing my hat into the ring of philanthropy, in many diverse ways... I love public speaking and writing, and am looking forward to creating great positive change within the community whenever possible! I will write, speak and motivate wherever possible, and ultimately… I guess I’ll have to get back to you on this one in a few years from now... because right now... this book is just starting to write itself... and that’s exciting!

Community - Life - Balance Even through all the hard times of business and life you always maintain a sense of happiness, family and community and you spread that everywhere you go... what gives you the drive or passion or strength to be able to do that? I never received “that book”! You know… the one called “LIFE IS EASY”, and so I have always felt I had to earn my way in life! Sometimes life is easy, or lucky, but most of the time it’s darn tough! First you’re a father, a husband, a businessman with many employees, a leader and performer with your band, amongst many more things… and life is continually throwing challenges at you, so you can earn your stripes!!! Really, what would operating with a sense of negativity help? I love life and living… and I guess that just tends to shine through in all aspects of my life. I don’t have an agenda of happiness, I just believe in being happy… and I believe that

(continued on next page) Community \\ 33

“

Music has the power to bring people and community together, and I saw that a bigger role existed in the opportunity to bring music together with charity!!!

”

(continued from page 33...) is fuelled by the level of contentment in my personal life! I love my wife and kids beyond words, am dedicated to their happiness… and after a life of being a workaholic for many years, life as a dad is what finally made me feel the most whole I had ever felt!!! That is all I need… and if my happiness reaches others, hopefully inspiring them to discover their own brand of happiness… that’s a win / win for the world and I!!! Why is supporting various community events and organizations important to you? Community is everything! Community and culture surround our families, our friends, our work, our play environments and us. Music shapes and moulds the cities we live in, and plays a huge role how we live and breathe!!! While being a professional musician, I had always worked at music retail stores as well, right out of high school on, and when I finally turned the page on my music career, deciding 34 // Community Now!

it was time to “get a real job” and relegate my musical aspirations to more of a hobby, well of course the retail world came a-calling in a very real way, with many offers seemingly designed to keep me selling instruments to the artists of the community being thrown my way! As I developed within the industry... I always saw the need for music to play a bigger role. I always felt music could and should be grandiose with its power to create positive change! Music had the power to bring people and community together, and I saw that a bigger role existed in the opportunity to bring music together with charity!!! I always helped where I could… donating my services whenever possible… and once I finally became the owner of a business... I could answer all my ambitions to create some real powerful change in the community through the power of music! My path was set, and I embarked on a plan of giving back, and getting involved on so many levels, basically wherever and whenever I could!!!

Over the years, BRIAN CYMBALUK and AXE MUSIC became well known as partners in our industry, and I’m proud to say that I have been instrumental in raising $100s of Thousands of dollars in Calgary and Alberta over the years! That is part of a personal legacy I am AXEtremely proud to leave behind, and yet… I’m just getting started!!! Why is music so important to have in a community? First… What is community? Well if you prescribe to the dictionary… it is described as: 1. A group of people living in the same place or having a particular characteristic in common. 2. A feeling of fellowship with others, as a result of sharing common attitudes, interests, and goals, akin to “the sense of community that organized religion can provide”. Can you… if for just a second… even attempt to imagine the mundanity of our existence… if music disappeared!?! OMG!!! A world without music???

Music tells us how to feel! Music changes the way we feel! Music soothes the savage beast!!! Music drives our souls!!!! Music brings people together… it unifies us and creates a sense of social belonging! Music creates an atmosphere conducive to social interaction; this is why it plays such a huge role in organized religion! I have often heard a great concert experience compared favourably to a religious experience of the highest order!!! Music is an opiate for our minds, bodies and souls… and is urgent for keeping the world in harmony and rhythm!!! I believe a community lives and breathes by the beat of their culture! How the arts flow in and out of our daily lives, determines in great measure how we flow through this world… and even though the world at large has done it’s collective best to commoditize music, rendering it less meaningful today… live (continued on next page) Community \\ 35

(continued from page 35...) music will not, and cannot ever be controlled in the same fashion, which is part of the charm and an even greater part of the magic. People will always find fresh air to breathe when they see a musician strum a guitar, or hit a drum, or strive to sing that perfect note! Music feeds our souls… and frankly… we have to get back to consuming more SOUL FOOD, because as our moms hopefully told us, it is so very good for us!!! How do you think or what do you think Calgary needs to build a stronger community? Sadly... Calgary has become polarized in divisiveness, and we have to find a way to come together again in unity, allowing us to once again build a great community for the future! Calgary needs a strong voice of reason to get behind, so we can effectively accomplish projects in our community’s best interests, and most importantly, feel good about what we are doing! We need a mayor who speaks for the people, and we need a council behind him that can rebuild our community effectively from the top down, in such a manner that Calgary starts to believe in itself and the future once again! We need a strong arts and cultural alliance that drives Positive Social Interaction and fosters community involvement in a more unified fashion! We need to feel pride in our city once again; a pride that drives us towards success!

36 // Community Now!

Fun facts: Is there anything you can share that people don’t know about you? In this modern day and age of SOCIAL MEDIA… I feel that I’m quite transparent! Having FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM and TWITTER permeate the waves of our existence… leaves little to the imagination for anyone who really wants to take the time to follow me!!! That said… I take sheer joy in the simple things… being project driven and continually striving to make our personal world a better one! My wife and I love to embark on home reno projects… and I love to garden!!! There’s a scoop for ya! Get me out in the yard with some gloves on and some tools in my hands… and life just feels great!!! Why do you think it’s important to take and share pictures? I don’t believe I actively “think it’s important” to take and share pictures, but I have taken the job of archiving our families journey quite seriously!!! Right from the beginning, I catalogued our family’s existence with the mandate of passing on a “IT’S YOUR LIFE in PICTURES” to our boys when they come of age! Just think how cool it is to one-day hand my sons a MULTI-TERRABYTE hard drive with a pictorial of their life thus far! Of course being on Social media… and wanting to be a proud parent… it naturally carries over! Years ago… I actually created a FACEBOOK profile for each of my boys, (which they don’t have access to; not even our eleven year old), just so that one day when they’re ready, (if FACEBOOK is still here), they will be able to look back in time and watch their lives unfold before them in chronological order… with all

When you have something as amazing as Social Media… the gift it carries forward towards the future is a huge one!

is sort of how I see myself… as sort of a soft format vehicle for Community involvement and positive change!!! I love learning, and I love teaching… and using social media as a debate forum can be a very powerful tool in today’s society!

Why is it important to ask questions on social media that lead to an open conversation?

SOCIAL MEDIA is changing the way people think!!!

I love to engage my EXTENDED SOCIAL MEDIA FAMILY with various topics, because

WOW!!! Just think about the power of that one little statement, and right there, in and of itself, most likely resides the truest answer to your question!!!

the postings we tagged them in… pictures, birthdays and the like.

I learn so much through the knowledge and opinion of others!!! A smart man likes to tell people what to think… but an even smarter man is always listening to what others have to say, insuring he keeps getting smarter!!! I love to be a catalyst, a “THOUGHT INSTIGATOR”, a teacher, a motivator… and in turn… I learn and get motivated when I see how the world reacts! You can only see how far an elastic band will stretch, when you finally pull it far enough to break. That

Brian and his beautiful wife Lisa walk side by side with their 3 kids Baron Magnus Justus Cymbaluk; 11. Shian Mikael Jaiden Cymbaluk; 7. & Lincoln Sebastian Michael Cymbaluk; 6. to inspire, impact and engage with community everyday. “Thank you Cymbaluk Clan for making an impact!” - Community Now!”

Community \\ 37

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Pause and Pivot

some ways it was the pause and reflection that I needed.

In the months that followed I started to gain more energy and self-awareness and it was time to explore Adette Lacerte, what I wanted to do next. I knew I wasn’t ready for full Traditional Life Coach on retirement. I still had a lot more to contribute to my community, but what did that look like? I grew up in a household where it appeared that we were constantly on the move. By the time I was I decided to go and buy some big self-adhesive poster sixteen we had moved thirteen different times and paper and start mapping out some of the things I had attended ten different schools. While my that were going on in my head. My first poster had parents didn’t have a huge amount of money we words, pictures and drawings of things that I was were always visiting relatives on the weekends with truly passionate about. I grouped some of these things long weekends being a seven hour long drive to my together so it was easier to visualize them. The second grandparents place. Sometimes it felt like we grew up poster listed off all of the things I knew how to do; every skill or cluster of knowledge that I possessed. I listed in the backseat of the car. everything from cooking and cleaning, to advanced My travels and moving didn’t end once I graduated Excel spreadsheets, health and safety, human resources from high school. I continued to move around while and project management. Like my first poster, I also in college and university, different apartments grouped these items as much as possible acknowledging and different roommates. In my working career, I that there were lots of crossovers. On a third poster followed a similar path of transition from one job to I listed off people I knew, and I grouped them by the another, from one field to another. Over the course of communities I knew them from and their relevance in my life I have worked in tourism, retail, construction, my life. Family and close friends were close to me and in health and safety, real estate, software support, the centre with all my other communities and network administration, oil and gas, and engineering. I also groups surrounding me, supporting me. managed to get bit by the global travel bug along the Then I walked away from the boards and let them hang way and have visited twenty-six different countries. in my spare room. I casually went and cleaned my house Through all of these moves and changes in my life and as I did I found myself mentally making room and I have managed to gain an incredible set of skills space in my mind, making room for whatever was next. that allowed me to adapt and transition with a huge Occasionally, I would go and have a look at those posters amount of ease. Every new home, school, job, chapter and try and make sense of what it was all supposed to in my life was something to look forward to and mean and what I was supposed to do with it. embrace. I didn’t get stuck in the muck of worry, anxiety, what if’s, or drawn to my holding on to my One day, while looking at the boards, I realized that on past. I learned to adjust my mental mind-set, find my skills and knowledge list I knew how to do a lot of out what needed to be done, whom I needed to talk things that I didn’t actually like doing; things that I had to, whom I needed to connect with, and adapt. I had learned or done out of necessity of the time, but ones that didn’t ignite my soul. That’s when I started crossing become a master of transition. off items. Anything that I truly hated doing I put a line At the end of 2015, I went through another major through. I took a closer look at the things that I did change in my life. I chose to leave the corporate world like doing and how they correlated to the things I was just as menopause was starting to take hold. At the passionate about. time I had been working on a very stressful major project that was winding down for our team. Given Next I started to ask myself why. Why did I like doing the stress of the project I really needed a break and so some of the things that were on the board? Why was I passionate about youth, feminism, and empowerment? that’s what I chose to do, take a break, full stop. Why were these things important to me? Then came the At first I just took time off to enjoy some down time at questions of how important were these things to me? home, a chance to really enjoy the Christmas season. What was I willing or not willing to do about this? What After a few weeks I started on a path of self-healing. was my commitment level? I had so many questions, but That meant taking care of my physical health, my they were also invaluable in defining my next steps. mental health and my spiritual health. Being at home by myself gave me the time and space in which to It was through this process that I became consciously focus inward and on what was important to me. In aware that I love working with teens and young adults.

40 // Community Now!

I love coaching and mentoring and helping others to discover their own inner wisdom, their own path to selffulfillment. It was through this process I realized that I was also willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to becoming better at what I do, gain new knowledge and skills, accessing different demographic clusters, finding new ways to empower and lift up our youth. This led me to pursuing a formal coaching certification to support my new trajectory. From this experience I was able to capture some of the processes that I have utilized to manage transition. This transition was the thing I needed to better understand what I had done in the past, what works, what doesn’t and why. It gave me insight into tools I didn’t even know I had been using. In my opinion there are four main principles to start with. The first concept is to Pause. So often when something happens that requires change or transition we just switch gears and push through. However, when we take time to Pause and reflect we are able to create our own mental notes of lessons learned and best practices. The time we take allows us to better understand ourselves, and the world around us. It also allows us time to heal from any previous negative experiences that we had so that we are not allowing that experience to cloud our future or hinder our progress. The Pause also gives us time to heal from past wounds and to make sure those wounds aren’t susceptible to future infection or rupture. The second concept is to listen to our heart. This is not always easy when we live in a world that is full of opinions. Our friends and family are all to eager to provide their feedback and input. However good their intentions are, they often can’t know what our heart desires because we have built up our own impenetrable wall or their coloured glasses are casting shadows that don’t exist. Only when we listen to our heart are we acknowledging the divine universal gift that we are destined to use in this crazy world we live in. To not listen to our heart and use the gifts we were given is akin to withholding our love to those that are dearest to us. We are meant to share all that we are at our core with those around us in our local and extended communities. Third, there is nothing wrong with a Pivot. Pivoting is part of our journey. There is no straight line. To be clear, pivoting is not retracing our steps, going backwards or switching tracks. Pivoting is when we take all of the knowledge and skills that we have gained along the way and apply them in a slightly different way or direction. We can never retrace our steps because we have already garnered skills and

experiences from our previous experiences. Going backwards implies that we are losing our memories and experiences. Switching tracks requires us to compartmentalize our knowledge and skills and leave them on the old track and bring nothing forward with us. Pivoting is an adjustment in the journey whereby we bring forward the knowledge and skills that we have gained and learn to apply them in a different environment or time in space. Pivoting is seizing the lessons of the past and knowing that they served a purpose. Embrace the Pivot, it is part of the journey. Finally, don’t be so hard on yourself. Remember there is a precious soul within us. Treat it like a child with gentle loving care. If life were without challenges there would be no celebrations for the efforts and hard work that goes into overcoming the hurdles and barriers. Imagine your inner child learning to ride a bike. At first there is no balance and certainly some missteps and falls, but eventually, we find our balance and we are able to take off down the block with our newfound freedom and rejoice in the fact we can ride a bike. Know that with encouragement and kind words we too can achieve what once seemed impossible. Change is inevitable, and the only thing we can do about it to choose how we are going to respond to it. Choosing to embrace the Pause and Pivot process sets us up to be better equipped to take those next steps in our journey.

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Mental Health Q & A With Steven Archambault CHt, RCHt and Founder of Healing Self Hypnosis

1.) Why are people talking about mental Health and Wellness more nowadays? I think like so many people these days being marginalized for so long sucked, and people were tired of it. 25% or 1 in 4 people will struggle with mental health concerns. Plus with intentional self harm (suicide) being in the top 10 reasons why people die in Canada according to Statistics Canada, we should be talking even more. I also believe we are coming to a tipping point in our society. Today we see more traumatic events playing out on our social media than ever before, our brains donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t always understand what is real or not and these events build up over time having the same impact as a single traumatic event that involves the individual directly.

2.) What can we teach to the younger generations about mental health so they can get through school, social settings, family issues and grow into happy successful adults? The question sort of implies like we have been doing this correctly, and I am not sure that is accurate. As a population we hold so much shame in our bodies that is passed on so what we can teach them is to listen to yourself without judgment how we teach them is by doing it first. We know that trauma is multi-generational the only way that stops is if a generation actually takes healing the mind, body and spirit seriously.

3.) Do you think there is more mental issues nowadays ? and what is causing the increase in mental health issues?

I think this question links to the last question in ways. Yes I do think there are more and I think there are two reasons for that. The first is we are slowly lifting the shame attached to this topic so more people are feeling safe at discussing it so in the way that we are talking more yes it hopefully means less people are suffering in silence. The other reason goes to the last question we are passing down trauma and it is being added to with social media on a scale never before felt or seen so without proper coping mechanisms and limits we are going to hit a point that I am not sure we are ready for.

4.) What can we as a community do to help build awareness and resources for mental health? Continue to talk and when you are tired of talking talk some more. Find ways to support people who are struggling. And lastly start to heal yourself even if its small.

5.) What can people do to help their family members, fellow peers and employees with mental health? Walk with them without judgment, you can not force them but be there for them, find out how you need to be what words you need to use so they feel safe.

6.) What can work places and schools do to help people with mental health issues? When I was in corporate life the best thing we did was set up mental health action committees comprised of executive sponsor leadership and staff. They would bring initiatives to the business or school and they would be championed by the executive. This actually lowers absenteeism so is a huge financial win.

Community \\ 43

Martial arts and

mental health

By Charlie Cheung

like to say that martial arts was something I was meant to do. Being from Hong Kong, the home of the likes of Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan, there was no way I would grow up without having taken at least one lesson somewhere. And that’s how my martial arts journey started, fifteen years ago in a local community center’s taekwondo class. When I let myself get nostalgic about it, it’s not the small, mat-less community center I remember first, but it’s how my identity tied so deeply with being a martial artist. I felt an immense sense of pride being able to call myself that. Maybe it was because of the performances and medals. Maybe it was because I finally wasn’t known as just my brother’s little sister anymore. In time, and I’m really simplifying it here, I became a successful martial artist — disciplined and ambitious. Steady and accomplished. 44 // Community Now!

Usually when you tell people you study martial arts the first thing they ask is what kind. Then it’s, how long have you been doing it for? After that, the questions differ a bit but what I’ve started to notice was this one question that kept coming up: Do you feel like it’s helped you become more self confident? I never knew how to answer because well, back then I couldn’t remember a time where I didn’t have martial arts in my life. I thought it was silly, actually. You should always believe in yourself. You should always be confident. Of course you can do anything you set your mind to. If you work hard, you can accomplish anything. And that was my mentality until, through a series of events that happened in my late teens, I found myself unable to train anymore.

Realize that no matter what happens, you’re going to be okay. To say that I had taken it hard was an understatement. I completely fell apart as a person. I was confident and worked hard and I failed. What hurt me most wasn’t the failure or even the loss of a sport I loved as by that time, I was already so defeated by the environment that I was only doing it out of pure habit. What crushed me was the loss of my identity. What I had to learn was how to grieve that loss. Again, I would like to montage my way through that difficult part of my life. It took a lot of time and a lot of self love before I found a way back to martial arts and even longer before I found myself loving it again. This time, instead of letting it become my identity, I didn’t abandon the other parts of me. In fact, I kind of put being a martial arts instructor in the background and that was when I could feel my mental health improve. I let go of the idea that I had to live as a martial artist. I lived…just to be me. By abandoning the pressure I had put on martial arts to make up who I was, I let it become a guideline for my personal development which is what it should have been all along. Sure, I was a martial arts instructor. But I was also a daughter, a sister, and a friend. To let yourself fully accept all the benefits that martial arts can bring your mental health requires you to let go of everything you expect it to do for you.

Martial arts isn’t going to be some silver bullet that will give you self confidence. It will however, promote values of self discipline, patience, and calmness. It’s up to you to enable these values to grow by putting yourself in a positive environment that allows these values to be fulfilled. This environment is not only external but internal. Are you providing your thoughts with a healthy and safe place to learn, grow, and make mistakes? Do you surround yourself with supporters — friends and family that inspire and respect you? From what I have seen through competing and teaching is that a student will never reach their fullest potential unless they are in a safe and healthy environment. I’ve had wonderful instructors who have believed in me. I’ve had an instructor tell me that everything I had was not because I had earned it but because they had given it to me. Which environment do you think I grew more in? By learning to embody the values that martial arts instills in you, you’ll see its effects ripple into the other areas of your life. Eliminate the feelings of stress and anxiety and live your life with surety. Understand that a loss is never permanent and is necessary for growth. Realize that no matter what happens, you’re going to be okay. Now when people ask me if martial arts has made me confident I tell them no, it hasn’t. It encompasses the values in which I try to live my life —with peace, health, softness, and steadiness. It enables me to find balance and discipline. It helps me understand where my limit is and how to push past it. Martial arts helps me accept myself and accepting myself makes me confident so that, if one day I’ll be without martial arts again, I know I will still have the heart of a martial artist. Community \\ 45

PAY IT F ORWARD

By Scott Pickard

or generations, philanthropy has had enormous impact in our society. Money is perceived as the significant unit of transfer but there are countless ways people can be philanthropic and give in a meaningful way whether in business or personally. Giving of time, talent and treasure are all within scope. Money is the obvious and most recognized philanthropic method, but any ‘gift’ of time, resources, expertise or experience also qualify. As we approach the holiday season, do you have a plan for giving back? How about further than the next few months and into 2019? I never used to be bothered by this ‘for the greater good cause’ until I affected me. If that sounds incredibly selfish, it absolutely was! It was not until I needed some input into my work situation that I overcame this ridiculous notion I had and have made a consistent and persistent effort to give back ever since. Mentoring early stage entrepreneurs is of special interest to me and is how I consider myself philanthropic. I have been engaged in the early stage/start up community for eighteen years and mentoring for the past five in various capacities; coach, mentor, advisor and investor. While we might think mentorship is for the highly successful and elite business people, it really applies to

everyone who has had experience and wants to give back. Many early stage entrepreneurs have a great product or service offering and have spent countless hours perfecting their craft and spend thousands of dollars, hundreds of thousands or even millions developing the idea. The product/service mix is only the start of the enterprise and ‘building a business’ around the core idea is where it becomes most difficult. This is where the ‘giving back’ begins for me. Entrepreneurs are expected to know everything. When you include sales, marketing, raising capital, human resource issues, accounting, tax considerations, geopolitical considerations, shipping and logistics to name a few, there are countless things to consider to be successful. Personally, I receive a great sense of accomplishment by helping entrepreneurs move just a little but closer to success, whatever that definition might be. For example: (continued on next page) Community \\ 47

(continued from page 47...) • For the budding or early stage entrepreneur, revenue is the key driver of business. Path to revenue needs to be clearly defined and actionable from the vey beginning, even before you start building or proto-typing. There is no better validation of an idea than exchanging money for product or service. • Businesses need capital to grow. A person can sit in their basement with a dream for a limited time. Having access to capital, cash, expertise or partners enables success. • Mentorship for successful people will enable your business to grow smarter. There is a difference between fast and smart and I am a believer in smart growth.

With progress and success comes responsibility. Business leaders need to give back and pay it forward. There is a responsibility to seek out and find ways to add value to the ecosystem. In its current state, Alberta is a tough business environment but there is an abundance of opportunity that needs to be capitalized. For those of you readers that are in business, give back. For this of you readers that need advice, reach out and ask. For those readers not in business but engaged in the community, reach out, offer a ‘hand up’ and pay it forward. Philanthropy is not limited to high net worth people as a tool for giving back, it applies to everyone. This holiday season, pay it forward and commit to a year of philanthropy. Track the impact you have provided and it may well become a life long journey.

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48 // Community Now!

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EDUCATION

WHAT’S YOUR FOOD’S STORY? By Jill Quirk & the Heloise Lorimer School STEAM Team

“What’s your food’s story?” is a STEAM Team original Design Challenge. STEAM Team members wanted students at Heloise Lorimer School to learn about where their food comes from, how to make their own food and analyze the chemistry of their food (biochemistry) to make better decisions on what they eat. Two STEAM Teams helped to create this challenge – A Grade 4/5 team and a Grade 6 team, each team meets once a week to come up with ways to challenge students to think about the food they eat.

52 // Community Now!

The UK Mental Health Foundation suggests, “There is research to suggest that what we eat may affect not just our physical health, but also our mental health and wellbeing”.

1. Identify the Problem - empathize with the “client”; in this case the “client” is our world and those who live in our world.

Grades 1 to 6 are working on this Food Design Challenge. There are currently 16 classes that participate in our school’s STEAM challenges. Classes come to the STEAM lab once a week to be inspired to make, create and play using food as the focus. The goal is to help students learn about food in innovative ways. The WHY behind this challenge (explained in more detail in last month’s magazine) is to show students that there is a direct correlation between healthy bodies and healthy minds. Food has the power to bring happiness to a person’s life… and so does our HLS STEAM Teams!

In this Design Challenge we are investigating, “how do we celebrate food while also being sustainable?” The #Whatsyourfood’sstory? Is designed to teach people (students) to honour and appreciate their food. We are searching for ways to encourage students to eat healthy, not waste food, learn how to be self-sufficient and innovative with food. We want students to understand why growing our own food is important to help encourage healthy eating. When researching about food and mental health, I found so many articles suggesting that bad diets can lead to depression and ADHD. The American Psychological Association stated, “… in a new study of 120 children and adolescents, consuming fast food, sugar and soft drinks was associated with a higher prevalence of diagnosed attention-deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) (Pediatrics, Vol. 139, No. 2, 2017).”. (continued on next page)

The Design Challenge: What’s your food’s story? Can you create a Food Truck business that sells healthy food and focuses on being sustainable?

Education \\ 53

(continued from page 53...) The STEAM Team identify that there is a problem with adolescents and bad diets. We think it is important for our community to find ways to help improve the health of our community members. During this challenge, we are teaching our community about healthy eating while also collecting food for our community in a Food Drive. Our STEAM program is focused on learning about Design Thinking while also giving back and building a stronger community. We are asking the kids when they come to the STEAM lab to bring in food items so we can build a large tower with the food. The Veggie Monster, our STEAM mascot, is promoting kids to make healthy food choices. Students walk by our tower garden in the STEAM lab every day. It is full of fresh produce. We want kids to come and try the

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food in the STEAM labâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s tower garden and think about how delicious fresh food really is. **Insert trying out the lettuce from the tower garden. When students try the fresh lettuce or other produce, they are amazed at how much better it tastes then the store-bought items. The food trucks students are creating must be healthy, which can be tricky for students at Heloise Lorimer School. ** Insert Veggie Power mascot ** Insert Healthy Food Truck Challenge. 2. Explore the Problem â&#x20AC;&#x201C; think of ways to solve the problem through tinkering in the STEAM lab (research and interviews). STEAM members started with questions that students would interview each other with; What do you love about food? What makes certain foods unique and special? How can food tell us about a specific culture? What can we learn about food from our senses? These answers fuel students into making their own food truck business. Can you Make

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a Food Truck business that is healthy and sustainable? Station 1: EXPLORE - Learning about food, culture and healthy eating. Creating menus/ recipes. What excites us about food? Some STEAM students wrote paragraphs to explain these food experiences answering, what is the best thing that I ever ate? The best stories were the ones that students shared a food experience with someone they loved. For example, Bree in Grade 5 wrote about making lemon meringue pie with her grandma. “I was waiting……and waiting…...at the dinner table, then suddenly, my grandparents set down a lemon meringue pie, yum! It was sloppy but it looks so good at the same time! I started to dig into the amazing pie and I

closed my eyes and held it in my mouth to get the sweet fluffy meringue and the sour tangy lemon. I ate slowly to admire the heavenly pie. I sit back and ask for seconds. Did you know that lemon meringue pie has lemon, sugar, and gelatin in it? My dad has no idea how to make the meringue! Good thing my grandma and my great grandma is around! Sour vs sweet. Sour desserts are my personal favorite, because I love lemon. Sour flavour brings a tangy sour flavor. I really like how it also tastes sweet. Meringue brings a sweet consistency to a lemon meringue pie. Lemon meringue pie is perfect for a sweet and sour dessert. This pie makes me feel warm inside and happy and calm I love it! Especially when my grandma makes it homemade with my help! I also love this pie because when I eat it I think of my great grandma, who is 90 years (continued on next page)

(continued from page 55...) old. I hear she used to bake the best desserts ever! I love HER!!!!!! SO MUCH!!! Making this pie, leads me to question, what place in the world is known to grow lemons? Also, how many lemons are used per day around the globe? What place in the world did lemon meringue pie get invented in?” Cora, also in Grade 5, also shares a love for baking: The best thing that I ever ate would probably have to be a cherry turnover that I made myself. When you sink your teeth into the crispy, but well-made crust mixed with a tangy cherry filling, my eyes flutter with extraordinary feeling on my tongue. I savor every bite slowly and carefully not to get the crust stuck up your teeth because it is extraordinarily hard to

56 // Community Now!

get out. When you see, and smell the fantastic treat your mouth explodes with saliva, just to taste the extraordinary extravaganza. When you sink your teeth into the soft, crispy and warm crust you’re mouth explodes with tangy oozing cherry and soft sugary crust, I AM IN LOVE WITH THIS BAKED TREAT! When you make something, there is an instant feeling of accomplishment and joy, no matter what it is. It is important for everyone’s mental health to find ways to share special moments with people. I want to create these moments for my students, like you would for a family, through exploring food together. Here’s Rayah talking about her mom’s lasagna, “My mom makes the absolute best lasagna in the whole entire world. The creamy cheese melts in my mouth as I swallow it. When I

take my first bite my whole entire mouth starts watering. I put the pasta strips in my mouth and it feels fantastic as it warms up my body when the pasta goes down my throat. The olives on the side were so juicy and delightful. They went with the lasagna perfectly. As I take the second bite I feel like I am dreaming. I tried pinching myself, I wasn’t sleeping. Before I knew it, I was already done. With every meal my mom makes, it is always flavoured with a lot of garlic and some salt. Sometimes my mom and I even put a pinch of paprika and a little bit of cumin in her dishes. My dad always secretly puts more salt, because he likes salt! When me and my mom make lasagna together, we have the best time. We listen to music and always taste the food as we go. One time when I was shredding the cheese, my mom’s favourite song came on and we quickly started dancing and the cheese went all over the floor and we cracked up laughing. Food brings people together”. By Rayah

To read more of this story go to http://communitynow magazine.com/articles/

Medicine

Culture

Astronomy

Robotics

BANISHING THE BULLIES

By Diane Swiatek, Founder and Director of Banbury Crossroads School

ental health might seem to be a very self-centered goal, since it may only be achieved if individuals take care of themselves, and particularly since the only person individuals have any semblance of control over is themselves. However, individuals cannot ONLY take care of themselves, because our social nature gives us responsibilities towards others; we need to foster connection and community. Fundamentally, mentally healthy people are needed in society to ensure that civility, compassion and respect define the moral 58 // Community Now!

imperatives underlying our democratic laws and conventions, and, most importantly, to live congruently through civil, compassionate and respectful social interactions. So, individuals who achieve mental health become healthy for the group, and the goal becomes not selfcentered at all. However, mental health is not easily achieved by everyone, nor is it a constant state within generally healthy individuals. We all know people who are failing in their attempts to achieve mental health, and the tremendous,

long-range costs to society from these failures. For instance, over the past year, we have become aware of ongoing gross violations of the moral connections we purportedly value, in instances like the sexual abuse perpetrated at St. Michael’s College in Eastern Canada, and the mass shootings of young people south of the border. When institutions of learning become unsafe places for the very youth they are attempting to nurture, due to dangers like egregious bullying and hazing through to the ultimate violation of murder, we need to seriously change our cultural attitudes toward power and control. Although a bullying temperament and personality have been shown to have a genetic basis, and although the biological causation and results of behaviour are potent, the environment these particularly-affected people experience may influence how they ultimately behave. When at-risk individuals are also put in situations wherein they have little power over their life experience, the combination of nature-nurture can be incendiary. We may have no control over genetics, but we do have control over the environments we create within our schools and homes, and within the culture at large. By design, we can empower ourselves to be proactive in our philosophical mandates, in the policies we make, and in their implementation. We can also be protective bystanders when bullying slips in insidiously.

We are confronting a long-standing problem, though, much longer historically than we may imagine. Consider the following quote from one of Charles Dickens’ masterpieces, Great Expectations: “The Educational scheme or Course established by Mr. Wopsle’s great aunt may be resolved into the following synopsis. The pupils ate apples and put straws down one another’s backs, until Mr. Wopsle’s greataunt collected her energies, and made an indiscriminate totter at them with a birch-rod. After receiving the charge with every mark of derision, the pupils formed in line and buzzingly passed a ragged book from hand to hand. The book had an alphabet in it, some figures and tables, and a little spelling—that is to say, it had had once. As soon as this volume began to circulate, Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt fell into a state of coma; arising either from sleep or a rheumatic paroxysm. The pupils then entered among themselves upon a competitive examination on the subject of Boots, with the view of ascertaining who could tread the hardest upon whose toes. This mental exercise lasted until Biddy made a rush at them and distributed three defaced Bibles (shaped as if they had been unskilfully cut off the chumpend of something), more illegibly printed at (continued on next page) Education \\ 59

Gender does not preclude abuse occurring between children, as girls may dish out unrivalled emotional torture.

(continued from page 59...) the best than any curiosities of literature I have since met with, speckled all over with ironmould, and having various specimens of the insect world smashed between their leaves. This part of the Course was usually lightened by several single combats between Biddy and refractory students. When the fights were over, Biddy gave out the number of a page, and then we all read aloud what we could—or what we couldn’t—in a frightful chorus; Biddy leading with a high shrill monotonous voice, and none of us having the least notion of, or reverence for, what we were reading about. When this horrible din had lasted a certain time, it mechanically awoke Mr. Wopsle’s great-aunt, who staggered at 60 // Community Now!

a boy fortuitously, and pulled his ears. This was understood to terminate the Course for the evening, and we emerged into the air with shrieks of intellectual victory.” I have treated you to this fragment of a literary masterpiece in order to present a historical view of methods employed by misguided and neglectful educators to establish good behaviour and produce a modicum of learning in children during a bygone era. It would appear that bullies have existed in the adult format just as often as in the child format, and that the two are somehow related! The footnote to this passage describing an “evening school” states that, “‘By general consent, Dame-schools were faulty in the extreme. Many were something like this one that Pip

attended…. For every detail of this hilarious account one can provide confirming footnotes from Reports on elementary education, from the Manchester Statistical Society’s in 1834-5 to the Newcastle Commission’s in 1859.’ ” I am intrigued with this startling portrayal of bullying perpetrated both by and upon children in the last century. It deals with issues just as vividly relevant today—that being the nature of childhood perceptions of and responses to the prevailing social scheme, and the nature of adult perceptions of and interventions in the resulting social struggles created by youth. The passage quoted above highlights one element first and foremost—that children seem to have similar responses to social difficulties in every era. We must accept the reality that children are physically oriented. Boisterous and physically expressive interchanges such as this amongst children have been recorded throughout history. During my grandmother’s school days, boys would dip girls’ pigtails in the inkwells or snatch their hats. During my father’s day, young pugnacious boys would deliver fisticuffs to each other within a circle of curious onlookers in a dusty field, to establish status and respect. This physicality in conflict situations was not merely a boy-girl issue, as any reader of Tom Brown’s School Days would discover. In that tale, boys followed a custom of belittlement and abuse of younger boys by older boys in an English boarding school. The St. Michael’s incidents indicate behaviour even worse by the degree of humiliation and the spread of public knowledge. Gender does not preclude abuse occurring between children, as girls may dish out unrivalled emotional torture. Whereas boys typically deliver physical punishment to their peers, girls tend to deliver cruelty through body language and through words both written, spoken and electronically disbursed.

Why does this happen? What can we adults do to respond to such events? Can we prevent bullying? If so, how? These are the topics of my mental search today, and I sincerely hope that the result will provide some glimmers of enlightenment and ideas for coping with these problems. I invite you to join me as I seek to understand the causes of, and remedies for, this most complex of behaviours. Unfortunately, it is not simple at all. There may be some chicken-and-egg connections here, and points of intervention may be difficult to determine. The most complicating factor of all is that aggression cannot be dissected, comprehended, or resolved easily. The topic involves many components—the historical perspective that describes ancient cultural directives and habits, the biological and psychological drives that predispose, produce and inhibit physical force, and the societal influences derived from the multidimensional interactions of groups of adults and children. I wish to break through the temptation to search for a quick and easy, all-purpose remedy, since there is no such thing. Rather, I seek to examine the complex interrelations of the factors that produce intimidation by aggressors, in order to find ways of preventing bullies from appearing in the first place…if that is even possible. Then, I intend to discover how to protect myself and those around me from the aggressive behaviour of bullies who were created outside my circle of influence. I also want to share these ideas so that my intellectual journey is profitable for others.

To read the complete story go to: http://communitynow magazine.com/articles/

BUSINESS

WHAT’S POSSIBLE WITH SOPHIA Today I’m not going to tell you a story but something I’ve done that most people would think was impossible for a kid my age. But, I’m here to tell you it’s possible and it is: I have a property. Now you might be thinking one of two things. First, “Oh, she’s talking about intellectual property.” I do have intellectual property but I’m not talking about that, I’m talking about land property. Second, “She’s just talking about property her parents got.” No again. I bought the property with MY money not my parents’ money because I had enough. It is a 4-unit

house; one unit is going to be for Grammpy and Grammie when they move to Alberta. They are going to rent from me. My Grammpy helped with the application because I’m too young and he allowed me to use his credit score. More people that helped me buy the house were: Lisa and Kelsey helped me understand interest rates for mortgages, and Marcy and Randy helped me understand house maintenance, for example, the cost of heat, gas, electricity, and repairs. What’s possible: You can buy a property even if you’re under 18 if you have help from someone that’s 18 or over. You can invest your business money in things that matter to you.

TELLING IT LIKE IT IS Telling It Like It Is with George Handley , president at Healthy Heart Sleep Company 1. How and why did you start Healthy Heart Sleep Company? I had been working in the sleep sector of healthcare already and loved it. But, I felt it could be done differently. I think also there is a piece in all of us that wants to be their own boss. I talked about it with my wife and of course being the supportive person she is, she threw her support in 100%. I did my research as to how to properly go about it, and then in the summer of 2008, our doors were open. 2. Please share some of your struggles at the beginning and how did you overcome them? The biggest struggle was probably keeping things in balance. The book “E-Myth Revisited” was a great read. Recommend it to anyone who is thinking of starting their own business. I had to hit the pavement drumming up referral sources. Then I also had to be working in the business as opposed to on the business. On top of that, I had a wife and a one-year-old son. So family time had to be built in there too. Staying conscious of time constraints helped me keep balance. Hard to say no to people when they are giving you business. But if you spend too much time on just one aspect, you will fail. 3. You recently opened a second location in the Deer Valley Market Place in South Calgary. Why did you decide to open another location? Share some knowledge for others looking to expand. Our main office is just on the north side of downtown, and we knew the city was growing further southward. Also, we had some physicians

asking us to better serve the south part of Calgary. For those looking to expand make sure you have your processes firmly in place. It is difficult to replicate what you have if you do not have a firm grasp on how you are doing things. I thought we did, but once that second office was open, I soon realized this was not the case. The reason I mention this is that staff who work both sites can become confused as to what is proper protocol or process. 4. How has your marketing changed since you started 10 years ago? It has changed a lot. More competition now but also healthcare consumers turn to the internet more now for information. This is good and bad. There is some useful information but also disinformation. For example, people see ads for CPAP cleaners and disinfectants. These devices can do a great disinfection job, but they do not clean. What this means is that if your mask has skin oils or debris on its surface that will still be there after the disinfection cycle is done. We spend a lot of time educating our patients. We now do more social media than ever. It is important to keep up with how society works and social media is part of this. 5. One piece of advice for start-ups or new businesses? Have a solid game plan and stick to it. Make little corrections along the way of need be. But do not deviate too much. You lose your focus, and your customers can’t see exactly who you are and how you operate. If the consumer is confused, they won’t return.

jadealbertsconsulting.com Facebook.com/jadealbertsconsulting jade@jadealbertsconsulting.com 403-771-1301 Business \\ 63

PROF-IT:

DO YOU HAVE THE HOLIDAY ENTREPRENEURIAL SPIRIT By Sandra Malach, Sr. Instructor, Entrepreneurship & Innovation, Haskayne School of Business, University of Calgary

As we approach the end of the year many of us find ourselves looking introspectively at ourselves. For those of you that are considering an entrepreneurial future, the big question may be: “Are You An Entrepreneur?” There are many sophisticated tools but here are some key basics attitudes with some simple questions for your to consider. Decisiveness

Risk Tolerance

1. Have you decisions?

1. How well do you tolerate risk? 2. Do you enjoy dreaming up new ways of doing things? 3. What is your tolerance for ambiguity? Desire for Control

any

important

a. How difficult was it to make the decision?

b. Did you take action to implement the decision?

1. Do you have a desire to be a goal setter?

2. Do you have a desire to control the business’ strategy?

3. Do you want to control everything?

Serendipity

Desire to Succeed

made

2. Did you make any poor or bad decisions? a. Did you dwell on it or were you able to forgive yourself?

1. Can you recall a fortuitous event?

1. Are you driven to succeed?

2. What effect did it have on you?

2. How do you define success? Perseverance 1. Think of a encountered.

challenge

that

you

a. What did you do to overcome it?

b. Did you enjoy the challenge?

Reflect on these questions over an eggnog to see if you believe that you have the holiday entrepreneurial spirit!

64 // Community Now!

Olympics, what did we learn? By Peter Lafontaine

ere are a few of my observations: I can some it up into three categories.

One. Trust. People have lost faith in leadership. There are just too many examples where promises and commitments are made and then are broken either through circumstance or flat out deception. People are skeptical and are not confident that our political, institutional and corporate leaders have the general populations best interest in mind. People are skeptical about the leaders ability to execute on their commitments. So starting with an organization like the IOC that has trust issues, adding a shifting story backed by a big budget was too much for people to take. Two. Who’s voting? If you were born in Canada, voting is frequently taken for granted. Young people who grew up in our affluent society don’t think it matters. I was involved in the last civic election and this plebiscite.

From what I could see after attending many forums is that two big groups of people voted. Seniors and people who have chosen to make Alberta and Canada their new home. If your family heritage comes from a place where you could not vote or your vote was not taken seriously and you come to a place where your vote means something, you vote. If you can sway leadership, governance, programs and policy, you vote. In a nutshell. I think the pollsters and strategists do not understand who are voting. The demographic in Alberta has shifted considerably. Three. The speed of crowd conscious communications. Brought to you by the internet. Movements don’t necessarily need to be supported by big funding. They just need a purpose that feels like it is grounded in the truth. Just my thoughts. Pete

(continued on next page) Business \\ 65

(continued from page 65...)

Olympics are gone, what now? Now that the Olympics have moved on what can we do? Start by calling upon a new group of people, a taskforce, to come up with a city and province wide plan. A plan that understands at it’s core that: • Great, resilient cities with strong social and innovation fabric are way of the future. • These cities will have significant economic and competitive advantages. • Resilient economic and healthy future requires vibrant growing middle class and engaged citizens. If we build a people and community based economic plan, If we can get our middle-class economy fired up again, if we find a way to effectively and carefully look after people who need a hand up. We will become an attractive place to invest, grow businesses, families and communities. I understand that we are already pushing our debt loads, deficit spending has become habitual. We need to be smart and work hard. No magic pills…. We must become an attractive place to invest. Our policies, regulations and incentives must make it attractive for new investment capital.

• The Province • Energy Transportation • Energy Upgrading and Innovation

• This new taskforce should be assigned to come up with new ideas that can drive this city and province forward. Let’s think Big but not forget the small stuff.

• Diversifying the Economy

• Use the provincial and city priorities as guide for these ideas.

• Jobs, Retraining, Education

66 // Community Now!

• Sponsor and invest in new business • Regenerate the Middle Class

• Healthy Vibrant Productive Communities

• Immigrant investment • Private capital and Government Contributions • Buy Local policies where possible • How we fund and support people in need • Taxation • We need to stand up to Ottawa and perhaps the rest of Canada to defend the Hydrocarbon industry. We are throwing our economy into a tail spin. American interests have successful cut off our oil and gas markets. • The investment deal flow in Calgary and Alberta is very slow. Especially early stage investments. We appear to have a culture of saying NO to ideas until they have been significantly de-risked.

• The City • A prosperous city • A city of inspiring neighbourhoods • A city that moves • A healthy and green city • A well-run city • Review the policies and structures that need to be updated, changed or rewritten at the Municipal, Provincial and Federal level.

• We need to get our province to think like a team. The municipal and provincial government, the institutions including education and healthcare, the larger businesses, the family foundations, need to find a way to work together on the big priorities. Currently most of these organizations work within their own walls. They might all benefit from signing the Social Contract from the Rainforest. Now that the Olympics have moved on what can we do? Work like a team! Work smart, Work Hard. I will follow up with a list of significant ideas that can be implemented next issue. The biggest idea is attitude. Pete Social Good Interloper.

Business \\ 67

Building

Community Now!

By Tracy Beairsto

If you have been reading the articles in this new and exciting publication, you have been experiencing the results of the building of a new community – a bringing together of people who have found several things in common – that their shared curiosity and love for Calgary and its energy creates a synergy of passionate belief and opportunity for all involved. I have thought a lot about community lately – my husband and I have recently left this city wherein he was born and has spent most of his life and in which I have spent more than half of mine – the longest we have lived anywhere. We have headed out for a new adventure in a new place and even though we started the process somewhat cautiously by exploring our new home over the past two years, it was a big leap of faith to uproot ourselves from the familiar to head to a smaller place on an island – quite a stretch for a prairie girl! What we have had to intend and determine is what will our new community look like? 68 // Community Now!

Not just where we will live or what that accommodation will look like, but what will the new areas around us have to offer? What will we be bringing to our new home, not just in physical belongings, but also in terms of our unique talents and creative abilities – how will we belong in our new community? I know how difficult it is to break out of the fear of making a change, especially such a significant one as moving – there are the physical logistics of moving but also the emotional ones – who will support those we are no longer physically close to and who rely upon us for our help? who will support us in our new location through our ups and downs? We had built an extensive support system in Calgary over the years – from friends and neighbors, family, of course, medical practitioners, groups and activities that engage us and require our participation over and above our careers as well. Going through a change is in itself stressful, but it is also the time after we think the change has

handed us with certain aspects of that change outside of our control – our capability to cope successfully in the face of stress-related, atrisk or adversarial situations. How fast can we “self-right” our ship when it has been blown off-course – and we can get blown off-course in small ways every day. If we are agile, we are able to act and respond effectively to changing external and internal conditions without losing momentum or vision toward our goals.

been completed that is just as stressful …. When we come to the full realization of what the change event has really meant to us hits home. Most curious and innovative people have what is termed a “thriving mindset” – they see failure and adversity as a chance to learn and grow. That may be easier said than done when you are in the thick of it, but learning how to maneuver ourselves through stressful situations is actually something that we are practicing daily, whether we acknowledge that or not! Mindful practice does mean that we need to be aware of and understand our own beliefs and attitudes towards the situations we are facing because it is those beliefs and attitudes that will help us to form possible opportunities and solutions to our challenges. How resilient we are helps to determine the success of our ability to manage the changes that we are facing through our conscious choices or through what we feel fate has

The builders of a new community often start out alone in their vision but are internally pushed to take that chance and hope to find others who can share that vision and hopes for today and the future. You are now part of the Community Now! Movement that is an intentional set of goals and actions that welcomes your ideas, creativity and participation. You will begin to build a network of support and find fellowship through discussions and connections. You will find that while others may have their own agendas and will veer off into other directions, that there will be those who will stay to help you build the community and make it stronger, more resilient and able to thrive. And so it seems that once again I share something in common with Community Now! – the courage to go forward to build a new life and redefine “home”. I must also ask that you take your part in the responsibility for continuing to build Community Now! by providing your financial, cognitive, emotional enthusiasm and networking support. As this publication and network becomes a vocal cornerstone of Calgary and area’s innovation and entrepreneurial space, it will need your support to become the best it can be! Business \\ 69

THANK YOU TO THE COMMUNITY Sandra

Josh (Mj)

Les

Stacy

Zanika

Adette

Kenzie

Sophia

Diane

Tracy

Scott

Peter

Jill

Marilyn

THANK YOU EMPOWERING MINDS, BANBURY CROSSROADS, START UP BY SOPHIA, COSTUME SHOPPE, SCHOLASTIC, HEALING SELF HYPNOTHERAPY, CARDEL ACCOUNTING, C.U.P.E LOCAL 709, JADE CONSULTING, SUPREME MENS WEAR, FRESH START RECOVERY, THE DOORWAY, TRICO CENTER & ORO!

Do you have a story about innovation, community, business or a an event coming up you want covered or do you want to become a sponsor of Community Now! Magazine request a media kit or book a meeting today. Please email publisher@communitynowmagazine.com Proud sponsor of Community Now! Magazine

CARDEL ACCOUNTING REACHING ALL OF WESTERN CANADA

604-447-6970

70 // Community Now!

INFO@CARDELACCOUNTING.CA

www.communitynowmagazine.com Facebook: @communitynowmagazine Twitter: @communitynowma1 Publisher@CommunityNowMagazine.com

December Issue of Community Now! Magazine

Articles inside

December Issue of Community Now! Magazine