The Drive Magazine // SummerII issue 115

The

DRIVE

Issue 115

MACKENZIE SIDDALL GRIT AND GRACE

LIFESTYLE | CULTURE | PEOPLE | TRENDS

Has back or neck p pain interrupted your summer?

We can help!

Eliminate back or neck pain without the use of drugs or surgery.

CALL US TODAY TO START LIVING A PAIN FREE LIFE TOMORROW!

519-999-7206

Dr. Jonathan Bekic 3090 Dougall Ave., Windsor I www.chiropractorwindsor.com I Find us on Facebook & Instagram

The

DRIVE

PAUL ST-PIERRE

Publisher

KEN STEWART

Managing Director

David Hunter

Sales Director

sabine main

Editorial & Creative Director

CONTRIBUTORS Mel Monczak

Sales

SYX LANGEMANN

Photographer

PAUL Chmielowiec

Photographer

JENNIFER AURICH

Photographer

Emma Davidson

Photographer

MARGARET MELANDRUCOLLO

Photographer

Veronique MandAl Writer

Hundreds of accent tiles and backsplashes to choose from.

All in stock, on display and at the lowest prices in town.

Michelle LAramIe

Writer

ALLEY L. BINIARZ

Writer

MILLAR HILL

Writer

Gavin MacDougall

Writer

Suzy Kendrick

Writer

JESSE ZITER

Writer

Deidre Ritsche

Writer

CHRIS EDWARDS

Writer

Anushree Dave

Writer/UofW EPICentre

Layan Barakat

Writer/UofW EPICentre

DANIELLE NICHOLSON Interior designer Jen Hale

Copy editor

Julie ward

Love & Intimacy coach

Samantha Boulos

Make-up, stylist, trends

tracey laforet

Hair stylist

MARNIE ROBILLARD

Art director

The DRIVE magazine is delivered direct to nearly 50,000 select homes and businesses throughout Windsor Essex exclusively through Canada Post. Mail subscriptions available. Please email request to: info@thedrivemagazine.com CANADA POST Delivery agreement no. 43497602. Printed in Canada.

Owned and operated by the Landscape Effects Group of Companies.

1125 County Road #42 RR#1, Belle River ON, N0R1A0, 519.727.4769

257 Wyandotte St. E. I Windsor I 519-258-4481 I www.hineighborflooring.ca

4

All advertisement content to appear are subject to approval of the publisher and the publication assumes no responsibility for content included. We do not necessarily share the opinion or views of such advertising and assume no liability of this content or messaging.

Contents

summer 2018 WELCOME 6 Editor’s letter

20

TREND DRIVE 9 What's on trend?

SOCIAL DRIVE

32 PEOPLE DRIVE Mackenzie Siddall

EDUCATION DRIVE The Art of Math

10 Casey Plett

SEX DRIVE 14 Boundaries of love blocks EDUCATION DRIVE 18 Social Enterprise: Spiritual Soldiers 20 The Art of Math

PEOPLE DRIVE

25 Dr. Andrea Dinardo 28 Deidre Ritsche 32 Mackenzie Siddall – Feature 42 Joe Siddall

MUSIC DRIVE 48 Detroit's Motown HOME DRIVE 50 Danielle Nicholson TREND DRIVE 52 Get this Sun-Kissed look 53 Ana Stulic Swimwear Collection '18 expat DRIVE 56 Margaret Melandrucollo LIFE DRIVE 63 Len Martindale

thedrivemagazine.com

42 PEOPLE DRIVE Joe Siddall

LIFE DRIVE Len Martindale

63

5

Breaking through the boundaries

EDITOR’S LETTER

When we set our focus on this issue’s theme, it was simple and clear: breaking through the boundaries. We wanted to bring you stories of people whose experiences pushed beyond personal limits to get to a place of uncharted territory.

As I began brainstorming, collecting names, researching people and growing the list, I never expected to come across so many outstanding, courageous souls. I am energized to know that there are some pretty ordinary people among us doing some pretty extraordinary things.

So that got me thinking: when was the last time I pushed myself? When was I out of my comfort zone? When did I last do something unexpected where I surprised myself? I quickly realized that while my ‘stretched’ comforts were not exactly earth-shattering, there were so many and they were all mine to celebrate.

That’s exactly how we have compiled this issue: with a well-deserved celebration for everyone’s personal version of pushing his or her boundaries. We explored the struggles of life that everyone experienced. We share how our people start by taking a risk, a leap of faith, a chance even when the outcome is not certain.

We packed this issue with stories of some amazing people, from our feature story with Mackenzie Siddall, who teaches us that the strength of family creates an unwavering sense of support, to her father—Joe Siddall—who shares his deepest emotions on life and loss and the strength it takes to carry on, to the story of Len Martindale, and how with loss comes with unexpected turns of events: the journey of organ donations.

When it comes to pushing the envelope in the academic playground, we travelled to London, Ontario, to explore what the Art of Math was all about.

It didn’t take long to realize that a couple of teachers, supported by their school board, were causing astonishing classroom breakthroughs.

From life comes experience, from experience comes fumbles, from fumbles comes fear, from fear comes reservations and from reservations comes resignation.

If resignation is looming, be aware of it, and look for ways to let it go. And, as Dr. Andrea Dinardo shares in her article, “It is important to identify the areas of our stress that are beyond our control and let them go. Move on to focus on the things you can control and change.”

Sabine Main

Editorial + Creative Director

6

Stylish updates for every room

Stylus Furniture is a west coast treasure located in Vancouver B.C. They have been producing quality made Sofas since 1959. They continue to lead in the Green Manufacturing movement and strive to make a better product with a better story. The Haze, a model in the popular Architect Collection, not only looks great with its sharp, clean urban profile but its Feather-soft Plus seating and backs gives the ultimate in furniture comfort. The low, deep construction combines with the specialty seating to make it truly a seating experience. Melt into this amazing frame as a sofa or configure your own sectional with many combinations. Everyone will have the best seat in the house. Stylus has nearly 500 fabrics to choose from so finding the perfect fit for your home will be easy. Essex Home Furnishings invites you to fall in love with it in person, take a seat and enjoy the test drive.

www.ehfstyle.com I Hwy 3, Essex ON I 519-776-5553

EVERY KITCHEN DESERVES A CUSTOM DESIGN.

2 North Talbot Rd. Maidstone, ON 519-723-4141 www.wayneswoodcraft.com

Building? Landscaping?

Renovating?

We’ve got you covered!

Quality building and landscaping materials are essential to every project. Santerra Stonecraft has the products and expert knowledge to help you achieve the beauty and functionally for your building, landscaping or renovation project. Visit our Retail Design Centre to discover the wide range of options available on everything in masonry and landscaping products.

5115 Rhodes Dr. (between Central and Jefferson) 519.944.7737 I santerrastonecraft.com

SOCIAL DRIVE

TRE ND S

Cul tur e

The conversation has recently shifted when it comes to categorizing one of our region’s favourite libations. Geology, not grapes, seems to be this year’s must-know with the who’s who when it comes to choosing a wine. Of the 14 elements that are essential for any vine to grow, most of them originate in the ground, leaving scientists and wine connoisseurs debating if subtle differences in a region’s soil can be tasted in the finished product.

rior Inte

What began as an effort to save money has become one of the hottest trends in interior design. Instead of hiding construction materials above dropped ceilings and within extra walls, exposed industrial elements—duct work, wiring, beams—allow for a more open concept, giving the illusion of more space. When converting a loft or apartment, repurposing found materials can add an attractive nod towards the past life of a building.

n hio Fas

Contrary to many early predictions, L.A. continues its rise as a legitimate fashion hub—even New Yorkers are warming to the easygoing, sunny West Coast vibe, with more relaxed fits and effortless style. When in search of anything denim, floral or fuchsia, turn to Walkerville’s newest boutique, The Weekend. With new shipments weekly, their racks are full of Kardashian-esque streetwear and other curated accessories perfectly designed for the Hollywood Hills. thedrivemagazine.com

By Deidre Ritsche Photography by: Emma Davidson (The Border City Living Team) www.bordercityliving.com 9

SOCIAL DRIVE

she's an open book CASEY PLETT: THE journey to becoming an author and a woman

By Millar Hill | Photography: Syx Langemann

Canadian literature is known for pushing the boundaries of fiction, whether it’s through the early feminist work of Margaret Atwood or explorations of indigenous issues in the works of Katherena Vermette and Cherie Dimaline.

Now Casey Plett is breaking ground with her phenomenal new book, Little Fish, giving readers a closer look into the lives of transgender people.

As a trans woman she’s faced her own obstacles that haven’t always been easy to overcome.

Plett knew from a young age that she was transgender but never took it seriously, which was a manifestation of internalized transphobia—her own fear and subconscious discrimination prevented her from being true to herself for a long time.

Plett was born in Winnipeg and raised in a small town called Morden in Southern Manitoba. As a kid living in Southern Manitoba, she didn’t have a lot of friends and was bullied in school. She spent a lot of time reading and playing videogames.

“Not that I had an awful childhood, but it could’ve been better,” Plett said.

Things got better when she moved to Oregon with her mother and stepfather, attending middle school and high school in a small town called Eugene, Oregon. Plett immersed herself in performing arts and had a really close group of friends.

After high school, Plett moved to Portland to attend college and then New York for grad school. Though she was aware she transgender, she never took it seriously until after college, when she decided to transition while living in New York.

“Gender dysphoria sucks and there are only a few things you can do about it. I did it and now I experience a fraction of what I used to and that’s wonderful,” Plett said.

All too often, the lack of family support 10

makes a trans person’s transition more difficult, and several trans people have shared their stories about what happens before someone transitions and what that process is like. But rarely do we read stories about their lives after transitioning.

“I am very interested in these three-dimensional stories of what trans people’s lives look like after they transition,” Plett said.

“Trans people’s lives are as complicated as anybody else’s.”

And Plett’s writing shows some of the darker sides to those things. In terms of fiction, she’s always been drawn to characters who examine the complexities of their lives.

“It could be complications with family or substance abuse and I have never seen any trans narratives explore these topics,” Plett said.

There was an instance where Plett was turned down from a job because she was trans. “I was three years in already and it was obvious what was going on,” Plett said. “I think a lot of people who are marginalized feel this way—you don’t exactly know where you stand and I find that kind of messes with me a little more.

Blinds, Drapery, Shutters & Service Visit our showroom or have our designer come out to your home for a free consultation. Custom North American Made Blinds, Drapery and Shutters.

“I was used to this stuff happening, which sucks and it bothered me,” she added.

The experiences Plett has had as a trans women shape the stories she writes. During an interview with Plett, I could sense a lot of emotion goes into her fiction. Plett creates characters that are complex but relatable, giving us a sense of what life is like for trans people and how difficult it can be.

betterblinds.ca

519-972-8388

BETTER BLINDS & DRAPERY

2785 Howard Ave. Windsor, ON

In 2015, Plett won the Lambda Literary Award for transgender fiction for her short story collection, A Safe Girl to Love, featuring 11 stories with settings ranging from a rural Canadian Mennonite town to gay bars in Brooklyn, where young trans women stumble upon loss, sex, harassment and love.

Her most recent book, Little Fish, features a trans woman named Wendy who discovers that her own deeply religious grandfather, who died when she was young, may also have been a trans woman. Throughout the book, Wendy runs into many obstacles as she tries to discover the truth about her grandfather.

“While writing the book I was thinking if I had someone in my family that had been transgender, I probably never would have known,” Plett said. “It would’ve been a secret that they kept until they died. I just felt so strongly like I had these thoughts and this story I had to work through and get out, that if I didn't get it out I'd just lose my mind.” As the fictional character uncovers the mystery of her grandfather, readers get a well-rounded look at the complex life and friendships Wendy has. Intertwined with the main plot is the recurring theme that even though she has fully transitioned, Wendy’s life is still complicated by society’s expectations of sexuality and identity.

The book developed into its own as Plett was outlining it as a short story and realized what she was writing could be a novel.

Since the book’s official launch in spring 2018 by publisher Arsenal Pulp Press, Plett has been able to tour across Canada and into New York City, and receive feedback from her readers, which has been overwhelmingly positive. Now Plett is back at work as the publicity and marketing coordinator at Biblioasis in Windsor, Ontario, where she continues writing.

“I’ve been very blessed,” she said. thedrivemagazine.com

CAN YOUR CRESTRON SYSTEM DO THIS? IT CAN!

CAN YOUR HOME DO THIS?

IT CAN WITH CRESTRON FROM FAS GROUP. CAN YOUR CRESTRON SYSTEM DO THIS? Insist on a Crestron Certified Design. crestron.com/certifieddesign IT CAN! 519.945.0526 | 5869 Tecumseh Road. E. | fasgroup.ca All brand names, product names, and trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Certain trademarks, registered trademarks, and trade names may be used in this document to refer to either the entities claiming the marks and names or their products. Crestron disclaims any proprietary interest in the marks and names of others. Crestron is not responsible for errors in typography or photography. ©2015 Crestron Electronics, Inc.

D. Home-Evaluation_Poster_24x36_V3.indd 1

7/28/15 10:31 AM

11 Insist on a Crestron Certified Design. crestron.com/certifieddesign

PROFILE

Parker DKI Thirty years of emergency disaster recovery and restoration— Parker DKI leads the way in Windsor and Essex-County.

Dylan Parker started working for his father’s company at just 14. Now the 25-year-old is the general manager of Parker DKI and he wouldn’t have it any other way.

“I’ve always wanted to be like my father. I found the inner workings of a business to be interesting, and to be involved with all of it is something I enjoy very much,” Parker explains.

Alongside their fantastic team, Dylan follows in the footsteps of his father, Jim Parker, by “restoring the properties affected by any disaster, and restoring peace of mind to the families affected by them.”

Thirty years ago, Jim started Parker Construction and has since provided emergency disaster recovery and restoration services in Windsor and Essex County for residential, commercial and industrial buildings damaged by fire, water, wind, flooding or vandalism. If it’s a natural, accidental or criminal occurrence, Parker DKI is there to not only get you back on your feet, but to support you as you rebuild.

The company understands that Emergency Services requires an urgent response. Parker’s 24/7 service guarantees you will see their team on the job immediately upon receipt of your request.

Ray Miller, of Enterprise Mold Ltd., describes that the company suffered a fire on St. Patrick’s Day and the “next afternoon Jim Parker was there to survey the damage. Within three weeks Parker had us up and running. I was extremely pleased with the high quality job Parker provided.”

Parker Construction became part of the DKI family to have the support from the largest restoration group in Canada, USA and Ireland. Now called Parker DKI, the beauty of using the company is that you are getting the benefits and support of a large restoration organization that isn’t a franchise. When you choose Parker DKI, you’re choosing to support a local business that runs out of two DKI offices in Windsor and Leamington.

Parker DKI Windsor Location : 2910 Jefferson Blvd, Windsor, ON N8T 3J2 (519) 944-8015 Leamington Location: 124 Oak St. West Leamington, ON N8H 2B6 (519) 322-4574 Emergency Service - 24 Hours a Day / 7 Days a Week

1.866.637.FIRE (3473)

Through the years, Parker DKI has invested an immense amount of time and funds to continue their collective training related to the services they provide and the technologies they employ. Theirs is a business that requires a combination of technical skills, experience and up-to-date knowledge, united together to provide services with care, respect and compassion.

Since 1988, Parker DKI has also partnered with many great local charities such as Sparky’s Toy Drive and Street Help. They find great satisfaction in supporting other local efforts, and they look forward to continue giving back to the Essex-County and Windsor community.

Trust your local DKI experts for restoration after a disaster.

During a stressful time, they will be there to support and aid you in reestablishing peace in your home and business.

Sponsored by Parker DKI.

www.mrmeatmarkets.ca

Don’t be fooled by our low prices.

M.R. Meat Market proudly showcases the largest selection of quality meats in Essex County. Freshly cut and prepared directly from one of our three locations at prices everyone can afford. Our mission is to be Windsor and Essex County’s premier butchery, offering fresh meat cuts and enticing, tasty options for entertaining at home.

Three convenient locations: East Windsor 6645 Tecumseh Rd. Windsor, ON Tel: 519-948-5565

West Windsor 2451 Tecumseh Rd. Windsor, ON Tel: 519-987-0555

South Windsor 4318 Walker Rd. Windsor, ON, Tel: 519-969-6328

SEX DRIVE

When Boundaries Become Love Blocks

By Julie Ward

14

CREATIVE DRIVE Newborn babies have little sense of “self.”

Their experience of this new world is one of an intrinsically felt connection to everything.

They do not identify as “I am me” and “you are you”—they are not separate from their experience of life itself.

And as they grow they begin to realize that they are unique and separate. That they like chocolate and you like vanilla. That this is mine and that is yours. That touching or kissing is on a respectful permission basis and goes both ways. They learn personal boundaries in order to define who they are and to help them navigate through life and love.

Healthy boundaries establish your sense of self by marking the edge of where you begin and end. They establish who you are by how you value and honour yourself.

Boundaries can range from the extremes of inflexible rigidity to being as fluid and spineless as a jellyfish. The first, as much as it is predictable, is also very harsh and closedminded, while the latter is non-trustworthy as it is confusing to everyone involved— including you. Somewhere in the middle is a place of thoughtful consideration for your wellbeing that also includes others.

Your personal boundaries define how you wish to be treated.

You will teach others how to treat you by the degree to which you hold yourself in esteem. Wrapped up in these boundaries is also how your partner will relate to you.

These rules of engagement hold ‘you’ together.

And yet, most women yearn to become undone by their partner, taken into blissful ecstasy with wildish abandon— two bodies and souls merging into oneness.

This is not the place for rigid boundaries.

It is the home of heart and body openness between deeply trusting lovers—of sublime boundless pleasure.

What I’ve witnessed in my coaching practice is that boundaries not steeped in the well of love and trust are actually love blocks. Love blocks are built like brick-andmortar walls, stemming from past relationship frustration and pain. Not many people I know have led pristine, perfect lives. Most have experienced some form of trauma like having their heart broken, being betrayed by their lover or worse: being violated or abused. Love blocks are designed to compensate for all that hurt and to keep them safe for something that went wrong versus something that is right, right now.

They clamp down on the flow of love and intimate connection. The work of intimacy involves recognizing and releasing yourself from the past in a gentle manner that will cause you to relax in ‘present moment’ trust and open more fully that conduit to deeper loving.

David Dieda, one of my sacred intimacy teachers, wrote, “Unsurrendered women attract unpresent men.” First off, surrendered does not mean being submissive or subservient. It means to willfully let go of what does not serve love. The feminine’s deepest heart’s desire is to give love and to receive love. For a surrendered woman it is in the letting go, of opening her heart, of allowing the fullness of love to enter her and fill her with the greatest pleasure. It is also what her partner wants to evoke in her.

A man can sense a woman’s love blocks. He can feel her heart as being open or closed. Now, the feminine heart when opened as a love offering is pure irresistible radiance and will have a good man stand at full attention with much adoration.

While full heart closures do not interest or attract him, a noble man will step into the challenge of finding compassionate and loving ways to pierce his love into the cracks of any walls to free a woman’s vulnerable and radiant heart. It is an art, not a science, to know when to lead and press on versus when to relax and follow.

A woman needs to be aware that her heart closures will tend to cause her man to drift elsewhere into his own thoughts or

fantasies, meaning he will not be fully there for her, just as she is not fully there for him.

It is the work of each partner to discover what opens and closes their lover and to know what will have them be present and emotionally available.

Men too may have love blocks disguised as boundaries or habitual patterns that prevent him from giving her his deepest gift of loving her heart open with his ravishment.

He may only want to make love in certain ways based on his own inherited taboos or past wounds. These boundaries inhibit his play of passion and can close a woman’s self-expression or her desire to offer her heart and body to him.

What I’ve seen work best for couples who are experiencing intimacy issues is for each to separately dive under the covers of their own boundaries to deeply probe into what closes their bodies while exploring new ways that cause heart openness.

There is never a ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to matters of the heart. However, the key to unlocking the fortressed heart is through deep relaxation—letting go to make space for more love to enter—and that requires body awareness. Noticing one’s breathing patterns is an important part of this. Is your breath full and deep or rapid and shallow? Do you hold your breath? Do you feel tense or relieved? What does it feel like to exhale fully? Can you trust that?

Practise being aware of your breath, make friends with it and then expand your range just as you wish to expand your intimacy.

There is intimacy in knowing yourself in this manner. Breathing love and energy into areas that are tense will help to release any associated love blocks that are held in your neuromuscular cloak.

It is one of the greatest pleasures and acts of love to learn to let go of those habituated blocks to love while holding each other’s hearts with utmost tenderness. D.

Julie Ward, Intimacy and Relationship Coach, offers deep insight and wisdom in a light-hearted earthy manner. Her expertise has helped countless troubled couples revive their marriages and perplexed singles to be happily married. She works internationally via phone or video-conference. Visit www.julieward.com thedrivemagazine.com

15

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.

Wondering about your investments?

Request a complimentary review today.

Jason David Smith Wealth Advisor jason.smith@rbc.com 519-252-4523 Lisa VanKuren Associate lisa.vankuren@rbc.com 519-252-3241

RBC Dominion Securities Inc.* and Royal Bank of Canada are separate corporate entities which are affiliated. *Member-Canadian Investor Protection Fund. RBC Dominion Securities Inc. is a member company of RBC Wealth Management, a business segment of Royal Bank of Canada. ® / ™ Trademark(s) of Royal Bank of Canada. Used under licence. ©2018 RBC Dominion Securities Inc. All rights reserved. 18_90621_MS7_001

AS AN EMPLOYER DOES COMPLIANCE OR LIABILITY WORRY YOU? Changes occur everyday in Workplace Safety and Human Resource Legislation.

This is very important to your organization however not always a priority. Focus on your business and let WorkSmart focus on your people. We will help you manage your largest assets and help protect your bottom line. Safe workers = Smart Business!

(519) 972-0741 I www.worksmartsafety.com

Get the full story at spitspass.com

Share the Experience.

LiUNA! Bluesfest Windsor 2018. Made possible through the support of our fan-tastic followers, corporate sponsors, community partners and dedicated volunteers.

THANK YOU!

the region’s Premier music festival

BL bluESfEStwindSor.com

Photo by www.zishanali.com

EDUCATION DRIVE Anushree Dave and Layan Barakat work at the University of Windsor’s EPICentre. This series aims to highlight the stories and capture the emotions behind inspiring social enterprises in our community.

To learn more about how you can get involved with social impact initiatives in the area or start a social enterprise of your own, please visit www.epicentreuwindsor.ca.

Spiritual Soldiers Standing on the frontline of addiction

An Exploration of Windsor’s Social Enterprises: Part I By Anushree Dave and Layan Barakat | Photography: Syx Langemann

18

Mike Brown’s story starts off like many others.

He grew up in a middle-class suburb where life consisted of recreational sports and summer vacations with his family. It wasn’t until high school when persistent self-doubt and insecurities began to set in. He didn’t know where these feelings were coming from, or why he struggled to fit in. At age 14 he was introduced to his first alcoholic drink. “I thought all my problems were solved,” he said. “Every single thought stopped, all the fear and insecurities vanished and I was a new man with new-found confidence.”

His days of hockey practice and soccer games were soon replaced by binge drinking at parties. At the time, Brown thought it seemed normal as everyone he knew was drinking too. In his late teens, he was introduced to cocaine and after a few lines, he felt what he describes as “on top of the world.” By the age of 21, Brown found himself at his first treatment centre. He made it through the 28-day program but his sobriety did not last long. “I was drunk a few days later and once again the cocaine was flowing,” says Brown.

The cycle repeated itself for years, with countless failed attempts at getting sober and endless pain and heartache caused to his loved ones who watched him struggle helplessly. He tried everything from counsellors to fellowships to several treatment centres. “The whole time I was struggling, my family never gave up on me,” says Brown. “Even when I had given up on myself.”

Brown eventually tried the geographical treatment. “From Alberta to Montreal to Toronto and Vancouver.

Everywhere I ran, the same problems followed me. Toronto [involved] a suicide attempt and waking up to my parents at my bedside in the hospital.” In Vancouver, Brown found himself in East Hastings— one of the most notorious drug areas in the nation, known for high crime rates and extreme poverty. “I didn’t know it at the time, but I did something I had never done before. My desperation caused me to surrender my will over and ask for help. I was living in an attic on a blow-up mattress.

I wasn’t giving up much but at the time I thought it was everything.”

He met James Lucier at the recovery centre that would drastically change both their lives for the better. It was a 90-day intensive treatment program of ask, listen and “do as you’re told.” It was at this treatment centre that the duo found their purpose in life again. “I found hope, I found self-love and respect and learned to care for others,” describes Brown. “The biggest thing I learned was to be vulnerable. For once in my life I started sharing my secrets and no one judged me, they just loved me. They had all been down the same road I had and we formed an unexplainable bond. After leaving the recovery home I felt reborn. I had something called trust and faith and believed in something bigger than me. I believed in spirituality.”

These feelings became the fundamental building blocks of the passion project Lucier and Brown began working on together. Spiritual Soldiers started with a simple idea: sell clothes with the purpose of giving back. The aim was to give a percentage of the profit to initiatives aimed at reducing the stigma of mental health and addiction through education and inclusion of people from all walks of life. Spiritual Soldiers was established as a social enterprise, which, unlike a traditional for-profit business, uses commercial strategies to maximize improvements in social and environmental well-being. In other words, it focuses on social impact and puts a social mission, instead of profits, at the forefront of what they do.

With their social mission to combat this stigma in mind, Spiritual Soldiers had an ambitious goal, although they had little to show but a hat and a T-shirt. It helped that Brown had extensive knowledge of the fashion industry, working for various retailers and styling video shoots in Toronto.

His connections to the industry allowed him to look at their project constructively and figure out how to turn a hat and a T-shirt into something meaningful—not only to them, but to the lives they touched. The motivation to create this movement also came from the desire to share their personal

journeys from what they call their “disease isolation. We isolate our feelings, we isolate of addiction or alcoholism.” our emotions, we want to portray this social mask but the reality is that we’re afraid to be vulnerable,” said Brown.

He touches on an interesting social paradox with his insight—that in a society so hyperconnected through social media, we still continue to be out of touch with each other and lonely. In a performative culture in which we fabricate online identities and solely highlight our best moments, vulnerAddiction is one of the most common ability and authenticity are somewhat of a mental illnesses in the country. The Mental rarity. For some, cracking their perfectly Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) calculated façade can be more intimiexplains mental health problems and dating than caring for their own well-being, illnesses as “clinically significant patterns with the fear of failure or being “less than of behaviours or emotions that are associ- perfect” always looming in the background ated with some level of distress, suffering like a dark cloud. Although the team at or impairment in one or more areas such as Spiritual Soldiers put their hearts out on school, work, social and family interactions the line for this company, that fear never and the ability to live independently.” The came into play. “Failure to me might not be type, intensity, recurrence, duration and failure to someone else,” said Lucier. “I wake causes of mental health illnesses vary widely up every single morning and I love what I do from person to person and more than 60% every single day. It makes my life that much of people with mental health challenges do more worth living.” For them, the idea of not seek help. giving others the second chance they had is In life, second chances are often hard to all the success they need. From conception, come by, so when Lucier and Brown were the brand was not about making big money; given a chance to change theirs while simul- it was about being there for others. taneously making an impact, they dove in In their attempt to open the dialogue headfirst. They became the voice of those about mental health and addiction on a silenced by addiction, showing others that more personal level, the team at Spiritual it’s okay to ask for help. One of the many Soldiers recently opened up a coffee shop people positively affected by their initia- on 1015 Erie St East. This is in addition tive was Bianca Olivario. Now a member to selling the merchandise they’ve always of the Spiritual Soldiers team, Olivario sold. “We wanted to create an environment was instantly intrigued by the logo she had that’s friendly, something that’s going to be seen on Brown’s hat upon meeting him there for 10 hours a day instead of one,” in recovery. “I just got really excited, I just said Lucier. The shop will serve as a safe wanted to be a part of it,” said Olivario. “I haven for those looking to get out and enjoy asked what I could do to help and I just themselves in a clean, sober and supportive slowly started coming to all of these events environment. It’s an opportunity to provide and getting involved with the organization.” constant encouragement for those who need Almost as though Olivario was a manifesta- mental and/or emotional support. “We tion of the duo’s inclusive concept, she found just want to create a good vibe, a happy refuge in a company that stands together atmosphere,” said Olivario. Whether you’re through times of mental strain and mental wearing an item of their clothing or visiting war, soldiers navigating the battlefield of life their coffee shop, you’re supporting a cause through positivity and understanding. that benefits your community and neighThe business side of Spiritual Soldiers bours. Brown summarized their journey was inspired by the same idea behind best when he said “the wreckage from our TOMS, the popular shoe brand known for past is now our greatest asset.” its buy-one-give-one model. Spiritual Soldiers Brown, Lucier and Olivario have found uses this concept with the addition of a purpose through the unpredictable and messy unique touch, combining recovery, sobriety detour their lives took on their way to helping and fashion; a way to “give back while being others navigate their own journeys. D. on trend,” said Brown. A portion of the proceeds raised from their merchandise goes towards helping members of our community If you or someone you know is struggling with suffering with addiction by buying new beds mental health, please reach out: for detox facilities or putting an individual www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/ through a recovery program. “The whole mental-health-services/mental-health-getpoint of Spiritual Soldiers is integration, not help.html

“This happens whether you’re rich or poor,” said Brown. “Addiction has no prejudice to anything.”

19

EDUCATION DRIVE

Can Math +

co-exist?

How two teachers bundled The Art of Math and improved students’ mental health

By Alley Biniarz | Photography: Syx Langemann

Art class is where the magic happens: the pencils shade, colour and bring the creation to life—but only for a moment. Once the student leaves the art room, the call for creativity halts and the stress of the other subjects becomes immediate. Art is soon placed on the back burner and math takes the front row.

Math is a mandatory course, but art isn’t.

“The students had the flexibility to individualize their learning to where they were in the math learning. And if they were passionate about the art, they didn’t care if they had to complicate the math a little on the way to getting there,” says Van Kesteren.

The program is accessible to locally developed, applied, academic and enriched students. While all working in the same class, they even work on the same project.

Students could switch early on if they felt they needed to, whether from applied to academic or vice versa. The students could continue working on projects without sacrificing the comfort of knowing their peers or teachers, and just had to adjust the math they were working on.

Math has always taken precedence in the school system, which has caused the students who dislike the arts to avoid them and the ones who love the arts to shy away and prioritize the subject that is “required.”

But two Oakridge Secondary School teachers in London, Ontario, thought the two subjects could co-exist. They saw the “Working with the same group of people opportunity to bring art back to life without gave them a sense of community where they compromising the integrity of mathematics. could problem solve with an unlikely group of This bundle is known as “The Art of Math.” personality types,” says Briscoe.

And the same goes for the two teachers.

“We saw that students were feeling stressed in math and we wanted to start Briscoe and Van Kesteren were an creating lessons through a different unlikely pair to match up. But just like yin learning lens. We started with one project and yang, their areas of discipline found an just to see how it would go, and from attraction and were able to join together. there we found that it was both fun and “It was good for the students to see us, successful for the students,” says Laura different personality types, openly discuss Briscoe, visual arts department head and and review our planning,” says Briscoe. global competencies facilitator.

“We weren’t friends who wanted to teach With the cross-curricular collaboration together: we hardly knew each other. We between her and Jeni Van Kesteren, a math were encouraged by our principal to work and student success teacher, the two have together because we have similar teaching fostered an environment where students feel philosophies,” Van Kesteren adds. comfortable and confident to take projects “I have never been more aware of my into their own hands, to make meaningful artistic abilities than while in this class,” connections in art, all while giving them an Van Kesteren laughs. “It was great for the kids to see how terrible I was but that even attainable entry point into math.

20

I could improve. They were given the confidence that we all have an entry point.”

“It was also important for them to see us get out of our own comfort zones,” Briscoe chimes in. “They could see that they didn’t have to know everything, that they had the opportunity to improve and that if they were stuck, it was okay.”

This inclusivity encourages students to help each other through trouble spots, and eventually they even began pushing beyond the curriculum that Briscoe and Van Kesteren had planned.

There was no cookie-cutter way to put this bundle into action, but Briscoe and Van Kesteren were open to rolling with the punches.

“The goal for me was to maintain the integrity of the arts and to make sure that the students were still able to have that creative flexibility and to not feel like it’s being contrived into math,” says Briscoe about the initial steps to creating The Art of Math program. The two instructors had a general idea of what they needed to cover within each curriculum but based on the variety of students they could receive, they knew they had to stay open for anything and everything to change along the way.

“One of the first projects took too long and so we had to learn from that and decide that we would structure it differently the next time,” Briscoe adds. “But we were excited to see the connections happen early on in the semester. It was during our field trip to the art gallery and the students began commenting on art using math vocabulary.

Soon it became contagious and they could identify concepts in the world around them

“

We saw that students were feeling stressed in math and we wanted to start creating lessons through a different learning lens.

�

Jeni Van Kesteren, math teacher, with Oakridge principal Tracy Langelaan and Laura Briscoe, art teacher.

thedrivemagazine.com

21

EDUCATION DRIVE without us having to prompt them,” says Van Kesteren.

The participating students chose to be in The Art of Math, and were open to anything the teachers offered them. What Briscoe and Van Kesteren didn’t expect was for the students to continue to share their new wealth of knowledge with friends outside the classroom. Eventually, The Art of Math became a lunch-time activity, encouraging prospective students to sign up for the following year.

“We started with grade 9 because it’s easy to identify art with grade nine math. It’s all lines and shapes—art is filled with that,” says Van Kesteren. Van Kesteren didn’t think the grade 10 curriculum would allow for it, but as the teaching went on, both Briscoe and Van Kesteren saw the opportunity to expand the program and are now offering it for the following year.

Van Kesteren and Briscoe say that they owe the success of the program to the support they’ve received from administration, especially the Oakridge principal Tracy Langelaan. The timing had worked out because the school board was asking teachers and admins to approach their staff and ask the following question: “If you could have a group of students for an entire morning—without worrying about bells and periods—what credits would you be working towards and what would you do with them?”

The two approached Principal Langelaan with this idea, and she was ecstatic and passionate about the possibility of interdisciplinary studies. “It couldn’t have been more perfect—especially with the province’s focus on math and the students’ lack of success,” says Langelaan. “I’ve noticed in my 20 years as an educator that if there’s a constant, it’s students’ stress associated with mathematical achievements. It’s a tough skill for kids to master but with this program, to introduce two opposing subjects with two traditionally very different teaching styles, and to see how successful the students would be…its buy-in and success is 110% attributed to those two.

They were motivated not by their discipline but how they could make kids be successful.”

Some teachers were skeptical, especially considering the standardized test that the grade 9 students had in store for them later in the year. Van Kesteren had to remain mindful of this by combining traditional math tests with the individual non-traditional learning that the students would experience through The Art of Math.

“I can’t speak to the results because they haven’t been released, but I can speak 22

to my students’ confidence walking out of the test. The students left the test talking with Laura saying, ‘We must have actually learned something. I don’t know how I knew those answers, I just did.’ They realized they had learned everything through a different route,” says Van Kesteren.

The relaxed atmosphere and motivation to do the math, plus revisiting concepts throughout the semester through various art projects, really built on the students’ foundation. Rather than completing a series of questions in a textbook, there was an ongoing reflection that brought students back to key units.

“They developed the way they couldn’t if they had been in isolation,” says Briscoe.

With this changed mindset there was a shift and a deeper sense of learning in the students. “They gained a transferable set of skills rather than just memorizing a formula and regurgitating the information. They learned what they could do with that formula and what they could create themselves,” she adds.

This comfort in performance legitimized the program for both Briscoe and Van Kesteren. They both knew the mental benefit for the students, but to see them feel confident in their performance on a test spoke to the value of the program. The happy part was that it just happened along the way; Briscoe and Van Kesteren’s goal was student success, and they received so much more.

“At the end of the semester they had to sit back, review and see that there was more to learning than cramming and studying.

They saw that there needed to be a balance with hardcore studying. It’s easy to keep going with how you’ve been doing everything, but now they know they can do and see things differently,” says Van Kesteren.

Briscoe and Van Kesteren are currently starting to plan what the next year will look like but are also vision-boarding some big changes on the horizon. Along with gaining interest from other aspiring bundlers, a major goal for the two is to create the resource they didn’t have while starting up their bundle program. They’re starting by sharing their Six Quick Tips to successfully bringing a bundle-course together with other educators.

1. Find planning time outside of the classroom and school. We all say we’ll get work done, but we inevitably fall into other work when in the school setting.

By setting some time away—at each

other’s homes or elsewhere—you’ll be able to stay focused on one goal together.

2. Discuss major components of each of your programs so you feel that you are maintaining the integrity of your separate course. This way you can easily combine rather than contrive your subjects.

3. Figure out which topics take the most time in your courses so you can align those concepts together.

4. Create a chart to stay organized, ideally one per each subject you plan on bundling together. In the final column you’ll want the collaborative project idea.

5. Start to organize where the content can overlap: what could these projects look like? Share ideas, pictures of what you’ve done in the past, and start putting them into those columns.

6. Stay flexible: don’t overplan! This is about the students and leave room for them to be the designers of the projects.

A few words from The Art of Math students: Evelyn Armstrong joined the program needing help with math but ended up being a leader and mentor for her group by the end of the semester. “I always thought math was difficult, and when I saw this program I thought maybe they could incorporate how I’m a visual learner. I decided to join, and I was correct. It made math easier, and way more fun.”

Liv Sands remembered math as being hard in grade 8—she just wanted to lighten the load. “At the beginning while we were doing a review, I was struggling.

Then we added the art and a brand new world of thinking came in. If you’re thinking about the program, just do it. Don’t be nervous! We all turn into a family.”

Aidan Bugler didn’t consider himself an artist at all but somewhere in the course, something changed, and he’s even taken a liking to the landscape art of the Group of Seven. “I’m good at math, and I’m definitely more confident in art now. The biggest change I’ve seen is how much my art skills have grown. I drew stick men and now I can draw…yeah, I can draw.” D.

Voted Regional Best Restaurant of the Year Award

Toscana Breakfast + Lunch + Cafe

g n i k o m S e r e h W is Deliciously Legal.

Right from our wood burning oven!

North 42 Degrees Estate Winery

2151 Walker Road I Windsor, ON 519-253-3310 www.penaltyboxrestaurant.com

Actual Project

1455 Matthew Brady Blvd | Windsor 519.944.5277 | bayviewglass.com

Free

Swimming 1 - 4 pm

zoo 2 you

SUNDAY, AUG 19th • 11 am - 4 PM

Free

photo booth

st. clair college • South windsor campus

Clowns • Magicians • Petting Zoo • Comic Books • Pony & Wagon Rides

BBQ • Giveaways • Shows www.stclairalumni.com

meet some

windsor spitfires

PEOPLE DRIVE

The 3 C’s of positive psychology Don’t be pushed by your problem—be led by your dreams

By Michelle Laramie | Photography: Syx Langemann

Life is tough, full of stress and challenges. We’re all trying to find ourselves and fulfill our dreams but sometimes it can feel like we are climbing a mountain that is too high. We begin to focus less on the goal and more on how long, difficult and tiring the journey is going to be. This can seem completely overwhelming. Too easily the negative parts of a situation can take over, hold us back and make us question ourselves; in some cases, they even make us deviate from our goals to an easier path.

However, there is a guidance system that can take us through the difficult times and keep us moving towards our goals.

Positive Psychology is a practice that can be applied to our daily lives. Incorporating this practice into one’s life has been shown to create a successful journey through our stressful situations to the fulfillment of our biggest dreams and aspirations. thedrivemagazine.com

The DRIVE recently sat down with Dr. Andrea Dinardo, a St. Clair College psychology professor and former school psychologist, to discuss her techniques helping others Thrive Under Pressure, the title of both her TEDx Talk and her psychology blog.

Dr. Dinardo uses both her experience and research from her doctoral dissertation on the effects of teacher enthusiasm on student attention, motivation and learning, not only with her students but also within her daily life. With stress and anxiety at an all-time high in our society she offers instant insight into the most difficult of situations.

“We don’t want to completely eliminate stress and challenges from our lives—they are what help us grow and become stronger,” says Dr. Dinardo. “What we need is a map to help us navigate through the stress and difficulties.”

25

PEOPLE DRIVE She breaks down Positive Psychology into three categories to create a map that we can use to make an impact in our lives: Challenge, Control and Commitment. The three C’s are an easy navigation tool to keep us thriving through our difficulties.

CHALLENGE Think about a challenge in your life. It can be anything that is giving you a difficult time—a bad grade, difficulties in a relationship or even a situation in your workplace.

“It’s all about your perception, reframing the way you look at a situation,” says Dr. Dinardo. “It’s really what makes the difference between thriving and not thriving. Simply, how we perceive that challenge.”

She says that looking at a challenge and understanding that stress is normal is important. Taking a moment to acknowledge the pressure is really the first step. You have to reframe the situation in a way to push yourself towards growth. It’s like when your body gets a rush of adrenaline and you say you feel nervous.

Instead, say you are excited. The feelings are the same, caused by the same hormone and triggered by the same neurotransmitter.

Simply rename it and you change the whole experience.

When we take some time to reflect back on life, everything we have been through, it is usually the hard times have made us stronger, better and more prepared for what lies ahead. Dr. Dinardo likes to say you cannot get diamonds without pressure, so be mindful that whatever you are going through, something in you is being strengthened. There is a lesson in each hardship.

“Ask yourself what is being strengthened in me by this challenge,” says Dr. Dinardo. “Is it patience, creativity, love, compassion? Whatever it is, focus on that.”

CONTROL “Control is the belief in one’s ability to influence life events,” says Dr. Dinardo.

When trouble lies ahead and we are faced with a problem or emergency our brain goes into what Dr. Dinardo refers to as an amygdala hijack, which is our brain’s primitive survival mode that creates an automatic response of flight, fight or freeze. But if we pause, take a moment, and create some breathing space, we can go from the basement of our brain (our limbic system and amygdala) to the penthouse of our brain (our cerebral cortex) and we’re able to think logically once again.

“It is important to identify the areas of our stress that are beyond our control and let them go,” says Dr. Dinardo. “Move on to focus on the things you can control and change.”

9

If you can take a moment and think about a time during

a difficult situation where you automatically responded, maybe during an argument where you snapped at someone or said something you wish you hadn’t, that is the effect of the amygdala hijack. So try rewinding and taking a breath, and in that moment, imagine a different, more empowering outcome.

COMMITMENT “Commitment is the ability to engage fully in all aspects of life, no matter how big or small, with a sense of purpose and meaning,” says Dr. Dinardo.

During her research for her TEDx speech, Dr. Dinardo learned that the students who had a higher purpose for getting their education, such as making a significant difference in the world, or giving their families a better life, were more likely to thrive and succeed than those who were going to university simply because it was the obvious next step and/or would result in a bigger paycheque.

“It is so important to really think about your higher purpose or goal,” she says. “What is your North Star? Your highest purpose? Keep focused on that and make your everyday choices reflect that. You only have to focus on one step at a time, and each step brings you closer to your dreams.”

That can seem a little overwhelming when you look at it on such a large scale but if you can focus on your everyday actions while keeping in mind your North Star, it will help you keep all your hard work and sacrifice in check.

“When a challenge seems too big, look back. and take stock of all that you have accomplished so far. Celebrate your small and big steps equally,” she says. “Getting up and going to class.

Putting your shoes on to go to the gym. Paying down your credit card. Everything counts. Day-by-day, you move towards your North Star.”

We hear it all the time: take a little time to enjoy the view, stop and smell the roses, enjoy the little things, it’s not the destination it’s the journey. All these quotes and memes flood our social media feeds about life and success. But how many of us put them into practice?

We need to wake up and realize that the emotional experiences, and our reactions to them, are the most rewarding part of every situation, good or bad. Each step we take, each decision we make, is our journey towards that larger goal.

And with the help of Dr. Dinardo’s 3 C’s for Thriving Under Pressure, may each step towards your dreams be a little lighter, brighter and self-assured. D. Visit DrAndreaDinardo.com to learn more about her TEDx talk and positive psychology workshops.

D.

PARTNER with success 26

Be a part of our next issue

519.727.4769

Quality Service Quality••Reliability Reliability ••Service Tear Offs & Repairs BuiltUpUp Roof Systems Tear Offs & Repairs••Asphalt Asphalt Shingles Shingles ••Built Roof Systems Metal Roof &PVC PVCRoof RoofSystems Systems Metal RoofCoating Coating•• TPO TPO & Maintenance Siding••Modifi Modifi Roofs Maintenance• •Commercial Commercial Siding eded Roofs Roof System PlyRubber Rubber Systems Roof SystemAnalysis Analysis•• Single Single Ply Systems

Commercial••Industrial Industrial ••Residential Commercial Residential

CALL QUINN ROOFING TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE

519-256-8474 • quality@quinnsolutions.ca • www.quinnsolutions CALL QUINN ROOFING TODAY FOR YOUR FREE ESTIMATE

PEOPLE DRIVE

HIDDEN GEM

Taking The Road LeSs Travelled Leads Deidre Ritsche Home

By Suzy Kendrick | Photography: Syx Langemann

It’s midday on a Friday as I drive downtown in Windsor to meet Deidre Ritsche. In our initial contact to set up the interview, I requested she pick a place to meet that she loves; a hidden gem that someone—like me—who has returned to the area after 15 years of being away, would not know.

Ritsche nails it by choosing Rino’s Kitchen on Elliott Street.

I park next to a grand brick house that appears to be over 100 years old.

Emphasis on the “hidden” in hidden gem, I think to myself. Had I not been told about this place, I never would have just stumbled upon it. It runs parallel to Victoria Street, which is beautifully lined with old Edwardian houses and tall reaching trees; a residential area with not a lot of foot traffic.

I wander up the stairs, and sheepishly walk inside, as you would if you were walking into a stranger’s home. From the outside, it could easily be mistaken for a residence. I scan the different rooms and eventually find my way to the back garden. Ritsche is sitting at a shaded picnic table with a mimosa in front of her. She greets me with a warm hug and a big smile.

There’s something about her presence and energy that immediately puts me at ease. It’s that feeling when you’re drawn to someone, but you don’t know why yet.

Excited to discover what that reason is, I sit down, order a mimosa of my own and open my MacBook. I dive right in.

People often define themselves by what they do for a living. In that case, 28

PEOPLE DRIVE Deidre Ritsche is a real estate representative who is passionate about commercially revitalizing the Ford City area and is the founder of Border City Living, a blog that profiles the people and places that make Windsor so unique. She’s an explorer, a visionary, a risk-taker and a change-maker.

Ritsche has been an inventor’s assistant in Switzerland. She taught English in Prague. She organized and hosted events for designers in Berlin. She’s been the tour manager for major European house/techno DJs like Autechre, and bands including Billy Idol and Death Cab For Cutie. While this combination of careers may seem random, each unique job gave her the tools, insights and abilities to locate and appreciate culture and creativity in its raw, and in many cases, yet to be discovered form.

You know those people who find cool places before the masses catch on? That’s Deidre Ritsche.

Have you ever met someone who just seems to have their finger on the pulse of creative underground communities? That’s Deidre Ritsche.

Do you know someone who decided to bring her internationally acquired talents back to her hometown with the goal of making a real impact? That’s Deidre Ritsche.

And she believes Windsor is the perfect place to do this.

Ritsche says highly populated, expensive cities have the tendency to crush creativity in its infancy because people are too busy doing thing out of necessity—like joining the rat race to make ends meet—rather than taking time to figure out what their true passion is. They also simply don’t have the financial freedom to take risks to try to pursue something more entrepreneurial.

In Windsor, she boasts that the quality of life is really great. Everything is at your disposal, including her must-haves: creativity, art, nature and proximity to a major city and international airport. Best of all, Windsor’s affordability makes it the perfect place to nurture new businesses and take a chance on your passions.

That includes Ritsche’s.

After 10 years of globetrotting, she returned to her hometown with a plan.

Knowing that a lot of what drives gentrification in cities is the combination of creative people and real estate, the idea for Border City Living came to be. In fact, a German friend of Ritsche’s designed the logo for the website while she was still in Europe, before she had even returned to the shores of Lake St. Clair. thedrivemagazine.com

By February 2017, bordercityliving.com was officially up and running. Ritsche had met and partnered with Emma Davidson, a talented editorial photographer. Davidson would be the creative eye for the digital digest, complementing Ritsche’s discoveries and written words with visual decadence.

To complete the equation, five months after her return to Windsor, Ritsche had acquired her real estate license with the understanding that once creativity is uncovered, it then needs a space to thrive and grow. She wanted to be able to facilitate the entire process.

In its infancy, Border City Living’s mission was to promote all the great things going on in Windsor to all. As it progressed, the blog turned into an avenue to enable potential investors to truly understand the area’s unique selling points.

Currently, for example, Ritsche is working alongside Ford City Neighbourhood Renewal and the Ford City BIA to promote revitalization of Drouillard Road. It’s a district with a rich history where development unfortunately stalled after the downfall of the Ford Motor Company plant. The area has seen economic hardship and decay, but the silver lining is that that translates to lower-thanaverage pricing, allowing different types of consumers into the market.

On a larger scale, Ritsche says the revitalization of Ford City could be seen as a blueprint for what can be done for the entire city of Windsor, if it’s done right.

That means bringing in well-matched investors, entrepreneurs and businesses, then all working collaboratively to make Ford City a destination to showcase creativity and development. It will require community-centric thinkers who are innovative and urbanminded and will take pride in caring for their investment—people who will be present and passionate.

It suddenly dawns on me: Ritsche and I have a lot in common. We both left Windsor to pursue our passions in other cities and countries, then eventually returned to share the knowledge, skills and talents we acquired in an effort to make a difference, make an impact and make changes for the better.

Before we know it, two hours have gone by. Deidre digs into my background a bit and we laugh over commonalities, jaws drop over crazy happenings and twists and turns our roads have taken. But somehow, those roads have led us both back to Windsor at the same time, and now we sit face-to-face, both in full pursuit of our passions. D. 29

A new garage door is the first thing your neighbours will see!

CARBON FIBER 3D PRINTER Composite 3D Printing Breakthrough

KELCOM 3D DIVISION

anchordoors.ca 13380 Sylvestre Dr. Tecumseh, ON 519.979.9299

• Strong End Use Parts • Gauges & Fixtures • Soft Jaws • Robot Grippers • Thermoset Molds • End of Arm Manipulators • Punch Dies • Assembly tooling

607 Bloomfield Rd. Chatham, ON 519.352.9699

www.kelcom3d.com 8605 Twin Oaks Dr. I Windsor I 519.250.5040 Ext. 3

Actual Project

FINANCIAL SOLUTIONS AS UNIQUE AS YOU ARE. Our premier relationships with Canada’s leading financial, insurance and debt management companies, enable us to craft highly personalized financial solutions that are tailored to fit your unique goals

LET’S TALK.

We aim to build long-term relationships based on mutual respect and trust.

www.privategroup.cc I 519.973.9073

Armando’s has been serving the Windsor Essex community for 50 years. We simply have the best pizza, people and community presence in the business.

Why? Because my son and I have been in the business of making pizza my entire life. We work with a variety of local businesses to source our fresh ingredients, making our pizza a delicious and sustainable choice for our local community.

For the first time, my son Travis is joining the team as my business partner, making us a true family owned and run business. I am excited to see what unfolds for us as we work together to nurture and grow our local clientele. Let our family feed your family.

Pick up some pizza on the way home tonight.

We look forward to serving you.

x e ss E r o s d n i W Servingfor over

George & Travis Dorner (Owners) 13151 Tecumseh Road I Kenney Plaza, Tecumseh 519.739.6111 I armandospizza.com

32

MACKENZIE SIDDALL is Mackenzie Siddall Homegrown and full of life, Mackenzie only knows how to be herself

By Jesse Ziter | Photography: Syx Langemann

Born into one of southwestern Ontario’s most storied sporting families, Mackenzie Siddall is a long-limbed lefty who, buoyed by undeniable talent and an indefatigable attitude, walked on to the University of British Columbia Thunderbirds varsity softball team.

Inspired always by the indissoluble bond she shares with her late brother, Siddall grew in stature within the squad, eventually closing out her collegiate career by captaining her teammates into the Cascadian regional playoffs.

This is a stirring, but mostly ordinary narrative, save for one significant detail: Mackenzie has amelia, the congenital absence or partial absence of a limb—she was born without a right hand.

Today, Siddall’s physical difference disappears into the summer night sky as she glides out atop Lake St. Clair.

something of a multitool player during the busy warm-weather months. On any given shift, you’re as likely to find her helping clients launch watercraft down at the docks as you are to find her behind the counter in the company’s onsite smoothie shop.

On nights like tonight, two or three of them a week, she teaches the flagship sunset paddle boarding class, during which she steers intrepid participants towards one of the most striking views you’re likely to encounter in our part of the world.

relaxing. I love socializing and meeting new people and giving them an experience they’ll remember.”

The DRIVE won’t be forgetting about Mackenzie Siddall anytime soon. We caught up with her this summer in between the final hours of her collegiate career and a once-in-a-lifetime trip to Thailand. As it turns out, she’s living what looks a lot like her best life happily, healthily and—against all odds—entirely normally.

The easiest way to articulate Siddall’s story is in fairly familiar terms: here we have a charismatic, hardworking heroine who’s risen from a disadvantaged position to overcome a great obstacle. In a clear, clinical sense, Siddall is a person living As Siddall charts a course for the with a disability. This diagnosis is accurate, next phase of her life, she has taken to but it is not true.

“I don’t really see [my story] as paddle boarding to carve out space for her own thoughts as she slices winding overcoming something,” Siddall clarifies. lines in the water from Lakeview Marina. “I think it would be really different if Siddall was first introduced to the sport something happened to me, and then I had by a fitness trainer six summers ago; she to adjust. But this is all I’ve ever known… still gets out on the water off the clock as it’s just who I am.” often as she can.

The fact is, while she admits to the Only in this light is Siddall a captain, now: she completed a pair of intersession courses this June to tie a bow on her career as an undergraduate student-athlete. She graduates with a Bachelor of Kinesiology.

Now settled back in Essex County after four years in the Pacific Northwest, Siddall is spending her summer with Urban Surf Co., a Tecumseh outfit that offers stand-up paddle boarding among various other waterand land-based fitness classes. She’s been “We went out one morning…and I fell occasional inconvenience—say, learning with the company since its first summer of in love,” Siddall recalls. “I love being on to tie her shoes, putting her hair in a business, in 2013. Originally a counsellor the water. It’s a great workout, and it’s also ponytail or surreptitiously scooping ice for youth summer camps, Siddall is now thedrivemagazine.com

33

cream in her sister’s borrowed shirt— Siddall’s unique body imposes very few limits on her everyday life. From time to time, she’ll catch a stranger looking at her for a curiously long time and forget why that might be.

Entirely unsurprisingly, Siddall is a very easy person with whom to speak. Not far out of her teenage years, she wears a broad, rarely retreating smile and an infectious air of millennial enthusiasm. You probably know the type. Siddall’s unyielding positivity comes across even at the sentence level. Her conversation is peppered with yas and for sures, and she might drop three or four awesomes and a couple it’s funnys into a single coherent thought.

While it’s tempting to plot out Siddall’s softball career along a grand narrative arc, the fine details tend to get in the way.

There’s a version of the story in which she never played a minute of meaningful collegiate sport.

A product of Holy Names High School, Siddall excelled in both baseball and hockey in her youth. Her junior career highlight was a national championship in novice girls’ softball as part of a Windsor Lady Expos team coached by her mother, Tamara. Unrecruited out of high school and unconnected to the British Columbia baseball world, Siddall made the Thunderbirds as a freshman walk-on.

Siddall’s decision to attend UBC in the first place was not quite impulsive, 34

but it certainly constituted a minor leap of faith. The first time she set foot on British Columbian soil, her initial tuition deposit had already been withdrawn. Although she had applied to and was accepted by a small handful of Ontario universities, there was just something undeniable about the great Vancouver unknown.

Siddall boarded a plane for BC with both her softball and hockey gear in tow— just in case. “I think softball just came first,” she says plainly. “I was like, I’m going to go to school here, and oh, they have a softball team. It would be really cool to play. I got in contact with the coach, and it all worked out.”

Unusually, UBC’s softball team plays in the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) Cascade Collegiate Conference, in which it competes against schools from Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. (The team’s uncommonly long bus trips to games on the road left no shortage of team bonding time.)

In Siddall’s rookie 2015 season, the Thunderbirds limped to a 14-27 record. She leaves the team after a respectable 19-23 campaign built around a winning 14-13 season in conference play. On the back of that finish, the Thunderbirds reached the postseason Cascade Collegiate Conference Tournament in Ashland, Oregon, where they advanced to elimination play before falling to Eastern Oregon 3-2.

“It was such an amazing experience,”

Siddall shares. “We ended on a good note.

It was nice, actually, being on the team for four years and seeing the progression every year, doing a little bit better.”

In a conventional sense, Siddall is far from a superstar. The stat sheets tell the story: An outfielder, Siddall appeared in 30 games this season, 27 of which she started.

Her .205 batting average was the ninth highest on the team. Normal numbers.

In the language of baseball scouting reports, Siddall’s mechanics are undeniably interesting. Out of necessity, she wears her glove on her throwing hand, adroitly removing and transferring it to her right side in a fluid, fleeting motion. At the plate, Siddall can exercise some degree of grip on the bat with her right hand, but she effectively finishes her swings one-handed. How does one learn how to do that? In her own words, these effectively uncoachable skills can be attributed mostly to muscle memory.

“I honestly don’t know how I learned to [play with one hand],” she admits. “It must have been at a young age, when I started playing, that I realized I needed to take my glove off and go to my other hand…I don’t know how that process fully happened. I forget that I take my glove off and throw. It’s just second nature to me.

There are certain drills in practice that the girls are doing, where it’s like, Oh, that doesn’t really work for me, so I have to try something else out. I’ve always taught

PEOPLE DRIVE that’s so cool. I was just intrigued, but I didn’t take too much from it.”

You wonder, though, if Siddall might fill that role for any up-and-coming ballplayers in a similar situation. “I think [it happens] a little bit,” she relates. “I think a lot of times I motivate or inspire people without even knowing that I am. I don’t find it a responsibility…but I love hearing those stories. Me living my day-to-day life is inspiring people and motivating people?

That’s amazing. It’s an opportunity.”

“

myself things and worked my way through.”

It’s an obvious inference to make, but it’s hard not to note that Siddall’s body would have posed her many fewer problems on a soccer pitch. With her trim and powerful five-foot-six frame, you get the sense the spritely Siddall would have enjoyed a comparatively direct pathway to athletic prosperity has she opted for the beautiful game.

“It was awesome,” Siddall enthuses. “I loved it. Right away I started talking about how I was born. Because in my video, a lot of it was about that: Playing softball with one hand . . .I kind of just went through my ‘journey,’ I guess.”

“That’s a joke everyone says!” Siddall volunteers. ‘You’d think your parents would have put you in soccer.’ I don’t know if it’s because I like a challenge, or what… but I love softball, and I loved hockey.”

For a baseball fan of a certain vintage, it’s difficult to talk about Mackenzie Siddall without thinking about Jim Abbott.

Despite having been born missing a right hand, Abbott won a gold medal in baseball (then a demonstration sport) at the 1988 Summer Olympics en route to a 10-year career as a Major League pitcher.

Imagine: an athlete competing in a specific sport at a high level despite a particular physical difference that would seemingly preclude their participation entirely. And that person happens to have a near-exact analogue at the professional level. But this appraisal is altogether too tidy; Siddall shrugs off the comparison.

“People ask me about him, [but] I honestly don’t know a ton about him,” she relates. “I remember doing a project about him in grade school…Just like, Oh wow,

thedrivemagazine.com

After gracing the cover of the Thunderbirds’ media guide this season, Siddall began to attract a bit more of this type of attention. “Some of the younger girls on various teams [in the area] came to watch us play,” she recalls, “and they were so excited to meet me afterwards. But I didn’t know that [at the time]. One of my friends said to me, ‘You know, you’re literally hanging in her bedroom.’”

This sort of poster-worthy profile is increasingly becoming part of Siddall’s life. Recently, after a national media outlet aired a video package about her, Siddall received a Facebook message from a viewer whose daughter would soon be playing at a softball tournament in Alberta. Inspired by the story, she invited Siddall to fly out and speak at the competition’s banquet.

She gladly accepted.

“It was awesome,” Siddall enthuses. “I loved it. Right away I started talking about how I was born. Because in my video, a lot of it was about that: Playing softball with one hand…I kind of just went through my ‘journey,’ I guess.”

You can hear the quotation marks in Siddall’s voice. It’s endearing, the way in which she feels a genuine need to clarify why her audience might have expected her to speak about her physical difference. In Siddall’s mind, that wouldn’t have been a given.

She plans on doing more public speaking going forward, which is a good ambition to have; as any erstwhile competitive youth athlete knows all too well, a post–practice schedule life calls for some reorganizing. Freed of so many obligations, you find a void needing filling.

“I always come home for the summer, so I think right now, that’s where my mind is,” she offers. “I still don’t think it’s completely hit me that I’m not on this team anymore.

It’s definitely bittersweet, especially being away and moving home now—and not having a return flight!”

35

“

One of my dad’s favourite quotes is, “Be yourself, it’s who you do best.”

”

when he started working for the Blue Jays, I liked the Blue Jays. But that was when I went away to university, and as a university student I didn’t have cable.”

Does she like her dad’s new line of work? “I don’t find it that weird,” says Siddall. “It’s actually hilarious. I’ll go out for dinner with my friends, and he’s on their TV and it’s like, Oh, hey, Dad! We’re having dinner together. I think it’s cool. I’m happy for him. He’s doing a good job, and he’s loving it.”

Mackenzie and Joe Siddall at the Rogers Centre in Toronto.

“I love fitness and being athletic,” she continues, “so I think the hardest part will just be not being on a team. I go to the gym, and I spin, and I play tennis with my mom, but [I’ll miss] having that team bond.

I think it will be an adjustment, but I’m excited for the future. I know sports will always be a part of my life. When you have other things to look forward to, it kind of helps a little bit.”

Those other things include further schooling: Siddall starts a 14-month MBA program at the University of Windsor in September. She’s unsurprisingly attracted to the idea of working in sports in some capacity, but the business side of healthcare holds a competing allure.

thought, Why not? It’s something to do to further my education, and I’m hoping that it will kind of open some doors for me.”

As she enters the next act of her life, Siddall invariably counts on the support of her parents, Joe and Tamara.

Joe appeared in 73 Major League Baseball games across parts of four seasons with the Expos, Marlins and Tigers during his 13-year career as a professional. Widely held as one of Essex County’s greatest ever ballplayers, he’s now best known as a colour commentator for the Toronto Blue Jays. After four years flanking Jerry Howarth on the club’s radio broadcasts, Joe stepped up to the Blue Jays Central television crew this season.

“Family friends had been talking to “When we were younger, [baseball] was my sister about it, and then I started to always on the TV, and my dad would give think about it,” says Siddall about her a running commentary,” Mackenzie recalls. next degree. “I mean, it’s great to have! I “So, we loved the Tigers growing up. Then, 36

Although somewhat less of a household name, Tamara is at least equally accomplished. A general practitioner, she works for the Teen Health Centre and contributes to Cancer Care Ontario while running her family’s Windsor household for most of the year.

“My parents are our rocks in this family,” Mackenzie stresses. “They’re amazing people, and they definitely inspire me every day to keep living, keep moving forward. They’re so passionate, dedicated and determined in what they do, and I think they’ve kind of moulded us into those types of people, too. I can’t thank them enough for giving us an amazing life.”

The Siddall family’s obvious internal bond was hardened in 2014 in the midst of almost unspeakable circumstances: Mackenzie’s brother Kevin died at the age of 14 from non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma—blood cancer. The youngest of the four Siddall children, he was closest to Mackenzie in age, followed by Brett and Brooke.

Daniella Czudner, an English teacher at Holy Names, has crossed paths in one way or another with the entire Siddall clan. While she was always familiar with the family (“I knew them because they are sort of like Windsor royalty,” she explains),

PEOPLE DRIVE

the relationship took on significantly more consequence when Czudner endured her own encounter with cancer. She was diagnosed in June 2013, only a few months before Kevin.

it always is: solid, clean and focused.”

In the years that followed, Siddall publicly and proudly used her brother’s life as motivation during her twinned academic and athletic careers. Today, it’s evident Already bald and deep into treatment, Kevin’s presence continues to inform her Czudner came to serve as an exemplar of decisions and colour her worldview. strength and dignity in the face of incred“He has a huge impact on my life,” she ible illness for both Kevin and Mackenzie, confirms. “A bunch of my friends from who took some time off from school near school who never met him say they can the end of her brother’s life. see me living through him. I don’t know

Eventually, Mackenzie all but moved completely what that means…but I think I into her brother’s hospital room, refash- definitely carry him with me every second ioning it into what Czudner recalls was "a of every day. bit of a dorm.”

“My entire family definitely views life The description fits in terms of both a little bit differently now,” she continues. style and function: With Mackenzie sliding “I always say that life is precious, and I’m in to an impromptu tutoring position, all about enjoying the moment. You don’t Kevin was remarkably able to complete the know what’s going to happen in the future. requirements of his first four high school It’s fun to be done school and talking with courses from his hospital bed. “She was your friends about plans for the future, but the hospital room TA!” suggests Czudner. I also don’t like planning too far ahead, “Mackenzie was an incredible source of because I just love enjoying where I’m at support for her brother. Her head was like and the people that I’m with.”

thedrivemagazine.com

Prompted to distill what it is about Siddall that’s so remarkable, Czudner needs only two words: “Grit and grace.

She serves as a reminder that they’re not mutually exclusive. She’s tough as nails, but also soft in the best possible way. The Siddalls are all like that. She’s just a kid going through life. She is an example of how you can’t let any obstacle get in your way…She genuinely doesn’t see anything about her story as unique or exceptional.”

Mackenzie Siddall is…Mackenzie Siddall.

“One of my dad’s favourite quotes is, Be yourself, it’s who you do best,” she relates with typical modesty. “I think I’ve kind of grown up with that. This is who I am, and I’m not ashamed of it whatsoever. I’m determined and motivated, and I’m going to live my life just like everybody else does.”

But that’s enough introspection for now as there is much to be done. “I don’t sit still much,” she admits with a laugh. “I’m not much of a relaxer. I’m always on the move!” D.

37

luxury waterfront

38

living

For Sale Angela Goulet I 226.975.2643 I www.imovewindsor.com

a

A burst of modernity with a dash of style and a sprinkle of comfort: that’s 8240 Riverside Dr. E. in a nutshell.

This customized home fits its true purpose: to be a boater’s paradise and dream home.

The cubed architecture is enough to hook you upon arrival, with a delicate curved “u” statue that stands where a bush once stood. Once you walk in, you’re instantly captured by the luminous waterfront view through the full windows. The swaying river is breathtaking, and the yard contains a full boat and lift area that can fit up to a 50 ft. boat. With absolutely no maintenance required, the yard is equipped with an outdoor kitchen, bar and BBQ section, a swim spa, and a golf green for putting and chipping.

thedrivemagazine.com

The inside of the house is flooded with natural light. All-white interiors spread the modern feel across the board with black accents to create flow, and the pop of red colour adds that slight elegance to the space. The custom furniture ties the entire package together for a perfectly ready-made home.

Each room is accompanied by a bar for those looking to relax with a beverage while looking out onto the water from the bedrooms.

The spare room can be used as the office space, mixed with a drop-down bed for guests and a large storage unit that is neatly tucked away. The master bathroom is yours to explore and customize yourself, or to leave as is with sauna and lifted bathtub.

The home in its entirety is made for lovers of life, and enjoyers of the little moments.

39

YOUR COMPOSITE DECKING HEADQUARTERS

All the best brands under one roof.

BMR Windsor Building Centre | 519.979.5250 | www.BMRWindsor.com | 11365 Tecumseh Rd E . Windsor, ON

36

.

J w e r d n Call A market for a free oday! t l a s i a r p p a Looking to sell & build your dream home?

Experience you can trust BROKER OF RECORD/OWNER

andrewjsmithrealty.com

P: 519.979.9995 I C: 519.564.2639 I andrewjrealestate@hotmail.com

42

PEOPLE DRIVE In early fall 2004, I found myself in a Peterborough hotel with a group of Windsor parents and our hockey-playing sons, who, having just finished Day One of their tournament, were bouncing off the walls as excited 10-year-olds will do. Among the elder group looking to escape the chaos was Joe Siddall, the former Major League Baseball catcher who’d spent time with the Montreal Expos, Detroit Tigers and Florida Marlins over a 13-year professional career.

Now happily retired, Joe was a stay-at-home dad who coached his kids’ baseball teams and took them to their hockey practices.

Joe Siddall Major Leaguer Act 2

Joe and I were soon talking ball over a couple of beers while watching Game 3 of the ALDS between the Red Sox and Angels. A few weeks later, the Red Sox would end the infamous Curse of the Bambino, winning their first World Series since 1918, but on this night they were just trying to get past the Angels. Watching the game with Joe, I quickly realized just how much a former major league player— particularly a catcher—knows about the game of baseball.

“Four years on, we still shake our heads at how everything started with Kevin’s illness,” says Joe today. “He literally went from the baseball diamond, to a Windsor emergency room, to a London hospital.

One day he was your average 14-year-old, playing a game he loved; the next he was Joe was describing plays before they undergoing cancer treatments.”

Kevin was diagnosed with non-Hodhappened, and offering analysis better and quicker than the on-air commentators. gkin’s lymphoma in August 2013, and for The capping moment of his commentating the next six months underwent multiple prowess came in the bottom of the tenth, rounds of aggressive chemotherapy and when Red Sox slugger David Ortiz stepped more than 50 blood transfusions, but to the plate looking to end the game and the treatments couldn’t kill the aggressive series with one swing. Joe suggested that cancer cells. On February 4, 2014, he died if Angels pitcher Jarrod Washburn threw peacefully with his parents and siblings by a backdoor slider to Big Papi, the game his side. Like all families who lose one of was "going to be over.” Seconds later, their own at a young age, the Siddalls were after Washburn tried to do just that and devastated; and as Joe best describes, in a Ortiz launched a bomb over Fenway Park’s complete fog.

Green Monster to send Boston on its date “It was a very surreal time for all of us,” with destiny, Joe leaned back and flashed he says. “You’re still trying to make sense of a smile that said, “told ya so.” And all I everything, and questioning why your child remember thinking was, this guy should be got this (illness); even though we knew in a broadcast booth. toward the end of Kevin’s fight how this

Joe Siddall always hoped there’d be a second act for him in professional baseball.

He just never expected it to be on the airwaves. But, influenced by the spirit of his son, the Windsor native is making a name for himself with Blue Jays fans across Canada

Near 10 years later, on the morning of February 24, 2014, Joe Siddall eased into the cramped quarters behind home plate at the Toronto Blue Jays Dunedin Stadium in Dunedin, Florida, donned a headset, and officially launched an unexpected act two in the Major Leagues. Yes, the guy so many of this family and friends figured was a natural for baseball broadcasting was the new colour commentator to legendary Toronto Blue Jays play-by-play man Jerry Howarth. But he was doing so with the heaviest of hearts. For how he got back to the Big Leagues as a broadcaster was at once surreal and heartbreaking.

By Gavin MacDougall Photography by Paul Chmielowiec

thedrivemagazine.com

In early summer 2013, Kevin Siddall found himself like any other 14-year-old in a sports-mad family. He loved his sports.

All of them. A pitcher with the Windsor Stars in the summer and travel hockey player in the winter, Kevin—like his older brother Brett, and their old man 30 years prior—rolled from one sport season to the next, never worrying about, or constrained by, a health issue of any kind. He was a happy-go-lucky kid in the truest sense, readying for his first year of high school and eager to follow the accomplished footsteps of his dad and brother, who was attending Buffalo’s Canasius University on a baseball scholarship. But then, midway through that summer, Kevin began showing signs of fatigue, and a nagging croupy cough that wouldn’t go away.

was going to end. It’s obviously the most painful and difficult experience you can go through as a family. You’re left to question a lot of things, but you find comfort in your faith, and in each other. My wife is the rock of our family and she did so much to show us how, in life, you have to move on. You just have to move forward. It was extremely difficult though. It took me a while to be as open and talkative about Kevin as I am today. We had a lot of incredible support from family and many friends. So many different pockets of the Windsor community showered us with so much support. It made the healing a little easier; to see how

43

caring and thoughtful people were about I guess he found a kindred spirit in me Jays pitcher Jack Morris, to the Minnesota because I’m certainly likewise. We devel- Twins, and with spring training around the Kevin and our family.”

That support extended beyond the oped a good relationship over the years as corner, needed a new sidekick in a hurry.

“I thought to myself, why not Joe?” the Windsor area and included the many a result of that.”

Which is why, among the many now-retired Howarth told Sportsnet TV friends and contacts Joe still had within major league baseball. Since 2002, he had e-mails and texts of condolence received at the time. “I know Joe didn’t have any served as the bullpen catcher for Tiger after Kevin’s passing, the note from Jerry broadcast experience but he had a great home games, a convenient post-retirement Howarth came as no surprise to the knowledge of the game. I always looked gig that allowed him the freedom to do all Siddalls. “It was the week after Kevin’s for two qualities in broadcast partners he was enjoying on the home front, and funeral when I got an e-mail from Jerry and that was knowledge of the game and still stay connected with the game and expressing his condolences and telling the willingness to mix with the players. As the opportunities it might yet present. It me that our family was in this thoughts a former player, Joe had done all of that also kept him in touch with a lot of good and prayers,” recalls Joe. “I started typing so he was certainly as good a candidate as baseball people, like Jerry Howarth, the a reply, thanking him and saying I’d see anyone. Plus, catchers make good managers longtime Blue Jays radio announcer who him around the ballpark. But just before I and broadcasters, so I thought he could be had come to know Siddall from their clicked send, for reasons I still don’t know a great fit.” regular chats whenever the Blue Jays visited to this day, I added one line. I wrote ‘or the For his part, Siddall recalls having one broadcast booth.’ I honestly can’t say why of those “are you serious?” moments after Comerica Park.

“Anyone who knows Jerry Howarth I did that. A job as a baseball broadcaster reading Howarth's reply. “I remember will tell you he’s one of the kindest, nicest, was nowhere on my radar. So I don’t know turning to my wife and saying ‘I think I may have an opportunity with the Blue most sincere people you will ever meet,” why I added that line.” says Joe. “He knew I was a Canadian who played in the major leagues for a time and he always made a point of looking me up at the ballpark whenever the Jays were in town. Jerry loves talking baseball. And

44

Before he could make sense of his reply, Joe’s e-mail pinged with a response from Howarth that simply read, “How about right now?” Horwath had just lost his broadcast partner, ex–Tigers and Blue

Jays.’ Jerry and I had some immediate conversations and within two weeks I was interviewed for the job, hired, and in Florida as Jerry’s new partner in the radio booth. It happened that quickly.”

PEOPLE DRIVE Not lost on anyone was the fact that the e-mail exchange that triggered all of this was on February 11—Kevin’s birthday.

Two weeks later, Joe cruised through his first game on that February 24 date, an exhibition between the Jays and the Philadelphia Phillies, the latter of whose winning pitcher that day just happened to be named…Kevin. Coincidence? Not to Joe and his family.

“Has Kevin had something to do with all of this?” Joe asks rhetorically. “I know there are lots of people who think those kinds of things don’t happen, and that’s fine. But our family likes to think he’s had a hand in this. That somehow, some way, he pushed something in me to add that last note to Jerry. It’s comforting to believe that. That he’s with us always, and has a lasting impact on our lives.”

Siddall’s litmus test as a broadcaster came halfway through that first year, when he called out Jays star José Bautista after the slugger was tossed from a key game against the Orioles for arguing a called third strike. A week later, following a two-homer outing by Bautista the previous evening, Siddall strode over to offer a “nice job,” but was met with a cold shoulder by the oft-moody Bautista.

“When I went over to congratulate him his response was ‘what do you care, you don’t think I want to play anyways,’” says Joe, explaining how Bautista had heard his radio comments in the Jay’s clubhouse. “So here I was, my first year as a broadcaster, and I’ve ticked off one of the team’s biggest stars! It was one of those moments where you have to decide to be true to yourself, and that’s what I did. Sure, maybe the smart thing would have been to apologize and hope José Bautista would still like me, but the right thing to do was what made it an easy decision. I owed it to our listeners to stay true to what I felt. So we had a real good conversation where I explained my intention was to express how valuable José was to the Toronto Blue Jays, and that him missing any part of a game over something he could control was something he had to work on. He respected my opinion, we shook hands, and everything was cool. I remember walking out of the clubhouse thinking, okay, this is going to work. I can do this.”

mic with each passing game and season, and was a firsthand witness to the Jays’ memorable back-to-back American League Championship appearances in 2015 and ’16. He travelled everywhere with the club, saw all kinds of cool places across the U.S., and did the majority of it with his wife Tamara at this side, who would usually leave her Windsor medical practice on Thursdays to join her husband in Toronto or wherever the Jays were on the road that weekend.

Through it all, Kevin’s presence was a constant in the broadcast booth, as evident by the lime-green “Fight Like Kevin” wristband Joe still wears and the regular routine of penciling in “Siddall, K.” on his Blue Jays scorecard each game.

He had planned on continuing that practice in the radio booth for the 2018 season when an opportunity of a different broadcast sort suddenly presented itself last November, when longtime Sportsnet Blue Jays Central pre-game co-host Greg Zaun was dismissed by the network for inappropriate behavior to female staffers.

Siddall, who had pinch-hit for some of his colleagues on a few Jays TV broadcasts over the past four years, figured it was at least worth exploring the possibility of moving over to the television side.

“I had expressed my interest to the Sportsnet producers about doing more TV if the opportunity ever presented itself,” he says. “When they made the change I figured why not take a look at doing the studio job. Don’t get me wrong, I loved working the games on radio, but the pre-game job offered a chance to learn another aspect of the business, and also meant I would be a little more grounded in Toronto and not on the road for 81 games a year. I wasn’t sure how serious they took me, and I figured they’d probably bring someone in with more television experience, but I figured hey, why not try.”

It’s the last weekend of spring 2018, and Joe Siddall finds himself sitting at an anchor desk on the second level of the Rogers Centre, along the leftfield foul line.

He’s reviewing final notes and highlight tape before the cameras beam his and Jamie Campbell’s faces to Blue Jays Nation across Canada. The radio guy has indeed And he sure did. Over the next four become the television guy. Much as was the years, the Howarth-Siddall partnership case four years earlier, Joe Siddall was the developed into one of the best in baseball Blue Jays’ man. radio. With Howarth's guidance, Siddall “It’s been awesome to this point,” says became more comfortable behind the Siddall, when asked about the move from thedrivemagazine.com

45

radio to TV, and from calling games to assessing them from the studio. “It’s a different format obviously in that you’re not sitting in a booth for three hours calling a nine-inning game. It’s much more analytical and opinion-driven, where I get to pick and choose the things I think are most relevant or important to a game, and how the Blue Jays are doing. There’s just as much prep work involved with the show, but I’ve been given a lot of creative freedom to offer the analysis I think is important and worthwhile for our audience.”

The upside of the new gig is that he’s now in Toronto for the season, as even the pre- and post-game shows for Jays’ road games are shot out of the sportsnet studio in the Rogers Centre. Siddall generally spends five days a week in downtown Toronto, and returns to Windsor when the Jays schedule allows. Tamara still joins him every Thursday, with the couple enjoying long weekends in Toronto and what the downtown core has to offer. Don’t call him a Torontonian though. Windsor is home, he insists, and always will be. In fact, the family’s home will be less of an empty nest this fall as youngest daughter Mackenzie,

a recent graduate of UBC, has returned to attend MBA grad school at UWindsor.

Their older daughter Brooklyn, a graduate of Guelph, works in the Windsor area, while Brett is playing for the Oakland A’s Double-A affiliate in Midland, Texas.

“The Sportsnet folks thought I might move to Toronto permanently, but I told them Windsor is our home and always will be,” says Joe. “They understood that and have been super accommodating to me. I couldn’t have asked for a better situation and I’m very blessed with what I’ve been able to do the last four years. It’s been a surreal journey, but we’re all good. We’re doing what Kevin wanted us all to do and that’s appreciating each moment and living life to its fullest. Because life can change in a matter of seconds. It really can. We miss him dearly. But we know he’s with us every day. I know he’s with me when I’m at the ballpark and going on the air. He’s with his mother and his siblings every day.

His presence is with us always. And yeah, I think he’s pushed a few buttons for us here and there; like maybe a line on an e-mail, for sure. And that’s a good feeling.” D.

OUR PARTNERS

It is thanks to the efforts of our founding partners and all other sponsors that the tournament has become a reality. One that is sure to make a positive impact on our region and benefit all residents for years to come.

GROUP OF COMPANIES

This message is brought to you by

46

GROUP OF COMPANIES

Exclusive Exclusive Collection Collection DEARBORN, MI

TECUMSEH, ON

WINDSOR, ON

West MI Dearborn Village Tecumseh Town Centre WINDSOR, DevonshireON Mall DEARBORN, TECUMSEH, ON 22137 Michigan Ave 1614 Lesperance Rd Opening Soon West Dearborn Village Tecumseh Town Centre Devonshire Mall (313) 278-SEEN (7336) (519) 956-8383 3100 Howard Ave 22137 Michigan Ave 1614 Lesperance Rd Opening Soon (7336) 519-966-SEEN (313) 278-SEEN (7336) (519) 956-8383 3100 Howard Ave 519-966-SEEN (7336) www.haveyoubeenseen.com

www.haveyoubeenseen.com

If you don’t look good, we don’t look good

If you don’t look good, we don’t look good

MUSIC DRIVE

Detroit's greatest hits: Motown

By Chris Edwards | Courtesy Chris Edwards

48

Berry Gordy Jr.’s life story reads like the ideal American success story: from a struggling songwriter/promoter in the 1950s, Gordy Jr. became the greatest record producer in American music history. For a brief shining moment in the ’60s and ’70s, legendary Motown Records Hitsville USA’s Top 40 repertoire became as famous as Detroit automobiles.

“Made In Detroit” Motown music featured a roster of blockbuster artists, including The Supremes with Diana Ross, The Four Tops, The Contours, Tammi Terrell, The Spinners, Jimmy Ruffin, Martha and the Vandellas, The Temptations, The Marvelettes, Jr. Walker & The All Stars, Stevie Wonder, Marvin Gaye, Smokey Robinson, The Miracles, Michael Jackson, The Jackson 5, Lionel Richie, The Commodores and many others.

The seventh of Berry Gordy Sr.’s and Bertha Fuller Gordy’s eight children, Gordy Jr. experienced several hits and misses before finding his niche. A gifted songwriter, in the late 1950s he penned hits for the great Jackie Wilson, including “Lonely Teardrops” and “To Be Loved.”

Smokey Robinson urged Gordy Jr. to move into music production, which was much more lucrative than songwriting. With help from older sister Esther, Gordy arranged an $800 loan from his family, launching Tamla Records on January 12, 1959. He soon purchased a building at 2648 West Grand Boulevard, which became

Cindy Birdsong, Mary Wilson & Diana Ross (The Supremes) at a press conference in the Hilton Hotel, Amsterdam, 15 Jan. 1968

the world- famous Motown Hitsville U.S.A. music factory. Gordy, his wife and young son moved into second-floor living quarters.

Berry Gordy Jr. possessed a keen eye for talent. In 1960, he incorporated Motown Records (a contraction of Detroit’s “Motor Town” nickname), producing Barrett Strong’s biggest hit, “Money (It’s What I Want)”—Gordy Jr. shared writing credits with Janie Bradford. The Miracles “Shop Around,” written by lead singer Smokey Robinson, gained traction; soon, the two songs reached #1 and #2 respectively on the R&B National and Billboard pop charts.

Gordy’s time as an auto assembly line worker shaped his vision. He told the Telegraph, “I wanted to have a kid off the street walk in one door as an unknown and come out another door a star, like an assembly line; that was my dream. My thedrivemagazine.com

family said, ‘Those are cars. You can’t do that with human beings.’ I said, ‘Well, it’s the same thing—artists come in and you have one group writing the songs and producing them, then somebody else works on their stage performance.’”

A select group of Motown artists were sent on bus tours to promote Motown songs; when they returned to Detroit, they’d record as many new songs as humanly possible, then head back out on the road again.

The trademark “Motown Sound” featured tambourines to accent the backbeat, electric bass guitar, distinctive melodic and chord structures and call-and-response singing popular in gospel music. Complex arrangements and elaborate vocal riffs were frowned upon.

Tracks were sometimes pumped through the company’s “Echo Chamber,” adding a reverb, aptly led by the dream production team of Lamont Dozier and brothers Eddie and Brain Holland (Holland-Dozier-Holland).

A major factor in the widespread appeal of the label’s music was Gordy’s use of a tight-knit group of studio musicians, collectively known as the Funk Brothers, who recorded the “band tracks” on Motown recordings.

Down in basement Studio “A,” also known as the “Snake Pit,” the Funk Brothers provided the instrumentations for the Motown sound. They became the Motown hit machine “factory workers,” recording more No. 1 records than Elvis Presley, the Beatles, the Beach Boys and the Rolling Stones—combined. The Funk Brothers were not publicly credited until 1971, when Marvin Gaye listed their names his album, What’s Going On. The band was chronicled in the 2002 documentary film Standing in the Shadows of Motown.

Though he did sign white acts to his labels, Berry Gordy largely promoted African-American artists. His “Artist Development Team” carefully controlled artists’ dress, mannerisms and choreography to increase widespread public appeal. Like the Detroit factories, which operated night and day, the Hitsville studio remained open and active around the clock. Quality control meetings were held every Friday morning; Gordy employed his veto power to ensure only the very best performances were released.

By 1966, Motown expanded to 450 employees, grossing $20 million ($155 million today!) and occupying seven additional neighbouring buildings. From

1961 to 1971, Motown Records produced over 180 Top 10 Billboard hits. No other music company has achieved such success, or exerted such influence upon American culture.

In 2009 Smokey Robinson told a reporter, “Into the ’60s, I was still not of a frame of mind that we were not only making music, we were making history.

But I did recognize the impact because acts were going all over the world at that time.

I recognized the bridges that we crossed, the racial problems and the barriers that we broke down with music. I recognized that because I lived it. I would come to the South in the early days of Motown and the audiences would be segregated. Then they started to get the Motown music and we would go back and the audiences were integrated and the kids were dancing together and holding hands.”

By 1970, an increasing number of Motown sessions were recorded in Los Angeles rather than Detroit, notably all the Jackson 5 hits. In June 1972, the company moved to L.A., abandoning the city that had provided its unique sound. Gordy eventually sold his business to Universal Records in 1988.

That same year, Berry Gordy was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, where he was paid the following tribute: “Gordy endeavoured to reach across the racial divide with music that touched all people, regardless of the colour of their skin. Under his tutelage, Motown became a model of black capitalism, pride and self-expression. After Motown, black popular music would never again be dismissed as a minority taste.”

Berry Gordy’s legacy lives on at The Motown Museum, the birthplace of Motown Records on West Grand Boulevard in Detroit. D.

Chris Edwards is the owner of Walkerville Publishing, along with his partner Elaine Weeks; their latest book is 5,000 Ways You Know You’re From Detroit.

49

HOME DRIVE

Danielle Nicholson: ART WITH HEART Let’s talk art and my top five must-haves.

I have seen a change in art over the years and recently it’s made a shift towards sophistication.

Whatever your interior style, be inspired by the hottest art trends that not only complement your personal style, but make it pop.

Asymmetrical Florals I’m sure you have noticed that florals are back in a big way! In everything from housewares, wallpaper and fashion, they are everywhere. So obviously this romantic oversized floral had to be one of my selections. Inspired

by Dutch still-lifes of the early 1600s, the blush tones against inky blacks coordinate with a contemporary palette to make this piece a perfect choice!

50

Muted Who wouldn’t love to be gazing over these beautiful Parisian rooftops? With minimal colour, this photograph speaks volumes through its detail and that’s all you need. One of my favourite stunning minimal pieces that speaks for itself.

Female Imagery With female empowerment being at the forefront of our culture, we are seeing the powerful presence of the Time’s Up movement all around us, including in our art. I love this piece because it speaks volumes—it has a real masculine/feminine feel to it. All of the hard stone elements representing the strength of a woman are given the softest edge with the impactful yet transparent woman’s face. Each of us will take away something different from this piece but you definitely can’t look at it without question or interest!

Acrylics If it’s a clean retro contemporary look you are going for then I would suggest an acrylic.

Acrylic prints give the illusion of a photograph floating on glass. I love the simplicity and sophistication. This photograph takes your mind to a relaxing calm place without being too literal.

thedrivemagazine.com

Natural Imperfection Looking to add a pop of colour to your space? The use of colour is done so well in this watercolour print. I’m intrigued by the combination of colour and style. Using colour that we don’t typically see anywhere other than a child’s theme print, combined with gold accents and framing, exudes pure sophistication.

Danielle Nicholson Design is an interior design firm and furniture boutique. Whether you are building a new home, renovating an existing space or looking to refresh a room, we are committed to bringing your vision to life.

Danielle Nicholson Design 3055 Dougall Ave | Windsor, ON N9E 1S3 | 519-564-9695 info@daniellenicholson.design 51

sun

TREND DRIVE

Learn about Ocean Bottom's natural products and shop this Sun-Kissed — Watch our 'How to' video with Samantha Boulos. www.thedrivemagazine. com/posts/sun-kissed

D E S KIS F RO MT Zui i Or O P T O g BO Zui T i Or anic : C er T O M gan Zui t ic : ifie i Or C er d g Zui tifie Orga i O anic : n Pac rganic Cer tifi d Orga ic Flo ra F : Ce ific ed nic O a o P ac r tifi F ific : Beac ed rganic lora B undati O a: D h o l F rea y Punk rganic lora L ush $2 n $35 mB i 8 F p M l o T in ig L ra L in ash eral E iqu t $23 yes id F Ext h oun end a d ing dows $22 ation 7 in $55 .5 0 1M asc ara $15 .99

Windsor-based Samantha Boulos works as a stylist, makeup artist and trend forecaster for The DRIVE. From assisting backstage at New York, Vancouver and Toronto Fashion Week, she has the inside scoop on how to stay on-trend, all year round.

Samantha provides makeup services from her business, Glam by Sam and forecasts trends on her personal style and beauty blog, www.samboulosbeauty.com.

Photography: Jennifer Aurich Products: Ocean Bottom

52

Ana Stulic SWIMWEAR

COLLECTION

Swimsuit cover-up The most versatile piece to own this summer. From beach bar to club pool to yacht party, this is the most elegant way to cover up with some peek-ab’ooh la la, while adding a stylish statement.

TREND DRIVE

BLACK BIKINI Classic and timeless, this black string bikini makes being sexy look effortless. Black is so easily adaptable with accessories—anything from a stylish sarong to an oversized hat.

In the ’80s we fell in love with Olivia Newton-John's “Physical” music video, and now we are reliving the retro super-high-cut swimsuits. This comes at a perfect time when we are redefining the beach body. We are embracing curves as the beautiful and powerful features they are. So go ahead, accentuate what you have.

Ana Stulic’s SWIMWEAR COLLECTION is where curves meet fun and femininity. She combines bold patterns and classic cuts, and adds her special touch with lace and fringe. Ana Stulic SWIMWEAR is the official provider to the Miss Universe Canada Western Pageant. Swimwear: Ana Stulic Collection (www.anastulic.ca) Model: Marta Magdalena Stepien | Hair: Tracey Laforet/ Tray'elle Hair | Photographer: Dennis Belton Jr/ Belton Media Group 54

Dalmatian BIKINI Bold prints are a great way to play up a ‘trompe l’oeil’ and highlight specific body areas to keep the focus where you want it. This Dalmatian print bikini is a fun and playful look designed with all ages in mind.

EXPAT DRIVE

A new series dedicated to sharing stories of locals who moved on to spread their wings and share their gifts with others.

Margaret Malandruccolo Framing celebrity A once-shy Windsor girl uses her talent to become a sought-after photographer of the rich and famous

By Veronique Mandal | Photography: Margaret Melandruccolo

From a shy kid who “held on to my daddy’s pant leg” until she was in her teens, Margaret Malandruccolo grew up to be an award-winning photographer, music video director and magazine publisher working with the Who’s Who in the entertainment world—including the likes of Prince, Avril Lavigne, Russell Crowe, Olivia NewtonJohn, Tamia and Alan Doyle.

She has directed over 100 music videos and has won numerous awards, including two Junos and four CCMAs, as well as establishing such advertising clients as Canon cameras, General Motors, Hyatt Hotels, Puma Sportswear and Molson Beer. Not too shabby for a woman from Windsor, Ontario.

Born in 1972 to Italian immigrant parents Francesco and Antonetta, she developed a love of reading and photography from a very early age and gives all the credit to her father, who came from rural Italy and never had the opportunity to go to school past third grade.

“He taught me to read and write by the time I was three, even though he barely 56

knew how to. He would bring home newspapers and have me copy down the stories.”

When she was nine her father bought her an old Kodak disc camera with a plastic lens. At 15, it was a Minolta SLR. Because of her shyness, she never photographed people—only family members. Through the lens of her camera she captured sunsets, her pet cat and mouse and everything in nature, especially flowers and trees.

“At that time it was a learned craft similar to a cobbler or printmaker,” said Malandruccolo. “So I was very interested in learning all the technology. By time I was ready to go to university, I knew that was exactly what I wanted to do.”

Malandruccolo says a student work placement with a mentor at the Windsor school board introduced her to filmmaking and she decided to attend the Ryerson Film School.

At Ryerson, she “felt like a fish out of water and way in over my head.” She was one of only two students who entered the program from high school. Everyone else had come from other careers, including a robotics

engineer, a physiotherapist and a writer, all in their late twenties to sixties. In History class the professor was using words she didn’t understand and when she expressed concern was told not to worry, it was just jargon.

Malandruccolo asked, “What’s jargon?” The prof was right and in a couple of weeks she had her confidence back.

Her work ethic and attitude brought her to the attention of industry professionals who also helped kick-start her career. She talks excitedly about cinematographer Ira Cohen, who invited her class to his film set and she was the only one who showed up. She sat on an apple box and when someone asked for an apple box, she handed it to them.

“By the second or third day the grips, camera department and the electrics wanted me to work with them,” said Malandruccolo.

“So, I became a camera trainee.” She worked hard, never believing anything would be handed to her, which she says probably comes from having immigrant parents.

“They were so supportive,” said Malandruccolo. “I would ask dad for 40-foot vines

or a pig’s head and he would bring it to me in Toronto.”

Her job as camera assistant was demanding and made her final year in university quite challenging. After completing a rough cut on her final class film she was given full marks because of her work in the “real” world. After graduation she worked on several feature films and a few TV series, including Robocop, where she hurt her back carrying heavy camera cases. For the next several years she worked in post-production and editing, until some older photographer friends invited her to share studio space with them, which, she says, opened up a whole new opportunity in photography.

“I owe a lot to those friends,” she said.

“Ivan Otis was a great influence and got me my first photo gig with Eaton’s. I shot 15 to 20 days for them for their catalogues, Christmas book, fashion shoots—sometimes 27 at a time. I really did have wonderful peers in the photo industry in Toronto. We would shoot, drop our film off at the lab—a big difference from today—then go and have a beer on patio and talk shop. Nothing was a secret or protected. It was a wonderful community of sharing.”

She was grossing about $200,000 a year and using much of it to reinvest in her business. In 1999 she also paid $302,000 for a three-bedroom house she still owns in Cabbagetown. By this point in her life Malandruccolo is aware that the stars have aligned for her. Experiencing one success after another, she acknowledges that while talent and hard work go a long way, there has also been a great deal of luck involved in being in the right place at the right time, with the right people.

“I was busy all the time but I was also aware that I was lucky to be doing what I loved and being successful,” said Malandruccolo. “It’s a competitive business and you have to be willing to jump on opportunities when they come along. Sometimes it might have seemed easy, but there’s a lot of hard work involved.”

Despite her success, she had an itch to explore. Drawn to its music and car culture, she decided to go to Los Angeles for six months. She was, in fact, quite obsessed with cars.

“Dad worked at the Ford Motor Company for 30 years. If not my first word, car was my second word,” said Malandruccolo. “I would visit my dad in the factory and take photos. One of my favourite places in the world was on the E.C. Row Expressway in Windsor that overlooked a thedrivemagazine.com

57

EXPAT DRIVE scrapyard with its car graveyard. My first photo exhibit was of old cars I found abandoned in farm fields.”

In L.A. she rented studio space and began making promos, sending promos, cold calling, trying to meet people and sending out marketing material. There was nothing for a year and she worried there would be no success for her in L.A. Where many would have cut and run, this spunky Windsorite had her dad’s tenacity and optimism. Then, one day, she was introduced to California’s huge cowboy culture. Even in the tony area of Burbank in the Hollywood Hills every house is zoned equestrian so you can keep a horse in your backyard.

She made friends with stunt performers who were movie cowboys and cowgirls. They taught her to ride and she spent time on their ranches photographing them. She sent promos to a few country singers and, out of the blue, Dwight Yoakam called her. They agreed to meet on January 28—her birthday.

Yoakam played her songs off his new album on acoustic guitar and she called it “a dream.

One of the best birthday presents ever. He’s such an interesting character.” They worked together for a couple of years and work began rolling in from fashion, advertising and other music studios. She believes the work in country music came to her because she had a different take on these people, seeing a cool rock and roll side of them whereas everyone else was making them Middle American boy-next-door types. She came from heavy metal, so this extra rock and roll spin on things led to a lot of work in that genre.

She was becoming successful in L.A. and it was a heady experience.

“Every time I get this swimming feeling in my head, I get excited and my brain starts going in a hundred different directions,” said Malandruccolo. “I consider the potential I have to do this, prepare this, and while it’s not the most comfortable feeling, it’s exhilarating. Everything started working out, people came along and I started making decent money.”

Even with her success, Malandruccolo never expected to stay in L.A. Meeting Ben, the editor/director brother of a colleague, who had come to L.A. to work with his brother, changed everything. They were married five years later in 2008. Ben is her rock, her biggest supporter and fan.

“He is very talented and very intelligent.

The strong silent type,” said Malandruccolo.

“He is very funny and his whole life has been influenced by comedy, especially Monty Python. He is quiet but has incredible wit.”

58

“

“I’ve seen your work and I really like it,” Prince told her.

“I’ve heard your music and I really like it,” she responded.

”

But her greatest gift came in 2009 when their son Elliott was born. Malandruccolo calls it “the purest love.”

“Having a child has been the most inspiring thing in my life,” she says. “I always thought it would be me teaching him, but what he teaches me is equally important. I will never forget when he was three. We were at my in-laws’ in Ohio and Ben and I with our son were all jumping on a trampoline, holding hands. He was so incredibly elated and there was just the circle of this union, this connection and this overwhelming joy.

That’s just etched in my mind forever.”

In her work life, exciting challenges continued unabated. One Wednesday morning when she was shopping she received a call from Prince’s media manager.

Prince wanted to meet her. On Friday she flew first class to New York and was booked into the Ritz-Carlton. The media manager picked her up at 1 a.m. Saturday and took her to a closed restaurant to meet Prince and his band.

“I’ve seen your work and I really like it,” Prince told her.

“I’ve heard your music and I really like it,” she responded. They sat and chatted.

The band was off to Sweden in the morning so she rented equipment and met them in the hotel and Central Park for a photo shoot. By 1 p.m. she was on a plane back to L.A. At 5 p.m. her phone rang and she was told Prince wanted her in Sweden and a ticket was waiting for her at the airport. She consulted with Ben. “If you don’t go you will regret it for the rest of your life. Go,” he told her. This

was typical of the support she received from Ben. Being in the business himself, he understood you don’t turn down lucky chances that come your way. Malandruccolo landed in Sweden for the kick-off to Prince’s European tour that also took them around Scandinavia. She found conversations with the music icon “down-to-earth and thought-provoking.” When the last show ended she received a call saying Prince wanted to edit some photos with her. But she had promised Elliott she would be home so she said, “No, but I could come back.”

Saying “no” to Prince meant she wouldn’t and didn’t get a call back. She says if that offer had come years earlier, before her son was born, things would have been different.

“I made a promise to my son and I was not breaking it,” she said. “I had to put him first. He is a pretty special kid.”

Prince’s death came as a terrible shock to Malandruccolo. She says while she saw him in great pain because he needed hip replacements, she never observed any angst in him. He ate healthily and never drank a sip of alcohol.

Although her list of American star clients was impressive, she has also worked with many Canadian stars. She calls Alan Doyle of Great Big Sea fame one of her favourite people in the world.

“He could call me and I would go to the end of the earth for him,” she said. “We worked on a video together in Icaland for a song called ‘Testify,’ which he had written with Russell Crowe. We worked together in L.A. and most recently filmed a video in Toronto.”

Without meaning to, Malandruccolo fell in love with America. The vehicle through which she chose to explore that feeling was Americana magazine—self-funded and a labour of love.

“I wanted to celebrate the romanticism of American culture that is so celebrated in Japan and Europe in many different ways,” said Malandruccolo. “I wanted to write about the stories of people, their histories, individualism and the melting pot. Canada is a mosaic but yet at the core, both countries are all about multiculturalism.”

Her first issue came with help from features director Tina Colson, editorial assistant Nick Lee and long time friend and head designer Antoine Moonen. They had won a Juno together 25 years earlier for an album on which he was the designer and she the photographer. The album was by the Tea Party and Malandruccolo says she “loved Jeff Burrows,” the band’s drummer and fellow Windsorite. She printed the fifth and last thedrivemagazine.com

edition of the magazine in the summer of 2017, having decided to take a year’s break.

She recalls Prince telling her, “Margaret, you can do stills in your sleep. What’s going to be your next challenge?”

“I needed to do some soul-searching,” said Malandruccolo. “This year has been the re-establishing of priorities and looking at the reality of my life as a photographer.

I looked at the number of hours I worked on a weekly basis. I was working day and night and asked myself if I wanted to do this for another 20 years. The answer was a resounding ‘no.’ I want more balance, more time with my son and Ben.” It was a turning point in the next stage of her life and career.

In that time of soul searching, she received an offer to direct a feature film in

Oklahoma. The pre-production time lines were tight and she also wouldn’t be able to have the team she had assembled over 25 years with her on this shoot. She faltered but Ben, ever the supporter, asked, “Do you know how many people would die for this opportunity?” She directed the film.

No matter how busy her life is, Malandruccolo visits her parents in Windsor every two months. Now in their mid - and late eighties and experiencing health problems, it is difficult for them to go to L.A. She helps them catch up on mail, car repairs, home repairs and furnace issues. Because they want to remain in their own home, she does as much as she can to make that possible.

“I love coming back to Windsor. I get so excited a week or two before I’m coming

59

EXPAT DRIVE

60

home,” said Malandruccolo. “Everything they’ve done for me I can only dream of giving back to them. They’ve lived for me since the day I was born and still do. I don’t go out much but spend most of the time with my parents. I am often here only three or four days then off again, so it’s challenging. But I think that’s what Windsor is about—family. This is where I reconnect with my family.”

Windsor, she said, is also where she goes in her head to think. At lunch time, as a student, she would leave the university and sit under the Ambassador Bridge, looking at the Detroit River.

“Someone once said, ‘When you can’t sleep and have a million thoughts in your head, put those thoughts on a raft and it floats by you in a river, and then when another thought comes put it on a raft and let it float by.’ I’m sitting on the banks of the Detroit River all the time in my head and using that as a meditation, a mind cleanser, a reminder of dreams that I saw across the river that were just within reach that were attainable.

Windsor

In conversation, Malandruccolo is warm, thoughtful, funny and engaging. She is down-to-earth and one would never know she rubs elbows with the rich and famous.

Yes, she has often pinched herself in disbelief that a little girl from Windsor could make the big time. She considers herself lucky to have experienced such success.

RATES. SERVICE. SOLUTION.

While she would like to live in Rome, she said she misses Canada and would like to one day settle in British Columbia or Cambridge, Ontario. The city, she says, has great charm with the river running through it, its little bridges and old stone work. But that’s for the future, once she decides what that future is going to look like. In the meantime, she has the wisdom of experience to pass along.

“Understand what you love but don’t do it for a living unless you really think about it,” said Malandruccolo. “Not that I would advise that, but understand the ups and downs, or keep it as your special little thing that’s on the side that you can maintain the love for. I’ve done what I’ve loved for so long and am burnt out on it because I’ve done it commercially. I’m not sure where it leaves me yet. Probably in a state of flux.

But never be afraid of failure or the future— always try.” D.

SPECIALIZING IN CORPORATE FX

ELISA FILICE

Corporate Account Manager

519-915-5151 canamcurrency.com

CHANGING THE LANDSCAPE

IN EVERYTHING WE DO

Don’t be fooled by our name as we have grown into much more than just landscaping, snow removal and maintenance. We service hundreds of businesses in all things outdoors.

Our sister companies include Rochester Place and Parkside Grill where you can enjoy quaint business luncheons, day long training sessions, full banquets or complete business and charity golf tournaments.

Innovative Lifescapes is our home development division where we manufacture unique and beautiful mobile cottages, built to the highest standards in the industry. All partnered with one of Southwestern Ontario’s best resorts for leisure lifestyle.

Our latest acquisition of The DRIVE Magazine is our publishing media company. Bringing a new voice and a relevant editorial experience to Windsor Essex.

No matter your personal, home or business needs, there's a fit for a partnership with the Landscape Effects Group.

Let’s meet today to find out how we can work together.

Start your career at LFX: CAREERSATLFX.COM

GROUP OF COMPANIES 1125 County Rd. 42. RR #1, Belle River Ontario. N0R1A0 519.727.4769 | landscapefx.com

LIFE DRIVE

Len Martindale...a gift so rare A Windsor businessman who cared deeply for people and whose focus was the positive side of living has left a number of Canadians the ultimate gift a human can bestow on another: the gift of life.

By Veronique Mandal | Photography: Syx Langemann

Scott, Tiffany, Jeff & Pat Martindale thedrivemagazine.com

63

LIFE DRIVE

Scott & Tiffany Martindale.

Len Martindale lived a large life.

Handsome and gregarious, he was successful in business, never turned away from a challenge and had the loudest laugh in any room. He was a man who looked at life through a lens of joy and generosity and, most importantly, he was a devoted and loving family man.

He had taken over the business—Martindale Windows & Doors—from his father Niles when he was still a very young man and helped grow it into one of the area’s well known and respected companies.

His sudden death in May 2016 at age 62, following a stroke, left his family and friends in shock and grief-stricken. Yet, in their darkest hours mourning the man they so loved, his family made the decision to donate his healthy organs so that others might live.

Today, his eyes, liver, lungs and kidneys are giving other families the joy of knowing that the quality of life for those they cherish has been forever changed by the generosity of one man and his loved ones.

64

Losing a man who was not only his dad but also a mentor and role model, broke Scott Martindale’s heart. Sitting on the patio of his home on a warm June morning with his wife Tiffany, the 35-year-old talks about his father through tears and laughter.

the business because he believed he had built a good business and wanted to keep an eye on us. As the third generation we are taking the company into its 75th year.”

Len’s life, while filled with much success, was not without struggles. He suffered the loss of his closest brother in a drowning accident and during the recession years, it was hard to know how to keep food on the table of his family and his employees. Scott’s love and admiration for this father is evident in the stories he tells about watching how his father dealt with people.

“He was fearless,” said Scott. “He worked two or three jobs as a teenager and bought himself a silver Corvette. He got into go-carting and skydiving, then he and Mom started dance lessons and because he wasn’t happy with how the dance studio was being run, he started one in Kingsville.

He loved a challenge. He had a passion for life and things that moved fast. He didn’t “If he saw someone getting a raw deal like golf.” he would given them an opportunity to Scott has taken over from his father achieve, to do better, and he always took and together with his brother Jeff, 32, they time to give them advice,” said Scott. “He are keeping his vision and passion for his was one of the most truly generous people.” business alive.

Tiffany says Len would go out of his way “We worked there as kids,” says Scott, who laughs at the memory. “I worked for another company after graduating from St. Clair College but ended up working for Dad. I knew he would like us to come into

to give people his undivided attention and it didn’t matter who they were or what they did.. She wipes away tears when she talks about the love she saw from her father-in-law for their two daughters Gracie and Rosie.

The Martindale family with Gracie and Rosie

LIFE DRIVE “He thought the sun rose and set on his granddaughters,” she said. “He was a big burly guy and his voice could go up 10 octaves when he was playing with the girls.

He would pop over to see them on his way to work and would stay even if he was going to be late. The girls loved their G-Pa.”

cult but are all grateful for the respectful way they were treated and how Len was respected through the entire process.

“It does delay the grieving process because there is so much co-ordinating that has to happen with organ donor lists from across North America and everything is time sensitive,” said Scott. “But we never felt rushed and it did give us a peaceful time with the family, knowing what we had done was helping others and we had no regrets.”

The Martindale family was at their cottage on the holiday weekend in May when Len suffered what was first thought to be a minor stroke. He was given a clot-busting drug and admitted to the The woman helping the Martindale hospital in Huntsville, unable to move one family through the donation process was side of his body. Several days later he was Stephanie MacDonald. She says donor admitted to a Windsor hospital. families like the Martindales are “remarkPat, Len’s wife, said she watched as her able people,” who are heroes not only to husband struggled to point to words on a the recipients of Len’s organs, but also to board because he could no longer speak. the donation and transplant system. She Her grief still raw, she says it was heart- says it is also helpful when donor families breaking watching him try to communicate. speak openly about their experience and “It was very difficult not being able relate their impactful stories. to talk to him at the end,” she says, then laughs. “It must have been frustrating for him not to be able to have the last word. I promised him we would all stick together as a family and make him proud. And, we are, and the boys are making him proud.”

“Every family I meet is unique and teaches me something about altruism, kindness and the beauty of humanity in this world,” said MacDonald. “I feel privileged to have been a part of Len’s family’s journey. In most cases I develop a close Her voice breaking at times, she says bond with them, each family leaving me what she cherishes about her husband is with a piece of their journey. Len’s family not only his joy and laughter, but also how will always be in my heart.” he dealt with things and people in his life.

MacDonald says most people don’t understand that organ donation is rare “He never made judgements and never because a person has to die in a Critical criticized. If he was angry he said his Care Unit, on life support or mechanical piece and moved on. It was forgiven and ventilation to be considered eligible. Only forgotten. I really admired that about him.” two to three per cent of hospital deaths That quality in his father is also are medically able to donate. The potential something Jeff is grateful for. for issue donation is greater because those “He was a wonderful role model and conditions don’t apply. even when we were kids he was loving and There are 1,577 people waiting on kind towards us,” said Jeff. “I made mistakes, the transplant list in Ontario, with 1,100 but he never held making mistakes against waiting for a kidney. The wait time for a us and once it was over he never brought it kidney is five years: the average wait time up again. You just moved on.” for a heart is six months. In 2017 there Though grieving his loss, Pat says when were 347 deceased organ donors and 263 approached by the representative from living donors. The registration rate in the Trillium Gift of Life foundation, she Windsor is 29 per cent, with 22 people on responded before the woman had time to the wait list. ask the question.

MacDonald says there are many reasons “I said ‘yes.’ Then she said, ‘But you why people don’t register to be a donor. don’t know what I’m asking.’ I told her I did However, neither age nor medical condiand that we would absolutely donate Len’s tion (which is assessed at the time of death) nor religion prevents donation. She also organs. I knew it would be what he wanted.” suggests families talk about organ donation They all agree that the decision was diffi- long before a death occurs.

66

“Take a moment to contemplate what you would want should the shoe be on the other foot,” said MacDonald. “If your husband, mother, grandfather, child needed an organ transplant to save their life, would you accept this gift of life? If the answer is yes, please go to www.beadonor.ca to register. One organ donor can save up to eight lives and enhance the lives of as many as 75 others through the gift of tissue.”

Pat says she has found some peace knowing a part of Len lives on and she and the family take comfort from a letter they received from the person who received Len’s lungs.

It reads in part: “You gave me life and a brighter future and I will be forever grateful. I am a new person and I hope that in your grief it helps you know how much you changed my life.”

D.