QUALITY, COMMITMENT, AND ENDLESS POSSIBILITIES WITH AA METAL ROOFING
On site since 2018,
LiUNA!’s highly skilled men and women proudly play a vital role constructing the Gordie Howe International Bridge. Scheduled for completion in 2025, the stunning superstructure at 1.5 miles in length, will be among the top five longest bridges in North America.
EFFICIENCY AND ENVIRONMENTAL FOCUS
Drive with a smile at Rose City Ford, where our fuel-efficient models bring purpose to your journey. Experience cost savings and environmental responsibility in every delightful drive. Reliability is woven into our commitment, ensuring efficiency and eco-conscious driving.
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Hearing Aids to Fit Your Active Lifestyle
Tina Sta erton Doctor of Audiology
Justyna Loren Doctor of Audiology
Diva DeBenedictis Doctor of Audiology
Kristina Spence Audiology Assistant
Donna Ellis
Jennifer Flick
Carson janik
PAUL ST-PIERRE Publisher
BREANNE MCGINTY..... Managing editor/Director of sales
ANTHONY SHEARDON ................................ Photographer
ANNA STANLEY Copy editor
On the Cover: Tim and Jake Eansor Story written by Devan Mighton Cover created by Syx Langemann
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Notice of correction: An error was made in our feature article of WOW magazine, issue 3. The correct author for ‘Blueprints of Success’ is Melissa Buzzeo. We apologize for any confusion this may have caused.
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24 PORTRAIT
Tim and Jake Eansor’s
Double AA Metal Roofing has your forever roof waiting
42
DRIVE SOCIAL
Local Social Influencer, Jyll Mackie – Easy outdoor entertaining tips
AROUND TOWN
10 Unique news from around Windsor and Essex County
DRIVE TRAVEL
14 Ann Heaton takes us on her journey on the Camino trail
FOOD
20 Plan an evening of mocktails with ‘Oh so Mona’
DRIVE THRU
32 Cool Treats to beat the heat
COMMUNITY DRIVE
34 Foreign workers help keep Canadian farms running with a little TeaMWork
DRIVE MUSIC
38 Spotlight on Windsor Symphony Orchestra’s Maestro, Robert Franz
COMMUNITY DRIVE
44 A teacher’s take of tenacity and tunes
DRIVE MIND
46 Enlightenment 101 with Teri Gyemi
LOCAL SPOTLIGHT
48 Tom & Linda’s hidden haven: A piece of paradise
COMMUNITY DRIVE
52 A look into downtown Windsor’s Good Green Food Reclamation Program
A NOTE FROM THE PUBLISHER
Summer is here and vacation season is in full swing! Whether you’re enjoying some staycation time in the region or heading up the 401 to cottage country, we hope you take us along on your adventures. This issue is filled with inspiring stories, expert tips, and hidden gems that capture the essence of the season in Windsor-Essex.
Gracing the cover is the remarkable father-son duo behind Double AA Roofing, whose dedication and craftsmanship have made them a trusted name in the roofing industry. Their journey and commitment to quality are a testament to family values and hard work.
We are also thrilled to share the awe-inspiring adventure of Ann Heaton, a local woman who endeavoured to hike Spain’s famed Camino trail. Ann's journey represents the power of perseverance and the beauty of pushing one's limits. Her story is sure to inspire you to embark on your own adventures, no matter how big or small.
For those looking to elevate their outdoor entertaining, don't miss social media influencer Jyll Mackie's article filled with invaluable tips from a seasoned party pro. Jyll's creative ideas will help you make the most of your summer gatherings, ensuring they’re both memorable and totally Instagram-worthy.
Finally, discover the tranquil beauty of Tom and Linda Strong’s little slice of heaven in Belle River. The couple share this hidden paradise with loved ones and travellers, offering a perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of city life and providing a serene backdrop for relaxation and reflection.
In closing, we’d like to take a moment to say thank you to our advertisers and our readers for your continued support. Thank you for making The DRIVE Windsor’s premier lifestyle magazine.
Thank you,
Paul St. Pierre Publisher
TOWN
The Bruno Cremasco bocce ball fundraiser was started in 2017, celebrating its fifth year (non consecutive) has brought Essex County together to raise money for defibrillators, in honour of Frank’s dad, Bruno. Bruno tragically passed away from a heart attack while playing bocce, with no defibrillator nearby. Thanks to all supporters, we’ve equipped all 114 Catholic and Public schools and 40 other locations with defibrillators. These devices have already been used three times, assisting in life-saving measures. Every bocce event is a tribute to Bruno and a step toward a safer community. We extend our heartfelt thanks to all who have supported this cause. Your contributions have made a significant difference in Essex County.
Welcome to our custom content page meant to highlight unique news from the Windsor-Essex region
Café Amor & Art, founded in July 2020 by Amor Hernandez and Mauricio Ontaneda, is nestled the heart of Belle River. This Latin American-themed coffee shop offers a unique espresso formula alongside traditional Mexican cuisine, including pastries and desserts. The café fosters a sense of community, making it an ideal spot to enjoy a delicious cup of coffee. Its atmosphere is enhanced by local art, creating a cozy and welcoming environment. Whether you’re looking to relax alone or spend time with family and friends, Café Amor & Art provides a delightful setting to enjoy flavourful dishes and a vibrant cultural experience.
Founded by Sue Brunet, Ergonow proudly marks its 10th anniversary this year. The company also received the Windsor-Essex Regional Chamber of Commerce Business Excellence Award for Small Business of the Year on May 15, 2024. Sue Brunet, a Canadian Certified Professional Ergonomist with over 29 years of experience, has established Ergonow as a trusted leader in ergonomic solutions. Since 2014, Ergonow has served businesses, government agencies, private sector groups, and home-based workers, offering ergonomic consulting, product recommendations, and quality office furniture. Located behind Devonshire Mall, Ergonow’s showroom is open to the public, featuring a wide selection of chairs, furniture and unique accessories. They offer quality office chairs that fit any space. Whether improving comfort or boosting productivity, Ergonow provides personalized solutions tailored to your needs and budget. Experience the difference with Ergonow and, "Feel good in your workspace."
Discover D Spot Dessert Café in Tecumseh. If you have a sweet tooth, D Spot Dessert Café is a must-visit spot in Tecumseh. Opened just one month ago, this café offers a delightful mix of sweet and savoury treats, ensuring there’s something for everyone. Here’s what you can expect: Savoury Options: enjoy mouth-watering burgers, pizzas, nachos, sausages, and poutine. For Sweet Delights: indulge in delicious crepes and waffles topped with a variety of ice creams, croffles, and scrumptious cakes. Beverages: complement your meal with refreshing milkshakes and a selection of hot drinks. D Spot Dessert Cafe brings all these delectable options together in one place, making it a must-visit destination for food lovers in Tecumseh. Whether you’re dining in or taking out, D Spot Dessert Café provides a cozy atmosphere to enjoy your food. Operating hours are Sunday to Thursday: 11:00 AM - 12:00 AM, and Friday and Saturday: 11:00 AM - 2:00 AM. Come and indulge in a wide variety of savory and sweet options, all in one convenient location.
Unveiled on May 8th, 2024, Lakeshore's latest legacy project flourishes with the backing of the Windsor-Essex Community Foundation. As part of the ‘40 years of Inspiration’ campaign celebrating the organizations 40th anniversary, the WECF is making an investment in each municipality to support waterfront legacy projects. Designed by Melissa Coulbeck of Landscape Effects Group, and manufactured by Brian Charron of Lanex MFG. The Corten Steel sailboat stands as a lasting landmark in the community. Situated in the North-western corner of the Belle River Marina, it stands as a testament to the enduring beauty of Lake St. Clair.
Mackie Jones is a dedicated entrepreneur based in Amherstburg, where she owns The Towne Shoppe, a popular men’s and women’s clothing store known for its stylish selections and personalized customer service. Recognizing a demand for healthy and delicious food options, Mackie recently expanded her business ventures by opening The Acai Shack, a vibrant new spot in town offering refreshing açai bowls and matcha. Her commitment to excellence and community involvement has endeared her to the residents of Amherstburg. Mackie is passionate about contributing to the local economy and fostering a sense of community. She remains committed to growing alongside Amherstburg, always seeking new ways to support and engage with the town she loves.
Dan Tolmie and Jake Tolmie are excited to announce they have joined Selectpath Benefits and Financial Inc. Selectpath is one of Canada's leading employee benefits, wealth management, pensions, and insurance consultancy firms and offered Dan and Jake the ability to provide a better overall client experience. Now at a new location, Dan and Jake are still providing the same great services they have over the last 38 years supporting and working with the community in and around Windsor, Ontario.
dtolmie@selectpath.ca
jtolmie@selectpath.ca
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Six years ago, I came across a movie called “The Way” starring Martin Sheen who plays a career driven father disappointed by his son’s (played by Emilio Estevez) lack of interest in his ophthalmology footsteps. The son sets out on his own ambitions to walk the Camino de Santiago. I sat there wondering.... What is this Camino and why have I not heard about it?
I was still working full time at Windsor Police Service so my idea of walking 800 km across Spain on this Pilgrimage was just a pipe dream, especially because in 2018 I was diagnosed with a hemangioblastoma and had emergency surgery to remove the small benign brain tumour. We’ve all heard about people who when faced with adversity come to the realization that you only have one life to live so go live it! So, during my recovery, I researched this long walk across Spain and the more I knew about it, the more I was excited dreaming that one day, I would walk the Camino de Santiago.
I retired in December 2019, moved to Boblo Island and continued my obsession with the Camino. Then Covid reared its ugly head. So, I walked a virtual Camino completing the 800 km trail around the island until I could finally travel.
Finally, in August 2023 all the preparations, researching, packing my backpack, unpacking my backpack, and re-packing my backpack, I was ready to go. I bid farewell to my friends and family who all thought I was crazy as a single “mature” woman leaving solo on such an adventure with a one-way ticket to Spain in my pocket.
Planes, trains and automobiles transported me to Saint Jean Pied de Port, France at the base of the Pyrenees Mountains, where I stayed for two nights to catch my breath and wait out the 42-degree Celsius heat. My first experience in an albergue was terrifying. As I was ushered to the common sleep area and assigned a single, stark bed, I spotted a man sitting on the bed right next to mine and thought, “this is going to be really weird.” The man must have recognized the terrified look on my face and in his Australian accent reassured me that I’d, “get used to it.”
On August 26th I headed out of the albergue with all my vital supplies neatly stacked in my backpack and was bid a “Buen Camino” by the French villagers. As I approached the first ascend of the Pyrenees I stood and looked back at the tiny town of SJPP and thought, “YIKES, this is really happening!” It was rainy and foggy but thankfully cooler than the last couple of days. The 3404 m gradual climb afforded me the opportunity to meet several other
pilgrims who came from all over the world, just as I had to walk the Camino. Some will tell you they walk The Way for spiritual reasons, others as a physical challenge and some just to get away from the craziness of what has become “normal” to them. Pilgrims come in all shapes, sizes, and ages. The oldest pilgrim I met was 89 and was the recent recipient of a pacemaker. He and his elderly sister were trudging up the mountain as confidently and determined as the rest of us.
At the peak of the Pyrenees, an elderly French man served cafe con leches and chocolate croissants from his tired little camper trailer. By the time I arrived at this little “miracle on the mountain” a group of pilgrims were all huddled under the canopy taking shelter from the wind and rain, chattering in languages I couldn’t understand, except to interpret that the common theme was the threatening weather. I literally wolfed down my cafe con leche and chocolate croissant and bit farewell to the flock of wet pilgrims. I had a sense of urgency of getting off the mountain before the weather forced me to surrender. I was already drenched from the rain as I left the chattering pilgrims and bravely marched up the mountain. I recalled the volunteer at the pilgrim’s office in SJPP strongly advising that at the top of the mountain there would be a pole with the number 79 on it and was told repeatedly to turn right at the pole and follow that dirt path down the mountain. Do not, they echoed, turn left “or you will lose your way and possibly fall off the side of the mountain.” Through the dense fog and stinging rain, I saw the sign indicating I had reached pole number 79. I had an odd sense of loneliness at that moment while I tried to look through the misty fog for any signs of life behind me, but the only noise I could hear were the cowbells of the long horns in the distance. As I edged myself down the muddy, rocky path towards the forest, I considered how many pilgrims before me had walked this same path and trusted my instincts knowing I’d be safe and thankful when I would finally reach the first village of Roncesvalles just beyond the Spanish border.
My wet feet and tired legs felt as though they were disconnected from the rest of my body. I could feel my wet feet swelling in my
boots knowing I would have to stop soon and ch ange my socks and refill my water bottles. After miles alone on the rugged dark forest I could hear faint conversations and singing through the dense fog. I desperately picked up speed to catch up with them and was so grateful to have another pilgrim to walk with.
Pamplona is a vibrant university city where in 1926 Hemingway wrote “The Sun Also Rises,” and where weeks earlier the festival of Sanfermines took place. In other circumstances I might have stayed and roamed the ancient walled streets and enjoyed tapas and vino but I was on a mission to find an albergue and settle in for the night. I learned a couple of valuable lessons by the time I had reached Pamplona in that one, the recommended ten percent of my body weight that I’d been carrying for these last 60 kms was still excessive and two, I need to slow down and rest more often. I tore pages out of my guidebook, squeezed half of the toothpaste from its tube, donated three quarters of my first aid kit to other pilgrims and threw out anything else I had originally packed “just in case.”
With newfound energy and confidence, I departed Pamplona in my dry boots and three pounds lighter backpack I followed the symbolic shell and yellow arrows, surrendering the bustling city for the stony Camino path. As I continued, I couldn’t help but wonder what happened to all those pilgrims that I left at the trailer cafe at the top of the Pyrenees. No sooner did I think it, I came upon a couple from New York that I had met who very anxiously asked, “what happened to you? We were looking for you that day on the top of the mountain. We were rescued off due to bad weather and taken back to SJPP.” It all made sense now... That would explain why I didn’t see anyone for twenty kilometers or so that day.
It’s amazing where your mind will go when you’re all alone in a foreign country. To keep my mind off my yet very sore feet, I sang, I thought of a name for my backpack, (her name is Alice... like the camel, because that’s how I felt day in and day out) contemplated life and even cried at times. They were mostly happy tears; tears because I was so grateful to be alive and doing what was making me happy.
Four days into my Camino I was tired, hungry, dehydrated and I had succumbed to the rocky inclines and declines of the Camino trail. I knew I was in trouble. That is when my “Camino angels” appeared with water & hydration tablets, food and the two very experienced pilgrims took half of the contents of my backpack and carried it 20 plus kilometers for me. I am eternally grateful to Dawn from San Francisco and Lynn from the south of Spain.
As I took my hand off the cross and I turned around I saw the skies opened and the sun came out over the peak of the mountain. I can’t begin to describe how the heaviness and the sadness left my body that morning. I was finally letting my brother rest in peace.
The Alto del Perdon is a 2,526 ridge where wind turbines tower over a wrought iron representation of medieval pilgrims, heads bent to the west wind with the inscription; “where the way of the wind crosses the way of the stars.” It was day nine and the stony path down to Los Arcos was torturous and unforgiving. I finally reached the tiny village where I resigned myself to the fact that the boots were no longer the right choice. I cautiously removed my merino toe liners and my second pair of socks to discover that my baby toes looked like they had been burnt with a blow torch. I was wishing at that moment that I hadn’t relinquished my first aid kit back in Pamplona. Scrabbling for antibiotic ointment and bandages I wrapped both baby toes and slipped on my Keen walking sandals. With my boots tied to my backpack off I went seeking new trail shoes and a post office where I would ship my boots to Santiago.
Although I walked the Camino as a “solo pilgrim,” pilgrims from the USA,
Australia, Germany, Norway, Spain, S. Africa, Denmark, and fellow Canadians all became my Camino family. Some walked with me for days and others just in passing but you get to know them and without any plan at all we ended up in a small village singing and playing music and dancing in the streets or having dinner with some in a large city such as Leon.
The mornings that I left before dawn were gloriously cool and quiet and by the time I’d devoured my first chocolate croissant and cafe con leche the sun was rising over the mountain ridges.
On September 12th, nineteen days since I’d left SJPP I was at Sahagun (km 365) the halfway point. My feet were happy now that I was in my new Altra’s and my legs were stronger than I could have ever imagined.
Astorga (the city of chocolate) was one of my favourite cities along The Way. The Spanish people are a celebratory bunch and it’s obvious as family and friends gather in the city squares for barbeques, and music. I could have stayed and eaten chocolate and drank Tinto de Verando all night long, but I knew the next two days would be challenging both mentally and physically.
The ascent from Ponferrada was wet and rocky, peaking at 4938 feet where the Cruz de Ferro is erected. It’s an ancient ritual site that dates back as far as 2500 years ago when the hermit Guadcelmo set an iron cross on the sacred oak tree truck and is considered to be the nearest point to heaven on the Camino. It’s a potent link between heaven and earth where modern pilgrims lay down their burdens by leaving a stone or shell at the cross. The morning was foggy and chilly, but I carried a stone (my burden) since I’d left Canada with the intention to lay it down at the Cruz de Ferro. My stone is from my brother’s farm where he lived until the day he passed away fourteen years prior. Two weeks before his death we had been trail riding together and while we were brushing the horse after he looked over at me and said, “you know Ann, when I go, I want to go right here in the saddle, and I want you to play Happy Trails on my way out of the church.” Two weeks later he was dead from a massive heart attack in the saddle at a horse show in London. That was my burden;
I never forgave myself for not recognizing the “signs” and I carried that burden until now as I stood in front of the Cruz de Ferro, sobbing while I laid my burden down. As I took my hand off the cross and I turned around I saw the skies opened and the sun came out over the peak of the mountain. I can’t begin to describe how the heaviness and the sadness left my body that morning. I was finally letting my brother rest in peace.
Through fields of sunflowers and forest of Cypress and Eucalyptus trees I reached the last 100 km to Santiago. The Camino trail busier as many pilgrims only walk the last 100 kms
On September 27th, I approached the city of Santiago I was anxious and sad and excited all at the same time. In so many ways, I didn’t want my Camino to end. It’s like saying good-bye to a longtime friend. I could hear bagpipes playing Galican folk tunes and people cheering in the distance.
I was the 619th pilgrim to register in Santiago that day. Pilgrims from around the world are hugging and crying and dancing in the Praza de Obradoiro in front of the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral. The Cathedral is the reputed burial site of Saint James the Great.
I have earned my Compostela by verifying my pilgrim passport with stamps obtained from cafes, albergues, restaurants, road side cafe trailers and historical sites along the way. With a handshake from the pilgrim officer and my Compostela in hand I exit the plaza and suddenly feel lost for the first time since I began my Camino some 800 km ago.
The following day I attended a Pilgrim’s mass at the cathedral and although I didn’t understand a word being said the ritual of the botafumeiro (smoke spreader in Spanish) brought me to my knees. The five-foot swinging incense burner requires
eight t iroboleiros to lift the 53 kg thurible 20 metres high on a pulley system and swings towards the side naves.
From Santiago I bused to Muxia and walked another 30 kms to the tiny fishing village of Fisterra, meaning Land’s End in Latin. That is where at marker 0.0 that I truly felt that I had completed my Camino, all 967 kms of it.
The Camino is not for the faint of heart, but it has forever changed me. I spoke to several pilgrims who told me they were on their 3rd or 4th Camino and an elderly man from Minnesota walking his 13th Camino. I couldn’t understand why anyone would do the same Camino even a second time, but now that I’m home I would do it all over again. My plan is to return to the Camino and help host at an albergue called Casa Susi in Trabadelo and then continue onto Santiago once again.
Buen Camino!
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mojito STRAWBERRY ORANGE BLOSSOM
MOCKTAIL
INGREDIENTS
2 cups club soda
8 fresh mint leaves
2 tbsp orange blossom water
½ cup sugar
½ cup water
4 strawberries
DIRECTIONS
1. In a small saucepan, bring ½ cup of water, ½ cup of sugar, and 2 tbsp orange blossom water to a light simmer over medium heat. Stir often to ensure the sugar doesn’t burn and that it fully dissolves.
2. Let cool, then transfer to a glass jar and seal tightly with a lid. This will last up to one month in the fridge.
3. To make the Mojito Mocktail, slice 2 strawberries, placing one per glass and saving the extra to use as garnish. Rough chop or tear by hand 4 mint leaves per glass.
4. Using a wood pestle, mash the mint and strawberries together at the glass’s bottom. If you do not have a pestle, a spoon works too!
5. Add 2 tsp of the orange blossom simple syrup.
6. Add your desired amount of ice to each glass and top with club soda. Stir and enjoy!
Serves 2
Mona Elkadri is not just a food writer, but also a skilled recipe developer, former restaurateur, and culinary teacher. She possesses a keen appreciation for that elusive secret ingredient that invariably elevates each dish to perfection.
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“Syles is our ‘go to’ provider for heating & cooling. From the start of the process---requesting an appointment---to the work performed I can honestly say that everything was handled in a professional, courteous manner. Nada, who arranged the service call was great. Ryan, the service technician, took the time to explain what was needed and why. He has my trust/confidence. I will definitely ask for him---if available---when it comes time to schedule a start of season/maintenance call. All in all, happy/satisfied with everything.”
Terry Kraetschmer
FINALLY, THE LAST ROOF YOU'LL EVER BUY
Tim and Jake Eansor's Double AA Metal Roofing has your forever roof waiting
By
For 18 years, Double AA Metal Roofing has been your one-stop shop for lifelong roofing solutions. Tim Eansor and his son, Jake, take great pride in their work. They show up on time, they are familiar with your needs, they are professional, and they get the job done in a timely manner.
“I’ve been the owner for 18 years now and I can’t believe it’s been that long!” states Tim. “It's great. We have a really great presence in the home improvement world and in the community, both on the residential side and, also, on the commercial side now. We have a very favourable reputation. We really do our best to do a good job for our customers and we do have our customer's best interest at heart.”
Devan Mighton
Photos by Syx Langemann
T im states that when they make mistakes, they own up to it and fix it, and, at heart, they are in the business to dazzle their customers. As proof, Double AA Metal Roofing keeps an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau and maintains a litany of positive endorsements on Google Reviews.
“We have great products and great installers,” boasts Tim. “For the most part, they are our own installers. We certify them and train them on the types of products we install. We are a fully insured and fully WSIB-compliant company. Combine all that with a real personal touch that my son and I both try to convey when we meet a customer. We set them at ease right away by telling them that we're here to help them and make their home, which is usually their biggest investment in their life, look great and do a great job for them. It's not a cliche, we mean it and we prove it with the end result.”
Something that sets Double AA apart is their dedication to getting to know the customer—Tim and Jake showing up on location, sharing a coffee with the home or business owner and finding the lay of the land.
“I love talking to my customers,” Tim explains. “I get a lot of enjoyment out of that and I think it rubs off when the personal conversations take place at the kitchen table with my customers. They can tell we are very enthusiastic and very motivated, and we're excited to do a good job for them.”
A Family Affair
Prior to getting into roofing, Tim studied to become an engineer and spent 20 years working in the steel and automotive industries in Canada and the US. In 1987, he married Kathy, his high school sweetheart, and started a family. In the midst of an economic downturn, Tim leaned into the skills he learned in the steel industry to transition into metal roofing—something that turned out to be a natural transition for him.
Jake joined the team in 2013 after graduating from a business program at St. Clair College, an addition that Tim sees as one of the great joys of his life.
Working side-by-side, the father/son duo have pushed Double AA to new heights. As Tim nears retirement, Jake is transitioning into a lead role, keeping up his father’s legacy.
“I pretty well wear all the hats,” states Jake. “With my dad, I've been working together with him in the industry for about 12 years. As he is starting to exit and retire, and I've been taking on more of a role where I'm wearing all the hats in the company. From overseeing installations, through management, procurement, and quality control, I'm overseeing and making decisions.”
Jake says that a lot of his work ethic and customer service ethos he has developed over the years have been due to his father teaching him the right way.
“It's been great—you gain knowledge over time, learning from somebody who has the expertise and professionalism, and you gain nothing but good habits,” explains Jake. “You learn to treat people the right way. You learn to give them what they pay for and give them a service that far exceeds the competition. I've always been taught to do things the right way and to not cut corners. Working with your father is a special thing, not everybody gets that opportunity, and for my dad and myself to have the relationship that we do, we're able to run a very serious business as well as enjoy our time together and learn from each other to help grow and become a better company each year.”
Providing Their Customers With The Best Options
Double AA’s commitment to lifelong roofing means they give you only the best options. They offer a variety of choices for your home or business, like metal slate roofing, which provides an “old world charm” combined with unsurpassed performance, metal shake roofing, a customer favourite due to its stunning look and lifetime warranty, enhanced two-tone roofing with its multiple colour variations and sharp look, metal shingle roofing, a look that has gained popularity over the years and breaks the cliche of metal roofing looking like barn roofing, standing seem roofing, great for industrial settings and requires little to no maintenance, and ribbed steel roofing, perfect for your residential, commercial, or agricultural need s.
“We offer a permanent roofing solution,” explains Tim. “We install roofs that should not have to be replaced in the lifetime of the homeowner. I think many homeowners realize that the roofs on their homes are temporary—that's an understood thing when you own a home, that your roof has a finite lifespan—you're going to have to replace it sometime during your ownership. With our roofs, most have 50-year warranties. They have great surface finishes on them that allow someone to not have to worry about replacing it for about 50 years, and, for the most part, as long as they're going to own their home—and that really sets the customer at ease.”
Tim says that one of the most common questions he gets from customers is how well Double AA’s metal roofs handle inclement weather—especially with the perceived uptick in high winds and severe thunderstorms.
We set ourselves apart through a number of things. We have a great reputation in the roofing industry, we guarantee all of our work, we have great relationships with our suppliers, and we have our own certified installers. We're passionate about what we do and it really does rub off on our customers.
“Our roofs interlock together and then they are fastened in with screws instead of with nails, which are initially what people would envision when they gets their roof installed,” he elaborates. “Our roofs are all installed with screws and that gives them that protection.”
Committed To The Job
Tim says that their commitment to getting the job right begins at the first visit
to the customer’s house or business, right until the very end when they ask for final payment. Their goal is to dazzle them while making their experience a great one.
“Our mission statement is to supply and install a permanent metal roofing solution for the customer and to make their experience, from beginning to end, as pleasant as possible and to delight them. It's what we try to do,” explains Tim. “When you do that, regardless of any other factors, like price—if these roofs were free, everybody would be doing it without even questioning it—they obviously are more expensive. However, when you dazzle the customer and do what you promise, then it makes the customer feel that the money that they put into it is worth it.”
High Praise
When Lisa, who lives in East Windsor, needed work done on her house, she turned to Double AA Metal Roofing to do the job. Tim, Jake, and their team went to her house and installed a metal roof, eavestroughs, downspouts, and gutters with gutter guards.
“They were excellent!” exclaims Lisa. “The workers were very prompt. Initially, when Tim came in, he did a very thorough inspection of the house. It was very professionally done.”
She adds that, in the future, she would definitely come back to Double AA for work on her house, “because of their work ethic and they were so professional about it. It was a very good experience.”
When Keith, who resides in Tecumseh, was building his house, he sought out the services of Double AA for his roofing material and its installation.
“The experience was amazing!” states Keith. “They were on-site, getting the measurements as the framers were framing. They were prepped and ready to go. They provided us with choices and we made our decision and gave it to them. They ran off, did what they had to do at their factory and gave us the dates that they could install, which left the onus on our builder to have it all ready to go. They showed up the day they were supposed to, they installed the roof even though it was raining—I was surprised— they cleaned up and away they went.”
According to Tim, their company’s reputation is only growing. “We set ourselves apart through a number of things,” he explains. “We have a great reputation in the roofing industry, we guarantee all of our work, we have great relationships with our suppliers, and we have our own certified installers. We're passionate about what we do and it really does rub off on our customers.”
With Tim close to retirement, Jake is prepared to make Double AA his life’s work, following in his father’s footsteps.
“The future of the company is definitely going to be my career going forward, for the rest of my working life, and I want to have nothing but growth, to continue with lifetime roofing products and to ensure we give people the best customer service,” states Jake. “As metal roofing grows and the market gets stronger, more and more people are inquiring and going ahead with the lifetime product. I want to focus on our customer service and sell our service even more than the product. It goes a long way with making sure people are happy with what they are purchasing.”
Built For The Sun
Klaus Döhring and his company, Green Sun Rising, are a local leader in solar panels solutions, also known as solar arrays. Established in 2009, Green Sun Rising designs, develops, and implements all sizes photovoltaic projects, whether for your business or your home.
Solar arrays are a safe, smart, and socially conscious way to generate electricity, straight from the energy of the sun. Green Sun Rising’s guiding principle is, “The stone age did not end for lack of stones. The oil age will end long before we run out of oil.”
“Solar systems also make good sense, and a metal roof with standing seams plus a solar system make the building futureproof,” states Klaus. “We can make a suitable building net-zero, protecting from future cost of electricity and future inflation of the cost of electricity.”
Klaus, educated as an engineer, also used to work with Tim prior to the founding of Green Sun Rising. Despite now running separate companies, their two companies complement each other as solar arrays are often best mounted on metal roofs.
“Durable roofs make a lot of good sense, and a metal roof is durable,” explains Klaus. “Also, we like standing seam metal roofs, which allow clamps to attach to the standing seam, avoiding penetrations. Double AA Roofing is doing a fine job, and we appreciate the collaborative relationship we have.”
“It's a great idea to put a permanent roof underneath the solar panels,” adds Tim. “If you have to remove the solar panels to change the roof at some point, that can be very costly and can offset the benefits you get from putting the solar array on to begin with. We've always felt that our products complement each other nicely.”
Tim states that when it comes to roofing and solar energy solutions, despite their companies being separate entities, that Double AA Metal Roofing and Green Sun Rising put together a really great package for their customers.
“Klaus and I are both engineers, and Klaus is about as technical as you can get when it comes to understanding solar systems and electrical power grids—you can't get a more knowledgeable guy,” praises Tim. “With that kind of expertise, he's able to expertly guide the customers.”
COOL TREATS TO BEAT THE HEAT
The best sweet spots for ice cream, floats, and more
By Jen Brignall-Strong
Summer has arrived in Essex County, bringing with it sun-soaked days and of course, that classic (and oh so sticky) humidity. Looking for a delicious way to beat the heat? Nothing hits the spot better than a cool ice cream treat.
Whether you’re strolling along our scenic riverfront, exploring your neighborhood, or taking a Sunday drive through the county, there are plenty of sweet spots offering everything from ice cream and sundaes to gelato, floats, sorbet, and frozen yogurt.
Cup or cone? Chocolate or vanilla? Sprinkles or nuts? Here are a few of the most unique, iconic places across Windsor-Essex County to chill out this season:
More Frosty Favourites Across YQG
Cooleez
The Parlour T. Bear’s Creamery Stop 26 Slinky’s Lakewood Ice Cream
Busker’s Gennaro’s Café
Bubbles & Cream
Dairy Freez
368 County Rd. 34, Kingsville, ON
No matter where you hail from in our region, a visit to the iconic Dairy Freez is a rite of passage. For 70 years, this family-run drive-in restaurant and ice cream stop has been a favourite among kids and kids at heart. Enjoy your ice cream with a side of nostalgia? This is the place.
Dairy Freez specializes in classic soft serve ice cream: vanilla, chocolate, or a twist of both. Get your favourite dipped in chocolate and topped with nuts, M&Ms, caramel, or blended into one of their specialty milkshakes, like the popular Boston Cooler: vanilla soft serve with Vernor’s ginger ale. If you know, you know.
Love fresh, local flavours? Be sure to try
made lemon curd, or take it up a notch with one of Walkerville Chill’s loaded chimneys like the Cinnamon Bun with cream cheese frosting and cinnamon syrup, or the Strawberry Shortcake with cream cheese filling, homemade strawberry sauce and graham cracker crumble.
Dari De Lite
2686 Howard Ave., Windsor, ON
Now in their 53rd season, Dari De Lite is another summertime staple, offering both hard and soft serve ice cream, as well as banana splits, specialty sundaes, milkshakes, and even slushies.
This is another YQG favourite steeped in tradition; ask anyone standing in line on any given day and they’re sure to recount you with stories from their youth: from after dinner strolls with the family to first dates.
Sure, ice cream is great, but ice cream in a chimney cone? Now that’s next level delicious.
What is a chimney cone, you ask? Think cinnamon sugar donut in cone form. Based on a traditional Hungarian dessert, these sweet, fluffy, doughy delights are the perfect vessel for your favourite cool concoction. Choose from a variety of options including soft serve topped with Nutella or freshly
While their banana splits and epic sundaes are the stuff of Instagram foodie dreams, my personal favourite is the classic dipped cone: vanilla soft served dipped in chocolate and covered in peanuts. Like a Drumstick, only a zillion times better.
Nuccelli’s Frozen Yogurt
274 Dalhousie St., Amherstburg, ON Yogurt and fresh fruit? Nuccelli’s Frozen Yogurt is practically a health food if you ask me. Located just steps away from Amherstburg’s sparkling waterfront, Nuccelli’s crafts its
frozen delights using real fruit, including peaches, strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, and more. You can mix up to three fruits in your frozen yogurt, so choose your favourite combination and watch the magic unfold before your eyes.
For those with more of a sweet tooth, you can load up your treat with mix-ins like Oreo, M&Ms, peanut butter, and cream cheese too. More of a conventionalist? Nucelli’s also offers a variety of traditional ice creams, as well as milkshakes, sundaes, and parfaits.
Mari’s Artisan Gelato & Paletta
9 Division St. South, Kingsville, ON
Bringing the authentic flavours of Italy to downtown Kingsville, Mari’s Gelato & Paletta is so much more than a dessert stop: it’s an artisanal experience for the senses. The stunning new shop specializes in freshly made gelato; an Italian dessert similar to ice cream, but made with a lower butterfat content and churned at a slower speed, incorporating less air, which makes it denser and more intense in flavour.
EVERYTHING they serve is made from scratch and sourced locally. Fresh fruit from the county. Homemade caramel that is to die for. No artificial flavours, colours, or dyes either; everything is made naturally using food, like beet powder for pink colouring, or real roasted pistachio powder for rich, nutty gelato.
They also offer sorbeto; a water-based dessert made with fresh fruit puree, and paletta, a fruit ice pop that lasts longer than your traditional popsicle and is packed with fresh fruit flavours.
Trained by some of the best gelato makers in Italy, Mari is crafting something truly unique to our region and I encourage you to make a special trip to Kingsville to meet the lovely owners and sample some of the best frozen desserts you’ll ever have.
MENTAL HEALTH FOR CANADA’S AGRICULTURAL LIFEBLOOD
Foreign workers help keep Canadian farms running, with a little TeaMWork
By Devan Mighton
Far from home, without their loved ones and families, temporary foreign workers tend the crops that make it to the dinner tables of Canadians across this vast nation. The work can be hard, the hours long, but these tight-knit groups power through.
These workers are grateful for the opportunity to travel to Canada, and to earn a paycheck that they would be unlikely to be able to generate in their home country. Many of these foreign workers are farmers in their home nations, and spend part of their year working on farms here to save up for their families and to afford better equipment for their farms back home.
Photos by Anthony Sheardown
According to the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, Canadian farmers employ roughly 60,000 temporary foreign farm workers, one quarter of the industry’s workforce. Statistics Canada has surmised that 80 per cent of that workforce comes from three countries: Mexico, Guatemala, and Jamaica.
In 2022, the agriculture sector in Canada had among the highest job vacancy rates in the land at 7.4 per cent, per the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council. When Canadians cannot be found to fill these roles, farmers are led to explore other options for labour, like the Seasonal Agricultural Worker Program (SAWP) and the Temporary Foreign Worker Program (TFWP). Without workers from these programs, our farmers simply cannot provide the food for our kitchen tables, as there would be no one to do the work.
Here in the Windsor-Essex region, temporary foreign workers, especially in the Leamington and Kingsville area, with its prominent agricultural sector, make the world go round.
However, these workers, far from home, are just like us—especially in terms of their mental health. Working long hours, meeting deadlines, combined with isolation from their community, at large, and their families, these things begin to wear on a person.
“It is a unique experience, beautiful and very difficult at the same time,” reflects Yolanda, a foreign worker from Mexico. “Making the decision to migrate is very, very difficult—a goal that does not allow us to give up.”
TeaMWork Is Here To Help
In partnership with the Canadian Mental Health Association of WindsorEssex, the Windsor Essex Local Immigration Partnership, and the Government of Canada, Workforce WindsorEssex is spearheading a program called TeaMWork to help both temporary foreign workers and their employers deal with the rigours of fostering relationships between the two groups, easing the burden of visas, and offering services and mental health support to the workers.
“At Workforce WindsorEssex, we are proud to work with organizations across WindsorEssex, Chatham-Kent, and Sarnia-Lambton on the TeaMWork Project,” states TeaMWork project supervisor Monica Champagne. “Funded by Employment and Social Development Canada’s Migrant Worker Support Program, TeaMWork helps workers learn about their rights and responsibilities in Canada, gain access to supports and services available to them, and support them through emergency situations. Perhaps most importantly, TeaMWork helps to welcome them to their communities and let them know how much we value their contributions to the cultural landscape of this area, and to food security and the economy.”
TeaMWork, or Together Empowering Access for Migrant Workers Outreach, Resources and Knowledge, was formed, in part, by the creation of the Migrant Worker Support Program as part of the 2021 Federal Budget.
“Our role is to provide workplace outreach support to not only the migrant workers, but their employers as well,” explains CMHA-WECB workplace outreach worker Leanne Laramie. “We work on promoting psychological health and safety in the workplace and we can provide that in a variety of ways, like through workshops, one-on-one education sessions, we can provide individual, confidential, and free counselling support to the migrant workers, and also to act as a resource and connection
for them, if they are having financial difficulties or are experiencing difficulty with their visas, we can point them in the right direction.”
Foreign workers often don’t know the ins and outs of gaining permission to work in Canada. TeaMWork is here to lend a hand.
Fresh Off The Boat
“When workers come to Canada, they don’t always know how the systems work or what is available to them,” explains Champagne. “Employers work really hard to support their workforce, but it can be a lot to manage. That’s where we come in. TeaMWork supports both the workers and
the employers, ensuring everyone has the information and resources they need to thrive while they are here.”
Carrie Davis, another CMHA-WECB workplace outreach worker, says that the biggest challenges they hear from the workers is the difficulty of being away from home, running into language barriers, and understanding what resources are available to them.
It is a unique experience, beautiful and very difficult at the same time. Making the decision to migrate is very, very difficult—a goal that does not allow us to give up.
“The farms we’ve been to, truthfully, the living conditions are fairly good,” says Davis. “They have a good, close-knit group among the lot of them. The smaller farms, where there are only 30-35 workers, they spend all of their time together, so they become really good friends with a lot of these people they are here working with, and a lot of them return to the same farm.”
TeaMWork is flexible, providing resources that work around the workers’ long workday, including hosting virtual workshops on a biweekly basis about many different mental health subjects. Through this, they are able to reach as many people and as many farms as possible through TeaMWork’s ability to accommodate their after-hours availability and their ability to provide them with the info they need.
“With the Teamwork Project, in general, there’s been a variety of different partners that are a part of it and it’s definitely been extremely effective in getting them the resources and information that they need,” states Laramie. “Being away from home, in general, I think it does lead to isolation and loneliness, which then leads to depression and anxiety. A lot of them might find unhealthy coping strategies or things to do trying to forget those feelings, and, I think,
that’s where we come in. Our main goal is prevention, so we want to help them before they get into, for example, drugs or alcohol addiction, or lose their jobs.”
Businesses Supporting Their Workers
Truly Green Farms in Chatham-Kent has been working with TeaMWork for the benefit of their employees. As a partner of TeaMWork, they have been recognized by the project for their forthcomingness and commitment to improving the lives of their foreign workers.
“At Truly Green, “We put people first” is a guiding principle and core value within our organization, the DNA that defines who we are and what we stand for,” explains Erin Deline, director of employee engagement at Truly Green Farms. “It’s not often, we are lucky enough to partner with an organization who shares the same values that are important to us. The TeaMWork project has been an advantageous resource for our guest workers and supporting staff. They have jumped in and helped where needed, adapted services to meet our workers needs and been an instrumental educational source.”
Truly Green Farms sees the challenges their foreign workers face and are committed to making their experience here in Canada a positive one.
“Guest workers face an elevated risk of mental health not just from the obstacles of unfamiliarity with a diff erent culture,” states Deline. “They face fundamental challenges understanding basic services and overcoming healthcare barriers, which make them a vulnerable group. They face anxieties about the well-being of the friends and family they are required to leave back home and the need to return home urgently on compassionate grounds. TeaMWork has helped us support individuals through these challenging mental health circumstances. They do so much more than bridging the gap, they genuinely care, like they are extended family.”
Working with TeaMWork is paying dividends for the workers who have sought its benefits, leading to better outcomes and experience for these hardworking individuals.
“As an individual seeking better opportunities in life, coming to Canada as a temporary worker has been an absolute blessing,”
states Panuwat Wijan, a foreign worker from Thailand. “Not only has it allowed me to earn a more stable and substantial income, but it has also given me the chance to learn the ins and outs of running a farm business in Canada. The experience has been both eye-opening and inspiring, and it has fueled in me a desire to create my own business in this wonderful country.”
TeaMWork takes a community, and our foreign workers are all the better for it. In turn, so are we. With the help of so many community partners, TeaMWork is helping the local agricultural sector evolve for the better.
“We are very lucky to have many dedicated community partners to work with, including CMHA-WECB, who are very embedded in their communities and know the unique challenges faced by workers and employers in the Agricultural sector,” states Champagne. “Together, this community has already made a measurable, positive impact on the lives of workers.”
For more information on the TeaMWork Project, please visit TeaMWork.c a.
Symphony Orchestra!
A DECADE OF FACING THE MUSIC
Windsor Symphony Orchestra Maestro Robert Franz discusses music, milestones, and beating cancer
By Devan Mighton
Robert Franz remembers the day that changed his life.
Eight years old, sitting in the music room of his public school, a teacher placed a cello in his hands. That day, Franz was taught to make sound—and it spoke to him. He went home with that cello, and when there, he sat on the end of his bed, and delved deeply into that storied instrument.
Headstock resting by his ear, his fingers wandered the neck of the cello, experiencing the friction of the stings and their tautness. He placed the bow upon the strings, between the cello’s F-holes, and drew to the side. What started as a whisper, soon became a roar. He had discovered what would become the language of his life.
A fter four hours, he walked downstairs and told his parents of his new love and the path that he was going to follow.
Robert Franz is celebrating his 10th anniversary as the music director of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra, a position in which 153 people from eight countries applied for after the retirement of John Morris Russell. Franz is the sixth music director of the WSO since its founding in 1941.
“I sent my materials in and, lo and behold, they interviewed me and then invited me to guest conduct,” recalls Franz. “I got a call that February and they offered me the job and that’s how it all started.”
He says that 2013 was a different time in the City of Windsor, and the WSO was suffering some financial challenges and was in need of better engagement with the community.
“It became evident to me that not only performing great concerts at the Capitol Theatre was important but that we had to take the orchestra out of the Capitol and send it out into the community whenever and wherever we could,” explains Franz. As the orchestra further engaged the community, its footprint increased, and its performances evolved to grow more potent and powerful.
The orchestra started offering their performances to local schools, exponentially increasing the number of local students with exposure to classical music—something that Franz says benefits the active learning skills of students and impresses upon them a love for classical music.
“We have built really strong relationships with both the public school board and the parochial school board,” says Franz, who also serves as the music director for the Boise Baroque Orchestra and the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. “We now go into every elementary school in Windsor-Essex once every three years on a rotation.”
The COVID-19 pandemic was a transcendent period for most people. At the WSO, it proved a game-changer for the
orchestra and a time of change, challenge, and growth for its maestro. As the shepherds of the Capitol Theatre, the WSO created a production studio so that renters of the theatre would have more options. However, as the pandemic wore on, the production studio allowed the WSO to create two complete series of digital concerts for public consumption.
The WSO, using the working model they learned through the pandemic, branched out to create more content to benefit the community, including a digital version of their Gr. 4-6 program, which is seen by roughly 60,000 students both in WindsorEssex and out of the region.
In addition, Franz and the WSO were able to develop new concert series ideas, such as On Stage, flipping the switch on the traditional theatre dynamic by putting the WSO up on stage and surrounding it with spectators, parked at tables, with access to food and drinks in the theatre wings, and including interactive components with the crowd. A Friday morning version of this has also been created, complete with coffee bar, called the Cafe Series.
However, during COVID, with the world in turmoil and the WSO evolving in front of him, Franz’s personal life took a turn—he was diagnosed with cancer.
“I was fortunate in many ways, not the least of which was that the Windsor Cancer Centre here is just top-notch,” praises Franz. “They literally saved my life. I was diagnosed with Stage 4 non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in the fall of ‘21. By March of ‘22, they, through six rounds of chemo and immunotherapy drugs, got it out of my system.”
Franz has been in remission for two years and says that cancer has been transformative for him as both an artist and a person. “I don’t take for granted getting up in the morning, and getting myself ready, and rehearsing, or performing a concert—as anything short of a miracle at this point,” he explains. “That to me is spectacular. From an artist’s standpoint, not only is there a sense of gratitude, but I have a sense of really wanting to make the most out of every second I can of making music.”
“There’s no way that kind of event in your life cannot change you, how you view the world, and I find that I’m much more empathetic towards people and try to understand where they are coming from, but I also find that I’m less willing to expend energy in areas that I think won’t bring back energy to me. I don’t waste as much time as I used to. People are important to me, my family’s incredibly important to me, and my friends, and I love pouring my energy and my soul into that.”
Franz says that he doesn’t see himself stepping away from the conductor’s podium any time soon—in fact, after 10 years with WSO, he hopes to express himself through music until he physically can’t anymore.
He is invigorated by the community’s reaction to the WSO and its hard work in the community. “We’re a small tight-knit community that bases itself on trust and trusting each other,” he says. “Now that I feel that I’ve gained the trust of the community, I feel like the really sweet opportunities are right around the corner.”
“My vision of success is, ‘Let’s be the kind of organization and people that others want to be around and let’s do our homework, let’s prepare, and when the door comes open, let’s just lunge through it and take that step together.”
EASY OUTDOOR
ENTERTAINING TIPS
By Jyll Mackie
As the weather gets warmer and the days get longer, embracing outdoor gatherings becomes a natural choice. Whether you’re planning a Canada Day BBQ for the neighbourhood or a cozy evening for close friends, these tips for effortless entertaining will leave you free to relax and enjoy the company of your friends and family.
SET THE TABLE: Creating an inviting tablescape adds a special touch to any gathering, elevating the ambiance. While it may seem like an additional task, it doesn’t have to be daunting. Embrace the beauty of seasonal blooms cut from your own garden, arranged in simple bud vases. Alternatively, for a more organic aesthetic, arrange a few ceramic planters of herbs as a beautiful and fragrant centrepiece.
TIP: Opt for durable outdoor tableware and glassware. Beyond the sustainable choice, it safeguards against any mishaps.
KEEP THE MENU SIMPLE: The key to a stress-free gathering is to keep the menu simple. Consider dishes that can be prepared in advance, so you don’t spend the entire evening in the kitchen. Choose bright salads showcasing the best of the season’s local produce, accompanied by a variety of dips and spreads paired with artisanal bread or crackers. For main attractions, keep it simple yet satisfying with classic grilled fare like homemade burgers or shish kabobs – guaranteed crowd-pleasers.
CREATE A SIGNATURE COCKTAIL: Keep essentials for a refreshing mojito or a fruity red wine sangria at the ready throughout the summer. If you find yourself short on time to fill your fridge with canned drinks, prepare a pitcher of your signature cocktail instead. And for those opting for non-alcoholic refreshment, a classic lemonade (served with a side of Prosecco for those who prefer the alcoholic version) satisfies all tastes.
CREATE AMBIANCE: There is nothing better than a summer evening under the stars bathed in the gentle glow of twinkling lights. Whether you add simple string lights above your patio, illuminate garden pathways with solar-powered fixtures, or light tabletop candles, incorporating atmospheric lighting is essential for creating an inviting outdoor oasis.
CONSIDER GUEST COMFORT: While dining al fresco is lovely, Mother Nature can be unpredictable at times. Ensure your guests remain comfortable and content with thoughtful preparations. Have cozy blankets on standby for any unexpected temperature dips, offer shade from the sun’s rays with strategically placed umbrellas or shade sails, and thwart pesky mosquitoes with citronella candles or a Therma cell device.
FROM NOTES TO NOTABLES
Maddalena Liburdi: A teacher’s tale of tenacity and t2unes
Born to Italian parents, Maddalena Liburdi, was born in Windsor but the first language she learned was Italian. Soon enough, music became the language that spoke to her heart. In 2013, she performed and conducted at the Vatican in Italy. So, Liburdi’s connection with the European country is in her destiny, which was more evident than ever a few weeks ago. During the concert of one of Italy’s most famous singers, Andrea Bocelli, she also fulfilled a promise she had made to her students: to deliver a CD recorded by her music production, senior-level instrumentalist, and therapeutic music class of songs by the Italian singer, tenor, composer, and music producer.
By Paulina Just
Liburdi has been teaching music to students for the past eight years, the last two of which she has been at F. J. Brennan Catholic High School. One of her many music classes is Life Skills, comprised of nine students with disabilities, aged between 14 and 21, who learn music therapeutically. Annually, they hold several concerts, and for this year’s Valentine’s Day concert, the class decided to record a romantic CD with songs by Bocelli and other famous artists. “I suggested Bocelli because I grew up listening to him, and he is also blind. I wanted my students to know that a man with a disability can sing and play the flute and the piano. And my students are just as awesome as everybody," says Liburdi.
The concert performance and CD recording succeeded, but teaching songs in Italian wouldn’t be Maddalena’s biggest challenge. “When we finished recording, one of the students said, ‘We gotta send this to Andrea Bocelli. He would be so proud to hear us, especially knowing what kind of people we are'," she remembers. “I thought about how I was going to send this to them. There is Instagram, but they get thousands of messages a day. Then I saw he was on tour, and Detroit was on the list. I knew it was my chance, and I got concert tickets.” She told her students she was attending the concert, and they started the mission. “We designed a poster with a picture of our class and wrote that he inspires us. I also wrote
a letter in braille telling who we were, the students’ medical conditions, obstacles, and achievements.” Maddalena also recorded the songs on a USB in case they didn’t have a CD player, and all the students signed their names. Then, she went to the show, equipped with the poster and the love and pride of her students.
From that point it would be up to Liburdi’s grit and persuasion. At the entrance, she was stopped for having the poster, which, according to a staff member, was prohibited. “I always follow the rules, so I looked on the website before I went, and it just said you had to have this tiny clutch purse, which literally fit my phone and barely fit my passport. It didn’t say anything about no posters. I asked them to show me on the website that it was forbidden.” The staff members couldn’t prove Maddalena wrong, but neither wanted to let her in. She explained what the poster was about and even folded it so they would let her in, but with no success. That’s when she had the idea of approaching the staff members, saying that it was a gift and that she would like them to deliver it to Bocelli. After much suspicion and insistence - Maddalena even stopped people from entering the arena - the staff agreed to receive the poster and deliver it to Bocelli’s team. “Just before the show started, I saw the employee and made him show me a picture that he had handed them. I always say: if there’s a will, there’s a way,” she happily said.
Eventually, the mission was fulfilled. In the show’s final stretch, Maddalena noticed
movement backstage with their poster. She started filming and saw that Bocelli’s wife was reading the letter. She was already thrilled that the poster had been handed to them. But the highlight was when Virginia, Bocelli’s daughter, who is only 12 years old, went on stage with the poster to thank the audience. Maddalena couldn’t believe it. “I’m immediately trying to take all the pictures and excited; it was great.”
The next day, the teacher showed the delighted students the pictures and video. “They asked if they were famous, and I said yes, not only to those at the concert, but they put the pictures on their Instagram and Facebook, so now millions worldwide are seeing our picture. They were pleased,” she remembers. When asked if she is always this persuasive, she answers: “With my students, yeah. Especially those students, because they can’t speak for themselves. So, it’s my place to advocate for them. Music always speaks where words fail.” After all these emotions, the class now prepares for the Spring concert.
This is just one of several in Liburdi’s life story. Music has already provided her with many significant moments: she has performed three times at Carnegie Hall, a worldclass performance venue in New York; she also performed a Canada Day service in France at the Battle of Vimy Ridge and performed at the Vatican, still being the youngest person to conduct there. She is also an active member of the Windsor Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Yet, despite these big achievements, Maddalena’s true passion lies in seeing her students’ dreams come true. She sells popcorn daily in the school to fund their instruments. Her dedication to their success is a testament to her selflessness and commitment. “I always say to them that to move your audience, you must move yourself first. If you don’t believe in it, don’t love what you’re doing, or don’t feel the music you are playing, your audience will not feel it. You have to work hard in silence and let your success make the noise for you,” she concludes.
DON’T BELIEVE A THOUGHT YOU THINK ENLIGHTENMENT 101
Isn’t it amazing that our thoughts can turn a moment of despair into a moment of delight in 60 seconds or less. It can also do the opposite and turn a moment of delight into a moment of despair in the same amount of time. For many of us we believe that we are our minds and thus often fall victim to it. Don’t get me wrong, the mind has amazing power and can do amazing things, but the problem is, it can also wreak havoc in our life and prevent us from being as successful, peaceful, healthy and loving as we could be.
Throughout our lives we are programmed to believe our thoughts as truth, but what if the thoughts in our heads weren’t ours or furthermore, even true? This notion reminds me of a sage piece of advice, ‘Don’t Believe a Thought You Think.’ My intention with this article is to assist you to understand how to manage the mind so it no longer manages you, and to share four magic words that will help you take back the helm of your ship and easily diff use any anxiety that may be building up.
Here’s one of life’s greatest secrets. YOU ARE NOT YOUR MIND. And you are not the thoughts that come out of your mind. That little voice that is constantly running in your head, the voice you call your thinking is not you even though that appears to be you. I once heard life coach, T. Harv Eker, explain this theory in the following way: “The same way you have a hand, you’re not your hand. Or the same way you have a leg, but you’re not your leg. You have a mind but you’re not your mind. Your mind is a part of you but it’s not you. It may beg to question, well if I am not my mind then who am I? You are the one who has the arm, the one that has the leg and the one that has the mind, but you are not the voice in your head. You are the one that can hear the voice in your head, but you are not your thoughts. You are the one that can hear your thoughts or yourself thinking.” Can you see the separation in this idea because this can be life changing if you can? For example, you would say, ‘this is my car.’ You wouldn’t say, ‘my car is me.’ You have a mind just like you would have a car, but you are separate and distinct from your mind. You may live in the same “house” but you’re not the same. Ok, take a breath. Stay with me.
The storage cabinet you call your mind, (and what’s in it), is determining who you are. It’s who you learned to be. We come into life as an empty cabinet but where do we get that information that we store? Well, it’s simple, from other people. From the beginning of your life those people
would be your parents, family, the people we grew up with, friends, classmates, teachers, religious leaders, (sadly) it’s the media and now the internet. In short, basically everything and everyone around us. All these entities are fi lling up our fi le cabinets with information about the world. Here is the important question: “Is the information we are receiving even true?” It’s true if you believe that everything anyone ever says is true. The truth is we come in empty and then by around age three we get fi lled up with other people’s thoughts, beliefs, opinions, emotions, habits, ways of being, ways of doing, ways of not doing, etc. If you are listening to the voice in your head, you are listening to a recording of information coming from people who may or may not have done all that well themselves.
Your mind is a survival mechanism. The mind’s main job is to protect you so you can survive and is based on problems and fear which arise in all of its forms including; worry, doubt, overwhelm, and all forms of anxiety. It’s like living with an overly reactive bodyguard who, like any good protector, it’s going to warn you about all the potential dangers and problems lurking around every corner. ‘Look out,’ ‘Be careful,' ‘You’re not ready!’ It has a bias towards the negative because that’s its job. After all, a good bodyguard isn’t interested in how beautiful the sunset looks but rather about the possibility of harm befalling you. In short, your mind wants to control you and take over your entire life by making you believe that it “is your life.” Remember, you are not the bodyguard, you are the captain of your ship, and your mind is supposed to be reporting to you! As I see it, most anxiety boils down to fear and the fact our protective mind is constantly on hyper alert - like a worried mother.
The good news is that you have choices as to whether you want to believe that voice in your head and more importantly, whether you want to act on it. You, and you alone, can separate yourself from yourself, so you
can know thyself. (didn’t Socrates say that?) Self inquiry may sound something like, ‘What my mind is telling me about this is? A follow up question can be to ask yourself, ‘Is that even true?’ We all need to question the validity of our negative mindset. This is what I call being a conscious observer of your thoughts. Being conscious and aware of our thoughts means living from a place of choice in the present versus programming and habits from the past. It’s questioning the mind’s voice and then choosing to act on these thoughts based on the present moment.
Here
are
the 3 Laws of Thought:
You have the ability to CONTROL your thoughts.
You have the ability to REMOVE any thought from your mind. You have the ability to INSTALL any thought into your mind.
The next time you find yourself in a place of suffering mentally due to your overactive mind practice being the conscious observer of your thoughts. Separate yourself from the overactive bodyguard and ask yourself, ‘What am I thinking right now?’ You may be surprised to find out that what your mind is telling you, isn’t even true.
The next step is to simply tell your mind THESE 4 MAGIC WORDS: ‘Thank you for sharing’... but I choose not to entertain that thought and then quickly choose a new more supportive thought to replace it with.
You have the ability to stop a negative fear-based thought before it gets momentum by stepping in and calming it down. By consciously monitoring your thoughts and inserting the new empowering thought you can catch the stealer of your peace before it takes over your ship.
I’m Teri Gyemi, a passionate life coach with a strong love for human behaviour. My own flawed past and my will to understand the hidden impulses that led me there, as well as my unrelenting desire to serve others, is what inspired me to become a life coach. Equipped with my certifications from the late Debbie Ford of The Ford Institute for Integrative Coaches, 2 decades experience as a life coach, practice as a workshop leader and educator, I have successfully supported clients through a holistic approach in realizing and executing their goals, healing emotionally, reviving their relationships or uncouple from unhealthy ones. My hope is that something I write will encourage those in need to take a step toward positive personal growth. terigyemi.com | psychologytoday.com
BEYOND THE BACKYARD
EXPLORING TOM AND LINDA’S HIDDEN HAVEN
For 50 years, the couple has lived on and cared for the place, which is visited often by friends and family
By Paulina Just
Photos by Syx Langemann
Some people wonder what others’ backyards are like. Do they have pools? Parks? Barbecues and sofas for entertaining guests? Are there any animals or children playing? To write this article, The Drive Magazine was invited to visit one of the most incredible “backyards” in South Woodslee. We found a true paradise in the middle of the fields. The place belongs to Tom and Linda Strong, who, for almost 50 years, have daily cared for their nine-acre space. They are a smiling and welcoming couple aged 72 and 71, respectively, who embrace every visitor warmly.
The area is incredibly green, filled with native trees and small gathering spaces with colourful chairs, inviting people to come together. The bamboo bar features a large counter, an ice machine, and cabinets full of drinks. A sign on the wall says: “If you are waiting for a sign that you should have a glass of wine, this is it.” Strings of lights add charm to the place at night. Bella, the couple’s 13-year-old dog, is gentle and welcoming, though she isn’t the only animal around. Geese, ducks, rabbits, birds, deer, and fish also call this place home. You can see the main attraction as soon as you arrive: the pond, nicknamed Lake Linda. The lake was dug in 1962 to build the 401 overpass, and it is 20 feet deep, according to them. In the middle of it, there is a floating wooden platform where dozens of geese sunbathe and rest. There is also a deck with a slide, sun loungers, and stools. Several trees and plants surround the pond, with numerous fish they catch and release. Hanging from the two trees, a white swing hammock is the perfect spot for reading
The outdoor space also features a large green-painted wooden table; a stainless steel tub that was used to clean milk machines when it was a dairy farm, repurposed and installed as a sink with hot water; an extraordinarily well-maintained and decorated bathroom down to the details; and an outdoor shower with all the necessary structure. Despite the heavy workload, maintenance is managed by recycling and repurposing materials. Nearby is the trail entrance with signs bearing funny and motivational messages.
Then, Linda and Tom show the other main - but no less important - attraction of their place: the cabin, nicknamed Uncle Tom’s Cabin. Made of wood, and measuring 12x24, the cabin is an old granary to store grain which was moved from the farm when it was a dairy farm. It has only two rooms: the bedroom with two beds and the living room with a sofa bed and a fully equipped kitchen. Every corner of the cabin is decorated. The bed blankets are colourful, as are the shelves, which contain various books - some of stories, others of photos, but most are guestbooks. Linda says she has dozens of them. This makes it clear how much they like to share their haven with people. “What is the sense of having this place and not sharing it with people we love?” said Tom.
Tom’s connection to this property runs deep. Born here, he spent his youth with his family on this land, which was once arid, hot, and devoid of trees. In 1975, when he married Linda, they decided to purchase the property from his parents and transform it into the haven it is today. Over the years, they
made significant changes, from adding hydro lines to updating old structures. Their hands planted every tree, plant, and flower that graces the space. In addition to the backyard, the pond, and the cabin, they also have a main house built in front of the property.
In fact, one of the memories that Tom and Linda brought is that they lived for six months in the cabin during the building of their new main house in 2000. “We loved living here so much that we couldn’t understand why we’re building another house,” jokes Linda. During the work, they would barbecue for the workers every Friday. “We’d cook them hamburgers, hot dogs, and then they return to work. It was a fun time,” remembers Tom.
This story is indeed about this secret paradise, but also about how the couple have always shared it with special people. Tom and Linda couldn’t have children, but this didn’t result in a quiet life; quite the opposite. Over all these years, they have received countless people in their private
paradise, mostly family. “My nephews and nieces were brought up here. Now we have great nieces and nephews, and they’re always coming,” said Linda. Especially during the summers, the couple usually receives many friends and family members. They like to swim in the lake, fish, drink, chat, and have fun. Canadians, Americans, French, Mexicans, Africans, and even Russians have passed through here. Sometimes they also receive visits from nursing home residents to spend the day there. They have an annual tradition with some family members where they play competitive yard games. “This feeling that people are creating memories here, in my backyard, is incredible,” Linda says. The place is so welcoming that it has also been the setting for several family weddings. One of them was Vanessa’s.
A 32-year-old government employee, Vanessa Montigny, resides in Tilbury, Ontario, with her husband, Justin Montigny. The couple had shared a loving relationship for seven years and tied the knot last September. “Our wedding was a magical
feeling. I got to be married, where there are so many cherished memories with my family. It felt nostalgic - the ceremony held under the arbor my cousin used for her wedding; the dance floor next to the cornfield we used to build forts; the reception on the laneway where we drove for hours up and down on the gator; and then ended the night with fireworks over the pond where I learned to swim.”
Vanessa decided to celebrate her marriage on her aunt and uncle’s property, a place that holds significant sentimental value for her. She explains, “My uncle’s property is not only surrounded by natural beauty but also evokes the best feeling in the world: unconditional love. I wanted all the closest people in my life to experience the sanctuary of warmth and acceptance they created.” The wedding was attended by 100 guests, including friends, family, and the couple’s two dogs, making it an intimate and heartfelt celebration.
To Vanessa, the property is more than just a beautiful location; it is a place rich with family history and personal memories. “I visit the pond every summer to take a vacation. We had the best childhood memories – mud fights, gator rides, racing crabs, campfire games, and swimming,” Vanessa recalls. “When I think of the pond – I think of the quality time spent with all our loved ones. It was our playground as kids and our sanctuary as adults. I’m so thankful for them giving us all a place to feel safe and all the unconditional love.” Despite so many incredible moments, believe it or not, Linda and Tom discuss moving. The reason being the high maintenance that the place requires. “We’re always doing something; it’s a lot of work. It’s fun work, but our bodies can’t handle that anymore,” said Linda.
Their happiness together is evident: Tom and Linda could enjoy anywhere as long as they are together. When I asked what it would be like if they had this wonderful place but didn’t have each other, they briefly looked at each other before answering me. Linda answered first: “Without him, we wouldn’t have all this.” Tom added: “If she hadn’t, I wouldn’t have stayed here. It wouldn’t make sense.”
GREEN THUMBS UP
How Downtown Windsor’s Good Greens Food
Reclamation
Program increases access to local foods for all, boosts local businesses, and minimizes food waste
Food is a terrible thing to waste.
An inspired new not-for-profit initiative at the region’s largest weekly farmers’ market is helping cultivate a healthier, more inclusive, and more sustainable community in Windsor’s downtown core—one Saturday afternoon at a time.
You may have heard the term “food desert” used to refer to impoverished and abandoned neighbourhoods across the border. Shamefully, a series of policy decisions have also created these conditions in our own backyard. Today, many downtown residents are underserved and often food insecure, compelled to rely on processed, prepackaged, nutritionally vacuous foods from fast-food outlets and convenience stores. Over time, these consumption patterns can lead to several diet-related ailments, including but not limited to obesity, diabetes, high cholesterol, and hypertension. What’s worse, the problem may be more widespread than you realize: Fewer than 35 percent of WindsorEssex residents consume vegetables, as recommended, five or more times a day.
By Jesse Ziter
Photos by Anthony Sheardown
Enter the Good Greens Food Reclamation Program. For 31 weeks of the year, the initiative works to redirect unsold fresh produce and baked good from the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market to low-income, at-risk, and vulnerable Windsorites who might otherwise struggle to afford or access them.
Good Greens currently works with more than a dozen vendors, many of which—like Bouchard Gardens and Iron Kettle Commissary—will be household names to regular marketgoers. This season, its beneficiaries include the Downtown Mission, the Downtown Windsor Community Collaborative, Feeding Windsor Essex, the Salvation Army, the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women & Families, and the Windsor Youth Centre.
The Drive spoke to Shane Peters, the program’s coordinator. A University of Windsor environmental studies student concentrating in resource management, Peters is currently completing a fifth undergraduate year to add a certification in law
and politics to his impressive academic resume. Peters, who would like to eventually work in the municipal sector, was handpicked for the role in September 2023 by Steve Green, general manager of the Farmer’s Market and proprietor of Walkerville’s Steve Green Foods.
“A lot of food donations are canned goods,” says Peters. “While that helps, getting fruits and veggies and wholegrain foods into our community partners’ hands is really important.”
At press time, the program had already reclaimed nearly 800 kilograms of produce and more than 800 individual baked goods this market season, which began on March 30.
At the same time, Good Greens has prevented thousands of kilograms of carbon dioxide equivalent from entering the atmosphere. As Peters explains, when landfilled, food waste breaks down to release methane responsible for 8 to 10 percent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Methane is more than 20 times as environmentally destructive than carbon dioxide, the most commonly cited greenhouse gas.
Environmentalism aside, the program also has real economic benefits. Critically, Good Greens does not ask Market vendors to donate unsold goods as a purely charitable gesture. The program’s operational model ensures farmers, bakers, and other food makers are compensated fairly for their contributions, injecting much appreciated capital into the Market economy. “During our pilot season, every 1 dollar and 11 cents we spent during that month translated to one meal served to the community,” shares Peters.
To avoid costly storage commitments and keep its money circulating in the market economy, Good Greens limits its focus to prepackaged baked goods and fresh produce, all of which it transfers directly from vendors to community partners at the end of each market day. According to Peters, the entire operation takes about two hours. Otherwise, Peters staffs an onsite donation and information booth during regular market hours.
The Good Greens idea initiated with Debi Croucher, Executive Director of the Downtown Windsor Business Improvement Association (DWBIA) and was sparked by a $20,000 community improvement grant from the London-based Libro Credit Union. The initiative completed a monthlong pilot this past fall, as the 2023 market season drew to a close.
The initial grant should sustain Good Greens through June or July, but the initiative has also secured a $25,000 Libro grant from Hydro One. Beyond these sizeable cash injections, Good Greens relies on direct financial support from the broader community. “We’ve opened up a crowdfunding portal on our website,” says Shane, who notes you can also find Good Greens on Instagram and Facebook. “We’re also doing merchandising and more community outreach this year.”
Peters is particularly proud of the program’s Good Gardeners offshoot. “We’ve rolled out our educational initiative, which entails going into schools and finding ways to educate the youth on nutrition, backyard gardening, and the role of Good Greens,” he notes.
This fall, Good Greens partnered with Ready, Set, Go, a birth-to-six parental
support organization operating in the downtown, to deliver in-person presentations to four junior and senior kindergarten classrooms at West Gate Public School. Supported by the City of Windsor Horticulture Division, Good Greens was able to send each student home with a seedling. “We’re trying to entice that engagement,” says Peters, who also distributed colouring pages, stickers, and other goodies.
For Peters, the initiative is all about sewing the conditions for a more prosperous, sustainable future for the region.
“Personally, I would love to scale it up to a place where we’re not just doing the Farmer’s Market in the downtown,” says Peters, who envisions one day working with area grocery stores. “That’s where the real food waste is. Right now, we really have to work on getting established in the community and proving our impact as we balance the longevity and scale of the program.”
If you’ve read this far, you know sustainability rarely happens by accident. Good Greens requires a constant drip of donations to stay alive and continue to bear fruit for its partner organizations. To learn how you can help, stop by the information booth at next weekend’s market or point your browser to downtownwindsor.ca/goodgreens. Interested in volunteering? Reach out to Shane directly at shane@downtownwindsor.ca.
the Ultimate Summer Playground at Rochester Place!
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