OCTOBER 2020
THE SIDEONE PHOTO ESSAY
SLIGHTED BY AN ATHEIST UPBRINGING A millennial’s view
Croatia and the woman in the red dress
CONCUSSIONS IN WOMEN Twice as likely to suffer and longer to recover
LESSONS FROM THE LAND Big-city dweller learns about life in the north
FIVE MORE BANDS THAT AREN’T THE ROLLING STONES
IN THIS ISSUE... WELCOME TO SIDEONE. PG.03
An introduction and an explanation.
LESSONS FROM THE LAND. PG.04
Big-city dweller moves north and learns from the Waskaganish Cree.
A MILLENNIAL’S POV PG.10
Feeling slighted by an atheist upbringing.
CONCUSSIONS IN WOMEN. PG.14
THE SIDEONE PROFILE. PG.34
This month we meet Milos Popovic, Director of the KITE Research Institute in Toronto and his amazing efforts to help those with spinal cord damage.
COVID-19 FINANCIAL SURVIVAL AND RECOVERY KIT. PG.37 Some pointers to help ease the strain.
COMING UP. PG.43
A sampling of next month’s stories.
More likely to get them and more likely to have difficult recoveries.
FIVE MORE BANDS THAT AREN’T THE ROLLING STONES. PG.18
An introduction to some new bands from some new places.
THE LAST SEASON. PG.22
A football passion explained.
THE PHOTO ESSAY. PG.26
Exploring the beauty of Croatia and the story of the woman in the red dress.
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS… PG.31
A monthly feature of dates and facts that may surprise you.
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FOR THE GENERATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. Editor and publisher: Kevin Gilligan Contact Email: sideone@gilligangroup.net Mail: P.O. Box 43503 Leaside, Toronto, ON M4G 3BO Phone: 416-489-9257 SideOne Magazine is published monthly online @ www.sideonemagazine.ca SideOne Magazine is a division of The Gilligan Group Inc.
WELCOME TO
FOR THE GENERATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
Kevin Gilligan is the editor and publisher of SideOne Magazine. After years in marketing and advertising, he decided to do something he truly loves. It was Thanksgiving weekend when I sat down to write this piece. I thought about all I had to be thankful for, from the months prior to the first issue of SideOne. What’s to be thankful for? The amazing friends and family who helped me do it. Some are friends who are like family, some are family who are great friends and some are plain old friends. Some were those I hadn’t spoken with in years but at some point we shared a common connection or experience that kept a bond in place.
What brought us all together? A shared belief that a large proportion of the population was poorly served by today’s magazines. Most of us at SideOne are part of that large proportion. These people believed in the vision that I shared with them and jumped in wholeheartedly to provide awesome support. Most of them have bylines and a few others have been behind the scenes. To them and for them, I am truly thankful. A blessing or perhaps karma depending on your
beliefs. I’ll leave the discussion of beliefs for this month’s Millennial’s POV. A great gift either way. What brought us all together? A shared belief that a large proportion of the population was poorly served by today’s magazines. Most of us at SideOne are part of that large proportion. Perhaps there was a little self-interest at play but we really believed we could make a worthwhile contribution to the public discourse. The basic idea was to create an online magazine for the baby boom generation – a generation left behind by most of today’s magazines. Not a magazine that would pander to boomers but rather one that would write about topics that would interest them. And while baby boomers have taken a fair number of knocks lately for all that is wrong with the world, we don’t share that point of view. A quick trip through newspaper clippings or old newscasts show a time before boomers that was restrictive and conformist. Boomers fought hard to change things for the better, not without some real mistakes along the way, but better. If you’d like to share your thoughts on our generation or discuss anything else you see in the magazine, please join us on our Facebook page. And again, the answer to the question of “Why SideOne?” Because that’s where the best stuff was and that’s what we want to be.
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LESSONS FROM THE LAND Alain Lajoie
The Waskaganish Cree teach a big-city dweller about life in the North Alain Lajoie is a born and raised Montrealer. He started teaching for the Cree School Board in 1991. He retired in 2020 and moved back to Montreal with his dog Django. In 1668, Médard des Groseilliers erected Fort Charles
expenses. Having your white privilege questioned
(later Rupert House), the first fur trading post in James
daily by people who reject your superiority or
Bay, two years before the creation of the Hudson
discovering that the “noble savage” myth is just
Bay Company. In 1686, Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville
that. Not being able to get the medical care you need
captured Rupert House and two other HBC trading
locally.
posts. In 1776, the HBC reoccupied the site. I arrived there, in what is now known as Waskaganish, in 1991. The Crees have been there since time immemorial. I went to Waskaganish to teach. In the crew of new teachers, there were those who wanted full-time positions or to complete their two-year probation, mercenaries who had been lied to about making crazy money, the odd cultural missionary sure that they could do what residential schools didn’t, and the odd wannabe seeking spiritual redress. Of the bunch, five years later, I was the only one left
When asked what it was like to teach “up north” for so long, I have a two-part answer. The easy part is to say that people are people: Most kids hate math, teenagers are horny, parents try hard and want the best for their children, hockey is the national religion of Canada, young adults find it hard to leave their families behind to go to college or university, bingo is the gateway to “real” gambling, slapstick works everywhere, and sarcasm doesn’t. Between people, there are more similarities than differences.
that teaching wasn’t for them. Some couldn’t cope
When asked what it was like to teach “up north” for so long, I have a two-part answer.
with the isolation, the long winter, or trying to make
But then, we get to what makes a Cree, a Cree: The
teaching in Waskaganish.
FELLOW TEACHERS LEFT Why did my fellow teachers leave? Some realized
a long-distance relationship work. There was the tiny dating pool. Being away from friends and family.
land, the bush, since time immemorial.
Being away from Mom and Dad for the first time
Euro-Canadians (white people) are the descendants
and not being able to go back home on weekends
of forest fearers. The forest is dark. It is dangerous.
to get your laundry done. Not getting rich, because
You take a survival course to be able to, barely,
your Northern Resident benefits barely cover your
desperately, survive this nasty entity. The only good
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forest is one that you can profit from, in the short
discrete 50-minute segments, but you learn to adapt
term.
or move on.
FOREST IS HOME
While students and families “down south� anticipate
For the Crees, the forest is home. You use its gifts wisely, and if you do so, they will renew themselves. It is only when you have been out in the bush with trappers who know the land like the back of their hands that you can appreciate its beauty and complexity. It is when you see your students jumping fearlessly from big, wet rock to bigger, more slippery rock on the side of the river that you understand they are born to be in the bush. When you have lived on the land for hundreds of generations, when you are one with the land, your sense of time is different from that of a city dweller. Morning, afternoon, evening and night describe your day. The seasons determine what you do, what you eat and where you live. It is challenging for the new arrival, especially when your work is arranged in
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the winter break, we stay in class. Instead, in the spring, almost everything shuts down for two weeks so the Crees can go out with the family and hunt geese heading north. As no one can predict accurately when the geese will be flying, a teacher can expect many of his students to miss additional time, either to help prepare the camp or waiting for the nisk (geese) to fly by.
When you have lived on the land for hundreds of generations, when you are one with the land, your sense of time is different from that of a city dweller.
In the summer, the Crees set nets on the river to
which are both cooked in front of a fire, in a teepee.
harvest fish. In the fall, it’s time to hunt moose and
Moose nostril and beaver brain are both considered
the geese flying south. In the winter, you trap beaver
delicacies and reserved for elders. Feasts take place
and you stretch your net between holes in the ice on
in the gym or the community centre; all are invited.
the river. Not all Crees partake in all these activities,
Under each plate is a plastic bag so you may take
but many still do, and they pass their skills on to
home another serving of sigabon (roasted goose),
their children, as their parents did to them.
mashed potatoes and mixed veggies.
HUNTING SPOTS USED FOR GENERATIONS
You share the food you have harvested with family and friends. When you shoot a moose, it is butchered locally and distributed, with parents and elders getting the choicest cuts.
These days, some Cree families trek down to farmers’ fields in Eastern Ontario during the Goose Break to set up their blinds with the blessing of the farmers, for whom the geese are a nuisance. They settle at a motel where they can plug in their freezers. After the men (mainly) have shot the geese, the women pluck them. The birds are bagged and stored in the freezers. When they are full, the freezers are towed home to the community, emptied, and driven back south so the hunt can continue. Others have traditional hunting spots that might have been in use for generations. They may charter helicopters to ferry them to their camps and back, while some snowmobile out on the frozen bay and boat back in after the ice has melted.
The geographic isolation of the Cree community also means the relationship with weather is very different than in urban areas. We build Canadian cities to minimize the effects of weather, with tunnels between buildings to avoid the snow, air-conditioned buildings that can offer shelter during heat waves,
You share the food you have harvested with family
and hydro crews at the ready in case of outages.
and friends. When you shoot a moose, it is butchered
Waskaganish has no tunnels; the buildings are built
locally and distributed, with parents and elders
to withstand the cold of winter, not the heat of
getting the choicest cuts. You also share geese, fish
summer -- and it can get very hot in the summer.
and beaver. The Crees love a good community feast. No wedding, funeral or major celebration is complete
The nearest hydro crews are hundreds of kilometres
without one. The call will go out and families will
away by roads that aren’t always plowed. You learn
open their freezers to bring in geese or moose,
to have water reserves, to keep batteries (or a
generator) handy, and hope to have a neighbour
three summers out of four, one of the nine Cree
with a teepee and a Coleman stove or a wood-burner.
communities has to prepare for an evacuation.
Most of the local housing can be heated with either oil or wood, and by your third week of -30C weather, the local “Buy/sell/trade” on Facebook is filled with requests and offers for firewood.
The geographic isolation of the Cree community also means the relationship with weather is very different than in urban areas.
PROHIBITION IS A FAILURE Waskaganish also has its share of social problems. The unemployment rate is high, some adults consume hard drugs, drunks can be violent, and child welfare authorities have a full plate. If you live with Crees long enough, you see that a lot of these problems have at their root the incompetence and cruelty of governments, past and present. Prohibition is a failure and yet it is still enforced; bootleggers abound. It is probably easier for a 13-year-old to get a bottle of vodka in Waskaganish than it would be
When it is that cold, the smoke from the furnaces
in Toronto -- if he can get the $140 any of the local
doesn’t so much rise from the chimneys as slowly
bootleggers will charge him. A few years ago, a
pearl down off the roofs into the streets. The summer
bootlegger had a “Graduation Sale”: Any high-school
heat also brings the possibility of forest fires. About
graduate could get $40 off the price of a bottle.
being treated as bad parents and losing their kin for long periods of time. Some of my fellow teachers, the women, had been sent to a Catholic residential school in what was then Fort George (now known as Chisasibi) to be taught in French. Their brothers were sent to an Anglican residential school in Ontario, where Cree was to be beaten out of them and replaced by English. You could say that’s all in the past, but the past directly affects the present when you talk about families. There is nothing like living in a First Nation community to see how badly the federal government continues to treat them, how promises and agreements are reneged on continuously, and how quickly the Truth and Reconciliation Report was shelved. The true savages have been the elected governments who have chosen to ignore all the issues.
You could say that’s all in the past, but the past directly affects the present when you talk about families. I loved my time with the Crees of the First Nation Some social issues are endemic to any place as short
of Waskaganish and will return to visit when the
of housing as all Cree communities are. Because
COVID-19 pandemic is under control. I miss the
of the Indian Act, the Cree band owns all land in
rivers, the millions of stars you see at night when
the community; until they created workarounds a
the aurora borealis isn’t on display, the beauty of the
few years back, no one could own their house and
village under a fresh coat of snow, and, most of all,
everyone lived in social housing. This doesn’t apply
the Cree friends who taught me so much.
to people hired from outside the community.
THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM When we look at social issues in First Nation communities, the elephant in the room has to be the residential school system. Apart from the effects of children being taken away from their families, being forbidden to use their language or culture, and being subject to physical, emotional, and sometimes sexual abuse, mothers and fathers had to deal with
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A MILLENNIAL’S POV Feeling slighted by an atheist upbringing
By Kimberly Elliot
Kimberly Elliot is an associate with a Toronto-based marketing agency.
There is a man who stands at a busy intersection
I would pray if I could. If I believed that prayers
near where I live holding a sign that says “Jesus
could be answered, praying would likely take up the
loves you.” He turns to face oncoming traffic as the
bulk of my day. But I was raised by atheist parents
lights change so no one feels left out. The first time I
and to entertain the idea that God exists was to
saw him, the sign was scribbled on some white foam
lower yourself to a lesser school of thought (hence
board. More recently he’s upgraded to a graphic
the knee-jerk reaction to give the finger to “Jesus
T-shirt that also says “Jesus is coming” on the back.
loves you” traffic-light-guy). Religious believers were
Some days he’s out there at 6 in the morning, others
members of a “flat earth society,” as Mom would
closer to lunch.
put it. God and science were mutually exclusive. My
And I think he’s wonderful! Years ago, if I’m being honest, I might have honked and given him the finger, I’m truly embarrassed to say. Far be it from me to quietly allow someone’s religion to invade my space. But I’m feeling more tolerable, maybe even receptive of that message. These times we’re living in have me wondering what life would be like today if I could take a knee (knees?) and pray to God. Maybe I feel (kind of, sort of) slighted by my atheist upbringing (sorry, Mom).
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Mom is one of the absolute smartest people I’ve ever met, so of course I’m a product of that environment.
SPECK OF DUST IN SPACE As a kid I can remember feeling wholly consumed by the notion that there is nothing after life. I pictured floating through the black sky, eternally alone. Being without the confines of a body or mind or conscience. A speck of dust in space but without stars, or sun, or planets. The idea would come to me at random; in the shower, at soccer practice,
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driving in the car. And I’d be overcome by my own
from the sublime to the absolutely ridiculous.
insignificance, petrified of ceasing to exist. In those
The pandemic. A vaccine. A green recovery. The
moments of existential dread there was just me and
U.S. election. Climate change. Melting permafrost.
my pesky thoughts, washing over in overwhelming
The destruction of global biodiversity. Indigenous
waves. We all die, there is nothing after, get over it. It
peoples’ rights, their women and girls. Black Lives
was a bit of a tough pill to swallow for a kid.
Matter. Breonna Taylor. Elijah McClain. George Floyd.
I would pray if I could. If I believed that prayers could be answered, praying would likely take up the bulk of my day. What would life have been like to believe that God had an intended purpose for me? Or that when we
Democracy. Nationalist governments. Privatization of water. Public education. Online education. Homeschooling. Patience. Calm. And if I really, really thought prayers could be answered – I would have prayed for Kawhi Leonard to stay with the Raptors. You get the idea; the list is exhaustive. But I imagine prayer giving me some comfort. And that comfort might make some of these trying days just slightly more palatable.
die we go to a better place? How would it feel to
Now here’s the part where I make a valiant effort to
know Jesus loves me and that he’s “coming?” No
repair my relationship with my Mom in anticipation
panic attacks at soccer practice, surely.
of her reading this. I wouldn’t trade my atheist
But what would I pray for? Not surprisingly, it ranges
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Overpopulation. Global food insecurity. Yemen.
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upbringing. I’d be an unrecognizable version of
But what would I pray for? Not surprisingly, it ranges from the sublime to the absolutely ridiculous.
much longer. Besides, wishing for another upbringing
myself if it had been any other way. And while I’ve
for a chance to glimpse my Jesus friend, and think
named plenty of reasons for anyone to pray, my
that maybe someone is praying for me even if I can’t
list of reasons to be thankful for how I was raised is
pray for myself … or I’ll just call my Mom.
would be completely futile. I don’t and I won’t pray. I’ll look inward and breathe deeply through the ultra-trying times we find ourselves in. But on really hard days, I might take the long way to the highway, past a particular intersection
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CONCUSSIONS IN WOMEN By Elizabeth MacGregor
Elizabeth MacGregor is a retired educator, guidance counsellor and head of guidance whose career was cut short by a concussion.
Twice as likely to suffer with recoveries hampered by a lack of clinical knowledge Concussions can dramatically change a woman’s life.
She noted a much larger decline in (female athlete)
A less well-known fact is that women are twice as
reaction times. Concussed female athletes also
likely as men to suffer concussions and the effects
tend to show greater deficits in visual memory
are often more severe. They’re also almost twice as
(though not every study has been able to detect this
likely as males to show signs of cognitive impairment
difference). Following a concussion, female athletes
a few days after experiencing a concussion.
also seem to perform worse than males on a test of
Not knowing these differences puts women at a huge risk of receiving inappropriate assessments, medical advice and care. David Robson explored this in the January 31, 2020 issue of BBC Future: “Tracey Covassin, now based at Michigan State University, has been one of the leading researchers looking at potential sex differences in concussion. Canadian by birth, and
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the vestibular-ocular reflex – which allows our eyes to fix on a target as our body moves.” These athletes with vestibular-ocular reflex damage are at high risk of further concussions as they may not see an opponent who is approaching on their damaged side. Ms. Covassin also refers to a fogginess that can make them more prone to other kinds of accidents and falls.
inspired by her own love of ice hockey, when she
Besides sports, people can be concussed from
first started out 20 years ago, she found next to no
automobile accidents, falls, and domestic violence.
research on this subject.
These other causes of concussion also have a higher
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level of occurrence among females and as Ms.
It is therefore imperative that this condition be
Covassin saw in her athlete research, the symptoms
properly diagnosed in a timely fashion, and effective
are often more severe.
therapy start immediately.
CUMULATIVE EFFECT
Pink Concussions is an online site, Facebook group
The number of concussions a person endures is
American social worker, herself a concussion victim.
often how neurologists assess damage and recovery
The organization has been working to tease apart
prospects. Yet there is no single definitive test that
the differences between female and male concussion
tells a practitioner that, yes, this is a concussion.
experiences.
and organization started by Katherine Snedaker, an
Rather, there are a series of examinations that indicate this is what has taken place. The changes
One of the accomplishments of Ms. Snedaker was
can be subtle or major, concussions having so many
to encourage researchers all over the world to look
potential symptoms – some mild, some serious,
at the issue of the female concussed brain and rid
some showing up immediately, others coming later.
professionals of misinformation based on data that
Besides sports, people can be concussed from automobile accidents, falls, and domestic violence.
brains have been studied after the deaths of athletes. The findings of the researchers she has worked with point to neck differences in females versus males as well as hormonal differences. Neck strength to head size ratios differ dramatically, and it has been found
Symptoms vary from severe head pain, migraines,
that depending on the hormonal phase the female is
visual, auditory, speech, balance, memory, and
in when concussed the outcome could be different.
emotional issues. Sufferers can have one or all symptoms. Males tend to experience amnesia while females are likely to have prolonged headaches, cognitive fatigue, and problems with mood regulation. Some researchers link this to there being more female than male migraine sufferers; however, migraines are not necessarily present in concussion sufferers.
IMPACT ON EVERYDAY LIFE Concussions are a troubling condition that can have lifelong effects. Computer use and general reading can be impossible for those experiencing visual disturbances, leading to job and/or income loss. Balance problems can mean no driving. Anger,
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cannot be applied to female patients as only male
There is also a “test bias� in research studies and how results are interpreted. It used to be thought that females simply reported concussions more often and that male athletes hid them. This has been proven to be untrue, with males and females hiding concussions at approximately the same rate.
NOT JUST AN ORDINARY HEADACHE Women with headaches, or in tears, can be too easily dismissed as being just a common occurrence. This invisible condition can lead family members, or team members, to doubt the concussed athlete, and to insist on a premature return to play, ignoring the time needed for the brain to recover.
frustration, sadness can damage relationships. The
This situation can lead to a dire result. In 2013,
onslaught of stimulation provided by modern life
Ontario high school rugby player Rowan Stringer
can leave a concussion sufferer sidelined and lonely,
died after ignoring her concussion symptoms. She
unable to cope with sounds, lights and movement.
suffered from second impact syndrome that causes
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swelling in the brain. As a result, Rowan’s Law came into effect, requiring coaches to update their concussion knowledge and to pull athletes from play as soon as a concussion is suspected. Furthermore, a removal-from-sport and return-to-sport protocol must be established by all teams. Dr. Charles Tator, a neurologist at Toronto Western Hospital and a leading concussion researcher in North America, has led the push in Canada to look into the differences in concussions between male and female athletes. His team has also led workshops to educate concussion sufferers, their caregivers, family doctors, lawyers and insurance adjusters, and conducts webinars to provide the most up-to-date information.
IMPROVING THE OUTCOMES This medical team is aware of and informs on the differences between male and female concussion. However, the medical treatment of concussion and information shared with the patient may still lag behind current knowledge. It is then left up to patients and their families to search out up-to-date therapies and pursue alternatives. Recovery time can be wasted while the patient follows outdated, sometimes ineffective or dangerous advice. The impact of concussion on the brain and the sufferer’s life can be devastating, and the fact that so many young athletes are severely impacted is frightening, for their parents, themselves, and their coaches.
The impact of concussion on the brain and the sufferer’s life can be devastating, and the fact that so many young athletes are severely impacted is frightening.
I have witnessed a young female athlete slip into depression after a number of sports-related concussions, yelling at people, being miserable to deal with. She was suffering and no one really understood what she was going through. They just wanted her to play her sport. After she graduated from the school where I met her, she returned to visit and was a different person. This sunny, happy young lady thanked me for being there for her when she was so difficult, and not turning my back on her. With more brain research and better therapies offered we can hope to lessen the damage to these young brains and society.
RESOURCES Pink Concussions https://www.pinkconcussions.com The Ontario Brain Injury Association - OBIA http://obia.ca The Ontario Neurotrauma Foundation - ONF https://onf.org
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FIVE MORE BANDS THAT AREN’T THE ROLLING STONES New music from new places By Terry Paquet
Terry Paquet is an award-winning copywriter with more than 20 years of experience. He wears pants (most of the time). He has never been to jail (except in Monopoly).
It’s October. The days are getting shorter and the weather is getting colder. Blankets are fine, but music is better. Especially when it’s new. Different. Slightly out of your comfort zone. This month, we explore artists from the genres of pop, country, Latin and rock in an effort to expand your musical palette -- and make you feel warm all over. So pour a glass, light a candle and dig in.
Blankets are fine, but music is better. Especially when it’s new. Different. Slightly out of your comfort zone.
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Concéntrica Canción Single (2020) • Vale Todo from Healer (2015) • En Mi Guitarra from Lo Único Constante (2017) • Ciudad Hembra (La Habana) with Kelvis Ochoa from Sublime (2019) • Directo from Alex Cuba (2009)
FANTASTIC NEGRITO The only thing more awesome than Xavier Dphrepaulezz’s stage name is his story. The short version involves a major record deal in the 1990s
ALEX CUBA Summer’s over, but if you’re still longing for that beach vibe, a dose of Alex Cuba is just what the musical doctor ordered. Heavily influenced by his father, a guitar player and music teacher, Cuba (born Alexis Puentes) started his journey at age 4, when he played the claves on Cuban national TV with 24 guitarists. From that point on, the fire was lit and there was no turning back. After moving to British Columbia in 1999 to be with his wife, Cuba has released a series of solid records, not the least of which was Healer, which earned him a Latin Grammy Award for Best Singer-Songwriter Album in 2015. His music has been described as
that abruptly ended when he had a car accident and slipped into a month-long coma. Once he came out of it, he dropped his musical ambitions to grow cannabis instead. He would soon discover that when the universe calls, there is no resisting it. So he hit the streets as a busker under his new moniker, Fantastic Negrito, and in no time found himself the winner of National Public Radio’s Tiny Desk contest, a yearly search for undiscovered talent. That one appearance thrust him into the spotlight and led to four albums, two Grammy Awards (both for Best Contemporary Blues Album), and mighty accolades from the likes of Chris Cornell, Taj Mahal and Buddy Guy.
traditional Latin with a hint of funk, jazz, and ‘70s
Today, Dphrepaulezz is on a mission to heal the
soul rolled in for good measure, but Alex sees it
world through music. “Art and culture are the
differently. In an interview at Banff Centre Talks,
greatest weapons against hate agendas, entrenched
Cuba described his sound as “a fusion between a
ideologies and power structures that harbour and
mango seed and an apple seed.” While that may
promote the business of divisiveness,” he says. The
seem a bizarre way to identify a style, it makes
truth is, if anyone can get us through these troubled
perfect sense when you realize that every song this
times, it just might be someone who’s already been
man puts out is utterly delicious.
in them and come out the other side.
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BROTHERS OSBORNE If you’ve listened to any country music from the satellite these days, you might have probably wondered: What the hell happened to country music? And no one would blame you for asking. Most of the newer bands that top the charts have cut ties with the past in favour of something that hardly stays true to the genre. It’s country-light. Very, very, very light. Fortunately, that’s not the case with Brothers Osborne. Real-life siblings T.J. (lead vocals) and John Thomas (lead guitar, background vocals) are serving up a dish of swampy, bluesy, outlaw rock/ funk and soul, adorned with a beat-up country hat and muddy cowboy boots. Thanks to T.J.’s smoky vocals and John’s adept shredding (that brings to mind ZZ Top and Tony Joe White), they’ve stayed true to country’s rich heritage but have still managed to create a sound that is distinctly their own. On tracks like Weed, Whiskey and Willie, the brothers get raw and real, singing about the only three things you need to heal a broken heart. It’s one of the best examples of what new country can be when it doesn’t abandon old country.
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Weed, Whiskey and Willie from Port Saint Joe (2018)
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • King Frustration from Have You Lost Your Mind Yet (2020) • Platypus Dipster from Have You Lost Your Mind Yet (2020) • Bad Guy Necessity from Please Don’t Be Dead (2018) • Plastic Hamburgers from Please Don’t Be Dead (2018) • Working Poor from The Last Days of Oakland (2016)
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• Drank Like Hank from Port Saint Joe (2018) • Skeletons Single (2020) • Rum from Pawn Shop (2016) • Arms of Fire from Brothers Osborne (2014)
BOBBY BAZINI
RHYE
Right out of the gate, his debut album sold more
If you know Rhye, then you’ve no doubt heard this
than 80,000 copies and garnered two Juno Award
story before, so my apologies. For the rest of you, let
nominations. That initial success earned Bazini, a
me start with a confession: When I first heard Rhye,
native of Mont Laurier, Quebec, a chance to record
I loved her. I thought to myself: This woman has a
his second album, Where I Belong, in California with
great voice. It’s soothing on the nerves, unique, and
legendary musicians Booker T. Jones (Booker T. and
oh-so-perfect with coffee in the morning or wine at
the M.G.’s), Jack Ashford (percussionist for Motown
night. Then, I saw a video of “her” in concert only
Records’ in-house Funk Brothers band) and Jay
to realize that Rhye is a “he’” by the name of Mike
Bellerose (who’s played with the likes of Elton John
Milosh, a guy from Toronto. Colour me gobsmacked.
and Bonnie Raitt). It was a leap into the big leagues
As Milosh explained in a 2013 interview with NPR, “I
that resulted in a soulful collection of catchy tunes,
don’t view myself as sounding like a woman. I think I
including the easygoing groove of Bubblegum (I Can’t
just have a soft quality to my voice, and then people
Stop This Feeling) and an unforgettable cover of the
immediately associate that with something extremely
Bobby Bland hit Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the
feminine.”
City. Often compared to Scottish musician Paulo Nutini, Bazini has a knack for crafting contemporary soul/ pop songs that are rooted in the past. Small wonder, then, that for his third album, Summer is Gone, he teamed up with songwriters who have collaborated with Ed Sheeran, Amy Winehouse, and Adele.
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • One Thing or Two from Better in Time (2010) • Ain’t No Love in the Heart of the City from Where I Belong (2014)
Fair enough. I was wrong. But I was right about the music -- as hard as that may be to define. It’s electronic, soul with tiny angelic whispers of classical and jazz. It’s the kind of stuff you’d listen to if you had a convertible and a small pied-à-terre in the French countryside. Or a small studio apartment on the Danforth. The point is, it’s likeable, and after you hear what I’m talking about, you’ll probably agree.
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Open from Woman (2013)
• Together People from Move Away (2020)
• Song for You from Blood (2018)
• C’est la Vie from Summer is Gone (2016)
• Needed from Spirit (2019)
• Where the Sun Shines from the Peak Sessions (Live and Acoustic) (2017)
• Patience (featuring Ólafur Arnalds) from Spirit (2019) • Beautiful Single (2020)
TO HEAR A COMPILATION OF MUSIC FROM THE ARTISTS IN THIS ARTICLE, CHECK OUT THE SIDEONE OCTOBER PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY. https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6WgO52sFsE7tBlCgFxNNjB?si=fOyqZv7lRhq4LxTkNFSUDw
THE LAST SEASON By Mark Harrison
Mark Harrison is an entrepreneur, the founder of The T1 Agency, the longtime coach of the Lawrence Park Collegiate senior football team and a director on the board of Football Canada.
I see ghosts whenever I pass by an empty football field. At its most quiet, the expanse where there should be coaches, players, pylons, blocking sleds, and goal post wraps lays empty. At its most vibrant it is the scene of happy dogs enjoying the attention of their new owners who rushed to add a companion for the family when the pandemic hit. But for me I see neither the emptiness nor the energy. I see a ghost of myself strolling from sideline to sideline. Quietly chatting to a young man about his test that day or exhorting another to put more effort into his actions. I see young men creating lifelong bonds forged from sweat, dirt, blood, and laughter. I see my opponent taking shape in my mind, as we develop plays and strategies to combat their schemes and scripts. I see parents huddled together in the stands cheering loudly for their children, while silently praying for escape from injury.
GHOSTS IMPOSSIBLE TO SHAKE These ghosts are impossible to shake. For over a quarter of a century, each and every fall, I have been blessed to take charge of a group of eager teenagers in my role as a volunteer high school football coach. I have been doing this literally since before any of them were born. Five days a week. Sun, rain, or snow, I have spent my late afternoon on the gridiron.
I planned to keep a journal of every moment and perhaps turn it into a book. Then Covid came and took it all away. Each and every year is the same reward discovered,
athletic, the less athletic; the confident, the less
yet always from a journey on a different path. The
confident – find their place to shine is a drug that can
season consistently begins with anticipation around
never be escaped.
returning players, discovery of new players, and the emergence of surprise talents. Each and every year it’s a new cohort. Each and every year it’s a new recipe. The most amazing part of coaching is watching these young men develop from strangers to brothers, from raw talents to refined machines, from unsure teens to confident warriors. It never gets old. Football is the most unique game in the world because it has a
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I COACHED FOR ME I don’t, or didn’t, coach for the kids. I know that is what I am supposed to say. But it would be disingenuous. I coached for me. I wanted to be around these young men. I absorbed their passion, their optimism, their discovery. I wanted to throw myself into a pool of immortality. The football field was the closest proxy I could find.
place for everyone. Helping these young men – the
Coaching is so addictive, I cannot understand
strong, the less strong; the tall, the less tall; the
why every adult would not want to do it. The time
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invested is a small price to pay for the longevity I am positive it has added to my life. Every day I carried a whistle, I think, has been added to my life clock as a bonus.
The season consistently begins with anticipation around returning players, discovery of new players, and the emergence of surprise talents. Having coached for so long I have been to my players’ weddings and unfortunately to their funerals. I have hired them, their friends, and their partners to work at my company. I have been befriended by their fathers, counselled by their mothers, and honoured by their grandparents. What did it cost me? Nothing. I have an endless supply of passion that far outstrips my technical knowledge, and energy, for young people. It is a supply that gets recharged at every practice. It is a supply that gets supercharged at every game.
THE FINAL SEASON Despite my quarter-century of commitment I had intended for 2020 to be my final season. My professional life has become increasingly global and the need for fall travel growing. As well I had ignored my wife’s desires to have more flexibility in our schedule for too long. I had written my script. I would coach more energetically than ever. I knew how I wanted this magical run to end. I planned to keep a journal of every moment and perhaps turn it into a book. Then Covid came and took it all away. Is it possible that my Last Season was really the Lost Season? I can’t answer that right now. But what I can do is ask that next time you ride, walk, run, drive past a local football field to pause, stop, and look for me. If you see a ghost with a whistle in shorts and a T-shirt, no matter how cold the fall day, then you will see the same thing I do.
THE PHOTO ESSAY
A VIEW OF CROATIA AND THE STORY OF THE WOMAN IN THE RED DRESS. By Michael Doherty Michael Doherty is a film and television editor based in Toronto. He is also an avid traveller. The photos and story are from his visit to Croatia in 2019.
One of the joys of travelling is encountering the unexpected, either through interacting with a new environment or in meeting strangers. For a brief time, you become part of a someone’s life, a chapter in their story. This is one of those chapters.
She couldn’t believe that in the late 20th century she would find herself suffering from the results of a war in Europe. I took the 2:45 p.m. train from Ljubljana to Zagreb. It was an old style train and I was in a compartment with four other people: three students touring Europe and a Croatian woman in her 50s who had gone to Ljubljana for the day. The five of us chatted about many things to pass the time. I asked the
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woman if she could recommend a restaurant in the center of Zagreb. “Boban” was her answer. I spontaneously invited her to join me. She wasn’t sure, but said if she could make it, she would be outside my hotel at 7:30 p.m. At 7:30 she was there - wearing a red dress, red lipstick and matching red earrings. We talked about her decision to meet a total stranger for dinner, went to Boban, sat outside in the back garden for a grappa, lovely pasta and white wine. Then she told me her story.
A DIFFICULT LIFE The war in the years 1991-1995 was very difficult for her family. They lived in a basement without electricity for a long time. On Fridays, she would go out and get cheese and bread that needed to last the week. She couldn’t believe that in the late 20th century she would find herself suffering from the results of a war in Europe. The family survived and a few years later, now in her mid-20s, she went to Istria for a holiday. While there, she met and fell in love with an Italian man. He was a great cook and treated her beautifully. At the end of the trip he asked her to marry him. She followed her heart rather than her head and said yes. She returned to Zagreb to prepare for her wedding then received devastating news. Her groom-to-be had jumped into a river to help a struggling friend and had drowned. Over the years she recovered emotionally, met a Croatian man with whom she fell in love, and they agreed to marry. A few days before the wedding, her husband-to-be had a massive heart attack and died. Devastated again, she retreated into her work as a veterinarian. Years later she met another lovely man; he proposed to her after they dated for a year. She accepted. Not
long after, a friend called to say he had slipped off a wharf and was sucked under the water and drowned.
A SURPRISING HAPPINESS She was still single when we met, living a happy life but not accepting of any subsequent marriage proposals – there had been a few. As a Christian she hoped one day to have the answer to why things happened the way they did. I told her I wasn’t sure she ever would. After dinner and chatting, I walked her to the blue tram that would take her home. She got on and was the only person on board. My last image of her is of a woman in a red dress, alone on a blue tram waving and smiling as she pulled away from the station. We never shared our contact info and I never knew her name.
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NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS…
By John Chaput John Chaput was raised in Montreal, has lived in Western Canada for about 45 years, and is seriously thinking about settling down there. A retired journalist and editor, he is the author of three books about Saskatchewan sports history. He is also an amateur actor and has won two awards for his performances at Theatre Saskatchewan festivals.
OCT. 28, 1726 Travels into several Remote Nations of the World, by
OCT. 9, 1000
an anonymous writer, is published in the British Isles with a price of eight shillings and sixpence. The book
On or about this date, Leif Ericson is believed to
becomes so popular that in the following years it is in
have become the first European to set foot in North
constant reprint under a new title – Gulliver’s Travels
America. The Icelandic adventurer likely made landfall
– with authorship eventually credited to Irishman
in Newfoundland, most probably at the site now
Jonathan Swift. Still hailed nearly 300 years later
known as L’Anse Aux Meadows. Not everybody knows
as a literary masterwork, it immediately generated
this, but Ericson’s purpose in making the journey was
enormous attention and controversy as a two-pronged
proselytization, not exploration. After sailing from
satire on human nature and the foibles of English
Greenland to Norway (via Scotland) in 999, Ericson
society and politics. In the first two sections of the
converted to Christianity and the following year led
four-part work, Gulliver finds himself trapped first
an expedition back to Greenland to introduce his new
in Lilliput (where the people are one-tenth his size)
religion there. However, God works in mysterious
and then Brobdingnag (where he is one-tenth of the
ways. Ericson’s ship was blown off course and he
natives’ size). It might have been interesting to have
ended up in Newfoundland, where he could have
a Lilliputian accompany Gulliver to Brobdingnag, but
discovered both a continent and a sense of humour.
Swift didn’t explore that avenue. Anyway, if you’re
Ericson named the region Vinland because it was
ever searching for a trivia question that will shut
plentiful in vines and grapes; presumably, he never
almost everyone up, just ask: “What is Gulliver’s first
found the hidden stashes of Screech.
name?” Not everybody knows this. (It’s Lemuel.)
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OCTOBER 5, 1969
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OCTOBER 22, 1969 Paul McCartney denies rumours of his death, which
BBC television viewers spend the first 44 seconds
is exactly what you’d expect someone to say if he’s
of a new program watching a man in a horrendously
trying to hide the truth about his earthly demise.
tattered grey suit emerge from the surf, stagger
The clues inserted in Beatles songs are irrefutable.
across the beach, collapse before the camera, and
First there’s the fadeout of Strawberry Fields Forever,
finally utter the show’s first word: “It’s.” The man is
when John Lennon can clearly be heard saying, “Aye
Michael Palin and the show is Monty Python’s Flying
buwiyb ball,” and on the “White” album, when you
Circus, immediately establishing that this series
can hear John utter “Bolluz denn, mizzum mizzum.”
will not be a haven for conventional humour. Not
Then there was that time McCartney recorded a
everybody knows this, but the debut entry’s title is
version of “Mary Had a Little Lamb” that signalled
revealed in the closing credits as “Whither Canada?”
a lack of brain activity. Since his death, McCartney
– which, given that neither Canada nor anything
has left The Beatles, formed and disbanded Wings,
Canadian is ever seen or mentioned, fits in nicely
recorded several solo albums, done duets with
with the show’s lack of premise. The first show’s
Stevie Wonder and Michael Jackson, and amassed a
comedy is uneven but closes with the “Funniest Joke
personal fortune estimated at more than $1 billion.
in the World.” I would relate the joke here if not for
Not everybody knows this, but it would be even
the fact that publishing it would kill anyone who
more if he hadn’t been paying inheritance taxes for
reads it.
the past 51 years.
SIDEONE OCTOBER 2020
OCTOBER 17, 1977
OCTOBER 24, 2017 A short handwritten note by Albert Einstein goes
Another silly television program debuted, this
on the auction block. Back in 1922, on a worldwide
one in Canada; although, unlike Monty Python’s
lecture tour, the recently-announced Nobel Prize
Flying Circus, it has yet to be taken seriously. Not
winner in physics checked into a Tokyo hotel and
everybody knows this, but the House of Commons
discovered he had no money to tip a bellboy who
debates remains must-avoid programming some
had brought a message to his room. Putting his
43 years later. In its defence, it almost immediately
exceptional brain to work, Einstein sat down and
inspired one of Wayne and Shuster’s best skits, the
scribbled, “A calm and honest life brings more
pizzazzing of Parliament with Hollywood production
happiness than the pursuit of success combined with
values. Everybody loved Question Time, where
constant restlessness,” in German on a piece of hotel
there ain’t no reason and there ain’t no rhyme, and
stationery. Einstein told the bellboy that someday,
the utterances of Members of Parliament (including
with luck, it might be worth more than a standard
those from Saskatchewan Slough and Peel Potato)
tip. Ninety-five years later, the bellboy’s grand-
were summed up with the musical phrasing, “Yak-
nephew put the note in the hands of a Jerusalem
yak-yak-yak / yak-yak-yak-yak!” Near the conclusion,
auction house, which expected it to sell for almost
one MP pompously bellows, “You have made a
$10,000 US. Not everybody knows this, but they
mockery of our most hallowed institution” – which
were wrong; the winning bid was $1.56 million. The
would be the point exactly, if not for the fact that the
anonymous grand-nephew was, we can assume, no
institution ain’t that hallowed.
longer calm but quite happy.
SIDEONE OCTOBER 2020
33
t
THE SIDEONE PROFILE Milos Popovic: A Different Kind of Arms Race
By Phyl Newbeck
A resident of Jericho, Vermont, Phyl Newbeck is a freelance writer for a variety of newspapers and magazines. She is the author of Virginia Hasn’t Always Been for Lovers: Interracial Marriage Bans and the Case of Richard and Mildred Loving.
Thanks to Milos Popovic’s reluctance to build a
when I was hired that I realized I’d be working with
weapons system, a young man is competing in skiing
neuro-prosthetic systems in hospitals for patients
at the Paralympic Games. That’s a career arc that’s
with spinal cord injuries,” he said. Soon, Popovic
hard to top.
became enamoured of his new field.
Popovic is Institute Director of the KITE (Knowledge,
“For years, people have been trying to find a device
Innovation, Talent, Everywhere) Research Institute
to stimulate muscles so people with paralysis could
at Toronto’s University Health Network, and is a
walk or reach,” he said. “The mantra was that you
tenured professor at the Institute of Biomedical
couldn’t repair the brain but you could electrically
Engineering at the University of Toronto. He has a
stimulate the nerves with low current to make
Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University
muscles contract and do different things.”
of Toronto and a Degree in Electrical Engineering from the University of Belgrade. He was working in the aerospace industry when he received an email about a job opening in Switzerland. “Aerospace is exciting,” he said. “Big boys like big toys, and it’s
Eventually, Popovic built something to do just that.
‘START RETRAINING THE BRAIN’ “When we built the device, we wanted to help
amazing to build an airplane. I had the privilege to do
patients reach and grasp objects,” he said. “But as
that and then to fly an airplane that I designed.”
we were doing that, we found that the more you
The problem, Popovic noted, is that aerospace engineering has both civilian and military applications. “If you build a weapon, they’ll use it,”
trained them, the more they recovered voluntary function.” A patient with upper body paralysis can’t touch
he said, “and I was not enthusiastic about that.”
their nose on their own, Popovic noted, but if you
Popovic admitted he applied somewhat reluctantly
stimulate their muscles to do that. “If you do the
for the job, but he was in his 30s at the time and
stimulation repetitively, you start retraining the
intrigued by the idea of living in Zurich. “It was only
brain,” he said. “After 30 or 40 sessions of training,
put electrodes on the surface of their arm, you can
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35
people start recovering and can do these things
were no options,” he said. “It may not work on every
on their own.”
patient, but it can work on a large group of patients.”
Christened MyndMove, Popovic’s creation can
MyndMove is commercially available but it must be
be used for patients who have suffered strokes,
administered by a physiotherapist or occupational
traumatic brain injuries, or spinal cord damage. “In
therapist. Popovic said therapists need to be trained
the past, people with those conditions would remain
on the device, a process that takes only a day or
paralyzed,” he said. “Some might improve a little but
two. “They already have the essential knowledge
they were substantially affected by the injury and
in place,” he said. “Therapists are really important.
there was no elegant way to restore function. This
The surgeon will repair you but the therapist will
substitutes the brain’s command by generating a
get you back your function. Therapists understand
directive that goes straight to the muscle.”
what they need to do with a patient’s hand and how
“The beauty is that when more people get engaged in using technology, you have more options and more strategies.” Popovic said a wide variety of the patients who have used the device have had some degree of recovery. “It was very exciting, because prior to this there
36
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to manipulate it, so this helps them become ‘super therapists.’ ” MyndMove has been used on patients of all ages and backgrounds, Popovic said, adding that he hopes it can be utilized for even more conditions. “The beauty is that when more people get engaged in using technology, you have more options and more strategies,” he said. “The ability to cover and treat more patients excites me.” He noted that the process can take many hours,
but once patients see an early gain, they become
thanks to MyndMove, his grandson -- who had
motivated. He likens it to an overweight person
previously been unable to use his hands -- became a
beginning a diet and exercise regimen. “The first two
Paralympics skier.
days, there is no change,” he said, “but after a while you’re hooked, and in a year you’re Vin Diesel.”
HAND FUNCTION GIVES PEOPLE INDEPENDENCE MyndMove is currently used for upper body paralysis, but Popovic has done studies and published data on its use for lower body paralysis.
It’s a popular misconception that people with physical disabilities value walking over other functions. Less rewarding was the man who regained enough
It’s a popular misconception that people with
function to return to what apparently had been his
physical disabilities value walking over other
previous occupation: thief.
functions, he remarked. “Walking is generally ranked sixth or seventh. Hand function is the first thing
“It’s nice when you can help people get better and
they want. Without it, you can’t hold a cane or use
achieve their personal goals,” Popovic said. “Helping
a manual wheelchair.” Popovic added that hand
people is a better objective than building weapons
function gives people independence, which
systems.”
allows them to save money by eliminating the need for aides.
Popovic noted that the more he studies the central nervous system, the more he learns. “Every couple of
His next goal is to help patients sit on their own,
weeks or months, you add a new piece of information
followed by standing. “You don’t need to walk,”
to the field of medicine that people can use,” he said.
Popovic said, “but it’s nice to be able to go from your
“It would be nice to achieve outstanding recognition,
wheelchair to the toilet without assistance.”
but even without that, it’s great to know that people are using your solutions to help others. I have
Recently, after Popovic gave a talk at a church,
fulfilled my bucket list.”
he was approached by a man who told him that
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37
SENSIBLE DOLLARS Your COVID-19 Financial Survival & Recovery Kit
By Allan Kunigis Allan Kunigis is a Canadian-born financial freelance writer based in Shelburne, Vermont. He has written about personal finance for more than two decades. His A Kid’s Activity Book on Money and Finance: Teach Children about Saving, Borrowing, and Planning for the Future was recently published. The coronavirus pandemic has affected the physical, mental, and financial health of many millions of people globally. If you’ve been affected, you can take some comfort in knowing you’re not alone. But what can you do to help your situation? More than one-third of Canadians 18 and older were financially affected by the coronavirus, either losing their job permanently or temporarily, or
IF YOU’VE LOST YOUR JOB... Let’s assume that you’ve been through a few job searches. So you don’t need elaborate job-hunting tips. But if you’ve lost your job and aren’t ready to leave the workforce just yet, some refresher tips might help, especially if it’s been a few years since you were between jobs. • Network, network, social network: The classic
experiencing some loss in income, according to a
job-hunting/career guidance book What Color Is
survey conducted in April by Leger, the Association
Your Parachute? advises not to expect to get a job
for Canadian Studies (ACS) and the Vanier Institute.
by responding to “job wanted” ads. First, you’ll
A survey by Edward Jones Canada had a similar
be competing with potentially hundreds of other
finding: one-third of Canadian adults say they’re
applicants. Second, you’ll get noticed more by
planning to delay their retirement in response to
reaching out when a job isn’t posted and your
COVID-19.
initiative might be taken as a plus.
Here are some pointers to help you survive
The key is effective networking. What does
financially.
“networking” mean to you? It isn’t about working
SIDEONE OCTOBER 2020
39
the room when you are among potential hirers.
Look at this as an opportunity. You have time on
Ideally, it involves growing your network over time
your hands, no commitments in terms of a current
and looking for ways to help others, not just ask for
job. Freedom’s just another word for that! Where
favours. But when you are suddenly out of work,
would you like to be in five or 10 years? Is there
networking could simply mean spreading the word
something you’ve wanted to do but never found the
to all who are in your network. Let them know you
time or motivation… until now? Reinvent yourself.
are available and interested. Use any vehicle that works: Facebook, LinkedIn, email, and even that oldfashioned tool, the telephone. • Time to retool? It’s never uncool to go back to school. Let’s say you’re 30 years outside of your last classroom experience and not far from retiring. Why go back to school and learn new skills? A better question: Why not? This could be a golden opportunity to truly start your “next
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HOW TO MAKE ENDS MEET If you’re not working, regardless of any unemployment benefits or severance package you’ve received, eventually you’ll need to tighten your belt if you can’t replace that income. If you find yourself with an income deficit – earning less than you spend – you can cut costs, find new sources of income, or do both.
chapter.” Maybe you are ready to leave your
Review your expenses. Cost cutting begins by
old career and create a new one. That could be
reviewing your expenses. Reassess what you truly
exciting.
need and what you merely want. This is a healthy
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and crucial exercise. Look at all your regular
Fortunately, because this pandemic is affecting so
expenses and see which category they fall under.
many people, governments and businesses are more
Which items would you dispense with if you really
likely to give you a break by allowing you to skip a
needed to? It might be a gym membership or a
payment on your mortgage, put a temporary hold
vacation, which you likely haven’t taken anyway
on student loan repayments, or defer tax payments.
since the coronavirus pandemic changed our lives.
Explore this possibility if you need it. This is a time
More than one-third of Canadians 18 and older were financially affected by the coronavirus, either losing their job permanently or temporarily... A few ways to cut costs: There are a variety of ways
that calls for creativity from all of us. Earn temporary income: Perhaps you can come up with some quick cash as a stopgap measure. Are there items that you have and don’t need? Could you sell your second car? Do you own valuable collectibles? Maybe it’s time to see what they’re worth and pocket the money. Meeting your monthly financial obligations is more vital than saving for a rainy day, and today might be that rainy day.
to cut your expenses, but they tend to fall into two
Borrowing money: If you can, it’s best to avoid
approaches: trim lightly but broadly or strategically
borrowing money and getting into debt. Too
cut big-ticket items. For example, you might try
many people get heavily into debt by pursuing
and trim 10% of your grocery shopping and 20% of
unsustainable lifestyles. But this is a special time.
your entertainment and leisure expenses, such as
You might need to borrow some money for a while
restaurants, concerts, and hobbies/leisure activities.
just to get by. But what kind of debt is best?
Or, you could ask: “What one or two moves would
Let’s consider the options from the worst to the not
have the greatest impact?” That might lead you to
so bad:
downsize your house, sell a second car or a vacation home, or take a moratorium on vacations for a year
• Credit card debt: spending money on your credit
or two. Conduct a thorough and thoughtful exercise
card and letting the balance grow potentially up
of budgetary review and decide what works best
to your limit is a recipe for personal financial
for you.
disaster. Carrying a steady balance of $20,000 in credit card debt at 20% interest, for example,
There is a third, temporary, way to get by for a brief
would cost you $4,000 over the course of just one
period of tight finances: Put some expenses on hold.
year. If you took five years to repay it, gradually
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41
paying it down somehow, count on more than
a variety of directions. One thing many have and
$10,000 in interest costs. (The $10,000 is a rough
will revisit is when they plan to retire. If your
estimate based on an average balance of $10,000
job prospects are not great and you’re close to
over the five years.) Broken down into an average
retirement age, early retirement could be one
monthly interest payment of $167, that’s $167
solution. But you’ll need to rethink your living
that could otherwise be spent on food, utilities,
expenses and potentially your lifestyle if you haven’t
or a variety of other more worthwhile items. Even
saved as much as you had planned. How much belt
worse, how do you dig out from that kind of a
tightening are you able and willing to do?
financial hole? Best to avoid it entirely. • Take a loan from a financial institution: You might pay something closer to 8% on a personal loan. That’s more reasonable than credit card debt. A $20,000 loan at 8% repaid over five years would cost you $405.53 a month, based on the simple loan payment calculator at bankrate.com. Over five years, or 60 monthly payments, you would
The opposite solution is compelling for many people: to work longer than they had planned. Every additional year in the work force is one more year in which you can keep earning and saving for your future and one less year you’ll need to fund in retirement. That means you wouldn’t need as large a nest egg.
pay a total of $24,331.80. That would include
CONSIDER WHEN TO TAKE OAS AND CPP/QPP
repaying the $20,000 plus $4,331.80 in interest
Deciding when to take your government pension
charges.
benefits, both Old Age Security and Canada or Quebec Pension Plan benefits, is a complex topic.
• Borrow from your home. You could set up or use
But there is plenty of flexibility. Just be aware that
an existing home equity line of credit. The beauty
the longer you defer these benefits, the more you’ll
of that is that you have tremendous flexibility and
receive each month for the rest of your life.
could pay it off quickly or borrow small amounts, repay them, and borrow more if or when you need to. • Borrow from your RRSP. If you have a registered retirement savings plan, you could borrow from it. However, the uses are limited. You can take a tax-free loan to buy your first home or pay for education expenses. Early withdrawals from your RRSP are another consideration but not recommended because you’d be taking money from your future self to pay for your current expenses. That defeats the idea of retirement savings and can set you back down the road.
RETHINKING YOUR RETIREMENT DATE
WORK WITH A FINANCIAL ADVISOR These are complex and hugely important considerations. Most of us could benefit from consulting with a professional financial advisor, someone who can offer objectivity and expertise. If you don’t already have a financial advisor, now might be an ideal time to seek one out. Word of mouth references aren’t a bad place to start. Whatever you do, know that you are not alone, and every little step you take can be a positive one, especially if you have a clear goal in mind and use as much financial discipline as you can. The year 2020 might be one many of us are eager to forget, but on the bright side, there are important lessons we can all learn as well.
The longer-term ramifications of being in a changing and financially tight situation could take you in
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SIDEONE OCTOBER 2020
Good luck!
COMING UP:
A sampling of next month’s stories SPORTS OR CULTURE DO WE HAVE TO CHOOSE?
THE SIDEONE PROFILE
THE OFFICE REVISITED
SENSIBLE DOLLARS
A culture addict’s introduction to sports fandom.
Reconfiguring the workplace – a designer’s point of view.
FIVE GREAT BANDS
More new bands worth discovering and another Spotify playlist for you to enjoy.
THE PHOTO ESSAY - MOROCCO
We may not be able to go there for awhile but we can enjoy the view.
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS… More dates and facts that may surprise you.
We’ll meet another Canadian who is having a big impact without a lot of celebrity.
More investing advice from our financial writer. .
