FEBRUARY 2021
FINDING JUSTICE
Are Canada’s civil courts outdated?
THE OPPORTUNITY THAT ALMOST WAS
Oh, to play for the Montreal Canadiens
THE SIDEONE PHOTO ESSAY
Malta – The tiny beauty with a deep history
PRETENTIOUS PARENTS Navigating the social structure
NEW MUSIC FROM NEW PLACES For the love of music, even new music
IN THIS ISSUE... WELCOME TO SIDEONE. PG.03
An introduction and an explanation.
FINDING JUSTICE. PG.04
The difficult reality of Canada’s civil courts.
A MILLENNIAL’S POV. PG.08 Pretentious parents – oh my.
THE SIDEONE PROFILE. PG.36
Meet Les Lawton, the winningest coach in women’s college hockey.
SENSIBLE DOLLARS. PG.40 Taking the cake out too soon?
COMING UP. PG.45
A sampling of next month’s stories.
CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS. PG.12
An insider’s view of the process and the challenges.
A MOM’S PERSPECTIVE. PG.17
The budding police officer and the day that changed it all.
THE PHOTO ESSAY. PG.20
Editor and publisher: Kevin Gilligan
NEW MUSIC FROM NEW PLACES. PG.25
Contact Email: sideone@gilligangroup.net Mail: PO Box 43503 Leaside Toronto, ON M4G 3B0 Phone: 416-489-9257
THE OPPORTUNITY THAT ALMOST WAS. PG.30
SideOne Magazine is published monthly online @ www.sideonemagazine.ca
Malta – A tiny country with big views.
The love of music, even new music.
A chance to play for the Montreal Canadiens.
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS… PG.36
A monthly feature of dates and facts that may surprise you.
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FOR THE GENERATION THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING.
SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
SideOne Magazine is a division of The Gilligan Group Inc.
WELCOME TO ISSUE #6
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.
Welcome to the February edition of SideOne. This is our sixth issue and halfway to completing the first volume of our online monthly magazine. We’re proud of that accomplishment and of the growing number of readers we attract each month. In case you’re wondering why, I started SideOne with a simple goal – create a magazine with stories of particular interest to our generation. You know, the generation that often takes heat for the ills of today but not nearly enough credit for the positive changes we made as we pushed away from the restrictive norms of a post-war society. Here are some highlights from this month’s SideOne.
OH, TO PLAY FOR THE MONTREAL CANADIENS
Follow a young man’s dream and a chance meeting with Scotty Bowman. Yes, the one and only Scotty – famous coach of the legendary Habs.
FINDING JUSTICE
Can Canada deliver the justice that its citizens expect? It may for some but for most, it is too slow and too expensive. Find out why in this story that’s based on a personal experience.
A CHANCE ENCOUNTER THAT CHANGED SO MUCH
Actions often have implications that reach far beyond the action itself. In this month’s Mom’s Perspective, read about how a young girl’s dream
of joining the police force ended as the result of her dad’s chance encounter with police.
A MILLENIAL’S POV
This is a regular feature that tries to bridge the divide between generations by providing a point of view that might not be as different as expected. This month deals with pretentious parents.
SENSIBLE DOLLARS
A short-term view is a bit like being nearsighted – not a good way to make sound decisions for what lies down the road. Check out this month’s edition of Sensible Dollars, for well, some sensible advice.
SIDEONE PROFILE - A WINNING RECORD AND ATTITUDE TO MATCH
Les Lawton began his career at Concordia University in 1982 as an assistant coach and was promoted to head coach the following year. He led the Stingers to 626 wins, making him the winningest coach in the history of women’s collegiate hockey. We hope you enjoy these and all the other stories in this month’s SideOne. If you’d like to share your thoughts on anything 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 hits were and that’s what we want to be.
SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
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FINDING JUSTICE Is Canada’s legal system too outdated to deliver justice?
By Elizabeth MacGregor Elizabeth MacGregor is a regular contributor to SideOne and a former educator who has had personal experience with Canada’s civil courts.
“Our justice system is too expensive, too slow and too unwieldy to meet the needs of most Canadians.” This opinion was not given lightly, or by the uninformed. Beverley McLachlin, chief justice of the Supreme Court of Canada from 2000 to 2017, wrote these words in an essay published in The Globe and Mail on July 10, 2020. It is a statement that should grab our attention and concern us.
“Access to justice has reached crisis proportions in Canada in recent decades. … We place 56th of 128 nations for accessible, affordable justice.” McLachlin, now retired from Canada’s top court, is worried about our system of justice because it does not serve us appropriately. In its current outdated form, established in the 19th century, it does not make full use of modern technology. In a practical sense, this means paper still rules. In the more complex cases of modern times, this has led to thicker and thicker files that can severely hamper proceedings.
BURIED IN PAPER In civil court, a plaintiff’s case can generate a huge file before the case is even near resolution. Boxes are lugged into court proceedings while lawyers sit with laptops containing little information of value.
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Even with legal associates employed to keep track of important documents, the head lawyer will be putting forward the case without all the pertinent details at his or her fingertips – leafing through hundreds of documents looking to provide accurate information.
“Our justice system is too expensive, too slow and too unwieldy to meet the needs of most Canadians.” According to Ms. McLachlin, “Access to justice has reached crisis proportions in Canada in recent decades. … We place 56th of 128 nations for accessible, affordable justice.” So, are we truly a “just society,” as Canadians and our politicians have claimed? Or, have we become complacent, assuming this system that we may rarely or never personally use is up to the job?
YEARS WITHOUT RESOLUTION If you have the misfortune of being involved in a legal proceeding, it could continue without resolution for many years. Wealthy spouses, insurance companies, and employers can stall proceedings with various tactics. Rather than justice being done, many cases are dropped because most people cannot afford to continue. Even if a case goes to trial and the judge finds in your favour, you may never receive the results of the judgment. If the defendant refuses to honour the judgment, you have little recourse other than the revolving door of the justice system. In a typical auto-collision case, with personal injury and job loss, cases can drag on for close to a decade. It is not unheard-of for a case to take five years to reach the mediation stage, followed by two to three years before a court date is set and a trial can begin.
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SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
Rather than justice being done, many cases are dropped because most people cannot afford to continue.
‘CRISIS PROPORTIONS’ Ms. McLachlin advocates for “a process that is proportionate to the problem in terms of money, time, and results.” She argues strongly that everyone should feel well served by the justice system, and says, “Access to justice has reached crisis proportions in Canada in recent decades.” She sees the results as tragic.
sports teams than we do about the Canadian legal system.” The justice system has not attempted to understand its users, or their needs, to try to fix the problems that exist within it. In 2016, the United Kingdom sought to begin the process of reconfiguring its justice system; according to Khan, the U.K. is creating radical change by employing user-driven data, hoping to have a
The mediation process, for example, is seen as a
modern system in place by 2023. So far, Canada has
crucial way to solve cases before going to trial – ease
not started on that journey, even though experienced
the clogged courts and find faster resolutions. It’s
jurists are advising the federal government to do so.
not available in all provinces, however, or even in all jurisdictions in provinces where it is offered. By
While Covid-19 has created a crisis in the availability
no means is it a perfect solution, either. Lawyers
and use of the legal system, problems existed
have been known to accept a mediation date only to
long before that. Modernization of this antiquated
cancel as the date approaches. Strategies like these
justice system would serve all Canadians, and bring
can be employed to delay cases, with no penalty
equitable, reasonable access that does not currently
imposed.
exist. If you need to enter into a lawsuit, it may be unrealistic to expect a reasonable, cost-efficient,
As lawyer Jon Khan wrote in The Globe and Mail
timely solution to your problem.
of July 1, 2020, “We know more about professional
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A MILLENNIAL’S POV
Pretentious parents – keep it to yourselves By Kimberly Elliot Kimberly Elliot is an associate with a Toronto-based marketing agency.
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“He’s waving! Oh my gosh, he’s waving to Gammy!” These were the words of a happy, bubbly new mom as we stood on the pool deck at the community centre, waiting to get our first mommy-baby swim lesson under way. A group of people brought together who share one thing in common: babies in tow. She beamed, awestruck and proud of her baby as he raised his arm and then lowered it in the general direction of Gammy, who was sitting at least 30 yards away in the pool’s peanut gallery. The other moms gasped. “Awwww! He’s so smart!” said one, “Wow that’s incredible!” said another. Incredible? Really? “He’s doing everything so early!” happy bubbly Mom said. You see, the swim class registered babies aged 3 to 5 months. This kid wasn’t waving to anyone. “Can he even see that far?” I remember thinking, “let alone pick out Gammy’s face” in the crowd of extremely similar grandparents? The first two years of parenthood were some of the hardest for me – not necessarily in terms of the actual parenting, but navigating the social realm of parents. There is not a lot to talk about with people at library singalongs, swim lessons or tummy-time play groups. So some resort to the lowest form of parental conversation – percentile charts and growth milestones. “Is he talking yet?” “How many words?” “How many books a day?” “He’s in the 95th percentile for weight and 90th for height.”
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A passive-aggressive series of one-ups as everyone sought praise and validation from the group.
discovered he had ”secondary lactose intolerance.”
Eventually I avoided these groups and stuck to walks,
“My kids only have almond milk. Dairy is so awful for
parks and picnics with my little guy where there was
input. “Do you feed your kids dairy?” Um, yeah. Tons, actually.
your body!” “Yeah” and “it really is” murmured the
no more chattering of pretentious parents.
others.
YOU FEED YOUR KIDS DAIRY?
Then another parent chimed in, “Yeah, no dairy and
Jump forward a couple of years and I was raising
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Some surprised and confused faces, and then the
nothing over six grams of sugar.”
another toddler, who came down with a mysterious
The nutritional standards got progressively more
and sudden illness at the age of two that included
intense and then, “I’ve never even given my kids a
violent vomiting and diarrhea for weeks. Explaining
Timbit or McDonalds! Although I went through the
my multiple trips to doctors, sleepless nights and
drive-through once and got them the toys just so
even a stint in the ER for fear of dehydration, I told
they could have the experience.” At this point I’m not
my fellow moms at my workout class that we finally
sure what to do. Do I clap?
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This was how general conversation progressed: A passive-aggressive series of one-ups as everyone sought praise and validation from the group. I’ll spare you the bit where one mom touted how proud she was that her kids ask for essential oils instead of medicine when they’re feeling sick. I threw up in my mouth a little.
HYPNO-BIRTH
Feeling utterly bombarded by the notion of constant comparison to the pretentious ignoramuses that crowd the common spaces of parenthood today.
Some of my favourites are the conversations on
cotton, vegan clothes – that’s fantastic. If their kid
birth. Particularly nauseating are those surrounding
is reading at a second-grade level in kindergarten,
”natural birth.” Moms that swear by their hypno-
bravo – literally. But in my experience people lack
birth books and the strength of their body, unwilling
self-awareness and their bragging comes with an air
to quantify the earth-shattering painful reality of
of unintended unkindness. Parents say these things
it. My particular bone to pick with these stories,
because they’re proud but also want validation for
though, is the incessant use of the word “natural”
the good job they’re doing without realizing that
– as in, unmedicated, “without modern medical
there may be someone in the crowd whose child isn’t
intervention” (yes, I’ve seen birth announcements
hitting milestones on time, who can’t afford organic
on Instagram include those words exactly). If you
food or someone whose sanity literally depends on a
didn’t do it ”naturally,” does it even count? Someone
weekly meal at McDonald’s.
give these women a trophy! They call their birth experience “natural” as if to imply that to have an epidural or (God forbid) a C-section is inherently unnatural – diminishing a whole lot of birth experiences other mothers have, who are no less proud of themselves.
Pretentious parents – keep it to yourselves. Just let the kids play. We don’t need to compare notes. I am sure you’re doing a stand-up job feeding, clothing and loving your kid, just like I am. Let me know if you’re reading something interesting or if there’s a show you’d recommend on Netflix. I’m always up
This has been my experience as a mom since
for talking politics and I’d even love to hear what
first becoming one six years ago. Feeling utterly
you cooked for dinner so long as it doesn’t involve
bombarded by the notion of constant comparison to
a story about how you substituted milk, eggs and
the pretentious ignoramuses that crowd the common
sugar simply for the sake of telling me you don’t feed
spaces of parenthood today. You have a baby, you’re
your kids milk, eggs and sugar. Let’s all just enjoy the
entered in the competition on day one. It’s a series
ride for what it is, a fleeting exercise in unconditional
of percentile chart comparisons and Instagram posts
love and monumental patience. Appreciate every
featuring home births and organic pear slices and
parent around you because parenting is hard. We’re
locally-grown sautéed wild mushrooms – evidence of
in this together, there is no winner.
one’s superior brand of baby-led weaning.
THE UNKINDNESS OF BRAGGERS Everyone is doing their best. If one’s parenting necessitates a low-sugar, dairy-free diet and organic
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CONTRACT NEGOTIATIONS
WHY LABOUR TALKS TAKE SO LONG By Alain Lajoie Alain Lajoie taught at the Cree School Board in Quebec for 28 years. During that time, he was part of the negotiating team for the renewal of three collective agreements.
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Teachers vote to strike Nurses demand government return to negotiating table Unions too greedy, Treasury Board says
Once the type of consultation is selected, a team sets out the first consultation documents. Public-sector employees tend to be consulted on broad issues (for example, salary scales or parental benefits) that affect all workers, on sectoral questions (education/ health/government professionals), on matters
Every year, similar headlines appear. All are
specific to their occupation (teachers, nurses,
related to negotiations of public-sector collective
support staff), and sometimes on issues emerging
agreements. The process takes far longer than what
from their relationship with the local employer.
is seen from the outside. Let’s take a closer look to understand why.
After the consultation documents have been filled out, either by individual members or in general
What follows are the various phases of the
assemblies, they are returned and compiled. Some
negotiation of a public-service collective agreement.
potential demands may be rejected, and new ones
The information is based on the negotiation of
added; all need to be prioritized for negotiations.
agreements for teachers in Quebec, but most of
Once the list of demands is set, it is time to write up
these steps are common in labour deals.
what’s called the union deposit.
So, what is a collective agreement? They are
STEP 2: THE ‘PUT IT ON PAPER’ PHASE
contracts negotiated between a union and an employer. They outline working conditions, rights and obligations, salaries, and marginal benefits that link categories of workers and the people for whom they work. They replace any individual agreements between employees and employers. Collective agreements also have a lifespan and have to be renegotiated each time they expire.
STEP 1: THE BEGINNING OF THE BEGINNING In bargaining, the union usually presents its demands first. But that’s not really the beginning. Demands have to be developed by consulting the union members. One of the first questions is how broad that consultation will be. Will it be targeted to solve specific problems, or will it be a full cover-to-cover review? A cover-to-cover consultation is intense and takes
The union deposit can be handled by clause and articles, or in problem-solving mode. Clause and articles is a very specific process and takes much longer to write up, but once an agreement is reached, the time needed to prepare the new collective agreement is much shorter. While it can be faster to reach general agreement in problem-solving mode, the time gained can be lost when drafts are written and the parties don’t recognize what they had agreed to. Something that must be considered in the creation of any agreement is the language used in the text. Lawyers love legal language, as it has the advantage of using expressions that are clearly defined by law or jurisprudence. Although this warms their legal cockles, it may not be easily grasped by the layperson who has to understand the rights and obligations covered by the collective agreement.
time. It’s almost mandatory for a first negotiation, or if changes to the workplace have drastically altered
On the other hand, a collective agreement written
the working conditions. These days, just about all
in plain language would seem easier to understand
consultations in large labour groups focus on specific
and apply. It may require interpretation from a labour
problems.
judge during arbitration, however, resulting in an
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These days, just about all consultations in large labour groups focus on specific problems. unintended decision that is advantageous to one party.
The second negotiation session is held to receive the employer’s counter-demands. The timing for this meeting is also set by law. The employer presents its offer. As in the previous meeting, the presentation is accompanied by explanations, and the union may ask simple technical questions. At the beginning of negotiations, the parties explore the demands and counter-demands to define what
Two concepts always appear in public- and private-
is at issue. After having questioned the opposite
sector negotiations: seniority and flexibility.
side on what, exactly, their demands mean, the sides go back to their respective lairs to inform their
One reason employees like having collective
members of the other side’s position.
agreements is that they prevent certain managerial temptations to take liberties on a variety of issues,
Decisions are made on what may be negotiable, and
like promotions or scheduling. That’s where seniority
what will be refused from the start. The next meeting
comes into play. Seniority is easy to explain, does
will begin by listing the offers from the other side
not require interpretation, and is never arbitrary. It’s
that are unacceptable. Both sides will be shocked
a preferred yardstick when it comes to deciding who
and appalled that some of their essential demands
will have priority. I am not saying that it is always the
are rejected.
best yardstick, but it is a good one and requires no value judgment.
After tearing the shirts off of each other’s backs, the sides will look at what may be achievable with
Employers always ask for more flexibility. No, it’s
what is left on the table, and the negotiations will
not in relationship to yoga. Rather, an employer may
commence. Technical amendments, like numbering
want to reserve the right to hire more part-time
of clauses to match legislation, or changes in
workers, to make overtime mandatory, or to accept
practice, like the use of e-mail instead of faxes, tend
lesser qualifications for a particular position.
to be adopted quickly.
Unions hate “flexibility.” Employers hate “seniority.”
Other demands that have little impact might be accepted, while others may be bundled together
STEP 3: LET THE NEGOTIATIONS COMMENCE Either by legislation or as part of a collective agreement, dates are set on which the union will deposit its demand. On the appropriate date, the employees will present their demands, normally with brief explanations. The employer receives the demands, may ask a few technical questions, and that’s it for the first day.
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with requests from the other side, to maintain a certain balance. At times, completely new text has to be prepared to meet the needs of both sides. That’s where the fun starts. Once a text is presented, the other side may see something of concern and ask for a recess. They discuss the text, then rewrite it and present it back. The new text may be acceptable or require the first
Each side will have chosen a spokesperson who will
side to ask for a recess, modify the revised wording,
communicate with his or her counterpart to deal
and present it again. This can go on for a while
with any issues between negotiation days.
before producing a text that is accepted, initialized
SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
by both sides, and parked until it is integrated into
generally requested because it is a step the union is
the final agreement.
obliged to take before going on strike.
By now, both parties will have withdrawn some demands, clearing the table to allow progress. Meetings are scheduled to look at particular chapters of the collective agreement and the demands from both sides on that topic. In a perfect world, the sky is blue, the days are sunny, and both sides come to an agreement at this stage and ride off into the sunset. This never happens.
In a perfect world, the sky is blue, the days are sunny, and both sides come to an agreement at this stage and ride off into the sunset. This never happens. A strike mandate is a weapon used to try to restart a negotiation, to re-establish a balance of power at
Sooner or later, everything that can easily be agreed
the table. The employer could resort to a lockout,
to has been agreed to – and neither party is prepared
its equivalent strategy, but this is rarely used in the
to budge on what is left on the table. In such a case,
public sector. The quest for a strike mandate is not a
the union – after consulting with its partners – or the
decision taken lightly by unions, as a failure to obtain
employers can ask for mediation.
the mandate from the members sends the union back to the negotiation table with its pants around its
STEP 4: MEDIATORS AND STRIKE MANDATES
ankles.
During mediation, a mediator, normally named by
Most strike mandates exist for just a few days and
the labour ministry, meets with the parties to try
are to be used when judged appropriate, but the
to get them to agree. He or she may observe a few
use of strike days must be considered carefully. You
meetings, meet with the parties separately, and
don’t want to waste them, as they have a cost to
propose avenues for moving forward. While all
members, but a strike day can also reinforce union
parties recognize that mediation may be useful, it is
solidarity.
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Then the big guns are brought in. The president of the union that oversees the sector of activity may call the minister responsible, requests are made to the Treasury Board, push comes to shove, and lo and behold, the parties return to the table and reach an agreement in principle.
STEP 6: THE END IS THE BEGINNING Now come the preparation and correction of texts. The changes to the collective agreement are incorporated, as well as changes that may have been made at other levels on issues like the retirement plan, parental benefits, job definitions, and salary scales. When the employer’s team is finished preparing the text, the union side rereads it. It is commonplace that parts of the text that haven’t been negotiated are corrected after a few more rounds of
STEP 5: BRING IN THE BIG GUNS After being made aware of the union’s strike mandate, or after a day or two of walkouts, the employer’s side usually returns with some goodies. At this time, final,
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talks. After this, all that is left to do is to sign the official copies. The collective agreement becomes official when signed by the minister.
take-it-or-leave-it offers are presented and countered.
And then, after debriefing and analysis, the cycle
The teams consult their members.
starts over again.
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A MOM’S PERSPECTIVE
A budding police officer until one fateful day
By Sonia Huggins Sonia Huggins is an educator who recently gave up her distinguished career as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. She is a regular contributor to SideOne.
When my girls were very small, we smiled and waved
fear. Every positive opportunity to interact with the
at the police and conversed with them whenever
police was accepted and encouraged. This was a
possible. My goal, as a young mother, was to make
behaviour we modelled throughout my daughters’
interactions with the police pleasant and without
childhood.
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As we all sat down, he recounted what had just happened with the police. He had been racially profiled, humiliated, and handcuffed for a simple parking infraction By the time our eldest daughter was 10, she had decided to become a Montreal police officer. I
Her soft and sweet persona just didn't seem to match with her career goal, but she insisted. So we began making plans for her to enter the police academy.
THE DAY IT ALL CHANGED One day, my husband came home from work angry and distraught. His eyes filled with fury at the injustice he had just suffered at the hands of the police we had taught our girls to revere. As he stormed into the house, our eldest daughter saw him first and realized that Dad was in a terrible state.
always thought that was because she watched too
As we all sat down, he recounted what had just
many crime shows (which she loved). I completely
happened with the police. He had been racially
overlooked the way in which we had brought them
profiled, humiliated, and handcuffed for a simple
up -- to admire and respect officers of the law.
parking infraction – then summarily released with
When she was an early teen, I arranged a ride-along
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comprehend why she wanted to be a police officer.
three tickets stuffed into his hand.
with the police in our suburban community. She
As he talked to our family, we were all deeply
was able to see some of what they did in a day. She
affected by this incident – especially our eldest
couldn't contain her excitement. Still, I could not
daughter, who had always known her father to be
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Even though I had taught my girls about racism and discrimination, told them stories of inequality, and, as a black history educator, guided them through many hypothetical racial scenarios, they had never experienced it first-hand. Their father’s experience was a shock.
She questioned the institution that was supposed to serve and protect as she watched her Dad go through these difficult emotions. My family lived with the pain of this incident until many months later, when my husband challenged the tickets in court and all were dismissed by an understanding judge. But the memory is triggered every time a Black Lives an even-tempered, soft-spoken man. Hearing him
Matter incident occurs, with a deadly outcome over
recount how he had been unjustly treated and
something minor. We are all painfully aware of what
manhandled made her question how her father,
might have been on that very day.
a man who came from a law-abiding, respect-forauthority background, had his whole sense of fair play arbitrarily upended. She questioned the institution that was supposed to serve and protect as she watched her Dad go through these difficult emotions. She wondered how to process a blatantly unfair racial situation. At that moment, she made the monumental decision not to enter law enforcement, not to pursue her chosen career. It was too close to home, too close to her beloved father.
A DECISION THAT WOULDN’T BE RECONSIDERED Despite encouragement from us, she refused to ever consider it again. Her world had been disrupted by the heinous way in which her father had been treated by the very people she had so long admired.
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THE PHOTO ESSAY
MALTA
– A WARM CLIMATE AND THR
By Michael Doherty Michael Doherty is a film and television editor based in Toronto. He is also an avid traveller. The photos and commentary are from his visit to Malta in 2018.
REE WORLD HERITAGE SITES
Malta, the world’s 10th-smallest country in area, has a population of just 515,000. I spent a week there in Sliema, just across the bay from the old town of Valletta. Valletta is Malta’s capital, and fittingly, the smallest national capital in the European Union. Malta is an archipelago 80 kilometres from southern Italy across the Malta Channel. It consists of three islands of which only two are inhabited. The islands are dominated by limestone formations, and much of their coastlines consist of steep or vertical limestone cliffs indented by bays, inlets, and coves.
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Due to the strategic importance of its location in the Mediterranean, it has been occupied and influenced by many cultures over the past 8,000 years. These include the Phoenicians, Romans, Greeks, Arabs, Normans, Sicilians, Swabians, Aragonese, Hospitallers, French, and British. Traces of the different cultures are found all over the tiny country and are definitely worth exploring. These days, Maltese and English are the official languages. Malta and Gozo can easily be toured in open top buses, which allow all day hop-on and hopoff access. I visited in the summer, which guaranteed sunshine and high temperatures every day.
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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).
MUSIC THAT DOESN’T NEED BELLS, WHISTLES OR AUTO-TUNE As February is traditionally earmarked for
actually sing. (Hello, Kanye.) And play. And write.
celebrations of love (or so says Hallmark), this
These are albums and songs where melodies matter
month’s compilation of artists is for people who
and harmonies rock. If you’ve lost faith in new music,
love real music – the kind that doesn’t need bells,
I’m here to show you it’s still as good as ever. You
whistles, or Auto-Tune. (Well, maybe cowbells.)
just have to know where to look.
This month’s selection features four artists who can
TO LISTEN WHILE YOU READ, CHECK OUT THIS MONTH’S SIDEONE SPOTIFY PLAYLIST: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6MTtP5ZMPtyyymBneZIHHi?si=8wag-GqxTLeKqmAVvmsXPA SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
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SON LITTLE Son Little (aka Aaron Livingston) is a singer/ songwriter who was born in Los Angeles but relocated to Philadelphia after dropping out of university. Lest you think that was a dumb move (because you can’t build a career without a degree, blah blah blah), it wasn’t long before he connected with the Roots, which led to an appearance on their 2011 album, Undun. So much for the need of a formal education. In 2011, he released Aaron Livingston’s Greatest Hits, Vol. 1 – a ballsy title, considering it was his first album and he hadn’t had any hits. But sometimes you have to call your future into the present if you want to make shit happen. Once again, people started to notice, not the least of whom was the legendary Mavis Staples, who enlisted him to produce her 2015 four-song EP, which earned her a Grammy award. Often compared to soul singer Leon Bridges, Son Little’s voice is raspy, tempered, and tenor-ish, which nicely frames his vintage-soul-meets-urban-bluesmeets-hip-hop sensibilities. It’s this reverence for the old combined with his search for something new that hits all the sweet spots and makes Little so pleasing to the ears. His most recent album, Aloha, is a compilation of laid-back feels and restrained vocals that would perfectly soundtrack your late-night dinners or Sunday morning brunches. On the album’s second track, About Her. Again, Little takes sparse production to a whole new level, letting his voice paint the picture in the verses while the guitar, bass and drums smoulder ever so quietly in the background. In the chorus, they let loose as Little exudes some serious Jaggeresque Play With Fire vibes, creating a hooky, emotional ode to unrequited love.
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TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Mad About You from New Magic (2017) • O Me O My from New Magic (2017) • Number One (featuring Richie Havens and Son Little) from Portugal The Man’s album Woodstock (2017) • About Her. Again from Aloha (2020) • Never Give Up from Aloha (2020)
ANDERSON EAST Hailing from Athens, Ga., East is a southern soul singer with a mighty catalogue of tunes that flow in the same veins as those of Amos Lee, Joe Cocker and Ray LaMontagne. It’s soulful, emotional, countrified, and packs a gospel-like kind of wallop – which is no surprise, given his family tree. When he was a child, his grandfather was a Baptist preacher, his father sang in a choir, and his mother played piano in church. You can feel that heavenly influence on tracks like All I’ll Ever Need from his 2015 album, Delilah, and This Too Shall Last, featured on his 2018 album, Encore.
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • What Would It Take from the Fifty Shades Darker motion picture soundtrack (2017) • Always Be My Baby from Spotify Singles (2018) • Keep the Fire Burning from Delilah (2015) • This Too Shall Last from Encore (2018) • Learning from the compilation album Southern Family (2016)
Like a good chunk of musicians, Anderson East honed his chops in the early days by playing smoky bars with nothing more than his voice, an acoustic guitar, and a boatload of confidence. As the story goes, during one of those shows, East began his set and abruptly stopped singing to inform the audience that he had to pee. After a quick visit to the porcelain palace, he climbed back on stage, apologized to the audience, and picked up right where he left off. That kind of move would get lesser acts booted off the stage, but for some reason the crowd loved him even more – which speaks volumes about his ability to hold an audience’s attention, even when he can’t hold his bladder. That honesty and aversion to rock-star posing is still winning over fans all these years later.
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THE RECORD COMPANY The Record Company is Chris Vos on vocals and guitars, Alex Stiff on bass, and Marc Cazorla on drums, three friends who went from listening to their favourite blues records to actually making them. But as Vos cautioned in an interview with journalist Kate Wertheimer, don’t call them a blues band. “We’ve got too much respect for the genre to lump ourselves into it. We’re more similar to an early rock and roll band.” Like the Black Keys, the Heavy and the Black Crowes, the Record Company effectively utilizes the crunchy guitars, pounding beats, driving bass lines and hooky choruses that make their aggressive sound so listenable. Musical influences include the obvious, like Jimi Hendrix, John Lee Hooker, the Rolling Stones, and the Stooges, but the guys have also expressed a surprising affinity for artists like George Michael, Radiohead, and Laurie Anderson. The group’s first release, 2016’s Give It Back to You, put them on the proverbial musical map. Written, recorded, and mixed in a living room in Los Angeles, it features a tight mix of punchy songs that bump and grind, thanks to some awesome harmonica, pedal steel, and dobro slide work. The album was nominated for a Grammy award and spawned three fan faves, including Off The Ground, which reached the No. 1 spot on the U.S. Billboard Adult Alternative Songs Chart. Their most recent album, Early Songs & Rarities, is a collection of demos, B-sides and alternative takes that includes covers of Jimmy Reed’s Bright Lights, Big City, and a bluesy rendition of the Beastie Boys’ So What’cha Want. Although the album’s title would suggest it was meant for serious collectors only, it’s as good as anything the band has put out and is definitely worthy of a spin on your turntable.
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TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Rita Mae Young from Give It Back To You (2016) • Off The Ground from Give It Back To You (2016) • Medicine Man from Early Songs & Rarities (2020) • Baby I’m Broken Single (2017) • Goodbye Sad Eyes from Early Songs & Rarities (2020)
ZACH GILL Zach Gill has been lead singer for ALO (Animal Liberation Orchestra) since 1988. Despite the fact that band has never really hit mainstream, they’ve been prolific nonetheless, cranking out 12 albums so far. You might not know Zach Gill by name, but you’ve probably heard his work with Jack Johnson. As keyboardist and accordion player on some of Johnson’s biggest-selling albums, Gill took the surfer’s repertoire to new spaces musically, filling the holes with unique arrangements and memorable
TRACKS TO CHECK OUT • Joy (Goodbye Guilty Pleasures) (featuring Michael McDonald) from Life in the Multiverse (2018) • 96 Likes from Life in the Multiverse (2018) • Family from Zach Gill’s Stuff (2008) • Cocktail Yoga from Cocktail Yoga (2020) • Back in the Day from Zach Gill’s Stuff (2008)
melodies. Like Johnson, Gill’s solo catalogue is breezy, fun, and easy on the ears -- often, and intentionally, transporting the listener to simpler times. The difference is it’s less beach vibe and more ’50s TV dad, particularly on songs like Family and the lounge-y Fine Wine, both off his 2008 album Zach Gill’s Stuff. During the pandemic, Gill has had nothing to do but make music. Alone in his garage (which he dubbed Creativity Lounge), he came up with Cocktail Yoga, a collection of mostly instrumentals that originally were intended as ideas for future songs. One of Gill’s many strengths is his ability to craft a great line, so the album misses the mark for me, but every song is intriguing from a musical perspective. As Gill defines it, “When the news of the day was stressful and life felt chaotic with too many voices in my head, I’d put on my headphones, fire up the recording gear, and escape to these sonic planets without words, each time adding new elements and whittling away old, until one day I realized I’d accidentally made an album.”
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THE OPPORTUNITY THAT ALMOST WAS
OH TO PLAY FOR THE CANADIENS
When I was growing up in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario,
side of the imaginary centre ice red line. Every boy
the city operated outdoor rinks at just about every
there, including me, dreamed of being in the NHL.
playground across the city. On cold winter days,
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from blocks away, you could hear the cracking sound
ONE FROSTY MORNING
of ricocheting pucks echoing off the boards and
I will never forget one sunny frosty Saturday morning
the sharp hiss and schussing of skates cutting into
at the North Street rink. I was the smallest kid on the
the ice during Saturday morning shinny. Shinny is
ice and still unsteady on skates. The big guys put me
generally a very democratic sport. Hockey sticks get
in goal. There was a certain master skater and puck
thrown into a pile at the middle of the rink and back
handler on the other team. This true wizard of puck
then, the smallest kid dealt them like cards to each
control was visiting a cousin and new to our rink. All
SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
By Lloyd Walton This story is abridged from the Historiography, Chasing the Muse: Canada by Lloyd Walton (the goalie shown above), multi-award-winning director/cinematographer painter and writer. Chasing the Muse: Canada is available on Amazon, Kindle, Chapters Indigo, and Barnes & Noble.
of the players on both teams were in awe of him. He was a joy to watch. They called him Philly.
of the other players. Every night, the North Street rink scheduled hockey
Early in the game on a breakaway, Philly whistled in
from five till seven, skating till nine, hockey till 10,
on me, stick handled left-right, left-right, left-right,
then lights out. On weekends I would skate with
sending me sprawling in one direction and my stick
friends, then play hockey and after everyone left,
in the other. He stopped and tapped the puck against
I would dipsy-doodle from end to end alone in the
my toe and said, “Nice save kid.” That gesture gave
dark, stickhandling the black puck on the white ice,
me the confidence to actually make some real saves
then resting, laying down on the ice and looking at
later in the game. Philly was a hero to me and to all
the stars in the crystal night air, dreaming of playing
SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
31
in the big time. Around midnight I would walk home
to the door. In walked
in my skates, squeaking sounds amplified in the
Scotty Bowman. Scotty
20-below temperature. One day, I would wear the red-
Bowman… future
white-and-blue Montreal Canadiens sweater glorified
multiple Stanley cup
by the likes of Jacques Plante, Maurice Richard and
winner. My team! Mon equipe!
Boom Boom Geoffrion.
I sat upright, beaming expectantly.
THEY CALLED HIM PHILLY
THE BUSINESS CARD
Eleven years later Philly – Phil Esposito – was a
Mr. Bowman walked straight towards me, reached
scoring star for the Chicago Black Hawks (and, later,
into his wallet and pulled out his card. The beloved
the Boston Bruins and New York Rangers). I, much
red CH image flashed as it went right under my
younger, a goalie in the midget league, wore the
nose. Michel Paquin, sitting on the bench beside me
Canadiens sweater with a C on the front, standing
gratefully accepted it. Scotty said to him, “I would
for our team name, the Crusaders. With only a line
like to meet your parents.” Maybe I gave up too early,
and a half on the bench, we became a crackerjack
but sadly a light went on in my head. I wasn’t going
team under the crafty coaching of my uncle, Arnold
to make it.
Running.
Fast-forward 28 years. I was boarding an Air Canada
I told this same story to my friend Dennis Hull...“You quit too early,” he laughed.
flight out of Sault Ste. Marie and to my surprise I sat
On a weekend game in northern Quebec, we were
professional games. I laughed and said, “The North
astounded by a local superstar named Michel
Street outdoor rink.” He shook his head and said,
Paquin. Coach Running arranged to have Michel
“You know, playing shinny in the Sault was the most
join the Crusaders in a season-end tournament in
fun I ever had playing hockey.”
down beside the fast forward, Phil Esposito. I waited until we were airborne, looked at him and said, “Hey. I’ve played against you.” As he looked at me I could see him wracking his brain through thousands of
Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan, at Pullar Stadium, the same arena where the Detroit Red Wings had their fall training camp. At the time, the six NHL teams had their own territories for drafting players. The province of Quebec was of course ruled by the Canadiens. Scotty Bowman, the coach of the Montreal Junior Canadiens, was sent to Michigan to claim and shield from Red Wings scouts our superstar, skater, puck handler and scorer, Michel.
I told this same story to my friend Dennis Hull, a former Chicago Black Hawk, brother of Bobby and member of Team Canada in the 1972 Russia series. Dennis in his wisdom added that maybe the reason I didn’t make the NHL is that he and his brothers would play on their outdoor rink till 2 a.m., not
Late in the third period of the championship game,
midnight. “You quit too early,” he laughed.
I thought I heard a whistle to end the play and
Looking back at that intense moment in the dressing
allowed someone to come in and score. We lost by one goal. In a quiet dressing room, I was mentally replaying that one big mistake when all eyes turned
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MY SECRET REMORSE FOR NOT MAKING THE NHL EVAPORATED.
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room, that glowing red CH passed right under my nose, I can say that I honestly did sniff the big time.
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.
FEBRUARY 20, 1816
FEBRUARY 17, 1913
Giacchino Rossini’s opera The Barber of Seville
The Armory Show opens in New York and spectators
opens at the Teatro Argentina in Rome. Not everyone
are shocked, shocked to find abstract representations
knows this, but the show is subtitled The Useless
of the female form in the exhibition of avant-garde art.
Precaution and, in retrospect, Rossini should have
Outrage focuses primarily on French painter Marcel
taken some precautions even if they did seem useless.
Duchamp’s Nude Descending a Staircase No. 2, in
Opera in Italy, especially in centuries past, has
which layered images of a model convey an incredible
been something of a spectator sport complete with
sense of motion but not much discernible nudity.
passionate followers and spirited rivalries between
Not everyone knows this, but the journal American
competing teams ... uh, camps ... uh, factions ... oh,
Art News even offered a $10 prize to anyone who
however opera lovers group themselves. Rossini took
could actually spot the nude in the painting. Former
pains to perfect the music, book the theatre, and
president Theodore Roosevelt wrote an article about
select the cast, but he didn’t bother to control the
the exhibition for Outlook magazine and observed,
audience. The theatre was packed with devotees of
“Take the picture which for some reason is called ‘A
rival composer Giovanni Paisiello, who had already
naked man going down stairs,’ ” which probably says
put on his own version of the story of the barber
more about the quality of those pince-nez glasses
Figaro. Paisiello’s fans noisily jeered throughout the
Roosevelt wore than it does about the man himself.
show, incited others to join them, and even instigated
In any case, Nude Descending a Staircase stands
disturbances on the stage. Subsequent performances
alongside Picasso’s Guernica as a masterpiece of
were successful and within three years the opera was
Cubism, even if Duchamp would become even more
a hit on both sides of the Atlantic.
notorious for making art out of a urinal.
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FEBRUARY. 28, 1939
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FEBRUARY 15, 1965 The Red Ensign is lowered on Parliament Hill and
A sharp-eyed editor for the G. and C. Merriam
Canada’s new flag is officially raised for the first
Company spots something amiss in the Second
time. Former Prime Minister John Diefenbaker, who
Edition of the New International Dictionary published
had insisted that any new flag include (as did the
in 1934. He notices on page 771 that the word “dord”
Red Ensign) the Union Jack, sheds tears during
has no etymology. Not everyone knew this, but there
the ceremony. Not everyone knows this, but it was
was no such word as “dord.” Investigation discovers
the third serious attempt to achieve a distinctly
that back in 1931 while the Second Edition was being
Canadian emblem, with governments of Mackenzie
compiled, the chemistry editor had submitted a note
King failing to reach consensus in 1925 and 1945.
for the use of the single letter D, in either upper or
Prime Minister Lester Pearson seemed to be on a
lower case, as an abbreviation for “density.” Editors
similar path to failure in 1964 until he appointed a
typically left spaces between letters in memos for
15-member multi-party commission that eventually
dictionary entries, so “D or d, cont./density” – meant
reached unanimous agreement on the 11-point Maple
to convey “D or d ... (continued) ... abbreviation
Leaf that has endured as an instantly recognizable
for density” – was interpreted by a typesetter as
symbol of Canadian identity. Of course, if the country
“Dord” being a chemical synonym for density. That
had only listened to me, they would have taken
it took eight years for the error to be discovered,
Japan’s flag, changed the red dot to black to create
and another eight before all subsequent printings
a hockey puck, and there would have been an even
corrected it, suggests that there was some dord in
more appropriate national symbol, but who listens to
the G. and C. Merriam Company itself.
a kid in Grade Four?
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FEBRUARY 13, 1981 The New York Times sets a record for the longest
FEBRUARY 11, 1999
sentence ever printed in that newspaper at 1,286
Pluto’s orbit takes it further away from the sun than
words when one of its stories includes a single quote
Neptune, thus allowing Pluto to regain its status as
from a high school student who speaks (with typical
the most distant planet in our solar system. Pluto
teenage interjections) at considerable length about
had held that status until 1979, when its eccentric
material he had been studying, thus demonstrating
path would bring it nearer the sun than Neptune
that the generally unappreciated art of editing
for the next 20 years. Not everyone knew this, but
seemed to be lost not only upon that student but
Neptune was about to reclaim the farthest-away
by the reporter who was quoting him as well as the
status sooner than expected, because in 2006 the
editor who decided to let that ramble appear in print
International Astronomical Union reclassified Pluto
in its entirety, although it could be added – even
as a dwarf planet in the Kuiper Belt. This, of course,
if not everyone knows this – that 40 years later at
reduced the number of full-fledged planets in our
least one writer and a certain publisher could have
solar system to eight, not even enough for a baseball
been somewhat more diligent in employing full
team, and left Pluto to bemoan its public relations
stops to make their content more easily absorbed
setback. Considering that a “year” is technically the
by their readership, who are fortunate in that they
amount of time it takes a planet to orbit the sun,
do not have to endure thousand-word sentences
and Pluto takes almost 248 Earth years to do that, it
but probably think that even a 160-word sentence is
could be that Pluto is just starting on its own version
somewhat excessive.
of 2020. Hang in there, kid.
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35
THE SIDEONE PROFILE By Phyl Newbeck
Les Lawton:
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.
The winningest coach in women’s college hockey During the many years that Les Lawton has been
sport in 1998. When I started coaching, only tomboys
involved in women’s hockey, he has enjoyed bearing
played, but now you have a wide variety of athletes.”
witness to the growth of the sport. Lawton began
Lawton is pleased to see leagues forming all over
his career at Concordia University in 1982 as an
the country including those designed for very young
assistant coach and was promoted to head coach
players. “We never had that years ago,” he said.
the following year. He led the Stingers to 626 wins, making him the winningest coach in the history of women’s collegiate hockey. In 2000, he was named Canada’s top women’s university hockey coach following two straight championships. Hobbled by a stroke, he stepped down from the bench in 2015 but continues to serve as a mentor to the Stingers players and coaches. He credits the increased interest and participation in women’s hockey to its emergence on the national stage. “The big turning point was having a women’s world championship in 1990,” he said, “and then it became an Olympic
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THEIR PASSION FOR THE GAME Lawton actually started his career coaching boys at Loyola High School. “After our practice, the girls’ team would take the ice,” he said. “I fell in love with how passionate they were and how attentive they were to coaching.” Lawton never considered leaving women’s hockey to return to coaching men. “Guys always had stars in their eyes,” he said, “but not the women.” He noted that women play for the love of the game, not for the promise of a lucrative professional career. “How many women make a living
playing hockey full-time?” he asked. “It’s probably
currently working in professional hockey, including
not more than five.”
Hayley Wickenheiser, who is the Assistant Director
Since women’s hockey doesn’t allow body checking, Lawton said there is more attention to individual skill levels. He believes the men’s game is moving in that direction as well. Lawton doesn’t have an easy answer for how he became the winningest coach in women’s collegiate hockey, although he notes wryly that the number of wins would have been even higher if the women had more than a 35-game schedule.
of Player Development for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and Cammi Granato, a former Concordia player, who is a scout for the Seattle Kraken who will begin NHL play next season.
“The big turning point was having a women’s world championship in 1990.”
Lawton is optimistic women’s hockey will continue
WINNING OLYMPIC GOLD
to grow. “It’s going to take time,” he said. “You have
In addition to coaching at Concordia, Lawton was
to be patient. The sport is so young but you can
put in charge of the Canadian national team when
look at all the strides we’ve made in just 20 years.”
it won the world championship in 1994. He noted
Lawton pointed proudly to the women who are
that in contrast to the Stingers, the national team
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37
didn’t feel as though it was his team. “Coaching the national team has a lot of pressure,” he said, “and you don’t really have time to develop a strong team philosophy.” In addition, there were language barriers with some players who only spoke French. “It was just ‘go out and do your thing’,” Lawton said. The team had only two or three days of practice before the games began. Nevertheless, under Lawton’s tutelage, Team Canada came home with a gold medal.
“Obviously the gold medal game in 1994 was special,” Lawton said. “You’re representing your country.”
country.” However, Lawton also pointed to a game in the mid-1990s when Concordia was playing Toronto. “It was a big game,” he said, “and Toronto had a bunch of national team players including Angela James.” Lawton said the Stingers were losing by a wide margin but came back to win 7-6, solely on goals by Corinne Swirsky. “She scored four goals in three minutes,” he recalls. To this day, Lawton maintains that Swirsky was the most talented player he ever coached and he has her hockey stick
Lawton might still be behind the bench if he hadn’t
mounted in his office. “She never got a sniff with
suffered a stroke in 2015. “It was hard, but it could
the national team,” he said, “but she was the best
have been much worse,” he said. “I saw people who
university player I ever coached and that included
were bed-ridden and couldn’t walk. I never felt sorry
Olympians and six or seven Hall of Famers.”
for myself.” It took some time for Lawton to recover from speech and mobility deficits but he has made a lot of progress. “At least I can walk now and talk a bit,” he said.
Another memorable game took place in the 2011 Winter Universiade in Erzurum, Turkey, where Canada also took home the gold. “We never got together as a team until we got there,” Lawton
Despite the stroke, Lawton has taken part in the
said. “Then we had one practice and a game the
annual Concordia Shuffle fundraiser. The first year
next day.” Unfortunately, Finland had played Turkey
he used a walker and raised $4,000. By 2019, he had
the day before and won 33-0. Lawton was told
ditched the walker in favour of a broken hockey
that the president of Turkey would be at the game
stick and the $9,535 he raised was the most of any
against Canada. “We were furious with Finland,” he
individual. Last year, he decided to walk 100K over
said. “I told my team not to take the puck away
the course of a week and was able to raise $14,000
from the Turkish players. Let them pass and shoot.”
for scholarships for the women’s hockey program.
By holding back, Canada emerged with a 10-0 victory. “When we got off the ice they treated us like
A SPECIAL PLAYER Although Lawton has hundreds of victories to his
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celebrities,” Lawton said.
name, there are some games that will always stand
FOREVER A FAN
out. “Obviously the gold medal game in 1994 was
Lawton still goes to the rink every day to watch the
special,” Lawton said “You’re representing your
Stingers practise and play. “I miss coaching,” he
SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
said, “but now I get to be a fan.” These days, the
only reason he came to the rink was that we went
team is coached by two former Olympians, Caroline
to McDonald’s afterwards.” Looking for an activity
Ouellette and Julie Chu, although Chu is currently
Lucas might enjoy, Lawton enrolled him in Irish
on maternity leave. The two women used to play
dance lessons. Now a professional dancer, Lucas
against each other when Chu was the captain of
competed in the discipline for 15 years and performs
the U.S. national team while Ouellette captained
all over the world.
the Canadian squad. “The team is in good hands,” Lawton said. While Lawton is proud of the athletic achievements of his players, he’s also delighted by their work off the ice. Lawton said he fought to have Concordia allow Andrea Dolan to attend the school even though her grades were sub-par. These days, the medical school graduate is known as Dr. Dolan. Likewise, while Lawton is happy that three of his children played hockey, he is equally proud of his son Lucas, who wanted no part of the sport. “He hated hockey,” Lawton recalls. “He just followed me around on the ice until I had to put him in the penalty box. The
“When I started coaching, only tomboys played, but now you have a wide variety of athletes.” Lawton believes the key to good coaching is communication. “You have to have your door open,” he said, “and feel free to talk to your players about anything, including coursework, professors and family. You can’t rule with an iron fist. You have to talk to your team and try to stay on their level.”
SENSIBLE DOLLARS Short-termism is like taking your cake out too soon By Allan Kunigis Allan Kunigis is a Canadian-born freelance financial writer based in Shelburne, Vermont. He has written about personal finance for more than two decades. He is the author of A Kid’s Activity Book on Money and Finance: Teach Children About Saving, Borrowing, and Planning for the Future, published in September. If you were planning a trip across the country,
Assuming your neighbour doesn’t live a kilometre or
would you:
more down the road, I’m guessing you’ll walk across
A: Walk? B: Ride your bicycle? C: Or drive your car?
the lawn.
ODD QUESTIONS Why am I asking these odd questions? To try and illustrate, in a fresh way, something I’ve written
A silly question for sure. Unless this is your epic pan-
and read about too many times to count: Invest
Canadian quest à la Terry Fox, I’m guessing you’ll
appropriately for your time horizon (the length of
drive.
time you expect to remain invested).
Bear with me for one more obvious question. If you were planning to go to your next-door neighbour’s house to borrow a garden tool, would you: A: Walk? B: Take your bike out of the garage and inflate the tires, put on your helmet, etc. and ride over? C: Or would you drive?
Time-appropriate investing choices boil down to using less-volatile (safer) investments, such as a bank account, guaranteed investment certificate (GIC), or money market fund, for shorter-term goals (less than two or three years away). For example, saving to help your child pay for his or her wedding a year from now or saving up for a round-the-world post-Covid vacation in 2022 (let’s hope!) would involve protecting your original principal from any short-term jolts.
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Conversely, long-term investments give you plenty of
retirement or other long-term goals are so fixated on
time to ride out any short-term stock market ups and
what the stock market does tomorrow, next week, or
downs. By investing in a diversified mix of stocks/
next month.
stock funds and bonds/bond funds, you could benefit from higher long-term earnings than the absurdly low current rates of return on a GIC or money market fund today.
Short-termism can be a wound too many investors inflict on themselves. This all probably makes a lot of sense so far, I hope.
If you’re not going to touch that money for a decade or longer, how will tomorrow’s one-per-cent gain or the one-per-cent drop the following day matter in the long term? Short-termism can be a wound too many investors inflict on themselves. It’s not just a waste of time like standing by the oven window and watching constantly to see if your cake or quiche is ready. You surely must have better things to do with your time than watch your account balance fluctuate day by
A short-term focus for a long-term goal makes no
day for thousands of days.
sense. The real danger is the risk of overreacting. Rather
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Given all of the above, what truly makes no sense
than leaving your investments alone to grow over
to me is why so many investors who are saving for
time, too many of us panic when we see an inevitable
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market downturn. Instead of riding it out, we stick our fingers in the cake while it’s still in the oven, and, yes, we get burned!
The real danger is the risk of overreacting. Rather than leaving your investments alone to grow over time, too many of us panic when we see an inevitable market downturn.
DISTRACTING NOISE Of course, the financial media and internet make it harder for us to be patient and ignore the short-term ups and downs. They create a distracting “noise” that can be hard to ignore. “The S&P/TSX fell 300 points yesterday… The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 135 points today and ended at a record high.” How will that affect you and your life savings two decades from now? What really matters is how well suited your investment mix is for your time horizon and for your degree of tolerance for risk. That shouldn’t change day by day, should it?
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And if you’ve just entered or are about to enter
your investments by doing a brief quarterly review.
retirement, you shouldn’t have too much exposure
Things to focus on are whether your mix of assets
to stocks, but you should have some. How much?
has shifted substantially over time and, towards
It depends on your tolerance for risk, but a popular
year end, whether you might be best advised to
rule of thumb is to subtract your age from a number,
sell any taxable investments that have lost money
such as 120, to arrive at your rough stock allocation.
in order to offset capital gains elsewhere. That’s
For example: At age 60, 120-60 = 60% stocks, and the rest in bonds and cash At age 70, 120-70 = 50% stocks … At age 80, 120-80 = 40% stocks …
called tax-loss harvesting. 5. Do a thorough annual financial review. Once a year, do a financial check-up, preferably with your financial planner or financial advisor. This is a thorough review of all of your personal finances. That includes your investment mix, your portfolio’s performance versus relevant benchmarks, your
Following that kind of long-term strategy will
progress towards major goals such as retirement,
gradually and steadily decrease your investment
your insurance needs and coverage, and whether
portfolio’s exposure to volatility.
your estate plan is up to date and appropriate. That kind of thoughtful regular review should counter
FIVE WAYS TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM SHORT-TERMISM 1. Automate. Stop thinking about the ups and downs of the market by automating your investment plan contributions. If you belong to a workplace retirement savings plan, a regular amount should be deducted at source from your paycheque. You
What Would Warren Do?
never need to think about it or be tempted to
If you need a role model as an investor, look no
spend it.
further than the deservedly famous Warren Buffett.
2. Tune out. Turn off the investment news. Every minute you’re not focused on the investment markets is that much more time you’ll have for anything else. 3. Work with a financial advisor. Find a good one who
An extremely successful investor over the past 65 or so years, Buffett has consistently followed a disciplined long-term vision and strategy. He espouses ignoring the market’s short-term gyrations with truisms such as: “A short focus is not conducive to long-term profits.” And he also
has experience, credentials, and a good reputation.
intentionally remains in Omaha, Nebraska, far, far
Here’s a helpful article on how to find the right
away from the hustle and bustle and overstimulation
financial advisor:
of Wall Street and New York City.
https://www.canada.ca/en/financial-consumeragency/services/savings-investments/choosefinancial-advisor.html 4. Monitor your investments but don’t fixate. Monitor
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your temptation to be a market short-timer.
SIDEONE FEBRUARY 2021
The next time you’re tempted to take your investment cake out of the oven before it’s ready or before you need to eat, ask yourself, “WWWD?” –– What would Warren do?
COMING UP:
A sampling of next month’s stories ONLINE LEARNING
THE SIDEONE PROFILE
scrambling to learn new software – the new face of
impact without a lot of celebrity.
Computers crashing, kids screaming, teachers education.
CONSPIRACY THEORIES DEBUNKED Next month’s version explores the Apollo moon landing conspiracy.
ISOLATION
More and more Canadians are living alone. What’s the impact of being alone, especially in Covid times?
THE PHOTO ESSAY - NEPAL A breathtaking adventure!
NOT EVERYONE KNOWS THIS…
The world’s first bus service, a German-English musician and Pearl Harbor – all in next month’s instalment.
We’ll meet another Canadian who is having a big
SENSIBLE DOLLARS
More investing advice from our financial writer.
FEBRUARY 2021
