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*Volume XI, Issue 13 *February 25, 2016
The Power Of The Future
Inside
2 News
The rising of Moon vs. Sun
6 Health & Lifestyle
Photo by Todd Shearon Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk perform at the Chrysler Theatre in the St. Clair College Centre For The Arts on Saturday
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8 Entertainment
Sex for sale Alyssa Horrobin Converged Citizen Staff
the sex trade is an ongoing issue that is becoming more and more prevalent in Cases of sex trafficking Ontario and Windsor is no make headlines across North exception according to America and local police Windsor police. Although and anti-human trafficking awareness of this issue is advocates say this is also an becoming more widespread, issue in Windsor. officials say women are still Illegal activity involving being lured into the sex
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trade. Constable Peter Mombourquette with the Windsor Police Morality Unit said street prostitution still happens in Windsor, but the trade has moved mostly to motels and people make arrangements to hook up on websites such as Backpage.
According to Mombourquette, what starts out being a woman’s choice could lead them into working for someone illegally. “Behind closed doors, the public officers…we can’t
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Thursday, February 25, 2016
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9 Sports Quote of the Day Living at risk is jumping off the cliff and building your wings on the way down. —Ray Bradbury
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Save Ojibway asks ERCA for help Ashley Ann Mentley Converged Citizen Staff Local groups protesting commercial development in the Ojibway Prairie area are reaching out to the Essex Region Conservation Authority for help. Nancy Panchesan, a LaSalle woman who has been advocating to protect Ojibway for more than eight years, made a presentation at the ERCA board meeting Feb. 11. She is requesting that ERCA step in and, through appropriate testing and procedures, stop any proposed building. “If the tests are not met the authority could prohibit the development because of pollution or because the conservation of lands may be affected,” Panchesan said.
opment application submitted for the property, it is too early for them to get involved. ERCA board member Tim Byrne pointed out that all they currently have is a planning proposal in front of them, which was provided through the City of Windsor back in 2004. “When the development application comes ERCA will get involved,” said chair Ed Sleiman. “We’ll apply all the tests within our power.” In December 2015 the Ontario Municipal Board dismissed a plea made by the Save Ojibway group to reverse re-zoning of the land. The O.M.B.’s decision means CoCo Paving can begin making commercial development plans. The Ojibway area is home to eight endangered
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welcome Syrian Refugees
Photo by Rabiul Biplob An-Noor School students are creating postcards and paintings for the Syrian children who choose Windsor as their home Feb. 5. Rabiul Biplob Converged Citizen Staff
Photo by Ashley Ann Mentley Nancy Panchesan asks the for help to save the Ojibqay Prarie at the ERCA board meeting Feb. 11 in Essex. Panchesan is requesting that ERCA defer to section 28 1C of the Conservation Authorities Act which would allow ERCA to prohibit any development if after testing they determine the lands would be negatively affected. But the ERCA board said since there is no official devel-
species and 13 species at risk. Despite having no immediate action taken as a result of the meeting, Panchesan said she is confident ERCA is on her side and she viewed the meeting as an educational opportunity. “In the end ERCA could be the white knight that protects Ojibway,” she said.
Students from An-Noor Islamic School have been making postcards and paintings for Syrian children who have made Windsor their home to welcome them to the community. The postcards will be soon delivered by parent council members to the Canadian Syrian Council. “We wanted to give the chance to the kids to express their feelings,” said Leen AbuRashed, chair of the parent council. She said it was a good opportunity to explain to their children what is going on in
other parts of the world, which is important to understand. Abu-Rashid also said it took time for her children to understand what Syrian children are going through. They are planning to be part of the welcoming party another organization is having for Syrian refugees. “It gives the kids, at very early age, a sense of responsibility towards other people,” said parent Mohamed Hafez. “It is a good exercise for them to learn how to welcome other people, have compassion.” Hafez said the event held Feb. 5. will show how Windsor is welcoming.
“This is a parent council initiative as part of the parent council. We try to do group activities for the children and try to help children to do after school activities,” said Dena Nazer, secretary of the parent council. “This year we are doing that for Syrian refugees.” Nazer said she thinks children sending messages to children, the message becomes stronger, along with the fact that art is always so expressive and it is a universal language. “We want to let them know that we are a very welcoming community here in Windsor,” said Nazer. “We are a growing community and we always love new people.”
Open Streets Windsor Open House Allanah Wills Converged Citizen Staff After getting approval from the city, Windsor will host its first ever Open Streets. The public was invited to the Windsor International Aquatic and Training Centre Feb. 17 to receive more information, including how to become a street vendors and volunteers for the event.
“We have information on the route, what streets are going to be closed and used,” said Michael Cooke, manager of policy planning for the City of Windsor. “They can also see different areas we’re calling ‘activity hubs,’ where there’ll be stations of interest that people can do free recreational activities at.” With eight kilometres of
street closure it will be the largest in Windsor’s history. Closure will start at Ford City and end in Sandwich Town. Patrons will be able to enjoy activities such as bike riding, yoga and dancing. Open Streets Windsor is scheduled for July 17 and Sept. 18. More information can be found on the City of Windsor’s website.
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A long way down
Photo by Felicia Patterson Jeff Castaneda is a financial planner at IG Investors Group.
Loonie decline affects Windsorites Felicia Patterson Converged Citizen Staff
Photo by Todd Shearon The Windsor-Detroit Ambassador Bridge sits 152 feet above the water. Aaron Lombardi Converged Citizen Staff People have been jumping off the Ambassador Bridge since its construction but it is a subject many don’t want to discuss. Not all jumpers are Canadian, some are visitors. A man crossing the WindsorDetroit border tells the patrol officer he is going to Canada to visit family. He drives onto the Ambassador Bridge overlooking the Detroit River and the skyline of two cities in separate countries. He pulls his car to the side of the road, walks to the edge and jumps. Since its completion in 1930, the Ambassador Bridge has served as an important link in Canada’s trade with the United States. However, since 1965 the bridge has recorded 20 known suicides from people claiming to be crossing the border. Statistics show that before the 1960s there were more jumpers when it was not uncommon to see people walking or riding bicycles across the bridge. “We won’t say it happens a lot, but it has happened,” said Doug Desjardins, a Windsor firefighter. “Nobody really wants to know about that kind
of stuff.” The border patrol and its restrictions could be a factor in the prevention of a large number of jumpers. The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco has recorded some of the highest numbers of suicide jumpers in the world, possibly due to the fact it is not a border-based bridge. The Ambassador Bridge does not use suicide nets like most areas where suicides are a common problem such as the Apple assembling factory in China where eight people jumped to their deaths in a span of three months. “That’s something the Police normally deal with,” said Desjardins, who is also a scuba diver. “I’ve never had to do a search and rescue or talk anyone down from jumping.” The bridge has seen accidental deaths as well, with 10 workers having been killed during its construction in 1930. In 2000, Windsor painter Jaime Barker died after falling from the bridge as did a Detroit painter who also fell to his death when a scaffolding broke from beneath him. In July 2015 an American man jumped from the bridge and fell to the water 152 feet below.
Rick Larue, 70, was an iron worker on the Ambassador Bridge before his retirement in the ’90s. Although Larue was reluctant to talk about workplace accidents on the bridge he shared stories of the disregard for safety during that time. “It was a different time, back in the 70s we never wore harnesses or hard hats, anyone who did was teased,” said Larue laughing. “But safety is definitely the most important thing.” The iron workers were placed in charge of any repairs that had to be made on the bridge. These would include welding and replacing any damaged equipment that was deemed unsafe for further use. Iron working is considered a dangerous job due to the working environment. They are required to work in heights, tight spaces that can be slick with oil and coolant and to use heavy equipment. “Whenever we were on the bridge we were very busy, but we were always extra careful whenever we had to work high up top where you see the bridge sign,” said Larue. With a second bridge to be built in 2020 only time will tell whether it will include precautions for preventing suicide.
Many Windsorites are being affected by the drop in value of the Canadian dollar—some are benefiting, while others are not. As the value of the loonie remains low, people living in Canada who work in the U.S. are able to convert their earnings and gain a few extra dollars. The Canadian dollar is currently 72 cents U.S. If a person earned an income of US$400 bi-weekly, with the exchange rate their earnings would amount to C$688. That is an extra C$288. One Windsor man who works in Detroit said he finds the low value of the loonie beneficial. “I go to the U.S. for work Monday through Friday. The Canadian dollar being worth 73 cents U.S. actually benefits me by me working in the States,” said auditor David Cox who is an American citizen with a permanent residence in Canada. “The exchange rate is great with U.S. currency.” According to a Windsor travel agent, travel has not come to a halt since the plummet of the Canadian dollar, but some people are seeking more affordable vacation spots. “There’s still people travelling, they’re just not going to the United States. They’re going down to Cuba, Dominican or Mexico, where they don’t have to worry about the U.S. dollar,” said Scott Anderson, general manager of Ticket Wicket Travel. “To go to all inclusives down in the Caribbean where you’re paying in Canadian dollars before you go, it’s not that bad.” When it comes to investing money, one financial planner
advises those who had investments before the Canadian dollar plummeted to hold out, as the market has its ups and downs. “The low value of the Canadian dollar will affect the way people invest their money because people who were already in the market have lost money. If you have a really good advisor, they’ll tell you to stay put because the markets have gone down, but the markets will go back up,” said Jeff Castaneda, a financial planner at IG Investors Group. “People right now are panicking.” Castaneda said it is best to invest and buy company shares now while the market is down. “When you go to the grocery store and things are on sale, you’re going to buy twice as much as usual, so why wouldn’t you do that in the market?” said Castaneda. “At a time like this, it’s the best time to buy. Right now markets are on sale.” Some Windsorites say the low value of the loonie influences how and where they shop. “It does affect my shopping but I would say in a good way because I shop more here in Canada for some particular things that I would usually get in the States due to the exchange rate,” said Cox. “My budgeting has changed for the good thanks to the exchange rate from U.S. to Canadian currency.” The exchange from Canadian to American dollars has been on a steady decrease since 2014, but Castaneda said not to worry because markets always fluctuate. “Markets go down and they go up. It’s always been that way, history proves it,” said Castaneda.
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Self-driving cars could potentially be tested in Windsor
Photo by Stephanie Zografos Mayor Drew Dilkens stands in the board room at City Hall Feb. 19. Stephanie Zografos Converged Citizen Staff Windsor could potentially be the testing spot for new technologies working to build self-driving cars. Mayor Drew Dilkens pitched the idea to get Windsor involved in building and testing the cars at the Canadian International Auto Show in hope of bringing more jobs to the area. Dilkens said Windsor would be a good candidate because of the city’s automotive background. “I think that we have expertise in manufacturing, specifically automotive, that is our history here,” said Dilkens. “We are good at building these cars, we are really good at putting the technology into the vehicles and we have unique characteristics where we have urban and rural environments. We are also on the border, so these vehicles will have to be tested going over from Canada to the United States and there is no better place to do that than right here in Windsor.” Should the city be chosen more jobs will come to the area, but Dilkens said there could potentially be a cost to the taxpayer. “I think any costs are incurred as part of the net-
work of infrastructure needed to test them,” said Dilkens. “There might be WiFi or 3G or 4G technology and other advance technologies needed to help the cars communicate effectively with the network and with each other.” Currently, Dilkens as well as the University of Windsor and St. Clair College are working together on a conjoined letter to Ford expressing interest in the project. With the possibility of this new technology being tested in Windsor there is some worry about safety. Shawn Ractiz, the owner and instructor for Signal Truck & Forklift Driving School said he is concerned with having self-driving cars in the city. “I worry about safety and the possibility of it being hacked,” said Ractiz. “I see stories about GPS systems and computers being hacked and that people are coming and shutting those systems down, and this could mean that people will be able to turn other cars left or right on the road.” At this point Dilkens said there is no decision on whether Windsor will be chosen to run the test project or when the process of the cars coming to the city will start. Stratford is also being considered as the test site.
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SEX PAGE 1 really see what happens at that point,” said Mombourquette. “At that point you can see people that exert control coerce people into being in the sex trade. It may have happened before in prostitution on the street, but now because it’s behind closed doors you can really see different levels and that’s where the human trafficking comes in – where people are coerced into doing something that they didn’t intend to do.” Coercion can take many forms. A lot of it involves manipulation, fear and deceit. Mombourquette said sometimes girls get involved in a physical or online romantic relationship with a pimp. In other situations, a girl could be addicted to drugs and needs more substances or money, or maybe the person she works for has threatened her in some way. The law used to be if you were soliciting you were arrested. In January 2015, the law was changed. Now police can build trust and positive contact with girls who previously saw them as the enemy and the charges can now be laid on the “Johns,” people driving around looking to pick someone up or on the pimp who is receiving material benefit. Since it has moved largely to online arrangements, police need women to come forward and make a statement in order to arrest someone who is making money off them illegally. “Because of the nature of what we’re dealing with, a lot of girls don’t want to come forward and provide that,” said Mombourquette. “Sometimes, you know, they believe that they’re doing it voluntarily when in fact… they’re being coerced into doing it but the person that’s involved believes, because
of the different relationship they have with this individual, that what they’re doing is independent.” Mombourquette said many people are under the misconception that sex trafficking or women involved in the sex trade come from overseas if it is happening here, but the reality is a number of these women involved are born and raised in Canada. According to him, it is extremely prevalent in Toronto and the GTA and even Windsor. “Trafficking is known as a ghost crime. The biggest
Thrasher said each case is handled specifically to the victim and the help and resources given throughout their journey to exit their situations are chosen by the victim. She said the most important thing they can give to an individual is their freedom. “When speaking specifically about working with individuals in sex trafficking, we look at each individual and create a plan of care that is right for them,” said Thrasher. “This could be anything from providing our information and number and taking a
thing that makes it an issue here is that it is out of sight,” said Maureen Thrasher with Legal Assistance of Windsor Anti-Human Trafficking Project Coordinator with WEFiGHT. “It is either behind closed doors or our community members are not aware of the crime and quite frankly often do not want to believe it’s a crime so it gets ignored,” said Thrasher. “Traffickers are aware of this and this keeps their business thriving. I would say the most important area is awareness. This is happening in our neighbourhood and we have to start talking about it.” WEFiGHT is a network across Ontario providing training to agencies to learn the signs of trafficking and educating students entering the work force to do the same. The organization does outreach at agencies where a person who is being trafficked or is at risk of being trafficked can seek help.
few more times to gain trust, to someone who is in immediate crisis and needs assistance with income, housing and basic needs. We provide support with visits to appointments such as health care providers, police and the court system. We provide counseling to address issues of trauma and support individuals in moving forward.” Another resource for women who want to exit the sex trade or just need help in some way is the Welcome Centre Shelter for Women. Director of Community Engagement Remy Boulbol said their main focus is safety. Boulbol said any individual identifying as a woman can seek help from the shelter. For more information, visit well-comecentre.com or wefight.ca. If you or someone you know may be involved in a case of human trafficking, please contact the police or someone who can help.
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Save parking garage on Pelissier Fabricio Rivera Converged Citizen Staff Photo courtesy of Arizona Zervas Arizona Zervas (right) performs on stage during Mike Stud’s Back to You tour Feb. 2. on their stop in Maryland along with Ryan Oakes Feb. 2.
The sound of passion Garrett Fodor Converged Citizen Staff Social media platforms are changing the music industry and affecting how musicians get their content out to the public. With the creation of YouTube, SoundCloud, Spotify and even iTunes there has been an increase in the number of success stories from recent musicians. Artists like Justin Bieber have been using these technologies to turn their passion for music into a career after getting a record deal. These applications and websites have made it possible for artists to share their work and extend their following of people from around the world. It is as easy as a $100 mic and a laptop with recording software. Ryan Oakes is a 20-year-old hip hop artist who is currently in school at Radford University, in Virginia. Oakes, which is his stage name, is currently majoring in sports medicine and minoring in marketing. He said he is making a profit off his music including his most popular song Drinking About You has more than 750,000 views across his platforms. “Social media marketing is everything to me. Without it I would probably still only have a few hundred fans and followers,” said Oakes. “It is extremely important to learn how to build a following in an era where blog posts are surely dying out and self promotion and the promotion of others via social media and YouTube is coming to life very quickly.” The owner and operator of Phog Lounge in Windsor said the technology for his business and the industry is a must and is changing the way everyone operates. “Social media has given people the ability to reach far
and wide and inform people of events. I think making people aware is a huge step to getting people to your show,” said Tom Lucier. “It has been wildly helpful for many musicians.” Phog Lounge hosts live local talent and promotes the industry. Lucier said he feels many people never go to school but they have life experiences that push them creatively. One of those people who is not interested in the education route is Arizona Zervas, a 20year-old hip hop artist from Maryland. He invests everything he has into music and does it all himself – from booking to mixing and mastering. Zervas said he is confident in his ability and feels he can continue to grow and make music independently. “I never say something untruthful in a song. I’m not enrolled and I never went to school even though everyone at West Virginia thinks I go there,” said Zervas. “After I graduated high school I knew what I wanted to do. I knew it was gonna take time. But that didn’t scare me. College is a great way to achieve goals for some people but I never wanted to do anything except make music for a living. I just knew that I would never be happy unless I chased this dream 120 per cent.” Zervas and Oakes both got their start in music during middle school making parodies and joke raps which became successful. Both of them were featured on Mike Stud’s Back to You tour. Zervas recently released a new album, Never Going Home while Oakes is releasing music every two weeks on his YouTube channel. Both Oakes and Zervas are confident in their ability to succeed on their own without a record label. That is something unheard of in past decades.
Some Windsorites are concerned about the elimination of the free one-hour parking and the increase in parking rates at the municipal parking garage on Pelissier Street. Business owners and residents are signing a petition in an attempt to save the garage. The parking garage on Pelissier Street was built in 1979 and had ground-level retail spaces added in 1984. Debi Croucher, who is a member of the Windsor Downtown Business Improvement Association, started a petition for signatures in hopes of saving the parking garage. “The petition has over 1000 signatures and continues to grow,” said Croucher who
feels free parking plays an important part in local business and the elimination of the parking garage will have negative effects. “The free one-hour parking is an incentive role for people who are coming to shop, have a meal, to drink or visit family," said Crocher. The retail space on the main level will also face changes. “The city has put out a request for proposals for a tenant, developer, or a property owner to take over managing the commercial space,” said Croucher. The increase in rates and elimination of the free hour affects not only business owners but everyday Windsorites. Akram Aoun uses the building frequently and said he is not looking forward to the elimination of the free hour
and the rate increase. He often visits his mother and frequents the attractions downtown and has done so for over four years. “It’s gonna be a big inconvenience if they revoke the free hour and people will not often come. Only if they need to visit City Hall,” said Aoun. “There’s a lot of outings that take place downtown, people use the garage to go out for dinner, or to see a play at the Capitol Theatre, visit the nightclubs. The garage…is a major key factor in visiting the downtown mosaic.” Pelissier is a secondary street but the DWBIA is still asking for signatures to save the parking garage on Pitt and Pelissier, along with preserving the characteristics of the area.
Windsor vs the Ambassador Bridge Company Michael Hugall Converged Citizen Staff The City of Windsor and the Ambassador Bridge Company are in the midst of a power struggle for properties in the west-end community. The main argument presented in court by Matty Moroun and the bridge company is with the Ambassador Bridge being placed in the City of Windsor, it acts as an arm of the federal government. Therefore, the Ambassador Bridge Company does not have to adhere to municipal by-laws. Property ownership has been a battle for quite some time, evident by streets such as Indian Road, as well as longstanding buildings J.L. Forster High School and Abars (located in the east-end). Although the struggle between Moroun and the City of Windsor enters its third appeal, Ward 2 councilor John
Elliott says he still has hope Moroun will stick to his initial plan to upkeep the properties owned by the Ambassador Bridge Company. “My position was give it a wait and see, and keep an open mind,” said Elliott. “The first impression was that if we can keep the building viable, they’re purposing to keep it open to community grounds… the last thing I want to see is another building boarded up.” A transaction that was the boiling point for much of the west-end community was the sale of J.L. Forster high school. However, Elliott said since the sale of J.L. Forster the Ambassador Bridge Company has kept their word to keep it standing Elliott said the building was a peace offering to the community. The impact of the Ambassador Bridge Company is being felt by many resi-
dents of the west end. Rita Higgins, a resident of the west-end since 1980 said she hopes to see the community return to the state it was once in a flourishing, and vibrant community. “You can notice the divide from Huron Church to our community,” said Higgins. “It has segregated our community from the rest of Windsor.” According to CBC.ca the lawsuits continue to pile up as the city has already invested $2.9 million in legal fees to try and preserve the properties owned by Moroun. The two parties are in their third appeal which is being heard in the Supreme Court of Canada. As reported by the Windsor Star, Moroun is now claiming a NAFTA challenge against the American and Canadian governments, claiming both sides are trying to steal boarder crossing revenues from the Ambassador Bridge.
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More plant based options in Windsor Séraphine Garré Converged Citizen Staff Canada has seen a substantial increase in people becoming vegetarian or eating less meat, according to a poll by the Vancouver Humane Society. The Vancouver Humane Society conducted a poll saying that about 12 million Canadians are now vegetarian or eating less meat. All over the country supermarkets are changing the types of foods they carry and more specialty grocers are popping up. In Windsor there is one vegan grocery store and other supermarkets in the city carry a variety of products that cater to the vegan market. Later in 2016, a German grocery chain called Veganz, the only of its kind in the world, will be expanding and opening its first North American store in Portland, Ore. News of this has been spreading throughout the vegan community not only in the Pacific Northwest, but in Windsor as well. Brian Brown, 29, a nursing student at St. Clair College, is vegan and said he is excited to
Photo by Séraphine Garré Owner of Green Leaf Specialty Grocer, Fred Sorrell is preparing for his first customers of the day Feb. 17. see more places becoming vegan friendly. “I think that it’s great that veganism is becoming more prominent and that more and more people are getting exposure to the movement. I think it’s essential to the health of our population, to the environ-
ment and welfare of animals,” said Brown. Windsor does not have as large of a vegan population as Portland does, which ranks as the most vegetarian city in America, according to the Vegetarian Research Group, but it has been growing and
the demand is there. Windsor is home to a few strictly vegan restaurants and one vegan grocery store – Green Leaf Specialty Grocer. Fred Sorrell, 29 is the owner of Green Leaf and is an active member in Windsor vegan groups including the Windsor
Vegan Potluck. “I’ve been watching the vegan market over the past few years. If I were to look at something as simple as a Facebook group, Windsor Vegan Potluck or something like that, we see followers. It was 80 something two years ago and now we’re up to almost 300 [followers],” said Sorrell. “I think there is definitely an awakening happening where more and more people are willing to cut [animal products] out of their diet and try to live healthy. Even if they’re not being vegan they’re definitely trying to eat healthy.” A popular misconception is living a vegetarian or vegan lifestyle is more expensive, but according to a calculation by learnvest.com, the vegan diet was $3.50 cheaper per day than a meat containing diet. With vegetarian diets becoming more popular and more cost effective resources becoming available to Windsorites, there may be an even higher demand for plant-based products. As it stands anyone interested in trying to eat less meat can easily do so in Windsor.
Taking it one beat at a time Lyndi-Colleen Morgan Converged Citizen Staff According to the Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada, 70,000 Canadians will have heart attacks this year with the majority being preventable. HSFC reports that one heart attack will occur every seven minutes. Out of these heart attacks, approximately 14,000 Canadians will die from a treatable condition. Heart attacks are caused by the buildup of plaque made of fat materials and cholesterol on the inside of artery walls. When arteries become too blocked, a blood clot forms
Photo by Lyndi-Colleen Morgan Windsor Cardiac Wellness Centre is an outpatient clinic providing patient care that promotes prevention and management to those who are at risk for heart attacks and heart complications.
making it harder for the heart to pump blood. This inability to pump blood causes the heart attack. Factors contributing to heart attacks include high blood pressure, high cholesterol, obesity, diabetes and smoking. Damage caused by a heart attack scars the heart. Scarring will be permanent and may lead to more heart attacks if the patient survives. According to cardiologist Rajen Chetty, heart attacks become more frequent after age 50. He said the easiest ways to prevent them seem to
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health & lifestyle ONVERGED CITIZEN Child abuse hurts long-term Dylan Fremlin Converged Citizen Staff When most people think of post-traumatic stress disorder they think of men returning from war, but that is not the only cause of PTSD. Patrick O’Sullivan is a 31year-old ex-NHL hockey player who suffers from PTSD. O’Sullivan’s father John, moved around from city to city in the U.S. playing for minor league hockey teams. He caused problems everywhere until he ran out of teams that would give him week long contracts. In one case, he even took a slap-shot at his coach’s head in the middle of a game. John became obsessed with the thought of his son making the NHL one day and was convinced extreme abuse was the best way to make that happen. O’Sullivan knew at a young age he was eventually going to have to do something drastic to take his father out of his life. “I always looked at it, even as a kid when I started to understand what was happening to me, that the person was my father, but only on the simplest level,” said O’Sullivan. “There was nothing else he did that would constitute him being a parent.” O’Sullivan’s father abused him on a regular basis, such as making him eat his own vomit and forcing him to run on the highway behind the family van in the winter. John also stood behind the glass and screamed at him all game, every game. Other hockey parents saw this and suspected there may be other things
HEART PAGE 6 be the hardest for people. “Some of the most important things that can be done are what people don’t always want to do, which is diet and exercise,” said Chetty. “Maintaining a good body weight is important and maintaining a good diet assists in good body weight as well.” Other treatments for individuals’ later stages of a pre-heart attacks may include medications to dissolve blocks, stents, or bypass surgery. He said the majority of the
Photo courtesy of Patrick O’Sullivan
Patrick O’Sullivan skates in warmups with the Phoenix Coyotes in his last NHL season.
work has to be done by the patient. Changing diet and lifestyle choices of those at risk are the first steps for preventing heart attacks or the use of invasive treatments. Chetty said exercise helps in the process. “Exercise is part of having a healthy heart,” said “Big Bike” Bob Maurice, member of the Big Bike Ride which raises money for the Heart and Stroke Foundation. “Without a heart, especially a healthy heart, we wouldn’t be able to do a lot.” Maurice has been a member
of the Big Bike ride for the last 13 years. He said he has never personally dealt with heart problems, but has had friends and family die from heart attacks. “I realize that there are things that I should do for myself to ensure that I have a healthy heart and that I need to take steps before something happens to myself,” he said. Richard Divnich, 67, a heart attack survivor, said he would have taken steps to prevent his heart attack if he had known he was at risk of having one. Divnich was 65 when he
had his first recognizable heart attack. Following tests doctors found healed scars on his heart. This indicated it may not have been his first attack. He received three stents to prevent further ones from happening. He said it took him by surprise and all he had was a little pain in his chest. “When I went to the hospital and the doctors did the tests and told me I was having a heart attack,” said Divnich. “I thought I had just pulled a muscle in my shoulder while golfing.”
going on but nobody did anything about it. At one point, somebody witnessed John kicking his son outside an arena after a game. The witness spoke to team management, but the police were not called to investigate. “These other parents knew my dad was a little off, they even saw some stuff happen at the rink and in the parking lot,” said O’Sullivan. “Nobody ever followed up. They couldn’t believe how serious it was because of how good of a player I was.” Many people hesitate to report child abuse due to the fact they don’t have concrete evidence the abuse is happening. There doesn’t need to be concrete evidence. “If you suspect child abuse in any way, you would contact either the police or Children’s Aid directly,” said registered clinical social worker and master social worker, Michelle Weglarz. “All you have to do is suspect it.” According to a 2012 report in the Canadian Medical Association Journal, the percentage of Canadians who have suffered some type of child abuse is as high as 34 per cent. The three types are physical, sexual and exposure to intimate partner violence. “There’s no way for the victim to talk about what’s going on because it’s a child,” said O’Sullivan. “And that’s really why it’s so important for all the other parents to be aware and to actually step up and do something about it.” To report suspected child abuse, call Children’s Aid at 519-252-1171. He said after having his attack, resources such as the Windsor Cardiac Wellness Centre were made available to him, which helped his rehabilitation. Chetty said individuals may experience chest pain or pressure, pain in upper parts of the body, nausea, sweating and dizziness when having a heart attack. If individuals experience symptoms related to a heart attacks they should seek medical assistance for treatment or call 9-1-1.
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The rising of Moon vs. Sun Todd Shearon Converged Citizen Staff Canadian husband and wife duo Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk poured love and emotion into their performance at Windsor’s Chrysler Theatre on the eve of Valentine’s during their Moon vs. Sun tour. “It’s really good (being on the road with my significant other). It’s really inspiring. It’s really challenging and incredibly comforting,” said Kreviazuk. “While we were having a band dinner last night I leaned in to my husband and formally appreciated him being with me in that situation, because so often I’m out there alone texting him and asking what’s going on at home.” In a show, which featured a variety of Chantal Kreviazuk songs mingled with Our Lady Peace and Raine’s solo material, the couple took turns singing each other’s music while debuting tracks from their soon to be released E.P. “It (Moon vs Sun) came together about 18 months ago with a song called I Love It When You Make Me Beg. It was one of those moments where we talked about this
Photo by Todd Shearon Raine Maida and Chantal Kreviazuk perform at the Chrysler Theatre in the St. Clair College Centre For The Arts Feb. 13. project and putting something together, but we didn’t have a name at that point,” said Maida. “It was based on what we had to say as artists because we said so much in our own careers. What was going to make this any different to give us the go ahead that this was something viable? This was one of those moments when we were like whoa, did we really just write that?” With a collection of Juno
awards and hit singles between them, the couple have also written and co-written songs for other artists including Avril Lavigne, Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood. “After you have been writing songs for 15 years or so you feel like the best stuff is behind you,” Maida said. “When we wrote that song it set the bar very high for us. The song is always going to have a really special place
regardless of whatever happens, just because it was the first song we had written together like that.” In the midst of this tour, Kreviazuk released a video for her new single Into Me. However, balancing projects like solo careers, Our Lady Peace and touring as a couple can be a lot of work. “As an artist I have to navigate through being a mom and what that cycle is like as the Chantal artist,” said
Kreviazuk. “Then Raine and I are navigating through our other careers and things we are doing including parenting and living together when we were doing Moon vs. Sun.” After almost 17 years of marriage, 20 years as a couple and three sons, Maida and Kreviazuk encompass and display a strong essence of love which they put into their music. “The neat thing about Into Me is it made me feel like I am kind of done pushing myself as a writer for other people for a second because this song has taken over my life. It really did,” said Kreviazuk. “What I like about the song is it really reflects where I am at as a wife and as someone’s partner. A lot of the reflections in the song are actually a compliment to what Moon vs. Sun is about. It’s about getting to a point in your relationship and in your life where you feel security and you can actually look in the mirror and see a confidence that you and your partner will be able to keep hitting those walls and high notes. Regardless you are together. It’s a really wonderful feeling.”
Students get lucky…at bingo Rhiannon Lotze Converged Citizen Staff St. Clair College students took part in dirty bingo on Feb. 11 in support of Love and Sexual Health Awareness Week. Dirty bingo is an alternate version of bingo where the winners receive prizes such as sex toys and condoms. The event was organized by the St.
Clair College Student Representative Council and held in Griff’s Cavern at the main campus. Dozens of St. Clair students and their friends outside of the college attended the event to have drinks, play games and support Love and Sexual Health Week. According to the SRC Facebook page, the week was designed by the college to
provide “info and resources about healthy relationships, consent and safe sex,” and ran from Feb. 8 to 12. Vice President of Student Affairs, Jeff Rousseau, helped organize the event and hopes the week of events highlight the importance of love and sexual health awareness. “We want to promote that it’s okay to (have sex) but be safe while doing it,” Rousseau
said. Students attending the event also said they felt strongly about the cause. “Sex is a normal thing,” said Trisha Marentette, a first year St. Clair College student. “It’s not scary or anything like that so let’s make it a normal thing.” She also said she felt sex and sex education needs to be
taught more thoroughly to people who are 18 and under. Sexual and Reproductive Health Awareness Week was held across Canada at the same time as St. Clair’s awareness week to promote health and safety during sex. According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, the number of cases of sexually transmitted infections in Canada rises every year.
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Windsor Aquatic Centre hosts WECSSAA meet
Photo by Dawn Gray Swimmers compete in the 2016 WECSSAA swim meet held at the Windsor International Aquatic Center Feb. 16. Dawn Gray Converged Citizen Staff The local swimming community is growing with the help of the Windsor International Aquatic Centre. The 2016 Windsor Essex County Secondary Schools Athletic Association swim finals were held at the Aquatic Centre on Feb. 16 and brought crowds of student swimmers
from throughout Essex County. According to Danielle Parent, organizer of swim events for WECSSAA, SWOSSAA and OFSAA, the Aquatic Centre has brought new life to the sport at the high school level. “In the past, we’ve had minimal swimmers,” said Parent. “We would have to go out to Leamington for championship
meets because we had no facility here in Windsor that could host a competition of this size.” This year’s WECSSAA meet was a success and the number of participants is increasing. Parent said their numbers are up and swimming is becoming popular again. Local swim coaches also see a bright future for the sport in Windsor.
Craig Perfect, helping out with the Walkerville swim team, grew up swimming in Windsor but back then they had to travel to Toronto for large scale meets. “We couldn’t even try to get these kinds of meets here in Windsor without this pool,” said Perfect. “The facility is perfect for this event.” The Aquatic Centre is considered to be state of the art. The 10-lane pool is 71 metres long and 25 metres wide. It is able to be adjusted by length and also has a section of movable floor that can adjust the pools depth. “We’re the only facility in Ontario with 10 lanes,” said Parent. “The space is awesome. We can run meets efficiently and quickly.” Lauren Taylor is a swim coach at Westview Freedom Academy and has been a competitive swimmer for Windsor in the past. “I swam for Windsor about 10 years ago,” said Taylor. “This place is state of the art and it’s clean. The event is very well run.” She says events like this one are a great opportunity for her team, which is mostly made up of ESL students and paraswimmers. “It gives them a sense of
community,” said Taylor. “Last year we had one swimmer, this year about 10 to 13, and next year it will double.” Student swimmers also approve of the centre. Villanova’s Samantha Card uses the pool three to four times a week. “I come here often because I’m a competitive swimmer,” said Card. “I love the pool, it’s beautiful. It’s nice and big and there’s a lot of lanes so a lot of kids can get in at the same time.” Victor Martins has a granddaughter who competed in the WECSSAA finals and he says these facilities are second to none. “It’s a great place and we’re lucky to have it in our area,” said Martin. “If you’ve been in some other facilities they’ve competed in the past, this is number one.” The WECSSAA swimming finals went off went out a hitch and SWOSSAA finals will be held Feb. 23 with an estimated 250 to 350 attendees. OFSAA will be held on March 8-9 and is expected to have 2000 to 2500 participants. Parent said security has been hired to maintain health and safety and all three pools will be used. “The facility is perfect for this event,” said Parent.
NBA trade deadline... just okay Opinion
Michael Hugall Sports Columnist
Feb. 18 marked the tradedeadline in the National Basketball Association with many big names projected to switch jerseys. Fans waited in anticipation as their favourite teams began the day with players like Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard and Blake Griffin on their radar. Players who seemed to be hot commodities on the market. However, teams elected to choose an addition in depth and tertiary
scoring as opposed to proven all-stars. Needless to say the 2016 trade-deadline could be the equivalent to missing the second free-throw in a foul shooting situation. One of the more even moves involved a former Indiana Pacer, Lance Stephenson. Stephenson was the key piece in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies in a transaction that sent small forward Jeff Green to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Stephenson has certainly under preformed since his 2013 campaign averaging just under five points per game in 43 games this season. A far cry from his 13.8 points per-game average in the 2013-2014 season. With the move the Clippers offload a $9 million salary and gain the contract of Jeff Green who is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season. To recap this move, here was the most important note from
this trade. These are two players who haven’t been key contributors to their NBA clubs since 2013. Players who seemed to fan out with the only upside being one may have one more year of importance than the other (Stephenson will be a UFA in 2017 as opposed to Green UFA 2016). Both the Grizzlies and Clippers are currently in fourth and fifth in
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Major League Baseball considers going across the pond Ryan Blevins Converged Citizen Staff Major American sports leagues have been attempting to build a new audience across the pond and more leagues are jumping on board. In January, MLB commissioner Rob Manfred said, in an interview with The Associated Press, that the league is looking into playing regular season baseball games in London as early as 2017. Manfred suggested the MLB was looking at the Olympic Stadium in London as a possible venue for the games but would not speculate on which team would potentially make the trip to Europe. Major League Baseball has a history of playing games overseas against international opponents. In 1986 a team of the league’s best players from both the American and National Leagues was assembled to travel to Japan to play the Nippon Professional Baseball All Stars following the MLB season. Two MLB teams have not played a regular season game overseas since 2014 when the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers began their season in Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Toronto Blue Jays play-byplay radio announcer and Windsorite Joe Siddall has growing concerns about the travel schedule that comes with international play. “Travel is already a grind in baseball and 12 plus hours on a plane probably isn’t the best,” said Siddall. “Remember (Clayton) Kershaw I believe came home from the Australia game injured.”
Photo courtesy of CourierMail.com) Australian player Craig Anderson at the Sydney Cricket Ground in 2014. SCG was the sight of the two game series played by the Arizona Diamondbacks and Los Angeles Dodgers to start the season. Kershaw did in fact return to the U.S. experiencing lower back pain that eventually landed him on the disabled list for the first time in his career. While the MLB season stretches over six months and lasts 162 regular season games other leagues do not have as many games to spare. The NFL and NBA have both played regular season games in London with more scheduled for the future. In an attempt to build an international brand NBA commissioner Adam Silver scheduled international exhibition games in four countries including Germany, Turkey, Brazil and China. Earlier this season Canada’s Toronto Raptors defeated the Orlando Magic in a regular season matchup at the O2 Arena in London. The NFL began playing one annual game at London’s Wembley Stadium beginning in 2007
and multiple games per season in 2013. While commissioner Roger Goodell has attempted to send at teams such as the Jacksonville Jaguars to London annually, not all NFL players are excited when they find out they will be playing in London. Tyrone Crawford, Catholic Central High School graduate and Dallas Cowboys defensive end said his teammates had a mixed reception about their 2014 trip to London. “There were definitely some guys that were excited but there were also some guys that saw it as a drag. Not going to name any names but some guys complained the whole week and some guys made the best out of it,” said Crawford The product is on the field but it is unclear what popularity these games have with the people of London. Tickets for the 2007 and 2008 install-
ments of the NFL in London sold out nine months in advance. Every NFL game played in London has sold no less than 83,000 tickets other than the 2011 matchup between the Chicago Bears and Tampa Bay Buccaneers which drew roughly 76, 000 fans. According to the NFL, 22 per cent of fans attending NFL London games are from the city of London and 60 per cent come from elsewhere in Britain. University of Windsor student Jack Sargent was born in Liverpool, England and says he sees a market for American major sports games in the U.K. “There’s a growing interest in the NFL and NBA but football, cricket and golf are the most popular here,” said Sargent “I think these sports (NFL, NBA) are seen as a
novelty here and because England is a sporting country I think people go. Even if a baseball game went there I think it would be popular because of baseball’s similarities to cricket.” Baseball does have glaring similarities to the game of cricket yet only 33 natives of the U.K. have played in the MLB. The World Baseball Classic, Major League Baseball’s version of the FIFA World Cup, is a tournament that takes place every four years and allows every nation to qualify to compete for the title of World Champion. The United Kingdom has never participated in the tournament after failing to qualify in 2013. The MLB will now look to build an international brand just as the NFL and NBA have over the years.
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sports & fitness Maple Leafs set to clear house at NHL Trade Deadline Opinion
Jordan Cashera Sports Columnist
As the Feb. 29 NHL Trade Deadline looms, the Toronto Maple Leafs are looking to clear house to keep their elusive five year plan on track.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in no way a playoff contending team and with the trade deadline just a few days away, the organization is a definite seller. The team would have to go on a nearly impossible winning streak to make the playoffs, which means the Leafs can start a fire-sale with their players at the deadline. Anyone and everyone must go - excluding the prospects of course. For any chance at getting the first overall pick in the NHL Entry Draft this summer the Leafs definitely need to clear
house. With so many Maple Leafs players on the tradable list, five stick out as contenders. *see below The Blue and White are still very much in the process of rebuilding and will be bad before they will be good. Winning the NHL Draft Lottery and ultimately drafting Auston Matthews first overall is hopefully part of the future for the Maple Leafs. If general manager Lou Lamorellio sees a deal that could benefit the team in the future, expect him to pull the trigger Feb. 29.
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NBA Deadline Transactions
- Chicago Bulls: Acquired G Justin Holiday from Atlanta and a 2018 second-round draft pick from Utah and sent G Kirk Hinrich to Atlanta. - Cleveland Cavaliers: Acquired F Channing Frye from Orlando. Cleveland sent G Jared Cunningham and a future second-round draft pick to Orlando and C Anderson Varejao and 2018 first-round draft pick to Portland. - Denver Nuggets: Traded G Randy Foye to Oklahoma City for F Steve Novak, G D.J. Augustin and two future secondround draft picks. - Houston Rockets: Traded Fs Donatas Motiejunas and Marcus Thornton to Detroit for a protected 2016 first-round pick and F Joel Anthony. Memphis Grizzlies: Traded F Jeff Green to the Los Angeles Clippers for G Lance Stephenson. - New Orleans Pelicans: Acquired F Jarnell Stokes and cash from Miami for a future second round draft pick. - Phoenix Suns: Traded F Markieff Morris to Washington for a protected 2016 first-round draft pick and Fs Kris Humphries and DeJuan Blair. - Portland Trailblazers: Acquiring G Brian Roberts and a future second-round pick from Miami for cash considerations. Waived G Tim Frazier. - Utah Jazz: Acquired G Shelvin Mack from Atlanta for a future second-round draft pick. - Charlotte Hornets: Acquired G-F Courtney Lee from Memphis for F P.J. Hairston. - Detroit Pistons: Traded G Brandon Jennings and F Ersan Ilyasova to Orlando for F Tobias Harris. - Memphis Grizzlies: Acquired F Chris Andersen and two second-round draft picks from Miami.
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Leo Komarov Komarov is having a career year with 17 goals and 35 points in 56 games. He can play on any team’s top three lines and serves as a prime penalty killer. “Uncle” Leo is a perfect depth player who teams hate to play against but would love to have him and is worth a second round draft pick to any playoff contending team.
P.A. Parenteau This year with the Maple Leafs Pierre-Alexandre has 11 goals and 21 points in 42 games. Having a cheap contract and decently producing points, he has made his short tenure with the Maple Leafs a win so far. ThoughtheLeafswouldbenefitfrom keeping the 32 year old, if a deal is available it will be made.
Joffrey Lupul Joffrey Lupul is a seriously underestimated player which makes him a prime candidate for playoff contendingteamswhoneedarentalplayerfor cheap. Though he is known as an injury-prone player, he’s had five-20 goal seasons. Lupul should be a player who is thrown in to sweeten a trade offer.
James Reimer The Leafs goaltender, James Reimer can draw some attention from teams in need of a goalie to fill the starting position or as a back-up. The Montreal Canadiens fill this roll quite nicely while their number one goalie Carry Price is still out with a lowerbody injury. It’s difficult to say what they might receive in return for Reimer, but a first round pick is reasonable price tag.
Michael Grabner Michael Grabner isn't the all-star player who is going to bring a team a Stanley Cup alone, but put him with the right line-mates and he can help a playoff contending team with third or fourth line scoring for a relatively cheap price of a third to fifth round draft pick.
the western Conference so the swap here does not make too much sense from a competitive stand-point. Aside from the actual deals made on Feb. 18, the day was filled with rumours as per always. One of the more notable rumours circulated around 11-time all-star Carmelo Anthony. Anthony was among many trade rumours as he is in the midst of the second-year of his 5-yr / $124 million contract with the New York Knicks. However the key “no trade clause” in his contract slipped the minds of many fans as talks with the Celtics, Cavaliers, and Clippers ramped up. Fortunately for the few Knicks fans left outside of the state of New York, “Melo” is staying put. To reiterate my point, this year’s NBA trade-deadline was the equivalent to missing the second free-throw on a foul shooting situation. The only significant transaction came from the Detroit Pistons as they sent guard Brandon Jennings and forward Ersan Ilyasova to the Orlando Magic for former first round pick Tobias Harris.
Harris has been a big factor in Orlando’s offence since his move from the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2012 season. Harris has averaged just over 15 points per game with the Orlando Magic and has seemed to come into his own as he matures on the NBA stage. In addition, the Pistons now add $36.6 million in salary. However, with Harris you add an established forward in the fold with a backcourt that consists of Reggie Jackson, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Marcus Morris. The Pistons are on the outside looking in to the NBA playoff-picture at only half a game back on the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference. The Magic receive a small value in Brandon Jennings who will become an unrestricted free-agent at the end of this season and Ersan Illyasova who will compete for a starting role with Andrew Nicholson and Aaron Gordon. With the Eastern Conference in a log-jam and the Western Conference just trying to play catch-up with the Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs, this deadline was lackluster at best.
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Leicester City getting foxy
Photo courtesy of thehardtackle.com Members of Leicester City celebrate a goal in their 3-1 victory over Manchester City in Week 25 of the Barclay’s Premier League.
Opinion
Christian Bouchard Sports Columnist
Fans of English football in Windsor have been admiring the play of Leicester City all season long. In a season of great performances, knocking off Manchester City 3-1 in week 25 certainly proved they are legitimate contenders in the Premier League. Despite being virtually written off at the start of the season, it is clearly time to start
giving them their overdue credit. The big question many are now wondering is with only 12 games remaining in the Premier League, whether or not they have what it takes to win the league. Without a doubt they can. Coming off a heartbreaking 2-1 loss to Arsenal after a header from Danny Wellbeckin the fifth minute of stoppage time, Leicester now only tops the league by two points with Tottenham and Arsenal, both tied with 51 points. Things are certainly starting to heat up. But in the end, Leicester is within striking distance. Head Coach Claudio Ranieri has turned this team into the real deal. They completely dismantled Manchester City and are now riding a confidence
that has them playing some of the best soccer in the world. Not to mention, if not for being down a man with a red card for the majority of the second half, they may have even beaten Arsenal to build on their lead. There are some players, such as Danny Drinkwater and Marc Albrighton, who have taken the soccer world by surprise and are turning into household names. Time after time this season, Leicester has proven to be the best team in the Barclay’s Premier League. All through the team there are quality players, particularly with N’Golo Kante and Riyad Mahrez. Many teams play with a second striker and they end up too deep but Shinji Okazaki is proving he
is more than capable of getting it done on his own. His chemistry with Jamie Vardy is exceptional and because of it they are capable of hurting any team in the league. Tactically they have been spot on. The distances between them were exactly right and defensively they were well organized, which means they are extremely hard to break down. It is for that reason Leicester can shock the world and win the Premier League this season. In fact, after 26 games played, the bookies have installed Leicester as Premier League title favourites. Despite leading the league at various stages during the season, many were convinced Arsenal or Manchester City would eventually upstage
Claudio Ranieri’s pre-season 5,000/1 shots. But as Leicester celebrated their stunning 3-1 win against Manchester City, bookmakers declared them 7/4 favourites with Arsenal and City both at 3/1. Despite the loss to Arsenal, bookmakers say Leicester are still the favourites. They may not have the league superstars like Sergio Aguero or Wayne Rooney, but they are the best team in the league. The traditional thinking that a team must spend money in the Premier League is no longer valid. This is largely thanks to Leicester City. In fact, the total cost of the Manchester City squad sent out by Manuel Pellegrini in week 25 was roughly £224 million (about $443 million Canadian). This is compared to the cost of Claudio Ranieri’s starting eleven which is a fraction over £20 million ($39.6 million Canadian). History shows that Leicester is going to win the league. Five points clear with 13 games left has historically been more than enough of a cushion for fans to start getting carried away. It has not been since 199596 that a Premier League team blew a bigger lead. Newcastle threw it away with a ninepoint lead after 25 games. On only five other occasions has a team leading after 25 games been outplayed for the title. They were Manchester United in 199798 and in 2001-02, Arsenal in 2002-03 and in 2007-08 and Chelsea two seasons ago. Sure, Leicester has been playing their best soccer all year but so are Tottenham, Arsenal and Manchester City. Of course it won’t be easy to win the league but one thing is for sure - they must be taken as a serious threat after having so much success all season long. Expect Leicester to be hoisting a cup in the very near future.