January 2017 | Urbanicity Hamilton by UrbanicityHamOnt

URBANICITY.CA

JANUARY 2017 COMPLIMENTARY MAGAZINE

SAFE INJECTION SITES AND WHY HAMILTON NEEDS THEM NOW

BIKE FOR MIKE

RAISING FUNDS TO GIVE BIKES TO LOCAL KIDS

NARULA'S SUNDAY LANGAR CELEBRATING COMMUNITY WITH A FREE MEAL

THE END OF METROSEXUAL STOP CONFUSING DIGNITY WITH VANITY

LOCAL STARTUP: BRUHA AN INTERVIEW WITH KRISTIAN BORGHESAN

ANOTHER YEAR

THE HIGHS AND LOWS...ACCORDING TO NICS

IDEAS // ISSUES // EXPERIENCES // ARTS // CULTURE // BUSINESS // STYLE // CITY LIFE

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P U B L I S H E R + E D I TO R MARTINUS GELEYNSE martinus@urbanicity.ca L AYO UT & D ES I G N Tafari Anthony EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT Taylor Evans DISTRIBUTION urbanicity Omnimedia Inc.

urbanicity magazine is wholly owned and published by urbanicity Omnimedia Inc. All content copyright ÂŠ 2017 and all rights to distribution are reserved by urbanicity Omnimedia. As a forum for ideas, issues, and experiences, the views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of the Publisher, Editor, other contributors, advertisers or distributors unless otherwise stated. DISTRIBUTION 40,000+ readers per month. Distributed throughout Hamilton, Dundas, Ancaster, Stoney Creek, Waterdown, Aldershot, and Burlington. 12 issues per year. ADVERTISING INQUIRES (905) 537-4819 ads@urbanicity.ca

â&#x20AC;&#x160;FROM THE EDITOR + PUBLISHER 1991 was a great year. Although I was only 7, I remember watching the Canada Winter Games in Charlottetown that year, and I remember being given the 101 card set of the 1991 Score hockey card series for Christmas. 1995 was also a great year. School was fun, I had a great teacher (Mrs. Horzelenberg!), and I was in the school play. As I got older, the criteria for what made a year "great" gradually grew in gravitas. 2001 was when I met my future wife, then my highschool girlfriend. 2007 was when I moved back to Hamilton and started my company. 2011 was the launch of urbanicity Magazine. Ultimately, every year has its wonders and its warts, but it's often only a few things with personal significance that lead us to recall a year fondly or otherwise. It's a bit silly really. 2016 was the year that seemingly everyone died. Social media was a running obituary for the series of celebrities that passed over the course of the year. Each time, tributes were posted, gifs and memes were shared, and endless hashtags linked the mourners together in their 45 seconds of grief. Yes, both Prince and Princess Leia died in 2016. However sad, that does not a bad year make. As we start 2017, I'd encourage all of us to consider two things: First, that perspective is important. If we gave even half of the attention spent on dead celebrities to issues like local politics or social justice, we would enjoy a far more fair and inclusive society.

www.urbanicity.ca

Second, this year will largely be what you make it. You're just as alive today as you ever have been or ever will be, so don't wait to carpe diem the heck out of 2017.

CORRECTION: The URL for Mel Gedruj's blog is Donemilio.ca not .com We apologize for the error

Let's look back on 2017 as a great year for more than the little stuff. Happy New Year to you all! MA RTI NUS GE LE YNSE

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JANUARY 2017

ISSUES

Hamilton Needs A Safe Injection Site It's time to approach addiction as a medical issue The City of Hamilton needs a safe injection site in order to deal with a problem that is very real, a problem that is only going to get worse. North America is in the throes of an unprecedented opioid addiction crisis. Added to that, the introduction of fentanyl has helped create a death by overdose epidemic. A recent study showed Hamilton was the epicenter of this problem in Southern Ontario. EMT workers refer to the burden of responding to ever increasing calls to overdose situations, saying they are ‘rammed’, overwhelmed by the number of calls to which they attend. We don’t need a study that takes two years to complete-we simply need to determine the best place to establish such a site and do it. The evidence of the value of safe injection sites is well documented throughout the world. Harm reduction is at the root of the concept, but there are many benefits that any city would realize by opening such places. On a recent visit to Australia, I had the chance to speak with Miranda St Hill, Service Operations Manager of the Uniting Medically Supervised Injection Centre (MSIC) in the Kings Cross area of Sydney. The Kings Cross site opened in May 2001. The initiative came from the recommendation of a Drug Summit created by then New South Wales premier Bob Carr: the Summit heard from a wide range of community members including users, police, family, counselors, EMT workers and many other groups. In December of 1999 the government of New South Wales invited the Uniting Church to apply for a license to open a safe injecting site. After months of community consultation, a site was chosen. However, a local BIA held up the opening, going to court in an attempt to stop the site. In April of 2001 the Supreme Court ruled the site was well thought through, and it opened on May 6, 2001. They see approximately 200 visitors per day, far fewer than their ‘sister site” in Vancouver. By any measuring stick, it has been a huge success, and

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serves as a fine example of the positive effects such a place has in society. “We can only change the world one conversation at a time, but by looking within, behind fear and misinformation, we hope you will see the Centre for what it is; a practical and compassionate service for marginalized people.” Dr. Marianne Jauncey, Medical Director, MSIC The challenge to choose a location was helped by the court order, which insisted the facility be located where users bought and used their drugs. St Hill showed me a plot graph that identified EMT calls for over-doses over a period of time. The King’s-Cross area was the obvious choice, as it exhibited the highest number of red dots by far. Users can legally use within the clinic, and local police have a discretion to not charge someone for possession if they are in the immediate vicinity of the clinic. Of course the decision to open in Kings Cross met with objections. Not everyone wants a safe injecting site in their neighbourhood. It’s not always something people see as a positive. Of course, neither are needle strewn alleys and parks. The simple reality is that people are using in public, and this is not a positive for any area. The changes in Kings Cross happened

quickly. Far fewer people were using outdoors. St Hill told me of a local pastor who would collect 100-200 needles on his parish property per day. Now, it’s a bad day if he finds even two discarded needles. “In the two years since Superintendent Darcy and his team have been working at Kings Cross with the injecting centre, reported crime is down 50%. Every death we can save through the injecting centre, every addict we can get off the street so it doesn’t affect the amenity of the residents and people who live in the area, we applaud. And we certainly support the injecting centre.” Dick Adams, NSW Senior Assistant Police Commissioner (1998-2005) Moving forward with an injecting site requires political support. “You need the politicians willing to take on the cause

while they’re in office,” St Hill told me. Given that both Mayor Eisenberger and Councillor Green have publically declared their support for a safe site in Hamilton, I think we have that necessary piece of the puzzle. Since its opening, the centre has been under intense scrutiny, subject to countless governmental evaluations. The original Medical Director of the clinic, Dr. Ingrid van Beek resigned in 2008, frustrated that the centre was still operating on a ‘conditional’ license. It was granted permanent status in 2010. Through evaluation after evaluation, the centre proved it was successful in meeting the five criteria for success as set out by the government. First and foremost, it was

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to prevent death by overdose. In fact, no one has died from overdosing in any safe injection site in the world. Another expectation of the site is that it would reduce the spread of blood born viruses like hepatitis and HIV. As St Hill told me, “another box ticked.” A third expectation would be the improvement of the community. A dramatic decrease in discarded needles combined with far fewer people injecting in public is another check mark. The last major expectation is that the centre will serve as a place where people can get referrals to counseling, drug treatment, medical treatment, etc. St Hill identified the clientele of the site as hard to reach-people often dealing with mental health issues, being homeless and marginalized. She said are careful when attempting to persuade clients to seek outside help. “We don’t push treatment, but the minute there’s a chink of interest, we’ll pick it up and flow with it.” Hence, hope for a healthier future. When the question of funding and the concern that a place like this would drain money from an already stressed health care system, St Hill smiled. She told me the site was 99% funded through money and resources confiscated by the legal system that were deemed ‘proceeds of crime.” Brilliant!! However, she was also quick to point out that even if the site were fully funded by public health care money, it would measurably save money in the system. How? Most significantly, by the drastic reduction in EMS calls to overdoses. If our EMT are telling us there are ‘slammed’ by such calls, the savings are clear. In addition, a huge reduction in hospital time for those who OD, be it in emergency, critical care or ward. Fewer deaths mean fewer autopsies. And not even factored into these benefits is the reality that people who OD potentially suffer from permanent brain injury. The sooner the overdose victim is treated, the less likely they are to suffer such an

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injury. So, this means huge savings to the health care system over the period of that person’s life. St Hill talked about the range of positions people take on the issue. “At first blast, the idea of it (the site) seems counter-intuitive. You need people to sit and listen and do look at the evidence, and they’re totally convinced on the value of the site. But if you’re just going to go by your emotions and not take in the information that is available, that’s where you get your intractable position.” Her position was clear through-out our discussion: if people examine the evidence, they will agree that safe injection sites are helpful to society. We must also accept that this whole issue needs to be “looked at through a health care lens,” said St Hill. Providing health care to people who are ill is part of the fabric of our identity. We don’t question programs to help cancer victims, even if they smoked. We shouldn’t question this. The longer the decision-making process takes, the more lives that will be lost. It’s really that simple. And safe injection sites can be a great help in this crisis.

Photos courtesy of MSIC

All quotes from anyone other than St Hill are from: (from: Cross Currents UnitingCare NSW.ACT ISBN: 978-0-9806889-1-7)

"We can only change the world one conversation at a time, but by looking within, behind fear & misinformation, we hope you will see the Centre for what it is; a practical & compassionate service for marginalized people.”

Of course providing marginalized users some basic human dignity is another benefit, one that shouldn’t be ignored. “Each time people come to MSIC, they are treated with dignity and respect. This should be essential in any service, but it’s even more important for our clients who are already stigmatized, often homeless, often mentally ill, and have been treated poorly most of their lives. It’s the thing clients most frequently say to us; thank you for treating me like a human being.”

BY KEN DURKACZ Ken Durkacz has recently retired after a 30-year career in teaching. He is a long time Hamilton resident, and has been a frequent contributor to the Hamilton Spectator’s commentary page.

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JANUARY 2017

IDEAS

Bike For Mike "Paddles for Saddles" Helps raise funds to give bikes to local kids

Photos left to Right: 1. Father and son with their new bikes / 2. Assembled bikes waiting to be given away / 3. A proud young cyclist

his goal to do whatever he could to make Hamilton a safer place to ride a bike. Mike had an additional personal insight about cycling. Suffering from mental health challenges, Mike knew that riding his bike, or exercising in general, was one of the best ‘prescriptions’ he could have for his health; both mental and physical. Cycling was more than a method of transport or a way to see the world; it was also a way to be well.

Michael received his first tricycle from his aunt on his first birthday. Although his legs were too short to reach the pedals, he learned early that simply hanging on while being pushed by anyone he could enlist was pure enjoyment. As he grew, Mike graduated to larger self-propelled wheeled vehicles, starting with his ‘Big Wheels’, and then to subsequently larger ‘two-wheelers’ to match his growth. Growing up in Dundas, on a relatively protected court, meant safe learning with daily riding on the neighborhood streets or on wooded trails with his friends and family. Walking or riding to and from school was a natural outcome to this early training, whether it was one, two or three kilometers from his home. Mike’s passion for cycling continued to grow after high school, culminating in many cycling trips throughout the world for months on end, including Western and Eastern Europe, Western Canada, New Zealand and Southeast Asia. Life for Mike consisted primarily of work, school and bike travel. It was after riding in Hamilton for a summer as a bike courier however, that Mike became starkly aware of the vast difference between the best cities to cycle in and the worst cities to cycle in. It was with this insight on his return from his last trip in China in January of 2010, that Mike outlined

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With accessible mobility and better health in mind, Mike began to describe how he could help make Hamilton a better, safer place for cycling with a specific focus on youth. Unfortunately, Mike died in May of 2010, but not before he inspired many of us to join him in discovering ways to encourage more kids to ride a bike. We initiated Bike for Mike with a our first annual ride on the first Sunday of May 2011, and have repeated the ride on the first Sunday of May each year since then to both celebrate Mike’s passion for cycling and to support efforts that encourage more youth cyclists in Hamilton. With funds raised at the annual Mike Ride, and donations from many other generous donors throughout the year, such as our major partners JumpStart and Losani Homes, we have been able to help eliminate the barrier of affordability of a bike for many families in Hamilton. Since 2012, Bike for Mike has provided over 2400 new bikes to students and their families from six downtown Hamilton elementary schools, 1000 of which were provided in 2015/16.

teach us good, effective and safe design for safe cycling and walking for all ages. Second, many organizations such as Hamilton Public Health, New Hope Community Bikes and both of Hamilton's local school boards have spent many years laying the groundwork by providing tools and educational programs to support active transportation choices for our children. Third, we know that the investment in cycling infrastructure is one of the best investments we can make in public health – especially for our children’s physical and mental health, including improvements in their scholastic achievements. So, creating the infrastructure needed for children cyclists isn’t about the ‘what, how or why to do’; rather it is about ‘what we choose to do’. At Bike for Mike, we choose our children’s health as a priority in all decisions we make in the design of our city. If more children will ride to and from school, or just for fun, due to safer roads including separated bike lanes and/or slower traffic, then we choose to invest in separated bike lanes and to drive slower. Our aspiration at Bike for Mike, along with our many community partners, is to do whatever we can to ensure 100% of kids who are physically able and close enough, will walk or cycle to school. If you want to learn more about or become more directly involved with our youth cycling initiatives, join us at our first ping pong tournament, ‘Paddles for Saddles’, inspired and hosted by Forge and Foster on March 9th at Serve Ping Pong Bar & Lounge. And plan to join us for our 7th annual Mike Ride on Sunday, May 7th; this year starting and ending at Collective Arts Brewing on Burlington Street. In the meantime, safe cycling.

A child with a bike is a ‘natural’ cyclist. The challenge of creating new cyclists therefore isn’t the child. Rather it is the creation of safe neighborhoods that parents will allow and encourage their children to ride in. The availability of some relatively safe streets that Mike could learn on in his early years in Dundas simply aren’t available for all children wishing to ride their bike in many other places in Hamilton, including much of the downtown core. There are reasons to be optimistic for our children’s healthy cycling future. First, creating safe streets is not an issue of not knowing ‘what to do’. Other cities in the world can

BY MARK CHAMBERLAIN Mark Chamberlain is the President and CEO of PV Labs, a startup imaging company. Prior to serving as a director of Bike for Mike, Mark served on the Board of the Ontario Centres of Excellence, as Chair of the Hamilton Community Foundation; as Chair of the Hamilton Roundtable for Poverty Reduction and was appointed to the National Council of Welfare. Mark and his wife Debbie live in Dundas, and have two children, Michael (deceased) and Kristen.

@ mj_chamberlain

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JANUARY 2017

IDEAS

Narula's Sunday Langar Celebrating equality and community with a free meal The Christmas season always brings an opportunity for Hamilton businesses to give back to the community through various social initiatives. Nearly every day in the month of the, throughout the city, you can a visit a food or toy drive, an auction, fundraiser, or party with a social bend. ‘Tis the season to give back and Hamilton’s business community embraces the spirit. Many stop short of keeping their doors open Christmas day. After all, they have families and traditions of their own that they want to keep and as 70% of businesses in Hamilton are small, operated by 1 – 10 employees, most choose to close for the big day. Luckily, Narula’s Express on James St. South and Young St. decided that they would keep their doors open and, not only that, they would offer a free meal to whomever wanted, or needed one. “Langar” is a Sikh term that means community kitchen. It’s a tradition that dates back centuries and Narula’s Express and Banquet Hall are bringing it to Hamilton. On December 25th, Narula’s hosted their first Sunday Langar at their brand new Express location at 2 Young St. For two hours, from 12 to 2 in the afternoon, anyone and everyone was welcome to come in and enjoy a fresh vegetarian meal prepared by the head chef of Narula’s Express – Sunny Narula. They plan to continue hosting Langar at Narula’s Express on the last Sunday of every month.

Photos Top to Bottom: 1. The Narula Family / 2. Serving the meal / 3. Dining together at the Langar

A Langar opens its doors to the community to offer free meals to all visitors, regardless of their faith, religion or background. The practice was started in the 13th century by Guru Nanak, the first Sikh guru. He wanted to create caring communities that looked past the rigorous caste system that limited people from communing together in a meaningful way. In a traditional Langar, everyone sits on the floor to eat a simple meal. Regardless of your status in society, at a Langar everyone is treated as equals in the same pangat (“row”). You get an opportunity to eat with, to speak with, to rub shoulders with all members of your society. While Canada is a land of equality, we still live in communities that can become silos when there are not enough opportunities to experience other cultures. These days opportunities are needed more than ever to bring different cultures in the community together. One of the ways that we can fight anxiety and isolationism is to gather together in community setting. What better way to do that than through a hearty meal? Rosy and Sunny Narula opened Narula’s Banquet Hall on Barton St. East four years ago. The space was previously known as the Olympia and it’s seen it’s fair share of changes to the community since that time. When they took ownership, the Center was still just plain old Center Mall. Hamilton’s business community was still struggling to get back onto its legs after years of mourning the death of the manufacturing industry. It needed people like the Narula’s to have faith that this community could be a good place to build their business.

“IT’S A PART OF ME & MY FAMILY,” EXPLAINS ROSY NARULA. “WITHOUT GIVING BACK I WOULD NOT FEEL HUMAN.”

“Hamilton’s business community embraces you,” Rosy Narula explains. “Even the smallest effort that you put in to giving back [to the community] is returned to you.” The Barton Street hall began originally as both a banquet hall and a restaurant, but this proved to be logistically difficult for the family. So they closed the restaurant portion of the business to focus on the banquet hall. Of course, it was too difficult to keep the chef out of the kitchen so in December 2016 Sunny and Rosy opened their Express location where they offer takeout, delivery and dine-in. And now, of course, another opportunity to help the community. Community support is what reminds Rosy Narula of who she is. “It’s a part of me and my family,” she explains. “Without giving back I would not feel human.” Since opening their doors on New Year’s Eve 2013, Narula’s Banquet Hall has been a host to some of the most diverse events in the city. Their goals to be known as an inclusive community gathering space and a business that provides more than just economic benefits to the city. They look for ways to provide social assistance as well through events like the monthly Langar and partnerships with non-profits like Erich’s Cupboard that host events popular fundraisers in the east end banquet hall such as the recent Unity One Faces of Change fashion show this past November. There are many international families in the city and they all want to celebrate their own cultural traditions – Narula’s Banquet Hall strives to provide them the space to do that. Families can hire their own caterers and entertainment to provide the food and feel of their own culture. If there’s one thing Hamilton stands to benefit from with this recent economic renaissance, it’s from businesses like Narula’s that proves that profit is only one part of the business – community-building is just as important.

BY OLGA KWAK Olga Kwak is a Hamilton-based writer and marketer. Her work has appeared in She Does the City, Torontoist, Toronto Star, The Genteel, and PRODUCT Magazine. She builds websites and writes from her office on Barton St. East. Visit www.olgakwak.com for more advice on doing the right thing online.

@olgakwak

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JANUARY 2017

IDEAS

The End of Metrosexual It's time to stop confusing dignity with vanity

This…is a rant. It’s high time that we obliterate one of the most detestable terms of the last 20 years: “Metrosexual.”

directly in the face of another component commonly associated with the pitiful, hyper masculine interpretations of manliness. That being that a man should know how to build, fix, and maintain robust, manly things like decks, cabins, buildings, motors, and such. Moreover, that we should know all these things down to the smallest detail, and if we’re doing them, then we’re doing them right.

Although it's creator, Mark Simpson, had intended a more specific meaning upon its introduction in 1990s, by the 2000s, the word “metrosexual” had truly come into its own as a contemptible term. By, at the latest, 2004, it was popularly understood and/or used to identify any man who took the smallest amount of concern for his appearance and presence.

If this were the case, then why the hell should it end with ourselves, our standards of appearance, dignity, and the self that we show to the world? Why should we not put anything but our best face forward (literally and figuratively) as the bare minimum?

You are tucking in your shirt? Metrosexual.

I remember a radio commercial in 2003 or 2004, I’m thinking for a beer, that was all about things we should know as men, “the Man Code.” In this commercial the big punch line was “Guys, you know the name of a socket set, not your conditioner.”

You have product in your hair? Metrosexual. Barf. Even from 20 year old me that lame joke got crickets. You pluck anything? Metrosexual. You wear shoes and shirt and expect service? Metrosexual.

As if it were so awful and emasculating that a man might consciously choose a specific hygiene product. This commercial was entirely reflective of the lame, hyper masculine culture that created and used this flawed concept of the dreaded metrosexual.

You brushed your teeth? Metrosexual You pop your polo collar? That’s fine.Ultimately, the core problem is that it confused dignity with vanity, and presupposed that masculinity and being a man should be synonymous with doing the bare minimum of upkeep on one’s own self. Which, ironically, flies

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Dreaded mainly because, worse even than this already flawed understanding, is that it became a term with an insulting intent deeply rooted in homophobia and sexism. Hypermasculinity, in all it’s slobby, arrogant, simple-mindedness, is so insecure about it’s own masculinity that it deems anything less than the bare minimum of personal upkeep and

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“GUYS, YOU KNOW THE NAME OF A SOCKET SET, NOT YOUR CONDITIONER.”

presentation as effeminate, or “gay.” And I really don’t need to touch how stupid and socially backwards that is, unless we have another six hours here, which I don't. Beyond the homophobic and sexist, this is about effort. Effort put towards making oneself better. We can appreciate physical and intellectual betterment, so why should it end with the self-respect and effort required to have an appearance that matches?

“The typical metrosexual is a young man with money to spend, living in or within easy reach of a metropolis — because that’s where all the best shops, clubs, gyms and hairdressers are. He might be officially gay, straight or bisexual, but this is utterly immaterial because he has clearly taken himself as his own love object and pleasure as his sexual preference.” When I read that I don’t read it as a distinctly male identity – though I do read it as the other side of the same coin as the same insecurities that drive hyper-masculinity. What I truly read is a buzzy, false, and redundant word used to describe something we’ve always detested anyway, vanity. So let's just call it that, and otherwise appreciate and encourage all forms of growth and development toward betterment of a male identity.

Suffice it to say that masculinity has thankfully evolved since the early 2000s. It’s far from perfect, and there are still too many men who are, on a daily basis, also excessively far from perfect, whether in belief, thought, practice, or even subjects as trivial as style. But at least things have progressed to the point where “metrosexual” has all but left our popular vernacular.

BY RYAN MORAN

Finally, lest we forget, this is not the first time in history that men have been concerned with their appearances. If anything, the final few decades of the 20th century were really just an unfortunate blip. Thank you very much, Boomers.

Ryan is a proud Hamilton, Ontario native, interested in style, travel, adventure, arts and culture and always trying to be better. In other lives Ryan is an MBA, a Senior Manager of Marketing for Niagara Parks, and a Co-Founder/Owner of CoMotion On King. In his rare spare time, he enjoys writing and photography.

So. Let's kill the concept of “metrosexual”. Let’s let it go.

@ RPMoran

As of 2002, the updated definition of metrosexual by Simpson was:

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ARTS

WYLDBLOOM

Originally trained as a painter, Abena Asomaning went on to discover the world of design and printmaking.

She uses a combination of block printing, hand dying, and illustration to produce colourful, handsewn, wall hangings and pillows from her original fabrics. As well as, limited edition digital prints and cards, made from her hand drawings and inspired by nature; itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s narratives and humour.

Influenced by her Ghanaian roots and love of textiles, she uses colour and pattern to tell a unique and vibrant story. To view more of her work, visit www.wyldbloom.ca and www.abenaasomaning.ca

S O L U T I O N S TO S T E V E DO K U S PUZZLE 1

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BUSINESS

Local Startup: Brüha

You've probably seen their logo around town and wondered what exactly this energetic little company does. Turns out: a lot. We sat down with Brüha comms boss Kristian Borghesan to find out more.

Q: What is Brüha? And how did you come up with the name?

Visit Bruha.com

A: Brüha is an event discovery and online ticketing platform. Our platform (website and apps) is a go-to resource for discovering, creating, and managing live experiences. This includes buying and selling tickets for upcoming local events.

Q: Describe your team: are you all from Hamilton? How did you connect?

The origin of the name actually came about during a branding exercise facilitated through Mohawk College. Brüha is our take on the famous word “brouhaha”. Since then we’ve actually come up with an urban dictionary definition, translating to a social gathering and a great time with friends.

Q: Where did this idea for Brüha come from? A: The idea came from a simple problem that all of us [partners] had in common; finding out about all the cool local things happening. It wasn’t just something we were experiencing in Hamilton, everywhere we went the same problem kept coming up. Brüha was the solution. We realized there were and are so many cool things going on that never get the deserved attention. We wanted to come up with something that really highlights the community as a whole, not just what you see on the surface.

BY MARTINUS GELEYNSE Martinus is the editor and publisher of urbanicity Magazine and the creative director of urbanicity Omnimedia. He's a passionate urbanist with a love of architecture, design, and cities. Martinus lives in a downtown Hamilton condo with his wife and daughter.

A: A few of us are from Hamilton, including myself (born and raised). The other team members are from around Ontario (Sudbury and Mississauga), and even outside of Canada (India). It’s pretty amazing how well all of us work together, we definitely play off of each other’s strengths well. The connection was made through Brüha’s CEO, Graeme. When he was first accepted into The Forge, while at the McMaster Innovation Park location, the first thing he did was look for co-founders to build the company’s foundation. Sure enough, weeks later all of us were introduced.

Q: What is it like being a tech startup in downtown Hamilton? A: For us, it’s great. We’re in a really unique situation where we have this immediate connection to the core and access to the entertainment community. Being in the events and ticketing space, having this accessibility to all of the venues and events taking place right around us is amazing.

Q: Describe Hamilton's startup scene. Are we becoming a tech hub? Are we an entrepreneurial hub? What stage is our "scene" in right now? A: We’re not quite at the point of being labelled a tech hub. Don’t get me wrong, there is a ton of excitement buzzing around and a lot of tech companies starting their ventures here, but we’re still not there yet. With IBM in the mix, it’ll be interesting to see how things take off.

Without a doubt, however, Hamilton is definitely an entrepreneurial hub and an attractive destination for startups. This is something we’ve seen in recent years and will continue to see for many years to come. We’re still in that infancy and incubation stage, trying to develop our own identity.

Q: What can the community do to support startups and entrepreneurial ventures like yours? A: As cliché as it sounds, it starts with getting to know the companies and what they stand for. Once relationships are made, it’s a lot easier to know how and where support can be provided. On top of that, having an understanding of startup requirements, challenges faced, and importance for the local economy can go a long way. Over the past year, Brüha has seen a tremendous amount of support from the community, something that we’re thankful for. It’s a great feeling knowing that the community you live, work, and play within has your back.

Q: What's next for Brüha? A: 2017 will be a big year for us. We’ve been in heavy development mode and are gearing up to launch version 2.0 of our website towards the end of February. Brüha 2.0 is our new and improved way to discover, create and manage live experiences. You’ll be seeing an entirely updated and improved UX as well as the addition of a management section, making it easier to manage live events and sell tickets. With this new release, we’ll be focusing a lot of our efforts on expanding throughout Ontario and Canada over the next 1-2 years.

@ martinus_g

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JANUARY 2017

IDEAS

Try!Hamilton Back for another edition: The International Village

n undeniable energy exists in Hamilton, driving an incredible culture of food, entertainment, entrepreneurship and most importantly community collaboration. Through the channeling of this energy, Try!Hamilton has emerged. Try!Hamilton was born out of the innate recognition of a city amidst a renaissance, and is driven by a desire to highlight this cultural movement. With a shared vision in mind, that of a greater community, a group was formed to contribute to the present and ever changing landscape of Hamilton. A landscape where we celebrate, support and appreciate the arts, live entertainment, and the community in which we live. This group consisted of purveyors of the arts, design and wellbeing, others were professional Realtors®, and one was a Property Manager. Each person was invested in the vision of Try!Hamilton and most importantly the city, whether it be our place of business, entertainment, our home or any combination of such. For myself, Hamilton has been all of the above for sometime now, and ultimately the place I call home. We planned for our first event with a focus on Barton and Kenilworth, an area recognized for its incredible past and optimistic future. Our premiere event brought together artists, community groups, architects, restaurant owners and community members with the purpose of demonstrating the community culture that exists in Hamilton, and the opportunity to invest in it. When I speak of investment I am not specifically relating to financial investment, although it is included in my statement. I am speaking also of the opportunity to invest oneself emotionally and physically in Hamilton. The purpose of our first event was to showcase all that Barton and Kenilworth are, all that they aren’t, and everything they could be. We presented a case of opportunity, demonstrating the need for investment. Many guests would later share with us a new affinity for an area they had previously written off. For those of us involved, our discovery was that there is an already incredible amount of investment in that area. We began to look for and identify these communities throughout Hamilton. One such area that we took a look at was the International Village. The International Village has long been an important part of the commercial fabric

which exists in Hamilton. Initially an area offering services to those travelling by rail, the International Village now exists as an eclectic gathering of retail, restaurants, entertainment and services. The proximity in which the businesses exist to one another make it the ideal area to wander down the street, browsing shops, stopping at cafes, having lunch, or catching a show. The International Village has faced its challenges over the years, as have many areas throughout Hamilton, but it is poised to meet any future challenges head-on. In recent years there has been a slow and meaningful resurgence of businesses in the International Village. These businesses are a visible demonstration of the growth taking place throughout the city. We chose to bring our next event to the International Village to recognize and celebrate the businesses which exist in the area, the community that has been developed, highlight the opportunities still present and to recognize the challenges ahead. Our next Try!Hamilton event takes place Saturday, February 11th as part of the City of Hamilton’s Winterfest. We invite you to join us at the Ferguson Station where we will have interactive ice sculptors, local artists, food and drink vendors, entertainers and horse drawn carriages. Businesses within the village are opening their doors to the public as part of a self-guided tour. Throughout the tour, you will have the chance to reacquaint or familiarize yourself with the many independent businesses in the area and learn of their individual experiences and rich histories. A series of pop-ups will be in place along the tour highlighting incentives for investing in the International Village. The event will also look at upcoming developments in the area. Acting as the eastern gateway to our downtown, the International Village is an exciting part of Hamilton with a great history, quaint charm and a great community. With over 125 businesses in close proximity, it has accomplished an intimate village feeling. We encourage everyone to join us Saturday, February 11th to explore the International Village and experience it for yourself. We ask you to Try!Hamilton!

TRY!HAMILTON WAS BORN OUT OF THE INNATE RECOGNITION OF A CITY AMIDST A RENAISSANCE, AND IS DRIVEN BY A DESIRE TO HIGHLIGHT THIS CULTURAL MOVEMENT.

Photos clockwise from top left: 1. Hamilton Police Service participatingin Try!Hamilton / 2. The wonderful tour guides / 3. A packed house / 4. Mayor Fred Eisenberger speaking at the first Try!Hamilton event Photos courtesy of Try!Hamilton

BY KRYSTA BOYER Krysta Boyer is the proud Founder of Try!Hamilton. In her working life she is a Realtor® with Ambitious Realty Advisors operating out of the downtown core. She is a self-proclaimed ambassador of Hamilton, a lover of all things delicious, and a fan of the Hamilton social scene.

@ KrystaBoyer

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JANUARY 2017

POETY

I Resolve By Kevin Somers

I'd resolved to be a better dad, but now I needn't bother Instead I bought the t-shirt: World's Greatest Father I resolve to spend more time of the couch, with flicker in my hand Flicking through the channels The world at my command

Another year has roared and died And my soft spots are more amplified

With God as my witness I resolve to put Goldman Sachs out of business

A new one is, of course, right here So, it's time for Resolutions And their promise of solutions While bringing in the year

I resolve to make American great Again, I resolve to titillate

I resolve my resolutions won't be, again, insincere I resolve things will be different this year

I resolve I'll stabilize housing prices I resolve to fix the hydro crisis I resolve I'll slow Hamilton's traffic: Highways and death traps, where carnage is graphic

I resolve to drop a pound or ten I've resolved this before and will, likely, again

I resolve to win the lottery Financial freedom sounds good to me

I resolve to eat better and exercise I resolve to order salad instead of fries... Wait I take that back I resolve to tell fewer outrageous lies

I resolve I will no longer dream Instead, I resolve to plot, hatch, fantasise, and scheme

I resolve to cut back on drinking... I take that back, too What was I thinking? I would resolve to be a better husband, but I don't think I can She's a lucky lady and, as Homer said, "I'm a wonderful man"

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I resolve to be short and sweet I resolve to be fast and neat I resolve to be discrete There's a long list of resolutions and I can't disavow There's much, much more to resolve, somehow Yet, I've resolved to End this soon It's another problem I'll solve I resolve

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URBANICITY.CA

EXPERIENCES

Another Year Has Come and Gone According to Nics

Sitting on the fresh start of this New Year I naturally find myself in a place of introspection and reflection. I think it would be fair to say that in this place we refer to as adulthood, we oftentimes find ourselves moving in autopilot through the motions of life. Wake up, eat breakfast, go to work, bring work home, hit the gym, maybe grab a drink

1. The scary fact is that sometimes fear, hate and violence wins. Whether it be the war that continues to wage on in Syria, the unspeakable brutality dolled out at the hands of police officers in the United States, or the bombings that took the lives of innocent people in Brussels; the scary fact is that even in 2016, fear, hate and violence sometimes win. The number of shootings that took place in Hamilton (one, merely a few blocks from my home) last year alone is evidence of the fact that we are not immune to this problem. What’s the solution? I’m afraid that’s an answer for powers far greater than myself, but the hope lies in the fact that we can still make a difference. It may sound simple, but we’re all in this crazy thing called life together. You and I, while we may have been taught to think that we are different, are really exactly the same. Smile at the strangers who you pass on the street. Strike up a conversation with someone who you think may need an ear to talk to. Offer the man on the street asking for change a dollar, or maybe get real crazy and offer him five dollars. Be kind to everyone, for you never know the struggles they may be facing because at the end of the day love should have no boundaries.

with friends, brush your teeth, fall asleep. Rinse and repeat. The sad truth is that one-day you’ll wake up and realize that another 365 days has passed you by. Time has a funny way of doing that, passing regardless of whether you’re living a

2. For some, it was their last. Reflecting back on 2016, it would be impossible not to take a moment and pause to remember those who we lost. Icons in the fields of music, athletics, politics, literature and the silver screen, these individuals made a lasting impact on the lives of many. Leonard Cohen, Prince, David Bowie, Muhammad Ali, Nancy Reagan, Craig Sager, Harper Lee, and Elie Wiesel to name only a few. And then there are those whose names most wouldn’t recognize. The people who you grew up laughing with, arguing with, spending holidays and birthdays with, the ones who stood by your side during all of your first experiences in life and shared all of the moments in between. The family member who this year, you had to say goodbye to. For me this year, it was my grandfather. The man who I will always remember as being the strongest person I knew with the quickest of wits - a combination I can only hope that I inherit a portion of. It is with heavy hearts that we say goodbye, but they will forever leave a lightness in our lives as we remember the countless ways they shaped us, supported us, laughed with us and loved us.

3. The US Presidential Election. Enough said.

BY NICOLE GROSEL A born and raised Hamiltonian with a passion for writing, Nicole Grosel is the author of the blog “According to Nics.” With the city that she loves as the backdrop, Nicole openly shares her perspective on life as it has been shaped by the unique people, beautiful spaces, and oftentimes unexpected events that touch her life on a daily basis."

life filled with passionate abandon or sitting for hours on end in front of your computer screen binge watching Netflix. As I take a look back on the past 365 days of my life, I can say with honesty that it fell somewhere in the middle. There were most definitely hours spent lost in fear and uncertainty, but I can say with confidence that more time

1. My friend family grew by two. My best friends are my family and this year, my family grew by two. I had the amazing (and also personally terrifying) experience of watching two of my best friends bring life into this world. It’s a concept that although I know how it technically works, still continues to boggle my mind. Every time I look at my friend’s little guy as he smiles and laughs and figures out where his hands are, the only words I manage to spit out are –“he was inside your stomach and now he’s out here in the world!” That shit is crazy to me! I can’t describe how it feels to watch your best friends transition into this next phase of life and become incredible mothers. With each passing day I see these wonderful little humans learn something new and it reminds me exactly what life is about – being present and taking in all of the awesomeness that exists in the small moments.

2. You Can Do Anything In Hamilton. I bought a hoodie at Supercrawl three years ago with this text splashed across the front and I LOVED it. I wore it everywhere – to work, to the gym, to bed, out for coffee, to my friend’s place, when my friends came over to my place. You literally couldn’t pay me to take this holy grail of sweatshirts off my body. And to me that’s what it represented. It was the future of Hamilton and I believed it – you really can do anything here. The thing was, three years ago not everyone felt

was spent challenging myself to follow the path that makes me feel most passionate about putting my feet on the ground each morning. Lessons have been learned, mistakes have been, a few tears have been shed and more than a few laughs have been shared.

that way. Some people may have even had the audacity to smirk at the tagline on my favourite piece of clothing (don’t worry I let those fools have a piece of my Hamiltonian mind and they now also own said sweatshirt). Three years later, it’s a different story. The conversation has shifted from the steel town persona of the past to the ambitious city with unlimited possibilities. I can’t help but smile, because I believe that the revitalization of this great city is due in large part to the people who never stopped believing that anything is possible here. The people who loved the city through thick and thin. Whether it is the development on the waterfront, the emerging restaurant scene that I find difficult to keep up with, or the art culture that encourages anyone with a dream to share their passion, it is all possible because the amazing people in this city thought it was. The sweatshirt has come to life!

3. A place to write. Have you ever walked into a place and instantly thought… .”YES!” If you have, I’m sure you’ll agree that it’s pretty damn surreal. It happened to me this year when I walked into my, soon to be but I didn’t know it yet, new place. As I walked around the space a smile grew so wide on my face that I’m sure the lady thought I was drunk. “This is it,” I thought to myself. I’m happy to say that I wasn’t wrong. I’ve never felt more at home and in the great synchronicity that is life, I truly believe that moment

With that I’ve decided to take some time to reflect on the experiences that filled the past 365 days on this wonderful place we call planet earth – the moments that made my heart break, the times that I would have rather stayed in bed, and the days that you couldn’t stop me from smiling even if you tried

I walked through the door of my new place was the start of my journey of personal growth – my TSN turning point if you will. I felt inspired. I felt motivated. I felt as though I was in the right place at the right time of my life. I began taking more time to do what I love – photography, yoga, reading and of course writing. Yoga has challenged me to change my view of the world and ultimately of myself. Through countless hours spent reading (thanks to my lackadaisical attitude towards to get internet in my new place) my mind has grown. Dedicating more time to pursuing my love of writing has led to this very article you’re reading today. Two years ago I listed “being a published writer” as an item on my bucket list, today I can cross it off. Walking through the door of my apartment I unknowingly unlocked the door to my future. I learned that when you follow your heart, you can’t go wrong. Yes, you may encounter a few unforeseen set backs, but if you follow the path your passion leads you down at the end of 365 days you’ll go to bed with a smile on your smile so large that it hurts. In 2016 I opened myself up to the possibilities that exist and that’s all anyone can ask for, because in that you learn that “anything” can happen every day And with that I’d like to welcome this new year…

accordingtonics.tumblr.com

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JANUARY 2017

HUMOUR

Glasses A coming of middle-aged story Childhood's end is often marked by a ritual. The vision quests of Native America, the bar and bat mitzvahs of Judaism, "sweet sixteen" in the US, face scarring in central Africa, the bungee-style jumps of Vanuatu, the face tattooing of the Maori â&#x20AC;&#x201D; all are public acts that celebrate a member of the group becoming an adult.

("Uh, was that a wink, or did you just start recording video of me?") Getting back to the middle-age ritual of getting glasses -- the ceremony includes considering the alternatives to glasses: contact lenses and laser surgery. My problem with contact lenses is the idea of touching the surface of my own eye with my finger. I have never done that before and don't think I would like it. (I have the same sort of prejudice against using suppositories.) And the chemical procedures that go along with contacts seem a pain. Enzyme solution? I don't want to have to measure out some weird fluids every night, for my contacts to bathe in until morning. And I've heard that if you fall asleep overnight with contacts, they will be stuck into your eyes when you wake up and can only be removed with a chisel. Disposable contacts are convenient but wasteful; most of them eventually end up in the ocean, causing harm to marine animals -- especially little male jellyfish, which will often mistake a floating contact lens for a little female jellyfish, causing the poor guy a lot of embarrassment and frustration.

The rituals associated with starting middle age in North America are less dramatic but, to the participant, equally meaningful. Like when you first notice that your kids are tall enough to reach shelves that are too high for you. I am now going through such a ritual of entering middle age -- getting my first glasses. Many people, of course, wear glasses as children or young adults, but most people's eyes start weakening in their 40s. All of my life, until recently, I had good vision. I was able to find Waldo nine pages out of ten. One of my early memories is of my mother handing me a bag of Hostess salt-and-vinegar chips at Miracle Mart and asking me to read some tiny print on the label. A few months ago, I had to ask one of my sons at No Frills for the same kind of help with a microwave popcorn label. At the same time, at home, I was finding it becoming harder to concentrate while reading. I would get distracted and lose my place and have to read things twice and have to read things twice. Then I tried a pair of non-prescription reading glasses. Wow! What a difference! The blurriness disappeared and the words on the page were BIG and clear. I started wearing them at home when I read and I

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made an appointment for an eye test. (That sounds like something Apple should make: the iTest.) At first, I noticed some odd effects with wearing reading glasses. If I was eating and looked from the book to my plate, I could be startled by the unexpected sight of food magnified 150%. I would see this gigantic, high-definition fried egg in front of me. And if I glanced up to look at someone, the person looked blurry, like we were underwater. And if I was reading in the bathroom and looked at the mirror, I would see one of my uncles looking back at me, before I recognized myself. If the eye doctor says that I need prescription glasses, I'm thinking about ones with no frames, even though people say they are not fashionable anymore. The dark, hornrimmed ones (like Clark Kent wears to hide being Superman), that's what I'm told is fashionable. But I like the idea of frameless glasses because they block less of my field of view. I also like the idea of having lenses tinted neon orange, to make everything more bright and citrusy, like seeing the world through a glass of Tang. There are practical benefits to wearing glasses. Your eyes are shielded from wind and flying insects and human sneezes. If you're lost in the wilderness, you can use a

lens to focus sunlight onto the ripped-out pages of a book and make a fire. With my reading glasses, I like to imitate Hamilton's city councillors, who are masters at using glasses at props, as shown many times on Cable 14 and The Public Record. If I want to look stern, I'll peer over the top of my glasses, like Brenda Johnson. To look deep in thought, I'll chew gently on an earpiece, like Lloyd Ferguson does. And if I want to look a bit, ah, different, I'll push my glasses up onto my forehead when I talk, like Sam Merulla. I am glad to be living when glasses are fashionable. Many attractive female stars wear glasses (e.g. Zooey Deschanel, Rihanna and Bernadette from Big Bang Theory), like several of the "sexiest men alive" (e.g. Brad Pitt, Denzel Washington and Hank from King of the Hill.) Glasses have not always been as accepted as now. Long ago, Dorothy Parker wrote, "Men don't make passes / At girls who wear glasses." Those days are long past, though today it is true that most men feel odd around women with Google Glasses.

I don't like the idea of laser surgery either. I imagine a clinic full of dry ice and big, Star Wars-style laser cannons, with doctors (dressed in Imperial armour) running around and shooting bright red beams at patients' faces. I know it's not really like that, modern medical lasers are actually quite weak, but I'm still too chicken to let anybody burn my eyes. The only surgery of this type I'm brave enough for is laser fingernail-trimming. Anyway, next week I'm off to the eye doctor's for my appointment, where I'll be told to look for flickering lights in a dark machine and try to read the ant-sized poems. After that, I expect, I'll get my first pair of prescription glasses and a whole new stage of my life will begin. I'll tell you here, in these pages, how it goes.

BY MARK COAKLEY Mark lives in Ainslie Wood. He's the author of Tip and Trade: How Two Lawyers Made Millions From Insider Trading (2011) and Hidden Harvest: The Rise And Fall Of North America's Biggest Cannabis Grow Op (2014). He is now writing a legal thriller set in Hamilton.

markcoakley.wordpress.com

2017-01-05 4:19 PM

URBANICITY.CA

STEVEDOKU P UZZLE 1 LEVEL: EASY Puzzle 1 (Hard, difficulty rating 0.63)

6 8

5 3

2 7

7 4

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Tue Jan 3 15:26:54 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

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8 3

P UZZLE 3 LEVEL: HARD Puzzle 3 (Medium, difficulty rating 0.49)

S O L U T I O N S TO P U Z Z L E S O N PAG E 1 2

PPuzzle U Z Z2 (Medium, L E 2 Ldifficulty E V E Lrating : M E0.49) DIUM

4 9

4 7 9

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Tue Jan 3 15:26:54 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

2 6 8

1 5

Generated by http://www.opensky.ca/sudoku on Tue Jan 3 15:26:54 2017 GMT. Enjoy!

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