Windsor Life Magazine Anniversary 2019

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Healing Happens Here From preventative care to life-saving treatment, Erie Shores HealthCare is at the heart of our community’s health and well-being.

Through your support, we can continue to make all kinds of amazing things happen here.

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ANNIVERSARY 2019 VOLUME 26, ISSUE 8

PUBLISHER/EDITOR Robert E. Robinson CONTRIBUTING Karen Paton-Evans WRITERS Leslie Nadon

Dick Hildebrand Michael Seguin Karen Tinsley CREATIVE DIRECTOR Carol Garant ART DIRECTOR Michael Pietrangelo PRODUCTION George Sharpe PHOTOGRAPHERS Sooters Photography

Dick Hildebrand Michael Seguin Mychailo Kovaliv Laura Beltran Jeanne Papak Lynn Perrett Pam and Bill Seney Charlie O’Brien Mission Detroit Photography Andrea Hunter

ADVERTISING SALES 519-979-5433 VICE PRESIDENT ADVERTISING SALES

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www.windsorlife.com Windsor Life Magazine is published by Campbell McGregor Garant Publishing Incorporated. Articles and art may not be reprinted without written permission from the publishers.

The publishers assume no responsibility to return unsolicited editorial or graphic material. Windsor Life Magazine is a registered trademark of Campbell McGregor Garant Publishing Incorporated, Suite 318-5060 Tecumseh Road East, Windsor, Ontario N8T 1C1. Telephone (519) 979-5433, Fax (519) 979-9237. All rights reserved. ISSN 11955694.

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Windsor Life Magazine is published 8 times per year. Mailed delivery in Canada is available for $40.00 per year including H.S.T. A $150.00 charge is required for mail delivery anywhere outside of Canada. Send cheque along with address information to Windsor Life Magazine, 318-5060 Tecumseh Road E., Windsor Ontario, N8T 1C1.

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Solutions Moving forward without moving out IN A RECENT SURVEY of Canadian homeowners, only four in 10 respondents were confident they would have enough savings to maintain their lifestyle when they retire. 1One reason may be that, for many, a significant portion of their wealth at retirement is tied up in their home.

And selling their house to free up that money simply isn’t what they want to do.

If that sounds like your situation, you may want to consider accessing the equity in your home to help boost your retirement income. One of the most common ways to do this is through a secured line of credit (also called a home equity line of credit). A secured line of credit lets you borrow what you need, when you need it, at a very favourable interest rate because your loan is secured, or guaranteed, by your home.

In addition to helping you stay in your home longer, there are other potential advantages. When you access your home equity:

Accessing your home equity can help boost your retirement income, ease pressure on your pensions and investments, and help you stay put.

I Your withdrawals are tax-free, unlike withdrawals from registered accounts such as Registered Retirement Savings Plans and Registered Retirement Income Funds I You may be able to avoid cashing out other investments and locking in losses when markets are volatile I You can ensure ready availability of funds to meet unexpected home or health care expenses

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE, PLEASE CALL OR EMAIL

I You can reduce the cost of other debts by transferring those balances to the secured line of credit (if the interest rate is lower than your other loans)

Barbara Allen, HBA, CFP, CDFA Senior Financial Advisor Manulife Securities Incorporated Life Insurance Advisor Manulife Securities Insurance Inc.

Keep in mind that you may need to have enough cash flow from other sources to cover the monthly interest payments on the secured line of credit.

To protect yourself and keep interest costs from becoming a burden, it’s a good idea to put a cap on the amount you borrow – for example, 20 per cent of the value of your home.

Direct Line 519-250-0515 519-250-5190, ext. 409 Barbara.Allen@manulifesecurities.ca 2255 Cadillac Street, Windsor

Your home is an important asset that should figure in your overall retirement planning. Schedule a no-cost appointment with me to find out how well this approach fits your personal situation. And plan to enjoy your retirement knowing that reaching this milestone with less saved than you hoped for doesn’t necessarily mean you need to sell the home you love. I

Stocks, bonds and mutual funds are offered through Manulife Securities Incorporated. Insurance products and services are offered through Manulife Securities Insurance Inc. Banking products and services are offered through referral.

FINANCIAL PLANNING FOR ALL LIFE EVENTS SINCE 1995

12016 Manulife Bank Homeowner Debt Survey, www.manulifebank.ca/debtresearch. The Manulife Bank of Canada poll surveyed 2,373 Canadian

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homeowners in all provinces between the ages of 20 and 59 with household income of more than $50,000. The survey was conducted online by Research House between February 3 and February 20, 2016. National results were weighted by province, income and age.

© 2016 Manulife. The persons and situations depicted are fictional and their resemblance to anyone living or dead is purely coincidental. This media is for information purposes only and is not intended to provide specific financial, tax, legal, accounting or other advice and should not be relied upon in that regard. Many of the issues discussed will vary by province. Individuals should seek the advice of professionals to ensure that any action taken with respect to this information is appropriate to their specific situation. E & O E. Commissions, trailing commissions, management fees and expenses all may be associated with mutual fund investments. Please read the prospectus before investing. Mutual funds are not guaranteed, their values change frequently and past performance may not be repeated. Any amount that is allocated to a segregated fund is invested at the risk of the contractholder and may increase or decrease in value. Manulife, Manulife & Stylized M Design, Stylized M Design and Manulife Securities are trademarks of The Manufacturers Life Insurance Company and are used by it, and by its affiliates under license.

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Publisher’s Note This edition of Windsor Life Magazine marks our 26th anniversary. So much has changed in 26 years. So much has remained the same.

The things that have changed have to do with technology. Information about what is happening around the world is instantaneous.

However, at Windsor Life Magazine, though we care very much about it, we don’t involve our publication in what is happening around the world. We concentrate on the people, events and the things to enjoy in our community. A community built and maintained by the strengths and commitments of the people who call it home.

And what a home it has become. We hear regularly from people new to our area that they had no idea of everything the community has to offer. Many thousands of new residents have come to the area in the 26 years Windsor Life Magazine has published and we don’t hear of any that are disappointed they made the move.

For this reason the homes, entertainment, attractions, travel and people featured in our pages all have ties to Windsor/Essex, Chatham/Kent. To inform our readers what a great place it is. A place we are proud to call home.

Since the beginning of our publication we have told these stories. Stories, that in many cases, would have not been told if we hadn’t brought them to you. Positive stories that bring to light things that many of us didn’t realize were happening right here in our community.

As I write this, on Thanksgiving Day, I realize that we have much to be thankful for. A great community of very generous people who look to the future but remember the past. With Remembrance Day approaching let us make sure we remember the men and women who brought us this far and strive to keep our community the caring, generous, accepting place that it is.

I would like to thank you for your support of the many local advertisers who in turn support our publication and allow us to look forward to continuing to bring you local information for many years to come.

Sincerely,

Bob Robinson

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24 ON THE COVER Major Bassam Mnaymneh, fulfilled his childhood dream of flying with the Snowbirds.

DEPARTMENTS

Photography by Charlie O’Brien See page 16

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32

NEW & NOTICED

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BON APPETIT!

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HOROSCOPE

60

CALENDAR

F E AT U R E S 16

MAJOR BASSAM MNAYMNEH

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A Dream Comes True For Windsor Pilot 24

MUSICAL MAGIC

39

Breaking World Records 34

HERE THEY COME!

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ULTIMATE FAMILY REUNION

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ACT OF REMEMBRANCE

Veteran’s Plaque Remembers Fallen Hero

LOOK WHO’S COOKING AT HOME

AM800 Host, Lynn Martin, Dishes It Up Hot and Spicy 56

Two Brothers Find Each Other After 30 Years

Walk Off The Earth Lands At The Colosseum

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BLOCK BY BLOCK

COLLEEN REAUME

New Director of the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County

Michael Lee Stockwell Builds Lego Spaceships 45

DUBAI

51

City of Windsor Hosts Remembrance Day

The United Snakes Still Amaze 28

PASSION AND EMOTION

N. GLENN PERRETT

New Book Explores Southern Ontario National Parks 61

MOTORCYCLE RAFFLE

W.E. Care For Kids Event Raises $30,000

"Scary" Investment Moves to Avoid If you have young children or grandchildren, you know what’s really important. Yes, it’s Halloween time again, which means you’ll see plenty of witches and vampires scurrying around. You’ll no doubt find these characters more amusing than frightening, but you don’t have to look far to find things that are a bit more alarming — such as these scary investment moves: Paying too much attention to the headlines — Some headlines may seem unnerving, but don’t abandon your investment strategy just because the news of the day appears grim.

Chasing “hot” investments — You can get “hot” investment tips from the talking heads on television, your next-door neighbour or just about anybody. But even if the tip was accurate at one point, by the time you get to a “hot” investment, it may already be cooling down.

And, even more importantly, it simply may not be appropriate for your individual risk tolerance and goals.

Ignoring different types of investment risk — Most investors are aware of the risk of losing principal when investing in stocks. But if you shun stocks totally in favour of perceived “risk-free” investments, you’d be making a mistake because all investments carry some type of risk.

For example, with fixed-income investments, including GICs and bonds, one risk you may encounter is inflation risk — the risk that your investment will provide you with returns that won’t even keep up with inflation and will, therefore, result in a loss of purchasing power over time. Another risk you can incur is interest-rate risk — the risk that new bonds will be issued at higher rates, driving down the price of your bonds. Bonds also carry the risk of default, though you can reduce this risk by sticking with bonds that receive the highest ratings from independent rating agencies.

Failing to diversify — If you only own one type of investment, and a market downturn affects that particular asset class, your portfolio could take a big hit. But by spreading your dollars among an array of vehicles, such as stocks, bonds and government securities, you can reduce the effects of volatility on your holdings. (Keep in mind, though, that diversification cannot guarantee profits or protect against loss.)

Focusing on the short term — If you concentrate too much on short-term results, you may react to a piece of bad news, or to a period of extreme price volatility, by making investment moves that are counterproductive to your goals. Furthermore, if you’re constantly seeking to instantaneously turn around losses, you’ll likely rack up fees, commissions and possibly taxes. Avoid all these hassles by keeping your eyes on the future and sticking to a long-term, personalized strategy.

You can’t always make the perfect investment choices. But by steering clear of the “scary” moves described above, you can work toward your long-term goals and hopefully avoid some of the more fearsome results.

Member * Canadian Investor Protection Fund This article was written by Edward Jones for use by your local Edward Jones Financial Advisor.

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In This Issue

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In communities as tightly knit as those in Essex and Kent Counties, where does one tale end and another begin? In the stories of local people, past and present, shared in Windsor Life’s pages, timelines, characters and plots frequently overlap.

Such is the case of Samuel Berger, a young Old Walkerville resident who died in battle in World War II; Patricia Murphy, who currently lives in the soldier’s former home; and the St. Anne Catholic High School students who brought their stories together.

Honouring Samuel and the many local people who also died in service to Canada is Windsor’s Remembrance Day ceremony on Nov. 11. The redesigned public gathering celebrates the gift of their lives.

Another Sam in service, Major Bassam Mnaymneh from Windsor, flew Snowbird Number 6 when the Canadian Forces Snowbirds arrived in his hometown for a synchronized flight demonstration.

In Denmark, Ruthven native Michael Lee Stockwell is designing Star Wars spaceships for LEGO. Globetrotters Pam and Bill Seney and Maria and Roger Bramhall take our readers vicariously on their trip through dazzling Dubai.

Walk Off The Earth, the indie band from Burlington that is wowing the world, chatted with Windsor Life about finding new ways to make music.

Homegrown talent United Snakes is still rockin’ like its 1970, decked out in velvet shirts and flowing scarves.

Lost and Found, another local band, is comprised of brothers Tim Nolan and Ty Marion.

Separated when very young, they reunited as adults and share their love of music with appreciative audiences.

Colleen Reaume is settling in as the new Executive Director of the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. She reflects on the need for palliative care and programs for patients and families.

W.E. Care For Kids, a non-profit dedicated to enhancing the health and wellness of children in Windsor and Essex County, received an infusion of much-needed cash through its Foundation’s third Annual Harley Raffle. Tag along on Windsor Life’s Press Pass.

Ready to rev up the engine and take a real road trip? Consider exploring the six beautiful National Parks nearby. Author Glenn Perrett has written about what to expect in his new book, Southern Ontario’s National Parks.

Happy Reading

Karen Paton-Evans

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CUSTOM WINDOW & DOOR, INSULATED GLASS MANUFACTURING More than an assembler and supplier, Kehl Windows and Doors has been designing and manufacturing its own products locally in Harrow for over 25 years. Of all the advancements created by owner Richard Kehl, he is most excited about the company’s new compression system.

“The Kehl manufacturing and engineering team has responded to homeowners’ need for more energy efficient windows that are also secure, attractive and easy to maintain. With our compression system, we have married beauty and function in a single package,” Richard says.

While sliding windows have been the windows of choice for most homeowners, the industry now considers them old technology. “Our compression system is completely new technology. It features our X DRIVE hardware with a new enhanced hinge that holds weights of up 200 kgs. It operates with dual arms to help support window widths between 21 and 40 inches.”

Another impressive advancement is the corner drive system which allows the window to be locked on all four sides, providing greater energy efficiency and security.

The compression system also incorporates an intelligently designed casement handle. “A typical crank handle will fall in any position. With our X DRIVE locking handle, wherever you open the handle is where it stays, until you release the lock,” Richard explains.

Advancements such as these are indicators of the company’s commitment to excellence.

Richard says, “Watch as we continue to roll out our compression systems for swing doors, patio doors and windows in sizes that could never be achieved before in residential applications.”

When it’s time for a change at your home, it’s time to call Kehl Windows and Doors.

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ON THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 19TH, the sky above Windsor began to roar. From a distance, they look like swans. The planes soar in perfect formation, ploughing through the clear blue sky, screeching white clouds of exhaust. The crowd spread across the tarmac of the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association hangar cheered when the Snowbirds came into view. And kept cheering when they touched down.

Bassam MNAYMNEH Windsor Pilot Flies With The Snowbirds STORY BY MICHAEL SEGUIN / PHOTOGRAPHY BY CHARLIE O’BRIEN

▼

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds are an icon composed of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) servicemen and National Public Defense employees. The unit serves as ambassadors for the CAF, demonstrating the organization’s unparalleled excellence, discipline and teamwork.

While the planes themselves may be mythic, the pilots are the real legends. There’s 11 of them, all sporting the group’s proud red jumpsuits. And although all the pilots are friendly faces, there is one member that Windsor clamors to welcome home.

Snowbird Number 6 is piloted by Major Bassam Mnaymneh— although he tells everyone to just call him “Sam.” A Windsor native, Sam’s journey has sent him literally soaring through the clouds.

“Being a Snowbird was a childhood dream,” Sam explains.

“I used to see them flying at airshows as a kid. You just get that feeling when you see them. You think, ‘Wow, that’s the coolest thing I’ve ever seen.’ Ever since, it’s always been a childhood dream. It’s been quite the journey, becoming a Snowbird.”

Calling it a journey may be an understatement. After attending Vincent Massey Secondary School, Sam enrolled in the Royal Military College of Canada in Kingston, where he embarked on a degree in mechanical engineering. After his fourth year, Sam made the decision to switch to the pilot training program.

Clockwise from left: Major Bassam Mnaymneh, Windsor’s Snowbird pilot; the Snowbirds flying over the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association hangar; 1 of the 11 Snowbird aircraft.

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Sam’s pilot training took him three years.

After earning his pilot’s license, he relocated to Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, in 2004. He initially trained with helicopters.

“After flight school, my first posting was in a helicopter,” Sam recalls. “Which is interesting, because the first time I ever left the ground was at the Windsor Air Show in a helicopter. I must have been 12 or 13. My Dad paid for me to do a scenic tour in a helicopter.”

Sam believes that starting out with helicopters was beneficial to his development as pilot. Apparently, after going through the transitional lift, a helicopter behaves similar to an airplane. Sam compares the difference between the two as the difference between bicycles and unicycles. One is all about balance, the other is all about momentum.

“Flying a helicopter was amazing, especially on the West Coast,” Sam explains.

“Travelling around with the navy and landing on a ship is something else. Flying around the mountains of British Columbia is unreal. It’s like Jurassic Park. You see a lot of stuff that normal people don’t get to see.”

However, Sam is not one to play favorites.

He maintains an unconditional love for all the machines he’s flown.

“Each airplane has its great stories,” Sam explains. “Flying the Sea King Helicopter off the shores of Hawaii. Going through the Strait of Hormuz when you’re overseas.

Seeing the pirates for the first time off the coast of Somalia. There’s a lot of wows. But, that’s all just the military side. There are other factors.”

However, despite his breathtaking experiences, Sam smiles the brightest when talking about his family.

“When I had my first child I was flying the Harvard 2,” Sam recalls. “That makes that airplane so much more special to me.

That was a great time in my life.”

Family is tremendously important to Sam. He credits his success to his father’s lifelong interest in aviation.

“My father had a passion for aviation,” Sam explains. “He tried flying when he was younger. Whenever he took me to the airport to pick up the family or on Sunday morning drives, we’d see the airplanes. It just became this link between him, hearing the planes, seeing them fly and seeing the pilots.

It was something I was always interested in.

And then when you’re a kid, you have toy airplanes. You see shows, movies. That kind of helped spark everything.”

Additionally, Sam also cites his years playing sports to helping him earn his wings.

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“Sports were very important for me growing up,” Sam explains. “It gave me a break from the classroom. It strengthened me and made me a better person. And as I started playing more sports, I realized that being a pilot was similar. Both involve a team effort. You’re never by yourself. So, that heightened my ambition to be a pilot.

From there, it was always something I wanted to do. And I was fortunate because I was young when I decided to do this. It helped steer my goals. It gave me a path to follow. It made certain decisions easier because I knew what I wanted to do.”

Notably, even after 15 years, Sam has never lost the sense of wonder that flying entails.

“Flying is my reward,” Sam affirms. “All the tough training days. All the bad days, where the flight didn’t go the best. Having to get back into the books. It’s just this sense of accomplishment. You’ve worked hard. You’ve studied hard. And now you can see the benefits of your hard work as you get airborne. Even after doing a thousand loops in formation, when you’re at the top of a loop and you’ve got eight airplanes next to you, you think, ‘Holy cow. This is so cool. I can’t believe this is happening.’”

While flying with the Snowbirds was a tremendous honour for Sam, he claims that this summer will be his last year with the team.

“I love being a military pilot,” Sam states. “I love training. But, I won’t be on the demonstration team next year. It’s bittersweet. This was a great experience, but it’s definitely tiring. Especially on the family side, being away. So, I want to be involved in retraining. If I could slow things down, be home more, help students with military training—I’d be happy doing that.”

Sam’s daughters are named Amina, 8, and Nyla, 4. His wife, Lana, helped make his dream come true.

Still, Windsor could not be prouder of Sam’s accomplishments. While the planes were refueling, Councilor Jo-Anne Gignac presented him with a certificate thanking him for his service on behalf of the City of Windsor. In addition, John Robinson of the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association made Sam a Yellowbird, and presented him with a coin displaying the organization’s crest.

While Sam may no longer be flying with the Snowbirds, it’s gratifying to know that one of our favourite Windsorites will still be up there, on metal wings.

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POWER

ON

Calm in the Eye of the Storm “They were sparking, all the way down the line to the south of me. It was almost like someone had put a flammable liquid on the line… You could see it burn along… Then it stopped, and then it arced, and then it started again. The power flickered, and all of a sudden it was gone.”

These are the words of ENWIN customer Richard Hewitt, recalling the evening of July 2, 2019, when a severe storm swept into town and toppled a beautiful, old maple tree onto a powerline.

Of course, he is right. It takes a lot of physical and mental stamina to restore and maintain power. But what Richard saw that day is a very small part of what actually goes on during a power outage.

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The occurrence was only part of a larger event that left as many as 3,000 ENWIN customers without power in Grand Marais East, Fontainebleau and Pillette, where Richard witnessed the event.

Like all emergency responders, ENWIN crews are among the first on site when something goes wrong. But there are employees — on the job before the first crews are even dispatched — whose work maintaining the power supply system is never witnessed by customers like Richard.

Despite the widespread storm damage — most of which was caused by tree limbs falling on electrical wires and bringing them down — power was back on for nearly all 3,000 customers only three hours later.

In fact, Richard's restoration began a few seconds after the tree went down, led by ENWIN's System Operators, from the Hydro Operations Control Room where they monitor the distribution system, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The 21 customers without power on Richard’s street would need to wait until morning. Sending out crews to climb poles in the middle of a lightning storm would be an unthinkable safety risk.

The work of these highly-trained specialists is supported by a complex Outage Management System, which includes smart meters and an automated monitoring device called SCADA that can detect, assess and report on power activity levels across Windsor.

As work began to remove the tree and restring lines behind Richard's home the next day, he watched and expressed his gratitude for the workers’ perseverance and dedication.

It's not for the faint-hearted.

“They have worked very steady… on both streets, front and back. It’s a tough job,” he commented. “These guys that come out after these natural disasters, they’ve got a lot of guts. It’s not for the faint-hearted.”

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With these tools, the operators can often restore power — even during a widespread outage — in a minute or two. By redirecting the flow of electricity around problem areas, they can significantly reduce the impact on customers. Sometimes, by pushing a couple of keys on their computer keyboard, they can quickly restore power to thousands of people.

But that capability doesn’t come without its share of stress. Like the workers who restore power in the field, the

operators must be aware of the impact of their work on others. Safety always comes first.

Roger Bastiaan, ENWIN’s Systems Control Supervisor, is responsible for the activities of the Control Room. He explains it like this.

“The system is interconnected to the point where every person working within it can somehow impact someone else. Before we can act, we need to answer a lot of questions.”

“What caused the outage? What is the potential for danger? Who is without power? Is the problem ongoing? Is it likely to reoccur? How will our actions impact people in the field? What does the public need to know to stay safe?

What needs to be done first?”

It is an awesome responsibility.

All these questions, and more, must be answered within the first few minutes of an outage. It is an awesome responsibility.

Like the workers Richard saw restringing power lines, Roger and his crew demonstrate dedication and perseverance. While they don’t climb poles or hang wires, they are always vigilant and the first to spring into action.

During a widespread or severe outage, their department becomes the central hub for communication – with other departments, other first response teams, municipal employees, provincial bodies and ultimately, the public.

When an outage is detected by the Outage Management System, it will issue an alarm and connect with both Twitter and ENWIN's online Outage Map, to issue outage alerts and updates that inform the public and the media.

At the same time, Roger and his crew are busy receiving and analyzing data, rerouting power, dispatching trucks and updating other departments across the company. They relay information to the Communications, Customer Service and Senior Management teams, so all employees can work together to maintain community safety and restore power.

So, when Richard Hewitt saw a tree fall and sparks arc across the wires, you can be sure that Roger and his crew were already seeing its impact, and responding. They were on the job, assessing damage and safety issues, alerting the company and restoring power to nearly 3,000 people, through the Outage Management System.

When the power goes out, our adrenalin runs high.

“When the power goes out, our adrenalin runs high,” Roger admits. “Our mission in that moment is to make safe whatever needs to be made safe.”

There is no room for doubt or hesitation, but the system operators are aware that every minor action they take can have an enormous impact.

As Richard observed, “It’s not for the faint-hearted.”

Above: ENWIN Apprentice Powerline Maintainer Alex Drouillard begins the work of reconnecting powerlines to restore power.

Left: Roger Bastiaan, ENWIN's Supervisor System Control, in the Hydro Operations Control Room.

The United Snakes members (l-r): Mark Chichkan, Mitch Taylor, Jim Bonventre and Tony Calabrese.

THE UNITED SNAKES 70s ROCK AT ITS PUREST STORY BY DICK HILDEBRAND / PHOTOGRAPHY BY MISSION DETROIT PHOTOGRAPHY IT’S HARD TO BELIEVE, but one of Windsor’s oldest and most established bands is still going strong….and mostly with its original members.

The ‘United Snakes’ was founded by Mark Chichkan, a selfdescribed ‘gun for hire’ guitarist who has gained prominence in the local music scene, not only for his work in a number of great bands, but for his solo career as well. He’s one of those rare people that thrives on hard work, especially music. He’s over the age of 50 and claims to have mellowed a bit. And, almost as old as he is, Mark still plays his treasured, vintage Gibson Les Paul solid-body guitar given to him by his father more than 40 years ago.

“Chich”, as he’s affectionately known by his peers, was born in Windsor. Music played a prominent role in his formative years. His grandfather, who had emigrated from Russia played a number of instruments. His grandmother was a guitarist and singer, his father

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played the guitar and his mother sang. Other relatives also chimed in with their musical talents. So it was no wonder that this young man would eventually envelope himself in music.

The Snakes, organized in 1989, were the house band at the popular Rum Runners club. Chichkan, also a guitarist for ‘The Hitmen’ at the time, decided to spice things up a bit, so a jam night was organized every Tuesday. That event became so successful, that Mark left the Hitmen and the United Snakes decided to take their popularity to the next level. “We played our first show together as a band at Penrod’s on Forest Avenue,” says Mark. “It was a New Year’s Eve party and went extremely well, so well in fact that we decided to go full time.” Back then, the Snakes were a cover band that played heavier rock with a big emphasis on the keyboard …material from Yes and Deep Purple just to mention a couple. “And since we had this terrific keyboard player, Tony Calabrese, probably one of the

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best in the city, we did stuff that other bands simply weren’t able to do.” Calabrese, by the way, has been with the Snakes since the beginning.

Mitch Taylor, the United Snakes original bass player is still with the band today. He also supplies bass lines for ‘Simply Queen’, the highly successful Queen tribute group in the city that’s riding high on the coattails of ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’, the movie about the late Freddy Mercury and Queen, which is currently one of the hottest groups in the world. And just recently, Taylor and fellow United Snakes drummer Jim Bonventre signed with a Van Halen tribute band.

Although employed by Ground Effects, Taylor considers himself a full-time musician.

Bonventre also keeps the beat as on drums for ‘Greatest Hits Live’. He’s the only non-original member of the Snakes and is described by Chichkan as ‘the new guy’ in the band, even though he’s been a member for 7 years.

The United Snakes could be seen as being somewhat of a rebel band since much of their material is music that other groups have avoided. While there have been a few personnel changes over the years, the three original members—Chichkan, Taylor and Calabrese continuously evolve the music, tackling the real tough stuff. “Given our great lineup of players,” says Mark, “we always relied on a strong keyboard element and were able to tackle almost anything we wanted. Vocally, everybody sang so we had four harmonies going and we presented stuff that nobody else was doing.” On occasion the move backfired since some of the tunes had a tendency to keep some patrons off the dance floor. “We tried to keep our shows high-energy,” says Chichkan, “and through the years, like everybody else, we worked with the music that was on the radio so we could keep everybody happy. At the same time we mixed in more progressive stuff that we loved because we didn’t want to sell ourselves out to the business. That’s why today we are a 70s rock tribute. 4 or 5 years ago, we went back to the stuff we began with because that is our strong point.”

People attending a United Snakes show get the full 70s experience. Band members hit the stage wearing 70s-style clothing…the bell bottoms, velvet, etc. Song selection is ‘meticulous’, designed to give audiences something that they can’t get from any other band. In fact, in Mark Chichkan’s own words: “We’re not really a club band anymore, even though we like to see folks dance to our music. We’ve directed our efforts

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more to casinos and festivals. And, while it’s a tougher sell, we’ve had good success and are very happy with what we’re doing and how we’re doing it. Fortunately, we’ve been around a long time and have a good nucleus of people that still want to see the band. We haven’t totally abandoned the club scene and still manage to get people off their seats.”

The ‘United Snakes’ took a 9 year hiatus before reforming in 2009. Mark toured with the Canadian award-winning band ‘Helix’.

When the Snakes reformed, they were a three-piece combo, still playing hard rock but without the keyboard player. “However, when he saw how much fun we were having, he came back,” says Chichkan.

As for Mark, who made his first club appearances at the age of 15, he’s still working just as hard as ever with up to 16 gigs a month despite the pace he claims to be “cutting down”. Not only does he play in the ‘United Snakes’, but he’s also in three other bands…‘Bomb Squad’, ‘Riot House’ and ‘80s Inc.’…not to mention his solo acoustic efforts on both sides of the river. In fact, it’s those solo appearances with his trusty guitar and digital effects gear, that provide him with his greatest source of income. The remaining members of the ‘United Snakes’ are also in other groups. They are true musical professionals, completely dedicated to their craft. About the most complicated thing right now, is for the guys to co-ordinate their various duties into workable schedules.

Incidentally, the Snakes’ next appearance is November 15th at Cosmos Lounge at Caesar’s downtown.

And, just recently, the band recorded the Led Zeppelin classic ‘Kashmir’ at the Highland Recording studios. The session featured a number of the area’s top musicians who participated in assembling a compilation disc. Sponsored by the Pitt Street ‘On a Roll Sushi and Sliders’ restaurant, proceeds from the sale of the disc, expected to be released soon, will be donated to the downtown mission. A commemorative concert featuring the bands on the disc will likely be held in the new year. “We’re excited to be a part of that,” says Mark, “as we can give back to the community which has been so good to us over the years.” The project was engineered by Luc Michaud, who also happens to be the newest member of the Bigg Wiggle… one of the area’s most popular dance bands.

For the latest on the United Snakes, log on to unitedsnakes70srock.com. To find out what Mark Chichkan’s up to, check out markchichkan.com.

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The Emirate of Dubai Windsorites Go See For Themselves If The Hype Is True STORY KAREN PATON-EVANS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY PAM AND BILL SENEY WITH ITS FUTURISTIC skyscrapers casting a fantastical cityscape, Dubai, glimpsed through a shimmering sunset sinking into the Arabian Desert, makes a convincing mirage. The megacity on the Persian Gulf coast has come a long way from a little fishing and pearling village in the 1800s to one of the world’s fastest growing cities in this millennium.

“All the stories and pictures we’d seen about Dubai drew us there. We wanted to experience it for ourselves,” says Pam Seney.

She and her husband, Bill, and fellow Windsorites Maria and

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Roger Bramhall had spent a dozen days in ancient India and were eager to explore shiny Dubai over four days. On Tues., April 3 in 2018, they flew into Dubai International Airport, one of the busiest on the planet.

Feeling like they had landed in the Emerald City of Oz, the travellers were amazed. “Every building is completely different from the one beside it. They all have their own character: Oval.

Boat shaped. One was two sticks with a bar across the top,” Roger notes.

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Honouring Islamic design, Burj Khalifa rises above Dubai and indeed anything else built in the entire world.

The globe’s tallest structure, standing at 829.8 metres, houses the Armani Hotel, corporate suites and offices, dining establishments, residential apartments and sky lobbies with swimming pools. The Canadians were impressed that Burj Khalifa, finished in 2009, beat out the previous record holder for the world’s highest restaurant at 442 metres: Those bragging rights used to be held by the CN Tower in Toronto with a height of 350 metres.

“Seeing the world’s tallest building was the big attraction in Dubai for me,” Bill says. “We went up and looked down on top of other skyscrapers. It’s a wonderful feat of engineering.”

“The modernization of the city is on a different level from anything I’ve experienced,” Maria says. “You go to other cities and there is a history. Much of Dubai’s architecture has been built in last 30 years,

Clockwise from far left: Appearing like a grand oasis between the desert and a creek, Dubai was a small village a few hundred years ago. Today, Dubai is one of the fastest growing cities on the planet, with more than 2.5 million residents, as evidenced by the view glimpsed from the Observation Deck of Burj Khalifa; like a full sail in the wind, the Burj Al Arab luxury hotel boasts one of earth's most expensive hotel suites at more than US $24,000 per night; the tip of spire on Burj Khalifa pinpoints the building as the tallest manmade structure in the world. Finished in 2009, the tower stands 829.8 metres; with the dessert on Dubai's doorstep, thrill seekers are drawn to the dunes. Forgoing the usual dune buggy, tourists ride in Lincolns and other luxury vehicles; Atlantis, The Palm luxury hotel, forms a gateway to the city's opulence, bordered by palm trees.

Modern Dubai is shiny and new, with futuristic skyscrapers dominating the Persian Gulf coast.

so everything is relatively new. You see cranes everywhere – Dubai is building continuously.”

To get a sense of the city’s roots, “We did a tour through Old Dubai – which isn’t that old. The streets and shops are more quaint and the buildings are smaller,” Pam says. Among the stores in the historical souk districts lining Dubai Creek is the Gold Souk, with approximately 250 gold retail shops.

Dubai’s wealth is evidenced by the large houses and shopping malls. “It seemed like the second car in everyone’s driveway was a high-end sports car,” Bill says. In tourist areas, the Dubai Police Force drives Ferraris, Porsches and other fast luxury vehicles.

“A lot of wealthy people from the United Arab Emirates, India, Europe, the U.S. and other countries are living and working in Dubai,” says Roger. On a private tour, “We saw what I thought was a cruise ship, but our driver told us it was a private yacht.”

To encourage oil sheiks, celebrities and visitors to spend some of their UAE dirhams (currency), Dubai has become the shopping capital of the Middle East. Every year, it hosts the Dubai Shopping Festival, featuring retail shopping at 70-plus shopping centres, fireworks, concerts, raffles and competitions, with prizes of cash and cars.

Dubai Mall, the world’s largest and most-visited retail and entertainment destination, engages guests with an aircraft simulator, underwater zoo, haunted house and an Olympic-sized ice rink, which hosts recreational skaters and the Emirates Ice Hockey League Games.

The Mall of the Emirates has an indoor ski and snow resort.

Families and the young at heart can play on a grand scale at Motiongate, Bollywood Parks, Legoland and other mega theme parks. At 72,000 metres, the Dubai Miracle Garden claims to be the world’s largest flower garden, with 45 million flowers thriving on reused waste water fed through drip irrigation. Mushrif Park blooms with numerous houses built to represent different architectural styles from other countries.

Once the sun goes down, Dubai’s legendary nightlife springs into action. “We could feel the city pulsing around us,” says Pam. The Canadians avoided the bars and discos, opting instead to stand in a mall courtyard to watch a light and water show set to music. “It was spectacular - very similar to the Bellagio’s dancing fountains in Las Vegas.”

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“In fact, when you look out, Dubai is almost like a little Vegas.

Beyond the city, there is just sand for as far as the eye can see,” Roger says.

Never missing an opportunity to capitalize, Dubai even turns the sand into a tourist attraction. The Seneys and Bramhalls signed on for a sand dune safari. “We drove 45 minutes out of town on a super highway through the Arabian Desert. We arrived at a little camp where they offer camel rides. Some people were also riding down the dunes on surf boards,” says Maria. Remembering nearly slipping off a camel in Egypt, she was content to settle for four-wheel driving over the sand dunes.

“Instead of dune buggies, we were in a fleet of Range Rovers, Lincolns and Jeeps. Our driver took us up, down and sideways over the dunes. It’s quite the ride - like an extended roller coaster for miles,” Bill recalls.

Driving back toward Dubai, the travellers spotted neighbourhoods with more modest homes. Roger explains, “Many of the imported workers can’t afford to live in the city centre, so they live on the outskirts. In terms of housing costs, I don’t know if there is any place more expensive than Dubai.”

“As a tourist, I think travel costs compare to being in Toronto,” Pam says.

The desert heat was certainly higher than home. In early April, “It was warm yet comfortable - around 100 degrees,” says heat-loving Bill. “The humidity wasn’t bad.”

People wishing to cool off in the outdoors head to Dubai’s shore along the Persian Gulf for swimming, kitesurfing, parasailing, flyboarding, seabreaching and other watersports. “The water is crystal clear and the beaches are clean,” Maria recalls.

Boat access to the Gulf and oil below the sands are what gave Dubai its foundation. From 1892 to 1968, Dubai and neighbouring Trucial States were a British protectorate, with the British government providing defence and foreign policy. In 1971, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Sharjah, Ajman, Umm al-Quwain and Fujairah formed the United Arab Emirates. Ras al Khaimah joined a year later. A constitutional monarchy, Dubai has been ruled by the Al Maktoum family since 1833. Citizens vote to elect representatives to the Federal National Council of the UAE. The discovery of oil changed the fortunes of UAE. After Dubai began exporting its oil in 1969, the ruling sheikh applied a portion of revenues toward improving citizens’ lives.

Today, oil and natural gas account for less than 5% of Dubai's revenues. Real estate, construction, trade, entrepot and financial services are the leading contributors to the emirate’s economy.

Showcasing its achievements, Dubai is inviting the entire world to Expo 2020, scheduled Oct. 20, 2020 to April 10, 2021. Construction is underway on the 438-hectare main site, midway between Dubai and neighbouring emirate Abu Dhabi. New infrastructure for Expo 2020 encompasses the Dubai Trade Centre Jebel Ali urban development and the planet’s largest solar power project. Celebrating culture, collaboration and innovation, 190 countries are participating with their own pavilions. The Canada Pavilion is presenting an immersive journey through Canada’s past, present and future. Its structure will symbolize the strong cultural and economic ties between Canada and the UAE. The advance party in the form of the Seneys and Bramhalls heartily endorse Dubai as a vacation destination. “We felt safe and were welcome everywhere,” Pam says. While Arabic is the official language, English is spoken in many places, simplifying things for the Windsorites. “Our time in Dubai was too brief. We will definitely go back.

We loved it!”

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CREATIVE HOMESCAPES Creative Homescapes, Windsor-Essex’s experts at creating fabulous outdoor living spaces, has opened a new retail and design studio at Devonshire Mall.

From gorgeous landscaping, innovative decks and fences to durable fiberglass pools; from BBQs and hot tubs to elegant outdoor furniture – Creative Homescapes has everything you need to create you own backyard oasis.

Drop by the showroom for a free consultation. creativehomescapes.ca.

Since December 2018, La Vida Premier Aesthetics Salon and Spa, located at 1580 Ouellette Avenue, has been helping Windsorites celebrate life by revealing their true beauty – inside and out. The salon provides manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing, massage and other spa treatments. Pictured is hairstylist Wissam with owner and aesthetician Maria Mastroianni (seated).

519-997-4517. lavidasalonandspa.com.

ANTONINO’S ORIGINAL PIZZA 7TH ANNUAL CONCERTS FOR A CURE CAMPAIGN Caesars Windsor Cares is hosting the 7th Annual Concerts For a Cure Campaign. This year, the Windsor Cancer Research Group will be one of the recipients of the event.

Pictured is Dr. John Trant, Windsor Cancer Research Group, Tim Trombley, Caesars Windsor, Kevin Laforet, Caesars Windsor and Dr. Lisa Porter, Windsor Cancer Research Group. caesars.com. 1-800-991-7777.

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Antonino’s Original Pizza has a new South Windsor location at 4350 Howard Ave. The new South Windsor location has seating, an outdoor patio, and is currently testing some new offerings: authentic Italian gelato, beer and wine and even espresso.

Pictured is owner Joe Ciaravino.

519-979-9759. originalpizza.ca.

THE HUNGRY WOLF The Hungry Wolf, a restaurant specializing in Greek, Canadian and Lebanese food, has recently opened a new location at 25 Amy Croft Dr, near the Tecumseh Sobeys. The store is owned and operated by husband-wife team Sarmad Oraha and Reta Asmaro. hungrywolfrestaurant.com. 519-735-0072.

CORVETTE CLUB On Tuesday September 10th, the Corvette Club of Windsor made a donation of $12,000 to the Paediatric Oncology POGO (Paediatric Oncology Group of Ontario) at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Met Campus. Pictured is Corvette Club President Dan Resume, Trip Director Ed Jones and Show Coordinator Bryan Hansen. corvetteclubofwindsor.com.

SECURITY ONE ALARM SYSTEMS Security ONE Alarm Systems, a regional electronic security and life safety company, has acquired the customer accounts from Chatham’s R&T Security Services. As well, Security ONE will be phasing in the existing R&T technical team. Pictured is Frank de Long, President of R&T Security Services, and Chris Neumann, President and CEO of Security ONE Alarm Systems. securityonealarm.com. 1-800-265-5317.

MCCCU CHARITY LUNCHEON

PLAY FOR A CURE Play For A Cure, a collaboration where hockey players raised awareness about cancer research, was hosted earlier this year, in March. The inaugural event raised $284,936.33.

All funds will support the Cancer Research Fund. Pictured (l-r) is Diletta Casey, Jeff Nawalany, Leo Sgaravato, Paul Dufour, Marco Bello and Peter Baldwin. playforacure.ca.

On September 19th, the Motor City Credit Union hosted their 12th Annual Member Appreciation Charity Luncheon at the Walkerville Brewery. All of the proceeds generated by the event went towards the House of Sophrosyne. Pictured is Marketing and Communications Manager Becky Langlois, taking donations from an attendee. mcccu.com. 519-944-7333.

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WALK OFF THE EARTH Bringing Their Unforgettable Sound and Unheard-of Instruments to Windsor STORY BY KAREN PATON-EVANS / PHOTOGRAPHY BY ANDREA HUNTER HOPING TO ATTRACT A LITTLE ATTENTION for their Burlington-based band, a blonde woman flanked by four darkhaired men crowded together and all began playing one guitar. Walk Off The Earth’s unorthodox approach to performing Gotye’s Somebody That I Used To Know was then shared on YouTube. It scored over 180 million views.

That was in 2012. The public, intrigued, wanted more. The imaginative band obliged with their interpretations of additional cover songs as well as their own original material, including Red Hands, Fire In My Soul and Rule The World. Awards and accolades have followed them across the globe.

Band members Gianni “Luminati” Nicassio, Ryan Marshall, Joel Cassady and Sarah Blackwood all play multiple instruments, including guitar, harmonica, ukulele and percussion, enhancing their boundless sound and riveting stage presence. They are mourning bandmate Mike “Beard Guy” Taylor, who died of natural causes in December 2018. Honouring Mike’s spirit, Walk Off The Earth just released their latest album, Here We Go!, this October.

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They have included Windsor on their current tour. Local fans can hear their favourite songs and new material when Walk Off The Earth lands at The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor at 8 p.m. on Thurs., Nov. 7.

While on the road, Joel spoke with Windsor Life about WOTE, losing Mike and feeling blessed to do what they love best – making music.

WL: Every WOTE member sings and plays a multitude of instruments on stage and on your albums. Do your multifaceted talents spring from a desire to be self-reliant, or to have better control of your sound - or do you simply love the collaborative, creative process and want to be as hands-on as possible?

JC: “I think a huge part of what we’ve been able to accomplish has been borne out of not overthinking stuff. Using a bunch of instruments and the sort of stuff that people connect with has just come naturally to us. It’s just the way we do it…we just pick up whatever is laying around the house and create an arrangement.

WL: Using instruments unexpectedly, like all of five of you playing one guitar, has become a signature of Walk Off The Earth. What surprises are you bringing to the stage during your current tour?

JC: “One thing we’ve had a lot of fun with recently is we actually had a chance to design our own custom instrument with a company called Blueberry Guitar out of Montreal. They do all their guitar production in Bali, Indonesia because the materials there are fantastic for custom guitar making. They basically set us up and said send us a rough schematic, a rough drawing of something that you guys would like to see and use and perform on. We did. We drafted up this thing that we like to call the guiharpalele. It’s part guitar, part base harp so that covers the low-end register, and part ukulele with a bunch of percussion elements attached to it, including a kalimba - an African thumb piano.

The video that we did with that instrument was a cover of the Maroon 5 song, Girls Like You, and we managed to win the streaming award, the YouTube Grammy of sorts, last year for best cover song. We’ve had a great time bringing that to life on the road….and it’s been a really fun way to keep the multiple person on one guitar thing fresh over the years and keep challenging ourselves the process.

We lost our dear friend, our bandmate, our brother, Mike Taylor, at the tail end of last year. We’ve carried on in the way that we know he’d want us to with four people on one guitar. But who knows? It’s beyond the core band, it’s always been kind of a rotating cast of guests and members and maybe we’ll eventually get six, seven, eight, nine, 10 on the same guitar!”

WL: Walk Off The Earth is recognized as one very hardworking band. Although you recently suffered a great loss with Mike’s sudden death, you’ve kept on making music and touring. Is this hard, sad time teaching you something about yourselves, individually and as a group?

JC: “It’s been a huge shock….we had all these tour dates on the calendar and all these plans and all this stuff that of course Mike was such an integral part of.

We really had to think can we do this without him? Is it right to do this without him? What would he want? What would our fans want? What do we want?

We were speaking and working closely

with his family this whole time to make sure everything we did is right by them. It wasn’t an easy decision to ultimately carry forward….we hope it’s what Mike would wish for us, to carry on and continue to spread the word, our music and everything that we’ve managed to accomplish over these years. Of course, the videos and recordings that he’s on will live forever and continue to inspire people of all ages for generations to come. That really gives us a sense of comfort.

We lost my mom a week after we lost Mike. We knew my mom was sick with cancer and had little time there, but a loss is still a loss. I’d never lost someone so close, let alone two people in the span of a week.

It really makes you slow down and press the pause button and think about the way that you’re spending your time, who you’re spending your time with this and the sort of legacy that you are leaving.

We all feel so fortunate to have had a chance to live our dream in this way and be doing this fulltime for the better part of a decade at this point. Yet, even in a circumstance like that, you really have to slow down just question are the things that I worry about on a day to day basis, the things that I stress over, are those really worth stressing over in the long term? Are those things that people like my mother or Mike would be upset to hear that are really stressing me out?

It’s something that really just shot to the forefront again for myself and the rest of my bandmates and our whole team. I think the one, if you can call it this, silver lining of going through such loss, such heartbreak, is you feel that low and say to yourself I don’t think I’m ever going to get this low again…I need to pick myself up from here and carry forward and find that strength because I know that’s what the person I lost would want me to do.

For some reason, we got the chance to [make music] so we’re going to hold onto it for dear life and keep going forward, making as much content as we can because tomorrow is not promised.”

WL: Mike’s Song is a wonderful video tribute to your friend and bandmate that is raising money and awareness for MusiCounts. What kind of response is it receiving from visitors to the website?

JC: “The response has been incredible. Mike, he was so charitable, so selfless and he was heavily involved in the charity called MusiCounts that exists in Canada to primarily get funding and instruments into the hands of kids who are from areas that don’t have funding or the strongest music program to foster their talent at a young age.

That’s a huge thing Mike stood for and we’ve had a chance to carry that forward again.

There’s also going to be the first annual City of Burlington music bursary this year for a younger person who wants to go to postsecondary for music and doesn’t have the means. A student is going to get a chance to go in Mike’s honour. ▼

If there’s an instrument that we haven’t played before that we need to use for a video, well, I’m sure you’ve heard the phrase Jack of all trades, master of none? We are very much in line with that. We’re not trying to be virtuosos on any instrument; we’ve just gotten pretty good at picking something up and going for it.

I think there’s a lot to be said for just going for something and being as positive as possible - feeling that drive and determination carry you through to an end result - even if you’re not the expert.

You might get a few comments saying hey, your cello technique is a little off, but you know what? There are people who resonate with that, who say [about themselves] I’m not musically trained, maybe I could do this, too. We’ve had a lot of fun with that and we’ve managed to touch a lot of people that way, as well.”

Opposite: Band members Gianni “Luminati” Nicassio, Ryan Marshall, Joel Cassady and Sarah Blackwood have just released their newest album, Here We Go! This page: Windsor’s Christee Palace is opening for WOTE. The indie singer/songwriter’s singles Harden My Heart, Love Me in the Dark and other music is popular with Spotify listeners.

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Drug Mart in the Toronto area. I was like, ‘Miss Flanagan, you’re never going to believe what happened and it’s all thanks to you!’ She was like, ‘Who are you?’ It was a funny moment.”

WL: As indie artists from Burlington, you understand how tough it can be to break into the music industry and then stay on top. When you play The Colosseum at Caesars Windsor on Nov. 7, the opening act will be a local singer/songwriter, Christee Palace. Recognizing that creativity begets creativity, what does hearing and seeing newer artists do for you?

When it comes to Mike’s Song and the video, we are artists and music makers first and foremost. When we lost a close brother, it felt so natural to get in a room and just write it out. That song came together so quickly…there’s a very special catharsis, getting a chance to write a tribute song for someone who you love so dearly and you were so close with who has been taken from you.

It’s a rare and special opportunity to get a chance to come together with likeminded people and really create something that is going to last forever, it’s going to touch other people in certain ways. There are tears every night when we play Mike’s Song.”

WL: In the video, you spotlight several kids who want their own instruments. It’s heartwarming to see all of you interact with these young musicians, playing guitars, keyboards and other instruments that you gift them.

JC: “One of the great privileges is getting a chance to inspire people in the same way that your favorites have inspired you. But it’s on another level when it’s someone who wouldn’t have the means to get a hold of an instrument otherwise. There was a kid who didn’t have a piano so he wrote out with a Sharpie on piece of paper a piano keyboard so he could practice fingering so if he ever did get a chance to get a keyboard, he would already have a bit of a head start.”

WL: What was your own introduction to music? What did it mean to you at the time?

JC: “I actually got into piano first when I was about eight or nine years old. My mom was always super musical growing up; she was a lead trumpet soloist in the drum corps in Brantford. My parents thought they would try me with music and I loved it. I jumped headfirst into piano.

When I got into my teen years, I thought, piano is not cool anymore…I want to be a rocker. So I got into guitar…I wound up on drums by accident when I finally made it to Frontenac Secondary School in Burlington.

When it was time to pick instruments in music class, my teacher made everyone who had already played an instrument raise their hands…those people weren’t allowed to play those instruments. She ended up just sticking me with the drum kit. Little did I know how much that would change my future.

After WOTE took off, around 2013, I ran into my teacher in Shoppers

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JC: “We love checking out new artists because we were there once. It definitely keeps us grounded and it gives us a chance to remember the beauty of getting going and doing those openings shows, really slugging it out and paying your dues and just wanting so badly to be noticed.

Any chance we get to see an opener and chat with them after, share some stories - we love to do that. A big part of the reason why we are as far along as we are is because of the people who were nice to us along the way.

No success is overnight and that is so true of our band.

Yes, we had a viral video that helped with so many things, but we all spent years in our respective local scenes just grinding it out and doing the worst possible gigs to prep ourselves for what we’ve been able to do here.”

WL: You’ve described your band’s name as “a state of mind” where “you let the pulsing rhythm, the soaring melodies and the lush harmonies take you away to a place where nothing can affect you.” When you’re on stage, are you also walking off the earth? Do you ever feel a moment when the audience has joined you on that wonderful journey?

JC: “Absolutely. There’s no greater experience than getting on stage, feeling the audience’s energy and giving it back to them.

We’re under no illusions that we were largely introduced to the world on the global stage as a cover act. I can’t tell you how much it’s meant to us to get a chance to cross over and really see the impact of our original works, to see people who are coming whether it’s for our originals or the covers.

It’s very much a two-prong attack for us at this point. We are always going to keep the cover thing going because we love it and it’s what got us here. But to get a chance to have as much success as we’ve had with our originals - especially at home in Canada - is just the best feeling.”

WL: Do you have a message for your fans who are excited to see you in Windsor?

JC: “It’s a rare experience for us these days to get to play the home province. We are so fortunate to go all over Europe, Australia and Asia….but nothing will ever feel better than playing for the hometown crowd. We can’t wait to celebrate with the fans at home. We have some brand new music and we have a brand new album that we’re so excited about. It’s going to be a celebration of all those things and more with the home fans!”

Tickets for the Walk Off The Earth concert opening with Christee Palace at The Colosseum are on sale now at WLM caesarswindsor.com.

Back to Contents

PHOTO BY JEANNE PAPAK Clockwise from below: The Canadian Historical Aircraft Association “Yellow Birds” formation flight; Madison and Mackenzie Beltran; Michael Beale (left) and Wayne Hillman Co/MCs; Mr. Robert “Boom-Boom” Papak; The Windsor Essex Youth Choir; Remembrance Day, City of Windsor.

THE 11TH HOUR, OF THE 11TH DAY, OF THE 11TH MONTH STORY BY S. MICHAEL BEALE / PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY CITY OF WINDSOR THE ESSEX COUNTY WAR MEMORIAL/CENOTAPH at Windsor City Hall Square has seen many November 11th remembrance ceremonies. A community gathering place. Citizens standing, often in inclement weather, remembering, tears shed for loved ones lost for the many who paid the ultimate sacrifice in the service to Canada.

A few years ago, my friend Wayne Hillman asked me, a civilian, to assist as his Co/MC in this ceremony. Together we changed the feel of this important gathering. Our goal was to emotionally pull those attending into this ceremony. Not to lessen the protocol and important steadfast elements of the ceremony, but to add an increased element of passion and emotion, allowing those attending to feel the act of remembrance. We wrapped this ceremony in beautiful music, uplifting voices singing, creating an atmosphere of love for those who serve, served and especially our fallen. Not just for our military but to also include and remember our paramilitary. They too have fallen, serving our community and Canada. Wayne is gone now, this year my Co/MC is, Colonel (ret) Phillip Berthiaume. It is an honour to stand with him. We will begin the ceremony by quietly saying the names of those we remember. They will be with us in our hearts throughout the ceremony.

This 2019 ceremony in downtown Windsor will reflect an even greater effort to present beautiful voices and music. The delightful Beltran sisters, Mackenzie and Madison will be singing. Madison

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PHOTO BY LAURA BELTRAN

2019 CITY OF WINDSOR REMEMBRANCE DAY CEREMONY

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is a Grade 9 student at St. Anne's Catholic High School. Her big sister Mackenzie is a first-year student at the University of Windsor's School of Creative Arts. Her dream is to become a music teacher. Their commitment to community service involves distributing poppies, to anything that involves working with our veterans. They’re genuinely excited to sing.

Additionally, the Windsor Essex Youth Choir under the direction of Christine Prosser and Danielle Sirek will be performing Canadian music based on themes of remembrance, unity, and peace. Christine describes the WEYC as a culturally diverse and civic-minded group of young people who aim to promote understanding, tolerance, and inclusivity through music. Brio and Vivo, two of WEYC's three performing ensembles, will also lead the singing of the national anthem in both official languages, in a new arrangement by Windsor-area pianist and arranger Matthew Kulbacki. The choir has recently been featured in concerts with the Windsor Symphony and the County Classic Chorale, on the Mayor's Annual Walk, during University of Windsor Lancers and Windsor Spitfires games, and on their own self-presented concert series in Windsor.

The Canadian Historical Aircraft Association will be overhead in another grand flypast. The majestic “Yellow Birds” have their own wonderful way of presenting a heavenly presence. These pilots live to honour others.

The canon of Canadian Army Veteran, Robert “Boom-Boom” Papak never fails to create an impressive sound resonating off downtown buildings. He loves his job very much.

We’ll close the ceremony with His Worship and all County Mayors attending receiving a ceremonial march-past as our troops leave the ceremony, a tribute to these mayors at their Essex County War Memorial/Cenotaph.

It is an honour to be asked to help lead this grand community gathering. This levee en masse of passion and remembrance. A celebration of who we are as citizens of Essex County and Canada remembering, giving thanks and honouring all who serve and served.

On behalf of this amazing group of volunteers we look forward to seeing you at the 11th hour, on the 11th day, of the 11th month, at the Essex County War Memorial/Cenotaph, City Hall Square. In the immortal words of Lawrence Binyon.

“At the going down of the sun and in the morning.... we will remember them.” WLM Back to Contents

BUILDING A LEGACY

Michael Lee Stockwell Celebrates 13 Years with Lego STORY BY MICHAEL SEGUIN PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY THE LEGO GROUP

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FOR MANY OF US, playing with LEGO was one of our earliest forms of creative expression. However, one lucky Windsorite turned his childhood play into a career.

Michael Lee Stockwell is a Design Manager Specialist at LEGO’s head office in Billund, Denmark—a job title that he admits is a bit hard for people to wrap their heads around.

Basically, what I actually do is build spaceships for kids,” Stockwell explains.

Although his career eventually took him across the Atlantic, Stockwell’s journey began on a fruit tree farm in Southwestern Ontario.

“I grew up in a small rural area near the village of Ruthven, outside the Windsor area,” Stockwell explains. “I went to school in Kingsville, on Lake Erie. I remember the warm summers and the cold winters. I remember picking peaches from the tree.

Swimming in the lake, skating on the lake. I have great memories.”

From an early age, Stockwell’s creativity was evident.

“I was always dabbling in something creative,” Stockwell states. “I was always drawing. Music and Art were my two favorite subjects. I played the drums. When it came time to get serious about finding a career path, I examined a lot of different options.”

Stockwell ended up studying Jewelry Design and Goldsmithing at George Brown College in Toronto.

“I didn’t know specifically where I wanted to land,” Stockwell admits. “I think goldsmithing was a way for me to forge a career for myself in a creative way. It just seemed to be something that could give me an education and a trade, and the ability to earn a living doing something creative.”

Stockwell worked as a goldsmith and a jewelry designer for 20 years. During that time, Stockwell A n n i v e r s a r y

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was afflicted with a serious bout of wanderlust. He ended up globetrotting around several different countries, including Australia, New Zealand, and Indonesia—before eventually settling in Demark.

Unfortunately, the financial crisis of the last decade had a profound impact on Stockwell’s livelihood.

“When the financial crisis started to hit, it impacted our trade early,” Stockwell recalls.

“A lot of the people I was working for or with were starting to move east. And I thought, ‘Do I want to go to Asia to work?

Or do I need to figure out a new path?’ So I started working with a computer and 3D.” However, it wasn’t long before a new opportunity presented itself to Stockwell.

“Coincidentally, a job opportunity popped up at LEGO,” Stockwell recalls. “It made sense to me. I hadn’t really considered it. But being in Denmark, the home of LEGO, it made a lot of sense.”

Stockwell was hired at LEGO in 2007.

He has spent the majority of his 13-year tenure working on the company’s Star Wars project.

“I was only a casual fan of Star Wars growing up,” Stockwell states. “But you can’t not be a fan working on this project!”

As Stockwell explains, the Star Wars project involves a continual process of reevaluating and improving on past models.

“There are a lot of different models that I’ve worked on,” Stockwell states. “We often revisit certain ships from the universe.

We’ve done many TIE Fighters and many X-Wings. And when we do repeat ourselves, we don’t just push copy-paste. We go back to the beginning, gather consumer feedback and look into new elements. We think about how we can add new features to the model and enhance the player experience.”

While Stockwell has designed a great deal of starships from a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, his proudest accomplishment remains the twentieth anniversary edition of the Slave I—Boba Fett’s cruiser from Star Wars V: The Empire Strikes Back.

“2019 marks the twentieth anniversary of LEGO Star Wars,” Stockwell states. “To celebrate, we chose five specific products to revisit. I was given a chance to design one of those products—the twentieth anniversary of the Slave I. The ship is quite unique in that when it sits it is at a totally different orientation than when it flies. We found that it was difficult for kids to hold the ship at the correct orientation. So I added a handle so that they have something to hold onto.”

Stockwell feels tremendously honoured to

be part of the 20-year-old LEGO Star Wars canon.

“It’s amazing,” Stockwell states. “I was recently at Fan Expo Canada in Toronto. Any time we’re fortunate enough to get out and meet the fans of Star Wars, especially the fans of LEGO Star Wars, our energy is refueled. You’re reminded just how much these products and these films mean to so many people. Being able to have that much of a positive effect on people is a wonderful, wonderful feeling. And these products are 20 years old. There’s fans that are now passing their toys on to their kids, or they’re just introducing their children to Star Wars.”

Stockwell also credits his time as a jewelry designer to aiding his career.

“I’ve always been focused on the fine detail in things,” Stockwell states. “Certainly, when you’re setting diamonds or designing jewelry, you’re working on a very, very small scale. Detail is tremendously important. At LEGO, it’s the same thing. Nothing is left to chance. We rigorously test everything for both stability and playability. So we’re constantly evaluating what we’re doing to create the ultimate experience, the ultimate product.”

Additionally, Stockwell states that growing up in Ruthven equipped him with a unique set of values that helped him launch his distinguished career.

“There’s no bridge from Ruthven to Denmark,” Stockwell laughs. “But I’m really proud of growing up in a small rural area. It grounded me. It gave me a lot of great values. I still call Ruthven home, even though I’ve been away for so many years.

But I think if you grow up in a small town and you’ve got big dreams that you have to find the courage to leave the nest. It’s kind of like packing your bags and saying ‘I’m going to move to Paris and become a painter.’ You have to find out what’s over the hill and chase those dreams. I didn’t really have a specific plan, I just knew that somewhere out there was an outlet for my creativity. By chance, it ended up being Denmark. Denmark is known for its design. It’s a great second home.”

And, as Stockwell states, there’s no place else he’d rather be.

“I still remember calling my sister Susan to tell her that I was going to be working for LEGO,” Stockwell recalls. “She just couldn’t stop laughing. She thought it was the perfect place for me to be. Her most vivid memory of me as a child was me playing with my LEGO. So, I guess I’ve come full circle!”

WLM Back to Contents

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Boston Pizza - Fresh gourmet pizzas to burgers and amazing salads. We have it all. Family dining room and sports bar.

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1526 Wyandotte St. E. | 519.253.1234 nolaswindsor.com

Capri Pizzeria - Check out our take-out menu and be tempted by our famous pizzas, great pastas, fresh salads and much more! Penny more, penny less, Capri Pizza is still the best!

3020 Dougall Ave. 519-969-6851 Casa Mia Ristorante - Experience authentic Italian food, local wines and homemade desserts served in a casual, completely handicap accessible setting. For many years, chef and owner Frank Puccio has been making lunch and dinner fresh to order. Gluten free options.

Closed Sunday and Holidays. 519-728-2224 523 Notre Dame St., Belle River.

Cramdon’s Tap and Eatery - South Windsor’s friendly gathering place. Offering great food at affordable prices. Satellite sports and billiards in a pub-like setting. www.cramdons.com 2950 Dougall Ave. 519-966-1228 Frank Brewing Company - FRANK is pure, straight-to-the-point, old-fashioned beer crafted with dedication and pride. Beer-loving folk enjoy FRANK's small-batch brews made with only four natural and simple ingredients: water, hops, grain and yeast; and foodies enjoy the small plates, pizzas and sandwiches for pairing, and all the peanuts you can shell.

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13037 Tecumseh Rd. E. 519-735-7005 Kelsey’s - Social gathering and family friendly eatery located at 4115 WALKER RD (the old Casey’s site). Diverse menu from messy sammies, burgers, and wings with many healthy options too. Not to mention off the chart appies, bevvies, and sawwweeeet desserts! Open 7 days a week. Take out option available.

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1-800-991-7777 ext. 22481. caesarswindsor.com Nola’s, A Taste Of New Orleans - Located in Historic Walkerville. Cajun and Creole cuisine with the New Orleans Twist. Lunch dinner and lots of parking. nolaswindsor.com 1526 Wyandotte Street East. 519-253-1234.

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Olde Walkerville Pizzeria - Rustic Italian restaurant serving woodfired pizza, fresh pasta, veal, chicken, grilled steaks and seafood. Wonderful wine selection. Private party spaces. Food truck and portable pizza oven for offsite catering. 1731 Wyandotte St. E., Windsor.

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O’Maggio’s Kildare House - British-style pub.

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Paramount Fine Foods - Serving flavourful Lebanese dishes like no other! Famous for charcoal BBQ meats, including vegetarian and vegan options. Dine in, take-out and catering.

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The 19th at Wildwood Eatery and Banquet Room - Awesome home cooked meals, known for our Daily Specials, Genuine Broaster Chicken and Fish Friday’s. Open Seasonally May to October.

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Lost and Found members: Ty Marion and Tim Nolan.

LOST AND FOUND Music Gives Brotherly Love A Strong Bond

“Imagine our surprise when each of us read that our hobbies were playing guitar and singing in bars!” laughs Ty. Once they both made it known that they wanted to pursue the process and meet each other, the two long-lost brothers were reunited for the first time.

“After we finally met and talked about our mutual passion for music, I invited Tim over to my place, where we jammed together for hours,” Ty remembers.

Tim adds, “A few weeks later, we met up with Nicole and Michelle at my place in Leamington. I had a solo gig happening at the Sherk Complex, and I invited Ty to join me on stage—two guitars, two voices, one drum machine.”

“Ty and I played together every Friday night for a year and a half—and we packed the place.”

But, “As anyone who plays in bands can tell you, things can happen to disrupt the harmony, and some discord started to simmer between Ty and me. Sadly, I didn’t handle “things” the way I could have and I regret that,” Tim confides.

Perhaps because they lacked the solid foundation of growing up together, Tim and Ty drifted apart rather than resolve their

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BORN ONE YEAR APART in the early 1960’s to teenaged parents, Tim and Ty were placed in separate foster homes before they had any chance of forming a brotherly bond.

Tim recalls, “Ty was six months old and adopted almost immediately, while I moved from foster home to foster home, then two different adoptive homes—starting at age 18 months until just before I turned 5. I grew up at the R.J. Bondy Centre, which had just opened at the foot of the Peabody Bridge. But the third time was the charm. My social worker Mary Jo Nolan and her husband Brian adopted me…and this time it stuck.”

The two brothers grew up in very different circumstances, both completely unaware of the other’s existence.

About 30 years later in 1994, Tim and Ty received letters from the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, stating that a sibling was searching for them. Turns out the brothers had twin sisters named Nicole and Michelle, born in 1966. Nicole (who initiated the search for her brothers) now lives Hamilton; Michelle still lives in Windsor.

During individual interviews with the Children’s Aid Society, Tim and Ty were given pictures and biographies of each other.

STORY BY DICK HILDEBRAND / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN LIVIERO

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differences. Tim moved to the U.S., married and traversed across 9 states and 23 cities with his wife (a travelling surgical nurse) for the next 17 years.

When the couple returned to Canada in May 2018, Tim and Ty reached out to each other, renewed their musical bond and secured a regular gig at Wolfhead Distillery.

Earlier this year, they rebranded as ‘Lost and Found’.

“And we’ve been having a ball ever since.

When we’re together on stage, it’s magic!” they exclaim.

Both brothers play guitars, sing harmony and Ty also plays bongos and drums.

Their contrasting personalities make for an entertaining, versatile show that consistently delights audiences. Tim is the selfdescribed “serious guy” while Ty is the clown…sort of a ‘Joe Walsh type’. Their repertoire comprises close to 500 songs, and they’re constantly working on new ones.

Unlike most bands, Lost and Found never rehearses. When Tim gets an idea for a new tune, he downloads the background tracks and emails them to Ty, who practices during the week; then they perform together “cold”.

“We didn’t get to bicker, beat each other up and do all those other brotherly things.

So, we’re making up for that now—not physically, of course, but mentally and emotionally. We may be blood brothers, but music is our unbreakable bond.”

Tim and Ty are also making up for lost time with their biological family. They occasionally “share a beer now and then and shoot the odd game of pool” with their father. Their mom (who lives in Kingsville) often comes out to see Lost and Found with other relatives. Both brothers appreciate that they can have friendly, respectful relationships with their family.

“It’s kind of cool. They tell us they’re proud of us and don’t try to force things.”

After wrapping up a successful summer at Wolfhead, “Lost and Found” fully expects to return in Spring 2020. Their final 2019 gig happens there on November 22nd.

In the meantime, they’re concentrating on playing private parties, while Tim makes solo appearances at River’s Edge Tap and Table in East Windsor.

It’s been a long and winding road for Tim and Ty, but today, they’re both happy doing what they love best—making beautiful music--together.

“And now you know why we’re called ‘Lost and Found’!”

WLM Back to Contents

Windsor Website Solutions Tarek Fakhuri OWNER

Getting Your Organization’s Online Presence Noticed

Count to 10. That’s how long your organization’s website has to make a good first impression on your next visitor.

Now factor in that over 80% of purchasers check online reviews before deciding whether to go with your company or your competitor.

Your online presence is critical in building your brand, attracting customers and keeping your loyal following coming back.

“The challenge for most owners and managers is it’s nearly impossible to juggle responsibilities for their day-to-day operation while also maintaining an informative website and vibrant social media,” observes Tarek Fakhuri, owner of Windsor Website Solutions.

Clients turning to his local full service digital marketing agency realize “no matter how capable or committed they are, they can’t do it all,” Tarek says.

“We help small to medium-sized organizations start off right. If they choose our ongoing supportive services, we will ensure their online presence is always engaging and current.”

As a franchise of PinPoint Local, Windsor Website Solutions offers website design, Search Engine Optimization (SEO), hosting, social media management, reputation management and digital marketing.

Located in Windsor, “we have the advantage of the power and resources of a large company supporting us. Our partnership with PinPoint Local provides our customers with world-class web design services delivered locally by your neighbour,” says Tarek. “Our team of high-performing specialists are dedicated to helping you build your business.”

The digital world is a busy, crowded place. “We specialize in increasing search engine rankings that get our clients noticed faster on Google. This helps them to grow their businesses by bringing them new customers who are looking for their products and services,” Tarek says.

His trained team applies SEO techniques and uses their expertise to optimize websites to improve rankings, incorporating the latest guidelines from Google, Bing, Yahoo and other major search engines. “We use different strategies depending on whether your target is local, national or ecommerce,” Tarek explains. “We’ll do all the work, and then provide you with a full keyword rankings report, a link building profile report and indexed page information. You’ll know precisely how well your website is performing.”

Virtual doors to your company can also be opened by Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram and LinkedIn. “Sign up for our Social Media Account Setup and we will establish your social media accounts, design your graphics and provide some content to get you started,” Tarek says.

To keep your social media fresh, take advantage of the affordable Social Media Management package offered by Windsor Website Solutions. The team will research the hot online topics in your sector and craft content written exclusively for your organization. Producing posts in text, graphic and video formats, Tarek’s team generates the buzz for you – and backs up the results with a monthly social media report.

“One bad online review can undo months of hard work building your brand,” Tarek points out. Windsor Website Solutions’ Reputation Management service thoroughly checks what is being said where online. “By being proactive, we can do damage control, rectifying the complaint or giving an appropriate response to soften the blow.”

Ready to implement effective strategies, Tarek is reaching out to business owners and managers in the Windsor/Tecumseh area.

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HOROSCOPE ARIES MAR 21 - APR 20: Circumstances around you can make it difficult for you to stay on top of things. Slow down. Think carefully about the differences between want and need. You get better results when you meet someone in the middle. Focus on what you can do rather than on what you can’t.

TAURUS APR 21 - MAY 21:

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You may feel like you want to run and hide, but that will not solve anything. The answer you seek may be hidden in the past. Do you remember what you did before that helped ease your mind and gave you courage and strength? Perhaps that is what you need to tap into once again.

GEMINI MAY 22 - JUN 21: Get everything in writing so you have something to back you up if need be. You need valid proof before you take action. Just because someone says something is true does not mean it is true. Investigate carefully to discover the steps you must take before you make an important decision.

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You are in command. Everyone will want to hear what you have to say. They are looking for answers to a sense of chaos in many of today’s activities. You seem to be able to step into a situation and know exactly how it should be handled in order to resolve issues.

BY LESLIE NADON

LIBRA SEP 24 - OCT 23: You may find yourself doing things that are just not like you at all. Part of the problem could arise from keeping everything inside until it builds up and then bursts out. Buy yourself a notebook and write down your options. Then read it out loud to yourself to help you understand what you should do.

SCORPIO OCT 24 - NOV 22: It seems as if the ball is in your court. It is how you play the game that counts. Be careful what you wish for. You just might get it and then not know what to do with it. You will find that everybody has a lot more to deal with than usual. You are most likely to be in a position to help.

SAGITTARIUS NOV 23 - DEC 21: You go from zero to sixty in a heartbeat.

Your specialty is solving problems for others. There are times though when you need to be left alone to work things out. Freedom is an important word in your vocabulary.

When someone cries ‘wolf ’ too often, you may not be there when they really need you.

CAPRICORN DEC 22 - JAN 20: Issues of power and strength appear to be front and center. You can move mountains which others cannot even climb. What works for you will not always work for others. It may help if you ask yourself, “What would I do, if I were you?” Think things through to the final outcome.

AQUARIUS JAN 21 - FEB 19: What works for others will not work for you. However, a new point of view can open doors for you. Taking better care of your health can bring unexpected rewards your way. It might be time to tap into a creative mode.

PISCES FEB 20 - MAR 20 You seem to be entering a learning curve as you move forward. A new way. A new day.

However, do not just throw away all you have accomplished in the past. Let go of difficult times and memories. Remember to embrace the good times.

Homeowner Patricia Murphy with students Brayden Tessier (centre) and Riley Carmichael.

Windsor Remembers Fallen Hero STORY/PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL SEGUIN DOUGLAS MACARTHUR once said that old soldiers never die, they just fade away. However, thanks to one woman’s act of remembrance, one of Windsor’s bravest warriors will remain too bright a light to leave the world a darker place.

A few months ago, Patricia Murphy, a resident of Niagara Street, received a peculiar letter from a pair of St. Anne Catholic High School students. “I got a packaged letter from St. Anne’s,” Patricia explains. “The students there found out that there was a soldier that once lived at my current address on Niagara Street.”

Windsor’s Samuel Berger was born in 1919. He was 21 when he enlisted in the Essex Scottish Regiment to serve in the Second World War. Berger was killed in action during the Dieppe Raid of August 19th, 1942. He left behind his mother, father and sister.

The realization that she shared her home with a Canadian hero was a profoundly emotional one for Patricia.

“I was instantly attached,” Patricia claims. “Just to think that he lived here. That he must have stood where I stand right now. It was so moving just to think that a part of history happened here. He was only 21 years old when he enlisted, and just shy of his 23rd birthday when he passed away at the Dieppe Raid.”

The letter Patricia received was part of a grade 10 history project assigned by Steve Byrne, a St. Anne Catholic High School teacher.

“I’ve taught history the last half of my career,” Steve states. “I’ve always believed that if you can make a personal connection with the kids in some way they’ll find learning a lot more interesting. I call it historical empathy.”

The inception for the project came from a morbid observation he made at Dieppe. “I had taken a group of students to Dieppe for a

▼

THE LINE OF DUTY

history trip,” Steve explains. “While there I got this box of files from the archives that was full of handwritten service records. And every one of those files ends the same way: KIA, August 19th, 1942. They all probably died within hours of each other.”

Steve was further inspired by an article he read in the London Free Press about an unknown person who was sending postcards to homeowners that veterans had previously occupied before being struck down in the First World War. “They wanted these homeowners to know that somebody in their house died in the war,” Steve explains. “Just to give them some perspective. So I thought, that’d be great to do in our area with those files.”

The kids were divided into small groups for the project. Two of the students, Brayden Tessier and Riley Carmichael, took to the project with significant gusto.

“Seeing the actual document, seeing the families and stuff—it really connected us more to the soldier,” Riley admits.

“We obtained their postal code and where they lived,” Brayden explains. “So, we sent a letter to the current residents of the homes, explaining that a soldier lived in their house.”

Over 20 letters were sent out by the class. Six replies were received expressing their gratitude. One of the recipients of a letter—Patricia Murphy—went above and beyond.

Patricia was so impacted by the letter that she decided to share her appreciation with the entire community. So, she went to Trophy Boys and paid out of pocket to have a plaque displayed near her front door.

The plaque reads: “Samuel was a brave, young soldier who fought and died for Canada during WWII. He enlisted while living here, at Niagara St. Windsor Ontario.”

“I just wanted to memorialize him and make sure that he’s never forgotten,” Patricia explains. “Now, he’ll be here forever.”

Brayden and Riley were overjoyed by Patricia’s decision. “I think every soldier who fought in WWII should be remembered like this,” Riley states. “It goes a long way. It’s very important to remember people who fought in different wars, because what they went A n n i v e r s a r y

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through was a terrible thing. And most people don’t have to experience it for themselves, especially nowadays, since we’ve had such ongoing peace time. So, it’s good to remember those people who fought for us way back when.”

“Reading the plaque brought a smile to my face,” Brayden admits. “What we looked at on the files were just words, but they meant so much more to someone else.”

The experience also taught Brayden and Riley that their hard work can have a profound, positive impact on the community.

“I’m only sixteen,” Riley states. “I’m not an adult or anything. But being able to actually have the ability to have the letter sent to certain people to extend that knowledge? It’s empowering.”

That pride is echoed by the faculty, including Stephen Fields, the Communications Coordinator at the Windsor-Essex Catholic District School Board.

“I think it’s important for the rest of the community to see that there are people out there who want to memorialize those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their freedom, and I think that’s what Ms. Murphy did,” Stephen explains. “It’s important for the students to see history come alive, to see that it’s not just information that sits on a dusty old shelf somewhere. History has an impact on people. The work that they do can impact the broader community.”

Stephen believes that the weight of such sacrifices should never be forgotten. “I think that they’ve learned that freedom comes with a cost. Here was somebody—one person of millions—who died in the line of duty to ensure their freedom. And I think that’s really what they learned from this.

That this wasn’t just some name on a historical document, that this was an actual person who had a family, who lived in a home here in Windsor, and died to preserve the kind of lifestyle that comes with being a Canadian citizen.”

And Brayden and Riley are taking the lessons they’ve learned outside of the classroom. Shortly after Patricia hung her plaque, the two high school students approached their former teacher, Steve Byrne, about another project. Brayden and Riley are currently working with the faculty on the creation of a large plaque that will contain the names of all Windsor veterans who surrendered their lives in the line of duty, which will then be exhibited in the school itself.

Meanwhile, Samuel Berger’s plaque remains displayed on Patricia Murphy’s house, unfading.

WLM Back to Contents

Guiding Hospice Towards Next Phase STORY BY MICHAEL SEGUIN PHOTOGRAPH BY MYCHAILO KOVALIV

▼

COLLEEN REAUME

FOR COLLEEN REAUME, the new Executive Director of the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County, it all started with a Mustang.

“I’d just finished St. Clair College,” Colleen recalls. “I’d done a two-year Medical Secretary course in one year. Then two days later I got a call from the cancer program asking me to come in for a job interview.”

Colleen had lost her father to leukemia a couple of years prior, so working for Windsor Regional Hospital’s Cancer Program was a terrifying prospect for her.

Especially considering how she hadn’t even applied for the job.

“I called her back and said, ‘How the heck did you get my name?’ And she told me that my teacher had told her to call me,” Colleen reports. “They had a one year mat leave and my teacher told them I’d be perfect for it. So, I went in to meet her.

But, I was doing the great debate. Do I really want to stop going to school? I’m not even really sure where I’m going in life. But I decided that it was a great chance to get experience—and, to be quite truthful, I wanted to buy a Mustang.”

Colleen got her Mustang. Since then, she has been deeply embroiled in Windsor’s healthcare community.

The last 30 years have been busy ones.

Colleen has served as both a senior member of Windsor Regional Hospital’s Cancer Program and as the Director of the Regional Cancer Program, Erie St. Clair. She also obtained her Masters of Healthcare Leadership from Royal Roads University in British Columbia during her early forties, while working full-time.

During this time, Colleen considered her future plans.

“When I was writing the application for the Master’s program we had to do a five-year visionary exercise,” Colleen states.

“This was over 10 years ago. So, I wrote that I wanted to be the Executive Director of the Hospice Windsor and Essex County.

My husband and I were making dinner and having a glass of wine. It was kind of a joke.”

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During her career, Colleen was no stranger to the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County. While working at Windsor Regional Hospital’s Cancer Program, Colleen became acquainted with Carol Derbyshire, the previous Executive Director. “My job in the cancer program, no matter what title I had, was patient navigation and advocacy for patients,” Colleen explains. “Carol and I first established a relationship because she called me one day asking for help navigating somebody through the system. It’s very anxietyprovoking when you’re waiting for a call from the cancer program. So, Carol would call me up and say, you know, ‘Ms. Smith is a client of ours at Hospice and they’re really feeling tense. Can you tell me where they are in the system?’”

From there, Colleen and Carol quickly became each other’s lifelines.

“We very quickly found ourselves on each other’s speed-dial,” Colleen laughs.

“We called each other a number of times advocating for patients on both ends. The healthcare system is very complicated and it’s very difficult. And sometimes it can help patients if they can just find out where they are in the system. We did a lot for each other. At some point, I joined the committee here at Hospice. We sat on a board together.”

Naturally, when Carol retired, she asked Colleen if she was going to apply for the open position.

“And I said heck no!” Colleen laughs. “I’d been working full-time. I never stopped going to school. I was travelling to Sarnia and Chatham for work. I was living a pretty hectic lifestyle. And I thought, ‘Do I really want to start something new?’ I remembered what I had written in my five-year vision, but I wasn’t sure that was what I wanted to do. So, I walked away. I must have had the application open for a couple of months.”

Despite a valiant effort, Colleen could not ignore her calling.

“Finally, about a week before it closed, I thought to myself, ‘This is what I wanted to do. Why am I not applying? Why am I taking the easy road out?’ So, I decided to throw caution to the wind. I applied.”

Colleen Reaume has been serving as the Hospice of Windsor and Essex County for almost a year now. So far, she remains optimistic about the next phase of Hospice’s legacy.

“The stars are aligning for us,” Colleen states. “I think that a couple of the big

things that we have to work on is IT, information sharing. Your electronic medical record, your EMR. Patients today don’t come with one issue. We’re living longer and as we get serious illnesses we have multiple issues. Multiple issues, multiple complications, which means multiple providers. You might have lots of different specialists that all need access to different information. So one of the things I want to work on is gaining some stability and information sharing within our partnerships. I’m very excited about the work we can do together. We have a great road ahead of us in terms of palliative care.”

And according to Colleen, this cooperative approach may represent a growing trend in the healthcare community.

“No one can really close their eyes and see what [the future] looks like,” Colleen explains. “But I think that has given us permission to behave differently. I find that people are showing up at the table wanting a much more holistic approach. I see Windsor-Essex as taking down the walls of organizations and having a lot more collaboration in terms of community partnerships.”

And for Colleen, this cooperation is emblematic of Hospice’s approach to palliative care.

“In other healthcare domains, the team is often looking at disease-specific treatment,” Colleen explains. “In the cancer world, we look at the patient in a holistic way, but not at the depth that the palliative team does.

So here at Hospice, the palliative care team comes in with a multidisciplinary approach.

We actually meet once a week and have a conversation about the patients cases. So, if somebody has a particular illness they might have anxiety, so we have social workers here.

They might be questioning the meaning of life, so we have spiritual care coordinators.

We have different specialists that can work with the patient very differently than other organizations. And we’re very fortunate because some of that isn’t government-funded and we have such a strong, strong donor base.”

But for Colleen, this generosity is characteristic of Windsor-Essex. “Windsor-Essex has a lot to brag about and perhaps we don’t brag loudly enough,” Colleen states. “But we have a lot to contribute to the province and healthcare is no different than that.

People are afraid to come down the 401, but there are some top-notch, world-class programs that exist in Windsor-Essex. And palliative care is absolutely booming.” WLM Back to Contents

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LOOK WHO’S

COOKING AT HOME LYNN MARTIN, AM800 HOST

Long-time radio host Lynn Martin engages with a lot of people in their homes and businesses. In her own home, she loves connecting with friends and family, “whether it’s for a casual night or a themed dinner party,” she says.

“We get together and talk about our families, our children, laugh about old times and plan getaways.

The ability to open up with your friends about any and all aspects of life is the best dessert any meal could have.”

“My husband, John, has an affinity for hot and spicy that knows no bounds.”

The Big Easy Slow-cooker Style Jambalaya Ingredients: • 4 Cajun Andouille hot and spicy sausages • 4 boneless chicken breasts • 1 large package of cooked shrimp • 2 cans (28 oz) of chili diced tomatoes • 1 to 2 cans (19 oz) of black beans, drained and rinsed

• 2 stalks of diced celery • 1 green bell pepper • 1 to 2 cloves of garlic • 1 to 2 tablespoons of Cajun seasoning • 1 teaspoon of cayan pepper • 1 to 2 cups of long grain brown rice

Precook sausage and chicken and then cut into chunks. Add all other ingredients, except rice and shrimp. Experiment with the amount of spices to find your preferred level of heat. Put the jambalaya in a crockpot to keep it warm. Cook rice separately. Add shrimp and rice an hour before serving.

For a little extra ‘kick’ and moisture, pour in Lynn’s secret family ingredient: a can of Mott’s Clamato Caesar Extra Spicy. A bottle of Frank’s RedHot XTRA Sauce on the table is a must in her house at most meals.

Ingredients can be combined and cooked entirely in the crockpot, except for the rice. The dish can be prepared ahead of time to let flavours develop and free up the host.

The jambalaya feeds 4 to 6. Lynn freezes leftovers to enjoy a quick midweek meal with John.

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Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Bread Ingredients: • 3 cups of flour • ¼ cup of sugar • 1 cup of yellow cornmeal • ½ pound butter • 2 teaspoons of salt • 2 cups of milk • 3 extra large eggs, slightly beaten • 8 ounces of shredded cheddar cheese • 3 to 4 tablespoons of minced jalapeno peppers Preheat oven to 350˚F. Combine all dry ingredients in one bowl. In a separate bowl, mix eggs, milk and butter. Mix wet and dry ingredients together. Add jalapeños and cheese. Grease baking pan and pour in batter. Bake 30 to 35 minutes.

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“My mom’s Italian cooking set my taste buds up for spice, but it wasn’t until I first visited New Orleans that I truly fell in love with Cajun cooking.”

– Lynn Martin

PHOTOGRAPHY BY SOOTERS PHOTOGRAPHY, JOHN LIVIERO

N. GLENN PERRETT NEW BOOK PROVIDES A COMPREHENSIVE LOOK AT OUR PROVINCE’S GREATEST NATURAL RESOURCES

STORY BY DICK HILDEBRAND / PHOTOGRAPHY LYNN PERRETT

HERE’S ONE FOR NATURE LOVERS. ‘Southern Ontario’s National Parks’ is a new book that details six of Canada’s National Parks in one beautifully photographed and written publication. The author is Montreal native Glenn Perrett who has lived in Ontario since he was 3 years old. He holds a degree in Environmental Studies from the University of Waterloo. Perrett is married to Lynn and is the father of 2 children. For the past 31 years, he’s been a resident of Mulmur, a small township with a population of about 3,000 located in Dufferin County about 20 miles west of Alliston. A freelance writer who describes himself as semi-retired, he enjoys canoeing, hiking, walking his dogs and spending time in the outdoors. He’s an avowed animal advocate and is vitally concerned about the environment. His main job was a seven year stint with the Ontario SPCA and he’s written numerous magazine articles and has published two previous books.

“I wrote this book,” he says, “primarily to let people know there are six national parks in southern Ontario, something I didn’t know until I was asked to write an article about the Georgian Bay Islands National Park about 10 years ago. After going there several times and the finding out there were five other national parks virtually in our backyard, I decided to

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investigate further.” He says national parks are exceptional and very impressive...easily reached by car, adding that spending time in nature is good for one’s physical and mental health. “There are many studies that have come out recently indicating that nature aids in combatting depression, helps our immune system and aids in academic performance.”

Perrett says he spent nearly 2 years compiling all the information and writing the immensely detailed book after he and his wife visited each of the parks multiple times and conducted research from various sources. The project began in 2015 and took nearly 5 years to complete. The book was finally released on the first of September this year.

It provides an intimate look at Point Pelee National Park, Bruce Peninsula National Park, Fathom Five National Marine Park, Georgian Bay Islands National Park, Rouge National Urban Park and Thousand Islands National Park. Each of the chapters contains beautiful color photographs, highlights of things to do, and a history of the park. And, as the author states, “I was surprised to learn that here in Southern Ontario, you don’t have to travel far to find a national park.”

That’s particularly good news for vacationers with limited budgets and time.

In the book’s introduction, the author takes a brief look at each of the parks and delves into our province’s natural resources and the lack of knowledge that most of us have regarding nature’s bounties. “In Southwestern Ontario for instance,” he writes, “lies Point Pelee National Park...a park located not far from where I spent seven years of my childhood in Sarnia.”

Located just 50 kilometers southeast of Windsor and one of Canada’s oldest and

smallest national parks, Point Pelee is the most southern point of mainland in Canada. It was established in 1918 and to this day remains one of the major visitor attractions in Windsor-Essex. Statistics from the 2016-17 season show that nearly 333,300 people took advantage of Pelee’s numerous amenities. “Although it’s primarily a day use park, there is much to do here including hiking the park’s numerous trails, bird watching, canoeing and kayaking, swimming, photography, bicycling and picnicking.” It’s recognized as an International Butterfly Reserve and was designed an Important Bird Area in 1998. “Many people associate Point Pelee with bird watching – and for good reason,” writes Perrett, “This sand spit that extends approximately nine kilometers into Lake Erie is an important stopover for migrating birds, giving bird watchers a wonderful opportunity to observe and photograph any of the more than 390 species known to have lived in, or passed through the park.”

The park has also been categorized as a Dark Sky Preserve since 2006, indicating that “preserving the night sky is important for all species and an essential goal for parks that have a mandate of protecting animals and biodiversity.” One of the most popular attractions is the one-kilometer long boardwalk which winds its way through the massive marsh area and attracts thousands of people each year for a healthy, educational walk. The back story of the Point is a fascinating one. As Perrett notes, “Point Pelee’s human history stretches back thousands of years to when First Nations people camped and hunted on the peninsula.”

It was named by French settlers…Pelee meaning ‘bald’ or ‘bare’, in reference to its sparse vegetation.

Each of the six parks is the subject of a dedicated chapter in Perrett’s book which contains more than 200 color photographs, 9 maps and 17 sidebars. There is a chapter on the many health benefits of nature and another dealing with park etiquette, safety and minimal footprints.

At $34.95 a copy, the book is a treasure trove for park lovers and a terrific conduit to anyone interested in learning more about southern Ontario. It’s available online from Indigo, Chapters and Amazon.ca and is on the shelves at some smaller independent stores in Central Ontario. Several libraries which have the book on their shelves are reporting lengthy waiting lists.

With the holidays approaching, ‘Southern Ontario’s National Parks’ is definitely a great gift idea.

WLM Back to Contents

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The Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Foundation

Bringing Holiday Joy To Children, Youth and Families CHILDREN AND TEENAGERS COMING into foster care in many instances possess only what they can carry in their suitcases and backpacks. After living in several local foster homes, three little girls didn’t have much when they arrived at their big sister’s house.

For more than a year, “they didn’t know where they were going next, so for my sisters to have their own toys in their own room that they can play with whenever they want made them feel more comfortable in our home. It helped them settle in,” Stephanie observes.

She and her partner, Kody, committed to parenting her youngest sisters two years ago. At the time, Stephanie was 20, Cora 18 months, Lily 4 and Madilyn 5. The girls immediately felt relieved to be with their own loving family. Kody’s son, Ben, then 5, was happy to share his home with the others, even though it meant moving to a larger house and changing schools.

“We had a lot of things to pay for to accommodate three more kids that year,” Stephanie says. With support from the WindsorEssex Children’s Aid Society (WECAS) and its Kinship Services Program, “we made it work.”

During the family’s first Christmas together, the couple were “confident Santa wouldn’t fail us,” Stephanie says. A social worker visited their home and asked the little girls what they would like to find under the tree. Magically, the jolly old elf delivered. “The presents definitely made Christmas more merry!”

Every year, generous individuals, organizations and businesses in our community donate to the Holiday Program organized by the Windsor-Essex Children’s Aid Foundation (WECAF). In 2018, more than 700 families enjoyed Christmas because people purchased items on wish lists and/or made financial donations to WECAF toward the cost of gifts and essentials.

Families like Stephanie’s also receive intangible gifts through the Kinship Services Program. “The girls benefited from having the support of the Kinship workers,” their big sister says. During the custody process, “they could express their feelings to the worker and feel validated.” Stephanie and Kody were also reassured by the resources made available to them as the girls’ guardians.

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“When children can’t be with their parents, we try to place them with other family members or friends who can care for them. It’s been shown that kids placed with relatives usually experience an easier transition compared to living with unknown foster parents,” says Cindy Crundwell, Kinship Services Program supervisor. “Our role is to support our Kinship families, so they have the ability to care for the children in their homes.”

“Our focus is the child’s best interest. We encourage the parents and care providers to work together to make this a positive experience,” Cindy explains.

Kinship worker Rhonda Mayea says, “Our workers meet with Kinship families regularly. Each family is unique and we do everything possible to help empower them and strengthen their relationships.”

“With Kinship families taking in extra family members, it does weigh on finances,” Stephanie acknowledges. “Everybody wants to make a child’s Christmas more magical, especially when they are going through a tough time. Kids rely on Santa. With the Holiday Program, Santa shows up!”

The Foundation is urging people to support the 2019 Holiday Program by sponsoring one or more local families experiencing a variety of circumstances and receiving services from the Society. Or they can sponsor youth receiving services from WECAS and transitioning to independent living.

WECAF appreciates it is important that children receive only new gifts selected especially for them.

Needed items include new, unwrapped toys, household products, clothing, food vouchers and cash donations. Charitable tax receipts are issued for all donations over $20. Gifts are being received by the Foundation now to Dec. 6. Each contribution helps write a child’s story.

“Children in the Kinship Services Program and under WECAS’ care may not understand everything about Christmas or where the presents come from,” Stephanie says. “But they are very grateful to have them.”

She and Kody were recently granted full custody. The big sister says, “Now our file is closed with WECAS. We’ve all made a smooth transition. My sisters are in their forever home.”

For more information or to sponsor a family, please contact the WECAS community initiatives coordinator at 519-252-1171, ext.

2540 or visit www.wecaf.on.ca.

CALENDAR october/november 2019

OCTOBER Saturday, 26 WFCU CREDIT UNION TRICK OR TROT

Witches, pirates, superheroes and friends will be zooming at top speed in the WFCU Credit Union Trick or Trot, a Halloween themed 5K Run, 5K Walk and Kids Dash.

Costume contest, music, food and more.

WFCU Centre, 8787 McHugh St., Windsor. 8:30 am to 1 pm. $20 for Kids Dash; $45 for 5K Walk/Run. Proceeds go to the credit union’s community initiatives.

519-974-3100. wfcu.ca.

HEAD SAFE

Scouts Canada and Hydro One are hosting Head Safe, a head safety awareness event for families. Head Safe provides Canadian youth and families with resources and instruction to prevent, identify and respond to head injuries. Forest Glade Arena, 3205 Forest Glade Dr., Windsor. 9:30 am-1 pm. Free.

WINDSOR ORCHID SOCIETY SHOW AND SALE

Hundreds of different blooming orchids are the stars of the 7th American Orchid Society judged international orchid show and sale, held by the Windsor Orchid Society. St. Cyril’s Slovak Centre, 1520 Chandler Rd., Windsor. 11 am to 4 pm. $6 admission.

519-257-8009. windsororchidsociety.ca.

A HOCUS POCUS HALLOWEEN

Till Sunday. Six magicians will astound people of all ages at A Hocus Pocus Halloween.

Heimat Windsor Banquet Centre, 1367 Drouillard Rd., Windsor. Shows are 7:30 pm, Saturday and 2:30 pm, Sunday. Ticket price is $15 per kid age 12 and under; $20 per adult. A portion of profits are donated to W.E. Care For Kids. 519-903-6922.

Sunday, 27 HONOUR OF DUTY VETERANS BRUNCH

Reflecting on Veterans’ sacrifice and generosity to preserve Canadian democracy, the 5th Windsor Moose Lodge is hosting its annual Honour of Duty Veterans Brunch.

Windsor Moose Lodge 1499, 777 Tecumseh Rd. W., Windsor. 10:30 am to 1 pm.

Advance tickets are free for veterans; $8 per child age 12 and younger; $15 per adult.

519-253-1834.

WOMEN OF VALOUR SPEAKER SERIES

Dianne Saxe, former Commissioner for the Environment of Ontario, environmental

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lawyer, author and activist will speak at the Bill and Rochelle Tepperman Women of Valour Speaker Series. The event is presented by the Windsor Jewish Community Centre and the University of Windsor.

McPherson Lounge, Alumni Hall, University of Windsor, 401 Sunset Ave., Windsor.

7 pm. Free. 519-973-1772. jewishwindsor.org.

Wednesday, 30 ROCKY HORROR PICTURE SHOW AT THE LIBRARY

Daring everyone to do the time warp again - in costume and armed with props - Windsor Public Library is screening Rocky Horror Picture Show. Riverside Branch, Windsor Public Library, 6305 Wyandotte St. E., Windsor. 6:30 to 8:30 pm. For adults. Free. 519-255-6770.

NOVEMBER Friday, 1 WINDSOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL

Till Sun., Nov. 10. Named the #1 Film Festival in Canada by the TIFF Film Circuit, the Windsor International Film Festival is showcasing Canadian and international film and filmmakers through screenings, programming, education and exhibitions.

Capitol Theatre & Arts Centre, 121 University Ave. W., Windsor. The schedule and ticket prices are available at 519- 973-1238 and windsorfilmfestival.com.

Saturday, 2 MOGGY’S CAT CAFÉ

With all proceeds going to help animals, Moggy’s Cat Café hosts a gathering the first Saturday of every month. Guests are treated to a bottomless cup of coffee or tea and unlimited kitty cuddles. Moggy’s Cat Café, 13161 Tecumseh Rd. E., Tecumseh. 11:30 am to 4 pm. $5 for kids age 12 and under; $10 for older guests. 226-676-0330.

BLUEGRASS CONCERT

Traditionally Wound & Winterline, two award winning bluegrass bands, are performing in concert. McGregor Columbian Club, 9560 Walker Rd., McGregor. 7 pm. $20 in advance; $25 at the door.

519-733-2934. eventbrite.ca.

Thursday, 7 MS LIVE AND LEARN SPEAKER SERIES

People affected by MS and their friends and family are invited to the MS Society’s Live and Learn speaker series. The informal presentation and discussion focus on healthy living with multiple sclerosis. Southgate Village Kingsville, 38 Park St., Kingsville.

Noon. Free. 519-977-9221. mssociety.ca.

Saturday, 9 CHRISTMAS CRAFT AND FOOD MARKET

Handmade crafts, gifts and food items can be purchased at the annual Christmas Craft and Food Market hosted by St. Matthew’s Anglican Church. Kids Fun Area. St Matthew’s Anglican Church, 1600 Norfolk St., Windsor. 9 am to 2 pm. Free admission.

519-972-9058. facebook.com/stmatthewscraftfoodexpo.

FALL FAMILY WALK

Everyone is welcome to join Connections Early Years Family Centre on its Fall Family Walk and enjoy a guided tour, family games and hot chocolate. Ojibway Nature Centre, 5200 Matchette Rd., Windsor. 10 am to noon. Free. 519-252-9696. connectwithus.ca.

Tuesday, 12 CONEAL REVEAL ART SHOW AND FUNDRAISER FOR THE CNIB

Till Sat., Nov. 23. Accessible to the visually impaired community with written and audio assistance, the art show’s works will be first displayed concealed; the art will be revealed during the Nov. 14 reception, 7 to 10 pm. The 12th anniversary Gallery Show and Fundraiser supports the efforts of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind.

Nancy Johns Gallery and Framing, 4755 Wyandotte St. E., Windsor. 10 am to 6 pm.

519-945-2222. facebook.com/nancyjohnsgallery.

Saturday, 16 ESSEX COUNTY ORCHID SOCIETY ORCHID SHOW & SALE

Till Sunday. The 10th anniversary Orchid Show & Sale hosted by the Essex County Orchid Society will feature orchids, displays and sales of the exotic flowering plant.

Lectures are held at 1 and 2 pm, Sunday.

Visitation Parish Hall, 5407 Comber Side Rd., Comber. 11 am to 5 pm, Saturday; 10 am to 4 pm, Sunday. Children are admitted free; $3 per adult or $5 per two adults.

519-727-6343. essexcountyorchidsociety.webs.com.

Sunday, 17 SHOPSIZZLE SHOP LOCAL FAIRS

ShopSizzle Shop Local Fairs is making it simple for people to buy local. Sixty vendors from the region, demonstrations, samples, prizes, music and more are part of the fun.

Colavino Hall, WFCU Centre, 8787 McHugh St., Windsor. 10 am to 4 pm. $5 admission. A portion of the proceeds helps local food banks and educational charities.

519-792-3598. gowindsorevents.com/shopsizzle-shop-local-fairs.

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W i n d s o r

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WINDSOR LIFE MAGAZINE

PRESS PASS THIRD ANNUAL W.E. CARE FOR KIDS MOTORCYCLE RAFFLE STORY/PHOTOGRAPHY BY MICHAEL SEGUIN

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ON SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 14TH, the Fogolar Furlan Club of Windsor hosted the W.E. Care For Kids Foundation’s third Annual Harley Raffle.

The event was again spearheaded by three lifelong friends: Dan Cote, owner of Great Lakes Contracting & Construction Management, Terry Hedrick, owner of Authentic Property Management, and Ted Skarbrek, owner of Rapid Drainage Ltd. “We’re all individual contractors and good friends,” Dan explains. “We were in our teens when we met and we’ve been friends ever since. We’ve known each other for over 40 years. And we’re tight! We try to communicate at least once a week with each other. This is how we give back to society. It’s a lot of fun!”

A number of other organizations and individuals have contributed to the event. The motorcycle was provided by Thunder Road Harley Davidson. Entertainment was provided, free of charge, by the local band Nemesis. What’s more, the Fogolar Furlan Club of Windsor itself specifically requested the opportunity to host the event.

“Fogolar came to us asking to host the event,” Dan states. “They’ve asked us to come here, to put on the event at their place. They want to be part of the community. They’re very generous.”

In addition, the Fogolar Furlan Club of Windsor presented W.E. Care For Kids with a $500 cheque during the ceremony. Later on, they donated another

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1. Sandra and Viki Grado.

2. Ted Skarbek, Terry Hedrick, Marla Spidalieri, Dan Cote and Tony Masciotra.

3. Mike Brain, Enzo Nadalin, Elmer Schincariol, Fausto Volpatti, Dan Cote and Marla Spidalieri.

3 A n n i v e r s a r y

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sum of money towards the charity based on how much pizza and beer was sold.

All the proceeds went towards W.E. Care For Kids, a nonprofit dedicated to enhancing the health and wellness of children in Windsor and Essex County.

“W.E. Care For Kids has been around for 22 years,” Vicky Grado, the Foundation Assistant, states. “It started with Dr. Joe Galiwango, Bill Micelli and Alan Defoe.

They found that they were sending too many kids down the highway when they needed specialized care. So he decided to start raising money to keep kids here.

Now, we buy hospital equipment aimed at pediatric services. We help John McGivney Centre, Windsor Therapeutic Riding...anything that has to do with physical and mental healthcare in Windsor.”

Since the charity’s inception in 1997, W.E. Care For Kids is now recognized as a community leader in Windsor-Essex County. The charity has raised over $6.5 million towards local pediatric healthcare programs.

“We typically focus on bigger projects, but we also look at things on a smaller scale,” Sandra Grado, the organization’s Treasurer, explains. “We are branching out into other areas of pediatrics. It’s not just about buying equipment. We’ve actually funded some anti-bullying programs. We focus on the entire well-being of the children of Windsor-Essex County. There’s a whole different need in some children as opposed to 20 years ago. Mental health didn’t get the attention it deserved before.

We take requests from all organizations that have to do with pediatrics.”

All the money W.E. Care For Kids raises stays in Windsor-Essex. After the third Annual Harley Raffle, the organization will walk away with $30,000.

“The brunt of the work is really on Dan, Terry and Ted,” Sandra admits. “They do most of the work for us. And the turnout has been phenomenal every year. And it’s a fun afternoon!”

And, as Dan explains, sometimes putting the fun in fundraising is all it takes.

“This is just our way of giving back to the community,” Dan explains. “We like to gather. And as we get older, there’s a lot of people that we don’t get to see except once a year when they come to this event. So you’re talking to old friends, you’re shaking hands, you’re drinking beer. I always say that whenever you can do a good deed for somebody else and make a party of it, then there’s nothing but success.”

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