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Focused on the long-ter m succe ss of loc al businesses
The Key to a Successful Business Transfer
Any business project that involves the transfer, merger or acquisition of a company is likely to have a significant impact on a large number of people. First and foremost, it is a life changing project for both the seller and the buyer. There are, however, many interested parties that will be touched as well. Starting with the family of both buyer and seller, followed by company employees, suppliers and customers. Lastly, the network of advisors, lenders and partners will be concerned by the success of the project.
Three elements are key to achieving a successful transfer, merger or acquisition: Strategic planning; Building a solid team; and, Communicating effectively. There is much that can be said about each of these topics, more than can be covered in the few lines that follow. Our goal is here is to stimulate your reflection, to get you started on your way.
Planning
Business owners should engage in planning exercises, that include sales budgets, investments in capital expenditures and strategies to meet their objectives. Transition planning, also called business succession, is part of this activity. To achieve growth above the organic growth potential, requires a strategy of growth by acquisition.
Typically, the planning process is carried out by the company owners and directors, with input from a variety of sources. Internally, they can involve managers and key employees. External sources include business consultants, coaches and industry resources such as business associations and trade groups. Simply put, business owners should not isolate themselves while making their plans.
Building a solid team
Retaining top talent is an obvious priority for all business owners. A cornerstone of building a solid team is giving people the recognition they deserve. Creating a corporate culture of rewarding best practices requires continuous effort from management at every level. Recognition alone is not enough to strengthen the sense of belonging, but it is a good place to start.
The relationships that key employees have built, the know how they have acquired, will eventually need to be transitioned. The ability to do so will have an impact on performance and hence the value of the business. Building a team that is solidly attached to the company is a must.
Communicating effectively
A common pitfall amongst business owners is trying to manage every detail of their business. The telltale sign is how closely the owner is involved in the day-to-day operations of their business. Strong leaders empower their teams, giving them the direction they need to make good decisions for the company. This is often lacking in small and medium businesses.
The ability to communicate the core values of the company effectively, is the foundation to building a business that can function without the constant implication of the owners. Added to this are standardized processes, reporting systems, and the implementation of up-to-date information technologies. These help your teams know what to do, and how their work contributes to making “the wheels turn”.
The right support can help you succeed
Before considering any merger, acquisition or business transfer, owners need to surround themselves with experts to help through the process. This includes obvious choices such as accounting services, legal counsel and tax planning. It can also require human resource consultants, corporate advisors, and business coaches for support. They’ll base their evaluations on rational, objective criteria to help business owners make sound decisions.
At Desjardins we strive to give our members and clients the support they need to make sound financial decisions. This means working with business owners, both current and future, by being part of the team of experts that will help them attain success.
Meet with our financial professionals and access a full range of Desjardins products and services for your business.
Leo Novakovic Director, Automotive Industry Financing
Principal Account Manager
Account Manager
Principal Manager –Business Transfer
Ludovic Marmet
Christa De Turris
Pierre Lacroix
ANNIVERSARY 2024 VOLUME 31, ISSUE 8
PUBLISHER/EDITOR Robert E. Robinson
CONTRIBUTING Matthew St. Amand
WRITERS Serafina Piasentin
Holly Switzer Holden
Fred Groves
Vatsal Chorasiya
Alley L. Biniarz
CREATIVE DIRECTOR Carol Garant
ART DIRECTOR Michael Pietrangelo
PRODUCTION George Sharpe
PHOTOGRAPHERS John Liviero
Heike Delmore
Allen Mullins
Ben Broll
Neil Horn
Don St. Amand
Jacklyn Stroud
Nick Brancaccio
Edwin Tam
Dave Holland
Rogerio Barbosa
Todd Ternovan
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WINDSOR LIFE MAGAZINE 318-5060 Tecumseh Road East Windsor, Ontario N8T 1C1 Tel: 519-979-5433 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. Canada Post Canadian Publications Mail Product Sales Agreement No. 43512513.
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University of Windsor Human Kinetics Ramp
AWARD WINNING PIZZA!
INTRODUCING VEGAN CHEESE
Antonino’s–South Windsor manager, James Scott had a problem at home. His wife, Juliee—a longtime vegan—couldn’t eat the delicious pizzas he’d bring home from work.
We, at Antonino’s, have now “herd” (pun intended) the calling! Not just from James & Juliee, but from literally hundreds & hundreds of callers! To all the vegan pizza lovers of Windsor & Essex County, we can now say… Buon Appetito!
Joe Ciaravino, President
Antonino’s Original Pizza Inc.
Concept to Completion
Publisher’s Note
This edition marks the beginning of our 32nd year of publishing Windsor Life Magazine. Time has gone by so quickly that I have trouble grasping that.
Earlier this month, Diane, our bookkeeper, sent me a message that she was celebrating 25 years with our company. That started a train of thought about just how long our team has been together. Every one of the current group started with us more than 20 years ago. I wonder how many small companies can state that? Of course this includes our main group. We have freelancers that have less time than that, but our roots are that deep.
My response to Diane was “when you surround yourself with great people you create a great life”.
Over the years we have grown very close to one another. Each knows their position and performs their tasks with precision. I am not saying that we don’t have conflicts but that they are quickly resolved to the betterment of our publication.
In the last few years, I have faced medical challenges that have caused me to hand over many of the tasks I have performed over the past three decades. I bring this up because when that occurred our team took over and made the transition seamless. Readers were not aware of the change because our group is so in tune with one another that Windsor Life Magazine continued as if nothing had changed.
That is also reflected in the involvement of our supporters.
We have advertisers that have been using our publication to enhance awareness of their business for more than 30 years. That type of loyalty only comes when one business does a superior job of conveying their message.
We strive to make each edition of Windsor Life Magazine a positive reflection of our community. We have never wavered from that commitment and will never change that philosophy. Give the readers a positive message and they will respond to the supporters of that message.
I am extremely grateful for our team, every one of them a friend, for making it possible to reach this great milestone.
Bob Robinson
Actual Projects
Eric LaMarre, Owner
Jack Sanko, Kathy Macyshyn, Kevin King, Stacy Burnett and Evan Carrick.
THE WINDSOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL
Celebrating Its 20th Anniversary
STORY BY VATSAL CHORASIYA / PHOTOGRAPHY BY HEIKE DELMORE
THE WINDSOR INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL turns twenty in 2024, celebrating a major milestone.
“We couldn’t be prouder, the life span of film festivals in North America is two years, so the fact that we’re here celebrating twenty years is extraordinary,” said Executive Director and Chief Programmer, Vincent Georgie.
The Windsor International Film Festival was founded by late businessman Mark Boscariol in July 2005.
“It wasn’t set up necessarily to be just a real film festival,” Georgie said. “It was set up to be an activity to bring people downtown.”
Ted Bezaire, a local filmmaker, has been a part of the Windsor film industry since 2005, and considers the Windsor International Film Festival as an opportunity to reach a broader audience.
“The fact that the Windsor International Film Festival is giving opportunities to local filmmakers to put their work in front of an audience is a great thing,” said Bezaire. “Sometimes, you put in all this hard work and it’s hard to get some films out in film festivals, the fact that WIFF is supporting and helping local filmmakers is definitely a huge help.”
According to Georgie, Windsor International Film Festival’s biggest achievement is the increase in the number of audiences from 2,000 people in 2005 to expecting over 47,000 people in 2024. Another great achievement is the expansion quality of the program where about 200 feature films are shown from around 50 different countries in a span of 11 days.
In 2019, the Toronto International Film Festival awarded the Windsor International Film Festival as the largest volunteer-run film festival in Canada.
Left: Windsor International Film Festival Executive Director and Chief Programmer Vincent Georgie. Below posters of participating films, top row (l-r): The Tragically Hip No Dress Rehearsal; Vampire Zombies from Space!; Everybody Loves Touda; Conclave. Bottom row (l-r): Shepherds; Anora; The Substance; The Apprentice.
“It is extraordinary to think that, across Canada, we are the largest volunteer-run film festival,” said Georgi. “I think a part of WIFF’s success is that it’s been built by the people in Windsor, and we can be very proud of that.”
According to Georgie, the Windsor International film festival faced their biggest challenge during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“COVID was a huge factor because live entertainment was really one of the most dangerous things that you could be doing during that time,” said Georgie. “COVID was an enormous challenge for us.”
Instead of looking at it as a drawback, the Windsor International Film Festival saw the pandemic as an opportunity and introduced multiple events and programs such as “WIFF Under The Stars”, an open screening event by the Windsor riverfront and the “Mark Boscariol 40-Hour Flick Fest” in which filmmakers have to make a short film within forty-eight hours.
“When COVID happened, it was a shock, and we had to make some major decisions. We quickly realized that putting on a safe, excellent and traditional film festival that year was not possible,” said Georgie. “And that is how we got the great idea to do WIFF under the stars.”
The WIFF under the stars took place on the front lawn of the Aquatic Centre from June 7 to June 9, where around twenty films were screened including local, Canadian and International films.
According to festival organizers, around 1500 people attended the event.
After WIFF under the stars, the Windsor International Film Festival organized another event called the WIFF Local Retrospective as part of their twenty-year celebration on June 21 to 23 at the Capitol theater in Downtown Windsor.
The WIFF local retrospective gives an opportunity to Windsor area filmmakers to showcase their works.
Gavin Booth, a local filmmaker, had his film “Last Call” screened at the WIFF Local Retrospective.
“I think the event is great, the festival has been around for twenty years there are lots of local movies that have been filmed in Windsor, not a lot of people in Windsor know that many films are made here so dedicating an entire weekend to letting people see all of the short films, documentaries and feature films created here is super exciting,” said Booth. “It just helps the filmmakers to continue finding supporters, businesses s
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and locations that will help them to make films in the future.”
According to the Windsor International Film Festival, there is another program called “Women of WIFF”, an annual celebration of women, where a captivating film is selected as the official Women of WIFF selection.
Locals created this festival feature to ensure that people were aware of women’s experiences, their opinions and perspective.
According to Georgie, the Windsor International Film Festival offers the second largest cash prize for the best Canadian film in Canada, which is $25,000. This prize goes directly to the filmmaker without any restrictions.
The Windsor International Film Festival not only benefits local filmmakers but also the tourism and food industries of Windsor, especially Downtown.
“We are very proud of all the economic impact of WIFF,” adds Georgie. “The tourists are coming in here and the audience members, they are eating, drinking, shopping, staying in hotels, coming by plane, train and automobile, that all adds up. So, we are proud to be economically impactful as well as being part of the revitalization of our downtown.”
Local Filmmakers are excited and happy for the Windsor International Film Festival accomplishing twenty years of success, one of which is Ken Amlin.
“I want to offer my congratulations to Vincent Georgie and everyone at the Windsor International Film Festival on this milestone,” said Amlin. “That’s an incredible achievement. I hope twenty more and twenty more after that with continuing growth and success. I can’t wait to see where they take the festival in the future, and I know that I will be right there supporting and participating as much as I can.”
According to Georgie, the vision of WIFF is to be a nationally recognized and industry-leading cultural destination.
“So, we are on our way to being nationally recognized by audiences and the film industry across the country,” said Georgie. “Industry leading; making sure we’re bringing the very best films and the very best filmmakers and cultural destination; making sure WIFF is a major stop annually, for people’s cultural traveling.”
The Windsor International Film Festival 2024 runs from October 24th to November 3rd.
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PHOTOGRAPHY ADVENTURE
Local Photographer Travels to Indonesia to Capture Otherworldly Images
STORY BY MATTHEW ST. AMAND / PHOTOGRAPHY BY TODD TERNOVAN
WHEN LASALLE PHOTOGRAPHER, Todd Ternovan, stepped out the front door of the Grand Barong Resort in the city of Kuta in Bali, Indonesia, he was confronted by a scene from a dystopian movie: a torrent of traffic pouring down a street hardly as wide as a high school hallway, pedestrians and shops in every direction, and a cat’s cradle of hydro wires criss-crossing overhead.
“More than ninety percent of traffic were scooters,” Todd recalls. “I saw kids driving them. I saw a guy double-riding a goat that had its hooves on his shoulders. A woman flew by with one hand on the handlebars, the other holding an infant like a football. It was insane.”
Camera in hand, Todd took in the scene.
“I wanted to capture the flavour of the people, the food, shops,” he says, “taking pictures of signs, traffic—just the locals going about their lives, the kids piloting scooters. From there, I ventured down to Kuta Beach.”
Todd was in Indonesia with his eldest son, Jordan, who organized the trip so that he could get a highly specialized tattoo. It seems incredible, but it was more cost effective to fly halfway around the world—well over twenty hours in transit—to get a Balinese tattoo in Bali than sitting for one in Toronto.
“It was also a great chance for some father-son bonding,” Todd says.
At Kuta Beach, Todd waded into the Indian Ocean, reflecting upon the fact that, thirty hours before, he had embarked from Metro Detroit Airport, flew to San Francisco, traversed the Pacific Ocean—the onboard flight tracker indicating the flight’s passage over the Mariana Trench, over Hiroshima and Nagasaki—before finally landing in Indonesia.
Opposite clockwise from top: One of hundreds of scenic waterfalls throughout Bali; Canggu, a popular place for surfing, on the west side of the Island; Pura Ulan Danu Beratan; Bedigul, Bali Mythical Hindu temples and gardens.
This page clockwise from top: Sacred Ubud Monkey Forest, home to over 1,200 long-tailed Balinese macaque monkeys; traditional Hindu folk ritual; Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, UNESCO world heritage site, developed in the 11th century using Subak irrigation system; Uluwatu, southwest part of Bali, excellent surfing, rugged terrain. s
“I had a few days with Jordan before he sat for his tattoo, so I hired a driver,” Todd explains. “Mully, our driver, was recommended to me by friends who’d been to Bali years before. He met us on our second morning there.”
Todd continues: “Mully took us to a temple that had beautiful gardens, where we attended a show by Balinese actors wearing traditional costumes, re-enacting an epic story of good battling evil. They were accompanied by musicians playing bamboo flutes, gongs, drums. It was beautifully done!”
After that, Mully took Todd and Jordan to a nature reserve and temple in Ubud, the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, which is home to over 1,260 long-tailed macaques, who are considered sacred by the local Balinese people.
“It was a big forest,” Todd remembers. “Mully put an apple on my shoulder and a monkey jumped up there and took my glasses! You look in the monkeys’ eyes and you could see they were intelligent creatures. There was one who took selfies with people. As we walked through the forest, we came to a bridge where we saw monkeys jumping off and swimming in the river, below, like people.”
The day before Jordan went off to have his tattoos done, Todd asked Mully what their itinerary looked like for the next day.
“I’m picking you up at 4 am,” Mully told him. “Have you ever seen a sunrise over a volcano?”
The early hour ensured they were on the scene long before tourists began to arrive.
“We left Kuta and went north, uphill toward the volcanoes,” Todd says.
They trekked two hours northwest up to Mount Agung. This was no idle, dormant location. In late November 2017, Mount Agung erupted five times, forcing thousands of nearby residents to evacuate.
“And finally, there we were, above the clouds, on the volcano, looking out at the rice terraces, as the sun was coming up,” Todd says. “It was a breathtaking scene!”
Mully then took Todd to a Hindu water temple.
“Water is very important to the Balinese. Fresh water is sacred to them,” Todd says. “The water temple grounds were manicured. It was absolutely beautiful.”
Soon, the tour buses flooded in and Mully said to Todd: “I hope you’re ready to see some waterfalls…”
They journeyed to a spot that only a few
tour guides know about. “We don’t bring buses here,” Mully said.
To see the waterfalls, Todd and Mully descended the other side of the volcano. A man nearby provided this service for ten Rupiah, which involved Todd hopping onto the back of his scooter and holding on for dear life as his driver navigated a plunging, winding path paved with patio stones no wider than thirty inches.
“Bye Todd!” Mully called out as Todd and his scooter driver shot down the side of the volcano.
After reaching lower ground, they had a twenty-minute hike to finally reach the waterfalls. The journey was worth it.
“Utterly breathtaking,” Todd says about the experience. “You couldn’t believe the wildflowers.”
To capture the beauty of the scene, Todd did long exposures with his camera.
“There was almost too much to see,” Todd continues. “At one point, a monitor lizard—about three feet long—crossed the path in front of us. It was an experience I’ll never forget!”
When he was not snapping photographs, Todd enjoyed the local cuisine.
“The staple meal in Bali is called ‘Babi Guling,’ which is a roasted pork roll they serve with rice—they eat lots of rice in Bali!” Todd says.
Breakfast consisted of exotic fruit, such as snake fruit, dragon fruit, mangosteen fruit, jackfruit, durian, rambutan, to name a few. Todd tried everything.
At a coffee plantation, Todd sampled many exotic blends, including Kopi Luwak, a coffee that consists of partially digested coffee cherries, which have been eaten and ferment as they pass through the digestive tract of the Asian palm civet.
“It tasted like really good weak coffee,” Todd says. “It costs about two hundred dollars for a can of Kopi Luwak. They had a picture of Brad Pitt, there, drinking it, years before.”
Soon enough, Jordan’s tattoos were completed, covering both arms with a haunting kaleidoscope of highly-detailed intertwining images. He and Todd went to Bali for very different reasons, but both found more than they had hoped on that small Indonesian island.
“I would definitely go back,” Todd says, reflecting on the experience. “It was a reasonably economical trip: food, lodging, services. And there is no comparing the sights and experiences any visitor to Bali can enjoy.”
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NAUTI V’S OYSTER BAR, NOT JUST SEAFOOD
If you love Oysters and gourmet seafood, check out Nauti V’s Oyster Bar on Wyandotte St. East which opened earlier this year. Pictured from left are Chef Jhaster Abutin, Marco Maggio and Chef Ali Campbell. All have been in the restaurant business for years and have created a space and menu inspired by the bounty of fresh seafood found in the Great Lakes and around the world. nautivsoysterbar.com
ST. CLAIR COLLEGE WINS GOLD
The St. Clair College men’s golf team had a huge day in the final round of this year’s OCAA Championship with a big comeback from third place after round two to win their first ever OCAA Men’s Team Gold Medal in school history. Pictured from left are Jay Shewfelt (St. Clair College Athletic Coordinator), Simon Moir (2nd year student in the Sport and Recreation Management Program and player), Spencer Higginbottom (student and player, also the Bronze Medalist), Steve Hill (student and 1st year player), Cale Marontate (student and 1st year player), Owen Laverty (student and 2nd year player) David Byrne (Assistant Coach – 1st year) and Kevin Corriveau (Head Coach 23rd year). saintsathletics.ca/sports/golf
THE STEPHANIE AND BARRY ZEKELMAN FOUNDATION APPOINTS AMBER HUNTER
As the New Director of Philanthropy, Amber will oversee the Foundation’s philanthropic initiatives, work closely with local and national organizations in Canada and the US to identify funding opportunities and ensure that the Foundation’s resources are directed towards programs and initiatives that create lasting positive change and fall within their pillars of giving.
BETTER BLINDS AND DRAPERY CELEBRATES 30TH ANNIVERSARY
30 Years ago, owner Mark Dudfield started offering custom North American made blinds, drapery, shutters and award-winning service in his large modern showroom at 2785 Howard Ave. with knowledgeable friendly staff. They also offer comprehensive repair service, so they can fix blinds even if not purchased there. betterblinds.ca
MERCATO FRESH OPENS IN SOUTH WINDSOR
Owners Marc Romualdi and Jonathan Reaume recently opened their 3rd location at 326 Cabana Rd E, in South Windsor. Along with their current locations in East Windsor and Chatham, Mercato Fresh’s goal and mission is to create a unique, fresh and enjoyable shopping experience for their customers. Get ready to explore fresh local produce, premium meats, gourmet groceries, freshly made sushi and an in-house bakery—all in one place. There are currently 15 more locations planned for Ontario. mercatofresh.com
SOLCZ FAMILY FOUNDATION MAKE $15 MILLION GIFT
The Solcz Family Foundation has made a historic $15 million gift to the New Windsor/ Essex Acute Care Hospital. This is the largest single gift ever made in the Windsor-Essex region. In recognition of the Solcz family’s exceptional gift, the Family Birthing and Paediatric Care Centre, as well as the Paediatric Emergency Zone, located within the Emergency Department, will be named after the Solcz Family Foundation. Solcz family pictured from left are Len and Michael Jr. with Premiere Doug Ford, Michael G., Marty and Mark. solczfamilyfoundation.com
BANNER SIGN COMPANY TURNS 100
Local owners Nicholas and Nicole Piach recently celebrated the centennial celebration of Banner Sign Company, which operates in Detroit. Best known for their professional level of service and dependability, organizations like Olympia Entertainment, DTE Energy, Visit Detroit as well as other large organizations on both sides of the border call on them for their visual needs. They were most recently called on to dress The Spirit of Detroit for the 2024 Lions season. bannersignco.com
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TOURING THE FOREVER HOME
How to Build a European Lifestyle in Windsor-Essex County
Story by Serafina Piasentin / Photography by Ben Broll
WHEN YOU WALK INTO THE HOUSE on Old Tecumseh Road in Lakeshore, time slows down. Two curved glass doors with black frames welcome you into an open-concept main floor, and instantly, the influences from Europe become apparent. Modern houses are trying to fit the mold of new and shiny, but this home emulates the old, classical, timeless aesthetic that is often observed in rural Italy and France. In 2020, the owner and designer decided she didn’t only want to construct a home; she wanted to construct a lifestyle. “I wanted to build a house that when you walk through,
people have no idea what year you built it in,” she says. It is a forever home; the kind of place that will never become unpopular. Straight ahead, you get a sneak peek into a lovely kitchen with a white floral backsplash. To the left of the entrance, you will find a vast space that contains the living room and dining room and connects to the pool house. The living room is characterized by comfortable couches, large windows to let in natural light, and a fireplace. The idea behind the stone fireplace was to capture the essence of life in Tuscany; however, the stones are whitewashed to
Clockwise from below: the dining room with starburst wooden beams on the ceiling; the foyer facing the staircase; an upstairs common area; daughter’s bedroom. s
create a clean, ageless look. “Tuscany, Bordeaux, those were my influences here, all the way through the house. I filled my home with things that reminded me of the old world, where my ancestry is from,” she says. The European art of a slow life is at the core of this home.
Seamless outdoor living is a unique feature that is made possible by the attached pool house. It doubles as a sun room with floor to ceiling windows and sliding glass doors. The couches are water resistant, which allows people to come in from the pool and sit down without any damage to the furniture. It also has a fully functioning kitchen with an antique stove.
The owner outlines an idyllic image of an ordinary day where she will harvest tomatoes from the garden, make salad in the kitchen and then pop into the pool, unwind in the hot tub, or lounge on the beach, or all three! The property contains 80 feet of sandy beach stretching out along the Detroit River, giving access to the most riveting sunsets. Imagine a paradise in your own backyard. This is what this house provides. Everything is for the taking, whether you want to grow your own food, tan on the beach, swim in the pool, or enjoy the natural or gas outdoor fireplaces, you will find enjoyment in every corner. This isn’t just a mega house on the water; it’s an oasis in the midst of modern hustle and bustle. It provides an escape from the chaos of the city.
Clockwise from right: The sunset view from the backyard, featuring the hot tub and the pool; a window seat in the office; the main kitchen; the master ensuite bathroom;the master bedroom.
You may wonder why the owner would choose to create her paradise in Windsor-Essex County. Fondly, she says, “I’ve travelled the world, and I love it here. This is my heart. I don’t think I’ve ever found a place as welcoming.” The location is integral to the sanctity of this home. It provides seclusion and connection simultaneously. It is truly the best of both worlds. City noise and county quiet. Play and relaxation. Europe and Canada.
While perusing many of the rooms, you will notice a repeating motif—a French black and white pattern. It is on the dining room chair cushions and the wallpaper in one of the bathrooms. It depicts images of people living a natural, simple life— farmers, gardeners, people lounging under trees, picking berries, washing clothes in the stream… This print is exactly what this home is all about; it promotes healthy, wealthy living. It emulates the kind of rich that arises from valuing the importance of family, memories, and love.
This home is perfect for a growing family. There is ample living space including a den on the main floor and a cozy basement for movie nights. You will find a guest bedroom on the main floor across from a small laundry room. Rooms whose existence primarily revolves around utility are also seamlessly integrated into the aesthetic of the home. The laundry room and even the nearby pantry do not stick out; they belong as a part of the house. The walkin pantry is another unique addition that will leave any chef with a watering mouth. Cupboards cover the walls, offering the perfect area to store spices and canned foods. It holds a third functioning kitchen, providing another area to prepare for large dinner parties. The main kitchen is a long, open space with a floating countertop that includes two dishwashers on either side of the sink. It is just as expensive to put in double dishwashers instead of cupboards, and as the owner says, it will change your life. All the dishes get done without any hassle. This home was clearly built to balance functionality and enjoyment. “I’m not trying to hit a goal,” she explains, “I’m trying to hit a lifestyle.”
As you walk upstairs, nature scenes from France climb the walls. Décor such as this was brought in by Francesca Fregapane-Millner of Façade Interiors and Furniture Inc. Francesca always understood the vision that the owner was trying to implement. Items like the ornate mirrors scattered along the walls, black and white
Campoli owner Steven Caruso sales manager
abstract photographs, and these French paintings each have a personality of their own that contribute to the overarching theme of this house. It boasts a beautiful contrast between modernity and classical art. The bones of the house are strong and new. The features of the house are antique in appearance but function well. And the décor ties the two themes together in an array of clean, minimalist cohesion. The interior designers did not want to just show a façade; they wanted to showcase a lifestyle that blends simplicity with contemporaneity.
As opposed to the open concept downstairs, the upstairs is a much more contained space with lots of hallways that maintain privacy between bedrooms. Each has an ensuite bathroom that allows for further solitude. However, there are still common rooms where siblings and family members can hang out together. In one of these common rooms there are two secret closets where children can build little forts. And when the adults need their time away, there is a space coined a “cloffice” which is a combination of a closet and office. Another unique feature of this home are the window seats where you can read a book while admiring the views through the window. The master bedroom has the most optimal view in the whole house. There is a balcony with a patio set where you can glimpse the sunset. The eastward facing window also lets in the sunrise every morning. Every morning and every night, you are reminded of how important the little things really are.
To live in this home is to live a certain life. A life of contentment, of gratitude, of ease. You have come to the end of the tour, and you’ve realized this is a house you have only dreamed about. Fortunately for you, this dream house will be coming to the market in the next six months through Angie Goulet Associates. If this virtual tour peaked your interest, consider touring it in person. Maybe it will become your forever home.
Windsor Life Magazine is always searching for interesting homes, landscaping, gardens, patios and water features to show our readers what others in the community are doing with their living spaces. If you have a home that you feel would be interesting please email photos to info@windsorlife.com. Photos need to be for reference only. If your home is chosen we will arrange for a complete photo shoot. If you wish, you may remain anonymous and the location of your home will not be disclosed.
THE LONG GOODBYE
The Story of one Essex County Family Living With Dementia
STORY BY MATTHEW ST. AMAND
MEMORY IS A MUNDANE MYSTERY. When it functions, we barely notice its monumental role in our daily lives. When memory breaks down, however, life itself seems to come off its moorings.
In the case of my aunt Michelle St. Amand, my uncle Don observes: “The kids noticed first. Anne-Marie said: ‘There’s something wrong with Mom,’ and I thought: ‘Really?’ It all happened so gradually.”
“At first, I noticed my mom searching for words when speaking,” my cousin Anne-Marie St. Amand recalls. “And I thought: ‘OK, she’s bilingual, maybe she’s trying to think of the French word…’ Then, around 2016, she stopped driving. I took her to doctors’ appointments, and she’d ask me to go in with her.”
Michelle could no longer remember what was said during these appointments, which was a telling sign. In 1960, she graduated from Hotel Dieu Hospital School of Nursing. It wasn’t long before she was thrown into the horror and trauma of the profession: in October of that year, a gas leak explosion destroyed the Metropolitan store on Ouellette Avenue, killing ten people and injuring one hundred more. Michelle was among the medical personnel who tended to the victims, many with horrific burns.
That chapter of her career ended when Michelle was pregnant with her first child, David.
After David’s birth, Michelle returned to nursing at Riverview Hospital. Her time there ended when she was expecting Anne-Marie who was born in 1971.
In the extended St. Amand family, Michelle was the go-to person for medical advice. So, in recent years when she could not recall details from her own medical appointments, it was more than a momentary lapse of memory.
“Pieces of that person slowly disappear,” my cousin David St. Amand observes. Residing in Toronto since the late 1980s, he visits home regularly and witnessed his mother’s struggle in sharper, starker terms.
Clockwise from top left: Don and Michelle on their wedding day, October 30, 1965. Photo by Neil Horn; Michelle with Anne-Marie (left) and David (right) mid-1970s. Photo by Don St. Amand; David, Don, Anne-Marie, and Michelle at a relative’s 100th birthday party. Photo by Jaclyn Stroud.
“Each visit, I notice something is different,” he says. “The last time, Mom couldn’t string her words together.”
Then, the cruelest aspect of dementia asserted itself: by slow degrees, Michelle no longer recognized her family.
“I was expecting it,” David says. “I told myself: ‘Don’t cry! She’s still your mom.’ What I do now is walk in and say ‘Hi, it’s David,’ and she says, ‘Hi David,’ but doesn’t understand who I am. You have to put your emotions away. It has nothing to do with me or how I’m feeling. It’s not her. It’s her mind. She’s still my mom.”
“Sadness and grief losing that connection I had with my mom as her daughter,” is how Anne-Marie describes the experience. “The way I see things now is that love remembers all. Although there are days mom recognizes me as Anne-Marie, she may think I’m her little sister. All that matters is the connection, knowing that she’s loved.”
“The hardest part is when the PSWs leave,” Don says. “There is no conversation.”
The St. Amands worked through their emotions and began the arduous process of getting help for Michelle.
“Mom was assessed by a nurse practitioner through the Geriatric Assessment Program,” David says. “Then COVID shut everything down and they closed Mom’s case. We called the Alzheimer Society, and they helped us navigate this. They couldn’t provide any services until mom underwent an assessment by someone through Home and Community Care Support Services or the Local Health Integration Network. Then an occupational therapist assessed her to determine how much help she needed. And that’s when we got the personal support workers coming to the house.”
In retrospect, the process appears streamlined, but it required innumerable phone calls, months of waiting, and wearying uncertainty.
After attending online Alzheimer’s “webinars” offered to family members with loved ones living with dementia, AnneMarie suggested that Don try one, too.
“It was helpful hearing what other people are going through,” Don says. “We learned that you have to be calm. People with dementia get agitated easily.”
“You need many different strategies in your toolbox,” Anne-Marie says. “If mom doesn’t want to get up and go to the table for lunch, I’ll say: ‘Why don’t you stand up so I can see how tall you are?’ That’s working.”
sq ft of New Product and Displays
One day when Don went to help Michelle in the bathroom, she said to him: “You can’t come in here! This is the woman’s bathroom!”
Memory is the keel that helps us maneuver through time. Without it, we are adrift. With Michelle, there is only now. Sometimes she thinks Anne-Marie is her sister, other times that Don is her father.
“I took some pictures of Mom sitting in her chair surrounded by her siblings,” Anne-Marie says. “Each photo shows Mom looking at one sister, then another sister, and then her brother, as if trying to work out the connection.”
Times when Michelle asks where her parents or siblings are, Don and David and Anne-Marie have learned to say: “They’re not here right now,” rather than that they have passed away.
Following the pandemic, Don took Michelle to The Memory Café hosted by the Alzheimer Society.
“She got up on her own and was chatting with people, speaking French,” he recalls. “She had a really good time. It was at the Ojibway Nature Center—a beautiful setting.”
After taking an online seminar about the need for care givers to look after themselves, Anne-Marie suggested that her dad needed a life too.
“So, I asked my friends Joe and Bernie if they wanted to go out on Friday afternoons,” Don says. “While the PSW is here, we go out for coffee. We go look at the bridge being built…”
On a recent visit to see uncle Don and aunt Michelle, I marveled at how placid she seemed. Four days before Don’s eightyeighth birthday in May, Michelle turned eighty-six years of age and she looks very well; healthy, alert. When she heard my last name is St. Amand, she said: “Really?” Otherwise, the few times she spoke, she said “What?” or “Who?” whenever Don or I looked at her as we conversed. At one point Michelle said: “I don’t know…”
“What?” Don said to her, smiling. “You don’t know why you ever married me?” He laughed and kissed her.
This year marks their fifty-ninth wedding anniversary.
Dementia does not discriminate. The experience is as individual as the people who live with it. One thing is certain: there is hope and there are resources available. The place to start finding answers to questions is the Alzheimer Society www.alzheimer.ca/ windsoressex/en. 25,000
BON APP ETIT!
dining & nightlife guide
Antonino’s Original Pizza - South Windsor, Tecumseh, LaSalle. Multiple-award winning pizza with the money back guarantee! Fresh salads & authentic Sicilian Cannoli that even your Nonna will love! Google our menu. originalpizza.ca
The Bourbon Tap & Grill - Home of live music 3-6 nights a week. Signature thin crust woodfired pizza, burgers, wraps, sandwiches, wings and more. Open for lunch, family friendly. Big screens to watch the game. 1199 Ottawa St., 12049 Tecumseh Rd. East, and in Belle River at 405 Notre Dame.
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
Erie St GastroPub - Located in the heart of Little Italy, this hidden gem offers elevated pub fare and a scrumptious Asian-fusion menu. The bar features local Ontario wines, a constantly rotating craft beer menu, handcrafted cocktails as well as alcohol infused ice cream. ErieStGastroPub.com 839 Erie Street, Windsor. 519-252-3743
Factory House Sports Bar - Windsors newly renovated sports bar. We can tell you one thing; you don’t want to go anywhere else. 28 HDTVs, delicious home cooked meals; daily drink and food features. The perfect sport to catch any game, with game sound. 5240 Tecumseh Rd E. Windsor 519-915-8224
Mamo Burger Bar - Burgers made with local beef are piled high with creative topping combinations at this casual spot. Recently voted 9th best burger in the world. Kids menu also available! mamoburgerbar.com 1515 Ottawa Street, Windsor. 519-973-1234
Nauti V’s Oyster Bar - The first of its kind, Nauti V’s is more than just an oyster bar! From premium meats to oysters to the freshest seafood including halibut and barramundi, pair one with a perfectly curated wine list. Nauti V’s accepts private parties.
1850 Wyandotte St E. Windsor 519-915-1166
Neros Steakhouse - Indulge in the finer things in life at Neros where modern upscale dining s
meets traditional steakhouse fare. Fresh, local ingredients, an incredible wine selection and superb service. OpenTable.ca 1-800-991-7777 ext. 22481.
O’Maggio’s Kildare House - A Windsor staple, an old Irish pub built in 1880. Multi-award winning Halibut Fish & chips, Hand Packed Burgers, and hearty entrees like the Guinness Beef Stew and chicken pot pie. Plus, 25 beers on tap.
1880 Wyandotte St E, Windsor 519-915-1066
Original Guys Pizza Pies - The “Windsor style” thin crust pizza skillfully rolled and hand tossed is cooked to perfection in a stone baked oven. With vegetarian and vegan options, pizzas are tailored to each customer’s individual taste. Also offering wings, salads and subs.
3335 Banwell Rd., Windsor. 519-979-8808. ogpizza.ca
Ortona 1864 Cafe & Panino - Freshly renovated cafe & panino bar. Breakfast offered every day at 8AM. Enjoy our menu featuring the Italian Benny, Porchetta Thursdays, Iced Matcha Lattes and fresh paninis made right in front of you!
1864 Wyandotte St E. Windsor 226-674-0500
SONA Ristorante & Taverna - An upscale casual dining experience inspired by cliffside restaurants of the Mediterranean. Spend an evening in our ristorante, featuring seasonal cuisine and international wines for your enjoyment.
11 Queens Ave, Leamington. 519-974-7664. sonacanada.com
Twigg’s Bar + Grill - Family oriented local establishment offering freshly prepared pubfare. We take pride in providing prompt service in a unique atmosphere with craft beer, specialty cocktails, daily specials, live entertainment, catering and more. 1207 County Rd 22, Emeryville 519-727-8704. www.twiggsbarandgrill.com
Vito’s Pizzeria - Rustic Italian restaurant serving wood-fired 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. 519-915-6145. catering@vitospizzeria.com
For information on listings and advertising in Bon Appetit! please call Leslie Campbell at 519-567-0603.
Extend Your Seasons!
the hardships of the war. Now in 2024 at ninety-nine years of age Bill Shea resides in Harrow Ontario. His advice for long life is to keep up with regular visits to your family doctor, go for walks daily and enjoy a good cup of tea from time to time. His words of wisdom to the upcoming generations are to, “Never give up and always be grateful.”
Charles Davis is also part of the “greatest generation” and fought in WW2. Born on September 27, 1922 in London Ontario Charles joined the army at the age of 18. Charles felt patriotic and “ready to get things done.”
He was part of the 69th Light Anti-aircraft Battery Royal Canadian Artillery Regiment. Charles landed along with his comrades on Juno Beach on D-day plus four (June 10th). He drove an ammunition truck with 10 tons of ammo onto Juno Beach. His job was to drive ammunition and fuel to the infantry. Charles also served in Britain, France, Belgium, Holland and Germany. He was in Apeldoorn Holland when it was liberated.
On coping with the hardships of war, Charles said, “You did what you had to do.”
On the 80th anniversary of D-day Charles made his way overseas to honour Normandy’s fallen. He met and shook hands with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Prince William.
1,159,000 Canadians fought in WW2. 44,090 did not return. If it wasn’t for these brave soldiers, we would not have many of the freedoms we enjoy today.
Canadian Military continue to share the torch of freedom around the world. One young man from Tecumseh Ontario, Private James Dorner was stationed in Afghanistan in the early 2000’s. At only twenty-two he felt he was ready to serve his country and make a difference. While over there James earned a promotion and became Corporal. Missions such as Operation Athena (the Canadian Forces’ contribution to the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan) where, as a combat engineer it was his job to detect and neutralize roadside bombs to bring stability to the area and to combat insurgent forces. The hardships of war brought the soldiers together as the comradery and those with experience mentored them through it.
While overseas Charles met and married his wife, Doris Elizabeth Fox. In Shoreditch London England they married at the town hall. Their oldest daughter Jaqueline was born there. They were married for 68 years. On having a long happy marriage, Charles says, “Find a good mate; a sweet girl and marry her.”
When asked how he felt when he heard the war was over, “Happy as hell!” he said.
Charles received the 1939-1945 star, France and Germany star, Defense Britain medal, Canada Volunteer Service Medal and Clasp, War Medal, Normandy Medal, Liberation of France Medal and the Liberation of Holland Medal.
He served his country from May 20,1941 until December 6,1946.
Charles returned home to Port Dover followed by his wife and daughter a few months later. He was known as “the last local soldier to return” to Port Dover. In 1947 he and his growing family moved to Windsor, Ontario and has lived here ever since. In total Charles and Doris had four daughters. Charles worked for various companies, including General Motors. He retired from Auto Haulaway in 1986.
On his long life Charles feels blessed and says, “to make sure you eat your veggies.”
His advice for the upcoming generation, “Get off your keister and get a good education and a job that you are happy with.”
From being in an atmosphere where people were trying to kill him to a heroes welcome back home, he felt relief and knew it was worth the sacrifice. James is now a civil engineer and serves on the town council for Tecumseh. He makes a difference wherever he can in all levels of politics.
To young people who are considering joining the military he says, “Do find a friend in the military who has served and talk to them or reach out to James at info@JamesDorner.com.”
To kids graduating: “Try to get involved in community groups such as the Optimist Club and network with like-minded people. Be the change you want to be.”
More than 40,000 Canadians would serve in Afghanistan. This was the largest deployment of our troops since the Second World War. The conflict lasted over 12 years and 158 Canadian Armed Forces, a diplomat, four aid workers, a government contractor, and a journalist lost their lives.
Remembrance Day is so important to remember our past and why war happens. By remembering our past, hopefully we will not repeat it. By honouring those who fought for our freedom we avoid taking our freedoms for granted. As the previous generations who fought are leaving this world, we must pass their legacy on to the upcoming generations.
SPORTS HALL OF FAME
Class of 2024 Considered One of the Best of All-Time
STORY BY FRED GROVE
A GREY CUP CHAMPION, a Stanley Cup champion, a three-time gold medalist and a five-time national university champion.
This year’s class of inductees into the Windsor Essex County Sports Hall of Fame is impressive and it could be one of the most star-studded in the hall’s 42-year history.
“I would say it is probably our strongest, and youngest class. They are all around the country and the United States and many are still doing their jobs,” said Hall of Fame Chairperson Chuck Smith.
Windsor’s Ciociaro Club was the site of this year’s ceremony on October 5 where seven of the region’s most influential hockey, basketball and football coaches and athletes were recognized for their contributions.
Meghan Agosta (athlete), Chantal Vallée (coach), Josh Bourke (athlete), Steve Ott (athlete), Miah-Marie Langlois (athlete), Gerald Serviss (coach), Glen Mills (coach) are the 2024 inductees. Tyrone Crawford (athlete) and Luke Willson (athlete) will go into the Hall of Fame next year.
The recipient of the Bob Turner Award was Gerry Strong who was a well-known wrestling and football coach at Riverside, Forster, Sandwich and Walkerville High Schools.
“He (Turner) was a special man in the sports scene. He contributed so much in many ways,” said Smith.
Opposite page top to bottom: Steve Ott; Josh Bourke.
Photo by Rogerio Barbosa–Montreal Alouettes; Gerald Serviss.
This page clockwise from below: Miah-Marie Langlois.
Photo courtesy of Canada Basketball; Chantal Vallée.
Photo by Edwin Tam; Glen Mills; Meghan Agosta. Photo by Dave Holland/Hockey Canada Images.
Selecting this year’s inductees was not a huge challenge for the 14-person selection committee.
“It wasn’t a difficult year. It was all unanimous in the athlete category. Athletes are considered three years after they have retired,” added Smith.
Besides the accolades that have been bestowed on this year’s inductees, there is a distinctive coach-player connection. Essex Ravens Coach Glen Mills has helped several football players to both the CFL and NFL ranks including Wilson.
Coach Mills helped start the Ravens football program over 25 years ago and has been the club president since 2012. He has guided the Ravens to nine Ontario championships and in 2017 was named the Ontario Football Coach of the Year.
“A lot of them will say it (Ravens’ program) was instrumental in teaching them the fundamentals. We do a great job teaching them how to compete and deal with adversity,” said Mills.
The Essex Ravens as an organization is also being inducted into the Windsor-Essex County Sports Hall of Fame this year.
“If someone would have told me 27 years ago, we’d be this successful I don’t think I would have believed it,” Mills added.
Another coach-player connection is that of Olympian Miah-Marie Langlois who played for University of Windsor women’s basketball coach Chantal Vallée.
Coach Vallée was the architect of five straight Lancers’ Canadian championships from 2010 to 2015. She was the CIS/U Sports Coach of the Year twice and in 2018, took a break and became the Coach/GM of the pro men’s team, the Hamilton Honey Badgers.
“I was extremely surprised. I didn’t know that anyone nominated me,” said Vallée of being inducted. “He (Smith) said it was really well deserved; I was humbled.”
A native of Montreal, the coach came to Windsor when she was just 29 years old but has embedded herself deep into the city.
“I’m very loyal to Windsor. When I came here, I wanted to be part of the community.”
Langlois, a Catholic Central High School grad, was the constant for the Windsor Lancers’ women’s hoopers from 2010-14 where she led them to four national titles. She was a three-time CIS all-defensive team recipient and played professionally in Sweden. Langlois was also on the Canadian National Team for seven years and an Olympic team member in 2016.
“I honed my skills through mental and physical training alongside the loving support from my family which resulted in championships,” Langlois told Windsor Life Magazine.
“It is so special to be going in with Miah. She was a pivotal person in our program,” said Vallée. “Going in alongside her is a special as going in myself.”
A past Allan Cup champion with the Windsor Bulldogs in 1963, Gerald Serviss is known as one of the winningest coaches in the region. He coached the St. Clair College Saints for seven years beginning in 1977 when his team was a perfect 20-0 before winning the national title.
Another inductee with an impressive hockey history is Steve Ott who is now an associate coach with the NHL’s St. Louis Blues. As an assistant coach in 2019, he helped guide that team to a Stanley Cup. Ott’s playing career saw stops in Buffalo, St. Louis, Detroit and Montreal. All totaled he played 848 games in the NHL scoring 109 goals.
Perhaps the best women’s hockey player to come from this area is Meghan Agosta. Growing up in Ruthven, she played on the Cardinal Carter high school boys’ team before playing AAA on another boys’ rep team in Chatham. That got her to the college ranks with Division I Mercyhurst in the NCAA where she became the CHA Player of the Year.
Agosta is a 3-time Olympic gold medalist and still holds the single season scoring CWHL record. Off the ice, her accomplishments are just, if not more impressive.
In 2014 she joined the Vancouver Police Department and for several years ran her Meghan Agosta Foundation and the High-Performance Hockey Academy. The foundation financially supports young children in their involvement in hockey.
Josh Bourke grew up in the area, but his football development happened in Michigan where he also attended college at Grand Valley State. A member of the Canadian Football League’s Hall of Fame he is a twotime Grey Cup champion with the Montreal Alouettes.
The offensive lineman played 151 pro games and from 2008-2014 he was a CFL All-star.
According to Smith, not all the Class of 2024 were at the Induction ceremony on October 5, however everyone in attendance had the honour of a four-minute video presentation highlighting each of the inductees’ accomplishments.
A FORTY-ONE-YEAR GLIMPSE
New Photo Exhibit Tells a Long, Detailed Story About Life in the City
STORY BY MATTHEW ST. AMAND PHOTOGRAPHY BY NICK BRANCACCIO
A CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE of how many photographs Nick Brancaccio took during his forty-one-year career with The Windsor Star comes out around 15,000. No one in the Star’s 136-year history has taken more photos.
An exhibit of 50 of these photographs is open at the Chimczuk Museum—inside Art Windsor-Essex at 401 Riverside Drive West.
Selecting photographs from the massive trove was no easy task, but the skills honed over four decades as a news photographer— sizing up situations, framing scenes in seconds, making snap decisions—were helpful in choosing what to exhibit.
“The photos I find most compelling are the ‘spot news’ images,” Nick explains, “being on the scene when our first responders are in the act of saving lives, sometimes putting their own lives on the line.”
Nick’s photo exhibit, however, offers a much wider view of life in the area. Patrons will encounter an image of Mick Jagger performing with the Rolling Stones at MSU stadium in 1994. There are pictures from the Detroit Tigers’ championship season in 1984. And the many faces of daily life in Windsor are amply represented, too.
One such photograph, showing three girls
Clockwise from left: Detroit, Michigan. September 18, 1984 – Detroit Tigers defeat Milwaukee Brewers 3-0 to win the MLB’s American East pennant becoming only the third team in AL history to win the title by going wire-to-wire in first place. Tiger players celebrated with champagne in their clubhouse. Manager Sparky Anderson was clipped on the head and bloodied by a bottle during the clubhouse celebrations; Tania Duguay, 13, on her horse Snowman, reaches for an iced cappuccino with her Serenity Ranch friends Taylor Ballay, 15, and Noemie Dallaire, 14, left, in the drive-thru lane at Tim Hortons on Manning Road and County Road 42 in October 2006; Windsor Spitfires centre Adam Henrique celebrates the first of his three goals against the Barrie Colts in OHL playoff action on May 2, 2010; Amherstburg firefighters, paramedics, police and a hospital staff member tear the roof from a Dodge van to free the driver following a crash on Front Road North in August 2006. Choosing a longer lens, Brancaccio stayed back and dropped to the bottom of the ditch for a lower angle; Members of the Niagara Trojans high school basketball team react with joy — while their coach Don Allen remains stoic — as they clinch the Ontario secondary school basketball title in Windsor on March 9, 1985. The photo was runner-up for the Canadian Press Sports Picture of the Month and won the Ontario News Photographers’ Association Picture of the Month; Photographer Nick Brancaccio. Photo by Dan Janisse/Windsor Star; September 9, 1994 - East Lansing, MI. – Mick Jagger and The Rolling Stones dazzle at MSU Stadium.
on horseback at a drive-thru window, is so perfectly framed, one might believe it was a staged event.
“The kids on horseback were at the Manning and County Road Forty-Two Tim Horton’s,” Nick recalls. “Had I pulled up ten seconds later, I would have missed the picture.”
Up until the early 2000s, Nick often didn’t know what he had until he got into the darkroom.
This was the case with the image of Detroit Tigers’ manager, Sparky Anderson, bleeding from the head in the Tigers locker room after they won the pennant in 1984.
“I was at Tiger Stadium when they won,” Nick says. “I went into their clubhouse during the champagne celebration. One of the Tigers got a little close with the bottle while showering Sparky Anderson and clipped him on the head, cutting him.”
Chronicling life in Windsor came naturally to this lifelong city native. After graduating from W.D. Lowe, Nick attended two years at the University of Windsor before transferring to the Journalism program at St. Clair College. There, he had a few influential teachers, including Al Trotter, whom he remembers as a source of continuous encouragement to the students.
“Later, Bill Bishop, photo editor at The Windsor Star taught one day a week at the college,” Nick says. “He saw what I was doing as I worked in the darkroom when his class was in there. He eventually hired me at The Star.”
Learning to be an effective newspaper photographer, Nick found there was no shortage of opportunities for capturing images of life in Essex County.
“Your day was planned ahead of time,” he says. “The paper had multiple editors, and I received a lot of assignments from Lifestyle, for instance, or the sports desk, or the city desk. The police scanner was always worth monitoring.”
The Star also used to send Nick to photograph new medical procedures at area hospitals.
“I have an interesting photo of a skull being opened in preparation for brain surgery,” he says. “I photographed total knee replacements.”
For many years, Nick was paired with reporters whose notes provided background information needed for his pictures. It was helpful being pointed in the right direction by editors, but it always came down to Nick’s eye, timing and good luck to capture images that won him three Canadian Press
Photo of the Month Awards, among other accolades.
Many of the more interesting photographs are a study in contrast. There is the March 9, 1985, image of the Niagara Trojans high school basketball team rejoicing after winning the OFSSA Senior A basketball title.
As Nick lined up his shot, Niagara’s opponent, Gananoque, had a player on the free throw line, shooting two. All eyes in the gymnasium were focused on him—all, except for Nick, who made a conscious decision on the shot he wanted to capture.
“I didn’t shoot the player at the free throw line,” he says. “I realized, if he missed, the Niagara team would erupt.”
Nick’s calculation was correct, and he caught a moment that the original caption described as “pure, unrestrained joy,” while at the same time the team coach stood among his celebrating players, arms folded, “show[ing] self-restraint.”
The photo exhibit is augmented by a slideshow comprised of pictures Nick took of celebrities performing or visiting the area, including images of Michael Jackson in concert, Madonna performing, Diana Ross and Mickey Rooney as he golfed at Essex Golf & Country Club.
The exhibit shows Nick’s evolution as a newspaper photographer, beginning in 1980, until his retirement in April 2021. He still recalls the first time he went out with a camera to capture an event:
“I was still at St. Clair,” he says. “I called the Detroit Redwings PR person and said I wanted to get some pictures of Gordie Howe—a legendary Redwing player—who came out of retirement and was returning to Detroit with his new team, the Hartford Whalers.”
Nick arrived at Joe Louis Arena that evening with his camera. “I didn’t get a shooting position; I was given a roving pass,” he says. “I was nervous, but I got a few OK photos of Gordie Howe on the ice.”
Nick is still amazed by how many photographs he took during his career.
“Going back, looking at these photos, they are still so relevant—just the sheer impact of some of them: the spot news photos, on-the-scene when first responders are saving lives. It was all a team effort, a collaboration between me and the reporters, and the editors.”
“Windsor in Focus: Forty Years Through the Lens of Nick Brancaccio” is open to the public at the Chimczuk Museum until March 2025.
STILL THE SOUL SURVIVES
A Journey of Compassion, Memory and Self-Discovery
STORY BY ALLEY L. BINIARZ / PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOHN LIVIERO
THE HOLOCAUST happened nearly 100 years ago, yet the realities were ever present for the survivors and patients of Pamela Goldstein. As a young nurse through the early 70s, Pamela hadn’t learned much about the Holocaust. Little did she know that working in the hospital’s cancer unit would introduce her to survivors that would become like family and who would help her to uncover an identity that was long hidden from her.
Now, after 20 years in the field, Pamela shares the survivors’ stories with the world along with her own memoir woven into the title Still the Soul Survives, A Journey of Compassion, Memory and Self-Discovery.
Pamela was 21 when she met Jacob Masinsky, the first Holocaust survivor she would encounter. As someone who lived in Riverside and went to school in the 60s, she was never taught about the Holocaust and was both horrified and taken by the stories of the war. “Our history teacher thought it was more important to learn about the Six Day War. He said that was local history in the making.”
She spent her time working in the cancer unit, listening to the stories of dozens of patients who were survivors and had developed cancer from experimental injections they received in concentration camps, especially Mauthausen and Auschwitz. Their conditions were chronic, which kept them in the ward for long periods of time. Pamela says that by the time she was in her mid 30s with kids of her own, she had become very good friends with many of them — including Ellie Lieber, the survivor who decided it should be Pamela that would document their stories.
At first, Pamela didn’t know why she was being chosen to write these stories. Why did the patients trust her with stories they’d never told before? On top of that, she wondered why she was so drawn to the Jewish religion and customs?
“Even before meeting my husband I was interested in converting.” She says. “After I began conversion classes I spoke to some of my relatives in Texas.” Her uncle confirmed that the family on the matriarch’s side was in fact Jewish. This revelation opened a world of memory for her.
She began to piece together how her maternal grandmother used to light candles on Fridays. She never said the prayers or did any of that, Pamela shares, so the grandkids didn’t think anything of it. In retrospect, Pamela can see that her grandmother was marking the beginning of Shabbat. The Rabbi, who Pamela took her conversion classes with, had wondered if the survivors sensed Pam’s heritage; Pamela did as well. “They were so insistent that I should write their
stories. ‘Dollie’, who Ellie called me, ‘You’re the one who understands us, you are our friend.’”
When Pamela wrote the first iteration of the book she sat with a 300,000-word count. It wasn’t until a few years later when she was looking at the manuscript that she realized she had three different books on her hands. After pulling at some threads, she landed with the final copy we see now: a memoir about the survivors and how they affected her life, while piecing together her own discovery of her ancestry.
The newly published book follows Pamela as a young nurse moving through this personal journey and shows how truly dedicated she was to her patients. Over the 20 years Pamela listens to stories told for the first (and often only) time and holds them with reverence, knowing the sacred responsibility that is to be told such traumatic and tender stories. Through the years she becomes not only the keeper of their stories but an active participant in her patient’s lives as they continued about their days after the Holocaust.
Along with being tasked with writing this story, Pamela was asked to perform another sacred rite for her patients called the Tahara alongside a friend and social worker, Debbie. This is where the book begins, with the two of them performing this Tahara for Ellie, a rite that prepares her body for burial.
Neither of them knew what the process entailed and had gone to seek the help of Rabbis prior to the first Tahara to understand the depth of this ritual act of purification. They would need to follow strict procedures which includes the recitation of prayers and psalms, the washing of the body, and making sure the body and
soul left the world cleansed by this act. It was a big undertaking and one that Pamela didn’t take lightly.
“It was an incredibly difficult thing for me to do but they all decided we were their only friends. We used to have tea with them, we met with them twice a month, and we were their family when they didn’t have one. That, plus with everything that happened to their bodies in the past, they didn’t want a stranger to touch their bodies,” Pamela explains. “A lot of these feelings are minimized in the book. Feelings of ‘holy cow, how am I going to do this?’ I left that part out because it’s not resolved. I’ve performed over 80 Taharas during the timeframe and I’m still not over it.”
Reliving these memories during the writing of the book was the hardest part of the process, Pamela shares. “I was a nurse for 20 years! Nurses don’t feel. You’re taught to maintain control and compartmentalize. Now here I was being asked to break through the barriers to explain how I felt. It was very difficult to relive the horrible things over and over. With every edit you’re reliving it again.”
But Pamela was driven by the belief that this is what she was meant to do. This was an important story that she was entrusted with and she needed to tell it the right way. What Pamela realized as she got to know her patients was that they became adamant about people having basic civil rights. The survivors knew the importance of freedom and would write letters in protest or go over to Detroit and march with groups. Pamela knew this was another chance for her to speak up. She couldn’t fall into “the drop of silence”, as one of her survivors put it. She couldn’t stay quiet about the atrocities she’d heard about; she needed to do her part and say something and to teach what she wasn’t taught.
“To look at the world today, so many people are apathetic and think they won’t make a difference because they’re one person. What I’ve learned from the Holocaust survivors is that you have to take up other people’s voices; the ones who have fallen or who can’t speak up for themselves. That’s your job in a democracy: to stand up and say this is wrong.”
With that, Pamela leaves us with this story. One of truth and liberation, of healing and belonging and one of hope that people will be more open-minded and stand up with one another.
Still The Soul Survives is available locally at Biblioasis, Indigo, Chapters or
Amazon.
Back: Susie, Dr. Ed MacMurdo, Sarah. Front: Jade, Hanna.
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