From minor pee-wee hockey to the NHL, Hamiltonian Steve Staios takes us through his 18-year career and beyond.

Growing up around the area of Main Street West and Haddon Avenue South, former National Hockey League player Steve Staios began his hockey journey playing in a minor hockey league for the Hamilton Huskies at Wentworth Triple rink. It was not until Staios was seven years old when he began playing hockey; over the years, he managed both soccer and hockey as two main sports until he devoted his undivided attention year-long to the ice rink at 15 years old. 

Staios was drafted into the Ontario Hockey League by the Niagara Falls Thunder; a year later, he was drafted into the NHL. With that being said, the transition was definitely not an easy one to endure. 

“The transition from the OHL to professional hockey was a steep curve for me. I got injured in my first year. I tore my [anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament], so I got reconstruction knee surgery. So, it was off to a pretty tough start. I played in the minors for three seasons and then I found my way to pro hockey,” said Staios. 

“The transition from the OHL to professional hockey was a steep curve for me. I got injured in my first year. I tore my [anterior cruciate ligament and medial collateral ligament], so I got reconstruction knee surgery. So, it was off to a pretty tough start. I played in the minors for three seasons and then I found my way to pro hockey,” said Staios.

Despite Staios bouncing around several teams within the league during the beginning of his career, it was not until he ended up in Edmonton with the Oilers where he found his home, spending about 10 years of his life there. Staios also had an opportunity to play for two more Western Canadian teams, the Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks. 

As an Oiler, Staios’ trip to the 2006 Stanley Cup Finals was arguably his greatest moment but also greatest disappointment. 

“In 2006, the team we had was a close-knit team. We qualified for the playoffs as an 8th seed. We weren’t expected to do a lot, but then we went on a magical run into the Stanley Cup Finals,” said Staios. 

“In 2006, the team we had was a close-knit team. We qualified for the playoffs as an 8th seed. We weren’t expected to do a lot, but then we went on a magical run into the Stanley Cup Finals,” said Staios. 

Losing their starting goalie Dwayne Roloson in game one to a series-ending injury created a massive challenge for the team. Despite that, the Oilers were able to force a game seven, where they unfortunately came short of being a Stanley Cup Champion. 

To put it short, the emotions during their run were “machine-like”.

“When you go on a run like with a team, as an individual, you become sort of a product of your routine and environment. These emotions become consistent. You have butterflies before the game, you have the vigour and energy of competing, and then you have the rest before the next game. The emotions afterwards were incredible. Whether you win or lose, all these athletes and teams go through it,” explained Staios.

Staios exclaimed such emotions are also of similar nature on the international level, to which he won two gold medals playing for the national team at the World Champions in 2003 and 2004. 

“One of the greatest memories is holding my two kids on the blue line singing the national anthem after winning a gold medal in Prague wearing a Team Canada jersey. It is the most incredible joy and feeling that I will never forget,” said Staios. 

“One of the greatest memories is holding my two kids on the blue line singing the national anthem after winning a gold medal in Prague wearing a team Canada jersey. It is the most incredible joy and feeling that I will never forget,” said Staios. 

After Staios’ playing career ended with the New York Islanders, he was provided with an opportunity by then-General Manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs Brian Burke to take on a managerial role for the team. Staios was eventually hired as a player development advisor. 

During his three seasons with the Leafs, Staios transitioned from advisor to manager and then eventually to the director. But Staios’ managerial career took a turn when head coach Randy Carlyle was fired and Staios was placed behind the bench as an assistant coach. 

“It was incredible. Working for the Toronto Maple Leafs is something I didn’t set a goal to do, but it was unbelievable and a learning experience. Credit to the entire staff and leadership, getting to work with some incredible people,” said Staios. 

“It was incredible. Working for the Toronto Maple Leafs is something I didn’t set a goal to do, but it was unbelievable and a learning experience. Credit to the entire staff and leadership, getting to work with some incredible people,” said Staios. 

Staios’ time with the Maple Leafs allowed him to explore the different aspects of the organization from bottom to top, which helped him currently run the Hamilton Bulldogs. 

When Staios left the Maple Leafs to become the president of the Bulldogs, he received some mixed reaction from individuals attempting to persuade him to stay with the NHL team. Yet, being from Hamilton and persuasion from Bulldogs team owner, Michael Andlauer, he was convinced to put junior hockey “back on the map”. 

“We just haven't had great success in junior hockey in Hamilton. I felt sort of an underdog and wanted to put junior hockey back on the map in my hometown,” said Staios. 

“We just haven't had great success in junior hockey in Hamilton. I felt sort of an underdog and wanted to put junior hockey back on the map in my hometown,” said Staios. 

As Staios mainly had a background in playing as opposed to the business operations of the team, there was still a lot to learn as president and general manager of the team. 

Now, with the COVID-19 pandemic, there is still some uncertainty regarding the 2020-2021 OHL season, as with the new provincial lockdown, the season has been delayed even further. Staios still hopes that with the rollout of vaccines and return-to-pay protocol, a season can be salvaged this year. With that being said, there is still great optimism within the team.

Ontario researchers increase COVID-19 wastewater sampling

As Ontario heads into a second state of emergency during the COVID-19 pandemic, provincial researchers are expanding the capacity of the province to track and prevent transmission. 

The COVID-19 Wastewater Consortium of Ontario is a provincial initiative that is aimed to develop a wastewater testing infrastructure across Ontario and conduct various tests. The initiative aims to sample wastewater in different municipalities to trace the spread of the virus. This involves collecting and analyzing fecal data, which is more likely to show COVID-19 in asymptomatic individuals than clinical testing. 

Compared to clinical testing, wastewater testing is quicker and more cost-efficient. For example, taking a sample out of a sewage treatment plant from one entire neighbourhood is found to be comparable to the cost of testing one person with a nasal swab.

Furthermore, this testing allows researchers to pinpoint specific neighbourhoods and communities that are being affected through the location of the sewage treatment plant from which samples were taken. This information is extremely crucial in understanding which areas of the city may experience a potential outbreak, allowing officials to employ immediate safety measures within that neighbourhood to prevent further transmission. 

Led by McMaster University’s Gail Krantzberg and Zobia Jawed, both professors at the W Booth School of Engineering Practice and Technology, this project is run by a collective of professionals from a variety of sectors, including sustainability, technology and policy. 

“While testing the population for the presence of the virus is critically important, some carriers of the illness are asymptomatic and don’t get tested. Others get false negatives. Since those infected shed the virus in their feces, testing wastewater captures the reality of COVID-19 in the community,” Krantzberg explained in a McMaster interview. 

Testing in Hamilton began in fall 2020 and researchers are now increasing sewage sampling to three times per week. The samples are sent to dozens of other cities and universities to be frozen for future testing, as CWCO will continue to collaborate with its partners to establish testing protocols and methodologies.

The tests will be carried out at approximately 13 locations across the McMaster campus, including academic buildings, residences and the McMaster Children’s Hospital. The city of Hamilton has also started collecting sewage samples, as confirmed by city water director Andrew Grice, although public health officials wait to see whether they truly reflect the city’s local cases. 

Other universities such as the University of Guelph, the Ontario Tech University and the University of Ottawa have been testing sewage samples for COVID-19 on a weekly basis. 

“Wastewater-based epidemiology has been used in recent years to monitor the presence of drugs or disease agents in communities. Across the globe, in countries like the Netherlands, Australia and Italy, researchers are finding signs of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in community wastewater samples. These results can augment clinical testing of individuals by public health authorities and potentially serve as an early warning for a second wave of illness,” describes the Canadian Water Network coalition based in Ottawa. 

Although there is the challenge of the wastewater being diluted with rain and other chemicals in the environment, the sampling could be a potential method to tackle the many outbreaks in highly vulnerable populations, such as long-term facilities.

By understanding which facilities may potentially experience an outbreak, officials can tailor their efforts to those specific communities with stronger safety measures and isolation procedures that prevent further transmission.

“A broad wastewater testing system allows us to constantly monitor, test and accurately report on the spread of disease within communities, which would include nursing homes, schools and universities, to address the crucial need not only for the current pandemic but for future outbreaks,” said Krantzberg in a McMaster article. 

If proven to be effective, Ontario’s wastewater sampling could act as an early detection signal of COVID-19, especially in vulnerable communities. Early detection would aid public health experts in implementing quicker safety measures such as isolation, while also informing future reopening plans.

With swift procedures in place, communities will be able to prepare better for a possible outbreak and prevent even further transmission.

Hamilton influencer started new business with a friend during the pandemic

Many have taken the pandemic as an opportunity to tackle new projects and launch new businesses. Among these is Hamilton-born-and-raised influencer Nicole Alexander, whose love of fashion has snowballed into online sustainable goods store, Steeltown Sistas. The store sells mostly vintage clothing pieces but occasionally sells home goods.

Alexander created Steeltown Sistas with a good friend in May 2020, while stuck at home during the first wave of the pandemic. The two women share a love for sustainable, unique and vintage fashion. Steeltown Sistas has become a way for them to share their passion with others. 

Alexander created Steeltown Sistas with a good friend in May 2020, while stuck at home during the first wave of the pandemic.

Steeltown Sistas operates through its Instagram page and the reception so far has been quite positive. Many people are happy to engage with Steeltown Sistas and offer pieces for the store’s collection.  

 

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With a background in marketing, Steeltown Sistas is not the first time Alexander has been involved in business and fashion. Alexander actually began selling clothes while she was in university. She saw re-selling her clothes and clothing swaps as a great way to engage with fashion sustainably. 

She currently runs the blog Hamilton Hippie, which she describes on her website as a place to come to get the scoop on the greater Hamilton area. She was also one of the co-owners of Bought It Local, an online maker market, which had a similar concept to Steeltown Sistas. Unfortunately, it had to close earlier this year because it became too difficult for Alexander and her partner to manage the business and full-time jobs.

 

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“We decided to go out while we were on top, essentially. But it really sucked because we both love the business concept and we both definitely think it can work. But it does require a heck of a lot of time investment and that's just something you really could not sustain as young working women. It just wasn't really possible,” explained Alexander.

While Alexander has been involved with a number of businesses in the past, she typically worked more behind the scenes. With Steeltown Sistas she has taken a much more active role, curating and creating pieces. 

“This has been a really cool experience being on the side of the physical component of creating, rather than just creating digital content. That's been like the coolest takeaway for me, how much I enjoyed the process,” explained Alexander.

“This has been a really cool experience being on the side of the physical component of creating, rather than just creating digital content. That's been like the coolest takeaway for me, how much I enjoyed the process,” explained Alexander.

It is important to Alexander that individuals walk away from Steeltown with items that they will not only enjoy but find useful. Affordability and sustainability are also important concerns to her and she is conscious of the importance of these to students as well.

 

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“I think as a student, it's always great to be able to get a deal, period . . . I think [buying and selling your clothes] is a great thing to get into if you’re a student,” she said.

“I think as a student, it's always great to be able to get a deal, period . . . I think [buying and selling your clothes] is a great thing to get into if you’re a student,” she said.

These are still the early days for Steeltown Sistas. Alexander said that they are hoping to branch out into upcycling clothes. They also hope to figure out a method for facilitating larger clothing swaps throughout the Steel City.

Thomas Brasch’s popup photography installation is making art accessible in these dark days

Art is often something we turn to when things are difficult, something we seek comfort and solace in. Not only is art something bright during the dark days, but it also can tell us stories that help us to imagine brighter days for ourselves. 

These stories become part of our own, giving us new courage and strength to face these trying times. One such story is Thomas Brasch’s popup photography installation at 267 King St. E., which is making art more accessible while also bringing some hope and light to Hamilton.

 

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Brasch graduated from McMaster University with an honours bachelor of arts in french literature and returned to McMaster to complete a master’s of business degree. He went on to become a high school teacher. During Brasch’s time as a teacher, he developed an interest in photography.

After retiring, he travelled extensively and began to explore and experiment further with photography. Brasch primarily takes photos of nature and architecture and then transforms them into these round images, similar to kaleidoscopes or mandalas.

“One curator said [to me] that mandalas are actually memory palaces and your walk through them [helps] you meditate. So again, it's this idea of calming . . . it’s not just the image. In fact, it's never about one image. It's about a whole series of images that actually tell the story,” explained Brasch.

"One curator said [to me] that mandalas are actually memory palaces and your walk through them [helps] you meditate. So again, it's this idea of calming . . . it’s not just the image. In fact, it's never about one image. It's about a whole series of images that actually tell the story."

Stories are important to Brasch and a large part of why he creates art is to share these stories. From a distance, each of his photos may be beautifully abstract but if one takes a closer look they may be able to recognize the original image and see the story built into it.

Recently, Brasch reconnected with one of his McMaster classmates, Maya Premlata Rao. She loved Brasch’s art and the current installation was her idea. The building where his installation currently is belongs to Rao. The installation features unsold pieces from two of Brasch’s previous collections, Out of Darkness and Tapestry.

 

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“I think the whole goal with Maya and I was to share this with people in Hamilton. Yes, initially, there was the allure of getting more exposure and maybe somebody would show an interest or something. [Maya] is one of these people who is into good energy and everything. There was a good energy coming off of this,” said Brasch.

This installation is Brasch’s way of giving something to the community during these trying times, but it has also helped him realize the need to make art more accessible, especially to those who would not be able to visit a gallery, even if we were not in lockdown.

This installation is Brasch’s way of giving something to the community during these trying times, but it has also helped him realize the need to make art more accessible, especially to those who would not be able to visit a gallery, even if we were not in lockdown.

When Brasch was first setting up the exhibition, a passerby stopped to admire the art and asked if Brasch had an artist’s postcard to share. He hadn’t planned on having one and as such didn’t have one to offer to this passerby.

“He said, “Well, I'm a little short of cash and I collect these” and that's when the veil got pulled away from my eyes. I had the big aha moment . . . I thought, “Here I am, I have the opportunity of sharing this art with somebody who actually enjoys it”,” explained Brasch. 

Brasch strongly believes that art is meant to be shared. More than that though, he believes the stories behind art are also meant to be shared, particularly stories of hope. 

 

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“The source image is from a prison, but the prison is the oldest prison in Uruguay. It closed in 1986 [and] it's become an art gallery. So it's that whole idea of something bad coming into something good. It’s a place for people, for creation, [for] freedom of expression. All of this is able to be there,” explained Brasch.

These kinds of stories are something he feels is sorely needed during these times, but more generally he hopes that people will come away from his art feeling a bit lighter and having found what they needed.

“I just want somebody to go and be able to take a look and just feel, even if it's just a little bit, a little bit of a feel-good moment. They may not know the whole story. They may not have checked the website or anything. If it looks like Christmas ornaments to them, that's fine,” said Brasch.

"I just want somebody to go and be able to take a look and just feel, even if it's just a little bit, a little bit of a feel-good moment. They may not know the whole story. They may not have checked the website or anything. If it looks like Christmas ornaments to them, that's fine."

The current installation will be on display until the end of February.

Changing COVID-19 restrictions raises questions of which communities can celebrate major holidays

Almost 10 months into the pandemic and nearly every major holiday has been impacted. From religious to secular, people across Ontario have adapted yet another part of their lives to celebrate and enjoy the company of loved ones from a distance.

Not every holiday, particularly of the religious sort, has been treated equally by governments and politicians. The past few months have involved numerous religious and cultural holidays and celebrations. However, these moments of joy and peace have been overshadowed by the constantly rising cases of COVID-19 in Ontario.

In a non-exhaustive list, people across Ontario have celebrated Diwali, Hanukkah, Our Lady of Guadalupe Feast Day, Christmas and Gregorian New Year over the past few months. There are still many religious observances, birthdays and celebrations to look forward to. However, as cases continue to rise it will be challenging to predict how the festivities will unfold, especially with the disparity in how different holidays have been celebrated throughout the pandemic.

April 2020, one month after lockdown began in Ontario, involved several major religious observances, including Passover, Easter and the beginning of Ramadan. While Ontario was still in lockdown, Ontario Premier Doug Ford declared the Easter Bunny an essential service, akin to medical care, grocery workers and firefighters.

“So kids, the Easter Bunny is becoming an essential service and we’ll make sure they have the chocolates ready for Easter,” said Ford.

“So kids, the Easter Bunny is becoming an essential service and we’ll make sure they have the chocolates ready for Easter,” said Ford.

Both Theresa Tam, Canada’s chief medical officer of health, and Ford extended the courtesy to Santa Claus in December. Santa Claus was declared an essential worker to ensure that children would still receive their customary Christmas gifts.

Parents, #Santa and I had a call to discuss his #ChristmasEve plan, and don’t worry – he’s cleared as an essential worker in Canada.

Santa also has a special message for all the kids out there. Watch it now: pic.twitter.com/3Wr2YOjmVs

— Canada's CPHO (@CPHO_Canada) December 16, 2020

In a message from Santa himself, Santa assured observers that he had been self-isolating and following other public health measures. 

While these sentiments are meant to be a moment of joy, especially for children facing significant challenges with the pandemic, such moments of joy seemed to be reserved for Christian and religiously-unaffiliated children.

Though holidays like Ramadan and Yom Kippur have not been commercialized in Canada, to the extent that there are fictionalized treat deliverers for children, the messaging from many, including political leaders, around non-Christian celebrations has been called racist and white Christian supremacist.

Continually blaming Brown people in Brampton for rising #COVID19 cases is unnerving & racist.

Instead of learning how people's vulnerabilities are guided by their circumstances (multi-generational households, poverty & employment), we lay blame.

How is this constructive?

— Naheed Dosani (@NaheedD) November 17, 2020

 

In an opinion article published in the Toronto Star in November, three contributors demonstrated how religious celebrations are not to blame for rising COVID-19 cases, particularly in Brampton, Ontario. “It’s not Diwali, it’s precarious employment and less healthcare resources,” read the article title.

The three authors of the article are Sabina Vohra-Miller, Amanpreet (Preet) Brar and Ananya Tina Banerjee, who all work in the healthcare sector. They wrote about how racist stereotypes have overshadowed the inequalities and inequities faced by South Asian communities in Ontario and Canada at large.

“It’s not Diwali, it’s precarious employment and less healthcare resources.”

Many South Asians, especially in communities like Brampton, are forced into precarious employment, financial differences and inequalities in access to healthcare. Racialized peoples are overrepresented in precarious employment across Ontario.

Racialized peoples and communities, immigrants and refugees, low wage workers and precarious employees are all at greater risk of being infected by COVID-19. The expert contributors noted how these social inequities, particularly systemic racism, negatively impact health outcomes, including exposure to COVID-19.

Racialized communities, including South Asian communities, have been vilified for COVID-19 outbreaks.

“[We are] staring down the barrel of another lockdown,” said Ford in mid-November.

Ford noted this prior to Diwali, while Peel Region mayors told their communities that enforcement officials would be patrolling the streets to enforce restricted celebrations.

In an interview with CP24, Mississauga Mayor Bonnie Crombie encouraged residents to be cautious. “Remain vigilant now to avoid jeopardizing the upcoming winter holidays,” said Crombie. 

“Remain vigilant now to avoid jeopardizing the upcoming winter holidays,” said Crombie. 

At least three Diwali gatherings were disrupted by police and bylaw officers in Brampton. At the time, Peel Region was in the red zone that allowed for up to 100 people outdoors for religious services. Police said that fines were issued to Gurdwara Nanaskar for a gathering; however, it is unclear whether the outdoor celebration exceeded the limit of 100 people.

In an article published on Dec. 20 by CP24, sources with knowledge of the province’s public health decisions said that all of Ontario would enter lockdown at 12:01 a.m. on Dec. 24. Several medical experts, including the Ontario Health Association and Dr. Abdu Sharkawy, were cited in the article. The Ontario Health Association recommended a four-week lockdown across Ontario.

In an interview with CP24, Sharkawy was worried about the impact of a delay in lockdown measures.

“I’m really worried these people will use these four days . . . to forge a mad scramble towards malls and retailers to try and get those last minute Christmas gifts, or perhaps to gather in social occasions with others before we’re all locked down,” said Sharkawy.

A lockdown would further restrict social gatherings, which were a high concern for many health experts with Christmas approaching. 

As of Dec. 21, 21 public health units in Ontario were in green, yellow or orange zones. These zones allowed for indoor gatherings of up to 10 people, restaurants and bars to operate at reduced capacity, including over Christmas.

Yet, Ontario did not announce a lockdown as of Dec. 24. Instead, Ford announced on Dec. 21 that Ontario would enter lockdown after Christmas. The lockdown and tighter restrictions were implemented as of Dec. 26.

“The province announced new restrictions starting on Boxing Day — after people would have already done their last-minute shopping and gathered for the holidays,” wrote Toronto Star Health Reporter Jennifer Yang.

“[The after-Christmas lockdown] gave people implicit permission to proceed with their holiday plans,” said Dr. Lanard.

Yang interviewed Jody Lanard, a risk communications expert, about the lockdown. “[The after-Christmas lockdown] gave people implicit permission to proceed with their holiday plans,” said Dr. Lanard.

After Christmas, there has been a significant shift in COVID-19 cases across Ontario. Public health units previously in green, yellow and orange zones have seen infection rates doubling since Christmas. 

As of Nov. 29, Lambton Public Health Unit had 14 active cases and an infection rate of 12.2 cases per 100,000 people. Lambton moved from the green to yellow zone the following day, but remained in the yellow until the Dec. 26 lockdown. In the same week, City of Hamilton Public Health Services had 473 active cases and an infection rate of 80.7 cases per 100,000 people. Hamilton was locked down as of Dec. 21.

Now, as of Jan. 13, Lambton has 261 active cases and an infection rate of 226 cases per 100,000 people. Hamilton now has 1,111 active cases but an infection rate of 148 cases per 100,000 people.

With the significant increases of COVID-19 cases in the two weeks following Christmas and increased lockdown measures as of Jan. 14, there are questions about how Christmas celebrations were policed.

With the significant increases of COVID-19 cases in the two weeks following Christmas and increased lockdown measures as of Jan. 14, there are questions about how Christmas celebrations were policed. The vast increases in cases and loose restrictions appear to indicate that families still gathered and traveled for Christmas, such as Ontario MPP Randy Hillier. 

https://twitter.com/randyhillier/status/1349103021872082944

Yet, there appear to be few, if any, news stories on how these gatherings were policed or if any were shutdown. Global News reported that the Ontario Provincial Police are aware of Hillier’s gathering but it is unclear if charges will be laid or fines levied. Hillier also remains as an independent MPP.

Hamilton photographer demonstrates the importance of exploration through photos

On Jan. 1, 2020, lifestyle and boudoir photographer Iryna Kostichin posted her first photo of Hamilton to her then-new Instagram page, 365 Days Of Hamont. The photo of the residential street was the first step in a project intended to showcase all that Hamilton has to offer.

Although Kostichin was born and raised in Hamilton, she didn’t truly start exploring the city until after she graduated from McMaster University in 2017 with a degree in social psychology. She moved out for the first time and was figuring out what she wanted to do with her life. It was in the period of self-discovery after graduation that she began exploring the city.

 

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During this time, she also returned to photography, a passion of hers from childhood that she had put aside as a viable career choice.  

“A few years ago, I was in a really rough spot. I was graduated and I had a degree and I was in a job that I really didn't like . . . and I was like “I really don't want to do this for the rest of my life. I need to find something where I work for myself and I'm responsible for everything, job-wise”. So I ended up getting a social media coordinator job and then that year I was exploring portrait photography," said Kostichin.

Kostichin wanted to put her social media skills towards a project that showcases her hometown’s beauty and combats its bad reputation, leading to 365 Days of Hamont. To gather the photos for the page, she goes on a few weekly adventure walks, taking pictures of places and objects she passes. Her goal is to show various representations of Hamilton, from the buildings to nature to food.

Kostichin wanted to put her social media skills towards a project that showcases her hometown’s beauty and combats its bad reputation, leading to 365 Days of Hamont.

The project began as a commitment to posting daily in 2020, but over the year, this plan changed as Kostichin found the daily commitment challenging. Now over a year after the project began, Kostichin is a little over halfway through her original 365 days. 

 

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The pandemic also limited how much she was able to explore the city because she doesn’t have a car. It has also been difficult to explore new destinations when lockdowns have closed many places in Hamilton. However, despite these challenges, Kostichin is looking forward to diving back into the project this year.

“So definitely next steps are continuing on this journey and not putting so much pressure on myself to do it every single day . . . I started out thinking I was going to post every day and get all this engagement and get to the end of 365 days, right? But realistically I haven't reached that and exploring Hamilton really isn't only a 365-day project. So I can live a whole lifetime and still not see the whole city, which is exciting I guess. So I'm just excited to continue to carry the torch and help others explore the city,” said Kostichin.

"So I can live a whole lifetime and still not see the whole city, which is exciting I guess. So I'm just excited to continue to carry the torch and help others explore the city."

For students in Hamilton that are looking to explore, Kostichin suggests taking it one neighbourhood at a time. Especially during COVID, she suggests picking a neighbourhood and just walking around it.

As her exploration of the city is tied to her self-exploration, the latter is also very important to Kostichin. Through her boudoir photography business, she is encouraging individuals to explore new parts of themselves. Her own journey from social psychology major to full-time photographer and business owner is proof of the importance of self-discovery.

 

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“I use psychology in my day-to-day life. Even in a social media job, a lot of it is psychology. Then being in a social media job also using photography and really discovering that aspect of myself and bringing it back and now I'm actually going to be like a full-time photographer this year and start my own business. So just because people tell you [that you] can't do it really doesn't mean you can't do it, because here I am with a university degree and I'm making money from something that I taught myself,” said Kostichin. 

"So just because people tell you [that you] can't do it really doesn't mean you can't do it, because here I am with a university degree and I'm making money from something that I taught myself."

Kostichin’s story shows that with hard work and a little exploration, students might be able to turn their time at McMaster into the life of their dreams.

Postcards from Anywhere provides a plethora of opportunities for the new year

As most of us are homebound for the foreseeable future, there is hardly any place we may visit that could be considered picturesque or something that would be featured on a traditional postcard. 

A postcard typically features a photo of impossibly breathtaking coasts or colourful, lively skylines that one would send family or friends from their vacation. However, thanks to projects such as Trisha Lavoie’s Postcards from Anywhere, new opportunities abound, including the chance to rediscover our local communities.

Growing up, photography and mail were important pieces of Lavoie’s life. Her father also enjoyed photography, always encouraging Lavoie to take photos. As a teenager, she was drawn to what she described as boring postcards, depicting scenes such as empty restaurants or turnpikes and started collecting them.

“I've always had a small divergent interest in photography, even though it's not the primary artistic medium that I participate in. But I've also had a wide interest in different forms of visual representation art and mail art and things like that. And correspondence has always been a really big part of my life. I'm someone who grew up with pen pals, some of whom I'm still friends with to this day. So I guess that all boils down to how this project started to germinate in my mind,” said Lavoie. 

"I've always had a small divergent interest in photography, even though it's not the primary artistic medium that I participate in. But I've also had a wide interest in different forms of visual representation art and mail art and things like that. And correspondence has always been a really big part of my life."

When the pandemic started, many artist-run centres and galleries where Lavoie showcased her art were closed. The artist started to search for something different that she could do. This desire to do something new, combined with her love of boring postcards, seemed especially fitting during this time when we’re not only unable to travel but are also missing our loved ones dearly.

 

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“It's basically a subscription service where for the next 12 months of the year you will receive boring photographic images or boring postcards, however you want to describe them, done by different artists from different parts of Canada,” explained Lavoie.

There is a small fee associated with the service to help offset the costs of printing but also because it was important to Lavoie to be able to compensate the contributing artists for their work.

Like Lavoie, many of the artists who have contributed work to the project are not traditionally photographers either. Lavoie wanted to encourage others — artists and postcard recipients alike — to try new things but also to take another look at their world. To that end, she hopes that this will be an opportunity for individuals to discover new artists in a time when it’s not possible to do so in the typical fashion.

Lavoie wanted to encourage others — artists and postcard recipients alike — to try new things but also to take another look at their world. To that end, she hopes that this will be an opportunity for individuals to discover new artists in a time when it’s not possible to do so in the typical fashion.

“I hope it just brings a little bit of delight to their day . . . I hope that somebody might take a look at [the images] and kind of have a bit of a laugh. [A]lso in the case of people who are being sent cards by other people, it gives them a little moment of joy to get a piece of mail from someone they love,” said Lavoie.

For Lavoie, writing postcards has also been a bit of a therapeutic practice, helping her to stay connected with friends and family during the past few months.

“There's something kind of weirdly therapeutic for me to just sit down and force myself to just write a letter or write a postcard to someone. You're thinking about that person and you're thinking about what you're going to write to them, even if it's just for a small period of time and you're not distracted by other things. [F]or me, you want to try to make it witty, you want to try to make it a little funny, you want it to be entertaining . . . it forces you to just step back, I think and do that,” explained Lavoie.

"There's something kind of weirdly therapeutic for me to just sit down and force myself to just write a letter or write a postcard to someone."

Many appear to feel the same as her, with a number of individuals purchasing the postcards as a gift to loved ones, near and far. Lavoie has found the positive reception a very uplifting part of the project. 

 

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Initially, Lavoie had planned for Postcards from Anywhere to span only the year, but she did also mention that depending on if she continues to receive artist contributions and if there is still interest, she might consider continuing it.

Either way, as we move forward into this new year, projects like Postcards from Anywhere provide us with much-needed opportunities to reconnect with our local communities, learn about new artists and connect with loved ones.

By: Esther Liu, Contributor

The Silhouette: Would you have a conversation with a stranger?

David Kim: My friend once shared with me that “strangers are friends you just haven't met yet.” So, yes, I definitely would and I definitely have! Most of my friends know I’m from a small rural town in the middle of absolutely nowhere. We’re talking more cows and crops than there are people . . . It’s small, so people are friendly, right?

If you saw someone walking towards you, the normal thing to do is to ask: "Hey, how's it going?" [It’s] the whole rural hospitality thing . . .  But coming to university, I’ve found that these interactions don’t happen a lot in the city. People are busy and live their lives with that trendy belief that they are the main characters of their life. People have very little time for those that are not in their immediate circle of friends – let alone strangers.

Do you have a story about a time you connected with a stranger?

I remember when I was volunteering, I was paired with this stranger. We just sat down in the cold talking for hours about our lives. I never got to see her again, I forgot her name, but I remember us just talking about what we were doing and why we do it — our stories. I think that everyone has a story that contributes to who they are.

I think we're very quick to make assumptions, but when you unfold that story, you learn more about why we do the things we do, more about their thought processes and beliefs. So, we started talking about our belief systems and our values. I remember that we even talked about the meaning of life and what we're heading to – what's the end goal, right? We were talking about our different beliefs and how she believes in a different kind of afterlife. Things like that make me think about the fact that, yeah, people are very complicated.

There’s a word I learned recently that comes to mind: sonder. [It’s] “the realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own, with their own ambitions, worries, routines, wounds and victories.”

Every person I pass by on the street, every random commenter on a Facebook post, every face within the inch by inch rectangle on my Zoom call lives a unique life of their own. Basically, everyone's living their own complex lives. I think that when we think of strangers, we think of them as non-player characters. You only see a slice of their lives and that's about it. But, when you slow down, you start to appreciate others more. It’s really allowed me to learn more about empathy and the value of being quick to listen and slow to speak.

How else do you think being from a small town has changed or influenced you?

[I] remember that one lesson on the allegory of Plato’s cave: they're always like looking at a world of shadows. I don’t remember what purpose it’s actually meant to serve, but I felt like one of those people in the cave in my town: they only look at a wall of shadows and think that this is all there is, that this is the world.

Living in a small town, I kind of figured everything around me was all there was, that this is my reality for now. But moving to Hamilton, it felt like turning my head around and actually realizing there’s a whole other world that’s casting those shadows.

Entering university in the city was an absolute culture shock, even within the same province. I would say that everyone that I met in university is from the Greater Toronto Area. They have a set list of shared experiences that I don't think I normally had. I didn't realize how multicultural Hamilton could be in terms of people, places and food.

I had some amazing friends whose regular form of entertainment was introducing me to new things that were commonplace for them and seeing my reaction: noraebang, dim sum, bubble tea. I remember choking on what I thought were small rubber balls accidentally added into my drink . . .  I never had a lot of different foods, never had a lot of those experiences. Even my conversations were different. My conversations about religion, about values, about ambitions. I feel like there are new colours in my life.

Would you say that you prefer the small-town life or a more urban life?

If you asked me three years ago, I would say I definitely prefer the city life even though I never fully experienced it . . . But now that I've actually experienced somewhat of a city like Hamilton — I don't know if people consider that a big city — I realize that there are great experiences but that I've just gotten used to the people back home. Right? Your hometown is a hometown for a reason: there's something about it that draws you. But, as a student right now, I'd say that I prefer the city.

I mean, this is my fourth year, it was supposed to be my year on campus. But with the unpredictability of what’s happening around us, there’s a certain sense of serenity and familiarity walking the streets I know well.

Students volunteering on the frontlines speak on their experiences during these difficult days

This article is a part of the Sil Time Capsule, a series that reflects on 2020 with the aim to draw attention to the ways in which it has affected our community as well as the wider world.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been at the forefront for much of this year, even before it was officially declared as such in early March. It has affected every one of us in some way and has rightly dominated our news headlines. The pervasive nature of the pandemic has also drawn our attention to the indispensable but often unrecognized work of those who have been on the frontlines of this crisis.

Hospital staff are, of course, among this group, having been involved with the pandemic since the beginning. However, the crisis has drawn attention to essential work done by not just the nurses and physicians, but also the administrators, janitors, paramedics, screeners, security workers, social workers and x-ray technicians among many others.

The pandemic has also drawn attention to the essential services and workers beyond the hospital, including construction workers, firefighters, gas station and grocery store clerks, long-term care home workers, social services workers, teachers, transit operators, truck drivers and utility services workers. This list does not even begin to scratch the surface of how many frontline workers still go to their job each and every day in order to make our lives easier.

Prior to the pandemic, arguably many people took these services for granted and those working in these industries received little recognition for their work. Now, these individuals are at the forefront of the crisis, keeping our communities going during these difficult days. It has never been more apparent just how essential they are.

Before the pandemic, many students already occupied jobs that are now considered essential. In 2007, 61% of working full-time students were employed in the retail and foodservice industries. Heading into the pandemic, individuals aged 15 to 24 were more likely than other age groups to hold jobs in industries hit hard by the pandemic, such as accommodation and foodservice.

Fourth-year student Alyssa Taylor has been working at her café job for 2 years. When the pandemic hit, she continued to work.

“Working during the pandemic has been a strange time. Every shift I came into, especially near the beginning, there were new rules and protocols that were never really explained thoroughly. Everyone really got thrown into it and we had to figure things out for ourselves, much like the rest of the world during this time and it was difficult. Although there were many challenges, it was good for me personally because I began to get more hours, responsibility and seniority at work,” said Taylor.

"Every shift I came into, especially near the beginning, there were new rules and protocols that were never really explained thoroughly. Everyone really got thrown into it and we had to figure things out for ourselves, much like the rest of the world during this time and it was difficult," said fourth-year student Alyssa Taylor.

Many other students were prompted to help out in any way they could. Senior nursing students have continued to do clinical placements and many have also worked with community organizations in Hamilton on an initiative to provide homeless individuals and those at risk of homelessness with necessary personal protective equipment, such as masks.

Students have been involved in a number of other capacities as well. Some students have decided to make masks and other PPE for healthcare workers. Others volunteered in food services and healthcare settings. Shalom Joseph and Emma Timewell were among these students volunteering on the frontlines.

“We were like: “we need to do something, we need a job, we need to keep ourselves occupied” and then we noticed a lot of other students are doing the same thing. They were doing their thesis or they were just taking a semester off and they were working at the hospital. [There were also] a lot of [University of Toronto and Ryerson University] students, like nursing students even just generally working [at hospitals], giving their time back. And it was really nice to see that,” said Joseph.

Joseph volunteered as a COVID screener at a Toronto hospital emergency room. He was one of the first points of contact for patients arriving at the hospital and would ask them what has now become standard questions regarding symptoms and travel history.

Joseph volunteered as a COVID screener at a Toronto hospital emergency room. He was one of the first points of contact for patients arriving at the hospital and would ask them what has now become standard questions regarding symptoms and travel history.

Joseph felt that it was important to give back to his community which had supported him during his own difficult days. However, watching the pandemic unfold in this way has been extremely difficult and emotionally draining work.

“It's a role that's mentally daunting . . . it's really hard to stop thinking about the occurrences of an ER and the events of an ER when you don’t want to. You process these events and memories later on when you're ready to process them and that's not something that everybody understands. Not everybody understands that when you work a job in the hospital, or even anywhere that could have that sort of effect on you, that you need some time afterwards to relax and to form a community while doing that — it's very difficult because you have to focus on one thing at a time,” explained Joseph.

"Not everybody understands that when you work a job in the hospital, or even anywhere that could have that sort of effect on you, that you need some time afterwards to relax and to form a community while doing that — it's very difficult because you have to focus on one thing at a time,” explained Joseph.

Additionally, Joseph mentioned that while he is grateful that he is able to do this for his community, he has found that it has made it more difficult for him to connect with other parts of his community, such as friends from McMaster. In part, because he has spent so much time on the frontlines, Joseph is well acquainted with the risks of coronavirus and has been very strict with regard to following social distancing guidelines and other pandemic protocols. However, this is something that many of his friends did not understand or agree with.

“So me and my friend groups [have not been] as close as we were. Some people in my life did take offence to that. They did say, “oh, you're being too worried about it" or, "you're taking it too far, we haven't seen each other in six months”,” said Joseph.

Timewell was on exchange in the United Kingdom when the pandemic was declared and chose to remain there rather than return to Canada. Over the summer months, she volunteered with a local food delivery program, packaging groceries and delivering them to members of the community who were self-isolating.

Timewell was on exchange in the United Kingdom when the pandemic was declared and chose to remain there rather than return to Canada. Over the summer months, she volunteered with a local food delivery program, packaging groceries and delivering them to members of the community who were self-isolating.

Though it was often difficult and demanding work, both mentally and physically, Timewell felt that her volunteer work had not only given her something to do during the lockdown but also, as someone new to the community, it gave her the opportunity to connect with people.

“Especially during the heart of the first lockdown, it really helped me feel a part of a community that I didn't even live in before the pandemic started. Because we're doing all these deliveries and stuff, I got to know the actual physical location really well. I've been to every square inch of this borough that I never lived in before and then also, I got to know a lot of people that I would never have met and not just young people [either]. There were a lot of people who had lost their jobs and so they were volunteering because they couldn't find a job at the time, or [people] who were retired who would come and talk. Or even on our deliveries, we got to have short conversations [with people in the community],” said Timewell.

Connections and community are so important during trying times and in many ways, frontline workers have been a rallying point for communities. People have come together to support these essential services workers, offering their help in a variety of ways from childcare to therapy.

Additionally, as Timewell mentioned, volunteering or working in these services can facilitate the formation of new connections, especially for students who are not able to connect with their usual community in the same way.

“I think it's been really difficult not being able to be on campus. I think it takes away a lot of the community . . . I think [volunteering] can be a great opportunity for a lot of people to have a little bit of social interaction at a time that isn't really built for that,” added Timewell.

“I think it's been really difficult not being able to be on campus. I think it takes away a lot of the community . . . I think [volunteering] can be a great opportunity for a lot of people to have a little bit of social interaction at a time that isn't really built for that,” added Timewell.

As we move forward into the winter months, our frontline workers are going to be increasingly more important and it is imperative that we continue to support them and each other now, but also after this crisis has passed.

By shopping local, consumers can use their economic power to mitigate the inequitable destructive effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on small businesses

In the highly divisive political and social atmosphere brought about by the pandemic, one message has been almost universally applauded: shop local. It is no secret that the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic are distributed unequally.

Case in point: since the start of the pandemic, one in ten restaurants across Canada have permanently closed their doors while Canadian billionaires’ wealth has increased by over $53 billion dollars.

This is not a uniquely Canadian problem — the global debt to gross domestic product ratio has soared to a record 365 per cent, with emerging economies and developing nations bearing the greatest burden. Meanwhile, billionaires worldwide have seen their holdings mushroom by 27 per cent. A k-shaped recovery, indeed.

In Ontario, the unfairness of shuttering small businesses whilst allowing large retailers to continue to sell both essential and non-essential items has generated both confusion and outrage. However, appeals to Doug Ford’s government, such as a petition by the Canadian Federation of Independent Businesses seem to have faced silence.

As the numerous inequalities are spelled out in red, we are left to determine if the uneven financial impacts of COVID are more a product of the realities of a pandemic or the discretionary actions of government. Frankly, evidence points unmistakably to the latter.

In Ontario, the harshest lockdowns prohibit indoor and outdoor restaurant service and only stores providing essential products or services are permitted to remain open. However, big-box stores that are allowed to stay open because they sell essential products are thereby able to continue selling non-essential products, wielding an unfair competitive advantage over small businesses. Why can I walk into Costco and buy clothes, but at a regular clothing store I need to order online and pick them up curbside? 

However, big-box stores that are allowed to stay open because they sell essential products are thereby able to continue selling non-essential products, wielding an unfair competitive advantage over small businesses. Why can I walk into Costco and buy clothes, but at a regular clothing store I need to order online and pick them up curbside? 

In Manitoba, this injustice was addressed by government regulations ordering that any store permitted to remain open could only sell essential products – anything else would only be available through curbside pickup. To ensure compliance, stores had to remove or rope off the non-essentials.

In November, Costco was hit with a $5000 for defying the government regulations. And in Ontario? Doug Ford assures us that he consulted with the Chief Executive Officer of Walmart Canada — but not thousands of small business owners — and concluded that forcing big-box retailers to comply with restrictions on the sale of non-essential items would be a “logistical nightmare,” so it wasn’t worth the trouble.

With the government refusing to address the inequity of closing some businesses and not others, consumers must take it upon themselves to level the playing field. This is the ethos behind “buy local.”

There are myriad benefits to shopping at local businesses: supporting the regional and national economy, ensuring the integrity of supply chains (it’s more than a little disconcerting to go to the grocery store and see empty shelves) and promoting the development of a middle class.

Unfortunately, buying local is expensive. For many people, the effort to support community businesses has become more about virtue and status signalling for the wealthy than a feasible economic alternative. Furthermore, buying products for a substantially higher cost than is necessary undermines one of the central tenets of our economic system: competition.

The benefits of marketplace competition manifest themselves in its corollary: economist Joseph Schumpeter’s creative destruction. The idea is that businesses unable to cope with current market conditions will die off and be replaced by newer ones, thereby ensuring a healthy and vigorous economy that benefits businesses as well as consumers.

The fear is, then, that the economic burden of buying local will be overly-taxing on consumers and will create an uncompetitive local economy that will impair post-pandemic recovery.

However, COVID-19 can be seen as a time of “created” and not creative destruction. Government shutdown regulations and not changing consumer preferences have altered the consumer marketplace to suit the very specific and very temporary economic conditions of the pandemic. Thus, buying the cheapest and most easily available product is not bolstering an efficient economy, it is exacerbating the unfair advantages enjoyed by large corporations in an artificial marketplace.

Post-pandemic, the government regulations will end, but the effects of our consumer behaviour during the pandemic will endure. Therefore, those who can afford to shop local should — nothing less than the long-term economic health of our communities is at stake.