Maybe it’s because I’m the son of a man born in 1906, shortly after Queen Victoria died. Dad was sired out of a mixed marriage between a Scot from Inverness and an Anglo from Kent. There’s something about this time in history inspires a sense of wonder when I walk the streets of Cabbagetown. It […]
Contributed by Alexandra Yeboah The last time I heard her laugh, was the day she made a remark about my smile. I didn’t readily embrace her compliment then, as it felt strange for her to be commenting on my “white teeth,” in such a somber moment. Shortly after, I reached for her hand, and thought […]
Contributed by María Cristina Sabourin-Jovel (Queen María) September 21st 2021, lights on! Last mic check! The Spoken Word Café was live on Zoom. Nerves, expectations, butterflies! Writers from the eight groups that the WCC runs in Ottawa delighted the audience with their brave creations. Some spoke about the intergenerational trauma of residential schools; others discussed […]
Contributed by Samantha Peck. “A welcome reprieve from the harsh realities of life.” “A transformative experience.” “Life changing.” These are a few of the things I was told by the family caregivers who participated in expressive writing workshop sessions run by the Toronto Writers Collective. In March 2020, long-term care was rocked by the onset […]
Contributed by André Bermon, Publisher of The Bridge News. Behind the hysteria of Covid-19 cases and deaths, the wealth of the top percenters continues to grow. While the pandemic has upended the lives of millions of people around the world, large corporations are quietly amassing one of the largest consolidations of wealth in human history. […]
Contributed by Shirin Tobie-Paul. I brought my children to their weekly chess game at the Evelyn Gregory Library where I found a page about a weekly writing workshop. How serendipitous! I was looking for an activity that allowed me to slow down. I inquired about the workshop, signed up for the next week and my […]
Contributed by Debjani Sinha Do you hear this background noise in your head? “You’re too loud!” “You won’t make it.” “They don’t like you.” “You look bloated.” “It’s all your fault.” and “Here you go again…”. I do. I always have. Even though some of them might be true, it is not the end […]
Written by A. Das Sarkar. — Grief is an unwelcomed teacher who inevitably comes knocking on each of our doors. The question is not, do we answer? But, how? When I lost my mother, Maa, I felt rudderless. More than my mother, she was my best friend, my teacher, my most heartfelt cheerleader, and the […]
