Comments
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My future career hasn’t been invented yet
My father always told me to pursue whatever I was passionate about, because my future career hadn’t been invented yet. This advice is a clear product of the world my father inhabited. He grew up as a farmer in the 1970s and went to a free college to study computer networks just in time to get a career in the booming tech scene of the ’90s.
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To post or not to post?
Growing up, social media was new and something fun to do. It was a way for people to see what another person’s life was like through the screen of a phone.
Many people have now made careers out of social media. Some of these positions include work as social-media managers, communications coordinators, YouTubers or influencers.
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‘Gay’ isn’t a bad word
Not much has changed about my high school in the decade since I graduated. The halls may be painted a slightly different colour, and I now walk them as an educator, but they still echo with students casually dropping “that’s so gay” or “no homo” into conversation.
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Letting the community down
On March 6, the loved ones of people who died of overdoses placed black balloons accompanied by memorials around the city. Black Balloon Day is an international event to honour those who have died of overdoses and to raise awareness about the opioid crisis.
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Support in seven pages
I sat, hunched, in the emergency room for six hours before being shuttled down the corridor to yet another crammed, industrial space. I don’t remember the colour of the curtains hung around my bed (likely beige) or the precise antiseptic scent in the air.
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Carbon’s ugly cousin: methane
Most Winnipeggers likely think the only options for their waste are “recycling” or “garbage.” Even a lot of environmentalists who try to avoid plastic packaging likely toss their organic matter in the trash without wringing their hands over it too much. But when those potato peels, eggshells and old leftovers decompose in the landfill, they produce methane.
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‘Just doing something shameful’
Amid the flags, signs and trailers that greeted me when I stepped outside my front door last month, one cluster of people caught my attention. It was the morning of Feb. 4, and a journalist stood at the crosswalk connecting Broadway and Memorial, interviewing unmasked protestors.
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Travelling was necessary for me
This autumn, with COVID-19 cases at a steady low and a permanent residency card in hand, I decided to visit family members and my long-time boyfriend in São Paulo, Brazil. The holiday break seemed like an incredible opportunity to book a trip to my home country.
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New Year, Same Sh*t
I was excited to nicely tuck away the “pandemic part” of my life away and go back to “normal.”
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Favourite local public art piece
1. The toppling of the Queen Victoria statue
2. Bloody Saturday by Bernie Miller and Noam Gonick / Forever Bicycles by Ai Weiwei (tie) -
Favourite political moment
1. Brian Pallister resigns
2. Queen Victoria statue toppled
3. Wab Kinew interrupts Alan Lagimodiere -
Favourite COVID-safe date activity
1. Taking a walk in the park
2. Stay home and watch a movie
3. Picnic -
Stepping into the forgotten world of live events
My entire life has always revolved around the arts. As a singer, I love seeing concerts, orchestral performances and open-mic nights. As an actor, I love watching plays, musicals and improv. As a visual artist, I enjoy attending gallery openings, art shows and just generally being around talent and art.
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Time for some spooky reflection
With Halloween around the corner, people are getting into a spooky mood. Many will celebrate by wearing costumes, eating candy or going out for drinks. Others, however, have more mindful nights planned.
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Right-wing extremism finds a foothold
The People’s Party of Canada (PPC) made headlines last month as they garnered 5 per cent, or about 800,000 total votes, in the recent federal election. Much of their success can be attributed to the COVID-19 pandemic, which created a fertile environment for extremist conspiracy theories to thrive online.
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To medicate or not to medicate
In 2019, I came across a video called “True cost of US healthcare shocks the British public.” I hate to admit it, but it made me laugh – a lot.
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‘Conversations about stigma’ are all talk
In mid-September, Winnipeg-born singer-songwriter Chantal Kreviazuk spoke to multiple media outlets about “ending the stigma around talking about mental health.” As Kreviazuk told CTV News Winnipeg, “I’ve always believed we’re only as strong as the person who’s having the most challenging time in our immediate family, in our community.
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‘On the shoulders of the unvaccinated’
I broke one of the cardinal rules of journalism. I read the comments.
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Therapy from home actually worked for me
Everyone should have the chance to go to therapy.
Not because we’re all dealing with serious mental illnesses, but because it’s beneficial to talk out tough and negative feelings.
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Well, that accomplished nothing
In the ramp-up to the Canadian federal election on Monday, Sept. 20, politicians and news media alike were reminding voters that this would be the “most important” election of our lifetimes. But when the smoke cleared and the votes were tallied, it may well have been the least consequential election in Canadian history.