Found WWII letters from Canadian hero reveal beautiful love story

“Every Sunday, the St. Lawrence Antique Market bustles with life in one of Toronto’s oldest neighbourhoods. Vendors display a colourful array of relics and artifacts from earlier eras for bargain hunters like me to dig through. You can find vintage typewriters, jade and platinum jewelry, art deco credenzas and davenports, vinyl records and all sorts of other knick-knacks and doodads from the past. One Sunday late last year, I peeked into a cardboard box on the floor and found a stack of love letters tucked inside a Ziploc bag. They appeared to date between 1942 and 1944 and were written by someone named Edward Northern, who I learned was a flight lieutenant stationed overseas with the 420 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).”

Christine Estima – The United Church Observer – November 2018

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Day of the Dead helped me find peace after losing my mom

“Once a year, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 2, Mexicans pause to remember and celebrate deceased family members whose spirits are said to visit the land of the living during this window. For many Canadians, death might seem an inappropriate cause for celebration — too sorrowful or morbid — but Día de Muertos is actually a joyous occasion. With food, drink, dancing and parties, the mood is more carnival than funeral. So, there I am, standing before the altar that I helped to build together with a group of friends and family earlier that day. Though no one else is there, I still feel awkward and self-conscious. I whisper the words I was advised to say aloud: ‘Mom, I’d like you to visit. Are you here?’ I am skeptical. But hopeful.”

 

Nancy Fornasiero – The United Church Observer – October 2018

Instead of retirement, these two nurses are battling Vancouver’s opioid crisis

“At age 71 and 65 respectively, the pair — who are both married, with children or stepchildren and grandkids — embrace their unconventional work. Two years ago, as the principals of Action Based Care Nursing Consultants, they took on a full-time three-year contract with Lookout Housing and Health Society, a charity that provides residency and support services to low- and no-income individuals in the lower mainland of British Columbia. Nothing about the gig turned out to be straightforward, however. Just as they were hitting the streets, the opioid crisis exploded.”

Roberta Staley – The United Church Observer – July 2018

When friends decide to co-parent: A look at the modern family

“Besides their adoration of Elaan, the two friends found they shared parenting values, such as ‘lavishing the kids with affection and kindness,’ says Collins. They made decisions about Elaan’s care together and organized their schedules to share duties. Collins developed a strong bond with Elaan, who refers to her as ‘Lindy-mom.’ She was more than a family friend or godmother — she had become Elaan’s parent.”

 

Raizel Robin – The United Church Observer – June 2018

The Cosby Showdown

“Bill Cosby is within close enough range that I could sail a paper airplane at his head and be reasonably certain I’d hit my target. It’s early January, and I’m sitting in the centre of the second row at Hamilton Place, where Cosby is set to appear for his third and final Canadian performance, part of a North American tour continuing until this June. Four-teen theatres have already cancelled his show due to the storm of ongoing publicity surrounding the allegations of 30 women who claim he drugged and sexually assaulted them. While there have been a few small demonstrations outside his shows, no group has ventured inside the protected bubble of the concert halls where he continues to be adored. Until now.”

Anne Bokma – The United Church Observer – May 2015

Egerton Ryerson: The legacy of a tarnished hero

“A student-led social justice campaign at Toronto’s Ryerson University last summer was oddly reminiscent of the front-page volleys by a young Egerton Ryerson. The Methodist leader railed against Upper Canadian political elites as editor of the Christian Guardian almost 190 years ago. But this time, the target was Ryerson himself. Widely honoured as the parent of free, universal basic education in what is now Ontario, he also endorsed residential school education for Indigenous children. And the students feel the latter legacy trumps the former.”

Mike Milne – United Church Observer – March 2018