Not So Boring Conversations

Low frequency sounds by large industrial machines have been recorded throughout North America from a 36 Hz tone produced by a cooling tower at a local DaimlerChrysler casting plant in Kokomo, Indiana to a vacuum pump used by CalPortland to offload cargo from ships in West Seattle. These constant droning sounds (called Hums) can affect surrounding neighborhoods keeping people awake at night, causing headaches and other ailments which can lead to stress and anxiety for those forced to live with it. Windsor, Ontario, Canada has its own hum. A 35 Hz sound believed to be coming from across the Detroit River affecting residents on the Canadian side. I spoke with Mike Provost a member of the The Windsor/Essex County Hum group and one of the many residents affected by the hum about his experience and what his group is doing about it.

Originally drawn as a mascot for a failed comic book fanzine and named after a spelling mistake Cerebus the Aardvarks comic book adventure ran for 300 issues. A 6,000 page tale about a lovable earth pig, starting as a parody of Conan the Barbarian and in time turning into a story about life, love, beliefs, loneliness and death. Dave Sim, the man who drew and wrote all 300 issues with amazing detailed background work by Gerhard showed us that comic book characters can age and grow with their audience. Mr. Sim has had his ups and downs and has gotten himself into trouble with his political and religious views but for 27 years he did Cerebus his way, from book 1 to book 300 and has left us a story unique in the comic world. I spoke to Mr. Sim by phone at his home in Kitchener Ontario about starting out in the comic book world interviewing writers and artists, to the journey of Cerebus and about his future project The Strange Death of Alex Raymond.

We all see something that we would like to change for the better. However we tell ourselves we lack time, experience or money. We have excuses. Tamara Kowalska saw something that needed to be changed and did it. No excuses. From a chance encounter with a homeless teen to establishing and becoming the director of the Windsor Youth Centre Tamara has shown that you can make a difference in your community, you can take action. Tamara and her staff have created a home for the homeless and at risk youth in Windsor. A place they can be safe, get help and be treated with respect. I spoke with Tamara at The Windsor Youth Centre about the help her and her staff provides and how challenges in our life can help us be better.

Writing can be a powerful tool. Writing can give people the ability to express themselves, to introduce other cultures and ideas, to deal with loss and grief and to sometimes just tell stories about dogs collecting golf balls. Pamela Goldstein spent a large part of her life helping people as a nurse but now having published many short stories and with several manuscripts at the ready, Pamela is now a writer. Not content with just changing her life with writing Pamela has helped create the Windsor International Writers which holds workshops and conferences for aspiring writers from around the world. She was also instrumental in the creation of a summer camp for young writers that helps children use their tools to tell their stories. I talked with Pamela (and her dogs) at her home about the power of writing and the future of the Windsor International Writers.

Micheal J. Krym is a busy man. A published author, playwright, philosopher and actor Micheal creates art with a tragic Eastern European style which hopefully requires a Western audience to think about the world around them a little different. Not content to make just "feel good fiction" Micheal wants to create art that has something to say, to leave his mark. I got the chance to talk with Micheal outside a local cafe about his past works like his book Eidos: A Search for Home, his present play Okno and his future projects.

A voice can be a powerful tool. For a trained opera singer it is the tool they use to share their emotions with an audience, to draw the audience into their world. Erin Armstrong spent much of her early years travelling across Canada and the world performing and perfecting her operatic voice, her tool. Speaking with Erin the first thing I notice is her strong passion for opera. The second think I notice is her greater passion to share her knowledge of opera. From teaching children at Music Moves Kids to creating, performing and directing operas for Windsor's Abridged Opera Company, Erin is busy sharing her voice and talents with people hoping her passion for opera spreads like a powerful voice filling a theatre.

History is important. It reminds of us of who we are where we came from and the mistakes we have made along the way. Geoff Bottoms the Founder of the Southern Ontario Military Muster (SOMM for short) and Doug Hedge the current President want to make sure that the people in Windsor Essex know and remember their military history. I talked with Geoff (don't call him Mr. Bottoms, that's his dad) and Doug about their work with the Not For Profit Charitable Organization. From recovering derelict war vehicles built in and around Windsor Essex during the wars and restoring them to new, to helping and honouring veterans in ceremonies and community events year round and to holding their annual Southern Ontario Military Muster Event which educates the public about our history the SOMM works tirelessly to make sure we never forget. The SOMM Remembers.

"Life is a journey, not a destination" is something that entered my mind after talking with Vern Stenlund. A former professional hockey player, retired university professor, hockey coach, New York Times best selling author, inductee into the Northwestern Ontario Sports Hall of Fame, and a Hockey Canada adviser, Mr. Stenlund has had quite the journey. I sat down with Mr. Stenlund at his home to talk about his journey, its ups and downs, working with Bobby Orr and how "failure" (as he puts it) can lead to unexpected and sometimes greater things. Something else that entered my mind after speaking with Vern is how I am pretty sure his journey is far from over.

Best known for his art depicting the wilds of Algonquin Tom Thomson is a Canadian Legend. An influential artist who's name is often thrown in with the Group of Seven, thou he never truly was a member. But of course when talking about Tom Thomson the conversation always turns to the mystery surrounding his death on July 8th 1917 at Canoe Lake. Many books, documentaries, and short films have tried to navigate the theories and controversies surrounding Tom's death but author Barry Brodie took a different approach. In his play and book based on the making of his play Tom Thomson: On The Threshold of Magic Barry explores not Tom's death or life but his afterlife which forces Tom to confront his legacy, the people who helped shape him, and his art.

Jay vs The Saxophone of Doom is Kara Kootstra's second book. Unlike her first book The Boy in Number Four which was a picture book for young children, Jay vs The Saxophone of Doom is a chapter book for kids ages 8 to 12. However both books do share some things in common like hockey, working hard to achieve goals and Mr. Bobby Orr. Kara also visits schools and speaks with the students about using their creativity, finding their "voice" and not being afraid to share it with others. Something else these two books share, Jay and Bobby Orr both have passion for what they do and I think Kara shares that with them as well.

Like the Ancient Greeks who competed in Pankration or the more modern boxing matches of our time, MMA (mixed martial arts) follows a history of people competing in one on one physical sports. Some people look at MMA fights as just two people senselessly beating each other up. Others see two determined combatants who have trained both physically and mentally, competing in hand to hand combat with the purpose of determining who is the better warrior, like a physical game of chess only with more blood. Determination and passion is something you need to excel at in this type of sport. Pro MMA fighter Kyle Preploc has both. I got the chance to talk with Kyle at Maximum Training Centre in Windsor where he trains and teaches. We spoke about being a Pro MMA fighter, preparing for fights, and his goal of reaching the UFC. One fight at a time.

In the late 1800s Western-themed dime novels were published all over the United States telling fictionalized stories about real American icons like Buffalo Bill, Billy the Kid, and Jesse James. Now replace American cowboys with real life Canadian war heroes and icons, like John McCrae, A.Y. Jackson, Lester Pearson, and Conn Smythe. Set them in the First World War at Vimy Ridge and you have the Canadian version of the American dime novel. Group of 7 is the new comic written by Chris Sanagan and drawn by Jason Lapidus, the comic follows the fictionalized adventures of 7 brave Canadian soldiers. Speaking with Jason and Chris by phone their passion, excitement, and knowledge of their project was contagious. Part of their goal is to bring attention to these 7 Canadian men in an entertaining way while another part is to maybe ask questions or start conversations about Canadian history. This brings a smile to my face and I would gladly pay far more than a dime to follow that adventure.

"Always be yourself unless you can be Batman. Then always be Batman" is one of those funny sayings you read on the internet followed by a picture of a child in a Halloween costume. To me what this adage really means is "Always be yourself unless you can be better. Then be better." Batman is the symbol of this in the DC universe. A comic book hero who is better than his adversaries and unlike many other comic book heroes posses no super powers. He is just a man, a person just like The Brampton Batman. From patrolling the streets of Brampton Ontario each night to helping charities and police events The Brampton Batman may not have had this adage in mind over 20 years ago but he has followed it. He has always been himself, just better.

Nothing impresses me more then somebody who has a goal. Except perhaps somebody who has a goal, attempts it, fails and then tries again. Daniel Robinson "needed" to make a movie, it was his goal. Most people would view the process of making a film as a monumental task but to make a movie by yourself, alone in northern Canada, well that just seems impossible. Daniel was not deterred. Packing up his equipment he headed north to reach his goal only to find out he was not prepared and returned home. But drive and passion are a powerful motivator and two years later Daniel returned to the north to complete his goal. The result was Nestor. A film about a man, all alone, trying to survive just to reach his goal.

Almost everyone wants to make their community a better place but sometimes it feels like that change requires resources greater then what you currently have. However sometimes all you need to do is look around at what you already have and start from there. One asset many communities have throughout Ontario are Bell utility boxes. Michael Cavanaugh is the Director of The Bell Box Murals Project. A non profit organization that works with community members and local artists to paint outdoor murals on these boxes. This simple idea of adding art to a location that would normally go unnoticed has helped raise the sense of community in the residents by allowing them to share in a piece of art created by one of their own reflecting their local culture and heritage. I talked with Michael from his home in Toronto about how this simple act is helping to change communities, one Bell box at a time.